Fresno book signing and state of our country

For those of you who live in or near Fresno, California, I'll be at the Berean Book store on Blackstone Ave on Saturday, Nov 1st from 2:00 - 4:00 pm. Come out and chat with me. I'd love to meet you!




I don't like to talk politics. Inevitably someone gets upset, angry and shouting ensues. (Especially here in California) But I can't help but be very nervous about this upcoming election and the general direction in which I see our country heading. In all the years I've been old enough to vote, I've never felt such anxiety over a presidential election outcome. I've also never seen such greed, such hypocrisy, such corruption in our government and its officials. It seems as though everyone is out for themselves, what they can get out of a situation to further their career, their power, their bank accounts, instead of being the public servants they were elected to be and actually "serving" the people who elected them. Now there's a thought! How refreshing that would be. And not only serving the people, but the country, puting its long term needs ahead of their own personal ones. In essence, I'm disgusted by what I see happening and I truly believe our forefathers would be too.

I've heard it said that a democracy will crumble from within when most of its people become so self-centered that they no longer consider future generations or the state of our nation, but only want to satisfy their own immediate desires--when most people, instead of doing the homework necessary to investigate each candidate thorougly, they choose the one who will benefit them the most with no regard for others or the country as a whole.


When this happens, it causes bigger and bigger government ruling over a selfish mass who constantly look to government to solve all their problems.


But government cannot solve people's problems It never could. Our founding fathers knew this from experience. That's why they created a small government with lots of checks and balances and put the true power in the hands of the people.


Where have we gone wrong? I'll leave you with this verse from 2Timothy 3:1-4. But I'll also urge you to pray for this upcoming election. Pray for God's will and for our nation to rise up and be great once again.



This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God

Book Giveaway - In the Shadow of the Sun King

AND THE WINNER IS: RAY BYUEL!!!!!

I recently finished the historical novel, In the Shadow of the Sun King, by Golden Keyes Parsons. I actually met this wonderful author at a recent ACFW conference and found her to be just as charming as her name.

Here's a blurb about the book:

Seventeenth-century France is a dangerous time and place for a Huguenot. One woman risks her life for the freedom to practice her faith.
Because of their Protestant faith in Catholic France during the 17th century, Huguenots Francois and Madeleine Clavell's estate is overtaken by King Louis XIV's dragoons. Madeleine takes it upon herself to save her family by calling on her past love affair with the king. This is a desperate and risky decision, and one that forever changes her family's future.

Here's my quick review of the novel:

I love a good historical novel that completely draws me into the time period and combines historical details with adventure and romance. And this novel did not dissapoint. My eyes were opened to the horrific persecution endured by the Huegenots in 17th century France, a subject I knew little about. But I loved the action packed plot and the depth of the characters as Madeleine Clavell risks everything to save her husband and her family, even so far as to approach King Louis XIV and plead for their lives with a man who could order them all executed on a whim. You won't want to miss this novel!

If you'd like a chance to win this novel, just leave a comment, anything you'd like to say and include an email address where I can reach you.

Why do bad things happen to good people--part 4?

The answer to the question this week can be summed up in one word: Humility. Have you ever given much thought to the destructiveness of pride? I've heard one preacher describe pride as the ulimate sin, the one sin from which all other sins come from. Beth Moore describes pride as the complete anti-God state of mind. Have you ever met a really prideful person? Perhaps you can think of several right now. Do you find it an attractive quality? I know in this culture, we admire self-confidence, but I'm talking about something that is far worse. A prideful person is someone who is completely focused on themselves. Everything that happens around them is viewed only in the eyes of how it affects them. They are often volatile when crossed, unwilling to compromise, stubborn, self-centered, and live for the praises and accolades of others. Sound appealing?

It was pride that caused Lucifer to rebel against God. He grew tired of serving God and decided he'd become God himself. It was pride that caused Adam and Eve to eat the apple. They also wanted to be like God.

