Today we have the privilege of announcing a new fiction book release: 

CALCULATED REVENGE  
by Jill Elizabeth Nelson

Steeple Hill Romantic Suspense

(c) 2010

ABOUT THE BOOK:

It’s been eighteen years since Laney Thompson’s sister was abducted and killed, but the pain Laney feels has never faded. And now the murderer is back, taunting Laney with mementos of her sister and threatening Laney’s young daughter. School principal Noah Ryder is her best hope for protecting her daughter—if she can convince the former investigator to take the case. As the threats accelerate, a string of clues leads Laney to uncover old secrets. Unless Noah steps in with his expertise, how can she piece together the puzzle before her child—like her sister—is lost to a killer’s revenge?

DO THE SUB WAY

Janet Chester Bly
Copyright©2008

Practice peace like you get healthier. Substitute one serving of red meat with fish. Add a green veggie, a fruit, some grains. Display color on your plate. Do one thing daily that improves your physical well being.

Practice peace like you care for your stuff. If the windshield’s cracked, you repair it as soon as possible. Untreated, it gets worse, until the whole windshield must be replaced. By the same standard, small fissures erupt into volcanoes, if ignored.

Practice peace with an upgrade to your mental and spiritual input. Replace National Inquirer with Reader’s Digest. Opt for the PG movie rather than the R offering. Buy your DVDs at Hallmark or Family Fun instead of Horror Haven. Or whatever suits your system.

I’m a news junkie. Unsolved mysteries. Political debates. Social issues. The who, what, when, where, how and especially why intrigues me. I’m glued to the TV when the world shatters. However, I’ve come to realize that this steady diet of negative input disrupts my peace and sometimes my stability, as well as the composure of those nearest me. I need a balance with prayer and positive faith.

News shows may not be your thing. But what’s a given choice in your environment that frames your mindset, influences your responses? Is there something you can or should do about it?

I’ve been working on self-control to break my cable addiction. By a study of the day’s events in segments of five minutes or less—for a higher purpose—to know enough to care and be informed and pray for the principals—not to devour endless data. I intercede for suffering souls, not just talk about them. I also try to sub feel good or chick flick movies on occasion. Or read uplifting novels. Or inspirational magazines instead.

I aim to get more done, to be more relaxed. One peace buster figured out. But I’m not a slick sample of smooth moods yet. I still get riled by guys like O’Reilly.

“You’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse” (Philippians 4:8 MSG)


taken from “31 Days To Win The Fight For Personal Peace”
To download the full article, go to: www.BlyBooks.com/articles.htm

THE LAND TAMERS...A Review By Trinity Rose Blog

Found On The Web. . .

by Wanda Elaine Rassmusson Chamberlain

http://www.thelifeandtimesofwanda.blogspot.com/

From the back cover
1870. A fugitive from Yankee justice, Confederate veteran Sandy Thompson looks for peace and solitude in the expanses of the untamed West. His quest is complicated by his reluctant business partnership with a low-down peddler named Montana Mudd, and an orphaned Indian girl entrusted to his care.

Somehow, together, the three drifters must find a home in a land where thieves, vengeful Indians, and forces of nature are constantly threatening. And the trio must finally come to grips with the sinister Yankee officer who is determined to see Sandy dead.

About the author
Stephen Bly has authored 100 books and hundreds of articles. His book, THE LONG TRAIL HOME, (Broadman & Holman), won the prestigious 2002 CHRISTY AWARD for excellence in Christian fiction in the category western novel. Three other books, PICTURE ROCK (Crossway Books), THE OUTLAW'S TWIN SISTER (Crossway Books), and LAST OF THE TEXAS CAMP (Broadman & Holman), were Christ Award finalists. He speaks at colleges, churches, camps and conferences across the U.S. and Canada. He is the pastor of Winchester Community Church, and served as mayor of Winchester, Idaho (2000-2007). He has spoken on numerous television and radio programs, including Dr. James Dobson's Focus on the Family. He is an Active Member of the Western Writers of America. Steve graduated summa cum laude in Philosophy from Fresno State University and received a M.Div from Fuller Theological Seminary. 

He and his wife, Janet (who is also a writer) live at 4,000 ft. elevation in the mountains of north-central Idaho, in the pine trees, next to a lake on the Nez Perce Indian Reservation. The Blys have three sons: Russell (married to Lois) and father of Zachary and Miranda, Michael (married to Michelle), and Aaron (married to Rina Joye) and father of Keaton. A third generation westerner, Steve spent his early years working on ranches and farms. In his spare time, he pursues collecting antique Winchesters (see www.tapaderaswinchesters.com) . . . and construction of Broken Arrow Crossing, a false front western village near his home.

