How cool!

Dear friend and crit partner Cara Putman has a new book! Deadly Exposure is now available for order.

Romantic Times gave Cara a great review. Deadly Exposure was the very first book Cara started when she got the go ahead to chase her writing dream. It's also the first book of hers that I've critiqued. So you can imagine my pride at seeing her dream come to fruition. The book's been through many iterations as she learned and honed her writing skills and the final product is great.

Cara loves journalism, so she made the heroine a television reporter. There's romance, there's suspense, there's a woman in jeopardy. The difference -- there's also a spiritual thread. You can order Deadly Exposure here. Please do! You can get a nice discount, and you'll get the book a couple weeks before it shows up in stores. Cara's working on a proposal for Deadly Judgment, the hopeful sequel to Deadly Exposure.

Congrats to Cara and I know you'll all love the book so much that I'm planning on giving away a few copies in the next month or so.

P.S. Cara is expecting her third child any day. So you might say a prayer for her. :)

Overwhelmed....

Ever have those days when you're overwhelmed? I'm having one of those years. LOL. I'm trying to find the balance between home life, work, church, being an active mother, an attentive wife, and a caring daughter...at what point does it become too much and we drop all the balls we're juggling at once?

I'm there and I'm only sharing this with you so you know where I've been lately. Other than the obligatory book reviews, I've not been blogging much. I still try to find time to check out all your great posts, even if I'm not leaving comments. :0/

So for any and all of you that are still stopping by wondering where I've been...I've been up to my eyeballs in life. LOL. I'm going to try and post again tomorrow or the next day so please stop by and I'll catch you up on a few things. Until then, have a great weekend!

Truffles By The Sea

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Truffles by the Sea
Bethany House (February 1, 2008)

by

Julie Carobini


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Julie Carobini is an award-winning writer whose stories often spotlight her family, the sea, and God's timely work in the lives of those around her. She lives with her husband, Dan, and their three children in Ventura Beach, California.

She also likes to blog! Go leave her a comment at Waves of Grace.


Julie left you all a special message:

To celebrate my upcoming CFBA tour March 5-7, I'll be giving away a copy of Truffles by the Sea AND and a 1/2 lb. box of yummy truffles to three of your readers.

All they need to do is drop by my blog http://juliecarobini.blogspot.com/ during the tour and leave a comment and a way to contact them if they win!


ABOUT THE BOOK:

If you read, Julie's first book, Chocolate Beach, then you might remember Gaby as Bri’s dramatic, lovesick best friend. Unfortunately, things get worse—much worse—for her before they get…well, best not to give it away.

Sometimes all a girl has left is chocolate...

Gaby Flores has a penchant for drama and an unfortunate knack for dating Mr. So Wrong. After breaking off yet another relationship, watching her apartment building burn to the ground, and discovering that her dippy delivery guy has run off with most of her business, Gaby decides it’s time to turn things around.

So she moves to a tiny waterfront loft and takes on a new motto: “Be gullible no more!” With help from her friends, she works to rebuild her flower shop—and her life. But when legal troubles and quirky neighbors and two surprising romances enter her beachy world, Gaby’s motto and fledgling faith are put to the test.

Can a young woman prone to disaster in both work and love finally find happily ever after?

What they're saying about the book:

"Truffles by the Sea is delightful! Julie Carobini has a new fan in this reader, and she's earned a spot on my keeper shelf." --Kay James, RomanceReaderatHeart.com



"This book is a delight to read, and the author has us rooting for Gaby from page one. This girl's never-say-die attitude is incredible, and her life is filled with all kinds of foibles. This is chick lit with heart – about so much more than finding a man.... While keeping the light chick lit tone, this book satisfied while avoiding the tired old formulas. Just when I’m ready to give up on the genre, I stumble across an author who can write without relying on stereotypes." --Cara Putman, writerinterrupted.com

"I liked Julie Carobini's first novel, Chocolate Beach, but her sophomore release, Truffles By The Sea, greatly surpasses it. I thoroughly enjoyed Carobini's second book and felt her writing was much stronger throughout. The characters are deeper and yet funnier – a great combination.... It's a great read for a cold winter day – you can curl up with the book, a nice fire and pretend you're the one by the sea." --Jill Hart, RadiantLit.com

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

My Name is Russell Fink

Zondervan (March 1, 2008)

by

Michael Snyder

I hope to contact Mike soon and have an interview and review of the book. I'm really excited to share this book with you since I first got a glimpse of Russell Fink when Mike joined Jennifer Tiszai, Jenny Cary, Malia Spencer, and myself, on a round robin blog story. It was a long time ago, but even then I could tell the story was going to be an unforgettable one. :)



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Michael Snyder has spent the bulk of his professional career in sales, has fallen in love, and continues to struggle with the balance between art and vocation. He's never investigated a murder, much less that of an allegedly clairvoyant dog.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Russell Fink is twenty-six years old and determined to salvage a job he hates so he can finally move out of his parents house for good. He's convinced he gave his twin sister cancer when they were nine years old. And his crazy fiancée refuses to accept the fact that their engagement really is over.

Then Sonny, his allegedly clairvoyant basset hound, is found murdered.

The ensuing amateur investigation forces Russell to confront several things at once-the enormity of his family's dysfunction, the guy stalking his family, and his long-buried feelings for a most peculiar love interest.

At its heart, My Name is Russell Fink is a comedy, with sharp dialogue, characters steeped in authenticity, romance, suspense, and fresh humor. With a postmodern style similar to Nick Hornby and Douglas Coupland, the author explores reconciliation, forgiveness, and faith in the midst of tragedy. No amount of neurosis or dysfunction can derail God's redemptive purposes.

