Book Review: With Every Letter by Sarah Sundin, reviewed by April Kidwell

Happy Friday, friends!!

Today we have a book review from, April Kidwell. Please make her feel welcome! She is reviewing With Every Letter, written by Sarah Sundin. Here is April!

April Kidwell is a wife, mother, and writer. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with an incredible science-geek hubby, two fantastic children, and a small menagerie of critters. She has an MDiv in Writing and Curriculum and is a retired teacher. She has completed two contemporary Christian romance novels, Be Still My Heart and Pieces of Her Heart, coming soon.

Here's April and her review of With Every Letter

Have you ever read a book in which you could truly identify with the main character? You recognized her struggles, her pain, her insecurities, and you felt understood?

Sarah Sundin’s With Every Letter was such a book for me.

I sympathized with her inability to connect with the other women in her unit, understood the struggle finding words to say to new people, and empathized with her feelings of inadequacy. So much so, that on more than one occasion I cried.

If you’re an introvert trying to make it in a world of extroverts you will understand. If not? Then you may find her introspection and insecurities vexing and difficult to comprehend.

Either way, Sarah Sundin crafts a beautiful story of love and faith set during World War II. Her research is impeccable and she never fails to transport the reader to another time and place.

This particular story follows the tried and true trope of “The Shop Around the Corner” or “You’ve Got Mail.” Two people anonymously write to one another and begin to fall in love before one discovers the other’s identity. The one who knows the truth must decide how to proceed.

Plenty of fresh elements keep the reader engaged, but a sense of familiarity lends to the overall enjoyment of the story. Sundin’s trademark ability to balance the realities of war, sufficiency of God’s peace, and romance of falling in love shines in this book.

 

Sally here. Thanks so much for being here, April! This sounds like a great book.


To connect with April, here are her links:
website: https://www.blessfulwritings.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Blessfulwritings/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blessfulwritings/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/33068192-april-kidwell


Be sure to leave a comment. Follow my blog so you don't miss a post. I post book reviews on Fridays and author spotlights on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Wednesdays are devotional posts or posts related to writing or another topic. If you'd like to submit a book review or an author spotlight, content must be for inspirational or clean stories, fiction or nonfiction. You can contact me through my website listed below. I also post the first Thursday of the month at https://seriouslywrite.blogspot.com/

Check out my website, connect with me, and sign up for my newsletter. https://sallyshupe.weebly.com/

Author Spotlight: Cheryl St. John

Hi friends! Today, our author spotlight is on Cheryl St. John! Everyone, say hello to Cheryl! Without further ado, let's get to know Cheryl and her writing.

 

Author Bio:
Cheryl St.John is the author of more than fifty historical and contemporary romances. Her stories have earned numerous awards and are published in over a dozen languages. In describing her stories of second chances and redemption, readers and reviewers use words like, “emotional punch, hometown feel, core values, believable characters and real-life situations.” Her bestselling non-fiction books, Writing With Emotion, Tension & Conflict and Write Smart, Write Happy by Writers Digest Books are available in print and digital. She’s a bargain hunter with the heart of a hoarder trying to live as a minimalist. The struggle is real.

Hi Sally! Thanks for the opportunity to chat with you today.

Cheryl, it's so great you being here today! Thanks for the Q&A interview to get to know you and your writing.

When did you first know you wanted to be a writer? What influenced that decision?

As a child, I wrote stories and drew covers for little books I stapled together. Books were my companions. The Summer of the Falcon by Jean Craighead George was the first book I read that made me a life-long reader.

I graduated to popular adult fiction in my teens, and in my early twenties I became a die-hard Louis L’Amour fan, and I still adore westerns and Americana. I tend to go through genres in my reading, however. Medieval one season, true crime the next, then biographies or a contemporary series. Marriage of convenience is my favorite trope, and I also like a character pretending to be someone they’re not. I always wrote stories for myself, but when I discovered LaVyrle Spencer and Lisa Gregory, I got the desire to write to make others feel the way I felt when I lost myself in a story.

How did you get your first book or story published?

When my youngest child went to school all day, I decided it was time to get serious about my dream of being a writer. I wrote, blissfully cluelessly, for several years until I joined an organization and a local chapter and actually learned to write well. Once I found an agent to take me on, she assured me she could sell a book for me, and Harlequin Historicals bought Rain Shadow, followed by many, many more stories.

What prompted you to write the Aspen Gold Series?

I wrote western historicals under contact for Harlequin Historical and Love Inspired Historical (with a few contemporaries mingled in) for twenty-five years, and I was depleted. When my contracts were fulfilled, I took a year and a half away from writing to care for a newborn grandchild and fill the creative well. The break did wonders for me, and I promised myself that from then on out I would only write books I loved.

My critique group of many years had planned the Aspen Gold Series a long time ago, but the idea got lost in sure-thing publishing contracts and busy lives. We lost a beloved member and friend, however, and eventually deciding to pick up the series was a big part of helping to heal our grief.

Dancing in the Dark was the first book I loved writing in a long time. Of course, the Ed Sheeran song prompted the title. Since then I’ve written Tanner, a book in the Bachelors and Babies western series, and I’m just now preparing to publish Whisper My Name, another addition to Aspen Gold Series. I already have several more stories planned.

What do you find most rewarding about a writing career?

For me the biggest bonus of being a writer is the ability to adjust my career around my family and church. I set work hours and adhere to them, but I can plan days off for other activities with my husband, kids or grandkids. As long as I’ve made my page count by the end of the week, I’m good.

What’s the most meaningful thing a fan has said about your book?

