Thursday, January 28, 2016

21 DAYS OF LOVE - Kathy Ide, Editor - One Free Book

Dear Readers, I first became acquainted with Kathy Ide when she was the editor for my book Pirate’s Prize. Then we met face to face at an intimate writer’s retreat in Texas. Since there were only about a dozen women there, we really got to know each other. We have been friends since then. I’ve been included in several of her collections. I used the 21 Days of Christmas devotional book in December. I’m looking forward to using 21 Days of Love. Several of my favorite authors have selections in this one.

Bio: Kathy Ide is a published author/ghostwriter, editor/mentor, and writers’ conference speaker. In addition to being the author of Proofreading Secrets of Best-Selling Authors, she is the editor/compiler for the new Fiction Lover’s Devotional series. Kathy is the founder and coordinator of The Christian PEN: Proofreaders and Editors Network (www.TheChristianPEN.com) and the Christian Editor Connection (www.ChristianEditor.com). To find out more about Kathy, visit www.KathyIde.com

Welcome back, Kathy. Tell us a little about yourself.
I’ve been writing for publication since 1989, and I’ve been a full-time freelance editor since 1998. I teach at writers’ conferences across the country, and I’m the director of the Orange County Christian Writers Conference. I’m also the founder and director of two organizations for freelance editors: the Christian Editor Connection and The Christian PEN: Proofreaders and Editors Network.

You’ve created a Fiction Lover’s Devotional series. What inspired you to gather a collection of short fiction stories to be used as devotions?
I’ve always loved Christian fiction, and I’ve seen the power of fiction to touch hearts and change lives, both firsthand and hearing about the experiences of others. But you know, in my quiet times with the Lord, reading a chapter from a novel just doesn’t seem quite appropriate. So a devotional with short fiction stories seemed like a great solution.

Tell us about the books in this series.
Each one contains 21 short fiction stories, followed by brief life applications, each written by a different author. Some contributors are best sellers, some are mid-range authors, and some are new writers. The first book was 21 Days of Grace: Stories that Celebrate God’s Unconditional Love. That came out June 1, 2015. The second book, 21 Days of Christmas, came out September 1st.

Tell us about this third book, 21 Days of Love.
21 Days of Love: Stories that Celebrate Treasured Relationships contains stories about all kinds of love. Boyfriend-girlfriend. Husband-wife. Parent-child. Teacher-student. Even love for pets and showing love to strangers. It released January 1, in plenty of time for Valentine’s Day. It makes a wonderful gift for friends and loved ones. And it’s a great way to get yourself into the spirit of love.

What is unique about this series?
Most devotionals contain true stories. And those are great! But so many believers today are big fans of Christian fiction … because fiction can be a powerful way to soak in spiritual truths and apply them to our daily lives. In this devotional, the authors share the themes and messages they see in the pieces they’ve written, and encourage readers to look for those types of things in these devotional stories as well as in other fictional things they might read.

What life circumstances worked together to put you in a position to be able to create this series?
Since I’ve been a professional freelance editor for several years, I’m able to edit the submissions I choose to use, polishing them without losing the author’s unique voice. And since I’ve been teaching and speaking at writers’ conferences across the country, I’ve connected with several authors at all levels, including well-known best sellers. So there are a lot of people I can personally ask about submitting to the books in this series. And I’ve developed a strong social media presence, so I can get the word out to other writers as well.

What other books have you written?
I wrote Proofreading Secrets of Best-Selling Authors, to help writers and editors learn how to proofread manuscripts for typos, inconsistencies, and errors in punctuation, usage, grammar, and spelling, according to the industry-standard guidelines.

What do you do besides write?
Read, of course. And go to movies. I also love to travel with my husband. We visit our out-of-state relatives (when they’re not visiting us—which happens often since we live in Southern California). We also enjoy going jet skiing and camping in our RV.

Can you share some of the names of the authors who have contributed stories to the devotional?
Absolutely! 21 Days of Love has chapters written by several well-known, best-selling novelists, including Susan May Warren, Sherry Kyle, Renae Brumbaugh, and New York Times best-selling author Cindy Woodsmall. There are also stories by writers you may not have heard of. At the end of each chapter is an author bio that gives some background information, and usually the author’s website. So if you really like a story you read, you can find out what else that author has written. You may just find some new names to add to your favorites list.

And if you haven’t read much Christian fiction, this devotional will give you a small taste of several different authors and genres, without having to commit to reading an entire novel. You might just discover that you actually love Christian fiction!

What other books are planned for the Fiction Lover’s Devotional series?
21 Days of Joy: Stories that Celebrate Mom, comes out April 1.

If these first books sell as well as we anticipate, the series will continue with new titles, topics, and themes. I’ll be announcing those on the Fiction Lover’s Devotional website, www.FictionDevo , and on my website, www.KathyIde.com . Fiction readers can find out what new titles are coming out, and fiction writers can get the writers’ guidelines that explain how to submit to a future book in the series.

