King of Tennessee Review and GIVEAWAY!

About the Book

Book: King of Tennessee

Author: David Alan Shorts

Genre: YA/Teen Fiction

Release Date: July, 2020

It was an ordinary day in Tabersville, Tennessee, until nearly everyone in town disappeared. Middle-school trouble maker, Stewart Rainquest, soon turns this nightmare into a dream come true as he sets about living like a king in his small southern town. Things take a turn for the worse as members of the biker gang Stewart idolizes commit murder before his eyes. While doing his best to keep his distance from the killers, Stewart learns how to drive a car and meets Gina, a high school student battling cancer. Their friendship leads them through wild adventures, but only time will tell if Stewart will learn the truth about what happened to everyone in his town.

Click HERE to get your copy!

About the Author

David Alan Shorts has a passion to teach kids things which matter for a lifetime, rather than just the next test or Sunday School lesson. He has written many books, short stories, and magazine articles, along with musicals, plays, and songs. His three children keep him busy and constantly evaluating life through the eyes of youth. He has taught music to thousands of kids in Northern California for more than twenty years. When he’s not doing what matters most, he enjoys flying model airplanes and working out.

More from David

My son and I had just finished watching a Mad Max movie when a conversation began about post-apocalyptic movies and what the Bible has to say. The Apocalypse is real and is described in some detail in the Bible. So, why aren’t all apocalyptic stories told from a Christian world view? That was when I began creating King of Tennessee as an attempt to give depth in today’s contemporary post-apocalyptic stories. It combines action and adventure while still keeping the life-changing message of God’s salvation in the novel.

I would like this to be the book the makes “apocalyptic” a Christian word again. This can be the book that gives some kids a second thought about God, when they might have dismissed Him as meaningless otherwise.

My Review

David Alan Shorts’ King of Tennessee is a young adult novel that seeks to impart wisdom and life lessons through a strange occurrence and its aftermath in the life of a 12-year-old boy named Stewart Rainquest. Stewart, a self-proclaimed punk, is a modern-day Tom Sawyer with a mile-long rap sheet for petty offenses, and he lives with his Grams until one fateful day when suddenly almost everyone in his podunk town of Tabersville, Tennessee vanishes. For a while it’s a dream come true, but it quickly morphs into a nightmare when a biker gang terrorizes what remains of the town, including Stewart’s new friend, Gina, a teenage girl battling cancer. For all of Stewart’s delinquent behavior, he does begin to see himself in a new light when he is more or less alone in the world, and later through Gina.

Confronted with mortality for the first time, Stewart has to look within himself and make decisions that will impact his future now and for eternity. For much of the story, Stewart is a rather unlikeable character, and intentionally so. He represents the sinful part in all of us that rebels and wants us to put ourselves first at the expense of others. His friendship with Gina, however, sparks a consuming flame within him to seek out meaning beyond his own desires. The book of Revelation opens his eyes to the spiritual battle raging around us and illuminates how vital our faith and our salvation in Jesus truly are.  A survival tale that extends beyond the physical realm, King of Tennessee raises questions that teens and adults alike need to consider. At the end of the day, who and what are we living for, and are we prepared to spend eternity according to that decision? “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son” (John 3:18).

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Celebrate Lit and was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own.

My rating: 5 stars ♥♥♥♥♥

Blog Stops

For the Love of Literature, September 28

deb’s Book Review, September 28

For Him and My Family, September 29

Girls in White Dresses, September 30

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, October 1

Through the fire blogs, October 2

Texas Book-aholic, October 3

Blogging With Carol, October 3

A Reader’s Brain, October 4

Inklings and notions, October 5

Locks, Hooks and Books, October 6

Artistic Nobody, October 7 (Guest Review from Joni Truex)

Ashley’s Bookshelf, October 8

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, October 9

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 10

Sara Jane Jacobs, October 11

Nancy E Wood, October 11

Giveaway

To celebrate his tour, David is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon gift card and signed copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/1018c/king-of-tennessee-celebration-tour-giveaway

Mind Over Matter: A Book Review of Rachelle Dekker’s “Nine”

“This time she would break the rules. Even the ones she’d set for herself.”

By turns dark and intriguing, Nine by Rachelle Dekker explores what makes us human and how much choice, if any, we have in what we become. Through a trio of main characters, Dekker presents a narrative that is as timely as it is terrifying, given the current direction of science and military weaponry. Lucy, a young amnesiac, bursts into Zoe Johnson’s carefully-constructed and reclusive life, and the metaphorical house of cards comes crashing down. Part one contains third-person narration, but in part two some of the chapters are narrated in the first person by Lucy, a shift that adds depth and insight. Each girl’s backstory is revealed slowly as the story progresses, and their similarities are essential to the plot. Both have been brainwashed, in a manner of speaking, and their trauma draws them together: Lucy from scientific studies and Zoe from her mother’s cult. Agent Tom Seeley seemingly walks the fine line of double agent, but in this story trust is a quality that gets you killed.

While there is a discernible interplay between goodness and darkness (evil), manifested through a myriad of topics, I am conflicted as to whether I would classify this as a Christian novel. It is marketed as such, and while I can extrapolate a general Christian message from the overall content, I still do not feel quite comfortable labeling it as such. I personally don’t think that if a non-Christian were to pick up this book and read it, they would consider it a Christian work without being told so. There is no profanity, just allusions to people cursing, and none of the characters demonstrate any kind of faith in God that I could see. The bits and pieces of the former cult are the only religion demonstrated in the narrative, and naturally Zoe has a bitter and negative view of such, which was reinforced after leaving the cult. I think that with the storyline, Dekker could have really turned this into a fantastic Christian inspirational novel by the last third of the book, and I’m disappointed that it didn’t happen.

Delving into the shadowy realms of military experimentation, neuroscience, and ethics, Nine is not for the faint of heart. There are scenes of and descriptions of torture that I could definitely have done without; while I am not naïve enough to believe that such things don’t happen, a sentence or allusion to the events without details would suffice, for me at least. The topic of abuse in the story is handled better in this regard, and I think that the questions Dekker raises about ethics are important and need to be considered, especially as we are rapidly entering into a new era of digital dependency and artificial intelligence. As we move forward, we, like the characters in Nine, have to determine who we are and wherein our identity lies. Otherwise, we open ourselves up to being controlled by whomever our community—be it small or large—says we should. From a Christian perspective, we have two choices: follow Jesus or follow Satan: “Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life’” (John 8:12).

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell and was under no obligation to post a positive review. All opinions are my own.

My rating: 4 stars ♥♥♥♥

The Still Hunt: A Book Review of Jane Kirkpatrick’s “Something Worth Doing”

“To move forward, she’d have to believe that something was worth doing no matter how it turned out.”

Compelling and thought-provoking, Jane Kirkpatrick’s Something Worth Doing presents a fictional but reality-based depiction of suffragist Abigail Scott Duniway. In all honesty, this is the first that I recall ever hearing about her, despite her decades of work toward women’s enfranchisement. Kirkpatrick mentions in her author notes that she chose to focus more on Abigail’s personal life, and this is what gives the book its distinctive tone, in my opinion. It actually took me much longer than usual to read, and I think that the complexities of Abigail’s character and the extraordinary details of her life’s journey are the reason. Even though she is clearly modeled after a famous historical figure, I have to credit Kirkpatrick with truly tapping into Abigail’s personality and lifting her from the pages of history—faults, assets, and all.

