14 Days of Love: The Heart of Splendid Lake by Amy Clipston

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

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Book Blurb for The Heart of Splendid Lake:

Bestselling author Amy Clipston transports readers to a picturesque lakeside town in this heartwarming contemporary romance. 

Brianna is the youngest of the three Porter sisters and the only one who chose to stay in the small town of Splendid Lake, North Carolina. She followed in her father’s footsteps and became an expert boat mechanic, helping him run their small resort with cabin rentals, a convenience store, and a marina.

When Brianna’s father unexpectedly dies, Brianna is steeped in grief and guilt—then left alone to clean up the mess. To make matters worse, a constant stream of real estate brokers begins marching through her property, offering to buy the family land. In particular, she keeps running into handsome real estate mogul Scott Gibson.

As Brianna struggles to keep it all together, Scott finds his way into her heart. And as the two fight against their feelings, they just might find themselves forging a surprising and exciting new love at Splendid Lake.

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Author Bio:

Amy Clipston is an award-winning bestselling author and has been writing for as long as she can remember. 

She’s sold more than one million books, and her fiction writing "career" began in elementary school when she and a close friend wrote and shared silly stories.

She has a degree in communications from Virginia Wesleyan University and is a member of the Authors Guild, American Christian Fiction Writers, and Romance Writers of America.

Amy works full-time for the City of Charlotte, NC, and lives in North Carolina with her husband, two sons, mother, and six spoiled rotten cats.

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Buy Amy’s book via her online bookstore

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Connect with Amy:
Facebook: facebook.com/AmyClipstonBooks/
Instagram: instagram.com/amy_clipston/
Twitter: twitter.com/AmyClipston
Goodreads: goodreads.com/author/show/2765728.Amy_Clipston
BookBub: bookbub.com/authors/amy-clipston
Pinterest: pinterest.com/amyclipston/
Website: AmyClipston.com

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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: Recognition

Seeking Recognition
A devotional by Kay Pflueger

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” –1 Peter 2:9-10 (ESV)

In my family, I am in the middle of three sisters.

My older sister was two years ahead of me in school and thus, was starting her junior year in high school when I was a freshman. Because she was older and had an established place in the ranks of high school students, I became known as “Lynn’s little sister.” I am not sure any of her friends even knew my name for the first semester of my freshman year!

Lynn was quite popular in school as a member of the dance team. She was well-liked and outgoing. The youngest, Joanie, is five years younger than me and was the cute “baby” of the family who could charm anyone and everyone. And there I was, the middle one—introverted and shy and uncomfortable in my own skin. I felt as though there was no special place for me as I was not the favored first child or the cherished last one. I was the unnoticed one in the shadows.

Recently, while I was looking for a particular book on Amazon, I stumbled across a book by Amy E. Reichert titled Two Pairs of 6” Heels and One Comfortable Shoe. This could have been the title of my autobiography! I was the comfortable shoe between two pairs of 6” heels. Oh, how I wanted so much to be noticed and to feel I had significance other than just being the middle girl. I craved recognition for my accomplishments no matter how small or insignificant they were.

Our human nature leads us to want acceptance by our peers. We want to be noticed by others, so we fill our social media feed with the “best of the best.” We only show what we think will garner “likes” and want to hide the reality of our daily lives. Satan knows we crave that recognition and tries to convince us that our worth is tied up in how many of those “likes” we receive.

However, we don’t need to do anything heroic or mind blowing or spectacular to prove our value. Our worth is defined by who we are in God. If we take to heart what the verse above says, we can accept that we are chosen by Him and are part of His royal priesthood. He loves us and has given us significance just as we are.

In Psalm 130:13-14 (ESV), David reminds us: “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.” Remember who you are in Jesus Christ!

