Grateful for the things I miss

Does that sound strange to you? But it’s true.

I miss my husband, Jim, my best friend and soul-mate, a west Texas cowboy from El Paso. But I’m grateful for the almost twenty-six years we had together.

I miss being married. Miss having a loving, warm body to snuggle up with. But I’m grateful he was there to hold me and comfort me when I needed it.

I miss the house we shared together in Las Vegas, but I’m grateful for the warm home he created for us.

I miss Las Vegas, too. But I’m grateful for the thirty-three years I lived there, with its warm—no, make that hot—dry climate. And I’m grateful for the great job the Lord provided for me, a newbie to town, which is where I met Jim.

I miss my two cats, Bubba and Puffers,  my fluffy, purring pillow companions after Jim passed away three years ago this coming October.

I was broken-hearted when I lost these two special buddies last fall within six weeks of each other. But I am ever so grateful for the twelve years of kitty love they gave me.

I miss my birth family: Mom, Dad, sister Marty and brother Bob, all of whom have gone on before me. But I am eternally grateful that God placed me into a Christian home in which to grow up, and I know we'll be together again soon.

Yes, I miss so much of my past, but I have wonderful memories to cherish now. The love, fun, laughter, adventures, misadventures, tears, some regrets, and, yes, even the losses.

But I am so very grateful for having had them.

Now, back in Wisconsin, near my children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, I am making new memories. Maybe not so much for me, but for these precious ones who surround me.

I’ll be counting my many blessings, past and present, from here to Heaven.

Help me name a character

Why I’m having so much trouble with this I have no idea. The name I need isn’t even for a major character. Nor a secondary one. She’ll most likely be mentioned a time or two throughout the whole story. But her being there IS important for one of my main characters.

Does this little cartoon give you an idea the kind of person I’m looking for?

She is:

1. * A seventeen-eighteen yr. old high school senior


2. * She’s a cheerleader


3. * She thinks she’s better than anyone else


4. * her ‘friends’ don’t really like her, but they want to be in her clique


5. * She used to date the current boyfriend of one of my main characters


6. * she does not like my character


7. * She and this guy were crowned Homecoming King & Queen during their junior year . . . he's the hunky star quarterback


8. * she thinks she can get him back, and . . .


9. * as the cartoon says, she wants to break them up

I’m quite positive you had at least one girl like that in your own school years, or maybe you have daughters dealing with Miss Ima Snob right now..

For me, those days have been long, long years in the past, and I haven't a clue about current snooty girls’ names du jour these days

That’s where you come in.

I tried to create a poll with some possible names I’m playing around with but couldn’t get it to work. Even if this person is minor, I cannot use names beginning with, R, V, S, M (already have two, don’t want another) or J.

Here are the names I’m contemplating, in no particular order:

• Chantel


• Amelia


• Francine


• Natalie


• Desiree

I have to admit I'm leaning heavily toward one of those names and I'd love to see how many—if any—agree with me. Or, convince me otherwise!

I’ll be making my decision one week from today, Monday, April 27. For all who enter with your vote of choice in the comment section below—provided I get 5 or more entries—I’ll toss your name into a drawing to win all three volumes of my e-book (Kindle) short stories in the Sweetland Series: All Things Work Together; Silver Bells and Candlelight; and Perfect for the Job.

Please leave contact information in your comment.

PLEASE vote for ONE of the names above.  If you think you can come up with an even more delicious name, feel free to suggest it in ADDITION to one of those in the list in your comment.

Thanks for the help!

COTT brings you "Entrusted" by Julie Arduini, plus Olympia Winner!

Before we bring you our featured novel, Clash of the Titles wishes to congratulate Kelly Goshorn manuscript "A Love Restored" for taking home the crown during our Olympia Awards.

Congrats, Kelly!

The Olympia is COTT's annual contest for pre-published authors.

