14 Days of Love: Random Acts of Shyness by Chautona Havig

Today, we're shining the spotlight on a book by my author friend Chautona Havig. 

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Book Blurb for Random Acts of Shyness:

"That man is going to be single for the rest of his life!" 

What began as a coping mechanism as a little boy became highly-effective date repellent as a man. He knows girls don’t care about the life cycle of a dung beetle, but Heath can’t help but spew facts like a docent at the zoo anytime he’s on one of his many first and only dates.

His sister is determined to fix that. So, she signs him up for the new betwixt2hearts.com matchmaking service. Her plan: simple. Just let him practice on a bunch of girls until it becomes second nature. Simple, right?

But Heath can’t get one girl out of his mind. So, with his boss’ help, and a little creativity, he embarks on a sorta-secret admirer scheme to induce her into giving him a second chance.

He's a good guy... and someday he'll figure out how to show it.

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Author Bio:

USA Today Bestselling author of Aggie and Past Forward series, Chautona Havig lives in an oxymoron, escapes into imaginary worlds that look startlingly similar to ours and writes the stories that emerge.

An irrepressible optimist, Chautona sees everything through a kaleidoscope of It’s a Wonderful Life sprinkled with fairy tales. Find her at chautona.com and say howdy—if you can remember how to spell her name.

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Buy Chautona’s book on Amazon

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Connect with Chautona:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChautonaHavig
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chautonahavig
Blog: http://chautona.com/blog/
Instagram: http://instagram.com/ChautonaHavig
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/chautonahavig
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/chautona-havig
Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/chautonahavig
Amazon Author Page: https://amazon.com/author/chautonahavig
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/chautona/videos
Newsletter (sign up for news of FREE eBook offers): https://chautona.com/news

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Enter this book giveaway contest for your chance to WIN a copy of this book by filling out the entry form on the Rafflecopter widget below:

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When Love Inspires: Amanda Tru and her author friends (Part 1 of 2)

Note from Alexis: We're doing things a bit different in "When Love Inspires" for today (Feb. 9) and tomorrow (Feb. 10). I'm hosting ALL of the six authors from their boxed set "Betwixt Two Hearts." 

So in order to accommodate the authors and not give you information overload, I've divided this book promo feature into two parts (Part 1 = today and Part 2 = tomorrow). Enjoy visiting with Amanda Tru who coordinated the boxed set, and her author friends!

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When Love Inspires: Amanda's story

For as long as I can remember, I have made up stories in my head while falling asleep, entering dreamland partway through a dream consciously spun. I love to write because I get to share those stories that have always danced through my imagination while also providing meaning that can touch others.

Words are powerful. They make tangible invisible ideas. And somehow, inspiration and enlightenment is often more palatable in the world of fiction, and even more so if the fiction Is good! Even Jesus Christ used stories to communicate deep messages and meaning.

I am an author because that is what God has gifted and called me to do. 

I write to glorify Him, and I believe writing the stories in ways that are sweet, clean, and romantic is the best way for me to do that. I like to create a picture of love that glorifies the Lord, providing for others a moment of escape from the stress of every day while also inspiring and encouraging them in their spiritual walks.

I hope readers are different by the time they reach “The End.” To me, it is a great responsibility and privilege that God can touch others by allowing them to visit my imagination and discover something valuable there. In every sense, it is a dream come true.

In my book Betwixt Two Hearts, the main character struggles with these ideas of real Christianity and love all while trying to make her own dreams come true.

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Amanda's Author Bio:

Amanda Tru loves to write page-turning books that inspire real-life Christianity while providing plenty of unexpected twists. She figures she loses so much sleep writing the things, it’s only fair she makes readers lose sleep with books they can’t put down! 

Amanda's current book list includes everything from historical, to action-packed suspense, to inspirational romance, to a Christian time travel/romance series. She is also the author and organizer behind the unique, multi-author Crossroads collection series.

Amanda is a former elementary school teacher who now spends her days being mommy to her four young children and her nights furiously writing. Amanda and her family live in a small Idaho town where the number of cows outnumbers the number of people.

