Lisa Tawn Bergren's Blog

.rafflepress-giveaway-iframe-wrapper iframe { width: 1px; min-width: 100%; *width: 100%; height: 600px; }.rafflepress_iframe_loading { background-image: url('data:image/gif;base64,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') !important; background-repeat: no-repeat !important; background-position: center 100px !important; height: 100%;} function rafflepress_getParameterByName(name, url) { if (!url) url = window.location.href; name = name.replace(/[\[\]]/g, "\\$&"); var regex = new RegExp("[?&]" + name + "(=([^&#]*)|&|#|$)"), results = regex.exec(url); if (!results) return ""; if (!results[2]) return ""; return decodeURIComponent(results[2].replace(/\+/g, " "));}function insertIframe( ID, src, minHeight) { var wrapperID = 'rafflepress-giveaway-iframe-wrapper-'+ID; var iframe = document.createElement('iframe'); iframe.setAttribute('id', 'rafflepress-'+ID); iframe.setAttribute('class', 'rafflepress-iframe'); iframe.setAttribute('src', src); iframe.setAttribute('frameborder', '0'); iframe.setAttribute('scrolling', 'no'); iframe.setAttribute('allowtransparency', 'true'); if (minHeight) { iframe.setAttribute('style', 'min-height:'+minHeight); } iframe.setAttribute('onload', 'rafflepress_resize_iframe_'+ID+'(this)'); document.getElementById(wrapperID).appendChild(iframe);}// phpcs:disableinsertIframe( '49758666','https://lisatawnbergren.com/?rafflepr...,'' );// phpcs:enablefunction rafflepress_resize_iframe_49758666(){ iFrameResize({ log: false, onMessage: function(messageData) { if (messageData.message == 'rafflepress_loaded') { var el = document.getElementById('rafflepress-giveaway-iframe-wrapper-49758666'); var className = "rafflepress_iframe_loading"; if (el.classList) el.classList.remove(className); else el.className = el.className.replace(new RegExp('(^|\\b)' + className.split(' ').join('|') + '(\\b|$)', 'gi'), ' '); } } }, '#rafflepress-49758666');};

FIRST PRIZE: All 22 novels and $125 Amazon Gift Card
SECOND PRIZE: All 22 novels and $100 Amazon Gift Card
THIRD PRIZE: All 22 novels and $75 Amazon Gift Card
FOURTH PRIZE: $50 Amazon Gift Card
FIFTH PRIZE: $30 Amazon Gift Card

 

Contest is open to international entrants. (If someone outside the USA wins one of the top three prizes, they will be sent an ebook. Amazon gift credit will be in the equivalent to USD.) If you have trouble with entering the contest via the entry form below, send an email to Lisa@BergrenCreativeGroup.com BEFORE 10/26/25 MIDNIGHT MOUNTAIN with the complete clue phrase and your name and phone #, and I’ll make sure you are entered before the prizes are randomly drawn on 10/27/25. You may enter one time. Winners will be posted on the prize entry widget here, once complete, as well as be notified via the email you used to enter the form.

Individual author prizes will be drawn and winners notified by those authors by 10/28/25.

.rafflepress-giveaway-iframe-wrapper iframe { width: 1px; min-width: 100%; *width: 100%; height: 600px; }.rafflepress_iframe_loading { background-image: url('data:image/gif;base64,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') !important; background-repeat: no-repeat !important; background-position: center 100px !important; height: 100%;} function rafflepress_getParameterByName(name, url) { if (!url) url = window.location.href; name = name.replace(/[\[\]]/g, "\\$&"); var regex = new RegExp("[?&]" + name + "(=([^&#]*)|&|#|$)"), results = regex.exec(url); if (!results) return ""; if (!results[2]) return ""; return decodeURIComponent(results[2].replace(/\+/g, " "));}function insertIframe( ID, src, minHeight) { var wrapperID = 'rafflepress-giveaway-iframe-wrapper-'+ID; var iframe = document.createElement('iframe'); iframe.setAttribute('id', 'rafflepress-'+ID); iframe.setAttribute('class', 'rafflepress-iframe'); iframe.setAttribute('src', src); iframe.setAttribute('frameborder', '0'); iframe.setAttribute('scrolling', 'no'); iframe.setAttribute('allowtransparency', 'true'); if (minHeight) { iframe.setAttribute('style', 'min-height:'+minHeight); } iframe.setAttribute('onload', 'rafflepress_resize_iframe_'+ID+'(this)'); document.getElementById(wrapperID).appendChild(iframe);}// phpcs:disableinsertIframe( '85807826','https://lisatawnbergren.com/?rafflepr...,'' );// phpcs:enablefunction rafflepress_resize_iframe_85807826(){ iFrameResize({ log: false, onMessage: function(messageData) { if (messageData.message == 'rafflepress_loaded') { var el = document.getElementById('rafflepress-giveaway-iframe-wrapper-85807826'); var className = "rafflepress_iframe_loading"; if (el.classList) el.classList.remove(className); else el.className = el.className.replace(new RegExp('(^|\\b)' + className.split(' ').join('|') + '(\\b|$)', 'gi'), ' '); } } }, '#rafflepress-85807826');};

