ZYPHE

Halloween Short History

2009-11-02T01:12:00.000+08:00

Did you know that the origin of Halloween is in Ireland and Scotland?
It was originally celebrated in the ancient festival known as Samhain, which is derived from Old Irish and means roughly "summer's end".

The word "Halloween" is short for "All Hallows' Evening"...

Foods that Could Trigger a Nasty Headache

2009-09-07T19:53:00.000+08:00

My friend Charlene pinged me. She had a miserable headache over the weekend. It wasn't just any miserable headache -- it was a miserable headache caused by citrus.

After retracing her day, Charlene realized that the three delicious tangerines were the culprit. She thought she was just enjoying a very tasty, healthy snack, but she was also triggering pain.

Some experts say that citrus and other foods may trigger headaches because the people consuming them may have an enzyme deficiency. The enzyme they are lacking is necessary for neutralizing amines in foods. Some foods have large quantities of amines, and without the enzyme, headaches (and even migraines) can be stimulated.

Still, gobbling up an orange (or three) might seem harmless. If you are one of the 28 million Americans who suffer from migraines, taking note of how foods affect your body could be critical in preventing future headaches. One new theory is that craving certain foods could also signal a coming migraine. These kinds of migraines are also made more unpredictable because eating the food may not trigger pain every single time, and because food could team up with other triggers (like bright lights or stress) to induce a migraine.

Some other foods and beverages thought to trigger headaches include:

Aged cheese and those cheeses containing tyramine, a natural substance that builds up as food ages. Tyramine in high levels has been shown to cause hypertension, which is a particular concern for people who take MAO inhibitor medication to treat migraines. Blue cheese, brie, cheddar, Stilton, feta, gorgonzola, mozzarella, muenster, Parmesan, Swiss, and processed cheeses often contain high levels of tyramine.

Other salted, cured, processed, and canned foods that are high in tyramine. Take note of how your body reacts when you eat pickles, olives, and canned soups. Beans can also contain headache-triggering tyramine, especially fava, pinto, garbanzo, and lima beans.

Alcohol, which could prompt headaches as it is metabolized in the body. Pay particular attention when you drink red wine, beer, whiskey, and champagne, which have been identified as triggers.

There is a long list of foods that headache and migraine sufferers say cause their pain. Some of them might surprise you, including:

Peanuts and peanut butter
Potato chips
Pizza
Fresh fruits like kiwi, plums, and raspberries
Bread and crackers

Top 10 Time Wasters

2009-08-11T23:08:00.002+08:00

Do you fall into the trap of wasting time? Time is a valuable commodity! When you waste your precious time, you’re actually preventing yourself from achieving the things you desire.

Below is a list of the top ten time wasters. If you find yourself spending too much time on these activities, try changing some of your habits so your time can be more productive and rewarding.

1. Wasting Your Worry. Many people will worry until doomsday about every little thing in their lives. This is simply unproductive and bad for your health, mind, and spirit.

• If you have something worrisome coming up, craft a plan of positive action on paper, then let it go. After all, worrying doesn’t accomplish anything positive.

2. Television. We’re a couch potato society! We schedule our lives around our favorite television shows and we spend less time doing more important activities like attending social events that could strengthen our relationships.

• Record your favorite TV shows and watch them during your leisure time, or limit your TV intake to just a couple hours a week.

3. Video and Computer Games. This is becoming such a time waster that gamers are actually developing what is called “gamers thumb,” a repetitive stress injury.

• Set time limits for yourself and your kids and help your kids understand why this is important.

4. Internet time. Are you constantly browsing the Internet, Facebook or Twitter? Are your kids hearing you say, “In a minute,” much too often when they ask you to spend time with them?

• Keep your time on the Internet short and get involved in life. Instead of chatting with your online friends, spend more time with your real-life friends and family!

5. Telephone Chatter. Sure, we like to call old friends and chat, but do you chat on the phone all day long? If you do, you may find that you get hardly anything done all day.

• Keep phone calls to a minimum or set a timer to go off after 15 minutes. This way you won’t feel deprived of a good conversation, but it won’t take over your whole day.

6. Traffic and Commuting. Some of us spend an enormous amount of time traveling to and from work. You can turn your commuting time into productive time!

• Try carpooling or taking the bus, subway or train to work. You can use this time to read, plan your day, complete paperwork, or even relax your mind before a productive day.

• If you drive, you can listen to inspiring and informative CDs or tapes to sharpen your mind each morning.

7. Hobbies. Yes, there are people who are so obsessed with a hobby that they don’t make time to do anything else. They rush home from work to their hobby, even skipping dinner.

• If this is you, schedule your hobby time so you’re not skipping meals, missing time with your family, or cutting into other productive time.

8. Daydreaming. It’s fun and healthy to dream about career ambitions or future aspirations, but when those dreams prevent you from taking action in your life, then you’re wasting time. Avoid getting bogged down with too much dreaming.

• Make a list of your goals or dreams, then take action to make those dreams come true.

9. Meetings. Although necessary, meetings can be one of the biggest time wasters of our workday. If everyone is wiped out from sitting in long meetings all day, productive time will be low.

• If you’re in charge of meetings, set timeframes for them and stick to your stated time.
• Limit the length of your meetings: keep needless chatter and agendas out of the meeting.

10. Planning. If you don’t take the time to plan your day, the important things you need to accomplish may not get done.

• Write down your daily goals and tasks.
• Schedule your day in the order of your top priorities.

There are many ways we waste our time in our everyday lives, but with a little effort, you can avoid time-wasting activities and turn that time into an advantage.

Procrastination

2009-07-27T18:16:00.000+08:00

Procrastination is a dream destroyer.

It's like a big bomb exploding violently on our
personal goals. The things we deeply cherish.

Boom. (loud)

After the explosion, all that's left is...regrets.

Regrets make us tremble inside. It's an internal
earthquake that leaves us feeling empty.

For a long time, procrastination held me deep inside
its mongoose grip.

I couldn't shake it.

I couldn't slay it.

I'd walk 2 steps forward, then retreat 3 steps back.

For a long period of time, procrastination and its
sister 'scatteredness' wiped out 25% from
my bank account.

That's how much I figure these destroyers cost me.

Maybe more.

Now, think about how much money they've cost you?

What could you have done with that extra money, what could
you have given your family?

What if you don't change? (frightening)

How will you FEEL being in this same place 2 years from now?

Feel it NOW.

Will you accept it?

Are you ready to change?

Are you sure?

I'm going to quote the great author Napoleon Hill on
overcoming procrastination.

Ready?

'The principle of concentration is the medium by which
procrastination is overcome. The same principle is the
foundation upon which both self-confidence and
self-esteem are predicated,'

You can stay where you are right now or you can take
Napoleon Hill's advice and learn how to concentrate.

I hugged his advice and discovering how to concentrate
propelled me to financial fre.edom. My progress happened
as fast as Carl Lewis runs the 100 yard dash.

Would you like to join me?

Procrastination is the thief of profit. Run from it. NOW.

Self-Doubt

2009-06-19T10:43:00.000+08:00

Self doubt.

Self doubt.

A thief.

One of the greatest thieves of our hopes, our attitudes,
and our desires.

For many years the claws of self doubt held me in its
grips. Tightly.

My belief in myself was low and it affected many parts of
my life.

No good. Not at all.

We know lack of self confidence, lack of belief in oneself
halts all major achievement in one’s life. It can stop our
progress in a split second.

