Kimberley Woodhouse and Denali Dreams Giveaway

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

KIMBERLEY WOODHOUSE is a multi-published author of fiction and non-fiction with Moody, Focus on the Family, B&H Publishing Group, Barbour Publishing, and Bethany House Publishers. A popular speaker/teacher, she’s shared her theme of Joy Through Trials with over 150,000 people at over 1,000 venues across the country. She lives, writes, and homeschools in beautiful Colorado with her husband of more than two decades and their two awesome teens.

Connect with Kim - http://www.kimberleywoodhouse.com and http://www.facebook.com/KimberleyWoodhouseAuthor and http://www.twitter.com/kimwoodhouse

DENALI DREAMS
by Kimberley Woodhouse and Ronie Kendig
Published by Barbour

ABOUT THE BOOK

Vast and rugged, Denali National Park brings adventure and love into the lives of four courageous women. Will cancer survivor Karon reach Mt. McKinley’s summit? Will heiress Jolie survive against the terrain and an assassin? Will flightseeing tour guide Deline save her stalling business? Will love conquer all for ranger Deanna?

Readers, buy your copy of Denali Dreams today!

AND NOW A WORD FROM OUR FEATURE AUTHOR

Behind the Scenes: Writing with a Co-Author
Kimberley Woodhouse

We get a ton of questions whenever we travel on tours, or just simply through our website. Some are about our Extreme Makeover: Home Edition or one of the other television experiences, a lot are about our daughter Kayla’s rare condition, and a lot are about the writing process.

Over the past year, I’ve received more and more questions about writing with a co-author. My daughter and I wrote No Safe Haven and Race Against Time together, Ronie Kendig and I collaborated on a collection entitled Denali Dreams, and Tracie Peterson and I wrote All Things Hidden releasing from Bethany House January 2014. I wouldn’t say that I’m now an expert on the subject, but I can definitely share my two cents with readers. I know as a reader, I often wondered what went on behind the scenes as well, so I totally understand the curiosity!

Each experience has been totally different, but they’ve all been fun. All the readers who write in want to know how it’s done. In summary? I don’t have a set formula, each collaboration has been unique. But I will say this: the authors need to pray for one another, they need to trust one another, they need to be good communicators, and they need to agree to a plan. :)

Writing with my daughter, Kayla (who became the youngest published full-length novelist from a royalty paying publisher with the release of No Safe Haven), was incredible. I wrote the adult characters’ POVs and she wrote the teens’. We wrote it in twenty-eight days total and had you been a fly on the wall, you would’ve seen lots of scribbling on white boards, jump-drives flying across the room as we shared scenes back and forth, and lots of laughter and M&Ms (Kayla’s favorite).

Writing with my dear friend, and not to mention best-selling author, Ronie Kendig was also incredible. In Denali Dreams (a collection of four novellas set in Alaska about the Talkeetna Rangers), Ronie and I plotted out our stories over the phone, developed our characters, and decided how the stories would tie in to each other. She wrote two of the novellas, and I wrote two. We wrote them in about a week. (Yes, we’re both pretty fast.) And we talked on the phone a lot. Another amazing experience—not just because I love the stories, but because I love Ronie so dearly. If you haven’t read any of her other books, you need to GO BUY THEM NOW. Seriously. She’s awesome.

And last but definitely not least, writing with Tracie Peterson. Wow. What could I possibly say? She’s best-selling and award-winning. Her 100th book will be releasing in 2014. She is one of my closest friends, but I would never have dreamed that I’d be given the opportunity to write with her. With All Things Hidden (1935 Matanuska Colony in Alaska), we did tons and tons of research together. We plotted. And plotted. And plotted some more. The string of emails with all our multi-colored notes back and forth was over forty pages! Then, we wrote a seriously long synopsis together (about thirty pages, again going back and forth), then our drafts of the manuscript went back and forth. It was another incredible experience and I learned so much from it.

Happy Reading!

~Kim

Reader Question: For our giveaway this week, I'd like to ask you-the readers-a question. What is your favorite co-author/collaboration? Leave the title of the book/series and the authors’ names for a chance to win a copy of No Safe Haven, Race Against Time, or Denali Dreams. (One copy of each book will be given away.)

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Thank you, Kim, 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 ONE OF THREE free autographed copies of these three books: Denali Dreams, No Safe Haven, Race Against Time. 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 US/Canada residents.

