Archive for the ‘Latest News’ Category

Posted on December 22, 2011 - by Shari Barr

Stealing Jesus

Over the years I’ve simplified decorating our house for Christmas. The less I decorate the more relaxed I feel, and ultimately, I am able to calmly celebrate the real reason for Christmas. Some may call me a scrooge, but it works for me. This year we have a tree and that’s pretty much it—except for a little wooden nativity scene that sits on an end table reminding me of a story I heard several years ago.

The little boy went with his parents to Grandma’s house. He loved looking at the tiny nativity scene she displayed in her living room. The colorful porcelain figurines of Joseph, Mary, the three wise men, and of course, the baby Jesus fascinated the preschooler. Every time he visited Grandma that Christmas, he headed for her nativity scene, especially drawn to the Christ child lying in the manger.

But, then, the inevitable happened. One day the baby Jesus disappeared. The family looked everywhere, but the search for Grandma’s lost figurine was futile. Baby Jesus could not be found.

Later after the family returned home, the little boy’s mother got him ready for bed and a small object fell out of the pocket of his jeans. When she asked him why he took it, he simply responded that he wanted the baby Jesus.

On the next trip to Grandma’s house, the little boy did as he was told and returned the baby Jesus to the crèche. After the boy’s family returned home, Grandma noticed once again that the Christ child was missing. When she informed her daughter, the boy’s mother quickly located the lost figurine—again.

You guessed it. Every time the little boy went to Grandma’s house, he came home with Jesus.

Oh, how we should all be like this innocent little boy! He knew he wanted to make Jesus his own, and he did what it took to get Him.

All I want for Christmas this year is the joy that little boy found in stealing Jesus. It’s as simple as that. There is no greater gift. 

The above story is based on actual events. Circumstances were embellished and names were eliminated to protect the innocent (and guilty.)

Posted on November 24, 2011 - by Shari Barr

Christmas Reads for the Young and Young at Heart

Happy Thanksgiving!

Soon the aroma of roasting turkey and pumpkin pie will be nothing more than a memory. For many this signals the beginning of the Christmas season. There’s no better time to snuggle beneath an afghan, sip a cup of hot cider, and read a good book. 

The following three children’s books are favorites of mine and aren’t just for kids. They’re a perfect quick read for the season of Advent, guaranteed to get you and yours in the Christmas spirit.

The Candle in the Window by Grace Johnson portrays the true meaning of Christmas in this superbly told tale. Gunther, a lonely German cobbler, finds no joy in the Christmas season—it’s simply a reminder of the wife and son he’s lost. When unexpected visitors show up in his shop on Christmas Eve with a candle for his window, they explain that according to legend, the candle is an invitation for the Christ Child to enter the hearts of men. As Gunther hurriedly makes preparations, he is soon disappointed when he must give the gifts he’s prepared for the Christ Child to others in need. Only after his visitors leave, does Gunther understand the true impact of his actions.

Annika’s Secret Wish by Beverly Lewis is a beautiful story based on Acts 20:35, “It is more blessed to give than receive.” According to Swedish tradition, the child who finds an almond hidden in his rice pudding on Christmas Eve has a chance to make a wish for anything he desires. Annika has yet to find the almond in her bowl, but when she does, she struggles with finally fulfilling her own dream or giving that chance to someone she loves dearly. 

Christmas in the Trenches by John McCutcheon is an inspiring story of peace and hope between enemies in a time of war. The World War I Christmas truce tells the true story of a miracle that took place between British and German troops on a cold December night in France in 1914. Huddled in trenches on either side of a barren ground called No Man’s Land, the British were stunned when the fighting ceased and they heard the German soldiers singing Silent Night in their native tongue. Climbing from their trenches, the British joined in, the two languages blending as one. For several hours, the enemies became friends, sharing small gifts and even playing a game of soccer. Though the fighting resumed the next day, the troops gave us a glimpse of how peace really begins.

What are some of your favorite Christmas books?