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Blurb for Amanda's novella, "Betwixt Two Hearts":

With control of their dating website the prize, Bailey and Camden embark on a matchmaking competition that snags on unexpected results. 

All is fair in a contest of love. May the best matchmaker win.

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Connect with Amanda:
Website: www.amandatru.com
Newsletter sign-up: http://eepurl.com/ZQdw9
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amandatru.author
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TruAmanda
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/truamanda/

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When Love Inspires: Alana's story

As an author who mainly writes suspense thrillers, many of the topics I tackle contain issues our society faces on a daily basis.

I’ve written about sex trafficking, kidnapping, abortion, racial issues, and homosexuality to name but a few. However, I choose to also write fiction romance because it gives both myself and my readers a nice break from the heavy emotional topics listed above. 

It’s nice to create characters and towns who have “happily-ever-after” endings when we all know there are no guarantees for them in real life. However, romance novels remind us about the good in life, the way our men treat us like ladies, the way ladies respect their men, and how communities pull together and create memories and traditions to be enjoyed for decades. 

So I think it would be safe to say while I primarily write suspense novels, life is definitely made up of both genres – the nitty gritty “hot button topics” that flood the news as well as the sweet romance and “happily-ever-after” endings found in romantic fiction. 

I hope you enjoy reading this sweet romance as much as I did writing it.

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Alana's Author Bio:

Alana Terry is a pastor's wife, homeschooling mom, self-diagnosed chicken lady, and Christian suspense author. Her novels have won awards from Women of Faith, Book Club Network, Grace Awards, Readers' Favorite, and more. 

Alana's passion for social justice, human rights, and religious freedom shines through her writing, and her books are known for raising tough questions without preaching. 

She and her family live in rural Alaska where the northern lights in the winter and midnight sun in the summer make hauling water, surviving the annual mosquito apocalypse, and cleaning goat stalls in negative forty degrees worth every second.

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Blurb for Alana's novella, "Seoul Refuge":

Caroline is a new believer, excited and passionate about her faith. Calvin is a Boston police detective, an atheist who can hardly believe Christians have brainwashed his wife. Caroline just wants to follow God. Calvin just wants his wife back.

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Connect with Alana:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alanaterrywrites
Newsletter sign-up: https://www.alanaterry.com/readers-club.html

Twitter: https://twitter.com/alanaterrybooks/

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When Love Inspires: Kari's story

I write inspirational romance because I think everyone should be able to read what makes them feel good and comfortable if that’s what they desire. 

So many women love the romance part of romance novels, but don’t want to read bedroom scenes. I go one step further by adding a faith element to all of my stories, but they are for both Christian and non-Christian readers.

Each reader comes at a book with different expectations. Some want a lot of tension and build up in the story, even though they know how it will end. 

In romance, it isn’t really about the ending because readers know when they start a romance how it will end, it’s all about the journey. I write about the journey in a way that many readers would feel comfortable sharing it with their daughters when they are done.

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Kari's Author Bio:

Kari Trumbo is a best-selling author of Christian and sweet romance. 

She writes swooney heroes and places that become characters, with detail and heart. She's a stay-at-home mom to four vibrant children. When she isn't writing or editing, she home schools her children and pretends to keep up with them.

Kari loves reading, listening to contemporary Christian music, singing when no one's listening, and curling up near the wood stove when winter hits. She makes her home in central Minnesota, land of frigid toes and mosquitoes the size of compact cars, with her husband of over twenty years. They have two daughters, two sons, one cat, and one hungry wood stove.

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Blurb for Kari's novella, "Whole Latte Love":

Misguided Drew thinks all quiet women hide harmful secrets. 

While pretty, new best friend Addi's soft-spoken nature reminds him too much of past hurts to move their relationship forward. Can a matchmaking agency change his heart?

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Connect with Kari:
Website: www.KariTrumbo.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/KariTrumboAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/karitrumbo
Instagram: www.instagram.com/KariTrumbo
Book Bub: www.bookbub.com/authors/kari-trumbo
Amazon Author Page

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Enter this book giveaway contest for your chance to WIN a copy of the "Betwixt Two Hearts" boxed set of books by filling out the entry form on the Rafflecopter widget below: 

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A Prelude to Christmas: Darlene's story about a matchmaker adventure

Welcome Darlene Franklin to the blog today! She's been here before to share other stories. The most interesting fact about Darlene as an author is that she writes her stories from her residence in a nursing home. 

