Linda Rondeau Christmas post

I'm so happy to welcome my friend, Linda, to visit again. She's a wonderful author, and I invite all of you to check out her newest novel: Miracle on Maple Street. 

About Linda:

Winner of the 2012 Selah Award and Carol Award finalist LINDA WOOD RONDEAU writes to offer hope for those with damaged lives and demonstrate our worst past, surrendered to God becomes our best future. After a long career in human services, Linda now resides in Jacksonville, Florida. When not writing, the author enjoys golfing, hiking, and spending time with her best friend in life, her husband of nearly forty years. Her recent release, Miracle on Maple Street, has already won the hearts of many.  

Readers may visit her web site at www.lindarondeau.com where they’ll find a list of her books, her blog, Snark and Sensibility. Email her at lindarondeau@gmail.com  or find her on Facebook, Twitter, PInterest, Google Plus and Goodreads.

The Miracle Tree Revisited

By Linda Wood Rondeau

This year, we have no tree since we’re in the process of moving, possibly during the holiday. As I pack up my Christmas decorations, I am reminded of a special tree, the one we dub The Miracle Tree.

That year we opted for a more “home grown” experience for the children. As fate would have it, our friends started their You-Pick Christmas Tree enterprise. “Sounds like a good deal,” I told my husband. “Plus, we get to spend an afternoon with friends.”

Life is rarely that simple.

With temperatures in single digits, we sucked in courage and went to our friends’ country home. Kerry led the way into the woods then pointed up at the towering pines. “Don’t worry how high the tree is. Once it’s cut down, we’ll trim from the top.”

We traipsed the woods for over an hour. There it is! “That’s the tree I want!”

Fully understanding of my deficient depth perception, my husband responded with uncertainty. “Are you absolutely sure?”

“As sure as when we got married.”

Kerry cut the tree at the length I suggested.

Eyeing its long green needles, I imagined how beautiful it would look in just a few days.

My husband clicked with worry. “I doubt I can even get it on top of the car.” When my eyes filled with tears, he gave my hand a reassuring squeeze. “We’ll figure something out.” Half an hour later, exhausted but exhilarated, we dropped the tree by the station wagon.

Hubs secured the tree and we drove home. But we couldn’t get it through the door.
Seeds of doubt eroded my joy.

Hubs quickly took charge. A few hacks here and there, and he managed to squeeze the tree in without taking the door off.  The next hurdle would be fitting it in the dining room, since the tree stood eight feet and our ceiling height was six. Not to mention the eight foot span on the tree branches couldn’t squeeze into our five foot dining room.

My eyes welled.

My husband thrives on challenge. “John, get me the saw again. This is the tree your mother wanted. This is the tree we’ll have.”

After a few more adjustments, he hoisted it into the stand, and it toppled over. My valiant knight secured the tree with yards of strong twine. Like a maniacal marionette without a puppeteer, it swallowed the entire dining room. Over the next few days, we adorned our misshapen treasure with lights and ornaments and ate our meals on TV trays in the living room while we stared at the ugly thing that had usurped our lives.

On Christmas Eve, the miracle happened.

We piled the gifts under the monster while our daughter scanned the tree with interest. “Can we sing Christmas carols?”

My husband nodded and grabbed the guitar while Edie turned off the house lights.

During Silent Night, suddenly all seemed miraculously calm and bright. A strange halo affect surrounded the excuse for a tree as if God smiled down on our attempts and delighted us with His presence.  And in that moment, the meaning of Christmas burned in our hearts as never before. The ugliest tree I had ever seen transformed before our eyes, a beautiful emblem of love and hope.  



About the book:

“Christmas is a time for miracles,” Ryan McDougal tells his mother, when he is told that a long lost cousin, Millie, has resurfaced after nearly forty years, the cousin whose picture his mother clasped the day his father abandoned him. Though they occurred decades apart, he always believed the two disappearances were connected like opposite links of a chain. With Millie’s arrival, perhaps he might finally receive the answers he so desperately sought. However, Ryan has a third thorn in his side, more devastating than any mystery. His wife, the love of his life, has left his arms and his bed. How long before she moves out of the house and takes his beloved son with her? He prays for his own Christmas miracle. Millie’s anticipated visit prompts Ryan’s mother to reveal secrets that bring all to light. However, when past and present collide, the truth is more than Ryan can bear.

Buy the book here:
Amazon Kindle
Amazon Print



Have you ever had a miracle in your life?
Blessings!

A Little Bit of My World . . .

Something to brighten your day!
My earliest flower:

can't remember the name,

but lovely, hardy blossom!

