tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39342544217558337062024-03-05T20:01:26.119-06:00Leanna Ellis - LeBlogLeBlog--The Blog about life…writing, raising kids, chasing dogs, handling life and all its bit parts.Leanna Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14593441784425151288noreply@blogger.comBlogger661125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3934254421755833706.post-51418529978164809332014-06-02T10:53:00.000-06:002014-06-02T10:53:45.837-06:00Goodreads Giveaway! A great summer read!<div id="goodreadsGiveawayWidget95018"><!-- Show static html as a placeholder in case js is not enabled --><br />
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<h2 style="margin: 0 0 10px !important; padding: 0 !important; font-style: italic; font-size: 20px; line-height: 20px; font-weight: normal; text-align: center; color: #555;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com" target="_new">Goodreads</a> Book Giveaway<br />
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<div style="float: left;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7997774"><img alt="Facelift by Leanna Ellis" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328815553l/7997774.jpg" title="Facelift by Leanna Ellis" width="100" /></a><br />
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<div style="margin: 0 0 0 110px !important; padding: 0 0 0 0 !important;"><h3 style="margin: 0; padding: 0; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7997774">Facelift</a><br />
</h3><h4 style="margin: 0 0 10px; padding: 0; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;">by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/992103.Leanna_Ellis" style="text-decoration: none;">Leanna Ellis</a><br />
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<div class="giveaway_details"><p>Giveaway ends June 14, 2014.<br />
</p><p>See the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/95018" style="text-decoration: none;">giveaway details</a><br />
at Goodreads.<br />
</p></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/enter_choose_address/95018" class="goodreadsGiveawayWidgetEnterLink">Enter to win</a><br />
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</div></div><script src="https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/widget/95018" type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script>Leanna Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14593441784425151288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3934254421755833706.post-34055429355594968112014-05-24T12:39:00.000-06:002014-05-24T12:39:39.625-06:00My Top Three Favorite Tea-Time RecipesTea time. For many years, it was a special occasion when I traveled to England and had tea at <a href="http://www.harrods.com/content/the-store/restaurants/the-tea-room/">Harrods</a> or for a bridal shower. But when my children were about four or five and we were beginning to homeschool, I started serving tea in the afternoon with a little snack. Sometimes, I used store-bought cookies or made pretzels or little sandwiches. It was an opportune time to reinforce manners (still is!). I shared poems and art books with my children, and often we listened to classical music. They loved it. Seriously, even my son loved it. What boy doesn't like food? Now, that they're older, we don't have time for tea every day, but we try to have it at least once a week. It's a great way for us to come together and share about our day, to talk about books we're reading, to discuss what activities are coming up on our schedule. Time together is precious, and tea-time is a delicious time for us to share, not only good food but our hearts. Here are three of my favorite recipes:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEZFshmRW1DUkKPzwHV_u6UaiWx2AE_L7bA5fJp48sSkZVgzhuzyahW2yhKFDHn7QsCmEP0ELlpuYky3b4sbj9tA3mVYlBBklLA8e93w5TZGC5pJ-MebVBBfg3BPlAKLPvK5AioHC364k/s1600/IMG_0156.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEZFshmRW1DUkKPzwHV_u6UaiWx2AE_L7bA5fJp48sSkZVgzhuzyahW2yhKFDHn7QsCmEP0ELlpuYky3b4sbj9tA3mVYlBBklLA8e93w5TZGC5pJ-MebVBBfg3BPlAKLPvK5AioHC364k/s320/IMG_0156.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<a href="http://www.joyofbaking.com/printpages/SconesCoffeehouseprint.html">Scones!</a> There is nothing better on a cold afternoon than hot tea (Earl Grey or Yorkshire) and scones. My hint: add a little extra heavy cream…or maybe a little more. It keeps the scones nice and moist. On the side, serve butter at room temperature, mixed with a couple of tablespoons of powdered sugar. This is a great way to great your kids after school. It's fun to sit around and chat about our day.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifY7T3LbdddCkUVcRJyzkJkSsydRdSYWNqFoXcPxjHcY8LLx2Bvfp8SrdkNPN46V6pGRon4GWAZ27pChS7Vz-NCYvGj33z_kJ-bbQepotuQ7BTFGhLRB6pR5lIhMcGG0i8AXwH-VGrgiM/s1600/IMG_0144.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifY7T3LbdddCkUVcRJyzkJkSsydRdSYWNqFoXcPxjHcY8LLx2Bvfp8SrdkNPN46V6pGRon4GWAZ27pChS7Vz-NCYvGj33z_kJ-bbQepotuQ7BTFGhLRB6pR5lIhMcGG0i8AXwH-VGrgiM/s320/IMG_0144.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<a href="http://spoonful.com/recipes/pineapple-upside-down-cupcakes">Pineapple Upside-Down Cupcakes!</a> Let me just say one word: YUM! Child-tested, these cupcakes were a huge hit! You can serve these with hot tea or iced tea, depending on the weather.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNUPEKSuDrCyLORfzK2vghgYdGUyuBOnSUw6QsxUQHYaijE46wH299AY20wZ609rlGNf19zYs5U08DGCW1ZbADW5zyigfGn2I9M7awKWCt9cYmM21fwFS2z5bY0ulWmnaWau75ubyibIA/s1600/IMG_0239.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNUPEKSuDrCyLORfzK2vghgYdGUyuBOnSUw6QsxUQHYaijE46wH299AY20wZ609rlGNf19zYs5U08DGCW1ZbADW5zyigfGn2I9M7awKWCt9cYmM21fwFS2z5bY0ulWmnaWau75ubyibIA/s320/IMG_0239.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/blueberry-scones-with-lemon-glaze-recipe.html">Blueberry Scones with Lemon Glaze</a><br />
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These are my kids' favorite scones. I love to make these in the summer with fresh blueberries. Again, my hint: add a little extra heavy cream. Serve with iced tea or lemonade.<br />
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Leanna Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14593441784425151288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3934254421755833706.post-70381661386713120832014-04-05T07:52:00.000-06:002014-04-05T09:52:11.807-06:00Exciting News for FORGIVEN!This week, I was informed that <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/plain-fear-leanna-ellis/1112689798?ean=9781402279799">PLAIN FEAR: FORGIVEN</a> had been chosen for a <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/u/ebooks-nook-books-bargain-deal-3-or-less/379003856/">special promotion</a> by Barnes and Noble. It goes on sale today as a NOOK book.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP0KeVlsy4Wm6GAIg_mstcb0qRQkyx0Rnzefz6PEgYr4xHzpphgsitBSigdYYKvedHCHQBro0MDC4Fo5c6ie2udoUbOGNfCVIL3R210dyF1vlxG5eRzz_u345BwVtsamHj_CHquhyphenhyphenCgRs/s1600/Forgiven.jpeg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP0KeVlsy4Wm6GAIg_mstcb0qRQkyx0Rnzefz6PEgYr4xHzpphgsitBSigdYYKvedHCHQBro0MDC4Fo5c6ie2udoUbOGNfCVIL3R210dyF1vlxG5eRzz_u345BwVtsamHj_CHquhyphenhyphenCgRs/s320/Forgiven.jpeg" /></a><br />
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Samuel Fisher committed a sin of biblical proportions—he killed his own brother, Jacob. Samuel’s guilt overwhelms him as he struggles to understand the choices Jacob made which led to his death. Haunted by doubts and questions, Samuel starts down the same dark path of destruction. In the gripping final battle between hunters and vampires, Samuel must choose where his loyalties lie. The decisions he makes not only threaten the lives of those he loves, but determine if he will ultimately be forgiven. <br />
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You can read a preview <a href="http://leannaellis.com/paranormal.html">here</a>.<br />
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Reviews:<br />
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“An unlikely, yet fresh idea that completely works, thanks to her ability to blend the genres in a tasteful manner.” - RT Book Reviews –<br />
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“A richly detailed and atmospheric tale of suspense.” - Library Journal –<br />
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I hope you'll help me make PLAIN FEAR: FORGIVEN a big success during this special promotion! Thanks for all your support!<br />
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Giveaway: To celebrate this promotion, leave a comment below and I'll draw a name of a winner to receive the paperback copy of PLAIN FEAR: FORSAKEN and PLAIN FEAR: FORBIDDEN, the first two books in the series. I'll draw a name on Monday, April 7th.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLz2QDcgJbnn2Wd3dmDkM3xkVDP1Op6DKvvniM5A5h-gBFXm6JkKEtXCr3Cc257fNjOal_5vlvFav2DkA3pMD3ZBOoYflejEJ7G755BSHM-HtkNQkdOF6Sg9dd9Exi3EnkBvFcFZn6MD4/s1600/Fosaken_1025.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLz2QDcgJbnn2Wd3dmDkM3xkVDP1Op6DKvvniM5A5h-gBFXm6JkKEtXCr3Cc257fNjOal_5vlvFav2DkA3pMD3ZBOoYflejEJ7G755BSHM-HtkNQkdOF6Sg9dd9Exi3EnkBvFcFZn6MD4/s320/Fosaken_1025.jpg" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg88hCrNHrZ26mB5oGYsj2uR263swX-QQDbZHnce6SL_4iQYJYaTLyvNusrlYaLW6Lmr_1EefEfru4kNcCVeAWWxeJfQm4UV8xy3bLUxfDCr8a-3U4g9XlOcI1NMp9PaDFu7_2kYc61JfM/s1600/9781402267536.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg88hCrNHrZ26mB5oGYsj2uR263swX-QQDbZHnce6SL_4iQYJYaTLyvNusrlYaLW6Lmr_1EefEfru4kNcCVeAWWxeJfQm4UV8xy3bLUxfDCr8a-3U4g9XlOcI1NMp9PaDFu7_2kYc61JfM/s320/9781402267536.jpg" /></a><br />
Leanna Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14593441784425151288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3934254421755833706.post-67986200436663944842014-03-31T12:57:00.000-06:002014-03-31T13:09:18.665-06:00April Fools' CatMy father-in-law was a cat magnet. He loved them, and they loved him. He also loved to laugh. So, it's fitting that we got our sweet Sawyer from him.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-BWhQW6ew3-80jus0yRC2ni_hivYmy6cvvPpDfRdLmZ1TDIC8kF0f3mr79kZd8g-GBA72LYeYcVbhdW5JoxwmAN1akUc9tM3oHnnSMtUjKikpWe6-PXUKA7uj6oDkltZu9EgIWa7Bbnw/s1600/101_0485.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-BWhQW6ew3-80jus0yRC2ni_hivYmy6cvvPpDfRdLmZ1TDIC8kF0f3mr79kZd8g-GBA72LYeYcVbhdW5JoxwmAN1akUc9tM3oHnnSMtUjKikpWe6-PXUKA7uj6oDkltZu9EgIWa7Bbnw/s320/101_0485.JPG" /></a><br />
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Here's my father-in-law, Glenn, with my daughter and my sister-in-law when he came to see Annie a few months before the "incident".<br />
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As I said, cats adored Glenn and came from far and wide to live with him. So it was not surprising that another cat had adopted him. However, he thought this particular cat was a male. So he did not rush to get it fixed. But lo and behold on April Fool's Day, this 'male' cat delivered kittens.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJvF5WEfU5h_cPCm4lJIkR5ytku818CWMl3WawrcOYaGUvXTsOLzyu8x1HCPsHlRMdn1KuG0rwP2DT-vlsCsN17tY9JdQ49f4uDwWE3kQylakQfdRrdcu9bCu80s_5KQvLGT4gyW4ysNQ/s1600/101_1376.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJvF5WEfU5h_cPCm4lJIkR5ytku818CWMl3WawrcOYaGUvXTsOLzyu8x1HCPsHlRMdn1KuG0rwP2DT-vlsCsN17tY9JdQ49f4uDwWE3kQylakQfdRrdcu9bCu80s_5KQvLGT4gyW4ysNQ/s320/101_1376.JPG" /></a><br />
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Aren't they adorable? Well, a couple of weeks after Glenn discovered his error and these adorable kittens, he had a heart attack and ended up in the hospital. My husband raced to Kansas City to be with his father. Unfortunately, Glenn did not recover and passed away. As we were making arrangements for the funeral, my husband told me about the kittens and asked if we could keep one. Well, what could I say? Of course! So when we went up for the funeral, my daughter picked out a kitten for us and a kitten for my sister. They were still too young to leave their mother, so we anxiously awaited their arrival to our house in May.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3ZAwcj2uqNgItsIWFjE-lDqcuEL4Q1FtqGtGir5yT4pbUtk1z87frXu4NA3gK5OGm4GWPotQtLBKvPKsjT-quW3vaQuCgD25BH3kKjTtwt7kext2JVeO0T6W6IfmeGcM0JJvsxdJMP3U/s1600/101_1458.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3ZAwcj2uqNgItsIWFjE-lDqcuEL4Q1FtqGtGir5yT4pbUtk1z87frXu4NA3gK5OGm4GWPotQtLBKvPKsjT-quW3vaQuCgD25BH3kKjTtwt7kext2JVeO0T6W6IfmeGcM0JJvsxdJMP3U/s320/101_1458.JPG" /></a><br />
