COTT: Lacy Williams's Return of the Cowboy Doctor

It's February, the month of romance! So here's a book to make your heart go pitter-patter.

Lacy Williams's Return of the Cowboy Doctor was one of our January runner-ups. Today I am thrilled to give you a closer look!

~~~

PURCHASE BOOK

About the Book
Two years shy of his medical degree, cowboy Maxwell White is out of money. So, he's back in Bear Creek, Wyoming, working part-time for the local physician. Though he is immediately drawn to the doctor's lovely, whip-smart daughter, she seems to be irritated by Maxwell's very existence.

Hattie Powell can't quash her feelings for the town's new would-be doctor. But that's exactly why she must keep him at a distance. Hattie is closer than ever to fulfilling her lifelong wish of becoming a doctor. Now, the only thing standing in her way is the man of her dreams.

The Wyoming Legacy series: United by family, destined for love

What COTT Readers Had to Say
*I just finished reading Return of the Cowboy Doctor, and Lacy Williams did a fabulous job bringing her shy, a bit insecure hero to life.
*What a great story! Fun to read. The author's use of descriptions really sucks you in to the story!

Editorial Reviews

* Publisher's Weekly says, "Williams delivers a smart, gentle, and uplifting fourth novel set in 1890s Wyoming...sweet, poetic Max is a lovable hero, and Hattie’s desire to have both career and family will resonate strongly with readers." (October 2013)
* Return of the Cowboy Doctor was an RT Book Reviews TOP PICK! with a 4.5 star review and also received a nomination for the December Seal of Excellence. They say, "I picked up Return of the Cowboy Doctor by Lacy Williams feeling nostalgic for Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, and was soon transported to an even wilder West for an aspiring lady doctor."
* The USA Today HEA blog says, "If you enjoy Western romance series with fresh characters in each book... you'll enjoy this Love Inspired Historical series from author Lacy Williams."

About the Author
Lacy Williams is a wife and mom from Oklahoma. She grew up on a farm, which is where her love of cowboys was born. In reality, she's married to a right-brained banker (happily with three little ones!). She gets to express her love of western men by writing historical romance. Her books have finaled in the RT Book Reviews Reviewers' Choice Awards (2012, 2013 & 2014), the Golden Quill and the Booksellers Best Award. Her latest release, Kissed by a Cowboy is part of the First Kisses anthology, available March 15, 2014.

Connect with Lacy
http://www.lacywilliams.net
http://www.facebook.com/lacywilliamsbooks

Congratulations on your latest release, Lacey! COTT wishes you the best in your writing career.

Our next clash starts February 19th. Be sure to come back then and cast your vote!

COTT: Four Great Novels

As the below featured novels attest, 

Clash of the Titles staff is a talented group!

Please enjoy this sampling of our latest releases. 

The Last Detail
by Lisa Lickel
Hope, love, and loss meld two polar opposite personalities. How long can they keep passion for their ministry and each other after the wedding? Merit ushers in new life; Amalia ushers it out. Love? Obviously. Marriage? Check. Dealing with the family closet? Step back…When tragedy strikes, they must learn to rely on each other in ways they couldn’t have prepared for.
PURCHASE
CONNECT WITH LISA


Lea's Gift
by Delia Latham (& Tanya Stowe)
A victim of a house fire during infancy, Lea Dale’s severe facial disfigurement pales in comparison to the scars Laren Meadows carries inside...and his painful secret could destroy their chance at true love. For the first time ever, an emotional Lea questions her special connections with Heaven even as she investigates cruel pranks
at her father’s ranch for disfigured teens and tries to deal with her roller coaster heart.
PURCHASE
CONNECT WITH DELIA


A Cowboy Christmas
by Delia Latham (& Tanya Stowe)
A mom on the run; a special child and her “imaginary” friend; a cowboy; and God. Shy horseman Dex Beckett longs to help lovely Layne Mabrey and her daughter, but Layne's lack of faith and stubborn refusal to relinquish her distrustful heart could get in the way of even Heart's Haven's heavenly residents.
