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Follow my journey toward publication. Laugh, cry, point and stare-- it's all good. I'll leave a trail so that you, my fellow author, may have a straighter path to finding your own elusive publishing contract. Adventure awaits. Let's travel together...



Sunday, June 30, 2013

Love Unexpected -- May New Releases


Summer is here, and we've got some great new releases to fill up those camping trips, car rides, and lazy days on the beach.  Our May suggestions are intriguing and ready to pull you into stories of faith, love, and adventure.

It will be hard to choose between these five wonderful romances.These books are sure to captivate your imagination, from overcoming great odds together, to chance meetings with a dashing earl, switchboard encounters of the handsome kind, a mysterious vanishing, and a prince's choice.

Vote for the one most likely to make your summer To Be Read pile by voting below. Don't forget to send some love and encouragement to our authors via the comments section.

Happy Voting!

Their lives are worlds apart; he's a royal prince and she's an ordinary girl, but everything changes when Susanna receives an invitation to Nathaniel's coronation. It's the ultimate choice: His kingdom or her heart…God's will or their own?










When Mitchell's wife, Jill, kisses him goodbye, he has no idea that he may never see her again. When the police can't find her, Mitch asks his neighbor, Shelley, for help, but as weeks turn into months and Mitch and Shelley grow ever closer, he wonders how he can honor his vows to a woman who seems to have vanished off the face of the earth.








Switchboard operators, otherwise known as "hello girls," must conduct themselves according to strict--and often bewildering--rules, which include absolutely no consorting with gentlemen while in training. Hannah Gregory has never been good at following rules, but she doubts it will be difficult to keep that particular rule--until a handsome young lawyer starts getting under her skin.







A chance meeting and a bullet wound change everything, and Madeline St. James must trust that the Good Shepherd has led her to the altar to marry a dashing stranger, Lord Devonshire. Madeline's unwavering faith intrigues and exasperates the stubborn earl, but can the compromised couple forge a true bond before the next disaster strikes?








After their professional athletic careers are sidelined, Tara and Ryan must find purpose and fulfillment in their new lives. With the help of the Junkyard King and a mechanical bull, can Tara and Ryan find the courage to climb Heartbreak Hill together?
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Monday, June 24, 2013

Women of Valley View by Sharon Srock


This week's featured New Release is Sharon Srock's latest,
Terri: Women of Valley View 2



Despite a bustling day care center and a new foster child, Terri Hayes hungers for a family of her own. Then a plumbing mishap leaves her homeless and questioning God's plan. Steve Evans's gracious offer of his basement apartment as a temporary solution is an answered prayer.

Steve is a successful writer and a good father, but Terri is horrified when Steve's book research leads him to a harsh confrontation with the parents of her foster child. She needs to distance herself from Steve, but her efforts fall short as his two scheming daughters plot to make Terri their new stepmother.

Will harsh words and sneaky plans drive a family further apart and put a wedge between Terri and Steve, or does God have another plan in store?
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Read the first pages of the book on  Amazon HERE
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REVIEWS

Terri is a delightful story, the second book in Women of Valley View. The humor is great and the author had me bursting into laughter several times. The romance is delectable and I found myself sighing and rereading the sweet romance scenes between Terri and Steve. The storyline is so interesting, dealing with being a foster parent, and seeing the other side of the problem. The author doesn't portray the parents whose child is taken away as bad people, but someone who needs help. This is just a minor part of the story but it shows how social services can help people get back on their feet and be better parents. I have several favorite quotes from this book and here is one I'll share with you: "The workings of a woman's brain have been a mystery since Eve." By Linda Weaver Clarke
**
Terri is a single woman looking for "Mr. Right," and has been looking for him so long that she begins to go ahead with her plans in spite of not having found him, yet. There's someone on her mind, of course, but he has older children and a granddaughter, already, while Terri wants very much to have babies. So, she becomes a foster parent. In hopes that this will fulfill some of the desires of her heart whether she finds a husband, or not.

That's the premise. A lot of things happen to both thwart and encourage her, and one finds themselves reading to the last page just to see how everything turns out for everybody. It's a good read based on that alone. Very well-written, too. Ms. Srock brings people and place alive so vividly that you will actually recognize people you know there. Or at least wish you knew. But that isn't what makes it special.

What sets this book apart from most is the perspective. I might even go so far as to call it "the view." Like a movie running across the window of your mind, it gives you a front row seat to not only observe how Terri works out her problems, but how we can possibly apply those same methods to work on ours. Because that part of the story is real. Something you can take home with you.