One of the benefits of suffering is that it exposes our pride for what it is and forces us to realize that we are not god, that we are in fact, nothing without Him, and that we desperately need Him. Suffering ultimately gives us an accurate picture of who God really is. Search the Scriptures and I dare you to find one instance where God blessed or revealed Himself to a prideful person. On the contrary, He ALWAYS shows up for those who with true, heartbroken humility cry out to Him in despair. He can't help Himself. He loves the hopeless.

So, utlimately if suffering produces humility in your heart, be happy, for God is opening up the pathway for great blessings in the future.

Booksigning tomorrow!

I'll be at The Berean Christian Book store in Temecula, California tomorrow from 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm! If anyone is in the neighborhood, I'd love for you to drop by and visit me! Please! I love meeting readers and would love to chat with you.

Also, for those who are interested, I've posted pictures and profiles of the characters in my books on my website. If you go to "My Books" and click on the "take an in-depth peek at the characters" for my current releases, it will take you to another page where you can see how I view each of my main characters. I really enjoy finding pictures that match the vision I have in my head of these people who, through the course of writing these books, have become very dear to me. Let me know if you enjoy it. I hope to continue this for all future books.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Why do bad things happen to good people--part 3?

I don't know about you, but when life is going along fine with mimimal problems, I tend to become complacent about my relationship with God. Yes, I still read my Bible and pray. I still go to church and attend Bible studies, but I don't seem to grow in my walk with God. I don't gain any new understandings of Him and His nature. For those of you who are married, it's sort of like being married for awhile. You tend to take the other person and the relationship for granted and don't spend the time and energy you need to make it better. Let's face it. It's our human nature to not appreciate something or someone until they are gone.

But what happens when you become deathly ill, or you lose a loved one, or your child gets hurt? What happens when you lose your job or a friend betrays you or your spouse rejects you? What happens when it seems your world has come crashing in around you? If you're a Christian, you fall to your knees before God and beg for His help.

Before my husband became a Christian, he wanted nothing to do with my new-found religion and that, along with other problems, became a huge source of contention in my marriage. For years I doubted the relationship would last, but as I look back upon it, it was during those years of intense prayer, those years of wrestling with God in the middle of the night, spending days praying and fasting for my husband and my marriage...it was during that time that I came to a far more deeper understanding of Who God really is: His power, His glory, His absolute control over everything, His plans for me, and especially His incredible love. It is this understanding of the nature of God which has kept me strong during some of the darkest hours of my life since that time, and I truly believe I've only scratched the surface in my knowlege of Him.

Could it be possible that whatever trial you are going through has been allowed by God to drive you into His presence? So you can come to a better understanding of who He is. And who knows? Perhaps that understanding will comfort and aid you greatly in even bigger trials to come. God will work out your current problem for good. He promises to do so in His word (Romans 8:28), but perhaps He's more interested in developing a deep relationship with you--not for His own joy (although I know He does enjoy His children) but for your ultimate joy!

In the words of A.W. Tozer: "Possessing a bigger, more accurate view of God is a very valuable gift.... the one who comes to a right belief about God is relieved of ten thousand temporal problems, for he sees at once that these have to do with matters which at the most cannot concern him for very long."

Have a blesssed week!

Are we in the End Times?

I've been compiling a very general list of end-times events which are predicted in the Bible. Most of these are future events and some describe the conditions of the world and our culture that were predicted to be prevelant in the end times. I thought it might interest some of you to see the list I came up with. This is a very general list and is not in specific order, although I tried to put it into a general order of timing. This list is by no means exhaustive. The items in Blue are things which I believe are already happening.

