Real Life is Better Than Fiction

Please welcome Author Norma Gail as my guest today. She is a writer of contemporary Christian romance. I am featuring her book Land of My Dreams  today. Read the interview below and click on the cover to find out more information. When and why did you begin writing? I was in junior high when I first began writing, though I have been making up stories for as long as I can remember. When I married and was working full-time as an RN, I quit writing and didn’t start again for over 20 years. During that time I would write letters to the editor and letters about various issues, always believing in the power of the written word to communicate, but it took my father’s death in 1995 to start me writing poetry, then devotionals, and finally my long-time dream of fiction again. What inspired you to write your first book ? Land of My Dreams is the story that wouldn’t go away. It began while preparing for a trip to Scotland to celebrate our 30 th anniversary, but I didn...

My Book of the Day Author is suspense writer Marcy Dyer. Please welcome her. Keep reading to find out more about her and her books. When and why did you begin writing? I've been writing for as long as I can remember, but about ten years ago, I began to take it more seriously. As I grew more serious about writing, I began learning as much as I could about the craft. What inspired you to write your first book? My first book was written many, many years ago and to be honest, I don't remember the inspiration for it. My first published book was inspired by my wild imagination. I had a character in mind, then I thought about how she would react in various situations.    Do you have a specific writing style? I'm a plotter. My books are all plotted out ahead of time. Often as I'm writing, the plot will morph and change, but I need the basic plot down before I begin. Can you tell us about your book? My most recent book, Blood & Lies , is the 3rd in the De...

My Book of the Day Guest Author to day is Parker J. Cole. If you like speculative fiction, you might want to give her books a read. Thanks for joining me today, Parker. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?  I’m a diehard Trekkie fan (TOS) sci-fi lover, off and on Mountain Dew recovering addict, knitter, reader, singer, and radio show host. I’ve been married for almost eight years.  What type of books do you write? I have two great loves, speculative fiction (with an emphasis in horror) and romances. One may wonder, why those two? They’re opposites! Well, to be honest, I grew up reading Stephen King, Dean Koontz and other like-minded authors. Then I discovered romances one year when I found an Harlequin book under my cousin’s bed when I was fourteen. Over the years, I’ve found I can blend my faith with my love for speculative fiction and romance. Now, I have a happy medium. What about your newest book? Leah Westwood loves her husband Jacob wit...

My Book of the Day Author today is Naomi Musch. Naomi is an award winning author who writes from the pristine north woods of Wisconsin, where she and husband Jeff live as epically as God allows on a ramshackle farm where they spend quality time with their children and grandchildren. Amidst it, she writes novels about imperfect people who are finding hope and faith to overcome their struggles. In non-fiction venues, Naomi spent five years as a staff writer for the EPA award-winning Midwestern Christian newspaper, Living Stones News, telling true-life stories of changed lives. She has also written dozens of magazine and internet articles for the purpose of encouraging homeschooling families and young writers, and she is currently serving on the board of directors for the Wisconsin Writers' Association. Continue reading to find out more about her and her writing. How long have you been writing? I turned in my first story for critique to my 4th grade teacher when I was 10,...

Congratulations to Madgygirl! You are the winner of the free copy of Tammy's book. Please send me your email address so we can get it to you. If you enjoy reading inspirational romance, than today's Book of the Day Author, Tammy Doherty, is for you! I asked her a few questions about her book. See if it's one that you might like to add to your TBR pile. Tell us a little about your book. She's Mine is an inspirational romantic suspense, set in a small town in central Massachusetts. It tells the story of Caitlin Harrington who has just moved back to her childhood home to take a new teaching job. Just in time to get away from Adam, the guy who has proven Caitlin was right when she vowed never to get married and therefore never to date. Now someone is leaving ominous notes on her door. Could it be Adam? Sean Taggart is attracted to Caitlin, but a failed engagement taught him to guard his heart. Despite Caitlin's aloof attitude, Sean's convinced she ne...

Today's Book of the Day Author is Katie Mettner. I "met" Katie through online sites geared to Christian writers wanting to help promote each other and good writing. She has some Christmas books with unique characters. You'll want to check them out. Just click on the covers to follow the links. Welcome, Katie! Can you tell us a little about yourself? Hi Ruth, thanks for having me today! My name is Katie Mettner and I live in Northern Wisconsin, where I’ve lived all my life. I’ve been married to my husband Dwayne for 15 years and have three kids, one girl and two boys. I also live with two leopard geckos and a fish, all named after Japanese Anime characters, thanks to my daughter! I’m a ballroom dancer turned amputee and I’m an advocate for amputee’s right to a well fitting prosthesis. I’m also an advocate of organ donation, because it has so closely touched my life. When did you know you wanted to be an author? Hmmm, I guess the answer here is neve...

There are soooo many good books out there (dare I say it?). almost too many to read in one's life time. Because of the number of good books, who wants to waste their time with bad ones? Over the next couple of weeks or so, I will be spotlighting books from authors who write from a Christian perspective. You'll find books from all genres, so everyone is sure to find something they like. My guest today is Suzanne Williams. I had a few questions for her about her book  A Kiss in September .  Tell me about your book. A KISS IN SEPTEMBER is a novella about a girl named September Blessing who through a series of happenstance events finds herself stranded at the grocery store. A grocery store employee, James Davis, steps into help her. When a few hours together shows the promise of true love, they determine to see each other as boyfriend-girlfriend. But a series of unplanned accidents gives her parents the wrong impression that no matter how hard they try seems will ...

