Bliss

Greetings from Barnes & Noble, where I'm downing a white chocolate mocha and a cinnamon scone and writing away! It's a good Friday.

How's yours? :)

Fabulous new read by Kathy Herman!

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Dangerous Mercy
David C. Cook (October 1, 2011)
by
Kathy Herman

I LOVE Kathy's books. I especially am fond of this series, as I'm a Louisiana Gal myself and love all things Cajun ;) Hey, my last name is example enough. Don't miss this suspenseful, romantic, totally awesome series. Be sure to get the first if you missed it!!!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Suspense novelist Kathy Herman is very much at home in the Christian book industry, having worked five years on staff at the Christian Booksellers Association (CBA) in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and eleven years at Better Books Christian Center in Tyler, Texas, as product buyer/manager for the children’s department, and eventually as director of human resources.

She has conducted numerous educational seminars on children’s books at CBA Conventions in the U.S. and Canada, served a preliminary judge for the Gold Medallion Book Awards of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association , and worked as an independent product/marketing consultant to the CBA market.

Since her first novel, Tested by Fire, debuted in 2001 as a CBA national bestseller, she's added sixteen more titles to her credit, including four bestsellers: All Things Hidden, The Real Enemy, The Last Word, and The Right Call.

Kathy's husband Paul is her manager and most ardent supporter, and the former manager of the LifeWay Christian Store in Tyler, Texas. They have three grown children, five almost-perfect grandchildren, a cat named Samantha. They enjoy cruising, deep sea fishing, and birdwatching—sometimes incorporating these hobbies into one big adventure.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. —Matthew 5:7

When eighty-five-year-old Adele Woodmore moves to Les Barbes to be near the Broussards—and her namesake, their daughter—she wants nothing more than a comfortable, quiet life. Employing men from Father Vince’s halfway house for the homeless to do odd jobs and landscaping, she delights in the casual conversation she has with them, the fledgling friendships, and the idea that she is helping them get back on their feet.

A series of murders in Les Barbes has cast a pall over the town and, in fact, one of Adele’s handymen becomes a person of interest to the police. But Adele cares for these young men, she knows them, and continues to show them kindness in spite of her friends’ concern. And then one day a murderer walks through Adele’s defenses, sits down at her kitchen table...and they begin to talk...

If you would like to read the first chapter of Dangerous Mercy, go HERE.

Buy your copy HERE!

Wow!

Check out this advance review of ADDISON BLAKELY, CONFESSIONS OF A PK! What a great surprise to find when I googled my book title randomly today. :)

http://drbethnolan.wordpress.com/2011/09/20/ya-review-addison-blakely-confessions-of-a-pk-by-betsy-st-amant-coming-in-january/#comment-384

Conference update

...is on SCRIBBLECHICKS today! :)
www.scribblechicks.blogspot.com

Come visit me there and hear about the conference!

Land of the Living? Where?

Hey guys!

I'm still bleary-eyed from conference and coming off my "mocha's-available-at-every-hour" adrenaline addiction, so bear with me! I hope to update you all on the conference ASAP.

And FYI - it was fabulous!

In the meantime, here's the link to my pictures on Facebook!!

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150298805466701.333634.513656700&l=c9e414a36f&type=1

Visit me at a special interview/giveaway

Hey guys! I was featured/interviewed about FIREMAN DAD on: www.romconinc.com

Come check it out and leave a comment for the giveaway! :)

Back soon!

Leavin', on a jet plane...

Actually, I'm leaving in a Malibu, that's not even mine, because I'm carpooling to conference with another local author and her hubby, but hey, close enough!

Nope. No jet planes here, because:

1. My fellow author and her hubby are super fun
2. I hate to fly
3. I HATE to fly

Yes, it was worth writing twice.

Are you going to conference? Will I see you there? I hope so! If not I'll be sure to share all the super fantastic writing related info I glean when I get back (and wake up. There's something about conferences that induces a brain-overload-can't-learn-anymore-coma)

Have a great week! And visit www.scribblechicks.blogspot.com and www.girlsgodgoodlife.blogspot.com while I'm gone :)

Well...

Let's just say this sums up my day...

Just a few days left...

So the next two days are going to be a blur of packing and laundry and washing and drying and Walgreens trips and ironing (hahahah you believed me until that one, didn't you) preparing for the 2011 ACFW conference! YAY! I can't wait.

I have new shoes and candy corn and figure I can wing it from there. Essentials, and all. ;)

If you're the praying sort, I have a few prayer requests while I'm gone!

1. Travel safety
2. Safety for my family as I'm away
3. That God would open doors business-wise/networking-wise that He sees fit, in His perfect timing.
4. That my volunteer slot in the prayer room at the conference would be ordained and He would use me to help someone in need.
5. That I would be a blessing to someone who needs a blessing.
6. Health for me and my family. I'm getting a scratchy throat and pretty much am in denial. Everyone around here has allergies so I don't believe I'm getting sick, just irritated, so please pray for the conference attendees (and my family I leave behind this week) to be healthy and well.

Thanks so much! And I'm happy to pray for you too. If you have a request, leave it in the comments!

YAY!

