#TuesdayTreasure: Guest Post by Coleen Coble!

Good Morning Friends and Welcome to the last Tuesday Treasure of June 2015!

Hard to believe, right?

Last week I told you I was going to Pigeon Forge, TN to watch my granddaughter dance in a national competition...well they got Platinum and we had a wonderful time! I'll share photos and notes later but today I have a very special guest post for you from multi-published, award winning author Coleen Coble!

Enjoy...

One thing I treasure above all else is relationship. That applies to family and to friends who are as close as family. Sometimes those relationships can be challenging, but they are always worth the work it takes to stay close. 

I wrote The Inn at Ocean’s Edge while dealing with my sister-of-the-heart’s approaching death from ovarian cancer. Diann Hunt was like a sister to me in every way. I walked a steep and shadowy road with her, but every minute spent in her presence was a joy. She taught me so much about how to seize every bit of joy from every day. She showed me how to face death with courage and faith. I wanted to explore how God gives us people in our lives to fill in what we lack. Diann was a person like that for me. I never had a sister and wanted one when I was growing up. Di became my sister in every sense of the word.

Her passing left a huge hole in my life, but it also encouraged me to look for things of eternal value. Does a friend need an encouraging word today? Take the time to give it. Does my mother need lunch out? Stop writing for an hour and a half and go spend it. I might not get the chance tomorrow. 

I love how God sees what we need in our lives and sends it our way if we take the time to look. That woman in the pew in front of me might become the sister I need. That older gentleman with a cane might have a story to tell that will encourage me today. Or my story might encourage him. We are all connected but we have to take the time to see!

Best-selling author Colleen Coble’s novels have won or finaled in awards ranging from the Best Books of Indiana, the ACFW Carol Award, the Romance Writers of America RITA, the Holt Medallion, the Daphne du Maurier, National Readers’ Choice and the Booksellers Best.

She has more than two million books in print and writes romantic mysteries because she loves to see justice prevail. Colleen is CEO of American Christian Fiction Writers. She lives with her husband, Dave, in Indiana. 

To keep up with Colleen Coble, visit www.colleencoble.com, become a fan on Facebook (colleencoblebooks) or follow her on Twitter (@colleencoble). 

God promises in Psalm 68:6 He will place the lonely in families, and in The Inn at Ocean’s Edge (Thomas Nelson/April 14, 2015/ISBN: 978-1401690267/$15.99), author Colleen Coble paints a picture for readers of how comfort, acceptance and love can come from the most surprising sources and in the most dire of circumstances. 

In the first installment in the new Sunset Cove series, Coble introduces us to Claire Dellamore, who — at first glance — seems to have lived an idyllic life. Even to Claire, her childhood seemed like a fairytale, and a vacation to Sunset Cove is her way of thanking her parents.  

The minute she steps inside the grand Inn at Ocean’s Edge, Claire Dellamare knows something terrible happened there.

The Inn at Ocean's Edge can be purchased at Amazon in Hardcover, Paperback, for Kindle, at Audible and on MP3CD!

Well Friends, hope you enjoyed this special treasure. Check back weekly for Thursday Thoughts, Saturday Spotlight and of course Tuesday Treasures!

Until next time take care & God Bless!

PamT

#ThursdayThoughts: Guest Post by Beth Wiseman @bethwiseman

Good Morning!

Today we welcome best selling author, Beth Wiseman to share some of her thoughts with us.

Each time that I start a new book, I wonder what the surprise will be.  I love surprises, and God always sends one my way after I’ve completed a story that I hope will glorify Him.  It’s always something special that I couldn’t have foreseen.  It took me a few books before I realized that this would be the norm—something between God and me that I could look forward to after pouring out my heart on the pages. 

It’s often said that God never wastes an hurt, but drawing on those experiences in an effort to entertain, educate, and provoke thought, can be exhausting—and sometimes painful.

Here’s an example of what I’m talking about.  The Promise is inspired by a true story.  Someone close to me traveled to Pakistan and ended up being held against her will there.  I had to work with the Embassy in Islamabad, the Consulate in Pakistan, and the U.S. State Department to get my friend (who we are calling Laurie) home.  Even though I pulled from actual events to create this fictional story, parts of it were so real that I’d find myself typing real names instead of the character names I had assigned to the players.  My editor set the bar high for this novel, and I ended up doing lots of rewrites, had to get a deadline extension for the first time, and for the life of me, I didn’t think I’d ever be able to get my character on the plane to Pakistan.  I knew what would happen to her once she got there, and even though it had been over a year since the real-life story unfolded, it still felt like an open wound.

By the time I wrapped up final edits, I was able to identify God’s surprise, His gift to me.  Plenty of people had asked me, what do you think will define success for The Promise?  Most people in my circle knew this book was personal, intense, and unlike anything I’d written in the past.   At first all the standard answers about success came to mind, and I rattled off best-seller lists, dollar figures, and copies sold.  But when I slowed down, took a deep breath, and allowed myself some down time, I just smiled.  The book was a success before it ever hit the shelves, garnished a review, or slipped into the hands of a single reader. 

The success story of The Promise was in the writing itself, the research, the unfolding of truths that were revealed as Laurie and I worked together to tell her story.  My goal was to weave an entertaining tale of intrigue, danger, warning, hope, and survival amidst religious rivalries, conflicting cultures, and normal people finding themselves in surreal situations.  Throughout that process, I learned why Laurie did some of the things she did.  I don’t have to agree with her choices, but through many heartfelt conversations, I gained a better understanding about her motivations.  At the end of the day, we agreed to disagree about some things, but my gift shone brightly—and it was a renewed and better relationship with my friend.  And for me, that made the entire project a success. 

Beth Wiseman is the best-selling author of the Daughters of the Promise series and the Land of Canaan series.  Wiseman has a deep affection for the Amish and their simpler way of life, and while she plans to continue writing Amish love stories, she is also branching out into other areas. In her daring new novel, Wiseman jumps way outside the box. The Promise will take readers far away from Amish country and the small Texas towns of her previous releases to a dangerous place on the other side of the world.  Inspired by actual events, Wiseman believes this is the book she’s been working toward for a long time. 

Wiseman can be found at Fans of Beth Wiseman on Facebook where she interacts with readers. Learn more about the author and her books at bethwiseman.com and on Twitter (@bethwiseman).

The Promise can be purchased at Amazon in Print and for Kindle.

Hope you enjoyed the post! 

Until later...take care & God Bless.

PamT