We must put an end to this. Am I right or really right?

Great.

Onward.

If we look back, hundreds of years, and even more in
success literature, we see a common and central principle
being taught.

It’s as clear as a clean window.

It’s the answer to self doubt. It’s the answer to expanding
ourselves. Greatly.

Belief. Faith. Expectation.

Belief. Faith. Expectation.

You and I can’t rise higher than our beliefs. Understand
this?

Good.

Let me share with you an excerpt from a recent article I
read about Tiger Woods because it shows the power of this
point.

“Way back in 1997, after he won the Masters by 12 strokes,
I asked Tiger if it was possible to win golf’s Grand Slam.
At the time, Hogan’s triple in 1953 — when he played in
only three of the four majors — was the best any man had
done, a feat matched by Woods in 2000. Most any player
would deflect the question. Not Tiger.

“It’s possible to win four tournaments in a season,” Woods
told me. “You just have to win the right four.” And then he
let loose that devastating smile. Here is what Woods knows.
This is what drives him. This is what Pops Earl made sure
Tiger understood: What you achieve is limited by what you
believe you can achieve. Woods believes in the
unbelievable.”

Enough is enough. It’s time to really take your life to the
next level.

Are you in?

Seriously, is now your time to stretch yourself and really
expand yourself?

Are you in?

You’re reading this right now. You’re more powerful then
you know. You are.

Your best days are ahead of you and can’t wait to see you
too.

Start believing and excepting more good things to enter
your life. Watch your self doubt start to diminish and your
self respect and belief start to rise.

P.S.
Smile 1% more each day and watch your self
doubt decrease by over 20%. Try it.

Meeting Daddy

2009-06-17T01:07:00.002+08:00

by Cynthia Ruchti

Amy was six weeks pregnant when her husband’s army unit deployed to Iraq for eighteen months. I felt my friend’s pain deep in my bones, aching with a brand of grief reserved only for times like that. Caring for her two young children and their home would be stress enough for her without the added demands and challenges of a new baby on the way. Concern for her husband’s safety would mask every remotely joyful moment. The wonder of labor and delivery lay shrouded in loneliness. And the child would be many months old before meeting his or her daddy for the first time.

Change a few details and backtrack more than fifty years and that was my story.

My father served with the Marines during the Korean Conflict. Four days after I was born, his unit shipped out, leaving my mom and me to fend for ourselves for the next thirteen months. When relating my personal history, I have to start with that. It shaped my beginnings. I lived my first thirteen months seven thousand miles away from the dad who loved me and wasn’t allowed to hold me until I was already walking and capable of squirming out of his arms.

He’d read magazines during Mom’s labor. Fathers weren’t welcome in the delivery room in those days. He saw his first glimpses of me through the nursery window. Then he obediently reported for duty aboard the ship that would take him far from us and into the arms of daily danger.

In an era before the invention of camcorders, camera phones, and e-mail, my mother and father had only air mail letters to connect their hearts. Letters and scalloped-edged black and white photos.

As the firstborn child, my photo album bulged, all the more so since still pictures offered my dad his only tangible evidence that I was alive, growing, and as happy as a child can be without her father.

Mom would have sent him a lock of my hair from my first haircut if I’d had any to spare. When I learned to blow kisses, she’d “collect” some in an envelope to send to him. An amateur artist, Daddy sketched cartoonish scenes from his Marine unit—jeeps and tents and enlisted men and helicopters. Even before I understood a word she said, my mom read those letters to me over and over again. They were my lullabies. She showed me his picture and talked about what a wonderful daddy I had.

Mom wanted me to know who he was and what he was like before he came home. From the stories they’ve told, both of my parents were nervous about that first meeting. They worried I’d be frightened of the stranger who was my father. He’d survived the war, but my fearing or resisting him would have killed him, they said.

To compound the concern, I was just at that age when a toddler begins to fear strangers. Somebody would smile at me in church and I’d start screaming.

But my mom had prepared me well. The pictures. The letters. Her gentle words about how much that smiling man in the pictures loved me. I’m told that when he finally came home and walked through the front door, I looked up at my mom, pointed to the tall Marine and asked, “Daddy?” Mom nodded, her throat imploding on itself. Her nod was all the assurance I needed. The next minute I was in his arms, dodging his tears of gratitude that I’d accepted him.

I give my mother a lot of credit for the success of that first meeting. She had prepared me well, leaving nothing to chance. My toddler mind entertained no doubt that he cared about me. I knew that truth before he even got home from the war because of what my mother taught me about him.

If the Lord walked into the room in a few minutes, would the people around me recognize Him not by His beard or hair or flowing robes, but because of how I have described Him?

Would people meeting Him for the first time find the situation comfortable and reassuring because of how well I prepared them?

Am I constantly showing others snapshots of the Lord through the way I live and love, the things I say about Him, the things He said that I pass on to them?

Do I talk about Him frequently, with loving words, expressing how very much He loves even those who have not yet met Him?

Would His sudden presence seem intimidating and frightening, or more like a warm homecoming?

In light of how you and I act day to day, would others respond to His entrance into their lives this way:

“Oh, sure! I recognize Him. I've heard my neighbor talk about Him. I've seen my coworker act like that. I've heard those same affirming words coming out of my brother-in-law's mouth. I've seen examples of what He's like. His amazing love and generosity and compassion and caring don't surprise me at all. They are just what I expected from what my friend shared about Him. I heard that His touch brings healing. I heard that He can help make sense out of the questions that trouble me. I didn't need more of an introduction than the one my friend already gave me. I’d recognize Jesus a mile away.”

Pictures and reflections and stories and evidence still lack the wonder of that first face-to-face encounter. As I Corinthians 13:12 (KJV) reminds us, “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face; now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.”

*Article reprint from Victory in Grace

Cynthia Ruchti writes stories of “hope that glows in the dark.” The drama/devotional radio broadcast Cynthia writes and produces—The Heartbeat of the Home—airs on 16 radio stations and two cable/digital television stations. Cynthia is editor of the ministry’s Backyard Friends magazine. She also serves as current president of American Christian Fiction Writers. Her debut novel—They Almost Always Come Home—releases in spring 2010 with Abingdon Press.

Saved by the Bell: A Summer to Remember

2009-06-13T13:50:00.000+08:00

by Sharon Lovejoy Autry

The final bell rang. The kids screamed for joy. Mom sits in the carpool line wondering, "What in the world are we going to do all summer?!"

Maybe as summer has begun, you've found yourself resentful and angry because your children constantly "interrupt" your schedule. If that's how you're feeling, you're normal.

But, wait. We wanted these kids, right? Are they really interruptions or blessings in disguise? How can we move from simply surviving the summer to making it a summer to remember?

Here are a few ideas to get you out of the summer survival rut:

1. Realize they won't be this way forever. What is it about your kids that you won't have in two years? If you are a parent of:

Preschoolers: Look at their hands and notice how tiny they are. Enjoy that.
Elementary children: When you're away from home, call them. Their voices sound small on the phone. That always reminds me to enjoy their innocence rather than expecting them to act like little grown-ups.
Tweens: Laugh at and enjoy their giggles (usually girls) and the fascination they have with being gross (usually boys)! Hopefully that won't last forever!
Teens: Even if they are driving you crazy, make your home the safe place. I still remember the fun place our parents created at home. It was our refuge. Let kids feel safe in your home by cutting down on the criticism and looking for ways to build them up. Mom and Dad's secret was a ping-pong table. We spent hours there.

