A Visit with Tamera Kraft, Author of

I'm tickled to welcome my friend, Tamera Kraft on Sunnybank Secrets. But it's certainly not a secret that this book looks and sounds like a another enjoyable one from her! 


Do You Have Hope? By Tamera Lynn Kraft

We all hope for things. If our flowers need watering, we hope it will rain. If we have a picnic scheduled, we hope it will be sunny. We all hope life will be easy. Hope in the Bible is different than this kind of hope of wishing something would happen or wanting something.

What is Hope?

In the New Testament, the word hope is translated from the word elpizo. Elpizo means confidently trusting in and waiting for something or someone. The book of Hebrews calls it an anchor for our souls.

Hebrews 16:19-20 (NIV) We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf…

What is Our Hope Built On?

The old hymn says “Our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.” That pretty much sums it up. Our hope is built on the fact that Jesus Christ, the Son of God came to Earth to die on the cross for our sins, to rise from the grave in victory, and to ascend to Heaven. We also confidently hope that He is one day coming again.

Romans 5:2 (ESV) Through him, we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Hope in Christ Brings Peace and Joy

When our hope is in Christ instead of in our circumstances, that kind of confident expectation bring us a peace the world can’t understand and a joy that doesn’t depend on everything happening exactly right. We can rely upon Christ to work things out for our good. That relieves us of the pressure to fix things we can’t fix.

Romans 15:13 (ESV) May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

In my soon to be released novella, Resurrection of Hope, Vivian visits a friend named Hope who has just lost a child and was told she couldn’t have children. Here’s a short excerpt from that scene.

Vivian swallowed. "I… I don't know what to say. I expected to find you distraught after what happened, but you seem to be… almost cheerful."

Hope's eyes closed and her head tilted back into the pillow. "I have my moments. Trust me." She opened her eyes and smiled. "I keep my hope in Jesus Christ, and He gives me the peace I need to get through this."

Vivian held back a snort. "How can you of all people talk of hope knowing you'll never have any children?"

Hope pressed her lips together as she propped herself up on her pillow. "If my hope rested on having children, then you're right. There would be no reason, but my hope is the kind they talk about in Psalms. 'But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you.'"

Book Blurb:

Resurrection of Hope

She thought he was her knight in shining armor, but will a marriage of convenience prove her wrong?

After Vivian’s fiancé dies in the Great War, she thinks her life is over. But Henry, her fiancé’s best friend, comes to the rescue offering a marriage of convenience. He claims he promised his friend he would take care of her. She grows to love him, but she knows it will never work because he never shows any love for her.

Henry adores Vivian and has pledged to take care of her, but he won’t risk their friendship by letting her know. She’s still in love with the man who died in the Great War. He won’t risk heartache by revealing his true emotions.




Available at Desert Breeze on July 11: http://www.desertbreezepublishing.com/resurrection-of-hope-epub/

It will also be available at these stores shortly after the release date:
· Amazon
· Barnes & Noble
· Christianbook.com
· Sony
· Kobo
· iTunes
· All Romance eBooks
· Koorong.com (Australia)

Bio:
Tamera Lynn Kraft has always loved adventures. She loves to write historical fiction set in the United States because there are so many stories in American history. There are strong elements of faith, romance, suspense and adventure in her stories. She has received 2nd place in the NOCW contest, 3rd place TARA writer’s contest, and is a finalist in the Frasier Writing Contest and has other novellas in print.

She’s been married for 37 years to the love of her life, Rick, and has two married adult children and two grandchildren.

Tamera has been a children’s pastor for over 20 years. She is the leader of a ministry called Revival Fire For Kids where she mentors other children’s leaders, teaches workshops, and is a children’s ministry consultant and children’s evangelist and has written children’s church curriculum. She is a recipient of the 2007 National Children’s Leaders Association Shepherd’s Cup for lifetime achievement in children’s ministry.

