Blog Archives

September Author Newsletter (2015)

8/31/2015

Life Stuff:

Hello, my lovely friends! :) I hope everyone is having a wonderful month so far. Even here in Florida, I can feel the grip of summer beginning to lose it's hot and humid hold. We even had a night in the 70s this month... It was glorious. (Hey, don't laugh, northern folks, that's progress here! LOL)

All in all, August was a great month. Both the Hubbins and I had birthdays this month, so we've had a great time celebrating with each other. On my birthday, which was the 17th, he surprised me by coming home on his lunch break with flowers, a gloriously-decadent chocolate cake, and the news that he had the rest of the day off to spend with me. It was an awesome day. :)

How was your August?

Writing Stuff:

Well, I heard back from one of the editors on my Blurb to Book manuscript, Hazardous Conditions. In a nutshell, she said that she really liked the story but it needed some fixes before she could offer a contract on it. She sent along a list of revisions and a request to re-submit, so that's what I'll be working on this month. This is the best feedback I've gotten thus far in my writing career, so I'm super excited about it! :D I'd definitely appreciate your prayers as I navigate the self-editing waters once again.

Reading Stuff:

Here is the list of the books that I've this month. What are you reading?

And I'm currently reading:

Prayer Request Stuff:

Here are the prayer requests that have been submitted so far. Thank you for intervening for each other, prayer warriors! :) (If you have a request, just leave a comment or use the contact form and I will add it to the list.)

Wendy N. - My granddaughter, Rachel, is having bariatric surgery on September 8thand she would appreciate prayers for success on the surgery and her life afterwards.

Deana D. - Pray for my husband. He has been having problems with blood pressure and is going in for a stress test.

Sonja N. - Prayers for my dad. He's not doing very well.

Last month's requests:

Connie S. - Please pray for my daughter and her young daughter.

Deana D. - Please pray for my husband as he prepares for major oral surgery soon.

Tammy C. - Please pray for my daughter and I on our homeschool journey. This will be our first year.

Jan H. - Please pray for my parents and husband. All are having health issues. Pray that I will be able to stay healthy and be able to help them.

Sharon P. - Praise that her daughter has become pregnant and that she will be a first time grandma to a baby boy in January! Please pray for a healthy pregnancy and baby.

Tina W. - Prayer requested for encouragement, strength, and joy.

Last Month's Winners:

Together With You by Victoria Bylin - Tania Nelzy*

Random Acts of Deceit by Christy Barritt - Trixi O.*

An Irish Heart by Jackie Zack - Loraine N.*

Winners, your books will be going out this week! (And a few of last month's winners will also!)

And don't forget to check out my review and giveaway of "Now and Forever" by Mary Connealy that's open until 9/3!

All winners have a month to reply to my emails or I will draw a new winner. * = winner has claimed her prize. Books will be mailed within the month. Be sure to check back soon for this month's giveaways and reviews. God bless!

5 Comments

Author Mini-view and Giveaway: Allyson Carter and "Hearts Undone"

8/30/2015

13 Comments

Author Mini-view:

Hey, everybody! I hope you're having a wonderfully blessed week! I'm thrilled to introduce the lovely Allyson Carter and her new book to you today. Let's get this interview started!

Tell us a bit about yourself and your writing.

I’m a mama and wife. I have 4 kids with three on the autism spectrum. Our children are homeschooled. I’ve been writing off and on since middle school, but seriously for 6 years.

How did you get started?

Six years ago I started writing seriously and for publication. I was snowed in with the kids and going crazy. A book idea came to me and wouldn’t let me go. I had to write it down.

How many books have you written?

I’ve written eleven books…only some of those have been published. Most under my pen name that I no longer use or write in that genre, one which is my newest release now under my name.

Where are you on your writing journey?

Even though I’ve been published before I feel like I’m just starting. I thank God for this everyday to start over.

What is your favorite Bible verse?

1 Corinthians 2:9: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

What have you read lately that you would recommend?

I would say anything by Julie Lessman. Another good book would be Redeeming Love by Francis Rivers.

What book are you featuring today?

My Christian debut Hearts Undone. Here's the blurb:

After a bitter divorce, Shelby Johnson is looking to rebuild a life for herself and her daughter, Hannah, while avoiding the thing she mistrusts most: men. Her resolve is tested, however, when her brother’s best friend, Mark, moves in across the street and her long-buried feelings for him rise to the surface. Can she open up her heart again? When someone threatens her life, she realizes that her heart isn’t the only thing on the line. She turns to the only man she feels she can trust.

