southernbellewriter

WE HAVE A WINNER!

2011-12-21T21:05:00.002-05:00

Today is the day! My DEEPLY DEVOTED promotion ended last night at Midnight, and the marketing team has just selected the winners. Are you on the list? Find out here! http://maggiebrendan.com/ .

Many thanks to all of you for entering and liking my author page on Facebook, and I want to congratulate the winners and here's hoping you enjoy your prizes. It was fun coming up with the idea that I thought you'd all enjoy. :)

As Christmas draws near, I hope you're not too frazzled with shopping, cooking and family to enjoy--the true meaning of Christmas--Christ's birth.

Merry Christmas!!

MAGGIE

BIG NEWS!!

2011-12-06T12:40:00.004-05:00

I promised you a Christmas Giveaway that you just couldn't refuse!!

I’m excited to announce the launch of an incredible promotion from my publisher, Revell, in celebration of Deeply Devoted.The prizes are amazing: A $250 Bed & Breakfast Date Night, a 21-piece Blue Willow china set, or a gourmet Italian feast fit for a king (or queen!) Wouldn’t one of these prizes be the perfect way to start the New Year?To enter the giveaway, go here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Maggie-Brendan/209545385783344?sk=app_28134323652. The link is also on the sidebar on the left of my facebook author page as well.

Don't forget to savor the meaning of Christmas admist the shopping, decorating, etc. Slow down and take time to enjoy the free gift of God's incredible gift--the reason for our celebration.

Blessings,

MAGGIE

THE BOOKCLUB NETWORK

2011-12-01T13:50:00.006-05:00

I've been Christmas decorating and squeezing in writing in between but I wanted to share something fun with you.

I know many of you are in bookclubs so I wanted to let you know about The Book Club Network with you in case you hadn't heard of it. My friend, Nora, set up this wonderful site where readers and authors can interact. Starting today, a Christmas party kicks off with a chance to win free books, including my Deeply Devoted and Dan Walsh's book, Remembering Christmas, another dear writing friend of mine.

Here's the link. It's fun and easy to join in all the fun. You may find some of your favorite authors online. :)

Maggie Brendan http://psalm516.blogspot.com/2011/12/day-1-christmas-party-book-club-network.html. Check out The Book Club Network Christmas party for giveaways.

Finding Hope Through Fiction: DAY 1 - CHRISTMAS PARTY @ THE BOOK CLUB NETWORK psalm516.blogspot.com.

I have something really spectacular that I'm working on for my own personal giveaway that will include much more than just a copy of my book so keep checking the blog and I hope you will click the 'Like' button on my Facebook Author page Maggie Brendan then follow me on twitter@MaggieBrendan. More on my big giveaway later. Have an awesome week! Now back to my story set in Denver. :)

MAGGIE

THANKFUL THOUGHTS & LIFEWAY BLOG

2011-11-23T10:32:00.004-05:00

With Thanksgiving tomorrow, I have many things to be grateful for, especially in lieu of our nation's obvious financial and unemployment crisis. Today, the pleasureable smell of my pies I baked last night linger as I tick off my list the things still left to do. I'm so thankful that I live in American where we are free to worship as we choose, (although I have great concerns about how many references to God are reduced or eliminated in our institutions). I'm grateful for a roof over my head, food to consume, family, fairly good health, and friendships that matter most. I'm grateful to be able to do what I love the most. Write! I can't begin to list eveything here.

Today, I'm sharing what I'm thankful for on LifeWay's blog with some other wonderful writers. Click here to check it out. I'm on LifeWay's blog this morning. :) check it out. http://tiny.cc/l9h40. Then come back here and let me know what you're grateful for.

MAGGIE

OVERCOMING THROUGH TIME & CONTEST

2011-11-14T14:29:00.006-05:00

I met a wonderful lady, Carrie Pagels, while I was at the St. Louis ACFW conference in September. Carrie was a counselor for 25 years before starting a career in writing. She interviewed me for her blog, Overcoming Through Time. For those of you just getting to know me, I wrote about the circumstances that overshadowed my world while trying to meet my book deadlines.

I will be giving away a copy of Deeply Devoted and later Carrie will draw a winner when you post a comment.

Click her for the interview. http://www.cfpagels.blogspot.com/ to enter the contest.

Hope your fall is spectacular one as we move into Thanksgiving season soon. Can you believe it's almost time for Christmas?? It puts me in a panic :) So I'll focus instead on the blowing wind sending the colorful leaves about, creatinging its beautiful array of foliage outside my office window. It's a beautiful time of year, one for inward reflection and gratefulness.

MAGGIE

WINNER AND LIFEWAY BOOK SIGNING

2011-10-17T09:54:00.004-04:00

Thanks so much to all of you that posted your favorite soup recipe! They look delicious and I want to try them all!! We drew a name and Sheryl, you have won the recipe box and an autorgraphed copy of Deeply Devoted! I hope you enjoy the set and jot down some of the ones posted here on your new recipe cards. I'll contact you for your snail mail address and get that out to you.

I'll be book signing at LifeWay Christian Bookstore at Town Center in Kennesaw, GA this coming Friday, October 21st from 5-7 pm. for their National Fiction Event Day. I hope you'll stop by if you live in the area. It's a great store and wonderful staff with many other great books to choose from as well as mine and gifts galore. Then on Saturday, October 22nd, I'll be at the LifeWay store in Buford, GA next to the Mall of GA. from 11-1 pm. I hope to see you there. :)

Maggie

SOUP'S ON! AND A CHANCE TO WIN

2011-10-10T14:53:00.009-04:00

Fall is the perfect time for sharing your favorite soup with family or friends on the backdrop of a chilly day. This pumpkin and black bean soup has always been a nice change from my homemade beef soup, my all time favorite. It's so delicious with crusty bread or rolls. I'll post the recipe at the end of the blog. If you haven't bought your copy Deeply Devoted, here's your chance. Write and tell me what your favorite soup recipe is and I'll draw a winner Sunday night for a copy of my new book, Deeply Devoted AND the pretty recipe box pictured here, complete with recipe cards. (Blue Willow Teapot not included). Now what can be easier than that? Deeply Devoted is receiving great reviews and I feel sure you'll enjoy the story. Why not give a copy to your best friend or mother?

I was away for five days at the end of September at the ACFW conference in St. Louis and some family illness has kept me extremely busy. But I'm happy to report that I turned in book #2 of The Blue Willow Brides and this past week got my edits back to my editor. You can be looking for that book next Aug/Sept. 2012. My working title is Three Little Words-but I never know if they'll keep my title. I had a wonderful time at the conference meeting with my agent and editor and oh so many of my great writer friends that a love of you read. One of my favorite book so far this year is Rooms by James Rubart, a contemporary novel. Quite different from the historicals I usually read. Check it out, you won't be disappointed.

I have a few things I'm pondering for a Christmas contest that I think you'll like later, so stay tuned. :)

PUMPKIN AND BLACK BEAN SOUP

2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil,
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 C canned or packaged vegetable stock
1 can (14 ½ oz) diced tomatoes in juice
1 can (15 ½ oz) black beans, drained
2 cans (15 oz) pumpkin puree or canned pumpkin
1 C of heavy cream
1 Tbsp curry powder,
1½ tsp ground cumin,
½ tsp cayenne pepper or less depending on your taste
Coarse salt
20 blades fresh chives, chopped or snipped for garnish
Heat a soup pot over medium heat. Add oil. When oil is hot, add onion. Sauté onions 5 minutes. Add broth, tomatoes, black beans & pumpkin. Stir to combine ingredients & bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and stir in cream, curry cumin, cayenne and salt, to taste. Simmer 5 minutes, adjust seasonings and serve garnished with chopped chives.

God bless,

Maggie

DEEPLY DEVOTED IN BOOKSTORES & FREE KINDLE & NOOK DOWLOAD FOR NO PLACE FOR A LADY

2011-09-05T14:32:00.005-04:00

My first book in The Blue Willow Brides has been released! September 1st, Deeply Devoted landed in the bookstores and online. I'm already receiving reader feedback. One reader wroter:

"You employ some really descriptive and metaphoric language which I love.... My favorites are- He was "deliciously handsome", "stared into the dark liquid", "love was spilling over into her heart", "you wear the dirt well", "she hugged the secret to herself", "the filtered sunlight kising its bank and overhanging trees", and the outdoor smell kissed the laundry with a fresh fragrance all its own". These really stirred my senses.

I felt your intimacy with God weaved throughout the book. You really showed how the love between Peter and Cath was founded by their faith in God and his purpose for them and others in their lives and how love endured through the strength of their faith."

Another reader read until 1:30 in the morning to finish. This is what an author loves to hear. :)

I'll hope you'll pick up a copy at your favorite bookstore, Amazon or Christianbook.com. You'll find the links on the side-bar. No Place For a Lady is a free download right now on Kindle and Nook if you haven't read it. Click here: http://tiny.cc/bhzim or here http://tiny.cc/1nh98.

I plan to have a give a way soon connected with Blue Willow Dishes so stay tuned. I've been a little bit out of step lately after a bad fall, a broken bone in my foot, sprained ankle and badly sprained hand. I had more than 2 months of therapy eating up my time while I was completing book 2 in this series. To say I was a bit overwhelmed would be an understatement. Now you know why I've been behind on blogging, but I hope to get back on track.

Georgia is dealing with rain and tornado warnings today from the now tropical storm Lee. So it's been an unevental Labor Day. Hope you have sunshine and barbeque for Labor Day wherever you are. As for me--I have a big pot of Camillia Red Beans and Andouille sausage simmering. Mmm...good!

MAGGIE

ICRS in Atlanta

2011-07-13T17:34:00.005-04:00

Monday I was at the ICRS, Internatinal Christian Retailers Show in Atlanta. I went as a guest of Baker Publishing Group. I went with the manager of our church bookstore, The Bookmark. I had a great time seeing authors that I knew and meeting new ones. I was able to see my friends Tamera Alexander, Deborah Raney, Tricia Goyer, and Brandilyn Collins, and have enjoyed their novels. I met Melody Carlson and got a copy of her latest book to read. The line for Karen Kingbury was so long that I ducked out, but I was able to get a copy of her book. Actress Roma Downey was there also, but I waited too late to get in the line for her.

I was delighted to talk with Cecil Murphy at the Baker dinner, whom I met about 5 years ago. I so admire that man. His book, The God Who Pursues, is one of my absolute favorites that I read a long time ago, but he has written many books. I talked with Kevin Leman, another favorite of mine, who makes me laugh.

Another real highlight for me was meeting Gary Chapman and getting his autographed copy of how to really Love your Adult child. No, I haven't messed up the capatalization. Check it out for yourself. Gary is warm and friendly, and it was indeed an honor to meet him. I listen to him on the radio.

To my huge surprise, I was talking with Jim McBride, the author of Rite of Passage, a Father's Blessing, before he told me that he is an executive producer of the films released by Sherwood Pictures: Courageous, Fireproof, Facing the Giants, and Flywheel. He is the executive pastor of Sherwood Baptist Church in GA. I was so tickled to be talking with him.

I met my marketing gal from Revell and enjoyed seeing her face to face and so many of the others on staff at Baker. Beverly Lewis sat at annother table, but sadly, I didn't get a chance to talk with her. I was able to meet Suzanne Woods Fisher who writes Amish. It was fun meeting her since we'd talked online.

The gals who manned the ACFW booth were delightful, as usual. Ane Mulligan, Cynthia Rutchie, and Maragaret Daly were there when I went. Such wonderful ladies.

I've probably left someone out, of this post, so forgive me. Naturally, I came home with a sore shoulder from hauling books. :) But I'm not complaining. So many books, and not enough time.

I've just submitted book #2 in The Blue Willow Brides series today. Yeah for me! It won't be long and Deeply Devoted will be released around August 15th. I'm am so excited about this book.

More on that later. I hope your summer is going great. Right now, I'm looking for a little bit of down time before starting the final book in the series.

Happy Trails,

MAGGIE

Substitute Father

2011-06-18T18:58:00.007-04:00

I took the round about way home today after a physical therapy appointment to drive past our house we lived in before the present one. The house where neither of my children grew up in. Both were away at college at the time when we decided on a change, partly because my brother Gary and his family had moved to Marietta, and enjoyed the neighborhood they’d moved into.

I have fond memories of the white two-story house with dormer windows. The porch with sunshine spilling across the painted planks, seem to say, ‘pull up a rocker and sit a spell’. A beautiful magnolia tree a friend planted in memory of my sister, Gail, and a pink dogwood in memory of my mother, still stands gracefully in the front yard. I drove slowly alongside the backside to see the beautiful Pin Oak that I planted for Gail which was big and strong, filling me with hope, like she did. The huge back porch that ran the entire length of the house, had been my favorite retreat with its Southern wicker furniture, white swing, plants with blue and white accessories. Many ideas and dreams of mine were birthed on the back porch, and many a conversation with my brother, too.

I took my time leaving, filled with many good memories and a few not so good, but today I chose to dwell on the good ones. I recall hanging thick garland on the pristine white porch railing when it was always a bright cold November day. Many Christmas parties were given there, with Gary and his family. A favorite time was when my children would come home from college, each enjoying their private haven and delight me with their tales of dorm life and of course my son’s fat laundry bag! My aging mother would come to visit in the summer and fall, and Gary and I would share her visits. She loved the back porch and would spend time on it either ironing, or having coffee with us but usually napping. What a precious time that was.

I was so excited back then to be living only three miles from my brother and his family. Never in a million years did the two of us ever dream that would happen. So I then inched my way down the street to his old house in this unusual bittersweet mood. Many afternoons I’d go over to his house after he’d get home from work, and we'd have coffee while he waited on the ‘jewel’ in his eyes to arrive home from middle school, then high school, then later college. How the years have flown by now. We had many a meal at their house and they ours, and I cherish every single one, especially when he made gumbo or carmel pie! He spoke at my writer's class at church, and I was so proud to introduce him! Later Gary moved to Montana and not long after that, I lost him to a terrible virus, but more importantly, my sweet niece lost her dad and my sister-in-law her husband and best friend. I watched my niece grow into a lovely adult woman and my sister-in-law a widow. Such hard, hard times back then.

But I had lost a dear friend and a substitute father. I loved my real father, but he was never home for long, and my brother Gary had to shoulder the responsibility of becoming the head of the house when he was way too young for such a role. But handle it, he did! He worked long, hard hours while still in high school stocking shelves and unloading trucks at A & P Grocery to help pay the bills and put food on the table. Later, he worked his way through college during some tough financial struggles for all of us. All the while, he was being the best friend, brother and substitute father that he could, offering advice when needed and instruction, though he was only six years older than me. When he became a published author, I was so proud of him and so were my siblings, but especially my mother! He wrote seven westerns under the pen name of Jess McCreede, and was Deputy Superintendent at Glacier National Park in MT, the place where he felt most at home. He had a wonderful sense of humor, always making me laugh and we had fun talking about our writing. He was extremely intelligent, a friend to all, a quiet, soft-spoken man with gentle hands, whom almost no one had an unkind word to say.

So my tribute this Father’s Day is to my brother, Gary (Jess) or known to his peers as Jerry O’Neal, who was always there for me, in my corner, in my face, in my world, my mentor, my dearest friend, always encouraging, believing in me, lifting me up when I was down, and in my life as much as he could possibly could until his death. He wasn’t my only brother but he was the best one. Jess, I miss you still…

.