 

 

 

 

 Field Flowers found recently during a grandson/grandparent day

 

 

 

~~~~~

 

It's getting closer.

Publishing date for The Redemption of Caralynne Hayman is September 2013!

I'm holding a contest every month until release date!

Check here
or on my facebook timeline for updates.

 

WANNA be a "The Redemption of Caralynne Hayman Champion"?

Contact me here for info (Carole's Champions' page)
or email me at browncarole212(at)yahoo(dot)com.

 

 

~~~~~

 

What am I reading?

 

* I married an Idiot by Elaine Miller

* Get Known Before the Book Deal by Christina Katz

* Dramatica PRO
* Skull Creek Stakeout by Eddie Jones
* The Maze by Jason Brannon

* Days of Vines and Roses by Linda Rondeau

* Pinterest Savvy: How I Got One Million Followers by Melissa Taylor

 

* and many more waiting . . .

 

 

Super blessings today!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Promotional Wednesday

It Really Is a Wonderful Life

 

Midville newcomer and Iraq War widow, Dorie Fitzgerald, despises the frigid Adirondack wasteland that has now become her home.

After twenty failed job interviews, she questions the wisdom of moving to be near her parents. Desperate to belong, she joins the local Community Theater, in production for It s a Wonderful Life. Jamey Sullivan has put his professional life on hold in order to run the family business and to help his ailing father. He signs on for Midville s production of It s a Wonderful Life, although he hopes to receive a Broadway casting call any day now.

When these two meet, they are instantly attracted to one another. However, ambition, demanding children, and a romantic rival threaten to squash their growing love for one another. It Really IS a Wonderful Life is set in the beautiful Adirondack mountains, a perfect backdrop for romantic conflict.

“Set with the backdrop of the well loved movie, It's A Wonderful Life, Rondeau weaves a spiritual thread and a warm hearted story. ”

"Like the Baileys' in It's a Wonderful Life, she must see the bigger picture of how her life and the ones around her fulfill God's will in their choices. ”

"I highly recommend this romantic novel at Christmastime, or any time of year."

 

 

 

About Linda:

A native of Central New York, Linda Rondeau graduated from North Syracuse High School and later Houghton College. She moved to Northern New York where she met and married Steve Rondeau, her best friend in life, and managed a career in human services before tackling professional writing. After thirty-four years she and her husband have relocated to Jacksonville, Florida to start a new adventure...leaving rural America to live in a city of one million. Of course, the more favorable temperatures allow her to follow another great passion--golf.

While writing is her greatest passion, the author takes even greater pride in being a wife of one patient man, the mother of three, and the grandmother of nine.

Rondeau's first book, written under the name Linda Wood Rondeau, The Other Side of Darkness, is the winner of the 2012 Selah Award for best first novel.

Also written under Linda Wood Rondeau, is her newest Christmas romance, It Really IS a Wonderful Life, a story filled with quirky characters, not unlike the good people of Bedford Hills. An Iraq-war widow, newly relocated to the bitter Northern New York winter climate, in an effort to find new friends, joins a Community Theater group in production for It's a Wonderful Life.

Rondeau writes sci-f/speculative books under the name of L.W. Rondeau and is pleased to announce the dawning of her series, America II by Trestle Press. Book I is written is in full length version available wherever ebooks are sold. The sequels will be in 10 volume serial form. Rains of Terror, its prequel is now available for Volumes 1 & 2. Volume 3 will be out shortly. These four books deal with the development of world events catapulting the Earth into a second dark age preceded by climatic changes and global warfare. Jacques Fontaine rises to become the influential force in reuniting the world, forming its first global democratic government.

The author is a breast cancer survivor and is available to speak to your groups about health and/or her books and ministry to senior writers. See her blog on
Geezer Guys and Gals, a multi-author blog written by seniors for seniors. Rondeau also runs a group on Linked In called Geezer Writers.

The author loves to hear from readers. You may contact her on Facebook via Books By Linda Rondeau.

Check out her books on Amazon and other available bookstores!

 

Blessings

Melted then Molded

I'm welcoming Linda Rondeau back to my blog today. She's the award-winning author of The Other Side of Darkness and the recently released America II. Check out her bio below. Now her post:




“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name” (John 1:12 KJV).

The popular church chorus asks God to descend and set the hearts of His children on fire, to spread a blaze across the nations.

I wonder sometimes if we truly understand for what we ask. Too often we pray for the result but are not willing to endure the process to obtain it.

Fire consumes. I remember driving through an area in the Adirondacks hit by a wildfire. Not a green speck left. All the charred remains stood naked and seemingly beyond hope. But, fire also purifies through the melting process.

Unlike a wild, untamed forest fire, God’s fire has purpose.

