World Blog Tour!

Hello! Welcome to the next version of the World Blog Tour! 

I’m Tanya Stowe, a Christian Fiction writer with an unexpected edge. I’m a Pelican Book Group author who likes to fill my romances with the unusual…gifts of the spirit in Tender Touch and spiritual warfare in Haunted Hearts.  In Never Ending Night I explore the horrors of a Civil War battle and unravels a mystery. Tender Trust treks to the Old West. Leap of Faith brushes wings with an angel and White Christmas wraps romance in the traditions of a small town holiday. No matter where I go…on a journey through the past or contemporary adventures in new lands…be prepared for the extraordinary.

Right now, I’m working on a romantic suspense set in Santa Fe, New Mexico. It’s called Santa Fe Sunrise and involves art, flamenco and pot-hunters. Of course, Santa Fe’s unique flavor runs through the entire story like a fine silver thread.

You probably noticed, I write in a wide variety of genres…historicals, romantic suspense and the ever popular contemporary Heart’s Haven Series you see on this blog. Why do I write so many different kinds of stories? I have to say my inspiration comes from curiosity, sparked by my travels. Wherever I go, my mind asks questions. What is it like to live in a small town like this? Would I like waking up every morning and looking at that peak? What did the first settlers see here?

My first book was inspired by a motorhome trip through the California Gold country. I wanted to know why some of the boomtowns born in the gold rush survived while others disappeared. My search for answers led to the creation of my own gold town called Harperville and a book called Tender Touch. While researching Tender Touch, I read about Civil War battles in the West. I never knew battles were fought in the West, so off I went and Tender Trust was born.

While sitting in a movie theater, I heard a new type of flamenco music in the background. My mind didn’t rest until I discovered Nouveau Flamenco and found the perfect setting in Sedona, Arizona. Sedona Sunset came to life and Santa Fe Sunrise followed because, of course, I’d heard so much about the unique capital of New Mexico and had to see it for myself. Yes, curiosity is really my muse.

Imagine my concern however, when we moved to the Middle East and after six months, no story ideas came to me. I wondered if my career was over! But rest assured, it took a little longer, but Danger in Dhofar was created from pieces of information about Somalian pirates!

I think my characters rise out of my curiosity. Remember those questions I ask, like how would I like to wake up each morning and see that peak? I put myself in a setting, work out those questions and resolve the problems. That process has led to some very interesting characters like Stumpy McPherson, a 49’er trying to get by after the glory days of the rush, or willowy, wispy, Zoe Wyndham, the late-in-life love-child raised in communes.

For my characters to really work through their problems, I have to plot. When I first started writing, I had interesting characters but they jumped from one event to the next without any real purpose and never resolved anything! Plotting helped me to settle those bouncing motivations down and find not only a purpose, but a resolution to my character’s issues. With plotting, I can create multi-dimensional characters with real problems and God-inspired solutions. I love that process because it’s real life!

I’m not sure what sets me apart from other writers. I know I like lean, tight writing. I’m more interested in the stories, the people and the places than crafting words. That insatiable curiosity just won’t let me rest! It wants me to keep asking questions and moving forward…even while I’m on vacation.

I wonder whom I’ll meet and what they’ll teach me on my way to Mesa Verde. Hmmm…is that a story already in the making? I can’t wait to see!

I’ve enjoyed chatting with you on this World Tour Blog. I hope you’ve enjoyed learning a little bit more about me. Also, please join us for the next leg of the tour. Next Monday, June 23, my friend Lynn Willis will post insights on her writing life.      

Lynn Chandler-Willis has worked in the corporate world (hated it!), the television news business (fun job) and the newspaper industry (not a fan of the word "apparently" and phrase "according to"). She keeps coming back to fiction because she likes making stuff up and you just can't do that in the newspaper or television news business.

She was born, raised, and continues to live in the heart of North Carolina within walking distance to her kids and their spouses and her nine grandchildren. She shares her home, and heart, with Sam the cocker spaniel.   You’ll find Lynn’s blog at: http://lynnchandlerwillis.com/

Mary Manners is an award-winning author of inspirational romance who lives in the beautiful foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee with her husband and teen-aged daughter. She is a member of the Romance Writers of America and Smoky Mountain Romance Writers.

During the school year, she teaches middle-schoolers reading and Algebra. In her free time, she likes to garden, take long walks with her husband, and read romance novels in a hammock beneath century-old shade trees.

Mary will be posting here on the Heart’s Haven Blog. 

On Tuesday, June 24, Delia Latham will share her unique writing perspective right here on the Heart’s Haven Blog.  

