I am so very honored to highlight my dear friend KIMBERLEY WOODHOUSE and her amazing book:

Welcome Home: Our Family's Journey to Extreme Joy

I had the great pleasure of reading this book--and let me just say, this book changed my life! I found Kim's approach to problems, interruptions, and "complaints" refreshing. She views them as adventures and tackles them with God's joy. I know she's not perfect, but the way she's pushing to always honor God has challenged me to be better about tackling those things. And considering all the trials she's been through, talking and hanging out with her prove that she puts her life where her "mouth" is. Kim lives this!

If you have not bought a copy of this book, it's an absolute must! It's definitely worth the cost, and I've heard this book has already gone into its third printing! Woo-hoo!!!

From the Back Cover:

Overwhelming trials . . . met with overcoming joy.
Kayla Woodhouse is not your typical twelve-year-old. Due to a rare medical disorder, she feels no pain, doesn’t sweat, and needs protective cooling gear just to go outside. With her restrictive lifestyle; countless hospitalizations, including brain surgery; and the resulting mountain of hospital bills, what’s a family to do?

How the Woodhouse family has faced seemingly impossible challenges is a story that has captured the hearts of America. Millions of people have experienced glimpses of their lives on Discovery’s Mystery ER, The Montel Williams Show, and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (recently voted one of the show’s all-time best episodes!).

Now Kayla’s mom, Kimberley, takes readers behind the cameras to reveal their family’s journey as never before told. From medical sleuthing to cross-country moves, from freak fires to battles with insurance companies, Welcome Home proves that truth really is stranger than fiction. This candid life story reveals both success and failure and demonstrates how, even during tough circumstances, to shift your life from heartbreak to extreme joy.

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Normally, I don't do give-aways but I believe so strongly in Kim and WELCOME HOME: OUR FAMILY'S JOURNEY TO EXTREME JOY that if you leave a comment about why you'd like this incredible book, I'll host a drawing before I leave for the ACFW Conference in mid-September (drawing will be combined between Shoutlife, Blogger, and Facebook--one entry per person).

LEAVE A COMMENT TO WIN A COPY OF THIS AWESOME BOOK!!!!

Today, the book I ordered from Amazon on the recommendation of Colonel Hall, a chaplain who works for the VA in counseling PTSD victims, arrived. It's called DOWN RANGE: to Iraq and Back. I'm really looking forward to reading it. Another book I've been working my way through (and I do mean *working* because it's very emotionally wrenching) is WHAT WAS ASKED OF US: An Oral History of the Iraq War by the Soldiers Who Fought it. I've cried (a lot) and laughed (with the guys), and learned so much. I'll keep you posted on my reading.

Well, I have completed 2.5 rounds of edits and have received the first proofs for my spy thriller DEAD RECKONING. I have to turn those around by September 8. And I have to admit, this is crossing my eyes. LOL But it's also very thrilling to see my manuscript in copyflow--the book layout format. TOO KEWL! Reading it like this has actually made it easier for me to find the mistakes. *cringe* Naturally, I want the book to rock.

Don't forget--you can Pre-Order DEAD RECKONING now and save 40% off the cover price!

To my surprise, I got an email yesterday from my editor at Barbour, Becky Germany. Not surprised that she would email, but surprised to find out it's time to get moving on the DISCARDED HEROES SERIES. Can you say OORAH!?!?!

She sent me the Publication Plan for the series, and the art fact sheet for the first book, NIGHTSHADE. I am so very excited to get back to work on this series to make it the absolute best it can be.

Trying to find covers that are similar to this book that I like is very difficult because I don't like massive faces on the cover (not for the military series), and I can't find one that is a good emulation of the story and what I want.

Do you have a favorite military action book cover you like? If so, share it with me!

Hi there! This is Camy Tang, and today I get to guest blog on Ronie's blog!

Ronie wanted me to talk a bit about my suspense writing. Many of you know that my first three books are humorous contemporary romance, the Sushi series. So how did I go from crazy extended families to dead bodies?

(Although some could argue that crazy extended families can be the cause of the dead bodies—I'm sure there has been more than one homicidal thought during a family get-together!)

While I admit that writing humor has always come naturally to me, I tend to read a lot of suspense. So when I first started writing seriously, I wrote one humorous manuscript (my ill-fated "The Corinthian Rules" manuscript which was truly barf-worthy looking back at it). But then I wrote a suspense manuscript.

Yup! It was called "Furious Dragon," later changed to "Bitter Dragon" (slightly less violent choice of words). Not many people know about it, but the blurb was up on my website for a while.

"Bitter Dragon" was the first book in a proposed "Fists of Legend" suspense series (a play off of a Bruce Lee movie). Here's the series blurb:

When their unscrupulous aunt dies, three sisters trained in Chinese martial arts are embroiled in the illegal human cloning operation of a powerful international Asian group called the Septet. Only Erika, Lena and Miriya Fong have the inside knowledge and physical prowess to survey, infiltrate and destroy this corporation harvesting fetal tissue for disease therapy.