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They had not had much human contact because of Glenn's hospitalization, so they huddled together. We had thought to name our kitten, the orange/blond one 'Glenda' after both Glenn and one of our favorite books/movies--The Wizard of Oz. But the day we took them to the vet to get checked out, we discovered that orangey kittens are 95% male. And so, we quickly changed Glenda's name to Sawyer, after one of our favorite characters on the TV show LOST.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimHMaKbIkdDs8kGLL-zYbtEenNCdZDaoADxMFrscQ_89eZE912XPDL_lv0AjWBDw1ekQUAlKmrv1LfVDhRr5OyYDohhWtfK_j_IlD5EjtEoCQzOSnN1YOTclR0vgQXybghpxxVcbbUQPY/s1600/101_1476.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimHMaKbIkdDs8kGLL-zYbtEenNCdZDaoADxMFrscQ_89eZE912XPDL_lv0AjWBDw1ekQUAlKmrv1LfVDhRr5OyYDohhWtfK_j_IlD5EjtEoCQzOSnN1YOTclR0vgQXybghpxxVcbbUQPY/s320/101_1476.JPG" /></a><br />
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The pretty gray one, my sister kept, and she named her Scout.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVViRyPlQTjKn2GJp4kkjDXiOe50UepHP0yiB1O6zwH0GGuvZDBEiGE2MkQ0Uhnp5Urcx4F368VDc772hGiXG7Lccn-F-PAvAFM3FPtw8WSWO-yvulb6-_5ToC1pLmeRanJPGWkiZ1_9Y/s1600/101_1640.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVViRyPlQTjKn2GJp4kkjDXiOe50UepHP0yiB1O6zwH0GGuvZDBEiGE2MkQ0Uhnp5Urcx4F368VDc772hGiXG7Lccn-F-PAvAFM3FPtw8WSWO-yvulb6-_5ToC1pLmeRanJPGWkiZ1_9Y/s320/101_1640.JPG" /></a><br />
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Now here they are all grown up!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNFfLUw_sdx68swOTq52vuoB9-BM-91pU45Jbos-dn9SDU6LxoACJBYCyJXzJ0s2zf2f0WD-izkhgd_jSzPh2-Viy7a4FX6S4xGvNBnXjPOsQ8kiwDoAMPEWZe0aSTvWy496BNyzKucFU/s1600/100_3878.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNFfLUw_sdx68swOTq52vuoB9-BM-91pU45Jbos-dn9SDU6LxoACJBYCyJXzJ0s2zf2f0WD-izkhgd_jSzPh2-Viy7a4FX6S4xGvNBnXjPOsQ8kiwDoAMPEWZe0aSTvWy496BNyzKucFU/s320/100_3878.JPG" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJHXHuvfddSxU6ozzTzS8yCS88hUrBQQ_nAHTbx4baARMRLTQ1JLSJ7QWJwPww-OiVPqRs6LI9LapWgeBDy78jwpOD06v4EgX8ZDt6mdTCht_rS7yaKQmKHO7QyADr5j_HWvGuuM9EX7E/s1600/100_3796.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJHXHuvfddSxU6ozzTzS8yCS88hUrBQQ_nAHTbx4baARMRLTQ1JLSJ7QWJwPww-OiVPqRs6LI9LapWgeBDy78jwpOD06v4EgX8ZDt6mdTCht_rS7yaKQmKHO7QyADr5j_HWvGuuM9EX7E/s320/100_3796.JPG" /></a><br />
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April Fools' Day is bittersweet, as I think of sweet and wonderful Glenn, but it's also joyous in that we have an adorable cat. Sawyer is so lovable. Our sorrow will end one day when we are all united in heaven, but until then we will remember Glenn and his sweet gift, Sawyer.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPhFEkpaF4aWSXYv4JanzHjmGo2WZt3Vm_er0DZF_GzXfZ83gI4VnpPs9UOSnDDsn_sQ1aKYj1jNxTOqIaUYxmTvezWrGI3w_bE6W1q7CQyMgF50e9986-dmb-XbkOYFTBNkc6ZKzhuMo/s1600/101_2984.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPhFEkpaF4aWSXYv4JanzHjmGo2WZt3Vm_er0DZF_GzXfZ83gI4VnpPs9UOSnDDsn_sQ1aKYj1jNxTOqIaUYxmTvezWrGI3w_bE6W1q7CQyMgF50e9986-dmb-XbkOYFTBNkc6ZKzhuMo/s320/101_2984.JPG" /></a><br />
Leanna Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14593441784425151288noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3934254421755833706.post-88153083598190446612014-03-27T07:36:00.001-06:002014-03-27T07:36:52.531-06:00A New but Old Book!I've been tackling a big fear over the past few weeks and months, and that is figuring out this ebook pubbing thing. Oh my! I am not tech-saavy. So it took a lot for me to figure it all out. But with God's help and many sweet friends' advising, I did it.<br />
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So here it is! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8zvbwuur6mF4ronP6jLaGqZ5X48qfWMO4mp0uBkEdU1RUHRZHQ-2i3EJTUAAijCatvXb8S6oU9e3QPvkOcf1o-oWD5n5vF15aGJd-GyMUKN7S0M8S-yQs5hgeBQkO7oQDa6i0jayD-IY/s1600/CoverFinalMD-ForTheLoveOfCody.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8zvbwuur6mF4ronP6jLaGqZ5X48qfWMO4mp0uBkEdU1RUHRZHQ-2i3EJTUAAijCatvXb8S6oU9e3QPvkOcf1o-oWD5n5vF15aGJd-GyMUKN7S0M8S-yQs5hgeBQkO7oQDa6i0jayD-IY/s320/CoverFinalMD-ForTheLoveOfCody.jpg" /></a><br />
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This book originally was published through Silhouette Romance as Are You My Daddy? and it won the Readers Choice Award. I so loved that book, so I enjoyed updating it and getting it ready for the ebook world.<br />
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Rancher Joe Rawlins was nobody’s daddy, but ever since five-year-old Cody took a spill at the rodeo, the little cowpoke was convinced Joe was his father! To avoid upsetting the boy, Joe agreed to play daddy – and then discovered he’d also become the “husband” of beautiful, vulnerable Marty Thomas who distrusted cowboys like her ex-husband who shirked their responsibilities. To his astonishment, Joe found he was getting good at this new job – and the look of love in his pretend family’s eyes was becoming all too real. Could happily-ever-afters happen in real life? <br />
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I would love to give a copy away to a reader. So if you would like a chance to win, tell me some fear you have conquered in the comments. I'll choose a winner tomorrow (Friday) morning.<br />
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If you can't wait, then you can purchase the book on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00J9QCY2I">Amazon</a>. Leanna Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14593441784425151288noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3934254421755833706.post-90308070478826552672014-02-05T10:55:00.001-06:002014-02-05T10:55:57.146-06:00Paw Prints on My HeartShe looked at me. Helplessly. Pleadingly.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaAfa2ZNSBQSs3s47OHDxbNHnsOOvCBLwCXgYzMgKmGGcwDWTRHocsWXPn2yFPW9d5KvS7y8N_e7f9-QFPunUy3k5n7cr_ixTPsQRQ3NnDaLlk8gXah6w8tVnXdk25fe6pW1cEBqEPKqc/s1600/FH000077.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaAfa2ZNSBQSs3s47OHDxbNHnsOOvCBLwCXgYzMgKmGGcwDWTRHocsWXPn2yFPW9d5KvS7y8N_e7f9-QFPunUy3k5n7cr_ixTPsQRQ3NnDaLlk8gXah6w8tVnXdk25fe6pW1cEBqEPKqc/s320/FH000077.jpg" /></a><br />
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I was driving down the highway on the way to my folks' farm when I saw a furry lump in the middle of the road. And just before I zoomed past, she looked at me. Those eyes haunted me. I had to go back.<br />
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Of course, I had two young children (ages 3 and 4) and three dogs. So I drove on to my parents' house to drop off the dogs and get my mother's help. My mom is a huge animal advocate, so she didn't hesitate when I told her the situation. She grabbed her cat carrier and off we went. <br />
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The traffic was very heavy as it was about five in the evening. Huge eighteen wheelers sped along the two lane highway. The cat was still lying there. And still alive. I thought we'd never be able to cross the one lane to get to her. But suddenly, the traffic disappeared. My mom, such a hero, didn't hesitate. She raced to the middle of the highway and scooped up the little cat. Carefully we placed her in the cat carrier and drove her to town to the vet.<br />
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We named her Hershey, because she had dark chocolate-brown fur with white spots. She sort of looked like a S'more with chocolate and marshmallow all mixed together. One chocolate spot was at her mouth and looked like she'd been eating chocolate. We couldn't keep her because I'm allergic to cats, as is my husband, so we left her at the vet's, so they could better care for her concussion and badly injured front leg. After a few days, without any success in finding her a loving home, we had to bring her home to my parents' house. Her injured leg had a serious infection. She wasn't eating well. And we discovered she was pregnant as she gave birth to one kitten at the vet's. But the kitten didn't survive. The vet said the kitten was born 10 days early, which usually means they can't survive. <br />
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Of course as soon as we brought her to my mom's house and settled her in the laundry room--ta-da--she delivered two more kittens. One of which, I had to actually deliver. Oh boy! What a night that was! So began our journey of trying to save these little kittens. We had to feed them every hour, even through the night. One, sadly, didn't survive. But one did. We named her Miracle.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA0NCKuySo0GCr9G1NEGf3wOsasqwjwU6wxsCZVwtPOzhbZOLx6cxW9Z_ASGeY0jILNIppckAShwfi5nOIbNfzuThBIsPAgVDw7ndnoTd65ptN7siqw0x_TlafGNJjrI4TpmE9xxDK2J4/s1600/Pets+011.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA0NCKuySo0GCr9G1NEGf3wOsasqwjwU6wxsCZVwtPOzhbZOLx6cxW9Z_ASGeY0jILNIppckAShwfi5nOIbNfzuThBIsPAgVDw7ndnoTd65ptN7siqw0x_TlafGNJjrI4TpmE9xxDK2J4/s320/Pets+011.JPG" /></a><br />
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Eventually, Momma cat had surgery to remove her injured leg, and she came to live with us. Yes, even though we were allergic. And amazingly, we weren't allergic to Miracle. Hershey's milk came in 8 weeks after delivery, after Miracle had been weaned and was eating solid foods.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZVrstcYUR6t4p_lbxd3Ph_rc6U31WVQJ1Uj31CxNbYJBq6DoVhyphenhyphenx-SFUPoQd0vmXr9tlVv4kxKJ2rDIpjvlV5uPvbhK1WrK-6zG1WdJAf9J63GGcMd7rJ0nmAjXOkAADJKzIeqrGNrXA/s1600/Pets+009.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZVrstcYUR6t4p_lbxd3Ph_rc6U31WVQJ1Uj31CxNbYJBq6DoVhyphenhyphenx-SFUPoQd0vmXr9tlVv4kxKJ2rDIpjvlV5uPvbhK1WrK-6zG1WdJAf9J63GGcMd7rJ0nmAjXOkAADJKzIeqrGNrXA/s320/Pets+009.JPG" /></a><br />
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Most of the first year, Hershey stayed under my dining room table. Each night, when I would finally sit down, she would come to me and sit in my lap. She was the sweetest cat. She had the loudest purr. She helped me teach my children that every life is precious and worth fighting for. For five years, Hershey had a safe place to live. She passed away too soon, and I was heartbroken to lose her.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkRZdUU2OqYjQ0e0dL9Bdfam0nCFOEVN1XCFaCehUUHJyawUH3grwVTlnwEZoIZ21cJeCDVWeRUQfilMEUFToPCwwGqGN7pOrnZYZ9UEvZoiDYVKXs3xUNQvtvC1inz9RPfSt_6_BPp5Q/s1600/Pets+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkRZdUU2OqYjQ0e0dL9Bdfam0nCFOEVN1XCFaCehUUHJyawUH3grwVTlnwEZoIZ21cJeCDVWeRUQfilMEUFToPCwwGqGN7pOrnZYZ9UEvZoiDYVKXs3xUNQvtvC1inz9RPfSt_6_BPp5Q/s320/Pets+008.JPG" /></a><br />
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It's been several years now since we lost Hershey. Over Christmas, I made a memory shadow box for her. I got the idea from my niece who made us memory boxes for our two sweet dogs when they passed away.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgum7PJUuFTpkEjlGn0y0s0QU8Z5t-8jXvTjI_JEBoCbOVJNUEBF2ufldlR4_kjpI3Fc8ZIulLw3qe4dPCkeuAeT0nrZOt2m0YlcNRCsAoK6_BIavE_njSA0lxibijJiLDPDenFGHU6mGQ/s1600/IMG_0669.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgum7PJUuFTpkEjlGn0y0s0QU8Z5t-8jXvTjI_JEBoCbOVJNUEBF2ufldlR4_kjpI3Fc8ZIulLw3qe4dPCkeuAeT0nrZOt2m0YlcNRCsAoK6_BIavE_njSA0lxibijJiLDPDenFGHU6mGQ/s320/IMG_0669.jpg" /></a><br />
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You can get a shadow frame at most craft stores. I used the fancy paper most use for photo albums. No cutting required. It's a lovely way to remember our sweet pets that have placed their paw print on our hearts.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE2chRMRDXeInG1K5S67UhG-e9y6DCfCoZHC-8lraXrm_HVwuJZWvyDMRcpDbVxsqTa-FJUA_M66CN02ylqXAtOQI7CteC0etsb7XDwwKx2QggwN-jC7GlXDCqsklU2sp78ELymV9y_OI/s1600/IMG_0671.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE2chRMRDXeInG1K5S67UhG-e9y6DCfCoZHC-8lraXrm_HVwuJZWvyDMRcpDbVxsqTa-FJUA_M66CN02ylqXAtOQI7CteC0etsb7XDwwKx2QggwN-jC7GlXDCqsklU2sp78ELymV9y_OI/s320/IMG_0671.jpg" /></a><br />
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Have you had a pet to leave their paw print on your heart? Have you created a memorial of some kind to honor them?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg45lxCiyqLSZNeLiBHzOyvo7BNAmXlwscl0fYxmtEXGcju5Awygjz0W7oe7GABDcW0RKJOXfbHcnfcoqsWjD8tYvIQWiKSEp8ukNfffm9iVx3Hf1PM6BkZ7lA4f2QR40X7lqEyKLJp1xM/s1600/IMG_0672.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg45lxCiyqLSZNeLiBHzOyvo7BNAmXlwscl0fYxmtEXGcju5Awygjz0W7oe7GABDcW0RKJOXfbHcnfcoqsWjD8tYvIQWiKSEp8ukNfffm9iVx3Hf1PM6BkZ7lA4f2QR40X7lqEyKLJp1xM/s320/IMG_0672.jpg" /></a><br />
Leanna Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14593441784425151288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3934254421755833706.post-50320899055936991352014-02-03T07:13:00.000-06:002014-02-03T07:13:10.750-06:00Foolish According to Whom?I was ten. That's the only excuse I can give. I honestly don't know this many years later what I was thinking, but I looked in the mirror one day and decided I hated my eyebrows. They were too bushy, or so I thought. This was not during <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/20/celebrity-eyebrows-photos_n_3949407.html">Brooke Shields</a>' meteoric rise to stardom. Again, for some unknown reason, I didn't ask my mother what I should do to fix this horrible defect. This was way, way, way before computers, so I couldn't Google an answer. Instead, I grabbed a razor. Yep. You guessed it. I shaved off part of my eyebrow. At least it wasn't <b>all</b> of my eyebrow. I figured out after only part of my eyebrow disappeared that it might not be a good idea after all. Well, believe me, I felt pretty foolish, especially over the six weeks it took for my eyebrow to grow back.<br />