Posted on October 29, 2011 - by Brenda Anderson

Celebration Time!!!

Remember a few years back when you were in elementary school, the days you looked forward to the most (besides weekends and vacations of course) were the holiday celebrations. Those were the days you actually wanted to go to school. You’d get to dress up for the Halloween parade, share a gift with a fellow student for the Christmas celebration, make a Valentine card to give to everyone in your class, etc. Food was usually involved in some way too.

Well today we’re interrupting our Writing 101 class to celebrate Publication <insert confetti throwing and noisemakers>. Yes, two of our esteemed authors  here at Inkspirational Messages–Jerri Lynn Ledford and Shannon Taylor Vannatter–have new releases out.

It’s time to party!

I’ve brought bars to share (reminder for non-Minnesotans, bars in this case are not the place you go to drink alcohol, rather they are highly sweetened, often chocolate treats, usually layered in a pan. Calories? <shhh. We don’t talk about them.>) Anyway, I digress.  If you’d like to bring something to share, that would be great!

So please come celebrate with us as we honor two of our very own.

Jerri’s debut novel, Biloxi Sunrise, released just this week. You can find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble for just 99 cents. Yes, you heard me right: only 99 pennies. I already have it on my Kindle. Don’t have a Kindle or a Nook? No problem. Both Amazon and Barnes and Noble have computer apps you can download. So, no excuses.

Want to know more about Jerri? Stop by her terrific website: http://www.jerriledford.com/. You can also *like* her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jerri-Lynn-Ledford/147815135313371

BILOXI SUNRISE

The Biloxi Series

Debut Novel by Jerri Lynn Ledford

Deep South Press 2011

He hadn’t protected them.

When Homicide Special Investigator Jack Roe’s daughter is killed in an auto accident and his wife dies from a drug overdose, he abandons a promising career as a Military Police Officer. If only he’d been there when they needed him, he could have saved them both.

Posted on June 24, 2011 - by JerriLynn

What We’re All Up To

You know, here at Inkspirational Messages, we’re a pretty busy group.  Did you know that we have a couple of librarians in the group?  And there are full time authors (both fiction and non-fiction), and others that work in “real” jobs that eat a lot of our time.  Even I have a job, albeit working from home, that makes it difficult for me to have as much time as I’d like to focus on fiction.  Whether we’re published or not, we’re all writers, hard at work.  And we thought you might like a glimpse into what we have going on.

Linda Fulkerson is a busy lady.  In addition to being our intrepid web hostess and often tech support for the group (Thank you, Linda! We love you!), did you know that she’s also a social media manager and blogger for the city or Morrilton, Arkansas? Yep, you heard me right.  She even writes a blog for the city that you can find at seemorrilton.com.

Brenda Anderson has been (and still is) writing like a maniac! In addition to her blog Spire Reviews, Brenda has also completed one novel, Capturing Beauty,and plans to finish another, The Engineer’s Watch, by the end of the year.

Brenda took the last year off to focus on her writing, and says, “I’ve been working with different critique groups on three separate novels. With one group I’ve focused on the story of my heart, Chain of Mercy. That’s about a Manhattan businessman who accidently kills a teen in an auto accident and has to learn to forgive himself. With another group I’m working on my first attempt at romance:Flying Lessons. That’s about an adventure-driven artist who falls for a by-the-book collection agent who may foreclose on the artist’s home. My third critique partner is helping me with Capturing Beauty.”

Regina Merrick is staying busy by blogging and instilling a love of reading in the next generation of people that will fall in love with our books – the summer reading group.  Her library duties are keeping her so busy right now however that she doesn’t have much time left over for writing the stories close to her heart.

Kav is also staying busy with library duties.  As a school librarian, Kav is faced with the school board closing down their library.  Kav has been working to reallocate the collection to school libraries and preparing for the two libraries that she’ll be handling during the coming school year.

