Guest Margaret Daley: 5 Ways to Avoid an Alligator Attack

I'm thrilled and honored to have Margaret Daley, multi-published, award-winning author and president of ACFW, as my blog guest today. Show her some love!

Margaret Daley, an award-winning author of seventy-five books, has been married for over forty years and is a firm believer in romance and love. When she isn’t traveling, she’s writing love stories, often with a suspense thread and corralling her three cats that think they rule her household. To find out more about Margaret visit her website at http://www.margaretdaley.com.

5 Ways to Avoid an Alligator Attack
What in the world does avoiding an alligator attack have to do with writing? This September I have two books out with swamps in them--From This Day Forward (swampy land around Charleston and the river in 1816) and Hidden in the Everglades (I don’t have to tell you where that swamp is). You can’t have a story with a swamp in it and not have something about alligators. They thrive in swamps. In fact, alligators used to be an endangered species but have made a big comeback--one of our success stories for saving a species from dying out. Although I wouldn’t want to be swimming alongside an alligator, I’m glad they were saved from extinction. The species is 65 million years old. They were roaming this earth when dinosaurs were. That’s cool.

So how do you avoid alligators?

1.  Don’t go to Florida or Louisiana. They have a large population of the animals. Other states have some, too. Even Oklahoma where I live does. But those two states have large swamps. Remember alligators love the swamps.

2.  Since they are found in the southeastern part of the United States, don’t go swimming at night. The usually feed and hunt at that time. I would prefer not being their next meal so I think I’ll stay out of the water. I will point out here alligators rarely attack human. They go for easier marks--smaller than they are.

3.  If by some reason you do get caught by an alligator and he drags you into the water, you have a VERY short time to do something before it drowns you. It can hold his breath up to an hour. I can hold mine about a minute. So what do you do? Pound on the gator’s nose and head and stick your thumbs in its eyes (that is a very sensitive area for it--hey, me too). Don’t give up the fight until it hopefully releases you.

4.  If it doesn’t release you when you pound and gouge its eyes, then play dead. The gator will release before eating you. Then you might have a chance to get away.

5.  If one gives chase briefly (it won’t chase you around), it’s a myth to run in a zigzag. Alligators don’t like to give chase and a human can outrun them even in a straight line. They can’t maintain their fast burst of speed like a cheetah. They like to wait patiently in the water for their prey.

Hidden in theEverglades:

Bodyguarding is Kyra Morgan’s business--but this was supposed to be a vacation. Still, she can’t refuse the request from childhood friend and neighbor Michael Hunt. Michael’s sister Amy ran away after witnessing a murder. Michael needs Kyra’s help to find her and keep her safe. Yet as Kyra and Michael follow the trail along the Florida coast, their search grows more dangerous by the day. Terrorists are at work, and the stakes are perilously high. It will take everything they have--including trust they’re both reluctant to give--to escape the Everglades alive.

From This Day Forward:

Rachel Gordon is stranded in South Carolina, pregnant, a recent widow when her husband fell overboard on the voyage to America. Nathan Stuart, a physician who came home from serving in the American army during the War of 1812, disenchanted with his life and the Lord, rescues Rachel and saves her life. Feeling responsible for her, Nathan tries to discourage her from living at a rundown farm her husband bought to start a new future in America. He wants her to return to England.

Rachel refuses to go back to England where her father disowned her for marrying against his wishes. The farm is all she has, and she is determined to make it on her own. But Nathan has other ideas and becomes her farmhand to discourage her from staying in America. Instead he ends up protecting her and being challenged by her. Can two wounded people heal each other?


Your Turn: Share a fun fact you know about Margaret or one of her books for an opportunity to win a Margaret Daley novel! 

Guest Post: Sandra Orchard--Marketing: It Doesn't Have to be Painful

I'm excited to host my friend and fellow Love Inspired author, Sandra Orchard, on my blog today.

Sandra Orchard lives in rural Ontario, Canada where inspiration abounds for her romantic suspense novels set in the fictional Niagara town she's created as their backdrop. Married with three grown children, when not writing, she enjoys hanging out with family, brainstorming new stories with fellow writers, and hiking or kayaking in God's beautiful creation. She’s an active member of American Christian Fiction Writers, The Word Guild, and several RWA chapters.

