Fridays with Friends--L. Jagi Lamplighter

Although I have not met Jagi Lamplighter yet in person, we have been online friends for several years--ever since we both took classes from Margie Lawson and then connected in an online group which Jagi is active in called Digging Deep for writers who want to dig deeper in their writing. I am happy to highlight her and her book Prospero Regained today which has received rave reviews. And she also shares a wonderful story about the wonder of writing.

All About The Wonder: Why I Write Fantasy by L. Jagi Lamplighter

Yesterday, I met my first grader at the bus after school. As we walked home, he asked suddenly:, “Mom, why do you write fantasy?”
I must admit, I was taken aback. I did not have an easy answer ready on the tip of my tongue (or any other part of my tongue, for that matter.) After stuttering a bit, I recovered and said, “Because it is filled with wonder—wonder, magic, and enchantment. Because when you write fantasy, you can write about anything.”
And really, that is the reason. For me, it is all about the wonder.
Fantasy can do anything, go anywhere, occur in any milieu. It can take place in your back yard, in the ancient past, on the moon, in another dimension—the nature and laws of which can be anything you imagine. It can be frightening, romantic, mysterious, filled with intriguing factoids. But there is one thing fantasy does better than any other genre, and that is wonder.
Wonder is the sensation we feel when we suddenly discover that there is more to the world than we expected….and that this more is better, or at least more awe inspiring, than we had imagined. When this happens in real life—when we hold our infant son for the first time, or rush outside on our way to work to find a baby fawn, all wet and new, standing on our driveway, what is the first thing we always say when we describe the experience to someone else?
“It was like magic!”
I live in a world where there is wonder all around me, and no one else ever seems to notice it. Amazing things happen all the time.
Once, I went to the Mall in Washington D.C. in hopes of meeting an author I particularly admired. It is rather a rare thing, to have an author one admires in town. By an even rarer quirk of coincidences, I found myself not in line with the hundreds of other people who were waiting for his signature, but standing next to him, talking to his daughter. There was a sprinkling of rain—which did not dismay his die hard fans in the least—and, when I turned around, a huge rainbow arched across the sky. But it was not just in the sky. From our position, it was coming out of the dome of the capital building!
I had seldom seen a rainbow so clearly, much less one in so auspicious a place! (This was just at the very beginning of the bank crisis, while they were first discussing the bailout. I kept wanting to shout: “Hurry! Catch the Leprechaun! Grab the crock of gold!” ) Things like that just do not happen in real life.

But it did. I even have a picture taken by Cat Mihos:

It was like magic!
I have always wanted to have a daughter. I have also always wanted to adopt a child. When I was a teenager, I had friends who needed adopting, but no one wanted to take on children who were so old. Too much trouble. So that became one of my dreams, too: to adopt a teenager.
I also wanted to be a writer. I have always wanted to tells stories. As a child, a group of adults who used to dress up as elves and kidnap their friends for fun once granted me the title “the Legendmaker,” because even way back then, everyone knew that was what I wanted to do.
But wanting to write and succeeding are two different things. It took me nine years to finish my first novel and another six to sell it. By the time the book finally hit the shelves last summer, I had waited 17 years.
Then, July 29th, 2009, a day I shall never forget, not if I lived for a thousand years, it actually happened. My book arrived! After all that time waiting, I held the beautiful volume in my hands.
But it hardly mattered, because just a few hours before, my husband and I had grasped each other while we sent off the email saying, “Yes, we would like to be the parents to the thirteen year old girl who will lose her ability to have a family forever if she is not adopted before her fourteenth birthday in November.” With the return email, saying that our application was going forward, the picture of the beautiful Chinese girl we had received the day before suddenly became a picture of our daughter. For the first time, after waiting four years, we saw our daughter’s face.
On the same day, I gained a book and a daughter!
It was like magic!
And that is why I write fantasy. Because I want to share that, to weave a tale of awe and enchantment so others can experience even a hint of the way I felt upon those two occasions.
Because nothing is more like magic than magic itself.
When you walk into your garden and discover that fairies really are living in your lily-of-the-valley; when you are taking a rest by a cool mountain river and you suddenly realize that what you had taken for an outcropping of rock is peering at you; when you come around what you thought was a familiar corner an catch elves dancing in the moonlight, that is fantasy at its best. When done right, it reminds us of those moments in our lives, those real moments, when the curtain of mundanity is pulled aside, and we see, not a little man from Kansas, but something vast and glorious that, if only for an instance, lifts us out of our every day life and into eternity.
And that is magic.
PS. Being an published author is a delightful thing…but being the mother of a teenage girl is even more wonderful. One’s life is filled with wonder every day.

L. Jagi Lamplighter’most recent release, Prospero Regained, is the stunning conclusion of the critically acclaimed Prospero’s Daughter series. When not writing, she reverts to her secret identity as an at-home mother in Centreville, Virginia, where she lives with her husband, author John C. Wright, and their four children, Orville, Ping-Ping, Roland Wilbur, and Justinian Oberon.

Website: http://www.ljagilamplighter.com/
Blog: http://arhyalon.livejournal.com/

Monday Musings on the Tenth Annual ACFW Conference
This blog post is later in the day than I usually post, but I am still experiencing conference overload and jetlag from the time change and airplane ride, plus I just got my pictures downloaded from my camera to my computer. I plan to post about conference for the next few Mondays since so much went on it will be hard to capture it fully without being too long for a single blogpost.
I count it a blessing to be a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and to have been able to attend all of the 10 national conferences held. And my roommate each year since then (except for a couple she had to miss) has been Jennifer Johnson. Jim Peterson introduced us at the first conference, and we have been friends and crit buddies ever since. Jennifer is the same age as my oldest daughter, and we get along so well I would adopt her! Above are a couple pictures of us together. The one on the left is Jennifer, myself and Gayle DeSalles in the middle. Gayle is the talented lady who did the wonderful update of my blog last year. The second picture closer to the top is of 3 of us KY gals--Heather Sunseri on the left, me in the middle and Jennifer again on the right. Stay posted for more snapshots next Monday.

Friday with Friends--Guestblog by Lynn Squire

Lynn Squire from Monday's post is also the author of today's guestblog, so be sure to check out Monday's posting to learn more about her and her book.

Is God Able to Build What Has Been Destroyed? by Lynn Squire

Perhaps one of the greatest tests of a person’s faith is the destruction of everything one owns. If your possessions are your god, then you will hate who or what destroyed them. If the Creator is your God, then you can rejoice in the testing of your faith and wait to see what miracles God will perform.
Walking through a town that has been devastated by a tornado gives you a heavy, surreal feeling. Houses you knew well no longer exist. Trees uprooted. Landmarks disappeared. You are both in awe of the power of the storm and troubled by its destruction. For the first few moments you wander in shock, then like a slow press, the magnitude of your loss bears down on you. You don’t know where to begin to rebuild…you might even question whether there is any reason to rebuild.
Slowly you pick up a board or a piece of paper and look around, wondering where to put it. A picture caught between two pieces of wall flickers in the wind. An old picture of your grandfather’s home that had once been destroyed, just like yours. It kindles a hope. Perhaps, with hard work, not all is lost. After all, you are alive.
In our darkest hour, God does not abandon us. He’s there, waiting, and if we are listening, we’ll hear Him encouraging us to trust Him just a little more. He’ll help us through.
James 1:2-4 says:
“My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.”
Each time we experience a trial our faith in God is tested, as though He is stretching us, helping us see that we can wait a little longer for Him. Just trust Him and persevere.
How do we trust God and persevere?
· Read the Bible daily and remember how He helped people in the past.
· Pray without ceasing, pouring out your soul to Him while working to direct your thoughts to worshiping Him.
· Count your blessings. Yes, that seems like a pat answer, but it is key to recovery.
· Take small steps of action, covered in prayer, and with an ear open to the Holy Spirit’s guidance.
Perhaps we will not see in our life on earth the blessings that Job experienced after his trial, but we can know that when the new heaven and new earth comes, we’ll know even greater blessings than he had.
Dear Lord, give us the strength and courage to persevere. Help us to wait on You to rebuild our lives as You see fit. I pray this, in Jesus name, AMEN.

