A Caroling We Will Go

The Carol Awards are ACFW’s recognition for the best Christian fiction
published by traditional publishing houses in the previous calendar year.

This year, the Craftie Ladies have an author up for the Carol Award

with her book Rescuing the Texan's Heart 

 We've had some winners in the past:

Winners

Winner 2012 Lakeside Reunion  Love Inspired by Lisa Jordan

Winner 2009 Broken Lullaby  Love Inspired Suspense by Pamela Tracy

 Winner 2008 The Heart of Grace  Love Inspired by Linda Goodnight

Winner 2007 The Wedding Garden  Love Inspired by Linda Goodnight

Winner 2007 Hearts on the Line  Love Inspired Suspense by Margaret Daley

We've had some hopefuls in the past

Finalists

Finalist 2015 Rescuing the Texan’s Heart  Love Inspired by Mindy Obenhaus

Finalist 2014 The Doctor’s Family Reunion  Love Inspired by Mindy Obenhaus

Finalist 2013 Saving Hope Love Inspired Suspense by Margaret Daley

Finalist 2011 The Wedding Garden Love Inspired by Linda Goodnight

Finalist 2010 Code of Honor Love Inspired Suspense by Lenora Worth

Finalist 2009 Her Unlikely Family  Love Inspired by Missy Tippens

Finalist 2009 Forsaken Canyon Love Inspired Suspense by Margaret Daley

Finalist 2008 Pursuit of Justice  Love Inspired Suspense by Pamela Tracy

Finalist 2008 Heart of the Family Love Inspired by Margaret Daley

Finalist 2007 The Wedding Garden Love Inspired by Linda Goodnight

Finalist 2007 Strictly Confidential  Love Inspired Suspense by Terri Reed.

Finalist 2007 Son of Perdition  David C. Cook by Louise M. Gouge

Finalist 2007 Christmas Homecoming Love Inspired by Lenora Worth

Finalist 2006 Twas the Week Before Christmas  Love Inspired novella by Lenora Worth.

Finalist 2006 Hannah Rose  David C. Cook by Louise M. Gouge

Finalist 2005 Gold in the Fire Love Inspired by Margaret Daley

Finalist 2005 Ahab’s Bride  David C. Cook by Louise M. Gouge

Courtroom Drama!

Courtroom Drama

In my new release, Expert Witness, Sydney Berry is a forensic sketch artist who is testifying as an expert in a murder trial. Unfortunately for her, the defendant is a well-known businessman, but he also has ties to a dangerous gang. She puts her life on the line to testify because she refuses to back down to the threats.  

I enjoyed writing the courtroom scenes and tried my best to make them realistic but also entertaining. As a lawyer, a lot of my job is not that glamorous. The mundane far outweighs the exciting. But have you ever noticed how exciting the law seems on TV? I can’t help myself and love watching these shows even though I live the law every single day. But I can tell you that the drama in the courtroom is much more prevalent on TV than it is in real life. Which is one of the reasons I love writing legally themed books!

Do you enjoy legal TV shows? What are some of your favorites?

EXPERT WITNESS

DANGEROUS TESTIMONY 

Minutes after testifying in a murder trial, sketch artist Sydney Berry is almost killed in a drive-by shooting. United States Marshal Max Preston saves her life then whisks her away to safety. She's his first protected witness, and he'll do everything in his power to keep her safe. But Sydney doesn't want to hide from danger. She is determined to finish her testimony and put a killer away. With potential suspects coming from all corners, Sydney will have to trust Max with her deepest secrets—and her life.

Please visit me on my website www.racheldylan.com or find me on Twitter or Facebook.

How I Love September!

by @jillkemerer

Usually by  September I'm ready for jeans, sweatshirts and cozy time on the couch. We had a rainy, mild summer, but the last few weeks have been hot and muggy. What can I say? Our weather gets confused. Anyway, I'm giddy for all things September, and yep, I've compiled a list in no particular order.

I took this photo last year in September--isn't the cardinal pretty?

1.  My writing schedule evens out.

I write during the summer, but it's not as easy when the kids are out of school. Summer brings daily distractions in many forms. Fall and winter are great for my writing!

2. The leaves grow colorful.

I live in northern Ohio. The full color display really pops in October, but September hints at the yellows, oranges and reds on their way. So pretty!

3. Football!

I. Love. Football. Yes, I do. There's nothing better than a steaming mug of coffee while watching ESPN's College Game Day on Saturday morning. I root for University of Michigan's Wolverines, and I enjoy NFL, too. It's not easy being a Detroit Lions fan, but someone has to do it.

