Suite T, Anyone?

I have always admired southern hospitality, and often wished I was in on some of those secrets that can make a guest--any guest--feel so welcome. It's beautiful country, too. Something I know first hand, having had the wonderful opportunity (thank you, Sally Apokedak!) to actually spend some time in the Blue Ridge Mountains, last fall, after having only visited via many months of research for a novel.

So, I felt very honored when I was invited to do a guest blog over on Southern Writers Magazine's author blog, "Suite T." It's a place where people share worthwhile tips and insights of the writing life, along with many interesting discussions on what has proved helpful in their journey. Personally, I've had a rather unusual journey. Still, I decided to share THE ONE THING that has made all the difference for me.

And while I started out to write something helpful about character development, I have to admit it turned into an explanation of why I so often end up literally "jumping into my characters' shoes" to see if life could really be lived that way. That same thing that has landed me--at this very moment--afloat on the Pacific Ocean, aboard the Glory B, in the middle of an "adventure of a lifetime." For which I can make no apologies, because everything I said in that article is absolutely true. Not only is it how I arrived at this place, but how I have every intention of continuing on.

Go to Suite T

Simply because I find being an "inspirational adventure novelist" one of the most exciting professions in the world. Utterly divine. At the same time, I believe in telling the absolute truth of the way things really are. Which is why I will be available over at the Suite T site, this evening, to answer any questions that might come up about my "divine encounter." And whether it has, or hasn't, stood "the test of time." I would love it if you would join me there, to chime in on your own opinion of the matter. 

I know you will be more than welcome!

Welcome Home, Stella!

Today is the day you can finally meet Stella Madison, dear readers. You can find her first (of many adventures),

HOME BEFORE DARK 

over at the Pelican Book Group site, where she is available for only a dollar. The Dollar Download program at our wonderful company are ebooks that you can read in one sitting. Perfect for waiting rooms, or something you can finish before bedtime. I'm very excited about this little book, myself... but then that's to be expected. 

So, in honor of Stella's birthday, I'll be giving away five copies. To enter the Captain's Hat drawing, simply leave a comment on this post (don't forget a contact email where I can reach you if you are a winner). I might also point out that since I am about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime, Stella has very graciously agreed to help us fix up the GLORY B. More on that over on my

ARMCHAIR ADVENTURERS PORTAL 

It's "Video Log Friday" over there, too, and I should have the next episode of our great adventure up by this afternoon.

Meanwhile, have a blessed weekend, and I'll be back on Monday!

How I Write Adventure Novels...

Writing about an adventure is not nearly as hard as actually going on one. For one thing, the temperatures are more stable. You don't freeze to death should you happen to fall into frigid arctic seas, or die of thirst should you get lost in a jungle. Nor do you feel  an ounce of guilt if you happen to leave one of your characters stranded in such a situation while you make a trip to the refrigerator, or maybe take a whole weekend off before you get back to them, again. You don't even lose much sleep wondering how you will get them out of the fix. 

On the other hand, even waking up with rain pouring into your tent on a family campout can be a major catastrophe. Or having more grounds than coffee in your cup of a morning, because some enthusiastic camp cook wanted to make it "the old fashioned way." I know about these things. Because I have been on a lot of adventures over the years. To tell you the truth, I happen to be on one, right now. A big one. 

I have even had some thoughts that I might not make it home, again, this time.

I wish I could say I was on some quest for the Holy Grail, but I'm not. I'm out here for my health. More specifically, I don't want to die of gold fever without ever having found any gold. However, I have learned something very important, already. The reason gold is so valuable is because it takes an amazing amount of work to extract even a little of it out of the earth. That is, unless you get lucky and find yourself a nugget. I say lucky because I equate the pull of such thoughts akin to gambling. Just a chance at it has the power to send you places you would never even consider while in your right mind. Mostly under horrid conditions, too. The fact that it has a giddy sort of contentment attached to it is a paradox.

I can talk about this objectively, right now, because I am on a temporary break from high mountain elevations, deserted mines, and wilderness streams running swift with snow-melt. I am in one of the most beautiful places in the country: the Pacific Northwest. Rocky islands with forests that reach right down to the sea. So many of them, you could hop from one to the other (if you had a good boat) all the way up to Alaska. Our next stop. There is gold in every river up there, and I have heard of a particular one that is showing lots of "color" this year. Of course, it will take quite the long time to get there that way.

Which is perfect for writing adventure fiction.

Here's a peek at the book cover of my next inspirational adventure novel. It's called THE PANDORA BOX, and has to do with the hazards of treasure hunting. Four friends, who think it will be so easy when they first start off. Except for a few strings they don't even know are attached, yet. But -- hey -- not many people are looking behind them on an adventure like this…

Ask me how I know.

THE LOST TRAVELERS…

The last winner of theCaptain's Hat drawing has been posted. Many thanks to everyone who commented, I truly enjoyed meeting you all. And now GOLD TRAP is shortly to embark on a MYSTERY TOUR. But first, a few loose ends to sort out...

In the hustle of packing for the long journey ahead, I lost a day somewhere. Time definitely got away from me, but there's no need to worry, as I always find my way back sooner, or later. However, I have also misplaced some ARMCHAIR TRAVELERS along the way, and that is most disturbing. 

Pilot error (again!), I must confess, because I apparently don't know how to set the alert mechanism on my google docs form (any suggestions, please leave them in the comment area). This is truly worse than not being able to find my other self on Facebook (I still don't understand why there has to be three of me on there), because when it is only me that is lost, at least I know I'm all right. And that I will eventually get somewhere as long as I keep paddling. But to lose a little group of my travelers is entirely unacceptable. 

So, I will be doing my utmost to gather you all up over the next week, and if you don't hear from me with your ticket information by Friday, please send up a smoke signal over on my Facebook page… or twiddle me on twitter… or make a mention in the comment section of this blog, and I will paddle right over and pick you up. 

Let me encourage you not to be deterred by this little mishap. The nice thing about armchair traveling is that you get all of the adventure without any of the risk. And the only thing the Captain and I will require of you is -- if we don't show up at one of our destinations -- that you would please tell somebody and send out the troops. But more about that, later.

This second part of our journey will be by car, so that we can explore some of the backroads of Victor, Colorado. There is a bit of an unsolved mystery there, having to do with gold. Not to mention some very important divine appointments. So, hold onto your hats, dear readers… departure is only a few days away…

THE LAST DAY…

Yesterday's winner of theCaptain's Hat drawing has been posted (if it wasn't you, try again...  I'm going to give the last ebook copy of GOLD TRAP away, today)... 


Well, it has been quite the interesting week of blog hopping (thank you John 3:16 Marketing Network!), and I have enjoyed meeting new authors and finding so many interesting books. I hope you will feel free to come back and visit me now, and again, and I especially hope you will take some time to visit my web site over at www.LillyMaytree.com. 

Within the next few days, the Captain and I will be starting the second leg of our journey, and heading for the Rocky Mountains, and we will be taking some "Armchair Travelers" right along with us. We are on the trail of some divine appointments, and any way you look at it things will be interesting. For more information on that, just drop by my "travels" page. 


And if you haven't checked out my inspirational adventure novel GOLD TRAP, you can do that over on the Books page. I will be giving away one more ebook version at the end of today, just leave a comment to enter the Captain's Hat drawing.

Meanwhile, thank you to all those who dropped by, and helped to make this "hop" a truly unique experience. I know you will be blessed with whatever choices you made. Would you do something like this, again?

I know I would!

SHHH… I'M HUNTING…

The winner of the Captain's Hat drawing for day three of the John 3:16 Blog Hop has been posted. If it wasn't you, try again!  I'm going to give another ebook copy of GOLD TRAP away, today... 

Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings

One week to look through fifty-five blogs (well, fifty-four, not counting my own) in search of my summer "traveling library." When I am sleeping out under the stars in a mountaintop ghost town that only the wild things frequent, these days, I have a feeling I will want to know How that Pulitzer Prize winning author, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings made her famous raised biscuits in an iron Dutch oven while paddling through Florida swamps on "Gator hunts." I might also want to know how you manage to get to sleep in strange places, when you have a lot of things on your mind. I know I will want some insights into scriptures I have passed over all my life and thought I understood, only to be delighted in some new perspective that will give me hours of pleasurable contemplation. These are the things about summer that I look forward to.

I also absolutely love to read true stories about people who have done amazing things. I might even go so far as to say this is my favorite type of reading material. My definition of inspirational. Five days from today, we will be starting out on the second stage of our MYSTERY TOUR, and I will officially be able to jump into my summer reading. I can tell you, right now, which book I will start with… 

It's one I have been saving back like a special box of chocolates. And I confess I have already sampled a little. I literally had to tear myself away from it and make myself pack it away for later. It is Lorilyn Roberts book CHILDREN OF DREAMS. The true story of how she set out on a dangerous adventure through foreign countries -- all by herself -- to save two precious children and make them her own. It is a miracle story, full of God's love and God's intervention on behalf of someone who was (and still is!)  brave enough to step out in faith for what He had planted in her heart. Such an amazing story, and such an amazing woman… I can't wait to read it. I'll share a review of it over at LILLY'S BOOK CLUB as soon as I finish.  

But you don't have to wait that long. You can get your own copy for free, today, by clicking on the book cover. You can start reading instantly, in fact. Then come back and tell me what you think. I bet you'll never look at motherhood the same, again.

I know I won't.

