Yesterday I introduced you to Jane Kirkpatrick’s new novel, Where Lilacs Still Bloom. Jane has written some devotionals that are related to some of the key themes in the book. Here’s one based on the importance of generosity.

(Oh, and a heads up! We’ll be giving away some copies of Where Lilacs Still Bloom tomorrow!)

Generosity

A lesson from Where Lilacs Still Bloom by Jane Kirkpatrick

"...how, while passing through great trouble, their boundless joy even amid their deep poverty has overflowed to increase their generous liberality."

"The pressure triggered something totally unexpected: an outpouring of pure and generous gifts."

‐ 2 Corinthians 8:2 (NIV/ The Message)

I confess, I'm rarely happy in a time of trial. Yet Paul writes of the church in the Macedonia province and how the people's true colors came through in their time of pressure and trouble.  Instead of going inward, lamenting their sad state, they "pleaded for the privilege of helping out in the relief of poor Christians" The Message sings. Their joy even amid deep poverty overflowed to increase their generosity. How did they do that, how did they draw upon such a spirit that witnessed to their love of Jesus by giving more than they could even afford?

So many of the men and women who went before us, were pioneers in settling our country decades ago I think discovered that same quality of finding joy in trial, so much joy that it allowed them pass it on, to give generously even when they couldn't afford it. They built barns for neighbors, they raised up schools and churches out of their meager incomes. Today, in rural areas neighbors might make hay for a farmer who is ill burning their own fuel and time; and in urban centers a woman grocery shops and keeps a kitchen stocked for a friend weakened by chemotherapy treatments. These generous acts are not done in order to receive joy but because the people have a spirit of God they cannot help but share.

"Generosity," wrote the esteemed psychiatrist Karl Menninger, "Is the single most important indicator of a person's mental health. Generous people are rarely mentally ill."  I find those words encouraging not only as a mental health professional but especially today as a human being struggling with life's demands and seeing the witness of those who go before me, giving of themselves in joy.

Today especially Lord, help me be the generous person you have inspired in your people through the generations. Let me witness to others through my joy in giving of my time, my talents, my resources that are all gifts from you. Help me pass them on and share in more joy that comes when you grant the privilege of helping others. Amen.

I’ve never met Jane Kirkpatrick but I’m pretty sure she would be someone I would want to carry around in my pocket to brighten my day because she’s just so darn sweet. You can just catch someone’s vibe by seeing their pictures and reading their words.  Jane definitly seems like she would be a fun lady to have around.

Jane just released her new novel, Where Lilacs Still Bloom.  As if she hasn’t written enough lately, she also popped out some devotional thoughts that are related to her new book. How fun is that?!  I’ll be posting one of them over the next few days.  But first, here's a snippet as to what her new novel is about...

German immigrant and farm wife Hulda Klager posses only an eight-grade education - and a burning desire to create something beautiful.  What begins as a hobby to create an easy-peeling apple for her pies becomes Hulda's driving purpose:  a time-consuming interest in plant hybridization that puts her at odds with family and community, as she challenges the early twentieth-centry expectations for a simple housewife.

 

 

Through the years, seasonal floods continually threated to erase her Woodland, Washington garden; and a series of family tragedies cause even Hulda to question her focus.  In a time of practicality, can on person's simple gifts of beauty make a difference?

 

 

Based on the life of Hulda Klager, Where Lilacs Still Bloom is a story of triumph over seemingly insurmountable odds and the power of a generous heart.

Kindness

A lesson from Where Lilacs Still Bloom by Jane Kirkpatrick

 “When our fathers were in Egypt, they gave no thought to your miracles; they did not remember your many kindnesses...Yet he saved them for his name's sake, to make his mighty power known."

‐ Psalm 106:7 ‐8

Writer Madeleine L'Engle once wrote that "compassion isn't general, it's particular."  Compassion in the general creates soup kitchens and homeless shelters. Compassion operates orphanages and sustains people on the mission field. Compassion creates hospitals peopled with dedicated physicians and nurses, orderlies and aides.  But compassion is truly known in the particular when the nurse not only removes the bandage and cleans the oozing wound but holds the patient's hand a moment asking "how are you doing?" It's when a child stops her doll‐playing and throws comforting arms around her little friend whose tea set has just broken into a hundred pieces. We recognize compassion as a simple kindness when a neighbor asks if they can run an errand for us while they're out running their own.

