Sunday, January 31, 2021

Blog Tour and Giveaway: Cold Case Pursuit by Dana Mentink

 

About the Book


Book:  Cold Case Pursuit

Author: Dana Mentink

Genre: Romantic Suspense

A cold case solved by the K-9 unit…

but the past is not so easily escaped.

Decades after her parents’ murders, Penelope McGregor’s grateful the killer’s finally been identified—until he comes after her. Now Detective Tyler Walker and his K-9 partner, Dusty, must protect Penelope and catch the culprit…while making sure his little girl stays out of the crosshairs. But can the single father outplay a killer whose endgame will leave no one safe?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Dana Mentink is a two time American Christian Fiction Writers Carol Award winner, a Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award and a Holt Medallion winner. She is a national bestselling author of over forty titles in the suspense and lighthearted romance genres. She is pleased to write for Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense, Poisoned Pen Press, and Harvest House. Besides writing, she busies herself puttering around her Northern California backyard. Mostly, she loves to be home with Papa Bear, teen bear cubs affectionately nicknamed Yogi and Boo Boo, Junie, the  nutty terrier, and a chubby box turtle. You can connect with Dana via her website at danamentink.com, on Facebook, YouTube (Author Dana Mentink) and Instagram (dana_mentink.)

More from Dana

I love book covers with adorable children on them, don’t you? There’s something so angelic about those wee folks on the covers. I have two bear cubs myself, young adults now, and I love them devotedly. Tell you what though. Sometimes, just occasionally mind you, they were a wee bit naughty. Don’t tell anyone, but one reason I enjoyed writing Cold Case Pursuit so much is that hero Tyler is the single dad of a little girl named Rain who is….er…a handful. Sure, she’s adorable, but she’s prone to disobedience and the occasional tendency to flush things down the toilet. So in addition to the edge of your seat pursuit of a murderous clown killer, there are the shenanigans of a precocious preschooler, a highly trained yet distractible police K-9, and a romance that doesn’t exactly run smoothly. Fun to write? You betcha! I hope you enjoy coming along with me on this True Blue adventure!

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, January 19

KarenSueHadley, January 19

Bigreadersite, January 19

Through the Fire Blogs, January 20

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, January 20

Remembrancy, January 21

Genesis 5020, January 21

By The Book, January 21

For the Love of Literature, January 22

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, January 22

CarpeDiem, January 22

Texas Book-aholic, January 23

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, January 23

Blogging With Carol, January 23

Inklings and notions, January 24

Fiction Book Lover, January 24 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

Batya’s Bits, January 24

Betti Mace, January 25

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, January 25

Labor Not in Vain, January 25

Hebrews 12 Endurance, January 26

Sara Jane Jacobs, January 26

Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses, January 26

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, January 27

Lighthouse-Academy, January 27

Older & Smarter?, January 27

Artistic Nobody, January 28 (Guest Review from Joni Truex)

Splashes of Joy, January 28

Mary Hake, January 28

For Him and My Family, January 29

Simple Harvest Reads, January 29 (Guest Review from Mindy Houng)

Pause for Tales, January 29

deb’s Book Review, January 30

Hallie Reads, January 30

To Everything There Is A Season, January 30

She Lives To Read, January 31

Locks, Hooks and Books, January 31

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, February 1

Daysong Reflections, February 1

Bizwings Blog, February 1

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Dana is giving away the grand prize of a Mentink giveaway bundle, including a $50 Amazon gift card and a tote bag!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/105ab/cold-case-pursuit-celebration-tour-giveaway


My Review

Cold Case Pursuit is part of True Blue K-9 Unit: Brooklyn series by various authors. It is, also, another fabulous read by Dana Mention. I think this one is one of my favorites I have read by her to date. It is a quick read but still full of suspense and mystery. I did not find the story to be predictable and never knew what would happen next. I, also, love the addition of the sweet pup, Dusty, and Tyler's precious little girl. Their scenes with Penelope was another bonus. So very good.

I am giving Cold Case Pursuit a very well deserved five plus stars. I highly recommend for readers who enjoy reading clean suspense. I would love to read the other books from the True Blue K-9 Unit series.

I received Cold Case Pursuit from the publisher. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.