Today, Darlene would like to tell you about her new novella about a matchmaking gone wrong. Here's the cover photo of her book:

Book blurb for Matchmaker Mixup: Pippin Cortland has decided to accept Clint Keller’s invitation to the Homecoming Dance their senior year. She’s said no for the last three years but wants to go at least once—with Clint.

Only Clint invites Pippin’s twin Margil instead. She agrees to go with Clint—and then accepts a second invitation as well. She insists Pippin pretend to be her sister and take her place with Clint.

When Clint falls for “Margil” at the dance, what is Pippin supposed to do?

WIN a copy of Darlene's holiday novella by filling out the Rafflecopter form:

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Enjoy the interview with Darlene! :)

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Interview questions for Darlene Franklin, author of Matchmaker Mixup:

Alexis: “Matchmaker Mixup” is such a creative and adventurous title for a Christmas novel! How did you first create it?

Darlene: Matchmaker came from my editor. Our Christmas collection this year is Merry Matchmaker. So, I needed a matchmaker, and I knew I wanted to use the Cortland twins who appeared in an earlier book (An Apple for Christmas). From there, the idea of twins trading place jumped full-grown into my mind.

Since I love alliteration (Romanian Rhapsody, Prodigal Patriot), and my story involves the mixup that results when identical twins switch dates at the annual homecoming dance—"Matchmaking Mixup" was the happy result.

Alexis: What is your novel about?

Darlene: Pippin Cortland has decided to accept Clint Keller’s invitation to the Homecoming Dance their senior year. She’s said no for the last three years but wants to go at least once—with Clint.

Only Clint invites Pippin’s twin Margil instead. She agrees to go with Clint—and then accepts a second invitation as well. She insists Pippin pretend to be her sister and take her place with Clint.

When Clint falls for “Margil” at the dance, what is Pippin supposed to do?

Alexis: Reading your story was fun but as the author, did you ever get confused in trying to write back and forth from each identical twins’ perspective? Why or why not?

Darlene: It was definitely difficult. In the same scene, Clint was calling Pippin “Margil” and calling Margil “Pippin.” Pippin in her thoughts thought of her sister as Margil but had to call her Pippin when she was talking to Clint. Eye-crossing craziness.

I asked my editor to pay special attention, as I did, that I kept their names straight.

Alexis: Tell us about your heroine Pippin Cortland. What makes her tick? What warms her heart? Who does she love and why?

Darlene: Pippin loves poetry. She loves her family, her twin, the Lord—and slowly, to her surprise—Clint Keller.

As a child, she always loved telling stories, and she became more withdrawn and shy as she matured.

In three years of college, she hasn’t dated anyone, until Margil forces her to date Clint. The more he gets to know “Margil” (Pippin), the more he likes her—such as her surprising athletic skills.

Alexis: Tell us about Pippin’s identical twin sister Margil. What is she like? How is she different from Pippin? Describe Margil’s role in this story.

Darlene: Margil is Pippin’s opposite. She’s a math major, outgoing. She hasn’t missed homecoming once in their years at the college.

Margil accepts Clint’s invitation to the homecoming dance—and later accepts Ned’s invitation as well. She’d rather go with Ned, and she decides to coax Pippin into taking her place as Clint’s date for the night.

That’s not as mean as it sounds. She’s tried to get Pippin and Clint together for three years. This is the perfect solution! As Margil expected, Pippin and Clint enjoy each other’s company once they get together.

Alexis: Tell us about the hero Clint Keller. Who is he? What does he like and dislike? Why was he in love with Pippin at first but then what made him fall for Margil?

Clint Keller loves baseball but he’s not good enough to be a professional. Instead he’s happy working as a carpenter while he’s a professional student and happy new husband (by the end of the book.)

At the beginning for the, Clint doesn’t so much fall for Margil as settle for her as the best substitute for Pippin. When he starts to fall in love with “Margil” he thinks he made a mistake pursuing Pippin all those years—until he learns he’s been dating Pippin all along and his initial instincts were right.

