JO HUDDLESTON'S

 TopA GOOD READ
Newsletter For Readers and Writers

August 2012  

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Greetings!

  

Jo Huddleston

Welcome and thank you for sharing your time with me. Those of you who signed up for my newsletter since last time, thank you for subscribing. 

This month ... 

 

In Guest Gab: An interview with Jordyn Redwood, author of Proof.  

 

In Writing Wisdom: Tips on learning to write. 


In What Am I Reading:  Announcement of the winner of last newsletter's book giveaway drawing and I review another book.
 

In Book Buzzings: Highlight of five recent novels.

Check Inspirational Insights to read my thoughts
on sensitive awareness.

If you have any comments or suggestions about this newsletter, please go to my website and click the Contact tab at the top to let me hear from you.
 
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Thanks to all who have been reading my BLOG and thanks to those who leave a comment

 

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Quality Quote

 

 

"Manners are a sensitive awareness of the feelings of others.

If you have that awareness, you have good manners,

no matter what fork you use." --Emily Post

  

 

 

BookBook Buzzings

Yours and Mine

 

 

Let me know your five favorite novels and their authors and I'll include them here. Your last name is optional.

 

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My book America: Her Hope for the Future is now available (99 cents!) for the Kindle here. The print edition is available online at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. If you read and like any of my books, I'd appreciate your writing a review on the book's Amazon and Barnes and Noble pages.Thanks.

 

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Several new releases have caught my attention lately. This month I highlight five of them: Catch Your Breath by Kathryn Bain. Ruby Dawn  by Raquel Byrnes, Kicking Eternity by Ann Lee Miller, Her Best Catch by Lindi Peterson, and Nurtured in Purple by Jude Urbanski. Below is information about these books. (Disclaimer: I may not have read these recent releases yet; just letting you know about them.)

  

  

CatchBreath Title: Catch Your Breath

Author: Kathryn Bain

Genre: Inspirational romantic suspense

Publisher: Pelican Book Group

Release Date: August 2012

Kathryn's website

Book available August 10, 2012 at Amazon, Barnes and Noble,            and Christianbook.com  

   

Calley Regan wants to get through her cousin's shower without anyone discovering her pregnancy. Riley Owens is attracted to Calley but he still lives with the memory of his finance's death. When Calley is attacked, Riley vows to protect her. He has no intention of losing another woman he loves.

  

  


Ruby DawnTitle: Ruby Dawn

Author: Raquel Byrnes

Genre: Romance/Mystery

Publisher: White Rose Publishing

Release date: 2012

Raquel's website

Book available in paperback and Nook

Book available in paperback and Kindle

  

Former street kid, Ruby McKinney reaches out to runaways through her medical clinic. Tom Masters, Ruby's first love, is now on the right side of the law and at the center of a dangerous DEA sting involving her clinic. With Tom's life in the balance and her world cast in shadows, can Ruby trust God as she once did?

  

  

 

Kicking E Title: Kicking Eternity

Author: Ann Lee Miller

Genre: General Fiction

Publisher: Create Space

Ann Lee's website

Book available in paperback and Kindle

Book available in paperback and Nook

 

Stuck in sleepy New Smyrna Beach one last summer, Raine socks away her camp pay checks, worries about her druggy brother, and ignores trouble: Cal Koomer. She's a plane ticket away from teaching orphans in Africa, but will Cal's surfer six-pack and the chinks she spies in his rebel armor will derail her. 

 

 

 

BestCatch Title: Her Best Catch
Author: Lindi Peterson
Genre: Romance
Publisher: Bell Bridge Books
Release date: 2011
Lindi's website
Book available in paperback and Kindle

Faith, romance, family and friendship mix in this debut novel. An Atlanta accountant and a professional baseball player meet at Sunday School and sparks fly. But his world is unpredictable and unanchored while hers is staid and dependable. Tan two opposites prove that they're meant for each other?   
 
 
 
NurturedPurple Title: Nurtured in Purple
Author: Jude Urbanski
Publisher: Desert Breeze Publications
Genre: Romance
Release date: 2012
Jude's website
Book available in Nook
Book available in Kindle

Seth Orbin faces potential loss of wife Kate and child while Willard Wittenberg maneuvers to ruin Seth's business.
Willard and Elizabeth Koger marry, but her flame for Seth has never died. Can Seth and Kate, modeling God's grace and forgiveness, bring hope and light to Willard and Elizabeth, both so needy of God's redeeming love?
 

 

 

  

  

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 GuestGab Guest Gab

Interview with Jordyn Redwood,
author of Proof

 

 

Jordyn Our guest today is Jordyn Redwood, author of Proof. Jordyn has specialized in critical care and emergency nursing for nearly two decades. She is a member of both the American Association of Critical Care Nurses and the American Christian Fiction Writers association. This is her first novel. Jordyn has graciously given me a copy of Proof, which one subscriber to this newsletter will win.

