Romancing the Man

With Valentines Day around the corner, I wanted to share this post I did over at the S.U.M. site. I hope it inspires you to romance your man! Hugs! ~Dineen

Did you read Lynn’s post yesterday? I don’t know about you but I’ve been giggling with her all the way on this one. Ladies, this is a chance to create some of that romance we love right in our own marriages!

So, along those lines, I will share that I asked my hubby on the phone yesterday if he wanted to be my boyfriend. He said yes! Woohooo! I guess this means we’re going steady. Now my girls are going to groan even more over their parents’ affectionate nature. I can see and hear it now. LOL!

Sometimes it’s so easy to lose site of what we love in a person because of the burdens of life, the conflict inherent in our types of marriages, and past hurts and wrongs.

Trust me, I understand completely. I’ve let things like this come in and nearly sweep away my marriage. Forgiveness is crucial to all our relationships.

But that’s not what I want to talk about today.

Read the rest HERE...

A Passion Redeemed by Julie Lessman

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Allianceis introducing
A Passion RedeemedRevell (September 1, 2008)
byJulie Lessman

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Julie Lessman is a debut author who has already garnered writing acclaim, including ten Romance Writers of America awards. She is a commercial writer for Maritz Travel, a published poet and a Golden Heart Finalist. Julie has a heart to write “Mainstream Inspirational,” reaching the 21st-century woman with compelling love stories laced with God’s precepts. She resides in Missouri with her husband and their golden retriever, and has two grown children and a daughter-in-law. A Passion Most Pure, book one in the Daughters of Boston series, was her first novel.




ABOUT THE BOOK
No man can resist her charms. Or so she thought. Charity O'Connor is a woman who gets what she wants. Her stunning beauty and flirtatious ways have always succeeded with men. Until Mitch Dennehy, that is.

Brilliant and dangerously handsome, Mitch is a no-nonsense newspaperman who wants nothing to do with her. Charity burned him once, destroying his engagement to the only woman he ever truly loved. He won't play with matches again. But Charity has a plan to turn up the heat, hoping to ignite the heart of the man she loves. And she always gets what she wants--one way or another.

Or does she? Will her best-laid schemes win his love? Or will her seductive ways drive him away forever? Book 2 in the Daughters of Boston series, A Passion Redeemed will captivate your heart and stir your soul with a story of faith and redemption rising from the ashes of temptation, desire, and shame.

Praise for the first book in the series:

"Full of romance, humor, rivalry, and betrayal, A Passion Most Pure will captivate readers from the first page." --Historical Novels Review "Superb! Incredible!

"I loved Julie Lessman's A Passion Most Pure from the second I picked it up until the very last moment I stopped reading." --Armchair Interviews

"I devoured this book and loved every single page. . . . This is a thick, juicy read, and one I would pick up again in a heartbeat." --christianreviewofbooks.com

If you would like to read an excerpt from A Passion Redeemed, go HERE.

SMUDGE SAYS
Smudge says, YOU HAVE TO READ THIS SERIES! Julie Lessman treads the ground of passion in and outside of love and God's will with such finesse and truth, unlike anything I've read in Christian Fiction to date. I absolutely love these books and I normally don't care for historicals. These books are loaded with awesome characters and timeless struggles.

CONTEST
I love this series so much that one special commenter will not only get A Passion Redeemed, but also A Passion Most Pure. I am buying these books out of my own pocket to share them and support this fabulous author. Anyone who refers a friend will get their name in twice for the drawing, so BE SURE TO COMMENT!


CONGRATULATIONS to Ronie Kendig for winning House of Wolves by Matt Bronleewe!

Interview with Susan May Warren

She's an inspirational speaker, a fantastic teacher, and an awesome writer (one of my favorites!). Please welcome the fantabulous Susan May Warren as she talks about her new book, Taming Rafe, a delicious tale about a hunk and the heroine who's got him all figured out.

Susie, what was your inspiration behind the Noble Legacy series?

I grew up loving all things cowboy - horses and trucks and songs, immersed in shows like Bonanza, and Big Valley and Louis L'Amour books. I dreamed of living on a ranch someday, in love with the land of the west. But I didn't want to write a western - I wanted a contemporary story, with real-day issues, and today's "cowboys." This story sat in my heart for three years before God opened the doors for me to actually travel to Montana and actually live the ranch life, learn to rope, and peel back the stereotype to peek at the realities of ranch life. I tried to write a story based on
theses observations and actualities, while still preserving the magic of the west.

