Live By The Word Blog

Building Hearts and Chasing Snowflakes

Tue, 04 Feb 2025 08:30:00 GMT

Join me today on my final guest blogger...of this season. Yes, it's true, but I also believe that the Lord leads us through seasons and times. Who knows? I may reinstate the blog again...waiting to hear from Him.

In the meantime, if you aren't subscribed to my monthly News You Can Use that features books, events, and sales, hop onto www.donnaschlachter.com and sign up. AND if you aren't a member of my Facebook group "The Purpose-Full Writer" (and you don't need to be a writer to be a member), hop on over to: https://www.facebook.com/groups/604220861766651 And finally, if you'd like to join my FREE webinar on learning how to tell, share, and save family stories for future generations, register here and get a complimentary download that shares how to tell your story in 3 to 5 minutes: www.thepurposefullwriter.com/leavealegacy

As Donna’s blog winds down this month, I want to express my thanks for her willingness to extend space over the years for other authors. It’s hard to generate reader awareness, so I appreciate her, and each of you.
My goal was to present to you Building Hearts, #3 in my small-town romance series Surrendering Hearts. This is a six-book series where the Hart sextuplets discover their identity and try to find a love like their parents shared. Each sibling has their own story to tell, and Building Hearts is Evan’s journey.

Evan is the middle child and known for projects and schemes that keep the family in the national spotlight. This time he landed a reality show that features his siblings and their efforts to restore brother Ryan’s dilapidated home. It’s Evan’s chance to highlight his skills and prove he isn’t a fraud but a talent.

Shea Madden is the other co-producer and her reality show background has scars. Building with the Harts is her second chance and she doesn’t want anything---not Evan’s newbie ideas or corporate suits with no compassion to ruin this.

As Evan and Shea navigate the land mines behind the scenes, they realize they have a lot more in common than they thought. Can the two surrender their pain and create a family friendly show that will bring the Hart family closer and not tear them apart?

Unfortunately Building Hearts is not ready to release. Besides writing, I also am active in ministry. 2024 was full of serving in that area, and I have no regrets. Although the release is delayed, things are coming together in 2025 that I believe Building Hearts will be available later this year. After that, James, Kelly, and Paige still have their stories. I can’t wait to present this family series to you.

The good news is I have a release to share with you. Last fall I was invited to join a small-town romance series called Dogwood Creek Matchmakers. Every other month through 2026 there will be a new release in the series. The contributing authors are Leah Atwood, Robin Bayne, Joann Durgin, Dawn Kinzer, Lori Soard and me. My first title, Clean Sweep, will be available November 1.

Lori kicked the series off with Chasing Snowflakes. I read it and I fell in love with Charlie and Lydia. Lori crafted a beautiful intro to Dogwood Creek, Tennessee. If you enjoy small-town romances, I highly recommend you read Chasing Snowflakes .

I’m blessed to have two projects in the works that I can offer you in 2025. To be sure you’re in the loop, find me on Link Tree and follow me across book sites and social media. I love to connect with readers. Be sure to say hello!

Chasing Snowflakes : https://www.amazon.com/Chasing-Snowflakes-Contemporary-Christian-Matchmakers-ebook/dp/B0DS1GT32Y

About Julie and Connecting Online:

Julie Arduini writes small-town romances featuring Christian surrender themes and chocolate mentions. She’s the author of the series SURRENDERING HEARTS (Anchored Hearts, Repairing Hearts, +four more). Her other romance series is SURRENDERING TIME (Entrusted, Entangled, Engaged). She also co-wrote a YA/Women’s Fiction series with her daughter, SURRENDERING STINKIN’ THINKIN’ (You’re Beautiful, You’re Amazing, You’re Brilliant). Her stand-alone romances include MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN and RESTORING CHRISTMAS. In 2025 she joins Leah Atwood, Robin Bayne, JoAnn Durgin, and Dawn Kinzer with the small-town romance series Dogwood Creek Matchmakers. Julie maintains a blog at juliearduini.com and Substack. She resides in Ohio with her husband and daughter. Learn more by visiting her at http://linktr.ee/JulieArduini

I don't need a Step-mother--excerpt and new release

Sat, 25 Jan 2025 08:30:00 GMT

Help me welcome author and blogger Susan G. Mathis as she shares another excerpt from her most recent release.

I don’t need a stepmother!
—an excerpt from Emma’s Engagement, book three of the Love at a Lighthouse series

Ada shrugged away from his touch, her resentment palpable. “I don’t want her here, and I don’t want you to marry.” Her voice was tinged with frustration. “She’s just going to ruin everything, and I don’t need a stepmother.”

His heart sank at her words, his own pain mingling with hers. He had hoped this would be easier. “Ada, sweetheart, Emma is not trying to replace your mom. She just wants to be a part of our lives.”

But Ada wasn’t listening. Her shoulders slumped, and she turned away, her steps heavy as she retreated to her room leaving him standing alone, his heart aching with the weight of her rejection. What was he going to do?

He wanted to go after her, to comfort her, to reassure her that everything would be okay. But she was so much like him, and he knew she needed time to process her feelings, to come to terms with the changes in their lives.

With a heavy sigh, he made his way toward the lighthouse, the beacon of light that seemed to guide his path through the darkness of uncertainty. He’d show Emma its inner workings—and the incredible view. But even as he waited to show her the light for the first time and see her face light up with wonder, his thoughts were of Ada, his beloved daughter whose pain he couldn’t bear to see. His child’s words echoed in his mind, her anguished plea replaying like a broken record. Her resistance to Emma’s presence and her fear of change, haunted him.

He understood Ada’s apprehension, her angst over losing the life they had built together, just the two of them against the world. Ever since his wife passed away, they had formed a bond that was unbreakable even with distance, a bond born out of shared grief and unwavering love.

But he also couldn’t deny the love he felt for Emma, the way she had brought light back into his life after years of darkness. Emma understood his pain, his loss, in a way that no one else had, and no matter how much Ada objected, he couldn’t let Emma go.

Was he being selfish, putting his own happiness above his daughter’s? Was he asking too much of her, expecting her to accept Emma into their lives without question?

About Emma’s Engagement:
Emma Row embarks on a journey that will test her resilience and love. She marries Michael Diepolder, the Rock Island Lightkeeper and widower, a man who seeks a companion for both himself and his eleven-year-old daughter, Ada. But as she steps into the role of lightkeeper’s wife with a heart full of hope, little does she know that the idyllic setting conceals challenges that will shake the foundation of her happiness. Isolation creeps in, compounded by Ada’s determination to keep her father all to herself. As a storm looms, Emma must grapple with the difficulties of being a stepmother and lightkeeper’s wife. Will she find her place, or will the tumultuous waves of doubt and isolation tear them apart?

For Michael, Emma is not just a wife but the hope for his future. But the lighthouse life and being a stepmother proves harder for Emma than he ever imagined, and Ada’s animosity only intensifies it. When the lighthouse inspector questions Emma’s place due to her Canadian heritage and Ada become deathly ill, the very foundation of their family is shaken. Can their family find solace and unity on this tiny island? Amid the swirling tempest of challenges, Emma, Michael, and Ada must discover the strength within themselves and each other to weather the storm. Emma’s Engagement is a poignant tale of love, resilience, and the enduring bonds that can form in the most unexpected places. This fictional story is based on the actual lives of Michael and Emma Diepolder.

About Susan:
Susan G Mathis is an international award-winning, multi-published author of stories set in the beautiful Thousand Islands, her childhood stomping ground in upstate NY. Susan has been published more than thirty times in full-length novels, novellas, and non-fiction books. She has thirteen in her Thousand Islands fiction line including, The Fabric of Hope: An Irish Family Legacy, Christmas Charity, Katelyn’s Choice, Devyn’s Dilemma, Sara’s Surprise, Reagan’s Reward, Colleen’s Confession, Peyton’s Promise, Rachel’s Reunion, Mary’s Moment, A Summer at Thousand Island House, Libby’s Lighthouse , and Julia’s Joy , and Emma’s Engagement . Find out more at www.SusanGMathis.com/fiction .

Where can people find her online?
Susan’s website: https://www.susangmathis.com/fiction-books
Buy links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | Wild Heart Books
Social media links: Website | Author Central | Facebook | Twitter | Blog | Instagram | Goodreads l Book Bub | Pinterest

The Monsters at My School: The New Kid

Wed, 22 Jan 2025 08:30:00 GMT

Help me welcome author Lisa Pelissier as she shares about her most recent release.

About The New Kid
The new kid is weird. He's skinny. He's short. He doesn't even like pizza. And he pokes people.
That's when the real weirdness starts, along with Grayson's suspicions that this new kid is not what he seems.

Will the second graders be able to figure out what's going on before anything scary happens?

Getting to know Lisa:
Lisa Pelissier lives in Oregon where she is a homeschool mother of four and self-published author of six middle-grade fiction novels, as well as two early-readers' chapter books and two YA fantasy novels. Lisa owns SneakerBlossom Books, offering Christian, classical homeschool study guides and curriculum. She also works as a freelance copy editor, copy writer, and virtual assistant. She blogs at Eleventh Willow (at the SneakerBlossom website), a site she and two friends started for Christians parenting the mentally ill. In her spare time Lisa enjoys making art, playing the piano, and singing.

Connecting Online:
Website: https://www.sneakerblossom.com/
Email: sneakerblossom (at) yahoo.com
Blog: https://www.sneakerblossom.com/eleventhwillow
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lisa.pelissier.author
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisaedkela/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/edkela/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Lisa-Pelissier/author/B08794GCR1
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SneakerBlossom
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lisapelissier1

“You have to write another Monsters book!” She was insistent. And she had ideas.

That’s how book 3 of the Monsters at My School series, The New Kid, came about. My consultant was a demanding, creative eleven-year-old who loves the Monsters series. Sometimes inspiration comes naturally. Sometimes you have to look for it. And sometimes it’s forced upon you.

The New Kid sees Grayson, Kinsley, and the other second graders facing the hideous unknown—a new kid in the second grade. He’s not just new, he’s weird. He’s skinny. He’s short. He doesn’t even like pizza! And worse than that, he pokes people. When Grayson complains about Bruno at dinner, his parents tell him to be nice. “If you’re nice to him, he will be nice to you.” Grayson doesn’t think it works that way, but he’s willing to give it a try.

That’s when the real weirdness starts. Bruno only eats meat. He can jump higher than Grayson’s head. And (gulp) the second graders start to suspect he might be . . . a monster. When Mila finds a mysterious golden object on the playground, the kids are determined to figure out what’s going on. Together with their slimy, furry, googly-eyed monster friends, a little kidnapping, a little danger, and a whole lot of heart, the second graders solve the mystery and, once again, save the day.

This series is lighthearted and quirky. The characters are usually nice kids who sometimes do the wrong thing—like bullying Bruno, stealing glue, and, well, kidnapping. This series strives to see the world from a second-grade perspective. While my characters do experience remorse over their misdeeds, I strive to avoid a preachy tone. What kid doesn’t understand that bullying, stealing, and kidnapping are wrong? The thing they need to hear is that they can get past the ways they’ve offended others. They can be granted grace. And they can forgive others. Everyone has their own gifts they bring to the group—from Kinsley’s love of baking to Riley’s ability to spit and Ollie’s nerdy brain. No one’s gifts are less valuable than anyone else’s. I guess a prominent theme might be something like this: Life will surprise you. You’re going to mess up, but if you keep trying to do the right thing, it’s going to turn out okay. Like Marcus Aurelius said in his Meditations, (and I’m paraphrasing), no one can harm you if you stay true to doing right.

The New Kid will be released on January 16, 2025. At the same time—from January 16 to 18—the e-book version of the first book in the series will be free.

The Monsters at My School (Book 1): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C51XDJ5D/
Monsters in Trouble (Book 2): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CLH6PWYS/
The New Kid (Book 3): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DSDX9FFX/

"Love at a Lighthouse" series spotlight and new release

Tue, 14 Jan 2025 08:30:00 GMT

Join me today as author and blogger Susan G. Mathis shares about her upcoming release.

Join the Row-family women, Libby, Julia, and Emma, as they navigate the isolation, danger, and hope for lasting love at three different Thousand Island lighthouses in the St. Lawrence River. [Note: These can be read in any order.]

Emma’s Engagement (book three)
Emma Row embarks on a journey that will test her resilience and love. She marries Michael Diepolder, the Rock Island Lightkeeper and widower, a man who seeks a companion for both himself and his eleven-year-old daughter, Ada. But as she steps into the role of lightkeeper’s wife with a heart full of hope, little does she know that the idyllic setting conceals challenges that will shake the foundation of her happiness. Isolation creeps in, compounded by Ada’s determination to keep her father all to herself. As a storm looms, Emma must grapple with the difficulties of being a stepmother and lightkeeper’s wife. Will she find her place, or will the tumultuous waves of doubt and isolation tear them apart?

For Michael, Emma is not just a wife but the hope for his future. But the lighthouse life and being a stepmother proves harder for Emma than he ever imagined, and Ada’s animosity only intensifies it. When the lighthouse inspector questions Emma’s place due to her Canadian heritage and Ada become deathly ill, the very foundation of their family is shaken. Can their family find solace and unity on this tiny island? Amid the swirling tempest of challenges, Emma, Michael, and Ada must discover the strength within themselves and each other to weather the storm. Emma’s Engagement is a poignant tale of love, resilience, and the enduring bonds that can form in the most unexpected places. This fictional story is based on the actual lives of Michael and Emma Diepolder.

Julia’s Joy (book two)
When Julia Collins reluctantly sets foot on Sister Island, compelled by her grandmother’s will, she is intent on claiming her inheritance and moving on. But when she experiences the peaceful, faith-filled island life and connects with the handsome lightkeeper, William, Julia finds herself confronting her open wounds from her parents’ deaths.

William Dodge, lightkeeper of Sister Island, harbors a heart hardened by a past betrayal. Between that and his chronic pleurisy, he wants nothing to do with love. But when Julia arrives on the island bursting with vitality and unconventional notions, William’s world is turned upside down. As she chips away at the walls William has built for himself, he finds his reluctance waning. But just as love begins to blossom between them, Julia is faced with a tempting proposal from a prominent Brockville family. Will she succumb to societal expectations or choose the richness of her island life and the love of the steadfast lightkeeper?

Libby’s Lighthouse (book one)
Elizabeth Montonna, daughter of the Tibbett’s Point Lighthouse keeper, thought she’d love the lighthouse life forever—until her mother, on her deathbed, reveals a long-buried secret. Now Elizabeth’s world has been turned upside down, making her question if she’ll ever truly belong and be loved. But when a dashing young sailor appears on her shore, wounded and disoriented, she finds purpose in helping him recover. Although the man knows nothing about his past or identity, his kindness and character steal a little more of her heart each day. If only she knew his full name.

When Owen awakes on the shore of Lake Ontario with no knowledge of who he is, or where he was headed when his ship wrecked, he has no choice but to accept the hospitality of the lighthouse keeper and his lovely daughter. But as Owen works to repay their kindness, and his relationship with Libby turns into something more, he knows their budding romance can go no further until he uncovers his past. With each passing day, Owen inches closer to discovering the secrets of his identity, but will the revelations bring him closer to Libby or tear them apart forever?

An Excerpt from Emma’s Engagement (coming Jan 21):
“Well, young lady, I’ve been thinking about that. Your father and I will miss you terribly, but we know you need a good education. To celebrate your return to academic endeavors and to acknowledge you are indeed growing up fast, how about I make you a new hat, a real grownup bonnet? You see, until I took the post as librarian at Thousand Island Park, I was a skilled milliner. I worked at it for years.”

With the last button closed, Ada turned to look at her, her eyes wide. “Then, why do you wear that old hat?” As soon as the words came out of her mouth, she clamped both hands over her lips as if to keep any more words from coming out. She just as quickly released her hands and took a deep breath. “Sorry. That was mean.”

Instead of being upset, Emma chuckled. “Thank you for the apology. That old hat is a treasured heirloom from my mother. She wore it for her wedding to my father. I know it’s old and unfashionable, but somehow it gives me comfort.”

Ada frowned. “It’s not so bad, really. I was just in a bad mood that day I made fun of it.”

Emma waved off her concern. “It’s okay, but remember to always use your words to be kind, Ada. I see you’ve been working hard on that, and I commend you for it. Keep up the good work, darling.”

Ada nodded. “I will, Emma.”

Emma took Ada’s hand and tugged her to her room. “And now, let me show you my secret treasure trove of fabrics and trimmings that I have hidden in one of my steamer trunks. You can pick the fabric, lace, ribbons, and I’ll make you a bonnet or a fascinator you can wear on your first day back to school.”

Ada scrunched up her nose. “What’s the difference?”

Emma smiled. “Well, fascinators are smaller, more decorative hats that don’t have a brim or a crown, and you know what bonnets are.”

“Then I definitely would like a decorative bonnet, please. Those fancy fascinators are for older girls.”

Emma chuckled. One minute she wanted to be a lady and the next stay a little girl. “Sounds good to me, sweetheart.”

Gently lifting the lid of her largest truck, Emma revealed a stunning assortment of fabrics in a rainbow of colors and textures. She showed Ada her soft silks in delicate pastels, shimmering organzas, and luxurious satins. And of course, she kept wools, cottons, linens, duck, and seersuckers for everyday wear that lay at the bottom of the trunk. Ada’s eyes widened with wonder as she ran her fingers over the materials.

“Such an array, Emma. How shall I ever choose?”

About Susan:
Susan G Mathis is an international award-winning, multi-published author of stories set in the beautiful Thousand Islands, her childhood stomping ground in upstate NY. Susan has been published more than thirty times in full-length novels, novellas, and non-fiction books. She has thirteen in her Thousand Islands fiction line including, The Fabric of Hope: An Irish Family Legacy, Christmas Charity, Katelyn’s Choice, Devyn’s Dilemma, Sara’s Surprise, Reagan’s Reward, Colleen’s Confession, Peyton’s Promise, Rachel’s Reunion, Mary’s Moment, A Summer at Thousand Island House, Libby’s Lighthouse , and Julia’s Joy , and Emma’s Engagement . Find out more at www.SusanGMathis.com/fiction .

Where can people find her online?
Susan’s website: https://www.susangmathis.com/fiction-books
Buy links: Amazon Barnes&Noble | Wild Heart Books
Social media links: Website | Author Central | Facebook | Twitter | Blog | Instagram | Goodreads l Book Bub | Pinterest |

When the Avalanche Roared -- with Giveaway

Sat, 04 Jan 2025 07:30:00 GMT

Help me welcome author Lauralee Bliss as she shares her latest release and generously offers a choice of of free ebook to one lucky winner.

About Lauralee:
Lauralee is an avid adventurer as well as an author of over thirty novels with When the Avalanche Roared being her 31st. When not writing she can be found on her favorite hiking trail, having logged over 12,000 hiking miles. Find out about all her adventures in books and hiking at https://lauraleebliss.com

A Peek Inside the Book:
Chapter 1
SEPTEMBER 1909 EVERETT, WASHINGTON

The hand shook in a voiceless plea for help. She strained, trying in vain to grasp the hand, reaching ever closer, nearly there. A cry rose up in her throat for heavenly grace and strength. Please, oh please. Help me reach. Just a little bit more. Oh God, I must help. Help me! Again came a rumble in her throat, the effort causing every part of her to cry out. “Help!”

“Lillian!”

Lillian Hartwick awoke with a start, the vision quickly disappearing into the realm of reality with the worried eyes of Mother standing over her. She drew herself to a sitting position. Only a moment ago she had lain back on the settee to think. “I must have fallen asleep.” She wiped her damp forehead with her hand. “What a terrible dream.”

“I heard you cry for help from the other room. Do you want to talk about it?”

Lillian shook her head, inhaled a deep breath….

Link to book: https://www.amazon.com/When-Avalanche-Roared-Day-Remember/dp/B0CYDDKV98

Connecting Online:

Website: https://lauraleebliss.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLauraleeBliss
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blissfulhiking/
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/lauralee-bliss

The Thief in the Night

Barbour Publishing has stepped into a new series called A Day to Remember that focuses on specific disasters in history. When the Avalanche Roared delves into a little known but significant tragedy deep in the heart of the Cascade Mountains of Washington State, when trains are swept off the rail tracks in a terrific avalanche one fateful night. The loss of ninety-three souls makes it the worst avalanche in US history. What makes it more difficult to grasp is how close the trains were to being rescued before the snows hit. The force of the tragedy where young and old perished in their sleep is a difficult story to relate when one balances sudden loss with faith and hope.

In these times the author must let go of preconceived notions and let God take control of the storytelling. The Bible itself is filled with tragedy and loss as well. But measured in the equation of eternal significance, the loss can be seen in a different way, and that is through the eyes of eternity. In this, everything changes. Our flesh changes, our spirits are set free from sin and death. There is no crying or sadness or despair. But the fact that we leave this earthly dwelling, measured in eternity by what we have built up here on earth (I Corinthians 3:12-14) makes it all the more urgent that we live for each day, not knowing when eternity will arrive and our lives here will come to an end.

As we begin a New Year, let us then evaluate priorities. Are we doing the best we can with the gifts God has given us? Are there relationships that could use some uplifting intervention on our part? Are there goals we should try to attain in the New Year while the time is now? Are there things we should do that mean more in the sense of eternity rather than the here and now?

A book such as When the Avalanche Roared obliges us to examine priorities. And makes us realize that like a thief in the night, one can be taken away. But by the grace of God, if we have another day to accomplish what God wants from our lives, then let us go forth in it and give it your all.

Giveaway: Leave a comment to enter a random giveaway for winner's choice of one of Lauralee's books in digital format. Don't forget to include your cleverly disguised email address so we can reach you but the bots can't. For example, donna AT livebytheword DOT com

December New Fiction Releases

Fri, 20 Dec 2024 08:30:00 GMT

The Vigil: An Excerpt from Julia’s Joy

Sat, 14 Dec 2024 08:30:00 GMT

Today I share Susan Mathis and her final installment in our series of three blog posts about Julia's Joy.

About Julia’s Joy:

When Julia Collins reluctantly sets foot on Sister Island, compelled by her wealthy grandmother's will, she is intent on claiming her inheritance and moving on. But when she experiences the peaceful, faith-filled island life, and connects with the handsome lightkeeper, William, Julia finds herself confronting her open wounds from her parents' deaths.

William Dodge, lightkeeper of Sister Island, harbors a heart hardened by a past betrayal. Between that and his chronic pleurisy, he wants nothing to do with love. But when Julia arrives on the island bursting with vitality and unconventional notions, William's world is turned upside down. As she chips away at the walls William has built for himself, he finds his reluctance waning.

But just as love begins to blossom between them, Julia is faced with a tempting proposal from a prominent Brockville family. Will she succumb to societal expectations or choose the richness of her island life and the love of the steadfast lightkeeper?

Here’s an excerpt from Julia’s Joy :

As William scanned the lamp room, it smelled of dampness and kerosene, scents ingrained in the very fabric of the lighthouse. The rain continued to patter incessantly on the ten-sided glass room, a staccato call to be at attention, though he doubted many would traverse the river in such weather, save the oceangoing salties or perhaps a laker or two already en route to port. Still, after the recent crash on that foggy night, he had to remain vigilant.

He approached the massive lamp, that giant sentinel in the center of the room, and lit it. The wick flickered, a dim flame yearning for attention. He sighed. Much like the lamp, there were aspects of his heart that also needed tending.

He carefully fine-tuned the wick, coaxing it to life with a gentle adjustment. The flame responded, dancing with renewed vigor.

William polished the brass components of the lamp until they gleamed, each stroke a subtle swish of reflection. The windows of the lamp room also caught his attention. With a determined resolve, he set about cleaning them, but the view beyond the glass was obscured, much like the uncertainty that clouded his tomorrows.

As he wiped away the residue, he appraised Julia’s inner storm and the book that held the answers to her battle. Though she hadn’t mentioned the many notes and comments his father and mother had added to their family heirloom, he knew many of them by heart. Indeed, he had added a few of his own over the years.

He wouldn’t force Julia to share her revelations. No, he had to let her come to him when she was ready. In the meantime, he would pray for her.

He set about puttering, as he often did when deep in thought. The clang of metal against metal resounded through the lamp room as he tinkered with the brass workings of the massive apparatus. He smiled as the beam of light from the lighthouse swept across the stormy river, cutting through the thick mist that clung to the island and beyond, just as it should.

About Susan:

Susan G Mathis is an international award-winning, multi-published author of stories set in the beautiful Thousand Islands, her childhood stomping ground in upstate NY. Susan has been published more than thirty times in full-length novels, novellas, and non-fiction books. She has thirteen in her fiction line including, The Fabric of Hope: An Irish Family Legacy, Christmas Charity, Katelyn’s Choice, Devyn’s Dilemma, Sara’s Surprise, Reagan’s Reward, Colleen’s Confession, Peyton’s Promise, Rachel’s Reunion, Mary’s Moment, A Summer at Thousand Island House, Libby’s Lighthouse, and Julia’s Joy, the second in her three-book lighthouse series. Her book awards include three Illumination Book Awards, four American Fiction Awards, three Indie Excellence Book Awards, five Literary Titan Book Awards, two Golden Scroll Awards, and a Selah Award. Susan is also a published author of two premarital books, two children’s picture books, stories in a dozen compilations, and hundreds of published articles. Susan makes her home in Northern Virginia and enjoys traveling around the world but returns each summer to enjoy the Thousand Islands. Visit www.SusanGMathis.com/fiction for more.

Where can people find you online?

Susan’s website: https://www.susangmathis.com/fiction-books

Buy links: Amazon | Barnes&Nobles | Wild Heart Books

Julia’s Joy book trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rq7XLUohjrA

Fairy Tales, Literacy, and Comprehension

Thu, 28 Nov 2024 08:30:00 GMT

Help me welcome author Lisa Pelissier as she shares about a subject near and dear to her heart -- literacy and comprehension. After all, what is the benefit in knowing how to read if we don't understand what the author is trying to convey?

The neighbor boy was over at our house, playing with my daughters. They were working puzzles on the living room floor—wooden puzzles that my grandmother used when she was a kindergarten teacher from 1950 to 1970. Suddenly this ten-year-old boy cried, “Miss Lisa! I think something terrible’s happening in this puzzle! I think it’s slavery!”

I didn’t remember having a slavery puzzle, so I looked over to see what he was talking about.

It was Hansel and Gretel. You know, the scene where the witch has Hansel locked in a cage while she tries to fatten him up as a precursor to eating him.

The neighbor boy had never heard the story of Hansel and Gretel.

After remedying the situation, I sat back to ponder. I was raised on Grimm’s fairy tales. I had a big book of fairy tales—still have it, in fact. Classic fairy tales were everywhere—in children’s books, in chapter books, and on TV. Everyone knew the stories of Hansel and Gretel, Rumpelstiltskin, Rapunzel, and more.

Those tales are being lost.

My solution was to create a reading comprehension book for children containing 22 Grimm’s fairy tales told in 26 short lessons. The stories were taken right out of the fairy tales, and the comprehension questions from the stories. I was working as a long-term substitute teacher for a second-grade class at the time, and I created the stories with them in mind. The kids loved them. Reclaim: Reading Comprehension for Cultural Literacy based on Grimm’s Fairy Tales is appropriate for students with a reading level between second and third grade. It’s an easy way for homeschool parents or classroom teachers to introduce Grimm’s fairy tales to their students in a way that takes ten to fifteen minutes per lesson.

I know this blog is usually about newly released fiction. It’s intended to let you all—the readers—know what is up and coming. But it’s good also to take a moment to look back on the varied stories that made us who we are as individuals, as a nation, and as a culture. From that foundation, we can press forward in our own creative journeys and in making beautiful choices about what we choose to read.

Link to Reclaim :

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CC7C36SR/

About Lisa:

Lisa Pelissier lives in Oregon where she is a homeschool mother of four and self-published author of six middle-grade fiction novels, as well as two early-readers' chapter books and two YA fantasy novels. Lisa owns SneakerBlossom Books, offering Christian, classical homeschool study guides and curriculum. She also works as a freelance copy editor, copy writer, and virtual assistant. She blogs at Eleventh Willow, a site she and two friends started for Christians parenting the mentally ill. In her spare time Lisa enjoys making art, playing the piano, and singing.

Connecting Online:

Website: https://www.sneakerblossom.com/
Email: sneakerblossom (at) yahoo.com
Blog: https://www.eleventhwillow.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lisa.pelissier.author
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisaedkela/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/edkela/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Lisa-Pelissier/author/B08794GCR1
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SneakerBlossom
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lisapelissier1

Weather isn’t Always Safe

Fri, 22 Nov 2024 08:30:00 GMT

Help me welcome Dienece Darling today as she shares about a recent release.

There’s a running joke in my family which comes from the 1995 Sense and Sensibility movie starring Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet. The youngest daughter, Margaret had a habit of always saying the wrong thing when guests came to visit. After several ‘mistakes,’ her mother and sisters inform Margaret that one should speak of the weather if they don’t know what to say.

Lo and behold, there’s a very awkward scene at the end of the movie. No one has any idea what to say, and Margaret—finally remembering her etiquette lessons—pipes up, ‘We’ve been enjoying very fine weather.’

And what does Margaret get for all her troubles? Her mother and sisters shush her.

Poor Margaret, she’d done what they told her to do! Talk about the weather to fill an awkward pause. And somehow it still wasn’t right.

My family loved this quote back when I was a teenager. We probably wore it out, but years later, it still makes me smile. And occasionally, I dare to tell my family that the weather has been ‘very fine’ lately.

But weather isn’t always a safe topic. In fact, weather can be devastating. Floods, snowstorms, drought, and dare I mention hurricanes? There are times when speaking of the weather is the last thing anyone wants.

Just such an occasion happens in my book Hearts Unknown.

In 1763, London suffered one of the worst winters anyone could remember. It was so bad that not only did the Thames freeze over, but the very ground itself. Gardeners were unable to work and took to the streets dressed in mourning clothes. Can you imagine what it would look like to see gardeners marching through the streets like a funeral procession because they couldn’t work?

Things got so bad the East India Company gave 10 guineas to several parishes for the relief of the poor. In today’s terms, this is roughly worth around $1,400. Not exactly a drop in the bucket. According to https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/currency-converter/ 10 guineas equalled around 100 days of wages.

On top of that, a poor lady got lost on her way home from buying bread, wandered into a fen, and froze to death.

All these distressing scenes pile up on my heroine Edith Howard in Hearts Unknown. She wants to do something for the poor. She wants to help, but it’s not like she’s got $1,000 dollars lying around. What can one lady do in the face of such great need?

Have you ever felt overwhelmed? Like there wasn’t anything you could do to fix things, to help?

In Hearts Unknown Edith learns the value of two mites given to God. And of course, since this is a romance, she manages to fall in love while she’s at it! ��

Buy link: https://www.books2read.com/heartsunknown

Connecting Online:

http://www.dienecedarling.com

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063748350005

https://www.instagram.com/dienecedarling/

https://x.com/DieneceDarling

About Dienece :
Inspirational historical romance author Dienece Darling was born in American but now calls Australia home. Her stories find love and faith in history, and her first name is a variant spelling of Denise.

November Christian Fiction New Releases

Wed, 20 Nov 2024 08:30:00 GMT

New Paragraph

An Interview with Susan G Mathis

Thu, 14 Nov 2024 08:30:00 GMT

Welcome author and blogger Susan G Mathis back for her second of three posts about her upcoming release, Julia's Joy.

Julia’s Joy

Book two is out now!

She came to claim her inheritance, but the mysterious lighthouse keeper makes her question all her plans.

When Julia Collins reluctantly sets foot on Sister Island, compelled by her grandmother’s will, she is intent on claiming her inheritance and moving on. But when she experiences the peaceful, faith-filled island life and connects with the handsome lightkeeper, William, Julia finds herself confronting her open wounds from her parents’ deaths.

William Dodge, lightkeeper of Sister Island, harbors a heart hardened by a past betrayal. Between that and his chronic pleurisy, he wants nothing to do with love. But when Julia arrives on the island bursting with vitality and unconventional notions, William’s world is turned upside down. As she chips away at the walls William has built for himself, he finds his reluctance waning.

Libby’s Lighthouse: Book one is available now.

When a lighthouse keeper’s daughter finds a mysterious sailor with amnesia, the secrets she uncovers may change her life forever.

Elizabeth Montonna, daughter of the Tibbett’s Point Lighthouse keeper, thought she’d love the lighthouse life forever—until her mother, on her deathbed, reveals a long-buried secret. Now Elizabeth’s world has been turned upside down, making her question if she’ll ever truly belong and be loved. But when a dashing young sailor appears on her shore, wounded and disoriented, she finds purpose in helping him recover. Although the man knows nothing about his past or identity, his kindness and character steal a little more of her heart each day. If only she knew his full name.

When Owen awakes on the shore of Lake Ontario with no knowledge of who he is, or where he was headed when his ship wrecked, he has no choice but to accept the hospitality of the lighthouse keeper and his lovely daughter. But as Owen works to repay their kindness, and his relationship with Libby turns into something more, he knows their budding romance can go no further until he uncovers his past.

With each passing day, Owen inches closer to discovering the secrets of his identity, but will the revelations bring him closer to Libby or tear them apart forever?

About Susan:

Where can people find you online?

Susan’s website: https://www.susangmathis.com/fiction-books

Buy links: Amazon | Barnes&Nobles | Wild Heart Books

Julia’s Joy book trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rq7XLUohjrA

Jingle Bell Matchmakers: Behind the Story …

Tue, 12 Nov 2024 08:30:00 GMT

Help me welcome author Lori DeJong as she shares about her upcoming Christmas release.

In July 2023, I was so excited when I was invited to join three other Scrivenings Press authors in a Christmas novella collection entitled A Match Made at Christmas, that was set to release in October 2024. My debut novel had just released two weeks before, and I was hard at work on the second book in the series. But the chance to work on a lighthearted Christmas romance novella was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.

I’d never written a novella before but came up with a loose concept of a character who had left their small town with big dreams and was coming home for Christmas for the first time in years. I didn’t know yet if it would be him or her, just that this character’s life was at a crossroads, and I wanted their mothers involved somehow in the scheme to get them back together.

After some brainstorming, the story of Cody Lansdale and Aubrey Mayfield came into view. High school sweethearts from a small Texas town with big dreams of making it in Christian music. When they’re finally “discovered”, however, it doesn’t exactly go the way they’d planned, and Cody leaves Aubrey in Nashville to become all she can be.

Jingle Bell Matchmakers opens with Aubrey, now billed as "Aubrey May", country music star, being lured home by some misinformation eleven years later. And when she and Cody, now a widowed father of a precocious little girl, keep finding themselves in the same place at the same time, they begin to wonder if something’s going on behind the scenes.

I hope you enjoy Jingle Bell Matchmakers, a second-chance romance story with a committee of well-meaning, spunky ladies pulling the heartstrings!

About the story: When country music star Aubrey Mayfield is lured home after years away, she’s bewildered when she and ex-fiancé-now-widowed-dad Cody Lansdale keep finding themselves in the same place at the same time. As they become reacquainted, however, old feelings stir. Aubrey’s at a crossroads in her career and is contemplating a change. But when a chance at headlining her own tour takes her back to Nashville, Cody realizes her dreams may once again come between them. Unless God, with a little help from the Jingle Bell Committee, has a better plan.

A sneak peek into the book:
Cecelia: It worked! Her flight just landed at DFW.
Marlene: Wonderful! Let’s get this done

Hoodwinked. And by her own mother, no less. Aubrey dragged her hastily packed suitcase behind her while lugging the matching carry-on up the front steps of her childhood home. Even after eleven years, the porch remained the same.

“Aubrey. You’re here!"

Coming to an abrupt halt, Aubrey tried to glare at said con artist mother as the woman barreled out the door toward her, smile wide and arms outstretched. Her breath left in a whoosh when those arms grasped her in a tight embrace. She could do nothing but hold on to keep her balance on her high-heeled platform shoes.

Mom pulled back and took Aubrey’s face in her hands. “Oh, sweetheart, I’m so happy you came home."
“You mean, before my poor, sweet, sick nana succumbed to the slight head cold she’s nursing while baking cookies on this fine December Friday I’d planned to sleep through?"

About Lori:

Lori DeJong is a contemporary Christian romance author who enjoys penning stories full of grace and the redemptive power of God’s love. She resides in Georgetown, Texas, with her husband and two fur-babies and is the mother of one grown daughter. Lori's debut novel, "Love's True Calling", was the 2022 winner of the ACFW Genesis Award for Romance and was released in June 2023. "Love’s True Home" released in June 2024, and "Love’s True Measure" will release in June 2025. "Jingle Bell Matchmakers" released as part of "A Match Made at Christmas" novella collection in October 2024.

To purchase “A Match Made at Christmas”:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DFXF5DHV

Connecting Online:

https://loridejongwrites.com/

https://bit.ly/LoriDeJongCommunity

https://www.instagram.com/loridejongwrites/

https://www.facebook.com/loridejongwrites

https://www.amazon.com/author/loridejongwrites

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/38460845.Lori_DeJong

Of Dragons and Dreams and Justice -- book spotlight

Wed, 06 Nov 2024 08:30:00 GMT

Help me welcome back Lisa Pelissier as she shares another of her books with a theme we can all understand -- the longing for freedom.

The second book in my fantasy series, The Illumination of the Siann Dha , was released yesterday, November 5. In the first book, four very diverse characters came together, driven by their own needs and goals, and ended up saving their world from certain destruction. Now, in Book 2, Untethered, those whose plan had been to destroy their world and escape to start a new civilization are adrift in the cosmos outside of the enclosed world of Gannoir.

Inside the skyboulder, an enormous spaceship carved from rock, the joint masterminds behind the scheme to destroy Gannoir are forming a new plan. Among those they’ve taken out of the world with them are Dynny, a gnomish, intellectually disabled man; pregnant Mailu, who is mostly dead; and Xylo’s grandson he’s never met, Talag.

Will elderly Xylo, petulant, anguished Tass, and true-blue Talag be able to bring the skyboulder home before it’s too late? Will Xylo get justice for the wrongs that were done against him and his family? Will Tass be able to bring her sister Mailu home safely? Will Talag succeed in saving himself and Dynny despite their desperate circumstances?

This series is a look at the destructive nature of sin. Tass’s angst stems from being abandoned by a mother who never loved her. Xylo and Talag’s family has been destroyed by greed and the lust for power. In the depth of their own pain, they all have to wrestle with their own tendencies to sin against others. Some of them are victorious, choosing right over wrong most of the time. Others give in to the darkness, which appears as a physical force that has invaded their world.

I believe there is value in writing from a place of darkness and anguish. For most people—maybe all—darkness and anguish are present in their lives. Periods of hardship ebb and flow over time, but it’s important to stop, point, and say, “that is evil” and to stand against it, even when it seems that resisting the evil is impossible. One of my characters decides it is in their best interest to join forces with the evil to get what they want. Another resists from the get-go, but may still be destroyed by it nonetheless. Ultimately, the goal of portraying the darkness is to point out the power of the light to dispel it. That is the hope for this four-book series.

What is Untethered About?

Justice is all Xylo craves. His enemy has escaped into the unknown, taking nearly 40 others aboard the skyboulder-among them, the grandchildren Xylo never knew he had. Determined to bring his enemy back to face the consequences of the destruction he's wrought, Xylo embarks on a mission that will lead him to the unexpected-for better or for worse.

Twelve-year-old Tass has never felt more alone. Her only friend is dead, and her sister—whether alive or lost forever, she doesn't know—has vanished aboard the skyboulder. Desperate to find her, Tass faces a perilous journey, torn between saving her sister and losing herself along the way. Can she survive the search without sacrificing her life... or her soul?

Talag has always been an outsider. When his grandfather chose him to board the skyboulder, one of the few selected to create a new world, Talag was left confused and out of place. Now, with his unlikely companion—an elderly, intellectually disabled man named Dynny—Talag must confront his family's dark secrets and his own role in their legacy.

As dangers mount, can Talag and Dynny find a way to save themselves before it's too late?

Check out the book here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0DJRQDV48

And the series here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BFMTBJPL

About Lisa:

Lisa Pelissier lives in Oregon where she is a homeschool mother of four and self-published author of five middle-grade fiction novels, as well as two early-readers' chapter books and a YA fantasy novel. Lisa owns SneakerBlossom Books, offering Christian, classical homeschool study guides and curriculum. She also works as a freelance copy editor, copy writer, and virtual assistant. She blogs at Eleventh Willow (at the SneakerBlossom website), a site she and two friends started for Christians parenting the mentally ill. In her spare time Lisa enjoys making art, playing the piano, and singing.

Connect online:

Website: https://www.sneakerblossom.com/
Email: sneakerblossom (at) yahoo.com
Blog: https://www.sneakerblossom.com/eleventhwillow
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lisa.pelissier.author
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisaedkela/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/edkela/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Lisa-Pelissier/author/B08794GCR1
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SneakerBlossom
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lisapelissier1

Painting Promises: An excerpt from Julia’s Joy

Mon, 04 Nov 2024 08:30:00 GMT

Join me today as I welcome friend, author, and blogger Susan G Mathis as she shares about her upcoming release.

About Julia’s Joy:

Here’s an excerpt from Julia’s Joy:

Inspired by the tranquility of the moment and determined to depict the lighthouse at sunset, Julia gathered her art supplies and made her way to an eastern spot on the island. From here, she could capture the lighthouse and the western sunset. The early-evening sun kissed the shores of Sister Island, radiating on the landscape. A symphony of bird calls, lapping waves, and buzzing insects filled the air, a familiar melody to accompany and inspire her artistic endeavors.

The river breeze carried whispers of tales untold as Julia dipped her brush into the palette, her heart beating to the ebb and flow of the breakers crashing against the rocky shore. The lighthouse held secrets etched into its weathered exterior, bathed in shades of the slowly setting sun, and she would do her best to capture each one.

Julia’s hands trembled with anticipation and reverence as she sketched the silhouette of Sister Island Lighthouse. The canvas lay before her like a blank chapter waiting to be written. Each stroke was like a waltz between the brush and the page, a hushed conversation with the lighthouse she’d come to love.

When did that happen? She wasn’t sure, but she’d contemplate that later.

The sky, now ablaze with the fiery farewell of the sun, embodied her growing feelings about its lightkeeper. The small flame he’d sparked in her was quickly becoming a burning fire, prompting her to reevaluate everything in her life.

Beautiful, but scary too.

William emerged from the cottage and made his way toward her, but she stayed deeply engrossed in capturing the enchanting sight of the setting sun spilling its luxurious beams on the river and lighthouse before the light faded. Lost in the moment, she barely acknowledged his presence.

“Good evening, Gingersnap.” William’s voice carried a touch of regret. “Sorry I can’t join you, but duty calls, you know. Perhaps we can create side by side under the bright light of day.”

Julia smiled, confirming his words with a nod but maintaining her dedication to the painting. “I understand, William. Truly.”

“May I take a peek, please?”

“Certainly.” She paused her brushstrokes. “Though I fear I’ll struggle to capture the splendor of this evening before the light bids its farewell.”

William slipped quietly behind her, then gasped as he took in her work in progress. “Texture galore. I can almost feel the waves and the setting sun. Glorious, Julia. Just glorious!”

In his enthusiasm, he touched her shoulder, his proximity emphasizing their shared appreciation for the art unfolding before them. His breath tickled her ear as he leaned closer and whispered, “Don’t stop. Don’t ever stop.”

With those words, he swiftly retreated to the cottage, leaving her quivering from his accolades. Minutes later, light exploded across the water, scattering an ethereal glow on the river and affirming the magic of that fleeting moment.

She lost herself in the process, each brushstroke a meditation on the grandeur that surrounded her. Her senses came alive as the wind carried the musky scent of the river, and the distant call of seagulls added a serenade to her artistic refrain unfolding on the art.

Julia scrambled to capture the essence of Sister Island—the way twilight played upon the weathered stones, the delicate waltz of seagulls in the air, and the quiet strength that emanated from the lighthouse itself. She captured her connection to the lighthouse in an unexpected moment that brought tears to her eyes.

Once this summer was gone…she’d never be the same.

About Susan:

Where can people find you online?

Susan’s website: https://www.susangmathis.com/fiction-books

Buy links: Amazon | Barnes&Nobles | Wild Heart Books

Julia’s Joy book trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rq7XLUohjrA

Hidden Danger -- book spotlight and freebie offer

Fri, 25 Oct 2024 23:44:42 GMT

Help me welcome author Gail Pallotta as she shares about her upcoming release.

Will Hidden Danger be free soon?

Yes, Oct. 28 – Nov. 1 (Pacific Time)

Read a review at https://www.gailpallotta.com/this-and-that.html

Chapter One

Emily Hanover jumped and sat straight up in the bed.

She hadn’t been dreaming. There it was again, a scraping noise and banging outside the cabin. With a shaky hand she reached for her cell phone and the after-hours number for Larry, the security guard who checked her in at Sky High Campground. She stopped in mid-air. Thinking only of getting her life back together, she’d forgotten to charge her phone.

The clanging grew louder, more intense. You are our only visitor. Larry had told her. “Few people come to the North Carolina Mountains in January and February, so the managers take off. Another guard, Nick Lancaster who’s on break from college, will be in the office tomorrow.”

With a tremor running through her fingers, Emily plugged the phone into the charger. She flinched each time someone hit stone. With what? A shovel. Yes. It banged into a boulder and resounded in the wind howling around the corner of the house.

Quivering, she slid her feet to the floor. Another round of metal met granite. She raised a blind in the bedroom window, stared at the blackness outside, and let the blind drop. She could see no one. Yet, the shovel vibrations echoed. Whoever hit the rock was really angry. She chewed her knuckle. She’d make herself small and hide. She scooted under the covers and shook.

She had traveled here to renew her spirit in these awe-inspiring mountains. After Donnie West dumped her at the altar, she had yearned to rest and regroup at Sky High. A clank rang out, but this time it reverberated inside her. She would no longer lay here and let a trespasser ruin her vacation. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and forced her body up.

She started to turn on the lights. No. She pulled back her hand. Whoever was outside would see her. She snatched pepper spray and a flashlight from the nightstand and started to the country kitchen, nearly dropping the items as she crept down the hall.

Lord, please help me. First, Donnie. Now this. Please help.

As she peered out the small kitchen window over the sink, the shovel blasted into the silence again. She cringed. Only a person up to no good would invade someone else’s yard in the middle of the night.

She tiptoed past the dining area and the rock fireplace. Her stomach churned as she crossed the room. Finally, she reached the large sliding glass door in the living area. Careful not to touch the drapes, she peeked out the small crack between two panels. No one was there. Had the person outside left? Hope rippled over her. She waited to make sure though. A man with long hair passed outside on her porch. She yanked the drapes shut as tight as she could.

He carried a body.

Buy on Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DDYC11RM

About Gail: Award-winning author Gail Pallotta’s a wife, Mom, swimmer and bargain shopper who loves God, beach sunsets and getting together with friends and family. A 2013 Grace Awards finalist, she’s a Reader’s Favorite 2017 Book Award winner and a TopShelf 2020 Book Awards Finalist. She’s published seven books, poems, short stories and several hundred articles. Some of her articles appear in anthologies while two are in museums. She enjoys connecting with readers. Sign up for her newsletter at https://www.gailpallotta.com/mainphp.html and visit her website at gailpallotta.com

Helping Children Discover Their Uniqueness -- Book and Author Spotlight

Wed, 23 Oct 2024 07:30:00 GMT

Help me welcome author Sandra Kay Chambers as she shares her release about helping children realize they are special and unique in a culture that claims diversity but really wants everybody to be the same.

I never saw myself writing a children’s book until COVID hit. I was a former teacher, journalist, travel writer and author of an adult book on prayer, but definitely not a children’s writer. One morning I discovered some interesting facts about fingerprints online and how each and every person has their own unique fingerprints. Not even twins have the same fingerprints! I dug deeper and started down a fascinating rabbit hole.

When I emerged I had collected lots of resources on fingerprints. During my rabbit hole adventure, I felt God nudging me to use these fingerprint facts to write a children’s devotional. I was familiar with Louie Giglio’s Indescribable series of devotionals based on science, so I took the first step and kept praying for God’s guidance. Two years later, in 2023, Fingerprint Devotions: 40 Devotions to Help You Realize You Are a Kid Uniquely Created by God for a Purpose , (ages 8-12) was published by Ambassador International.

After that book was published, I wrote a picture book, just for fun, on the same theme of fingerprints called Maisie Discovers Her Fingerprint (ages 3-8). While the story is fictional, the main character, a Frenchie puppy, is based on my real-life grand puppy, Maisie. My family loved the story and encouraged me to publish it. My publisher accepted it and it was launched Oct. 1st, 2024. The book contains fun scientific facts about animals with fingerprints woven around a story of Maisie seeking to discover if she has unique fingerprints so she can feel special.

Our children, like Maisie, need to know that they are unique and special and have a purpose for their lives. In today’s culture there is a battle raging for the hearts and minds of our children. They are confused by all the lies that attack the heart of who they are and what their purpose in life is. The core message of my two books addresses this issue. Children are assured that they are uniquely created by God who has a purpose for their life. Each person’s unique fingerprints is proof that God created each person to be unique with unique gifts and talents.

A Peek inside: Maisie Discovers Her Fingerprint

Maisie snuggled close to Sarah while she did some research for her school project. “Maisie, did you know that no two people have the same fingerprints? Everyone’s fingerprints are one of a kind.”

Maisie looked at her paws and wondered, Do I have special fingerprints, too? Maisie wanted to feel special. She didn’t like being chubby with short legs. She couldn’t swim like her doggie friends. And her pug nose made her snore so loudly that she never got invited to doggie sleepovers.

Maybe if she had one-of-a-kind fingerprints, the other dogs would think she was special and be her friend.

Getting to Know Sandra: What you didn’t know about me.

· My biggest accomplishment as a journalist was getting to write a cover story on Billy Graham and getting to meet him and his wife at their NC mountaintop home.

· I bake when it rains, snows, or I’m stressed and it always contains chocolate.

· I’m definitely a dog person and have fallen in love with French bulldogs since meeting my adorable grand puppy, Maisie.

About Sandra:

Sandra is a wife, mother, soon-to-be grandmother, former teacher, journalist and author. Her passion, whether writing or speaking, is to help adults and kids realize they are uniquely created by God for a purpose. Her bag of essentials include a Bible, a camera, lots of dark chocolate and coffee. Sandra lives in coastal North Carolina with her husband and enjoys travel, photography, walking on the beach and eating seafood.

Connecting Online:

Website Link: https://sandrakaychambers.com

IG: https://www.instagram.com/SandraKayChambers

IG: https://www.instagram.com/fiveminuteparenting

Facebook Author Page: https://facebook.com/SandraKayChambersauthor

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/SandraKayChamberswriter

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/skchambers/

Books available on Amazon, B&N, Publisher website.

Fingerprint Devotions: https://rb.gy/hnqys

Maisie Discovers Her Fingerprint: http://amzn.to/3zcz1vI

Inspirational and Clean New Releases

Thu, 17 Oct 2024 17:45:00 GMT

Selective Mutism, Fairy Tale Curse, and Spotlight

Tue, 15 Oct 2024 07:30:00 GMT

Join me today as author Lisa Pelissier shares about her latest release and an almost-invisible disability.

A bout Lisa:

Connecting Online:

I have a new book coming out today. It has been a work in progress for the past four years, off and on. I struggled to write this one.

The message, I felt, wasn’t saying what I wanted it to say. The characters were too quirky, too messy, and too disobedient to what I, the author, wanted them to do. I kept at it because this book was my daughter’s idea.

She told me to write a book about a girl with selective mutism—like herself. Only the girl’s disability wasn’t part of who she was. The girl in the book wouldn’t be able to speak, not because of selective mutism, but because a fairy curse took her voice away.

I should backtrack a little here to explain what selective mutism is. Selective mutism is a form of OCD in which the person is only able to talk to particular people and/or in particular places. My daughter, like Stasia in the book, lost her voice when she was three.

She could talk to immediate family and about five other people, but that was it. Don’t let the word “selective” mislead you—my daughter had no choice about which people were on the list of people she could talk to. It just happened. A glitch inside her somewhere made that selection.

In my new book, Speechless, the main character, twelve-year-old Stasia, can only talk to her best friend, sixteen-year-old Andie, who has non-verbal autism. When an old woman approaches Stasia and reveals that what she has is not a disability, but an evil magical curse, Stasia is shocked. With the help of Andie, Stasia must figure out the answers to the fairy’s riddles and perform quite a few bizarre tasks in order to reclaim her voice.

The problem I had was that I didn’t want my book to give the message that a disability is something to be overcome. A disability is not an enemy. For the most part, disabilities are in a person’s life to stay. The message I wanted to send should say that no one has to be perfect to do good things, to be brave, to be strong, or to be the hero of the story. The disability, ideally, would be a side note, not the focus of the book.

I think I managed to stay true to my core beliefs, while at the same time, giving flesh and bones to my daughter’s vision for the story. Having non-verbal, autistic, really messy Andie rescues the story from being a trite and false dream of overcoming adversity. Andie is broken in ways that can’t be fixed—like most of us, whether or not we have a physical, neurological, or mental disability. Andie is a true friend, a good friend, a major actor in the story—all while being exactly who she is.

I hope this story will inspire kids to look beyond people’s differences and find friendship where maybe they wouldn’t have looked before.

Changing Settings (in Life and Fiction)

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 07:30:00 GMT

Join me today as good friend and multi-published author Margaret Mizushima share about her latest release.

Two years ago my husband and I moved from our home in northern Colorado to the Pacific Northwest. Sorting and consolidating our belongings after living and working in our veterinary clinic and on our farm for forty years was a challenge…and a grueling chore. When we sold our property we hadn’t found a new place to live yet, so we packed our remaining stuff into a shipping container and a stock trailer for storage, loaded up our two German shorthaired pointers, and headed west.

Our daughter had found a rental for us a half mile from her home, and we stayed there for four months while we searched for a home in the rain shadow on the Olympic peninsula. For those of you who don’t know, the rain shadow refers to an area that runs northeast of the Olympic mountain range where it doesn’t rain as much as in the rest of the state. Storms come in from the Pacific Ocean and dump rain in the Olympic rainforest, and this weather pattern shelters the northeast side of the peninsula. Thus, the rain shadow.

We love our new home, and I’ve been fascinated by the climate. After watching the rolling mist and marine layer fill the valleys at the base of the mountains during the changing seasons, I decided to set my ninth Timber Creek K-9 Mystery in a fictional site on the Olympic peninsula instead of the familiar fictional setting of Timber Creek, Colorado.

In GATHERING MIST, one week before her wedding to veterinarian Cole Walker, Deputy Mattie Wray and her K-9 partner Robo are called to the Olympic peninsula on a search and rescue mission for a celebrity’s missing son. When one of the SAR dogs falls ill, Cole becomes worried about Robo and Mattie’s safety and decides to join the mission as the team’s veterinarian. They discover secrets that have lain hidden in the rugged terrain for years, exposing information that there is something more sinister than a lost child at play. Together they search desperately for the missing child before he disappears forever.

I invite you to join Mattie, Robo, and Cole for their adventure in the rainforest on the Olympic peninsula in GATHERING MIST, published by New York-based Crooked Lane Books. I hope you enjoy the thrills and chills in the misty, rainy, moss-covered forest of western Washington.

Check out the book here: Buy Link:

https://www.amazon.com/Gathering-Mist-Timber-Creek-Mystery/dp/1639108947/

About Margaret:

Margaret Mizushima writes the award winning and internationally published Timber Creek K-9 Mysteries. She serves as past president of the Rocky Mountain Chapter of Mystery Writers of America and was elected Writer of the Year by Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers. She and her husband recently moved from Colorado, where they raised two daughters and a multitude of animals, to a home in the Pacific Northwest.

Connecting Online

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMargaretMizushima

X: https://x.com/margmizu

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/margmizu/

Website: https://margaretmizushima.com/

When Memory Whispers -- Spotlight and Giveaway

Mon, 07 Oct 2024 07:30:00 GMT

Today I welcome author and blogger Johnnie Alexander as she shares about her latest release and generously offers the choice of a print or e-book to one lucky winner. Read on through to find out how to enter the random drawing.

A Sneak Peek inside the book:

Part One

If through a broken heart, God can bring His purposes to pass in the world,

then thank Him for breaking your heart. Oswald Chambers

Chapter One

August 1997 ~ Winter Park, Florida

Beneath the brim of her black felt hat, Annalee Gilbert stared at the newly engraved granite stone. Her throat ached from breathing past unbearable sorrow, and hot tears stung her eyes. But she dared not weep. If she allowed herself to cry again, she’d be undone by past regrets and lost dreams.

Lifting her bouquet of blue and white forget-me-nots, she breathed in their delicate fragrance and slipped into the distant past. Rolf had arranged to have a similar bouquet sent to her dressing room one opening night, the first time he’d sent her flowers, and she’d worn them in her hair. A capacity crowd came to see her performance, but she played her role for him alone.

Placing her hand on the stone, Annalee steadied herself and laid the fragile forget-me-nots at its base.

The crunch of feet on gravel drew Annalee’s attention to the nearby path. She had timed her visit with perfection. Jenna always visited her mother’s grave on Saturday mornings. A pang seized Annalee’s chest as the trim young woman hesitated.

“Hello,” she said with a hesitant smile. An errant breeze tugged at her shoulder-length hair, and she cupped her hand over the yellow daisies she carried. “I saw you at the funeral. Did you know my mom?”

Annalee’s heart pounded an irregular beat. Her throat clenched, and she moistened her lips. “Once. It seems a lifetime ago.”

About Johnnie:

Johnnie Alexander is a bestselling, award-winning novelist of more than thirty works of fiction. She is both traditionally and indie-published, serves as board secretary for the Mosaic Collection, LLC (an indie author group) and faculty chair for the Mid-South Christian Writers Conference; co-hosts Writers Chat, a weekly online show; and contributes to the HHHistory.com blog. With a heart for making memories, Johnnie is a fan of classic movies, stacks of books, and road trips. Connect with her at JohnnieAlexander.com .

Connecting Online:

Amazon Author Page http://bit.ly/JA-Author

BookBub http://bit.ly/JA-BBub

Facebook Page http://bit.ly/JA-FBk

Instagram https://bit.ly/JAInstag

Buy My Books https://bit.ly/ja-mybooks

Getting to know Johnnie:

What (2 or 3) fun or unique things can you tell us about yourself?

I enjoy the aroma that wafts from a newly opened bag of a specific brand of potato chips. And that’s why I’m the only one allowed to open a new bag of Lay’s Classic potato chips at my house!
For a variety of reasons, I’ve moved five times in the past eleven years. A few months ago, I became a Florida resident for the third time in my life!
My sister and I spent a week traveling around Europe via train a few years ago and then another week relaxing in Lisbon. One of the best vacations ever!

What do you enjoy most about writing?

For me, writing has three phases ~ the imagining, the writing, and final revisions.

I love the writing process. I love-love imagining the twists and turns of a story, bringing characters to life, and the surprises I find along the way.

Most of all, I love-love-love going through the manuscript one last time and paying close attention to word choice and emotional depth. Then I take a deep breath, whisper a little prayer of thanks, and send that completed manuscript to the publisher.

Do you have a dedicated place to write, or a nook or corner of a room, or the kitchen table?

This is my favorite place to imagine and write. It may not be efficient, especially when I need to situate my old-school notebook of printed info between me and my fourteen-year-old papillon who insists on napping as close to me as possible.

Enter a random giveway for your choice of a print (US or Canada) or ebook copy of When Memory Whispers. Include your email address, cleverly disguised so the 'bots don't get you. For example: donna AT livebytheword DOT com

Your Turn ~ The place I love to write is also the place I love to read. Where do you like to curl up with an amazing read? Let me know in the comments and you’ll be entered in the giveaway for When Memory Whispers.

What the Wise Men Can Teach Us About Risk and Writing

Tue, 24 Sep 2024 07:45:00 GMT

Join me in welcoming author Lana Christian as she shares about her upcoming release.

Matthew 2:1-12 chronicles the story of the Wise Men who visited Jesus. Twelve verses. A pencil sketch. A cardboard cutout, colorized in some stained glass windows.

My debut biblical fiction novel, New Star , follows the Wise Men before and after they find Jesus. Why would I write about them, and what can their story tell us about risk-taking or writing?

During the year of research I did for the book, I learned how much they truly risked and what it cost them to do what they did. Sure, they faced a long journey with inherent physical dangers. Their gifts were lavishly expensive. But their greatest risks exceeded quantifiable value. Those highly respected, well-educated men were one notch below royalty. They wielded great religious and governmental influence in a powerful empire. Why did they put their reputations, careers, and much more on the line to study some foreign religious writings? What compelled them to risk their influence to investigate an elusive star? (I say elusive because the star did not guide them from their home base all the way to Bethlehem, as tradition depicts.)

What circumstances could woo them to do something so counterintuitive and counter-cultural?

It makes no sense.

Unless you figure out their motives.

That was one of my first tasks when I set out to write their story.

In many respects, their story is every writer’s story. Why do we do what we do? The risks are great; the chances of success are slim. There’s far more to lose than gain from the process. And yet we write.

What motivates us? Some say passion. “I can’t not write.”

Others say purpose. “I’m called to write.”

The two usually overlap. In the midst of our motives, God graciously invites us to co-create with Him in writing. How awesome is that?

If our call is clear, then it’s not good stewardship to ignore it. But the call does cost us. The price varies in lost free time, socializing, sleep, and more. We’re tempted to quit when words won’t flow. We face ridicule and rejection. We wish we could eliminate distractions—like that pesky day job that pays the bills. But we body check those idyllic thoughts when our kids clamor for supper or we realize we’ve read more of their grammar homework than our own words this week.

Darn. If that half-written scene would just resolve itself.

The writing journey doesn’t travel in a straight line. Neither does life or faith. I invite you to immerse yourself in the Wise Men’s journey in New Star.

FIRST PAGE OF NEW STAR

Chapter 1

This Could Change Everything

Persia, the second week of March, 4 BC

Akilah pored over the last scroll in his stack. Again, nothing.

At the opposite end of his reading table, his younger colleague remained hunched over a codex. Akilah tapped the table. “Anything?”

“No.” Rashidi shut the codex with a sigh.

Akilah rose and paced the length of the room. “Then we keep looking.”

“Where?” Rashidi leapt from his seat and double-timed his steps to match Akilah’s long-legged strides. “I think the head librarian suspects something.”

“There’s nothing suspect about doing research.”

“He suspects we haven’t found anything.” Rashidi plucked Akilah’s sleeve. “He questioned me on how all the volumes we’ve pulled on history, world cultures, and religion pertained to an astronomy project. Somehow he knows I went to Nineveh’s library for three weeks. And yesterday, the head of the Lower Council almost smirked when he asked me how our research was progressing.”

“That’s Sassanak’s way. He was baiting you. Only the lead researcher of any study can report its results.” Akilah dismissed Rashidi’s concern with a hand wave, but his brow furrowed.

What Akilah’s superior knew—or thought he knew—about this study could influence the Council at large.

New Star releases September 24, 2024. Buy it here .

G etting to know Lana:

Lana Christian is an award-winning author in business and creative writing. Since 2019, she has won six faith-based writing awards, including one from Baker Publishing Group for her short story about Lot. She’s passionate about making the Bible and history come alive, while connecting those dots to applications for today. Her author website includes her devotional blog , “Encouragement from Living History.”

Connecting Online:

Download free supplemental information (book club kit, Bible study, and more) from the Resources section of my website .

Follow me on X (Twitter) and Facebook . Message me there or here to have me join your book club discussion of New Star !

September 2024 Inspirational Releases

Fri, 20 Sep 2024 08:00:00 GMT

Love and Chocolate: The Story Behind the Story

Tue, 10 Sep 2024 07:30:00 GMT

Join me today as I welcome author and blogger Linda Shanton Matchett as she shares about love and chocolate.

During my high school years we lived in Montgomery County, Maryland which is about a two-hour drive to Hershey, Pennsylvania. Our church youth group visited the town’s amusement park, Hershey Park, on numerous occasions, and I still remember the smell of chocolate that clung to the air.

A couple of years ago while I was planning my upcoming writing projects, I knew I wanted to write a series of books about siblings but couldn’t decide where or went to set the stories. Lots of research later, I discovered the 1898 Columbian Exposition here in the United States and the various inventions associated with that event. Further study led me to Milton Hershey who attended that World’s Fair and was so enamored with the concept of chocolate production for the masses that he sold his caramel company to enter the chocolate business – a risky proposition at that time.

As I read more about Milton and his wife Catherine “Kitty” Sweeney-Hershey, I knew I had the beginnings of a story. At the time they met during one of his business trips in 1897, he was a confirmed 41-year-old bachelor and Kitty fourteen years younger. But he was struck by her beauty, charm, and maturity, and he visited the shop where she worked on a regular basis. They married in 1898.

Several places were considered for the chocolate factory, but Milton settled on a location thirty miles from where he was born in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania about two hours from Harrisburg. The area was somewhat rural, and he created a company town to attract workers. The homes he built for his workers were of good quality and employees could choose to rent or purchase their house. Schools, medical facilities and doctors, a library, movie theater, playground (which would eventually become Hershey Park), and other necessary services were constructed and provided for the employees. By all reports, Milton paid his employees very well. It’s no wonder when the vote was taken to name the town, residents chose “Hershey” by a landslide.

Philanthropy was a Milton Hershey watchword. He came from nothing and felt it was his responsibility to give back to the community so others might have a chance. He and his wife were unable to have children, and after much discussion, they opened the Hershey Industrial School in 1909.

The owner of Beck’s Chocolates in my latest release Love and Chocolate is inspired by Milton Hershey, and I enjoyed creating my own “company town,” Cocoaville in which to set the story. Taking place in 1914 prior to the beginning of World War I, the story explores the mixed feelings about German-Americans that were prevalent at the time as well as themes of second chances and forgiveness.

I’m not a big candy eater, but when I do indulge dark chocolate is my preference. What about you? Do you have a favorite candy?

About Love and Chocolate

She just needs a job. He wants a career. Is there room in their hearts for love?

Ilsa Krause and her siblings are stunned to discover their father left massive debt behind upon his death. To help pay off their creditors and save the farm, she takes a job at Beck’s Chocolates, the company her father despised and refused to supply with milk. Then she discovers her boss is Ernst Webber, her high school love who unceremoniously dumped her via letter from college. Could life get any more difficult?

A freshly-minted university diploma in his hand, Ernst Webber lands his dream job at Beck’s Chocolates. His plans to work his way up the ladder don’t include romantic entanglements, then Ilsa Krause walks back into his life resurrecting feelings he thought long dead. However, her animosity makes it clear she has no interest in giving him a second chance. Can he get her to change her mind? Does he want to?

Purchase Link : https://books2read.com/u/mdQerZ

About Linda:

Linda Shenton Matchett writes happily-ever-after historical Christian fiction about second chances and women who overcome life’s challenges to be better versions of themselves. A native of Baltimore, Maryland, she was born a stone’s throw from Fort McHenry (of Star-Spangled Banner fame) and has lived in historical places all her life. She is a volunteer docent and archivist at the Wright Museum of WWII and a former trustee for her local public library. She now lives in central New Hampshire where she explores the history of this great state and immerses herself in the imaginary worlds created by other authors.

Connecting Online:

Website/Blog: http://www.LindaShentonMatchett.com

Newsletter Signup: https://BookHip.com/BKQNLMN

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/lindashentonmatchettsreadersgroup

Moments in History: http://www.youtube.com/@lindamatchett

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/linda-shenton-matchett

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author_linda_matchett

Convincing Lou -- Jodie Wolfe Book and Author Spotlight

Tue, 27 Aug 2024 07:30:00 GMT

Help me welcome author and blogger Jodie Wolfe as she shares about herself and her latest release, Convincing Lou.

What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?

During the writing of Convincing Lou, I was helping my mom after her cancer surgery for several weeks. Each afternoon when she’d take a nap, I would work on writing, which didn’t give me a lot of time. Our family also was hit by a major storm/trial during this time, one full of heartbreak. We’re still going through it. So, like my heroine, I had to learn to navigate digging into God’s Word when all around me are floods, fires, and storms. He’s the only person to cling to during these times… and every day!

Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.

There’s always a part of me in my characters, but I won’t tell you which parts. :) Often the struggles my characters are going through are ones I am too or have recently gone through.

What is your favorite food?

This has changed a lot through the years, but right now I’m really into eating fruit that I’ve dehydrated - especially pineapple and apples. Yummy!

Here’s a look at the first scene from my new release, Convincing Lou.

Burrton Springs, Kansas

December 3, 1877

Four weeks. Four weeks until Ellie Lou Williams lost everything her late husband had worked so hard to achieve. Her chest constricted and a sharp pain shot the length of her left arm. Where was her deep faith in God when she needed it the most? Dried up and crumpled like a dull, brown leaf separated from the tree in fall. Useless. Ground under a shoe until it became pulverized. No good to anyone. Where was the elusive peace she’d talked about with others, pointing them to scripture? Why did she feel like the Israelites during the years in the Bible where God was silent in between the Old and New Testament?

Her words from a few months ago rose to haunt her. “My life is in His hands to do with how He sees fit. I will do whatever I can to keep this ranch because it’s what Charles would’ve wanted, but if it somehow gets taken away, I still must trust God has a plan even when I can’t see it.” She snorted. That was easy to say until she had to actually live it. I feel as if I’ve lived a lifetime since I said those words, God. If I lose the ranch, I have nowhere to go. Nobody alive to rely on. She toed her boot in the thick dust along the street. Are you listening, God?

“Hi, Ellie Lou.” Mary Scott waved. “I haven’t seen you in town since all that excitement at your ranch a few months back.”

She wouldn’t call being held at gun point ‘excitement’. Too bad there hadn’t been any reward money for the capture of the outlaws who’d held her. If there had been she wouldn’t be in this mess.

“Were you planning to stop by Betty’s shop?” The elderly woman slipped her arm through Ellie Lou’s. “Or perhaps you were going to see Gertrude at her place instead.”

Ellie Lou glanced at the shop marked ‘Ruffles and Stitches’. She hadn’t seen much of her newly wedded friend, Gertrude Valentine, but a visit could wait until another time. “I can come in for a few moments to see Betty.”

“Oh, good. She’s been in such a dither.” Mary tugged her in the direction of her niece’s shop.

Ellie Lou held back a sigh. Best to focus on someone else’s troubles instead of her own for a bit. “What’s got her upset?”

The bell above the door chimed as they entered the ladies dress shop.

“There you are, Aunt Mary.” Betty Hadler fanned her flushed cheeks. “We’ve got to do something.”

Mary released Ellie Lou’s arm and patted her niece’s hand. “Now, dear, I’m sure your fiancé will show soon.”

“But he was supposed to be here weeks ago. He said he only had to make a short stop in Topeka. I’m afraid something’s happened to him.” Betty withdrew a handkerchief from the pocket in her skirt and dabbed her moist eyes. “The stagecoach has been coming regularly so he couldn’t have been delayed because of that.”

“Now, now. Don’t you fret.”

Ellie Lou cleared her throat, unsure whether to step away from the private conversation or to remain. She took a step backward.

“I’m thinking of hiring someone to go after him.” Betty sniffed and wiped her nose.

Ellie Lou’s ears perked. Could this be an answer to her prayers? Please, Lord.

“I’m sure that’s not needed.” Mary squeezed her niece’s shoulders.

Betty shook her head, her carefully pinned brown curls bouncing with each motion. “No. I’ll see if I can pay someone seventy-five dollars to bring Jeffrey here. Our wedding is less than a month away. Something’s happened to him. I feel it in my bones.” A tear trickled down her pale cheeks.

Ellie Lou gasped at the extravagant amount. She swallowed. The sum would more than cover the money she owed the bank. She could pay off the loan and not have to worry about her home being taken away. Surely this was God intervening in her situation.

“That’s way too much, Betty.” Mary’s lips pinched together.

“He’s worth it. I’m sure he would do the same if I was the one missing.” Betty glanced out the window.

“If you tell me more about him, perhaps I can go and find your fiancé and bring him back to Burrton Springs.” Ellie Lou’s words escaped before she had time to fully weigh the decision. “I don’t have anything going on right now and can easily get away.” She could take her two remaining horses with her, which would enable her to leave the ranch for a bit. It wasn’t as if she had fields to tend.

“Truly?” Betty’s eyes filled with additional tears.

Ellie Lou quickly calculated the mileage to Topeka. It was doable to get there and back, allow time for the search, return to collect the compensation, and deposit it in the bank to pay off her loan before the end of the year. It had to be the Lord finally speaking to her.

Finally, He was breaking His silence.

Betty withdrew something from her pocket. “I have a tintype of my fiancé. It should help you find him.” She handed it to Ellie Lou.

Ellie Lou studied the serious looking young man. “Do you mind if I take it along? I promise to take good care of it.”

Betty nodded. “You can’t tell it from the tintype, but he has light brown hair and blue eyes. He’s well-to-do. We’ve known each other since childhood.” She twisted her hands. “I just don’t understand what could be keeping him so long. I’m afraid…”

Ellie Lou touched Betty’s arm. “I’m sure he’s fine. Just hasn’t been able to get a message to you. Don’t you worry. I’ll find him for you. In fact, I’ll head home now so I can get an early start in the morning.” She tucked the tintype into her reticule.

“Are you sure it’s safe, dear?” Mary frowned. “I’ve never heard of a woman riding that far on horse by herself.”

Her heart stalled a beat. She’d learned the hard way trouble had a way of happening when you least expected it. Ellie Lou stood a little taller. If she took extra precautions, no harm would come her way. But it wouldn’t work to go dressed as a woman. She’d have to don her husband’s clothes and pose as a man. If she could perform this one job, her problems would be solved.

About Convincing Lou :

How hard can it be to round up one delinquent groom?

Ellie Lou Williams will do just about anything to save her ranch, even going undercover as a man to round up a fella who is late to his own wedding. The reward will more than cover the money she owes the bank and solve all her problems.

Caleb Dawson agrees to one final job as a deputy US Marshal before he starts his new life away from the trail and tracking criminals. What he isn’t counting on is a mysterious bounty hunter who’s determined to undermine his every step.

Will one reach their goal first? Or will they learn to lean on God and work together?

Check out the book here:

https://qr.pbgrp.link/convlou

About Jodie:

Jodie Wolfe creates novels where hope and quirky meet. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), and Faith, Hope, & Love Christian Writers (FHLCW). She's been a semi-finalist and finalist in various writing contests. A former columnist for Home School Enrichment magazine, her articles can be found online at: Crosswalk , Christian Devotions , and Heirloom Audio . When not writing she enjoys spending time with her husband in Pennsylvania, reading, knitting, and walking. Learn more at www.jodiewolfe.com .

Connecting Online:

Website: https://www.jodiewolfe.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Jodie-Wolfe-553400191384913

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/jodie-wolfe

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/JodieAWolfe

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15220520.Jodie_Wolfe

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Jodie-Wolfe/e/B01EAWOHXO/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1

August New Fiction Releases

Wed, 21 Aug 2024 07:30:00 GMT

Laudanum Dreams -- Book and Author Spotlight

Mon, 19 Aug 2024 07:30:00 GMT

Thanks for stopping by in the third installment from Author and friend Susan G. Mathis as she shares about her upcoming release.

In the 1800s, laudanum was the painkiller of choice, a strong opioid that was riddled with side effects and banned in 1914. In Libby’s Lighthouse , the first in my Love at a Lighthouse series, Owen awakes on the shore of Lake Ontario wounded and with no knowledge of who he is, or where he was headed when his ship wrecked. He’s is stitched up—with the use of laudanum—and has no choice but to accept the hospitality of the lighthouse keeper and his lovely daughter. But as Owen works to repay their kindness, and his relationship with Libby turns into something more, he knows their budding romance can go no further until he uncovers his past.

Here's a glimpse of what laudanum did to its users:

“Was this what dying felt like? Did it even matter? Owen must relax and let the good Lord do His bidding.

When they began tending to Owen’s head again, that was too much.

“Ach! Blathers, man. That hurts.” He willed his eyes to open, and before him stood the prettiest woman he’d ever seen, a tall man in a white coat with small round spectacles, and the

two men who had undressed and dressed him. He vaguely recalled seeing the woman’s face, but from where? Maybe he wasn’t dying, after all.

“Does he need laudanum, doctor?” Another woman in a nurse’s uniform worked at a table on the other side of the room.

The tall, bespeckled doctor acknowledged her, then turned to search his face. “I’m Dr. Renicks, and this is Nurse Connie. You’ll be all right, young man, as soon as I get this nasty gash in your scalp stitched up and stop the bleeding. Drink this. It’ll lessen the pain.”

Owen surveyed the medicine and frowned. “Isn’t laudanum illegal?” How did he recall that? Dr. Renicks’s gray brows rose as he handed him a small cup.

“I see you’re a clever chap. Well, that’s something. The bill is before the Congress now, so I suspect they’ll ban it before long. This is all the pain killer I have at the moment, but it’s a small dose, so it won’t hurt you. Drink up. The sooner you relax, the quicker I can fix you.”

Owen took the reddish-brown liquid and swallowed the bitterness. Horrible stuff. Before long, his brain grew fuzzy, and his limbs felt disconnected from his body. Instead of arms, he

had grown wings, so he took to flight and soared on the breeze.

Islands, more than he could count, dotted a majestic river. Large ships and sailing vessels of all shapes and sizes chugged upstream and downstream, reminding him of a game he’d played with his friends as a child. The boys had raced each other home from school through people’s front yards and backyards.

Each one had to weave their way through the neighborhood without crossing paths or they were out. Like those sailing vessels were doing among the islands. He had only played it twice before old Mr. Stallings took him firmly by the ear and reported the trespassing to his father. And that was the end of that.

Thunder? Lightning? Pain! Was he struck by lightning or by his father? He couldn’t tell. But as quick as it had come, the storm subsided, and he kept on flying.

Garbled voices threatened to distract his flight, so he shut them out and turned his attention to the wind whispering through his feathers. He soared into a puffy cloud and out the

other side, swooped down to catch bugs on a tiny island, and then dove into the water to catch a fish.

Someone tapped his wing, and he dropped the fish. “Son. Wake up. I’m through here.”

He was a boy again. No…a man. He forced his eyes open, blinked several times, and waited for the blurring to pass. Five faces stared down at him.”

Libby’s Lighthouse

When a lighthouse keeper’s daughter finds a mysterious sailor with amnesia, the secrets she uncovers may change her life forever.

About Susan:

Susan G Mathis is an international award-winning, multi-published author of stories set in the beautiful Thousand Islands, her childhood stomping ground in upstate NY. Susan has been published more than thirty times in full-length novels, novellas, and non-fiction books. She has twelve in her fiction line including, The Fabric of Hope: An Irish Family Legacy, Christmas Charity, Katelyn’s Choice, Devyn’s Dilemma, Sara’s Surprise, Reagan’s Reward, Colleen’s Confession, Peyton’s Promise, Rachel’s Reunion, Mary’s Moment, A Summer at Thousand Island House and Libby’s Lighthouse, the first in her three-book lighthouse series. Her book awards include three Illumination Book Awards, four American Fiction Awards, three Indie Excellence Book Awards, five Literary Titan Book Awards, a Golden Scroll Award, and a Selah Award. Susan is also a published author of two premarital books, two children’s picture books, stories in a dozen compilations, and hundreds of published articles. Susan makes her home in Northern Virginia and enjoys traveling around the world but returns each summer to enjoy the Thousand Islands. Visit www.SusanGMathis.com/fiction for more.

Where can people find you online?

Susan’s website: https://www.susangmathis.com/fiction-books

Buy links: Amazon | Barnes&Nobles | Wild Heart Books

Book trailer: Libby’s Lighthouse book trailer

Our Refuge and Our Fortress -- with Giveaway

Thu, 15 Aug 2024 07:30:00 GMT

Today I'd like to introduce you to a Love Inspired Inspirational Romance author, Chris Maday Schmidt. Read through to learn how you can receive a free e-book.

About A FATHER’S VOW:

His daughter is his priority…

But is there room for one more?

Dedicated to protecting his daughter and the town of Sweetwater, widower Constable Jack Wells will do anything to stop the vandalism at their beloved wildlife preserve—even partner with its new veterinarian. But fighting his attraction to Emerson Parker might be the greater challenge. Soon their on-duty stakeouts evolve into off-duty family outings. But with heartbreak in his past, is he ready to risk a second chance?

Getting to know Chris:

A Publishers Weekly Bestselling author and self-professed princess, Chris Maday Schmidt believes it’s always the write time for real-life fairytales brimming with hope, humor & heart. A Northern Arizona transplant, she’s been published in Woman’s World, Chicken Soup for the Soul, and Guideposts. A FATHER’S VOW is her Love Inspired debut novel.

Subscribe to Chris’s newsletter at bit.ly/3uXz2l8 ; confirm signup and comment for chance to win free print copy (U.S.)—offer ends midnight ET, 8/15.

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the most high will rest in the shadow of the almighty. ~ Psalm 91:1

This is the key verse in my Harlequin Love Inspired debut novel—A FATHER’S VOW—which released in April 2024 and hit the Publishers Weekly Bestseller List for mass-market paperbacks. While the overall theme is “love always prevails,” God is portrayed throughout the book as our refuge and our fortress, which is exactly what the main characters—Constable Jack Wells and veterinarian Emerson Parker—are seeking within the small town of Northern Arizona’s fictional Sweetwater, while working through their respective grief and loss toward falling in love.

Universal in nature, many of us experience these themes woven throughout the majority of our life stories, as well. One of the things I enjoyed most as I wrote Jack and Emerson’s story was how the townsfolk lived out the words of the apostle Paul that we read in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4: to comfort others with the same comfort that God—our merciful Father—has given to each of us.

In addition to spiritually strengthening and encouraging others who face hardships similar to those we’ve walked through, my desire is that A FATHER’S VOW conveys the message of hope for new beginnings, humor in the messy middle & heart for happy endings. And a reminder to trust God—the source of all comfort—as our ultimate refuge and strength.

Is there someone who you can offer comfort to today?

Connecting Online

My website: https://chrismadayschmidt.com

Join my Always the Write Time newsletter: https://chrismadayschmidt.com/index.php/newsletter/

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-schmidt-ba188723/

To purchase A FATHER’S VOW: https://chrismadayschmidt.com/index.php/books/

Writing Through the Process

Tue, 13 Aug 2024 07:30:00 GMT

Help me welcome author Savanna Ammons as she shares about her writing journey.

“What do you want to be when you grow up?”

Eight-year-old me grins, confident in my answer. “I want to own a bakery. And I’ll sing at night.”

“You’ll run the bakery during the day and sing at night?”

“Yep.”

“Wow, that’s ambitious.” My mom ruffles my hair. “Will I get a discount at your bakery?”

I purse my lips and shrug. “No, not unless you help. Maybe you can sweep the floors. Then you can get coupons.”

Mom laughs, but the spark of the idea never left my heart. I could own a bakery.

For years, I made cakes, cookies, and pies when we had family gatherings, birthdays, and any opportunity I had. I was going to be a baker.

But eventually, I got burned out—

—and my love for storytelling reignited.

Five books later, the Lord dropped my writing program, The Author Conservatory , in my lap. When I wrote my first novel through their process, by His grace He brought everything full circle. He allowed me to write a story about a baker trying to save her bakery.

The novel isn’t published yet, so I can’t share too many details here, but my sweet baker girl is one of my favorite characters. She’s exhausted and broken, but she loves what she does despite the difficulty.

(And unlike younger me, she’s generous with what little she has. Though I think I eventually decided to give Mom coupons without forcing her to do manual labor in exchange.)

I can’t wait to share this novel with the world someday, Lord willing. If you want more details, along with more about my other projects, sign up for my email list at https://savannaammons.com/updates/

About Savanna:

Savanna Ammons writes sweet Christian romances that deal sensitively and biblically with difficult topics. When she’s not writing, you can find her working the front desk at her local library, snuggling her puppy, or pouring her next batch of epoxy resin for her small business. If you want to be her friend, prepare to endure dad jokes and puns as soon as she has the opportunity.

Connecting online: https://savannaammons.com/

Tips on Overcoming Writer's Block

Wed, 07 Aug 2024 07:30:00 GMT

Help me welcome author Lisa Pelissier as she shares about overcoming writer's block.

People ask me, “Don’t you ever have trouble writing? What do you do if you get stuck?” Honestly, I’m rarely stuck, and I think it’s due to several factors. Some of them are habits or practices I’ve established. Some of them are just a result of the ups and downs of life. I thought it might be helpful to list them so I can help the readers of this post on their own writing journey.

Tip #1: Write Badly

When you feel like you can’t write, do it anyhow. It doesn’t matter if you can’t think of an idea. It doesn’t matter if you feel like you’re making huge mistakes. It doesn’t matter if there are plot holes, your characters are misbehaving, or you accidentally killed off an essential character. Later, you can edit what you wrote. You can’t edit what you didn’t write.

Tip #2: Write in a Specific Location

I write at coffee shops. I prefer to think of it as “renting office space” rather than “paying exorbitant prices for coffee.” I’ve been doing it for so long now, that when I get to Starbucks, my brain automatically shifts into writing mode. By establishing a habit, you can train yourself to be productive.

Tip #3: Write Something Else

Is your story stuck? Don’t know how it should end? Or maybe you know how it should start and how it’s going to end, but you can’t figure out how to get from one to the other. It’s fine to put down what you’re writing and work on something else. I have one book I’ve been writing off and on since 2020. I picked it up last week, and the ending came barreling out of me. Four years after I began to write, my middle-grade fantasy book, Speechless, will be a reality. In the meantime, I’ve written and published seven fantasy books and have another eight (not an eighth book—eight more books) in the works—in several different series. Being stuck on Speechless didn’t mean I was stuck on anything else. I shifted gears and worked on other things until I was ready.

Tip #4: Live Real Life

Real life is the inspiration behind any book. Real people are readers. The more you participate in life, the more stories you will have inside you that need telling, and the more you’ll want to share them. I’ve been through a lot of hardship in my life, and for a long time, I couldn’t find much time to write. Because of that (and hardship), the times I did write were fruitful. I liken it to someone forcefully squeezing a toothpaste tube without taking the lid off. The combination of extreme pressure and the lack of an outlet results in explosions of color bursting forth when someone pricks even a tiny hole in the side. In other words, without the hard things, I might not be writing today.

About Lisa:

Lisa Pelissier lives in Oregon where she is a homeschool mother of four and self-published author of five middle-grade fiction novels, as well as two early-readers' chapter books and a YA fantasy novel. Lisa owns SneakerBlossom Books, offering Christian, classical homeschool study guides and curriculum. She also works as a freelance copy editor, copy writer, and virtual assistant. She blogs at EleventhWillow.com, a site she and two friends started for Christians parenting the mentally ill. In her spare time Lisa enjoys making art, playing the piano, and singing.

Connecting Online:

Thousand Island Sunsets

Mon, 05 Aug 2024 07:30:00 GMT

Help me welcome friend and author Susan G. Mathis as she shares about her upcoming release and her newest series.

Libby’s Lighthouse is the first in my Love at a Lighthouse three-book series. It’s about a lighthouse keeper’s daughter who finds a mysterious sailor with amnesia, and the secrets she uncovers may change her life forever.

As many of us do, Libby loves a good sunset. Here’s an excerpt from Libby’s Lighthouse that tells the tale:

“Libby turned to view the river again, and her heart danced at the sight. Puffy clouds raced through the indigo sky, obscuring most of the fading, twinkling stars. The crescent moon peeked

out between one cloud bank and another, compelling the rippling waves to glitter like jewels.

Then came her favorite part. God’s paintbrush, dipped in rose and lilac and a touch of

pale orange, swept the eastern edge of the water. Muted colors burst through the mist in a kaleidoscope of beauty, pushing back the darkness and dispelling the remains of the evening’s

storm. If only He would remove her darkness, her inner storm.

She sighed a silent plea. As the fog dissipated, the pale colors grew more and more vibrant. The stars twinkled their last goodbye. The moon winked farewell. The horizon, illuminated in molten gilt.

And then, voila! Up popped the glorious ball of golden warmth, bathing the landscape with a soft, baby yellow. Glittering its good-morning kiss to the world.

Libby gasped as tears blinded her view. She blinked, then wiped away the moisture with her shirtsleeve before turning her attention to the shoreline.

Wait! She blinked again, focusing on the rugged waterfront. What was their golden retriever exploring along the rocky beach? She strained to catch a better view.

What was he barking at? A dead animal? A piece of a boat? No. It moved! Rose. Stood.

A man!

Libby surveyed the tower to make sure everything was secure. She scurried down the ladders, then the steep metal steps, and then out into the musky morning dampness. She

dashed across the dew-laden grass toward the incessant sound of Buoy’s barking. The shoreline descended a good ten feet or more below the lawn, and when she got to the edge, the man

was nowhere to be seen.

“Where is he, Buoy? Show me, boy.”

Her faithful dog whimpered and pawed furiously behind several large rocks, but from her vantage point, she couldn’t confirm it was the man she’d seen from the tower. Had it been her imagination?

A groan.

“Sir, I’m coming to help. I’m the lightkeeper’s daughter.” As she hurried to assist him, the slippery, moss-covered rocks and sharp stones almost tripped her up.

When she reached her dog, a man lay behind a large boulder in the pebble-ridden beach, half in the water and fully drenched by it. “I’m here to help. Please lay still so I can make sure nothing is broken.”

The man groaned again and rubbed the heels of his hands over his eyes. When he opened them, icy blues held a glacier of secrets tucked behind them. He quickly squeezed them shut.

“Blathers! The light hurts.”

The man reached around and touched the back of his head. He winced, his deep, raspy moan tainted with pain. His hand came away covered in blood.”

About Susan:

Susan G Mathis is an international award-winning, multi-published author of stories set in the beautiful Thousand Islands, her childhood stomping ground in upstate NY. Susan has been published more than thirty times in full-length novels, novellas, and non-fiction books. She has twelve in her fiction line including, The Fabric of Hope: An Irish Family Legacy, Christmas Charity, Katelyn’s Choice, Devyn’s Dilemma, Sara’s Surprise, Reagan’s Reward, Colleen’s Confession, Peyton’s Promise, Rachel’s Reunion, Mary’s Moment, A Summer at Thousand Island House and Libby’s Lighthouse, the first in her three-book lighthouse series. Her book awards include three Illumination Book Awards, four American Fiction Awards, three Indie Excellence Book Awards, five Literary Titan Book Awards, a Golden Scroll Award, and a Selah Award. Susan is also a published author of two premarital books, two children’s picture books, stories in a dozen compilations, and hundreds of published articles. Susan makes her home in Northern Virginia and enjoys traveling around the world but returns each summer to enjoy the Thousand Islands. Visit www.SusanGMathis.com/fiction for more.

Where can people find you online?

Susan’s website: https://www.susangmathis.com/fiction-books

Buy links: Amazon | Barnes&Nobles | Wild Heart Books

Book trailer: Libby’s Lighthouse book trailer

New Releases -- July -- from Christian fiction

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 07:30:00 GMT

Love in a Lighthouse -- Author Interview

Mon, 22 Jul 2024 07:30:00 GMT

Help me welcome author and blogger (and dear personal friend) Susan G. Mathis as she shares about her most recent series, Love in a Lighthouose.

Hi Susan! You have a new three-book series called Love in a Lighthouse. Tell us about that, please:

Join the Row-family women, Libby, Julia, and Emma, as they navigate the isolation, danger, and hope for lasting love at three different Thousand Island lighthouses in the St. Lawrence River.

Libby’s Lighthouse

Book One out now!

When a lighthouse keeper’s daughter finds a mysterious sailor with amnesia, the secrets she uncovers may change her life forever.

With each passing day, Owen inches closer to discovering the secrets of his identity, but will the revelations bring him closer to Libby or tear them apart forever?

Julia’s Joy

Book two coming October 29, 2024

She came to claim her inheritance, but the mysterious lighthouse keeper makes her question all her plans.

William Dodge, lightkeeper of Sister Island, harbors a heart hardened by a past betrayal. Between that and his chronic pleurisy, he wants nothing to do with love. But when Julia arrives on the island bursting with vitality and unconventional notions, William’s world is turned upside down. As she chips away at the walls William has built for himself, he finds his reluctance waning.

Emma’s Engagement

Book three coming January 21, 2025

Emma Row embarks on a journey that will test her resilience and love. She marries Michael Diepolder, the Rock Island Lightkeeper and widower, a man who seeks a companion for both himself and his eleven-year-old daughter, Ada. But as she steps into the role of lightkeeper’s wife with a heart full of hope, little does she know that the idyllic setting conceals challenges that will shake the foundation of her happiness. Isolation creeps in, compounded by Ada’s determination to keep her father all to herself. As a storm looms, Emma must grapple with the difficulties of being a stepmother and lightkeeper’s wife. Will she find her place, or will the tumultuous waves of doubt and isolation tear them apart?

For Michael, Emma is not just a wife but the hope for his future. But the lighthouse life and being a stepmother proves harder for Emma than he ever imagined, and Ada’s animosity only intensifies it. When the lighthouse inspector questions Emma’s place due to her Canadian heritage and Ada become deathly ill, the very foundation of their family is shaken. Can their family find solace and unity on this tiny island?

Amid the swirling tempest of challenges, Emma, Michael, and Ada must discover the strength within themselves and each other to weather the storm. Emma’s Engagement is a poignant tale of love, resilience, and the enduring bonds that can form in the most unexpected places. This fictional story is based on the actual lives of Michael and Emma Diepolder.

What inspired you to write Libby’s Lighthouse ?

My grandmother, Libby, inspired this story. When she was a young woman, she and her family lived in Cape Vincent, near Tibbetts Point Lighthouse, whose stories I tell in my first two books, The Fabric of Hope and Christmas Charity. During my childhood, every summer we would visit the lighthouse, and after Grandma died, my mother continued the tradition. I did the same, and I still visit the lighthouse every summer. When I started writing about the Thousand Islands, I knew I had to tell its story.

What kind of research did you do for Libby’s Lighthouse?

Though I visited the lighthouse annually, I also researched online, in books, and with interviews. With all the details I collected, I wove a story that is visceral, interesting, and I think, memorable.

Does one of the main characters hold a special place in your heart?

I love Libby. Named after my beloved grandma who grew up in Cape Vincent, she’s a young woman who needs her broken heart healed but gives her all to help another. My characters become so real to me; they become friends. Smiles.

What were the key challenges you faced when writing this book?

Because I write about real places and people, I want to be as accurate as possible, so I have a Thousand Islands historian who read my story for accuracy. I also like to incorporate as many historic details to make sure my details were correct. Though it’s extra work, it always helps to check with the experts.

What message do you hope readers take away from Libby’s Lighthouse?

All twelve of my Thousand Islands’ stories have hope as the central theme. Hope for a better future. Hope for love. Hope for healing. Libby’s Lighthouse also focuses on adoption, amnesia, forgiving betrayals, healing broken hearts, and embracing God’s redemption.