To learn more about the Olympia and Kelly Goshorn, please visit us at

Clash of the Titles.com.

~~~~~~~~~~~

If you enjoy a sweet romance in a quaint village, you’ll love Julie Arduini’s debut novel. She fills the town with delightful and insightful characters. The story has a good balance of humor, wisdom and love. Buy this book, wrap up in a warm blanket with a cup of team, and snuggle in for a great read.   --Amazon customer

About the book:
Jenna Anderson, sassy city-girl from Youngstown, Ohio, plows–literally–into Adirondack village, Speculator Falls, with a busted GPS. She gets a warning from the sheriff but has ideas for the senior center to prove she belongs in town as their director. Town councilman Ben Regan is as broken as the flower box Jenna demolished. He’s grieving and wants to shut down the center before there’s too much change and heartbreak. They work on community projects and build a slow relationship, but the council needs to vote on the senior center’s future. Can Jenna show Ben both her and the center are worth trusting?

PURCHASE

Amazon

CBD

Barnes and Noble

Special offer from the author, Julie Arduini!

 

Subscribe for free to the Julie Arduini newsletter and receive her novella, Match Made in Heaven plus monthly installments to the sequel, Crumbs and Embers. To subscribe, visit the left sidebar of http://juliearduini.com to complete the form and watch for activation.

What COTT voters had to say:

--Julie Arduini I love this book & am beyond thrilled to hold your passion in my hands. I am happy to be able to vote for you, but as you know, you've already won!!
--Julie Arduii can't wait to read this book.
--Julie Arduini so excited to see what God does with your book!!
--Love the cover and the novel Entrusted by Julie Arduini.
--Congratulations on your novel Julie Arduini!!!
--Julie Arduini, the setting of your book and the language brings me back home.
--May God keep blessing your writing ministry for Him, Julie Arduini
--Julie Arduini, this sounds like my kind of story. I like the term, "the fir flies."
--Entrusted had it all. I thoroughly enjoyed it and encourage others to check it out. Good job Julie A.
--Julie Arduini has a heart of passion and the gift of penmanship!!! What a Blessing!!
--Love the cover Julie Arduini!!
--Julie Arduini is one of my favorite people-- including one of my favorite authors. Love her book "Entrusted"!
--Just so exciting to watch God work in your life Julie Arduini . Surrendering your writing to Him and Wow look what he does ...and he's not done ! ??
--Julie, I loved the book. Thank you!! Blessings, Jenn
--Can't wait to read more from Julie Arduini! I'm hooked on her Adirondack series, the characters, the setting, and Julie's good writing!

The author shares how Entrusted came about:

My writing includes surrender issues and in Entrusted, Ben and Jenna both struggle. Jenna wants to

belong and Ben’s afraid of loss. They have to surrender those things to their Heavenly Father and trust that He’s taking care of them. Book 2 and 3 also give a clue to the surrender journey with Entangled and Engaged.

The book came about after my first visit to the real village of Speculator in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate NY. As I walked the street and drank in the mountain air, the characters came alive. I’m excited to return to Speculator June 12 as I share my writing experience at the Lake Pleasant library. Then, starting June 25th I’m participating in an Entrusted book club in Youngstown where I plan to share exclusive footage of me visiting the places I used in Entrusted.

~~~~~~~

Enjoy this trailer for The Love Boat Bachelor by Jerusha Agen and Theresa Anderson!

Find more great new releases all year at Clash of the Titles!

Thought For the Day

And the Winner is:

In the drawing for Deanna Klingel’s  free book The Mysterious Life of Jim Linber is

GAIL KITTLESON!

Thanks for entering, Gail. I’ll be sending your email address to Deanna so she can make arrangements for you to get this interesting book.

Blessings in Him…

And the Winner is:

In the drawing for Deanna Klingel’s  free book The Mysterious Life of Jim Linber from My Cozy Den blog post HERE 

is:

GAIL KITTLESON!

Thanks for entering, Gail. I’ll be sending your email address to Deanna so she can make arrangements for you to get this interesting book.

Blessings in Him…

Changes--again

What…again?

Unfortunately, yes. You’ll remember right around the first of the year I switched from Blogger to Wordpress. Now, I’m switching back to Blogger.

I won’t go into all the frustrating details, and believe me, there were a TON of them. Bottom line is that as of April 26, or around there, Google will start penalizing all blogs that are not mobile-friendly…and I understand it’s not a small penalty.When I ran my Wordpress blog through Googles little test, it failed.

I tried all kinds of suggestions to try to make it mobile-friendly to no avail. I kept adding this plug-in or that plug-in, but nothing worked. Blogger is automatically mobile-friendly, since Google owns it.

