Second Chance, now available for purchase on FaceBook!

My publisher, OakTara, has just added a bookstore to their FaceBook page! Stop by for a visit. Second Chance is one of the first 15 books to hit the "shelves."

https://www.facebook.com/OakTara/app_200829146697795

Dareece Jackson, a teen from the projects, wants something in Mave Robertson's purse . . . and he'll stop at nothing to get it.

A poignant story of middle age, surprising friendships, and unexpected places.

A Typical Day in the Life of a Christ-follower

 “I’m in desperate need of divine grace at this moment. My carefully arranged life has been blown to bits by the breath of God, and I have no idea how—or if—I should put it back together.” -The Debt, Angela Hunt

I wonder. . .

What does a typical day look like in the life of a Christ-follower?

Does he begin with prayer and end with prayer? Is prayer on the go as natural as breathing? As comfortable as talking to a best friend?

Does he rush to read the words of the Lover, never quite getting enough of His Letter?

Does he cock his ear toward the heart of God, waiting, anticipating direction? Looking for the divine appointment? At the store? At work? While cooking dinner or talking on the phone?

I wonder . . .

What does a life in love with the Savior look like?

Spilled out, poured out, used up for something which lasts beyond himself?

Carefully laid plans—a shopping trip, a typing project, a baseball game—interrupted by a knock on the door. A neighbor in distress needs someone to pray. The phone rings. A sick friend needs food carried in. A co-worker asks a spiritual question. The door opens for a witness. The Christ-follower walks through.

Today, the Christ-follower will do at least one thing that will outlive him and last for eternity.

I wonder . . .

Am I living with my ear cocked toward heaven, or am I only attuned to earthly sounds?

I wonder . . .


~~ Lord, help me see that this world is not my home. I’m just passing through. Only what is done for You will last.

Lessons from the Open Road

Lessons from the Open Road, available now from K. Dawn Byrd!

Welcome back, Dawn! I knew when I interviewed you on Wednesday, I'd want you back to do a follow-up interview about your new devotional!

Tell my readers what inspired you to write Lessons from the Open Road.

A couple of years ago, the idea of writing a devotional about the lessons I learned while riding a motorcycle came to me. I had no idea what I was getting into and how much writing devotionals would minister to me as an author. I jotted down notes for weeks, hoping to come up with enough lessons to take the reader through a month. Lessons from the Open Road ended with 33 lessons, each followed by Scripture and prayer.

Sometimes life is hard. Sometimes learning new things is hard. Just when I thought I'd mastered the parking lot where I was learning to ride my little Yamaha Virago starter bike, I pulled out, forgot to hit the brake, did an Evel Knievel, and jumped a short concrete wall, landing in some trees. My poor little bike limped home with a hole in the crankcase the size of a quarter. J-B Weld to the rescue!

I'm stubborn, too stubborn to quit. After I recovered from the sore neck that resulted from my stunt, I climbed back on the old iron horse. Eventually, I graduated from the parking lot and hit the streets. When I'd learned to ride well enough to satisfy hubby, he bought himself a new Harley and I inherited his anniversary edition Harley Davidson Sportster. And, when I graduated with my masters degree, you'd never guess what I wanted. Yep, a new bike. I became the proud owner of a Screamin Eagle V-Rod.

All good things must eventually come to an end. I enjoyed my days on the road, but found another passion. Writing. I work a full-time job and since there's only so much time in the day, I have to choose what's most important to me. The bike had to go. Occasionally, I miss it, but for the most part, I'd rather be writing. I'm hoping the devotions in Lessons from the Open Road will minister to your heart as much as writing them did to mine.

Where can my readers find Lessons from the Open Road?


Lessons from the Open Road is currently available in ebook format and will be coming soon in print. I had planned to list it at no cost, but Amazon wouldn't allow me to do so. I've listed it at the lowest price Amazon allows, 99 cents, and all proceeds will be donated to my church's building fund for the new church that's currently under construction.

For more information about Lessons from the Open Road, you can check it out on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Lessons-Open-Road-ebook/dp/B007OYYG64/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332895452&sr=8-1

Thanks for joining me again today, Dawn!

For additional info about Dawn and her books, visit the following locations.

Book giveaway blog: www.kdawnbyrd.blogspot.com
Young adult blog: www.zoe-mack.blogspot.com
Website: www.kdawnbyrd.com
I'm also on Twitter (kdawnbyrd) and facebook (K Dawn Byrd.) I am the moderator of the Christian Fiction Gathering facebook group (http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=128209963444) If you join this group, you'll get reminders about the weekly book giveaways.

Welcome Cynthia Simmons, author of Struggles and Triumphs!

Welcome Cynthia Simmons, author of Struggles and Triumphs!

Author, Cynthia Simmons, shares her thoughts on spiritual gifts from the scriptures.

