Sheila's Guests and Reviews

Dreams, longings, and yes, nightmares too, all play a part in the books I'm reviewing today. But perhaps they're part of every story--the longing for something different or more that drives both character and plot. As I work on more five-minute Bible stories, I'm looking at which part of dreams and longings read into tales of Jesus' miracles. It's easy when somebody wants to be healed, but what about when someone hears a truth they'd rather keep hidden, or when what's asked for isn't what's received? They tell us to be careful what we ask for. But I'm asking for coffee now and in a few minutes, warm cup in hand, I will type in some book reviews of tales you might want to drink with your own caffeine infusion. Don't forget, coffee ratings are for flavor--you can judge the quality for yourself. First is a delightful little children's book, Amazing Matilda, by Bette A. Stevens . For any child who has ever dreamed of being able to do some...

People ask me what sort of book I like and I say "all sorts." They ask my favorite genre and I say I have too many to mentioned. And they ask what genre I write in... which leaves me wondering how on earth to answer them. I write children's Bible stories, spiritual speculative fantasies, contemporary dramas... but presumably not all at once. And today's guest, author Tricia Stewart Shiu, writes... well, perhaps I'll let her tell you. I saw her latest book, Iron Shinto, advertized with the phrase, "If you liked a wrinkle in time..." and I was hooked.   “If You Liked A Wrinkle In Time…”   Choosing a Genre for Your Book Guest Blog Post by Tricia Stewart Shiu Author ‘Iron Shinto’ You’ve heard the saying: “It isn’t the heat, it’s the humidity.” Well, in publishing, the saying goes:   “it isn’t the genre, it’s the options.” After self-publishing your book one of the first decision with which you are faced, is choosing your audie...

Today I'm delighted to welcome author Pamela Foreman to my blog, celebrating the release of her third Nebraska Holds novel - Secrets Abound, My Love . Welcome to my blog Pamela, and thank you for the wonderful giveaway of Secrets below! Author Bio: Pamela Foreman is a wife of seventeen years to her high school sweetheart and the mother of four children. Having grown up in Texas, Pamela currently lives in central Virginia. Pamela received her master’s degree in accounting from Liberty University and is an avid reader. She enjoys sewing, crocheting, knitting and scrapbooking when she is not involved with her children’s activities and spending time with her husband. Pamela is the author of the Nebraska Holds series, a series surrounding the lives of David Anderson and Annette Miller, middle-aged adults who have both gone through the sudden deaths of their spouses and each have children to continue to raise. The series currently has three books, You're Right, My ...

It's real. It's here. I opened the box... ...And inside were my first real copies of Bethlehem's Baby, straight from the publisher ( Cape Arago Press )! I don't know what the weather at Cape Arago is like just now--windy and wild if the weather here's anything to go by. But I hope the sun is shining for my publisher as it shines for me, and I send him my heartfelt thanks. I'm thrilled to see these books. Now all I need are some people to buy them from me. But you can order real printed copies of Bethlehem's Baby from all these great places too: Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Bethlehems-Five-Minute-Bible-Series-Volume/dp/1494861690/ Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bethlehems-baby-sheila-deeth/1116985949?ean=9781494861698&itm=1&usri=bethlehem%27s+baby Powells: http://www.powells.com/biblio/61-9781494861698-1 So my next goal (or dream) will be to get it into a real-world bricks and mortar store. Please wish me luck! ...

"It's all in your mind," says the title to one of the books I read this week. Meanwhile the speaker at our local writers' group assured us that we have to imagine our writing success before we can achieve it. Which leaves me wondering, will my achievements remain "all in my mind." It's been a good week for achievements though, as well as for reading. Bethlehem's Baby came out in print. Nazareth Neighbors looks set to follow soon. Galilee's Gift has started strong and is now growing fast (but oh, how long it took to get those first chapters safely into my mind--I really struggled to decide how and when the book should start). Meanwhile, in a more modern, more fictitious world, the edit/rewrite of Imaginary Numbers is also going well. (My mum said she loved the first chapters, and usually she just likes my writing, so that's got to be a good sign!) Of course, posting book reviews, cleaning bedrooms for our next visitors, shopping for fo...