Scavenger Hunt! (STOP 10)

Do you like to read? Especially Christian fiction? YES? Well, then have I got a deal for you! :o)

How would you like to lay claim to not one, not ten, but TWENTY-THREE Christian fiction titles in one fell swoop???? Sound good? Okay then, get ready, we're going on a....

Welcome to the first ever Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt! Make the loop to discover 23 new or upcoming novels, and write down the clue at each stop. When you know what the clues say, fill out the Rafflecopter form by June 4, 2012 (midnight EST) at www.LisaBergren.com, and you could be in the running for the grand prize of 23 new, autographed books (if you live in the USA; unsigned if international). Note: if you're the winner, you must email the complete statement within 24 hours of notification in order to claim the Grand Prize...so don't miss a stop! Be ready with your answer if you're the lucky winner! No need to email it unless you receive the good word on June 5, 2012.

Want to join in? Just give Lisa's link above a click, and go on your way! 

GOOD LUCK! (You can save the bottom half of my post until AFTER you've been to Lisa's website, which is the starting point.)

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As a part of this scavenger hunt, I am STOP TEN. I have the privilege of hosting MAUREEN LANG. 

Maureen Lang writes stories inspired by a love of history and romance. An avid reader herself, she’s figured out a way to write the stories she feels like reading. Maureen’s Inspirationals have earned various writing distinctions as a finalist for the Rita, Christy and Carol Awards. In addition to investigating various eras in history (such as Victorian England, First World War, and America’s Gilded Age) Maureen loves taking research trips to get a feel for the settings of her novels. She lives in the Chicago area with her husband, children, and Labrador retriever.

The featured book:

Bees in the Butterfly Garden: Raised at an exclusive boarding school, Meg Davenport has everything she needs—except the love of family. Upon her father’s sudden death she’s shocked to learn he wasn’t the wealthy businessman she thought, but one of the Gilded Age’s most talented thieves. Ian Maguire knows his mentor—Meg’s father—would never have wanted his beloved daughter to follow in his footsteps. Yet not only is he powerless to stop Meg, she has a standing invitation to stay with one of Fifth Avenue’s wealthiest families. With friends like those, Meg could help Ian pull off his biggest heist yet. But Meg finds living in both worlds to be more treacherous than she imagined. Can they find the legacy they both long for, or in trying to gain everything, will they end up losing it all?

A Scavenger Hunt Exclusive from Maureen:

I’ve always loved letters and have featured this sort of writing style in several of my books. So I’m eager to take this opportunity to write an imaginary letter from one of my characters to another! This letter will come from the heroine in Bees In The Butterfly Garden and is written to the person she despises most throughout her lonely childhood at boarding school . . . until, of course, they grow up and fall in love. I’m imagining her writing this letter even before their story begins, when Meg was still a lady-in-the-making (in other words, a teen living in America’s Victorian times, better known here as the Gilded Age).

Dear Ian Maguire,

I imagine the dear tutors of my school would be aghast not only by the incorrect and disrespectful salutation of this letter, but that this letter should exist at all. Let me assure you whatever censure I might incur should they learn of this indiscretion will pale in comparison to what they would do should they have access to its content.

Because here, on this very page meant for you, Ian Maguire, I intend to describe the extent of my loathing for you. You arrived here today with my father—yes, my father, not yours—as if you were the son he always wanted. You sat beside him today, a perfect mirror of his awkwardness. He’s taught you that, all right: how to look foolish with a teacup in hand. May I say in that you excel?

He’s dressed you in fine clothing and covered your gangly form so that one would hope to see a gentleman in the making, but I see the truth. I see a boy who stole my father’s affection, who took the place God Himself meant for me to have. Not you!

You are the most unworthy of the unworthies. An imposter, a thief who stole my rightful place. 

And for that I’ll hate you until the day I die, Ian Maguire.

Yours most sincerely,

Meg Davenport

Post Script: I know neither my tutelage nor my conscience will allow me to send this letter, but revealing my true feelings here in the secrecy of my room allows me to tuck them away, leaving my reputation safe. I’ll not let you get the best of me, Ian Maguire, or cause me to suffer punishment for not keeping these unladylike sentiments to myself.

You can pick up a copy of Maureen’s book at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, ChristianBook, or your local bookstore.  