Do you ever feel insignificant and wonder if anyone would notice if you disappeared? On the other hand do you struggle with thinking too highly of yourself? The following verses in Romans teach us proper self esteem. “For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith God has assigned. For as we have many members and the members do not have the same function.” Rom. 12: 3-4

Pride comes so easily to us, but so does poor self esteem. Neither extreme brings good mental health. So what’s the answer? In the next few verses the Apostle Paul launches into an explanation of spiritual gifts, and I believe that forms an excellent basis for a balanced view of ourselves.

Think about it. God gives every believer a gift. No one gets left out. Furthermore your gift may be mercy, but it will have a different slant than others in the church. You’ll be uniquely gifted to do a job no one else can do the way you can in the time and place you live. Even more than that, when you exercise your gift, you become a vital part of the whole church—a necessary cog in the workings of the machinery. Should you fail to use your gift, the church will lose the special ability to touch the world as God planned. Imagine your body deprived of an eye, or even the big toe. Doubtless you’d miss either one.

Let’s revisit the verse above. Paul taught each believer in Rome “…not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think…” In other words, he’s saying not to be proud. A prideful person would think of himself as the entire machine. Nothing would happen without him, and we all know that’s not true. That’s disobeying this verse—he’s not that important. But if a believer sees himself as a vital part of the machine, or the body of Christ, that’s healthy. He’s valuable and has something to offer. Paul continues Romans twelve this way, “Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them…”

Do you battle with thoughts of insecurity? Discover and use your spiritual gift. Do you combat pride? View yourself as a member of God’s church with a vital role to play. The church needs us all, working together for God’s kingdom.





Cynthia L Simmons and her husband, Ray, have five children and reside in Atlanta. She has taught for over twenty years as a homeschool mother and Bible teacher. Active in Christian Authors Guild (CAG), she conducts writing workshops and has served as president, vice president, and conference director. In December 2009 the membership granted her Life Time Membership for her numerous contributions to writers. “Cindy” is fond of history and writes both historical fiction and nonfiction. Her writing appeared in CAG publications, NATHHAN NEWS, Chattanooga Regional Historical Magazine, Georgia Right to Life Newsletter, Chattanooga Times Free Press, Catholic Exchange, and Christian Devotions.us. Her first book, Struggles and Triumphs, came out in 2008. While promoting her book, she had interviews on radio and TV across the nation and was nominated for 2008 Georgia Author of the year. She also conducts monthly podcasts called CAG Spotlight in which she interviews authors and VIPs in the writing industry. At present she is completing a twelve week Bible study using the stories in Struggles and Triumph.




What’s wrong with our world? Shouldn’t a God who claims to be all powerful and flawless prevent suffering? How can we continue to believe when storms rage on in our lives? If you’ve ever had tough questions like these Struggles and Triumphs Study Guide is the book for you. Author Cynthia L. Simmons will guide you toward answers with her unique and enlightening approach. Her twelve-week Bible study for ladies comes from stories of real women as told in Struggles and Triumphs: Women in History Who Overcame. As you study, you’ll come to understand God’s perspective on timeless issues that impact your life. The carefully chosen Scriptures combined with interesting historical information will challenge and encourage you.

Lessons from the Open Road

Lessons from the Open Road, available now from K. Dawn Byrd!

Welcome back, Dawn! I knew when I interviewed you on Wednesday, I'd want you back to do a follow-up interview about your new devotional!

Tell my readers what inspired you to write Lessons from the Open Road.

A couple of years ago, the idea of writing a devotional about the lessons I learned while riding a motorcycle came to me. I had no idea what I was getting into and how much writing devotionals would minister to me as an author. I jotted down notes for weeks, hoping to come up with enough lessons to take the reader through a month. Lessons from the Open Road ended with 33 lessons, each followed by Scripture and prayer.

Sometimes life is hard. Sometimes learning new things is hard. Just when I thought I'd mastered the parking lot where I was learning to ride my little Yamaha Virago starter bike, I pulled out, forgot to hit the brake, did an Evel Knievel, and jumped a short concrete wall, landing in some trees. My poor little bike limped home with a hole in the crankcase the size of a quarter. J-B Weld to the rescue!

I'm stubborn, too stubborn to quit. After I recovered from the sore neck that resulted from my stunt, I climbed back on the old iron horse. Eventually, I graduated from the parking lot and hit the streets. When I'd learned to ride well enough to satisfy hubby, he bought himself a new Harley and I inherited his anniversary edition Harley Davidson Sportster. And, when I graduated with my masters degree, you'd never guess what I wanted. Yep, a new bike. I became the proud owner of a Screamin Eagle V-Rod.

All good things must eventually come to an end. I enjoyed my days on the road, but found another passion. Writing. I work a full-time job and since there's only so much time in the day, I have to choose what's most important to me. The bike had to go. Occasionally, I miss it, but for the most part, I'd rather be writing. I'm hoping the devotions in Lessons from the Open Road will minister to your heart as much as writing them did to mine.