Thanks for visiting with you, Donna! Happy reading.

About Susan:

Susan G Mathis is an international award-winning, multi-published author of stories set in the beautiful Thousand Islands, her childhood stomping ground in upstate NY. Susan has been published more than thirty times in full-length novels, novellas, and non-fiction books. She has twelve in her fiction line including, The Fabric of Hope: An Irish Family Legacy, Christmas Charity, Katelyn’s Choice, Devyn’s Dilemma, Sara’s Surprise, Reagan’s Reward, Colleen’s Confession, Peyton’s Promise, Rachel’s Reunion, Mary’s Moment, A Summer at Thousand Island House and Libby’s Lighthouse, the first in her three-book lighthouse series. Her book awards include three Illumination Book Awards, four American Fiction Awards, three Indie Excellence Book Awards, five Literary Titan Book Awards, a Golden Scroll Award, and a Selah Award. Susan is also a published author of two premarital books, two children’s picture books, stories in a dozen compilations, and hundreds of published articles. Susan makes her home in Northern Virginia and enjoys traveling around the world but returns each summer to enjoy the Thousand Islands. Visit www.SusanGMathis.com/fiction for more.

Where can people find you online?

Susan’s website: https://www.susangmathis.com/fiction-books

Buy links: Amazon | Barnes&Nobles | Wild Heart Books

Book trailer: Libby’s Lighthouse book trailer

Building a Balanced Path -- Book and Author Spotlight

Thu, 18 Jul 2024 07:30:00 GMT

Join me today as I welcome author and blogger Amber Stowe as she shares about her upcoming release.

“Mom, I just wish all the stories in school didn’t have to be so sad and depressing.”

And so, after school we sat together and laughed instead. A children’s easel and giant white board in front of us, we drew pictures of gold stacked high in a multi-level mansion. We wondered about stories of finding gold and why leprechauns chase it. We thought it might be fun to go on a leprechaun hunt with Saint Patrick’s Day around the corner.

The next morning, I woke up at 3 am with a full story in my head. Curled up on the soft couch I handwrote feverishly, yellow note pad and gel pen until the sun came up. The rough draft mostly done, I headed to a full day of teaching with whimsey on my heart.

Imagination. Adventure. Questions. Whimsey. These amazing parts of humanity fill our waking hours as children. And then slowly we introduce kids to the “real world” where unfortunately many abandon these great human pieces for seeking a more “mature” version of themselves.

But many of the best grownups I know hold fast to imagination. They seek adventure and to help the world. They embrace real questions and ask curiously about life and people. They make time for whimsey and laughter.

To help our kids continue in those great endeavors, we must pursue them ourselves. In our lives and in our writing, we cannot forget the quickening pulse when we love a character or story so much it touches us personally or moves us to action. We must echo our hearts into the world and offer stories to kids that support them as the navigate life’s great light and dark moments. Kids will need many different stories and characters—for stories become our blueprint for life events and people.

This is the heartbeat behind the Lemon Tree Lane series. As a teacher, I find the tension between light and darkness important and compelling. Choosing fun and kind stories are incredibly important to lift our souls and brighten our day. We also must have stories that ask the hard questions that knock at those same hearts and make us question the good.

Lemon Tree Lane pursues both. Full of fun and whimsey, gold chasing leprechauns race amongst vibrant green hills. And, those characters have the same questions we all do. Questions all kids have, such as “Am I enough?” or “What is my purpose in this world?” It is a series where readers get a glimpse of themselves and open doors for caregivers to have both fun and real conversations.

I’m excited the books will be here this fall! Be it at home or in the classroom, may we share stories that uplift and encourage. Keep writing and reading stories that fill our hearts and heads and compel us to take the next courageous steps. Add some whimsey along the way.

Read further for first page peek inside the book!

About Amber :

Amber Stowe is a multi-generational author who loves to come alongside families at all ages and stages. She has seen first-hand how good stories, both lived and found, shape who we become. After decades of teaching, earning a MS in Counseling, and travel adventures, Amber has glimpsed the power of a journey filled with hope and choice.

Click here to enter a giveaway for the first in Amber’s new children’s series. In the subject line of the contact form, write Lemon Tree giveaway.

Connecting Online

Website: https://www.amberstowe.com/

Blog: https://www.amberstowe.com/blog

Preorder / Shopify Store: https://amberstowe.myshopify.com/

Repairing Hearts -- Book and Author Spotlight with Giveaway

Wed, 10 Jul 2024 07:30:00 GMT

Help me welcome author Julie Arduini as she shares about her latest release. Plus, read on, because she has graciously offered to gift one lucky person with something free.

First, I'm going to ask Julie some tough questions.

What do you enjoy most about writing?

My husband is an avid golfer and I find talking to him about the sport, we often have similar stories. There are days he golfs and nothing goes right. His swing is off. The ball goes in the rough. He comes home thinking it’s the worst sport and he’ll never play again---until the next time. The next time, everything goes right. Things just flow. He returns feeling an emotional rush and he can’t wait to get back at it.

That’s writing for me. I love the rush. So many days the flow is forced. I need to connect this plot point to get to the next big moment. It takes so much time and often the results don’t seem to outweigh the effort. But then, then there’s when all things connect and the story world opens up and words flow. It’s beautiful and like my husband and golf, makes me yearn to “get back at it” as soon as possible.

What can readers expect from you next?

Surrendering Hearts features the Hart sextuplets and how they discover their identity and try to find a love like their parents shared. Each sibling has their own book. Jordyn has Anchored Hearts , Ryan is the hero of Repairing Hearts . Next up is Evan’s story, Building Hearts . Evan is the middle child and has always wanted to make a name for himself. He finally has the opportunity with the new reality show, Building with the Harts. Each book contains a Christian surrender issue and a chocolate mention, and with Evan, he needs to surrender what others think. He grew up in Ryan’s shadow, and Evan really wants to shine with the show. Will his co-producer, Shea Madden, and the job before them be a success for them, or another hurt they endure? I’m having fun writing this small-town, co-worker romance.

What can readers who enjoy your book do to help make it successful?

I’m so thankful for readers! The best thing they could do is spread the word. If they know other readers who enjoy small-town romances with a Christian message, it means so much when the recommendation comes from them. If they are members of FB groups focused on books, often other readers ask about books and authors. It would be wonderful if my readers took a moment and added my name to those posts. Of course, leaving a review is always helpful. The more reviews Amazon receives, the more visibility a book receives. I don’t take readers for granted. I need their help and encouragement as much as I hope my books provide that for them.

Giveaway : I’m happy to give away one Kindle copy of Anchored Hearts/Repairing Hearts. Leave a comment and tell me whether you prefer small town settings or big city settings.

About Repairing Hearts

What if a reality show creates a blight on sextuplet Ryan Hart’s life harsher than his dump of a home?

Ryan, the independent, brooding second oldest of the Hart sextuplets, can’t enjoy the solitude he craves when he agrees to star on a reality show. The plan is to discover a project manager to renovate his hole of a property. The show reveals that it's more about Ryan’s dating life. Can he keep his guard up when everything around him is falling apart faster than the shingles on his roof?

BJ Wallace loves her quiet life in Wisconsin that she’s created far from her traumatic childhood. Everything changes when she learns she's competing on Repairing Ryan's Heart. As the show focuses more on Ryan than the house, BJ falls for him. Will she win the show and destroy Ryan with her secret, or sacrifice her heart to protect Ryan?

A small-town, reality show romance with family drama and a Christian thread of surrendering pride and anger.

Repairing Hearts for Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Repairing-Hearts-Christian-Surrender-Surrendering-ebook/dp/B0CLCTD289/

Repairing Hearts Softcover: https://www.amazon.com/Repairing-Hearts-Surrendering-Julie-Arduini/dp/1733687653

A Peek inside Repairing Hearts

CHAPTER ONE

Ryan Hart squinted as the hot, white lights came to life and the cameraman started the countdown. The second oldest sextuplet glanced at the small mic attached to his ironed navy shirt and sucked in a breath as if he was heading to an early morning boot camp run.

Behind the cameras was a stack of musty, outdated living room pieces that belonged at the end of the driveway for trash day. The walls to his side had peeling wall paper, the design featuring a gold backdrop with red velvet designs from the 1970s. Or older.

What have I done to allow the live interview to be in this death trap?

“You’ve got this, Ry.” Jordyn, seated first in the line thanks to birth order, mouthed an encouragement. Apparently, the lights blinded her to the water leak shapes in the ceiling.

“Aunt” Julia turned in her chair and flashed a smile as soon as the cameras clicked on.

This is happening. I hate this.

“Good evening, I’m Julia Turmeric on a very special edition of Wednesdays with Julia. Tonight, we have the Hart sextuplets for their annual interview, but this year, it’s their twenty-fifth birthday we’re celebrating.”

Evan pounded the arm rest with a passionate “Yeah!”

If only I could pound him.

Julia chuckled. “Let’s get into it. Evan, you’re obviously excited. Why does this birthday mean so much to you?"

The third sextuplet straightened in his chair and offered a grin complete with dimples that seemed to always give Evan favor over Ryan.

About Julie:

Julie Arduini writes small-town romances featuring Christian surrender themes and chocolate mentions. She’s the author of the series SURRENDERING HEARTS (Anchored Hearts, Repairing Hearts, +four more). Her other romance series is SURRENDERING TIME (Entrusted, Entangled, Engaged). She also co-wrote a YA/Women’s Fiction series with her daughter, SURRENDERING STINKIN’ THINKIN’ (You’re Beautiful, You’re Amazing, You’re Brilliant). Her stand-alone romances include MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN and RESTORING CHRISTMAS. Julie maintains a blog at juliearduini.com , Substack, and participates in the team blog Christians Read. She resides in Ohio with her husband and daughter. Learn more by visiting her at http://linktr.ee/JulieArduini .

Love's True Home -- book spotlight

Tue, 02 Jul 2024 07:30:00 GMT

Today I welcome author Lori DeJong as she shares about her latest release.

Guest blog for Donna Schlachter / Live By the Word

About Love's True Home:

Allyson Kincaid needs roots. Born and raised on the foreign mission field, all she wants is home and hearth on American soil. Finally past the break-up with the man she’d thought was the love of her life, she’s ready to put herself back out there. Too bad the first guy who’s made her pulse skip in nearly two years dreams of a life spent in foreign missions. She’s already lost so much to the mission field, and, although she supports him in his calling, knows his choice means she’ll be laying even more broken dreams, and a newly shattered heart, at the feet of Jesus.

When Zane Carpenter relocates to Arlington, Texas, his seventh move in thirteen years, his only thought is to meet his obligation with Becker Ministries in a few months then take a foreign mission assignment, his dream for the past several years. But working so closely with Ally in student ministry has him feeling things he’s never experienced. He’s ready for a future with her, until he accepts an opportunity to work on foreign soil and Ally stays behind. He knows God put him at the mission for a reason, although his heart still longs for the girl back home.

Getting to Know Lori:

Lori DeJong is a contemporary Christian romance author who enjoys penning stories full of grace and the redemptive power of God’s love that inspire others to hope regardless of circumstance, find joy in the moment, and grow in their faith. She resides in Georgetown, Texas, with her husband and two fur-babies and is the mother of one grown daughter. Lori's debut novel, "Love's True Calling", was the 2022 winner of the ACFW Genesis Award for Romance and was released in June 2023. "Love’s True Home" is Book Two in the series and releases June 25, 2024, and "Love’s True Measure" will release in June 2025. Lori's Christmas novella, "Jingle Bell Matchmakers", releases as part of "A Match Made at Christmas" novella collection in October 2024.

When you read a book you particularly like (or maybe that you don’t), do you ever think, “I wonder how this book got born?” Haha! Okay, that’s horrible grammar for a writer, but bear with me. Whenever I pick up a novel that I end up loving, I’m so curious as to how the author came up with such a great plot, or their wonderful characters, or simply the story concept. Did they see or read something that gave them the start of a new idea? Did they have some personal experience that they used to make the story so real?

Well, if you read my newest release, Love’s True Home , Book Two in my True Calling Series, (and I hope you do!), here’s a little bit about how that story came to be.

When Allyson Kincaid, my female protagonist, first showed up in Love’s True Calling, she was hoping to win back her first love, which just happened to be Wyatt, the main male character in that book. Not a great impression on readers, as you can expect, since they were all pulling for Wyatt and Harper.

Yet I had a fondness for Ally, and I really wanted her to have her own happily-ever-after. So I came up with a whole concept for her story based on her time on the mission field and was just waiting to finish the first book before I could start on hers.

Then Zane showed up at the end of Love’s True Calling and I was smitten. I knew he had to be the guy for Ally. His extrovert to her introvert. His charisma to her self-control. His inability to settle in one place to her desire to plant roots. Yep! They were perfect for each other!

So, I threw out that first concept and started all over. And I had such fun writing their story. Watching Ally learn to open up, and Zane start to wonder what it might be like to land and stay in one place. Then to throw all of that into the wind when they’re faced with a decision that could part them forever. Was she wrong to put so much of herself, and her heart, into imagining a future with Zane? When he’s offered his dream job, is it too much to ask of her to come along when he knows how much she longs to stay?

My hope for this book would be that the reader would come away with the assurance of knowing God has a plan for them, and that His plan is so much more than they could ever imagine. “Commit to the Lord whatever you, and He will establish your plans.” Proverbs 16:3.

Connecting Online:

My website: https://loridejongwrites.com/

Join My Community: https://bit.ly/LoriDeJongCommunity

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loridejongwrites/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/loridejongwrites

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/loridejongwrites

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/38460845.Lori_DeJong

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/lori-dejong

To purchase Love’s True Home: https://scrivenings.link/lovestruehome

Lullaby By The River -- book spotlight

Mon, 01 Jul 2024 23:21:59 GMT

Help me welcome Temperance Johnson as she shares about her writing journey and newest release.

I am so glad to be here with y’all. I am doing a festival so I will check in with y’all when I can. The festival I am doing is in Maysville, Kentucky along the Ohio River. It is a lot of fun and so beautiful.

My new book releasing in February 2025, Lullaby by the River, is set in Maysville and the Ohio River has a lot to do with the story. I love putting little things like the beehive tavern, the festivals, and special spots like that in Kentucky.

My Liberty Chronicles series is Christian historical fiction, so I am a big history buff. Even for my Amish fiction. Like Kentucky actually owns the Ohio River. (But no one likes my idea of changing the name. haha.) Because when the slaves tried to escape to freedom before the war when they were in the River, they still belonged to the south and could be caught and taken back. The Ohio River was also only 6 and 12 feet deep in some parts during that time. The dames put in it made it a lot bigger around the 1890s.

I never thought to put my Liberty Chronicles series in Kentucky. They are set in other places I love, like the Gulf of Mexico in Alabama and then in Deer Trail, Colorado. I have been to Colorado Springs, Colorado and it is so beautiful there. And of course, vacation in Alabama. So in this series I put another thing I love. Horses. My heart horse, Montana Dove, even made it on the cover of Liberty Ranch. My new release has horses in almost every scene, from Firefly to Ponder. They are very special animals to their owners. It has been fun to write, and my editors have had to tell me to help readers understand it better. I get a bit carried away when writing them. The horses also get their owners through heartfelt and healing times, like Phoenix in Liberty Ranch . That horse gets Izzy Donavon through so much. I think horses have a way of healing that God helps us with. We aren’t alone when we have them and they can help us feel when times we would rather not.

I hope y’all will want to read more in my books about my setting and my wonderful horses. Here is my little mini baby horse, Spring Ariel. She is a doll, born last week.

What is your favorite thing to read in Christian fiction? What is your favorite setting?

About Temperance:

Temperance Johnson has always loved to read and write. As one of eleven children, she began writing with their support, and it quickly became one of her favorite pastimes. The Liberty Chronicles was born out of her deep passion for adoption, family, and faith. In her free time, she works and plays with her horses and twenty-three nieces. They have both made it into her stories. She collects way too many things, probably mostly from Hobby Lobby. Drinks too much coffee and she actually watches more movies than books. She still loves to write powerful stories for the Lord.

Connect online:

https://www.instagram.com/temperancejohnsonauthor?igsh=dWMyOXdkZ2dxMTFi

https://www.facebook.com/temperancejohnsonauthor.weebly?mibextid=ZbWKwL

https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B086HD46QB

The Power of Our Words -- Book and Author Spotlight

Thu, 27 Jun 2024 08:00:00 GMT

Join me today as I welcome author Diana Leigh Matthews, as she shares about her latest release, and the fact that our words have the power of life and death in them. A timely reminder for all.

A friend confided in me and asked me to speak with another friend. When I chose to do so it was with harsh and accusing words. In the end, I looked the fool.

James 3:1 says, “The tongue … is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.”

Hurting people often hurt people. This may not be intentional, but their pain is so deep that all they know to do is to lash out at others. In “Carol of the Rooms,” Terri Neely has buried her pain so deep that she constantly lashes out at others.

It’s only through a supernatural visit that she’s forced to face the truth she’s hidden from for so long. Only then is she able to seek forgiveness and begin to change her ways and rebuild her life.

I wish that instead of condemning my friends, I’d taken the time to pray for them. To seek the Lord’s wisdom before reacting so foolishly. To pour words of love and kindness over them. I would have gotten much further with kindness than with criticism.

While more than two decades have passed, I’ve regretted my part greatly. Not only did I destroy two friendships but one of the friends was killed in a car accident a short time later. There would be no opportunity for apologies or reconciliation.

As the old proverb says, “Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, Sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.” (Proverbs 16:24)

We can either use our words to tear people down or build people up. Personally, I’ve spent too many years tearing down and like Terri turning my hurt on others. Today, I’d rather use my words to uplift and encourage others.

Are your words harsh and unforgiving or pleasant and encouraging?

About Leagh:

Diana Leagh Matthews shares God’s love through her story From Rebel to Redeemed. Her day job is as a volunteer coordinator, but at night she writes and hunts genealogy. She gives programs as a speaker, teacher, and presents historical monologues. Leagh’s (pronounced Lee) debut novel is Carol of the Rooms . Her second novel Forever Changed will release in early 2025. She also writes the history behind hymns at DianaLeaghMatthews.com .

Connect Online:

www.DianaLeaghMatthews.com

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DiLeaghMatthews

Twitter/X https://twitter.com/dileaghmatthews

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dianaleaghmatthews/

Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/dileaghmatthews/

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/diana-leagh-matthews-19187544/

June New Releases

Fri, 21 Jun 2024 07:30:00 GMT

New Paragraph

Why Remember? Book and Author Spotlight

Wed, 19 Jun 2024 07:30:00 GMT

Help me welcome author Anna Jensen as she shares her story of war heroes.

I asked this question of readers at a recent Facebook party I participated in.

It was a few days after D-Day, with commemorations and events held on the beaches of northern France 80 years after the D-Day landings. Dignitaries and celebrities honoured the few men and women seated before them, age reducing their numbers with each passing year. Promises were made to cherish those who fought for freedom, to never forget.

I’ve visited those beaches, and there is a palpable air of reverence all along the windy coastline. White crosses march in neat ranks in the way their owners were never able to. Diagrams and maps show how events unfolded, who was where, when. It is moving and inspiring all at the same time.

When writing my historical novels, I often start with a place; somewhere like the Normandy beaches, where history tangibly entwines with the present, where dying whispers resonate in my soul.

The site of the Battle of Spionkop, a few hours’ drive from my home in Durban, South Africa, is one such place. Fought on 24 January 1900, in the early days of the Anglo-Boer War, the site was christened an ‘acre of massacre’ by one contemporary reporter. There has never been such loss of life on so small a patch of ground in the history of warfare — including to the present day.

Dotted alongside the approach road to the main site, white stones honour those who lost their lives on the slopes. One is marked, as is often the case at such places, as being in memory of an ‘unknown soldier’. That grabbed my attention.

No one is unknown to God the Father. Every hair of every head is numbered. Every family torn apart by the loss of a son, a brother, a husband, a father has the promise of comfort from the Lord.

And so I wanted to tell that story of the ‘known-unknowns’.

And in doing so, I wanted to share the stories of another, more recent tragedy; the Hillsborough Disaster — where a total of 97 people lost their lives as a result of severe crushing at a football (soccer) match at the Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield, England in April 1989. The match was a semi-final contest between rival teams, Liverpool and Nottingham Forest. The victims were all Liverpool supporters.

For the last several years, South African fans have held a service at the site of the Battle of Spionkop in memory of the disaster — in the shadow of a memorial to British soldiers who travelled from Liverpool to fight in a war at the bottom of the world.

Remembered Lives weaves together these stories, uniting contemporary football fans and their search for closure with the double-sided story of conquest and self-defence.

This was perhaps the hardest book I’ve written to date, but it wormed its way into my heart. I hope it will do for you! Available in ebook from Amazon via www.books2read.com/rememberedlives for $3.99/£3.99 (FREE in Kindle Unlimited). Paperback releasing soon!

About Anna:

Hi! I’m Anna, a British expat living in South Africa — where I overlook the Indian Ocean and have the privilege of watching dolphins and whales pass by. I write historical and contemporary fiction, inspirational non-fiction, and poetry.

Connecting Online

Discover more on my website at www.annajensen.co.uk .

You can sign up to receive my newsletter and receive a free historical novella set in Poldark’s Cornwall, Seeking Light .

You can also follow me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/annaloujensen or find me in all the other places I hang out here .

A STORY IS BORN -- book and author spotlight

Sat, 15 Jun 2024 07:30:00 GMT

Today, author C.C. Harrison shares where she gets her story ideas from.

Where do your story ideas come from? I'm asked that all the time. My stories are mostly inspired by my personal experience which I then inflate, expand, glamorize, and fictionalize into an acceptable novel format.

I wrote my Native American novel The Charmstone after I'd spent a year living on the Navajo Indian Reservation in Monument Valley. I wrote my child finder novel Picture of Lies after I'd spent time as a child advocate in a family court system. I've often suspected that my Old West Historical Sage Cane's House of Grace and Favor was based on one of my previous lives in a fledgling Colorado mining town back in the mid-1800s. (It could happen.)

The idea for my ukulele themed book Death by G-String came to me in a most unexpected way.

One night I saw Zooey Deschanel on television playing a ukulele. I stopped what I was doing and watched, fascinated. She looked so darn cute. Not long after that, I saw someone's ninety year old grandmother on television playing a ukulele, and again something compelled me to stop and watch. Not long after that, I read in my local newspaper that Heidi Swedberg was coming to a local library to give ukulele lessons and she was bringing the ukuleles to use. You may remember Heidi as George's girlfriend on the TV show Seinfeld? She now has a touring ukulele group called Heidi Swedberg and the Sukey Jump Band.

Anyway, I signed up for the ukulele class at the library. When I walked into the room where the lessons would be held, I was surprised to see only one seat left. I quickly claimed it.

Heidi walked in pulling a huge cart full of ukuleles. She walked around handing them out, taught us a few chords, and by the end of the class I could play a song! I was so excited!!!

And at the end of that class when Heidi came around collecting those ukuleles . . . I didn't want to give it back.

I did, though, and the next day I went out and bought a soprano ukulele, a chord chart, and a book for beginners. I eventually joined the Phoenix Ukulele Club, and a small Wednesday ladies group. I learned one song by heart and made my solo coffee shop debut not long after.

It was about that time that I began telling people that I was born to be a rock star, but I write books instead.

I now own 5 ukuleles, 2 guitars, a hand made Black Mountain dulcimer, and a minstrel dulcimer which is a small dulcimer that you play like a guitar.

At the time, my first 4 books had been published, and I was taking some time off from writing, but it wasn't long before an idea for a ukulele themed mystery started swirling around in my head. The result was my book called Death by G-String , a Coyote Canyon Ladies Ukulele Club Mystery. (Later, when that book won a Colorado Humanities Book Award, I felt that empty seat in the library had been divinely inspired just waiting for me to claim it.)

Now ukuleles have four strings, one of them is a G-string, and that led to the title of my book, because one of the characters in the book is strangled to death with a ukulele G-string.

I fell in love with my book cover the minute I saw it, and I thank my publisher and the graphic artist who came up with it.

The title of the book is predominantly featured in big yellow letters. Underneath the title it very clearly says Coyote Canyon Ladies Ukulele Club Mystery. There's a picture of a music stand with a sign that says UKULELE PRACTICE 7 PM TONIGHT, and practice chairs set up around a music stand. It shows a picture of a ukulele right there on one of the chairs.

The back cover copy gives a summary of the book and says "The Coyote Canyon Ladies Ukulele Club is gearing up for a ukulele competition when their flamboyant star player, Kiki Jacquenette, is found strangled to death with a G-string."

And, that is the information my publisher and my agent sent to Amazon. So, clearly, anyone would be able to tell that it's a ukulele themed book. Right?

Well, Amazon thought it would be a good idea to put my book in the same category . . . as UNDERWEAR!

Oh, yes, I was peeved at first, but quickly realized that the placement there would get me a whole slew of new readers!! Proving once again that ". . . in all things God works for the good of those who love him."

Here's a little poem I wrote during the actual writing of Death by G-String. Some of you may be able to identify with what it describes.

A BOOK IS BORN

C. C. Harrison

I sit at the keyboard and type Chapter One

Then wonder who has seen my latest Facebook post.

So I take a moment to check in.

Oh! A survey. This will only take a minute.

Do I take selfies it asks me.

No.

Well, maybe I do.

Sometimes.

Next question: Do you have a dog?

No.

Do you have a cat?

No.

What kind of a writer am I, no dog, no cat.

Oh, look here! Something new on Netflix.

Uh huh, uh huh, uh huh.

Back to the keyboard to write the opening line of the book.

"Pia's back in town,

"I never thought she'd show her face around here again."

Oh, wait! Did I remember to put half and half on my grocery list?

I jot down "1/2 and 1/2" and pour a cup of coffee.

Dunkin Donuts medium roast.

Almost out, so I add that to the grocery list, too.

Back to Chapter One. Next line.

"Me, neither. Not after what happened to Carly."

I pause.

What did happen to Carly?

Hmmm. I haven't figured that out yet.

I get on the treadmill until it comes to me.

So, really, where do you get your story ideas? How is your book born? I'd really like to know. You can tell me at arizonaauthor2@gmail.com .

Writing Through Pain: Crafting Stories of Love and Resilience -- with Giveaway

Thu, 13 Jun 2024 07:30:00 GMT

Help me welcome author April Kidwell as she shares her journey to publication. She has also generously offered a giveaway, so read through to find the details and enter the random drawing.

Writing Through Pain: Crafting Stories of Love and Resilience

Little pieces of me end up on the page when I write a story. Sometimes it’s a fear, hope, or dream. Always it’s a woman waiting on that elusive happily ever after. But when I wrote “A Love for All Seasons,” my heart broke for Claire as she battled the pain of chronic illness.

Because I know.

Although her specific condition is not formally identified, many of her symptoms are consistent with lupus, fibromyalgia, or psoriatic arthritis. Conditions I’ve either personally experienced or observed in loved ones. And before her story could be released, I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

Chronic pain requires an individual to be brave. Get out of bed. Do the hard things. Show up when you don’t feel like it. Personal value diminishes. Accomplishments wane. Emotions run wild. And you ask yourself, “What do I have to offer?”

It’s not much different than a woman waiting on love.

She longs for acceptance. Belonging. Connection.

She wants to be more than her pain.

She needs to feel loved.

Women in my stories have either loved and lost, or never really known love. Some characters, like Claire, rely on themselves. Others press fully into reliance on God.

But the truth is, pain is universal. And it doesn’t have to be physical.

It can be doubting your self-worth, questioning your value, experiencing heartbreak, loss or brokenness.

But despite the pain, there is hope.

And that’s what my heroine discovers. Hope. Once she has hope, she can accept the love she already has been offered by the One who created her.

Despite years of waiting, despite restrictions she places on herself, despite limits—real, imagined, or external—she was created to love and be loved.

I write Christian romance to reflect God’s love for each of us. It’s not just about finding a man to walk beside you in this life, it’s about discovering who God created us to be. We don’t need a man to be fulfilled, but for some, happily ever after may include one.

A Peek Inside : “A Love for All Seasons”

In theory, being the maid of honor for her best friend required much less effort than the typical wedding duties. Show up. Hold the bouquet. Stick around for the party.

But for Claire Forsythe, the hardest part proved to be wearing the floor length burgundy chiffon all evening. The hem of the dress sparkled gold as if someone had dipped the bottom third into a vat of glitter. The Grecian neckline exposed her shoulders and emphasized her height. With every movement, a different seam grated against her sensitive skin, and the utilitarian undergarments poked her in spots that never saw the light of day. Her saving grace was that she’d been able to remove her heels and slip on comfort shoes under the long dress after the ceremony.

About April:

April Kidwell is a writer, story coach, and ovarian cancer warrior. She writes contemporary romance sprinkled with history for the waiting heart. She is married to a Science geek, mother to two grown children, devoted to her six four-legged rescues, and lives in beautiful Central Oregon. She has two contemporary novellas available on Amazon, and will release an historical Christmas novella in October 2024.

Bonus: Receive a free novella with newsletter sign up: https://aprilkidwellauthor.com/newsletter-sign-up/

Connecting Online:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aprilkidwellauthor/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aprilkidwellauthor/

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@aprilkidwellauthor

Website: https://aprilkidwellauthor.com/

Giveaway:

One randomly selected winner may choose the ebook version set of two novellas, “Next Christmas” and “A Love for All Season,” or the print version, “High Desert Romance Collection" which includes both novellas in one paperback.

His Story -- His Word -- book and author spotlight

Tue, 11 Jun 2024 07:30:00 GMT

Help me welcome author Anna Jensen as she shares the story behind her latest release.

Towards the end of 2023, I got chatting to author Caryl McAdoo. In the course of our conversation, she invited me to join her Prairie Roses wagon trail romance collection.

My initial reaction? No, thank you! I don’t know anything about American wagon trails, and I don’t write traditional romances.

But then I got to thinking.

I moved to South Africa from the UK twenty-seven years ago. In that time, I’ve learnt some local history. And one thing I know a little about is The Great Trek – an epic journey of Dutch-speaking pioneers in search of freedom from the British run colony of the Cape. Pioneers — Voortrekkers — who traveled in covered wagons.

Why not introduce that story to a worldwide audience? And sprinkle some romance into the mix, while I’m at it.

And so Maria was born!

Weaving historical fact with fiction, I developed the orphaned Maria’s story as she travelled with her guardians — real spiritual leaders of the Voortrekker congregation — in search of a new, promised land. Experiencing further tragedy and loss along the way, Maria finds herself adrift and alone, with an uncertain future ahead.

Even Field Cornet Christiaan Venter’s friendship and promises can’t allay Maria’s fears.

This all sounded great. But where was God in Maria’s story?

Before writing anything, I love to ask God what verse from the Bible is the key to my upcoming story. For Maria, it was from Psalm 107:28-30: "Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. Then they were glad that the waters were quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven."

And that was it. Maria needed to know God would be her safe place, her harbour. No matter the storms she faced, no matter the loss of those she loved or the seemingly fickle promises of those she hoped to love, God would shelter her.

Do you have a word, a verse from the Bible, for the story of your life? Jesus is the author of all our stories — I pray we would hear His word spoken over the book He writes of our lives.

I’d love you to read the first two chapters of Maria in a special online magazine edition HERE

About Anna

Discover more on my website at www.annajensen.co.uk . You can sign up to receive my newsletter and receive a free historical novella set in Poldark’s Cornwall, Seeking Light.

You can also follow me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/annaloujensen or find me in all the other places I hang out here .

The Path to Publishing is Paved With Prayer

Thu, 06 Jun 2024 07:30:00 GMT

Please welcome author and blogger Allison Nance as she shares her path to publishing.

I never set out to write a novel.

Have you spoken with a professional about how you’re feeling?

You should journal about your experience.

Give yourself grace.

These platitudes–albeit spoken with kindness–put the onus for recovery squarely on my
shoulders. Shoulders which remained tense from panic attacks and sagged with depression. Arms
rendered incapable of carrying my child or embracing my husband after bearing the weight of
spiritual warfare.

Completely at a loss as to how to process the mental and physical fallout of an illness which
necessitated a very quick, very unexpected move back to America from the mission field my
family had prepared for five years to live long term, I struggled to find a healthy path forward.

The Lord prompted me to write through the words of a dear friend. After Bible study, she
stopped me and said, “Allison, I’m praying for you. God’s still writing your story, and I can’t
wait to see what it is.”

My friend was praying for me. God still had a plan for me. There was absolutely no pressure on
me to do anything except trust, and tell my story.

Several afternoons later, I sat down at my dining room table, iPad and keyboard at the ready and
started typing. I wrote while feeling anxious and uncertain. I captured the moment-by-moment
battle with fear and hope raging in my mind. But, I gave the woman in this story a different
name, a different history. The Lord helped me unearth the beauty of storytelling as I wrote my
first novel. Although the narrative originates with me, it doesn’t end with me. Characters and
prose outlive the author, gaining new life as they find a home with each reader. Truth is shared
thanks to a fictional world.

With much patience and prayer, my debut novel now has a home, and will be published by
Hidden Shelf Publishing House in early 2025. I can’t wait for you to read my story, but more
than that, I can’t wait for you to see yourself in the pages, and to know that you are seen by a
loving God. Until then, here’s some back cover copy to whet your appetite:

Aimee Rojas is a tenacious single mother at the height of her career in sales—until an
unexpected diagnosis brings life to a grinding halt. Retreating to Galveston Island on the coast of
Texas, Aimee is immediately surrounded with supportive family and friends. However, she soon

realizes accepting help from those closest to her comes with its own nuanced complexities.

Aimee's beloved cousin reappears in her life, complete with his spiraling opioid addiction, and
her handsome co-worker continues to keep her mind racing in spite of her hiatus from the job.

The brightest spark of joy in Aimee's life is her daughter Anna, who quickly befriends the family
next door. As Aimee grapples with the physical and mental effects of her illness, she has no idea
her healing will involve the love of a man whose past is just as complicated as her own, and the
uncovering of a lie which might not only end her career, but her life.

About Allison

Allison writes captivating, character-driven stories which she hopes causes her readers to reflect
on the often harsh intersection of faith and reality, and how the tension between the two plays out
practically in the ordinary—and extraordinary—events of their own lives. Subscribe to Allison’s
newsletter to receive Sunshine Roads, a free short story.

If she’s not slinging artisan-roasted coffee for Victory Point Roastery, writing, or hanging out
with her family, she’s probably baking. You can find her at www.allisonrnance.com

War’s Unexpected Gift: The Story Behind the Story

Wed, 05 Jun 2024 07:30:00 GMT

Help me welcome back author and blogger Linda Shenton Matchett as she shares about her upcoming release.

Most of my stories are inspired by events or historical figures, and War’s Unexpected Gift is no different and is a conglomeration of several factors. The book features nurse Gwen Milford, who is a secondary character in A Doctor in the House. I thought she deserved her own story.

I was watching an episode of the BBC mystery show Foyle’s War when I first learned about Great Britain requisitioning thousands of their country’s manor homes for use as troops billets, military headquarters, storage for art or other important treasures, schools, orphanages, listening or monitoring centers, training locations, or hospitals, and I was intrigued. With so many unique uses for these huge homes, the story possibilities are endless. I considered putting Gwen into another manor-home-turned-hospital and began my research into the various units within the American Army Medical Corps.

The exploits of the 105 ^th and 103 ^rd medical battalions caught my attention, and I dug deeper. Both these units (as well as many others), made their way across Europe as the war progressed. As the Germans were pushed farther and farther back and finally into their own country some of the medical units ended up in Germany. I wanted to explore how that may have felt, and I also wanted to take Gwen out of the comforts of a convalescent hospital in a mansion surrounded by hundreds of bucolic acres of farmland and forest to the rigors of an evacuation hospital close to combat zones that relocates several times.

My research gave me an even greater appreciation for the men and women who served in this capacity. Evacuation hospitals were “mobile units designed to provide near the front facilities for major medical and surgical treatment of casualties. They received patients from division, corps, and army clearing stations, and their job was to begin “definitive treatment,” sort the casualties, and for extended evacuation of certain patients. They remained in the hospital from a few hours to a few weeks.” (Source: U.S. Medical Research Center)

What surprised me the most was the two types of evac hospitals: 400-bed semi-mobile and 750-bed mobile. Think about that! My husband and I downsized and moved into a smaller home five years ago, and I still remember the logistics and minutia surrounding the event. It was weeks in the planning. Now, transfer that concept to relocating an entire hospital including the pharmacy, lab, and surgical center. Then add roads that may be barely passable because of bombing or traveling across mountains in the winter. I read more than a few accounts of the “thrills and chills” of traversing icy and snow-slicked roads. By the way, you need to keep the patients comfortable and alive.

It is my hope that War’s Unexpected Gift honors theses sometimes unsung heroes of the military.

War’s Unexpected Gift (coming July 2, 2024)

Love and war don’t mix. Or do they?

Eager to do even more for the war effort, nurse Gwen Milford puts in for a transfer from a convalescent hospital outside of London to an evac hospital headed across Europe. Leap-frogging from one location to the next, nothing goes as expected from stolen supplies to overwhelming numbers of casualties. Then, there’s the handsome doctor who seems to be assigned to her every shift. As another Christmas approaches without the war’s end, can she find room in her heart for love?

War’s Unexpected Gift was originally part of the limited-edition anthology A Merry Heart that is no longer in publication.

Pre-order Link : https://books2read.com/u/4jG2wl

About Linda:

Linda Shenton Matchett writes happily-ever-after historical Christian fiction about second chances and women who overcome life’s challenges to be better versions of themselves. Whether you choose my books set in the Old West or across the globe during WWII, you will be immersed in the past through rich detail. A native of Baltimore, Maryland, Linda was born a stone’s throw from Fort McHenry (of Star-Spangled Banner fame) and has lived in historical places all her life. She now lives in central New Hampshire where she is a volunteer docent and archivist at the Wright Museum of WWII.

C onnect online:

Website/Blog: http://www.LindaShentonMatchett.com

Newsletter Signup: https://BookHip.com/BKQNLMN

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/lindashentonmatchettsreadersgroup

Moments in History: http://www.youtube.com/@lindamatchett

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/linda-shenton-matchett

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author_linda_matchett

Sadie Does Not Like Sorries -- Book and Author Spotlight

Tue, 28 May 2024 07:30:00 GMT

Today I welcome author and blogger Susan Drew as she shares about her latest release and life as an author. She has generously offered a delightful sunflower necklace that will go to one random person who leaves a comment (US only).

Connecting Online

Susan Drew Writes

https://susandrew.substack.com/

Instagram: @_susandrew

Twitter: @_susandrew

Getting to Know Susan

Susan is a Navy Brat who traipsed all over the world with her family. She was born in Iceland, but has also lived in Hawaii, Texas, Virginia, California and Germany. Now Susan lives in Vermont with her husband, and rambunctious dog. She’s eagerly awaiting the publication of her first picture book. When not writing, Susan paints and sells her work at local craft fairs, kayaks and dreams up new projects.

About Sadie Does Not Like Sorries

A playground ball. A tussle. A girl who does not like saying sorry.

SADIE DOES NOT LIKE SORRIES is a story about the importance of apologizing.

Will Sadie say sorry in time to enjoy recess with her friends?

Preorders are available now! https://a.co/d/1BctoJ4

Patience and other myths

A long, long time ago, when I was babysitting for a neighbor, she told me, “I prayed for patience and God gave me a cat.” I thought that was the dumbest thing I ever heard. (Yes, I was a snarky child.) I finally get it now. (I’m snarky, and a slow learner.) You can’t be patient unless you have reason to be patient. Hence the cat. Or small children. Or both if you want to be a masochist.

Publishing is slow. First you think you have a great book and an agent is going to snap you up. Not so much. It’s a long slog of research and querying and waiting and hoping. One bright and shiny day an agent calls and you start dreaming about what to do with the big advance you’re going to get. And what you’ll say on the morning shows. Not so much of that either, because now you have to edit the book and get it ready to go out on submission to publishers.

Ahh…submission. Submission is a lot like querying except you don’t have any control. Trust me when I say it takes everything I have not to email my agent every day…”So, how’s it going?” “Have you heard anything today?” “How about today?”

The good news is I have a picture book due out on August 6 ^th . I’m working on launch party plans, and I’m emailing independent bookstores to see if they’ll stock my book. There are all kinds of things in my little art studio to paint. I can write a new book, and edit the ones I’ve already written. What about the living room curtains? Do I still like them? Maybe I should make some new ones?

But those books out on submission are calling to me! Sigh…yes, I know. Have patience.

Children Are A Gift from God -- Author and Book Spotlight

Fri, 24 May 2024 07:45:00 GMT

Help me welcome author Audrey Shrive as she shares her journey to publication and to a deeper reliance on the Lord.

A Peek Inside The Empty Womb

Chapter One – Children are a gift from God

My Journey

The x-ray room was cold and dark. The only thing between me and the steel table I was lying on was a hospital gown. The TV monitors in the room were on so the ultrasound could capture what happened when the doctor pushed dye through my fallopian tubes. There were three men in the room with me; the doctor, the ultrasound tech and a male nurse to assist. There were no stirrups for me to rest my feet in for the procedure. I had to hold my legs up on my own. The doctor made the mistake of letting me see the needle which was now inserted between my legs and into my cervix. I swear that sucker was at least a foot long, maybe longer. And he wanted me to scoot my bottom closer to him. I refused. I was aware of the human anatomy and the basic size of a uterus.

“You’re going to puncture my uterus with that needle,” I cried out.

“No, I won’t,” he answered.

“I’m not moving until you take that thing out of me,” I responded.

“No, it’s in already. I just need you to scoot closer to the end of the table. It will make it easier for me to do the dye injection,” he explained. “Just an inch or so.”

I’m not easily embarrassed or humiliated. This was an exception. These three men, had no understanding or compassion for what was happening to me and what they were asking me to do. I fought back the tears and did my best to comply with the ‘bottom scoot’, in a hospital gown, legs spread, and a gigantic needle in my cervix. After two or three false starts, I finally got in the position that would make the procedure easier for him. Nothing about this situation was easy for me.

Finally, he pushed the dye through my cervix. Only one fallopian tube showed free spill. The right one was partially blocked. My infertility issue was made more complicated.

The doctor was a general practitioner. He and his wife struggled to get pregnant. He treated her and they eventually were able to have children. Rather than refer me out to a specialist, he was determined to ‘fix me’.

We were stationed at Ft. Bragg and he was an active-duty doctor at Womack Army hospital. Generally, I would say my healthcare from the military has been outstanding. Medical treatment by Dr. Know-It-All is the only negative experience I’ve had in 30 years of military healthcare. My first meeting with him was actually my first appointment ever at a military hospital. I was a brand-new Army wife and brand new to military everything, including being seen at a military hospital. I don’t know why it surprised me, but it did, when he walked in the room to do my annual pap and breast exam wearing BDU’s (Battle Dress Uniform). Doctors wear scrubs and white coats, not “I’m-on-my-way-to-battle” attire. It just set me back a bit.

After the pap, which in and of itself has to be one of the most humiliating cancer screenings ever devised, he moved to the breast exam. This BDU wearing doctor/soldier said this to me as he did the exam:

“When you do your self-exam each month, think of the breast as a target and the nipple as the bull’s eye. Work your way in from the outside of the target, into the bullseye, checking for any lumps or deformities.”

I actually looked at his face to see if he was joking. He was not. Dr. Know-It-All was as serious as a heart attack. I wanted to laugh so badly, but it just seemed inappropriate to laugh while he had both hands on my breasts, doing the exam. He’d just seen my huha, now he was referring to my breasts as a target.

Getting to know Audrey

Audrey Shrive is a storyteller who points people toward God, sometimes with humor, sometimes with the cold, hard truth, but always with love. A twice published author, she can feel the Lord’s pleasure when writing or speaking at women’s retreats or gatherings.

Her first book, This is from Me , takes you on her journey through date rape, spiritual rebellion, courtship, marriage, addiction and divorce. The book demonstrates God’s faithfulness to pursue all who rebel against Him. This is from Me on Amazon

Audrey’s most recent book, The Empty Womb, explores Audrey’s own journey with infertility told in a raw and captivating way. It includes a brave discussion about invitro treatments and her choices about adoption. This book presents some fresh perspectives into the barren women of the Bible and what scripture says about children and infertility in an engaging way. Complete with a Bible study in the back, this book is for all women, not just the barren woman. The Empty Womb on Amazon

Connecting Online

Follow Audrey on FaceBook

Check out Audrey's Vlog, Joyful Gems with Audrey Joy

Get Joyful Gems with Audrey Joy in your in box and be entered to win your own copy of The Empty Womb (This link is to Audrey’s website, https://www.thisisfromme.com/ . Scroll down just a bit to find the Vlog sign up. Drawing will be held May 31, 2024. US addresses only. Signed print copy from the author. Audrey will email the winner to get their address for mailing).

About Audrey's Journey:

I come from a family of writers. I’ve always thought I had books in me. I have a friend who is a published author. Nearly twenty years ago, she challenged me to write a book about my divorce. I handedly dismissed the idea as total foolishness. But a seed was planted. I spent time thinking about the idea every so often. Around 10 years back, God gave me the name of the book and how the book would start.

Fast forward to 2020. In the third week of March, this same friend, sent an email out to her writer friends asking this question, “If I led a free, four-week class on how to write a memoir, would you be interested?” After I got done laughing at the timing of God, using a worldwide pandemic to finally give me the time and space to write, I let my friend know I was whole heartedly in. That’s how This is Fr0m Me was born.

Once that book was published, I felt God leading me to speak to women’s retreats and gatherings to get book into the hands of the women who needed it. The first talk I studied out and wrote was The Empty Womb. As soon as that 30 minute talk was completed, I heard God say, “Now this.”

In the writing of The Empty Womb, and other topics I have researched and spoken on at women’s events, I have discovered a previously unknown gift of teaching! I truly love to dig into scripture and learn, then take what I’ve learned and put it in a book format or a speech format. Who knew!?

I wanted to try my hand at fiction. Since I’ve never done it before, I thought I would start with something short. I’m currently working on a Novella about the woman with the blood issue in scripture. I’ve given her the name Rhoda. As Rhoda and I have gotten to know each other, I’ve come to have a huge hope that she somehow knows the difference she’s made for countless women across the centuries – that the twelve years of pain and suffering was worth it for all of the women her story has encouraged, women like me.

If you enjoy my books there are some things you could do to make the book more successful. You could leave a review on Amazon. (Sorry, they’re not linked. Novice mistake) This is from Me The Empty Womb You could also share your thoughts on the book(s) on your own social media pages with these links.

Lastly, I’m in the process of building my Vlog subscriber list. Joyful Gems with Audrey Joy is a short weekly video with Biblical insights, encouragement and inspiration. It will be from this distribution list I select my beta readers and launch team for future endeavors. Subscribing to Joyful Gems would be of great help to me! Here’s the link to my website to get in on these Gems. Don’t forget to scroll down a few pages to the signup page. Click here to get Joyful Gems in your personal inbox

Evolution of a Story and its Cover

Wed, 22 May 2024 09:00:00 GMT

Help me welcome author and blogger Lisa Pelissier as she shares about the process of writing a book and designing a great cover.

About MilliM :

Ten-year old Millie is obsessed with evenness, from the height of her pigtails to the distribution of butter and syrup on her waffle. Fortunately for Millie, she lives under the governance of the Council of Benevolence, an entity that seems to be just as consumed with conformity and evenness as Millie is. When Millie and her best friend Silas find a very lopsided, very ugly baby on her front porch, Millie doesn’t know what to do. Repulsed and horrified, Millie, accompanied by Silas, sets out for the city and the brazen symmetry of the Council of Benevolence, sure that they can make everything right again. It is only while she is there that she discovers that what you see is not always what you get.

