Don't Give Up (with giveaway)

 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

Philippians 4:13

I attended my first marathon on Sunday to cheer on my good friend Lisa Belcastro and as a  member of Team 413, she wears the above verse on the back of her shirt. It was cool too hear how many people remarked to her on it during the race, usually with a "thanks, I needed to be reminded of that right now." 

I'm sure we can all relate to needing the reminder, no matter what our particular "race" is.

This month is NaNoWriMo--National Novel Writing Month--and while I didn't plan to write a book this month. Actually I'd hoped to have it done by now and to be plotting the next one! I've decided to set as my goal: finishing the book I've been picking away at between celebrating my daughter's wedding and enjoying company.

The goal has given me a new gratefulness for the sprained ankle I incurred on Sunday, too. The injury makes it pretty tough to do much else other than sit and write. <wink>

Making over the room my newlywed daughter has vacated will just have to wait.  

Your Turn: What race are you running these days? And for what are you grateful?

Giveaways: Hop over to Suzanne's blog and leave a comment for a chance to win a paperback copy of Another Day Another Dali. (No country restrictions are listed and as of the time I'm writing this...there are only a couple of comments! So go for it.) 

Here's what others are saying about it:

another day another dali by sandra orchard is book two in the series, a serena jones mystery. reading friends, i absolutely love this series!!! in fact, i want to be friends with serena jones!!! yes, she's that cool. fbi special agent serena jones is on a case "unofficially" as a favor for her grandmother. someone is replacing valuable paintings with forgery and serena is determined to follow the trail. if she can find the forger, they may lead her to the ring of thieves. as her evidence begins to grow, serena stumbles on clues that may point to something more personal. on top of all the craziness, her fan club in the male department seems to be growing (i'm rooting for tanner!)!!! i just know you'll love this one as much as i did!!!

         ~ Susan of http://fivestarfaithbasedbooks.blogspot.ca

Sandra Orchard is a multi-award-winning author of mysteries and romantic suspense. A mother of three grown children, she lives in Niagara, Canada with her real-life-hero husband and writes full time…when not doting on her young grandchildren.  Learn more about Sandra’s books and bonus features at www.SandraOrchard.com or connect at www.Facebook.com/SandraOrchard

Spring Fever e-Giveaways: 1 Box Set, 1 eBook

By Marion Ueckermann

This morning I walked outside, carrying my bowl of rice crispies, and breathed in the awesome freshness of the changing of the seasons as we slowly creep into autumn. Normally my mornings are rushed—once I’m dressed it’s a dash to the car (no time to stop and smell the roses, or the morning breeze), drive to work with my nose stuck in my laptop (no, I’m not driving, hubby is), and then a dash inside the building where I worked. Stay there until 6pm and repeat the sequence in reverse. So I savored the time this morning, because today feels like the first day of the rest of my life—my life as a full-time author.

But, this blog is not about that journey. This blog is about the abundance of spring happening in the northern hemisphere. Love Blossoms is a collaboration by 7 authors from all corners of the globe, bringing readers 7 spring-fresh romances in one neatly packaged box set. And this weekend, this amazing collection went on sale for just $0.99c (an 80% saving off the normal price). But hurry, sale ends today though. If you haven’t yet bought your copy, you can do so now by following this link.

On Friday the authors ran a Bookbub ad, and when we quickly got the Amazon orange ribbon—No. 1 Bestseller—and placed No. 1 in all three categories the set was listed in, the weekend was spent watching the Amazon author rankings for Religion and Spirituality. I started Friday off not having seen the Amazon Top 100 for some time. By Saturday, we were all in the top 18, with five making it to page 1 (top 10).

Forget about spring fever ... we were all Bookbub frenzied. It was so exciting.

But, besides Love Blossoms, I had more spring fever happening last week when I released Spring’s Promise. And to share the fever, I’m giving away one copy of Spring’s Promise, and one copy of Love Blossoms. Leave a comment to be in the draws (and if you only want to be in one draw, please state so in your comment).

1972. Every day in Belfast, Northern Ireland, holds risk, especially for the mayor’s daughter. But Dr. Olivia O'Hare has a heart for people and chooses to work on the wrong side of a city where colors constantly clash. The orange and green of the Republicans pitted against the red and blue of those loyal to Britain. While they might share the common hue of white, it brings no peace.

Caught between the Republicans and Loyalists’ conflict, blue-collar worker Ryann Doyle has to wonder if there’s life before death. The answer seems to be a resounding, ‘No’. His mother is dead, his father’s a drunk, and his younger brother, Declan, is steeped in the Provisional IRA. Then he crosses paths with Olivia O’Hare.

After working four days straight, mopping up PIRA’s latest act of terror, Olivia is exhausted. All she wants is to go home and rest. But when she drives away from Royal Victoria Hospital, rest is the last thing Olivia gets.

When Declan kidnaps the Lord Mayor of Belfast’s daughter, Ryann has to find a way to rescue the dark-haired beauty, though it means he must turn his back on his own flesh and blood for someone he just met.

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

MARION UECKERMANN's passion for writing was sparked when she moved to Ireland with her family. Her love of travel has influenced her contemporary inspirational romances set in novel places. She now lives in South Africa in an empty nest with her husband and their crazy black Scottie, Wally.

You can connect with Marion in the following places:

Website / Amazon / Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest