Thursday, May 31, 2007

Mid year check up, sorta

Okay, it's not exactly mid-year, but several things have been on my mind this week so I thought I'd post them now.

Last year, 2006, was a year of change. Our chuch changed it's name, Tony and I handed over the youth ministry, several of our friends moved far away, my mom sold her house and moved, my sister had a second little girl, our dog Jack died...

Those name just a few.

This year, as I look back on January through May, I sum it up with single words. Hard. Discouragement. Disappointment.

Several things happened early in the year that just felt like a spiral to me of disappointment - which lead to discouragement.

I felt a little lost. I repented of bad attitudes, of allowing myself to be discouraged. I was never depressed, just unsure of the future.

If we are not careful, a little discouragement or disappointment can knock us out of the game for a long time. Maybe even permanently. I do not want to be the walking wounded, or a needless casualty of war.

In the mean time, God is moving in our nation. Lou Engle called young people, as well as adults, to a 40 day fast to repent of the cultural down fall started by the Summer of Love 40 years ago in San Francisco.

On July 7, over a hundred thousand will gather in Nashville's Titan's stadium for twelve hours of prayer, concluding the fast, calling for God to bring revival to America, declaring we want to be married to Him again.

When I read The Call Nashville's mission statement and mandate from God, yes mandate, I wept. Every time I saw an update over email, my eyes watered.

I am so excited about what God is doing. Lou shared some incredible testimonies on a CD teaching, one involving Dr. Suess's "Horton Hears a Who."

Lou is also very active with his teams in praying against abortion. They are the ones God gave strategy to about the red duct tape over their mouths with the word LIFE. God also gave Lou an amazing metaphor of Horton Hears A Who and ending abortion in America.

He's the real deal, guys. Not some man coming up with a vision for himself, but encountering God through a sustained life of prayer and fasting.

Anyway, while we didn't feel called to go to Nashville, we decided to join the fast.

Day three and it's not going smoothly for me, but I have grace. And this morning I had a dream. God showed me my eyes were covered by dyed flat black hair, and my bangs covering my face.

Standing in our bathroom (literally, in the dream,) I said to my mother (Holy Spirit in this case,) "I can't see myself."

And that's how I've felt for several months. I don't have clear vision.

So, I told Tony and we prayed. I'm continuing to pray. "Clear vision, God, clear vision."

How's your year been? If it's been like mine, pray, do some fasting. Not easy, I know, but we have to start building some spiritual muscle church!

Mathew 11:12 says the kingdom of God suffers violence and the violent take it by force. That force is fasting and prayer.

Daniel moved the heavens with fasting and prayer. Moved the heavens! How much more a generation of wholehearted lovers of Jesus fasting and praying.

There you have my mid-year check up.

Monday, May 28, 2007

Welcome Tamara Alexander

Hi Everyone,

I'm pleased to host author and friend, Tamara Alexander, author of three fab historicals, Rekindled, Revealed, and Remembered. Check out her interview under my Author Interviews.

Remembered is her new release from Bethany House. I've known Tammy for many years and am thrilled to see her amazing success.


Remembered is Book 3 in the Fountain Creek Chronicles.
Though loss is often marked in a single moment, letting go of someone you love can take a lifetime...

The threat of war—and a final request—send Véronique Girard from France to a distant and uninviting country. In the Colorado Territory, she searches for the man who has held her heart since childhood—her father.

Pierre Girard left Paris for the Americas to seek his fortune in fur trading, vowing to send for his wife and daughter. But twenty-five years have passed and his vow remains unfulfilled. Sifting through shards of broken promises, Véronique embarks on a dangerous search for a man she scarcely remembers. His grief finally healed, Jack Brennan is moving on with life.

After years of guiding families west, he is now working as a freighter to the mining towns surrounding Willow Springs. What he doesn't count on is an unexpected traveling companion on his trips up into the mountains, and how one woman's search will cause havoc with his plans... and his life.


TAMERA ALEXANDER is the bestselling author of Rekindled, Revealed, and Remembered, the three-part Fountain Creek Chronicles historical series with Bethany House Publishers. Rekindled, a CBA bestseller, has won critical acclaim and was chosen as one of Library Journal's Top 5 Picks for Christian Fiction 2006.

