Our 2012 RT Reviewers Choice Best Book Award Winners

Please join us in congratulating our Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Best Book Award winners.

For Love Inspired Contemporary, our winner is  

A Home for Hannah by Patricia Davids.

Yearning to find a meaningful life in the outside world, nurse Miriam Kaufman strayed far from her Amish community. She also needed distance from Nick Bradley, the cop who had caused her so much pain. Back in Hope Springs to care for her ailing mother, Miriam needs Nick, now sheriff, to find the mother of the baby abandoned on her porch. Nick is as wary of Miriam's intentions as she is of facing their past. Can two wounded hearts overcome their history?

Awarded 4.5 stars by RT reviewer Leslie L. McKee, (click for full review)

"Davis’ deep understanding of Amish culture is evident in the compassionate characters and beautiful descriptions that enliven her heartwarming story."

Click here to view more of Patricia Davids' books

For Love Inspired Historical, our winner is  

Handpicked Husband by Winnie Griggs 

Can she drive away not one, but three suitors?

Free-spirited photographer Regina Nash is ready to try. But unless she marries one of the gentlemen her grandfather has sent for her inspection, she'll lose custody of her nephew. So she must persuade them—and Adam Barr, her grandfather's envoy—that she'd make a thoroughly unsuitable wife.

Adam isn't convinced. Regina might be unconventional, but she has wit, spirit and warmth. His job was to make sure Regina chose from the men he escorted to Texas—not to marry her himself! Can they overcome the secrets in her past, and the shadows in his, to find a perfect future together?


Awarded 4.5 stars by RT Reviewer Susan Mobley (click link for full review)

"the novel successfully kicks off the Texas Grooms series, introducing complex, sympathetic characters with interesting pasts."

Click here to view more of Winnie Griggs' Books

 For Love Inspired Suspense our winner is 

Critical Condition by Sandra Orchard 

 

EVERYONE’S AT RISK There’s a murderer in the hospital, and nurse Tara Peterson is determined to prove it. With mysterious deaths in the cancer ward, anyone could be next. But no one wants to believe her…except for undercover agent Zach Davis. The murderer wants Tara’s suspicions silenced, permanently. To protect Tara, Zach lets her in on his secret, and unwittingly into his heart. Tara and her three-year-old daughter are like the family he lost years before. Zach will risk everything to keep them safe, no matter the cost.

Awarded 4.5 stars by RT reviewer Leslee McKee (click link for full review)

"Well-developed characters and fast-paced action will keep readers fully engaged in this wonderful tribute to spouses struggling with a loved one’s illness."

Click here to view more of Sandra Orchard's Books

Let Freedom Ring!

Warren G. Harding, 29^th President of the United States, said, “In the beginning

the Old World scoffed at our experiment (in a democratic self-government);

today our foundation of political and social belief stands unshaken, a precious inheritance to ourselves, an inspiring example of freedom and civilization to all mankind.”

Paul Revere and other unnamed heroes

And it all began in 1770 with the first Boston Massacre, when British soldiers fired on citizens who had gathered to protest tyranny. In 1773, ordinary but irate Boston patriots dumped several boatloads of tea into the Boston Harbor in protest against excessive taxes levied by the British Crown.

On April 7, 1775, Paul Revere made his famous ride, during which he alerted the organized American militia that the British soldiers were coming to put down our efforts to gain freedom from British control. June 17, 1775 saw the Battle of Bunker Hill, first major battle of the Revolutionary War. These are just a few historical events that took place in the great city of Boston at our country's inception.

A fictional setting

I visited Boston two times while researching my novels Hannah Rose (2005) and Son of Perdition (2006), so I have a profound love for that beautiful, historic city. At right, see the Louisburg Square Townhouse I used for a model for my heroine's house in those two books.

