I'm excited to announce the release of my first self-published e-book, Escape
from Kikwit. This truly is a story of my heart because it was written in tribute to my daughter Jane, who served as a missionary in Zaire in 1991. When a rebellion erupted against the despotic president of the country, all foreigners were in danger. Jane was in the Heart of Darkness, a town deep in the jungle with no easy way out. In fact, everyone arrived by MAF planes because the president did not permit improvements of roads, lest rebels be able to travel easily to the capital, Kinshasa.
The French Foreign Legion sent two large transport planes with many soldiers, and all of the foreigners were rescued, including businessmen, Peace Corps volunteers, and missionaries of various denominations.
Once Jane was safely home, I just had to write a romance novel about it. You know, gorgeous blond missionary girl and handsome Legionnaire. My book didn't quite fit the guidelines of the publishers who have published my other novels, so it didn't find a home. Now that we are able to put our own books on Kindle, Nook, and other programs, I decided to get this story out there as a way to honor those who serve the Lord in foreign countries. Here's the story:
Abandoned in the Heart of Darkness!
During a deadly rebellion in
the African nation of Zaire,
missionary school teacher Jenna Grant misses the only plane to safety and finds
herself left behind in the company of a French Foreign Legionnaire. The only
thing more dangerous to Jenna than the rampaging rebels out to take her life is
the handsome young soldier who attempts to steal her heart.
Smitten! At last Legionnaire Jean-Richard Chanson has found the
fulfillment of his quest for happiness: a beautiful missionary teacher he must
rescue from violent rebels. But how can he win her heart when she has already
given it to an invisible rival, a God whom Jean-Richard has long ago rejected?
This beautiful cover was designed by the talented Melinda Cote (11elevenepublishing.com), and the Farrah Fawcett lookalike is my lovely daughter Jane as she looked in 1991. Yes, that's a monkey on her lap. She was and is fearless!
Escape from Kikwit is available for Kindle, Nook, and Smashwords. I am giving away a copy of your choice of my other books (print only) to a person to finds a typo in this book. Yes, there is one. If you click on the title at the first of this paragraph, it will take you to the book, and you can read some sample pages. (No need to buy the book, but I'd love it if you did. :-)) Just leave a comment describing the error that ten proofreaders managed to miss. (Groan! This is the bane of every author.) The winner will be drawn on July 1, and must reside in the United States or Canada. Entrants are responsible for following the laws and rules regarding giveaways in your city, state, or province.
Congratulation to Jenny T and Maria P for winning copies of A Lady of Quality! Thank you all for visiting my blog and participating in our Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt. Your comments were a such a blessing to me. This whole event was a blast, and I expect to participate in something similar again in the future. Please stay tuned, or, I should say, please keep stopping by. I expect to give away more copies when the release date arrives in July, both on my website and others.
Welcome
to the 2013 Summer Scavenger Hunt! This hunt has 32 stops and runs
5/17-5/19/13. You can make the loop, reading unique content from 31 different
authors, and if you complete the loop, and fill out the Rafflecopter form at
Stop #32, you'll be in the running for an iPad Mini (loaded with all our
books), or one of two runner-up prizes---all 31 of our new releases in
paperback. In addition, some authors are offering additional prizes, so be sure
to read each post thoroughly to be in the running for all that are available.
The contest is open internationally.
If you've
JUST discovered the hunt, I recommend you begin at the beginning, Stop #1,
found at LisaBergren.com. But you can also begin
here, and keep on rolling. Just be aware that you have to have the COMPLETED
phrase in order, which you construct gathering the clue at each stop, within 24
hours of email notification from Lisa Bergren that you won. If Lisa doesn't
hear back from you with the correct phrase within the time limit, she will move
on to the next winner Rafflecopter draws. Ready? Here we go...
LISA BERGREN
I am
pleased to host Lisa Bergren. This prolific, best-selling, award-winning author
simply dazzles me with the variety of books she writes: fiction, nonfiction;
contemporary/historical; suspense/romance; adult/children. Her reviews at
amazon.com are top heavy with fives, because readers of every stripe love her
stories. She has received a dozen or so Top Pick awards and countless 4.5 star
ratings at Romantic Times Book Club.
Take a look at this list of awards: An RT Lifetime
Achievement Award, an RT Reviewer's Choice finalist (Glamorous Illusions), a
Rita nomination (Firestorm), a
Christy nomination (The Begotten),
and a Christy Award (Waterfall). :-)
Over 40 books, over 2 million sold.
If you
haven’t heard of Lisa Bergren, you’ll be intrigued by her official bio:
Lisa T. Bergren is an award-winning, best-selling writer
of over forty books in many genres, from children's picture books to adult
nonfiction. But her happy place is writing novels. You can find her on the web
at LisaBergren.com, Facebook.com/LisaTawnBergren, and @LisaTBergren.