4. Fall sports.

We have two teens busy with fall sports. Saturdays usually mean cross country meets, and Sundays bring an afternoon baseball game. Fun times!

5. Sunday school.

I take turns with another woman teaching preschool Sunday school. The kids are so cute at that age, and I love spending an hour with them. 

6. Birthdays.

My birthday and my son's birthday are in September. Double the cake. Ditto the ice cream. :)

7. Crisp nights.

When the weather starts to cool at night? Yes! I love that! But in another two months I'll be whining about winter...

8. Hearty food.

I enjoy cooking and baking. This is the time of year I cook chili all day in the slow cooker and bake an apple pie. Good stuff!

9. No holidays.

Yes, Christmas is my favorite time of the year, but it's really, really nice to get a break from holiday planning. No pressure to buy gifts, decorate, figure out costumes, fill a basket, etc... I'll take the mini-break. 

10. My second book released this September. 

This book is so dear to my heart. It's a reunion romance with a divorced couple, and the hero, Tom, finds out he has a child. The cover and blurb are below. It should be in stores all month, and it's available to order online.

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His Surprise Daughter 

After five years apart, Tom Sheffield is shocked to find his ex-wife, Stephanie, on his doorstep. The news that they share a child he's never met sends him reeling. Four-year-old Macy has his eyes, his mouth and, from their first encounter, his heart. Things with her mother are much more complicated. He doesn't understand what went wrong between them or why she kept their daughter a secret. And he's afraid of falling in love all over again. Yet he feels a glimmer of hope that somehow he can convince Macy and Stephanie to stay in Lake Endwell—and with him—for keeps.

Interested in purchasing Unexpected Family? Click HERE for purchase links!

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About Jill ~

Jill Kemerer writes contemporary romance novels with love, humor and faith. A full time writer, she relies on coffee and chocolate to keep up with her kids’ busy schedules. Besides spoiling her mini-dachshund, Jill adores magazines, M&Ms, fluffy animals and long nature walks. She resides in Ohio with her husband and two children.  Jill loves connecting with readers, so please visit her website, jillkemerer.com.

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What do YOU love about September?

Have a fabulous day!

When Looking for the Perfect Husband...

Awwww, men.

They are strange and beautiful creatures. Lady Amelia thinks she knows them well. After all, she's had no problems finding husbands for her clients and she prides herself on creating love matches. That means looking for attributes that will create a well-balanced, harmonious relationship.

Doesn't she look as though she's considering a husband-to-be right now?


It was fun thinking about what kind of man makes a good husband. While most of us agree a good man with a sense of humor, that can still be subjective. What one person finds funny, another finds boring.

I can't say I've ever matched anyone up, but I'd love to know if you have! Do you know anyone who played matchmaker? How did things turns out?

Craftie Ladies - Love Inspired Historical Sept 2015 Releases

Listed below are the upcoming releases from our talented Love Inspired Historical writers here at Craftie Ladies of Romance.  To purchase any of these wonderful books, just click on the book covers.  And to learn more about the authors, click on their names.

The Matchmaker's Match

by Jessica Nelson

He has three months to find a wife-or lose his estate. Spencer, Lord Ashwhite, doubts he'll find a suitable bride among the ton, until the unconventional Lady Amelia Baxley agrees to provide a list of candidates. It should be an ideal arrangement, were Spencer not growing attached to the one woman Amelia refuses to consider as a prospect: herself. 

Independence means everything to Amelia, who has been burned in love before. The charming marquis is quickly putting her entire life in turmoil, and controlling her stubborn heart has never been such a challenge. 

But does the ever-practical Amelia dare to go from bride-finder to wife?

FEATURED BOOK AND INTERVIEW:Expert Witness by Rachel Dylan

DANGEROUS TESTIMONY 

Minutes after testifying in a murder trial, sketch artist Sydney Berry is almost killed in a drive-by shooting. United States Marshal Max Preston saves her life then whisks her away to safety. She's his first protected witness, and he'll do everything in his power to keep her safe. But Sydney doesn't want to hide from danger. She is determined to finish her testimony and put a killer away. With potential suspects coming from all corners, Sydney will have to trust Max with her deepest secrets—and her life.

Interview: 

Today we're welcoming Sydney Berry, the heroine EXPERT WITNESS by Rachel Dylan, a September book by Love Inspired Suspense.

Wow, you've just had quite an adventure.   

1.  Tell us a little about yourself and how you came to be in the midst of such suspense.

I am a forensic sketch artist who is testifying in a murder trial against a well-known businessman. He’s also got ties to a scary gang that is out to get me!