2. Say "no" with a smile. It makes you and your child feel better. They know you have some regret at having to say no. You are on their team.

3. Play music. Anger and music don't usually dance. Movie soundtracks, praise songs, music from my teen years or even classical stations. I rarely find myself upset with my kids when we have music playing in the background.

4. Go outside. Sometimes taking a walk or bike ride with the kids can do wonders to change everyone's perspective.

5. Things aren't always as they seem. Remember that the way you are seeing things at this moment is probably not how it will look in a couple of hours. Frustrations can build and dissolve quickly when you have kids.

6. Offer them 30 minutes of your time. After they have helped pick up around the house let them pick what the two of you will do together and watch their eyes light up! For older kids, offer them the day off after helping for an hour.

7. Ask your kids what they think is fun. You might be surprised to find that their idea of fun often doesn't cost any money. My sister was amazed to find that her 7-year-old son's idea of "fun" was playing tag in the front yard with dad, mom and his little sister.

8. Slow down. Successful parenting doesn't mean you have your children involved in every possible extra-curricular activity. Successful parenting means you are there for them. If you've been running all year, it takes "practice" to enjoy staying home. Don't give up. Turn off the computer, TV, cell phone, etc. and read or play games (no matter what the age of your children).

9. Pray. When you are at your wit's end, ask God to help you remember what to do with your kids. On our own, it's hard to enjoy the moments because "life happens." But God has a way of giving us perspective that will slow us down and help us see our families the way He sees them: with love and compassion.

The next time you blow your top or realize you're just surviving your kids instead of enjoying their clumsy feet, silliness, or their constant desire to talk on the phone, stop and think, "one day I'll miss this!" The funny thing is, tomorrow we'll be longing for today. If we choose to think like that long enough, the kids won't be the only ones sad to hear the school bell ring this fall.

Sharon (Lovejoy) Autry, a mom of 3, co-authored Mom and Loving It, Finding Contentment in REAL Life with her sister, Laurie (Lovejoy) Hilliard, mom of 4. http://www.momandlovingit.org/

Best/Worst Hairstyles for Your Face

2009-06-02T19:42:00.002+08:00

Do you know what hairstyle best suits your face? Check out the pics below to find out.

Round face: the best
Simple lines with as little volume at the sides as possible, like this simple mid-length bob, are the best choice for round faces. Ginnifer Goodwin gets it right.

Round face: the worst
This center part emphasizes a full forehead, and the volume at the sides widens the cheeks. Clarkson would look much slimmer with volume at the crown and sleek sides.

Square face: the best
The most famous square face in the world knows to keep the hair soft and flowing, with volume only at the crown. While hair should be sleek, it shouldn't hug the face and flatten its contours.

Square face: the worst
Heavy bangs typically exaggerate a square face shape. Pulling the rest of the hair back makes Jessica Alba's face look even more square, flat and ungraceful.

Oval face: the best
When you're blessed with a symmetrical oval face, you should show it off. Halle Berry's simple feminine updo lets her face do the talking.

Oval face: the worst
Compared with her simple updo, this tousled, face-hugging style with a lot going on manages to make even one of the world's most beautiful oval faces look ordinary.

Heart face: the best
A heart-shaped face like Christina Ricci's can look like a work of art with the right hairstyle like this simple bob. Keep the bangs narrow (width-wise) in order to minimize a broad forehead. Length should be chin-length or longer with no volume on the sides.

Heart face: the worst
Heart-shaped faces should avoid styles that emphasize a bare forehead and open up at the sides, emphasizing the width of the face. All you see here is Ricci's forehead. We think Christina should stick with the bangs.

Diamond face: the best
A diamond face is an oval with angles. Almost any style works for this shape, but soft draping bangs and gentle sweeping lines are great for countering the shape's sharp angles. This bob is one of Rihanna's best looks.

Diamond face: the worst
Diamond shapes should stick with graceful, flowing styles that avoid volume at the top and sides. This look is all top volume, which gives Rihanna a bit of a "Conehead" look.

Oblong face: the best
The oblong shape is possibly the most challenging face shape to style. Kelly Rowland gets it right with long side-swept bangs and volume at the sides, which together work to create the illusion of facial fullness while minimizing face length.

Oblong face: the worst
While bangs can work for oblong shapes, they should be soft and preferably angled to help create the illusion of roundness. Stick-straight bangs with stick-straight sides just flatten and further elongate Liv Tyler's face in this photo.

What to Do if You Miss Your Workout

2009-05-27T18:36:00.000+08:00

Did you skip your workouts this weekend?

Didn't make the healthiest meal choices?

Don't sweat it, it happens.

But the one thing you don't want to do is start off by doing
extra workouts or over-training to make up for it.

Listen, no matter what you do, you can never out train a bad
diet.

All the exercise in the world will never get you to your optimal
weight (and health) if you're not eating a healthy diet. Studies
prove that exercising without a complementary healthy diet leads
to poor results.

Here are three secrets to getting back on track and reaching
your goals:

1) Put your unhealthy habits behind you and make the choice to
eat a natural, fresh whole food diet.

2) Get out of the way and let your body do it's job - staying
healthy, healing and keeping you at your optimal weight.

and

3) Keep active. Doing shorter, but more intense body workouts
help you burn more calories and give you a great workout in less
time.

New releases for February 2009 from ACFW authors

2009-02-02T19:16:00.000+08:00

February brings thoughts of chocolate and valentines and some of us worry about groundhogs and shadows. Whatever the case, winter can't last forever, and there is always an excuse to read a good book! We've got 11 new releases to choose from this month. Check them out.

1. Evidence of Murder by Jill Elizabeth Nelson from Steeple Hill. When a business owner discovers on her property evidence of a decade-old multiple murder, she and the surviving son of the massacre become targets of a desperate and powerful killer.

2. Framed!, Book 2 of the Without A Trace continuity series by Robin Caroll from Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense. A modern day Romeo and Juliet story.

3. Gingham Mountain Lassoed in Texas Series by Mary Connealy from Barbour Publishing. A school marm fears cruel intentions when a rancher, with a special heart for unwanted children, adopts too many of them.

4. Illusions by Wanda B. Campbell from Urban Christian. Illusions depicts the struggles of a young pastor and wife.

5. Insight by Deborah Raney from Steeple Hill. Two people brought together by tragedy discover an amazing connection that threatens to tear them apart.

6. Love Finds You In Last Chance, CA by Miralee Ferrell from Summerside Press. A woman trying to make it alone in the old west, a man she isn't sure she can trust, and someone who threatens them both.

7. On a Killer's Trail by Susan Page Davis from Love Inspired Suspense. Can a reformed bad-boy detective and an ambitious reporter overcome their past to solve a string of crimes?

8. The Desires of Her Heart by Lyn Cote from Avon Inspire. The Desires of Her Heart is based on authentic Texas history and portrays the expansion of Angloamericanos into Spanish territory.

9. The Gold Standard by Lisa Lickel from Barbour Publishing - Heartsong Presents: Mysteries. Judy's last relative, Aunt Louise, was poisoned - but how?

10. The Renewal, Book 2 of the Project Restoration Series by Terri Kraus from David C. Cook. For single-mom Leslie Ruskin and master carpenter Jack Kenyon, both starting over in a new town, could working together on restoring the Midlands Building be a blueprint for disaster, or will their lives be transformed by the promise of a new Occupant?