Wars and rumors of wars Matt 24: 6-7 Rev 6:3-4
Famines Luke 21:11 Rev 6:5-8
Pestilences Matt 24:7, Rev 6:8
Earthquakes Luke 21:11; Isaiah 24:19-20; Rev 6:12-14
Nation of Israel reborn Isaiah 66:8; Ezekiel 37:21
Increase in strange weather and natural disasters Romans 8:22
Rise of many false prophets Matt 24: 4,11,24; 1 Tim 4:1-2
Rapid exchange and increase of knowledge Daniel 12:4
People would travel to and fro—global transportation Daniel 12:4
Gospel is preached to every nation, tongue and people Matt 24:14
Global communication made possible where everyone will be able to see Jesus when he comes Matt 24:30
Falling away of the church or the great apostasy 2 Thess 2:3; Matt 24:10
Morality declines all over the world and great wickedness prevails 2 Tim 3:1-5; Matt 24:11; Gen 6:5-6 and Matt 24:37-39
Men become lovers of self, money and their own pleasure over anything else, especially God 2 Tim 3:1-5
Youth rebellious against parents 2 Tim 3:2-3; Mark 13:12
Homosexuality on the rise Luke 17:28-30; Ezekiel 16:49
Rise in sexual immorality and perversion Jude 1:7-8
Scoffers who ridicule and insult Christians Jude 1:18
War of Gog and Magog Ezekiel 38
Babylon is rebuilt and then falls at the end Rev 18
Rise of the final world empire, based on the old Roman empire (this could be an economic empire rather than one won by military might). This new kingdom will have 10 major kings or rulers Daniel 2:41-43; Rev 17:12
Persecution of Christians resulting in martyrs Matt 24:9; Rev 6:9
One main world leader will arise out of the new empire. He will get rid of three other of the rulers and take over all power. Daniel 7:7-8; Daniel 7:23-25
New world leader will make a peace treaty with Israel and her enemies for seven years Daniel 9:27
At some point, this new leader gets shot or killed and comes back to life Rev 13:3
The Jewish temple is rebuilt in Jerusalem Daniel 9:27, 12:11
3 ½ years into the peace treaty, the world ruler breaks the treaty with Israel and sets himself up as god in the Jewish temple to be worshiped Daniel 9:27; Matt 24:15
Remnant of Jewish people flee their land to hide out in the mountains Rev 12:6; Zechariah 14:5
Everyone is required to receive the sign of the beast on his forehead or hand, signifying their undying allegiance and worship of this world leader. If they do not, they are unable to buy and sell anything Rev 13:16
Persecution of Christians intensifies and many are martyred for their faith. Daniel 7:25; Rev 13:11
Rise of the False prophet who sets up a living statute of the antichrist and demands people worship it. He performs many signs and wonders. Rev 13:11-15
The sun darkens, the moon turns to blood and stars fall from the sky as Jesus descends in the clouds to gather his saints (rapture) 1 Thess 4;15-17; 1 Corinthians 15:51-52
144,000 young Jews are marked as belonging to the Lord Rev 14: 1-5
Marriage feast of the lamb in heaven. Rev 19:6-9
God’s wrath is poured out on all mankind Rev 8:6-12; Rev 9; Rev 16
Jesus returns with all His saints and plants his feet on the Mount of Olives Zechariah 14:1-5; 1 Thess 3:13
The Battle of Armageddon Rev 19:19
Devil chained up in the Abyss for 1000 years Rev 20:1-3
Antichrist and False prophet thrown into the lake of fire Rev 19:20
We rule and reign with Jesus on earth for 1000 years Rev 20:4, 6

Fireproof!

Last night, some friends and I went to see the movie, Fireproof. It's about a young couple who are having serious problems in their marriage and are contemplating divorce. Kirk Cameron plays the husband, who also happens to be a firefighter by trade. His wife works full time in a hospital, while also running the home and caring for her elderly parents. Basically after years of marriage and busy lives, this couple has grown distant and instead of loving each other, they complain and nag and walk through their home as if they are complete strangers. The husband has turned to porn to satisfy his needs and the wife is flirting with a doctor at work. The set up was done so well, I felt like I was reliving a bad moment in my own marriage.

On the verge of divorce, Kirk's father hands him a book called The Love Dare, and asks him to follow the instructions within it for 40 days. Kirk balks at first. He's ready for a divorce, but men cannot resisit a challenge so he accepts.

I'll tell you no more about the plot, except to say that this was a well done Christian film. If this is any indication of better-made Christian films coming down the road, I'm excited. This movie made me scream, laugh, and cry and at the end the audience was left with a powerful message.

Love is not a "feeling". It is a choice. And marriage is not a contract. It is a convenant.

