Count Your Blessings

Sometimes I’m so caught up in the day-to-day bustle of life that I forget how very blessed I am. The holiday season is a time to reflect…and hopefully take a moment to slow down long enough to draw a breath, step back, and count the many blessings that fill my life.

I’m thankful for a loving husband—a man with whom a share a real-life romance filled with love and laughter, adventure and fun (I tell my husband he’s cheap entertainment). Tim supports and encourages my passion for sharing the written word. I’m so thankful God brought him into my life.

I’m thankful for my daughter, Danni, who has grown into a beautiful young woman. Danni illuminates my life with her loving, generous spirit. She’s friend to everyone, and has a special place in her heart for the elderly and the hurting. She is truly a blessing to me.

My friends, especially my precious writing friends, are a reason to give thanks. These wonderful people completely understand when I mention the ‘voices’ that speak to me while I’m writing. I love them dearly.

But, most of all, I am thankful for my Lord and Savior, who has given all of this and more to me. What an amazing blessing to know His love and grace are never-ending.

So, as this holiday season begins, I wish you blessings and peace, dear friends. May you take a moment to draw a breath, step back, and count the many blessings that fill your life.

Cup of Joe...in print!

What a cute dog on that book cover!

Today was an exciting day around my house. I came home and found four huge boxes on my front porch. And guess what was in all of them?

Hot-off-the-presses copies of my new book Cup of Joe.

Cup of Joe will officially be released from White Rose Publishing on December 4. I have a book signing scheduled for December 12 at The Foundry coffee shop here in San Antonio. (Cup of Joe...coffee shop...get the connection? I'm clever that way!)

My son, Cameron, came over tonight so we had an impromptu photo shoot. Of course, I wanted my puppy, Bliss, in the photo since she bears a rather striking resemblance to the dog on the cover (what a shocking coincidence). My English Cocker Spaniel, Angel, wanted to climb in my lap so she could be in the picture, so we tried to get them both in. Boy, it's hard enough to get a decent looking picture of me, much less a good photo of all three of us.

Look at our sad attempts...

Um, Angel, what are you looking at?

Look at Angel's glowing eyes. What the heck? Halloween is over.

Oh well. Maybe next time!

Blessings, Teri

Teri Wilson ~ Romancing the pet lover's soul

http://www.teriwilson.net/

Enduring the Storm

Today is the release day for It Happened One Hurricane, a short inspirational story I wrote last fall during the five days I was without electricity following Hurricane Ike. This got me thinking about storms. Not the natural ones like Ike and Katrina, but the “life storms” some of you may be enduring at this very moment. Perhaps a relationship has died, or someone is sick. Maybe someone has failed to meet your expectations and let you down in a way you could never have imagined. Or maybe this recession is finally getting the best of you. Please let me remind you of a couple facts:

First: God has not forgotten you. It is often hard to find God or even pray when certain storms have swept us into deep waters. Never fear. God has a plan, God has peace to impart regarding the situation, and God always has the answer. So hang on. What’s that old saying? God may not come exactly when you call, but He’s always right on time. Count on it.

Second: You are not alone. Yes, I know you feel alone. Yes, I know you don’t know how you’ll ever feel right again. Yes, I know you’ve been forsaken by earthly people with limited earthly abilities. I know your heart is broken. Refer to my first point above.

The challenge: Though in the midst of your storm, take two minutes as often as you can to lift your arms above the raging water and say “Thank you, God, for calming the storm” and believe He is doing it. It really helps!

More on It Happened One Hurricane:
Here’s the blurb:
When Pittsburgh native Amber Kensington moved to the Texas Gulf coast to take a job, hurricane season was the last thing on her mind. That is until a massive storm named Ike appears destined to make a direct hit just miles from her apartment. Evacuation is the answer, but what happens when your car won’t cooperate?

Alex Clarke has seen his share of tropical weather, but it never gets any easier. A childhood experience with lightning has left him fearful of storms. Still, his greatest desire is to participate in his church’s outreach program and assist hurricane victims. Now he’s discovered his new neighbor is stranded. Can he convince her to go with him? And can Amber and Alex find God’s comfort and healing despite the raging storm?

Pop over to my blog and leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of It Happened One Hurricane. Winners announced Sunday evening the 9th! http://authorcarlarossi.blogspot.com/

Special Guest - Bess McBride

Happy July 1st!

I know, we celebrate our country's independence on July 4th, but hey, what's wrong with starting early?

Today the White Roses would like to welcome fellow TWRP author, Bess McBride with two of her five books as our special guest!