Mark Daniels returns to his hometown to solve a crime committed in the military. When he gets caught up in Shelby's troubles, he knows she needs someone to protect her, but can he be that man? Being around her again is forcing him to face the way he feels—something he’d rather not do. When his past comes to haunt him, he vows to protect Shelby and her daughter until his last breath.

Through God's love, Shelby and Hannah find their way into Mark's heart. Will there be room for God too?

If you could tell people who are going to read/have read your books one thing, what would it be?

How life is messy. I aim for showing imperfection in my books and how God fixes that. How we need Him to come in and fix us, because no one else can. I also tackle how believers can stumble and how God is waiting there with open arms. I hope they take away of how great God is, and that His hand is in every situation.

Author Bio:

Allyson writes Edgy Christian romance and suspense novels. In her books, readers will find emotionally stirring story lines, as well a compelling mixture of suspense and faith. She resides in Missouri with her loving husband and four wonderful children, and three cats. When not spending time with her family, you can find her knitting, and watching perhaps a few way too many suspense and reality television shows.

She can be found around the Internet at these places, website, blog, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. You can get a copy of Hearts Undone on eLectio Publishing and Amazon.

Giveaway Time!

Allyson is giving away a paperback copy of "Hearts Undone" one lucky subscriber! To enter the giveaway, simply fill out the Giveaway Tools form below. Giveaway ends 9/8. Good luck and happy reading!

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13 Comments

Review and Giveaway: Now and Forever by Mary Connealy

8/27/2015

8 Comments

Book Blurb:

Saddle up for romance and adventure with the Wilde sisters!

Shannon Wilde is the middle sister--and the one who loves animals. She's established her own homestead and is raising sheep for their wool. Things are going fine...until Shannon gets swept over a cliff by Matthew Tucker!

Tucker seizes every opportunity to get away from civilization, but one particular walk in the woods ends with him sprinting away from an angry grizzly and plunging into a raging river, accidentally taking Shannon Wilde with him. Their adventure in the wilderness results in the solitary mountain man finding himself hitched to a young woman with a passel of relatives, a homestead, and a flock of sheep to care for.

As Tucker and Shannon learn to live with each other, strange things begin to happen on Shannon's land. Someone clearly wants to drive her off, but whoever it is apparently didn't count on Tucker. Trying to scare Matthew Tucker just makes him mad--and trying to hurt the woman he's falling in love with sets off something even he never expected.

My Thoughts:

First off, I have loved Mary Connealy’s romantic comedy westerns since finding her first series years ago. I sometimes have a tiny worry in the back of my mind when I pick up a new one that maybe this one won’t be as good, but Mary has done it again! With witty turns of phrase, nail-biting suspense, and larger than life characters, this is one of her best yet.

This sweet and sassy story has action, comedy, suspense, and romance – perfect for the reading slump that I found myself in last week. Shannon and Tucker are excellent characters, both of them flawed, but so special and spunky that you can’t help cheering them on.

This book is the second in the “Wild at Heart” series, so several of the characters we met in Book One return in this one. Although there are laugh-out-loud funny moments, this story isn’t afraid to delve into deeper, more emotional territory as Shannon works through the horrors that she faced while serving in the war.

This story opens in a flurry of life-and-death action and doesn’t let up the pace until the last page. I truly enjoyed it and CANNOT wait to read Bailey’s story in the third and final book in the Wild at Heart series.

5 stars for a truly excellent read!

(I received a copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for an honest, unbiased review, which I have given. All thoughts and opinions are my own.)

Giveaway Time!

I'm giving away my copy to one lucky subscriber this week! Just fill out the Giveaway Tools form below to enter. Giveaway ends 9/3. Thanks so much and see y'all next week!

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8 Comments

Author Mini-view and Giveaway: Jackie Zack and "An Irish Heart"

8/18/2015

28 Comments

Author Mini-view:

Hey, everybody! I hope you're having a wonderfully blessed week! I'm thrilled to introduce the lovely Jackie Zack to you today. Let's get this interview started!

Tell us a bit about yourself and your writing. (How did you get started? How many books have you written? Where are you on your writing journey?)

I knew from an early age that I wanted to be a writer. When I was in grade school, I remember holding one of my mother’s paperback books and telling her that when I grew up I wanted to write books. I didn’t actually start writing until later in life and have three books: two that are published and one targeted for this fall. I’m really excited about my writing journey and feel like I’m just getting started. There are many more books that I’d like to write.

What is your favorite Bible verse?

“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to.” Eph. 2:10

What have you read lately that you would recommend?

“Hope” by Josephine Walker. It’s a Christian Mystery. I enjoyed the mystery/suspense part of the story so much, and I loved the characters.

