Saturday, October 17, 2015

Angels Unaware

Sandra here, and I’m jumping up and down doing a happy dance. I have TWO books out today.  And its our birthday month.  And I have a great birthday present to give away.

Now that is something to celebrate.

As you’ve read in earlier posts, Love’s Dream Song is released today on Amazon.

Love's Dream Song:  In her search for her Navajo roots, archeologist Autumn O’Neill finds danger and romance on Jess Barron’s ranch in Northern Arizona. Together, they come to understand that finding answers means listening to the voices of their ancestors and the longings of their hearts.    

And my other release  Holiday Homecoming is within the contemporary anthology, A Heart Full of Christmas.



Holiday Homecoming:Debbie fell in love with surfer, David Martin. Against her parent’s wishes, she married her first love. Would the help of an angel and the influence of the Christmas season bring forgiveness and redemption?

And to celebrate this exciting news, I’m giving away a KINDLE to one lucky commenter. And because its our 8th birthday, I’m loading it with 8 e-books.Love’s Dream Song, A Heart Full of Christmas and Winners choice of 6 other Seeker ebooks from those available on Amazon.

I'm also offering another winner a copy of A Heart Full of Christmas and Love's Dream Song. 


Yipppeeeee!!!!!!

Happy Birthday to us!!!!!!

Happy dancing!!!!!!!


Okay, okay, enough partying and let’s get down to business.

The business of writing that is.

I have a question for you.
Who likes to read about angels?
Who likes angels in their stories? 
Have you ever written angels in your wips?

We have. The Contemporary Christmas anthology, A Heart Full of Christmas, has five Christmas stories and they each feature an angel. How fun is that? And doesn’t that just fit in with Christmas?

We are so excited about our stories and about our characters who are blessed by God’s helpers.

As a disclaimer, some traditional publishers don’t allow angels in their publications. I’m not sure why, but be sure and check your targeted publisher’s guidelines before you write an angel into your story.

Our anthology is an indie publication so we decided we would take advantage of angelic assistance. In my novella, Holiday Homecoming, an angel helps the characters find their way to applying their Christian values.

The heroine in Holiday Homecoming is a surfer.


I feel comfortable writing angel characters because I have had angel experiences. Most of the time I didn’t know until they left, but have any of you had that feeling or inner knowing that you just had supernatural assistance?

I get together with three other girlfriends twice a year for a weekend slumber party. We all went to high school together and so it is a kick to get together and catch up on our lives. One of our favorite things to do is tell what we call our “angel stories”. Most of these involve ways we see God working in our lives. What a blessing when we see, because in the Bible, Jesus says we may entertain angels unawares. I’m sure we are going to be surprised to find out more incidents of divine intervention when all is revealed. I am excited about that day.

There is also divine intervention in Love’s Dream Song. Autumn's grandfather goes on a vision quest and has dreams which help them find Autumn when she is in danger. Using  dreams in our stories are one way we can have angels communicate with our characters.

As I wrote in a previous post, I believe God uses what is important in our lives to communicate with us. For example I love animals. In a previous post Animals in Our Stories, I shared with you some of the experiences I’ve had where animals seemed to be comforting my spirit. If our characters live close to nature, animals can be used to show divine intervention. In the movie Dances With Wolves, the wolf appears to warn the hero.

One of my girlfriends loves her grandchildren. When she is down or troubled, she has had “strange” incidents of photos of her grandchildren suddenly popping up on her phone. Or she gets a call from a grandchild out of the blue. She calls those moments her God moments.  This is another way to work angels into our stories.

They can even be angels unawares and not be revealed as angels, but their behavior of protecting, comforting and loving us gives us clues. Og Mandino writes his angels in this manner. A person shows up in the character's life and helps them through their problem, then disappears, hinting at the fact he might have been an angel.  This is the manner I used an angel in Holiday Homecoming.

Debbie Macomber writes wonderful stories from the point of view of the angels. They get into all kinds of mischief trying to bring a couple together so they will fall in love. Great romantic fun with angels. 

So check out our holiday anthology A Heart Full of Christmas and find out all the ways the Seekers used angels in their Christmas novellas. They are delightful and can show you different ways to include an angel in your story. 


This is the angel photo we used on our cover. Isn't she adorable?



Please comment and share the way you have written angels in your stories.

Or if you’re a reader share if you like that element in a story. 
Also share the ways you like to see angels used in stories. 

Maybe some of you have read other books or seen movies with angels. 
Please share some of your favorite books or movies that feature angels.

Remember we have a special birthday gift today of a Kindle. Another winner will win  a copy of Love’s Dream Song and A Heart Full of Christmas.





If you hop over to Amazon, you will notice that our spring anthology With This Kiss is on sale this week for $.99.  What a deal.






Please celebrate with us. It is our Seeker friends who make this blog so much fun. Thank you all for making this our 8th birthday year of sharing.

In my family we prefer to celebrate birthdays with our favorite pie instead of cake. So I have an array of pies for our treat.  There is creamy vanilla ice cream to scoop on top if you prefer. I also have fresh whipped cream and honey.  So please help yourself and be sure and check out the weekend edition for winners.



Sandra Leesmith writes sweet romances to warm the heart. Sandra loves to play pickleball, hike, read, bicycle and write. She lives in Arizona with her husband and during the hot summers she and her husband travel throughout the United States in their motorhome where she enjoys the outdoors and finds wonderful ideas for her next writing project. You can find Sandra's books here on Amazon. Three of Sandra's most popular books are also audio books at Audible. You can read more posts by Sandra here.








175 comments :

  1. I've got both of them! Happy dance!!!! Reviews coming...I love angels in stories because I've had e diencephalic of them in my life, though I haven't seen them. Great post. CONGRATULATIONS on your releases. See you soon!

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  2. Hi Marianne, Yay are you coming to Arizona? You might want to wait a tiny bit as it is still pretty hot here. But I am excited about your next visit down here.

    Yes, I just received a notice that Love's Dream Song is available. Yippee.

    Thank you.

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  3. Wow Marianne That word is a mouthful. Whew! You go girl.

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  4. Clarence getting his wings. Best known Angel story perhaps?

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  5. Yes, Melissa That was wonderful. Thanks for reminding me.

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  6. Congratulations! Wonderful news about the release!

    I love your comment about Debbie Macomber - I got to meet her last week and have something special coming up with her on my new website when it's released next month. I think she is an angel, too. Very good at encouraging writers.

    Lots of times when we've escaped danger or had our children saved in hospital. So much gratitude. Thanks for the reminder. It always puts everything in perspective!

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  7. Congrats on your new releases, Sandra!

    I haven't written about angels...yet. But this post makes me want to incorporate a bit of that "God element" into my stories in that way.

    The three angels I remember from movies are the one played by Cary Grant, whose character I think had an emotional affair with a pastor's wife or something--weird. Then there's Michael, played by John Travolta, and the only thing I remember about that movie is that someone said the macho-angel always smelled of fresh-baked cookies when he was romantically inclined--I laughed so hard. There's also Clarence from It's a Wonderful Life. Gotta love that little guy.

    From a personal experience as a child, I remember one of our tires blowing out on the way to church. We were annoyed, of course. But while Dad put on the spare, emergency vehicles passed with sirens blazing. Later we learned the blowout had prevented us from being in the middle of a horrible multi-car accident. I always think of that as an angel moment.