Thanks, Roses, for spotlighting me today. I’m happy to be here. I’m Bess McBride, and I write romances in several different genres...contemporary, light paranormal/fantasy (lovelorn ghosty stuff a la Ghost and Mrs. Muir), time travel and romantic suspense. I have five books in print with The Wild Rose Press, and two more on the way. You can contact me through my web site at www.bessmcbride.com. My tag line is “Romances for the Shy Girl in All of Us,” and I tend to write romances where the love scenes are fade to black, if not sweet. That’s what I like to read, and that’s what I like to write! I hope you enjoy the blurbs.”

A Train Through Time, time travel, sweet

Blurb: College teacher Ellie Standish thinks she’s on a sleek modern train heading to a conference on women’s studies in Seattle, but she awakens from a night’s doze to find herself on a bizarre historical train full of late Victorian era reenactors who refuse to come out of character. When the leader of the group—one handsome, green-eyed Robert Chamberlain—finally convinces her the date is indeed 1901, a skeptical Ellie decries any eccentric theories of time travel and presumes she is smack dab in the middle of a very interesting historical dream. She turns the directorial reins of her dream over to one smitten and willing Robert, only to realize that dreams cannot last forever. Someday, she must wake up to reality, though Ellie no longer has any idea what reality is. She only knows that Robert must play an important part in her future. But how can he...if he’s only a figment of her imagination or worse yet...a man who belongs to an era long past?

Caribbean Dreams of Love, light paranormal/fantasy, sensual (no explicit love scenes/fade to black)

Blurb: Daisy and her sixteen-year-old daughter, Lily, are embarking on a Caribbean cruise. She isn't looking for anything special on the cruise other than a pleasant break from her humdrum existence as long-time divorced single mother to a busy teenage girl. She certainly isn't prepared for an enigmatic man named Peter whose idiosyncrasies in dress and speech mark him as an eccentric person to avoid. But Daisy can't avoid him. In fact, she begins to obsess about him from the first moment she catches him staring at her in the cruise ship terminal. Peter remains elusive and mysterious throughout the cruise. She catches sight of him occasionally, never often enough to please her, and they connect one wonderful night as he sweeps her into his arms for a waltz. A waltz? On a Caribbean cruise ship? While Daisy's dinner companions share nightly tales of the legends of cursed pirates, Daisy dreams of the mysterious man who has captured her heart.

Wow, find out more about Bess's titles at her website or The Wild Rose Press!

Hope you've enjoyed our guest today. Come back often to see what's going on in the lives and writing careers of the White Roses.

Until later...take care and Be Blessed!

Pamela S Thibodeaux

"Inspirational with an Edge!" (TM)

Cinderella dressed in yellow...

Cinderella dressed in yellow
Went upstairs to kiss a fellow
Made a mistake
Kissed a snake
How many doctors did it take?

I didn’t kiss a snake, but it did take a doctor or two to fix me up last night. My life has been a little crazy lately. My only child graduated from high school last week. Being an only child (and an only grandchild), plenty of family members came in town to celebrate this milestone in my son’s life. At times it was a bit overwhelming. Then, the day after everyone left, I took a tumble in a pizza parlor and sprained my foot. Right there amid the red checkered tablecloths and bubbling mozzarella, I watched my foot swell to about three times its normal size.

After I finished my pizza (hey – I have my priorities), my son (the high school graduate – insert heaping dose of parental pride here) and his girlfriend took me to an emergency medical clinic. The medical professionals x-rayed me and told me my foot wasn’t broken, but somehow I still ended up with a giant removable cast on my foot/ankle and orders to get lots of rest with my feet up.

So I went home and watched a DVD. It was a toss-up between Cinderella and Lady & the Tramp. Yes, I love Disney. And I have the personalized mouse-ears to prove it. I chose Cinderella. I haven’t seen it in a long time and besides…the color of my foot was starting to resemble the lovely blue of Cinderella’s ball gown.

Several of my son’s friends drifted in and out of the house and each and every one of them stopped, plopped down in the living room with me and watched the movie. I guess no one is immune to the feel-good quality of a good fairy tale. Even my dog Angel propped her chin up on my cast and stared at the plasma screen. She especially loved the little singing mice.

What is it that makes a good fairy tale so irresistible? I think it’s something more meaningful than just those fab glass stilettos. Even though I would walk through coals for a pair of shoes like that (cumbersome cast not withstanding). I believe we are all drawn to these stories because we want to believe something like that could happen to us. Somehow, somewhere there’s someone who can make all our wildest dreams come true.

