Good Morning by Leann Harris

I am not a morning person. I taught for a long time and had to leave the house around 7AM. Once I stopped teaching, I didn't keep up the early routine. I wake later but isn't my optimum time. Talk to me around noon.) But these last few weeks as I'm making hot tea in the morning, I look out in my yard and see all the daffodils and hyacinth and papperwhites blooming. They greet me and it's as if God says good morning. It makes me smile.

Keeping Up with Covers by Marta Perry

Do you judge a book by its cover? I know that observations in bookstores have shown a similar pattern in how potential readers browse in bookstores. I've seen it myself, and so have you. The reader goes first to the desired section--romance, mystery, sci fi, etc. (For me, this comes after a stop at the cafe to have a Chai Latte.) Then a quick glance over the shelves. The eye settles on a book, attracted by either the cover, the title, or the author's name. Next step--pick it up. Most people then flip the book over to read the back cover copy. If they're still interested, they'll open it and read the first page. And then?

Well, some people will jump to the end of the book to make sure that the ending is happy--after all, no one wants to invest hours reading a book only to discover that a favorite character dies in the end! Unless, of course, that's the sort of book you've looking for.

And then the book is tucked under the arm while the browsing continues, following the same routine over and over.

But wait! How many of us now have a bookstore within easy reach? My small town used to boast two independent bookstores, in addition to the college bookstore and the Waldenbooks at the local mall. Where are they now? Gone in the blink of an eye. Even Walmart has stopped carrying the large selection of books they once did. So what's a book-lover to do?

If you're like me, you're probably buying most of your books online now. What is the role of the usual browsing? Do the same parameters apply?

Honestly, I don't know the answer to that question. I find that as a reader, I've been stung too many times in downloading a book which had an appealing cover and induced a reaction similar to throwing the book across the room, except that I don't toss my Kindle. So my answer has been to gravitate over and over to familiar author names. I search by author, not by category, and when I'm lucky, I find a book I either haven't read or read so long again that I'd enjoy reading it again.

You'll notice I'm providing only questions, no answers! How do you pick the books and authors you're willing to take a chance on? Do you rely on the cover more or less than when browsing in a bookstore?

If anyone has an answer, I'd love to hear it. In the meantime, I can only hope that the cover to my upcoming HQN Book, ECHO OF DANGER, releasing April 24th, says "Buy me! Buy me!" to fans of romantic suspense!

Redeeming The Time

This is something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately and I hope that I get better at redeeming the moments that make up my life. If you are like me, it’s so easy to get caught up with the day to day things to be done that you can forget to enjoy the little moments that make life special.

Sure, the birthdays, the holidays, the graduations that come into our lives are easy to remember and keep up with, but those fall on only a few days of the year. There’s plenty of other moments that sometimes get lost in the worries of the day.

 

Like a breathtaking sunset streaked with color. Or the beauty of the outdoors.

A simple smile or touch of someone you love. These are all ways of redeeming the moment.

For me, I find so much blessings in redeeming the moments I have with my granddaughters. They are all unique and special and they bring so many happy moments to my life.

 

 

 

 

 

Baking with my granddaughters is one way that I redeem the time we have together. One of our favorite recipes to make is chocolate chip cookies. So I thought I’d share the recipe I found on Allrecipes.com with you. It is awesome and my girls love it.

 

Outrageous Chocolate Chip Cookies

Prep 15 m. Cook 10 m. Ready In 25 m

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup white sugar

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg

 1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup rolled oats

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

I add chopped pecans as well. 

Directions

1Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, white sugar and brown sugar until smooth. Stir in the peanut butter, vanilla and egg until well blended. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; stir into the batter just until moistened. Mix in the oats and chocolate chips until evenly distributed. Drop by tablespoonfuls on to lightly greased cookie sheets.

3Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, until the edges start to brown. Cool on cookie sheets for about 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

 

In Ephesians 5:16 the Bible tells us we should be, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

I believe God wants us to redeem every moment of our day for as long as we have left on this earth.