DEEPLY DEVOTED

2011-02-27T18:15:00.005-05:00

Isn't this the most beautiful book cover?? Deeply Devoted is now up on your favorite shopping sites for pre-order. I'm very proud of this book and hope you will enjoy reading it. It all started with a children's Blue Willow Tea set given to me by my brother and his wife many years ago when I was in grammar school. If you're wondering how that could be--I was the baby of 8 children and my oldest brother married when I was only 5 or 6.

My imagination took me many places as I played with my tea set, which sadly didn't make it through the years, but I truly treasured it. My brother and sister-in-law have since passed on as well, but they and the tea set live on in my heart. With my fascination of Blue and White, my dining room hutch displays a "grown up" set of Blue Willow, which is still my favorite among the sets of dishes I own. Don't you just love Blue Willow? It never goes out of style.

Here's a brief synopsis of Deeply Devoted:

A Blue Willow tea set, a tragic past, a worn letter, and devotion to her two younger sisters, is all that mail order bride Catharine Olsen brings from Amsterdam to Cheyenne, WY to meet her future husband. Peter is a gentle, but hard-working wheat farmer, who doesn't realize the extent his meddling mother will go to in order to discredit his bride after he decides not to marry the lady she chose for him. Will Catharine's secret past threaten the idyllic life she has created with her new husband?

Be on the lookout for a book give away and maybe something more in the near future!

Also, check out my publisher's site, (Revell) for more details. http://tinyurl.com/4lqyfcl.

I've been busy just living life as I'm sure you have, and I haven't lived up to my promises to blog more often. Besides writing, I was honored to endorse another book and a chunk of my time in February was spent in the dentist, endodonist and oral surgeon's chair and I had the virus that's been going around my state to add to my misery. But I'm trying to get back on track and with the purple leaf plums bursting out yesterday in all their pink finery, I'm looking forward to spring. How about you?

So what have you all been reading and how have you been spending your time? Drop me a note. I enjoy hearing from you.

MAGGIE

ROMANCING THE WEST

2011-01-18T15:21:00.006-05:00

Two things my brother and I had in common were writing novels and a great love of the West. Jess McCreede wrote seven wonderful westerns. This was his writing cabin in Montana on their "farmette" as he called it. It has been painted since this snowfall, but I love this picture. He was instrumental in where I am today. So honoring the West and him, I'm thrilled to let you know that my website is finally up and running. I wish he was still here to see it and brainstorm ideas with me. But somehow, I feel he already knows.

The slogan I came up with that fits my stories is "Romancing the West" because I write historicals which always have romance at the core while imparting a slice of history. So I hope you'll check out the site. http://www.maggiebrendan.com/. Let me know what you think. Since I love the Georgia dogwoods that I used for my blog, I told my designer that I needed to have the Rocky Mountains for the website. After a lot of templates and playing around with backgrounds and colors, (I hope I wasn't too hard to please), she came up with this beautiful banner and template.

I hope to keep it updated with whatever I'll be involved with that relates to my books for my readers. In March I will be able to share the goregous cover for my new book releasing in September, Deeply Devoted. Once again, Revell gave me what I asked for. It's beautiful! They are letting me keep my series title too-The Blue Willow Brides.

If you are interested in creating a website of any kind, I can highly recommend Tina Dee, the moderator for Bustles and Spurs. She's not only knowlegeable, but patient and understanding to give you the best of what you need. Her site in linked on my favorite blog lists on the right hand side toolbar called The Homestead Heart. Here's her link.
http://thehomesteadheart.blogspot.com/. You can contact her there or leave me a comment as well.

I survived the historic record breaking snowfall in Atlanta and just today the snow and ice is almost gone. New beginnings ahead as I launch into the year 2011 with a new series.

Happy Reading,

MAGGIE

INTERVIEW UP & CONTEST

2010-11-18T11:30:00.002-05:00

Just popping in to let you know that bestselling author, Kelly Long of Sarah's Garden interview me today. Post a comment to be entered for a copy of my book, A Love of Her Own, but you must go to Kelly's blog to post your comment. She will draw a winner after Thanksgiving. Here's the link.

http://kellylongbooks.blogspot.com/

Have a blessed Thanksgiving!

MAGGIE

I HAVE A WINNER!

2010-11-14T22:05:00.004-05:00

Thanks everyone for posting for a chance to win a copy of A Love of Her Own. Congratulations to Lauralee -- your name was drawn from the list of posters!! I'll get your book out to you this week. I enjoyed reading about what's going on in all of your heads.

I've just completed edits for the first book in my new series for 2011, and I'm excited to announce that Revell will be keeping the title for the first book, Deeply Devoted and the series title that I came up with, The Blue Willow Brides. It's a rare thing when the publishers keeps boths the title and series title an author comes up with originally. I'm writing the second book, and I hope they'll keep that title too.

Since I've been so hard at work the last couple of years, I'm taking some time off to go visit my daughter and grandkids for a week this Friday and will stay until for Thanksgiving. The kids are out of school, and my daughter will be free from teaching that week too so I'm looking forward to hanging out with them.

In case I don't get a moment to blog again I'm wishing all of you a wonderful Thanksgiving! We have soooo much to be grateful for, don't we?

Maggie

WHAT'S IN YOUR HEAD?

2010-11-04T13:24:00.008-04:00

Ever felt like your head might explode? With our new and ever changing technical capabilities in the work place, home and capacity to connect with anyone around the world, with just a push of a button on the keyboard, it can get a bit overwhelming. Everything is instant in the ever changing world around us. Fast foot, instant coffee, or downloading your favorite tunes in a nana-second, instantly prepared meals for the microwave, or you can hop in your car at a whim and dine out even though you may have just remodeled your outdated ‘80’s kitchen to a slick high-tech one with all the gadgets. We humans satisfy our sensual craving with comfortable clothes that have nice textures to touch or vibrant color, cosmetics, fragrances, a hot bubble bath, or delicious tasting food and great tasting wine. But I can tell you what’s not instant—constructing a novel clear out of your head! Just ask me. By the way, these are my antique collectable head vases since I’m talking about what goes into our head. A couple of the vases are not antique.

So instead of “what’s in your wallet”, like the Capital One commercial, I’ve been thinking about what’s in my head and maybe yours too. By the mere fact that I’m under contract, I have to separate in my head the “real” from fiction. Sometimes that’s not so easy to do because my characters seem very real to me. In my head, a novel is going at all times, along with calculating or listing all the things I must do—like laundry that never ends, pulling weeds, shopping for groceries, cleaning the dreaded bathrooms, paying the bills, listening to the news, a favorite TV program, writing my blog and my having quiet time. The list goes on an on. Everything and everyone competes for my attention. Maybe that’s why I like to think back on the days gone by before the big “Super Hi-way” of the internet when people took time to write you a real letter instead of an email, took a meal to a sick friend, or lent a hand to help someone with a difficult task.

Here’s one my favorites thing to do to get me away from everything. Silence. Just pure and simple. No talking, no TV, no music, just pure unadulterated silence. That’s when I can go deep within myself to get to know me better or hear the voice of God. Why? Because you have to be still and listen in order to have that benefit. It does come with a premium. You have to shut out everything else which can make you appear selfish, but until you do it on a regular basis, you might even feel you’re wasting time when you could be doing all the other things I mentioned previously. No worrying about the high cost of living, your children’s home work or attitude, taxes, health care, money, or the newest political move by the government should enter into your quiet time. Just be. Just feel. Just listen.

I read a great quote somewhere by Alice Walker, “writer’s know how to perfect the art of doing nothing so beautifully”. I happen to agree with her sentiments because I’m so good at doing exactly that.

Here’s a few fun things that I do so beautifully….

I piddle around the house when I take a break, visit my local bookstore, lunch with a good friend, seeing a good movie, walking in the woods or a park, or taking a long walk. I love smelling coffee brewing while I read a devotional or a good book to submerse myself in, or treating myself to have my nails done. I enjoy attending choir and learning the beautiful music that lifts my spirits, cooking my favorite Southern comfort foods, taking a fast nap in my recliner on Sunday afternoon, and of course, spending time with my grandchildren at is always at the top of my list. They keep me young! But bottom line is—I have to have quiet time alone. It’s good for the psyche and renews my soul. I always come away refreshed and I can hear God’s voice better, without all the constant distractions. Why don’t you put aside all the gadgets that vie for your constant attention, the cell phones, the I-Pads, and TV just for a short while, or better yet take a two day fast. No catastrophe will happen if you do. I’ll bet you’ll get more things done in the process. What you put in your head on a daily basis is what comes out. Be conscious of filling it with “good stuff” and the world is a brighter place.

So to that end, what’s in your head? How do you fill it with “good stuff”? Let me know and I’ll enter your name in a drawing for a copy of my latest book, A Love of Her Own. Maybe you’d like to give it as a Christmas gift or birthday. Just write me one or two BRIEF things that are floating around in YOUR head in the comment section. Then check back here Sunday night for the winner’s name.

I can’t wait to read your responses.

P.S. I haven’t forgotten about posting about my favorite books I’ve read, but I’ve just finished a deadline for book #4 last week, but that post is coming soon--If the emails, editorial comments, marketing, phone calls, chapters to write.....I'm sure you get it.
MAGGIE

Winner of Sarah's Garden

2010-09-04T11:30:00.002-04:00

Congratulations to Debbie!! Your name was drawn as a winner for Kelly's books. I want to thank all of you for posting comments, and I hope you'll pick up a copy of Sarah's Garden at your local Christian book store, Amazon or your favorite bookstore. Trust me, you won't be disappointed. :)

Blessings for a safe and happy Labor Day weekend!

MAGGIE

Kelly Long-Radio Interview today.

2010-09-02T14:02:00.002-04:00

I'm posting this for Kelly in conjuction with another book give-away today. It's a live radio interview. You can find out more about my dear friend. Check it out for more chance to win.

Hi Sweeet Ladies! Please join me, Kelly Long, from 4-5 central time this evening as I'm the guest of Amish Wisdom and Suzanne Woods Fisher. I'll be giving away more books and I'd love for you to listen! Here's the link. http://tinyurl.com/27csmno

Kelly

SARAH'S GARDEN-INTERVIEW WITH KELLY LONG--FREE BOOKS!

2010-08-26T17:35:00.005-04:00

I’m so excited to introduce you to my best friend and writing partner, Kelly Long, who writes Amish Romance. Kelly’s books are flying off the shelves, but that’s no surprise to me. Here's the blurb from Sarah's Garden.

When Sarah realizes that she has fallen in love with an Englisch doctor, she must choose between loving a man and losing her family.

Deep in the heart of Pennsylvania's Allegheny Mountains, shy Sarah King is happiest when working in her vibrant Amish kitchen garden, but new family responsibilities lead her into the confusing world of the Englisch.

Sarah finds her life turned around when she encounters the community's new Englisch veterinarian, Grant Williams. His blue-gold eyes and his obvious concern for her people attract her immediately. Sarah seeks solace and direction from the Lord as she creates a quilt pattern which details her struggle between two worlds.

The Lord is guiding Sarah to follow His will, but will she listen?

Kelly Long is the author of Sarah’s Garden, the first in the Patch of Heaven Series, Lilly’s Wedding Quilt, Christmas Cradles from the Expanded Edition of An Amish Christmas and A Marriage of the Heart from An Amish Love. She focuses Amish fiction to represent the Amish culture of North Central Pennsylvania and the Allegheny Mountains, where she was born and raised. She previously taught both English and Latin at the high school level and holds degrees from both Penn State University and The University of New Hampshire.

***Kelly will give away autographed copies of both Sarah’s Garden and Christmas in Lancaster County The Expanded Edition*** when you post a comment to my blog. Check back next Friday evening for the drawing.

Kelly, tell us a little about your book.

Sarah’s Garden is about the transforming power of God’s love and the renewing potential He creates in our lives, as exhibited by the Amish in both their kitchen gardens and quilting patterns.

Why do you think Amish novels are so popular right now?

I truly believe that this is the emergence of a new literary subgenre, not just the hottest thing. What Stephen Crane did for the Western in A Bride Comes to Yellow Sky and Poe did for horror, writers like Beverly Lewis are doing to build the foundations of an enduring expansion in literature.

Where do you get your inspirations?

Childhood memories mostly or from overheard snippets of random conversations, but most especially from God. He is the True Artist, the Author and Finisher…

What is your favorite aspect of the writing process?

The stirrings of the initial ideas for a story…that aha moment when you can begin. Otherwise, writing is very hard work.

Who influenced your writing the most, besides God?

My sixth grade teacher, Bob Dwyer, from Lock Haven, Penn. (Still teaching—go Mr. Dwyer!) He taught about writing as process not muse driven moments of emotion.

What are you reading in your spare time?

Uhh…let’s see…The Bible on a daily basis, An Alchemy of Genres, Save the Cat, and The Moral Premise…

If you could live anywhere on earth, where would that be?

Far, far, far away…just AWAY…from the daily stresses of life.

If you could meet one famous person still alive today, who would that be?

That’s a tough one. I’d like to meet a lot of dead people…I suppose I’d like to meet a child who will someday change the world for the better. (But that could be any child---so…)

What do you like to do for fun when you’re not writing?

Sleep. It’s vastly fun to dream and escape.

What gift did you receive that you will always treasure?

Eternal life.

What’s your favorite Bible verse?

It always changes…Right now, I’m loving the verses that make up the encounter between David and Goliath and remembering that the true giant in the story is God.

When new projects are you working on now and when will your next book release?

I’m finishing edits on Lilly’s Wedding Quilt and beginning a novella for a collection with Beth Wiseman and Kathy Fuller called An Amish Wedding. An Amish Love releases in late December.

Where can readers connect with you?

Kelly Long Fans at Facebook…Amishromance at Twitter…www.kellylongbooks.com (still under construction) and at Author Central on Amazon, and at AmishLiving.com. I love to hear from readers!

Thanks, Kelly for taking the time to be interviewed for my readers as well as yours. It was fun to pick your brain aside from our normal brainstorming time together. You can check out all of Kelly's books at Christianbook.com or Amazon. Don't forget to post a comment for the drawing next week for your chance to win.

Until we meet again,

WINNER OF A LOVE OF HER OWN!

2010-08-22T20:15:00.006-04:00

Congratulations! E.J., you're the winner of an autographed copy of my new book! I want to thank all of you for entering, but don't give up--there's always another contest just around the corner. :)

I've enjoyed reading the posts of where you've been this summer and what you've been up to. Now let's look forward to fall and cooler weather--at least I am after the miserable Atlanta heat. I believe it surpassed all the other years we had on record.

I'll be doing something new very soon that I normally don't do on my blog, but I'm making an exception. I'll interview my writing partner and best friend, Kelly Long. Kelly's new book, Sarah's Garden, is out and it's a fabulous hit with readers! I was the first to read and critique it as she wrote it while we brainstormed together. It's a wonderful Amish love story and if you're a fan of that genre, then you'll want to read it! I'll see if she'll give away a copy when you post to her interview.

E.J., send me your email addy and I'll get my book out to you. Thank you all again for entering.

I'll catch up with you later... down on the trail...

Maggie

REMINDER-ONE MORE CHANCE TO WIN!