The good news is that it’s true. God is that someone. He wants to make our dreams come true. Sometimes, of course, His idea of what’s best for us is slightly different than ours. But He is the God of the universe. His plans are better than anything you or I could come up with. Not only is this the truth, it is also the premise for my new novella from White Rose Publishing, Once Upon a Collar.

Once Upon a Collar is a modern, inspirational twist on the traditional fairy tale. And best of all – like a gift from a fairy godmother – it will be available FREE to anyone. Even those who forget to wish upon a star. All you need to do is join the White Rose Publishing Reader’s Group on Yahoo. To join the group, simply click here:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WhiteRosePublishing/

Don’t miss out on Once Upon a Collar and other inspirational free reads. In the meantime, leave a comment and tell me what you love best about fairy tales. Or share some tips for getting around with this awful cast on my foot. Seriously, if Prince Charming showed up on my doorstep I couldn’t cram this thing into a glass slipper to save my life.

Blessings, Teri

Teri Wilson ~ Romancing the pet lover’s soul

www.teriwilson.net

Coming soon from White Rose Publishing:

Once Upon a Collar & Cup of Joe

Special Guest - Kelly Marstad

Hello Friends,

Please join the White Rose Authors in welcoming special guest, Kelly Marstad as she talks about Guidelines. But first.....A little about Kelly.....

Kelly has been a writer for eight years. She is published both in eBook format and print through two separate publishing houses. She boasts six titles under another pen name in the mainstream market, all of which came out in 2008 and two which found their way to the top of the bestseller's list.

With the recent conviction that God did not intend her talents for the mainstream market, she has switched gears completely and is now pursuing the inspirational genre without regret. Kelly is the wife of a vicar, mother of two children, a life-long Christian, world traveler, student of human behavior and of the writing craft.

Kelly also does line and content editing for several publishing houses as well as individual authors. Find out more about Kelly at her website and blog or email her at: KellyMarstad@gmail.com

Now....Here's what Kelly has to say about Guidelines....Ah. Guidelines. We love them, don’t we. No, don’t argue. Let’s say it together, “I LOVE my guidelines.” Right, well, work on it for me, okay?

So here’s the thing. We write. We lurve writing. If we don’t write, our brains get so occupied with writerly thoughts that our real-to-life issues may suffer and clog like a big, hairy drain. We write because we have to, because it satisfies us, because it is the gift God has given us. And it is a gift which is why we sometimes get frustrated when guidelines stifle us. I think it’s safe to say that much.

A while back I did an article for the Seekers blog about my frustrations in transferring from the Mainstream market into the Inspirational market. It stemmed around the differences in ABA and CBA guidelines, and admittedly, I got a bit snarky (though, if you know me, you’d have laughed because I’m almost always snarky in a well-intentioned kind of way. Seriously. No, seriously. *sigh*). But I am here to eat my words—oh, for Pete’s sake, even I can’t say that with a straight face. How about, “I am here to modify my words”? Hmm. Yes, that sits better.

I had a tough lesson recently. It was about obedience. 1 Peter 2:13-17: “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men…live as servants of God.” I squinted when I read this. I figured if the words were blurry it didn’t apply so much. I might have convinced myself, if it had not been followed by Hebrews 13:1-5. “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established…Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted…”

Oh, bother. Even squinting couldn’t get me past that one.

My lesson was submitting to the senior pastor at our vicarage church (husband is a seminarian ie/pastor in training). Long story, but basically I could not do enough to please him, join enough, commit enough, to the point where I was asked to keep record of how often a day I pray and read my Bible. Now, I admit it did ease my mind to know the seminary agreed with me and wasn’t pleased with his ongoing requests for which he held my husband’s passing grade captive. But they asked me to submit.

The official line was, obey, apologize, commit, submit. Do not defend yourself or explain yourself for it would only anger the pastor. Submit because then you have done everything in your power to make the vicarage work. A tall order for me. I prayed. I ground my teeth. I prayed some more and then went to a meeting with him. And do you know? God came with me. I submitted. And in doing so, I learned just how much God’s people mean to me regardless of whether or not I agree with the institution placed before me.

What does this have to do with writing? “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority.” Even publishers. Even editors. Even *gasp* (dun-dun-dun-duuuhhhhhh) guidelines.
You are doing it for the Lord’s sake, not your own. You are doing it because He asked you to, not because the publisher wanted to be rigid (well, okay, maybe they do, but that’s beside the point). He gave you the gift and you serve Him.

