Favorite Love Inspired Reads

Love Inspired

Share your favorite Love Inspired reads with readers, authors, and fans of Christian romance.

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Dream... boldly going where no hosty has gone before...

Hey Dream, I'm here ....

Hey Dream, I'm here .... just not sure where is exactly. Laughing

did I mention I don't like change??

Obviously more a product of my generation than my age group here---- it took me a while to find this new - fangled thing and now that I'm here, I apparently can only comment here!  How do I talk on the historical thread and where are the goals/writing things going to be?

"You miss one hundred percent of the shots you never take." Wayne Gretzky

Are you finding things better?

It may take a few days to figure out where things are. It's a different organization, so we'll have a learning curve in finding things. I see you found the goals/writing things, so we're good there.

This is the discussion for the Love Inspired books. We're trying to do a discussion for each imprint. On the old boards, we used to have that, but the inactive discussions automatically archived and I never restored them. Embarassed But we're going to try again, and hopefully get some reader involvement as well.

The LIH discussion must've gotten mixed up in the move. We had a few discussions where that happened, so I'll get it rebuilt ASAP. If you want to join in the launch discussion, you can find it here. We've got lots of folks playing in there, so you can at least start with that and I should have the other up shortly.

Thanks for your patience! I know this is a learning curve, and as I mentioned to Kim when we were testing, I wasn't too happy with it at first either. But to be honest, now that I've had some time in here, I really like this platform much better. As far as the organization goes, let's give it time, play around, and I will definitely adjust as needed (and argue for them with the tech folks). 

 

Dream... boldly going where no hosty has gone before.

Tag Cloud

Hey Dream, I've been playing on and off here throughout the day. When my kids got off the school bus, they raced over and have been looking over my shoulder to see what all the commotion is about since I've been talking about it a lot.

My main concern is the tag cloud 'shouting' out the words erotica and sexy at them.

I mean, I know this site isn't for kids, but it makes them wonder what I've been doing when they're at school, you know?

Just my thoughts.

 Anita mae.

Definitely something I will pass on

I can see how that would be a concern. I'm going to pass this one on and see what we can do about it. Basically, when folks create blogs and such, they have the ability to put in tags and such, and it seems that these are the tags folks are using the most. So do be sure and tag your blogs, and we'll see what else we can come up with.

Dream... boldly going where no hosty has gone before.

Sexy, a problem??  Don't

Sexy, a problem??  Don't get near Proverbs 5:19 then, it's about as sexy as you can get......

VERY frustrated old maid speaking.......I don't want to be one!!!  If I ever get a husband I'm going to find out all about that passionate love stuff that God made for us to enjoy----the sexy passionate love of marriage.......

"You miss one hundred percent of the shots you never take." Wayne Gretzky

Nah...

I don't think you'll end up an old maid. How's things going with the guy? Any progress?

As you may have noticed, we removed the tag cloud on the Steeple Hill area so you'll find the same safe content you were used to on the old boards. 

 

Dream... boldly going where no hosty has gone before.

As you may have noticed, we

As you may have noticed, we removed the tag cloud on the Steeple Hill
area so you'll find the same safe content you were used to on the old
boards.

Dream--please send along my thanks for this. Wonderful customer support. Thanks!

 

--Barbara
Currently reading THE DOCTOR'S BRIDE by Patt Marr

I hope not.....

I hope not!!  But I'm so frustrated lately though I feel like I'm going to blow up.  I've got a corner on the chocolate market......He went out of town for Christmas and I've been sick for the last two weeks, but I'm waiting.....odd as it sounds to some, I still think he's Mr. Right because of how I've prayed, we're just in a pause for whatever reason.  I know I'm pretty and have asked God to let me know if He wants me single and serving the Church or married and I believe I am supposed to be married, despite my frustration induced pessimism of late.....no one else has shown up and I've asked my feelings to be clear and they are.  So I guess I'll keep waiting.  I had a friend who just got married and she never dated but God put her and her husband together quickly after they met, she was even doubting that my friend's the right guy because of the silence.  But I pointed out that mine's got some issues to work through and needs the right guidence and infuence, I know how I've prayed and have no idea why I'm still waiting, but maybe we're both working on something. 

I still need to give him his Christmas presant though.  I know he'll LOVE it! 

"You miss one hundred percent of the shots you never take." Wayne Gretzky

tag thing

It's probably good it got removed though, I bet this line has younger readers than some of the others....I started out on Victoria Holt's when I was in 5th or 6th grade, I knew that "passionate mushy" stuff was out there, but that was for when you got married.....I never read those "young adult" things, Victoria Holt was the first romance novels I read. 

