Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving one and all -- and the day after! Around here, we have lots to be thankful for, and it can all seem lost in the wants and the don't haves from time to time.

How can we instill in our children that happiness isn't in the material things when our daily life is bombarded with the obvious happiness the "newest thing" is sure to bring?

With four little ones, this is something I grapple with on a daily basis.

Age old lessons such as "the gift is in the giving" seem to be long lost to the advertising world -- a heartbreaking realization, but one I work daily to overcome so my children will learn the TRUE meaning of what it means to be thankful and blessed.

Good health, a loving family, a beautiful Christmas tree decked with memories, a houseful of loving rescue pets, hope for tomorrow and plans for the future ... and that's just in the living room! Just a few things money can't buy but we'd be lost without.

What are you thankful for today? How do you instill the importance of the priceless things in your children?

Awesome Author Christine Steendam!

Welcome Romance author Christine Steendam today!

Thank you Sara for hosting me on your blog today.

Unforgiving Plains is quite different from your first novel, Heart Like an Ocean. How did this contemporary story come about?

Unforgiving Plains was one of those books that was born from pure inspiration. I didn't have to think about the characters or the story, it just came to me. And once it came it wouldn't leave me alone until I finished it.

I understand that!! Hey, what is your favorite scene in the book? Is it the cattle round up scene? (That's my favorite!)

I've always wanted to take part in a cattle round up. My fascination with the event probably started after watching The Man From Snowy River umpteen times as a kid. So, when I was invited to ride on one I packed up my truck and drove to Alberta. We round up over three hundred head of cattle that morning, driving them across acres of land on horseback.

That must have been amazing! I am a bit jealous!

It was definitely the experience of a lifetime. And after that Vince and Rayna wouldn't leave me alone.

Tell me about Fieldstone Ranch. Is it a real place?

Fieldstone ranch was, in part, based on the ranch I went on the round up for. The drive up through rolling hills and bounding antelope through the fields are real as is the town of Foremost--though the characters are not.

Tell me, will Vince and Rayna's story continue?

I loved writing this story. It was a new experience for me to write a place and time that you could actually jump in the car and drive to. I will definitely be writing more contemporary romance books with a similar feel to Unforgiving Plains, but as for Vince and Rayna I think their story is done.

Thanks for visiting today Christine! Would you mind telling the blog readers a bit about yourself and your work?

I write historical and contemporary romance that is mixed with a little adventure. Stop by and say hey on Facebook, Twitter or Email me at kcsteendam(at)gmail(dot)com. I’d love to hear from you.

Contact Christine here!

Http://www.facebook.com/authorchristine.s

Http://www.twitter.com/chrissteen1991

Http://www.christinesteendam.com

Heart Like an Ocean:

http://getbook.at/heartlikeanocean

Unforgiving Plains:

http://getbook.at/unforgivingplains

About Christine Steendam

Christine started writing when she could put pen to paper and form words. Now, many years later, not much has changed. Her stories are romances that you can relate to with a little bit of adventure mixed in. She enjoys writing flawed but loveable characters and more often than not a horse or two will find their way in as well.

Christine makes her home in Manitoba, Canada on a sprawling 15 acre ranch with her sons, husband, and many animals.

WeWriWa -- Today's Eight from Amish Romance Bestseller Rebekah's Quilt

Hallo everyone! Thank you for stopping by! Without further ado, here is my eight-sentence snippet from my bestselling Amish Romance, Rebekah's Quilt.

Click on the book cover to get your copy from Amazon today! Just 2.99!

Rebekah let her eyes meander up the lean, black-clothed frame of her oldest companion. From his black shoes, up the extra-long black britches, over the dark green shirt his mother had sewn, to his face. The one that had grown so handsome over the years that it frequently appeared in her thoughts without warning. 

As an unmarried man, Joseph was still clean shaven. His constant smile readily revealed the deep dimples that made her insides turn to applesauce. “Rebekah?”

She stared into his eyes, which were as deep and blue as the lake on a summer day. Joseph gazed back in such a way that she was certain he could see all of her heart’s deepest secrets.

Here's some more about Rebekah's Quilt! 

Who can Rebekah trust when the line between English and Amish becomes blurred? 

An Amish Settlement. An English stranger. The Blizzard of 1888. 

Rebekah's mother, Elnora Stoll, is the finest quilter in all of Gasthof Village but it seems Rebekah has inherited none of her skill. It's not until the arrival of a mysterious English stranger that a lifetime of questions are answered and Rebekah, her special friend Joseph Graber, and the entire settlement of Gasthof Village learn the true meaning of what it truly means to be Amish. 

Get your copy here! 

Find more Sara Barnard Books here! 

Get back to WeWriWa here!

Snowy Southern Day

The words snow and Texas ... at least the far reaches of west Texas where we live ... usually only find themselves in the same sentence in a joke or remember-when story. But not today. This blue norther hit last night, whooping in with wind and freezing temps. Of course, we got up this morning to white roofs and freezing rain ... along with the promise of snow at some point today since the high is only 31 degrees. I suppose that means winter is really here. It's about time! Is it any wonder all of us woke up with sore throats this morning? After all, it was over 85 degrees yesterday!

Today, I am going to help some fourth graders work on their writing skills. Then, I'll be working on edits for two amazing manuscripts from 5 Prince authors -- both of which you'll hear more about in the near future! I am looking forward to starting edits with my own awesome editor on the fourth installment of the Everlasting Heart series, A Heart Forever Wild.

How are you spending your day?

Bestseller alert!

I am thrilled to announce that my debut Amish historical romance, Rebekah's Quilt, has become a bestseller on Amazon! Here is a little info about Rebekah's Quilt, which is the first in a series. 


Who can Rebekah trust when the line between English and Amish becomes blurred? 

An Amish Settlement. An English stranger. The Blizzard of 1888. 

Rebekah's mother, Elnora Stoll, is the finest quilter in all of Gasthof Village but it seems Rebekah has inherited none of her skill. It's not until the arrival of a mysterious English stranger that a lifetime of questions are answered and Rebekah, her special friend Joseph Graber, and the entire settlement of Gasthof Village learn the meaning of what it truly means to be Amish. 

Click here to get your copy today! Coming soon in print! 

Why do you write Christian fiction?

I received a very interesting email this morning. It read: "Why do you write Christian fiction? Are you some kind of goody-goody?"

Sigh.

I smell a stigma!!

My reply went something like this:

I began writing Christian fiction by accident. I love love love adventure, especially wilderness and old west adventure. So this is where my characters usually wind up. Once you've been lost in the woods, alone, possibly with outlaws on your tail, God is sometimes your only option, and He's always there -- at least for my characters (and for me!)

I'm not perfect, neither are my characters. Actually, I'm probably about as far from perfect as you can get, at least it feels that way! For my characters, too. I try to put them in as real-life situations as I have been in, and I have had some adventures. So, it sort of came naturally when my writing turned from inspirational to Christian. Plus, writing for God is the least I can do and I am proud to do so.

I pride my books on having a kernel of truth my readers can relate to and take with them without being preachy or overbearing. A good book can change your outlook, or your life. Lonesome Dove did for me. Maybe mine can do that for someone someday ... maybe you!



The end.

Check out my new release, bestselling Amish Romance Rebekah's Quilt!! It WILL be a series!