Varina Denman "Jilted" -- and Mending Hurting Hearts

Dear Readers~I'm so excited to host author Varina Denman on my blog. As you'll read in her bio, she's a Texas girl and she writes about struggles we, women (not just Texans) face in today's world.

Welcome, Varina. Please tell us about how God led you to write Jilted in your Mended Hearts series.

In the beginning, I didn’t have a plan for Lynda

Turner and Clyde Felton. At that time, all I

knew was that Lynda was a bitter woman who

had been shunned by the church, and Clyde

was an ex-convict who had spent twenty years

in prison. Both of them had been jilted by love

interests, by their friends, and by the church.

Then I realized that’s true of

many people in

real life. Things don’t always

work out like we

imagine they will, and friends

let us down—

even friends who call

themselves Christians.

So over the course of the series, I realized

Lynda and Clyde very much needed their own

book. In fact, their story is the crux of the

whole series, and Jilted brings all the conflict

to a nice tidy conclusion.

Through writing Jilted, I grew spiritually. As I

walked through life with Clyde and Lynda,

helping them to forgive and overlook the faults

of others, it became easier for me to bestow

grace as well … which was probably God’s

main goal all along.

Sounds like a great story, Varina. I don't of anyone who hasn't felt jilted at one time or another. It's painful.

And now, Varina's bio...

Varina Denman writes

stories about the unique struggles women face. A native Texan who spent her high school years in a small Texas town, Varina now lives near Fort Worth with her husband and five mostly grown children. Her passion is helping others make peace with their life situations. Varina’s Mended Hearts series is a compelling blend of women’s fiction and inspirational romance. Connect with Varina through her website, Facebook, 

Instagram, Twitter, or Pinterest.

Karen Barnett: Getting Write Before God

My dear readers: I'm excited to host author Karen Barnett today. If you don't know Karen and you're unfamiliar with her work, here's her bio.

Karen Barnett lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, two teens,and three mischievous dachshunds. When she's not writing, Karen enjoys photography, hiking, public speaking, decorating crazy birthday cakes, and dragging her family through dusty history museums. She was honored with the 2016 Writer of the Year award from the Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference and a Writer of Promise Award from Oregon Christian Writers in 2013. 

You can learn more about Karen by logging onto her website: http://www.KarenBarnettBooks.com.

Karen, please tell us about your new book and explain how God was instrumental with its getting published.

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE

"When I first started the research for my Golden Gate Chronicles series Out of the Ruins (book 1); Beyond the Ashes (book 2), I stumbled over the story of Donaldina Cameron. This missionary dedicated herself to rescuing young women from lives of servitude and prostitution in San Francisco’s Chinatown, eventually helping as many as 3,000 women escape their bonds. 

I knew the third book of the series, Through the Shadows, would focus on Elizabeth King, a young woman who seeks to work off her sinful past through a life of service,only to learn that it’s God’s grace that will set her free.  

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE

This seemed like the perfect opportunity to plop a character right into the heart of Donaldina Cameron’s mission so that readers could get an insider’s look at the battle against human trafficking in theearly 1900s. It breaks my heart to think this type of crime still occurs—and is perhaps even worse today.

Getting 'Write' Before God 

 "In recent years, God has been prodding me to write a story that focused completely on grace. Like Elizabeth, I’ve made mistakes in my past. Even though I understood God’s love from a young age, I often felt the need to 'get myself right' before going to Him for forgiveness. 

"Instead, as Romans 5:8 says, 'But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.'"

 The Miracle of God's Grace

"We don’t need to clean ourselves up first; Jesus Christ is waiting for us—right now—with open arms.

AKB "What a miraculous piece of truth, Karen. Thank you for sharing it. The Lord cleanses us from the inside out once we open our hearts and call His name. We can cry out for him anywhere we are and whenever we feel we must. He will answer."

A Blurb From Karen's New Book!

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE

The devastating earthquake is just two years past, but the city of San Francisco is still trying to recover. Destruction of this magnitude is not so easy to overcome—and neither are the past regrets shadowing Elizabeth King's hopeful future. Hoping to right her wrongs, Elizabeth dedicates herself to helping girls rescued from slavery in Chinatown brothels, even if it means putting her own life at risk to sneak through the gloomy alleys and rooftops where dangers lurk.