So what about you? What do you do to redeem the time?

 

All the best…

Mary Alford

www.maryalford.net

 

The New Year Reboot by Marta Perry

Come the first of January each year, we're bombarded with exhortations: New Year, New You; or Your First Year of Gym Membership Free! or Daily Exercise, the Key to a Happy Life; or any of a dozen other possibilities promising a new and improved version of yourself if only you'll adopt their plan.

Now, I don't know about you, but on the first of January I'm usually still walking around the Christmas tree, trying to avoid the argument over which football game claims precedence, and hoping to produce a New Year's Day dinner after a season of preparing too many big meals. I'm in no shape then to embark upon a program of self-improvement. No, I need to ease myself back into smarter eating, get rid of the leftover Christmas cookies while wondering why I ever thought anyone would eat that many, and sweep up the tinsel that's being trampled into the carpet.

As it happens, my birthday falls in January, so I've decided that it will serve as a good starting point for a period of self-improvement. If you're not fortunate enough to have a January 21st birthday, I'd suggest that Chinese New Year would work as well!

This year my efforts were helped by the birthday gift of a wondrous new planner from my son and daughter-in-law. No more dreary fake-leather cover in brown or black, but a gorgeous, multi-colored glossy cover that positively lures me into planning. What's more, it has sections for both work and personal goals, and daily grids that are actually big enough to write in. What a concept! Devoting a few minutes each morning into considering what can really be accomplished and finding an appropriate time slot gives me a sense of accomplishment before I've actually done anything!

Don't get me wrong--I know I still have to do the work. But why shouldn't I...or we...have a method of approaching it that brings us happiness?

Wishing you all the best in this new year,
Marta

A little bit of Kindness

Hi Everyone! Danica Favorite here, and I am writing today about kindness.

For those of you who have been reading my books for a while, you know that the heroine of For the Sake of the Children, Rose Stone, was not always the most upstanding citizen in Leadville. She weathered a lot of scandal, and though she's changed in many ways, Rose still suffers the sting of her actions. Or at least, the way some people treat her because of her mistakes.

One of the themes that keeps popping up in my stories, especially as I write about the not-so-lovable characters getting happy endings, is the transformative power of love and kindness. Rose was able to overcome the bad things in her past because of the love and kindness shown to her by her family. And, as she learns in this book, learning how to offer that same level of forgiveness to herself.

I've been thinking a lot about the things in this world lately, and the state of affairs, and my heart is really sad because we tend towards using shame as a means of getting people to change their behavior. We think that if we shame someone on social media, they will change their tune and do what we want them to do. There are pictures and articles mocking people for their bad decisions, and everyone chimes in about these terrible people. But what if they aren't terrible people? I wonder what it would feel like if our worst mistakes were recorded and plastered all over social media for everyone to mock.

In all the times I've been shamed for something people didn't like, it has never been a means of changing my behavior for the positive. Rather, it becomes a reason for me to hide further into the darkness, and has caused a lot of damage in my life. When I think about positive changes in my life, and ways I've turned from sin or even just not great behavior, the real cause of the change has been the receipt of kindness. There was a time in my life when I'd been so shamed that I couldn't accept kindness, and I lashed out at those who would offer it to me, because I thought it came with strings. But slowly, the more I saw kindness from others and accepted it as a gift, the more I learned that it was okay for others to be kind to me, and more importantly, for me to be kind to others.

And that, my friends, is really the way of Jesus. When faced with sinners and people who did wrong, he didn't mock them or create memes about how stupid they were, He loved them. He offered them kindness in times when others were turning their backs and treating them like they were nothing.

I want my books, and hopefully, my life, to reflect that kind of love. Trust me, I still fail as often as I succeed. But more and more, when it's tempting to open my mouth, I think about what it means to offer kindness instead of more shame. Sometimes, all I can do is keep my mouth shut, because I don't know what the kind response would be. Are there things happening in this world that would make Jesus angry? Absolutely. But I think He is often heartbroken at how we respond, in kind, by not by being kind.