What do you consider to be key elements to building a great hero and heroine?

A hero has to have something noble about him - I often call it a noble cause, but something he would die for. He also needs to have a flaw, something deep that the heroine can minister to. A heroine needs to have confidence in something, and she also much have a beautiful quality about her - even if it is something only the hero sees. I think the most important part of building characters is to really get to know your characters, not just their outward habits, but why they do things - and that will make them leap off the page.

Where do you start when developing your stories? With the setting, the characters, the plot?

I start with a premise, or an idea, and then match a character to that premise (or sometimes that premise includes the character). Then I have a unique plotting system that unearths the story particular to my character. I then do research and refine the plot, and the world and the setup.

What are your favorite kinds of stories?

I've written in Romantic Suspense and Chick Lit. Next year, I'm branching out into more of mystery/thriller series with a PI named PJ Sugar, although it will have all the elements of a SMW novel - a strong heroine, a romance or two, suspense, intrigue and of course strong spiritual elements. I love writing Romantic suspense, so all my books will have varying degrees of suspense in them, even if it's not the main theme.

MyBookTherapy is an awesome blog! I can't recommend it enough. Susie, what gave you the idea to start it and have you thought about turning it into a book?

I love teaching, and I'm very grateful for the Lord's generosity in allowing me to write books. I believe that fiction is one of the most impactful avenues for sharing God's truth and grace with a hurting world - so if I can encourage people in their walk to write the stories God has put in their hearts, then I feel I've used well the gifts He's given me. I'm truly thrilled when someone I've worked with gets a publishing contract. God's sovereign, and He's going to do as He pleases in all our lives, for our good and His glory. Knowing that, I'm so thrilled to be a part of the process.

Will there be a third book in the Noble Legacy series?

Yes. Finding Stephanie will release in July of this year.
In reading your MyBookTherapy blog, I've noticed you're faith seems to be a integral part of your writing process. Could you elaborate a bit on that observation?

I believe firmly that our time here on earth is meant to prepare us for eternity - and that starts with a relationship with God. So, having been a recipient of so much grace in my life, I try and pass that in into my stories - filling them with hope, and encouragement, filled with real characters who struggle with real issues. Of course, I like to do it all against a great backdrop of intrigue or suspense, or even the beauty of a state like Montana! My desire is that, when people finish my stories, they are inspired to seek after the God they met in my books.

You give great instruction for all levels of writers. What do you think is the most significant piece of wisdom for a writer to learn early on?

Write the stories that are on your heart, and learn your genre very well, by reading stories in that genre, and studying them copiously. Also - get a team of critiquers who will give you honest feedback!

Susie, thank you so much for sharing with us!

Dear John

A description from Mr. Sparks' website:

An angry rebel, John dropped out of school and enlisted in the Army, not knowing what else to do with his life--until he meets the girl of his dreams, Savannah. Their mutual attraction quickly grows into the kind of love that leaves Savannah waiting for John to finish his tour of duty, and John wanting to settle down with the woman who has captured his heart. But 9/11 changes everything. John feels it is his duty to re-enlist. And sadly, the long separation finds Savannah falling in love with someone else. "Dear John," the letter read...and with those two words, a heart was broken and two lives were changed forever. Returning home, John must come to grips with the fact that Savannah, now married, is still his true love—and face the hardest decision of his life.

Surprisingly, this story kept me from cover to cover. Why do I say that? Well, from a technical aspect, Sparks writes in first person but does a lot of passive writing and telling. There were times that I really wanted to feel more of what his characters experienced (especially Savannah) but didn't get that opportunity. So much of the book is narrated due to the fact that John is telling his story.

One of my favorite parts is how Savannah helps John to see and understand his father for who he is and accept his handicap. Sparks does a great job here and shows how a grown son can rebuild a relationship with his father.

Amazingly, the ending is very satisfying. You get a clear hint from the description that these two won't wind up together, and you almost loathe to read that outcome. Yet once you dig into the circumstances surrounding these two love birds, you see no other way the story could end. Sparks does an excellent job "preparing" the reader for the inevitable.

Truly a story of a sacrificial love, Dear John promises to break your heart and leave you smiling.