Friday Fun!

It's Friday, so it's FUN day! We're playing a virtual game of beach volleyball over on Facebook - if you see the volleyball and want to get in the game, just leave a comment on that FB post, and one of the players could volley the ball (or spike it, if I know J.A. Marx) to YOU! Then you just volley it to someone else by tagging them when you share it on your wall.

Here's the photo to look for:

Radiant Joy is looking for sandcastles. I started looking online for some to share, and found this fun video that turned into an ad. I'm not promoting the product, just sharing the fun.

J.A. Marx's new supernatural suspense, Destiny Defied, is no longer free, but you can get print and digital copies on sale now! Check it out!

[REMINDER TO WRITERS: The deadline for the first round of the Books of Joy contest is next week - June 15! You could win a publishing contract for your SERIES of books!]

And don't forget - enter to win our humongous gift basket we'll be giving away in August, valued at over $500! I'll have more pictures and add more goodies to the basket on Monday!

Yesterday, a reader asked about the Bingo Game. All the answers for this weeks' cards will be found in the blog posts about the authors' vacations.

If you're just joining us, click on the links to read all about our summer Beach Party.

Beach Party Bingo
Authors' Favorite Vacations - Part 1
Authors' Favorite Vacations - Part 2
Let's Play Bingo!
Authors' Favorite Vacations - Part 3

Readers: Have you ever built a sand castle? Tell us about it!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Winner of The Christmas Tree Treasure Hunt Chapter Contest

[UPDATE: The Christmas Tree Treasure Hunt is FREE on Kindle December 14-17 - Grab Your Copy Here!]

First, an invitation. Today, we open the Magnificent Hope Christmas Party! It's a virtual party that will last all of December, so come on over and share your Christmas with us. All our authors are already there, and we have photos, videos, memories, music, quizzes, polls, and lots more! You can drop by and browse, or you can set up an account (just e-mail address and name - there's no cost involved), and then create your own page to share your photos and memories with us! No sales gimmicks - just a new-fangled, old-fashioned Christmas party! Hope to see you there! And tell all your friends we'd love to meet them, too! (We'll be giving away some gift baskets and gift cards all during the month, too - everyone who registers is entered to win!)

Mid-October, we put out a call for a unique writing contest. We wanted to create a Christmas novella with several of our authors, and we opened up one chapter for a "guest author." Anyone interested in participating had to request the contest details, and then start writing. The participants were provided with a short synopsis of the potential story and then were asked to write one chapter of approximately 2500 words based on that synopsis.

As the contestants were writing the entries, eight of our authors were writing their own chapters of The Christmas Tree Treasure Hunt. Our participating authors are:

Joan Campbell
Jennifer Fromke
Sheryl Holmes
Deanna Klingel 
Fay Lamb
J.A. Marx
Ruth O'Neil
Debbie Roome

They not only wrote their chapters, they also spent precious time brainstorming, editing, marketing, and judging the project, too! They made this project fun, and created a wonderful story for all of you - our readers.

On Monday, we will begin a sharing The Christmas Tree Treasure Hunt on blogs - half a chapter each day. We'll also be introducing you to each of the authors individually, and sharing some of their favorite Christmas memories and recipes with you. Some of the authors even have special posts planned during this time, so you'll want to bookmark all of them and check back regularly. On December 14th, we'll release the entire novella on Kindle. And for four days only, we'll be offering it as a FREE GIFT to everyone, as our way of saying THANK YOU for your support and encouragement of our authors and of our publishing companies.

But today, we're excited to introduce you to the winner of The Christmas Tree Treasure Hunt chapter contest! Please welcome to the WIP family of authors:

Marji Laine

Marji is a home-schooling mom of four with the oldest at UT Dallas. When she can't indulge in her passion for story-telling, she's transporting teenage volleyball players, teaching writing classes at a local co-op, and directing the children’s music program at her church. She loves acting in musical comedy, has directed many stage productions, leads a worship team, sings in her church choir, coordinates high school classes for a large home-school group, scrap-books, crochets, and designs Love Story books for newlyweds. She invites readers to unravel their inspiration, seeking a deeper knowledge of the Lord’s Great Mystery that invites us all. You can find her hanging around her website, Facebook page, or you can follow @MarjiLaine on Twitter.

Find her on the web:

Website 
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads


Marji jumped right in on this project like she'd been there all along, and one of the judges even made the comment that her chapter fit into the rest of the project like a glove! We're excited to have her, and we can't wait to share the story with you.

