5 chances to win To Whisper Her Name

Win Books Weekly is hosting a giveaway for five copies of To Whisper Her Name.

Click for details!

Betrayal & The Memory Jar, brand new releases

Hey friends! Two of my best writing buddies––Robin Lee Hatcher and Tricia Goyer––both have brand new releases this month that are not to be missed!

Here I am with Tricia (left) & Robin (right) this past summer at our annual brainstorming retreat, where Robin and I are trying to "erase the years" from our necks. It's an effective method, though none too subtle.

Robin Lee Hatcher's newest novel, Betrayal, is fabulous! And it's ready and waiting for you!

Great cover, huh?

Here's a peek inside:

Prologue

Spring 1881

The train belched black smoke as it chugged across the wide prairie. In the third railcar were twenty-six orphans and two adults from Dr. Cray’s Asylum for Little Wanderers. The children had left Chicago and were headed west for placement, hoping to leave poverty, cold, and hunger behind them.

Technically, the Brennan children weren’t orphans. Although their mother had died this past winter, their dad was still alive. Somewhere. Least as far as anyone knew. But when it came to his children, Sweeney Brennan was as good as dead.

Thirteen-year-old Hugh was now the head of the family. He’d promised his mother on her deathbed that he would take care of his younger sisters. He was determined he would keep that promise. Only how? He’d been warned it was unlikely they would find a family to take in all three. Well, he would just have to do some fast talking. If he’d inherited anything from his father it was the gift of gab.

Hugh turned away from the window to look at his sisters. Leaning against each other, Felicia and Diana slept, lulled by the warm temperature inside the railcar. Wisps of Felicia’s long hair fell across her face. 

He leaned forward and brushed it aside.

She opened her eyes, giving him a groggy look. “Are we there?” she whispered.

“Not yet. Soon, I think.”

Releasing a sigh, she closed her eyes again.

“I’ll take care of them, Mum. I won’t fail you. You’ll see.”

Read more about Betrayal here.

And Tricia's The Memory Jar is equally engaging. You're going to love it! 

Love the way he's looking at her...

About The Memory Jar:

West Kootenai, Montana is known for it's fall hunting season. Amish men "hunting" for brides and a good hunting season, arrive in spring to make sure they have official "residency" for both events!

Sarah Shelter has lived in W. Kootenai for the last ten years and wonders if she will ever fall in love. Since the tragic death of her best friend, she carries her memories in a jar along with the small items connected to them. For just as long, she's also been carrying around her emotions instead of allowing them to penetrate deep into her heart. Will there ever be someone kind and gentle who can break down that wall?

Click to watch the trailer. 

Hope you'll check them out! 

Headed to The Netherlands

Hallo dear Netherlands readers!

My Dutch publisher, Uitgeverij Van Wijnen, has graciously invited me to visit your lovely country for the release of Een blijvende indruk (A LASTING IMPRESSION), the first Belmont Mansion novel. I'm very excited to share this story with you, and to see you soon! My daughter, Kelsey, is also accompanying me and is eager to meet you as well. If you've read Uit de verte, then you've seen Kelsey's hair before. That's Kelsey's hair on the cover! ; )

I so appreciate your faithfulness in reading my novels and am grateful for the email exchanges we've had. You're such an encouragement to me. Bless you, friends.

Below are the DATES, CITIES, and BOOKSTORES where we'll be along with the website of the bookstore. I hope one of these locations is near you and that our paths cross while I'm there. I'll be looking for you!


ABOUT Een blijvende indruk (A Lasting Impression, a Belmont Mansion novel):
(http://www.uitgeverijvanwijnen.nl/index-bestellen.htm)

Claire Laurents diepste verlangen is om iets te schilderen dat haar bekendheid en waardering zal opleveren. Maar haar vader staat erop dat ze als kopiïst zal werken. Als vervalser. Wanneer Claire zich gedwongen voelt om haar thuis te ontvluchten, ontmoet ze advocaat Sutton Monroe, die haar zijn vriendelijkheid toont door haar niet aan te geven. Maar wanneer hij later weigert om haar te hulp te komen, vreest ze dat ze hem verkeerd heeft ingeschat.

Wanneer Claire contacten krijgt in de betere kringen van Nashville, gelooft ze dat haar droom om een blijvende indruk te maken werkelijkheid kan worden – maar natuurlijk alleen wanneer haar verleden verborgen blijft.

Een blijvende indruk is een meeslepend liefdesverhaal beschreven tegen de historische achtergrond van de negentiende-eeuwse Verenigde Staten


WHERE I'll BE IN THE NETHERLANDS:

NOV 27 (Tuesday)
Bookstore: Riemer & Walinga
Time: 19.30-21.30
adres is:
Stationsstraat 131
Ermelo
tel.nr. 0341-552405
www.riemer-walinga.nl


NOV 28
(Meetings with Tamera's publisher)


NOV 29 (Thursday)
Bookstore: Schutte
Time: 14.30-16.30
adres is:
Marktstraat 3
Hardenberg
tel.nr. 0523-266074
www.boekhandelschutte.nl


NOV 29 (Thursday)
Bookstore: Koster
Time: 19.30-21.30
adres is:
Handelskade 8
Urk
tel.nr. 0527-668080
www.koster-urk.nl


NOV 30 (Friday)
Bookstore: Het Baken
Time: 14.00-16.00
adres is:
Varkevisserstraat
Katwijk aan Zee
tel.nr. 071-4013001
www.hetbakenkatwijk.nl


NOV 30 (Friday)
Bookstore: Van der Boom
Time: 19.00-21.00
adres is:
Voorstraat 41
Sommelsdijk
tel.nr. 0187-482614


DEC 1 (Saturday)
Bookstore: De Rank
Time: 14.30-16.30
adres is:
Prins Bernhardstraat 28A
Veenendaal
tel.nr. 0318-548882
www.derankveenendaal.nl

You may contact my Dutch publisher for more information here:
www.uitgeverijvanwijnen.nl

My books in Dutch:
http://www.uitgeverijvanwijnen.nl/index-bestellen.htm

Hope to see you soon!