Where can people purchase the books?
They’re available online at Amazon, ChristianBook.com, Barnes and Noble, and other websites. If you go to FictionDevo.com, you’ll find several links that will take you directly to the ordering pages for all of the books in the series. You can also find them at Christian bookstores and Barnes and Noble.

Tell us about some of the stories in 21 Days of Love.
This book has stories about all kinds of love. The first chapter is about a high school girl who is suffering the aftermath of a tragedy that has left her wondering if God really loves her. Another story is about a little girl whose family is too poor to purchase store-bought valentines for her classmates. One is about a young Amish mother who’s grieving over some choices she and her husband made that separated them from their families. Some of the stories are about people who don’t have a special someone in their lives to celebrate Valentine’s Day with. And one is about a harried wife who decides to do something unexpected and spunky for her husband.

What is your story in 21 Days of Love about?
I wrote about a young woman who believes she has found the love of her life, a man who has swept her off her feet with grand romantic gestures of affection, like filling her apartment with fresh-cut flowers. But one night he shows his true colors and she begins to second-guess what love is really all about.

How do you hope readers will use 21 Days of Love?
This book makes a great gift for family and friends, with its beautiful debossed hardback cover, full-color interior, and even a ribbon page marker. With stories about all kinds of love, it’s great for just about anyone.

Like the other books in this series, 21 Days of Love makes a wonderful daily devotional. And if you want to go deeper, you can get a Study Guide with additional questions to ponder about each of the stories. It’s available as a free PDF download at www.FictionDevo.com or as a 99-cent e-book from Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

What do you hope readers will get out of reading 21 Days of Love?
I’m praying the Holy Spirit will speak to the hearts of everyone who reads this devotional about how much God loves them and how they can show that love to those around them.

Thank you, Kathy, for sharing this beautiful book with us. I've enjoyed the first two and look forward to my book arriving so I can use it soon. I know my readers will love it, too.

Readers, leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the hardback book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Google+, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link:

Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

18 comments:

justcommonly said...

This sounds lovely. I enjoy Christian fiction and often see many thought-provoking themes and aspects of the stories that are applicable in life. Your book, 21 Days of Love sounds great as a short story collection, as well as a devotional. Thanks.

Annie (MD)

Linda Kish said...

This sounds wonderful. I wish I had it right now to start reading it. I love the range of the stories and really enjoy short stories. I hope you choose me as the lucky recipient.

Linda in California

lkish77123 at gmail dot com

Kathy Ide said...

I loved putting this devotional together because I had a chance to work with writers of all levels and genres. I got so many wonderful stories, it was really hard to choose just 20 (leaving room for one chapter for myself). :-) The stories I chose for this book were ones that really touched my heart, so I figured they would do the same for other readers.

I also was attracted to the idea of being able to read fiction in my devotional time!

Anonymous said...

This sounds fun and enticing. Can't wait to read this!
J.C. -Indiana-

Anonymous said...

angela in ky would love to win.

Britney Adams said...

I really enjoyed 21 Days of Christmas and would love to read 21 Days of Love! Thank you for sharing this lovely interview and giveaway!

Britney Adams, TX

Mary Preston said...

This does sound wonderful.

Mary P

QLD AUSTRALIA

kim hansen said...

Sounds great. North Platte Nebraska.

Kathy Ide said...

So glad you enjoyed 21 Days of Christmas, Britney! Have you read 21 Days of Grace too?

Kathy Ide said...

Mary P ... I would LOVE to get 21 Days of Love into Australia! How do Aussies celebrate Valentine's Day?

Pam K. said...

I love to read Christian fiction. This book sounds unique since it can be used as a devotional, which appeals to me. Thanks for letting us know about 21 Days of Love and the chance to win it.

pmkellogg56[at]gmail[dot]com
Kansas

Sharon Richmond Bryant said...

Enter me in your great contest!!
Conway, SC.

Kathy Ide said...

This series is indeed unique. I don't know of any other devotional that has fictional stories. That's what I love about it!

Connie Porter Saunders said...

I love devotionals and this is very intriguing because o of the fiction. Thank you for sharing.
Connie from KY
cps1950(at)gmail(dot)com

Brenda Arrington said...

I can't wait to read 21 Days Of Love. I am such a fan of Christian fiction. I do love short stories and devotionals. I'm sure to enjoy this one. I would love to win this one.
Brenda in VA

Abigail Mitchell said...

Loved 21 days of Christmas! Can't wait to read this! Please enter me.
Blanch NC

Melissa Oldaker said...

Sounds wonderful. Thanks for the giveaway.

Melissa in NC

Pam said...

Looks like a great book to read for Valentine's Day!

Pam in OH