LeBlog--The Blog about life…writing, raising kids, chasing dogs, handling life and all its bit parts.

March 25, 2009

 

Whoohooo!

Cheering today because my critique buddy, Julie Whitby, is a Golden Heart finalist! Yea, Julie!

March 17, 2009

 

New Review of Ruby's Slippers

Check it out: http://deenasbooks.blogspot.com/2009/03/rubys-slippers-by-leanna-ellis.html

 

Spring Break = Spring Cleaning

I have such clear memories of my mom with duster in hand doing the spring cleaning, moving all the furniture, dusting, vacuuming, polishing, etc... Well, I'm not quite that ambitious, but my aim this week is to get this house back under control. It's been a whirlwind of a new year with my dad in the hospital for so long in January and February (and he's doing well at home now, thank you for the prayers!), basketball and fencing tournaments galore, finishing a book, launching Ruby's Slippers, bouts of flu, maintaining the animal hospital here with e-collars, leashes and sutures, etc... So today is the day! We're mopping, dusting, picking up and putting away, vacuuming, scrubbing and washing. I'm exhausted already and I haven't even started yet! But know I'll be so happy when it's all done.

March 11, 2009

 

Contest!

It’s no joke! It’s no April Fools gag either. Ruby’s Slippers is arriving in stores starting April 1st (it's actually available on Amazon.com now!). To celebrate, I’m running a contest to get the word out! You have the chance to win a $50 prepaid card that could be used at most grocery stores, book stores or even gas stations! Here’s the lowdown:

For bloggers: Post information on your blog about Ruby’s Slippers. I can email you the cover. Below you’ll find a catchy blurb.

For non-bloggers: Send an email to ten friends about Ruby’s Slippers. You can use the blurb below and also refer them to my website.

If you’ve read the book and post a review on Amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, christianbook.com, acfw.com/bookreviews.html, faithfulreader.com/wom/wom.asp or crossings.com, then I’ll enter you in the contest for each review posted.

Then let me know you’ve posted the information on your blog, sent out 10 emails or reviewed my book and I’ll put your name in a drawing for the possibility to win a $50 prepaid card. Please provide your snail mail address. The drawing will be held Mother’s Day weekend. The winner will be notified via email.

If you want to enter more than once, that’s okay! Just send out 10 more emails. If your friends want to enter, that’s okay too! Odds of winning depend on the number of entries. No purchase is necessary. And buying my book won’t increase your odds of winning (but will give me a happy smile and you some enjoyment).

Ruby’s Slippers
By Leanna Ellis
April 2009

When Dottie Meyers loses her ‘no place like home’ during a Kansas tornado, she wakes up to find a pair of ruby slippers left by her father who abandoned his family thirty years ago. With her sister hot on her trail to find the treasured ruby slippers, Dottie travels a yellow brick road with three friends to find her father. No wizard can solve her problems. Only the love of a heavenly father can heal her wounds and give her the desires of her heart.



Email me at leanna@leannaellis.com to let me know you’ve posted/emailed or if you want a .pdf file of the cover.

Link to the book trailer at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cySRAfOdWaI

Thanks so much and best wishes!

Blessings,


Leanna

March 10, 2009

 

Download Chapter One of Ruby's Slippers

Did you know you can download for free chapter one of my upcoming book, Ruby's Slippers? Well, you can. Just go to my website, leannaellis.com and click on the books page. You'll find the free download under Ruby's Slippers. There are also now readers questions available under my book clubs page.

Let me know what you think!

 

New baby arrives EARLY!


Just saw that my baby, Ruby's Slippers, is now available on Amazon, already shipping! Whoohoooo!

Tomorrow, I'm going to announce a new contest so be sure and check in!

If you think of it today, please pray for my sweet lab, Liberty. She's having surgery today on a torn ACL in her knee. Please pray the surgeons hands are steady, that Lib comes through well, and that her other knee holds up and doesn't need surgery. Thank you!

March 9, 2009

 

Fiction Monday



Read any good books lately? Here's one you might be interested in:

WHEN LOVE BLOOMS
by Robin Lee Hatcher
Zondervan, February 2009


She could say what she wanted. Emily Harris didn't belong in the hard life of the Blakes. She would wilt there like a rose without water. He'd be sending her back to Boise before the first snows. He'd be willing to bet on it.


From the moment Gavin Blake set eyes on Emily Harris, he knew she would never make it in the rugged high country where backbreaking work and constant hardship were commonplace. Beautiful and refined, she was accustomed to the best life had to offer. Heaven only knew why she wanted to leave Boise to teach two young girls on a ranch miles from nowhere. He'd wager it had to do with a man. It always did when a beautiful woman was involved.


Emily wanted to make some sort of mark on the world before marriage. She wanted to be more than just a society wife. Though she had plenty of opportunities back East, she had come to the Idaho high country looking to make a difference. Gavin’s resistance to her presence made her even more determined to prove herself. Perhaps changing the heart of just one man may make the greatest difference of all.