Super excited - just got the beautiful novel THE HEIRESS by Susan May Warren in the mail today. Can NOT wait to read this first in her new series via Summerside Press. Gilded age, here I come!

What books are you looking forward to reading?

Stay tuned for a review on the The Heiress is the near future ;)

PS - sorry for the shortie posts lately. I just got home for the first time in 7 hours after pre-school and running around doing errands and grabbing last minute necessary things for the conference - like mini bandaids (Hello Kitty print of course), and new ankle boots. And new jeans. And a toothbrush holder. And Q-tips. And Gummy Worms. And Candy corn.

Can you tell I use the term necessary loosely? :)

It's one of those spongey, swiffer, vacuum cleaner days...

Visit me at SC!

Visit me today at ScribbleChicks!

And a ONE and a...

I just printed my one-sheets for the conference, for the two books I plan on pitching while there. (a YA, and a romance series). I've had printer trouble lately so its a relief to see my one-sheets lying on my desk now, in full color and properly aligned and with no ink smears. Whew!

Have you ever made a one-sheet? Do you even know what they are? They're useful for conferences (though typically not part of an official proposal) because it basically visually shows the editor/agent you're pitching to a glimpse of your story in full.

My one sheet consists of two pictures representing the book (you can find these at photostock websites, etc.) and a catchy title, Bible verse, and 3-4 paragraph description of the novel. Then in the middle, I have the stats. How long the book is, whether it's completed, the take-away value, or why I wrote the book, etc. And at the bottom is my author photo, agent contact info and bio of my writing history.

Basically, it's a one-page proposal ;)

While sometimes preparing proposals can be intimidating and exhausting, one-sheets are fun for me because I get to be creative and play around with pictures, trying to figure out how to best represent my book.

What's on your one sheet?

Never forget...

These are a few of my favorite things...

Today Little Miss is headed back to preschool for a few hours, so I'm going to take advantage of my free time and go SHOPPING! Must have a dress for the ACFW Conference formal banquet night, and it's much easier to try on dresses when Little Miss isn't yelling that she needs to go potty, or trying to open the door while I'm in a state of undress, or asking for a snack while I'm struggling with a zipper...

You know how it is.

Are you all ready for conference? :)

What are you reading?

I'm just curious today - what are you reading?

In my To-Be-Read pile is Susan Meissner's newest, "A Sound Among the Trees" which I'm especially excited about, and a historical I picked up at Lifeway on clearance the other day, "A Tailor-Made Bride" by Karen Witemeyer. Also coming up is Julie Klassen's "The Apothecary's Daughter", which I picked up at Barnes & Noble after loving her other two newer novels, The Girl in the Gatehouse" and "The Silent Governess".

I just finished reading for review Mary Connealy's newest historical "Out of Control" and it was fantastic!!

What's in your pile?? :)

Scribble Chick time

Visit us today at SCRIBBLE CHICKS!

A touching tale...

SEASONS: A REAL STORY OF AN AMISH GIRL - is exactly that, told beautifully by Elizabeth Byler Younts--the heroine's own granddaughter.


Here's the book description:

As the oldest child in an impoverished Amish family, Lydia Lee knows little more of life beyond hard work, sacrifice and extreme hunger. Yet, even as a young girl she strives to be content with all God has provided. Against the backdrop of the Great Depression, Lydia’s childhood unfolds as her family struggles to survive, finding strength from their Amish faith. But, when tragedy strikes, that very faith is tested beyond what any child should have to endure. When all hope seems lost, Lydia is reminded that all things have seasons. The spring of her life has been spent planting prayers in the soil of sadness and heartache. Will she see a summer of true love? Will there be a harvest of happiness?

Elizabeth weaves a touching, poignant tale of the seasons in life her grandmother endured and triumphed in - all while rejoicing. Her recounts of life are told in a novel form that blend effortlessly into the feel of a historical fiction tale, yet remain shockingly true. Join Liddy in her adventures through poverty and loss, love and war, fear and contentment --and even a bull chase or two ;)

I read this story in two days. It's a quick read, not only in word count (192 pages) but in the fact that you just want to see what happens next in this amazing woman's journey. I had to admit, for me the beginning started a little slow, it seemed to be several well-told, yet repetitive, instances of poverty and the various moves the family made, but I realized soon that all those recounts played a significant part in building who Liddy is--and I guarantee that you'll be glad to have known her by the end. I kept pulling away from the reading and reminding myself this was REAL. All of these instances really happened and it made me so warm inside to think about...

Don't miss this memoir of a sweet woman with an exceptionally solid faith in her Lord Jesus.

And kudos to Elizabeth, for making a self-published novel feel absolutely anything but! The editing was precise and exact and exactly what it needed to be. Elizabeth, while yet unpublished in traditional fiction form, is apparently well on her way to changing that! :)

Author Bio:
Elizabeth Byler Younts is the granddaughter of Lydia Lee Coblentz. She is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers. She is an Air Force Officer’s wife with two young daughters, making a home wherever they are currently stationed. Please visit her at http://www.elizabethbyleryounts.com/.


Grab a copy HERE!

And the WINNER is...

