Birthday Blog Tour

"How can you creatively celebrate the birthday of someone whose love languages are gifts and words of encouragement?" This is the question I started pondering in late October, and immediately, the idea of a blog tour came to mind. I thought it would be fun to have several friends post something special on their blogs to celebrate this sweet Friend's birthday. And thankfully, I found volunteers who were willing to participate, despite how crazy-sounding my idea was. So without further ado, here's the first stop on the birthday blog tour celebrating my friend TJ's birthday, which is on December 3.

TJ,

Who agrees to give a ride to and stay overnight in a hotel with a gal she barely knows? That would be you back in September 2007. You graciously agreed to let me go with you to the North Texas Christian Writers' Conference, and I not only gained a writing mentor but also a friend. You gave me pointers before the conference (i.e., that I might want to take notecards to write thank-you notes to speakers while there and hand deliver them), guided me through the conference, and helped me process what I had learned as we made the trip back. When life resumed on the Monday after the conference, I realized how lucky I was to have had one-on-one time to pick your brain on writing, being a wife and mother, and doing daily life.

I came away amazed by how wonderfully you balance being a wife to Corbin and a mother to Branson, Hudson, Basden, and Esther. I love how you are intentional about taking time for you and Corbin to get away and how the two of you, as a couple, are intentional about making your kids feel special by spending time with them individually.

But most of all, these past two years as we've been in a writers' group together, I have been inspired by your obedience, both in using your writing talent and in raising your kids. I know that the urge to write must overwhelm you at times. But you have strived to make your family a priority and sought God's will on how and when you could utilize your writing talent without neglecting your family. Similarly, it has been a joy to watch as you have been open to God's leading on how best to educate your children. You have been willing to reevaluate each year and to try new alternatives when the status quo was no longer working as well as you wanted.

As I watch you live out your faith, your obedience to Christ blesses and encourages me. I am grateful God has given me the opportunity to be mentored and befriended by you, and I look forward to seeing what He does through you in the years to come.

Happy early birthday, Friend, and look for the Birthday Blog Tour to continue tomorrow on Nikki's blog!

TJ in pink at the 2008 North Texas Christian Writers' Conference

Blog Tour - Sticks and Stones

A box labeled "Cards Worth Saving" sits on my shelf. A folder of emails entitled "Worth Keeping" overwhelms my email storage space. Why? Because good words are worth reading again and again.

Ace Collins knows this well. He's the author of the new book Sticks and Stones: Using Your Words as a Positive Force.

I greatly appreciated the practical examples in the book of what to say when you don't feel like you have the words, such as in a tragic situation involving a friend or a relative. The book also emphasizes the importance of writing down experiences in journals and labeling photographs because neither of these two forms of memories will require future generations to acquire an antiquated electronic device in order to review them. And throughout the book, you will find entertaining and motivating stories of how words have encouraged others over the years.

This little book provides help beyond its size with all forms of communication, so I know I'll be referring back to it often. Check it out for yourself.

To read more about Ace Collins, please check out his website. And to find out what others have to say about this helpful book, click here to see a list of bloggers participating in the tour.

[Disclosure: I received this book for free as part of the blog tour.]

Mary DeMuth Hits the Mark

Meeting author Mary E. DeMuth and hearing her tell her story in person at our women's retreat was one of the highlights of 2008. If you've been following my blog, you'll remember Mary from my participation in the blog tour for one of her nonfiction books, Authentic Parenting in a Postmodern Culture, and from my review of her fiction book Watching the Tree Limbs. So it was no surprise that I jumped at the chance to participate in the blog tour for her latest fiction release, Daisy Chain.

Mary's fiction shatters any stereotypes that people might hold regarding Christian fiction. Her characters aren't always nice and sweet. Her characters don't have their lives together. And the stories she weaves won't allow you to read through only a few chapters at a time. Quite the contrary. Get ready for secrets, suspense, and the Truth when you pick up Daisy Chain.

From the start, you'll be unconscious to the rapid page-turning as you welcome Jed and Daisy into your circle of friends. You'll explore their childhood hangouts right alongside them in Defiance, Texas, and begin to work with Jed to solve the mystery of a disappearance. Or maybe several. The people that Jed knows in Defiance haven't always been the way they currently are, and that bears looking into. But just as you don't get to know a person through and through on the first meeting, don't expect to know everything about Defiance and its people right away. Daisy Chain is the first book in the Defiance, Texas trilogy.

My favorite part of Daisy Chain is the amazing prose that Mary crafts to bring her characters and stories to life. It was also fun finding bits of Mary's personal story woven into Daisy Chain. And because Mary has Jesus as part of her story, you'll find Him on the pages as well.

Click on the title to pick up your copy of Daisy Chain and get to know the good folks (and the bad) of Defiance, Texas. Also, be sure to out the book's website, which is a place for sharing secrets. And to find out what other people are saying about Daisy Chain, check out the list of participating blogs here.

[Disclosure: I received this book for free as part of the blog tour.]

Two Truths & A Lie

A major theme through Daisy Chain is secrets. Participants in the blog tour have been requested to share two truths and a lie. So, I'm posting my two below.

1) I have recorded a television interview in Hollywood, California.

2) I have seen Sarah McLachlan in concert in Texas, Colorado, California, and New York.

3) I have attended the semi-final round of American Idol.

In the comments section, leave your guess as to which of the statements is a lie. I'll post the answer on Monday.

Let Them Eat Fruitcake

When I want a quick read to break up my nonfiction reading, I often turn to chick lit. So I was excited when my friend Tina offered me the chance to participate in a blog tour for Melody Carlson's new chick lit book entitled Let Them Eat Fruitcake.