Here's a hint of what's coming Monday:

Grace takes delivery of a package and her life is turned upside down by nine sealed mystery envelopes from her late grandmother. Grammie’s instructions require Grace to take the journey of her lifetime, not only to far off places, but also into the deepest parts of her heart. As she follows the trail laid out for her and uncovers her family’s darkest secrets, Grace is forced to confront the loss and betrayal that has scarred her past and seek the greatest Christmas Treasure of all.

[UPDATE: Start reading Chapter One here.]

Magnificent Hope Store

We're thrilled and excited to announce the Magnificent Hope store, just in time for Christmas!

Magnificent Hope is such a wonderful part of 2012, and we're happy that she will continue to be with us through merchandise and special appearances all throughout the year. (Shhh ... she's even hosting a Christmas party this year - stay tuned for all the details after Thanksgiving!)

We've added a special blurb on our Zazzle site to tell people what Magnificent Hope is all about:

Magnificent Hope was created as the "Flat Stanley" for Write Integrity Press's virtual book tour during the summer of 2012. Hope Tour 2012 had a three-fold purpose: 1) to promote authors of Write Integrity Press and Pix-N-Pens Publishing, as well as other inspirational authors; 2) to promote awareness of several worthy causes to encourage people to get involved in their own backyards and to be the hands and feet of Jesus wherever we go; 3) to impact the lives of readers worldwide in a positive light, sharing Hope and the message of Jesus in all we do.

Who is Magnificent Hope? Magnificent Hope lives inside each of us, but we must be willing to let God use us however He wishes for her to thrive and be evident to others. Her rainbow hair represents all of us, all over the world, who want to live for Jesus. Her sparkle represents the Holy Spirit living within us. Her actions represent Jesus, and our actions reflect Him. Magnificent Hope also represents all we can be when we allow God’s love to guide our every thought, our every word, our every action. She represents all of the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. 25% of all proceeds will be used to establish the Magnificent Hope Foundation, an organization purposed to help fund, assist, and promote worthy organizations and needs.

So we invite you to drop by our store, and check out the fun merchandise. You'll find Christmas ornaments, postage stamps, mousepads, mugs, t-shirts, aprons, puzzles, skins for your electronics, note cards, greeting cards, calendars, and much more!

Here's the link: 

www.zazzle.com/ourhope

To celebrate, we're having a giveaway. Share the store link (and/or this blog post) on Facebook, Twitter, your blog or website, by e-mail to your friends and family, or post it on any other social network (no spamming please), then send Magnificent Hope an e-mail, magnificenthope [at] yahoo [dot] com, letting her know where you shared it. You'll get an entry for each way you do it.

The winner will receive one Magnificent Hope mouse pad, one Magnificent Hope mug, and a book of their choice (print or digital) from any of our books published this year.

We'll have the drawing next Friday, October 19th.

THANK YOU so much for helping us spread the word!!

And the Winner is ...

The "Where in the World is Magnificent Hope?" contest ended Friday and today, we congratulate the winner!!

Bethany LeBedz

Bethany had the most correct entries from all 10 weeks of the contest, including bonus entries for sharing the contest with others on Facebook and Twitter! Thanks so much for your support and your enthusiasm, Bethany! As you can see in the photo, Bethany got to hang out with author Jennifer Fromke, Magnificent Hope, and all the participants of the huge booksigning and fundraiser for the Cabarrus Victims Assistance Network in Concord, NC.

Bethany LeBedz is a veteran homeschooler, professional editor, writer, and speaker. She contributes regularly to Heart of the Matter Online, has a regular column in the Home School Enrichment magazine, and occasionally writes for other magazines, websites, and newsletters. Bethany lives in North Carolina with her family, where she enjoys music, reading, scrapbooking, sewing, genealogy, and keeping up with friends in her spare time. Be sure to follow her popular blog, Confessions of an Organized Homeschool Mom.

As winner of the "Where in the World is Magnificent Hope?" contest, Bethany will receive a Kindle Fire, a $100 Amazon gift certificate, and an entire library of digital books.


Thank you to all the participants of "Where in the World is Magnificent Hope?" We hope you had as much fun as we did! We appreciate your support, your enthusiasm, and your participation all summer long!


We had hoped to make another announcement at this time, too, but we're not quite ready. So stay tuned for some more fun news later this week!

Even though this contest has come to an end, Hope Tour 2012 continues with another event later this month. And I have a feeling some more contests will soon be announced!