Spotlight on Lynn Squire, author of Joab's Fire

I'm happy to introduce my readers to Lynn Squire who is a fellow ACFW member. She agreed to let us get to know her better by answering some interview questions:
1. Tell us about your favorite book as a child and your favorite book as an adult. Can you see a connection between those books?

I loved Nancy Drew books as a child. Fed on them; dreamed about them; acted them out.
As an adult, I claim Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers as my favorite book, although I have read many that have impacted me and I could easily say were favorites.
As to a connection? I’m afraid I really don’t see one, except maybe my passion for both. I loved that Nancy Drew could do anything. She was really an unbelievable character in that way. On the other hand, Angel in Redeeming Love captured my heart. It was a very difficult book to read, but I couldn’t put it down because I wanted Angel to find God’s redeeming love, just as I have.
2. What is your favorite Scripture? Do you also have a favorite Scripture that encourages you in your writing?
I have a difficult time choosing a favorite Scripture. It changes each time God speaks to me through His Word. One book of the Bible that radically changed my perception on life was Ezekiel. I first read it as a young adult, and recently God used it again to hold me on course. Here are some specific verses:
“When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood will I require at thine hand…Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand.” Ezekiel 3:18,20
Those verses resonate in my heart, coupled with Ezekiel 33:11 “Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?”
Ezekiel reveals the holiness and righteousness of God along with His great desire to save us and how much He loves us. I fear in today’s Christianity we have created a god of our own and have forgotten the Lord Jehovah God of the Bible, the one true God—merciful and just, holy and gracious, loving and righteous.
3. If you could go to any place in the world to research/write a book, what setting would you choose?
Jerusalem. I would choose the time when Jesus walked on earth. I want to visit every place He walked, and see every sight He saw, and feel His compassion and love, and then climb Golgotha to bow down before Him and remember what He has done for me.
4. I often wonder if I would write if I had to do it the old-fashioned way without computers and spell-checks and email. Is there anything about technology that you don't like? Or anything about it that you feel enhances your writing?
I still find myself itching to use pen and paper. Something about that method makes the work feel more real, more vibrant. I still print out my manuscripts and use a pen to edit them. I can get into the story better that way. For me, technology tends to be less personal. It causes a distance between me and the words, and thus the story. However, computers and the Internet and e-books certainly speed up the process of writing and make research materials much more accessible. For that, I am grateful.
5. As a writer how have you had to grow and stretch out of your comfort zone?
Every aspect of writing, from creating the plot, to writing, to being critiqued, to being edited, to marketing has pushed me, fed me, and stretched me. In the early stages I usually have a theme in mind. The plot evolves from this theme and the characters begin their acts based on this theme. Soon, however, the plot and characters become catalysts for me to dig deeper, think on a different plane, and face my own weaknesses, failings, or misperceptions. Then, to take that baby to be critiqued by others means having to accept criticism, and the process stretches me further as I have to admit that I’m not perfect and neither is my writing. Marketing becomes a matter of balance. On one hand you need to sell books to make money. On the other, it isn’t about the money; it is about reaching the hearts of the readers. There is a constant battle through the marketing stage to keep the right perspective…this isn’t about me; it’s about God.
6. What advice would you give to a beginning writer that you wish someone had given you?
Do not listen to the wisdom of the world. Listen to the wisdom of God’s Word. Evaluate everything people tell you with the measuring stick of Scripture. And pray without ceasing. In other words, take care of your relationship with God before you write anything.
James 3:1-2a says:
“My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation. For in many things we offend all…”
As a writer, you become the master of the reader’s imagination. We direct his imagination to new worlds, to new thoughts, to a new way of looking at life. If that direction doesn’t line up with God’s Word, then we have dealt falsely with that reader. We need to be careful that our work is founded in Biblical truth, not man’s ideology or experience.
When judgment day comes and my works are tested, I want them to come out pure, and I want to hear my Father say, “Well done.” I want to encourage other writers to pursue the same.
7. Do you want to add anything about your book such as how to order it?
As of September 15, 2011 you can go to any bookstore and order a copy, if they do not have one in stock already. You can also order Joab’s Fire off of any major online bookstore, like Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble.
About the Author