 If he doesn't propose by the time I finish grad school then I just might turn into a saucy wench and do so myself!!  Or I'll just move somewhere like the Yukon where my odds are better.....Cool

 

AND---I LOVE that the pictures are much clearer on these boards---they were kind of fuzzy on the old one.

"You miss one hundred percent of the shots you never take." Wayne Gretzky

Yup, that'd be it

We try to be sensitive the younger folks as well as readers who come looking for the inspirational read.

LOL @ moving to the Yukon. Well, I've still got it in my prayers. I can't wait to hear his story. I really admire your patience. I think by now, I'd have called him up and said, "Look, are you or aren't you going to marry me?!" 

I don't think I remember you being in grad school. Remind me what you are studying. 

Dream... boldly going where no hosty has gone before.

That just occured to me

That just occured to me about possible younger readers. 

Sometimes I'd love to and even the friend I mentioned who got married quick after not having male attention for years wondered if "silence" was a no---but first of all, this man is 45 years old and has NOT had a very good picture of how things should be between a man and woman....just because he's not knocking on my door at the moment, doesn't mean he's not it.  It does stretch my patience at times, I wonder why everyone else gets it while I wait and wait.....But I know that I asked God to pick the man out since I was never around any single men at all, I asked my feelings to be clear.  They are and he has been the only one to give me attention, attention that goes beyond "just being nice" and I think we are both learning something that God wants us to know while we wait.  I always figured I was saved for someone real special and I think he's it.  I do sometimes wonder what would have happened if I'd stayed at this church when we first met 5 years ago instead of going back to my old church.  I thought he was too shy and would never speak to me, but when I came back a little over a year ago, he remembered me and that's when this whole thing started. 

I went back to grad school last semester.  I'm getting my MA in Professional Writing and also getting licensed to teach English and History at the same time--I found out it won't take any more time to do that, so I thought that would make a good plan B. With the Professional writing I can get a job in many different companies, I'd kind of like to work for one of my favourite hockey teams!  I had to do something though, my undergrad wasn't doing me any good, I kept making less and less money and was working retail until July.  God decided I was going back to school and since I LOVE writing! 

"You miss one hundred percent of the shots you never take." Wayne Gretzky

Passion

Dream, thank you so much for removing the tag cloud from the Steeple Hill discussion board. Smile 

Lla – I thoroughly agree with you. When ‘church people’ ask how I can write for Harlequin (or aspire to write for) because of the ‘sexy passionate’ books they publish, I usually answer that God created us to feel passion for the mate He wants us to be with – hopefully the one of His chosing. That’s why I don’t understand how some books can portray a deep love for another person without a single mention of a physical feeling or passion for that person. To me, that’s a ‘brotherly love’. Of course, I’m not advocating physical descriptions of what happens, but my CP has said, “You can’t say that – it’s a Steeple Hill book” when I wrote about a zing up my h’s arm when she shakes hands with the H. Or even when they end a kiss breathing heavily. I mean, if that doesn’t happen with the one you want to spend the rest of your life with, is he really the one God has chosen for you? 

 

Anita mae.  

I totally don't want to read

I totally don't want to read a bunch of physical description, but I totally agree that if you don't have a "zing" or something---maybe you've got the wrong one??  And I agree I don't understand either how it can be a love story and not have some mention of the passion, the feelings that well inside you just seeing the person---feelings can be tricky, it can be real or not, but if you don't feel something, why on earth are you wanting to get attached to that person?  God created passion, and coming from a very demonstrative family, I can't separate the physical from teh emotional--I do not see my brother and just stand there and say "hi."  I give him a BIG sister hug! There are those different kinds of love and if people would read the Bible they would find that God fully intends for us to share the passionate kind with our mates.

  I find myself explaning that Harlequin Historicals run the range from 'sweet' to 'no way I'm reading that one'.  One reason I've chosen to target HH, is for the above reasons, although they are sweet (hey, I haven't even been kissed--my imaginations good, but not that good) ones, I wanted to be able to mention the 'zing' and I'm a good girl, but I do notice below the man's neck and I know from listening to my father and brothers that although good men each, they have eyes in their heads and when like my dad met my mom, he didn't just notice her face and nothing else.  To me that's part of the struggle to stay good Christians, to see that, to have the pure desire in your heart and to still do the right thing despite the tingles in the arm from that handshake!

"You miss one hundred percent of the shots you never take." Wayne Gretzky

A Mate of God's chosing

Good response lla! Smile

I wanted to add that I read the posts about you and your guy when I first joined this board last summer. My initial thoughts haven't changed. I will be honest because I consider you a friend.

First - guys run when chased! This isn't just something I heard - I've lived it! Both in my teens and in my early adult life in the military, when I ‘went looking' for a boyfriend, nary a one was to be found. But as soon as I decided I didn't need a guy and became preoccupied with other things, the guys were crawling out of the trenches to date me.

