Hi all, I hope this post finds you well. I'm guest blogging today on A Fictional Life about my love of words. Hope you'll drop by and say hi. You could win a copy of Submerged!
Blessings,
Yes. That's right. Today is the official release date of my debut novel Submerged. What does that mean exactly? It means that as of today Submerged is available in stores, online and for download on your e-reader of choice. It's such an exciting day and I'm looking forward to celebrating with my family tonight.
I have been especially blessed to enjoy this debut experience with three very talented authors:
Katie Ganshert (Katie's debut will officially release May 8th)
Join us on May 15 for our Debutantes’ Story Soiree: a live, worldwide online party to celebrate our debuts and also learn more about Heart of the Bride, a nonprofit ministry devoted to meeting the needs of orphans worldwide.
Also celebrating a release today is fellow Bethany House author Becky Wade. Yay, Becky! I feel so very blessed to be surrounded by such lovely women.
Bear Grylls
I hope you are all having a wonderful week. Today I'd like to feature another of my favorite adventure athletes, Bear Grylls. Perhaps you've seen him on Man vs. Wild. That's where I first learned of him and thought 'Wow! Here is a guy who takes adventure to the extreme, but knows how to survive and how to truly live--not just for himself but for others."
There are so many things about Bear that I admire:
He served his country in the British Special Air Service.
He was one of the youngest people to summit Mount Everest at age 23.
He pursues his passion for a living (adventurer, explorer, expedition leader)
He is a Christian with an amazing outlook on life. Here are a couple quotes that exemplify his outlook:
“If you risk nothing you gain nothing”
“The difference between ordinary and extra-ordinary is so often just simply that little word - extra. And for me, I had always grown up with the belief that if someone succeeds it is because they are brilliant or talented or just better than me… and the more of these words I heard the smaller I always felt! But the truth is often very different… and for me to learn that ordinary me can achieve something extra-ordinary by giving that little bit extra, when everyone else gives up, meant the world to me and I really clung to it…”
He is a devoted father and husband. He's recently authored a book for his sons called To My Sons: Lessons for the Wild Adventure Called Life which sounds wonderful!
Last but not certainly not least, Bear is a giver. He participates with many charities and has led record-breaking expeditions which in turn raised more than $2.5 million for children around the world.
If you haven't seen Bear in action on Man vs.Wild, I highly recommend checking it out. My family loves watching Bear on his amazing adventures and I hope you will too. Bear is exactly the type of hero I love to bring alive in my novels.
If you love Bear Grylls, check out his wife, Shara — she’s an amazing woman!
I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and a very Happy New Year! Writing adventurous romantic suspense novels like Submerged, I spend a lot of time researching athletes and looking for inspiration. Today I'd like to share a bit about an adventurous athlete that inspires me.
- Bethany Hamilton
Perhaps you already know about her. The recent movie Soul Surfer was about her shark attack and miraculous come back. She's a Christian, a surfer, and an amazing young woman who likes to help others. You can visit her website for more details about the ministries she partners with. I'd like to highlight one in particular:
Friends of Bethany is a non-profit organization dedicated to sharing the hope and love of Jesus Christ worldwide by supporting and inspiring people through the life stories of Bethany Hamilton and others.Bethany's family and friends started the foundation with the goal of supporting and encouraging shark attack survivors and traumatic amputees, along with presenting inspiring life stories through movies, projects, and activities.
Suffering such a traumatic and life-altering injury, Bethany could have easily given up on her dream to become a pro surfer, but instead she chose to trust God with her dream and she got back on that surfboard only a month after the attack. Amazing! Bethany's hope, determination, and abundant faith inspire me.
To learn more about Bethany visit her webpage or blog. Trust me, you'll be inspired.
Enjoy the Adventure,