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So I was flying home from Denver this week, and as is often the case, the weather was iffy. Denver is notorious for thunderstorms in the summer and it’s often bumpy to fly in and out during August. Sure enough, we take off into a bank of clouds.

Great, I’m thinking. I make a pact with God that I won’t complain about the pregnant woman ahead of me whose seat is reclined all the way nor the 7 year old sitting behind me kicking my seat if only the air can stay smooth.

I often pray for smooth air when I’m flying. I don’t really believe we’re going to crash, but it’s just so uncomfortable and out of my control. I’m ashamed to admit I have spent up to half an hour on a flight simply asking God, over and over, to make the air smooth. What I want is comfort, and the reassurance that nothing is going to worry or harm me.

Isn’t that how we are in life, sometimes, too? Instead of praying for the welfare of others, or that people would draw near to Christ, or any of a thousand worthy causes that need our intervention we pray for smooth air. No financial difficulties, no relational difficulties, nothing at all to disturb the illusion that we are in control.

I think next time I’ll spend one minute praying for smooth air and 29 for things that will matter after we land, too.

If you’re looking for a good summer read that has both romance and enough suspense to keep those pages turning, why not check out Susan May Warren’s new book, Finding Stefanie?

Noble Legacy Series, Book 3
Finding Stefanie
ISBN 1-4143-1019-6

When she put her dreams on hold to help run the family ranch, she never imagined they would slip out of sight. Luckily for Stefanie, those dreams are about to come knocking at her door.

Lincoln Cash has gained fame and fortune on the big screen, but a crippling secret leaves him one last chance to make his mark on the movie industry. With dreams of hosting a new film festival, Lincoln intends to remodel a sprawling ranch in eastern Montana to make it the new Hollywood hot spot.

Unfortunately, a house fire threatens his plans. So does opposition from his new neighbor Stefanie Noble, who’s not thrilled about his Tinseltown changes. What Lincoln and Stefanie don’t know is that the fire won’t be the last disaster to threaten Lincoln or his future. Someone is out for revenge… but who? And who is the real target?

Read Chapter One >
Buy The Book >

Isn’t that the most darling name for a book you’ve ever heard? It makes me want to open the cover and dive right in. You?

About the book:

She’s the last of five sisters to find true love. So, when Elle Garvey’s wide receiver-turned-pastor boyfriend, Jeremiah Franklin, proposes, she answers an enthusiastic, “Yes.” Until…she discovers the engagement comes with unexpected sacrifices.

But every relationship requires compromise, and as Jeremiah takes on a large Dallas pastorate, Elle’s life purpose and calling is challenged. As she stays behind in Beaufort, South Carolina to plan the wedding and sell her beloved art gallery, doubt shadows her engagement decision.

Meanwhile, New York lawyer Heath McCord needs a change of scenery and moves with his young daughter to the low-country with dreams starting over and writing a novel.

As Heath renews his hope and heart, Elle’s life begins to unravel. Crushed when Jeremiah ends their engagement, she heals morning by morning, praying in a dilapidated chapel, searching for passion and purpose.

In the midst of crisis, God’s love ignites her heart, and as her friendship with Heath blooms into love, Elle understands beauty always rises from the ashes.

About Rachel:

Rachel Hauck is the author of ten, going on eleven novels, and has recently become “acclaimed.” (Yeah, funny how that happened. Some dude found her lottery stub stuck to the bottom of his shoe and tried to “acclaimed” her, but her husband refused to pay out.)

Living in central Florida with her hubby of sixteen years, two dogs and one ornery cat, Rachel is a graduate of Ohio State University and a huge Buckeye football fan. One day she hopes to stand on the sidelines next to Coach Tressel as a famed, acclaimed OSU alumni, beloved for her work in literature and letters. (She’s written at least a couple hundred letters in her lifetime.)

She is a worship and prayer leader in her city, a lover and disciple of Jesus.

Visit Rachel’s Blog and Website>
Book Link to Amazon >

My friend Sherrie sent this to me and I thought it was laugh out loud funny! Six married men will be dropped on an island with one car and 3 kids each for six weeks.

