BOX OF BOOKS GIVEAWAY

AND THE WINNER IS:
MISSKALLIE

THANK YOU TO ALL WHO ENTERED THE GIVEAWAY FOR THE BOX OF BOOKS. I LOVED DOING THIS. I THINK IT IS SOMETHING THAT I MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO A FEW TIMES A YEAR SO BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR MORE OF THEM. ALSO, ON JANUARY 25TH I WILL BE POSTING ABOUT THE REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY OF THE YOUNG ADULT BOOKS "SHOOT THE WOUNDED" AND "HEAL THE WOUNDED" BY CANADIAN LYNN DOVE. THESE ARE GREAT BOOKS AND YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS THE LAUNCH OF "HEAL THE WOUNDED".

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Hi Folks,

It's time for another giveaway of a box of books. Some of them are new and some are gently used. All you have to do is to have signed up on this post or the previous three posts in December. There will be only one entry so you don't need to sign up for each post - just one of them.

Christmas is around the corner and I hope that each and every one of my followers have a great time during the season. Christmas can also be a sad and lonely time for different reasons - the loss of a loved one, depression, going through a divorce, being lonely. Please remember that this too shall pass and the New Year can bring better things your way. I know because I have spent more than one sad Christmas season.

Anyway, just be a follower or sign up as a new follower and leave a post with your email and you will be entered into the drawing. I'm on my way to 200 followers and hope to make it some time in 2011. Thank you for all of your support over the past couple of years.

Your friend,
Deborah (Debbie)

REVIEW OF PATRICIA HICKMAN'S "THE PIRATE QUEEN" AND GIVEAWAY

And the winner is: Wendy!!! Thanks Wendy for entering the contest and I will be getting in touch with you very soon. I also want to thank Waterbrook Press for offering a copy of "The Pirate Queen" for this giveaway. I hope you enjoyed this review and be sure and look for the review and giveaway of Young Adult Books " Shoot the Wounded" and "Heal the Wounded" by Canadian Lynn Dove. You don't want to miss this one. Be on the lookout for the launch of "Heal the Wounded" on January 25th.


was not able to copy a picture of the book cover or a picture of Patricia. If you go to the Waterbook Press site you can find both of them.

Back cover: The envy of all her friends, wife and mother Saphora Warren is the model of southern gentility and accomplishment. she lives in a beautiful Lake Norman home, and has raised three capable adult children. Her husband is a successful plastic surgeon - and a philanderer. It is for that reason that, after hosting a garden party for Southern Living magazine, Saphora packs her bags to escape the trappings of the picturesque-but-vacant-life.

Saphora's departure is interrupted by her husband Benders early arrival home, and his words change her life forever: I'm dying. Against her desires, Saphora agrees to take care of Bender as he fights his illness. The relocate, at his insistence, to their coastal home in Oriental - the same house she had chosen for her private getaway. When her idyllic retreat is overrun by her grown children, grandchildren, townspeople, relatives, and a precocious neighbor child, Saphora's escape to paradise is anything but the life she had imagined. As she gropes for evidence of God's presence amid the turmoil, can she discover that the richest treasures come in surprising packages?

About Patricia Hickman: Patricia Hickman, author of the acclaimed novel Painted Dresses, is an award-winner, speaker, and humorist who has won two Silver Angel Awards for Excellance in Media as well as a Romantic Times Reader's Choice Gold Award for her novel Katrina's Wings. Patricia holds a master's degree in creative writing from Queens University and enjoys biking, hiking, and mapping out the Southern towns where her novels are set.

My Take: Four Stars: I wasn't sure what "The Pirate Queen" would be like. I wondered what the title meant. Now that I've read the book I know what it means. I'm not going to tell you though, so you can read the book and find out for yourself.

Saphora Warren is the main character. She has been married more than thirty years to a Doctor who has a personality bigger than life. He has also been a philanderer most of the marriage. Saphora has lost who she is and is just about to leave Bender when he comes home and tells her he has a life threatening illness.

What should she do? Leave or stay. She chooses to stay and take care of him during his last months of life. This might seem far-fetched, but I've heard of several women who have even taken care of their ex-husbands during their terminal illness. It is real life and could happen to anyone.

The story is about her journey taking care of him during his last days. It also probes the in and outs of their family dynamics and how this effects them.
It is a story of a family in crisis and then a time of healing.

I enjoyed reading "The Pirate Queen", but I found it hard to stick with sometimes. The pace was slower than I would have liked for it to be.With that said I am glad that I chose this book to review and believe anyone who reads it will not be sorry.

To enter the giveaway please follow the instructions:
1. Be a follower or sign up as a new follower
2. Leave an email address so I can contact the winner
3. Visit Waterbrook Press and check out their books and authors.

Contest will end on December 30th.

Interview and Giveaway with Cathy Bryant!

AND THE WINNER IS:
DEBRA

Thanks to all of you who entered. You will be automatically entered to win the Box of Books I will be drawing for at the end of December. Cathy thank you for being my guest and keep up the good work! Thank goodness for self-publishing!

BE SURE AND SCROLL DOWN TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY FOR SHAWNA K. WILLIAMS "IN ALL THINGS."