My Review
I give this book 5 stars, but would give it much more.

Ronald Reagan, James Dean together

Newly Discovered! View Highlights of the General Electric Theater production of "The Dark, Dark Hours" broadcast live on Sunday, December 12, 1954 on CBS (Courtesy of John Maroney). . .one more reason why "Ronnie" will always be a hero to us!

DOUBLE OUT

STEPHEN BLY

 My neighbor got his pickup stuck in a snow bank late at night and down the grade a few winters ago. He flagged down the first 4-wheel drive that came along. However, ice so glazed the road that even the 4x4 couldn’t budge him. So, he hiked over to my place, beat on the door, and asked if I could “double him out.” Which I did.

In the Old West, to “double out” a wagon stuck in mud meant to hitch two complete teams together. A narrow wheeled, heavy wagon caused quite a bit of friction when sunk down past the hubs in thick adobe soil. That’s one of the many reasons only a fool would try to cross the prairie by himself...too many rivers to ford, deserts to span, mountains to climb, canyons to pass and unexpected dangers to face.

Some foolish souls try to go it alone in the spiritual journey too. As long as their trail’s level, or downhill, or on firmly packed ground, they can survive. But when hit with trials, testings, traumas and tribulations, they get bogged down. “If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up” (Ecclesiastes 4:12).

Who are the solid friends and approachable neighbors you can call on anytime and count on them to come double you out? And who are the ones that know you well enough that they can depend on you?

Stephen Bly

Copyright@1993,2007

http://www.blybooks.com/

http://www.onestepovertheborder.com/

WHEN ALL YOU NEED IS PEACE

Janet Chester Bly

Copyright©2008

“So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend” (Exodus 33:11 NKJV)

Sometimes it’s not easy to be at peace. There’s days I fight anxiety, worry, concern…about what’s going on with my friends, my family, and my country. I'm just a fraidy cat. So many I talk to feel the same way. There’s chronic angst in the air.

Don’t keep your worries to yourself. Confide in a friend. Or seek a counselor. Sometimes what you blurt out to another human reveals the cause, hidden even from yourself, and maybe provides the cure for the turmoil in your heart. 

You’re a complex being. Underneath your knee-jerk responses run a string of personal stories. Established patterns. Voices from the past. What torments you today may spring from yesterday’s muddied messes. It’s always right to bare your soul to God. He yearns for your friendship, for your inner peace, that signifies your trust in him. He wants you to be able to sleep like a baby.

 
Study a peace model. Who’s the most peaceful, positive person you know? What’s one thing your most appreciate about him or her? Define what your admire and why. Is it something they do? Or say? The look on their face? How they respond to pressure? Whom do you admire that exudes serenity? What traits include them on your Really Cool Persons List?

I can find peace by thinking of someone with a calm lifestyle. I struggle to imitate them. Though there’s no way to be a perfect copy, I say, “What would she do in this situation?” That sets an exemplar tone for me. Good models do help.

Are you a model yourself (and not know it)? You may be more at peace than you believe. What do your friends and family appreciate most about you? Ponder this until you’ve hit upon some sure attributes. If you don’t know, ask them. Allow their affirmation to penetrate your mind and heart in both humble and fully satisfying ways. 

Finally, rest in God's peace. He who knows everything. . .the beginning, the end, what's behind the present commotion. . .insists that all will turn out well for those who love him (Romans 8:28). That's why after the lightning often comes the rainbow.

 The God of peace be with you today.

Taken from “31 Days To Personal Peace”. . .to download the full article, go to http://www.BlyBooks.com/articles.htm

A HOPEFUL HEART by Kim Vogel Sawyer

We introduce Kim Vogel Sawyer and her new novel: 

A HOPEFUL HEART

SUMMARY:  Dowry-less and desperate, Tressa Neill applies to the inaugural class of Wyatt Herdsman School in Barnett, Kansas. The school's one-of-a-kind program teaches young women from the East the skills needed to become a rancher--or the wife of one. But will Tressa have what it takes to survive Hattie Wyatt's hands-on instruction in skills such as milking a cow, branding a calf, and cooking up a mess of grub for hungry ranch hands?

Abel Samms wants nothing to do with the passel of potential brides his neighbor brought to town. He was smitten with an eastern girl once--and he got his heart broken. But there's something about quiet Tressa and her bumbling ways that makes him take notice. When trouble strikes, will Abel risk his life--and his heart--to help this eastern girl?

DOGIES ON THE TRAIL

STEPHEN BLY

Most everyone knows the words to a few western songs. Hum some bars of “Home On The Range” and everyone on your commuter bus over 30 will be able to chime in with “where the deer and the antelope play.” They might also know why it’s important to get “back in the saddle again” because that’s “back where a friend is a friend.” And many have heard “get along little dogie.”