So, I cried Uncle and gave up, and redirected whispersinpurple.com to whispersinpurple.blogspot.com. Not to worry, the ‘old’ link will still work. You’ll just end up here automatically,

I am now in the process of importing the last several month’s worth of posts. Hopefully, that won’t take too long. I’ve been on Blogger since 2007, but there’s no sense in trying to bring all those old posts back.

I apologize for this, but for my readers, the transition should be seamless.

Will be catching things up through the rest of this week.

How do you like the new header banner?

COTT Announces Winner of 2015 Olympia Award

by Michelle Massaro

Good morning, lovers of the written word! We have some big news to share today: The Olympia has a winner!

*

*

Please give a virtual hand to Kelly Goshorn!!

 

Bio

Kelly Goshorn is an aspiring novelist currently masquerading as a virtual assistant and a Target cashier who believes everybody needs a little more love and romance in their life. Ever since Laura Ingalls peered into Almanzo Wilder’s eyes and called him “Manly,” she has been a pushover for historical romances. Kelly weaves her affinity for history and her passion for God into uplifting stories of love, faith and family set in nineteenth century America.  She is a member of Romance Writers of America and American Christian Fiction Writers.  Kelly earned her B.A. in Social Studies Education from Messiah College and her M.Ed. in History Education from The Pennsylvania State University. She has been enjoying her own happily-ever- after with her husband and best friend, Mike, for nearly 25 years. When she is not writing, Kelly enjoys spending time with her young adult children, scrapbooking with friends, board gaming with her husband, and spoiling her Welsh corgi, Levi. Kelly writes from her home near the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Purcellville, Virginia.

***

Kelly's entry, A Love Restored, was chosen as winner based on the scoring by a panel of non-industry readers and then our panel of industry professionals*. Here's a bit about her story:

 ***

A Love Restored

She was nothing like the woman he’d envisioned for his bride, but he was everything she’d ever dreamed of—until a promise from his past threatened their future.

Twenty-year old Ruth Ann Sutton doesn’t measure up to society’s vision of a perfect lady. She would rather read Jules Verne or teach Negro children to read and write than join the Women’s Benevolent Aid Society or practice her voice lessons. Her pert opinions and less than perfect figure kept many suitors away, and when Ruth Ann accepts a position teaching at the new Freedman’s School, it threatens the only marriage offer she is likely to receive. Should she risk life as a lonely spinster or reinvent herself to accept a proposal from a man who doesn’t love her?

Determined to rise above his meager beginnings, Benjamin Saunders reputation as a fast learner and hard worker earn him the opportunity to apprentice with a surveyor—a position that will garner the respect of other men. All he needs now is a woman to share his promising future. When Benjamin has a chance encounter with Ruth Ann Sutton, he is smitten with her pretty face, quick wit, and feisty personality, but can he overcome a promise from his past to marry a woman other men would envy?

***

Sorry, readers, this book is not yet published! So we'll all have to wait and see where Kelly's publishing journey takes her and this manuscript. We at COTT hope to see this book in print one day soon.

Congratulations, Kelly!

In addition to a tour through COTT's Blog Alliance, Kelly will be receiving a beautiful plaque to commemorate her win and an internet radio interview with Cynthia Simmons!

A HUGE Thank-you to our reader panel and especially to

our *Final Round judges:

Karen Ball--Agent, Steve Laube Literary Agency

Becky Philpott-- Acquisitions Editor, Harper Collins

Becky Wade-- Award-winning Author

Sneak Peek!

Yesterday, my publisher released an excerpt of my upcoming new release, Sweetwater River, Volume One: Ripples on their blog. I’d love it if you’d drop in and take a peek at the opening scene.

It would mean so much to me. There’s even a place at the bottom to leave a comment. I know the publisher would appreciate it, too.

But I need to mention…this excerpt is unedited, and already I’ve made some changes, so this won’t be exactly what you’ll read the the first volume of Sweetwater River is. released.

Click on the book cover to read these opening words.

Thanks, and God Bless.

