Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Ray Hawkins ~ Captured By Calvary


It's my pleasure to welcome Ray Hawkins to Ink Dots this week. If you're looking for a great father's day present, consider Ray's Captured by Calvary


http://rayhawkinsauthor.blogspot.com.au/
Retired after over 40 years as a Churches of Christ minister, Ray enjoys sharing themes from the Scriptures through Devotional writing. Married to Mary, multi-published inspirational romance author, they have three children and five grandchildren. Ray shares his insights in his first two books on Marriage and Children with more ideas to come about ministry and much more. Living in Beauty Point Tasmania Ray heads up a new Christian Fellowship as well as doing relief preaching, community work and writing. 

Captured by Calvary ~ 31 Biblical Devotions to meditate on the cross - God's glory.

Be captured by the wisdom, power, grace and wonder of Calvary.These devotional meditations take you to the heart of the Gospel. They will fill you with awe of God.


They will cause you to bow before the Lord in adoration.





AUSTRALIAN CHRISTIAN READERS BLOG ALLIANCE

CAPTURED BY CALVARY 

(EVEN BEFORE PUBLISHERS FEB 2012)

by 

RAY HAWKINS




Monday, August 12, 2013

Carla Gade ~ Pattern For Romance


We've hung out with Carla at Ink Dots before, and I'm thrilled to welcome her back for another visit. Carla's has been imagining stories for most of her life. Her love for writing and eras gone by turned her attention to writing historical Christian romance. An autodidact, creative thinker, and avid reader, Carla also enjoys genealogy and photography. A native New Englander, she writes from her home in beautiful rural Maine where she resides with her “hero” husband and two young adult sons. You may visit her online at carlagade.com

Pattern for Romance (1769, Boston, Massachusetts)
Sometimes God's pattern for our lives can lead us somewhere unexpected. 
Honour Metcalf's quilting needlework is admired by a wealthy customer of the Boston Mantua-maker for whom she works. In need of increasing her earnings, she agrees to create an elaborate white work bridal quilt for the dowager's niece. A beautiful design emerges as she carefully stitches the intricate patterns and she begins to dream of fashioning a wedding quilt of her own. When Honour is falsely accused of thievery and finds herself in a perilous position, merchant tailor Joshua Sutton comes to her aid. As he risks his relationships, reputation, and livelihood to prove her innocence, the two discover a grander plan.

Carla says ~ One thing I enjoyed today is...having a lobster roll for dinner with sweet potato fries. It is summer here in Maine and fresh lobster is aplenty. 
A secret pleasure of mine is...genealogy. I don’t know if that’s such a secret, but I love researching mine and my husband’s ancestors and find it a very relaxing task, albeit tedious. I totally get lost in time and sometimes spend hours on end filling in the details of my family tree from old New England which has strong English and Scottish roots. Our Scandinavian history is a bit more difficult to trace.
A moment that changed my life is...becoming a grandmother four months ago. I think my world stopped for a while and now I’m trying to catch up. I watch him at least one day per week so this is something new I am fitting into my writing schedule. My life feels good and satisfying right now. Oh, I've watched this cherub grow on facebook, and love watching you relish your grandma role and precious grandson. :)
When I was a child I wanted to...be a missionary. And in a way I think I am. My writing is a ministry to me and I love to weave the threads of faith into my stories. The themes found in Pattern for Romance are faith, honesty, and trust.
I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but...my book Mistletoe Memories comes out in September. Just had to sneak that in. ;) Allowed. :) We look forward to celebrating all your releases. 
I chose this period of history to set my story in because...my fascination with early America prompted me to wonder about the earliest forms of quilting in the colonies. I expected to discover beautiful patch-work quilts, but instead learned about whole-cloth quilting. Exquisite designs were stitched into garments such as petticoats, waistcoats, and even gowns. Quilted bedcoverings came later and chose a pivotal time in history before the American Revolution when these quilts were also at the height of popularity. Pattern for Romance is the Quilts of Love novel with the earliest quilting setting.