The Scavenger Hunt Skinny

Now mosey along, Hunters, to author Angela Hunt's website to pick up your next clue.

But before you go, write down this clue: NEVER

AND to sweeten the pot (as if this pot needs sweetening ), every person who pops by my website and leaves a message in my guestbook during the time of the Scavenger Hunt will be entered in a drawing for a copy, fresh from the printer, of my July release, When Hope Blossoms, as soon as I have them in hand. Now have fun!

God bless you muchly as you journey with Him! ~Kim

A Bird in a Gilded Cage (Guest blogger, Carol Cox)

*Giveaway details below*

With only a few days to go until the release date for Love in Disguise, my thoughts have been focused on southern Arizona and the research trips I made to that area in preparation for writing the story.

I thought you might be interested in hearing about Tombstone’s Bird Cage Theatre, one of the sites that inspired several scenes in the book. (To be honest, my husband is the one who suggested I blog about the Bird Cage this week. I think he hoped it would spare him having to listen to me rattle on about the book. You’d think he would know better after nearly 38 years!)

Ellie, our heroine, has to make a lot of adjustments when she moves from Chicago to wild-and-wooly Arizona to go undercover for the Pinkertons. Ellie has moved in theatrical circles all her life, but a place like the Bird Cage Theater was not at all what she was accustomed to.

The Bird Cage had a unique business strategy. While it did serve a portion of the community as a theater, it also operated as a combination saloon, gambling hall, and brothel during the height of Tombstone’s silver boom.

In the area in front of the stage is the faro table where Doc Holliday spent many profitable hours. He and Johnny Ringo got into a shooting match here, but both men were so inebriated that they missed each other, at nearly point-blank range.

Out in the lobby hangs a painting of “Fatima,” an exotic dancer who performed at the Bird Cage in 1881. I’m only showing you a portion of the painting here. I’ll leave the rest to your imagination. Fatima, by the way, graciously consented to make a cameo appearance (as the painting, not the dancer) in one of the scenes in Love in Disguise.

I was thrilled to be able to visit an area downstairs that had recently been reopened after being sealed off since 1889. This is the site of the longest poker game in Western history, which ran for 8 years and 4 months, nonstop.

A New York Times article from 1882 labeled the Bird Cage as “the Roughest, Bawdiest, and most Wicked night spot between Basin Street and the Barbary Coast.“ Today, 140 bullet holes in the walls, ceilings, and floors attest to its boisterous clientele.

And yet, with all the rowdy, unsavory activity that went on within the Bird Cage, some of the most noted stars of the American stage made appearances here.  Photos of Eddie Foy, Lotta Crabtree, Richard Mansfield, and Enrico Caruso hang on a backstage wall.

What a disparity! No wonder poor Ellie was taken aback. How about you? Have you ever been thrust into a new environment where you had to adapt in a hurry?

I’m so excited about Friday being the official release date for Love in Disguise that I’m giving away a copy to one of the Writes of Passage readers! To be entered:

 Leave a comment and your e-mail address on this blog post any time before noon Central, Tuesday, June 5th. The winner will be announced right here in Judy’s blog next week, Wednesday, June 6^th. Like last week, I’m only able to make this offer available to entrants from the U.S. and Canada (Rosie, I HATE having to draw a line like this!)—but I’d still love to hear from the rest of you!

And congratulations to....

 Kathleen (Lane Hill House), Marianne, and Samantha K

....winners of last week’s drawing for the Love in Disguise pocket mirrors! The three of you should have received an e-mail from me by now. If not, please leave a comment below and let me know so I can make sure you receive your prize!

Many thanks to Judy for letting me spend time with you these past two weeks. It’s always a delight to be here!

Carol

Dual love notes from God

Don't you love it when God speaks to you on an issue once, and then again right after. That happened to me earlier this morning. Robin, thank you for sharing about The Voice with us yesterday. Wow, what a blessing. I've already downloaded my copy.

I've been asking the Lord to help me be more aware of His presence in my life, and when I read today's passage in Jesus Calling (by Sarah Young), I heard him speaking:

I AM WITH YOU, watching over you constantly. I am Emmanuel (God with you); My Presence enfolds you in radiant Love. Nothing, including the brightest blessings and the darkest trials, can separate you from Me. Some of My children find Me more readily during dark times, when difficulties force them to depend on Me. Others feel closer to Me when their lives are filled with good things. They respond with thanksgiving and praise, thus opening wide the door to My Presence.