What book are you featuring today?

An Irish Heart – A Christian Romantic Comedy
Successful advertising manager, Greta Conner travels to Ireland to fulfill a last wish from her mother. After arriving in Ireland, she is drawn to a colorful village named Angel’s Hollow. When a dark-haired stranger approaches and calls her by another name, Greta is intrigued to discover she’s the image of Adean O’Riain’s ex-girlfriend. Does she have a close relative unknown to her?
Aedan can’t understand his misfortune. Along with near bankruptcy in his future, his ex is trying to fool him by claiming she’s Greta Conner from the States. Is it some sort of plot to further ruin his reputation? Adding to his angst, his brother, Reece, insists on dating Greta if Aedan will not. All will certainly be lost if Reece falls into her plans.
Angel’s Hollow becomes like home for Greta, and there’s no one her heart loves more than Aedan. But will an unknown twin threaten all she’s longed for?

If you could tell people who are going to read/have read your books one thing, what would it be?

My motivation is writing an entertaining, uplifting book that Christians can enjoy and share with friends. It’s my hope and prayer that the stories (in a non-preachy way) would direct the reader to thoughts about God and his great love for us.

Author Bio:

Jackie Zack lives in Indiana and has three adult children and two cats. One of her favorite things in life is hearing people laugh. She hopes her writing will bring much enjoyment, making the reader feel uplifted and refreshed.

You can find her online at:

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008256105515
https://twitter.com/JackieZack1
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00V0WCOJ2

Giveaway Time!

Jackie is giving away a paperback copy of "An Irish Heart" one lucky subscriber! To enter the giveaway, simply fill out the Giveaway Tools form below. Giveaway ends 8/25. Good luck and happy reading!

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28 Comments

Review and Giveaway: Random Acts of Deceit by Christy Barritt

8/11/2015

3 Comments

Book Blurb:

“Break up with Chase Dexter, or I’ll kill him.” Holly Anna Paladin never expected such a gut-wrenching ultimatum. But the man threatening her makes it clear he’s dead serious. With home invasions, hidden cameras, and bombs threats, Holly must make some serious choices. Whatever Holly decides, the consequences will either break her heart or break her soul. She tries to match wits with the masked man, but he’s always a step ahead of her. The more she fights, the deeper she’s drawn into the perilous situation. Dealing with the ultimatum, her sister’s wedding problems, and riots that have broken out in the city, Holly’s nearly at her breaking point. She must discover the identity of this mystery man before someone she loves dies. But the deceit is threatening to pull her under . . . six feet under.

My Thoughts:

Wow, what a difficult predicament Holly finds herself in!

I really enjoyed the second book of the Holly Anna Paladin series. The suspense was strong and held steady throughout the book. The romance and romantic tension between Holly and Chase was perfect. The climax was satisfying and all the questions get wrapped up beautifully by the end of the book. Loved it!

Along with the sweet romance and wild suspense, there were some quiet introspective moments in this book as well, with Holly dealing with the previous loss of her father and her reflections on the rioting that goes on through the story.

The only thing that pulled me out of the story was a handful of typos - missing punctuation, wrong words, etc.

But other than that, it was excellent! 4 stars for an awesome read!

(I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review, which I have given. All thoughts and opinions are my own.)

Giveaway Time!

I'm giving away my copy to one lucky subscriber this week! Just fill out the Giveaway Tools form below to enter. Thanks so much and see y'all next week!

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3 Comments

Review and Giveaway: Together With You by Victoria Bylin

8/4/2015

5 Comments

Book Blurb:

Sometimes the most unexpected love can be exactly what a heart needs...

When a Lost Child warning blares over the mall's PA system, Carly Mason finds the little girl playing with a stuffed rabbit. Something about Penny Tremaine is different. An ex-social worker, Carly recognizes that the child suffers fetal alcohol effects, and a piece of Carly's past suddenly confronts her. Never again will she become personally involved with a client. The risks are far too great. But something about Penny--and Penny's handsome father--tugs at Carly's heart.

Dr. Ryan Tremaine is trying to put his life back together. With his ex-wife remarried and on a trip far away, his two teenage sons and Penny are living under his roof full time. Ryan has put his faith in his Sink-or-Swim list, a plan to reconnect with his children. The first step: recruit Carly Mason to be Penny's nanny.

Ryan never anticipated being so drawn to Carly, an attraction Carly seems to fight as much as he does. Could Carly be the missing piece that helps his family stay afloat, or will their blossoming romance only complicate things further?