 

Hannah Rose is now available in e-book format from amazon.com. Son of Perdition is coming soon. Check my Web site at http://blog.Louisemgouge.com





My first Love Inspired Historical (2009)

Boston is also an important setting in my first two Love Inspired Historicals, Love Thine Enemy (Harlequin 2009) and The Captain’s Lady (Harlequin 2010). In the first LIH, an American patriot lady falls in love with the son of a British earl who is one of King George III's advisors. But once the Declaration of Independence is signed, their romance is in serious jeopardy.

 

Although I've had several more Love Inspired Historical books published, I mention these because of their Boston connection.

 

And because I have been to Boston.
 

I walked the very street where, on April 15, 2013, wretched cowards placed bombs to kill and maim decent people who were out for a run to test their personal strengths. People who were enjoying their freedom! How sad that we must add this tragedy to Boston’s list of historic events. Brave patriots won our freedom for us, but this is the work of a madman.

Words of wisdom

Maya Angelou once said, “History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but, if faced with courage, need not be lived again.”

We must face the past and the future with courage by refusing to let those haters of freedom frighten us into hiding in our homes. Instead we must go forth and enjoy our freedom to work, play, worship, and generally live life as we see fit.

Still going strong

Eighty years after President Harding called this nation an inspiring example of freedom and civilization to all mankind, the United States of America is still a beacon of liberty to the entire world. For those who still scoff at our liberty and despise our freedoms, let the words of Marco Rubio explain it all: “They may claim to hate us, but they sure want to be us.”

But those of good faith, including most of those Old World countries mentioned above, now wish us well. Many people the world over long to come here so they can enjoy the Land of Opportunity. To those who have the patience to come through the front doors, we say “Welcome!” Let Freedom ring!

Florida author Louise M. Gouge writes historical fiction for Harlequin's Love Inspired Historical Imprint. Her latest release is A Suitable Wife, a Regency romance set in 1814 London. Visit her blog at http://blog.Louisemgouge.com.

My Amish Suspense

Debby Giusti here!

I just received the go-ahead from my Love Inspired Suspense editor, Emily Rodmell, on the proposal for the sixth book in my Military Investigations Series. The story—untitled at this point--features a heroine in the US Army Criminal Investigation Division who grew up Amish. I’m thrilled Emily liked the idea and excited about including some of my past experiences with the Amish in the story.

My dad was career army and we lived in numerous spots around the country, but he and my mother were originally from Ohio, and I graduated from The Ohio State University. Often during college, friends and I would head to Plain City, an Amish community not far from Columbus, to enjoy the wonderful restaurants that featured favorite Amish delights.  

Sometimes we'd head farther north into Holmes County that boasts of having one of the largest Amish communities in the US. Picturesque farms dot the rolling hills, and we’d pass horse drawn buggies on the way to local dairies that sold cheese and ice cream, which provided special treats on a hot summer’s day and a lovely escape from campus life.

After marrying, my hubby and I lived in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, where I’d shop at the nearby Amish farmers’ market stocked with local produce and fresh baked pies and breads. Often we’d drive to Lancaster County, in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch country, with favorite stops at Intercourse and Bird-in-Hand. Visiting Zook’s Fabric store was fun. On one trip, my husband bought a straw hat, and I found a lovely hand stitched slip for my youngest daughter.

As you know, the Amish speak Pennsylvania Dutch, a derivative of the German language. My great-grandparents came from Fulda, and my husband and I lived in Germany for three years. I became quite fluent in German while there. Hearing the Amish dialect reminds me of my time in Deutschland and makes me feel a certain kinship with the Amish.

Doing research and pulling information from my past for this next book has been so much fun, but now I need to write the story. I’ll keep you posted on my progress in the days ahead.

Have you visited Amish communities? What did you think of their plain lifestyle? Do you enjoy reading Amish stories? 

Wishing you abundant blessings,

Debby Giusti
www.debbygiusti.com
www.seekerville.blogspot.com

The General’s Secretary, book 4 in my Military Investigations series, is available here. The Soldier’s Sister will be released in October. Watch for the Amish story, book 6, in March 2014.

