Novellas, Quick Reads and Fun for Busy Readers

The Holidays are approaching fast. Thanksgiving is past though I hope we are all still praising the Lord for His many gifts. The New Year will be here before we know it. But the favorite time of year for most of us is Christmas.

My home is decorated, gifts purchased and plans made, but I'm still trying to finish a new LI proposal--three more novels for the Lilac Series that began this year--and I'm reading a novel that I wish I had time to finish. I try to squeeze in a few chapters a day.

For those who love to read and get as frustrated as I do, consider reading novellas this time of year. They are shorter but still exciting stories that can satisfy the reader.

A novella runs from 25-40 thousand words which is about half a novel. Though they are not as complex, readers still have the pleasure of  enjoying t a man and woman falling in love.
Two of my most recent novellas are available now and one is perfect for Christmas

Yuletide Treasures

Livy Schuler thinks she has her life planned. But visiting the Mandalay family at Christmas with her young nephew introduces her to new traditions and a new way life. From her cousin Helen and the secret gift of two hearts bound as one which Livy's brother asked her to deliver to Helen, she learns the true meaning of love. Can she let her plans fade to explore the possibility of a love ever after?

Read more about this novella by Clicking here

 

Apple Blossom Daze

When Julie Johnson hears a male voice from her past, she doesn't recognize her childhood friend Adam Wright, who played tag or hide and seek in their grandparents' yards. Years have passed and their lives have changed. Both single, they talk over the fence about solutions to their widowed grandparents'  loneliness. They come up with a plan to play matchmaker, but the solution doesn't go as they had planned and it leaves them with new problems and an ending they hadn't expected. 

Read more about this novella by Clicking here  

Churchill by Leann Harris

Growing up, I loved Winston Churchill. Okay, I was a weird child, but that's part of being a writer. Recently, I started an on-line class on Winston Churchill from Hillsdale College. My Indie book, THE LAST TRUTH, was set in WWII, and I've been researching Churchill. I loved learning about him. He was a man who stepped up in the crisis and lead. Churchill created the Special Operations Executive 1940-1946, who sent spies into occupied Europe. The instant I learned about SOE, story ideas exploded in my head. WWII is a time period unique in the book world. I think it's considered historical, but then things are changing so quickly that I'm not sure. I enjoyed writing in that time period and plan to do more books.

I wanted to mention what happened in California. My prayers are with the people who lived through the situation.

Gratitude isn't just for Thanksgiving

Reaching one thousand in my gratitude journal!

Hi Everyone, Danica Favorite here, and I wanted to share about a subject very important to me. I love Thanksgiving, because it makes us stop and think about all the things we're grateful for. But it bothers me that many of us only take one day a year to sit down and express all the things we're truly thankful for.

Almost two years ago, I started a journaling practice that really changed my life. I keep a gratitude journal. Every day I write down ten things I'm grateful for. When I first started, the rule was I couldn't be grateful for the same thing twice, but now that I have over a thousand things on my list, I've given myself a little more room to double up, as long as I don't do it too often!

Sometimes I skip a day or two, but I find that if I go more than a couple of days without writing in my journal, I don't feel as good or have as good of a day. It's easy to focus on the hard things in life, but when I take time to remember the good, and to count my many blessings, it's amazing to see how much better my life looks. In fact, the easiest way for me to turn any bad day around is to look at that journal, and see how, despite whatever bump I've hit, I have a pretty amazing life.

I'm always skeptical of claims of things that supposedly change people's lives, but can I let you in on a little secret about my life? Ever since I started keeping my gratitude journal, everything in my life has gotten better. It didn't happen overnight, and I can't point to a specific link between the two, but despite having the same ups and downs of life, some higher ups, and some lower downs, I have to say that overall, I am a much happier person. My life is a thousand times better.