Marketing: It Doesn't Have to be Painful

For most writers, the word marketing is akin to the sound of fingernails scraped down a chalkboard. But with a month-long book launch behind me, I’m here to assure you that marketing can be a lot of fun, even if you don’t have a publisher with an unlimited budget willing to jet you off to whatever exotic location your novel is set in to do some fabulous publicity stunt.

No, gaining publicity can be as simple as locking out your roommate.

Yes, for those who attended ACFW, I am the Sandra Orchard who forgot her roommate!

But wasn’t that a great publicity stunt?

It wasn’t deliberate, of course, but a perfect example of how we can turn our foibles into fun marketing opportunities.

For those of whom my reputation hasn’t preceded me, and to set the record straight for the others, here’s what really happened: I had a different roommate for the first night of the ACFW conference. The next morning, she checked into her new room, but the hotel didn’t check her out of mine, so it remained in her name instead of mine.

Okay… I hadn’t remembered to add my second roommate’s name to the reservation when I checked in, either. I blame that on Air Canada cancelling my morning flight, but that’s another story.

So when roommate number 2 arrived the next afternoon, the hotel staff couldn’t find her name OR mine in their system!

With 750 people at the conference, roommate #2 had little hope of running into me, so…

Brandilynn Collins declared from the stage in the first general session that “Sandra Orchard had locked out her roommate” and could she please meet her after the session at the doors. We actually connected immediately, because she sat only a couple of tables away, but my reputation had been sealed.

The next morning, Brandilynn asked that Sandra Orchard meet her at the stage before leaving for classes, and my tablemates burst out laughing when I threw up my arms (yes, flying body parts) and said, “What did I do now?!”

Later that day I played up my newfound notoriety during the door prize giveaway. Brandilynn asked for someone who’d forgotten something important. I stood up. When she asked what I’d forgotten, I looked at her in shock disbelief and said, “My roommate!”

Needless to say, after that almost every person I met said, “Oh, you’re the one who forgot your roommate!” the moment they saw my name tag.

Of course, I’d whip out a bookmark and offer it to them saying, “It was a publicity stunt!”

Although not deliberate, it certainly worked. My book sold out, and I daresay that few attendees didn’t know my name.

When Lisa invited me to do a guest post to shamelessly promote my debut Love Inspired Suspense, Deep Cover, I had already agreed to do…um…forty-five-plus blogs in six weeks. As grateful as I felt about her enthusiastic support, I was a tad hesitant.

I don’t recommend taking on quite so ambitious a schedule, unless you don’t need to eat, sleep, or do anything but write blogs for six weeks. But I highly recommend forgetting your roommate!

For the sole blog reader who may not have heard about Deep Cover, which is in stores for another week or so, it is book 1 in my series Undercover Cops: Fighting for justice puts their lives—and hearts—on the line.

Deep Cover explores how a Christian undercover officer might handle the lying aspects of his job, including lying (for the sake of his cover) to the woman he’s falling for.

Connect with Sandra:  

Her website ~ www.SandraOrchard.com

Her blog ~ www.SandraOrchard.blogspot.com

Her author page ~ www.Facebook.com/SandraOrchard

Or to learn about future releases, you can subscribe to her newsletter ~ http://bit.ly/OrchardNews

Drawing:

And for those of you who can be bribed to feign interest in someone who would actually resort to locking out her roommate to sell a few books… On October 1^st, she’s drawing a name from all of her subscribers, blog commenters, and FB fans for a $25 gift card for the winner’s favorite online retailer.

Your Turn: What’s the best marketing strategy you’ve seen or used?

LitFUSE Blog Tour: Fairer Than Morning

Ann dreams of a marriage proposal from her poetic suitor, Eli-until Will Hanby shows her that nobility is more than fine words. 

On a small farm in 19th-century Ohio, young Ann Miller is pursued by the gallant Eli Bowen, son of a prominent family. Eli is the suitor of Ann's dreams. Like her, he enjoys poetry and beautiful things and soon, he will move to the city to become a doctor.

Ann travels to Pittsburgh, accompanying her father on business. There she meets Will Hanby, a saddle-maker's apprentice. Will has spent years eking out an existence under a cruel master and his spirit is nearly broken. But Ann's compassion lights a long-dark part of his soul. Through his encounters with Ann's father, a master saddler, Will discovers new hope and courage in the midst of tremendous adversity.