2.  So, during the book you met Max Preston. Tell us a bit about him.  What was your first impression?  When did you know it was love? 

Max left his career as an FBI agent to become a U.S. Marshal and protecting me is his very first assignment. My first impression was that he was smart, protective, and handsome—maybe a bit too stubborn. I didn’t know for a while that it was love because I was fighting it.

    

3.  What strengths/skills do you have?  What is your greatest weakness? 

As a sketch artist, my strong suit is being able to draw. I love all forms of art. My greatest weakness was the battle in my mind over my past.    

    

4.  What scares you? 

I used to be scared about a lot of things, especially given my abusive past, but I strengthened myself both physically and spiritually and it made all the difference in the world.       

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

I’m finally happy about who I am.

6.  Where are you in your faith at the start of your story? 

I am strong in my faith at the beginning of the story, but Max is not. I share my faith with him, and it is a very meaningful experience.   

7.  Where are you in your faith at the end of the story? 

Even stronger in my faith because even through all the threats on my life, the Lord was with me through it all.

8. You've got a scripture at the beginning of the story.  Tell us why this scripture is significant.

The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1

This scripture is significant because I’ve been through a lot of trying times in my life, but I’ve learned that if God is with me, then I should not be afraid.   

9. If you could be a dessert what would you be and why?

A yummy pumpkin pie. It’s the perfect fall dessert.

Beach Party--Come spend the day with me--Lenora Worth

It's the end of summer and soon we'll be carving pumpkins and grabbing our fleece hoodie and warm boots. Let's have one last beach party! I'll provide the atmosphere and the sunshine if you bring whatever you'd like to eat and drink and your fun attitude. These last days of summer are shorter but still wonderful. Although I have to admit, I'm kind of ready for those crisp fall temperatures. But for today, come with me and let's enough the crash of the surf against the shore.

 

 

A nice walk in the wood near a swamp is always fun. Unless you hate bugs and spiders and snakes and gators, of course. :)

 

Nothing like the sky over water. It's always so soothing.

 

And who doesn't love a  little romance on the beach. From Here to Eternity, anyone?

 

Or maybe just a hero who loves children :)

 

 

Gotta throw in some sand and sea oats and the sound of the surf.

 

And we can't forget palm trees. Hear the rustle of the fronds in that wonderful breeze from the water.

 

What about a nice stroll down an old street, the scent of jasmine wafting through the air.

 

A good summer read is mandatory for these last lazy days.

 

A great meal with a wonderful view. Can you smell those shrimp beginning to boil?

 

Tropical plants and cool drinks out on the deck.

 

And finally, the sun setting over the water. What a great day. Sleep peacefully and let your soul find rest.

 

This blog has been brought to you by God. His world is truly amazing and he doesn't mind sharing it with us at all. Hope you had fun. I sure did :)

 

 

 



Fun in Europe by Merrillee Whren

My husband and I recently took a vacation in Europe. We visited Germany, Austria, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. We flew into Munich where we spent two days. One of the highlights in Munich was hearing the Glockenspiel and watching the carved figures move around in the giant clock.

Notice the sounds of foreign languages mixing with the sound of the Glockenspiel. 

From Munich we took a train to Passau, Germany, where we started out river cruise on the Danube. We did a lot of traveling by train, and most of the time it was a good experience, but the second leg of our trip to Passau was on a train without A/C. It was hot. We were expecting a relief from the hot Arizona temperatures, but the joke was on us as we encountered a heat wave. For the first dozen days of our trip, the temperatures ranged from 95 degrees to 102 degrees. The Cathedreal in Passau was my favorite church, and we saw a lot of churches.

Next we sailed from Passau to Linz, Austria. From there we took a bus tour to Salzburg, where we saw the place where Mozart once lived. 

From there we stopped in two small towns along the river, Melk and Dürnstein. Melk has a beautiful Abbey that you see in the photo below.

Our next stop was Vienna. We were disappointed not to be able to go to an opera, even though I'm not a big opera fan, but we did tour the Opera House, that doesn't have performances in August.

Bratislava was next on our itinerary. It is the capital of Slovakia. Our guide gave us a very thought-provoking talk about the differences in life there after the fall of the Soviet Union. Here is an very interesting photo I took there. People actually got down on the ground to have their picture taken with this. Not me.

The last stop on our cruise was Budapest, my favorite city on our trip. We sailed in at night and had this spectacular view of the buildings all lit up. Here's a photo of the Parliament.

After the river cruise, we spent another week traveling on our own. We took the train from Budapest back to Vienna, where we spent another day checking out the things we missed. The heat wave finally broke, and we had a pleasant day. Here was an interesting sculpture that was right outside our hotel.