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  8. HI Sandra! Congratulations on two books out today! Wow. Very cool.

    I haven't written angels into my WIPs, but I have a neat angel story. A dear friend of mine is an amazing oil painter and I contracted her to paint a three panel of trees to go into our entryway. She called me the day she had it shipped to NY to tell me it was on its way. Then she hit me with news - an angel had shown up in the painting. She didn't mean to paint it there. It just appeared to her as she was boxing the panels. Now here's the REALLY fun part. When I got the painting, I found the angel right away and called my friend to tell I saw the angel. It turns out, that was a SECOND angel! One that she hadn't seen, but I did! How cool is that? I love passing that painting every day and pausing to visit with my angels hidden there between the strong trees.

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  9. Angel is one of significant figure in nearly every story. It's an amazing figure, one that is connected to spiritual life. I love it especially when it takes part as guardian angel.

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  10. Congratulations on your two releases, Sandra. What a huge days! When I was younger I adored that TV show "Touched By An Angel". Just thinking about it makes me want to go and find some episodes!

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  11. We all have "Angel stories" in our lives. I love that phrase.

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  12. Congrats, Sandra!

    "Highway to Heaven" is another angel tv show ... and Heather Burch had a Christian YA series featuring angels.

    I've seen quite a few general market YA series with angels with them, so it's interesting that some publishing houses would avoid it. But those YA series sounded more "paranormal" like, the angels and demons are being treated like fantasy creatures like vampires and such (totally different).

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  13. A KINDLE!!!! SANDRA IS GIVING AWAY A KINDLE!!!!! LET ME REPEAT, SANDRA IS GIVING AWAY A KINDLE!!!!!!!!! AND BOOKS!

    OH BE STILL MY HEART!!!!

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  14. Jen, Artist Librarian Sweetheart.... You are so right. For YA there's often the angel counter-culture element and it drives the tension of good vs. evil.

    And the Debbie Macomber stories are adorable, fun, mischievous we know best angels, more like fairy godmothers....

    And I borrowed the idea from Trans-Siberian Orchestra, to use their young angel come to earth to find love as a gift for God, and he/she finally found it in an old city bar in New York City.... beneath a neon star.... :)

    God is everywhere!

    Sandra, this is SO FUN!!!!!!!!

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  15. Happy Birthday Seekerville!

    Yes, I love to read about angels in books. Sometimes they are what moves the story along. :) I have had personal experience with angels and if I were to write about those experiences I think it would make for a good story... I never thought about that. One actually came to my rescue when I was traveling across country and hit black ice. The angel actually took me into town to call for help. I was dropped off at the front door at a Waffle House with a note on where my car was. When I mentioned it in the restaurant, Everyone told me they saw me walking but I didn't get out of any car. It wasn't until many years later that it was revealed to me that that had been an angel. Thank you Sandra for your post today.

    I would love a chance to win any of your giveaway prizes except A Heart Full of Christmas (I already have a copy). I would especially love the Kindle with eight wonderful Seeker ebooks. Thank you for such generosity Sandra.

    May everyone have a blessed week!

    Smiles & Blessings,
    Cindy W.

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  16. SHARED!

    LYNDEE!!!!! I love that story! Oh my gosh, I can totally see how fun that would be to weave into a book!!!!!!

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  17. Wow Sandra, lots to celebrate today.

    I believe in angels and have had times I know and angel helped me, but none of my stories tops Cindy W's experience. Amen! I'm covered in chills.

    I've never included an angel in a story though. Definitely something to consider.

    Thanks for sharing!

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  18. Good morning Elizabeth Thanks for the congrats and congratulations to you with a special from Debbie. Isn't she the most? I have always loved her stories. And I've had the privilege of meeting her several times also and know how gracious and sweet she is.

    I'm glad you've had your angel experiences. smile

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  19. Hi Natalie Your story sent chills down me. We had the exact same thing happen to us. A big blowout in the middle of the desert, but we avoided a horrible multi-car accident also. It was on Friday the 13th. I wrote about that in an article published by a Christian magazine called Friday the 13th is God's Day. smile

    And how wonderful that your parents showed you it was a God thing.

    I forgot about the angel smelling like baked cookies. Thanks for the chuckle.

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  20. Lyndee What a tease. Now we are all going to want to come visit and see those angels. And how interesting that the painter only saw one and you saw two. Love it.

    That really has to go in a story.

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  21. Good morning Evelyn Are you refering to a character in your books? I'm intrigued. smile

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  22. Hi Kara I loved that television show. Thanks for reminding me about it. Now I'm going to do the same thing and have hubby go find some episodes.

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  23. Hi Mary Yes, we do have angel stories. All you have to do is start looking for them. You will be amazed.

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  24. Good morning Artist Librarian Thanks for the reminder of other angel television shows. I love the fact that Hollywood loves angels.

    And yes, we can't forget the dark angels also. Frank Peretti did a great job featuring the spiritual battles.

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  25. YES RUTHY I AM GIVING AWAY A KINDLE!!!!!!

    YIPPEE.

    I bought it when it was on a super sale and saved it for our birthday month. It has been screaming to get out there in someone's hot little hand. smile

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  26. Ruthy you wrote: "And I borrowed the idea from Trans-Siberian Orchestra, to use their young angel come to earth to find love as a gift for God, and he/she finally found it in an old city bar in New York City.... beneath a neon star.... :)"

    Is that a clue for your Christmas novella in the A Heart Full of Christmas contemporary anthology?

    Love it.

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  27. Wow Cindy What a great angel story. And isn't it true that we don't often know it at the time, but God gently reveals it later. I think that happens when we are ready to know.

    I"m tickled that you already have A Heart Full of Christmas . If you win, we'll find another ebook for you. smile

    Thanks so much for sharing your story. I love it.

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  28. Hello SANDRA! I loved this post. I am so grateful for His Angelic Force that war on our behalf. Congrats on your releases.

    Please put me in for today's drawing.

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  29. HI Jackie Yes, I had chills with Cindy's story also. I so love those stories.

    And I'm thinking of writing more angel elements in future stories. It was just too much fun doing it in the Christmas novella Holiday Homecoming

    I look forward to seeing what you end up doing. smile

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  30. Hi Kate Thanks for sharing about the Karen Kingsbury series. And about Frank Peretti also. Great authors-both of them.

    You might be on to why some publishers don't do angels. smile

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  31. Good morning Caryl , Thanks for joining us. I love how you stated it as His Angelic Force. That would be great in a story. Oh wait. It has been done. chuckle. But then again, we never get enough about that do we? I don't anyway.

    Your name is in the cat dish.

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  32. Congratulations on your book releases!!! Hope your day continues to bring you joy!

    Stephanie

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  33. Yes, Sandra. When I was younger I wrote a novel about an angel college age student who didn't know she was an angel until she went to college and someone approached her. Then all these bad and tempting things kept happening to her. Satan and his demons were trying to stop her from becoming a full fledged angel. Suspense mixed with fantasy but in a contemporary setting. Thank you for the giveaways. Happy Birthday, Seekerville!