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Then there was the day at school when I was in third grade. Mrs. Hudson was reading <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Little-House-Prairie-No/dp/0064400026/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1391287578&sr=8-6&keywords=little+house+on+the+prairie">Little House on the Prairie</a>, right after lunch. While she read, we were allowed to doodle at our desks. I had this new nifty hair comb. My best friend had bought it for me when she went to Galveston on vacation. It was shaped like a fish, and the combs were like the bones, so they stuck out on both sides. Well, that day it was rainy and my curls had fallen. The travesty! So while I listened to the story, I wrapped my hair around the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fun-Inc-Fish-Skeleton-Comb/dp/B00886FK76/ref=sr_1_5?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1391287671&sr=1-5&keywords=fish+comb">fish comb</a>, hoping it would curl my hair. Wrong again. How would you like to be in third grade, with half a day left, and a yellow fish comb stuck in your hair?<br />
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It wasn't the first time, and it certainly won't be the last time I've made a fool of myself.<br />
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Just in case, you think these two events were flukes, I'll share about the time in sixth grade when I sprayed red paint in my face. Yep. And no, it was an accident. Thankfully, it did wash off. But it didn't erase the embarrassment I felt.<br />
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Of course there are many different ways to make a fool of yourself. As I read the headlines these days about <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2502401/Jennifer-Lawrence-reveals-repulsion-Miley-style-antics-opens-Hunger-Games-premiere.html">Miley Cyrus</a> and <a href="http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/5892798/justin-bieber-dui-arrest-toxicology-report">Justin Bieber</a>, I wonder if they are embarrassed by their antics. Maybe one day they will be. Even though I'm happy I've never been arrested or twerked in public, I am not immune to doing stupid things. I'm thankful, my embarrassing moments weren't plastered all over the internet or put my life in danger. Hopefully, Miley and Justin will return to their faith, mature and gain wisdom. I hope there are Godly folks in their lives who can speak the truth to them. As I've grown older, I've learned to shrug off those foolish moments and keep them safely tucked away. (Believe me, there are many of those moments I'm not about to share on the internet!) Maybe I've gotten used to embarrassing myself. Or maybe (and I hope this is the reason) I've simply learned that one's outward appearance isn't as important as one's inner beauty.<br />
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Is that something some elderly person came up with to make those of us growing older feel better? Maybe. But then again, Peter tells us God's opinion in his epistle: "Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight." (I Peter 3:3-4)<br />
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As I am getting of an age that I don't look the way I used to, I reflect on my grandfather's words more and more: "Pretty is as pretty does." I truly believe my grandfather was right. I have been blessed to know some amazing women in my life. Not all of them were <a href="http://www.nbcwashington.com/entertainment/celebrity/Angelina_Jolie_Voted_Most_Beautiful_Woman_World.html">Angelina Jolie</a> beautiful. But they were beautiful nonetheless. And their inner beauty was something to behold as they served God, loved their families, and cared for others. You see, there are some ways in which the world might perceive us as being foolish but which brings glory to God.<br />
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I can't tell you how many times I've been looked at by friends and family who didn't understand our decision to homeschool. God led us to that decision for our family. It doesn't always make sense to the world. But we're not doing it to please the world.<br />
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Shakespeare said, "A fool thinks himself to be wise, but a wise man knows himself to be a fool." Frankly, the world will never understand Christians and the choices we make for Him. King Solomon said, "Why should fools have money in hand to buy wisdom, when they are not able to understand it?" (Proverbs 17:16) The world's wisdom is not the same as the Lord's. It is better to risk everything, even making a fool of oneself, for God's glory than to seek the things of this world.<br />
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Unfortunately, I'm still apparently making a fool of myself at least occasionally. In light of the Super Bowl game yesterday (Congrats to the Seahawks!), there is no explanation for this picture of me.<br />
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So how have you made a fool of yourself? And how are you letting your inner beauty shine through?Leanna Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14593441784425151288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3934254421755833706.post-33699062163873513142013-08-29T23:11:00.001-06:002013-08-29T23:11:27.772-06:00Coffee or Tea?Some days, serious questions demand answers. Now, I'm a gal who loves her coffee. Ever since I went to college, I have my coffee. Every day. Seriously, each morning I start with a gigantic cup. I'm talking one of those cups that looks like half a pot. And that's just the start. I love to sit in a coffee shop and write on my laptop. I frankly don't care if my coffee is hot or cold. Often, I'll sit down with a big cup of coffee and start writing, then I forget about the coffee and the next time I take a sip it's cold. But that's okay. I don't mind at all.<br />
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Now, most of my friends are either coffee people or tea folk. I'm not talking the sweet iced tea most southerners drink with their barbecue. Most folks don't usually fall on both sides of that proverbial fence. They like one or the other. Coffee or tea.<br />
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But the other day, I realized I am both. Is that weird? <br />
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When did my coffee devotion wane? I think maybe the first time, I started to stray was when I went to London and had high tea. When my kids were little, we started having tea parties in the afternoon, just little snacks and lemonade, even though we called it 'tea.' In the afternoons now, I prefer a spot of tea to coffee. Is that sacrilegious? Truly, there is not much better than tea with scones, muffins, and little finger sandwiches.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGC3Nvk9LWWvA5tH7JQnAHyEDZFwuocVtNTQkLWNM0Z7WM7S6fuYFJSP4krlbZ3LpyroyoQhNWE2nu0yObUfFSDrdpAFLeNzci6roiLBgl7aBdk8eIdc-r6-4AgRFInOyF_oTCSBeBEFc/s1600/IMG_0156.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGC3Nvk9LWWvA5tH7JQnAHyEDZFwuocVtNTQkLWNM0Z7WM7S6fuYFJSP4krlbZ3LpyroyoQhNWE2nu0yObUfFSDrdpAFLeNzci6roiLBgl7aBdk8eIdc-r6-4AgRFInOyF_oTCSBeBEFc/s320/IMG_0156.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Then I realized the reason for my two loves. It makes perfect sense. Coffee accompanies my writer self. Together, the two go hand in hand. I need that jolt of caffeine in the morning to greet my manuscript and get to work. However, tea seems to be paired with reading. I love to sip tea and read. When my kids were little and we had tea together, we'd read poetry or a short story. Oh how I miss those days! Anyway, tea and books. Perfection.<br />
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So, what do you prefer? Coffee or tea? French roast or Earl Grey?<br />
Leanna Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14593441784425151288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3934254421755833706.post-46042997384721323902013-08-21T21:24:00.000-06:002013-08-21T21:24:22.387-06:00Blown away!Some new reviews have been coming in and have blown my socks off. Thankfully, it's summer! Here's one of the latest reviews of Plain Fear: Forgiven.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj19iPZpcQgEWHqhILXXs8J95eMFThdTDw8kYZTF9SFbrSw3XW4cCk9K08Rtx_ERy_oNH3JCnTh89grOQV35iofk5FyfWSkpgd6JM_10sNwqxO2wDtVgvfY1oUgJ17SCO2LkOPKhTCPfG8/s1600/Forgiven.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj19iPZpcQgEWHqhILXXs8J95eMFThdTDw8kYZTF9SFbrSw3XW4cCk9K08Rtx_ERy_oNH3JCnTh89grOQV35iofk5FyfWSkpgd6JM_10sNwqxO2wDtVgvfY1oUgJ17SCO2LkOPKhTCPfG8/s320/Forgiven.jpeg" /></a></div><br />
Inspirational fiction author Leanna Ellis was thinking a long way out of the box when she created the Plain Fear series. A paranormal series based on the simplistic lifestyle of the Amish, combined with the haunting elegance of vampires. Her vision resounded with both paranormal romance and inspirational readers with this ultimate tale of good vs. evil. The final book in the series, Plain Fear: Forgiven concludes this ground breaking series and blends the two genres so masterfully that it is hard to tell which one the book actually fits into. An amazing finale to a very charismatic and suspenseful series!<br />
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Leanna Ellis has long been a favorite of mine in the inspirational fiction genre. Being a fan of paranormal writing as well, I was extremely excited to see where Ellis would take this Amish/Vampire romance. I was certainly not disappointed. Plain Fear is a series that redefines what readers might consider inspirational. Even though some of the characters are "undead" these books still have the same underlying issues that any inspirational novel might have: good vs. evil, faith vs. unbelief, love vs. hate and even redemption vs. eternal loss. Ellis has done something many readers may not have thought possible. She has used characters and ideas that many in the inspirational community would consider taboo, to show the power of love and of God. Well done!<br />
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Plain Fear: Forgiven is the final book in the Plain Fear series. It wraps up the complete circle of the series, going from being utterly forsaken to being forgiven. Readers will be on the edge of their seats as they watch the hero, Samuel struggle against the dark side of his nature, which would lead him down the same path his brother Jacob succumbed to. But they will also see his determination to live up to the tenets of his faith. This book not only has the elements of good and evil but it is also filled with suspense and romance, giving the reader a very complex story that will stick with them for a long time.<br />
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Ellis' portrayal of the Amish is done with a deft hand. She does not make the simple lifestyle of the Amish people into something evil by adding the vampire element. She still shows these people as people of faith and understanding. Who often stand in the gap between the materialistic world and the a world of simple pleasures and meaning that has fallen by the wayside. She shows the faith and love of this remarkable group of people with grace, while showing the dark, seductive side of life through the eyes of her vampire characters. The stark contrast is amazing to see brought out in the pages of this book and the others in the series.<br />
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I can honestly say that after reading this series I have reflected more about my own life and faith. Samuel shows that even those who believe they are on a righteous path have to make tough decisions and must live with the consequences of each decision they make. Even though this series may not be in the inspirational market, I think it holds true value in that arena as well as the paranormal market. If you haven't read this series... What are you waiting for?<br />
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I'm giving this one 5 out of 5 apples from my book bag! That's the highest praise I can give...<br />
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<a href="http://debsbookbag.blogspot.com/2013/08/review-plain-fear-forgiven.html?zx=a982722d44e7df16">Deb's Bookbag</a><br />