About Lisa:

Lisa Pelissier lives in Oregon where she is a homeschool mother of four and self-published author of five middle-grade fiction novels, as well as two early-readers' chapter books and a YA fantasy novel. Lisa owns SneakerBlossom Books, offering Christian, classical homeschool study guides and curriculum. She also works as a freelance copy editor, copy writer, and virtual assistant. She blogs at EleventhWillow.com, a site she and two friends started for Christians parenting the mentally ill. In her spare time Lisa enjoys making art, playing the piano, and fretting about things over which she has no control.

Connect Online:

Buy Link for MillilM: https://www.amazon.com/MilliM-Lisa-Pelissier/dp/B08767B3GF

About the Process

I self-published my first book, MilliM, almost exactly four years ago. It felt like jumping off a cliff into the unknown. It’s been an interesting and enjoyable journey. Like I’ve said from the beginning, “Now that I know how easy it is to self-publish, I’m going to be a menace!” I’ve published over 140 books and study guides in the past four years. If that’s not menacing, I don’t know what is. But all kidding aside (well, most of it anyhow), I wanted to share some things I’ve learned along the way.

The first thing I learned was that there was value in jumping off a cliff before I felt ready. I had to let go of perfectionism to say, “Now or never.” My first edition of MilliM was far from perfect. There were typos. There were formatting errors. And the cover art stank. But I did it. I got it out there. A few practical tips from four years into the Amazon publishing process:

· Use their book templates. You’ll save yourself time and frustration.

· If you’re including images with captions, embed the text inside the image. If the caption is not built into the image, they will be separated in the e-book.

· Count on your cover art needing to be revised several times over before you get things to fit just right.

· Learning how to use headers, footers, and page numbers in Word is super helpful.

· Use the automatic Table of Contents creator in Word. It’s a beautiful thing.

· Learn to make a non-breaking space in your document. This is great when you don’t want a phrase to break in half for a new line of text. I use this for many things, among them, Bible verses, where I don’t want, say “John” and “3:16,” to appear on different lines. Even though you can manually manipulate this in a print document, in an e-book, the user chooses the text size, which affects line breaks. There are also non-breaking hyphens.

The second thing I’ve learned is that marketing is absolutely essential if you want to sell books. Millions of books are available on Amazon. The only way for people to discover yours is if you tell them about it. This is difficult. As a rule, writers and salespeople are radically different personality types. Even if you’d rather spend all day doing Algebra than promoting yourself, you have to do it.

While writing is such a soulish endeavor—you throw your entire heart and all your angsty pain into your writing—aiming at commercial success isn’t wrong. Entertainment, especially clean, wholesome entertainment, is a good thing. People need an escape sometimes—something to make them smile.

So be encouraged. Everyone is writing a book, at least in the back of their mind. Some start putting their book on paper (or the computer, as the case may be). A few finish writing their book. And even fewer publish. Do the thing. You won’t regret it.

New Releases for May 2024

Mon, 20 May 2024 08:15:00 GMT

New Paragraph

Greta Picklesimer -- Author and Book Spotlight

Thu, 16 May 2024 08:30:00 GMT

Join me today as author and blogger Greta Picklesimer shares about her latest release.

A Sneak Peek Inside the Story :

Chapter 1

Harrisville, Kentucky

1871

Harl Adams loaded the last of the feed for the livestock from Grant’s Mercantile into the back of his wagon. Turning, he bumped into Cletus Tooth, who was mumbling something to himself. Tooth didn’t slow his pace or apologize. Instead, he threw a small photograph case at Harl’s feet and kept walking.

“Hold up there, Cletus,” Harl said. “You dropped something.”

“I didn’t drop nothin’,” Cletus spat over his shoulder.

“What’s got you in such a state?”

Cletus spun around and marched back to Harl. “Her—that’s what,” he said, jabbing his finger at the case Harl held.

Unlatching the tiny clasp, Harl looked at the delicate black and white image of a young woman. Shaking his head, he looked at Cletus.

“That don’t match that,” Cletus said, emphasizing the statement by jabbing his index finger first at the picture and then in the air toward the train depot.

“Were you meeting someone?”

“Was I! Been talking to her through letters.”

“I didn’t know you could read and write.”

About Greta:

Greta Picklesimer is a Christian historical romance author with two traditionally published books under her belt and another one in the works. When she is not writing, she spends her time working on her art/scrapbook journal, listening to audiobooks and dreaming up her next novel. She is owned by one rescue cat she named Pearlie Blue after one of her father’s favorite Bluegrass songs.

By day, Greta works as an office assistant. At night, she writes.

Connect Online:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GretaPicklesimerChristianAuthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GretaPicklesime

TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@gretapicklesimerauthor

Instagram: https://www.Instagram.com/authorgretapicklesimer

Amazon buy link:

The Rejected Mail-Order Bride (Love in the Kentucky Hills Book 2)

Regency Wedding Research and Book Spotlight

Tue, 14 May 2024 07:30:00 GMT

Help me welcome author and blogger Louise Bergin as she shares her research into Regency Weddings. She also offers a free sample of her writing by subscribing to her newsletter, so keep reading to learn about that.

When a historical romance author does research for her books, she never knows what trails she will go down in the search for background facts.

My latest book, Stop the Wedding! : Traditional Regency Romance Novella, has a looming deadline in the calling of the banns. Three weeks to announce the impending marriage in church and then the ceremony.

Except, I wondered, did that mean most weddings were performed on Mondays, the day after the final banns?

Did you catch the assumption in that question?

I assumed weddings were performed on Mondays because the couple would be eager to wed. My plot had a Monday wedding scheduled, but just to be certain this was believable, I asked a group of Regency romance authors my question.

They did a deep dive into the research. Their answer surprised me, and I had to add a couple of background details to make my story work.

In 1753, the English Parliament passed the Hardwicke Marriage Act, a pivotal moment in legalizing marriages. This act not only defined the parameters of a legally recognized marriage but also dictated the procedures involved, including the calling of the banns three times in the couple’s parish church.

To uncover the popular wedding days during the Regency era, I consulted a group of fellow romance authors. Our findings were surprising. For instance, during May 1805 at London’s fashionable St. George Church, there were 93 marriages.

Monday: 19

Tuesday: 8

Wednesday: 10

Thursday: 23

Friday: 1

Saturday: 11

Sundays: 21

Sunday marriages? And so many of them?

Turns out that sometimes the couples were married as soon as the third set of banns were read. They walked up to the front the church and the vows would be exchanged. The congregation would be the witnesses, although only two would sign the register.

Sometimes the clergy refused to perform weddings on Sundays because it was the Lord’s day. Also all weddings (no matter the day), had to be completed by noon due to the Hardwicke Marriage Act. St. George’s must have been a very busy church those May mornings!

The authors speculated why Friday used so infrequently. They believed it was due to superstitions surrounding Good Friday.

Armed with this newfound knowledge, I made adjustments to my story, ensuring the time line and details aligned with historical accuracy. My minister refused to perform weddings on Sundays, and thus pushed my story’s time line to a Monday ceremony as the plot required.

The lesson learned? Always question assumptions in research. You never know what you don’t know.

Thank you, Dorothy for allowing me to talk about the details of setting the date for a historical marriage.

The book Stop the Wedding! is available on Amazon as both a print book and an ebook. It’s also in Kindle Unlimited. Check it out here:

https://tinyurl.com/StopTheWedding-LouiseBergin

Free Short Story:

If anyone would like a sample of my work, sign up for my monthly e-newsletter and receive a free Regency romance short story “The Earl’s Secret.” Here’s the opening line:

Miss Eleanor Axtell did not believe she should buy a husband without first thoroughly investigating him. The Earl of Belshire had requested her hand in marriage during the London season, but she hadn’t yet agreed to the match. A wise woman saw a man in his natural habitat before tying herself to him for life.

About Louise:

As the graduate of an all-girls’ college, I studied accounting. While that was my practical career plan, learning to fence was my secret research to one day write historical romances. When I married my husband and became an Air Force officer’s wife, I learned you only had to clean your house once every three years to pass inspections – more time for family, reading, and writing!

Connect Online With Louise:

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/LouiseBerginAuthor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/louiseberginauthor/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1277417.Louise_Bergin

Amazon Page: https://tinyurl.com/LouiseBerginAmazonBooks

Website: http://www.louisebergin.com/

A Sneak Peek inside Stop the Wedding!

Andrew Marne, Marquess of Ellesmere, should have been residing at his London townhouse that Tuesday in April 1807 when the butler handed him two letters upon a silver tray. Instead, he was at the family seat in Cambridge. The mail didn’t have to be forwarded to him. The one letter with the heavy paper was obviously an invitation, which surprised him. Who knew where he actually was to invite him to an event? The other was a smaller missive with the address carefully written.

He opened the invitation. To a wedding. His Uncle George was marrying a Mrs. Dunn in less than three weeks in Kimblefield. That meant the banns were already being called in the church.

Andrew sighed. Not again. Was this woman a more appropriate match for his widowed uncle than the opera dancer he’d attempted to wed last time? That one had cost 200 pounds to banish. Familial duty and affection for his uncle required Andrew to be certain. If this one proved to be a widow or spinster with a comfortable income, and not solely after his uncle’s money, Andrew would be satisfied and give his blessing.

The second letter came from a Mrs. Chastow. He didn’t know her, but she apparently was a neighbor of his uncle — and very concerned. In small, precisely written letters, she detailed exactly why he should be concerned about his uncle’s impending marriage. The phrases “fortune hunter” and “a poor woman who needs a wealthy man” leaped off the page. He blinked and forced himself to read the missive carefully. It was long and closely written, overlaid with a simpering poison. This Mrs. Chastow obviously greatly disliked his uncle’s intended, but she supported her statements with facts of widowhood, bad financial status, and of course, gossip. Andrew understood why she wrote to his family seat. She wouldn’t know he spent his time in London, but his uncle’s reason?

He glanced at the cream paper invitation. Why send it to the family seat and delay notification of the wedding?

Had Uncle George hoped his nephew wouldn’t receive the invitation until the marriage with Mrs. Dunn had occurred? Maybe this gossip Mrs. Chastow had more truth on her side than he would have expected. He had to know.

Andrew didn’t delay. He summoned his butler. “I am going to Kimblefield. Uncle George intends to marry unsuitably.”

The butler properly showed no surprise. “Then not happy news, my lord.”

“I must stop this wedding and save him. Again.” His duty as head of the family demanded he protect his relatives, and that included saving them from making inappropriate marriages. Ever since Aunt Hortense had passed away five years ago, Uncle George possessed no sense when it came to women. How much would it cost this time to extricate the man? “See that a bag is packed for me and my horse is readied for my immediate departure. Send the rest by coach later.”

His horse was summoned, and Andrew swung into the saddle. Constant spring rains watered the English countryside. The horse could reach the village of Kimblefield, while a coach would be delayed by muddy ruts.

After three days of travel through steady drizzle, it was Friday before he guided his horse through the stone pillars to the small, stone manor house. Two days before the wedding banns would be read for the second time. Cold, wet, and irritable, as his mount plodded up the drive, he would have to keep a tight rein on his temper. He hadn’t spent much of his childhood at Oakgrove Manor. It wasn’t one of the properties belonging to the title, being owned outright by his uncle. It looked like a prosperous, well-cared for place. Of course, by this time, George could have loaded the deed with all manner of mortgages to buy this woman’s affections.

He halted the horse and loosely tied it in place. With a firm knock on the door, he announced his arrival.

An unfamiliar manservant opened, and Andrew presented his card. After one swift glance at it, the man immediately widened the door and welcomed Andrew. He fussed at relieving him of the wet outer coat, the damp gloves, and promised the groom would take care of the horse.

“Shall I announce you?” the servant asked.

“No, I know the way.” Andrew hadn’t been here often, but the drawing room was located to the right. The rain meant they were either here or at her house. He wanted to catch this woman and his uncle before she was aware of his arrival and could poison George’s mind against him.

He entered the drawing room and spotted the single woman who occupied it. George must be somewhere else. Better all around. Andrew could pay her off without his uncle’s interference.

She was doing some embroidery, trying to impress by doing lady-like needlework. She looked up at him, her needle inserted into the design and her fine brows lifted in inquiry. He paused, immediately aware of why she’d captured his uncle’s interest. This woman was much prettier than the earlier grasping actress George had wanted to wed. Appearing to be in her mid-twenties and thus younger than the previous contender, this one lacked the other’s brashness. Her posture was straight but natural, and managed to convey elegance. She had brown eyes and soft brown hair arranged in a simple style that reminded him of an ancient Greek statue. The green ribbon in her hair matched the green design printed on the cheap muslin of her dress. Her classical style gave her an air of serene calmness in a chaotic world.

“Good afternoon.” Her voice cool and polite. Not concerned at all as to whom he might be.

He bowed. Society’s betters always displayed perfect manners. “Permit me to introduce myself. I’m George’s nephew, Andrew Marne, Marquess of Ellesmere.” He watched for her reaction to his title, but her gaze neither wavered in alarm nor gleamed with interest.

“Pleased to make your acquaintance,” she said with the same serenity. “I am Miss Catherine Dunn.”

“Uncle George isn’t available?” he asked.

“He wanted a stroll through the woods after his midday meal.”

“You didn’t go with him?” His tone was deliberately censorious.

“No, I didn’t.”

He looked out the window. Although the drizzle that had followed him for days had stopped, the gray yet hung in the sky, and the foliage dripped. Was she already working toward Uncle George’s demise by encouraging an illness? Well, he was here to foil her plans.

“You won’t succeed,” he told her. “I’m here to stop this marriage.”

At last he had the satisfaction of ruffling her composure. Her needlework fell to her lap, and her eyes widened, showing more of their lovely hazel color. “Stop it! But why?”

“You didn’t expect my arrival in your plans, did you? Get my uncle to the altar and then encourage a hasty death from ague or some other illness. . .“

Her mouth dropped open. “Where did you get such a terrible idea?”

“You are not the first fortune hunter I’ve had to deal with.” He stood in front of her, deliberately looming over her slight form. “I’ll make this easy. Will you refuse to marry my uncle for two hundred pounds?” The price was low, especially now that she knew he was a marquess, but he expected she would insist on more, no matter what price he started at. His price would start the negotiations.

“You want to pay me money?”

No indecisiveness on this girl. He liked a straightforward manner. “Yes.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Let me make certain I clearly understand you, my lord. You will give me two hundred pounds, if I don’t marry your uncle?”

Her quickness toward the money surprised him. He’d expected a few more demure objections. Maybe she didn’t want his uncle interrupting this discussion any more than Andrew did. “That’s my agreement.”

She stood up, forcing him to step back. “For two hundred pounds, I promise.”

A sense of unease washed through him. She was being remarkably accommodating about giving up Uncle George. “I’m glad you agree.”

“Do you have the money on you?” she asked.

“I don’t carry such a large sum when I travel, but I can give you a draft on my bank.”

“I do prefer coins in my hand, my lord.”

She probably didn’t even have a bank. Fortune hunters tended to lack their own funds. “Of course, I will make sure the money is sent to you wherever you go.”

“I live here in Kimblefield village where I’ve been my whole life. Anyone can point out where the Dunns’ cottage is.”

At that moment, there was a bustle in the front hall, and Uncle George exclaimed, “He’s here! Ellesmere came for the wedding?”

Confirming to Andrew that his uncle had no intention of him actually showing up for the ceremony. He smiled grimly. He was thwarting everyone’s plans this afternoon.

The drawing room door opened, and his uncle came in, escorting an older lady patting her graying brown hair into place.

“My boy, my boy,” his uncle said with an exaggerated heartiness. He pounded Andrew on the back in welcome. “This is a pleasant surprise.”

“I’m certain it’s a surprise,” Andrew said. His uncle looked healthy, despite the encouragement to walk in the rain. The ends of his gray hair were damp, but his pale blue eyes sharp and clear. “I came about your impending nuptials.”

Uncle George cleared his throat. “Glad you could make it. Let me introduce you to my bride.” He tugged the older lady forward. “This is Mrs. Dunn, Margaret, my intended.”

Andrew stared. “Your intended?”

This woman looked nothing like a fortune-hunter. With a round face currently creased by an anxious smile and ruddy cheeks from the cold walk, she looked more like a nanny who cared for an aristocrat’s family than someone seeking to entrap a rich man into marriage.

“And my mother.” The woman he’d met first stepped forward and placed a light kiss on her mother’s face.

“So you already met my daughter Catherine?” the older woman asked.

“Yes, and the marquess has given us a generous bride gift of two hundred pounds.” Her face and tone challenged him to contradict her.

As much as the words choked him, Andrew said, “I did offer that much.”

A smile wreathed George’s face. “Splendid, my boy, and very generous!” He clapped Andrew on the back again, almost staggering him under the blow. “I think I’m glad you made it, after all.”

“You did send me an invitation,” Andrew reminded him through gritted teeth.

“Indeed.” His uncle’s smile dimmed before he glanced around the room. “We need something to celebrate.”

A fine wine was delivered, and everyone’s glasses were filled.

George lifted his drink. “Toast to my bride, the most wonderful woman in the world. I’m the lucky man she’s agreed to wed.”

Margaret wiggled and patted his hand, while saying, “Oh, my dear George. You don’t need to praise me.”

“Yes, he should.” Catherine sipped her wine to demonstrate her agreement. Over the edge of her glass, her gaze settled on Andrew. Was that a challenge?

He wouldn’t take up the gauntlet so quickly. First, he’d try to dissuade Uncle George. Yet, it was awkward to do the social niceties to the woman whose plans he intended to thwart while under the knowing gaze of her daughter. Laughter plainly danced in Catherine’s fine hazel eyes. He could writhe under such merriment, but he’d had years of playing the proper gentleman in all situations.

Not until after dinner was he left alone with Catherine.

“Go tell the coach to make ready,” Uncle George said. “Both of you.” The fond glance he shared with Mrs. Dunn revealed he wanted time alone with his betrothed while the horses were put to.

Andrew had only to the request to the butler who left to tell the coachman, leaving him with Miss Catherine Dunn in the front hall. Evening had fallen and only the two candles left on the side table banished the darkness. It was just the two of them.

She spoke first with the amusement she’d never lost underlying her voice. “When may I expect the one hundred pounds, my lord?”

In the meager candlelight, she appeared half shadow and half bright. He said, “You knew I’d mistaken you for your mother.”

Her even and white teeth flashed when she laughed. “You gave me no chance to inform you otherwise.”

That was true, but he wasn’t about to agree with her. She was a schemer who took after her mother. The older woman had Uncle George in her coils; Andrew wasn’t about to become enmeshed in the daughter’s web strands. “But you knew.”

Her merriment dimmed. “I knew, but to make such an assumption about me was very insulting.”

“I made the assumption about your mother.”

Her anger sparked. “My mother is a good and kind woman who doesn’t deserve to be insulted by the likes of you. “

“The likes of me?”

“When do I collect my money? I promised I would never marry your uncle, and I won’t. That was our agreement.” The laughter had definitely fled from this elegant lady.

He strove to recover. “I admit I wronged you.”

“And my mother.”

He bowed his head to acknowledge her statement but didn’t speak any agreement with it.

She pressed him, “The insult is not the action of a gentleman, my lord.”

She was right, but Andrew couldn’t accept this continued scolding over his mistake. “I have said I was wrong.” He swallowed hard. “And I regret my actions.”

For a moment, her assessing gaze rested upon him. “Since we are to be related, I accept your apology. When do I receive my money?”

Her persistence annoyed him. Most people treated him with deference, especially once they knew he was a marquess. She’d known who he was right from the moment he walked into the drawing room and told her.

“I am certain my arrival provided you with a great deal of amusement.” He bit out, “Because I’m a gentleman, I will honor the agreement I proposed. However, you are no lady to thus demand something to which you had no right and obtained under false pretenses. Enjoy your money and make it last. It’s the last coin either your mother or you will extract from the Marne family. "

April Fiction Releases

Sat, 20 Apr 2024 07:30:00 GMT

What Happened? Unraveling A Long-Unsolved Family Mystery From WWII America

Thu, 18 Apr 2024 07:30:00 GMT

Today I welcome author PeggySue Wells as she shares about her book, Unnatural Cause , offers readers the opportunity to claim a free short story. Read through to find the link.

In Unnatural Cause , I wove in a long-unsolved family mystery that dates back to World War II.

My very smart coauthor, Max Garwood, is a patent attorney and inventor. Max pitches brilliant plots to me and I craft a novel from his ten bullet points. Unnatural Cause, the recent book in the Marc Wayne Adventure Series, is probably equal parts Max’s fiction and my truth.

My grandmother was one of ten children who grew up in a small, patriotic burg in the Midwest. When the US entered World War II, her oldest sister’s son, who had been a pilot since age ten, enlisted. Grandma’s young husband, my grandfather, also joined the military.

On July 6, 1944, the troop train carrying freshly minted soldiers including my grandfather, left Indianapolis on their journey to the European war theater. As the sun went down in Tennessee, the train jumped the tracks, careened down a cliff, and crashed into a large rock in the river. Was it sabotaged? The largest troop train wreck in the nation, that tragedy continues to dramatically impact the sleepy town of Jellico.

Grandma’s oldest sister was informed that her pilot son was killed in a test flight. Though they buried his uniform, many people said they saw him after the war. Family members who searched for him found his military record had been expunged.

What’s a novelist to do with an excellent plot and a long-unsolved family mystery?

Named after the herb, angelica, the tiny town of Jellico is the faithful keeper of the flame. Daily, people make the pilgrimage to the site of the devastation to ask questions and, as in my case, try to comprehend the moment that forever changed the dynamics of my family.

In each of my novels, I take the reader somewhere you’ve never been before and tell you about something you didn’t know. Unnatural Cause explores what could have happened during World War II. Visit Jellico, tour the Atomic City, walk the patriotic cemetery in Ohio, and consider how what people did and why they did it impacts us today.

From my research and the stories handed down through the family, I am certain the two vital men we lost during that war between good and evil did it right. The surprise ending honors them and, just maybe, offers some closure for those of us with unsolved family mysteries.

Giveaway: Get started on the Marc Wayne Adventure Series with a complimentary copy of The Patent. In this free ebook , small-town inventor and patent attorney Marc Wayne goes missing when he helps his FBI sister, Mallory, on her first case. Click this link to get your free ebook of The Patent : https://dl.bookfunnel.com/3u1hk3h9ui

A Peek Inside Unnatural Cause:

Chapter One

Mallory Wayne chambered a round in her SIG Sauer and holstered the gun inside her jacket.

Between work and tonight’s assignment, she had skipped lunch in favor of practicing her aim at the shooting range. With a final look at her appearance in the full-length mirror, she left the locker room and went to meet her co-workers.

“Your glow can only mean one thing.” Her supervisor, Logan Deverell, studied her as they met at the government vehicle.

From the driver’s seat, Bradley Ralston grinned. “Does Mallory actually have a love life?”

Mallory slid into the back seat leaving the front passenger seat for her supervisor. “Not everyone uses 900 numbers, Ralston.”

The driver feigned shock as he put the car in drive. “Who told?”

Deverell unwrapped gum and the smell of cinnamon lingered as he folded the stick into his mouth. “What brings little boy blue to D.C.?”

“Marc is meeting with personnel of the Patent Office,” Mallory said, “to look over improved security for patents that are flagged with a secrecy order.”

“I saw the director of the Patent and Trademark Office on tonight’s guest list,” Deverell put in. “Along with Marc’s name.”

Raltson glanced at her in the rearview mirror. “I heard you did well as lead on your first project.”

“Except for the part where I almost got my brother killed.” Mallory looked out the window, surprised at the lump that had jumped into her throat.

The drive from the FBI building to the Russell Senate Office Building wasn’t far but D.C. traffic was notoriously slow. Located along Constitution and Delaware avenues, the Russell Building officially opened for the 61st Congress on March 5, 1909, making it the oldest of the United States Senate offices.

Inside, Mallory and her coworkers made their way to the Kennedy Caucus Room, dedicated to the service of brothers John F. Kennedy, Edward F. Kennedy, and Robert M. Kennedy. Members of the FBI as well as the Secret Service had swept the room, the building, and the surrounding area in preparation for tonight’s occasion. Mallory checked the time, anticipating when her brother would arrive from Indiana for tonight’s event.

Considered one of the grandest and most historic in the capital city, the room had served as the stage for important functions including Senate committee investigations on the Titanic, Pearl Harbor, and Watergate. John F. Kennedy had announced his candidacy for president of the United States in this setting.

Tonight, Mallory expected a significant announcement about Senator Elgin Russell. A descendant of former Georgia Senator Richard Russell Jr. for whom the building was named, Elgin Russell’s stellar career had positioned him to be a promising candidate for the White House. With his background in law, Russell’s name had been discussed as a nominee for Supreme Court Justice.

Mallory watched as guests began to enter the room. In the dance of politics, position, and power, people said hello to some and snubbed others.

“Little boy blue is in the house.” Deverell’s voice came through her earpiece.

She searched the incoming faces and spotted Marc. He saw her and came her way.

“Do my eyes deceive me or is that a tie?” She touched the neat knot at his throat. “I’m impressed.”

“My first.” He leaned in conspiratorially. “That scout badge for knots came in handy.”

“We’ll grab a late dinner after and catch up.”

“Deal.” He grinned and went to find his seat.

Like so many other formal events that Mallory had been part of, the hall filled and buzzed with conversation that quieted when the emcee gave his opening welcome. The audience stood and clapped when Senator Russell took the podium. A young and handsome man, Mallory thought Russell had the clean-cut Americana charisma of a Kennedy. Much like a high school class valedictorian, he was currently Washington’s most likely to succeed.

“I’d like for us to take a moment of silence in honor of the recent passing of our supreme court justice.” Russell bowed his head and the room became solemn. Mere weeks ago, Mallory recalled, the Supreme Court Justice Franklin Bell had dropped dead of a heart attack. The news had come as a surprise considering the Justice had been young and, according to his recent check-up, appeared to be in vibrant health.

After 60 seconds, Russell broke the silence. “We salute the past and those patriots who stewarded our nation to this present moment. Leaving the past, we look now to the future.” The senator spoke at length about the state of the nation and the issues that were foremost in the minds of America’s citizens and her leaders. “With these in mind, I am here to–”

But the pregnant pause before the dramatic announcement went overly long. Mallory studied the speaker’s face as his mouth contorted and his color paled. Sweat broke out on his forehead. In her earpiece, Mallory heard Deverell swear.

Senator Elgin Russell clawed at his chest as his pallor changed from gray to blue. His wife stood and called his name. Then the room erupted in pandemonium as the Senator dropped to the platform floor.

About PeggySue:

PeggySue Wells is the bestselling author of 40 books and collaborator of many more. Action and adventure, romantic suspense, military romance, and cozy mystery are the page-turning novels by P.S. Wells including Chasing Sunrise , Homeless for the Holidays, and The Patent. How to live better, easier, and simpler is the focus of her nonfiction including Slavery in the Land of the Free and The Ten Best Decisions A Single Mom Can Make.

Connecting Online:

PeggySue is the founder of SingleMomCircle.com

Check out books and resources by PS Wells on her website: https://www.peggysuewells.com

FB Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/Peggy.Sue.Wells.Adventure

FB Personal Page: https://www.facebook.com/peggysue.wells

Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peggysuewells

Website: https://www.peggysuewells.com and https://singlemomcircle.com

My Thirty-Five-Year Journey in Publishing My First Novel

Tue, 16 Apr 2024 07:30:00 GMT

Help me welcome author and blogger Ellen Fannon as she shares about her very first book she wrote. And read all the way through to learn how you can enter a random drawing to win a free ebook.

Honor Thy Father is my favorite of all the novels I’ve written. The book was a thirty-five-year work in progress, so I’ve come to think of all my characters as real people. When I first wrote the novel back in 1987, I didn’t know the first thing about publishing, and, as I’ve come to learn, not that much about writing, either. I submitted it to every publisher I could find, which, at that time, had to be done by snail mail. I still have the list, along with all the rejections. I shelved the project for a while, although periodically, I dusted it off, looked it over, and made changes. At the time I wrote Honor Thy Father, it was stored on the old floppy discs, which I later had to convert to usable files.

Many years later, I decided if I was going to seriously try to publish my writing, I wanted it to be God-honoring. So, I completely rewrote the book making it Christian-based. Again, I tried to find a publisher, although this time, doing the work online, made the job easier. Again, I had the same results. Then I went to a Christian writers’ conference and learned how much I didn’t know about writing. I revised the book again, incorporating the tips and techniques I learned. Then I revised it several more times and obtained professional critiques and critiques from my Destin Word Weavers Christian writing group.

I was blessed to find a traditional publisher, Winged Publications, who finally brought my dream to fruition. The only problem was the book was too long and had to be split into two volumes. Personally, I don’t like it when authors write a book that leaves readers dangling at the end so they have to read the next book in the series to get closure. But there I was—in the same situation, so Honor Thy Father was split into episodes one and two.

The story centers around a family that is separated by a series of unfortunate circumstances. The book then follows each character through the next twenty-five years, telling the story from each main character’s point of view. Almost every chapter ends with a cliffhanger, so the reader has to wait to find out what happened to that character unless he/she cheats and skips ahead. When the patriarch of the family needs a life-saving bone marrow transplant, the family must come together and put aside misunderstandings and bitterness.

Each character must learn to overcome adversity through faith and hard work, and ultimately, each character changes and grows. Honor Thy Father is a compelling story of loss, forgiveness, and redemption, and how God can turn tragedy into triumph.

Giveaway: Subscribe to follow Ellen's blog, Good for a Laugh , and she'll draw randomly for one person to receive a free ebook: ellenfannonauthor.com

About Honor Thy Father :

Why should Adam’s daughters, with whom he hasn’t had contact for twenty-five years, honor him now when he needs a life-saving bone marrow transplant? Why should his son, who was kicked out of the house, honor his father? Is there any hope of reconciliation when twenty-five years of anger, bitterness, and divergent pathways have led family members down different roads of life? Honor Thy Father is the compelling story of loss and redemption and how God can turn tragedy into triumph.

How does a family survive after being torn apart? Adam Wallace copes with the heartbreaking loss of his wife and daughters by immersing himself in his work. Charlotte withdraws from everyone and everything around her. Dana, living a life of privilege, does not even realize her loss. Katrina copes by trying to make everyone else happy. Scott copes by rebellion. Ultimately, they all come to realize that God can work through every situation to make beauty out of ashes.

Links to Honor Thy Father : https://www.amazon.com/Honor-Thy-Father-Ellen-Fannon/dp/1959788027

https://www.amazon.com/Honor-Thy-Father-Ellen-Fannon/dp/1959788256

A Peek Inside Honor Thy Father:

CHAPTER ONE

CHARLOTTE

The letter that forever changed Charlotte’s life arrived in the morning’s mail. Charlotte, however, did not see it until eleven forty-five.

At exactly twenty minutes before twelve, after spending the morning in her little greenhouse, where she passed the hours repotting plants and clearing away accumulated debris, she walked into the kitchen, carefully wiping her feet on the mat just inside the door. A glance at the teapot-shaped wall clock told her she still had fifteen minutes to clean up and get lunch ready before Patrick arrived home from kindergarten. Enough time to sift through the mail which lay strewn by the front door under the mail slot. Perhaps today she would receive something from her publisher. No, she noted, with a tinge of disappointment, no familiar Greenleaf envelope.

But wait, what was this? As she picked up the letter, a strange sense of unease worked its way up Charlotte’s spine. Although merely a simple white envelope, foreboding pressed in on her, causing her stomach to roil. The return address bore no name, only an unknown street in Los Angeles. The unfamiliar handwriting with Charlotte’s name and address provided no clue as to the sender.

With shaking hands, she tore open the envelope and removed the letter.

Dear Charlotte , it began. She skipped to the bottom. The signature read, Your stepmother, Katrina Wallace . Her heart fluttered erratically and seemed to drop to her stomach. Her stepmother? Who was this strange woman who presumed such a relationship? She hurriedly scanned the body of the letter.

I know this letter will come as a shock to you, and I deeply apologize for the disruption of your life. Your father does not know about this, or he would never have allowed me to contact you. But I have no other choice and I am desperate. Your father has been quite ill. He has a highly fatal form of leukemia. Although he is now in remission, the doctors have given him only a five percent chance of remaining there. His only hope at this point is to undergo whole-body radiation and a bone marrow transplant from a close relative.

It is risky for him, but there are no other alternatives.

Please help us, Charlotte. Your father desperately needs you. Even if you do not prove to be a suitable bone marrow donor for him, at least come and make peace with him. It means everything to both of us and although you may not realize it, it is important for you, as well. All your expenses will be covered, of course.

I am praying for you and anxiously await your reply.

The same Los Angeles address and a phone number were underneath the signature.

In the short minute that followed the revelation contained within the words penned on paper, her routine day and her safe, carefully constructed world spiraled out of its comfortable orbit.

Still unable to fathom the depth of this request, Charlotte stared at the letter in her hand with a sense of unreality as her brain struggled to process what she had just read. How could this be happening to her now? Hadn’t she put her father out of her mind years ago? She had gone on, despite everything, and made a happy life with Jeff and Patrick. Why couldn’t the past be left in the past?

About Ellen:

Award-winning author, Ellen Fannon, is a retired veterinarian, former missionary, and church pianist/organist. She and her retired Air Force pilot-turned-pastor husband have fostered more than forty children, and have two adopted sons. She has published six novels, and her stories have appeared in One Christian Voice, Chicken Soup for the Soul, Divine Moments, and Guideposts; and her devotions have appeared in Open Windows, Guideposts All God’s Creatures, and The Secret Place.

Please visit Ellen’s blog, Good For a Laugh , and sign up to follow her weekly blog at: https://ellenfannonauthor.com/subscribe/

Don't Ever Give Up -- Book and Author Spotlight

Thu, 04 Apr 2024 07:30:00 GMT

Help me welcome author and blogger Joan C. Benson today as she shares about her newest co-authoring project with author Marjorie Wingert.

Getting to know Joan and Marjorie:

Joan C. Benson is an inspirational speaker, a former educator/reading specialist, a wife, mother to four, and a grandmother to eight precious ones. Her debut historical fiction, His Gift , was released in 2020. She co-authored God's ABCs, a twice award-winning children’s fiction, the first of four books in The Cornerstone Concepts for Kids series. Let’s Be One: God’s Human Race released in October 2023. The third of four books, Wonder of Life , came out in March 2024.

Marjorie Wingert loves encouraging parents, equipping women, and connecting with children. She is a wife to Nathan and mother to one young daughter. She published her first children’s fiction book in 2020, Meet Mr. Caleb and created a CD with original music. Marjorie co-authored the award-winning children’s fiction, God’s ABCs, released in March 2023 followed by Let’s Be One: God’s Human Race , in October 2023. Wonder of Life came out in March 2024.

Connecting Online"

Links to Joan: https://www.joancbenson.com

Facebook – author page: https://www.facebook.com/YIHAVEHOPE

X: JoanCBenson@11Ccaj4life

Amazon Buy Link for Wonder of Life and the other Cornerstone Concepts for Kids books (3 of 4 are published): https://amzn.to/4cBt8Y7

Book Spotlight: Wonder of Life by Joan C. Benson and Marjorie Wingert

Children’s Fiction Picture Book (Ages: from lap readers-8)

First Page: “God made the wonders of heaven and earth. He created the morning and night on the First. ‘Twas on the second, he shaped our big sky. Day Three he formed seas, and the land oh so dry!”

If I could not write for some reason, I believe I would contribute to children’s ministry in some way. I began my teaching career as a 2nd-grade teacher and the children captured my heart. I remember wishing I could have taken a few of them home with me.

Because young children are so transparent, easy to entertain, and “mostly” joyful, I find time spent with them inspiring. I have a strong desire to protect the youngest of our little ones with God’s truth so they will not be deceived in our anti-biblical culture. It is from that heart’s desire I was inspired to write the Cornerstone Concepts for Kids series with my co-author, Marjorie Wingert. Our children are vulnerable. They are unable to put on the armor of God without our help as their caregivers, parents, grandparents, teachers, etc.

Our third book, Wonder of Life , is a story teaching God’s involvement in our lives from conception, and how God made his human children in His image. We were set apart from the animals. In a culture where life is “disposable,” our prayer is for children to learn how sacred they are from God’s perspective. We are pleased to offer this entertaining, rhyming, and beautifully illustrated book to Christian families as a tool to convey God’s biblical truth.

My first novel, His Gift , is historical fiction for teenagers to adults. The novel was based on a true story from my mom’s life at the onset of the Great Depression. This piece of writing also represents my first real “roadblock” as a writer. I was an experienced writer, having written for educational publishers for years. However, I yearned to tell my God stories. I wasn’t clear how my book would ever get published in the independent market. I went to writing conferences, but often received conflicting editorial advice. Doubts reigned in my mind. Was His Gift even worthy of publishing?

Since my story was based on family history, I thought it was funny (as well as frustrating) when an editor told me girls didn’t take chemistry in high school in 1929. I was told to rewrite it to show my main character in a sewing class to be more accurate. I knew my mom had taken chemistry in 1929 because she expressed her disdain for it. Another editor told me, “No one wants to read about The Great Depression. Too depressing!”

Through these experiences, I overcame my frustration by setting aside the contrary voices and choosing to believe in myself despite the negative noise. I stood firm for the theme I wanted to share in a world where disappointment abounds and sometimes dreams go unfulfilled. God honored my perseverance. Eventually, I met an agent who believed in the message of His Gift who then found a Christian publisher who loved the story. The rest is history.

My words of wisdom to everyone: “Don’t give up on your inspiration, your God-gifts, or your dreams. Persevere!”
[WC 492 ]

How to Edit Your Novel

Tue, 02 Apr 2024 07:30:00 GMT

Join me in welcoming author and blogger Karin Beery as she shares her insight into editing your own novel.

The world changed in 2020. With weeks and months of time spent at home, people were forced to find ways to occupy themselves, and I’m convinced that anyone who’d ever said, “I’m going to write a book someday,” finally did. That was good and bad news for publishers, readers, and freelance editors.

Good news—lots of submissions, possibly including the next big hit!

Bad news—lots of submissions, often including raw drafts.

Raw drafts are manuscripts so unpolished that it would take multiple rounds of editing to make the stories shine. Publishers aren’t interested in them, so they immediately send rejections. Readers won’t finish them or, if they do, will leave bad reviews. Freelance editors should be able to fill their calendars with them, but the amount of work needed to fix a raw draft can cost thousands of dollars that most authors don’t have.

My goal as a freelance editor has always been to help authors produce better books, but that’s hard to do when a manuscript needs more work than an author can afford.

That’s why I wrote How to Edit Your Novel: Practical Tips for Strengthening Your Story.

As an author, I know how expensive it is to hire editors. I taught myself as much as I can by reading books, taking classes, and attending conferences. But even when I believed I knew the difference between showing and telling, editors would reject my story because there was too much telling. After studying fiction writing for years and still finding mistakes in my own manuscripts, I know the frustration and disconnect that happens.

Having worked as a freelance and acquisitions editor, I also know what kinds of raw manuscripts authors are submitting. They have fascinating ideas, but their stories lack the most fundamental elements that engage the reader and keep them turning pages—relatable characters, engaging plots, and strong fiction-writing techniques.

Having received an unbelievable amount of raw manuscripts in the past few years, I’ve transitioned many of my clients from editing to coaching services because their stories weren’t ready for editing. Instead of overwhelming them with the unexpected number of comments and edits needed to fix a raw manuscript, we talk one on one about their weak fundamental elements and how they can strengthen them.

The response has been phenomenal.

Instead of frustrated, dazed authors who don’t know how to process the massive amount of work in front of them, the authors are excited and re-energized by the idea of re-working their stories into books readers will love.

As an editor, I have a finite number of hours each day to help authors. With How to Edit Your Novel, that number is infinite.

I can’t (and won’t) promise that the advice in this book will guarantee a contract or amazing reviews, but I do guarantee that learning and applying the strategies in How to Edit Your Novel will help you produce a stronger, cleaner manuscript.

About Karin:

Author of hopeful fiction with a healthy dose of romance , Karin Beery also owns Write Now Editing , helping authors turn good manuscripts into great books. She lives in northern Michigan with her husband and pets. When she’s not writing, editing, or teaching, she and her husband drink too much (decaf) coffee, put up their Christmas tree the first weekend in November, and do their best to live every day for the Lord. How to Edit Your Novel is a 2024 Selah Award Finalist.

Tales of a Shelter Rescue Dog -- Book and Author Spotlight

Thu, 21 Mar 2024 07:30:00 GMT

Help me welcome guest author and blogger Jean Alfieri as she shares about her latest release.

Twisty and True Tails of a Shelter Dog Matchmaker is about displaced dogs that took the long and winding road instead of the straight path to happiness. It is also about how God has shown up in the lives of some of the more than a dozen senior dogs that have found refuge in our house through the years.

As you travel through the book, you meet a charming pack of transformational canine characters. It’s a fun, quick read that includes timeless quotes, inspiring scripture, and paw-some thoughts. (See what I did there?) ��

Getting to Know Jean and her book:

What inspired you to write this book?

I’ve often heard people say they could never work (or volunteer) at an animal shelter because it must be so depressing. My experience has been the opposite. Though some of the lost or abandoned pets experience terrible hardships, people coming together to give those animals another chance at life makes my heart smile. I captured stories that had amazingly (and unpredictably) happy endings.

What do you hope people will gain from your new book?

I hope it helps dog-parents recognize all the little ways God is present for them and their pets. Caring for animals is rewarding but isn’t always easy. I pray the book is an encouragement and that it inspires readers to share their own great spirit-filled pet stories.

What did you learn while writing this book?

Writing the book was fun but editing each story, reworking the title, deciding on the book lay-out and best cover design were challenging. I learned that the manuscript is only one (though a crucial) part of the whole package and each part of the book has its own special nuances. It all needs to work together to draw the reader in.

About Jean

Jean Alfieri is an author, speaker, and dog fan. She finds hope and joy in both her work at the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region and in the lives of her adopted vintage puppies. She and her husband joke that although they pay the mortgage of their home in Colorado, it’s really the dogs’ house! Find out more @JeanAlfieri. Follow on FB, LinkedIn, YouTube and Insta.

Connecting Online

www.JeanAlfieri.com

Twisty and True Tails of a Shelter Dog Matchmaker: Alfieri, Jean M.: 9798989697601: Amazon.com: Books

What Others Are Saying About “Twisty and True Tails of a Shelter Dog Matchmaker:

“Having worked in animal welfare for almost thirty years, these stories really resonated with me.

“I am all too familiar with the sad souls, like Sweet Lady Jane, that have found their way to our shelter. More times than I can remember I have looked into the eyes of those senior pets, wondering what their story is and wishing they could tell me.

“The story of Dean made me laugh. The little dog with the big voice was fantastic. I could feel his anguish over being alone and then his relief after being picked up and held.

“I shed several happy tears reading through this wonderful collection of short stories that highlight the commitment, love, and sacrifice of working with shelter pets. It would make a great gift for anyone who has adopted a pet, or has donated to, worked in, or volunteered at an animal shelter.

“In three words, this book is humorous, insightful, and heartwarming.”

~ Jamie Norris, Director of Animal Law Enforcement, Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region

April New Releases

Mon, 18 Mar 2024 07:30:00 GMT

Check out the March new releases from ACFW: https://acfw.com/acfw-new-releases-march-2024

Where is Your Vision?

Sun, 17 Mar 2024 07:30:00 GMT

Help me welcome author and blogger Sandra Kay Vosburgh as she shares about visions and books. Please read through to the end to learn how to enter a random drawing for 2 free print books (US only).

Where’s Your Vision?

One of my favorite hymns is “Be Thou My Vision.” Perhaps because it’s often my prayer. I tend to look at people, and when I grow discouraged by comparison, I have to ask the Holy Spirit to refocus my vision on Jesus Christ.

What or who are you focusing on today? At others and their successes? At yourself and your failures?

We read in Hebrews 12, … stripping off every unnecessary weight and the sin which so easily and cleverly entangles us, let us run with endurance and active persistence the race that is set before us, [looking away from all that will distract us and] focusing our eyes on Jesus, who is the Author and Perfecter of faith … (Hebrews 12:1-2, AMP).

It goes on to say, Just consider and meditate on Him … so that you will not grow weary and lose heart (vs.3). Have you grown weary? Are you losing heart? Then turn your focus on Jesus.

At a writers’ conference a couple years ago, I was in my hotel room feeling a bit past prime. So many writers there were much younger (I’m 70), and I felt no agent or publisher would invest in a high-milage vehicle when a newer model promised a more profitable ride. Also, I felt my vocal tremor would put them off. After all, publishers expect their authors to do podcasts and speaking engagements.

I was looking at my negatives, my weaknesses, my handicaps and not at the One who calls and equips. I was looking at people instead of meditating on Jesus. A pastor once said, “Looking at people will ruin your life.” I think we all understand his meaning.

In my room that evening, I opened my Bible and read, Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity (I Timothy 4:12). To me it said, “Don’t let anyone look down on you because of your age.”

Don’t let anyone look down on you because of your handicap, or because of your weak platform, or because you use too many cliches in your writing.

We cannot stop someone from dismissing us or discounting us, or even rejecting our work, but Paul was telling Timothy don’t let anyone’s perception or opinion stop you from doing what God has called you to do.

And we, ourselves, should never allow what we perceive to be a hindrance to our ministry lead to discouragement and result in disobedience. We don’t know how God will use us, but we must remain restfully available for His purposes.

With all the training we receive as writers, let’s not neglect training our eyes to look only to Jesus Christ. Not on ourselves, not on others, but on the One who has called us to write for His glory alone.

Link to books: https://www.amazon.com/Death-Collector-Sackets-Harbor-Mysteries/dp/1649172125

About Sandra Kay:

Sandra Kay Vosburgh is a Bible teacher, women’s ministry director, and pastor’s wife. Her Sackets Harbor Mysteries series, set in the beautiful Thousand Island area, has won numerous awards, and The Girl in Her (to be released in November 2024) won the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference Foundation Award.

The Bunny Side of Easter

Thu, 07 Mar 2024 08:30:00 GMT

Let's welcome author and blogger Linda Rooks as she shares about her latest children's illustrate book.

As a high school student working on the school newspaper, I became fascinated by the discovery of a legend from India about the rabbit on the moon that seemed to mirror the Easter story about Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. I thought about it often and couldn’t let it go.

Years later I took on the challenge of taking the raw stuff of legend and turning it into a delightful story for children that not only uses the Easter bunny to point children to what Jesus did on the cross, but also introduces them to Asia’s iconic legend about the rabbit in the moon. For not only in India, but also in China, Japan, Korea, and even Mexico, the rabbit in the moon is such a popular figure that legends have arisen about him in each of their individual cultures. I knew children in America would love to know about him too.

And so I wrote The Bunny Side of Easter .

In The Bunny Side of Easter the heroism of a little bunny points children to the greatest hero of all, Jesus, but also tells how an angel rewards the rabbit by taking him to the moon where he can be seen from earth whenever there is a full moon.

Readers are delighted to discover they too can see a rabbit in the shadows on the west side of every full moon when they know what to look for. There are three different ways to see him. Some people see a rabbit facing left with his ears back and an Easter egg at his feet. Others see the rabbit facing right with his ears flopped over and his head bowed as though praying. A third way to see the bunny is a smaller bunny at the top with his ears back and paws up praying. Some people see the smaller bunny racing over the top of the moon.