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  34. Sandra, I have written and sold a story for a Chicken Soup for the Soul anthology called 'Messages from Heaven'. My story was nonfiction and about an angel who spoke to me from the back seat of my car and helped me avoid a bad car accident. It was my Mother's voice. I get chills even now writing this. I really enjoyed your blog and wish you continued success with your books. By the way this Chicken Soup book became a million dollar seller.

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  35. Happy Birthday Seekersville!! Keep the fun times rolling.

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  36. Good morning Stephanie Thanks for joining us. And yes, the stories so far have brought me great joy. Have a great day yourself. smile

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  37. Hi Kelly What a great premise for a story. I love it. What is the name of it? Is it still available?

    Have a great day.

    Happy writing.

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    1. Sandra, it is available in my filing cabinet. I haven't looked at it for years. It probably needs lots of work. Who knows maybe one day I'll actually publish it after I get published. Thanks for your kind words!

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  38. Good morning Suzanne What a great story. Now I have chills too. smile And how special that it was your mother's voice.

    Congrats on the Chicken Soup for the Soul publication and its success. I just love their books. They are fun because you can get a quick fulfilling read when you only have a few minutes.

    Thanks for the cheers and have a great day.

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  39. Sandra, wonderful post and awesome prizes for those who comment!! I've never put an angel in a story, but I always love watching A Wonderful Life, mostly because of Clarence. I've got the novella collection and look forward to reading all the stories with angels!

    I love that we have guardian angels looking out for us. What may appear as a helpful human or a random thought or incident can be an angel protecting us.

    Janet

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  40. Hi Janet I agree. I love the fact we have guardian angels also. I so need them. And I find it so interesting how creative they are in finding ways to help. smile I think that is why I get such a kick out of Debbie Macomber's angels.

    I'm like you. I can hardly wait to read how the other Seekers did their angels. smile

    Have a blessed day.

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  41. Aren't birthdays grand! Happy Birthday! !
    Would enjoy reading these ;)

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  42. Hi Sandra:

    How can you have 42 comments at 8 in the morning?
    I'll be back.

    Vince

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  43. Congrats on your your new releases!

    Thanks for the opportunity to enter this awesome contest :-)

    I do enjoy reading them in stories. However, even though I review books, there are very few books that I have come across with this element in them. It's something I would like to see more often.

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  44. If it's good enough for Debbie Macomber, it's good enough for me.
    I haven't written an angel character yet, but I'm open.
    If anybody's interested in reading a good ABA series, check out Carolyn Hart's "Ghost" mysteries. She has an angel named Bailey Ruth Rayburn who comes down from Heaven on a regular basis to complete assignments to help mortals. Kind of like Clarence but a regular gig. It's a little skewed theologically, but Bailey Ruth has a good heart and is kind of a character, and there's nothing in the stories that can be offensive to Christians. She was head of the Altar Guild before she died. These are worth checking out and adding to our Angel-ography.
    I am so happy you have a Weekend Edition, sometimes I need a little push after a long week and this keeps me going.
    Would love to win the Kindle so I can start putting myself in the running for winning E-books but whatever, it's still good to be here.
    I am off to enjoy my husband's last day of vacation with him, we're going to take one more crack at the New England foliage before we hibernate for winter.
    Kathy Bailey
    Hunkering down in NH

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  45. Wow Sandra, 42 comments all ready! I love your post

    I am thinking of some of my favorite Christmas movies that have angels. It's a Wonderful Life, Finding John Christmas, and Mrs Miracle are among them

    Have a great weekend every one. It is currently 31 degrees here in the Mountains of NC so please stay warm!

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  46. Good morning Deanna Thanks for joining us and thanks for the birthday wishes.

    Have a great day.

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  47. Vince I know.
    I think people love angels. Or maybe kindles. chuckle.

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  48. Congratulations on not one, but two releases! That's awesome Sandra!
    I've never written a story with an angel, but with Christmas just around the corner, you've inspired me.
    I'm not much of a TV watcher, but one of my all time favorite shows is Touched by an Angel. I don't think there was one episode where I didn't cry. Unfortunately, shows such as this are few and far between these days.
    Enjoy your special celebration!

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  49. Hi Leslie Thanks for joining us and for your observation. As a reviewer you would know. Do you have a blog with reviews or do you review on Amazon or Goodreads? Email me if you'd like some books to review. And thanks.

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  50. HI Kaybee Yay, We just returned from a week out your way and loved seeing the fall colors. They have fall colors here, but nothing like what you all have. I am always amazed at the variety of colors--the pinks, purples, magentas,reds etc.

    Thanks also for the heads up on the series to look into. We always enjoy hearing about good reads.

    Have fun with hubby.

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  51. Hi Sandra:

    I have a guardian angle story that is true. When I was little I used to talk about my day to my guardian angle before I went to bed. I really wanted to see him so I cleverly placed mirrors around my bedroom so I could see him when he was hiding and thought I wasn't looking. This made perfect sense because I had seen dozens of angles in paintings and we had some very nice classic paintings of angles in our classroom.

    While I never did get to see my guardian angle, I remember telling him one night that when I became 21, he could take off!

    Vince

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  52. Hi Wilani Yikes, thirty one degrees. I'll send you some heat from Arizona. Although it is cooling down into the nineties which is a relief from the three digit numbers we had earlier this week.

    I too love those Christmas movies. I love it when Hallmark does Christmas in July. I love Doris Roberts in those Mrs. Miracle movies based on Debbie Macomber's books.

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  53. Hi Jill I loved that series also and like you, wish there were more shows like that instead of all the crime and blood and guts shows. Although my hubby loves those. sigh.

    Best wishes on writing that Christmas story with angels. Let us know when it comes out.

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  54. Good grief Vince I hope your guardian angel didn't take off because those years were probably the years you needed him?her most. chuckle.

    Looking back, I know that I know my guardian angels were around me those years I was rebelling against God. That was when they worked the hardest. smile And I am so thankful. When I finally returned back to the Lord, I think they were all crying with relief. I know I was crying and I think it was because of them. True story.

    And I love that you put mirrors all around. I would wager that you have seen your guardian angel but didn't know it. Won't it be fun when we find out?

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  55. Good morning Seekerville -- and SANDRA! Angel stories can be so fun! Debbie Macomber's stories are so cute. And I do believe angels exist and are active all around us--because Scripture says they are!

    But I think one reason some publishers don't allow them is that too often they aren't portrayed Biblically. Not like God's protectors and messengers, but like a genie in a bottle granting wishes. Or stories portray people praying to their "guardian angel" -- angels aren't to be worshipped. I've also seen too many stories where humans die and come back to earth AS angels. According to scripture, angels are a separate created being from humans--you don't become an angel when you pass away. I think that's why there is hesitancy on the part of some Christian publishers--they have a responsibility not to lead readers astray with unbiblical portrayals.

    Like you, I believe one day our eyes will be opened and we'll be AMAZED at the times angels have touched our lives and we didn't even know it.

    I can hardly wait to read all these stories! When I finish edits and this latest WIP, I need to sit down with a cup of hot cocoa and read on quiet, snowy evenings!

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  56. Here is my most powerful story of divine intervention and guardian angels (very abbreviated version):

    My precious 4 yr old daughter, Noelle became very ill and had to be hospitalized. A strep germ had caused kidney failure, resulting in this small child gaining 5 lbs in a week! Her blood pressure was high even for an adult.

