Falling for Books: Misty's book

Ever Been Struck by Lightning?
A personal essay by Misty M. Beller

One of the fun things about being a writer is the crazy topics I get to research. Without giving away too much of the story, part of my research for This Courageous Journey included uncovering what happens when lightning strikes a person. It turns out anything can happen!

Surprisingly, about nine out of ten people struck by lightning live to tell their story. Each person’s experience seems to be different—some are knocked unconscious, while others are horribly aware of everything happening. One person who was struck said it seemed as if time slowed to a crawl and a white haze surrounded him like a bubble, as excruciating pain shot through him.

People usually try to determine the path the lightning traveled through them, based on where burn marks appear on both skin and clothing, but sometimes that can be difficult if jewelry or coins were touching the body. Survivors might suffer a variety of short- and long-term effects, including—but not limited to—cardiac arrest, confusion, seizures, dizziness, muscle aches, deafness, headaches, memory deficits, distractibility, personality changes, and chronic pain, among others. That may sound like an awful list, but it does beat the alternative!

As I considered the possible effects of a lightning strike when I was writing This Courageous Journey, I was reminded once again how magnificent God’s creation is. Both the incredible power contained in one streak of lightning, and the beautiful inner workings of the bodies He created for us. As the Psalmist said, we are “fearfully and wonderfully made!”

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Book blurb for This Courageous Journey:

As the fifth daughter in a family of nine, Noelle Grant spent her life striving to be unique. Her love of telling stories helps define her goal—to be known around the country as one of the top news correspondents of her time. And what better way to uncover sensational tales than to travel through the mountain wilderness to visit her brother? 

The trip comes together perfectly as she journeys with family friends who will be settling in the same area. Her first inkling that things may not be as perfect as she’d imagined shows up in the form of the mountain man hired as their guide for the final leg of the journey.

When Daniel Abrams agrees to guide the small group of easterners along his usual route northward to the Canadian mountains, his gut tells him he’s making a terrible decision. But if he doesn’t take them, who will? The crew’s leader refuses to consider turning back. As they start out, Daniel can’t help but notice the woman traveling under the care of her friends. Though she appears too genteel to last long in these mountains, she soon reveals a strength that draws him more than he should allow.

When the dangers of this wilderness become more than the group bargained for, Noelle must choose to delay her trip northward or proceed alone with the man she’s come to trust against all reason. She never dreams her decision will place her—and the man she loves—in a situation more hazardous than any story her imagination could conjure.

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Author Bio:

Misty M. Beller writes romantic mountain stories, set on the 1800s frontier and woven with the truth of God’s love. 

She was raised on a farm in South Carolina, so her Southern roots run deep. Growing up, her family was close, and they continue to keep that priority today. Her husband and daughters now add another dimension to her life, keeping her both grounded and crazy.

God has placed a desire in Misty's heart to combine her love for Christian fiction and the simpler ranch life, writing historical novels that display God's abundant love through the twists and turns in the lives of her characters. 

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Buy Misty's book on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iTunes, Kobo, or Google Play

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Connect with Misty:
Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/MistyMBeller
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/MistyMBellerAuthor
Book Bub - https://www.bookbub.com/authors/misty-m-beller
Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/MistyMBeller
Pinterest - http://www.pinterest.com/MistyMBeller
Amazon - https://amazon.com/author/mistymbeller

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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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Cozy Christmas Reads: Hallee's story

Excerpt from the book "Christmas Star Sapphire" by Hallee Bridgeman:

When Madeline Viscolli arrived a few minutes late at the small auditorium on the east side of the University’s campus, she expected to see a few dozen people already there, but found only one lone man sitting on the floor with his back against the base of the raised stage. Frowning, she glanced at her watch. Surely on the campus of one of the largest universities in Alabama, the Cru program had more than one person involved.

Once called Campus Crusade for Christ, Cru served on college campuses all over the world. Cru provided students with worship and fellowship opportunities in a body of believers – a family away from family. While an undergraduate at the University of Florida, she’d spent hours and hours with her Cru family, and grew into a deeper relationship with God than she’d ever even thought possible. She’d gone on four mission trips spanning a total of eight different countries, volunteered in summer programs, and had developed friendships she knew she would treasure for the rest of her life. Now, pursuing a Master’s degree in business, she found herself on the coast of Alabama hoping to integrate into a new Cru group.

