More Than a Box of Chocolates

Today I am so excited to host author, Kathleen Neely where she talks about the history and meaning behind Valentines Day...

It’s Valentine’s Day, and romance is in the air. We set aside a special day to celebrate love. It’s a day for flowers, candy, dinner, and gifts. An evening for a Hallmark flick in front of a cozy fire. A month to read a heartwarming romance.

But why? Where did this celebratory day begin? The origin actually had little to do with romance. It dates back to the 3^rd century AD. A Catholic priest, Valentine of Terni, was executed for aiding Christians who were being persecuted. Here’s the link to romance. 

Marriage among Christians was banned by Emperor Claudius II because he felt men were reluctant to leave their wives and families to fight for Rome. Valentine defied that order and married Christian couples. His execution occurred on February 14. Upon his death, the church honored him with Sainthood, and Valentine’s Day was born.

Don’t place all of your focus on romance. There are greater needs than a floral bouquet and a heart-shaped box of chocolates. St. Valentine was martyred because of his love for God and for other Christians.

This is what we should remember.

• See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are. 1 John 3:1
• Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. 1 John 4:7
• We love because He first loved us. 1 John 4:19
• Give thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever. Psalm 136:26

I could fill pages with beautiful passages about God’s love. The word love appears 551 times in the NIV Bible. (This varies among versions).

‘Show, don’t tell’ is a common catchphrase for writers as they pen their stories. But we can take that beyond the written page. St. Valentine showed his love for Christians in tangible ways. How can we show love to both Christians and those who don’t yet know Christ? How can we meet their physical, emotional, and relational needs? We don’t need a romantic special someone in our lives to celebrate Valentine’s Day. We have the Author of love in our hearts urging us to go into the world, spreading His love. Let’s answer with the words from Isaiah. “Here am I. Send me.” Isaiah 6:8.

About the Author

Kathleen Neely resides in Greenville, SC with her husband, two cats, and one dog. She is a retired elementary principal, and enjoys time with family, visiting her two grandsons, traveling, and reading.

She is the author of The Street Singer, to be released in February, 2019. Beauty for Ashes and The Least of These will be released in 2019. Kathleen won second place in a short story contest through ACFW-VA for her short story “The Missing Piece” and an honorable mention for her story “The Dance”. Both were published in a Christmas anthology. Her novel, The Least of These, was awarded first place in the 2015 Fresh Voices contest through Almost an Author. She has numerous devotions published through Christian Devotions.

Kathleen continues to speak to students about writing and publication processes. She is a member of Association of Christian Fiction Writers. 

Website – www.KathleenNeely.com 

Facebook – www.facebook.com/kathy.neely.98

Twitter - https://twitter.com/NeelyKneely3628

Check out her new release:

The Street Singer will be available February 22. Learn more about it from her website at www.KathleenNeely.com .

Excerpt from The Street Singer

“I done figured you knew. You wore them questions all over your face. She opened her water bottle and took a long, slow drink. Here’s what you gotta know. There ain’t no more Adaline. I’m Adda, my given name. That’s all I am.”

Trisha nodded but remained unsatisfied. “Can I ask what happened?”

Adda laughed. “Honey, age happened. You too young to understand. The body goes. The voice goes. The energy goes.

“I know, but your records, they sold…maybe millions.”

Adda chuckled at that. “Well, you be givin’ me too much credit, but yeah, they did sell back in the day.” Adda looked at her watch and took a bite of her sandwich. “So, I guess you’re wondering where all my money went.”

Trisha backpedaled. The bluntness made it sound so callous. “That’s none of my business, but...”

“You right there. It ain’t none of your business. But I’ll tell you anyways. My daddy, he was a sharecropper in Mississippi. We young’uns had to help when we got big enough to hold a shovel. I never got me past primary schooling. Them record people knowed it and all them fancy papers I signed didn’t give me much left over.”

Trisha gasped. “That’s terrible.”

Adda looked up from her lunch. “Oh, they treated me good. Real good. Set me up in a fancy place to live, bought me clothes and food. Dressed me for pictures and took me to the studio. But they never let me go places where I’d get to talk and never let me talk in microphones where I went to sing. Didn’t want me having no friends. I knew they feared my poor schooling would show. Them fancy papers I signed didn’t leave me much left over.”

A Love Restored + Giveaway!

Today, guest author, Kelly Goshorn is here to talk about her amazing new novel, A love Restored!

To celebrate, she is giving away one of these amazing book charms and an Amazon gift card for your book binging pleasure! We'll choose one random commenter to receive this fun giveaway!

About the book~

She was nothing like the woman he’d envisioned for his bride, but he was everything she’d ever dreamed of—until a promise from his past threatened their future.

With pert opinions and a less-than-perfect figure, Ruth Ann Sutton doesn’t measure up to society’s vision of a perfect lady. When she accepts a position teaching in a Freedman’s School, it threatens the only marriage offer Ruth Ann is likely to receive. She’s forced to choose between life as a lonely spinster or reinventing herself to secure a respectable proposal.

Determined to rise above his meager beginnings, Benjamin Coulter’s reputation as a fast learner and hard worker earn him the opportunity to apprentice with a surveyor for the railroad—a position that will garner the respect of other men. After a chance encounter with Ruth Ann Sutton, Benjamin is smitten with her pretty face, quick wit, and feisty personality.

When others ridicule his choice, will Benjamin listen to his heart or put ambition first?

Purchase on Amazon US, Amazon UK and Barnes & Noble 

Author Chat~

What is the first book that made you cry?

Where the Red Fern Grows. My seventh-grade math teacher read it to us for a few minutes every day after lunch. When Old Dan and Little Ann died I broke down and sobbed.

What is your writing Kryptonite?

The blank page. Ugh. Sometimes it is a real slugfest to fill up that empty page and get the draft written. I much prefer the editing process. Taking those rough words and polishing them until they shine is the part I enjoy the most.

Did you ever consider writing under a pseudonym?

Yes. I wanted to use my maiden name, Kelly Criste. I thought it sounded “writerly.” When I told my husband, the disappointment in his eyes made me think better of the idea. Between you and me, I still think it sounds better than Goshorn.

What was the best money you ever spent as a writer? Hmmm, that’s tricky. So many things from craft books, to attending conferences and joining critique groups have all played a pivotal role in my growth as a writer. But if I must choose one, then I think the money I spent on entering contests was very beneficial to me. Not only did I get feedback from published authors and industry insiders, but I was blessed to final in four contests. I even managed to win one, The Cott Olympia. When I pitched A Love Restored to agents and editors in 2015, I was able to reference the recognition the story had received. Although I usually mentioned this toward the end of my pitch, one editor told me I should’ve led with that information.

As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal?

What a great question! I think I’d have to say a turtle. I think I’m the slowest writer to ever grace the planet earth. But like the turtle, I keep plodding along “slow and steady” until I type “The End.” Team turtle for the win!

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About Kelly ~

Kelly Goshorn weaves her affinity for history and her passion for God into uplifting stories of love, faith and family set in nineteenth century America. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of America. Kelly has been enjoying her own happily-ever-after with her husband and best friend, Mike, for 28 years. Together they have raised three children, four cats, two dogs, a turtle, a guinea pig, a gecko, and countless hamsters. Thankfully, not all at the same time. When she is not writing, Kelly enjoys spending time with her young adult children, scrapbooking with friends, board gaming with her husband, and spoiling her Welsh corgi, Levi.

You can connect with Kelly on:

Her Website

Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest 

Instagram

Goodreads

Interview with Author, Christine Lindsay

Today I am so happy to host Author Christine Lindsay to talk about her writing process and what inspired her to write Sofi's Bridge.

