Two important events to note this week.
First, you can enter to win an ipad plus download lots of free books. Be sure and select the genre you want to read.
https://www.litring.com/snow-day-giveaway/
Plus, you can vote for my cover for Irene. You can vote more than once so please do.
If you liked the cover of my book, Irene (War Brides Book 3), please vote for it for the Cover of the Month contest on AllAuthor! I am grateful for all your support!
http://https://allauthor.com/cover-of-the-month/1291
Thanks for all the support. I appreciate it.
Married in England as War Brides.
It is the First World War. The war to end all wars everyone thought as the battles dragged on and on. The conditions were horrific. And yet a man saw a pretty young gal–in a hospital, in a green grocers, or on a Sunday afternoon walk. They met and fell in love. Yet their marriages weren’t as real as one would hope as the young groom went off to the battlefield and the young wife struggled to make do under the strict rationing. And then it ended. The wives joined across the ocean to meet their husbands in Canada. What a reunion it was…before reality hit. They barely knew each other. There was family and family circumstances to deal with.
Lizzie––Caleb returned from the Great War a broken man. Can Lizze’s love set him free?
Maryelle–The Great War is over, but life in Canada—with her new husband—is nothing like Maryelle expected…
Irene–Zach wanted a marriage of convenience and a mother for his sons. But Irene is more than he counted on…
Grace–Why would a flying ace—a war hero—love someone as unworthy as Grace?
These are the stories of four brave young women facing challenges that could destroy them. Can their love survive?
Go here to begin reading these stories. http://tinyurl.com/yb8s83uf
COLOR STARVATIOIN
It’s the time of year when I look out the window and see nothing but black and white except for the flare of sunrise.
But that spectacular display is not enough to fill my need for color. I suffer from color starvation. I want to see green–green grass, green leaves–and I want bright flowers. Growing things. Last year I was able to go to Hawaii and feed that hunger. This year, I am not going. But I can enjoy the pictures from last year. I’ll share a few for your enjoyment.
I have a couple other things besides sunrise, sunsets and my picture file that help. Quilt and yarn displays. Yup. I go to the store and drink my fill.
If you’re needing a color fix, how what do you do?
HAPPY NEW YEAR
I wish I had something profound and wise to say to welcome in the New Year but I don’t. I’d like to blame it on the cold I am nursing and cursing (almost) but I plumb ran out of profound and wise some time ago. Okay, honestly? I’ve never ever had either.
Personally, 2017 has been a good year. My daughter dealt with a cancerous tumor behind her eye and the radiation killed it dead. Great news. I enjoyed a holiday in Hawaii with 3 of my daughters then a week at a nearby lake where I rented a cabin and enjoyed the time with 2 daughters, a son-in-law and 5 granddaughters. We had a number of family gatherings here. The year wrapped up with 25 here for Christmas. I put out 12 ebooks, and 4 books with Love Inspired Historicals. It’s been a busy year.
I look forward to 2018–more writing, more books out. A trip to Paris with daughter and granddaughter. Another week at the lake. And everything else that comes my way. Some things are unwelcome but everything is filtered through the loving hands of God and in Him I trust.
Enjoy this little glimpse of the past year. All the best to each of you in 2018.
Grace and Christmas
Grace is a war bride. She fell in love with Billy while he was recovering from a battle wound near her home in England and they married. But she is not prepared for the challenges of wedded life, let alone the challenges of life in Alberta, Canada. Even less, is she prepared for dealing with the risks her adventuresome, fly-boy husband takes.
And yes, there is a Christmas element to the story. Just when Grace thinks she can’t handle anything more, the rug is pulled out from under her right at Christmas. She is faced with having to deal with more pain. Can she do it with God’s help and the loving support of Billy?
I wish for each of you a blessed Christmas season. May you enjoy the reason for the season amidst all the hustle and bustle. To help you enjoy the festivities, I am including these pictures taken a few years ago at a writers’ retreat at a Gaylord hotel in Nashville.
There is nothing worse than boredom, but…
I don’t handle boredom well but, on the other hand, life can get too hectic. It’s like being suddenly diverted from the fast lane to the Indy 500. Every year at Christmas, I eliminate a few self-imposed activities in the hopes of slowing down the pace of preparation. I’ve down-sized gift giving. I’m slowly learning to simplify meal preparation. I don’t bake near as much as I once did mostly because it doesn’t get eaten at Christmas so I have to eat it afterwards.
But it still gets hectic. Which brings to mind the Advent themes of this week and last–PEACE and JOY.
PEACE- found in letting go and letting the God of the season be the reason I do things. ‘Prince of Peace, reveal yourself to us today. We need peace in our lives, our homes, our families, our church, and our whole world. Help us to slow down and seek out the peace you provide, so we may become peacemakers for ourselves and others. In your name, Prince of Peace, we pray. Amen.’
