Category Archives: giveaways
The Return of Books and Giveaways!
Last year I stopped doing book tours, posting reviews and offering giveaways. I had hoped it would help me focus more on my Bible reading. It didn’t. It just made blog posts more sparse and me a little edgy. So, in an effort to quiet the crickets who have taken up residence around here, and to instill a little more serenity for me personally, I joyfully announce the return of books. I’m reading again (YAY!) and I can’t wait to share some of it with you!
Stay tuned as this week I’m hosting two different blog tours, both with giveaways! 
Over the next couple weeks I’ll be re-vamping my very dusty Bookshelf as well. I’ll let you know when that has been properly updated.
In the meantime, I’d love to hear what you’ve been reading. Any favorite titles or authors you simply must share?
And the winner is …
Rose in Ohio!
Congratulations! Email me your snail mail address, so I can pop this book in the mail for you.
Of Books and Free Books
Not too long ago my friend Kristina posted about Christian fiction. If you love books and you’re look for a few great authors, check out her post. She allowed me to share my opinions there, too. Together we explore several genres and who we feel are the best Christian authors of each. Here’s a link to the post.
As a side note, if you’re not familiar with Kristina’s blog, be sure to stay a while. It’s fabulous! Anything you want to know about homesteading — from gardening to nutrition to homeschooling and teaching your kids Scripture; from relationships to organization to saving money — you name it, she’s touched on it. It really is a wonderful site.
Okay, now the free books.
GIVEAWAY #1: Take a quick survey at CCBR (Christian Children’s Book Review) to enter to win one of FOUR copies of This Little Prayer of Mine. Published in 2010, this title is endorsed by National Day of Prayer (coming up on May 6th). The giveaway closes Monday, so don’t delay. The survey will help us know how to better serve you in this ministry. CCBR exists to equip Christian parents make the best literary choices for their children. CLICK HERE to enter the giveaway.
GIVEAWAY #2: Last week I gave away Liz Curtis Higgs’s latest novel. This week I’m giving away a new title from Jane Kirkpatrick: An Absence So Great. Both are award-winning authors. Both are great historical novels. But they’re quite different. If they were on TV, Higgs’s would be an HBO mini-series complete with high drama and elegant costumes. Kirkpatrick’s would be a Hallmark original, moving yet beautifully simple in its delivery. Both offer great content, but in very different tones.
An Absence So Great is actually based on the life of the author’s grandmother. This second book in the “Portraits of the Heart” series follows Jessie Ann Gaebele as she seeks to find purpose and love while living in a man’s world as one of very few female photographers in the early 1900s. The story intertwines wonderful historical details with emotional relationship trials. As a bonus, the author includes actual photographs taken by her grandmother. These add tremendously to the story.
CLICK HERE to read the first chapter.
To enter the giveaway, simply leave a comment on this post! I’ll announce a winner on Wednesday.
And the winner is …
Kristina!!
Congratulations! I’ll get your book in the mail right away.
If you didn’t win, check out Amazon.com where you can currently get it for just $10.19. The sequel comes out Spring 2011. I’m already counting the months!
Thanks to everyone who entered! I have another giveaway coming next week.
Here Burns My Candle
I know some of you are dying to hear about road trips, home improvements, real estate adventures, and what I’m learning through Read with Me, but I don’t feel like talking about any of those things today. Don’t worry — I’ll fill you in eventually. Today, though, I have much more fun stuff to discuss.
This weekend I attended a one-day women’s conference featuring Liz Curtis Higgs. Yes, THE Liz Curtis Higgs of Bad Girls fame, of parable renown, of … well, I don’t have a third thing, but she’s pretty stinkin’ cool. Author of 26 books, with more than three million copies in print, Liz has spoken in all 50 states and more than 10 foreign countries. And I was blessed to hear her this weekend.
Her theme was “Flawed Women Loved by a Flawless God.” It was fantastic! Having read a few of her books, I expected humor, but this was a whole new level. She was hilarious! I left with sore sides and tears rolling down my face. More amazing than her humor or speaking style, though, was her undeniable love of Jesus. She radiates adoration for Him. It’s really awesome to see her devotion to God, how nothing in world delights her more than knowing Him. It encouraged and challenged me to love Him to greater depths and heights.
Liz, if you’re reading this, THANK YOU. Thank you for loving Him and allowing Him to use you.
The women who organized the event did a great job, too. The whole day provided a wonderful escape, a well of refreshment that included delicious food and spiritual truths. I had my picture taken with Liz, but, unfortunately, when I got home the only photo on my camera was this:
Yes, those are urinals. Hey, when you have over 700 women in a church with a limited number of bathrooms, any stall is free game! The organizing committee did a great job hiding “manly things” so we could have a wonderful day free of … gross, manly things.
In addition to getting some encouragement, a lot of laughs and one very odd picture, I also got Liz to autograph a copy of her latest book so I could give it to one of you! Directions for entering the giveaway are below. I’ll announce a winner on Saturday.