Shari Barr is facing down the age old writer’s curse. She’s working on a WWII novel that once in a while gets the best of her.  She’ll decide the novel isn’t good enough, so she’ll put it down for a while, only to return and work on it some more.  When a story has hold of you like this one has hold of Shari, you have no choice but to eventually work your way all the way through it.

Kim Payne is in the planning stages of a new series based on a former FBI agent turned pastor and a medical examiner who also happens to be the church organist.  The first book in this new series is tentative titled Broken Chord.

And I (Jerri Ledford) and splitting my time between a large contract with Franklin Covey, helping to rewrite some of their time management training and writing the first novel in my Biloxi series, Biloxi Sunrise. I’m also planning the next book in the series, Biloxi Heat, and learning and preparing to publish the books myself.

We also have a couple of accomplished fiction authors in our midst.  Lorna Seilstad just handed over the last book in her Lake Manawa series, The Ride of Her Life.  The book includes Lily, who was also in the first two books of the series.  She’s also starting work on a new series that Revell is picking up that tentatively title, The Gregory Girls, about three sister who promise to help and support each other after their parents pass away.

And Shannon Taylor Vannatter is workingo n the second book in her Rodeo Series, titles Rodeo Hero. Her first book in the series, Rodeo Dust is due out in October 2011.

That leaves only one person. Dawn Ford.  And Dawn is on vacation right now.  Somewhere that the Internet can’t intrude on her relaxation.  Lucky her…but we can’t wait to have her back!

 

Posted on June 23, 2011 - by Shari Barr

THE JOY OF BEANS

There comes a time when a kid will do almost anything to earn a little moolah to help pass those long hot days of summer. Now, some kids had the luxury of making curly-cues on top of ice cream cones at the Dairy Queen or sitting high on the lifeguard’s chair beside the town pool ready to take a refreshing dip at break time. But since both the Dairy Queen and the pool were in a neighboring town (never mind the fact that I can’t swim), I was relegated to a job closer to home—walking beans with the neighborhood bean crew. 

In case you’ve never heard of walking beans, I’ll explain this prestigious art of weed control that is now basically a lost art. The purpose of a bean crew was to walk down rows of large fields of soybeans and cut weeds, leaving a clean, pristine field for the farmer to brag about.

Most bean crews in the 70’s (or back in “the day” as the young‘ns may call it) consisted of a group of teenage girls sporting cut-off jean shorts and a bikini top in an effort to achieve the perfect tan while working. Since I’m fair skinned, a tan was pretty much non-existent, but since I’m delusional I tried anyway. While my friends earned their gorgeous tans, I was left with a peeling sunburn forcing me to wear t-shirts the remainder of the job, so I achieved the always stylish farmer’s tan.

A typical day of walking beans began about 7:00 A.M. in an effort to “beat the heat.” But, anyone who’s ever been to Iowa in mid-July knows 8:00 in the morning is too late some days. So, we basically had a good hour each day before the real heat set in.

We arrived at the designated bean field each morning, wielding the weapon of choice—a handy, dandy bean hook. This tool is not for the faint of heart. Simply put, it’s a wicked curved blade on the end of a 3-foot stick which allows the walker to wack off a weed without bending over. Aah, the simple joys of life.

Though cooler, early morning in the bean field doesn’t necessarily mean better. After traipsing through waist-high dew covered beans, it didn’t take long before water trickled down my bare legs, soaking my tennis shoes until my toes squished. With mud splattering with every step, this is so not a nice feeling. 

As the sun beat down, the rows got longer…and longer…and longer. Soon a vision appeared at the end of the field, complete with shade trees and an ice cold pop. With sweat dripping from every pore in my body, I staggered to the end of the row. But, wait a minute! There were no trees. There was no pop, not even water. And horror of horrors—it was only 8:30—no where close to break time! Back and forth across the field we went, yanking those stupid little weeds. Did I mention that clouds of gnats hovered about my face and mosquitoes dive-bombed my body like vultures to roadkill? 

Every day spent at the bean field seemed worse than the day before. Mom would pry me out of bed in the mornings, and I would whine, “I don’t mind being bored. I don’t need money that bad.” Needless to say, whining didn’t work. I walked beans for a couple of months that summer, and when those farmers wrote out those checks with my name on them, oh the bliss!

Though every summer I swore I would never walk another bean field as long as I lived, I did—for several more years. Then I got my first air-conditioned job—cashiering at the Hy-Vee grocery store, but that’s a whole different story.

Posted on May 31, 2011 - by Brenda Anderson

Celebration Time!!!

We interrupt our daily blog category of News You CAN’T Use, to bring you News To Celebrate.

Yes sirree, this is news that’ll bring a teeth-gleaming smile to your lips–news that’ll leave you cheering and turning somersaults, so break out the balloons, the noise makers, and, of course, the chocolate.

And just what is this news, you ask? Well, let me tell you. It has to do with three of our own at Inkspirational Messages. Yes, you heard me right. Three of our very own Inkspers have given us reason to party.

And that reason is …?

<drum roll, please>

Three Inkspirational Messages writers have New Releases!!!

Woo Hoo!

Party time!

And now, without further adieu, let me tell you all about those wonderful new books.

Shannon Taylor Vannatter, the queen of writing love stories that make your pulse thump faster than a Lamborghini on a straightaway, has two stories to accelerate your heart rate. Yes, you heard me right. That’s TWO books so swoon-worthy you’ll forget Fabio ever existed.

First, you’ll want to pick up White Doves, released in stores in April and releasing at Christianbook.com come June. Here’s a teaser:

Laken Kroft left home eight years ago and never looked back. Who knew when she applied for the promotion to postmaster that she’d end up in Romance, Arkansas, and much too close to her parents: the town drunk and the local gossip maven?

Hayden Winters has his hands full raising his paraplegic nephew, Brady, and wrestling with his guilt over having caused the child’s injury. When the boy’s father, Laken’s brother, turn up and start talking custody, Laken’s influence is Hayden’s only hope. But whose side is she really on?

Will their mutual bond with their seven-year-old nephew draw them closer or rip them asunder? Will Laken accept Hayden “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” or be forced to turn her back on him and “Return to Sender?”

I’ll bet you can’t wait for the answer.

Once you’ve sniffled your way through Laken’s and Hayden’s romance, you won’t be able to resist moving on to White Pearls, released by Heartsong Presents in January, available at Amazon and in stores come July. You’ll want to keep your tissues handy when you read Shell’s and Ryler’s story.

Shell doesn’t have a good reputation, but no matter what everyone in Rose Bud, Arkansas, thinks of her, Shell Evans is back in town with a job to do. She’ll just have to stick it out and make the best of things. But why does Ryler have to be the landscaper on this project? She was just getting her heart back under control.

Ryler Grant has his own reasons for being in Rose Bud, and they certainly don’t include Shell. Spying on his birth family was going to be hard enough. He doesn’t have time to worry about a woman who dumped him … even if his heart says otherwise.

But God’s love can change the hardest heart. In the light of His presence, even the darkest past can be overcome. They may not know it, but the people of Rose Bud are about to change!

Ahhh. Warms you to your toes, doesn’t it? Just wait till you read the entire story.

Now, if you need a little break from all that heart-palpitating romance, how about a little travel and a whole bunch of mystery?

That’s precisely what Shari Barr brings you in her Camp Club Girls books as she follows inquisitive McKenzie from Montana to Oregon and now to Branson, Missouri. Need a story for that preteen or teenage (or even adult) girl in your life? Looking for an author who “gets” young girls? Well, then don’t look any further than our own Shari Barr.

In May, Shari’s third McKenzie story was released, McKenzie’s Branson Brainteaser. After reading this back cover copy, I know you’ll want to rush right down to your store and pick this one up:

Someone’s missing in Missouri!

McKenzie and Sydney meet in Branson, Missouri, where McKenzie has been recruited to help at the Dixie Stampede. While the girls take in the sights and sounds of Silver Dollar City, they become involved in a search for a teen girl’s long-lost uncle.