Let’s Pray: Why do we keep seeking significance in the opinions of others when we know that our worth is in You (God)? Turn our eyes toward you, Lord when we begin to doubt our value. Shed light on the lies that Satan is planting in our minds and fill us with your Truth. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

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Author Bio:

Learning to read as a young child opened a world of adventure for Kay Pflueger. She came to realize that words can have a unique power and beauty.

Choosing to share those words in her devotional writings has become a joyful and rewarding experience for her. As a widow, she feels a special affinity towards those who are grieving or experiencing loss.

When she is not spending time with her married son and three grandchildren, she is either reading, cooking, writing, or working on pursuing her Copyediting Certification.

Kay is an avid baseball fan who looks forward every summer to following her favorite team, the Chicago Cubs.

She is an active member of Victory Lutheran Church in her hometown of San Diego, California.

Kay enjoys writing devotions to be shared on her church’s website and personal social media.

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Connect with Kay:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kay.m.pflueger
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/irishsweetpea/

Devotionals for the Heart: Balance

Balancing life with God
A devotional by Mirachelle Canada

“For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” – 1 Corinthians 13:12-13 (ESV)

I am blessed to be close to my sister. Most people are surprised we are six years apart. In our younger days, we were compared like twins. That comparison caused me to want to be more like her and as I grew older, I observed and analyzed things she was doing – some I agreed with, others I did not. Later, I realized that because of how much I had been concerned for her choices, I had developed some internal (unspoken) criticisms against her that had taken root as a judgement in my heart.

We are still similar in looks, but individually we both developed through very different approaches to life. My sister is laid-back and enjoys pleasing others. I am independent and carefree. I like writing, and she likes crafting. We look like the same flower, but it felt like we’d grown up in two different gardens.

How often do you unintentionally criticize those you love in your heart? It’s easy for thought or observation about someone to become a judgment root. It can sprout in a moment of disagreement or anger, or from a verbal and emotional comparison. As I watched my sister face life’s difficulties, I compared her reactions and choices to my own; to the way I would have done it, and more honestly, to the way I thought she should have done it.

It wasn’t until after I experienced the biggest event of my sister’s life – her wedding day – that God tugged on my unexposed judgment root. Both of us were older than we expected, and I had prayed a long time for this gift of happiness for her. At the time of her marriage, everything was going great in my life, but very shortly after everything fell apart. My career tanked, and my finances plummeted. I had to move back home, and I grieved my losses. I also felt left behind, primarily because of my sister’s newfound happiness. It wasn’t at all how I had imagined my life to become.

God spoke to my heart with this thought, “What did you expect?”

God showed me my sister on a tightrope. She was wobbling, as we all do at the beginning. I wanted to help her find balance, but I watched as Jesus Christ gave her His tools instead: an umbrella, with which she moved farther along, then a tricycle and she rode further still. Lastly, He placed a long balance pole in her hands, and she made it to Him waiting on the other side. I immediately knew what each tool represented from 1 Corinthians 13:13 (ESV), “So now faith, hope, and love abide...” He gave her an umbrella (faith), a tricycle (hope) and a balancing pole (love). She was welcomed at the end into His open arms because “the greatest of these is love.”

He showed me my tightrope, cluttered with items I had placed before me and those I had used behind, barely staying balanced on the line. They were all the choices, excuses, and deflections I had used to get this far on my own. Of course, God had walked with me, but I had chosen my own tools to do things my way, the way I thought others should. Had it been up to me to guide my sister, I might have cluttered her lifeline like my own.

I asked God to forgive me for not making Him the complete Lord of my life (and not trusting Him with the lives of others). As He removed my judgment root, everything fell off my tightrope, and instead of waiting on the other side for me to cross, He zipped down the line to stand before me so nothing else was in view. He offered me His hand. As I took it, He turned and raised a lantern to light a pathway instead, and my spirit rejoiced at the promise that filled my heart, “Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105 ESV). Yes, God, not my way, but yours alone. There is no greater balance in life.

Do you need such balance in your life today too? Is there a stumbling root in your heart that God can remove? Pray and seek Him. He’s waiting at the other end of your tightrope to make your way clear and straight into His arms of love.