Rekindled and Revealed triple-finaled in the 2007 RITA Awards sponsored by Romance Writers of America-Rekindled and Revealed for Best Inspirational Novel, and Rekindled for Best First Novel.
Tamera frequently speaks to women's groups, sings on the praise team, enjoys mentoring other writers, and also served as the conference coordinator for the 2004 American Christian Romance Writers National Conference in Denver, Colorado.

She and her husband, Joe Alexander, make their home in Colorado with their two college-age children, and a seven-pound Silky named Jack.

Tamera is currently working on her fourth novel, part of another three-book historical series with Bethany House which is set in the Colorado Territory.


Visit Tamera's website at www.tameraalexander.com
And her blog at www.tameraalexander.blogspot.com

Sunday, May 27, 2007

Funday

Nice day. Church followed by a ride down to Vero Beach to see Debbie Macomber speak and get a copy of her new book.

Rode down with fellow RWA Star member, Lee.

We had a great time and Debbie was lovely, gracious and funny, as always.

The book store was packed with Debbie's fans.

***
Take this weekend to thank the Lord for our military and our freedoms.

The price of freedom is eternal diligiance!

Friday, May 25, 2007

Hope Deferred

I was listening to Francis Frangipane teach on spiritual strongholds, and I've been pondering his comments about Proverbs 13:12. "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life."

He said that the devil uses unfulfilled desires to bring us into bondage, and that often he could tell where someone had a spiritual stronghold by what they were experiencing hopelessness over. Hmmm. Makes sense.

The devil offers us a shortcut or substitute for our unfulfilled desire, and we don't catch the fine print that we’re giving him control of some area of our life.

So what is the answer? No short cuts or substitutes, just wait patiently for God to fulfill our desire? But if God isn't in a hurry, its still easy to end up with deferred hope. And how do I know He wants to fulfill all of my desires?

I do know Psalm 37:4 says "Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart." So it looks like He wants to fulfill my desires, but I suspect fulfilling the first part of that verse will also change my desires.

In fact, maybe I'm not supposed to focus on my desires much at all. Maybe I just work at delighting in Him, and the rest takes care of itself. Well, that gives me something to do while I’m waiting.

Thursday, May 24, 2007

Never Planned On This

The goal today was to clean my office. I submitted "Sweet Caroline" yesterday and was really looking forward to doing some deep house cleaning.

I thought, first, deal with the office. And the books! So many books.

I was sorting through them and next thing I know, I'm logging them into Amazon for resale.

I am now an Amazon reseller. What a brilliant plan. Except, now, I still have all the books. I stacked them in the guest room. Ha.

But the office is squared away and it feels good.

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

The Restorer and Sharon Hincks

Hi Everyone,

My friend Sharon Hincks has a new release. It sounds fabulous.

The Restorer Blurb


Susan, a modern-day soccer mom, is pulled through a portal into another world, where a nation grappling for its soul waits for a promised Restorer to save their people. Can she fill that role? While she struggles to adapt to a foreign culture, she tackles an enemy that is poisoning the minds of the people, uncovers a corrupt ruling Council, and learns that God can use even her floundering attempts at service in surprising ways

Q & A with Sharon.

Q: What was the inspiration for The Restorer?

A: I've always been fascinated by the story of Deborah in the book of Judges, and wondered what a modern woman would look like in that role. The fantasy genre provides a powerful way to look at a familiar story in a new way. I loved the challenge of creating a completely relatable character, and then inviting the reader to follow her into an imaginative journey.


Q:What kind of reader did you have in mind as you wrote the book?


A:I wrote this story for my friends - ordinary women who are sometimes called on to fill extraordinary roles that they don't feel prepared for. We may not be literally yanked into an alternate universe, but the idea of being pulled into an unexpected challenge is very real to most of the people I know. I wrote this book for my friends who receive a diagnosis of cancer, or the news that their child has a learning disability, or their parent is battling Alzheimers, or their spouse has lost their job. They suddenly find themselves in a foreign world, facing new rules, and being asked to fill a role they don't feel ready for. My prayer is that as well as being entertaining, this novel can inspire courage and determination for those facing daily battles.


Q:How much of The Restorer is drawn from your own life?

A: Susan's spiritual journey - her desire to follow God and her confusion when the road is much harder than she expected - is very parallel to my own. I've never carried a sword into battle, but I've faced the challenge of surrendering more deeply to God's purposes when they didn't make sense to me.

