tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46201997826892999402024-03-05T00:53:57.142-08:00International Christian Fiction WritersConnecting Readers and Writers Around the WorldLisa Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11358581487206184033noreply@blogger.comBlogger2627125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4620199782689299940.post-53480909602883525092019-03-15T01:00:00.000-07:002019-03-15T01:00:01.659-07:00WE HAVE MOVED TO A NEW WEBSITE!<span style="background-color: #fbfffa; font-family: Lato; font-size: 15.4px;">Narelle here. I'm excited to announce that <b>International Christian Fiction Writers</b> (ICFW) has moved to a new website!</span><br style="background-color: #fbfffa; font-family: Lato; font-size: 15.4px;" /><br style="background-color: #fbfffa; font-family: Lato; font-size: 15.4px;" /><span style="background-color: #fbfffa; font-family: Lato; font-size: 15.4px;">Our new home is <a href="http://icfwriters.com/">icfwriters.com</a></span><br style="background-color: #fbfffa; font-family: Lato; font-size: 15.4px;" /><br style="background-color: #fbfffa; font-family: Lato; font-size: 15.4px;" /><span style="background-color: #fbfffa; font-family: Lato; font-size: 15.4px;">We are launching our new website today! Please stop by and check out our new and improved website with monthly giveaways for our blog readers.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4620199782689299940.post-76635531458195449862019-03-01T16:53:00.001-08:002019-03-01T16:53:43.915-08:00A Blog Update We're taking a blogging break until mid-March when International Christian Fiction Writers (ICFW) will be moving to our new blog home.<br />
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We'll be launching our new site on March 15. Please stop by here and we'll redirect you to our new site.<br />
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In the meantime, you can follow us on social media:<br />
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/icfwriters/">Facebook Page</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/icfwriters">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.pinterest.com.au/iolagoulton/international-christian-fiction-writers/">Pinterest</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4620199782689299940.post-54304927430278014752019-02-28T01:00:00.000-08:002019-02-28T01:00:12.949-08:00Devotion: Grace<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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One morning as a young child, I was to learn a valuable lesson about grace. Except I had no idea it was called grace, back in the day....I loved the little lambs frolicking around the farm where we my parents rented a little house. The farmer's daughter's had lambs for Lamb and Calf day and I probably thought I would like that too.This particular morning, I chose a little lamb that I would play with after school. Knowing nothing of the dangers of a thin rope called twine, I tied the lamb to the fence on one end and his neck on the other...<span style="text-align: center;"> </span></div>
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Off to school I went, without a care. My parents told me later in that the lamb indeed had died...he must have chocked and hanged himself on the fence trying to get free. The farmer asked my parents to pay the price for a fully grown sheep. Over 50 years later, I still feel sad that I did that but it was accidental. A child has very little foresight.</div>
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As a child; sometimes as adults; we do and say things that we later regret and there is nothing- absolutely nothing- we can do to change the situation. The only thing we can do is throw ourselves at the mercy of God and His grace.</h2>
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So what actually is this 'grace'?? I have experianced grace as God's unmerited favour. No- it is not overlooking our sin but a way of restoring us after we have acknowledged our mistakes. Restoring us so that we can start again. </div>
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Grace is also given to us to strengthen us in our weakness for Jesus tells us My grace is sufficient for you. </div>
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There are countless stories in the Bible of Jesus extending grace-not wrath- to men and women who have done things that there was no going back from. In fact, if there was no grace extended, the person may have decided they didn't want to live. Such is the power of grace.</h4>
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How about you? Have you extended grace to someone who has hurt you? </h4>
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In John 8 verses 2- 11 is the account of a woman being brought to Jesus as she had been caught in the act of adultery. The teachers of the law who had brought her to Jesus, stood ready to stone her- such was the law at that time. On this occasion- instead of answering their questions, Jesus wrote something on the ground with his finger. Then he asked that those who were without sin to cast the first stone. After this,He wrote something else on the ground. As he did this the men left -one at a time.....until there was only the woman and Jesus.<br />
v 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you? "<br />
11. "No one, Sir," she said. Then neither do I condemn you." Jesus declared. "go and leave your life of sin."<br />
This is an example of grace. Restorative grace. The law said she must be stoned. John 1 v 14b Jesus came- full of grace and truth. <br />
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I wish I could tell you that I didn't do anything stupid after that episode with the lamb but alas I have blown it several times in my life. Mistakes as a daughter, a wife, a mother,a nurse, a friend... and you too will have your own stories where unless you sought the goodness,forgiveness and the grace of God and accepted it; you would have found it hard to live another day.<br />
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What I am so grateful for is that Jesus went ahead of us. He went ahead to the Cross; He went ahead to pay a debt that we could never pay; He went ahead and prepared grace and and mercy for us because He knew in advance that without His grace we might be tempted to give up- such is our disdain, shame and disgust in ourselves at the thought of some of things we have done. He went ahead and planned for us to understand and experiance grace at salvation and He continues to offer grace to those still considering their options.<br />
<b>How are you at receiving this grace? </b></div>
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<u>About Lorraine Goulton</u><span style="font-weight: normal;">:</span></h3>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">Lorraine Goulton is a novice writer</span></h3>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">from Masterton, New Zealand.</span></h3>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></h3>
<br />Lorraine Goultonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08628896344999802953noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4620199782689299940.post-15977519446042118332019-02-27T04:00:00.000-08:002019-03-01T17:03:27.307-08:00Wandering Wednesday - Mining the Past, Researching the Present<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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mso-style-priority:99;
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mso-para-margin-left:0cm;
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mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
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font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;
mso-fareast-language:EN-US;}
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<![endif]-->
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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by Marcia Lee Laycock</div>
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When I first began to create the protagonist for my first
novel, One Smooth Stone, it became obvious that he was a composite of many
people I’d known in the past, people who, through one set of unusual circumstances
or another, ended up in a tiny town in Canada’s far north.<br />
<br />It also became obvious that this novel had to be at least
partly set in that town, Dawson City, Yukon. I had lived in Dawson for almost
twelve years, so I had a lot of experience to draw from, a lot of memories to
mine. I could describe what it would be like to live on the Yukon River because
I had. I could capture the essence of a – 60 below day because I’d been in it. But
as I wrote the story, I also realized I had a bit of research to do. It had
been a while since I’d lived in the north, so there were some details I had to
check.<br />
<br /> For instance, at one point in the story, one of the
characters uses a cell phone to contact the protagonist, whose only tool for
communicating is a radio-phone. I was well acquainted with radio-phones since
that was the only way we communicated to the outside world from our cabin in
the bush. But I sat bolt upright in bed one night with the sudden realization
that cell phones weren’t common when I lived there. Was it even possible to use
a cell phone to connect to a radio-phone? As I settled back under my covers I
made a metal list of who I should call to find out. It turned out to be quite
easy – I called a Yukon operator and asked her. She was excited to help an author
and gave me all the information I needed.<br />
<br />I also came to a point in the story where I needed to know
about some police procedure. The protagonist was in the hospital but he had
also just been arrested. What would that look like? Would he be handcuffed to
the hospital bed? Would there be an RCMP constable stationed at the door to his
room? I pondered these and other details and remembered a man I had met at a
writer’s conference who was a ballistics specialist with the RCMP. I pawed
through my contact list and was able to get in touch with him. Again, he was
more than happy to give me all the information I needed, and a few details I
didn’t know I needed to know.<br />
<br />My research wasn’t just about the Yukon, as I wrote One
Smooth Stone. My characters wandered from there to Vancouver, B.C., and then
Seattle, Washington. Since the story arc involved adoption procedures, I had to
find out what the policies were in those various places. Turned out the rules
were quite different from place to place, so I had to go back and adjust the
story accordingly.<br />
<br /> Writing about the Yukon posed no problem for me as far as describing
the setting, but when my publisher wanted part of the story set in the U.S. I
had to choose a city and then research it to make that setting just as
authentic. I found a couple of good books about Seattle and then mined the
internet by reaching out to some of my American friends. A couple had lived in
Seattle and were quite willing to read those portions of the novel and make
suggestions.<br />
<br /> I am in the process of drawing a rough outline for the third
novel in my Stone series. This one will, once again, be set mostly in the Yukon.
I’m excited that my husband has agreed that we should take a trip back to our
old stomping grounds so that I can do some research and writing ‘en situ.’
There really is no substitute for being there, breathing that air, taking in
all those sites and sounds and smells so that it can all be transferred into
the story.<br />
<br />I’ve often heard that saying, ‘All who wander are not lost …’
I would add, ‘they’re just doing research for their next novel!’<br />
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<h2 class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://amzn.to/2kEw7XV">About One Smooth Stone</a></h2>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://amzn.to/2kEw7XV" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="http://amzn.to/2kEw7XV" border="0" data-original-height="1347" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpkRlHsJiWlz9rtnr_XgwdusquynL01joancFHrT20NROJI9N0_CaKdZP4MYn9Vkhr_AKMWwS0WvKTxyxVtixKvQ1u5PT2EWryCw4QGg9DjdrWNiLxCDsAxP5G0tOM44WUTxw_5vdVNQ/s320/OneSmoothStoneNEWcvr.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</xml><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Desperate to escape his past, the police and especially God,
Alex Donnelly picks a good place to hide – the Yukon wilderness - but he finds
that even there he is pursued by all of the above. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Confronted with intriguing
information and burning to know about his real parents, Alex returns to his
birthplace, Seattle, Washington, where he meets Kenni, a woman whose tenacious
concern angers, yet puzzles him. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When he discovers the details of his past are
more disturbing than he anticipated, the trauma sends him on the run again. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Can
Kenni convince him that he too is one small stone meant to fit in the palm of
God’s hand? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Will he concede that no matter how far you run, God will find you
and no matter what you have done, God will forgive you? </span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Purchase on <a href="http://amzn.to/2kEw7XV">Amazon</a> </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iz1VG59-Aiw">Watch the Trailer </a>for One Smooth Stone</span>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<h2>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">About Marcia Lee Laycock</span></h2>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMBxKsrPiyerzlzxC4yQ-K5OdfmZJLkMFbRhXE1VU7pgtxttkgOQxQy571200BX0WdX4e18rVgC754JFQC-iPsySJKUR510Nn-2t2wvpTHiaHi2dyn1lA_k3F8tXEloOadJvK33J8WOw/s1600/Me+Feb.+2014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="257" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMBxKsrPiyerzlzxC4yQ-K5OdfmZJLkMFbRhXE1VU7pgtxttkgOQxQy571200BX0WdX4e18rVgC754JFQC-iPsySJKUR510Nn-2t2wvpTHiaHi2dyn1lA_k3F8tXEloOadJvK33J8WOw/s320/Me+Feb.+2014.jpg" width="234" /></a></div>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footnote text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footer"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="envelope address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Top of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Acronym"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Code"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Keyboard"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Preformatted"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Table"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">Marcia’s writing began in the attic of her
parents’ home where she wrote poetry and short stories for her dolls. She says
they never complained so she kept it up. Since those humble beginnings, her
work has been published in magazines, newspapers and anthologies in both Canada
and the U.S. and has been broadcast on CBC radio. She currently writes a regular devotional
column, The Spur, which goes out by
e-mail to avid readers. <a href="http://eepurl.com/Dejgn">Subscribe here</a></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">Marcia’s work has won many prizes, garnering praise
from notable Christian writers like Janette Oke, Mark Buchanan, Phil Callaway
and Sigmund Brouwer. She has published four devotional books, six novels and hundreds
of articles. Marcia won the Best New Canadian Christian Author Award for her
debut novel, One Smooth Stone, published by Castle Quay Books. The sequel, <a href="http://amzn.to/2kt1dzR">ATumbled Stone</a> was also short-listed for a
Word award at Write Canada in Toronto, Ontario. </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">Marcia is also an inspirational speaker and
teacher. She has spoken often at retreats and one day events, both in the
Christian and secular realms. She teaches writing courses for InScribe Christian
Writers, The Word Guild, and has taught for many community groups and
libraries.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">To learn more about Marcia’s writing,
speaking and teaching visit her<a href="http://www.marcialeelaycock.com/"> website</a></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span>
</h2>
Marcia Lee Laycockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09109390369843987353noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4620199782689299940.post-47816998853578983632019-02-26T05:00:00.000-08:002019-02-26T17:52:04.696-08:00Bookish Tuesday: Literary Librariesby Jeanette O'Hagan @jeanetteohagan<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFdZBu8DBRIuqNPukoarB7CJWKwfvQcviDxmPcY1Jq02ORxgPMc1G2W3Y1P0YwkbBVCklboWowUPo6mZR7u2Zi0U3rxLGjaCLrQPJ-B8yhwyztHDmH-DjlErpiZnNGg3wbCPkmw2N4Xw/s1600/Bookish+Tuesday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFdZBu8DBRIuqNPukoarB7CJWKwfvQcviDxmPcY1Jq02ORxgPMc1G2W3Y1P0YwkbBVCklboWowUPo6mZR7u2Zi0U3rxLGjaCLrQPJ-B8yhwyztHDmH-DjlErpiZnNGg3wbCPkmw2N4Xw/s320/Bookish+Tuesday.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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What book-dragon doesn't love a library?<br />
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Libraries are heavenly places, crammed full of books to get in lost in. I'm a frequent visitor to our local library and have found many treasures there - including books by <b>Karen Kingsbury, Dee Hendersen, Stephen Lawhead, Ted Dekker, Rosanne Hawke</b> and <b>Adele Jones</b>. And I have many wonderful memories as a child raiding the school library, the Nkana Mines club library, the local council library or any library that would let me through its doors for my next favourite read.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEBKvcOXnYZfL9y_pp5QbKzezPNZGfLvaJ-fAu3E433v4fNgXIPeWp01Af2uOWpSTz6VrkIf_Av94Op1B_6EDGZtEHdRVt_JTmT5gtuopvOlOUvyi-saVzNUEhuP2jhDZXIpVu_HDpyQ/s1600/ReplicateEPLx350.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="261" data-original-width="350" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEBKvcOXnYZfL9y_pp5QbKzezPNZGfLvaJ-fAu3E433v4fNgXIPeWp01Af2uOWpSTz6VrkIf_Av94Op1B_6EDGZtEHdRVt_JTmT5gtuopvOlOUvyi-saVzNUEhuP2jhDZXIpVu_HDpyQ/s320/ReplicateEPLx350.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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It recently occurred to me that I've included a few different libraries in my stories. It got me thinking about the fantastic fictional libraries other writers include in their books.<br />