I know precisely what you need to draw nearer to Me. Go through each day looking for what  have prepared for you. Accept every event as My hand-tailored provision for your needs. When you view your life this way, the most reasonable response is to be thankful. Do not reject any of my gifts; find Me in every situation.

Then...

I read Robin's post from yesterday and clicked on the following passage (Psalm 23) from The Voice...

That was such an encouragement to me. I hope you found it the same.

Have you ever had those "dual loves notes"from God? Sometimes––just keepin' it real here, as they say––I've had "dual discipline notes" from God too. Those aren't nearly as fun, but they do get my attention. And even in the discipline and in the learning (and re-learning), I sense his love. His Eternal Presence.

Tammy

Embracing the Trials of Life

Today is Memorial Day in the US. For many, it has become more of an excuse for a three day weekend and a kick-off for summer activities. Hopefully, no matter where you are or when you read this, you will pause for a moment to say a prayer of thanks for those who have given so much, sometimes their lives, in order that we might be free.

For me, this is also a day when I remember my mom. My dad died when I was just a few months old, so there aren't any memories to flit through my mind about him. But there are lots of my mom. She was so selfless when it came to my brother and me. She poured herself into our lives in the best possible of ways, and I'm so thankful God chose her for my mother.

Last Wednesday on Write Thinking, I announced my goal of memorizing the Book of James over the summer and invited readers to join me. (I chose James for a number of reasons, as explained in that previous post.) Let me issue the same invitation to my friends on Writes of Passage.

I also made the decision to use The Voice Bible translation for this endeavor, a new favorite translation of mine. You can learn more about TVB here. (No, it is not a paraphrase. It's a dynamic equivalent translation, as are the NIV and the NLT, for example.)

On Saturday morning, I began by reading chapter one of James and then I concentrated on the opening two paragraphs. Here's how the second paragraph reads (verses 2-5, emphasis mine):

An ancient wine press

Don't run from tests and hardships, brothers and sisters. As difficult as they are, you will ultimately find joy in them; if you embrace them, your faith will blossom under pressure and teach you true patience as you endure. And true patience brought on by endurance will equip you to complete the long journey and cross the finish line––mature, complete, and wanting nothing. If you don't have all the wisdom needed for this journey, then all you have to do is ask God for it; and God will grant all that you need. He gives lavishly and never scolds you for asking.

Wow! Don't you love the way that reads? I do.

Having finished reading through those verses a few times, I opened my Streams in the Desert, and this was part of the daily reading (emphasis mine):

Nothing pleases the Lord as much as praise. There is no greater evidence of faith than the virtue of genuine thanksgiving. Are you praising God enough? Are you thanking Him for the countless blessings He has bestowed on you? Are you boldly praising Him even for the trials in your life, which are actually blessings in disguise? And have you learned to praise Him in advance for answers yet to come?

Wow again! It felt like that paragraph was written to go with my James verses. Doesn't it?

When we embrace the trials of life with thanksgiving and praise, it changes us. We become mature and complete and wanting in nothing.

Amen.

~robin

IF....

"If you could go back when Howard Hughes was starting TWA..." The question jarred me. A man was being interviewed on the news, and that little two-lettered word jumped out at me.
"IF" could be the abbreviation for "Imagine..."  It opens the gateway for our minds to run amok.

Can you fathom what our world would be like had just one thing gone differently?
One tiny moment in history. One decision. One hesitation. One sentence...

WHAT IF...
Adam hadn't asked Eve, "What's for dinner?"

IF animals could still talk? (Yes, many theologians believe the animals could talk in the Garden of Eden. Eve wasn't surprised at all when the serpent spoke.)






IF the Mayflower sank?









IF the South won the War Between the States?

If Lincoln hadnt gone to Ford's Theater?




If Germany won WWI?

(There wouldn't have been WWII.)

IF tough men wore stilettos instead of carried them?



If you had actually married your kindergarten sweetheart?






It's Memorial Day weekend. (Other nations call it Armistice Day or Remembrance Day.) Hundreds of thousands of women and children have wondered how different their lives would be IF their beloved one hadn't paid the ultimate price for our freedom. My deepest thanks and most sincere thanks for your sacrifice.




I do know we would all be lost had Jesus not paid the ultimate price to redeem us.