You can contact Tamera on her website at http://tameralynnkraft.net

You can contact Tamera online at these sites.
Website: http://tameralynnkraft.net
Word Sharpeners Blog: http://tameralynnkraft.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/tameralynnkraft
Twitter: http://twitter.com/tamerakraft



Thanks so much for joining me today, Tamera! 
Readers, be sure to check out her book as soon as it releases. 

Blessings to all!

Twelve Favorite Things I Love About Christmas by Tamera L Kraft

A Warm Welcome to a Favorite Author and good friend! 

1.  Christmas is my favorite time of year. I love it so much that I tend to drive my family crazy with all of my Holiday Cheer. Here are my 12 favorite things I absolutely LOVE about Christmas.

2.  The Nativity Story: Christ, who is fully God, was born to a humble family in a lowly stable - the true meaning of Christmas. He came to Earth to die for us, for our sins. I sometimes think about how awestruck Mary must have been holding the Son of God in her arms and knowing He would become her savior.

3.  The Celebration: Christmas isn't just another holiday without significance. It celebrates the birth of Christ. I know He wasn't born on Christmas, but until we know for certain which day He was born, that's a good day to celebrate.

4.  Children's Christmas Program: I love children's Christmas programs. When I was a children's pastor for 20 years, this was the highlight of my Christmas. My favorite program was "Santa Bowed at Christmas". My daughter had a starring role, and my husband was Santa. Earlier that year, he had given his heart to Jesus. In the play, at the end, Santa gets saved and bows at the Nativity manger. That year, there was not a dry eye in the church. My pastor called my daughter forward and talked about how she always asked him to pray for her daddy's salvation. The pastor pointed to Rick. "This year, her daddy got saved."

5.  This year, I'm excited because my church's children's pastor asked me to be in charge of the Christmas Program. I'm doing a happy dance here.

6.  Christmas Trees: I love Christmas trees. My husband occasionally asks me if I would like to downsize to a smaller tree, and I always give him that look. My tree is 6 1/2 foot tall and has ornaments I've collected over the years. Each ornament reminds me of a different season of my life and of past Christmases.

7.  Christmas Music: I love Christmas music. For the sake of everyone around me, I limit myself to playing it between Thanksgiving and Christmas, but I make good use of that time. I like all kinds of Christmas music including Christmas classics like White Christmas sung by Bing Crosby and Silent Night sung by Frank Sinatra, modern Christian songs like Mary Did You Know, fun songs like Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer and I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas, and different types of renditions like what is done by the Tran-Siberian Orchestra. I love them all.

8.  Presents: No gift cards for me. I love presents I can wrap and place under the tree. I can barely wait to watch my friends and family tear into the wrapping paper and react to what I got them. The presents don't have to be expensive, but they do express the personality and wants of the recipient. I also love to get presents. My favorite part is not knowing what's under the wrappings. My husband knows I'm impatient and likes to torment me by putting wrapped gifts under the tree.

9.  Christmas Eve Candlelight Service: I love Christmas Eve services. It disappoints me that many churches have discontinued this. I'm blessed that the church I'm attending is still having them.

10.  Christmas Movies: Every year, I get to get out my favorite classic Christmas movies and watch them all over again. Occasionally I'll add a new favorite, but the classics are the best. My favorite Christmas movie is It's a Wonderful Life. I still get goosebumps when I watch it.

11.  Decorations: I love Christmas decorations. Red is my favorite color, and this time of year, it is everywhere.

12.  Saying Merry Christmas: I don't care how people greet me. Sometimes their just following orders. But I love to say, "Merry Christmas". I find most clerks who had offered a timid "Happy Holidays" grin and wish me a "Merry Christmas" back. Because I wish them one first, they now have permission to do the same.


And Tamera's bonus loves! 
Christmas Dinner: No shortcuts for me. My husband and I love to make everything from scratch and have
a feast with our family. First on the menu is Roast Beast (roast beef). Then the list goes on: mashed potatoes and gravy or Duchess potatoes, Grandma's Jell-O salad, noodles, asparagus, sweet potatoes, and other goodies. A chocolate birthday cake and homemade pie top off the meal.