 

 

 

 

JO: You are a critical care nurse by day, novelist by night. Has one role influenced the other? If yes, how so?

 

JORDYN: Each career definitely influences the other. Nursing gives me first hand experiences from which to develop plots for my novels--in fact a patient experience I had directly influenced the killer's method in Poison, the second book in the Bloodline Trilogy. Working with people at some of the worst moments of their lives gives a very realistic point for drawing characters and how they react in stressful situations. Writing gives me an outlet to release the emotions I have from work onto paper.

 

JO: You've been helping other authors write medically accurate fiction through your blog Redwood's Medical Edge for a while. What made you decide to write a novel yourself and why blog in this particular area?

 

JORDYN: My dreams of writing a novel came before the blog--ever since I could write sentences I've been writing stories. When it became that time in the pursuit of publication to think about my online presence and blogging--I wanted to do something unique (doesn't everyone?) There were plenty of marvelous authors blogging about the writing craft, writing life, Christian life and I didn't feel like I could offer anything new. What I found myself doing naturally was answering medical questions for other writers. From this the blog idea was born. A quick search at the time and I didn't find anyone else blogging in that area--though I have found a few now. 

 

Proof JO: The antagonist you've created in Proof possesses a secret that most cannot understand. Does the secret give him power? Or are his maniacal actions provoked by something else? How dangerous is power when it's left in the hands of someone who cannot control it?

 

JORDYN: Wow, these are excellent questions. Can a secret give you power? Yes, absolutely. Particularly if you know how to wield it as a weapon--which the villain does in Proof. Are his actions provoked by something else? This can delve into a discussion on a whole other level. Is evil born or is it created from the environment of which the child is raised? In Proof, the evilness of the villain does stem from childhood--was created in a sense. But, was there a seed already there and in the right environment--it grew into what the villain became? I think in real life, we can see that power can be very dangerous in the hands of someone who maybe can control it but wants to abuse it--doesn't want to live peacefully. Isn't this the basis for many wars? I want to have what I want and I'll force my will about it onto others.

 

JO: Your protagonist isn't exactly innocent as she seeks her own version of justice. Where is the line of good and evil in your characters?

 

JORDYN: The line of good and evil for my characters is positioned from where their moral center is. Lilly is not a believer. Not only does she question the existence of God but the goodness of such a being. I think this is where ethics are individually influenced by. For instance, there is the law if man is punishable by man and then the moral code of God for which we are held responsible--as a Christian believes. In Proof, I try to show a difference between the actions of these two viewpoints. Lilly, as an unbeliever, chooses to do some things that a believer would not. However, as she journeys toward a position of faith--does this influence her decision making? You'll have to read to find out...

 

JO: Law enforcement officials typically see DNA as conclusive proof (pun-intended) that will hold up in a court of law. Your book suggests that human methods of proving guilt may not be as irrefutable as we all thought. Is this a topic of concern for our justice system? Or is it merely just a good story for a novel?

 

JORDYN: I do think this should be an area of concern for law enforcement that the DNA picture may not always be so clear. In the research I did for Proof, the potential for the DNA mystery to occur is said to increase with the use of in vitro fertilization. If we think about how many pregnancies start this way in this day and age--there could be a small percentage of criminals that have this genetic anomaly. Unfortunately, it's a known unknown--as Rumsfeld would say. I may have to amend that--it's likely not on the forefront of a police investigator's mind. They'll read the DNA results as they stand. So, maybe it is an unknown how many potential criminals have this but it is medically/statistically possible that there would be some.

 

JO: Evil, the struggle for power, and the shortcomings of our judicial system make your novel a page turner for every reader, not just the faith-based community. How important is it for Christian authors to write about themes that affect us all? Is it more difficult to make your writing authentic for both audiences?

 

JORDYN: I think Christian authors will naturally write about themes that affect us all--just from a Christian worldview. I know I can't help it personally as my worldview is the root of my viewpoints and how I relate so my writing draws from this.

 

JO: I think the challenge for a Christian author is to write authentically of the themes that affect humanity as a whole but offer an alternative to the thought of "well, that's just how it is." Why is it that way? Why are there war, famine, disease, divorce, murder and mayhem? What does it stem from? Is there evil...I mean true evil? Where did it come from? If there is evil...is there goodness...true goodness in its purest form? Is that God?

 

JORDYN: I think the ultimate challenge falls to Christian publishers to allow these stories--grittier, life struggling stories to be seen by readers. Thankfully, this is happening more and more.

