Delia Lathan and Lexi's Heart Giveaway

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

DELIA LATHAM was born and raised in a place called Weedpatch, and now is a Christian wife, mother, grandmother, sister and friend, but especially loves being a princess daughter to the King of Kings. She’s a Dr. Pepperaholic and loves hearing from her readers. Contact her through her website (www.delialatham.net), her blog (http://delialatham.blogspot.com), or her Facebook author page (http://www.facebook.com/delialatham).

Delia writes inspirational romance and women's fiction, and is currently contracted through White Rose Publishing and Vinspire Publishing.

LEXI'S HEART (Heart's Haven Holidays, book 1)
by Delia Latham
Published by White Rose Publishing (a division of the Pelican Book Group)

ABOUT THE BOOK

Her heart. His faith. Love Reborn.

Forty-three-year-old Lexi Carlisle’s abusive marriage ended three years ago. Deeply scarred by the experience, and helplessly watching her beloved mother succumb to Alzheimer’s, Lexi is devastated. After selling her fancy home, she rents a cottage in Heart’s Haven, a special place unlike any other. Slowly learning to live again, she despairs of ever delivering the message of love that burns within her heart for her ever-worsening mother. But Mitch Gaynor, a handsome Christian author, reminds Lexi that with God all things are possible, planting within her battered and distrustful heart the seed of hope for a miracle. But can she open her fortressed heart to God? And is Mitch a part of His plans for her future?

Readers, buy your copy of Lexi's Heart (Heart's Haven Holidays, book 1) today!

AND NOW A WORD FROM OUR FEATURE AUTHOR

What I Do and Who I Am

“What do you do?”

For some reason, that question has become one of the first things we ask a new acquaintance. I wonder why that is? Surely we don’t identify people by their occupations. Or do we?

I think we do, more often than not. And that’s sad. But sadder still is the fact that we identify one another by our success at that occupation.

“I’m a writer.” That’s my answer when people ask what I do. And they offer a polite smile and a nod. Because writers abound, don’t they? Everybody’s writing something—a memoir, a journal, an autobiography, the “next BIG novel.” But…then the real question is posed: “Are you published?” Ahhh…now they’re getting to their real interest. Am I successful at what I do? Because somehow, folks are of the mistaken notion that a writer isn’t really a writer until his or her name is on the cover of a book.

I know this, because when I say, “Yes, I’m a multi-published author,” their entire demeanor is transformed. Their eyes light up and their smile suddenly becomes sincere, because my name on the cover of a book means I’m a success, and wow—they just met a published author!

My, how we skew our priorities these days!

Writing is what I do. Would you like to know who I am?

I’m a small-town girl, raised in a little farming community called, of all things, Weedpatch. I’m a Christian, and proud to be a princess daughter to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. I’m a wife of almost forty years who fell in love with my (future) husband when I was eleven years old. I’m a mother of four wonderful individuals who make me so, so proud. And I’m a grandmother to four of the most amazing little human beings in the entire world.

I also happen to enjoy writing stories about romance that also glorify my Father, the King.

Do I bring in truckloads of money writing? Nope. Does that make me a failure in life? Again, nope.

I do what I do because God gave me the talent and an affinity for writing. Hopefully my words will brighten someone’s day, uplift a downtrodden soul, encourage the discouraged, or make someone believe in love. That’s my ministry…my way of using the talents given to me.

I am who I am because God saw fit to bless me with parents who loved me, and saw that I had a roof over my head and food to eat. There was barely enough money for real necessities, and none for luxuries, but I didn’t know we were poor. Funny how one never misses something they’ve never had, isn’t it?

I am who I am because my parents raised me according to godly principles; I had a pastor who taught straight from the scriptures and wasn’t afraid to call sin sin. I had the privilege of being taken under the wings of not one but two deeply devoted Christian women who became lifetime mentors and helped develop me as a person. I thank God for them every day.

I am who I am because God gave me a wonderful husband who cares about his family and believes in the sanctity of marriage. He then blessed me with children to love and teach and befriend and enjoy, and then magnified that blessing by giving me babies to love and spoil as I grow older and move into the next chapter of my life.

I am the lady next door, who waters your plants when you’re sick or on vacation. I smile when I pass by you in the department store. I stand behind you in the grocery line, and I’ll even let you go ahead of me if you’re only holding a couple of items and my basket is overflowing with stuff.