My hope for you, and for this world, is that we can all learn to break free of the shame that holds us back, and learn a different way of responding. As you read about how Rose experienced transformation in her life, I hope you are reminded that the thing that made a difference in her life was the love and kindness shown to her by others. More importantly, I hope you remember the ultimate source of that love and kindness. And, as you're faced with the nastiness out there, you can find a way in your heart to offer kindness instead of shame.

Allie Pleiter on Tough Heroes with Soft Centers

One of my favorite types of romance heroes is the tough guy who struggles with “a soft center.”  I love a man of strength and honor who can never quite figure out how to shoulder the depth of his caring.  And I love the woman who brings that affection out from under his crusty exterior.

My hero for The Rancher’s Texas Twins has just that dynamic.  Lone Star Cowboy League President Gabe Everett is a serious man of duty.  The two mischievous little girls who end up staying on his ranch, however, don’t see “Mr. Boots” that way.  Their non-stop onslaught of “tiny pinkness”  opens this cowboy’s heart in a way that is sure to melt yours. Children have such a gift for tearing down the walls we build around ourselves, don’t you think?

It was great fun to wrap up the popular Lone Star Cowboy League: Boys Ranch series with this book. Gabe, and the lovely young mother Avery who holds the key to saving the boys ranch, are a perfect match—even if it takes a pair of adorable twins to convince them.

What about you?  What heroes are your favorites?  If you’ve enjoyed the Lone Star Cowboy League: Boys Ranch series, which books have the heroes who have won your heart?

What’s Warm And Sweet And Tailor Made For The January Cold?

The Answer: A good Love Inspired book.

The holidays are officially over, the decorations all put up, (have you put yours away yet?), and it’s cold out, (even in Texas).

With so many good books to choose from, where do you start? How about by saving 20% on any Love Inspired, Love Inspired Suspense, or Love Inspired Historical?

 

Just go to the website, http://www.harlequin.com/store.html?cid=623302  and scroll down until you see the ad, "Save 20% off any Love Inspired, Love Inspired Historical or Love Inspired Suspense title with code LINSP20**".

You can also get a free Love Inspired Suspense download of Laura Scott’s Under the Lawman's Protection until January 31^st here:  http://www.harlequin.com/storeitem.html?iid=55407

 

 

And you can read Linda Ford’s Love Inspired Historical, Her Honor-Bound Cowboy online for free here:  http://www.harlequin.com/articlepage.html?articleId=1882&chapter=1

 

 

 

So, if it’s cold where you are, like it is here in Texas, why not curl up with a good Love Inspired book and get lost in something warm and sweet.

 

All the best…

 

Mary Alford

 

www.MaryAlford.net

 

Deadly Memories – Coming June 2017 to Love Inspired Suspense.

WOMAN WITHOUT A PAST 

Amnesia may be keeping Ella Weiss from remembering her past—but not from saving the little boy who's been her fellow prisoner the last seven years. After managing to escape her cell, all she wants is to find where little Joseph is being kept. Instead she runs straight into CIA agent Kyle Jennings. Kyle isn't sure if Ella is actually a kidnap victim or if she's working for the gunrunner he's been after. One thing he is certain of is her uncanny resemblance to the wife he thought he'd buried. To save a child's life and stop a terrorist from slipping through his fingers, he'll need to uncover the secrets of Ella's past—and whether or not she's really the woman he's never stopped loving.

 

Rocky Mountain Pursuit - *** Publishers Weekly Bestseller ***

Available now at: Love Inspired Suspense
IDENTITY: CONFIDENTIAL
Everyone believes agent Jase Bradford is dead—everyone but Reyna Peterson. Only he can protect her now that someone wants the information her CIA husband died to secure.

Forgotten Past - Available now at: Love Inspired Suspense
LOST MEMORIES
Faith McKenzie was the only survivor of a brutal home invasion. Viciously attacked and left for dead, Faith can't remember anything about that night—including the identity of the killer.

Win 40+ Love Inspired Romances and a Kindle Fire!