Saturday, January 30, 2021

Blog Tour and Giveaway: Set a Seal Upon My Heart by Sarah Niesen

About the Book

Book:  Set a Seal Upon My Heart

Author: Sarah Neisen

Genre: Christian NonFiction/Bible Study

God has a plan for all believers to solidify our faith and draw us deeper into a relationship with Him, and it’s all found within The Song of Solomon.

Here you’ll discover a treasure of intimacy with our bridegroom Jesus. Have you ever asked yourself ‘Is there more?’ Maybe you’ve wondered how the Bible really applies to your life. This Devotional Study will answer those questions and more.

In this book you will:

Discover the truth of God’s great love and promises for your life.

Connect with Jesus daily and experience peace and joy.

Identify yourself as a disciple of Jesus and learn how to share your testimony with others.

Learn how to follow God’s will and purpose for your life.

Fully embrace your role in the kingdom to bring glory to God.

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Sarah Neisen is a graduate of the New Day School of Ministry and Co-Founder of Discipleship Training Ministries, SSM. Along with her husband Lee, they seek to teach and encourage believers in their identity in Christ so that the Good News may be preached throughout the world with signs, wonders, and miracles.

She is a regular speaker at churches in the river valley region of Minnesota and a guest speaker at local women’s groups and retreats. Sarah and her husband have one son whom she homeschools. They live on a farm in south-central Minnesota with a plethora of chickens, ducks, cows, and other animals. 

More from Sarah

In the spring of 2007, 3-year-old in tow, I entered a small independent Christian bookstore which would impact the direction of my life more than I thought possible. The owner introduced herself, and in the following 2 years, introduced me to an extravagance of books written by individuals who spoke directly to my heart.

I had felt for some time I was at a crossroads in my life. I was content in my Christianity, content in my church, content in my marriage, but reading the word I knew there was more to life than contentment. The waves of circumstance continued to rock me and I felt as though I had been living on ever-shifting sand.

After a time of slowly reading the books the owner Ms. Mary handed to me, I began to understand just what was missing. My Redeemer had more for me, and I needed to follow His lead. One Sunday morning, my husband approached me and informed me we were going to attend ministry school together. I was not amused. We lived on a farm with many animals, and I home schooled our son. There was no time to attend classes every week. I couldn’t find time to read more books, do more bible study, or seek God more than I already had time for.

Grudgingly, I attended the first week, but I heard the Father say I was to continue and understand the plan He had for me. In the end, it wasn’t the Father I was learning about, it was the Father I learned from. I now approached Him with a greater excitement and joy. He was no longer distant, he was closer than anyone, and He knew me and still liked me.

Looking back is always easier than looking forward because we see God’s moves in hindsight rather than by faith. Now in ministry, I witness so many people floundering where I once was on shifting sand. In my heart, I know the answer is discipleship.

Jesus tells all believers to become fishers of men, but it’s His intention we make disciples. Believers who are not only saved but who are equipped with the knowledge and understanding of God’s Word to follow the plan and purpose for their lives.

This is why my husband and I formed Discipleship Training Ministries. We pray all who follow this study would come to a deeper understanding of God’s love and grace through Jesus Christ and all would be further equipped to do those works appointed them.

2 Timothy 1:9 [For it is He] Who delivered and saved us and called us with a calling in itself holy and leading to holiness; not because of anything of merit that we have done, but because of and to further His own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.” AMP

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, January 20

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, January 21

deb’s Book Review, January 22

Spoken from the Heart, January 23 (Author Interview)

Sara Jane Jacobs, January 23

For Him and My Family, January 24

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, January 25

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, January 26

Texas Book-aholic, January 27

Inklings and notions, January 28

Artistic Nobody, January 29 (Guest Review from Joni Truex)

Locks, Hooks and Books, January 30

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, January 31

Godly Book Reviews, February 1

Through the Fire Blogs, February 2 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, February 2

Giveaway


To celebrate her tour, Sarah is giving away the grand prize package of a basket of items including, a copy of the book signed by the author, a Bible Journal notebook, a Colored Pen Set, a Mug, Coffee, and a bookmark!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/10622/set-a-seal-upon-my-heart-celebration-tour-giveaway


My Review: 

Set A Seal Upon My Heart: A Devotional Study of The Song of Solomon is a great devotional. I thought it was a different that it is bigger than most that I have seen. The size is eight and a half inches by eleven inches. It is broken down into four parts and eight chapters. Each devotion is about two to four pages long. It includes day’s verse and more verses to follow up on to read. There is good amount of space for note taking. A prayer and activation conclude the section. 