Yes, I’m a writer. That’s what I do, and I love doing it.

But I’m also a real person who—just like you, I hope—tries to do what’s right (or write…*g*), and actually manage to most of the time. Who has bad days when all I want to do is cry, and good ones when my feet barely touch the ground. The words of a wonderful song by Collin Raye says it perfectly. Here they are, from me to you:

I laugh, I love, I hope, I try
I hurt, I need, I fear, I cry
And I know you do the same things, too
So we're really not that different, me and you

Reader Question: Let's really get to know one another. I sincerely hope you love what you do, but I'm more interested in the heart of your. So....who are YOU?

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Thank you, Delia, for sharing with us today.

ENTRY RULES Readers, leave your email address (name [at] domainname [dot] com) along with your answer to the question for your chance to win a free eBook copy of Jewels for the Kingdom (Heart's Haven, book 1) in the format of your choice. If you do not answer the question, and your email address isn't provided, you will not be entered.

This week, the drawing is open to anyone worldwide.

Guest Blogger Mary Annslee Urban and Tapestry of Trust

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

MARY ANNSLEE URBAN is an author of Inspirational Romance. Her goal is to write stories that stir the heart about love, honor and God's grace! Her debut book, Tapestry of Trust, White Rose Publishing, was released June 2012. Her second book with White Rose Publishing, She Came to See the Snow~A Colorado Christmas Romance, will be released Fall of 2012.

A Registered Nurse by trade, Mary has also been a freelance writer for newspapers in her area, has had articles published in magazines and online publications. A North Carolina resident, Mary and her husband have five children and 2 grandchildren and one on the way. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys cooking, traveling, long walks and anything chocolate!

TAPESTRY OF TRUST
by Mary Annslee Urban
Published by White Rose, a division of the Pelican Group

ABOUT THE BOOK

Surrendered Hearts. Interwoven Grace

Isabelle had always envisioned Charlie Hamilton as the hero depicted in the romantic tapestry hanging in the Hamilton home. Then Charlie abandoned her to make decisions no one should make alone. Now, six years later, Charlie's back, and despite Isabelle's best efforts, she can't ignore the longing his presence reignites. Charlie wants a second chance, but can Isabelle trust the man he's become? Can she surrender her threadbare heart long enough for God to weave Isabelle's own happily-ever-after tapestry?

Readers, buy your copy of Tapestry of Trust today!

AND NOW A WORD FROM OUR FEATURE AUTHOR

Along the Journey by Mary Annslee Urban

Being an author of fiction is a wonderful and sometimes frustrating pursuit in life. On any given day emotions can swing from top of the world to the bottom of the heap and back again. After hours of tweaking a chapter you might sit back, tap your chin and think, “Wow, did I write that?” Only to find yourself moments later scratching your head and wondering how the next chapter’s dialogue came to sound like it was written by a tongue-tied chipmunk.

Humility and cringe-worthy moments are common pieces of my writing puzzle. But it’s the satisfaction after editing and re-editing a book that keeps me moving forward. The final version, the one that the editor accepts and loves.

I’ve written several books, 2 are published and I can honestly say writing is tough. Storylines often sway in unexpected directions and new character personality traits can pop up when you least expect. Heroines and heroes may turn into a villains and vice-versa. A plot can thicken or end up going nowhere. Like planting a seedling, a story sprouts, grows and produces a creation that is far more complex than where it started. Often very different than what we expected.

Like most writers, my stories are crafted out of passion, determination and love. I learned that I must put myself in the story. See the plot through my characters eyes. Feel their emotions, frustration and pain. Bring out their insecurities and show their faith. And mostly bring them to the brink of collapse before rescuing them.  I want the reader to sense what we actually live, feel and experience: chaos, absurdity, humility, sadness, beauty, love… If, as I read, I don’t bring tears to my own eyes, I haven’t done my job.

Life is about fiction. From folks rewriting their own memories to daydreaming about their hopes and dreams. Fiction gives a writer a way to rewrite mistakes and sorrows or find forever love. Threads of truth blended within a story of fiction. Although frustrating at times, the passion to write burns within a fiction writer’s soul. And like food for my soul, I can’t imagine not writing. :)

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Thank you, Mary, for sharing with us today.

Reader Question: What is YOUR passion? What in your life drives you to the point where you cannot consider not doing it? 

