Wednesday, March 11, 2015

She's Mine is a Grace Awards Finalist!!!!!

Yeah, I'm !!!!!! kind of excited about this - The Grace Awards is in its 5th year but this is the first time I had a book eligible. And I'm a finalist!!

The Grace Awards celebrates excellence in faith-based fiction, seeking to expand its scope and readership and to showcase its value in the Christian community (and the world at large). The tag-line "Expanding the Tent Pegs of Christian Fiction" really sums up this award. Each year, from January 1 to February 28, readers vote for (nominate) novels published the previous year, in six categories. The voting requires readers to write a 40 (or more) word statement of why they like the book they are nominating. 

As SHE'S MINE was released on December 1, 2014, it was eligible for this award. But it had a short time in which to impress enough readers to garner enough votes to make the first-round pick. And it did! I'm so thrilled that you all like my book!!! Being nominated really is an honor. Whether or not my novel wins, I will always have this achievement to cherish.

Now, enough of tooting my own horn. Because I'm up against some stiff competition. One other finalist in the Mystery/Suspense category is none other than my critique partner Nike Chillemi. Her novel HARMFUL INTENT is a fast-paced police procedural type mystery with a hunky hero and a lovable yet sometimes snarky heroine. I absolutely LOVE this novel!   

I'm not familiar with the third finalist novel, BETWEEN THE LIES by Joy DeKok. It has 91, 5 star reviews so it must be a good story! The blurb on Amazon sounds very intriguing. I'll definitely be adding it to my TBR list :) 


In other categories, some of my favorites of 2014 are finalists as well as several of my fellow CIA members (that's Christian Indie Authors - not the "other" CIA!!). Here's a peak at the others:





Congratulations to all the finalists! Be sure to check the Grace Awards blog to read a short blurb about each novel. And check back in May to find out the winners! In the meantime, support Christian fiction by reading one or more of these wonderful novels and posting reviews online. Take it from this author - finding a new review posted is like Christmas morning!





Friday, March 6, 2015

Sneak Peek at the next Mystique of Naultag novel


Welcome to Christian Fiction Friday's - a chance for Christian Authors to post short snippets from their works in progress.

For those who have read SHE'S MINE, you know I end with a teaser about Randy Henderson. No spoiler here - yes, Randy is the co-star of the next Mystique of Naultag novel. Unfortunately, this one has no title yet. I'm calling it "MON2" (Mystique of Naultag #2). Randy's leading lady is Giovana McKenzie. Here's how I picture them:

From MON2, chapter 1:
Gio met Randy’s gaze. “Are you ready?”
He nodded. Deema blew a nervous breath as Gio encouraged the mare to lower herself to the straw bedding. Relieved when the horse accepted her interference, Gio knelt and went to work.
“You’ll need to make sure she stays down.” Glancing up, she saw Randy was already positioning himself to restrain the mare. “Try to keep her as calm as possible.”
Labor contractions had wedged the foal in the birth canal. Gio would fist need to repel the foal, pushing back gently, then carefully extend the forelegs. After that, she had to bring the head around to facing forward. Then, and only then, she’d help ease the baby into the world.
Lord, please help me do this, guide my hands.
“Easy does it now, girl. Dr. MacKenzie’s gonna make it all better.”
Randy’s soft reassuring tone grabbed Gio’s attention. He was down on the floor beside Deema’s head, left elbow on the ground and forearm extending across the mare’s neck, ready to apply pressure to prevent her from rising. His right hand caressed Deema’s face and ears while he continued to croon words of comfort and encouragement. He glanced at Gio and grinned.
Repositioning the unseen foal required full concentration. Gio adjusted the foal between contractions. The comforting cadence and low timbre of Randy’s voice calmed her as well as the horse.
At last the foal’s forelegs were straight. Gio found the little muzzle and was easing it around when another contraction clamped uterine muscles. The foal slid toward the birth canal. Frantically, Gio pushed against the movement with one hand, trying to maintain her hold on the foal’s muzzle at the same time.
A low growl escaped her. Randy’s sing-song faltered as he shot a quizzical glance her way. She managed a weak smile before refocusing on the foal. Randy began softly singing "Blackbird."
Photo by Carey Williams, Rutgers University
Christian Fiction Friday is a weekly blog hop where authors post snippets from their current Works In Progress. It is hosted by Alana Terry and Hallee Bridgeman - see more at 
http://www.bridgemanfamily.com/hallee/christian-fiction-friday-march-6th/#sthash.O5jpyzw6.dpuf