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There are certainly some great libraries in what might be deemed secular fiction -- <b>Umberto Eco</b>'s <i>Name of the Rose</i> revolves around the labyrinthine abbey library at an Italian monastery, some heart-warming scenes occurred between Edward and the Dashwood girls in <b>Jane Austen</b>'s <i>Sense and Sensibility</i>, the Hogwarts library looms large in <b>J K Rowling</b>'s <i>Harry Potter</i> novels, while in <b>Ray Bradbury</b>'s <i>Fahrenheit 451</i> future hope resides in the living libraries, and then there's the Beast's library that captured Belle's heart in Disney's <i>Beauty and the Beast</i>.<br />
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<b><i><a href="https://www.bookbub.com/blog/2015/08/03/famous-fictional-libraries" target="_blank">Here </a></i></b>is a list of some more, if you want to check them out.<br />
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<h2>
Libraries in Christian fiction</h2>
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And what about Christian fiction? Is it devoid of libraries? It took a while and the help of a few friends to track them down, but they are there.<br />
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Fantasy and Science Fiction</h3>
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My imagination conjures up visions of Bilbo Baggins the hobbit spending his last days in the library at Rivendell full of ancient books and scrolls. Though apparently, this scene is not in the book -<b>J R R Tolkien</b>'s <i>Lord of the Rings - </i> Gandalf does search through the archives of Gondor to confirm his theories about the One Ring.<br />
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From memory, in <b>Stephen Lawhead</b>'s <i>Bright Empire</i> series, the society of ley travellers keep a depository of unique and strange books in the house at Damascus, including a mysterious book which provides a clue to the disastrous shrinking universe and strange, out-of-time events.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2sMprgIX4zKNBmaXE2hO8qrNmwJFdaMfHFpFhcK2y_bLibXk2YAlYp1EdYz7wi2UMzjDUk1iRql4RbLFAwPjy0P1GKFsVBkpH1iDakQV3EgEfxteQBEE1hNdNtVy6SLbVhbRVpzmDUQ/s1600/TheFatalTreeSL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="313" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2sMprgIX4zKNBmaXE2hO8qrNmwJFdaMfHFpFhcK2y_bLibXk2YAlYp1EdYz7wi2UMzjDUk1iRql4RbLFAwPjy0P1GKFsVBkpH1iDakQV3EgEfxteQBEE1hNdNtVy6SLbVhbRVpzmDUQ/s320/TheFatalTreeSL.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
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And there is the faerie library in <b>George MacDonald</b>'s <i>Fantasies</i>. Anados, the hero in this allegorical tale, discovers that the books pull the reader into their pages, to experience the events with all five senses, a truly immersive experience.<br />
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In <b>C S Lewis</b>' <i>The Great Divorce</i>, departed authors congregate "about public libraries to see if anyone’s still reading their books."<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11pt;"> </span>A somewhat depressing thought. Though the people in the <i>Great Divorce</i> are those who have failed to move on and accept in full the gift of God's grace.<br />
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Christian author <b>Steve Rzasa</b> is a librarian and a library makes an appearance in <i>For Us Humans</i>, a sci-fi where a human cop and an alien investigator need to team up to track down a missing artifact and prevent dire, world-threatening consequences, while dialoging about Jesus.<br />
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<h3>
Romance, Historical and Biblical Fiction</h3>
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And it's not just speculative fiction that contain delightful libraries.<br />
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<b>Bodie Thoene</b>’s <i>Jerusalem Scrolls The Zion Legacy </i><i>Series</i><i> No 4</i> references a library of ancient scrolls under Jerusalem.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi85EdmsUu2242twb1fpFKUdqqcZyZwOKDe8JCEsieYN_sCYfBUvCOEG8UgmhmNSVVnJbAjF5et5Zb1TOruQSPrl0GVuZNcgNP8AnR6uAMscl7760W5xp3Ox615niBCLFBOryUQMjZS0Q/s1600/9780825444517.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1036" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi85EdmsUu2242twb1fpFKUdqqcZyZwOKDe8JCEsieYN_sCYfBUvCOEG8UgmhmNSVVnJbAjF5et5Zb1TOruQSPrl0GVuZNcgNP8AnR6uAMscl7760W5xp3Ox615niBCLFBOryUQMjZS0Q/s320/9780825444517.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>
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And in sync with the times, <b>Carolyn Miller<i>'s regency romances</i></b> often feature libraries. Manor house libraries in <i>The Eluisive Miss Ellison</i> and <i>The Captivating Lady Charlotte</i>, and borrowing libraries in <i>The Dishonorable Miss DeLancey</i> and <i>Winning Miss Winthrop </i>while both <i>The Dishonorable Miss DeLancey</i> and Carolyn's lastest release, <i>A Hero for Miss Hatherleigh</i>, have some scenes where the heroine meets significant people at the (public) libraries of Regency England. <br />
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Carolyn Miller is clearly an author after my own heart.<br />
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<b>Paula Vince</b>, in her post <b><i><a href="https://vincereview.blogspot.com/2018/02/stories-with-libraries-and-librarians.html" target="_blank">Stories with Libraries and Librarians</a></i></b>, mentions at lease three other occurrences of libraries in Christian Fiction.<br />
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<b>Elizabeth Camden</b>'s <i>Beyond All Dreams</i> features a a research librarian named Anna, who archives maps, and in the process, discovers an explosive and dangerous secret.<br />
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In <b>Lynn Austin</b>'s <i>Wonderland Creek</i>, a shy librarian is pressured to become a mobile librarian to a hillbilly community, with some dangerous and life-changing results.<br />
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And in <b>Julie Klasson<i>'s </i></b><i>The Ladies of Ivy Hill</i>, Miss Rachel Ashcroft inherits her father's books even though she doesn't like reading, so she sets up a small lending library with wonderful consequences.<br />
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<h2>
Libraries in Nardva</h2>
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And there there are my fictional libraries.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfOmMdODIyhLLz8ct9MFdTOEkfm_YsSNRrvQ0v-ipEXdjBZN074wjAB-HGG6i3qGpfxRZtBD-MuVf4T3TH5H650Yje8sgYWoXR8TXuEjd-4FsiaBp4PZbcfoRB0EDMvBscAb-WFB70-Q/s1600/AkradsChildrenDx220.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="319" data-original-width="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfOmMdODIyhLLz8ct9MFdTOEkfm_YsSNRrvQ0v-ipEXdjBZN074wjAB-HGG6i3qGpfxRZtBD-MuVf4T3TH5H650Yje8sgYWoXR8TXuEjd-4FsiaBp4PZbcfoRB0EDMvBscAb-WFB70-Q/s1600/AkradsChildrenDx220.jpg" /></a></div>
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<h3>
The Palace Library in Tarka</h3>
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The Great Library of the Golden Place features in <i>Akrad's Children</i>. A large area that takes almost one wing and two levels with a mezzanine floor and a domed skylight over the reading tables, it is the hero, Dinnis' favourite refuge. Dinnis curries favour with the cranky librarian, Ralton, so he can spend more time there and earn a little metal. Prince Mannok on the other hand, caused havoc inside the library as a young boy, and would rather be anywhere else as a young man who loves riding and hunting.<br />
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In my short story <i>Lakwi's Lament</i>, young Lakwi loves books and wishes she was allowed in the library, but her father has banned girls from entering. Her big brother, Prince Rokkan gives her books and the ideas and stories she drinks in help her when she does find herself in deep trouble. A story about a girl, a library and a puppy (among other things).<br />
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<h3>
The Library of Alexgaia</h3>
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In a short sci-fi 'space opera' story, <i>Rendezvous at Alexgaia</i>, Dana and Avonis have to get into the hidden library at Alexgaia, run by the technomonks, to find a clue for a code. Getting in is one thing, getting out is another thing altogether as they dodge lethal autobots among the library stacks. </div>
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And in a short story <i>A Rookie Mistake</i>, time traveller, Sandria is in a private library looking for precious artifacts to save from the 1666 Fire of London when her mission goes badly wrong - or maybe right, depending on how you look at it. (As Time Goes By: Mixed Blessings. Breath of Fresh Air Press.)<br />
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Both stories have been republished in <i>Ruhanna's Flight and Other Stories</i>.<br />
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And my latest library creation?<br />
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<h3>
The Seven-Tiered library of Sillantis</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmNoRxk5Irc01MOlUXgjf5Lt66Pkj_fuKajvvKbtX6Nzb8bAcqF6Al7xia70j8oxB_7IhcwkFcjgfPbsbkwxwpSM0shLD7Q7Q8Uz5PCob1q3iBbMyJvAhI71XB9FoIX-fR4CxN1tQxIA/s1600/ShadowCrystalsCoverRevealx350.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="507" data-original-width="350" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmNoRxk5Irc01MOlUXgjf5Lt66Pkj_fuKajvvKbtX6Nzb8bAcqF6Al7xia70j8oxB_7IhcwkFcjgfPbsbkwxwpSM0shLD7Q7Q8Uz5PCob1q3iBbMyJvAhI71XB9FoIX-fR4CxN1tQxIA/s320/ShadowCrystalsCoverRevealx350.jpg" width="220" /></a></div>
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In my latest release, <i>Shadow Crystals</i>, the fourth and penultimate novella in the <i>Under the Mountain</i> series, the heroes spend some of their time shifting through the scrolls and codices of the Library in Siltanis, search for the clue to breaking the bond of a soul-stone. Of course, when the rebel ebed invade the city, things become rather fraught and dangerous, but those days in the library are not wasted.<br />
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Do you love spending time in a library? And what fictional libraries would you long to visit? Let me know in the comments.<br />
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Thanks to Paula Vince, Susan Bruce, Adam Collings and Mazzy Adams for some great suggestions to add to the list :)<br />
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<h3>
Giveaway</h3>
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And as a bonus, I'm giving away to one commenter an e-book from the<i> Under the Mountain</i> series (a choice of either <i>Heart of the Mountain</i>, <i>Blood Crystal</i>, <i>Stone of the Sea</i> or <i>Shadow Crystals</i>).<br />
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Jeanette spun tales in the world of Nardva from the age of eight or nine. She enjoys writing secondary world fiction, poetry, blogging and editing. Her Nardvan stories span continents, time and cultures. Many involve courtly intrigue, adventure, romance and/or shapeshifters and magic. Others, are set in Nardva’s future and include space stations, plasma rifles, bio-tech, and/or cyborgs.<br />
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She has published numerous short stories, poems, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Heart-Mountain-short-novella-Under-ebook/dp/B01J74G9I6/">four novellas</a> in the <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07NGJSFQ4/" target="_blank">Under the Mountain</a></i> series, her debut novel, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Akrads-Children-Legacy-Book-ebook/dp/B075BK8436/">Akrad's Children</a> and <a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Ruhannas-Flight-stories-Jeanette-OHagan-ebook/dp/B079VVQHL3/r">Ruhanna's Flight and other stories</a>.<br />
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Her latest release is <i>Shadow Crystals</i>, the penultimate novella in the <i>Under the Mountain </i>series with <i>Caverns of the Deep</i> due in April/May.<br />
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Jeanette has practised medicine, studied communication, history, theology and a Master of Arts (Writing). She loves reading, painting, travel, catching up for coffee with friends, pondering the meaning of life. She lives in Brisbane with her husband and children.<br />
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<br />
Find her on:<br />
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<br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/JeanetteOHaganAuthorAndSpeaker">Facebook</a> |<a href="http://jeanetteohagan.com/">Jeanette O'Hagan Writes</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/JeanetteOHagan">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bythelightof2moons/">Instagram</a> | <a href="https://www.pinterest.com.au/jeanetteoh/">Pinterest</a>Jeanette O'Haganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11057798704247611224noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4620199782689299940.post-22671790752324598372019-02-18T01:00:00.000-08:002019-02-18T01:00:06.231-08:00International Christian Fiction - New Releases | February 2019 <br />
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<h3>
Raindrops on Radishes: A Christian Romance (Urban Farm Fresh Romance Book 6) by Valerie Comer</h3>
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</b> <b>She pictures a relaxing oasis. He sees food for the less fortunate. They both claim the same backyard.</b><br />
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Family lawyer Sadie Guthrie snaps up a heritage house with a backyard perfect for her dreams of a relaxing oasis. Now some guy is digging in her garden and thinks he has a claim to it. Too bad he doesn’t realize he’s taken on an attorney in her den.<br />
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Urban farmer Peter Santoro counts on the yard next door for his veggie-growing business. When the old woman dies and the property is sold, the new owner refuses to honor the previous agreement. Peter is soon torn between his need for income and an attraction to the hard-hitting, curvy lawyer, but is his interest for all the wrong reasons?<br />
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What’s a guy to do when his arch enemy invites him to be her plus-one at a fundraiser for his favorite charity?<br />
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Available at <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Raindrops-Radishes-Christian-Romance-Urban-ebook/dp/B07LDL3ZM7/">Amazon.com</a><br />
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<h3>
One Thing I Know by Kara Isaac</h3>
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<b>She has the whole world fooled. But the one man who just may see through her holds not only the key to her success, but also her heart…</b><br />
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Rachel Somers is America’s #1 relationship coach—America just doesn’t know it. Rachel writes the books, but her Aunt Donna plays the face of the operation. Living in fear of their secret being exposed, Rachel has no choice but to keep up the charade or lose the big money required to care for her father. With the deadline for their next book closing in, Rachel finds herself out of inspiration and running out of time. The last thing she needs is her aunt and publicist concocting a harebrained scheme to join forces with some radio star in the hope it will help deliver the elusive next book idea.<br />
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Lucas Grant is a star of late night radio—though it’s come with an unexpected price of hoards of women who keep calling his sports show to ask him for relationship advice. They make his ratings look great, but they also mean he has to waste hours talking to people like Dr. Donna Somerville about feelings instead of his first love: football. When a big-time producer calls, it looks like his hard work is about to pay off. But the offer comes with a catch—the producer is convinced Dr. Donna is not what she seems and he wants Lucas to discover her secret. To do that, he needs to win over her tight-lipped assistant who holds the key to his success and—he begins to suspect—his heart. Can love find a way through the lies that force them apart?<br />
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Available at <a href="https://www.amazon.com/One-Thing-I-Know-Novel-ebook/dp/B07GNW411C/">Amazon.com</a><br />
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<h3>
Castle on the Rise by Kristy Cambron</h3>
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<b>A storied castle. A band of rebels.</b><br />
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</b> <b>A nation chasing a centuries-old dream of freedom.</b><br />
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</b> <b>And three women who rise above it all . . .</b><br />
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When Laine Forrester travels overseas to attend her best friend’s vineyard wedding, she expects to find the bride on the brink of a fairy-tale life. But after a series of unforeseen setbacks, it seems the storybook lives they’d imagined are suddenly ripping apart.<br />