It's not that everything bad in my life magically disappeared. I've had some really bad days. Crushing disappointments. But I think I handle them better. And sometimes, in the midst of those bad things, when I can still find things to be grateful for, I can't see the bad anymore. As for the good, I find so many small things to celebrate, from the snow glistening on the trees, to enjoying a peaceful moment with my tea, to hugs from my daughter, and a thousand (literally!) other things in between, I know that I have an incredible life. Even when I'm not writing things down, I often stop and pause in gratitude throughout my day because I know that I have so much to be grateful for!

How about you? Have you ever kept a gratitude journal? How can you add a little gratitude to your day?

Help for Christmas Shopping from Cheryl Wyatt

Hello all! How many of you went Black Friday shopping this morning? I stayed home and shopped online. LOL! Didn't want to brave the crowds.

Did you have a good Thanksgiving yesterday? Last year was tough for us because we'd just lost my grandmother a few weeks prior to Thanksgiving. This year, God gave us the grace to laugh and the mood was lighter. My heart is always soft toward those for whom the holidays are hard. If that's you, know you're in my prayers...and you are definitely in God's thoughts. He is very near to the brokenhearted.

For this post, I'd love to tell you about the newsletter sign-up incentive I'm hosting right now. On December 1, 2015, I'll be giving away ten $25.00 Amazon gift cards. So, if you'd love the opportunity to win one of those, sign up for my newsletter here:

http://bit.ly/CherylWyattNewsletterSignup

If you'd like an extra entry, visit my Facebook page ww.facebook.com/CherylWyattAuthor, read the pinned post and see the three ways you can add an extra entry. 

Thank you so much for stopping by today!

Cheryl Wyatt

My Writing buddy by Leann Harris

Recently, I had my son's dog spend the week. He's a wonderful dog and planted himself next to my computer. He enjoyed stretching out next to me. He didn't give me any input, but slept through my furious working.

Happy National Adoption Month!

More details here!

Hello friends! Proud adoptive mom Lee Tobin McClain here. November is National Adoption month, and since I think adoption is one fantastic way to form a family, I feature it often in my novels... including my upcoming Love Inspired novel, His Secret Child, coming in January.

My funny, smart, feisty daughter came into my life and my heart at age one in a hotel room in Chengdu, China. Raising her has been, and continues to be, a wonderful journey. I'm grabbing this opportunity to share a few of our family moments with you

Raising Funds to Help Kids in China

Easter Eggs!

Visit to the Great Wall

Beach Vacation

My daughter is fourteen now, an athletic, social high schooler... where did the time go? I'm so proud of all she's accomplished and of the young woman she's becoming. She has been a real blessing to both her father and me. She is running toward the future at breakneck speed, growing up and building a life of her own, but she will always be my baby!

Varsity Cross Country Runner as a Freshman!

To read more about my books and my adoption journey, visit my website or follow me on Facebook. I'd love to connect with you!

Sometimes we get to realize an old dream.

Jenna Mindel here considering the mysteries of God's little blessings.   This past weekend I was part of a fundraiser fashion show.  I had been asked to fill in for someone who couldn't make it, and so I accepted.  I gave it my all and had a blast.

on the catwalk

Backstage in one of two outfits

Little did they know that when I was a teen, I had considered entering the fashion world.  I was hooked on fashion magazines and Rene Russo had been my favorite model at the time.  I  had checked into various schools offering fashion merchandising degrees.  My mom and I made the trip to NYC to meet with one of those schools and boy, I wanted to go.   I'd always dreamed of becoming a model, but knew at 5' 7, I wasn't tall enough.  Even though I didn't need glasses back then, my looks weren't right either.   I'd tried out for some local modeling gigs that I didn't get but was able to participate in a department store modeling course that ended with a big holiday fashion show.  Okay, so I wasn't that great on the run-way.  (I almost fell off the stage)

God had other plans for me though, and I remember knowing deep inside as graduation drew closer  the world of fashion wasn't the right one for me.  Too bad it took me so long to figure out that writing was where I belonged.  But it's funny how God works, giving me this opportunity out the blue eons later.   It was fun.  And I didn't fall! 