The Psalmist recalls how fleeing our recognition of kindness and compassion is. I remember reading of the Israelites flight and God's providing manna to them daily, leading them by light, rescuing them from bondage. Yet not long after they complained and charged that God had forgotten them, returning to their old, familiar gods. "How could they forget all of that?" I remember asking my husband.

But I forget, too. That offer of kindness from a neighbor to plow our driveway of a heavy snow.  The arrival of an unexpected check. A handpicked bouquet from a friend's garden. That card sent for no reason than to tell us we were remembered. These kindnesses were acknowledged at the time but days later I felt sorry for myself, wondering where God is in my life. My kindness memory is short term.

Even worse, I lament God's absence in the larger things, where nations struggle with each other, politics fills the airways, unkind words are spoken in coffee shops and on bumper stickers. Where is kindness in this fallen world? Have we forgotten all the kindnesses God has granted? I return to my gods of seeking money, disappearing into television, growling about the futility of hoping things could ever change.

But God saves us anyway, the Psalmist assures, to make his power known. So when I find myself wondering as the Hebrews did, where God is I look for the particular, a way I can act with kindness out of God's love. I'll drive my nephew to work while his car is being fixed even if it is inconvenient. I'll bring that book I promised to my neighbor and spend a little time taking tea with her. For today, I'll look for acts of kindness I can give and acknowledge those given me. Kindness is the humus out of which God's glory can grow.

Kind God, help me reflect your compassion in particular ways today. Let me see with new eyes those in need around me. Give me confidence to offer kindness to others and may they see my actions as having come from your nurture in my life. Thank you for remembering me despite my short term memory. May I be ever faithful to reflect your kindness in my life. Amen.

Popular young adult novelist Andrew Klavan, is out with a new book this month, Crazy Dangerous.

Sam Hopkins is a good kid who has fallen in with the wrong crowd. Hanging around with car thieves and thugs, Sam knows it’s only a matter of time before he makes one bad decision too many and gets into real trouble.

But one day, Sam sees these thugs harassing an eccentric schoolmate named Jennifer. Finding the courage to face the bullies down, Sam loses a bad set of friends and acquires a very strange new one.

Jennifer is not just eccentric. To Sam, she seems downright crazy. She has terrifying hallucinations involving demons, the devil, and death. And here’s the really crazy part: Sam is beginning to suspect that these visions may actually be prophecies – prophecies of something terrible that’s going to happen very soon. Unless he can stop it.

With no one to believe him, with no one to help him, Sam is now all alone in a race against time. Finding the truth before disaster strikes is going to be both crazy and very, very dangerous.

Check out the first chapter to Crazy Dangerous.

Today is our last day for 2 things… 1.) Our 30% off coupon that’s good towards most regularly priced items at LifeWay (normal exclusions apply) and 2.) Today is the last day to pre-buy Karen Kingsbury’s next book, Coming Home, and get a $5 savings card that’s good for a future visit.  We'll continue to be pre-selling her book through June 25 but hurry in today for the sweet offer!

What is the most interesting experience you’ve had while doing research for a novel?

While researching my “Chronicles of the King” series about the life of King Hezekiah, I lived in Israel for a month and worked as a volunteer on an archaeological dig. We excavated the ancient city of Timnah, made famous by Samson (Judges 14:1) and found a cobblestone street from his time that he probably walked on. The various layers of civilization covered the entire Old Testament period, but the highlight of my trip was finding storage jars embossed with King Hezekiah’s royal seal!  - Lynn Austin, author of Wonderland Creek

That would be a trip to Southern Sudan. I went there to research a novel and expected to conduct some ministry work. I was the one who gained a new perspective. I met beautiful people who loved Jesus and had endured horrible persecution. However, I did have a hair-raising experience in the process when my life was in danger. Novel authenticity is a noble endeavor, but I learned to be more careful. – DiAnn Mills, author of The Chase

I have a hang gliding scene in The Chair. I didn’t realize hang gliders can catch thermals which send them up to 18,000 feet and higher, which requires them to take small tanks of air along. At that height, oxygen deprivation can impair their judgment so they need the bottled air to stay in control.   - James Rubart, author of The Chair

