Category Archives: heartwarming

The New Year–what will it be?

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2017 is gone. So many of my friends were happy to see it go. Some celebrated that it was a banner year for them. Where are you on that spectrum? I’m more in the middle. There were some amazing things that happened this past year, but also there were some hard things that I had to walk through. It’s life. Right?

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What will 2018 bring? Honestly, I don’t know. But God does. He sees all that has happened, all that is happening, and all that will happen. He is beyond time. He is preparing you and me right now for what will happen next week, month, and throughout the year. My hope is not in the year but in the Lord. Of course, I am hoping for certain things to happen. Good things. Who doesn’t? But my faith and hope does not hinge on whether those things happen or not. I love the verse from Daniel, where his friends are asked to bow to an idol. They refuse. They tell Nebuchadnezzar, “we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” (Daniel 3:16-18) Oh, how powerful is that! “But even if He does not…!”

Many times last year, that was my mantra. Over and over, I clung to God and said those words…”But even if You do not, I’m still going to serve only You. I’m going to worship only You.” It’s a choice. Let’s make that choice today. No matter what happens this year, we’re going to cling to the Lord.

Let’s say, “Yes, Lord!” on the good days and even on the hard days. Then no matter what happens in 2018, it will be a great year.

A New Season

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We are deep into the fall season, although in Texas it still feels a little too much like summer. But the leaves are beginning to change and in the morning there is a coolness in the air. To really tell how late in the season it is, I have to look at the calendar. Sure enough, soon it will be Halloween then Thanksgiving and next… Okay, I won’t say what’s after that. We all know. And in case it might freak you out, I won’t make you spill your coffee in your panic to get shopping.

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I love this time of year, the colors of the leaves, the spices, everything flavored with pumpkin, and most especially cooler temperatures. I’m one of those weird people that actually likes change. I get bored easily, so change even when it’s not so positive is often eventually a good thing in my estimation. A couple of years ago, I was looking ahead, as my son was about to graduate from high school with his sister following right behind, and I knew I would soon have an empty nest.

My chicks were about to fly. Even though I knew they were ready, I wasn’t. Since I had placed my writing on hold to help them with college apps and essays and touring colleges and traveling for interviews and auditions, I knew this was not going to be a good change unless I figured out a way to fill up my calendar and days when they were enjoying the college life. And by the way, juniors and seniors often need us as much as if not more than toddlers. It’s a stressful time. So I began to pray about what God wanted me to do. Did He want me to write again? Did He have something else in mind?

The first thing I felt Him press on my heart was a prayer group for moms. Prayer has been a passion of mine for a long time, so it was fairly easy to say, “Yes, God!” But then, I thought I had to invite moms to my house. Of course, that meant I had to have a clean house. God gave me the idea to have a private community of moms on Facebook, where we could pray for our children and ask for prayer when it was needed. “You mean, God, I don’t have to clean my house first?” “Nope,” He said (and sometimes in my head He has a Texas accent), “you don’t.” I was thrilled and immediately started the group. And I haven’t looked back since.

It’s been a learning curve, and I’m still learning and growing and well…praying. My kids are now pursuing their dreams at their respective colleges. I can’t say this change has been easy on this momma’s heart, but I know God has a plan. I love praying for my friends’ families as well as my own. And I’m slowly getting back into the groove of writing. The full scope of God’s plan is a mystery, but I can rest in these changes because I know He is not taken by surprise. He saw the change of seasons, and He has a plan.

Are you approaching a season of life change? What is God telling you?

For everything there is a season,
a time for every activity under heaven.
A time to be born and a time to die.
A time to plant and a time to harvest.
A time to kill and a time to heal.
A time to tear down and a time to build up.
A time to cry and a time to laugh.
A time to grieve and a time to dance.
A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.
A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
A time to search and a time to quit searching.
A time to keep and a time to throw away.
A time to tear and a time to mend.
A time to be quiet and a time to speak.
A time to love and a time to hate.
A time for war and a time for peace.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Lord, Your word tells us that for everything there is a season. Some seasons of our lives are joyful, some sorrowful, some full of laughter, some full of tears. Lord, we give this time to You now, whatever season of life it is. We thank You for this season, and we know You have a plan for how we are to walk through it, for what we are to accomplish, for the divine appointments that You have set up in advance. Father, we ask for Your guidance as we take the hesitant steps into this new season, that You will guide us, give us strength and wisdom, and that our footsteps will grow bolder and more confident in Your light. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

From my heart to yours,

Leanna

Expecting Santa!

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Tis the season for stockings being hung by the fire, cookies baking in the oven, and books with Christmas themes being opened. This season I am re-releasing a book I wrote years ago and recently updated. It was originally published under the title Open in Nine Months, but the original title was Expecting Santa.