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Leanna Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14593441784425151288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3934254421755833706.post-6643714893379535852013-08-14T07:29:00.000-06:002013-08-14T07:29:10.746-06:00Elvis WeekCan you believe Elvis has been gone 36 years and folks still flock to Graceland every year to celebrate his life and music? It's true. They do. What's up with that?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixj3ZWwL13FhKe6IzEzt9NsAoxCPaZasDpy5PEhsSya6-fq6HjU-tFU1Wo21gnp5adurZDimsX_6FBTGWDQoHVsvrKTxB58v2wBDevCY2EZZxtARoHqLAZFT9aXMMl5br5hsUHD7dwNeo/s1600/Elvis+019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixj3ZWwL13FhKe6IzEzt9NsAoxCPaZasDpy5PEhsSya6-fq6HjU-tFU1Wo21gnp5adurZDimsX_6FBTGWDQoHVsvrKTxB58v2wBDevCY2EZZxtARoHqLAZFT9aXMMl5br5hsUHD7dwNeo/s320/Elvis+019.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Now please don't get me wrong. I love me some Rock-a-Hula music. And I've been to Graceland. For research.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgycGTxGxPilHlNyI5mz2tZF_nmtLm47X7MS50JM-92k3d1zxrkQ0GIP0z_eQ3AHofrmOQ9Tc65nYILOGczr2Dz_EzEGiMdSJY2QTXUlpIAzu5k55r9zfKdKMngml0uuuRAA_2BKyNPcyU/s1600/Elvis+009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgycGTxGxPilHlNyI5mz2tZF_nmtLm47X7MS50JM-92k3d1zxrkQ0GIP0z_eQ3AHofrmOQ9Tc65nYILOGczr2Dz_EzEGiMdSJY2QTXUlpIAzu5k55r9zfKdKMngml0uuuRAA_2BKyNPcyU/s320/Elvis+009.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Life has taught me that folks do all sorts of weird things that I'll never understand. Like bungee jumping. Or riding that teacup ride at Disney World. Or entering a contest to see how many hotdogs they could cram down their throats in a minute. Sorry. I will never get that! It's just not me.<br />
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But I'm sure there are things I do that other folks don't get either. Like writing books. Or homeschooling my kids. Or putting up with my crazy labradoodle, aka the Hilo Monster.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgugg4vOK-xirC8PPECmgF7HC1nSjsEuByW0e7Hh9_-VKW8mU5rT9G9907EdWYlXZsbvTqewU5USepVKC-cvb4vYnvi9jJGpFm24tICXSq_NDliPvKB7LqvvvWq76x9mrYKnXp8buOL1wM/s1600/101_0291.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgugg4vOK-xirC8PPECmgF7HC1nSjsEuByW0e7Hh9_-VKW8mU5rT9G9907EdWYlXZsbvTqewU5USepVKC-cvb4vYnvi9jJGpFm24tICXSq_NDliPvKB7LqvvvWq76x9mrYKnXp8buOL1wM/s320/101_0291.JPG" /></a></div>This is Hilo kissing my best friend, Dorothy Love. Thankfully, Dorothy understands my love for this crazy dog.<br />
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Anyway, we all do crazy things. And sometimes we recognize them as crazy and sometimes not. I was talking with my kids last week and the topic of Justin Beiber came up. Thankfully, my teen daughter never really got into that phase. She couldn't believe that kids were weeping at his concert. "Why?" she asked. "They were excited," I tried to explain. She didn't get it. (and I'm kind of glad!)<br />
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It all comes down to worship. We worship different things. Yes, some of us worship God. But some of us also worship food or hot cars or chicks or whatever floats our boat. Sometimes we realize what we're doing and other times we don't. It's simply what we're spending all of our time and focus on. Sometimes that's Elvis (or substitute any other singer here) singing "Hound Dog" over and over and over. Did you do that as a kid? Listen to the same song over and over over? Okay, maybe it was just me. Other times it's on fashion…or the best chocolate chip cookie recipe….or making my house as nice as my neighbor's…or even botoxing all the wrinkles out of our faces.<br />
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Trust me, I'm not pointing fingers, I have plenty of things in my own life that trip me up and get me off track. I am a God-worshipper. However, sometimes my focus gets skewed and I am not as focused on God as I should be. I want to be a David--who worshipped God with abandon. I want to be like the woman who poured perfume on Jesus--pouring out my life for Him. I want to be like Job--even in the hard times, the painful times praising God for who He is.<br />
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What about you? What are you worshipping these days?<br />
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By the way, this topic is what I wrote about in my book, <a href="http://leannaellis.com/womensfiction.html">Elvis Takes a Back Seat</a>. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEQOfqQMdnVi1amAthkR_WCQV7d5aoKE-tq2P1KKWlPGCNknJcnYPQ34hZHI4_mZXJoqxiIFWVlTFeFvso4XRE9CeTCvfCoQ6JXIWGbd1YJNTxqzdMi8ocKAvYBUtKaRb4Sn7LPw-PGhw/s1600/Elvis%2520Takes%2520a%2520Back%2520Seat%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEQOfqQMdnVi1amAthkR_WCQV7d5aoKE-tq2P1KKWlPGCNknJcnYPQ34hZHI4_mZXJoqxiIFWVlTFeFvso4XRE9CeTCvfCoQ6JXIWGbd1YJNTxqzdMi8ocKAvYBUtKaRb4Sn7LPw-PGhw/s320/Elvis%2520Takes%2520a%2520Back%2520Seat%5B1%5D.JPG" /></a></div>Leanna Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14593441784425151288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3934254421755833706.post-89475985317370283372013-08-08T15:37:00.000-06:002013-08-08T15:37:48.838-06:00Plain Fear series giveaway!A great <a href="http://paranormalromanticsuspensereviews.blogspot.com">giveaway</a> going on for the entire Plain Fear series! And an interview of me. But who cares about that? Enter the giveaway!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWQe6CAvQQgh5yCv18viaveigJ7kCEVadl9LWD01KSCcJEzkuMqxfRniMmZi5h2ixgFfLAJ_lV2I98osjR1IxswbvUQIs4aWTIKVrk9MIWI-1iwrT-2OoAHn5nyuY8uFgExQn2am8hf_w/s1600/Forgiven.jpeg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWQe6CAvQQgh5yCv18viaveigJ7kCEVadl9LWD01KSCcJEzkuMqxfRniMmZi5h2ixgFfLAJ_lV2I98osjR1IxswbvUQIs4aWTIKVrk9MIWI-1iwrT-2OoAHn5nyuY8uFgExQn2am8hf_w/s320/Forgiven.jpeg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsySLTEo21m52wNJ6D9HZoGd3gueBdWkmjc1DHRtPC9P7dYr_UgBVybBY7UMV_huw9HqhbiJUR39cdxglo2EEiHofa_HcBiYUe0j1y87I8XuTQI1xVXrunQ6hYyRhRX3W_CvStoZSzB3w/s1600/9781402267536.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsySLTEo21m52wNJ6D9HZoGd3gueBdWkmjc1DHRtPC9P7dYr_UgBVybBY7UMV_huw9HqhbiJUR39cdxglo2EEiHofa_HcBiYUe0j1y87I8XuTQI1xVXrunQ6hYyRhRX3W_CvStoZSzB3w/s320/9781402267536.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxIa6qQEQv4N7MrNixu4MOthnQX_7XPQCLSJvKbD2-0v4gaXq2NQlTtXlb-CgkZm9pDfxzld9sPzAbhha0tXnglYDVKgFVeWn7ujrNWZ4QC9rHB9UimrxJ4uaAwBw_Hlbj_18b30itLtM/s1600/Fosaken_1025.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxIa6qQEQv4N7MrNixu4MOthnQX_7XPQCLSJvKbD2-0v4gaXq2NQlTtXlb-CgkZm9pDfxzld9sPzAbhha0tXnglYDVKgFVeWn7ujrNWZ4QC9rHB9UimrxJ4uaAwBw_Hlbj_18b30itLtM/s320/Fosaken_1025.jpg" /></a>Leanna Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14593441784425151288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3934254421755833706.post-9028071889389849652013-08-06T07:43:00.001-06:002013-08-06T07:43:16.481-06:00Release day and giveaway!An interesting day to say the least. First, I noticed that this is my 666th post. Kind of weird when you think about the release of my third book in the Plain Fear series is about the battle of good versus evil. <br />
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Then when I was having my quiet time, it was no coincidence that my reading for the day in Deuteronomy 15 was about the year for canceling debts, which is what God does in our lives when we give our hearts to Christ. He cancels our debts! And we have many, for who is not a sinner? And isn't that what Forgiveness truly is?<br />
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Which brings me back to my book. Happy release day to <a href="http://leannaellis.com/paranormal.html">Plain Fear: FORGIVEN</a>, the 3rd book in my Plain Fear series. Very excited and nervous about this book, but happy it's finally out. Also, kind of sad to say goodbye to this series. It was such a blessing to write it. Hope you enjoy!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidmCps2yK89HqJNgGmFU2BcD1ooeJQEmMWk-O-O-o0MqLlbC8xLwL9F1VnmOvHwRPtPzgScLCcvzx_ldonuucz1submnaO9iJ-gN0ORdcXBvJruzuHTetrxC28i_IVGJE_XRFZDEw6gXg/s1600/Forgiven.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidmCps2yK89HqJNgGmFU2BcD1ooeJQEmMWk-O-O-o0MqLlbC8xLwL9F1VnmOvHwRPtPzgScLCcvzx_ldonuucz1submnaO9iJ-gN0ORdcXBvJruzuHTetrxC28i_IVGJE_XRFZDEw6gXg/s400/Forgiven.jpeg" /></a></div><br />
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Here's my best friend's <a href="http://dorothylovebooks.com/blog/">blog</a> today, mentioning Plain Fear: Forgiven. And another wonderful writer friend's <a href="http://undauntedreality.blogspot.com/2013/08/my-friend-leanna-book-coming-out-today.html">blog</a> talking about Plain Fear: Forgiven today. <br />
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Time to order that <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Plain-Fear-Forgiven-A-Novel/dp/1402279795/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375796283&sr=8-1&keywords=plain+fear+forgiven">copy</a>! Hope you will and hope it blesses you!<br />
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GIVEAWAY: If you mention Plain Fear: Forgiven on your Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, or blog, I will put your name into a drawing for a free book (US residents only!) of Plain Fear: Forgiven! (Be sure and let me know!)Leanna Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14593441784425151288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3934254421755833706.post-18077686586097769022013-08-01T17:59:00.000-06:002013-08-01T17:59:36.257-06:00Good Guys or Bad Boys?I'm blogging today over at <a href="http://freshfiction.com/page.php?id=5164">Fresh Fiction</a>. Hope you'll stop by and participate! It's a lively discussion about heroes. Enter for a chance to win the Plain Fear series!Leanna Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14593441784425151288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3934254421755833706.post-13003278161870206402013-07-29T08:36:00.000-06:002013-07-29T08:38:55.369-06:00Scaredy CatsI’m a scaredy-cat.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhNhLzvnV3uGU4tsF5Z6DSt2ptN7KUKLxO3bzam1AIlaIyDlM8_tPY5ITQRSkDWhcFrsvC3Ggnw2t2BR6ssEmtsBWG2FYucHUDt-i_BZGAyXtSS2PGSpQ8olnaZKGjFkSy1dUDMETTp3Y/s1600/Pets+010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhNhLzvnV3uGU4tsF5Z6DSt2ptN7KUKLxO3bzam1AIlaIyDlM8_tPY5ITQRSkDWhcFrsvC3Ggnw2t2BR6ssEmtsBWG2FYucHUDt-i_BZGAyXtSS2PGSpQ8olnaZKGjFkSy1dUDMETTp3Y/s320/Pets+010.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Seriously. I can remember as a little girl watching <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvQQ55O2Uvk">Dark Shadows</a> at my girlfriend’s house. After that, I slept with the covers tight around my neck for months. No vampire was going to get me! <br />
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Peer pressure can be a major reason we torture ourselves with scary images when we are young. As a young teen, my friend and I went to see <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Cb3ik6zP2I">The Shining</a>. Of course our parents did not know this. Shh, don’t tell my kids! REDRUM! REDRUM! I was terrified by Jack Nicholson. I scrunched way down in the movie-theater seat, propping my feet on the seat in front of me so it looked like I was watching the movie. But I wasn’t! My knees blocked the screen.<br />
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A few years later, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ytjaMfoF2M">Poltergeist</a> grabbed my attention and became one of my favorite movies. I learned something about myself. I don’t like horror movies with crazy folks running around with axes or lots of gore and blood. I don't like when characters go into dark rooms or basements when its obvious they shouldn't. But the supernatural world fascinates me and doesn’t scare me. Maybe it's because I know there is a supernatural world, and I know God rules it. And I am in His hand. Over and over, scripture tells us, "Do not be afraid." "Fear not." <br />
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Another movie I had to see was The Sixth Sense. Of course I had to drag my hubby along with me. He hates scary movies. But I loved <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VG9AGf66tXM">The Sixth Sense</a>. Seriously. It didn’t scare me. It made me cry. It was a moving story.<br />
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My husband and I often have this discussion about why some people (meaning me) like to be scared. ‘Like’ is the wrong word. But fear is a powerful emotion. It’s the flipside of joy. It makes me think about a time when I was in high school and our church had a haunted house for teens. Yeah, I know. Times have changed, haven’t they? Anyway, only the interest of a cute boy with green eyes motivated me to enter that house where someone chased me with a chainsaw. When we climbed through a hole in a wall and were finally safely out of the house, I laughed and laughed and laughed. Gleefully. Joyfully. Because on the opposite side of fear is relief that you have survived.<br />