Lisa went into the hospital for what she thought would be a simple appendectomy only to discover she had a rare form of invasive abdominal cancer. Her husband said, “After the shock wore off, I was pretty angry. She is so young, healthy and takes good care of herself, why did this happen? What would I do without her? How do I deal with our kids? 　There was a calmness that came to me while in the middle of this storm. It was clarity and can be attributed to the Holy Spirit as it certainly didn't come from me. 　I never thought to question God as to why he'd bless me with a beautiful wife, wonderful children and a wonderful and supportive family. 　How could I be mad at the loss when God had blessed me with so much?”

As a result of Shawn and Lisa’s obedience within this trial, God’s glory is seen through their lives as they post their struggle on a cancer-care website for the world to see. Their posts continue to extol the magnificence of God’s grace, blessings within the firestorm. Shawn writes that God’s grace is shown to them every day through the outpouring of love. Most of all, God’s Holy Spirit is revealed through their children’s strength, their big family their mission field.

I believe that through God’s melting and molding process he reveals Himself to us in ways we would never know if we did not submit to His all-consuming fire.

In Daniel 3, we read the familiar story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, the captive Israelites who refused to bow down before the image of the King, even though they knew the punishment would be death by fire. “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

When the king looked into the furnace, he saw a fourth figure, that of a son of God. Through the Glory revealed by the obedience of three Israelite slaves, King Nebuchadnezzar extolled the God of Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego.

Are you experiencing firestorms in your family? Are you angry and feel that these difficulties are undeserved? Perhaps God has not sent you punishment, but rather wants to walk with you in the furnace, to show you His Glory. And through this melting and molding process, equip you to be His blessing, the flame that ignites a dry and barren land.

“This third I will put into the fire;　I will refine them like silver and test them like gold.　
They will call on my name　and I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are my people,’　and they will say, ‘The LORD is our God’” (Zechariah 13:9 NIV).

BIO:
A graduate of Houghton College, Rondeau has spent a previous career in the field of human services, often engaged with families in crisis. She credits these experiences in human drama as the edge in creating unforgettable characters. Furthermore, her prior work has shaped her vision of a future world should current sociological issues remain unchecked over the next several decades.
After more than thirty years in the Adirondack region of Northern New York, Rondeau now resides in Jacksonville, Florida with her husband Steve and their cat Duffer. When not writing, she enjoys theater, golf, and hiking.

She is a member of the Florida Writers Association, American Christian Fiction Writers, and several on-line writing groups. She is the owner and founder of Pentalk, a community of writers that features networking pages and a blog. Rondeau contributes a monthly column to her former community newspaper entitled, This Daily Grind and maintains a blog of the same name. Other blogs include Back in the Daze.

Also writing under the name of Linda Wood Rondeau, other books by this author include The Other Side of Darkness.

You may contact the author on Facebook, Linked In, Goodreads, or Twitter or visit her on the web.

The Amazon Kindle for the novel is : http://www.amazon.com/America-II-The-Reformation-ebook/dp/B008CGFVUI/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1340191492&sr=1-1&keywords=l.w.+rondeau


　

The Fifty-Fifty Conundrum

Award winning author Linda Rondeau is here today with an interesting guest post. Read and enjoy!

"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name” (John 1:12 KJV).

As reported by Phil Rizzuto in a radio broadcast: When Ralph Houk was manager of the New York Yankees, baseball schedules were even more exacting than they are now, with double-headers almost every week. Occasionally a player would get sick of the grind and approach Houk, asking for permission to sit out a game. "I know how you feel," the manager would say genially. "Sure, take the day off, but do me a favor. You're in the starting lineup. Just play one inning. Then skip the rest of the game." The player would honor Houk's request--and almost invariably get caught up in the spirit of the game and play it out to the end.

An interesting solution, one that put the game ahead of all else and benefited both the manager and the player.

Marriage, like baseball, takes the full commitment of each partner to harvest good results. When one partner tires of the grind and folds, the consequences can be devastating. It takes both partners committed to the joy of the game to make a marriage work, a 100-100 proposition.

According to Dr. Phil, fifty-fifty unions are at risk for failure. The mindset denotes an expectation of a reward for enduring a period of sacrifice. The fifty-fifty principle results in score-keeping, certain to spark controversy, a heated, “Okay, it’s my turn now.”

The dictionary defines compromise, the basic premise of a fifty-fifty relationship, as a settlement of differences by mutual concessions; something intermediate between different things. This is the reason, according to Dr. Phil, that a fifty-fifty philosophy in marriage simply doesn’t work. But where decisions are based upon a 100-100 plan, i.e. what is best for the marriage rather than the individual, the marriage wins. And when the marriage wins, everyone benefits.