Tamera

Things I'm grateful for on this Friday evening...

A fire in the hearth...

Sweet Jack being close by...

Gluten-free Brownies

(recipe here)

Yet even as I sit in my comfortable Nashville home on this quiet evening, working on my next story, I'm praying for the people of Israel and about the escalating unrest in their country. About the bomb sirens going off continually and for those people already killed earlier today. I'm thinking of their families, and of the likelihood that the number of deaths will increase exponentially. And suddenly I'm far more grateful for my quiet Friday evening, and I wonder why I'm enjoying this while others are in such pain. And I'm reminded of how small and closely-knit this "big" world really is. 

I'm so grateful God is sovereign, and that Jesus knows all and sees all. And that the Holy Spirit is working in the hearts and minds of men and women in ways I can't even begin to fathom. I'm especially grateful for prayer tonight too, and how powerful even our weakest petitions can be, not because of our hearts but because of His.

Blessings, friends.

Glimpses from Belle Meade, Past and Present

Picture by Whitney Luckhart (thanks, Whitney)

This past Saturday was the launch book signing for To Whisper Her Name at the Belle Meade Plantation, and it was a fun day!

Before I share pics from that day, I'd love to share some pictures of the "real" people of Belle Meade who are characters in the novel, and who I "see" at every turn whenever I'm out at Belle Meade Plantation.

General William Giles Harding, owner of Belle Meade Plantation

Elizabeth McGavock Harding, wife of General William Giles Harding

The Harding's eldest daughter, Selene

The Harding's younger daughter, Mary

Robert Green (or "Uncle Bob"), head hostler and horse whisperer at Belle Meade 

Writing about real people can be tricky. But having access to the historical documents at Belle Meade, as well as a multiplicity of transcribed letters from family members and former slaves, gives insights to their thoughts and opinions, and even hints at the cadence of their "voices." I'm so appreciative to Belle Meade for making these documents readily available to me during my research and writing.

And now, some current day glimpses of Belle Meade and the launch book signing of To Whisper Her Name. (Click once a picture to make it larger, then you can scroll through, then "X" out at the end to return to the blog.)

With Karin, the event coordinator (who did a splendid job!)

My sweet family

With Alicia Mey (Marketing Director) and Sue Brower (Editor) from Zondervan

L to R: Marika Flatt (PR by the Book), Ami McConnell, moi, Katie Bond, Sue Brower, Daisy Hutton, Alicia Mey (the Harper Collins Christian Publishing Division team)

With some sweet friends from my "growing up in Atlanta days"

L to R: Sherry, Jan, Jennifer and Betty (Great seeing y'all!)

With Bailey Janes (great to meet you, Bailey! Thanks for coming!)

With sweet sisters Whitney and Lauren Luckhart (who came with their mom, Tammy)

They came to the Belmont signing too, so seeing them at Belle Meade was really special. Thanks, ladies!

With the lovely Stacey Daniel (loved meeting your hubby, Stacey!)

And finally, my beautiful sister-in-law, Denise, and her lovely daughter (and MY lovely niece!) came as well. So nice to have them there.

As you can see above, the Belle Meade gift shop is all glittery and sparkly and decked out for Christmas! Speaking of, it's almost time to get out the Christmas decorations here at home again, which I can hardly believe. Where did the year go? The months seem to go by faster and faster.

We usually put up the Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving. But this year (due to the Netherlands trip), we'll be decorating early. What about you? When do you decorate for Christmas? And are you a "real" tree person? Or artificial?

Booksigning this Saturday at Belle Meade Plantation

Hope to see you there! 

Details here

Channel 5 Talk of the Town show, and Beaten Biscuits

I had such a great time on Talk of the Town this morning, a local Nashville TV show. We chatted about Tennessee history, beaten biscuits, and To Whisper Her Name, the first Belle Meade Plantation novel.

NewsChannel5.com | Nashville News, Weather

What's the latest thing you've baked?

Sneaky friends and forever fellowship

So, last night I was prepping for a local Nashville show that I'm going to be on this morning (Talk of the Town, Channel 5 at 11AM for you local Nashville friends) where I'll be demoing how to make Beaten Biscuits as featured in To Whisper Her Name, and what do you think happened...

I'm telling you, you cannot trust Robin Lee Hatcher for anything! : )

Truly though, Robin and I (along with Sunni Jeffers, Deborah Raney, and several other writing buddies) have had a blast this past weekend. Robin and Sunni are visiting with me for a couple more days this week. We went to the Belle Meade Plantation yesterday. So fun. Then we ran to Loveless Cafe for lunch...

Delicious!

Including the GooGoo Cluster Pie 

(oh so rich and yummy but one piece was enough for all three of us)

With Judy and Robin 

(we tried to keep Judy in line, but it's a hard job)

We even stopped by my daughter Kelsey's office and gave her a hard time

With Robin, Deb Raney and Sunni Jeffers (love these ladies and so appreciate that our together forever has started here)

Back to Beaten Biscuits… As Betsy says in To Whisper Her Name, "Rollin' pin good for two things… Beatin' biscuits, and beatin' husbands." : )

So, when's the last time someone's sneaked up on you? And with a rolling pin, no less?