Lynn Squire is an avid writer who artistically intertwines Biblical truth with colorful
narrative. Her childhood farm life, coupled with her equestrian experiences, brings
authenticity and heart to her stories. Lynn actively serves her church through her writing
and in other ministries and is currently the president of the American Christian Fiction
Writers San Francisco Bay Area Chapter in California, where she resides with her

husband and three children.
About the book:
Joab black and his wife Sarah overcame the worst of pioneer hardships in order to establish a prosperous farm in Alberta, Canada. But those challenges never prepared
them for the tragedy they now faced—a staggering loss and intense pain causing them to doubt everything they had ever believed. In the midst of their sorrow, even their closest friends interpret their sufferings as a result of God’s judgment. Has God abandoned them? Inspired by the Biblical book of Job, this novel includes a Bible study exploring the perfection of God’s plan and the bounty of His love even in the most inexplicable and intense sufferings.

Fridays with Friends--Cherie Burbach

God must be trying to teach me something about social marketing because I went to a local conference about it this week, my spotlight on Monday was about J. Steve Miller's book on marketing, and now when I opened Cherie's post it is also about a form of social marketing! Twitter is new to me, and probably to others, so read on to find out some great advice from Cherie. Her post post is specifically geared toward Christian authors and how they can use Twitter, including some links with resources on connecting with other Christian authors on the site.
How Christian Authors Can Use Twitter
by Cherie Burbach

If you're a Christian author and looking for ways to promote your work and connect with others, Twitter is a wonderful option. You only need to spend a few minutes a day on the site in order to receive benefits like these:

Connect With Other Christian Authors

Networking doesn't just involve saying hello on Twitter (although you can do that as well), but by connecting you are also helping to promote others. This lets you give back to the writing community, and also helps your readers. After all, if they enjoy reading your work (and thus, follow you) they might enjoy another author's books, too.

How do you find Christian authors on Twitter? Here are some lists and links to get you started.

• Christian Book Videos (list of Christian authors on Twitter)
• Everyday Christian (list of Christian authors on Twitter)
• We Follow (a list of Christian writers and resources you can follow individually)
• Vessel Project (provides a list on Twitter you can follow)

Since the Internet tends to change quickly, you can also find authors by checking out their webpages or blogs, searching for them online (since their Twitter account usually comes up on the first page of their search results), and using the Twitter search box to look for some combination of "Christian" "author" "writer" or "books."

Promote Your Favorite Bible Passages

Do we ever get enough of hearing God's word? When I'm on Twitter, it's amazing to me how I will be feeling (low, happy, grateful, sad) and I'll see someone tweet a Bible passage that completely speaks to me. You can do this as well by tweeting out your favorite passages, or sharing one that really lifted you up that day.

Promote Your Projects

Sure, you can use Twitter to promote your books and articles, but most Christian authors I know also have a passion for something else. For me? Diabetes etiquette and awareness. I retweet helpful posts I find on the subject and try to help educate folks on the best way to help their diabetic friend or family member.

If you have a charity or community project you're passionate about, Twitter is a wonderful resource for this. Tweeters generally respond very well to getting the word out by retweeting or commenting on tweets related to good works.

Author Bio:

Cherie Burbach is an author, blogger, poet, crocheter, and geek. She is the About.com Guide to Friendship and has penned eleven books and ebooks, including Internet Dating Is Not Like Ordering a Pizza and 21 Ways to Promote Your Book on Twitter. She has published over 500 articles on the subjects of health, sports, and lifestyle. For more info, visit her website, http://www.cherieburbach.com/.

Monday Spotlight on J. Steve Miller
I am happy to spotlight one of my fellow John316marketingnetworkers today. J. Steve Miller has written an outstanding book called Sell More Books that all writers should read. He wrote it especially to help other authors. Here is what Dr. Robert E. McGinnis, author of 15 young adult novels, has to say about it. "Sell More Books! is "filled with useful tips I don't find elsewhere. A masterpiece of research, wisdom, and encouragement."
Here are some questions and answers I asked Steve to share with us.
1. Tell us about your favorite book as a child and your favorite book as an