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With hopes of resurrecting a happy ending, Laine agrees to accompany the newlyweds to the groom’s home in Ireland—never expecting she’d be the one drawn in by its wide-open moors, backroads bordering the Irish Sea, and a mysterious castle that dares to keep its secrets hidden.<br />
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From the storied streets of Dublin to the shores of the Emerald Isle, Laine is drawn in to the land and its rich history. The castle ruins whisper stories of Issy—a photojournalist battling through the 1916 Easter Rising, and Maeve—the castle’s lady of legend, fighting for survival through the 1798 rebellion that started it all.<br />
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Spanning more than two centuries, Castle on the Rise unites the legacy of three women who must risk mending the broken places within for life, love, and the belief that even through the depths of our pain, a masterpiece of a story can emerge.<br />
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Available at <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Castle-Rise-Lost-Novel-ebook/dp/B07DTDBM3S/">Amazon.com</a><br />
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<h3>
The Warrior Maiden by Melanie Dickerson</h3>
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<b>She knows women are expected to marry, cook, and have children, not go to war. Can she manage to stay alive, save her mother, and keep the handsome son of a duke from discovering her secret?</b><br />
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When Mulan takes her father’s place in battle against the besieging Teutonic Knights, she realizes she has been preparing for this journey her whole life—and that her life, and her mother’s, depends on her success. As the adopted daughter of poor parents, Mulan has little power in the world. If she can’t prove herself on the battlefield, she could face death—or, perhaps worse, marriage to the village butcher.<br />
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Disguised as a young man, Mulan meets the German duke’s son, Wolfgang, who is determined to save his people even if it means fighting against his own brother. Wolfgang is exasperated by the new soldier who seems to be one step away from disaster at all times—or showing him up in embarrassing ways.<br />
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From rivals to reluctant friends, Mulan and Wolfgang begin to share secrets. But war is an uncertain time and dreams can die as quickly as they are born. When Mulan receives word of danger back home, she must make the ultimate choice. Can she be the son her bitter father never had? Or will she become the strong young woman she was created to be?<br />
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This fresh reimagining of the classic tale takes us to fifteenth-century Lithuania where both love and war challenge the strongest of hearts.<br />
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Available at <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Warrior-Maiden-Melanie-Dickerson-ebook/dp/B07DT7V7GQ/">Amazon.com</a><br />
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<h3>
Between Two Shores by Jocelyn Green</h3>
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The daughter of a Mohawk mother and French father in 1759 Montreal, Catherine Duval finds it is easier to remain neutral in a world that is tearing itself apart. Content to trade with both the French and the British, Catherine is pulled into the fray against her wishes when her British ex-<br />
fiance, Samuel Crane, is taken prisoner by her father. Samuel asks her to help him escape, claiming he has information that could help end the war. <br />
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Peace appeals to Catherine, but helping the man who broke her heart does not. She delays . . . until attempts on Samuel's life convince her he's in mortal danger. Against her better judgment she helps him flee by river, using knowledge of the landscape to creep ever closer to freedom. Their time together rekindles feelings she thought long buried, and danger seems to hound their every mile. She's risked becoming a traitor by choosing a side, but will the decision cost her even more than she anticipated?<br />
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Available at <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Between-Two-Shores-Jocelyn-Green-ebook/dp/B07F3DMJKN/">Amazon.com</a><br />
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<h3>
The Secrets of Paper and Ink by Lindsay Harrel</h3>
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<b>Brought together by a charming bookstore in England, three women fight to defy expectations, dream new dreams, and welcome love into their lives. </b><br />
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As a counselor, Sophia Barrett is trained to help people cope with their burdens. But when she meets a new patient whose troubles mirror her own, she realizes she hasn’t dealt with the pain of her recent past. After making a snap decision to get away for the summer, Sophia moves overseas to an apartment above a charming bookstore in Cornwall, England. She is hopeful she will find peace there surrounded by her favorite thing: great literature. <br />
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Bookstore owner Ginny Rose is desperate to save her business without asking for help from a husband who’s decided to take a break from their marriage. Ginny never imagined she’d be solely responsible for keeping afloat her husband’s dream, but the unexpected friendship with her new renter has her feeling more optimistic. Between the two of them—and Ginny’s brother-in-law, William—the bookstore might stand a chance. <br />
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Then Sophia finds a notebook in the bookstore that contains journal entries from Emily Fairfax, a governess who lived in Cornwall more than 150 years ago. Sophia learns that Emily harbored a secret passion for becoming an authoress—as well as a deep love for her childhood friend, Edward, whose station she dared not dream to touch. <br />
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Eager to know more of Emily’s story, Sophia goes on a quest—dragging Ginny and William with her—to discover the heart of the woman behind the beautiful entries. Soon Ginny’s need to save the bookstore becomes more than a way to save her marriage, and Sophia finds new purpose of her own. Together they find that sometimes both heartache and hope can reach across the centuries.<br />
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Available at <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Paper-Ink-Lindsay-Harrel-ebook/dp/B07DT4M98L/">Amazon.com</a><br />
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<h3>
A Return of Devotion by Kristi Ann Hunter</h3>
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Daphne Blakemoor was perfectly happy living in her own secluded world for twelve years. She had everything she needed--loved ones, a true home, and time to indulge her imagination. But when ownership of the estate where she works as a housekeeper passes on, and the new marquis has an undeniable connection to her past, everything she's come to rely upon is threatened.<br />
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William, Marquis of Chemsford's main goal in life is to be the exact opposite of his father. Starting a new life in the peace and quiet of the country sounds perfect until his housekeeper turns his life upside down. <br />
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They've spent their lives hiding from the past. Can they find the courage to face their deepest wounds and, perhaps, find a new path for the future together?<br />
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Available at <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Return-Devotion-Haven-Manor-Book-ebook/dp/B07FH7KJQP/">Amazon.com</a><br />
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<h3>
The Seamstress by Allison Pittman</h3>
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A beautifully crafted story breathes life into the cameo character from the classic novel A Tale of Two Cities.<br />
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France, 1788<br />
<i>It is the best of times . . .</i><br />
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On a tranquil farm nestled in the French countryside, two orphaned cousins—Renée and Laurette—have been raised under the caring guardianship of young Émile Gagnon, the last of a once-prosperous family. No longer starving girls, Laurette and Renée now spend days tending Gagnon's sheep, and nights in their cozy loft, whispering secrets and dreams in this time of waning innocence and peace.<br />
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<i>It is the worst of times . . .</i><br />
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Paris groans with a restlessness that can no longer be contained within its city streets. Hunger and hatred fuel her people. Violence seeps into the ornate halls of Versailles. Even Gagnon’s table in the quiet village of Mouton Blanc bears witness to the rumbles of rebellion, where Marcel Moreau embodies its voice and heart.<br />
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<i>It is the story that has never been told.</i><br />
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In one night, the best and worst of fate collide. A chance encounter with a fashionable woman will bring Renée’s sewing skills to light and secure a place in the court of Queen Marie Antoinette. An act of reckless passion will throw Laurette into the arms of the increasingly militant Marcel. And Gagnon, steadfast in his faith in God and country, can only watch as those he loves march straight into the heart of the revolution.<br />
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Available at <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Seamstress-Allison-Pittman-ebook/dp/B07F93RQW4/">Amazon.com</a><br />
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<h3>
The Sky Above Us by Sarah Sundin</h3>
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Numbed by grief and harboring shameful secrets, Lt. Adler Paxton ships to England with the US 357th Fighter Group in 1943. Determined to become an ace pilot, Adler battles the German Luftwaffe in treacherous dogfights in the skies over France as the Allies struggle for control of the air before the D-day invasion.<br />
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Violet Lindstrom wanted to be a missionary, but for now she serves in the American Red Cross, where she arranges entertainment for the men of the 357th in the Aeroclub on base and sets up programs for local children. Drawn to the mysterious Adler, she enlists his help with her work and urges him to reconnect with his family after a long estrangement.<br />
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Despite himself, Adler finds his defenses crumbling when it comes to Violet. But D-day draws near. And secrets can't stay buried forever.<br />
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Bestselling author Sarah Sundin returns readers to the shores of Normandy, this time in the air, as the second Paxton brother prepares to face the past--and the most fearsome battle of his life.<br />
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Available at <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sky-Above-Sunrise-Normandy-Book-ebook/dp/B07F39CJ33/">Amazon.com</a><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4620199782689299940.post-70204331476905480642019-02-15T01:00:00.000-08:002019-02-15T01:00:12.643-08:00Devotion: Not Just Another Love Story<h3>
by Sherma Webbe Clarke | @sdwc8181 </h3>
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<i>And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13 (NIV) </i><br />
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I received three red dresses this past Christmas in a variety of shades and styles. Is red my favorite color? No. Did I thank the giver sincerely each time I opened a box and pulled out another red dress? Yes. Will I try to wear each dress in appreciation of his gifts? Yes.<br />
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Starting on Valentine’s Day.<br />
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After all of the red that surrounds the Christmas season, I need a break. Time to settle back into my usual colors and clothes. But as Valentine’s Day approaches, I begin to think about red again. And love. I open my Bible and mine for stories of love.<br />
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<h3>
1. John 3:16 </h3>
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One of the first verses I learned as a child was John 3:16: For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. This verse acts as a synopsis of what I know about God, from creation to end-time events. This verse contains hope, a promise, and a future. The plan of salvation is the ultimate gift to a fallen race of people from a loving Father. During a visit to Jerusalem, I walked in the footsteps of Jesus when he cloaked himself in humanity. What caused the Lamb of God to leave the throne room of heaven to live a life of poverty in a sin-sick world? Love.<br />
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<h3>
2. 1 Corinthians 13 </h3>
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When I was a young adult (oh, so long ago!), it was almost expected to include a reading of 1 Corinthians 13 at weddings. The Love Chapter. The happy couple would look into each other’s eyes as the characteristics of love were declared. My husband once gave me a small pamphlet that contained this passage of scripture in an abundance of versions. Each version held a different tone, from Old English language to colloquial, but the message remained the same. Love never fails. Now as an older adult, I understand that the theme of this chapter transcends romantic or marital love. The love of God should flow through us and drench every area of our lives. In our ministry positions, demonstrate a loving spirit. At the workplace, be kind. When faced with an obstacle, exercise wisdom. God’s love is the answer to the complexities and is the source of joys in our lives.<br />
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<h3>
3. Luke 15:3-32 </h3>
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Jesus, the Master Storyteller, talked about God’s love in short stories called parables. The Bible says ‘parable’; these days we might say ‘flash fiction’. Of the three parables in Luke 15, the relationship between the wandering son and hopeful father is the most poignant to me. The imagery in this story is compelling and vivid. I imagine a stubborn boy walking away from his heartbroken father. I picture the split screen of an empty, self-indulgent lifestyle versus the stability of home. And when the repentant young man finally returns home, he experiences quick forgiveness and is restored to his former position. Our patient, long-suffering Father waits for us to come to our senses and turn or return to Him. And when we do, He wraps us in His righteousness and calls us His own.<br />
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<h3>
4. Psalm 23 </h3>
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Because the word love does not appear in the twenty-third Psalm, the chapter is an effective example of showing, not telling. David set his words to music and many of us have the lyrics committed to memory. He depicts God as a shepherd, a leader, a comforter, a protector, and a provider.<br />
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While occasions like Valentine’s Day put the focus on temporary gifts such as flowers, chocolates, and romantic dinners, the love language of the Bible appeals to us on a deeper level. Not just for a day or a season, but eternity.<br />
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<h3>
About Sherma . . . </h3>
Sherma Webbe Clarke is a contemporary fiction writer and a 2017 ACFW First Impressions Finalist. Her inspirational writing has been included in Christian devotional books: Grace Notes and Blessed. She loves to take her husband by the hand to explore nearby and far-flung areas of the globe. This wanderlust has its perks. She credits many of her story ideas to these adventures. Quiet, early-morning walks along the railroad trails on her home island of Bermuda provide inspiration when she is homebound.<br />
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Sherma Webbe Clarkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04916213941827469060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4620199782689299940.post-32965607550691812842019-02-14T00:30:00.000-08:002019-02-14T00:30:01.545-08:00Love for All Time<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaH-t186SNKddlcHQ-8J5weF2omuSzD69-YZiL21aaUMf0WJ-1-tDVDFXuRsapHLm5qbvzp8BMHtfocztomP9te8CApeGC0udb1zJi7QfDfYC0RgZfXna217mS-rpmFbompsXO7nOQbns/s1600/Writing+Life+val.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaH-t186SNKddlcHQ-8J5weF2omuSzD69-YZiL21aaUMf0WJ-1-tDVDFXuRsapHLm5qbvzp8BMHtfocztomP9te8CApeGC0udb1zJi7QfDfYC0RgZfXna217mS-rpmFbompsXO7nOQbns/s320/Writing+Life+val.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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posted by Donna Fletcher Crow @donnafletchercr</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg342CO51-72zO2yjpWXsh6zr4sSrcS7eGFzTX8eg3EpBWPn4um4pxanQPHRCm9lbkFVTnnLyOWnWaTxvPS0MMzfEznBgn5xtG-bWcEZ-ehtd36GwEmEV0FTpwtIfIiZeQN6gghQUySdG4/s1600/download.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="254" data-original-width="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg342CO51-72zO2yjpWXsh6zr4sSrcS7eGFzTX8eg3EpBWPn4um4pxanQPHRCm9lbkFVTnnLyOWnWaTxvPS0MMzfEznBgn5xtG-bWcEZ-ehtd36GwEmEV0FTpwtIfIiZeQN6gghQUySdG4/s1600/download.jpg" /></a></div>
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What a lovely thing Valentine’s Day is—a whole day set aside
especially for sharing love, remembering those we love in special ways, and
celebrating love. But of course, just one day isn’t nearly enough to share our
love and appreciation for friends, family and all the people in our lives who