THE GENERAL'S SECRETARY

By Debby Giusti

Trusting the Wrong Person Can Be Deadly...

Lillie Beaumont's dark past has just turned up on her porch--fatally wounded. The dying words of the man imprisoned for killing Lillie's mother suggest hidden secrets. Criminal Investigations Division special agent Dawson Timmons agrees. He has his own motive for seeking the truth, and it gives Lillie every reason to doubt him. But even as they reluctantly begin to face painful secrets together, Dawson fears that a murderer is waiting to strike again. And this time, Lillie is right in the line of fire...

On being a multi-published author.

Patricia Davids here.
I'd like to wish you a happy Tax Day. I hope you have filed your taxes. If you haven't, stop reading this blog and get cracking. You have until midnight.

I'm sure many of you realize how drastically an author's life changes when they become published. I wanted to share with you some of the changes in my life.

Recently, I reached a milestone in my writing career. I finished my 22nd manuscript. It was an awesome feeling. To celebrate completing my book, I played fetch with my dog Sadie, loaded the dishwasher, picked up all the dirty clothes I’d left scattered around the house for the two weeks I was in panic-stricken deadline mode, and then I got into my car and went to KFC and got supper.

As I was sitting in the drive-thru, I said to myself, "Pat, this is a sad way to celebrate."

I went home, ate my yummy chicken pot pie and wonderful apple turnover in front of the TV and thought, "Hey, a long soak in a hot bath will end my day on an high note."

So, I started the water, added the bubbles, let the tub fill and went to get in. At that point, I thought, "Gee, this is a little chilly."

I ran some more hot water, but WAIT. There was no more hot water. Ugh! Don't you hate that when it happens?

I finished my tepid bubble bath in short order, and spent the next twenty minutes lying face down on the laundry room floor cleaning beneath and relighting the pilot light on my old hot water heater.

Dust bunnies and spiders live under there! Okay, they were tiny spiders and they are dead now, but YUCK.

After the blue flame was glowing once more, I headed to bed in my flannel nightgown. As I lay on a small sliver of the mattress while my snoring 75lb yellow Labrador took up the rest of the bed, I thought, "Golly, it's amazing how being a multi-published, award winning romance novelist and the author of 22 books has changed my life."

Just so you know. Life isn't always greener on the other side.

Book #22 will be out next year. Book # 18, Plain Admirer, will be on sale in June.

Family Lessons Interview

How exciting to have Holly Sanders, the heroine from Family Lessons written by Allie Pleiter, an April 2013 release from Love Inspired Historical Romance .

1.   Holly, tell me the most interesting thing about you.

That’s just it--I’m not interesting at all.  I’m as uninteresting as they come, I tell you.  Oh, I suppose I’m a good teacher, and that’s worth something in these parts, but Evans Grove is filled with good people who merit much more attention that I.

2.   What do you do for fun?

I love to read every book I can get my hands on.  It’s been much harder to find a free hour since the flood damaged so many homes and shops in our town.  Everyone’s been working so hard to try to rebuild--reading feels like a luxury I can’t afford right now.

3.   What do you put off doing because you dread it?

While I do indeed dread it, I can’t put off starting up school again.  There will be empty seats from the children taken by the flood.  It’s such a sorrowful thing, I can’t bear to think about it--despite how much I love to teach.

4.   What are you afraid of most in life?

I’m afraid that I’ll never amount to anything, never make a true difference in someone’s life.  I’d have to say that having a gun pointed in my back during a train robbery is the most frightening thing that’s ever happened to me.

5.   What do you want out of life?

I want to matter to someone, to be dear to their heart.  I’ve almost given up hope of that someone being Mason Wright.

6.   What is the most important thing to you?

The children are everything to me.  I want them to grow up smart and strong and full of hope.  The flood has taken so much from them.  I want them to feel like life still has joys in store for them.

7.   If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

I’m embarrassed to admit this, but I wish that I was pretty.  Not beautiful--I don’t need that--just less plain than I am now.