Here Burns My Candle offers a rich, historical drama based loosely upon the Scriptural book of Ruth. I don’t know how you feel about novels based on biblical stories. I truly enjoy them, but am very selective about to whom I’ll recommend them. Some readers find it difficult to separate biblical truth from creative license and author’s imagination. Higgs’s books, though, provide the basis of the biblical stories, but in far removed settings. I would rather call them parallel novels than novelizations. It’s not the same story told again; it’s the same bones with fresh flesh.
Carolyn Custis James asserts in her book, The Gospel According to Ruth, that this biblical story is more about Naomi than Ruth. Rather than telling a romantic story of a young, but faithful widow, it answers the questions pounding a devastated mother-in-law. Is God good for women? Has my usefulness expired? Liz Curtis Higgs follows this theory with her newest title, by focusing on the “Naomi” character as much, if not more than, the “Ruth” character.
Set in Edingburgh, Scotland, during the 1745 Jacobite rebellion, Here Burns My Candle follows the Ladies Marjory and Elizabeth Kerr, mother and daughter-in-law. Marjory, a wealthy Lowland socialite, has never truly accepted her son’s choice of bride. Sure, Elizabeth is strikingly beautiful, but she comes from an unrefined Highland upbringing. To make matters worse, she favors the Jacobite cause, which is the equivalent of treason. Marjory’s other daughter-in-law, Janet, is much more suited to high society and fully embraced the roles of lord and ladies. Elizabeth, however, has more personal concerns, like the faithfulness of her husband, the safety of her brother, the marriage of her mother, and the scandalous gossip encircling her. Few answers come through the faith of her childhood. Could there be another who could help her? When Marjory’s two sons join the rebellion, some relationships are strengthened while others are stretched far beyond comfort.
I really enjoyed this book! It is drastically different in tone than the author is in person. It’s thick with drama and emotion. The author’s attention to detail never wavers. As I said before, I consider this a parallel story, rather than a re-telling. The book of Ruth only devotes a few verses to the life before Ruth and Naomi’s great journey back to Bethlehem. This novel, however, contained over 300 pages of story before I saw any correlation to the Scriptural account. This is not a negative criticism. Actually, I prefer it that way. I like that this book can be enjoyed as an independent historical novel or as a window for better understanding Scripture. It’s a great read.
To get yourself a copy, visit your local bookseller or Amazon.com.
TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY:
- Leave a comment on this post.
- BONUS ENTRY: In your comment, tell me which biblical character you would like to see in a novel — current, historical or otherwise. (Can you see Queen Esther in a sci-fi?)
- BONUS ENTRY: subscribe to this blog.
- BONUS ENTRY: tweet or facebook about this giveaway.
I don’t know where I’ve been. And the winner is …
Have you ever thought you did something, but then realize later (days later) that you didn’t actually do it? That’s me. I thought I had posted on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
I didn’t.
I’m sure you all knew that I didn’t, but I didn’t know I didn’t. Apparently I’ve had very active, very realistic dreams and non-blogging days. Sorry.
So let’s start over, this time for real.
FRIDAY: How is everyone doing with their reading?? Are you still with me? Anyone caught up yet? Or beyond?
Someone mentioned last week that she didn’t know she was supposed to check-in every week. You certainly don’t have to check-in, but I do want everyone to feel connected. Unfortunately, the only way I know to do that is to have a weekly check-in. (You know, on the weeks I actually blog rather than just dream that I’ve blogged.) Besides, I need the encouragement and accountability as much — probably more! — than most of you. So, please drop in often, especially on Fridays, to let us know how you’re doing, what’s working for you and how we can all keep pursuing our goal of knowing God. I always provide a Mr. Linky, too, so that if you want to blog about what you’re learning through our journey, you can link up here.
SATURDAY: I had planned to share a cooking show starring my daughter. I’ll post it tomorrow.
SUNDAY: Um … I can’t remember.
TODAY: On Thursday I reviewed two books and announced a giveaway. And the winners are …
Anna and Sandra!
Ladies, email me your mailing addresses (tanyasue (at) gmail.com, and I’ll get your books on their way to you. CONGRATULATIONS!
I think that’s about it for today. My brain is drifting off to that neverland of incoherence again.
Recovering Joy (and a giveaway!)
Have you been attacked by Hafftoos?
Some days I really don’t want to be an adult. Responsibility is great and all, but enough is enough. I don’t like having too many people depend on me because — What if I fail? What if I can’t make everyone happy? What if I don’t fail and then they expect even more? Can I give more? Maybe I’m not giving enough. All this can make life seem like a lot of work. I mean a LOT of work. And then what I always wanted can feel like a burden. Not because I’ve changed my wants, but because I’ve changed my perspective.
I love having a clean house. Not because I enjoy cleaning; I actually hate cleaning. But I love having a home where my family feels comfortable and safe and happy. Cleaning is less a chore when I remember that I want the results.