All you naysayer's can go ahead and laugh but it's supposed to have something to do with the pheromones that we produce. For the uninitiated, a pheromone is "a chemical that triggers a natural behavioral response in another member of the same species". I read somewhere that when Michael Jackson had his nose redone, he lost his ability to smell  pheromones. No comment on that one! Wink

So lla, I guess what I'm saying is that even though this guy might be the one God has chosen for you doesn't mean you have to sit and wait for Him to take his time responding to you. We are not immortal while on this earth.

In our novels, we write about strong, proactive women. Can you honestly say you live your life the same way? If this guy is the one that God has chosen for you, then He will make his move at some point. Will he find you sitting, waiting or will he find an energetic woman who loves life and lives it that way? What if he's not the one God has chosen and yet you've spent how much time waiting on him while the right guy is looking for you?

Just my 2 cents worth. Please rant and rave at me to your heart's content.

Anita mae.

Well, I definitely don't

Well, I definitely don't chase.  I keep on with school and sing in the choir and do my medieval reenacting and continue to be surrounded by married people and women at every turn!  No exaggeration.  I'm not just sitting about waiting, and I'm not chasing anyone.

I have NEVER no matter what I've tried, gotten attention from men.  Period.  None.  I stopped 'trying' a long time ago.  The handful of single males I have managed to come into contact with have shown no interest whatsoever--except for him....Now, because I this isolation I have, and not for lack of trying to meet unattached males, I prayed that God would have the right one speak up, give me attention, and my feelings would be clear.  If he's not it---then no one else has shown any interest, and my feelings are for no one else.  I can't just sit and act like I don't want a man---and once upon a time men wanted women!  I do my work and my play, I do things at church, and I literally have not, until recently, even had unmarried men in my acquaintence.

I am so tired of being around women I could scream.  I have tried to move to other cities with NO luck, God must want me here.  I've asked God if He wanted me to be a nun because of my isolation....I feel safe in saying I got a no on that.  The Church needs to go back to encouraging marriage---like St. Paul said, to avoid you know what.  I want the man God wants me to have, he's going to have to speak up, whoever he is.  My friend, she didn't get any attention from men for 9 years, nothing --- then one day at church she met the guy she's married to, 6 months after they met.  He was quick.  My dad was quick, he was a confirmed bachelor, but when he met my mom, 5 months later they were married.  I think some men have forgotten what to do, they are so surrounded by uppity-feminst women that they don't have a clue what to do when a traditional woman shows up. 

If the man wants a career-minded feminist, he doesn't want me.  God created women to be helpers to men, not to be competition with or equal to them.  If he wants a woman who will be wise with the household budget, cooks well, hates to shop, is bursting with love and affection, loves to go for walks and hiking, enjoys good music and good books, and is active in church, then that would be me.  Yes, we're supposed to be partners, but the man is supposed to be in charge---it's more like a law firm kind of partnership where you have a senior partner and a junior partner.  No, women shouldn't be walked on, but I don't have to be a career-minded, self-absorbed, ladder-climber like some of the single women I know in order to have an opinion and be strong. 

"You miss one hundred percent of the shots you never take." Wayne Gretzky

I do see what you're trying

I do see what you're trying to say though Anita Mae---please be assured I'm not just sitting, in fact, when I'm done with grad school and if I'm offered the job I'd love to have, then if he hasn't proposed---I'm going because if I was to get that job then that's where God wants me to be.  I don't know how many times I've tried to get out of this city, but God hasn't let me, He must want me here for something.  And grad school, He wanted me there too, because I didn't want to be. 

"You miss one hundred percent of the shots you never take." Wayne Gretzky

Don't be a nun!

Oh please lla - don't be a nun! Laughing

Wow - you're definitely keeping your mind of other things. That's great! That takes care of the sitting, waiting part.

I'm glad to read you're looking to the future as well and have an open mind about moving if that's what the Lord has in His plan for you. (You had me worried for a bit there.)

I will add you to my prayer list. I will pray not only that God's choice finds you soon, but also to give you patience and wisdom while you wait for this special man who/whom? God has hand-picked to fulfill your wildest dreams.Wink

Anita mae.

Will of God?

I have been trying to get out of this city since I got out of undergrad nearly 10 years ago!  Frown  God obviously wants me here for now anyway.  I am enjoying my classes despite my professed dislike of degrees and ladder-climbing, my reasons for being there are a bit different, I want a good job doing something I love--- writing, and I'll be licensed to teach too when I'm done.

