Starfire by Mary Manners

Austin McGill has one goal: to satisfy the conditions of his estranged father's will. After living on Starfire Ranch for three months, he'll sell the property and leave East Tennessee and its heartbreaking memories...forever. At least, that's his plan until Samantha Lakin comes along.

Samantha Lakin one goal: to save Starfire and its summer camp for special-needs kids like her foster daughter, Jenny. To succeed, Sam will have to soften Austin's stone-cold heart. Not an easy task, especially when she realizes the ranch isn't the only thing that needs saving.

Can Sam's devotion and the love of a little girl teach Austin to let go of the past and to trust God for the future before the ranch and any chance at a happily-ever-after are lost?

Ready for an excerpt?

 

His heart skipped a beat and for the slightest

moment, a haze covered his vision. She was the Sam

his father had spoken of in the will? No way. It was a

cruel joke. But then again, the old man had excelled at

cruel jokes.

Rich, dark hair cascaded in waves down her back

to meet legs that seemed to go on forever beneath

faded jeans. He imagined years of riding horses had

made them strong and toned. And her eyes…the

emerald shade matched shimmering pasture grass that

blanketed the ground as far as he could see. A gentle

breeze carried the scent of her shampoo—a blend of

citrus and apples that danced with sweet hay and the

oiled leather of the western saddle across the mare’s

sleek back.

Austin shook his head and found his voice. “I

know where the barn is. I grew up here, at least

until…” He caught himself. No need rehashing the

past, especially not with a complete stranger, no matter

how appealing she might be. “Sam…the name…I

thought you were a…guy.” His gaze swept her head to

toe, and he nodded with appreciation. “But obviously I

was mistaken.”

She studied him as the mare nickered and nudged

her hand. “Well, I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“You don’t…live in the house, do you?”

Her laughter was like tinkling glass. “Of course

not. Jenny and I live in the guest quarters beyond the

house. We’ve been here—I mean, I’ve been here—

almost three years. Jenny came last summer.”

“Jenny?”

“My foster daughter. She’s seven.” The sound of

an engine rambled through the pasture’s stillness and

Austin followed Sam’s gaze as she turned away for a

moment. Down the road, dust billowed around a small

yellow school bus. “Here she comes. Perfect timing.

You can meet her, Austin. She’s been waiting for you.”

“Waiting for me?”

“Yes. She wants to introduce you to the horses.”

His gut clenched and he shook his head. “Not

today. I’m heading to the house.” No way, no how,

would he get sucked into her ploy to soften his resolve.

Three months, ninety-two days, two thousand, two

hundred eight—no, seven hours left. “I assume the

house is just where I remember it?”

Disappointment shadowed her gaze, and she

nodded curtly. “I assume so.”

“Great. I’ve got the key, so I’ll just go now. Nice to

meet you, Sam. I guess I’ll see you around.” He slid

behind the truck’s wheel and cranked up the music—

anything to chase away the jumbled thoughts in his

head. Dust engulfed the windshield as he gunned the

engine and tires shredded the hard-packed dirt road

until he could no longer see Sam—or those long, toned

legs and waves of hair—in the rear-view mirror.

About Mary:

Mary Manners is an award-winning author of inspirational romance who lives in the beautiful foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee with her husband and teen-aged daughter. She is a member of the Romance Writers of America and Smoky Mountain Romance Writers.

During the school year, she teaches middle-schoolers reading and Algebra. In her free time, she likes to garden, take long walks with her husband, and read romance novels in a hammock beneath century-old shade trees.

Happy Monday!

Good morning!

Grab a glass of lemonade or iced tea and join me at Joy on the Back Roads today. Isn't that a cool name? Check out my interview with dear friend and fellow Carolina Christian Writer and ACFW'r, Angela E. Arndt.

And if you haven't bought Journey's End yet, what are you waiting for??

Guest blogging at Novel Sisterhood

Hello blogging buddies.

After the excitement of Friday’s release of Journey's End, you'll find me hanging out with my cup of coffee at the Novel Sisterhood blog. Pour a cup of coffee and join me, won't you?

"Have you ever found that you didn’t like your Hero or your Heroine?" Aargh! What writer hasn't wanted to reach into the computer screen and wrap their fingers around a hero's neck? (For me, it's always the hero that doesn't cooperate. Hmmm. Now why is that?)

Find out the answer to that question. You can even ask some of your own.
http://novelsisterhood.blogspot.com/

Journey's End by Dora Hiers

Finally! It's here! What we've all been waiting for. OK, what I've been waiting for. Yay! Here it is.

Journey's End by Dora Hiers

Devastated after the brutal murder of her husband, Chelsea Hammond vows never to love another lawman. Intent on rebuilding her shattered life, she turns her focus to helping troubled teens. But when an angry father bent on retaliation, threatens her, Chelsea must turn to the one man she never thought to trust: Deputy U.S. Marshal Trey Colten.