PURCHASE
CONNECT WITH DELIA



                                     Stopped Cold 

by Gail Pallotta

Margaret McWhorter lives in tranquil Mistville, North Carolina, but there’s no peace in her life since her brother, Sean, took a steroid and nearly died. Margaret and Sean’s father demands excellence in sports, but Sean fell short. Margaret’s still hustling to win at swim meets at Meriwether Christian High, where Sean was the number one quarterback for the football team. In quiet moments she asks God to heal Sean. She’s angry at her father for pushing Sean, but hate for the drug dealers drives her to find them. A clue overheard at a teen hangout sends Margaret and two friends to the edge of this dangerous sub-culture.   

PURCHASE
CONNECT WITH GAIL

Romance is in the Air Giveaway Hop

Here is a special treat for our readers. From February 8 through 14, a number of bloggers have joined together to let you know what is available and to entice you with the chance to win some wonderful free gifts. 

Every one of the blogs shown at the end of this message is giving away a significant prize. Here at the Christian Bookmobile, for example, you could win either a $25 Amazon gift card or a $25 PayPal payment. But, as they say on TV, that's not all. You also have the chance to win Where Love Once Lived, my clean adult romance. Paperback or Kindle, your choice. Prizes will be sent Internationally.

It's easy to enter.

See the Rafflecopter below to enter. Everyone gets one free entry just for stopping by. That means you don't have to do anything to be included in the drawings except click a button. However, you can increase your odds of winning by following and tweeting, etc. 

Enter here and then go on to another participating blog in the list below. 

Good luck.

Begin Rafflecoptera Rafflecopter giveaway End Rafflecopter

Begin LinkyEnd Linky

COTT: Clash of the Title's first 2014 Winner!

It is my great pleasure to announce the winner of this month's clash...

Redneck Debutante 

by Jenny Hammerle

Congratulations, Jenny!

Your book will be automatically entered for a chance to win a Laurel Award later this year!

And a big thank-you to ALL our participating authors!

Lacey Williams with Return of the Cowboy Doctor,

Norma Downing with A Promise Made,

and Anne Greene with Marriage byArrangement

Here are a few of the comments left by our voters:

• Jenny Hammerle is a talented author who knows how to connect with girls through an engaging story where the reader can gain valuable life lessons along the way!:-)
• I have spent some time in Fruitville and I Love this place. Many great memories there. I must read your book, I am sure it is wonderful, as are the People of Fruitville. Thank You for taking time to write this book.
• Redneck Debutante is a great title! The cover is spectacular and really catches your eye. I have read this book and it is a very good, fast-paced read.
• Great story and character development! Loved Redneck Debutante and am loving the second book Cowgirl Down!

And a couple Amazon Reviews:

• "Jenny Hammerle's Redneck Debutante is a breath of fresh air that you don't want to miss. Her characters will engage you and keep you involved just as if you knew them personally. Whether you are an adult reader or a young adult, you will be captivated by this book and find it hard to put down. I enjoyed this first book in the series immensely and I can't wait for more of the story! Write faster Jenny!"
• "If you or the teen girl in your life is tired of sparkly vampires, witches and werewolves this is a wonderful book about the real issues teen girls deal with. It is wonderfully written and will keep you engaged all the way through. Can't wait for the second book!!"

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Nothing could have prepared her for the sight of the rugged cowboy.
Green eyes, dark-brown hair, tall, tanned, nicely muscled.
And there she was, standing in the creek in only her underwear.

West Palm, Florida

Fifteen-year-old Rachael Harte has everything she could want—plenty of money, hang-out time with friends at the beach, and Colten, the hot boyfriend every girl in her prep school drools over.

But just as she receives her long-awaited debutante invitation, scandal strikes her family. Now Rachael has to go to public high school and live with her Aunt Margaret in a place called Fruitville. How much more redneck could it get? The first day, as she’s cooling off from the heat, she hears a soft “ahem” and looks up into the eyes of Travis Baxter, the most handsome cowboy she’s ever seen. His smirk is bad enough. Worse, they’re now neighbors and will attend the same school.