All about Sharon:

Sharon is a wife and mom who has had many adventures, though none have involved an alternate universe (thus far). She has an M.A. in communication and has spent her life working in the arts (music, theatre, dance, and writing).

Her other novels include The Secret Life of Becky Miller (Bethany House, 2006), Renovating Becky Miller (Bethany House, 2007), The Restorer (NavPress, 2007) and The Restorer’s Son (NavPress, 2007)


What others are saying about the Restorer:

Sharon Hinck gives us a beautifully-realized world that demands the best that an everyday, run-of-the-mill Mom doesn’t even know she has. Hinck’s prose engages us in every moment of the struggle as the strength of the One drives the battle of the faithful against unimaginable odds, Excellent characters and an intriguing plot provide readers with great entertainment along with spiritual inspiration and enlightenment. I simply loved this book, hated for it to end, and am grateful that there’s another in the Sword of Lyric series coming soon.
~ Kathryn Mackel, author of Outriders and Trackers


"Sharon Hinck has done a remarkable job in writing a fantasy for people who don't normally read fantasies. A soccer mom finds herself in an alternate universe where she has to save her adopted people from vastly more powerful enemies. Loved the swordplay. Loved the spiritual insights. Most of all, loved the main character, Susan Mitchell, a compelling mix of Everymom and Wonder Woman."
~ Randy Ingermanson, award-winning author of Retribution


What’s next?

The Restorer's Son releases in September (NavPress), followed a few months later by The Restorer's Journey.

My current books are available at all major bookstores as well as through my website at www.sharonhinck.com

For a free monthly e-zine and updates on my projects and schedule, sign up to be a Book Buddy at my website!

Glenn Beck and religion

I'm a fan of Glenn Beck. I try to listen to him for an hour or so in the morning while doing junk around the house.

He's bold and confronts so many of the idiocies in our social mind set. But he's sort of all wet on one thing.

Religion.

He constantly says he doesn't care what someone believes, and if they are a "good" person, he'd vote for them.

Glenn, Glenn, Glenn, dear Glenn. You're being too broad here, dude. A person's faith is the CORE of who they are. It's where so many other ideologies and philosophies come from. You have to know what they believe about God and life in order to vote for them.

The left hates Christianity, so they complain and bicker, accuse and point fingers. It scares them. We know that, we get it.

And like wise, many on the right do the same. Complain, bicker, accuse and point. Sadly. They should be like Jesus and shut up. He was so very wise when he responded, or did not respond.

Yet, Glenn, if a person claims to be a Christian, it's not enough to believe in "God." Shoot, radical Islam terrorist believe in "God."

You have to believe in Jesus. Christ-ians. Followers of Christ. Otherwise, you just believe in God, a supreme being.

Which, at the base, is cool. Yet, the only way to know God the Father is through His Son, Jesus.

Not my words, by the way, His.

So, Glenn, come on. You have to care about what a person believes. It's who they are.

Saturday, May 19, 2007

I'm Alive

Just a fast post to say I'm alive, but boy, it's been a busy week.

I'm finishing up Sweet Caroline. How do you like my tentative cover?












Spent the day with other writers at a Super Saturday, then had a book signing with Roxanne St. Claire and Deidre Knight. A long but good day.

Thursday went to my first boss-after-college's retirement party. Alex Nelson hired me and is the reason I'm in Melbourne/Palm Bay, FL. I was hestiant about going since Alex works at another company, a competitor to my old company, and I figured most of his current co-workers would be there. But, when I walked in I received a warm welcome from old Harris-ites. We told old stories for a good while.

It was really fun to see old friends.

Gilmore Girls. What did you think of the final show? I did not like it. They tried to end like it began, but Rory is not 16 any more. She's 22. I hated that she and Logan broke up completely. Not even a hint of a future. I liked that Luke and Loralie connected (kissed.) So, they are going to be together forever in TVville.

Hated that Rory was thrilled be on the Obama campaign. Loved the finaly scene. The two of them sitting in Luke's, early in the morning, talking, drinking coffee, framed in the big picture window trimmed in white lights.

What did you think?

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Veil of Fire, by Marlo Schalesky

VEIL OF FIRE
By Marlo Schalesky

A Raging Firestorm . . .
A Light in the Hills . . .
And a Mystery Rises from the Ash.