 

JO: Where can our audience find out more about you and your books?

 

JORDYN: I can be found at www.jordynredwood.com or e-mail me at jredwood1@gmail.com. My medical blog for writers is at www.redwoodsmedicaledge.com.

 

 

Thank you, Jordyn, for this interesting interview and spending time with my readers. Your book is a page-turner. Can't wait for your next novel, Poison. Thanks again for the copy of Proof that one of my subscribers will win.

   

 

 

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WhatReadingWhat Am I Reading?
 
Let me know what you've read that really impressed you, tell why in about 100 words, and I'll include it here. Giving your name is optional.

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If you enjoy this newsletter pass it on to someone else who might also enjoy it: at the end of this email just click "Forward Email."


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To select winners in my drawings from active subscribers of this newsletter I use Random.org. If you're a winner, the rules are simple: I'll email winners asking for their mailing address and get the book out to them. You must be eighteen, U.S. addresses only, void where prohibited. The odds of winning depend upon the number of subscribers. I and members of my family are not allowed to enter the giveaway. (See Disclaimers for complete details.)


The
winner from the last newsletter drawing for a copy of Rainbow's End by Cara Putman is Carolyn
. Congratulations! 

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On August 25, I'll draw a winner from current subscribers for a copy of Proof by Jordyn Redwood.

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Chair I've read The Chair by James L. Rubart, B&H Books, 2011, 382 pages. Corin runs an antique store. When an elderly lady he doesn't know brings him a chair and says it was made Jesus Christ, Corin really doesn't believe her. She tells him he must always keep the chair and guard it by all means. When a boy sits in the chair and is cured of his asthma Corin wonders if the chair was truly made by Jesus. As the word spreads about the chair, Corin faces the temptation of wealth to sell it. Rubart is a great storyteller who weaves within this book mystery, romance, danger, betrayal, forgiveness, and family loyalty. If you haven't read one of Rubart's books, what are you waiting for? A good read.

 

 

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WritingWisdomWriting Wisdom

Learning to Write

by Alfred Adler

 


Alfred Adler

Alfred Adler, 1870-1937, was an 
Austrian medical doctor and psychologist

 

  

"What do you first do when you learn to swim [write]? You make mistakes, do you not? And what happens? You make other mistakes, and when you have made all the mistakes you possibly can without drowning--and some of them many times over--what do you find? That you can swim [write]. Well-- life [writing] is just the same as learning to swim! Do not be afraid of making mistakes, for there is no other way of learning how to live [write]!"

 

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Clean Chuckle
 

  gasstation

                  

Did you hear the one about the woman who begged her husband to take her somewhere expensive for a change? He drove her to the corner gas station.

  

 

 

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InspThoughtsInspirational Insight
Sensitivity by Jo Huddleston


I feel sure you remember this rhyme from your childhood: "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me." 

 

Let's talk a little about this well-know rhyme. Do you believe it? Or do you think it is a lie? Have you ever had hurt feelings caused by words thrown your way?
 
Many of us have experienced hurt feelings caused by another's words. So, yes, words can hurt us. Sometimes these hurt feelings remain inside us and fester into a feeling of inferiority and doubting our worth.
 
Some of us may have used our words to hurt someone's feelings. I hope not, but if so, we should have thought before we spoke. The Bible speaks many, many times about the mouth/tongue and how very difficult it is to tame the tongue. You've probably heard the term "tongue lashing." To me, that means a stream of words coming from the mouth directed at another with negative or unfounded thoughts.
 
If someone has hurt our feelings with their words, we've probably thought they should have given serious thought to their words before speaking. And we should strongly weigh our words or thoughts before they leave our mouth.
 
In the Bible story of Jesus' birth (Luke 2) Joseph and Mary went to Bethlehem to register for the census. At the same time the angels appeared to the shepherds, telling them of the birth of the Christ child. The shepherds went into Bethlehem to find the child, telling all about their encounter with the heavenly hosts. Everyone who heard them were amazed. Then we read this verse: "But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart." (Luke 2:19)
 
I've tried to hold onto that verse telling of Mary's behavior. A young girl, yet she was mature enough to hold her tongue and pondered the things she heard. If we would ponder more and speak less, there would probably be fewer hurt feelings among us.
 
Can we decide to be sensitive to others' feelings? Can we determine to hold our tongue and give considerably more thoughts to what we speak? We don't enjoy getting our feelings hurt. We would do well to turn that around and consider the feelings of those to whom we speak. 

 

"Manners are a sensitive awareness of the feelings of others.

If you have that awareness, you have good manners,

no matter what fork you use." --Emily Post

 

 

   

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© 2012 Jo Huddleston. All rights reserved.


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