Each kid will play two sports and either take music or dance classes.

There is no fast food.

Each man must take care of his 3 kids; keep his assigned house clean, correct all homework, and complete science projects, cook, do laundry, and pay a list ‘pretend’ bills with not enough money. In addition, each man will have to budget in money for groceries each week.

Each man must remember the birthdays of all their friends and relatives, and send cards out on time — no emailing.

Each man must also take each child to a doctor’s appointment, a dentist appointment and a haircut appointment. He must make one unscheduled and inconvenient visit per child to the Urgent Care.

He must also make cookies or cupcakes for a social function.

Each man will be responsible for decorating his own assigned house, planting flowers outside and keeping it presentable at all times.

The men will only have access to television when the kids are asleep and all chores are done.

The men must shave their legs, wear makeup daily, adorn themselves with jewelry, wear uncomfortable yet stylish shoes, keep fingernails polished and eyebrows groomed.

During one of the six weeks, the men will have to endure severe abdominal cramps, back aches, and have extreme, unexplained mood swings but never once complain or slow down from other duties.

They must attend weekly school meetings, church, and find time at least once to spend the afternoon at the park or a similar setting.

They will need to read a book to the kids each night and in the morning, feed them, dress them, brush their teeth and comb their hair by 7:00 am.

A test will be given at the end of the six weeks, and each father will be required to know all of the following information: each child’s birthday, height, weight, shoe size, clothes size and doctor’s name.

The kids vote them off the island based on performance.

The last man wins only if…he still has enough energy to be intimate with his spouse at a moment’s notice.

If the last man does win, he can play the game over and over and over again for the next 18-25 years eventually earning the right to be called Mother!

After you get done laughing, send this to as many females as you think will get a kick out of it and as many men as you think can handle it.

Just don’t send it back to me… I’m too busy.

This week I’d like to introduce you to my good friend, and a fabulous writer, Tamera Alexander. If you like historical romance novels this is the book for you. It’s sure to capture you from the first page and resonate in your heart long after you close the cover. Do you have secrets? Do you have dreams? Do you wonder where God is when things seem difficult? Read on…

TAMERA’S BIO:
Tamera Alexander is a bestselling novelist whose deeply drawn characters, thought-provoking plots and poignant prose resonate with readers. Tamera is a finalist for the 2008 Christy Award (Remembered), and has been awarded the coveted RITA^® from Romance Writers of America (Revealed), along with Library Journal’s Top Christian Fiction of 2006 (Rekindled). Having lived in Colorado for seventeen years, she and her husband now make their home in the quaint town of historic Franklin, Tennessee, where they enjoy life with their two college-age children and a precious—and precocious—silky terrier named Jack.

“FROM A DISTANCE” BACK COVER BLURB:
What happens when dreams aren’t what you imagined,
And secrets you’ve spent a lifetime guarding are finally laid bare?

Determined to become one of the country’s premier newspaper photographers, Elizabeth Westbrook travels to the Colorado Territory to capture the grandeur of the mountains surrounding the remote town of Timber Ridge. She hopes, too, that the cool, dry air of Colorado, and its renowned hot springs, will cure the mysterious illness that threatens her career, and her life.

Daniel Ranslett, a former Confederate sharpshooter, is a man shackled by his past, and he’ll do anything to protect his land and his solitude. When an outspoken Yankee photographer captures an image that appears key to solving a murder, putting herself in danger, Daniel is called upon to repay a debt. He’s a man of his word, but repaying that debt will bring secrets from his past to light.

Forced on a perilous journey together, Daniel and Elizabeth’s lives intertwine in ways neither could have imagined when first they met … from a distance.

“…a rich historical romance by possibly the best new writer in this subgenre.”
–Library Journal

“…a most amazing story. The characters are more than words on the page; they become real people.”
–Romantic Times

A NOTE FROM TAMERA:
Stories are journeys, and each story I write is a journey for me.

