Less than a week left before ACFW, but there is plenty of time to stop by and get some last minute tips from some of your favorite authors.
Check out who’s coming to visit:
Monday – Siri Mitchell
Tuesday – Cara Lynn James
Wednesday – Kim Sawyer
Thursday – Rachel Hauck
And Friday, I’m going to try to stop in and let you know how things are going at ACFW – maybe with a few pics too 🙂
Time for another week of conference tips and who is coming to visit??
Monday – The Kissing Queen herself – Julie Lessman
Tuesday – Julie’s ACFW partner and fabulous author, Ruth Axtell Morren
Wednesday with Carol Finalist, Ruth Logan Herne
Thursday – Debut author and encourager-extraordinairre, Keli Gwyn
Friday – Seeker and sweetheart, Audra Harders
Saturday – historical and contemporary author, Siri Mitchell
Stop by and learn from the best.
Well, if you’ve been a frequent follower of this blog, you’re already well aware of what a Connealy fan I am.
I happily own all of her books, and look forward to her newest releases- especially more of the Kincaid Brides series.
Now, let me tell you that one of the highlights of my first ACFW conference was getting to meet the Seekers – and especially Mary Connealy. She and Siri Mitchell were the first authors I read who wrote something similar to what I liked to write – and were the first authors to help me find a ‘home’ in Christian fiction.
Mary is also the one who introduced me to the wonderful world of Seekerville.
She creates stories about as fast as her heroes can round-up cattle- and all of her romances are filled with fabulous humor, adventure, and male-female banter.
Last year at ACFW, Mary won the coveted Carol Award for her novel, Cowboy Christmas. That’s me with Mary after she received her award. Does’nt she look so happy!!!
Okay, okay – back to conference tips.
Mary, what are three things a writer should never forget to bring to conference?
Stop by for the next three weeks and get some conference tips from fabulous authors like:
Denise Hunter
Rachel Hauck
Ruth Logan Herne
Siri Mitchell
Mary Connealy
Kaye Dacus
AND MORE……
Look for the weekend lineup on Saturday so you’ll make sure to stop by for a quick note that will help prepare you for ACFW or any other writers conference you might have in your sights. It all starts on Tuesday, Sept. 6.
Happy Saturday!
Thanks for visiting this week’s review week with Siri Mitchell.
The Winner of Siri’s most recent novel, A Heart Most Worthy, is KarenK.
So shoot me your snail mail Karen at pepperbasham(at)yahoo(dot)com
Congratulations!!!!!
Next week stop by for a review week with sassy and sensible Mrs. Ruth Logan Herne. And get ready for another giveaway!!!
Have a wonderful weekend..
Blessings,
Pepper
Siri’s newest novel, A Heart Most Worthy, still holds the same amazing story we’re used to from the award winning author, but there’s a twist. It’s written in 3rd person omniscent. You get to be in EVERYONE’s heads – including the three main characters.
It’s about three women, three romances, and three opportunities. It’s about friendship. It’s also about a luxious culture and a world described in such lucid detail, it leaves one breathless – much like the men in this story.
Whew. Lovely. Particularly Raefello. And Billy. Wow!
Even Dr. Mauro 😉 I have so much to learn from you, Siri. Your writing is SUPERB!
And the wonderful amusement, suspense, and beautiful wonder of a world a century away, filled with the opulence and eloquence of the Italian culture! Oh my, Siri – what a masterful work!
Thank you for sharing it with me.
Check out tomorrow’s post to see who I get to share this fascinating book with. Who will win it? Leave a comment about one of Siri’s books and you are in the drawing!
Without a doubt, this is the BEST historical novel Siri Mitchell has written to date. And the hero? Completely adorable. What’s even better, is that there is fantastic repartee, dancing, and…humor. Oh my, Siri – this novel is second only to your contemporary novel Kissing Adrien.
So, what’s this story all about?
The novel twirls you away, lost in the middle of pretense, expectations in New York’s Guilded Era, truth, lies, and what a ‘living’ faith looks like. Harry De Vrie sweeps the reader’s heart away with his humor, sincerity, and faith. In the middle of the whirlwind of money, status, and deception, Harry stands out with his honesty and endearingly confused reaction to the social ‘expectations’ of the Age. It goes without saying, that poor Clara Carter’s innocent heart is pulled between two desires: the belief that she MUST marry for status over love & and the realization that God can be personal instead of a distant deity.
Clara is lovable, and sweetly unaware of this ‘game of life’. We experience the expectations, heartbreak, and confusion along with her. We learn the steps of an affective snub, how to wave a fan, and spin across the dancefloor with our eyes closed. It’s a brilliant, glamorous, and perplexing journey.
There are so many lovely scenes, I will not recount them, but leave curious minds to uncover the treasures in She Walks In Beauty. Be prepared for elegance, extravagance, romance, and enough humorous snubbing to make you fall in love with Harry along with Clara.
The question is – what will Clara choose? A woman in 1891? Does she have a choice?
Siri has a unique way of weaving faith into her novels like a gentle whisper instead of a clanging gong. Hints, faded hues woven throughout scenes, and tiny sprinkles of well-placed dialogue speak to the characters as well as the reader. Wonderfully done. I’m still glowing from the aftermath of the book J
If you enjoyed Siri’s novel A Constant Heart, you will adore She Walks In Beauty. Visit Siri’s website to learn more about her books – www.sirimitchell.com
REMEMBER to leave your name and a comment about which book/character you like best of Siri’s – your name will be placed in the drawing for Siri’s newest novel, A Heart Most Worthy
Without a doubt, this is the BEST historical novel Siri Mitchell has written to date. And the hero? Completely adorable. What’s even better, is that there is fantastic repartee, dancing, and…humor. Oh my, Siri – this novel is second only to your contemporary novel Kissing Adrien.