I love reading books during the same time of the year when the story is set. So I think it's no coincidence that this blog tour is taking place near the same time as the book is set. The opening scene takes place on Thanksgiving Day and follows the four unlikely roommates of 86 Bloomberg Place as they try to navigate single life together and prepare to throw a Christmas Eve party.

There's Lilani, who is working at Nordstrom after mysteriously dropping out of medical school. She's dating Gil, whose sister is fellow roommate Anna.

Anna is working at a publishing company and struggling with whether she has feelings for a co-worker or her ex-boyfriend who broke her heart but has found his way back into her life.

Megan works for an interior designer akin to The Devil Wears Prada and is dating a guy who doesn't share all of her beliefs.

And Kendall, who owns the house that the four girls share, is unemployed and hasn't yet learned that debt and guilt don't have to be her constant companions.

Let’s face it, relationships can be hard work--whether they’re with family and friends, coworkers and customers, or boyfriends and girlfriends. And when you’ve got your first place to live, a real job, and grown-up responsibilities, relationships are loaded with confusion, emotion, and secrets you can’t tell anyone but God. Thank goodness He’s always around to listen!

With such an encouraging message, Let Them Eat Fruitcake is a delightful, quick read. So before your holidays get hectic, go over to amazon.com and pick up a copy of Let Them Eat Fruitcake for yourself or to give as a gift. To learn more about author Melody Carlson, check out her website here.

And if you leave a comment on this post by 5 p.m. CST on Novemer 21, your name will be entered into a drawing for a $25 gift certificate to the Collin Street Bakery. The Collin Street Bakery is world-famous for its - you guessed it - fruitcake and will deliver baked goods almost anywhere in the world. You can enter multiple times by commenting on more than one post (but only one comment per post will be counted). You are also eligible to enter by commenting on other posts in the tour; see the list of participating blogs below. [Disclosure: I received this book for free as part of the blog tour.]

A Little Bit of Sunshine
A Peek at My Bookshelf
Artistic Blogger
Behind the Mountain
Blog Tour Spot
Book Nook Club
Camy’s Loft
Christy’s Book Blog
Fictionary
Gatorskunz and Mudcats
His Reading List
i don’t believe in grammar
Kells Creative Musings
Leap of Faith
Lighthouse Academy
Lone Star Latte and Libre
Mystery, Suspense, and God, Oh My!
Net’s Notes
Real Women Scrap
Refresh My Soul
So Many Books… So Little Time
The Friendly Book Nook
The Writing Road
wandering, wonderings of a whacked-out woman
Write by Faith

Pick Up Authentic Parenting

The book I discussed on Monday, Authentic Parenting in a Post-Modern Culture, by Mary E. DeMuth is available now. You can purchase your autographed copy directly from Mary by clicking on the title in the previous sentence. I encourage you to pick it up today!

And Now I Present . . .

Mary E. DeMuth was the lady in the photo that I posted yesterday. She is a follower of Jesus and is blessed with a wonderful gift for writing. Both fiction and nonfiction.

As shown above, her most recent book is entitled Authentic Parenting in a Postmodern Culture. When Mary was asked during an interview about why she decided to write this particular book in light of the numerous parenting books that are already on the market, she said,

I always struggle when I write a parenting book because I feel so darned small and weak. I don’t parent perfectly. But, we did live through two and half years in France, the hotbed of hyper-postmodernity. We had to learn how to parent our kids in that culture. It occurred to me that the things we learned would be helpful to American parents too.

In Authentic Parenting, she explains how parents can help their children prepare for the world outside their door. Yet, she does this without falling into the trite, formulaic x-number-of-steps approach. Instead, she unpacks the stories from her family's time in France, relaying their triumphs as well as their failures. And while she is unpacking their stories, she effortlessly weaves in Scripture and its application to today's culture as she urges parents to do the following:

**Talk to your kids. Listen. Share your story.

**Dare to believe that God has much to teach you through your kids. Be humble enough to learn from them.

**Create a haven for your kids, an oasis in your home that protects, supports, and gives kids space to be themselves. Take seriously the mandate that you are responsible for the soul-nurturing of your children.

**Teach your children to joyfully engage their world, while holding tightly to Jesus’ hand. Teaching this comes primarily from modeling it in your own life. Do you engage your neighbors? Are you more interested in God’s kingdom than your own?

**Admit your failures openly with your children, showing how much you need Jesus to live your daily life.

Throughout the book, I love how Mary doesn't come across as the know-it-all who has all the answers for parenting. Her book does not aim to present the "perfect parent to-do list." Instead, as the book's title aptly states, the advice that Mary shares is that of Authentic Parenting. And yet, I was amazed at how many of the practical ways that Mary provided for parents to use with their children would benefit individuals who don't have children by allowing them to draw closer to Christ in their own spiritual walk.

At its core, Authentic Parenting in a Postmodern Culture is timely, relevant, practical, and encouraging. And because of those qualities, the book will enlighten all who read it.

If you'd like to learn more about Mary E. DeMuth and her other works, visit her crazy blog here. And for some other views on the book, check out the other blogs participating on the Authentic Parenting Tour this week. For a complete listing of the blogs participating in the six week tour, visit here.
Abundant Blessings
Actual Unretouched Photo
Bluebonnet in the Snow
child of divorce/child of god
Geaux2Girl
Good Word Editing
Halland
RappFamilyAixtremeLife
Ripples and Reflections
Spaghettipie
So Many Books...So Little Time
The Point
Tiffany Colter
Toni V. Lee

Setting the Stage

Who is the lady in the picture?

She’s an author who “oozes Jesus” as one of my friends so aptly put it. And after reading this author’s new book, as well as her daily blog for the past four months, I’d have to agree.

Did I forget to mention her name? No, I purposely withheld it and the name of her new book so that you’d return tomorrow for answers. See you then!