Hello lovely readers of Love Inspired books, Terri Reed here, sharing with you a fun promotion some of the Love Inspired Authors are doing. Click on the link below to enter the giveaway.
There are so many wonderful authors and books that could be yours. My offering is Murder Under the Mistletoe, my November 2015 Christmas suspense.

https://www.booksweeps.com/enter-win-40-love-inspired-romances/?mc_cid=4ec9993fc9&mc_eid=b4760e7612

Allie Pleiter's super-easy Christmas treat

I'm not much of a baker.  While I love desserts, I'm more about eating them than making them.  So, I'm always on the lookout for snacks and desserts that are easy and fun.  Here's one that has been a staple in the Pleiter household since the kids were tiny:

Reindeer Eyeballs
About the silly name--back when it was highly amusing to little minds, we used to make them with pretzel rings so that with a single M&M in the middle they did look like eyes.  Now that we're older and more dignified (supposedly) we make them with square pretzels and four M&Ms.  But the name simply refuses to go away....

Ingredients:
1 package Christmas M&Ms
1 package vanilla almond bark
1 package pretzel "snaps"--or any shape that amuses you


1.  Lay out pretzels on wax paper.
2.  Working in small batches, melt one or two blocks at a time of the almond bark in the microwave until it is a pudding-like consistency.
3.  Using a spoon, dab a glob of almond bark onto (or in the spaces of) each pretzel.
4.  Arrange M&Ms on the almond bark and let cool.

This is a salty-sweet snack that is a holiday must-have around our house.  I hope you enjoy it!

--Allie

Do You Believe in Miracles?

Deb Kastner here with a holiday question.
 Do you believe in miracles?
My family has been through SO much this year that my answer is an unqualified YES.

First, my husband had a double-stroke in September. The first stroke was immediately treated and we thought the worst of it was over, but then he was sent down to get an MRI and stroked again. He truly thought he was going to die in that moment, but God brought him back. He's still needed on earth, and I think the Lord every day for that. Even with his new disability, every day I spend with him is a blessing.

Then my mother had back surgery and there were moments that were touch and go. I'm nowhere near ready to say goodbye to my mother, and am happy to say that, while she's still in pain, she's recovering.

And last week my youngest daughter, with my five-year-old grandson in the car, had a major automobile accident. Her car was totaled, and yet they walked away, not totally unscathed, but considering what her car looks like, with relatively small injuries. She has a painful case of whiplash in her neck, shoulders and back, and one hand is in a splint, but for what it could have been, we're thankful. And the highlight of my grandson Boo's day was riding in the firetruck, with nothing more than a cut on his neck where the seat belt was.

Let's just say my family's guardian angels have been working overtime.

And in a most unexpected reminder of Christmas miracles, my Christmas cactus bloomed--at Christmastime! I have the blackest thumb ever and if it blooms, which is rarely, it's always been around Easter.

In my latest release, Mistletoe Daddy, Nick and Vivian are awaiting a miracle of their own. I'll bet you can guess from the cover what that is!

 Christmas is a time for miracles. Has God been working in a special way in your life?

Thanksgiving Traditions

I still can’t believe next week is Thanksgiving. It just seems like yesterday it was hot out…oh wait, I live in Texas, so yesterday it was hot!

But seriously, this is one of my favorite times of the year. In my opinion, Thanksgiving is one of our unsung holidays because it doesn’t always get its due. I mean look what comes next.

Thanksgiving is the time where we give thanks to God for all the gifts he has blessed us with before we celebrate receiving of the greatest gift of all. The birth of our Lord Jesus.

So, as I sat down to write this, I thought about all the Thanksgivings that have passed in my life. At 57, there’s been quite a few that come to mind.

As a child, I remember all the family coming together over a wonderful meal cooked by my mother. Turkey and cornbread dressing, pies, and one of my favorites, my mother’s fruit salad. Of all the things that made the Thanksgiving meal so good, it was her fruit salad that I loved the most. It’s stuck with me through the years.