All Sam McCall wants for Christmas is a traditional holiday for his five-year-old daughter, Lacey. The last person he expects to find when he moves to a cozy town in Colorado is the woman who broke his heart: Joy Chase. Joy’s hiding a secret under her grandfather’s Santa suit. When Sam learns she’s carrying his baby, he has to win Joy’s heart fast. But can they learn to trust again? Can Santa deliver a Christmas miracle?

Open in Nine Months (Expecting Santa) is a touching, emotional story, a perfect way to put yourself in the holiday.” Judy Christenberry, best selling author

Leanna Wilson (Ellis) has penned a warm romance with good characterization.
RT Book Reviews

Here’s the brand new cover, and the inside is all updated too! It’s available as a Kindle ebook and also in paperback! Merry Christmas, y’all!

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My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys

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It was a cold night in the Texas Panhandle, and I was a little girl going to the rodeo with my family. This was not a slicked up rodeo but a nitty-gritty rodeo out in the country with real cowboys, some of which were my older cousins. I remember sitting on one of my cousins’ laps. She already had children of her own but she helped warm me up on that chilly night as we watched the cowboys rope steers and ride bulls.

strongsilentcowboyMaybe that’s where my love of cowboys began. Because most of my cousins were many years older than me, I didn’t know them well and simply watched and admired them. My dad also raised me on John Wayne movies. My favorite movie growing up was True Grit. Just the opening song could get my blood pulsing.

As I grew up, I fell in love with country music. One day, I was driving around Dallas, to and from work, listening to Rodeo by Garth Brooks when a character came to me. He was wearing chaps and boots and he had a slight stutter. I immediately fell in love with Kirk and had to write his story, Strong, Silent Cowboy, which became my very first published book.

So began my writing career, which started with writing about cowboys. I love cowboys’ strength, ingenuity, traditions, and love for nature. I love that they are real men, with a bit of swagger, but also a touch of humility. They know God created the land and bow their heads to pray. I’m proud that I know real cowboys, and I’m blessed to have been able to write about them.

christmasinjulyChristmas in July was my second published book and a sequel to my first. This book features not only a cowboy but also a cowgirl–a barrel racer. These girls have courage and big hearts. Geena, a young widow, has more than her share but she also has a wall around her heart that the right cowboy is going to have to jump.

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Finally, my latest release, For the Love of Cody, is actually a re-release of my 5th book. It garnered the National Readers’ Choice Award when it was published. Since then, it went out of print but I gained the rights back to it and recently brought it out as a Kindle ebook. But now, it’s also available in paperback! You can click on the titles of my books to find out more about them.

So for a long while, my heroes have always been cowboys. Next year, I’m publishing a brand new cowboy story! Hope you’ll hang around until it’s ready.

So what about you? Do you love cowboys? Country music? Western movies?

Contest: For a copy of the paperback For the Love of Cody. At the end of this week, I’ll draw a name from those who leave a comment below for a winner.

Christmas in July

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Is July getting too hot for you? It often does for me, because I live in Texas where it feels like it’s 114 degrees on a daily basis. By this time of the summer, my plants are turning brown and I’m beginning to wilt. What refreshes me this time of year is turning my air conditioner down and imagining snow falling. To do that, I turn on Christmas music. Yep, I know, I’m weird. But I love Christmas and I love Christmas music. So turning on the song “Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!” gets me singing and smiling and suddenly my heart feels much lighter. Because Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year, I always wanted to write a Christmas story. So for my 2nd book, I wrote a sequel to Strong, Silent Cowboy called Christmas in July. It actually takes place in the summer, during July, when rodeo cowboys have their most earning potential on the rodeo circuit. But this story has a Christmas twist that I think you’ll love. Christmas in July Ms. Wilson features engaging characters in a heartwarming love story that will really lift your spirits. (4 stars) Romantic Times Magazine Geena Allen, a young widow, has a bundle of joy and a bucket of bills. Unaccustomed to charity, the petite barrel racer returns to the rodeo circuit to cash in on the big money during July, called “Christmas” by cowboys. In what Geena deems as obligation, Trey Mann, a bull rider, offers to babysit her daughter and teaches them all a lesson about the true spirit of giving. Will he also manage to lasso this proud cowgirl’s heart? So here’s my July Christmas present to you! This book is now available in ebook format! Hope you enjoy! http://www.amazon.com/Christmas-in-July-ebook/dp/B006O1GPCQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1342192257&sr=8-1&keywords=Christmas+in+July+Leanna+Ellis And here it is on my website: https://leannaellis.com/sweetromances.html So what do you do during July to cool off?