A Prelude to Christmas: Robin's story about "Christmas Forever"

Welcome Robin Bayne to the blog today! She is here to share an excerpt from her holiday novel, Christmas Forever. Enjoy!

Book blurb for Christmas Forever: Jason hasn’t seen Cami in three years. Now she’s back, with the son he’d wanted to claim as his own. Can he believe her newly found faith or will she desert him, and God, again? 

Cami Jones is nervous about spending Thanksgiving with the Becker family, because she knows her old and dear friend Jason will be there. The friend, and employer, she’d deserted three years ago to run away and start a new life. Ashamed of things she’d done before finding faith, Cami reluctantly agrees to start a temporary job for Jason once again. 

Still hurt that Cami had taken the son he’d helped deliver and fled, Jason finds it hard to believe she’s now a Bible-believing Christian. But the old spark is still there and he finds himself weaving into Cami and Robbie’s life again. When his new accountant turns out to be Cami’s ex, they panic they may lose custody of Robbie. Admitting he wants Cami and Robbie for ever is the best Christmas present he could ever imagine.

~*~
Review of Robin's book, as published on Amazon.com:

By Marianne T. Evans on December 12, 2012
"Finding your way to a new life, and rediscovering the love you lost. Those elements form the backbone of some of my favorite stories! If you feel the same, then you're going to love Christmas Forever by Robin Bayne. It's a gem of a novella full of the beauty of the season! Cami is a prodigal, heading home. Jason is the one she left behind--the one who has been in love with her forever. Can they find their way back? Is their love meant to be? Pick up a copy of Christmas Forever and find out! Robin Bayne's story won't disappoint!"

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Robin would like to give YOU a copy of her book! Fill out the form on the Rafflecopter widget to enter the book giveaway contest: 

a Rafflecopter giveaway 
~*~
Excerpt from Christmas Forever: 

“When did you start going to church?” He asked the question in a quiet voice, but Cami also heard the unasked part of the query-when you would never go with me?

“In Philly. A woman I worked with asked me to go with her. She didn’t have anyone else, and neither did I. She gave me a few web sites to look at, ones that answered a lot of my concerns about Christ, and I got hooked. Katherine, that’s her name, went with us to all the social events, too.”

“Guess you’ll miss her.”

“Yeah. But she’s getting married in a few months, so she has someone.” They walked together in silence, traipsing into the snow bank as the street dead-ended near the woods. “How come you still aren’t married, Jason? You’ve always wanted a family.”

He touched her arm, and she felt his heat even through her coat. “Let’s turn around and head back now. It looks like it’s going to start snowing again.”

She understood he wanted to change direction of not only their path, but of their discussion. And she couldn’t blame him-it drove her nuts when people asked why she’d never married, too. Well-meaning, most folks had no idea why she couldn’t enjoy the blessing of marriage, of a loving, committed partner. She had too much to make up for.

Halfway home, Jason turned to her again. “Would you like to go to church with us Sunday? Then I could go with you to pick up Robbie.” He scuffed his boot against a curb. “There’s plenty of room in our pew, especially since Dad’s gone on. Mom still takes the family right up to the front row. She’s amazing.”

They stopped two houses from the Becker property. Cami felt a fist in her gut, twisting with the genuine affection she still felt for this man. “I don’t think so.”

That seemed to surprise him, and she watched the myriad of emotions cross his face. Finally a look of smug disbelief settled in his eyes, and the set of his mouth. “Why not? Are you really going to church now, Cami? I know we’ve had this discussion before, and it’s really none of my business. But you can tell me.”

“Of course I am. I’d never lie about that. It’s just that when I attend, I sit in the back row. And I keep my head down.”

~*~
Author bio: Robin Bayne is the award-winning author of 17 novels, novellas and short stories. She also compiled “Words To Write By,” a collection of devotionals for writers. She works a day job in community bank lending in Maryland, where she lives with her husband of 26 years. Most recently she has decided to learn to play golf, because there’s not enough frustration in her life already.

