On the 8th Day of Christmas…

My authors gave to me…

Deep Waters (and an adorable Christmas ornament) by moi… 

An adorbs book cozy from Susan Tuttle 

The Memory of You by Catherine West

A Child’s Christmas Wish by Erica Vetsch

On Love’s Gentle Shore + tote bag from Liz Johnson

The Gift of Twins by Gabrielle Meyer

The Rancher’s Mistletoe Bride by Jill Kemerer

Christmas Captive  by Liz Johnson

What is this I’m talking about? The 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway is BACK!

 

You read that right! Each day the prizes have been building and new winner is drawn daily. On Day 12, the grand prize winner will be drawn and he/she will win all 10 books, bonus gifts, & a Kindle Fire 8!

Just now getting in on the fun? You’re not too late to revisit the prior blogs from Day 1-Day 8 and enter to win. You can enter every single day! Tomorrow, don’t forget to stop by Bethany Turner’s! Her link is below.

Here is the line up:

12/1 Liz Johnson
12/2 Jill Kemerer 
12/3 Gabrielle Meyer 
12/4 Liz Johnson 
12/5 Erica Vetsch
12/6 Cathy West 
12/7 Susan Tuttle 
12/8 Jessica Patch 
12/9 Bethany Turner
12/10 Lindsay Harrel
12/11 Karen Barnett 
12/12 Liz Johnson 

 

Also, if you’re looking for a holiday read to cozy up with while you wait to see if you’re a winner for these sweet prizes above, may I suggest Hope Under Mistletoe? If you love Hallmark movies, holiday romances, and swoon-worthy heroes, plus a beautiful redemption story, then this is the book for you! And only .99 cents! You can purchase it NOW on AMAZON

Merry Christmas, friends!

*Forward Friday will return next week! 

 

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Faith Readers Group Review: Mistaken By Karen Barnett

We kicked off the night with all the ingredients to make Chocolate Egg Creams, which by the way have no eggs and no cream. Yeah, I know, crazy right? I played Soda Jerk. Keep your comments to yourself, yah hear!

While we sucked down the delicious drink, root beer floats and homeamade chocolate cobbler, we discussed Karen Barnett’s debut novel, Mistaken.

Here are a few comments made:

I loved her writing style. It was easy and flowed well. I could picture everything going on.

I had no sympathy for the drunk.

I could understand why he drank and I thought it was sad, but it didn’t make what he did right.

I loved the era. The cars, the pharmacy, the clothing. I would have loved to wear that clothing.

Sometimes I wanted to slap the heroine, but I want to slap just about every heroine. (That might be my favorite comment of the night and it wasn’t even mine. 😉  lol ~Jess)

I liked how they discovered God on their own. No one preaching to them.

I didn’t think that there was much of God at all in the book, but it was good.

After we talked with each other, we had the privilege of talking with Karen over Skype! FaithReaders feel so honored to have “broke in” several authors over Skype as the first book clubs ever to chat with them! Karen was warm and lots of fun. She answered all of our questions even sent us some pictures she used for research, including head shots of who she thought would play the characters well. Great job, Karen!

Everyone plans to read her next book so I guess all we have left to say is: Hurry up and release it! 🙂

Here’s a peek at Mistaken:

Connect with Karen on
facebook
twitter @karenMbarnett
website
Since booze and
prohibition have made criminals out of every man in her world, Laurie Burke
resolves to find at least one honorable man to fill her life. Convinced that
handsome newcomer Daniel Shepherd is connected with her brother’s rum-running
gang, Laurie quickly scratches his name off her list. Daniel has mixed feelings
about returning to the dirty mill town of his youth, but grudgingly agrees to
manage his grandfather’s drug store until a replacement can be found. The
moment he meets Laurie on the windswept bluff overlooking the beach, he knows
that if he can earn her love, he might have a reason to stay. But when Laurie
pushes him away–for none other than Federal Agent Samuel Brown–Daniel wonders
if Laurie really is the upstanding woman he thought her to be. The Strait of
Juan de Fuca, just off the beaches of Port Angeles, Washington, was treacherous
water for reckless rum-runners—and the agents who tried to catch them. So when
she realizes her brother is in danger, romance is the last thing on Laurie’s
mind. Yet the people she believes she can trust, may not be so honorable after
all.