ENTRY RULES Readers, leave your email address (name at domainname dot com/net) along with your answer to the question for your chance to win a free eBook copy of the book featured above. If you do not answer the question, and your email address isn't provided, you will not be entered.

This week, the contest is open to anyone worldwide.

Welcome Lillian Duncan and Failure

Please interact with our guest authors by answering the question they provide. IF there is a book giveaway, your response will also enter you in the drawing for a free book.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stories of faith, hope, and love mingled with murder and mayhem.

LILLIAN DUNCAN lives in a small town in the middle of Ohio Amish country with her husband. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Speech Pathology and Audiology and a Master's degree from Kent State in Deaf Education.

Lillian believes books can be entertaining without being trashy. She writes the types of books she loves to read, suspense with a touch of romance. Along with writing novels, she writes devotions for ChristianDevotions.us.

PURSUED
by Lillian Duncan
Published by White Rose Publishing

ABOUT THE BOOK

Reggie Meyers has spent her life pursing the American Dream, but now she’s the one being pursued— by an unknown killer. Putting her trust in Dylan Monroe, a man she barely knows, will either be the best decision she ever made or the last.

Reggie’s a big city lawyer and Dylan’s a country farmer. In the normal course of events, their lives would never intersect but some accidents just aren't meant to be avoided. When Reggie crashes into Dylan, it makes a bad day even worse or so she thinks. Dylan, on the other hand, is intrigued by the feisty lady lawyer and wrangles a way to spend a bit more time with her by offering to drive her home after the accident. And so the journey that will change both their lives begins…

Readers, buy your copy of Pursued today!

AND NOW A WORD FROM OUR FEATURE AUTHOR

I’M A FAILURE!

Yikes! I received an email reminder today from Tiff about this blog which is due tomorrow. Uh...the blog I hadn’t written yet. So what’s a writer to do?

Sit down and write, of course.

When I started writing sixteen years ago, it was because I loved books and I loved to read. Somewhere along the way, the reason changed. Now, I do it for the love of writing. It’s an amazing thing to see an idea go from one sentence to one paragraph to a seventy or eighty thousand word story.

Today, I thought I’d talk about FAILURE. That’s right, failure. If you’re going to become serious about writing, then you must accept the reality of failure. It can come in many different forms and they all hurt.

One type is failure to thrive. Not every idea is a good idea. I have tons of stories that I may have written partially but somewhere along the way, the story just wasn’t thriving. The original idea wasn’t strong enough to bring the story to completion. So what to do? Accept it and move on!

Another type is the failure of others to recognize how wonderful your story is. You’ve written it, edited it, revised it again and again, and polished it some more. But each proposal comes back with a big red NO written on it. What to do? This one’s a little more tricky. There are several options. Go back and rework the story if you want and send it out—again! Or it might be time to put it away and start a new story.

A writer may live in the land of rejections for many years. Rejections are a fact of live when you are a writer. When this happens, you can quit or Accept it and move on!

Now, your baby’s been published. You have it in your hot little hands. It’s so beautiful but...no one else seems to care quite as much as you do. Friends and family are excited but not excited enough to buy a copy, though they’d love to have you give them one.

This one can be particularly painful for us sensitive, artistic types. It’s hard to imagine that others just don’t get it. But it’s a fact. What to do? Accept it and move on!

Now, comes the dreaded review. You know the one. The one that tells you that your writing is so bad, you shouldn’t even write a grocery list again. I can’t say I’ve had this experience yet and I hope I never do. But what am I going to do if it happens? Accept it and move on, of course!

The life of a writer can be painful. Most writers’ journeys are filled with self-doubt, criticisms from others, and rejections from agents and editors.

Ah, but the joy of finishing a story (whether it gets published or not) can’t be beat. The thrill of looking at a paragraph you created as you wonder where those words came from and how you managed to put them in the perfect order. Then, there are the more tangible successes, getting an agent, your first contract, your first book, and your first royalty check!

So, my advice to new and/or unpublished writers is to toughen up. There’s plenty of failures in your future but there are also plenty of successes out there waiting for you as well.

As long as you accept the failures as part of the process and keep on writing.

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Thank you, Lillian, for sharing with us today.

Guest Question: In or of what is your greatest fear of failure?

ENTRY RULES Readers, leave your email address (name at domainname dot com/net) along with your answer to the question for your chance to win a FREE digital copy of the book above. If you do not answer the question, and your email address isn't provided, you will not be entered.

This week, the contest is open to US/Canada residents only.