Your obedience is all that is required here. Beyond whether we think topless-Joe is okay in a book and the publisher disagrees, beyond topless-Joe and svelte-Sally in an embrace, no matter how chaste, beyond topless-Joe having a beer with his non-alcoholic friends at a backyard barbeque, you must submit to the authorities over you. Not for your pride. For the good of your soul, mastered by your Heavenly Father.

“…he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted…” Are you rebelling? I was. Did. Still do, at times. I struggle to submit because I do have success in the mainstream market. I can make money writing with them. My editors and my publishers still want me back. And do you know, they will send me emails from time to time checking in with me, seeing if I meant what I said when I told them all good-bye and shut down my pen name.

My submission is to God, not my wallet. My submission to the Heavenly Father who gave me the ability to write in the first place and knowing that in my obedience to Him, He might use words from something I’ve written to touch even one of His blessed children. And because of that obedience, He will look at me with pleasure. Wow. Wow-wow-wow-wow-wow!

You know what’s even more freeing? I’m off the hook. I don’t have to like the guidelines, but I don’t angst over them either. Not anymore. I don’t have to wonder if my words carry purpose or carnality. Not anymore. I don’t have to wonder if I please God. Not anymore (sidebar: anyone else in here channeling Margie Lawson’s rhetorical writing?). Not when I do as He asks and submit my will to His. I’ll let Him worry about the details of whether or not I make it in this market. He’s a much better planner and publicist than I could ever be.

Interesting story and great advice, Kelly!

Watch for more special guests coming soon.

Until later....take care, Be BLESSED! and remember, White Rose Publishing is GIVING AWAY a Sony Ereader and it's NOT too late to enter the contest!

Pamela S Thibodeaux

"Inspirational with an Edge!" (TM)

God is everywhere

Two weeks ago, I went to Las Vegas for the weekend. My husband and I go every year with the partners at his office as part of a trip to entertain clients. Not being a big gambler, I spend most of time on these trips lounging by the Bellagio pool or shopping – because yes, the shopping in Vegas is fabulous.

This year I wanted to try something different. Vegas is surrounded by gorgeous mountains, something I never see since I’m from South Central Texas. I thought it would be fun to go horseback riding and see some of the scenery. So, I scheduled a two-hour trail ride through Red Rocks Canyon. My only challenge would be getting there from the Las Vegas strip. If there’s one thing I dread about going to Vegas, it’s the cab rides. I remember reading somewhere that at least one pedestrian a week is hit by a car in Vegas and I believe it. Those cab drivers terrify me.

I entered my taxi that was to sweep me off to mountain paradise with more than a little trepidation. Red Rocks Canyon was a good 25 minutes away so I was in it for the long haul. But as soon as I slid across the cracked vinyl seat, a beautiful sound came to my ears.

Caught a glimpse of your splendor
In the corner of my eye
The most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen
And it was like a flash of lightning
Reflected off the sky
And I know I’ll never be the same

It was one of my favorite songs playing on the taxi’s radio.

“Is this K-Love?” I asked the driver.

“No, it’s SOS,” he said.

“Oh.” I smiled at him through the rear-view mirror. “This is Third Day. My favorite band.”

His eyes lit up and he turned around. “Are you a Christian?”

His question struck me somewhat by surprise. I live in the Bible belt. Texas – the land of the mega-churches. Not very often has anyone asked me if I’m a Christian. Interestingly enough, I would be asked that question no less than three times on my weekend trip to Las Vegas. “Yes!”

He turned the music up. All the way to the canyon, we talked about Jesus, even though sometimes we had to yell above the praise music. It was a wonderful ride. And when I went on the trail ride, my guide was a Mexican cowboy who told me all about his struggle to fit in and find a good Christian church in Vegas.

As we approach Easter – the original Third Day – try to remember that God is everywhere. He turns up in even the most unexpected places, even the back of a taxi cab in Sin City.

To celebrate the holiday, I’m giving away a free print copy of my Easter romance Love, Lilies & the Unbroken Straw. For your chance to win, simply visit my personal blog at www.teriwilson.net. Leave a comment on the most recent blog entry and you’ll automatically be entered in the drawing. I will choose the winner’s name at random on Easter Sunday.

Have a glorious Easter rich with God’s blessings,

Teri

Teri Wilson ~ Romancing the pet lover’s soul

Interview with Writer Rhonda Clark

Allow me to introduce my friend Rhonda Clark. She is a freelance writer, blogger and novelist. She lives in Memphis, Tennessee with her husband and two children, where she is a stay-at-home mom. Her hobbies include spending time with her children, reading and volunteering at her church. Please sit back and enjoy getting to know Rhonda with me. (You know you wanted that second cup of coffee anyway.)