Is this true of our relationship to God?

In many wedding ceremonies, theologians remind the celebrants that marriage as God ordained, most resembles the union between God and the believer. I wonder if we fail to experience full joy in the Lord, because we approach our Faith with a fifty-fifty mentality. We serve God, read the Bible, pray, do our good deeds and all with the expectation that eventually God will reward us. When we believe God is slow on His part, we remind Him, “Okay, God, it’s my turn now.”

But, God in His wisdom encourages us not to tire of doing good things. He tells us, “I understand, you’re tired and want to sit one out. Tell you what, just get out there and bat a few times.” When we get back into the game, without expectation, our joy returns, a joy based on our relationship rather than service.

Oswald Chambers writes “The joy of Jesus was the absolute self-surrender and self-sacrifice of Himself to His Father, the joy of doing that which the Father sent Him to do.” Christ service emanated from his joy rather than service being a method to discover joy.

This is the unity God has planned for the believer from the beginning, the purpose for which Christ came, to reconcile the imperfect to the Perfect, the temporal with the Eternal. Our joy springs not from what we do for God, but from being one with God, a 100-100 experience.

“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: (Philippians 2:5-6 KJV).



A graduate of Houghton College, Rondeau has spent a previous career in the field of human services, often engaged with families in crisis. She credits these experiences in human drama as the edge in creating unforgettable characters. Furthermore, her prior work has shaped her vision of a future world should current sociological issues remain unchecked over the next several decades.

After more than thirty years in the Adirondack region of Northern New York, Rondeau now resides in Jacksonville, Florida with her husband Steve and their cat Duffer. When not writing, she enjoys theater, golf, and hiking.

She is a member of the Florida Writers Association, American Christian Fiction Writers, and several on-line writing groups. She is the owner and founder of Pentalk, a community of writers that features networking pages and a blog. Rondeau contributes a monthly column to her former community newspaper entitled, This Daily Grind and maintains a blog of the same name. Other blogs include Back in the Daze.

Also writing under the name of Linda Wood Rondeau, other books by this author include The Other Side of Darkness.

You may contact the author on Facebook, Linked In, Goodreads, or Twitter or visit her on the web.

The Amazon Kindle for the novel is : http://www.amazon.com/America-II-The-Reformation-ebook/dp/B008CGFVUI/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1340191492&sr=1-1&keywords=l.w.+rondeau


Check out Linda's websites and her books!
Blessings

Guest Blogger, Linda Rondeau, writes on Floundering

Life is hard . . . sometimes. Living the life of a writer is too . . . sometimes. Read on for a take on being too busy from my dear friend, Linda Rondeau, author of America II, just released, and her suspense book, The Other Side of Darkness.



Do You Ever Feel Like You're Floundering?

I have come into the deep waters; the
floods engulf me...Psalm 69:2b

Ever feel as though you are drowning in a to-do list that keeps getting longer and the time left to complete the tasks, shorter?

I am currently going through one of those times. When the waters close around my neck, I’m well aware I’ve gone too deep; and I panic, making error upon error.

Mistakes have babies. In my case, they often have litters. And I ask the Lord, how
can I get all these things done (and it takes longer when I have to keep undoing those
oops) without looking like an idiot from all the mistakes I’m making?

He gently reminds me that it’s not about the to-do list. It’s about a surrendered life
to Him. He will prioritize my days according to His knowledge of what is best
for me.

It may be the waters continue to deepen so I have to swim for awhile before they
abate. That is when I remember, God is my life jacket.



A graduate of Houghton College, Rondeau has spent a previous career in the field of human services, often engaged with families in crisis. She credits these experiences in human drama as the edge in creating unforgettable characters. Furthermore, her prior work has shaped her vision of a future world should current sociological issues remain unchecked over the next several decades.

After more than thirty years in the Adirondack region of Northern New York, Rondeau now resides in Jacksonville, Florida with her husband Steve and their cat Duffer. When not writing, she enjoys theater, golf, and hiking.

She is a member of the Florida Writers Association, American Christian Fiction Writers, and several on-line writing groups. She is the owner and founder of Pentalk, a community of writers that features networking pages and a blog. Rondeau contributes a monthly column to her former community newspaper entitled, This Daily Grind and maintains a blog of the same name. Other blogs include Back in the Daze.

Also writing under the name of Linda Wood Rondeau, other books by this author include The Other Side of Darkness.

You may contact the author on Facebook, Linked In, Goodreads, or Twitter or visit her on the web.

The Amazon Kindle for the novel is : http://www.amazon.com/America-II-The-Reformation-ebook/dp/B008CGFVUI/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1340191492&sr=1-1&keywords=l.w.+rondeau