All posts by Sharon Hinck

Interview at Where The Map Ends


I’ve featured Where The Map Ends in the past – a terrific resource for fans and writers of speculative fiction. My interview with the creator of Where The Map Ends is now up, so pop on over for more than you ever wanted to know about my opinions about the speculative fiction genre. And be sure to explore all the great book lists, interviews, writing tips, and forums!

Blessings and gratitude!
Sharon Hinck

The Secret Life of Becky Miller (Bethany House, June, 2006)
Renovating Becky Miller (Bethany House, February, 2007)
The Restorer (NavPress, May 2007)
The Restorer’s Son (NavPress, September 2007)

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A Visit from Christine Lynxwiler


FOREVER CHRISTMAS
By Christine Lynxwiler

After two broken engagements, so-called runaway bride Kristianna Harrington is content to run her shop, Forever Christmas, in her little hometown of Jingle Bells, Arkansas, and forget about romance. She reluctantly agrees to be the maid of honor at her best friend’s wedding, but making it down the aisle becomes the least of her worries when a handsome newcomer threatens her precious town. Kristianna vows to stop the striking lawyer hired to change the town name and turns to her childhood friends for help. But Ami is busy with wedding plans, and Garrett seems more interested in bowling than politics. Will Kristianna get the help she needs before both her town and her Christmas spirit are extinguished?

* * * * *

What people are saying about Forever Christmas:

“. . .a delightful romance with a few twists I didn’t see coming. A romantic tale, it’s perfect for Christmas gift-giving. It’s well written and the plot makes it a fun read. It held my interest from beginning to end. . .A great read with a warm and satisfying end.” ~ Reviewed by Ane Mulligan for Novel Reviews

“. . .a wonderful book for those who enjoy holiday sentiments, a touch of mystery and a delightful romantic story. Once you visit Jingle Bells, Arkansas through the pages of this book you will see Christmas in a different light. Kristianna’s desire for God’s will for her life reigns true and love comes in the most unexpected places. Come dashing through the snow and be warmed with the love of Forever Christmas.” ~ Reviewed by Lori Plach for Reader Views

About the Author:
Award-winning novelist Christine Lynxwiler lives with her husband and daughters in a small town nestled in the north Arkansas Ozarks. Her other books include Promise Me Always and Arkansas.

When writing Forever Christmas, Christine used her own love for both the hometown of her childhood and her current hometown as a pattern for Kristianna’s passion for Jingle Bells. However, regardless of local rumors, the quirky townspeople are strictly figments of her imagination.

When she’s not working on her next deadline, you might find Christine kayaking on the nearby river with her family, poking around auctions and estate sales with friends, or curled up alone in a quiet corner with a great book. Please visit her at www.christinelynxwiler.com and sign the guestbook to let her know you stopped by!

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Come and Get It!

The Restorer’s Son is available!

Saturday, Oct. 6, 1:00 p.m.
I’ll be signing books at Northwestern Bookstore in Burnsville, Minnesota.

But you can get an autographed copy even if you aren’t able to come!

Visit Signed by the Author and order through them, and you can specify how you want it personalized. I’ll sign it and get it out to you that same day!

Blessings and gratitude!
Sharon Hinck

The Secret Life of Becky Miller (Bethany House, June, 2006)
Renovating Becky Miller (Bethany House, February, 2007)
The Restorer (NavPress, May 2007)
The Restorer’s Son (NavPress, September 2007)

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ACFW Book Signing

I was timid about bringing many books to the conference for the bookstore and public signing, not wanting the humiliation of lugging them all home.

Then through a mix-up, I ended up with double of one book delivered and none of another – then because of the generosity of my hubby and publisher to rush out and ship the missing books (without knowing the other was doing it)… accidentally ended up with doubles of that book.

Picture this. Now I had too many of BOTH books and was trying to figure how I’d get them all home.

And what did God have planned?

Good homes for all of them. 🙂 He knew how many folks wanted copies, and allowed my mix-ups in order to get enough books there. I came home with a light suitcase, and a lighter heart – being firmly reminded that God knows what He is doing.

I could hear God’s warm and loving laughter as His plan unfolded. Isn’t He cool????

==

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Home from Dallas



I’ll be honest. I approached my first American Christian Fiction Writer’s conference with some fear.

The past year held a lot of challenges, in a bunch of areas. I was weary. In fact, I felt like a pheasant at hunting season – hit with buckshot and peppered with wounds.

It’s hard hanging out with others when you feel like you’re full of holes.

When I arrived in Dallas, I asked God to do a healing work. Then I waited for the big moment where He’d wash over me. But that wasn’t how He worked.