Are there dreams of your youth that you've given up on that might be worth taking another look?  If so, what are they? Have you given them a try?


www.jennamindel.com or find me on Facebook

Book Signings and Discounts from Gail Gaymer Martin

Welcome from Gail Gaymer Martin to the Love Inspired blog on this lovely autumn day. I've had the pleasure of writing for Love Inspired for the past 15 years. My first novel, Upon A Midnight Clear, was published in 2000. Today I have written approximately 30 LI novels. That's a lot of writing, but I've enjoyed it through the years.

After the early excitement of writing novels when I did multiple book signings  each year,
I decided to slow down, and today as life gets fuller and harder to keep up with my book deadlines and many parts of being a writer, I rarely do a signing unless it's a personal request, signing with a group of authors or at a special event as the one pictured here. This is Writers on the River in Monroe, MI and it's an amazing event.    Here I'm pictured with a faithful reader who comes every year to purchase my latest novels - and she always wants the Love Inspired books.

You can look for a number of my latest novels available here.
Romance By Design (humorous romance),  Treasures of Her Heart (romantic mystery) and a Christmas novella, Yuletide Treasures

And speaking of books, Harlequin is celebrating it's 10th year of providing eBooks for readers and 10,000 novels are now on sale for $1.99 including 20 of mine which includes my very first novel, Upon A Midnight Clear.  If you click the link below, you can go to the list of books on sale. By typing my name into the blank space, you will find all of my available eBooks on sale now. I hope you enjoy this chance to find books from your favorite authors. Click here for the list.

Have a blessed Thanksgiving.

Allie Pleiter on Snickers Bar Salad Day!

Guess what I had for breakfast recently?

Long-time Allie fans know November 1 calls for only one thing for breakfast: Snickers Bar Salad.  For over ten years I've been giving fans the perfect way to use up all those Halloween fun-sized Snickers Bars in the world's most indulgent breakfast.  Or lunch.  Or mid day snack. Or hey, all three--I won't judge.  

Why shouldn't you get in on the fun?  Here's the super-easy recipe:

Snickers Bar Salad

6 (or more--go ahead, you've earned it...) fun-sized Snickers bars, chopped into small bits
3 Granny Smith Apples, diced
one 5-oz package vanilla instant pudding mix
8 oz cool whip
1 c. milk

In a bowl, mix pudding mix and milk. Fold in Cool Whip. Mix in
apples and Snicker Bars. Cool and enjoy.

If you like, you can munch on this while you enjoy my upcoming release, A RANGER FOR THE HOLIDAYS!

THE GIFT OF TIME OFF by Marta Perry

Once in awhile even the most dedicated writer needs a break. Well, why not? Workers in other fields take vacations from their daily work schedule. Why not writers?

The problem is that writers work in their imaginations, so that even while we can remove ourselves physically from our keyboards (sometimes with the forceful persuasions of our long-suffering spouses!) we can't turn off our busy brains.

Still, this can be a blessing, even though we may not see it that way. The writer's imagination, freed from the everyday routine, may come back refreshed and renewed. Or, even better, it may be spinning away under the surface while we're taking photos and exclaiming over exotic vistas, picking up bits and pieces that will enrich the current work or inspire a new story.

Even as you're ready this, I am going ashore in Belize, intent on a day of shopping, sampling local cuisine, and exploring local crafts. After a traumatic month this fall with my husband's hospitalization for complications following the flu, we're ready for some rest and recreation.

But what will I find in Belize or Honduras that could possibly relate to the Amish stories I write? Well, people are people no matter where they live. The tenderness of a mother with a child is the same whether the woman is a suburban mom, a Amish farm wife, or a Honduran native. And then, of course, there are always one's fellow travelers. Writers are inveterate eavesdroppers, I fear. A spat between spouses about the cost of something sounds much the same no matter where they are, and traveling can sometimes bring out unexpected insights even into people we think we know very well.

So while I sit in the sun with my husband and go exploring with my sister-in-law, I know I'll be storing up bits and pieces that will, at some time, come into play with my writing. Bon Voyage!

What Love Inspired Authors Do For Fun….

Pamela Tracy here, and what do we do for fun?

We write!

These past two months I've been priviledged to participate in an eharlequin venture for November.

