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Congratulations to Jenny who is the winner of Laura O’Connell’s Aussie women’s fiction book Web of Lies.
Starting next week, we are taking a break from blogging over Christmas and New Year. We’ll be back on Tuesday, January 8 when we’ll be posting the Australian Christian Readers Blog Alliance book tour: A Simple Mistake by Andrea Grigg.
We wish you a wonderful and blessed Christmas and New Year.
by Laura O’Connell
I’m delighted to be here as your guest blogger today, Narelle. Thanks for having me.
‘Oh, what a tangled web we weave,
When first we practise to deceive.’
This quote from Marmion, the poem of Scottish author and poet, Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832) reminds us humans have lied ever since Adam and Eve walked upon the earth.
Lies lurk at the core of human dysfunction. The spidery trails of a lie start out as well-intentioned comments meant to spare the recipient’s feelings. We hide behind the whispers, ‘No one will know.’; ‘We’ll keep it quiet.’; ‘We’re doing this to keep everyone safe’. The lies continue, weaving and crossing over, getting bigger and gaining momentum until they impact innocent lives.
The lies we tell are flimsier than the spider web which, for their makeup and design, can tolerate an enormous amount of pressure, but lies aren’t so resilient. So, what’s the point of lying? We tell harmless lies every day to make people feel good. ‘You look good in that dress’. We’re trying to lift their self-esteem. When a woman feels she’s having a bad hair day, her husband may tell her she ‘looks beautiful’ to give her a confidence boost.
But the darker lies go deep into our minds, controlling our thoughts and actions, manipulating every part of our lives. They sit just below the surface of our consciousness waiting to be triggered and released by a thoughtless choice of words. When we’re tripped by lies that affect us in a negative way, we act irrationally and our lives begin to unravel sometimes with dire consequences.
In my latest novel, Web Of Lies, before they were believers, Aunt Sonia, and Ellen and David Hunt, manipulated their children’s lives believing they were protecting them and their innocent grandchild. But eight years later, they are Christians, and their family is about to be torn apart as the lies are exposed. The Holy Spirit works in their hearts: ‘Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices.’ Colossians 3:9. David and Ellen have no option but to reveal the truth knowing their family could be destroyed if they continued with the deceit.
Are you living a truth-filled spiritual life, or are you living in the flesh where sometimes lying can seem to be an easier option than the truth? Share a time you wished you’d been truthful, and be eligible to go in the draw to win a copy of Web Of Lies.
LAURA O’CONNELL enjoys writing stories about second chances in love and life. She calls the Gold Coast home, however, her curious nature leads her on adventures to locations that surprise and inspire her. Laura has a passion for telling a good story set in places where she has lived and travelled.
Back cover blurb:
High school sweethearts, Stephanie and Lachlan are torn apart by circumstance, bad decisions and a web of lies, leaving an unknown future for their son, Ryan.
Eight years later they reconnect, but the time apart has changed them. The family had made decisions based on lies and deceit and now must find a way to either reveal the truth or find another option. On the surface, their arrangements seemed flawless, but dig deeper, and the people they thought they knew aren’t as they appear.
Lachlan and Stephanie are forced to confront the consequences of their actions and the entire family is compelled to reveal the truth, find forgiveness, and renew loving one another. But the hardest decision is still to come … where does Ryan live?
Narelle: Laura, thanks for visiting with us today. We are giving away a copy of Web Of Lies to a reader who comments on this post and answers Laura’s question (Share a time you wished you’d been truthful) before midnight on Monday, December 16 (Australian Eastern Standard Time). Print copy available for Aussie mailing addresses and electronic copy for international.
Please include your name with your comment and leave an email address [ ] at [ ] dot [ ] where you can be reached or remember to check our blog post on Wednesday, December 19 when we will announce the winner. You can follow our blog by email, Twitter or ‘Like’ our Facebook page to receive notifications of new blog posts.
“Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.”
Narelle here. Today we are giving away free eBook copies of the leaders guide for our August Featured Studies of the Month.
All you need to do is visit our Smashwords page and use the coupon code GA39M at the checkout. The coupon code is valid today. https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/210081
Smashwords may ask you to sign in or set up an account to enable the eBook to be stored in your Smashwords account. You can download the eBook in multiple formats including PDF, Epub and .mobi for Kindle.
If you’re wondering how to transfer a Smashwords eBook to your Kindle, please refer to my blog post How to read eBooks from Smashwords on Kindle Enjoy!
Narelle here. Today we are giving away free eBook copies of the leaders guide for our July Featured Studies of the Month.
All you need to do is visit our Smashwords page and use the coupon code XK73C at the checkout. The coupon code is valid today. https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/177800
Smashwords will ask you to sign in or set up an account to enable the eBook to be stored in your Smashwords account. You can download the eBook in multiple formats including PDF, Epub and .mobi for Kindle.
If you’re wondering how to transfer a Smashwords eBook to your Kindle, please refer to my blog post How to read eBooks from Smashwords on Kindle Enjoy!
Congratulations to Heidi who is the winner of Ray Hawkins’ devotion book Children: God’s Special Interest.
You all have until midnight on Monday, June 25 (AEST) to enter our June Bible Quiz. We’re giving away two copies of our People of the Old Testament: Judah and Tamar, Rahab eBook leader’s guide. One copy to the quiz winner and a second copy to someone who comments on the June 20 Bible Quiz post and attempts to answer at least one of the quiz questions. More information can be found on our June 20 Bible Quiz and eBook giveaway post .
Back Cover Blurb:
31 Biblical devotions on God’s Heart for Children. Ray Hawkins has a heart for children. In these devotions he quotes scripture and helps us really meditate on God’s heart for children. Rediscover God’s Word about children. Refresh your heart with God’s love for Children. Rekindle passion to be their example for Christ honour. Reflect on God’s special Interest.
Narelle: Ray Hawkins illuminates scripture by showing us what the Bible has to say about children and parenting. Each devotion is grounded in Biblical truth and provides us with an understanding of the magnitude of God’s deep and abiding love for His precious children. We learn about the special responsibilities given to parents and carers regarding how they can love and nurture the children in their care.
Practical parenting tips and pearls of wisdom are included and the devotions are written in an easy to read conversational style. The Reflection/Action section at the end of each devotion challenges us to think about our relationships with the children in our lives and how we can put into practice Godly principles. I highly recommend this devotion, especially to parents and carers.
Today we are giving away a print copy of Children: God’s Special Interest to a reader with an Australian mailing address who comments on this post before midnight on Tuesday, June 19 (Australian Eastern Standard Time).
Please include your name with your comment and leave an email address [ ] at [ ] dot [ ] where you can be reached or remember to check our blog post on Thursday, June 21 when we will announce the winner. You can follow our blog by email, Twitter or ‘Like’ our Facebook page to receive notifications of new blog posts. We will do a redraw if we are unable to contact the giveaway winner by the end of June.
“Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.”
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