11. Wind Dancer by Jamie Carie from B&H Publishing. Revolutionary period of escaping captivity and finding true salvation.

The Centurion's Wife by Davis Bunn and Janette Oke

2009-01-23T03:20:00.000+08:00

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Davis Bunn is an internationally acclaimed author who has sold more than six million books in fifteen languages. His audiences span reading genres from high drama and action thrillers to heartwarming relationship stories, in both contemporary and historical settings.

Honored with three Christy Awards for excellence in historical and suspense fiction, his bestsellers include My Soul To Keep, and Full Circle. A sought-after lecturer in the art of writing, Bunn was named Novelist in Residence at Regent's Park College, Oxford University.

He and his wife, Isabella, make their home in Florida for some of each year, and spend the rest near Oxford, England, where they each teach and write.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Her first novel, a prairie love story titled Love Comes Softly, was published by Bethany House in 1979. This book was followed by more than 75 others.

After Love Comes Softly was published, Janette Oke found her readers asking for more. That book led to a series of eight others in her Love Comes Softly series. She has written multiple fiction series, including The Canadian West, Seasons of the Heart and Women of the West. Her most recent releases include a beautiful children's picture book, I Wonder...Did Jesus Have a Pet Lamb and The Song of Acadia series, co-written with T. Davis Bunn.

Janette Oke's warm writing style has won the hearts of millions of readers. She has received numerous awards, including the Gold Medallion Award, The Christy Award of Excellence, the 1992 President's Award for her significant contribution to the category of Christian fiction from the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association, and in 1999 the Life Impact Award from the Christian Booksellers Association International. Beloved worldwide, her books have been translated into fourteen languages.

She and her husband live nearby in Alberta, Canada.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

In this story of sisterhood and unexpected paths, Gaylen Syler-Boatwright flees her unraveling marriage to take refuge in a mountain cottage owned by her deceased aunt. Burdened with looking after her adult sister, Delia, she is shocked to find a trail of family secrets hidden within her aunt’s odd collection of framed, painted dresses. With Delia, who attracts trouble as a daily occupation, Gaylen embarks on a road trip that throws the unlikely pair together on a journey to painful understanding and delightful revelations.

Steeped in Hickman’s trademark humor, her spare writing voice, and the bittersweet pathos of the South, Painted Dresses powerfully captures a woman’s desperate longing to uncover a hidden, broken life and discover the liberty of living authentically, even when the things exposed are shrouded in shame.

If you would like to read the first chapter, go HERE

The Centurion's Wife by Davis Bunn and Janette Oke
ISBN-10: 0764205145
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
Release Date: January 1, 2009
$11.19 from Amazon.com

Purchase The Centurion's Wife by Davis Bunn and Janette Oke HERE!!!

Stand-In Groom by Kaye Dacus

2009-01-22T22:01:00.002+08:00

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Kaye Dacus is an author and editor who has been writing fiction for more than twenty years. A former Vice President of American Christian Fiction Writers, Kaye enjoys being an active ACFW member and the fellowship and community of hundreds of other writers from across the country and around the world that she finds there.

She currently serves as President of Middle Tennessee Christian Writers, which she co-founded in 2003 with three other writers. Each month, she teaches a two-hour workshop on an aspect of the craft of writing at the MTCW monthly meeting. But her greatest joy comes from mentoring new writers through her website and seeing them experience those “aha” moments when a tricky concept becomes clear.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

When wedding planner Anne Hawthorne meets George Laurence, she thinks she's found the man of her dreams. But when he turns out to be a client, her "dream" quickly turns into a nightmare. Will Anne risk her heart and career on this engaging Englishman?

George came to Louisiana to plan his employer's wedding and pose as the groom. But how can he feign affection for a supposed fiancee when he's so achingly attracted to the wedding planner? And what will happen when Anne discovers his role has been Stand-In Groom only? Will she ever trust George again? Can God help these two believers find a happy ending?

If you would like to read the first chapter of Stand-In Groom, go HERE

What they're saying about it:

“Dacus pulls off a delightful story that places readers in the heart of the South with the debut of the Brides of Bonneterre series. Readers will enjoy this look at how lives are transformed through devastating events and how forgiveness is the key to a promising future. Nothing is as it seems in this heartwarming story.”
–Romantic Times, 4-Star Review

“Absolutely delightful! I enjoyed Stand-In Groom from cover to cover! Ms. Dacus’s clever story and wonderful prose will draw you away to a place deep in the heart of Louisiana, surrounding you with the scents, sounds, and sights of the deep south. A story filled with romance and intrigue, betrayal and forgiveness, I found myself laughing, crying and rejoicing right along with the characters.”
–M.L. Tyndall, author of The Falcon and the Sparrow and the award-winning Legacy of the King’s Pirates series

“Stand-In Groom is as sweet, beautiful, and chaotic as a perfectly planned wedding. Anne is a bright and wounded heroine you’re going to care about for a long time. George is a hero to capture your heart. Kaye Dacus will take you along for a fun, poignent ride in Stand-In Groom.”
–Mary Connealy, author of the Lassoed in Texas series and Of Mice...and Murder

Stand-In Groom by Kaye Dacus
ISBN-10: 1602602883
Publisher: Barbour Publishing, Inc
Release Date: January 2009
$8.78 from Amazon.com

Purchase Stand-In Groom by Kaye Dacus HERE!!!

Remembering the Heroism of Philip Pestaño

2009-01-22T19:34:00.002+08:00

Phillip Andrew A. Pestaño. (Pinoyworld.org)

Phillip Andrew A. Pestaño graduated from the Ateneo de Manila High School in 1989, entered the Philippine Military Academy, and became an Ensign in the Philippine Navy in 1993. He was assigned as cargo master, on a Navy ship.

He discovered that the cargo being loaded onto his vessel included logs that were cut down illegally, were carried to the ship illegally, and were destined to be sold, illegally. Then there were 50 sacks of flour, which were not flour, but shabu - worth billions. Literally, billions. And there were military weapons which were destined for sale to the Abu Sayyaf.

He felt that he could not approve this cargo.

Superior officers came to him and said: “Please! Be reasonable! This is big business. It involves many important people. Approve this cargo.” But Phillip could not, in conscience, sign approval.
Then his parents received two phone calls, saying: “Get your son off that ship! He is going to be killed!” When Phillip was given leave at home, his family begged him not to go back. Their efforts at persuasion continued until his last night at home, when Phillip was already in bed.
His father came to him and said: “Please, son, resign your commission. Give up your m ilitary career. Don’t go back. We want you alive.. If you go back to that ship, it will be the end of you!” But Phillip said to his father: “Kawawa ang bayan!” And he went back to the ship.

The scheduled trip was very brief - from Cavite to Roxas Boulevard - it usually took only 45 minutes. But on September 27, 1995 , it took one hour and a half. When the ship arrived at Roxas Boulevard, Ensign Pestaño was dead.

The body was in his stateroom, with a pistol, and a letter saying that he was committing suicide. The family realized at once that the letter was forged. They tried desperately for justice, carrying the case right up to the Senate.

The Senatorial Investigation Committee examined all the evidence, carefully. Then they issued an official statement, saying among other things: Ensign Phillip Pestaño did not commit suicide.
He was murdered. He was shot through the head, somewhere outside of his stateroom, and the body was carried to his room and placed in the bed. The crime was committed by more than one person.