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Author Bio:

Mirachelle Canada is a writer, playwright, screenwriter, and theatre director/producer from Northern Virginia, where she teaches television production at her high school alma mater. 

She earned her Master of Fine Arts in Script & Screenwriting from Regent University and is an alumnus of Act One: Hollywood Film & Television Writing Program.

Mirachelle is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, American Fiction Writers Virginia Chapter, The Jerry Jenkins Writers Guild, and Your Novel Blueprint.

She is currently working on her first historical fiction novel set during WWII.

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Connect with Mirachelle:
Website: www.mirachellecanada.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mirachellecanada/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/miracan

A Prelude to Christmas: Gail's story about broken trust and forgiveness

Welcome Gail Gaymer Martin to the blog. She's an award-winning author and co-founder of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), which is a wonderful organization! Today, Gail is here to talk about her novel, A Tucumcari Christmas. 

Here's the blurb for A Tucumcari Christmas: Dayna Littleton has been estranged from her younger sister Sky for years. Sky's promises to visit were always met with disaster, first a broken ankle in Tucumcari, New Mexico and then more promises ended in new disasters until Dayna no longer trusted her sister. But with the last cancelled promise a call comes from Sky’s landlord. The older woman invites Dayna to visit her sister there for Christmas.

The strange invitation doesn’t set well, but she is driven by a vague hope and a powerful instinct to go. Once there, Dayna and Sky inch toward healing. Yet Dayna senses she is part of a matchmaking scheme. A difficult past, Dayna has tended to avoid relationships of any kind, but now her heart collides with her brain, and a battle ensues as she meets new people and watches her life change along with perceptions, attitudes, and her ability to love.

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You can buy Gail's book on Amazon OR you can have a chance to WIN a copy of her book by filling out the book giveaway contest entry form on the Rafflecopter widget below:

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Learn more about Gail's book in the following interview. 
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Interview with Gail Gaymer Martin, author of A Tucumcari Christmas:

Alexis: What a unique title for a Christmas book! What does Tucumcari mean? Why did you choose it as the setting for your story?

Gail: Tucumcari is a town in New Mexico off I-40 which is part of Route 66, the Mother Road in its heyday. I fell in love with the unique town when we traveled back and forth for a number of years from Michigan to Sedona, Arizona when we rented a townhouse for the three winter months. 

We have now moved to Sedona, but Tucumcari was one of our favorite stops. It’s an amazing city with many old original businesses left from the heyday of Route 66, two museums, and forty painted murals on various buildings depicting the old days. These paintings use real people and items from the town. One of my favorite restaurants here is Del’s. It's one of the original locations. They are known for great food especially their sopapillas with honey, an amazing dessert. 

I used this setting because I learned so many things about the town through the Chamber of Commerce and realized the setting would be amazing. The first book in the series, A Trip to Remember (with a double meeting) is the story of Skylar Dawson. A Tucumcari Christmas is about her sister with whom she’s been estranged. 

Alexis: What is your book about? Tell us in a few words.

Gail: The book focuses on Dayna Littleton the older sister of Skylar. The story deals with the theme of forgiveness and love. While Dayna has held a grudge against her sister for years, she realizes that the true reason and the damage it has done is something she can no longer live with. With humor, romance and serious situations, this book provides a Christmas story for all readers.

Alexis: Describe your story’s heroine Dayna. Touch on her looks, strengths, character flaws, hopes and dreams.

Gail: Dayna and Skylar are both dark-haired, attractive women, and yet Dayna sees only her younger sister’s charm and beauty. She grew up feeling that she was less worthy than Skylar and she had little to offer. Her hope was to live a single life and yet romance sometimes enters her dreams without her approval. They confuse her as does her sister whom she envies and yet holds a grudge. Dayna tends to keep the truth inside and rather than let her sensitive side show, she can be abrupt or withdrawn at times. 

Alexis: Why is Dayna estranged from her younger sister Sky? What role does Sky play in this story?

Gail: Dayna sees Sky in an unrealistic view, and yet she believes what she sees. She blames her sister for all of her flaws and has distanced herself from her, unwilling to forgive her for what has happened in the past. But Dayna begins to look more deeply into the estrangement and faces some things about herself and her sister that she had never seen before. 

Alexis: Why is Sky disaster-prone and how has that affected her relationship with her sister?

Gail: Sky tends to be rash. She’s been coddled in ways as a child. Therefore, she expects people to continue to respond to her needs as her parents did, mainly her daddy. She has little patience when things don’t go her way and is a slow learner about her flaws. Because of her attitude and the coddling that Dayna witnessed, Sky’s attitude has put a barrier between her and Dayna. 

Alexis: Who is your story’s hero? What is his role in this story?

Gail: The hero is Dr. Jake Bonham, Dr. Doug Elliot’s best friend from Book #1. Doug is Sky’s fiancé and his grandmother Mamie has been Sky’s landlady. Dayna is also staying with Mamie who tends to be a matchmaker. Mamie wants to see love everywhere, so she maneuvers situations to make it happen. Dr. Jake Bonham is now in Mamie’s plans for Dayna who wants nothing to do with romance since she’s had too much loss in her life and doesn’t trust words of love. Jake also has avoided relationships, so Mamie has work cut out for her.

Alexis: Describe the hero’s looks, personality and heart for the heroine.

Gail: Jake Bonham has blue eyes and reddish brown hair. He’s husky and muscular and looks more like a woodsman to Dayna than a doctor who had taken care of her sister’s broken ankle. He’s a tease and loves taunting his good friend Doug about falling for Sky. He makes reference to Dayna’s good looks, but in his heart, he is determined to avoid getting involved with anyone. His lifestyle and crazy hours as a doctor doesn’t lead to well-balanced relationships and he’s had too many of the other kind. Marriage was far from his plans.

Alexis: What is your hero’s background? How was he raised and shaped into the person who he is in this story?

Gail: Little is said about Jake’s family in the novel, but it is evident that he came from a stable family and perhaps one that expected solid values and morals to be part of a relationship. He fears building another doomed relationship. His reference to the Christmas ornaments given to him by his aunt, his mother’s sister, is another clue that he was loved and appreciated also by extended family. This love is what he longed for but feared he would never find. 

Alexis: Why is it difficult for Dayna to love people and form good, lasting relationships? How did her past shape her into the person she is today?

Gail: As the reader digs into the story, they learn of Dayna’s difficult childhood with a mother who had a serious heart disease that would end her life. This drew her to her father, but his death also left things unanswered, and at that point, Dayna lost her confidence in her worth. It seemed to her that love was given and then taken away, and she believed that finding long term relationships was not going to happen to her. Her best friend, a coworker, was the only person she really trusted and that had grown over time. Otherwise Dayna almost lived as a recluse in her sheltered, untrusting life. 

Alexis: What was the most memorable moment for you in writing this story?

Gail: Besides the love story, I believe the moment Dayna realized what her problem had been for so many years and later when she shares that awareness with her sister. It still brings tears to my eyes when I read it.

Alexis: What was the most difficult scene to write? Why? 

Gail: I think that the hospital and medical research was the most difficult since I want everything in my novels to be accurate so I spend a great deal of time finding the answers, even if it’s calling a hospital to ask about doctor’s shifts and what their cafeteria is like.

Alexis: Would you say that this story has a happy ending? Why or why not?

Gail: True romance novels must have a happy ending, and though a marriage may not end a story, the reader has the confidence that this relationship will result in a happy and lifelong marriage. 

Alexis: What kind of impact do you want this story to make on the hearts of your readers?

Gail: I believe this story proposes thoughtful questions about how attitudes, point of view and misunderstandings can harm relationships and self-esteem. I hope the story shows readers that stepping back and taking a different look at situations can sometimes provide healing and new hope for the future. When we warp the truth, we are left with warped results. When we face the truth, we can face a life of hope and forgiveness. 

Alexis: Complete this sentence: My faovrite feature of writing Christmas stories is _______________________ because __________________________.

Gail: My favorite feature of writing Christmas stories is the memories and joy of Christmas because Christmas takes us back to times of wonder and promise as we remember not only what Jesus Christ's birth means but also the connection with family and friends. 

Alexis: Thanks for the interview, Gail! Do you have any closing thoughts?

Gail: Christmas has always been popular in secular and Christian fiction. I believe it’s because books present stories of family, hope, and love that draws out memories of the excitement and fun of waiting for Santa, decorating homes, baking cookies, and wrapping gifts and receiving surprises. Who doesn’t love a cozy, warm, and wonderful setting for a story? 

Thanks to you, Alexis, for your willingness to share A Tucumcari Christmas with readers.

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Author bio: 

Multi-award-winning novelist, Gail Gaymer Martin is the author of Christian contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and women’s fiction with 68 published novels and four million books sold. CBS local news listed Gail as one of the four best writers in the Detroit area. 

Her books have received numerous awards, including: ACFW Carol Award, Romantic Times Reviewer Choice, Booksellers Best, National Readers Choice, Holt Medallion, Award of Excellence. 

Gail is a founder of American Christian Fiction Writers, a member of Advanced Speakers and Writers, and Christian Authors Network. She is a keynote speaker at churches, civic and business organizations and presents workshops at conferences across the country. 

Gail was a lifetime resident of Michigan until moving to Sedona, Arizona.

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Connect with Gail:
Website - www.gailgaymermartin.com.
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/gail.g.martin.3
Twitter - http://twitter.com/GailGMartin
Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/83354.Gail_Gaymer_Martin
LinkedIn - http://www.linkedin.com/in/gailgaymermartin
Google Plus - https://plus.google.com/109587381229322171655/posts

Music Monday: Interview with Gospel singing sensation VIRTUE

Gospel group VIRTUE is composed of Karima Kibble, Heather Martin, and Ebony Holland. They are biological sisters who have taken the gospel music industry by storm with their beautiful voices, kind hearts and humble spirits. 

Today, they are visiting this blog to share news of their latest CD released this February. The CD is called Fearless and they want to give away one copy of it to the wianner of the CD giveaway contest hosted by Rafflecopter (see widget)! If you'd like to win a copy of their new CD, fill out the entry form on the Rafflecopter widget toward the end of the interview. 

Enjoy getting to know the ladies of VIRTUE as you read their interview today! 

*Words by Alexis are in bold and words by Virtue are not in bold.

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Alexis: Fearless, your new album, is FIERCE! What was the inspiration behind the title song, “Fearless”?

Heather: Thank you! The song was written by an incredibly talented young man who goes by the name of Alvin Garrett. When we heard it, we immediately identified with it because we are three women who at this point in our lives are juggling our music career, side jobs, raising children, being wives, going to school, and a multitude of things at one time and to do it all, we’ve had to totally depend on God and be fearless!

What’s your favorite song on the album? Why?

Ebony: I’ll just say, for the record, I truly love every song. But today, “Worship You” is my favorite because I truly worship every time I hear this song! I go in, especially in my car on the way to work.

Give us a glimpse behind the scenes of making Fearless. How often were you in the studio producing this album? What were the challenges and pitfalls? What was the most rewarding aspect of making this album?

Karima: Going into signing a new deal, we and our label Mixed Bags Records, knew that this would be challenging because we all lead full time lives as mothers, and other numerous other roles. And we all live in 3 different states! So we decided to just take one summer to record. Ebony and I packed up our kids and moved in with Heather and her family in Birmingham, Alabama, to get the record done. It was a hardcore plan!

Heather has four kids, so we thought it would be easier for her that way. Personally, the studio is my favorite part because you get to be creative and you can fix your mistakes! At the end of the day, we made some sacrifices to do this project, but we are a close-knit family, so we really enjoy being around each other. It had been a long time, almost 10 years since we made a record together, so it was at times tough getting back in there. But overall, it was a very good experience for all of us. The most rewarding aspect is the finished product, the music and the emotions that came out of this process. We’re pretty proud of it!

In what ways do you hope your new album will impact listeners?

Heather: We hope that our listeners find Jesus through the messages of hope and inspiration that are found in our music. We pray that someone who is struggling with life will find these songs helpful in deciding to do the right thing. We hope that they are encouraged to be faithful and fearless.

What drew you to the music industry? Share your story about how you went from dreaming of performing to making that dream a reality?

Karima: I’ve always known that I wanted to be a singer. I didn’t want to go to college because I wanted to sing, but my Mom wasn’t having it! She sent me down to Oakwood College, where Ebony had already been attending for a year. Thank God I went! Shortly after I got there, someone asked me to put together a group to sing at AYS, a campus Friday night program. So I rounded up two other girls, and the chemistry and blend was great. From that point on, we sang on campus together all the time. In one of our regular rehearsals, we didn’t know that a person from a major record label was sitting in and falling in love with us! LOL! She offered us a deal, we were very young, but we signed. After a couple member changes, we’ve evolved to an all-sister group with Heather joining us a little later. And here we are today.

Who is your favorite musician? What makes them special to you?

Karima: I can’t say that I have a favorite, there’s just too many! One of them is Brandy, love her tone and her range is incredible! I would say she has that “thang.”

Heather: This is a tough question for me too. I will just name one of my favorites, I really love PJ Morton. He is a writer, singer, producer, musician all in one, and a native of New Orleans. Just a real talent! I can relate to his music and his voice is simple, but moving.

Ebony: Whitney Houston is my all time favorite! She was just a beautiful person to me, with a gorgeous voice that still gives me chills.

Do you only sing gospel music? Why or why not?

Ebony: Yes we only sing gospel music because we believe that it is our purpose. We grew up singing in the church, so gospel music is just in us. We would not be true to ourselves, or authentic if we sang anything else. You have to sing what you are passionate about, and for us, it is sharing God’s love to people through song.

How did attending and graduating from Oakwood University prepare you for the real world? Did it help your music career dreams come true? Explain.

Heather: You know Oakwood has a reputation for being a training ground for amazing singers and musicians. It was a perfect place for us to begin our journey into the music industry because they can be a tough crowd! 

Sometimes singing at AY on Friday nights could feel sorta like the Apollo because if you couldn’t sing, you didn’t want to be in front! So this kind of standard made you rehearse harder and longer to make sure you sounded good and could deliver a powerful performance. Also, I think our spiritual experience there was amazing. Hearing and being taught by some of the greatest speakers and preachers was a real help in fostering our relationships with God.

What’s it like being an Adventist artist in the music industry spotlight? How do you share your unique faith?

Heather: We feel blessed that God finds us worthy enough to represent Him. But, I think it’s no different than being in any other career. You stand up for what you believe in and people respect you for it. Sometimes there are situations that you may not agree with or that you can’t do because it’s on Sabbath, so you explain your faith, then you don’t do it. Every time someone feed us, it’s an opportunity to share our faith because our diet is unique. We just stay open to the leading of the Holy Spirit and He always gives us an opportunity to let our lights shine.

What’s next for Virtue? Where do you see yourself in the next 5 to 10 years? 

We are currently working on a cookbook because we love to cook and it tastes great! Also, we feel that God is calling us to share our health message with the world in a doable tasty form. Our fans can also look forward to a devotional book that we’ve been working on for years now!!

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Connect with Virtue:
Website - www.virtuegirls3.com
Twitter - https://twitter.com/VirtueGirls
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/virtuegirls/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/virtuegirls/

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