Set A Seal Upon My Heart: A Devotional Study of The Song of Solomon is getting a very well deserved five plus stars from me. I highly recommend this devotional. 

I received Set A Seal Upon My Heart: A Devotional Study of The Song of Solomon from the publisher. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion. 


Blog Tour and Giveaway: Faith's Mountain Home by Misty M Beller

About the Book


Book:  Faith’s Mountain Home

Author: Misty M. Beller

Genre: Christian historical romance

Nate Long has always watched over his identical twin brother, Aaron, even when it put him on the wrong side of the law. When Aaron is wounded in a shootout, the brothers are taken to Settler’s Fort to recover. As Nate works to make reparations for their past, he marvels at the nursing Aaron receives under the care of a woman with all the reason in the world to resent him.

Laura Hannon knows what it is to start over, and she knows Nate’s newfound faith is real. What she can’t look past is how far he allowed himself to be led astray by his brother’s weaknesses.

As a fledgling trust grows between Nate and Laura, they stumble upon a mysterious cave in the mountains that may not be as uninhabited as it seems.

As they work together for a common cause, will the new lives they seek for themselves include love, or is there too much that stands between them?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Misty M. Beller is a USA Today bestselling author of romantic mountain stories, set on the 1800s frontier and woven with the truth of God’s love.

She was raised on a farm in South Carolina, so her Southern roots run deep. Growing up, her family was close, and they continue to keep that priority today. Her husband and children now add another dimension to her life, keeping her both grounded and crazy.

God has placed a desire in Misty’s heart to combine her love for Christian fiction and the simpler ranch life, writing historical novels that display God’s abundant love through the twists and turns in the lives of her characters. 

More from Misty

Who doesn’t love a good cave?

Well, maybe not everyone, but I have to confess, I love exploring!

While there aren’t many caves near my South Carolina home, I’ve always loved the idea of finding an opening hidden in the rocks. Then venturing in and finding a huge cavern filled with stalactites and stalagmites and a host of other beauties I can’t pronounce!

And dark tunnels? As long as I have a light and a string to unravel as I go so I can get back out, I’m game!

Unfortunately, I’ve never found a large cave in real life that had never been explored, but in Faith’s Mountain Home, Nate and Laura found exactly that! Although…turns out, it had been discovered by someone already. I won’t give you (too many) spoilers, but let me just tell you there’s a precocious Native American girl involved, and a few other things not so delightful.

The good news is, you can enjoy the story without actually entering the pitch black cavern!

Last summer, I had the opportunity to tour a cave with many features like Nate and Laura discovered in their hidden cave. The Caverns of Sonora in Sonora, Texas was a fantastic experience! As you can imagine, it’s hard to get good pictures in solid darkness, but here are a few of the amazing formations still growing in those two miles of underground tunnels.


Blog Stops

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, January 26

Artistic Nobody, January 26 (Guest Review from Joni Truex)

Connie’s History Classroom, January 27

Bigreadersite, January 27

Jeanette’s Thoughts, January 27

Betti Mace, January 28

Connect in Fiction, January 28

Texas Book-aholic, January 28

Lighthouse Academy Blog, January 29 (Guest Review from Marilyn Ridgway)

lakesidelivingsite, January 29

Bizwings Blog, January 29

Through the Fire Blogs, January 30

Locks, Hooks and Books, January 30

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, January 31

Fiction Book Lover, January 31 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

Inspiration Clothesline, January 31

Wishful Endings, February 1

Life of Literature, February 1

Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses, February 1

deb’s Book Review, February 2

Adventures of a Travelers Wife, February 2

Blossoms and Blessings, February 2

For Him and My Family, February 3

Splashes of Joy , February 3

Simple Harvest Reads, February 3 (Guest Review from Mindy Houng)

Blessed & Bookish, February 4

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, February 4

To Everything There Is A Season, February 4

Older & Smarter?, February 5

Sara Jane Jacobs, February 5

Pause for Tales, February 5

For the Love of Literature, February 6

Tell Tale Book Reviews, February 6

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, February 6

Remembrancy, February 7

Inklings and notions, February 7

Hallie Reads, February 7

She Lives To Read, February 8

HookMeInABook, February 8

Genesis 5020, February 8

Giveaway


To celebrate her tour, Misty is giving away the grand prize package of the entire Hearts of Montana series, plus a “Faith Moves Mountain” sign!! (See Here: https://etsy.me/2JjZAVV)

