COTT Presents Intriguing January Releases-Vote Now

In the Winter Doldrums between Post-Valentine’s Day and Easter, 

we all need a little pick-me-up.

We at COTT are pleased to present these amazing stories for you—from Biblical times to World War Two to Witness Protection to Dramatic subjects—something to intrigue every reader.

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

Happy reading! 

********

Ryan Reid is a first-grade teacher and a Christian with a heart for neglected kids, but a chance encounter during an earthquake with Sandy Arrington, a beautiful young nurse, rocks Ryan’s carefully guarded world and unearths the secret he has held deep in his heart. Though Sandy falls in love with him, Ryan’s forbidden affections lie elsewhere, and he must depend on the Lord to see him through a battle he always hoped he’d never have to face.

Mayor Clarinda Finch and high school principal clash over tradition vs. change during World War II. Can they put aside their differences and fight for both their town and a future together?

Witness Protection promises they can keep anyone safe if they follow the rules, so she follows every one of them to keep her daughter safe. But her husband just called--from the grave!

Forced to flee war-torn Jerusalem in 70 A.D., Rebekah and her husband, Ethan, each take something of value: Rebekah, the cup of the Last Supper; Ethan, a copper scroll detailing the whereabouts of a vast Temple treasure. Ahead, separation and danger face them as the struggle to survive and discover where their true treasure lies.

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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

COTT: Featuring Books By Clash of the Titles Staff

Clash of the Titles adores featuring new releases from Christian authors all over the world, but we'd be remiss to forget the authors on our very own doorstep. COTT is run by a bevy of talented writers--several of whom are published. In fact, in the last year alone, COTT staff has celebrated the release of no less than seven novels!

And here they are...

 A miracle of love lurks within the branches of a solitary aspen tree.

****

School teacher Judy Winters sets out to solve the mystery surrounding her only living relative’s murder.

****

Her past isn't pretty, but it can't be changed. Will it destroy any possibility of a future with the man she loves?

****

Death in rural Wisconsin is only the beginning to new chaos in Robertsville. What do a stolen piece of revolutionary agricultural equipment, a long-buried skeleton in the yard, and an old quilt with secrets have in common?

****

Simon Hale finds the reclusive Rosetta both beautiful and intriguing, but when she seeks out the truth behind Shadow Bay Hall’s unexplained happenings, he is torn between hope for the future and his need to protect a dangerous secret.

****

When Ivy Preston roots up her entire life to start over in Apple Grove at the urging of her cat-loving friend, the mayor, and meets the love of her life, True Thompson, can their romance survive the sudden rise in crime?

****

She needs a temporary husband. He wants a forever love. Can even Solomon's Gate find a way to join these two hearts?

COTT July Clash Winner

Congratulations to Naomi Dawn Musch, winner of the

July New Releases Clash, with her novel, The Black Rose,

third book of the Empire in Pine Series.

Thank you so much to our competitors. This competition was amazing!

LoRee Peery, Found in the Woods
Sadie and Sophie Cuff, The Seekers
Maureen Lang, Bees in the Butterfly Garden
Marcia Gruver, Hunter's Prize

About the Book:
Despite the panic of 1893, logging reaches its golden era in the growing state of Wisconsin, and twins Jesilyn and Corianne Beaumont enjoy a comfortable life with family in the bursting Great Lake city of Superior. But when jealousy incites Jesi to seduce Cori's fiance, a flight and fall from grace lands her in a boom town brothel, where a fresh start is denied her.

Camp preacher Paul Winter longs to offer hope in the logging and mining towns of northern Wisconsin, but not in the way he expects when he meets a redhead he calls Pie Girl. He's never had to battle his own longings quite this way before.

Meanwhile, stung by Jesilyn's betrayal, Corianne's bitterness might separate her from a second chance at happiness and peace. Only by Grace can both women begin new lives, and budding love can bloom in places neither of them expect.

Read an excerpt & find out more:
http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-319/Empire-in-Pines-Book/Detail.bok



About the Series:

Empire in Pine Series

Historic, romantic, women's fiction -- a multi-generational family saga of love and deception, hope and turmoil, and the rise of a wilderness empire.