Nothing is as rewarding as when a reader tells me one of my stories got them through a difficult time in their life. I wrote a story, Saint or Sinner, about a girl who is coerced and abused by her father. In the days when mail came to the post office box, I drove over once a week. I’d be so excited to read my mail that I had a letter opener in the console. I vividly remember sitting in my car with tears running down my face. A reader told me her step-father had beaten her, and she had permanent nerve damage in her arm, as well as other physical and emotional injuries. She said my story gave her hope that someone would love her as much as Joshua loved Addie. Nothing has ever affected me as deeply as those words. If I give hope to one person, I am fulfilled as a writer.

Do you write with a theme or message in mind?

I never plan a theme, and sometimes I don’t know it until the book is nearly finished, but my stories almost always end up being about second chances, forgiveness or underdogs succeeding. I have a premise in mind, and a tone I want to set, and then I use goal-motivation-conflict grids to plot and plan my stories.

Do the people in your real life show up in your writing?

Occasionally, I use an incident. I often use the amusing things my grandchildren have said. I don’t recreate specific people, but I use unique traits because they add realism.

Do you know the book’s ending before you start writing?

Happy ever after, of course, but no, I don’t usually know specifically how the story will end. I know the character’s traits, goals, conflict and have plot points ready, but I don’t plan scenes ahead. I admire writer who do! Some of my friends even plan out every scene they will write on notecards. I’ve tried it—I have no clue about scenes in advance, except for a few plot points. The characters and the unfolding plot tell me what happens next. The end has to be satisfying and true to the characters.

What's the best writing/marketing advice you can pass on to other writers?

You always hear “write the next book” and that advice is wise and true. There are writers who wrote a book three years ago and are still marketing that one book. Writing three books builds sales for each one. Writing ten books provides income if one isn’t as well-received or as heavily promoted. Writing twenty books gives me a backlist when a reader discovers me.

After speaking at a Writer Digest conference, an aspiring writer who’d read my bio asked, “How did you write fifty books? He sounded awestruck. I didn’t even have to think about my answer. I replied, “One at a time.” And I had a few years on him. (lol) But seriously, it’s about applying oneself and sticking to it.

Which of your books is your personal favorite?

That’s always a difficult question to answer. Each is special in its own way, but a couple stand out as favorites. Land of Dreams is my best-selling book ever. It has been reissued, republished, sold in many languages, and readers love it. Joe’s Wife didn’t get adequate distribution initially, but I got my rights back and independently published it, and it is doing very well. It has the elements that I fall for in a story—a reformed bad boy who is also an underdog, an orphan, and a marriage of convenience.

What is your favorite social media?

I prefer Facebook because of the ability to select who and what shows up on my timeline. I love to interact with readers and friends, but I don’t tolerate rudeness, crudeness or people on their political soapboxes, so I unfollow or unfriend those posters in a heartbeat. I love the ability to get thirty opinions on a character name or a plot point within an hour or so. I am in too many groups, but I enjoy Instant Pot recipes, furniture painting projects, seeing farmhouse decorating and marveling over what people have recently crocheted.

Do you read reviews of your books?

I read reviews of my books. I don’t respond. Critical reviews either cause me to rethink something or make me laugh. Not everyone is going to love my stories or my writing. I certainly don’t love everything I read. That’s why there are millions of books out there to choose from.

What does writing look like for you?

Sitting at my desk is like flipping a switch that turns on the words. I have a huge backlit keyboard, and my last one actually lasted five years—that’s a record. I do my plotting and character creating on paper, keep all of my research, character grids, notes in a three-ring binder that lies open beside me throughout writing the book. I’m a chronological writer, and I’m also a self-editor, so my first draft is pretty much my last draft. When I sit down to write, I read back over what I wrote the day before and tweak it. About halfway through the book, I finally divide it into chapters (I don’t know why I do it that way, but it works for me) and read through the book, editing, then move forward to the end. When I’m finished, I do a read-through and it’s final. My excellent proof-reader friends find my errors, and I’m good to go.

Fun Facts:

Most watched tv show

Don’t throw rocks. The Walking Dead and Fear the Walking Dead are my favorite television series. People tend to assume it’s a “zombie” show. Yes, for sure, there are a lot of walking dead, but the series is not about them—they are external conflict. The entwined stories are about ordinary people surviving in the worst possible circumstances. It’s all about relationships, about life or death decisions, moral decisions—it’s about internal conflict and personal conflicts.

Fear the Walking Dead has one of my favorite character combinations ever. Garret Dillahunt (Burn Notice/Raising Hope) plays an ex-cop/part-time wild west show actor, who accidentally killed a robber and isolated himself before the disease started. Jenna Elfman (Dharma and Greg) was a nurse who feels responsible for the death of her child and an entire community. She’s broken—he’s broken—and when she washes up in front of his cabin, she’s not ready to feel again. She heals from an injury and goes on his way. He goes in search of her—in the vast wasteland of the apocalypse. They do find each other. Sigh.

I get it. Some think the walking dead parts are gross. Some of it is gross. But I watch all the behind-the-scenes, and that stuff is all make-up and special effects, which I can appreciate. I watch for great acting, fabulous actors, amazing writing. Toss in my favorite elements: second chances, forgiveness and underdogs. I’ve watched these two connected series multiple times.

Most worn accessory:

I love vintage jewelry and own way too much. I never take off the ring my husband gave me when we were dating, my great-grandmother’s wedding ring or my dad’s wedding ring.

Little-known facts about you

I do free-lance editing work on the side.
I’m the worship leader at a non-denominational full-gospel church.

How to reach/follow Cheryl:
Email Cheryl at: SaintJohn@aol.com
Amazon author page: https://tinyurl.com/y6js92y8
Visit her on the web: http://www.cherylstjohn.net/
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/cheryl-st-john
Like her Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/CherylStJ
Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/y6js92y8
Twitter: https://twitter.com/_CherylStJohn
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cherylstjohn/
She's a Pinterest junkie! https://www.pinterest.com/cheryl_stjohn/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/24516.Cheryl_St_John
NEWSLETTER SIGN UP: http://eepurl.com/bqCji9

BUY LINKS

 

Dancing in the Dark is a sweet contemporary. PG
Dancing in the Dark: https://books2read.com/u/4XZxe9
Amazon: https://books2read.com/dancinginthedark-aspengold

 

Tanner is a sweet western. PG
Tanner: https://amzn.to/3fpOxV4


Friends, I sure hope you enjoyed getting to know Cheryl St. John!