Ok, so I'm a little late in letting the winner know, but I won't bore with all the details why. Let's get to the information you really want. And the winner is... Kathryn Svendsen Congratulations, Kathryn! We will be in touch with you so you can receive your book. Cut It Out by Terri Gillespie I'm so excited that one of my cyber writing friends, Terri Gillespie, released her new book CUT IT OUT this week. I’ve already had an opportunity to read it in advance of its release (I love my job!). It’s wonderful! Because of all this excitement and wonder, she is offering to give away a copy of her book, you can choose either print or ecopy. All you have to do is leave a comment and your name will be randomly chosen. Make sure to leave your email address so I can get in touch with you. You don’t want to miss this great read! Here is my review of CUT IT OUT and a few words from Terri: This is my second go–round with the Mavens. While I did fin...

What is quality time with the family? We hear a lot of talk about that today. I saw a commercial that proposed that quality family time was spent in front of the TV. It is enjoyable for our family to order pizza and rent a movie to watch together, but I much prefer the times we can actually talk and get to know each other better. That’s the way it was when I was a kid. As we become adults we realize that it’s a fact of life that kids grow up, move away, and sometimes start their own families. That is when it’s time for family reunions where everyone gets together and remembers the past. It seems we don’t often remind each other of the sensible or successful things we have accomplished throughout our lifetimes, but of the silly, the stupid, the ridiculous, the things we would rather not be reminded of. At least that’s the way it is with my family. One of the events that’s always remembered among my family is dinnertime. It’s brought to mind the most because that’s where...

I have the pleasure of a job that I love. Who wouldn’t like to write and read all day? All right, I know there’s probably plenty of people that would not enjoy that, but for me, it’s next to heaven, especially this time of year when I can work curled up with a quilt next to the wood stove. Because of my love of books, I often enjoy passing along my joys by giving them as gifts to others for Christmas, whether hard copies or ebooks. When I give a book, I feel that I am giving a gift that will last a lifetime. Once a person reads a story, it becomes a part of them. So, here are some of the favorite books I’ve read this past year. Click on the covers to go to Amazon and find out more about them and make purchases for the readers on your list. The Shift by M. Ann Ricks I, Saul by Jerry Jenkins The Daughter of Highland Hall by Carrie Turansky Three By Ted Dekker The Reunion by Dan Walsh Belonging by Ruth O'Neil If you are more into shorter fiction, here is ...

I once knew a woman who was constantly looked down on by her mother in law because her home was not perfectly clean. This mom spent her days taking care of her son knowing the days with him were short. She chose to enjoy every moment possible. While she kept up with household chores while he napped there were some things that were neglected, but a perfect house wasn’t of great importance to her. Once you have children your time is no longer your own. Your days are filled tending to other people’s needs. Often it may seem there are not enough hours in the day to cram in everything you need to do. If you weren’t feeling badly enough about all the chores you’ve left undone, along comes Wonder Woman whose house is in perfect order, never fixes her family frozen pizza for dinner and is always impeccably dressed with her perfect hair and perfect make-up. The same goes for her kids. You think it’s great if your kids are all fully clothed. We all inwardly do not like this Wonder Woman. Let...

This post is a little bit different from the norm, but maybe there is someone out there that needs it today. Do you remember important dates like when you bought your first car or house, your first kiss or your wedding and when your kids were born? Do you record milestones of children in baby books? Do you remember what was going on in your life when prayer became real to you? A lot of us prayed as children just because our parents did, but there needs to be a time when your prayers made a difference in your life. I remember when it changed for me. We found out my mother had cancer. The doctors gave her thirty days to live. Imagine discovering that you have to cram the rest of your life into thirty days! Naturally, I prayed for God’s healing. I believed God could heal her and didn’t want to believe that He would do anything else but make her well again. She was a beautiful, Christian woman and still had children to raise. She was too young to die. Everyday I prayed...

The change of seasons brings about the need in many people to change other things. Some people change out their wardrobe. Some people change the decorations in their home. Me, I look forward to cooking recipes appropriate for the new season. I love soups and stews in the winter and salads in the summer. What about when it comes to reading and writing? Do your tastes and choices change with the seasons? Do mine? I’m not sure my tastes change; I ALWAYS love to read and write. There is something about summer that makes me want to read more. Perhaps it’s because I can easily take a book outside and enjoy my guilty pleasure: the sun. I find that I do more writing during the winter months while I curled up under a quilt near the wood stove. I do like to read Christmas stories during the holidays to help get me in the mood. Here’s a link to one short story to help you get in the mood for the holidays. It’s entitled Christmas at Martha’s House and it’s only $.99. Just click...

Today is the day that we find out who the winner is of the Kindle! But first, I would like to take the time to thank you all for your support of Belonging . Many of you read my book before it was published, to give me feedback. You know who you are and you are irreplaceable to me. I am fortunate to call many of you dear friends and your friendship is something I will cherish forever. There are those of you who purchased books. Unfortunately, I don’t know all of you by name as Amazon does not give me that information for sales. You are priceless. Thank you for your multiple purchases. Thanks to all of you who have shared information about my book with your friends, family members, and followers on Facebook, Twitter, blogs, etc. There is nothing that helps get the word out about books than good old word of mouth. I often buy books that others have recommended to me. I hope others do the same when hearing of my books. And now, without further ado, the winner of the Kin...