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/1062c/faith-s-mountain-home-celebration-tour-giveaway 



My Review: 

I love Misty M Beller’s writing and adore her Hearts of Montana series. I was excited to find out that the third installment from the series was releasing. It was an honor to have the opportunity to read Faith's Mountain Home and was far from being disappointed. Even though it is part of a series, I believe it can be read as a stand alone. I enjoyed reading Nate and Laura’s story. I was not sure about Laura at first but she quickly grew on me as I saw how much she had grown throughout the book. This was a wonderful, faith filled and inspirational tale. I loved it. 

I am giving Faith's Mountain Home a very well deserved five plus stars. I highly recommend it for readers who enjoy reading clean historical romance.

I received Faith's Mountain Home from the publisher. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.

Friday, January 29, 2021

Blog Tour and Giveaway: Trafficked: A Parent's Worst Nightmare

 TRAFFICKED: A Parent’s Worst Nightmare To Release During Human Trafficking Awareness Month

Based on Multiple True Events, Film Shines A Light on the Harsh Reality of Sex Trafficking in Suburban America



Features Kristy Swanson (BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF) and Dean Cain (Lois and Clark, GOD’S NOT DEAD)


Detroit, MI - Feature-length drama TRAFFICKED: A Parent’s Worst Nightmare is poised to release on DVD and digital HD on January 26, during Human Trafficking Awareness Month.  Directed by Joel Paul Reisig and written by Reisig, George Sunders, and Scott Voshel, TRAFFICKED is based on actual stories of American families who have had their lives uprooted after a child has been abducted and trafficked. The film will be distributed through Virgil Films.


Bob Elder, President of Collide Media Group, shares, ”Awareness is the first step towards putting an end to these atrocities in our world. Trafficked is a heart-pounding feature film reminding us of how urgent this topic is and why we need to act now."


TRAFFICKED is the story of Allison Riley (Sophie Bolen - THE HORSE DANCER, RODEO GIRL), a beautiful young girl with a bright future and a dream of becoming a veterinarian.  On the eve of her 16th birthday, she sneaks out of her house to meet a handsome boy she met online, and disappears.  Her parents, Joanna (Kristy Swanson - BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, FERRIS BUELLERS DAY OFF) and Case (Mark Boyd - WHIP IT, “12 Monkeys”), contact the police who assume that Allison is just out with a boyfriend. They reluctantly hire Private Investigator John Belton (Dean Cain - Lois and Clark, GODS NOT DEAD ) who has a reputation for making his own rules.  Belton quickly discovers that Allison had likely been trafficked by a handsome young man she met online, and that hes on a race against time if the Rileys hope to see their daughter again. 


Quote from Joel - “Human trafficking is reaching epidemic levels in the US, yet so many people don’t believe that an atrocity like this could happen in the US. I wanted to shine a light on this issue, and help viewers realize this could happen to any family, any where.”


TRAFFICKED: A Parent’s Worst Nightmare will release January 26, 2021 on DVD and all major VOD platforms.  


About Virgil Films: Virgil Films & Entertainment was founded in 2003 by Joe Amodei to acquire, and distribute feature films, documentaries and original television series. Over the years Virgil has enjoyed partnerships with Sundance Channel Home Entertainment, National Geographic Cinema Ventures, Pure Flix Entertainment, Major League Baseball Productions, Morgan Spurlocks Warrior Poets and other high-profile entertainment brands. Their feature films have been available on Netflix, Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Hulu, Vudu, Google Play, HBO, Starz, Showtime and many other digital and TV networks. Virgil Films releases include the Oscar-nominated documentary Glen Campbell…Ill Be Me; the critically acclaimed best-selling Forks Over Knives; and the Oscar-nominated documentary Restrepo and its sequel Korengal. They have also released the entertaining I Am Chris Farley, I am Heath Ledger and I am Paul Walker along with the thought provoking We Are Columbine. Clarence Clemons, Who Do I Think I Am was the first in house production. Follow them on twitter: @virgilfilms | www.VirgilFilms.com


About Collide Distribution: Collide Distribution, a division of Collide Media Group, specializes in downstreaming home entertainment distribution through UPHE Content Group. Collide Media Group was formed in 2016 by veteran Christian entertainment marketing executive Bob Elder with a mission dedicated to elevating media that inspires a deeper relationship with Christ.”  The Collide team has worked on over 50 Faith-Based films, creating and executing marketing campaigns that have generated billions of impressions and resulted in hundreds of millions of ticket transactions. The Group is officed in historic downtown Franklin Tennessee.  https://collidedistribution.com/


Purchase Trafficked after its release on Tuesday, January 26th and watch from the comfort of your own home! 