mean so much to us.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Sharing love every day is one of my goals as a writer. That’s
why I find that whether I’m writing mystery, romance, or history, my stories
all have an element of love in them. No matter what the story is, it’s about people—and
what could possibly be more important to people in any circumstance than love—both
human and divine?<o:p></o:p></div>
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That’s why, of the 50-some books I’ve written, my Where There
is Love series is still one of my very favorites. These are true stories of
faith and love, recounting the early, formative years in the lives of men and
women who went on to shape the religious life of 18<sup>th</sup> and 19<sup>th</sup>
century England.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG8RhAaBfOnXqD0j1rtuD5nPTTxyP0q0GuY8x4MTnHYK9JcXDAbfJv-zZU_oR_PWhETotJnD5lxcDTGdhS81RdyN3Mk6KDMU5npixPSAa9bcGq5O4eo4MmgYg6wdiaU_DG5VxVBlkZGEk/s1600/01BeginsFACNook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1159" data-original-width="750" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG8RhAaBfOnXqD0j1rtuD5nPTTxyP0q0GuY8x4MTnHYK9JcXDAbfJv-zZU_oR_PWhETotJnD5lxcDTGdhS81RdyN3Mk6KDMU5npixPSAa9bcGq5O4eo4MmgYg6wdiaU_DG5VxVBlkZGEk/s200/01BeginsFACNook.jpg" width="129" /></a></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Where-Love-Begins-There-Book-ebook/dp/B01BPR2HR0/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1455409071&sr=1-1&linkCode=as2&tag=themonamurd-20">Where
Love Begins</a></i><br />
Can Catherine Perronet find happiness when her beloved Charles Wesley marries
another? <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxHTBvT8H1pCKVEvmzvib7KCE2km0RYMEkBozgmnZRcFQtHdcHDpsREC0bzQD6flS05bdhTdnPGF4bYl3F1WP5uqzbEhn34tdRDl9XyO0U4rFdPbjczuohHDh9ztDlZig7vZdPweiO-d8/s1600/02IlluminesFACNook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1159" data-original-width="750" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxHTBvT8H1pCKVEvmzvib7KCE2km0RYMEkBozgmnZRcFQtHdcHDpsREC0bzQD6flS05bdhTdnPGF4bYl3F1WP5uqzbEhn34tdRDl9XyO0U4rFdPbjczuohHDh9ztDlZig7vZdPweiO-d8/s200/02IlluminesFACNook.jpg" width="129" /></a></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01FJ61GHA/ref=series_rw_dp_sw">Where
Love Illumines</a></i><br />
Mary Tudway must choose: a life of pleasure amidst London's high society or a
life of faith and service with the devout Rowland Hill? <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvGZBRtv7tcRV0QQntJWd9d4OTTGOCG987qt_lMkSPquD3C3jdzlpd2ffkGZ5YRaIEr_6SM8NEmoFw-D4GUZd8VX4oUUXvOVUjnSRBQuzHu0hG5dwFR8Z0itRakqOjje0fSJaj8rZFwCk/s1600/03TriumphsFACNook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1159" data-original-width="750" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvGZBRtv7tcRV0QQntJWd9d4OTTGOCG987qt_lMkSPquD3C3jdzlpd2ffkGZ5YRaIEr_6SM8NEmoFw-D4GUZd8VX4oUUXvOVUjnSRBQuzHu0hG5dwFR8Z0itRakqOjje0fSJaj8rZFwCk/s200/03TriumphsFACNook.jpg" width="129" /></a></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07NHCHLG8/ref=series_rw_dp_sw">Where
Love Triumphs</a></i><br />
Charming, brilliant and lame, Sir Brandley Hilliard believes he can do very
well without love of any kind in his life—until he meets the captivating Elinor
Silbert and King’s College Fellow, Charles Simeon.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSTMtQz3tkb847cPonNLYrXlwM3WfOyzkCi52WP5dHUoFnUD2i1P71LxrmOuNM79k-B2xCgzSoMuRLrKrSLmSDEY_0LVJfM_Q35nrmdKFMSN7TcsbUf02a-NqiiLAKNQB26tg47acKzlE/s1600/04RestoresFACNook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1159" data-original-width="750" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSTMtQz3tkb847cPonNLYrXlwM3WfOyzkCi52WP5dHUoFnUD2i1P71LxrmOuNM79k-B2xCgzSoMuRLrKrSLmSDEY_0LVJfM_Q35nrmdKFMSN7TcsbUf02a-NqiiLAKNQB26tg47acKzlE/s200/04RestoresFACNook.jpg" width="129" /></a></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01I24TRPY/ref=series_rw_dp_sw">Where
Love Restores</a></i><br />
Granville Ryder's harsh up-bringing means he must struggle to find his place in
his illustrious family, in God's work, and in Georgiana's heart.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz3pAjEHmwM_sLkNH7ttc_pe-7cYNIi0do6fgNYMpNr2DmG9rGFEJgFFI-tyEnZZ8ARh-o2ctJdyvid3rNdL9LTrRL1gFAMmZ1rsy-RA5xsiXTyfFcHNY3nnvK18OrznZcn-Nbr-54SQY/s1600/05ShinesFACNook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1159" data-original-width="750" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz3pAjEHmwM_sLkNH7ttc_pe-7cYNIi0do6fgNYMpNr2DmG9rGFEJgFFI-tyEnZZ8ARh-o2ctJdyvid3rNdL9LTrRL1gFAMmZ1rsy-RA5xsiXTyfFcHNY3nnvK18OrznZcn-Nbr-54SQY/s200/05ShinesFACNook.jpg" width="129" /></a></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01KW4ZB1Q/ref=series_rw_dp_sw">Where
Love Shines</a></i><br />
In Scutari, the charge of the Light Brigade leaves Lt. Richard Grayson blinded
and Jennifer Neville, one of Florence Nightengale's nurses, devastated—a darkness
from which they must grope their way to the light.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtb8nWJBgFVqhrM4F91vxqPd9mJ8NB12dvgJMeGOUUOFie8DmbrnqG00wJPPXa5gfUWaWIIVyfxrCBifABu4EJv8_Si82PgBjioxShOagRj8OSpiYmDULwMFJpGY6K_t4Dbi_DvprZ7KU/s1600/06CallsFACNook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1159" data-original-width="750" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtb8nWJBgFVqhrM4F91vxqPd9mJ8NB12dvgJMeGOUUOFie8DmbrnqG00wJPPXa5gfUWaWIIVyfxrCBifABu4EJv8_Si82PgBjioxShOagRj8OSpiYmDULwMFJpGY6K_t4Dbi_DvprZ7KU/s200/06CallsFACNook.jpg" width="129" /></a></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N3VZSNG/ref=series_rw_dp_sw">Where
Love Calls</a></i><br />
Kynaston Studd is on fire to carry the love of God to the ends of the earth,
but God seems to be calling his friends there instead; and Hilda is horrified
to find herself falling in love with the man she had intended for her sister.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Times and circumstances change, but love abides.<o:p></o:p></div>
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May you have a beautiful Valentine’s Day sharing love with
all around you.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://www.donnafletchercrow.com/">https://www.donnafletchercrow.com/</a><div class="MsoNormal">
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<br />Donna Fletcher Crowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03986333915483142722noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4620199782689299940.post-82670485072862074572019-02-13T01:00:00.000-08:002019-02-13T01:00:00.272-08:00Wandering Wednesday | Researching The Songbird and the Spy<h3>
by J’nell Ciesielski</h3>
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<br />
You know it when you read it. That certain something that you can’t quite put your finger on, but there it is, sparkling off the page to dazzle you into another realm. A whisk across a sun swept beach, a medieval castle filled with crumbling stone, or bouncing along the front lines in the back of an ambulance. You close the book and realize with a start that you’ve been sitting on your couch in sweat pants the whole time.<br />
<br />
<h4>
That, my friends, is research done right.</h4>
<br />
Research is my absolute favorite part of the writing process. I love reading all the details I can and finding ways to incorporate them into a story. For The Songbird and the Spy I stepped back in time when fear ran rampant under Nazi terror and ordinary (and not so ordinary) people fought back.<br />
<br />
France was a natural choice because it was central to much of the fighting and occupation, and having lived in Europe for several years I was fairly familiar with the land and cityscapes. I’ve walked the cobblestone streets of tiny villages and seen the remnants of bullet holes in the garden walls. I’ve smelled Paris in the springtime while walking along the Seine, and strolled across Trafalgar Square with the big lions.<br />
<br />
My American ideals of convenience have been stopped short when shops close down for people to enjoy long lunches at the local café. Taking all of these experiences with a dash of imagination thrown in, I was able to create the most realistic world I could for Claire and Michael to inhabit.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz3q5Je0NtdfO1vPn-Zlx3Apy1Oq4qvOpO3_iWW9PaRjSdg89enQhVj3hwtzllablk2c9ZXSZphZ17M2XOiSp1prgptGuNMVnC-aHcSYN4pRUTp0KJra271FsH5OHYExE-envY6ovzudWK/s1600/JnellC1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz3q5Je0NtdfO1vPn-Zlx3Apy1Oq4qvOpO3_iWW9PaRjSdg89enQhVj3hwtzllablk2c9ZXSZphZ17M2XOiSp1prgptGuNMVnC-aHcSYN4pRUTp0KJra271FsH5OHYExE-envY6ovzudWK/s320/JnellC1.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-size: medium; text-align: center;">
(I love Paris in the springtime)</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<h4>
Remember I mentioned living in Europe? </h4>
<br />
I was stationed in Germany while a member of the Air Force. The military is a world in and of itself with its own language, dress, and code of behavior. Having left the service only months prior to writing Songbird, the lessons of four years were still heavily ingrained in me and were put to good use in Captain Michael Reichner, epitome of the dutiful soldier.<br />
<br />
I’ve worn a service jacket with a hidden clasp rubbing against my neck while standing in open ranks. I’ve low crawled through mud under barbed wire, and stayed up late polishing boots to a high shine. And who but a fellow military member understands the significance of using baking soda to rub sweat stains from the inner rim of a cap (or in military speak a cover)?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5UDyxdHxTbt4vp3_HJwOvWq-YS-dttrQ9OeQpaC1wn-l5_w-bC66J4OjjiPFqraEk79VZWT1aqiRKvZdy8gi5VQyAbIPB4TXaiQhFv21f5SUqoYS6RI-EWDHJKjMZi5ZftgH9H_NZnXBC/s1600/JnellC2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1217" data-original-width="1012" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5UDyxdHxTbt4vp3_HJwOvWq-YS-dttrQ9OeQpaC1wn-l5_w-bC66J4OjjiPFqraEk79VZWT1aqiRKvZdy8gi5VQyAbIPB4TXaiQhFv21f5SUqoYS6RI-EWDHJKjMZi5ZftgH9H_NZnXBC/s320/JnellC2.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
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(Yep, that’s me)</div>
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Now, before you think I’m only here to brag about my own experiences, know that I would be desolate without books, online articles, and movies. Movies offer a visual consumption of the times gone by and allows for a writer to see all the details of clothing, hairstyles, living conditions, etc.<br />
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<h4>
It’s a total immersion that I do my utmost to relay to readers. </h4>
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When it comes to books and articles I try to read everything I can get my hands on. Firsthand accounts, battle plans, ration card descriptions, musical preferences, and even the weather patterns for that year.<br />
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These are what give insight to characters. Who they are at their core because of what is going on around them. It was terrifying to step inside the head of a Nazi like Ilsa, but as a writer I had to understand why she thought the way she did so that my hero and heroine would understand why it was so important to defeat her, and by her the ideology of the Nazis.<br />
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(Site of the book burnings in Berlin)</div>
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<br />No detail is too small because those are what make a story and the characters who inhabit it come alive. Is it difficult to read about occupied lands under Nazi rule? Yes. I can’t tell you the number of times my heart broke over what was done to the citizens and any person who stood against the tyranny.<br />
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<h4>
But in the ashes of sorrow rose the spark of hope. </h4>
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One flash of light sprang to ignite another, and then another until the fire of resistance set the world aflame and good triumphed. That is the essence of what I hoped to capture.<br />
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If I can but relate any of these details, even if I’m the only one who notices them, then I consider the story a success. Hopefully, readers will learn something they didn’t know before while wrapped in the delights of fiction.<br />
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<h3>
About J’nell Ciesielski</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGBAD1c2oXypROyfiNSVfIf1Tx5irxKi_6-SvuvTK7nw5TpeSpipPO2-9xHNTBGrI7aHHVSRTPy3FecanJfq1vuxa5adfXEqD-2u8VWnA1urROvNFex4v1nUXKU5T8wOujwGT3BLM5iSZr/s1600/J%2527nell+Ciesielski+official.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="886" data-original-width="501" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGBAD1c2oXypROyfiNSVfIf1Tx5irxKi_6-SvuvTK7nw5TpeSpipPO2-9xHNTBGrI7aHHVSRTPy3FecanJfq1vuxa5adfXEqD-2u8VWnA1urROvNFex4v1nUXKU5T8wOujwGT3BLM5iSZr/s200/J%2527nell+Ciesielski+official.jpg" width="112" /></a></div>
Believing she was born in the wrong era, J’nell Ciesielski spends her days writing heart-stopping heroes, brave heroines, and adventurous exploits in times gone by. Winner of the Romance Through the Ages contest and Maggie Award, J’nell can often be found dreaming of a second home in Scotland, indulging in chocolate of any kind, or watching old black and white movies. Born a Florida girl, she now calls Virginia home, along with her very understanding husband, young daughter, and one lazy beagle.<br />
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You can find J'nell online at:<br />
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<a href="http://www.jnellciesielski.com/" target="_blank">Website </a>| <a href="https://www.facebook.com/jnellciesielski" target="_blank">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17735994.J_nell_Ciesielski" target="_blank">Goodreads </a>| <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/jnellciesielski/" target="_blank">Pinterest </a>| <a href="https://twitter.com/JnellCiesielski" target="_blank">Twitter</a><br />
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<h3>
About The Songbird and the Spy</h3>
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As shells explode over Nazi-occupied France, American music student Claire Baudin is trapped behind enemy lines, struggling to protect her identity. Singing as a barmaid while she plans her escape, a handsome Third Reich captain threatens everything she knows to be true about the enemy.<br />
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Nazi Captain Michael Reiner isn’t who he claims to be. A British language expert turned spy, he discovers the truth about Claire, but he knows the importance of a secret. Struggling to resist his attraction to the songbird, he’s determined to complete his assignment, no matter the cost. His cover is threatened when a ruthless female Gestapo officer arrives hunting Resistance fighters. The raid forces Michael's hand: complete the mission or save Claire.<br />
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As the war threatens to tear them apart, they must rely on each other for survival. Is there hope—and a future—for an American songbird and a British spy?<br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Songbird-Spy-Jnell-Ciesielski/dp/1946016799/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr" target="_blank">You can buy The Songbird and the Spy at Amazon.</a><br />
<br />Iolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17199141868703826943noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4620199782689299940.post-73025910055884382572019-02-08T01:00:00.000-08:002019-02-08T01:00:01.835-08:00Devotion - Doing Things Differently <b>By Karen Rees @icfwriters</b><br />
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Scriptures: Romans 12:2 and Ephesians 5:1-2<br />
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“The past is a foreign country. They do things differently there.” Novelist L. P. Hartley's opening line in “The Go-Between” resonates with me. <br />
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It does so because I'm an author of historical fiction set during the English Reformation. My research has shown me how different life was in 1500s England than in today's Western world. The differences aren't seen only in food, housing, clothes and transportation. The two time periods have totally different worldviews.<br />
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It also resonates because I'm a missionary in Hong Kong. While Chinese make up 93% of the population, the remaining 7% represent a diversity of cultures and religions. Over the last 40+ years I've worked with people from three different nationalities, each with its own worldview, and have had casual contact with others. I don't have to go back to the past to find myself in places where they do things differently. <br />
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These differences even show in how people view holidays.<br />
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As a former British colony, Hong Kong holidays include both Western and Chinese. Christmas decorations, such as those pictured here, appear for a few weeks. But the true meaning of Christmas is lost on most Hong Kong residents. For them, it's nothing more than a day when banks and government offices are closed and schools have a holiday.<br />
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The three day CNY holiday is a different matter. For Chinese residents, it's the most important holiday of the year. The focus is on getting as much good luck in the coming year as possible. So you eat the lucky foods, visit the temple to get your fortune told, put up “god of wealth” posters by your door and avoid cleaning house during the holiday since you don't want to sweep your luck away. Decorations reflecting the worldview of traditional Chinese religion are everywhere.<br />
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Returning to Hartley's opening line. As a Caucasian and US citizen, I'm a foreigner here in Hong Kong and I do things differently than the local Chinese. <br />
