Romantic Reads: Series Cancellation

Dear Blog Readers,

I decided to cancel my blog's "Romantic Reads" series, effective today 

(Sept. 21, 2021).

I am sorry for any disappointment this decision may cause.

I hope that you will continue to read my "God is Love" blog and enjoy the other features such as my "Devotionals for the Heart" series where you can read a NEW devotional every Monday/Wednesday/Friday.

Take care and God bless you!

Love, 

Alexis A. Goring, MFA

Founder of "God is Love" blog

Romantic Reads: The Introduction

Dear Reader Friends,

I'm delighted to share the news of my brand new series, "Romantic Reads!"

Romantic Reads is a book promotion series that is purposed to promote sweet romance stories written by Christian authors in a way that will warm your heart and help you get to know Jesus Christ who loves you with ALL of His Heart and His Life! He thinks you're worth dying for (John 3:16)!

Visit my blog every Tuesday (starting this May 19, 2020) for a new installment of this series. Every Tuesday, I'll feature a Christian author and their sweet romance story. We'll promote their books through your favorite features like author interviews complete with book giveaways, and other fun features such as a preview of their stories and a glimpse behind the scenes such as guest posts about how and why they wrote their book!

I hope that this new, ongoing series will be a blessing to you!

May the Lord (God who is the Creator of the Universe and humankind) bless you, keep you and give you peace.

Love,

Alexis A. Goring, MFA
Founder of "God is Love" blog

When Love Inspires: The Introduction

Love is in the air! No, it's not Springtime yet BUT Valentine's Day (Feb. 14) is around the corner and I created "When Love Inspires" to celebrate!

"When Love Inspires" is a new series for my blog. Hint: Valentine's Day is my muse.

Every day, from February 1 through February 14, I will feature an author and their sweet romance story on my blog. All of my authors this time write for the Christian book market, so their stories are as captivating as they are clean and inspirational.

Featured authors will share what inspires them to write sweet romance stories. 

Here's what's in it for you: FREE books! Each author promised to give away at least one copy (paperback or digital) of their featured book. You can enter each book giveaway contest via the Rafflecopter widget that will be located toward the very end of each blog post.

I hope that this series, When Love Inspires, will be a blessing for your heart!

Love,

Alexis A. Goring

Founder of "God is Love" blog

Let Love Bloom: The Introduction

The Spring season is here and I'm simply delighted!

I love this season so much because of its natural beauty and hope of new beginnings. People often say that "love is in the air" every time Spring arrives and this year, I'd like to celebrate that with my blog's new series "Let Love Bloom".

This special series is designed to promote pure romance stories written by Christian authors.

Every Sunday from March 25 through June 17, I'll host a new author on my blog and they'll host a giveaway of their book that we're featuring on that day. So that means you'll have a chance to win their book and read it for free!

But the authors are doing more than giving away copies of their books! They're also visiting with us via author interviews, character interviews, devotionals based on the book, personal essays related to a theme in the book, along with book review and story excerpt features from their stories.

I hope that you will enjoy this and "Let Love Bloom" in your personal collection of books and in your real-life stories too!

Happy Spring 2018!

Love,

Alexis

Book Boyfriends: The Introduction

I'm delighted to introduce a new, Valentine's Day-inspired series for my blog taking place this February! The series is called "Book Boyfriends" and I think you're going to love it.

The feature "Book Boyfriends" is designed to promote pure romance stories that are written by Christian authors who feature fictional heroes that will captivate your heart!

A "book boyfriend" is simply a male character in a fictional story that you love. Since he exists in the book and not in the real world, female readers call him their "book boyfriend".

Every Sunday/Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday from Feb. 1 through Feb. 18, you'll have a chance to "meet" and possibly "fall in love" with a NEW book boyfriend because on each of those days, I'll feature a new author and their story's hero. Each author has opened their story's hero up to you by asking seven questions in what we call a "character interview." So by the end of each interview, you should really "know" and "love" each of these amazing men (er, fictional men, mind you)!

I hope that you will enjoy this fun feature! :)

Take care and God bless you.

Love,

Alexis

Devotionals for the Heart: The Introduction by Alexis A. Goring

Happy New Year's Eve!

Can you believe that the year 2017 is over? I feel like this year flew by.

I have great things in store for you, my dear readers, in the New Year 2018!

One of those great things is a NEW devotional series called "Devotionals for the Heart".

Every Monday/Wednesday/Friday of each month in the New Year 2018, a devotional written by my fellow writers will be published on this blog.

Each writer has a wealth of experience in thier career field. Some are authors, others are bloggers, editors and journalists but each person felt led by God to participate in this new devotional series!

I hope that you will enjoy reading these tri-weekly devotionals. I pray that God will use each devotional to bless your heart.

Here's to the New Year and "Devotionals for the Heart"!

Love,

Alexis

Introduction: Fall into Love

Happy first day of Fall 2017!

I love this season because of the cool breezes, soft sunshine, gorgeous changing colors of the tree leaves, caramel apple cider and the fact that it's the perfect time to wear boots.

This year, I'm excited to introduce a new series for my blog titled, "Fall into Love." It's a weekly series featuring real stories about how my author friends first fell in love with the person they married. Every Sunday for all of Fall 2017, you will find a new feature on my blog.

Some Sundays, you'll receive a bonus that includes a blurb for the featured author's book and a fun book giveaway contest! However, since not all of the authors are published yet, so on their Sundays you will only read about their real-life love story. There is a chance that I'll feature some authors who ARE published but NOT married yet so on those Sundays, the focus will be on their book and giveaway contest.

All of the books featured in this Fall into Love blog series will be pure romance fictional stories.

You are encouraged to interact with the authors by writing notes to them in the comment section toward the end of their blog posts. Just like readers love receiving free books, the authors who give away those free books love to hear kind words from their readers! :) So let's encourage the hearts of these creative people who you will "meet" during the span of this series.

Until next Sunday,

Alexis

Summer Love: The Introduction

"Summer Love" is the name of my new series and it's purposed to celebrate summertime by promoting pure romance stories written by Christian authors.

"Summer Love" will be a weekly series with a new post published each Sunday for every week of Summer 2017. 

So each Sunday here on my "God is Love" blog will feature a Christian author who writes romance for the following categories: Contemporary, Inspirational, Suspense, Chick Lit, Historical, and Amish stories. Each author has promised to give away a copy of their featured book to the winner of the book giveaway contest hosted by Rafflecopter.

You are invited to enjoy "meeting" these authors and learning about their stories through features that vary from author interviews to character interviews, devotionals to personal essays, and book reviews with excerpts from the story. 

The "Summer Love" series ends when Autumn 2017 begins. 

I hope that you will enjoy this new series!

Love,

Alexis

Spring into Love: The Introduction

Dearest Blog Readers,

I'm SO happy that the spring season is here! :)

I'd like to celebrate this lovely season with a new blog series, called "Spring into Love".

Every Sunday from March 26 until the end of this Spring 2017, you will see a feature about a Christian author who wrote a romance story. There will be author interviews, character interviews, devotionals, personal essays and fun giveaway contests that you can enter to WIN a copy of the featured books! :)

I hope that you will join me by visiting my blog every Sunday this Spring 2017, leaving comments for each featured author and participating in the book giveaway contests!

Take care, God bless you and enjoy this season of love! :)

Sincerely,

Alexis A. Goring
Founder of "God is Love" blog

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!

~*~
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.

~*~
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.

~*~
WIN a copy of Cocoa Courtship: 

a Rafflecopter giveaway
SaveSave

Words of Faith: The Introduction

Dear Wonderful Readers of "God is Love" (blog): 

I'd like to introduce a new series coming soon to my blog! Starting on Friday, Jan. 1, 2016, we will have special guests talking about their faith journey with God. We will host a special guest every Friday throughout the year 2016.

"Words of Faith" will provide YOU, my readers, with a focus on faith in God as told through real-life experience from followers of Jesus Christ! Our special guests want to share stories of their faith in God with you to encourage you along your journey through life.