Putting her life on the line for a worthy cause is admirable, but opening her heart is even more terrifying. When Elizabeth meets attorney Charles McKinley—a man who dreams of reforming San Francisco's crooked politics—she begins to doubt: Can she maintain her pretense and hide her past? 

Or will her secret jeopardize both their futures?

CONCLUSION 

Thank you, Karen, for stopping by my blog Everything Writerly today. Your books sound so interesting that I'm going on Amazon and purchasing them for my Kindle e-reading device. I can't wait to ready them.

Readers, you can click on Karen's book cover's picture and get to Amazon.com that way.

Melanie Dickerson: Combining past fairy tales with a brand new book!

Dear Readers~

Today I have the pleasure of hosting author Melanie Dickerson! If you're not familiar with her or her books, here's Melanie's bio:

Melanie Dickerson is the author of The Healer s Apprentice, a Christy Award finalist and winner of the National Reader s Choice Award for Best First Book. Melanie earned a bachelor s degree in special education from the University of Alabama and has been a teacher and a missionary. She lives with her husband and two daughters in Huntsville, Alabama. 

Melanie, please tell us how you came to write your latest novel, The Beautiful Pretender. 

"Strangely enough, I actually started writing a version of The Beautiful Pretender before I started writing The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest, which was the first book in the series. I wanted to write a gothic-type story where a girl is sent to marry a “beastly” hero at a dark and scary castle in the forest. But my agent wasn’t crazy about the idea and asked me to come up with something else. Thomas Nelson asked me for a proposal for an adult series of Medieval fairy tale re-tellings, so I started thinking, What if I write a mash-up of two different fairy tales instead of just one?

"The first story I thought up was a combination of Robin Hood and Swan Lake. And then as I plotted that story, I realized the margrave—the hero’s boss—would make a great hero for the second book in that series, and I could use the story that I’d already started as a jumping off point for the margrave’s story. 

"Everything fell into place, and I added elements of The Princess and the Pea. I felt like God was giving me a forum to show that everyone has longings and insecurities, everyone has hurts from past relationships, but it pays to open your heart to love, kindness, and compassion. That became one of the themes of the story."

Sounds awesome! I can't wait to read the series. Now here's a blurb about Melanie's latest:

After inheriting his title from his brother, the margrave has two weeks to find a noble bride. What will happen when he learns he has fallen for a lovely servant girl in disguise?

The Margrave of Thornbeck has to find a bride, fast. He invites ten noble born ladies who meet the king’s approval to be his guests at Thornbeck Castle for two weeks, a time to test these ladies and reveal their true character.

Avelina has only two instructions: keep her true identity a secret and make sure the margrave doesn’t select her as his bride. Since the latter seems unlikely, she concentrates on not getting caught. No one must know she is merely a maidservant, sent by the Earl of Plimmwald to stand in for his daughter, Dorothea.

Despite Avelina’s best attempts at diverting attention from herself, the margrave has taken notice. And try as she might, she can’t deny her own growing feelings. But something else is afoot in the castle. Something sinister that could have far worse—far deadlier—consequences.

Readers, you can visit Melanie online at:
www.melaniedickerson.com  
Facebook: www.facebook.com/MelanieDickersonBooks
Twitter: @melanieauthor

Victoria Bylin Addresses Love's Dangers and God's Grace

Dear Readers,

Today I have the honor and privilege to host author Victorian Bylin on Everything Writerly. If you're not familiar with her or her books, Victoria is a romance writer known for her realistic and relatable characters. Her books have finaled in multiple contests, including the Carol Awards, the RITAs, and RT Magazine's Reviewers Choice Award. A native of California, she and her husband now make their home in Lexington, Kentucky, where their family and their crazy Jack Russell terrier keep them on the go. Learn more at http://www.victoriabylin.com/

Thank you, Victoria, for stopping by Everything Writerly today. (Incidentally, today begins Victoria's blog tour!) Please  tell us more about your book and why you wrote it.

Dangerous Dating

"I have a real concern for what women experience in today’s dating culture. We hear a lot about personal freedom and choices, but the choices we make have long-term consequences. Some are obvious; others aren’t. Either way, people sometimes get hurt, or they hurt others.

"Someone Like You deals specifically with narcissism, the love of “self” to the exclusion of truly loving others. Narcissists feed on other people. They take whatever they want and need. This is rampant in today’s society. It’s also completely counter to everything I believe about both romance and what it means to love as a Christian.