I also love to get out my grandmother's china and Christmas tablecloth and set a beautiful table for Christmas.

Christmas Cards: I love Christmas cards. Unfortunately not as many send them anymore. A generic greeting on FaceBook has replaced them. But I love having friends and family I don't get to see very often send me a card to let me know they're thinking of me. And I love to send them out.

Bio:
Tamera Lynn Kraft has always loved adventures and writes Christian historical fiction set in America because there are so many adventures in American history.

She is married to the love of her life, has two grown children, and lives in Akron, Ohio.

Soldier’s Heart and A Christmas Promise are two of her historical novellas that have been published. She has received 2nd place in the NOCW contest, 3rd place TARA writer’s contest, and is a finalist in the Frasier Writing Contest. Her third novella, A Resurrection of Hope, will be released in March.



A Christmas Promise

A Moravian Holiday Story, Circa 1773

During colonial times, John and Anna settle in an Ohio village to become Moravian missionaries to the Lenape. When John is called away to help at another settlement two days before Christmas, he promises
he’ll be back by Christmas Day.

When he doesn’t show up, Anna works hard to not fear the worst while she provides her children with a traditional Moravian Christmas.

Through it all, she discovers a Christmas promise that will give her the peace she craves.

"Revel in the spirit of a Colonial Christmas with this achingly tender love story that will warm both your heart and your faith. With rich historical detail and characters who live and breathe on the page, Tamera Lynn Kraft has penned a haunting tale of Moravian missionaries who selflessly bring the promise of Christ to the Lenape Indians. A beautiful way to set your season aglow, A Christmas Promise is truly a promise kept for a heartwarming holiday tale." -- Julie Lessman

Available at these online stores:

· Amazon
· Barnes and Noble
· ChristianBooks.com



Wonderful loves, Tamera, and so many of my own! We truly must be sisters! :) 

Blessings for a wonderful Christmas.  
Merry Christmas, my friends!

My Five Favorite Things About Autumn by Tamera L. Kraft

Tickled that one of my favorite people (and not just during the Autumn season) is visiting today. Read on to find out what's on her list!

Autumn is one of my favorite times of year. Here are 5 reasons I love autumn.

1. Sweaters: I love to wear sweaters, and in Autumn I can get them out of storage.



2. Leaves: Who doesn't love when the leaves change colors? This is a picture from my land in Tennessee
with the autumn leaves changing.

3. Fall Back: I love getting the extra hour of sleep I missed when we sprang forward for Daylight Savings Time.

4. Décor: The colors for fall are so warm and bright. I love to decorate my house for autumn. Here's a flower arrangement I made.











5. Thanksgiving: Autumn means Thanksgiving is coming. I love to have everyone for Thanksgiving and cook a feast from scratch. I'm a pretty good cook. And I love to get out my pretty dishes and set the table for Thanksgiving Dinner. Here's my table from last year.




Honorable Mentions: I also love Autumn bonfires, hayrides, and corn mazes.




Bio: 

Tamera Lynn Kraft has always loved adventures and writes Christian historical fiction set in America because there are so many adventures in American history. She is married to the love of her life, has two grown children, and lives in Akron, Ohio. Soldier’s Heart and A Christmas Promise are two of her historical novellas that have been published. She has received 2nd place in the NOCW contest, 3rd place TARA writer’s contest, and is a finalist in the Frasier Writing Contest.

Tamera is the leader of a ministry called Revival Fire For Kids where she mentors other children’s leaders, teaches workshops, and is a children’s ministry consultant and children’s evangelist. She has curriculum published and is a recipient of the 2007 National Children’s Leaders Association Shepherd’s Cup for lifetime achievement in children’s ministry.





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Soldier's Heart:
Noah Andrews, a soldier with the Ohio Seventh Regiment can’t wait to get home now that his three year
enlistment is coming to an end. He plans to start a new life with his young wife.