Two years ago I met Rachael Phillips, Eileen Key, and Cynthia Ruchti in Door County, Wisconsin to begin research for A Door County Christmas, a collection of four novellas. At the end of one long day of checking out quaint little shops, delightful restaurants, and soaking up the beauty of Wisconsin’s thumb, we sat in front of our fireplace at the Eagle Harbor Inn, laptops open and ready, and started brainstorming. Partway into an animated discussion, the power went out. Not just in our room or the inn, but in the entire village of Ephraim. The manager delivered glow sticks—not a whole lot of help! We shut down computers and sat by the light of our gas fireplace and our glowing green sticks. Our conversation slowed and quieted in response to the change in ambiance. Before long, we found ourselves in hushed and reverent prayer. We ended the night by raising our glow stick into the darkness and singing “This Little Light of Mine”—such an appropriate song for writers! It was a moment in time I will never forget. God took away our power and displayed His. – Becky Melby, author of Tomorrow’s Sun

My newest medical drama, Trauma Plan, has a skydiving scene. And, yes, I did that: perched wide-eyed and heart pounding at the open door of a plane 13,500 feet above the ground. Then jumped like a crazy fool. The only difference between my skydiving experience and my heroine’s was that I leapt out over a California vineyard and she hurtled toward Texas Hill Country. Oh, and I spared her the indignity of air rushing up her nostrils—not very romantic, trust me.  - Candace Calvert, author of Trauma Plan

LifeWay’s Fiction Days are underway! We have a lot of novelists signing in stores today and tomorrow. Check out our list to see if an author is appearing in your city.   You have until Monday to pre-buy Karen Kingsbury’s next release, Coming Home for $9.99 and receive not only a copy of Even Now/Ever After 2 in 1 (while supplies last) but also a $5 savings card good for a future visit at LifeWay. And, if that’s not enough to get you to visit us this weekend… print off a copy of our 30% off coupon that’s good on most items in the store (some exclusions apply). 

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Thanks to everyone who stopped by the blog today to check out Becky Wade’s new book, My Stubborn Heart. We literally had people from one coast to the other enter our giveaway. And I'm fired up that we have our first two comments from other countries!  We had Canada and Australia represented!  Love it!  

We’ve randomly chosen two winners to receive an autographed copy of Becky’s book. Congrats to:

Liz from Xenia, OH

Joan from Washington, NC

I’ll be contacting you soon to get your info.

Hope everyone has a great night!

Yesterday I introduced you to My Stubborn Heart by Becky Wade. As you can tell from that post, I l-o-v-e-d the book. I’m thrilled to have Becky here today to share a bit more about the book and how she manages the balancing act there sometimes is in romance novels in the Christian market.

We’re giving away 2 signed copies of her book today, too, so check out the end of the post!

Welcome, Becky!

 God & Romance Novels

          I once heard a bestselling (general market) romance author make the following statement:

          "I don't like God in a romance novel."

          Well.

          She was expressing a mindset that is, I think, shared by many secular romance readers across the nation. They want the love stories they buy to focus solely on the relationship between the hero and heroine. They worry that a subplot about faith will leach away the things they value most about the romance novel: drama, passion, longing, tension, and unapologetic emotion. And, perhaps, they also believe that a romance novel without graphic love scenes can't be as good. 

   I thought about and wrestled with all of these issues while writing My Stubborn Heart, my Christian contemporary romance. 

          I should tell you that I'm a die-hard romantic. I'm CRAZY about love stories, romantic plotlines on TV shows, chick flicks. All of it. When I started My Stubborn Heart, I knew I wanted to try to give my reader the kind of concentrated romantic storyline that I like best. I also knew that God had called me to write for the Christian market.

          Every writer's voice is different. How exactly did He want me, Becky Wade, to find the balance between the two goals He'd placed on my heart?  How to write a love story that would be powerful, intense, and also clean?  How to keep the characters authentic in my modern day setting without letting them slip into preachiness or unrealistic perfection?   How to  integrate a faith story? Should I just weave in a hint of God? Or a large helping?

          I felt my way to those answers with instinct and prayer as I progressed through the writing of My Stubborn Heart.  God, the foremost expert on great loves, was gracious to help me every step of the way. He reassured me that, yes, romances can be heart-pounding and Christ-honoring at the same time.  He helped me find a way to write about imperfect people by reminding me that we're all imperfect, just redeemed by a perfect God. He taught me that He could and would take a large role in my book, just as He deserves to take the largest role in my life. (And to my astonishment, as much as I like the high emotion scenes between my hero and heroine, it's the scenes in My Stubborn Heart that depict the characters encountering God that give this hopeless romantic goose bumps.)   

           By the time I'd finished the novel, I'd also discovered the kind of book God meant for me to write. I'd found the my own signature balance of love story/faith story. And one truth rang clear and true for me.