Welcome to the Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt!

If you’ve just discovered the hunt, be sure to collect the clues through all the stops, in order (beginning here at Stop #1), so you can enter to win one of our top 5 grand prizes!

The hunt BEGINS on 10/23 at noon MDT right here on this page! Hunt through our loop using Chrome or Firefox as your browser ( not Explorer).There is NO RUSH to complete the hunt—you have all weekend (until Sunday, 10/26 at midnight Mountain)! So take your time, reading the unique posts along the way; our hope is that you discover new authors/new books and learn new things about them.Submit your entry for the grand prizes by collecting the CLUE on each author’s scavenger hunt post and submitting your answer in the entry form at the final stop , back here on my site. Many authors are offering additional prizes along the way!

Hi! My name’s Lisa Bergren and I’m a writer of many things—children’s books, gift books, nonfiction, and fiction in many genres. And I’m talkin’ MANY. YA time travel, spiritual suspense, women’s fiction, dystopian…you get the gist. You can learn more about me and all my books here on my site and on Facebook. But I always adore an epic story. My newest release is the first book in my dystopian series, Remnants: Season of Wonder. It was previously released, but I’ve given it a fresh edit and a new cover! Here’s what it’s about:

Our Coming was foretold by the elders…

Andriana is a Remnant, one of the gifted born on the seventh day during the seventy-seventh Harvest after the Great War, and destined to act as humanity’s last shield against the horrors that now plague those who remain.

After years of training in stealth and warfare, Andriana and her Knight protector, Ronan, are finally ready to answer the Call and begin the life they were designed for. But as they embark with the other Remnants on the first of their assignments, they quickly discover that the world beyond the protected Valley is more dangerous than they imagined.

The Sons of Sheol will stop at nothing to prevent Dri and Ronan from rescuing anyone sympathetic to the Remnants’ cause. And as the Remnants battle the demonic forces, other enemies close in. Dangers intensify, but so do Dri’s feelings for Ronan — the one emotion she is not meant to feel. In the midst of their mission, Andriana must find a way to master her feelings. Or risk compromising everything.

 

MY POST-APOCALYPTIC BACKPACK

If I was living in post-apocalyptic times, there would definitely be some items I wished I had on my person. I mean, if you had no access to modern medicine or the Internet or all the things that keep us entertained, life would be far different, right? Here are ten things I’d want packed.

—A Bible (a dose of hope and light in a dismal world)—Broad-spectrum antibiotics—First Aid kit—Water purification tube—Emergency blanket—Book on herbal remedies—Hatchet—Knife—Solar lamp

—Hunting rifle

As a family, we have an “emergency cupboard,” stocked with basic supplies that would keep us afloat for a month or more, so I’ve been giving “survival” some serious thought for a while. Maybe it’s all because I’ve been writing/editing these dystopian novels! My intent with Remnants is to show that God is alive, well and moving, regardless of how the world makes it seem. In the end, it’s ultimately uplifting, but not without a lot of struggle in following where the Maker calls…and battling the enemy to do so.

Here are the Stop #1 Basics:

If you’re interested, you can order Seasons of Wonder on Amazon! (It’s great for teens 13 and up who like fast-paced reads and spiritual warfare themes.) It’s available in ebook, audio and paperback.

Clue to Write Down: Cozy

Link to Stop #2, the Next Stop on the Loop: Angela Hunt’s site!

BUT WAIT!

