Friday, December 24, 2010

End-of-the-Year Celebration DAY 2!

The winner of Day 1's giveaway (Blood Ransom, Portrait of Love, and Sharpshooter in Petticoats) is:
Renee Ann (reneeasmith61@...)
 
Congrats!
Lets get started on day 2 of the festivities! Today, I'm featuring authors Lisa Lickel, and Ann H Gabhart! :D

What is one thing or area where God has been changing you in 2010? Do you have any scriptures to go along with/support that?

Lisa: God is helping me care more about the details of grammar and punctuation and helping me strive to take better care of my approach to the written word. Philippians 4:8-9 "…if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think on such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me--or seen in me, put into practice. And the God of peace will be with you."

Ann: I’ve often got way too much on my schedule especially now that my mother is in fragile health and needing constant care. But I keep wanting to do it all. Write the books, read the books, bake the cookies, keep the grandkids, do the church bulletin, send cards and letters, blog, keep in touch with readers, take care of Mom. The list could go on and on. And where in that list is time for reflection, time for spiritual renewal? Psalm 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God” often settles in my mind. That’s what I think the Lord wants me to remember in the midst of my busy days. To stop and lift my thoughts to Him and know that He is to be exalted and worshiped as the rest of the Psalm verse goes on to say.

Tell one thing that God did for you this year just to show He loved you.

Lisa: He gave me a very special friend in retired pastor Bob Seater in our new church to care about, and who blesses me so much every time we meet and helps me feel peaceful about our very tough decision.

Ann: How can you condense a year’s worth of blessings into one thing? So I’ll just say he gave me another story to tell.

What is your favorite memory from 2010?

Lisa: My favorite memory of 2010 regarding my career would be sitting in the QuadCities Christian Writer's Conference as my friend author Robin Steinweg praised God with the precious gift of music. When she played and sang my favorite hymn, Be Thou My Vision, I knew I was in the right place at the right time. What a blessing. My favorite family memory is celebrating my parents' 50th anniversary with all of our immediate family including both my sons and their wives all together.

Ann: A lot of great things happened in 2010. Grandkid hugs and kisses. Walks in the woods. A trip to California. But I’ll go with a writing related memory – seeing the cover for my book, Angel Sister, due out in February. Every time I see that cover, I smile.

Do you have any New Year resolutions in mind?

Lisa: I keep trying to be a kinder person, less judgmental, to be more supportive. I can see I make small steps on that path with each choice and each attempt at networking.

Ann: I’m not great with New Year resolutions. But I do hope to establish a better writing routine. Oh yeah, and clean out my closet.

What is one goal you have set (or God has put on your heart) for 2011 apart from New Year resolutions?

Lisa: I so need to screw my courage to the sticking point and get out there and peddle my wares. If God made it good enough to create, I should believe it's good enough to share. I keep telling myself. In between hyperventilating. Okay…shh!! Don't tell anyone. We multi-published authors are supposed to love addressing big cheering crowds of adoring fans.

Ann: I want to write a book that will inspire and encourage readers and entertain them too. That’s my goal every year.


~~~~~


Giveaway! These authors, along with Maggie Brendan, have graciously offered these 3 books to one lucky winner!
 


Meander Scar, pdf, by Lisa Lickel
The Seeker, autographed, by Ann H Gabhart
A Love of Her Own, by Maggie Brendan


Rules:
For this party, only people with USA mailing addresses can enter. You must leave your email address in order to be entered so that I can contact you if you win.


Mandatory first entry: You must be a Google Friend Connect follower (in sidebar) of this blog, OR be an email subscriber (in sidebar) to this blog to enter this giveaway. Let me know in your comment to enter (with your email address) which you are.


Extra Entries:


+1 Post the link for this giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter. (If you do both, that is +2)


+1 GFC follow or email subscribe to my other blog, Christian Book Giveaways.


+1 Put the buttons for one or both of my blogs on your blog. (You can get the HTML in my sidebar.) If you put both buttons up, that is +2.

+1 For every friend you get to come, enter this giveaway, and say that you sent them. (Make sure they use a name that I can connect with you. I want to make sure the extra points go to the right person!


+2 Post about this giveaway on your blog, telling which books will be given away.


+3 Leave a comment for at least one of the authors in this giveaway encouraging them with something you like about them personally, their writing, or one of their books.


I have one special way to gain extra entries, so pay close attention… For every day that the banner for this End-of-the-Year Celebration at the TOP of your blog (starting the 22nd) it will count as +1 entry towards the final blowout giveaway on the 30th and 31st. That means you can earn up to 10 more entries in the final giveaway!!! You can grab the banner’s HTML HERE.


This giveaway ends tomorrow [CHRISTMAS!] (Saturday, December 25) at 6 p.m. CST. I will try to promptly contact the winner after that time. Winners will be announced in the next morning's post.

12 comments:

Renee Ann said...

I'm so excited that I won! Thanks, Carman. I felt like I shouldn't enter again, but the first commenter rarely gets chosen, so I think I'm safe . . .

I love reading these interviews. It's good to know that the authors' are seeking God's guidance as they live their lives and write their stories. Makes the books more special! Blessings!

Virginia said...

+1
am a google friend connect

+1get email subscription
+1 FB
+1 GFC follower
+2 buttons on blogs continousdelight and CBG
+1 I like that Lisa say she keeps trying to be a better person (I connect with that)
+1 Ann wants to write a book that inspires (God directs the writing so it will inspire)
Total +8 (I think)
Carmen have loved this year with you on your sites and on FB, Merry Christmas

Lisa Lickel said...

Hi, all - Merry Christmas! I appreciate all of you.

Ariel Wilson said...

Thanks for the awesome books!!! Casey sent me :)

I'm a new GFC follower! +1

I now GFC Christian Book Giveaways. +1

pinkdaddysgirl[at]msn[dot]com

MaureenT said...

I follow on GFC and am an email subscriber.
Posted giveaway on my Facebook Profile. http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1124305054 +1
Tweet Timmy1966

http://continuousdelights.blogspot.com/#giveawayEnd-of-the-Year Celebration DAY 2! +1
I follow Christian Book Giveaway on GFC +1
Ann I have read both of you books in this series. I never really knew much about the Shakers. Thank You +1

PriviesAndPrims said...

I'm a follower and a subscriber!

Would love to win these books!

Doreen
priviesandprims at yahoo dot com

amber said...

I'm an email subscriber!!

amber (afren07@gmail.com)

Patsy said...

Count me in on the giveaway. I am an email subscriber. Sounds like great prizes!
plhouston(at)bellsouth(dot)net

Ann H Gabhart said...

So much fun hearing from all of you and getting to share with you this Christmas season. Thanks, Maureen for reading my books. You can't know how much it means to a writer for someone to say "I read your book." Great words to hear. Hope all of you had a Merry Christmas and that 2011 will be heaped up and over spilling with blessings.

Wendy said...

I am a follower and a subscriber.
wsmarple/at/gmail/dot/com

Wendy said...

I am sure it is hard to see your mom in fragile health (Ann). My parents just turned 71 and it is hard to see the effects of getting older. I encourage you to continue writing good books, hopefully that will give you comfort while dealing with the difficulty of aging.
wsmarple/at/gmail/dot/com

Ann H Gabhart said...

Thanks, Wendy, for your words of encouragement. Writing has helped me through some rough times in the past, so you can be sure I'll try to stay focused and working hard to come up with some new stories. Thanks to all of you for reading the interview.