2010-08-18T10:18:00.003-04:00

I thought I'd give y'all one more chance to win an autographed copy of A Love of Her Own. A week ago I blogged that I was still alive and gave an little update on what I've been up to this summer. At the bottom of that post, I asked if you wanted to share what you've been up to this summer and make a comment to be entered on Aug. 22nd for a copy of my book.

To date, I only have two comments back to me. There's still time to enter. If you've already read the book, maybe you'd like a copy for a gift. I'll draw a name Sunday night on the 22nd. Check back here to see if you've won.

For your enjoyment, here's picture of butterflies feeding on a trailing hydrangea hanging across the fence in my back yard. Aren't they pretty? When I snapped the picture, I was trying to get a blue and black butterfly that was in the middle of these two, but he flittered off. Most of my potted flowers are looking scraggly in the high heat we've experienced for two months, but my neighbor's tall bush, right outside my office window, is giving me delight each day.

My first book, No Place for a Lady, is a Crossings Book Club feature for their summer and August catalog. I'm so happy people are enjoying that first book!

What new delight is going on in your world? I'd love to hear from you.

Until later,

Maggie

A SLICE OF WYOMING HISTORY

2010-08-10T10:59:00.003-04:00

Wyoming holds a special in my heart with its beauty of the Tetons. I want to go back again someday soon to visit. But if you're interested in a piece of history, check out my post on Bustles and Spurs today. Here's the link:
www.BustlesAndSpurs.com.

Maggie

WHERE YA BEEN?

2010-08-07T22:00:00.006-04:00

I'm still alive! I could tell you that I was on a Caribbean cruise or at 5 star resorts in the Colorado Mountains, or teaching at a writer’s conference, but the truth is I’ve been holed up (not ‘hold’as in cowboy slang), in my office during the hot, humid, Atlanta weather with soaring temps hovering in the 100’s. Not very romantic, even for a romance writer.

I did meet my deadline in July for Deeply Devoted, book one in my next series. Woo Hoo! I know my agent read it in one sitting and said she loved it. Now I want to hear the same from my editor, which should be any day now. I worked really hard on it. I hope they keep the title.

Maybe you’ve noticed that I’ve been playing around the last month with my blog. I hope you like the new look. The dogwood is one of my favorite flowers and oh so Southern like me. There’s a legend about the dogwood that it was the tree the cross that they crucified Christ on was made from. I’ve blogged about it before. I’m also working on a website with help, of course, and hope to have it up and running in the near future.

I’ve read a bunch of books the last few months in between writing and still have a humongous stack that keeps growing. I’ll comment about my thoughts later on about those.

I’ve been brainstorming with my writing bud, Kelly, regularly and somehow we balance each other’s insanity! Only other writers can understand what I mean. I’m planning on interviewing her as soon as her deadline has been met.

I bought a new camera…much like what I already had, but still haven’t taken the time to read the manual. My other one just up and died. But I needed something easy for my blogging, and taking quick shots, though I’d like to have a camera like my daughter has. Then I’d be forced to learn how to use the settings. By the way, Sheri has a real talent for taking excellent and unusual pictures. A mom can brag!

The Women’s Ministry at my church, Johnson Ferry, has chosen my first book, No Place for a Lady, for their Chick-Lit book club for January! I am so thrilled about that! A Love of Her Own ranks #16 for the Kindle in Christian Romance on Amazon and #25 under bestseller books presently. In overall Christian Fiction, it ranks #23 on Kindle and #40 in books. Of course, that number changes regularly, but I’ve been holding a top spot, so I’m pleased as punch!

I’ve been researching for second book in the new series, the last couple of days, trying to get my thoughts together about the plot, etc. I want to get underway with that book next week.

We had our Sanctuary Choir at church fall kickoff again, and I like things to get back to our normal schedule. Guess I like continuity. We have a refurbished and enlarged choir loft but it’s still too small. But that’s always a good thing.

This summer also had its rough times because that’s just part of the life experience. Some were very trying days for me. One in July was the loss of our son-in-law’s father, a Viet Nam war hero, a dear friend to us as well. My niece is battling breast cancer, and my sister who has MS is hopeful about a new drug that she hopes to be able start soon. But like the butterflies flying around outside my office window, I know that God cares about every tear, every heartache, every struggle, and every joy that we experience. It’s part of His plan but don’t ask me to explain it. Only He knows.

I’d love to hear from you—what things have been happening in your life? It’s always uplifting to bear each other’s burdens because it takes your mind off your own troubles. I’ll draw a name on Aug. 22nd for a free autographed copy of my new book when you post a comment.

Hope I haven’t rambled on too much, but after all…I am a writer.

Until next time,

Maggie

SATURDAY AT BORDERS

2010-06-28T16:12:00.012-04:00

I had an enjoyable afternoon book signing my new book, A Love of Her Own, at Borders on Saturday. John Alford, the manager is always helpful and friendly to me. I really meant to get a picture of him this time and somehow forgot once I got busy. Next John!

The lady in the green top is my best friend and crique partner, Kelly Long who was at Borders working on her deadline for her Amish novel. The woman in the light blue is Patty Hall, another writer who enjoys reading my books and a member of the ACFW, too. The picture of me with the lady in the white jacket is my dear, sweet friend, Jeanette Delaney, a fan of my The Heart of the West series. She works at the hair salon where I go to get prettied up. Jeanette is delightful and the epitome of a true southern lady with grace and charm. She was a evacuee from New Orleans after the Katrina hurricane. Soft spoken and lovely, I told her that I pray I can only look near as good as she does when I'm 80!

It's so much fun talking to shoppers at the bookstore, but especially when young children want to know about my books, and of course, I love have a Seattle's Best Mocha! Speaking of coffee, it's time for a cup or two then to get back to writing.

Until next time,

BOOK SIGNING AT BORDERS

2010-06-25T17:35:00.002-04:00

Hi friends. I'm stepping away from my deadline for a while to book sign at Borders this Saturday for my new book, A Love of Her Own, at E. Cobb at the Avenues on Roswell Road. If you're anywhere near the area, I hope you'll drop by. I'm getting great feedback on this book, and while it makes me proud that reader's enjoy it, it pushes me to strive to meet their expectations in the new book. I don't want to disappoint them.

This has been a busy summer for me, not to mention writing the ending for Deeply Devoted. I'm already calling this episode of time "the long hot summer", and we haven't even made it to July yet! The Atlanta heat has been awful. Right before I left for the Southern Baptist Convention, our A/C backed up and ruined part of the guest bathroom ceiling. Needless to say, upstairs was hot for nearly a week before it got repaired since I was in Orlando--Orlando was even hotter! Ceiling still hasn't been repaired. Once I submit my new book, I'm hoping to take a nice break before edits come back to me, and I have to start writing book two of this new series. I surely need it. I haven't even seen our neighborhood pool this summer, and it opened at the end of May. :(

I know I've been promising that I will take time to eventually share a few of my favorites books with you that I've read over the last few months, and I will...when times allows between interviews, writing, etc. There's so many goodreads out there. I have to read in snatches while I'm writing, but I usually have two or three books in the hopper all the time. One book in particular I will be talking about is my critique buddy's new book relasing in July, so check back. I'm so excited for her. Info to follow about that soon, so I'll keep you in suspense.

Back again soon...
MAGGIE

LIFEWAY SBC BOOK SIGNING

2010-06-16T15:48:00.017-04:00

I've returned from my trip to Orlando and wanted to
share some pictures with you from my LifeWay signing at the Southern Baptist Convention. I booksigned with Eva Marie Everson and Dan Walsh. I've read Eva's books and looking forward to reading Dan's now. Later we had lunch together and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know them better. Elaine Helms, prayer minister for NAMB stopped by to say hello. She's had one book on prayer published and working on another one. Way to go Elaine! She was Johnson Ferry's prayer minister for years before accepting the position at NAMB.

My pastor, Bryant Wright, was elected President of the SBC. I'm so happy for him. They couldn't have chosen a finer person for the job. Johnson Ferry Baptist Church is mighty proud of our pastor. Guess we'll be sharing our time between him and the rest of the world now.

It was an enjoyable time despite the horrible temperature and heat index. Thanks LifeWay for inviting me!

I've had trouble posting these pictures and can't get blogger to take out the spaces in between for some reason, so if it looks a little wacky, I apologize. Did you notice I changed the template? I've spent way too much time doing that. It'd help if I had an expert teach me, wouldn't it? I do the best I can to learn, but prefer writing to trying to figure out how blogger works.

Now back to my world of 1877...

Maggie

My 1st CBA Bestseller!!

2010-06-10T17:02:00.004-04:00

My heart is pumping wildly with excitement! My editor just informed me that The Jewel of His Heart is #19 on the CBA bestseller list for July as published in CBA Christian Retailers and Resources! It's incredible to be listed there with many of my favorite authors. Wow! this brings tears of joy to my eyes.

As an author you're always concerned about making each book better than the previous one. As I'm nearing the deadline for Deeply Devoted, my prayer everyday is to not only entertain readers, but encourage them with whatever life throws their way. One thing I'm learning in my walk is that I'm not in control of all that befalls me. It's how I react to it more than anything. Hurts, grief in many forms, illnesses, etc. happen to all of us. But we can choose to face every situation knowing that God has got our back and will see us through even in the lowest point. I choose to take it one day at the time, and that's life. It's all I can do. What about you?

Here's a partial list of of the top 20. I've been priviledge to have met Tracie Peterson and Cecil Murphy. Notice my publisher, Baker has 7 of the top 20 on the list!

#18 The Telling – Beverly Lewis

Fiction (BPG Has 7 of the top 20 titles this month)

#3 The Telling – Beverly Lewis

#10 Maid to Match – Deanne Gist

#13 The Silent Governess – Julie Klassen

#14 No Distance Too Far – Lauraine Snelling

#16 Dawn’s Prelude – Tracie Peterson

#19 The Jewel of His Heart – Maggie Brendan

#20 In Harm’s Way – Irene Hannon

Inspirational

#20 90 Minutes – Don Piper

Christian Living

#21 His Princess Bride – Sheri Rose Shepherd

#25 Have a New Kid – Kevin Leman

Young Adult

#4 God Girl – Hayley DiMarco

#9 Frenemies – Hayley DiMarco

#10 God Guy – Michael DiMarco

Until next time,
Maggie

FREE KINDLE DOWNLOAD-NO PLACE FOR A LADY

2010-06-07T09:33:00.003-04:00

If you own a Kindle, now's your chance to get a free download of No Place for a Lady if you haven't had a chance to read it. This is the first book in my Heart of the West series. The offer runs starting today until July 4th. Here's the link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/digital-text/ref=pd_dp_ts_kinc_1 The title held the #1 spot for 24 hours! I'm at #2 now. This is thrilling, but it does change every hour.

I'm also featured on Authorbuzz today with the release of my new book, A Love of Her Own. To read more about the book click here:
http://www.authorbuzz.com/dearreader/brendan.shtml.

This is a great start to the week for me and I hope for you too.

Happy Reading,
Maggie

INTERVIEW AND CHANCE TO WIN MY NEW BOOK

2010-06-06T09:50:00.003-04:00

I have an interview posted by Lena Dooley today on her blog. Check it out and leave us comment for a chance to win a your copy of A Love of Her Own. Then check back on her blog a week from Saturday when she will announce a winner.

Remember to post the your comment to her blog not mine. Here's Lena link.
http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com/.

Thanks Lena for hosting me today!

Until next time,
MAGGIE

RELEASED TODAY-A LOVE OF HER OWN!

2010-06-01T10:50:00.003-04:00

Woo Hoo! I've been waiting for today. The final book in my Heart of the West series released today and I'm absolutely thrilled with the cover. Here's what others are saying.

Praise for Maggie Brendan

"Brendan's gentle style of prairie romance is reminiscent of Janette Oke, capturing the heart of the old West with romance that will make you sigh."
— Julie Lessman, author of the Daughters of Boston series

"Brendan blends colorful characters, lively dialogue, and intriguing historical details."
— Amanda Cabot, author of Paper Roses andScattered Petals

"Maggie Brendan is adept at weaving a sweet love story."
—Tamera Alexander, author of Beyond This Moment

I hope you'll pick up your copy soon. On the left hand side-bar is a list where you can purchase the book. Drop me a comment after you read it. I'm always interested in what my readers have to say. :)

Happy Trails,
Maggie

LIFEWAY AT SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION

2010-05-26T15:41:00.004-04:00

I'm honored to be asked to sign my books for LifeWay at the Southern Baptist Convention in Orlando! I'll be there on June 14th at 11 am. I saw on the website LifeWay has a 10,000 square foot store! Wow! I hope people can find me amid the vast array of books! This convention is not open to the public. Pastors and delgates from many states will convene there for their annual meeting. http://www.sbcannualmeeting.net/sbc10/default.asp.

Our wonderful pastor, Bryant Wright, is one of the nominees for the presidency. I sure hope he's elected, but then I guess I'm partial. Bryant is a true follower of Christ and Johnson Ferry supports his decision to be nominated. You can check him out at http://www.jfbc.org/. I worked for Bryant some years ago compiling his 10 years worth of sermons into a booklet for quick reference. I was priviledged to work in the Worship and Music office but actually worked under Right From the Heart, Bryant's radio ministry, http://www.rfth.org/. I assisted in the filming of his TV spots and filling orders for his sermons. What a blast! I also headed up a prayer team for two his RFTH Gala fundraisers. It was a special time in my life that I believed God called me to for a season.

God continues to bless me tremendously. Once I asked Bryant to pray for my sister who has MS and he stopped right on the spot to pray with me. I talked about God's incredible love for me and I told him I'll never truly understand it and he agreed that we really can't. We just need to accept it a gift. I hope you've accepted that gift-if not don't let anonther day go by without discovering how you can.

Until later,

Maggie

CHARACTER SPOTLIGHT FOR A LOVE OF HER OWN

2010-05-23T19:13:00.003-04:00

Want to know more about Wes Owen and April McBride? Pull on your boots and head on over to Relz Reviewz for insight into their characters. I always have fun doing these and Rel found some good pictures to post. I'll return later with good news to share. Here's the link.

http://www.relzreviewz.blogspot.com/.

Thanks for stopping by,
Maggie

HAIR TEARING 101...OR THE STRESS OF PUBLISHING PROCESS

2010-05-21T08:36:00.003-04:00

Want to know the real in's and out's of the publishing processs? My friends over at Seekerville are hosting me today. If you're a unpublished writer, or published, or just curious about the entire process of the publishing world, check it out.
http://seekerville.blogspot.com/2010/05/hair-tearing-101-or-stress-of.html.

Post a comment for a chance to win my new book, A Love of Her Own. See you over at Seekerville. :)

MAGGIE

Today at LifeWay in Buford, GA

2010-05-15T21:11:00.004-04:00

What a wonderful time I had today at the LifeWay store in Buford, GA! I met new readers and had fun getting to know new ones. Nora St. Laurent, the bookclub manger, was her usual gracious and cheerful self there to greet me for their Fiction Event Day.

There were great bargains of fiction titles today. Good thing I was too busy to buy any more books to read. However, I did come away with another Bible. No surprised there.

Here's a few pictures of the event. Thanks LifeWay for inviting me to represent fiction for your store today. I had a great time! :) Nora is the one in Burgandy shirt with me at the bottom.

