Yearly Archives: 2014

Iscariot by Tosca Lee – Interview!

 

An Interview with Tosca Lee, Author of Iscariot

 

History has called him many things: Thief. Liar. Traitor. Reviled throughout history and infamous for his suicide, he is the man whose very name is synonymous with betrayal . . .

 

And the only disciple that Jesus called “friend.”

 

Judas.

 

But who would take a journey through the Lenten season with Judas, of all people?

 

The answer: readers of New York Times bestselling author Tosca Lee’s Iscariot, in which Lee dares to delve into biblical history’s most maligned character—from his tumultuous childhood to his emergence as the man known to the world as the betrayer of Jesus. But more than the story of one man, Iscariot is a view into the life of Jesus that forces readers to reexamine what they thought they knew about two of the most famous—and infamous—religious icons in history.

 

The study guide, “A Journey with Judas,” is available to book clubs and small groups free along with daily devotionals from now until Easter at Tosca’s website.

 

Who is Tosca Lee, and why did she choose to write a book on the Bible’s most controversial character? An interview with the award-winning author of Havah: The Story of Eve and the Books of Mortals trilogy (with Ted Dekker) follows.

 

Q: How did you start writing biblical fiction?

 

A: I kind of fell into it, actually. Around 2000, I wrote this story about a fallen angel. I did it in six weeks. And then it took nearly seven years to sell. When we were doing the deal, the editor said, “What else do you have?” I rummaged around and found one page I had done a year before of a very old Eve starting to tell her story. I don’t know why I started writing that, but I pulled it out and said, “I have this!” And they bought it. It eventually became the prologue to Havah: The Story of Eve.

 

Q: Why Judas? Of all people—why did you choose to write about him?

 

A: Several years ago, an editor—the same editor who acquired Demon and Havah—suggested a story on Judas. I’d already done a fallen angel and Eve, after all. I flatly refused. Too much research. Too much controversy. Too hard. But the idea started following me around. Finally, about a year later, I was sitting in this New York restaurant eating dinner and found myself scribbling a scene between Judas and his mother on the paper tablecloth. I knew then I was a goner. I realized I wanted to become this disciple Jesus called “friend,” wanted to slip into his skin and sit down next to this enigmatic teacher and healer that people to this day call “Messiah.” I wanted to see and experience him, for myself.

 

I tore the scene off, shoved it in my purse, and called my agent a few days later, hoping he would talk me out of it. He didn’t. After two years of research, with much fear and trembling, I started writing.

 

Q: Did you always want to be a writer?

 

A: Writing was never the plan, even though I’d won some contests growing up in school. Ballet was my first love—I danced with a local ballet company as a teenager and spent my summers studying dance in Kansas City and New York. But within a few years I literally outgrew ballet: I’m nearly six feet tall en pointe. After a torn groin and other injuries, I knew it just wasn’t going to happen. The summer after my freshman year in college, I decided I’d take a stab at writing a novel. I wrote it. It got rejected. It’s still in a crate down in my basement like a skeleton. I’m afraid to look at it. It’s probably got three arms and two heads.

 

Q:  What’s the coolest thing about writing biblical/historical fiction?

 

A: We all know the story of Judas, of Adam and Eve—of myriad other two-dimensional characters we first met as flannel board characters in Sunday School with just the barest detail to define the morality tale of their lives. But if these were real people, then they had hopes, aspirations, influences, and motivations. There’s always more to the story. And that makes them much more like us than we might care to admit. That’s scary. Inevitably—and this happened with Iscariot, too—there comes a point about halfway through the story where I realize I’m no longer writing Judas’ story, or Eve’s… but my own.

 

Q:  Iscariot has been recognized as a Best Christian Fiction title of 2013 by the Library Journal and has been nominated for several other awards. Why do you think Iscariot resonates with readers?