Buy Links 

https://geni.us/Trafficked

My Review:

I found Trafficked: A Parent’s Worst Nightmare to be a descent movie to watch. It is a powerful story of how quickly a young woman’s life changed in a matter of minutes. It shows the dangers of meeting people online and easily trusting strangers. As a parent of a preteen, it scares me to think this could really happen to my family. I think the movie would be an important one to watch with older teens. It is a helpful tool of talking about the dangers and being more aware of them. I do want to warn that it does have some strong language and some implications that may be too mature for some audiences and viewers.

I would give Trafficked: A Parent’s Worst Nightmare seven stars out of ten.

I received a digital code of Trafficked: A Parent’s Worst Nightmare for screening and reviewing purposes, but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.


Giveaway:

One of my readers will win ONE digital code for Trafficked. Please comment below and don't forget to leave an email address (email at domain dot com) with your comment so I can get in touch with you if you win! Winners will be drawn on Feb 5. Good Luck!

Blog Tour and Giveaway: Life in the Camel Lane: Embrace the Adventure by Doreen M Cumberford


Join us for this tour from Jan 25 to Feb 12, 2021!

Book Details:

Book TitleLife in the Camel Lane: Embrace the Adventure by Doreen M. Cumberford
Category:  Adult Non-Fiction (18 +),  288 pages
Genre:  Memoir
PublisherWhite Heather Press
Release date:   April, 2020
Tour dates: Jan 25 to Feb 12, 2021
Content Rating:  G. There are no offensive scenes or language

Book Description:

Life in the Camel Lane: Embrace the Adventure is what Doreen Cumberford, a Scottish author, calls her learnoire! It is a combination of her story and the stories of other expats learned while living in Saudi Arabia for 15 years as expat employees or spouses.

The book takes the reader through the four stages of culture shock: arrival, honeymoon, frustration and adjustment stages to final acceptance followed by the return journey back to their home country – mostly the USA. From Saudi weddings, to falconry, to the inability of women to drive at that time, the book seeks to familiarize us with the Saudi culture, lifestyle, and deep traditions of hospitality, generosity and tolerance from an insider’s perspective. There are also chapters on the experiences of 9/11 in the terrorists’ home country and the “Terror Years” of internal terror tactics from inside Saudi Arabia designed to drive the expats out of the country and destroy the Saudi government.

Full of examples, stories and compelling honesty the author describes their most challenging journey and many of the lessons learned in the process together. Designed to provide useful insights and inspiration to anyone considering living abroad, Life in the Camel Lane shines the light on the subject of building a new identity and home while abroad, and the difficulties of the journey home.

Buy the Book:
Amazon
Add to Goodreads

 

Meet the Author

Doreen Cumberford is a Scottish expat author who has been global traveler for more than four decades. In her 20s Doreen left her home in Scotland and drove down to London to become a member of Her Majesty’s Diplomatic Service, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Her first posting was as the youngest and most junior British Embassy staffer in Cameroon, West Africa. Later she moved back to London and took a position with an American oil-field construction company based in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates.

After moving to America, living in Louisiana then California, two extremely different cultures in the USofA, Doreen and family moved overseas to Japan then spent the following 15 years in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. With 13 major moves under her belt, she understands the value of moving, building a new life and handling inter-cultural hurdles. One constant has been her ability to explore through the lens of adventure. Her stories are full of multi-cultural intelligence, messy multilingual communications and multi-global perspectives.

Doreen is currently based on Denver, Colorado although spends most of the year living adventurously in the Housesitting Lane, which takes her around the globe. Currently she is doing her best to install Spanish in her brain which previously had French and smatterings of Japanese and Arabic. She is passionate about cultural intelligence, global heartedness and life on the road. Featured in the Anthology: Empowering Women, and a co-author in 2018 of Arriving Well: Stories About Identity, Belonging and Rediscovering Home After Living Abroad.

