Kaye Dacus’s – Follow the Heart Cover Reveal

Posted on September 7, 2012September 4, 2012 by lizjohnson

Hi, friends! My sweet writing buddy, Kaye Dacus has a new book coming out next Spring, and you can win a signed copy! Below is all the info you need about entering. But first, here’s a first look at the gorgeous cover!

Follow the Heart by Kaye Dacus
Book 1 in The Great Exhibition Series
Coming from B&H Publishing in May 2013

Kate Dearing’s life is turned upside down when her father loses everything in a railroad land speculation and she and her brother are shipped off to their mother’s brother, Sir Anthony, in England with one edict: marry money.

Though their uncle tries to ensure Kate finds matrimonial prospects only among the highest echelon of British society, her attentions stray to the one of the least eligible people at her uncle’s home—the garden designer.

Trying to push her feelings for the handsome—but not wealthy—man aside, Kate’s prospects brighten when a friend of Sir Anthony’s, a wealthy viscount, shows favorable interest in her. But will marrying for the financial security of her family be the right thing to do, when her heart is telling her she’s making a mistake?

Mandates . . . money . . . matrimony. Who will follow the heart?

Author Bio:

Humor, Hope, and Happily Ever Afters! Kaye Dacus is the author of humorous, hope-filled contemporary and historical romances. She holds a Master of Arts in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University, is a former Vice President of American Christian Fiction Writers, and currently serves as President of Middle Tennessee Christian Writers. Kaye lives in Nashville, Tennessee, and even though she writes romance novels, she is not afraid to admit that she’s never been kissed.

And here’s your chance to enter to win one of five signed copies of Follow the Heart! Join the Victorian scavenger hunt, answer my question at the end of this blog, and enter to win!

Directions: Each participating blog has both an answer and a question—but the answers and questions aren’t on the same blog. DON’T POST YOUR ANSWERS HERE! Collect the questions and answers in an e-mail—along with the address of the site where you found each—to be sent to Kaye Dacus once you’re confident you have all of them and be entered to win one of FIVE signed copies of Follow the Heart when it releases in May 2013. Visit http://kayedacus.com for the list of participating sites in the scavenger hunt and rules for entering the contest.

Question: What was the inspiration behind the design of the Crystal Palace?

Answer: Most of the items were sold or returned to their place of origin. But many were donated and made up the first of the collection that would eventually become the Victoria and Albert Museum—built on land in South Kensington which Prince Albert purchased with the profits from the Great Exhibition. “Whatever human industry has created, you find there! Railway engines and boilers, mill machinery, splendid carriages of all kinds, glass-covered stands loaded with the most gorgeous work of gold and silver smiths, carefully guarded caskets full of real diamonds and pearls worth thousands of pounds” (Charlotte Brontë)

And don’t forget to leave a comment here in answer to this question: Follow the Heart is set during Prince Albert’s Great Exhibition. Who’s your favorite British Royal, past or present, and why?

The Cover of A Promise to Protect

Posted on August 27, 2012August 24, 2012 by lizjohnson

I’m beyond excited to share with y’all the cover of my December book release–A PROMISE TO PROTECT.

A bit about the book:
Ashley Sawyer has been the director of a battered women’s shelter for three years, so she’s no stranger to dealing with threats. But when she helps a young woman disappear, the threats become more intense than she’s ever experienced. Navy SEAL Matt Waterstone is happy to check on his best friend’s little sister, certain he can take care of the threat. But as Matt and Ashley search for the source of the threats, they uncover a plot more sinister than they ever imagined . . . and a love they never expected.

If the cover–or awesome author *nudge, nudge*–has you interested in preordering it, here are links to some stores where you can do just that.

amazon.com
barnesandnoble.com
cbd.com
Parable.com
Powells.com
Books-A-Million

So what do you think? Do you like the new cover? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Are you watching the Olympics?

Posted on August 2, 2012August 1, 2012 by lizjohnson

I love the Olympics and confess to letting them distract me from writing and working in the evenings after work. For shame on me! But they’re just so fun! There are adorable gold-medal winning swimmers. (Hello, Nathan Adrian!) The fab five female gymnasts. Adorable British accents around every turn. And so much more! This is some fun, this London Olympics.

And it looks likes the viewers aren’t the only ones have fun. Check out this video of the US Swim Team doing “Call Me Maybe.”

Lest you think it’s all fun and games on the road to the Olympics, here’s another video of aspiring athletes showing … well … why they didn’t quite make the team.

Are you watching the games? What are your favorite sports to watch? Who are you rooting for?

Friday Favorites: Summer Reads (for what’s left of the summer!)

Posted on July 20, 2012July 19, 2012 by lizjohnson

With the recent Christy Awards ceremony ahttps://www.lizjohnsonbooks.com/wp-admin/post-new.phpnd the announcement of the ACFW Carol Award Finalists (two big deals in the Christian fiction world), I realized that I’d totally failed to share some of my favorite Christian fiction titles from the last year. I meant to get this post up months ago, but I figure it’s never too late to share some great summer reads! If you–like me–are going on vacation in the second half of the summer instead of the first half, may I suggest a couple books perfect for the beach, pool, or even just a late-night reading session.

First off, a super-fun read from my friend Betsy St. Amant–Addison Blakely: Confessions of a PK. This sweet story follows preacher’s kid Addison Blakely as she tries to discover the truth about friendship, labels, and love in high school–all while living in full view of every member of church. In an unexpected twist of fate, she ends up overseeing the school’s talent show, and she can’t help but notice her widowed father’s budding relationship with her teacher. Add to that a love triangle including the town’s motorcycle-riding bad-boy and the would-be-perfect classmate, and Addison is in trouble. I zipped through this book as fast as Addison downs mochas and eats a box of gummy bears. As fun as it is, it also delves into the labels and expectations we place on others and reminds readers that walking with God is about being authentic, not perfect.

Second is Short-Straw Bride by Karen Witemeyer. I’m such a fangirl of hers. I can’t help myself. I was so eager to get my hands on this book that I called around to every bookstore in my area for weeks leading up to the release, hoping someone–anyone–would have it out early. When I finally did get it, I’m pleased to report that it didn’t disappoint. This lighthearted historical romance tells the tale of Meredith Hayes, who overhears a plot to burn down the Archer family farm. She owes a debt to Travis Archer, so sets out warn him of the fire. But when she winds up stuck on the farm without a chaperone, one of the four Archer brothers will have to marry her to save her reputation. They must draw straws to decide, but one of them loves her a lot more than a short-straw’s worth.

After devouring this book, I shared it with my mom and sister, a busy mom of three, who stayed up until 2am to finish it. We’re like two peas in a pod.

Have you read either of these? What books have you loved this year? What do you recommend for some fun summer reading?

A Promise to Protect – Teaser and Announcement

Posted on July 19, 2012 by lizjohnson

I have a new book coming out. Sure, it’s still several months away, but that’s no reason not to celebrate.

My next book with Love Inspired Suspense–A PROMISE TO PROTECT–releases November 27 this year.

What’s that you say? You’d like to know what it’s about? Oh, all right. If you insist, here’s a little blurb about it.

Navy SEAL Matt Waterstone knows about keeping people safe. When his best friend’s sister is attacked, Matt promises no harm will come to Ashley Sawyer–not on his watch. But Matt’s not the only protective one. Ashley will do anything to safeguard the residents of the battered women’s shelter she runs. She’s sure she can handle the threats she gets in return. What she can’t handle is the way Matt scales the walls around her heart. Yet when she falls prey to a crime web more sinister than she’d realized, trusting Matt could be the only way to survive.

This is my first book about Navy SEALs, and I’m so excited to announce that it won’t be my last! I’ve just signed a contract for two more books in this SEAL series. They should release about 6 months apart. I’ll keep you updated on those soon. (Although I’m back on deadline, which means more writing and less blogging.)

I’ll be revealing the cover art for A Promise to Protect in the next couple months, so stick around. In the mean time, if you can’t wait to order it, here are links to some stores offering preorders.

amazon.com
barnesandnoble.com
cbd.com

What will you do this year?

Posted on July 9, 2012July 6, 2012 by lizjohnson

Wow! Wow! I can’t believe my last blog post was in April. I was still reeling from seeing my favorite movie and reading my favorite book of the year (so far). (That would be The Artist and The Maid of Fairbourne Hall, respectively.) I had just finished writing a book that will come out in December (more to come on that at a later date). And I had just learned that I was going to have to find a new place to live. A lot has happened since then. But let’s not dwell in the past. Nope, today, let’s look to the future.