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When <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=os7qEVllwPg">Signs</a> came out, once again I had to get myself to the movie theater. But my husband refused to accompany me. So I braved the dark theater alone, armed only with my bucket of popcorn. There’s a scene where Mel Gibson finds an alien trapped in a pantry. You don’t see the alien but you know by the moving shadows that its there. It’s a very tense scene and such relief is released in the audience immediately following it. It’s the relief that Mel (and all of us) survived.<br />
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There’s another reason that I like scary movies occasionally, the same as I like suspenseful books. It’s because we live in a world that has both good and evil. There is a battle raging around us. Sometimes in our little suburbs and picket-fenced existence, we don’t see that war going on much. But it is. Sometimes its more subtle in the suburbs. Sometimes it's not subtle at all. Sometimes we just have to open our eyes and ears and pay attention. Read the newspaper or headlines online. Bad things are happening. And stories about good overcoming evil gives us hope and courage and strength to fight the battles we’re meant to fight. I don't believe in sticking my head in the sand. I believe we are called, as believers, to put on our armor and go to battle.<br />
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That’s one of the reasons I wrote the Plain Fear series. It isn't gratuitous in horror or gore, but it is suspenseful. It shows the battle of good versus evil in the physical and spiritual worlds. In case you didn't know, 9 days until book #3, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Plain-Fear-Forgiven-A-Novel/dp/1402279795/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375108687&sr=8-1&keywords=plain+fear+forgiven">Plain Fear: Forgiven</a>, releases!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdU5JSRu13IFGMc-J9kdNcOlfMNahkKosGrGjghIRlTFKGMp2zvfhKhMrTV9x4QLcua2nCN3AP4nrFV6Q84i0N2vhmUxfQryr9f08X7puGe2kqgQATMAnRprQcPGRb_tlV65xmZJE5e4c/s1600/Forgiven.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdU5JSRu13IFGMc-J9kdNcOlfMNahkKosGrGjghIRlTFKGMp2zvfhKhMrTV9x4QLcua2nCN3AP4nrFV6Q84i0N2vhmUxfQryr9f08X7puGe2kqgQATMAnRprQcPGRb_tlV65xmZJE5e4c/s320/Forgiven.jpeg" /></a></div><br />
So…do you like scary movies? Books?Leanna Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14593441784425151288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3934254421755833706.post-91800421092499817882013-07-22T16:49:00.001-06:002013-07-22T16:55:16.743-06:00A Tea Party for a PrinceI was late writing a blog today, and for good reason--though I didn't know it at the time! There's been so much sadness and controversy in the news lately that it was a delight to hear that <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/kate-middleton-birth-duchess-cambridge-prince-william-royal-baby-boy-article-1.1405954">Prince William and Duchess Kate</a> have a baby boy, a prince, a future King of England. It has made me a bit nostalgic, remembering back to a royal wedding to beat all royal weddings--Diana and Charles--and the joy at the birth of William. Yet that castle of cards came tumbling down. It's sad that Diana isn't here to experience this joy in her family. But it's always a joy to welcome a baby!<br />
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I do love England, and I've so enjoyed visiting across the pond a few times. One of our favorite things to do here and while in England is to have tea. So in celebration of the royal birth, we're having a tea party! Please pull up a chair and join us!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSLWEB4M-c5SWb9Vdi18pNd6YWL0POa5TE5JY-MiDNWxAFy_eZNFAgfwEVvYeN4jlp8n5AeF6Xq2LzSxBGQXrLhpK5S1YQk6OtUzlqVMKh45nSCemoyipdjjV_2Wnt48FByF8M71JT22U/s1600/IMG_0156.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSLWEB4M-c5SWb9Vdi18pNd6YWL0POa5TE5JY-MiDNWxAFy_eZNFAgfwEVvYeN4jlp8n5AeF6Xq2LzSxBGQXrLhpK5S1YQk6OtUzlqVMKh45nSCemoyipdjjV_2Wnt48FByF8M71JT22U/s320/IMG_0156.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Of course, you need tea. Earl Grey is a lovely choice, but I also like the Royal Blend, which we found at <a href="http://www.fortnumandmason.com">Fortnum and Mason</a> I prefer to use raw sugar and a little milk in my tea. How about you?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjMQIUVl4Xg7uAciRVkiC-fwcmq_nCIsOVUpsRHq8ZW1JyBbWO-pPcjT_cLCbCt9vfHKr9Y23tYhYKEg7QECFALvxxsanWMjxLozbVLZU9wBf2eptCKm7ZY_mNoWJEe3mnAcgHJiVw4Iw/s1600/IMG_0144.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjMQIUVl4Xg7uAciRVkiC-fwcmq_nCIsOVUpsRHq8ZW1JyBbWO-pPcjT_cLCbCt9vfHKr9Y23tYhYKEg7QECFALvxxsanWMjxLozbVLZU9wBf2eptCKm7ZY_mNoWJEe3mnAcgHJiVw4Iw/s320/IMG_0144.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Of course you definitely need treats, like these <a href="http://spoonful.com/recipes/pineapple-upside-down-cupcakes?print=true">pineapple upside down cupcakes</a>. Yum!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDEvEaJnuAnG73EFcv6wTcGEi_KEPP0jVhEFO5WE0Iv_MNtcn5dJynZQzzrySWOhHjYoGh0TOKMBdg2-P2ku041sLFdwmoVGrv1rdmVNbKLanQp8lM7-wzpQtQfdeiw0VBYI16na-rRiU/s1600/IMG_0157.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDEvEaJnuAnG73EFcv6wTcGEi_KEPP0jVhEFO5WE0Iv_MNtcn5dJynZQzzrySWOhHjYoGh0TOKMBdg2-P2ku041sLFdwmoVGrv1rdmVNbKLanQp8lM7-wzpQtQfdeiw0VBYI16na-rRiU/s320/IMG_0157.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Or these scrumptious <a href="http://www.joyofbaking.com/printpages/SconesChocChipprint.html">chocolate chip scones</a>!<br />
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If you don't have time or the ingredients to make scones or cupcakes (and really you should run out to the store immediately to rectify that situation!), but you still want to enjoy some tea, then make some delicious <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/07/french-toast-with-berry-butter/">strawberry butter</a> and glob it onto some toast. You will not be sorry.<br />
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And it will be just like you are in merry ol' England celebrating with the other royal subjects! Cheers, to all our British friends and congrats to the royal family!<br />
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Leanna Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14593441784425151288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3934254421755833706.post-35153912607747555652013-07-15T10:36:00.000-06:002013-07-15T10:36:06.825-06:00Right at Home in a BookshopSo many places to go…so little time! If you've visited my blog or Facebook page, then you probably know that I love to travel. But I also love to take a bit of home with me along in my suitcase. And a bit of home to me consists of BOOKS! Of course I love books and my home is full of them. Way too many books to fit on my bookshelves. So when I travel, I carefully choose two or three…or five books to take with me. Yes, I also have the requisite e-reader, but I still love books. Actual books with pages and covers. Besides, if I'm flying anywhere, I have to have a book for the beginning and end of the flight when the airline makes you turn off all electrical devices.<br />
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Anywhere I travel, I have to also buy books. I know, I have a serious problem. Is there a rehab place for bookaholics? I usually buy books about a location or if I visit a art museum then I might need (yes, need) a book about all the wonderful art.<br />
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There is something about traveling and finding a bookshop, that makes me feel suddenly right at home. This summer when we visited Paris, I was anxious to visit the famous Shakespeare & Co. bookshop.<br />
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This bookshop has quite a history in Paris. It sits on the Left Bank. The original shop was opened by Sylvia Beach in the 1920s and was frequented by luminary writers such as Ezra Pound, Ernest Hemingway, and James Joyce. It closed during the Nazi occupation in 1940. However, a second shop was opened in the 1950s and renamed Shakespeare & Co. in tribute to Sylvia Beach. <br />
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The day we visited it was raining and crowded but oh it was so much fun to be there with so many books, which are really old friends. Most of the books are in English, and the shelves are crammed full of so many titles. Tables with new releases made me sigh with longing. Tables with classics made me smile with pleasure. Upstairs, someone played the piano. This typewriter sat in front of a window. <br />
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When you buy a book at Shakespeare & Co., they will stamp the inside cover of your book with a lovely stamp. It makes a nice souvenir. Of course, we bought several. <br />
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What is your favorite bookshop to visit, far or near? Do you travel with books or with an e-reader?Leanna Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14593441784425151288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3934254421755833706.post-47955182088517369142013-06-24T05:54:00.002-06:002013-06-24T05:54:48.906-06:00BlessingsThere is a pervasive and dangerous image in our culture that blessings come in the form of: health, fame, awards, wealth, huge houses, fancy cars, nice clothes, etc... A first class life, rather than a 'coach' existence. But is that really a blessed life? What if blessings arrive in the midst of a storm, laughter through tears, or simply a downfall of tears? What if blessings arrive in the midst of pain, sickness, danger, loss, sorrow, suffering?<br />
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Laura Story has a beautiful and amazing song called <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CSVqHcdhXQ">Blessings</a>. If you haven't seen the video or heard the son, click on the link. <br />
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In my own life, the days of comfort have not produced gratitude as much as the dark, lonely moments. The times when I have felt 'blessed' according to our culture's standards have not made me feel closer to God. But the days of loss and pain, when my husband lost his job, when my father passed away, those nights of loneliness when I was single, weeks and months of fear for my unborn child, those painful times produced a deep need in me, which drew me close to the only One who could help--God. It was in the midst of the storms of life when I felt His peace, not the peace this world provides through plenty.<br />
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Earlier this month, once again I found myself in the midst of a personal trial. We were on vacation in France, and my husband became very ill. If you're my Facebook friend, then you probably followed along and prayed for us, and we so appreciated every prayer! He was admitted to a hospital in a small town in France, where few spoke English, and I spoke little French. The rest of my family returned home, but my husband and I were in France, feeling alone and uncertain. Yet, that is where we experienced so many blessings: the comfort and peace that only comes from God, the kindness of strangers, the love and prayers from so many family and friends. It was actually a sweet time, that week spent in Vernon, France, and I am grateful to our God who walked beside us and carried us through that fear; I am grateful to the strangers who offered help; I am grateful to friends and family who reached out from thousands of miles away to pray and to help. Oh the blessings we experienced!<br />
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I hope this post doesn't make you think I don't have a relationship with Jesus Christ during good times, because I definitely do! But that relationship goes to a whole new level during difficult times. "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." John 14: 26-28 Have you experienced similar blessings? What does the word 'blessings' mean to you?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxgIRWAETVmilgMhUrSlNw-cQlRHvHRGu4mjPlObpok5Lz78QufWr5kJ_3SiHttfdHZV0tqprTuqgOkVK_dzzVsiin2FIxqdI-pAlMg3-OaIY_yyoRDZcbH_28bDGvGjjRigkLFl4agQo/s1600/DSCN0489.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxgIRWAETVmilgMhUrSlNw-cQlRHvHRGu4mjPlObpok5Lz78QufWr5kJ_3SiHttfdHZV0tqprTuqgOkVK_dzzVsiin2FIxqdI-pAlMg3-OaIY_yyoRDZcbH_28bDGvGjjRigkLFl4agQo/s320/DSCN0489.JPG" /></a></div>Leanna Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14593441784425151288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3934254421755833706.post-55384756493605125042013-06-17T11:14:00.003-06:002013-06-17T11:15:06.213-06:00The Sound of EnglishAs many of you know, while we were in France my husband became very ill and ended up in the hospital in the small town of Vernon, France. So for a week, I was pretty much alone in France without anyone who spoke English, other than my husband, who was stuck in a hospital bed. I have to say that those I met were super sweet and kind. Being in a smaller town, most people didn't speak English, but boy were they friendly! 'Bonjour, madame!' is what I heard constantly. Occasionally someone would begin a conversation with me and be met with my wide-eyed 'uh-oh what do I do?' stare. Then I'd fumble my way through, "Pardon..." and apologize for not speaking French and ask if they spoke English. Most of the time, I was met with a shrug of their shoulders and sad shake of their head. Many times in dealing with the wonderful hospital staff, we resorted to sign language (and this was not real sign language more mime).<br />