Instead, each conversation, each encounter, held balm for one of my small holes. Little by little, He brought targeted and specific restoration through the love and wisdom of people at the conference.

If scatter-shot has chewed up your life, I pray that God will tend each small wound. Little by little–surgery, suture, and salve. He’s so good at letting us be the touch of grace in each other’s lives, isn’t He?

==

The photos show some of the friends who made the conference such a joy. In the first, I’m sandwiched with Katie Cushman and Julie Carobini – two delightful Bethany authors. We are a mutual fan club. The second photo is with the ever gracious Susan Meissner and Mary DeMuth. The third shows me with my wonderful roommate, Amy Wallace. Our late-night giggles were a highlight of the conference. 🙂

Most of the rest of my photos came out blurry – which is appropriate because it was such an intense time, most of it is a blur to me.

Two vivid exciting memories:

*Next year’s ACFW conference will be in Minneapolis – with the multi-author booksigning at the Mall of America! I’ve done a signing there, and it’s a marvelous venue. Minnesota fiction writers, if you haven’t yet joined ACFW, now is the time!

*The Secret Life of Becky Miller won second place in its category for Book of the Year, and I was delighted and honored. What a treat!

===

Tomorrow – God’s sense of humor and a photo from the book signing…

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You Make a Difference!


Sometimes you meet yourself between the covers of a book. Sometimes you even catch a glimpse of God in the pages. Sometimes you love a book so much you wish all your friends would read it just so you can talk about it.

But maybe the book’s not on the NY Times Bestseller list, your library doesn’t carry it, and you bought the last copy at your local bookstore. How can you help friends find the book?

The great folks at Bethany House have put together a page of ideas to help you support your favorite books.

Check it out, and let me know if you try some of these ideas and how it feels to let your voice be heard!

Blessings and gratitude!
Sharon Hinck

The Secret Life of Becky Miller (Bethany House, June, 2006)
Renovating Becky Miller (Bethany House, February, 2007)
The Restorer (NavPress, May 2007)
The Restorer’s Son (NavPress, September 2007)

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Wayne’s Treasure Hunt

Last July, Christopher Hopper, Wayne Batson, Bryan Davis and me (along with a few family members and drop-in guests) traveled all over the east coast on our epic Fantasy Fiction Tour.

Since then we’ve continued to cheer each other on in our writing. Wayne’s new book is releasing (huzzah!).

What better way to celebrate his new pirate book, than with a treasure hunt?

Announcing Wayne Thomas Batson’s Isle of Swords Treasure Hunt!

Your mission is simply this: accumulate the Most Treasure Points possible by Christmas 2007 by completing any or all of the tasks listed on Wayne’s Blog.

The Top FIVE Adventurers who accumulate the Treasure Points will receive a signed book of their choice. AND for each of the top 5, I will name a character* in my next fantasy series after you. That’s correct: I’ll use your real name, your username, or a character name you create as a character in my new fantasy series. Of course, if your name is Bob, we might want to go with something a little more fantasy-ish.

For the #1 Treasure Points getter, I will give you one copy of every new book I write…for LIFE. That means, should the Lord allow me to live long enough to write all the stories rattling around in my head, you will get a signed copy of each one sent directly to you. Of course, if you move and don’t give me your new address, thenâ•œsomeone else will be getting all those books. Doh!

Are you game for an adventure? Pop on over to Wayne’s blog and dive in!

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A New Arrival!

My author copy of The Restorer’s Son arrived today!!!!!

As I hugged it (and smelled the wonderful ink) I was washed with memories of the days alone with God while writing the book, and the way I saw His grace unfold to the characters in the story, and how He taught me more about His love through those hours of writing.

It is such a tremendous, tingly, amazing blessing.

Holding these pages is a beautiful, tangible proof of how God can do marvelous things through even weak, flawed, and broken vessels like me. And also how He can kindle a dream and then see it through.

I pray the book will entertain and captivate, but also encourage the hearts of those who have wrestled with God.

Blessings and gratitude!
Sharon Hinck

The Secret Life of Becky Miller (Bethany House, June, 2006)
Renovating Becky Miller (Bethany House, February, 2007)
The Restorer (NavPress, May 2007)
The Restorer’s Son (NavPress, September 2007)

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A Visit from Tricia Goyer

This week, I am happy to announce Tricia Goyer’s new novel. I’ve had several chances to chat with this prolific author at conferences. She’s warm, wonderful, and as you’ll see from the interview, very busy!