As Rachael plunges into redneck life in rural Florida, she’s charmed by a quirky new group of friends, including Travis’s twin, Maysie, but still misses her friends back home. Can Rachael and Colten survive on once-a-month visits? Or will Travis’s cowboy charms win her over? What she learns as a Redneck Debutante will teach her more about love and life than she could ever have dreamed.

The REDNECK DEBUTANTE Series®
Romance that’s a little bit city, a little bit country.

**********

Book Two, Cowgirl Down, is also available!

And guess what? Extra congrats are in order because Redneck Debutante recently won the ACFW Book Club Poll and will be one of three books for the Spring reading list. What fantastic news!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

On my father’s side we are sixth generation Floridians- cattle and citrus mostly. I grew up on a working cattle ranch. My dad still manages ranches in twelve Florida counties.

I have been bucked off more than a few times- I survived and lived to write about it. That is why you will find that some of my writing revolves around rural Florida and ranch life. My favorite place to be is at the hunt camp sitting around the campfire listening to, or in some cases, telling funny stories! I love to work cows in the cow pens- branding, tagging, marking, legging and parting out calves to keep or sell is always a good time!

I currently stay home with our two wonderful little boys. I can be found coaching a group of middle school cheerleaders which serves my writing well by keeping me in touch with the youth of today and their slang, drama and texting practices!

Storytelling is something that comes naturally to most cowboys and cowgirls. If you join us on any workday, around a campfire or in the cow pens you can experience the true nature of the cowboy storyteller and see that it is a living, breathing verbal tradition still being shared today. This storytelling tradition comes alive in the texture of my writing!

You can find Jenny Hammerle on her website or on her Facebook page

Congratulations, Jenny! We can't wait to watch your story unfold.

More Reviews in for The Vengeance Squad Goes to England

4.0 out of 5 stars LOVEABLE LIZ, January 30, 2014
By Joyce C. Joiner
This review is from: The Vengeance Squad Goes to England (Paperback)
Loveable Liz, introduced to readers in the author's first novel LOVE LONG LOST, remains steadfast in her faith, living out Christian principles in the midst of intrigue and injustice. –Joy

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book, January 29, 2014

By Christina Granville "thriller fan"
This review is from: The Vengeance Squad Goes To England (Kindle Edition)
Bad guys, Money thief, People after them, Falling in love, A double decker bus Book Mobile, Beautiful scenes in Jolly England. A very fast moving adventure. And a wonderful Falling in love story when they arent separated. And a wonderful Christmas in February Dinner Read it. Enjoy it. God bless you.

5.0 out of 5 stars Another exciting Sid Frost story that begs for more!, January 23, 2014

By James L. Chapman "Jim"   
This review is from: The Vengeance Squad Goes to England (Paperback)
Just like Sid Frost's prior books, TVSGtE ends with the reader wanting to know how does ...work out? What happens to....? The main characters and the bookmobile which are present in all Mr. Frost's books are now welcome old friends. I am sure that I am joined by many other readers who hope that we have not heard the last of the Vengeance Squad. Perhaps VS will end up on a mission to Germany or a choral adventure in Oregon or .....?

Thanks Sid for this enjoyable series of books. I hope there will be more.

5.0 out of 5 stars Hurrah for The Vengeance Squad, January 23, 2014

By Longtime Scribbler
This review is from: The Vengeance Squad Goes To England (Kindle Edition)
Author Sid Frost has sent his Vengeance Squad to the U.K. on their quest to find the bad guys and bring them to justice. Back are Chris with his compulsion for orderly objects, Tex in his ubiquitous Stetson, and Liz, the Austin librarian who hugs everybody. This adventure takes them in search of Virgil, who had cheated Liz out of her bookmobile funds. The trail leads to London, giving Chris the opportunity to develop his relationship with Angela, the English beauty with a mysterious career.

