tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21092663146741304122024-03-13T06:38:32.658-04:00A Brighter DestinyThoughts from author Alicia G. RuggieriAliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778976206673302782noreply@blogger.comBlogger96125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2109266314674130412.post-91764537220836422132016-05-23T10:42:00.002-04:002016-05-23T10:42:06.486-04:00I'm Moving!
Hello, dear readers and friends!
You've come to my little nest here for the past couple of years. It's been a wonderful experience, getting to know you each, chatting about books and the way God works in our lives.
Now, I'm incorporating this blog into my new author website. The blog retain its hope-filled name of A Brighter Destiny, but this website gives me the opportunity to share more Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778976206673302782noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2109266314674130412.post-44564823594075214542016-03-24T00:00:00.000-04:002016-03-24T00:00:02.792-04:00Orphan Journeys Blog Tour {+ a Giveaway}
It's always a joy to see a new, encouraging series take wing. Today, I'd like to highlight a new novella release - the first in a series - by Amanda Tero. At the end of this post, you'll find a giveaway to celebrate the novella's release. :-)
The Orphan Journeys Series:
Journey to Love (Marie's Story, 1901)
By Amanda Tero
About the Book
Now orphaned, Marie is swept miles Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778976206673302782noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2109266314674130412.post-30124908926972394532016-03-04T20:31:00.001-05:002016-03-07T20:42:45.332-05:00Spreading Some Mercy {Free Softcover Opportunity}Hello, dear readers! I'm breaking my usual First-Fridays schedule because I have a delightful opportunity for you that I wanted to tell you about. :-)
I'm preparing to redesign the cover for my first published novel, The House of Mercy, so that the softcover and the e-book will "match." I've been gathering ideas for this on a secret Pinterest board for a while now, and I'm really Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778976206673302782noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2109266314674130412.post-35539062242766903762016-02-05T00:00:00.000-05:002016-02-05T00:00:14.054-05:00First Friday: February 2016This post is part of a once-a-month series on A Brighter Destiny.
February is upon us! Here's what I've been up to and am looking forward to this coming month.
What I'm thankful for: snow enough for sledding in January; the blessing of watching a DVD of Reverend Adrian Rogers' memorial service; warm sweaters and hot coffee; the old hymns sung at a hymn-sing at our church the other evening; Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778976206673302782noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2109266314674130412.post-12125502122511416262016-01-08T00:00:00.000-05:002016-01-08T00:00:12.556-05:00On the Word Becoming Flesh {thoughts on A Time of Grace, book 3}
One of the more interesting parts of writing is when my characters do something and God uses that Something to help illuminate the depth of something so familiar to me in the Scriptures.
That happened this week as I wrote through a pivotal scene in book three of A Time of Grace, and I'd like to share my thoughts with you -- maybe you'll find some food for thought, too. :-)
In that scene, Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778976206673302782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2109266314674130412.post-8529541961023522792016-01-01T16:44:00.000-05:002016-01-01T16:44:00.598-05:00First Friday: January 2016
"See then that you walk circumspectly {"looking all around you"}, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is."
Ephesians 5:15-16 {nkjv}
The Holy Spirit has been pressing these two verses on my mind and heart in recent months, and, as I pin a new calendar up on my door and see the year 2016 Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778976206673302782noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2109266314674130412.post-41405717143436190092015-12-18T11:23:00.001-05:002015-12-18T11:23:47.731-05:00Come Meet A.M. Heath, Author of the Ancient Words Series!As a follow-up to my review of A.M. Heath's In the Shadow of Thy Wings (HERE), I thought that you might like to meet the lovely lady who pens the arresting Ancient Words series. :-)
Pour yourself a cup of coffee... or perhaps chicory might be more appropriate, given the Civil War background of A.M. Heath's novels! :-) I know that you'll find her as warm and engaging as I have... and will Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778976206673302782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2109266314674130412.post-90939128676243354762015-12-08T00:00:00.000-05:002015-12-08T10:56:14.614-05:00Book Review: In the Shadow of Thy Wings by A.M. Heath
Literarily-speaking (if that's a word!), I live in dread and anticipation of sequels to books I love. Do you? :-)
For me, my dread stems from my fear that the second book will - just - not live up to the first. And my anticipation finds its root in my hope that maybe - just *maybe* - the sequel will live up to the high standard set by its predecessor.
So, last spring, when my friend and fellowAliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778976206673302782noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2109266314674130412.post-20486889800317176412015-12-04T00:00:00.000-05:002015-12-04T00:00:04.722-05:00First Friday: December 2015Well, December has certainly arrived here in New England!!! :-) We don't turn the heat on upstairs in our house until *we absolutely have to* -- so I am sitting here writing to you all well-wrapped against the cold, a bit like Jo March:
{click for source info}
The advantage that I have over Miss March, warmth-wise, is that I have a pug, whose purpose is To Keep Others Warm. ;-)
Now, in Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778976206673302782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2109266314674130412.post-42534087494011938632015-11-27T12:38:00.001-05:002015-11-27T12:38:26.451-05:00Hurray! It's a Christmas ~ Softcover ~ Sale! :-)
You asked for it, friends! :-)
A CHRISTMAS SOFTCOVER SALE on the A Time of Grace books, perfect for gift-giving!
From November 27 through December 19, both softcovers of The Fragrance of Geraniums AND All Our Empty Places will be on sale for less than $10 each OR for less than $20 for both!
This offer is available only through Amazon:
http://amzn.com/1503022056
http://Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778976206673302782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2109266314674130412.post-2149962796779492442015-11-20T00:00:00.000-05:002015-11-20T15:07:14.797-05:00It's Release Day! Mr. Portly Finds His Purpose
“Come on, Mr. Portly,” the Lady said. “You can do it!”
“Can I?” he thought glumly. “Aren’t Pugs Useless, after all?”
Many of you have been waiting for this day for some time! Thanks for being patient with me and for cheering me on as I navigated the tricky (for me!) waters of children's book formatting. What a true delight it is to present to you this new title today!
When Miss Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778976206673302782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2109266314674130412.post-91355323618450533282015-11-13T00:00:00.000-05:002015-11-13T00:00:04.493-05:00When Thanksgiving Becomes Thanksliving
It's the month of thankfulness in the United States. Driving today, I saw signs on everything from churches to businesses proclaiming, "Give thanks!"
And I should. I have so much.
I think of Christians in China, severely beaten for owning a non-state-regulated copy of the Scriptures, and my heart sinks to know how paltry is my own gratefulness for having not one but several copies of God's Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778976206673302782noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2109266314674130412.post-51854883743662535772015-11-06T00:00:00.000-05:002015-11-06T00:00:01.962-05:00First Friday: November 2015What a month of activity October was! :-) From helping my dear sister and her family move halfway across the country to finishing up the launch of All Our Empty Places, October fairly bulged with hustle-and-bustle. But here I am, in one piece :-) -- and looking forward to what this new month holds.
What am I looking forward to in November?
What am I doing now?
THE SENSES
Scents: Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778976206673302782noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2109266314674130412.post-91119872441933312012015-10-14T00:00:00.000-04:002015-10-14T00:00:11.820-04:00Guest Cover Reveal Tour: Faith Blum's Lily of the Valley
Today we have a blog post with a cover reveal. But, there’s
a catch. The author, Faith Blum,
has split her cover into 15 different pieces! In order to enter her giveaway,
you need to put it together and email her your cover. Or, if you don’t want to
enter the giveaway, but you’d still like to see the cover, stop by her blog on
Thursday. I haven't yet had the chance to read Faith Blum's work, Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778976206673302782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2109266314674130412.post-91063017208651112802015-10-03T09:55:00.001-04:002015-10-03T09:55:15.978-04:00Release Tour Wrap-Up & Cozy Autumn Reading Giveaway WinnerThanks to everyone who followed the Release Tour for All Our Empty Places! I hope that you each enjoyed it and that you might have found some new reading/reviewing/writing blogs that interest you through it! :-)
And now, for the COZY AUTUMN READING GIVEAWAY WINNER...
*** Drum-roll, please. ***
Our winner is:
Sarah Sue!
Sarah, you'll receive an e-mail shortly, asking for your mailing Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778976206673302782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2109266314674130412.post-91849910758786711892015-10-02T00:00:00.000-04:002015-10-02T00:00:00.404-04:00RELEASE TOUR: Day 5 - Last Day to Enter the Cozy Autumn Reading Giveaway!
Happy Friday! :-) I hope that you've been enjoying this Release Tour week for All Our Empty Places as much as I have. If you haven't yet entered the Cozy Autumn Reading Giveaway - or if you'd like to collect the once-a-day entries for today - you may do that by clicking HERE or by going to any one of the excellent blogs who are kindly hosting Book Two of the A Time of Grace trilogy today Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778976206673302782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2109266314674130412.post-3907055757287549562015-09-30T10:43:00.001-04:002015-09-30T10:43:30.739-04:00RELEASE WEEK: Days 3 & 4
Days 3 & 4 of Release Week for All Our Empty Places, Book Two in the A Time of Grace trilogy!
Our stop WEDNESDAY is at:
Seasons of Humility (clickable link).
