Bookshelf Friday - Because of Me

I'm doing something a little bit different today. In the last two weeks I've been "tagged" by two great bloggers out there: Cathy from Thoughts on Books and Melissa from Tagglines. If you haven't met them yet, stop over to their blogs and say HI. Sweet ladies with great blogs--seriously, you gotta meet them:)

Anyway, in being "tagged" I was given eleven questions to answer and then asked to pass new questions on. As today is Bookshelf Friday, I thought I'd do a little merging.

First off, I am beyond excited to feature my friend Fay Lamb's book today. Critique partner and writer extraordinaire, Fay can spot a misplaced comma from miles away. She is priceless to many members of ACFW, and it makes me incredibly happy to help show-off her debut novel. She's worked hard for it, folks.

But before we get to her book, I'm having her answer the questions I was tagged with. So without further ado, here's Fay and her answers:)

Would you rather go for a run or a walk?

Neither. Well, that’s not exactly true. One of my favorite things to do is to walk around Lake Junaluska. I spend months at a time there, and I walk every afternoon, stop to read a book, then walk the rest of the way home. But walking in Florida? I’m a wimp over the hot weather. Only when my husband looks at me with puppy dog eyes because he wants to walk and talk do I venture out for a walk around the neighborhood.

What is your favorite movie?

I’m a movie buff. This is a hard question for me. I’m going to say the first movie that came to mind: August Rush. I truly think that Hollywood made a big mistake when they allowed this one to go to the box office. Why? This film is about God working all things together for good—even when man and women messed up, having sex out of wedlock. Like the Book of Esther, God didn’t have to be mentioned in this movie to see that He was the One who orchestrated that little boy’s life. And Hollywood’s adding in of a curse word didn’t change the message of that movie.

Do you have a pet?

Do I have a pet? No, actually, I have five four-legged indoor and three outdoor creatures who own me. We have a Cairn terror (and no, that’s not a typo) named Max. His sidekick is Herbie the Chihuahua, and their queen is our Maltese named Baby. The two indoor cats are Charley, she’s my husband’s supervisor, sitting on his desk all day making sure he gets the work done, and Melly, a sweet thirteen year old calico who has an amazing knack for staying glued to my body while I’m sleeping. If I turn, she just adjusts herself, but she never moves to the side or off the bed. Our three outdoor cats are actually strays who refuse to come into the abode. We call them Dodger, Jack, and Feagan. They show up twice a day for breakfast and for dinner.

What book in the Bible has moved you the most?

I can’t really claim one book of the Bible that moves me the most. If I had to say one, it would be the Gospel of John. I find myself crying every time I read John 20 where the Lord appears to Mary Magdalene. She doesn’t recognize Him at first while she is weeping because His body has vanished from the tomb. Then He asks her why she’s weeping, and she tells Him. Then he says one word that brings the tears to my eyes, “Mary.” I stop every time I read her name written in red, and I marvel at how there was a period in my life when I didn’t recognize Jesus. I wept like Mary because there was something missing in my life, and then I heard Jesus’ sweet voice say, “Fay,” and like Mary that day, I rejoiced at seeing my Savior.

What is your favorite meal?

Anything I don’t have to cook. My husband just crossed the house from his office to mine to ask what we were going to do for dinner. In Lamb language that means, “Where are we eating tonight?” Last week the dear man had actually gone out and brought food into the house. My first question: “What are you thinking?” My second: “Do I really have to cook?” Today, I’m actually cooking, but my favorite foods are served at The Moonlight Drive-In. Usually a cheeseburger wrap, fried pickles, a jumbo sweet iced tea with extra ice, oh, and ice cream. You gotta have ice cream.

If you could go back in time to live, what period would you choose and why?

I really wouldn’t want to go back to any time. I’m basically domestically lazy (but I have to have a clean house), and the first thoughts I have about any other era is the amount of work it took to keep house, to feed your family, to write a book, to do just about everything. Oh, no, no, no. I’ll stay right here in this time and place. Thank you very much.

Do you enjoy watching sports? If so whats your favorite?

Florida Gator basketball and football, respectively. There’s nothing like an evening in the O’Connell Center watching Gator b-ball or in the Swamp watching a Gator football game.

Country or City Girl?

Oh, I’m a country girl or at least a small town gal. Big cities scare me to death.

What kind of music do you enjoy the most?

I have very eclectic tastes in music. I love Radney Foster’s Texas country sound, and I can listen to alternative rock all day long. In fact, I have all kinds of various music shuffling on Pandora all day long while I work.

Beach or Mountain Vacation?

I live in Florida. I’ve lived in Florida, in the same city, all my life. I love the mountains. We have a home in North Carolina. But I also love this wonderful little island on Florida’s west coast. It’s a little fishing village called Cedar Key which sits twenty-four miles out into the Gulf of Mexico. Someday, I’d love to have a home on Cedar Key.

What author has influenced you the most in your Christian walk and why?

Elizabeth George. Her book, “A Woman After God’s Own Heart,” is a book that brought change to my heart. She uses scripture to show women how to honor God by accepting the authority He has set above us. I thought I loved my husband before I read the book. When I finished it and had to face the reality that I was lacking in some important disciplines, I began to change my life, my marriage, my relationship with my Savior. My love for my husband grew stronger. This book isn’t only for married women. It will cause life changing experiences for all women.

And now...Because of Me:

Michael’s fiancée, Issie Putnam, was brutally attacked and Michael was imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit. Now he’s home to set things right.

Two people stand in his way: Issie’s son, Cole, and a madman.

Can Michael learn to love the child Issie holds so close to her heart and protect him from the man who took everything from Michael so long ago?

Okay, from page one this was not an easy read. Nevertheless, it was a fantastic one. Fay puts your emotions through the ringer: tears, fury, nail-biting, romantic sighs, and ultimately forgiveness unlike any of us deserve--yet God gives it and asks us to do the same for healing to occur. Yep, Fay takes you through it all with characters you'll fall in love with. When it's finished, you won't quite be ready to say good-bye, yet you'll do it with a smile firmly in place.

Oh, and it's available as hard copy or e-book, so you can get it right this second for a weekend read! Enjoy:)

And, because I want to play a fair game of 'tag', here's my answers to the quesitons:

Would you rather go for a run or a walk? Walk. Hands down.

What is your favorite movie? Notting Hill. Loved all the characters. And I love all old movies. Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn, Bing Crosby...

Do you have a pet? Yes. A dog. He's lucky he's cute. That's all I gotta say.

What book in the Bible has moved you the most? Honestly, I don't have a favorite book. It's verses and stories I typically attach too. Right now all the stories on God renaming people are getting to me. It all goes back to us finding our identity in Christ. We need to be grounded in that.

What is your favorite meal? My mom's cheesy chicken with mashed potatoes. But she never makes it anymore. ***sigh*** (shameless plug here - she's a lurker)

If you could go back in time to live, what period would you choose and why? The 50's. Cute clothes. Not too much technology, but just enough. Oh wait, could I have a microwave still?

Do you enjoy watching sports? If so whats your favorite? FOOTBALL!!!!

Country or City Girl? Country. I'd love a wide porch, rocking chair, horses...and a few farm hands.

What kind of music do you enjoy the most? Anything but heavy metal. I love, love, love music of all genres. It completely depends on my mood and what I'm doing.

Beach or Mountain Vacation? BOTH! I just love vacations. I like to go out and try something new, but also have a place to relax.

What author has influenced you most in your christian walk and why? Beth Moore. I love how she teaches. She got me to dig deeper in the Word and also pushed me to let go of fear. Her books and studies are amazing.

Have a great weekend!