My novella is Heart of a Hero on the 16th.

If you're ready to celebrate the month of Thanksgiving - go ahead and check on these online reads.  Most author are doing giveaways and more.

If you'd like to read about it, here's the url for Prism Tours.  http://prismbooktours.blogspot.ca

The Blessing of Reader Input by Cheryl Wyatt

Good morning! :-)

I'm working on a new book that I'm targeting toward Love Inspired for my Eagle Point Emergency series. The very cool thing about this book is that the opening scene (which includes a runaway lawn mower) was inspired by a discussion I had with readers on my Facebook author page here.

I also put feelers out for other things like season for the setting and secondary characters for the story. Those decisions went so much smoother with reader input! :-) I hope you'll join us sometime. We have a blast plotting fun and mayhem for my characters over there.

When I ran into research and plot snags (lawn mower and grill-related), I went to my reader page and you came through for me!

Plotting alone is not nearly as much fun as plotting with readers. I've found that books plotted with reader input mean so much more to me (and to readers) than books for which I haven't sought input.


Amid plotting that future book, I received the cover for my 4th Eagle Point Emergency book from Love Inspired and was absolutely THRILLED to learn that the awesome team chose to put a navy blue truck on my cover...something readers suggested.

It was SO fun to see that community-inspired element turn up on my cover! I'm excited because I think it honors readers and shows appreciation for their efforts in taking time to connect with us.

Here's a peek:


The Hero's Sweetheart will release from Love Inspired in February of 2016 & can be pre-ordered now from your favorite bookseller. The Hero's Sweetheart on Amazon




I also have a winter themed story releasing as part of an anthology from HarperCollins Christian Publishing on November 3rd (that's NEXT WEEK! YEEEEE!). Do you like the sepia cover?

A Season to Wed on Amazon

Readers, never underestimate the power YOUR words have in encouraging the authors you love to read. Your words and your readership, along with God's grace and guidance is what keeps us going.

What we do, we do for you. It makes my heart glad to know that many of the story elements that make it into the final form of my books are ideas inspired by the very friends whose readership enables me to continue writing. I am thankful for the ability to mention helpers in the dedication and acknowledgment pages of books.



From the bottom of my (our) heart(s)...THANK YOU!

YOUR TURN...

*Do you enjoy offering input on books? If so, how so? 
*What would you like to see more of in our books?
*Does it mean a lot to you when authors ask for input? 
*What's your favorite way to connect with authors?

Thanks SO much for visiting today. Being able to connect with you and get to know you is an honor!
I have lots of fun stuff and new projects releasing soon. Sign up for my newsletter to learn more.

READERS ROCK!

Warmly,
Cheryl Wyatt

What A Writer Knows or Not

Pamela Tracy here… and I'm an author.

I'm thinking you're thinking, "Dah!"

Well, this morning, this writer was doing  helping her ten-year-old with his language arts homework and figuring out the meaning of seven vocabulary words.

1. plot
2. climax
3. rising action
4. falling action
5. conflict
6. resolution
7. exposition

Really, I thought I knew!

I almost volunteered to speak to her class.

Then, helping my son, I had to match the meaning to the words and it took me 10 minutes when I thought it should take 1 second.

So, here are the definitions.  See how you do?

___ information and description given at the beginning of the story, including setting or time period
___ events that make up a story; occur in a sequence
___ wraps up or concludes the story OR can be seen as a cliffhanger
___ events that wrap up the story
___ the inciting events that lead up to the climax; build from the conflict
___ the problem that moves the story forward
___ highest point of tension or interest in the story.

Go ahead, post your answers.  I'll give the correct answers later tonight.

Pamela has a book out in December

She also has a November Thanksgiving short story  that will be featured at eHarlequin November 7th.

Grateful for a lot of things!

Home for Christmas... and a wee gift card giveaway

UPDATE:  LIBRARY LADY JANET E.... YOU'RE A WINNER!
Home for Christmas… what thoughts does that inspire for you? Lee Tobin McClain here, thinking about the upcoming holiday season and what it means to be at home for Christmas.