Because of Him, we are free from sin. Because of warriors, we are free to speak as we think and worship as we wish.

IF I'm going to honor those gifts, it means I need to speak more thoughtfully and worship with sheer abandon.

If we all did, what kind of world would this be?

And I'd like to share a German saying: "Life has one ending; only a sausage has two."

  But since it's Memorial Day Weekend, and we have hot dogs on the grill, let's pretend we can look back or imagine an alternative. We'll have a little fun and enjoy the second possiblility.
Please, add to the "What IF?" list. I'd love to know where your minds wander when you get to imagine anything and everything!

Love,
Cathy

Words Words Words

Words are a big part of my business, but I’m always amazed at when certain words came into use. Since I primarily write historical fiction, I don’t want to have my characters saying a word that hasn’t even been invented. To help me with this I use a variety of dictionaries.

Merriam Webster is a favorite because it gives years of first use. It’s really fascinating to explore. For instance did you know that “sabotage” wasn’t in use until around 1910? And if you called someone a “nerd” prior to 1951, you were probably time travelling.

It’s thought that “nerd” came from a character in the Dr. Seuss book IF I RAN THE ZOO, circa 1950.

Words like “input” and “cholesterol” sound more modern, but have actually been around since 1888 and 1894 respectively.

Thankfully “chocolate” has been in use since 1604. But you couldn’t “rip off” things until 1967. You could “strong-arm” someone in 1897, but you couldn’t “discombobulate” anything until 1916. You could make a “goof” in 1915, but you wouldn’t call someone a “goofball” until 1950. Amazingly enough a person could “compute” in 1616 and be “animated” in 1534, but you couldn’t “pinpoint” until 1849.

There were “rattletraps” as early as 1822, but not a single “fuselage” until 1909. Words are so much fun and as an author I cherish learning new ones. I encourage you to have fun with words today and if you find something particularly surprising – share it here. God Bless You! Tracie

I Love Clouds

Someday--it's on my bucket list!--I'm going to learn to paint clouds. But until then, I photograph clouds. I've photographed hundreds of clouds.

Little clouds...

and big clouds.

Clouds over water...

and clouds over rolling pasture land.

 Pink clouds...

 and orange clouds.

Clouds from above... 

and clouds from below.

Clouds framed by an arch...

and clouds framing a steeple.

 Clouds with sunbeams shooting out the bottom...

 and clouds reflecting sunshine on top.

Yes, I love clouds. But I have to admit, the clouds I photographed last Sunday evening were some of the most exciting. Look at this one...

Do you see it? The squiggly line trailing from a funnel shaped cloud? Yep, that's a tornado forming. I took at least ten pictures of its progression (I posted them all on Facebook, if you're interested in seeing the rest of them). I've photographed clouds while smiling, while blinking back tears--my standard response to something of incredible beauty--and even while squinting. But this was my first time taking photographs while shaking so badly I wondered if they'd even come out. Hubs and I stood, watching, anticipation literally lifting us onto our tiptoes. 

Later, when the storm had passed (the tornadoes...eight in all...chose to bypass our community, thank the Lord), I examined the photos and remembered my intense emotional reaction to watching and wondering if that tornado was going to come to my doorstep, and I couldn't help but think about the times I've looked up at clouds with a fan-shaped sunbeam shooting through a hole in its center. Each time, I've experienced a rush of anticipation and wondered, "Will Jesus appear in that cloud?" 

I've asked that questions hundreds of times since I was a little girl. As a child, the thought that I might see His face appear in the clouds kind of scared me. I had lots of living to do--didn't want Him to come just yet. But the older I get, the more I long for that moment. He promised He'd come, and He promised we'd see Him in the clouds: "...people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory (from Mark 13)." And on that day, we all get to take a ride through the sky to live with Him eternally. What a day that will be!

Until then, I'll keep taking photographs of clouds. (But if none of them ever again contain a tornado, I'll be perfectly okay with it. *grin*)

God bless you muchly as you journey with Him! ~Kim

Sharin’ the Love (Guest blogger, Carol Cox)

Remember the moment in The Music Man when the Wells Fargo wagon comes rolling through town? I never get tired of watching the people of River City stand eagerly along the sides of the road, each one hoping the delivery wagon is carrying something special “just for them.”