Delia Latham is a Christian wife, mother, grandmother, sister and friend, but especially treasures her role as princess daughter to the King of Kings. She has a "thing" for Dr. Pepper and LOVES hearing from her readers. Delia writes inspirational romance from her home in the California mountains.

World Blog Tour

Hello Heart's Haven Friends!

Tanya Stowe here, checking in with the HH Blog to tell you about a fun event. For the next few weeks those of us at Heart's Haven, Delia, Mary, Marianne and I will be participating in a World Blog Tour. What's a WBT you ask? It's an exchange of blog sites. A friend blogs and sends her readers to visit with us. We blog and send our readers to visit others. Hopefully, readers might even get to travel round the world on their blog visits!

Today, June 9, our friend Lily Maytree will be posting on her blog site. Here's the address: http://www.lillymaytree.blogspot.com

She's running a little late because she sailing the Pacific Ocean towards Alaska. Yes, Lily is a true adventurer and she writes wonderful action/adventures with kooky heroines. Here's a little more about her.

Lilly Maytree is the author of GOLD TRAP and THE PANDORA BOX. Two books that sent her careening along on her “Mystery Tours” with her captain husband aboard the Glory B. She loves sharing these adventures with readers. It has even been said that she time-travels (but that’s probably just a rumor). You can get in touch with her through her web site at http://www.LillyMaytree.com. It might take a few days if she is adventuring far away... but she always comes back sooner, or later.

Hope you can visit Lily's site! Stay tuned! I'll be posting on June 16!

Collection #3: A Heart's Haven Easter

We're a little behind in posting the announcement here on the HH blog, but...ALL FOUR BOOKS in the Easter collection are released and available. If you've been waiting for more Heart's Haven tales, your wait is over. 

Here's what's in store:

JODIE'S SONG 
by Marianne Evans

Nothing fills Jodie Cunningham's spirit like sharing contemporary Christian music and scriptural insights on her morning drive radio show at KWJD. But lately, shes overwhelmed and depleted by family circumstances that have led her from Dallas to Angel Falls, Texas and Heart's Haven apartment complex.

Kevin Mitchell is the groundskeeper at Heart's Haven--a place famous for angelic intercession and loving connections. His uncle owns the facility, but he's ailing. Kevin eagerly chips in, and as he prepares the grounds for a spring wedding, he meets Jodie. They begin to work together to make Heart's Haven sparkle.

But just as Kevin succeeds at coaxing Jodie's heart to bloom, tragedy strikes in a double dose that tests both their strength of faith and the love they've found.

Kindle
Nook
Publisher-direct (PDF, ePub, MOBI)


WOUNDED GRACE
by Tanya Stowe

Madison Harper is glad to be alive after a devastating accident. She loves her new community, too. There's something peaceful about the Heart's Haven cottages. Madison wakes up every morning, praising the Lord and basking in constant sunshine--until the day Andrew Hart collapses from a massive heart attack and dies.

When widower Vance Mallory arrives to help his sister bury her husband. He and Madison agree to bury the hatchet from their turbulent past. But no matter how hard they try, they seem to bring out the worst in each other. Their verbal battles uncover too many old hurts, mistaken paths, and hidden feelings.

Can these two embittered souls ever hope to find peace and healing or has the healing peace of Heart's Haven died with Mr. Hart?

Kindle
Nook
Publisher-direct (PDF, ePub, MOBI)



DESIGNED BY LOVE
by Mary Manners

Traci Stanton's dream is to own a cake shop. The cramped kitchen at her Heart's Haven apartment isn't exactly an ideal space for creating her masterpieces. Plus her new neighbor, Dylan, has become a constant distraction with his DJ business and the ever-present explosion of event music as he tweaks playlists. Dylan Jones blew into Angel Falls like a hurricane desperate to leave the memories of a mission gone awry. A former Navy SEAL, he's got no desire to live with deadlines and boundaries or to take orders from anyone--ever again. If only Traci would quit distracting him with the aroma of her sweet confections and lilting voice singing hymns as she works.

Dylan has no place for the God who let him down and claimed the life of his fellow SEALs.

Will Dylan ever leave the past--and his anorexic faith--behind and allow God to calm the raging storm in his soul?

Kindle
Nook
Publisher-direct (PDF, ePub, MOBI)


LOVE IN THE WINGS
by Delia Latham

Church secretary and praise team leader, Aria Robbins isn't happy when she has to work with the new youth minister. She also has to grin and bear it when he moves into the cottage next to hers at Heart's Haven...but she doesn't have to like him. Truth is, she'd be much happier if Corbin Bishop would take his charm and his big, fancy ideas right back to Austin where he belongs.

When a spiritual attack on Angel Falls lands Aria and Corbin on the battlefront as part of a team of prayer Warriors in God's Service (WINGS), they must fight for their town, their church, and their pastor, and Aria sees Corbin in a whole new light.