2020 sees the publication of Life in the Camel Lane: Embrace the Adventure. Honest, compassionate, full of wisdom and inspiration, Life in the Camel Lane comprises stories mostly from women and men who lived in Saudi Arabia from 1950s onward. This memoir contains expert advice sage wisdom and stories that all globally mobile families can use to navigate their international journey. The principles in this book will also encourage anyone who is embracing a more adventurous life, or considering taking the leap to move overseas.

Connect with the Author:  website  ~ twitter  ~ facebook pinterest  ~ instagram  ~ goodreads

Interview:

  1. Your book is set in Saudi Arabia.  Have you ever been there?


Oh yes! Not only have I been there, I actually lived there for fifteen years.


Life in the Camel Lane: Embrace the Adventure is based upon my story and stories of other Western women along with a few good men’s stories.  The lifestyle in Saudi was like night and day from the West, with women not being able to drive, living on a compound surrounded by initially by barbed wire and after 9/11 by the highest security technology available on the planet.  


There are stories about driving, weddings, shopping, food, cultural dissonance and all the fun experiences our kids enjoyed by growing up somewhere different.  There truly is nothing like living and working abroad to transform our mindset and to stimulate our understanding of humans and the vast differences we embrace.  


I consider myself very fortunate to have lived in Saudi; it confronted me with my white, middle-class bias and privilege every single day.  I still have so much to learn from that journey.  I have learned to be grateful for the opportunity to simply be human, and to be connected to people who have vastly different culture and experiences, and to learn from them.



  1. How do you escape everyday doldrums in your writing


Whether we write fiction or non-fiction, writing can take us on journeys around and across the page driven by our mind’s eye.  


If we are writing fiction, it’s a wonderful way to escape from dull daily drumbeats of our normal lives and, if we are writing non-fiction, research and reporting is another method by which we can evade and avoid aimlessness.


It took me many attempts to write  Life in the Camel Lane: Embrace the Adventure, but when I reflect on the book, I see the places where I was in the zone and other places where I was most probably not and then the spaces where I balanced on the edge.


I personally enjoy the fascination of writing, the sense of building a body of work, word by word on a page and the accomplishment when something is published.   I find writing similar to cross-stich or embroidery without the color and tactile sensation.   But when I get on a roll and my fingers fly across the keyboard, I frequently find myself in what Cal Newport calls Deep Work.  


Deep Work helps us perform better and generate a sense of flow while being in our zone of genius.   Deep Work is the result of focus and consistency so when it’s applied by writers it can transport us to the opposite of the doldrums. 


I highly recommend that if you are in fact approaching the doldrums, the very act of making time, sitting down, picking up a pen and recording will change the sensation. This sounds way too easy, you say.   Yes, it is simple, but in fact when you are battling your inner demons, that is not easy.  


Writing your way through your challenges, your miserable moments and the doldrums is the way to produce a higher quality content and bring your writing to an almost unrecognizable level.  Like chopping wood and carrying water, it’s a simplistic recipe that when followed can bring amazing results.


Here’s to better writing!


  1. How did you decide what to keep in and what to leave out?


While writing Life in the Camel Lane: Embrace the Adventure, I had to navigate several threads that could have resulted in family relationships being soured, community relationships mangled or casting the country of Saudi Arabia in a negative light.


Like every country Saudi Arabia has it’s light and dark sides. I was living in a Muslim country as a Western woman, with basically very few rights since I was there as a dependent wife. I lived on a compound with barbed wire fences and was not permitted to drive outside the compound.


Of course, the stories in Life in the Camel Lane are mostly about difference, living as the other and learning life lessons in the process. I wanted to be careful not to complain about the conditions – I was well advised and orientated before I arrived there.


I was careful not to 

  1. tell stories about alcohol and some of the community secrets

  2. get too personal around the disappoints that many members of family were disinterested and disinclined to visit (and yes, the news was frequently scary)!

  3. get too political and talk about the politics, which are fascinating but I did address them in the postscript.


I kept the positive, upbeat lessons I and other Westerners learned and had to leave out dozens of stories that just simply didn’t apply to the points I was making. I wanted to keep the book upbeat and to encourage people to think of this beautiful country in a more positive light than it is portrayed by the world-wide press.


There are two sides to every story!


