More Exciting News to Start the Year!

Each month, The Book Club Network hosts a "Reader's Choice" award for Book of the Month. In the fall, A Familiar Shore won Book of the Month.

That win gave her an opportunity to compete for Book of the Year, and late last night, Book Fun Magazine announced the 2012 winners.

Congratulations to Jennifer Fromke - A Familiar Shore won 2nd place in Book of the Year!

Other books competing in the fiction category were:

Submerged by Dani Pettrey
Wildflowers from Winter by Katie Ganshert
Unexpected Christmas Hero by Kathi Macias



A HUGE thank you to everyone who voted - we so appreciate your time, your support, your encouragement.

To God be the Glory!!


P.S. The fun news continues over at the Pix-N-Pens blog! Come on over and celebrate with us about the nonfiction category, too! 

When Life Grows Difficult

Please help me welcome today's special guest, Jennifer Fromke.

Polyanna played the “glad game.” She would try to name things she could be glad about. I’m glad I’m not hungry. I’m glad the sun is shining today. Near the end, she gets to a place where it’s very difficult for her to play the game, because life has grown difficult.

How many people do you know who have reached that place in life? Physical pain, loss of a loved one, loss of a job, emotional turmoil, loss of trust, loss of respect, financial uncertainty, worry, stress, not to mention relationship trouble and that five pounds you can’t seem to lose? This world is like a boat tossed on a dark and stormy ocean, with no navigation system and the engine has failed. Waves crash over the deck every so often, making it slippery and unstable. If you’ve never heard about what’s waiting for us after the storm, you might find yourself lacking something big that sounds very simple. Hope.

I spoke with a friend today who looked at me with a lightbulb-moment expression on her face and said, “This conversation makes me want to get out there and work really hard to make this dream happen. I have such hope!”

I wondered what we said that gave her that hope. We talked about possible outcomes for the business she is just birthing now. We talked about goals that would launch the product into the world and provide work for local people who desperately need a job, as well as creating a legacy for her children. As each possibility crossed our lips, her eyes lit up with expectancy.

And that’s the key. What do you expect in the future? What do you think is waiting at the end of this dark and stormy wind-tossed night? Is life a big storm with no end in sight? Can we ever know for sure?

Yes, we can. I’ve studied the book of Revelation quite a bit over the years and there are some things certain. Jesus is coming back to earth. Men will be judged. Evil will be destroyed forever. God will make a NEW heaven and a NEW earth. Everyone who belongs to God will reign with Him forever sans evil. Everyone gets a chance to choose this outcome. To live forever with no evil. Only good . . . forever.

And let’s be clear about these things . . . if you believe in Scripture, then these things are guaranteed. You don’t have to wonder if they will come to pass or wish they will happen. You can count on them to happen. It’s like the anchor that holds a boat steady, keeping it safe throughout the storm. When the sun rises on a smooth watery plain, the light will reflect off the surface in beautiful shining rays and the harbor toward which the boat is headed comes into view. And what kept the boat safe during all the turmoil . . . the anchor . . . is what God gives us every day: Hope.

Do you go through life holding onto wishes that blow away like dandelion fluff? Or do you hold to something stronger, something immovable like . . . Hope?

A Familiar Shore is a story about a girl who finds herself tossed and torn in several directions. She has a dog named Anchor. I hope you’ll read the book and tell me what you think. You can find me online: www.jenniferfromke.com or www.facebook.com/jenniferfromke.

Follow Magnificent Hope's Journey:

• Week 8: Where in the World is Magnificent Hope?
• Magnificent Hope Attends the Golden Scroll Banquet
• Seven Authors Offer Hope to Concord Victims
• What's So Important About Hope?
• Week 7: Where in the World is Magnificent Hope? CONTEST
• Magnificent Hope Visits Kentucky Conference
• Week 6: Where in the World is Magnificent Hope? CONTEST
• Sheryl Holmes Shares Her Story with Magnificent Hope's Assistance
• Book Signings Aren't Just for Selling Books
• Books of Hope Contest Finalists Announced
• Tips to Help You Win Writing Contests
• Christmas Book Writing Contest
• Two New Writing Contests Announced
• Future Writers: Passing the Mantel
• Week 5: Where in the World is Magnificent Hope? CONTEST
• Dreams Can Come True by Ruth O'Neil
• Week 4: Where in the World is Magnificent Hope? CONTEST
• A Special Treat from Jennifer Fromke (and a huge hint for the Week 2 photo!)
• Week 3: Where in the World is Magnificent Hope? Pays Respect
• Magnificent Hope Encounters Dianne E. Butts at the CCWC
• Where in the World is Magnificent Hope? Contest - Week 2
• Magnificent Hope Arrives at the Colorado Christian Writers Conference with Elsi Dodge
• Magnificent Hope visits a Recording Studio with Zillah Williams
• Where in the World is Magnificent Hope? Contest - Week 1
• Books of Hope Manuscript Contest Announced
• Rides motorcycles with Dianne E. Butts

• The Shrimp Festival with Annie Keys

• The Power of a Book at the Healing Hands Youth Ranch with Tim and Tracy Ruckman

Interview with "Those Crazy Twins" - A Familiar Shore

Welcome to an awesome Fun Friday! Today, I'm thrilled to interview two of the coolest young ladies I've ever met, but I need to ask for your cooperation - please don't let it slip that they might be fictional! We wouldn't want to hurt their feelings, would we?