Today, Lisa
gives us a fascinating look at one of the world’s most famous cities.
10 Things to Do
in Venice, Italy
By Lisa
Bergren
I’ve
had several books set in (or with scenes in) Venice—the latest being Grave Consequences. And yes, one of the
rough parts about being an author is The Research Trips (cue the sad
music…umm…When can I set a book there again?). I’ve adored my time in Venice,
and each trip has been radically different.
Don’t
trust what the cruise day-trippers tell you. The only way to absorb Venice’s
beauty and essence is to really have 3+ days. A good trip would be 3-5 days,
and if you have the luxury of more time, 10 days will leave you feeling like
you really know the place. (You can save money by staying outside the center of
the Rialto and in an apartment; trust me, you can easily walk or take the water
bus to anywhere you want to see!) If at all possible, go in Spring or Fall;
Summer can be hot, humid and buggy. And tour in the early morning and evening,
when the day-trippers vacate!
Now, sit back and watch this brief clip that Lisa filmed while floating on the
Grand Canal in Venice, which her husband set to music!
When
you go to Venezia (and you must go), please do these things:
1)Go
to the top of the campanile (bell
tower) at sunset. The colors and views are marvelous, and you get a solid
understanding of the “fish shape” of the island.
2)Attend
a Vivaldi concert in an old church. They’re available every night, somewhere in
the city, and this was his home town. *sigh*
3)When
the crowds are getting to you, take the vaparetto (water bus) over to Torcello.
Torcello was the birthplace of Venice, where mainlanders fleeing marauding
soldiers escaped to, and then gradually stayed. There’s an amazing 1000-year-old
church there and it’s all lush grass and peace and quiet.
4)Buy
Murano glass earrings in every color. They’re inexpensive here, and wildly
expensive at home. I think the Dorsoduro district has some of the best shops.
Better yet, day trip over to the island of glass itself to see how they’re made
(but I do think prices are higher there than on the Rialto).
5)Tour
the Doge’s Palace and really contemplate what it was like to be the Duke (Doge,
pronounced doa-sh) of the Lagoon—the power, the money. It gives you a solid
sense of why Venezia had the most powerful naval fleet for centuries. From
there, you can cross the Bridge of Sighs and also go through the prison where
Casanova spent a few nights…and escaped.
6)One
morning, tour the Rialto fish market; there’s been a market in this location
since 1057 and you’ll see what all those fishermen have to show for their
morning’s toils.
7)Hire
a water taxi to give you a long, slow tour of the Grand Canal, and then take
you around the circumference of Venice, about 1.5 hours. If funds don’t allow
that, take the #1 Vaparetto from one end to the next of the Canal, and then do
some hops around. It’s noisier, but seeing Venice from the water is special.
8)Tour
the basilica of Santa Marco, but be sure to leave time to go upstairs, and yes,
pay a few more Euros for entrance. It’s worth it for the great view of the
piazza, lagoon, and get a close-up of the millions of mosaic tiles, as well as
the giant, bronze Graeco-Roman horses that were claimed as booty during the
Fourth Crusade.
9)Get
inside one of the palazzos on the Grand Canal. We rented an apartment for three
days on the third floor of one once, which was fabulous. But if your budget
doesn’t allow that, Ca’Rezzonico houses a great museum…and is in a beautiful
old palazzo.
10)Get lost. Don’t get so wound up in finding the
most direct route to your next stop. Pay attention to the sun and get your
bearings, east-west-north-south, then walk generally in the direction you need
to go. That way, you can enjoy it as you go rather than getting all wound up!
And remember, it’s an island. You just can’t get too lost. Getting a little lost allows you to see treasures
you would’ve never seen otherwise, and you settle into the relaxing, tidal
rhythms of this wondrous place.
Lisa’s
new release, Grave Consequences, a
historical romantic suspense, takes the reader on a Grand Tour of Europe such
as the journeys taken by every wellborn European in centuries past. It is
available at bookstores or online at: Amazon, Barnes
and Noble, Christian
Book Distributors, and
elsewhere!
AND
NOW, YOUR NEXT STEPS:
Write
down this clue: triumphs.
NOW TO ENTER FOR THE GRAND PRIZE, HEAD BACK TO LISA BERGREN'S SITE, FIND
STOP #32, AND FILL OUT THE RAFFLECOPTER FORM!
I’m
having a drawing for a print copy of my upcoming July release, A Lady of Quality, a Regency romance from Love Inspired Historicals.
