Today at LifeWay in Buford, GA

What a wonderful time I had today at the LifeWay store in Buford, GA! I met new readers and had fun getting to know new ones. Nora St. Laurent, the bookclub manger, was her usual gracious and cheerful self there to greet me for their Fiction Event Day.

There were great bargains of fiction titles today. Good thing I was too busy to buy any more books to read. However, I did come away with another Bible. No surprised there.

Here's a few pictures of the event. Thanks LifeWay for inviting me to represent fiction for your store today. I had a great time! :) Nora is the one in Burgandy shirt with me at the bottom.

Next week, I would like to try to carve out some time to post covers of some good books I've read recently.

Until then,
Maggie

LIFEWAY NAT'L FICTION EVENT DAY IN BUFORD, GA

This Saturday, May 15th, I'll be signing my books at the LifeWay store in Buford by the Mall of GA for their Annual Fiction Event Day. I'll be at their store from 11-1pm. I hope you'll drop by.

My books are in the new LifeWay catalog out now. Click on the link, then go to page 6 for A Love of Her Own. My second book, The Jewel of His Heart is on the back at a bargain right now.

http://www.lifewaystores.com/lwstore/catalog_view.asp?catalog=may10-fiction.

These events are always fun because not only is the staff a group of great folks, but I get to meet new fans and interact with them. The hardest thing for me is being surrounded by a mass of books that I'd like to purchase, and other gifts too! Last time I was there, I signed with Julie Lessman and we had a blast. She's a great writer and preious friend.

So check out the catalog and mark the books you want to buy (mine too) and print out the coupon. I'll be looking for you. :)

Maggie

IT'S ALL ABOUT LOVE

It's all about love, isn't it? If you hurry on over to http://www.bustlesandspurs.com/ for the next couple of days, I'm giving away a copy of my latest book when it becomes available at the end of May. Just post me a comment and I'll have the moderator draw a winer.

My Mother's day was very special because it's been quite a few years since my daughter and family have been here on Mother's Day and for once my pharmacist son was able to swap his Saturday shift with another person. It's was a great day to be together, but beyond the gifts, their cards with their own personal comments written inside meant more to me than anything else. I'll treasure them always just as they're a treasure to me. I consider my children and granchildren a sweet blessing from God.

I hope if you're a mother, adoptive mother or expecting, that your day was a sweet one too! So go make a comment for your chance to win.

Maggie

WIN A COPY OF A LOVE OF HER OWN

Like to win a copy of my new book releasing in June? It's easy following this link to Goodreads and enter to win. http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/3758-a-love-of-her-own-a-novel.

Five copies will be given away. You may be the winner! Not only did Revell create a beautiful cover depicting April McBride, I believe you will love her story and heart change when she travels to Montana's Big Sky country.

Now back to my regularly scheduled program-writing and competing Deeply Devoted, the first book in the new series.

Stay dry, if you can. You won't find any dust in Atlanta these days! :)

Maggie

SPRINGTIME PLEASURES

Springtime in the south is always spectalular but Georgia puts on a beautiful, irrestible show. I couldn't resist this picture of the cherry trees at the entrance to our neighborhood against the back drop of balmy blue skies. The cherry trees were in bloom a couple of weeks ago but I'm just now copying them onto my computer. I enjoyed walking through our neighborhood watching each day as the tiny green leaves unfold then become broad leaves giving shade for the long hot summer days. I have to schedule time to walk since my deadline for the first book in the new series looms and I'm at the keyboard most days. But being outside with nature always starts creative juices flowing in my head.

I'm pretty excited about the release of A Love of Her Own at the end of May! I hope you'll get a copy for your springtime reading and catch the ride of April McBride and her adventureous visit to Montana. I have an Author Spotlight up on RT Reviews today which will give you a little insight into the theme behind the story. Here's the link: http://www.rtbookreviews.com/content/authors-spotlight. I'll be setting up booksignings soon and my first one is May 15th at the LifeWay store in Buford, GA. I hope to see you there. Until later, Maggie

LOVELY CHERRY TREES

MY CALA LILIES

PATIO VARIETY

MY AZALEAS

CHERRY BLOSSOMS

WIN A COPY OF MY BOOK

I'm giving away a copy of my book this week when you leave a comment on an interview that I did for The Borrowed Book. Here's the link http://theborrowedbook.blogspot.com/. It's nice to be asked to be interviewed and sometimes some of the questions appear to be the same, but they're not. I hope you'll stop by for a chance to win a copy of The Jewel of His Heart, if you don't have a copy.

Presently, I'm working on the first book, Deeply Devoted, in my new series and taking time to read other good books along the way. I'm honored to have the opportunity to read and endorse Julie Lessman's new book, A Hope Undaunted, coming out soon. It's delicious and I'm a big fan of her books. If you have never read one of Julie's books, you need to get her Daughters of Boston Series! They sizzzzzle. :)

I hope to get a chance this week to post about a couple of other books that I've endorsed and are on the booksheleves now. All good wonderful historicals.

Now I need to step back into the world of 1887 in Wyoming today, but it's hard to wrap my head around it after a fabulous Michael Buble concert last night, a gift from my son-in-law, but I'll do my best.