In 1894, the worst firestorm in Minnesota history descends on the town of Hinckley. Heat, flame, and darkness sweep through the town, devouring lives, destroying hope. In the aftermath, the town rises from the ashes, its people determined to rebuild their lives.
But in the shadows, someone is watching. Someone is waiting. Someone who knows the secrets that can free them all. A rumor begins of a hermit in the hills - a person severely burned, disfigured beyond recognition. Doubts rise. Fear whispers. Is the hermit a monster or a memory? An enemy or a love once-lost?
Based on historical events, Veil of Fire beckons to a time when hope rose from the smoke of sacrifice, when trust hid behind a veil of fear, when dreams were robed in a mantle of fire . . .

Reading Veil of Fire is like feasting on a banquet of rich words and vivid images.
─Tricia Goyer, award-winning author of five novels, including A Valley of Betrayal

Moving. Heartbreaking. Compelling. This beautiful, sensitive story of pain, loss, and, ultimately, healing touched the deepest parts of my heart.
─Laura Jensen Walker, author of Miss Invisible and Reconstructing Natalie

Veil of Fire may be purchased at Amazon.com or at your local bookstore. Visit Marlo at her web site: www.marloschalesky.com


Speaking with Marlo:

Q: Where did you birth the idea for this book? When? How did it come about?

A: People often ask where I get my ideas for my books. My answer? You never know! For Veil of Fire, the idea was birthed at my favorite Mexican restaurant in the mission town of San Juan Bautista. There I was, sitting with my family, nibbling chips and salsa, when a wedding party came by.

The bridesmaids were dressed in beautiful turn-of-the-century style gowns. As they passed, my mother-in-law began to tell me of the dresses that her great grandmother, who lived in Hinckley, used to sew for the rich ladies in Minneapolis and St. Paul.

From there, came the story of the great Hinckley fire and the rebuilding that this woman, my husband’s great-great-grandmother, was a part of. And finally, I heard the tale of the mystery figure in the hills, a person burned beyond recognition. A person never identified, living as a hermit until one day he just disappeared.

At that moment, the first inklings of the story that would become Veil of Fire were born in my heart.

Q: Can you explain the research process, since this is such a historical novel?

A: The research for Veil of Fire was particularly fascinating not only because of its link to my personal family history, but also because of the incredible first-person accounts of the fire that were written by people who were actually there.

These stories are compiled into a book written entirely by survivors who recount their personal experience of living through the firestorm that swept through their town. I read about a man whose hat lifted from his head and exploded above him as he ran through wind and fire.

Those eyewitness accounts, as well as information gathered about the fire from other sources, created the realistic feel of the fire and its aftermath in Veil of Fire. Today, a number of books about the fire, as well as artifacts, photos, and other articles can be seen at the Hinckley Fire Museum in Hinckley.

Q: What takeaway points do you hope your readers pull from this book?

A: Life happens. Failure, discouragement, pain, loss. Somewhere, somehow, life burns us all. And we realize that this life we live is not the one we once dreamed. The realities of life scar us. Doubts rise. Fear whispers that hope is gone. And what was once a simple faith can fail in the face of that fear.

So, for those burned by life, for those who carry scars that cannot be seen, for those who have retreated for fear of more pain, this story is for you, this journey from the hidden places of pain to a new hope in the unhidden truth of Christ’s love.

Q: Can you share with your readers something God has been teaching you lately?

A: Through some recent tragedies and through writing Veil of Fire, God is showing me that I cannot measure his love by my successes and failures, or even by my happiness. Who I am on the inside, how I am being shaped into the likeness of Christ, the character of my life – the color and beauty of it – are what are important to God. And to create that color and beauty, sorrow is necessary. Hurtful things happen.

Q: What book are you currently reading?

A: Why, the New Testament, of course . . . in Greek! Now, before you start thinking that loving Greek makes me too scholarly to write a decent novel, you should know that even though I just completed my Masters at Fuller (that’s a Masters in Theology at Fuller Theological Seminary – so cool!), it wasn’t my desire for an “A” that made me fall in love with New Testament Greek.

Q: What book project can we expect from you after Veil of Fire?

A: After Veil of Fire, I’m writing 3 contemporary novels for Waterbrook-Multnomah. All of them are “Love Stories with a Twist!,” a new type of story that I think will knock readers’ socks off.