 "The antagonist in Someone Like You (Julia’s ex and the father of her son) is a classic narcissist. He’s clever, manipulative, and the polar opposite of Zeke Monroe, a man who lives with integrity even while he struggles with his faith."

God’s Grace in the Midst of Mistakes

"I wrote Someone Like You to show how gracious God is to us even in the midst of trials. If one woman sees herself in Julia, or a Christian relates to Zeke and his struggle to honor God, I’ve done my job."

Back of the Book Blurb:

Julia Dare is trying to run her own business, raise her young son, Max, and help her widowed mother. Her biggest worry, though, is keeping Max's father from being a bad influence while still allowing the boy to spend time with his dad. When an account from her event-planning business sends her to Caliente Springs resort, she's shocked to encounter Zeke Monroe, her college sweetheart.

Zeke is determined to keep Caliente Springs running despite financial trouble. When Julia walks back into his life, he's surprised at the feelings she stirs up. As they work together on an important client's wedding, the fate of the resort soon depends on their success. With Zeke and Julia both pushed to their limits, will their history put up walls between them or bring them together?

Talking Love With Lisa Lickel

Hey, Everyone -- Happy Monday! Today I have the pleasure of hosting my friend and fellow-Wisconsinite (and fellow Prism Book Group author) Lisa Lickel here on Everything Writerly. Today we're talking love.

Lisa, please tell us about yourself and how God has shown his love for you and your family.

"From the time boys became more than “tag” targets I was never without someone of the opposite sex to hang out with, call on the phone, escort me to dances or movies, even when Mom was the chauffeur. I was a drama queen flirt, histrionic friend, and disingenuous church group groupie. I’d love to say it changed in an instant when as a middle teen the Holy Spirit provided the answer to that infinite question of whether Christ was for real. Decades later, I am still working out who I am on many levels. That story won’t get the final edit until it’s over.

"In between, I went to college and joined not one, but two Christian groups, fell in love with the music, studying anything and everything, and the boy with the wispy blond mustache and high-water pants from one of the faith groups who prayed with me for John Denver’s soul. Seriously. We won’t know for a while if poor John received the benefit of our intervention. When the mustached boy didn’t run screaming after meeting my family for the first time when we got snowed in and ate turkey three days in a row, and his dad laughed in good humor when I dropped and broke dishes on the way from the table to the sink the first time I met his folks, I knew things would work out fine.

"Two grown up children and an odd assortment of grands—girls, boys, and kitties—later, life is full circle as our oldest son heeded the call to seminary and now serves as area director for the many branches of the campus faith organization his dad and I attended. Son number two followed in his father’s footsteps, attempting to encourage a better world through public education. “Love is not proud” is not an easy description to avoid when it comes to introducing family.

"Love has shown me all the attention I need has always surrounded me, filled me, poured out of me in ways I don’t have to control or manipulate, or understand. The Lord of life is in charge. My job is to leave behind a story that boasts only of God’s great mercy and grace exemplified in what He has done for me."

Thanks so much for the testimony!

Readers, you can find out more about Lisa by logging on to her website: http://lisalickel.com/ 

Check out Lisa’s contribution to Prism Book Group’s new Love Is series…

Everything About You

“Love is not proud…” 1 Corinthians: 13:4

She needs a movie set miracle, he needs cash...can a farmer morph into a movie star in five days?

If Shelly has her way, Danny will become America’s next heartthrob and she’ll get her own promotions company. He’s already gorgeous, a little naive, and needs to work on that accent. To Danny, Shelly is on the pompous side, but holds the key to his real dreams...if he can figure out all the rules, say the right things for the daily vlog session, keep his heart strings in place, dodge Shelly’s vicious former boyfriend and the movie star diva.

Shelly’s about to lose a lot more than her heart if she can’t get a handle on her wounded pride and learn who to trust.

*     * 

Readers, find Lisa's book on the Prism Book Group's website:

http://www.prismbookgroup.com/EverythingAboutYou.html

Find "Everything About You" on Amazon.com:

http://www.amazon.com/Everything-About-You-Lisa-Lickel-ebook/dp/B01BYIUBKA

Thank you, Lisa, for visiting Everything Writerly today. Best wishes with your new novella!

Beth Ziarnik: Never give up!