I’m a little jealous of people who actually go home for Christmas. It has been many years since I’ve had one particular home place to go for the holidays, but I imagine an old-fashioned house, like the one pictured on the cover of my Sacred Bond series' prequel novella:

A homey Christmas story for 99 cents!

My own personal Christmas theme is more like “away for Christmas.” For years, my family travelled to Florida at Christmastime to visit my mother (I know, cry me a river here—that was so rough!). After she passed on and my husband left, my daughter and I started heading for Ohio to visit my sister’s family during holidays. Since her husband is a pastor, he has to be “home for Christmas,” which means that my daughter and I are always away. It also means that the “home” we go to, my sister’s, has changed with some regularity, since Methodist pastors move around a lot.

Even though I don’t have the traditional “home” for Christmas, I recognize that I’m  really lucky to have family to be with. Being surrounded by people you care about is what makes any holiday special, much more than the physical place where you’re celebrating.

This year, my prequel novella, A Christmas Bond, is part of a Christmas anthology called “Home for Christmas.” It's all about a ragtag group of boys, a lonely veteran, an even lonelier single career woman, and

Or get SEVEN novellas for 99 cents!

her wise grandma. Nobody is really home for Christmas and nobody’s really content, except Grandma. So when the baby Jesus is stolen from Grandma's yard nativity, everyone has to work together to find the culprit, and love, a lot closer to home than they ever expected.

So sure, you can buy the novella alone for 99 cents by clicking on the link above. But why would you when you can get it, plus six other wonderful Christmas stories, for the same price?

Thanks for reading! What does going home for Christmas mean to you? Comment for the chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card that will help you get started with some of the amazing Christmas sets that are available already this year. And stop by my website to sign up for my newsletter, grab a free Sacred Bond story, and find out about new releases and giveaways. I'd love to stay in touch!

Heading for the Finish Line by Leann Harris

I'm working on the last book of my Rodeo Heroes Books, The Cowboy Meets His Match. That book will be out in June of 2016, which is Sawyer's book. These cowboys have been with me for at least 3 years, and I'll miss them, but there are other cowboys who want to add their stories to the town of Peaster which I've created east of Fort Worth.

I'm also finishing the third book in my Legacy of Lies series which are Indie books. I've been a slower than I wanted, but cancer intervened. The Lord and my family and friends have walked with me. I'm excited that my series are finishing and more ideas are flowing. It will be sad to leave old friends, but I'm grateful to make new ones.

My foray into facebook and more...

Good morning, Jenna Mindel here.  As I've often said, I'm not gifted with technical know-how, but recently I did two things I'd put off for a long time.   I bought a new desktop tower and installed it, by myself, I might add - I know, no big deal right? But for someone with my lack of computer skills.... Anyway, it went fine.  Even though it's Windows 8.1,  I'm okay with it. :)   

The second one is that I finally joined facebook.  I will admit that it's a fun place to keep up with folks I don't get the chance to see in person, but I also find it to be a black hole where time ceases to exist.  All of sudden, I've been in there milling around for forty minutes!  Yikes.

My next big upgrade is a better cell phone.  I jumped in the lake, forgetting that I had my old flip phone in my back pocket.  Fortunately, I still had my super old one.  Ancient, by today's standards. They don't even make the charger cord anymore. LOL.   I shudder to think what it will take to learn a new one.

So, in this age of techie social media, what do you like about all this connectivity and what don't you like?  Any tips on a good phone?

Have a great day and a blessed one!

Jenna
 https://www.facebook.com/authorjennamindel

WHEN LIFE STRIKES by Marta Perry

The last week in August I was plugging along as usual--doing the edits on the last book in my Keepers of the Promise Amish series while writing the new Amish romantic suspense, planning a book event, trying to keep up with the schedule I'd imposed on myself. Then, within a matter of days, what seemed to be a simple flu-like virus attacked my husband and turned rapidly into a full-scale assault. Before we could grasp what had happened, he was in intensive care, fighting for his life as one system after another failed.