In spite of these findings, by the Senate, the family could not get justice. The case is still recorded, by the Navy, as suicide. For 12 years they have been knocking at the doors of those in power, to no avail. Now they realize that they should knock on the door of Him who said: “Knock, and it shall be opened to you. Ask and you shall receive. Seek, and you shall find.”

So they are asking all of the friends of Phillip from the Ateneo, from the PMA, friends of the family - including the girl he was engaged to marry - to say this prayer: Lord, we know that Phillip is safe with you, and will be safe forever, because he gave up his life, as You gave up Your life - for justice.

If it is Your will, please let the truth be known of his heroic courage and strength and love of country. Let justice be rendered here on earth. But if it is not Your will that justice be rendered here, give each of us the grace to live and die as he did - following in Your footsteps.

And at the last judgment, Lord, when all that is hidden will be known, let Phillip be seen as he really is - a brave young man who gave his life for honesty, truth, and justice.”

Phillip Pestaño died at the age of 24. He was scheduled to be married in January of 1996, four months after he was murdered.

He was a martyr. A martyr is one who dies for the faith or for a Christian virtue. Phillip died for a Christian virtue - justice. It is not likely that he will ever be canonized, but he takes his place among the Unknown Saints.

Some military men are killed in battle. They are given a hero’s burial. But Phillip died for a much deeper cause - he was trying to preserve the integrity of our Armed Forces. He died out of loyalty to the Philippines, in an effort to keep the oath that he made when he graduated from the Military Academy.

Graft and corruption are the curse of this nation. But when they take root in the heart of our Armed Forces, they threaten our existence as an independent, democratic country.

The family of Phillip Pestaño is doing the right thing. They are turning to God. They are praying that justice will be administered here, in our country, in our day. But if this is not God’s will, then let us at least try to preserve the ideal of integrity in every mind and heart and soul.
(http://www.pinoyworld.org/)

PINOY BLOGGER’S NOTE: This is the e-mail prayer brigade initiated by by Fr. James B. Reuter, S.J. originaly titled,”Justice at 3 A.M.“

For more information about Phillip Pestaño, check
http://www.phillippestano.com/.

Sweetwater Gap by Denise Hunter

2009-01-18T20:48:00.000+08:00

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Denise lives in Indiana with her husband Kevin and their three sons. In 1996, Denise began her first book, a Christian romance novel, writing while her children napped. Two years later it was published, and she's been writing ever since. Her books often contain a strong romantic element, and her husband Kevin says he provides all her romantic material, but Denise insists a good imagination helps too!

ABOUT THE BOOK:

A story of new beginnings from best-selling Romance for Good™ author Denise Hunter.
When Josephine's family insists she come home to help with the harvest, the timing works. But her return isn't simple benevolence-she plans to persuade the family to sell the failing orchard.

The new manager's presence is making it difficult. Grady MacKenzie takes an immediate disliking to Josephine and becomes outright cantankerous when she tries talking her family into selling. As she and Grady work side by side in the orchard, she begins to appreciate his devotion and quiet faith. She senses a vulnerability in him that makes her want to delve deeper, but there's no point letting her heart have its way-he's tied to the orchard, and she could never stay there.

A brush with death tears down Josephine's defenses and for the first time in her life, she feels freedom-freedom from the heavy burden of guilt, freedom to live her life the way it was intended, with a heart full of love.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Sweetwater Gap, go HERE

Sweetwater Gap by Denise Hunter
ISBN-10: 1595542590
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Release Date: December 16, 2008
$11.69 from Amazon.com

Purchase Sweetwater Gap by Denise Hunter HERE!!!

Kiss by Ted Dekker and Erin Healy

2009-01-16T19:47:00.000+08:00

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Ted is the son of missionaries John and Helen Dekker, whose incredible story of life among headhunters in Indonesia has been told in several books. Surrounded by the vivid colors of the jungle and a myriad of cultures, each steeped in their own interpretation of life and faith, Dekker received a first-class education on human nature and behavior. This, he believes, is the foundation of his writing.

After graduating from a multi-cultural high school, he took up permanent residence in the United States to study Religion and Philosophy. After earning his Bachelor's Degree, Dekker entered the corporate world in management for a large healthcare company in California. Dekker was quickly recognized as a talent in the field of marketing and was soon promoted to Director of Marketing. This experience gave him a background which enabled him to eventually form his own company and steadily climb the corporate ladder.

Since 1997, Dekker has written full-time. He states that each time he writes, he finds his understanding of life and love just a little clearer and his expression of that understanding a little more vivid. Dekker's body of work encompassing seven mysteries, three thrillers and ten fantasies includes Heaven's Wager, When Heaven Weeps, Thunder of Heaven, Blessed Child, A Man Called Blessed, Blink, Thr3e, The Circle Trilogy (Black, Red, White), Obsessed, Renegade, and Chaos.

Erin Healy is an award-winning fiction editor who has worked with talented novelists such as James Scott Bell, Melody Carlson, Colleen Coble, Brandilyn Collins, L. B. Graham, Rene Gutteridge, Michelle McKinney Hammond, Robin Lee Hatcher, Denise Hildreth, Denise Hunter, Randy Ingermanson, Jane Kirkpatrick, Gilbert Morris, Frank Peretti, Lisa Samson, Randy Singer, Robert Whitlow, and many others.

She began working with Ted Dekker in 2002 and edited twelve of his heart-pounding stories before their collaboration on Kiss, the first novel to seat her on "the other side of the desk."

Erin is the owner of WordWright Editorial Services, a Colorado-based consulting firm specializing in fiction book development. She and her husband, Tim, are the proud parents of two children

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Let me tell you all I know for sure. My name. Shauna.
I woke up in a hospital bed missing six months of my memory. In the room was my loving boyfriend-how could I have forgotten him?-my uncle and my abusive stepmother. Everyone blames me for the tragic car accident that left me near death and my dear brother brain damaged. But what they say can't be true-can it?

I believe the medicine is doing strange things to my memory. I'm unsure who I can trust and who I should run from. And I'm starting to remember things I've never known. Things not about me. I think I'm going crazy.

And even worse, I think they want to kill me.

But who? And for what? Is dying for the truth really better than living with a lie?

Sometimes dying with the truth is better than living with a lie.

After a car accident puts Shauna McAllister in a coma and wipes out six months of her memory, she returns to her childhood home to recover, but her arrival is fraught with confusion.

Her estranged father, a senator bidding on the White House, and her abusive stepmother blame Shauna for the tragedy, which has left her beloved brother severely brain damaged. Leaning on Wayne Spade, a forgotten but hopeful lover who stays by her side, Shauna tries to sort out what happened that night by jarring her memory to life. Instead, she acquires a mysterious mental ability that will either lead her to truth or get her killed by the people trying to hide it.

In this blind game of cat and mouse that stares even the darkest memories in the face, Shauna is sure of only one thing: if she remembers, she dies.