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As a follower of Christ, 1 Peter 2:11-12 makes it clear that, regardless of my earthly citizenship, I'm a foreigner and alien wherever I live. I'm to do things differently from the world around me. <br />
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I'm not the center of my universe. God is. Everything I have comes from Him (1 Cor. 4:7) and I'm created to serve Him (Eph. 2:10). Everything I do should bring Him glory. (1 Cor 10:31) <br />
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I'm to treat everyone, friend and enemy alike, as God would treat them. (Matt 5:43-48) I'm to listen before speaking (James 1:19-20) and quit complaining and arguing. (Phil 2:14) I'm to share with those in need. (Romans 12:13) Matthew 22:37-39 best sums up this different worldview. <br />
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Here's my question. Am I truly doing things differently from the world? <br />
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God has the answer. Whatever it is, his answer will always come with love.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4620199782689299940.post-37306817483040552372019-01-25T01:00:00.000-08:002019-01-25T01:00:10.583-08:00DEVOTIONS: All for HimBy Leila Halawe | <a href="https://twitter.com/lhalawe" target="_blank">@LHalawe</a><br />
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'<em>For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him</em>.' Colossians 1:16(ESV)<br />
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As I read this scripture the other day, I was struck by the last part of that verse, '<em>all things were created through him and for him</em>.'<br />
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<strong>ALL THINGS.</strong><br />
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<strong>THROUGH HIM.</strong><br />
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<strong>FOR HIM.</strong><br />
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It was a good reminder that it's about Him, not me. And to be honest, it was a timely and necessary reminder for me. With Christmas and New Year just past, it is easy for us to forget that it is not about us. Life can so easily take over and we get caught up everything that comes along with it; relationships, work, social expectations and pressures, health and wealth all strive for top spot in our lives and we start to lose sight of Him.<br />
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I don't know about you but for me, I found that in the madness of Christmas and New Year (and my birthday) I put <em>myself</em> first. It was all about me. I put Him second to the pressures and expectations of this life when really, He should be front and centre at all times. Because all things were created through Him and for Him.<br />
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All things, including us. <i>Especially us</i>.<br />
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This verse is a reminder that we were created by Him and for Him. God created us and we are His Masterpiece, here to use <strong>our</strong> story for <strong>His glory</strong>. It's not about us, or our relationships or ministries or careers. Not that any of these are bad things in and of themselves because they are not, they are wonderful things, but they are not the end goal. Being more like Jesus and pointing as many people to Jesus as possible is the end goal. Helping people encounter their Creator and Saviour is the end goal. For us to do that, we need to keep Him in the centre of everything. We need to keep our eyes fixed on Him and offer ourselves to Him to use for His glory.<br />
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When we keep Him as the focus and remember that it's not about us, we can experience a new type of freedom. One that allows us to step out from under the expectations that society puts on us. When we live for Him and make everything about Him, everything shifts; our hearts and minds and emotions all shift and start to move in unison towards Him. We fix our vision on Him, not others, and we start to walk in the direction He has set out for us. Our actions shift and we start to walk more intentionally in <em>HIS</em> <em>Ways</em> and in <em>His</em> <em>LOVE</em>. We start walking in freedom knowing that we are loved and held close by our Father.<br />
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A life walking in the ways of Jesus can be difficult at times. At times, it's downright crushing but it's worth it. It's worth it because being loved by the Father is better than anything this world could offer. Knowing that we are loved with an everlasting love is worth the sacrifice. When we make it about Him, we can rest knowing that we are securely in our Father's arms being made more like Jesus. And there is no better place to be in than that.<br />
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">Lays Halawe is a Sydney based coffee loving nonfiction writer
and blogger. She has published a short devotional, </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Love-Devotion-Finding-Comfort-Through-ebook/dp/B010607E6Q" target="_blank"><span style="background: white; color: #06523e; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">Love By Devotion</span></a><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">, and shares her views on life and faith via
her blog page </span><a href="http://www.misslays.com/" target="_blank"><span style="background: white; color: #06523e; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">Looking In</span></a><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"> . You can connect with her online at: </span></div>
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<a href="https://misslays.com/" target="_blank"><span style="background: white; color: #2f4b26; font-family: "montserrat" , serif; line-height: 107%;">Website</span></a><span style="background: white; color: #575757; font-family: "montserrat" , serif; line-height: 107%;"> | </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/misslays/" target="_blank"><span style="background: white; color: #2f4b26; font-family: "montserrat" , serif; line-height: 107%;">Facebook </span></a><span style="background: white; color: #575757; font-family: "montserrat" , serif; line-height: 107%;">| </span><a href="https://twitter.com/LHalawe" target="_blank"><span style="background: white; color: #2f4b26; font-family: "montserrat" , serif; line-height: 107%;">Twitter</span></a><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Leila Halawehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00727515198209745876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4620199782689299940.post-8915339838011238352019-01-21T01:00:00.000-08:002019-01-21T01:00:08.944-08:00International Christian Fiction - New Releases | January 2019<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzJKjDxckLpMBoDZWtBrK6kcuZUeoVg3sRiAndoDsytdlj32PZKJfwR8G3nqMT_vK8su43XfcbsHcqCNnPeYVB304YWyUovUzkABkiWR1aV0oNNoGFVSBy0VPPVVt8jpN9WWSu08Ed5qY/s1600/A_Bound_Heart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="324" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzJKjDxckLpMBoDZWtBrK6kcuZUeoVg3sRiAndoDsytdlj32PZKJfwR8G3nqMT_vK8su43XfcbsHcqCNnPeYVB304YWyUovUzkABkiWR1aV0oNNoGFVSBy0VPPVVt8jpN9WWSu08Ed5qY/s200/A_Bound_Heart.jpg" width="129" /></a></div>
<h3>
A Bound Heart by Laura Frantz</h3>
<br />
Though Magnus MacLeish and Lark MacDougall grew up on the same castle grounds, Magnus is now laird of the great house and the Isle of Kerrera. Lark is but the keeper of his bees and the woman he is hoping will provide a tincture that might help his ailing wife conceive and bear him an heir. But when his wife dies suddenly, Magnus and Lark find themselves caught up in a whirlwind of accusations, expelled from their beloved island, and sold as indentured servants across the Atlantic. Yet even when all hope seems dashed against the rocky coastline of the Virginia colony, it may be that in this New World the two of them could make a new beginning--together.<br />
<br />
Laura Frantz's prose sparkles with authenticity and deep feeling as she digs into her own family history to share this breathless tale of love, exile, and courage in Colonial America.<br />
<br />
Available at <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bound-Heart-Laura-Frantz-ebook/dp/B07F3F84VG/">Amazon.com</a><br />
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<h3>
In the Shadow of Croft Towers by Abigail Wilson</h3>
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<b>Croft Towers holds more than its share of secrets . . . and Sybil is determined to uncover them all.</b><br />
<br />
When Sybil Delafield’s coach to Croft Towers was robbed by highwaymen, she should have realized that her new position as companion to old Mrs. Chalcroft would be no ordinary job. Upon Sybil’s arrival, Mrs. Chalcroft sneaks into her room in the dark of night, imploring her to relay messages to town that are to stay hidden from the rest of the family. Who exactly is she working for and what do the messages contain?<br />
<br />
When fellow passengers of the robbed coach are later murdered, Sybil’s hunt for the truth takes on a new urgency. The only person she can rely on is Mr. Sinclair, Mrs. Chalcroft’s godson, but under all his charms he too leads a double life. Sybil must decide if he is the one honest voice she can trust, or if he is simply using her for his own advances.<br />
<br />
With murderers, smugglers, and spies on the loose, nothing—and no one—in Regency England is what they claim. Can Sybil even trust what she knows about herself? <br />
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Available at <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Croft-Towers-Abigail-Wilson-ebook/dp/B07BB55QSB/">Amazon.com</a><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4620199782689299940.post-23160935521465297422019-01-16T04:00:00.000-08:002019-01-16T04:00:00.685-08:00A Midsummer Day’s Dream<br />
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Donna Fletcher Crow @DonnaFletcherCr</div>
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I first heard of the Ashland [Oregon] Shakespeare Festival
in the mid-1960s when some of my fellow drama students at the college I was
attending in Idaho spent the summer as interns at the festival. I recall that
one budding actor spent his entire summer carrying a banner on and off stage in
one of the historical plays. Even attending the festival seemed like an
adventure beyond dreams.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We fulfilled that dream four or five years later, when my
husband and I returned to the west after graduate school (for him) and teaching
(for me) in New England. We managed time to make the pilgrimage to Ashland and were
totally captivated by this small town nestled in the foothills of the Siskiyou
Mountains that was completely given over to Shakespeare and all things
Elizabethan.<o:p></o:p></div>
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For many years thereafter a summer trek to the Shakespeare
festival was a yearly event. For a few years we hired babysitters so we could
take our growing family (eventually 4 children) with us and still attend all the
plays on offer. When the children were old enough, we took them to the plays,
too. Early education that has led to lifetime appreciation for all of them.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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In those days it was “Stay 4 days, see 5 plays.” Even that
left one’s head whirling. Today the schedule offers ten plays, with often 3 or more on the boards every day.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The classic outdoor Elizabethan stage began life in 1893 as
a Chautauqua Arena and its ivy-covered walls still surround the theatre. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Beautiful Lithia Park is behind the theatre and spreads for
miles along a babbling stream into the mountains.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The festival also has the state-of-the-art Angus Bowmer
Theatre, named for the energetic young drama teacher at Southern Oregon Normal
School (now Southern Oregon University) who founded the festival in 1935. There
is also a smaller, more flexible performing space in the Thomas Theatre.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Through the years my husband and I have attended Shakespeare
performances in England, Canada and many venues in the States, but we never
tire of returning to Ashland where the dream is re-ignited every season by
actors, directors, technicians and young interns who may spend the summer
carrying banners.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It was a natural, then, that when I came to write my
Elizabeth and Richard literary suspense series based on my favorite authors
that Shakespeare would be one of my first. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Midsummer-Nightmare-Elizabeth-Literary-Suspense-ebook/dp/B07L13TVY6/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1543865804&sr=1-1&keywords=midsummer+eve%27s+nightmare&linkCode=as2&tag=themonamurd-20">AMidsummer Eve’s Nightmare </a>was first published in in 2010 (although written
in 1992—the history of many novels often wanders, too). It has just been re-released
in an all-new edition. <o:p></o:p></div>
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And so the story goes on. The love of literature and the
dreams it creates never die; they are born anew in each generation and in each
reader.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgctSz0W8LVavaG9msovDkdhaUsXSgyiRsJD1Zw1kZgsYL9Y35gRm8ZNwtBthxD14w85wpk4QTzRx3I3xn4-SgbHXBOnuHNPmWmup5VLPLzoJssf6YndN4GHTMPsFkrgKrBhaXWa42_XI4/s1600/DSCN1456.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1328" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgctSz0W8LVavaG9msovDkdhaUsXSgyiRsJD1Zw1kZgsYL9Y35gRm8ZNwtBthxD14w85wpk4QTzRx3I3xn4-SgbHXBOnuHNPmWmup5VLPLzoJssf6YndN4GHTMPsFkrgKrBhaXWa42_XI4/s320/DSCN1456.JPG" width="265" /></a></div>
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You can see all of Donna Fletcher Crow's books and more photos in her Research Albums on her <a href="https://www.donnafletchercrow.com/index.php">website</a></div>
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<br />Donna Fletcher Crowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03986333915483142722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4620199782689299940.post-39554094103606643742019-01-14T01:00:00.000-08:002019-01-14T01:00:07.074-08:00Monday Milestones <h3>
From Iola Goulton @iolagoulton</h3>
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<h3>
Happy New Year, and welcome to 2019!</h3>
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In Monday Milestones, members of the Beyond the Borders zone of American Christian Fiction Writers share their latest achievements.<br />
<br />
Click here for more information on joining <a href="https://www.acfw.com/" target="_blank">American Christian Fiction Writers</a>. In case you were wondering, Beyond the Borders covers all members outside the USA—there are almost 100 of us, from over a dozen different countries.<br />
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<h2>
Onto our Monday Milestones!</h2>
<h3>
Cover Design Award</h3>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Grace-Shadows-Christine-Dillon-ebook/dp/B07FS54F7C/ref=as_li_ss_il?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1547165628&sr=1-1&keywords=grace+in+the+shadows&linkCode=li3&tag=iolagoulton-20&linkId=4a37695ef5e11cce0917fecaa7f7d7aa" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B07FS54F7C&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=iolagoulton-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=iolagoulton-20&l=li3&o=1&a=B07FS54F7C" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />Grace in the Shadows by Christine Dillon won a gold star for cover design in the <a href="https://www.thebookdesigner.com/2018/10/e-book-cover-design-awards-september-2018/" target="_blank">September e-Book Cover Design Awards from Joel Friedlander</a>. Christine's cover designer is <a href="http://lanksheardesign.com/" target="_blank">Joy Lankshear of Lankshear Design</a>, and it is the second of Joy's covers for Christine to receive the coveted gold star.</div>
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Joel says:<br />
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A gorgeous and perfectly executed cover for this inspirational story. The controlled color palette helps focus attention on the 2 figures, and the graceful tone of the design is emphasized by the careful typography</h4>
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Works in Progress</h3>
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David Rawlings has submitted his second novel, The Camera Never Lies, to his publisher, Thomas Nelson. Here's the quick description:<br />
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A successful marriage counselor, whose own marriage is falling apart is given an old SLR camera. Each time he uses it, it reveals another of his secrets, and he has no idea who is doing it.</h4>
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Awards</h3>
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There aren't any awards to announce this month, but if you're an unpublished writer you'll want to enter the Genesis Award from American Christian Fiction Writers. Entries are open, and close on 15 March 2019. <a href="https://www.acfw.com/genesis" target="_blank">Click here for more information</a>.<br />
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Conferences</h3>
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If you're a Christian writer based in the South Pacific, here are two writing conferences you'll want to check out:</div>
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Omega Writers Conference</h4>
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US Christian literary agent and publisher Steve Laube will be the keynote speaker at the 2019 Omega Writers Conference. As far as I know, Steve is the first US-based agent to visit one of our conferences, and this is a great opportunity for Christian fiction writers to connect with one of the most influential people in the industry.</div>
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The conference will be held in Sydney, New South Wales, from 11 to 13 October 2019.</div>
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To find out more, <a href="http://www.omegawriters.org/" target="_blank">click here to join Omega Writers</a>.<br />
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Romance Writers of New Zealand Conference</h4>
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This isn't a Christian conference, but one of the keynote speakers this year is USA Today bestselling Christian author and publisher, <a href="http://melstorm.com/" target="_blank">Melissa Storm</a> of <a href="https://sweetpromisepress.com/" target="_blank">Sweet Promise Press</a>.<br />
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The conference will be held in Christchurch, New Zealand, from 23 to 25 August 2019.<br />
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To find out more, <a href="https://www.romancewriters.co.nz/event/rwnz-2019-conference/" target="_blank">click here to visit the RWNZ website</a>.<br />
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Congratulations, everyone!</h3>
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That's all for this month! Do you have any writing or publishing achievements to share?</div>
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Iolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17199141868703826943noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4620199782689299940.post-5029924265520634592018-12-28T01:00:00.000-08:002018-12-27T09:13:10.654-08:00Our Redemptive King<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Our Redemptive King</h3>
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The ring had been very important to her. An oval dark blue sapphire surrounded by many little diamonds.She still loved it though it was a painful reminder of her broken past.Shame and Guilt paid visits to her frequently- deterring her from wearing it. And besides, she needed money.</div>
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In her mind, there was no option but to make an uncomfortable visit to the pawnbrokers. The churning of her gut made her feel sick but there was no going back. As she handed over that ring, she knew there was no guarantee she would ever find the money to redeem it.</div>
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With one quick glance, the man with dirty fingernails approved of the small loan. He told her what it would cost to redeem it and the date on which he would put it up for sale. She had a 2 week window.</div>
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Guilt and Shame followed her out the door as she held the paltry sum of money. How could she leave her beautiful ring in the hands of a stranger with dirty fingernails- who cared nothing for the ring, its value and the story behind it? Where was she going to get the money from to redeem it back?</div>
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Maybe this 2018 has not been your best year. Maybe you have traded something of great value for a song- only to never get it back or redeem the situation somehow.</h3>
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However, just maybe, you DID realise the value of that situation and you were able to- with God's help- to redeem it back. It came at a very high price but you were willing to pay whatever it took to redeem it. Something happened in the transaction....</div>
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<b>You saw the true value of what you gave away.</b></h4>
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Isaiah 43 verse 18: Forget the former things; do not dwell in the past. verse 19: See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.</div>
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The comfort of this verse is about forgetting and not dwelling in the past. In verse 19 we see that God is definite about what He is going to do with the future and our messy situations. His language is confident! He is our Redemptive King!!</div>
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He who knows all about us, can do much with our broken hearts and our stupid choices. He can do much with a broken loaf and a few fish.</div>
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In His redemptive power, He can redeem our lives from the pit and crown us with love and compassion- Psalm 103 verse 4</h4>
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Handing over our valuables to a pawnbroker has a way of bringing our true values and beliefs to the fore. Handing over the broken pieces of our lives into the hands of our Redeemer has a far richer and greater return.</div>
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Our Redeeming King has paid the price to the pawnbrokers of our lives.</h4>
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He places no time demands on us or charges us an outrageous percentage of interest.</div>
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Ephesians 3 verse 20: Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us....</div>
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1 Peter Chapter 1 verse 18: For you know it was not with perishable things such as silver and gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, verse 19 but with the precious blood of Christ , a lamb without blemish or defect.</div>
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Getting back to our opening line, the price of getting the ring back from the pawnbroker was paid. Finding that money would have come at a great price as well but an even greater price would have been paid had she not made the effort to find the redemption money. The price of regret and more shame and the betrayal of her core values. However at that time, she did not know her Saviour or the fact that He is a Redemptive King.</div>
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As the sun dips out of sight on Monday evening, may the New Year of 2019 herald in a refreshing of your dreams, desires and hopes. May you meet up with your Redemptive King and thank Him for the ways he has redeemed you and your circumstances this year.</div>
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Lorraine Goulton lives in Masterton, New Zealand.</div>
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She works as a Specialty Clinical Nurse 4 days a week.</div>
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but would prefer to be retired....</div>
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She also manages Granny's Kitchen on Face Book and is a Support Coordinator with Crisis Pregnancy Support - Wairarapa</div>
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Pictured with 3 of her 6 granddaughters on Christmas Eve 2018</div>
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Lorraine Goultonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08628896344999802953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4620199782689299940.post-14877457836211848972018-12-21T01:00:00.000-08:002018-12-21T01:00:12.276-08:00God Prepares The WayLorraine Hossington | @lorrainehossing<br />
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When Adam and Eve fell in the garden of Eden, God had a plan. He was preparing a way for us to be able to come back into a relationship with him by sending his son Jesus into the world as a living sacrifice, that we would be reconciled with God.<br />
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Throughout scripture God has told us through his prophets about the coming Messiah. In Isaiah 9:6-8(NIV)<br />
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For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful counsellor, mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.<br />
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Throughout scripture the prophets have prophesied about the coming of a Saviour who would change the world and bring new life. Maybe the people were expecting someone who would come ready to defeat their enemies in battle and free them from slavery. To rid them of the Romans and start afresh. Can you imagine waiting for this time, longing for the Messiah to come. Calling out and asking God when will he send his Salvation to his people?<br />
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And then it happened in the most unexpected way. A child was born in a stable and placed in a manger. This tiny squalling baby would turn the world upside down, not in a threatening violent way, but in love and forgiveness. He would bring peace into the world and be a light in the darkness. He would teach us compassion and give hope to those that had no hope. He would forgive our sins and heal us emotionally and physically.<br />
Imagine Mary looking at her new born son in her arms as she gently rocks him to sleep, knowing this is the one that has been prophesied about, the Saviour of the world, yet in her eyes this is her child to love and protect for as long as she can be a mother to him.<br />
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Luke 3:3-6 John the Baptist Prepares the Way<br />
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He went into all the country around Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. As is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet;<br />
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“A voice of one calling in the desert, prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, and the rough ways smooth. And all mankind will see God’s salvation.”<br />
John came to show the way to repentance in preparation for Jesus to come and start his ministry. And we see God’s perfect timing in all of this, everything has come together the way he has planned it. <br />
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Every aspect of what God has done excites me, just thinking of all the preparation and planning he has done. And all of this because he loves us and wants to have a relationship with his children. Jesus has done this for us by being born and then sacrificing himself on the cross for our sins.<br />
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Maybe you’re waiting for something that you have prayed about and wondering when you will get an answer. This can be a frustrating time when you can’t do anything but listen for God to speak to you. <br />
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Perhaps this is your preparation time and God will tell you when the time is right to step forward on the path he wants you to walk. He will guide you and make sure everything will turn out the way he has planned.<br />
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Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)<br />
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For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.<br />
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We serve a God of love and compassion and he only wants what is best for us. For we are his children and he wants us to have the blessings that he can give us.<br />
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Lorraine Hossington lives in the Gower Peninsular in Wales. She writes contemporary Christian Fiction. And loves nature and being able to see the wild ponies and sheep on the hills in the area she lives in. As she used to live in the city, but loves where God has put her in the country.<br />
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Twitter @lorrainehossing Facebook Lorraine HossingtonAusjennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07644698706787568679noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4620199782689299940.post-26701265028227772372018-12-18T01:00:00.000-08:002018-12-18T01:00:04.025-08:00Bookish Tuesday | Out of the Cages by Penny Jaye<h3>
Book Review by Judy Rogers @ICFWriters</h3>
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About <a href="https://amzn.to/2A2MW62" target="_blank">Out of the Cages</a></h3>
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Fifteen-year-old Meena has given up all hope of ever escaping the brothel.<br />
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For three years she’s locked away her memories – of home, of her childhood friend, of what it means to hope. But when a botched police raid offers her a chance at freedom, Meena must face the truth about her past.<br />
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As she attempts to piece her life back together, the memories she has buried deep inside begin to resurface. Meena realises escaping the brothel is only the beginning of what it means to be free.<br />
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Can she face the truth in her memories? Can she return to Nepal if it means returning alone? Or will she face the red-light district one last time?<br />
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<h4>
Michelle Winser, CEO, Destiny Rescue Australia, says:</h4>
As the CEO of Destiny Rescue Australia, I see and hear of these atrocities every single day. Penny has captured the strength & determination of Meena beautifully as a shining example of all rescued children. A truly riveting read! The only way evil can triumph is if good people do nothing.<br />
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Melinda Tankard Reist, writer, speaker, and activist, says:</h4>
Out of the Cages reveals the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual suffering of young girls trafficked into global systems of prostitution. Young adult readers will gain insight into the deception, the betrayal of trust, the systemic collusion, and, above all, the extreme suffering of vulnerable girls whose bodies have become fodder to fuel a global industry. I hope this book will compel all who read it to do all they can to bring an end to sexual slavery.<br />
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Kate Marchesi, Lawyer and Women’s Rights Advocate, says:</h4>
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Jaye’s words resonate deeply, touching on a story that is so often told only after the horrific events unfold. Jaye’s unique perspective on the sex trafficking industry and the lives if these women gives voice to the human experiences behind the headlines. This isn’t just a novel about brutality, cruelty and evil, it’s a novel about hope and friendship.</div>
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Review by Judy Rogers</h3>
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Out-Cages-Penny-Jaye-ebook/dp/B07FCC6K6W/ref=as_li_ss_il?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1545098309&sr=1-4&keywords=penny+jaye&linkCode=li3&tag=iolagoulton-20&linkId=59e1245325a6459e2f4eee423c5d2326&language=en_US" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B07FCC6K6W&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=iolagoulton-20&language=en_US" /></a>From the first page of the prologue of <a href="https://amzn.to/2A2MW62" target="_blank">Out of the Cages</a> by Penny Jaye, I wanted to take Meena and Putali home and look after them. I couldn’t bear the thought of them being abused. They were just little innocent girls.<br />
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Then when I heard the motor bikes approach, I felt like jumping into the book and shaking the boys Rajit and Santosh until their teeth rattled loose in their heads. I wanted the scream at them, ‘Do you have any idea what you are doing? Go away! Leave my girls alone.’<br />
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Then Penny Jaye dumped me into Meena’s living hell. I knew it had to come, but I wasn’t quite ready for her pain and despair. I wasn’t quite ready for the callousness of Madam or the brutality of her henchmen. <br />
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When police raid arrived, it filled me with hope—and then anger.</h4>
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Penny Jaye skilfully wove snippets of the girls’ journey from Nepal throughout the story. Each time, I wanted step in and tell them not to go. I wanted to confront the men who were kidnapping them. I wanted to step in and pluck my girls to safety. <br />
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Meena’s journey was a rollercoaster of emotions. Her years in the brothel sharpened her fears, decimated her trust and blinded faith in others. <br />
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Meena’s story is a story of many young girls—too many young girls who have been tricked or whisked away without a sound. Stolen from family. Stolen from life itself.<br />
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<h4>
Meena’s future is one that is offered to too few girls. </h4>
Iolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17199141868703826943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4620199782689299940.post-6255727278115839132018-12-17T01:00:00.000-08:002018-12-17T01:00:00.251-08:00International Christian Fiction - New Releases | December 2018<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<h3>
The Cowboy's Mixed-Up Matchmaker by Valerie Comer</h3>
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Friends don’t let friends turn thirty… single.<br />
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It’s been almost fourteen long years since two teens made a pact to marry each other if both remained single at thirty. But the nearer the time comes, the more Lauren Yanovich steps up her matchmaking game to let James off the hook. Not that he likely remembers.<br />
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James Carmichael has been waiting forever, praying Lauren will be waiting for him. But, just when the end is in sight, she begins dating someone else, and his hopes crumble.<br />