Alexis: Describe the setting of this story for those who have not yet read your book. What makes it special?

Darlene: The book is set at a fictional college in the fictional town of Maple Notch. Using the actual University of Vermont would require more in depth research and resources than I had readily available. This way, I could create courses of study and buildings to my heart’s content.

Maple Notch is dear to my heart as the town I created for my 8-book Heartsong series set in Vermont, from the Revolutionary War (Prodigal Patriot) through the present day (Small Town Bachelor). All but one book has been republished recently with Winged Publications and we hope to assemble them into an omnibus collection as soon as I have that last book.

Alexis: What was your greatest challenge in writing this novel?

Darlene: How long could I string out Pippin’s deception? I didn’t want to create a story where the reader asked, why didn’t they just admit what they’d done earlier?

I solved the problem by writing a shorter-than-usual novella (by about 2,000 words). which allowed me to bring it to a conclusion when it seemed right.

As I mentioned above, I also struggled with keeping the girls’ names straight. 

Alexis: Complete this sentence: If I could spend an afternoon with one of my characters in this book, I would spent it with _________________because _____________________.

Darlene: If I could spend an afternoon with one of my characters in this book, I would spend it with Margil because she’s a poet and we would talk about New England and read her poems.

Alexis: Thanks for the interview, Darlene! Take care and God bless you.

Darlene: Thanks for the challenging and insightful question! The longer I write, the more of a “pantser” I become, and I had to figure out what I had written.

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Author bio: 

Best-selling author Darlene Franklin's greatest claim to fame is that she writes full-time from a nursing home. She lives in Oklahoma, near her son and his family. 

She is an active member of Oklahoma City Christian Fiction Writers, American Christian Fiction Writers, and the Christian Authors Network. She has written over forty books and more than 250 devotionals.

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Buy Darlene's book on Amazon
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Connect with Darlene: 
Website and blog
Facebook
Amazon author page
Follow her on Twitter @darlenefranklin

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A Prelude to Christmas: Teresa's story "Cocoa Courtship"

Teresa Ives Lilly is the first author to kick off my blog's holiday series, "A Prelude to Christmas"! You're in for a treat! 

Please welcome Teresa to the blog. Here's her picture:

She lives in Texas and writes Christian romance novels. She loves to connect with her readers via e-mail, teresaiveslilly@yahoo.com.

Today, we're featuring an excerpt from her Christmas story, Cocoa Courtship. Here's the book cover:

You can buy her book on Amazon and learn more about Teresa via her website, Teresa Ives Lilly.

After you read the story excerpt, enter the book giveaway contest by filling out the Rafflecopter widget located at the end of this blog post.

Take care and God bless you! Enjoy your time with Teresa today!

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Story excerpt from Chapter 1 of Cocoa Courtship:

“And during this Christmas season, let us remember to love our enemies and forgive those who have hurt us. In this way, we free ourselves…”

Tricia sat in the back pew of the small Harbor Inn’s Church of Hope and listened to the words spoken by the wise, older preacher. However, it was hard to absorb and accept them. The idea of being able to love her enemy and forgive the one who hurt her seemed impossible.

It had been six months since she’d driven home from work one day and noticed her fiancé Peter’s car by the park. Curious, she’d pulled over and scanned the area, only to come face to face with the fact that Peter was having an affair with her best friend Lacy.

Who is my enemy, Lord? Is it Peter? Lacy? Both of them hurt me. How can I love them? How can I forgive them? The pain is just too deep?

The church was silent, as every head was bowed in prayer. Tricia’s face was down, but her cheeks were stained with tears.

I want to be free, Lord. Free to forgive, free to love and perhaps find someone else who will be faithful to me. But how can I ever trust anyone? I feel as if I will never want to date again.

Just then, she felt the seat beside her press down. Tricia looked up.

“Hello, Tricia. I’ve been looking for you in the foyer.”

Tricia cringed. Amanda Atwell, the oldest woman in the congregation, who was pushing eighty. Tricia knew what was coming. She had the urge to jump up and run from the room, but respectability caused her to cock her head sideways and act as if she had no idea what the woman was about to say.