 

A: I think because like Judas, we are all seeking answers. We are seeking some kind of deliverance—maybe not from Roman occupation, but from a situation, or a fear, or a sickness, anything. We are looking for answers, and expecting God to intervene in certain ways. I think we all identify with trying so hard to do the right things, with having expectations for how God will act, and how, if I do this and that, God will do this and that. But it doesn’t always work out that way, and the question becomes how we will respond. I think we all can identify with that. And I think we all find ourselves completely ruined, in the best and worst of ways, by love we cannot understand.

 

Q: What do you do when you’re not writing?

 

A: I love to adventure travel—whether it’s fishing for piranha in the Amazon or trekking through the Balkans, every now and then I just have to get out of town. And I cook. There was a time when I could burn water and ruin cereal, but today I make a pretty mean quiche and haven’t managed to poison anyone in years.

 

Q: What’s next for you?

 

A: The Queen of Sheba! I figured it was time to be a girl again.

 

 

For more on Tosca and her books, including the free reading guide “A Journey with Judas,” go to Tosca’s website.

Tosca is hosting a special Easter giveaway! You must enter by April 19th on her website!

 

 

 

A Single Breath by Lucy Clarke

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A Single Breath by Lucy Clarke

***Note, this is a secular title.

How would you feel if your husband/wife died, and then discovered he/she was hiding serious secrets about his/her life?

I really enjoyed this book…a lot! Eva is happily married to her husband Jackson, but, suddenly, Jackson is swept away by a strong oceanic wave while fishing…her husband is now dead, and now she must move forward with her life, alone. Eva is finding it hard to grieve by herself, she wants to bond with other people who really knew and loved Jackson.

Jackson has always been strangely silent about his past, and Eva has never met any of his relatives. Her life takes an interesting twist when she flies to Tasmania to meet Jackson’s father Dirk and his brother Saul. Both Dirk and Saul want Eva to leave Tasmania and return to England, but, Eva refuses. She desperately wants to find answers to her unanswered questions about Jackson’s life, and as the story unfolds, she discovers that her husband wasn’t the man he portrayed himself to be.

I enjoyed reading this book! I especially loved the way the author tapped into the reader’s senses. I really liked the descriptions of the scenery of the beaches of Tasmania. The underwater sea life sounded amazing, making me want to take a dive into the waters of the South Pacific!

I thought the story was gripping, making me turn the pages to see what happened next. I’d highly recommend this as a great read. I look forward to reading more books by this author.

So, how would you feel if your husband/wife died, and then discovered he/she was hiding secrets about his/her life?

Sunday Brunch! The Disappearance of The Saints!

What do you think about God making the Saints disappear? Can you believe that the disappearing saints who are lifted up to heaven don’t die, there’s no body, they just disappear?

Awhile back, I had a Sunday Brunch blog post about the disappearance of Philip. Well, I’d heard that there were other scriptures in the Bible where the Lord made the Saints disappear. Ironically, I read and reviewed a Chris Well book recently, and in that novel, he listed some other scriptures that had disappearing saints.

I think it’s oh, so amazing and awesome! Do you think something like that could happen today? I think it’s possible, but not probable. Depending upon who it was, I’m sure that person would be missed by friends and loved ones, people would be wondering what had happened to him/her. There may be those who would know that the missing person was lifted up by God, but, it’s highly unlikely that all would believe.

Also, to be lifted up by God, disappearing, with no dead body behind…well, I’d think the one being swept up by God would have a unique, highly-personal, very deep, relationship with God. It’d be a relationship that most of us wouldn’t even begin to understand.

Here are the scriptures:

ENOCH
Genesis 5:24
24 And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.
Hebrews 11:5
5 By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, “and was not found, because God had taken him”; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

ELIJAH
2 Kings 2:11-12
11 Then it happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
12 And Elisha saw it, and he cried out, “My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!” So he saw him no more. And he took hold of his own clothes and tore them into two pieces.