Book Blurb:

Seattle Debutant Sofi Andersson will do everything in her power to protect her sister who is suffering from shock over their father’s death. Charles, the family busy-body, threatens to lock Trina in a sanatorium—a whitewashed term for an insane asylum—so Sofi will rescue her little sister, even if it means running away to the Cascade Mountains with only the new gardener Neil Macpherson to protect them.

But in a cabin high in the Cascades, Sofi begins to recognize that the handsome immigrant from Ireland harbors secrets of his own. Can she trust this man whose gentle manner brings such peace to her traumatized sister and such tumult to her own emotions? And can Neil, the gardener, continue to hide from Sofi that he is really Dr. Neil Galloway, a man wanted for murder by the British police? Only an act of faith and love will bridge the distance that separates lies from truth and safety.

About our Featured Author: Irish-born Christine Lindsay is the author of multi-award-winning Christian fiction and non-fiction. Readers describe her writing as gritty yet tender, realistic yet larger than life, with historical detail that collides into the heart of psychological and relationship drama.

Christine's books have garnered the ACFW Genesis Award, The Grace Award, Canada’s The Word Guild Award (Twice), the READERS’ CHOICE AWARD, and was a finalist twice for Readers’ Favorite and the Selah Award.

Christine, your historical romance Sofi’s Bridge that won the Readers’ Choice Award features an Irish immigrant as the hero. Tell us why?

I was born in Ireland, so I not only love the culture, I know the culture and history inside and out. My hero, an Irishman who is on the run from the English police, is really a doctor but pretends to be a lowly gardener who comes from Belfast, same city I was born in. My hero’s father and

brother were ordinary tradesmen—Riveters—building massive ships in the Belfast shipyard just like my father, my grandfather, and great grandfather. So I loved adding that personal family history into an adventure that actually takes place in beautiful Washington State, also not far from where I live currently.

What is the first book that made you cry?

The Anne Frank Story. I wept bitterly after finishing that tragic story. 

Does writing energize or exhaust you?

Writing energizes me, but the marketing of my books drains the life out of me.

What are common traps for aspiring writers?

Getting caught up in the details of their writing without getting their story completely down first. Get your story down, make sure you have a good story arc, that your characters are fully developed and learn what they need to learn by the ending, and that your ending has satisfying resolution. Then go back and work on the details.

Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?

I always write each of my books to stand on their own. This is true even in my trilogy, or the series I am currently writing, each books stands alone, but the reader can pick up the next book in the series and feel she is with old friends and starting a new adventure. The characters going forward in the series continue to develop as the series progresses.

What does literary success look like to you?

I can’t say I’ve been a commercial success, but my books have received some lovely critical acclaim of which I’m pleased. At least this confirms my writing is nothing to be embarrassed ab out. But the success that means the most is from that individual reader who I meet in person or who writes to me and tells me how much my book or books meant to her. That’s the cream in my coffee.

What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?

Tons, good thing I love research. I learned however after writing my first book to not do all my research up front. That really stops you from getting to that blank page. Nowadays I do a little bit of research at the start, and get the main gist of my story down, and research as I go along. Still, because I write historical fiction, I do a lot of research, read loads of non-fiction to get my facts right.

Do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few people will find?

Yep, I try hard to put symbols into my books that not every reader will notice. For example, in my first novel Shadowed in Silk which is set in India, the title and silk saris within the story represent that invisible feeling people have when they are not loved or respected as they should be. This refers to my main character an American woman called Abby who hides who she is by wearing a silk sari. But being shadowed in silk also refers to the whole continent of India and the Indian people who are invisible to the British Colonials who rule them.

What is the most difficult part of your artistic process?

The blank page. It scares me like it does every other writing. That’s when you have to be brave and start plunking words down on the page.

RWA Readers Choice Award 2016 for Historical Romance Sofi’s Bridge is a rare discount of only 99 cents May 10, 11, and 12!