Q: Rhonda, you have an impressive bibliography of published articles. Can you tell us a little about your work?

A: Thanks, I’ve never thought of it as “impressive.” It’s just what God wants me to do. He has blessed me with a quirky way of seeing things. I can find Him and His teachings in places most others never would. I’m excited to be able to reach others with Christ’s message through my work.


Q: What other roles do you fill in life besides "writer?" How do you maintain the balance between them?

A: I’m a wife, and stay-at-home-mom of two. The three of them keep me busy with soccer, football, basketball, softball, and whatever else is going on in their lives. Around here, each day is a new adventure. Finding balance is sometimes tough, and I couldn’t do it without God’s blessings. He keeps me on track.



Q: What do you find rewarding about writing?

A: It’s a release for me, a cleansing process for my mind and emotions. I’m one of these people who has a mind that seldom stops, it’s always running. Writing allows me to exhaust my thoughts and my brain to the point of relaxation. What’s so very cool is I get to share God’s message of love and redemption while doing something for myself.



Q: Tell us about the podcast you've recently started with The Christian Pulse.

A: At The Christian Pulse we call it a pulsecast, and this is my newest adventure. The Inkwell debuted in March, and is a show dedicated to interviewing writers about their books. It airs the second week of every month with a contest that runs from the air date to the end of the month. We give away a copy of the book we’re discussing.I have some fantastic guest lined up, they include, Michelle Sutton, Rita Gerlach, Lena Nelson Dooley, and the wonderful Kara Lynn Russell. The next air date will be April 12 and I’ll be interviewing Marty Norman about her book, “Generation G.” This is a wonderful book about grandparenting in the 21st century. I’m nowhere close to being a grandmother, and I learned a few things. This also makes a great Mother’s Day gift.



Q: Are you working on any other projects right now that you'd like to share?

Beach Reads, where I review books, and talk writing. Each month I have a featured author. April will be Laura Lee Heinsohn. There will be a new post about her every week, with an opportunity to enter a chance to win her book, “Cracking the Parenting Code.” I’ll post a review later in the month. My newest blog is Within Your Skin. I’m on a journey to get healthy and thought others might like to join me. I’m going to look at eating plans, exercise plans, and healthy products. You’ll get to learn from my pitfalls and what I learn from the Scriptures. This blog is only a couple of weeks old, but it’s going to be a great encouragement for me and hopefully others.

My big project is my novel, “The Road To Bliss.” That’s the first time I’ve revealed the title to the public, so you’ve got a scoop. J It’s currently in rewrites, but I took some of the cut passages and turned them into short stories. I’m going to enter it in the Faithwriters.com Page Turner Contest. It’s currently in rewrites. I’ve turned a couple of the cut pieces into short stories, and plan to do this with other parts. You’ll get to know some of the characters and a little of their background before the book is published. The Tennessee Writer’s Alliance has published the first two in their online magazine Maypop. I’ll most likely being publishing all of the short stories through them. The Demon Road and The Runaway Road are available now.

Forgive and Forget? Not Really...

To forgive is a powerful thing.
To not forgive is even more powerful. But not in a good way.
Huh. I guess I should be working on that…

I’ll explain.
I am a lifelong Christian. My first love was Jesus, my first classroom was Sunday School. My Godly mother instilled in me the basic truths of my faith and I embraced them. I obeyed the Ten Commandments, loved my neighbor, and exercised my mustard seed faith. As far as I knew, I’d learned how to turn the other cheek, love my enemies, and forgive - just as God instructed over and over in His Word.

Then last week as I talked to a friend about a sad period in my life when I was hurt, betrayed, and persecuted by those who were supposed to be my friends and fellow believers, I stumbled upon a terrible truth about myself: I was the owner of a king-sized grudge. The more I shared with her about how I was wronged and cast out, the more anger and resentment bubbled inside me, and I knew if anger and resentment resided there, it was because total, honest forgiveness had not taken place.

I decided to investigate further. “Do you think I hold grudges?” I asked my husband as we waited for American Idol to start.

“Yes.” He didn’t even hesitate.

I was appalled. “Really?”

“Aw, c’mon, Bun.” (He used to call me Honey Bunny, which morphed into Bunny, and now, just plain Bun.) “You’re still mad at me for things I did fifteen years ago.”

“I am not.”

