Wordy Wednesday: The Proposal at Siesta Key by Shelley Shepard Gray

I'm reviewing The Proposal at Siesta Key: Amish Brides of Pinecraft Book 2 (The Pinecraft Brides). It was released May 12, 2015. Here is the back cover blurb:

***

A young Amish woman, yearning for freedom, crosses paths with a handsome Mennonite celebrity in a deeply moving tale of friendship and self-discovery — the second installment in the unforgettable New York Times bestselling author’s new Amish Brides of Pinecraft series.

Penny Troyer rarely disobeys her parents. In the years since her sister’s tragic death, they’ve wanted nothing more than to keep her safe … even if it means never leaving the house.

But tonight, she’s bending the rules because Michael Knoxx, the most famous member of The Knoxx Family Singers, a traveling Mennonite Evangelical family — is scheduled to speak. Penny has heard of Michael — how he lost part of his leg in a terrible accident and uses the experience to inspire others — and knows she must meet him. So, for the first time ever, Penny stands up to her parents and goes out on her own.

Though he speaks about living life to the fullest, Michael knows he needs to take his own advice. Life on the road is grueling and Michael wants to slow down, to rest … to perhaps meet someone who sees him as a man, not just a celebrity. So when a twist of fate allows him the chance to stay a little longer in Pinecraft, Michael knows God is showing him a new path, especially when he discovers how much he and Penny Troyer have in common.

But new friendships can’t stop time. Soon, Michael’s time in Pinecraft will be over and he’ll be back on the road. Her time with Michael has brought her happiness, but will she be able to follow her heart? Or will she be faced with the one thing she’s sure she’ll never have the courage to do?

***

You can read my review from the June 2015 issue of RT Bookreviews Magazine at the following link:

http://www.rtbookreviews.com/book-review/proposal-siesta-key

Here's the link to purchase the book:
http://www.amazon.com/Proposal-Siesta-Key-Brides-Pinecraft-ebook/dp/B00US0EY5E/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1433335893&sr=1-1&keywords=the+proposal+at+siesta+key

June Featured Book #1...And a GIVEAWAY!

Lynn has graciously offered to give away a copy (hard copy or e-book) of "Covert Justice" to one lucky person. In order to be entered, see the Rafflecopyter giveaway link at the end of this post. The last day to enter is June 14, 2015. If you are chosen, I will be in touch to get your information to pass along to Lynn.

Before sharing my review, here's a bit of information from Lynn.

A Word from Lynn...

Thank you for having me, Leslie!

I grew up in the mountains of western North Carolina, so I was thrilled to discover that it was the perfect setting for Covert Justice. I can’t imagine the story taking place anywhere else.

Some of my favorite childhood memories are of hiking to waterfalls in the Pisgah National Forest and along the Blue Ridge Parkway, but it wasn’t until the mid-2000’s that I first hiked to the waterfalls of the DuPont State Forest. I was amazed that my family had never been there, especially since it’s located just a few miles from my grandmother’s home. How had we missed this beautiful spot?

What I discovered was that the land that now makes up the DuPont State Forest had not been open to the public during my childhood. It had been privately owned by the DuPont corporation until the mid-90s, when it was sold at a very generous price to a conservation group, allowing for its eventual development into a protected state forest.

The trails of the DuPont State Forest are now a favorite hiking spot for our family and at some point I started wondering about a family owned company sitting on acres of undeveloped, waterfall-dotted property. I started thinking about who would live there, what sorts of products they would make in their manufacturing facility, and, of course, what sort of trouble would come knocking on their door and change their lives forever.

I’d been thinking about these characters and their story for a while when I had the opportunity to participate in The Search for a Killer Voice contest in 2014. The story was mostly a loose idea in my head, but jumping into the contest allowed me to finally bring the story to completion. I hope you enjoy it!

You can read my review on the RT Book Reviews website. Please follow the link:

http://www.rtbookreviews.com/book-review/covert-justice

(I gave it 4 out of 4 1/2 stars.)

About Lynn...

