Tuesday, December 13, 2011

WINNING COVERS IN CLASH OF THE TITLES


*by Michelle Massaro


Last week Clash of the Titles held their first ever Clash of the Covers. This fast-paced clash was different than their usual fare, because instead of judging the author's story, we judged how well their cover designs matched their theme or made us want to pick up the book. There were four books to vote on, from authors Cathy, Erica, Lacy, and Maggie. The books were Marrying Miss Marshal, Spring For Susannah, A Bride's Portrait, and Deeply Devoted.


It was a VERY CLOSE race and it saw enough voter participation to max out the scoreboards!


Some of the comments included:
Spring for Susannah - Susannah is aware of the man but she looks as though she could turn away, or turn towards him.
Marrying Miss Marshall seems to speak volumes about the heroine--just in her position.
The cover of A Brides Portrait, really sells the title by having the woman with a camera on it. Caught my attention.
I love cover C...looks like the "old west"!!!
Marrying Miss Marshal. Hmm, with that rifle laid across her lap, one wonders who's daring enough to approach her, much less marry her. Intriguing.
I loved A Bride's Portrait of Dodge City - it added so many components of the story into the cover besides just a profile :)
Love this (A) - it's intriguing. I'm not sure from the picture whether she's toting for justice, revenge, or protection. Makes me curious.



The Champion Book that was voted


BEST SETTING THAT CAPTURES THE MOOD OF THE TITLE:


Springtime For Susanna, by Catherine Richmond





This week, COTT is sporting a holiday/winter theme with host Gail Pallotta. We expect it to be another huge turn-out so please join us. We'll cozy up to the virtual fireplace, egg nog in hand, and browse for books. In this case, it's okay to judge the cover. =)



We’ll be taking a break December 26 – January 6


And then come right back on January 9 with a new clash that will – literally – take your breath away! If you're an author, don’t forget to check upcoming open clashes and submit

Sunday, December 11, 2011

THE FREE SAMPLE LADY

Have you ever tried to give away---for free---something truly good and people stride past you as if you were offering them poison?

In order to support my writing habit I have a part-time marketing job that I work at on weekends. I demonstrate various products at a large department store. On any given weekend I could be giving out free samples from everything from cat food to serving pancakes to free chocolates.

Now granted we don’t all like the same things. What a boring world that would be if we did.

If shoppers don’t want what I offer then a polite smile and a no-thank-you would suffice as people move past me and my serving tray.

But alas, when I’ve held out my tray of chocolates in their cute little plastic cups, I’d swear some people think I’m trying to shorten their life.

Thankfully most people realize it’s only a free gift, something with no cost to give them a moment’s joy. And they’re under no obligation to buy. My job is to give out the samples. No coercion involved.

It often reminds me of the times I try to tell others about my relationship with Christ—how wonderful it is. How free I feel to enjoy life, and how I obtained this relationship by simply recognizing it as a gift and reaching out to take it and enjoy it.

Sadly, too many of my relatives and acquaintances look at my bond with the Lord as something that will rob them of fun and good times. They fail to see it as the most wonderful thing in the world.

But I often find that when someone does take a tiny bit of a risk and decides to try something from my sample tray, their eyes widen in surprise. And they make speak with a mouth full and say, “Oh my, I didn’t think I’d like it, but that’s really good.”

As far as the greatest free gift of all---a relationship with the King of Kings, well, I’ll keep gently holding out my metaphoric sample tray, and one day those people around me will look up into the Lord’s face and say with awe, “Oh my, I didn’t think I’d love you, but your love for me takes my breath away.”

That’s what I’m praying for them.

Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jeus our Lord."

Wednesday, December 07, 2011

LIFE LIKE A THOMAS KINKAID PAINTING


*guest post by Michelle Massaro, Asst. Editor at COTT




















Can you believe it's almost December? I love the holidays, but I always struggle this time of year. My heart aches for the Thomas Kinkade paintings, for smiles and laughter and goodwill toward man (especially between siblings in the house!), for snuggling by the fire, kisses under the mistletoe, all that good stuff.

Real life is not a painting. Or an old black-and-white movie. (That's often why we love escaping into our novels.)

Nope. Real life finds too many dust bunnies when it's time to move furniture to make room for the tree. Real life has pouting kids who don't want to help lug in the decoration box or be pulled away from their video games in order to just sit by the fire with mom. Husbands who tolerate, but don't enjoy, watching White Christmas, and who grimace and sweat--and possibly even swear--while wrestling with the Christmas lights.

Add to that the fact that I never got around to shedding that extra five pounds--and now feel it's too late to try--the constant pain in my neck, the myriad bills we aren't sure how to pay, a toddler in the throes of the "terrible two's" (to be fair, he's the sweetest boy in the world, just extremely rambunctious), and homeschool pressures...and each day starts to feel overwhelming. Beyond my ability. Sucking me under. Life does not meet my expectations. I'm failing.

And sometimes "failing" at something as simple and earthly as creating the "right" home atmosphere can lead to a depression that slips into spiritual darkness. Lies. All lies. But too often, I believe them.

Maybe you can relate. Or maybe your set of challenges lies elsewhere. Regardless, we all have seasons, or areas of our life, where we don't feel up to the task. And we grieve that ineptitude.

A dear friend recently gave me a gift--a daily devotional--and the first day's reading hit its mark in my heart. In essence, it reminded me that the measure of God's strength given to me on a daily basis is determined by two things:
The difficulty of my circumstances, and my willingness to depend on Him for help.
WOW.

This concept completely changed my thinking when it came to facing challenges. Demons. I don't need to assess the situation and measure it against my usual ability and strength. I need to depend on Him and believe that He can and will empower me that much more in order to handle the task. And tomorrow, when the challenge is not so great, He will give me just the strength I need for that day.

Today it might be preparing the house, encouraging generousity in my kids, and finding ways to trim the grocery budget so that we can get that tail light replaced.  Tomorrow it could be the death of a loved one, a falling away of a brother or sister, or the loss of a job. But the degree of His power available to me will match whatever circumstance comes my way.

And the same goes for you, too. So if there's any chance that one of you share this struggle of mine at this time of year, I pray this truth shines like a beacon in your heart and gives you hope. It did for me.

If you're interested in the devotional I mentioned, it's called Jesus Calling by Sarah Young. The entry I referenced was November 11th. :-) And if you want some great Christian novels to dive into or pick up as gifts, you always know where to find some winners. (There's always a contest going on at COTT, so I hope you'll join us this week for a look at a couple great cover images.)

Have a blessed week!