Congratulations to Jeni and Yan. They both won a copy of The Shape of Mercy by Susan Meissner. Enjoy!
Next contest: this book. Have a great weekend everyone!
(By the way, I’m still on my Twitter fast. I’m shocked and impressed with my own self discipline. I had no idea I could resist it for so long).
Readers, I’m happy to offer The Shape of Mercy by Susan Meissner as my next book giveaway.
From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Meissner’s newest novel is potentially life-changing, the kind of inspirational fiction that prompts readers to call up old friends, lost loves or fallen-away family members to tell them that all is forgiven and that life is too short for holding grudges. Achingly romantic, the novel features the legacy of Mercy Hayworth—a young woman convicted during the Salem witch trials—whose words reach out from the past to forever transform the lives of two present-day women. These book lovers—Abigail Boyles, elderly, bitter and frail, and Lauren Lars Durough, wealthy, earnest and young—become unlikely friends, drawn together over the untimely death of Mercy, whose precious diary is all that remains of her too short life. And what a diary! Mercy’s words not only beguile but help Abigail and Lars together face life’s hardest struggles about where true meaning is found, which dreams are worth chasing and which only lead to emptiness, and why faith and hope are essential on life’s difficult path. Meissner’s prose is exquisite and she is a stunning storyteller. This is a novel to be shared with friends. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
What other authors had to say about The Shape of Mercy
“I loved The Shape of Mercy from beginning to end. Ms. Meissner’s prose sings, and her characters captured my interest from the start. As the story unfolded, those same characters captured my heart. I won’t soon forget Mercy, Lauren, or Abigail.”
–Robin Lee Hatcher, award-winning author of Wagered Heart and When Love Blooms
“The Shape of Mercy is vintage Susan Meissner: tender storytelling that keeps you hooked; living, breathing characters that capture your heart and madden you, too; and a message of redemption that sticks with you. Meissner deftly weaves the stories of three women of vastly different generations, connecting them perfectly and crafting a winsome, interesting, powerful read.”
–Mary E. DeMuth, author of Watching the Tree Limbs and Daisy Chain
I have two copies to give away, thanks to WaterBrook Press. You know how it works: leave a comment to enter, tweet or post to your own blog to increase your odds – don’t forget to send me the link! Contest open until next Friday; next giveaway is the week of November 3. Enjoy!
First of all – the winners of the Mark Batterson book, Wild Goose Chase, are Jen and Casey. Way to go, girls; I know you will be blessed by reading it.
Second – I’m going to be busy with fun family activities for the next week, so I’m not keeping to my regular posting schedule. If you are new to my blog, and simply must have your fix of me and my adventures, feel free to poke around the archives. To get you started, I’m republishing one of my favorites from last summer.
Enjoy these last warm days of summer with your family.
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Originally posted July 24, 2007.
The most amazing thing happened today
We rescued an injured red-tailed hawk today.
The kids and I headed out early this morning to go to my mom’s. Not too long into the trip, I noticed a beautiful raptor sitting on the side of the road in the grass. Being the hip home schooling mom that I am, I always take the opportunity to check out interesting critters we see along the way, so I turned the car around to show the kids the hawk.
When I pulled up next to it, I knew something was wrong. The raptor didn’t fly away, didn’t hardly budge even when I opened the car door to get a better look. Not good. Plus this beautiful bird was a few steps away from a busy two-lane highway. It didn’t stand a chance, but what to do?
I immediately thought of The Raptor Trust, a local bird rescue sanctuary with the expert knowledge to treat this beauty. It was about an hour away, not too far, but how to get the hawk there? The hawk’s beak was impressive, not to mention its’ talons half hidden in the grass.
And I needed a box. All I had in the car was a diaper bag.
I called the bird rescue folks, leaving a message for them to call me back on my cell.
By this time, another car had stopped. Did he have a box? No. Just when it looked like the bird could not be helped, two men on their way somewhere in a work van with ladders on top stopped see what the fuss was about.
“Do you have a box?” Seems like a silly question to ask strangers, but I wasn’t giving up. And my kids were with me. Mom’s going to get a box for the hawk, guys. Sit tight.
You can guess know how the story ends. Not only did Van Guys have a large cardboard box, but leather gloves great for catching a scared raptor. I volunteered a skirt (fished from the back of my car intended to go into the Salvation Army bin) as a make-shift blanket. A state trooper held back traffic as the red-tail ran across Rt. 12, only to be gently captured by one of the men with the gray, Lands’ End fabric. My three eldest children, spellbound by the scene, watched from the roadside. Poor toddler Lucy still strapped in her car seat.
I wish I had a picture to post, but I didn’t think to use the camera on my cell.
I’m tagging this “learning,” for obvious reasons. Our red-tail is a youngin’, not old enough for the distinctive red tail feathers, a woman at The Raptor Trust told me when we dropped the hawk off. It’s very emaciated, she said, but no wing problems. Hopefully the hawk will be set free soon after recovering. I’m calling at the end of the week to follow up. Just because. It’s like she’s our red-tail now.
I’m also tagging this post “Believing” for the answered prayer, “Lord, bring us a box.” I love the way He added the leather gloves, don’t you?