Next week, I would like to try to carve out some time to post covers of some good books I've read recently.

Until then,
Maggie

LIFEWAY NAT'L FICTION EVENT DAY IN BUFORD, GA

2010-05-12T16:12:00.003-04:00

This Saturday, May 15th, I'll be signing my books at the LifeWay store in Buford by the Mall of GA for their Annual Fiction Event Day. I'll be at their store from 11-1pm. I hope you'll drop by.

My books are in the new LifeWay catalog out now. Click on the link, then go to page 6 for A Love of Her Own. My second book, The Jewel of His Heart is on the back at a bargain right now.

http://www.lifewaystores.com/lwstore/catalog_view.asp?catalog=may10-fiction.

These events are always fun because not only is the staff a group of great folks, but I get to meet new fans and interact with them. The hardest thing for me is being surrounded by a mass of books that I'd like to purchase, and other gifts too! Last time I was there, I signed with Julie Lessman and we had a blast. She's a great writer and preious friend.

So check out the catalog and mark the books you want to buy (mine too) and print out the coupon. I'll be looking for you. :)

Maggie

IT'S ALL ABOUT LOVE

2010-05-10T10:21:00.003-04:00

It's all about love, isn't it? If you hurry on over to http://www.bustlesandspurs.com/ for the next couple of days, I'm giving away a copy of my latest book when it becomes available at the end of May. Just post me a comment and I'll have the moderator draw a winer.

My Mother's day was very special because it's been quite a few years since my daughter and family have been here on Mother's Day and for once my pharmacist son was able to swap his Saturday shift with another person. It's was a great day to be together, but beyond the gifts, their cards with their own personal comments written inside meant more to me than anything else. I'll treasure them always just as they're a treasure to me. I consider my children and granchildren a sweet blessing from God.

I hope if you're a mother, adoptive mother or expecting, that your day was a sweet one too! So go make a comment for your chance to win.

Maggie

WIN A COPY OF A LOVE OF HER OWN

2010-05-03T12:48:00.010-04:00

Like to win a copy of my new book releasing in June? It's easy following this link to Goodreads and enter to win. http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/3758-a-love-of-her-own-a-novel.

Five copies will be given away. You may be the winner! Not only did Revell create a beautiful cover depicting April McBride, I believe you will love her story and heart change when she travels to Montana's Big Sky country.

Now back to my regularly scheduled program-writing and competing Deeply Devoted, the first book in the new series.

Stay dry, if you can. You won't find any dust in Atlanta these days! :)

Maggie

SPRINGTIME PLEASURES

2010-04-27T11:16:00.005-04:00

Springtime in the south is always spectalular but Georgia puts on a beautiful, irrestible show. I couldn't resist this picture of the cherry trees at the entrance to our neighborhood against the back drop of balmy blue skies. The cherry trees were in bloom a couple of weeks ago but I'm just now copying them onto my computer. I enjoyed walking through our neighborhood watching each day as the tiny green leaves unfold then become broad leaves giving shade for the long hot summer days. I have to schedule time to walk since my deadline for the first book in the new series looms and I'm at the keyboard most days. But being outside with nature always starts creative juices flowing in my head.

I'm pretty excited about the release of A Love of Her Own at the end of May! I hope you'll get a copy for your springtime reading and catch the ride of April McBride and her adventureous visit to Montana. I have an Author Spotlight up on RT Reviews today which will give you a little insight into the theme behind the story. Here's the link: http://www.rtbookreviews.com/content/authors-spotlight. I'll be setting up booksignings soon and my first one is May 15th at the LifeWay store in Buford, GA. I hope to see you there. Until later, Maggie

LOVELY CHERRY TREES

MY CALA LILIES

PATIO VARIETY

MY AZALEAS

CHERRY BLOSSOMS

WIN A COPY OF MY BOOK

2010-03-15T11:39:00.003-04:00

I'm giving away a copy of my book this week when you leave a comment on an interview that I did for The Borrowed Book. Here's the link http://theborrowedbook.blogspot.com/. It's nice to be asked to be interviewed and sometimes some of the questions appear to be the same, but they're not. I hope you'll stop by for a chance to win a copy of The Jewel of His Heart, if you don't have a copy.

Presently, I'm working on the first book, Deeply Devoted, in my new series and taking time to read other good books along the way. I'm honored to have the opportunity to read and endorse Julie Lessman's new book, A Hope Undaunted, coming out soon. It's delicious and I'm a big fan of her books. If you have never read one of Julie's books, you need to get her Daughters of Boston Series! They sizzzzzle. :)

I hope to get a chance this week to post about a couple of other books that I've endorsed and are on the booksheleves now. All good wonderful historicals.

Now I need to step back into the world of 1887 in Wyoming today, but it's hard to wrap my head around it after a fabulous Michael Buble concert last night, a gift from my son-in-law, but I'll do my best.

Good luck with the book giveaway, and don't forget to post to The Borrowed Book blog and not mine to be entered in the contest.

Happy Trails,
Maggie

ON CHRISTIAN BOOK. COM AS AN AUTHOR

2010-03-09T21:34:00.002-05:00

I am so happy tonight! My author page and interiew is now up on Christianbook.com. This is a dream come true for me. To tell you honestly, I never knew it was a possiblity. I think God had bigger and better plans for me than I did. :)

With the 3rd book in the Heart of the West series coming out at the end of May, I have even more to celebrate. Without getting too personal, I've travelled a difficult personal walk the last few months so I needed some good news. God continues to bless.

If you're interested in reading the interview, click here. http://www.christianbook.com/fiction.

I'll be doing LifeWay National Fiction Event Day in May at their store next to the Mall of GA in Buford. I can hardly wait. The folks there are wonderful and so are my fans.

I'm working hard on the first book on the next series, The Blue Willow Brides but taking time to research and craft my scenes and characters that I hope you'll come to love.

I pray your winter hasn't been a hard one---spring will be here soon. I've been seeing Bluebirds poking in the Bluebird box on my fence outside my office window, looking for their home and that's a definite sign of spring:)

Until next time,
Maggie.

GUEST BLOGGING

2010-02-19T13:39:00.009-05:00

Brrr...Baby's it's cold outside!

Atlanta's snow storm last week was incredibly beautiful. Look at our gazebo in the neighborhood covered with snow. So pretty! Hard to believe that I normally stop here on my walk and listen to the gurgle of the creek behind it. Of course, now it's melted and a little bit warmer, which tells me spring is not far off because I've spotted bluebirds in our back yard.

While I've been working on my new series this week, I've taken a break to guest blog for Petticoats And Pistols. I'm tickled that they asked me to guest blog and my post will be up on Saturday. Hope you will check it out here: http://www.petticoatsandpistols.com/ tomorrow.

Now back to my regular schedule, that includes hot coffee to chase the chill away and back to see what my characters in the "other" world of Blue Willow Brides are up too. :)

Stay warm...

Maggie

Winner of No Place for a Lady

2010-02-15T07:50:00.003-05:00

Congratulations to Trinity Rose who won the Valentine giveaway for a copy of No Place for a Lady! I hope you'll enjoy the book and post me a comment after you've read it.

I appreciate everyone's participation and for sharing your favorite valentine card memory. I hope your Valentine's Day was wonderful. I received a dozen beautiful red roses from my husband and nice dinner out. My day was especially sweet with a surprise visit for a few hours from my daughter, Sheri and family from Augusta. She gave me an adorable moose statute with a sweet smile on his face. After seeing them in the Grand Tetons this past September, I'm enamoured by those beautiful creatures. By the way, for Christmas she gave me a silver moose bead for my Chamilia bracelet. She really knows how to get to my heart.

Isn't he cute?

Have a wonderful week. Until later,

Maggie

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

2010-02-10T12:37:00.003-05:00

It'll be here on Sunday--Valentine's Day! As a child, I loved how we covered shoe boxes with crepe paper and glued hearts, etc. on it to hold the valentines we hoped to get at school. Remember those times?

In honor of the most romantic day of the year, I'm giving away a copy of No Place for a Lady over at Bustles and Spurs today.

Some of you have written me saying you've read book 2 and would like to read the first one. Well, here's your chance. Go to www.bustlesandspurs.com and tell me what was your favorite valentine card that you can remember.
You can read my answer there. On Monday, I'll draw a winner.

Good luck and have a Happy Valentine's Day!!

Maggie

Who Dat?

2010-02-07T19:19:00.006-05:00

Yes, I'm happy The Saints are in the Superbowl and I'm cheering for them!! I'm not a huge football person but I like to stay abreast of a few teams, especially the Broncos and LSU. So I have one eye on the TV that I can see through my French Doors and my hand on the dashboard of Blogger.

The reason that I wanted to blog tonight was that want to tell you about a wonderful autobiography that I read last week while recoupering from surgery. I met this wonderful lady when she friended me on facebook. Long story short, she sent me a copy of her book to read and I could not put it down! Damaged Goods is a true story of Charlotte Hunt's abusive childhood. It's an incredibly raw look at sexual abuse and the power of God to overcome the worst betrayal in one's life. Well educated, Charlotte is a gifted writer as she bares her soul in this indept look at her past and her present. She's a sucessful national motivational speaker and speaks to diverse audiences in overcoming childhood trauma, women's issues, and is a favorite lecturer for district attorney offices, educators, addiction treatment programs and children advocacy centers.

She is active in vocal and jazz studies and has done radio programs, PBS specials, commercials and an international runway model. I told her that she is a much more beautiful version of Michelle O'Bama for certain.

I hope you check out her website and perhaps read her book if you know of somewith with childhood trauma or abuse, or if you were a victim. Maybe you'd just like to understand this terrible covered up shame that ocurrs every day around the world. Her story will uplift you even in the darkest moments of her scarred life because she gives HOPE and points us the Christ who always loves us, pours out His grace and who was always there with his arms open wide waiting on us to run to Him to triumph over one of life's greatest tragedies. Her friendship is what I call one of those "God Winks"!

You can check out her website:

http://www.charlottehunt.net/

Back to the Superbowl and half-time

Maggie

Great News For Me!

2010-01-17T21:10:00.010-05:00

Friday, I discovered that my book, No Place for a Lady was voted as one of the Best of 2009 books for Crossings Book Club! The Jewel of His Heart was listed as one of the Best of 2009 on Christian Book Distributors and has only been out since October. Needless to say that's a wonderful thing for me and I was excited to see some of my writer friends on the list as well. Tracie Peterson and Tamera Alexander are both favorite authors of mine and I've met them both. Having Tamera endorse The Jewel of His Heart was truly a shining moment for me.

But I also have to thank my readers who have purchased and enjoyed reading my two books. I receive letters and emails stating they can't wait for A Love of Her Own to be released. I have friends and people at church tell me the same thing. You can't possibly know how encouraged I am by that, especially as I write a new novel for another series. I'm always wanting to keep getting better! :)

I wanted to let those of you who read my blog and live in the Marietta area know that a friend of mine, Eva Marie Everson, will be book signing at Sweet Spirit Christian Bookstore between 2-5. Eva grew up in South Georgia but lives in Florida now. She has written a slew of books and her newest release by Revell is Things Left Unspoken. I have a copy of her book, Reflections of God's Holy Land and you can bet I'll be taking it to have her autograph it for me. Later, she will be speaking at North Metro Church on Barrett Pkwy at 6 pm.

Her website is below if you'd like to read about Eva and all her books. When I led a critique group for six years, Eva quoted me in her book, Word Weavers, a book on sucessful critique groups, co-authored with Janice Elsheimer. http://www.evamarieeverson.com/

Until later, Maggie

MY Thoughts For Today

2010-01-14T11:59:00.004-05:00

I received permission to post this from Right From The Heart, my pastor, Bryant Wright's radio ministry, back in December, but with Christmas and finishing galleys, I didn't get around to posting it. I used to work for Right From The Heart, and was a prayer minister for two of it's fundraisers and considered it a great priviledge to be able to do so. One of my heart's passion besides writing, is that others may come to know Christ--not for me to feel good--but because God loves each one of us and wants us to know Him. In view of the terrible tragedy in Haiti, today seem to be the right time to post it. It appears to be so hopeless a situation, but I know with God all things are possible. Pray for them and send a donation to the Red Cross.

There are people I love who have not put their hope and faith is Christ, but will easily trust and rely on the unthinkable. Here's Bryant message that I wanted to share and by the way he is currently writing a book on the history of the conflict in the Middle East. Once I know when it will be released, I'll let you know.

The Evidence of Things Not Seen Dec 11 2009
"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." - Hebrews 11:1
We pride ourselves in being logical creatures who demand proof before believing most things. Yet, a professor can tell us that there 100 trillion stars in the sky, and we accept it without question. We accept as absolute fact that an atom has neutrons and electrons spinning around a nucleus, even though we have never seen any of them. We know that light travels 186,000 miles a second even though we've personally never measured it. And we agree that Lincoln wrote the Gettysburg Address, and that E does, in fact, equal mc2. We accept all these things as facts without ever demanding the proof of their authenticity.Yet so many of us will reject Jesus - risking our eternal souls even when presented with solid proof. What proof? The witness of thousands of people who saw the miracles of Jesus. Testimonies from dozens who witnessed His death, then saw Him alive after His resurrection. And what about the fulfillment of prophecies concerning Jesus? Yet even after being shown so much solid evidence, many enlightened, logical people reject Jesus as "just some myth for the gullible." In fact, the divinity of Jesus is just about the only thing people refuse to accept, even when evidence is overwhelming. Tell me, where’s the logic in that?What about you? Are you willing to accept the truth of Jesus on faith? In fact, it's the ONLY way you can accept Him. So, go ahead, take that leap of faith. Once you do, your life will be changed forever.

Here's the link to Right From the Heart and the devotional & sermons.
www.rfth.org.

Maggie

ENJOYING THE WEST & WILDLIFE

2010-01-10T08:09:00.002-05:00

I have a new blog post up on Bustles and Spurs today and a few photos from my recent trip out West. This was at the end of September on a research trip for my new series, The Blue Willow Brides.

I bought a suitcase full of books to bring home to read about Wyoming and history in general of settlers in the West. The mountains in Jackson, WY are so incredible that pictures don't do just to their beauty or size. I posted some pictures on the blog. Check it out at your leisure.
http://www.bustlesandspurs.com/

Until next time...

MY COVER WON!

2010-01-05T12:11:00.004-05:00

I was happy to find out that my cover won for Reader's Choice for favorite book cover for 2009. This cover is my favorite of my three, and the title has a deeper meaning to me. Luckily, the publisher let me keep this title.

All the covers were so pretty, and it was a close vote. I don't know about you, but a great cover compells me to pick up the book when I'm in the bookstore. Revell does such a beautiful job on their covers. I appreciate Carmen for taking the time to promote some her favorite books and allow readers to submit their favorite cover. Check it out:
http://continuousdelights.blogspot.com/2010/01/cover-contest-winner.html

Hope your New Year is off to a good start. This is always a chance to clean out, start over and review what you didn't accomplish in 2009. But be encouraged. Most of us never keep those committments to watch our diet, exercise and give our time back to our community or church. But it's never to late to start again with renewed energy and purpose and make every day count.

I know I'm going to give it my best shot.

Until I return, thank God for your friends, family and another new year to get it right.