If you would like to read the first chapter of KISS, go HERE

Watch the Video Trailer

What people are saying about KISS:

“The human brain could actually be the real final frontier—we know so little about it and yet it drives the world as we know it. So when authors like Erin and Ted bravely explore these mysterious regions, going into complex places like memory and soul and relationships, I become hooked. The creativity of this suspenseful story is sure to hook other readers as well. Very memorable!”
~Melody Carlson, author of Finding Alice and The Other Side of Darkness

“Dekker and Healy prove a winning team in this intriguing, imaginative thriller.”
~James Scott Bell, bestselling author of Try Darkness

“Kiss by Erin Healy and Ted Dekker is a superb thriller that hooked me from the first sentence. The original plot kept me guessing, and I may never look at a kiss the same way again. I’ll be watching for the next book!”
~Colleen Coble, author of Cry in the Night

“The writing team of Erin Healy and Ted Dekker has taken me through a page-turner with Kiss. It’s one of those books that you think about when you’re not reading it. I highly recommend it, especially if you don’t mind staying up late because you can’t put the book down!”
~Rene Gutteridge, author of Skid and My Life As a Doormat

Kiss by Ted Dekker and Erin Healy
ISBN-10: 1595544704
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Release Date: January 6, 2009
$16.49 from Amazon.com

Purchase Kiss by Ted Dekker and Erin Healy HERE!!!

The Perfect Match by Susan May Warren

2009-01-10T20:27:00.001+08:00

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Susan grew up in Wayzata, a suburb of Minneapolis, and became an avid camper from an early age. Her favorite fir-lined spot is the north shore of Minnesota is where she met her husband, honeymooned and dreamed of living.

The north woods easily became the foundation for her first series, The Deep Haven series, based on a little tourist town along the shores of Lake Superior. Her first full-length book, Happily Ever After, became a Christy Award Finalist published in 2004 with Tyndale/Heartquest.

As an award winning author, Susan returned home in 2004, to her native Minnesota after serving for eight years with her husband and four children as missionaries with SEND International in Far East Russia. She now writes full time from Minnesota's north woods and the beautiful town that she always dreamed of living in.

You can sample a chapter of each and every one of Susan's novels, on her website, HERE.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Ellie Karlson is new to Deep Haven. As the town’s interim fire chief, she is determined to lead the local macho fire crew in spite of their misconceptions about her. But when someone begins setting deadly fires, Ellie faces the biggest challenge of her life. Especially when sparks fly with one of the volunteers on her crew: Pastor Dan Matthews. As Ellie battles to do her job and win the respect of her crew, she finds that there is one fire she can’t fight—the one Dan has set in her heart.
(This book is the repackaged edition published in 2004)

If you would like to read the first chapter of The Perfect Match, go HERE.

Awards:

2004 American Christian Fiction Writer's Book of the Year

A Romantic Times Magazine TOP PICK – 4½ stars

Review:

Romantic Times Magazine:
Vibrant characters and vivid language zoom this action-packed romance to the top of the charts. This is a one-sitting read –once you pick it up, you won't want to put it down.

The Perfect Match by Susan May Warren
ISBN-10: 1414313853
Publisher: Tyndale House
Release Date: January 1, 2009
$11.04 from Amazon.com

Purchase The Perfect Match by Susan May Warren HERE!!!

WANTED by Shelley Shepard Gray

2009-01-07T23:51:00.000+08:00

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Hidden is Shelley’s first foray into inspirational fiction. Previously, Shelley lived in Texas and Colorado, where she taught school and earned both her bachelors and masters degrees in education. She now lives in southern Ohio where she writes full time. Shelley is an active member of her church. She serves on committees, volunteers in the church office, and is part of the Telecare ministry, which calls homebound members on a regular basis. Shelley looks forward to the opportunity to write novels that showcase her Christian ideals.

This is the second book in the Sisters Of Heart series. The first was Hidden.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Twenty-year-old Katie Brenneman has always quietly fancied Jonathan Lundy. So when the brokenhearted widower asks her to help him take care of his two young girls, Katie knows it will be a trying time-yet she cannot pass up a golden opportunity to get to know this man better.

Just as she's settling into her new life, a message arrives from Katie's past, threatening to expose her darkest secrets. During her Rumspringa, her running-around years, she experimented with activities forbidden in the Amish way of life. Frightened by how far she'd strayed from her values, Katie ran back home, vowing to cut all ties with the outside world. Now her transgressions are coming back to haunt her, just as Jonathan seems willing to welcome her into his heart.

Will the past destroy Katie's chances for love? Or will Katie finally allow herself to accept God's love, forgive her past...and receive everything she's ever wanted?

If you would like to read an excerpt of Chapter 1 of Wanted, go HERE

WANTED by Shelley Shepard Gray
ISBN-10: 0061474460
Publisher: Avon Inspire
Release Date: January 6, 2009
$10.39 from Amazon.com

Purchase WANTED by Shelley Shepard Gray HERE!!!

Where Do I Go? by Neta Jackson

2008-12-30T00:13:00.003+08:00

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

As a husband/wife writing team, Dave and Neta Jackson are enthusiastic about books, kids, walking with God, gospel music, and each other! Together they are the authors or coauthors of over 100 books. In addition to writing several books about Christian community, the Jacksons have coauthored numerous books with expert resource people on a variety of topics from racial reconciliation to medical ethics to ministry to kids in gangs.

Dave and Neta live in Evanston, Illinois, where for twenty-seven years they were part of Reba Place Church, a Christian church community. They are now members of a multi-racial congregation in the Chicago area.

They're trying something new! Not just new for them, but something completely new in Christian fiction: “Parallel novels,” two stories taking place in the same time frame, same neighborhood, involving some of the same characters living through their own dramas and crises but interacting with and affecting one another … just the way it happens in real life.

It’s something that only a husband and wife writing team could pull off. While Neta has Where Do I Go?, her husband Dave has written Harry Bentley's Second Chance.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

A story of seeking-and finding-God's will in unlikely places.

Gabrielle Fairbanks has nearly lost touch with the carefree, spirited young woman she was when she married her husband fifteen years ago. But when the couple moves to Chicago to accommodate Philip's business ambitions, Gabby finds the chance to make herself useful. It's there she meets the women of Manna House Women's Shelter; they need a Program Director-and she has a degree in social work. She's in her element, feeling God's call on her life at last, even though Philip doesn't like the changes he sees in her. But things get rough when Philip gives Gabby an ultimatum: quit her job at the shelter or risk divorce and losing custody of their sons. Gabby must take refuge, as in the song they sing at Sunday night worship: "Where do I go when there's no one else to turn to? . . . I go to the Rock I know that's able, I go to the Rock."

Romantic Times Book Reviews says, “Exquisite characters coupled with God's mercy and love emanate from each page.”

Publisher's Weekly adds, “Jackson's Yada Yada series has sold half a million copies, and this new offshoot series ... promises the same.... The book's dramatic ending ... leav[es] readers eager for the next installment in the series.”

To read the Prologue and first Chapter of Where Do I Go?, go HERE

Where Do I Go? by Neta Jackson
ISBN-10: 1595545239
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Release Date: December 9, 2008
$10.19 from Amazon.com

Purchase Where Do I Go? by Neta Jackson HERE!!!

Engaging Father Christmas by Robin Jones Gunn

2008-12-29T18:11:00.003+08:00

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Robin Jones Gunn grew up in Orange County, California and has lived in all kinds of interesting places, including Reno and Hawai’i.

She and her husband currently live near Portland, Oregon and have been married for 30 years. They spent their first 22 years of marriage working together in youth ministry, and enjoying life with their son and daughter who are now both grown.

As a frequent speaker at local and international events, one of Robin’s favorite topics is how God is the Relentless Lover and we are His first love. She delights in telling stories of how God uses fiction to change lives.

