Peering Through Life's Window

  A Warm Welcome to Serena Clarke Serena shares an excerpt from  In Royal Ruins, which is a retelling of the Grimms’ fairytale, King Thrushbeard.  She also shares an excerpt and her favorite recipe, Chinese Chicken Salad. (see below). About In Royal Ruins Appalled by his daughter’s vain and impertinent attitude, the king forces her to marry a peasant, hoping to teach her a lesson. Feeling devastated by this decree, Alora loses everything she knows and is thrust into a world she is not prepared for. The skills she learned to help her rule a kingdom have not prepared her for the drudgery of living the life of a peasant’s wife.  Larik, her new husband, is determined to help Alora and show her kindness despite her unfriendly personality. Will Larik’s example and affection towards her be enough to heal her heart of anger and grief so that she can see the beauty in the world once again? Can she let go of the past and allow herself to be loved?  Praise and Re...

A Warm Welcome to Mary Marelli Hi Mary, tell us a little about yourself.    I’m Mary Marelli, wife, mother, grandmother, and author.  God and family are first and foremost in my life.  With them, God by my side and my family to support me, everything else falls into place.  We live on a private lake in the mountains of eastern Pennsylvania.   My children are grown, so it is just hubby and myself.  Oh, and I can’t forget our hound.  She won’t let me.   Were you an avid reader as a child? If so, what did you read? I couldn’t get my nose out of a book!  I remember the hot summer days I would sit in the shade of an apple tree and read.  We lived in a rural farming community.  My Oma and Opa raised chickens, had a huge garden, and were fairly self-sustainable.  Our neighbor across the street raised horses.  Horses and reading became a huge part of my life.  There was nothing more comforting on a lazy summer ...

  A Warm Welcome to Nancy Shew Bolton To enter to win the e-Book of Love Stumbled In  leave a comment and an email address below. Hi Nancy, many writers loved to read as children. Did you? If so, what did you read? I was definitely an avid reader as soon as I learned to read. Books fascinated me once I realized that they were a whole new world I could enter by just opening them up. I read Everything!! All the contemporary and classic favorites for children, as well as encyclopedias, the dictionary, etc. I’ve always been very curious and books satisfied my urge to understand the world and other people and cultures. Tell us about your writing. Why do you do it?  Other than music, I think language is the most effective way of expressing what’s inside of us.  Tell us about your latest book.  Love Stumbled In takes place in the 1920’s which were a decade of profound changes in society. I did some research for a previous book in the same time period and found that I ...

A Warm Welcome to Carol James Carol will give away an eBook of The Waiting . To enter to win leave a comment and an email address below. Hi, Gail. Please let me begin by thanking you for having me here. I appreciate the opportunity to share with your readers. It's my pleasure to have you. Tell us a little about yourself. I am the wife of one, the mother of two, and the grandmother of five. Retired, I enjoy spending time with my husband and Zoe, our Jack Russell “Terrorist.” I have a BA in English/Education and have taught children from kindergarten to high school age. My last job was in the international sales department of a medical device manufacturer. Were you an avid reader as a child? If so, what did you read? Oh, yes! I read everything I could find. I particularly enjoyed mysteries and tales of adventure. We lived in England during part of my childhood and got hooked on the Fantastic Five series. Two of my other favorites were Heidi and Robinson Crusoe....

A Warm Welcome to Zoe McCarthy Zoe will give away a Kindle copy of either The Invisible Woman in the Red Dress, Calculated Risk  or  Gift of the Magpie. To enter to win leave a comment and an email address below.   Hi Zoe, first, tell us a little about yourself. My passions are being creative, being analytical, and writing stories. I earned a BA in mathematics and became an actuary for twenty-five years. I grew up a Coast Guard brat. From ages seven through ten, I lived in Haiti during the rise of Papa Doc. When I was a teen, home was Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba. I was there during the Cuban Missile Crisis. During a summer break from the University of South Florida, I lived in Thailand while the Vietnam war raged. Since my early forties, I’ve loved the Lord, and have taught adult Bible studies and was a BSF children’s leader. Now, I teach the Community Bible Study. I live with my husband on a hill in the Blue Ridge Mountains. We enjoy exploring...

A Warm Welcome to Darlene Franklin Darlene talks about Risking Love, an e-book of four novellas she co-authored with Helen Gray. It tells the story of four contemporary couples who risk everything. Darlene also shares a devotional. To enter to win the e-book join the Rafflecopter giveaway below. Following the Leader Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us fixing our eyes on Jesus. Hebrews 12:2-3 A baton strikes a music stand. Absolute silence falls on the auditorium. All eyes fix on the five hundred voice choir—all of their eyes are fixed on their director. He lifts his baton and the orchestra plays. A few measures later, he brings in the sopranos followed by the alto section, then the men. They have learned to read his hand gestures, large and small. When to hush. When to soar. When to accent. When to cut short. When to start. When to stop. Just as those singers follow their conductor, so also Christians follow the lead of their coonductor, Jesus Ch...

A Warm Welcome to Jan Elder Jan will give away two kindle books—the first a kindle copy of Love, Lies, and Fireflies . The second, a kindle copy of the five-book set, Frosting and Flurries , where the readers will find her book, Moostletoe. What a treat. Here's Janice Bittner’s Chocolate MOOSTLETOE Cake.  In Moostletoe , the owner of the local coffee shop is a baker. There is a celebration in each of the five books, complete with a very special cake. CRUST: 3 cups finely crushed chocolate graham crackers ¾ tsp. espresso powder 1 stick butter, melted FILLING: 3 cups chocolate chips 2 tbsp. butter 2 eggs 4 egg yolks 2 cups heavy cream 1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar 1 tsp. espresso powder 1 tsp. vanilla 1 package (10 ounces) peanut butter chips Mix the crushed crumbs and the espresso powder. Add the melted butter and mix well. Press into the bottom of a 9” or 10” springform pan. Chill until ready. Beat the eggs and the egg yolks, and set...

          A Warm Welcome to Paula Mowery Paula will give away an e-book of Legacy and Love To enter to win leave a comment and an e-mail address below Hi Paula, tell us a little about yourself. When I look at the title of your blog, Peering Through Life’s Window, it reminds me of one of the roles I have in life – pastor’s wife. It’s been said that we pastor families live in glass houses. I’m glad I don’t really reside in a glass house. I would hate for everyone to see the dust and laundry mountains that are a part of our life. But, I guess this is just proof that we are just normal people who have been called into a different vocation. I’m a proud mama to a daughter who is a sophomore with Liberty University online. She is studying to go into children's ministry. I had the privilege and honor to homeschool her through all twelve years. I’m a published author and acquisitions editor for Prism Book Group. God has called me to write and...