And if we would put aside our selfish needs and start loving our spouse whether they deserve it or not, then we would find the happiness we are looking for in marriage.

I offer a warning about this movie, however. This is a blatant Christian film. They use the "J" word in it. And if the name of Jesus offends you in any way, you may want to avoid this film. Personally, I found it refreshing sitting in a theater in one of the most anti-Christian parts of the country and see the gospel presented on the big scream. There is hope for this country, yet.

Why do bad things happen to good people--part 2?

This is a question I get asked all the time by both Christians and non-Christians. Last week, we turned the question around and asked instead, "Why do good things happen to bad people". Perhaps its our attitude toward God and His holiness that needs to change. This week, let's focus on another reason why terrible things can happen to us.

I think the key is to get our minds off of ourselves and our own little worlds. Most people don't realize that each human being is part of a universal battle for good and evil. We are all caught up in it, whether we like it or not. If you're a Christian, you've probably beome aware of at least some part of this battle. There are two forces in the world. Good (God) and evil (Satan) and until the final battle where Satan is finally destroyed and cast into the lake of fire, our enemy is hot on our trail.

What about Job? If you haven't read the book of Job, I highly recommend it. Job lost his home, his livelihood, his children and his health. Why did all those bad things happen to him? It was because Satan challenged God. He told God that Job wouldn't worship God anymore if all the good things in his life were taken away. So God took him up on the challenge. Now, many of you may think this unfair. It seems like poor Job was simply a pawn in a cosmic game. but lets look at it a little differently. What an incredible opportunity for Job, just an average human mortal, to play a grand part in a huge battle and win a victory for God! He was commissioned by God, the creator of the universe to do battle with the enemy. Now, I don't know about you, but my life is pretty mundane and boring most of the time. I dream of big adventures battling evil and defeating my enemies. Job had that opportunity to make his life count. Isn't that what our lives here are all about? In the end, Satan lost the bet, and Job received back twice everything he had lost.

So, the next time you wonder why bad things are happening to you, stop a minute and think. Perhaps God is giving you an opportunity to glorify Him and win a battle against the enemy! What an incredible privilege.

Winner of Single Sashimi is !

Carole! Thanks to all who entered!

Name the pirate kitty!

Meet Sniffles, the fierce pirate kitty! (Yea, I know, she needs a more frightening pirate name, which is the point of this post!) Sniffles is 18 years old. We call her the Cat that will not die. She's outlived all her offspring and even though she's nearly deaf and not too stable on her feet, she's as fiesty as ever. Just last week, she chased a dog out of our backyard! Arg, now that be a good pirate if e'er I saw one! Last month we discovered she had a tumor on her right eye. So, after much family debate regarding the cost, we decided to go ahead and have the eye removed. Now, we have a true pirate cat. Rather fitting for an author who writes about pirates, wouldn't you say? (I tried putting a patch on her, but she keeps rubbing it off.)

In fact, look for Sniffles in book 3 of my upcoming Charles Towne Belles series. I'm planning on making her the pet of my hero, the fierce Captain Rafe Dubois. But she needs a better name. So, I decided to let you (Ye faithful visitors to me blog) give Sniffles a more piraty name. Please leave me a comment with your suggestions and I'll pick a winner by the end of October. The winner will receive a bag of catnip and a free copy of The Red Siren, book 1 of Charles Towne Belles.

An' may the best pirate win!

Chapter a week!

NORTH CAROLINA WEDDINGS
A collection of three novels By Yvonne Lehman

SARA HONEYCUTT needs a life goal now that she has a college degree, so she takes a summer housekeeping job. She quickly attracts the attention of the family's three sons, but which one can she really trust?
ELLEN JONSEN is jobless and feuding with her father. Desperate for a job that will keep her close to her little sister, Ellen starts working at a Christian conference center for a boss who harbors a mysterious pain in his past. Can she find relief for an increasingly stressful life?
TYLER CORBIN, just released from two years in prison, finds a woman he could love—if only his past were different. Can he trust her enough not to expose the fact that he is innocent?
Through joy and sorrow, each person finds a trail leading them torenewed faith, as well as romance.

