Who is a Hero?

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Who is a Hero?  by Darlene Franklin Who is a hero? What makes a hero? I never saw myself in that light until I faced my own hero’s challenge. I had to battle back from a month-long hospitalization. I had never fully recovered from the crippling weakness and arthritis which had led to my moving to a nursing home. On my first day of therapy, my physical therapist worked with my lower extremities and core strength. The occupational therapist focused on “activities of daily living.” Could I raise my arms enough to brush my hair? Dress myself? We had a hundred…

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Awards & Book Reviews!

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Jane S Daly recently attended the Oregon Christian Writer’s (OCW) annual summer conference. Each year, OCW encourages writers to submit their work for the annual Cascade Awards. The submissions are narrowed down into three finalists in the twenty-two categories. She was honored to receive an award in unpublished contemporary fiction for The Girl in the Cardboard Box, and for published nonfiction, The Caregiving Season. Congratulations, Jane! **********   Baker Revell author, Linda Evans Shepherd, was named Writer of the Year by the 34th annual Greater Philadelphia Christian Writer’s conference, not only for her many bestselling books, but because as Marlene…

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There’s an App for That

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by Judith Couchman Recently I ate lunch with Heather, a former coaching client who became a friend. She talked about an app that helps her learn to write better, catching mistakes and suggesting ways to improve. I recognized Heather’s sincere desire to write well, and that impressed me. Many writers new to the craft want to skip over writing principles and dart straight to publishing and social networking. Heather felt so excited about this method for improving her manuscript, I couldn’t help but absorb her enthusiasm. Later at home, online I researched writing apps. After typing “Writing Apps” into my…

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Plot Twists and Adventures

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Plot Twists and Adventures by Mary L. Hamilton When the unexpected happens in a story, we call it a plot twist. In life, it’s sometimes called an adventure. My husband’s retirement meant a chance to move from the big city to a smaller town, with a lake to satisfy me, and a university to satisfy him. But initially, our move wasn’t the sort of adventure I’d envisioned. Thinking it wise to rent until we decided what part of town we wanted to buy into, we arrived at our temporary quarters on a cold January day. Mind you, this was Texas, not…

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The Naked-Fear Dream

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The Naked-Fear Dream By Sydney Avey Dreams come out our deepest anxieties. In a classic fear dream, you stand naked in a public place and no one hands you a cover-up. Often this dream calls you to face the unknown with a sense of confidence. It was not my dream to sing on a praise team. I’ve been hiding in the church choir for years, but our choir aged and our numbers shrank. When the choir disbanded, I found myself on a small worship team…behind a microphone…in front of guitars and drums. Now I could really be heard! Praise music and hymns have…

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Award-winning books & reviews

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Snow on Bald Mountain by Linda Wood Rondeau with Elk Lake Publishing released Aug. 2017. This novelette is a sequel to the critically acclaimed, Miracle on Maple Street. Ryan McDougal’s wife informs him she’s pregnant. To find better housing, he accepts a job as a caretaker for an eccentric, elderly woman. He wonders why she never leaves her home and seems fixated on three mysterious photographs that line her mantel. But pregnancy complications arise, Ryan finds himself on his knees one more time. Available now in print. Ebook to follow soon. For review contact Linda Wood Rondeau lindarondeau@gmail.com. **********    …

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A Chat with Author Sandra Orchard

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Greetings from Colorado. Davalynn Spencer here, welcoming author Sandra Orchard today. Sandra, tell us about your book. Over Maya Dead Body is book 3 in my Serena Jones Mysteries series about a plucky FBI agent who specializes in art crime. Serena is supposed to be enjoying a little R&R on Martha’s Vineyard, but trouble finds her again—this time in the form of an antiquity smuggling ring that is not above murder. That sounds exciting and out of the ordinary, for sure. Has God used the message of your book in your own life? While on Martha’s Vineyard to research the…

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Especially for You: Unexpected Blessings from God

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Especially for You: Unexpected Blessings from God by Lena Nelson Dooley My latest novel, A Heart’s Gift, became a finalist in the Faith, Hope, and Love Readers Choice Award in the Long Historical category. I had entered that contest, formerly the Inspirational Christian Readers Choice award, several times, but I never finaled before. I praised the Lord for giving me this special gift. Anytime I win an award, I know it comes from Him. I didn’t expect to win, because the other two books finalists were from Bethany Publishing. Most Christian fiction writers want to be published by Bethany. And…

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New Release: The Second Chance Brides Collection by Barbour Books

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The Second Chance Brides Collection By CAN authors Angela Breidenbach, Amber Stockton, and Liz Tolsma Barbour Books Historical Romance Collection August 2017 About the book: Hope for Happy Endings Is Renewed in Nine Historical Romances. Meet nine women from history spanning from 1776 to 1944 feel the sting of having lost out on love. Can their hope for experiencing romance again be renewed? Fanned Embers by Angela Breidenbach shares the true history of the largest fire in US History. Will love be consumed or blaze into an amazing future?     About the author:  Angela Breidenbach is a best-selling author of…

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