Some days I feel the frustration deeper than others, most days I'm ok with the waiting......but there are days when I'd just like to hold hands, or hug, or something.  I am so starved for male company I even got excited to talk to a friend's husband at church the other day!  I felt so silly, it was like, "oh, a man is speaking to me!!"  God knows exactly what He's doing withholding Mr Right until the time is perfect because I'd get us in trouble.  Embarassed

Thanks for adding me to your prayer list Anita Mae, just one thing though, please leave off the patience part....you know what they say about asking for patience. 

"You miss one hundred percent of the shots you never take." Wayne Gretzky

 "oh, a man is speaking to

 "oh, a man is speaking to me!!" Laughing  Been there. Know how you feel. At the time, I was so excited, I missed everything he said. Then, I felt stupid. Embarassed

Ahhh no - what do they say about asking for patience?

Anita mae.

The dreaded patience thing!

Yeah, I know all about praying for patience!! You pray for it and then God gives you something to test it. Ugh.

Ila, I really respect and admire you for figuring out your boundaries, setting them, and keeping them. I think too many people have boundaries that move too much, which makes it hard. 

 

Dream... boldly going where no hosty has gone before.

patience/boundaries

Dream said it, when you ask for patience, God gives you something to test it and I've had enough disaster the last couple of years, so maybe some easing of the 'frustration' instead of patience is what I need.

 

And Dream, I do know my boundaries, even without ever dating.  I want to be a good girl and I know that what I've got is saved especially for the man.  It's actually something that my Muslim women friends are very surprised about with me---my sense of modesty and that my body is especially for this one man is much closer to theirs than what they get from most "Christians" they see.  He'll have the honour of knowing he's the only one to kiss me, the only one to see my shoulders, my legs, everything is just for him.  And knowing my older sisters and their struggles in waiting for the right man, it's just safer to have the good old fashioned "hands-off" policy!  Embarassed   It is so rough sometimes though!!  Like I said, good thing God has kept men away from me until the right one is ready to speak up!!  And I hope it is him---he is special and should get the chance to know what true love is! 

"You miss one hundred percent of the shots you never take." Wayne Gretzky

Hi hi!

Hi everyone! I just came back in and realized "WOW! Changes!" It took me a while I find you all haha. I was reading through the top posts in this thread and I wanted you to know that I know for sure there are young readers! I started reading these around 13 or 14 and my sisters are now also all avid readers of steeple hill books that I've finished. (Ages 13 & 16) In fact, my 16 y.o. sister is the reason I came back this morning. She said last night as she was reading Shirlee McCoy's latest, "You should go on the steeple hill website, you haven't in a while. If for nothing else to tell Shirlee I enjoyed her book."

 So, hello and thanks for looking out for the young readers!

                             Jolene

Hi

I'm just dropping in to say "Hi." I finally found this place. I hope I can find it again.

Merrillee 

Add it to your favorites

When you find a discussion you like, add it to your favorites. Then, you can use the button on the sidebar that says My favourites, and you'll find links to all your favorite discussions there.

Dream... boldly going where no hosty has gone before.

Hope waves happily to all her friends...

It's so good to see everybody!  I missed you all while I was unable to get into the site. 

Ila, I'm still praying for your situation. ((((hug))))  Glad you are still studying.  No learning is ever wasted for a writer.  I remember on one of the other threads before we changed formats, someone was saying about some nonfiction book she'd read, and she was applying it to her characters.  ("You know you're a writer when" was the line, I think.) 

Speaking of writing, I am having trouble deciding what to have happen with my Hero.  There's the possibility of something wonderful happening or something terrible, and I can't decide which one would cause more conflict between him and the heroine...  Undecided If the bad thing happened, it could cause him to be permanently disabled; on the other hand, if the good thing happened, it could change his career and make the heroine wonder if she's good enough for him....  Ah, the dilemma!  (I miss :coolfrown:)

Desert Dreamer 51,108/55,000 = 93%

"Never say you will pray about a thing; pray about it." Oswald Chambers

Hello

Hello! I have now officially found the new site. It seems easier for me to get around in. I like the bio page and all that good stuff. Now if I can just find the time to look around...for now its back to the wip...I know what you mean Hope--the possiblities of conflict can be a wonderful thing but it can also sure stump my toe sometimes trying to figure out if I'm going the right way or not. Here's hoping I'm going the right way today.

(Okay, I can't find the spell check so here's hoping I didn't make any bad mistakes Embarassed)

 

Debra Clopton--Have you been to Mule Hollow yet? On shelves now NEXT DOOR DADDY

Debbie! So fabulous to see

Debbie! So fabulous to see you. Spell check is still in the works. Smile So... whatcha writing? When do we get to see it? Tell us all the important stuff. Oh, and what's for dessert?

Dream... boldly going where no hosty has gone before.

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