Before you go, I’m offering three additional prizes—a copy of one of my River of Time novels…or the entire Gifted Trilogy (Begotten, Betrayed, Blessed). Your choice! All you have to do is fill out the entry form below and follow me as an author on BookBub and/or Instagram! (USA only)

.rafflepress-giveaway-iframe-wrapper iframe { width: 1px; min-width: 100%; *width: 100%; height: 600px; }.rafflepress_iframe_loading { background-image: url('data:image/gif;base64,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') !important; background-repeat: no-repeat !important; background-position: center 100px !important; height: 100%;} function rafflepress_getParameterByName(name, url) { if (!url) url = window.location.href; name = name.replace(/[\[\]]/g, "\\$&"); var regex = new RegExp("[?&]" + name + "(=([^&#]*)|&|#|$)"), results = regex.exec(url); if (!results) return ""; if (!results[2]) return ""; return decodeURIComponent(results[2].replace(/\+/g, " "));}function insertIframe( ID, src, minHeight) { var wrapperID = 'rafflepress-giveaway-iframe-wrapper-'+ID; var iframe = document.createElement('iframe'); iframe.setAttribute('id', 'rafflepress-'+ID); iframe.setAttribute('class', 'rafflepress-iframe'); iframe.setAttribute('src', src); iframe.setAttribute('frameborder', '0'); iframe.setAttribute('scrolling', 'no'); iframe.setAttribute('allowtransparency', 'true'); if (minHeight) { iframe.setAttribute('style', 'min-height:'+minHeight); } iframe.setAttribute('onload', 'rafflepress_resize_iframe_'+ID+'(this)'); document.getElementById(wrapperID).appendChild(iframe);}// phpcs:disableinsertIframe( '79433361','https://lisatawnbergren.com/?rafflepr...,'' );// phpcs:enablefunction rafflepress_resize_iframe_79433361(){ iFrameResize({ log: false, onMessage: function(messageData) { if (messageData.message == 'rafflepress_loaded') { var el = document.getElementById('rafflepress-giveaway-iframe-wrapper-79433361'); var className = "rafflepress_iframe_loading"; if (el.classList) el.classList.remove(className); else el.className = el.className.replace(new RegExp('(^|\\b)' + className.split(' ').join('|') + '(\\b|$)', 'gi'), ' '); } } }, '#rafflepress-79433361');};

Our Fall Scavenger Hunt is scheduled for October 23 noon Mountain – October 26 midnight Mountain! 22 authors are coming together to offer over $1400 in books and prizes to intrepid hunters. Come check out a bunch of new releases, learn something new about the authors (or their new release), and throw your hat in the ring to try and win some prizes (or just add to your TBR list).

GRAND PRIZE WINNER: All 22 books and $125 Amazon gift card2nd PLACE WINNER: All 22 books and $100 Amazon gift card3rd PLACE WINNER: All 22 books and $75 Amazon gift card4th PLACE WINNER: $50 Amazon gift card
5th PLACE WINNER: $30 Amazon gift card Stops on the Scavenger Hunt Train Route:Stop 1: Lisa T. BergrenStop 2: Angela HuntStop 3: Robin Lee HatcherStop 4: Ann SwindellStop 5: Jaime Jo WrightStop 6: Roseanna WhiteStop 7: Karen BarnettStop 8: Mesu AndrewsStop 9: Jenelle HovdeStop 10: Suzanne Woods FisherStop 11: Kimberley WoodhouseStop 12: Sarah MonzonStop 13: Gabrielle MeyerStop 14: Jayna BreighStop 15: Stephenia McGeeStop 16: Erica VetschStop 17: Pepper BashamStop 18: Susan SleemanStop 19: Carrie TuranskyStop 20: J.J. FischerStop 21: Joanna PolitanoStop 22: T. Elizabeth RenichStop 23:  GRAND PRIZE ENTRY

TO ENTER: Simply go to Stop #1, right here on my site, then collect/write down the clues at each stop along the way. Enter the complete clue stream on Stop #23 in the Grand Prize entry form by 10/26 (midnight, Mountain time). International entries accepted; if you win and are outside the USA, you will receive e-books rather than physical copies and the Amazon equivalent to USD prizes. If you have trouble with the entry form, send me your name, phone #, and complete clue stream by 10/26/25 to my email (Lisa @ bergrencreativegroup dot com) and I’ll get you entered before we draw on Monday.

Are you in the mood for a constant-action, romantasy, time-travel, YA series? OR are you one of my original River Tribe members who has long been a fan and needs new copies or goodies? See below!