Orchid House by Cindy Martinusen

Bringing Words to Life and Life to Words"Cindy Martinusen reveals the exotic beauty, generous hospitality and heartbreaking history of the Philippines in this stunning tale that enthralled me from start to finish." Rel Mollet "RelzReviewz"(Australia)

From back cover:A funeral and some family business--that' s what Julia Bentley expects when she travels to the Philippines to bury her grandfather. Instead, she discovers a place where the past and present, Spanish and Asian, primitive and civilized mingle in a melange as spicy and colorful as the paella her relatives dish up for special occasions. A place where children hitch rides on cattle and others wield loaded guns. Where guerrillas lurk in the jungle and volcanoes and governments are threatened to blow. Where stories haunt her ancestral home - the grand but decaying Hacienda Esperanza, Plantation of Hope - and danger lurks behind every tree. How can a land so foreign, and so troubled,fill her with a strange peace? And would staying mean risking her life...or finding it at last?

To read an excerpt of these new titles go to Chapter-a-Week

Why do bad things happen to good people--part 1?

As I discuss the things of God with both my Christian and non-Chrisitian friends, this is the question that comes up most often. People cannot understand why the world is so full of suffering and pain and injustice. They become angry when they see "good" people suffering unfairly and their first reaction is to blame God. If He exists and is the creator of all things and is in control of all things, then why doesn't He stop the suffering? Why does He allow the pain?

With God's help and the wisdom found in His Word, I hope to address these questions as best I can. And by the way, the 2nd book in my Pirate series, The Reliance, revolves around these very questions as well.

Before I give the first reason, let me lay a foundation.

1. God created the world and filled it with people and animals and it was Good.
2. He gave mankind free will and when confronted with the choice between good and evil, man chose evil.
3. God is a gentleman and always gives man his choice. Therefore evil in the form of Satan and his minions took over the world.
4. The consequences of man's choice not only brought evil into the world, but it brought evil into man's heart. The Bible says that the heart of man is evil. The hearts of men, moreover, are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live Ecclesiastes 9:3

So the real question should not be: Why do bad things happen to good people? but it should be: Why do good things happen to bad people?

We deserve nothing from God. He owes us nothing. Therefore, it would be better to focus on His goodness and the blessings He does send out way out of His mercy and love than to complain about the hardships.

Welcome my good friend and fellow author, Camy Tang!

Please welcome author extraordinaire, Camy Tang! She's the author of a fabulous Chic-Lit trilogy with an Asian Flair that in all honesty, I could not put down. (And I don't even like Chic-Lit) She recently won the coveted ACFW Book of the Year for her first book, Sushi For One! And besides being a great author, she is a really nice person too.

Camy has agreed to give away a copy of her most recent releasee, Single Sashimi, book 3 in the Sushi Series. You don't need to have read the first two books to enjoy this one! I've read all 3 books in the series and loved each one, but this one was my favorite. So, sit back, enjoy Camy's interview, and post a comment on anything Camy said, and I'll enter your name in a drawing for the book. I'll post the winner next Monday, Oct 13th. And don't forget to leave your email address!

Here's a little bit about Single Sashimi:

Venus Chau is determined to start her own game development company and launch the next Super Mario-sized phenomenon. However, she needs an investor to back her idea. When Drake Yu, an old nemesis, approaches Venus with a contracting opportunity at his sister’s startup, the offer to become Chief Technology Officer tempts Venus to think the unthinkable. Venus would rather throw away her PS3 than work for Drake again … except Grandma bribes Venus to do this favor for Drake’s wealthy family with a coveted introduction to the most respected investor in the game industry. It’s also a short job—only a few months—so Venus won’t have to stand Drake’s presence for very long.But one wild youth group, a two-faced assistant, and Grandma’s determined match-making threaten to make them both fail—or go insane. With the encouragement of her three cousins, Lex, Trish, and Jennifer, Venus discovers that even a wounded heart can undergo a beautiful transformation …

Since Camy lives only a mile from me, I recently had a chance to interview her.