For years, whenever my husband and I looked at a full moon, we talked about seeing the rabbit. But when I wrote The Bunny Side of Easter with illustrations, we discovered we were each seeing the rabbit in a different way. While I saw him looking to the left, my husband saw him facing right and praying. We’ve laughed about this many times.

The final thing that makes the bunny on the moon such an intriguing addition to the celebration of Easter is that it’s because of the moon that Easter is celebrated on a different date each year. Easter always comes on the Sunday following the first full moon after the beginning of spring. This year, the first full moon of spring appears on March 25, and Easter follows on March 31.

For parents who would like to let their children enjoy the Easter bunny but have qualms about how he fits into the Christian celebration of Easter, The Bunny Side of Easter fills the gap, taking readers on an exciting and charming adventure with hints of allegory that uses the heroism of the Easter bunny to point children to Jesus, the true hero of Easter.

About Linda:

Along with her children’s book, The Bunny Side of Easter, Linda W. Rooks is the award winning author of four books. Her writings have appeared in numerous publications, including Chicken Soup for the Soul, Focus on the Family, HomeLife, and Today’s Christian Woman. Linda has appeared on many TV, radio, and podcast interviews across North America. Click here for an autographed copy of The Bunny Side of Easter and a free puppet through Paypal.

Connecting Online:

Buy Direct:

Buy from Amazon :

Buy from Distributor

Bunny Side of Easter website

Facebook

Blog at lindarooks.com

Inspiration and Author Spotlight

Wed, 28 Feb 2024 08:30:00 GMT

Help me welcome author Karin Beery as she shares the inspiration behind her latest release, Finally Forever.

Finally Forever: For Aunt Linda

Where do you get your inspiration?

Readers love to know what inspires their favorite novelists. The list of inspirations is endless—everything from their lives, their friends’ lives, the news, and their imaginations.

I’ve tapped into everything from local events and locations to bizarre snippets from my dreams. My favorite inspiration, though, is my family. As the middle of three daughters all born within 3.5 years, my sisters and I are close—we text daily, send too many reels to each other, and watch Michigan football together from three different states on a three-way phone call.

Finally Forever is my first book to include a trio of sisters, and it’s been wonderfully easy to imagine how Caroline, Carmen, and Christine would interact. As much fun as it was to write about the sisters, however, this book really is a tribute to one of our favorite people: Aunt Linda.

Our special-needs aunt spent most of her adult life living in a wonderful facility with a nurturing caregiver until she moved in with my husband and me more than a decade ago. Life outside of assisted living literally opened a whole new world up to Linda. One of her favorite aspects of life with family has been having her own television. For the first time in decades, she got to pick which shows to watch.

I don’t remember why we started watching Dancing with the Stars, but it become a Monday-night routine for Linda and me. She’d get mad at the judges for criticizing the dancers, then tell me who she wanted to vote for that week. We watched every season for the three years that she lived with us.

After finishing my last novel, I knew I wanted to write about a football player and a reluctant love interest. I’m not sure why, but my mind went to Dancing with the Stars. That led to a local fundraiser (Swingshift and the Stars Dance-Off for Charity). And that led to a story inspired by one of Linda’s favorite shows and an inspired-by-real-events fundraiser supporting a home for women like Linda.

Linda lives with her sister now (my mom), but we still get together several times a year (though the Food Network’s baking championships have taken over as our Monday-night treat). Having a special-needs aunt has been an amazing blessing, and those years we lived together will always hold a special place in my heart.

About Karin:

Author of hopeful fiction with a healthy dose of romance , Karin Beery lives in northern Michigan with her husband and pets. They drink too much (decaf) coffee, put up their Christmas tree the first weekend in November, and do their best to live every day for the Lord.

Buy Link : https://amzn.to/48n7nHZ

Connecting Online:

https://www.facebook.com/authorkarinbeery/
https://www.instagram.com/karinbeery/
https://www.bookbub.com/profile/karin-beery

February New Releases

Thu, 22 Feb 2024 08:30:00 GMT

Don't Bite the Doctor -- Book and Author Spotlight

Wed, 14 Feb 2024 08:30:00 GMT

Help me welcome author Ellen Fannon as she shares about her latest release, and generously offers one lucky reader a free ebook copy of Don't Bite the Doctor. Read through to see how to enter that drawing.

Getting to Know Ellen:

1. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.

Most of my books have a lot of myself in the characters. For example, in Don’t Bite the Doctor, I drew from many of my personal experiences as a young, woman veterinarian starting out in the ‘80s when women veterinarians were uncommon. In fact, I was the first woman veterinarian in my area. Some of the stories are true, just embellished a little (or a lot).

2. What is the worst/funniest/strangest thing an editor ever said to you?

Going back to question #1, in another one of my novels, I had an editor tell me my main character wasn’t likable. This criticism particularly stung because there was a lot of myself in that character.

3. Do you prefer cats or dogs? Why?

As a veterinarian, it is difficult to choose one species over the other. They both have their good points. They are both highly intelligent and sensitive creatures, and both make excellent companions. I would rather wrestle a mean dog than a mean cat. But most surgeries are easier to perform on cats. Cats are generally lower maintenance, but you can take your dogs places whereas your cats would prefer to stay home. As an owner, I have to have a couple (or more) of each.

A Sneak Peek inside, Don’t Bite the Doctor

Chapter 1

“I haven’t had this much fun since we neutered the squirrel!” I laughed, leaning against the sink, trying to catch my breath.

“Oh, I forgot about that!” Kelly, my long-time technician, laughed with me.

Cara, a second technician, looked up from the phone she cradled against her shoulder. “Wait. You actually neutered a squirrel?”

I shrugged. “You know me. I’ll neuter anything.” Well, except for that pig a few weeks ago. But that was from my firmly entrenched PTSD from my first and only pig neuter in veterinary school, rather than true unwillingness to perform castration surgery. It’s a long story.

“Why would you neuter a squirrel?” Cara persisted.

“It belonged to someone who kept it as a pet,” Kelly answered. “Remember how it got loose and we chased it all over the surgery room?”

“That was quite a challenge.” I smiled at the memory.

Squirrels, it seems, can not only climb trees, they can climb walls. And ceilings. And they are fast! They do not corner well, as opposed to other pets with which I am more experienced. This little bugger zinged over our heads, under our feet, and up and down the walls, leaving a trail of upended equipment and surgical supplies in his wake.

“Catching him in midair was pure luck.” I didn’t like to brag, but I had made an impressive squirrel interception if I did say so myself. As the creature sprang from one surgery wall to the opposite side of the room, I reached up and fortuitously nabbed it at just the right second, like a squirrel flyball. Even more fortuitous was the fact I happened to have a towel in my hand and didn’t suffer sharp incisor teeth embedded into my sensitive palm from a panicked rodent who was not too keen on parting with his nuts. Pun intended.

Until today, I hadn’t seen an animal with moves like that. Then came Sadie. It wasn’t as if I didn’t know Sadie. For years, I’d had the dubious pleasure of chasing her down in the cat room of the no-kill pet rescue shelter where it was Sadie’s fate to live out her nine lives because nobody in their right mind would ever adopt her. Or get near her, provided, of course, that was possible, which it wasn’t. Because I am such an accommodating soul, I made the three or four visits a year to the shelter to vaccinate the cats so the unpaid staff didn’t have to load them up in crates and truck them to the clinic.

About Don't Bite the Doctor:

Real doctors treat more than one species. At least that’s what veterinarian, Jill Bennet tells herself. On any given day, she may find herself doctoring dogs, cats, bunnies, birds, horses, pigs, or any other furry or feathered patient who crosses her path—striving daily to deliver compassion and competence to all God’s creatures, in accordance with Colossians 3:23.

Now, with over forty years of practice under her belt, Jill reflects back to her time as a new, young veterinarian in the early eighties—a time when women veterinarians were just beginning to become a presence among the previously male-dominated profession. Out in the real world, Jill finds herself in situations never covered in veterinary school. It is a journey of learning and laughter, as Jill contends with a variety of animal patients and their eclectic humans attached to the other end of the leash (and the checkbook), as well as less-than-helpful co-workers. Interwoven into this mix of new experiences is her budding romance with the owner of the sock-eating Labrador Retriever. Don’t Bite the Doctor promises to bring smiles and tears to anyone who has ever been owned by an animal.

Giveaway : Subscribe to follow Ellen’s blog to enter to win an ebook copy of “Don’t Bite the Doctor”: https://ellenfannonauthor.com/subscribe/

About Ellen:

Please visit Ellen’s website, Good For a Laugh, and sign up to follow her weekly blog at: ellenfannonauthor.com

Dragon for Dinner -- Book and Author Spotlight

Mon, 12 Feb 2024 08:30:00 GMT

Today I welcome children's author Sheree Elaine as she shares about writing her recent release, and answers some tough questions for us.

Getting to know Sheree:

What 3 fun or unique things can you tell us about yourself?
I have been a yoga teacher for almost 10 years!
I sang in a David Archuleta concert as a teenager
I grew up in Albuquerque, NM
What do you enjoy most about writing?
I love the organization of writing. I love creating and watching the black words form across a blank page. I love creating content that is fun for kids to read but also fun for parents to read aloud to their kids.
What can your readers expect from you next?
In 2024 I will be writing 2-3 more book in the Dragon for Dinner Series, as well as an adult Fantasy book that I’m keeping pretty secret for now… shhhh…
How did you get started writing?
My kids came home with a book from school that the whole school was reading together. A great idea! However, as I began to read the book to my kids, it could barely hold MY attention, let alone theirs! I wanted to write books for kids that were fun for parents and kids alike.

About Sheree:

Sheree Elaine is passionate about reading, specifically reading to children. So, naturally, her writing journey was sparked by the idea of a series of books that could be read aloud to her own children and enjoyed by parents and children around the world. She’s a city girl who married a farm boy and together they have jumped from small town to small town for over 10 years. Sheree finds time to write during naptime and bedtime, working around the schedules of her husband and four kids. Sheree has a degree in Communications, over a decade of parenting experience, and a big black dog named Ren.

Connecting Online:

Click Here to see all my books and join my Newsletter!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086506064842

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shereeelaineauthor/

Newsletter Signup (FREE Coloring pages): shereeelaineauthor.com

I Love Research! with Giveaway

Thu, 08 Feb 2024 08:30:00 GMT

Welcome with me author Carmen Peone as she shares about her love for research and her latest release. And read all the way through to find out how to enter a random drawing for a free copy of this book.

Disclaimer: This book includes child kidnapping and some domestic violence.

I love research!

Visiting the setting of a contemporary book I’m fixing to write makes all five senses come alive. It animates the pages of my books too.

To me, it’s important to drive the streets of the towns and landscapes that I include in my stories. So far, the towns, street names, lakes, rivers, mountain ranges, structures, and buildings have been genuine.

Renewed Hope, Book 3 of the Seven Tine Ranch Romance, is set partially where I live on the Colville Indian Reservation in Eastern, WA, and Dillon, Montana, but it is mostly set around the Flat Head Indian Reserve in Northern Montana.

I first visited the Poulson and Pablo, Montana, regions when my husband worked for Bonneville Power Administration as a liaison between certain tribes and BPA. For several years he attended the “River Honoring” and helped teach 5 ^th and 6 ^th graders about power transmission.

I knew one of my books had to be set amongst the majestic Mission Mountains, Hungry Horse Dam, Flat Head Reservation, and Flathead Lake and River.

We visited in May when the snow capped the Mission Mountains and the afternoons grew warm and inviting. Renewed Hope opens in May because the air is still clean and not riddled with smoke from area wildfires and flowers are starting to bloom. The scent of pine and juniper permeated the air.

You can visit my blog this month to see photos of Montana and more.

In July of 2021, I took my husband on a research trip to fill in the story’s setting gaps. He did most of the driving while I took hundreds of photos. When I had almost everything I needed, I rewarded my husband with a trip to Hungry Horse Dam. He’s always wanted to see it, and the drive was a short hour and a half.

I still needed a place for the kidnapper to hold my heroine’s son. Could the area surrounding the dam or backwaters work?

I guess you’ll have to read and find out!

About Renewed Hop e

Can they find her son in time?

Sophie Cayes is on the road to success as an artist. Until her ex-husband threatens to sue for full custody of their son. Upon learning of a guest ranch in Eastern Washington that keeps a room open for women in need, she grabs her son and bolts.

Although Chad Davis loves starting colts on the Seven Tine Guest Ranch, his goal is to have his own spread. Everything’s on course until a woman and her preschool son show up. He’s not thrilled about helping out. Until the boy comes up missing. On his watch.

Along with a tribal cop, they head back to Montana in search of the boy, knowing his dad was the one who kidnapped him. Sophie prays they find him before her ex-husband and his new wife go on the run. Taking her son with them.

About Carmen

Carmen Peone is an award-winning author of Young Adult and Inspirational Western Romantic Suspense and lives with her husband in Northeast Washington and on the Colville Confederated Indian Reservation. With the love of history and the Western woman's lifestyle, she weaves threads of healing, hope, and horses that lead to happily ever after.

Connect with Carmen

Giveaway: I am giving away a signed copy of Renewed Hope and a few photo cards of the Montana setting. All you have to do is tell me what state you’d like to visit. Drop your answer in the comments, including your cleverly disguised email address. For example: donna AT livebytheword DOT com

Replay of "Smoking Flax": Weird and Wonderful -- Book Spotlight with Giveaway

Wed, 07 Feb 2024 08:30:00 GMT

Help me welcome author Jennifer Hallmark today as she shares about her experiences writing her latest release. And, she is generously giving away an ebook to one random commenter. Read through to see how to enter that drawing.

Smoking Flax started out being what I called my “dark” story. My first published novel, Jessie’s Hope , lived up to its theme: forgiveness and hope. My unpublished fantasy novel is similar. But Reed Anderson’s life in Smoking Flax is far from hopeful. Abuse, poverty, and racism abound in his life. But an unexpected move to another state changes all that.

Or does it?

I’m a “discovery” writer; one who figures out the story as it is written. I do pen a very basic outline but enjoy the ebbs and flows of the story that discovery writing brings. The story bogged down in 2020 amidst all the unrest so I enlisted a writing coach, James L. Rubart, to help me move forward. While he did not contribute to the story itself, the ways he suggested I search deeper within for the real story made all the difference.

Then I actually 'dreamed’ the ending. When I woke that morning, I grabbed a notebook and began recording each detail from the vivid dream I’d had during the night. Followed by months of running my work past critique partners and beta readers before I attended an online writing conference and sold my story to Elk Lake Publishing Inc.

My dark story turned hopeful in the end. I found through the writing of Smoking Flax that I loved stories that scared me a little and fascinated me a lot. I wanted to write stories filled with unforgettable characters, action, and suspense, but with a positive twist. Weird and wonderful. The deepest part of me on paper. And that’s what I believe you’ll find in my novel.

Smoking Flax has given me more angst than anything I’ve written before because I dug into many genuine feelings, emotions, and my past. Some of my beta readers asked if I’d been mistreated as a child after reading certain sections of the story. Definitely not. My parents were wonderful people. But I drew from negative experiences in my life to write the difficult scenes and let the emotions flow. Reed’s story has been therapeutic for me and possibly might be for you too if you’ve struggled in the past.

For parents and grandparents considering purchasing Smoking Flax for their teens, the story is clean and the ill-treatment mentioned mostly off scene. My best beta reader has been my fifteen-year-old granddaughter and she was good with the more intense parts. And loved the story. (which makes it all worthwhile) Adults like me who love to read YA will enjoy this coming-of-age novel with its many unexpected twists.

Please leave a comment for a chance to win an e-book of Smoking Flax. Cleverly disguise your email address so the 'bots don't get you. For example, donna AT livebytheword DOT com

A Peek Inside

Chapter One

A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth. (Isaiah 42:3 KJV)

May 27, 1984

I turned Aunt Lula’s Dodge Aspen off the gravel road onto the driveway leading to Golden Marais Baptist Church. The mimosas had grown tall since I’d last been here, the two magnolias were missing entirely. The sun peeked above the horizon, but daylight was not my friend. Who knew the words of my crazy aunt would lead to this? Only three days after graduation.

Her words still hung in the air. Reed Anderson, you know why you’re here.

I repressed the shudder that ran along my spine and surveyed the scene before me. The old rectangular church building stretched to my right, with a shed behind, woods fringed all around. Where was the outhouse? The wood siding needed paint and a shutter hung like a broken arm from one of the four windows which greeted my view…

About Smoking Flax

Who Is He—Really?

Almost nineteen-year-old Reed Anderson wants to belong in a world where he hasn’t always fit. Three days after graduation, he decides to ride a bus back to Louisiana and deal with the events of his thirteenth summer once and for all. Back then, he’d stood up to his abusive Pa, protecting Momma and his sister, taking control of his life.

But who was the faded image of the child he saw that day? Aunt Lula predicted his life would shift and change. Something about space-time-continuum and the fourth dimension. He tucks her words in his heart. If he survives the shift, this could be his chance to start over . But the ghost child haunts his dreams.

E ven though six years have passed, does he want to confront the lies he’s always believed?

Click here to read the first chapter free.

Or buy Smoking Flax here.

About Jennifer:

Jennifer Hallmark writes Southern fiction with a twist. Her website and newsletter focus on her books, love of the South, and favorite fiction. She loves reading and streaming science fiction, fantasy, and mysteries or her favorite subject—time travel.

Her latest novel, Smoking Flax, was released on January 16 ^th with Elk Lake Publishing. She creates stories with unforgettable characters—her stories are a little eerie and otherworldly but with a positive turn.

Links:

Dial V for Valentine -- the story behind the story with giveaway

Sun, 04 Feb 2024 08:30:00 GMT

Help me welcome author Linda Shenton Matchett as she shares a giveaway and her latest release with us.

I was honored to be invited to contribute a story to the You Are on The Air series, a collection of stories in which the protagonists call into a radio program for relationship advice. I jumped at the chance and accepted the offer. About three weeks later, I began to regret the decision. What was I thinking? I’m a writer of historical fiction; I had published exactly one contemporary book. Contacting the series coordinator, I apologetically notified her that I need to renege on my commitment and said I’d do my best to find a replacement author.

Her response? How about if you weave history into your plotline?

That I could do! But how? Then it came to me…

I had just finished putting together an exhibit with the curator at the museum where I volunteer. One of the display items was a wedding gown made from a parachute. Included with the dress was a photograph of the couple, and their names and wedding date, but nothing else. Why did they wait until the end of the war to marry? Why not wed before the groom shipped out? Did they regret waiting? I realized that members of today’s armed forces might deal with the same situation and knew I had my story.

Excellent! I had managed to come up with a concept, but it would require A LOT of research: Valentine’s Day and the military. My mother’s birthday is February 14, so when we were growing up that date was all about celebrating Mom, not romance. As a result, observing the day never carried over into my adult (dating) life, therefore, I had to research what Valentine’s Day means to people and how it is celebrated. Additionally, even though I know many people who serve(d) in all branches of the armed forces, I didn’t have a clue about what it’s like to be part of a military family.

Fortunately, the writing community is a giving community. I posted on a couple of author groups about the information I needed and almost immediately heard from USA Today and Publishers Weekly Bestselling Author Jodie Bailey. Did you see what I just wrote? A USA Today and Publishers Bestselling author contacted “little ol’ me.” Her husband, 1SG(R) Paul Bailey, is apparently quite used to being a resource, and the two were a gold mine of information.

I loved writing this book, and the research gave me an even greater appreciation for those serving in the armed forces. There’s no way I have what it takes to be part of this special group of people. I hope Dial V for Valentine honors them and brings to light their daily sacrifices.

About Dial V for Valentine

Valentine’s Day is perfect for a wedding. If only the bride will agree.

Being part of the military is not just a job for Fergus Rafferty, it’s a calling. He’s worked his way up the ranks and doing what he loves best: flying Apache helicopters. The only thing that will make his life complete is marrying Celeste. After he transfers to a unit scheduled to deploy in three months, he’s thrilled at the idea of marrying before he leaves so they can start their new life. Except Celeste wants to wait until he returns. Can he convince her to wed before he leaves?

Celeste Hardwicke has just opened her law practice when she finally accepts Fergus’s marriage proposal. Not to worry. She has plenty of time to set a date, then plan the wedding. Until she doesn’t. But a quickie wedding isn’t what she has in mind. Besides, why get married when the groom will ship out after the ceremony? When she stumbles on her great-grandmother’s diary from World War II, she discovers the two of them share the same predicament.

At an impasse, Celeste and Fergus agree to call into WDES’s program No Errin’ for Love. Will DJ Erin Orberg’s advice solve their dilemma or create a bigger divide? One they’ll both regret.

How to enter givewaway: Leave a comment and your cleverly disguised email address (for example, donna AT livebytheword DOT com), and we will select one random winner to receive an ebook edition of Dial V for Valentine.

About the Author:

Linda Shenton Matchett writes happily-ever-after historical Christian fiction about second chances and women who overcome life’s challenges to be better versions of themselves. Whether you choose my books set in the Old West or across the globe during WWII, you will be immersed in the past through rich detail. Follow the journeys of relatable characters whose faith is sorely tested, yet in the end, emerge triumphant. Be encouraged in your own faith-walk through stories of history and hope. A native of Baltimore, Maryland, Linda was born a stone’s throw from Fort McHenry (of Star-Spangled Banner fame) and has lived in historical places all her life. She now lives in central New Hampshire where she is a volunteer docent and archivist at the Wright Museum of WWII.

Social Media Links:

Website/Blog: http://www.LindaShentonMatchett.com

Newsletter Signup: https://BookHip.com/BKQNLMN

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/lindashentonmatchettsreadersgroup

Moments in History: http://www.youtube.com/@lindamatchett

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/linda-shenton-matchett

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author_linda_matchett

Where I Get My Ideas -- Author and Book Spotlight

Fri, 02 Feb 2024 08:30:00 GMT

Join me today as I welcome author Kathleen Rouser, as she shares about her latest release.

While the first book in my Stone Creek Brides series, Rumors and Promises , came from a desire to write a story inspired on the woman at the well in Chapter Four of the Gospel of John, the idea for writing Secrets and Wishes sprang from getting to know one of my secondary characters in Rumors and Promises . Reverend Ian McCormick’s outspoken older sister and housekeeper, Maggie, needed to have her story told too.

Bringing in Thomas Harper, a turn-of-the-century pharmacist and widower with four children, seemed the perfect challenge to Maggie and her well-ordered life. A widow, herself, she has one son and isn’t used to the raucous the Harper children create. When seven-year-olds Zeke Harper and Philip Galloway wind up in a fistfight, the parents meet and the sparks fly.

It was such a fun story to write about attraction between opposites, filled with family and humor. But how to get these two “frenemies” to admit their attraction? One situation they find themselves in is having to rescue Stone Creek from the potentially lethal potions of a traveling medicine man.

I’ve always found the areas of medicine and wellness fascinating so searching for the history of medical treatments, medications, and pharmacy intrigued me. At one point I had the opportunity to visit the Soderlund Pharmacy Museum in St. Peter, Minnesota when visiting relatives near Minneapolis. The experience included a penny root beer from the old-fashioned soda fountain. It was fun soaking the historical atmosphere. I took lots of pictures and spent time looking up the different medications represented to see whether they fit the time period. Finding an appropriate remedy for an accidental opioid overdose appropriate to 1901 became a challenge. Sadly, the museum has since closed and is only available online.

While we can’t travel back in time to see exactly how people behaved (well, I guess that’s the great thing about historical fiction as a vehicle to give us a sense of time travel in our imaginations) I hope that I have represented life in small-town Michigan and possible medical dilemmas in a realistic way. I’ll leave it there so I don’t give too much of Secrets and Wishes away, but I will say it has been my favorite story to write so far.

Here’s the first page of Secrets and Wishes:

Chapter 1

STONE CREEK, MICHIGAN

April 1901

Maggie Galloway hiked up the front of her skirt as she raced across the schoolyard when she first spied the commotion. She held tight to her hat with her free hand.

“Yeah, get him, Philip!” A tall boy from the group of children surrounding the scuffle thrust a fist into the air.

A girl gasped. “I’m telling Miss Oliver!” She marched toward the schoolhouse.

A full red head of hair bobbed in the center, a definite sign of trouble. Her Philip? Unbelievable. Maggie’s heart thudded at the sight of her son. She dropped her hem, stopped to regain her breath as far as her corset allowed, and held her palm to her chest. “Boys.” She paused to inhale again. “Stop this fighting right now!”

Naomi Oliver stomped out the door of their schoolhouse toward the little crowd. Some of the children made way for their teacher while the errant boys’ fists flew toward each other, only hitting their mark half the time. “What is the meaning of this?” She grabbed hold of Philip’s collar.

Check out the book here

About the author:

Kathleen Rouser is a multi-published author of historical and contemporary Christian romance. Kathleen has loved making up stories since she was a little girl and wanted to be a writer before she could even read. She loves Jesus and is a fan of the three Cs—cats, coffee, and chocolate. She lives in southeast Michigan with her hero and husband of many years and two sweet cats who found a home in their empty nest. Sign up for my newsletter and receive a free novella HERE.

Links to my website and social media:

"Smoking Flax": Weird and Wonderful -- Book Spotlight with Giveaway

Mon, 29 Jan 2024 18:09:41 GMT

Or does it?

Please leave a comment for a chance to win an e-book of Smoking Flax. Cleverly disguise your email address so the 'bots don't get you. For example, donna AT livebytheword DOT com

A Peek Inside

Chapter One

A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth. (Isaiah 42:3 KJV)

May 27, 1984

Her words still hung in the air. Reed Anderson, you know why you’re here.

About Smoking Flax

Who Is He—Really?

E ven though six years have passed, does he want to confront the lies he’s always believed?

Click here to read the first chapter free.

Or buy Smoking Flax here.

About Jennifer:

Links:

The God Renaissance and Supernatural Faith-Based Fiction

Wed, 24 Jan 2024 08:30:00 GMT

Join me today as I welcome Heather Thompson as she shares her thoughts on this very interesting topic.

I believe we are on the precipice of a God Renaissance.

Why would I say such a thing? The world around us is crumbling in every way. Evil is being exposed at an alarming rate, while good is rising in every area of society. We, as Christians, are seeing the stark dividing line between the kingdom of darkness and God’s kingdom in real time which is leading to revival in some of the most unlikely places – like a high school football field in Georgia where the coach baptized his players.

It’s the God Renaissance, and WE get to be part of it.

This is the very reason that, I believe, the Lord led me to write my supernatural faith-based fiction book Stillwater.

As a millennial (I’m in the middle of the generation at 36) I’ve watched my generation and the ones after me pull away from or completely blur the lines of God’s word. These same peers would dabble in witchcraft for “fun” and call it a game while insisting that the supernatural is a made up reality that only existed in movies or television shows. But, that’s just not true.

The Holy Spirit inspired book Stillwater shows the level of threat we are facing today being lukewarm or milky Christians. Believers, like me, have a responsibility to the world around us to share God’s word based on our gifts and the Lord’s call on our life.

The main character of my story, Harriet Gordon, is a Sunday Christian. She grew up with a vague understanding of the Lord, but never had her own red sea moment. She attended church because it’s what she was taught, not because the Bible ever changed her life. This is the spiritual place where so many people in America live today; and it’s the place from which they need to be awakened.

Harriet’s journey reveals the supernatural realm in a way that readers may have never envisioned it before. The battle between angels and demons for the soul of the town of Stillwater reveals the truth behind the verse that says:

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. “ Ephesians 6:12 NKJV

We are more than conquerors – we are warriors for Christ.

About Heather : Heather Thompson is a debut author with her first book Stillwater, a supernatural faith-based fiction novel, meeting rave reviews . She has spent more than a decade as a communications professional, and more recently has worked as a youth pastor.

Thompson holds a Bachelor’s in English from Kennesaw State University and a Master’s in Strategic Public Relations from George Washington University. She lives in Georgia with her horses, cats and dog. Learn more about Thompson here .

Connecting Online"

Website:

www.heatherthompsonbooks.com

Buy Link:

www.heatherthompsonbooks.com/books/

Social media:

www.facebook.com/heatherthompsbooks

www.instagram.com/heathertbooks

www.goodreads.com/book/show/203835765-stillwater

Love, Loss and the Bond between Mothers and Daughters

Mon, 22 Jan 2024 08:30:00 GMT

Help me welcome back author Mary Dodge Allen as she shares about relationships and how they factor into her recent release.

The bond between a mother and daughter is one of life’s closest loving relationships. My mother endured the tragic deaths of two of her three children. My sister was only 9 years old when she died of a rare autoimmune disease, and my brother died of cancer at the age of forty.

I was only a toddler when my sister died. Her death left a void in our family, one my parents and older brother felt deeply. Growing up, I was only aware of never having the chance to know her... a different kind of void. But the bond between my sister and my Mom remained strong. By sharing photos and memories of my sister, Mom gave me an idea of her adventurous personality – (climbing 12 feet to the top rail of the public swing set at the age of 4, to check out the view).

I was blessed to have my Mom in my life until I reached my late forties. I still miss the conversations and laughter we shared, while drinking coffee (our favorite beverage). Despite the losses she suffered, Mom never became bitter. Yes, she grieved. But she knew the love of Jesus, and she continued loving and serving others with her high energy and sweet smile. Mom always kept her focus on the hope of the life to come. I had the privilege of caring for her during her final days, and I read her favorite Bible verse at her funeral - John 14:2-3:

“In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” NKJV

I love reading and writing Romantic Mystery/Suspense. My experience as a social worker and counselor helps me to write compelling stories about quirky, flawed characters who are trying to make sense of their lives in this uncertain world; people who are dealing with real-life struggles and looking for answers. I have faced bouts of depression in my life. Through the challenges and struggles of the characters in my books, I hope to inspire readers as they deal with the challenges of their faith journeys.

In my award-winning Mystery/Suspense, Hunt for a Hometown Killer, main character Roxy has endured a series of tragic losses during her life – losing both parents in her childhood... several miscarriages... her husband’s murder. The opening chapter describes Roxy’s shock when a sinkhole opens up and uncovers the long-buried hiding place of the car used in her husband’s unsolved hit and run murder.

Through the twists and turns of the murder investigation, Roxy develops a close relationship with Kyle, the town’s detective. Working together, they identify her husband’s killer. In the final chapter, Roxy is contacted by the daughter she gave up for adoption at birth, years earlier:

“Hello... ah, my name is Dani... Danielle Pierce. Is this Roxelle Anna Rode... ah, I mean, Roxy Silva?”

Roxy’s intuition sparked when she heard the trembling teenage voice, and her full maiden name. “This is Roxy Silva. Can you tell me what this is about?” She glanced at Kyle, who appeared to read the look in her eyes. He sat on the bench next to her.

“I found you on a class reunion website. I’m calling about an adoption, fourteen years ago.”

Roxy’s body tensed. “Is this about my daughter?”

“I...” A choked sob escaped... “I’m your daughter.”

“Oh, my sweet child...” Tears stung Roxy’s eyes as she pictured her tiny newborn baby.

Kyle wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Roxy leaned close to him and blinked away tears as she listened to the lovely sound of her daughter’s voice.

Link to Purchase Hunt for a Hometown Killer on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Hunt-Hometown-Killer-Dodge-Allen/dp/1952369703

And, for readers of mystery/suspense, I am currently working on the sequel: Hunt for a Hometown Kidnapper:

Days before her marriage to Kyle, Roxy is reunited with her daughter, Dani. She is looking forward to spending more time getting to know Dani, after she and Kyle return from their honeymoon. But Dani suddenly goes missing while out shopping. They realize she’s been kidnapped, and she doesn’t have the asthma inhaler she depends on. The clock is ticking as Roxy and Kyle begin a frantic search for Dani. Who has taken her... and why? Roxy’s faith is shaken. After so many years of praying to be reunited with her daughter, will she lose her now?

Hunt for a Hometown Kidnapper should be available later in 2024.

About Mary:

Mary Dodge Allen writes “Fast-Paced Adventure with Humor and Heart.” Her novel Hunt for a Hometown Killer won a 2022 Christian Indie Award (First place, Mystery/Suspense), and a 2022 Angel Award. She’s also won two Royal Palm Literary Awards. Mary is a blogger with the website Heroes, Heroines and History. She and her husband live in Central Florida, where she has served as a volunteer with the local police department. Her quirky sense of humor is energized by her favorite treats: coffee and chocolate.

Website: www.marydodgeallen.com

Blog: www.hhhistory.com

January 2024 New Releases

Sat, 20 Jan 2024 08:30:00 GMT

New Paragraph

Accepted -- Book and Author spotlight, with giveaway

Thu, 18 Jan 2024 20:00:00 GMT

Welcome Paula Peckham today as she shares about her recent release, and generously offers a giveaway to one random person who leaves a comment. Read all the way through to find out how to enter. We're calling this one "Author's Choice", but she has some great gifts to choose from.

A Peek Inside Accepted:

San Antonio, Texas – Spring, 1864

Chapter One

They wasted time with every moment they stood idle.

Jonathan Campbell squinted one eye and peered at the cloudless sky. Mr. Nelson, from the feed store in San Antonio, should be along directly. Jonathan placed his order for corn and cotton seed back in March, and they were due to arrive today. He sucked his teeth, impatience building. The store owner’s offer to deliver surprised him, but he was glad enough to accept the help that saved him from making a trip to town. The urge to start made him antsy. Where was the man?

With one knee pressed into the damp ground, he stretched his tight back with a groan. Sweeping his hat from his head, he wiped his sleeve across his brow. The sun’s rays brought welcome warmth after a frigid February and a rainy March, and he had worked up a sweat. Long, straight furrows gave testament to the labor he and the two farmhands had completed so far. The week had been productive. Preparing the soil to receive seed, helping along the life cycle established by God, spoke to a spot deep in his soul.

He gave the wrench he gripped in his sweaty hand one last yank and glanced up at the young man, who waited for him to work his magic with the plow. The hired hand had phenomenal skills with horses, but mechanical things reduced him to fumble fingers. “Try now, Teddy. I think it’s ready to go.”

Teddy grinned. “Is there nothing you can’t fix?” He popped the reins against the back of the draft horse, urging him on with a click of his tongue. The animal’s enormous hooves dug into the ground, and the machine lurched into motion. The depth wheel rotated easily now, silver metal from the plowshare glinting in the sun.

A pleased smile broke across Jonathan’s face as the rich, brown earth appeared. God made Adam from the dust of the ground. If only creating came that easy for him. Unfortunately, his took nothing but honest, hard work. Ah, well. When God made him, he added an extra pinch of farmer. He loved this life.

About Paula:

A fifth-generation Texan, Paula Peckham spent two decades teaching math. She divides her time between her home in Texas and Rio Bravo, Mexico.

Protected, Book 1 in The San Antonio series, was published in April 2022. It finaled in ACFW’s Genesis contest and won the gold medal in the 2022 Global Book Awards. Book 2, A Father’s Gift, finished third in the 2023 Selah contest. Book 3, Accepted, came out in October 2023. You can find it on Amazon . And, the series page is here

Connecting online:

Subscribe to Paula’s blog at www.paulapeckham.com .

Links:

https://www.facebook.com/PaulaPeckhamAuthor

https://www.instagram.com/paulajopeckham/

https://twitter.com/PaulaPeckham

https://www.tiktok.com/@paulapeckham

Getting to know Paula:

Do you prefer cats or dogs? We have both, but I prefer dogs. They’re usually more affectionate and fun to play with. Cats are kind of snooty.

Do you prefer to cook or to bake? We don’t eat a lot of sweets in our house. It’s not that we don’t like them, we just sort of forget they’re there and they get stale or old. Plus, I usually have a to-do list for writing that’s like two weeks' worth of work without stopping, so pausing to bake is just not gonna happen. I cook because we have to eat. No time for fun stuff like cookies or pies.

What hobbies do you have? I like to cross-stitch, but I’ve been working on the same project for over a year now. Writing takes up all my time. I’d like to learn how to quilt, but not sure if that’s going to happen or not. Maybe when I’m really old and have run out of writing ideas.

Giveaway: In Accepted , they make flavored butters to sell. I have some wooden paddles that are used to pat butter into a nice rectangular shape. I also have a butter dish. I will draw a random name and send one of those gifts to a reader in the US. Please include your cleverly disguised email address. For example, donna AT livebytheword DOT com

Terms of address between a wife and husband in Georgian England

Thu, 18 Jan 2024 08:30:00 GMT

Help me welcome author Dienece Darling as she shares about how a couple would address each other in Georgian England.

Hi, I’m inspirational author Dienece Darling. I write stories bathed in love and faith set in historical England. Today, I’d like to talk about how husbands and wives addressed each other in Georgian England and how I used that in my latest release, Freeing Defeat.

If you've ever read or watched Pride and Prejudice , you might have noticed Mrs. Bennet called her husband Mr. Bennet. It was actually a common practice for wives to formally address their spouses in Georgian England. It may seem a little strange to us, but the formality was a sign of deep respect and affection.

Even Mrs. Elton, renowned in Emma for her overly familiar manners, still referred to her own husband as Mr. E.

Conversely, Mr. Bennet was more relaxed with his wife, calling her ‘my dear.’ Which is not surprising when you recall he’d lost all respect and affection for his wife shortly after marriage. I imagine Mr. Bennet using ‘my dear’ facetiously. Can’t you just picture Mr. Bennet chuckling to himself that his foolish wife couldn’t see his clever joke?

I incorporated these antiquated formal terms into my latest reader’s magnet—minus Mr. Bennet’s insincerity, of course. It was actually a lot of fun to have my heroine’s mother sharply protest, “Mr. Townsend!” and have her husband echo back, “Yes, my dear.”

You can read the Georgian-Era romance Freeing Defeat for free by signing up to my newsletter here .

A Peek inside Freeing Defeat

A Georgian England Romance Novelette

Julie Townsend expects an imminent offer of marriage from a future baron. It’s a most inconvenient time for her father to offer accommodation to a penniless clergyman who keeps making Julie question the life she always thought she wanted.

Andrew Hatfield knows God has called him to a small little parish somewhere far from the balls and finery that Julie loves. To stay true to his calling, he’ll have to steel himself against the allurements of his host’s only daughter.

Will Andrew and Julie let inconvenient rule the day, or will God have His way after all?

About Dienece:

A former Georgia Belle and missionary’s kid, Dienece Darling calls Australia home with her Aussie husband and two sons. Through all the changes of life, books have remained her constant, pleasant companion, and libraries one of her favorite destinations. Her name is pronounced Denise.

Dienece can be reached at: www.dienecedarling.com , Dienece Darling, author | Melbourne VIC | Facebook , and Dienece Darling (@dienecedarling) | Instagram profile

Help! My Characters Are Out of Control! -- book spotlight

Tue, 16 Jan 2024 08:30:00 GMT

Help me welcome author Ellen Fannon as she shares about wrestling characters and story lines into shape, and read to find how you can enter a random drawing for a free ebook copy of Love in the Wind.

Writers often find themselves constructing scenes in their minds while doing other things. When I was working on my latest novel, Love in the Wind , I had time to kill while waiting for my son at yet another destination from which I had to pick him up. So, I used my time constructively by trying to come up with good names for horses. My male protagonist lives on a ranch and has horses. The horses need names.

I’m going to let readers in on a little secret about fiction writers. There are basically two types of fiction writers. Some outline everything and know exactly where the story is going before they sit down to write the first sentence. Then there are the others of us, called “Pantsers,” because we write “by the seat of our pants.” When I start to write fiction, I have a very loose (make that very, very loose) idea of where the story may go. In other words, I have an opening scene (or opening line) and maybe a vague idea for the end. What happens after my opening scene? I don’t have a clue, which is why my characters sometimes run amok and take me to places I hadn’t planned on going.

Take my horse names for example. I came up with a list off the top of my head and wrote them down on a scrap of paper I found in my purse. (Writers often write things down on scraps of paper that later make no sense when we try to figure out why we wrote them down.) Later that afternoon, when I sat down to write, I picked two names for the horses the male protagonist (MP) and female protagonist (FP) were going to ride that day. When the MP told the FP the horses’ names, she said, “I take it there is a story behind the names.” What? Why did she have to say that? I had no story behind the horses’ names other than I thought they sounded good.

Great. Now I had to figure out the story behind the horses’ names. Or tell the FP to shut up. But if she shuts up and there is no dialogue, the story won’t move forward and ever get to the end.

So, I had to stop and ponder whether I could make a backstory for the horses’ names or have to come up with other names that I could work into the story. More work for me because the FP shot off her mouth. Turns out, after Googling the first horse’s name, I could make the meaning of the name work with circumstances in the MP’s life history. Who knew when I picked that particular name just because it sounded good, that it might actually be useful for anything else? With the second name, I made up a different scenario without having to Google anything. Good, now the MP and FP could get on with their day, and I could get on to writing the story, provided they didn’t veer off into left field again.

Why do my characters keep doing this to me? If I were into the science fiction or horror genres, I could probably write some pretty creepy stories about my characters going rogue and taking over the book, leaving me in the dark. Surely, someone has already used this plot line. If not, feel free to borrow it, unless, of course, Twilight Zone steals it, in which case, I want full credit and royalties for the idea. But for right now, I’d just settle for my characters behaving themselves and not hanging me out to dry when all I want to do is finish my book.

About Love in the Wind :

Wyoming rancher, Ben Parish, is struggling to keep his ranch afloat. Veterinarian, Darcy Fuller has moved to Wyoming to start a new life but is struggling to become established in a new area. Both have been badly burned by past relationships and are not looking to become involved in another. When their paths cross, Darcy has an idea to bring extra income to the ranch, as well as provide her with an outlet for her passion for working with horses. But can their growing attraction coexist with a business partnership?

A Peek inside Love in the Wind:

CHAPTER ONE

Ben Parish cupped his hand over his brow to block out the blinding sunlight as he scanned the distant road for Doc Tippins’ familiar truck. His mare, Maggie, had been in labor for too long, and his anxiety rose steadily with each passing hour of no results. Whispering Winds Ranch had been struggling ever since his father’s death two years ago, and he couldn’t afford to lose this mare. Or the foal, either, for that matter.

A constricting band of worry squeezed his heart with the ever-present thought that he would fail and lose what his father and grandfather had worked so hard for. If only Dave had stuck around to help. But ranching had never been in his brother’s blood, and when Dad passed unexpectedly, Dave had taken his chance to move on to other endeavors. Ben didn’t begrudge his brother. He knew Dave had only stuck it out at the ranch as long as he did for their father’s sake. Still, Ben couldn’t help wishing he and Dave could have continued running the ranch together as a family.

A gust of nippy wind assaulted him, and he buttoned up his faded denim jacket with the holes in the sleeves over his old flannel shirt. The cold air stung his reddened cheeks and work-roughened hands, but he didn’t want to take the time to look for his gloves. Jamming his hands into his pockets, he paced the distance between the house and the detached garage several yards away, his scuffed boots wearing a deeper rut into the dried mud path.

Ah! Finally. He released the breath he hadn’t even realized he’d been holding as the sight of a pickup truck appeared on the isolated road running past the ranch. Doc Tippins would assess the situation with the unproductive birth and soon set everything right. The old veterinarian had been doctoring their animals since Ben was a boy, and the man exuded competence and confidence with his years of experience.

But as the vehicle drew nearer, Ben realized it wasn’t Doc Tippins’ old blue Ford. Did he get a new truck? The old one had to have a lot of miles on it from driving all over southern Wyoming. Well, good for Doc. He deserved something more modern than that old broken-down rust bucket he had driven for the past twenty years.

The truck turned in at the entrance to Whispering Winds Ranch, the gravel crunching under the tires, and kicking up dust in its wake. A smile of relief tugged at the corners of Ben's lips as he walked forward to meet the only man in three counties who could perform animal miracles. Just as quickly, the smile slipped from his face when he realized it wasn’t Doc Tippins at the wheel. Drat. Who was this stranger and what did they want?

A young woman in baggy brown coveralls hopped out of the truck, her chestnut-colored ponytail whipping in the breeze. Her smile seemed forced as she stepped forward, her hand extended.

“Good morning,” she greeted. “I’m Dr. Darcy Fuller. I understand you have a mare with dystocia.”

Ben’s brow now furrowed into a full-blown scowl. Ignoring her outstretched hand, he said, “Where’s Doc Tippins?”

The young woman’s smile disappeared as she dropped her hand to her side. “He’s doing an emergency surgery. I’m his new associate.”

Ben’s lips flattened as he appraised the girl. She looked like she was no more than eighteen, although if she was a veterinarian, she had to be older. Still, she couldn’t have much, if any, experience—probably a new graduate. What was Doc Tippins thinking sending this wet-behind-the-ears newbie to attend to a critical case like his? He tried to swallow his irritation but failed.

Scrubbing his hand over his forehead, where a throbbing headache had suddenly taken root, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath through his nose, blowing it out slowly through his pinched lips.

He opened his eyes and attempted to be pleasant. “Look. I’m sure you can do vaccines and worming and Coggins testing and the like. But for something serious like this, I need Doc Tippins. I’ve known him for over twenty years and I trust him.”

The woman seemed to deflate as she let out a defeated sigh. “I understand. I can try to call Dr. Tippins and see how much longer he will be.”

A prickle of compassion tugged at Ben’s conscience. This girl, whatever her name was—he had already forgotten it—was probably used to rejection, being the new associate when everyone wanted Doc Tippins. But still, he didn’t know anything about her qualifications, and Maggie’s desperate situation required someone with experience whom he could rely on.

"No offense,” he said, as she walked back to her truck, her head down and shoulders slumped. He watched as she held a cell phone to her ear, although he couldn’t quite make out what she said. Still, it didn’t take much imagination to figure out what the discussion entailed. The woman had probably had several similar conversations with her boss about clients preferring to see him rather than her.

After a moment, she got out of the truck again, tucking the cell phone into her back pocket. “He says he should be able to get here within an hour. Would you like me to take a preliminary look at the mare, or do you want to wait for him?”

Ben hesitated. He didn’t like hurting her feelings, but what if she caused more trauma to an already precarious condition? No, it was better to wait for the doc. No need to put Maggie through more handling than necessary. He cleared his throat and his eyes fell just short of meeting hers. “Um, no, that’s okay. I think it would be better to wait. Again, no offense.”

She lowered her chin and nodded. “Okay then. If there’s nothing I can do for you, I’ll go on to some other calls.” This time, she held her head high as she returned to the truck and slid inside. Just before closing her door, she said, “Good luck. I hope your mare is okay.”

“Thanks.” Ben gave her a half-hearted smile and a wave. Mixed thoughts swirled through his mind as he watched her put the truck in reverse and turn around to head back down the long driveway. Should he have given her a chance? What if Doc Tippins was delayed even longer? Was he taking a risk by waiting? Well, here he was, back at square one. He turned to go check on Maggie.

***

Tears stung Darcy’s eyes as she headed back toward the road. Why was it when someone said, “no offense,” they were about to say something offensive? To a degree, she understood the reluctance of the clients to trust her ability when they were used to Dr. Tippins. But sooner or later, they would have to get used to someone else. Dr. Tippins was getting up in age and wouldn’t be practicing forever. Part of her reason for coming to the remote area of Baker, Wyoming, had been the incentive to one day take over his practice.

But how was that ever going to happen if no one allowed her to do her job? How was she supposed to prove herself if no one gave her a chance? So far, in the few weeks she’d been here, she’d been met with doubt, hesitation, and downright hostility. Only a handful of clients had been friendly and welcoming.

Why had she moved hundreds of miles away from home to make a fresh start? Maybe she had made a mistake. At the rate she was going, she wasn’t even earning her paycheck. Perhaps she should move back home. There, she had contacts. Veterinarians she had worked for in school and after she’d graduated would be happy to take her on as an associate, knowing she was a capable, hard worker.