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The first day after my family had left, I was very worried about my husband and feeling very alone. The phone our travel agent had given us to use in France rang. It was a woman I had never met before. A mutual friend had hooked us up via email. Pam, a missionary in the south of France, called me, and it was glorious to hear someone speaking English, who could understand me and pray for me. I will never forget that kindness of a phone call and what a blessing Pam was to me.<br />
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A few days later, I walked a few blocks to an outdoor market. There, I heard some Americans talking, and I found myself moving toward them, soaking up the English language. The group at first didn't notice me, but then a few eyes cut in my direction, and I realized I was being rude. I don't remember what they were saying, just that I could finally understand someone! And it was glorious.<br />
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The whole experience gave me a heart for those in this country who were not born here and who have a another language as their first language. I know folks from Russia, Hungary, China, Egypt, Mexico, etc... and I now understand how precious their language is. It's not that I don't think they should learn English, I do! And boy I was trying to learn as much French as I could while I was there and wished I had known more. Next time, I go to France, I hope to know even more.<br />
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I've always admired those who speak more than one language, but now I admire them even more! So, do you speak more than one language? If so, which languages do you speak? Or are you wanting to learn a new language? If so, which one?Leanna Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14593441784425151288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3934254421755833706.post-82380540354730849332013-06-11T10:25:00.003-06:002013-06-11T10:25:46.803-06:00What I did on my Summer VacationDid you ever have to write an essay in school about your summer vacation? Worse, did you ever have nothing extraordinary to share? Of course, I have fond memories of family vacations, riding in a station wagon to Arkansas, an RV to Washington D.C., and a caravan of two Winnebagos to Colorado (which was my favorite!). I remember one vacation when we drove to the coast during Spring Break. We were driving an RV and hauling a boat. I don't know why this happened but apparently we ran out of gas and my dad had to siphon gas out of the boat and put it in the RV. He simply used a tube and sucked on it. He turned a little green and the stubble of his beard turned white. LOL! I have such fond memories of finding sand dollars on the beach and traipsing through majestic pines. But you never knew what crazy things might happen.<br />
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Which is true of my own family's vacations. When we went to the Big Island of Hawaii a few years ago.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjR83S3Dx0nt7fEmW4f09EfXzVykMXFuD7U6qRxMyXXNH8dS3aGpMwj1JRsmZKE05oAfhfpRoU78wycgQHltVkXc9sexFhX5TSD9QofFsHW98NlmIcytJBH2YvVgJORA4CIn0_lWdy8k4/s1600/March07%2520126%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjR83S3Dx0nt7fEmW4f09EfXzVykMXFuD7U6qRxMyXXNH8dS3aGpMwj1JRsmZKE05oAfhfpRoU78wycgQHltVkXc9sexFhX5TSD9QofFsHW98NlmIcytJBH2YvVgJORA4CIn0_lWdy8k4/s320/March07%2520126%5B1%5D.JPG" /></a><br />
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The last morning as we were packing our suitcases and about to head to the airport, the island experienced an earthquake. Airports were shut down. Power was off on the main island. And we were stuck. How horrible, right? But oh, I remember swimming with the turtles and the taste of fresh pineapple. Bliss.<br />
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Then there was our trip to London a couple of years ago. London is one of my favorite places in the world! I've been blessed to go three times now (and hope to go again!). <br />
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We were in the Victoria and Albert Museum, and my dear daughter was called down because she got too close to a statue. She simply wanted to see what the 'girl in marble' was reading on her scroll. Thankfully, we were then shown several interesting bits and pieces. While this lovely man with a delightful British accent explained some amazing history to us, I saw a girl that looked like someone we knew. I whispered to my daughter, "That looks like…" And when the girl heard her name, she turned around. It was our friend! We both happened to be in the same gallery in the same museum so far away from our homes at the same time. What a small world! The funny part was that I then tried to explain to the museum guy that the young teens knew each other and had been orphans together. I'm sure he thought that was odd. What I really meant was that they were in the production of Annie together. LOL! <br />
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Through writing, I've been blessed to take my kids several places on research trips or to writing conferences. My daughter and I went to New York together, and were able to see a couple of Broadway shows.<br />
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We had a marvelous time eating barbecue throughout Memphis when I researched <b><a href="http://leannaellis.com/womensfiction.html">Elvis Takes a Back Seat</a></b>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYsadIRepBKXoHGtbdCUxgh0h3qKjsri59ZvHDpwDYacEGKDyH62Y1Eev7WXwWKJXFuvqw-58G6MkApnoc5J5SRiCajA2PL0mkttLgmVUm5sc3s4xtWmWQ9wLZl53r9Z_6_mtw9xzXr04/s1600/Elvis+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYsadIRepBKXoHGtbdCUxgh0h3qKjsri59ZvHDpwDYacEGKDyH62Y1Eev7WXwWKJXFuvqw-58G6MkApnoc5J5SRiCajA2PL0mkttLgmVUm5sc3s4xtWmWQ9wLZl53r9Z_6_mtw9xzXr04/s320/Elvis+001.jpg" /></a><br />
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When we visited Marfa, Texas for <b><a href="http://leannaellis.com/womensfiction.html">Once in a Blue Moon</a></b>, we arrived at the same time as the annual Marfa Lights Festival and my kids got to ride the 'bull' on the town square.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWWsAd2lUlR4-ZD8mlU0BSZioXAhxhEpHOh_jNR5zKC_I9t-dJ3IkO3IidVA5OwIeThOztkiYdwTL-bkAISSfcsr5iBPUKIbMtP40F-sHu_mTbtKTZlAlLoJhfx4Dy3WA8Ll774fp2b-U/s1600/marfa+029.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWWsAd2lUlR4-ZD8mlU0BSZioXAhxhEpHOh_jNR5zKC_I9t-dJ3IkO3IidVA5OwIeThOztkiYdwTL-bkAISSfcsr5iBPUKIbMtP40F-sHu_mTbtKTZlAlLoJhfx4Dy3WA8Ll774fp2b-U/s320/marfa+029.jpg" /></a><br />
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In Scotland, we chased Princess Anne through Edinburgh. Not really. But we kept running into her.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGP2Awkt1ukGNDJzfe1-mJXV5kFi4dGw-ryXW48-bi0JC687L2ZfiGmMoPBf75_ypYuSJPcaLNCEjEaA1rVZ7phSGVH5-68SzAnfLccJmpMlbLo09Aqd7k4rn4Yke4u9o4Jb5XjD50uHk/s1600/100_1242.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGP2Awkt1ukGNDJzfe1-mJXV5kFi4dGw-ryXW48-bi0JC687L2ZfiGmMoPBf75_ypYuSJPcaLNCEjEaA1rVZ7phSGVH5-68SzAnfLccJmpMlbLo09Aqd7k4rn4Yke4u9o4Jb5XjD50uHk/s320/100_1242.jpg" /></a><br />
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I can't seem to stop remembering now that I have gotten started down this happy trail. So many happy times. So many sweet memories. So many adventures. What stories will I have to tell when we get back from Paris? <i>Au revoir!</i> If you're my 'friend' on Facebook then you know some of the craziness that happened in France, but I'll share here soon.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-0dLe60fwflo4gjemZtZ5tJJcvF8Q6icCK_ZkzLXy7-JTAVj2IlEl8_IxNgKDyIiVOKDrq1jBS4bLXfYa3D_yR7BaR09CwPtNAbQxyCyQCjktkWZwjEIRv7OsQ5Eh0mkKscRTqj7uch4/s1600/407159_10151591148328281_653279084_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-0dLe60fwflo4gjemZtZ5tJJcvF8Q6icCK_ZkzLXy7-JTAVj2IlEl8_IxNgKDyIiVOKDrq1jBS4bLXfYa3D_yR7BaR09CwPtNAbQxyCyQCjktkWZwjEIRv7OsQ5Eh0mkKscRTqj7uch4/s320/407159_10151591148328281_653279084_n.jpg" /></a><br />
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By the way, this picture was taken by my fabulous travel agent, <a href="http://www.caronguillotravel.com">Caron Guillo</a>.<br />
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Leave a comment about your favorite place to travel, and I'll draw a winner next Monday (June 17th)! The winner will receive one of my books mentioned in this post!Leanna Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14593441784425151288noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3934254421755833706.post-61366545178310291532013-05-11T08:23:00.000-06:002013-05-11T08:30:13.970-06:00The Adventure of MotherhoodMother's Day is special day, not only does it give me a chance to show my mother I love her, but as a mother myself it gives me the chance to remember about my precious babies being born. The day I had my first child, my life changed forever. What an adventure it has been. Bringing my first baby home from the hospital, my husband and I were worried about how long it would take my mom to arrive. We had a few hours on our own, and we didn't know what to do. What if the baby cried? What would we do? What would he need? We were so clueless. We had so much to learn.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJYNfw-yT03U5hUPMgI6Fem9XsOCBvT6rr1ih5O9MvJBsArhd9NKkyAr6_Kal8Tf_XP8lLgOpyjCwvTO68M-tmafLs9n70k2iZ028bvITVhycchMX5mFvXg8x2nabiu8u_zJuJrN_-Bn4/s1600/101_1403.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJYNfw-yT03U5hUPMgI6Fem9XsOCBvT6rr1ih5O9MvJBsArhd9NKkyAr6_Kal8Tf_XP8lLgOpyjCwvTO68M-tmafLs9n70k2iZ028bvITVhycchMX5mFvXg8x2nabiu8u_zJuJrN_-Bn4/s320/101_1403.JPG" /></a><br />
This is a picture of my amazing mom!<br />
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Now all these 15 years later, we are still pretty clueless. Of course, we've learned a few things along the way, had a few missteps, made lots of mistakes, but oh the joy and blessings we've enjoyed! Our children are no longer in the diaper stage, and let me just say that seems so much simpler now than it did then, because our children are full-fledged teenagers. My mother used to say, "Little kids have little problems. Big kids..." Well, you know where that statement is going, don't you? It's true. Life is so much more complicated than it was when I was a teenager (just a few short years ago--or more like a thousand!) Still, I love these days. I love remembering when my children were small, and I love enjoying the wonderful discussions we have now and watching them pursue their dreams.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiScCejjCI38OrIyrXn-yRSd7f8C-j-AJ58rNTCraLGL-zAsXV86zTkFjTlCk3fkHSWTvjmz2snlQnPaQpWfCqcsi9ITbGuPk-Esy0iR7cvgEqCY1uP62BFtR6vuHJi73GBfTiWKgeI5Pk/s1600/285195_10150324835255815_644485814_9488250_7906824_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiScCejjCI38OrIyrXn-yRSd7f8C-j-AJ58rNTCraLGL-zAsXV86zTkFjTlCk3fkHSWTvjmz2snlQnPaQpWfCqcsi9ITbGuPk-Esy0iR7cvgEqCY1uP62BFtR6vuHJi73GBfTiWKgeI5Pk/s320/285195_10150324835255815_644485814_9488250_7906824_n.jpg" /></a><br />
This is my amazing daughter on stage!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOG6iAJE_gLYouODnjWt8OO2ezUVLmjCCJf3P8okZMEcbbKZfPqjxR5EgkpbYvbzGmRv-8ka_436RxwbsR9Rv1L_BFjx8YtopbK4fPKj_LujeVOON2swb6nksfzLmrg7GIr6V58ObMl1U/s1600/_DSC3374.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOG6iAJE_gLYouODnjWt8OO2ezUVLmjCCJf3P8okZMEcbbKZfPqjxR5EgkpbYvbzGmRv-8ka_436RxwbsR9Rv1L_BFjx8YtopbK4fPKj_LujeVOON2swb6nksfzLmrg7GIr6V58ObMl1U/s320/_DSC3374.jpg" /></a><br />
This is my amazing son fencing!<br />
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This day, also gives me a chance to think about some wonderful mothers I've met along the way. They influenced me as I watched them mothering their own children. My friend, Betty, was an amazing mother to watch. We were in the same critique group. She was a very hands-on mom, and I have loved watching as her family grew and her children have become amazing adults. My cousin, Fleta, is another woman I watched mother her children through the years. I have emulated both of these women in many ways. Fleta's children have grown up into wonderful adults too.<br />