“There’s someone I want you to meet, dear.” The older woman’s voice and eyes were filled with excitement.

Tricia tried to smile, but couldn’t quite lift her lips that far. “Ms. Atwell. I know you mean well, but ever since I came to live here in Harbor Inn, Maine, you’ve introduce me to a different man in the church every week. It’s too embarrassing. I’m not interested in dating since I caught my fiancé cheating on me with my best friend.”

Ms. Atwell gave a gentle smile.

“And besides that, most of the men you introduce me to are old enough to be my father.”

Amanda’s face creased with her wrinkled smile and nod. “I know, dear. I’ve been foolish, trying to find you an older man, someone you could lean on and trust. Someone to help you forget about that no-good boyfriend, I mean fiancé.”

“That’s just it. I need time to get over him and forget and forgive. I don’t believe jumping into a new relationship is the answer for me. You’ve been sweet to try, but I think it will be better if I don’t enter the dating game again too soon.”

Amanda nodded slightly. “But this man is different. He’s younger, handsome and very single.”

Tricia sat back with a sigh. “I know you mean well, but I’m not interested. Not only am I not ready, but I don’t believe in dating anymore.”

“That’s good, because I don’t believe in dating either,” a deep voice from the pew behind her stated.

Tricia’s head shot up and turned. She had to crick her neck back to look up into the young man’s face. She gulped. If this was the man Amanda was talking about, the older woman had gotten one thing right; he was handsome, tall with dark wavy hair and piercing grey eyes. The corner of his eyes crinkled slightly when he smiled. A very nice feature.

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Review of Cocoa Courtship, posted to Amazon.com: 

"5.0 out of 5 stars: Delightful"

By Robin Bunting on November 12, 2016

Format: Kindle Edition

A delightful courtship story around the 12 days of Christmas celebrated with a different hot chocolate each night. Tricia and Gathe are both strong characters which work well together. I really enjoyed this story. I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.

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Interview with Kimberly Rose Johnson, author of Island Hope

Greetings, dear blog readers! How are you? Please welcome a familiar face to the blog today! Kimberly Rose Johnson is here to talk about her new novel, Island Hope. Here are all the sweet details, starting with the book cover:

Book blurb for Island Hope:

Metal sculptor Hope Michaels gave up on art when her creativity was zapped by another. Burying herself in her electrical contracting business, Hope takes a job on Wildflower Island. She never imagines that a job at the Wildflower Resort will turn everything in her life upside down. But that’s exactly what happens when her best friend and employer, Piper, plays matchmaker.

A lonely widower throws all his energy into raising his teenage daughter, but when he is promoted to manager of the Wildflower Resort, things at home don’t go as smoothly as planned. Worried about his relationship with his daughter, he seeks advice from a feisty-but-sweet newcomer. Will she help smooth his path or will things only get more complicated?

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Sounds like a good book, right? Would you like to know more? Read on for my interview with Kimberly Rose Johnson.

*Words from Alexis are in bold, words from Kimberly are not in bold

Interview with Kimberly Rose Johnson

Alexis: Island Hope is Book 4 in your Wildflower B&B Romance series. What makes it special?

Kimberly: For me it’s that it’s the final book in the series. We see what is going on in the lives of each of the hero and heroines of earlier books and it wraps their stories up.

Hope Michaels is your heroine. What is the significance of her story?

She is a strong woman with a soft heart. I love the dichotomy of her appearance compared to who she is on the inside.

What brings Hope to Wildflower Island?

Hope comes to Wildflower to do some electrical work at the resort.

What is Hope’s relationship with Piper? Share their backstory and describe their bond. 

Piper and Hope were college roommates. They’ve stayed close through the years and Hunt Enterprises, Piper’s family’s development company, has used Hope’s electrical company for various jobs.

Why does Piper decide to play matchmaker with Hope and how does Piper’s matchmaking turn Hope’s life “upside down”?

I think Piper plays matchmaker because she wants her friend to find love too. As far as turning it upside down, I think the readers need to find that out for themselves.

Who is the “lonely widower” in this story? Why did you make him the hero?