Spotlight on Kimberley Woodhouse and Welcome Home

NOTE: Kim's book has already gone into its second printing...and it hasn't even been released yet. :) Congratulations, Kim! Readers, you will be touched beyond imagination by this poignant, entertaining and heartwarming story. I'm many times blessed to count Kim as one of my dear friends, and once you finish this book, you'll feel like you know her too.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

KIMBERLEY WOODHOUSE is a wife, mother, author, and musician with a quick wit and positive outlook despite difficult circumstances. A popular speaker, she’s shared at more than 600 venues across the country. Kimberley and her family's story have garnered national media attention for many years, but most recently her family was chosen for ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, The Montel Williams Show, and Discovery Health channel’s Mystery ER. Welcome Home: Our Family’s Journey to Extreme Joy, releases from Tyndale House Publishers September first. In addition to her non-fiction, she also writes romantic suspense and children’s books. Kimberley lives, writes, and homeschools in Colorado with her husband and two children in their truly “extreme” home. www.kimberleywoodhouse.com

WELCOME HOME: OUR FAMILY'S JOURNEY TO EXTREME JOY
by Kimberley Woodhouse
Published by Tyndale House

ABOUT THE BOOK

Overwhelming trials . . . met with overcoming joy.

Kayla Woodhouse is not your typical twelve-year-old. Due to a rare medical disorder, she feels no pain, doesn’t sweat, and needs protective cooling gear just to go outside. With her restrictive lifestyle; countless hospitalizations, including brain surgery; and the resulting mountain of hospital bills, what’s a family to do?

How the Woodhouse family has faced seemingly impossible challenges is a story that has captured the hearts of America. Millions of people have experienced glimpses of their lives on Discovery’s Mystery ER, The Montel Williams Show, and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (recently voted one of the show’s all-time best episodes!).

Now Kayla’s mom, Kimberley, takes readers behind the cameras to reveal their family’s journey as never before told. From medical sleuthing to cross-country moves, from freak fires to battles with insurance companies, Welcome Home proves that truth really is stranger than fiction. This candid life story reveals both success and failure and demonstrates how, even during tough circumstances, to shift your life from heartbreak to extreme joy.

Peak inside the Woodhouse family’s life (and their famous house) with a 16-page photo insert.

Readers, buy your copy of Welcome Home today!

MY REVIEW

I'm not one who is prone to tears, but I shed some while reading this book. I also laughed, smiled and was touched to the core by Kim's wit, wisdom, and poignant honesty as she shared her family's amazing journey that had led them to where they are today. Kim is straightforward, honest and sometimes blunt about their struggles and the truths surrounding the rising medical bills, as well as the fears of having a daughter with a rare life-threatening medical disorder. But through it all, the warmth, genuine love and Kim's characteristic sense of humor shine clear and bright. You'll go down in the depths of seeming despair and rise to the heights of triumph with Kim and her family as you read this heart-gripping story. I dare you to not be affected by the story.

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

1. This is your first book. Congratulations! You've told your story so many times in so many different venues. What inspired you to write about it in this way?

The publisher asked me to write it. Originally, I had planned the book to be something else, but God’s plans are always better than our own. And we’d had thousands of people writing in through my website needing encouragement, I knew the Lord was leading in this direction.

2. What has been the most memorable aspect for you of this book's publishing journey?

Writing it in two and half weeks. It was crazy, gut-wrenching, uplifting, and special.

3. Are there any themes in Welcome Home that you hope the reader sees? Are there any themes that weren't overt but developed as the stories progressed?

Joy is the main theme. On this journey, I learned that God’s joy is always there, it can never be taken away. Another theme that I think it vitally important is to keep going. Don’t quit. When you feel like you are at the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and swing.

4. What were your most difficult parts to write? Your favorite?

The most difficult parts were definitely during the stage when Kayla was not diagnosed and then later when she had to have brain surgery. I cried until I didn’t have any tears left. My favorite parts were going through all my journals and notes, remembering all the hilarious stories of my kids and times when they taught me invaluable lessons.

5. When is your next book coming out and what is the story?

Be looking for more non-fiction and fiction. I can’t talk about the who’s and when’s yet – but keep watching my website www.kimberleywoodhouse.com.

6. Is there anything else you'd like to share with my readers?

Thank you! Thank you for having me here, Tiff. I love you, girl!

