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Patti’s Blogs; Patti’s Porch & The Over Fifty Writer; Podcast Step Into the Light

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2019-04-23
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2019-04-09
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2019-01-29
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WELCOME AUTHOR JUNE FOSTER
5/18/2019 1:00:00 PM BY Patti Shene

FEATURED BOOK: Dreams Deferred

AUTHOR: June Foster

PUBLISHER: Winged Publications

GENRE: Contemporary romance

SERIES OR STAND ALONE: stand alone

TARGET AGE: 18-90

IT IS MY PLEASURE TO WELCOME AUTHOR JUNE FOSTER TO PATTI’’S PORCH. JUNE SHARES HER OBSERVATIONS OF THE WAY NONBELIEVERS PERCEIVE CHRISTIANS.

JUNE IS OFFERING A GIVEAWAY! SIMPLY LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW TO ENTER THE DRAWING FOR AN EBOOK COPY OF DREAMS DEFERRED.

CHRISTIANS AND NONBELIEVERS

June Foster

I'm a Christian. I read my Bible and pray. I go to church on Sunday and Wednesday night and love spending time with other Christians.

The non-believers in my life observe my lifestyle. From what they see, they likely think this is what it means to be a Christian. Spending a lot of time reading some boring book and doing who knows what in the large building over there on Highway 157.

Oh, and they might pick up on some of my conservative, right winged rhetoric at times. That's the definition of a Christian to them. That's what it's like to be religious, and they likely don't want any part of it.

As I read Psalm 63, I thought about King David who found himself in an unfriendly environment with circumstances beyond his control. He fled to the Judean Desert to escape a revolt instigated against him by his son Absalom.

What does he do in the midst of the dry and parched land? He calls out to God and worships Him. He declares that he will praise Him as long as he lives and lifts up his hands to the Lord.

Wait a minute. That sounds kind of like what we do in our church. You know. When we're in the sanctuary.

I sense a misinterpretation of what's going on here. A Christian is not what she does on Sunday or what book she reads, although attending church and reading the Bible are vital. Being a Christian is what dwells in one's heart.

David was desperate as he sought safety from his enemies, and he sought God, much in the same way we do in church.

I see a disconnect here. In the US, it's possible that non-believers see only the cultural descriptors of a Christian. Somehow, I wish our hearts were more on display—the part of us that has been declared righteous by our Savior.

Christians, let's pray that non-believers will see our hearts, not just our actions.

Question: how can we better represent the Lord Jesus Christ to the world?

Blurb for Dreams Deferred

Frances Matthew Hall is obedient to family tradition: all firstborn sons will serve as a priest. Now Matt officiates at St. Aloysius Catholic Church in San Antonio, Texas. But when on Easter Sunday, he notices a beautiful young woman who takes his breath away, he must fight against his attraction to her or leave the priesthood and alienate his entire family.

Mary Louise Graham is a middle school teacher and devout catholic. Yet no amount of service to the community can ease the heavy load of guilt she carries. God can never forgive her unspeakable mistake. But when Father Matt tells her about a forgiving God through His son Jesus Christ, she's free. Only thing, the Godly priest now means more to her than he should.

Can two people find their way to each other amidst insurmountable obstacles? Dreams Deferred is inspired by the author's great grandfather and great grandmother's story.

Amazon buy link

DON’T FORGET TO LEAVE A COMMENT TO BE PLACED IN THE DRAWING TO WIN AN EBOOK COPY OF DREAMS DEFERRED BETWEEN NOW AND TUESDAY, MAY 28TH AT MIDNIGHT MDT.

BY LEAVING A COMMENT, YOU GRANT PERMISSION FOR YOUR EMAIL TO BE REVEALED TO THE AUTHOR IF YOU ARE THE WINNER TO FACILITATE RECEIPT OF YOUR BOOK.

June Foster is an award-winning author who began her writing career in an RV roaming around the USA with her husband, Joe. She brags about visiting a location before it becomes the setting in her next contemporary romance or romantic suspense. June's characters find themselves in precarious circumstances where only God can offer redemption and ultimately freedom. To date June has seen publication of 19 novels and 1 devotional. Find June at junefoster.com.

WELCOME AUTHOR JULIE ARDUINI
5/11/2019 1:15:00 PM BY Patti Shene

Featured Book: Match Made in Heaven

Author: Julie Arduini

Publisher: Surrendered Scribe Media

Genre: Christian Romance

Series or Stand Alone: Stand Alone Novella

Target Age: 13+

IT IS MY PLEASURE TO WELCOME AUTHOR JULIE ARDUINI TO PATTI’S PORCH. JULIE SHARES HOW SHE LEARNED TO HEAL FROM HURT AND SURRENDER HER ANGER TO GOD.