1. What is the hardest thing about being an author? And what keeps you writing every day?

For me, the hardest thing is managing my time with all the other things I have to do—my critiquing service, online marketing in various forms, blogging. I do my best to manage my time, but sometimes there are other things that need to be done, so the writing gets squeezed out for the day.

I’m trying to get better about that, however. I try to set aside some time each day to write NO MATTER WHAT, and also an hour to read—because if I’m not reading what’s already being published, I can’t be sure that what I’m writing is fresh and appealing.

2. I’ve read all three of Camy’s books and she is the queen of characters. All of her characters are real, interesting, and identifiable people who will strike you in the emotional gut. What is your secret to creating such intense, real characters? Tell us briefly about the main characters in Single Sashimi? What makes the heroine, Venus, tick? What sets her apart from other heroines? What about Drake?

I use character archetypes as the baseline for my characters. I typically use the book 45 MASTER CHARACTERS by Victoria Lynn Schmidt and choose an archetype for the character first. Venus is the Father’s Daughter archetype, based on the goddess Athena.

Then I add some sort of twist to the character to make them more interesting than just the basic archetype.
For the Athena archetype, she values approval by the men she works with.

For Venus, I turned that on its head by making her despise the men she works with because of the change in how they viewed her when she suddenly lost so much weight.

This is how she is at the start of the story, so while she’s still the Athena archetype, she’s dealing with what seems like the betrayal of all the men in the world. This makes her more than just the archetype—she starts off the story already struggling with the loss of something she’s always held close.

Using archetypes is helpful for me because it separates, in my own mind, how I view each character. Lex is the Artemis archetype, Trish is the Persephone archetype, and Jenn is the Demeter archetype. They each seem very different to me in my own head, so when I write them, hopefully I convey their differences to the reader, too.

3. Is there a theme running through the story? What do you hope readers will take away besides a fun, entertaining read?

My hope is that readers will come away with a stronger understanding of how God is always in control, and that we just need to let go of our own sense of what we’d like to do or have happen and let Him do His thing.

4. You run a critique service as well as a “book doctor” service. What are five of the most common mistakes you see in the manuscripts that cross your desk?

I actually did ten of the most common mistakes, and I blogged about it here:
http://storysensei.blogspot.com/2008/08/top-ten-mistakes-i-see-in-fiction.html

Some things I mentioned might surprise an intermediate writer. The one thing I want to emphasize is number 2, where I talk about clichéd characters. I see too many stories where the characters are not intriguing or original.

The thing is, a writer will not know if their character is truly original unless he/she READS EXTENSIVELY. In the article “Surviving Your Career” in the October 2007 issue of the Romance Writer’s Report, best-selling author Connie Brockway said: “In order to keep the word well filled, for every word you write you ought to read two.”

She was talking about refilling the creative well, but I’ve taken that a step further and believe that a writer should read extensively to keep the creative well FRESH and ORIGINAL.

5. What is next for you?

My next release is a romantic suspense called Deadly Intent that’ll be out around August next year. It’s part of Steeple Hill’s Love Inspired Suspense line, and I’m totally thrilled about it!

Here’s a back cover blurb I came up with, but this might not be what’s on the actual back cover:

THERE WAS A DEAD BODY IN HER MASSAGE ROOM

And massage therapist Naomi Grant is suspected of murder. She’s frustrated and helpless as a web of lies closes in around her, framing her. She doesn’t have time to worry about her shaky faith or think about her growing attraction to the victim’s ex-husband, Dr. Devon Knightley.

Orthopedic surgeon Devon had only needed to claim his mother’s necklace back from his ex-wife, but suddenly he’s embroiled in a murder investigation and someone is trying to kill him. He wants to somehow protect Naomi from the trap being set around her, but can he keep them both safe against a villain with deadly intent?