By then, the weather had usually turned colder, though we lived in a different part of Texas. I remember one year it even snowed. All special memories for a child.

One of our other traditions was to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. The floats and the balloons were great, but when Santa made an appearance we knew Christmas was on its way.

Most of my family have now gone on to be with God, so nowadays, Thanksgiving is bittersweet for me.

As a grandmother, we have our own holiday traditions, but I do my best to make all those wonderful dishes my mother made so well and that I loved as a child, (even the fruit salad). And on occasion we watch the parade still.    

So what about you? What are your family’s Thanksgiving traditions? Do you have some that you learned from your childhood and that you carry on to your children?  

 

All the best…

 

Mary Alford

www.maryalford.net

Finally, Fall has arrived by Leann Harris

Cool weather is here. Yeah. Last week folks were in shorts, sandals, and t-shirts. This morning we had rain and cold. But now I have to switch out my closets from summer to winter. Don't tell me I'm the only one who has taken over their children's closets (once they left). Okay, I need to be brutal and go through those closets and throw out things I haven't worn in the last three years, but in my defense, I wore a dress this summer I haven't worn in more than ten years. There's also another wrinkle in this plan to clean closets. I have a proposal to finish. What is more important to a writer, clothes or writing? Need I say more.

I wanted to share pictures of my yard at this time and table, but I'm not brave enough to take a picture of those closets and post it. There are some things a girl doesn't do.

Being a writer is scary

How many people can say they kill people for a living and get away with it? Well, if you’re a suspense writer, you can. The ability to make up dangerous situations and then throw your main characters headfirst into the action, is both fun and a little scary.

 

I tell my husband all the time that I hope no one ever takes a serious look at my computer history. They’d see such things as what is the name of a fast acting poison? What’s the best long range weapon for a sniper? What type explosives can bring down a building? Research for writing suspense can take you to some strange places.

 

And yes, all those things are scary to think about, but there are other parts of writing that are equally frightening. Like sitting down to a blank screen and writing…something. There’s nothing more exciting or daunting than typing those first few words of a book, or trudging through the middle of a story when you’re really not sure where things are going, then finally limping battered and bruised across the finish line to be able to write, “the end”.

Then, just when you think your heart couldn’t possibly take any more excitement, it’s time for the edits. That in itself can be scary because most times your editor is asking you to stretch yourself as a writer in order to make your story the best it can possibly be.

With the edits finished, you ca relax, right? Wrong. The book is ready to be released, but what if no one likes it? Just because you wrote it, agonized over every single word in it, doesn’t mean the reader will have the same reaction you did.

So you see, writing can be scary, but let me just say, I wouldn’t trade a second of the terror, the rollercoaster ride of emotion, or the nail biting moments of doubts, for anything else. Because it is a true blessing to be able to say I am a writer, scary or not.

 

 

 

All the best…

Mary Alford

www.maryalford.net

   

 

Allie Pleiter's favorite Fall tradition

November 1 is coming in few days, which means it's time for my favorite Fall tradition: Snickers Bar Salad!

This started one year when I was speaking to a women's conference on November 1.  One of the attendees who knew my sweet tooth brought this to me as a treat. I loved it. Now, for something like 10 years straight, it gets posted to my email list and Allie fans everywhere celebrate November 1 as "Snickers Bar Salad Day." With so much fun-sized candy around from trick or treating, it's a cinch to make. And yes, I have it for breakfast!

Snickers Bar Salad

6 (or more—go ahead, you’ve earned it…) fun-sized Snickers bars, chopped into small bits (my friend says more are permissible if it's been a bad week!)
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 Snickers Bars. Cool and enjoy.

Glynna Kaye...and A Taste of That Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

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Yes, it’s only October, so maybe these snowy scenes seem a bit premature to you? But with my Love Inspired November release The Pastor’s Christmas Courtship already spotted on retail shelves (and Arizona mountain country experiencing a dusting of snow on the highest mountain tops), I couldn’t resist!

.

As some of you already know from having read my books, this part of Arizona isn’t all desert heat and saguaro cactus. At a 7,000 ft (and higher!) elevation it’s a beautiful ponderosa pine-studded four-season region--which makes it such a fun place to set my stories. Especially a Christmas one!

.

Have you started thinking about or even preparing for the upcoming holidays--Thanksgiving, Christmas, the New Year?

.

If you’ve started preparations for Christmas, what might those entail? Making a To Do List and checking it twice? Gift shopping or making handmade gifts and decorations? (Don’t you just love the craft and fabric stores this time of year?)

.

Perhaps you’ve picked up holiday-themed magazines for ideas and are reviewing your recipe file for family favorites? Or maybe your community or church choir is preparing for a cantata or a presentation of Handel’s Messiah? Have you been tempted, as I have, to read a Christmas novella to get a tiny taste of this most wonderful of seasons?

.

What is your favorite Christmas tradition?

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In The Pastor’s Christmas Courtship, the heroine finds herself reminiscing about family traditions and gatherings held at her now-deceased grandparents’ mountain home. She’s retreating there for a healing time alone and to get the place ready to sell—never expecting that her former crush would be back in town or that her sisters would insist she provide their children a Christmas at the cabin just like the ones they used to love themselves.

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I hope Garrett and Jodi’s story gives you a taste of this most wonderful time of the year!

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Happy soon-to-be holidays!

Glynna

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Jodi Thorpe’s childhood vacation cabin seems the perfect place for her to heal her broken heart…and avoid Christmas cheer. After twelve years, nothing in Hunter Ridge has changed--except Garrett McCrae. The bad boy who was once her secret crush is now the town minister. And Garrett won’t let her miss out on all the hope and joy the holiday brings.  With every day he’s drawn to the vulnerable woman Jodi’s become, even as he’s about to leave for a mission halfway around the world.  But as they grow closer, their plans begin to change. Can Garrett make it a season to remember, with a love they can’t forget?

Click HERE to order Jodi and Garrett’s Christmas story!

Christmas In October

Hello, Terri Reed here.  I can't believe Christmas is only 73 days away!! Here's a link to a countdown you want to keep track: http://www.xmasclock.com

I have two books out this month, both are holiday themed. 

Identity Unknown is a fast-paced, edge of your seat romantic suspense. A man with no memory is marked for murder. A female deputy sheriff with trust issues is determined to learn the truth. They must work together to uncover the past and stop the threat or they won't live to see Christmas Day.

A Family Under the Christmas Tree is a charming, delightful story to warm your heart. A man juggling sudden parenthood of a five-year-old and a growing business doesn't need the distraction of his neighbors granddaughter. A woman with wanderlust is determined to keep her heart from growing attached. A matchmaking grandma and a rambunctious dog conspire to form bring these two together.

To celebrate the beginning of fall

, I

’

ve teamed up with more than

40

fantastic

inspirational contemporary romance authors to give away a huge colle

ction of novels

,

PLUS a Kindle Fire to one lucky winner!

You can win my novel NAME OF NOVEL, plus books from authors like NAME and

NAME.

Enter the giveaway by clicking here:

http://bit.ly/contemp-inspy

To celebrate the beginning of fall

, I

’

ve teamed up with more than

40

fantastic

inspirational contemporary romance authors to give away a huge colle

ction of novels

,

PLUS a Kindle Fire to one lucky winner!

You can win my novel NAME OF NOVEL, plus books from authors like NAME and

NAME.

Enter the giveaway by clicking here:

http://bit.ly/contemp-inspy

Good luck, and enjoy

To celebrate the beginning of fall, I’ve teamed up with more than 40 fantastic inspirational contemporary romance authors to give away a huge collection of novels,

PLUS a Kindle Fire to one lucky winner!

You can win my novel Double Threat Christmas, plus books from authors like Margaret Daley and

Linda Goodnight. 

Enter the giveaway by clicking here: http://bit.ly/contemporary-inspy

God Bless, and enjoy!

Good luck, and enjoy!