An emphasis on Bible verses that teach us about faith will be a focus throughout this series. So, at least one bible verse on faith will be included in every story told for this series.

Every Friday, you can expect a devotional or a personal essay (guest post) about what faith means to one of our guests. Example of talking points from our guests include but are not limited to: talking about how and when they first found faith in God, sharing a testimony about how their faith in God helped them to overcome an obstacle, showing us how to "grow up" in the faith, speaking on why faith without works is dead, sharing how they apply their faith in God to their everyday life (and how you can too), talking about how their faith has helped others find a relationship with Jesus Christ, sharing how their faith impacts their world and why they choose to keep the faith....the variety of topics and depth of story may be the very hope and inspiration you need.

"Falling in Love with Jesus" told us WHY people have faith in God, now "Words of Faith" guests will show you HOW people can find faith and hope in a broken world. 

So that's all for now. Stay tuned for more every Friday, right here on this blog! 

Love,

Alexis

Worth 1,000 Words: Emilie Anne Hendryx of E.A. Creative Photography

The featured photo: 

Bride: Angela Blount, Groom: Paul Blount
Wedding Photographer: Emilie Anne Hendryx

What true loves meant to Angela on her wedding day and what it means now:

"The day I got married I was focused on how much I loved my soon to be husband and how much that love had changed me and him into better people. I was devoting myself to building a life with this person, and was looking forward to how much our love would continue to change us for the better."

"I've only been married for eight months now but it's amazing how much my view of that love has changed. I still love my husband very much and even more so than the day we were married but I've also learned a lot about the kind of love that's required if it's going to last a lifetime. Grace is a chief requirement for a marriage to have a chance. Not that I wasn't aware of this before, but now am uniquely attuned to just how imperfect my husband and I both are."

"I'm still devoted to building a life with my husband but more importantly I'm devoted to my husband. To loving him and supporting him as he strives to improve himself and become the man I know God created him to be, as he has graciously done the same for me."

*The groom was not available for comment. 

~*~
What Love Means as a Wedding Photographer
By Emilie Hendryx | Owner/Photographer at E.A. Creative Photography

The music changes. Everyone stands. All eyes are on her.

She steps into his line of sight and I immediately turn my camera on to his face. The look of joy, astonishment at her beauty, and pure love that’s reflected there often makes me tear up. Then I turn back to her, capturing her journey down the isle to exchange one name for another, commit her life to his, and seal it all with a kiss. 

I love weddings and, working as a wedding photographer, I’ve gotten to see all sides of them. The good, the bad, and the beautiful. The one thing that has been consistent through all of the weddings that I’ve captured is the reality of love between the groom and his bride. Yes, it looks different outwardly, but I’d hazard a guess to say it is very similar inwardly. A type of love that bypasses conventional wisdom in some cases, that over-looks flaws, and that preservers to the uniting of two hearts.

I get the behind-the-scenes look. It’s actually one of the tenants that I build my business on—the reality that I’m not just the couples photographer, I’m their friend capturing images that will act as tangible memories for the rest of their lives. With that, I get to see everything. I hate to break it to you ladies who may not be married yet, but your wedding likely won’t go off “without a hitch”. That doesn’t have to be a bad thing though! I once did a wedding where a caterer didn’t show up…they ordered pizza and it was a chance for everyone to do dessert first!

The fact is, the wedding day—though a joyous occasion and celebration—is just that, one day. A marriage is forever. And for that forever to work, the foundation has to be love. Not the kind of love you feel one day and it’s gone the next. Not the kind of love that burns passionate and fizzles out. Not even the kind of love that is based on who the person is right then and there. No, it’s a different kind of love.

This kind of love is durable. It can be stretched. It will be tested. It sees with clear eyes to the heart of who the person really is and delves deeper than what can be seen on the surface or acknowledged in a few conversations. This love says that it will take everything—good days and bad, sickness and health, poverty and wealth—because it’s a commitment.

This type of love is a choice.