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My husband and I are still in the middle of our parenting years with a lot more of our journey ahead of us. We are still learning and growing as our children mature. We'll take it day-by-day--or as I used to do when my children were babies--nap-by-nap. Along the way, I've had the privilege of writing a few books. Looking back down the years, I realized how many of my books have to do with mothers. All sorts of mothers! What a joy it has been to write about these women.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRrnwal2SYH556W7dgg3E7OCdaOtJO_XhD3ov8JFlQgyz3SNap95cd7LOb_iI1F6TpoU_SpxevtkfL0frT9kgT9W-Pz-RpFoBrAywDvnW3UopJjqDTs0N6CoHi6og5aaK79V_AkCNhkGk/s1600/christmas+in+july.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRrnwal2SYH556W7dgg3E7OCdaOtJO_XhD3ov8JFlQgyz3SNap95cd7LOb_iI1F6TpoU_SpxevtkfL0frT9kgT9W-Pz-RpFoBrAywDvnW3UopJjqDTs0N6CoHi6og5aaK79V_AkCNhkGk/s320/christmas+in+july.jpg" /></a><br />
In <a href="http://leannaellis.com/sweetromances.html"><i>Christmas in July</i></a>, Geena is a single mother, barely getting by. I loved writing about her because she was quite spunky. It's not easy being a single mom, and I highly respect the moms (and dads) who are traveling this journey alone. Please know you are not alone. There are many around you willing and eager to help and encourage and pray for you.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7zrmtZl-Y-PzgxCpBFxOVzFyKNTeWPsgcAQllaqqaNgJn0Vw4U-MOJtHpkqF6XYkRQRiIBvLI0-nzQCoRKuu24xocnuc8j-MOJZOk3wLgi3yCyrS3g79IHcdZblLgtyfKB_-ijoQwiRM/s1600/Elvis%2520Takes%2520a%2520Back%2520Seat%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7zrmtZl-Y-PzgxCpBFxOVzFyKNTeWPsgcAQllaqqaNgJn0Vw4U-MOJtHpkqF6XYkRQRiIBvLI0-nzQCoRKuu24xocnuc8j-MOJZOk3wLgi3yCyrS3g79IHcdZblLgtyfKB_-ijoQwiRM/s320/Elvis%2520Takes%2520a%2520Back%2520Seat%5B1%5D.JPG" /></a><br />
<i><a href="http://leannaellis.com/womensfiction.html">Elvis Takes a Back Seat</a></i> was another story about a women and friendships and an unwed mother-to-be, who made hard decisions. Life doesn't always hand us a vase of roses, and this book is about friendships and love and simply caring for others.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs8YYe6epjG75z9aPEhBeq9p_KyM07KHyodK7OmzWOsNF3FNHou3NZa-0VJg_4hctlUaUgehh6RPCrddxOOzY8RL5yVimIdfsPlvZ9IQIp-uvfegGGhyZS5aDlKRefShmdtsTEBoZtjJM/s1600/LookinBackTexasRED-759706.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs8YYe6epjG75z9aPEhBeq9p_KyM07KHyodK7OmzWOsNF3FNHou3NZa-0VJg_4hctlUaUgehh6RPCrddxOOzY8RL5yVimIdfsPlvZ9IQIp-uvfegGGhyZS5aDlKRefShmdtsTEBoZtjJM/s320/LookinBackTexasRED-759706.jpg" /></a><br />
<i><a href="http://leannaellis.com/womensfiction.html">Lookin' Back, Texas</a></i> was about a mother/daughter relationship with a slightly crazy mother and how her grown daughter dealt with the crazy antics. This story was a lot of fun to write. In spite of the unusual circumstances, the depth in this story still touches my heart in profound ways. And no, my own mother is not this way. Thankfully!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ2ZnK7YQd-1S7fyi4uHjecnDjjlMIHGdtzDtszVNbIlzo270Bxpm7Z9jWTCiIAgQ1UrfpD_Mwx5TGvpPKynaA3xjDKk5PD0HbcHJo0EIjiz3tOBvOMMXQDnugCCTmWuIDPSt8BwB-_qk/s1600/Ruby'sSlippers_small.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ2ZnK7YQd-1S7fyi4uHjecnDjjlMIHGdtzDtszVNbIlzo270Bxpm7Z9jWTCiIAgQ1UrfpD_Mwx5TGvpPKynaA3xjDKk5PD0HbcHJo0EIjiz3tOBvOMMXQDnugCCTmWuIDPSt8BwB-_qk/s320/Ruby'sSlippers_small.jpg" /></a><br />
<i><a href="http://leannaellis.com/womensfiction.html">Ruby's Slippers</a></i> was about a woman missing her mother and finding her own way in life. She realizes after trying to walk in her mother's shoes that they don't fit and she must find her own life.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCnVggf02iQFw3wD-SoERWQGPMSzvdmJfKSBmBNMWdCsn8uDlHjojsI-akGU6IvaRAJPpd2zcf0G27pCoolOhLqnZV3fHzuuVgPpX5oW5uNrJ7eWjB5C5_sRvqzgXbQ6MC00zyGIgJWDc/s1600/OnceinaBlueMoonLR%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCnVggf02iQFw3wD-SoERWQGPMSzvdmJfKSBmBNMWdCsn8uDlHjojsI-akGU6IvaRAJPpd2zcf0G27pCoolOhLqnZV3fHzuuVgPpX5oW5uNrJ7eWjB5C5_sRvqzgXbQ6MC00zyGIgJWDc/s320/OnceinaBlueMoonLR%5B1%5D.JPG" /></a><br />
<i><a href="http://leannaellis.com/womensfiction.html">Once in a Blue Moon</a></i> was also about the loss of a mother and finding the truth in the past to bring healing. Mothers effect us in profound ways, even when they are no longer there.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiLFDWTe9ZNZcxOKMWvLe4vizkVoCFlNInyg-K_QktLlvhaUlUiaMAsL7D4IcpOdrSe_KXDY6GUhNC2ZTqzxQ5ZtDP1-eOkM896AP83T8M3ww6sM4Eq_I_tW84ydr4GfiGH81E9XR4kcY/s1600/FaceliftLR.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiLFDWTe9ZNZcxOKMWvLe4vizkVoCFlNInyg-K_QktLlvhaUlUiaMAsL7D4IcpOdrSe_KXDY6GUhNC2ZTqzxQ5ZtDP1-eOkM896AP83T8M3ww6sM4Eq_I_tW84ydr4GfiGH81E9XR4kcY/s320/FaceliftLR.jpg" /></a><br />
<i><a href="http://leannaellis.com/womensfiction.html">Facelift</a></i> was about the mother-in-law. Thankfully, my own mother-in-law was not this way, but I sure did have fun writing about this one. But again, the humor of the situations only mined the depth of emotions as I dug for answers and solutions.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgolwrtRnvwxegOUku7UrTjFjwMe77st5mHz_vMX7I_5R8UtptHYupGTpNEP_zMwSDcp_MHhtcuA8O1EoAUtlVBbZAYAWAAbhwh_Ss-QCEYimstD-hziofwOo1lKVbrWxA31dHlB0Sz9s8/s1600/9781402267536.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgolwrtRnvwxegOUku7UrTjFjwMe77st5mHz_vMX7I_5R8UtptHYupGTpNEP_zMwSDcp_MHhtcuA8O1EoAUtlVBbZAYAWAAbhwh_Ss-QCEYimstD-hziofwOo1lKVbrWxA31dHlB0Sz9s8/s320/9781402267536.jpg" /><br />
</a>Finally, one of the books in my Plain Fear series, <i><a href="http://leannaellis.com/paranormal.html"
>Forbidden</a></i>, deals with a mother-to-be and what measures she will go to in order to protect her unborn child. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdCrpYOfiy_Mi6pVffy1jWXFN5od4-Iwc8H8D9ZR0im_R_BzvVfBH6KtY6TKijNQ-QQnO0-q4b7q0A0r2Bw-E74V2gxs-aiLydIwV92YVl9KhUF_QNGAvaeCjrbGtsWyHqoRRTvhyphenhyphen2Jks/s1600/101_9733.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdCrpYOfiy_Mi6pVffy1jWXFN5od4-Iwc8H8D9ZR0im_R_BzvVfBH6KtY6TKijNQ-QQnO0-q4b7q0A0r2Bw-E74V2gxs-aiLydIwV92YVl9KhUF_QNGAvaeCjrbGtsWyHqoRRTvhyphenhyphen2Jks/s320/101_9733.JPG" /></a><br />
To all the mother's out there: Happy Mother's Day! <br />
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In celebration of this wonderful day, leave a comment and I'll give away one of these books (the winner's choice). I'll draw a winner May 15th!Leanna Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14593441784425151288noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3934254421755833706.post-62869006993315699092013-03-02T10:44:00.001-06:002013-03-02T10:44:54.369-06:00Don't you love it when this happens?We often call it coincidence or sometimes serendipity, but I like to call it a God moment. Recently, I had been really wanting, no yearning to read the Bible through again. The usual Bible that I read, which has 4 translations in it, seemed too crowded with all my markings and writings in the margin, so I bought a parallel Bible with the NIV and The Message side by side. About a week ago, I began reading, with my aim to read the Bible through in a year. To do so, I like to read a chapter in the Old Testament, a Psalm, and a chapter in the New Testament. Usually I begin in Matthew but this time I felt led to begin in Romans. Also, for the past couple of weeks, I'd felt really weighted with the need to memorize scripture. But where to start? It's been a few years since I seriously memorized and I felt it was lacking in my spiritual growth. So while I contemplated this and prayed about what to memorize, I began my read through of the Bible. When I reached Romans 8, I knew it was what I was supposed to memorize. I felt it deep in my spirit. Happiness! Yet, when you haven't memorized lately it can feel a bit daunting. Now back track, just a couple of days, and I had once again come into contact with a book that I keep seeing and hearing about and had finally purchased and begun reading-- One Thousand Gifts. I am so impressed with Ann Voskamp's weighty writing but also her heart, which shines through in the prose. So of course, I visited her website. I liked it. The day I read Romans 8 and new that was what I needed to memorize, I ventured back to Ann's website--A Holy Experience--and discovered the coolest project she has going--The Romans Project. It's folks memorizing Romans 1, 8, and 12. Wham-bam, I knew I had to do it. Yes, it's crazy scary to even admit it here and commit to it because my memory is so bad and I don't even know if I can memorize one verse much less 3 chapters, but I am so excited and I know God brought me to this place and to Ann's website at just the right moment. Now, she and the folks there are 2 months ahead of me but that's okay. She has a printout of the NIV version of the scriptures and helpful hints. Don't you love it when God answers your prayers and brings you to a place you have no doubt He arranged? I do! So if you've been contemplating something similar, come on and join in! <a href="http://www.aholyexperience.com/2013/01/the-1-habit-god-really-wants-for-your-new-year/"></a>Leanna Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14593441784425151288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3934254421755833706.post-85596324223008181152013-02-19T22:48:00.001-06:002013-02-19T22:48:28.736-06:00The Next Big Thing Blog HopThe Next Big Thing blog hop is a giant game of tag to help readers discover authors who are new to them. For this hop, authors are answering questions about what we’re working on now. This week, I’m “it” thanks to my amazing friend <a href="http://lynnegentry.com">Lynne Gentry</a>. Visit her blog to see what she’s up to and to follow the bunny trail back and also hop forward to find other authors. Follow the hop long enough and you’re bound to find books you’ll love!<br />
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Here is my Next Big Thang!<br />
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1. What is the working title of your book?<br />
Plain Fear: FORGIVEN is my next book releasing from Sourcebooks in August. It is the 3rd book in my Plain Fear series, which is an Amish/vampire tale. I am busy doing the line edits this week.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4WqDFhRRb26fPHg1IIKTq68pUgmSAcPQrLF58X92XLIIpLO2V4sKKWqg6N0gooUZ0vxPCdzhhLd3ePG26RiVK1tFeJHLZT1Gktk9RKnxPE1dKVQvlQRdPlMBfvbr6nRLa68Czjz598fc/s1600/Forgiven.jpeg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4WqDFhRRb26fPHg1IIKTq68pUgmSAcPQrLF58X92XLIIpLO2V4sKKWqg6N0gooUZ0vxPCdzhhLd3ePG26RiVK1tFeJHLZT1Gktk9RKnxPE1dKVQvlQRdPlMBfvbr6nRLa68Czjz598fc/s320/Forgiven.jpeg" /></a><br />
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2. Where did the idea come from for the book?<br />
The idea of an Amish/vampire story came to me and I laughed it off and put it aside. But it kept coming back to me, so I began to pray about it. I didn’t want to simply write an edgy story to be edgy or attempt to hit a market of two very popular genres. With trepidation, I ventured into this project. But once I felt like I understood the heart of my book—that this was a good versus evil story and very much about spiritual warfare—my enthusiasm skyrocketed. Praying about it gave me peace that God wanted me to write it. There is a battle being waged in this world, whether we realize it or not, and hopefully my book gives a glimpse into that battle.<br />
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3. What genre does your book come under?<br />
This book doesn’t fit easily into a genre. It more easily fits into the vampire genre than the Amish genre, but I tend to think of it more in general fiction or romance.<br />
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4. Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?<br />
Oh boy. This is a really tough question as these characters live in my head so clearly. But it’s also a fun question to think about. Plain Fear: Forgiven tells the story of the youngest Fisher brother, Samuel. Liam Hemsworth would make a wonderful Samuel, who is a conflicted and driven young man. Emma Stone would make a great Andi, who is romantically involved with Samuel. But to complete the love triangle, we need an actress to play a strong and devout young woman who encourages and pushes Samuel to make a hard decision. AnnaSophia Robb would make a beautiful and courageous Naomi.<br />
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5. What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?<br />
