Sunday, October 30, 2011

INTERNATIONAL RECIPES--A Free E-book



I belong to the International Christian Fiction Writers, and for our first anniversary we are offering to our readers a free E-book. It's a recipe book featuring our favorite recipes from all around the world. For example as a Brit, I put in my version of an English Trifle. There are recipes from Africa, South America, Canada, England, Europe . . . all over the place.

Hope you enjoy. Go to the following link to download your free recipe book. There are versions for every type of electronic reading, including computers.

INTERNATIONAL RECIPES

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Rockin' the Party at COTT!

*guest post by Delia Latham
 

It's been a bang-up bash all week at Clash of the Titles. We've been blog-hopping for treasure, and a couple gals found the loot!
LINDA won Game #1. She'll receive a $10 Barnes & Noble Gift Certificate 

CLAUDIA RIZZI won Game #2. She'll receive a 
$25 Partylite Gift Certificate 
from 
Michelle Massaro.


Congratulations to our game winners!



And the fun continues all the way through Nov. 4th. Our doors are open and we have a whole pile of party hats just waiting to be worn. Bring your votes and come on down!


In the midst of all the fun and games this week, we had four authors at swordspoint with TWO Clashes. All four entries were outstanding, and each possessed strong winning qualities. But, as in any race or competition, not everyone makes the finals.


We chose a single winner from each Clash. These two went head-to-head on Saturday…and only one will proceed to the finals and duke it out for the COTT Laurel Award.




This week's Clash WINNERS are:


Clash #3:







Erin Rainwater with her excerpt from 



Clash #4: 




Elaine Marie Cooper and her excerpt from 




CONGRATULATIONS, ladies!


These two went head-to-head on Saturday…with only one proceeding to the finals to duke it out for the COTT Laurel Award.

That one is....



Elaine Marie Cooper and her excerpt from 




Cyber-hugs and sincere thanks to Anne Patrick and Margaret Brownley! These were tough decisions and difficult votes to make. You're ALL winners!
More games and more exerpts are up for grabs this week, so don't miss out. Stop by COTT and play.


*Delia Latham is the author of the Solomon's Gate Series and a Blog Alliance Correspondent for COTT

Friday, October 21, 2011

ALZHEIMER'S--You don't have my man

A friend of mine, Carol Ann Hoel, is like many of my mother's friends. People who are watching the slow withdrawal of their spouse through the disease, Alzheimer's. This is what Carol Ann wrote on her blogsite http://cah4el.wordpress.com/

ALZHEIMER'S---You don't have my man. by Carol Ann Hoel

Hello in there – You seem not to hear -
Your countenance has changed so much -
Those baby blues seem vacant
Though I search them looking for you -
You look back at times – or do I imagine so –
Telling me you love me -
And you know I love you too –

Hello in there – I’m still waiting here –
A breath away from losing you
For a time – for a little time -
I won’t be afraid because I know
You’ll not slip away from me without
His call – Shall I regret -
Yes – I’ll grieve your absence here -

Alzheimer’s – you don’t have my man –
He’s where he’s always been -
Settled in his Savior’s care –
He’s still waiting there – taking a nap -
Snuggled in angels’ wings – wrapped in fervent prayer -
Cradled in the arms of Jesus –
Lingering a while longer with me –

By Carol Ann Hoel © October 15, 2011

Hebrews 13:5 – The Bible (KJV) - Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.____________________________________

I'd like to acknowledge and offer a word of comfort to famies affected by Alzheimer's disease. I know that not all Alzheimer's patients can be cared for at home. I saw a lot in five weeks at a care facility spending five to six hours a day in the midst of a variety of Alzheimer's patients. I watched compassionate caregivers treat combative, angry, fearful, and confused patients with kindness and respect. I saw many patients whose families would have not been able to provide care at home. I met some family members as they faithfully visited. My heart goes out to all who try to cope at home with a loved one struggling with Alzheimer's. Sometimes a care facility is necessary for the safety and well-being of the patient and family. I saw several cases that would have been impossible to manage at home. Blessings to family members and professional caregivers who lovingly care for the victims of this disease.

I have no reason to believe that my hubby is about to leave me to be with Jesus. I have no assurance that he will stay here longer either. One day he seems strong and healthy; the next he seems weak and distant. I'm not ready to let him go. I'm thankful he's here with me.

I'm getting better at being a 24-hour caregiver. I still have lots to learn, and I make mistakes.