Now, I'm off to do more hopping through that wonderful network of John 3:16 bloggers. The full list of participants is on the sidebar if you are planning to do the same. Happy hopping, dear readers!

TAKE YOUR PICK…

The winner of the Captain's Hat drawing for day two of the blog hop has been posted. If it wasn't you, try again...  I'm going to give another ebook copy of GOLD TRAP away, today... 

One of my favorite activities of summer are the books I get to read for pure enjoyment. There are a lot of them. In the past, I would have to pick and choose very carefully, as I could only allow myself one suitcase for books on our summer travels. Not counting the ones I would buy along the way, because they could be shipped home along with the ones I had already read. But things are different this year. 

This is the first year I will be traveling with Kindle. And knowing this, I have been collecting enjoyable reading material, all year long. Now, there are no limits. Because on Kindle, I can take more books than I could read over the next ten years. Ahh… bliss! Here's another thing. I have started out to search only the books that are five dollars, or less. You might ask how I could bear to miss out on the truly good and current ones that are set at a much higher price. Being the book-lover that I am.

Well, I'll tell you. Most of those books go on sale, or are given away free during limited time campaigns. And I am always keeping a regular lookout for those. Finding one that I've been waiting for carries much the same thrill for me as finding some obscure treasure out of history in some far away small town thrift shop that I might be passing through. It's sort of like… 

Well, it's sort of like gold fever. Which can go terribly bad when not handled properly. Something that happened (by accident?) in my inspirational adventure novel, GOLD TRAP. But that's all I'm going to say about that, right now.

Because that, dear readers, is another story. Meanwhile, I hope you're enjoying the blog hop. Oh, yes... and if you haven't entered the Kindle drawing (remember they're giving away two), you can do that over on the John 3:16 Marketing Network.

See you tomorrow!

MORE THAN A MEMBER…

Yesterday's winner of the Captain's Hat drawing has been posted (if it wasn't you, try again...  I'm going to give another ebook copy of GOLD TRAP away, today)... 

In honor of my wonderful delight in choosing good books to read this summer, I am doubly excited to be taking part in the John 3:16 Network Blog Hop. This is aside from the fact that I am a member, and a blog participant, and hosting a drawing and giveaway, right here on my own blog (rules and prizes on my sidebar). What I am talking about now, though, is my own hunt for some good summer reading. 

While I don't stop working entirely during the summer, I do cut way back on the work load, in order to take some time out for divine appointments, and adventuring to mysterious places.  As well as some long awaited reading for pure enjoyment. For this, I have been collecting books all year long. Most of which have little to do with my own writing, and much to do with my many various interests in life. 

Like how do country people in the south of France make homemade yogurt? Or when is the best time to sail through "The Minkies" without ending up on the rocks. What gave Sarah Bernhardt the courage to go head to head with a Nazi commander in a life or death situation and survive only because of divine intervention? I wonder about these things. To tell you the truth, I delight in them.  Because I have brought something back into my own life from each of the entertaining books that has enriched my own home, as well as who I am as a person.

Like my favorite dessert cake. The recipe for which I got from a peasant woman who lived in Brittany during the Edwardian Era. I remember her every time I make that cake, and it is one of life's small pleasures for me. My life (like most) is made up of many small things. Taking the initiative to choose what to add to my collection of small things has made me feel like a very rich woman. So, enjoy yourselves, dear readers, as you hop along looking for something to add to your own collection of small things. I know I certainly will. Oh, yes, and don't forget...

A complete list of blog participants is posted on my sidebar for your convenience in hopping to your next blog from here. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Welcome John 3:16 Blog Hoppers!

The first day has finally arrived, dear readers, and as one of the members of this great network of Christian Authors, I am excited to share this event with you! We have come together this week to showcase our books and to give you, our readers, a chance to win some great prizes as you "hop" from blog to blog. A different prize is offered at each blog site (no purchase necessary), however if you want to have a chance to win one of two Kindles the network is giving away, the only requirement is that you sign up for the John 3:16 ezine newsletter. (Located at the top right side column of the John 3:16 blog site.)

(See official rules here.)

At the other blogs, each author will require that you leave a comment (and a valid email address) so they may contact you if you win a prize offered on their blog site.

May I also suggest that you show your love and appreciation to each blog host by either following them on Twitter, or "liking" them on Facebook or even subscribing to their blog. It won't help your odds of winning a prize but I know each author would be thrilled and very encouraged!

Here on my blog I will be giving away an ebook copy of my inspirational adventure novel, GOLD TRAP, to one commenter, each day of the blog hop (check the sidebar for details). I will also keep a list of the rest of the blog hop participants, as well, so it will be easy for you to continue "hopping" from here. 

So, tell your friends about the John 3:16 Giveaway Blog Hop! Not only is it going to be a great week of fun, but it is also a wonderful opportunity for you to personally meet some very special writers. Ready? Happy hopping!