However, some pronounce it ‘little dawgies’ instead of ‘doughies.’ That’s because they don’t understand the word’s origin. A dogie is a scrubby calf that has not wintered well. It’s anemic from the scant food of the cold months. According to a cowboy this calf has lost his mammy and his daddy ran off with another cow. They first got their name in the harsh winters of the 1880s when orphan calves, starving to death, ran around with stomachs so disfigured they looked like they carried wads of sourdough in their bellies. “Dough-guts,” they were called...and since unbranded and orphaned calves could be claimed by any rancher, dough-guts soon slipped to dogies in the vernacular. 

Dogie is not a bad description for followers of Jesus. The Bible claims there's "not many wise, not many mighty, not many noble" (1 Corinthians 1:26). No one's a great catch for Christianity, according to heaven’s standards. But God considers you a treasure anyway. In fact, he scurries around the countryside hunting for spiritual dogies.

The western cattleman perceived more than a scrawny stray when he spied a dogie. He recognized the potential for a fine herd, once they were fed, watered, rested. God sees you the same. Rather than roam a vast spiritual desert, on the verge of perishing alone and abandoned, God seeks you, rounds you up, and makes you his own.

Stephen Bly

Copyright@1993,2007

COMING JUNE 2010: COWBOY FOR A RAINY AFTERNOON

GRANDSON KEATON SPINNING LIKE A DUST-DEVIL ON A DRY PRAIRIE

A KICK IN THE WRITER'S KABOOSE: GET STARTED, KEEP GOING

Janet Chester Bly
Copyright© 2001
If you wanna be a writer, you’d better expect to develop more than just your talent. 
You need courage to keep knocking at editor’s doors when they’re shut in your face. 
You need stamina for long days and sleepless nights when deadlines loom. 
You need persistence when you know you’ve poured on paper your best wit and no one seems to care much.

But even more, you must know how to get yourself started and keep chugging. Beginners need to know how to begin. So do the already published.

Getting cranked haunts you when you're stalled by e-mails and surfing the web and finally stare at a blank screen and find yourself muttering, “What in the world was I thinking?" Pushing through that block requires seasons of frank assessment. Ask yourself blunt questions, such as, what is writing to me? Is it a hobby, one of many pursuits and interests? Or is it a passionate drive? Am I in need of a healing catharsis for unresolved emotional needs? Or a way to feed my ego? Is this a means to feed my family? Why am I doing
this? Why do I want to write?

If you're gonna keep writing, you’ve got to want it. The competition’s stiff. The publishing road's narrow. Lots of folks want the fame of having written without the pain of learning to write well. Just like those old days when teachers taught penmanship by forcing students to draw perfect circles over and over, writing is a practiced trade. A finished product rarely emerges from a first flush of inspiration. You may accumulate hundreds of pages of private slush piles to discover a jewel worthy of public viewing.

WANT PEACE? FESS UP

Janet Chester Bly

Copyright©2008

To fight for peace, interrogate yourself, like King David did: “Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me?” (Psalm 42:5 NASB)

Figure out what’s wrong. Calculate what’s rumbling around inside that’s got you uptight, scattered, maybe hard to live with. Ask, “What’s the matter? Why do I feel this way?” Stay with it until you hone in on the key issue. A problem well-stated is half solved, so some say.

I stood before a group of young mothers and asked, “What one thing is your greatest struggle?”

A buzz of replies scattered around the room: “Being a good wife.” “Being a good mom.” “Knowing whether to work or not.” “Saving money.” Spending less.”

Delighted that these topics fit the theme of my prepared talks, I opened up my notes. But Shelley, an attractive and talented leader, slipped up her hand, let it down, then eased it up again. “I’ve read so much about self-image. Some of it has helped. I still don’t quite understand. How come I’m still trying to know myself, to like what I see? To feel at ease with whom I am?” She blushed as she glanced around the room.

Surprise registered on a number of faces. One by one, the other gals nodded agreement. Encouraged, Shelley added, “I’m afraid to attempt anything too ambitious while I battle questions like, ‘How do I look today?’ ‘How come so-and-so isn’t speaking to me?’ ‘How come I can’t do anything right?’ Do you ever get past this lack of confidence stage?”

She looked to me, a much older woman, to give advice and assurance. My mind whirled to sort out a semblance of wise words. Yet all I could think is that women my age struggle with similar challenges. In fact, aging changes can trigger more insecurities to overcome. What could I say that would help them gain perspective, to get a grip? To feel comfortable in their own skin? I knew well the spiritual journey balancing act. . .accept yourself, but also seek improvement. At the same time, forget yourself and reach out to others.