14 Days of Love: The Key to Love

Today, we're shining the spotlight on a book by my author friend Betsy St. Amant.

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Book Blurb for The Key to Love:

The only thing Bri Duval loves more than baking petit fours is romance. So much so, she's created her own version of the famous Parisian lovelock wall at her bakery in Story, Kansas.

She never expects it to go viral—or for Trek Magazine to send travel writer Gerard Fortier to feature the bakery.

He's definitely handsome, but Bri has been holding out for a love story like the one her parents had, and that certainly will not include the love-scorned-and-therefore-love-scorning Gerard.

Just when it seems Bri's bakery is poised for unprecedented success, a series of events threaten not just her business but the pedestal she's kept her parents on all these years. Maybe Gerard is right about romance. Or maybe Bri's recipe just needs to be tweaked.

Novelist Betsy St. Amant invites you to experience this sweet story of how love doesn't always look the way we expect—and maybe that's a good thing.

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Author Bio:

Betsy St. Amant Haddox is the author of over fifteen inspirational romance novels and novellas.

 

She resides in north Louisiana with her hubby, two total opposite young daughters, a collection of coffee mugs, and one fur-toddler in the form of a mini-Schnauzer.

Betsy has a B.A. in Communications and a deep-rooted passion for seeing women restored in Christ. When she's not composing her next book or trying to prove unicorns are real, Betsy can usually be found somewhere in the vicinity of a cold brew with vanilla cold foam.

She blogs frequently at www.ibelieve.com, a devotional site for women.

Visit her at http://www.betsystamant.com.

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Buy Betsy’s book on Amazon, Baker Book House or Barnes and Noble

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Connect with Betsy:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BetsySt.Amant
Twitter: https://twitter.com/betsystamant

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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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Devotionals for the Heart: A Spiritual Lesson Learned from farmers

Preparing for The Harvest
A devotional by Wade Webster

“But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” – Matthew 13:23 (NIV)

I spent a day driving in Kansas recently. There's quite a variety of terrain there, contrary to what certain movies show. Yes, there's a lot of wheat grown there. In fact, it was being harvested while I drove down the interstates. I wondered how many seeds were planted compared to the amount being collected. Old farm boys think about such things.

I had to be in Hays that evening so I could deliver first thing in the morning. The sun set as I drove up I-135. The clouds to the west were a long ways off as best as I could tell. Their tops were all I could see at first against the fading dusk. The crescent moon ducked behind them for a time only to poke its head back out briefly.

As the sky grew dark I witnessed and interesting phenomenon. There was lightning in those clouds that didn't reach the ground. I've seen this before. It's what's known as an electrical storm. One of the interesting things about these storms is that they seldom make rain. All of that churning in the atmosphere causes sparks but has no benefit for anyone.

Thunderstorms have many blessings attached to them. Not only do they drop rain to water the vegetation but the lightning also puts nitrogen into the water to aid in making plants green. Not so with electrical storms. They make flashes of light for witnesses to see and that's it.

It makes me think about the parable of the sower in Matthew 13. Seeds fall to the ground in several different soils. Most of the results are abysmal at best. The good soil is mentioned last in the story to show the desired result.

The wheat fields being harvested had been prepared well by the farmers to attain the results they were achieving. Weeds had been removed to assure the plants weren't starved of the nutrients being offered in the soil that was fertilized and tilled properly. Experience and hard work were paying off. These farmers didn't just talk about what needed to be done. They did it.

That electrical storm was all show with no results. I hope you aren't like that. Too many folks are. They talk a good talk but don't walk a good walk. They don’t put in the effort to make the necessary changes to bring lasting results for God's kingdom.

Reading the Bible is a good start but you must apply what you're learning to let it transform you. Once you change to become more like Jesus Christ, then amazing things will happen. People will notice something different about you. They'll be attracted to your behavior and grace. They'll ask you what your secret is. That's when the fruit will be harvested.

I pray that you have not already, you will become like the bountiful wheat fields I saw instead of the storm that dropped no rain.

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Author Bio:

Wade Webster is a farm boy turned city slicker, heathen turned born-again Christian, truck driver turned writer doing his best to point folks to his best friend, Jesus Christ.

He currently lives in Plano, Texas.

Wade is the author of 100 Prayers of a Writer, a book that didn't begin as a book, just weekly prayers to a group of writer friends.

He enjoys spending time in nature, running for exercise and dark chocolate, though not necessarily in that order. Apart from driving 18-wheelers for a living he has a part-time job painting houses on the side...and the front and back and inside.

As a teenager, he told his friends he never wanted to be considered normal. So far he's done a pretty good job of living up to that aspiration.

Book Boyfriends: Lisa's hero

Interview with Cord, hero of Fool's Notion (book) by Lisa J. Flickinger:

Lisa: When did you first feel the “spark” between you and Alda?

Cord: We had just met on the trail, I don’t think she’d mind me saying she looked a little worse for wear. When she threatened to blast a hole right through me, that’s when I knew. I knew there was more to this girl than meets the eye, and I had to get to know her proper.

Lisa: What do you love most about Alda?

Cord: I love a lot of things about Alda, her compassion for others, her kindness to those in need, and her willingness to forgive the people who wronged her, but I just can’t resist her fiery red hair. It almost broke my heart when I saw her pretty curls sitting on the deputy’s desk in Cheyenne. 

Lisa: What characteristic of Alda do you find least endearing?

Cord: I don’t want to speak ill of the girl but she can be stubborn at times, even more stubborn than one of her mules.

Lisa:  If you were to take Alda on a special outing what would it be?

Cord: We love riding together, so we would take the horses out on a Sunday evening and watch the sun go down on the prairie — take in all the beautiful colors. On our way home, we would stop in at my brother’s place and jaw on his front porch.

Lisa: What was the first gift you gave Alda?

Cord: This might not sound very ladylike, but it was a scabbard for her shotgun. I had a special nickname stamped on it by the fellow who sold it to me in Marysville. It was a pretty coppery brown with a fringe across the bottom. Alda seemed to appreciate it.

Lisa: Do you think Alda has what it takes to be a lawman’s wife?

Cord: I sure do. Her tiny stature might deceive you, but the girl’s tough. How else would she have survived the trip?

Lisa: Where are you taking Alda on your honeymoon?

Cord: Ma’am, I can’t tell you that now can I?

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Author Bio:

Lisa J. Flickinger is the author of historical novels Fool’s Notion, Ella, and All That Glitters.

She lives and writes from the cliff of a river along the majestic Rocky Mountains. 

When not writing or reading, you will find her scouring antique shops or sipping a maple latte with friends and family. 

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Book Blurb for Fool's Notion:

1883 California Trail, Kansas

Missouri mules were the best. Alda grew to love the creatures working side by side with her pa on their farm along the banks of the Missouri River. He would be hopping mad when he realized his wife and daughter colluded behind his back to sell a pack string. It wouldn’t matter that they were trying to save the farm.

Alda struck out on her own to drive the team over fifteen hundred miles. By day three, her lead mule Bessie refused to take one more step. It was a good thing the handsome cowboy Cord stopped by to lend a hand or Alda might still be sitting in the dust.

Now, Alda needed the man to move on so she could continue her journey. Judging by the spark in Cord’s eye … it just might take some convincing.

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Connect with Lisa:
Website - www.lisajflickinger.com
Facebook - http://bit.ly/2npSOzV
Goodreads - http://bit.ly/2BI9W81

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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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