Molly was only sixteen when she married her hero husband. She prayed every day for him to return home safe and take over the burden of running a farm.

But they can’t keep the war from following Noah home. Can they build a life together when his soldier’s heart comes between them?

Available on Amazon in paperback and eBook.



Has Tamera listed anything you haven't thought about that you enjoy about Autumn? 
Blessings!

The Twelve Classic Movies Series from Tamera Kraft

It's great to welcome my dear friend Tamera Kraft back to my blog. Today she's participating in the Twelve Series of Christmas. Be sure to check out her book and links. Here's her list:


12 Classic Movies of Christmas

I love Christmas movies, but some of the sappy stuff on Hallmark is… well, it’s so badly written and acted that even I, the guru of Christmas, can’t bear to watch it. Thank God for Netflix and Turner Classic Movies where I can watch all the great classics. Here are my 12 favorite classic Christmas movies.

12. An American Christmas Carol
Released 1979
Director: Eric Till
Starring Henry Winkler and Dorian Harewood
This retelling of A Christmas Carol set in America’s depression era is really good.


11. Remember the Night
Released 1940
Directed by Mitchell Leisen
Starring Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwick
A prosecuting attorney asks for a pretty thief to be let out on bail for Christmas. When the thief is placed in his custody, interesting things occur.

10. The Homecoming: A Christmas Story
Released 1971
Directed by Fielder Cook
Starring Patricia Neil and Richard Thomas
This movie became the pilot of the TV series, The Waltons, and tells of a family during the depression. I remember first watching it when I was around twelve. I wanted to be a writer like John Boy, so I related to him.

9. Santa Claus, The Movie
Released 1985
Director: Jeannot Szwork
Starring David Huddleston and Dudley Moore
The best film that tells the story of Santa Claus.

8. A Christmas Carol
Released 1951
Director: Brian Desmond Hurst
Starring Alastair Sims, Jack Warner, and Kathleen Harrison
There are a couple of newer ones I really like, but when it comes to classic renditions of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, this one is the best.

7. 3 Godfathers
Released 1948
Director: John Ford
Starring John Wayne
A Christmas western where three outlaws must get a baby safely to the cow town of Bethlehem while running from a posse. This is my personal favorite John Wayne movie. One reason I like it so much is because I watched it when I came home with my first child. John Wayne was learning to take care of an infant while I was learning to take care of my son.

6. Home Alone
Released 1990
Director: Chris Columbus
Starring Macauley Culkin
First of many movies about a boy accidentally left home alone at Christmas time. I usually don’t consider movies made in 1990 classics, but this one has become a Christmas classic.

5. White Christmas
Released 1954
Director: Micheal Curtiz
Starring Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye
Best Christmas musical ever made with great singing and dancing features the song, “White Christmas”.

4. A Charlie Brown Christmas
Released 1965
Created by Charles M. Shultz
Animated
This animated classic helps Charlie Brown learn the true meaning of Christmas. The best part is where Linus tells the Christmas story word for word from the Bible and ends with “That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.”

3. Miracle on 34th Street
Released 1947
Directed by George Seaton
Starring Maureen O’Hara, John Payne, Edmund Gween, and a very young Natalie Wood
This is the best movie made about believing in Santa Clause. It also featured the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

2. A Holiday Affair
Released 1949
Directed by Don Hartman
Starring Janet Leigh and Robert Mitchum
This is the best Christmas love story ever filmed. It’s sad more people don’t know about it.

1. It’s a Wonderful Life
Released 1946
Directed by Frank Capra
Starring James Stewart and Donna Reed
This touching story of an ordinary man who sacrifices his own ambitions for others is my all time favorite Christmas movie.


Bio: 
Tamera Lynn Kraft has always loved adventures and writes Christian historical fiction set in America because there are so many adventures in American history. She is married to the love of her life, has two grown children, and lives in Akron, Ohio. Soldier’s Heart and A Christmas Promise are two of her historical novellas that have been published.

