Summer Reading GIVEAWAY!

I am SO excited for summer time! These are the days I can send the kiddos outside to play for hours on end while I sit in a cozy chair, listen to their laughter and lose myself in a variety of worlds that all include love, joy, trials, growth and satisfying endings. If not reading, then I'm hanging out with another Mama whose little ones are running around with mine, basking the the glorious WA sunshine.

Today I want you to meet some of my favorite authors. I truly suggest making room on your docket for at least TWO books this summer from any of these talented ladies! I have read works from each one of these gifted women and wholeheartedly recommend their works!  I have included TONS of links (silly Blogger, why aren't the colors all the same?) so be sure to check them out. 

Now come, let me introduce you to some of my favorite Ladies!

Forsaken Dreams

 MaryLu, a Christy Award Finalist, and best-selling author of the Legacy of the King's Pirates series is known for her adventurous historical romances filled with deep spiritual themes.

(I have actually read ALL of her books! You can find them here or read my review of her most current: Forsaken Dreams)

Love at any Cost

Julie is an award-winning author whose tagline of “Passion With a Purpose” underscores her intense passion for both God and romance. Julie is the winner of multiple awards including 14 Romance Writers of America awards.
 (Read my reviews of A Passion Most Pure or Love at any Cost) Love them!

Barefoot Summer

Denise is a multi-award winning author of books often containing a strong romantic element, and her husband Kevin says he provides all her romantic material, but Denise insists a good imagination helps too!
(I'm in love with her Big Sky Romance series!)

Widow of Gettysburg

Jocelyn inspires faith and courage in her readers through both fiction and nonfiction. A former military wife herself, she offers encouragement and hope to military wives worldwide through her Faith Deployed ministry. Her novels are marked by their historical integrity and gritty inspiration. (I am truly enjoying her stories & I LOVE honoring those who serve)

Rel has a passion, like me, for reading and she has an AMAZING site where she reviews books, interviews authors, and has insightful Character Spotlights. If you love to read, check out her blog for in-depth reviews and reading ideas!  (I often do! And she's such a sweetie too!)

What one book are you looking forward to reading this summer?

MaryLu Tyndall: The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy

Julie Lessman: Oh, that's a no-brainer! Love’s Awakening by one of my TOP favorite authors, Laura Frantz, releases September 1st, so I’ll be devouring IT on our annual getaway to Lake of the Ozarks. Why? Because Laura writes my favorite kind of romance—heart-pounding, pulse-stuttering, faith-wrenching stories brimming with passion of the heart and soul! 

Denise Hunter: Elin Hilderbrand's upcoming release (Beautiful Day)

Jocelyn Green: My Hope Is Found by Joanne Bischof. It won't release until the fall but I get to endorse it this summer and I absolutely cannot wait!

Rel: Well, it's winter for me but that doesn't stop me looking for a good read, winter or summer, so while there are plenty on my wish list, and I don't think I can pick just one! I love discovering a new author so here's a couple I can't wait to read ~ Cathleen Armstrong's Welcome to Last Chance, Jolina Petersheim's The Outcast (I'm not that into Amish stories but a retelling of The Scarlet Letter? I'm so there!), and Liz Tolsma's Snow on the Tulips. Sorry for bending the rules, Joleen! (I forgive you. ;-) Especially since I get to read all your reviews!)

  What is your inspiration to write?

MaryLu:  Many things inspire me to write: my kids, my faith, paintings, good books, movies, great characters.  But overriding all of those small inspirations is my overwhelming desire to bring my Father in Heaven glory and draw people closer to Him. 

Julie: Well, initially my inspiration was Gone With the Wind. That book inspired me to begin my own novel at the age of twelve, a 150-page, single-spaced manuscript that is actually the basis for my debut novel, A Passion Most Pure. Unfortunately (or fortunately, however you look at it!), almost forty years passed before God breathed new life into that early attempt and inspired me to finish my childhood novel of passion—only this time the “passion” would be for Him! 

Today, my inspiration to write is totally spiritual—to show people how natural and fulfilling an intimate relationship with God can and SHOULD be. Like breathing. My books may be fiction, but this is NOT a fairy tale here. It is possible to have a living, breathing relationship with the God of the Universe. He’s crazy about us, and if most people really understood that, their lives would turn on a dime and blessings would overtake them.  

Denise: I write because I love stories, particularly stories about falling in love. Writing merges the creative side of my brain with the more structured right side, allowing me to make good use of my whole head. :-)

Jocelyn: True stories of uncelebrated heroines during the Civil War. They were ordinary civilians, nurses, soldiers, spies... history is rich with inspiration! 

Rel: My inspiration for writing reviews and posts on my blog? I love introducing readers to writers - it really is as simple as that! Reading brings me so much joy, challenge, and inspiration, I can't help but share all that good stuff with others. Love it!

 If you could go on a 2-week vacation this summer, where would you go? What would you do there?

MaryLu: A Mediterranean cruise! I would love to tour all the places where the Apostle Paul went on his various mission trips 

Julie: Oh man, a beach house in Hawaii or the Caribbean somewhere with my husband and lots of my favorite things—good friends, great books (including the Bible!) and old movies!

Denise: Australia and New Zealand. I've always wanted to visit both! 

Jocelyn: If I could be assured I would still meet my Sept. 3 book deadline, I'd go back to Alaska. My husband and I lived there our first year of marriage when he was in the Coast Guard. I'd like to just go spend time surrounded by God's majestic creation, breathing in the cleanest air ever. I could really use a little rejuvenation, a break from the daily grind. Alaska is a great place to reconnect with what's important in life.

Rel: A two week holiday on Plantation Island, Fiji, sounds pretty good to me :) My parents took my sister and I there when we were young teens and I'd love to go back. I remember the breakfast fruits were spectacular and the water magnificent! 

  What’s one thing you wish you knew how to do really well?

 MaryLu: Play an instrument!  Probably the violin. It has such a sweet, soothing sound. I would love to be able to pick it up and play it whenever I need to recharge or calm down.

Julie: LOL … work with computers.

Denise: I've always wanted to sing. Not that I don't know how, but let's just say, it's not pretty. ;-) 

Jocelyn: Cook gourmet meals on a budget, and in 30 minutes or less. Ha! 

Rel: My husband has an amazing talent for making people feel welcome, cared for, and valued - I wish I had his natural ease with anyone and everyone! I'm working on it ;-) (I'd say you do it well already on your blog!)



That was fun, yah?  Thank you so much Ladies for being a part of this Summer Reading Giveaway! I really enjoyed getting to know you more. 

And now, it's your turn!  You have up to 4 entry possibilities; just fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Once you’re done with that, you are entered into the drawing for a $25.00 Amazon gift card delivered via email or Facebook. Who couldn't use that?! Drawing entries end Father's Day, Sunday (6/16). 

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