BOOK COVER CONTEST

2009-12-28T22:21:00.002-05:00

I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and are looking forward to a prosperous New Year in 2010. Hard to believe we're almost there, huh?

I wanted to let you know that my book cover has been nominated for a cover contest on Carmen Boley's blog. You can cast your vote for the favorite covers listed. Just got to Carmen's blog and on the right hand side- bar, click on your favorite cover then submit your vote. It's just that easy. Of course, I hope you'll choose mine, The Jewel of His Heart, which also happens to be at the top of the blog. There's only 6 more days left in the contest. Vote only one time please. Here's the link.

http://continuousdelights.blogspot.com/2009/12/cover-contest-time-to-vote.html

Until later...

TUESDAY DEC. 22ND BOOK SIGNING

2009-12-21T16:25:00.004-05:00

This has already been a fast and furious month for me and I'll wager for you too. I'll be signing at the Border's Bookstore at the Avenues in E. Cobb tomorrow, Tuesday 12/22 from 1-3 pm. I hope if you happen to live in the area that you'll stop in and say hello. I'd love to meet you.

I'm hoping to write a blog post before Christmas, so hope you'll come on back.

Happy shopping for your last minute gifts and I hope you save time for baking your favorites Christmas cookies! This is a wonderful time of year, but especially for the children and since I have grandchildren, it's exciting to watch them at Christmas!

I'll be back soon.

I HAVE A WINNER

2009-11-30T11:28:00.002-05:00

Congratulations to Virginia! Your name was drawn from the list of comments about thankfulness.

I want to thank all of you that left me comments. It was so interesting to read what you're grateful for at this time of year. I like asking this question at Thanksgiving because I think it makes us all pause and see what's important. With Christmas and the celebration of our Lord's birth's just weeks away, it may help set the tone of our Christmas season.

I hope you've all recovered from the huge bounty of the Thanksgiving meal. and are busy making your list and checking it twice! :) I'm decorating the house this week. Something that I love to do at Christmas since it's such a special time. Don't forget to take time for yourself and don't neglect your private devotionals.

Until next time

BEING THANKFUL WHEN YOU HAVE A ROCK

2009-11-23T14:49:00.006-05:00

Last week on my normal outdoor walk, feeling pensive and sad that all the brilliant leaves were dropping, I finally wound up at the park. I spied an adorable, tow-headed toddler trying to lift a big rock to add to several others he’d stacked on the walking trail. He made me think of my own son when he was little, who was also tow-headed and determined. Though he knew the rock was heavy and too big to lift on his own, he continued to try, resisting the offer of help from his mom. I smiled at his mom, who rolled her eyes and shrugged and as I walked on, but I couldn’t help but think that how like that toddler we all are.

From time to time, we all have burdens that lay heavy like a heavy rock in our heart which becomes too much to bear and we don’t know which way to turn for help, if we do at all. I wonder if you have a rock in your heart that needs to be removed. Maybe something that you’re trying to take care of on your own? Isn’t that just human nature? We are all good at trying to run our lives on our own terms and we shun offers of help. We try to forge ahead headlong because we think we can handle it, and we don’t really want another person’s opinion. Or we really don’t want to discuss personal difficulites. But close friends can offer good advice, and then we can use it or just toss it aside. The problem with holding onto a rock is that it can be so damaging mentally and physically.

So what should do we do when we have a rock and the load is too heavy to bear? Scripture tells us to be thankful in all things in 1 Thess.5:18. Sometimes I find this very hard to take, not being able to see through the fog to any possible outcome. Especially when I have family that is hurting or very ill and I’m beside myself with concern. But then I’m not God so I can’t possibly see how everything works together to create a good result.
However, I know that we need to look to our Power Source—God in us—when a set of circumstances threatened to take hold of us with an all consuming fire. He says He will give us more strength when the burdens grow greater, and give us more grace when the labors increase. To added affliction, He adds His mercy to multiplied power and peace. I don’t know any of us that couldn’t use some of this grace and power. All we really have to do is talk to Him about it. He’s already at work behind the scenes. He is the rock through all circumstances that I cling to because He promises that He will never leave me or forsake me. Christ is referred to as the Rock in many places in scripture. These are just a few:

The Lord is my rock
An Everlasting rock
My rock and my fortress
My Rock and my Redeemer
The Rock of Israel
He is the Rock
The spiritual Rock
The Rock eternal

My latest book, The Jewel of His Heart, is a lot about forgiveness and being thankful in all things. I didn’t start out to write the book that way, but that's how it evolved, and I wrote as God led me. So in honor of Thanksgiving and how much we have to be grateful for, I’m giving away a copy of my latest book. All you need to do is post me a comment and tell what you are grateful for this Thanksgiving season. Please be brief and to the point. I hope this will get you to really ponder the gifts that God has given you and many that you’ve taken for granted. I know I have.

I’ll start us off by giving what I’m thankful for and there’s too many to list, but here’s one of mine—that God in my life is forever faithful and His love endures forever. After all we are really the jewel of His heart.

Now post me a comment and leave your email by giving me your name, using (dot) at (your email addy). After Thanksgiving, I’ll have someone in my family draw the name and I’ll send you a personally signed copy of The Jewel of His Heart by mail.

Have a grateful Thanksgiving…

Book Giveaway

2009-11-20T15:23:00.002-05:00

Want a chance to win a copy of The Jewel of His Heart? Hop on over to Carmen's blog, Continuous Delights. http://continuousdelights.blogspot.com/2009/11/maggie-brendan-interview-giveaway.html.

This was a fun interview and it will run from Nov. 20th-26th when Carmen will randomly draw a winner. DO not leave you link on my blog to enter, instead go to the link and follow the rules. Good luck!

Next week, I'll be blogging about giving thanks and you'll have another chance to win in case you didn't on Carmen's blog.

Thanks for participating and Happy Trails...

2009-11-15T20:01:00.003-05:00

I had a wonderful time at Sweet Spirit bookstore this Saturday. The weather cooperated, bringing a fabulously beautiful day. Here's a picture of me with Marilyn Hood, owner of the store and Caitlyn one of the store clerks. Notice that Marilyn printed out the cover of my book coming out in June to place on the table as well.

Marilyn has read both of my books and I got ticked when she greeted her customers, eager to tell them how much she enjoyed
reading them.

Sweet Spirit has been a favorite bookstore of mine for many years. If they don't have what you're looking for, they'll happily order it. But besides all the great books, they have beautiful gifts for every occasions.

It's always great to meet new readers and enjoy being in the company of Sweet Spirit--they truly do have a sweet spirit! Thanks, Marilyn and Frank for hosting me.

Book Signing Saturday-Nov.14th

2009-11-11T15:25:00.004-05:00

Once again I'll be signing at Sweet Spirit bookstore in Marietta, GA this Saturday. Frank Hood is the owner there and is such a gracious host. I always enjoy a trip to his store. His staff is eager to help and I find exactly what I'm looking for. Right now they have some incredible Thanksgiving items on display. I'll have to check those out!
Of course, they have books, cards and Bibles. They are located in Marietta, GA on Johnson Ferry Road.

So if you're in the area, I hope you'll stop by for a copy of my new book. I'd love to meet you and chat.

Until later...

FABULOUS COVER FOR A LOVE OF HER OWN

2009-10-30T14:47:00.003-04:00

I'm just so proud to give you a sneak preview of my book coming out in June. The art department of Revell has done another wonderful job. Here's a little blurb about the story line.

April McBride has suffered a broken engagement once before and fully intends to guard her heart when she travels to Lewistown, Montana, to attend her brother's wedding. One look around the small mining town convinces April that this won't be difficult--just a bunch of dusty shops, bad service, and ill-bred cowboys. But a run-in with a horse trainer named Wes Owen opens up vast possibilities for frustration, embarrassment, friendship, and . . . love?

Can April and Wes see past their differences in order to envision a future together?

Readers will love going on this adventurous, spark-filled ride through turn-of-the-century Montana.

Releasing June, 2010

Oh man, I can just see this as a movie. Hallmark, where are you?

Happy Trails

BLOG TOUR ON THE JEWEL OF HIS HEART

2009-10-30T14:21:00.004-04:00

This past week there was a blog tour for my second book, The Jewel of His Heart. I appreciate Revell allowing bloggers an advance copy to read and post their reviewss. Thanks to all of you who posted comments on the blog as well for a chance to win a copy. Out of the bloggers that participated, I chose a few links for their reviews, as a sampling in case you're interested in reading them. And I hope you will be. :)

I'll be posting a picture of A Love of Her Own, book three for you to get a sneak peek of the beautiful cover! Happy Reading...

http://wendisbookcorner.blogspot.com/2009/10/review-and-tour-jewel-of-his-heart-by.html

http://berlysue.blogspot.com/2009/10/jewel-of-his-heart-by-maggie-brendan.html

http://jocelyngreen.wordpress.com/2009/10/23/the-jewel-of-his-heart-a-book-review/

http://mybookaddictionandmore.wordpress.com/2009/10/23/the-jewel-of-his-heart-by-maggie-brendan-review/

2009-10-26T17:36:00.004-04:00

' HAPPY FALL TO YOU'

From one pumpkin to another

A woman was asked by a coworker, 'What is it like to be a Christian?'

The coworker replied, 'It is like being a pumpkin.' God picks you from the patch, brings you in, and washes all the dirt off of you. Then He cuts off the top and scoops out all the yucky stuff.

He removes the seeds of doubt, hate, and greed. Then He carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside of you to shine for all the world to see.'

This was passed on to me by another pumpkin. Now it's your turn to pass it to other pumpkins.

I liked this enough to send it to all the pumpkins in my patch.

A friend sent this to me and I wanted to share it with you. The pumpkin's eyes are supposed to blink but I don't know how to make that work on blogger, but he's still cute anyway. Atlanta had the most beautiful weather on Sunday. For me that's like getting a gift after all of the rain that soaked us the last few months. Alas, the rain is moving back into our area. Let's hope it doesn't rain on the little trick or treaters Friday...but there's always chocolate to look forward to, right! :)

INTERVIEW & BOOK GIVEAWAY

2009-10-23T09:42:00.003-04:00

Hi folks,

I wanted to take a few minutes to let you know about a new interview up today about my newest book on Lena Dooley's blog. Leave a comment-ON LENA'S BLOG, (not mine)-for a chance to win a free copy of The Jewel of His Heart.
Good Luck! Here's the link.

http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com/

Please check back on my blog soon when I'll be giving a book away in the near future. Stay tuned. :)

Signing at The Bookmark

2009-10-15T08:25:00.009-04:00

Me with my friend, Mary Bowen & Karen Casey

What fun last night at The Bookmark with my friend Dottie Poythress who runs the church bookstore at Johnson Ferry in Marietta, GA. Many of my friends came despite the dreary Atlanta weather we've been having. I was signing The Jewel of His Heart. Some who hadn't read No Place for a Lady bought both books. It's always hard to sit still in the store and not get up and browse to see the latest books or check out the cool gifts to purchase. I was fascinated by an adorable turkey that gobbles and wound up buying it for my granddaughter Sarah. It's just too cute! This is one of my favorite places to shop and the staff at The Bookmark has supported my dream of being published and have held me up in prayer. I cherish them and their friendship. Did I tell you that while I was on staff at JFBC that my entry for the bookstore was chosen? This is me and Dottie Poythress.

If you haven't bought your copy yet I hope you will pick one up. Happy Reading.

Fun Fiction Event Day at LifeWay

2009-10-10T19:18:00.004-04:00

I had a nice time book signing at LifeWay today for their National Fiction Event. They have a wonderful staff and delicious cookies and lemonade was served to their customers. Depite the cloudy skies the store was busy and one of my sweet fans drove up from LaGrange, GA for me to autograph her copy of my book. This is Lori and me in the photo. She's become quite the blogger and reviewer of Christian novels. You can check it out here:
http://sugarandgrits.blogspot.com/.

I was very flattered that she and her mom, Gwen (Gwendlyn), would drive that far to my book signing. Thank you both. It was nice getting to know you more.

I also met new readers and Marc Amason, the manager, took a photo of a gentleman who also bought bought my books. So I hope he'll send me a copy. It's not everyday that men will purchase romance books, but I have to tell you, my list of male readers has grown. I'm really happy about that.

Wednesday night I'll be siging at The Bookmark, my church bookstore at Johnson Ferry Baptist Church in Marietta and I'm looking forward to that. My dear friend Dottie runs the bookstore there. My church and choir buddies have really supported my writing dream.

Before I sign off, I have a new post up today at www.bustlesandspurs.com. It's a short article on my recent trip out West. I'll be posting more about some of the lights of my research soon.
So stay tuned and have a wonderful Lord's Day tomorrow.

LIFEWAY BOOK SIGNING THIS SATURDAY

2009-10-09T11:51:00.006-04:00

This Saturday, I'll be signing at LifeWay Christian Bookstore on Barrett Pkwy. in Kennesaw, GA at their National Fiction Book Event. My new book was just released and I'm looking forward to signing there. I'll be there from 11-1 pm. I hope if you're in the greater Atlanta area that you'll drop by. I love to meet my readers. This is what others are saying about The Jewel of His Heart...

Romantic Times Magazine-4 Star Review-The second book in the Heart of the West series, this is a witty, tender love story with a few adventures added to the mix. The characters are down to earth, funny, caring and have incredibly strong faith in God.

"Maggie Brendan is adept at weaving a sweet love story, and The Jewel of His Heart showcases her penchanct for capturing the Old West in authentic dialogue, in vivid descriptions, and in the struggle of two hearts destined to become one. Within these pages indeed lies a jewel."

Tamera Alexander, bestselling author of From a Distance, Beyond ThisMoment, and The Inheritance

"With its tender love story and vivid imagery of a time gone by, Maggie Brendan's gentle style of prairie romance is reminiscent of Janette Oke, capturing the heart of both the Old West and the reader with romance that will make you sigh."

Julie Lessman, author of the Daughters of Boston series

"For an action-filled historical romance, look no further than The Jewel of His Heart. Maggie Brendan blends colorful characters, lively dialogue, and intriguing historical details to create a memorable story of love and faith in the Old West."

Amanda Cabot, author of Paper Roses

"Maggie Brendan gives readers an authentic look into the past, painting a tapestry with words that draws us into Montana in the 1890's. This story has enough surprises to keep readers turning the pages, and the characters live on in our hearts long after we've finished reading the book."

Lena Nelso Dooley, award-winning author of Wild Pairie Roses, Wild West Christmas, and Love Finds You in Golden, New Mexico

LIFE CHANGING PRAISE EVENT

2009-10-01T20:26:00.005-04:00

Join me this Sunday morning for a great choral presentation by the Johnson Ferry Santuary Choir and Orchestra, in Marietta, GA. We perform at all 3 worship services and you don't want to miss it if you live in the area. Information below.

http://www.johnsonferry.org/NewsEvents/tabid/102/ctl/Details/Mid/728/ItemID/445/Default.aspx?selecteddate=10/4/2009

I wanted to upload the picture but for some reason blogger won't cooperate tonight.
Hope you can attend.

BOOK GIVEAWAY

2009-09-27T17:12:00.003-04:00

Here's your chance to win the first give away for my new book, The Jewel of His Heart. Nora Stlaurent, Our ACFW Book Club Assistant has an fun interview of me on her blog today.

All you need to do is post a comment to be entered in the drawing.

http://www.psalm516.blogspot.com/.