Our stops THURSDAY are at:
Writings, Ramblings, and Reflections (clickable link)
Christian Author A.M. Heath (clickable link)
I personally follow and enjoy each of these blogs - both for their excellent Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778976206673302782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2109266314674130412.post-13938309574031217732015-09-29T13:53:00.002-04:002015-09-29T14:08:28.609-04:00Release Day: All Our Empty Places ~ A Time of Grace, Book 2
Rejoicing in the Lord! :-)
It's Release Day for All Our Empty Places, Book Two in A Time of Grace!
You can now find All Our Empty Places on Amazon in both softcover and Kindle.
Kindle: http://amzn.com/B014JVJYCK
Amazon is still playing catch-up with displaying the softcover (though they should have it up very shortly), but if you would really like to order the Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778976206673302782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2109266314674130412.post-31511931729011911982015-09-28T00:00:00.000-04:002015-09-28T00:00:04.577-04:00Hurray! It's Release Week for ALL OUR EMPTY PLACES {& We're Having a Cozy Autumn Reading Giveaway}!
I am so delightedly-delighted :-) to announce that, by God's grace, it's RELEASE WEEK for All Our Empty Places, Book Two in the A Time of Grace trilogy. May the Lord Jesus see fit to make His Name more beloved and honored through this novel.
While the book doesn't officially release until tomorrow, Tuesday, September 29, 2015, we're going to start today, Monday, September 28, Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778976206673302782noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2109266314674130412.post-91439209606170980542015-09-26T20:39:00.000-04:002015-09-26T20:39:10.815-04:00The Intended Audience for All Our Empty Places / A Time of Grace Trilogy
Just popping in here to answer a couple of questions that have come my way, pre-release!
Who is the intended audience for All Our Empty Places?
All Our Empty Places (actually, the whole trilogy) is intended to be women's fiction. Now, having
said that, I know that there are men who do read the A Time of Grace books (and I'm glad for it!). The themes in the books are often universal Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778976206673302782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2109266314674130412.post-6069318416737213632015-09-25T00:00:00.000-04:002015-09-25T11:21:48.121-04:00Of Emptiness... And of Being Filled ~ Thoughts on All Our Empty Places
"If only God would give me different circumstances." No one understands your circumstances but God, and He has given you the fighting chance to prove you can be more than conqueror in all these things. Let God lift you out of the broken place, out of the bedraggled place.
~ Oswald Chambers
We all have broken places, don't we?
Scars from hurts given to us.
Scars from hurts we've Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778976206673302782noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2109266314674130412.post-29087905925862251602015-09-18T11:13:00.001-04:002015-09-18T11:13:35.740-04:00I'm Going a Visitin' :-)
Just popping in to let you all know that I'm over at Iola's Christian Reads today -- a fantastic review blog -- revealing 15 authors who have been most influential on my life and writing. Come join us:
http://christianreads.blogspot.com/2015/09/friday-fifteen-alicia-g-ruggieri.html
Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778976206673302782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2109266314674130412.post-20359832986923844852015-09-18T00:00:00.000-04:002015-09-18T00:00:01.478-04:00Amanda Tero's "Peace, Be Still" - Review & Release with a Giveaway!
A couple of weeks ago, I received an e-mail that brought a huge smile to my face. It was from my writing friend and fellow author Amanda Tero -- She planned on publishing a new short story and needed early readers. :-) Did I want to be one?
Oh, yes! :-)
"Peace, Be Still" tells the story of a twelve-year old boy who must tend the lighthouse in his father's absence - and in the midst of a Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778976206673302782noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2109266314674130412.post-55741243124204214272015-09-11T11:17:00.001-04:002015-09-11T11:17:30.637-04:00September: First Friday (A Week Late!)
Yes, I know! :-)
It's not a "first Friday"! I'm a week late - but better late than never? ;-)
What am I looking forward to? What am I doing now?
THE SENSES
Scents: The smell of burning leaves in barrels; the aroma of my mom's apple pie baking in the oven; the new crispness of the air as it enters my lungs.
Sounds: The crackle of fallen leaves under my feet; the honking of Canada Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778976206673302782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2109266314674130412.post-86871944321831434832015-09-07T14:00:00.001-04:002015-09-07T14:00:15.107-04:00Heads-Up: Special Treat Ahead! :-)Just popping in here today to let you blog readers and friends know that I'm preparing a special treat for my e-newsletter subscribers this week! :-) Heads-up: Subscribing to my blog by e-mail is one thing -- My author e-newsletter is different. :-)
YES -- The treat has something to do with All Our Empty Places. :-)
If you'd like to make sure that you receive that secret special treat this Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778976206673302782noreply@blogger.com0