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Love you too, Kim! :) Thank you for being in the spotlight with us.

Readers, leave a comment for your chance to win a FREE autographed copy of Welcome Home: Our Family's Journey to Extreme Joy.

Make sure you also leave your email address (name at domainname dot.com/net). You won't be entered in the drawing without it. If you wish to comment but don't want to be entered, say so when you post.

And if you want to make certain you don't miss anything, check the box that says 'email follow-up comments to:' when you leave a comment and they'll be sent to the email address associated with your blogging account. That way you'll be notified of any comments and will know when I announce the winner.

This week, the contest is open to anyone worldwide.

I've Been Tagged! Wanna Play?

I've moved this to today from the previous post date of September 27th as I'll be doing the drawing from the comments left on the 15th. So, if you'd like to leave a comment for a chance to win an autographed copy of one of my books, you have 7 more days.

Kim over a Window to my World and Stormi over at Mystery, Suspense and God, Oh My! have both tagged my window to play! Remember how much fun that was when you were a kid? Always wanted to run away or tempt the person who was "it" or wanting to be "it" yourself. :) So, here goes a good new-fashioned game of tag, folks!

Feel free to copy this game and tag friends of yours, or post a comment to be entered in a drawing to receive a FREE autographed copy of one of my books. And if you're really adventurous, try to trace this game back to the first person who started it. LOL!

Here are the rules for those I'm tagging. Check the list after my 6 THINGS to see if you're it then:

1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Write six random things about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your post.
5. Let each person know he or she has been tagged.
6. Let the tagger know when your entry is up.

6 Random THINGS about me:

1. Before I got married, I was the only living female "Miller" in my family. The rest were all boys, as the women all married into the name.

2. My great-grandfather's cousin married President Woodrow Wilson during his presidency, so I'm somewhat related to American "royalty." :) Edith Galt was from the side of my family who founded Galt & Bros. Jewelers in Washington, D.C., a very elite jewelry company. What a shame none of the "luxury" passed down to me.

3. I've lived in 5 different states and traveled to 3 foreign countries; plus, by the time I was 14, I had moved 9 times. Now, that count is up to 15 times in 32 years. Let's just say when we get a house, now, I want it to be a place where we can settle for a while. And if it's just a starter home, we'll hang in there for 5 years then get our long-term home where I hope to raise our children and give them the stability I never had growing up.

4. My husband and his writing influenced a character in Brandilyn Collins' Kanner Lake book series, and he even wrote blog posts on the Kanner Lake blog, Scenes and Beans. Oh, and he even autographed books with Brandilyn at the 2006 ACFW conference, signing his character name of Ted "S-Man" Dawson.

5. I got my big start in web site design when I was hired to design and run actress Jane Seymour's web site in 2000, although I'd been working in design since 1997.

6. I've visited all but 12 of the 50 states in the U.S. and I have a goal to visit those 12 as well before my life on earth comes to an end, so I can mark them off my unofficial list. :)

Now, you're it!

Kim Woodhouse
Trish Perry
Stuart Stockton
Deeanne Gist
Shannon McNear
Kaye Dacus

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Humor in Life -- Whitewater Rafting, Dogs and Recliner Chairs...oh my!

For today's author spotlight, you'll find it below this post. I didn't want to skip out on my new goal for sharing some lighthearted stories to brighten your day. Last year at this time, I was posting weekly updates on the countdown to my wedding. Now that the craziness and hectic planning period is passed, you get the privilege of a glimpse into REAL life with me.

So, fasten your seatbelts. It's sure to be a bumpy ride!

Last week, I again spent time at Kim Woodhouse's home. Our typical "lunch" turned into an all-day affair, but the highlight by far, was watching Kim struggle with her recliner chair in the living room. She swears the thing's possessed and has it in for her. After seeing her try to get out of the thing, I'm inclined to believe her.

Quite easily, she kicks back and extends the footrest to relax and work on emails and other things on her laptop. But before long, it's time to move on to something else. So, she scoots forward and attempts to kick the footrest back in place, which will set the recliner upright again and allow her to stand.

Unfortunately, that's not to be for Kim. As I'm sure you've noticed, life tends to be a bit more complicated for her, and this recliner apparently knows it! It's not going to miss a chance to have its share of the pie, so it makes the footrest nigh onto impossible to go back in place. You can imagine the view at seeing someone sitting down and trying to kick a footrest back so that it clicks. If she tries to straddle the piece and get up, the chair reclines again and throws her back against the cushions, trapping her in its menacing clutches.

