Monday Morning Gratitudes

A husband who's not afraid of housework, but is afraid of carrying my purse
Strong hands
gentle hearts
whispered words
imagination
late winter mud, because it means spring is coming
memories
budding novelists
writing groups
bloggers

Blessings!

Sunday Morning Peace

The Legend of the Valentine

The story of Saint Valentine
is a legend, it is true.
But legends are delightful
and very lovely too.

And the legend of Saint Valentine
imprisioned in a cell
Thinking of his little flock
he had always loved so well
And wanting to assure them
of his friendship and his love,
He picked a bunch of violets
and sent them by a dove.

And on th violets' velvet leaves
he pierced these line divine
That simply said, "I love you."
and "I'm your Valentine."
So through the years that followed
from that day unto this
Folks still send messages of love
and seal them with a kiss.

Because a saint in prison
reached outside his bars one day
And picked a bunch of violets
and sent them out to say,
That faith and love can triumph
no matter where you are,
For faith and love are greter
Than the strongest prison bar.
     --Helen Steiner Rice

Book Review of
When the Devil Whistles
by Rick Acker


Book description:

Allie Whitman, a temp-for-hire accountant and professional whistleblower, excels at finding and exposing corporations that over-charge on government contracts. Her lawyer and friend, Connor Norman, keeps her identity a secret while helping her rake in the money that finances Allie's opulent lifestyle.

But when she goes to work at a new corporation, the tables are suddenly turned. The corporation figures out that she's the whistleblower behind Devil to Pay. They threaten to expose her to all those corporations that hate her unless she takes down their competition--and that may mean planting false evidence. Then Allie's live-in rock-star boyfriend sells drugs to a teen at a concert, the teen dies, and Allie's worried she'll go to jail, too, if she turns her boyfriend in.

Allie's afraid to ask Connor for help since he glories in making criminals pay for their crimes. Does that mean her, too? There seems to be only one option that will keep her safe, but there's more at risk than even Allie knows.

My thoughts:

The more I read the better I liked it.

The prologue is tasty, and lures readers in to find out what happens.

I loved the characters. Although they face problems most of us will never realize, their faultiness and realistic reactions make them likeable. The reader can easily root for both of the main protagonists. Allie deals with hidden problems from her past and her present guilt, which leads to her drinking problem. As many people do, she lives for today, and never plans for the future. She appears to be a little callous in her approach to others, but behind those exterior emotions is a person who wants approval from her friend and co-worker, Norman, forgiveness from her mother, and a person who helps those in desperate need.

Norman, on the other hand, presents an entirely different personality. He’s confident, due to his wealth and status in life, good-looking, and rather judgmental. One mind-set toward those guilty or sinful. No thought that the platform he sits upon could be knocked over. But the love he feels for Allie and the way he tries to ignore it helps to make him more human. In spite of his subtle snobbishness, I also liked the way Rick portrayed Norman’s morals which were behind some heavy decisions he makes.

The plot is a winner. Besides the engaging, main part of a whistleblower, and learning as we read how it works, the suspense and romance are fascinating and kept me reading. The contrast between well-to-do lawyer and get-your-hands-dirty accountant is great. The way Rick brought in different viewpoints from the two protagonists and the secondary characters ties in nicely as the plot reveals itself.

Allie Whitman makes a very comfortable living as a professional whistleblower. She and her lawyer, Connor Norman partners with California's Deputy Attorney General on cases to recover millions of tax payer's dollars from corrupt companies. When Allie’s latest job turns into a nightmare, Allie has a choice. Face her own secrets being revealed or run.

Conner, on the other hand, has decisions of his own to make. Hold on to his morals or crumble under the pressure to rise in the legal field. Listen to his gut feeling about Allie, or satisfy a demanding boss.

Secondary characters (the crew of the Grasp II) believe they are looking for a sunken German submarine loaded with riches. But once they reach the excavation site, they realize how wrong they are. With their lives in danger and powerless to summon help or warn authorities of the impending disaster, they battle for the right in the only way they know. Allie and Conner make personal choices that change their lives forever that ultimately envelop them in the secondary characters’ lives.

When the Devil Whistles combines an entertaining story line, a bit of romance, and an international terrorist plot to create an interesting, page turning novel.

At the center of this story is the wonderful theme of choices. A great job was done of putting characters in tough situations and allowing them to make the right or wrong choice. This aspect of the book was executed with a grace and fluidity that kept the story moving while at the same time portrayed the difficulty of making the right choice, especially when it's hard.


Blessings, readers!

A Warm Welcome to Author Diane Craver


You'll want to leave your comment and email address for a chance to win a copy of Diane's book!

How long have you known that you were a writer? Did you receive a clear “call?” Or have you just loved writing all your life?

I’ve always enjoyed writing but when our oldest daughter Sara was a toddler, I started writing nonfiction. I wrote a partial manuscript, Born to Love, about her and how my faith became stronger as a result of having Sara. It was very therapeutic for me to examine my faith and to learn to give thanks to God for our situation of having a child with special needs. I never finished the book, but several articles about my faith journey were published in various Christian magazines. I also have had articles published in Woman’s Weekly and other publications. Later, I started writing fiction.

What is the genre you write in? Would you explain what it is?