Dear Friends and Readers~

It's always a treat to host a good friend on my blog. Beth Ziarnik is no exception. Beth and I met about 20 years ago at a Christian Writers Conference at Green Lake Conference Center. Together, we rode together (my husband driving the van) to Write-to-Publish Conference. We also flew to Kansas City together to attend one of the first ACFW (then ACRW) Conferences. Beth stayed overnight at my house in Milwaukee. I can tell you that her story, Her Deadly Inheritance, has been on her heart at least that long. Beth has honed her craft and revised her manuscript several times before getting it to a place where she felt comfortable submitting it.

So my question for Beth is -- Why did you write Her Deadly Inheritance?

"I remember clearly what brought me to writing Her Deadly Inheritance. Wannabe writers are often told:

“Write what you read!” I loved reading romantic suspense, especially Phyllis A. Whitney’s intriguing stories. In her articles on writing, she said a writer should pen the stories that were on her heart, even if no one was publishing that genre yet. She insisted, if the writer were faithful to her dream, the train of opportunity would eventually stop at her station, and she would be ready to board. I took her advice.Though no Christian publisher would touch romantic suspense back then, I started planning my novels. I was sure the Lord wanted me to write romantic suspense with Christians as heroes and heroines. So, I partially wrote six novels and worked on acquiring fiction writing skills—much different from those needed to write the nonfiction articles I was regularly getting published. "It took years, but I was told that if I didn’t quit, I could realize my “impossible” dream. As much as I sometimes wanted to throw the whole thing in the air and run, I stayed. I wrote, learned, rewrote, submitted my efforts for critique and evaluation, rewrote some more, studied, tweaked and polished, and rewrote some more.

"Then one day … an agent, Jim Hart of Hartline Literary Agency, declared he loved my novel and offered a contract to represent me. A year later, Her Deadly Inheritance won an award during the 2014 Write-to-Publish Conference banquet. Six months later, Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas offered a contract to publish it. A year after that, on January 2, 2016, my dream came true. My novel debuted."

Beth, what did God teach you through writing Her Deadly Inheritance? 

"To believe in Him and the writing dream He put on my heart. To persevere, no matter what. Most of all, I discovered what a wonderful writing partner the Lord is—leading and guiding to the right resources, providing teachers and encouragers, and making the dream come true in the right way and at the right time—if we don’t quit."

What a wonderful message to other writers who may be struggling with writing their first novel--or even their second. Many times authors can feel discouraged after rejection notices show up in their inboxes or mailboxes.  Thank you, Beth.

Readers, find Beth's book available in online bookstores, including Amazon.com 

You can find out more about Beth, by logging on to her website. BethZiarnik.com/

Thank you, Beth, for stopping by Everything Writerly.

JEN TURANO: Blessing others through her fiction.

Dear Friends and Readers, 

I am so thrilled to host Jen Turano on Everything Writerly. If you're not familiar with this fabulous author's work, here's her bio:

Jen Turano is the best-selling, critically acclaimed author of The Ladies of Distinction series, and A Class of Their Own series, published through Bethany House Publishers.  Her novel, After a Fashion, was chosen as a top pick from Romantic Times, as well as being named a top ten romance of 2015 from Booklist.  It is also a nominee for Romantic Times 2015 Reviewers’ Choice Award.  Her book, A Most Peculiar Circumstance, was chosen as a top ten romance by Booklist in 2013.  Her seventh book, Playing the Part, will release in the spring of 2016, followed by a new four-book series, Apart from the Crowd. 

Jen is visiting today to tell us a bit about her latest book, Playing the Part.

"The process of writing Playing the Part turned out to be a bit of a struggle for me at times, especially when I first began the story.  All the plotting I did simply wouldn’t work out, and before I knew it, I was creating a story where reconciliation seemed to be the theme that demanded time on the pages. I’ve since come to the conclusion that God led me in that direction because of a distant relative I’ve recently reconnected with, a lady who has allowed her life to pass her by simply because she let the hurts and slights of her past color her perspective of the future. By having both Lucetta Plum and Abigail Hart embrace their respective pasts in Playing the Part, I was able to craft a future for them filled with hope instead of despair, something I’ve been praying my distant relative will someday be able to do as well – which is why she’ll be getting a copy of the book in the mail."

That is awesome, Jen. I pray your distant relative will be blessed by your book. I believe you've captured the essence of Christian Fiction -- blessing others through the art of story.