The History of My River of Time Series

Once upon a time, I published the first three books in this series (Waterfall, Cascade, Torrent) with David C. Cook and the series took off! After book 3 released, DCC decided to focus more on nonfiction and gave me clearance to self-publish the follow-up books, Bourne & Tributary and Deluge. Those self-published books did really, really well and I began to beg for my rights back for the first three novels. They said no. A few years later, they sold all their fiction to Bethany/Baker and I hoped to get a new start. It didn’t prove to be the right fit, and I began to again beg for my rights back. Finally they said YES!! So now I’ve edited all 5 books and plan to release them this summer with new covers!

What is the Series About?

Gabriella and Evangelia Betarrini are two American teens stuck every summer in Tuscany, Italy with their archeologist parents. But when the two of them wander into an ancient Etruscan tomb and find handprints that match their own—they soon find themselves catapulted into medieval Italy…and a summer that has suddenly become much, much more interesting. In their new surroundings, they discover a new sense of purpose and identity, the strong ties of family, winsome knights that steal their hearts, and a God who has a hand in everything.

Intended Audience

I originally wrote these books for my own reluctant-reader teens (and their friends), but I was delighted to discover that they appealed to many readers from 13-83. Lots of moms and daughters have read them together and some grandmas joined the fun. I call them PG-13 because there is quite a bit of violence (given that it’s medieval Italy and people are fighting for their lives) and there is passionate romance depicted, with characters that are clearly physically drawn to one another, but know how to draw the line before things get carried away. In books 4 and 5, there are weddings and fade-to-black love scenes.

What is Unique to This Printing?

I’m super excited to share that this USA-only printing will feature color interior cover images and a hand-autographed page in Waterfall! The rest of the series will have printed autograph pages (unless you purchase the limited-edition Collector’s Pack below—then I’ll autograph the rest of your series too on the title page).

The New-and-Improved Series, Shipping JULY 2025

 

This is the same beloved series, with a fresh edit, new covers and some fun swag for those who choose to preorder. 

Limited Edition Collector’s Pack Preorder by 6/15 for the EARLY-BIRD PRICE OF $85 plus $18 shipping (limited to 225 sets—only available in the USA):

All 5 printed books HAND-AUTOGRAPHED ($84.95 value)All 5 ebooks FREE ($40 value; delivered via BookFunnel to your e-reader)A custom sword bookmark FREE ($7 value)5 character cards FREE ($10 value)Custom collector’s book box FREE ($12 value)

 

PREORDER THE COLLECTOR'S PACK NOW

5 Printed Books Preorder by 6/15 for the EARLY-BIRD PRICE OF $75 plus $9 media mail shipping (USA only): All 5 printed books (only Waterfall is hand-autographed; the others will have printed autographs) ($84.95 value)

PREORDER 5 PRINTED BOOKS NOW

Just the First Book, Please.

Never dipped your toes in the River of Time? Want to just check out book 1 and see what you think? PREORDER a copy of Waterfall by June 15 and save $4.00!

 

 

PREORDER WATERFALL NOW

5 E-books Preorder by 6/15 for the EARLY-BIRD PRICE OF $30 (preorder, early-bird price, delivered straight to your e-reader via BookFunnel mid-June); later this summer, this price will go up to $40+ for all 5 books. The e-books feature a character’s image (which we used for the character cards) in each one!

 

PREORDER 5 EBOOKS NOW

Character Card Pack for $10 (quantities limited; USA only)

 

 

PREORDER THE CARD PACK NOW

Digital Character Card Pack for $5 (jpg files delivered via email for you to print out)

 

PREORDER THE DIGITAL CARD PACK NOW  International Friends:

I know this is hard—all the goodies, just out of your reach! I wish I could ship abroad (or even to Canada or Mexico) without giving up my firstborn child to do so—or making you pay the crazy charges! I WILL be making the print books available via online retailers/print-on-demand this summer (they just won’t have the hand-written autograph or pretty inside-cover images). And you can, of course, order the ebooks once they’re available via online retailers in July. Interested in the character cards? Consider the digital card pack and receiving them via email.