Red Sky Over America

Today I welcome author, Tamera Lynn Kraft as she celebrates the release of her novel, Red Sky Over America. I asked her to let us in on her thought and writing process.

A little about her...

Tamera  has always loved adventures. She loves to write historical fiction set in the United States because there are so many stories in American history. There are strong elements of faith, romance, suspense and adventure in her stories. She has received 2^nd place in the NOCW contest, 3^rd place TARA writer’s contest, and is a finalist in the Frasier Writing Contest and has other novels and novellas in print. She’s been married for 39 years to the love of her life, Rick, and has two married adult children and three grandchildren. 

 Do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few people will find?

Yes, I do, but do you really want me to tell what they are? LOL. I'll give you a bit of a hint. First, I like to use symbolism in my novels (colors, objects, weather) that is hopefully not too obvious, but still adds richness to the stories. I also have something similar about every villain's name in my stories, but I'm not going to tell you what that is. Don't drive yourself crazy trying to find out what it is though. You probably will never guess.

What is the first book that made you cry?

That's a difficult question because there have been so many books that have touched me emotionally. I've always loved to read, so I can't say for certain. The first book I remember shedding a tear while listening to my Grandma read it to me was Black Beauty. I think I was about seven or eight then. I hated the way the drunk abused such a wonderful horse.

Do you think someone could be a writer if they don’t feel emotions strongly?

I'm not sure. I do think a writer needs to be aware of her deep and strong emotions and motivation in life to be able to write effectively, but I don't feel a writer has to be an emotional wreck about it. I think we all have strong emotions. A writer has the perfect way of dealing with those emotions. I might not show my emotions to everyone, but they always end up coming out in my characters.

 How did publishing your first book change your process of writing?

Everything is on a deadline now. I can't spend a couple of years playing with my story to try to figure it out. I have nine months to get it done before my next deadline. This has changed me from a total seat of the panster to someone who does some pre-planning and plotting of the main signposts of my story. I still don't plan every detail, but I do have a direction to go before I start writing.

About the Book:

William and America confront evil, but will it costs them everything?

In 1857, America, the daughter of a slave owner, is an abolitionist and a student at Oberlin College, a school known for its radical ideas. America goes home to Kentucky during school break to confront her father about freeing his slaves.

America's classmate, William, goes to Kentucky to preach abolition to churches that condone slavery. America and William find themselves in the center of the approaching storm sweeping the nation and may not make it home to Ohio or live through the struggle.

Red Sky Over America tackles the most turbulent time in history with thorough research and fascinating characters. Tamera Lynn Kraft has woven a tale about the evils of slavery that should never be forgotten. -- Mary Ellis, author of The Quaker and the Rebel, The Lady and the Officer, and The Last Heiress.

You can find Tamera at her author blog, or on Twitter and Goodreads.

A Collection of Kisses + a Giveaway!

Today we have a treat for Valentines! Author Robin Bayne is here celebrating the release of her novel, Hearts on the Harbor.

One lucky commenter will win a free ebook copy of the entire Cooking Up Kisses collection! Just answer the question in the Rafflecopter link below...Thank you, Robin!

Here is a short exerpt:

Chapter One

“Don’t look now, Car, but your ex is here.”

Cara Peyton stiffened in her seat. Jackson? Here? Why?  A shiver ran through her as she willed her head not to swivel. Around her the clink of silverware and diners chatting faded into the background.

“He’s really hot,” Jill observed, leaning forward over her iced tea. “Hotter, really. He looks more like a man now than a teenager. How long has it been?”

Cara didn’t need to think. “Seven and half years. Seven and three quarters, actually.”

“Wow.” Jill turned her chair slightly. “Doesn’t look like he’s with anyone. Female, that is. Doesn’t he have a brother?”

“Yes, a younger one. Why?”