Frost writes convincingly of London and the British countryside. His characters, both British and American, jump off the pages as real people. Liz, always outgoing and accepting in previous Frost novels, shows a new side to her character, becoming the most vengeful of the squad. Her efforts often end in laughable disasters, adding comic relief to a fast-paced read.

For the reader who is catching the Squad for the first time, Frost does a credible job of filling in the back story. In my view, Chris agonizes too much about his feelings for Angela, but he leaves us with a teaser for Vengeance Squad #3.

 

 

COTT: Start The Year With Some Great Christian Fiction!

It's a brand new year with brand new books to devour! Have you gotten started yet on your To-Be-Read pile for 2014? We've got more!

Check out the following New Releases. Which one is calling you the loudest? Take a moment to browse, then make your choice below to let us know which you're most likely to read first.

VOTE from Now until next Wednesday - tell your friends - then come back and see which book is this month's champion!

Happy reading! 

*************

Cowboy-turned-medical student Maxwell White needs money to finish his studies. Teaming up with the local doctor means working with the doc's lovely daughter-slash-nurse, a gal that Maxwell quickly discovers can heal his heart...

*************

The promise Drew made Emily's dying father is ridiculous to her at first. Find her a husband? She realizes that Drew may be just the man for her--although he doesn't agree. Will they see they need to look to God for guidance and direction for the future?

*************

Lady Cailin MacMurry marries the Fifth Duke of Avondale, honoring the arranged marriage her parents ordered. But Avondale’s shadowy past and strange disappearances threaten their marriage. Can she discover his secret, or must she arrange his accidental death to protect her unborn child?

*************

The Redneck Debutante Series
Romance that's a little bit city, a little bit country.

Fifteen-year-old Rachael Harte has everything she could want--plenty of money, hang-out time with friends at the beach, and Colten, the hot boyfriend every girl in her prep school drools over! But upon receiving her long-awaited debutante invitation, scandal strikes her family and she's promptly relocated to Fruitville where she meets the cowboy of her dreams!

*************

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Amazon Publishing Launches Christian Imprint, Waterfall Press

SEATTLE, Jan. 23, 2014—(NASDAQ: AMZN)—Amazon Publishing today announced the launch of Waterfall Press, a new Christian imprint that will specialize in faith-based non-fiction and fiction. Waterfall Press non-fiction will aim to provide spiritual refreshment and inspiration to today’s Christian reader, while fiction will include stories in the romance, mystery, and suspense genres. Waterfall Press titles will be published by Brilliance Publishing, part of the Amazon.com group of companies, which currently offers readers self-help and personal growth books under the Grand Harbor Press imprint.
  
“Brilliance has over 12 years of experience serving the Christian market as audiobook publisher of some of the most successful Christian authors writing today,” said Mark Pereira, President and Publisher of Brilliance Publishing. “We are excited to expand our offering to readers of faith- based material by publishing original Christian content with enduring appeal.” 

Waterfall Press debuts with a selection of fiction and non-fiction in 2014 including:  

• Mark Buchanan’s The Four Best Places to Live (February 2014), which reveals the surprising truth about how the best places to live are not based on climate, employment opportunities, or cost of living, but rather on places to experience joy, peace, and belonging according to Scripture. 

• Best-selling, self-published author Cherie Hill’s When You Need a Miracle (April 2014), which discusses the critical steps of faith you need when you find yourself at life’s most challenging crossroads.  

• The Quiet Revolution by Jay Hein (June 2014). Hein, Director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives under President George W. Bush, provides an insider’s perspective on how presidents have rallied Americans to serve their nation by volunteering in their individual communities and speaks to the importance of service in improving lives around the world.
  
Waterfall Press will also publish shorter content, including upcoming works by Pastor Bryan Wilkerson (Living Deep, March 2014); Pastor Dan Meyer (Discovering God, April 2014); and the editors of global media ministry Christianity Today (Billy Graham; Leading With Love, April 2014). 
