ROAD TO the Christys - First Novel - Contemporary Stand-Alone - WORDS by Ginny Yttrup

2012 Blog Tour Travel the virtual "Road to the Christys" blog tour from Mon., July 9 to Tue., July 20th, 2012. Blog tour participants will be celebrating the 2012 Christy Award nominees leading up to the Christy Awards banquet in Orlando, July 16, and the winners after they are presented. Follow @ChristyAward, or like www.facebook.com/ChristyAward for a link to the first stop on the "Road to the Christys" blog tour.

First Novel 

and 

Contemporary Stand-Alone 

Author Ginny Yttrup   

The opportunity to write is the fulfillment of a life-long dream. Words were my salvation as a child, until I met my true Savior, the Word. Through the tumultuous years of my childhood, I lost myself in the stories I read. There, in the world of fiction, I escaped the trauma I faced and found a place of safety and rest. Today, I enjoy the gift of combining my two loves—I write words that, I pray, reflect the glory of Jesus Christ. 

 As I write, speak, and work as a life coach, my prayer is that God will use my words to replace the lies so many believe about themselves with the truth of His unconditional love and grace. To see someone grasp, perhaps for the first time, the truth of God’s love, is truly an honor. Through a relationship with the Truth, Jesus Christ, the bonds of shame are loosed and freedom abounds!

When I’m not working, I love spending time with my two college-age sons or with friends. If I can spend time outdoors with those I love, it’s even better. And I thoroughly adore my dog, Bear. He’s a book lover too. (I’ll let you in on a secret–Bear has a starring role in my third novel.)                              

I’d love an opportunity to get to know you. Drop me a note and tell me a little about yourself. If you’re interested in learning more about what I do as a coach, visit http://www.crossingscoaching.com.

May you know the freedom of God’s love as you live in His truth…

Blessings to you.

About Book

"I collect words. I keep them in a box in my mind. I'd like to keep them in a real box, something pretty, maybe a shoe box covered with flowered wrapping paper. Whenever I wanted, I'd open the box and pick up the papers, reading and feeling the words all at once. Then I could hide the box. But the words are safer in my mind. There, he can't take them."

Ten-year old Kaylee Wren doesn't speak. Not since her drug-addled mother walked away, leaving her in a remote cabin nestled in the towering redwoods-in the care of a man who is as dangerous as he is evil. With silence her only refuge, Kaylee collects words she might never speak from the only memento her mother left behind: a dictionary.

Sierra Dawn is thirty-four, an artist, and alone. She has allowed the shame of her past to silence her present hopes and chooses to bury her pain by trying to control her circumstances. But on the twelfth anniversary of her daughter's death, Sierra's control begins to crumble as the God of her childhood woos her back to Himself. Brought together by Divine design, Kaylee and Sierra will discover together the healing mercy of the Word-Jesus Christ.

 

Five Star Review by author Michelle Sutton

Well, this book left me a little speechless. Funny since it's about words, right? I loved the quirky way the main character, Kaylee, was obsessed with words as a way of coping with stress, yet the lack of words (speech) due to her trauma was a large obstacle in her life. Some parts of the story reminded me a little of the movie Nell, starring Jodie Foster. But this novel had a unique angle to it that I haven't seen in many books -- especially not Christian books.

At first I was a bit overwhelmed with some of the details, but those details also made the story more powerful. I suppose my background of working with hundreds of sexually abused children didn't help because it made me think of all of the Kaylees that I'd gotten to know over the years and reminded me of their horrible situations prior to CPS removing them from their sexually abusive families. Like Kaylee, those children were also very conflicted regarding their families and loyalties. The author expertly described the mindset of an abused child in this story, and because of this, I think this novel should be required reading for all foster parents who are considering taking a sexually abused child into their home. Then when the child does something that seems disloyal, mean, or that doesn't make sense hopefully they will realize it's not about them (foster parents,) but it's just part of the healing process.

Not only was I impressed with this story in a general sense, but the writing, plotting, and pacing were also very good. Women who have been sexually abused might find themselves reliving some of their trauma while reading the first part of Kaylee's story, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. Like in this novel, the truth of what happened needs to be dealt with in order to heal...and to set the person held captive by the painful memories free from those chains.

There are so many good things that can result from reading this book. I found it deep, insightful, and a quality story worthy of an award. The fact that the author says that she was Kaylee makes it that much more meaningful to me. This novel is a great example of how God uses our pasts to help others. He can make beauty from the ashes of our lives. I can see this book helping a lot of broken people, and for that reason (plus the fact that it's great story) this book is making my top fiction list for 2011. Check it out. You'll be glad you did.

