Monday, October 28, 2013

Examine Your Faith! Finding Truth in a World of Lies - Blog Tour

examine your faith by pamela christianExamine Your Faith!: Finding Truth in a World of Lies

Well-meaning people want to believe that all roads lead to the same God and heaven. But wanting something to be true is far different from truth lining up with reality. Unless you make an intentional effort to examine what you believe and why you believe it, it’s quite possible you are living your life on the basis of a lie, and don’t know it.

• What is truth?

• Is it relative or absolute?

• Is it personal or universal?

• What are the differences among the various religious faiths? Can they be blended?

• Are we creating faith—a belief system—that is impotent by trying to accept all religions as equal?

(This book has been endorsed by Josh McDowell, Dr. Craig Hazen, and Dan Story.)
You can purchase Examine Your Faith! at:
~~~ Amazon ~~~
pamela chistianAbout the Author

For over twenty years, coast to coast, Pamela Christian, “the Faith Doctor,” has been helping people in matters of faith. Pam compassionately wants people to confidently discover and live in, life-giving truth. Her ministry experience began as Teaching Director for Community Bible Study, (an independent, interdenominational, international organization). This led to her receiving invitations to speak nationally, followed by work as radio talk-show host in two major markets. She is a contributing writer to various books and magazines. Her education includes a certificate in apologetics from Biola University. As a book author and media personality Pam's desire is to reach as many people as possible. She and her husband live in Orange County, CA, with their two grown children living nearby.

Follow me on:

Good Reads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7179552.Pamela_Christian

Book Fun: http://www.bookfun.org/profile/PamelaChristian

Twitter: http://twitter.com/plchristian

Facebook: www.facebook.com/PamelaChristianMinistries

For anyone that’s interested, the author is giving away one copy of Examine Your Faith! and a $25 Gift Card to Amazon or Paypal for one lucky reader! U.S. addresses only. Please use the Rafflecopter below to be entered:

a Rafflecopter giveaway


The winner will be chosen from those entries and announced November 15, 2013. Good luck!
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by Rafflecopter and announced here as well as e-mailed, and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Diane at That's What I'm Here For... and sponsored by the author, Pamela Christian. The author provided me with a free copy of Examine Your Faith! to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a giveaway in return for the free book.VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

Friday, October 25, 2013

On My Nightstand - Last Chance for Justice by Kathi Macias


A recently widowed woman, an attentive daughter, and a mystery combine into a story that will touch your heart. The relationship between Lynn Myers and her daughter, Rachel, reminded me so much of my mother and me.

Kathi got the details and emotions right. The grieving had me nodding my head and saying, "I remember feeling that way." She also accurately depicted the enormous stress of making life-altering decisions after the death of a spouse.

The two women go back to Lynn's hometown where she re-connects with her roots. Rachel meets two handsome men, who both want to pursue a future with her. In the midst of these scenarios, a mystery unfolds. They're intrigued, and it soon becomes a passion to right an old wrong.

This book is the first in a series by multiple authors, each one a stand-alone novel. I enjoyed it and recommend this book for those, who appreciate character-driven fiction with a light mystery.

Writers:  If you write fiction, do you gravitate toward character-driven or plot-driven stories?

Readers:  Which type do you prefer? Do you like stories where the characters and relationships are paramount or where the plot gets the focus?

Disclaimer:  The author provided this book for my honest review. I received no payment for this recommendation/review, and all opinions expressed are completely mine.



Monday, October 21, 2013

Patience - Part 2









Growing up in the city meant waiting for buses and trains. To guarantee myself a seat and ease the boredom, I'd often walk several blocks to another bus stop. We didn't have Kindles or Nooks back then, and carrying a library book added too much weight to my school bag.

All through life, we wait:

-  For our birthday
-  For a big holiday
-  For graduation
-  For our soulmate
-  For a book contract

Waiting doesn't have to be a passive activity. It took me eight years to get that elusive contract and agent. While I was in that season, I:

-  Blogged and built relationships with other writers
-  Joined Facebook and Twitter
-  Wrote a second book
-  Wrote, submitted, and received acceptances for non-fiction pieces
-  Learned all I could about the publishing business and writing
-  Went to workshops and met publishing professionals at conferences
-  And...prayed that God would open the right doors.

Did I get tired, discouraged, and want to quit? Yup. Did I? Nope. Preparing for the time when a contract became a reality kept me focused on the goal: getting my work before readers.

Writers:  What methods do you use to keep your eyes on the goal while still living in the present?

Readers:  How do you keep a balance between the present and the future?

Photo Credit:  Thoursis

Friday, October 18, 2013

Weekend Potpourri

This week, I came across a little bit of this and a little bit of that. Put it all together, and we have weekend potpourri.

1. Amanda Luedeke, from MacGregor Literary Agency, talks about all those tempting add-ons to your marketing efforts.

2. Edie Melson, of The Write Conversation, gives a list of no-no phrases when talking with a writer. Hilarious!

3. Positive Writer has some good advice on not sabotaging your writing.

4. Money Saving Mom had an excellent post on the comparison trap. This is one of my favorite money-saving blogs, but she also has thought-provoking articles like this one.