Needless to say, my writing schedule didn't receive even a passing thought during those days. All my strength and energy were required to face nothing more than the next step in front of me. Thanks to skilled doctors and nurses and the powerful prayers not only of family and friends but of people we've never even met, he finally turned the corner. Two weeks in the medical center was succeeded by another two weeks in the rehab hospital. Finally, praise God, he came home, and after a few days of adjusting to the "new normal," we began to feel as if we could breathe again.

When the time came to go back to work, I approached the computer with a great deal of anxiety. The story that had once seemed so clear in my mind had vanished entirely. Things that once seemed crucial to me no longer had meaning. And I honestly didn't know if I was capable of writing again.

Strangely enough, once I actually put fingers to the keyboard, I found it all came back again. Without the involvement of my conscious mind, somehow my writer's brain had stored what I needed. The story began to flow again.

All of this is said not because my story is especially unique. I met many people during those days and nights in the intensive care waiting room who had more tragic stories and worse outcomes than mine. I'm saying it as a reminder that in a time of crisis, all of the unimportant things fall away, and we see clearly those things that are, and should be, paramount in our lives. Family. Faith. Love. We were the recipients of so many simple acts of kindness during those days--words and acts that may have meant very little to the people who gave them but meant the world to us. I hope I never forget. I hope I never put other things, no matter how worthy, before the need to serve God through loving all those He sends my way.

In Love,
Marta

What Were You Doing Last Night

Pamela Tracy here, and I was probably doing what many of you were…

Moon Watching

What's really cool about our neighborhood is the throwback feature.  We've got a gang of boys who do everything together.  My son is the one at the left, blue shirt, sitting down.  This is the beginning of the evening.

Kids loved last night because the end of play time on a school night is usually 7:00.  We didn't end last night until almost 8:00

Hubby grumbled a bit, something about supper being REALLY late and something about a football game..

Still, he dragged out his telescope and let all the kids look through the lens. 

We parents were sitting behind the kids, on lawn chairs, one of the benefits of a cul de sac neighborhood.

This isn't my street.  My photos didn't come out this well.  But, this is another AZ neighborhood with a gorgeous mountain in the background. 

Apparently, one of the cool features of last night's moon was the size.  It was the biggest (closest to the Earth) of the year.

Then, the biggest moon of the year coincided with an eclipse that turned it red.   Which is what earned the cry, "WOW."

God is truly Amazing.

Available December 2015

By the way, what did you think of last night's moon?

How to Meet Love Inspired Authors and Get Free Books!

Hi everyone! Lee Tobin McClain here, inviting you to a party!

Please stop by a Facebook party THIS THURSDAY, 9/24, to celebrate Christian romantic suspense and the release of the Sacred Bond Guardians. Six amazing Love Inspired Suspense authors will be there:  Margaret Daley, Rachel Dylan, Dana R. Lynn, Carol Post, Alison Stone, and Lenora Worth. You'll have the chance to chat with them... and win copies of their books. Fun!

We're also giving away $10 Amazon gift cards, one per hour... and everyone who comes will get a FREE copy of the Sacred Bond Guardians Prequel Novella, The Protector's Bond, normally $2.99. More fun!

If you can't attend the party, or you'd like to dive into my new series right away, that's easy to do because Book One, A Brother's Bond, is free on iBooks and Amazon. As one Amazon reviewer says, "This book is full of suspense, love, secrets and surprises. I found myself reading whenever I had a spare moment just to find out what happened next. And just when I thought I had the plot figured out, the author threw in another twist I was not expecting and I loved that!!"

Hope to see you Thursday night!

Glynna Kaye: New Beginnings with a New Series!

.

Autumn is here once again and I’m excited to have “Rekindling the Widower’s Heart” debuting -- the first book of my new “Hearts of Hunter Ridge” series.

There’s just something about a small town that captures my heart and imagination, and Hunter Ridge is no exception. As with the setting of my seven-book Love Inspired series set in Canyon Springs, Arizona, fictional Hunter Ridge is nestled in the rugged, sweeping expanse of ponderosa pine country several hours north of Phoenix. It’s a land of cool summers and snowy winters.