No little girl enthusiastically proclaims that she wants to change poopy diapers when she grows up. That’s absurd! But almost every little girl dreams of being a mama. We put up with the dirty diapers, the piles of laundry, the stressful job, all because we want what comes with it — a healthy child, a welcoming home, a successful career. Hafftoos want us to focus on how much we hate the task rather than how much we want what comes with it.
In my little fairy tale, the Father tells the princess to “Seek and remember.” That may mean different things to different people. Maybe you need to seek the Father. Maybe you need to seek a new job or a tangible solution to a problem you face. Maybe you need to remember why you’re doing what you’re doing. Maybe you need to remember how much you love your family or your responsibilities or even just the results of the chores you dislike. I don’t know what it means to you, but I know that God wants His children to experience joy. If we seek Him, He will be found. If we remember all He’s done for us, we cannot help but be overwhelmed by His love for us. And therein we find joy.
Sally Clarkson is a wonderful writer. You may know her as the author of The Mission of Motherhood. She has a new book titled Dancing with My Father that addresses this exact issue. How, when we’ve been worn down by life and burdened by both hurts and blessings, can we rekindle our first awe of God, that inextinguishable joy we possessed as new believers? Through biblical insights and real-life stories Read the rest of this entry
Want free Christian books for your kids?
I have a few bloggy homes online, but other than here, my very favorite is Christian Children’s Book Review.
Right now CCBR is hosting a giveaway of some great books! Follow THIS LINK for full details. Get an extra entry by following the site on Twitter too. GO HERE to do that.
Pearl Girls Winner Announced!
Hey! I hope you all enjoyed the 12 Pearls of Christmas posts as much as I did. The winner of the pearl necklace was just announced. Unfortunately, it’s no one from this blog BUT if you hop over there, you can leave a comment and enter for one of the consolation prizes.
Follow this link to see who won AND get your name in the drawing for a free book.
In my humble opinion, I’d rather have the book anyway! 
12 Pearls of Christmas: God Intervenes
The Answer
by Susan May Warren
Whos, Here, we are Whos here, smaller than the eye can see. Whos here, we are Whos here, I’m a Who and so is she…
I’ve always wanted to live in a musical. When I was a kid, I loved Oklahoma, Sound of Music, West Side Story. I seriously thought that, if the moment was right, maybe the stars aligned, people would break out into song and dance.
I was sorta right. Because in my house, one needs to be able to talk in movie lines and song lyrics to effectively communicate. At any moment, someone might break out with a quip from the Princess Bride, or Finding Nemo. They might sing Tomorrow from Annie, or My Favorite Things like Julie Andrews.
But, most recently we’ve found ourselves speaking in “Suess”…
It’s suppertime, son, and the time is near To call far and wide the sneetches who hear Just the sound of their bellies, the whir of their gear The Gurgles and Burbles that give them great fear Tell them all, tell them loud, tell them clear Their hands they should wash, check their face in the mirror Because the food is now ready and it’s time to steer Close to the table, where they’ll find hot gribbles here.
Why, you ask? Because David and Sarah are performing in the community theater’s production of Suessical the Musical, a hilarious conglomeration of Dr. Suess’ fun work, from Horton hears a Who to Horton Hatches an Egg.
As the Christmas season draws close (and the songs from the play linger in my head), one line has stood out to me… “We are here, we are here!” You know the story – that part where, after everyone has called Horton names and they’re about ready to boil the speck that contains Who-ville, Horton calls out to the Whos to send up a cry to prove themselves as real. “We are here, we are here!”
It strikes me that sometimes we can feel like Whos…smaller than the eye can see. Tossed hither and yon by the wind, helpless and facing being boiled. Tired, perhaps, or alone. Wishing someone might find us and pay attention.
Someone has, and that’s the good news about Christmas. Because we don’t have to “make ourselves heard,” like the Whos. In fact, even before we realized we were headed for the cauldron, God intervened. God demonstrated his own love for us in this – while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Rom 5:8). That’s what Jesus is all about – he’s the answer to even the unspoken cry of our hearts, saying, “I am here, I am here.” Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.
So as this season approaches with its whistles and bells I hope you hear the voice where the Mighty One dwells – down deep in your hearts, so nothing can shake the knowledge of his love, given all for your sake.
Merry Christmas from Susie May Warren
Susan May Warren is the award-winning author of twenty-one novels and novellas with Tyndale, Steeple Hill and Barbour Publishing. Her first book, Happily Ever After won the American Fiction Christian Writers Book of the Year in 2003, and was a 2003 Christy Award finalist. In Sheep’s Clothing, a thriller set in Russia, was a 2006 Christy Award finalist and won the 2006 Inspirational Reader’s Choice award. A former missionary to Russia, Susan May Warren now writes Suspense/Romance and Chick Lit full time from her home in northern Minnesota. www.susanmaywarren.com Check out her Christmas Novella, The Great Christmas Bowl.
