To the first person who posts a comment, I will give a free copy of my latest release!

Since I modify all comments you may be the first person to post and not know it until I approve all comments, so what have you got to lose? And if you refer a friend via your blog or facebook and they add it to their shelf on Goodreads, I will give them a copy too.

Now this is an awesome deal!

Free today and tomorrow only!

My book will be free on kindle for two days starting today. If you want to check it out without paying for it, then get it while its free.

About the book:

Melissa "Missy" Houghton is on a quest for true love, but she's looking in all the wrong places. She abandons her favorite activities in her pursuit of something better. Something that will give her life significance. Something that will bring her hope.

When her first boyfriend turns out to be a huge disappointment, she opens her life to more possibilities, only they aren't any better. In fact, Missy finds herself trapped in a situation that skews her view of people, and shreds her ability to trust. The resulting pain doesn't inhibit her search, but it may taint her choices and ultimately cost her more than she's willing to pay.

Here is a link to the FREE book on Kindle only Jan. 22 and 23rd only!

Get Somebody Love Me Free by clicking here!

Litfuse Publicity Blog tour stop for Love Finds You in Mackinac Island, Michigan by Melanie Dobson (with bonus review!)

Suggested Title: Melanie Dobson's "Mackinac Island' Kindle Fire Giveaway! Celebrate with Melanie by entering her Kindle Fire Giveaway!

Find out what the reviewers are saying here!

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A brand new Kindle Fire
• Signed copies of Melanie’s Love Find You books: Love Finds you in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, Love Finds You in Amana, Iowa, Love Finds You in Homestead, Iowa, and Love Finds You in Liberty, Indiana.

But hurry, the giveaway ends on 8/4/12. The winner will be announced on 8/6/12 at Melanie's blog!

Just click one of the icons below to enter! Tell your friends about Melanie's giveaway on FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning.

About the book:

It’s the height of the Gilded Age, but Elena Bissette’s family has lost most of its fortune. The Bissettes still own a home on fashionable Mackinac Island, and they spend summers there in hopes of introducing Elena to a wealthy suitor. Quickly tiring of the extravagant balls at the Grand Hotel, she spends her days walking along the island’s rugged coastline. There she meets Chase, a young fisherman who invites her to watch the ships from an abandoned lighthouse. The two begin to meet there in secret, hoping to solve a decades-old mystery. Meanwhile, Elena’s mother contrives introductions between Elena and the island’s most eligible bachelor, an elusive millionaire named Chester Darrington. When Elena’s two worlds unexpectedly collide, she will be in for the surprise of her life.

My review:

I've read a number of books by this author and have enjoyed them all. This is not my fav by any stretch, however, it's still an insightful read that includes a lot of interesting detail about the time period. I like reading about people and society during the Gilded Age. The sharing and discovery of an old diary with the mysterious ending was a nice touch. The romantic tension was light, but present. I loved the investor and invention theme in the story and the romantic lighthouse setting.

I had a bit of a hard time believing the ruse, but the author made a valiant effort to have the scenario work out. I've always found the idea of marrying to keep the family finances afloat versus because you actually loved the person an interesting concept. That's probably the most common theme for this time period. I have issues with the whole stuffy Victorian theme from that time, but I'm sure there was a lot of pressure to playact your role if you were a member of polite society. I wasn't as drawn to the hero and heroine in this book as separate individuals, but every time the author put them together it kept me wanting to turn the pages.

As in all of Melanie's books, there is plenty of rich detail, culture, and history in her stories. I always feel like I learn something I didn't know before when I read her books. That's probably my favorite thing about this author's stories. She educates me and does it subtly through a good story. She also has a solid spiritual thread in each of her books. This one was deeper than most, and I especially liked the healing theme of the broken relationships at the end.

Love Finds You in Mackinac Island was published by Summerside Press and released in July 2012.

A copy of this book was provided to me by Litfuse publicity for to review in exchange for my honest opinion.

Enter for a chance to win In Sheep's Clothing.

Plus, you get to read a cool review at the same time. 


Here is the link...


http://novelbooks.org/2011/11/14/author-interview-michelle-sutton/

Here is my revised video trailer for When Love Collides - my Dec. 2011 release!

What do you think? Do you like it?

I've just had a beautiful baby and you can experience my joy by winning it!

No, it's not a real infant, but this book is now in print and let me tell you...it's simply gorgeous! I had no idea it would be this beautiful. I am such a proud momma. Now I want to pass the blessing on to one lucky winner. All you have to do to enter for a chance to win this book is tell me why you want to read it and then tell me if you have read any of my other books (and which ones you've read, if any.) Then if you win the book I simply ask that you post an honest review. I think the story inside is beautiful, too. But you (winner) can be the judge of that. So enter away! I'll pick a winner when I'm good and ready, but it won't be more than a week from now, promise!