“You are. Remember when I accidentally mowed down your wisteria?”

I became royally agitated. “Give me a break! I put a bright orange ribbon on a huge wooden stake. How could you not see that? The space shuttle could detect it from space, and you just mowed right over it!”

“I rest my case.”

Oops.
Next stop: prayer closet.

I began to prayerfully explore hidden anger and buried resentment. I asked God to show me where I’d messed up, who I’d neglected to forgive, and what I needed to do. I delved into submerged pain and forgotten hurts and one by one asked God for help. And the funny part? I realized I never had any trouble asking for forgiveness, I just had a heck of a time giving it.

The challenge: Take a look inside yourself. Are you harboring resentment? Or withholding forgiveness from someone who needs to know it’s okay? The time and energy spent holding that grudge is time better spent receiving the blessings you’ve missed.

Find it, fix it, forgive it, forget it.

Carla Rossi is the author of Limited Light, Almost Home and the soon to be released Under the 5th Street Bridge – an Easter Lilies Contest Winner due out April 9th. Visit Carla at http://www.carlarossi.com/ or by e-mail at carla@carlarossi.com.

TWRP Opens New Inspirational Publishing Company!

Well Friends, looks like things are on the up-and-up for The Wild Rose Press and their White Rose Authors!

March is White Rose Month @ TWRP and as a surprise to EVERYONE, including the authors, Rhonda, RJ & Nicola introduced some exciting news and now I'm passing it on to you!

We're excited to announce the arrival of White Rose Publishing.

On May 1, 2006, two writing critique partners, RJ Morris and Rhonda Penders, decide to open a "kinder and gentler" publishing company. That company was, and is, The Wild Rose Press. Their premise was to grow a "garden" where authors would be treated with respect, concern, and understanding. RJ and Rhonda wanted a publishing company that didn’t make authors wonder what was happening with their manuscripts. The two also believed that no one should ever again receive a form rejection letter. If the manuscript was not something the company could use, every writer who sent a query would receive a personal, prompt, and courteous letter of rejection explaining exactly why the manuscript wasn’t accepted and what the author could do to improve it. If an author was to receive a contract, the process would be as efficient as possible, and the author would be kept in the loop with communication every step along the way. In fact, communication was to be one of the key strengths of the company.

Almost three years later, RJ and Rhonda have successfully fulfilled their goals, and over five hundred authors in a range of fourteen different lines have been published at The Wild Rose Press, and a staff of close to fifty includes a Graphic Arts Department, Production Department, Proofreading, Marketing and, of course, Editing.

Continuing to cultivate The Wild Rose Press was to be the end of the story. However in late 2008, RJ and Rhonda became aware that some Christian readers and authors were reluctant to visit The Wild Rose Press catalogue site because of some of the non-Christian covers that sometimes appeared on the front page as new titles in the non-Christian lines were released. Not wanting to offend, RJ and Rhonda quickly bulit a White Rose portal at http://www.whiterosesbooks.com/ so that Christian visitors could avoid non-Christian content if they so chose. But, on further research, both agreed this was not enough.

VOILA! White Rose Publishing was born. With the experience of RJ and Rhonda behind it, along with the impeccable reputation and RWA recognition that The Wild Rose Press is an upstanding publisher, pays royalties promptly and on a regular basis, and is not a vanity or subsidy publishing house, White Rose Publishing sees its dawn as we move towards becoming the online place for quality Christian romance. We will publish books and stories in various lengths ranging from Rosettes (which are quick reads) to Roses (which are 100,000 word novels). All books over 65,000 words will be released in both print and ebook form. Anything less than 65K will be available as an ebook at a variety of distributors, including Amazon Kindle, Sony Ebook store, and Fictionwise, among others. Printed books will be distributed through http://www.amazon.com/, http://www.barnesandnoble.com/, Target.com, and can be ordered by libraries, bookstores through such distributors as Bakers and Taylor and Ingram.

As a new publishing venture, we are actively seeking quality submissions in all romance subgenre. Senior Editor Nicola Martinez, holds to strict guidelines of what is and isn’t acceptable for a White Rose book. While we will publish some titles that might be considered “edgy” according to regular CBA guidelines, with her team of three editors, Ms. Martinez will work hard to bring readers entertaining, quality stories that also glorify Christ by upholding a strict code of Christian values. For informaton on how to submit, please read our submission guidelines.

Wow, isn't that Wonderful!?!

Visit the new White Rose Publishing and check out all they have to offer.

Until later....Be BLESSED!

