A question for readers?

Hi to everyone.
I'd like to know if readers who read Christian Fiction are open to reading other genres? Would you visit a blog that has Christian Fiction authors as well as other Genre authors even Erotica authors on their blogs?

Do you think there should be a wide seperation between Christian Fiction and other genres or do you want the Secular world to see CF for the wonderful writing it is? Do you think that if CF authors and books are promoted on the Secular blogs maybe more readers would find their way back to their faith or learn about a faith they may never have heard before or never listened to?

I'd really love to know readers thoughts on this. I'd like to add CF authors and books to my other blog and not post to this one, since I have hard time keeping up with 2/3 blogs. But I'd like to know readers thoughts on this as well. Would you CF readers read posts that appeared on blogs with other authors/books?

I thank you for your comments in advance.

St. Patrick's Day?

St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, is one of Christianity's most widely known figures. But for all his celebrity, his life remains somewhat of a mystery. Many of the stories traditionally associated with St. Patrick, including the famous account of his banishing all the snakes from Ireland, are false, the products of hundreds of years of exaggerated storytelling.

Taken Prisoner By Irish Raiders

It is known that St. Patrick was born in Britain to wealthy parents near the end of the fourth century. He is believed to have died on March 17, around 460 A.D. Although his father was a Christian deacon, it has been suggested that he probably took on the role because of tax incentives and there is no evidence that Patrick came from a particularly religious family. At the age of sixteen, Patrick was taken prisoner by a group of Irish raiders who were attacking his family's estate. They transported him to Ireland where he spent six years in captivity. (There is some dispute over where this captivity took place. Although many believe he was taken to live in Mount Slemish in County Antrim, it is more likely that he was held in County Mayo near Killala.) During this time, he worked as a shepherd, outdoors and away from people. Lonely and afraid, he turned to his religion for solace, becoming a devout Christian. (It is also believed that Patrick first began to dream of converting the Irish people to Christianity during his captivity.)

Guided By Visions

After more than six years as a prisoner, Patrick escaped. According to his writing, a voice-which he believed to be God's-spoke to him in a dream, telling him it was time to leave Ireland.
To do so, Patrick walked nearly 200 miles from County Mayo, where it is believed he was held, to the Irish coast. After escaping to Britain, Patrick reported that he experienced a second revelation-an angel in a dream tells him to return to Ireland as a missionary. Soon after, Patrick began religious training, a course of study that lasted more than fifteen years. After his ordination as a priest, he was sent to Ireland with a dual mission-to minister to Christians already living in Ireland and to begin to convert the Irish. (Interestingly, this mission contradicts the widely held notion that Patrick introduced Christianity to Ireland.)

Bonfires and Crosses

Familiar with the Irish language and culture, Patrick chose to incorporate traditional ritual into his lessons of Christianity instead of attempting to eradicate native Irish beliefs. For instance, he used bonfires to celebrate Easter since the Irish were used to honoring their gods with fire. He also superimposed a sun, a powerful Irish symbol, onto the Christian cross to create what is now called a Celtic cross, so that veneration of the symbol would seem more natural to the Irish. (Although there were a small number of Christians on the island when Patrick arrived, most Irish practiced a nature-based pagan religion. The Irish culture centered around a rich tradition of oral legend and myth. When this is considered, it is no surprise that the story of Patrick's life became exaggerated over the centuries-spinning exciting tales to remember history has always been a part of the Irish way of life.)

For more information please visit the History channel at http://www.history.com/minisites/stpatricksday/

It's very interesting.

hugs,

WendyK

a New family member...

Meet our newest family member, Jake.

hugs,

WendyK

book buying and the changing times, how does it affect things?

Hello all,
In my groups I recently asked a question on book buying habits and how it affects authors and the publishing world. Here is how I worded my question to the groups:

I have a question for all published authors. I am considering changing alot of
my shopping habits and have already done so in many small ways. But I was
wondering last night as I bookshopped, do you all get paid a certain
royalty from the publisher no matter the bookseller? Or do you make more money
from books sold at say Barnes and Noble, over books sold at Walmart? Does it
matter? Is there a preference for where you'd like readers to buy your books?
Does it help more if they are bought directly from the publisher, ie eharlequin.com, or the Harpercollins
website, or does it help more when we purchase them from a chain bookstore or
what?

I know you get nothing when we use PBS or UBS
but does it matter to your bottomline, or your sells, or your
listing if we buy from different stores?

I hope my question
makes sense

Now I'd like to discuss this on my blog. I know that it matters to sales for authors that we buy new vs buying used or booksharing. I also know that with things as they are many of us are having to cut back, change our shopping/buying habits in order to survive. However I do hope to not see this mean more great authors are let go by publishers due to slow sells. I remember a few years ago everyone complained there weren't any good historicals being published, however when asked most admitted to not buying any either, they were getting them at UBSs and libraries and such so the publishers didn't see historicals selling. Now we are overloaded in alot of opinions with paranormals, namely Vampires, but that is what was/is selling. I see a larger variety myself out now, but still wonder with the changing times how our book buying choices will fall out in the future. So I want to know from everyone how has your bookbuying habits changed? How does buying used affect you? Do you still want/hope/plan to buy as many new as you can? Authors, can you help to explain how the difference in buying from one store vs another affects your future books being published? I'd love to see this discussed openly and without hurt feelings for blame or any other hard things. I just want to have a better idea of what MY choices now will mean for the future of the Romance industry I so dearly love. If you have a thought on this, or just want to ask more questions about how things really work please ask.

hugs,
WendyK

Whirlwind by Cathy Marie Hake

christmas reading?

Wow it's been awhile since I posted last. I've been truly enjoying this season of good cheer. We've been putting up decorations and shopping and just enjoying our time. A very relaxed time really so far this year. We found a book, SANTA'S CHRISTMAS PRAYER. It's really cute and sweet. And really is a good way to use both Santa and the true meaning of Christmas. My kids really enjoyed it. My mom has a couple of statues of santa praying or kneeling over Jesus. Very cute.

Right now I'm reading WHIRLWIND by Cathy Marie Hake. a great book so far. I'll post a review of it later on, hopefully tomorrow.

After the 1st of the year I hope to have authors visiting and to be updating the blog alot more often. Please stick with me, or offer me advice or tips or things you'd like me to do or change.

I hope everyone has a wonderful, joyful, Holiday Season and remembers to leave Christ in Christmas!

hugs and Merry Christmas to all,
WendyK

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Have a happy, safe, thankful, foodful, joyous day and weekend!

hugs,
WendyK