Trey wants only to protect Chelsea, but she blames him for her husband’s death.Trey can relate. He blames himself, also. As danger lurks, Trey begs Chelsea to heed his warnings. He let down one Hammond. He won’t let down another—especially one who now holds his heart.

When Chelsea is snatched from her home, can she put aside her fear and trust Trey with her life? Can she forgive him for destroying her past and let him help to rebuild her future?

Where one journey ends, another begins…

Surely after that intro you can't resist reading an excerpt!

“I suppose I should have been a vet.” Chelsea stroked the dog’s fur from his head all the way down his back, careful not to touch his wounded leg.

“Maybe. But I don’t think you’ve wasted your energy or your talents as a guidance counselor. Teenagers can’t seem to resist you, either.”

That produced a full-fledged smile in his direction. Way to go, Colten!

“Remember that natural charm I warned you about?”

He threw back his head and laughed. “Yes. And after a few days in your presence, I’m inclined to agree with you.”

He pulled into the veterinarian’s parking lot and glanced her way, surprised to see her grinning. “What?”

“Saved by the vet.”

Her words hit him like a piano dropping ten stories. She was flirting with him.

He took his time walking around to her side of the truck. He opened the door and leaned in, planting his hand on the seat next to her shapely legs. His face hovered inches from hers while he savored the way her wavy hair cascaded down her shoulders, the lips that curved in that always graceful way, and the eyes that spoke everything his heart wanted to hear.

Her eyes closed, and her lips parted slightly.

Trey snapped out of it. He couldn’t do this.  He was on the job. She didn’t know the secrets he knew, the truth about her husband. 

Her eyes startled open. As much as he wanted to partake and enjoy, he couldn’t. He touched a silky curl framing her face and ran it through his fingers. “You need to know that right now I’m working. But there will come a time, soon, when I’m not.”

You can purchase Journey's End in e-book and print formats at the following sites:
http://www.whiterosepublishing.com/Journey39S-End
http://www.christianbook.com/
http://www.amazon.com/

Awed. Humbled. Thankful. Blessed.

Three more days.

Yep. That's it. Three.

On Friday Journey's End releases for all the world to see.

Wow!

I'm awed. Humbled. Thankful. Blessed.

Blessed to serve an awesome God. Blessed to share life with my sweet husband. Awed that on Friday I'll finally leap over that giant chasm between published and unpublished. Did I mention humbled?

And thankful. Today I want to share my thanks.

First, I want to offer thanks to my awesome God. Thank you for loving me with a love I can only imagine and for adopting me through the precious blood of Your Son. For offering hope, forgiveness, grace, and an eternity with You. Thank you for planting the words in my heart. You're my Rock, my Redeemer. Alpha and Omega. Lord of Lords. King of Kings. The Great I Am. I love You!

Thank you to my husband. For not poking fun of my dreams. For encouraging me to dig deep for pearls of wisdom in contest comments and to keep writing through the pain of rejection. For allowing me to stop working for a paycheck and never complaining at the loss of a second income. You're my best friend. I love you!

And a humongous thank you to White Rose Publishing, for everything they've accomplished to ensure the success of Journey's End. To Nicola Martinez, Jamie West, Lisa Dawn, Annette Irby, and every employee of WRP who worked on Journey's End. For the precious WRP authors, who have quickly become my friends and my biggest supporters. For believing in my story and in me, an unpublished writer. I pray I earn your trust.

Journey's End ~ Where one journey ends, another begins...
  available Friday, 5/20/11 http://www.whiterosepublishing.com/Journey39S-End

PARADOX by JoAnn Carter

This morning while I was lying in bed in the early pre-dawn I heard a bird singing out a beautiful melody. Normally, this would make my heart happy, but then I'd just turn over and try to catch a few more moments of rest. But not today. Today was extra special. Why? Because crazy as this may sound, this little birdie was lifting it's sweet praises in the midst of a thunderstorm. Amazing! God used two rather "ordinary" things to create and extraordinary experience for me—God showed me something awesome and real—a perfect picture of peace. Thunderclouds rolled in, lighting flashed across the dark gray sky, and rain teamed down the windowpane yet this bird was secure. In fact, it was more than secure, it was full of joy, willing and wanting to sing.

This sends Goosebumps up my spine as I think about it. It's a paradox and truly a God thing. Especially since this word, paradox, has been near and dear to my heart. In fact, I kid you not; this is the very title of the book that I wanted to share with you today. Yet, perhaps paradox is not a word you're familiar with, so let me explain. Paradox is flowers on snow, joy in the midst of trials, compassion for others as your own heart breaks. It's what many of us just celebrated, Easter-- Jesus laying down his life for me, someone sinful and undeserving. It's victory and life born out of death and suffering.