JESUS – This instance is in a different vein than the rest on this list. However, I felt compelled to include this one since it’s familiar to most Christians and it helps to illustrate what I’m talking about.
Luke 24:3-7
3 Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. 5 Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, 7 saying, ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.’”

PHILIP
Acts 8:39-40
39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. 40 Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.

What do you think about God making the Saints disappear? Do you think something like that could happen today? Leave a comment!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

– See more at: http://ceceliadowdy.com/blog/2011/11/sunday-brunch-disappearance-of-saints.html#sthash.kw47slKh.dpuf

An Amish Garden

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An Amish Garden by Beth Wiseman, Kathleen Fuller, Tricia Goyer, and Vannetta Chapman

Do you garden? If so, what do you plant in your garden?

This is a nice, heartwarming novella collection. Each story is centered around an Amish garden.

In Beth Wiseman’s Rooted For Love, Rosemary has been in love with Saul for a long time. They dated as teens and she abruptly ended their relationship, not giving Saul a reason for her actions. In spite of the breakup, her feelings for Saul have continued to grow over the years. An accident brings Saul back into her life, and he’s now helping her to care for her neglected garden. Can the truth be uncovered so that Saul and Rosemary can find their way back to one another?

In Seeds Of Love, Sadie takes special care of her mother’s heirloom tomatoes, planting all of the seeds. Her mother is dead, and these seeds are precious, her tomatoes have to sprout so that she’ll have more seeds to plant next year. But, trouble stirs with her plants and she doesn’t know if her love interest, Eli, can help her.

In Flowers For Rachael, Rachael takes special care of her garden while caring for her sick grandfather. She spends too much time alone, and her grandfather wants her to socialize with other young people. Gideon loves Rachael, and when pretty flowers start popping up in her yard, from a secret admirer, Rachael wonders if Gideon is the culprit. Does he have feelings for her after all?

In Where Healing Blooms, Emma discovers a runaway teen in her barn. What is she going to do? A widow, she’s caring for her mother-in-law while resisting her attraction to Ben, who’s recently returned and lives next door. Ben is her old beau, but, he had to leave the Amish country to travel and write articles about his adventures. Now he’s ready to return to Amish country and settle down. He’s got his eye on Emma as a mate, but, doesn’t know if she shares his feelings. Emma is busy, helping those in need while tending to her beloved garden. Does she really want Ben around?

I really enjoyed each of these stories. I especially liked the idea of centering each novella around a garden.

Do you garden? If so, what do you plant in your garden?

~Cecelia Dowdy~

 

 

 

 

Congrats To The Rita Finalists!!

I just wanted to offer a heartfelt congratulations to the finalists for the Inspirational category of the Rita awards! The Rita Award, presented by RWA, is the highest award of distinction in the romance category. Both of these books were also finalists in the Best First Book category, too!!

Inspirational Romance

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Five Days in Skye
by Carla Laureano
David C. Cook
John Blase and Tonya Osterhouse, editors

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Promise to Return
by Elizabeth Byler Younts
Simon & Schuster, Howard Books
Beth Adams and Amanda Demastus, editors

Sunday Brunch – David And Goliath – From The Blog Archives!

This is a repeat of an old blog post:

I was reading the story of David and Goliath to my five-year-old son a couple of days ago. When I was finished, I thought: something’s missing. It clicked that I was reading the children’s version. Since the Old Testament can be brutal, we must sanitize children’s Bible school stories so that we don’t traumatize our youngsters.

After my son went to bed, I got my Bible out and read the story of David and Goliath. David cuts off Goliath’s head with a sword…how sharp that sword must’ve been to sever Goliath’s head! It sounds so bloody and brutal. Plus, in the Bible I was reading it kept referring to David as being a boy…I wondered how old he was? Around fifteen or sixteen, maybe? Then, I kept thinking of David walking around holding Goliath’s severed head in his hand…

What’s the point to this blog post? I’m not sure! I know I keep thinking about this story and I have no idea why. Maybe because when people talk about it, they don’t recall the brutality of what happened. The Lord was with David and gave this youngster the power to overcome this giant whom everybody feared, but, it was so grotesque and bloody…I don’t think people recall that part of the story too much. I’m not sure when kids will be old enough to know the full story of David and Goliath…How old do you think kids should be before they hear the full story of David and Goliath?