************************


REVIEWS:


Penned with the descriptive nibs of all the five senses, Robin Lee Hatcher transports the reader to the magnificent high country of Idaho in a thoroughly engaging tale of love and wounded heroes. When Love Blooms is layered with appealing characters, and I was so at home with the story's cast, I felt like I was like viewing my own family history. I have yet to read a Hatcher novel that didn't entrance me from the first page, and with a unique plot for a romance, When Love Blooms is no exception. Novel Reviews and I give it a high recommendation.
— Novel Reviews


Christy Award winner Hatcher's (Wagered Heart; Catching Katie) latest novel is a historical romance set in the rugged high country of Idaho in the late 1800s... Populated with lively characters, this delightful title deserves a place in [Christian Fiction] and historical romance collections and will appeal to those who enjoy Lori Wick or Lori Copeland. Recommended for Public Libraries.
— Library Journal


************************


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


Robin Lee Hatcher discovered her vocation as a novelist after many years of reading everything she could put her hands on, including the backs of cereal boxes and ketchup bottles. The winner of the Christy Award for Excellence in Christian Fiction (Whispers from Yesterday), the RITA Award for Best Inspirational Romance (Patterns of Love and The Shepherd's Voice), two RT Career Achievement Awards (Americana Romance and Inspirational Fiction), and the RWA Lifetime Achievement Award, Robin is the author of over 60 novels, including Catching Katie, named one of the Best Books of 2004 by the Library Journal.


Robin enjoys being with her family, spending time in the beautiful Idaho outdoors, reading books that make her cry, and watching romantic movies. She is passionate about the theater, and several nights every summer, she can be found at the outdoor amphitheater of the Idaho Shakespeare Festival, enjoying Shakespeare under the stars. She makes her home on the outskirts of Boise, sharing it with Poppet the high-maintenance Papillon.

March 5, 2009

 

Now for the important questions of life --

What'd you think of the top 9 on American Idol? No surprises for me. Those were my top choices for the last group. but my favs so far are: Adam Lambert, Danny Gokey, Alexis Grace and Allison Iraheta.

So the judges picked 8 to sing again tonight, one final chance to make the top 12. Who are you rooting for? I like Anoop Desai. I think he's talented. I also like Jesse Langseth. I just hope the drama queen doesn't make it.

March 4, 2009

 

I'm no Florence Nightengale!

Growing up, I remember pretending to be a nurse, taking care of my grandfather who had the flu or trying to. I had a cute little nurse's uniform which is what I liked the most. I tried to give my sister a pretend shot, and she knocked me across the bed and I ended up with a head wound bleeding profusely. I remember reading about all those great women like Clara Barton and Florence Nightengale, and somewhere along the way I learned I wasn't good at blood, vomit or other bodily fluids. During my years of teaching, I came face to face with many sick children. Cough, cough. One would cough right in my face and say, "I've got strep throat." Terrific. I soon had it too. Or the child who kept coming to school with pink eye. Yep, I got that too. And then there was the sweet little boy who sat on the front row who made a squeaking noise. I looked over at him. He'd covered his mouth with his hand. His eyes bugged out. And then vomit leaked through his fingers. "Go to the office! Quick!" That was always my solution. Then there was the child who started screaming, "Miss Wilson (that was my name back then)! Miss Wilson! It just keeps coming! It keeps coming! It won't stop!" I rushed over to her and discovered she was peeing all over the chair, a yellow pool forming on the floor. "Well, finish. Then go to the office," I told her. During high school, I thought I wanted to be a physical therapist and worked in a hospital for a short period of time. I'm sure the patients were glad I left after I wheeled a guy with a broken leg into a wall. Accidentally! Honest!!! I'm just not good at nursing. Then, I eventually became a mom. My son had projectile spitups. All day. Every day. I never got used to it. Then there's the time that I sat with a friend's husband in the hospital for a short period of time. Uncomfortable in hospital settings, I read a book while he napped. Suddenly, all these beeps and sirens were going off. Doctors and nurses rushed down the hall and into his room. I looked over and his eyes had rolled back in his head. He had flatlined. I just got out of the way. And he survived, no thanks to me. So here I am today, supposedly nursing my son, husband and dog. Is God trying to tell me something?

March 3, 2009

 

Ya just never know ...

what a new day will bring. Our lab was supposed to have surgery today but her bloodwork revealed a problem. So we're doing more bloodwork. My son is sick. So will we be going to the vet today or the doctor or both? Sometimes it's hard to remember that God is in control. I so often get frustrated when something interferes with MY timeline. But God has a plan. And I need to trust in Him. He can see around the corners and knows in advance what our needs are. So if anyone is feeling frustrated today, rest in him.

March 2, 2009

 

No rest for the weary

It was one of the busiest weekends which allowed very little time to rest. Two basketball games plus a fencing tournament equals exhaustion. Yes, I know, I didn't have to run up and down the court, dribbling and shooting, or fencing bout after bout. But when you're a parent, nervousness wraps around your insides and tightens your muscles as you pray for each ball to go in the basket and each jab with the foil to hit the right mark. You feel each scab on the knee or bruise to the shin that your kids sustain. So I am really looking forward to spring break in two weeks. But in spite of our weariness from all our sports events and studying for tests and school projects, there is a peace and joy that sustains and lifts and comforts. And I am grateful for my heavenly father who knows when I need rest and gives me the strength I need each day.

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