The next day we took a train to Prague. We spent two days in the rain there. It was not fun trying to sight see in the rain. St. Vitus church had magnificent stained glass windows. This is only one of the dozen photos I took there.

After two rain-soaked days in Prague, we made our way to sunny Berlin. We were there a day and a half. It's a big city and not nearly as interesting as the other places we visited, but it does have a few remains of the Berlin Wall, the most fascinating thing, for me, in the tour of the city. You can see there were actually two parts of the wall with a no-man's land in between.

Our final stop before heading back to Munich and our flight home was Fussen, Germany. The Neuschwanstein Castle is located near there. It is said to be the model for the castle at Disney World. What do you think?

The only disappointment was not being able to take photos inside. It has some beautiful painting on the walls and ceiling, and the woodwork was spectacular.

These photos are only a few of the over seven hundred that I took. We had an amazing trip. If you would like to look at more of my photos, you can see them on my Facebook page.

If you could take a trip to any place in the world, where would you go?

I'll be giving away a copy of my latest book, Nursing a Soldier's Heart,  to one person who leaves a comment and an email address.

Three Cheers for Clever Copywriters by Keli Gwyn

Does back cover copy play a role in your decision to buy a book?

If you're like me and many other readers, I have a hunch it does.

I'll pick up a book if its cover or title grabs me, but it's the blurb on the back that lets me know if the story is one I'd enjoy.

Writing copy is an important part of the publishing process. Some people have a real knack for it.

I think the team at Love Inspired does a super job with back cover copy. The copywriters know what readers are looking for in a story, and they focus on those elements in the blurbs they write.

As an author, I eagerly await the day the description of one of my books shows up on Amazon. That's generally the first time I see the copy.

Yesterday the back cover blurb for my March 2016 Love Inspired Historical, A Home of Her Own, appeared. I read it and cheered because the copywriters did a wonderful job capturing the essence of the story.

Here what they came up with:

A Blossoming Love


Becky Martin knows that she can't stay at James O'Brien's apple farm forever, but she wishes she could. After her brother framed her for arson, she flees Chicago, traveling cross-country to California and finding work caring for James's ailing mother. Beneath the apple blossoms, it's almost as if she has a real family…but her secret won't stay buried forever.

James, scarred from an explosion, didn't expect to connect to the pretty young traveler. Could she really love someone damaged like him? He knows she's hiding something. If only she'd trust him. Can she let go of her past and believe in the possibility of a future amid the apple trees?

Q4U: What back cover copy have you read recently that made you rush right out and get the book?

Copyright © 2015 by Harlequin Enterprises Limited
Cover copy text used by arrangement with Harlequin Enterprises Limited.
® and ™ are trademarks owned by Harlequin Enterprises Limited
or its affiliated companies, used under license.

What a Summer!

Hi Everyone, Sandra Orchard here.

Can you believe that September has arrived already?!

This has been an eventful summer around our home, both personally and professionally.

In June my son proposed to the love of his life and they will wed this fall!

Also in June, two of my novels were recognized with The Word Award, one for romance, one for mysteries. And at that same conference, I had the privilege of rooming with and getting to know Kay Strom, former script writer for Murder She Wrote--super cool!

July brought the release of my 10th novel and my first visit to NYC and a Romance Writers of America conference. If that wasn't exciting enough, my new editor Giselle Regus joined me for the National Readers' Choice Awards, where Identity Withheld won the action/suspense category--against a slate of mainstream/non-inspy book--super cool!

I also got to attend my first...and second Broadway show. And...enjoy a ball at the Waldorf Astoria courtesy of Harlequin. Waaay cool!

August brought the COOLEST event of all...the birth of my 3rd grandson!

And I got the fun of having my four- and two-year-old grandchildren sleep over for a whole week. While the eventful summer didn't leave me a lot of time for writing, it definitely filled up my creative well and I'm looking forward to diving into a new story this very day! 

...in between a trip to the pool with the grandkiddoes <wink>

How about you? What are your plans for the new month? Did you have an eventful summer?

Sandra Orchard is a multi-award-winning author of mysteries and romantic suspense with Revell Publishing and Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense imprint. A mother of three grown children, she lives in Niagara, Canada with her real-life-hero husband and writes full time…when not doting on her young grandchildren. Subscribe to Sandra’s newsletter to receive a subscriber-exclusive mini-novella. Learn more about Sandra’s books and bonus features, as well as writer helps, at www.SandraOrchard.com or connect at www.Facebook.com/SandraOrchard