About the book:


Sometimes for dreams to come true, you have to let go . . .

Outwardly Diane Simmons appears to have everything a woman could want. A successful attorney, she’s beautiful and talented, and yet she always seems to be attracted to the wrong men. Longing to be loved for who she is, not for what she looks like, she finally realizes the world’s view of love is totally unrealistic and distorted and gives up on romance. She wants to find a better way but has no clue where to look.

Dave Passel can never father a biological child. He loves his foster son deeply, but something goes terribly wrong before the adoption can be finalized. When the State tries to reunite the child with the birth mother he has never known and the new caseworker accuses Dave of sabotaging visits with her, he hires Diane to fight for him in court. He believes in God’s sovereignty, but bad experiences with his late wife make it hard for him to trust Diane as she advocates for his son. If only he didn’t struggle so much with letting go . . .

Proposal Workshop on Edgy Christian Fiction Lovers ning site. It's only five bucks!

Visit Edgy Christian Fiction Lovers



EDGY CHRISTIAN FICTION LOVERS PROPOSAL WORKSHOP SCHEDULE:

Mon 9/27 to Sun 10/3: The Pitch Sentence. We're going to start with the "elevator pitch" because that puts the entire novel into 25 - 40 words. This forces the writer to get to the nitty gritty, the essence of the novel. This one you memorize so you can rattle it off to an agent in an elevator.

Mon 10/4 to Sun 10/10: Agents and Small Publishers Who Work With Edgy Christian Fiction Authors. We'll spend the week discussing which agents, small publishers, and ebook publishers are most likely to offer a contract to an edgy Christian author. We'll each make up a list of people we can query and submit proposals to (with address, phone number, and email addy) .

Mon 10/11 to Sun 10/17: One Paragraph Pitch/Back Cover Blurb. A short synopsis of the story in 200 words or less. This is also memorized so it can be rattled off to an agent or editor at a conference appointment. Most agents and editors will let you read it off a card.

Mon 10/18 to Sun 1024: The Query Letter. This is basically a two paragraph pitch. When using it for the query letter, add query features.

Mon 10/25 to Sun 10/31: The One Sheet. This utilizes the same or a similar two paragraph pitch as the query letter, with a photo of the author, as well as particulars (name, address, phone number), and some other details. Some authors add a graphic.

Mon 11/1 to Sun 11/7: The Dreaded Synopsis. A chapter by chapter synopsis of the novel, leaving out all detail


Fee For The Workshop: $5- payable to Michelle Sutton...to be used for future Ning cost and other group expenses.

Head Leader: Nike Chillemi

You must belong to Edgy Christian Fiction Lovers to participate. Membership in ECFL is free. Here is a link to the site page... 

http://edgychristianfictionlovers.ning.com/group/ecflproposalworkshop

New Giveaway from Moody Publishers. Win a copy of Pearl in the Sand by Tessa Afshar!

What do you have to do to enter for a chance to win this book? Simply post a comment telling me why you want to read it. I'm giving away three copies through Moody. So once I have thirty entries, three winners will be chosen and each winner will be mailed their book (sent by Moody Publicist.) So what are you waiting for? Post that comment and tell your friends. The sooner I get 30 comments the sooner I draw the names of three winners (using the Randomizer program.)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Tessa Afshar was born in a nominally Muslim family in Iran and lived there for the first fourteen years of her life. She survived English boarding school for girls before moving to the United States permanently. Her conversion to Christianity in her mid-twenties changed the course of her life forever. Tessa holds an MDIV from Yale University where she served as co-Chair of the Evangelical Fellowship at the Divinity School. She has spent the last twelve years in full and part-time Christian work and currently serves as the leader of Women’s and Prayer ministries at a church in Connecticut.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Can a Canaanite harlot who has made her livelihood by looking desirable to men make a fitting wife for one of the leaders of Israel? Shockingly, the Bible’s answer is yes. At the age of fifteen Rahab is forced into prostitution by her beloved father. In her years as a courtesan, she learns to mistrust men and hate herself. Into the emotional turmoil of her world walks Salmone, a respected leader of Judah. Through the tribulations of a stormy relationship, Rahab and Salmone learn the true source of one another’s worth in God and find healing from fear and rejection.