Thank you so much for joining us, Cheryl!


If you're an author and you'd like to be showcased here, just let me know. Must be inspirational or clean, can be fiction or nonfiction.
Check out my website, connect with me, and sign up for my newsletter. https://sallyshupe.weebly.com/

Author Spotlight: LoRee Peery

Hi friends! Today, our author spotlight is on LoRee Peery! Everyone, say hello to LoRee! She is a special friend of mine. Without further ado, let's get to know LoRee and her book Cowboy Just In Time. 

 
Author Bio:
Nebraska country girl LoRee Peery writes fiction that hopefully appeals to adult readers who enjoy stories written from a Christian perspective, focusing on the romance. These include novels and novellas for women and men in the Contemporary, Romance, Historical, Time Travel, and Mystery/Suspense categories. She writes of redeeming grace with a sense of place. Her Frivolities Series and the book based on her father’s unsolved homicide, Touches of Time, are available on Amazon. She is who she is by the grace of God: Christian, country girl, wife, mother, grandmother and great-, sister, friend, and author. Connect with LoRee: www.loreepeery.com


Cowboy Just In Time Blurb

When event planner Amanda Totten falls through a barn trapdoor and finds herself in the arms of an 1890’s cowboy, she scrambles to find a way back to the future. She has a life and obligations—her fledgling business and her mother’s financial needs. But the less stressful lifestyle, and her deepening love for Gavin Medley, is calling to her heart and she is torn between past and future.

Has God given her a chance at love?

Gavin Medley has been working for years to regain his family homestead. As ranch foreman, he has nothing but a dream of a place and family of his own. But his love for Amanda is making him think that having his own ranch isn’t as important as having someone to love for the rest of his life.

Amanda returns to the future, and Gavin is shattered. He tries to go forward in time, but fails. Believing it's God’s will, Gavin resigns himself to living without the love of his life.

But love transcends time, and Amanda and Gavin need each other. Can Amanda return to her cowboy?


Interesting Tidbits

When my oldest daughter Paige turned 40 I remember thinking how old my grandma was at 40. As a teenager, I vowed I would not be an “old” grandma. Now I’m a great-grandmother and remain young at heart.

I burned 20 years-worth of 5-year diaries before Bill and I moved to the country.

I walked barefoot as a kid in summer, even into the pasture, and only wore shoes to town on Saturday and for Sunday school. Those bare feet stepped on many rusty nails.

I wrote letters to pen pals as a girl.

My ideal gift is someone cooking or cleaning for me.

Friends, I sure hope you enjoyed getting to know LoRee Peery and Cowboy Just In Time. 

 

 

Below are links to buy Cowboy Just In Time and to connect with LoRee Peery:

AMZ https://www.amazon.com/Cowboy-Just-Time-Hearts-Across-ebook/dp/B08CMF1WV2/ref

Barnes & Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cowboy-just-in-time-loree-peery/1137309111?ean=9781522303022

Pelican http://tinyurl.com/kwz9enk

Amazon author page https://www.amazon.com/LoRee-Peery/e/B004UAGL2W/ref

LoRee Redeeming Grace with a Sense of Place

Website: www.loreepeery.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LoreePeery

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LoReePeery



Thank you so much for joining us, LoRee!


If you're an author and you'd like to be showcased here, just let me know. Must be inspirational or clean, can be fiction or nonfiction.
Check out my website, connect with me, and sign up for my newsletter. https://sallyshupe.weebly.com/

Author Spotlight: Lila Diller

Hi friends! Today, our author spotlight is on Lila Diller. Everyone, say hello to Lila! She is one of my critique partners. Without further ado, let's get to know Lila and her book Her Heart's Decision.

Author Bio:
A die-hard lover of stories, introverted Lila loves to learn about people through imagination. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two boys, editing, blogging, connecting on social media, and pretending her dishes aren't screaming to be cleaned. Having grown up in rural Idaho, she enjoys the small town in NC where she lives with her husband, two energetic boys, and a calico cat. Her passion for fellow believers, especially in fighting the climbing divorce rate inside the church and in worshiping through every circumstance leads her to tackle these problems one blog post at a time and through three published novels since 2017. Join her on a quest for romance—both in fiction and in real life—on her blog at www.liladiller.com.


Info on Her Heart's Decision:
Her Heart's Decision, #1 in the “Love is” series, begins with an inspiring love triangle based on Christian values. Morgan wonders if her boss, Jason, might be her true love, but just as romance begins to bloom, her old flame Tony bursts back into her life and tries to woo her. How will Morgan choose her soulmate?

You can read this book for free when you sign up for my email list at https://www.liladiller.com/landingpagefor1. Or you can buy it for only $0.99 on Amazon or listen to the audiobook. All links are listed on my website at https://www.liladiller.com/books.

Overview of Lila's Books
The “Love is” series is based on the Bible's definition of true agape love in 1 Corinthians 13. It's a contemporary Christian Romance following Morgan’s saga from her first-person point of view and is set in a fictional small town in North Carolina. Morgan deals with dating, engagement, marriage, babies, family drama, and friend troubles in this realistic look at how agape love can be lived out by ordinary Christians.

I also just finished a speculative Biblical fiction about Judas Iscariot. I'm really excited about it! I'm shopping it around to agents right now.