To be entered in the drawing, scroll down from here to my April 1 post and
leave a comment, guessing who my next hero and heroine will be. You can find
the answers at amazon.com: http://is.gd/aIo3HU . As always on my site, winners
are limited to residents of the U. S. and Canada. Entrants are responsible for
laws regarding prizes in your state.
I’m excited to announce that I’ll be participating in a
Scavenger Hunt with other writers (31 in all) on May 17 – 19. All you have to
do is jump on board and enjoy the fun.
THERE WILL BE PRIZES!!!
You can’t have a scavenger hunt without prizes, and we’re
offering some great ones. The Grand Prize winner will receive an iPad Mini with 31 novels
in e-books format loaded on it, one from each of the 31 authors. Two runners-up
will receive all 31 books in paperback. For more information, visit our
fearless leader’s website at: http://lisatawnbergren.com/2013/04/christian-fiction-scavenger-hunt/
Here are the participating authors, along with their new
releases that will be offered as prizes. I hope you find your favorite among us, and I hope you'll be discovering new favorites.
Lisa T. Bergren, Grave Consequences
Robin Lee Hatcher, A Bride for All Seasons
Ronie Kendig, Talon
Ruth Axtell, Moonlight Masquerade
Stephanie Grace Whitson, The Message on the Quilt Tracy Higley, So Shines the Night Marta Perry, Lydia's Hope Jill Williamson, Captives Margaret Daley, Scorned Justice MaryLu Tyndall, Forsaken Dreams R.J. Larson, King Susan Sleeman, No Way Out Deborah Raney, The Face of the Earth Winnie Griggs, The Bride Next Door Sandra Robbins, Mountain Homecoming Julie Lessman, Love at Any Cost Leslie Gould, Adoring Addie Vickie McDonough, Whispers on the Prairie Carol Cox, Trouble in Store Rachel Hauck, Once Upon a Prince Terri Blackstock, Truth Stained Lies Louise M. Gouge, A Lady of Quality Missy Tippens, Georgia Sweethearts Richard Mabry, Stress Test Lynette Eason, When a Secret Kills Patricia Hickman, Tiny Dancer Lorna Seilstad, When Love Calls Colleen Coble, Rosemary Cottage Maureen Lang, All in Good Time John Otte, Failstate: Legends Anne Elisabeth Stengl, Dragonwitch
COME ALONG AND ENJOY THE FUN!!! See you on May 17 - 19!
I have a new release coming up in July. It's the third book in my Ladies in Waiting series. If you have read the first two books and can guess who my hero and heroine will be in A Lady of Quality, leave your answer in my comments section below, and I will enter you in a drawing for a copy of the new book.
I won't respond to your answers until I receive my author copies. Then I'll draw a winner. Be sure to leave your email with your comments so I can contact you.
As always, winners must reside in the U. S. or Canada. Entrants are also responsible for any laws or regulations in your home state or province.
UPDATE: CONGRATULATIONS TO PAULA O FOR WINNING MY REGENCY SERIES!
If you can't make it to the annual Easter Egg Hunt at the White House in Washington, D. C., then drop by the Easter Egg Hunt being hosted by the Christian Fiction Historical Society on Goodreads. Here's the url:
Drop by and leave a comment. Have fun and win prizes!
These are the authors who will be giving away prizes to the winners:
Thursday March 21st: Winnie Griggs and Christine Johnson
Friday, March 22nd:
Janet Tronstad and Deborah Hale
Monday, March 25th: Noelle Marchand and
Louise Gouge
Tuesday March 26th: Mary Moore and Renee Ryan
Wednesday March
27th: Regina Scott and Dorothy Clark
Thursday March 28th: Lyn Cote and Karen
Kirst
I'll be posting on Monday, March 25. Be sure to come back and hunt for my "eggs"!
I am beyond excited to announce that the first two books in my Ahab's Legacy series are now available on Kindle and Nook! Just look at these gorgeous covers Melinda Cote designed for me.
Before Captain Ahab encounters Moby Dick, his heart is captured by Hannah
Oldweiler, a woman who has a spirit and determination to match his own. But when
he is wounded by the white whale, a tortured Ahab becomes obsessed with revenge
against the beast, even to the point of defying God. Left to raise their son
alone and praying for her husband’s safe return, Hannah begins her own quest for
peace to fill the emptiness in her heart.
Captain Ahab is dead, the victim of his own pride. Hannah, his
widow, and their son flee Nantucket to escape the infamy of his maniacal
behavior that caused so the deaths of his entire crew. Visiting old friends in
Boston, Hannah meets kind and warm Captain Lazarus and the dashing Captain
Longwood. But before she can consider remarrying, Hannah has another encounter
that shakes the very foundation of all she believes, slavery. Before she can go
on with her life, Hannah must face her own convictions.
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