Cathy thank you so much for being a guest on my blog. Cathy has offered to give away a copy of her book "A Path Less Traveled" in book form or ebook form. Here we go:

About Cathy: Greetings from East Texas! I live in a century-old farmhouse (complete with a front porch and white picket fence) with one amazing husband, a phobia-ridden cat, and a garden full of flowers, hummingbirds and butterflies. (I'll leave out the giant mosquitoes!)

I'm the proud mother of two wonderful sons, and (as of the summer of 2007) the daughter of my prayers. In 2009, I experienced the joy of all joys and became a Nana to the most beautiful grandson the world has ever known. A teacher by profession, I'm currently teaching private voice and piano and pursuing my lifelong dream of being a writer.

My first novel, Texas Roads (Book 1 in the Miller's Creek novels) was chosen as a finalist in the ACFW 2009 Genesis contest in the Contemporary Romance division. The second book in the Miller's Creek novels, A Path Less Traveled, was released in November 2010.

I've also written several devotions for online sites, books, and magazines. In my spare time (ha!) I enjoy walking, bike riding, gardening, watching movies or reality TV, and of course, reading.

Back Cover:Trish James is tired of being rescued. When a spooked horse claims her husband's life, she’s determined to blaze a path for herself and her traumatized son without outside help. But will that mean leaving the place etched on her heart?

Andy Tyler has had to struggle for everything, and starting a new law practice in Miller's Creek, Texas is no different. Though prepared for business challenges, he's not prepared for falling in love--especially with yet another woman who will probably abandon him for her career.

Will Andy and Trish be able to see past their limited human understanding to take a path less traveled?

My Take: Great book! Very realistic. I could really relate to many of the things the main character was going through. I think you might could as well. I think I enjoyed this book even more than the first one. It was very easy to read - very smooth. I give both books a five star rating.

INTERVIEW WITH CATHY

1. Have you always wanted to write. Cathy how did you come up with this series and how long did it take you to finish your first book - including editing.
I've been writing since I was a child. I loved stories, whether written by me or someone else. The series really flowed from my experiences of growing up and living in small towns across Texas. From concept to finished book on Texas Roads, the book took me about three years.

2. I really enjoyed "A Path Less Traveled" the second in a series. How did you come up with the plot?
The plot kind of evolved from the spiritual lesson I wanted in the book (trusting God no matter what). I also wanted to keep the flavor of Miller's Creek, but with new characters. I needed two characters that were introduced in book one, Texas Roads, so it only made sense to choose Trish James and Andy Tyler.

3. What do you have planned next?

I'm currently working on the third book in the series, entitled The Way of Grace. It tells the story of a young woman who struggles with perfectionism, to the point that she becomes spiritually proud and legalistic.

4. Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

My advice is to 1) study the craft of writing fiction; 2)seek God's will for you and your writing; and 3) read voraciously.

THINGS TO DO TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY:

1. BE A FOLLOWER OR BECOME A NEW FOLLOWER. LEAVE AN EMAIL ADDRESS SO I CAN CONTACT YOU IF YOU WIN.

2. VISIT CATHY'S WEBSITE AT:

http://www.catbryant.com/2009/08/inspirational-stories-with-touch-of.html

3. Cathy has chosen to self publish her books. I for one am glad she did. Does it matter to you whether a book is self-published or not?

4. Giveaway ends December 20th, 2010.

HAPPY READING!

INTERVIEW AND GIVEAWAY! SHAWNA WILLIAMS

AND THE WINNER IS:
EMMA

Thank all of you who entered the contest for Shawna's book. You will automatically be entered o win the Box of Books I will be drawing for at the end of December. Thank you Shawna for being my guest and keep up the good work. I'm looking forward to reading your next book!

I am excited to host Shawna this month for an interview and giveaway. I hope that you enjoy it, too. Shawna has been kind enough to offer a PDF file of her book "No Other" or "In All Things"and a freshwater pearl bracelet. Without further ado here we go:

SHAWNA WILLIAMS

ABOUT SHAWNA: I'm a lot of things: a Christian, wife, mother, friend, author, artist, rock hound, science geek and animal lover. The first four take priority. The rest tend to jostle for my attention. Since I'm always a dreamer, author usually wins.

Indeed, my first two books are the result of a dream -- an actual dream. It nagged me for six months as I mentally tried to fill in all of the gaps. I finally had to write it down. Since then, God has continued to bless with me inspiration at times of His choosing.

Technically, I'm an Inspirational Romance writer. But I like to think that romance includes more than the relationship between two people. It can also be about the era or place, or even a single moment in time, when an elusive whisper reaches inward and ever so gently taps the soul, saying, "This. Remember this."

It's my desire that my stories create such a moment.

Some of my methods for filling my creative reservoir are reading about the histories of small towns, pouring over old photos in antique shops and people's homes (if I'm at yours, I'll ask to see your picture albums) and asking prying questions about your best family stories. Oh! And if you ever see a lady on the side of the road, taking pictures of old, dilapidated houses and buildings, it's probably me.