Thanks for joining us again, Carla. I'm so thrilled to share Pattern For Romance with Ink Dots readers. Thank you Dotti! 
*****
For your chance to win a copy of Carla's book, please leave a comment below. I'll announce the winner on Friday. Tell us if you've ever tried your hand at quilting. I have one unfinished quilt top. That's how far I dabbled in the art. But I personally know experts who've produce amazing pieces. 

How about you...? Are you an expert, or a dabbler like me?
Good luck in the draw, and happy reading.

Monday, August 05, 2013

Anita Higman - Winter in Full Bloom


It's my pleasure to welcome best-selling and award-wining author, Anita Higman. Anita has thirty-four books published (serveral co-authored) for adults and children. She loves good movies, exotic teas, and brunch with her friends. Anita recently won her second Inspirational Reader’s Choice Award, and her latest novel, Winter in Full Bloom (Moody Publishers) is available now.  Please visit her website at www.anitahigman.com 

Winter in Full Bloom ~ Lily Winter’s wings are folded so tightly around her daughter that when empty nest arrives, she feels she can no longer fly. But Lily’s lonely, widowed life changes in a heartbeat when she goes to visit a woman who is almost a stranger to her—a woman who also happens to be her mother. During their fiery reunion, her mother reveals a dark family secret that she’d been hiding for decades—Lily has an identical twin sister who was put up for adoption when they were babies. Without looking back, Lily embarks on a quest to find her sister, which takes her all the way to Melbourne, Australia. But her journey becomes a circle that leads her back home to reconciliation and to the one dream she no longer imagined possible—the chance to fall in love again. 

Anita says ~ If could go anywhere in the world tomorrow, it would be...Norway. My husband and I have enjoyed some wonderful travels since empty nest, such as Alaska, Canada, France, Italy, Hawaii, Australia, and recently Ireland. But we can’t wait to see the fjords of Norway! 
One thing I enjoyed today is...Walking on the lovely hiking/biking trail that was built right by our house. It has been a beautiful addition to our area, and it starts right outside our backyard fence. It’s a great way for me to relax in the evening, taking a walk by the woods. 
A secret pleasure of mine is...Going to the spa. I go almost every week for a massage, and it is one of the highlights of my week. But it’s not just a pleasure, it’s a necessity. After many long hours at the computer I usually wind up stiff as an ironing board. Not good. So, I have this amazing masseuse who knows how to make that board into a bendable human being again. Yea! I with you on the massages, sister! Bliss for author shoulders. :)
A moment that changed my life is... About thirty years ago I was reading a novel in my bedroom, and something just hit me—Providence—and I yelled to my husband in the next room, “I think I can do this!” Meaning, I think I finally have enough confidence to fulfill a calling I’d had since I was a little girl, to give writing a try. Decades later—even though it’s been a rough ride at times—I’m so glad I follow the desire of my heart and began to scribble down those first words. 
When I was a child I wanted to... Write stories. When I was a wee one, I tried writing a novel about a guy from Mars who tried to make a go of life in New York. I didn’t get very far with that book, but I knew then that the seed of storytelling had been planted in my heart. It’s just that it took many years for that seed to grow into a tree with any fruit that was worth eating. 

I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but...I still think writing is amazingly and impossibly difficult. I still can’t believe that when I push the send button and that manuscript flies off to the editor that I actually pulled it off. Again. It always seems like birthing children—pure miracle. 
*****
Thanks for visiting with us, Anita. It's not every day I get to share a novel set in Melbourne, my home town. I'm really excited about this story and look forward to cuddling up under a blanket with it, while winter still has its grip on Melbourne. 
*****
If you'd like the chance to win Anita's Winter in Full Bloom, please leave a comment below. Tell us if you're a spa girl like Anita. Do you love a girly visit for the full works, or do you drag your weary bones over for a good massage? I'll admit, I've made a weekly massage a priority. Anita's right. Authors are good at calcifying at the computer if they're not careful. How about you?
BONUS... This week I'm offering a packet of Melbourne Breakfast tea in addition to Winter in Full Bloom. This way you can really set the mood for a story set in the world's most liveable city. (True. It is. Big smile.)
I'll announce the winner in the comment thread on Friday.
Good luck and happy reading,