history

Social Media Saturday: Kristy Cambron

May 27, 2017 by Suzie Waltner 2 Comments

Welcome to another Social Media Saturday. If you don’t already follow this week’s author online, you need to!!

Author Bio

KRISTY CAMBRON has a background in art and design, but she fancies life as a vintage-inspired storyteller. She is the bestselling author of The Ringmaster’s Wife, named to Publishers Weekly Spring 2016 Religion & Spirituality TOP 10. Her novels have been named to Library Journal Reviews’ Best Books and RT Reviewers’ Choice Awards Best lists for 2014 & 2015, and received 2015 & 2017 INSPY Award nominations. The Lost Castle (HarperCollins, series debut in 2018) is her fifth novel. Her first Bible studies (DVD + study guides), The Verse Mapping series, will release in 2018.

Kristy holds a degree in Art History from Indiana University, and has 15 years experience in education and leadership development for a Fortune-100 Corporation. She loves storytelling from the stage and travels to teach about the intersection of story roads, faith-following Jesus, and her affection for Bible Verse-Mapping. Kristy lives in Indiana with her husband and three sons, where she can probably be bribed with a coconut mocha latte and a good read.

The last and most important thing? Jesus Christ is everything — let her tell you about Him sometime.

What I love about Kristy

Not only does Kristy write beautiful and moving stories, she opens my eyes to history like no one has before. Whether she’s showing readers the beauty that existed in German concentration camps during World War II (The Butterfly and the Violin and A Sparrow in Terezin) or delving into the lives of historical figures I’ve not thought of much (John and Mable Ringling in The Ringmaster’s Wife and Harry Houdini in The Illusionist’s Apprentice), she brings history alive through her stories.

In addition to her fabulous fiction, Kristy is working on some non-fiction books: verse mapping studies. I am so excited for these! If you want to learn more about verse mapping, check out Kristy’s Verse Mapping 101 Blog Post.

And if those two things alone don’t convince you, her Friday Cafe coffee chats on FB live will. These are informal chats in which you can see some of Kristy’s personality shining through. Her humor, her heart, and her passions shine through during these special author/reader chats.

Connect with Kristy

*Website: https://kristycambron.com/

*under construction this summer as the verse mapping Bible studies come together

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KCambronAuthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kcambronauthor/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristycambron/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/kcambronauthor/

Newest Release

Not all illusions happen on the stage.

Wren Lockhart, apprentice to master illusionist Harry Houdini, uses life on a vaudeville stage to

escape the pain of her past. She continues her career of illusion after her mentor’s death, intent on burying her true identity.

But when a rival performer’s act goes tragically wrong, the newly formed FBI calls on Wren to speak the truth—and reveal her real name to the world. She transfers her skills for misdirection from the stage to the back halls of vaudeville, as she finds herself the unlikely partner in the FBI’s investigation. All the while Houdini’s words echo in her mind: Whatever occurs, the crowd must believe it’s what you meant to happen. She knows that if anyone digs too deep, secrets long kept hidden may find their way to the surface—and shatter her carefully controlled world.

Set during one of the richest, most vibrant eras in American history, this Jazz Age novel of illusion, suspense, and forgotten pasts is perfect for fans of The Magician’s Lie, challenging all to find the underpinnings of faith on their own life’s stage.

“Prepare to be amazed by The Illusionist’s Apprentice.” —Greer Macallister, bestselling author of The Magician’s Lie and Girl in Disguise

Order online or pick up at your local bookstore

Nashville: A City of Story

May 4, 2016 by Suzie Waltner 5 Comments

Music City USA. NashVegas. The Athens of the South.

Nashville has a few nicknames rolling around, but to me, the most important one is this: HOME.

I’ve lived in the Nashville area for eighteen years and as I’ve worked on this blog post, one intended to share just a few highlights and attractions of this wonderful city, it’s occurred to me that this city is a lot like a good story.

Get pulled in with the excitement of walking the same road as some country music stars, stand in awe of the storied Grand Ol’ Opry and Ryman Auditorium where musicians dream of performing, and settle back into the easy rhythm that is life in the south. With a diverse cast of characters ranging from the famous faces of country and Christian musicians as well as some you may have seen on the big screen (Nicole Kidman, Johnny Depp, and Ashley Judd all have residences in Nashville) to those trying to break into the spotlight and the others who simply keep the city running.

In fact, I have a little challenge for you while you’re in town. Try and find three people who were born and raise in Nashville. It’s harder than you’d think. This city is full of transplants, people who’ve moved here to find the draw of big city amenities with a small town feel. We watch and wait with anticipation to see where this city will take us next.

It’s these things and many, many more that make this city special and unique. And while I’m here to introduce you to the city and offer a few suggestions of places to visit within walking distance of the hotel, it kind of feels like I’m sharing a chapter in the middle of a book, those parts that are hardest to write while you’re still unsure of where the story is leading you.

So here’s just a little taste…

The tallest building on the left with the blue glass and the two towers is The AT&T Building, affectionately known around the area as The Batman Building (come on, you see it, right?). This building is a great point of reference anywhere downtown. It’s located between Third and Fourth Avenues behind the Ryman.