Sorry I didn't do this drawing earlier, you guys! Got caught up in Labor day eating and family time :) Thanks for being patient with me.

Little Miss (my handy three year old) assisted me in the drawing so it was fair, and...we have a winner!

Congrats to TALIA!!!

But guess what...I totally didn't realize back when I received giveaway copies from the publisher to review and giveaway that I had an extra. So there were two winners!! What a great Labor Day :)

The second winner is...PATTIE!!!

You've both won a FREE copy of Tricia Goyer and Robin Jones Gunn's PRAYING FOR YOUR FUTURE HUSBAND and a FREE autographed copy of my own contemporary romance new release FIREMAN DAD.

YAY! Thanks to all for entering and check back for more contests soon. I love giveaways! :)

PS - Winners, email me your mailing addresses and I'll get these in the mail ASAP. Enjoy!

Happy Labor Day!

Proposals and one-sheets and suitcases, oh my!

The 2011 ACFW Conference in St. Louis is in 3 weeks. Actually, 2 weeks and 6 days, but if I say it that way, I start getting tunnel vision and my breath starts catching and my stomach cramps.

Not quite that bad, but close. So much to do before I leave! As always, everything is coming due at once, which is fun and exciting and coffee-inducing.

In the next 3 weeks (let me have my denial, please) I'm going to be working part time at my title company job as usual, have 2 newspaper article deadlines for my freelance gigs (one being the biggest article I've ever written for them - 3500 words), the galley to read-through for my final look at Addison Blakely, Confessions of a PK before it goes to the printers (YAY!), a series proposal to finish tweaking and get to my agent, 2 different one-sheets to prepare to pitch two different books at conference, a list of 75 names and addresses to prepare for my marketing guru at Barbour, a YA proposal to finish writing and submit to my agent, a blog post to prepare on a presitigious romance blog to promote FIREMAN DAD, and crits to do for friends/clients.

And oh yeah, a house to keep clean, a toddler to keep fed, and suitcases to pack...not to mention this week we've got preschool and AWANA and dance class for the Little Miss...

Ok. Maybe making a list wasn't such a great idea! Yikes! Where's the coffee??

Thankfully I'm feeling confident about it all, despite my few moments of panic, (they go away with each swig of the Diet Coke) because hey, it's all good! Literally, all of the above are great things to accomplish and I'm sooo not complaining. This is what I want! Just venting. And maybe seeking new coffee blend ideas...

What about you? Are you going to conference? What do you have to prepare? And if you aren't, will you come help me? ;)

GIVEAWAY of a fabulous YA read...

PRAYING FOR YOUR FUTURE HUSBAND - PREPARING YOUR HEART FOR HIS by Tricia Goyer and Robin Jones Gunn is a fantastic book I want to personally shove into the hands of each and every 13 year old girl and older.

And as you can see, I started even earlier...hehehe.

Here's the industry info on this fabulous, must-have nonfiction novel:

Have you ever thought about praying for your future husband?
Will it make a difference?
There's only one way to find out…

From when we were small girls, most of us dream of “The One,” our future husband. We think about what it would be like to be a bride. We wonder who that special guy is and when we'll find him. The great news is that what you do now can make a difference in your life and the life of your future husband!

Authors and good friends Robin Jones Gunn (Christy Miller series) and Tricia Goyer (author and former teen mom) believe God answers women's prayers for husbands—even husbands they may not meet for years. They invite young women to pray boldly for their future mate … while also asking God to prepare their own hearts.

In Praying for Your Future Husband, Robin and Tricia share their two vastly different experiences, including the things they did right and the mistakes they made on the path to meeting and marrying their husbands. Each chapter includes helpful Bible verses, prayers, and practical application, along with true stories of women who prayed for a husband and how God answered in remarkable ways.

God has a beautiful romance prepared for you. Prayer is the key to unlocking the love story … with your future husband and with God, the lover of your soul.

If you don't already know Tricia and Robin, then you're missing out! I've had the honor of meeting and chatting with them both in person, multiple times, and I'd easily put them at the top of various lists, titled "Sincere", "Warm", "Friendly", "Sweet", "Talented", and "Has a Huge Heart For God" !!! :)

Here's some bio info on them:

Robin Jones Gunn has written more than 70 books, including the well-loved Christy Miller and Sierra Jensen series, and more than 4 million copies of her books have sold. Robin and her husband have been married for more than 34 years, and they have two grown children.

Tricia Goyer, the author of more than 25 books, has drawn from her experiences as a teen mother and leader of today’s generation to be a voice of hope for women. Tricia has been married for more than twenty years and is the mother of four children.

And now for the best part - the GIVEAWAY! That's right. You can have this book for FREE. I'm giving away a fabulous version of this novel and...guess what else? A copy of my own recent release, FIREMAN DAD, by Love Inspired, just for fun. Because really, the only thing better than a free book is TWO free books, right?

Sign up by leaving a comment on this blog post, and I'll do the drawing next Monday morning (a sure way to brighten it up!) In the comment, simply state why you want the book, what appeals to you about it, if you've read other books by Tricia or Robin, or etc. Nothing fancy ::wink::

So go ahead...whatcha waiting for??? :)