A thirteen-year old family feud…

A necklace carved with “SS”…

A familiar fairy statue…

The “Shara Smiles” Man…

With no other clue than a whittled necklace, how will the Camp Club Girls ever reunite this family?

I’ll bet your heart’s a-beatin’ for whole new reasons now, isn’t it? You just can’t wait to solve their mystery, can you?

Just like I’ll bet you can’t wait to get a hold of Lorna Seilstad’s new release, A Great Catch. But, just to warn you, remember that heart-tangoing romance I talked about above? The kind Shannon writes? Well, that heart’ll be getting a whole lot more exercise when your read A Great Catch.

Let me clue you in on what it’s about:

It’s the beginning of a new century at Lake Manawa resort in Iowa, but some things never change. When Emily Graham’s meddlesome aunts and grandmother take it upon themselves to find her a husband among the resort guests, the spunky suffragist is determined to politely decline each and every suitor. She has neither the time nor the need for a man in her busy life.

Carter Stockton, a recent college graduate and a pitcher for the Manawa Owls baseball team, intends to enjoy every minute of the summer before he is forced into the straitlaced business world of his father.

When their worlds collide, neither Emily nor Carter could have guessed what would come next. Will Carter strike out? Or will Emily cast her vote for a love that might cost her dreams?

I forgot to warn you about needing tissues again (sorry), but when reading books by Lorna, also be prepared to chuckle, giggle, and laugh right out loud.

Now, don’t throw those noisemakers away quite yet. You see, we have a few more reasons to celebrate.

First, if you go to Lorna Seilstad’s website today (May 31, 2011) and sign up for her newsletter, you’ll be entered into a drawing for the A Great Catch Baseball Basket Giveaway that includes a $20 Amazon certificate (so you can buy more of Lorna’s and Shannon’s and Shari’s books). So, hurry on over to her website.

Go ahead, do it now, but come right back. We’ll wait.

<waiting … waiting … waiting>

You’re back? And you’re all signed up? Wonderful! Just in time for some more fun news.

Prepare yourself for more heart waltzing love stories from Romance Queen Shannon Vannatter. Yes, you heard me right. Shannon’s been contracted by Heartsong Presents for another three book series.

<Wild cheering>

This time with cowboys and rodeos.

<Be still my heart>

And let me whet that whistle just a little bit more with a blurb from Rodeo Dust, due to release to Heartsong Presents book club members in October, and on Amazon in April of 2012:

Ad exec, Rayna Landers meets bull rider, Clay Warren at the State Fair of Texas. While Rayna thinks she’s content solo, Clay longs for marriage and family. Though poised to win his third world championship, his ranch is in a slump. Clay convinces his publicist to hire her advertising firm in a last-ditch effort to keep his employees and lasso her heart.

Soon the city girl is on the ride of her life, until the rodeo unearths buried memories from her past. Clay sees her through the trauma, but an injury and his stubborn determination to get back in the hypothetical saddle threatens their budding relationship. Can they rely on God to find their common ground or will they draw a line in the rodeo dust that neither will cross?

Whew.

All partied out? Well, you can set those noise makers down for now, but keep them close. Something tells me many more celebrations are not too far behind.

Posted on May 25, 2011 - by Dawn Ford

Weird News

On May 21, 2011 the CDC issued an Emergency Plan for a Zombie Apocalypse. Yes, really. Shock value at its best, the Centers for Disease Control took a page from Hollyweird and created drama to draw people to their site to in truth prepare people for hurricane season. That’s not the funny part. What happened next is the funny part. They had so much traffic on the site that it crashed. I guess America’s more interested in preparing for Zombies than for any type of inclement weather. Click here to prepare for Zombies.