Our hotel is located about three Nashville blocks (approximately five city blocks) south on 5th Ave S. By the way, this town is hilly so if you plan to do some sightseeing, pack a comfortable pair of shoes!

Let’s start from inside the Omni.

What does one do in Music City USA? Visit the Country Music Hall of Fame, of course. This Nashville landmark is connected to the hotel. General admission tickets are $25.00.

Also located in the hotel lobby is the Hatch Print Show. Perhaps a group of authors can appreciate this historic letterpress shop that’s been in operation since 1879. Stop in and watch as the posters roll off the press.

The big building on the next street north is one of my favorites. The Bridgestone Arena (Broadway and 5th) is the home of the Nashville Predators.

Continue past the arena and you’ll hit the heart of downtown. Broadway. Take a right on this street for a variety of Honky Tonks, restaurants, and souvenir shops. Please don’t buy your Nashville souvenirs from the airport or the hotel gift shops. Not only will it help the city’s economy to shop from outside those areas, it will stretch your dollars further.

Just a few highlights along Broadway include:

Tootsie’s: This purple and white building is a honky tonk staple
The Big Bang: A dueling piano bar. Stop in and request a song
Ernest Tubb Record Shop
Jack’s Bar-B-Que
Margaritaville
Tin Roof Broadway
Boot Country (just in case you can’t leave Nashville without a pair of your own Cowboy boots)
Hard Rock Cafe

Broadway ends at the Cumberland River and Riverfront Park. Across the river, you’ll find the Nissan Stadium, home of our NFL football team.

If you’re not ready for the hustle and bustle of Broadway, continue up 5th Avenue and check out the historic Ryman Auditorium. This church-turned-music venue is a Nashville Landmark. But if you want a tour inside, you’ll need to get there before the building closes at 4:00 PM.

Make your way back to the hotel along Second Avenue where you’ll find BB King’s and The Wildhorse Saloon (always good for dancing).

If country music isn’t your forte (and even though I’m a Nashvillian, I’m not a fan of this genre myself), there’s something a little more classy offered at The Schermerhorn Symphony Hall.

When you’re finished with your downtown tour, take a right on Demonbreun (pronounced Dee-mun-bree-un, not demon brewin’) to return to the hotel.

I hope you enjoy some southern hospitality (and survive the summer humidity) while you’re here. Honestly, my inclination when it comes to Nashville is to go on and on, but I narrowed it down for the sake of time (who can spend an hour online when they’re working on their own stories, right?).

This city is beautiful and welcoming. My prayer is you will take a little bit of Nashville home in your heart after this year’s conference.

To learn more about the ACFW conference, visit Cara Putnam’s blog and the ACFW conference site (prices increase June 26).

Thanks for stopping by. I can’t wait to see y’all in August!

If you have any questions about other things to see, do, or buy in Nashville, please leave it in the comments.

Humor, A Littley History Lesson, and a Lot of Heart: Like Never Before by Melissa Tagg

March 6, 2016 by Suzie Waltner Leave a Comment

If you are connected with Melissa Tagg, author of the Walker Family series, on any social media outlet or follower her blog at all, you are familiar with the “rather ridiculous crush” (her words) she developed on the cover model for her second book in the series.

So, I have to admit, this guy doesn’t do it for me but hey, I get it. I’ve made no secret of my celebrity crush. The boy-next-door smile (Matt Damon), the way his eyes crinkle when he laughs (Matt Damon), the friend and father his is off screen as well as the heroes he plays on screen.

But while the photo on the cover did nothing for me, once I read Like Never Before and “met” Logan Walker, I totally see the appeal.

A man committed to the happiness of his daughter despite a demanding career as a political speech writer. Add in the tragedy of losing his wife—three-year-old Charlie’s mother—and the relative isolation of living in California (his only interactions with clients, his co-workers, his business partner and wife, and his nannies), and those heartstrings are jerked a little more.

When Logan returns to his hometown—the quirky yet charming Maple Valley—readers get to glimpse another side (or maybe sides) of the man. The big brother. The son. The man who seems to have it all together but is breaking inside.

Yet one unexpected person somehow sees beyond the façade. Amelia Bentley is determined to save the town newspaper—the same one Logan now owns—and she’s also enraptured by everything Logan has written. With her own past filled with broken dreams and regrets, Amelia has found a home—and a family—in Maple Valley.

Injecting humor at just the right moments, Melissa Tagg had me chuckling one moment and blinking back tears in the next. While there is a lightheartedness to a few scenes in the story, the author doesn’t hesitate to tackle some tough subjects—loss of a spouse, disagreements with family, and feeling out of touch with your faith. With God.

I look forward to what Tagg has in store with the remaining Walker siblings. With stories like this one, she’s becoming an author I will watch with anticipation. She’s definitely one to keep an eye on.

And Melissa, if I’m ever in Iowa, I’ll take you up on that pizza party invitation. Because if you’ve got a smidge of the sense of humor and spiritual insight I find in your books, you’ll be a lot of fun to hang out with.

Pre-order you copy today (Available everywhere April 5, 2016)

****Bethany House Publishers provided me with a complimentary copy of this book via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

Oh, and if you’d like to read how Melissa Tagg fictionalized her cover model crush, check out her Christmas novella, One Enchanted Christmas.