Robin is the recipient of the Christy Award, the Mt. Hermon Pacesetter Award, the Sherwood E. Wirt Award and is a Gold Medallion Finalist. She also serves on the Board of Directors for Media Associates International and the Board of Directors for Jerry Jenkins’ Christian Writers’ Guild.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Miranda Carson can't wait to return to England for Christmas and to be with her boyfriend, Ian. She has spent a lifetime yearning for a place to call home, and she's sure Carlton Heath will be it, especially when a hinted-at engagement ring slips into the conversation.

But Miranda's high hopes for a jolly Christmas with the small circle of people she has come to love are toppled when Ian's father is hospitalized and the matriarch of the Whitcombe family withholds her blessing from Miranda. Questions run rampant in Miranda's mind about whether she really belongs in this cheery corner of the world. Then, when her true identity threatens all her relationships in unanticipated ways, Miranda is certain all is lost.

And yet...maybe Father Christmas has special gifts in store for her after all.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Engaging Father Christmas, go HERE

Engaging Father Christmas by Robin Jones Gunn
ISBN-10: 0446179469
Publisher: FaithWords
Release Date: October 30, 2008
$10.97 from Amazon.com

Purchase Engaging Father Christmas by Robin Jones Gunn HERE!!!

A Christmas Reflection - The Journey

2008-12-24T13:30:00.001+08:00

In the Bible, Luke reminds us about the time when Caesar Augustus ordered a census to be taken throughout the Roman Empire.

This was the first census when Quirinius was governor of Syria.

Everyone had to travel to his own ancestral hometown to be accounted for.

And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David's ancient home.

He travelled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee.

He went with Mary, his fiancee, who was pregnant.

Wow!

Imagine if the governments of today were to have a world-wide census, compelling every grownup to return to their hometown or city for a count of the population.

Most of us, if not all, would call it illogical, absurd and inappropriate!

Equally; you can just imagine the journey as Mary and Joseph shared their emotion - perhaps even making complaining remarks or noises under their breath!

__O for a simple enrolment online, and they needn't have made the journey! Yet, the Internet age was for another millennium to come!__

Looking at the sequence of events; try to picture the 90 mile cross-country journey to Bethlehem.

At this point in time, folks travelled by foot or on an animal or cart.

Achieving heights of about 1,312 feet; Joseph probably walked the extended curves and turns of the mountain trail - accompanied by Mary, who we assume was riding side-saddle on a donkey.

The journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem could have taken more than a week by foot. They would have travelled over rough tracks with the danger of predatory animals, and the threat of aggressive and violent young criminals.

In such conditions, folks often travelled in groups for their own safety and protection.

As a consequence, the journey was characterized by toilsome endeavour to the point of exhaustion - especially physical effort - probably depleting them of strength and energy!

Meanwhile, way back in Nazareth; the young couple had left all that they knew behind; Everything that was normal - the everyday experience - common and ordinary - not strange.

All the same, the approaching times for the young couple were unclear.

Not only did they have little money or few possessions, but they were lacking experience of life.

For instance, when they got to Bethlehem, what were they to do? Where were they to temporarily reside? How long for?

__A cosy over-night boardinghouse with a continental breakfast was unheard of! A five star motel room with en-suite hadn't reached the hills of Judea in those days!__

The emerging times were accompanied by painful expectation and stress.

But there was good news ahead.

In a restful manner, gently behind the scenes, God was working His purposes out.

Through the actions of this couple, God's rescue plan for a lost world was being completed to perfection.

Obviously, history and God's Word the Bible reveal this to us today. But for this young couple, the future appeared to be uncertain.

And in their state, lacking assurance, they had to learn to trust.

Today; there is an unquestionable truth for us to comprehend.

For many folk, whether the events in this present day appear unusually great in size or microscopic, often the changes are hard to bear.

Yet, as we go through these experiences in our lives, God is working His purposes out.

Simply because we face hardships and hindrances in life, does not mean that God has abandoned us! No doubt about it, we all face difficulties in life. But then, He encourages, empowers and enables us to act on His great plan and purpose for our lives.

Here and now; in these uncertain times, God asks you and I or anyone - to trust Him from the bottom of our heart.

He points the way forward, and encourages us to have complete confidence in Him.

For this reason, let's try not to figure out everything on our own.

Let's listen for His voice in everything we do, everywhere we go, because He's The One who will keep us on track.

We mustn't assume that we know it all - but we know The One who does!

As we trust Him; He will bless us with a future filled with hope - a future of success, not of suffering!

God's unfailing love surrounds the folk who trust in Him.

May the approaching days bring for all of us peace and prosperity.

Dark Pursuit by Brandilyn Collins

2008-12-17T04:48:00.000+08:00

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Dark Pursuit
Zondervan (December 1, 2008)
by
Brandilyn Collins

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Brandilyn Collins is known for her trademark Seatbelt Suspense®. She is currently working on her 20th book. For chances to win free copies of her work, join her Fan Club on Facebook. Here’s what Brandilyn has to say about why she wrote Dark Pursuit:

In John Milton’s Paradise Lost Satan’s followers, kicked out of heaven, boast about storming the gates and reclaiming their territory. Beelzebub scoffs at their boasting as merely “hatching vain empires” and suggests a different revengeful scheme: seduce mankind away from God. So Satan visits the Garden of Eden to teach humans the very thing he and his cohorts have learned to be futile—the dark pursuit of hatching their own vain empires instead of following God. He presented man with this “gift” of death, disguised as life. And man fell for it.

Upon this theme of man’s fall and spiritual blindness, I created the characters and events in Dark Pursuit. The story clips along at a fast pace, with much symbolism running underneath.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Dark Pursuit—A twisting story of murder, betrayal, and eternal choices

Novelist Darell Brooke lived for his title as King of Suspense—until an auto accident left him unable to concentrate. Two years later, reclusive and bitter, he wants one thing: to plot a new novel and regain his reputation.

Kaitlan Sering, his twenty-two-year-old granddaughter, once lived for drugs. After she stole from Darell, he cut her off. Now she’s rebuilding her life. But in Kaitlan’s town two women have been murdered, and she’s about to discover a third. She’s even more shocked to realize the culprit—her boyfriend, Craig, the police chief’s son.

Desperate, Kaitlan flees to her estranged grandfather. For over forty years, Darell Brooke has lived suspense. Surely he’ll devise a plan to trap the cunning Craig.

But can Darell’s muddled mind do it? And—if he tries—with what motivation? For Kaitlan’s plight may be the stunning answer to the elusive plot he seeks...

Read the first chapter of Dark Pursuit, HERE.

December Releases

2008-12-07T07:52:00.001+08:00

There is nothing like the holiday season to cause a mixture of joy and stress and the need for that take-me-away feeling only found in a good story. This month we've got six new releases to choose from designed to do just that!

Also, don't forget to check out my new Spotlight on author Siri Mitchell.

1. A Promise for Spring by Kim Vogel Sawyer from Bethany House. Can their promise of love survive more than just years of separation?

2. Before the Season Ends by Linore Rose Burkard from Havest House Publishers. A heroine who embodies "Principles" meets the man who is all "Pride." What happens when they clash in Regency London makes adventurous innocence well worth reading!

3. Deceptive Promises, Delaware Brides, book 3 by Amber Miller from Barbour/Heartsong Presents. Living during the American Revolution, Margret Scott gets involved with a spy and a life of deception that could endanger herself, her family, and the man she loves.

4. Flashover by Dana Mentink from Steeple Hill. Ivy Beria's life explodes when arson robs her of her job and the man who set it hunts her down.

5. Missouri Brides by Mildred Colvin from Barbour Publishing. Three women tied together by family find true love on the Missouri prairie of the 1800s.