The first, Beyond the Night, releases in May 2008.

BIO

Marlo Schalesky is the award winning author of five books, including her latest novel VEIL OF FIRE, which explores the great Minnesota firestorm of 1894 and the mysterious figure who appeared in the hills afterward.

She has also had over 500 articles published in various magazines, had her work included in compilations such as Dr. Dobson’s Night Light Devotional for Couples, and is a regular columnist for Power for Living.

Marlo recently earned her Masters degree in Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary and is currently working on three contemporary novels for Multnomah-Waterbrook Publishers, a division of Random House. She lives in Salinas, California with her husband and four daughters.

Sunday, May 13, 2007

Home, Home at last

The New Hampshire Weddings book signings went really, really well.

Big kudos to Wade Martin, Melody Keller and Choice Books for arranged the signings. And to Dave Murray and the Wal-Marts in North Conway and Gorham, NH.

I had a great time.

***

On another note... the trip home.
Grr, double grrr, and grrr again.

From the time I left Wal-Mart yesterday and drove to Portland to catch my flight, it took me 24 hours to get home.

24 hours!

You don't want to know... and to be honest, I can't bear to relive it. Let's just say, our country has lost it's mind in the real of security. The innocent are guilty. The guilty are innocent. No, I did not go to jail or anything. Please.

Delta is not the "friendly sky" airline any more.

Atlanta is the worst airport in the history of airports.

Thursday, May 10, 2007

New Hampshire Weddings Book signing

Where's Rachel?

Wal-Mart
New Conway, New Hampshire
May 11, 2007
5 - 7 p.m.

Wal-Mart
Gorham, New Hampshire
May 12, 2007
1o - 1:30 p.m.

Come out and say Hi if you're in the area.

Monday, May 07, 2007

Author Tracey Bateman and Defiant Heart



Hi Everyone,

My good friend and worship soulmate, Tracey Bateman has a book coming out the same day as Diva NashVegas! Her Avon Inspire, Defiant Heart.

I got my copy already, and it looks wonderful. Tracey is a warm, thoughtful, creative writer who knows how to make the characters come alive on the page. I know Defiant Heart will touch us all.


An Interview with Tracey Bateman

Q: When did you first know you wanted to be a writer?

A: The first time I can remember wanting to be a writer was after I read Gone with the Wind. I was about ten years old and it was the first book that resonated with me that much. I wanted to write the sequel. Got a good start with my blind brother's typewriter, but abandoned the effort when I realized Mother would never allow Rhett to cuss and it just didn't feel right the other way. See? I was born to edit myself.

Q: Where does your inspiration come from?

A: I write from a great love of books and a lifetime of reading stories that triggered my imagination. I write inspirational fiction because I'm a Christian and those are the stories that come out of me when I sit down to write. My books always begin with a character who needs the hope I've found in a relationship with Christ. So that's what comes out when I write. Anything can trigger an idea: a TV show, the History channel, a billboard, something my pastor says. Ultimately, I imagine ideas come from God. Sometimes I wish he'd write the books for me too!

Q: Tell us about your heroine, Fannie Caldwell.

A: Women in the western frontier had to be gritty and they had to be tough. They couldn't afford to be shrinking violets. For a woman like Fannie Caldwell, there was no one to take care of her, so she had to make her own way. What else was there to do but take a chance? Danger isn't necessarily a bad place to be if the alternative is staying in bondage to a brutal taskmaster. If you don't fight, there's no way to win. I always like to write about characters who have a lot to overcome because I think God is able to show Himself the most for us when we're the most needy. I like to show how God can bring us through adversity—not necessarily make it easy, but walk with us until we come out the other side—maybe bruised, maybe battered, but definitely the victors in the battle.


Tracey's bio:

Tracey Bateman lives in Missouri with her husband and four children. Their rural home provides a wonderful atmosphere for a writer's imagination to grow and produce characters, plots, and settings. In 1994, with three children to raise, she and her husband agreed that she should go to college and earn a degree.

In a Freshman English class, her love for writing was rekindled and she wrote a short story that she later turned into a book. Her college career was cut short with the news of their fourth baby's impending arrival, but the seeds of hope for a writing career were already taking root. Over the next several years she wrote, hooked up with critique partners, studied the craft of writing and eventually all the hard work paid off.