Where can my readers find Lessons from the Open Road?


Lessons from the Open Road is currently available in ebook format and will be coming soon in print. I had planned to list it at no cost, but Amazon wouldn't allow me to do so. I've listed it at the lowest price Amazon allows, 99 cents, and all proceeds will be donated to my church's building fund for the new church that's currently under construction.

For more information about Lessons from the Open Road, you can check it out on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Lessons-Open-Road-ebook/dp/B007OYYG64/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332895452&sr=8-1

Thanks for joining me again today, Dawn!

For additional info about Dawn and her books, visit the following locations.

Book giveaway blog: www.kdawnbyrd.blogspot.com
Young adult blog: www.zoe-mack.blogspot.com
Website: www.kdawnbyrd.com
I'm also on Twitter (kdawnbyrd) and facebook (K Dawn Byrd.) I am the moderator of the Christian Fiction Gathering facebook group (http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=128209963444) If you join this group, you'll get reminders about the weekly book giveaways.

Welcome author, K. Dawn Byrd!

K. Dawn Byrd is an author of inspirational romance and romantic suspense with five books published so far. Recently, she tried her hand at young adult fiction and found that she really enjoyed writing it. Three books in the Zoe Mack Mystery Series are scheduled to release January, June, and December 2012. Shattered Identity, the sequel to Mistaken Identity, will release in April.

Dawn is an avid blogger and gives away several books per week on her blog at www.kdawnbyrd.blogspot.com, most of which are signed by the authors. She's also the moderator of the popular facebook Christian Fiction Gathering group at http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=128209963444.

When not reading or writing, Dawn enjoys spending time with her husband of 16 years while walking their dogs beside a gorgeous lake near her home and plotting the next story waiting to be told.

So good to have you back, Dawn!

Tell us a little bit about your latest release, The Secret of the Love Letters.





Zoe's cousin Emma thinks she's the recipient of some sick joke when an old boyfriend she thought dead shows up on the internet. Can Zoe solve the mystery that's causing Emma so much pain when her attraction to the town bad boy is so distracting?

When Zoe Mack moves in with her grandparents to start college, she's thrown into more mystery than she bargained for. Her cousin, Emma, is terrorized by a stalker who breaks into her house and leaves a photo-shopped image of Emma hanging from a tree. Nothing is as it seems and Emma soon learns that even the man she thinks she can trust is suspect.

Zoe can't wait to reunite with Nate, the bad boy who doesn't talk about his feelings much, but the passionate kiss he gave her last summer had to have meant something. When she arrives back in town and discovers that he's in trouble with the law, she must take matters into her own hands in order to clear his name. She has her hands full with a needy Emma, a cop who gives her the creeps, and Nate, the guy she desperately wants to call her own. Can Zoe solve the mystery, clear Nate's name, and make him fall in love with her?

Ah, intriguing, Dawn. How did this story come to you?

Sometimes I get the strangest ideas! I love a good mystery and I love romance, but you don't find the two together very often. Also, there are very few books available with college-age characters. I pitched the idea of combining all of the above to Desert Breeze and the rest is history.

Tell my readers three things about yourself they might find surprising.

I own two hairless Chinese Crested dogs.
I love sour things....pickles, lemons, sour candy.
I used to ride a Harley, but gave it up in order to have more time to write. (My husband always wanted to stay out way too long and take the scenic route home. He still has his bike, but I don't miss mine at all.)

Speaking of a Harley, I understand you've also written a devotional about lessons you're learned on the road. In fact, I just mentioned this book in my Life Group last night to a couple friends of mine who serve with Christian Motorcycle Association.

But that's another interview. :) Staying on task with The Secret of the Love Letters . . .

Where can my readers find more information about your latest book?

Website: www.kdawnbyrd.com
Blog: www.kdawnbyrd.blogspot.com and www.zoe-mack.blogspot.com
Twitter: kdawnbyrd
Book trailer on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1aJrlR0fd4&context=C37a6c3aADOEgsToPDskI03937RSubxSN3pzKZqfrl

Thanks for joining me today, Dawn!

Thanks for hosting me, Eileen!

Calling all readers . . .

Calling all readers of my books. Would you do me a favor?

Go to www.amazon.com and write a brief review (one - two sentence).

I'll automatically enter your name in the drawing to receive a $10 Amazon gift card.

My list of books available through Amazon:

Second Chance
Journey to Judah
Restored Hearts
Chosen Ones
Tranquil Moments, Spiritual Refreshment from the Island of Maui
When Mourning Comes, Living Through Loss

If you've read any of the above books, please post a review on Amazon. The more reviews, the better the book's presence. Which means more potential readers.

Thanks so much!

Gift card winner announced on Saturday, April 21!