Contest Details for:
Caleb's Destiny
a Historical Western Romantic Suspense
To win a Kindle copy:
1. Answer this question in the comments below:
What traits do you like to see in a man?
2. Make sure you leave your email address
so you can be notified if you win.
That's it!
I will post the winner's name on
Wednesday, July 8, 2020.
*********************
Our guest today is Alexis Goring.
She's talking about her devotion book:
Stories and Songs of Faith
And...
a bit about herself as a writer and author.
Read on,
and be sure to check out the link to buy her book!
Book Blurb:
Stories and Songs of Faith: My Journey with God is a 52-week devotional that will bless your heart, soothe your soul, encourage your mind, and strengthen your God-given spirit.
Join author Alexis A. Goring on an inspirational journey. Each devotional builds from real-life experiences that impart many faith lessons learned along the way.
Each day is built on the foundation of a Bible verse or edifying quote, followed by Goring's personal story and reflection questions for a personalized experience.
All of the devotionals are tied to a song in order to go a little deeper into the heart of the message. A song directory at the end of the book connects the reader with music online to further enhance the study experience and glorify God.
Spend a year on a journey growing closer to the Lord through Stories and Songs of Faith, and discover personal transformation as time with Jesus Christ changes your heart to look a little more like His.
Let's talk about you and your book, Alexis!
Carole: Is there a story behind your devotional book, Stories and Songs of Faith: My Journey with God?
Alexis: Yes! A testimony, really … I’ve been writing devotionals for publication online since God gave me this devotional writing ministry after going through trauma at age 16. During the recovery process, God took me into His classroom and taught me many lessons that flowed out of me in the form of devotionals. God made a way for me to eventually get paid for my devotional writing, starting after college when I became the Growing Up columnist for a faith-based publication called Collegiate Quarterly. Since then, He’s blessed me with many more opportunities to write devotionals – some paid, some not but all so worth it! Yet even after all these years of devotional writing experience, I never thought of writing a devotional book until last year (January 2019).
Longer story short, when I decided to give this a go, God lined up everything I needed. He gave me wisdom to gather my devotionals that were previously published on blogs where I was a guest (I gathered about 30). He gave me wisdom to reach out to an editor colleague of mine (Dori) who told me that if I wrote 52 devotionals then my book could be a weekly devotional since there are 52 weeks in a year. God moved me to talk to a literary agent (Jevon), months after talking to Dori and not wanting to write more (I had 44 devotionals written by then). God moved me to take Jevon’s advice to “keep going” (until I had written a total of 52 devotionals for my book). I am so glad that I listened to Dori and Jevon because a 52-week devotional is just what I needed to write and according to the feedback I’ve been receiving, it is just what my readers needed too!
God was in every detail of this devotional book-writing journey! He even sent a new editor (Patty) to work for my publisher a few years prior and I learned that Patty has a background in editing devotionals! Patty noticed that all of my devotionals were tied to my paraphrase of Contemporary Christian songs and Gospel music so she suggested the title “Stories and Songs of Faith: My Journey with God” and it fit perfectly!
Music has always been a major part of my life since childhood. And I’ve always loved sharing stories about life lessons learned as I continue on my journey with God. So the title that Patty suggested made perfect sense!
And that is the short version of the “story behind the story” of my devotional book!
Carole: What started you on your writing journey?
Alexis: An impromptu storytelling game led by my grandfather at my grandparents’ house. My Grandpa and Grandma used to babysit my brother and I. One day, while my Grandma was in the kitchen fixing lunch for all of us, my Grandpa said that we’re going to play a storytelling game. He told us to make up a story on the spot. I liked my story so much that writing and “publishing” it became my self-assigned homework that summer. I spent hours on the family computer typing it out. Then I printed it out and illustrated it before binding it like a book with staples and doing the cover design – all while using markers and colored pencils. I enjoyed this “book publishing” experience so much that I knew it was what I wanted to do when I grew up!
Carole: That is so amazing! What fun!
Alexis:
An impromptu storytelling game led by my
grandfather at my grandparents’ house. My Grandpa and Grandma used
to babysit my brother and I. One day, while my Grandma was in the
kitchen fixing lunch for all of us, my Grandpa said that we’re
going to play a storytelling game. He told us to make up a story on
the spot. I liked my story so much that writing and “publishing”
it became my self-assigned homework that summer. I spent hours on the
family computer typing it out. Then I printed it out and illustrated
it before binding it like a book with staples and doing the cover
design – all while using markers and colored pencils. I enjoyed
this “book publishing” experience so much that I knew it was what
I wanted to do when I grew up!
Carole: What fun that must have been! What kind of books do you enjoy reading? (Book recommendations very welcome!)
Alexis: I enjoy reading Contemporary Romance stories and devotionals the most! Here’s a short list of books by my favorite authors that I recommend:
#1:
Looks Like Love by Brandy Bruce
#2:
Heart’s Design by JoAnn Durgin
#3:
With No Reservations by Laurie Tomlinson
#4:
Unmasked Heart by Vanessa Riley
#5:
Chances Are by Traci Hunter Abramson
Carole: What is your favorite season of the year?
Alexis: I love the Autumn season because the weather is perfect (not too hot or cold but perfectly cool) and the changing colors of the leaves are so beautiful to observe! My favorite features of the Autumn season include but are not limited to: sunny days, a cool breeze that continues throughout the day, caramel apple cider from Starbucks, Autumn Squash Soup from PANERA, wearing my favorite tan boots that my fashion forward mama bought for me, dressing in sweater dresses with leggings (goes well with the boots) and the weather is really good to my hair (that salon-fresh look lasts for weeks)!
Carole: What is a favorite memory from your childhood?
Alexis: Christmastime with my family members who live nearby.
Carole: What's your favorite meal with family and friends?
Alexis: My most favorite meal with friends is wherever we go to eat good food! It’s the good quality of the food and quality time spent with loved ones that really makes that experience enjoyable! I’ve eaten good food at California Pizza Kitchen and The Cheesecake Factory with my friends. My most favorite meal with family is Christmas dinner! On the menu for Christmas dinner with family includes: turkey cooked and seasoned to perfection, collard greens, seven-layer salad, candied sweet potatoes, sweet potato pie (my Grandma’s recipe was the best), cherry pecan bread, cranberry orange bread, sweet potato casserole with marshmallows, macaroni and cheese, honey wheat bread rolls with butter, cranberry jelly, chicken flavored bread stuffing … oh the food is SO good! Now I cannot wait until this year’s Christmas dinner, God-willing!
Carole: Where do you get the ideas for your books?
Alexis: Everywhere! For the sake of time, I’ll only talk about how I get ideas for my devotionals: God drops ideas into my head then He helps me form lesson points. Such as with a devotional titled, “Taste and See” that was published in this year’s edition of an annual devotional book that my church publishes. The book for this year is called I Am Loved: 365 Devotions for Women by Women.
The idea for “Taste and See” happened as I was walking through a town
center and approached the tea store called Teavana, the words “taste and see” dropped into my head and a Bible verse followed: “Taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.” (Psalm 34:8 KJV).
Next, the devotional started writing itself in my head as I realized that just like the employees of Teavana stand outside of their shop, offering samples of their tea because they want people to “taste and see” that their tea is good … God does the same thing! He doesn’t sell tea. But He does want us to “taste and see” that He is good!
That’s why God gives us opportunity after opportunity to get to know Him.
It’s beautiful.
Thank you so much for sharing a bit about your personal and writing life. Readers, be sure to check out Alexis' newest devotion book! It sounds good, doesn't it?