I’m idealistic and a true romantic at heart, but I have come to realize that I can’t believe love rests on a feeling. If it did, I think I’d be anxious all the time because with one wrong move, that love would be gone because feelings change so often. But realizing that love is a choice means that there is hope. Hope of a sustaining, lasting love.

When a bride says, “I do” to her groom, she knows that those words cover the ups and the downs. They cover her in the morning without makeup on or him forgetting to take out the trash. They cover experiencing the death of loved ones, loss of finances, or natural disasters. They also cover the beautiful times like candlelit dinners, faraway vacations, and the birth of a child.

That is what I see love as. Sustaining, enduring, and ultimately based on Christ’s love for us. We have the perfect example in Him and, through his perfect grace, we can exhibit the type of love that lasts forever.

"Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends."~1 Corinthians 13:4-8a

~*~
Photographer bio:

Emilie lives in Washington, D.C. and fills her time with creative pursuits. She writes, runs a wedding & portrait photography business, reads, plays guitar, and drinks too much coffee. 

She’s a member of ACFW and is currently working on a romantic suspense series while dreaming up a YA dystopian world on the side. 

You can also check out her writing blog, Thinking Thoughts.

Worth 1,000 Words: An introduction

Dear blog friends,

I'm super excited to introduce my new series "Worth 1,000 Words"!

Every Wednesday, you can visit my blog to find a picture that's worth a thousand words and you can discover wonderful wedding photographers who captured that lovely moment. 

This series is meant to promote the work of wedding photographers who love God as much as they love capturing the true love stories of their clients with their professional camera.

Photo courtesy of Jasmine Star, http://www.jasminestarblog.com/

My ultimate favorite wedding photographer is Jasmine Star, pictured in action above this text. She is a sweet, sincere and business-savvy role model for creatives in the wedding photography industry! She's kind, professional and a great teacher. Jasmine hosts workshops and speaks for Creative Live. She has a heart for giving back to the community by mentoring aspiring photographers and helping them to build their business and reach new heights of success.

God made a way for me to meet Jasmine Star a few years ago but that's another story for another day! :)

I hope you will enjoy this new series! Here's what to expect every Wednesday on my blog until the end of Summer 2015:

1) A picture that's worth a thousand words

2) A write-up of what love means through the lens of a wedding photographer

3) A few words from the bride featured in the photo on what true love means to her as the bride on her special day and now as a wife

4) A few words from the groom featured in the photo on what true love means to him as the groom on his wedding day and now as a husband

5) Promotional details for the featured photographer and their professional business

*Please note: Sometimes there may be cases when then bride and groom could not be reached for comment. But you can still expect items #1, #2 and #5 every Wednesday, for certain!

So I'm excited for this new series! Are you?

I hope so!

Take care and God bless you! 

Love,

Alexis

Love is in the Air! Introducing a new blog series :)

Dear Wonderful Readers of my "God is Love" blog,

Spring 2015 is here! And what better way to celebrate than to start a new blog series?

Join me as we celebrate the beauty of love every week from March 22 through June 14! :)

If you liked my "True Love Stories" blog series (Feb. 1 through Feb. 28), you're going to love this new series called "Love is in the Air"! :) Instead of sharing real-life true love stories, I am promoting Christian fiction romance books in the following categories: inspirational, chick lit, contemporary, historical and maybe even suspense.

Starting tomorrow, the authors of these books will be featured on my blog through four main ways: author interviews, devotionals, guest posts and book review/excerpts.

Best of all, you as the reader will have the opportunity to win free books! Yes, some of my authors are offering to give away signed copies or e-book versions of their book to the contest winners! All you have to do is to leave a comment and follow the contest rules for your chance to win those free books.

I believe this series will be a lot of fun and very refreshing, especially for the romantic-at-heart. :)

If you know a Christian author who'd love to participate in this new blog series, e-mail me directly at this address, capturingidea@gmail.com. I'm taking requests until May 31.

Meanwhile, sit back, relax and enjoy this new series! 

God bless you! 

Love,

Alexis