Celebrating My Book Launch!

I want to wish each of you a very Blessed Thanksgiving!

As for me, I have much to be thankful to God for this year as He has blessed me with the release of my debut novel, Thyme for Love.

My friend Kim spelled out the title in coffee beans

This past Saturday, my friends helped me celebrate the book launch with a wonderful gathering at a nearby Panera Bread. People from where I worked before I retired, church friends, my Bible study friends, and writing friends all came to the party.

My Books Sat Waiting for the Guests

Is this really me?

It felt weird to be on the other side of the signing table. What was I supposed to say? I'd picked out a scripture (Is. 30:18) to include with each signature, but what else should I say?  It was kind of like signing a yearbook at the end of the school year. 













The room quickly filled with my friends and as they noshed on cookies and drinks, I signed and celebrated. I don't have any idea how many actually came, but I sold 25 books! 


About halfway through, I said a few words about my writing journey and how God had led me every step of the way. Then I read a couple excerpts from the book before we drew the winning ticket for the gift basket I put together which included a copy of my book (of course!) and two other books by ACFW authors, a clip-on reading light, a beautiful mug with coffees and teas, and dark chocolate. No gift basket is complete without chocolate!

My good friend Karin & her new husband won the basket!

                                                             

 Soon the two hours were over. It was a beautiful blessed day.

The gorgeous roses came from ACFW member Jane Steen.

Lake Geneva, My Hometown & Setting for my Novels is in the News!

This morning I ran across an article about Lake Geneva, Wisconsin in my local paper that was syndicated from the Washington Post. The writer did a wonderful job describing the town and lake as it is today. This is the town my characters in Thyme for Love visit for meals and hanging out by the lake.

It is also the same setting in my upcoming novel, Love Finds You in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin which is scheduled to release in June. Included is a picture of the largest mansion on the lake called Stone Manor. I mention this home in my 1933 LFY story as "Younglands," the name it was called back in the 30s.

If you go to the article you'll see why I'm so blessed to be from such an historical and lovely area.

Here's the link to the article. I've reduced it at Tiny URL because of it's original length:

http://tinyurl.com/7yfgtbh

Thyme for Love is Available at Amazon!

This Monday is the official release date of my debut novel Thyme for Love and as of right now it's available for immediate purchase at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Amazon states that the book will be available in 5-7 weeks and this is erroneous information. My publisher OakTara is working with Amazon to get this corrected, but it is taking some time.

I just don't want anyone being misled if you choose to purchase the book at Amazon. They do have it in stock right now!

Dry As Rain is Anything But Dry!

One of my favorite novels of last year was Gina Holmes’s debut novel Crossing Oceans. When I heard she had a new book called Dry As Rain out from Tyndale I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it.

I just finished it the other day, and the night I read the last page I had a problem falling asleep because I couldn’t get her characters out of my mind. That to me is the sign of a good story.

Dry As Rain is written from the male protagonist’s point of view which is very difficult for a woman to do well. I know, because I’ve tried it and have been told by critiquers that my character sounded too girly. Not so with Eric Yoshida, Gina’s POV character.  Gina nailed the male POV expertly. Although this is a romance story, it is not a boy meets-girl-and-lives-happily-ever-after-kind of romance. This novel is about a marriage that has gone south and how Eric and his wife Kyra have to learn to forgive each other as the Lord has forgiven them.

The tagline for Dry As Rain is “Behind every broken vow lies a broken heart.” Rather than write a new summary of this story, I think the back of the book description does the job well.

When Eric and Kyra Yoshida first met, they thought their love would last forever. But like many marriages, theirs has gradually crumbled, one thoughtless comment and misunderstanding at a time, until the ultimate betrayal pushes them beyond reconciliation. Though Eric longs to reunite with Kyra, the only woman he has truly loved, he has no idea how to repair the damage that’s been done.

Then a car accident erases part of Kyra’s memory—including her separation from Eric—and a glimmer of hope rises from the wreckage. Is this a precious opportunity for the fresh start Eric has longed for? Does he even deserve the chance to find forgiveness and win back Kyra’s heart . . . or will the truth blow up in his face, shattering their last hope for happiness? A richly engaging story of betrayal and redemption, Dry as Rain illuminates with striking emotional intensity the surprising truth of what it means to forgive.

About the Author:  Gina Holmes is the President and founder of Inspire a Fire and Novel Rocket and award-winning author of Crossing Oceans and Dry as Rain. In 1998, Gina began her career penning articles and short stories in Ten years, and a stack of rejection letters later, she held her first published novel. She holds degrees in science and nursing and currently resides with her husband and children in southern Virginia. She works too hard, laughs too loud, and longs to see others heal from their past and discover their God-given purpose. To learn more about her, visit www.ginaholmes.com, www.novelrocket.com or www.inspireafire.com

You can order Dry As Rain at Amazon in either book format or for Kindle.

I highly recommend it!

Thyme for Love is Here!!!

I woke up this morning and immediately went to the UPS website. A very special package had made it's way up I-65 from Louisville to Indianapolis to Chicago overnight and had arrived at my suburban UPS distribution center around 4:00 a.m. It was now loaded on a big brown truck and out for delivery. Woo hoo!!

At about 2:45 p.m. the brown truck pulled up out front and I grabbed my iPhone camera and ran to the hall to wait, and wait, and wait. More waiting. Finally I heard the front door to the entry way open and he came up the stairs. It was like Christmas morning, only Santa is wearing brown this year.








He set it down inside my door and I stared at the box.

OakTara said it all. The publisher of my debut novel. And inside ....

My books! All seventy of them. I wanted to pinch myself, savor the moment, just look at them a moment, but I also wanted to hold one in my hand and so ....

I did ... I cried, I thanked the Lord, and I screamed "YAAAA HOOOO!

Utter Joy ... a moment that I will savor for a long, long time.