Lynn believes in the power of stories, especially those that remind us that true love exists, a gift from the Truest Love. She’s passionate about CrossFit, coffee, and chocolate (don’t make her choose) and experimenting with recipes that feed both body and soul. She lives in South Carolina with her true love, Brian, and their three children. You can follow her real life happily ever after at lynnhugginsblackburn.com.

Where you can find Lynn online...

www.lynnhugginsblackburn.com

www.facebook.com/lynnhblackburn

www.twitter.com/lynnhblackburn

www.goodreads.com/lynnhugginsblackburn

www.pinterest.com/lynnhblackburn

www.instagram.com/lynnhblackburn

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May Featured Book #2...And A Giveaway!!

Sally has graciously offered to give away TWO hard copies of "The Happy Hour Choir"to TWO lucky people!  In order to be entered,go to the Rafflecopter box at the bottom of this post. You must enter by May 31 to take part in the drawing. If you are chosen, I will contact you to get your mailing address to pass along to Sally.

Before sharing my review, here's a bit of information from Sally

A Word from Sally...

Hi, I’m Sally. (Hi, Sally) And I sometimes like to have a glass of wine while I peruse the next Sunday School lesson I’m going to teach. That sort of duality is part of what inspired my novel, The Happy Hour Choir.

Beulah Land came to me first. I imagined her as the daughter of a preacher, a girl who’d been saddled with an impossible name. I mean, who can ever live up to being heavenly? Then I thought about taking an old hymn I knew well, “Dwelling in Beulah Land,” and flipping it on its ear by having her make it her signature song . . . in a bar. She would do this, of course, because she couldn’t escape her name, but she could rebel. Ginger, Beulah’s old piano teacher and rescuer, came to me next, one of those no-nonsense older ladies who has some secrets of her own. Finally, Luke entered the scene, my preacher man who knew parental pressure and had the humility and compassion of someone who also knew what it was like to make mistakes.

From there all sorts of characters walked into The Fountain, the bar where Beulah plays. I wanted to show them all as real people. Too often I think books with religious themes don’t allow their characters to mess up. To me, that goes against everything I believe because life is messy and so are we. Maybe The Happy Hour Choir was my way of saying we’re all good and bad, but if we try hard enough, the good will always win out in the end.

Writing Beulah’s story was such a leap of faith. I can’t tell you how many times contest feedback or agents or even editors said things like, “I like your writing, but this has too much religion for a mainstream/too much sinning for an inspirational/too much humor for such angst/too much angst for such humor.” I struggled because *I* was a good little girl who grew up in a little town and went to an equally little church. Maybe writing this book taught me how to bend a few rules. I should probably send Beulah a thank you note.

And thank you so much for having me here on your blog today, Leslie. Your kind words definitely helped make getting this book published well worth the wait.

My Review…

Beulah Land plays piano at the local bar, The Fountain. She unwillingly agrees to take over as pianist at County Line Methodist Church to fulfill the dying wish of her closest friend Ginger Belmont. Unfortunately, some of the current choir members do not believe Beulah is an appropriate choice, which causes Beulah to create her own Happy Hour Choir comprised of patrons from The Fountain. As Beulah and Ginger take in a pregnant teen, Beulah is forced to deal with her own secrets. And then there’s Luke Daniels, the new reverend in town. Can they come together to build up the church, and remind Beulah that she is loveable and not defined by her past? 

It is hard to believe that this is Kilpatrick’s debut novel! The characters are real, honest, lively, and heartfelt. Beulah may be a snarky character, but she deals with a number of challenges that will be identifiable for many. Even though Beulah is the main character, Ginger is truly the heart of the book. No character is wasted, and they remind the reader that anything worth having is not easy. This novel is written in the first-person point of view, which may be a bit unusual for some readers. A good takeaway reminder is that family is what we create, not restricted to bloodlines. It is an inspiring tale of faith, hope, forgiveness, and second chances. Kilpatrick mixes loss and devastation with hope, and a little bit of southern charm. She will leave the reader laughing through tears. This is an incredible start from a promising storyteller. Some yummy recipes are included, too.