Thank you for sharing, Jen.

Friends and Readers, you'll be interested to know that when Jen is not writing, she spends her time outside of Denver with her husband and neurotic Cattle Dog, enjoying herself as an empty-nester since her son recently abandoned her for the college life. 

I thoroughly enjoy Jen's books, and if you want to connect with this talented author, she can be found on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/jenturanoauthor/ 
or visit her on the web at www.jenturano.com. 
She is represented by the Natasha Kern Literary Agency. 
Her books can be found in most fine bookstores, or follow the Baker House Publishing link to find additional places to purchase her work - http://bakerpublishinggroup.com/authors/jen-turano/1761

Thank you for visiting Everything Writerly, Jen. I wish you God's best on your latest book. 

Miralee Ferrell: Impacting the Lives of Young Adults

Greetings Readers! Today I have the blessing of hosting my friend Miralee Ferrell on Everything Writerly. 

Miralee and I go back a ways. Both of us wrote for the now-defunct fiction line called Summerside Press and its Love Finds You imprint. She began her writing career at Kregel Publications and I am presently under contract with Kregel. It's fun to see our career parallels.

Here's a little about Miralee:

Miralee Ferrell’s debut novel released in the fall of 2007, and eighteen more have followed since. Her historical western romance, Love Finds You in Sundance, WY, won the Will Rogers Excellence in Western Fiction award in 2012, and her first book in the four-book Love Blossoms in Oregon series, Blowing on Dandelions, hit the ECPA Best Seller list, along with The 12 Brides of Christmas. Since then, she’s ventured into writing horse novels for middle-grade kids, and opened her own publishing company, publishing Christian novels. Miralee and her husband have been married over 40 years and live in the beautiful Columbia Gorge in WA State, where she loves to ride horses, garden, take walks, play with her dogs, and minister to women.

   

So how did an author of Christian romance begin writing books for young adults (YA)? Let's find out.

Miralee:  "An editor-friend read one of my historical romances set on a horse ranch and loved all the horse references and scenes. She suggested I consider writing a book or series of books for girls who are horse crazy, as so many young girls wish they could own or ride a horse.

"I didn’t think much of it, as I’d never considered writing middle-school or even YA fiction. But while praying about what I should be working on next, I felt the Lord nudging to remember my conversation with my friend. Ideas started flowing, and I started writing.

 "About a year later, my publisher at David C. Cook heard I was working up a proposal to shop to various houses, and asked to see it. The rest, as they say, is history, as they contracted a set of four books. 

"I’ve had a ball writing fun stories for kids, but most of all, investing life lessons and morals into the stories, as well as a faith thread and showing how my characters have grown in their own maturity and faith as the series has progressed."

The book sounds great! Thank you, Miralee.

Readers, you can connect with Miralee via her website: http://miraleeferrell.com/

Miralee's book is available online or at your local bookstore. If it's not on the shelf, ask for it.

Terri Blackstock: Illustrating Christ's Love to Readers

Dear Readers-

Years ago I read a book authored by Terri Blackstock called Never Again Goodbye." I LOVED THAT STORY, so I was hooked. I must admit that I haven't read some of Terri's latest suspense novels, but her latest book looks very tempting.

Terri Blackstock is a New York Times best-seller, with over seven million copies sold worldwide. She is the winner of two Carol Awards, a Christian Retailers Choice Award, and a Romantic Times Book Reviews Career Achievement Award, among others. Her most recent suspense novel is If I Run, about a young female fugitive whose being accused of a heinous murder.  Other books include Truth Stained Lies (the Moonlighters Series), Intervention (the Intervention Series), and Last Light (the Restoration Series). 

Here's what Terri had to say about her new novel, If I Run:

"While I finished my Moonlighters Series, I kept seeing my new character Casey running from a murder charge. Her DNA is all over the crime scene, so she knows proving her innocence will be impossible. Because the justice system has let her down before, Casey runs to keep the police and others from catching up to her, so she has to constantly change her identity and her appearance, move from one part of the country to another, and leave no clues that would lead police to her.

"At first, I didn’t know how well this would work since I write Christian suspense novels. I knew Casey was going to have to break the law several times throughout the story, and the fear that drives her isn’t all that Christ-like. She’s a lost, but winsome character who tries to do the right thing. Then I realized that God didn’t mean for her to be a Christian when the story opens. Casey’s interaction with a God whose existence she doubts will show readers that Christ is concerned with the details of our lives even before we turn to Him, and that when we do call out to Him, we are guaranteed to find Him."