My review:

Pearl in the Sand is like an Old Testament themed Redeeming Love story, only tamer. I found it profoundly moving at times, and incredibly realistic. Having worked with many women who were used by men, and as a result were deeply emotionally scarred, I found Rahab's view of herself very believable. While Salome was judgmental as men typically are at first, the Lord changed him over time into an admirable hero. But this only happened when his pride was slowly stripped away. I found it incredibly moving how God would not allow him to stay in that prideful state, but kept working on Salmone's heart and using the most unlikely people and situations to work the greatest miracle in his life. We serve such an amazing God!

The author created a setting that rang true to me in many ways, from the damaged beginnings of Rahab's life, to the crumbling of Jericho's walls. It almost felt like I had crawled into the pages of the Old Testament and witnessed some of the events as they happened, including the battles the Hebrews fought. I found that very inspiring. I loved how the author used many symbols in her story to illustrate points...from the lower cough to the venomous snake about to strike. I found Rahab to be both strong and weak, and yet so very human that I loved her even when she was unreasonable with Salmone, who often reacted to her insecurities like a typical man would. That was very well done.

The part that touched me the most in this story was when Rahab finally recognized her incredible worth in God's eyes as well as her husband's. That was powerfully written. I could sense Rahab's heart healing as the scene progressed. I felt her pain and her tears as she released all of the hurt. I was profoundly moved by Salmone's sudden realization of the damage that had been done to her and his tenacious desire to participate in the healing process. The love scenes between husband and wife were emotional, yet tastefully done. This book was so incredible. I loved it. I'm sure readers who enjoy Biblical fiction will adore this story, too.

Blew me away

Pearl in the Sand was published by Moody and released September 1, 2010. This book made my best fiction of 2010 list.

Buying directly from the publisher's website helps the author and publisher the most.

Why? Because there is no middle man who takes commission on the sale like with a third party site such as Amazon or Barnes and Noble. So if you want to help an author (me) and you were planning to buy my book eventually (Never Without Hope) consider purchasing from the publisher's website HERE

By clicking on the words HERE above, you will be sent to Sword of the Spirit's website. It will automatically put a copy of my book in the basket. Then you simply click on PayPal (my preferred method if you have an account) and buy it. Easy peasy, right? Just wanted to let you know...

Romantic fiction titles

Romantic fiction titles video showing latest book covers

Only 7 days 'til Sand in My Eyes: Great Beach Bag Giveaway!

 
Between today and July 1 when Sand in my Eyes releases, Christine is giving away some of the best beach books of summer!

Pre-order Christine Lemmon's new book, Sand in my Eyes, from Amazon now, email your receipt to jclemmon@gmail.com with subject line Beach Bag Giveaway, and you'll be entered to win a beach bag full of 7 fabulous new summer beach reads including Seven Year Switch by Claire Cook, The Island by Elin Hilderbrand, Fly Away Home by Jennifer Weiner, The One That I Want by Allison Winn Scotch, The Opposite of Me by Sarah Pekkanen, The Nobodies Albumby Carolyn Parkhurst and Thin Rich Pretty by Beth Harbison.
 
Added bonus: Christine is throwing in a sweet pair of women's Oakley sunglasses and a $50 Amazon gift card for even more reading fun.
 
Thanks for your support of Sand in my Eyes!

Never Without Hope review and giveaway on Tarasview on Books!

Here is what Tara has to say...



MY REVIEW

I have read all of Michelle's published books to-date and I love her writing style. Never Without Hope is definitely her edgiest book. I thought it was fabulous. I think Michelle did an amazing job of portraying all the emotions and ramifications of an affair. She didn't shy away from telling it like it is- the good and the bad. I really appreciated the fact that the main character knew what she was doing was wrong but did it anyway- it is just so true to life.

Personally I did not find the more graphic details of the book offensive. The details were relevant and necessary to the storyline. By showing lust and sin and adultery in their true forms Michelle was also able to show just how amazing God's grace and mercy are and how you can never stray too far to receive His forgiveness.

Most inspirational novels that I read shy away from showing the true depths of sin- even in the lives of Christians- and I really respect Michelle's willingness to write TRUTH. Never Without Hope addresses a "taboo" topic in most Christian circles but one that we all know happens and therefore really needs to be addressed. I think this book has the potential to give a lot of women who are struggling in their marriages real hope.

Well done Michelle!

To read the interview and enter, please click here...

Never Without Hope contest/giveaway

89 book read in 2009! I also signed 8 contracts! 2009 was a good year!

Yep, I read and reviewed 89 books last year. I also endorsed numerous books for other authors and started about 40 books I never finished because I lost interest, or didn't review because I didn't like it and didn't want to cause a fuss by saying so. Because I was Editor-in-Chief of CFOM for most of 2009 it was hard for me to find the time to read, but since I've resigned from that position things are picking up speed again.