“The guy with him looks like him. You know, I should go over and—"

 “Please don’t make a scene.” Cara gripped her water glass, the beads of water pooling on it cooled her palms. It had taken years to get over Jack, if she ever really had. She couldn’t get emotional now. She gazed out the wall length windows onto the cobblestone street. A white van marked “Charm City Cabinetry” partially blocked her view of the harbor. A little Christian fish magnet, slightly crooked, was stuck to its side door. She sighed.

“Don’t freak out, I won’t do anything.” Jill picked up her tuna sandwich. “So how late do you need me to stick around tonight? I have a date.”

“Oh you do? Who with?” Cara took a bite of her Caesar salad and half listened to her partner’s description of some guy she’d just met.

The other half of her attention was focused on not looking at the table behind them, not listening for any whisper of the voice she remembered. What would Jackson be like now? Would he be married? She knew he’d be childless, either way. Didn’t want kids. Did he regret, or even remember, leaving her like that? It has all been about his music.  Did he remember the last time they’d been together? Did he—

“Hey!” Jill waved her hand in front of Cara’s face. “Have you heard anything I’ve said?”

Cara blinked. “Um, no, sorry.”

“That’s okay,” Jill said, staring at her friend. “I know where you were.”

Her face warming, Cara wiped her mouth with a paper napkin. “I’m back.”

“Uh-huh, sure.  So who am I seeing tonight?”

Could she come up with some name from her subconscious? She snapped her fingers. “Oh, I know, Greg from that accounting firm we interviewed.” That was it. Cara smiled, proud of herself.

“Um, no. Wanna try again?”

“Not really.” Cara smoothed the napkin with her hand. “I’m sorry, it’s just that—"

“Just that your mind is full of Jackson Bridger right now. I get it.” Jill sighed and brushed the crumbs from her sandwich onto the floor, regarding Cara with the smug smile of a friend who knew too much.

“Can I get you ladies anything else?” Tom their waiter flashed a smile and presented a coffee carafe.

“Just the check,” Cara said. “Thanks. We have to get back to work.”

“Nice working right next door, huh?” Tom grinned before bowing his head to total the check.

Cara stood, prepared to head for the ladies room so she could finally see if it really was Jack.

“Don’t move,” Jill hissed. “He’s coming over.”

“No.” Cara’s pulse raced and her hand shook as she grabbed her purse.

“Oh, yes.”

Silence followed for several long seconds, three, four. . .

“Hey, Jill. Cara.” Jackson’s deep voice held confidence and a bit of amusement.

She finally let herself turn to find her former boyfriend towering over her. His wavy brown hair was cut short now, his face as lean but a bit more weathered than she remembered. Reminding herself to breath, she forced a smile. “Jack, hey, you’re looking good.” She sent up mental thanks that her voice didn’t quiver. “You too, Luke,” she said to the other man who joined them.

“Hi Cara.” Luke glanced at his brother, probably wondering why Jack just stood there staring. Luke leaned forward and gave her a loose hug.

“How are you, Luke? What are you up to these days? It’s been a couple years since we e-mailed.” Cara turned to face Luke, but still felt Jackson’s gaze on her.

“Great, thanks. Got a job with an insurance company, have a girlfriend. We go to the same church. Getting ready for the holidays. Life is good. What are you doing? You look fantastic, by the way.” With that he elbow-jabbed his brother in the gut.

Cara felt her face warming. “Thank you. And I’m happy you’re doing well.” She turned back to Jackson, who glared at his brother now. “And how about you? It’s been a long time.”

“Seven years, nine months,” he said without hesitation.

Cara’s jaw dropped, and she forced her mouth closed. She had been unsure if he’d even acknowledge her. A twinge of anger ran through her. Why was she feeling this way, like a schoolgirl getting a glimpse of a forbidden love? He’d been the one who left. To get famous.

“Why don’t you guys join us for a minute? I could order us coffee.” Jill spoke up in a chipper voice, obviously enjoying the awkward show. Before Cara knew what was happening, the men had slid into chairs across from them.

Tom told them to take their time, no one was waiting for the table, and he’d bring four coffees.

“We only have a few minutes,” Cara told him. “I have to be back at work for an appointment at one-thirty.” Tom nodded and headed for another table.

“So,” Jack began, his voice a caress. “Cara. How have you been?”

Cara’s tongue felt swollen, and suddenly, she had no idea how she was.

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Courtly Scandals Cover Reveal!

I'm excited to share the first cover reveal for Courtly Scandals. It captures that moment of magic in the first kiss in a frozen garden.

It is available for pre-order now http://bit.ly/2EADAiS 

Blurb:

Amid the revelry of Queen Elizabeth’s court at Christmas, scandal after scandal finds a spirited young woman who learns to defy society, own her actions, and fall in love.
Pleasure takes priority during the twelve days of Christmas in Queen Elizabeth’s court, and newcomer Mary Montgomery jumps in with abandon. Unfortunately, such joie de vivre also leads to accusations that she has stabbed an earl, impersonated the Queen, and punched a countess in the face.

Despite the gossip swirling about her, Sir Charles, a knight and member of the Queen’s Guard, is drawn to her vibrancy. After all, scandals are nothing new at Queen Elizabeth’s court. Unfortunately, Mary does not have the wealth or rank to survive them unscathed and soon finds herself on the outside of society’s good graces. And though his loyalty taints his own reputation, Charles continues to stand by Mary’s side.

He knows his intentions and where his priorities lie—he just isn’t sure how she’ll react when she finds out that the man who ruined her reputation is his half-brother. Indeed, before she can accept his affections, Mary must not only forgive herself for her past but realize she is worthy of love.

I have read Ms. Spock's romances and they are a raucous ride of breathless moments, intrigue, and sumptuous court life. For more on her and her books, you can find her here...

Erin Kane Spock lives in Southern California with her husband, two daughters, an old-lady dog, and a puppy. She is a teacher and an active Irish dance mom. Find Erin Kane Spock at her blog at CourtlyRomance.blogspot.com, on Facebook and on Twitter at @kanespock.

Buy links: 

Amazon

iBooks
Google Play Books
Kobo
B&N

The Tremblers Is On Sale...

I am so excited to announce that tomorrow The Tremblers

will be on sale for 99 Cents! 

 From breathless moments with her wayward spy, Ashton, to facing her darkest fear amid the caverns of a fractured world, Charlotte Blackburn's story is EPIC...

Charlotte Blackburn—Beautiful, intelligent, a gifted tinkerer—lives in a cloistered world of wealth and privilege beneath the Electric Tesla Dome that shields survivors of The Great Calamity. But when her father is abducted, and a strange sickness starts transforming men into vicious monsters, she discovers that technology is no protection at all.

Ashton Wells has a dire mission: Secure Colonel Blackburn and deliver his research to The Order of the Sword and Scroll. But the plan goes awry, and he is left with nothing but the colonel's daughter who has a target on her back and is willing stop at nothing to rescue her father—including handing over to the enemy the only means to stop the monstrous plague.

Branded as traitors, Ashton and Charlotte brave the treacherous floating sky ports of Outer City to hunt down the elusive inventor who is the only person able to activate the strange device that harbors the secret to their salvation.

With the government closing in, a rebellion brewing in the streets, and terrifying Tremblers attacking the innocent, the two must work together to stop their fragile world from crumbling once more into destruction.

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Don't forget to check out the exciting sequel to Charlotte's thrilling fight to save the Peaceful Union in...

The Wind Reapers

Available February 9th!

Charlotte Blackburn—Hero, hunted, the unwitting symbol of a dark rebellion—she thwarted the deadly intent of the treacherous Order of the Sword and Scroll, but at a shattering cost. Now, she fights to survive among a tribe of fierce Wind Reapers who troll the wasteland aboard massive metal walkers. But a new storm is brewing and Charlotte is once again the linchpin in a deadly plan...