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What’s a cowboy to do when the love of his life insists they’re all wrong for each other?<br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Cowboys-Mixed-Up-Matchmaker-Christian-Romance-ebook/dp/B07HWJ7V7M/">Available at Amazon.com</a><br />
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<h3>
The Bride of Ivy Green by Julie Klassen</h3>
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Much has happened in idyllic Ivy Hill in recent months, and while several villagers have found new love and purpose, questions remain--and a few dearly held dreams have yet to be fulfilled.<br />
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Jane Bell is torn. Gabriel Locke is back and has made his intentions clear. But Jane is reluctant to give up her inn and destine another man to a childless marriage. Then someone she never expected to see again returns to Ivy Hill. . . . <br />
Mercy Grove has lost her school and is resigned to life as a spinster, especially as the man she admires seems out of reach. Should she uproot herself from Ivy Cottage to become a governess for a former pupil? Her decision will change more lives than her own.<br />
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A secretive new dressmaker arrives in the village, but the ladies soon suspect she isn't who she claims to be. Will they oust the imposter, or help rescue her from a dangerous predicament?<br />
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In the meantime, everyone expects Miss Brockwell to marry a titled gentleman, even though her heart is drawn to another. While the people of Ivy Hill anticipate one wedding, an unexpected bride may surprise them all.<br />
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Don't miss this romantic, stirring conclusion to Tales from Ivy Hill.<br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bride-Green-Tales-Hill-Book-ebook/dp/B07D6YYNJ3/">Available at Amazon.com</a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4620199782689299940.post-56858640699624704492018-12-14T01:00:00.000-08:002018-12-14T01:00:10.382-08:00COUNTING OUR BLESSINGS<div class="MsoNormal">
Karen Rees | @ICFWriters<o:p></o:p></div>
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Scripture: Luke 6:20-23<br />
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Do you know the hymn “Count Your Many Blessings”? Written in 1897, it was one of 5000 songs that Johnson Oatman Jr. composed during his lifetime – he died in 1922 - as a way to preach the Gospel. The song's message? Despite whatever hardships life may throw at us, God has provided us with countless blessings.<br />
But I can't count a blessing I'm blind to.<br />
Thankfully my eyes have been opened to a few blessings through working with a 98% female congregation of live-in household servants imported from the Philippines. These women, many of whom are married and are mothers, have to leave their families behind. They can only go back home to see them for a few weeks each year. Unlike them, I'm blessed to live with my husband and to have raised my children myself.<br />
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Despite the hardships these women face, they feel blessed to have a job in Hong Kong because it allows them to provide for their impoverished families back home. Of course, they'd prefer to have good jobs in the Philippines. Unfortunately, long-term endemic government corruption has helped ruin the economy and robbed them of that option. I'm blessed that my country doesn't have this problem.<br />
I've discovered additional blessings since becoming involved with a Tamil asylum seeker family from Sri Lanka.<br />
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I have a passport and am free to come and go from Hong Kong. They've been stuck here, living in limbo, for the last eleven years.<br />
I have the freedom to work and support myself. They're not allowed to work so are forced to rely on inadequate government handouts, charity, and begging to survive.<br />
I decide how to use my time. They have to report to the various government authorities whenever ordered even when that means leaving their small frightened hospitalized child.<br />
After my daughter married, I was reminded of another blessing. I can see the vast array of beautiful colors that God used in his creation. My son-in-law is color blind and can only see yellow. For him, this colorful scene would all be in shades of gray.<br />
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And thanks to working with generous Filipinas who love custom-made T-shirts, I'm blessed to have enough T-shirts to last the rest of my life.<br />
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The song concludes with this verse. “So, amid conflict, whether great or small, Do not be discouraged, God is over all; Count your many blessings, angels will attend, Help and comfort give to your journey's end.”<br />
“If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all – how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” Romans 8:31b-32<br />
Even as we count our many blessings and rejoice that we have such a loving God, let's allow him to use us to bless others.<br />
What unexpected blessings has life revealed to you?<br />
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Bio: Karen Rees exchanged life as a farmer's daughter for SE Asian “big city” life when she and her husband began mission work in Hong Kong. They've worked with local Chinese, household servants imported from the Philippines and Tamil asylum seekers from Sri Lanka.<br />
As a result she's eaten chicken's feet, baby octopus cooked in its own ink, barbecued pig's ear and several other delicacies that she didn't ask about.<br />
Karen is the mother of two and grandmother of three, an avid reader, quilter, lover of history and an author of historical fiction set during the English Reformation.<br />
Facebook Author Page: https://www/facebook.com/Author.KarenReesAusjennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07644698706787568679noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4620199782689299940.post-51184100392131891432018-12-11T01:00:00.000-08:002018-12-11T01:00:13.413-08:00The Story Behind The StoryLaurie Wood | @LaurieJeanWood<br />
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I decided to set my romantic suspense in a small sub-arctic Canadian town because polar bears are such a Canadian icon. And I had fun delving in to the research about Churchill, Manitoba, researching polar bears and the conservation efforts preserving their species.<br />
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But the other aspect of the “story behind the story” is how my two main characters changed and evolved as I experimented with the premise for the book. I was a police officer in the mid-1980’s and I read a lot of thrillers and police procedurals, so I started with a hero Royal Canadian Mounted Police Officer. I figured a “Mountie”, as we call them, (because it’s shorter), was also a Canadian icon and that might hook an editor or agent’s attention, so he would be a good bet for a hero. And I wrote a great character sketch–but I couldn’t “see” him. I like to search Pinterest for interesting faces for my heroes and heroines but I wasn’t getting a bead on this guy. He felt hollow, and for whatever reason, wasn’t coming “alive” for me.<br />
As for my heroine, I saw her jumping up from a restaurant meal and walking out–running out–from the hero after her proposed to her. And I thought, what would make a woman do that? At that point, I didn’t have her as a polar bear scientist. She was beautiful, but that was all I knew about her. I found this photo on Pinterest, no credit given, and my imagination ran away with me. I dug into the heroine’s background and came up with the “WHY” of her painful story. Why would she run out on a marriage proposal from a man she was in love with?<br />
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Once I’d written her background story the “WHO” of the hero transformed.<br />
He wasn’t a police officer anymore. He became a spoiled rich kid who’d had every advantage in life. A lifelong Christian who’d been raised with all the answers to life from the outside looking in but hadn’t tested those “answers” until real life hit him in the face. And his family wasn’t perfect either. He “fell” in to his profession, rather than being a career guy. <br />
I searched Pinterest till I found actor Paul Walker who starred in the “Fast and the Furious” movie franchise before his untimely death at the age of 40. And suddenly, I had my “face” to go with Lukas Tanner. He became the first “boy next door” hero I’ve ever written.<br />
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Remember that heroes come in all shapes and sizes. They’re not all alpha males who carry guns and can fight off three bad guys at once. Real heroes are the guys who learn from their mistakes. Who fall down and get up again even if they fall more than once. Who lose more than their possessions and start over and over again. Real heroes can take care of a sick child in the night and still get up and go to work at 7 a.m. <br />
So, why did my heroine not want to marry this guy in the first place? Well, you’ll have to read the story to find out. She has her reasons: fear, shame, a huge secret. Even in our society, we have a “class” system. She didn’t come from wealth. And when she ends up with something in her possession, that other people are willing to kill her for, things take a dark and dangerous turn.<br />
I hope you’ll enjoy reading Northern Deception. I trust I’ve written a tight love story with enough suspense to keep you turning the pages and also give you a taste of Canada’s far north in the middle of polar bear season. It’s been my pleasure to share this Canadian romantic suspense with you. <br />
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Laurie Wood is a military wife who’s lived across Canada and visited six of its ten provinces. She and her husband have raised two wonderful children with Down Syndrome to adulthood, and their son and daughter are a wonderful blessing to their lives. Over the years, Laurie’s books have finaled in prestigious contests such as the Daphne du Maurier (twice), the TARA, the Jasmine, and the Genesis. Her family lives in central Canada with a menagerie of rescue dogs and cats. If the house were bigger, no doubt they’d have more.<br />
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Website: <a href="https://www.lauriewoodauthor.com/">https://www.lauriewoodauthor.com</a><br />
Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/lauriewoodreadersgroup">https://www.facebook.com/lauriewoodreadersgroup</a><br />
Twitter: <a href="https://www.twitter.com/LaurieJeanWood">https://www.twitter.com/LaurieJeanWood</a><br />
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<br />Ausjennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07644698706787568679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4620199782689299940.post-1117834965230029902018-12-07T01:00:00.000-08:002018-12-07T01:00:06.583-08:00Devotion: Musings from a Dot in the Atlantic Ocean<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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by Sherma Webbe Clarke | @sdwc8181 </h3>
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Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.<br />
3 John 2 (NKJV)<br />
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<h4>
Inspiration and Habits </h4>
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Some writers stick to a fixed schedule. First thing in the morning before the birds and children are moving around. Two o’clock at the same café every other afternoon. Ten o'clock to midnight every evening. Others write when inspiration prompts them, hastily recording their thoughts onto napkins, scraps of paper, or into electronic devices.<br />
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One famous writer visited Bermuda many times and considered the Island vital to his health and creativity. Between 1867 and 1910, Mark Twain (born Samuel Clemens) frequented the Island as an escape from his routine life in favor of the natural beauty and slower pace that he enjoyed during his residences here. His famous quote, “You can go to heaven if you want to; I’d rather stay in Bermuda,” floats around the Island like a longtail (white-tailed tropicbird) soaring over the ocean. I liked the idea of a connection between the Island and this revered literary figure, but the statement never settled well with me. As beautiful as Bermuda is, it can't compare to God’s heavenly paradise.<br />
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Digging into the context of the quotation, however, I discovered that Mark Twain’s intention is opposite to the message that is conveyed as popular understanding. Or misunderstanding. Whether convalescing at one of the local hotels or enjoying the eerie beauty of the Crystal Caves, Mr. Twain experienced a revival in his health after the doctors had pronounced their grim prognoses. As a man defying his ailments and infirmities, he declared to those who seemed poised to make funeral arrangements, “You can go to heaven if you want to; I’d rather stay in Bermuda.” In other words, “Don’t write me off yet; I’m not going anywhere.”<br />
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In one particular way, he was right about staying in Bermuda. Bronze statues of Mark Twain dot the Island, giving him a permanent presence, albeit in an immobile form. I recently worked in an office building that boasted a statue of the author at its entrance. His bronze likeness also sits on a bench at the hotel he frequented in the City of Hamilton.<br />
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What inspires you? </h4>
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As writers, we receive inspiration from many sources, and we pour these experiences into words, sentences, novels, a series. What inspires you? Is it a long, scenic walk? Camping by a lake? Or playing with your grandchildren? Jesus connected with people through stories crafted from situations in ordinary life. Seeds and sowers. A woman sweeping. Lost coins. Vineyards and grapes. A traveler who helps an unfortunate man without expecting a reward.<br />
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4620199782689299940" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>Some of us may not be as prolific as Mark Twain. And having multiple statues built in our honor? Probably a long shot. Maybe we have one book in us. One book that will fulfill our purpose. One book that will touch the heart of someone who will experience God’s love and grace through our story. As the words of a favorite hymn say, You may have this whole world; give me Jesus.<br />
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Let's chat: Where do you live? Has any particular place, close to home or far away, inspired you on your writing journey? I'd love to hear about it!<br />
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<h3>
About Sherma . . . </h3>
Sherma is a contemporary fiction writer, amateur photographer, reading enthusiast, and wife who often takes her husband by the hand to explore nearby and far-flung areas of the globe. This wanderlust has its perks. She credits many of her story ideas to these adventures, which provide great opportunities for research for short stories and the novel series she is currently working on. Quiet, early-morning walks along the railroad trails on her home island of Bermuda provide inspiration when she is homebound.<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/sherma.clarke">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/shermaclarke/">Instagram</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/sdwc8181">Twitter</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Sherma Webbe Clarkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04916213941827469060noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4620199782689299940.post-90174468490486458842018-12-06T04:00:00.000-08:002018-12-06T04:00:12.385-08:00 English Christmas through History<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Writing Life: A Passion for Christmas through History</b></span><br />
posted by Donna Fletcher Crow<br />
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When asked to give advice for up-coming writers the first words out of my mouth are usually, "Write from your passion." Few things in my career give a better example of that than do my Christmas novels. </div>
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I love Christmas! I love English history!
I love novels! So what greater joy than to be able to combine these loves in
telling stories that give us glimpses of English Christmases through the years and have allowed me to call on my own experiences in forming the stories, such as my first English Christmas in a Cotswold village in 2000.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Glastonbury-Christian-Donna-Fletcher-Crow-ebook/dp/B01MSK4NBC/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1543870834&sr=1-1&keywords=glastonbury%2C+crow">Glastonbury</a>,
my epic of the Christian history of England, includes a Christmas story. After
all, one could hardly tell 1500 years of history without including Christmas. As a
matter of fact, the book opens with a druid on Glastonbury Tor observing the
Star of Bethlehem.</div>
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It is in the section on Norman
England, however, that we experience a full, Medieval Christmas when young Bors
returns home to the manor house from schooling in the monastery. (Although not as young as my grandson when he slew his first dragon.) The full
Twelve Days of Christmas are meticulously observed, complete with yule log,
wassail, a roasted boar’s head, a Lord of Misrule, and mummers performing St.
George and the Dragon.</div>
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Christmas celebrations in England became more subdued after
the Reformation with suspicions that many of the former festivities were pagan.