Inspiration for Her Heart's Decision:
I came up with the idea for the entire series first, each book focusing on how a description of true love from 1 Corinthians 13 might be played out in real life. Everything in the books is fiction; none of it actually happened in real life. But the characters, some of the conversations they had, and much of the backstories of the main characters were inspired by my life and the lives of those closest to me. The story of how Morgan's sister Amy Grace attempted suicide was almost exactly how I found out that my sister attempted suicide. Thankfully, the Lord did a great work in her life, and she is doing much better.

My Writing Process:
My process has changed. When I first started, I wrote from the beginning of chapter 1 to The End. There was then a lot of revising and editing involved. Now I try to pre-write more. The better vision I have for more scenes in the book, the easier it is to write and the less revising I need to do. I have found that while I love editing other authors' books (as I do from time to time if anyone is interested), I do not like revising my own work. I'm too close to it. And while I am a very detail-oriented person, I have trouble seeing the big picture. So I need another set of eyes to give me big-picture feedback.

Friends, I sure hope you enjoyed getting to know Lila Diller and Her Heart's Decision.

Below are links to connect with Lila:

I would love to connect with you! You can find me on my blog at www.liladiller.com/blog,
my books at www.liladiller.com/books,
Amazon at www.amazon.com/author/liladiller,
Bookbub at https://www.bookbub.com/profile/lila-diller,
Facebook at www.facebook.com/loveisseries,
Instagram at www.instagram.com/liladiller,
Pinterest at www.pinterest.com/liladiller


Thank you so much for joining us, Lila!

If you're an author and you'd like to be showcased here, just let me know. Must be inspirational or clean, can be fiction or nonfiction.
Check out my website, connect with me, and sign up for my newsletter. https://sallyshupe.weebly.com/

Review of The Ultimate Authorship Planner by Audrey Ann Hughey

I have been using The Ultimate Authorship Planner by Audrey Ann Hughey for the past year. This planner is awesome! From planning my blog posts to keeping up with word counts to following exercise and daily and weekly goals, this planner has it all!

The front of the book has a section for your vision, mapping your goals, story ideas, expenses, marketing, social media planning, and reflections. The whole beginning of the book sets up success for your year. Then it is broken down into monthly sections. 

 

 

When the month starts, there is a page for monthly reflection, where you can write out what you learned, accomplished, etc. from the previous month. Then, there is a section for what you want to accomplish in the current month, like priorities, sales goals, and social media and newsletter plan. The Monthly Overview is what helped me when I started scheduling authors on my blog. It was a lifesaver! I could see at a glance, who was scheduled to appear on each day, and I quickly set up a system to use to know who had already submitted materials and which ones I'd already uploaded and scheduled on my blog. I could also write in any blogs I was visiting so I wouldn't forget to send in my post.

After this section, the monthly section is broken down into 5 weekly sections, Monday through Friday. You can track your weekly priorities, writing goal for the week, daily priorities for each day, daily exercise, etc. This weekly breakdown kept me on track for writing and exercising goals, and how much writing I was actually getting done.

Each quarter also has a reflect and resolve section to measure where you are and where you want to be. This is a great way to review what worked and what didn't work for the current quarter, and what steps you can take to rectify what didn't work for the next quarter.

The last section helps you put the year into perspective. Putting all the quarters together gives you an overview of how your year went. I found since everything was kept in one book, it was easier to keep inputting information from day to day and week to week. The monthly view was my biggest asset to this book. Being able to see at a glance what was coming up for the month really kept me on track. At the back of the book are several blank pages for My Musings. I used these pages to write notes about anything and everything. There is a date column to coincide with the musing line. It worked really well in keeping my thoughts in line, either keeping track of thoughts or ideas for posts, to characterizations for characters, to a show I wanted to watch on TV.

Have you used this planner or another planner? How did it go? Let's share what worked and didn't work. This planner really worked for me and I will be getting another one to start next year off right!



Follow my blog so you don't miss a post. I post book reviews on Fridays and author spotlights on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Wednesdays are devotional posts or posts related to writing or another topic. If you'd like to submit a book review or an author spotlight, content must be for inspirational or clean stories, fiction or nonfiction. You can contact me through my website listed below. I also post the first Thursday of the month at https://seriouslywrite.blogspot.com/

Check out my website, connect with me, and sign up for my newsletter. https://sallyshupe.weebly.com/

Author Spotlight: Annette Irby

Hi friends! Today, our author spotlight is on Annette Irby! Everyone, say hello to Annette! Without further ado, let's get to know Annette and her books Finding Love in Friday Harbor, Washington, Finding Love on Bainbridge Island, Washington, and Finding Love on Whidbey Island, Washington

Author Bio:
Annette M. Irby loves reading, and she has enjoyed writing since her teen years. If she's not writing, she's reading for review, gardening, or editing. Her book, Finding Love on Bainbridge Island, Washington, won the Selah Award in 2019. Finding Love on Whidbey Island, Washington, is a Cascade Award finalist in 2020. Together with several fellow writers, she co-hosts the popular writers’ blog, Seriously Write, where the team provides daily encouragement and tips for writers. She is a freelance editor at AMI Editing. Married twenty-nine years, she and her husband enjoy spending time with their family at the beach. Learn more at her website: www.AnnetteMIrby.com.


Here's Annette:

Have you ever visited a place that deeply inspired you? A place where the beauty and the smells and sounds of nature seemed to minister to you? A place where you go to meet with God?

For me, that place is Puget Sound. It’s a grand waterway in Western Washington, leading in from the Pacific Ocean, down the Strait of Juan de Fuca (pronounced /FEW – ka/) into the Salish Sea to the north and general Puget Sound to the south. The Sound touches Seattle, Tacoma, Shelton, Hood Canal. The Salish Sea surrounds the San Juan Islands and touches Bellingham to the north. Lots of port cities and multiple islands dot the waterways. The Sound influences our weather. We have mild winters. We experience marine layers—clouds that push in from the west and oftentimes bring a salty smell and high humidity. These marine layers burn off to afternoon sunshine. If you live in Western Washington, you’ll find you’ll need a sweatshirt part of the summer day and shorts for part of the day. You may find yourself wearing them both at the same time. There’s often a chill behind the breeze. You may smell snow in summertime because we’re surround in mountain ranges: the Olympics to the west, the Cascades to the east.