Treated Myself To A Few Trilogies

I decided to share with you some Trilogies

 I bought for myself.  

I don't know when I will get to read them 

but I am sure all of you avid readers

understand where I am coming from.  

Does hoarding sound familiar? 

These are in print I have even more

 for my ereader  ;o)

   

   

   

Wish me luck reading all of them this year 

or next according to my schedule.

What are you hoping to read this year

 that is not on your schedule?

COTT Spotlight on Gail Pallotta

*guest post by COTT Sr. Editor, April W Gardner

This week, it was my privilege to spend a few extra minutes with author Gail. Gail is one of the blog alliance correspondents at Clash of the Titles.

Her husband, Rick, says she’s the only person he knows who can go in the grocery for a loaf of bread and come out with someone’s life story. That’s probably because she inherited her mother’s love of people and enjoys talking to them. Working as an editor and freelance writer, Gail published a couple hundred articles. While some of them are in anthologies, two ended up in museums. In 2004, the American Christian Writers Association named Gail a regional writer of the year. She recently published her first romance, Love Turns the Tide. When she isn’t writing she likes reading, swimming, and getting together with friends and family. Gail wants to write books of faith that show God’s love. She and Rick live in Georgia. Just a couple hours north of me, actually! We’re practically neighbors. :-)

Every COTT staff member is a professed child of God. Gail, can you tell us about your relationship with Christ?
I can’t remember when I didn’t love Jesus. My father’s father was a minister, so I grew up listening to Bible verses and references to Jesus. But my mother played a huge part in helping me establish a relationship with Christ. At bedtime she said prayers with me and told me stories from the Bible. First, she taught me “Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep,” but even then I had a copy of “The Lord’s Prayer” hanging on the wall above the headboard of my bed. She taught it to me a few lines at a time. We soon started saying it instead of “Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep.” She also told me about the Crucifixion in her own words, explaining how much Jesus had to love me to die for me. She taught me to talk to Jesus, to say the things I was thankful for, to praise Him, and ask for things I needed. I did the same with my daughter. I’m so grateful for the many blessings Jesus has given me and that He’s always there for me. I don’t always get the answers I want to my prayers, but I get the answers I need to fulfill God’s plan for my life. Whenever I’ve needed a miracle, Jesus has supplied one. There are several hymns that touch on how I feel about my relationship with Christ. “What a Friend We Have in Jesus,” and “He Leadeth Me” are two. My daughter recently gave me a CD, Elvis, An Evening Prayer. The first song on it, “His Hand in Mine,” conveys how I feel about my relationship with Christ. It’s an old gospel song written by Mossie Lister. It’s on YouTube. The URL is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulTtL_YaC-w

Beautiful testimony! A mother’s faith is essential in a child’s life, and you’re proof of that!
None of us are perfect though, so what’s the craziest thing you did as a teenager? 

Gail Pallotta

I grew up at the foothills of the mountains. At a reunion a few years ago, many of us told our beloved biology teacher how much she meant to us. She replied, “Well, I had to teach biology. There was no one else in town that could.” Teachers were scarce. We had a very old algebra teacher. He couldn’t stay awake during class. Nope. He took the roll and told us to turn to the next chapter and work the problems. Then he pushed back his seat and propped his feet on the trash can. We’d give him about ten minutes, and he was out like a light. His classroom was in the basement with a window level to the ground. In the spring as soon as he started snoring, we went out the window, got in my friend’s convertible (she had the only car) and went to the lake.

No way! That’s so funny!! How long were you gone? What is something else people would be surprised to know about you? 
At age twenty-two when I graduated from college, I packed my clothes in a medium-sized suitcase and moved to a large city with eighty dollars in my pocket. Had no car, no job, and nowhere to live. 
Wow! You can’t leave us hanging, lol! How did that work out for you?

On a slightly more serious note, what is the nearest book to where you’re sitting? 
I love to read anything, non-fiction, fiction, any genre, Christian and many secular. But the book closest to me, probably because I also write as well as read, is Essentials of English.

I’d imagine that covers grammar? Forms of writing? Sounds like a must-have for every writer! What are three things you can’t live without?   
Faith, family, fun

Three very important f’s! Makes me wonder though, when I say the word “fun,” what’s the first thing to pop into your mind?

What is the message you most want to convey to readers with your writing? God loves you. Accept His love and let the greatness of it overcome the imperfections of this world. 

That brings to mind. John 16:33 "These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world." NAS (©1995)
Anything else you’d like to add? 
I was honored when asked to be part of the Clash of the Titles Staff. I love helping to promote Christian books and writers.
And we love having you!!
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Get to know Gail better by visiting her website or her blog.