But emotional scars from an unspeakable childhood have distorted Corbin's acceptance of certain Scriptural truths, and Aria won't trust her heart in the hands of a man whose faith is unsure. Aria wraps her prayer wings around him tightly. Will Corbin finally trust God to heal his soul?

Kindle
Nook
Publisher-direct (PDF, ePub, MOBI)


We hope you enjoy the Easter collection. DO share your thoughts with us! We love hearing from our readers.

Next up: Heart's Haven Babies (Release dates pending)

A Heart's Haven Easter Collection!

Were you wondering if another Heart's Haven collection was in the offing? Well...the answer is YES!

We're so excited about the new Heart's Haven Easter collection coming this Spring. We've decided we simply cannot wait until then to share our lovely new covers with you, so.... 

It's a COVER REVEAL day on our Facebook page, Feb. 4th! We'll be giving away the entire set of Heart's Haven Holiday books (the previously released collection shown at left)...and maybe even an extra prize or two to make it even more exciting.

Don't miss this fun, "revealing" event! We'll leave the light on for you... :)

Get your FREE Heart's Haven short story!

LOVE COMES LATELY

Andrew Hart owns Heart's Haven, a cottage-rental complex where love happens and angels dwell. Somehow, the elderly bachelor has managed to escape falling in love himself—or so everyone thinks.

Widow Vivian Mallory loves the man who talks to angels, but she despairs of ever being anything more than his best friend. When Andy reveals a decades-old mistake that sentenced him to a lifetime alone and has never yet ceased to haunt him, Viv knows she has to let Andrew go and move on with her own life.

Only Grace can heal Andrew’s heart and open the door to love before Viv closes it forever.

DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE COPY!

Hearts Haven Trailer by Jayna Morrow

A sweet author friend, Jayna Morrow, created a trailer for Heart's Haven. Click the link below and enjoy!

New Heart's Haven Book Release Party

We're celebrating the release of A COWBOY CHRISTMAS at our Heart's Haven Facebook page this Friday, Dec. 13th, 7 - 10 p.m. EST. (That's 4 - 7 p.m. Pacifict Time). As always, we'll have some great giveaways, lots of fun and awesome company! 

But our Heart's Haven release is sharing the spotlight this time around with a couple of other new releases, so our celebration will be HUGE! Be ready to   also welcome LEA'S GIFT and TENDER TRUST! 

We're going to have a blast, so do NOT miss this one! We'll be watching for you...

About A COWBOY CHRISTMAS:

A mom on the run. A special child and her “imaginary” friend. A cowboy. And God. Heart’s Haven is at it again…

Layne Mabrey is on the run.

Her ex-husband wants to have six-year-old Chloe institutionalized, but Layne will go to any lengths to keep her Down's Syndrome child.

Dex Beckett falls immediately in love with both Layne and Chloe, but Layne can't afford to get close to anyone—not even the shy, gentle cowboy next door. She and Chloe have to be ready to run…again.

Concerned that Chloe's sudden creation of an imaginary friend could be used to substantiate her father’s claims, Layne is shocked when Dex offers an unbelievable opinion about the child’s invisible visitor. But there's more to Heart's Haven than meets the eye. Is it possible a Christmas miracle awaits Layne and Chloe on the Heart's Haven Angel Tree?

About LEA'S GIFT:

At twenty-one, Lea Dale is well-adjusted and happy, despite the facial scars she's carried since infancy. She has friends in high places (with a connection to angels); possesses colorful vision (since for some reason she can see auras around folks); and her family and friends adore her. Corrective surgery is a possibility, but not one Lea has felt the need to consider…until wealthy investor Laren Meadows walks into her life and turns it upside down. Suddenly, Lea is painfully conscious of her lack of perfection, given Laren's flawless looks and ultra-charming personality. What a blessing that he's attracted to her despite her scars—and even her special angel seems to approve of the match.

Then a secret from Laren's past threatens to destroy any hope of a future for the two of them. Now there's only one way for Lea to know if Laren's love is true, but taking that action could mark the end of their relationship.

Can love survive such a tangled mess of physical and emotional scars?

About TENDER TRUST:

Life has not been kind to Penny Layton. Her childhood was destroyed by a mother who abandoned her. She later finds the love of her life in Alex Marsden, but a madman and a dangerous mob separate them. She eventually finds him, only to have the Civil War drag her young husband from her arms yet again.

Alex’s faith, and the belief that God will reunite him with his wife and baby, keeps him alive during the war . But when he finally tracks down his little family, will his faith be strong enough to convince a bitter and broken Penny that they are meant to be together…this time forever?