    My mom and I kept a round the clock prayer vigil at her beside, asking God to heal her, for angels to surround her and protect her from any further attacks in her small body.
    At one point my mom said God had spoken to her heart that Noelle was a "pearl of great price" and He was going to heal her. We stood on that promise and fully believed He had stationed angels in the 4 corners of her room.

    The doctors came in and said if we hadn't gotten her to the hospital when we did she very likely would have had a stoke with very serious consequences. She was responding to treatment and quickly improving.

    We were overjoyed at the good news. My mom happened to look down at her hand. She had been wearing a pearl ring, but the stone was gone. We just looked at each other stunned. We both knew that that was a message from God, that she was indeed "His pearl of great price" and He had healed her. Mom said the ring didn't matter, she would have paid any price to see her granddaughter healed.

    Despite warnings she could have permanent kidney damage, she fully recovered and has never had a single kidney problem since. It has been many yrs ago now, but I still remember the feeling of angelic protection in that room and the feeling of assurance that Jesus paid the ultimate price so I could have my "pear of great price" daughter healthy and whole.

    I get choked up even in the retelling of this story, because God has been so good to me.

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  57. Hi Sandra:

    I received my gift copy of "A Heart Full of Christmas" in the email this morning. I also received a copy of Stan Williams ARC biography, "Growing up Christian". These events have had my mind in overdrive finding irony everywhere this morning!

    Your post today is full of irony -- which my mind put in your post and not the other way around.

    You wrote:

    "Debbie fell in love with surfer, David Martin. Against her parent’s wishes, she married her first love. Would the help of an angel and the influence of the Christmas season bring forgiveness and redemption?"

    Now as someone who went to UCSB, a campus on the Pacific coast, I never knew loving a surfer required forgiveness and redemption!

    Is there a war on surfers now? Will pickleball players be next?

    You wrote:

    "One of my girlfriends loves her grandchildren."

    Just one of them? What kind of girlfriends do you hang with? I have more girlfriends who love their grandchildren than that and I'm a married guy!!!

    You wrote:

    "As a disclaimer, some traditional publishers don’t allow angels in their publications. I’m not sure why…"

    They're paranormal! Whether they exist or not! Christian publishers are not much into the paranormal. Remember: "It's a Great Life" failed the first time it came out. It wasn't angelic intervention that made this movie an all time hit. It was failure to renew its copyright!


    I could go on but irony begins to rust with too much exposure.

    Vince

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  58. Sandra, a KINDLE?!?!! I would love that, especially when it comes with Seeker books!! Please enter me in the drawing :)

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  59. Congratulations on the double-release this month! I can't wait to read the new novella collections.

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  60. Let's see, angel stories:

    Does Angels in the Outfield count? Or any of those Hallmark Christmas movies with Angels, like Mrs. Miracle or When Angels Come to Town!

    As for angel stories in books, I haven't read too many, but Karen Kingsbury's Angels Walking series is on myTBR pile.

    Can anyone recommend some good angel stories I should try, either book or movie?

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  61. Congratulations!

    Clarence is the first angel I ever heard of. :-)

    I would love to be entered into your drawing.

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  62. Hi Glynna Thanks for your input on why publishers don't do angels. Yes, you are so right They do need to be Biblical. And good point that they are their own beings. But I've experienced those I love touching my life also after they have passed away. So whether its just them or they are angels now, however God works it??? Like you said, we'll find out one day. And its best to be careful and not portray them incorrectly.


    Ahhh that sounds delightful to sit quiet with hot cocoa and READ. Is that a dream wish or what?? I'm praying for that for you. And for me.

    Hey is this storm bringing snow or just rain? At least if its rain you won't have to shovel.

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  63. wow Tracey What a touching and moving story. I'm even choked up myself and so thankful for such a merciful and loving God. What a cool sign about the pearl. See, He does have ways to show us He is there with His angels.

    Thanks so much for sharing that story.

    And thanks for all the tips on Goodreads yesterday. I did enable the question feature and even had a question to answer this morning. I feel so "with it". LOL Thank you.

    ANd thanks again for sharing your touching story. Hugs

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  64. Oh Vince You need to put a SPEW ALERT with that post. I'm laughing so hard.

    Well I guess I learned something from the Moral Premise guy about irony. ha ha ha

    No there is no war against surfers. They needed to forgive her for running off with the surfer instead of marrying the man they had chosen for her. And I guess I better write a pickleball story. LOL

    And all of my friends love their grandchildren. But this friend does get those strange things happening all the time and calls them her God Moments.

    Hang in there Vince. I don't want your brain to explode or to rust. You are just toooooooo funny.

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  65. Hey, Sandra! Great post! I don't think I've ever thought about writing a story including angels. As I was reading your post I was thinking of Debbie Macomber's series. And I love the Christmas movies that include angels.

    I hope we get a snow storm! I love snow! We are getting ready to enter my favorite season, winter! lol.

    By the way, Sandra, I sent you an email with my email address. Now to figure out how to make my email show in my contact information on google+. I thought it was. I liked the old google lol.

    Have a great weekend everybody!

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  66. Sandra, I hope that word fits there because I have no idea what it means. And I proof read my comment before hitting post and I never noticed it there then. Angel or?

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  67. Congratulations, Sandra!

    The little angel figurine is adorable.

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  68. Hi Sarah Thanks for the congrats. If you read through the comments there are lots of recommendations for books to read. Of course you must read A Heart Full of Christmas because every one of those stories has an angel. smile

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  69. Good morning Marsha Thanks for joining us and yes, your name is in the cat dish for the drawing.

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  70. Hi Sally Thanks for sharing and thanks for sending the email. I know what you mean about Google plus. I just cringe whenever they upgrade something. It means a whole new learning curve. sigh.

    Well when it snows, you can hunker in and write a story with an angel. And then go make a snow angel. smiling.

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  71. Hi Rose Isn't she cute? Ruthy found her. I just love her on the cover of our anthology A Heart Full of Christmas.

    Happy writing.

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  72. Love that little angel from the cover, Sandra. I think it might be possible there is more than one angel in my story, Under the Mistletoe.

    What a wonderful Saturday with two releases, Sandra! Congratulations!

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  73. I think it's interesting how in our culture, we associate angels with comfort and protection, kind of like a warm, downy, loving hug. Yet biblically speaking, they tend to be pretty awesome (as in fearsome), sword-wielding, stand-in-the-gap, contend-with-the-devil, people-fall-down-on-their-faces-in-terror-before-them kind of beings, who have to announce "Fear not!" most instances they meet with mortals.

    Two sides of the same coin? Or do we humans of limited understanding mis-attribute? I can see how angels are controversial and publishers would avoid them.

    For the record, I totally believe in angels, and I'm pretty sure they're around far more than we think, engaging in spiritual warfare and whatever God sends them to do.

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  74. SANDRA, it's clear your post today is resonating with many Seekervillagers!

    Reading through the comments, I recalled an experience I have always believed was hearing an angel's voice. My mother-in-law was in hospice care in the last weeks of her battle with cancer. We knew the end was close, but one morning around 4:00 a.m., I awoke to a beautiful, crystal-clear voice in my head saying, "She's gone." Only a few hours later, the hospice nurse called to say my mother-in-law had passed away quietly in her sleep. I have always believed her spirit must have already ascended to heaven at the moment I heard that voice.

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  75. Oooohhhhhh Did you hear that folks? Tina's story Under the Mistletoe might have more than one angel. Yippeeee!!!. I really need to go start reading these.

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  76. Hi Rachael What wonderful insight. I never thought of that, but you are so right. But I think there are both kinds of angels. Probably more than we can even imagine. Like I said earlier, I can hardly wait to find out. smile

    And I think you're right. I truly believe they are definitely doing God's bidding, not ours. smile

    Have a great day.

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  77. Oh Myra what a sweet story. I do believe that also as I've had similar experiences with all the family of mine that has passed away. My brother has communicated with me often this summer and it is so comforting. smile

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  78. I have the books, Sandra, but would love to be in for the Kindle....how generous of you!
    I just finished the Heart Full of Christmas collection ....YAY...all fantastic stories. I posted a review on Amazon. I plan to read your newest next.
    I do believe angels have protected me/loved ones ...many times...and love reading angel stories.
    Blessings~~~

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  79. Ooops....also want to be in for Winner's choice of Seekers E books... Sandra, you are so generous I could not remember all the giveaways when I commented~~~

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  80. Melissa, yes! I think first of Clarence. :)

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  81. Sandra - you are SO generous. Enter me for Love's Dream Song. I read about it on Kav's blog yesterday. The Kindle too and Seeker books - what great prizes! I am reading a Heart Full of Christmas and loving the angels. Expertly done. Don't guess I need any of those banned angel books?? Thanks again Sandra. Seekers are awesome!

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  82. I haven't read many stories with angels, but one that I did like was by Suzanne Woods Fisher- I think it was her Rose Hill Farm book. I appreciated that the angel was not a main character but in small ways moved the plot forward.

    Thanks for the generous giveaways! Happy celebrating!

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  83. Jen, I loved that Heather Burch series!

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  84. I have to say my angel influence is very subtle in my novella, One Snowy Kiss. You'll have to read it and tell me if you think an angel played a part. :)

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  85. I'm loving everyone's stories about angels and the amazing ways God intervenes in our lives. Makes me wonder how many more times we were simply unaware. I've already downloaded the collection and you've given me incentive to bump them to the top of the virtual pile to read.

    Another relatively new book out with an angel is The Birdhouse by Laura Hilton. In this Amish story, the angel shows up for a supernatural deliverance in answer to prayer along the lines of the angel breaking Peter out of jail in the book of Acts. Certainly NOT a warm fuzzy encounter but a warrior type.

    Happy release day, Sandra!

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  86. Sandra, what an interesting post. I love stories with angels, especially the Debbie Macomber books. I also loved the Heavenly Daze series written by Lori Copeland and Angela Hunt set on an island with angels working on the island. My book group loved that series, too. I have not written any stories about angels, though.

    I do have a story to share. My daughter died at the age of 17 months following open heart surgery. My niece was born almost exactly a year to the day after Laura had died. When Emily, my niece, was two years old, my sister called to say she had to share something with me. Emily had told her about a dream in which she had been flying and met a little angel. Later, as my sister was carrying Emily downstairs, they passed the picture of Laura which was sitting on a shelf. Emily pointed to my daughter's picture and said, "There's the angel!" My sister was pretty certain she had never made any mention of Laura being an angel in heaven or anything like that, so it really gave us chills. After that, Emily kept Laura's picture in her room. It was comforting to think Emily's older cousin she had never met was her guardian angel.

    Don't enter me in the drawing. I have a kindle and I have won the Heart Full of Christmas novellas. What a generous prize, though!

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  87. Hi Jackie How wonderful that you've already read the stories in A Heart Full of Christmas And thank you for the reviews. They are so helpful to us.

    I hope you like Love's Dream Song Everyone that has read it so far seems to really be enjoying it. Whew!!! Always so scary when you put something out there.

    And yes, your name is in the cat dish for the drawing.

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  88. Happy birthday Seekers. I have heart full of Christmas. I finished the first two stories so far. Very enjoyable read. The angels definitely add a nice twist to the stories. Please enter me for all the other prizes today. Thanks.

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  89. Hi Cindy Thank you for the heads up about Kav's blog featuring my book. I better hop over there.

    Oh my. She wrote a wonderful review. You all must go check it out. Our Seeker friend Kav has a great site for finding a good book to read.

    Love's To Read

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  90. Hello Heidi Thanks for joining us today and for giving us another example of an angel book.

    Happy reading.

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  91. Hi Missy I can hardly wait to read One Snowy Kiss . Even hints of angels are fun. Sounds like everyone is liking the stories so far. Yippeee!!!1

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  92. Hi Candee Thank you for celebrating with us. And thanks for the mention of another angel story. Sounds intriguing. smile

    I'm enjoying all of the angel stories too.

    Happy reading.

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  93. Hi Sandy Oh my I have goose bumps from that beautiful story. It is like the little Burpo boy who was featured in Heaven is For Real. I'm so delighted and how sweet that her photo is in her room. Thanks for sharing that story.

    I hope you enjoy A Heart Full of Christmas .

    Happy reading.

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  94. Hi Bettie I'm glad you are enjoying the stories in A Heart Full of Christmas .

    Thanks for stopping by and yes, your name is in the cat dish for the drawing.

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  95. Hey MISSY,
    I loved One Snowy Kiss, I'm glad you clarified the name as inside the book it's called Snowflake Kisses. When thinking about a review I wasn't sure which one to call it, lol.
    I love how you continued Hardy's story from your last novella set in High Hope!

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  96. Happy Birthday, Seekerville! I always enjoy your post, Sandra. I have A Heart Full of Christmas (thanks to ya'll) When things slow down around here I'm going to dive right in. Looking forward to it.

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  97. Missy, how did we miss that?

    Going to change it right now!!!!

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  98. Okay, I fixed it, it is now "One Snowy Kiss" on the cover and inside the book!

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  99. Hi Jamie Thank you for the sweet compliment. We love having you visit with us also. smile

    Happy reading.

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  100. Ruthy You are so right there when we need you. smiling.

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  101. Help!
    Sandra & Others:


    Seriously. My whole life I have never been able to get 'angle' and 'angel' right. It may be a 'sight' read thing. Both always look right to me. Does anyone have a memory key I can use so I will never get it wrong again?

    Sample:

    My 5th grade teacher gave us this sentence:

    "The principal is our pal."

    That settled the 'principle' or 'principal' problem forever!

    Vince

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  102. Hi Sandra! Your books sound wonderful! I'm a reader, not a writer, and I love stories with Angels and I love Christmas novellas. Such fun. Please enter me in the drawing for the kindle.

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  103. This sounds like a question for the Grammar Queen I will check on it Vince

    ps I love the pal thing for principal. So helpful.

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  104. Request for Pickleball Novella

    I was thinking about pickleball and irony when it occurred to me that a 'pickle' can be a dilemma you find yourself in that has no good solution.

    Just create an ironic romantic dilemma with no good solution and presto at the end of the story come up with an O. Henry-type twist that readers will applaud while they slap their forehead and say, "Why didn't I think of that?"

