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Fictional Friday: Contemporary Romance Recommendations, May 2013
Today, I’m featuring fantastic May releases from two of my favorite authors, Becky Wade and Beth K. Vogt. Becky’s book easily earns a spot on my top ten list of 2013 (yes, I realize it’s only May). Beth’s book inconveniently arrived in the middle of line edits, so I haven’t yet finished it, but what I’ve read so far promises to be even better than her first novel. If you’ve read and enjoyed these books, be sure to leave a comment below and let these lovely ladies know!
Undeniably Yours by Becky Wade
Release Date: May 1, 2013
When Meg Cole’s father dies unexpectedly, she becomes the majority shareholder of his oil company and the single inheritor of his fortune. Though Meg is soft-spoken and tenderhearted–more interested in art than in oil–she’s forced to return home to Texas and to Whispering Creek Ranch to take up the reins of her father’s empire.
The last thing she has the patience or the sanity to deal with? Her father’s thoroughbred racehorse farm. She gives its manager, Bo Porter, six months to close the place down.
Bo’s determined to resent the woman who’s decided to rob him of his dream. But instead of anger, Meg evokes within him a profound desire to protect. The more time he spends with her, the more he longs to overcome every obstacle that separates them–her wealth, his unworthiness, her family’s outrage–and earn the right to love her.
But just when Meg begins to realize that Bo might be the one thing on the ranch worth keeping, their fragile bond is viciously broken by a force from Meg’s past. Can their love–and their belief that God can work through every circumstance–survive?
Buy now at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or ChristianBook.com.
Read my full review on Goodreads!
Catch A Falling Star by Beth K. Vogt
Release Date: May 7, 2013
Is life about accomplishing plans . . . or wishes coming true . . . or something more?
Dr. Kendall Haynes’s plans to have it all—a career, a husband, a family—are eluding her. Now that she’s thirty-six, she needs to stop wishing upon a star and face reality: Some dreams just never come true.
Air Force pilot Griffin Walker prefers flying solo in the air and on the ground—until a dangerous choice ejects him from the cockpit. His life becomes even more complicated after the sudden death of his parents makes him the guardian of his sixteen-year-old brother. There’s no way his life will ever get back on course now.
When their lives collide during a near tragedy, Kendall and Griffin must decide if they can embrace the unexpected changes God has waiting for them.
Pre-order now at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or ChristianBook.com!
Tags: Becky Wade, Catch A Falling Star, Christian, contemporary, fiction.Beth K. Vogt, inspirational, novel, romance, Undeniably Yours
Words for Women: Spring (Guest Post)
by Serena Chase
Let the trees of the forest sing,
let them sing for joy before the Lord,
for he comes to judge the earth.
~ 1 Chronicles 16:33 (NIV)
The wind sounds like rushing water through the trees. It’s a pink noise, warm and sweet.
A kite takes flight, its plastic wings making the same sound as a firework as it leaves the shoot—a slow sizzle of promised beauty, followed by a shout of laughter and a command to dance!
The birds have awakened—the star magnolia, too, its fragrant white flowers crowned at the edges with a virgin’s blush.
The wind sends applause through the dignitary trees, so recently dressed in jewels. With eyes darting, distracted from chirping instruments by the grandeur and mystery of what-might-next-come-awake, they play homage to the symphony with gloved hands.
It is His breath which makes the budding, the leafing, the stretching toward the sun—and they revel in it. A few branches, still bare, shiver in anticipation of His touch, but nearby evergreens dance with joy, knowing their sleeping cousins will soon awaken as the song calls across the wind, teasing without taunting, “Come! Awaken! Breathe! Play”
It is sweet, this Breath, and holy. It sends a shiver across the skin—yet it does not temper the radiance of the shine soaking into my westward cheek. I know this sun, this old friend, and where I sit, I am like this month—May—leaning toward warmth, toward the pull of promise.
A shadow. Clouds pass overhead. The birds quiet. The trees, still. I shiver, and my eyes are drawn to a pile of dead leaves. A haze of salt on cement, leftover from the last icy storm. The long list of things I’ve left undone, unspoken, untried. And the memory of winter whispers a warning, “The cold will come again.”
I close my eyes against the chill.
Suddenly, my face is warmer. The cloud has passed. The sun shines.
A song.
A song!
I open my eyes.