Tamera is the leader of a ministry called Revival Fire For Kids where she mentors other children’s leaders, teaches workshops, and is a children’s ministry consultant and children’s evangelist. She has curriculum published and is a recipient of the 2007 National Children’s Leaders Association Shepherd’s Cup for lifetime achievement in children’s ministry.

You can contact Tamera online at these sites.
Word Sharpeners Blog: http://tameralynnkraft.com
Revival Fire For Kids Blog: http://revivalfire4kids.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TameraLynnKraft
Twitter: https://twitter.com/tamerakraft

A Christmas Promise

By Tamera Lynn Kraft

A Moravian Holiday Story, Circa 1773

During colonial times, John and Anna settle in an Ohio village to become Moravian missionaries to the Lenape. When John is called away to help at another settlement two days before Christmas, he promises he’ll be back by Christmas Day. 

When he doesn’t show up, Anna works hard to not fear the worst while she provides her children with a traditional Moravian Christmas. 

Through it all, she discovers a Christmas promise that will give her the peace she craves.

Available at these online stores:

Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GM59GN4/ref=rdr_kindle_ext_tmb

Pelican Book Group
http://pelicanbookgroup.com/ec/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=37_47&products_id=512

Christian Books.com http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=48711EB&item_code=WW&netp_id=1206746&event=ESRCG&view=details




Blessings!

The First American Missionaries: Guest Post by Tamera Kraft

It's my pleasure to welcome Tamera Kraft to my blog today. She's talking a little about Moravian Missionaries, the background of her Christmas novel. Read on . . .

Most people don’t know about some of the first American missionaries, the Moravians. I wrote a Christmas novella about Moravian Missionaries in the 1770s called A Christmas Promise. Their dedication to spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the 1700s amazed me. The Moravian Church was started in Bohemia in the 14oos and suffered great persecution for the first 300 years of its existence.

In the 1700s, the Moravian Church experienced a renewal that led to evangelism all over the world. The renewal started when Count Zinzendorf started a village for refuges from the struggling church in Hernhutt, Germany. The members of the church started praying 24 hours a day in a prayer meeting that would last for over 100 years. 30 more villages were established, and missionaries were sent out all over the world, including North America. This was the first large scale missionary movement by a Protestant church.

The Moravians’ battle cry was “May the Lamb receive the reward of His suffering.” Two missionaries sold themselves as slaves to become missionaries to the slaves on the island of Saint Thomas. Some missionaries settled in Georgia, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania to preach the Gospel to Native Americans.

A group of missionaries in Pennsylvania moved to Ohio and set up two villages, Schoenbrunn and Gnadenhutton, to preach the Lenape Indians. They printed the Bible in the Lenape language, and many Lenape, also known as Delaware, joined the villages. These were the first “white” settlements in Ohio.
Moravians brought something else to America besides their missionary zeal. They loved to celebrate Christmas, and many of our Christmas traditions come from the Moravians. My Christmas novella, A Christmas Promise, is about a married couple who lives in Schoenbrunn in 1773.

A Christmas Promise

By Tamera Lynn Kraft

A Moravian Holiday Story, Circa 1773
During colonial times, John and Anna settle in an Ohio village to become Moravian missionaries to the Lenape. When John is called away to help at another settlement two days before Christmas, he promises he’ll be back by Christmas Day.

When he doesn’t show up, Anna works hard to not fear the worst while she provides her children with a traditional Moravian Christmas.

Through it all, she discovers a Christmas promise that will give her the peace she craves.



You can find "A Christmas Promise" at the following stores:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Christianbook.com


Bio:

TAMERA LYNN KRAFT has always loved adventures and writes Christian historical fiction set in America because there are so many adventures in American history. She is married to the love of her life, has two grown children, and lives in Akron, Ohio.

Tamera is the leader of a ministry called Revival Fire For Kids where she mentors other children’s leaders, teaches workshops, and is a children’s ministry consultant and children’s evangelist. She has curriculum published and is a recipient of the 2007 National Children’s Leaders Association Shepherd’s Cup for lifetime achievement in children’s ministry.