Never shy, Madeline walked into the nearly empty building and marched straight down the aisle. The man looked up from his book and smiled at her. He had light red hair and a goatee that looked nearly blond. As she drew closer, she recognized the logo on his T-shirt from her favorite seafood restaurant in Key West.

“Hello,” he greeted, setting his book aside and standing. Even though Madeline stood just two inches shy of six-feet, she had to look up at him. He smiled warmly and looked directly into her rich blue eyes as he held out his hand. “Joseph Westcott – Pastor Joe – though most people just go with Joe.”

“Madeline Viscolli.” She shook his hand. Even though he kept his grip purposefully light she felt the hard calluses on his palms. Her father, an avid rower, had similar calluses. So, he was a pastor. Why was no one else here, then? “Am I in the right place for the Cru meeting?”

“You sure are,” he answered, his green eyes shining with amusement, “and you’ll be right on time in about fifty-eight minutes.”

“Doesn’t the meeting start at six?” Madeline frowned checking her watch.

“Yes. It does.” He raised an eyebrow. “Still on east coast time?”

Why would he be asking…? Feeling her face flood with heat, she realized. “Of course. We’re in Central Time.”

With a friendly laugh, he gestured toward a cooler that sat on the floor near the stage. “Takes a little while to lose that hour. Water?”

“That would be lovely, thank you.” Accepting the ice cold bottle from him she slipped her bag off of her shoulder and sat in one of the comfortable auditorium seats. “I didn’t get in until just now. Came straight from the airport. I actually scheduled my arrival to coordinate with the meeting.”

“Where you comin’ from, Miss Viscolli?” While he casually dropped the verb much like a native, his accent didn’t sound Deep South to her ear. It made his manner of speaking interesting. His warm smile made it even more interesting.

“I graduated last spring from the University of Florida.” She took a long pull from the bottle, not realizing how thirsty she felt until the icy water hit her dry throat. “I’m going to be getting my Master’s here.”

“Gators? Let me think.” He hopped up onto the stage, facing her. He wore leather deck shoes with no socks and, despite the red hair, had a rather dark tan. “Chris Wilson still the Cru director there?”

Picturing the dark brown face and laughing light brown eyes of Pastor Chris, Madeline smiled. “He is. His wife just had their second baby.”

“He showed me pictures at our annual conference.” He gestured at his T-shirt. “I usually spend a good bit of the summer in Florida myself.”

The calluses on his palm and the tan lines despite his fair complexion had her guessing his hobby. “Do you sail?”

His eyebrows rose in surprise. “How did you know that?”

Madeline shrugged. “Lots of little clues, I guess.” Plus, she could see him, in her mind’s eye, on the deck of a little catamaran, skimming the turquoise waves off the Florida Keys. Her family had a home down there, and she had spent her childhood living in either Boston or southern Florida. Sailboats were just a part of what she considered normal in life.

“Quite observant, Miss Viscolli.” He pronounced her name perfectly, long o sound and all. He looked at his watch. “We have some time before the meeting. If anyone else had their times mixed up, they would have been here by now. Honestly, you should probably eat something now if you’re still on Eastern Time. You’ll be starving in a few hours. Want to grab a coffee and a snack or something?”

“Actually, I think I’ll skip tonight and go find my apartment.” She stood, almost instantly regretting turning down the offer. She suddenly realized she might enjoy getting to know Mr. Westcott better. “I thought I’d have more energy. I just got in from spending the last several weeks in England with my brother and his wife, and I’m a bit jet lagged.” Waving a hand around the room, she added, “Hence the mix-up with the time.” She picked up her bag and slipped the strap over her shoulder. “I look forward to the next few years, Pastor Joe Westcott. Cru has been a major focus of my life since my first day at college. I’m praying I’ll be able to develop the kind of friendships I had in Florida.”

He scooted off of the stage and held out his hand. Without hesitation, she placed her hand in his again.

“It was truly a pleasure to meet you, Madeline Viscolli. I look forward to seeing you again very soon and I’ll be sure to email Chris Wilson and let him know I met you.” He held her hand throughout this tiny little monologue, then gave her fingers a gentle squeeze before he released her grasp. Did he hold her hand a heartbeat longer than necessary, or was that just her jet lagged brain slowing everything down?

~*~

Author bio: 

With over half a million sales, Hallee Bridgeman is a best-selling Christian author who writes action-packed romantic suspense focusing on realistic characters who face real world problems. 

Her work has been described as everything from refreshing to heart-stopping exciting and edgy. 

Hallee loves coffee, campy action movies, and regular date nights with her husband. 

Above all else, she loves God with all of her heart, soul, mind, and strength; has been redeemed by the blood of Christ; and relies on the presence of the Holy Spirit to guide her. 

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Blurb for Hallee's book, Christmas Star Sapphire: Madeline Viscolli finds herself on the Gulf shores of Alabama, where she takes part in a graduate program to earn her MBA. On her first day there, she meets Joe Westcott, team leader for a campus ministry. Despite a mutual attraction, Joe’s personal rule of no romance with any student keeps any kind of deep relationship from developing.

Joe has no desire to have a relationship with anyone, ever, anyway. He left a life of luxury and his family’s business behind to live alone on a sailboat and serve in ministry. Then Madeline walks into the auditorium the week school starts and Joe suspects his personal rules might not apply to this graduate student.

That is, until he discovers Madeline is one of the Viscollis, and that her destiny lay in running her father’s massive corporation. Having rejected wealth and all its trappings since childhood, Joe finds himself falling for the vivacious sapphire-eyed beauty.

Madeline knows she loves Joe, but is not willing to throw away her destiny of taking over at the helm of Viscolli Enterprises.

A Christmas Eve funeral washes all Joe’s plans away. Will their love succumb to the rising tide caused by their differences in lifestyles, or will raging seas calm and allow them to sail off into the sunset?

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Customer Review of Hallee's book (Christmas Star Sapphire):

Rating: 5 stars
Review title: A Must Read This Christmas Season

Once again, Hallee Bridgeman has written a superb Christian novella just in time for the Christmas season! Christmas Star Sapphire is inspired by the Jewell series and continues the storyline of Viscolli family. Madeline, the only daughter of Robin and Tony Vicolli, is being educated and groomed to one day assume the leadership role in the Viscolli empire of hotels and other enterprises. 

In traveling to Mobile, Alabama to work on her Master’s degree at the University of Southern Alabama, she meets Pastor Joe Westcott, the head minister of Cru which is the campus’s Christian organization for college students. Madeline’s feelings for Pastor Joe begin to grow into a desire to know him on a more personal level. Pastor Joe begins to feel the same, but there are two problems. One, she comes from a wealthy family and is being groomed for that life style. His childhood has left a bad taste in his mouth for money and power. Two, she is a student, and he is a staff member. Can Madeline and Joe overcome their pasts to make a life for their future together? Will Joe allow God to heal his heart and guide his life? 

Mrs. Bridgeman is able to present a deeply religious message within the pages of this short read. I recommend this light hearted novella for an enjoyable quick read this season. 

*I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.

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Connect with Hallee:

Website - http://www.halleebridgeman.com
Twitter - https://twitter.com/halleeb
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/halleebridgeman/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/authorhalleebridgeman/

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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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Christmas Day book giveaway!

Merry Christmas, dear hearts! I hope you enjoyed my holiday book promotional series, "A Prelude to Christmas" which ended on Christmas Eve. Just when you may have thought that this holiday cheer and giving free books away was over, I have news for you: it's not! 

Today, I'd like to give you a Christmas present: A chance to spend time with a fabulous indie author and win a copy of her Christmas story, Wrapped in Red.

Here's the blurb for Wrapped in Red: A Steel City holiday romance sure to melt your heart. The holidays haven't been the easiest for Merry Grainger. Five years ago, she lost her grandfather and got dumped by her boyfriend right before Christmas. Each season since sees her determined to avoid getting hurt again, and so she keeps a steel-like grip on her hopeless romantic heart.

Music used to soothe Sam Shepard’s soul until the death of his biggest cheerleader broke his heart, family, and dreams into pieces. Now he’s focused on thriving in the city, and with the people, he’s grown to love—all to keep the hole in his heart from opening anew with every passing holiday season.

Thrown together by a church play and meddlesome family armed with mistletoe, will Merry and Sam unwrap their guarded hearts to let in the true hope of Christmas—and each other?

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Enter the book giveaway contest by filling out the entry form on the Rafflecopter widget below: 

a Rafflecopter giveaway ~*~
Interview with Meghan M. Gorecki, author of Wrapped in Red:

Alexis: Tell me about your story title, “Wrapped in Red.” What’s the significance of it?

Meghan: Long answer? The best present of all is Jesus—and all we have to do is accept, aka “unwrap” Himself into our lives. And His is the greatest love we will ever experience that is mirrored in the way we love others and the way others love us. Such a love colors all we do, is a thread not unlike a ribbon around a Christmas present!

Short answer? The Kelly Clarkson song by the same name inspired this whole roundabout train of thought surrounding my novel. LOL

Alexis: Is Steel City an actual place in the real world or did you create it just for this novel? Explain. Use words to paint a picture of Steel City. 

Meghan: The Steel City—Pittsburgh, PA—is my hometown. While it is now known for healthcare and technology and business, the core of this city is its industry. Charles Dickens when he visited here in the 1800’s actually described it as “Hell with its lid off” due to all the factories and mills and barges that went up and down all three rivers. Today towering skyscrapers of glass and steel pierce the sky above older (pre-Victorian era) architecture, surrounded by so many varied districts with colorful pasts like Polish Hill, the South Side Slopes, Lawrenceville, and so many more even I’ve yet to truly explore despite living here all my life.

Alexis: What is it about Wrapped in Red that you believe will melt the hearts of your readers?

Meghan: My hope is that readers will not only enjoy the Hallmark-movie-like cheesy romantic comedy that fits so very well with this time of year—but also come away reminded of the Greatest Love and all that He is capable of.

Alexis: Why did you name your story’s heroine “Merry”? Is there a special meaning behind her name?

Meghan: Oh I love this question! I named her Merry for a few reasons. Reason #1: It’s Christmas-y. Reason #2: It’s my middle name (except mine is spelled traditionally) Reason #3: Mary was my great-grandmother’s name. Reason #4: It’s always been one of my favorites.

Alexis: Tell us about Merry Grainger. What makes her the heroine of your story? What are her likes and dislikes? Describe her looks and heart. 

Meghan: Merry Grainger is a word-loving girl with a huge heart—with a fair share of scars from past hurts and dreams/hopes deferred. She likes coffee, old movies and books. Dislikes include snow, traffic (that Pittsburgh has in utter abundance), and people assuming.

Alexis: Why does Merry, as your book blurb says, keep a “steel-like grip on her hopeless romantic heart”?

Meghan: Merry has been hurt in the past, but despite all her efforts to not let it happen again—she has yet to totally kill the romantic in her as she struggles to keep her heart open. The short answer is is that she’s a lovable control freak in this department.

Alexis: Tell us about Sam Shepard. What makes him the hero of this story? Why is he passionate about music? What breaks his heart and what gives him hope?

Oh Sam. He is the hero of this story because he has an immensely caring soul—and he is a guy that pursues. A rare breed. He used to be passionate about music—piano specifically—and he was proficient in it. A shared love with his mother who was taken from this life when Sam was at a hard age. What gives him hope is a new dream he is uncovering—and the opportunity to do good and be there for the people in his life.

Alexis: Is Sam new to Steel City? Describe his journey. Tell us how he got there and what he loves most about it.

Meghan: Sam is relatively new to Pittsburgh for sure, and loves it for all the many layers of history just the architecture of the city tells. He ended up finishing college there and obtaining a degree in architectural design after a few years of leading a messy life that had him hit rock bottom before he could rise up and find a new dream.

Alexis: What can you tell us about the way Merry and Sam feel about each other without giving away your story’s plot? Do they like each other at first? Or did it take time for their hearts to grow fond of each other? Share a few details. 

Meghan: Sam liked Merry right off the bat. And she was decidedly against him. On principle because her family thought he’d be perfect for her. She had to warm up, and his pursuit touched her soul in a place she hadn’t realized she’d needed before.

Alexis: What do you, as the author, think that the “true hope of Christmas” will mean to your readers? What’s the moral of the story?

Meghan: The true hope of Christmas is that we are covered in Love. Wrapped in the arms of God, first and foremost—and called to love others as He loves us. Sacrificially. And sometimes that means letting go, and letting Him—realizing, as much as we may care for someone, we can’t fix them or make them better. And we must sacrifice our own wants and ideas for God’s will above all else. That is a huge part of the heart of this story—and something Merry and Sam come to learn in the course of the story.

Alexis: What did you, as the author, enjoy the most about creating your characters for this story and watching them live and breathe on the pages of your book?