Pamela S Thibodeaux
"Inspirational with an Edge!" TM

Special Guest - Teri Wilson!

Hello Friends,

The WRIB authors opened up our blog for guests and today I'd like to introduce to you fellow TWRP author, Teri Wilson!

Teri Wilson loves romance, dogs and wearing pink. Her stories are often filled with happy endings, splashes of humor and a lovable critter or two. After all, Cinderella never would have lived happily ever after without a little help from her animal friends! Teri is the winner of the 2008 Pet Sitters International Humor Award, the 2008 Spaniel Journal Writing Contest, the 2006 Westminster Kennel Club Angel on a Leash Writing Award and the 3rd place winner of the 21st Annual American Kennel Club Short Fiction Contest. She lives in San Antonio, Texas, with her husband, son and three delightful dogs.

You can learn more about Teri and her books at http://www.teriwilson.net/.
Do You Hear What I Hear? Hoofbeats & Heartstrings Book One

Blurb: As a child, Simone Littleton adores the European folktale that animals are given the gift of speech at midnight on Christmas Eve. She makes a wish to talk to animals “forever and ever” and, when her pet Dalmatian asks her for a biscuit, she discovers her wish has been granted. Now Simone is all grown up and she uses her unique gift to rehabilitate unwanted horses. When race horse trainer Chet Wallace rolls into San Antonio, with chocolate eyes and dimples blazing beneath his black Stetson, romantic sparks fly. He is immediately drawn to the beautiful woman who has a mesmerizing affect on both his horses and his dog, but his less than enthusiastic response to Simone’s claims threatens their budding romance. It takes a scheming Jack Russell terrier and a fresh batch of rescue horses to convince Chet she just may be telling the truth.

Excerpt: “So this is why all your animals are named after artists.” Her gentle voice washed over him, soothing his nerves.

He turned and there she was, hair full of hay like always. She looked particularly welcoming today, though, wearing a soft pink sweater that hugged her curves. Her hair was on top of her head in a ponytail rather than her usual braid. He had to press down the urge to loosen the fastener and let it tumble over her shoulders in thick, blonde waves.

He gulped. Hard. Just looking at her was almost enough to take his breath away. “Happy Thanksgiving, Simone.”

She came closer, ponytail swinging, and stood next to him. Close enough so he felt almost intoxicated by the orchid fragrance. “Happy Thanksgiving. I can’t believe you painted this. It’s breathtaking. When I close my eyes and picture Buttercup in my mind, she looks exactly like this.”

It was a nice compliment. The special gleam in Chet’s eye came not from her kind words, but from the fact Simone stood close to him and looked at him in the way Ted had observed in the kitchen the night before. Yes, there was something between them all right. He felt it in every nerve ending in his body. “Thanks. It’s just a hobby really.”

“You are quite the Renaissance Man, Chet.” She punched him playfully in the shoulder.

“You’re just one surprise after another. What am I going to find out about you next?”

“Well, if I told you it wouldn’t be a surprise now, would it?” His gazed locked with hers and he winked.

Do You Hear What I Hear? is available now in Ebook & Print from The Wild Rose Press!

Wearing Your Faith on the Outside of Your Shirt

Some time ago I was having lunch with a colleague who I knew to be devout in her faith. I noticed the little gold cross around her neck was tangled in her collar. I reached out to help her straighten it until it hung on the outside of her sweater.

“Thanks,” she said and grabbed the delicate chain, “but I have to keep this on the inside of my clothes at work.”

Obviously she’d been told somewhere in her career that symbols of faith should not be worn in the workplace. Perhaps those who believed differently would find it distracting or inappropriate. Maybe she’d been flat-out instructed not to bring her faith to work. Whatever the case, I understood – but I didn’t have to like it.

The question is: Are you wearing your faith on the outside of your shirt whenever possible? Or are you keeping it hidden because it’s the easy thing to do?

It’s not hard to share your testimony or invite someone to hear a special speaker at your church when you’re safely within your own group of fellow believers. It becomes a lot harder to step out when you don’t know what or who you’re dealing with. But isn’t that exactly when God expects us to? Just remember that more than half the people you’ll cross paths with today are having a worse day than you are – and a lot of them have not experienced Christ-like love or encouragement.

The challenge: Wear your faith on the outside of your shirt in 2009. Invite someone to church, tell that struggling mother of teenagers about your awesome youth group, keep church brochures in your car for that new person in your neighborhood…you get the idea. What’s the worst that can happen? A blank stare? A polite or not-so-polite “no, thank you”?

