southernbellewriter: LIFEWAY SIGNING AT THE MALL OF GA

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

LIFEWAY SIGNING AT THE MALL OF GA

What a joy to meet and share the signing table with Julie Lessman yesterday at the LifeWay Bookstore at the Mall of Georgia in Buford! I loved her Daughters of Boston series. Simply delicious reading!

You don't
want to miss reading this series. We've been online friends a while now, and Julie has graciously endorsed my next book!

Julie has a ton of fans, and met with a large bookclub on Monday night, all calmoring to pick her brain about her book's characters, especially, Charity. The gal we all love to hate!

I was honored that some of my fans drove over an hour just to meet me! One sweet fan, Lori, brought me some fabulous body lotion and splash and of course, I love it! I slathered it all over today after going to the pool! As usual, the staff at LifeWay are so nice to authors and I thank them for allowing me to be participate. Even though I-285 had 3 major lanes totally shut down, and we had an hour and a half drive, it was so worth it!

Just another Happy Trail...

7 comments:

Lori (sugarandgrits) said...: Hey Maggie!

I'm glad you made it to the pool today (and that you're enjoying your lotion)! I also got to relax in my sister's pool for a little while this morning.

It was GREAT to finally get to meet you! You're a pleasure to talk to! I wish we lived a little closer, so maybe we could get together sometime. *grin* That would be awesome!!

Hey, how is your sore lip today? Is it feeling any better? I hope so!

Thank you for a wonderful experience!
Lori S.

P.S. - You can email me if you'd like at: sugarandgrits[at]hotmail[dot]com; 10:59 PM
Maggie Brendan said...: Thanks for asking-my lip is even more purple now, but at least it's not hurting!It just looks ugly. :(; 10:11 AM
Tina Dee Books said...: So glad it was so much fun! I really wish I could have been there, but with the commute (about 3,000 miles) I don't think I would have made it, LOL.

Someday though, I believe I will, someday...

Hugs!; 11:58 AM
Lori (sugarandgrits) said...: Oh no! I'm glad it's not hurting anymore, at least. :); 9:29 PM
Maggie Brendan said...: Tina, who knows, maybe our paths will cross at the ACFW conference. I'm still considering...; 5:14 PM
Nora said...: I'm sorry I missed you all. I'm so glad that it all turned out good. I was so thankful that I got to meet you on Christian Fiction Day at Life Way.

I'll be talking to you soon. I appreciate your prayers for my sistuation.

Blessings to you
Nora - Finding Hope Through Fiction
www.psalm516.blogspot.com; 7:37 AM
Anonymous said...: It's JULIE!! What a great shot of you two lovely ladies.; 11:03 PM

From Romantic Times...

FROM ROMANTIC TIMES REVIEW- 4 stars

Two mail-order brides, one groom and a few misunderstandings collide in the second blue Willow Brides book. Brendan's characters are witty, charming and fun to be around, and she brings her trademark writing style to the Wild West.

Then Book summary:

In 1888 Central City, CO, Greta Olson is determined to be happy as a mail-order bride to Jess Gifford. Then she learns that another woman, Cora Johnson, has answered the same ad. She is certain Jess didn't place the ad. Jess knows that his brother, Zach, placed the ad and he's furious.

Zach and Jess will have to decide which woman each wants to marry-- but surprises await them when the women have their own opinions. --Patsy Glans

What people are saying...

Here's where people are saying on Amazon about Deeply Devoted...

“ I would highly recommend Deeply Devoted to anyone wanting a good Christian romantic story to read. ” Cindy W. | 18 reviewers made a similar statement

“ I love the story and Maggie makes all her characters come to life with her excellent writing. ” Lynn Underwood | 21 reviewers made a similar statement

“ The characters were very easy to like and had me thinking twice about certain issues in history. ” loving5kids | 11 reviewers made a similar statement

Praise for Deeply Devoted...

Maggie Brendan has done it again—stolen my heart with a love story that left me breathless. As gentle as a prairie breeze and as delicate as the Blue Willow china for which the series is named, Deeply Devoted is a tender and haunting tale that stirs heart and soul—deeply—well beyond the last page. -- Julie Lessman, Best Selling Author of Daughter of Boston series

Brendan, Maggie. Deeply Devoted. Revell. (Blue Willow Brides, Bk. 1). Sept. 2011. c.352p. ISBN 9780800734626. pap. $14.99. CF
Instead of choosing the young lady his mother has picked for him, Peter Andersen sends to Amsterdam for a mail-order bride in this new series by Brendan (“Heart of the West” series). Catharine Olsen arrives in Cheyenne, WY, with her mother’s china and her two sisters in tow. Peter is patient not only with Catharine but with her sisters. However, as the two begin their life together on the wheat farm, Peter’s mother will go to any length to see her son’s marriage destroyed. VERDICT This novel should appeal to fans of Lori Wick who enjoy a gentle romance with a Western twist as well as those who like reading about cultural clashes. --LibraryJournal.com

Maggie Brendan

Welcome and thank you for stopping by. I appreciate your interest in my books.

I can’t ever remember a time when I didn’t want to write. Each time I entered our small town library or school library, I’d breathed in the musky, smell and ink of books the way someone would sniffed perfume. I loved that I could be “somewhere” else in a manner of moments just from reading….so it was as natural as breathing for me to create stories. I wrote my 1^st book The Silver Crown, in third grade when my sweet teacher saw me writing during my free time and supplied me with paper. Quickly, I wrote another story—Mystery at Nubbins Ridge in 5^th grade, unpublished, of course! In 10^th grade biology class, as school as I finished my projects, I handed them to my girlfriend to read for feedback.

I still have the first story written in my longhand with a green construction paper for binding, and it looks pitiful. Inspiration and encouragement came early on from my late brother Gary. He nudged me in to the world of writing. Under the pen name of Jess McCreede, Gary wrote seven novels. One of my greatest pleasures comes from finishing a book. Another joy is receiving feedback from readers who share with me how much they enjoyed my books, and their anticipation for the next one. My readers are wonderful blessings to me, and hearing such sweet words from them is what makes me strive to make each story better than the last.

Although I’m definitely a Southern Belle, I loved reading Zane Grey novels, and found myself curious about the state of Colorado and the West. When we were a young couple, my husband, three month old baby girl and I, relocated to Colorado for a better job opportunity. It was my dream to live out West. That’s how I came to be so fond of everything western! My books are definitely inspirational with a faith theme woven into all of my stories through the characters as they face life's decisions.

If my stories have blessed you or encourage you in your faith, please write to me or post a message on my blog.

Happy Trails,

Maggie Brendan