But to do that, I have to tell you a little story about the past. (Yes, I so get the irony.)

This time last year, I was barreling down on my 30th birthday, desperately trying to check off items on my 30 by 30 list (as you may recall). Boy there were a lot of things to get done, and I missed my mark by about a dozen. And to be quite honest, while I’m glad I did the things I did on my list, I was quite relieved to see my 30th birthday gone and the slate wiped clean. I was so relieved that I let myself off the hook for setting any real goals for my 30th year.

birthday candles — *from freedigitalphotos.net

Don’t get me wrong. I haven’t exactly done nothing this past year. But I didn’t have a clear focus.

Then, a few weeks ago, I was celebrating a coworker’s birthday. Sitting around the conference room table, eating cake and the birthday girl sat down next to me. Without thinking about it, I asked, “So what will you do this year that you’ve never done before?”

The room got really quiet, and I held my breath. I hadn’t meant to get too personal, but it just seemed like a logical question. Moving forward means trying and experiencing new things, right? You can’t turn the clock back or get back your years, so how will you use them to move forward?

The birthday girl didn’t have an answer for me. But that’s okay, because I think the person I really needed to ask that question of was myself. What will I do this year–at 31–that I’ve never done before? What new experiences will I try? What will I open myself up to that I haven’t ever before?

I can’t fully answer that yet. I won’t be able to until next year, I guess. But I am undertaking something that I’ve always wanted to do but always found an excuse not to. I’m going to volunteer at the Nashville Public Library. Just a couple times a month, but enough time, I hope, to share my love of reading with a few someone elses. Books have always been an important part of my life, and if I can share one favorite book, one inspiring author, one life-altering story, then maybe I’ll be able to change a life.

At the very least I’ll be doing something new. Moving forward. Investing in lives.

What will you do this year that you’ve never done before?

The Maid of Fairbourne Hall

Posted on April 12, 2012April 7, 2012 by lizjohnson

I spent all of January, February, and most of March writing my next book. Whew! It was a lot of writing in not a lot of time, and to get it turned in by my deadline, I had to give up one of my favorite things–READING.

Every minute that I wanted to be reading, I knew I needed to be writing, so I cleared the pile of books off my nightstand and got to work. Two and half months and a complete manuscript later, I looked at my to be read pile–that had somehow managed to grow–and dove right in. I hope to tell you about several of the books I’ve read since then, but I wanted to start with The Maid of Fairbourne Hall by Julie Klassen. Set in the English countryside and dealing with the upstairs and belowstairs and the lives of masters and servants, I hoped it would appease by craving for something–anything–Downton Abbey-esque. Turns out, I was right.

I picked up all 410 pages of this book on a Thursday morning plane ride and finished it by the next evening. I couldn’t stop reading the fascinating tale of the belowstairs, as seen by a lady of leisure.

The pace is nice and easy, with just enough intrigue to keep me turning pages, but never more than seemed to fit. I was transported to 1815 and the life of spoiled soon-to-be heiress Margaret Macy. I didn’t love her at first. I didn’t even like her very well–that is until she risked her own life to help a well-to-do coach driver and his unseen passenger. And of course, the hero Nate was everything a good romantic hero should be. Flawed and imperfect, yet absolutely redeemable.

One of my few complaints is that I thought it ended a bit abruptly. I’d have liked to read more about Nate and Margaret. But maybe that’s just a sign of a good book. You never want it to end.

If you’re looking for a trip to 19th Century England, open the pages of The Maid of Fairbourne Hall and dive in. I think you’ll be glad you did.

Are you on Facebook?

Posted on April 11, 2012April 7, 2012 by lizjohnson

Hey friends, are you on Facebook? I am!

I’ve officially set up my author page on Facebook, and I’d love for you to join me there, as well. Last week I was chatting with readers about who I should cast as the hero of the book proposal that I’m currently writing. Next week, who knows. 🙂 (Time for shameless self-promotion.) Swing by www.facebook.com/lizjohnsonbooks and “Like” my page to join in the chat about what’s going on with my books.