Not all encounters will be met with a positive response, but the one that does is the one that makes a difference. And the difference depends on how you wear your faith.

Carla Rossi is the author of Limited Light and Almost Home.
Visit Carla at http://www.carlarossi.com/ or by e-mail at carla@carlarossi.com.

Meet E.A. West

Hi, everyone! I’m E.A. West, a new author at The Wild Rose Press. I’m so excited and honored to be a part of White Roses in Bloom. In a future post, I’ll tell you all about my White Rosette, Dreams Do Come True, that’s coming in July. Today, however, I’ll tell you a little about my journey to becoming an author.

I’m sure you’ve all heard of countless authors who have been writing since they could hold a crayon. I’m not one of those authors. My story is a little weirder. I’ve always been a voracious reader, consuming books, magazines, and box labels when nothing else was handy. I learned to read at the ripe old age of three, and I still can’t get enough of the written word.

Storytelling is another love of mine that goes back to my childhood. I spent hours creating imaginary worlds and scenarios. Unfortunately, my friends couldn’t enjoy the stories because I couldn’t explain my imaginings well enough; I have learning disabilities in languages. I know you’re all thinking I could have written the stories down and worked to make them understandable, but there’s one problem: I hated writing. I did everything I could to avoid it most of the way through school.

Then my freshman year of high school, I took a writing class. I needed the English credit, and my parents insisted I needed to learn to write properly. I didn’t mind too much, since I had several friends in the class as well. As the class went on, I made a shocking discovery. I liked writing. It enabled me to communicate what I was thinking in a clear manner. My favorite assignments involved writing character sketches and other fiction writing.

That’s when I learned my love of books and storytelling extended into writing stories as well. During the course of high school English, I wrote my first novel. I learned a lot more about writing after I graduated, and I’m still learning new things today.

One thing that makes me like so many other authors is my current love of writing and the fact that I can’t not write. Writing is a major part of my life, and I’d go nuts if I didn’t write. My imagination still works overtime, just as it did when I was a kid, but now I have a medium that allows me to share what I’m thinking with others.

Have a blessed week!

E. A. West
Where Love and Faith Meet

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

My name is Sharon Donovan and I am a new White Rose author. Today is my turn to blog. Hmm. I feel like it’s the first day of school where we all had to stand up and spin a tale about our summer vacation. Well it isn’t the end of summer—and my school days are long behind me. But I guess some old habits die hard. When I’m asked to talk about myself, those old butterflies still stir in the pit of my stomach. But here goes.

I live in a small town in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. When I was six years old, I was diagnosed as a type 1 diabetic. With all the devastating complications associated with this disease, I grew up with an intense fear of losing my vision. And eight years ago, after a long bitter bout with progressive blindness, my worst nightmare became a reality.

Unable to cope, I entered a rehabilitation program for the blind and visually impaired. This was a bitter pill to swallow. Prior to losing my sight, I worked as a legal secretary in the Family Division of the Court of Common Pleas. But my true passion was art. I spent my weekends painting picturesque scenery, losing myself in the peaceful tranquility of another place and time.
Devastated and despondent when I could no longer paint, my spirit died. I had reached rock bottom and had to pull myself up by the boot strings. I had to find a reason to live, something to make my life worth while. And through my faith and the support of family and friends, I learned to accept my fate. Thanks to modern technology, I use a computer with adaptive software which converts text to synthesized speech.

Needing something to do with my time, I went to the local college for medical transcription. But my heart wasn’t in it. It did nothing to stir the creative muse in me. But when I started taking writing classes, hope soared for the first time in a long time. My prayers were answered. From the cobwebs of my mind, my creative muse resurrected. Today, instead of painting my pictures on canvas, I paint my pictures with words.

My very first white rosette goes on sale January 7th. Touched by an Angel is special to me because angels play a significant role in my life. I feel their presence constantly, whether it’s the gentle flutter of a butterfly’s wing, a songbird tweeting in a tree, or the sweet scent of roses in a garden. Angels sprinkle hope and blessings. I have two other White Rosettes coming to The Wild Rose Press in February and March. I hope you feel the presence of angels when you read them.

Love and blessings for 2009!
Sharon Donovan
http://www.sharonadonovan.com/
sharonad@comcast.net

TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL
COMING TO THE WILD ROSE PRESS
JANUARY 7, 2009

THE CLADDAGH RING
COMING FROM THE WILD ROSE PRESS
FEBRUARY 25, 2009

LASTING LOVE
COMING FROM THE WILD ROSE PRESS
MARCH 18, 2009