But...I also signed 8 book contracts divided between three different publishers. And that's not all, I also wrote two complete novels and revised two others. I even created four book trailers all by myself! This next year promises to be even more fun! I'm shooting for 100 novels read now that I have a little bit more time free, plus it looks like I may be signing two more books contracts (at least) to release in 2011 and beyond. I also have three other strong possibilities that are in the to-be-considered pile on three different publisher's desks. I'll let you know when these things are official so we can celebrate together.

Peace and have a great 2010!

So if you want to post a comment, tell me...what did you accomplish in 2009 that you'd like to share.

Blog tour stop for Wind of the Spirit by J. M. Hochstetler

Blog tour for Wind of the Spirit by J. M. Hochstetler... brought to you by Pump Up Your Book Promotion Virtual Book Tours.

Buy Wind of the Spirit on Amazon.com

About the author:

J. M. Hochstetler writes stories that always involve some element of the past and of finding home. Born in central Indiana, the daughter of Mennonite farmers, she graduated from Indiana University with a degree in Germanic languages. She was an editor with Abingdon Press for twelve years and has published four novels. Daughter of Liberty (2004), Native Son (2005), and Wind of the Spirit (March 2009), the first three books of the critically acclaimed American Patriot Series, are set during the American Revolution. One Holy Night, a retelling of the Christmas story set in modern times, is the 2009 Christian Small Publishers Fiction Book of the Year and a finalist for the 2009 American Christian Fiction Writers Long Contemporary Book of the Year.

Hochstetler is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Christian Authors Network, Middle Tennessee Christian Writers, Nashville Christian Writers Association, and Historical Novels Society. She and her husband live near Nashville, Tennessee.

You can find Joan online at http://www.jmhochstetler.com/ or at this book’s blog http://americanpatriotseries.blogspot.com/

About the book:

Elizabeth Howard’s assignment to gain crucial intelligence for General Washington leads her into the very maw of war at the Battle of Brooklyn Heights, where disaster threatens to end the American rebellion. Yet her heart is fixed on Jonathan Carleton, whose whereabouts remain unknown more than a year after he disappeared into the wilderness.

Carleton, now the Shawnee war chief White Eagle, is caught in a bitter war of his own. As unseen forces gather to destroy him, he leads the fight against white settlers encroaching on Shawnee lands—while battling the longing for Elizabeth that will not give him peace. Can her love bridge the miles that separate them—and the savage bonds that threaten to tear him forever from her arms?

My review:

People who love historical fiction with intense romantic themes and who find tribal culture fascinating will love this book. Wind of the Spirit carries you away--literally--to another time and place. The perfect combination of descriptive setting and emotive wording pulled me into the story, and the gripping scenes kept me turning the pages. The cool thing was that the tension in the story kept building while educating me about history at the same time. The romance is so well done and so beautifully written that I wouldn't change a thing. The author shows love as a holy experience. . . when it occurs the way God intended. Not many books have captivated me like this one. Wind of the Spirit is filled with delicious conflict, plus it's honest, and edgy. Wonderful story!

New video trailer for sequel to Danger at the Door...

Here is the video trailer (rough draft) I made for In Plain Sight. It's the sequel to Danger

Win my books here and check out pics of actors for my books!

This covers both of my new releases with actors and the works. Check it out.

Michelle Sutton interview and giveaway here

INAH releases today! Here is a great idea.

What do you think about this????

Here is an idea to celebrate my book release today! The Crisis Pregnancy centers want my book It's Not About Him as a resource for clients, but they are short on funds for extras. Why not buy a copy of It's Not About Him and when you finish it donate it your local CPC?

Order It's Not About Him by Michelle Sutton here...

Reminder about the contest. Don't miss it!

Remember to Visit http://www.thechristianpulse.com/ on June 18, 2009 for a chance to win a free autographed copy of my book It’s Not About Me. The Great Escape Summer Reading Contest - 22 books, 22 reviews, 22 winners, weekdays during the month of June exclusively at...

http://www.thechristianpulse.com/.

22 books, 22 reviews, and 22 winners is coming soon at The Great Escape!

June is almost here! Here is a reason to be excited!

Visit http://www.thechristianpulse.com/ on June 18, 2009 for a chance to win a free autographed copy of my book It’s Not About Me. Check out The Great Escape Summer Reading Contest - 22 books, 22 reviews, 22 winners, weekdays during the month of June exclusively at...

www.TheChristianPulse.com.