    A pickleball match and rules and social interactions provide unlimited possibilities for conflict and resolution.

    Best of all: you don't have to write the story until you have a 'light bulb' moment providing the perfect solution. I bet the solution will come like a stroke of lighting right in the middle of a crucial pickleball match!

    I want to be the beta reader!

    Less you think this is impossible Mary did it in her novella, "The Sweetest Gift" (a dual book which also included the Robin Hatcher novella "A Christmas Angel") and Julie did it as well in Emma's story A Heart Revealed. Of course, Julie asked God for a solution and He gave her one. I don't think God plays favorites. If you ask, I'm sure He'll give you one too.

    Vince

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  105. Hi Loves To Read Thanks for stopping by. Your name is in the cat dish for the drawing.

    Happy reading.

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  106. Vince Nope, God definitely doesn't play favorites. When I ask Him, the story will appear and the people I need to help me will appear. See. I already have a beta reader. smile

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  107. Congratulations on your new releases Sandra!!

    My son had an encounter with an angel when he and my nephews were in college. There is NO other logical explanation!! My son's cousin (my nephew) was in ICU teetering between life and death. We'd all flown to be with my brother and sister in law and family to pray and to support. My son and my nephew's oldest brother went to the chapel to pray. On their way back to the waiting room, they passed through a long passage...no doors, no exits, only windows on both sides. A very tall muscular guy dressed in a white lab jacket going the other way stopped them and told them everything was going to be all right! They nodded, took a few steps, and turned back to thank him...he wasn't there. He'd disappeared. He couldn't have exited the hallway by the time they turned around. Even if he'd sprinted. When the boys shared their story with all of us, it allowed us to hope. Thankfully, the angel was right. My nephew lived!! We are so very grateful to the Lord for this miracle.

    Love reading everyone's contributions!!

    Hope y'all have a delightful weekend!

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  108. Whoa, Kathryn, your story gave me the chills. Wowza!!

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  109. SANDRA!!! Love, LOVE, LOVE this post, my friend, and frankly, I think YOU are an angel because you have this knack for lifting my spirits when I need it!

    Okay, I don't know if this is an angel story or not, but I really felt like God's hand was in it:

    Once, when I was 16, I was walking with my girlfriend to her house in the next neighborhood at 2:00 AM in the morning when a carload of guys squealed to a stop. Their car doors flew open, and two of them took after my girlfriend and me. We ran through somebody's yard, and she hightailed it to her house while I ran around the people's house the car stopped in front of because my house was that way.

    Well, the two guys followed me instead of her, and I was scared out of my, screaming the whole time before I rushed up to the front porch of that house and rang the doorbell. There was a little, old lady who lived there and never talked to anybody in the neighborhood, but guess what? She opened the door at the exact moment the guys reached the bottom of the porch, so they ran back to their car and squealed away. To this day, I do not know how the woman heard me when she was sleeping and probably somewhat deaf OR would even open the door at night to a stranger when she lived by herself, but she did! I have always felt that God's hand protected me that night, so I will always see that woman as an angel!

    Hugs,
    Julie

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  110. KARA ... I loved Touched By an Angel too!!

    And, KATE ... just downloaded the first book in the Angels Walking series, so really looking forward to reading it.

    NATALIE ... your story gave me warm chills, so I would definitely consider that an angel moment too!!

    And, LYNDEE ... your story gave me goosebumps too!! I think I would write that up for Guideposts or some Christian short-story magazine!

    WOW, SUZANNE!! You get the prize for top goosebumps today, girl -- that is an AWESOME story!!

    SANDRA ... gotta run and promo this blog!!

    Hugs,
    Julie

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  111. Hi Kathryn Oh I love that story. Yes, I'm sure it was an angel. I mean that is what they do. smile ANd the fact it gave you hope was the reason wasn't it? And he lived. Yay.

    Thanks so much for sharing.

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  112. Tina Me too. There are some great stories today. I'm so loving the shares and comments today.

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  113. Oh Julie I'm so sure that the woman was prompted to open that door. What a blessing and I am so thankful it turned out okay for you.

    I have some stories like that also.

    And boy do I have you bamboozled if you think I'm an angel. You need to talk to hubby and my sister. LOL

    But then you have been there for me too girlfriend. I call that a super wonderful friend. Yay!!!

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  114. I enjoy reading stories about true life encounters with angels. I've had a few of these, but also didn't realize it until after that encounter. Some writers do a fantastic job of writing angels into their stories, other however, not so much. I have not tried to weave an angel into a story I've worked on...but who knows about a future WIP.

    I enjoy being a real-life angel to my "chemo buddies" (patients I've been matched up with to support and encourage them through weekly cards/letters as they journey through treatment). Currently I have 2 children (a 10 yr old boy and a 14 yr old girl) and a woman in her early 40's, that I'm writing to as they continue to fight this monster cancer. I get as much joy out of "angeling" them as they get from the things I send in the mail. It's a win-win for everyone! I love it. This month marks my 14th year of doing this...happy dancing, as I recall how many lives I've touched in this amount of time!

    Thanks for the chance to win this contest - I would put it to good use as a Christmas gift for a very special 'someone' in my life (she's a true life angel....my daughter!)

    "Angel" LindaM

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  115. Shared the link to this page on Face Book, as well.
    Have a blessed weekend.
    "Angel" LindaM

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  116. Sandra! It looks like you baked that pie in your RV! Move over Betty Crocker!!!

    Great Idea! I'm going to write an angel event into my story. Thank You! And thanks for the great give-a-ways! You are the Best!

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  117. Natalie, I think of stuff like that, too. Like when you're about to leave the house, and have to run back in and get something; or if the train is across the tracks, and you have to wait. Small things, but sometimes they might be bigger than we think.

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  118. Lyndee, loved your story of the angels in the paintings. I'd love to see those some time! Sounds amazing. Definitely angels Unaware! :)

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  119. I've never written a story involving angels, but I love to read about them. A few that come to mind are Samantha by Sharon Srock (there is a guardian angel that protects the little girl when she is kidnapped), Shirley, Goodness, and Mercy the delightful trio of angels by Debbie Macomber, Clarence in It's A Wonderful Life, and Cary Grant in The Bishop's Wife. Really, the man is gorgeous and makes the perfect angel! I know I mixed books with movies but couldn't leave them out. Thanks for the chance to be in the giveaway, it is awesome!

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  120. Okay, VINCE, Sandra asked me to see if "GQ" could come up with an easy way to remember the difference between "angel" and "angle."

    I think I have it!

    In Scripture, "El" is one word used for God. So angELs are messengers of God.

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  121. Angle rhymes with Tangle. That's how I spell hard words. :)

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  122. Such wonderful sharing today. All the angel stories have touched me deeply. I'm a huge believer in angels.

    Rachael, I call on the BIG THREE -- Michael, Raphael and Gabriel -- often. They're the power angels that you mentioned. My guardian angel is a bit more demur! :) Her name is Felicia. BTW, if you don't know your angel's name, just ask. Mine told me her name in a dream. When I awoke in the morning, I had forgotten the name and asked her to reveal it to me the following night, which she did. That time, I had paper and pencil by my bed and made note of what she had told me. :)

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  123. I loved including an angelic presence in my novella, "A Miracle for Christmas."

