Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

We all have so much to be thankful for. I am especially thankful for life and health after being in a car accident last week. I slid off a wet slick road thru someone's yard going sideways about 50 yards, only to stop when I hit a tree. The tree is still there, and I am still here, but the car is totalled. The guy at the garage said they call it a banana when one side is so bent in like that. My Bible and several other books were on the backseat, and they flew out the side window when the glass shattered and landed several feet away on the grass. My husband said that could have been me if I hadn't had my seatbelt on, so make sure you always wear one!

I am thankful to be a survivor, albeit with a skinned knee, bruises and sore ribs. My doctor says they might be cracked or bruised but they have to heal on their own either way. So, if you've ever had injured ribs, you know what I am going thru. Sitting or lying down aren't too painful--it's mostly the getting up and down that hurts! And the coughing and sneezing!

Sorry this is only the second time I've posted this month, but I do promise to do better next month. Besides the accident laying me low for a couple days, I have been furiously typing out the words for my first book contract. (See Wed., Sept. 22nd blog) I have a little over 15,000 words of the 20,000 word count for a novella. It isn't due til Feb. 1st but I want to get it finished early, let it sit a week or two, then go back and do rewrites before sending it to my crit partners and the other three ladies writing novellas for the anthology to read thru and make suggestions. If I haven't said this before in a blog, I believe it takes a village to write/re-write a book. That's one of the reasons I am so thankful for ACFW and all my writing friends.

Most of all I "Give thanks with a grateful heart, give thanks to the Holy One, give thanks because He's given Jesus Christ His Son!"

Winner and new book to win--A Door County Christmas

Linda Kish is the winner of The Narrow Path by Gail Sattler. She has a week from today to send me her mailing addy or I will have my hubby draw another number.

I usually read Christmas books the month of December, but read this one early so I could use it for this month's book drawing. That way whomever is chosen on Dec. 1st will receive this book in the mail early enough to add it to their own Christmas reading! And whoever wins is in for an early Christmas treat because the four authors in A Door County Christmas--Eileen Key, Becky Melby, Rachael Phillips, and Cynthia Ruchti--all had me laughing out loud at their wonderful stories.

I had read Cynthia Ruchti's first novel They Almost Always Come Home a few months ago and blogged about it, so I knew she wrote hilarious yet heartfelt stories. But since I had not read anything by the other authors, I had no idea I would get such enjoyment and laughter from all the stories in this anthology. I've only met Becky Melby once, but have been friends with Eileen, Rachael and Cynthia for several years. I know they all have a deep love for the Lord, and it is definitely and creatively expressed in these stories. This is Rachael's debut novella, but I am sure it won't be her last.

This was a free copy sent to me by one of the authors to promote, but I also bought my own copy, and I am so glad I did. These are stories I can enjoy reading many Christmases to come. So, leave a comment anytime this month to be eligible to win a copy. Or go on and order a copy so you will be sure you don't miss this fantastic book. Everyone with an American mailing addy can enter except last month's winner--Linda K. And it helps if you leave your email addy to make it easier to contact you. I had to have my husband pick numbers three times last month due to the winner not leaving an email addy and not responding to my blog post saying they had a week to contact me with mailing info. So, make it easy on us both by leaving the info. Thanks!