I had a moment like that yesterday when the UPS truck arrived. Was it the “something special” I’d been waiting for? A quick look at the labels on the parcels the driver handed over confirmed my hopes—two boxes from Bethany House, containing my author’s copies of Love in Disguise, a historical romantic suspense set in the rough-and-tumble Arizona of the 1880s. What wonderful timing! I always enjoy spending time on Writes of Passage, so here’s a perfect opportunity to share the excitement with you!

This book is my 27^th published title, but it’s my first with Bethany House, and I have loved every moment of working with the wonderful people there. Didn’t they do a fabulous job with the cover design? It really captures the spirit of the story.

Here’s a peek at the back cover copy:

Can she solve the crime before they uncover her true identity?

Jobless and down to her last dime, Ellie Moore hears about a position with the Pinkerton Detective Agency and believes it’s the perfect chance to put her acting skills and costumes to use. Reluctantly, the agency agrees to give her one assignment, one chance to prove herself. Disguised as Lavinia Stewart, a middle-aged widow, Ellie travels to Arizona to begin her investigation. When the need arises, she also transforms into the dazzling Jessie Monroe, whose vivacious personality encourages people to talk.

Mine owner Steven Pierce is going to lose his business if he can’t figure out who’s stealing his silver shipments. In his wildest dreams, he never expected to receive help from a gray-haired widow . . . or to fall in love with her beautiful niece.

Then the thieves come after Lavinia and Jessie. Ellie isn’t safe no matter which character she plays! Should she give up and reveal her true identity? What will Steven do when he realizes the woman he’s falling in love with doesn’t really exist?

Writing this book was fun from the very beginning. I’ve always been intrigued by stories featuring a master of disguise, but I needed a character who had just the right combination of skills and personality. When Ellie Moore took shape in my mind, with her background in the theater and thirst for adventure, I knew I’d found a heroine who had all the qualifications to carry it off.

Along the way, Ellie becomes so caught up in playing the roles of her undercover characters that she sometimes finds it hard to remember who she is . . .and even begins to wish she could take on one of those personalities as her own. Which made me wonder . . .

Who would you choose to be, if you had the opportunity to create a whole new identity for yourself? You might take on the persona of a historic figure who has inspired you, or come up with a creation of your own making. Either way, I’d love to hear your thoughts!

And I’d like you to share in my celebration of the upcoming release of Love in Disguise, so this week I’m giving away three of these lovely pocket mirrors. If you include “Count me in” somewhere in your comment on this post, I’ll put your name in an imaginary hat and draw the winners from that pool. Much as I hate to have to limit the giveaway, I’m only able to make this offer available to entrants from the U.S. and Canada—but I still want to hear from the rest of you!

In summary:
To be entered in the drawing for the pocket mirrors, leave a comment on this blog post any time before noon Central, Tuesday, May 29th. Winners will be announced on this blog Wednesday, May 30th.

So who would you like to be? I’m looking forward to reading your comments, and I’ll see you again next week!

~Carol 

Thanks, Carol, for filling in for Judy today! 

And now! A special treat! A sneak peek at Love in Disguise...

Read the entire excerpt of Love in Disguise!

Making beautiful music together

Quick! Can you tell me the 25 most played songs on your iPod or MP3 player? Here are mine...

(Click the image to make it larger)

Do we have any in common?

While I listen to a ton of music, the most played songs (as you can see) are instrumentals, and that's because I often write to music. But I cannot write to music that has words. Messes me up more than being with Judy Miller does.  : D

If you have a favorite instrumental album, I'd love to know! I like to change things up on occasion, and appreciate personal recommendations.

My sweet-but-mostly-snarky daughter, Kelsey, turned 25 last week. And in honor of her birthday––and to embarrass her, of course––I posted some pics of her "through the years" on FB. But here are a few I haven't shared yet...

I surprised her at work with a little something from Edible Arrangements. 

Oh. My. Goodness! Fruit and chocolate. What's not to love!

Strawberries, apples, and bananas wrapped in chocolate bliss!

So pretty. So delicious!

The bananas were the best! Who knew...

Makes me want one right now!

Please send those instrumental recommendations my way, if you have any. I'm in major writing mode and could use some fresh listening fodder. And some chocolate-dipped bananas. But, I digress…

Much love, friends,
Tammy

P.S. And the latest from the Jack Cam!