Marine life abounds! I’ve taken beach walks and found carcasses of sting rays and possibly a shark. I’ve found lots of jelly fish washed up, crabs—both living and dead, snails, mussels, barnacles clinging to boulders. I’ve seen otters splashing in bays, along with seals and sea lions. I’ve watched a minke breathe and then wave goodbye with its tail as it sunk under the water. So much life. Just breathing the salty air can calm my heart and mind. God and I meet together there. I see His hand in the beauty of creation. The Sound is deep and huge whales live there. I wouldn’t want to swim in the deep. Six gill sharks hide in the dark depths. Giant Pacific octopus linger between the boulders under water. It’s intimidating. The water’s color changes moods—gray, blue, white, frothy, smooth, reflective. My imagination stirs with story ideas.

The first time I saw Puget Sound was over thirty years ago. I came to Washington State to visit family friends. I couldn’t believe the vastness of the Sound, of the Salish Sea (where I stayed on one of the islands). I was used to fresh-water lakes, but this was so different, so wild, so untamed, so not human-made like some of those lakes. So inspiring.

As I walked the shores, I considered what stories I could invent and set on the beaches of Puget Sound. How could I populate those novels with characters who lived here? How could I bring readers along with me to this inspirational place and let them feel what I experience here?

That’s how my Washington Island Romance series was born. I wanted to read about this region, these beaches, this beauty. Since I couldn’t find books to fulfill that need, I did as many writers do—I decided to write some. Because God met me on my beach visits, and because He’s my hope, He needed to be a central part of the stories. And because I tend to write about psychology issues, in real-to-life characters, I include humor for balance. Second chances are grand, aren’t they? Each of these stories is a second chance with that special someone. These are contemporary stories. My desire is that readers might connect in their daily lives with the challenges my characters face and then feel hopeful too. As a reader, I’ve found a nugget to hold on to while reading fiction. I’m guessing you have too.

This series of novels can be read as stand-alone novels, though you may get more out of them if you read them in order. Here’s the list:

Finding Love in Friday Harbor, Washington

 

Buy link: https://amzn.to/2GVeZtm

Will keeping his promise lead to another broken heart—or help them find love again?

Professor Mikaela Rhoades has a plan: she’ll encourage her students’ marine biology research through an exclusive program while helping an old family friend’s whale touring business stay afloat. The challenge is the tour captain is her first love and ex-fiancé. Mikaela longs to help his family in the wake of his father’s death, but she’s keeping secrets. She’ll have to face her past and overcome her concerns about the future to make it through the summer.

Captain Hunter Cahill has taken over the family touring business after his father’s death. Unfortunately, he’s drowning in grief and debt. He’s hoping the incoming stodgy professor will help resurrect the failing business, but he’s not prepared when that professor turns out to be Mikaela, his former fiancée. To make matters more difficult, he’d promised his father to pursue her if she ever returned to the island single. The more time they spend together, the easier it is to keep that promise, though she still plans to leave at the end of the season. How much will it cost him to spend the summer romancing Mikaela?

Finding Love on Bainbridge Island, Washington (award-winning)

 

Buy link: https://amzn.to/2GQrBxZ

Neither of them is ready for a relationship, but love may not give them an out.

Jenna-Shea Brown considers herself a broken therapist. Years ago, she witnessed something that caused PTSD. She can’t let her boss or her patients know about her battle. Who would want to trust her to help them, when she can’t help herself? She’s finally able to find a fresh start in her family’s beach cabin, but the renovations aren’t complete. Her parents have hired her ex-boyfriend to finalize them, but his negligence led to her being in the wrong place at the wrong time all those years ago.

Liam Barrett is trying to prove he’s nothing like his deadbeat dad. He’s working hard, yet still failing. Adrenaline and adventure offer him a diversion, but maybe he can’t escape his genes. He’d like to make things right with Shea, but he’s unsure if she’ll forgive him. Meanwhile, he’s challenged to forgive his father. He’s also worried about Shea and all these episodes she won’t explain. Now that they’re back in close proximity, he’s falling for her again. But can anything heal the past?

Finding Love on Whidbey Island, Washington (award finalist)

 

Buy link: https://amzn.to/2FSIds4

Could what drove them apart be what draws them back together?

Liberty Winfield lives with loss every day. She’d rather leave her history behind her, but when faced with moving back to her hometown, the past becomes unavoidable. She takes a job at the florist shop owned by her ex-boyfriend’s family from a decade ago. Now he’s unavoidable.

Clay Garrison knows the pain of ruing his mistakes. Most of his regrets center around Liberty. If he could undo his poor choices, he would. Liberty is back. He has one more chance to make things right. She doesn’t believe anyone could love her unconditionally, so he sets out to prove her wrong. He must also try to right the biggest wrong of their past, knowing that in doing so, he could lose her forever.

Will addressing the past together help them find love? If you get a chance to read them, I pray you’ll be encouraged as the stories provide an escape to the beach where my characters find healing and hope.

Friends, I sure hope you enjoyed getting to know Annette Irby!


Below are links to connect with Annette Irby and her books:

Learn more about the series here: https://amzn.to/2xpNTGB

Find other books by Annette on her Amazon Author Central page: https://amzn.to/2qtBQ49

Annette's website: www.AnnetteMIrby.com

Thank you so much for joining us, Annette!