          I like God in my romance novels. In fact, I love Him there.

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Becky Wade makes her home in Dallas, Texas with her husband, three children, and one adoring (and adored) cavalier spaniel. Her inspirational contemporary romance, My Stubborn Heart, has just been released by Bethany House.

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And now for the giveaway!

We have 2 copies of My Stubborn Heart that Becky has signed for us to giveaway today. For your chance to win a copy, just go to the comments section of today's post and tell us what city you live in.  Yep, we're keeping it simple today.

Leave your comment by 8:00 p.m. central time today. We’ll randomly select 2 names to win a copy of the book.

And don't forget, LifeWay Christian Store's Fiction Days Event begins today!  Do you have your 30% off coupon yet?  If not, click here to get a copy.  It's good today, Friday, Saturday, and Monday.

Back in the fall of last year, a lovely girl who works at Bethany House Publishers (shout out to Debra!) sent me an advanced copy of a novel that she said I really must read. About a month later, I tossed the book into my carry-on as I went on a trip. I read a good chunk of it on the way up there and knew within a few chapters that I was going to enjoy My Stubborn Heart by Becky Wade.

Kate Donovan is doing something that I’ve always wanted to do. She and her grandmother have traveled to Pennsylvania to restore the old house her grandmother grew up in (I’ve always wanted to restore an old house… not travel

to Pennsylvania, although I’m sure it’s a lovely state and it would make for quite an enjoyable visit). After she arrives in the small town, Kate is introduced to the guy who will be doing the renovations. And wouldn’t you know it, Matt Jarreau is, well, to use her grandmother’s description, “a hunk.” It doesn’t take long for Kate to realize that Matt is carrying around some type of grief that keeps him cut off from the world.   A good looking guy who’s troubled. That’s always good to have in a story.

Matt is a hard worker but he prefers to do his job alone. Having a tall, gangly girl from Texas hanging around, always trying to have a conversation with him is not the way he likes to spend his work day. Between Kate asking to help him paint and her nice, but pushy grandmother always inviting him to stay for dinner, Matt is beginning to wonder why he took this restoration job. After his wife died of cancer, the Matt Jarreau that the world knew as a popular NHL hockey star ceased to exist. To the people of Redbud, he is just Matt, the quiet handyman, and that’s just fine with him.

Well, since this is a romance novel, it’s pretty safe to say that Kate and Matt develop a friendship that then blossoms into a little more (insert dreamy sigh here…). I’m pleased to report that it’s a realistic relationship, full of learning about each other, aggravating the tar out of each other, and having fun. Let’s face it, a lot of the story lines in Christian fiction are, well, not true to life (which is part of the fun of reading fiction, I guess!). So it’s a breath of fresh air for me when I read a novel like My Stubborn Heart. Thank you, Becky Wade!

There are several key themes in the book but one of the most overarching ones is that of listening for the Holy Spirit’s guidance. While Kate is fired up that a hunk of an ex-hockey player actually wants to be her, she continues to be plagued by one thought. What if Matt isn’t done with hockey? He didn’t go out like any professional player wants to: on his own terms. Instead, he walked away just as his star was beginning to shine. After his wife died he left the sport and crawled into the hole known as Redbud, PA. God keeps telling her that he needs to return to the sport he loved. But, does that mean Kate has to walk away from Matt in order for him to see God’s will for his life? Is God really asking her to give up what she wants more than anything?

So at about this point in the book, I’m back on a plane heading home. I’m sitting in my window seat crying. Not just silent, occasional tears. No, full blown tears are plummeting down my face. An all out ugly cry (come on, y’all have had those). I can only imagine what the chick in the seat next to me was thinking. I wasn’t the least bit offended when I saw her scoot ever so slightly to the other side of her seat. 

As I was reading Kate’s back and forth conversation with the Lord about Matt and whether he was the guy for her at this time, I heard the Holy Spirit through the pages. I was coming home from a trip where I had been asking a lot of those same questions (not about an ex-NHL player, of course!).  Like Kate, I had the nagging feeling that I was supposed to walk away from a potential relationship. I was fighting it because I was afraid that what God was asking me to give up would never cross my path again. Yes, Kate, I understand your pain!

I love how God can use a lot of things, even an advanced copy of a book that wasn’t to come out for another 6 months, to speak directly to me. The words that Becky had penned on those pages were written just for me sitting in that window seat. I knew what God was calling me to do and that was to relinquish my own desires and trust him for his greater purposes in my life. I did just that as I came to the end of the book and, of course, received the peace that only comes from the Lord when we’re obedient to him. 

