What Are Your Purpose and Goals?

For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's (1 Corinthians 6:20).

A new year is a time when many assess where they are and set goals for the coming year. Do you do this for your spiritual life too? We were all made to glorify God. How well are you doing this? What might you need to do differently in the coming year?

We ought to obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29b).

As a part of glorifying, God we need to follow His truths, obey His Word, and fulfill His purposes. At the end of our lives, nothing we have done will matter except these things. How well we've loved others and reached out to help them will live on. The positions we've held, our possessions, or our worldly success will not.

He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit (John 15:5b).

God is waiting for us to renew an intimate relationship with Him. We have Jesus as our Savior and the best example to follow. And we have the Holy Spirit dwelling within us to be our mentor and guide. So, beginning right now, let's reassess and realign ourselves with our Creator and become the person He calls us to be, making this the best year ever.

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Authors and Readers on Facebook

Authors depend on Facebook to connect with each other, especially in multiple-author projects. They also use it to let readers know about their books and themselves. I've always found Facebook more conducive to this than any other social media site.

However, I can tell there's been a great falling away on Facebook. Author events aren't nearly as well-attended as they once were, and there aren't as many comments or responses to posts. No doubt, this has come about because of some of the trouble Facebook has been having. The site even blocked all my blog posts for almost a year before they apologized, saying they'd made a mistake.

I have mixed feelings about Facebook, but the truth is, authors and readers need a site like this. We need a place where we can meet, coordinate, share our news, and encourage and support each other. The format of Facebook lends itself to these things. 

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Two Silent Nights

"Silent Night" is the most recorded Christmas carol of all time. However, it appropriately had a rather humble beginning. It was written by Franz Xaver Gruber and Joseph Mohr in a tiny Austrian village. When a flood damaged their organ, they needed a simple song for their Christmas program. On the night of the performance, only a guitar accompanied the song. Traveling folk singers liked its simplicity, began singing it, and it spread around the world. 

Fast forward to 1914 and World War I, and you find one of the fascinating stories of where it's been sung. Late in December, the situation in the trenches became tense as soldiers on both sides tried to decide what the next fighting would be like. At 8:30 on Christmas Eve, the Germans lit the area around their trenches and began singing "Silent Night." British troops responded by singing "The First Noel."

This led to an unofficial cease-fire for the night. They got together and sang carols in their own languages: English, German, and French. Some played games and exchanged gifts, like cigarettes or candy. They talked and laughed and enjoyed each other's company until the next day when the war would resume. But the memories of the special time would linger and become almost legendary, a time when the guns were silenced.

But the song, "Silent Night," delivers a much more important message. It tells of a baby born in a manager, come to save all mankind if they will but accept Him as their Savior. It is a message of sacrifice, love, and hope. It is the crux of the gospel message and one that we need to hold fast to, keep in our hearts, and share with others all year long.

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 Historical Novels vs Contemporary Ones

In general, historical novels far outsell contemporary ones in clean/Christian romance. I know first-hand because I've written both. Perhaps one of the reasons is that many people, whether consciously or subconsciously, would like to return to a simpler time when traits, such as honesty, integrity, unselfishness, and justice were still held in high regard. It was a time when friends, faith, and family remained of utmost importance.

I heard some authors saying the same thing in a contemporary series with multiple authors that I'm participating in. I didn't write any contemporary novels in 2022, but I'll have two in 2023. Both will be a part of this Seven Holidays series. The Prodigal Pastor will be released on January 23 as part of A Small Town Valentine's Day Romance. Hurting Hero will publish on June 12 and be part of A Small Town 4th of July Romance.

Link to The Prodigal Pastor

Link to Hurting Hero

As a history and English major in college, I also prefer historical novels, although I read and enjoy both. I think most avid readers would say they read both too.  I know many authors who also write both historical and contemporary novels. Although I enjoy researching a novel, sometimes it's nice to have a break from trying to fit a plot and fictitious characters into history and all the research that requires. There's also some research for a contemporary novel, but it's not as much or as intense. For now, I plan to continue to write both in much the same way as I read -- mainly historical but with a few contemporary thrown in. 

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The Poinsettia Legend

Poinsettias are native to southern Mexico and Central America. When Jim and I were missionaries in Oaxaca, in deep Southern Mexico, it amazed me to see them growing wild and how big the bushes got. Sometimes, they seemed more like trees.

Joel Roberts Poinsett (for whom the flower is named) brought the flower to America and made it widely popular. He had been the first U.S. Ambassador to Mexico in 1825. He transported the flower to his South Carolina plantation in 1828 and grew them in his greenhouses there.

An old Mexican legend tells how the poinsettia became associated with Christmas:

Pepita, a poor Mexican girl had no present to take before the baby Jesus at her local Christmas Eve services. As she sadly walked to the chapel, her cousin, Pedro, tried to cheer her up. "Any small gift given in love will please Jesus," he told her. Thinking about his, Pepita picked some weeds from the side of the road and made a bouquet. She carried them to the front of the church and reverently knelt down and put her offering below the manger.

