Blog Tour For Your Inner Diva!

Leave a comment below for a chance to have your name entered in the blog tour for your inner diva contest.

Blog Tour Grand Prize!
• Turquoise purse/tote
• Silver flip-flops
• Purse and shoe picture frames
• Box of Godiva truffles
• DIVAS of the Divine book & journal


DIVAS' Top 10 Necessities for a Fulfilled Life
1.A Great Bra! (Prayer Foundation) – Even though many women don’t enjoy wearing this undergarment, it is the most critical aspect of any DIVA’S outfit! Why? It is the foundation—just like a relationship with God that offers support and is always uplifting.
2.Mirror (Real Beauty) – A DIVA looks into the mirror to check hair and lipstick but more importantly to make sure what she sees is real—to make sure her beauty is reflected from within, transparent and authentic.
3.Shoes (God’s Purpose) – The perfect designer shoes guide her daily walk with Christ. Must fit her style as an individual and accentuate the relationship that is uniquely hers in order to make every step count. Little steps help her go the distance.
4.Sunglasses (Priorities) – Oh, how important to filter the harmful rays and the worldly view of the sunlight so she is only exposed to the pure Son and all of His benefits!
5.Chocolate (Time Out) – Every DIVA’S little piece of heaven! It may be small but it’s sweetness, it’s creamy comfort, and its AHHHH factor, is enough to sustain her until she gets to experience the wonder of heaven. It’s the little pick-me-up that will remind her to sustain her eternal perspective no matter the circumstance.
6.Wrinkle Cream (Forgiveness) – It is the hottest thing on the market for any DIVA who wants to remove lines and wrinkles. The Spirit-inspired ingredients are key to erasing the fine lines of stress, worry, and bitterness to help her let go of the past. This cream is full of the healing power of forgiveness, grace, and unconditional love.
7.Watch (Commitment) – Every DIVA has a favorite watch. This piece of bling pulls every outfit together. She feels lost when she forgets to wear it. Time! Time requires commitment and every DIVA chooses wisely how she spends it.
8.Girlfriend (Accountability) - The most important necessity for all true DIVAS. She’s caring and fun to be with. She is the “speak the truth in love” kind of friend that will hold the DIVA accountable to being the true Designer Original she was created to be.
9.Purse (Balance) - Whether it’s top-of-the-line or a bargain-deal, the DIVA’S purse must be perfect to keep all her most important things close—flexible to bend when in tight spots but sturdy enough to withstand day-to day-use. Her purse contains the necessary items to stay balanced and “keep it all together.”
10.Lipstick (Positive Words & Attitude) – Positive words and a polished tone flow from her lips in pretty colors and a high-gloss shine. Her words inspire others.

About the Authors:
Donna McCrary
From high top basketball shoes to high heels, each step of Donna’s life has equipped her for a Life Coaching career. She is a challenging facilitator whose “tell it like it is” approach always incorporates a call to action from her participants.
Donna draws from her background as a recreational therapist to create dynamic outcome-oriented keynotes, retreats, and curriculums. Her greatest passion and deepest joy is to “coach” women in realizing God’s plan for their lives and in discovering for themselves the source of genuine joy.
Donna is a wife, mother of two, and beloved friend. Donna’s hobbies include hiking, vacationing at the beach, and trying projects from popular HGTV home improvement shows... much to her husband’s dismay!

Sherri Holbert
Sherri invested many years with companies such as Biltmore Estate, Chick-fil-A, and Chimney Rock Park in developing new and creative programs to excel these corporations to higher levels of success.
Sherri is founder and CEO of Power-Up!, a coaching company whose mission is to take individuals and corporations to the next level of success. She works as a coach, facilitator, and speaker for a variety of clients ranging from corporate executives to stay-at-home moms. Sherri’s passion is unlocking the untapped potential within others to help them gain fresh perspectives, develop clear vision, and establish action steps that will make their dreams reality.
Sherri is a wife, aunt, and friend to many. She has a self-proclaimed addiction to shoes, purses, and Starbuck’s coffee. One of her life goals is to be on Survivor (her favorite TV reality show!).


ADVICE FOR ALL DIVAS!