About Sally…

Sally Kilpatrick lives in Marietta, Georgia with her husband, Ryan, and her two children. We shall call these precious and precocious children The Hobbit and Her Majesty.

Her debut novel, The Happy Hour Choir, won the Duel on the Delta, finaled in the Maggie Awards for Excellence, and was a 2012 Golden Heart finalist. Silly has two other novels coming down the pike— think Shakespeare with cows (Bittersweet Creek) and "It's a Wonderful Life" in a funeral home (Better Get to Livin', a 2013 Maggie finalist).

A former Spanish teacher — because that's what you do with an English major — Sally took an extended sabbatical when her husband gave her an application to Kennesaw State University's Master of Arts in Professional Writing Program for Christmas 2007. (Best Christmas Present Ever!)

Sally is also the current president of Georgia Romance Writers.

For fun, Sally likes to read, write, run, and — you guessed it — sing in her church choir.

You can find Sally online at:

http://www.sallykilpatrick.com/

https://www.facebook.com/SuperWriterMom

https://twitter.com/SuperWriterMom

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6906076.Sally_Kilpatrick

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May Featured Book #1

Before sharing my review, here is a bit of information from Rachelle.

Q & A with Rachelle…

Q: How did you come up with the story for "The Choosing"?

A: This is a hard question because it has many answers. I wanted to write a theme-based novel about identity. I wanted to write a dystopian novel. I wanted to write in a world that was familiar, but in a setting where I could change the way the world worked. It actually is several ideas I'd been toying with pulled into one story. Once I landed on Carrington's core revelation and story arc, I simply fell in love with her as a character and drew the rest of the story around her.That's usually how it works for me. I come up with a character, good or bad, and create the story from there.

Q: You based your main character off of your younger sister. In what ways is Carrington like her?

A: It's more the beliefs that Carrington struggles with that remind me of my sister. The idea of worth, of not feeling like you're enough, or questioning whether anyone would choose you. Carrington came about as I spent time with my sister and her college-age friends and saw that a large majority of them were searching for significance, searching for worth — none more than my sister at the time.

Q: Carrington struggles with understanding her identity and worth and what is true. Why did you decide to write about the theme of identity?

A: Someone once asked me, "If you could leave one message for your younger sisters, what would it be?" The answer was always the same: I would pray they knew what they were worth. Identity is everything. There isn't a theme that doesn't start with identity or circle back to identity. Knowing who you truly are is the greatest journey we face. Am I enough? Am I worth it? I believe everyone faces these questions, and I sought out to explore them through the story.

Q: One of the most significant lines in the story is, "Life is a journey of remembering and forgetting." What do you mean by this?

A: We have these flashes of clarity where we see so clearly who we are — and our connection to the Father — but then, in a single moment, something pulls our attention away and we forget who we are. This is the journey of life, remembering and forgetting. But I believe the more we remember, the more we set our gaze on the Father, the less often we forget. 

My Review…

Carrington Hale has been preparing her entire life for “The Choosing” ceremony. However, it did not go the way anyone expected. Instead of planning for a husband and family of her own, she finds herself being taken away from the only home she has ever known. She is now a “Lint,” the lowest level of society.  She realizes she must learn to accept her fate as an “Unchosen,” as this is God’s plan. Carrington believes that she is worthless and her fate is of her own making. However, she starts to hear whispers that lead her to question whether or not everything she has been told is a lie.  In an unusual change of events, Carrington is given a second chance to be “Chosen”. Will it be a blessing in disguise, or something more sinister than she ever could have imagined?

This is a strong debut from Dekker, who appears to be following in her famous father’s footsteps. (She is the daughter of bestselling author Ted Dekker.)  This is a dystopian coming-of-age novel which draws the reader in quickly Fans of ”Divergent” and “The Hunger Games” will enjoy this story.

Carrington is a character that will be easily relatable for many. She is an over-thinker and struggles with her own self-worth. This struggle is a much larger part of the story than the romance angle. She is not the strong, self-assured character typically found in a dystopian novel. This allows the reader to have a better understanding of her growth.  There are some intense, dark scenes to the novel. They may be difficult for some readers, but they are relevant to the suspense side of the story. While there is some predictability, this is an engaging read. Secondary characters are well developed, and the ending, which ties up a bit too quickly, will leave the reader hoping that a sequel is planned. Some core features of faith run through this novel, reminding the reader that God is who determines our value and His love does not have any strings attached. On a final note, the cover is stunning.

