Easter Sunday 2015!




Happy Easter, dear friends. Thanking God for each of you! May The Lord bless you abundantly today and throughout the Easter season. Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

A Special Book Signing!

Debby Giusti (L) with WWII veteran,
Frank Forth

By Debby Giusti

Last Thursday, my wonderful independent bookseller hosted a signing for my latest Love Inspired Suspense, STRANDED. The book features a wound warrior recuperating from a war injury and is dedicated to Frank Forth, a member of the Greatest Generation who fought and was severely injured in the Battle of the Bulge. I invited Frank to join me at the signing.

Frank always has a funny joke or a heart-warming story to tell, and those who attended the event were entertained by the memories he shared about his youth, his wife Gacie, and his time in the military. Even at ninety-two, Frank can still play the bugle and loves listening to the Big Band sounds of the Forties, which brought even more stories to mind. So many of my readers already knew Frank and love him, just as I do. Those he met for the first time that night were taken by his genuine concern for others, his zest for life and his love of the Lord.

Frank charms the crowd!

I always donate the proceeds of my local book signings to a charity, usually one that benefits the military. This time, in honor of Frank, the proceeds are going to two organizations that Frank holds dear:  the Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge, of which he is a member, and Bugles Across America, a non-profit organization that recognizes the service of our veterans by providing buglers who play a live rendition of Taps at their funerals.

 

I am so blessed to have such wonderful support
from my local community!

As always, I am so grateful for the support I get from my local community. The signing was a huge success. Frank was overwhelmed and deeply touched by the outpouring of well wishes and the heartfelt thanks for his service from those he met that night.

 

Barbara Jackson won my author basket!

Do you have a special book signing or author event that touched your heart? If so, please share that memory with us.

Wishing you abundant blessings and a joyful Easter,

Debby Giusti

www.DebbyGiusti.com

www.seekerville.blogspot.com

www.craftieladiesofromance.blogspot.com

STRANDED

BY DEBBY GIUSTI

AMISH COUNTRY REFUGE

Colleen Brennan has one goal—take down her sister’s killer.  But chasing after evidence leaves her in the path of a tornado and stranded in an Amish community. With the killer nearby, Colleen must depend on the kindness of Special Agent Frank Gallagher. Although the army officer is recuperating from a battlefield injury, he wants to help the beautiful woman he rescued from the tornado’s fury. He can tell she’s hiding something important. But getting her to reveal her secrets may be his most dangerous mission ever.

Order your copy in digital or print format: Amazon.

Love Inspired Books is Looking for New Writers!

Don't miss this great opportunity to get your story in front of the Love Inspired Books editors!

left to right Elizabeth Mazer, Emily Rodmell, Emily Krupin, Giselle Regus and Shanna Asaro.

Love Inspired Suspense is on the search for some new superstar authors, and we want you! If you think you’ve got the chops to wow us with your high intensity, fast paced inspirational romantic suspense manuscript, we encourage you to pitch it to us in The Search for a Killer Voice!

 For this pitch opportunity, Love Inspired Suspense editors Emily Rodmell, Elizabeth Mazer, Shana Asaro, Giselle Regus and Emily Krupin will be on the lookout for fresh talent. We invite you to show us that you’re the total package in these four stages:

1. Voice—Demonstrate that you’ve got the voice to keep readers on the edge of their seats by submitting your first page. Authors who wow us will move on to Stage 2.

2. Plot—Show us that your plotting skills are as strong as your voice by submitting your synopsis. Authors that have an amazing plot and conflict will move on to Stage 3. 

3. Substance—Prove that the first page wasn’t a fluke by offering us a bit more of what you got and submitting three chapters. Authors who keep the story racing along will move on to Stage 4.

4. Full package—Convince us you’re the real deal by submitting your full manuscript. The sky’s the limit for these authors. A contract could be within your reach if you bring it all together into a rockin’ Love Inspired Suspense manuscript.

Details here. 

Love Inspired Reader Luncheon!

L to R: Lynette Eason, LI Senior Editor Melissa Endlich,
HQ VP Dianne Moggy, Marta Perry, Linda Goodnight,
Missy Tippens, Debby Giusti,
Jesica Nelson and Patty Smith Hall pose for a
picture at the Love Inspired Reader Luncheon.

Love Inspired Books hosted their first Reader Luncheon on Thursday, January 30, in Tampa, and I was thrilled to be able to attend.

Fellow authors Missy Tippens and Patty Smith Hall and I had planned to fly to Florida on Wednesday, but as you probably know, Atlanta shut down due to a snowstorm. Our flight was cancelled, and we were rescheduled for an early Thursday morning departure. I left my house at 5 AM, and although the roads were icy, I arrived at the airport safely and made the flight without problem. By 10 AM, we were at the hotel and excited about the day ahead.