Finally, spent and exhausted from her own attempts, she frantically calls to her daughter, Kayla, to come and rescue her poor mother from the grasp of the evil recliner. Sweet Kayla comes, with a smile on her face and waits for Kim to lift her legs high in the air. Again, quite a comical sight. Kayla proceeds to plop onto the floor in front of the chair, brace herself and place her feet against the footrest. With a solid shove, the footrest clicks into place and Kim is free!

Thanks, Kayla!

And that's not all. If you've managed to catch your breath or scrunch your cheeks back into place after laughing at the above image, here's another one for you.

This past weekend, my husband and our puppy, Roxie, went down to my husband's parents' place for Easter. Once leaving the overcast and snowy Colorado Springs, the blue skies appeared and it turned out to be a beautiful day. So, we decided to drive a little further and snap some pictures of the snow-capped Sangre de Cristo mountains in the Wetmoor Valley. Along the way, we opened the windows in the back seat for Roxie so she could get a good whiff of the smells and fresh air down that way.

Well, we also recently learned that she's a Border Collie/Black Lab mix. As such, she has an instinctive "herding" nature in her that comes out full force when she's on a walk or in the car. It's commonplace to see a dog with its head out the window of a moving car. But, I don't know if you've often had the occasion to witness a dog's head whipping from the front to the back of the open window as a car passes going the opposite way. It's almost as if the wind catches hold of her head and decides to carry her head with it.

But, it's actually Roxie wanted to "herd" the cars that are getting past her. She doesn't want to let a single one of them get away, so she tries her hardest to get them back in place. It's a good thing we only allow enough room for her head. Otherwise, she'd no doubt be out that window in a flash. Viewing this from the front seat is quite the amusement, I assure you.

The final part of our drive had my husband listing off all the things he wants me to do this summer. Camping, fishing, hiking, and lots of outdoor things. All of that sounds good to me. But there is one thing that I'm not sure I can manage.

Whitewater Rafting!

Yes, that's right. My husband wants me to get into a large cylindrical rubber tube with paddles/oars on the side and foot braces along the bottom, then shove off from solid land into the menacing waters of the Arkansas River. Now, back East this wouldn't be much of an issue, as the rivers are mostly wide and somewhat lazy...at least where I've canoed and tubed. But, out here? They're narrow and fast! Those two combinations just don't sound all that appealing to me.

Picture it with me. This open-topped and open-sided tube is bouncing and rushing along the choppy waters and glancing off of rocks in the riverbed, all the while being piloted by the rest of the passengers (me included!) with commands from the raft leader to paddle a certain way when we encounter a rock or particularly fast-moving rapids.

I can see it now. I'm sitting, feet firmly hooked under the braces to keep my bottom glued to the seat, oar in hand and witnessing the oncoming crash of water that's about to swallow us whole! Then, I hear the shout of the raft leader to paddle more to the left, then to the right, then backpaddle to slow us down. I wish he'd make up his mind! All the while, I'm frantically attempting to keep my feet secure and my bottom glued, because at any moment, I'm going to go projectile into the raging waters, pulled beneath the torrent and left behind by the rest of the raft members.

And so ends the tale of that poor gal who just couldn't keep her seat....

Umm...yeah. I don't think so!

Humor in Life -- Shopping and Web Sites

Top o' the Mornin' to Ya! And a fine mornin' 'tis too. Not much green to be seen 'round here, but sure'n we got plenty of the white powdery coating outside. 'Tis a beautiful blue sky day with a wee bit of fluffy clouds over the mountains. Mind ya don't go dancin' an Irish jig without a wee leprechaun by your side. Me best wishes that ye be findin' that pot o' gold ye be wantin' and best of luck to ya!

Ok, so I posted last week about my new search to discover the humor in life. And I also shared about the friend who inspired this. So, it only seems fitting that time spent with her is what led to today's reports of the humor from this past week.

First, this past Friday, we went to Best Buy to return an item she'd purchased that ended up not being what she needed. Within seconds of walking in the door, our little venture started out with laughter.

Kim asked the salesperson standing near the front where we needed to go for straight returns. Without missing a beat, he looked at me, then back at Kim and said, "She looks fine to me, why would you want to return her?"