About Rachelle…

The oldest daughter of New York Times bestselling author Ted Dekker, Rachelle Dekker was inspired early on to discover truth through storytelling. She graduated with a degree in communications and spent several years in marketing and corporate recruiting before making the transition to write full-time. She lives in Nashville with her husband, Daniel, and their diva cat, Blair. Visit her online at rachelledekker.com

Tuesday Tip: Be Prepared!

You sit down at your desk and are ready to work. However, just when you are about to get started, you realize you are missing some basic supplies. Now, the time you had dedicated to writing will be spent running errands instead. 

To help your precious writing time be productive, here is a list of items you should keep on hand and frequently monitor to ensure that they are available when you need them.

1. Pens, pencils, and highlighters: Everyone has their favorite, so be sure that you do not run out. If possible, purchase these items in a pack. You may find that it is beneficial to keep certain colors for certain tasks. And if you like to use pencils, be sure you have a pencil sharpener as well.
2. Sticky notes: I believe these are one of the greatest inventions ever! I use them all the time and have them everywhere. Bright colors may be beneficial to your projects. A different color could be used for each task to help you prioritize and organize things.
3. Printer ink and paper: Again, this is something you may wish to purchase in bulk, especially the ink. You can often find good deals on printer paper, and it may be beneficial to buy an entire box to ensure that you do not run out.
4. Paperclips: These little guys come in quite handy. For fun, I like the multicolored variety. One box can last you quite a while.
5. Memo pads: I take a lot of notes! I have tablets of various sizes and colors all over my desk. I prefer the ones that are lined, but choose what works best for you. 
6. File folders: It is important to stay organized, so these can really help keep your desk and projects in order. As with the paperclips, I like the folders that come in various colors.

Don't let a lack of supplies be the excuse for not meeting your daily word count goal. Your readers need your supplies to be well-stocked so you can be productive. They want to get their hands on your next book!

April Featured Book #2

Statistics show that one in twenty-five people is a sociopath, which may make you wonder if you’ve ever met one. This is exactly what led Lisa Scottoline to pen her latest, “Every Fifteen Minutes.”

My review...

Doctor Eric Parish is well respected at work and adored by his young daughter. His wife, on the other hand, is looking to move on. His job as chief of the psychiatric unit is promising. Yet things take a turn when he meets Max Jakubowski. Max is a high-risk patient who is also dealing with OCD and obsessive, violent thoughts regarding a girl he likes. When she is found dead, Max becomes a suspect… and so does Eric. Along with his custody battle, Eric is now in a battle for his freedom, as well as his life. Who is setting Eric up? Is Max as innocent as Eric believes? This psychological suspense grabs the reader’s attention from the first sentence and takes them inside the mind of a sociopath. Just when you think you have all the twistS and turns figured out, you realize you’re wrong. The complex plot and stunning conclusion are riveting and leave no doubt as to why Scottoline is a top-selling author. Along the way, the story sheds light on how mental illness is, unfortunately, not taken as seriously as physical illness, though the two are closely linked.

About Lisa...

Lisa Scottoline is a New York Times bestselling author and also writes a weekly column, called Chick Wit, for The Philadelphia Inquirer. Lisa has won many honors and awards, notably the Edgar Award, given for excellence in crime fiction, and the Fun Fearless Female Award from Cosmopolitan Magazine. She also teaches a course she created, called Justice and Fiction, at the University of Pennsylvania Law School and regularly does speaking engagements. There are twenty-five million copies of her books in print, and she is published in over thirty other countries. Lisa graduated magna cum laude in three years from the University of Pennsylvania, with a B.A. degree in English, and her concentration was Contemporary American Fiction, taught by Philip Roth and others. She graduated cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. She remains a lifelong resident of the Philadelphia area, where she lives with her array of disobedient pets.