Guest Author Deanna Klingel with Giveaway

PLEASE JOIN ME IN MY COZY DEN AND WELCOME AUTHOR DEANNA KLINGEL AS SHE TALKS ABOUT HER LOVE OF HISTORY AND SHARES SOME INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT HER NEW RELEASE

 

I love history. All of it. The good, the bad, the beautiful and the ugly. When writing historical fiction or nonfiction, I try not to indict. I try to understand the time and the place. Like Anne Frank, I believe people are basically good, even when they aren’t. I think most people do the best they can with what they have and what they know at the time. We can’t do more than that.

I believe we need to commemorate, not celebrate, our history so we don’t forget it and make the same mistakes. Knowing and understanding history helps us move forward where we can make our own new mistakes to help those yet to come.

My newest historical release is The Mysterious Life of Jim Limber. Jim Limber was a little boy, a freed child, who was being abused in Richmond, Virginia in 1864. Varina Davis, wife of Confederate President Jefferson Davis, rescued him and took him home to live in the nursery with the Davis children. Not as a slave or servant, but, as the children said, as a “near brother.”

Whatever I may have thought I knew about the Davises prior to doing the research for this book, I had to put it all away and start over. There was so much more than history books tell us. Yes, he was a slaver. But why did he sign legal guardianship papers to care for this child until he was eighteen? Yes, he was a Confederate soldier. And he crawled on the floor under his desk to play with his children who rode on his back, while his body ached with neuralgia. He watched men die in battle but he knelt beside his baby’s cradle, wept and sang.

Varina Davis was a wonderful writer. In her late life as widow, she supported herself writing for magazines. It was her diaries, journals and intimate letters I studied at the Museum of the Confederacy that gave me a daily account of Jim Limber for fourteen months; what he wore, how he talked, games they played, and how she protected all her children.

Jim Limber was with the Davises when they fled Richmond in 1865. He was with them when they were arrested in Georgia. The mystery of Jim Limber is where did he come from? What became of him?



Book Title: The Mysterious Life of Jim Limber

Author: Deanna K. Klingel

Publisher: Progressive Rising Phoenix Press LLC

Release Date: March 26, 2015

Genre: MG/YA Historical

Single Release

 

 

The Mysterious Life of Jim Limber is targeted for Middle Grade/Young Adult. The format is unusual. The first third of the book is biography of Jim Limber, for fourteen months. The middle third is historical fiction, what this author thinks might have happened through adolescence. The final third is a choose-your-own ending. Or, better yet, write your own ending. Based on what you’ve learned about Jim Limber, what do you think became of him; who did he become?

Jim Limber isn’t the first historical conundrum, surprise or unsolved mystery. But the personal side, the human issue, is most often found not in history books, but in historical fiction, where readers learn compassion, empathy and forgiveness for human weakness in times gone by. It’s my favorite thing to write, and my favorite way to learn history.

Giveaway Details:

Deanna is offering one free copy of this very interesting new book, in paperback form, limited to the Lower 48 US States. To enter, leave a comment below with your email contact information (e.g. you [at] 123xyz [dot] com)  If you feel creative, you can write your ending to Jim Limber’s story, but it’s not required to enter. Just sounds like fin.  Contest runs from today, April 7, through next Monday, April 13, at midnight Central Time. Winner will be drawn through RANDOM.ORG on Tuesday, April 14 and notified via email.

Buy Links:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-mysterious-life-of-jim-limber-deanna-k-klingel/1121489761?ean=9781940834528

http://booksbydeanna.com/the-mysterious-life-of-jim-limber.html

 

You can find Deanna at the following:

Facebook: Deanna K. Klingel

Blog: http://booksbydeanna.com/blog-selling-books.html

Website: www.booksbydeanna.com

Email: deannaklingel@yahoo.com

Thanks, Deanna, for agreeing to be a guest on my blog today. I’d love to have you return when you have another book to promote.

God Bless!

February Release Feature, plus FREE novella!

What a wonderful debut! It's a story of redemption and forgiveness and love. The author, Jessica R Patch, sucked me in on the first page. I couldn't put it down. I can't wait for her next book to be released. Wonderful writer. Highly recommended read, especially around Christmas time, but could be read anytime. It's that good.                                                                                              ~fan review

About the book:

A rowdy bar owner. A widowed pastor’s wife. And Christmas hope that brings them together.