My table: (seated L to R) Celie Ritchie and Jean Joynes,
(Standing L to R) Karen Gisetto, Debby, Erica Hernes,
and Julie Jeftich.

The ballroom was filled with enthusiastic readers eager to meet writers and talk about the Love Inspired books we all love to read. Each person who attended received a swag bag filled with goodies, including lots of books and cute Love Inspired coffee mugs. In addition, our wonderful publisher had copies of our latest releases for the readers, free of charge, and we had time to personally inscribe the books we gave away.

Julie Jeftich won my basket!

Erica Hearns won my giveaway on www.Seekerville.net
for a seat at my table.

Hors d’oeuvres were served while we mixed and mingled, and prior to lunch, the authors rotated tables at ten minute intervals—like Spin Dating—which gave us a chance to get to know more of the lovely ladies who attended. A few of the authors were on a Q&A Panel with the readers fielding questions and getting a behind-the-scenes glimpse into our lives as writers. The atmosphere throughout the day was warm and welcoming and filled with smiles and hugs and lots of laughter.

Debby's busy signing THE AGENT'S SECRET PAST. Notice all
the books the ladies in line are holding. Thank you, Love Inspired and
Harlequin.

The Reader Luncheon was a special opportunity to make new friends and share our love for books, especially Love Inspired stories, with so many delightful readers.

Q and A Panel of (L to R) Marta Perry, Linda Goodnight,
Missy Tippens and Debby Giusti

In the Tampa airport, waiting for our flight home to Atlanta,
after a wonderful day with Love Inspired readers!

Thanks Dianne Moggy, Harlequin VP for Series Editorial and Subsidiary Rights, Love Inspired Senior Editor Melissa Endlich and Lucy Scinocca, Harlequin Direct-to-Customer Sales, for coordinating the luncheon. Thank you, Harlequin and Love Inspired Books, for creating a memory I'll always treasure.

Wishing you abundant blessings,
Debby Giusti
www.DebbyGiusti.com
www.seekerville.blogspot.com

The books are waiting for the readers at the
Love Inspired Reader Luncheon!

THE AGENT’S SECRET PAST 
By Debby Giusti 

THREAT FROM HER AMISH PAST 
Eight years ago, a drifter destroyed Becca Miller's ties to her Amish community—and murdered her family. Now a special agent with Fort Rickman's criminal investigation department, Becca knows her past has caught up with her and doesn't want to relive it. She's convinced that the killer, who supposedly died years ago, is very much alive and after her. Special agent Colby Voss agrees to help her investigate. Yet the closer they get to the truth, the closer the killer gets to silencing her permanently. 

On sale March 1! Pre-order here. 

You're Invited: Love Inspired Reader Luncheon

Debby Giusti here, and I've got an invitation for each of you!

Have you heard? My wonderful publisher, Love Inspired, is hosting the FIRST EVER Love Inspired Reader Luncheon! I’ll be there, along with Missy Tippens, Lenora Worth, Carol Post, Marty Johnson, Jessica Nelson, Renee Andrews, Lynette Eason, Louise Gouge and Patty Smith Hall! 

The event is a warm and welcoming way for readers to meet their favorite authors and chat during lunch. Each author will host her own table so lots of time to mix and mingle, get autographs and snap photos as well as make that special connection with the authors you love to read.  Plus there will be giveaways, and each person who attends will go home with a huge bag of books valued at $75!

The Reader Luncheon will be held Thursday, January 30th, from 11 AM to 2 PM at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Tampa, Florida. 

For more information go to the website:

http://harlequinblog.com/2013/12/love-inspired-reader-luncheon-coming-to-florida-in-january/

Space is limited! Call Harlequin Customer Service at 1-800-847-8270 to order tickets while quantities last. Be sure to let me know if you plan to attend. 

I'd love all my readers to join me for the day!

See you in Tampa!

Debby Giusti

www.DebbyGiusti.com

www.seekerville.blogspot.com

THE SOLDIER'S SISTER, the fifth book in Debby's Military Investigations Series, is still available. Watch for THE AGENT'S SECRET PAST, on sale March 2014.

THE AGENT'S SECRET PAST

By Debby Giusti

THREAT FROM HER AMISH PAST 

Eight years ago, a drifter destroyed Becca Miller's ties to her Amish community—and murdered her family. Now a special agent with Fort Rickman's criminal investigation department, Becca knows her past has caught up with her and doesn't want to relive it. She's convinced that the killer, who supposedly died years ago, is very much alive and after her. Special agent Colby Voss agrees to help her investigate. Yet the closer they get to the truth, the closer the killer gets to silencing her permanently. 