Tracy Ruckman:  I’d like to introduce you to Jane and Janell Marston. They are identical twins who appear in Jennifer Fromke’s debut novel, A Familiar Shore.

Jane and Janell in unison: Hi everyone!

TR: Tell us about the setting of your story.

Jane to Janell: Do you want to talk?

Janell: I can talk, but you wanna talk too?

Jane: I’ll jump in if you need help.

Janell: OK, so our part of the story takes place on Lake Charlevoix. It’s this really beautiful lake in northern Michigan.

Jane: But not the Upper Peninsula. It’s in the northern part of LOWER Michigan. Everybody gets that mixed up!

Janell: Right. So there’s Lake Charlevoix, and that opens up into a tiny little lake we call Round Lake . . .

Jane: Cuz it’s round.

Janell: …and there’s a marina there, and also an outlet that is like a canal that goes out into Lake Michigan.

Jane: Yeah, so we can jump on the boat and cruise all the way up to Harbor Springs or even Mackinaw City if we want.

Janell: Our family owns this cottage on Lake Charlevoix. We spend lots of time up there in the summer.

Jane: Yeah, and every year on Memorial Day Weekend the whole family comes together to open the cottage for the season.

Janell: There’s lots to do: dusting, planting flowers, putting the dock in the water, cleaning off and tuning up the water stuff like kayaks, jet-skis, and the sailboat.

Jane: And making potato salad!

Janell: The potato salad, of course.

TR: Why do you make potato salad?

Janell: Long story.

TR: So did you two have a chance to meet the main character, Meg Marks?

Jane and Janell: Yes! We sure did! (Heads bobbing, ponytails flying)

Janell: Meg showed up on Memorial Day Weekend, so the whole family was there.

Jane: (giggles) She kinda shook everything up.

Janell: Totally. It was the first weekend I remember that didn’t go exactly the same as every other year.

TR: What happened?

Janell: Well, Uncle Ken took off early . . .

Jane:  . . . and Uncle Jeffrey was chopping wood

Janell:  . . . and we made a donut run . . .

Jane:  . . . but that’s all stuff that happens every year.

TR: So what did Meg do to change how you normally do things on Memorial Day weekend?

Janell: Well, Grandfather sent her . . . Maybe you should read the book . . .

Jane: Yeah, you definitely should. It’s like, the best book ever. To us, anyway.

Janell: Well duh, that’s cuz we’re in it.

Jane: Nah-uh. We would’ve liked it anyway.

TR: I think you would've too, although without the two of you, there might not have been as much laughter! Thanks for joining us today! Pop in again sometime and tell us what you've been up to!

Readers, if you've enjoyed this interview as much as I have, let Jennifer Fromke know! She might have another one up her sleeve somewhere! Be sure to check out the fabulous contest Jennifer is throwing - some incredible prizes await!

Read more about the twins, their grandfather, and Meg Marks in A Familiar Shore.

Hope Tour: Concord, NC

The Hope Tour 2012 Kickstarter campaign is now full swing! Be sure to drop by our page and get involved!


For the next 30 days, we're going to feature the towns on our tour. We're giving away a fun Hope Tour Gift Basket, so be sure to answer our questions for your chance to win!


From Wilmington, we'll head inland to Concord, NC.


One of our own Write Integrity authors lives in Concord: Jennifer Fromke. We're so excited about Jennifer's news - her debut novel officially releases March 23rd, but as of Friday, it's now available on Kindle and Nook! A Familiar Shore is a beautiful women's fiction you don't want to miss!

Here's the back cover blurb:

Meg Marks is a young lawyer raised off the coast of the Carolinas. An anonymous client hires her to arrange his will, and sends her to meet his estranged family at their lake home in northern Michigan. After a shocking discovery, she finds herself caught between his suspicious family and a deathbed promise her conscience demands that she keep. Will she sacrifice her own dreams for revenge? Or will she seek something more? 

Now, we need to hear from Concord residents. Leave your answers in the comments below for a chance to win a special Hope Tour gift basket.

1) Who is your favorite local author (in addition to Jennifer - if she's not your favorite author, she soon will be!) and what does he/she write?

Courtesy of Historic Downtown Concord

2) What ONE restaurant would you recommend for our Best Bites on Tour book? Remember, we don't want fancy-schmancy - just good food and hopefully a fun atmosphere, too. Be sure to tell us what kind of food it is, too.

3) What's ONE thing in your town we should not miss when we get there? This can be something touristy, or something off the beaten path - but something that represents your town like nothing else. If we took photos there, folks would know it could only be from your town.

4) Name THREE fun facts about your town. We may use these in a later post, but it will also help us get acquainted with your area.

Leave your answers in the comments below, and be sure to provide us with your e-mail address so we can contact you if you're a winner.

Be sure to stay tuned for events planned in your area.

Thanks for your help.

Check the Kickstarter page for all the different reward levels and pledge your support! We could hold a party in your honor (S'mores, pizza, or wienie roast, anyone?) If we make our goal, Kickstarter collects the money and we go on tour. If we don't make our goal, you won't lose a penny! 

A Familiar Shore ... Coming March 23rd

Coming Soon...

A Familiar Shore by Jennifer Fromke

Meg Marks is a young lawyer raised off the coast of the Carolinas. An anonymous client hires her to arrange his will, and sends her to meet his estranged family at their lake home in northern Michigan. After a shocking discovery, she finds herself caught between his suspicious family and a deathbed promise her conscience demands that she keep. Will she sacrifice her own dreams for revenge, or will she forgive and leave the door open for possible happiness?