Editorial oversight for Waterfall Press will be led by Tammy Faxel, who brings 30 years of experience in the Christian publishing industry through prior posts at Tyndale House Publishers and Oasis Audio. Several of the books on the launch list—including The Four Best Places to Live and The Quiet Revolution, will be published in collaboration with Christianity Today.
 
“The breadth of Amazon’s opportunities creates a dynamic bridge between the author and reader that can move the content conversation to a growing global audience,” said Harold Smith, President and CEO of Christianity Today.
 
Brilliance Publishing, part of the Amazon.com group of companies, is a Michigan-based, full- service book publisher, publishing Christian fiction and non-fiction and personal growth and self- help books in print, eBook and audiobook formats under its two imprints. With a growing catalog of titles from over 500 authors (including  Tom Clancy, Stephen Covey,  Nora Roberts, Rick Riordan, and others), Brilliance Audio provides audiobooks in the popular categories of inspiration/self-help, romance, mystery, suspense and thrillers, science fiction and fantasy,
business, and biography; and for children and young adults. Brilliance Audio recordings are available for the retail and library markets on compact disc, MP3-formatted compact discs, and files for download.
  
Waterfall Press joins sister imprints 47North, AmazonCrossing, AmazonEncore, Amazon Publishing, Grand Harbor Press, Jet City Comics, Kindle Worlds, Lake Union, Little A, Montlake Romance, Skyscape, StoryFront, Thomas & Mercer, and Two Lions in the Amazon Publishing family. For more information about all imprints of Amazon Publishing, visit www.apub.com.
  
For more information on Waterfall Press and upcoming titles, visit www.brilliancepublishing.com/waterfall

The Vengeance Squad Goes to England -- Now Available

The Vengeance Squad Goes to England is now available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

 

By Sidney W. Frost, author of Where Love Once Lived, The Vengeance Squad and Love Lives On.

 

Three reviews have been posted:

5.0 out of 5 stars--Another Great Read, January 14, 2014

By Dr. Rollo K. Newsom (Austin, Texas United States)

In this the most recent outing of the Vengeance Squad, Frost continues to use real places and times to lend credibility to the story. The reference to and use of real locations, existing institutions and restaurants as well as airplanes, trains and rental vehicles and schedules that are so obviously real practices in the real world that the story line itself becomes plausible. The main characters from an earlier case again make up the “squad” and their highly variable backgrounds, skills and weaknesses meld again to sustain them through seemingly unsurmountable and often very surprising difficulties and emergencies. The unexpected twists and rapid pace of the plot make this book a real “page turner.” These traits, real places, believable, interdependent characters and fast moving plots have become both trademarks and most desirable characteristics of all of Sid Frost’s fiction.

I can’t say much more without compromising the tension reader should feel reading this book (I’ll not be a spoiler.) but I do want to comment on a couple of others aspects. The villain(s) are appropriately deceptive and despicable. They may well get justice in the end but somehow I wish we could hurt them more. And the love interest that was hinted at in The Vengeance Squad advances and becomes enigmatic. Just who does this women work for? In this Christian novel the “love” is not physically consummated, well there are a couple of kisses that go beyond a peck on the cheek. The book then ends before we know when, if or how the impediments to this courtship and romance can be resolved. This is an important point to me because it gives me some assurance that we will be reading about these folks again.

 

***

4.0 out of 5 stars--Good read, January 18, 2014

By Joelle Teague (MILLEDGEVILLE, GEORGIA, US)

I enjoyed the book, but felt like I would have known more of what was going on had I read the others. For a standalone book, I kept asking myself questions about the characters that I'm sure were answered in other books. That being said, this one was very entertaining as the crew and their antics were kind of crazy at times. I found myself disliking Virgil as much as they did and really rooting for the romance between Chris and Angela. I also enjoyed seeing what might be in store for Liz if there is another one after this. Overall, definitely something I would recommend!

