Carla Rossi's Spaghetti Sunday

Cover Art for Unlikely Praise Has Arrived!

2011-07-19T19:57:00.018-05:00

I am pleased to announce White Rose Publishing has contracted Unlikely Praise for publication. This will be my fifth project with WRP. Release date TBA!

Blurb:
Candi Canaberry has been the worship leader at Cornerstone Fellowship since the doors opened more than two years ago. A lifetime church musician and instructor of music at the local community college, Candi has dedicated her life to praise and worship. When Cornerstone explodes into mega-church territory, Candi is sure she’ll be the one to take her team to the next level…isn’t she the obvious choice? Apparently not. Church leadership has other ideas when they instruct her to take on a partner and share her duties. But a one-time rocker with a metallic guitar and zero worship experience? God must be kidding.
Recently saved Samuel “Shade” Blackledge is new to Cornerstone Fellowship. He’s convinced a strong church family is what will help keep his head above water as he turns from things of the past and builds a new life. An ex-rock guitarist, Shade is shocked when the pastor suggests he might be just what the worship team needs. But could God really want a tattooed veteran of the club scene? And what about his other secrets - not the least of which is a baby girl he’s never seen?

Worship practice has never been this eventful as Candi and Shade work their way toward each other… and Unlikely Praise.

White Rose Publishing Announces Book Buzzin'

2011-04-16T12:19:00.002-05:00

Pelican Ventures Book Group is launching a new site where people can help us in pollinating the world with Christian Fiction. At Book Buzzin' readers can apply for a no-obligation, no cost membership to receive free review copies of the latest Christian Fiction. What's the catch? There isn't one! All a Book Buzzin' member has to do is agree to Buzz about a book--and only if he/she enjoys it! For more information and to apply for membership, visit http://www.bookbuzzin.com .

Almost Home nominated for Best Book honors!

2010-02-01T09:38:00.009-06:00

I received word my 2008 holiday release, ALMOST HOME, is up for 2009 Best Book at The Long and Short of it Reviews. ALMOST HOME was awarded their “Best Book” distinction on their review site and is therefore eligible for this annual honor. Follow this link to vote:
http://www.longandshortreviews.com/promo.htm

Recent Review for It Happened One Hurricane

2009-11-17T13:11:00.001-06:00

Have a look at: http://blog.lyndacoker.net/2009/11/03/wrdf-review-of-it-happened-one-hurricane-by-carla-rossi.aspx

Our Cup Runneth Over

2009-09-17T10:57:00.003-05:00

Our Cup Runneth Over contest details:

Each week, over the next seven weeks, you will have the chance to win free e-books courtesy of the White Rose Publishing authors.

How? By joining our scavenger hunt. Each Saturday two to three new author’s web-sites will be added to the White Roses In Bloom Blog at http://whiterosesinbloom.blogspot.com/ Your job is to locate the WHITE ROSE PUBLISHING cup hiding somewhere on their site. Jot down the author’s name and what color cup is on their web page and e-mail the correct answers to carolann.erhardt@gmail.com (Please place in the subject line WRiB Contest)

Each Saturday, starting September 19th, a winner’s name will be drawn and your prize will be awarded.But that’s not all, each time that you send in an entry—regardless if you win that week or not--your name goes into a larger kitty for the grand prize drawing October 31st! (That prize consists of: seven e-books, a box of White Rose Organic tea, your very own beautiful White Rose mug, and a little basket of Arbonne skin care products.)

Where Were You When the Storm Came Through?

2009-09-11T00:05:00.004-05:00

This weekend marks the first anniversary of Hurricane Ike. Let’s swap some stories! Leave a comment this weekend to win a download of It Happened One Hurricane.

As for me, I was “hunkered down” at my home north of Houston for the duration. My mom came (2 dogs), my daughter and her fiancé came (3 dogs), my yougest son was here (0 dogs), and one dog was already here because my other son was away on his honeymoon. None of these are small dogs. Have you ever tried to blow up an air mattress with a Doberman and a German Shepherd sitting on it? How about a hurricane “potty break” with a Great Pyrenees mix and a heeler? Good times.

This photo is at the side of my house. Other than a lot of debris and a couple shrubs knocked over, we were very blessed. Many of my neighbors sustained roof damage and fallen trees.

It Happened One Hurricane: This inspirational short story came about as I was emptying and cleaning out my refrigerator. We were without power for 5 days. I thought to myself "I guess 2 people could meet and fall in love in this mess..." So I hit the computer while the battery still had a charge.

