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The amazing Gina Holmes has done it--her debut novel CROSSING OCEANS is receiving critical acclaim across the nation (see below). Gina, if you aren't aware, is the founder of NovelJourney--a site that has featured thousands of authors over the years. It's so awesome to see a woman who has given so much to the writing community to RECEIVE back those blessings--and then some! Gina more than deserves it!
Please, take a moment to check out the book--to BUY Crossing Oceans
About the Book:
Jenny Lucas swore she’d never go home again. But being told you’re dying has a way of changing things. Years after she left, she and her five-year-old daughter, Isabella, must return to her sleepy North Carolina town to face the ghosts she left behind. They welcome her in the form of her oxygen tank–toting grandmother, her stoic and distant father, and David, Isabella’s dad . . . who doesn’t yet know he has a daughter. As Jenny navigates the rough and unknown waters of her new reality, the unforgettable story that unfolds is a testament to the power of love and its ability to change everything—to heal old hurts, bring new beginnings . . . even overcome the impossible. A stunning debut about love and loss from a talented new voice.
From Publishers Weekly
Jenny Lucas has returned to her childhood home, a refuge of picket fences and lace-covered tabletops. But with an intensity likely garnered from years of unpublished suspense writing, debut novelist and blogger Holmes slowly unveils the hidden angst in this homecoming. A single mother, Jenny must find caregivers who will raise her five-year-old daughter when she's gone. She's forced to mend relations with two possible custodians: the baby's father, who doesn't know he has a child, and her own cold-hearted father. As Jenny comes to face her future as well as her past, dramatic emotions yield to an appreciation of life and an enjoyment of the grace of fleeting moments. There can be no happy ending, but Holmes ties a neat bow of acceptance around this haunting tale that packs an emotional wallop. Keep tissues near. (May)“Beautiful and heartfelt.”
Charles Martin, NYT bestselling author of Where the River Ends
“Poignant and unforgettable, CROSSING OCEANS will break your heart — and then put the pieces back together again. This is an uplifting and inspiring tale that reminds us to live every day as if it’s our last.”Tess Gerritsen, NYT Best-selling author
“Moving, heart-rending and poignant, a stunning debut. Holmes returns us to what matters in a too-short life—what it really is to come home.”
Tosca Lee, Author of Havah & Demon: A Memoir
“Gina Holmes explores the beauty, tenderness and tenacity of mother-love in Crossing Oceans with marvelous skill and insight. An outstanding debut from a gifted storyteller. Bravo!
Susan Meissner, Author of The Shape of Mercy
Just had to share with everyone that Amazon now has the "Look Inside!" feature for Nightshade, Book #1 of the Discarded Heroes releasing July 1st from Barbour Publishing. I was thrilled to find this available today--because along with it came a huge surprise--my back cover! I hadn't seen it till it was posted there. It's GORGEOUS!! Barbour has done such an amazing job, and they have constantly impressed me time and again. Also, I was absolutely tickled to find the endorsements on the front and back, as well as the Nightshade symbol so big and crisp.
Anyway, take a peek and enjoy the prologue and first chapter: AMAZON Look Inside! Then come back and tell me what you think. With only two months before the release, you know I'm working on some great launch ideas.
This past weekend, Dr. Richard L. Mabry (author of Code Blue) and I had a signing at Katy Budget Books in Houston. It was the neatest bookstore with amazing staff. I had a wonderful time, although I'm not keen on driving 10 hours in one day again. LOL
Right now, I'm working on Wolfsbane, Book #3 in the Discarded Heroes series. It's coming along nicely--I'm already at roughly 36K. Soon, I'll dig into the subplot of the book and get that hashed out. it's been simmering in my noggin for a few days now. I'm also stirring up another series, but I'm not sharing that just yet. I'm really excited about it, but it's been an adventure (to say the least) getting the concept to reveal itself to me. LOL It's ...different (for me), and I'm not sure if this will survive the birth process. :-P We'll see.
OH!! A really kewl thing happened last Friday. I stumbled onto a website that featured the model from Digitalis. It was surreal reading her thread about the photo shoot for Digitalis. It really added a new dimension to my cover and made me see my cover in a new light.
I added a widget-thingy to the side to show you what books I'm reading. I thought that was a fun addition to the blog, but know that I'll only be posting books there that I'd recommend. It's not all the books cluttering the TBR (to be read) piles around my office.
I'll leave you with one more positive note for now. First--let me share that this publication journey turned out to be more...brutal than I expected. I've learned a lot about myself and a TON about trusting God no matter what the circumstances try to dictate. So, when I started feeling like a failure, a falling star...I found this blog post by Christianbook.com (you have shopped at their site, haven't you? They're AWESOME!!). It really blessed me to have someone I don't know (LOL) say they liked my writing. See what they said about me, then if you haven't bought Dead Reckoning, or pre-0rdered Nightshade, click over to their site and do it now! :-D
http://blogs.christianbook.com/blogs/fiction/2010/04/26/ronie-kendig-a-rising-author/
This weekend, I team up with Dr. Richard L. Mabry, author of CODE BLUE, for a signing at Katy Budget Books in Houston from 1:30-3:30pm. I'll be signing my espionage thirller Dead Reckoning and Doc will be signing his medical suspense, CODE BLUE.
We hope you'll stop by, buy an autographed copy, and save us from the homeless shelters of our careers. LOL
2450 Fry Road
Houston, TX 77084-5831
(281) 578-7770
In an attempt to catch everyone up (there are gobs of you reading this blog, right?!?!) on what's happening, I decided to do a quick post. So, here goes.
First - The galley of Nightshade is now available through NetGalley. If you are a professional reviewer or a librarian, you can apply to receive a digital copy of the galley. I'm so tickled--I downloaded it onto my Kindle, and it brought me to tears reading Nightshade like a real book (as if it's fake or something, right?). Hehe.
Second - Nightshade can now be preordered through many online retailers. It's amazing to see this book coming to life and gaining some recognition. My hope for this series is to open discussion, to open a door that perhaps wasn't previously open for our soldiers/Marines/airmen/sailors and vets.
ChristianBook.com
B&N.com
Borders
Third - Nightshade is now listed on Barbour's website and on FictionFinder.com (ACFW's online Christian Fiction search engine). Sure makes this all feel "real" to see it listed on the publisher's website. ::grins::
Reviews - If you've read Nightshade and enjoyed the read, you can help me promote this book by posting a review on any of the online retail sites.
Other books - I have turned in the first draft of Digitalis, Discarded Heroes #2, to my amazing editor, Becky Germany. I'm on pins & needles waiting for her response. This is the first book I've turned in that was bought on spec from the proposal. That's definitely an interesting way to write. She's been so supportive and encouraging of this series that the last thing I want is to let her down. I don't know if I should be worried that even my agent hasn't responded to let me know his thoughts. Eek. Pray for me, will ya? LOL
By the way--doncha love the cover of Digitalis? I'm in heaven. Hehe. I had a skin made for my laptop with the covers of Nightshade and Digitalis. Not vanity but promotion for those nights I'm sitting at Starbucks or Panera, writing and immersed in these stories. I've already seen people staring (and yeah, that's a bit creepy). :-D
I am about 1/3 of the way into Wolfsbane, Discarded Heroes #3. This is going to be one tough story. Lots of heartache and drama--and of course, action! OORAH!
So, there ya have it. A bit of me is sad that I'm already halfway through this series. These guys have embedded in my heart...and so has the mission of these books. Praying they will accomplish that mission, and bring glory to God!