Magnificent Hope Attends the Catch the Wave Conference

This past weekend, I, Magnificent Hope, attended the Catch the Wave Conference sponsored by the Christian Author’s Guild. I got to hang out with some great writers, make many new friends, and left the conference inspired and encouraged.

The Facility

Simpsonwood Conference Center, located in Norcross, Georgia, was beautiful. It was not as plush and luxurious as some expected, but it was clean, comfortable, and modern. The staff was exceptional – everyone helpful, friendly, and smiling. It was refreshing – for this nature-loving girl anyway – to be surrounded by trees as we moved from one building to the next. (Sleeping rooms and some meeting rooms were in one building; main meeting room, dining hall, and registration desk were in another.) Wireless internet was readily available all over the facility, and meeting space was more than adequate. The meals were buffet-style, with healthy options like fish, baked chicken, vegetarian lasagna, and an abundant and fresh salad bar.

The Conference

The conference itself is rather small – 50-60 in attendance this year – but the quality is there. Three workshops were taught simultaneously during each session – nine sessions for a total of 27 workshops – and four keynote speakers. Those included Tiffany Colter, freelance writer and writing career coach; Les Stobbe, agent; Lynette Eason, bestselling and award-winning suspense author; and Write Integrity Press's own Tracy Ruckman.

The size of this conference is a GREAT place for beginners to start. Larger conferences can get overwhelming, both in number of people and in workshop options. This conference is manageable and, surprisingly, laid-back enough that everyone should feel comfortable and relaxed. Evenings were free to hang out with other writers, meet with critique groups, or catch-up on work you missed during the day.

The Staff

Conference staff provided exceptional and useful workshops. Some examples include:  Lynette Eason’s Basics of Fiction; Lin Johnson’s How to Get Published; Cynthia L. Simmon’s Using Fiction Techniques for Nonfiction; Steve Miller’s Choosing the Right Publishing Option; Nancy Lohr’s The Business Side of Children’s Publishing. Most, if not all, of the workshops provided handouts and gave ample opportunities for learning and for networking.

The Opportunities

Many conferences, including this one, offer one-on-one opportunities for writers to meet with agents, publishers, editors, and other professionals that can help your career. These 15-minute appointments are usually included in your conference fee, and give you the chance to pitch your project, ask questions, and talk about your work with these professionals face-to-face. Take advantage of that time. Prepare for the conference. Create a one-sheet or a general proposal to take with you to conference, and then take them with you to the appointments. Be passionate about your project, but pitch it succinctly. The writers who will be remembered long after conference are the ones who came prepared, left professional material, and were passionate about their projects.

The Extras

Diana Baker led some incredible worship times at this conference. She played the piano beautifully, and her song choices were encouraging, inspiring, and totally focused to point our eyes and our thoughts right to Jesus.

And that’s our purpose as writers, too, isn’t it? To point people to Jesus?

Contest Update

TODAY, August 31, is the LAST day to enter the “Where in the World is Magnificent Hope?” contest for your chance to win a Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet, a $100 gift card, and a whole bunch of books!

Stay tuned – on Monday, we’ll announce the winner of that contest, and announce some more fun news concerning Magnificent Hope! And even though the contest is over, Hope Tour 2012 continues at least through September - Magnificent Hope is already schedule for some more fun events! And she may even come up with some sort of Christmas contest, too!

Follow Magnificent Hope's Journey on the Hope Tour:

• Week 10: Where in the World is Magnificent Hope? Contest
• Week 9: Where in the World is Magnificent Hope? Contest
• Celebrate Recovery Offers Safe Place to Share Struggles
• Magnificent Hope Shares Hope with Homeless Shelter
• What Can You Do to Offer Hope?
• Grandparenting Challenge Contest
• "Here I Am - Use Me - Use My Story" ~ Sheryl Holmes
• A Few of Her Favorite Things ~ Author Vicki Tiede
• When Life Grows Difficult
• Sheryl Holmes Shares Magnificent Hope
• Week 8: Where in the World is Magnificent Hope? CONTEST
• 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
• Week 2: Where in the World is Magnificent Hope? Contest
• Magnificent Hope Arrives at the Colorado Christian Writers Conference with Elsi Dodge
• Magnificent Hope visits a Recording Studio with Zillah Williams
• Week 1: Where in the World is Magnificent Hope? Contest
• 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

Week 10: Where in the World is Magnificent Hope?

Magnificent Hope and I got busy publishing a couple more books, so the blog has been rather quiet. Today, we gear up again with a guest post from author Traci Hilton, and another installment of "Where in the World is Magnificent Hope?" The contest ends August 31st, so be sure and get your entries in now for your chance to win a Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet, a $100 gift card, and a bunch of books!

When you live two thousand miles away from grandparents, it can be hard to make the kind of memories I shared about in Life Lessons from Mom. You can’t just pick a random afternoon to take a ramble with Grandma and hear stories about her childhood. Six month to a year’s worth of bonding have to be organized and scrunched into seven to nine days at a time.

We had the happy good fortune of having those nine days with the Grandparents in our town this summer, and so planning the life-long memory and lesson-building activities fell on me.

I wanted to balance time spent in the comfort of our little home, playing in our yard, eating around the family table, with going to big, exciting places. I live near Portland, Oregon and have to admit that big, exciting, places are hard to come by around here.

But we did our best. We bundled everyone off to our favorite beach along the Columbia River for a picnic. I’d say this little hideaway is my favorite place … on Earth. Yes, quite likely my favorite place on Earth. Silky sands, warm water (compared to the Pacific Ocean anyway!), wide beaches, quiet and secluded beauty. And since it is August it is even sunny and warm. With shovels in hand and the family dog in tow we spent an afternoon I can only call heavenly.

Whenever we go to the river I bombard the kids with stories from my childhood of camping along the river, riding in boats that bump bump over the wakes made my other boats, and the ship wreck we used to scramble over as kids. Since we don’t have a ski boat, (and the river I tell them stories about isn’t as clean as it used to be) we can’t camp on that island like I used to do. But they get a little taste of what it was like, and so far, they love it.

I said there were not many big and exciting places around these parts. No Disneyland or Six Flags type of fun anyway. But my area does have one very big and exciting feature. A place my family loves to visit. We don’t go that often because it’s about an hour and a half away. The Grandparent’s had driven over the Rocky Mountains to get to us, what was another little drive?

So with Magnificent Hope tucked into the pocket on the back of the passenger seat of the mini-van so that she wouldn’t get crumpled*, our family: (Dad, Mom, Grandma, Grandpa, and two little girls) drove off to the big, exciting, landmark. It’s a great place for a picnic, a hike, and a nerve wracking drive. It boasts fir trees, trillium, Indian paintbrush, Elk, death defying bridges, and a gift shop.

Can you guess where we took our family and Magnificent Hope to make memories? Check out the picture to see if you can recognize it!

(*Poor Magnificent Hope! I accidentally left her in the van. Also, pictures from our most recent trip managed to travel back to Kansas with the grandparents, so Maggie has found herself photoshopped into a picture at the same big, exciting, location, but last year and with my girls and their Great Grandma.)

So, readers, can you guess where Magnificent Hope is this week? 

Answer the question correctly to be entered to win a Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet.

Here's how to play:


Each week, we’ll post a photo of Magnificent Hope near a landmark. If you know “Where in the World is Magnificent Hope?” send us an e-mail with the subject line CONTEST WEEK 1, CONTEST WEEK 2, CONTEST WEEK 3, etc. The person with the MOST correct entries and bonus entries at the end of the contest will win their choice of either a Kindle Fire or a Nook Tablet, a $100 Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift card (depending on which reader your choose), and a copy of all our WIP and PNP books published any time during this year!

Bonus entries may be earned three ways:

1.  By “liking” all three Facebook pages – Write Integrity, Pix-N-Pens, and Magnificent Hope – just be sure to let us know you liked us in your first contest entry, and we’ll add the bonus points.
2. Bonus entries will also be given for anyone submitting by e-mail one or more photos taken with Magnificent Hope AND at least one of our books anywhere on her journey. One photo per location, please. (For example, if you bump into Magnificent Hope at a Jennifer Fromke event in North Carolina and take ten photos with her at that same event, only one photo will count. But if you bump into Magnificent Hope at Jennifer’s event, and then again at an event with Dianne E. Butts, you can take photos both places and get two bonus entries!) Send your photos in .jpeg format, attached to an email, and we may use them in blog posts or perhaps even a book.
3. Telling your family and friends about Magnificent Hope, Hope Tour 2012, and our books and authors – through Facebook, Twitter, blog posts, interviews with our authors or Magnificent Hope, or other ways. One share per week gets you an extra entry, so send us your links by e-mail so we can tally your points.