Thanks for having me here, MaryLu!
Camy

Camy Tang writes romance with a kick of wasabi. She used to be a biologist, but now she is a staff worker for her church youth group and leads a worship team for Sunday service. She also runs the Story Sensei fiction critique service. On her blog, she gives away Christian novels every Monday and Thursday, and she ponders frivolous things like dumb dogs (namely, hers), coffee-geek husbands (no resemblance to her own...), the writing journey, Asiana, and anything else that comes to mind. Visit her website at http://www.camytang.com/ for a huge website contest going on right now, giving away ten boxes of books and 30 copies of her latest release, SINGLE SASHIMI.

Chapter a week and Camy's new book!

First, some news. I'm flying down to Riverside, CA tomorrow for a booksigning at Berean Bookstore , 3396 Tyler Street with my friend and author, Kelly Eileen Hake. If you're in the neighborhood, please please drop by!
Next, Monday, the 6th, Camy Tang will be my guest blogger. I will be posting her interview and information on her newest release, Single Sashimi. (I've read it and it's fabulous!) And Camy's giving away a free copy!!! So, please check back on Monday for that.

Now, this weeks, Chapter A week!

A Taste of Murder

By Virginia Smith

A ruthless killer stalks a young woman during a Kentucky town's annual Bar-B-Q Festival. He's had a taste of murder … and is hungry for more.


When classical music lover Jasmine Delaney accepts a gig to play her violin in a small town, she arrives in time to join in the festivities of the local Bar-B-Q Festival. But when she checks into the hotel, Jazzy is in for a few unpleasant surprises--like a body in the bathtub covered in barbeque sauce. Not even the soothing strains of Mozart can still her jangled nerves--especially when it seems the killer is intent on making her the next victim.


"A Taste of Murder is a delightful read. ... Virginia Smith dishes up strong characters, a viable plot and a warm, effective conclusion. " -- Romantic Times (4-star Review)

Lying on Sunday
By Sharon Souza

For Abbie Torrington, betrayal and truth are about to collide.

After learning her husband died of a heart attack—in another woman's bed—Abbie is faced with a choice: She can give in to despair, or she can create a new life. Abbie does both … Then a shocking revelation threatens to undo everything she's accomplished. Will the power of the truth really set Abbie free, or is forgiveness too far out of reach?

" Sharon has created a character so vivid and real you'll feel as though you've stepped into Abbie Torrington's life. You don't want to miss this beautiful story of healing and grace." --- Virginia Smith, author of Stuck in the Middle.

"Lying on Sunday is delightful and poignant, witty and moving . . . Bravo!" --- Nancy Moser, award-winning author of Washington's Lady and Just Jane.

To read an excerpt of these new titles go to Chapter-a-Week and to join our deeper discussion of these and other titles go to Chapter-a-Week Chat at http://groups. yahoo.com/ group/CAWChat/ where authors and readers discuss new titles together.
If you enjoy Chapter-a-Week take the time to tell a friend how to sign up. It's easy and free and a great way to find great books that fit each person's particular taste

The Writer's Life

I went to a book signing this past weekend at a local Christian Book store. I took 2 of my closest friends along and we had a blast! I only sold one book, but enjoyed chatting with all the customers. I hate to break the news to any aspiring authors out there who envision crowds of people lined up to have you sign your book for them, it just doesn't happen that way. Well, not unless you're Steven King or Karen Kingsbury! Honestly, no one really knew who I was or what I was doing there, even though the event had been well advertised. I find these book signings to be a good lesson from God in humility. After I got asked where the bathroom was more than once, I decided I should at least learn it's location so I'd have something to chat about with the customers!

The table cloth you see was made for me by one of my dearest friends and my mentee, Debbie Lynne Costello. I wish you could see it more clearly for it has tall ships and swords on it and the names of my 3 pirate books.

Anyway, I have another book signing this Saturday, October 4th at Berean Bookstore , 3396 Tyler Street, Riverside, CA. For anyone in the neighborhood. And please don't ask me where the bathroom is!

Currently, I'm furiously working on book 2 in the Charles Towne Belles Series, The Blue Enchantress. I'm nearing the end of the story which is always my favorite part.

Also for anyone interested, I have posted most of the first chapter of The Red Siren on my website under New Releases. Check it out and see what you think.