But if she went back home, she’d have the constant reminder of Josh. She didn’t think she could bear that. Coming to Wyoming had seemed such an adventure, a whole new world where no one knew her and her history. That decision had proved to be a double-edged sword. While having no history had its advantages, it also had its drawbacks when getting to know people, let alone trying to establish herself in a demanding career where trust meant everything.

She’d tried to give the decision to God. She’d prayed repeatedly about the move, and although God hadn’t exactly sent a burning bush, she had peace about her decision. But since being in Baker, she wondered if that peace had been a product of her own wishful thinking to escape the small-town wagging tongues back home.

Swiping a finger under her lower lids, she said, “Darcy, you will not cry.” After all, it took time to get established in a new area. Even Dr. Tippins had to start somewhere. She took a faltering breath and, putting the arrogant cowboy out of her mind, drove to her next appointment to pull blood for Coggins testing.

Random drawing: Hop on over and subscribe to Ellen's blog, and she'll draw randomly one lucky winner to receive a free ebook copy of Love in the Wind. https://ellenfannonauthor.com/subscribe/

About the Author:

Please visit Ellen’s website, Good For a Laugh, and sign up to follow her weekly blog at: https://ellenfannonauthor.com/

A Longing Fulfilled -- Spotlight with giveaway

Thu, 11 Jan 2024 08:30:00 GMT

Help me welcome guest author Kelly Anne Liberto as she shares how a longing was fulfilled through her recent release.

Who doesn’t enjoy a great suspense novel?

It’s been one year since my Romantic Suspense book, Stealth , has been published! And to celebrate this book birthday, we’d love to give away a wraparound cover paperback copy for someone who comments on this blogpost. Tell me about your favorite romantic suspense novel.

Some fun facts about this book~

1. The main characters Macy and P.I. Mike Gold are connected through Macy’s police officer husband, Chad, who was killed on the job.

2. Macy shares a secret with two of her friends which helps motivate her to stop the new businessman in town from exploiting young women.

3. The setting for Stealth is based in Southeastern Pa. where anything can happen on a secluded mountain trail on a beautiful autumn day.

4. One of my favorite parts of this story happens at the end where a character told me a plot twist!

5. While it was fun writing Macy and Mike’s story, I also enjoyed adding a theme of justice we sometimes see for the evil in this world.

6. It took me ten years from start to finish to see this book published. So, you know I’m enjoying seeing the fruit of this labor of love. If you read it, will you consider emailing me at kellyliberto@gmail.com to tell me what you think?

If you have a book in you, or are working toward seeing a dream come true, my advice is don’t quit. Don’t let opposition, self-doubt, or anything else get in your way before seeing your longing fulfilled.

Proverbs 13:12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. (NIV)

First Page of Stealth

CHAPTER ONE

Macy Freedman squinted at the morning sun, the lighting now perfect for photographing the Blue Mountain fall scenery.

If she crossed the steel barrier blocking off the mountain trail, who would it hurt? She’d score some amazing, colorful images even if the mission killed her.

The cobalt sky provided a perfect backdrop for the explosion of red, gold, and orange leaves the wind- whipped tree limbs painted in the canopy overhead.

Her Canon in position, Macy stopped to breathe. A gust of wind blew in pine scent, only to snatch it away and replace it with a mixture of earth and dead leaves. If she could take pictures of Pennsylvania’s beauty and sell the prints online, she could provide a better life for herself and her baby girl, Bella. Macy needed to find a way to make it on her own. She certainly couldn’t rely on any human being—or even God—to help. He’d certainly let her down in the past.

She clicked to shoot.

About Kelly Anne:

Author and Speaker, Kelly Anne Liberto has been serving as a biblical counselor for several years. She helped spearhead the mentoring department for a local women’s center in her hometown. Her passion is to see women restored to the destiny they were created to live in Christ. It’s Kelly’s prayer that her writing will serve to bring light to the problem of human trafficking and healing for the victims.

Facebook Author Page

https://www.facebook.com/kellyanneliberto/

Twitter

https://twitter.com/kellyliberto

website

https://www.kellyanneliberto.com

Blog

https://www.kellyanneliberto.com/blog

The Reality About Reality Shows -- and book spotlight

Wed, 10 Jan 2024 17:39:58 GMT

Join me today as I welcome author Julie Arduini as she shares about reality shows and her upcoming release.

The second book in my Surrendering Hearts small-town romance series, Repairing Hearts, features sextuplet Ryan Hart and his reality show, Repairing Ryan’s Heart, as a means to pay for home renovations. Ryan is the family loner, and his desire to stay away from the attention being a sextuplet brings brought him to the dump of a home he can’t pay for to fix up.

I was nervous to create a reality show, much less two, because I’m not a reality show viewer. Repairing Ryan’s Heart is pitched as an event to help Ryan find a project manager for his renovations. Once finished, a sister home improvement channel would continue with a new show, Building with the Hearts, that would feature the project manager supervising renovations that the Hart sextuplets would participate in.

What Ryan discovers is there isn’t much real about a reality show. Almost immediately he learns although yes, a project manager will be chosen, it will be done more as a dating show. All the contestants are women and they are vying not just for the job, but Ryan’s heart.

My research showed that actual reality shows aren’t that real, either. I binged Dance Moms during this time and got so hooked that I’m now listening to the Dance Moms podcast, Because Mom Said So. My mom heart wanted to protect those girls, so it’s refreshing to see, as I now follow them on social media, the girls are now healthy young women. As I traveled down the Dance Moms rabbit hole I found out that the show was “heavily produced.”

Reality shows either have episodes plotted out that the people involved follow, or certain goals the producers want obtained. On Dance Moms, young Chloe discovered producer notes of things they wanted to take place during rehearsals and/or competitions. The moms confirmed that producers also edit, so often what they as moms said or did was edited to make the situation look completely different. It of course is intended to cause drama and conflict, which reality shows are known for.

Writing Repairing Hearts was fun because these are fictional characters so no real person is tormented. However, like actual reality shows, there was a villain with a delicious backstory. I’ve received messages about Raini Bly and how frustrated readers are with her. I get it. She is a compilation of reality show mean girls I watched or read about.

What’s also exciting is my reality show plot isn’t finished. Although Ryan has his project manager, the renovations start in Book 3, Building Hearts. Evan is the third sextuplet and he’s always wanted the spotlight. This show has his siblings working on Ryan’s house with crews, and Evan realizes he has a lot to learn about family and business. This reality show will have a more home improvement feel to it, so that will be more research for me.

How about you? Are you a reality show watcher?

Here’s more about Repairing Hearts :

What happens when a reality show creates a blight on sextuplet Ryan Hart’s life harsher than his dump of a home?

Ryan, the independent, brooding second oldest of the Hart sextuplets, can’t enjoy the solitude he craves when he agrees to star on a reality show. The plan is to discover a project manager to renovate his hole of a property. The show reveals that it's more about Ryan’s dating life. Can he keep his guard up when everything around him is falling apart faster than the shingles on his roof?

BJ Wallace loves her quiet life in Wisconsin that she’s created far from her traumatic childhood. Everything changes when she learns she's competing on Repairing Ryan's Heart. As the show focuses more on Ryan than the house, BJ falls for him. Will she win the show and destroy Ryan with her secret, or sacrifice her heart to protect Ryan?

A small-town, reality show romance with family drama and a Christian thread of surrendering pride and anger.

Purchase Kindle Repairing Hearts : https://www.amazon.com/Repairing-Hearts-Christian-Surrender-Surrendering-ebook/dp/B0CLCTD289

Purchase softcover Repairing Hearts : https://www.amazon.com/Repairing-Hearts-Surrendering-Julie-Arduini/dp/1733687653

About Julie:

Julie Arduini loves to encourage readers to find freedom in Christ by surrendering the good, the bad, and ---maybe one day---the chocolate. She’s the author of the new contemporary romance series SURRENDERING HEARTS (Anchored Hearts, Repairing Hearts, +four more.) Her other romance series is SURRENDERING TIME (Entrusted, Entangled, Engaged.) She also co-wrote a YA series with her daughter, SURRENDERING STINKIN’ THINKIN’ (You’re Beautiful, You’re Amazing, You’re Brilliant.) Her stand-alone romances include MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN and RESTORING CHRISTMAS. Julie maintains a blog at juliearduini.com and participates in the team blog Christians Read. She resides in Ohio with her husband and daughter. Learn more by visiting her at http://linktr.ee/JulieArduini .

Written on the Clouds

Tue, 09 Jan 2024 08:30:00 GMT

Help me welcome returning author Betty J. Slade as she talks about her latest release and her paintings.

Exciting News! An audio will soon be released on Amazon of Taming Wild Hearts, Disappointment Valley Series, Book one. After listening to seventeen auditions for the right voice to read my story, I chose Craig Abbot.

Craig Abbott’s voice is perfect as the narrator. Many people are waiting for the audio version of this story. It will be very soon on Amazon.

Written on the clouds

As we see the sun set on 2023, we believe God’s promises for new compassions and new mercies for 2024. These quick little watercolors (9X12”) bring back memories when I spent an artist vacation on Monhegan Island off the coast of Maine (see below).

Monhegan is a small, rocky island ten miles from the nearest mainland. A square mile in area, the island is accessible only by boat and is a walking island. This artists’ colony has remained the same since Norman Rockwell, Robert Henri, and Andrew Wyeth painted there. Nothing has changed, but nature around it paints its story new every day.

Paraphrasing words from Psalm 19, God writes his messages in the stars. Space itself speaks his story every day… His truth is on tour in the starry vault of the sky…Each day gushes out its message to the next…night with night whispering its knowledge to all…Everywhere its gospel is clearly read so all may know.

I always reflect on this time of the year. What did I learn in 2023 and what am I taking into 2024? The year, 2023 was all about change. I stepped down from the Vice President position with my writers’ group and took on the awesome task of marketing Taming Wild Hearts, Book One of Disappointment Valley Series . I’ve met new business associates and new friends.

For 2024, book two in this same western romance series is in the works and a new devotional book is on the front burner of my mind. One thing I know the gospel stays the same as daily trials come and stirs things up. We can sleep well at night even though times are changing. We have the promise Jesus remains the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Connect with Betty: https://www.bettyjslade.com/

Book and Author Spotlight

Sun, 07 Jan 2024 08:30:00 GMT

Help me welcome author Becca Turner as she answers tough questions and shares a sneak peek into her latest release.

What fun or unique things can you tell us about yourself?

First of all, I’m on my second pen name as a published author, but it’s a complicated story, so we won’t get into why, but I’m enjoying my stint as Becca Turner. I’ve been writing with this name since 2016. I used to write, erm, spicier books, but now I like to focus on the more emotionally romantic plots and outside circumstances of the stories that make the characters realistic and human. My real middle name is Rebecca, but my mom always called me Becca Sue, so I chose Becca as my first name and my great-grandma, who I’m named for, although she wasn’t the Rebecca, was originally a Turner. My mom tells me I’m a great deal like Granny Turner, who would cross the street rather than be forced to make polite small talk with someone she didn’t like. Same, Granny. Same.

How did you get started writing?

I’ve enjoyed storytelling since I was a little girl. I picked up on reading right away, so storytelling came naturally after that. When I was 11, my best friend announced she wanted to be a writer. Sounded good to me, so I said, “Me too!” The idea stuck for me, although as far as I know, she’s never written a fictional novel. I’ve had a lot of ups and downs in my writing career, but as of right now, I’m enjoying myself and expanding my storyverse. One series is Only an Okie Will Do which are contemporary western romance that are closed door but have a bit of language. I think my grandma, who also loved reading romance, would be okay with them as I like to call them sweet with heat. The other is Only an Okie Will Do Historical Novels which are sweet westerns set in the same fictional small town in Oklahoma as the contemporaries.

What can your readers expect from you next?

On January 16 ^th my next contemporary comes out on all the popular reading platforms except KU. One February 14 ^th , my next sweet historical romance is available on Kindle and KU. After that, I have my schedule for 2024 mostly filled up. I’m hoping to get out a cookbook with recipes that my characters have mentioned in my books, plus another contemporary novella collection, another contemporary novel, and another sweet historical by late fall. I’m also working on getting all my novels formatted for large print. I have three of them published currently with three more for sure to come in 2024. Who knows? There might be more on top of all that!

Subscribe to receive her newsletter, and receive a free boo k as a thank-you! https://dl.bookfunnel.com/u45g8mu4pn

A Sneak Peek inside Where Love Begins:

Chapter One

Swells, Oklahoma Territory

1892

His brother’s wake and funeral were long over. The fields below the house were planted with acres of corn, which wouldn’t mature for a few more weeks. Two horses and a milk cow lazed in a sturdy corral beyond the barn. A flock of sheep grazed nearby under a collie’s watchful eye.

Numbness filled August Baxter as he reined his horse to a stop on the crest above his brother’s farm. Jeremiah had been careful, almost obsessive, with his equipment, clothes, and possessions. Even the split rail fences looked sturdy and the road didn’t have a single hole. Jeremiah liked perfection. August didn’t know the first thing about it. A lump formed under his ribcage.

His gelding lifted its head and called out to the other horses. They answered, gathering at the fence for a better look. The dog noticed them and barked a warning.

He rode on despite the dog and turned the gelding down the path. White clapboard covered the single-story house and green shutters framed the windows. A wide covered front porch welcomed visitors to sit and stay a spell, but it was empty. Beautiful as the place was, it had cost his brother’s life. If August hadn’t been so stubborn, this might have been a joyful homecoming.

Before he reached the yard, the front door opened and a woman stepped outside. His hands tightened on the reins. Loyal Redfearn haunted his dreams and filled hundreds of lonely hours in his mind.

A gray shawl wrapped around her shoulders, covering her black mourning dress. Auburn hair done up and tucked into a coronet showed off the sickly pale color of her face. Someone had been caring for the livestock until he arrived. He’d never guessed it would be her.

He had mixed feelings about whether he should be glad she was here, or whether he ought to turn around and cut his losses. Although she’d written for his help, he wasn’t prepared to face her. Wasn’t prepared for the way his heart lurched when their eyes met. Just like the day he’d realized he was in love with her, he lost himself all over again.

About Becca:

Becca Turner was raised in Missouri except for a couple of formative years in SW Oklahoma that left her with an Okie accent. One day she was reading cowboy romance novels and wondered why they’re all set in Texas. Then she set out to do something about it.

She lives in Missouri with her husband and two Japanese chin dogs, Winkie and Maisy.

Find her social media links at linktr.ee/beccaturnerbooks

Choosing the Names

Fri, 05 Jan 2024 08:30:00 GMT

Join me today as I welcome back author Carole Brown, as she shares insight into how she chooses names for her characters, and leave a comment to enter a random drawing for an ebook.

Writing is my life.

I love getting the inspiration for new ideas, for finding the right names for my characters that speak to me, writing The End, seeing my book in print, and reading or hearing the pleasure from readers when they read my books.

I get plenty of questions about my writing too. Like how do you do it? What inspires you? And how do you choose the names? Now, that last question is one I'd like to address today.

Choosing names for my characters is one of the most fun things I do. How do I do that? Well, I have two major ways to do so.

listening
a baby name book

One thing I realize is that the name needs to match the personality of the character I'm creating. Some names are a little old fashion like my Emma Jaine in Book One of my WWII series Music in Their Hearts. Another example is in the first book of my Appleton series: Sabotaged Christmas. The primary character is Antonietta—an Italian name that I shortened to Toni.

Many times I hear or read names that catch my attention. I'll jot those names down, keeping them in mind for that someday when I'll need them. Along with this, are names that I use to honor certain people.
Another way to find names that suit my characters is my baby name book. It's been a lifesaver for me when I just didn't know what name I needed for a certain character. That trusted book is never very far from my reach.
One more way—that's not normal and something I don't depend on most times—is having a name pop into my mind. If this happens, I almost always realize that that's the name. I've had this happen quite a few times.

Now in my newest book that just released, Believe in Christmas, I have several names in this book that are primary. The reason? It's an anthology with four different novellas in it. Let me give you an example:

A Christmas Miracle is set in the early 1800s, with a leaning toward the Hebrew. With that thought, when I searched for Hebrew names, I came across the name of Noam which means tenderness. It was the perfect name for the little orphaned child who was tender, precocious and wise in his own way. In contrast, I decided on Hamman and Judas for the two trouble makers.

As I mentioned before, writing is a big part of my life. All parts of it and especially creating my characters, finding their names and allowing them to shine in my books.

Giveaway: Do you, writers, find certain ways to name your characters? Do you, readers, enjoy new and unique names? I will gift an ebook copy to one person who leaves a comment (if there are 5 or more comments, please.) Leave a comment with your cleverly disguised email address, and we will choose a winner.

About the stories in BELIEVE In CHRISTMAS

A Christmas Miracle : An early 1800's Novelette
Can a rich, but troubled, married couple find happiness again through one little homeless, precocious lad? Will a real miracle save Christmas this year?

Christmas Angels : A WWII Short Story
Abigail had always been a strong young woman, but living in a boarding house, with a baby girl, and no way to give her daughter a real Christmas what is she to do? Without money and worried sick over her husband who is a missing-in-action soldier, her hope is gone. But...her Christmas Angels are watching over her. The question is: who are these angels?

One More Christmas : A contemporary suspenseful romance, A Bittersweet Novella

A young woman who lost her family in a devastating wreck while still a child, has only her Grampa as the only living close relative in the world who she trusts fully. But when Grampa goes missing, Bella must accept help from her best friend, Lewis, who is secretly in love with her. But will she accept that love? Will Grampa be found? And will one promise really come true?

The Case Of The Missing Christmas Trees : A Present Day Novelette
Newspaper journalist, Thane Wainwright, is always ready to tackle a detective job. When some of the good folk of small-town Beechnut come up missing their Christmas trees, the Chief of Police calls on Thane to solve the case. There are a lot of suspects, but Thane is up to the task. But is he up to the task of romancing the love of his life, Evelyn Keyley?

About Carole:

Besides being a member and active participant of many writing groups, Carole Brown enjoys mentoring beginning writers. An author of twenty-four, some of which are best selling, award-winning books, she loves to weave suspense, mystery and tough topics into her books, along with a touch of romance and whimsy, and is always on the lookout for outstanding titles and catchy ideas. She's also published two children's books and is in two anthologies. She and her husband reside in SE Ohio but have ministered and counseled nationally and internationally. She has found that the traveling and ministering has served her well in writing her novels. Together, they enjoy their grandsons and great granddaughter, traveling, gardening, good food, the simple life, and did she mention their grands?

Connect online:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CaroleBrown.author

FB Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/183457429657732/

https://bit.ly/3gKIDSt

Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/1nFS0og

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/carole-brown

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/browncarole212/?hl=en

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/sunnywrtr/boards/

"The Skies Below" -- Book Spotlight

Thu, 04 Jan 2024 18:36:20 GMT

Help me welcome author Lisa Pelissier as she shares about her latest release.

Tass. Igracio. Afa. Xylo.

Four individuals that have been living on the fringes of Gannoir, a world where up is down and down is up. Eleven-year-old Tass was relinquished by her parents when it became apparent that she was one of the Mayim, the water caste. Igracio, age 15, was casted Mayim late in life and sent to the Calix against his will. Neither headstrong Tass, nor gentle Igracio could have predicted the forces that would intervene to change the course of their lives.

Bitter and brittle Afa has lost her daughter, 22-year-old Mailu, just as elderly soil-miner Xylo has lost his son, Case. Case and Mailu were sent on a secret mission for the Elders two years earlier. Now word has come that a third member of their team has been killed and it's up to Xylo and Afa to find out what happened.

The two threads of the story come together in a way that could change Gannoir forever.

A bout Lisa:

Lisa Pelissier lives in Oregon where she is a homeschool mother of four and self-published author of five middle-grade fiction novels, as well as two early-readers' chapter books and a YA fantasy novel. Lisa owns SneakerBlossom Books, offering Christian, classical homeschool study guides and curriculum. She also works as a freelance copy editor, copywriter, and virtual assistant. She blogs at EleventhWillow.com, a site she and two friends started for Christians parenting the mentally ill. In her spare time Lisa enjoys making art, playing the piano, and fretting about things over which she has no control.

Connect online:

Buy Link

https://www.amazon.com/Skies-Below-Lisa-Pelissier/dp/B0BGNMDKKS

Book Spotlight

For The Skies Below, book 1 of the series, The Illumination of the Siann Dha, I began world-building with inspiration gleaned from C. S. Lewis’s Discarded Image, a scholarly look at the world through medieval eyes. In particular, their view of the cosmos fascinates me. For the medieval, Earth is base and common—the lowest place in the universe. The universe was composed of nested spheres, with a planet, or the moon or sun, moving within each. The stars occupied the highest sphere, and beyond that were the angels and God.

Because of their views about the cosmos, their universe was a finite, closed system. Looking up didn’t mean observing things millions and millions of miles away, but catching a glimmer of boundaries of the universe. It was a safe feeling, as opposed to the modern notion that we are insignificant ants crawling on the outside of something, exposed to what is nearly infinite and unknown.

I imagined a world that, like the medieval cosmos, was enclosed. The center of the world of Gannoir is sun-like, and rotates daily, a third of its light having been obliterated by the gogyvehr, the equivalent to the Bible’s Fall of Man. Thus day and night exist, even inside their closed world. The outer sphere of Gannoir is ice so cold it is outside the three common states of matter, pulsing with an atomic unity that is so in sync it’s visible as purple flame. This outer sphere also rotates, providing a flow of electricity and magnetism that allow the burning sun at the center and the icy rind to coexist without destroying one another. The sphere within the icy rind is a liquid and caustic sea.

The people of Gannoir are casted fire, water, and land, with water being the lowest caste and a certain sect of fire, the highest. Eleven-year-old Tass was abandoned by her family when they learned she was water casted. She lives at the training school for the Mayim, the water people, and she is bitter and angry. She finds her first friend in fifteen-year-old Igracio, a new student. He teaches her to read. She teaches him the practical skills of the Mayim. The other thread of the story follows middle-aged Afa and Xylo as they search for their young-adult children who were sent on a mission for the elders years before. The two threads of the story converge in the newly discovered civilization of Garradh Gannoir, as those trying to destroy the world can only be stopped by the four outsiders, who have to let go of their own missions and come together for a greater cause.

This is a dark tale of love, anger, abandonment, regret, and sacrifice. It explores the concepts of sin and redemption, discrimination, and the meaning of love. Book 2 and Book 3 have already been written and are going through the editing processes in the hope of publication in 2024.

A King for Kinsella -- Release Day and Giveaway

183:892475517 (Donna Schlachter) — Sat, 30 Dec 2023 08:30:00 GMT

Release day! Whoo hoo! Join me in a happy dance! And, as promised, here’s the excerpt, to whet your appetite. Today you can purchase the ebook or print version online here: https://www.amazon.com/King-Kinsella-Mail-Order-Papa-ebook/dp/B0CDFK6LYV and check out the rest of the series here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5F246HT

A Peek Inside A King for Kinsella :

Chapter 1

Whistler’s Gulch Ranch near Loveland, CO

March 14, 1878

Kinsella Jackson stared out over the dry and barren landscape from where she stood in the church cemetery. Winter grass crunched under foot. Snow-capped the mountains in the distance. A chill breeze careened off the foothills, raced along the valley, and rattled around her insides as though she had no skin or substance holding her together.

She pulled her shawl around her shoulders, wishing for a warmer covering. But she’d cut up her winter coat to make ponchos for her two youngest. And Abe’s overcoat? Worn even now as cloaks by her two oldest.

And why not? Abe had no need for it. Not now. Not since three days past.

She sniffled, holding back the tears as the preacher read Psalm Twenty-Three. Yay, though I travel through the valley of death, I will fear no evil.

Beside her, hers and Abe’s children. Stoic, broad-shouldered like their father, stood her eldest. Thomas, at fifteen, had already assumed the role of head of the house by taking on his father’s chores. But she knew him better than he knew himself. He looked tough and strong on the outside, yet the yearning to be her little boy and avoid this heartbreak was evident in his eyes.

Next in line as well as in age, Emily. At thirteen, caught in that alien space between child and adult. Temper tantrums one day, kind and nurturing the next. Kinsella never quite knew that to expect from her daughter any longer. Yet she, too, had been most helpful these past days once the shock of Abe’s death had passed.

Or had it? Emily seemed to spend far more time staring out the windows, her head tilted to one side as though listening. For what? Her father’s step? Well, that wouldn’t come again, would it?

Sometimes Kinsella wanted to shake the child back to reality. Then she remembered that Em was still a child.

Sarah, at nine, believed everything she was told. When Kinsella had told her children that their father had fallen to his death in the barn and was now with Jesus, Sarah cried. “Mama, I want to be with Papa and Jesus, too.”

At that moment, Kinsela would gladly have joined the pair of them.

But then she remembered her other children. They needed her. Abe was beyond her love or her service, but not their offspring.

And William, the youngest at six, trying so hard to be older than he was. Fretting at Thomas leaving him behind “With the girls”, as he often complained.

He now leaned forward and made eye contact with her, as though making certain she was there. He clung to her much more in recent days. Not that she minded, even welcoming him into her bed. The nights were chilly, and it had been a long time since she’d slept alone.

She smiled, hoping to reassure him, then she glanced along the valley. Their house and ranch lay tucked below in a far corner. Abe had built it into three sections and was saving money to purchase a fourth in a couple of years. Well, that dream died with him, along with many others.

Her teeth chattered, almost blocking out the preacher’s next reading. The one about being absent from the body was better, and that Abe was now present with Jesus.

Well, that was all well and good. Except what did Jesus need with him? She—and his children—needed him here.

When the preacher intoned a solemn Amen, Kinsella turned back to the funeral service. Four stalwart pallbearers lowered the handmade and rough-hewn casket into the ground. Kinsella stepped forward and picked up a frozen clod of dirt, tossing it onto the coffin. The clump thunked on the lid and broke apart, individual grains skittering across the wood like water droplets in a hot skillet.

Like her life. Her thoughts. Her hopes. And her dreams.

Thomas followed, dropping his handful of dirt, as did Emily. Sarah and William held back. Kinsella had explained what would happen today, but the younger ones struggled to remember.

Or perhaps, inside, they didn’t want to participate in this macabre dance.

Well, truth was, neither did she. If only she could roll back the days to the morning when Abe headed to the barn to toss down hay for the cows. Maybe she could have saved him if she’d found him quicker. Perhaps she could have talked him out of—no, she wouldn’t travel that road. There was no evidence he’d taken his own life, the sheriff said. A simple accident.

Except not so simple. One misstep, one moment of mis-attention, and he was gone.

The preacher stood in front of her, offering his condolences. Well, a fat lot of good his words did. A widow at thirty-five, four children to raise and feed and clothe, and a ranch to run.

But instead of voicing her thoughts, she pasted on a tiny smile, thanking him for his kind words.

He gripped her hands in his own. “Perhaps we’ll see you at church more often.”

“Perhaps.”

Abe wasn’t a church-goer. She’d have been there every Sunday, but her husband always found a reason to lollygag, ensuring they would be late.

Maybe she would make more of an effort.

She wrested her hands from his grip and turned to walk back to their wagon, which Thomas had driven here and parked outside the cemetery. She nodded to several people she knew by name but avoided stopping to talk. There was no money to host a reception—not in the church nor in their home.

As she reached the gate, a man hurried toward her. She groaned. Not Albert Walker, who owned the mercantile. At this rate, she could be here all day.

“Widow Jackson? A moment, please.”

She slowed then turned to face the portly, balding man. “Mister Walker.”

“I’m sorry for your trials, ma’am.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“I know this may seem like an inopportune time to consider marrying again, and I’m not expecting you to make a decision today.”

Her brow pulled down, and his words chilled her core. “Decision?”

“I would be pleased to take you on as wife, and your children as my own. We’re of the same age, I am unencumbered, and could afford to provide comfort and solace in your distress.”

She stifled a giggle. A most inappropriate giggle, at that, she was certain. “Thank you.”

“Then you accept?” He wrung his hands together. “Oh, that is--”

“No!” Heads turned her way, and heat rushed up her neck and cheeks. “I mean, thank you for the offer, but the children and I need time to work through our grief.”

“More than past tomorrow?”

She smiled and patted his arm. “I’ll let you know. But if you find another in the meantime, please, don’t consider yourself beholden to me.”

He studied her for a long moment. Then he sniffed. “You mock me.”

“No, sir, I do not.”

“You do. You have no intention of settling with me.”

She drew herself up to her full height. “You’re right. I was trying to be civil.”

The man pivoted and stalked away, leaving her free to climb into her wagon, where her children waited.

Thomas glanced over his shoulder as Mister Walker mounted his horse and rode off. “What did he want?”

“Nothing.”

She hated lying to her children, but how to explain that she’d turned down a marriage proposal before leaving the cemetery where they’d laid their father to rest?

The wagon wheels crunched over the frozen earth as they rode back to their ranch. As they made the last turn from the main road onto their drive, she turned in her seat.

“Children, we need to talk.”

She waited until they quieted, then smiled at the three somber faces staring up at her. “We are on our own. Papa would want us to smile and laugh and play again.”

Emily’s bottom lip jutted out. “But everything has been so dismal since Papa—since he—”

Sarah piped up. “Since Papa went to be with Jesus.”

Kinsella nodded. “I know it’s been difficult for us. But we must continue.”

Thomas swiveled in his seat. “I heard a couple of men talking at the mercantile. One said he’d buy our ranch if you were to sell it.”

Sarah’s eyes brimmed with unshed tears. “Where would we go, Mama?”

“We’re not going anywhere.”

That seemed to settle their minds and their nerves, and when they reached their house, the children jumped down and headed out to do their chores. Kinsella went inside, stoked the fire in the stove, and pulled meat and bread from the pantry.

They might not have much, but at least they had each other.

~*~

Durbin, Australia

“Get out and stay out.”

Strong hands gripped Kingston Marchmont’s shirt and propelled him out the door and into the alley, where he landed in a lump in the litter.

He grunted and jumped to his feet, fists clenched, but the barkeep had already shut—and locked—the door.

He looked up and down the alley, thankful nobody had seen what just transpired. That was his fourth job in three months. Not a good track record. And it wasn’t his fault. He worked hard. Turned up for his shifts on time. Shaved every other day. Bathed once a week whether he needed to or not.

But life as an ex-convict wasn’t easy. Particularly this transportee to Australia accused of a crime he hadn’t committed. Mayb he should have served his sentence and walked away from the past. Free and clear.

Kingston shook his head. There was no such thing as free and clear for men like him.

As the sun set over the city, he sought a place to sleep. Somewhere safe. Out of the elements.

Shrugging his shoulders down into his thin overcoat, keeping his eyes on the ground—he’d learned early never to attract attention to himself—he eyed his surroundings.

He grunted. So much for remaining invisible.

A lock of hair drooped over his brow. With an impatient if well-practiced twitch of his head, he moved the offending curl aside. A drunk propped in a doorway muttered something unintelligible as he passed. A dream or perhaps even a vision from a wine-induced intoxication.

Thankfully, Kingston had never fallen victim to the lure of alcohol.

One of the few vices he’d avoided in his nearly forty years on this earth.

Because the truth was, although innocent of the crime that resulted in his conviction in a court of law, estrangement from his family and all he knew, transportation to Australia, then languishing for seven and a half years before escaping, would have sent a lesser man over the brink into mind-numbing oblivion.

Just his luck he was convicted in the final year of the transportation to Australia program. Ten years ago. And he’d spent the past two and a half years looking over his shoulder. Expecting a meaty hand halting him in his footsteps.

Or a bullet between his shoulders.

But still he lived free.

Sort of.

A wooden crate the size of a piano loomed in the dusk. That might work for tonight. March heralded the coming of fall in the southern hemisphere, opposite to the clime in England, where spring was making an appearance with warmer temperatures, leaves, and flowers..

Kingston tucked himself into the box, then grabbed at fluttering papers nearby. A couple of newspapers to keep himself warm, and—hey-ho, what was this? A penny magazine. Mystery and Mayhem.

He chuckled. How appropriate. Summed up his life perfectly.

With the light fast dimming, he scanned the pages, then closed the edition and set it beside him, planning to read it in the morning.

As he did, an advertisement caught his eye.

AMERICA. THE LAND OF OPPORTUNITY. NEED A FRESH START?

Did he. And how.

He picked up the magazine, shoved his makeshift paper blankets aside, and scooted out. Standing beneath the nearest streetlamp, he read more.

Men needed in the West. Looking for adventure? Requirements: white, free, able. Passage paid. Apply here.

Well, he fit all of that.

Sounded like an answer to prayer.

Especially the part about needing a fresh start.

Question for readers : Leave a comment to enter a random drawing for an ebook copy of A King for Kinsella by answering the following question. Leave a comment on yesterday’s post and on the day before’s, and that earns you a total of 3 chances to win.

What’s your favorite setting for a historical novel?

About Donna:

A hybrid author, Donna writes squeaky clean historical and contemporary suspense. She has been published more than 60 times in books; is a member of several writers groups; facilitates a critique group; teaches writing classes; ghostwrites; edits; and judges in writing contests. She loves history and research, traveling extensively for both, and is an avid oil painter. She is taking all the information she’s learned along the way about the writing and publishing process, and is coaching committed career writers. Learn more at https://www.donnaschlachter.com/the-purpose-full-writer-coaching-programs Check out her coaching group on FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/604220861766651

www.DonnaSchlachter.com Stay connected so you learn about new releases, preorders, and presales, as well as check out featured authors, book reviews, and a little corner of peace. Plus: Receive 2 free ebooks simply for signing up for our free newsletter!

www.DonnaSchlachter.com/blog

Facebook: www.Facebook.com/DonnaschlachterAuthor

Twitter: www.Twitter.com/DonnaSchlachter

Books: Amazon: http://amzn.to/2ci5Xqq

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/donna-schlachter

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&query=donna+schlachter

The Purpose-Full Writer: https://www.facebook.com/groups/604220861766651

Need a writing coach? https://www.donnaschlachter.com/the-purpose-full-writer-coaching-programs

A Fun Thing about "A King for Kinsella"

Fri, 29 Dec 2023 08:30:00 GMT

Day 2 of my pre-release party for A King for Kinsella. As you can tell, I’m excited about this book. There are a couple of reasons. First, it’s my last book for 2023. Yep, I had another planned, but decided if it happens, fine. If not, I’m fine with that, too. This has been a hectic year—well, actually a hectic four years, beginning with 2020. When the world shut down, I was concerned I’d waste my time, so I prayed and asked the Lord not to let me do that. Starting with a traditionally published book in January 2020, and coming down to the wire with this book, I’ve published 31 books in that 4 years. Wow! Plus, I just pulled a 4-book series of contemporary cozies into a single collector’s edition.

The fun thing about this specific project was that I chose a name for my hero that was open to misunderstanding. With a name like Kingston Marchmont, you can imagine that thinking he is a king isn’t a far stretch of the imagination. And that’s what happens. And while that mistake isn’t corrected until the end of the story, there’s lots going on to keep you amused and engaged.

Be sure to come back tomorrow for an excerpt and another chance to enter the random drawing.

You can preorder the ebook here: https://www.amazon.com/King-Kinsella-Mail-Order-Papa-ebook/dp/B0CDFK6LYV and check out the rest of the series here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5F246HT

Question for readers : Leave a comment to enter a random drawing for an ebook copy of A King for Kinsella by answering the following question. Leave a comment on yesterday’s post and on tomorrow’s, and that earns you a total of 3 chances to win.

What’s your favorite setting for a historical novel?

About Donna:

www.DonnaSchlachter.com/blog

Facebook: www.Facebook.com/DonnaschlachterAuthor

Twitter: www.Twitter.com/DonnaSchlachter

Books: Amazon: http://amzn.to/2ci5Xqq

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/donna-schlachter

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&query=donna+schlachter

The Purpose-Full Writer: https://www.facebook.com/groups/604220861766651

Need a writing coach? https://www.donnaschlachter.com/the-purpose-full-writer-coaching-programs

A King for Kinsella -- releases soon!

Thu, 28 Dec 2023 08:30:00 GMT

I’m excited to announce that my upcoming release, A King for Kinsella , comes out December 30 ^th . This is a fun story that I had plenty of time to write, but that took me far too long to do so. I finally figured out that I do better with shorter due dates. If I know I have 75 days to write, I wait until I have 45, and then I buckle down.

The other problem is that so much fun stuff happened within my writing this book. For example, my birthday, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and coming into Christmas, with all the parties and social events. While I am an introvert at heart, I like to get out for some air once in a while, and if food is included, you can count me in.

In that way, I’m a lot like Kinsella Jackson. A new widow, with four young children, she receives a marriage proposal before she leaves the cemetery, fresh from burying her husband. What’s a gal to do? But then her children take the situation in hand, and they submit an advertisement for a group that’s seeking men to come west. When Kingston Marchmont, prison escapee down on his luck in Australia, sees the notice, he replies, hoping for a fresh start.

For the rest, you’ll need to read the book. Suffice it to say, the story has more twists and turns than a bowl of spaghetti.

You can preorder the ebook here: https://www.amazon.com/King-Kinsella-Mail-Order-Papa-ebook/dp/B0CDFK6LYV and check out the rest of the series here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5F246HT

Question for readers : Leave a comment to enter a random drawing for an ebook copy of A King for Kinsella by answering the following question. Remember to cleverly disguise your email address so the 'bots don't get you but I can reach you if you win. For example: donna AT livebytheword DOT com.

Leave a comment on each of the next 2 days, and that earns you a total of 3 chances to win.

What’s your favorite setting for a historical novel?

About Donna:

www.DonnaSchlachter.com/blog

Facebook: www.Facebook.com/DonnaschlachterAuthor

Twitter: www.Twitter.com/DonnaSchlachter

Books: Amazon: http://amzn.to/2ci5Xqq

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/donna-schlachter

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&query=donna+schlachter

The Purpose-Full Writer: https://www.facebook.com/groups/604220861766651

Need a writing coach? https://www.donnaschlachter.com/the-purpose-full-writer-coaching-programs

Book Highlight: Living Stress Free Bible Study -- with Giveaway

Wed, 27 Dec 2023 08:30:00 GMT

Today author Tracy Wainwright shares about living a stress-free life. Leave a comment to enter a random drawing for a copy of her Bible Study.

Did the holidays stress you out? I hope not, but we all know stress comes in life, even with good events. That’s what led me to write the Living Stress Free Bible Study. Being nonfiction, this book had a very different writing process than does writing my fiction books. While I research small items here and there, writing a Bible study took hours and hours of pouring over the Bible and praying over the content. The outline began as a speech I gave at a women’s conference. I took those basic ideas and principles and expounded on them, adding in discussion questions and blanks to fill in to help readers interact with the text and take it to heart.

Some people may look at this 4-week Bible study and think it can’t have much to it, but I promise you it does! Plus, the study doesn’t have to be limited to four weeks. Since there’s multiple days of homework, the study could be completed at a slower pace, especially if someone wanted to meet with others to discuss the lessons. Either way, the timing is nothing to stress about! And that’s the point, after all.

Leave a comment to enter a random drawing for a Free print book (U.S. only) about how you deal with stress during the holidays. Cleverly disguise your email address so we can reach you but the 'bots can't. For example, donna AT livebytheword DOT com

A Peek inside...

Week 1

Evaluating & Surrendering

Section 1

Stress is a part of life. Have you noticed that? Everyone seems stressed these days. In a world where we have access to just about any information we want and have conveniences and helps to do our work in life more than any other time in history, we are more stressed than ever.

I haven’t taken any polls or researched the statistics to come to these conclusions, but simply observed life. Both my life and the lives of others.

A brief online search on “how to eliminate stress” brings up over 8,000,000 results. Yes, that’s 8 million! Obviously people are looking for ways to eliminate stress.

Under the results are topics like “How to Reduce Stress,” “Stress Management,” “Ways to Relieve Stress,” and “Natural Ways to Fight Stress.” I’m sure all of these websites have some great tips, tricks, and tools, but I didn’t go read them all. First, I didn’t want to stress myself out with an overload of information. Second, I really want this book to have something new. This is to be completely and totally biblically grounded and led by the Spirit.

By the way, a brief search on Amazon also shows the great hunger people have for dealing with stress. A search in books for “stress” provided over 58,000 results, with almost 5,000 in Religion and Spirituality.

There are a lot of resources out there! So why should you pick this one?

Because it doesn’t just offer pat answers or strategies. It offers insight to biblical wisdom that will radically change your life.

While we can do lots of things in this world to eliminate, alleviate, and handle stress better, God and His Word always offer wisdom that goes beyond what we can come up with or implement ourselves. It also lends to having external and eternal impacts, instead of just an internal impact most resources offer.

The goal is not to just offer you a way to live stress-free, but how to live in abundant peace – the complete opposite of living stressed.

Learn more or purchase:

https://www.amazon.com/Living-Stress-Free-Abundant-Bible-Study-ebook/dp/B07Z9NL95Q

Book Highlight: Her Whole Self -- with Giveaway

Mon, 25 Dec 2023 10:13:01 GMT

Join me today as Tracy Wainwright shares about a recent release, and offers one random winner a print copy (US only, please). Read through for details on how to enter.

This book has the most unique story of writing of all my books. I was a fairly new writer looking for writing opportunities anywhere I could find them. I dabbled in magazine writing (I had four articles accepted in a two year period), wrote for free for a local newspaper, and worked on my early books. Then a friend started a local women’s magazine and asked me to do a columnist. I wrote some nonfiction pieces, highlighting women and their stories in our community. Then she asked if I would consider writing a fiction column, including a segment each month. I didn’t hesitate. Over the period of almost two years, I wrote a monthly column building the story of Jen, how her life collapsed and how she slowly pieced it back together. Upon the upcoming second anniversary of the magazine, the editor asked if I’d transform the story into a book for the celebration, and, wallah! A book was born.

Leave a comment to enter to win a print copy (US only) of this book: What’s a unique experience you’ve had with writing or your job?

Cleverly disguise your email address so we can reach you but the 'bots can't. For example: donna AT livebytheword DOT com

Learn more or purchase here:

https://www.amazon.com/Her-Whole-Self-Renew-Book-ebook/dp/B00IMG1UU8

From Brokenness to Healing: A Personal Testimony of Transformation

Sun, 17 Dec 2023 08:30:00 GMT

Join me today as Tammy Adams shares her personal story in a most transparent way.

It all started with four words, "I don't trust you." That's when I began my journey with Celebrate Recovery. The first night was humbling. I was desperate to understand why I found myself repeatedly in circumstances I didn't want to be in. I learned there was a name for my entrenched habits, Co-dependency.

Nine months later, I’ve unraveled a poignant truth from my past—I was hanging on to the habits of a little girl seeking comfort during chaos, trying to make sense of a childhood filled with unanswered questions and painful memories. Born to parents entrenched in their own turmoil, my early years were marked by chaos, separation, and trauma. Each transition was a chapter of suffering, from a tumultuous early childhood to cruel environments.

I had so many holes in my childhood and photos that I had no idea where they were taken, who I was living with, what had happened to me while I was there. My mom had blocked out memory of this portion of our lives. My Uncle and my aunts didn’t remember much and what they did remember didn’t fill in the gaps. The other persons that would know for sure the who, what, when, where were dead. Trying to figure out my past was like unraveling an elaborate knitted blanket or trying to do a puzzle with too many pieces missing.

Amidst the chaos, there were moments of kindness and love, but my road has been paved with hardships, and loss. It’s been a turbulent journey, from family upheavals to finding refuge amid despair. My story is one of survival—a journey marked by resilience and faith.

Since starting my Celebrate Recovery step study with a group of 9 other women and together digging into the deepest parts of our hurts and habits, I finally grasped that I’ve had almost no control of anything through my life and when I am triggered (i.e., I feel unsafe or I feel that others are making decisions about me - without me), I’ve grabbed hold of anything that I could control. Then made decisions (healthy and unhealthy) that seemed to create stability for the moment.

You may have a similar story to mine in that you grew damaged roots through traumatic events. You may not have experienced anything like me, but habits were forged through different circumstances. I hope that my story encourages you to know that God is the best surgeon ever. He’s carefully performed surgery on me over the last nine months and seared the roots that were deep and dangerous. There may be more, I know He will find them and take care of those too. I sincerely pray that today you will go to the Great Physician and allow Him to perform life-giving surgery on you too. The healing is worth the pain.

“Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” James 5:16

About Tammy:

Tammy Adams is a writer, remote Executive Assistant, and grateful believer in Jesus. She is in the process of publishing her first book with a series in her heart to follow. Tammy lives in Owasso, Oklahoma with her son and adorable Rottweiler. She serves at her local church in the children’s ministry as well as the local chapter of Celebrate Recovery cooking the Tuesday night meals. Her hobbies include writing, visiting interesting places in her native state, and genealogy research where she is working to put the pieces of her family lineage together for generations to come.

Connecting Online:

Blog: https://tammysadams.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tammysue1967

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tammyadams.one/

The Cow Spoke and Jesus Woke

Tue, 12 Dec 2023 08:30:00 GMT

Help me welcome author Faith Richardson as she shares about her latest Christmas story.

It’s a funny thing, when I was young, writing came in the form of journaling and poetry. I could rhyme just about anything. As I grew, my ability to write other things blossomed. It was an escape from reality into whatever world I created.

I put my writing aside for decades as I raised my family. I pulled it out from time to time for special occasions, like poetry on a birthday card or writing company handbooks and procedure manuals.

When I retired in 2020, I pulled out all my old writings. I had forgotten about most of them. So, rereading them brought a swell of pride and excitement back into my life that I thought I’d lost forever.

I started writing again. Now, I feel like a water spigot broken off at the wall. The writing is pouring out of me, and I love it. This is where I am meant to be.

I joined the Wolf Creek Christian Writers Network (WCCWN) in 2022. They are a group of Christian writers from all walks of life who bring a plethora of writing experiences to the group. It is a pleasure being surrounded by like-minded individuals who share the same passion and talents as me. I glean everything I can from them.

Betty Slade, a member of the WCCWN, speaks wisdom into the group with a weekly challenge. Her words speak straight into my soul. She declared that each of us has the Living Word in us. If He gives us a word and we don’t share it, then we are being stingy with God’s word. So, I make it a point to write down every message received from God, and either speak it, post it, or publish it in whatever way is possible. I don’t always know who the word is for, but I make sure it’s out there for all to read or hear.

On December 12, 2022, I was with the Centerpoint Church worship team for which I am the ASL interpreter. We were rehearsing for Sunday’s worship when the song, “Away in a Manger” came up on the screen. I was unfamiliar with the word “lowing” when it came to cattle, so I asked the team the meaning of the word. I thought it meant that the cattle were lying down around the manger. When they informed me that it meant the cattle were making soft noises, I declared, “Wait. So, you’re saying the cow spoke and Jesus woke?” We all laughed at my rhyme, but I knew it would make a great story. The Cow Spoke and Jesus Woke had a first draft that afternoon.

With encouragement from Betty and other members of the WCCWN, the book is published.

God’s Word is never returned void. We don’t always get to know who the word is for, but if we are faithful to be obedient in His calling, He is faithful to see us through the task to which He called us.

Link to Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Cow-Spoke-Jesus-Woke/dp/B0CL3NJJX3

About Faith

Faith E. Richardson was born in Traverse City, Michigan. She lived there for nine short years before moving with her mom to Fort Worth, Texas where she would remain for another eighteen years. After meeting Trent, the love of her life, they married and moved to Colorado where they raised their two children. Currently retired from decades of human resource work, Faith renewed her passion for writing. Her life experiences and dramatic flair for storytelling draw the reader in with thought-provoking material on the wonder and truth of spiritual encounters. It's her desire to get her readers as excited about the Holy Spirit as she is. Website: https://faitherichardson.com/

Author Spotlight Questions: Transformed Series

Sun, 10 Dec 2023 08:30:00 GMT

Tracy Wainwright joins us today as she shares about her three Transformed books.

Getting to know Tracy:

What 2 fun or unique things can you tell us about yourself? I’m boring, lazy, and unimaginative. Just kidding! While I can be those things, those are on my down days. One interesting fact is I started college as an interior design major and planned to do my four years and get out. God had a much different plan than mine! I switched my major during my second and a half year and ended up going to four colleges, getting three degrees (A.S. in Business Administration, B.A. in Psychology, and M.Ed. in School Counseling).

Another interesting thing is that my family is blessed to live on a river, so instead of vacationing in the summers, we stay home and enjoy as many weekends as possible on our old pontoon boat (fondly named “da barge”) or ski boat (which isn’t quite as old as the barge, but much older than any of our children).

What can readers expect from you next? I am excited to have just finished writing the last book in a 9-book series owed to my publisher, Pelican Book Group. This contemporary women’s fiction has been a long time in the works. The first book was the first novel I wrote. I wrote it in 2007 and it had to go through lots of revisions before and after getting a contract on it. I’ve loved watching my character and her friends grow through the process and the books and cannot wait to see them in print, beginning in 2024!

What can readers who enjoy your book do to help make it successful? The two most helpful things readers can do is post reviews online and promote the book via word of mouth (tell all your friends!) These go a long way to help algorithms online and to help increase book sales. Also, remember books make great gifts! For teachers, children, grandchildren, friends, parents, etc.

Learn more about the books here:

https://www.amazon.com/Transformed/dp/B0753GG4M5

A Peek inside...

Chapter 1
Are our thoughts that important?

Our minds are fascinating. People have been studying the brain, our thoughts, consciousness, and decision-making for centuries. Scientists, psychologists, and psychiatrists have made careers studying the mind in depth. Yet, it seems like we don’t know a whole lot more about how the mind works now than we did when modern science was in its infancy several decades ago.

We know a lot more about the brain – what areas are related to what types of thoughts and behaviors – but the mind, how we think, believe, and decide, remain largely mysteries.

To us, that is. But not to the Sovereign Creator of our intricate, complex, marvelous bodies. He not only understands us completely, He has revealed much about the mind to us in His Word.

Because of this, we can pause and examine not only different aspects of our minds and how they work, but we can also discover the keys to transforming our minds.

I’m assuming since you’re reading this book you have at least a remote interest in changing your life through changing your thoughts. This desire is major. So many people live in complete ignorance of how their thoughts affect their lives and/or don’t believe thoughts are important or that they can be changed. There isn’t an intentionality about life or paying attention to what goes into or goes on in the mind.

That’s how I was. Never thinking about my thinking. I was that kid who just kind of bounced through life – both physically and emotionally. I never stopped to check things out, evaluate them, or plan them out. I just lived, reacting in the moment to what came in the moment. I had no idea that my thoughts mattered or that I didn’t have to just take them as they came. It was much later in life I learned the truths about our minds and began to think intentionally.

Turtle Doves and the Christmas Season

Sat, 09 Dec 2023 08:30:00 GMT

Help me welcome author Betty J. Slade as she shares another of her paintings, and her book.

Taming Wild Hearts , Book One of the Disappointment Valley Series is a perfect way to spend your holidays. Tucked away, a fire in the fireplace, delightful aromas wafting from soup on the stove, preparing for family to come home for the holidays.

What a Winner! A Fun Compelling Story & Romance for all Ages

What a Winner! I thoroughly enjoyed this book!! The Mystery is intriguing; the Romance tender, fun, and tantalizing; the story of this special, endangered breed of horses not only enlightens, but is heartrending and brings a sense of urgency to their fate .
Slade's characters really came to life for me and made me cheering and crying for them; her setting on a Western ranch in the Colorado mountains was fresh and compelling, and for me, nostalgic for a simpler life free from the outside pressures that keep trying to destroy a way of life that is unique, special, and beautiful; the writing is so good and professional that it sucks you into the story as if these are real people you care deeply about and fear for, as they confront generational secrets and external dangers that threaten their family and its way of life.
I highly recommend this excellent story for readers of all ages, from young adult through old-timers like me, and am eager to read Slade's promised two sequels and reconnect with the lives of these new friends. ~~ C. Neal Johnson

Turtle Doves are seasonal birds. Perfect for this time of the year when Angels are singing, “Holy, Holy, Holy,” and we are bid to join the heavenly choir and enter into their song. The Lord says in Jeremiah the turtle dove knows their season but my people do not know theirs.

The beloved calls to the Shulamite, "Arise, come away with me... The turtle dove is heard in the land, the winter has gone." Yes, the Christ child has been born and resurrection life has come to earth.

Like the white dove, the Holy Spirit is alive, spontaneous, and moves through our lives all year long. He comes to us with spirit kisses from heaven. The Word of God is the kiss from the mouth of our beloved breathing upon us the revelation of His Love through the Spirit.

Many of us are like the little Shulamite, we hear Him call, but we are too busy tending our vineyard, too worried about the little foxes who will destroy our vines.

He wants us to let go of our vineyard and allow Him to take us into His vineyard. One is earthly, the other spiritual. One has temporal, the other eternal value. One is by faith, the other by sight.

The Holy Spirit, during this season, is nudging us to leave the business and traditions that so easily hold us down and be carried into union with Christ and join the heavenly choir and sing, “Holy, Holy, Holy.”

You can find me online at https://www.bettyjslade.com/

How to Find Joy in Developing Your Writing Craft

Fri, 08 Dec 2023 08:30:00 GMT

Help me welcome author Donna Wichelman as she shares about finding joy--an appropriate topic this time of year. Read down for the link to download a free copy of her short story, "The Christmas Gift", which she's generously provided.

On December 2 ^nd , I had the privilege to speak before nearly ninety ladies at our church’s annual Christmas Tea. I based the topic on a short story called The Christmas Gift I wrote in 2004 and was published in the Standard Publishing Sunday School take-home pages for adults in December 2005. It was an incredible experience and a delightful time.

The opportunity to use The Christmas Gift to develop a message for the Christmas Tea was an exciting prospect on several levels. First, The Christmas Gift is a heartwarming short story of a father’s sacrificial love for his children at Christmas that affects his daughter for the rest of her life. The story is meant as an allegory, depicting God’s gift of love through his Son, Jesus, whose birth we celebrate every year. The short story provided an outline for developing a message without needing to start from scratch.

In addition, retelling The Christmas Gift meant I could recycle an already previously published short story that has value for every generation.

Moreover, I could use the story as a giveaway to my audience, and indeed, many people in the audience took a copy and have continued to ask me for copies even days later. At least one lady wants to give a copy to a family member who she believes would benefit from reading it. So, I’m not only able to attract a new audience with a message of hope, but they are passing it along—gifting it to others.

A by-product for me is that I’m now also establishing a reputation as a speaker as well as a writer. Having spoken at the Christmas Tea, I’m growing in confidence as a person that people believe has something to give them. And I’ve found that I love helping those who need strength and encouragement.

Finally, the marketing value for future writing projects and speaking engagements has increased. I’m able to demonstrate a proven track record for writing and speaking, which I can continue to build upon. With speaking now under my belt, I have another set of skills in my tool bag to market myself and my writing.

Wherever you are on the spectrum of novice to expert writer, I encourage you to think outside the box about how you can develop your skills in ways you never thought possible to inject new life and energy into your craft. Whether it’s speaking, podcasting, blogging, or another avenue, you just might be surprised how it moves you forward in your writing career and takes you into territory you love but never thought about before.

Donna’s short stories and articles have appeared in various inspirational publications, and she has two indie-published books, Light Out of Darkness and Undaunted Valor , available on Amazon.com. Weaving history and faith into stories of intrigue and redemption grew out of her love of history and literature as a young adult. Her stories reflect the hunger in all of us for love, forgiveness, and belonging.

To download your Kindle copy of The Christmas Gift click here.

About Donna:

My husband and I have traveled extensively. We enjoy biking, hiking and kayaking, and have done all three in the United States and Europe. We also love spending time with our two grandchildren, Rozalyn 5, and Maven almost 3. I also enjoy cooking, and my favorite food is Italian.

Connect online:

Website: www.donnawichelman.com

Blogs: www.hhhistory.com and www.donnawichelman.com/blog

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DonnaWichelmanAuthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DonnaWichelman

To get updates on Donna Wichelman’s books and writing projects as well as recommendations on authors and historical and slip-time novels, sign up for her newsletter at www.donnawichelman.com

The Story Behind "Pieces of Dark, Pieces of Light

Wed, 06 Dec 2023 08:30:00 GMT

Help me welcome author Linda Rooks as she shares about the story behind her latest release.

When I tell people about my new suspense thriller, Pieces of Dark, Pieces of Light, a story in which weapons of mass destruction are found in the country of Tajikistan and an American diplomat is sent there on a mission to save the world from terrorists, I’m often asked if Tajikistan is a real country.

People know about Afghanistan, and may have heard about Uzbekistan, but the tiny country of Tajikistan is off most people’s radar. So why is a major part of Pieces of Dark, Pieces of Light set in the little- known country of Tajikistan?

Choosing the best setting for a novel can make a big difference in how effective the story is in achieving the objectives an author intends. In the case of Pieces of Dark, Pieces of Light, I wanted to take readers on an exciting adventure where they would experience intrigue, action, romance, the power of family connection, and a deepening discovery of the mystery of God’s unfathomable ways.

Surrounded by the middle-eastern countries of Afghanistan and Uzbekistan on two sides and China and Russia to the east and north, Tajikistan became the perfect setting for a story about a startling discovery of weapons of mass destruction at a future time when WMD seemed to be extinct. It was also a region where terrorist threats from an unknown source would not be surprising.

Intriguing events from history could realistically be woven into the plot as well to deepen the mystery and add to the intrigue.

An important part of the story involves the protagonist’s family connections in both the US and the country where the weapons are found. Since Tajikistan is a small country with a moderate ruling Islamic government, I was able to create family connections with my protagonist based on some of the country’s actual history. Plus, the mountainous geography in the northern part of the country created a great setting for some exciting action and suspense.

Although I never traveled to Tajikistan, my research was extensive, prompting me to probe into the customs, government, politics, religion, geography, architecture, language and even the food so this unfamiliar country could come alive for my readers.

But while Tajikistan is the dramatic location involving WMD and terrorists, over two thirds of Pieces of Dark, Pieces of Light takes place in Washington DC, the US seat of power where decisions made by the president catapult the characters into the developing crisis. It’s in DC also, where the protagonist, diplomat Janssen LaMarche, encounters an unexpected personal crisis, which causes him to go back in time where unknown dangers await him.

As Pieces of Dark, Pieces of Light unfolds and new twists and turns take the story in unexpected directions, the suspense within the two countries become intertwined, not only through an international, political crisis, but also through the gradual revelation of long forgotten family secrets across two continents.

The little-known country of Tajikistan became the perfect counterpart to DC to bring together the multi-dimensional suspense drama I wanted to tell.

About Linda:

In her debut suspense thriller, award winning author, Linda W. Rooks dives into a futuristic world of international politics and time travel where adventure and mystery reign, but hope remains king. Her newest book, Pieces of Dark, Pieces of Light, is a 2022 ACFW Carol Award Semi-Finalist and an AWSA Golden Scroll Award Finalist. She is best known for her books on marriage and has appeared on numerous TV, radio, and podcast interviews. Over 100 of Linda’s writings have appeared in publications, including Chicken Soup for the Soul, Focus on the Family, HomeLife, and Today’s Christian Woman.

Connecting Online:

Website and blog: http://lindarooks.com

Buy book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Pieces-Dark-Light-Linda-Rooks/dp/1649496710/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr =

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085244097772

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/lindarooks1064/pieces-of-dark-pieces-of-light-suspense-thriller/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/linda_rooks

Shining the Light on Dark Topics and Author Spotlight

Sat, 02 Dec 2023 08:30:00 GMT

Join me today as I welcome author and blogger Anna Daugherty, as she shares her latest release and her reason for delving into dark topics.

“What do you write?” It’s the first question people ask when they hear I’m an author. This time, in particular, the question came from a fellow author I had met through my publisher. When I told him I write Christian women’s fiction, he immediately brushed me off, saying it was a far cry from his work. After he described his novel dealing with domestic violence, imagine his surprise when I told him our stories were actually quite similar. The main difference? Mine offers the grace and hope found in Christ.

There are plenty of secular novels that deal with difficult topics, but often through a lens of hopelessness and despair. Meanwhile, many Christian authors either avoid those subjects altogether, or they resolve them too quickly with a nice prayer and a bow on top.

Anyone who has read the Bible will know that it never shies away from dark topics. It’s got it all: murder, incest, assault, drunkenness, and more. Real people struggle with real temptations, they make sinful choices and suffer the consequences. Over it all though, we see the ultimate hope found in Christ’s redeeming grace.

When we avoid these challenging issues, we run the risk of alienating believers whose lived experience looks nothing like the stories they read. Worse, some believers may doubt their own testimonies when they aren’t as linear and streamlined as the stories they hear.

As Christian authors, we have the opportunity to answer the hardest questions Christians ask. Is God still good in the face of my trauma? Is His grace enough to cover a sinful choice I made even after being saved? How do I pass on His grace to the most difficult people in my life?

In any genre, Christians must strive to maintain a Biblical worldview in their writing, whether in a contemporary tale or a fantasy world. We get to tell stories that reveal core truths, like Jesus did through the parables. It’s a wonderful, and often challenging, mandate. One we must handle with care, as we strive to maintain a clean writing style, never glorifying sin, and never forsaking the gospel message.

Our only hope in handling it well is found in the Bible. As Christian authors, we must stay in the word, seeking out the Author of all life. Only when we are deeply rooted in his truth and his word can we go forth and write well.

So what’s your story, dear writer? What struggles have you faced, what stories have friends and family told you? Perhaps you can find a way to honor those difficult struggles in your next story. Don’t be afraid of the dark, you have the source of light on your side.

G etting to know Anna:

What can your readers expect from you next?

The next book in the Grace Church series will be released on August 29, 2024! Reaching for Grace is a powerful story of toxic family ties, a storm that shatters biases, and a faith capable of creating a new legacy.

What can readers who enjoy your book do to help make it successful?

Read, review, and share! Request it at your library or order it online, leave a review on Amazon or GoodReads, and then pass it along. If you really loved it, consider hosting a book club to spread the word even more. And feel free to reach out to authors you love, those encouraging words mean so much in this industry.

How did you get started writing?

With a family newsletter to my aunts when I was eight years old (yes, really)! I have loved writing from an early age. I graduated from the University of Texas with a journalism degree and worked as a freelance journalist for several years. I never imagined I could write a full length novel, but it was Covid crazies that had me penning my first work of fiction (a terrible one, forever under the bed). Once I realized I could do it, a new career path opened up and I’ve been in love with it ever since.

About Anna:

Anna Daugherty is a Texas-based author and editor, with a journalism degree from the University of Texas at Austin. She is the author of two Christian novels, the award-winning Outside of Grace and the upcoming sequel, Reaching for Grace. With unflinching honesty, Anna brings the light of the gospel to the darkest issues facing believers today. She has also published articles and short stories in local and international publications. For monthly updates, subscribe to her blog at annadwrites.com .

Connecting Online:

Facebook.com/annadwrites

Instagram.com/annadwrites

Website: annadwrites.com

Book Spotlight --War's Unexpected Gift

Fri, 01 Dec 2023 08:30:00 GMT

Join me today as I welcome author and guest blogger Linda Shenton Matchett.

War’s Unexpected Gift: An Excerpt

One of the goals of my books is to shine the light on ordinary women who did extraordinary things in days gone by, so when I was accepted as part of A Merry Heart anthology, I wanted to honor the nurses of the Army and Navy Medical Corps who served around the world. Gwen Milford is a secondary character in A Doctor in the House, and she deserved her own story. Transferred from a requisitioned manor-house-turned-convalescent-hospital to the embattled sands of Normandy, then Belgium, Gwen’s life took a decidedly different turn:

“Join the Army Medical Corps,” they said. “See the world,” they said. Gwen Milford shivered as cold rain slithered down the back of her neck. Her boots made sucking noises as her feet squished and slid across the muddy terrain. The box in her arms seemed to get heavier with each step as she trudged to the waiting line of trucks. “Hardly the glamour I anticipated.” She shook her head and hefted the carton into the canvas-covered bed of the vehicle. She’d given up trying to keep moisture off her spectacles.

Dozens of olive-drab-clad men and women worked like ants at a Tennessee summer picnic to sort, pack, and load the countless pieces of equipment and supplies. At least for the moment, shells weren’t falling. She’d gotten used to running the wards at Heron Hall outside of London with only the periodic doodlebug to interrupt their days. Bored, she’d raised her hand when word came through that nurses were needed for the Allies’ push into France.

Normandy. The name would be remembered for generations to come even by those who hadn’t experienced the carnage. Almost two hundred thousand men had stormed the beaches, and more than ten thousand had given their lives. She and her fellow nurses had arrived on D-plus-four. The mud had been endless there, too.

“Stop. You’re getting maudlin.” Gwen scraped her wet curls away from her eyes and tramped toward the building to grab another box. A stiff breeze tugged at her garrison cap, and she tugged it lower on her head. She ducked inside, then wiped her boots on the blanket someone had thrown on the floor at the entrance. The rumble of men’s voices mingled with the higher tones of her fellow nurses. The shrill notes of someone whistling “Yankee Doodle Dandy” floated toward her. She smiled and hummed along as she headed down the corridor. The music got louder, and she stopped in the doorway.

Back in the hall, Private Culwell, a barely-out-of-high-school soldier, swished the mop back and forth on the floor, the sharp trills bouncing off the walls of the empty room. Gwen broke into song, and he whirled, a wide grin on his face. He leaned close to the wooden handle acting as if it were a microphone, and his slightly off-key tenor joined her alto voice. They finished the song, and applause sounded from deep within the building. Someone shouted, “Well done, Culwell.”

She grinned as they bowed toward each other. “Your reputation precedes you.”

“That and a nickel will buy me a cup of coffee.” He shrugged. “Need something, Lieutenant?”

“Nope. Came inside on my umpteenth trip from loading the trucks, and couldn’t resist your happy tune. A real pick-me-up, especially with all the rain. Is it ever going to cease?”

“Maybe not. One of the guys told me this area gets a lot of precipitation in the fall. Could be worse. Where we’re headed is near the mountains. Bet we’ll see snow before long.”

“Are you always this optimistic, Private?”

“Yes, ma’am. No sense in moping around. I’m not getting shot at or bombed, and I’m warm and inside. And the Good Lord is in control. Doesn’t get much better.”

“Thanks for the reminder.” She pointed to the pristine floor. “And for the great job you’re doing.” She could take a few lessons from the man’s simple faith. He always wore a smile, and his face glowed as if lit from within. “Well, best get back to it.”

About Linda:

Linda Shenton Matchett writes happily-ever-after historical Christian fiction about second chances and women who overcome life’s challenges to be better versions of themselves. Whether you choose my books set in the Old West or across the globe during WWII, you will be immersed in the past through rich detail. Follow the journeys of relatable characters whose faith is sorely tested, yet in the end, emerge triumphant. Be encouraged in your own faith-walk through stories of history and hope. A native of Baltimore, Maryland, Linda was born a stone’s throw from Fort McHenry (of Star-Spangled Banner fame) and has lived in historical places all her life. She now lives in central New Hampshire where she is a volunteer docent and archivist at the Wright Museum of WWII.

Connect Online :

Website/Blog/Newsletter Signup: http://www.LindaShentonMatchett.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/lindashentonmatchettsreadersgroup

Moments in History: http://www.youtube.com/@lindamatchett

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/linda-shenton-matchett

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author_linda_matchett

Loosing the Chains

Thu, 30 Nov 2023 08:30:00 GMT

Join me today as I welcome author and blogger Diana Leagh Matthews as she shares about the chains that bind us.

Aloof. Detached. Distant.

My friend fit all of these adjectives. During the time we knew one another he told me who he was. How he had hurt and betrayed others. I never thought it would happen to me. Until it did.

Longing to find a way to heal my broken heart, I turned to writing, which has allowed me to cure more than one betrayal.

My mind churned. As I considered the individual who hurt me a story developed. A few chapters in, I recognized the similarity to Ebenezer Scrooge, the well-known miser in “A Christmas Carol.”

In that moment the heart of the story for “Carol of the Rooms” took root and I understood who Terri Neely was, why she was so angry, and how her story would progress.

While writing, I realized how much I could be like Terri and Scrooge at times. Allowing myself to shut down after abusive relationships and deception. I didn’t want to remain withdrawn and untrusting, but change didn’t happen overnight.

The process has taken years to release the pain and anger that weighed me down. It’s not been easy but through prayer, journaling, Bible study, and talking with trusted friends I’ve begun to heal and release the invisible chains I carried.

Just as Scrooge, I’ve had the opportunity to change my heart and my ways before it’s too late.

Scripture tells us, "Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you." (Ephesians 4:31-32, ESV)

Are there areas of your heart that need healing?

Click here to purchase the “Carol of the Rooms.”

To celebrate my new release, I’m hosting a Christmas extravaganza with special guests, giveaways, and a ton of fun. Please join me at https://www.facebook.com/groups/994850748295488

About Diana:

Diana Leagh Matthews shares God’s love through her story from rebel to redeemed. Her day job is as a volunteer coordinator, but at night she writes and hunts genealogy. She gives programs as a speaker, teacher, vocalists, and presents historical monologues. Leagh (pronounced Lee) is the author of Carol of the Rooms, History Made Real, 90 Breath Prayers for the Caregiver, and others in the Breath Prayers series. She also writes the history behind hymns at DianaLeaghMatthews.com . While there you can sign up for her monthly newsletter where she shares all her news first.

Connect with Me

www.DianaLeaghMatthews.com

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DiLeaghMatthews

Twitter/X https://twitter.com/dileaghmatthews

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dianaleaghmatthews/

Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/dileaghmatthews/

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/diana-leagh-matthews-19187544/

Getting to Know Diana:

What can readers who enjoy your book do to help make it successful?

Oh, there are several things you can do. First tell others about the book and leave a review.

You can also visit my website DianaLeaghMatthews.com, where you can subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on social media. My newsletter subscribers are always the first to receive the latest updates and news.

Also, I’m celebrating Christmas this year with guest authors, giveaways, and a ton of fun and would love to have you join me at https://www.facebook.com/groups/994850748295488

How did you get started writing?

My journey is long and winding. After an argument with a family member, I calmed down a story formed in my mind. I wrote the summary and within a year, had a completed manuscript. Then life and an abusive relationship derailed my journey for years. As I healed, I began writing again and learning about the craft and industry.

What can your readers expect from you next?

My novel “Forever Changed” will release in the spring of 2024. Danielle Davis ran from home to pursue her dreams years ago following a tragedy. Another tragedy pulls her back, leaving her guardian to her sister’s seven children and two elderly family members. Can she find a way to open her heart to those who need her most? Will she be able to find a balance between her passion and family?

Apple vs. Asparagus and Counting from Creation -- with Giveaway

Tue, 28 Nov 2023 08:30:00 GMT

Tracy Wainwright joins us today with two of her children's books. She has graciously offered a winner the choice of either book in a random drawing, so read on through to learn how you can win.

Writing children’s books is very different from writing novels. First of all, for me, novels usually mean trying to get to a certain word count. I’ve always had the challenge of meeting the minimum word count, being pretty good at condensing ideas but not so much expanding on them. This helped while I worked on my children’s books – Apple vs. Asparagus and Counting from Creation .

Given these are picture books, they had to follow pretty strict guidelines of page count (24 or 36 – not 24 to 36) and the number of words on each page. While the word count isn’t as strict as the page count, it needs to fall between 500 and 1000 words. Have you ever tried to tell a story in less than 1000 words? It’s a challenge even for a minimalist like me.

For Counting from Creation , the challenge wasn’t as great, as I used poems for each page set. Apple vs. Asparagus , however, tells the story of a vegetable who wants to play with a fruit, a fruit who’s a snob, and a collection of friends who come along and take sides? Can Apple, Asparagus, and their friends learn to get along in 1100 (yes, I went a bit over!) words? Get it and find out.

https://www.amazon.com/Apple-vs-Asparagus-Tracy-Wainwright-ebook/dp/B00IU95MFQ

https://www.amazon.com/Counting-Creation-Tracy-Wainwright-ebook/dp/B00IV0LZOG

Leave a comment to enter to win winner's choice of book in a random drawing. Don't forget to cleverly disguise your email address so we can reach you but the 'bots can't. For example, donna AT livebytheword DOT com

A Peek inside...

Asparagus said to Apple, “Will you be my friend?”

“No, thanks. I’m playing with Apricot and Avocado. They’re like me. We’re fruits, and you’re not. People like us. We’re good and sweet. You’re icky and blah.” Apple turned to his friends. “Come on, let’s go play.”

Apple, Apricot, and Avocado sped off, skipping and laughing.
Asparagus hung his head. He was sad. What was wrong with being a vegetable? It couldn’t be so bad.

Acquainted With Grief -- with Giveaway

Sat, 25 Nov 2023 08:30:00 GMT

Help me welcome author and guest blogger Linda Wood Rondeau as she shares about dealing with grief at any time of the year, but particularly during the holidays.

Every Christmas Helen tries to hide at home and wish the season away for the painful past still pierces the heart each time the mistletoe is hung. Her friends make Herculean efforts to draw her out of this seasonal agoraphobia. She acquiesces out of loyalty, but secretly aches for the occasion to end.

Helen’s fiancé was killed during the Christmas holiday just days before their wedding. Christmas, to her, only serves to remind her of the happiness so cruelly yanked away. Helen gives much to her community and is one who would never be characterized as embittered. Yet every year at Christmas, the unwanted memories are revisited.

There are many like Helen, shunning the season, fearful they will be inflicted with recollection. Though we try to be compassionate, few truly understand the depth of sorrow the season emotes for those who grieve.

Our Savior was the first to be acquainted with grief.

He was despised and rejected by mankind,
a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.

Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
stricken by him, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.

(Isaiah 53:3-5 NIV)

I believe God knew that first Christmas what the future held for His only son. Angels trumpeted the long awaited arrival of the Messiah, and shepherds knelt before a holy infant as a virgin mother cradled her first-born. While the world rejoiced, perhaps the Father mourned. For this birth would culminate in sacrifice.

When the Father viewed the rustic cradle, did He see the Cross? When Mary wrapped Jesus in the swaddling clothes, did God see the crown of thorns? When shepherds worshipped, did He see His one and only Son ridiculed, scorned, stripped of dignity, beaten and scourged? When Mary twirled the babe’s fingers within her own, did the Father see the nails that would pierce them?

That first Christmas night, only the Father knew the events to someday unfold. The world celebrated the promise of salvation not knowing the price yet to be paid, but planned from the beginning of time. Only God knew of Heaven’s future loss. And I wonder if His grief is renewed each yuletide as men continue to scorn the gift He gave.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 NIV

Check out the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Lessons-Along-Linda-Wood-Rondeau/dp/1649498403

The print edition is currently on sale for the Christmas season from now until Dec 29. Makes a great Christmas gift for the devotional reader on your list.

*tree image: Photo by Cameron Stewart on Unsplash

*manger image : Photo by Greyson Joralemon on Unsplash

Where I found the story idea for "Last Wish"

Tue, 21 Nov 2023 08:30:00 GMT

Today I welcome back author Barbara Fox as she shares where she got the idea for her latest book.

Last Wish is the story of a woman (June) who loves animals and has developed a bakery for dogs and their humans. She and the hero, (Michael) were in love throughout high school and college, but a choice June made drove them apart. The story opens after Attorney Michael has given up a prime position in Washington, DC and returned to Kansas City to care for his grandmother. He reads his grandfather’s will.

When J. C. Nichols planned the Country Club Plaza in 1922 and designed it after the style of Seville, Spain, he did not know he was developing the setting for my story, Last Wish. The Plaza, with its glorious buildings, beautiful fountains, and high-end stores, is one of the great places to shop or dine. If you are ever in Kansas City, be sure to visit this beautiful area and experience it for yourself.

Nichols didn’t stop at the Plaza. He developed the surrounding communities with purpose. Brookside is an artsy community next to the Plaza where you’ll find a variety of specialty stores. This is the setting I chose for Last Wish. Ward Parkway, which winds through the area, has enormous homes belonging to some of the wealthiest people in Kansas City. This is where Michael’s grandmother lives.

I chose the Plaza area because I wanted to write a story to submit to Hallmark, which originated in Kansas City. My in-laws went to church with Donald and Adele Hall, the founders of Hallmark. Over the years, we’ve known several Hallmark card artists. And we loved going to the huge Hallmark department store in the Kansas City Plaza.

Like Michael, my husband grew up in his grandmother’s large home just off Ward Parkway. He and his friends frequented Brookside. He comes from a family of attorneys.

If the setting in Brookside, and the background of a family of lawyers wasn’t enough, both my daughters had been baristas in their twenties. One daughter dreamed of having a food truck. And they both helped me with an internet horse treats business that sold horse treats worldwide, so when June had a food truck that frequented horse shows, we had a perfect fit.

And we had Bailey.

Writing Last Wish was enjoyable because of our personal connections to the story. Hallmark closed their publishing division before I finished my manuscript, but it doesn’t matter. We’ve had great fun exploring Brookside and watching June and Michael’s story unfold.

More about Last Chance:

What if you need more than 1 second chance?

June had a choice—tell Michael the truth and ruin his life or take his grandfather’s offer to start her own business. Now she has her hands full with Hoof ‘n Woof Cafe, a food truck, her horse, two Golden Retrievers, and a secret. Then Michael Bainbridge returns, and her world turns upside down. books2read.com/u/b6G186

About Barbara :

Besides writing clean, contemporary romance for horse and dog lovers, and spending many years as a trainer and riding instructor, Barbara Ellin Fox owned a boutique treats company specializing in horses and dogs. She pulls on all these experiences to write exciting stories about happily ever after for men, women, horses, and dogs. Barbara lives with her husband in Missouri, close to her two daughters and granddaughters. She loves feeding treats to her hooved and footed friends, especially Reno, the mustang and Boomer the dog.

Follow this link to sign up for Barbara’s newsletter and receive a short story: https://barbaraellinfox.com/newsletter-signup/

Barbara’s website: https://barbaraellinfox.com

Barbara on X: https://twitter.com/BarbaraEllinFox

on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/BarbaraEllinFoxAuthor/

"Her Homegrown Christmas Wish" Book Spotlight

Fri, 17 Nov 2023 08:30:00 GMT

Help me welcome author Rachelle Paige Campbell as she shares about her upcoming Christmas release.

Her Homegrown Christmas Wish

(first page)

Hannah Beacon hated working on holidays but knew better than to say a single, negative word. While the day after Thanksgiving technically didn’t count as a nationally recognized celebration, she cherished Black Friday. Since her daughter’s birth, she had dedicated months to planning her route with minute-by-minute precision. Several times, her foresight had earned her the rare praise of her best friend, and partner-in-shopping, Sam Holt. And when Sam Holt declared herself impressed, she meant it. For years, Hannah had avoided the family business, Perfect Rise Bakery, on the all-important Friday by waking early and standing in line for deals.

With a sigh, she rolled her neck. Being part of a family business meant carrying her weight. And she should be glad for the work. Following the economic downturn, her parents had considered closing. At the time, she was off on her LA adventure. She had assured Mom and Dad that she was fine with the decision. When, months later, her circumstances had changed, and she had needed a job, she was glad an unexpected business had rescued the town’s economy. Or she wouldn’t have an hourly schedule to complain about.

A timer beeped.

About Rachelle:

Rachelle Paige Campbell writes contemporary romance novels filled with heart and hope. She believes love and laughter can change lives, and every story needs a happily ever after. With a master’s degree in Art History, she is always eager for a chance to sneak antiques into her books. Sign up for her newsletter for all the latest: eepurl.com/dEjzZz

Writing a Second-Grader Picture Book

Thu, 16 Nov 2023 08:30:00 GMT

Help me welcome author and blogger Lisa Pelissier as she shares about her two second-grader picture books.

First, let me tell you about my two books, then I'll share why I wrote them.

About The Monsters at my School:

Things are going pretty well for second-grader Grayson. He thinks he's aced his math test. It's pizza day at school. What could go wrong?

A glance out the window answers that question.

Eyes.
Googly eyes.
Monster eyes.

About Monstors in Trouble :

Join Grayson, Kinsley, and their friends in their second adventure with Monsters!

Grayson is still uneasy about stealing to help the monsters, but he's confident that he's doing the right thing. When the school cracks down on the thefts, Grayson and the second graders are worried. How will they help the monsters if they can't get them what they need?

About Lisa:

Lisa Pelissier lives in Oregon where she is a homeschool mother of four and self-published author of five middle-grade fiction novels, as well as two early-readers' chapter books and a YA fantasy novel. Lisa owns SneakerBlossom Books, offering Christian, classical homeschool study guides and curriculum. She also works as a freelance copyeditor, copywriter, and virtual assistant. She blogs at EleventhWillow.com, a site she and two friends started for Christians parenting the mentally ill. In her spare time Lisa enjoys making art, playing the piano, and fretting about things over which she has no control.

Connect online:

Buy Links

https://www.amazon.com/Monsters-at-my-School/dp/B0C51XDJ5D

https://www.amazon.com/Monsters-Trouble-School-Book-ebook/dp/B0CJYKC5TN/

About writing a second-grade chapter book

I never intended to write a second-grade chapter book. I never intended to teach second grade. Life is like that. Much of what comes is a surprise, and sometimes, as in this instance, a pleasant one. Last school year, I accepted a long-term sub position as a second-grade teacher in the local Christian school. I was terrified. I gravitated toward high schoolers in my subbing preferences. What was I going to do with a bunch of seven-year-olds? What did I have to offer them? Was I going to lose my mind?

I soon found that I love second-graders. They’re old enough to think deep thoughts, but young enough to eagerly soak up everything you tell them. I noticed that their class hadn’t been doing much art. They’d done craft projects, but not art. As a quick project in one of the first weeks I taught, I had them draw monster faces. The kids went nuts. If it had been a meme, it would have been viral. They made monster after monster after monster after monster. (Click here if you want to see our bulletin board.) I decided I would write a story for them—a story about monsters.

With their input as a guide, I began writing my monster story. It takes place at their school and in their classroom, with students that are a conglomeration of all of the kids in my class. I would have put them all into the story individually, but as I explained to them, a good book can’t have nineteen main characters. They had to accept that little bits of each of them found their way into the eight second-graders who form the monsters team.

By the time I was halfway done writing the story, I realized that it could become a book. I decided to publish the book as quickly as I could so that I could have a copy for each student on the last day of school. That only gave me six weeks to make a book from start to finish. Keeping it a secret from the class, I got their parents to sign permission slips so their own artwork could appear on the back cover. When that last day of school arrived, the kids were ecstatic to find their very own monster story was a real book—and that their art was right there for anyone in the world to purchase.

The Monsters at my School now has a brand-new super-exciting front cover. Of course, the kids’ art still graces the back cover. The second book, Monsters in Trouble , came out November 7. In the first book, Grayson, Kinsley, and their friends have to figure out why there are monsters at their school. What do they want? In the second book, they know what the monsters need, but they can no longer get it. How can they help the good monsters defeat the bad monsters? An ingenious solution, one no one ever expected, helps Grayson and Kinsley save the day.

Riding the Wind -- with giveaway

Wed, 15 Nov 2023 08:30:00 GMT

Tracy Wainwright joins us today and shares about another of her recent releases. She has graciously offered a giveaway, so read on and leave a comment.

I’m often asked if there’s a part of me in my books. My answer is a resounding yes, but you have to guess which parts. I think all authors include some tidbits of their personality or experiences in their writing.

With Riding the Wind , I drew from my experience of dating a bull rider when I was in high school. My first boyfriend after moving to a new school in Texas rode bulls, which was a new thing to me. The whole rodeo lifestyle and atmosphere were new to me. I embraced it wholeheartedly, with Wranglers, cowboy boots, and the whole thing. To this day, I have fond memories of my weekends spent at rodeos (if not that particular boyfriend). The smells, the excitement, the terror when an accident happened (one that I witnessed is included in the book).

For this book, that’s about where the parallels between me and my character end. She’s much more self-confident than I was at that age and a bit more adventurous. She has the faith I wish I had as a teenager and is much brighter than I was.

Leave a comment to this question to enter a random drawing for a digital copy of Riding the Wind : Do you like to relate to characters in books that remind you of yourself? What’s the most obvious connection you’ve ever made with a character?

Don't forget to cleverly disguise your email address so we can reach you but the 'bots can't. For example, donna AT livebytheword DOT com

Learn more or purchase online:

https://www.amazon.com/Riding-Wind-Tracy-Wainwright-ebook/dp/B072MPXG8D

A Peek inside...

Chapter 1

Dana stepped out of her car, closed her eyes, and inhaled. The smells of hay, manure, hot dogs, popcorn, flowery perfumes, and Brut colognes wafted her way. Country music blared on the loud speakers, old rodeo veterans swapped stories, animals brayed and snorted, and kids ran around playing. Each smell and sound was distinct, but they also melded together into the essence of the rodeo.

Dana looped her fingers through the belt loops of her Wranglers. A year ago, she hadn’t known what Wranglers were. And she’d never have been caught dead in a pair of boots. Well, not Justin boots. Not ones bought at the same store that sold bright, multi-colored cowboy shirts and horse riding accessories. Not ones that shouted, “I’m country and proud of it!” No. The thought hadn’t crossed Dana’s mind before she met Bo.

Dana bit her lower lip. So much had changed in the last year.

A door slammed shut. Her eyes popped open and she glanced over the car’s roof. Dana met the dark eyes of her best friend.

“You gonna stand there all day, or what?”

Dana returned Brooke’s smile, flinging her long, blonde hair over her shoulder. Brooke’s accent was pure Texas twang. “No, no. I’m going.”

Dana matched Brooke’s gait as they strode across the field towards the arena entrance, ignoring the usual whistles and cat calls.

Inside the gate, Dana scanned the bleachers for Bo’s parents. His mother’s heavy-set frame, topped with puffy bleached-blonde hair and lively cackle stood out like a polar bear in the Amazon.

Dana spotted her on the right side about halfway up the bleachers. I should have known. Does she ever sit anywhere else?

She didn’t. Bo’s mom had once told Dana she wanted to make sure her boys knew exactly where to find her when they looked up from the pens.

Making Devotionals Count

Tue, 14 Nov 2023 08:30:00 GMT

H elp me welcome author Dennis O Shepherd as he shares why devotionals books and quiet time are so important in the lives of believers in the risen Christ.

Many Christians use daily devotionals as part of their quiet time with God. The selection is beyond vast; there are monthly devotionals, quarterly, seasonal, special topics, yearly, flip calendars, and those that are used over and over. Devotions are usually short with one to a few Scripture verses to focus on. Most begin with a brief story or antidote followed by a short spiritual application.

Some people use only a devotional and say a prayer at the close. Others combine two or more devotionals and meditate a few minutes on each of them. There are Christians who use a devotional in conjunction while reading the Bible through in one year.

Many have their quiet time in the morning and others in the evening. The temptation to read what the contributor wrote with haste is a struggle that faces most of us. Time is demanding and schedules are hectic. We rush through and get the job done.

We make devotionals count when we pause with no interruptions or rush. This may mean we postpone our quiet time until we accomplish quality moments with God. We make devotionals count when we enter God’s presence with an open heart and mind for genuine fellowship. Routine and set hours are fine, but only when we motivate ourselves to “be still and know” God.

Be devoted to devotion with the same devotion we place on our relationships with family and close friends. The Holy Trinity is our family; Creator Father, the Son with whom we are joint-heirs, and the Holy Spirit, who live within our hearts. We take our family and friends serious; our God is no less but the greater.

We make devotionals count when time spent with our Lord results in His character becomes our character. We spend meaningful time with those we love, and or devotion to Him is most important. The closer we are with family and friends, the more we unknowingly adapt sayings, quirks, and gestures of the other. Our positive devotion to God, Jesus, and the Spirit brings adaptation of His ways, thoughts, truths, and life.

We use whatever devotional and when and wherever our quiet time takes place, our commitment to the Lord shows in our everyday life. Enjoying and sitting in the presence of God while we focus on Him reveals our dedication. Devotion is not a ritual of reading and praying; it is an action intent to develop a stronger and deeper relationship with the Holy One.

BOOK SPOTLIGHT:

DEVOTED LIVING for Every Day is a daily devotional book for every day of the year. It covers general topics. The devotions include a Scripture passage. It is different from most devotionals, in that, these do not begin with a short antidote story and a brief explanation based on that story. The DEVOTED LIVING series expounds on the Scripture more like a commentary or Bible study. Each strives to encourage and enhance one's day-to-day life with insights and thought-provoking explanations.

Whether used as one aspect of your quiet time or used alone, you'll end each devotion with a prayer stating a desire you have in relation to the writing. Each also has a longing to develop a closer and more personal and meaningful relationship with God.

Learn more or purchase here:

https://www.amazon.com/Devoted-Living-Every-Day/dp/B0CM621H55/ref=sr_1_2?crid=23LHID5P0FTN4&keywords=dennis+o+shepherd&qid=1698909224&sprefix=dennis+o+shepherd%2Caps%2C101&sr=8-2

Connect online: www.facebook.com/authordennisoshepherd

About Dennis:

Dennis O Shepherd was stationed in Germany and served as a Chaplain Assistant in the U.S. Army. He traveled to several States and to Haiti and Guatemala as an Independent Missions Worker. Music, writing, and hiking are a few of his hobbies. Originally from Shepherdsville, KY, Dennis now resides in Southeastern Indiana.

Encounter God’s Unexpected Presence

Mon, 13 Nov 2023 08:30:00 GMT

Join me today as I welcome author E.V. Sparrow as she shares about encountering God in the unexpected places.

"Encounter God’s Unexpected Presence"

This is my tagline woven through all fourteen of my short stories before I published my historical fiction eBook novella, Muldoon’s Minnesota Darling . I’ve woven this concept through my upcoming novel series of three books as well through Celebrate Lit Publishing.

Why did I choose this tagline? Because God has always done this in my life, and now in my fictional characters’ lives. As a believer, why is God’s presence unexpected to me, them, or us?

Because we could struggle with our faith in Him, hope in His plans, or with the love we have for others. None of these are easy in our natural human state. Maybe God appears uninterested in our situations, or slow to respond to our prayers.

The Muldoon family, in Those Resilient Muldoons series, battles with all three of God’s spiritual benefits of faith, hope, and love. Like us, they have reasons for their strife with God because of the heart and soul wounds from others or from their own terrible choices.

Scripture says faith, hope, and love remain forever after everything else is gone. 1 Corinthians 13:13, “Now faith, hope, and love remain—these three things—and the greatest of these is love.”

This spiritual concept intrigues me personally and as an author. Those characteristics are another triangle of strength, like the Holy Trinity of God the Father, Jesus Christ, His Son, and the Holy Spirit.

What happens when someone is weak in even one of these three? Their inner strength is compromised and goes off balance. Chaos in their lives ensues and I write about the “what ifs” in my messy characters.

Mick Muldoon Is fairly skilled at loving his family members, and he grips tightly to hope, because the losses of his loved ones weaken his faith. Muldoon’s Minnesota Darling, is a time in his life when a community helps to buoy his faith again.

I’m privileged as a Christian author to write about the one thing I and my characters never need to worry about—God’s faithfulness regardless of our weaknesses.

About the book:

A heartsore widower with hidden fears and little faith...
The naïve daughter of a farmer guarding a repulsive secret...
A township unaware of the hidden menace amongst them...

Heartbroken from losing his family and his farm, Mick Muldoon lost his second family and farm but is hopeful as he emigrates to America with his siblings. All he finds is despair and no work. Were America’s rumored promises of plenty all lies? Would God ever hear and answer his prayers?

Seventeen-year-old Shauna McGann is determined to marry Mick Muldoon despite her mother’s objections. His past and his limp might repulse others, but not her. What burdens Shauna is her terrible secret – a secret she promised her friends she would keep. Now Shauna needs help and protection. Could she trust Mick, or will she lose everything by telling him?

Will Mick finally be free of loss and find success in America? Will Shauna overcome her fears and finally feel safe?

In this Muldoon’s Misfortunes prelude novella, author E.V. Sparrow creates a provoking tale of flickering faith and enduring hope through an emigrant’s efforts to adapt, and a young woman’s unprejudiced love.

About E.V.

Author E.V. Sparrow served on mission trips, a worship team, and as a prayer ministry leader. She volunteered with Global Media Outreach, at Serna Village Housing for homeless parents, and led small groups in Single’s, and Divorce Care ministries. All Sparrow’s stories guide readers to encounter God’s unexpected presence.

Connect online:

https://linktr.ee/ev.sparrow

Learn more about the book or purchase:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Muldoons-Minnesota-Darling-V-Sparrow-ebook/dp/B0C51CWT62/

D2D: https://books2read.com/u/bwN7EO

New Releases in Christian Fiction for November

Sat, 11 Nov 2023 08:30:00 GMT

Fight for our voices in this changing world

Thu, 09 Nov 2023 08:30:00 GMT

Join me today as I welcome author and blogger Betty J. Slade as she shares about why it's important to raise our voices.

A reminder, if you haven’t purchased Taming Wild Hearts, Book Two in the Disappointment Valley Series, it is available on Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/Taming-Wild-Hearts-Betty-Slade/dp/164949890X or visit my website, https://www.bettyjslade.com/

Above is a watercolor I painted several years ago. The subject of leaves, grapes, and branches is actually the underpainting of yellow and purple. When the paint dried, I penciled in the images and painted the background around them. The subject was not touched but with a line or two in the leaves.

I’m reminded of the season we are facing. The believers are being challenged in a way we’ve not known before. The subject is blurry, the background final, the future uncertain. But God is working behind the scenes, in the underpainting so to speak, in the root cause, the fight between light and darkness.

The Lord dropped this message in my spirit for our writers’ group. It’s up to us to stand strong for our voices and fight for our faith.

The big question is will we fight for our voices? Will we fight for our faith? And how will we fight? In 1 Timothy 6:12, the message is to fight the good fight of faith and lay hold of eternal life.

When I received this e-mail from a reader, I knew I had to pursue this subject. God’s way of letting me know He means business.

Linda Ash from Canada writes, “I feel a kindred spirit with you! And if the Lord could depend on anyone to fight the good fight of faith it would be you. You have a large following. I pray all the time for people with a voice. You have that voice. I don’t do Facebook postings —or rarely do. I haven’t got followers. Everyone in Pagosa knows you. God chose you wisely.”

It was God’s way of saying, buck up. I chose your voice. I gave you a platform. Will you fight for Me?

Getting down to brass tacks, to the nitty gritty, the facts, the truth, of what I believe, I was reminded that it’s a spiritual fight and it’s God’s fight. A war between good and evil. Not against politicians, people in power, corrupt government, but against evil.

God understands the fight and our weaknesses. We’re no match for the devil. Excerpts from The Passion Translations, He tells us he is fighting for us.

Romans 8:26 The Holy Spirit empowers us in our weakness. … The Holy Spirit rises up within us to super-intercede on our behalf.

Romans 8:27 – God searches the heart, The Holy Spirit passionately pleads before God for us, in perfect harmony with God’s plan and our destiny.

Romans 8:28 Every detail of our lives is continually woven together to fit into God’s perfect plan. For we are his lovers who have been called to fulfil his designed purpose.