Derrick Trainor is the brother of the manager at the B&B. We first met him very briefly in Island Christmas, but there was something about him that made me want to develop his character and give him his own story.

Share the widower’s backstory. How did he become a single dad of a teenage daughter and what is she (the teenage daughter) like?

Derrick’s wife died in a car accident. His daughter is a great girl, but she’s gotten to a stage in her life where he feels inadequate. He’s not ready for her to have a boyfriend and doesn’t know how to deal with all the emotions his daughter is projecting.

What is Hope’s first impression of the lonely widower? Is it a lasting impression? Explain.

At first she resents him and when she finds out that her friend is trying to set her up with Derrick she quits. That’s all I’m going to tell you. I don’t want to ruin the story for anyone.

Why did you write Island Hope?

At its core, I wrote it because my publisher really wanted a fourth book in the series. But I don’t think I was ready to let go of the characters on the island and like I mentioned before, I wanted to tell Derrick’s story.

What inspired you to create these characters? 

I wanted an out-of-the-box female character and I pairing her with a “normal” guy was fun. I enjoyed the challenge these characters presented.

What do you want your readers to take away from this book?

In the opening of the story, Piper warns Derrick to not judge a book by its cover. I hope this story will encourage people to look beyond appearances and see the people for who they really are. There are some spiritual takeaways as well, but I like to allow readers to form their own opinions regarding the spiritual takeaway.

Complete this sentence: When I wrote “the end” to Island Hope, I felt ____________________ because ______________________.

When I wrote “the end” to Island Hope, I felt happy and relieved because I was under a tight deadline. At the same time it was bittersweet because it was the final book in the series. I will miss these characters.

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Author bio:

Kimberly Rose Johnson, soon to be empty-nester, lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and their yellow lab. 

Island Refuge is her sixth published book and the first in a series of three.

Kimberly enjoys long walks, chocolate, and mochas, not necessarily in that order.


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Connect with Kimberly:
Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/krose1990/
Twitter link - https://twitter.com/kimberlyrosejoh
Website - http://kimberlyrjohnson.com/

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WIN fun freebies by visiting the Rafflecopter giveaway with Kimberly's name on it. Here's the direct link, http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/1ffcd6d01/

True Love Stories: Romance With the Help of a Matchmaker

It's a sweet yet daring story of a young man visiting a church and changing the course of his life. No, it's not because he found God though that is important. It's because he noticed a young lady playing the organ. 

However, it's not her skills as a musician that captivates him at first sight--it's her unrivaled "beautiful eyes." He determines that night that he wants to know more about this mesmerizing girl but there are challenges such as the fact that she's only 16 at the time and he's an experienced 23-year-old man. 

So how does a young adult man go about approaching and courting a teenage girl without causing all sorts of trouble?

You'll have to read today's featured true love story to find out. :)

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Romance With the Help of a Matchmaker

Sandra Robbins' true love story

I grew up in a small college town, and every fall my girlfriends and I would get very excited when time for school to start rolled around. It wasn’t because we were glad to be back in class, however. The beginning of school meant that new college boys would be arriving in town, boys who were much more mature and more interesting than the ones we’d grown up with and known all our lives.

Although my parents would have grounded me for the entire school year if they had thought I even set foot on the college campus, there were other places like the local movie theater or the drive-in restaurant where all the kids hung out that chance meetings might occur. And then there was church, the last place I expected to meet the love of my life.

I was a sixteen-year-old high school junior that fall when he transferred from two years at another college to the one in my hometown. He had grown up in a rural community about sixty miles away and had decided he didn’t want to live in the dorm. Instead he rented a room in the home of an elderly widow who was a good friend of my parents. I don’t remember the first time I saw him, but he has told me he remembers. He had come to our church, having been invited by the lady he rented a room from, and he saw me playing the organ. He said he thought he had never seen such beautiful eyes in his life, and he wanted to know me better.

Over the next few months he returned to church again and again, and I got to know him better. I could tell there was an attraction between the two of us, but he didn’t ask me out. I was about to give up hope that we would ever be more than friends at church when one day my mother received a surprising call. The lady who rented him the room was calling to ask if my parents would object if her young boarder asked me for a date. By the time she got through extolling his virtues and how he respected me and my parents, my surprised mother could do nothing but agree to his asking me out. Needless to say I was elated.