8.   Do you have a pet? If so, what is it and why that pet?

I have a cat named Dickens.  He’s wonderful company and very clever.

9.  Can you tell us a little interesting tidbit about the time period you live in?

The orphan trains were run by social agencies back east to give impoverished children a better life.  It seems so harsh to ship them all the way out here to new families, but I’ve heard that many of them find wonderful homes.  It’s my hope that the orphans who were stranded here in Evans Grove get such loving new homes.

FEATURED BOOK: FAMILY LESSONS

Next Stop: Home

After a catastrophe strands a train—and eight orphaned children—near Evans Grove, Nebraska, schoolteacher Holly Sanders sees hope in the chaos. These children are the new start her community needs. And Holly is stubbornly determined to give the townspeople, the children…and even gruff sheriff Mason Wright…the happy families they deserve.

How can anyone so petite have so much gumption? Watching Holly rally her young charges wins Mason's admiration—and reminds him of his own failures. No matter what Holly or the orphan boy Liam think, Mason's no hero and he doesn't merit a second chance. Can Holly's faith, Liam's trust and God's grace open Mason's heart to love's greatest lesson?

Ask Elnora--About the weather? Lenora Worth

Hello, my spring chicks. Is it cold at your house? Or is it warm and raining? Has anyone seen any sunshine yet for spring? All this crazy weather got me to thinking about how the weather has to be part of our setting and how the weather can play a big part in our writing.

For example, yesterday it was muddy and rainy around my bay. The humidity was so thick you could hold it in your hand. But after that nasty bad weather came through last night, it is now cool and breezy and not as humid. But that will change in about thirty minutes.

So I hope everyone is safe and warm and dry.

But I'm still interested in how my craftie ladies use the weather in books.  I use the weather as a big part of the setting and for setting the mood. It might be a bright sunshiny day when my heroine and hero start out on a nice walk. But a rogue thunderstorm might change that to a dark, dreary and cold walk. Or ... it could change because while they are on the walk and just as the storm comes, the bad guy shows up and starts chasing them through the woods. And the only way home is through a low river bed that always floods when a torrential rain comes.  Or something like that.

Let's play with this concept. I'll start our story and you can add your own comments. But whatever you add has to be about the weather. Here we go:

The night wind washed over the woods in a gentle nudge. The moon laughed down on Joe and Jennifer, lighting their way along the old path.......

Allie Pleiter on using a details...

As writers, we try to capture the little things, the details that make our character come alive.  Sometimes they come to us out of the depths of our imagination, sometime from keen observation, or sometimes from something we know well.

I needed a great teacher skill for Holly Sanders in Family Lessons.  I needed some essential trick to catch Mason Wright’s eye, to wake him up to Holly’s talents as a teacher.  I didn’t have to look far--I went to the best teachers around me.  My children are far out of elementary school, so I went through my world to see what Sunday school teachers--many of whom are friends of mine--did that I found impressive.

Holly’s “clap once if you can hear me,” trick to focus the children’s attention in a crisis is a ploy used by my friend Angie.  She’s an awesome teacher--devoted and creative--and kids love her.  Her personality is nothing like Holly’s, but that doesn’t matter.  This is a detail, not a broad stroke.

Mason’s mouth-wide-open reaction to how well her strategy works is a favorite moment of the book for me.  I remember being astonished the first time I saw my friend Angie use the “clap once if you can hear me.”  I couldn’t believe it worked so well in a room full of rowdy second graders!  It was great fun to get to give her talents a literary nod.

What about you?  What great teachers do you remember from your early school days as either a student or a parent?

Reviews

Terri Reed here.  I'm racing toward a deadline and coming up for air.  This weekend I received a google alert on my name.  When I clicked on the link I found a review of my upcoming May book, Scent of Danger, on a legal news site.  Very interesting place to find a mention of my book!
 http://legalpronews.findlaw.com/article/0aDS9G5fyz0Hh?q=crime+OR+criminal+OR+arrested
From there you have to click on the link to the full article at Fresh Fiction.  The reviewer, Clare O'Beara gave Scent of Danger a favorable review!  For those of you who aren't familiar with Fresh Fiction, its a book review site of popular genre fiction.  I highly recommend stopping in to check out the site.

Which reminds me,  Romantic Times Magazine recently reviewed this book as well.

Here it is:

SCENT OF DANGER
by Terri Reed

Genre: Series, Love Inspired Suspense, Current Series Imprints

RT Rating

SCENT OF DANGER (4.5) by Terri Reed: Detective Melody Zachary is shocked to find an intruder in her office at the local youth center where she volunteers. Melody does not believe that the break-in is coincidental, but instead related to the unsolved death of her nephew, Daniel. Then, Detective Parker Adams appears, investigating rumors of drug deals at the center. Meanwhile, local crime lord “The Boss” is still at large, seeking the mysterious “code.” Are the center, and Daniel, linked to the “code”? Can Parker help Melody — and keep her alive? This fast-paced tale, punctuated with determined characters who tie in nicely with the other books, continues the collaborative Texas K-9 Unit series.(Reviewed by:  Leslie McKee)

Speaking of reviews, what do you all think of reviews?
Do reviews influence your book buying?
Personally, I try not to let reviews influence my enjoyment or displeasure in a book.  Or a movie, for that matter.  As a writer reviews are part of the business.  I am happy when someone likes my book enough to give it a favorable review and I shrug off the unfavorable.  Reviews are out of my control.  And if we all liked the same type of story or movie, there wouldn't be much variety.  I like variety.
What about you?

KNOCK, KNOCK...

How would you like to knock on a door and find that face on the other side? In the opening pages of Alaskan Hero, my upcoming May release from Love Inspired, that's exactly what happens to heroine Anya Petrova.

Sort of.

What she really finds is a man dressed in a bear costume.

Some might say that's more disturbing than coming across an actual bear. Why would anyone in his right mind walk around dressed as a grizzly? And just what does he look like underneath that bear head?

Find out in this excerpt from Chapter One of Alaskan Hero:

Anya Petrova shoved her mittened hands in the pockets of her parka as she stood on Brock Parker's threshold and tried not to react. The man had answered the door dressed in a furry bear costume. It wasn't every day that she knocked on a stranger's door and found a grizzly bear, albeit a fake one, on the other side. Even in Alaska.

She pasted on a smile. "Hi, I'm Anya Petrova. I emailed you about my dog. You're Brock, right?"  

He nodded, but made no move to take off the bear head.

Super. Anya had to stop herself from exhaling a frustrated sigh.

She'd expected someone normal, especially considering Brock Parker's reputation. He was new in town, an avalanche search and rescue expert and alleged dog genius, at least according to what Anya's friend Clementine had told her. Anya had been trying in vain to reach him for the past two days, but he appeared to be a mystery. He didn't even have a locally listed phone number, and he'd yet to make an appearance in town. And she'd been looking—hard—because a dog genius is exactly what she needed at the moment.

Fortunately, Clementine had managed to procure Brock's email address. Anya had fired off a message and was thrilled when he agreed to meet with her. Clementine had predicted he would turn out to be the answer to Anya's prayers. What she'd failed to predict was that Brock Parker would be dressed head to toe in a grizzly bear costume when he answered his front door.

The odds are good, but the goods are odd.  

Some considered it Alaska's best kept secret.

The rest of the free world seemed all too aware of the fact that men outnumbered women in the Land of the Midnight Sun. So much so that sometimes the statistics Anya Petrova saw on the subject made her shake her head in disbelief, if not snort with laughter. Fifteen to one? Did people in the Lower 48 really believe that?  

Anya had lived in Aurora, Alaska, since the day she was born. She even had a dash of Inuit blood in her veins, and she knew as well as every other Alaskan woman that such statistics were exaggerated at best. At worst, they were baloney. In any event, the exact ratio didn't make a bit of difference. Because the men of Alaska weren't like other men. The majority of them, anyway. Like anything else, there were exceptions.

A few.  

A very few.

The odds are good, but the goods are odd. Or, to put it nicely, Alaskan men could be eccentric. And it wasn't just the locals. Sometimes the transplants could be even worse. There seemed to be something about Alaska that attracted independent spirits, adventurers…and oddballs. Case in point—the man standing in front of her in a bear costume.

Not that she cared a whit about Aurora's bachelor population, strange or otherwise. She'd learned a long time ago that men were trouble. In her infancy, actually. Being abandoned by her father at three months of age didn't exactly set her up for success in the man department. Neither did being unceremoniously dumped on top of the highest mountain in Aurora for the entire town to witness. More than the town's population, actually, because television cameras had been involved.

As a result, dating wasn't anywhere on the list of things that mattered most to Anya. Her life was simple. She cared about three things—God, coffee and her dog.

She had a good handle on the coffee situation. As the manager of the Northern Lights Inn coffee bar, she was given free rein to develop all sorts of lattes, mochas and espresso drinks. Whatever struck her fancy, really. She enjoyed it. And she was good at it. Sometimes—particularly on days when all she did was serve up cup after cup of plain black coffee—she wondered if there was something else she should be doing with her life. Something more meaningful. But that was normal, wasn't it? Did people really ever feel completely fulfilled by their jobs?

The God thing was new, so she really couldn't say how that was going. But it mattered to her. More than she ever knew it could, so it went on the list.  

But the dog was another issue entirely. And that's where Brock Parker came into the picture, or so Anya hoped. Clementine had been so sure he could help her. She'd used the word genius to describe his proficiency at training.  

He sure didn't look like a genius standing there in his doorway in that bear costume. Then again, what did Anya know about geniuses? Hadn't she read somewhere that Albert Einstein couldn't tie his own shoes? Maybe Einstein had a bear suit too.  

She glanced down at Brock's feet poking out from the dark-brown fur. He wore hiking boots, and they were indeed tied.  

Was that a good thing? Who knew?  

She inhaled a deep breath of frigid winter air and tried again. "I have a very anxious dog, and I was told you might be able to help me. I'm kind of desperate."

She'd planned to tell him more, but suddenly her eyes burned with the telltale sting of tears. To say she was desperate was an understatement. Things seemed bad enough when she'd first rescued Dolce. The poor thing hid under the bed all the time. Anya barely saw her. Little did she know Dolce's shyness was the least of her problems.  

The tiny dog also howled at the top of her canine lungs. At first, Anya had been able to convince the people at the Northern Lights Inn—who were not only her employer, but also her landlord—to give the dog some time. Surely Dolce would settle down.  

She hadn't. Not yet anyway. And the hotel management had run out of patience. They'd finally given her an ultimatum—give up either the dog or her rent-free cottage.  

The choice was hers. She had a mere fourteen days to fix the problem or lose her dog or her home. She'd pinned her last hope on Brock's purported genius, and from the looks of things, that might have been a mistake.  

She sniffed and willed herself not to shed a tear. Desperate or not, crying in front of a man dressed as a bear was simply out of the question.  

She heard a sigh. Brock's furry chest rose and fell. Then—finally—he removed the bear head, exposing his face.

Anya wasn't altogether sure what she'd expected, but the cool blue eyes, straight perfect nose and high cheekbones that looked as though they'd been chiseled from granite were most definitely not it. The man resembled some kind of dreamy Nordic statue. Anya had to blink to make sure she wasn't seeing things.  

"You say your dog is anxious? How anxious?" He spoke without cracking the slightest smile, which only made him look more like something Michelangelo had carved out of stone.

Anya swallowed. Her mouth had abruptly gone dry. The snowflakes floating against her cheeks felt colder all of a sudden, and she realized her face had grown quite warm. "Very. I rescued her from a bad situation, and unless she's attached to a leash, I can't get her to come out from under my bed. She even eats there and only in the dark."  

It was pathetic. Every night when Anya drifted off to sleep, it was to the sound of poor Dolce crunching on kibble.

"But that's not the worst of it. She howls. Rather loudly." Anya's voice grew wobbly. "I'm about to be kicked out of my cottage."  

"I see." Brock nodded, and a lock of his disheveled blond hair fell across his forehead.

She'd heard of bedhead, but never bearhead. It, too, appeared to have its charms.

Alaskan Hero, Coming in May from Harlequin Love Inspired. Available for pre-order now!

FEATURED BOOK: GEORGIA SWEETHEARTS BY MISSY TIPPENS

After inheriting her great-aunt's failing yarn shop, Lilly Barnes is determined to make it a success. All she wants is stability, something she doesn't think possible in the small town of Corinthia, Georgia. Then Pastor Daniel Foreman rents space in her store to hold meetings for his growing congregation, and this proves to be her lifeline. At first Lilly wants nothing to do with Daniel's big dreams, but she soon finds herself starting to share his goals. Yet trouble between her customers and his congregation make them both doubt the path they're on. That is, until practical Lilly shows him that love is a risk worth taking.

Meet Libby Barnes from GEORGIA SWEETHEARTS

How exciting to have Lilly Barnes, the heroine from Georgia Sweethearts, written by Missy Tippens, an April 2013 release from Love Inspired Romance .




1. Lilly, tell me the most interesting thing about you.

Well, I've inherited a yarn shop, and I'm not crafty at all! I can barely knit.

2. What do you do for fun?

I love photography. In fact, my goal is to someday become a photojournalist.

3. What do you put off doing because you dread it?

I'm the type person who usually jumps in when something needs doing. Probably the most difficult for me is dealing with emotions from my past. I don't like dredging up old hurts.

4. What are you afraid of most in life?

Being rejected or deserted.

5. What is the most important thing to you?

Security. I grew up with a father who was a dreamer and moved our family over and over, never allowing us to put down roots. I long for a home and people who love me.

6. Do you read books? If so, what is your favorite type of book?

I'm so busy now that there's not much time. But when I was a child, always moving around and becoming the new kid at each school, I escaped in books.

7. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

I wish I didn't worry so much about what people think about me. I wish I was more confident in who I am.

8. Do you have a pet? If so, what is it and why that pet?

I love dogs! I briefly had one and would love to have one again someday.

9. If you could travel back in time, where would you go and why?

I'm so happy with my bright future that I don't think I would ever go back.

Ask Elnora--How Does Your Garden Grow? Lenora Worth

Hello, little green-thumbed garden girls. Spring is in the air and that got me to thinking about my garden. I used to have a big, rambling yard that included a swimming pool and a palm tree and a spot that I called the Dark Forest (very shady and full of surprises.) We had Confederate Jasmine and lilies and azaleas. But that home belongs to someone else now. Now we don't even have to mow the yard but that also means we don't actually have a garden. So being the innovative woman that I am, I decide I'd come up with a new kind of garden--a dish garden. And since I've been subscribing to Southern Living Magazine since I wore my first pair of plastic pink fuzzy high-heels, I knew exactly what I needed for my little garden--a thriller, a filler and a spiller. I hope to have several different dish or container gardens on my deck this summer. I like a lot of color and fragrance. I have a gardenia and some lavender out front in our little walkway space and I plan to plant a hibiscus out front, too.

So all of this talk about gardening also got me thinking about our books. When we write, we also have to have a thriller, filler and spiller kind of plot, don't we? Our plots are much like garden plots--we till the soil--the germ of an idea. We come up with a grid--our outline and synopsis. We plan out the main plot points--our thriller, our filler and our spiller. The thrill comes with the set-up and the call to whatever quest our character decides to pursue. The filler is the middle, the lush, thickly held part of our story that carries our characters through and the spiller comes when we push through the black moment and tumble over into that happy ending. A beautiful combination.

So how does your garden grow? What seeds to you try to plant whenever you start a book?

Here is my new little garden spot. It has already brightened our deck. I hope to add new furniture and a few other treasures to make this little spot intriguing and inviting. I hope to do the same with my stories. Let's discuss!

Dream Vacations

Happy Spring, ladies! Karen Kirst here to talk about favorite vacation destinations. The sunnier, warmer days make me want to plan a trip. How about you? But where? The beach? Mountains? Maybe a quaint little town with a cozy bed and breakfast?

My favorite place to visit is the Czech Republic. That’s partially because my husband grew up there and his family still lives there. (We like to tease him that he’s now a redneck Czech.) But family aside, it’s a beautiful country with centuries-old castles, jaw-dropping cathedrals, stone-paved roads and the best hot chocolate I’ve ever tasted-so thick and rich it’s almost like pudding. I love the unique pottery, the Bohemian crystal and china. The bakeries and aisles of all types of salami and fresh-baked bread. Their stucco houses are often painted pastel colors, pale yellows and greens and pinks that brighten the long, snowy winters. I haven’t been for three years and am longing to go back!
What about you? What places do you like to visit? Or dream of visiting one day?

On the heels of my most recent mission trip to Haiti (you can read all about it at my blog) I have found that this Easter season has really seen me grow as a Christian. 
Then this past Good Friday service at our church had a wonderful recreation of da Vinci's Last Supper. And I was struck at how much of a sinner I really was.

It sounds pretentious, I know. And I already knew how little I deserved God's saving grace, but watching our church perform The Last Supper and watching The Bible mini series on TV really hit me hard. It just seems like I learn more as time goes on, especially at what God did for us.

Do you marvel at how great God is and how little we deserve His love? What wonderful thing did you experience this Easter season?

Welcoming New LI Blogger Deb Kastner and Celebrating with Missy Tippens

Missy Tippens, here. I'm pleased to introduce a new blogger to our Craftie Ladies blog. Welcome Deb Kastner!

Deb's Bio (from the Harlequin website):
Deb picked up her first Harlequin romance novel at the age of 11, and has been hooked ever since. Though it had always been her dream to write the books she loved, it wasn't until January of 1996 that she finally got up the courage to begin writing. Her first book, Beloved, came to fruition in August of 1998.

Deb feels blessed to have the opportunity to write inspirational category romances for Harlequin's Love Inspired imprint. She says, "It's great to be able to write love stories that incorporate faith as a natural and integral part of my characters' lives."

Deb lives with her husband, three daughters, and a Staffordshire bullterrier along the Front Range of the beautiful Rocky Mountains in Colorado. In addition to writing for Love Inspired, Deb homeschools her daughters and teaches a number of writing classes online at WritersCollege.com.

Deb has a recent Love Inspired release, Meeting Mr. Right.

When Mr. Wrong Is Mr. Right

A woman in a man's world, firefighter Vee Bishop has to be tough as nails. She's developed a hard shell that no one can penetrate. But Vee's online friend BJ sees her softer side. BJ seems so kind and caring—just the opposite of Ben Atwood. Her annoying coworker has trampled expectations all over town, or so rumor has it. Turns out, once she agrees to give Ben a fair shot, he's surprisingly vulnerable. As Vee prepares to make a difficult choice, an unexpected twist shows that love is always one step ahead.

Also! I'm very excited to announce I got a call that my 2012 Love Inspired, A House Full of Hope is a RITA^® Finalist! I'm thrilled beyond reason. You can see me celebrating in the side bar. Pamela emailed and asked me to snap a shot of myself holding my book for the blog. Of course it took about 40 tries, and I still had to settle for that one. :)

I'm also excited that my new book, Georgia Sweethearts, is on shelves now! I haven't seen it yet, but I've heard of some Walmart sightings.

Thanks for letting me celebrate both today! And for helping me welcome Deb.

Missy