5.Susan, at Writing Straight From the Heart, gives us a peek at her stained glass collection. I love the one with the roses.

Writers:  What are some of the crazy questions/comments you've received from people?

Readers:  What are your favorite non-reading blogs? If possible, leave us the url, so we can check them out. :)

Photo Credit: saflora




Monday, October 14, 2013

Patience - Part I



Anyone familiar with the publishing business knows it has two speeds: slow and slower. It's a rare author, who experiences "instant" success. Whether you're pitching articles, non-fiction books, or novels, patience is the name of the game.

1. With articles and non-fiction books, the process often starts off with pitching an idea. A non-fiction book will require a proposal with three chapters. It's necessary to examine the guidelines of each publisher before submitting.

For the first-time novelist, the book must be complete. Again, check publisher guidelines and follow them down to the last detail.

2.  For books, many publishers now refuse un-agented writers. The exception to this rule is meeting an editor at a conference. They may request a partial or full proposal if they like your ideas. Otherwise, getting an agent is at the top of the priority list.

3.  Platform is critical to success in the pursuit of a contract. Whether you write non-fiction or fiction, a publisher wants to know you have meaningful connections. This could include a website, blog, extensive social media, speaking engagements, radio, and even TV exposure.

Writers/Authors:  What are some of the steps you're taking to make your publishing dreams come true?

Readers:  Do you enjoy reading about your favorite authors' writing journeys?  What aspect interests you the most?

Photo Credit:  mrsmas

Friday, October 11, 2013

Helping Hands Press Road Rally! Win a Free Kindle Paperwhite!

Want to Win a Free Kindle Paperwhite?

Hey Friends.  We're having a major fun time at HHP and we want to give away a kindle paperwhite to a lucky winner.

Read the instructions below. Then leave a comment, or message me on Facebook, Twitter, or Goodreads and I will send you the all important first word. Once you've gathered up the 14 words send the phrase into Helping Hands Press. 

You get points for leaving messages and comments on all the author blogs.

Susan's Facebook Author Page - "Like" her page
Susan's Twitter Link - Follow and Comment - @susanjreinhardt
Susan's Blog - You're here! Follow and receive points.
Goodreads - Follow

Don't forget to like and follow the page for updated information and links to the other author's sites to gather the rest of the phrase!


Road Rally! Ready for a contest! Who wants to have some fun and win a new Kindle Paperwhite?

Starting Weds Oct 2nd and continuing till Thursday Oct 24th the Helping Hands Press authors will be hosting a “Road Rally” contest.
What does that entail? What is the Grand Prize? How do you participate? 
Very simply!
Each week there will be two to three blogs of HHP authors to stop by on the journey to the Grand Prize- a Kindle Paperwhite..
Each author will have a word to give you as you stop by and leave a comment on their blog or message them on Twitter, Facebook, etc.
There will be 14 words in all to gather to complete one phrase.
Along the way there will be other prizes as adventurers on the Road Rally gather points as well as words for doing a variety of things. Each author stop along the Rally will have its own fun stuff to do, see and explore.
The author to start it all off is Linda Wood Rondeau on Oct 2nd.
Some of the other authors that are participating in the Road Rally are: Murray Pura, Mark Miller, Jen Cudmore, George Michael Loughmueller, Kathy Bruins, Susan J. Reinhardt, J. Smith, Roger Rheinheimer, Amber Schamel, Randall K. Harp, Marsha Hubler, Sarah Price…

Want to know the secret word for the day? Shh, don't tell anyone. It's, "age."

Next stop on the Contest Map:  Patti Smith  http://gridirongranyfootballfanatic.blogspot.com

Writers and Readers: Do you enjoy contests and giveaways on blogs/social media? What's the best prize you've ever won?

Monday, October 7, 2013

What Do Readers Want?



Authors are usually also avid readers. If we analyze what we like in a book and apply it to our writing, we'll produce something that will put our work at the top of readers' TBR piles.

As readers, we want the author to:

1)  Grab our attention. Is this story interesting? Do we want to see what happens next?

2)  Make us care. Are the characters people we'd want to know in real life? Do we relate to their dilemmas?

3)  Move the story along. Setting and backstory have their place, but action propels the story forward.

4)  Engage us in the process. This is especially important in the Mystery/Suspense genre. Get the wheels turning in the reader's head.

5)  Give us a satisfying ending. Even in a series book, the author can tie up one or more storylines, while leaving a cliffhanger for the next book. Please, dear author, don't push me off the cliff. I loved Gone With The Wind - until the end. I felt cheated and angry  that it left me dangling.

I know I'm fully engaged when I can't get the story out of my head even when I'm not actually reading it. The ultimate sign a story is good: When I'm concerned about the characters and catch myself praying for them. LOL!

Writers & Readers: What are the key elements to a great story for you as a reader?


Photo Credit:  svilen001

Friday, October 4, 2013

It's Off to Writing/Reading School We Go





1.  Edie Melson, of The Write Conversation tells us how writing is like going on a blind date. With a title like that, how can you resist reading the post? This is a fun, but useful, analogy for both writers and readers.

2.  Jen Cudmore gives tips on rhythm and pacing.

3.  Bryan Hutchinson, at Positive Writer, uses a movie to illustrate how to write an inspiring story.

Writers & Readers: Have you ever gone on a blind date? Please share some things you learned, and, if possible, compare it to the writing/reading experience. 

Photo Credit:  josterly