That first date turned into more, and before long I discovered the reason it had taken him so long to come to a decision about starting a relationship with me. I had known when I first met him that he was older than me by a few years since he was a junior in college, but I was shocked when he told me that he had also served in the army. So the young man I thought was about four years older than me was really seven years older. I was a naive sixteen-year-old-girl, and he was a twenty-three-year-old man who had a lot more life experiences than I had. He couldn’t help but fear my parents would think he might be the sort of man who would see a quick conquest in their daughter and leave me with a broken heart when he moved on to someone more sophisticated and worldly. But that wasn’t his motive, and he wanted them to see him for the Christian man he was—one who was already falling in love with their daughter and wanted only the best for her. That was why he paved the way to mine and my parents’ hearts by enlisting the help of a lady we all loved and respected to be his matchmaker.

Now years later I can only shake my head in wonder. What would I do if my sixteen-year-old daughter wanted to date a twenty-three-year-old man? I doubt that I would have been as understanding as my parents were. But then I think they saw in him what I did—a young man who loved the Lord, who respected and loved me, and who honored my parents’ concerns about me.

Through the years he’s been a loving and faithful husband, a dedicated father, and a respected member of the community. I wonder sometimes how different our lives would be if he hadn’t come to school in my hometown, hadn’t rented a room from our family friend, or if he had gone straight through college after graduating from high school. I often tease him that I was in fifth grade the year he was a senior in high school, and he just smiles. We both know that God had a plan for our lives, and we’re still living it each day until ‘death us do part.’

~*~

Author bio:

Sandra Robbins, former teacher and principal, is a best-selling and award-winning multi-published author of Christian fiction who lives with her husband in Tennessee. To date she has published ten romantic suspense novels, one cozy mystery, one novella, and eight historical romances. Angel of the Cove, her first book in the historical romance series Smoky Mountain Dreams, was named the 2013 winner in the Single Title Inspirational Category of the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence. This award is given by the Birmingham Southern Magic Chapter of Romance Writers of America for excellence in writing romance. 

Also in 2013 her Love Inspired Suspense books Shattered Identity and Fatal Disclosure were both awarded HOLT Medallions in different categories of the Virginia Romance Writers of America contest to honor outstanding literary talent. 

In addition, her books Final Warning (Love Inspired Suspense) and The Columns of Cottonwood (Barbour) have been finalists in the ACFW Carol Awards, and her cozy mystery Pedigreed Bloodlines (Barbour) was a finalist for the Daphne du Maurier Award given by the Kiss of Death Chapter of Romance Writers of America. Sandra's novella Christmas Comes to Bethlehem Maine released in November, 2014, and made the Evangelical Christian Publishing Associations BestSeller list.

Sandra's latest book Fugitive Trackdown in the Bounty Hunters Series released in February, 2015, and will be followed by Fugitive at Large in May, and the third book December.

True Love Stories: God Sent Him A Map

Remember that pickup line where the guy tells the girl, "Babe, I'm lost. Can you give me directions to your heart?"

Pickup lines aside, did you know that God is in the matchmaking business? And that He can give you a map that leads you to your perfect match? 

Who knew that God would send directions to someone's heart for you? You're about to read a true love story of how God sent a certain man directions to a certain woman's heart!

Intrigued? Read on...

~*~
God Sent Him a Map
Susan J. Reinhardt's true love story

I'd been praying for a special guy to come along and sweep me off my feet. Not a lot was happening in that department. My friends and I would joke about my one date per year - usually a total disaster.

One day, I was reading in Proverbs where it says, "He who finds a wife finds a good thing." Hmm, he was supposed to find me. I immediately prayed, "Lord, I know You promised I'd get married, but this guy hasn't found me. Could You send him a map?"

Not long after, my best friend called me and told me she'd heard about a new Internet dating site on a popular Christian radio program. They matched people on 29 categories unlike most of the other sites. I'd heard enough horror stories that I wasn't very receptive to the idea. "Oh yeah, that's a great way to meet an ax murderer."

But her words stuck. Maybe it was worth a shot. So, I filled out this humongous profile questionnaire, paid the fee, and waited. And waited. I received a few matches with long gaps in between. Most turned out to be non-princely frogs.

In 2002, the Lord began speaking to my heart about returning to Bible School. I couldn't fathom why since I'd already graduated from Bible School. It would require that I quit a well-paying job and put my life on hold for a year - or so I thought.

Finally, I yielded to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and applied to the school in upstate New York. As part of the commitment, I cancelled my membership in the Internet dating service. I guessed I had missed God on that one.

Two weeks later, I got an email from them: You have a match. Huh? I thought I cancelled the subscription. I talked to my best friend, and she shrugged it off. "Why not answer? It probably won't work out anyway."

David and I began communicating through the site and then by telephone. The fact that I was attending Bible School in a few months caught his attention and intrigued him. A devout Christian, he loved talking about the Word of God.

We met in person a few days after Christmas 2002. As we got into his car, he threw a number of maps into the backseat and apologized. "I'm known as the original map guy."

When he arrived home that night, he called me and asked if I wanted to pursue the relationship. I told him I'd like that very much. He then proceeded to say, "Good, because I'm going to marry you."

God sent him a map, and we were married a year later. 

~*~
Author bio: 

Susan J. Reinhardt's publishing credits include her novels, The Moses Conspiracy, The Christmas Wish, and The Scent of Fear, as well as devotionals, short articles, and contributions to anthologies. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. A widow, daughter, stepmom, and active church member, Susan resides in Pennsylvania. When not writing, she enjoys time with family and friends, reading, couponing, gardening, and finding small treasures in antique shops.

~*~
Buy Susan's book The Moses Conspiracy:
Amazon.com, http://amzn.to/1vsoXHB

BarnesandNoble.com, http://bit.ly/1CYUlhu

Kobobooks.com, http://bit.ly/1F5DsRH

~*~

Connect with Susan:

Blog - http://susanjreinhardt.blogspot.com

Facebook Author Page - https://www.facebook.com/AuthorSusanJReinhardt

Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7012233.Susan_J_Reinhardt

Pinterest - http://www.pinterest.com/susanjreinhardt

Twitter - @susanjreinhardt

LinkedIn - http://linkd.in/1I0xgj4

True Love Stories

Dear Readers of God is Love,

I am delighted to tell you about a *new* feature coming soon (like tomorrow) to my "God is Love" blog-- true love stories!

Starting tomorrow (Feb. 1, 2015...Eastern Standard Time because yes I know it's already tomorrow in Australia), real-life married couples will share their journey with you of how God brought their significant other into their lives and orchestrated their true love story! 

Now these special guest posts are not limited to only married couples, single people are welcome too because I believe that before you can meet and marry the person of your dreams, you need to first be a complete person in your relationship with God. So my single guests who are not yet engaged or married will share the story of their true love relationship with Jesus Christ and the peace it gives them as they wait for their true love who God made for them to marry.

But that's not all, there's a book review and author interview in the works! Author Gina Welborn wrote the book, Masterpiece Marriage for the Quilts of Love book series and my review of her book will go LIVE on my blog tomorrow morning, Feb. 1.

Gina will also be our special guest on Sunday, Feb. 8 when she will be featured on my blog by means of an author interview. So please stop by two weeks from now to learn about Gina as an author of Christian romance, a woman of faith and former script writer for a news station. Yes, she's one multi-talented lady and I believe you will be inspired by her faith journey and God-given career.

Especially exciting for me is the news that a very well-known, inspirational lady whose blog inspires thousands of people on a daily basis, will contribute her true love story to my blog here toward the end of the month! And to find out who exactly this talented writer is...well you'll just have to keep visiting my blog every day to discover the answer! :)

But honestly, you will want to visit my blog every day next month because it's going to be a wonderful experience for young adults and the elderly too!

So here's to embracing the sweetness and wonder of Valentine's Day, for the entire month of February through the celebration and sharing of true love stories about real people who believe in the God who not only created them but created their soul mate and orchestrated their love story in a way that's second to none!

Be blessed.

Love,

Alexis