Atlanta is having awesome weather today after all the flooding again yesterday. Hope you're having a beautiful Sunday afternoon where you are.

THE JEWEL OF HIS HEART HAS ARRIVED!

2009-09-23T10:06:00.003-04:00

My copies of The Jewel of His Heart arrived yesterday! What a great cover Revell created. The model is perfect for my heroine. I even took time to sit down and start reading it myself--it always reads better than my loose paper version :) I've been so honored to have Julie Lessman, winner of the Book of the Year for ACFW conference in Denver last Saturday night and Tamera Alexander, a Christy award winning author endorsed this book.

Drop by http://bustlesandspurs.com this morning for my latest blog post on MT and my newest release. I have two book signings in October so far and I'll post the time on my blog later.

Atlanta has a bit of sunshine today and I'm grateful after all the recent flooding we've just had. My prayers & heart goes out to those who've lost loved ones and their homes...

FROM ENDING TO BEGINNING

2009-08-30T23:35:00.005-04:00

I thought you might like to see what three novels look like before galleys and before they're made into page proofs. I usually start out with a small notebook, the 3 ring binder kind. Once I get further along, I print out each chapter with tabs for each one. I have a divider for history proof and research. Another section I have is for a couple of correspondence from my editor or agent and maybe marketing. Last, but not least, I have a section for my support, and I have so many and I’m so lucky to have them. Notice that I don't have art work for the cover yet for A Love of Her Own.

Now for The New Beginning…I’ve just signed another contract with Revell for a new series entitled, The Blue Willow Brides. Of course, I’m never sure if they will keep my series title or book titles. Book one is Deeply Devoted, book two, Three Little Words, and the last one, Timeless Perfection. This time I’ll try not to get too attached to the titles but will still fight for them. It will be about three sisters, the eldest committed to her younger sisters welfare. This idea came to me when searching for the next book idea as I wandered into my living room and dining room. I looked fondly at my Blue Willow in my hutch that I have collected and thought about the first time I ever saw Blue Willow. My sweet brother, Sam and his wife Olevia, gave me a Blue Willow tea set when I was in the third grade. Since then I’ve been fascinated with its beauty and have decorated my home with the beautifully designed plates. My brother died in June right after I finished book 3, but Olevia died years before. How precious the thought when it came to me to base my next book around a woman’s only cherished possession besides her Bible.

I’m excited about this new series, but along with that, I feel a touch of anxiety to create the best that I can to make the readers happy. In the long run, I have to make myself happy because I know that not everyone will like them. To which I say--then don’t pick up an inspirational historical. I do strive to write about the West in the truest and most honest form that I can, enjoying all the research that it takes to find that one little tid-bit to make the story come alive.

I’ll be talking about the series as I get the momentum going. I’ve already made up the new notebook and started what will soon become one of the larger ones you see on my desk. I look forward to filling it with adventures of three beautiful heroines from Holland…

MEET MY EDITOR

2009-08-17T12:39:00.004-04:00

Recently I had breakfast at the famous Flying Biscuit with my editor, Andrea Doering. It was so good to meet her face to face after communicating through phone calls and emails. Andrea was so easy to talk to and I was glad that we didn't talk about edits or the industry, but spent time talking about our families and later my writing.

It's a special thing when you connect with your editor, not to mention the fact that she enjoys my novels and told me that she always learns something when she reads them. How cool is that? I'll tell you--it makes me want to do my best on the next novel to insure that I find a forgotten but interesting historical piece that will work within my story.

I really appreciate the fact that she took time before her conference in NC to drive down to Marietta to meet me. Breakfast was great and a new frienship was formed that I hope will continue for a long time.

DYED-IN-THE-WOOL

2009-08-10T12:16:00.003-04:00

This is my Pendleton Mouse Pad

Hi folks! Hope your week is off to a great start! Just dropping in to tell you that I have a new blog posted on Bustles and Spurs today that you might find interesting. It's all about Pendleton. Check it out. http://www.bustlesandspurs.com/.

ATLANTA CHRISTIAN EXAMINER INTERVIEW

2009-08-03T11:03:00.003-04:00

Good morning friends!

I have an interview up on the Atlanta Christian Examiner Online by Tracy Ruckman. I enjoy doing interviews because it allows me to connect with my readers and hopefully they can learn a little something about me as well. Check it out - http://www.examiner.com/x-9177-Christian-Writing-Examiner~y2009m8d3-3x3-Interviews-Maggie-Brendan.

Now back to my regularly scheduled day-completing edtis. :)

FINAL TITLE - IN THE HEART OF THE WEST

2009-07-23T14:27:00.008-04:00

I have a title for the last book in my Heart of the West series--the title is--A LOVE OF HER OWN! Though it's not the one I first chose when I was writing it, I do think it's a great title and the marketing team at Revell always work hard to come up with just the right title and cover for their books. In fact they worked closely with me so that we'd all be satisfied with the name, and I am very happy with it.

I think the title works for the storyline, but I won't say much more than that or it'd give the plot away and heaven forbid I do that! Now I can't wait to see what we come up with for a cover. I'm certain it'll be just as wonderful.

I'm really looking forward to the release of book 2-The Jewel Of His Heart October 1st. I'll be participating in LifeWay's Fiction Event Day October 10th in Kennesaw, GA from 11-1 PM. Marc Amason is the manager there and he and his staff are the best! But then again, so is the LifeWay store at the Mall of GA in Buford.

Hope to see you there. Now back to work. :)

Lunch With a Book Club

2009-07-21T10:25:00.004-04:00

This past Saturday I was the guest of a local book club. We met at Longhorn's resturant, one of my favorite places for good food. I was impressed with the knowledge that these ladies had of my characters in No Place For a Lady! They knew them very well and even brought a map marked with the route that Crystal took on her long journey from Georgia to Colorado! It's a wonderful feeling for an author to know that what you've written has touched someone's heart. Each one of the ladies said they are looking forward to reading The Jewel of His Heart. I certainly hope they won't be disappointed. The fellowship was sweet and their questions were lively! I'm honored that of all the zillions of books they read, they chose mine.

Lunch ended with a surprise for me with a gift of a memory box from the Willow Tree collection and a Writing Angel Muse. She's hanging from my desk lamp now and is adorable. They didn't know that I have a small collection of Willow Tree angels and a manger scene, so I was thrilled and surprised that they would go to this trouble for me.

The Angel has a quote from James Michener-"I love the swirl & swing of words as they tangle with human emotions." Oh, that's just so perfect for me!

These ladies encouraging words and voracious reading habits make me want to strive to write the best stories that I can and not disappoint them with the integrity of my writing. So thank you ladies, Jennifer, Darlene, Lisa, Anne, Mary and Milli, for the memorable Saturday afternoon and until our paths cross again...Happy Trails.

Novel Journey Interview

2009-07-16T11:41:00.002-04:00

One of Writer's Digest 101 Most Valuable Websites for Writers posted an interview of me today. Click here to read the interview. You can see what my office looks like. www.noveljourney.blogspot.com.

Currently I'm in the middle of working on edits for book three. A title will be decided in the next few weeks, so check back for updates.

Hope y'all are having a wonderful week. Atlanta has been stormy but I'll not complain since we need the rain. Besides I like a good thunderstorm as long as I'm inside, don't you? Great background noise for reading...

Bustles and Spurs

2009-07-10T07:41:00.006-04:00

Just popping in today to let you know that I have a blog posted at Bustles and Spurs where I'm a resident blogger once a month. My article today is on the humble cast iron skillet. We have such talented historical writers on this site and I usually learn something of history myself. So hop on over and check it out today. Then, if you don't own your own cast iron skillet, this may just force you to spend time this weekend buying one for your kitchen. www.bustlesandspurs.com

Now back to writing...

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!

2009-07-03T19:06:00.003-04:00

I bought a new American Flag today to replace the faded and tattered one that hung on the front porch. I recall a particular 4th of July in 1995 when we buried my sister Gail. Later we went to watch the fireworks on the beach in her honor in Gulfport, MS. So this holiday is a special two-fold one for me. While hanging the flag, I'm so mindful of the sacrifices so many have made in order for us to cherish the freedoms we have in this great land called America. My brother, Orville, lied about his age and fought in the Korean War when he was only 17. Just a baby, I think, especially when I relate that age to my own son when he was 17. I know now why my mother cried every single day until his safe return. Post-traumatic stress shadowed him the rest of his life.

In the first days of the war in Iraq, our son-in-law, then Captain Bobby Lee Christine, (now Major Christine), an Army National Guard JAG officer, left our daughter and three children behind when his guard unit was called up. His unit was attached to the First Marine Expeditionary Force. That's Bobby in the picture while in Iraq. We were petrified but knew that Bobby was honored to serve our country, and he believed in their mission. His own father served in Viet Nam and received several Purple Hearts, returning to the States after three tours of duty, minus an arm and a leg. After Bobby's return, he spoke at the Right From the Heart Gala and Auction for our pastor, Bryant Wright's radio ministry, which raised money to send his sermon CD's to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. As he spoke that night, there wasn't a dry eye in the ballroom while he talked about his time in Iraq, the hardships and his strong faith in God. We are so proud of Bobby and he has more medals and honors than I can list here and knowing him, he'd be uncomfortable that I'm saying anything now. He never talks about his accomplishments. That's the way most soldiers are. He is still a JAG with the Army National Guard, and besides being an attorney, he's a Judge in Augusta, GA and very active in his community and church.

Since that time, I have so much more respect for our troops and the shattered lives that has touched so many, all in order to keep our freedom on this soil. So I honor them this 4th of July.
Harsfield-Jackson Airport in Atlanta is one of the main hubs for our troops returning to the States, and it's one of the most moving scenes you'll ever see when they arrive. I feel fortunate to have been able to witness this first hand. Atlanta has become famous for how people stop and honor troops and welcome them back home. Perhaps you've seen Atlanta's airport featured on the nightly news welcoming troops. We even do that when it's just one lone soldier. I'm telling you, it will bring tears to your eyes, and make you proud of our men and women who serve in our Armed Forces.

As our country continues to struggle with foreign issues even now, and strive to keep those freedoms we hold dear that we received in 1776, I'm reminded to pray for our nation, our leaders, and our allies...but most of all I pray for our men and women in uniform everywhere.

So why don't you take time to salute a soldier along your trails...

LIFEWAY SIGNING AT THE MALL OF GA

2009-06-24T21:45:00.005-04:00

What a joy to meet and share the signing table with Julie Lessman yesterday at the LifeWay Bookstore at the Mall of Georgia in Buford! I loved her Daughters of Boston series. Simply delicious reading! You don't
want to miss reading this series. We've been online friends a while now, and Julie has graciously endorsed my next book!

Julie has a ton of fans, and met with a large bookclub on Monday night, all calmoring to pick her brain about her book's characters, especially, Charity. The gal we all love to hate!

I was honored that some of my fans drove over an hour just to meet me! One sweet fan, Lori, brought me some fabulous body lotion and splash and of course, I love it! I slathered it all over today after going to the pool! As usual, the staff at LifeWay are so nice to authors and I thank them for allowing me to be participate. Even though I-285 had 3 major lanes totally shut down, and we had an hour and a half drive, it was so worth it!

Just another Happy Trail...

TUESDAY-BOOK SIGNING

2009-06-22T21:58:00.004-04:00

I'm pretty exicted about tomorrow. I'll be at the LifeWay Bookstore at the Mall of Georgia in Buford tomorrow, signing with Julie Lessman! It'll be a treat to finally meet my online friend. Her Daughters of Boston series is flying off the shelves and I've read all three novels.

The signing will be from 12-2 pm, so if you're anywhere near the Mall of Georgia, we'd love to have you drop by. At least the heat in Atlanta has dropped a few degrees since last week's unbearable temperatures. I was afraid it would scare Julie off if the weather didn't improve just a little.

Other good news is that Crossings Book Club is featuring my No Place for a Lady for the 7th month in a row! AND...LifeWay has asked me to participate in their October Fiction Day this fall. I hope my Jewel of His Heart will be on the bookshelves by that time. I am thrilled that Julie Lessman and Tamera Alexander have endorsed my second book! I feel greatly honored by those two very talented writers.

Gotta run now and gather up all of Julie's books for her to autograph! I'll try and post pictures later this week. It's been a busy week so far, with my daughter and three grandchildren here for a short visit.

Happy Trails...

LOVE IS...

2009-06-17T09:52:00.005-04:00

Last week was a difficult one for me. My oldest brother, Sam, died in Mississippi after a long illness with his heart. He had a beautiful military funeral. While I know that he is in heaven, it's hard to accept that another sibling is gone. If you look close in the photo, you'll see a cross and a charm around my neck. One is a Glacier National Park charm in memory of my brother, Gary and the cross in memory of my sister Gail and brother Orville. During those last weeks before Sam's death, I worked furiously to meet my deadline on book 3, knowing that his passing would be imminent. I completed the novel one week before he died.

At the wake, many of his family and friends attended to give tribute to a life well lived. On either end of the room where my brother's casket lay, were TV screens, depicting his life through a video. I couldn't tear my eyes away from it and lingered a long time as the story of his life unfolded. It gave me a keener insight to a side of my brother's life that I hadn't seen before because I lived out of state. His wife, Olevia (no-it's not misspelled), had passed away 9 years before and he'd mourned her passing. Through his church, he became good friends with a sweet widow who lived down the country road from him. Frankie soon became the sunshine in his life while his heart steadily declined. Though a few years older than Sam, she was a constant cheerful presence in his life, though she had her own health issues.

When Frankie arrived at the wake, we snapped this photo before she made it to the casket to view Sam. Through my tears, I had to chuckle. She's a girly girl like me, and was all decked out in mauve pink from top to bottom. She carried a pink handbag and wore pink little heels. She always dolled up for him when she came to visit. She'd had a recent fall that broke her back so I assisted her to view my brother, and she broke down. She said she wished it could have been her instead. My sister, Doris, reminded her that it would have been just as hard on him if it had been her lying there instead. As she clutched onto the side of the casket, I pointed out to her that he wore a mauve-pinkish shirt and gray suit that matched her outfit and she gave me a tender smile. She really loved him and he loved her. I'm grateful that she made the last years of his sick existence bearable.

Which brings me full circle to ask this. What is love? God 's word gives us the definition in a nutshell from I Corinthians 13:4:

Love is patient
Love is kind
It does not envy
It does not boast
It is not proud
Love believes all things
Hopes all things
Endures all things and LOVE NEVER FAILS. Selah, (I added).

My brother Sam had fought the good fight, he'd finished the race and kept the faith. I know there is in store for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day!--and not only to me, but also to those that have longed for his appearing. 2 Timothy 4:6.

Though right now I feel dead in my heart, Christ is alive and working in me.

Regional Bookstores and Libraries Conference

2009-06-04T14:21:00.004-04:00

Friday, I'll be speaking at the Gathering of Regional Bookstores and Libraries for a conference. My topic will be The Value of Christian Fiction. I'm honored to be able to share my opinion about what I consider to be the value of writing Christian Fiction novels.

The conference will be held at Johnson Ferry Baptist church in Marietta, GA. Dottie Poythress is hosting this conference, and among the sponsors represented is my publisher, Revell Publishing, an imprint of Baker Books.