Thank you all for your prayers and encouragement. Blessings to you all.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

COTT Kicks Off Tournament of Champions


Guest post by Jennifer Slattery
Last week, Clash of the Titles launched their first annual Tournament of Champions with two clashes and four talented authors. In Clash one, CS Lakin, author of Someone to Blame, and Marianne Evans, author of Heart Crossing, went head-to-head in a nail-biting, literary duel. In Clash two, our very own Gail Pallotta, author of Love Turns the Tide, competed against Clare Revell, author of A Season for Miracles. All four excerpts rocked, and this was a tough call, but you, our faithful readers chose two Tournament of the Champions' finalists.

Those finalists were Marianne Evans and Gail Pallotta.

Exciting stuff, and yet, the games weren’t done. In the next round, COTT staff cast their votes, and once again, one writer rose to the top and will advance to the next round.
That author is…
Marianne Evans!
And here’s a glimpse of what a COTT champion excerpt looks like:
“Collin Edwards stood before the funeral assembly. Heat crawled up his body. He clutched the edges of the podium where he stood and cleared his throat. The gesture was in vain. His throat constricted so much it hurt. Before the altar, just to the right, rested a flag-draped casket.
He looked down, at a piece of paper upon which he had crafted the words to a eulogy…” (Read more of Excerpt B here.)
About the novel, Heart Crossing:
Collin Edwards, a former parishioner at Woodland Church, has renounced God without apology, his faith drained away in the face of a tragic loss.
Daveny Montgomery cares deeply about her relationship with God, and the community of Woodland . Lately though, she's been in a rut, longing for something to reignite her spiritual enthusiasm.
A beautification project at Woodland seems the answer for them both. Daveny spearheads the effort and Collin assists, but only with the renovations, and only because he wants to know Daveny better. Despite his deepening feelings for her, even stepping into the common areas of the church stirs tension and anger.
Can Daveny trust in Collin’s fledgling return to faith? And can Collin ever accept the fact that while he turned his back on God, God never turned his back on him?
We’d also like to congratulate our prize-winning readers:

 Jessica R Patch! She won a $10 Amazon Gift card from Elaine Cooper.




 LoRee Peery! She won a free bookmark design from Delia Latham.




 Larry Hammersley! He won a $10 Amazon Gift card from Author Anne Patrick.

Join us this week for more fun and prizes as four more authors jump into the ring hoping not only to advance to the next round, but ultimately reign as the Clash of the Titles’ champion of champions! Remember, every vote counts! Each vote gets your name thrown into the hat for our fab-tabulous grand prize give-away comprised of fourteen novels!

Visit our Tournament of Champions page for a complete list of prizes.

***
Jennifer Slattery is the marketing manager for Clash of the Titles. She writes for Christ to the World Ministries, the Christian Pulse, and Samie Sisters and has written for numerous other publications. She also works for Tiffany Colter, the Writing Career Coach, as a professional manuscript evaluator and publicist. You can find out more about her and her writing at her devotional blog, Jennifer Slattery Lives Out Loud. You can find out more about her critique and publicity services at Words That Keep.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

COTT LAUREL AWARD




IT HAS BEGUN!! 



Over the last year, there have been 


OVER FIFTY 


clashing author in twenty-four CLASHES, 


but only ONE can win the


LAUREL AWARD.



YOU decide which!


In the process, we invite you to repeatedly enter to win
THREE GIFTS A WEEK,
 including the GRAND PRIZE--
15 NOVELS


www.clashofthetitles.com





PROMO VIDEO CREATED BY COTT ASSISTANT EDITOR, MICHELLE MASSARO

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

DIVINE GIFTS---A COTT article














Divine gifts have been a topic of much dissension down through the ages. Some folks believe God bestows certain gifts on his children others firmly believe He does not—or at least that He might have long ago but He certainly doesn't today.




We're not here to argue the point (although for the record I do believe in divine gifts!).




That said it has been proven time and time again that certain people have specific abilities that others do not. Not learned skills which is the ability to do something because one has deliberately set out to master that particular challenge. I'm talking about inherent abilities that one naturally possesses usually from birth.




That's the kind of mind-boggling gift Tanya Stowe tackles in Tender Touch, the excerpt from which won the most recent COTT Clash. Lacy Butler is graced with the gift of healing…but she refuses to use itbecause it didn't save her mother. Pretty commonisn't it? We never seem to want the gifts God tries to bestow on usor we'll take the gift (Thank you very muchFather!)but we want to use it in our own wayfor our own purposes. Tanya does a fantastic job of bringing Lacy around from total abandonment of her gift of healing to an acceptance of God's will and God's way to use…GOD'S gift.




Here's a snippet from Tanya's Tender Touch excerpt:




The sudden comfort overwhelmed him. He wanted to close his eyes and slip away. But his blurry gaze focused on his rescuer as he unwrapped the muffler. He wanted…needed to see this man’s facethe man who had saved his life. He forced himself to watch as he pulled off the floppy gray hat.


 Royce blinked. His foggy mind was playing tricks on him. A longgolden braid fell from beneath the hat and lay across the man’s shoulder. He slipped off the coat and beneath was the slender shape of a woman.


 His man...his midnight visitor was a woman! Shock filled Royce’s mindand his head flopped senselessly sideways.




We asked Tanya if she learned anything about God's character through Tender Touch. Here's what she said: “Instead of learning something about God through this bookit is a reflection of something I learned about God from life. I’ve had some personal experience with faith healing and I wanted to write a story that reflected those truths. Of courseLacy’s gift is highly dramatizedbut the basics about how God heals are true.” (Read Tanya's interview)




Of her experience on COTTTanya says: "This was the most fun I had in an interview in a longlong time. COTT does such a good job. I really appreciate this opportunity."




Readers loved the Tender Touch excerptas well—and we loved their comments:




“I feel like I’m already hooked on reading the book.”




“… made me want to find out more about the mysterious midnight visitor man who turned out to be a woman. Both of these were great and it was hard to choose one. Can they both win?? !!!”






"Know ye not that they which run in a race run allbut one receiveth the prize?"






Currently we're in the middle of the exciting Tournament of Champions which will be in high gear from Oct. 10 through Nov. 4. Don't miss it! Past Clash champs duke it out for the final prize with each of them offering an excerpt that will hopefully have you panting for more. Head on over and see what it's all about.





* Delia Latham is a Christian wife mother grandmother sister and friend as well as an author of inspirational romance and women's fiction. She wears each hat with pride but treasures most of all her role as a princess daughter to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.




Congrats to Tanya and a huge thank you also to her very worthy opponent Shawn Grady.

Saturday, October 08, 2011

Someone sent me the most beautiful video. It's an interview with God, so click here on The Interview

Most days I need to be reminded to slow down and remember that God is in control of everything, and I have no need to fret.

Thursday, October 06, 2011

SOME OF THE COTT MEMBERS

* Guest post by Gail Pallotta
MEET OUR PARTNERS
After an early morning workout Joanne Troppello sits at her computer near two big windows. Working from an office in her home in the northeast, she “loves getting plenty of sunshine.” She munches on her breakfast as she starts one of five weekly blogs. Her focus is “to connect authors and readers.”
This prolific writer also schedules giveaways and one-time events.  Past specialties include two internet festivities, The Royal Wedding and Summer Blog parties. On the books—a Christmas Blog Party.

Get ready for the fun.

Joanne likes to spotlight newer, unknown authors in addition to networking with all authors.  Writers’ opportunities include Monday interviews and mid-week guest blogs. Two Fridays out of the month she does book reviews. The other two she interviews guests in her Reader’s Corner. One of her favorite things is hearing from readers. She says, “They are who we write for, and we want to write stories that appeal to them with characters that stay with them for a long time.” Joanne says her readers “really like commenting on blog postings and hearing back from authors.”
An author of two books, All Romance ebooks best seller Mr. Shipley’s Governess and Shadowed Remembrances, Joanne writes in the mystery and inspirational genres. When she isn’t at her computer, she loves spending time with her husband and family.
To discover lots of fun activities for writers and readers visit Joanne at http://joannetroppello.weebly.com/




                                             ***********************


Artist, writer and blogger Carrie Lewis paints portraits for her day job and in her leisure time. Her favorite subject is horses. Easels, paintings and portraits-in-progress abound throughout her Kansas home, including some in her office.
She’s written for as long as she can remember, finishing her first complete manuscript in eighth grade. She says, “I’ve been dividing my time between the studio and the writing desk, and God has seen fit to keep me at home.”
Saving Grace, Carrie’s WIP, “…is a cross between speculative fiction, suspense and Old Testament prophecy.” As far as the WIP and what Carrie normally writes, she says, “It’s so far outside the box....I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to get back into that box.”
An active blogger, Carrie posts three times a week. Her topics include writing tips, reports on stories she’s working on, the way we write, and the things we write about. She recently started putting up a weekly writing prompt. It’s “been fun and uses images, colors, sounds, all sorts of things.” For her readers she hopes to share what she’s had to “learn the hard way so that those who follow might not have to learn the same way.” She wants to “encourage writers to heed the promptings of the Holy Spirit when deciding what to write, especially if the story they have to tell is outside what most of us think of as popular fiction.”
When we stop by Carrie’s blog, I imagine we’ll see some of her horse paintings as well as her writings! What a treat. Visit her at http://writing-well.carrie-lewis.com/
* A COTT Blog Alliance Correspondent, Gail Pallotta recently published her first romance, Love Turns the Tide. When she isn't writing she likes reading, swimming, and getting together with friends and family. Gail wants to write books of faith that show God's love.

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           Get ready ...