HomeShop/BooksAbout Contact MediaMy Blog

FIRST PRIZE: All 30 novels and $150 Amazon Gift Card
SECOND PRIZE: All 30 novels and $125 Amazon Gift Card
THIRD PRIZE: All 30 novels and $75 Amazon Gift Card
FOURTH PRIZE: $50 Amazon Gift Card
FIFTH PRIZE: $50 Amazon Gift Card

 

Contest is open to international entrants. (If someone outside the USA wins one of the top three prizes, they will be sent an ebook. Amazon gift credit will be in the equivalent to USD.) If you have trouble with entering the contest via the Rafflecopter form below, send an email to Lisa@BergrenCreativeGroup.com BEFORE 4/13/25 MIDNIGHT MOUNTAIN with the complete clue phrase and your name and phone #, and I’ll make sure you are entered before the prizes are randomly drawn on 4/14/25. You may enter one time. Winners will be posted on the Rafflecopter widget here, once complete, as well as be notified via the email you used to enter the form (or the email you used for Facebook).

Individual author prizes will be drawn and winners notified by those authors by 4/15/25.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

THE HUNT IS NOT YET LIVE…PLEASE RETURN ON 4/10!

Welcome to the Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt!

If you’ve just discovered the hunt, be sure to collect the clues through all the stops, in order (beginning here at Stop #1), so you can enter to win one of our top 5 grand prizes!

The hunt BEGINS on 4/10 at noon MDT right here on this page!Hunt through our loop using Chrome or Firefox as your browser ( not Explorer).There is NO RUSH to complete the hunt—you have all weekend (until Sunday, 4/13 at midnight Mountain)! So take your time, reading the unique posts along the way; our hope is that you discover new authors/new books and learn new things about them.Submit your entry for the grand prizes by collecting the CLUE on each author’s scavenger hunt post and submitting your answer in the Rafflecopter form at the final stop , back here on my site. Many authors are offering additional prizes along the way!

Hi! My name’s Lisa Bergren and I’m a writer of many things—children’s books, gift books, nonfiction, and fiction in many genres. And I’m talkin’ MANY. YA time travel, spiritual suspense, women’s fiction, dystopian…you get the gist. You can learn more about me and all my books here on my site and on Facebook. But I always adore an epic story. My newest release is the third in my Oceans of Time Series—Fathoms. Here’s what it’s about:

Can the She-Wolves of Siena Survive the Lion’s Den?

Luciana Betarrini is living a nightmare. Blinded in battle she is unsure what her future holds.

When Lady Tiliani Forelli volunteers to serve as the young Lady Romano’s governess–in order to protect the child–Luciana quickly follows suit, volunteering as a tutor. But as they navigage life in the treacherous neighboring castle they find Lord Ercole a chameleon of adversaries, intent on mastering the She-Wolves of Siena any way he can.

Together, Luciana and Tiliani must find a way to bring Ercole down and buy time for Domenico and Marcello to establish new allies. But Luciana continues to find herself at a crossroads. Is she willing to risk leaving Sir Giulio Greco forever in order to chase healing through the time tunnel? Or is she called to accept her plight–in light of the myriad blessings of her new medieval life–and make her through the best she can?

MY FAVORITE ITALIAN MEAL

Maybe it’s because it brings back happy memories, because my husband Tim has made it every time we’ve gone to Italy. First, 18 years ago, when we traveled abroad as a couple for the first time with our dear friends. In a cozy VRBO-villa up high on a hill overlooking Tuscany, he made this fine meal. The second time was for the whole family, when we returned with my parents and children to the same villa on a cold autumn night (there was snow higher up!). The third time was just for me, when we went one October and renting a cozy cottage outside of Montepulciano. And the fourth time was when we went with our grown children—and some of their in-laws—a few years ago in the summer! What’s the recipe? CHICKEN PICCATA!

CHICKEN PICCATA INGREDIENTS:

—2 lbs. chicken breast; boneless, skinless, butterflied and pounded to create thinner pieces—1/2 tsp. black pepper—1.75 tsp. salt—1 cup flour—10 T butter—4 T extra-virgin olive oil—1 shallot, finely chopped—1 T minced garlic (4-6 cloves)—1 C chicken stock—1 tsp lemon zest, plus more to taste—3 T fresh lemon juice—1/2 C dry white wine (you can skip if you prefer)—3 T capers, drainedOptional freshly chopped parsley for the top.DIRECTIONS:(1) Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper. Pour flour into a shallow bowl. Dip each pieces of the chicken in the flour, turning to coat and shake off excess.(2) Heat 3T butter and 2T oil in a large skillet set at medium-high until butter melts. Add half the chicken and cook until golden brown and cooked through, about 2-3 minutes per side Repeat with remaining chicken, adding more butter and oil as necessary. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter.(3) Add the shallot to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute longer. Stir in the stock and wine and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half, about 4-5 minutes. Reduce heat to low, then stir in 4T butter, capers, lemon zest, lemon juice, and a little more salt.(4) Pour the sauce over the chicken and garnish with fresh parsley before serving.
Buon appetito!!