You can contact Tamera online at these sites.
Website: http://tameralynnkraft.net
Word Sharpeners Blog: http://tameralynnkraft.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/tameralynnkraft
Twitter: @tamerakraft


Thanks, Tamera, for stopping by. Interesting article!

The Legend of Santa Claus . . . Blog Tour for Tamera Lynn Kraft

The Legend of Santa Claus
By Tamera Lynn Kraft

Santa Claus is a legend loved by millions of children throughout the centuries. While the story of Santa
Claus is a myth told to illustrate the spirit of giving at Christmastime, there was a real man named Saint Nicholas.

Nicholas was born in the third century in the village of Patara. When he was born, Patara was a part of Greece. Now it’s located in Turkey. His parents were rich and raised him to be a Christian, but they died when he was young.

He used up his inheritance caring for the needy, the sick, and the suffering. When he was a little still a young man, he was appointed as bishop of Myra and became well known for his generosity to the needy, his love of children, and his care for sailors.

One story tells about three dowerless girls. In that time, girls whose fathers were too poor to provide dowries often had to be sold into slavery. On these three occasions, a bag of gold appeared in their home providing enough for the dowries. People suspected Saint Nicholas of leaving the gifts. The bags of gold, tossed through an open window, are said to have landed in stockings or shoes left before the fire to dry. This led to the custom of children hanging stockings or putting out shoes, eagerly awaiting gifts from Saint Nicholas.

The Roman Emperor, Diocletian, persecuted the church. Nicholas was exiled and imprisoned in a prison that was so full of Christians, it didn’t have room for criminals. Eventually he was released and returned to Myra and attended the council of Nicaea in 625.

Nicholas died on December 6, 643. A substance grew on his grave called manna that was reported to heal people. Since then, December 6 has been known as Saint Nicholas Day.

About her book:

A Christmas Promise

By Tamera Lynn Kraft

A Moravian Holiday Story, Circa 1773

During colonial times, John and Anna settle in an Ohio village to become Moravian missionaries to the Lenape. When John is called away to help at another settlement two days before Christmas, he promises he’ll be back by Christmas Day.

When he doesn’t show up, Anna works hard to not fear the worst while she provides her children with a traditional Moravian Christmas.

Through it all, she discovers a Christmas promise that will give her the peace she craves.

Available at these online stores:

AMAZON:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GM59GN4/ref=rdr_kindle_ext_tmb

PELICAN BOOK GROUP:

http://pelicanbookgroup.com/ec/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=37_47&products_id=512

CHRISTIANBOOK:

http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=48711EB&item_code=WW&netp_id=1206746&event=ESRCG&view=details

Bio:

TAMERA LYNN KRAFT has always loved adventures and writes Christian historical fiction set in America because there are so many adventures in American history. She is married to the love of her life, has two grown children, and lives in Akron, Ohio.

Tamera is the leader of a ministry called Revival Fire For Kids where she mentors other children’s leaders, teaches workshops, and is a children’s ministry consultant and children’s evangelist. She has curriculum published and is a recipient of the 2007 National Children’s Leaders Association Shepherd’s Cup for lifetime achievement in children’s ministry.

You can contact Tamera online at these sites:

Word Sharpeners Blog: http://tameralynnkraft.com

Website: http://tameralynnkraft.net

Facebook: http://facebook.com/tameralynnkraft

Twitter: http://twitter.com/tamerakraft

Welcome Tamera Kraft, Our Guest Blogger Today!

It's my pleasure to welcome my dear friend, Tamera Kraft today! Please make sure to check out her debut novel: Soldier's Heart. She will be giving away one digital copy of her book so be sure to comment and leave your email address!

Now on to her post:



Our Thought Life

In my Civil War novella, Soldier’s Heart, Noah Andrews returns home but struggles with the residual after effects of the war. While most of us will never go through an experience as horrific as war, everyone goes through hard times. We, like Noah, need to learn to take control of our thoughts if we want to overcome those tragedies.