Purchase Links:

AMAZON: http://tinyurl.com/7m5a5ah

BARNES &NOBLE: http://tinyurl.com/3gelmzp

DESERT BREEZE: http://tinyurl.com/43jbuvd

Thank you as always to our loyal readers. Enjoy a tiny sample of the comments:

• So tough to choose one book based on a paragraph-they all sound fabulous!
• I love, love all the titles.
• It was hard to choose!
• Tough call! I'd read them all, I think.
• My choice is based on both the blurb and the cover. But, again, it was a hard choice. Great work, authors!
• I have read every book by this Author and I have to say I am more and more impressed by all of it!

About the author:

Naomi Dawn Musch was born and raised in central Wisconsin and now makes her home in Wisconsin's vast northwoods where the vistas are ripe to feed the imagination of anyone interested in history. She and husband Jeff have three grown children and two under wing on their150 acre farm where they dabble at raising a menagerie of animals.

Naomi has been publishing a regional newsletter for home educators for the past thirteen years entitled Apples of Gold. See the page "Apples of Gold for Home Educators" for more information. She is also a staff writer for Living Stones News, a regional Christian newpaper; and a regular contributor to Home School Enrichment magazine. www.livingstonesnews.com www.homeschoolenrichment.com www.applesofgoldnews.com

Besides writing, Naomi enjoys homeschooling her children, gardening, taking walks in the woods, a little basketball, and fellowshipping with friends.


Your hostess for this clash was Lisa Lickel. Visit her at http://www.lisalickel.com

COTT -- Lisa Lickel Interview

* guest post by COTT Senior Editor, April W Gardner

The lovely Lisa Lickel has stopped by today to talk about her frigid Wisconsin winters, her 1830’s ship’s captain house, and her growing list of published novels. Join us!

Lisa is a Wisconsin writer who lives with her husband in a hundred and fifty-year-old house built by a Great Lakes ship captain. Surrounded by books and dragons, she is a multi-published novelist, has written dozens of feature newspaper stories, magazine articles, radio theater, and edits two magazines: Creative Wisconsin and OtherSheep. She is also the senior editor at Reflections in Hindsight.


Lisa is the author of A Summer in Oakville, co-authored with Shellie Neumeier, Meander Scar, Healing Grace, and The Gold Standard.

Wisconsin. Brrr! What's the coldest weather you've endured?
Lisa: The thermometers read in the negative thirties. The temp has to be at least twenty below, not just wind chill, to call off school. Once it’s minus ten or colder, it doesn’t really feel much different because you still have to bundle up the same.

Negative thirties? It was 24 over the weekend here in Georgia. You should have heard the complaining! LOL I hope you have a warm house. Speaking of which, does your 160 year ship captain's house actually sit on the lake shore? Which of the Great Lakes would that be?
Lisa: Where we live is inland from Lake Michigan about fifteen or so miles from Port Washington. It’s midway-ish between Green Bay and the current state line. The LaCrafts came to Wisconsin in the late 1830s and bought land as soon as the surveys were registered. I’m not sure exactly what they did or where they lived before this house was built in 1853, but I know that afterward he gave up his ship, which I’m guessing was a steamer or clipper with a merchant run between New York where they were from and Port Washington. Abraham Lincoln stopped at Port and speechified once, ya know.

Sounds like Captain LaCraft had a rather long and frigid buggy ride back and forth to his ship! Since you have such long, cold winters it’s a good thing your job doesn’t take you outside the home (much). How did your writing career get kicked off? 
Lisa: I was a church secretary knowing my kids were leaving home for adulthood and my job wouldn’t last forever I took the very expensive Christian Writers Guild apprentice course. I began writing for my tiny little local newspaper, features and government meetings, etc., which was excellent practice for “write tight.” Meanwhile a novel I wrote for the guild’s very first First Novel contest under Jerry Jenkins did pretty well, I wrote a cozy mystery for Barbour and signed with an agent from the guild about the same time, fall of 2007. And so forth.