Why do I tell you all that? First, I want you to go buy My Stubborn Heart at your local LifeWay. But I also want to remind you that there are countless ways God can speak to you. Whether it’s through his word, the counsel of a friend, the creation around you, or yes, a romance novel, he wants to talk to you. Are you listening for his voice today?

My love fest over this book will continue tomorrow when Becky Wade is our guest blogger.  Hope to see you then!  Also, take a quick read through the first chapter of the book.

 LifeWay's Fiction Days are coming!

Don’t forget! LifeWay’s Fiction Days Event start tomorrow! Click here for your 30% off coupon. And, if you pre-buy Karen Kingsbury’s next release, Coming Home, during this event, you’ll receive a $5 savings card good for a future visit to LifeWay. We’ll also have lots of authors signing in our store. Check out our line up to see if one will be near you this weekend!

It’s almost time for another new release from Karen Kingsbury!

LifeWay Christian Stores is gearing up for Karen Kingsbury’s next release. Coming Home will release on June 26 but you can pre-buy it now! Between now and June 25, you can pre-buy Coming Home for just $9.99. But wait! If you pre-buy now, you will receive one free copy of Karen’s Even Now/Ever After 2 in 1! That’s right, ladies and gentlemen… you’re basically getting 2 books free! I'm channeling my best infomercial voice...is it working?  Ha!

But hurry in! The free book is while supplies last and once they are gone… they’re gone!  This offer is good in stores and online.

I know there are a lot of you out there wondering if Karen will bring the Baxter family back. I’m pleased to report she will in her new book! Here’s a quick look at the story:

As the Baxter’s make plans to come together for a summer lakeside reunion, the unthinkable happens. When the family rallies together, memories come to light that bring healing and hope during a time when darkness might have the final word. 

Coming Home – a stand-alone novel – can serve as either a grand introduction or a beautiful conclusion in the saga of the Baxter family.

Psst! Here’s a secret to share with your friends… during LifeWay’s Fiction Days Event this week (Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and next Monday) when you pre-buy Coming Home, you will receive a $5 savings card good towards a future visit. Tell your friends!

Tomorrow I’ll be telling you about one of my most favorite novels of 2012 so far. Hope to see you tomorrow!

Happy Monday, to you all! I’m hearing some groans out there. Come on! We have a new week to get fired up about! If that doesn’t get your gears moving, how about hearing about a great debut novelist?

Dani Pettrey has just released Submerged, the first book in the Alaskan Courage Series.  Y’all… read it. Trust me. If you’re fans of authors such as Lynette Eason, Dee Henderson, or Terri Blackstock, Dani will become a new favorite for you.  Speaking of Dee Henderson, she said of Dani's story, "Submerged is romantic suspense that will keep you up at night."  Nice compliment!  Here’s a glimpse at the story…

A sabotaged plane. Two dead deep-water divers. One single clue.

Bailey Craig vowed never to set foot in Yancey, Alaska again. She has a past, and a reputation – and Yancey’s a town that doesn’t forget. She’s returned only to bury a loved one killed in the plane crash, but then dark evidence emerges and Bailey’s expertise becomes invaluable for the case.

Cole McKenna can face dangerous rescue dives. He can face the fear a murderer may be threatening his town. But facing the reality of Bailey’s reappearance is a tougher challenge. She broke his heart… but doesn’t seem to be the same girl who left Yancey ten years ago. And he’s not the same guy she left behind.

Racing against the clock and a rising body count, Bailey and Cole must move beyond the hurts of their pasts to work together until the truth of what is hidden in the depths finally surfaces.

Check out the first chapter to Submerged.

I’m thrilled to have Dani Pettrey stopping by today to share a little about the setting of her new novel.   She has a great website that you should check out as well. Lots of fun info about diving, her characters, and more. 

Welcome, Dani!

My debut novel Submerged is set in Yancey, Alaska. I’ve been asked a lot of questions about the town, so today I thought it’d be fun to share an inside peek: 

Yancey is set along the Alaskan peninsula just south of Kodiak Island.  The population of Yancey is roughly 600, and it is a tight-knit, island community.

Although the town is fictional, the area itself is real, rugged, and gorgeous.  The town of Sitka, Alaska, bears the most similarity to Yancey. 

These pictures above are a few that inspired me as I wrote.