6. The Owling, Shadowside Series - Book 2 by Robert Elmer from Zondervan. Life gets even more confusing for fifteen-year-old Oriannon when her former music mentor, Jesmet, miraculously returns from the dead and promises his students a special power called Numa.

Top Ten Tips for Shopping Online

2008-12-04T16:50:00.000+08:00

Shop at small business web sites to get better personal service. Read customer comments or reviews.
Only shop at web sites that display evidence they are secure shopping sites.
Make sure the web site you choose lists a customer service phone number.
Never shop at a site where the only method of contact is through email.

If the site doesn’t give hours of operation and you are concerned, try calling the phone number to make sure you can get in touch with a live person.
For excellent customer service, always enter your phone number when placing an order.
There is no excuse for a web site not to give you personal service if you have given them your phone number and they need to reach you. Not everyone is on top of their email all the time so, if you don’t respond to an email, they should call you.

Make sure you are easily reachable at the phone number you give. It may be wise to enter a second number in a note field.
Make sure the billing address you enter when placing your order is the same address the credit company has on file for you - the address they use on your statements.
Well run web sites have their banking software set to carefully match the address you enter to the address the credit card company uses. This process helps to prevent fraud.
If, for some reason, your order “fails” when you submit it, do not keep trying.
Of course, if you are sure you know why it failed the first time, you might want to try a second time. But, do not keep trying.

There is a high possibility that your credit card company is “holding” the funds each time you try and fail. Those “holds” will disappear in a few days but, in the meantime, it is like you spent all that money – your credit card could be temporarily maxed out or your bank account temporarily drained.

Pick up the phone and call that web site. You will find out right then how helpful they are!
Shop early – ground shipping is never guaranteed. You want to avoid having to expedite shipments.
But, if you find yourself in a hurry – don’t give up! Call the store.

Depending on your location and where your item is shipping from, you might be pleasantly surprised how quickly it could arrive.
If you have shipping time restrictions, don’t just ask vague questions. It will slow down the process. If the web site doesn’t have the option to choose expedited shipping and give you real-time shipping quotes, you should phone or, at least, email to arrange it.
At the high cost of shipping these days, you do not want any nasty surprises. For example, most people have no idea that shipping a ride-on-toy like a pedal car from one side of the country to the other can cost about $60 for ground, $180 for 3-day, well over $200 for 2-day, and a huge amount for overnight shipping. So, check you options carefully.
If you find that your options are paying a huge amount of money for expedited shipping or receiving the item a few days late – don’t panic! Having your package arrive “after the big day” is often not as serious as you first think.
a. For example, many parents and grandparents think they absolutely must have the “big” birthday present arrive in time for the party. Once they realize that can’t happen, they often then realize it could even be better this way. There are so many presents and so much excitement on party day, the thrill of the “big” present is lost in the midst of the activity.

Customers often go with our idea of receiving the “big” present a couple of days later and having a special little celebration when it arrives – maybe even a small birthday cake just for that special day! THEN all attention will be on the “big” present which is a wonderful way for the child to enjoy it as well as the parents and grandparents.

b. For baby showers or other special occasions, a nice color picture often works well – a lot better than a $200 shipping bill! People appreciate getting that special gift you chose for them even if it is late rather than you changing to something less perfect than your first choice.
If the web site offers Free Shipping in the lower 48 states and you live outside the lower 48 states, contact the store to arrange shipping.
Do not assume the order will ship with free shipping just because the order went through. The product will not end up being shipped so you need to contact the website to get a shipping quote.

Beloved Captive by Kathleen Y’Barbo

2008-12-01T02:23:00.000+08:00

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

There’s never a dull moment in the Y’Barbo household! From hockey and cheer mom to publicist to bestselling author, Kathleen Y’Barbo somehow manages to do it all - and well. While wearing her publicist’s hat, Kathleen has secured interviews with radio, television, and print media for clients at NavPress, Hatchette, Integrity, Barbour Publishing, and Broadman & Holman, to name a few. She also brings her own unique blend of Southern charm and witty prose to the more than 350,000 award-winning novels and novellas currently in print. Her novels have been nominated for American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year in 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2006; and 2007 will see the release of her 25th book.

Kathleen is a tenth-generation Texan and a mother of three grown sons and a teenage daughter. She is a graduate of Texas A&M University. Kathleen is a former treasurer for the American Christian Fiction Writers, and is a member of the Author’s Guild, Inspirational Writers Alive, Words for the Journey Christian Writers Guild, and the Fellowship of Christian Authors. In addition, she is a sought-after speaker, and her kids think she’s a pretty cool mom, too…most of the time, anyway.

The first book in this series is Beloved Castaway.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

In this sequel to Beloved Castaway, Emilie Gayarre is learning to accept her mixed race heritage while finding fulfillment in teaching children of the key. There is no denying the attraction between Emilie and the handsome young naval commander, Caleb Spencer, who is shadowed by his own flock of secrets. But if her heritage is found out, even greater things than his career are at risk. Enjoy this historical romance full of risk and redemption.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Beloved Captive, go HERE.

Beloved Captive by Kathleen Y’Barbo
ISBN-10: 1602602301
Publisher: Barbour Publishing, Inc
Release Date: November 1, 2008
$8.78 from Amazon.com

Purchase Beloved Captive by Kathleen Y’Barbo HERE!!!

The Death and Life of Gabriel Phillips by Stephen Baldwin and Mark Tabb

2008-11-23T16:13:00.000+08:00

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Stephen Baldwin - actor, family man, born-again Christian - makes his home in upstate New York with his wife and two young daughters.

Equally adept at drama and comedy, Baldwin has appeared in over 60 films and been featured on such top-rated television shows as Fear Factor and Celebrity Mole. He has his own production company that is developing projects for television and the big screen. These days, however, his role as director, co-producer and host of Livin' It - a cutting-edge skate video is bringing out his white hot passion for evangelism.

Writer and communicator Mark Tabb calls himself an “internationally unknown author.” Although his books have been published around the world, he is best known for his collaborative works. His 2008 release, “Mistaken Identity”, written with the Van Ryn and Cerak families, hit number one on the New York Times bestseller list for two weeks, and remained on the list for over two months. He and actor Stephen Baldwin teamed up on their 2005 New York Times bestseller, “The Unusual Suspect,” and with their first work of fiction, “The Death and Life of Gabriel Phillips,”

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Even years of experience haven't prepared Officer Andy Myers for this case---

When Officer Andy Myers met Loraine Phillips, he had no interest in her son. And he certainly never dreamed he'd respond to a call, finding that same boy in a pool of blood. Even more alarming was the father standing watch over his son's body. Myers had never seen a man respond to death-particularly the death of a child-in such a way. When the father is charged with murder and sentenced to death, he chooses not to fight but embrace it as God's will. Myers becomes consumed with curiosity for these strange beliefs. What follows is the story of the bond these two men share as they come to terms with the tragedy and the difficult choices each one must make.

If you would like to read the first chapter of The Death and Life of Gabriel Phillips, go HERE

*STRONG LANGUAGE*

The Death and Life of Gabriel Phillips by Stephen Baldwin and Mark Tabb
ISBN-10: 0446196991
Publisher: FaithWords
Release Date: November 5, 2008
$11.19 from Amazon.com

Purchase The Death and Life of Gabriel Phillips by Stephen Baldwin and Mark Tabb HERE!!!