Originally settled by “Duke” Hunter as a lodging place for early 20^th century huntsmen, through the years the area remained a relatively hidden haven accommodating visiting hunters and backcountry explorers. Rental cabins, outdoor outfitters, grain and feed stores and stables mingle with typical small town businesses, schools and churches.

But times are changing. Limited opportunity has forced youth, families and old timers to seek greener pastures. While neighboring Canyon Springs has long-welcomed a summertime influx of visitors, only now is Hunter Ridge beginning, by necessity, to draw attention to itself. Those who’ve diligently guarded the reclusive outdoorsman essence of their hometown must now weather growing pains to make room for vibrant newcomers who may hold the key to strengthening the community’s economic life.

The Hearts of Hunter Ridge series explores the lives and loves of men and women who have always called the place home, who once fled its city limits and are now returning, or who are stepping into the little community for the very first time. Join them on their journey to love and becoming all God wants them to be!

Welcome to Arizona mountain country.

Welcome to Hunter Ridge!

A Future to Build On - All widower Luke Hunter wants is to raise his three kids—and be left alone. When Delaney Marks arrives in town to oversee the youth group's house renovation project, Luke decides he must come out of hiding. He's worried she's too young to get the job done. He'll have to keep a close watch on her—and on his heart. Because being with the vibrant girl makes it easy to forget their age difference and to start hoping for a future he doesn't deserve. As tensions rise over project pressures, Delaney tries to make Luke see that some things are just out of his control—and that he is worthy of happiness...with her.

GLYNNA KAYE treasures memories of growing up in small Midwestern towns—and vacations spent in another small town with the Texan side of the family. She traces her love of storytelling to the times a houseful of great-aunts and great-uncles gathered with her grandma to share candid, heartwarming and often humorous tales of their youth and young adulthood. Her Love Inspired books Pine Country Cowboy and High Country Holiday won first and second place, respectively, in the short contemporary category of the 2015 RWA Faith, Hope & Love Inspirational Reader’s Choice Awards.

Bearing Good Fruit!

Debby Giusti here!


One of my favorite scriptures is John 15:16: It was not you who chose me, it was I who chose you to go forth and bear fruit.

 The idea of bearing good fruit for the Lord is always front and center in my mind. It's the reason I write. My stories are the fruit of my labor. Hopefully, the message in my books resonates with readers and touches some who are struggling to accept the Lord into their lives.

Often my characters feel alienated from God, usually because of a past mistake they've made. When they realize that the Lord is a God of mercy, they're able to forgive themselves and open their hearts to His love.

The weather in Georgia has dipped a bit cooler. The summer is waning, and fall is in the air. Farmers bring their produce to town each Wednesday and Saturday to sell at the local outdoor market. Vendors proudly display the fruit of their labor at the bi-weekly neighborhood gathering, and I love to wander through the stalls and select fresh fruits and vegetables to buy for my family.

Just as writers work to create stories that touch hearts and uplift the reader, the bounty of each farmers' harvest brings joy and sustenance to all who buy their produce.

What type of fruit are you producing? How do you see the Lord working in your life?

Wishing you abundant blessings!

Debby Giusti
www.DebbyGiusti.com
www.seekerville.blogspot.com

PERSON OF INTEREST
By Debby Giusti 

WOMAN ON THE RUN

While babysitting a young servicewoman’s infant, Natalie Frazier hears a murder in the neighboring army duplex. Convinced her former commander is behind the crime, the ex-soldier bolts with the baby. But who will believe her story? Army investigator Everett Kohl deals only with the facts, but this time his gut instincts can’t be denied. Is the attractive Natalie a cunning killer, as his ranking officers believe, or an innocent victim? Ordered to bring her in, Everett has a decision to make. Helping her could cost him his job…but not protecting  Natalie and the baby could get all of them killed…

Order your copy in digital or print format: Amazon.

Also available in digital format: Coffee Shop Romances, featuring my novella, "Stolen Kisses."