I enjoy writing in several genres. They are: inspirational and contemporary romances, sweet chick-lit mystery, women’s fiction, young adult and historical.

How do you spend your writing days? Do you set goals to reach a certain number of words per day? Can you give us a general idea of how long it takes you to write a novel?

Once I have a publisher’s deadline for a particular book, I am very disciplined. I always finish the final editing on time. While writing a new book, I try to write so many pages a day, but I’m afraid that I don’t always meet my personal writing goals. We were blessed with two daughters with special needs plus I have a seasonal scoring job. I score the tests that students hate to take. LOL

I’m a slow writer. It takes me on the average seven to nine months to write a book from beginning to end, but I’m not writing daily. Although I consider my writing as a career, family and promoting my published books all take time away from my writing.

You recently had a book published. Would you take this time to describe it to us? How and where can readers buy your books?
Here’s the blurb for my recent release, A Christmas Gift:

Justin Reeves is a man who has it all: a good job, a loving wife and children who are the center of his universe - or so it seems. Justin also has a secret he's hidden from everyone his entire life. Quite innocently his small daughter, Debby, stumbles upon his secret and is shocked by what she finds. She confronts her father with the awful truth, and together they embark upon a journey which takes her father from the darkness of shame into the light of victory.

Drawing from true events in her own childhood, author Diane Craver captivates the reader from page one to a stunning climax which will touch your heart and impact your life forever in this must-read story of love's triumph over adversity.

My books are available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, my publishers’ websites, and many other places online. By the way, A Christmas Gift is available in paperback and in ebook formats.

What is the spiritual message in your book? What can readers expect to get from reading it?

The spiritual message in A Christmas Gift is all about having enough faith to overcome obstacles at any age. Also another important message is how one prayer can start a whole chain of events that will solve problems for several people. Readers can expect to find an unforgettable story that will touch their hearts because of the closeness and family values the Reeves parents and children share. A Christmas Gift is not just for Christmas time but is a book to be enjoyed all year long.

Do you ever feel like giving up? Most people don’t understand the stress, the work, and the joy of being a writer. How tenuous becoming a writer is. Do you care to share how it feels, what discouraging/encouraging times you’ve gone through?

I have often felt like giving up on writing, but whenever that happens, I might receive a fantastic review from a reader or book reviewer, so that to me is confirmation from God that I need to continue. Sometimes I feel like quitting because writing is so time-consuming and rejections seem to be part of the business. Even after you have several published books, rejections still occur.

Would you explain how you “chose” (or were chosen by) a publisher? Do you just go “inny, minny, miny, moe?” Now, that you’re published, can you sit back and relax from the success you’ve experienced?

I carefully read the publisher’s submission guidelines and also check to see what they publish. Sometimes I ask my author friends what they think of their publishers if I think theirs might be a good fit for what I write. Also if I don’t like their book covers, I might not submit to them. Of course, writing the best book possible is the most important thing, but an eye-catching book cover does help sell the book too.

I thought once I had a book published, it would get easier but it hasn’t. Publishers don’t have the resources to spend a lot of money to promote each author’s books…so I need to spend time doing interviews, blog articles, book signings, contest giveaways, and just doing anything that will get my name out to readers. Apparently, a reader has to see an author’s name seven times before recognizing it.

Do you mind telling us some of your likes and dislikes? Hobbies, interests? Where would you like to travel if you could?

I enjoy spending time with my awesome husband and six children. Some of my interests are: reading, going to movies, swimming, bicycling, watching college football (big Ohio State Buckeye fan), and walking on trails.
My favorite vacation is going to the beach but I don’t get to go often enough. If we ever leave Ohio, my first choice would be to live close to the ocean. I’ve always wanted to go to Hawaii for a vacation. The problem is my husband doesn’t want to fly there, but I’m still trying to convince him that we should go. We are hoping to travel out west this summer.

Would you give us your blog or webpage so everyone can check it out? Anything else you’d like to share? Promotional information?
My blog is http://www.dianecraver.com/blog and my website is http://www.dianecraver.com/ To read book excerpts and other writing information, please visit my website and blog. If you leave comments on my blog, you’ll be entered to win my frequent giveaways.

Thank you so much, Carole, for hosting me on your lovely blog
And I wish you much success, Diane, on your writing journey
Blessings, readers. Don't forget your comments and email addressess.

A Christmas Gift by Diane Craver

Justin Reeves is a man who has it all: a good job, a loving wife and children who are the center of his universe - or so it seems. Justin also has a secret he's hidden from everyone his entire life or so he thought. Quite innocently his small daughter, Debby, stumbles upon his secret and is shocked by what she finds. She confronts her father with the awful truth, and together they embark upon a journey which takes her father from the darkness of shame into the light of victory.

Drawing from true events in her own childhood, author Diane Craver captivates the reader from page one to a stunning climax which will touch your heart and impact your life forever in this must-read story of love's triumph over adversity

My take:

What a stunning book that grabs the reader's heart and attention. A precious child learns her father's secret and sets out to make things right and getting into trouble. A centuries-old theme, but Diane manages to give her story a twist that is heart-warming!

 

This is a family book that everyone can enjoy during quiet time, devotions or in the car traveling with children. I recommend it highly.

 

Blessings!