Rekindled began with a dream – the image of a man returning home on horseback. He came upon a freshly dug grave and when he knelt to read the name carved into the roughhewn wooden cross, he discovered the name was…his own. The inspiration for Revealed grew from two characters in Rekindled whose stories needed to be told. But even more, whose stories I needed to tell. Writing Revealed was a very personal journey for me, and a healing one. For Remembered, I met that story’s heroine (figuratively, of course) while strolling the ancient cobblestoned pathways of a three hundred-year-old cemetery in northern Paris, France. And From a Distance came from a question I was struggling with in my own life at the time, “What happens when the dream you asked God for isn’t what you thought it would be?”

For me, the greatest thrill of these writing journeys is when Christ reveals Himself in some new way, and I take a step closer to Him. And my deepest desire is that readers of my books will do that as well — take steps closer to Him as they read. After all, it’s all about Him.

In the Potter’s Hand,
Tamera

www.tameraalexander.com

It’s thunderstorming and lightning at my house right now - the perfect weather for a good mystery. No matter what the weather at your house, may I recommend a new, captivating read? It’s titled Shadows at the Window and was written by my friend Linda Hall. Read further to learn more about Linda and her terrific titles.

http://writerhall.com

SHADOWS AT THE WINDOW: In Her Own Words Shadows at the Window is the second in my ’shadows’ trilogy. The women in these series of books must deal with and work through the ‘shadows’ in their pasts before they can make peace and find love in the present. In the first of the series, Shadows at the Mirror, the main character doesn’t know anything about her past. It’s a mystery she must uncover. In this release,

Shadows at the Window, main character Lilly Johnson knows her past all too well, and it’s one she’d rather forget. Because it’s so abhorrent to her, she’s made up a series of lies that she tells her fiancé. But, the past has a way of catching up with the present, and when people in her past show up, her first inkling is to run. But, that would mean leaving everything behind, and that’s something she’s not willing to do now.

BIO:
Linda Hall is the award-winning author of fifteen mystery and romantic suspense novels and many short stories. Her latest release, Shadows at the Window (July ’08) is a Romantic Times Top Pick for the month, and the first in her shadows trilogy, Shadows in the Mirror is a winner in The Word Guild’s Canadian Christian Writing Awards. It is also a finalist in the Reader’s Choice Awards.

In addition, both Sadie’s Song and Steal Away were short listed for the Christy Award. Steal Away was a Daphne finalist, the Beacon Award winner for Best Inspirational Novel, the Winter Rose Award Winner for Best Inspirational Novel, and was given the Award of Excellence from the Colorado Romance Writers.

Linda is a member of the Romance Writers of America, the American Christian Fiction Writers, The Word Guild and the Crime Writers of Canada.

No, I’m not describing some of the people you love to avoid at church! I’m talking eatin’ crabs.

I love the show Deadliest Catch on Discovery Channel. It follows the lives of Alaskan crab fisherman as they battle the Bearing Sea while trying to trap pots of gold. Literally. A new deckhand can make $80,000 - $100,000 in one season.  I love to eat crab (my kids say that makes me a cannibal!) so I started thinking about crabs.

In order to grow, they have to shed their exoskelaton, called molting, in order to grow a new one. But for the 48 hours or so after shedding one shell and growing a new one they are extremely vulnerable to predators. They need to take refuge, if they can, in a safe place.

That’s kind of like us, isn’t it? Spiritually, emotionally, if we don’t grow we become trapped in shells too small for what we were intended to be. But the step forward - shedding the past and leaping into the future - leaves us vulnerable for a little while. Don’t be afraid to grow as a person or as a believer. Just take refuge in a safe place (good friends, the Word, supportive family) till your new shell grows.

May we all be growing as crabs for the King! Just not to one another…

I’d like you to meet my very good friend Marlo, and then to read her very good book, Beyond the Night. Marlo and I have been friends for over a decade and in that time I’ve witnessed her scale the peaks and plumb valleys of life. She’s taken every circumstance that God and life has given her and crafted something wonderful from each one. She’s also comforted others with the comfort she herself has been given. Be sure to read the fascinating story behind the story after the blurb. Then order the book. You won’t regret it.