Suddenly, the plants burst into bright red flowers, and everyone there knew they'd just witnessed a miracle. From that time, on the flowers have been called "Flores de Noche Buena" or "Flowers of the Holy Night." The Legend reminds us that it's not what you give that matters but that you give from the heart with love.

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 Aida

I have two books to be released in December in the Runaway Brides of the West series. Candace released last week, and Aida will release on December 30th. Both are or will be available in paperback, Kindle, KU, and Audible. I talked about Candace in a recent blog ( see ). I wanted to tell you about Aida here.

Link to Candace

When Aida Mitchell hears the promises her intended groom makes to his mistress, she runs away on their wedding day. Finding the advertisement from a man wanting a wife, she goes to Great Pond, Texas. She's rescued from another bad situation by Ethan Wood and taken to his aunt's and uncle's ranch. She feels welcome there, but she doesn't think they treat their nephew right, and their son expects to always have his way. Her future seems so uncertain now, and she can only wait to see what it will hold. The novel is available for preorder.

Link to Aida

I have a new narrator for the Audible version of Aida, and I'm thrilled with her talent. E.J. Lavery is easy to listen to and has one of the best voices and the broadest range of accents of anyone I've found that fits my criteria. I'm hoping to use her in a lot of my future projects. She finished recording Aida early, and I just approved it, hoping that ACX will release it by December 30th but not too early. 

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The Baby Leaped

There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. And they had no child, because Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years (Luke 1:5-7).

Elisabeth and Zacharias had long prayed for a child, and in their old age, God granted their request. When Mary was expecting Jesus, she decided to go visit Elisabeth, her relative in Juda, a town in the hill country. No doubt it would be good to get away to a quiet place where she wouldn't be as confronted with gossip, judgment, and accusations.

And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb, and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost (Luke 1:41).

As soon as Mary arrived, Elisabeth's baby lept within her womb. Elisabeth also recognized Mary's special calling. Being filled with the Holy Ghost, she says to Mary, "Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy" (Luke 1:42-44).

And it came to pass, that on the eighth day when they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias after the name of his father. And his mother answered and said. Not so; but he shall be called John (Luke 1:59-60).

What a moment! And of course, Elisabeth's son, John the Baptist grows up to be God's messenger to prepare the way for Jesus' ministry. He would have the privilege of baptizing Jesus and setting the example for us. Also, he, like so many others, would be martyred for his faithfulness. Does your heart leap for joy as you think of Jesus coming to earth for you? Is your heart prepared to receive him now and always?

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Christmas Books

Over the 7 years I've been publishing, I've had many books where Christmas plays a significant part, although not all of them are categorized as a Christmas book. A few of these, among others, include:

Cleared for Planting - Link

Sown in Dark Soil - Link

Mountain Mishap - Link

Unexpected - Link

I also have several that were written especially to include Christmas. All except the first one are historicals:

Buy the Book - Link

Walnut Cake by Wylene - Link

Sauerkraut Cake by Sophie - Link

Forget-Me-Not Cookies by Fern - Link

A Christmas Snow for Sadie - Link

Many readers, like me, love to read Christmas books during the month of December. As well as being a prolific writer, I'm also an avid reader. I read around 365 books a year and review each one on Amazon. Christmas books are always a part of this list.

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Advent

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given (Isaiah 9:6a).

It's hard to believe that another Christmas season is upon us, but Advent began on Sunday. Advent is recognized or celebrated in most Christian denominations. It is a time of preparing for and celebrating the birth of Jesus as He came to earth to die for the sins of the world and a time to remember He will be coming again to take His flock home.

The name comes from the Latin word, aventus, which means "coming" or "arrival." It is said that the term in Christendom has three different facets: the physical birth in Bethlehem, the acceptance of Christ into the heart of the believer, and the Second Coming we anticipate. 

During Advent congregations and believers might light an Advent wreath, hold a daily Advent devotional and prayer, put up a Christmon tree, hang evergreens, etc. In the churches I've attended, some have celebrated Advent in one way or another, and others haven't. The important part is not in the ceremony or the celebrations but in the heartfelt understanding and worship.

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 The Seven Holidays

There's a new series coming out, actually seven of them. It's a multiple-author series, and we're referring to them as The Seven Holidays, but each of these seven major holidays will have its own series page on Amazon. The holidays will include Valentine's Day, Easter, the 4th of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's. The first one will be "A Small Town Valentine's Day Romance." The nine contemporary books in it will release between January 9 and March 3. Mine will publish on January 23, and I've already written the book. It's just waiting on the editor.

The Prodigal Pastor is the story of the senior pastor in a large church who goes astray, leaving his wife who has just found out she's expecting the baby they'd been praying for before she could tell him. Months later, he realizes his mistake and wants his wife back. He knows God forgives him, but will Brooke ever be able to, and can he forgive himself?

Link to The Prodigal Pastor

The good news for readers is that all these Valentine books will be on preorder for only 99 cents, but that will go up to $2.99 after they publish. I've never done a preorder promotion before, and I'm eager to see how well it works. With the books only yielding a few cents profit, they'll need a volume of sales.