One of my favorite people speaking is Dr. William Lane Craig, one of our nation's leading Apologists. This should be a informative conference for bookstore and library staff for regional churches to make the most out of their ministries. I'm looking forward to speaking and giving away copies of No Place for a Lady.

This past Monday, I met my deadline for book 3 for Heart of the West series. So I'm taking a much needed break from the computer, but I'll try to post more frequently now that's completed. When marketing decides the title for that book, I'll post it. I have a feeling that it won't be my title, though.

Hope your summer is starting off in a great way. I know mine has.

Happy Trails...

LIFEWAY'S NATIONAL FICTION EVENT

2009-05-16T21:15:00.003-04:00

What an enjoyable day at the Lifeway store in Buford at the Mall of Georgia. Nora StLaurent was such a gracious hostess who is the book club guru at the store. She has a wonderful personality and so much fun to talk with. And I thought I read a lot, but she has me beat on that score.

I was so impressed with Jeff Struecker and of course, I had to have his biography and his thriller for my son. The store was busy today and I met so many nice readers. The picture of me and the blonde is my dear friend, Connie from Cleveland who drove an hours to come to the signing. Ane Mulligan, The Zone Officer for the Operating Board for the ACFW came as well. We've chatted online, but this was the first time to meet face to face. What a vivacious, lively writer!

Just a geat way to spend a Saturday, and as usual, the staff at Lifeway are super!!

LIFEWAY'S NATIONAL FICTION EVENT

2009-05-15T08:52:00.004-04:00

I'll be representing LifeWay's National Fiction Book Event tomorrow, Saturday, May 16th from 11-1 pm at the Mall of GA in Buford. I'm really excited about this! I'll be sharing the signing table with a highly decorated X-Army Ranger, Jeff Struecker, who was prominently featured in the movie Black Hawk Down. He is now a chaplain for the Army and writes thrillers. Check his website for further info. http://www.jeffstruecker.com/.
Check out Atlanta Examiner online for further reading about the event. Here's the link .

I hope if you're in the area,stop by--I'd love to meet you. The store in behind the mall near Target. Their phone #770-831-7707.

Tuesday night I was the guest of a local area book club that had just finished reading No Place for a Lady. The fellowship was great and they picked my brain about the details of writing, and of course, I had fun sharing the writing process.

I'm on deadline for the 3rd book in the Heart of the West series, but I'll be back posting on a more frequent basis in the near future.

Happy Trails...

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

2009-05-10T12:55:00.002-04:00

I hope you're having wonderful Mother's Day! This will be a brief post to announce the winner of the drawing for a copy of my book. It was drawn fair and balanced, as Fox News would say--from a LSU baseball cap by my husband. He drew Michelle's name, who wrote that her mom was "gifted". I really like that because so many moms never realize how gifted they are because they are constantly multi-tasking and on the go!

I chose this verse for my mom's headstone in 1998--"Her children arise up, and call her blessed"...Proverbs 31:28a. I miss her so...

So I salute all Mothers everywhere for how you influence, guide, protect, minister, inspire, give, mentor, and teach but most of all for your unconditional love! Happy Mother's Day!

MOTHER'S DAY GIVEAWAY!!

2009-04-30T15:48:00.005-04:00

Every year when Mother’s Day rolls around, I feel blue. I miss my dear mother but I remember all the goods things about her. She was always taking a meal to a shut-in or writing a card or letter to someone who needed cheering up. She loved to play her harmonica and was crazy about Elvis and cried all day the day he died. She loved gardening and had gorgeous flowers outside her tiny apartment. She made the best chicken’n dumplins’ you ever tasted, surpassed only by her cornbread and field peas. Her laughter was contagious and I don’t remember a day that she didn’t wear an apron or have a pot of coffee at 3 pm. Many of her habits wore off on me. How could they not?
So I’ve been thinking of one word to describe her and I think I’d have to say VIVACIOUS! There are many other words that I could use, but her energy and spirit for life was a huge blessings on my life. Soooo….

In honor of all mother’s everywhere, I’m giving away one autographed copy of my book, No Place for a Lady, for Mother’s Day. This is the rule--post a comment on my blog between May 1-10th. Give me in one word a description that best describes your mom. If you give more info that the one word, it will be thrown out. Be sure and leave your email address to enter your name in the contest. That’s all there is to it! I’ll draw a name on Mother’s Day and notify the winner. Don’t forget—use just one word!
Open to US residents only.

STORMY ATLANTA & STUFF

2009-04-19T22:34:00.003-04:00

Atlanta is on tornado watch until 3 am once again, but that's springtime in Atlanta for you. I hope the wind and rain won't knock off all the blossoms from the white and pink dogwoods.

I don't know when I've been busier, but I wanted to take time to post a link of an interview that I did for Relzreview. It was posted Saturday but Australia is a day ahead and I'm just finding time to take a break writing.

Click here to read the interview: posted

HAPPY EASTER

2009-04-11T23:14:00.006-04:00

There is nothing as lovely to me as the Dogwood Tree and its flower. It's my favorite of all flowering trees. There is a legend of the Dogwood Tree that the cross that Christ was crucified on was made of the Dogwood tree. You can find the story on the internet. When my mother died, I inherited a picture with a cross with dogwood blossoms and the poem.

Since tomorrow is Easter, I wanted to share one of my pastor's devotionals from Right From the Heart. It explains better than I can what is on my heart tonight.

Life's Most Important Question

"Pilate said to them, 'Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?'" - Matthew 27:22 Almost 2,000 years ago, a man named Pilate asked the most important question in life. Standing before him was an itinerant preacher. There was nothing remarkable about His looks. He had attracted a large following but few committed followers. He had no wealth - not even a home of His own. Yet He was the object of an unmitigated hatred from a mob. Pilate asked, "What shall I do with this man?" As the mob cried for His execution, the man, Jesus Christ, stood silently as Pilate cowardly sentenced Him to death on the cross.The question Pilate asked is ultimately one all of us have to ask. What shall I do with this man Jesus? He loves you, even when you could care less about Him. He cared enough to pay the penalty for your sin. What will you do with Jesus? Your eternal destiny hangs in the balance by how you respond.

Many Live Appearances After His Death

"...because I live, you will live also." - John 14:19Christianity is about faith - faith in Jesus Christ who rose from the dead. But have you realized there is also historical documentation of Jesus' resurrection? Six different books offer documentation of Jesus' nine live appearances after His resurrection: 1. He appeared to Mary Magdalene and other women the morning of His resurrection. 2. He appeared to Peter. 3. He appeared to two men on the road to Emmaus. 4. He appeared to the disciples as a whole (except for Thomas, who wasn't there). 5. He appeared to the disciples with Thomas, and Thomas believed. 6. He appeared to seven disciples at the Sea of Galilee and enjoyed a fish fry. 7. He appeared to over 500 people at once. 8. He appeared to James, his brother. 9. He appeared one final time to his disciples before He ascended to heaven. There are at least nine documented live appearances after His death. That is a lot of evidence that He rose from the dead.

I'll leave you with these thoughts to ponder. You can visit Bryant Wright's site at http://www.rfth.org/

THE JEWEL OF HIS HEART

2009-03-31T22:02:00.005-04:00

I'm so excited to share with you the brand new cover for book 2 in Heart of the West series, The Jewel of His Heart. It's so beautiful and once again Revell had captured my herione perfectly with the Yogo blue eyes. I'm sure that you'll agree that it is stunning!
The story takes place in Montana, the Big Sky Country. Here's a tease-

Romance readers have taken to Maggie Brendan's softer romantic style that perfectly captures life on the American frontier, introducing them to rugged, independent souls and their inner spiritual struggles, and the quest for love that makes for a satisfying read every time. Set in 1890s Montana, The Jewel of His Heart finds Juliana drawn to a handsome, gentle sheepherder--but sparks fly when he considers mining, the occupation that lured her father away from his family. Both Josh and Juliana must make a choice--the world's riches and promises, or the eternal value of love.

I hope you'll be looking for it this fall and then "fall" in love with Josh and Juliana. Happy Trails...

TODAY AT BORDERS BOOKSTORE IN EAST COBB

2009-03-14T22:07:00.004-04:00

Who Said Men Don't Buy Historical Romance? Here's proof!

Despite the cold, drizzling weather, people still like to go to the bookstore which was good news for me. Borders in East Cobb at the Avenues is one of my favorite bookstores. I had a fun time, meeting new folks and even a couple of school age children that were in awe of meeting a real writer and wanted a bookmark. So funny, but I suppose I would have felt the same way at the age of 7 or 8. I'm pretty new to all this but it amazed me as I sat greeting everyone when they walked through the door, that the traffic was definitely more men today than women! When you have to sit still, you tend to notice things like that. Hence the man that bought my book in the picture. Yes, it was only one man, but I already know of 6 who've read and enjoyed my book. I never would've dreamed it possible!

While I sipped on a mocha of Seattle's Best, I listened to the Assistant Manager, Jessica, announce every half hour, that Maggie Brendan was there signing her book. Jessica was very kind to me and encouraging.

When my time concluded, the Manager,John Alford, had me autograph all the rest of my books and told me that I did well. Exactly what an author loves to hear!

What a satisfying ending to a very dreary March afternoon. I hope you had a good weekend so far. :) Happy Reading...

BORDER'S BOOK SIGNING

2009-03-13T23:39:00.002-04:00

Tomorrow, March 14th from 1-3 pm, I'll be at Border's in East Cobb at the Avenues on Roswell Road signing my new book. I hope if you live in the Atlanta Metro area that you will drop by and say hello.

Last Saturday I was at Sweet Spirit Christian bookstore and had a nice time with their customers, staff and Frank Hood, the store owner. I had intended on posting a picture but was busy finishing up galleys for book 2 coming out in October.

I'm still excited about the reviews and the fact that the book was picked up by Crossings for February and again for March!

Next Friday, I'll be speaking at a senior's luncheon at St. Theresa's in Augusta, my daughter and son-in-law's church. It should be fun. They are really nice people there, even to a Baptist like me!. Lol. I'm very honored that I've been asked and I'll post about it afterward.

Happy Trails....

BOOK SIGNING THIS SATURDAY-MARCH 7TH

2009-03-06T12:35:00.002-05:00

I'll be signing my novel, No Place for a Lady, at Sweet Spirit Christian Bookstore this Saturday, March 7th from 12-2 PM. They are located at 1100 Johnson Ferry Road in Marietta, GA. Frank Hood is the owner of this wonderful bookstore, and I hope that if you live in the area you can stop by. I'd love to meet you! If you can't make this one, I'll post next week about others signings that are on my schedule.

I've had some good reviews on this book and I'm excited to see that people are really enjoying something that I've written. Nothing pleases me more!

Brief update on those of you that have asked me about book two, The Jewel of His Heart, it should be out in October!

God is so good! Now back to work.

BLACK CROWS AND MARCH

2009-02-26T20:28:00.003-05:00

To refresh my brain and energize my creative juices, I took advantage of the fabulous Georgia temps in the 60’s today and skipped out in the middle of working on galleys to take a short walk. This is my first real walk in 8 weeks as I continue to have synovitis of the ankle that has left my foot sore and swollen, despite the physical therapy that I’m currently putting myself though.

Almost instantly I am reminded of why I love being outdoors. The first leg of my walk took me to our open field that’s preserved for wildlife and wildflowers. Of course, since it’s the end of February, there are no flowers, only constantly cawing of five black shiny crows strutting along the edge of the park bench who distracts me as I take a seat. After adjusting my shoelaces, I watch as they come close, apparently not afraid of me in the least. Two of them fly off to the center of the field in delight of their afternoon snack they’ve found, which left the other three squeaking and flapping their wings in an argumentative tone as though in discussion of their two friends.

Since it is nearly March, my mind is filled with thoughts of sadness, memories and tenderness of my mother and others of my family. March 2nd would have been her 99th birthday had she not died 11 years ago. My father was buried on March 17th, 36 years ago. March 1st was my brother, Orville’s birthday, and we are coming up to the anniversary of his passing on the 27th, six years ago. I lost my closest brother, Gary on March 25th one year after Orville. My sister Gail, God rest her sweet soul, was diagnosed and surgery performed for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in March and given a fatal diagnoses. There’s an old Merle Haggard song, “If We Make it Through December”…that my sisters, Doris and Dianne and I have changed it to “If We Make it Through March.”

So with heavier steps I venture off the sidewalk down the worn walking trail, widened and cleared from the underbrush last summer. I love it here. It’s peaceful and I feel like I’m actually in the woods, despite the distant sounds of a car or occasional dog barking. It’s a pleasant walk and as I make my way half-way around, there’s a huge oak tree that fell over that was allowed to stay because it created a natural archway over the trail. Wishing that I had brought my camera, I take a seat on one of its giant extended limbs and close my eyes to listen and absorb the sounds around me. A sudden strong breeze blows my hair that teases the cheek of my face. It feels good and so does the sunshine penetrating my velour jog suit. A woodpecker pecks on a bare hardwood tree to my left and to my right; I hear the same crows in the open field still squawking. I remember how my mother had a ‘pet’ crow she called Jack that came to the back door of her apartment in Gulfport, MS every morning. Someone left an old metal highchair out back so she placed cornbread or other tidbits on the tray for the crow. I laughed and asked her how she knew it was the same one. She answered, “Because I just know—he comes to talk to me every day!” I couldn’t argue with that, now could I? Oh, how I miss her and her infectious laughter.

Other birds are singing, some of whom I can’t identify, but their sounds are lovely and full of promised spring. I open my eyes and around me are piles of dead leaves now decaying and moldy, resembling death…from dust to dust…
A tear slips down my face and I close my eyes again, thanking the Lord, for all that I’ve been given in my life, the happiness, the grief, the love, all that has made me who I have become in my spirit through His spirit. I pray for my family and friends that He will touch their hearts and lives as only He can with His positive love, to walk closer to Him, reminding us of the mysterious feeling of discontent necessary to pull back the veil just a tad so that we know with certainty that earthly things are fleeting.

A small limb falls to the straw, sounding loud in the stillness and I decide that I need to get back to working on my galleys, but vowing not to let March get me down, despite some personal issues that I face.

THERE WAS one bright shining moment that occurred on March 4th, 1971. My beautiful daughter, Sheri made her way squealing into this world at 5:04 PM. All 8lbs. 4oz. of her. I still think of her as twenty years old, and find it hard to believe all those years have passed. Sheri has brought our family so much joy and has truly blessed our lives by being who she is. She’s intelligent and educated with a Master’s in Elementary Education, very affectionate and loves to laugh like my mama did. She’s crazy for chocolate! I don’t know if I’ve ever known anyone more conscientious…except me, hehe. She has given us three wonderful grandchildren and a husband, Bobby, who is like our own son. Nothing could be better than that. She’s strong in her love of the Lord and gives back with her talent of singing to Him as she cantors for her church. She plays piano if she gets a free moment when she is not carting kids off to basketball, piano, cheering or walking her dog, Frankie. If she has any faults it is her dislike of cooking. She’s a bit of a worrier and perfectionists like me. She’s also a very good editor!

Sheri called me yesterday and related something funny. She said, “I was walking around outside with my coffee pulling weeds and thought, Oh my gosh, I have become my parents.” We both laughed because she used to wonder how we could be outside in the warm weather or the summer, with our coffee cup in hand, pulling a stray weed or two. How indeed?