Yes, winter has left its mark on the world. On me. But Spring, oh, Spring! She wants to dance and today? Today I resolve to be her willing partner.
I look around with new eyes, seeing each bend of branch, each craggy trunk, each texture of every budded limb, knowing what He knows: that I would be in this place at this very moment—and that this moment was sculpted for my pleasure—and His—that I would see Him in it.
A flutter of wings, above and through me.
Hope.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. ~ Romans 15:13 (NIV)
[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]https://www.carlalaureano.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/serenachase1.jpg[/author_image] [author_info]Serena Chase is a regular contributor to USA Today’s Happy Ever After blog and the author of the Eyes of E’veria series. The Ryn (March 2013) and The Remedy (April 2013), are an expanded re-imagining of the classic Grimm fairy tale, Snow White & Rose Red and are available for Kindle and Kindle apps. Serena lives in Iowa with her husband, Dave and two daughters. [/author_info] [/author]
Tags: guest post, inspiration, Serena Chase, spring
Marketing Monday: Best Sources for Free and Royalty-Free Pics
Blogging and internet conventions seem to change almost daily, and while it’s no longer necessary to have a photo for every blog post like it was just a year or two ago, there’s no doubt an engaging photo can make the difference between drawing someone into your post or having them pass it by. If you’re utilizing Pinterest or Facebook to publicize your blog posts, relevant and interesting photos are just as important as ever.
Royalty-Free
Stock photo sites still remain the best sources for professional royalty-free photos. When I need a permanent photo for my website, a one-sheet, or a marketing piece, I start here. There are dozens of sites online, but I find the three below to be the best quality for the lowest prices.
iStockPhoto (www.iStockphoto.com) – This is one of the best and largest stock photography collections, from clip art to corporate images. I particularly like their curated collections, Vetta and Agency, which provide high concept and commercial themes respectively.
Shutterstock (www.shutterstock.com) – In addition to stock photos, Shutterstock offers high quality video clips as well. I tend to see a fair amount of overlap between iStockPhoto and Shutterstock. Though the latter tends to be slightly less expensive than iStockPhoto, I find fewer relevant hits on this site.
123RF (www.123RF.com) – I particularly like this site for finding photos of people. Plenty of search options allow you to find exactly the kind of photo for which you’re looking, and the option to filter nudity is especially appreciated. It also tends to be the least expensive site of the three I’ve recommended.
Free/Public Domain
Adding a photo to each blog post can get expensive fast if you’re buying stock photos and you don’t have a monthly subscription to one of the above sites. That’s where I turn to sites that offer stock photos for free. You have to be far more selective (photos range from professionally staged to a shaky point-and-shoot snapshot) but if you’re willing to do some digging, you can find excellent images to enhance your blog posts. Most require a photographer credit and/or a link back to the site, but it’s best to check individual requirements of each site/photographer before using.
Clker.com (www.clker.com) – This site provides everything from photos to vectors to clip art. I use this one mostly to find small clip art images to incorporate into buttons and web graphics.
Stock.Xchng (www.sxc.hu) – Stock Xchng is a wonderful option for typical stock photography, now owned by Getty Images (who also owns iStockPhoto). The photos I’ve downloaded from here are typically as high quality as those from the paid sites above; the selection just tends to be much skimpier.
Flickr Creative Commons (www.flickr/creative-commons/by-2.0) – Creative Commons is the epitome of hit-and-miss. A number of very good professional photographers upload their images here, but you get plenty of vacation snapshots and “look at my new car” photos as well. I come here for “amateur paparazzi” photos of celebrities–helpful when I’m looking for royalty-free photos of actors for those inevitable “who would you cast if your book were a movie” interview questions.
Did I miss any of your favorites? Share your links below!
Tags: attribution-only, blogging, Flickr, free photos, marketing, royalty-free, stock photography, stock photos
Fictional Friday: Cover Reveal for “Five Days in Skye”
I have a cover!
First novel covers are always too exciting! What I like about this one is that it looks a little different from the other romance novels coming onto the market right now, and it captures the romantic Scottish scenery. The Isle of Skye is definitely a character in the novel.
Read more here. Or leave me a comment below!
What do you think? What are your favorite romance novel covers?
Tags: cover, fiction, Fictional Friday, Five Days in Skye, romance, Scotland