So tell me, where were you when the storm came through?

Reviews are in for It Happened One Hurricane

2009-08-21T12:56:00.003-05:00

Check them out!

http://mistressbellareviews.blogspot.com/2009/08/it-happened-one-hurricane-by-carla.html

http://longandshortreviews.blogspot.com/2009/08/it-happened-one-hurricane-by-carla.html

http://theromancestudio.com/reviews/reviews/onehurricanerossi.htm

Release Party Today for It Happened One Hurricane!

2009-08-07T00:07:00.004-05:00

The short inspirational romance I wrote during my five days without electricity during Hurricane Ike is now available at WhiteRosePublishing.com.

Post a comment below about how you prepare for hurricane season (or maybe how you don’t), or leave a comment of your choice to be entered in a drawing to win a free copy of the story. I’ll announce the winner Sunday night the 9th!

Here’s the blurb:
When Pittsburgh native Amber Kensington moved to the Texas Gulf coast to take a job, hurricane season was the last thing on her mind. That is until a massive storm named Ike appears destined to make a direct hit just miles from her apartment. Evacuation is the answer, but what happens when your car won’t cooperate?

Alex Clarke has seen his share of tropical weather, but it never gets any easier. A childhood experience with lightning has left him fearful of storms. Still, his greatest desire is to participate in his church’s outreach program and assist hurricane victims. Now he’s discovered his new neighbor is stranded. Can he convince her to go with him? And can Amber and Alex find God’s comfort and healing despite the raging storm?

Come visit my blog again the weekend of September 11-13, the anniversary of Hurricane Ike, for another chance to win a copy of It Happened One Hurricane.

It Happened One Hurricane

2009-07-24T10:57:00.000-05:00

It Happened One Hurricane releases on August 7th. I love the cover! Once again my editor and cover artist, Nicola Martinez, has done an outstanding job. Here's the blurb:

When Pittsburgh native Amber Kensington moved to the Texas Gulf coast to take a job, hurricane season was the last thing on her mind. That is until a massive storm named Ike appears destined to make a direct hit just miles from her apartment. Evacuation is the answer, but what happens when your car won’t cooperate?

Win a copy of It Happened One Hurricane! Watch the White Rose Publishing and The Wild Rose Press Loops for contests I'll be hosting here on my blog.

Holt Medallion Top Five

2009-05-28T21:53:00.000-05:00

Today I'm doing the Happy Dance! Almost Home landed in the Top 5 (this contest does not say finalists) of the 2009 Virginia Romance Writers Holt Medallion Contest for published authors. There are no words to convey my joy and appreciation to my readers. Can I just say woo-hoo?

In other news...2 more reviews are in in for Under the 5th Street Bridge. http://blog.lyndacoker.net/2009/05/27/wrdf-review-of-under-the-5th-street-bridge-by-carla-rossi.aspx and

http://theromancestudio.com/reviews/reviews/5thstreetrossi.htm

New Reviews for Under the 5th Street Bridge

2009-04-19T22:32:00.000-05:00

Check it out!
http://yougottareadreviews.blogspot.com/2009/04/review-under-5th-street-bridge-by-carla.html and

Under the 5th Street Bridge was given "4 Books" by Azalea at The Long and Short of It Reviews. Here's the link: http://longandshortreviews.blogspot.com/2009/05/under-5th-street-bridge-by-carla-rossi.html

Cheri Jetton at Novel Editions gives Under the 5th Street Bridge 5 Stars!http://www.noveleditions.com/index.php?option=com_simple_review&Itemid=10&review=54

Writing News, New Release, and Win a Sony E-Reader

2009-04-13T10:32:00.000-05:00

I got the best news last week.
My holiday romance, Almost Home, is a finalist in the WisRWA Write Touch Readers' Award. This is a great honor as I much appreciate reader recognition of my work. I am proud to be in such good company. Read more about it at http://www.wisrwa.org/contest.html

In other news, Under the 5th Street Bridge is out now! This short story is a winner of the Easter Lilies Contest sponsored by The Wild Rose Press. Here's the blurb:

Last Easter, Trey Lawson returned from war with a combat injury and a long road to recovery. A year later, his life appears to be back on track, but he’s not exactly where God wants him. He couldn’t be. He’s miserable.Joy Cavanaugh has waited a year for Trey to snap out of it. Their once-serious relationship has all but disappeared since his return. She’s convinced he still loves her, but why has he shut her out? He’s made it clear he’d rather spend his time ministering to the homeless men under the 5th Street bridge than to allow her back into his life. As they herald the holiest of all Christian celebrations, can Trey let God resurrect his life, or will Joy have to give him up forever?