Meghan: With the exception of Sam, I created the characters within these pages based on real life. Me and my family. The five best people I know—who put up with a lot from me. So I took those already living and breathing people, a few things God’s taken me through in my life, a good dose of imagination and creativity and turned it into a fictional story. Writing what I know is a joy and privilege for me—hence why I call this a novella of my heart. 

Alexis: How did you feel after writing "The End" to this lovely holiday romance story?

Meghan: When I wrote “The End”, I’ll be honest—it took me an hour of tweaking to be completely happy with it. Then I felt elation, exhaustion, relief and utter peace. That this was the story God wanted me to tell—and He alone enabled me to finish it. In the midst of a brand new day job and the holiday season with a big, busy family.

Alexis: Thanks for the interview! Do you have any closing comments?

Meghan: Thank you so much for having me, Alexis! What a great time—and amazing questions, by the way. Such a joy to visit and share more about Wrapped in Red.

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Author bio: 

Meghan M. Gorecki is an author of inspirational fiction, a blogger, book reviewer and voracious reader. 

Taking her life a day at a time as God leads, she is pursuing a career in the publishing industry as an editor in training and as a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. 

A hopeless romantic, history and Marvel nut, she's also a redhead (thanks to a box), who knows way too much trivia about movie musicals and the Civil War. 

Find her on social media and at her blog, A Northern Belle (http://www.northernbellemeg.com).

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Buy Meghan's book, Wrapped in Red:
Amazon - http://amzn.to/2hUHfvc

Goodreads - http://bit.ly/2g8LR0u 

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Connect with Meghan:
Facebook || Twitter || Instagram

Falling in Love with Jesus: The Boy Next Door

Today's Falling in Love with Jesus story is told by bestselling indie author Sarah Monzon. She refers to Jesus Christ as "the boy next door." 

Read on to find out why Sarah thinks of Him in those terms and how she didn't really "fall" in love with Jesus, what happened to Sarah in her relationship with Jesus was even better. 

Enjoy! :)

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The Boy Next Door

A Falling in Love with Jesus story written by Sarah Monzon

Now, nobody raise any stones to throw when I say that in my love story with God, Jesus is the boy next door. I'm not trying to be sacrilegious. Truly. But for me, that's who Jesus is—the boy next door.

Think about the boy next door. Go ahead. Close your eyes and conjure up an image that the phrase paints. Got it? Here's what it looks like to me. The boy next door is someone familiar. Someone who's always been around. I don't remember who moved into the neighborhood first, him or me. He was always just...there.

Sometimes I'd play at his house, and sometimes he'd play at mine. Occasionally there'd be a disagreement, but we could never stay mad at each other for long, and before I knew it we were best friends again. We'd hide out in our secret clubhouse and share secrets, and anytime I was afraid (and there were quite a few times I felt afraid as a child) he'd wrap his arms around me and make me feel safe. Thankfully, boy-next-door Jesus never moved away and neither did I. I grew up with him always right beside me.

Now to the juicy part of the love story because every love story has one, right? In romance writing it's called the meet-cute. You know, when the hero and heroine's eyes meet across the room and electric currents leap between them. Or the heroine stumbles only to be caught in the hero's strong arms.

Oops! Sorry to disappoint you, but my story doesn't have any romantic defining moments. You see, I never fell in love with Jesus.

Grabbing for those stones again? Put them down.

I never fell in love with Jesus.

I GREW in love with Him.

Because He was the boy next door, He was always in my life. Maybe it was love at first sight, but I can’t honestly claim that when I can’t recall the first sight moment. Like I said, He’s always been there. I've always loved him. But my love has grown. Every day. And will continue to grow until that boy next door finally comes to take me home with him as is bride.

To live unbelievably, unfathomably, happily ever after.

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Author bio:
Sarah Monzon was raised in Florida (think warm, humid air, palm trees, white sandy beaches) and is currently living in central Washington (no, not the rugged mountains and towering evergreens. The dry, brown desert of rolling tumbleweeds and absolutely no trees).

She wears the badges of Pastor's Wife and Stay-at-Home Mom with honor. Her constant companions are the two cutest humans under four feet tall: Elijah, 4 years old, and Arianna, 16 months. Her days are filled with picture books, Play-doh, LEGOs, and Hot Wheels. After the little ones head to bed, she spends time in adult "conversation" with made up people in a made up world (writing Christian fiction novels). 

Her debut novel, The Isaac Project, is available on Amazon.