Help with Your Christmas List

I want to give an early Christmas gift to my readers as a way to show my gratitude.

If you’re like me, you sometimes struggle to find unique, personalized, inexpensive gifts for some of your Christmas list.

To help you out, I’m offering a special service during December. You can go to Signed By the Author and order a copy of The Secret Life of Becky Miller as a Christmas gift. I’ll hand-write a personalized greeting and signature to the recipient (Signed by the Author will ask you who the book should be personalized to). AND I’ll include a FREE beautiful hand-stamped book mark, and a lovely hand-stamped Christmas gift card and envelope for you to use when you give the gift.

Who might appreciate a signed book for Christmas? Do you know anyone who could use a humorous story that offers reassurance that their life has value and that they are making a difference?

Friends in Bible study groups.
A Secret Santa gift exchange.
Your daughter’s dance teacher.
Your son’s piano teacher.
Your child’s classroom teacher.
A neighbor expecting her third child.
A new mom.
Church youth group leader.
Your pastor’s wife.
Your sister or sister-in-law.
Your church’s Women’s Ministry co-ordinator.

BLESSINGS!
Sharon
www.sharonhinck.com

RESTORER Cover!

The wonderful artists and designers at NavPress have been hard at work on the cover for the first book in my fantasy series. I'm delighted with their final art. It captures the protagonist's uncertainty as well as determination. It hints at the juxtaposition of a contemporary suburban mom in a fantastical setting. And of course, swords are cool. :-)

One of the challenges was to attract readers of CBA fantasy, but also appeal to a broader audience. This is a book about one woman's faith journey, and has hit a chord with my test readers who are normally scared to try sci-fi or fantasy novels. Three cheers for NavPress for being willing to try this strange genre-blending-break-the-rules series, and also for producing such a beautiful cover.

Another cool aspect of this series - the manuscripts were completed before being contracted, so NavPress is able to release them in quick successsion. The Restorer is due out in May, 2007. Restorer's Son in September, 2007, and Restorer's Journey in December 2007.

I began this story about four years ago, answering a stirring in my heart to write. Although I studied writing in grad school, and had published in magazines and book compilations, I still felt like pursuing the dream to write and publish a novel was akin to "fly to Jupiter" or "star in a Broadway show."

I wrote because God asked me to. I wrote because the characters came to life and needed their story told. I wrote knowing full well the odds of anyone ever reading it were astronomical. When I see a real-live cover for this book, I'm filled with awe at the ability God has to bring about impossible things through flawed and ordinary people. I thank Him for who He is - a God of wonders.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Sharon Hinck

Thanksgiving Gift to Book Group Leaders

The past several months have been a blur of speaking engagements, signings, visits with store managers, and interviews - all to support my publisher's efforts in getting word out about The Secret Life of Becky Miller.

It's time for me to focus more energy into my writing, so I'll be staying home and writing for the next two months.

However, I still want to continue spreading the word about The Secret Life of Becky Miller, because I know her story speaks to so many women who feel overwhelmed and doubt that their lives are making a difference.

So, I'm offering a special Thanksgiving gift to any Book Group Leaders (neighborhood, church, library, women's organization, or whatever!). If you are a Book Group Leader and your group has not already discussed The Secret Life of Becky Miller, please contact me:

s.hinck@comcast.net

Tell me about your book group, and give me your mailing address, and WHILE SUPPLIES LAST, I'll send you a FREE copy of The Secret Life of Becky Miller AND a discussion guide.

Happy Thanksgiving, Book Group Leaders!

If you aren't a Book Group Leader, but know one, please tell them about my blog so they can contact me before I run out of books.

Blessings!
Sharon Hinck
www.sharonhinck.com

Landon Snow

BLOG TOUR TIME!





First, congratulations to Valerie who won a copy of Real Women Scrap in my drawing last week.

Now on to this week's Blog Tour for R.K. Mortenson.

I confess I came to this book planning to like it. Author Randy Mortenson had graciously helped me out with some research on the Navy chaplaincy for one of my works-in-progress, and after we chatted, I suspected I'd enjoy his new book, Landon Snow and the Island of Arcanum.

I was delighted to discover I was right.

His similes were fun. "They had all converged here for seemingly no reason and bumped into each other, bouncing away to different doorways like billiard balls retreating to their pockets."

I enjoyed his imaginative transition from "real world" to "fantasy world" as a library flooded with water and a statue of a boat became a boat.

I also liked the symbol of the book that literally steered the ship. Bridget's line "I don't think we should ever close the book" spoke on several levels, along with the powerful line, "Who would have guessed a single book could move the whole world?"

Since this was my first Landon Snow book, when the children met characters from past stories, I felt a little like a spouse at my husband's office parties--trying to keep track of names and wishing I knew more about them. But for the most part, I had no trouble jumping in to the story with this third book.

Friends of mine with middle-school children are often searching for books that will interest their young readers and stir a creative spark. They particularly have trouble finding books for their sons. This series is one I'll be happy to recommend.

What are some of your favorite imaginative-world middle-school books? Madeleine L'Engle continues to be at the top of my list with A Wrinkle in Time and her other books. C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia are, of course, a classic. I also recommend George MacDonald's shortstory collections like The Light Princess (C.S. Lewis was influenced by MacDonald's work, if I'm remembering correctly).

Please post a few of your favorite children's fantasy books in the comment section!


Feel free to hop around the cyber-world and visit other sites that will be discussing Landon Snow this week. Other Blogs participating in our tour include:

Jim Black
Jackie Castle
Valerie Comer
Frank Creed
Gene Curtis
Chris Deanne
April Erwin
Janey DeMeo
Beth Goddard
Todd Michael Greene
Leathel Grody
Karen Hancock
Katie Hart
Sherrie Hibbs
Sharon Hinck
Joleen Howell
Jason Joyner
Karen and at Karen’s myspace
Oliver King
Tina Kulesa
Lost Genre Guild
Kevin Lucia
Rachel Marks
Shannon McNear
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Caleb Newell
John Otte
Cheryl Russel
Hannah Sandvig
Mirtika Schultz
Stuart Stockton
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Chris Walley
Daniel I. Weaver

Blessings!
Sharon Hinck
The Secret Life of Becky Miller (Bethany House 6/2006)
Renovating Becky Miller (Bethany House 2/2007)
The Restorer (NavPress 5/2007)

Mall of America Panel

Last Friday I joined seven other Christian authors in a panel discussion sponsored by Barnes and Noble and held in the rotunda of the Mall of America in Bloomington, MN. We discussed writing from a Christian world view, and answered questions from the audience. It was exciting to hear the events manager of Barnes and Noble share that they've seen an increased interest in Christian fiction in their store.

Today I posted at Faithchicks about moving from a "vacation" approach to my writing to a "vocation" approach. Pop on over there if you want to see it.

Congratulations to Valerie Comer who won the free copy of Real Women Scrap from last week's contest. Thanks to all who shared their "Memory Snapshots."

This week I'll be signing copies of The Secret Life of Becky Miller at Concordia Academy Bloomington, Friday, November 10, 6:30-7:30 p.m. If you live in the Twin Cities, please stop by to visit!

Blessings!

Sharon Hinck

The Secret Life of Becky Miller (Bethany House, 2006)
Renovating Becky Miller (Bethany House, 2/2007)
The Restorer (NavPress, 5/2007)