She currently has over 25 books published in a variety of genres. Tracey believes completely that God has big plans for his Kids and that all things are possible to anyone who will put their hope and trust in the God.

Eight Random Things

Eight Random Things, Only Eight
('cause there could be nine)

My friend
Susan Meissner tagged me this afternoon to play Eight Random Things. And now [evil laugh, wringing hands] I give you Eight Random Things and those I've tagged to go after me!

First, the rules:
1. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
2. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
3. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
4. Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them they're tagged, and to read your blog.

EIGHT RANDOM THINGS ABOUT ME:

1. I'm an introextravert. Yeah, weird. I can be alone, enjoy being alone, always find peace in being alone. But, I love being out with people. Love social events. I can talk to pretty much anyone. I used to go to McDonalds in the morning to drink a Diet Coke and read - a book or my Bible, but I can't now. I've made friends and they talk to me while I'm reading.

2. I taught myself to play the keyboard.

3. I don't like spicey food.

4. While teaching a class to old newspaper typesetters (men) in Madrid, Spain, I returned to class after a break with a huge wad of paper towels stuck in the top of my pants. I'd used them to cover the toilet seat and it seems a collection of them slid off into my pants with out my knowledge.

5. I beat fear and anxiety by cling to and quoting God's Word, and believing what He says about me instead of how I felt.

6. I love junk food.

7. I've been to five continents.

8. I met my husband at church. God told me we were going to get married, but my husband felt God said we were to be friends. For three years, Husband was right. I've been right for eighteen and counting! LOL. (Actually, God did a great work in both of us. He is good!)

Here's who I have tagged: Christine Lynxwiler, Susan May Warren, Marilyn Griffith, Cindy Woodsmall, Amy Wallace, Rebekah Gunter, Carolyn Aarsen, and Georgiana D.

Saturday, May 05, 2007

Has it been three days?

I can't believe it's been three days since I've blogged. Time goes by so fast.

Well, it's official, I'm weird. I have a favorite pair of jeans that I refuse to let go of even though they are falling apart.

This morning I ironed patches onto them. Yes, I did.

***
Have you heard about God.tv? From their web site:

Rory and Wendy Alec
broke new ground for the Gospel establishing the first daily Christian television network in Europe. 11 years on, GOD TV broadcasts a new breed of original Christian programming around the world, and now to the USA.

Since the fall of Saddam Hussein GOD TV now broadcasts into Iraq with 30-40% of Iraqi homes able to watch GOD TV. Our programs can also be viewed in Iran, Syria, Jordan, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

Rachel here: War is one way God moves boundaries. I've heard from many reliable sources Christianity is booming in Iraq since Saddam left power.

I was moved by Saddam's death. I felt for him, though a man who lives by the sword dies by the sword. He was violent and cruel. But God will prevail. If any of us get in the way of Him reaching out to the human race He died to save, and loves without measure, we will be removed.

I personally know of a man who was sent by the Lord to Saddam many times to preach the Gospel. In fact, the United States government knows about this man of God. I believe Saddam was being beckoned by the Lord of Host to let His Word go forth. He was given many chances to surrender, just like Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 4.


God is merciful. He is great and good, but His will is premier to our man's.

Wednesday, May 02, 2007

Diva NashVegas Contest

Check out Novel Journey this morning. I'm a guest blogger and give a behind the scenes glimpse of writing Diva NashVegas.

Since Diva's official release is next week, May 8th, I decided to run a little contest to encourage readers to hop over to Amazon and buy Diva NashVegas. It used to be Amazon sales ranking didn't matter much to publishers, but recently that's changed.

If you buy Diva NashVegas from Amazon, or any local book store, leave me a comment and you'll be eligible to win a $25 gift certificate to Starbucks OR Barnes & Noble. One winner will be drawn for each gift card.

Diva NashVegas is about a country superstar who rose to mega fame in the shadow of her parent's death - Gospel music pioneers. A media mystery, but often tabloid headline fodder, Aubrey James keeps her private life, private. But when she's betrayed by a former band member, she decides to tell her story. Enter sexy, entertaining and quirky sports anchor Scott Vaughn. A sports anchor? Why not. Read the book to find out the rest of the story.

Also, check out HM Magazine's May/June GMA issue. The editor gave Lost In NashVegas a very nice write up. Find HM at your local CBA book store or online.

Grace, grace to you today!