 

***

5.0 out of 5 stars--Chris and crew strike again! January 15, 2014

By Malia

In this latest book, the Vengeance Squad travels to England to help track down villains from a previous book. While it utilizes the story line from the previous Vengeance Squad book, it easily stands alone as a Christian mystery/thriller. Once again, you will follow Chris and his adventures, along with his fellow squad members.

I love how Mr. Frost uses place names so accurately. I am from central Texas, and know many of the places he mentions in his books. I've been to some of those places he mentions. He also researched the locations in Great Britain, which lends a great deal of credibility to the story and plot line. You are drawn into the images he creates, and it makes me want to visit the locations in Great Britain.

As you read the book, you are drawn into the story, wanting vengeance for the villains. You are also drawn to the budding relationship between Chris and Angela. Will things work out between them? What will happen next? You will just need to read the story yourself to see what happens.

 

***

 

318 pages
Paperback: $12.95
ISBN: 978-0983070887
Click Here to Purchase

Kindle Edition: $2.99
Click Here to Purchase

COTT: Lucy, Jeanie, and Angels--In One Delightful Package!

Comparable to Lucy Ricardo, Sarah from today’s featured novel finds herself in madcap situations—most of them of her own making! A salad toss of “I Love Lucy,” “I Dream of Jeanie,” and “Touched by an Angel,” “Sarah and the Widow’s Mate” is sure to tickly your funny bone.

 

"Sarah and the Widow's Mate"

by Gay N. Lewis

About "Sarah and the Widow’s Mate"

Widow Beth Marsh is not only beautiful, but wealthy enough to buy a third-world country. When she enters the dating arena to find companionship, two men profess an interest in her…but is it Beth they want, or are they out to harm her and get her money?

Watching from the Heavenlies, the Superiors dispatch Heaven’s Little Love Angel to Houston during the Christmas holidays. Sarah’s mission is to help the lady determine which of her suitors is the genuine article. Is black-haired Bryan Wingate the real deal? Or is good-looking Charles Chadwick the honest companion?

When Beth invites human-disguised Sarah to attend a wedding, the delighted angel looks forward to an opportunity to wear a beautiful formal gown, and maybe—at long last—red stilettos! But Sarah’s mission becomes deadly serious when she discovers Beth’s life is in danger. If Sarah fails in her mission, Tomas, the Warrior Angel, will intercede. Determined to keep her human charge safe from gold diggers and save Tomas the trouble, the petite angel steps up her efforts.

But Sarah wouldn’t be Sarah without a few bungles along the way….

PURCHASE THE BOOK

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Fan Reviews

* "What makes this book so much fun is that the story is told from the perspective of the match-making angel, Sarah. She's not the staid, stern angelic presence you might expect. No, Sarah is full of fun, and her zany exploits add a dimension of humor to the mystery and romance of "Sarah and the Widow's Mate." Beth Marsh's predicament clearly demonstrates that money isn't everything. The images of Beth's palatial home and the Christmas decorations add richness to the narrative. Although this is one of the "Sarah" series of Gay Lewis's books, this one--like the others--can be enjoyed as a stand-alone work. I loved Sarah's third trip to earth!"
* "Sarah is so adorable you want to hug her, but watch out for those wings! With a little support from her angel friends and a few embarrassing moments (This is Sarah-we expect embarrassing moments) she is able to unravel a plot and help Beth find her true love. This is a delightful story; I loved it!"
* "I enjoyed this book very much!! Ms. Lewis writes in a unique style. The ending surprised me, but I liked it. There were sections where I laughed out loud. I've bought several of these books and have given them as gifts."

About the Author

A native Texan, Gay lives in a small town west of Houston. Gay has always been involved with artistic ventures.  Two videos she produced were sold in US and international markets—The Canadian Rockies, English and Japanese translations, and Psalms from the Mountains.

As a pastor’s wife, she has written, produced, and photographed many programs, and her Faith Features have been published in various church periodicals.

Teaching an adult Bible study every Sunday morning is Gay’s joy, and she is often called upon for speaking engagements.  When needed, she plays the piano and serves as worship leader in her husband’s church. 