    From all the comments, it seems a lot of us enjoy angel stories. Perhaps we need to write more of them!

    Thanks, Sandra, for a delightful post! I'm sure your guardian angel is smiling!

    Hugs!

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  124. Linda, I love that you support chemo patients with your notes of encouragement. You are an angel!

    Myra, the EL reference fits perfectly with Vince's spelling dilemma.

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  125. Linda M, bless you for being an angel to those you've supported through the years!

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  126. Thank you for that beautiful post, Sandra!!

    Angels are so dear to me - there have been so many times in my life, from early childhood on, when I was protected by them. So many unexplained happenings that I now know involved their presence. I have a huge angel figurine collection because of their significance in my life through the years.

    When I was pre-school age, my mother was cleaning and preparing for a home party (a Stanley, possibly)- my grandmother was caring for my brother (18 months younger than me)and I while my mother worked. My father was running his tractor in the garage under our house - my mother, grandmother, brother and I became asphyxiated. My grandmother's thought processes had already become muddled - unable to reason why my brother & I were having problems standing - when she laid down for a nap with us. I will always believe it was an angel who sent my aunt and uncle to our house, early to the party. Had it been a few minutes later - my mother, grandmother, brother and I would have all expired.

    Another angel story I love comes from the wife of my former pastor - who told of seeing an angel riding on the bumper of her car.

    Congrats on the release of your book and novella, Sandra!!


    I already have the Seeker novella collection - please drop my name in the drawing for the Kindle and Sandra's book. Thank you!!

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  127. Tracey!! I'm so glad you caught the title change! I went back and forth on that title. Polled the Seekers. Polled my husband and kids. LOL Goodness, you'd think once I went through all that I would have gotten it the same on the cover and inside. :)

    Ruthy, thank you for fixing it!!

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  128. Tracey, I also meant to say I'm glad you liked having Hardy's story. :) I loved him and wanted him to have his own story. Now, I'm thinking of giving Victor a story as well. :)

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  129. Oh dear, I went for a quick swim and look at all the comments. I'm back.

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  130. Oh Linda What a touching story and what a blessing you are to many. Thank you for sharing. I've been dealing with that monster word this summer with different family members and know what a blessing people like you are to the patients. Thank you, thank you.

    Your name is in the cat dish for the drawing.

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  131. Hi Jana and I did bake that pie in my RV. And it was job I tell you because I have very little counter space. smile

    But it turned out so that is a good thing. Hubby is happy and hope all of you are also.

    And thanks for the angle tangle hint. I hope Vince sees it.

    Happy writing.

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  132. OH Myra I love your logic there. Did Grammar Queen help you? Thanks to both of you.

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  133. Hi Debbyj Thanks for sharing about your guardian angel. I never thought to just ask. I think I know what he looks like. And I love that he speaks Spanish. I will do that. I will ask.


    And I'm with you. I was so nervous about this post because I thought people were going to think I was nuts, but there are some terrific angel stories today.

    I can hardly wait to read about your angel in A Miracle For Christmas.

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  134. Hi Pam, I love that about angels. I bet we will be amazed at how often they intercede for us. It so tickles me.

    Happy writing.

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  135. Hi Terri Thanks for all the recommendations of books and movies with angels. Many of the readers have been wanting to know.

    Your name is in the cat dish for the drawing.

    Happy reading.

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  136. Oh, BONTON, that is so scary!!! There's been too much in the news over the past couple of years about carbon monoxide deaths. So glad your family was kept safe!

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  137. jOh Bonton I so love your angel stories. Wow, what a blessing that your aunt and uncle came early. We love your presence on our blog so I'm thanking your angel too. smile

    I love the pastor's story too. One time we were camped in the middle of the forest and I was worried about leaving our motorhome there while we went biking. I was praying to the Lord to protect the motorhome and when we passed by it, I "saw" a huge burly man walking inside. Of course there was no one there. It was a moment of clarity and I knew that was an angel appearing as if the motorhome was not empty. Ever since that, I was never afraid to be alone in the motorhome because I KNEW my burly angel was there. smile

    Your name is in the cat dish for the drawing.

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  138. MIssy Isn't that a hoot? I have read stuff over and over and haven't seen a mistake. Once I had a male bear attacking my heroine and then its cubs walked by. Ha ha. My critique partner finally saw it and asked if the bear had a sex change. Too funny.

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  139. Bummer! I commented early this morning,but I'm not seeing it. :( I guess it didn't go through.

    Anyway, this was such a fun post, Sandra! And a HUGE congratulations on your double release today! That's so exciting!

    I've never even thought to put angels in my story. Not sure what that says about me....I like how you showed different ways you could have an angel appear. And I loved what you said about how God speaks to us through things that are important to us/we love (animals, grandkids . . . ). There's such truth in that.

    As for movies, Clarence is my all time favorite movie angel. And, I loved the Touched By An Angel series. I have a favorite episode of that as well. :) another movie (I hope it hasn't already been mentioned) that I seem to remember an angel in is, Heaven Can Wait. It came out MANY years ago. It wasn't theologically accurate, but I remember liking the story. :)

    Please put me in the drawings!

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  140. Hi Jeanne I'm so glad you came back and checked because we love hearing from you. Thanks so much for the congrats. I am really excited.

    Thanks for the suggestions. I forgot about Heaven Can Wait. How fun.

    Thanks again and yes, your name is in the cat dish for the drawing.

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  141. Yay Kelly You need to get it out there. smile

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  142. I don't think I've read any books with angels in them except for kids books about the Nativity. I have lost things and looked everywhere. I'll pray and tell God he has to make it so I can find it as I have no idea where it is. The item has then shown up in a spot I'd looked before or I'll get an idea of where to look. I don't know if God has an angel move the thing or what, I just know it's a God thing. Your prize is so generous. I'd love to win.

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  143. Sandra, thank you for this interesting post. I have had the best time reading all of the comments! There are some amazing stories here. Thanks to everyone for sharing.

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  144. Sandra, today it's so fun to celebrate your TWO books, including a book birthday for Love's Dream Song! Congratulations!

    It is just perfect that the connecting elements for the stories in A Heart Full of Christmas are angels! I just started this collection and was thinking Gabriel just might be one of those angels among us. Can't wait to read all the angel stories!

    What a lovely tradition with your friends to get together and talk about "angel stories". I feel "angels watching over me" when I'm lost (physically or emotionally).....then the perfect path appears right in front of me....or just the right person is suddenly there beside me....yes, angels unaware. God knows what we need!

    Again, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Seekerville and CONGRATULATIONS, Sandra!

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  145. Hi Becky Thanks for sharing your God stories. Yes, He does help us in mysterious ways. Aren't we blessed?

    Your name is in the cat dish for the drawing.

    Thanks for dropping by.

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  146. Hi Donna You are so right. These stories are so much fun and so interesting as well as touching. Thanks for stopping by.

    Happy reading.

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  147. Hi Sherida Thank you so much. It is fun to have all these celebrations. smile And you did your part in making it special. Thanks again.

    Yes, I was thrilled when we decided to write angels in our stories. I can hardly wait to read the others to find out how they approached it. I'm sure the ways are as varied as the angels themselves. smile

    Have a great weekend.