Through this experience, God reminded me that He delights in using those ordinary things to accomplish His marvelous purposes. And that's super news! If He can use Fishermen, tax collectors, birds, and thunderstorms, I know He can use me—a very average, ordinary person to do extraordinary things for Him. Perhaps you're feeling "ordinary" today. Take heart, it's through that very thing that God can show His creativity, His power, and even His love just like He did for me in the midst of this early mornings storm.

A CONTEST TO HELP ME CELEBRATE THE RELEASE OF PARADOX:

Win a gift box filled with goodies! (A paperback copy of Teacher's Plans, a gift certificate, a mug filled with a package of Green Mountain Coffee, pen and a Tee-shirt.)

How? Help me spread the word about Paradox by sharing the link to this post on your FB, Twitter, blog, etc. then e-mail where you posted it to joannwrites@gmail.com with "Blog Blitz" in the subject line. A winner will be drawn 5/26/11.

--

JoAnn Carter writes stories that will encourage your faith through inspirational fiction novels and novellas. She resides in Vermont with her wonderful husband and four children.

JoAnn is available for speaking engagements to book clubs, reader groups, library groups, women's ministries events, school events, and church retreats.

Find her here:

Visit JoAnn's Web site

Connect with JoAnn on Facebook

JoAnn's Blog

--

I hope you'll be able to pick up a copy of Paradox today @ http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-168/JoAnne-Carter-Paradox/Detail.bok

You can watch the trailer here ~ http://youtu.be/mnOQeNeQuUE

Is Father's Day an overlooked holiday?

That's what my husband thinks anyway ~ that Father's Day is not as vastly celebrated as Mother's Day. Not that our family has ever made him feel that way.

His reasons? Father's Day occurs in June, so kids don't make homemade cards or gifts in school like they do for Mother's Day. And the public "hype" is almost non-existent.

What do you think? Do you agree? Disagree? Do you have any special "fathers" you want to honor? What does Father's Day mean to you? How do you make the day special for your loved one?

Email your thoughts about Father's Day to dora@dorahiers.com. Whatever's on your heart. If I have five entries (under 500 words) to choose from prior to June 12, 2011, I'll post my favorite entry on this blog on Father's Day AND the winner will receive a free ebook of Journey's End, written by ~ you guessed it ~ me! Here's a tiny tidbit from Journey's End:

“I suppose I should have been a vet.” Chelsea stroked the dog’s fur from his head all the way down his back, careful not to touch his wounded leg.

“Maybe. But I don’t think you’ve wasted your energy or your talents as a guidance counselor. Teenagers can’t seem to resist you, either.”

That produced a full-fledged smile in his direction. Way to go, Colten!

“Remember that natural charm I warned you about?”

He threw back his head and laughed. “Yes. And after a few days in your presence, I’m inclined to agree with you.”

He pulled into the veterinarian’s parking lot and glanced her way, surprised to see her grinning. “What?”

“Saved by the vet.”

Her words hit him like a piano dropping ten stories. She was flirting with him.

He took his time walking around to her side of the truck. He opened the door and leaned in, planting his hand on the seat next to her shapely legs. His face hovered inches from hers while he savored the way her wavy hair cascaded down her shoulders, the lips that curved in that always graceful way, and the eyes that spoke everything his heart wanted to hear.

Her eyes closed, and her lips parted slightly.

Trey snapped out of it. He couldn’t do this.  He was on the job. She didn’t know the secrets he knew, the truth about her husband. 

Her eyes startled open. As much as he wanted to partake and enjoy, he couldn’t. He touched a silky curl framing her face and ran it through his fingers. “You need to know that right now I’m working. But there will come a time, soon, when I’m not.”

I'm hanging out at Writer's Journey today...

Join me at Writer's Journey today where Lynnette Bonner shares my journey to publication! See you there!
http://lynnettebonner.blogspot.com/

Forgot to buy a gift for Mother's Day?? No problem!

Forgot to buy a gift for Mother's Day? No problem! Download Return to Me by Deborah Pierson Dill, this week's release by White Rose Publishing.

Audrey Rhodes once walked the straight and narrow, but a terrible mistake changed the direction her life. Now former boyfriend and bad boy, Brent Thomason, is back in Blithe Settlement claiming newfound faith in God. Audrey's feelings for Brent haven't changed, but she has. Her life is in shambles. How can she be worthy of this new Brent's love?

Brent Thomason isn't proud of his past. Audrey had been his friend and his love, and he betrayed her. Now a veterinarian, he's returned home to work with Audrey's dad and make restitution for his misdeeds. Brent finds it's not so easy for people to accept his changed ways; still he must make things right with those he hurt, starting with Audrey.

As God directs their paths, Audrey discovers forgiveness is a two-edged sword...especially when she must first forgive herself. And Brent must accept God's will...even if it means losing Audrey a second time.

http://www.whiterosepublishing.com/Return-To-Me

What's on my heart?

 

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. Psalms 19:14

Enough said.