Known for her realistic and engaging characters, Victoria Bylin delivers an emotion-packed story reminiscent of The Sound of Music, one that reminds us all to believe in the power of faith and love.

My Thoughts:

This novel pulled me in from the very first page and didn't let me go. Victoria Bylin is a new-to-me author, but I look forward to seeing what else she has written.

From their first scene together, Carly and Ryan are perfect together, even when they're butting heads. Both of them are flawed and hurting, but their characters came alive to me as a reader, springing to life off of the page. Their love story is sweet, genuine, and authentic, growing slowly but surely.

Before reading this book, I was not aware of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, but I feel like I learned quite a bit about it during my reading.

5 stars for a sweet, thought-provoking romance.

(I received an e-copy of this book from Netgalley and the publishers in exchange for an honest review, which I have given.)

Giveaway Time!

I won a copy of this book in another giveaway, so I'm passing it on to one of y'all! Just fill out the Giveaway Tools form below to put your name in for this great book. :) Giveaway ends 8/11.

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5 Comments

August Author Newsletter (2015)

8/4/2015

27 Comments

Life Stuff:

Hello, wonderful blog subscribers! Can you believe it is August already? It seems like June was just yesterday! But... I digress. Hopefully, everyone is staying cool out there. Here in Panama City, it's been HOT! And the humidity? Ugh! Makes me thankful for air conditioning, let me tell ya. But again, I digress. :)

I'm so glad to be getting things back to normal at the Hurtt household. That deadline last month really threw me for a loop, but thank goodness that's done with for now. How have you been the past few months?

One thing that's new for us this month is we have added another member to the Hurtt Herd. (And it really is starting to be a herd around here. LOL) Last month, the Hubbins decided he wanted a man's dog, so I'm thrilled to introduce Berlynn. (see picture below)

Berlynn is a two-year-old German Shepherd that we rescued from the local pound. She has fit in quite nicely with our family and is especially fond of/fascinated with BlackJack the cat.

Writing Stuff:

This month, I'm working on a non-writing project, but I'll be back to it before you know it! :)

Reading Stuff:

Here's my list of books I've read since I last put a reading list up here:

And I'm currently reading:

What are you reading this week?

Prayer Request Stuff:

Here are the prayer requests that have been submitted so far. Thank you for intervening for each other, prayer warriors! :) (If you have a request, just leave a comment or use the contact form and I will add it to the list.)

Connie S. - Please pray for my daughter and her young daughter.

Deana D. - Please pray for my husband as he prepares for major oral surgery soon.

Tammy C. - Please pray for my daughter and I on our homeschool journey. This will be our first year.

Jan H. - Please pray for my parents and husband. All are having health issues. Pray that I will be able to stay healthy and be able to help them.

Sharon P. - Praise that her daughter has become pregnant and that she will be a first time grandma to a baby boy in January! Please pray for a healthy pregnancy and baby.

Tina W. - Prayer requested for encouragement, strength, and joy.

Me - Please pray about an unspoken request that someone I love is going through right now. Prayers that God's will would be done and that He would touch them with his healing and loving hand.

Last Month's Winners:

Willing to Walk on Water by Caroline Barnett - Joan Arning!*

Liz Tolsma's "Remember the Lilies" Giveaway - Charis!*

Yvonne Anderson's "The Story in the Stars" Giveaway - Kim Amundsen!*

And don't forget to check out Deanna Klingel's giveaway that's open until 8/6!

All winners have a month to reply to my emails or I will draw a new winner. * = winner has claimed her prize. Books will be mailed within the month. Be sure to check back soon for this month's giveaways and reviews. God bless!

27 Comments

September Author Newsletter (2015)

Life Stuff:

Writing Stuff:

Reading Stuff:

Prayer Request Stuff:

Last Month's Winners:

Author Mini-view and Giveaway: Allyson Carter and "Hearts Undone"

Author Mini-view:

Author Bio:

Giveaway Time!

Review and Giveaway: Now and Forever by Mary Connealy

Book Blurb:

My Thoughts:

Giveaway Time!

Author Mini-view and Giveaway: Jackie Zack and "An Irish Heart"

Author Mini-view:

Author Bio:

Giveaway Time!

Review and Giveaway: Random Acts of Deceit by Christy Barritt

Book Blurb:

My Thoughts:

Giveaway Time!

Review and Giveaway: Together With You by Victoria Bylin

Book Blurb:

My Thoughts:

Giveaway Time!

August Author Newsletter (2015)

Life Stuff:

Writing Stuff:

Reading Stuff:

Prayer Request Stuff:

Question of the Month (QOTM):

Last Month's Winners:

Author

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