Pre-order at Amazon. 

Book Club Fun!

L to R: Marsha, Debby, Gloria, Tamara, Lucille,
Phyllis, Bonnie and Toni (seated)

When Bonnie Fisher, a friend from church, told me her book club had chosen my last Love Inspired Suspense, THE GENERAL'S SECRETARY, for their August read, I was thrilled and even more so when she asked if I would join them last night when they discussed the book.

The ladies were so warm and welcoming. Phyllis, who keeps track of their reading selections, said that in the nine years since the book club had started, they’d never had an author at their meetings. Of course, I felt honored that they had read—and liked—my story and that they had invited me to spend the evening with them.

Carol (L) serves Toni (R)

We met in Toni’s lovely home and Carol served as hostess, ensuring our plates and glasses were filled.

L to R: Lucille, Tamara, Phyllis, Gloria, Carol, Bonnie and Marsha.

Look at the yummy treats Marsha prepared!

There was lots of laughter and good cheer as we talked about books and the types of stories we love to read. I told them about my journey to publication and my writing schedule now that I’m published as well as the process for submitting a proposal and then seeing a story through the editing stages to final copy.  We also talked about Christian publishing and Love Inspired’s success within the inspirational genre.

The evening passed too quickly, but they asked me to return another time, which I’d love to do. What writer wouldn’t want to gather with such charming ladies and talk about books and writing!

Thank you, Bonnie, for inviting me to your book club. I had a delightful time.

Tell me about the book clubs in your local area. As a writer, do you enjoy meeting with book club readers? As readers, do you often host authors at your monthly book club meetings?

Happy reading! Happy writing!

Wishing you abundant blessings,

Debby Giusti

www.DebbyGiusti.com

www.seekerville.blogspot.com

THE SOLDIER’S SISTER

By Debby Giusti

WHO WILL PROTECT HER?

Someone wants Stephanie Upton dead. A warning to leave town is just the beginning. Fearing for her life, Stephanie turns to Special Agent Brody Goodman for help and protection. But can she trust him when he’s convinced her own brother is a prime suspect? Torn between her devotion to two men—an estranged brother whose trust she yearns to regain and an agent she may be falling for—Stephanie doesn’t know who or what to believe. As feelings between her and Brody escalate, she’ll have to choose sides to stay alive.

Pre-order now at Amazon

Honoring The Stars and Stripes

Debby Giusti here!

I’m wearing red, white and blue and waving Old Glory in honor of Flag Day, held each year on June 14. While the Fourth of July is the celebration of our country’s birthday, The Stars and Stripes has her own special day established by a proclamation from President Woodrow Wilson in 1916 and signed as an Act of Congress by President Truman in 1949.

Hopefully, all citizens honor the flag, but no where is that respect more visible than on a military installation. Visit any Army post and you’ll be awakened by reveille, a bugle call that announces the raising of the flag by the post honor guard. At 5 P.M., a cannon fires and a bugler sounds retreat. Cars stop, passengers and passersby come to attention and salute the flag until the colors are retired.

The flag has special significance for the military. Not only does it lead our soldiers into battle, but it also covers them in death. No scene is more poignant than the flag-draped coffins of our fallen heroes returning home from war. The Stars and Stripes honors their sacrifice and is a visible reminder of our country’s pride in her brave men and women in uniform, both living and dead.

I’m proud of our military heroes and love writing stories about those who serve. God bless our military. God bless the USA.

Happy Flag Day!

Wishing you abundant blessings,
Debby Giusti
www.DebbyGiusti.com
www.seekerville.blogspot.com 
www.crossmyheartprayerteam.blogspot.com

Leave a comment to be entered into a drawing for the latest book in my Military Investigations Series: THE GENERAL’S SECRETARY.

Each stand-along book in the series is available in print or e-book and can be found at Amazon.com: The Officer’s Secret, The Captain’s Mission, The Colonel’s Daughter, and The General’s Secretary. Watch for The Soldier’s Secret, to be released in September. 

THE GENERAL'S SECRETARY 

By Debby Giusti 

Trusting the Wrong Person Can Be Deadly... 

Lillie Beaumont's dark past has just turned up on her porch--fatally wounded. The dying words of the man imprisoned for killing Lillie's mother suggest hidden secrets. Criminal Investigations Division special agent Dawson Timmons agrees. He has his own motive for seeking the truth, and it gives Lillie every reason to doubt him. But even as they reluctantly begin to face painful secrets together, Dawson fears that a murderer is waiting to strike again. And this time, Lillie is right in the line of fire...