Christian Writers Market Guide

The CFBA is pleased to present:

Christian Writers' Market Guide 2008


WaterBrook Press (January 15, 2008)


by

Sally Stuart

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Sally Stuart has been writing for the last 40+ years, and has been putting out the annual "Christian Writers' Market Guide" for the last 23 years. Her other writing includes several Christian education resources books, a children's picture book, a basic writing text, writing resources, and a western novel--plus hundreds of articles and marketing columns. She writes marketing columns for the "Christian Communicator," "Advanced Christian Writer," and the Oregon Christian Writers' Newsletter. She speaks and teaches at Christian Writers' Conferences nationwide. Sally is the mother of 3 and grandmother of 8. She and her husband, Norm, spend their free time vacationing on the Oregon coast.

Check out her blog!

ABOUT THE BOOK:
The essential reference tool for the Christian writer, Sally Stuart’s Christian Writers’ Market Guide is now in its 23rd annual edition!

Check out the section on Blogging on page 69...the CFBA is listed!

Writers’ Conference listings, Book Publishers, Magazine Publishers, and a Bookstore filled with the resources you need to be successful in this business. Get a Book Contract or Manuscript Evaluation, and check out the Writer’s Resource links. This book has all you need to connect to all these valuable helps for the beginning, intermediate, or professional writer.


To keep you up to date with the latest marketing news, visit Sally Stuart’s new marketing blog, Christian Writers’ Marketplace, at http://www.stuartmarket.blogspot.com/.


A new, updated version of the Christian Writers’ Market Guide is available about January 15 each year.

What's for dinner?

My friend Cara posted this the other day and I thought it was worth passing on here. I think it sounds like a great idea and I'm thinking about signing up. I'm waiting to see how Cara does with it first. :) Using her family as Guinea pigs I guess. Cara has this friend that started a business helping busy moms plan dinner. Here's the blurb...

Hello!

It is 5 o'clock.... what is for supper? This is the stress I want to eliminate from our lives! We lead busy lives and the stress of facing a hungry family every night can be frustrating. We stare into the fridge and pantry and hope something will just jump out.... we need food and we need it now! Having a menu plan, all the simple recipes and the shopping list to go with it gets rid of this "what is for supper?" question! YIKES!! That takes a lot of time and effort!!!! I just want someone to tell me what to make and what I need... then I can cook it!

Well, this is what inspired me to create www.SimpleFamilySupper.com

My name is Heather Corbin, I am a wife and mother of 4 children. We have a busy life and I was tired of the stress of supper. I realized that having my menu planned and having all the ingredients on hand took away a ton of stress from my day. I was trained by the best: a mom and two grandmothers (farm wives that cooked for large families) that took the time to teach me how to cook and prepare delicious food that is easy to prepare and budget friendly. When I consistently took the time to plan the menu and shopping list life went much smoother. I know if having a plan helps me so much then it will help you. I can't be alone in dealing with a hungry family every night!

Simple Family Supper is the answer to the daily "what is for supper?" question. Simple Family Supper provides a family friendly menu with the easy (no cooking school needed) recipes and the shopping list to go with it so you won't have to make any last minute trips to the grocery store. The menu utilizes what I call "efficient" and "fast track" cooking that will save you lots of time and money.... who has tons of time to spend in the kitchen and we could all use help saving money at the grocery store. (please see the attached flyer for more info)

Please visit http://www.SimpleFamilySupper.comtoday! Give the menu a try... Free trial week available!! For only $5 per month you will eliminate the "What is for supper?" stress from your life!

Have a wonderful day,

Heather

(If you sign up let me know, I'd love to know what you think of the recipes. Sabrina)

Happily Ever After...

This week the CFBA is featuring Happily Ever After by Marilyn Griffith. I haven't read this book yet, not because I haven't wanted to. :) More because of the holiday rush and life interrupting my reading time. LOL. However, I have loved ever single book Marilyn has written. I find them refreshing, edgy, and featuring a voice that was long overdue in Christian Fiction. I have no doubt I'm going to love this book just as much. I'll post a review once I finish it.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Marilynn Griffith is mom to a tribe, wife to a deacon and proof that God gives second chances. While best known for her colorful novels about friendship, family and faith, Marilynn is also a speaker and nonfiction writer.

Her nonfiction has been included in CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE CHRISTIAN WOMAN'S SOUL and several other devotionals and magazines. Currently, Marilynn is editor of the SISTAHFAITH:BELIEVING BEYOND SHAME anthology. She is also the founder of Faithchick.com, a blog for faith fiction readers.

Marilynn is the author of six novels dealing with issues such as teen pregnancy, AIDS, abstinence, stress relief, single parenting and marriage. Her recent fiction titles include TANGERINE and IF THE SHOE FITS.

Marilynn has served as Vice President and Publicity Officer of American Christian Fiction Writers. She speaks to youth, women and writers about believing beyond boundaries and daring to reach dreams.

Marilynn lives in Florida with her husband and seven children whom she taught at home for seven years. When not chasing toddlers, helping with homework or trying to find her husband a clean shirt, she can be found scribbling furiously on her next novel.

To book Marilynn for media interviews, speaking engagements, Serious Fun fiction parties or book club call-ins, please contact her thru her WEBSITE.

ABOUT THE BOOK
Superwoman doesn't live here!

I marry a gorgeous executive, have a baby, lose all the weight (most of it), and move to a fine house in the suburbs with a welcoming new church. Wait...did I say welcoming?

One teeny waaah! and new mothers and their crying babies are exiled to a separate room. At least there's some enlightening conversation. Like about my husband and issues I didn't even know about!

And then there's my aptly named mother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth, who can't stand me.

I'm about to lose my mind! So it's high time for a visit to the Sassy Sistahood for some much-needed advice about men, marriage and motherhood!

The Sassy Sistahood: They get by with a little help from their friends.