Sunday, August 17, 2014

50 Shades of White

50 Shades of White

What I love most about the inspirational market



The inspirational romance market is one of the fastest growing in the entire industry. For me, it's easy to see why. Christians are always looking for entertainment that doesn't interfere with their faith. Below, I've created a list of 50 reasons I love reading and writing inspirational romance.

  1. They display Godly relationships.
  2. They lead readers toward what is right.
  3. They are founded on strong Christian values.
  4. No physical immorality included.
  5. Virtue and purity are upheld and encouraged.
  6. Readers benefit from the idealistic examples of what falling in love should be like.
  7. Filled with well-shaped convictions.
  8. They support turning eyes and heart to seek God's purpose.
  9. Expectations of love that are focused on the right occupations.
  10. They feature characters that are called to love and serve.
  11. They share prayers.
  12. Relationship that are not founded upon fleeting things.
  13. They show committed relationships founded in the Lord's plan.
  14. They focus on things that help Christians grow and flourish.
  15. The emphasize that forging a relationship with God is the most important thing in life.
  16. They show that life is hard and people struggle - God makes it all bearable.
  17. They feature strong protagonists that only become stronger together with God at the helm.
  18. Emotional depth.
  19. Focus is NOT on being perfect, for all fall short of the glory of God.
  20. Strict guidelines that govern what can and cannot be included within the pages, though you must make sure you only gets books from ACFW-approved publishers.
  21. They inspire an emotional response.
  22. Faith impacts the characters' decisions.
  23. They contain solid theology.
  24. They provide encouragement. 
  25.  Christ is the Redeemer, not a overly-muscled and scantily clad hero.
  26. Hope lies in Christ, not the hero.
  27. God doesn't always wrap up the loose ends, and that's okay. They provide an accurate depiction of life's messes.
  28. Helps us grow as believers, as they often included sermons. It just might be the message you need to hear.
  29. More realistic expectations about relationships and spirituality than secular novels.
  30. They promote satisfaction with real life.
  31. Paints a beautiful picture of Christian life.
  32. Alpha males are replaced with more genuine heroes - strong, but not dominant and aggressive.
  33. They break all the stereotypes about romantic fiction.
  34. They are about the whole experience.
  35. They feature real people, spiritual crisis, and sin.
  36. They deal with real world issues.
  37. The characters are believably flawed in a beautiful way.
  38. They inspire people without being too preachy.
  39. People from all walks of life read inspirational romance.
  40. Readers feel safe reading inspirational romance.
  41. Great stories are enhanced with a great message.
  42. Christian authors are tools for God and use the talent and creativity they were blessed with to turn others to God.
  43. Christian romance is all the good stuff without the graphic stuff.
  44. There's something out there for every reader.
  45. Christian writers entertain and enlighten.
  46. Love and romance, experienced in union with God.
  47. They are light, entertaining reads.
  48. Christian romances teach that God works in our lives.
  49. Christian romance value marriage and family.
  50. They are the only books that encourage you to read another book first: the Bible!
There you have it, friends. In completely random order, 50 great reasons to read Christian romance. My publisher, Prism Book Group, has a fantastic line-up of inspirational titles. All of which are approved by ACFW. You can visit their website at www.prismbookgroup.com for descriptions and excerpts.

Here are my inspirational titles, available on Amazon:



What happens when you're living the dream and things suddenly change? Micara Lee's charming existence starts slipping away as land developers threaten the town she loves.

What happens when your dream doesn't align with God's plan for your life? Garrett Hearth finds out when an injury ends his athletic career. Disenchantment and wavering faith keep him from the life he desires. Micara's beautiful spirit touches Garrett's heart... but can she help restore his faith and convince him to live the life God has planned for him?

Their happiness and the legacy of Sweet Home, Texas hang in the balance.


 
Return to Sweet Home, Texas!

High school administrator, Sparrow Walker, has just moved to Sweet Home into a rental house closer to the school. The Hearth family eagerly welcomes her to town. But the eldest son - workaholic and heart shy Gabriel Hearth - isn't too pleased about having his son's pushy principal living next door.
Sparrow's concerned determination could prove to be Gabriel's saving grace. If only she can convince him to go along with her plan. Proud and private Gabriel isn't exactly willing, so she decides to turn the tables - using her behavior management tactics on him! With her program in place, this time for the parent instead of the student, it's up to Gabriel to make the next move and risk falling in love again. If he can't, he just might lose the one woman strong enough to love a man like him.



Shy and self-conscious, Irelynn's natural instinct has always been to withdraw with her sketchbook. The last time she picked up a paintbrush, however, was the day her father killed himself.

Now put in the position as stand-in for her boss, Irelynn must overcome her wallflower ways and run Hearth Dairy Farm while he's away on vacation. A twist of fate leaves her short a manager, and ruggedly handsome Holden Hearth steps in to assist her.
Second son in the Hearth family, Holden welcomes the chance to spend time in his hometown and confront his disappointing past, even if it includes a bit of hard labor. He's grown from a geeky kid with glasses into a successful businessman. Despite what he went through - enduring the teasing and bullying - he's ready to show Sweet Home what he's become.
Working at the dairy brings Irelynn and Holden together, and the attraction is instant. But as Holden breaks down the personal barriers between them, uncovering the truth about Irelynn's artistic ability, she resists him every step of the way....until she, too, decides to confront her past and come to terms with who she really is.