(If you have trouble using the links, the e-mail address to send entries to is: magnificenthope [at] yahoo [dot] com.)

For those of you coming on board in the middle of the contest, you can go back and enter the previous weeks whenever you wish. Just find the "Where in the World is Magnificent Hope?" contest links in the list below and submit your best guess for each week. 

Follow Magnificent Hope's Journey on the Hope Tour:

• Week 9: Where in the World is Magnificent Hope? Contest
• Celebrate Recovery Offers Safe Place to Share Struggles
• Magnificent Hope Shares Hope with Homeless Shelter
• What Can You Do to Offer Hope?
• Grandparenting Challenge Contest
• "Here I Am - Use Me - Use My Story" ~ Sheryl Holmes
• A Few of Her Favorite Things ~ Author Vicki Tiede
• When Life Grows Difficult
• Sheryl Holmes Shares Magnificent Hope
• Week 8: Where in the World is Magnificent Hope? CONTEST
• 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
• Week 2: Where in the World is Magnificent Hope? Contest
• Magnificent Hope Arrives at the Colorado Christian Writers Conference with Elsi Dodge
• Magnificent Hope visits a Recording Studio with Zillah Williams
• Week 1: Where in the World is Magnificent Hope? Contest
• 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

Magnificent Hope Tours Author's New York Hometown

July 16-27, Magnificent Hope made an amazing journey from Woodstock, Georgia, to the beautiful Adirondack mountains in upstate New York, with author Darryl Green and his family.  Darryl was traveling to New York to promote Jake and the Buggy Melee, and of course, to take a much needed vacation!

The two day ride from Woodstock to the Adirondacks brought Hope through several US states including:  Georgia, Tennessee, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and of course, New York!  Magnificent Hope and the Green family visited several scenic areas on the way including the Shenendoah Valley, middle Pennsylvania, central New York and the Adirondacks.

Hope also accompanied Darryl to two book signings, one at the Old Forge Hardware store and the other at the Old Forge Library, both in New York State.  Ingrid Ehrensbeck, a good friend of the Green family, was kind enough to take several beautiful photos of Hope as she made numerous stops in the Old Forge area.   As an educator and a very spiritual lady, Ingrid quickly embraced Magnificent Hope’s mission and was eager to introduce her to many beautiful areas.

After 10 days in the Adirondacks, it was time to return home.  Hope and the Green family reluctantly said goodbye to the beautiful mountains, friends and family and returned home.  We are all looking forward to the next trip in a few years!

Follow Magnificent Hope's Journey on the Hope Tour:

• Week 9: Where in the World is Magnificent Hope? Contest
• Celebrate Recovery Offers Safe Place to Share Struggles
• Magnificent Hope Shares Hope with Homeless Shelter
• What Can You Do to Offer Hope?
• Grandparenting Challenge Contest
• "Here I Am - Use Me - Use My Story" ~ Sheryl Holmes
• A Few of Her Favorite Things ~ Author Vicki Tiede
• When Life Grows Difficult
• Sheryl Holmes Shares Magnificent Hope
• Week 8: Where in the World is Magnificent Hope? CONTEST
• 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
• Week 2: Where in the World is Magnificent Hope? Contest
• Magnificent Hope Arrives at the Colorado Christian Writers Conference with Elsi Dodge
• Magnificent Hope visits a Recording Studio with Zillah Williams
• Week 1: Where in the World is Magnificent Hope? Contest
• 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

Week 9: Where in the World is Magnificent Hope? Contest

Magnificent Hope went to worship with Dianne and Hal Butts recently, but I bet you can’t guess where. Here are some photos and hints.



We started our day with worship on the steps of a replica of the Temple in Jerusalem (which, of course, does not exist at this point in history). In this first photo you can see the singers on the steps of the Temple leading us, and boy could they sing! It was wonderful. We continued to see these same singers in live patriotic dramas and biblical reenactments throughout the day.

In this next photo, here’s me, Maggie Hope, and my husband Hal in front of, well, can you see what it is? Yeah, I mean that big boat with the giraffes in it.

Next we took a tour of the city of Jerusalem as it was in Jesus’ day or in the years following His death and resurrection. The gate in front of the Temple is the Eastern gate which is currently bricked over (in real life, that is). There is also a Muslim graveyard now in front of this gate because the Muslims know this is the gate where Jesus will enter through when He returns and the graveyard is designed to keep Him from it. Jews are not to touch a grave, so the Muslims believe this will stop the Jewish Messiah from being able to enter through the gate. If you look really closely about half way across the area to the right and towards the back of the model, you can see the three holes in a hill that look like a skull. This is “the place of the skull” many believe was Golgotha where the crucifixion took place.