JULIE IS OFFERING A GIVEAWAY! SIMPLY LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW TO ENTER THE DRAWING FOR WINNER’S CHOICE OF A PRINT OR EBOOK COPY OF MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN.

Match Made in Heaven, Julie’s Christian romance novella is a free eBook today, Saturday, and Mother's Day. Grab a copy here and share the news!

Job’s Wife & Me

Julie Arduini

When I decided to update the first Christian romance novella I wrote, Match Made in Heaven, I wanted to add a surrender issue readers could relate to. The heroine, Beth Prescott, has congenital hypothyroidism, the same endocrine diagnosis our daughter has.

Through the years, our daughter has not only struggled with weight gain and exhaustion. She’s needed consistent lab works that have always been difficult draws. We also learned with hypothyroidism is Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. Then for us, another diagnosis, the rare disorder called Albrights Hereditary Osteodystrophy. In our situation her bones fused and her height maxed out at 4’9”. There are certain aspects of puberty that are delayed, and there isn’t a lot of information on Albrights patients her age to know what to expect.

After a while, I was angry. Mad enough I started pointing fingers. At God. Like Job’s wife, I couldn’t see anything in her situation to be thankful about. “His wife said to him, ‘Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!’” (Job 2:9). I looked at our daughter’s friends surpassing her in height and cried hot, hurt tears. If God is such a good Father, why was He allowing this?

It took time for me to heal and transform from Job’s wife thinking of cursing God and Job, who blessed the name of the Lord even when He gave and took away. The biggest thing I had to do was lament. Thanks to the book No More Faking Fine by Esther Fleece, I realized I had to let my real feelings out. I was mad. I didn’t understand. But I couldn’t stuff it. I let God know everything He knew anyway. Then I let Him have it all. Surrendered the pain and questions and chose to trust Him with her and her health.

I’ve had to lament quite a bit since then with big stuff, and small irritations. I realized when revising Match Made in Heaven that Beth’s health and her reaction could be something readers could relate to. She grew up noticing she wasn’t exactly like her peers, and she resented it. Her family were barely church-goers to begin with, so it was an easy slide to fault God. When Dean Kellerman enters her life, he’s trusting God with every single thing because he knows too well what it’s like to live without Christ in his life. Writing Match Made in Heaven was a blessing and a challenge, and I believe readers will find their own healing and peace with Jesus as they relate to the story.

Have you ever blamed God, or do you need to? Please leave a comment below and I will randomly choose one to win a copy of Match Made in Heaven. US winner can choose between print or eBook. International winner automatically wins eBook.

Match Made in Heaven: A Novella by Julie Arduini

Beth Prescott wants to make a difference with the senior citizens she serves as a volunteer coordinator, but their matchmaking efforts leave her guarded. She’s experienced too much pain to make that leap again.

Dean Kellerman returns to the Finger Lakes area to help his grandfather and heal his own broken heart. He’s recommitted his life to Christ, and doesn’t want any distractions.

When his grandfather needs assistance with a senior program, it places Dean right in Beth’s path. Can these two surrender their pasts to Christ and have faith in each other and their future?

Amazon Buy Link

DON’T FORGET TO LEAVE A COMMENT TO BE PLACED IN THE DRAWING TO WIN A PRINT OR EBOOK COPY OF MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN BETWEEN NOW AND TUESDAY, MAY 21ST AT MIDNIGHT MDT. (US residents only eligible for print copy).

BY LEAVING A COMMENT, YOU GRANT PERMISSION FOR YOUR EMAIL TO BE REVEALED TO THE AUTHOR IF YOU ARE THE WINNER TO FACILITATE RECEIPT OF YOUR BOOK.

Julie Arduini loves to encourage readers to find freedom in Christ by surrendering the good, the bad, and ---maybe one day---the chocolate. She’s the author of the contemporary romance series SURRENDERING TIME, (Entrusted, Entangled, Engaged,) as well as the stand-alone novella, MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN. She also shares her story in the infertility devotional, A WALK IN THE VALLEY. Her latest release, YOU’RE AMAZING, is a book for girls ages 10-100, written with her teenaged daughter, Hannah, and is book 2 in their SURRENDERING STINKIN’ THINKIN’ series. She blogs every other Wednesday for Christians Read, as well as monthly with Inspy Romance. She resides in Ohio with her husband and two children. Learn more by visiting her website, where she invites readers to subscribe to her monthly newsletter full of resources and giveaway opportunities.

Connect with Julie:

WELCOME AUTHOR PAT JEANNE DAVIS
5/7/2019 11:25:00 PM BY Patti Shene

FEATURED BOOK: When Valleys Bloom Again

AUTHOR: Pat Jeanne Davis

PUBLISHER: Elk Lake Publishing, Inc.