THE BLURB:
They say love is blind.
This time they’re right…

As a woman lies unconscious in a hospital bed, her husband waits beside her, urging her to wake up and come home. Between them lies an ocean of fear and the tenuous grip of memories long past. Memories of wonder. Of love. Memories of a girl named Madison and a boy named Paul…

Madison Foster knew she was going blind. But she didn’t want pity—not from her mother, not from her roommate, and especially not from her best friend Paul—the man she secretly loved.

Paul Tilden knew a good thing when he saw it. And a good thing was his friendship with Maddie Foster. That is, until he started to fall in love.

With the music of the seventies as their soundtrack and its groovy fashions as their scenery, Maddie and Paul were drawn together and driven apart. Then one night changed everything…forever.

And only now, when life tiptoes past the edge of yesterday, along the rim of today, can they glimpse the beauty that awaits them…beyond the night.

THE BIO:
Marlo Schalesky is the award winning author of six books, including her latest novel Beyond The Night which combines a love story with a surprise ending twist to create a new type of story. She has also had over 600 articles published in various magazines, had her work included in compilations such as Dr. Dobson’s Night Light Devotional for Couples, and is a regular columnist for Power for Living. Marlo recently earned her Masters degree in Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary and is currently working on more “Love Stories with a Twist!” for Waterbrook-Multnomah Publishers, a division of Random House. She owns her own construction consulting firm and lives in Salinas, California with her husband and four young daughters.

A BIT ABOUT THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY
When my grandfather was going blind, he took a shotgun to the backyard and ended his life. He was a good man, kind and wise. Blindness didn’t change that. It wouldn’t have changed it. But the fear of it did.

It didn’t have to be that way. Today, there are 1.3 million people in the United States alone who are legally blind. Another nearly 9 million are visually impaired. Every day in this country people find out they are going blind. Seniors, mothers, fathers, children. Last year, it was my own mother.

So, Maddie’s journey through blindness and fear grows out of my family’s experiences. It also, in a broader sense, comes out of my own. For even though blindness is a specific malady, Maddie’s condition is also a metaphor for the dark times we all face. For the difficulties that come and rattle our faith, for those times when we can’t see what’s ahead, when life is masked by shadow and doubt.

For Maddie, losing her physical sight prompted her journey through doubt and fear. For me, it was infertility and miscarriage.

If there’s one thing I know about it’s living the life God has given you when it’s not the life you dreamed. Infertility taught me how to do that. It taught me that life takes unexpected turns and dark, difficult times come. And it taught me that it’s not the darkness that will destroy you, but the fear of it.

So, in many ways Beyond the Night explores my own questions, my own doubts, my own faith journey in facing the darkness, facing fear, with hope and dignity. That’s why Beyond the Night is about overcoming the fear of the unknown , rather than letting it overcome you. It’s about finding the light, the hope, the promise that lies beyond the darkness.

And I think we could all use that, whether we’re going physically blind or not.

Find out more, enter the BEYOND THE NIGHT CONTEST, see the trailer, read a sample chapter, and more at Marlo’s website at: www.marloschalesky.com

Get It On Amazon.com >
Publisher: Waterbrook-Multnomah, a division of Random House

Okay, a lot of people like to slip away into another world in a fantasy book - teens and adults alike. If that sounds like you, be sure to check out this latest release by my friend, Donita K. Paul. The books are page turners (just ask my son!) and the content is God honoring. The fifth book in the Dragon Keeper Chronicles, DragonLight concludes the drama that has been building since DragonSpell was released in 2004.

Donita K. Paul weaves eternal truths into a page-turning story and still takes time to tickle her reader with humorous characters and situations.

As Kale and her father are busy hatching, bonding, and releasing the younger generation of dragons as helpers throughout the kingdom, the light wizard has little time to develop her skills. Her husband, Sir Bardon-despite physical limitations resulting from his bout with stakes disease-has become a leader, serving on the governing board under Paladin.

When Kale and Bardon set aside their daily responsibilities to join meech dragons Regidor and Gilda on a quest to find a hidden meech colony, they encounter sinister forces. Their world is under attack by a secret enemy. Can they overcome the ominous peril they can’t even see?

Get It On Amazon.com >

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