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  148. Thanks Grammar Queen!

    I think I have it now!

    It amazes me how I can still learn so many things I didn't know every day on Seekerville! I never knew El was a Biblical name for God. I've seen 'Elohim' many times but I just always just 'knew' that 'El' meant 'the' in a good many languages.

    So angels have God (El) in them.

    I should remember this as it came as a big surprise to me. The real test will come in time.

    Thanks again.

    Vince

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  149. Hi Sandra:

    I hope by having a 'beta' reader already you were not referring to God. I would not want to tell God he was my second echelon reader. : )

    BTW: who in the world is your Alpha reader?

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  150. Vince Did you see Jana Vanderslice's comment also? She wrote: Angle rhymes with Tangle. That's how I spell hard words. :)

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  151. Tracey, I love that story! It's absolutely beautiful!

    I love the very essence of angels in all their glory, and their "forms". The archangel, the seraph, the cherub...

    But I do love fiction that portrays God's messengers in human terms sometimes. To see Clarence bumbling around, trying so hard... to see Mrs. Miracle... so funny and challenged by stubborn humans!

    When I listened to TSO I could "see" this angel, on his/her mission, and thwarted at every turn... and then finally, landing at the seedy, city bar, filled with regulars and outside the bar... one girl, a teenage runaway on Christmas Eve, who just wanted to go home and had no money.

    The rich emotion in the story, and the angel... a child no one had ever seen before... made me think of all those moments where for some unexplained reason, things happen.

    I have no idea the reality behind how everything all works together, but my guardian angel "Pinky" has been by my side from the time I was too short to remember. And she's there, still.

    I don't give her as much work or worry as I did a few decades ago, so I could probably share her. Time Share Angel! Now there's a story idea!

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  152. Sherida, that is such a beautiful way to put it, that when your need is high, the right thing often happens. I find that to be true, too. I've always called them "Holy Spirit" moments, because they're absolutely tangible yet spirit-driven. And who can say the people that bring us that Holy Spirit moments aren't guided by angels, nudged along the path.

    Angels singing in the desert is an unusual sight, right? If they can do that, a celestial chorus!!! I'm pretty sure their realm is far-reaching, however it's accomplished.

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  153. Hi Ruthy Aren't all these angel stories amazing? Aren't you glad now that you suggested we have angels in our Christmas stories? I sure am. smile. It was Ruthy's idea folks. She's so clever. Maybe her guardian nudged her. chuckle

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  154. Happy 8th birthday, Seekerville. I'm so glad I found you ! Congratulations, Sandra Leesmith on your 2 new releases, woohoo ! I love new releases. 18 years ago when my son was in kindergarten his class made a surprise Christmas ornament for their parents. Turns out each child make an angel ornament by cutting an angel shape out of a paper plate and taking the child's picture as the face for the angel. I still have it after all this time. It's my most treasured Christmas ornament. I enjoy reading stories where things just don't seem like they will work out but at the last moment it does. I know this is an angel moment. I have my own angel moment to share. Last year a few days after Christmas I was out walking with two of my sons. Well they had gone across the street before me. I stepped off the curb to cross the street and took one step onto the street and was shoved back by a powerful force. It was so powerful that I fell onto the ground ! A big truck had come out of nowhere and zoomed down the road without even stopping. If I had tried to cross I would have been hit or worse. It zoomed past the second I was ready to cross. No one can tell me that wasn't divine intervention !

    Deanne Patterson
    Book1lovingmomma at gmail dot com

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  155. Hi Deanne Wow, that is a wonderful story and how could you call it anything else? What a blessing to share that. We have had some great stories today. I love your ornament story too. How sweet. And how cool that you still have that ornament. smile

    Thanks for the congrats. I am so excited.

    Happy reading.

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  156. Late to the party today. Was helping little man with his birthday BBQ. Great time was had by all.
    Hooray for your double releases during Seekerville birthday month. I'm looking forward to reading them.
    Cool post today. Put me into the enjoys reading about angels camp. I had a college buddy who is convinced he gave an angel a ride during a very rainy night. Its a neat tale to hear.

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  157. Happy Birthday, Seekerville.

    Sandra, thank you for this post. As a reader, I like reading all sorts of stories, and I'm very character driven so it would depend on the plot and the characters whether I read a story with angels. I listened to the audiobook of Debbie Macomber's The Trouble with Angels. As a classic movie fan, I love It's a Wonderful Life. So I do enjoy good stories with angels and won't say no, but truthfully, I don't think I go out of my way to seek them out, but I always love recommendations of great stories.

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  158. P.s. please put me in the draw as well...

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  159. Hi Deb H. So glad you made it to the party. It has been a great day. You will love all the comments and angel stories. So glad you had fun with the Gupster. I'm sure he had a fun day

    And yes, your name is in the cat dish for the drawing.

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  160. Debby Is your angel's name Gabriel? I bet you wrote a suspense. Yay.

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  161. Hi Tanya Thanks for joining us. Yes, it doesn't matter if there are angels or not, the characters have to be well written. Thanks for sharing. I didn't know Debbie's book was in audible. I am going to get it. I love audible books.

    Happy Reading.

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  162. Well folks time for the next post to come up. I will say good night and thank you all for such a lovely day. I so enjoyed all the angel stories and have some great ideas for future books to read.

    Be sure and look in the weekend edition coming up for winners.

    I will check in tomorrow morning to see if there are any late comments.

    Happy reading and writing all of you.

    Happy birthday to us. la la la

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  163. Well, as always, I am the last one to comment. But I did want to say I thoroughly enjoyed your article. Angels are given to us by God to watch over us. To include them in your books is a great reminder of God's love and protection for us.
    If it's not too late, please add my name to the drawing!

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  164. Hi Sandra:

    Thanks for being such a good sport yesterday. I had more fun and laughs than I think I should have!

    BTW: Yes, I saw where Jana Vanderslice said...

    "Angle rhymes with Tangle. That's how I spell hard words. :)"

    Unfortunately, I that would not help me at all: I have the same problem spelling 'tangle'! It seems that where they place the 'el' and 'le' seems totally arbitrary to me! Compare: trouble and rebel. It's a conspiracy against boys! :)

    Vince

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  165. Vince I meant you were my beta reader. You're not off the hook. I have it in writing that you volunteered. smile

    And yes, you had me laughing also. Like I said, you need to give spew alerts.

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  166. Hi Edwina You must be a night owl. I'm so not. I am a morning person and get up at the crack of dawn so I'm thankful when nine oclock rolls around. So I miss you until next morning. But it always delights me to see your smile and hear from you.

    Have a great weekend.

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  167. Hi Sandra:

    Since it was too late to make any changes, I didn't think I was an official beta reader. I thought I was just a reviewer this time.

    Wow!

    Don't tell my wife that I mistook a reference to me as being a reference to God! She thinks I do that too often as it is already. : )

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  168. I love reading about angels. As far as I know I've never had a personal encounter with one. But my best friends life was saved by one! God is so good!

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  169. I see I need to put more books in my wanted list!
    Congratulations, Sandra Leesmith on your 2 new releases!
    Please toss me into the drawing would love to read these :)

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