Here are the Stop #1 Basics:

If you’re interested, you can order Fathoms on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or at your local bookstore!

Clue to Write Down: The sun

Link to Stop #2, the Next Stop on the Loop: Gabrielle Meyer’s site!

BUT WAIT!

Before you go, I’m offering three additional prizes—a copy of either Estuary, Rip Tide, or Fathoms…or the entire Gifted Trilogy (Begotten, Betrayed, Blessed). Your choice! All you have to do is sign up to get my e-newsletter (blue box below, “Stay in the Loop!) or mark it off if you’re already a subscriber. Then fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Additional points for those who follow me as an author on BookBub, Facebook or on Instagram! (USA only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Our Spring Scavenger Hunt is scheduled for April 10 noon Mountain – April 13 midnight Mountain! 30 authors are coming together to offer over $2500 in books and prizes to intrepid hunters. Come check out a bunch of new releases, learn something new about the authors (or their new release), and throw your hat in the ring to try and win some prizes (or just add to your TBR list).

GRAND PRIZE WINNER: All 30 books and $150 Amazon gift card2nd PLACE WINNER: All 30 books and $125 Amazon gift card3rd PLACE WINNER: All 30 books and $100 Amazon gift card4th PLACE WINNER: $75 Amazon gift card
5th PLACE WINNER: $50 Amazon gift card Stops on the Scavenger Hunt Train Route:Stop 1: Lisa T. BergrenStop 2: Gabrielle MeyerStop 3: Michelle GriepStop 4: Sarah SundinStop 5: Joanna Davidson PolitanoStop 6: Lindsay FranklinStop 7: Elizabeth GoddardStop 8: Karen WitemeyerStop 9: Ann H. GabhartStop 10: Lynn BlackburnStop 11: Roseanna M. WhiteStop 12: Robin Lee HatcherStop 13: Suzanne Woods FisherStop 14: Susan SleemanStop 15: Angela HuntStop 16: Stephen BurnettStop 17: Jamie Jo WrightStop 18 Lynette EasonStop 19: Jill WilliamsonStop 20: Pepper BashamStop 21: Jill Eileen SmithStop 22: Janelle LeonardStop 23: Megan SchaulisStop 24: Crystal CaudillStop 25: Kimberley WoodhouseStop 26: Hannah CurrieStop 27: Tracie PetersonStop 28: Cara PutmanStop 29: Jennifer DeibelStop 30: Chawna SchroederStop 31: GRAND PRIZE ENTRY!

TO ENTER: Simply go to Stop #1, right here on my site, then collect/write down the clues at each stop along the way. Enter the complete clue stream on Stop #31 in the Rafflecopter Grand Prize form by 4/13 (midnight, Mountain time). International entries accepted; if you win and are outside the USA, you will receive e-books rather than physical copies and the Amazon equivalent to USD prizes.

FIRST PRIZE: All 30 novels and $150 Amazon Gift Card
SECOND PRIZE: All 30 novels and $125 Amazon Gift Card
THIRD PRIZE: All 30 novels and $75 Amazon Gift Card
FOURTH PRIZE: $50 Amazon Gift Card
FIFTH PRIZE: $50 Amazon Gift Card

Contest is open to international entrants. (If someone outside the USA wins one of the top three prizes, they will be sent an ebook. Amazon gift credit will be in the equivalent to USD.) If you have trouble with entering the contest via the Rafflecopter form below, send an email to Lisa@BergrenCreativeGroup.com BEFORE 3/17/24 MIDNIGHT MOUNTAIN with the complete clue phrase and your name and phone #, and I’ll make sure you are entered before the prizes are randomly drawn on 3/18/24. You may enter one time. Winners will be posted on the Rafflecopter widget here, once complete, as well as be notified via the email you used to enter the form (or the email you used for Facebook).