Ooh, I’ve always wanted to take one of the Christian Writers Guild’s courses. Good for you for taking plunge, despite the cost!
I hear you love to travel. Do you have any funny travel misadventures you're brave enough to share?
Lisa: Okay–my husband likes these travel books called “Moon Guides.” You should look them up – they’re fun. Sometimes a little out of date, as we discovered on one journey when we stopped at what was supposed to be a mineral springs spa in the middle of – wherever we were. The motel had just changed hands and the proud grandfatherly owner showed us around, leading the way down this huge scary hallway with, I KID YOU NOT, stained ceiling tiles drooping with insulation showing, rather actively inhabited cobwebs, just totally gross, to the last two rooms in the place which he had fixed up. Out comes a very happy smiling couple from one of the rooms, exclaiming their delight with the place; he opens the last door with a flourish to a very mildew smelling room, air conditioner running full blast and a bed with an obvious droop. I wondered…well never mind. Hubby felt sorta bad about leaving, but, I mean, really…would you?

You bet I would have left! Nope, no guilt there. And it’s too funny that the other couple were gushing over the place. I wonder if he paid his neighbors to say that? LOL
You've been on staff at Clash of the Titles since its birth. Which aspect the site do you enjoy most?
Lisa: Working with you, of course. (Aw! Thanks, sweetie. And, ditto!) Meeting all the fantastic authors and finding out behind-the-scenes things to do with their work. And what I truly find fascinating is exploring books from all the different angles, such as “Best Romantic Moment,” “Best Back Cover Blurb,” “Most Delectable Hero,” – okay, made that last one up, but…something in the future?

Hey, that’s not a bad idea! Raise your hand if you want to see a Most Delectable Hero clash! 
How many of your books have been published, and which one have you gotten most positive reader feedback on?
Lisa: That’s a nice way to put it, April. As soon as The Map Quilt releases in April, that will make full length novel number five; my first book, MQ’s prequel, is re-releasing later on. I received some nice comments on The Gold Standard, the first book, and I have the most reviews and intriguing public comments on Meander Scar, an unusual romance I did in 2010.


Congratulations on the upcoming releases! Whoo hoo!! Each book an author finishes whether it’s ever published or not is a massive accomplishment. And I LOVED Meander Scar. I think I read it in one sitting, and I’ve never done that before. Ever. 
So tell us about this book you have coming?


The Map Quilt releases in April of this year.
Just how high a price does a family secret command?
Death in rural Wisconsin is only the beginning to new chaos in Robertsville. What do a stolen piece of revolutionary agricultural equipment, a long-buried skeleton in the yard, and an old quilt with secrets have in common? Hart and Judy Wingate, who met in The Gold Standard, are back to solve the mystery of The Map Quilt. Hart’s new battery design could forever change the farm implement industry. But after the death of Hart’s most confrontational colleague in a fire that destroys Hart’s workshop, the battery is missing.
Throw in a guest speaker invited to Judy’s elementary classroom who insists she owns the land under Hart’s chief competitor’s corporate headquarters, and a police chief who’s making eyes at Hart’s widowed mother, it’s no wonder Hart is under a ton of pressure to make sure his adventurous pregnant wife stays safe while trying to preserve his company and his reputation.
It sounds like a lot of fun. You're a talented author, Lisa, and COTT is privileged to call you its own!


Learn more about the talented Lisa Lickel at her site: www.lisalickel.com.

Dialogue--Snappy Dialogue, That Is

Coming Up at Clash of the Titles
October 10-November 4, 2011

 

The first annual, Tournament of Champions! 

Over a FOUR week period, SIXTEEN previous COTT champs will face-off in EIGHT different mini-Clashes.

 

Only ONE will take home The Laurel Award.

With Clashes, games, and prizes galore, you won't want to miss this month-long celebration!

 

********

 

*Guest post by Lisa Lickel*

 

Dialogue lets your characters be heard. It’s their voice; their conversation amongst themselves. It’s how they tell their story. Dialogue is talk. Discussion. Arguments. Jokes. Questions and answers. Foibles. Mystery. Mesmerism. It’s the muscle on the skeleton of the story.