You can find her online at:

https://www.facebook.com/LisaScottoline

 http://scottoline.com/

As Anton Chekov stated, it is important to "Show, don't tell." This is advice every writer has heard numerous times. Showing makes the reader feel that they are truly a part of the story. 

Example of telling:  "The pizza was delicious." Really? How is that going to keep me, the reader, engaged?  Instead, show me.

Example of showing: "Stringy, white mozzarella cheese bubbled over the spicy red tomato sauce while pepperoni was piled in thick layers on top. The cheese dripped over the edge of the slice, and black olives sat on each piece of pepperoni. With every bite, I was able to savor the individual ingredients. It was better than I imagined." As a reader, you now have my attention...and my stomach grumbling.

For writing to be effective and engaging, it is important to show the story. When the author shows the story, it allows the reader to become part of the book and experience what the characters are experiencing. It is important to have a balance between showing and telling. Telling states facts and observations. Showing goes a bit deeper.

Ways to show the story…

·         Use dialogue: This is one of the easiest ways to engage the reader and allow them to see the story through the eyes of the characters.

·         Use descriptive language: This includes using adjectives, adverbs, and sensory words. However, adding too much can overwhelm the reader.

·         Add specific details when possible: This makes it easier for the reader to visualize the story. Specific details should be used to describe locations as well as the characters. However, at times, you do want to leave certain things to the reader’s imagination.

If you try to envision your story as a movie, it might help you. Every scene does not need to be tied up neatly before moving on to the next one. This can create cliffhangers, which will keep the reader engaged. However, be sure to show the cliffhanger. You can draw the reader in even more by describing the lighting and music that may accompany the scene. Giving your characters something active to do is also helpful. Try to place your reader smack dab in the story.

Keep in mind that it is not possible, or recommended, to show every scene. If you did, your book would be thousands of pages long. It would be hard to find someone interested in reading, or even editing, that book! Though the reader is not technically inside the mind of your characters, that is how they should feel.

April Featured Book #1...and a GIVEAWAY!

Dana has graciously offered to give away a hard copy of "Presumed Guilty" to one lucky person. In order to be entered, leave a comment and your email address. The last day to enter is April 14, 2015. If you are chosen, I will be in touch to get your mailing address to pass along to Dana.

Before sharing my review, here's a bit of information from Dana.

A Word from Dana...

I loved reading suspense but had never really given much thought to writing it, mostly because I doubted my ability to do it. In 2013, an idea started bouncing around in my mind about a woman falsely accused with a crime. What if she went to prison? What if she had to go to the cop who arrested her? What if the real killer was after her?

The idea continued to pester me. Early in 2014, the editors of Love Inspired Suspense announced they were seeking new authors through a contest called “The Search for a Killer Voice”. I took a leap of faith, and on February 14, 2014, I submitted my first page. The date is forever cemented in my brain. Over the next few months, what was an idea developed into a book.  

My Review...

Melanie Swanson spent four years of her life in prison for a crime she did not commit. Few people have been willing to give her the benefit of the doubt, including Lieutenant Jace Tucker, who is now tasked with protecting her. Someone is trying to prevent Melanie from recalling details from the past. However, she is determined to remember, as the truth is all she has left. Jace is forced to admit that recent events are more than just coincidence, especially when jurors from her case turn up dead. Is someone who is sworn to protect her involved? This is an exciting debut from this promising storyteller. The opening scene grabs the reader immediately, and it is easy to connect to the heroine. Lynn keeps the reader guessing until the end. The pace and plotting are ideal for reader engagement, and they will anxiously await a (hopeful) sequel.

About Dana...

Dana grew up in Illinois.  She developed a love for the written word very early on and started her first “book” in 5^th grade. Although she never got more than a few pages written, the dream was planted in her heart. She met her husband at a wedding and told her parents she had met her future husband. Nineteen months later, they were married. Today, they live in rural Pennsylvania with their three children and enough pets to open a petting zoo. In addition to writing, she works as an educational interpreter for the deaf and is active in several ministries at her church.