MY TAKE: This is the second book in a series. The first book was "No Other" that I have reviewed in the past. The first one is set during WWII and is about the internment of Germans. The second book is more about the life of a married couple who have left their little town for Hollywood so the wife can make it as a movie star. Though I liked both of the books very much, I must say that I liked the first one better. I would rate the first one a five star and then rate "In All Things" four stars. Not that the writing wasn't very good, but there was a lot of "angst" as Shawna put it and it was hard to read. I will say the ending is worth reading to the end!

INTERVIEW WITH SHAWNA

1. Have you always wanted to write. Shawna how did you come up with this series and how long did it take you to finish your first book - including editing.

In All Things and No Other are linked very closely. In fact, the original version of both books was one story. That story was inspired by a dream, and before that dream I had never intended to be a writer.

The dream was really profound, like scenes from a movie. I found myself thinking about it constantly for the next six month, trying to fill in the details between scenes. It eventually became so complicated that I had to start writing it. At first it was to satisfy my own curiosity, but over time I grew to love the characters, love their story, and love writing.

This story actually took about eight years to mature into its finished form. When I started it my kids were very small, so it took me about two years to complete, and it was dreadfully long and horribly written. I made several attempts to revise it, but I hadn't taken the time to really learn what I was doing, so I pretty much just revised it from one terrible book into another terrible book.

When I did decide to get serious about writing, I spent some time just learning before I really dug in to make the book the story I knew it could be. I realized immediately that it wasn't one book, but two. I wrote No Other first, and it took about six months. A lot of the editing came as I wrote, and more edits through the publisher after it was under contract.

Desert Breeze went ahead and contracted In All Things even though it wasn't revised and rewritten into its own book. Writing In All Things was quite an experience. I worked on it for nine months before it was due, but the final story didn't really form until the last four. The previous five months I kept starting new drafts, and I'd get 2/3rds of the way through and feel like the whole thing was slipping away from me. Part of the problem had been that I was trying to hold onto some elements and a character from the original that no longer had a place in the new book. Once I let that go, everything fell in place. I wrote the last thirty thousand words in the three weeks before the due date. I had a friend and my hubby read as I wrote to help catch typos and poor phrasing, but it was edited by the publisher after I turned it in.

2. I really enjoyed "In All Things" the second in a series, but it was a little different from "No Other". How did you come up with the plot? By the way, I loved the ending.

Well, I always knew that Jakob and Meri's story wasn't complete in No Other. No Other is about their romance, but their underlying struggles are still there. I think by the end of No Other they were more aware of them, but dealing with them doesn't come so easily. Knowing that one needs to rely on God isn't as easy as actually doing it. And their path was complicated by past events. I wanted to explore how those things might have played out in later years, not just between Jakob and Meri, but with other members of both families.

In All Things is ten years later. It's actually more of a character journey than a romance. I also wanted to write about a mature marriage. So many stories end with the guy and girl getting together and life being happily-ever-after, but marriage takes work. Sometimes couples really struggle. I wanted to write about that, too. The main idea of the story, though, was to complete the journey from No Other, with all things coming together in healing.

3. What is next in the series, and do you have anything planned after this series?

I'm currently working on a spin off about Roger. I'd like to write about his journey from the snotty, kiss-up, wannabe son-in-law to the district attorney. I have a feeling he's going to be going after Meri's dad for his involvement with the mob. I'm even planning on bringing in that character I had to cut from the original. I also plan to include Esther, Jakob's sister, in this story. No romantic involvement; she's way too young for Roger, but there'll be a link between her, Ralph, Ralph's sister and Roger. I haven't signed a contract for this yet because I'd like to be further along before I commit to a deadline.

4. Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

You always hear the phrase 'write what you know' but I think it's equally important, if not more-so, that an author writes who they are. Yes, we have to learn the craft, pay attention to trends and whatnot. Those things are important. Just be sure that in doing so you don't lose yourself. God gave us this calling because of who we are, and the best stories come from a sincere heart.

We start off with this dream to write because of this passion deep inside, and of course we want to get published, but I hope beginning writers will ask themselves which is more important; to write what you love, or to write to get published. There's a difference. I'm not saying that they are exclusive of each other because obviously they aren't. It's just that it's a tough journey and the reason for writing can be easily obscured.

Do you have anything you want to donate for a giveaway?

I'd love to give away a pdf copy of either In All Things or No Other and a freshwater pearl bracelet.

THINGS TO DO TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY:

1. BE A FOLLOWER OR BECOME A FOLLOWER. LEAVE AN EMAIL ADDRESS SO I CAN CONTACT THE WINNER.

2. VISIT SHAWNA'S WEBSITE AT http://shawnakwilliams.com/Home_Page.html. THE PICTURE OF THE HOUSE PLAYS A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN HER BOOKS.

3. TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK OF EBOOKS. DO YOU HAVE AN EREADER (NOOK, KINDLE, ETC) OR ARE YOU INTERESTED IN GETTING ONE. WHAT PART DO YOU THINK THEY WILL PLAY IN THE FUTURE OF BOOKS.

4. The Giveaway ends December 20th, 2010,

HAPPY READING!