 

The writer’s ability to conquer natural dialogue comes out of how well we know our characters. The reader’s ability to hear natural-sounding dialogue comes from the depth from which he is drawn into the story.

      Using dialogue in a book helps readers see that characters spend time with each other for a reason, even if they’re stranded on desert islands. Tom Hanks had Wilson in the move Cast Away, after all. Dialogue is more than internal mutterings or their revelations to the reader. It needs to be heard, not just read. The words need to translate immediately to sound in the reader’s inner ear, and thus be natural, no matter the setting.

What can we deduce from these two small pieces of the excerpts in this Clash? Are you in time, in story, in the character’s emotions? Can you cheer for them? Figure out exactly what will happen next, or are you eager to turn the page for more?

“Would you mind if I walked with you?”

      “As long as we’re not together.”

      “All right.” He strode into the street and spread his arms as wide as his grin. “There. We’re not together.”

     “Jack!” she cried…. “Get back up here.” Ruth motioned frantically. “Don’t make me fix you up again.”

 

OR

    
“Perhaps you cannot wait for the wedding night?”

      Her brown eyes simmered. “Why you insufferable cad!” She raised her hand to slap him.

He caught it and lifted it to his lips for a kiss, eyeing her with delight.

She studied him then released a sigh. “You tease me, sir.” Snatching her hand from his, she stepped back. “But what would I expect from you?”

 

In a novel, talk must have a purpose. A conversation shouldn’t be talk for the sake of filling time or space. Readers have only until the last page to spend with people in a book, so writers must not waste time. Dialogue is meant to reveal something useful, important to the story line—passion, motive, or confession.

 

Why Snappy? Characters must speak true to their nature. While snappy it might not describe the personality, it implies action, tension, perhaps a slip of the tongue or a revelation that might even surprise the character, but certainly should surprise the reader.

Clash of the Titles hopes you are intrigued by these little snippets of story and want to find out more about the books and authors. Stop by and you’ll get that chance! Meet the authors and leave comments to enter the drawing for a free book.
*Lisa Lickel is a Wisconsin writer who lives with her husband in a hundred and fifty-year-old house built by a Great Lakes ship captain. Surrounded by books and dragons, she has written dozens of feature newspaper stories, magazine articles, radio theater, and several inspirational novels to date. She is also the senior editor at Reflections in Hindsight.

John3:16 Network Blog Tour – Lisa Lickel

Lisa Lickel is a Wisconsin writer who lives with her husband in a hundred and sixty-year-old house built by a Great Lakes ship captain. Surrounded by books and dragons, she writes inspiring fiction. Her novels include mystery and romance, all with a twist of grace. She has penned dozens of feature newspaper stories, short stories, magazine articles and radio theater. She is the editor in chief of Creative Wisconsin Magazine and loves to encourage new authors. Lisa also is an avid book reviewer, a freelance editor, an editor at Port Yonder Press, a writing mentor, a hostess at Clash of the Titles.com, and enjoys blogging at theBarnDoor.net and ReflectionsinHindsight.wordpress.com. Find her at LisaLickel.com.

How long have you known you wanted to be an author?

I’m one of those rarer creatures who did not consider being a professional writer until I was close to forty. I’d been a school and church secretary, and local historian, content with raising my family and all that goes with it, when I took a course from the Christian Writers Guild and started selling articles before I graduated. My first novel made the top ten of the First Novel contest, and I simply kept writing.

Can you tell me a little bit about your newest book?

To be Titled…Coming October 2011 from Black Lyon, a new love story of one unforgettable summer of renewed purpose, faith and strength in family. Set on a farm in a small Wisconsin community, a family rediscovers the meaning of trust, loyalty, and letting go. In the beautiful rolling hills of Oakville, a family is torn by the impending loss of their heritage. Told in layers by each of the four, Tessa Hasmer Murphy faces divorce when the man of her dreams walks back in her life and forces her to choose between what could have been and what is. Tessa’s daughter Lindsay finds a way to save the family farm, but it may cost her the only man that she has ever loved. Art Hasmer must face his ghosts and come home in time to be a parent to his son or risk losing the woman who has waited for him since high school. And when Andy, Art’s son, discovers the meaning of forgiveness, he must learn to accept it as well as give it in order to receive sweet Ella’s love.