A Shadow of Treason
(Book 2 in the Chronicles of the Spanish Civil War series)

Sophie discovers that nothing is as she first imagined. When Walt, the reporter who helped her over the border, shows up again after Guernica is bombed, Sophie is given an impossible mission. She must leave behind the man she’s fallen in love with and return to the person who betrayed her. Another layer of the war in Spain is revealed as Sophie is drawn into the international espionage schemes that could turn the tide of the war and help protect the soldiers from the International Brigade … she must find a way to get a critical piece of information to Walt in time.

Q and A with Tricia!

Q:
A Shadow of Treason follows A Valley of Betrayal. This is the first time you’ve written books as a series instead of stand alone. Which way do you like better?

A: I love writing in series. It was great to continue with the same characters. In my stand-alone books I fell in love with these people and then I had to say good-bye after one book. It was wonderful to be able to continue on.

Q: In A Shadow of Treason Sophie must return to the person who betrayed her in an effort to help the Spanish people. It makes the book hard to put down because the reader has to know how Sophie’s heart will deal with it. Why did you decide to make this an element of the book?

A: There are very few of us who go through life without giving away a part of our hearts to someone who didn’t deserve it. Even though Sophie had the best intentions, she gave away her heart and she was hurt-not only that she must revisit those emotions.

I wanted to include this element-to delve into the topic that emotions are sometimes as big of a trap as any physical cage. Emotions are real and they guide us — even when we don’t want to admit it. Poor Sophie, not only does she have to deal with a war around her — she also has to deal with a war within herself. It’s something I’ve battled, and mostly likely others have too.

Q: A Shadow of Treason is Book Two. When will Book Three be out? Can you give us a hint of how the story continues?

A: Book Three is A Whisper of Freedom. It will be out February 2008. The characters that we love are all still in the midst of danger at the end of Book Two. Book Three continues their stories as we follow their journeys in — and (for a few) out — of Spain. It’s an exciting conclusion to the series!

Q: Wow, so we have a least one more fiction book to look forward to in the near future. Are you working on any non-fiction?

A: Yes, I have two non-fiction books that will be out the early part of 2008. Generation NeXt Marriage is a marriage book for today’s couples. It talks about our marriage role models, our struggles, and what we’re doing right as a generation. It also gives advice for holding it together.

I’ve also been privileged to work on the teen edition of Max Lucado’s book 3:16. It was a great project to work on. What an honor!

Thanks for stopping, by Tricia!

Tricia’s Bio:

Tricia Goyer has published over 300 articles for national publications such as Today’s Christian Woman, Guideposts for Kids, and Focus on the Family, and is the co-author of Meal Time Moments (Focus on the Family). She has led numerous Bible Studies, and her study notes appear in the Women of Faith Study Bible (Zondervan).

She has written seven novels for Moody Publishing:

From Dust and Ashes (2003)
Night Song (2004)
Dawn of a Thousand Nights (2005);
Arms of Deliverance (2006)
A Valley of Betrayal (2007)
A Shadow of Treason (Fall 2007)
A Whisper of Freedom (February 2008)
Night Song was awarded American Christian Fiction Writer’s 2005 Book of the Year for Best Long Historical. Dawn of a Thousand Nights won the same award in 2006.

Tricia has also written Life Interrupted: The Scoop on Being a Young Mom (Zondervan, 2004), 10 Minutes to Showtime (Thomas Nelson, 2004), and Generation NeXt Parenting (Multnomah, 2006). Life Interrupted was a 2005 Gold Medallion finalist in the Youth Category.

Also, coming out in the next year are: My Life, Unscripted (Thomas Nelson, 2007), Generation NeXt Marriage (Multnomah, Spring 2008), and 3:16-the teen version of the a book by Max Lucado (Thomas Nelson, Spring 2008).

Tricia and her husband John live with their three children in Kalispell, Montana. Tricia’s grandmother also lives with them, and Tricia volunteers mentoring teen moms and leading children’s church. Although Tricia doesn’t live on a farm, she can hit one with a rock by standing on her back porch and giving it a good throw.

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Most Interesting Place to Read

Congrats to Justin B.!
Last month I ran a contest for subscribers of my free Book Buddy monthly e-zine, asking for photos of the most interesting place you’ve read one of my books. His entry shows him reading on top of his desk. Justin wins a packet of clavo (the favorite beverage of Lyric and Braide Wood).

To become a Book Buddy and receive a free monthly e-zine, go to my website and find the box in the right-hand column. Leave your name and email and follow the directions to “double-opt-in.”

I’m planning some other fun contests for my Book Buddies in future months!

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