I have to admit that never in my life have I had a salesperson say that to me or about me. What a hoot! Kim and I looked at each other and shared a laugh, then as we made our way to the returns lane, we both agreed that would be the first item to make it into my humor post.

The second happened later that same day. I was at Kim's working on her web site and discovered some of the HTML coding was incomplete. So, we worked together to fix that and when it was all done, she joyfully announced that...

"I have meta tags!"

Her husband walked by, and she told him too, then asked him if he knew what those were. He looked at her and said, "Do you need medication or pills for them?"

Talk about quick wit and a strong connection to the funny bone! LOL! Kim and I both lapsed into giggles and laughter at that one. Again, we agreed that it was classic enough and perfect for this post.

Btw, for those who don't know, 'meta tags' are HTML coding in the header of a web page that tells search engines how to catalogue a web site so when browsers type in keywords, the sites are ranked according to the tags.

And there you have it. My humor moments from this past week. I'll be spending TWO days with Kim this week and one with my critique group. Who knows what can happen between now and next Monday.

Stay tuned!

Humor in Life / Why Men Are Happier than Women!

All right. I admit it. In my spare time lately, I've been spending time with a celebrity (and she'll likely scold me for this). She's a great lady, with lots of class, and people recognize her everywhere she goes. But she's not your typical celebrity. She actually speaks to 'normal' people and makes it her life mission to be a blessing to others in any way she can. Her name is Kimberley Woodhouse ('Kim' to most) and her family was a recent recipient of a brand new home courtesy of Extreme Makeover and ABC.

But there is more to her than the notoriety of a TV show--far too much for this post. So, I'll snip it a bit and say that thanks to my friendship with her, I'm rediscovering my funny bone. I think I shoved it to some unmentionable place, bogged down by the responsibilities of life. Not anymore, though.

I mentioned Kim's life mission. Well, a lot of that mission is accomplished through humor. She has a fantastic way of seeing the fun in life, and after spending just a few hours with her, you're usually good for at least two weeks of seeing the laughter moments in your own life. You'd be amazed at what you see when you're looking at life through funny-bone-colored glasses. :)

So, I've now made it MY mission to rediscover my funny bone and do my part in bringing a little light and fun to others. At least, I'll try. Look out Colorado Springs!

Of course, I might just fail miserably because I'm too practical and serious for this to work. But I'm willing to give it a shot.

Now, let's take a trip down the lane that draws the line between men and women and why men often find it easier to laugh than women do:

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A friend and fellow author had this on her blog just before Christmas, and I found it too true not to share . . .

Men Are Just Happier People — what do you expect from such simple creatures?

• Your last name stays put.
• The garage is all yours.
• Chocolate is just another snack.
• You can be President.
• You can never be pregnant.
• You can wear a white T-shirt to a water park or you donʼt have to wear any shirt at all.
• Car mechanics tell YOU the truth.
• The world is your urinal.
• You never have to drive to another gas station because the restroom was just too icky.
• You don't have to stop and think of which way to turn a nut on a bolt.
• Same work, more pay.
• Wrinkles add character.
• People never stare at your chest when you're talking to them.
• New shoes don’t cut, blister, or mangle your feet.
• One mood all the time.
• Wedding dress: $5000; tux rental: $100; wedding plans taking care of themselves: PRICELESS
• Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat.
• You know stuff about tanks.
• A five-day vacation requires only one suitcase.
• You can open all your own jars.
• You get extra credit for the slightest act of thoughtfulness.
• If someone forgets to invite you, he or she can still be your friend.
• Your underwear is $8.95 for a three-pack.
• Three pairs of shoes are more than enough.
• You almost never have strap problems in public.
• You are unable to see wrinkles in your clothes.
• Everything on your face stays its original color.
• The same hairstyle lasts for years, maybe decades.
• You only have to shave your face and neck.
• You can play with toys all your life.
• One wallet and one pair of shoes — one color for all seasons.
• You can wear shorts no matter how your legs look.
• You can "do" your nails with a pocket knife.
• You have freedom of choice concerning growing a mustache.
• You can do your gift shopping for 25 relatives on December 24th in 23 minutes.

No wonder men are happier creatures!

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And thus ends today's quest for finding more humor in my life so that I might bring a smile to your face--or maybe just a grin--or actually just a twitch to your lips--or perhaps....oh nevermind. Just stay tuned for next week and more.

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