Audra Jennings

An interview with Beth Guckenberger, Author of Tales of the Defended Ones     What do adopted children from Ethiopia, a child in slavery in Cambodia, a special-needs orphan from Mexico, and a foster child in the U.S. have in common? They are all real children whose lives of heartbreak and abandon became stories of hope skillfully and lovingly told in Beth Guckenberger’s latest book, Tales of the Defended Ones (Standard Publishing / January 28, 2013 / ISBN: 978-0784736975 / $ 8.99) .   Q: Tales of the Defended Ones is the second release in the Storyweaver series. Can you share more about your vision for the series and what you hope readers will gain from reading your books? I hope it spurs between children and the adults in their lives conversations of substance about real issues. I want children to learn with God’s worldview how to pray and go and understand slavery, adoption and orphan care. I pray it takes the cause and makes it personal through these t...

BEST-SELLING AUTHOR DEEANNE GIST BRINGS CHICAGO’S 1893 WORLD FAIR TO LIFE IN HISTORICAL NOVEL, IT HAPPENED AT THE FAIR   “Gist takes intriguing historical facts and creates a world of fascinating characters, lighthearted moments and timeless crises that we can still relate to today.” –Romantic Times Top Pick ( A Bride in the Bargain) “Gist’s historicals have increasingly gained popularity, combining witty dialog, well-balanced plots, and fully developed characters who seem almost real.” –Library Journal The 1893 Chicago World’s Fair overflowed with the latest innovations welcomed by a throng of people from all around the globe. This setting replete with history, intrigue and wonder is the backdrop for beloved author Deeanne Gist ’s latest release, It Happened at the Fair . “I’m always drawn to events in our country’s past that are strangely absent from our history classes. Why the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition has been left out, I don’t know, especially since ...

I'm far from an outdoorsy nature person. However, I love the tree in my backyard, and mainly that I can see up in the tree from my desk.  It sure beats the view from over at the other place where I saw a busy street, the mail person driving by my mailbox, trash cans and the neighbors parking in front of my house. I guess part of the reason I am not blogging as much lately is I have less neighbor rants than I used to.  There is a flock of doves in my backyard, and I usually see a lot of blue jays and mocking birds. There's a lot of small birds too - sparrows I think - and maybe another variety. Most of the time the cardinals are out front, but I see some of those too. I've been hearing a woodpecker, but had not seen one yet. And definitely hear an owl or two at any time of the day. I saw one fly into a tree down the block one evening after walking the neighborhood, but not in my yard. Until Tuesday. That morning, I saw a flash of red out of the corner of...

Today was the now annual family reunion for my dad's side of the family. We actually survived without any drama.  (Oh, except the one time my dad yelled at me about something for no reason. Still don't know what that was all about. And one somewhat unexpected member of the family that I did avoid. We won't go there either.) But let's just say there was a lot of hot air, this time more in the form of a blow up slide that was the hit of the day. Mainly intended for the kids, let's just say there was adult participation after the family picture was taken. I'll have to get more pictures from my mom because I only took a few from my phone.  My uncle (whose house this was at) evidently tried it out the night before. Wish I could have seen that. It wasn't the crazy male members of the family that did it though I was trying to convince some of my cousins. Surprisingly, it was the women  (two of my cousins around my parents age, one of my dad's...

An interview with Beth Wiseman, author of The House that Love Built Award-winning author Beth Wiseman has hit the best-sellers lists with each and every one of her books, and her latest, The House that Love Built (Thomas Nelson / April 2, 2013 / ISBN 978-1595548894 / $15.99), is sure to follow. In the interview below, Wiseman shares more about the story behind her newest release. Q: Is there one particular message or “moral of the story” you hope readers walk away with? I hope that Brooke, Owen and the rest of the gang will stay on readers’ hearts for a long time, that readers will reflect on the very different ways that the characters handled the events in their lives. And in turn, hopefully the story will inspire people to turn to God in both the good times and the bad. Q: Forgiveness of self and others is one of the themes that runs through The House That Love Built . Why do you think it is so hard for us to forgive ourselves and let go at times? People of...

In his latest novel, Darkness Before Dawn (Abingdon Press),  Ace Collins leads readers on an emotionally charged ride from revenge to forgiveness . Ace is celebrating the release of Darkness Before Dawn with a  Retribution v. Redemption 12-Day Giveaway ! Go { HERE } or click the button for all the details. Follow along for a new giveaway each day. (Moleskin journal, books, Starbucks gift cards and so much more!) Click here to enter! For more about Darkness Before Dawn, visit my previous post !