Sheri, I wish you enough sunny days in your life to keep your outlook bright, no matter how dark your days may seem. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DEAREST SHERI BERRI!!!

HERE COMES THE JUDGE-ALL RISE!

2009-02-08T19:00:00.008-05:00

This past Thursday was a special one in our family. Our son-in-law, Bobby Christine, was sworn in as Chief Magistrate Judge for Columbia County in Augusta, GA. He was appointed by 8 Superior Court Judges. We are so proud of him because we know how hard he works, and we know Bobby's values and love of his country and for the state of Georgia. Bobby has already led an impressive career in his short life. He attended Georgia Military College, and the University of GA. (where he met Sheri, our daughter), and received his law degree from Cumberland School of Law in Birmingham, AL. Bobby is a Major for the Army National Guard and serves as a Jag Officer. He served in Iraq attached to the First Marine Expeditionary Force that invaded Iraq. The man has more medals that I can even recall. He taught Political Science for Georgia Military College for 10 years. He serves on the parish council for St. Theresa's where they attend church. He has served as the Assistant District Attorney for Richmond County where he and his team were the first in recent history in the state of GA, to convict a murderer without producing a body from their incredible scientific evidence. Bobby also serves on the Chamber of Commerce, and many other committees and is asked to speak at many events, both political and community.
Bobby is a great Italian Southerner and loves his heritage, and is a great history buff. He adores his family, children and dog, Frankie. Everyone in Augusta is acquainted with Bobby. When he returned from Iraq, he spoke to a Right From the Heart Gala, a fundraiser of our pastor, Bryant Wright for his radio ministry which made everyone there cry and be proud of our great military and country.

Bobby's own father, Alexander Christine, was awarded several Purple Hearts for his service in Viet Nam, where he was severely wounded and came home missing an arm and a leg, as well as other internal injuries. I'm sure that Alex's valor and exceptional love of his country was passed down to Bobby.

Am I bragging so far?? You bet I am. Our son-in-law is one of the smartest, wittiest, (I'm no match for him in verbal skills), men that I know. There is so much to be proud of.

Bobby enjoys fishing with Peter, our 6 yr. old grandson, and sailing around their lake in his boat. He spends time collectively and separately with his two daughters, Maggie and Angelina. He loves having people over, playing Wii and shooting pool, and eating great Italian food, and jambalaya. But I think his favorite thing is to drive around in his vintage '65 Cadillac.

He thinks our daughter came straight from Venus and fits in with his southern Italian ideals, and he is, from what I hear, extremely romantic. He is strong in his faith in God, preserving America and keeping traditions alive.
So, dear Bobby, my hat is off to you--All that you do does not go unrecognized! Love, Brenda

MY FIRST BOOKSIGNING

2009-01-19T12:09:00.021-05:00

This past Wednesday night was my first book signing at my church's (JFBC) bookstore, The Bookmark. I had a blast and my friend Dottie Poythress, who runs the bookstore, was almost as excited as I was. I even have one man reading my book! How encouraging for a man to pick up a romance book! That's Dottie with the blond hair in the picture below and my best friend Kelly. She came to support me. We had a good crowd, some of which had already read the book and wanted an autograph. Our Church bookstore is a very nice place to buy books or gifts and I spend my share of time in there. Just ask Dottie! lol. They have a friendly staff,
eager to help you find the resource or gift that you are looking for, along with some great fiction and the Pastor's Picks.

Here's the link for The Bookmark, (and by the way, it got it's name from my entry that was in a naming contest).
http://www.thebookmarkonline.org/

Here's my best friend Kelly, a wonderful writer and you should be hearing more about her very soon.

Below is a picture of Jim Stewart, who said he is enjoying reading a romance.

Hope if you haven't, you'll pick up a copy online or at your local bookstore.

Happy Trails.

MY BOOK IS IN BOOKSTORES NOW!

2009-01-13T08:35:00.004-05:00

No Place for a Lady was actually in Borders on December 27th, and my daughter and I saw it, while out shopping for after Christmas bargains. I was surprised since I wasn’t expecting it to be released until Jan. 1st. Sheri whipped out her cell phone and took a shapshot of me in the bookstore. Later on in the week, it was in Lifeway Bookstores and Barnes and Nobles. It was such a thrill for me, and even better is the feedback that I've received thus far from readers. Here is and online review that warmed my author’s heart. http://writebyfaith.blogspot.com/2008/12/review-of-no-place-for-lady-by-maggie.html.

I will be signing my book at The Bookmark, Johnson Ferry Church this Wednesday, January 14th from 5:30 to 7:30. Dottie Poythress is the bookstore manager and here the link to my church. http://www.johnsonferry.org/. If you are in the area, I’d love it if you’d stop by.

TAKE TIME FOR YOURSELF

2009-01-05T14:06:00.007-05:00

Christmas decorations are stored away, family is gone to their respective lives and jobs, the house is clean and now as the dust settles into distant memories of exchanged gifts, food, laughter, and teary eyed goodbyes, we look ahead to a fresh new year and all the limitless possibilities of 2009. I, like most of you, had a busy December with church Christmas concerts, extra rehearsal, shopping, wrapping, decorating, baking, etc., while trying to maintain some sense of balance between my writing and reading so that I wouldn’t become some green-eyed monster with two heads.

Nearly every one I know makes at least one resolution for the New Year. The most common one is to loose weight and become more active. Now that’s a good one. All my life I have done some form of exercise and I believe that’s why I’m in fairly decent shape now. I could be better. But as I so often encourage my best friend, Kelly and my daughter Sheri, and daughter-in-law Amy, to make sure they take time for themselves to exercise, and to be sure to include time out of the house without the kids , I've noticed that there is a certain attitude that most women have, but particularly mothers. And it disturbs me. Too many women feel guilty if they take one hour a day for themselves to read or exercise. Not only that, other people infer that they're being selfish if they do! Many women cater to every whim or need of their children then wait hand and foot on their spouse. And it’s our fault if we allow others to make us feel guilty for choosing to have some free time. Our family and children should not feel threatened when we decide to do this.

Now, I’m a writer and not a psychologist, but I can tell you from experience that if you don’t give yourself freedom away from the kids (no matter what age they are), or some time out of the house, it will affect how you feel physically. Men included! Everyone needs a mental break from all the day to day chores of raising children and running a home, not to mention, many women work outside the home, and still have all that work waiting just on the other side of the door like a nagging toddler. It’s hard to juggle everything and keep some form of sanity. But ladies, and any man out there who reads this blog, it’s a necessary thing to exercise. It called your health! There's nothing selfish about that. It energizes you and releases endorphins which can alter your mood making you feel good about yourself. It keeps us flexible as we age and is good for the heart, slows down the aging process, and a boat load of other things. I know you’ve heard them all.

My daughter has been attending “boot camp” for strenuous workouts for a couple of months and I applaud her. Amy walks miles every week (even more than me), and watches everything she eats. I walk and do light weights, and try to watch the calories. Do whatever you feel comfortable with, running, walking, swimming, etc. BUT JUST DO IT! Like the Nike ad reads.

I know it’s hard to start over again, but the benefits you receive will reward you with a happier outlook and a healthier body. Gradually, you’ll loose weight while watching what you eat and feel better. Pick a time that works for you and get started today, so that when you look back this time next year, you can smile and say, "I took some time for me!" and feel good about!! By the way, if you are struggling with just dragging yourself to the gym, outside or the treadmill, post a comment and I'll add you to my personal prayer list. It would be a priviledge to pray for you!

DECEMBER COWGIRL CONTEST WINNER

2008-12-24T20:50:00.004-05:00

Merry Christmas, Cleda! You're the winner of my cowgirl contest! Your name was drawn from all the comments posted on Bustles And Spurs. The correct answer to the question--what was the name of the ranch and the horse that Crystal rode on the trail drive--was --The Aspengold Ranch, and Rebel was her cutting horse. Look for your copy of No Place For a Lady in the mail soon.

I want to thank all of you that took the time to enter the contest and read both blogs. All of you still have a chance to become one of the Big winners of ALL our authors books at the end of the month. Good luck and have a very Merry Christmas!

Cabin in the Snow

2008-12-17T16:47:00.004-05:00

Is this not the cutest cabin in the snow? My sister in Mobile surprised us with this. It's surrounded by roses with red ribbons, and has a switch at the back of it that turns on the fireplace that flickers like a real fire. Inside there are people standing about and a Christmas tree in the corner.

I was so tickled that I wanted to share it with y'all. Isn't it sweet? Gets me in the mood for Christmas! Sometimes I wish I was in a cabin like that in the Rockies, baking cookies and reading by the fire while I watch the snow softly falling. By the way, this is my favorite snowman who loves to sit overlooking my sink and watch me cook and do the dishes! :)

DECEMBER COWGIRL CONTEST

2008-12-09T21:21:00.005-05:00

December is a great month for a contest to spread some holiday cheer! I'm a resident blogger on Bustles and Spurs, and we're running a contest to win a copy of all the blogger's books on that site, including my new one, No Place For A Lady. I am blogging on the December 11th about my story. Crystal is a GA Southernbelle that goes to Colorado and winds up on a cattle drive. But not before she learns how to handle a cutting horse, and goes from a tenderfoot to a well accomplished cowgirl on the Aspengold ranch. She learns how to cut a steer from the herd with the help of her favorite cutting horse, Rebel.

Hop on over to http://www.bustlesandspurs.com/to read my post on Thursday the 11th and look for the question that I'll be asking to enter your name in our book give away for a chance to win. Each week a winner will be drawn.

Happy Trails....

ROMANTIC TIMES REVIEW

2008-11-24T17:17:00.003-05:00

I can't help but share my news! I've just learned that Romantic Times Magazine has given my book, No Place For A Lady, a 4 1/2 star review! At first I wasn't sure that it meant alot, but my marketing director said that that's the highest review that they give. She said the magazine is considered "the Bible" for readers for book buying, and has a circulation of 100,000 readers.

That's pretty wonderful for a new writer, and definitely wasn't something I was expecting. I feel very honored. I've had so much support from my family,critique partners, my publisher and agent. God's hand has been involved in the entire process. The one thing I want my readers to come away with is that Christ will reveal new truths to them through reading my story. Nothing could give me greater pleasure! :)

A Writer's Recipe for Saving Time

2008-11-16T22:23:00.006-05:00

One thing is for sure for a writer. There never seems to be enough time to "get 'er done"! I want to be able to eat nutrious meals but at the same time, planning can be tricky if you are on deadline or get so involved with your work that you haven't even planned dinner. My daughter-in-law, Amy and son, Jared had us over for dinner Saturday night. They served this delicious soup that's quick and easy to make, unlike some of mine that take a lot of preparation. We loved it! You can add as much or as little red pepper to suit you're own personal taste buds. In fact, it would be the perfect soup to serve this Thanksgiving or anytime during the winter along with thick, crusty bread. Enjoy! And leave me a comment if you do decide to make it.

PUMPKIN AND BLACK BEAN SOUP

2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil,
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 C canned or packaged vegetable stock
1 can (14 ½ oz) diced tomatoes in juice
1 can (15 ½ oz) black beans, drained
2 cans (15 oz) pumpkin puree or canned pumpkin
1 C of heavy cream
1 Tbsp curry powder,
1½ tsp ground cumin,
½ tsp cayenne pepper or less depending on your taste
Coarse salt
20 blades fresh chives, chopped or snipped for garnish

Heat a soup pot over medium heat. Add oil. When oil is hot, add onion. Sauté onions 5 minutes. Add broth, tomatoes, black beans & pumpkin. Stir to combine ingredients & bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and stir in cream, curry cumin, cayenne and salt, to taste. Simmer 5 minutes, adjust seasonings and serve garnished with chopped chives.

AUTUMN DELIGHT

2008-11-06T21:11:00.005-05:00

November so far has been perfect fall weather and I relish walking through my neighborhood each afternoon admiring the canvas of God’s handiwork. His painting was so vivid that I decided to take my camera along on my walk yesterday. I took lots of shots and thought that I would post one.

As usual, I’m energized and observe the deep orange, brilliant reds, and burnished gold from the oaks, sweetgum, and maples on either side of the boulevard. I think God speaks to my heart through what I see reminding me of his goodness, and the fact that he remains faithful beyond what we humans can begin to conceive or even comprehend.

He does this in many ways, but one that’s so evident to anyone with a pair of eyes, is by ushering in fall with all its brilliancy on time without fail. The cerulean sky is cloudless and bright as I look up knowing that beyond this atmosphere is the 3rd heaven in all its splendor where He sits at the right hand of the Father. I contemplate my loved ones who’ve passed from this life, awaiting the time that they will return to this earth to reign with him right where Kind David ruled in Israel and my soul is comforted. Now, I ask you how cool is that? God said Heaven is My throne and earth is My footstool, from where He observes "the poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word". (Isaiah 66:1-2). He’s not saying that we should be scared of him, but rather that we take His Word seriously and be humbled at His sovereignty.

There are 3 heavens. One is the atmosphere where the birds, the wind and clouds are. The 2nd heaven is the celestial heaven where the sun, moon and our solar system hangs. The 3rd heaven is where God dwells. He has placed eternity in our hearts and nothing else will entirely satisfy us while we have our temporary existence here.

I’m reminded that my hope is in Heaven and not Washington. Have you considered this?

THE FLOWER OF GRASS

2008-10-12T14:53:00.004-04:00

Already a fan of Jim Robinson’s music and his autobiography, Prodigal Song: Memoir, I knew that I would like his fiction work as well. The Flower of Grass is poignantly written in beautiful literary style in every sense of the word. It’s a story of love, loss, faith and ultimately learning to face our fears. The characters are vibrant and real, exposing the true core of their being to light, with superb imagery and detail. The story is thought provoking, showing us the internal depth of relationships from several points of view. Jim’s prose has a unique gift of conveying emotions and evoking sympathy on a level of deep personal reflection and pain with the healing power of redemption. Jim told me that his title came from I Peter 1:24, "For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away..."This book is not to be missed. It will touch your heart. To learn more about Jim's books and music, check out his website. http://www.prodigalsong.com/ and
http://www.jameserobinson.com/

WHERE THE HEART LEADS

2008-10-08T17:12:00.003-04:00

Finally! The long awaited sequel to Waiting for Summer’s Return. In Where the Heart Leads, Thomas Ollenburger has just graduated from college as a journalist after living in Boston. He returns to his hometown of Hillsboro, KS for which he intends to be only a brief visit since he left his heart with beautiful Daphne in Boston. He struggles to tell his father that he intends to go back to Boston for a job at the newspaper when he learns that his father had to sell their homestead and mill. His father insists on finding Thomas a temporary job in roofing until he decides what he wants to do with his degree, never once thinking that Thomas may not want to stay in Kansas.

Thomas discovers that Belinda has grown into a lovely young lady while he was away and he begins to have doubts about the future that he has planned with Daphne—for more than one reason. He is torn between his familiar Kansas home life and the exciting life of journalism and politics of the big city of Boston.

Kim Sawyer’s books always take you right to the heart of the matter where true character is born. Throw in believable characters and several surprising plot twists, and you having the making of a great character driven story. True to her style, Gentle Stories of Hope, Sawyer shows us the struggle with following our heart’s desires and seeking God’s will for the future. I really enjoyed this sequel!