 adult. Can you see a connection between those books?
Interesting question! The earliest books I recall capturing my
imagination were super hero books. In the late 60's many of us felt
restless, like there had to be more to life than going to school,
getting a job, making money, raising a family, and dying. To me, James
Bond or a super hero had significance. They made a difference. That's
part of what attracted me to Christianity as a high school student;
Jesus offered deep significance, like God had commissioned me with a
significant task.
So today I write books, not for fame and fortune, but to help and
impact others. Books have changed my life. With "Sell More Books," I'm
able to help fellow authors who are impacting others as well.
2. That's a great testimony, Steve, which leads right into my next questions. What is your favorite Scripture? Do you also have a favorite Scripture that encourages you in your writing?
Probably the principle expressed by Jesus when He said that He came
not to be served, but to serve. The church I attend is big on finding
practical needs in the community and meeting those needs. They don't
meet a need and preach the gospel; they do acts of kindness with no
strings attached. It's amazing how many people are impacted
spiritually as a result.
So in my books, I try to meet needs - like The Contemporary Christian
Music Debate to help churches choose their worship style, or Enjoy
Your Money! to help young people get a handle on their finances, or
Sell More Books to help authors write and publish successfully.
 3. If you could go to any place in the world to research/write a book, what
setting would you choose?
Slovakia. We lived there until my wife was diagnosed with cancer.
Sipping coffee at a cafe on a cobbled street in historic Bratislava,
near a wall that still holds a canonball shot by Napolean's army -
that kind of setting inspires reflection. I'd need my entire family
there as well. They keep me out of the clouds and tell me candidly
whether my writing works or stinks.
4. I often wonder if I would write if I had to do it the old-fashioned way
without computers and spell-checks and email. Is there anything about
technology that you don't like? Or anything about it that you feel enhances
your writing?
I love writing with computers. I can write from any location, can type
crappy first drafts at lightning speed, followed by relentless
editing. Then I can send digital copies to scores of people to get
their input. I'd be very frustrated going back to pen and paper.
5. Me, too! As a writer how have you had to grow and stretch out of your comfort
zone?
By getting constant input, I find that what makes sense to me doesn't
make sense to others. That stretches me, forcing me to constantly
rethink what I'm writing. I'm very idea-driven - getting ideas from
everyone. I sent early manuscripts of Sell More Books to many authors
and publishers. Their candid input - often ruthlessly honest - let me
know where I needed to do further research, or how some of my counsel
applied well to fiction writers, but not to writers of textbooks. Their challenging input resulted in a much more accurate book.
6. What advice would you give to a beginning writer that you wish someone
had given you?
As I was writing my first book, I studied writing and studied the          
writing industry. Concerning writing, an editor for InterVarsity wrote
in Writers Market, "If you're writing nonfiction, read Zinsser's On
Writing Well, and do what he says." I read the book and wrote a page
of his suggestions to help me self edit, like "Use active verbs - get
my subject doing something."
I also read up on the industry. Today, it's in such flux that authors
need the latest information to succeed and keep from being scammed.
That's why we wrote Sell More Books. I wish I'd had that information
when I started out.
7. Do you want to add anything about your book such as how to order it? What
are your website addresses?
You can find it on Amazon (Kindle or paper) here:
http://www.amazon.com/Sell-More-Books-Publishing-Revolutions/dp/0981875637/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1314978095&sr=8-1
For other places to order, more reviews, etc., see the press page:
http://wisdomcreekpress.com/press_kits_sell_more_books.html
Thanks for the interview!
Thank you, Steve. I hope my readers will click on that last site to read much more about the book, even the chapter titles. Then check it out on amazon.com and order your copy. I'm sure glad I did! Rose

Fridays with Friends--Tom Blubaugh

Happy Friday. I hope you will enjoy this article about networking by Tom Blubaugh.

Centers of Influence by Tom Blubaugh
A point of origin, as of influence, ideas, or actions that produces an effect without any apparent exertion of force or direct exercise of command.

Does the above definition sound like you? Apply to you? I assure you it does. It is a perfect description of you and everyone you know. Everything you do influences someone or something in some way. Have you ever tossed a pebble into a river? Did you notice how the impact of the stone moved a circle of water out until it finally returned to the calm apparent before the incident? Your words and actions are like that of the stone. They cause a “ripple effect” and literally move things around you. Whether the effect is good or bad depends on you.