If you're an author and you'd like to be showcased here, just let me know. Must be inspirational or clean, can be fiction or nonfiction.
Check out my website, connect with me, and sign up for my newsletter. https://sallyshupe.weebly.com/

How to Create Memes by Susan Snodgrass

Today, we have a treat! Have you seen memes like on Facebook and wondered how to create them? I have! So, I asked Susan Snodgrass to share with us how to create memes. She makes great ones! Here's Susan!

i have been promoting good books a long time and a few years ago, I saw some graphics floating around and thought that this would be an extra way to aid my promotions, so I sat down and figured out how to do it. It took a while, but I did it.

As I read, I grab quotes that stand out to me. I use Pixabay for the photos. I usually try to find a photo that matches the quote. For instance, in the current book, the main character loves greenhouses, so I grab a photo of a greenhouse for the quote.

To put together the graphic, I use Ribbet. They have loads of fonts to choose from and filters, etc. I've heard Canva is great, but it's not so user friendly. At least not for this old lady.

After I create the graphic, I save it both to my docs and on a flash drive.

Also, I never do a spoiler quote. An author for whom I influenced told me to add my name to them so no one would steal them. I also try to use colors in the photos that somewhat match the colors in the book cover, so if I add the cover to the graphic, it will match, at least in part.

To get the cover, I go to Goodreads, click the cover, enlarge it and save it to docs. Sometimes I save two copies, and on my computer I will lighten the cover to a grayish tone and add a short quote from the book if there is room. I don't do that if the title is large cause I don't want it to be too busy.

Thank you so much, Susan, for these tips on how to create memes!


If you'd like to share a writing related post or a devotion for a Wednesday post, let me know. If you're an author and you'd like to be showcased on Tuesday or Thursday, just let me know. Must be inspirational or clean, can be fiction or nonfiction.
Check out my website, connect with me, and sign up for my newsletter. https://sallyshupe.weebly.com/

Author Spotlight: Harry Wegley

Hi friends! Today, our author spotlight is on Harry Wegley! Everyone, say hello to Harry! Without further ado, let's get to know Harry and his book Riven.

 

Author Bio:
H. L. Wegley served as an Air Force Intelligence Analyst and a Weather Officer. In civilian life, he worked as a research scientist, publishing in the scientific literature, then developed Boeing computing systems for 20 years before he and his wife retired near Seattle, where they enjoy small-group ministry, their grandchildren, and hiking the beaches of the Olympic National Park whenever the sun shines. He is an award-winning author of inspirational thrillers and high-action, romantic-suspense novels.

Can We Ever Recover What We Once Had?

As with most of my stories, my current 3-book Riven Republic Series derives its plot from a problem impacting the people of our nation. The problem in this series is a deep division in our nation driving it toward civil war.

My problem as an author is not simply to point out issues but also to show a real-world solution for them. The fragmentation of America stems from two incompatible worldviews, politically we call them leftist thinking (Marxism) and right-wing Constitutionalism. What one view calls good, the other calls evil. There is no significant common ground and no peaceful resolution to the conflict unless hearts and minds are changed at a very deep level.

This is not the first time in our nation when opposing views on morality became problematical. In the 1660s, declining church influence and membership, a breakdown in moral standards, and religious skepticism coming from the Enlightenment began replacing God’s wisdom with man’s thinking. Breaking the moral impasse and turning the American colonies in a better direction began with a concern in the hearts of the people and ended with a movement of God upon their hearts—revival, the first Great Awakening.

The revival created a unity between the colonies that had not existed before. That bit of history gave me a solution to the division in present-day America. But how does one show, in a 300-page story, problems that span a nation, that span the ideological spectrum, and are so intense that they might lead to war? I selected one state as a microcosm of America, chose characters who represented the opposing factions, and then raised the level of conflict to the point of warfare. I modulated the conflict between characters to parallel the conflict in a divided America.

The hero of book 1, Riven, is Zach Tanner, a radio talk show host. Here’s how Zach describes a divided America in the opening chapter:

“America may not be where it was on March 4, 1861, when Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated. But many of the divisions that led to that terrible Civil War exist today—divided views of our national history, divided views of our founding documents, of our monuments, of most of our symbols, of what it means to be a patriot, and what it means to be an American.

“We are engaged in a cold civil war but one that will grow hot given the slightest provocation. I believe many provocations are coming, and the incompatible political ideologies on the right and the left prevent any resolution but a violent one, a rending of our nation. It will not play out as it did in 1861, but every American will know that we are at war when one group crosses the line, a point of no return, leaving a riven republic. And as the nation fragments in a de facto secession and struggles against itself, the question on each true American heart is, can we ever recover what we once had?

“The courts cannot save us from ourselves. No part of the federal government can. Maybe if enough pulpits echo the call to revival, God will move as He has in the past. Maybe the hearts and minds of millions will be changed, and we will find unity once again.

“At this critical juncture in American history, it appears that only an act of God can save this nation.”

As Zach said, the division in our nation penetrates so deeply into core beliefs that we need another Great Awakening. To unify the nation, the God who knows the hearts of people must act to change hearts and minds. The Riven Republic Series is predicated on that assertion.

My hope is that readers will enjoy an entertaining story—a story populated with larger-than-life characters and filled with action, conflict, humor, and a budding romance—yet will ponder the deeper spiritual issues and needs that apply to Americans today. 

 

 

 

Author Spotlight Harry Wegley @sallyshupe1 #christfic

Purchase Link for Riven:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B085NBQ3WL/

Social Media Links:
Connect with H. L. (Harry) at:
Website: https://www.hlwegley.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HLWegley
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4460203.H_L_Wegley

Friends, I sure hope you enjoyed getting to know Harry Wegley and Riven.


Thank you so much for joining us, Harry!


If you're an author and you'd like to be showcased here, just let me know. Must be inspirational or clean, can be fiction or nonfiction.
Check out my website, connect with me, and sign up for my newsletter. https://sallyshupe.weebly.com/

Author Spotlight: Carole Brown

Below are the winners from Julie's giveaway! They are: Kate, Courtney Frazier, and Jennifer-the last comment. Kate, Julie will be in touch, if she hasn't already. Courtney and Jennifer, send me an email at sallyshupe1 at gmail dot com and I'll forward it to Julie. You have until Saturday, August 15 to contact me or another winner will be selected. Thanks so much, everybody, for stopping by and commenting!

Hi friends! Today, our author spotlight is on Carole Brown! Everyone, say hello to Carole! Without further ado, let's get to know Carole and her book Caleb's Destiny.

 

Author Bio:
Besides being a member and active participant of many writing groups, Carole Brown enjoys mentoring beginning writers. An author of ten books, she loves to weave suspense and tough topics into her books, along with a touch of romance and whimsy, and is always on the lookout for outstanding titles and catchy ideas. She and her husband reside in SE Ohio but have ministered and counseled nationally and internationally. Together, they enjoy their grandsons, traveling, gardening, good food, the simple life, and did she mention their grandsons?


Caleb's Destiny Blurb

Mr. Michael, Destiny Rose McCulloch, and Hunter have a mysterious history. Why were three fathers, all business partners, murdered under suspicious circumstances while on their quest to find gold? Hunter, who is Mr. Michael's ranch manager, is determined to find the answers and protect the precocious young lady who he suspects holds a key answer to his questions. Mr. Michael wants only to be left alone to attend to his property, but what can he do when Destiny refuses to leave and captures the heart of everyone of his employees? Destiny almost forgets her quest when she falls in love with Mr. Michael's ranch and all the people there. And then Mr. Michael is much too alluring to ignore. The preacher man back east where she took her schooling tried to claim her heart, but the longer she stays the less she can remember him. She only came west to find a little boy she knew years ago. A little boy all grown up by now...unless, of course, he's dead.

Purchase Link: Amazon: https://amzn.to/3egdd2q

Friends, I sure hope you enjoyed getting to know Carole Brown and Caleb's Destiny.


Below are links to connect with Carole Brown:

Personal blog: http://sunnebnkwrtr.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CaroleBrown.author
FB Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/183457429657732/
Amazon Author Page: https://amzn.to/38Ukljnhttps://amzn.to/38Ukljn
Twitter: https://twitter.com/browncarole212
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/carole-brown
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/browncarole212/?hl=en
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/sunnywrtr/boards/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5237997-carole-brown
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carole-brown-79b6951a/


Thank you so much for joining us, Carole!


If you're an author and you'd like to be showcased here, just let me know. Must be inspirational or clean, can be fiction or nonfiction.
Check out my website, connect with me, and sign up for my newsletter. https://sallyshupe.weebly.com/

Author Spotlight: Patti Jo Moore

Hi friends! Today, our author spotlight is on Patti Jo Moore! Everyone, say hello to Patti Jo! She is a great friend of mine. Without further ado, let's get to know Patti Jo and her book Sadie's Dream.

 
Author Bio:
“Sweet, Southern Stories” Author Patti Jo Moore is a lifelong Georgia girl, and loves Jesus, her family, cats, and coffee. She was a first grade/kindergarten teacher for 21 years, until severe back/spinal issues forced her to retire early. Seeing this as an opportunity to write full-time, Patti Jo began writing Sadie’s Dream, her historical novel set near her beloved Georgia coast. After working off and on with this story, she put it aside and wrote several contemporary stories. In November 2017, Patti Jo was thrilled to receive a three-book contract from Forget-Me-Not Books, and her Emerald Coast Romances series was published over the next two years. But her love of historical stories was still in her heart, so she rewrote her original story, Sadie’s Dream, which released on her birthday in 2019. She will soon be releasing another contemporary story, For the Love of Llamas, and is also completing a Christmas novella.

Patti Jo feels beyond blessed to be on this writing journey, and when she’s not writing, she can be found spending time with her family (especially her 2 precious grandbabies!), reading, doing needlepoint, and feeding cats (her six plus any strays in her area). She loves connecting with readers and other writers, and you can find her on Facebook at Author Patti Jo Moore, or visit her blog at https://catmomscorner.blogspot.com She also blogs the second Thursday of each month at Seriously Write. Her books are available (print and ebook) on Amazon. BOOKS by Patti Jo Moore: A Seaside Romance ~ An Unexpected Romance ~ In Tune With Romance ~ Sadie’s Dream
Life Verse: And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men. Colossians 3:23


Sadie's Dream Back Cover Blurb

After being deceived by her beau the previous year, library worker Sadie Perkins feels she’s meant to remain single and serve as a missionary to orphans in Africa. Her plan is to return home to Riverview after a year, and open an orphanage in a lovely house she’s admired since childhood. She didn’t plan on losing her heart to someone who intends to demolish the house.

Widower Shaun O’Leary of Savannah yearns to make his father proud, and hopes to accomplish that by overseeing a hotel project in the town of Riverview. But first he must have a house demolished before hotel construction can begin. After meeting lovely Sadie Perkins in Riverview, he’s puzzled why she seems upset when he mentions his plans. He’s also saddened that she’s leaving for Africa soon, because he’s fallen in love with her.
As Sadie prepares to board a ship, she finally has peace and realizes what she should do, yet still feels sad that the house she loves is to be demolished. When Shaun suddenly has an idea to save the house Sadie loves, he rushes to the Savannah port to tell her, but the ship has sailed. When things seem hopeless, can dreams still come true?

Friends, I sure hope you enjoyed getting to know Patti Jo Moore and Sadie's Dream.

Author Spotlight with Patti Jo Moore!