In a larger context, Something Worth Doing applies to struggles beyond that of women’s suffrage and women’s rights. Whereas most historical fiction includes a happily-ever-after preceded by a standard plot structure, this one diverges. The solemn tone throughout reflects the hardships of life, and particularly women’s lives, in the nineteenth-century, highlighting their inability to own property, influence laws through voting, and have careers outside the home and their subsequent status as dependent on the men in their lives. Many of the controversies in the novel remain prevalent today in some form, emphasizing how progressive Abigail and her compatriots really were. In my opinion, part of the reason that she was able to retain her reputation in the midst of her outspoken platform was in her approach: “My way is a ‘still hunt.’ Quiet coercion of men in power and men in general to be less frightened by women.” I was intrigued by her speculation about how equality between men and women would have been the result had Columbus landed on the West Coast, rather than the East, and her persistence through so many setbacks and even outright failures is quite remarkable.

Abigail’s story as told by Kirkpatrick invites reflection and contemplation, aided by engaging chapter titles and a set of discussion questions at the end of the book. While I admire Abigail’s tenacity and dedication to the cause, I also feel a great deal of sadness for her because she sacrificed tenderness and stronger relationships with her family on behalf of her suffrage work, a forfeit that she did choose willingly. She acknowledges as much by noting that “The married women and mothers working in the cause bore an extra burden to make sure their own daughters weren’t set aside for the larger effort. Advocacy had its price, even with occasional privileges.” Such is the case with any passion or cause that we take up today as much as it was a century ago, and thus this story resonates so profoundly. Perhaps this is why I enjoyed Ben’s supportive presence so much, reminding us all that “Things didn’t always turn out well, as Ben proposed, but some things were worth doing, regardless.”

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell and was under no obligation to post a positive review. All opinions are my own.

My rating: 5 stars ♥♥♥♥♥

About Face, Rest, and Intents & Purposes Author Interview and GIVEAWAY!

About the Book

Book: About Face, Rest, and Intents & Purposes

Author: Tonia Colleen Martin

Genre: Illustrated Poetry

Release Date: 2019 and 2020

The terrible accident happened too long ago to remember the specifics. Having lost what she doesn’t remember owning, it takes the miracle of crossing paths with Hush, Shush and Silence, to reveal the truth. The shock of realizing she struggled to maintain an identity never meant to be hers, floors her. From a position of surrender, the surface of her tears mirrors who she has always been but hasn’t seen and does not know. Unimaginable possibilities, surprising choices and thrilling freedom ensues.

At the core of all anxiety is mistaken identity. About Face invites readers to consider who they might be apart from other people’s expectations and who they might become.

Click HERE to get your copy of About Face!

A perennial gift book for the stressed and beleaguered. Falling into the growing category of children’s books for adults, Rest: An Invitation to Freedom, lures readers out of frenzied productivity into a state of peaceful contemplation. Written for exhausted high achievers, this story is suitable for office lobbies, coffee and bedside tables.

“The heart of Christianity is a myth which is also a fact. At its best, the fairy story or fantasy is far from being a flight from reality; it is, rather, a flight to reality.”- JRR Tolkein

“The trumpet of imagination, like the trumpet of the Resurrection, calls the dead out of their

graves.” – GK Chesterton

“Some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again.” — C.S. Lewis

Click HERE to get your copy of Rest: An Invitation to Freedom!

This story took longer to live than to transcribe. For daydreamers, truth-seekers, joy-feeders, and those longing to let your heart instruct your mind, this little book is for you. Falling into my own stylized category of children’s book for adults, Intents and Purposes, chronicles the path of a life abandoned by disconnection and loneliness as it moves to the threshold of hope and contentment.

Both text and illustrations are mine. Although countless versions reside in my constantly reconfiguring memory, this compilation seems to be its truest version.

Click HERE to get your copy of Intents and Purposes!

About the Author

I earned my MFA in Writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts, received the Hallberg Award for Art; Best of Show, Blue Line Gallery, Membership Medley; published in The Arts in Religious and Theological Studies; Ruminate Magazine; Metonym; Sierra College Journal.

More from Tonia

They are ready! Finally! These three illustrated books are condensed chronicles of various phases of my spiritual development. Over the years, I’ve learned that the deepest matters of the heart seem to be resistant to the confines of words. Images aid in the capture of emotions, but even still, the heart is shy. It runs from impatience and requires a concentration of listening and a suspension of judgment.

Each one of these books hovers over distinct territories and touch down in depths most avoid. I struggle to put my experiences into a kind and beautiful package, hoping to lure readers into places of feeling many might avoid. Not realizing they would be officially released during this unnerving pandemic, I am now so grateful for the message of hope that invites readers into possibilities and faith in our merciful Father of Lights who brought all things into being and is, even now, administering Peace to those who simply ask and expect. For those who suffer in the unknown, as I have and often do, I invite to include the reading of these missives of encouragement and their distribution of the message of Hope hidden in their pages. They were written to uplift you on the days when you can find no words for your longing, no relief for your uncertainty and a deep desire for encouragement. I am eager to get them out in the world.

Author Interview

When/how did you decide to become a writer?

I was in my late 20’s.

Which author has most influenced your own writing?

C.S. Lewis; Frederick Buechner; Wendell Berry.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I take forever to write. I often start from a “lyrical impulse and work backwards, ”which is the funniest description I’ve ever heard.  But some fancy editor told me that and its always rolled around in my mind.

What is your work schedule like when you’re writing?

I write almost everyday but rarely at the same time or the same amount or on the same thing.

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Definitely a pantser.

Do you have a favorite or special place to write?

Yes, in my office. I need to be quiet and confined.

Is there a particular literary period that you’re drawn to (Regency, Victorian, Romantic, Modernism, etc.)? Why?

No I like a wide variety of books and articles and poetry and subjects.

Describe your book in five words.

BOOKS YOU WANT TO GIFT

Which one of your characters speaks most to your heart? Why?

The characters all speak for me from regions I couldn’t access any other way.

Do you ever hide things in your stories for readers to find?

Not intentionally.

What are your hobbies?

Gardening, cooking.

Who was/is your biggest inspiration?

Frederick Buechner

Do you have a favorite Bible verse, or is there a particular Bible story that really resonates with you?

The Story of Esther inspires me. I wish I had Esther’s courage.

If you could live inside a book, which one would it be?

Oh wow! What an interesting question. The more I thought about it, the more frightening it became. The idea gives me claustrophobia. I think I love reading stories to experience characters making difficult choices and speaking up when I’d be too much of a coward to do the same. I can be inspired but I wouldn’t want to be stuck in a book.

If you could meet one author, living or passed, who would it be?

Mike Mason or Frederick Buechner.

What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

Get a group of like minded writers and commit to being a “tribe.” A group like the Inklings…that’s what every writer needs.

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 19

Texas Book-aholic, September 20

Beauty in the Binding, September 21 (Author Interview)

deb’s Book Review, September 21

For Him and My Family, September 22

For the Love of Literature, September 23 (Author Interview)

Inklings and notions, September 24

Locks, Hooks and Books, September 25

Tell Tale Book Reviews, September 26 (Author Interview)

Artistic Nobody, September 27 (Guest Review from Joni Truex)

Ashley’s Bookshelf, September 28

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, September 29

Sara Jane Jacobs, September 30

Through the Fire Blogs, October 1 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, October 1

Emily Yager, October 2

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Tonia is giving away the grand prize of a $25 Amazon gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/100e9/about-face-rest-and-intents-purposes-celebration-tour-giveaway

Jack Review and GIVEAWAY!

About the Book

Book: Jack

Author: Chautona Havig

Genre: Historical Western Romance

Release Date: January 26, 2016

Women are trouble—lying, cheating, untrustworthy bundles of trouble.

Jack Clausen doesn’t need anyone but his horse and a boss who won’t interfere in his personal life—or lack of one.

Sure, he’s a lonely cowboy, but better lonely than brokenhearted.

If only he hadn’t met a girl who made him hope that honest and true women do exist. Maybe he wouldn’t be riding off into a snowstorm with a fresh determination to avoid women—indefinitely.

When Hazel Meissner sees a cowboy risk life, limb, and horse to save a child, she knows he’s someone special. When he finally gives her his heart, she considers herself the most blessed woman alive.

However, when he rides off without a word, she wonders if her heart will survive the loss.

One broken man. One trusting woman. One orchestrated misunderstanding that tears them apart. What’ll it take to bring Jack home again?

It’s Shakespeare’s Much Ado about Nothing mashed up with the old ballad, “Cowboy Jack.” Don’t miss a cast of characters inspired by the Bard himself—especially Dirk and Deborah (Benedick & Beatrice).

Jack: a lot of hullaballoo on the prairie.

Click HERE to get your copy!

About the Author

Chautona Havig lives in an oxymoron, escapes into imaginary worlds that look startlingly similar to ours and writes the stories that emerge. An irrepressible optimist, Chautona sees everything through a kaleidoscope of It’s a Wonderful Life sprinkled with fairy tales. Find her at chautona.com and say howdy—if you can remember how to spell her name.

More from Chautona

The Inspiration I Hate to Love

The plaintive notes of a ballad filled the living room. People sat on couches and chairs or stood in the doorway, listening. Three steps up the staircase, out of view of most of the room, a little girl sat, chin in her hands, listening.

If you looked close, you’d see freckles dotting her nose and crooked teeth that never were too large for her mouth like most children’s were. Just a bit closer, and you’d see wide, hazel eyes riveted to the man with the guitar seated on the hearth. To his right, a cup of coffee and sometimes a shot of whiskey.

With a voice like Jim Reeves (the non-twangy Reeves, mind you), the songs told stories, like all ballads do—a little blind girl praying for her father’s future happiness, a girl of thirteen who barely escaped a massacre in 19th century Wyoming. “Hazel eyes,” the man called her. California Joe—he was a real man, although not as good of one as the song made out.

Sometimes the man sang happier songs, but most of them were slow, western ballads that could keep Nicolas Sparks writing for decades.

And the little girl loved them all—especially California Joe and one about a cowboy who left his sweetheart alone on the prairie after a quarrel. One called “Cowboy Jack.”

As you’ve probably surmised, I was the little girl, and that man who sang and stirred the hearts of our family at nearly every gathering was my father.

How I miss those days.

For years, I wanted to give Jack a happier ending. See, the song goes like this. A lonely cowboy (with a heart so brave and true) meets and falls in love with a maiden (with eyes of heaven’s own blue). Alas, as with all good romances, the couple quarrel and Jack rides away. He finds a new band of cowboys and would have been just fine, but someone asks him to sing a song to “drive all cares away.” Alas, the song he devises is one about a “lonely maiden who waited for her Jack.”

Of course, he rides off to ask forgiveness. It’s all his fault. He arrives too late. She died of a broken heart on the “lonely prairie where skies are always blue.”

After I began writing, the idea came to me to turn those songs Dad sang—old ones that had been passed on and down through many different versions—into novels. I’d write all the subtext the songs left out.

I’d give them happy endings.

Of course, that’s easier said than done. One by one, I figured out how to do it, but Jack… well, I didn’t want to change the stories. I just wanted to leave on hope instead of despair.

Shakespeare to the rescue!

I was watching Kenneth Branagh’s Much Ado about Nothing adaptation, and the answer came to me so clearly. It had the solution I needed. So, I smooshed the song and the play together. Inside, you’ll find the characters Shakespeare created (including Dirk and Deborah and their biting repartee—they steal the show!) in the setting and with the elements of the ballad, too.

Dad’s older now. His hands are gnarled with age, swollen with arthritis. His mind is slipping away. Today, you’ll find his guitar at my house. My son now owns it, but he doesn’t know the songs I heard played on the old Goya. Still, when I take it out of the case, tune it up, and pluck the strings, everything shifts. Suddenly, I’m nine years old again, sitting on my uncle’s stairs, just out of sight, watching. Listening. Heart breaking.

See, I’ll never hear my father play again, and I can’t play either. So, the songs will have to live on with stories of Mary, Jethro, Maggie… and of course, Jack.

My Review

Hearing the word ballad calls to mind images of Davy Crockett and of men sitting around a campfire. I love the author’s inspiration for this novel, basing it on a ballad she heard as a child and simultaneously remaining true to the original while also handling the ending a bit differently. In literature, a ballad and an epic poem can be very similar, so with that in mind it does not seem much of a stretch to go a step further to novel format. Although not necessarily a defining attribute, I tend to associate ballads with highly dramatized action and heroic feats, and with a subtitle of “a lot of hullabaloo on the prairie”, I figured that this book was going to fit the bill.

One aspect of the (too few) Chautona Havig books that I’ve read to date that I particularly enjoy is the combination of sincerity and humor, and Jack showcases this especially well. On the one hand, there is the cowboy Jack, a drifter of sorts with a checkered past that began on the streets of New York as a young boy and has caused him to keep his distance from women—until he meets Hazel Meissner, who could marry into high society but chooses a wary cowboy instead. However, the course of true love never did run smooth, and the same can be said for Dirk and Deborah, whose clever verbal jousting belies their mutual affection. The most amusing character, by far, is Sheriff Hawmutt, whose brief interlude offers a reprieve from an emotional section of the story and provides comic relief in the form of hilarious malapropisms.

A strong Christian faith element suffuses the narrative, focusing on forgiveness and trust. One of my favorite quotations from the book sums it up so well: “You can’t have it both ways. Either the Lord is good and what He says is also good, or the Lord is a liar and a liar cannot be good.” While it is easy to become frustrated with Jack because he trusts someone he knows is dishonest over Hazel, who has never given him reason to doubt her, it’s the same thing that we do all too often. We listen to the lies of the enemy rather than the truth of God. Our reaction when hurt or wronged should be to forgive others and trust God, as Hazel does, but how often do we actually do that? For as implausibly perfect as I found Hazel to be, I have to admire her Christlike attitude throughout the story. As the apostle Paul implores us in Ephesians 5:1-2, “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.”

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Celebrate Lit and was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own.

My rating: 5 stars ♥♥♥♥♥

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 21

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, September 21

Connie’s History Classroom, September 22

deb’s Book Review, September 22

For the Love of Literature, September 23

Bigreadersite, September 23

Texas Book-aholic, September 24

lakesidelivingsite, September 24

Inklings and notions, September 25

Sara Jane Jacobs, September 25

For Him and My Family, September 26

Reviewingbooksplusmore, September 26

Locks, Hooks and Books, September 27

Hookmeinabook, September 27

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, September 28

Artistic Nobody, September 29 (Guest Review from Joni Truex)

21st Century Keeper at Home, September 29

Ashley’s Bookshelf, September 30

Lots of Helpers, September 30

She Lives To Read, October 1

Mary Hake, October 1

Daysong Reflections, October 2

Godly Book Reviews, October 2

Simple Harvest Reads, October 3 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

Captive Dreams Window, October 3

Spoken from the Heart, October 4

Pause for Tales, October 4

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Chautona is giving away the grand prize package of a paperback copy of the book and a $25 Amazon gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/10101/jack-celebration-tour-giveaway

Good and Faithful Servant Author Interview and GIVEAWAY!

About the Book:

Book: Good & Faithful Servant

Author: Wes Daughenbough

Genre: Non-fiction, leadership

Release Date: July, 2020

The greatest need in the body of Christ today is for spiritual leadership training, and the first law of spiritual leadership is that you are not the leader—the Holy Spirit is! If you follow him, you will lead many to righteousness.

Veteran pastor Wes Daughenbaugh, a Christian leader for nearly fifty years and author of five books, presents a wealth of spiritual wisdom designed to help Christian leaders develop skills for true godly leadership.

Key topics:

• The differences between secularized leadership and spiritual leadership.
• How to avoid using people to obtain a secularized vision and instead have God’s vision for the individuals you are leading.
• How to have influence with God (power in prayer).
• The importance of spiritual warnings.
• Seven ways to live in Christlike character virtues.
• Over sixty professional drawings to help you “see” spiritual truths.

If you long for intimacy with God and want your life to glorify Jesus, you’ll find Good and Faithful Servant to be a comprehensive, timely resource to help you be a Spirit-led servant of Jesus Christ and his church.

Click HERE to get your copy!

About the Author

Multi-published author Wes Daughenbaugh understands pastors and church leadership. He has served forty-six years in ministry as associate pastor, lead pastor, and traveling teacher-evangelist, preaching in fifty US states and several foreign countries. With the gift of teaching, Wes turns complex truths into easy-to-remember illustrations for leaders and readers. Ordained with the Oregon Ministry Network of the Assemblies of God, Wes lives with his wife, Bonnie, in western Oregon. They have two daughters, three grandsons, and one granddaughter. Learn more at www.EncouragementExpert.com.

More from Wes

WHY I WROTE GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT

During my many years in the ministry I’ve tried to feed my leadership gift with books on leadership but I never bonded with them. They were so dry. Then never talked about being rich in God, how to get supernatural faith, have a dynamic prayer life or live in the power of the Spirit. I finally decided I just must not be a leader but only a “teacher.” During those years I “led” thousands to Christ and led thousands more into forgiveness and lessons in Christ-like maturity. Two years ago I began to pray earnestly that God would restore spiritual POWER to the American Church. Then to my surprise, God strongly impressed me to write a book on SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP and gave me the title and subtitle. The book gushed out of me in eight days of writing and I’ve spent the last year and a half perfecting the copy and getting the sixty plus drawings finished. This book has the leadership lessons the Holy Spirit personally taught me. They are not DRY. You’ll find God’s presence in this book. It will teach you how to be a great follower of the real LEADER of the church, the Holy Spirit.

ONE MORE THING: These lessons are for every Christian. We don’t need titles and positions to be spiritual leaders. Just desire to “lead many to righteousness” by being a great follower of the Holy Spirit. God will use YOU to bring “massive glory” to His name.

Author Interview

When and how did I decide to become a writer?

I started writing serial stories when I was in grade school and students would sometimes stay inside during recess to hear my next episode.  But when I was twenty-three I said to God, “I love you so much I wish I could put myself in that copy machine and make thousands of me to serve you all over the world.”  God spoke instantly and firmly, “DO IT!”  Every tract, booklet, audio CD, DVD, and book is a “copy of me.” I’ve been writing these things for forty-seven years.  Many such “copies of me” (hundreds of thousands) have gone out all over the world.

Which Author has most influenced my own writing?

The Apostle Paul.

What is my own interesting writing quirk?

I think in pictures.  I love to think of ways to illustrate a truth with a drawing and I have a great artist to work with.  I want people to REMEMBER what I write and our brains remember pictures way better than mere words.  God has used me to “say it in pictures” so that people not only hear their answers—but SEE them.

DESCRIBE MY BOOK IN FIVE WORDS

YOU CAN BE A SPIRITUAL LEADER!  (six words)

YOU CAN LEAD MANY TO RIGHTEOUSNESS!  (Six words)

YOU CAN TRAIN SPIRITUAL LEADERS! (Five words)

Who is my biggest inspiration?

My greatest spiritual inspirations have always been hearing directly from God.  Of all of those experiences, perhaps the most important one of all was when the Holy Spirit showed me the heart motive of Jesus and then compared my motives to His until my heart was taken over by the motivations of the heart of Jesus.  This burning motivation to bring glory to God has been the usher of God, leading me into all the other truths and experiences.  A favorite Bible verse from which I received this revelation is John 17:1-5.

What are my hobbies?

I love every aspect of the ministry and I’ve preached in all 50 states and several foreign countries.  So “work” never feels like work to me. Sending boxes of books to prisons is especially fun!

We live in Oregon and enjoy walking on the beach or costal trails. We enjoy picking blueberries, blackberries, cherries, strawberries, peaches, pears, apples, etc.  I love family times with m wife, daughters, and grandchildren.  Board games with grandchildren—that’s lots of fun.  We also like to fish.

What kind of book do I prefer?

I like audio books and traditional books.  I don’t like to read books from a phone or computer screen.  I love to “mark up” books so that I can find what I want to use in sermons, or what I want to remember to apply.

My advice to those writing spiritual books—Hear from God.  Ask what He wants to say.  Ask how He wants it said.  Dependency is the key word in being a great achiever—depending upon God is the first step in the cycle of success.

Blog Stops

Locks, Hooks and Books, September 8

Texas Book-aholic, September 9

By The Book, September 10 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, September 10

Inklings and notions, September 11

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, September 12

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, September 13 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 14

For the Love of Literature, September 15 (Author Interview)

deb’s Book Review, September 15

For Him and My Family, September 16

Artistic Nobody, September 17 (Guest Review from Joni Truex)

Tell Tale Book Reviews, September 18 (Author Interview)

Ashley’s Bookshelf, September 19

Through the Fire Blogs, September 20 (Author Interview)

Sara Jane Jacobs, September 21

Giveaway

To celebrate his tour, Wes is giving away the grand prize of a signed copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/10094/good-and-faithful-servant-celebration-tour-giveaway

The Other 3:16s Review and GIVEAWAY!

About the Book

Book: The Other 3:16s

Author: Malinda Fugate

Genre: Christian Living

Release Date: May 12, 2020

”For God so loved the world . . . “

Many of us could finish that sentence in our sleep. John 3:16 is a beautiful Scripture that neatly and simply sums up the message of the Gospel. But what do all the other 3:16s in the Bible have to tell us?

The words of the Bible weave a tapestry of love, particularly the love that our Heavenly Father has for His children. But a love so deep and so wide cannot be contained in one memorized phrase. It takes multiple authors of sixty-six individual books to begin to explore the mystery of God’s care for us.

The Other Three Sixteens by Malinda Fugate examines each third chapter and sixteenth verse in the Bible and invites a fresh, new perspective to help readers uncover surprises or remind them of forgotten truths of a faith that has become routine.

Through Genesis to Revelation, we can soak in its depth, wonder at its intricacies, and be moved at how much the Lord truly does lavish upon us. Together, we discover God’s love under the weight of Eve’s sin in the garden. It’s there in front of Moses, burning in a bush that is somehow not consumed. God’s love sits in the dark with Job, rebuilds a wall with Nehemiah, and encourages a young pastor named Timothy. Together we will find a deeper understanding of the way our Heavenly Father cares for each of us today.

Click HERE to get your copy! 

About the Author

Malinda Fugate grew up in children’s ministry. Now, after two decades of dedicated volunteer service, she now serves full-time as the Children’s Education Director at a church in Southern California. Malinda studied communications and theatre at Azusa Pacific University, then worked behind the scenes at the Los Angeles Salem radio stations, including The Fish and KKLA. Her writing includes The Other Three Sixteens, Bible Time for Active Kids, commercial copywriting, various faith-based stage and screen plays, as well as co-producing A Single Girl’s Guide To, a lifestyle blog and web series. Her lifelong study of God’s Word continues to reveal more about the Lord every day. She lives by the beach with her pup, Yoshi.

 

More from Malinda

It’s the first verse many of us memorized in Sunday School and perhaps the most familiar to any Christian: “For God so loved the world….”

In one sentence, we celebrate the incredible love of God and the amazing gift of salvation that Jesus gave through the cross. John 3:16 is a beautiful Scripture to keep in our hearts and minds.

Of course, John did not assign chapters and verses when he penned his gospel. Those were added later to help us reference as we study. Yet, years of reciting John 3:16 have etched these lines into our brains, making it an easy combo to remember. What if we looked at the other 3:16 verses in each book of the Bible? What treasures would we unearth hidden in our well-worn pages?

We find Adam and Eve in their last days in a garden paradise, dealing with the consequences of a terrible decision.

There is a young boy training to be a priest who suddenly hears the audible voice of God.

A king’s cup-bearer journeys to his homeland to lead a massive construction project despite adversity.

We sit next to Job in his darkest days, crying out to God for answers.

We meet a young pastor named Timothy, experience miraculous healings, and witness the baptism of Jesus Himself.

Most of all, in every verse, we discover the immense love of God. We learn that it cannot be contained simply in one phrase; such a great love is too full of rich detail. Most of all, we find that His love is alive and active in our very own lives, right this minute.

My Review

A unique approach to studying the Bible, Malinda Fugate’s The Other 3:16s considers the universally-known John 3:16 and the Bible’s resounding message of love and explores the third chapter and sixteenth verse of the other books of the Bible that have them. She bases her analysis on the fact that God is love and that He has an overwhelming love for all of His children. Proceeding in order, she begins with Genesis and moves through both the Old and New Testaments, ending with Revelation and John. Not only is this logical and easy to follow, but I love that she includes the Old as well as the New Testament. The former tends to be written about less often, and it is challenging reading. I am impressed with the effort that the author has put into the organization and presentation of this book.

The Other 3:16s offers the big picture of the Bible in the form of a continuing narrative related by the author. As such, it can be read as one would a regular book, or it can be used as a devotional. This latter option is bolstered by the discussion questions that the author has graciously provided at the end of the book; they are merged with a Bible reading plan and formatted into either 6-or 10-week time spans, although this could be adjusted to the reader’s preference. Along these same lines, Fugate has arranged each chapter to discuss a book of the Bible. The verse corresponding with chapter 3 verse 16 is written out, and then she explains the setting and historical background, which is so important of any writing, but especially to a text as sacred as the Bible. In order to gain an understanding of the Lord and His workings from the earliest times through the book of Revelation, it’s necessary to have at least a basic knowledge of the individual Bible books and also be able to put them together as one cohesive narrative. Also, Fugate ties in the most-often-quoted verses from the Bible book from which they come, which is also helpful in bringing everything together. With an e-book copy, when I pulled up my notes section to read the passages that I highlighted, I was surprised and delighted to find that each one had the Bible book noted above it.

Speaking of the content itself, aside from a few isolated instances, this nonfiction book follows Scripture and provides information and clarification about the historical and cultural milieu, which helps readers to more fully understand what is transpiring and how it is significant. This, in turn, draws readers closer to the God who “welcomes questions from His children when they come from humble, reverent hearts.” I appreciate that Fugate acknowledges the tough questions that we all ask at some point, the answers to which we will probably never fully know on this side of eternity, concluding that we simply need to trust God because He always has everything under His perfect control, and His plans for His children are always for our good and for His glory. And so, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.”

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Celebrate Lit and was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own.

My rating: 5 stars ♥♥♥♥♥

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 4

Texas Book-aholic, September 5

Inklings and notions, September 6

deb’s Book Review, September 6

For Him and My Family, September 7

Hebrews 12 Endurance, September 8

Locks, Hooks and Books, September 9

Artistic Nobody, September 10 (Guest Review from Joni Truex)

Ashley’s Bookshelf, September 11

Sara Jane Jacobs, September 12

For the Love of Literature, September 13

Mary Hake, September 13

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, September 14

Lights in a Dark World, September 15

Splashes of Joy, September 16

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, September 17

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Malinda is giving away the grand prize package of A John 3:16 glass water bottle and a signed copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/fffc/the-other-3-16s-celebration-tour-giveaway

Widowhood Author Interview and GIVEAWAY!

About the Book

Book: widowhood

Author: Mary Bruce

Genre: Personal Growth

Release Date: May 12, 2020

A woman may have many names and many titles, but “widow” is not necessarily one she plans for. And when the unexpected happens, she is thrust into the role of being the captain of her ship, the decision-maker, and the one solely responsible for the direction of her and her family’s future. The emotions a widow experiences as she faces her life from this new position of aloneness are as varied and unique as each widow is. But what all widows share is a calling to be a leader in the midst of the chaos of the death of their husbands.

In Widowhood: A Calling to Leadership, Mary Bruce encourages widows to embrace their new role with hope and to unashamedly rely on the resources God provides to sustain them through his Spirit and through his body, the church. She illuminates for church leaders how to direct and mentor widows in their church families and how to provide these women with opportunities to express their new God-given calling of leadership.

This book will give you a fresh perspective on widowhood. It will help widows to see the energy they possess as fuel for godly leadership, and it will help church leaders to see their widows as esteemed gifts instead of burdens.

Click HERE to get your copy!

About the Author

Mary Bruce is a registered nurse, a former homeschooling mother, and a widow since the weekend before 9/11. Born and raised in Waterbury, Connecticut, she still resides there and works as an associate pastor. In the early 1990s, she initiated a grassroots movement to pray in Connecticut on the National Day of Prayer. Since then she has served as a state coordinator for the National Day of Prayer Task Force and is currently its National Area Leader for the nine northeast states.

More from Mary

Have you ever wanted to wake up one morning with a new start, a brand new start?

I can say that, during the 2001/2002 school year, for 360 of 365 days that is exactly what I learned to do, wake up with a new start. Mine was the school of hard knocks. After 9/11, there were many of us who found ourselves on a daily automatic wake-up call before sunrise. No alarm clock was involved. Perhaps it was the stress of a new start for so many. It’s not like we went to bed super early so we could wake up early. Sleeping just wasn’t the same.

For me, by the time daylight started , I was already sitting on the steps of our back porch, waiting to greet the day, watching the eastern skies over the 5 acre mowed field behind our house. Each morning I would grab a cup of coffee, my journal, a pen and my Bible, wrap myself in winter coat and blankets and sit there waiting: waiting on the sunrise, acknowledging the earth’s stillness, waiting for some revelation from God or insight into my own life situation. It was not a worrisome time, that came later in the day. It was just a sitting and waiting time. Even my reading would have to wait until the dawn’s early light grew sufficient to see the print. There was nothing to interrupt, to distract from that alone time of solitude and meditation.

Then, like a shot in the dark, the 7am bell would ring out from high school across the street, a roar of automobile sounds would drift over the house, and the magic quiet spell would be broken.

In those early moments, I saw things I had been too busy to notice before. In spring, I watched fog roll over the field, literally roll on the grass from east to west, from the field to the road. In summer, I noticed nearly a whole year of early mornings without pouring rain. Pouring rain was my only hindrance to sitting outside. In autumn, I saw a female doe pulling apples off the low branches and her 3 young charges dancing on hind legs trying to reach the apples. In winter, I realized that I could sit out in freezing weather, when I did not even like to walk from the house to the car in the cold. I learned to take the outward opening storm door off before the snow fell, so that I could just open the inside door and step out. I said, “Good morning” to the Maker of the universe as my first spoken words of the day.

I don’t think I was alone. 2001 was a hard year for many widows. I was fortunate to spend each start of the day with the Maker, appreciating his faithfulness, which is new every morning – a new start. “Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.” NLT Lam. 3:23

Author Interview

When/how did you decide to become a writer?

At age 22, while on a nursing job interview, I was asked to write out my 1 year, 5 year, 10 year, 20 year and 50 year goals.  I could add well and knew that by age 72 I would not want to be lifting patients off stretchers, so I thought of what I could still do at age 72 and writing seemed less physically straining.

Which author has most influenced your own writing?

Two authors have influenced me most:  C.S.Lewis and Lynn Austin

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I don’t know what a writing quirk is.

What drew you to the time period that you write about?

I love history and believe that by journaling we each can document a part of history. I love to read books about life between 1850-1900.

Who was/is your biggest inspiration?

Dorothy Gilman

Describe your book in five words.

Giving permission to change perspectives.

What is your work schedule like when you’re writing?

Up before or at 6am daily, personal prayer and devotion time, writing from 8:30/9a until 11:30 or so.  On some days, writing from 10a-2p

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

A plotter

Do you have a favorite or special place to write?

Kitchen table.

What are your hobbies?

Cooking, prayer-walking, piano worship.

What is your favorite book?

The Bible.

Do you prefer traditional books, ebooks, or audiobooks?

Audiobooks.

Do you have a favorite Bible verse, or is there a particular Bible story that really resonates with you?

Mark 5:19,20 tells Jesus response to the demoniac who was delivered of the demons and wanted to follow Jesus. “And he (Jesus) did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your people and report to them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He had mercy on you. And he (the delivered demoniac) went away and began to proclaim in Decapolis what great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed.”(NASB)   Another version, the KJV says  ”he began to publish…..”   This was an affirmation of God’s desire for me.

Is there a particular literary period that you’re drawn to (Regency, Victorian, Romantic, Modernism, etc.)? Why?

The Romantic Period, especially American writings of how they lived out what was set before them in our American government. I love this nation and believe that the birth of our nation was unlike any other on this earth.

lf you could live inside a book, which one would it be?

Wonderland Creek by Lynn Austin.

If you could meet one author, living or passed, who would it be?

Lynn Austin

What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

Journal everyday of your life, even if all you can write is the date. You will be writing history from your perspective as you comment on what is happening in your lifetime.

Blog Stops

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, September 5

Beauty in the Binding, September 6 (Author Interview)

Inklings and notions, September 7

Through the Fire Blogs, September 8 (Author Interview)

deb’s Book Review, September 8

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 9

For the Love of Literature, September 10 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, September 11

For Him and My Family, September 12

Simple Harvest Reads, September 13 (Author Interview)

By The Book, September 14 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, September 14

Artistic Nobody, September 15 (Guest Review from Joni Truex)

Sara Jane Jacobs, September 16

Locks, Hooks and Books, September 17

Ashley’s Bookshelf, September 18

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Mary is giving away the grand prize package of a $20 Amazon gift card and a signed copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/fffe/widowhood-celebration-tour-giveaway

A Season to Dance Scavenger Hunt and Author Interview with Patricia Beal

About the Book

Book: A Season to Dance

Author: Patricia Beal

Genre: Women’s Fiction

Release Date: May 6, 2017

Ana Brassfield has her path to the stage of the Metropolitan Opera House all figured out until her first love, renowned German dancer Claus Gert, returns to Georgia to win her back. Despite a promising start towards her ballet career and pending marriage to landscape architect, Peter Engberg, Ana wonders if her dreams of dancing at the Met are as impossible as her previous romantic relationship with Claus.

Then, an on-stage kiss between Ana and Claus changes everything.

Convinced the kiss is more than a one-time mistake, Peter breaks off their engagement. With an old dog crippled by arthritis and dreams deferred but not left behind, Ana moves to Germany to be with Claus. But the ghost of his late wife, Ana’s own feelings for Peter, and the pressure of earning a spot in a large ballet company are a high price for a shot at success. Ana seems on the verge of having everything she ever dreamed of, but will it be enough?

About the Author

Patricia writes contemporary women’s fiction and romance. She is a Genesis Award semi-finalist, First Impressions finalist, and the author of A Season to Dance and Desert Willow (Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas, 2017 and 2020). She writes from Fayetteville, North Carolina. Visit her at http://www.patriciabeal.com for more.

More from Patricia

When I wrote the first line of my first novel in January of 2011, I wanted to get published because I was desperate to feel important.

I finished writing A Season to Dance that fall and hired coach Gloria Kempton via Writer’s Digest to look at the whole thing and tell me if it was any good.

She saw potential in the story of a small-town professional ballerina with big dreams, but explained I needed a clearer quest, more telling details, better scene structure, and better balance between sequels and dramatic scenes. I joined Gloria’s critique group and spent a year rewriting.

During that year, my husband got orders to move the family from Fort Benning, Georgia, to Germany, and he deployed for the sixth time soon after we settled on a lovely mountaintop in Idar-Oberstein.

When I finished rewriting, Gloria said the novel looked good and had everything a novel was supposed to have. But… “Something’s still missing. I don’t know what it is. We’ve covered it all.”

So of course I did what any writer desperate for validation would do. I told my coach that surely nothing was missing and that it was time to query. I hired a service to blast queries everywhere for me. I know… Shame on me… But God used that.

God’s Plan—Phase One

One query ended up with Mrs. Joyce Hart, of Hartline Literary. The novel wasn’t Christian—I wasn’t a Christian. She shouldn’t have received my query. But she did. She sent me a note saying she liked the storyline but that in Christian novels the protagonist couldn’t live with her love interest without being married. She was very kind and said that if she was missing the point and if the novel was indeed Christian that I should resubmit explaining the living together piece.

When I read it I laughed and rolled my eyes. I started typing a condescending reply. Something about Christian fairy tale brains and me living in the real world, but I decided not to send it.

Days passed. A week passed. A month passed. And all I did was collect rejections. I became bitter. Bitterly sad at first. Then bitterly discouraged. And then bitterly ugly. I’d never been ugly before. Not like that.

See, up to that point, I’d believed that there was some kind of “god” and that somewhere, somehow, being good was right and that it paid off. But with the disappointments of the publishing journey those beliefs became a joke to me. I stood in the middle of my empty German kitchen—husband deployed, kids at school, my first dog had just died. And I looked at that inbox full of rejections and stated to whomever or whatever was out there: “God is dead.”

Mercy. Surely I said that to the “god” of my imagination, and not to the real God—God as He reveals Himself in the Bible. But I know that He was in that kitchen with me. And phase two of His plan was about to start.

Luke 22:31-32: “And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.”

God’s Plan—Phase Two

As I lost all restraint and became the worst version of myself, God removed me from my green German mountaintop.

After less than eighteen months in Germany, we were sent back to America, to the Chihuahuan Desert in West Texas. To a place called Fort Bliss—a place from which you can see a Mexican mountain with the words: “Cd. Juárez. La Biblia es la verdad. Leela.” That translates to “City of Juárez. The Bible is the truth. Read it.” Gotta love it. God is good.

During the first six months back in America, I went to two secular writers’ conferences and met more rejection. My lack of restraint and my selfishness didn’t really make me happy. I wanted to go to therapy. I wanted a job. I still dreamed of that book deal that had to be just around the corner. I wanted, I wanted…

But nothing happened, and it didn’t matter how hard I tried to get help, get happy, and find any kind of relief for the pain I felt. Nothing. Happened. I’d never seen so many closed doors—slammed-shut doors—ever in my life. Even the shrink kept double booking, closing early, and somehow cancelling on me. It was ridiculous.

The One Open Door

When God planted our family in the desert, He planted us two blocks from a friend from the Fort Benning years. A friend whose claim to fame was church shopping whenever the Army moved her family. I asked her to take me to church on the first Wednesday of January of 2013.

I fell in His arms. Surrendered, defeated, and dependent. Or what God likes to call—ready. I was born again two weeks later and was baptized on Super Bowl Sunday that February.

Gloria’s “Something Missing”

I had tickets to go to New York for the Writer’s Digest conference that spring, but sometime in March, it dawned on me: “You silly goose of a girl. You wrote a salvation story without the salvation piece.” My first coach, Gloria Kempton, had been right all along. There was something missing!

A Season to Dance isn’t just the story of a small-town professional ballerina who dreams of dancing at the Met in New York and the two men who love her. It’s also the story of a girl desperately trying to fill the God-shaped hole in her heart with often misguided career and romantic pursuits.

I deleted Mrs. Hart’s email that week. Yes, it was still in my inbox. Job well done, Mrs. Hart.

Now, I had work to do. I spent 2013 and the first half of 2014 rewriting the novel. Five ladies from my Sunday school read chapter after chapter as I produced them and cheered me on through that gruesome process. I couldn’t have done it without their support. God is good.

Jeff Gerke edited my novel in the summer of 2014 and had me read Robert McGee’s The Search for Significance: Seeing Your True Worth Through God’s Eyes. God is good.

I went to my first Christian writers conference, the ACFW 2014 in St. Louis. Two weeks later, Les Stobbe offered to represent me. God is good.

ACFW 2015 was fantastic and many houses are looking at that first manuscript. God is good.

My family got saved, too. My husband in July of 2013. Our son in December of 2013. My mom in the fall of 2014. And our little girl just this past summer, the summer of 2015. God is amazingly good.

Author Interview

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Pantser all the way. The novel began in my mind as a single scene—a ballerina stuck at the top of a marquee, something that kind of happened to me once. From there it grew a chapter at a time, one per Saturday, during a six-month period.

I wasn’t a Christian when I wrote the first version of A Season to Dance, so the story was initially just about big dreams and dreamy suitors. But the whole time, God had me writing my own salvation story.

I didn’t grow up in a Christian home, but for most of my life I believed there had to be some kind of god out there and that being a good person was important. But in the summer of 2012, that early version of the novel was rejected in three different continents on the same week. I was tired and lonely, and I freaked out. I decided the notion of a loving god was absurd. There was no loving god, if there was a god at all.

Self-gratification became the chief end of my existence, and I looked behind every door for happiness and satisfaction. I didn’t find anything worth keeping though, and at the end of every new pursuit, I was still tired and lonely.

Then Jesus passed by. I was born again in January of 2013, and soon after that, I realized the novel wasn’t complete. I cancelled a trip to a secular writers’ conference and started a fourteen-month rewrite. This book, A Season to Dance, wrote me—not the other way around. I journeyed with Ana and pray that now others will journey with us, beyond expectations and suffering and to the very heart of Christ.

I think God is a plotter. He knew where the whole thing was going all along. But how could I have known that I was writing my own salvation story? ❤

Do you ever hide things in your stories for readers to find?

Do I ever! I’m big on this. Huge! If you go to the reading guide at the end of the book, I reveal several hidden things one might have missed… 😉

Do you have a favorite Bible verse, or is there a particular Bible story that really resonates with you?

Yes! I love all the stories about less-than-perfect people who were greatly used by God. How sweet of Him to show us time and again that we don’t need to be stellar to be family and be His hands and feet.

Remember the story of Jacob wrestling with God in Genesis 32? That might be my absolute favorite… So much in. I love both God’s actions and Jacob’s refusal to let go.