A lesson in Trust by Karen Barnett

“I
found the perfect job posting.” My
husband, Steve, smiled—something he hadn’t done in months.
“Great!
Where is it?” I held my breath. He’d looked for jobs in our hometown. Then in
our region. In our state. Things were scarce. We were now looking nationwide.
“Iowa.”
My
stomach sank. Nothing against Iowa. It’s a lovely place. I visited once during
college, so I knew the people were friendly and welcoming, but born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Iowa seemed far.
I
searched the advertisement for faults. There must be some reason this wouldn’t
work out. God wouldn’t send me to Iowa, would He? No ocean? No mountains? No
extended family? I cried out to Him, Please,
not Iowa. How about Colorado? California? Washington? Michigan?
My
husband pledged to trust in God’s direction, and he applied for the job.
I
sulked.
Weeks
went by, and Steve sailed through the application process. Sitting in an
evening service at my church, I fumed at God. You
say to trust you, and then you threaten to uproot me from everything I love.
When my toddler fussed, I scooped her up, relieved for an excuse to sneak out.
We took refuge in a preschool room. She grabbed a book and climbed into my lap.
I opened it.
“And
God sent Jonah to Nineveh. But Jonah didn’t trust God. He didn’t want to go to
Nineveh.”
My
heart broke. I stared at the scowling cartoon figure on the page. Was that how
I looked?
I did
a 180-degree turn (Well, maybe about 175). Not
my will, God, but Yours.
A
weight lifted from my chest. I would go. And what’s more, I would rejoice in
this opportunity. I confessed my bad attitude to my husband (as if he weren’t
already aware of it) and over the next few days, God adjusted my attitude. I
discovered our soon-to-be-hometown had an amazing library, an aquatic center,
outdoor ice rinks, and a city park with a stable of Shetland ponies. Before I
knew it, I was dreaming about raising my family in Iowa.
But
God wasn’t finished.
Steve
glanced up from the computer. “Guess what! There’s a job opening down the
road.”
“What?”
I swallowed hard. “But… what about Iowa?”
He
laughed and shook his head. “I’ll never figure you out.” The job was a perfect
match to my husband’s skills. Pieces fell into place quickly.
I was
a bit confused. Um, God? I don’t mean to
complain… but what about Iowa? I thought you wanted us to go to Iowa?
I felt
a gentle nudging in my heart. It was never
about Iowa. I wanted your trust.
Trust in the Lord with all your
heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:4-5 (NIV).
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. Then you will call on me and
come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me
and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah
29:11-13 (NIV)

Karen Barnett, author of Mistaken, lives with her husband and two kids
in Oregon (not Iowa). A former park ranger, Karen enjoys playing on the beach
and hiking in the Cascade Mountains. She also drags her family through boring
history museums every chance she gets. She’s been published in Guideposts and other national magazines. Her
next novel, Out of the Ruins, releases
in May of 2014.
Since booze and
prohibition have made criminals out of every man in her world, Laurie Burke
resolves to find at least one honorable man to fill her life. Convinced that
handsome newcomer Daniel Shepherd is connected with her brother’s rum-running
gang, Laurie quickly scratches his name off her list. Daniel has mixed feelings
about returning to the dirty mill town of his youth, but grudgingly agrees to
manage his grandfather’s drug store until a replacement can be found. The
moment he meets Laurie on the windswept bluff overlooking the beach, he knows
that if he can earn her love, he might have a reason to stay. But when Laurie
pushes him away–for none other than Federal Agent Samuel Brown–Daniel wonders
if Laurie really is the upstanding woman he thought her to be. The Strait of
Juan de Fuca, just off the beaches of Port Angeles, Washington, was treacherous
water for reckless rum-runners—and the agents who tried to catch them. So when
she realizes her brother is in danger, romance is the last thing on Laurie’s
mind. Yet the people she believes she can trust, may not be so honorable after
all.