I’ve copied and pasted a few verses from 1 Samuel chapter 17 below.

~Cecelia Dowdy~

1 Samuel 17: 48 So it was, when the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, that David hurried and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. 49 Then David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone; and he slung it and struck the Philistine in his forehead, so that the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth. 50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. But there was no sword in the hand of David. 51 Therefore David ran and stood over the Philistine, took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it.
And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled…. 54 And David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his armor in his tent.
55 When Saul saw David going out against the Philistine, he said to Abner, the commander of the army, “Abner, whose son is this youth?”
And Abner said, “As your soul lives, O king, I do not know.”
56 So the king said, “Inquire whose son this young man is.”
57 Then, as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand. 58 And Saul said to him, “Whose son are you, young man?”
So David answered, “I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.”

Inspy Kisses!

For a limited time only – Six unforgettable love stories 

 

99 cents! 

 

Buy now at AmazonBarnes & NobleKobo – iBooks – Google Play

 

A brand new anthology from six of your favorite inspirational romance authors – no reprints here!

 

 

 

About the novellas:

 

From New York Times bestselling author Linda Goodnight, historical romance The Rambler’s Bride: The kissing cowboy Jericho is bent on revenge, but discovers the truth and falls in love with widow Esther.

 

From USA Today bestselling author Janet Tronstad, retro romance Lovebirds at the Heartbreak Cafe: Truck driver Buddy wasn’t looking for love, but waitress Penny and her quirky family take over the cafe and his heart.

 

From bestselling author Debra Clopton, contemporary cowboy romance Her Mule Hollow Cowboy: Independent cowgirl Maddie swears she doesn’t need help from bull rider Cliff. But the Mule Hollow Matchmakers seem to have other plans…

 

From bestselling author Margaret Daley, romantic suspense Deadly Hunt: Bodyguard Tess rescues wounded businessman Shane from dying in the wilderness, but can she protect her heart when Shane gets too close?

 

From fan favorite Camy Tang, romantic suspense Necessary Proof: Reformed ex-con Alex is on the run from those who have set him up to take the blame for a cop-killing. Will tech-expert Jane be able to prove him innocent?

 

From fan favorite Lacy Williams, contemporary cowboy romance Kissed by a Cowboy: Maddox has given up all his big dreams to care for his niece. When Haley returns to her hometown, will Maddox find a new dream with her?

 

Special promo – March 17-19 – #SENDAKISS

 

If you purchase First Kisses during our promo dates and send a special tweet, we’ll gift a copy to a friend, absolutely free! Find out more at bit.ly/sendakiss .

 

What readers are saying:

 

Six amazing books from six different authors. They are all Christian fiction set from the 1800’s to present time. Each is a stand alone book with great settings, story lines and characters. All the books had family and faith. Some of the authors were known to me and some I was unfamiliar with. I really enjoyed each book. I can not wait to check out books from these new authors. – Amazon reader

 


 I didn’t know what to expect – I am not a fan of anthologies. Usually I find that the stories are too brief and the plots move too fast and don’t go into any detail and don’t make a lot of sense. Well, let me tell you that this anthology is not like this, not at all. It is wonderful! I enjoyed each of the novellas immensely. Each one has well developed, thought out characters and detailed plots that move at exactly the right pace. You have suspense, romance – everything in each of the novels. I enjoyed reading each of the novellas and couldn’t put the book down. Even though I have about 15 other books waiting to be read – I plan on reading this book all over again in the next week or so – it is just that good. – Amazon reader

A visual look at the collection:

 

 

 

 

Interact with the authors:

www.inspykisses.com

facebook.com/inspykisses

@inspykisses

 

Buy now at Amazon – Barnes & Noble – Kobo – iBooks – Google Play

An Amish Garden Book Giveaway And Interview

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****This giveaway is over!!! The winner has been announced!!

I’m giving away a copy of An Amish Garden. You must follow the rules to enter – if you don’t follow the rules you won’t be entered in the giveaway!

To enter you must:

1. LIVE IN THE UNITED STATES – The publisher won’t ship internationally!

2. Leave your email address when you comment – I need to be able to contact you if you win.

3. You must read Vannetta Chapman’s interview and comment about something in the interview! I’m doing this to ensure you’ve read the interview.

1.       You currently write Amish fiction – have you ever thought of writing non-Amish Christian fiction? I’m willing to write whatever my publisher asks me to write. By that I mean this – I have a story to tell. Maybe it’s about a particular character or a particular situation. Always it is about God’s abundant grace. I can tell that story in any framework (historical, Amish, western, etc). So I’m completely open to writing in any genres, and I definitely read all genres.

2.       I notice on the News and Events page of your website that you do book signings at quilt shows. Do you quilt in your spare time? If so, how long have you been doing this? I DO quilt in my spare time, which is hard to find. I love quilting. The more quilt shows I attend, the more I am fascinated by the ability of women (and men) to create beautiful quilts. Also, I’m very excited that I will be attending my first quilt retreat this May.

3.       I’ve noticed in a lot of Amish fiction that food is mentioned somewhat often.  What are your favorite Amish foods? We’ve visited quite a few Amish communities, and my favorite food is the same in each of them–dessert! I love the pies and cakes. I’ll happily skip meals in order to make room for dessert (which isn’t healthy).

4.       You play the keyboard in your church’s praise and worship band. Did you learn to play the keyboard as a child? I started learning the piano at the age of 10. My dad played, and his father played as well. I love playing the piano/keyboard. As my mother reminds me “It’s what you do when you’re stressed or sad or happy.” She’s right! Playing for my church’s praise band is one of the highlights of my week.

5.       What advice would you like to give to aspiring authors? To keep writing. I see too many authors who are still editing the first book they wrote many years ago. It’s important to let that one go and move on to the next story. The first book I SOLD was the 9th book I had WRITTEN.

6.       Were you in a critique group when you first started writing? Are you in a critique group now? Yes. I was in the Dallas area then and had a wonderful group–the Arlington Writers Group. We represented many different genres. Now that I’m in a small town, I do not have a group. I do have several authors that I try to get together with when possible. And I have 3 pre-readers who have been with me since the beginning. They are wonderful at critiquing.

Thanks so much for being on my blog, Vannetta! Here’s a short description of An Amish Garden:

“Where Healing Blooms” Vannetta Chapman

Emma discovers a run-away teen in her barn, and the bishop asks her to provide a haven for a woman and her two children. Then her mother-in-law reveals a secret about her garden. Will Emma choose loneliness or learn to accept God’s gifts?

“Flowers for Rachael” Kathleen Fuller

Rachael’s garden is beautiful, but she is lonely. Gideon is in love with Rachael, but when Rachael finds her garden in shambles after a crisis, she rejects his help. Will she realize she doesn’t have to do everything on her own?

“Seeds of Love” Tricia Goyer

When a corporation shows interest in buying Sadie’s heirloom seeds, she panics. They are all she has left of her Dat and Mem. Eli believes he can help Sadie, but a misunderstanding leaves her heartbroken. Will she trust him again, and will the seeds of a new relationship take root?

“Rooted in Love” Beth Wiseman

Rosemary is doing her best to run her family’s household. She excels at all her tasks except one: gardening. Saul has been interested in her for years, but Rosemary has turned him down repeatedly. Saul begins helping with her family’s garden, but someone is sabotaging his efforts—and keeping a secret that could change their lives.