  1. Books “Have Legs” – Does Life in the Camel Lane Inspire, Support, Inform or Entertain?

Well unfortunately I refused to choose one of the above choices and set out to do all of the above.    

I think in future I would revisit that decision and perhaps choose one lane in which to write.   Living in Saudi Arabia was a completely different lifestyle and people love to hear the stories, so many of the stories are inspirational.

The book can also be useful to people moving to Saudi Arabia or anywhere in the Middle East in fact to live because it carefully outlines much of the living conditions and the very difficult parts one might experience while living overseas.

Finally, I hope that Life in the Camel Lane will be received as an armchair adventure story.  Not everyone wants or needs to go there to learn the lessons shared within the covers, but my deep desire is that people will learn and will consider their reaction next time they hear dramatic news about that country and/or its people.

I also hope that if you have the opportunity to meet a person from Saudi Arabia, that you will give them your time, a good dose of tolerance and an open-mindedness.   In that, you will be passing along some of the lessons outlined in the book.  

  1. How many books have you written?  Which is your favourite?

I have been involved in three books.

One was an anthology for which I had to write one chapter and that was a number of years ago.    It is called Empowering! Women’s Stories of Breakthrough, Discover and Triumph

My second book was also an anthology that I planned, organized and published as an E-book along with two other Re-entry or Repatriation coaches and containing five elaborate repatriation stories.   I believe it has become quite the staple for people who are repatriating or moving home after living overseas.   It is available at Arriving Well: Stories of Identity, Belonging and Rediscovering Home After Living Abroad.

 

My solo authored book is Life in the Camel Lane and like having a favorite child I would not want to comment, but I do love this book.

 

The writing of these three books were very different experiences.  The first anthology, Empower allowed me to dip my toe in the water as a new author.  The second was a two year collaboration effort which took two years and I loved the association with my fellow authors, Cate Brubaker and Helen Watts.

My own book, Life in the Camel Lane took several years to write.   I wrote it on my different continents and in several different places.   It took twists, turns and rather than being a straight road was more like a series of hairpin bends which wended their way up and down mountains, hills and valleys.


  1. Living in Saudi Arabia was surely a big challenge.  How did you cope? 

The entire time I lived inside the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, I kept three things at the top of

my awareness!

First, I was a guest in their country and guests are honored and held in high esteem.  Indeed

one of the major life lessons I learned in KSA was the “art of welcome”.

Secondly, I needed to be global hearted; I was a human, just like them. I learned to bridge

differences hopefully with grace. It was the best opportunity to stretch, to include “the

other” and to practice the art of being “global hearted”! To connect with others who

looked different, had different traditions, religion and cultural backgrounds was the best

gift ever – one that I never will take for granted.


Thirdly, I had a role to play as a citizen diplomat. When overseas we don’t only represent

ourselves personally, we also represent our countries.


Now while I am in fact Scottish, I do carry a US passport and am a US citizen. Inside my

brain though, I am Scottish first and US second.  I was always conscious of the fact that people saw me as an American – because how could they differentiate even if I was speaking with a Scottish accent?

Tour Schedule:

Jan 25 - Cover Lover Book Review - book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
Jan 25 - Working Mommy Journal - book spotlight / giveaway
Jan 26 - Splashes of Joy - book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Jan 27 - 100 Pages A Day - book spotlight / giveaway
Jan 28 - Lisa's Reading - book spotlight / giveaway
Jan 28 - Reading is My Passion - book spotlight
Jan 29 - Rockin' Book Reviews - book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Jan 29 - Locks, Hooks and Books - book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
Feb 1  - Sefina Hawke's Books - book spotlight
Feb 2  - Book Corner News and Reviews - book spotlight / giveaway
Feb 2  - Deborah-Zenha Adams - book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
Feb 3  - Books Lattes & Tiaras - book spotlight / author interview
Feb 4  - Books for Books - book spotlight
Feb 4  - From the TBR Pile - book spotlight / giveaway
​Feb 5  - Jazzy Book Reviews - book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Feb 8  - Westveil Publishing - book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Feb 9  - Library of Clean Reads - book spotlight / giveaway
Feb 10 - Stephanie Jane - book spotlight / giveaway
Feb 11 - 30-something Travel - book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Feb 11 - High Society Book Review & Club - book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Feb 12 - Laura's Interests - book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Feb 12 - Books and Zebras  - book spotlight / guest post / giveaway

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