GENRE: Historical Inspirational Romance

SERIES OR STAND ALONE: Stand Alone

TARGET AGE: 18 and older

IT IS MY PLEASURE TO WELCOME AUTHOR PAT JEANNE DAVIS TO THE OVER 50 WRITER. PAT SHARES WHAT SHE LEARNED ABOUT GOD’S PERFECT TIMING WHEN SHE SOUGHT HIS GUIDANCE.

PAT IS OFFERING A GIVEAWAY! SIMPLY LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW TO ENTER THE DRAWING FOR AN EBOOK COPY OF WHEN VALLEYS BLOOM AGAIN

A HEART’S DESIRE

Pat Jeanne Davis

I knew my story would be an encouragement for other women struggling with infertility. This realization motivated me to enroll in a creative writing course. There I was introduced to the basic steps in the writing process. So began my writing journey.

While learning the craft, my story was critiqued in class. “Continue to polish your piece and find a publication for it,” my instructor advised.

I reminded myself the writing experience was also part of my walk of faith and that, too, required patience, perseverance and prayer.

Then my teacher suggested that I apply for a scholarship to the conference where she was on the board of directors. At the same time, I submitted the story I had worked on in her class to a national magazine for their Mother’s Day writing competition. I sent both the application for the scholarship and the story out in December. I didn’t think anymore about them.

Five months later and just before Mother’s Day, I went for the first time to GRIT Magazine’s website. To my surprise jumping out at me on the front cover was my piece, Mommy to You Both. There was no mention of the contest or any winners. Two weeks later a check and five copies arrived in my mailbox. This success gave me much needed encouragement and a desire to continue submitting more of my work.

At the end of May I received word that I was awarded an all paid scholarship to the writer’s conference in June. So with renewed enthusiasm and much excitement I attended my first conference. I knew my instructor would be there too. As I was browsing through the free literature provided at this event, I saw a stack of GRIT Magazines. There on the table was the issue with my story. It was an exciting moment as I once more realized that I was not wasting my time trying to become a published writer. But more importantly I saw this as an indication that God was pleased with my efforts to encourage others with my words.

Eventually more of my work was accepted elsewhere. I began to use those clips when querying or submitting to other markets. Since then my essays, short stories and articles have been accepted by other publications.

I had another cherished dream as well. I wanted to write an inspirational historical novel, the story of my heart. That would take much longer.

“Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart...”

(Psalm 37:4, NKJV).

After more than ten years, my debut inspirational historical romance, When Valleys Bloom Again, released in mid-January 2019. What a wonderful way to start a new year! Exciting, but at the same time overwhelming.

I’ve come to more fully realize that I’m in sync with God’s perfect timing when I ask Him to direct my paths. And it’s never too late to realize your heart’s desire.

Blurb for When Valleys Bloom Again

As war approaches in 1939, Abby Stapleton’s safety is under threat. Her father, a British diplomat, insists she go back to America until the danger passes. Abby vows to return to her home in London—but where is home? With her family facing mortal danger so far away and feeling herself isolated, she finds it hard to pray or read the Bible. Did she leave God behind in war-torn London too? Abby becomes friendly with Jim, a gardener on her uncle’s estate.

Jim can’t get Abby out of his mind. Did she have a sweetheart in England? Was it foolish to think she’d consider him? He curses his poverty and the disgrace of his father’s desertion and drunkenness haunts him. Can he learn to believe in love for a lifetime and to hope for a happy marriage?

Abby couldn’t know the war would last a long time, nor that she would fall in love with Jim—soon to be drafted by the U.S. Army—or that she’d have to confront Henri, a rejected suitor, determined by his lies to ruin her reputation and destroy her faith in God’s providence. Will she discover the true meaning of home and find happiness with Jim?

Buy links:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

DON’T FORGET TO LEAVE A COMMENT TO BE PLACED IN THE DRAWING TO WIN AN EBOOK COPY OF WHEN VALLEYS BLOOM AGAIN BETWEEN NOW AND SATURDAY, MAY 18^TH AT MIDNIGHT MDT.

BY LEAVING A COMMENT, YOU GRANT PERMISSION FOR YOUR EMAIL TO BE REVEALED TO THE AUTHOR IF YOU ARE THE WINNER TO FACILITATE RECEIPT OF YOUR BOOK.

PAT JEANNE DAVIS lives in Philadelphia, Pa with her British-born husband, John. They have two grown sons. She enjoys flower gardening, genealogy research and traveling with her husband. Pat has published essays, short stories and articles online and in print. She has a keen interest in mid-twentieth-century American and British history, particularly the period of World War II. Pat’s father-in-law served in the British Eighth Army during the war. When Valleys Bloom Again is her debut historical romance set in that era. She is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers and the Historical Novel Society. Pat loves to hear from her readers. Connect with Pat:

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