Sherri: If life for you is like driving 100 mph in a convertible, make sure you have a map to your dream destination and a friend to keep you focused on the plan so you don’t get sucked into the tourist traps along the way. Don’t be Thelma and Louise! Allow your passion to drive you to the mountain top of success instead of driving you off the cliff with no purpose.

Donna: The shopping mall is full of new shoes but they can only be enjoyed if you take off the old,
try on the new, and then commit to pay the price.


For more information visit the DIVAS website: www.walkofpurpose.com
or view their information at Docstoc or Google Docs.

Tessa Afshar's "Pearl in the Sand"

Here's Moody's blurb about Tessa's book...
Can a Canaanite harlot who has made her livelihood by looking desirable to men make a fitting wife for one of the leaders of Israel' Shockingly, the Bible's answer is yes.
Pearl in the Sand tells Rahab's untold story. Rahab lives in a wall; her house is built into the defensive walls of the City of Jericho. Other walls surround her as well-walls of fear, rejection, unworthiness.
A woman with a wrecked past; a man of success, of faith - of pride; a marriage only God would conceive! Through the heartaches of a stormy relationship, Rahab and Salmone learn the true source of one another's worth and find healing in God.

Amazon link:
http://www.amazon.com/Pearl-Sand-Novel-ebook/dp/B004089202/ref=sr_1_cc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1284082202&sr=1-1-catcorr

Sarah Sundin's "A Memory Between Us"

We're happy to have Sarah Sundin with us today talking about her book, A Memory Between Us. To learn more about Sarah and her book, read on!

1) How did this story come to you?
My first novel, A Distant Melody, was originally meant to be a single novel, but while doing research, I became enamored with the US Eighth Air Force in World War II, and I wanted to tell the full story to V-E Day. Since my hero had two pilot brothers, I decided to write a three-book series, with each book focusing on one brother, with each book standing alone.
About this time, the character of Army nurse Lt. Ruth Doherty came to me—what if a poor girl made a bad decision in order to feed her family? What kind of girl would make such a decision? What would she be like when she grew up? I mentally put Ruth in the same room with Jack Novak—and sparks flew! Writing A Memory Between Us was a blast. Jack and Ruth were such fun characters.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
I first submitted A Distant Melody at Mount Hermon Christian Writers’ Conference in 2003. I received good feedback from published authors, editors, and agents—and began accumulating a stack of “good” rejection letters. They liked my writing, my story, and my characters—however, historicals weren’t selling. They wanted chick lit. This continued through 2007. I often felt discouraged, but the Lord made it obvious in many ways that He wanted me to finish the series so I kept plugging away. Then at Mount Hermon in March 2008, I heard, “We don’t want chick lit. We need historicals.” And there I was with the first two books in the Wings of Glory series complete. I submitted to Vicki Crumpton at Revell, and in September 2008 I was offered a three-book contract.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
I hate housecleaning—but I enjoy laundry.
I wrote my rough drafts longhand in pencil, curled up on the couch.
My sons think I rock. My daughter (14) thinks I’m a dork. She’s closer to the truth. 

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I turned in Blue Skies Tomorrow (Book 3 in the Wings of Glory series) to my editor recently, and now we’re going through the editing process. I’m putting together a proposal for another series set during World War II.

5) Parting comments?
If God has given you a dream, have the courage to do what He asks you to do. Persevere, learn, seek support, and keep praying.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
Website: http://www.sarahsundin.com/
Blog: http://www.sarahsundin.blogspot.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sarahsundin
Twitter: http://twitter.com/sarahsundin

Lorna Seilstad's "Making Waves"

We're happy to have Lorna Seilstad with us today talking about her book, Making Waves. To learn more about Lorna and her book, read on!

1) How did this story come to you?
I’ve lived in Iowa my whole life and Lake Manawa is about a ten minute drive from my house. Since my dad lived there as a child, I’d heard stories about the resort’s heyday, but I had no idea just what a fascinating place it was until I began to research it. After I did, I had to write a story set there. I wanted to bring the area back to life—at least on paper.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
At the 2008 ACFW conference, I presented this book to Andrea Doering. I completely forgot my pitch and just handed her my one sheet. Then, I sat there while she read two chapters. Thank goodness, she laughed in the right places! I knew I was in trouble if she didn’t.