Bailey Craig returns to Yancey after nearly ten years away. Here’s her impression of the town upon her return:

          She stared out the windows, amazed at how little had changed in the ten years since she’d been gone. The library remained in the refurbished Russian farmhouse at the top of Main Street, setting the tone of a town steeped in history.           Turning right on Main Street, they passed the same shops she’d frequented as a teen—Jenkins’ Flower and Fudgery, the General Store, Baranov Books. But it was the store next to Baranov’s that caught her eye. Last Frontier Adventures was painted in bold blue over the entrance to what had been Ben’s Bait and Tackle—the shop Cole McKenna’s family owned. She was dying to ask what happened—had they sold, changed location?—but she couldn’t allow herself to go there, couldn’t spend her first night in town asking questions about Cole McKenna.         

         The shop was dark, but the street lamps illuminated the posters lining the front bay windows—images of people white-water rafting, rock climbing, and scuba diving. Beneath the pictures set a display of equipment needed for each endeavor. A pair of flippers tugged at her heart. Cole had taught her to dive.

Last Frontier Adventures is one of the shops lining Main Street. Nearby is Gus’s Diner. Picture a fifties diner mixed with a quaint modern-day deli and you’ll have Gus’s. A signature, and much sought after, menu item is Gus’s Famous Moosetracks Milkshakes. As a treat, I thought I’d include the recipe:

·         Moose Track Ice cream (Vanilla ice cream with peanut butter cups and famous Moose Tracks® fudge).

• Milk
• Additional squirt of chocolate syrup if you really like chocolate J

Fill blender to the 1st line with milk.

Add 2 scoops of ice cream and optional squirt of chocolate syrup.

Mix, first at high speed then low.

Add ice cream or milk to thicken or thin mixture to taste.

Add whipped cream.

Add dark chocolate shavings.

Or if you’re really adventurous you can make homemade Moose Tracks Ice cream and go from there.

http://www.food.com/recipe/moose-tracks-ice-cream-414689

I hope you’ve enjoyed your inside peek at Yancey. It’s a wonderful place. You can read all about it in Submerged!

Blessings,

Dani

LifeWay’s Fiction Days are May 17, 18, 19 and 21. We’ll have lots of authors in our stores doing signings. Check out our list to see if there is an author appearing near you! There will also be a 30% off coupon good for any regular priced item in our store. Click here to get your copy!

If your latest novel was to be made into a movie, what actors/actresses would you want casted in the leading roles?

Oh, this is a great question. I already picked them out before I wrote Chapter One :) In my novel Along Wooded Paths (B&H) there are three main characters: Marianna Sommer, Ben Stone and Aaron Zook. Both Marianna and Aaron are Amish but the characters I have in mind are Rachel McAdams for Marianna, Chris Pine for Ben, and Ryan Gosling for Aaron. I wonder if my readers would agree? - Tricia Goyer, author of Beyond Hope’s Valley

Funny you should ask! My publicist and I were chatting about this since my agent had a nibble from a film producer. The story Where Lilacs Still Bloom is based on the life of a real woman, a German American who came to Woodland Washington and pursued her passion of lilac and breeding hybridizing bigger blooms and more fragrance and deeper colors. She was a housewife and mom and very generous with her lilac starts and shared her garden and thousands came to visit it. The story takes her as a young wife until she's quite elderly so OF COURSE Meryl Streep would have to play Hulda to get all those accents and aging right. George Clooney would be her husband because he was quite a trickster and considered good-looking. Not sure about the four children but my nephew(Clayton Rutschow) is an actor so maybe I could put him to work! Jane Kirkpatrick, author of Where Lilacs Still Bloom

Hang on to your hat because I'm going back in time. Anyone remember Jake Ryan from Sixteen Candles? I'd like that actor (Michael Shoeffling) to play Matt for the movie version of My Stubborn Heart. And I'd love for Audrey Hepburn to play Kate. – Becky Wade, author of My Stubborn Heart

If I were casting The Shadow of Your Smile, I would have:

Tom Selleck (in Blue Bloods!) as Eli Hueston

Amy Carlson (also in Blue Bloods) as Noelle Hueston

Caroline Dhavernas as Emma

Ryan Phillipe as Kyle Susan May Warren, author of The Shadow of Your Smile

Jeremy Irvine (of War Horse) would make an excellent Michael—tall, handsome, thick and unruly dark hair. He’s very much as I imagined Michael, and has already played a character of great heart in an excellent WWI movie. Cathy Gohlke, author of Promise Me This