 Thank you, Teri.

Readers, see the complete list of Terri’s books at www.terriblackstock.com/books. 
Join her at Facebook (www.facebook.com/tblackstock) and on Twitter (www.twitter.com/TerriBlackstock). 

Robin Lee Hatcher: Touching Lives with Fiction

Dear Readers--

Today I'm excited to present one of my favorite authors, Robin Lee Hatcher, here on Everything Writerly.

When I became a Christian in 1991, there wasn't a lot of Christian romance or Christian fiction available on the market. As the decade progressed, however, wonderful authors began emerging and their books, for me, were faith in action. With these authors' stories, I could walk with the characters and learn how Christians handled real issues.

Robin Lee Hatcher is one of those authors. God used her stories in my life--and others' lives. There is a reason she's a bestselling author.

Robin's bio:

A native Idahoan, award-winning & bestselling author Robin Lee Hatcher is known for her heartwarming and emotionally charged stories of faith, courage, and love (over 70 books). After fifteen years writing for the general fiction market and a change in her own heart, Robin began to write stories that included her Christian faith. Winner of the Christy, the RITA, the Carol, the Inspirational Reader’s Choice, and many other awards, she is also a recipient of the prestigious RWA Lifetime Achievement Award. Robin enjoys being with her family, spending time in the beautiful Idaho outdoors, reading books that make her cry, and watching romantic movies.

Learn more about Robin and her books on her website: http://www.robinleehatcher.com/

Now, let's find out how God sparked Robin's imagination for her latest book, Keeper of the Stars.

*     *     *

Some stories begin with a memorable spark. This wasn’t one of those books. To be honest, it began with a desire for a change of seasons. My two previous novels in the Kings Meadow Romance series (Love Without End and Whenever You Come Around), plus my novella in the Year of Weddings series that is also set in Kings Meadow (I Hope You Dance), all took place during the summer. It was time for this mountainous area to experience something other than sunny and warm weather. And since Keeper of the Stars was set to release in January, I chose winter and snow! 

Soon after that decision was made, I envisioned a cold, windy day in a cemetery (later that had to change to September for purposes of the story), and from there the premise for the novel began to unfurl in my mind.

Finally, I stumbled upon the image of the couple that ultimately became the cover for this book, and Penny and Trevor came to life in my imagination.

All of my writing has been dedicated to the Lord since 1997. So there wasn’t a specific reason God had me write Keeper of the Stars. Instead, He has called me, no matter what I write, to do it to please Him first.

 *     *     *

And that dedication shows in every story. Thank you, Robin.

Readers, you'll find Robin's books on Christianbook.com, Amazon.com and other online bookstores, as well as your local bookstores. 

Don't forget to check out Robin's blog: http://www.robinleehatcher.com/_blog/

The "Charmed" Life of Shelley Shepard Gray

Dear Readers-- Today I have the pleasure of hosting author Shelley Shepard Gray here on Everything Writerly.

Shelley's Bio

Shelley Shepard Gray writes Amish romances for Harper Collins inspirational line, Avon Inspire and historical romances as Shelley Gray for Harper Collins Christian Publishers. Her novels have been Holt Medallion winners and Inspirational Readers Choice and Carol finalists. Shelley’s novels have appeared on both the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists.  

To date, Shelley has published over fifty novels for a variety of publishers. Her novels have been highlighted in the Philadelphia Enquirer, Washington Post, Time Magazine, and USA Today. She has also been interviewed on NPR as well as numerous regional radio stations.

Andrea: Welcome, Shelly! Please tell us how God led you to write Amish Romances.

Shelley: I believe it was simply a matter of time before the Lord led me to write The Charmed Amish Life Series! Charm is very close to Sugarcreek, Ohio, where I’ve placed seven novels. It’s also just south of Berlin, the site of my Days of Redemption Series. All of that means that I’ve been driving through Charm a lot over the years. I was familiar with the area, the lumber mills, the fried pies, and the many cows and sheep that graze in the fields.

However, I knew God was nudging me toward this area when I impulsively decided to spend the night in a local inn where my Amish friend’s girlfriend worked. The inn was beautiful, and it was a pleasure to meet a friend of a friend.