See more about the Easter Lilies Contest and Under the 5th Street Bridge at www.whiterosepublishing.com

One more thing...
I am a participating author in White Rose Publishing's Sony E-Reader contest that runs through May 30th. If you purchase any of my books through White Rose Publishing, you are eligile for the drawing. Just follow the instructions under the "Win A Sony E-Reader" link on the site.

Forgive and Forget? Not Really...

2009-03-28T19:17:00.000-05:00

Forgive and Forget? Not Really…
To forgive is a powerful thing.
To not forgive is even more powerful. But not in a good way.
Huh. I guess I should be working on that…

I’ll explain.
I am a lifelong Christian. My first love was Jesus, my first classroom was Sunday School. My Godly mother instilled in me the basic truths of my faith and I embraced them. I obeyed the Ten Commandments, loved my neighbor, and exercised my mustard seed faith. As far as I knew, I’d learned how to turn the other cheek, love my enemies, and forgive - just as God instructed over and over in His Word.

Then last week as I talked to a friend about a sad period in my life when I was hurt, betrayed, and persecuted by those who were supposed to be my friends and fellow believers, I stumbled upon a terrible truth about myself: I was the owner of a king-sized grudge. The more I shared with her about how I was wronged and cast out, the more anger and resentment bubbled inside me, and I knew if anger and resentment resided there, it was because total, honest, forgiveness had not taken place.

I decided to investigate further. “Do you think I hold grudges?” I asked my husband as we waited for American Idol to start.

“Yes.” He didn’t even hesitate.

I was appalled. “Really?”

“Aw, c’mon, Bun.” (He used to call me Honey Bunny, which morphed into Bunny, and now, just plain Bun.) “You’re still mad at me for things I did fifteen years ago.”

“I am not.”

“You are. Remember when I accidentally mowed down your wisteria?”

I became royally agitated. “Give me a break! I put a bright orange ribbon on a huge wooden stake. How could you not see that? The space shuttle could detect it from space, and you just mowed right over it!”

“I rest my case.”

Oops.
Next stop: prayer closet.

I began to prayerfully explore hidden anger and buried resentment. I asked God to show me where I’d messed up, who I’d neglected to forgive, and what I needed to do. I delved into submerged pain and forgotten hurts and one by one asked God for help. And the funny part? I realized I never had any trouble asking for forgiveness, I just had a heck of a time giving it.
The challenge: Take a look inside yourself. Are you harboring resentment? Or withholding forgiveness from someone who needs to know it’s okay? The time and energy spent holding that grudge is time better spent receiving the blessings you’ve missed.

Find it, fix it, forgive it, forget it.

Wearing Your Faith on the Outside of Your Shirt

2009-03-18T22:53:00.000-05:00

Some time ago I was having lunch with a colleague who I knew to be devout in her faith. I noticed the little gold cross around her neck was tangled in her collar. I reached out to help her straighten it until it hung on the outside of her sweater.

“Thanks,” she said and grabbed the delicate chain, “but I have to keep this on the inside of my clothes at work.”

Obviously she’d been told somewhere in her career that symbols of faith should not be worn in the workplace. Perhaps those who believed differently would find it distracting or inappropriate. Maybe she’d been flat-out instructed not to bring her faith to work. Whatever the case, I understood – but I didn’t have to like it.

The question is: Are you wearing your faith on the outside of your shirt whenever possible? Or are you keeping it hidden because it’s the easy thing to do?
It’s not hard to share your testimony or invite someone to hear a special speaker at your church when you’re safely within your own group of fellow believers. It becomes a lot harder to step out when you don’t know what or who you’re dealing with. But isn’t that exactly when God expects us to? Just remember that more than half the people you’ll cross paths with today are having a worse day than you are – and a lot of them have not experienced Christ-like love or encouragement.

The challenge: Wear your faith on the outside of your shirt in 2009. Invite someone to church, tell that struggling mother of teenagers about your awesome youth group, keep church brochures in your car for that new person in your neighborhood…you get the idea. What’s the worst that can happen? A blank stare? A polite or not-so-polite “no, thank you”? Not all encounters will be met with a positive response, but the one that does is the one that makes a difference. And the difference depends on how you wear your faith.