2 Corinthians 10:5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
Noah used scripture to help himself. There are many times I’ve had to do the same. That can be challenging, but here are a few scriptures we can meditate when going through difficult times. All verses are NKJV unless otherwise stated.

Grief: If we live long enough, we’ll all lose someone we love to death. But we can remember that death is not the end for a Christian. We will see our loved ones again.

John 14:1-4 Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know.”

1 Corinthians 15:54-55 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written:Death is swallowed up in victory. O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?

John 11:25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.

Offense: Offense comes to everyone, sometimes because people intend to offend us and sometimes by mistake. But we can’t dwell on that offense. We need to learn to forgive and give the offense to God.

Proverbs 19:11(NIV) A person’s wisdom yields patience;it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.

Matthew 6:14:15 For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Tragedy and Trials: Tragedies come in life. Bad things sometimes happen to good people, but here’s some promises we can hold onto in the midst of tragedy.

Psalm 147:3 He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

Isaiah 43:1-2 Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine.  When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you.

Depression: Some people deal with medical depression and need medical treatment and counseling. But everyone goes through periods of depression and discouragement. Here’s some verses to remember during those times.

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.

1 Peter 5:7 Cast all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.


Back Cover Blurb:

After returning home from the Civil War, will his soldier’s heart come between them?

Noah Andrews, a soldier with the Ohio Seventh Regiment can’t wait to get home now that his three year enlistment is coming to an end. He plans to start a new life with his young wife. Molly was only sixteen when she married her hero husband. She prayed every day for him to return home safe and take over the burden of running a farm.

But they can’t keep the war from following Noah home. Can they build a life together when his soldier’s heart comes between them?

Soldier’s Heart is available in e-book from Amazon Kindle, Kobo Reader, and Barnes & Noble Nook. It will also be available in paperback in a couple of months.

To Buy her book, go here:
Amazon


Bio:
Tamera Lynn Kraft has always loved adventures. She loves to write historical fiction because there are so many stories in history. Tamera has recently celebrated her thirty-fourth anniversary with her loving husband. She has two grown and married children and two grandchildren.

Tamera has been a children’s pastor for over 20 years. She is the leader of a ministry called Revival Fire For Kids where she mentors other children’s leaders, teaches workshops, and is a children’s ministry consultant and children’s evangelist. She is also a writer and has curriculum published including Kid Konnection 5: Kids Entering the Presence of God published by Pathway Press. She is a recipient of the 2007 National Children’s Leaders Association Shepherd’s Cup for lifetime achievement in children’s ministry.


You can contact Tamera online at these sites.
Website: http://tameralynnkraft.net

Word Sharpeners Blog: http://tameralynnkraft.com

Revival Fire For Kids Blog: http://revivalfire4kids.com

Adventures in American History: http://tameralynnkraft.blogspot.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TameraLynnKraft

Twitter: https://twitter.com/tamerakraft



For a chance to win her book, please leave a comment and email address.
Blessings!

Don't Give Up by Guest Blogger Tamera Kraft

Tamera and I have something in common; we don't give up. I posted on her blog recently (http://tameralynnkraft.com/CaroleBrown-Never,NeverGiveUp) about never giving up and receiving my first book contract for The Redemption of Caralynne Hayman. NOW she is seeing the results for never giving up. Hurray, Tamera!

Read on to hear a little about her writing journey:

Don’t Give Up!
“Never give in, never give in, never; never; never; never – in nothing, great or small, large or petty – never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense.” Winston Churchill

Winston Churchill gave this speech at a college graduation. It was his entire speech. He knew what he was talking about. During World War II, the German Blitzkrieg on London was having a devastating effect. Great Britain, the last hope of Europe, was losing the war. That’s when Churchill gave another speech that inspired his nation.

“... we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.” Winston Churchill

Any writer who becomes successful has to have a similar motto. In fact, any person who has a dream or vision worth fighting for can never give up. Many times, it is not the best writers who become well known authors but the most persistent. I know a little about that.