And if anyone has any good ideas for a header for my FB page, I’d greatly appreciate them. 🙂

Monday Movie – The Artist

Posted on April 9, 2012April 7, 2012 by lizjohnson

It’s been quite a while since I’ve done a Monday Movie Review … but after seeing The Artist this weekend, I just had to share. In honor of Good Friday, my office was closed. When I woke up that morning, I was a bit lazy, trying to decide how best to use my day off. After all, there were books to be written and shopping to be done and a million other things clamoring for my time. I know you know the drill.

But I had a hankerin’ for a good movie, so I flipped through my Fandango app on my phone to see what was playing. Even 12 o’clock matinees are $7.50, so I wasn’t interested in wasting my money on something that might not even be worth a buck at the Redbox. After a little hunting, I found that my local theater had a 12:15 showing of The Artist.

Maybe you didn’t hear much about this black and white, silent movie before it walked away with the Oscars for Best Actor, Best Director, and Best Picture at the Academy Awards ceremony back in February. Maybe you still haven’t heard much about it. Maybe the silent picture part of it isn’t your cup of tea. Maybe black and white isn’t your ideal. After all, didn’t Dorothy go all the way to Oz to get out of black and white? I was hovering somewhere in there, but knew this might be last chance to see it in the theaters, so I gave it a shot.

Here’s the thing, the movie is just how it’s described by the reporters–it’s an homage to the silent movies of the 1920s and the tale of Hollywood’s rocky transition to the “talkies”.

Except that’s not really what the movie is about at all.

French actor Jean Dujardin plays George Valentin, a silent film star at the top of his game and a household name in 1927. He’s Hollywood’s main squeeze and favorite face. And he’s all about seeing his face on the big screen and his name in marquee lights. Mostly he’s all about himself. Sure he puts on a show and is so handsome that it’s easy to forgive his arrogance as he steals the spotlight from his costars. George (and his ridiculously adorable dog) is so likeable, that I was rooting for him to succeed, even when he refuses to try a talking picture–telling the studio owner that he’s the draw. His name will bring in scores of audiences to a silent picture that he’ll write, produce, direct, and star in. So he dumps all of his money into making a movie that was always doomed to fail. And then the stock market crashes.

In contrast Peppy Miller (played brilliantly by Berenice Bejo–who lit up the screen every time she was on and deserved far more accolades than she received for this role) is an aspiring actress, primed to hit the big time on the cusp of the talking movie revolution. While George descends into his self-made demise, Peppy’s star is rising and rising and rising. And in her, we see not a direct contrast to George’s ego, but rather a version of who George could have been–faults and all. We see her generosity of spirit and genuine concern for a man who often doesn’t deserve it.

And we see how accepting that generosity changes him.

The truth is, on the surface this is just a fun movie. The music is amazing, the story interesting for any movie buff (I could draw endless comparisons and contrast to Singin’ in the Rain), the actors handsome and especially skilled, and the dog incredible. What the sound technicians did was incredible. And how the whole story of George’s life can be told through his mustache still makes me smile.

Maybe these are reasons enough for you to see it. Good. Do.

If they’re not, I’d challenge you to watch it for the reminder of pride that so easily entangles us. All weekend I have found myself thinking about The Artist as I face struggles in my writing. How easy it would be to refuse to face writing trials head on, instead asking don’t they know who I am? Don’t they realize how special/important/talented/amazing I am? But the truth is that there are those who have generously poured into my writing life, and accepting their gifts changes me and demands more of me. It reminds me that I’m not doing life–or this writing thing–on my own. I owe them better than arrogance. I owe them the humility it takes to make changes to chapters or whole story lines when that’s asked of me. It’s the least I can do … Actually, it’s the best I can do.

Have you seen The Artist? What did you think?

Happy Easter!

Posted on April 8, 2012April 7, 2012 by lizjohnson

Just want to wish you all a very happy Easter! I hope you’ll take some time today to ponder just how much God did to win your heart. I was reading in Max Lucado’s He Chose the Nails this week and was struck by this statement. “God was never more sovereign than in the details of his Son’s death.” I don’t know about you, but that brings me to my knees. How amazing that God would send his only Son to die on the cross–and He picked the tool of torture. He chose the time and place of Jesus’ death. All of that was part of God’s plan for the salvation of man.

I’ve been hearing the song “Hero” by Abandon on the radio a lot lately, and I think it’s really suited for Easter, on this day we remember Christ’s resurrection and defeat of the grave. Hope you enjoy.

Header Right Box

Header Left Box