Good luck with the book giveaway, and don't forget to post to The Borrowed Book blog and not mine to be entered in the contest.

Happy Trails,
Maggie

ON CHRISTIAN BOOK. COM AS AN AUTHOR

I am so happy tonight! My author page and interiew is now up on Christianbook.com. This is a dream come true for me. To tell you honestly, I never knew it was a possiblity. I think God had bigger and better plans for me than I did. :)

With the 3rd book in the Heart of the West series coming out at the end of May, I have even more to celebrate. Without getting too personal, I've travelled a difficult personal walk the last few months so I needed some good news. God continues to bless.

If you're interested in reading the interview, click here. http://www.christianbook.com/fiction.

I'll be doing LifeWay National Fiction Event Day in May at their store next to the Mall of GA in Buford. I can hardly wait. The folks there are wonderful and so are my fans.

I'm working hard on the first book on the next series, The Blue Willow Brides but taking time to research and craft my scenes and characters that I hope you'll come to love.

I pray your winter hasn't been a hard one---spring will be here soon. I've been seeing Bluebirds poking in the Bluebird box on my fence outside my office window, looking for their home and that's a definite sign of spring:)

Until next time,
Maggie.

GUEST BLOGGING

Brrr...Baby's it's cold outside!

Atlanta's snow storm last week was incredibly beautiful. Look at our gazebo in the neighborhood covered with snow. So pretty! Hard to believe that I normally stop here on my walk and listen to the gurgle of the creek behind it. Of course, now it's melted and a little bit warmer, which tells me spring is not far off because I've spotted bluebirds in our back yard.

While I've been working on my new series this week, I've taken a break to guest blog for Petticoats And Pistols. I'm tickled that they asked me to guest blog and my post will be up on Saturday. Hope you will check it out here: http://www.petticoatsandpistols.com/ tomorrow.

Now back to my regular schedule, that includes hot coffee to chase the chill away and back to see what my characters in the "other" world of Blue Willow Brides are up too. :)

Stay warm...

Maggie

Winner of No Place for a Lady

Congratulations to Trinity Rose who won the Valentine giveaway for a copy of No Place for a Lady! I hope you'll enjoy the book and post me a comment after you've read it.

I appreciate everyone's participation and for sharing your favorite valentine card memory. I hope your Valentine's Day was wonderful. I received a dozen beautiful red roses from my husband and nice dinner out. My day was especially sweet with a surprise visit for a few hours from my daughter, Sheri and family from Augusta. She gave me an adorable moose statute with a sweet smile on his face. After seeing them in the Grand Tetons this past September, I'm enamoured by those beautiful creatures. By the way, for Christmas she gave me a silver moose bead for my Chamilia bracelet. She really knows how to get to my heart.

Isn't he cute?

Have a wonderful week. Until later,

Maggie

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

It'll be here on Sunday--Valentine's Day! As a child, I loved how we covered shoe boxes with crepe paper and glued hearts, etc. on it to hold the valentines we hoped to get at school. Remember those times?

In honor of the most romantic day of the year, I'm giving away a copy of No Place for a Lady over at Bustles and Spurs today.

Some of you have written me saying you've read book 2 and would like to read the first one. Well, here's your chance. Go to www.bustlesandspurs.com and tell me what was your favorite valentine card that you can remember.
You can read my answer there. On Monday, I'll draw a winner.

Good luck and have a Happy Valentine's Day!!

Maggie

Who Dat?

Yes, I'm happy The Saints are in the Superbowl and I'm cheering for them!! I'm not a huge football person but I like to stay abreast of a few teams, especially the Broncos and LSU. So I have one eye on the TV that I can see through my French Doors and my hand on the dashboard of Blogger.

The reason that I wanted to blog tonight was that want to tell you about a wonderful autobiography that I read last week while recoupering from surgery. I met this wonderful lady when she friended me on facebook. Long story short, she sent me a copy of her book to read and I could not put it down! Damaged Goods is a true story of Charlotte Hunt's abusive childhood. It's an incredibly raw look at sexual abuse and the power of God to overcome the worst betrayal in one's life. Well educated, Charlotte is a gifted writer as she bares her soul in this indept look at her past and her present. She's a sucessful national motivational speaker and speaks to diverse audiences in overcoming childhood trauma, women's issues, and is a favorite lecturer for district attorney offices, educators, addiction treatment programs and children advocacy centers.

She is active in vocal and jazz studies and has done radio programs, PBS specials, commercials and an international runway model. I told her that she is a much more beautiful version of Michelle O'Bama for certain.

I hope you check out her website and perhaps read her book if you know of somewith with childhood trauma or abuse, or if you were a victim. Maybe you'd just like to understand this terrible covered up shame that ocurrs every day around the world. Her story will uplift you even in the darkest moments of her scarred life because she gives HOPE and points us the Christ who always loves us, pours out His grace and who was always there with his arms open wide waiting on us to run to Him to triumph over one of life's greatest tragedies. Her friendship is what I call one of those "God Winks"!

You can check out her website:

http://www.charlottehunt.net/

Back to the Superbowl and half-time

Maggie