The only other book for this series I could fit into my schedule is the one for the 4th of July. I'm finishing the rough draft for Hurting Hero this week, hopefully, today or tomorrow. It will be set in the small towns of Locust, North Carolina, and Gaffney, South Carolina. Hurting Hero will publish on June 12 but is already available for preorder. You won't pay until it publishes.

Link to Hurting Hero

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Changing Thanksgiving 

O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever (Psalms 107:1).

People talk about how Christmas has become too secular, and we're losing its real meaning. But have you ever stopped to think the same thing may be happening to Thanksgiving?  The day has often become more about the four f's: first to the mall, floats, food, and football. The day after Thanksgiving used to be the time to begin the Christmas season, but that's not true anymore either. Christmas displays now come out in stores before Halloween.

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

Setting aside a special day to thank God for all His many blessings is a good thing. But it's even better to live each day of the year with a thankful heart. It shouldn't be just something we do but part of our character and something we live. Most of us never notice all the blessings that come our way, but if we start to list them, even those we do recognize can be overwhelming.  Let's thank God with our whole hearts today and always.

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Runaway Brides of the West - Candice

I have two books coming out near the end of the Runaway Brides of the West series. Candace releases on December 5 and Aida will publish on December 30. Both are available for preorder now, so be sure to reserve your copies today.

Link to Candace

Link to Aida

Candace Joyner gets to her destination as a mail-order bride to find that her intended owns a saloon with working girls upstairs. He also runs the town where there’s no church or honest sheriff. Learning that he might eventually expect her to work for him, she hides under the tarp of a mountain man's wagon when he leaves town with his winter supplies. She's watched Jude Mason, and he appears to be kind and most likely a Christian. She'd rather take her chances with him than the dictatorial, unscrupulous saloon owner. But life on the mountain in the winter is tougher than she ever imagined.

As with all my books, Candace will be out on Kindle, KU, paperback, and Audible. The Audible edition has already been published. Jared Walters finished the project early and has done an excellent job of bringing the story to life. He has a smooth voice and a drama background that draws me in. I'm sure my listeners will enjoy his narration too. 

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Because of Faith

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him (Hebrews 11:6).

Faith can be mighty and do amazing things. For most Christians, it grows throughout their lives. Think about these Bible verses from Hebrews 11 and how the faith of these people from the Old Testament impacted them and others. And they're still teaching us today.

By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.

By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out not knowing whither he went.

By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son.

By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid for three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not  afraid of the king's commandment.

By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharoh's daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.

By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days. By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with they that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.

These are just a few of the faithful we could list. Great things, miraculous things, happened because of faith. How is your faith? If it needs to grow, turn to God.

Ask, and it shall be given you, seek, and ye shall find'; knock, and it shall be opened unto you (Matthew 7:7-8).

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Why Westerns

I grew up in the country playing cowboys, cowgirls, Indians, and outlaws. It was a time when westerns were very popular, the heyday of the western movies. I didn't have brothers or sisters, but I had plenty of male cousins, and when there was no one available to play with, I could read books set in the West.

Like other specific genres and time periods, they have special characteristics. A western is produced in literature, film, or television shows. They're often set in the Old West between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, telling the stories of cowboys, settlers, outlaws, and Indians. It's usually a story of exploring the western frontier or taming the Wild West. They often possess ruggedness and trials but also perservence and heart.

The first widely-popular Western novel was The Virginian by Owen Wisler, published in 1902. Other well-known early western writers include Zane Grey and Louis L'Amour. Western books and movies peaked in the 1950s and 60s. In the 1950s, Hollywood produced more westerns than all other genres combined. However, in the 1970s, they began losing popularity because of market-flooding. Yet, the interest in westerns has never completely waned, and the books still have a large fanbase today.

Link to In from the Storms

As an author, I began writing books set the Appalachian Mountains and then gravitated to westerns. They fit my interests and writing style. My first western series, In from the Storms, quickly became bestsellers. Then, I wrote a five-book series, Cactus Creek, NM. In 2022, I'll publish five westerns, and in 2023, I'll have ten. Westerns are here to stay.

Link to Cactus Creek, NM series

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Immovable Faith

For we walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).

People with immovable faith fill the Scriptures. Abraham doggedly treading up the mountain to sacrifice his beloved son as God had commanded; Daniel in the lion's den and Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace; Elijah as he faced off the cruel king, Ahab, even chastising him and he challenged the Baal prophets on Mount Carmel; Jeremiah as he delivered God's messages that no one heeded; David as he faced a giant with a slingshot and was determined to follow God's way despite what Saul did; Job as he refused to curse God no matter what Satan did to him; Esther as she faced possible death to save her people; Mary and Joseph as they sacrificed their reputations to be obedient; Steven who took stoning rather than deny his Lord; and the disciples, most of whom were martyred for spreading the gospel. The list could go on and on.

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding (Proverbs 1:5-6).

Usually, we see stubbornness as a negative trait, but that depends on when and how we use it. I'm sure that each person who clung to their faith no matter what befell them had a touch of stubbornness.  But beyond that, they trusted God to know and do what's best. They knew Him well enough to know His character and that He would never fail them. How close do you follow God? Do you have immovable faith?

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