So, what’s this story all about?
The novel twirls you away, lost in the middle of pretense, expectations in New York’s Guilded Era, truth, lies, and what a ‘living’ faith looks like. Harry De Vrie sweeps the reader’s heart away with his humor, sincerity, and faith. In the middle of the whirlwind of money, status, and deception, Harry stands out with his honesty and endearingly confused reaction to the social ‘expectations’ of the Age. It goes without saying, that poor Clara Carter’s innocent heart is pulled between two desires: the belief that she MUST marry for status over love & and the realization that God can be personal instead of a distant deity.
Clara is lovable, and sweetly unaware of this ‘game of life’. We experience the expectations, heartbreak, and confusion along with her. We learn the steps of an affective snub, how to wave a fan, and spin across the dancefloor with our eyes closed. It’s a brilliant, glamorous, and perplexing journey.
There are so many lovely scenes, I will not recount them, but leave curious minds to uncover the treasures in She Walks In Beauty. Be prepared for elegance, extravagance, romance, and enough humorous snubbing to make you fall in love with Harry along with Clara.
The question is – what will Clara choose? A woman in 1891? Does she have a choice?
Siri has a unique way of weaving faith into her novels like a gentle whisper instead of a clanging gong. Hints, faded hues woven throughout scenes, and tiny sprinkles of well-placed dialogue speak to the characters as well as the reader. Wonderfully done. I’m still glowing from the aftermath of the book J
If you enjoyed Siri’s novel A Constant Heart, you will adore She Walks In Beauty. Visit Siri’s website to learn more about her books – www.sirimitchell.com
REMEMBER to leave your name and a comment about which book/character you like best of Siri’s – your name will be placed in the drawing for Siri’s newest novel, A Heart Most Worthy
In July 2009, I read Siri Mitchell’s historical novel, Love’s Pursuit. It was one of those books that leaves an indelible mark on your spirit when you finish. One of those books where the heroine gets so deep into your psyche, she lingers beyond the final page. It’s not a book for the faint of heart, but it is a book for the heart searching for truth.
Here’s my review from 2009:
I knew I enjoyed Siri’s contemporary romance novels, so when I saw that Siri had started writing historicals, I wondered if I’d have the same feelings about those. IN 2008 her novel, A Constant Heart, debuted. A beautiful story of love discovered and refined, this novel takes the reader back to the Elizabethan era – where ‘pomp & circumstance’ was defined.
Here’s my review from 2008:
In October 2008, I enjoyed one of my first Siri Mitchell historical romances. A Constant Heart.
Having loved her contemporary novels, I wondered if I’d like the genre switch. I wasn’t disappointed. Here is my review.
One true love……but not to your wife.
One faithful devotion…..but not to your marriage.
Under the watchful and paranoid eyes of Queen Elizabeth, where adoration is rewarded with influence and honor gained through tickling her Majesty’s fancy, the balance of life & death, wealth and ruin hangs by a precarious thread.
Simon, Earl of Lytham, knew the steps to his royal dance. His fidelity to his queen promised him a life with purpose, so marriage to a simple knight’s daughter offered no distraction, only the certainty of financial gain. His role as a courtier to the queen overshadowed his painful memories of his first wife’s betrayal, kept his status secure, and gave him opportunities to advance himself into the world of privilege.
Marget knew her place, her purpose. She would marry the Earl of Lytham as her father decreed, but unlike any hopeless resignation, she determined to bring her indifferent husband honor. Uncertain of the rules at court, Marget stumbles upon Queen Elizabeth’s disdain and sinks into deeper emotional debt to her husband, until an unlikely and unsettling alliance with Lady de Winter begins to improve Marget’s station.
Against his will, Simon softens under Marget’s genuine attempts to help him. The scars from his first marriage freeze his resolve against Marget’s love, but with each act of selflessness Marget displays Simon’s heart thaws – and finally seizes the beautiful, uncontaminated affection she offers. Her devotion, sincerity, honesty, and gentleness shine a light on the pretension, deception, and base rules of life at court.
But as their love deepens, the charade they play as emotionless courtiers by day and devoted lovers by night braids together until Queen Elizabeth feels the loss and threatens, not only their marriage, but their lives.
Is love worth the risk, the gamble, the loss? Can love truly conquer all or will the deception and desire for power break ‘a constant heart’?
It isn’t often that fiction unveils romance within a marriage relationship. Usually, the entire ‘male catch female’ – or visa versa, is the tone of the novel, but in Siri Mitchell’s novel A Constant Heart, the entire book opens up the lives of a married couple, who learn to love each other. The story was beautiful, tastefully and colorfully written, gripping, funny, and incredibly tender. I enjoyed the continual switch of points of view, from Marget’s thoughts to Simon’s thoughts. The most painful instances involved her miscarriages, but my favorite scene combined a dinner party with lots of radishes (for fear of spoiling the book for others, I will not give more details). Siri Mitchell transported me back in time, weaving historical facts seamlessly through the tale. I will read it again….soon.
LEAVE a comment about the characters you enjoyed in this novel – or why you think you would enjoy this novel, for your chance to win Siri’s newest novel – A HEART MOST WORTHY.
Winner will be announced in the weekend post.