Here's the little-known blurb for "Bitter Dragon":

Although trained in Chinese martial arts, physical therapist Erika Fong prefers sparring at the kickboxing gym, where the competition allows her to prove her personal worth. She’s not ashamed to admit relief when her despised Aunt Alice slips in the bathtub and dies, but her aunt’s lawyer reveals a surprise inheritance for Erika, her most hated niece—a large sum of money no one knew Alice possessed.

Erika discovers her aunt’s death wasn’t an accident, and that Alice had been in negotiations with Bram Thorson of Thorson Therapeutics, an illegal human cloning company. She narrowly escapes attempts on her life as she races to expose the operation. She is first protected, then betrayed by a mysterious man named Braden, who is somehow embroiled in Thorson’s agenda.

Bram Thorson will stop at nothing to acquire the money that should be his, and unknown to Erika, he has an ace up his sleeve . . . one of her sisters.

Camy here: "Bitter Dragon" won first place in the suspense category of the ACFW Noble Theme contest, now called the Genesis contest, which I coordinate. :) I started coordinating the contest the year after I won the Noble Theme.

I ended up selling my chick lit Sushi series to Zondervan, and so "Bitter Dragon" was relegated to the dust bunnies under my bed.

So when I had a chance to submit a romantic suspense to Steeple Hill's Love Inspired Suspense line, I jumped at the chance. I did my homework and studied the line, so I knew that the storyline of "Bitter Dragon" was not appropriate for Love Inspired Suspense, but I came up with another three sisters—Naomi, Rachel, and Monica Grant, whose father owns the Joy Luck Life spa in Sonoma, California. And while there isn't an Asian triad or fetal organ harvesting, there are a few dead bodies to liven the party up.

Funny how things come full circle, isn't it?

Thanks for having me on your blog, Ronie!

Camy

DEADLY INTENT

SCENE OF THE CRIME

The Grant family’s exclusive Sonoma spa is a place for rest and relaxation—not murder! Then Naomi Grant finds her client Jessica Ortiz bleeding to death in her massage room, and everything falls apart. The salon’s reputation is at stake...and so is Naomi’s freedom when she discovers that she is one of the main suspects! Her only solace is found with the other suspect—Dr. Devon Knightley, the victim’s ex-husband. But Devon is hiding secrets of his own. When they come to light, where can Naomi turn...and whom can she trust?

About Camy:

Camy Tang writes romance with a kick of wasabi. She used to be a biologist, but now she is a staff worker for her church youth group and leads a worship team for Sunday service. She also runs the Story Sensei fiction critique service. On her blog, she gives away Christian novels every week, and she ponders frivolous things like dumb dogs (namely, hers), coffee-geek husbands (no resemblance to her own...), the writing journey, Asiana, and anything else that comes to mind. Visit her website at http://www.camytang.com/ for a huge website contest going on right now, giving away fourteen boxes of books and 24 copies of her latest release, DEADLY INTENT.

Okay, I'm still trying to get caught up on reviews of books that I've received and read, so thanks for being patient. Without further ado....

FIELD OF BLOOD
by Eric Wilson

First -- let me say, this dude can write! This is probably my biggest pet peeve in reading--picking up a book that doesn't ensnare my interest or captivate me. FIELD OF BLOOD had my interest from the get-go. The concept of the book is absolutely fascinating in and of itself. I mean, a storyline that connects the present day to Judas Iscariot's burial place? Amazing. I wish I'd come up with it. :-D

Beyond the story--there's craft. And let me just say, Eric Wilson can write. Sometimes it's a curse to be a writer and attempt to read books because you feel like a gear mechanism hasn't been well-oiled, and you get stuck and grind your gears on silly things like POV, dangling modifiers, GMC, etc. FIELD OF BLOOD reads smoothly and easily. Wilson immerses you so wholly in the story that you aren't distracted or pulled out easily. . . sorta like the thorns (sorry, you'll have to read the book to get that).

Probably the only CON is that FIELD OF BLOOD isn't for weak-stomached readers (and...if you have a gut of steel, this isn't a problem, and thus...no con). :-D I mean, really--the book's about vampires, and you have to expect some less-than-pleasant scenes.

Here's the official blurb for FIELD OF BLOOD:

1989: Scores of Romanian children contract a life-threatening virus. In Jerusalem, the same year, an ancient tomb is broken into.

Gina Lazarescu is a girl caugtht between an unknown past and a dark future. Will she stand in the gap against the rising evil? Or become victim to it?

Death is not a question. It is the answer. Welcome to a world that hides before your eyes.

Check out the JERUSALEM UNDEAD website for more information!

My latest article in the Psychology In Writing series is up at NovelJourney. This month, I discuss Emotional Impact.

But...take a peek and see how dead people play a role.

http://www.noveljourney.blogspot.com/

Blessings, y'all! :-D