In <span style="background: white; color: #333333;">1647, Cromwell’s Puritan
government actually canceled Christmas. Not only were traditional expressions
of merriment strictly forbidden, but also shops were ordered to stay open,
churches were closed and ministers arrested for preaching on Christmas day.</span></div>
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By the late 18<sup>th</sup> and
early 19<sup>th</sup> centuries, although the traditions of a full-blown
Dickensian Christmas had not yet been introduced (many of them started by
German-born Prince Albert) festivities had been restored. My Where There is
Love series encompasses six novels of love and faith—stories of real people and
stirring historic events. <i><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Where-Love-Restores-There-Book-ebook/dp/B01I24TRPY/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1543870085&sr=1-1&keywords=Where+love+restores%2C+crow">Where
Love Restores</a></span></i><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">, book 4, recounts </span>Granville
Ryder’s struggle to find his place in his illustrious family, in God’s work and
in Georgiana’s heart. The book takes the reader through the seasons of a late
Regency year, including Christmas on an English country estate which included a
fox hunt and hunt ball, constructing an English kissing ring, midnight
Christmas Eve service, and alms-giving on Boxing Day. All as it was celebrated in Georgiana's home, Badminton House, which I had the delight of visiting many years ago.</div>
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For an out-of-the ordinary
contemporary English Christmas I draw on the Christmas I spent in an English
monastery “helping” my daughter prepare for her Epiphany wedding. Although, I
hope I wasn’t quite as pushy as my heroine’s mother.<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/All-Consuming-Fire-Monastery-Murders-Book-ebook/dp/B019G904Z6/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1450381823&sr=1-1&linkCode=as2&tag=themonamurd-20">An
All-Consuming Fire</a></i>, book 5 in my Monastery Murders, finds Felicity and
Antony happily planning a Christmas wedding in the monastery. It’s all idyllic
until Felicity’s over-bearing mother arrives and tries to turn the whole event into a
royal wedding. And Antony is drafted to narrate a television documentary on the
English mystics. And then Felicity takes on the challenge of directing a
Christmas pageant for Kirkthorpe’s troubled youth on a long-disused stage in an abandoned quarry at the back of the monastery grounds.</div>
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<span style="background-color: #fcfcfc;">At least most of the vexing disruptions
occurring on the filming locations are miles away from the Community of the
Transfiguration. Until the threats move closer. Close enough to threaten the
joy of Felicity and Antony's Christmas wedding.</span></div>
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<span style="border: none 1.0pt; color: black; padding: 0in;">I hope that one of my stories might help
enrich your Christmas season with an understanding of past traditions and provide a few leisure
hours spent reading by the light of your Christmas tree. I’d love to hear of
some of your favorite traditions—whether from history or all-new.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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See more at: <a href="https://www.donnafletchercrow.com/">https://www.donnafletchercrow.com/</a><br />
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<br />Donna Fletcher Crowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03986333915483142722noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4620199782689299940.post-57901463922115234942018-12-05T01:00:00.000-08:002018-12-05T01:00:03.479-08:00Introducing Tracy Traynor and Grace in Mombasa<h3>
By Tracy Tranory @tracy_traynor</h3>
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Hello, my name is Tracy Traynor. I’m an indie-author and I love to write stories.<br />
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From a very early age I used to spend immeasurable amounts of time day dreaming; now I spend every minute I can at the computer putting day dreams to paper and creating stories, which I hope people will enjoy reading.<br />
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Grace in Mombasa is fictional, but was inspired by a woman I met in Kenya called Moira Smith. I met Moira twice in 1991, and she made such an impact on me I have not been able to forget her, and over the years I began to imagine what her life might have been like. I would be driving to work and suddenly she would appear in my mind and I started to create a fictional life for her.<br />
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I did a lot of research and the book is filled with facts, at the end of the book I mention the things that happen in Grace’s life that were the real things that happened to Moira.<br />
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This is a life – and therefore a story in two halves. The first half of her life was spent in England, and so the book’s first part is her life during World War 2 in England. The second half of the book is set in Mombasa.<br />
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Moira was an amazing woman who dedicated her life to helping the Kenyan people who came into the Coast General Hospital in Mombasa, a place where people believed they only went to die. She inspired me, and I hope I have done her story justice so that it might inspire others.<br />
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To continue with Moira’s good works for the people of Mombasa, I have hooked up with <a href="http://www.barnabasuk.org/mombasa-project/" target="_blank">Barnabas Trust Outreach Mombasa</a>, and I am donating 50% of all sales to them.<br />
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Sean McIntyre Missionary to Kenya with Barnabas, and minister at AOG Colchester, gave me this endorsement:<br />
<h5>
The story of Grace captures the experience of many others who, though quite ordinary by themselves, find that the love of God propels them towards quite extraordinary endeavours. Tracy is the author of Grace's story but the inspiration was Moira Smith and the author of her story was none other than God himself, described in the Bible as the 'author and finisher of our faith'. I commend Tracy's book "Grace in Mombasa" to you in the hope that, inspired by the story of Grace and Moira, you will become hungry for a story of your own and that you will turn to the great author of all our lives. He already has a story prepared for you!</h5>
The first person to read the book, besides the editors, is Wendy H Jones, Author and member/webmaster of the ACW Scotland – Association of Christian Writers. Here is her endorsement:<br />
<h5>
Tracy Traynor’s writing transports you from World War 1 and 2 England to the courts of heaven, via Mombasa. With characters which pop off the page and straight into your heart, this is a book you will remember for a long time.</h5>
<h3>
To tempt you to buy the book, please find the blurb below.</h3>
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Inspired by true events. Grace in Mombasa is an intriguing historical saga of betrayal and loss, romance and heartbreak, and one woman’s journey in faith.<br />
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From the day she was born, Grace Clifton has navigated a life of loss and heartbreak, without a mother to guide her and through the ravages of two World Wars. With England in the midst of a Second World War, Grace, experiences the excitement of love and romance, but all too soon it turns to heartbreak. Through it all, Grace is sustained by her unwavering faith in God, but when all she holds dear is ripped away from her, Grace is left devastated and doubting everything she’s ever believed in. <br />
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As the world slowly recovers from war, Grace too begins the process of healing from bitterness and the deep wounds inflicted by life. However, her steadfastness to God is lost and she determines never to pray again. When an unexpected opportunity comes up in Kenya, Grace seizes the chance to escape the memories, hoping to find a purpose and build a new life for herself. In the city of Mombasa, Grace soon begins to realise she can’t ever distance herself from life’s complications, but if she’s prepared to open her heart, maybe her shattered faith will once more bring her hope, love and the healing that she desperately needs.<br />
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Grace in Mombasa is a story about a woman with amazing faith that is shattered when her life falls apart, but will God simply let her go? If you like heartfelt dialogue, stories seeped in fact and history, and memorable characters, then you’ll love Tracy Traynor’s moving and inspirational novel.<br />
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<h3>
You can find Grace in Mombasa online at:</h3>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KT8S4N7" target="_blank">Amazon US</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07KT8S4N7" target="_blank">Amazon UK</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B07KT8S4N7" target="_blank">Amazon Australia</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.in/dp/B07KT8S4N7" target="_blank">Amazon India</a></div>
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<h3>
About Moira Smith ... the inspiration behind Grace</h3>
Moira Smith was born in 1912, in England. On 25th July 1953, aged 41, she boarded the ship SS Uganda and set sail for Mombasa, Kenya.<br />
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She spent her years on the island helping people who came to the Mombasa Coast General Hospital, in any way that she could - and by taking every opportunity to spread the gospel. She never got to retire in the convent. She died in the hospital in the mid 1990s, where her last action was to give away the medicine that people brought in for her to the other patients.<br />
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Moira's ashes are buried in the compound of St Peter's Church, Nyali, Kenya.<br />
<h3>
Find Tracy Traynor online at:</h3>
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<a href="https://tntraynor.uk/" target="_blank">Website </a>| <a href="https://www.facebook.com/tracy.traynor.9" target="_blank">Facebook </a>| <a href="https://twitter.com/tracy_traynor?lang=en" target="_blank">Twitter</a></div>
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<br />Iolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17199141868703826943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4620199782689299940.post-46576198643651933362018-12-04T01:00:00.000-08:002018-12-04T01:00:08.165-08:00Bookish Tuesday - All Made Up by Kara Isaac<h4>
By Narelle Atkins @NarelleAtkins</h4>
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Today for Bookish Tuesday I'm sharing my book recommendation for Kara Isaac's latest contemporary Christian romance - All Made Up.</h4>
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I initially had mixed feelings about reading <i>All Made Up.</i> On the one hand I love Kara Isaac’s writing. I trust her, after reading her first three books, to deliver a great story.<br />
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On the other hand I’m really not a fan of reality tv shows. I wasn’t sure if I’d like reading a contemporary Christian romance based around a Bachelor-style reality tv show.<br />
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Kat is an internationally renowned make up artist who has won an Oscar for her work in film. She’s in a tight financial situation and agrees to work behind the scenes of an Australian reality tv show that’s set in a Sydney mansion. Kat is stunned to discover the handsome farmer bachelor is Caleb, her first love who broke her heart when he abruptly ended their relationship.<br />
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Caleb is a farmer from Toowoomba in Queensland. His mother secretly sent in an audition tape because she wanted to see her son happy and married and settled on the family farm.<br />
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When Caleb is chosen at the last minute to be the bachelor, he feels compelled to do it to please his mother who is struggling with major health issues.<br />
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The producers quickly regret choosing Caleb because he’s terrible on camera and a potential financial disaster for the show. Caleb is awkward and uncomfortable around the large number of physically beautiful and scantily clad young women who are living in the mansion and competing for his attention and affection.<br />
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When Cat is directed by her boss to fill in as a contestant on the show, she grits her teeth and does her best to survive the circus that ensues. The whole set up is both humorous and sleazy, and I totally understood why Caleb hated his time at the mansion.<br />
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The first fifteen percent of the book was, at times, a bit icky to read. If I wasn’t a fan of the author, and if I didn’t trust her to deliver a great story, I probably would have tossed the book during those early chapters. The thought of reading an entire book set in the mansion was not appealing.<br />
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I’m glad I persevered with the story and kept reading. By the twenty percent mark the story had really picked up and was motoring along. There’s a big twist in the story that takes the tv show in a different direction and forces Cat and Caleb to confront their past.<br />
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In typical Kara Isaac style, the big secret reveal toward the end of the book is heartbreaking. Cat and Caleb reassess their faith and values and beliefs as they make tough decisions.<br />
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Fans of The Bachelor will love this romance story that provides a rare happy ending for a reality tv couple. Readers who you couldn’t pay to watch a reality tv dating show may struggle with the early chapters, but I encourage them to keep reading and journey with Cat and Caleb on their fun and humorous roller coaster ride to true love.</div>
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Learn more about RITA® Award winning author <a href="http://www.karaisaac.com/">Kara Isaac</a> and her books at her <a href="http://www.karaisaac.com/">website</a> plus check out a preview of <i>All Made Up </i>below.</div>
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By Gail Sattler @ICFWriters</h3>
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The theme of THE OTHER NEIGHBOR is that the FBI got a tip that Jeff and his co-horts are building a bomb, so they have to find out what he is going to blow up, and stop it before that happens. Agent Steve Gableman's job to get information from the to-be-bomber's neighbor, Cheryl, without her knowing what is going on.<br />
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<h4>
This brings up a question. </h4>
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The sad and terrifying truth is that when we hear about someone who has done a mass shooting or set off a bomb, someone, somewhere, knows that person. They interact and live in a normal society, have friends and neighbors, jobs or school, until they follow out their horrible plan, or are are stopped before tragedy happens.<br />
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Often, in hindsight, people tell the reporters that they felt something was wrong or strange with that person. But no one saw it coming to that degree. Few people think their neighbor or workmate could be capable of something so horrible. <br />
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<h4>
This brings me to my story, THE OTHER NEIGHBOR. </h4>
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This is based on a true story, only in this case, just like the book, the FBI received a tip and followed it up before anyone was hurt.<br />
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I hope there are lots of people who, unknown by the people who were saved, will call in and report something they fear will end in tragedy. <br />
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<h3>
About Gail Sattler</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFpaXXAJewO84fSmDuaCdMR_54-ZTfS3pWCDHQXnxhQV5Mks7cQRzZ30sfGqyQwIyuO-b_jDNAOY0VPTrGWifG1FdWC6wX2uCvBJslvP8wRip2__YsVQ0MoLwkdRuMyyZWAovwLL_nZUZo/s1600/Gail+Sattler+-+author.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="824" data-original-width="1003" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFpaXXAJewO84fSmDuaCdMR_54-ZTfS3pWCDHQXnxhQV5Mks7cQRzZ30sfGqyQwIyuO-b_jDNAOY0VPTrGWifG1FdWC6wX2uCvBJslvP8wRip2__YsVQ0MoLwkdRuMyyZWAovwLL_nZUZo/s320/Gail+Sattler+-+author.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Gail Sattler lives in Vancouver BC Canada, where you don't have to shovel rain. When she's not madly writing (Gail Sattler has over 40 published novels and novellas, plus a few works of non-fiction) she plays bass for an Elton John tribute band as well as a community jazz band, plus she plays piano for a smaller private jazz band. When she's not writing or making music (or at her day job) Gail likes to sit back and read a book written by someone else, along with a good cup of hot coffee.<br />
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Find Gail Sattler online at:</h4>
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About The Other Neighbor by Gail Sattler</h3>
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Other-Neighbor-Gail-Sattler-ebook/dp/B07J6RD2W5/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&linkCode=li3&tag=iolagoulton-20&linkId=e05cf3da01ae52d66c8f7afdc5ac3d36&language=en_US" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B07J6RD2W5&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=iolagoulton-20&language=en_US" width="129" /></a><br />
Cheryl Richardson doesn’t know that her landlord who owns the other half of the duplex where she lives is plotting to build a bomb—but the FBI does. In order to discover what her landlord is planning to blow up, agent Steve Gableman moves next door to get closer to Cheryl to learn what she knows, namely the target and motive, so they can stop it. But when Steve involves himself in every area of her life, including her dog, will Cheryl be the one to explode?<br />
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<a href="https://amzn.to/2DAbaH5" target="_blank">Click here to find The Other Neighbor at Amazon.</a></div>
Iolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17199141868703826943noreply@blogger.com0