Sarah Ladd is celebrating the release of The Heiress of Winterwood with a Downton Abbey Kindle Prize Pack Giveaway! One winner will receive: A brand new Kindle Fire Downton Abbey , seasons 1-3 Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on April 30th. Winner will be announced on 5/2/13 { HERE }. Tell your friends via  FACEBOOK  or  TWITTER  and increase your chances of winning. About the book: Pride goes before the fall . . . but what comes after? Darbury, England, 1814 Amelia Barrett gave her word. Keeping it could cost her everything. An heiress to an estate nestled in the English moors, defies family expectations and promises to raise her dying friend’s baby. She’ll risk everything to keep her word—even to the point of proposing to the child’s father—a sea captain she’s never met. When the child vanishes with little more than an ominous ransom note hinting at her whereabouts, Amel...

Jody Hedlund   is celebrating the release of A Noble Groom by giving away a Kindle Fire and hosting a Facebook Author Chat Party {5/8}!  One "noble" winner will receive: A Kindle Fire A copy of A Noble Groom by Jody Hedlund Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on May 7th. Winner will be announced at the  "A Noble Groom" Author Chat Party on May 8th . Connect with Jody, get a sneak peek of her next book, try your hand at the trivia contest, and chat with readers just like you. There will also be many fun giveaways -- gift certificates, books, and more! So grab your copy of A Noble Groom and join Jody on the evening of May 8th for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book, don't let that stop you from coming!) Don't miss a moment of the fun,  RSVP today. Tell your friends via  FACEBOOK  or  TWITTER  and increase your chances of winning. Hope...

Susan May Warren is celebrating the release of Duchess with a Kindle Fire HD  Giveaway . One "glam" winner will receive: A brand new Kindle Fire HD Signed copies of Duchess, Baroness and Heiress Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on May 4th. Winner will be announced on 5/7/13 at Susan's blog . Tell your friends via  FACEBOOK  or  TWITTER  and increase your chances of winning. For more information about Duchess , visit my previous post about the book  or check out this interview with Susan May Warren ! www.susanmaywarren.com 

Last weekend I yammered on about how this weekend was going to consist of a whole lot of nothing after the flurry and fury that the past two months have been. No plans. A bunch of nothing. Yeah, right. Maybe in two weeks. Maybe. First unexpected event was my Grandmother coming to town. Her sister brought her over after a funeral Friday morning. She came to see my house, then stayed at my parents. Secondly, Paige started texting me about 30 minutes before quitting time Friday that she wanted to go out to eat and for her, me, Peyton, Mom and Dad go see 42 at the movies. I told her maybe we could go to the movies on Saturday. When I tell Dad this, he decides to go pick the girls up and bring them into town. So, we all gathered for dinner which was kind of a mad house of loudness and confusion. You kind of had to be there. I'll not bore you with details. My Saturday rule is that I don't get out of bed until 9 AM. I was up before 8. I tossed and turned all night a...

I like to hear the birds in my backyard chirping. The squirrel chattter gets freaky at times. Kittens meowing under your patio deck where you can't get to them or see them while you are working rank right up there with dogs that are scared of the dark barking while you are trying to sleep. On Thursday, I think I went downstairs and out back at least 4 times to see if I could find the kittens I could hear meowing. When I went to the kitchen one time that evening, I saw one of my neighbors in his backyard rummaging through some of his junk. I asked him if he had kittens because I thought maybe they were coming from there and that's what he was looking for. "I think they are under your deck." RATS. There was a cat in the yard of the neighbor on the other side who may/may not have been the mother cat. I don't see how she would have squeezed, under, but what do I know. Fed up yesterday, I went and blasted water via the water hose through the slats to see ...

Celebrate the release of When Jesus Wept with the Thoenes by entering their iPad Mini giveaway and RSVPing to their {4/23} Facebook Author Chat party! One fortunate winner will receive: A brand new iPad Mini A book club kit - 10 copies of When Jesus Wept Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on April 22nd. Winner will be announced at the "When Jesus Wept" Author Chat Party on 4/23 . Connect with the Thoenes, get a sneak peek of the next book in the Jerusalem Chronicles series, try your hand at a trivia contest, and chat with readers just like yourself. There will also be fun giveaways - gift certificates, books, and more! So grab your copy of When Jesus Wept and join Bodie and Brock on the evening of the April 23rd for a chance to connect with the authors and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book - don't let that stop you from coming!) Don't miss a moment of the fun,  RSVP today.  Tell...

An Interview with Sheryl Giesbrecht, Author of Get Back Up     Did you know it is possible to survive a freefall from the Willis Tower in Chicago or a skydive with a failed parachute? It will hurt, and it will take some time to heal, but it is possible. Our lives can be a lot like that freefall, but we can survive whatever challenges God puts in front of us if we just get back up. In Get Back Up: Trusting God When Life Knocks You Down (Wheatmark/March 2013/ISBN: 978-1-60494-854-7/$ 12.95/also available in e-book) , Sheryl Giesbrecht shares her personal story of triumph over tragedy to help readers understand they can not only survive their adversities, but thrive. Q: For most authors, one defining experience drives them to write their book. You’ve actually faced many obstacles that would have kept most people down for the count. Can you share with us about a difficult time in your life when you had to trust in God and Get Back Up ? Several years ago, I foun...