After she was done, she complimented my fresh voice and asked me to send of full copy to her. Less than a month after I submitted the manuscript, I received an e-mail asking for a couple more ideas to make this into a possible series. A month later, Revell offered me a contract.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
1. I’m good at pinball. This really surprised my husband when we were dating.
2. I’ve never sailed, although I’d love to. I read “Sailing for Dummies” when writing Making Waves. I also had help from a sailing writing friend to make sure I got the information correct.
3. I occasionally serve as a wedding coordinator. I guess romance is in my blood

3) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
There are two more books in the Lake Manawa Summers series. The next book is called A Great Catch and occurs five years later at the lake. I’m busy working on book three which will be yet another five years later and will feature the resort’s new roller coaster.

4) Parting comments?
Thank you for having me today. It’s been fun.

5) Where can fans find you on the internet?
I love connecting with and hearing from readers. I can be found at:
http://www.lornaseilstad.com/
http://www.inkspirationalmessages.com/ (10-writer blog)
On Twitter and on Facebook

Leanna Ellis' "Facelift"

We're happy to have Leanna Ellis with us today talking about her book, Facelift. To learn more about Leanna and her book, read on!

1) How did this story come to you?
Most of my ideas are a little whacky and this one began with the idea of a woman who is extremely self-focused and vain. What’s the worst that could happen to someone like that? A botched facelift. She is actually the ex-mother-in-law of my main character. I wanted to probe how society often makes women feel inadequate. Even the church sometimes makes us feel that way when we’re compared to the Proverbs 31 woman. I’ve struggled in this area my whole life. It’s definitely a battle. And yet, if women could just see themselves the way God sees us…well, I believe it would revolutionize the church and the world.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
Right before I started writing this book, my father passed away. So in the aftermath of all of that, I had to begin. But it was a slow process. Some days I could only write two words: Chapter Five. Literally two words. When you’re on deadline, that’s a bit of a panic situation. But I tried not to pressure myself or beat myself up over those days. Some days were very depressing. But I made a conscious decision to get out to take walks when sometimes I just wanted to curl up in a ball and pull the covers up over my head. But in going through that I learned not only about the choices we face and decisions we make but also about my character Kaye and her lessons in this book.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
1. I utilized our crazy labradoodle we call the Hilo Monster, a combo Labrador and poodle that likes to eat our eye glasses and everything else in sight in FACELIFT. Many days she seemed bent on creating more headaches than smiles but hopefully she adds some nice humor to the book as she added that bit of levity to our lives during a rather difficult and painful period.
2. I just started fencing! And it’s a lot of fun and a LOT of hard work. Very good exercise.
3. I have a weird sense of humor. Oops! If they’ve read my books, then I guess they know that.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?

The book I’m working on next is FORSAKEN, book one in the PLAIN FEAR series, which is an Amish/vampire story.

5) Parting comments?

God is good. Always. Even on the difficult day, the trying days, the painful days, which we all go through. It’s important to keep our focus on Him. Two of my favorite passages fit beautifully with FACELIFT:
Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to hard you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Psalm 139:14-16 “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”

Carie Lawson's "Beyond Summer"

We're happy to have Carie Lawson with us today talking about her ebook, Beyond Summer To learn more about Carie and her book, read on!

1) How did this story come to you?
The story evolved out of the hero's character. He was such a pushy guy, stubborn, maybe more than a little temperamental. Of course, he had to have the one woman he would despise on sight...as a learning exercise.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
Because it is Insprational Romance, I was very skeptical about Beyond Summer being published at all because the hero is divorced and the story centers around the marriage Carly is escaping from. I was so thankful to find Desert Breeze as a home for it.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
1. My friends reading my books makes me ridiculously nervous.
2. I have four kids that I homeschool.
3. I went to Romania one summer with a missionary team and my soon to be husband. While we were there, I got to visit the "real" Dracula's castle.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I'm working on revisions for the third book in the Twisted Roots series, Beyond Ever After. It's Haven McCord's story about falling in love with her first crush, marrying him and getting to a place where she doesn't know if she can love him anymore.

5) Parting comments?
Thanks for having me today! It was a lot of fun and I hope whoever wins the free copy enjoys it.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
I have a website, http://www.carielawsonbooks.com/ and a facebook page, Carie Lawson books.