Would I recommend the WOMEN OF VALLEY VIEW: TERRI? You bet. Because in my opinion, anytime you can walk away with something that valuable from an enjoyable piece of entertainment makes it priceless. Which is why I think everyone should meet the "Women of Valley View." By
**
I am not much of a reader and I have never done a book review before so here goes nothing. A book really has to grab my attention first off to keep me engaged. Terri accomplished this without question! I love Terri and how "real" she is. You can really feel her inner struggle and her desire to follow God's will. However, she is human, and as we all do at times, her idea of the way things should go and idea of what she thought she needed, conflicted with what God had in mind. After some pretty harsh reality checks, a few ugly pity parties and a couple of scheming teenagers, Terri see's that what God had for her was way better than what she ever could have imagined. I felt the story flowed well and did a great job of making each character personal. I really felt that I knew these people. I was on edge and feared for Sean and Ella's marriage, when Steve got tough with Sean. I loved that this book showed that although God is a loving God, there are sometimes he uses tough love to get his point across. The love Steve shows Sean by being straight with him was hard and almost cost him his relationship with Terri. Regardless he followed God's leading and his obedience was rewarded. Not only does he get the girl, he gets to be part of the miracle that helps to bring a broken, young, on the run from God's call on his life, Sean, back to Christ. As a result we witness the healing of a broken family. I appreciated how this book shows us that even when we can't see, God does. By 1emmons

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

Sharon Srock lives with her husband, Larry, and two dogs in Rural Oklahoma. She is a mother, grandmother, and Sunday School teacher. Sharon has one and three-quarters jobs and writes in her spare time. Her favorite hobby is traveling with her grandchildren. She is a member of the ACFW and currently serves as treasurer for her local chapter. Sharon's previous writing credits include numerous poems and short stories published in science fiction fanzines.

For the latest news from Sharon, and details about the other Valley View women, check out her website!




Pelican Books -- http://tinyurl.com/8ncbjnl

Barnes and Noble—http://tinyurl.com/9ahy3tg


Be sure to visit www.clashofthetitles.com for more recommendations for your Summer reading! 

Monday, June 17, 2013

A Bride For All Seasons

 A Bride for All Seasons is a group of four novellas. Each centers around a "hiccup" that occurs with a mail-order bride company, due to the owner's habit of "editing" the correspondence between potential partners.


Historical romance isn't my meat and potatoes when it comes to  fiction, but there's always room for...you guessed it. The fun and often poignant stories in this book served my literary taste buds with some sweet, refreshing cherry jello topped with whipped cream. (Substitute your favorite ice cream if you aren't a jello person.) What more can you ask for in a summer read?

Surprisingly, the character development in this book was quite strong despite the lower word-count and I was pleasantly surprised to find myself caring for the people in the town and hoping for their wedding days to arrive. Along the way there were spiritual lessons tucked between the pages as well, like trusting in Providence rather than luck, and seeing the heart of a person instead of their outward appearance.

AND...each novella was penned by a different author, giving each story a unique flavor and a chance for the reader to test-taste a sample from the four talented writers: Margaret Brownley, Debra Clopton, Mary Connealy, and Robin Lee Hatcher. So if you're in the market for some summer reads, check this one out!

*I was priveleged to receive an advanced copy of A Bride for All Seasons from the publisher. The opinions stated here are my own. :-)


Friday, June 7, 2013

Congrats, Doc!



 

Congratulations to the Clash of the Titles New Winner, Stress Test by Dr. Richard Mabry!
 

THEY MAY NOT HAVE ENOUGH EVIDENCE TO CONVICT HIM, BUT THEY HAVE ENOUGH TO RUIN HIS LIFE.

Dr. Matt Newman thought he was leaving his life as a surgeon in private practice for a better one in academic medicine. But the kidnappers who attacked him as he left the hospital at 2 a.m. have no such plans—they just want him dead. Bound and in the trunk of his car, Matt’s only thought is fleeing with his life. He does escape, but at a price: a head injury that lands him in the ICU . . . where he awakens to discover he’s being charged with murder.

Sandra Murray is a fiery, redheaded lawyer who swore she was done with doctors after her last relationship. But when Matt calls, she knows she can’t walk away from defending someone who is truly innocent.

Matt’s career is going down the drain. His freedom and perhaps his life may be next. But with the police convinced he’s a killer and the kidnappers still trying to finish what they started, finding the truth—and the faith to keep going—will be the toughest stress test Matt has ever endured.

From the Clash of the Titles Commenters 
  • Fascinating storyline, Dr. Mabry!
  • Stress Test looks great! Very exciting premise, and I love the cover.
  • Read it! GREAT!
  • Love Mabry books. Love Abingdon fiction.

What The Reviewers Are Saying 

“The plot moves along with plenty of action and empathy, and there’s suspense and suspicion enough to keep readers zipping to the last pages. For Christian suspense fans anxious to see characters who ought to have it all—doctors and lawyers—react to the pressure of false accusations and the struggle to be loyal to the truth and to one another, Mabry’s novel arrives with a positive prognosis.”  Publisher’s Weekly

"Mabry's latest provides fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat action and suspense. His medical knowledge is evident in the realistic and detailed characters and scenes."  Romantic Times Book Reviews (4 ½ stars


About Dr. Mabry   

Dr. Richard Mabry is a retired physician, past Vice-President of the American Christian Fiction Writers, and the author of six published novels of medical suspense. His books have been finalists in competitions including ACFW’s Carol Award and Romantic Times’ Inspirational Book of the Year. His novel, Lethal Remedy, won a 2012 Selah Award from the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference. Stress Test is Richard’s latest novel.

Where To Buy Stress Test: (if you go to http://rmabry.com, there are buttons at the bottom directing the reader to the sites on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, ChristianBook.com, and independent publishers)