Individual author prizes will be drawn and winners notified by those authors by 3/20/24.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Welcome to the Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt!

If you’ve just discovered the hunt, be sure to collect the clues through all the stops, in order (beginning here at Stop #1), so you can enter to win one of our top 5 grand prizes!

The hunt BEGINS on 3/14 at noon MDT right here on this page!Hunt through our loop using Chrome or Firefox as your browser (not Explorer).There is NO RUSH to complete the hunt—you have all weekend (until Sunday, 3/17 at midnight MDT)! So take your time, reading the unique posts along the way; our hope is that you discover new authors/new books and learn new things about them.Submit your entry for the grand prizes by collecting the CLUE on each author’s scavenger hunt post and submitting your answer in the Rafflecopter form at the final stop, back here on my site. Many authors are offering additional prizes along the way!

Hi! My name’s Lisa Bergren and I’m a writer of many things—children’s books, gift books, nonfiction, and fiction in many genres. And I’m talkin’ MANY. YA time travel, spiritual suspense, women’s fiction, dystopian…you get the gist. You can learn more about me and all my books here on my site and on Facebook. But I always adore an epic story. My newest release is the second in my Oceans of Time Series—Rip Tide. Here’s what it’s about:

The trap is set, and time is slipping away…

After narrowly escaping arrest, time-traveler Luciana Betarrini hurtles back to medieval Italy. Once there, she and her brother, Domenico, must decide how far they’ll go to be part of the Forelli family, and if they’re willing risk their lives to hunt down an assassin.

Meanwhile, Lady Tiliani Forelli’s family has disappeared in enemy territory. Fearing for their lives–and secretly hoping to cross paths with the Fiorentini man she loves—Tiliani goes to Firenze intent on either rescue or seeing justice done. Yet a trap is closing around them all. Can they find their nemesis in time to save their loved ones from certain death?

MY IDEAL INTRO-TO-ITALY ITINERARY

Because I’ve placed so many of my books in Italy, I’ve been blessed to go six times! It all started with the Gifted Series (Begotten, Betrayed, Blessed), then it went on with the River of Time Series (Waterfall, etc.) and now the Oceans of Time Series (Estuary, Rip Tide and next year’s Fathoms)! Travel for research is a definite perk of being an author. Plus I’ve found it gives you details and the means to describe the locale in rich ways.

I often get questions about an ideal itinerary for seeing Italy for the first time. I usually beg people to take at least two weeks for this trip. You won’t regret it! Given the time it takes to travel, you need fourteen days to give each place a fair shake and really get a “sense of place.”

Here’s the overview:

—3 nights (2.5 days) in Rome—2 nights in Florence—6 nights in Tuscany—3 nights in Venice
(1) Purchase an “open-jaw” ticket, flying into Rome and out of Venice to avoid covering the 6+ hour distance on your last day there. Taxi into Rome.(2) Take a train from Rome to Florence and rent a car as you leave. You don’t want to drive IN Rome or Florence.(3) Find your Tuscan villa (or just a room in a bigger one) on agriturismo.net or Booking.com and in a central location to the hill towns you want to see while there. (Consult your guide book, but we LOVE Montepulciano for a home base.)(4) Explore a beautiful town by day and get home to your pretty villa for sunset and dinner!(5) Drop your rental car back in Florence and take the train to Venice. You can’t drive in Venice anyway. 😉 But you can explore the whole lagoon via water bus! Don’t short-change this magical city. An extra couple of days gets you off what locals call “the elephant track” and you’ll find out why people fall in love.(6) Take a water taxi to the airport…the perfect way to end your vacation.
Okay, okay, you only have 10 days? Cut out either Rome or Venice. Viaggi sicuri! (Safe travels!)

Here are the Stop #1 Basics:

If you’re interested, you can order Rip Tide on Amazon, ChristianBook, Barnes & Noble or at your local bookstore!

Clue to Write Down: Some

Link to Stop #2, the Next Stop on the Loop: Cara Putman’s site!

BUT WAIT!

Before you go, I’m offering three additional prizes—a copy of either Estuary or Rip Tide…or the entire Gifted Trilogy (Begotten, Betrayed, Blessed). Your choice! All you have to do is sign up to get my e-newsletter (blue box below, “Stay in the Loop!) or mark it off if you’re already a subscriber. Then fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Additional points for those who follow me as an author on BookBub, Facebook or on Instagram! (USA only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway