Fascinating Friday Feature: More than a Tagline with Ava Pennington

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How often have you ended a prayer with “in Jesus’ name”? We say it so often, it has almost become a tagline. But how did this practice begin? Several verses in the New Testament tell us to pray in Jesus’ name, including: However, this phrase may not mean what most of us think it does! In ancient times before planes, trains, and automobiles, rulers did not have theconvenience of making a phone call or sending a telegram to convey their orders.Instead, the king would send his emissary to a distant location. And the emissary wouldsay, “I come in the name…

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Fascinating Friday Feature – How Fascination Fuels Sarah Hamaker’s Writing

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I’m often asked where my ideas for my romantic suspense books come from, and the answer isinevitably “everywhere and anywhere.” I’m always collecting ideas on what-if questions basedon current events or something I read or heard. I never know what will spark an idea or plotline.Sometimes, those ideas never go anywhere because once I start thinking through the situation, Irealize it’s not enough for a book or it’s too flimsy. Since I write realistic fiction, I also want the storylines to be believable. I’m more of panster (one who writes without outlining the entire book), so I try to spend…

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Who said I wanted to be an author?

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I was in fifth grade when my teacher interrupted my daydream, “Linda, I don’t care if you do grow upto be a famous author, I’m going to teach you math so you can balance your royalty statements.” My classmates turned to stare at me, while I stared back at my teacher in shock, thinking, An author? Who ever said I wanted to be an author? Even though Mrs. Davis’ words foretold my future, I didn’t get it, dream about it, or add ‘writing abook’ to my life’s goals. Instead, when I graduated from college, I got a job in the…

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New Release — Messy Hope by Lori Wildenberg

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“I’m such a failure.” “No one cares about me.” “I don’t want to live anymore.”  If you’ve heard your child utter these words, your fear for their well-being has skyrocketed. But what can you do to help them? Suicide is the second leading cause of death in young people. Our kids must be equipped with more than resilience and positivity. They need hope. Parent and family educator Lori Wildenberg encourages you to foster necessary hope growth in your children’s hearts. More than a self-help book, this is your lifeline to help them overcome depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation to experience a hope-filled life.
Author: Lori Wildenberg
Publisher: New Hope Publishers
Release: August 23, 2021
ISBN-13: 987-1563094781
Genre: Christian Living/ Parenting/ Mental Health

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NEW RELEASE— When Twilight Breaks by Sarah Sundin

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Title: When Twilight Breaks Author: Sarah Sundin Publisher: Revell Release date: February 2, 2021 ISBN: 978-0800736361 About the book: Munich, 1938. American foreign correspondent Evelyn Brand is determined to prove herself in her male-dominated profession—and to spotlight the growing tyranny in Nazi Germany. Working on his PhD in German, fellow American Peter Lang is impressed by Germany’s prosperity and order. But when the Reich’s brutality hits close, he decides to use his connections in the Nazi Party to feed information to Evelyn, pulling them deeper into danger as the world marches toward war. About the author: Sarah Sundin is a bestselling…

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New Release: Puppy Ciao by Annette O’Hare

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Title:  Puppy Ciao (Max Tales Mysteries Book 1) Author:  Annette O’Hare Genre:  Middle Grade Mystery Publisher: Elk Lake Publishing, Inc. Release Date: August 21, 2020 ISBN-13:  978-1649490438 About the book:  How far would you go to save innocent animals? Would you risk your life? In the small town of Kerrville, Texas, thirteen-year-old Jeannie McKay has a notorious reputation for trying to right the world’s wrongs. When Jeannie and her best friend, Jonathan Wooten, rescue two purebred Weimaraner puppies found drowning in Johnson Creek, she vows to find out who is responsible. With the help of her small band of friends,…

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A Vote For Humility

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Just before I moved to Salt Lake City in 2011, a librarian friend of a friend asked me to be the featured author at her small Christian school’s Book Fair. After I emailed her my photo and book cover images, she met with the principal and got really excited about the promotional ideas the two of them had planned. But I was not prepared for what she accomplished while waiting for me to fly in. The school sat at the top of a high hill. As we turned in the driveway at the bottom, a huge sign with my face…

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Saying Goodbye is Never Easy   

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Often, when an author begins writing a series, they have an idea of how long it will be. Knowing in advance when to stop gives the author the opportunity to develop their characters and their series, and to bring it to a logical conclusion with a satisfying character arc and ending. Which just goes to show how little I knew about writing a series when I began my By the Numbers series. In fact, when I wrote the first title, No Accounting for Murder, I didn’t even know it would be a series. Until I wrote THE END. Well, last…

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God’s Creative Humbling

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As I was talking with a women’s ministry director at a church training conference, I hoped she would invite me to speak at her women’s retreat. I enjoyed one of the freshly baked chocolate chip cookies set before us while we sat in the lounge of the convention center. When she asked my opinion on some important issues, I spoke with confident tones. I was thrilled to see her staring at my mouth, obviously eager to hear my every word. Surely, I was impressing her. All I have to do is say the right things, I assured myself, as I…

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Water or Not?

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Sandra Glahn While I’ve often written for medical publications—both fiction and non—I am not myself a physician. But I’ve been on the receiving end of more than my share of surgeries and treatments, so I can definitely write from the patient’s perspective. When I wrote non-fiction medical information for the trade market, my editors usually viewed my “lack of knowledge” as a benefit. My ignorance meant I naturally said “miscarriage” instead of “spontaneous abortion” and  “bruise” instead of “contusion.” But when I decided to branch into fiction to explore complex medical issues (Lethal Harvest; Deadly Cure; False Positive), I knew…

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