Here’s me, Magnificent, and Hal in front of an exact replica of “The Jesus Boat,” a boat from the actual time Jesus walked the earth that has been excavated in Israel. I wrote an article “Finding God in the Jesus Boat” which has a lot more information and a photo of the real boat (which is in Israel. Hal, Magnificent Hope, and I are not!)

In these last two photos, Hal, Magnificent Hope, and I stand in front of the stage set of the Temple and many other biblical scenes. Suddenly Jesus graciously appeared and posed with me for a photo op! Maggie Hope disappeared and I had no idea why she didn’t get in the photo. Later we found her flat on the floor and I learned she was just so awed by Jesus’ appearance that she fainted.

Thanks, Jesus, for Your kindness and mercy on all of us, and for the truly magnificent hope we have, because of You!

Can you guess where we are?

So, readers, can you guess where Magnificent Hope is this week? 

Answer the question correctly to be entered to win a Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet.

Here's how to play:


Each week, we’ll post a photo of Magnificent Hope near a landmark. If you know “Where in the World is Magnificent Hope?” send us an e-mail with the subject line CONTEST WEEK 1, CONTEST WEEK 2, CONTEST WEEK 3, etc. The person with the MOST correct entries and bonus entries at the end of the contest will win their choice of either a Kindle Fire or a Nook Tablet, a $100 Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift card (depending on which reader your choose), and a copy of all our WIP and PNP books published any time during this year!

Bonus entries may be earned three ways:

1.  By “liking” all three Facebook pages – Write Integrity, Pix-N-Pens, and Magnificent Hope – just be sure to let us know you liked us in your first contest entry, and we’ll add the bonus points.
2. Bonus entries will also be given for anyone submitting by e-mail one or more photos taken with Magnificent Hope AND at least one of our books anywhere on her journey. One photo per location, please. (For example, if you bump into Magnificent Hope at a Jennifer Fromke event in North Carolina and take ten photos with her at that same event, only one photo will count. But if you bump into Magnificent Hope at Jennifer’s event, and then again at an event with Dianne E. Butts, you can take photos both places and get two bonus entries!) Send your photos in .jpeg format, attached to an email, and we may use them in blog posts or perhaps even a book.
3. Telling your family and friends about Magnificent Hope, Hope Tour 2012, and our books and authors – through Facebook, Twitter, blog posts, interviews with our authors or Magnificent Hope, or other ways. One share per week gets you an extra entry, so send us your links by e-mail so we can tally your points.

(If you have trouble using the links, the e-mail address to send entries to is: magnificenthope [at] yahoo [dot] com.)

For those of you coming on board in the middle of the contest, you can go back and enter the previous weeks whenever you wish. Just find the "Where in the World is Magnificent Hope?" contest links in the list below and submit your best guess for each week. 

Follow Magnificent Hope's Journey on the Hope Tour:

• Celebrate Recovery Offers Safe Place to Share Struggles
• Magnificent Hope Shares Hope with Homeless Shelter
• What Can You Do to Offer Hope?
• Grandparenting Challenge Contest
• "Here I Am - Use Me - Use My Story" ~ Sheryl Holmes
• A Few of Her Favorite Things ~ Author Vicki Tiede
• When Life Grows Difficult
• Sheryl Holmes Shares Magnificent Hope
• Week 8: Where in the World is Magnificent Hope? CONTEST
• 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
• Week 2: Where in the World is Magnificent Hope? Contest
• Magnificent Hope Arrives at the Colorado Christian Writers Conference with Elsi Dodge
• Magnificent Hope visits a Recording Studio with Zillah Williams
• Week 1: Where in the World is Magnificent Hope? Contest
• 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

Bio: Dianne E. Butts and Renee Gray-Wilburn co-authored Grandparenting through Obstacles: Overcoming Family Obstacles to Reach Your Grandchildren for Christ, releasing from Pix-N-Pens Publishing August 17, 2012. Dianne is a double-finalist in Write Integrity Press’ fiction and nonfiction “Books of Hope” contest. Her latest book, Deliver Me, is a Nonfiction Book of the Year with Christian Small Publishers Association and was a finalist for a Golden Scroll Nonfiction book of the Year from Advanced Writers and Speakers Association.