After widower Eden Snow’s church almost burns to the ground, she’s compelled to find a temporary place to hold services and Christmas cantata practices.

Has-been hockey player, Knox Everhart, has a reputation for being fast on the ice and with women. Except Eden. She’s always been a fascinating mystery to him, which is why he agrees to let her use the back room of his bar—with one rule: No converting his customers.

But when Eden brings the church to the bar, it offers something the bottle can’t. Hope. And he finds himself falling in love with a woman and a Savior he feels unworthy to pursue.

PURCHASE

Amazon

What COTT voters had to say:

--Jessica's my favorite! She is an awesome writer and a firecracker of a person.

--Jessica, your book sounds so hopeful for a season built on hope! Just what we need in these times. I look forward to reading your book.

--I throughly enjoyed Jessica Patch's "Under the Mistletoe" so my vote is for that! Can't wait for more in the series :)

--Hope Under Mistletoe by Jessical Patch has an intriguing fresh premise.

--Hope Under Mistletoe was a wonderful book! I loved how the story dealt with people getting through their hardships with the help of God. And as I told Jessica..it had the perfect romantic ending...And they lived happily ever after!!

--inspiring way to spread the message of Christ.

I loved Hope Under the Mistletoe! Jessica R. Patch created an inviting town, swoonworthy characters and just enough spice for this inspirational romance!

--A church in a bar? Really? Gotta read it...

Don't miss the free novella Jessica is offering!

Sign up for Jessica’s newsletter, Patched In, and receive the second novella in this Seasons of HopeJust the Way You Are, for FREE until April 22nd! Sign up HERE.

series,

Jessica hangs out on Facebook and Twitter so stop in and join the daily conversations. Also, don’t forget to stop by her Hope Under Mistletoe Pinterest board and meet the characters and take a peek at some of the scenes in the book!

About the free novella, Just the Way You Are:

When Pastor Gabe asks Audrey Gilbraith to use her mad florist skills to help him design a prayer garden, she’s all in, especially since it helps take her mind off the fact she’s about to lose her job and her apartment. But working closely with Gabe and not falling for him is complicated. She’s not pastor’s wife material, and she has the past to prove it.

Gabriel Brookson wants out of Audrey’s friend-zone, but when he pursues her romantically, he ruffles more than a few feathers in his congregation. How much is he willing to give up for this wonderful, quirky woman, and will Audrey accept him if he risks it all?

About the author: Jessica R. Patch lives in the mid-south where she pens inspirational contemporary romance and romantic suspense novels. When she’s not hunched over her laptop or going on adventurous trips in the name of research with willing friends, you can find her sneaking off to movies with her husband, watching way too much Netflix with her daughter, dominating her son at board games, and collecting recipes to amazing dishes she'll probably never cook. Her debut novel with Harlequin Love Inspired Suspense will release in January 2016. She is represented by Rachel Kent of Books & Such Literary Management

 

~Find more great new releases at Clash of the Titles.com!~

 

Love Thoughts

O LORD, BE MY HOME. Let me rest in you, live in you, come home to you. I want to abide in your love. Write your commandments on my heart so my greatest desire is to honor you with my life. As I work and play, as I talk and pray, surround all my doings with your energizing presence.

 

“The height to which love exalts is unspeakable.

Love unites us to God.

Love covers a multitude of sins.

Love beareth all things, is long-suffering in all things.

There is nothing base, nothing arrogant in love.

By love have all the elect of God been made perfect.”

~Clement of Rome

Fun in April

 I thought I’d share some fun, interesting celebration things for the month of April.

Ready?

April is:

• National Humor Month
• International Guitar Month
• Keep America Beautiful Month
• Lawn and Garden Month
• National Poetry Month
• National Pecan Month
• National Welding Month
• Records & Information Management Month
• Stress Awareness Month
• Sexual Assault Awareness Month

Interesting, huh? Which one/ones would you celebrate?

Next, Week One in April is:

• Read a Road Map Week

 

And, April 1st is:

• April Fools Day
• Sourdough Bread Day
• International Tatting Day
• International Fun at Work Day

Aside from April Fools Day, which of the above would you celebrate?

I love Sourdough Bread, and the Fun at Work . . .  yeah, I’d choose that one, too.

So, share your favorites in the comments section below. And have FUN!