I have always wanted to be a writer, but I started pursuing it in earnest six years ago. My first step was to write a full novel. Some of you are involved in that process and are ready to throw your book through the window. Keep writing, and you’ll finish it.

After I wrote my novel, I found out I didn’t know that much about writing. I thought I did, but as I submitted my work to agents and critique partners, they gently, and sometimes not so gently, showed me what I was doing wrong. I read books, studied other authors, attended conferences, and edited my novel using the knowledge I’d learned.

I still didn’t find a home for it. It was a western with very little romance. I found out that some genres are almost impossible to sell. At this point, I could have thrown my hands in the air and called it quits. But I didn’t.

Instead, I wrote other novels and novellas. I started a series of three novels set around the Civil War about women who graduated college at a time when most women didn’t finish school. I’ve finished two of them – still working on the third.

After I wrote the first of this series, I began looking for an agent. I think I may hold the record for rejections, but the rejections were getting better. Instead of standard “no thank-you” form letters, agents were sending me suggestions. Then came the rejections that said my writing was great, but they weren’t interested for various reasons. One agent rejected my novel because she hurt her back reaching for a sweater while reading my submission and, after being in traction for weeks, couldn’t take any more clients.

Finally, an agent asked for a full read. I was so excited. We went back and forth during that time while he tried to decide whether to represent me. It seemed to take forever. It always does. This is where the story gets interesting. Another agent contacted me. I’d never submitted the novel to her, but an agent I did submit to left the agency. The proposal ended up on her desk a year later, and she wanted a full read. After I sent it, she offered representation within a few days. Linda Glaz from Hartline has been my agent ever since, and I couldn’t ask for a better one.

You might think this would be the end of my struggle, but it wasn’t. Linda’s had a hard time placing my Civil War series. So I decided to write some other things while I was waiting. I wrote a Christmas novella about the Moravians in Ohio during the 1770s. I’m also in the process of writing a post-World War II spy romance with another author. I kept writing, and I didn’t give up.

I heard about Murray Pura’s Cry of Freedom Civil War Anthology, and I was intrigued. With all the research I’ve done about the Ohio Seventh Regiment for my second Civil War era novel, I decided to write a Civil War novella. Murray Pura contacted me about it recently and liked the premise. I now have a contract with Helping Hands Press. My novella will be released in e-book format on November 1^st.

This is my first contract, and I still have two full reads out for other novels. I know this is only the beginning. But only because I Never Gave Up!

ABOUT: Soldier’s Heart: A Civil War Novella from the Cry of Freedom Anthology

To Be Released November 1, 2013
After returning home from the Civil War, will his soldier’s heart come between them!

Noah Andrew, a soldier with the Ohio Seventh Regiment can’t wait to get home now that his three year enlistment is coming to an end. He plans to start a new life with his young wife. Molly was only sixteen when she married her hero husband. She prayed every day for him to return home safe and take over the burden of running a farm.

But they can’t keep the war from following Noah home. Can they build a life together when his soldier’s heart comes between them?

Bio:
Tamera Lynn Kraft has always loved adventures. She loves to write historical fiction because there are so many stories in history. Her first novella is set to be released November 1, 2013.

Tamera has recently celebrated her thirty-fourth anniversary with her loving husband. She has two grown and married children and four grandchildren.

Tamera has been a children’s pastor for over 20 years. She is the leader of a ministry called Revival Fire For Kids where she mentors other children’s leaders, teaches workshops, and is a children’s ministry consultant and children’s evangelist. She is also a writer and has curriculum published including Kid Konnection 5: Kids Entering the Presence of God published by Pathway Press. She is a recipient of the 2007 National Children’s Leaders Association Shepherd’s Cup for lifetime achievement in children’s ministry.

Connect with Tamera here:

Word Sharpeners Blog
www.tameralynnkraft.com

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/tamera.kraft

Twitter
@tamerakraft



Thank you, Tamera, for visiting my blog! May God bless your continued writing journey.

Blessings!