However, the memory that I will always cherish was the amazing breakfast that was served. Yes, the food was wonderful, but it was the proprietor’s talk that touched my heart. Before leading us in prayer, he told a story of a man needing to reach out not only to God but to the special people in his life for support. It was a lovely tale and it resonated with me.

When I began to plot the four books in this series, I realized that I was inspired by that proprietor’s story. I decided that the books would begin after a terrible tragedy at a lumber mill, and that the only way for my characters to recover was to reach out to each other and to the Lord.

It’s been a pleasure to write the series. It’s brought back some wonderful memories, too! I hope readers will enjoy the books just as much.

Andrea: Thank you, Shelley, for stopping by today. Your books sound wonderful! 

Readers, you can find them on Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, ChristianBook.com and your local bookstores.

Don't forget to check out Shelley's website: http://www.shelleyshepardgray.com/

KIMBERLEY WOODHOUSE: Layering the effects of gossip

Dear Readers-

I am so pleased to announce that Kim Woodhouse is visiting Everything Writerly. She co-authored BEYOND THE SILENCE with Tracie Peterson. The book is getting fabulous reviews.

Kim ministered to me at a conference in Texas several years ago. I have a chronic condition similar to one of Kim's family members. We discussed it at length and I realized that I hadn't been taking my condition seriously--and was suffering because of it. Now I do. God used Kim in my life in a miraculous way! 

She's also a sweet, caring person. Those of you who know Kim will agree. So it's a true pleasure to host her here on EverythingWriterly.

Kim, Please tell us how you and Tracie came up with the idea to incorporate gossip into the theme of your story.

Kim: Tracie and I have Bible study together and we pray together. It was during one of our Bible studies that the Scripture tackled the topic of gossip. After our discussion, 

we knew we wanted to layer the effects of gossip into a story because words can be so hurtful and everyone has dealt with it at one time or another.  

Andrea: How very true. And for those readers who aren't familiar with Kim and her work, here's her bio:

Kimberley Woodhouse is a best-selling, multi-published author of fiction and nonfiction. A popular speaker and teacher, she’s shared her theme of “Joy Through Trials” with hundreds of thousands of people across the country. Kim is a pastor’s wife and is passionate about music and Bible study. She lives and writes in Colorado with her husband of twenty-plus years and their two amazing kids.

Find out more about Kim, such as the book she's written with her daughter, Kayla, by logging on to her website.

MEET KIM WOODHOUSE 

Kim, thank you for stopping by for a quick visit. I wish you God's best on your story, BEYOND THE SILENCE.

Author Tracie Peterson Tackles Gossip and Innuendo

Dear Readers--

I'm so pleased to announce that author Tracie Peterson is my guest today on Everything Writerly.

Tracie has been instrumental in my writing career. For a time, she was my editor when I wrote for the book club, Heartsong Presents. Tracie is also a beloved, bestselling author of over 100 titles. She speaks and teaches at a variety of women’s retreats and writer’s conferences. She makes her home in Montana with her husband Jim.

But what does Tracie's success mean to her? How does she view it, and what does she hope her new title, Beyond the Silence will mean to readers?

Here's what Tracie had to say.

    "Writing has always been a ministry for me – a chance to share the Gospel and Bible application.  Beyond the Silence was no exception to that. 

    As Kim Woodhouse and I developed this story we thought it was important to portray characters who were struggling with their identity.  The heroine from a perspective of past loss and future uncertainties and the hero from past loss and the judgmental attitude of those who were supposed to be friends.

    Throughout the story, the theme is one of not jumping to conclusions or judging by what gossip is being spread around, no matter how certain that gossip seems.  It’s also about learning that God is trustworthy even when no one else is. Having learned over the years how easy it is to fall victim to people misjudging you for something you didn’t do, as well as hearing others talk about the same painful experience, I thought this story was one that might make readers think before acting on gossip and innuendo.

    Ultimately, I hope the story will draw the reader closer to God and His love."   

   *     *     *

Thank you, Tracie. I'm sure everyone can relate to misjudging others or being misjudged. I can't wait to read your latest book.

Readers can learn more about Tracie by visiting her website: http://traciepetersonbooks.com/

Later this week, Everything Writerly will host author Kimberley Woodhouse, coauthor of Beyond the Silence.