Samuel Fisher committed a sin of biblical proportions—he killed his own brother, Jacob. Samuel’s guilt overwhelms him as he struggles to understand the choices Jacob made which led to his death. Haunted by doubts and questions, Samuel starts down the same dark path of destruction. In the gripping final battle between hunters and vampires, Samuel must choose where his loyalties lie. The decisions he makes not only threaten the lives of those he loves, but determine if he will ultimately be forgiven.<br />
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Sorry, that wasn’t one sentence, was it? Close enough.<br />
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6. Is your book self-published, published by an independent publisher, or represented by an agency?<br />
It’s published by Sourcebooks.<br />
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7. How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?<br />
It took me about six or seven months to write the rough draft of FORGIVEN but then I spent another few months revising and polishing the manuscript before turning it into my publisher.<br />
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8. What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?<br />
I’m not sure there is anything out there like the Plain Fear series.<br />
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9. Who or what inspired you to write this book?<br />
It reminded me of Phantom of the Opera, which I’m a huge fan of both the book and musical. Christine is naïve and young and she opens her mind to a dark force. There’s a line in the musical that resonates in me: “I gave my mind blindly.” And that is exactly what Hannah, the heroine in the first book, did. For this series, I wanted to show how alluring evil really is. Evil doesn’t look scary at first. It’s appealing. Satan doesn’t appear to us with a forked tongue or horns and pitchfork. He was the most beautiful angel, the worship leader in the heavenly realms. But he fell. He became the father of lies. He distorts the truth and draws us toward evil and sin with promises and appealing whispers. It’s why my story needed someone innocent of this world, like an Amish girl, so I could show how easily we are deceived.<br />
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Below you will find 2 authors who will be joining the blog hop next Wednesday. Be sure to bookmark and add them to your calendars for updates on WIPs and New Releases! Happy Writing and Reading!<br />
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You don't want to miss my BFF, <a href="http://dorothylovebooks.com/blog/">Dorothy Love</a>, who is a fabulous writer and who has some great inspirational fiction to offer.<br />
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And, a very dear friend of mine, <a href="http://www.jenniferarcher.com">Jennifer Archer</a>, is an amazing writer. I love her women's fiction but also you will love her young adult fiction.<br />
Leanna Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14593441784425151288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3934254421755833706.post-32385629474130037932012-12-24T10:50:00.003-06:002012-12-24T10:50:45.730-06:00From my heart to yours<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGsnv-nxtu1RClG0x_UT6XsfvaONW0Q3JQ7S36dXmDckbu4LJK-ILoU329bgowg__jUDP3-WVBk7ZjFWkwoR_YE-tQtIRSz0_0hkQOT4di4YaAR6o20WVsfnWEifQbO3ZHxynYUviVNyQ/s1600/100_3843.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGsnv-nxtu1RClG0x_UT6XsfvaONW0Q3JQ7S36dXmDckbu4LJK-ILoU329bgowg__jUDP3-WVBk7ZjFWkwoR_YE-tQtIRSz0_0hkQOT4di4YaAR6o20WVsfnWEifQbO3ZHxynYUviVNyQ/s320/100_3843.JPG" /></a></div><br />
This has been an odd season. Honestly, I usually enjoy Thanksgiving through Christmas, even the hustle and bustle as too many things make their way onto my to-do list. The fact is, I usually go nuts about Christmas. It is my favorite time of the year. But this year, well…so many things have happened, painful things, that at first I thought there is no way I can enjoy Christmas.<br />
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It’s been a reminder that Christmas isn’t always a happy time for folks. Often the loss of a loved one or simply the reminder of a loved one who has long since passed brings memories that are painful. Many, many years ago, my beloved grandmother died on Thanksgiving morning. Often that day brings back sad memories. Often there is a loss of a job that makes the holidays difficult. Several years ago my husband was laid off two weeks before Christmas. It was the same day my beloved dog died. And the same day I received a rejection on a manuscript. Then for others, they may be experiencing an estrangement from family and their heart is hurting. I, too, have felt this. I don’t know your personal struggles, but the painful events over the past few weeks have reminded me that folks are hurting this time of year. <br />
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Why is Christmas so painful more so than other holidays throughout the year? No other holiday makes the joy feel larger and the sorrow greater. I believe it’s a spiritual battle. Christmas no matter what others may say is about celebrating the birth of a baby boy sent from our heavenly Father to save the world from sin. The day is meant to bring joy and peace. Yet, so often family strife may create the exact opposite. Or peace of mind may elude us because of sorrow. I believe the Evil One, Satan, wants to steal our joy, our peace, our good will. <br />
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Whatever your circumstances are this year, don’t let the Evil One steal your joy. Joy isn’t determined by circumstance. “And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord, it shall rejoice in his salvation.” Psalm 38: 9 No matter what we are experiencing, we can still rejoice at the birth of our savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the salvation He has given us.<br />
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So this Christmas season, lift your eyes off your circumstances, off your weariness, off your sorrow, off your anger, and look up. Look toward the one who came to set us free from sin. The one who can bind up our wounds. The one who can heal broken relationships and marriages. The one who can restore us. The one who offers us grace. Look to the Son of the Living God. Emmanuel-God with us. The Resurrection and the Life. The Great I Am. The Word. The Alpha and the Omega. The Savior of the World. The Messiah. The Lamb of God. Our High Priest. Our Redeemer. King of kings. Lord of lords. The Prince of Peace. <br />
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Blessings to you and merry Christmas!<br />
Leanna Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14593441784425151288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3934254421755833706.post-4031518975587083462012-11-01T22:47:00.001-06:002012-11-01T22:47:30.563-06:00Writer Up! for NaNoWriMoSo you're a writer. Do you know what NaNoWriMo means? Is it some weird code word? The secret to publishing? Not exactly. But it can be useful. <br />
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It's National Novel Writing Month when thousands of authors are attempting, no scratch that, WRITING a novel in one month. I'm not really sure why November was chosen. I could probably Google that and find out but I'm being lazy. It doesn't really matter. But as I always think when I wash my son's fencing attire--which makes me wonder who on earth decided to make boys where all white?--I'm thinking a man decided November was a good time to write a novel. As in a man usually doesn't have to make Thanksgiving dinner! But I digress…<br />
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The first day is almost over. My brain is tired. Did I write as much as I wanted? No. But I did write. And I wrote more than I usually do in one day. So it's all good. A lot of authors writing this month are competing against others. I'm just trying to write my book. I'm not trying to set a record. I'm just trying to get words for my novel on the page. And if progress is made then I'm happy.<br />
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This is not my first year at this 'rodeo', and since I've ridden this particular rank bull before I thought I'd offer a tip for those of you jumping on the back of this bucking bronc. Before you shut off your computer for the night, jot ideas that you're envisioning for the next scene. If a bit of dialogue is floating around your brain, then just put it down on the page. Don't worry about spelling. Don't add quotation marks. Or maybe you have an idea of the setting. Or maybe it's only one word lingering in your brain as you stop for the day. Put the word down. Then shut off your computer. Stop working. Let your brain rest. Funny thing is, your brain will keep working. And tomorrow, when you pull up your document, you'll have a smidgen of dialogue or description or a word to get you started. You may end up erasing that line or you may have figured out a different place to start that scene, that's okay. You will have started writing. You will be moving forward. And that's what this month is all about!<br />
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So whether you've been to this 'rodeo' before or not, saddle up and get writing! Leanna Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14593441784425151288noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3934254421755833706.post-61366556969467707952012-10-31T11:05:00.001-06:002012-10-31T11:07:42.467-06:00Happy Halloween!I have such fond memories of Halloween when I was a child. First of all, it's a week after my birthday so that cake-induced fog of happiness still lingered followed by the chocolate haze of Halloween candy. Many of my birthday parties were costume parties, which gave all the attendees an extra opportunity to wear those plastic scary masks. Do you remember some of your favorite costumes? One year I was a dog. Yes, a puppy dog. My mom sewed a dog costume out of faux fur. And let me tell you, it was HOT! My mom always dressed up as a witch with green makeup and a black hat. One year I was Princess Leia, back in the days when my hair was long enough to do the fun hairdo! Another year, I borrowed the Darth Vader mask that my sister made. Yes, made. That was back in the day when they didn't manufacture them. Another year I was a vampire. Hmmm….a premonition of my future? <br />
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Of course, as I got older and had children of my own Halloween became complicated, especially as a Christian. Some people said it was evil. There were lots of discussions. Many of my friends with children chose not to 'celebrate' Halloween. I never really thought of it as celebrating but as a great excuse for a party. And so, we as a family chose to dress up and have fun. When the kids were really little, we went to a fabulous pumpkin patch every year. The kids loved running through the rows and rows of pumpkins. But then we discovered my son was allergic to the hay strewn about and we had to stop that tradition. Still, we've enjoyed carving pumpkins and roasting the seeds. We usually had happy costumes, like a clown fish (before Nemo came along and my mother made him a fabulous costume), a car (which my sister made for my son out of a box and painstakingly painted), a honey pot (which kept knocking my poor baby over). Now, my kids like to be Katniss and crazy scientists. It's fun. It's light-hearted. And it's a great time to walk through the neighborhood and visit with neighbors.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoxjLVdvcJdhTpbzwAdTgTOfotLaL8tK3eCnccSSSX9BE0wwUZyW1-dmBGi3I2ECWO6qZLxAGW96um04T2ci_-UXcZc80nQCzZOA3-O_6tAnKXyTbQZI8MHVp42cmuk-pmdp17PD6QyZI/s1600/bookclubs+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoxjLVdvcJdhTpbzwAdTgTOfotLaL8tK3eCnccSSSX9BE0wwUZyW1-dmBGi3I2ECWO6qZLxAGW96um04T2ci_-UXcZc80nQCzZOA3-O_6tAnKXyTbQZI8MHVp42cmuk-pmdp17PD6QyZI/s320/bookclubs+004.jpg" /></a></div>This is my daughter a few years ago dressing up as Dorothy for one of my booksignings for Ruby's Slippers.<br />
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This was a super hero kind of year!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8HX8HbaS_00j5jrgknSoS16PhUfgU6-_Ksk3FksfqzqcR2XSo7c9MM0Un6q0y8NczS07VVwM6PWXaj87rNsF0VSyF1HTa49F17q2uwvRsbipuQSeoZq6vplsCotBmhSbJUx3X5V7njlQ/s1600/100_0105.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="238" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8HX8HbaS_00j5jrgknSoS16PhUfgU6-_Ksk3FksfqzqcR2XSo7c9MM0Un6q0y8NczS07VVwM6PWXaj87rNsF0VSyF1HTa49F17q2uwvRsbipuQSeoZq6vplsCotBmhSbJUx3X5V7njlQ/s320/100_0105.JPG" /></a></div><br />
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No matter what kind of Halloween you have, I hope it's fun and safe.<br />
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"You are the light of the world." Matt. 5:14<br />
Leanna Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14593441784425151288noreply@blogger.com0