Links:  http://www.authordanarlynn.wordpress.com

            www.facebook.com/WriterDanaLynn

      www.twitter.com/DanaRLynn 

Tuesday Tip: How Short is Too Short?

Tuesday Tip

So, you're stuck on your current work in progress and ready to give up on writing. Perhaps it's time for a change of pace. Consider writing a short story.

A short story is a fictional tale, limited setting, and one major event. It is intended to be read in a single sitting. They are generally under 1000 words. Some people create a number of related short stories and compile them into a novella. There is even a category called micro-fiction, where the word count is under 100 words.

Another popular trend is "flash fiction." These stories are between 250-1000 words. They are particularly popular in the science fiction genre, as they are just short enough to leave the reader with questions to ponder.

All of these are options to consider if you are feeling stuck or have a limited amount of time to write.

March Featured Book #2 … And a GIVEAWAY!

Before sharing my review, here's a bit of information from Lee.

A Word from Lee …

Greetings! Lee Tobin McClain here, giving some background on my latest novel for Love Inspired. Engaged to the Single Mom comes from a couple of pretty deep places in my heart.

First, I'm a single mom myself. And while my situation is not in any way as challenging as my heroine's —I have a home, a job, and a healthy child — it's still hard to raise a child alone. Worries and struggles loom larger when there's no one to share them. At the end of a long day, there's no one but you to kill the spiders, repair the furnace, and calm the juvenile emotional storms. You're forced to rely on your own inner resources and on the Lord.

Though single parenting is a difficult path, there are so many blessings along the way. Most of the single moms I know have grown into strong, resourceful people because of the difficult path they've taken. And most of us are very close to our children. My daughter is the best part of my life, and raising her well is worth any difficulties I face along the way.

So my novel features a single mom. With all of Angelica's struggles, and with how adorable her son Xavier is, you really want them to catch a break … especially a break in the form of handsome veterinarian Troy Hinton! It's my hope that readers will be rooting for these three to form a family as much as I was. Of course, as the author, I had to put them through all kinds of challenges first!

The other reason this book hits close to home for me is its focus on dogs. I love animals, and my little senior rescue dog is my best friend. Dogs never have a bad day, they're always glad to see you, and they have hearts full of love. I think everyone would be happier if they'd adopt a rescue dog! So writing a story about a whole farm full of rescue dogs was a joy. I'm especially fond of Bull, Troy's old bulldog who faces his own challenges during Engaged to the Single Mom. And good news: if you like Bull and the dog rescue farm, stay tuned for book two of the series; they'll be back in early 2016.

Meanwhile, consider taking a look at my website to learn about my independently – published series. The Sacred Bond novels feature heroic, passionate former delinquents who grow up to be heroes. You can download a book one for free, and if you like that, sign up for my newsletter for another exclusive freebie!

Thanks for letting me be on the blog, Leslie! If your readers comment today, let's enter them into a drawing for a copy of Engaged to the Single Mom, okay?

Sure thing, Lee! Just for commenting, you can be entered into the drawing to win an electronic copy of Engaged to the Single Mom. Leave an email address in your comment, which must be posted by March 31, 2015. I will do a random drawing and contact the winner at the beginning of April.

My review…

Single mother Angelica Camden is struggling to do her best for her son Xavier, who has leukemia. She needs to find a house, a job, and a father figure for him. She reluctantly takes a job with local veterinarian, and her ex, Troy Hinton. She broke their engagement after a devastating event, which she never shared with him. Troy believes her to be disloyal, but he needs the help so he hires her for the sake of Xavier. Troy loves his job, but longs for a family. Xavier longs for a father. Would a marriage for Xavier’s sake be possible? Can they learn to trust each other? How will things change when Angelica’s secret is revealed? The author makes a solid Love Inspired debut. At only six years of age, Xavier is a strong character who will tug at the reader’s heartstrings. Angelica demonstrates that it is possible for one to keep their faith through life’s struggles. Overall, this is a heart-wrenching, yet sweet, tale of trust, hope, and second chances.

To connect with Lee…

Website/Newsletter: http://www.leetobinmcclain.com