Gay writes about a petite angel who comes to earth to romantically link humans, but this is no ordinary angel. Sarah is dyslexic, can’t read maps, and is often lost. She is the Lucy Ricardo from The Heavenlies and creates one humorous disaster after another.  Sarah and the Widow’s Mate is the third in the series.  It follows Sarah: A Mission of Love, and Sarah: Laney’s Angel. 

Connect with Gay at these locations

www.GayNLewis.com
http://www.gaynlewis.blogspot.com
https://www.amazon.com/author/gaynlewis
http:www.prismbookgroup.com

 

COTT: Carlene Havel, A Sharecropper Christmas

It's a new year, full of new books! But you can make Christmas last a little longer by enjoying Carlene Havel's latest novel, "A Sharecropper's Christmas." 

Also, help COTT ring in the New Year by entering our giveaway for a chance at three novels! Entry instructions can be found at the conclusion of Carlene's guest article. Enjoy!

PURCHASE THE BOOK

Amazon

B&N

Guest post by Carlene Havel

Someone asked me why I wanted to write about the 1930s. 

As a child, I loved to nestle in someone’s lap after dinner at my grandparents’ ranch while one story teller after another spun yarns from the Great Depression. “I tell you now, Boats, back in 1933, times was hard,” signaled the recounting of an adventure softened by subsequent years of prosperity. Great-uncle Boats got his nickname from the impressive size and shape of his shoes.  In addition to those extraordinarily long, thin feet, I inherited my family’s love for telling stories.

I was in high school before I realized my experiences were atypical.  For example, I saw my grandmother kill a rattlesnake when I was about four years old.  We were drawing water from the well in the back yard when the snake poked his head from beneath a pile of rocks. After arming herself with an iron crowbar, Alice calmly climbed onto the rocks--wearing her tall cowboy boots, of course.  The rattlesnake’s next peek was his last.

She didn’t normally use tobacco, but I remember Grandma Alice chewing a plug to apply to my bee sting. Long after others modernized, she prepared meals on a coal oil stove and churned her own butter. She could cook and sew and was pretty handy with a hammer and saw, too.  She let me feed the chickens and pet the horses, while Grandpa showed me the proper technique for milking a cow.

I never saw my grandmother measure an ingredient, but her cornbread, biscuits, and cobblers were legendary.  Her recipes include instructions to add liquid until the mixture looks right, and stir until the consistency feels good.  If she ever had a cooking failure, it must have been before I was born.

“A Sharecropper Christmas” is a novella loosely based on family stories and my own memories.  It is my tribute not only to my grandparents, but to a tough generation who endured enormous hardships.  My goal was to portray the determined perseverance of ordinary folks in the face of desperate poverty.

Description of “A Sharecropper Christmas”:  The Great Depression left the Shoemaker family hungry and homeless. Their desperate prayers are finally answered when Herbert Shoemaker finds work as a sharecropper. Alice makes the best of the hard times without complaint, though she dreams of giving her little family a special Christmas.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Carlene Havel writes Christian-themed romances and historical novels set in Biblical times. She's lived in Turkey, Republic of the Philippines, and all over the United States. Carlene worked for a banana importer, a software development company, and everything in between. She attended several colleges and universities, including one that--to her mother's surprise--granted her a diploma. Carlene and her husband live in South Texas, surrounded by their extended family.


FIND CARLENE AT THESE LOCATIONS:

Twitter  -  https://twitter.com/carlenehavel

Facebook  -  https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCarleneHavel

Amazon:  http://goo.gl/ugcII

GIVEAWAY!

Winner announced at http://www.clashofthetitles.com/

Monday, January 20, 2014

ENTER CONTEST HERE

By entering the contest, you understand that:
*The books may arrive in Kindle, Nook, or paperback format, according to each author's preference.
*Each author will send his/her book directly to the winner.
*COTT cannot be held responsible for prizes not received.
*Entry in this contest does NOT subscribe you to any feeds, newsletters, or other publications or networks