News for you animal lovers out there: Seeing-eye Sheep and Goats Guide a Blind Horse. Sissy, a blind horse, was recently adopted by Michelle Feldstien at her Montana shelter for animals. Along with Sissy came an entourage of sheep and goats who take care of the 15 year old quarter horse. How you ask? They stick around Sissy, lead her to water and food, and let her know when there is a fence. Sissy and her posse join a mountain of other friends such as flightless ducks, clawless cats, and homeless llamas. I guess you can lead a horse to water AND make it drink…if you’re a four legged fuzzy friend. Go here for this story.

And last for those of us who are skeptical of all “Made in China” imports: Fields of Watermelons Burst in China Farm Fiasco. Seems the farmers thought if a little is good, more is better when they added growth chemicals to their watermelon plants. What they created were land mines instead. The melons burst from the (over) reaction of the chemical as they grew. The report of the missile melons goes on to show how these Chinese farmers are misusing chemicals and pesticides on their produce. Two things come to mind: 1. Buy American and 2. No need for our military to spend millions on new weapons research-no one would suspect an innocent looking watermelon. Click here for this story.

The moral of these stories?

The only ones you can trust are the sheep and goats.

(Can you hear the baa’ing laughter?)

Posted on April 14, 2011 - by Shari Barr

Loving Your Neighbor

She came into my life nearly ten years ago.

When Noreen and her family moved to our small town, she enrolled her children in the Christian school my kids attended. Our young daughters shared a classroom and became friends from the start. Soon the play dates and sleepovers began.

Though the girls spent countless hours together, giggling and playing like only little girls can, I never really made an effort to get to know Noreen. I’m ashamed to admit that our differences made it difficult for me to make that first move. You see, I am Christian. Noreen was Muslim. Having lived in a rural community my entire life, I had never had an opportunity to befriend someone of the Islamic faith.

Noreen didn’t have a problem reaching out to me, though. One day when I went to her house to pick up my daughter from a birthday party, she readily invited me inside. Over a piece of cake and ice tea, we visited and I soon learned we had more in common than I ever thought possible. Because of her gracious heart, something beautiful happened that day—a friendship began. Over time we shared our hearts like true girlfriends.

I feel blessed to have met Noreen. She could have judged me, yet she didn’t. She accepted me despite our differences. Her loving and generous ways are an inspiration to me, and surely that is what Jesus had in mind when he taught us to love our neighbors as ourselves. I can’t help but speculate what our world would be like if everyone shared her attitude.

I’ve often wondered if Noreen and I would have become friends if she hadn’t taken that first step in forming a friendship. Would I have been too shy and let the opportunity to form a lifelong bond slip away? I hope I would have had the courage to step up, but only God knows the answer to that one.  I do know, though, that our first acquaintance was not coincidental, and I thank Him for that. God knew I needed a nudge, or maybe even a shove, to get the two of us together. He orchestrated the friendship of our daughters so our paths would cross.  

A few years ago, Noreen and her family moved away, across the country, in fact. But no matter where she lives or where I am in life, I will always remember her as the woman who showed me the true meaning of friendship.

Posted on February 13, 2011 - by Brenda Anderson

And the Winner of Chocolate is …

Thanks to everyone who stopped by Inkspirational Messages these past two weeks, and to those who shared a comment or more with us. We love having you visit and hope you come back again.

Now, for the winner of one box of Fannie May Assorted Chocolates.

(Drum roll please …)

!!! JUDY MILLER !!!

Congratulations Judy!

To claim your prize, e-mail your mailing address to Brenda AT BrendaAndersonBooks DOT com and we’ll get that delicious chocolate shipped right out to you.

Posted on February 12, 2011 - by Regina

Passion

What are you passionate about? What excites you?

In Psalm 37:4, David writes, Delight yourself in the Lord and he shall give you the desires of your heart.”

In the next two weeks our Inkspirational writers will address this issue from many perspectives. I can’t wait for my turn, as this is one of those verses I claimed as a promise from God long ago! One thing I do know? God is passionate about YOU!

AND, if you’re passionate about chocolate, check in tomorrow to see the winner of the delicious box of Fannie May candies!