JOY- ‘Too often, we think joy is something big, O God. A brass band or a parade can certainly bring us joy. Just as easily and far more often, we can feel joy in a hug or the squeeze of hand, we can see joy in a smile or hear it in laughter. Help us to not overlook the simple joys that peak into our lives daily. This week in our Advent journey, open our eyes to the joy that surrounds us. Amen.’ (Both quotes from https://www.liturgylink.net/2014/11/11/advent-candles-hope-peace-joy-love/)
So my wish for you is that you enjoy the season. Enjoy your family. Enjoy the lights and festivities. Here are some lights from the Calgary Zoo Lights for your enjoyment.
Can Irene Bring Peace
Naming my characters has always been a challenge for me. I especially struggled with this book. I knew the heroine was a caregiver, a nurse, and someone who sought the good of others. The word that came to mind when I thought of her was peace. I discovered Irene means peace. It was the perfect name for my heroine. IRENE–Bringer of Peace
Irene has cared for her younger sister since their mother died. She has nursed the wounded soldiers throughout WW1. Now she has accompanied her younger sister to Canada so her sister can rejoin the man she married in England. Irene wants something of her own. She wants to make a difference to people that stay in her life and so she agrees to a marriage of convenience. But Zach only wants someone to care for his two young boys. He blames himself for leaving his wife to join the army. He should have stayed home and cared for her. His heart is closed off.
Can Irene bring peace to the home? To Zach’s injured heart? Can she find peace for herself?
If you read this story, you might wonder if Irene means to bring peace or turmoil to poor Zach. She upsets his tidy little life. She threatens to saw the bed in half. You’ll have to read the book to figure out what that’s all about. Her own heart is in turmoil over the hurt she sees in Zach and his two little sons. But overhearing whispered gossip at a tea party really turns her world upside down. Poor Zach. Poor Irene as they find their way to love and peace.
Go here to get this book. I’m pretty sure you will enjoy Irene’s story–the third in my War Brides series. http://tinyurl.com/y78b95kb
‘TIS THE REASON
Today is the first Advent Sunday. An internet search uncovers many ways of celebrating the season of Advent and many themes. The one I like best is the one that gives each Sunday a one-word theme. The one for today is FAITHFULNESS based on Ps. 100.For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.
What I like most about Advent Sundays is that it takes my focus off the hustle and bustle, the shopping and planning, and the plain old busyness of the season and back to the reason for Christmas.
Do you have traditions and practices that help you not be totally caught up in the busyness and commercialism of Christmas?
Delivering the Goods
There is a dam not far from where we live. It provides a great holiday spot, good fishing and boating. there are several camping places and permanent cottages. The view from the top of the dam is spectacular.
But the dam has a serious purpose. It is to provide power. If the generators aren’t working and the power isn’t carried from there to consumers, it has failed to do what it was created to do.
I can’t help thinking that’s a lot like story writing. Stories are meant to be shared. Around the campfire. At bedtime. When families gather. Isn’t a mealtime made more enjoyable when someone says, “Do you remember when…?” and the stories begin?
Over the centuries, the methods of delivering stories has changed from oral story telling, to rare and shared books, to readily available books and libraries. It is undergoing another change–electronic delivery. (which, in my opinion, will never replace a printed book.)
But with my current publisher (Love Inspired Historicals) ending that line, I am venturing into the electronic delivery of my stories. I hope you will find a way to download these and read them. You can follow me on
https://partners.bookbub.com/authors/13375/edit
https://www.amazon.com/Linda-Ford/e/B001HPGG3C/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1511709517&sr=1-2-ent
For news on new releases (and there are some brand new titles coming up soon) join my newsletter. You can do so by clicking on the orange button on the top left of this page offering a free book.
By the way, the last Love Inspired Historicals will release April 2018 and my final book will be out with them. Montana Lawman Rescuer will wrap up my Bella Creek series.
Keep Your Eyes On The Goal
We hear a lot about goal setting. On the whole I agree with all the suggestions. But my cat, Peanut, best illustrates how goal setting works for me.
See him sitting on a desk looking out the window. Can you see the bird? He sure does and he makes plaintive little meows. He knows the window blocks him. He could go to the door and ask out but it would mean going into the cold. Making a long trek through the snow and then the birds would fly away before he got there.
I feel that way too, at times, especially with my writing. My own difficulty in starting in like that pane of glass. Basically, I like having written more than getting at my writing. I know there will be challenges–a closed door, a difficult trail and perhaps, disappointment. I tell ya, writing can be hard. But then, so is life. Especially if I dwell on the difficulties. Instead, I will choose to enjoy the sunrise, the sunset, the amusement of a cat on the desk and all the other good things that fill my life if only I pay attention to them.