When the Millers must return to Ohio and their ministry there, Will resolves to find them, at any cost. If Will can make it back to Ann, will she be waiting?

Read an excerpt here: http://www.rosslynelliott.com/books.php

Rosslyn Elliott grew up in a military family and relocated so often that she attended nine schools before her high school graduation. With the help of excellent teachers, she qualified to attend Yale University, where she earned a BA in English and Theater. She worked in business and as a schoolteacher before returning to study at Emory University, where she earned a Ph.D. in English in 2006. Her study of American literature and history inspired her to pursue her lifelong dream of writing fiction. She lives in the Southwest, where she homeschools her daughter and teaches in children's ministry.

For more about Rosslyn, visit her website: http://rosslynelliott.com

To celebrate the release of her debut novel, Fairer Than Morning, Rosslyn Elliott is giving away two fabulous prize packages. The first is brand new KINDLE in her Fairer Than Morning Kindle Giveaway. Then on September 20th she's giving away a $200 gift certificate toward a Custom-Made Historical Reproduction Dress (from Recollections) during the Fairer Than Morning Book Club Chat Party on Facebook! Sigh...romantic. Fairer Than Morning is receiving wonderful reviews - Library Journal said, "A well-written historical series debut…". Read more reviews here. Be sure to join the fun and enter the Kindle contest - 

One winner will receive: * Kindle with Wi-Fi * Fairer Than Morning (for Kindle) To enter just click one of the icons below. But, hurry, giveaway ends on 9/19. Winner will be announced on 9/20 at Rosslyn's Book Club Facebook Party. Details and official rules can be found when entering the contest. Then be sure to RSVP for Rosslyn's Facebook Party! During the party Rosslyn will be chatting with guests, hosting a book chat about Fairer Than Morning (don't worry if you haven't read the book yet - you could win a copy!) & historical Fiction, testing your trivia skills. She'll also be giving away that $200 gift certificate toward a FABULOUS custom-made period dress from Recollections!

I received this book in exchange for participating in the blog tour. I started Fairer Than Morning, but have not had time to finish it. From the first page, Rosslyn's beautiful writing kept me turning pages. I look forward to completing the story. Buy your copy of Fairer Than Morning today! Check out the other stops in the blog tour.

Do Christians Have to Like the Will of God?

Source

Last Monday I received a phone call from the cardiac ICU where my mother had been resided for three days prior. Mom's nurse called to say her doctor decided to take her back into surgery because Mom was not progressing toward recovery as well as he had expected. Mom's aorta valve that had been replaced the previous Friday was not working the way it should. The doctor needed to open her back up, evaluate the situation, and replace or repair the valve. Because he was not doing any grafting, the surgery would not take as long as it had the first time. As with any surgery, this one included life threatening risks.

The nurse's serious words sent my heart racing and panic clawing at my chest. She promised to have Mom's doctor call with more information about the procedure. I was unable to travel to the hospital due to my work obligations, but I called my sister at her school. She and my sister-in-law traveled to the hospital to be with Mom, who was not doing well, while I made calls to our church's prayer chain and family members. I updated Twitter and Facebook. Within minutes, an outpouring of prayer support and words of encouragement filled my inbox. My panic eased knowing others were calling out to God on Mom's behalf.

With a smile pasted on my face, I went through my daily routine, but my heart cried out to God. I wanted His will to be done, but I was afraid of what His will may be. Despite Mom's strong faith and her life placed in his hands, I was not ready for Him to take her from this home to her heavenly one. I was a selfish mortal who still wanted her mommy.

Source

God is sovereign. His omniscience sees what's best for us. Jeremiah 29:11-13 states, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."

Since I'm not all-knowing like God, I didn't know what He had planned. Despite not knowing Mom's future, I had to surrender my trust and place it in His hands. His will was perfect for Mom's life, and for the rest of us. I admit it was hard. And I did it knowing I may not like what He had planned.

I'm very pleased to say Mom is recovering at our home and doing well. She's an amazing person who gives God all the glory. She's an inspiration for me to surrender my will without reservation, even without knowing the outcome.

Your Turn: So what about you? Do you find it a challenge to "Like" the will of God? How has surrendering your trust during that time strengthened your faith?