Have you noticed?
* How an action in the Middle East causes the stock market to move?
* How an accident on the freeway backs up traffic for miles?
* How a stuck stoplight disrupts traffic?
* How an injured player stops a game?
* How a comedy scene makes a whole audience laugh?

We could go on and on and on.

Take a piece of paper and draw a small circle in the middle. Write your name in the circle. Then draw a circle for every person with whom you have a relationship. Place their name in the circle. These don’t have to be close relationships. Include family members, friends, fellow employees, neighbors, people you do business with, church members, other organization members, and so on. Then connect all of those circles to the number of other circles representing people with whom they are connected. You will be amazed at your circle of influence.

Do you notice how many of them are people you like or love? Can you see how every word and action affects this vast number of people? I say vast because most weddings and funerals have approximately 200 people in attendance. I say 200 people is a vast number because 200 x 200 = 40,000. Amazing isn’t it? And that is only two ripples in the water.

This ripple affect works when you see a good movie, eat at a great restaurant, and read a good book. You pass positive comments to your family, friends, and neighbors. Who are the centers of influence in your life? On Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn? Have you shared your book with them? Your blog? This is networking at it’s best.

Tom Blubaugh, Author of Night of the Cossack--Read the first chapter get a signed copy by ordering here. FREE shipping in USA. Published by Bound by Faith Publishers.

ebook for Kindle available at Amazon.com. Be sure to like my page and do a review when you finish, if you like my book.
Amazon Author page.
Amazon reviews.
ebook for Nook available at Barnes & Noble
Night of the Cossack Facebook author page. Be sure to like my page while you're there please.
Personal Facebook page
Visit My Blog. Be sure to sign up as a follower.
http://twitter.com/
Author's Den. A great Author/Reader site. You can join free. Look me up and be sure to become a fan while you're there.
Check me out on Goodreads.
Co-author of The Great Adventure published by Barbour Publishing. (out of print).
Genesis Project
Jericho Commission, Inc.

Fridays with Friends--Janet Barton

I welcome my long-time friend Janet Lee Barton today. She writes a very heart-felt tribute to the Heartsong Presents line which gave her and many other fine authors their first chance at publication. And she also shares with us some info about her last series of books for HP.

A Sad Farewell by Janet Lee Barton

It's a sad thing to see the Barbour Heartsong Presents line come to a close. Along with so many others, I got my start in writing for the line and I feel so blessed to have been able to write for HP. In all I have written 16 novels for the HP line, and this last series is one of my favorites.
I call it my Oklahoma Sooner series because it begins with the land run to Guthrie in 1889, and tells three different love stories taking place in one family during those first 20 years. It only took one visit to Guthrie, which is about 15 minutes away from where I live, to ignite my imagination. I love the historical town that became the capitol of the Territory and played such a huge part in Oklahoma becoming a state.

And I loved telling the story of Faith and Gabe in I'd Sooner Have Love, first book in the series. Both had reasons to keep from falling in love, but they found that God had plans of His own for them. I just recieved my copies of Sooner Sunrise, second book in the series. It tells the story of Samantha and Ben, a widower who longs for someone to share his sunrises at the farm with, and a woman alone and on the run, afraid to trust her heart to any man. The Lord has plans for them, too. Their stories are set amid a growing Guthrie in Oklahoma Territory.
The series comes to a close with the last book, Sooner Sunset, coming out in December. Saying goodbye to a series I loved writing and a line I loved to write for, hasn't been easy. But I know God has a plan and I'm looking forward to whatever it is He has in store.
Janet Lee Barton
Finding a Forever Kind of Love
http://www.janetleebarton.com/
I'd Sooner Have Love-May 2011

Sooner Sunrise- September 2011
Sooner Sunset- December 2011

September 1, 2011--Book release and book drawing

My book Christmas Belles of Georgia released today! And my sweet children all called to congratulate me! And I booked another booksigning! A great day!

And it is a good day/evening for Chris Weigand, number 21 of my 49 followers. My husband chose her number, so she wins a hot-off-the-press copy! And I have decided to do the same giveaway next month, so all of my current followers (except Chris) and any new followers will all be in the drawing on Oct. 1st for a copy of Christmas Belles of Georgia.

Happy release day to me, and to all my faithful followers! And all praise and thanks to God, the Giver of all good things!