Below are links to buy Sadie's Dream and to connect with Patti Jo Moore:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Sadies-Dream-Patti-Jo-Moore-ebook/dp/B07XGMBLF5/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=sadie%27s+dream+patti+jo+moore&qid=1597110713&sr=8-1 

Patti Jo's website: https://catmomscorner.blogspot.com

Thank you so much for joining us, Patti Jo!


If you're an author and you'd like to be showcased here, just let me know. Must be inspirational or clean, can be fiction or nonfiction.
Check out my website, connect with me, and sign up for my newsletter. https://sallyshupe.weebly.com/

Book Review: More Than Words by Judith Miller by Sandy Ingram

Happy Friday, friends!!

Today we have a book review from my best friend, reader of my first drafts, and encourager, Sandy Ingram. Please make her feel welcome! She is reviewing More Than Words, written by Judith Miller. Here is Sandy!

https://www.amazon.com/More-Than-Words-Daughters-Amana-ebook/dp/B00AFWM1G4/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=more+than+words+judith+miller&qid=1594092127&sr=8-1


More Than Words by Judith Miller. Meet Gretchen Kohler, a young woman living in the Amana Colonies in 1885. Gretchen lives with her widowed father, younger brother, and senile grandmother. Gretchen dreams of becoming a writer, but the elders do not condone the practice. Secretly, she keeps a journal that holds stories of her life in the colony and her poems. Gretchen's beliefs are challenged as she cares for her grandmother, befriends a band of gypsies, forms a friendship with a young man, an outsider, who is interested in more than just her writings, and misunderstandings with her childhood love and future husband. This book led to research of the Amana Colonies, a society similar to the Amish. An enjoyable read.


Sally here. Thanks, Sandy! This sounds like a great book. More Than Words is book 2 in the Daughters of Amana series.

Thank you so much for being here today, Sandy and friends!


Be sure to leave a comment. Follow my blog so you don't miss a post. I post book reviews on Fridays and author spotlights on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Wednesdays are devotional posts or posts related to writing or another topic. If you'd like to submit a book review or an author spotlight, content must be for inspirational or clean stories, fiction or nonfiction. You can contact me through my website listed below. I also post the first Thursday of the month at https://seriouslywrite.blogspot.com/

Check out my website, connect with me, and sign up for my newsletter. https://sallyshupe.weebly.com/

Winners from Julie Lessman's giveaway!!!

Below are the winners from Julie's giveaway! They are: Kate, Courtney Frazier, and Jennifer-the last comment. Kate, Julie will be in touch, if she hasn't already. Courtney and Jennifer, send me an email at sallyshupe1 at gmail dot com and I'll forward it to Julie. Thanks so much, everybody, for stopping by and commenting!

Author Spotlight: James Mathis

Hi friends! Today, our author spotlight is on James Mathis! Everyone, say hello to James! He writes clean mystery thrillers. Without further ado, let's get to know James and his books The Penitent Priest and The Framed Father.

Author Bio:
James Mathis was born in Orlando, Florida in the halcyon days when the land was covered with orange groves and swamps, with nary a mouse in sight. He discovered his love for writing in high school, though history remained his first passion. After getting a PhD in the subject from the University of Florida, he began an enjoyable career as an archivist with the National Archives in Washington, D.C.

Following a bout with cancer, James rediscovered his love for writing, beginning a series of mysteries based on the germ of an idea that he had been toying with for some time. Father Tom Greer is now among his best friends and most trusted confidant and the two are looking forward to many adventures in the near future.


The Penitent Priest Back Cover Blurb

A wife murdered.
A killer at large.
A man of God with a painful secret.

When Tom Greer's wife Joan was murdered and her killer never caught, he left Myerton determined to leave the painful memories behind. Ten years later, now-Father Tom Greer returns as the temporary pastor of Saint Clare's Parish in Myerton--where he married and mourned his wife. Assigned there for four months, Father Tom’s only desire is to serve God's people quietly then leave again. He has no desire to revisit the past.
But the past won't leave Father Tom alone…
Secrets uncovered and a mysterious encounter in the confessional forces Father Tom to confront painful truths about Joan and her murder. When a police detective--a woman from Father Tom’s own past--refuses to reopen the case, he decides to take matters into his own hands.
It turns out to be a fateful decision, for Father Tom has secrets of his own…
Don’t miss this first book in a new clean mystery thriller series featuring Father Tom Greer.

The Framed Father Back Cover Blurb

Forbidden love, murder, and explosive secrets engulf Father Tom Greer in this second entry in the Father Tom Mysteries.

When the Archbishop receives an anonymous letter alleging that Saint Clare’s pastor Father Leonard McCoy of inappropriate behavior with the young parish secretary, he sends Father Tom back to Myerton from the quiet of the monastery to look into the charges. When the secretary is found dead and Father McCoy is charged with her murder, he must work against his ex-fiancee Detective Helen Parr and the State Attorney--who is also her boyfriend--to prevent a miscarriage of justice.

But everything is not as it seems...

Friends, I sure hope you enjoyed getting to know James Mathis and The Penitent Priest and .


Below is the link to buy The Penitent Priest:

(in e-book and paperback): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B086RYHYC6

To pre-order The Framed Father (e-book only, paperback coming soon): https://storyoriginapp.com/universalbooklinks/df919992-d406-11ea-8bf6-b79971fc6455

Here is a reader magnet where you can download a preview of The Framed Father: https://storyoriginapp.com/giveaways/cc00c3dc-d4c7-11ea-bc49-efc5e56473cf

To connect with James:
To sign up for my mailing list: https://mailchi.mp/6fca0c513493/newsletter-sign-up

To connect with me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/J.R.MathisAuthor/

Thank you so much for joining us, James!

If you're an author and you'd like to be showcased here, just let me know. Must be inspirational or clean, can be fiction or nonfiction.
Check out my website, connect with me, and sign up for my newsletter. https://sallyshupe.weebly.com/