What does God do before blessing Jacob (self-reliant, self-seeking) and naming him Israel (prince, powerful with God)? God touches the hollow of Jacob’s thigh. The hollow of Jacob’s thigh was now out of joint. Jacob would be forever weakened by that injury. God saps strength out of Jacob. He breaks Jacob of Jacob.

God grew him by making him weak. He grew Peter by making him weak (let the devil sift him as wheat). He grew Paul by making him weak (didn’t remove the thorn in the flesh).

Our trials are making us weak and loosening us from the shackles of self-reliance that are holding us back. All we have to do is cast ourselves at His feet daily and acknowledge that we can’t do life and service on our own. He already knows. He wants us to know.

“I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” John 15:5 😊

Celebrate Lit Scavenger Hunt page:

http://www.celebratelit.com/a-season-to-dance-scavenger-hunt/

Giveaway

The grand prize is a $50 Amazon gift card!

https://promosimple.com/ps/10068/a-season-to-dance-celebration-scavenger-hunt-giveaway

Swift Review and GIVEAWAY!

About the Book

Book: Swift

Author: RJ Anderson

Genre: Christian Fantasy

Release Date: August 18, 2020

To save her people, a wingless girl must learn to fly.

As a piskey girl born without wings and raised underground, Ivy yearns for flight almost as much as she misses her long-lost mother. But the world outside the Delve is full of danger, and her dreams seem hopeless until she meets a mysterious faery who makes her an enticing offer: If Ivy helps him escape the Delve’s dungeon, he’ll teach her how to fly.

Freeing Richard could cost Ivy her reputation, perhaps even her life. But when her fellow piskeys start to disappear and her beloved little sister goes missing, Ivy has no choice but to take the risk.

Deadly threats and shocking revelations await Ivy as she ventures into a strange new world, uncovers long-buried secrets about her family’s past, and finds that no one—not even herself—is entirely what they seem.

Click HERE to get your copy!

About the Author

Born in Uganda to missionary parents, R.J. (Rebecca Joan) Anderson is a women’s Bible teacher, a wife and mother of three, and a bestselling fantasy author for older children and teens. Her debut novel Knife has sold more than 120,000 copies worldwide, while her other books have been shortlisted for the Nebula Award, the Christy Award, and the Sunburst Award for Excellence in Canadian Science Fiction. Rebecca lives with her family in Stratford, Ontario, Canada.

More from R.J. Anderson

FEAR, FAITH AND LEARNING TO FLY

What would you give to feel safe? If you could hide from all life’s dangers and anyone who might harm you, and spend your whole life in a beautiful, comfortable home surrounded by friends, family and all the necessities of life, would you?

That’s the kind of place that Ivy, the teenaged heroine of Swift, has grown up in — a glittering underground complex called the Delve, where safety and protection are paramount, and young girls especially are warned not to take foolish risks. Like climbing the wall of the Great Shaft that leads to the surface, for instance. Or going outside for any reason, except for two special nights of the year. In the world of modern-day Cornwall, the converted tin mine where Ivy and her fellow piskeys live is their only refuge from scheming faeries, greedy humans, and their deadliest enemies of all, the spriggans. And since Ivy’s mother was stolen by the spriggans six years ago, Ivy knows all too well how dangerous the outside world can be.

But as Ivy discovers when she stumbles on a mysterious Shakespeare-quoting prisoner in her people’s dungeon, safety isn’t everything. If “Richard” is telling the truth about what happened to Ivy’s long-lost mother, there may be more going on in the Delve — and outside it — than Ivy ever guessed. How far will she go to find the truth?

When I first started writing Swift, one of the ideas I wanted to explore was how much our prejudices and false perceptions limit us. Ivy’s been taught to fear everything and everyone outside the Delve, and that her poor health and lack of wings means she will never be worthy or whole. But when she starts to ask questions and search for answers, Ivy discovers that much of what she’s always believed is a lie.

What I didn’t realize until I’d finished writing the whole Flight and Flame trilogy is that in many ways, Ivy’s story parallels that of Moses in the book of Exodus. Like Moses when God first called him, Ivy doesn’t think she has anything to offer her people, or any chance of convincing the stern, suspicious piskey queen to set them free. But when Ivy learns to look beyond her fears and self-doubts and step out in faith — even if she’s not sure yet what it means or where it will lead her — extraordinary things happen and her world begins to change.

We all crave safety and security. But if we refuse to step outside our comfort zones or ever question our prejudices, our lives and hearts will stagnate. It’s only when we open ourselves up to truth and act on it, even if it’s hard or unpopular to do so, that we can truly soar.

I’ve loved writing Ivy’s story. I hope you’ll love reading it, too.

— R.J. Anderson (www.rj-anderson.com)

My Review

R.J. Anderson has written a compelling, twisty novel with Swift, the first in The Flight and Flame trilogy. Although marketed for young adults, I think that it is just as suitable for adults; I enjoyed it! Furthermore, I am thrilled that it did not contain a romantic thread, as do almost all young adult books, and I felt the same way when I did fit into the target age group, so it’s nice to know that there are books coming out for those who can do without a lot of romance. Instead, this story focuses on adventure and fantasy, providing enough thrill and distress to keep readers glued to the page, but without inducing horror. There is a strong psychological element that takes root quietly at first but grows more steadily as the novel progresses.

Pondering the folkloric identity of the creatures mentioned in Swift and the tense relations between them is a reflection of the rampant issues of race relations in today’s society, where blind hate and a thirst for vengeance overtake common sense and compassion. This misguided sense of justice leads inevitably to betrayal, as well as to some startling revelations about several characters’ identities. It reminds me of what has happened throughout history, and how someone can be judged for their assumed identity when they may actually belong to another group entirely.

As for the characters themselves, I have to admit that I did not feel a deep connection with any of them. Each seems to be motivated by self-centered goals without taking into consideration how their actions will affect anyone else. This does add to the suspense, however, as I could not guess what the next scene would bring, which is always a boon. While I did not come across anything overtly Christian in this novel aside from one instance of a character offering a short, desperate prayer, it is a clean read. I am eager to find out what happens next in books two and three and intend to read both when they have been released.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Celebrate Lit and was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own.

My rating: 4 stars ♥♥♥♥

Blog Stops

Inklings and notions, August 31

Blogging With Carol, August 31

Through the Fire Blogs, September 1

Pause for Tales, September 2

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 2

Worthy2read, September 3

Texas Book-aholic, September 4

The Book Chic Blog, September 4

For Him and My Family, September 5

deb’s Book Review, September 5

Locks, Hooks and Books, September 6

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, September 7

Mia Reads, September 7

Artistic Nobody, September 8 (Guest Review from Joni Truex)

For the Love of Literature, September 9

Daughter of Increase, September 9

Ashley’s Bookshelf, September 10

Simple Harvest Reads, September 11 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

Vicky Sluiter, September 11

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, September 12

Adventures of a Travelers Wife, September 13

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, R.J. is giving away the grand prize package of a signed and personalized bookplate, two bookmarks, and two beautiful blank-inside notecards with artwork by Kirk DouPonce and Rory Kurtz!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/fff5/swift-celebration-tour-giveaway