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Buy Robin's book on Amazon. 

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Connect with Robin:

Amazon Author Page

Facebook

GoodReads

Twitter

Falling in Love with Jesus: Living at the Crossroads of Love and Grace

Welcome Darlene Franklin to the blog today! :) She's a Christian fiction author who pens her stories from her residence in a nursing home. I think you will like her! She's been through a lot in life but has not let her trials steal her joy. Darlene is an example of how God makes broken into beautiful.

She's super nice too because she offered to give away an e-book copy of this book:

It's just in time for the holiday season! 

Wondering how you can WIN this book? Simply leave a message for Darlene in the comment section toward the end of this blog post! Send a note of encouragement and ask Darlene any question you'd like to know about her book or her life as a writer. 

The winner of Jacob's Christmas Dream will be selected through an old-fashioned random drawing and announced in the comment section of this blog post on Thursday, Oct. 22. Please remember to include your e-mail address in your comment so if you're the winner, we can contact you and Darlene can send your prize! :)

Meanwhile, enjoy Darlene's story about how she first fell in love with Jesus! :)

~*~
Living at the Crossroads of Love and Grace
A Falling in Love with Jesus story written by Darlene Franklin

My mother’s salvation when I was seven turned my life around. Church became a regular part of my life, and I felt loved and accepted. Over time I realized I had a sin problem and I needed to be saved, so I asked Jesus into my life.

So. Simple. Did I feel loved? Not especially. I was abused by men in my life and partly as a result, I felt I had to be perfect at everything. My Christian life became a list of do’s and don’ts. Belonging to a church that taught you could lose your salvation didn’t help.

Nonetheless, my faith thrived. I gulped down the Bible, memorizing chunks, digging through spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians, and used colors and poems to explain Revelation, outlining Romans. I was well-versed in the Bible.

I first studied Romans for the “Romans Road,” the go-to place in the Bible to explain the plan of salvation. (Romans 3:23, 6:23, 5:8, 10:13). But other things hit me in the gut, and drew me to a life-long love affair with the Lord.

Romans 6 opened my eyes to an important fact. I had spent my life trying for: I knew God wanted me to be dead to sin. But He also wanted me to be “alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6:11). *Of course I studied the King James. Any other translation was considered suspect in my world.

My focus changed from the “can’ts” to the “cans.” God wanted me to live life to the full.

Then I found the verses that remain my very favorite verses in the Bible, my life verses:

“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” ~(Romans 8:38-39, NIV)

God loved me that much! Nothing I would ever face could tear me from His side.

The truth God revealed to me as a teenage gave me a steel core that wouldn’t allow me to give up in impossible situations. He allowed me to write Christian romances to share His love. He loved me during my divorce. He loved me through my son’s difficult teenage years. He carried me through the aftermath of my daughter’s suicide.

Now in my sixties, I cling to the truth of the child’s song:

Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.

~*~
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, and continues her interests in playing the piano and singing, books, good fellowship, and reality TV in addition to writing.

She is an active member of Oklahoma City Christian Fiction Writers, American Christian Fiction Writers, and the Christian Authors Network. She has written over fifty books and more than 250 devotionals. Her historical fiction ranges from the Revolutionary War to World War II, from Texas to Vermont. 

~*~
Connect with Darlene:
Amazon Author Page - http://www.amazon.com/Darlene-Franklin/e/B001K8993A/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/darlene.franklin.3.

Falling in Love with Jesus: The Break that Found Me Love

Who would have thought that a broken heart could result in finding True Love?

Such is the story of Mrs. Shari Loveday! She knows firsthand what it's like to have your heart shattered to what looks like the point of no return and she knows what it's like to have Jesus Christ mend your broken heart and return love to you in a way that lasts for eternity.

Welcome Shari to the blog today as she shares her story of how God created beauty out of her brokenness and redirected her to her First Love (Jesus Christ). Please note: God also sent Jeremiah Loveday to Shari's life and blessed their marriage with children and happiness! See, when God restores, He does it in a holistic matter with more than you could imagine! 

Enjoy your visit with Shari. 

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The Break that Found Me Love
A Falling in Love with Jesus story written by Shari Loveday

I can still hear Him whispering, “Come to Me first.”

I fell to the floor; a literal pain in my heart. I had only just started crying, but my face was now covered in tears. The thought that at any moment someone could walk into my boss’s office and see me on my knees in a broken hovel of anguish couldn’t motivate me to pull it together. I couldn’t stand…or think…or stop the tears from falling. It had hurt so bad when he’d said, “I’m still in love with my first love. I can’t see you anymore.”

The break-up had done just that. It had broken me, and I felt I would never be able to pick up the pieces of my life. To make matters worse, I had to watch him be happy with his new, old girlfriend. Each time I saw them my wounds reopened, and I thought I could physically die from the emotional pain. The week before, it was his dog tags around her neck. The day before, it was the two of them walking hand in hand across campus. On this particular day, he had walked right into my job.

Unable to escape the harsh reality I was faced with, I sought God for help that I knew only He could give me. I begged Him to make it better, to stop the pain. The next day, we got a new book on the shelves at the bookstore. I randomly picked it up and began flipping through it. I didn’t know what I was looking for or what I thought I would find in its pages, but I felt compelled to read it. Not long into the book, I came across a poem titled, "Come to Me First."

Here, God reminded me that He knew what I was going through because I had set Him aside so many more times than I, myself, had been cast away. I had stood Him up and scorned His love for another’s. He too was jilted, and hopelessly in love with someone who was inconsistent and inconsiderate. He begged me to come to Him first with my everything. “Build your life on me," He entreated, “and I will never let you down. Even when the one you love walks away, your life will not crumble because you will have built it on Me. I allowed this heartbreak, so you’d never be broken again."

"Come to Me first," He begged. Those words changed my life.

I began building a real relationship with Jesus. I kissed dating goodbye and said yes to a courtship with Him. I resolved to go to God with each problem, desire, good idea, joy, sorrow, accomplishment, failure…my everything. I built my life on Christ, so that I would never be broken again.

Before this broken moment I had a primarily cognitive knowledge of God. After the break, I came to know Him as the Lover of my soul. He fulfills my life with His tender care of me and never seems to grow weary of me. He waits by my bedside to hear the first words I utter, and He is there once again as I lay down to think my last voluntary thoughts for the day.

My whole life, I searched for a love that transcends everything, but I thought this would be found in a mate. It took a long, confusing search, two major heartbreaks, and a whole lot of frogs to learn that it is only in Him I will find what my soul has sought since its conception.

And here I am, 15 years later, not broken, but whole! “Come to Me First," God is still saying today. “Come to Me first.”

~*~
Author bio:

Shari Loveday is an author, a poet, a teacher, a preacher, and a life coach. She is a sister, a friend, a wife, and a mother. She tries to wear all these hats well, but the role she most focuses on these days is that of a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ. 

She has found that mastery in that one area ripples success through all the others.

Shari understands her God given purpose in life to be freeing the mind and hearts of women so that they can be their best selves. She does this through writing, speaking, coaching, dreaming, and living. 

If you ask her why she is here she will say, "To teach women that finding purpose equals power!"

~*~

Connect with Shari:
http://faithwalkinfortoday.com/
www.about.me/theshariloveday

Love is in the Air: God Makes Broken into Beautiful

My dear writer friend Betsy St. Amant is here today to share the reason why her latest novel Love Arrives in Pieces, is so close to her heart. 

Best of all, Betsy is hosting a book giveaway contest here on my blog today! She agreed to give away one paperback copy of her novel Love Arrives in Pieces, to the one person who wins the contest.

Enter the contest by answering my question for you which is found toward the end of Betsy's guest post and to increase your chances of winning, fill out the items on the Rafflecopter widget.

So take a deep breath, curl up in a cushioned chair, maybe pour a cup of tea and listen to Betsy share her heart...

~*~
God Makes Broken into Beautiful
A guest post written by Betsy St. Amant

After writing All’s Fair in Love and Cupcakes, I knew deep down that Stella Varland, a side character in the book, had her own story. She was so much more than just a pageant queen sister to Kat. She had hurts that made her the way she was, she had insecurities underneath the Vaseline-slicked teeth and the perfectly curled hair. She had secrets.

Love Arrives in Pieces delves into Stella’s secrets.

And in doing some, unearth a few of my own.

I put a little bit of myself into all of my characters—it’s hard not to, as an author. It might be hair color, it might be a habit or quirk, it might be a favorite food, it might be a career. It might be a pet or a memory or a fear, but there is a tiny part of me revealed in all of my characters.

Love Arrives in Pieces is so special to me because there’s not just a tiny piece of me in Stella. In so many ways, I am Stella.

Oh there’s many differences, of course. I was never a pageant winner, but I was divorced. I never had perfect blonde ringlets, but I know how it feels for your husband to bail. I’m not even remotely talented with art or interior design, but I know what it’s like to try to gather all the sharp broken pieces of your heart and wonder what on earth God can do with them.

Stella’s journey is much like the one I had to navigate, and this story is for all of the Stella’s out there. For all of the women who feel betrayed by their beauty, or maybe who feel like they aren’t beautiful at all. For all of the women who have had their hearts broken. For all of the women who struggle with sibling rivalry. For all of the women who are grieving the end of a dream and longing for a new one. For all of the women who are afraid to hope for happily ever after, and are trying to convince themselves to settle for mundane ever after. For all of the women who have soaked their pillows with tears wondering if God sees or cares. For all of the women who have harbored bitterness or unforgiveness in their heart toward family or toward men. For all of the women who wish things were different.

For all of the women who wonder if God can fix “this”—whatever “this” is for them.
I know from experience that God is especially in the business of fixing “this”. In fact, the more shattered it is, the more impossible it seems, the better. God loves showing up and doing what only He can do. He is the Dream-giver. He loves to restore and to give seconds chances (and even third and fourth and fifteenth chances). He loves when we depend on Him, trust Him, and wait expectantly for Him to work. It might not look the way we expected it to look. In fact, it rarely does, because God’s ways and thoughts are so much higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9). They’re better.

Nothing is too broken for Him to repair.

I found that out, and eventually, so does Stella.

I hope you will too. 

~*~
Question for readers: What is something in your life that you want God to "fix"?

a Rafflecopter giveaway
~*~
Author bio: Betsy St. Amant has a heart for three things - chocolate, new shoes and sharing the amazing news of God's grace through her novels. She resides in Louisiana with her adorable, story-telling young daughter, a collection of Austen novels and an impressive stash of Pickle Pringles. Betsy has a B.A. in Communications, is multi-published in contemporary romantic fiction, and freelances for her local newspaper. 


She also enjoys inspirational speaking and teaching on the craft of writing. When she's not composing her next book or trying to figure out where Mr. Darcy went, she can usually be found somewhere in the vicinity of a white-chocolate mocha, or singing along with her daughter to the latest Disney soundtrack. 

Look for her newest novel, Love Arrives in Pieces, released June 9, 2015!
~*~
Blurb for Betsy's book:

For so long, Stella was known for her beauty. Now, with her heart stripped bare, she must discover who she really is.

Former pageant queen Stella Varland doesn’t trust beauty anymore after her divorce. Her appearance betrayed her and led to brokenness, so instead of being beautiful, now she tries to make beautiful things, but she always falls short. So she keeps her passion for art to herself and focuses on her interior design work. But if she doesn’t get another job soon, she’ll be stuck living with her parents.

Contractor Chase Taylor is determined to live a life of no regrets after losing his fiancée. Now he lives life at full speed, striving to see how much he can accomplish. He knows if he slows down, he’ll fall apart. So he returns home to Bayou Bend to renovate the town’s old theater and is shocked to discover that the designer for the project is his old flame, Stella.

Forced to work together, Chase and Stella battle their chemistry and past as they struggle to compromise and work together on a vision for the theater. Their wills clash as they attempt to hide their brokenness—and their unresolved feelings for each other—until Chase discovers the hidden parts of Stella, while losing her trust in the process.

A near catastrophe, a fire, and a small-town gossip mill finally force Stella and Chase to realize that they have a choice—to hold on to the shards of their pasts, or surrender their fragmented pieces to the One who makes a beautiful masterpiece from their brokenness.
~*~
Buy Betsy's book:

Amazon.com - http://amzn.to/1f1hub7

Barnes and Noble - http://bit.ly/1f1hvfi

Christianbook.com - http://bit.ly/1MGrCRQ

Zondervan - http://www.zondervan.com/love-arrives-in-pieces

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Connect with Betsy:

Author page on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/BetsySt.Amant
Official website - http://www.betsystamant.com/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/betsystamant

Love is in the Air: Author interview with Deborah M. Piccurelli

It's an honor to host Deborah M. Piccurelli, author of Love Comes Calling, on my blog today.

If you love stories about forgiveness, second chances and romance then you will truly enjoy this book by Deborah. Here's the best news--Deborah is giving away not one, not two but three copies of Love Comes Calling! So that means a total of three people can each win a book in this particular book giveaway contest! 

So read on, enjoy the author interview of Deborah and remember to follow the instructions in the Rafflecopter widget (found at the end of the interview) for your chance to WIN a book! :)

*Please note: Interview questions by Alexis are in bold, answers from Deborah are not in bold.

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Alexis: I loved your book, Love Comes Calling! It’s such a delightful read. What can you tell my readers about your book? Speak to those who have not read it yet.

Deborah: Thank you for the compliment, Alexis! What I want to tell your readers about my novella is that they will enjoy the story if they are fans of tender, sweet love stories. They will also like it if they enjoy reading stories of forgiveness and redemption. Also, this book has what I hoped is a unique story line. How could a woman forgive a man who almost killed her two years before, let alone fall in love with him?

What did you love the most about writing Love Comes Calling?

It was just a fun book to write. The characters were fun and took over the story almost from the beginning.

Share your favorite memory from writing and publishing Love Comes Calling.

The publishing of this book was sort of a surprise. I heard that Prism Book Group was holding a contest. I didn’t have anything currently completed, but the first thing that came to my mind was this novella, Love Comes Calling I had written years before, so I checked it out to see if it was ready to submit the portion the publisher requested. I found that it needed a good bit of editing, so did a first edit myself. Then a friend, who is a professional editor, also critiqued it. I was one of three authors to win and get to send the complete manuscript in. After a few suggestions to revise, the editor then offered me a contract. I was so excited to see that a little novella I never thought would go anywhere would be published!

The first character we meet in Love Comes Calling is Derek Spencer. Tell my readers about Mr. Spencer. What do you hope readers will respect about him? Is there anything to not like about him? What is his purpose in your story?

I hope that readers will respect the fact that Derek is caring, kind and dashing. And that he wants to make things right, once he has become a Christian. I don’t know if there is really anything to not like about him. Maybe that he deceived Charlie from the beginning? Or that he almost caused her death two years before they met? But he was changed, so he sought forgiveness from the Lord and Charlie, too. But then he lies . . . Derek’s purpose is to be the love interest for Charlie, and an example of the redeemed.

Charlotte "Charlie" is your leading lady. She’s been through trauma but survived. What makes her so strong? What are her hopes, dreams and desires?

Charlie’s strength comes from the Lord, first and foremost. Then she has a strong and loving support system in her family. Her dream was to be a ballet dancer for most of her career life, but that dream has been crushed by Derek. Now, her hope is that, if she can’t dance herself, she’ll teach children to dance. 

Charlotte’s character in Love Comes Calling addresses an issue many women deal with—acceptance. Charlotte does not believe a man will love her just the way she is—scars, flaws and all. Why did you choose to allow this to be Charlotte’s journey? What are you hoping female readers will learn as they read Charlotte’s story?

For people who feel inferior because of looks, lack of talent or social skills can learn that, first, God loves them. They are his workmanship. Next, I would hope the story will encourage them and show that there are people in the world who don’t care what the outside looks like, but will look inside a person to find the beauty there. Lastly, I would hope this story will give them confidence in themselves, and help them to be exactly who God created them to be.

What would you say is the main theme of your novel, Love Comes Calling?

Forgiveness. Forgiveness of self, and forgiveness of one who has offended.

Let’s pretend your book is being made into a movie. What would be a few songs on the soundtrack to Love Comes Calling?

Ah, the first song that comes to mind is from the 70's, I think, and I don’t remember who performed it, but it’s "I Love You Just the Way You Are."

If you book really were made into a movie, who would you want to play Charlotte and Derek? Explain why.

Goodness, I’m not up on the young stars, since I don’t watch a lot of current TV shows and movies. The best I can do is Channing Tatum for Derek, even though Derek has blonde hair and Channing doesn’t. Maybe Rachel McAdams for Charlotte. These two have worked together before, so I know there’s an on-screen chemistry there.

Complete this sentence: As a writer, I love to _______________because

_________________.

As a writer, I love to read because it’s like my own personal, little vacation, and helps me to keep my skills up to par.

Alexis: Thanks for the interview, Deborah! If you’d like to give away a copy of Love Comes Calling, please leave a question for my readers.

Deborah: Thank you so much for hosting me, Alexis! Great questions. 

Deborah's question for the book giveaway contest is: What would you do if the man who almost killed you and ruined your life showed up on your doorstep two years later?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Author bio: 

After years of reading books and watching movies with an element of romance, Deborah M. Piccurelli’s desire to write romance novels came naturally. She is active in her church and is an advocate for sanctity of life. 

Deborah is the author of two novels, a novella and several cause-related newspaper articles. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, and the New Jersey Society of Christian Writers. 

As one of the winners in a contest by The Christian Authors Show, details of Deborah’s writing journey can be found in the 2013-2014 edition of the book, 50 Great Writers You Should Be Reading. Deborah lives in New Jersey with her husband and their two sons. 

~*~
Blurb for Love Comes Calling:

The day new Christian, Derek Spencer, shows up on Charlie Parkes’s doorstep to make up for what he’d done, is the very day he falls in love with her. But Charlie’s sister mistakes him for a home improvement contractor, and he decides to play along until he finds a way to tell her who he really is.

Charlie is attracted to Derek, but knows the attention he pays her is only flattery. How could such a great-looking guy fall for someone with a face like hers? Nevertheless, the two form a relationship that brings a joy to Charlie that’s way beyond her wildest dreams.

But what will happen when Derek’s true identity is revealed?

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Buy Deborah’s book:
Amazon.com - http://amzn.to/1FIENAj

Barnes & Noble - http://bit.ly/1ErjNsC

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Connect with Deborah:
Facebook - www.facebook.com/deborah.piccurelli
Pinterest - Pinterest.com/DebPiccurelli

Twitter -@DebPiccurelli

Website - www.deborahmpiccurelli.com

Broken and Restored

Dear friends,

I would like to share a story I wrote that gives you background about me and shows how God can work through any situation that looks dire and turn brokenness into beauty.

My story is called "Broken and Restored" and you can read it here- http://brokengirl.org/2012/02/27/broken-restored-alexis-gorings-broken-girl-story/

I hope my story helps somebody! If that person is you, I'd love to hear how God spoke to you at the place you are in your life now through my experience during a difficult time in my life.

God bless you!!

Love,

Alexis