~with co-author Shellie Neumeier

When a reader gets done with your book, what do you want them to come away with?

I honestly hope my readers have taken a little vacation from too-real life with my little slice of entertainment. Although my books often deal with tough issues (serious illness, disappearance of a spouse, life challenges) I try to include lighter moments as well. I hope my readers have enjoyed the story enough to tell several someone elses about it.

Is there a place you have always wanted to visit? A vacation spot, historical monument, overseas, etc?

Now that I’ve had a chance to meet my Norwegian cousins who came here for a vacation, I’d love to go visit them in my country of origin.

What one event would you love to be at? Historical or future?

I would love to stand in the middle of a busy space port when first contact with another species is established.

Do you have a favorite hobby?

I like to sew and quilt.

Is there something about you most people wouldn't know?

I’m completely useless when it comes to giving or receiving directions.

Do you have any suggestions for the aspiring writer?

Writing and being published is such an up and down profession; do not take anything personally, never surrender, strive for constant growth.

Any last thoughts for your readers?

You hold a piece of my soul in your hands whenever you buy my work or read my stories. I’d love to connect with you to talk more about pretty much anything.

Find me at http://www.LisaLickel.com

Books by Lisa Lickel available on Amazon.com:

• ·         Healing Grace
• ·         Meander Scar
• ·         The Gold Standard

Thank you, Lisa, for sharing your writing story with us today. 

    

Excerpt: The Gold Standard by Lisa Lickel

Chapter 9

Standing on the lawn in front of her house, her erstwhile boyfriend held out his arms to her. “Judy! Babe! You didn’t return my calls. I had to see if you were all right.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Judy noticed Carranza beginning to slink along the front porch railing with the same look in his eye that she’d seen when he hunted cowbirds.

“Graham.” She kept her distance, putting out a hand to ward him off when he reached out to hug her. “I wasn’t expecting you. What can I do for you?”

“Ouch! Babe, that’s cold. Is that any way to greet your fiancé?”

Judy focused on a point just behind Graham’s head where Carranza came to a halt. The cat’s tail began to twitch. She moved past Graham, trying to draw him away from the porch railing. Instead, Graham appeared rooted to the spot. He folded his arms and twisted his hips to keep her in sight.

Should she warn him about Carranza’s occasional lapse in judgment and tendency to pounce? “Fiancé? We haven’t talked about marriage, Graham. I’m even debating whether or not to return to Lewiston. In fact, I’m looking into other work. We only dated a couple of months, and not even exclusively.”

“Hey. I never dated—well, just once. Or twice. But those were country club functions and you weren’t available. What was I supposed to do? Come on, Judy. I put a lot of time and effort into this relationship. I came out here trying to make nice. I know how much  

you want to stay out here, and I do, too. . . . Owww!”

Judy watched dispassionately as Carranza flew through the air with the greatest of ease and landed, claws fully extended, on Graham’s back.

“Judeeee!”

Judy managed to pull the cat off the twirling Graham. Carranza immediately went limp and slipped out of her grasp. He charged a few body lengths away and turned and looked at them both through haughty eyes before he sat and began to repair his ruffled coat.

“Judy!” Graham spun around again, his face a mask of anger.

“Here, Graham. Stop that. Let me see.” Judy ordered him to sit on the step of the porch while she went to find some lotion and bandages. She returned to find Graham hunched over.

Graham stared at her, his mouth pouty. “What’s with that animal? Did you train it to be an attack cat or something?”

Judy motioned for him to pull his shirt off so she could look at the scratches. She knelt behind him to wipe at the bloody slashes. “Of course I didn’t train Carranza to attack. He’s got a mind of his own.”

Graham reached back and grabbed her wrist, stopping her ministrations. “We need to get some things straightened out.”

Judy leaned back on her knees and wrested her arm from his grip. “You’re right. We do.” She bit her lip. “I don’t want to marry you.” She looked at him in time to notice the dark color suffusing his cheeks, his widened pupils and flaring nostrils indicating anger.