The Challenge for Christians writers under attack is to fight the good fight of faith for our voices and pick up our pens and write. Understand the fight is spiritual and belongs to God. It means we have to surrender to the Lord, pray for His words to fall from the ink of our pens and let him take care of the details.

Write What You Don’t Know

Tue, 07 Nov 2023 08:30:00 GMT

Join me in welcoming author Janet Holm McHenry as she shares her unique journey to publication.

Write What You Don’t Know

It’s often said in writer circles that we should write what we know. I agree and disagree. It’s easy and natural to write about that which I know. For example, if I were going to write a novel, I’d probably set it in the Sierra Valley, where I live.

But here’s the argument behind this blog title: if I only write about what I know, I won’t grow as a writer. While I have written fiction, I’m mostly known for writing nonfiction books on prayer. If I only write about the confines of what I know about prayer, I won’t be stretched, and my book would probably be a yawner.

One case in point is my newest book. Because I wrote the book PrayerWalk more than twenty years ago and because the practice of prayerwalking changed my life significantly, I have spent the last two decades encouraging others to pray for their communities as they walk.

But something always happened after I spoke. Some lovely lady would approach me and say, “But Janet, I can’t walk. What should I do?”

And then a couple years ago as I was speaking to a group of writers about how to incorporate more prayer in their lives, I heard myself say, “Perhaps how we pray has something to do with our God-given personalities.” When the group told me to write a book about how one’s personality could influence a praying style, I decided to do just that.

While I knew something of personality and something of prayer, I set out on a quest to learn as much as I could on those separate subjects, so I could offer a book on a topic others had not explored. I scoured the Bible to look at the praying styles of dozens of biblical people. And I discovered that they approached the Lord in varied ways and that God listened and responded to them. I also studied spiritual gifts to see how they might connect with a praying lifestyle.

Then I dug into the various personality theories—from the Greek temperaments to modern personalities. With each I tried to identify the underlying questions that would help people understand more about themselves. And then I dug into generational praying styles and learning styles.

With each of those biblical pray-ers or personality types, I asked God to help me understand and identify praying styles with which readers could connect and apply to their own lives.

The result is Praying Personalities: Finding Your Natural Prayer Style (Kregel, Feb. 2024)—the one book I can say sent me to prayer for each chapter. Writing it pushed me into deeper prayer and thought as I wrote what I had not known. It is my best book because it was more than a journalistic effort. God pushed me to think more deeply—about what his Word teaches and about what my readers might need.

And now I can’t wait to write my next book—about something I do not yet know.

About Janet:

Janet McHenry has been prayerwalking for 25 years—allowing her to see dramatic changes in her community. She has written 26 books—including the bestselling PrayerWalk. Janet speaks at writer conferences, coaches writers, and hosts the Sierra Valley Writers Retreat in the Sierra Valley, where her husband Craig is a cattle rancher and where they raised their four children. You can have her free mini-magazine and e-book Prayer Helps by going here: https://www.janetmchenry.com/mini-magazine.

Connecting online:

Links:

Website: https://www.janetmchenry.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JanetMcHenryAuthor/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janetmchenry/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LookingUpFirst

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/janetmchenry/

Praying Personalities Quiz: https://prayingpersonalities.com

Praying Personalities/Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Praying-Personalities-Finding-Natural-Prayer/dp/0825448182/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2FI1JE1CZC7IL&keywords=praying+personalities%2C+janet+mchenry&qid=1698780635&sprefix=praying+per%2Caps%2C898&sr=8-1

Prayer School: https://prayerschool.teachable.com/

Voices in the Sanitorium spotlight

Mon, 06 Nov 2023 08:30:00 GMT

Please welcome author Amy Lynn Walsh as she shares about her journey from story idea to published novel.

How Voices in the Sanitorium Came to Be
In 2020, my urban public school was virtual due to COVID-19. I worked with a team of 5th-grade teachers willing to jump through hoops to engage students. We delivered work packets for students sharing devices with multiple siblings. We held educational challenges and drove from house to house with prizes. Best of all, we began giving virtual tours of local places with hope we’d help
students feel less trapped inside their homes.

I joined Meegan, one of the owners, on a tour of a two-story warehouse filled with vintage and artisan goods. Watching the recording later, I realized students had been enthralled as Meegan demonstrated items they had never seen before, from record players to kitchen gadgets. They were full of questions after the tour.

Two items at On & ON were the catalysts for the creation of Voices in the Sanitorium . One was a doll dubbed “Eleven” by the staff – when she would mysteriously topple over at night and her wig would fall off, she looked like the main character of Stranger Things.

The other was a leatherbound scrapbook that became Bridget’s diary in my imagination.

It was easy to pick a setting for the story. Since my husband and I are a bit obsessed with local history, I chose a place we had already investigated on-site and via microfiche at the Albright Memorial Library: the “West Mountain Sanitarium.” I already knew some facts about one of the patients I wanted to include in the story, Richard B. Smith, the lyricist of “Winter Wonderland.”

The ideas flowed as I began writing what I considered a fun, historical paranormal for teens. Halfway through writing the novel, I felt God steering me in another direction. The story underwent two more genre changes and audience changes before I finally knew where I needed to go with Voices.

By then, it was crunch time with my deadline, and I practically had to start all over – while recovering
from COVID!

Voices in the Sanitorium became a mother’s quest to get her daughter back as she investigates the spiritual, mental, and cultural aspects of her daughter’s life. It is also a tribute to an era in American medical history when citizens in the Electric City allowed their generosity and compassion to overcome their fear of tuberculosis.

More about Voices in the Sanitorium :
Relocating from Manhattan, teenage Aislyn must adjust to life near the abandoned West Mountain Sanitarium. One night, Aislyn joins new friends in the old ruins -- and seems to return home with a different personality. Not long after Aislyn purchases a diary written almost a century ago by Bridget, a young patient recovering from tuberculosis on the sanitorium grounds, strange things begin to happen.

About Amy Lynn Walsh
Even as a child, Amy Walsh continually had storylines cycling in her head. At times, like when she sat on her brother’s newly constructed Lego castle while daydreaming, this tendency must have been irksome to her teachers and family members. However, God has a way of making our ‘weaknesses’ His strengths and using our quirks for His Glory. Now, between teaching, parenting, and wife-ing, Amy writes a variety of Christian and clean fiction. Amy enjoys creating out-of-the-box stories with characters facing real-life challenges, including neurodivergence. She hopes her novels will remind readers that God's compassion is boundless and that He still changes lives.

Connecting Online:
Author page: https://www.facebook.com/walshmountainpublishing
Author group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wwwordsmithing
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amylynn_walsh/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AmyWals27245475
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/amy-lynn-walsh
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/amylynnwalsh
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/amylynn_walsh/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Amy-Walsh/author/B08RRLKTXT

Book Highlight: Death at Jamestown

Fri, 03 Nov 2023 07:30:00 GMT

Join me today as I welcome author and blogger Tracy Wainwright as she shares about a recent release. She is generously offering a free copy of her book as a random drawing from those who leave a comment.

Getting to know Tracy

What do I enjoy for relaxation? This question is almost too easy. I, of course, love reading! This is my favorite relaxation activity, but I also enjoy watching a good movie or show. Sometimes I’ll join my hubby for a home improvement show or watch a cooking show, but I’ve realized that I like things that focus on a story. I want to know about the people involved and how their lives are changed by what’s going on. I also enjoy sharing a meal or coffee and good conversation with good friends. I play this delicate game of balance between being a lone, introverted writer and a social bug who enjoys being around people.

What do I enjoy most about writing? The creation of stories. This goes back to my gravitation toward people and their stories. This also fits with my education and former career. I’m a trained counselor and worked as one before becoming a stay-at-home mom and author. I love being able to take my characters on a journey, laughing with them, crying with them, and processing my own life through their experiences.

Do I have a dedicated place to write? Not really. Laptops make mobility easy, unlike my early days of writing where I was holed up in a former-closet-turned-office with a desktop. I do have a favorite chair in the living room, though, that I often sit at with my cup of coffee on a warmer, because who wants lukewarm coffee? But I’m also known to hide out in my room in that recliner, hangout at the dining room table where my kids are doing school, or even going to the library or a coffee shop for a different set of walls.

Find out more or purchase:

https://www.amazon.com/Death-Jamestown-Historic-Triangle-Mystery-ebook/dp/B07GZ4DJG2

Leave a comment and enter to win a Free digital copy of Death at Jamestown in a random drawing. Remember to leave your cleverly disguised email address so we can get in touch. For example: donna AT livebytheword DOT com

A Peak inside...

CHAPTER 1

SUZANNE had seen enough. She’d taken more than a dozen pictures on her phone. The proof was at her fingertips. Mr. Lowell might be a devoted dad, but an injured employee he was not. No man with a severe back injury would be carrying his three-year-old on his shoulders. She scrolled through the pictures. Nor would he have given his 6-year-old a bouncy piggyback ride. There were a couple times he grimaced, but his pain obviously wasn’t bad enough for him to be out of work still.

She didn’t like turning this kind of report into her contracting agency. The bums claiming disability while downing booze in front of the TV all day in between golf games and nights out at the bar she never had a hesitation about. There was satisfaction in saving a company from supporting a lowlife making a fraudulent claim. There wasn’t much pleasure in turning in a dad who actually used his time for his family. Still, she wasn’t the one who’d lied on a workman’s comp form.

A bang reverberated throughout the historic park and she jumped. Her eyes flew across the dirt to the portly man demonstrating seventeenth century firearms. After the third blast since she’d arrived that afternoon, her body shouldn’t react, but it did.

Why I Wrote "Blazing China"

Thu, 02 Nov 2023 07:30:00 GMT

Help me welcome author Ruth WuWong as she shares the story behind the story of her latest release.

While my husband (a retired pastor) and I served together at three churches from 1987 to 2020, many students and visiting scholars from Mainland China attended the Chinese congregation of our church. A majority of them initially identified themselves as atheists. They came to church out of curiosity. The work of the Holy Spirit was beyond my comprehension. One by one, hundreds of them accepted Christ as their personal Savior. From them, I heard numerous stories about the Cultural Revolution, the most trying period in modern Chinese history. The Lord put an idea in my mind: Someone must write those incidents down. I compiled some of them into a draft and self-published the booklet, “Ninety Degrees of Separation,” about twenty years ago.

In 2020, I received another inspiration from the Lord and revised my draft into a full-length book. This time, instead of depicting the horror and hopelessness of people ensnared in the political turmoil, I focused on showing how Christians prevailed under intense suffering and persecution. Many scenes depicted in the book took place in real life.

Blazing China ( https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CD9P49HW ) reached Amazon’s #1 new release in Asian Literature in 8/2023. On 10/1/2023, it ranked #2 in Asian Literature.

About Blazing China

Live or believe. Take your pick.

The intellectual, moral, and spiritual growth of four women as their Christian faith clashes with communism and other ideologies.

Reminiscent of the stories and styles of Amy Tan and Francine Rivers, Blazing China is an extraordinary tale about a family's journey through adversity and persecution.

Live or believe? God or survival?

Ordinary Christians. Extraordinary circumstances. Beliefs under siege outside and conflicts within. Where do these women stand?

Leesan wants to produce heirs to carry on the Lee family name and manage their enormous estates. When she delivers identical twin girls, Ann-Ann and May-May, just before the Cultural Revolution in China, she cannot imagine how much their world is about to change. Now, with her husband dead, their land forfeited to the government, and their lives in jeopardy, Leesan, her mother-in-law,

Su-Ann, and her daughters must surrender all that’s left of the past, even as they struggle to hold on to their Christian faith.

As the persecution intensifies, Red Guards murder those caught attending their home church, and the survivors are scattered in different directions. From Beijing to Inner Mongolia, from Hong Kong to California, hardship and the clash between ideologies challenge their faith, love, and loyalty.

Should they choose survival over God?

About Ruth:

Dr. Wuwong (PhD in biochemistry, MBA in finance) has published 120+ scientific books and papers (under her legal name) and a few Christian fiction books (Love at the Garden Tomb, The Way We Forgive, Blazing China, and Detour to Agape, under R. F. Whong). She lives in the Midwest with her husband, a retired pastor. They served together at three churches from 1987 to 2020. Her grown son works in a nearby city. She currently runs a small biotech company (www.vidasym.com) and has raised more than twenty million US dollars during the past few years for Vidasym. In addition to her weekly newsletter and the platform (www.ruthforchrist.com), she’s active in several writers’ groups, including ACFW, Word Weavers, Facebook, and Goodreads. Through these connections, she plans newsletter/promotion swaps with others and has writers endorse her books, write forewords, and host her on guest blogs.

The Story Behind the Story and Spotlight

Tue, 31 Oct 2023 07:30:00 GMT

Help me welcome author Jennifer Arrington today as she shares about her latest release.

In June of 2019, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. There was no family history; my only risk factor was being female. I was about to start a new job, and then everything happened at once: I underwent a lumpectomy, intraoperative radiation, and started hormone blockers. It ended up being a much “bigger deal” than I had imagined, but we came through it all and breathed a sigh of relief, putting that episode behind us.

A little over a year later, however, I discovered a new lump. That lump led to a double mastectomy and a long road of multiple surgeries and adjustments with lots of sitting around the house doing nothing. The enforced isolation and recovery depressed me, so I pulled out a manuscript I’d started about ten years before.

That manuscript turned into The Counting Tree and became my personal therapy. And, as part of that therapy, I gave my protagonist, Heidi, breast cancer (sorry, Heidi!). I finished the story and let my daughter and a friend read it, thinking the manuscript had served its purpose. But they told me the book needed to be published, so that’s what we did!

The Counting Tree , centered around thankfulness, opens in 1988 South Africa, where a young Heidi has flown halfway around the world to work as a camp counselor. In chapter 2, the reader learns of The Tree, a weeping willow where children hang personalized wind chimes. We peek in on Heidi as Johann, the enigmatic camp director, reluctantly shows her around the property. Here they are at The Tree:

Tears pooled in Heidi’s eyes as she scanned the hundreds of chimes hung throughout the branches. How beautiful and what a contrast… every placard proclaiming a child’s blessing hung in a weeping willow.

Words from the Psalms came unbidden, “We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof…” she quoted softly.

“…for there they that carried us away captive required of us a song.” Johann finished quietly.

The quoted words of Psalms resonated between them, filling the space; their eyes locked, his startled by the depth of her understanding, hers grateful for the connection.”

You will laugh and cry and cheer Heidi on as she navigates this new life and the beginnings of a beautiful love. But life isn’t kind to Heidi, and the reader follows Heidi’s journey back to the United States, through adoption, parenting twins alone, breast cancer, and eventually to another Counting Tree. This one, although a continent away, is startlingly familiar.

We released this heartwarming love story on Thanksgiving Day, 2022. Currently discounted to $2.99 on Kindle, you can download your own copy now. Just a warning: you won’t be able to put it down! Many reviewers state that they read it in one sitting, and the most recent reviewer says, “Reading this story is an emotional, inspiring, and rewarding journey. Highly recommend!”

About Jennifer:

Jennifer Arrington holds a master’s degree in nutrition from Texas A&M University. Having spent much of her career as a chemistry teacher, she returned to writing while recovering from recurrent breast cancer. A self-proclaimed bibliophile, weekend pianist, and beach lover, she loves to spend her free time reading, beach walking, paddleboarding, and snorkeling.

Inspired by her experiences growing up in South Africa and moving to the United States as a young adult, The Counting Tree is her second novel.

https://linktr.ee/jenniferarrington_author

Characters That Are Real

Mon, 30 Oct 2023 07:30:00 GMT

Join me today as I welcome author and blogger Lisa Pelessier as she shares about her latest book.

About MilliM

About Lisa:

Lisa Pelissier lives in Oregon where she is a homeschool mother of four and self-published author of five middle-grade fiction novels, as well as an early-readers' chapter book and a YA fantasy novel. Lisa owns SneakerBlossom Books, offering Christian, classical homeschool study guides and curriculum. She also works as a freelance copy editor and virtual assistant. She blogs at EleventhWillow.com, a site she and two friends started for Christians parenting the mentally ill. In her spare time Lisa enjoys making art, playing the piano, and fretting about things over which she has no control.

Connect online

Buy Link

https://www.amazon.com/MilliM-Lisa-Pelissier/dp/B08767B3GF

Real Make-Believe People

Making my characters relatable and real is one of the hardest parts of writing fiction for me. Most of what I write is driven by the action of the story, not the personality of the characters. I had been writing stories for my sons for several years when my daughters pointed out that I hadn’t written a book for them yet. We started creating a character—Millie. We didn’t mention the words “obsessive compulsive disorder” when we were imagining her. We just thought up a funny girl who had to—and I mean had to—have everything symmetrical.

Whenever we had a few minutes of down time, the girls would ask me, “What would Millie do here?” They wanted to know how she behaved at the grocery store, the dentist, the doctor, in the car, in all the rooms of the house, in their own bedrooms, at church—everywhere we went my little girls looked at the situation from Millie’s perspective. In our imaginations, we tore down walls, ripped out sinks, rearranged furniture, and stacked books and magazines just so. Millie was a force of destruction, a relentless pursuer of symmetry.

Finally, it was time to put Millie in a book. What do you do with a character that is clearly different, destructive, and possibly unacceptable? I chose to put her into a dystopian world. The Council of Benevolence controls everything. They make sure there is no sickness, pain, or infirmity. They’ve created the perfect society—or so it seems. Millie lives with her parents and four weak, elderly grandmothers. Her mother strives to meet Millie’s need for symmetry and control, and Millie is happy—until a baby with a deformed, asymmetrical face shows up on her doorstep.

Millie knows her mother will want to keep the baby. She also knows that she can’t look at the wobbly, misshapen face every day for the rest of her life. Desperate, she and her best friend Silas get on their bikes and go to the Council of Benevolence, who can, she thinks, solve every problem.

With such an extreme character, I wondered if people would relate to the odd story I’d written. It’s funny, but I’ve had more people tell me they can identify with Millie than with any of my other characters. She’s deeply flawed and longs for order, like most of us. The character-building that I did with my girls for so long paid off in the personality and story of Millie, MilliM. If you’re thinking about writing, and struggle to create characters like I do, I’d recommend playing with your character for a long time before putting them in a story. Getting to know Millie ahead of time gave my book an extra sparkle that has been enchanting for readers.

Finding My Heart -- spotlight with Giveaway

Sat, 28 Oct 2023 07:30:00 GMT

Join author Rachel Blanchard today as she shares her latest release, and offers an ebook version of her book. Read through for details.

Disclaimer: Book Content May Be Considered: PG (Characters work through doubts and troubled pasts. There are a few brief moments of physical attraction and kissing).

Getting to know Rachel:

-What fun or unique things can you tell us about yourself? When I started writing this book, my oldest son was four, and by the time I finished it, my youngest son was four. The same thing happened during my first book, when they were age one! It worked out great for small-character continuity.

Also, many details of the Fall Fest that the main characters, Kaleigh and Jackson, go to are true to my home in Florida. Floridians love to get out and enjoy the autumn season like everyone else! We just wear fewer layers while doing it.

-Please describe yourself with three words. I am organized, which comes in handy when writing! I am a deep thinker, which can get me into trouble if I worry too much. However, it's a great help when I need to focus, or when I pick out a detail that others might not notice. I would say I'm nurturing because I feel it’s important that those around me feel comfortable, loved, and happy, as much as is in my power.

-What do you enjoy doing for relaxation? I like planning activities for my children and I to enjoy together. It's relaxing to take a walk or sit outside in a beautiful place. Unfortunately for my bank account, I enjoy going shopping with friends! At home, I will do my nails and put on a face mask from time to time. Finally, the classic settling down with a book and burning a lovely scented candle usually does the trick!

Leave a comment and answer the following question to enter the random drawing for a free ebook: I would love to know, do we have anything in common? If not, maybe you have a new relaxation tip for me to try! Don't forget to cleverly disguise your email address, for example, donna AT livebytheword DOT com

About Kim:

· Rachel Blanchard is a teacher, wife, and mother of three young children. She received her Bachelor of Arts in English at Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri before moving to Central Florida. She is passionate about sharing lessons learned, and the message that we can trust in God’s goodness.

Connecting online :

Website: https://www.rachelblanchardwriter.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelblanchardwriter/
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/rachelblanchardwriter?_rdr

Finding My Heart on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CJXBMJP9/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1695941548&sr=8-1

Finding My Heart at Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/finding-my-heart-rachel-blanchard/1144131879?ean=9781737671923

Kaleigh ran her fingers through her auburn hair, content to sacrifice a put-together ponytail for an ounce more patience.

“Mom,” she said levelly, “You know I can’t call out of any more shifts.”

Lana picked at her hot pink talons, not looking her daughter in the eye. “What I know is you told me I wouldn’t turn into Aaron’s full-time babysitter.”

Kaleigh released a shaky exhale. “It won’t always be like this. I’m so close to saving enough money.”

Lana rolled her eyes. “This again. How will you pass college classes when you can’t even handle a retail job?”

Kaleigh considered citing the numbers she’d crunched—how much more her annual income would be after investing in her education. But she knew it was pointless. And a nagging, heart-sickening part of her felt that Lana had made a good point.

It was a struggle to hold down her job and not totally ignore Aaron. She did her best, but still came home to a boy who grew taller and smarter each day she was away. Soon you’ll have flexible work hours and more time off, Kaleigh chanted to herself.

She kept her voice calm. “Can you please help me out Saturday, so I don’t have to call out?”

“I’m sorry, but I’m already watching him tomorrow. I can’t cancel on the girls again, or they’ll stop asking me to go out.”

Like Kaleigh didn’t know how that felt. How it hurt when every friend she thought had cared about her couldn’t bother to keep calling once things got hard.

They’d thought it was cool enough to be tight with the pregnant girl, to ask questions about her appointments and symptoms in algebra class. But when the baby had arrived, after the cute hospital pics had been taken and the long nights set in, it wasn’t as fun to be Kaleigh’s friend.

Kaleigh wished Lana could brush it off the way that she did, but that would never happen. The admiration of others made Lana’s world go round. Well, Aaron was Kaleigh’s world. She would be there for him somehow.

Riding Horses and Writing Books -- with Giveaway

Sat, 28 Oct 2023 07:30:00 GMT

Help me welcome author Barbara Fox as she compares similarities between riding horses and writing books. Read on through for details on how to enter a random drawing to win a copy of her book.

It wasn’t until I wrote fiction that I realized how much riding horses and writing books have in common.

Both riding and writing require perseverance. You cannot ride a horse well without spending hours in the saddle training your muscles and mind. The more you practice, the more you improve.

To become an excellent writer, you must spend hours glued to your chair, writing, revising, and digging deeper. The more you write, the sooner you develop your voice and your writing style.

Writing and riding are ongoing educations, providing we keep a teachable spirit. Even if riding or writing is a person’s gift, no one is born knowing how to ride a horse or write a book. And no one has all the answers.

Riders improve their skills through lessons, clinics, and observing successful riders. Writers improve their skill by taking classes, going to conferences, learning from successful authors.

The best riders read books on riding theory to deepen their knowledge, the same way writers learn by reading books on writing craft.

And you cannot succeed at riding horses or writing books without passion.

Gimmicks, tricks, and shortcuts ruin horses, and they cheat riders out of becoming their best. Learning multiple methods for training adds depth to talent. Character development, tension, making every word count, and adding story layers take time to learn. There are no shortcuts to learning how to ride a horse or write a good story.

The rider’s critique partner is called a ground person. A ground person watches the rider’s performance and tells them what he or she sees. They help the rider develop refinement; the same way critique partners help writers refine their words.

A smart horseman learns from every horse he rides. Every critique you receive, whether from a critique group, a contest judge, or an editor, holds a kernel of wisdom, even when the feedback is negative. Riders and writers learn from success and failure. How much they learn depends on the individual.

Riders and writers who rest on their laurels are asking to be passed by. Unless you do something totally unheard of, like training two Triple Crown winners, or you write Harry Potter, this week’s champion is merely next week’s competition. Bob Baffert and J. K. Rowling can afford to bask in their achievements and not worry about improvement. The rest of us cannot.

And finally, both riding and writing are use-it-or-lose-it skills. To continue to ride or write at your best level, you must practice. And while you may always be a good rider or writer if you slack off, you’ll miss out on working at your full potential.

It surprised me to learn a lifetime of training horses prepared me to write fiction.

Question to enter random drawing:

Along with a horse, you’ll find adventure in almost everything I write. After all, I don’t know a horse lover whose life hasn’t taken some twists and turns. Do you love horses? Have you ever ridden one? Comment below and you’ll be in a drawing for an e-book copy of REMEMBER NOT . And please note: Amazon says you must live in the U.S. to be a recipient of this e-book. Include your cleverly disguised email address so we can reach you but the 'bots won't.

About Barbara:

Barbara Ellin Fox writes clean, contemporary romance for horse lovers. She weaves her extensive background with horses and their people into exciting stories about happily ever after for men, women, and horses. Barbara enjoys playing with her wild horse, Reno. She lives in the Midwest with her husband and close to her two daughters and granddaughters. Click https://barbaraellinfox.com/newsletter-signup/ to join Barbara’s newsletter.

Connecting online:

Website: https://barbaraellinfox.com

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/barbarafoxauthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BarbaraEllinFox

Amazon Author Page: https://bit.ly/3Qv7hrW

About Remember Not

She believes her rehabilitated show jumper is the ticket to the top for financial stability for herself and her daughter, but someone is out to kill the horse.

Single mom, Rylie Davis believes Eskador, her formerly abused show jumper, is her ticket to the top. Winning the $40,000 Pandora Grand Prix is not only the culmination of six years of rehab for the horse, but it proves Rylie’s ability as a horse trainer, which will provide badly needed stability and financial security for herself and her daughter. What she doesn’t know is the publicity Eskador receives for the big win puts him in the sights of a killer.

Jason Hughes has finally found the horse trainer he needs to take his breeding program to the next level, only he sees Rylie as more than a potential employee. Poor judgement on his part ruins his credibility with Rylie. He’ll do whatever it takes to gain her trust, including protecting Eskador, the horse that humiliated him.

When someone rips what she cherishes most from her hands, will Rylie trust Jason to help her?

Click here https://amzn.to/44ZYS4E to learn more or buy REMEMBER NOT on Amazon.

First chapter sneak peek...

The last thing she needed was a cowboy on his horse following them through the parking lot. Eskador snorted and rose on his hind legs, black mane trailing his neck. Rylie Davis released the pressure on the horse’s lead. She focused on reaching the pen at the edge of the asphalt.

“It’s okay, buddy. Keep it together a little longer, then you can burn off this stress.” The energetic show jumper stamped his hooves to the pavement and curled his neck, ready to explode.

The cowboy tracking them had better back off soon. Why did he follow them, anyway? Most competitors were in the show ring or getting ready for competition. This should have been the perfect time to exercise Eskador before tonight’s final event.

The horse excelled at competing under the spotlight, but being crowded by a stranger stirred his abused past. Anger and nervous energy radiated through him. Sweat ran down the sides of Rylie’s face and dribbled into her collar. Her pulse raced. She murmured to the gelding towering at her side, then let out a slow breath. Stay calm. Ignore the stranger. If Eskador sensed her fear, the horse would go berserk.

No one wanted fourteen hundred pounds of angry hooves and teeth loose on the showgrounds.

Rylie glanced over her shoulder checking to see if the man followed. Yup. Still there. Watching like I’m iron and he’s a magnet. He sat tall in the saddle, gray cowboy hat perfectly straight, rein hand resting on the saddle horn. She eased Eskador around a horse trailer, then between two trucks.

The cowboy moved his horse forward.

Eskador plunged. An aggravated rumble worked from deep inside the knot of nerves and muscle, more grunts than a groan. A sound he only made under duress.

“Easy big guy. He’s just a fancy wannabe on his little cow pony. Nothing to worry about.” If only she felt as confident as her words.

This guy didn’t back off, proving he enjoyed messing with a lone woman’s horse.

Eskador grunted and jerked his head, slinging globs of saliva into the air. The odor of nervous sweat rolled off his slick black coat in steamy waves. Rivulets of white foam streaked his chest.

She’d expected extra stress at the Oklahoma horse show, especially on the day of her biggest competition, but the cowboy’s pressure surpassed extra. Now the stress verged on dangerous. What made this man ride so close? She didn’t have time to explain Eskador’s distrust of men to a stranger. What if he followed her? Shoot, she hoped not. She’d had her fill of that in college. Memories of another man’s undivided attention churned her stomach like a pit filled with snakes. She sure didn’t want the cowboy’s attention. Eskador would come unglued if he didn’t back away.

Only a hundred feet left to the pen.

Her horse’s shod hooves exploded against the asphalt like the end of a fireworks display. She’d yell over her shoulder for the man to clear out, but her shouts would wind Eskador’s rubber band tighter. Choosing the least of two evils, she focused on the pen.

Relief whooshed through her as she wrapped her free hand around the gate lever and jerked. Eskador lunged through the opening and swung around long enough for her to unclip his lead. He made a giant leap then bolted around the circle.

Christmas Joy -- Prepare for the Season

Fri, 27 Oct 2023 07:30:00 GMT

Join me today as I welcome author and blogger Mary Lou Cheatham, as she shares about her love for Christ and the Christmas season.

Perhaps it seems a little early to talk about Christmas, but it isn’t too early to make some plans before the holiday hustle and bustle take over.

Most people I know consider Christmas their favorite time. It’s when we spend precious moments with the ones we love, when we remember the delights of Christmases of the past, and most importantly when we reflect on our Father’s gift of his Son to us. We love to sing “For unto us a Child is born” and “Joy to the World.”

We’re happy to make things together. My daughter, Christie Marie Underwood, designs decorations and with the help of Brandt, her husband, she leaves no corner plain during the month of December.

She has assisted me with three books about Christmas. Drawing is one of her hobbies, and her style is drawing through the eyes of a child. Her signature style in life is vibrant colors, well-suited to her personality.

One of our books is Brother Star, Sister Moon , in which the star of Bethlehem asks the moon to help light the way for the wise men. I wrote the poem, and she illustrated it. The book features a simple recipe for sugar cookies. There is an Audible version recorded by Victoria Phelps.

Another children’s Christmas story is Seth, the Shepherd Boy , also illustrated by Christie and recorded by Victoria. Seth, a young shepherd, guards the sheep with his father. Angels come to bring good news.

Children have fun listening to the recordings as they look at the books. When parents enjoy these stories with their children, it is important to introduce them to the true narrative of the birth of Jesus and teach them that the stories—like the ones they see on television or read in other books—are not meant to be the actual story of Christmas. Here is an opportunity to help children learn about the true meaning of the holiday.

Christie and I also had a delightful time contributing stories to an anthology about Christmas. The editor invites readers to share “heart-warming, heart-wrenching, and heart-stopping moments” as the readers create lasting memories of their own.

You can connect with Mary Lou through her website: https://mary-cooke.com

People are Dying

Wed, 25 Oct 2023 19:00:20 GMT

Help me welcome author Diana Perez today as she shares a story close to her heart. Our prayers and condolences are with you, Dee.

I sometimes go out to eat by myself to write. I normally, don't go to fancy places, because their food is usually over priced and not always that good. But I was told about this place by a friend, and I decided to try it.

I was having soup and it was delicious. The restaurant was busy. As I finished my soup, a woman approached me, well dressed and well to do. She asked me, "Do you know when you'll be done?" I found the question to be so rude. Who goes around pushing people out of restaurants, in order to get a seat?

As I was thinking of a smart aleck response, I looked into a mirror that was on the wall in front of me. Jesus appeared in the mirror. When I see him it's hard not to smile. I looked at Him who then stood before me. He knew what I was thinking, and said to me, "That woman is going to die." My countenance changed to concern. "I'll tell her about you Lord," I said telepathically.

"I'm glad to hear you say that, because all these people are dying in one form or another. Speak life to them," he said.

I never said anything to the woman, but decided to pray for her salvation and all of the others around me.

It's so easy to react. It was a rude thing to say, but I would rather have upset feelings, that see people go to hell.

2 Peter 3:9 TPT, "This means that, contrary to man’s perspective, the Lord is not late with his promise to return, as some measure lateness. But rather, his “delay” simply reveals his loving patience toward you, because he does not want any to perish but all to come to repentance.”

Next time people are rude to you, remember, it's a cry for help, because they don't know Jesus. Better to forgive, than to see people die.

Luke 10:2, "He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few."

Do you know that we all have a calling? Ephesians 4:12 TPT, “And their calling is to nurture and prepare all the holy believers to do their own works of ministry, and as they do this they will enlarge and build up the body of Christ.”

We all have been commissioned with the office of: Apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers. And you can be a teacher and a prophet also.

If you don't know what calling you have, seek God and ask him what is your office, so you can preach the good news to all of those around you. You don't have to go to a bible college to have an office, but it does help to prepare you.

If you want to live a spirit-led life, know what your calling is. Speak life, people are dying and you may be their last hope.

My website link is: https://m.facebook.com/groups/womeonfireforjesus/?ref=share&mibextid=zoDNOU

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Diana-Perez/author/B07FC69K7Z

Godly Boundaries -- with interview and spotlight

Mon, 23 Oct 2023 07:30:00 GMT

Join me today as I welcome author and blogger Paula Peckham as she shares insight into boundaries. She has also graciously offered a signed copy of Accepted , so please read through to find out how to enter.

Have you ever said yes to something you later regretted? Even if it was something you enjoyed? I have. I coached the swim team for seven years at the high school where I taught, a job I loved but which took over my life. Plus, I was totally unqualified. But they needed me. I told the high school soccer coach I would be his booster club president. Absolutely didn’t have the time. But he needed me. Why do we let ourselves get roped into things? Are we afraid we’ll hurt someone’s feelings? Let someone down?

I picked my nine-year-old granddaughter up from class early this week to take her to the dentist and asked her about school. She said it was going well, but she was having a minor “boy” problem.

That grabbed my attention in a hurry. I asked her to explain.

KD: Jeremy (I changed names to protect the innocent) has a crush on me.

Me: (remembering my fifth-grade crush, Carey) Ah, that’s nice. Do you like him back?

KD: Not really, but I did last year.

Me: Why don’t you like him this year?

KD: He’s not a nice boy anymore. He’s rude to the teacher, and he interrupts her.

Me: (internally cheering that she thinks this is bad—I had my fill of not-nice boys [and girls] during the nineteen

years I taught high school) You’re right. That’s not good at all. So what’s the problem?

KD: (looks out the window) When he asked me to be his girlfriend, I stammered and accidentally said yes.

I like that description. I have stammered and accidentally said yes more times than I care to admit. How can we learn to say no? Especially when what we’re being asked to do is important and good?

I like the guidance in this verse. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him and he will make your paths straight.” Pr. 3:5‑6

We all have things we’re good at doing. Things God has gifted us to do. These are the talents we didn’t ask for, but we have. Skills we don’t necessarily practice but are naturally good at. How can we reserve our time and efforts for these areas of strength where we are most effective?

I want to turn those decisions over to God and let him guide me to where I can do right by him. Give him my schedule and let go. I don’t want to promise myself away to the little things and discover I’m so busy handling minute details I can’t shine in my gifted area.

So before you say your next yes—whether you stammer and accidentally say it, or say it with confidence and gusto—pray and ask God to bring clarity about what your gifts are. Leave room to walk in your strengths.

My friend Danniel Campbell shared with me a few weeks ago something from his latest book. He wrote, “Empower me, LORD, to do You proud.”

That’s what I want, above all else. To make God proud. And sometimes that might mean I say no to someone. But that’s okay, because I’d rather say yes to God and work wonders than say yes to the world and struggle.

One thing I want to carve out time for is writing. I write Christian fiction in the historical and contemporary romance genres. Accepted, book three in my San Antonio series, is out tomorrow. In Accepted , my main character Quenby struggles to find her purpose in a male-dominated world. God reveals it to her, but she must learn to trust him when danger rears its head.

A fifth-generation Texan, Paula Peckham spent two decades teaching math. She divides her time between her home in Texas and Rio Bravo, Mexico.

About Paula:

Her debut novel, Protected , Book 1 in the San Antonio series, was published by Elk Lake Publishing, Inc. in April 2022. It finaled in ACFW’s Genesis contest and won the gold medal in the 2022 Global Book Awards. Book 2, A Father’s Gift, finished third in the 2023 Selah contest. She also self-published two Christmas anthologies in 2021.

You can find her books on Amazon.

Connecting online:

Paula is on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PaulaPeckhamAuthor/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/PaulaPeckham

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/paulajopeckham/

Follow her blog at www.paulapeckham.com.

Getting to know Paula:

1. What is your favorite vacation spot? My husband and I decided we would travel to Italy for our fifth wedding anniversary. Life happened, and the trip did not. It was actually year fifteen before we made the trip. And it was amazing. I loved the people, and the food, and the European flavor of the towns, and the amazing doors, and just everything about it. We definitely want to go back. Maybe for year thirty.

2. What can your readers expect from you next? Depending on whether you prefer historical romances or contemporary, I’ll hopefully be able to offer you a choice. I’m working on a contemporary right now, taking a novella I wrote for one of my Christmas anthologies and turning it into a full-length novel. I’m also doing research for book four in my San Antonio series, which will feature Grady, one of the characters originally introduced in Protected, book one, and Natalie/Naomi (haven’t quite decided on her name yet) who was kidnapped by the Comanche when she was seven. I’ve LOVED doing the research and have learned so much. I can’t wait to share it with everyone else.

3. What can readers who enjoy your book do to help make it successful? Word-of-mouth is, by far, the most effective method of marketing for authors. If you enjoy my books, tell your friends, post about it on your social media, and leave reviews on sites like Amazon, Goodreads, and BookBub, por favor.

Question for readers: I have two. 1) What is your favorite time period for romances? 2) What is your favorite trope (enemies to lovers, marriage of convenience, second-chance romance)? Leave a comment below, along with your cleverly disguised email address, and you'll be entered in a random drawing for a signed copy of Accepted. We ask that you disguise your email address so the 'bots don't get you, for example: donna AT livebytheword DOT com

Why a Writers Conference is a Must -- with Giveaway

Sat, 21 Oct 2023 07:30:00 GMT

Join me today as I welcome author and blogger Suzie Waltner as she shares about why writers conferences are important for writers, and she has graciously offered a free paperback copy of her book to one lucky winner. Read on through to learn how to enter the random drawing.

Last week, I attended the Kentucky Christian Writers Conference in Elizabethtown, Kentucky. Since I haven’t been to a conference in a year and a half, I was so ready for this one. Ready to connect with other authors and spend a couple days learning from those who have gone before and for the encouragement and motivation that always comes from a conference.

If you are a writer (or want to become one), a writers’ conference is a must. Yes, you can learn the craft and all about marketing from books. But there is something special about spending a couple of days with others who really understand you. You get to worship and pray for and share with each other. You find new friends and while you get to lift up others, they are lifting you up at the same time. If you aren’t sure you want to write, a conference might help confirm that call in your life.

Now, if you’ve never been to a conference before, they can be somewhat overwhelming. There is so much information given to you in a short amount of time. You’ll be tempted to write everything down and do all the things. But take some time for yourself. If you have to mission a session and spend time in the prayer room, that is okay.

If you have to find a quiet corner and digest something you’ve heard, then do so. And then, when the conference is over, set everything you learned aside for a day or two. After that, you can process what you’ve learned.

Writing conferences of all sizes are happening throughout the year. If you are feeling intimidated by the larger conferences such as the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) annual conference or Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference, a smaller conference is a great way to experience a conference on a smaller scale. There are several of these conferences around the US, so ask other writers in your area about any they’ve gone to and enjoyed.

No matter what conference you attend, be ready and open for divine appointments, meeting new friends, encouragement from the faculty, and lots of information to add to your author arsenal.

Question for readers: Have you been to a writing conference? If so, what are some of your most memorable moments? If not, do you have your eye on one for the future? Leave a comment below, along with your cleverly disguised email address (so the 'bots don't get you), to enter a random drawing. For example, donna AT livebytheword DOT com

About Suzie:

Suzie Waltner is a lover of fiction and is first and foremost a reader. She writes contemporary romance with deep friendship and touches of humor. Suzie resides in a suburb of Nashville, TN and is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers as well as Faith, Hope, and Love Christian Writers. Midnight Blue was a 2022 Holt Medallion and Maggie Award Finalist. Sign up for her newsletter and get a free novella at https://suziewaltner.com/join-my-newsletter/ .

Connecting online:

Facebook: https://facebook.com/suziewaltnerwrites

Instagram: https://instagram.com/suziewaltner

Twitter: https://twitter.com/nashpredsfan

About Red Velvet (Love in Color Book 2)

Pretending to date is no piece of cake.

An influential catering job could be the stepping-stone Cassidy Cagle needs to expand her business and reach her dream of owning a bed-and-breakfast. However, when the source of her high school humiliation steps into the kitchen, all her hard work crumbles like a dry biscuit.

Dissatisfied by the blatant flirting from women only interested in his celebrity status, Seth Mason wants nothing more than to find someone who sees beyond his role in a popular country music band. When yet another social climber corners him at a gathering, he escapes her clutches and inadvertently puts Cassidy’s career in jeopardy.

Hoping for a second chance, Seth comes up with a plan to make amends and solve both their problems. He’ll use his connections to bring her more business while, as his fake girlfriend, she can discourage the unwelcome female advances. As the two spend time together, attraction grows, but deciphering between what’s just an act and what is real becomes impossible. And when Seth’s secrets clash with Cassidy’s stubborn independence, their harmonious future hangs in the balance.

Purchase https://www.amazon.com/Red-Velvet-Love-Color-Book-ebook/dp/B0CJC29X6Z

Story Ideas and Author Spotlight

Fri, 20 Oct 2023 16:06:14 GMT

Help me welcome guest author and blogger, Tracy Wainwright, as she shares about where she gets her story ideas.

One of the most frequent questions I get as an author is where my ideas for books come from. As with most of my life, not much is consistent. Sometimes a conversation with a friend or an employer can elicit an idea. Sometimes I see a scene running through my head or hear a conversation happening and build a story and characters around that scene or convo. With In an Instant, the idea began with wondering what would happen if someone disappeared out of thin air with no real leads. How would that affect her family? What would they do? How would the police know where to start looking? The next question was how the situation would go if during the investigation secrets about that person were revealed. All those imaginative wonderings turned into In an Instant, where a young woman disappears on her way to work and the sharp investigator discovers secrets that rock her husband's world once again.

Truly, a story idea can come from almost anywhere. The things to think about are:

- Is there enough of a story to make a book? Sometimes a scene leads to an entire plot and some subplots crop up along the way. These are necessary to write a book that engages readers and holds their interest throughout.

- Do you have quality characters? A great scene or story can be ruined with a boring or 2D character. Unique characters are fun, but someone who's average but does extraordinary things can also work. The key is to know your characters inside and out - their hopes, dreams, fears, family, disappointments, etc.

- Does the story work? I've abandoned a story idea or two along the way because they didn't work well. Especially with a mystery or suspense, the sequence of events and the motivation and action of the characters need to follow some line of logic.

So, whether a memory, a news story, a flash of an idea, or a conversation sparks the idea for a story, the process of creating a well-written, thought-out book looks very much the same. I would never want to limit where story ideas come from!

Question for readers: Do you have a story idea? Or have you written a book of your own? I'd love to hear what sparked that idea! Leave a comment below.

About Tracy:

I love books! Reading them, writing them, editing them. I'm so grateful to get to work in this field and create fun, exciting, and sometimes educational books, as well as help other authors bring their writing and publishing dreams to fruition. I've self-published a dozen books in a variety of genres, have 1 book published with Prism Book group, and am contracted for a 9-book series with Pelican Book Group. I also enjoy speaking for both writers groups and women's groups. When I'm not reading, writing, or speaking, I'm taking care of or enjoying time with my perfect-for-me husband and four wonderful children.

Connecting online:

https://www.amazon.com/Instant-Tracy-Wainwright-ebook/dp/B07V49P939
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorTracyWainwright

https://twitter.com/TracyWrites4Him

https://www.instagram.com/tracywrites4him/

https://www.tracywainwright.com

Encourage Your Pastor Through Prayer

Thu, 19 Oct 2023 07:30:00 GMT

Help me welcome our guest author today, Dennis O Shepherd, as he shares about how we can encourage our pastors this month.

October is “Pastor Appreciation Month.” I believe the best way to show a pastor your appreciation is to pray specifically for your pastor every day. Pastors are set apart to guide the congregation to a closer walk with God. Preaching, teaching, counseling, praying, and visiting are some ways that the pastor guides the congregation to a closer walk with God.

Most pastors are “on call” every hour because their lives consist of much more than preparing for Sunday worship. A phone call in the wee hours of the night for emergency hospital visits; someone in dire straits who needs to talk to their pastor about deep issues may happen at any given moment; births and deaths are no respecter of time. Pastors are ones who make themselves available, regardless.

Events, issues, and routine demands place a great deal of pressure and stress on a pastor. There are few that a pastor can go to for sharing and unloading what stresses their own hearts and minds. The friendships pastors develop with members of their congregations are meaningful, but boundaries remain.

The best way to show someone you love them is to pray for and pray with that person. Praying for your pastor, not only throughout Pastor Appreciation Month, but on a regular basis is a privileged ministry a person may undertake.

Ask your pastor for specific topics where your prayer support is needed. Include members of your pastor’s family in your prayer time; families often give up personal time because the pastor is called away. Obviously, pray for sermon and Bible study preparation, but also for wisdom and understanding in all events your pastor faces. Prepare a list of general topics and issues that everybody deals with; your pastor is human and deals with similar issues.

There are occasions when your pastor may pop in your mind. Say a “breath prayer” then; just a few words of asking God to bless your pastor at that moment. The Lord will use your breath prayer to intervene and give insight into a situation your pastor faces right then.

Uplift your pastor as part of your daily devotional time. This becomes a meaningful part of your quiet time, not a mere habit. The more you pray for your pastor, the more blessings you both experience.

About Prayers to Pray for Your Pastor

You can use Prayers to Pray for Your Pastor as a stand-alone book or part of the prayer along with your quiet time. This is a collection of prayers that cover specific topics that most pastors deal with; many are based on a Scripture passage. This book will support your pastor and encourage you as you use it as a guide to develop a deeper prayer life. Check out my other titles on amazon.com.

https://www.amazon.com/Prayers-Pray-Your-Pastor/dp/B0BW32R6GJ

About Dennis:

www.facebook.com/authordennisoshepherd

You Are a Marvellous Workmanship

Mon, 16 Oct 2023 07:30:00 GMT

Today I welcome guest author Tammy Adams as she shares her latest release.

You are a marvelous workmanship

Years ago, my now ex-husband and I were planning a vacation to Dallas, followed by a drive down to Corpus Christi. Neither of us wanted to look like we had never seen a ray of sunshine, so we each purchased a package at a local tanning salon to give us a kiss of a tan by the time we were to leave. At about the same time, he came down with a sinus infection. The doctor prescribed medication that advised him to stay out of the sun. We thought surely a tanning bed was a different type of exposure than the sun, so he used two visits of his package and proceeded to break out into hideous hives!

Instead of losing the money, the salon allowed us to transfer the remainder to me. I ended up using all my package and all of his! By the time we were packed and ready to go, you would think that I was a nice golden color and ready to model for a summer mag shoot! Yeah, no. Not even close. At the end of all those days in that buzzing bed with the oscillating fan, wearing those funky little eye covers, I was still the most European shade of white you can see on me today.

Apparently, tanning beds, laying out on beach towels with baby oil slathered on, or hanging out at the pool for days on end was not going to miraculously change the color of my skin no matter what I decided to do.

According to God’s Word, Psalm 139, from verse 13, David says, “You (God) made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous – how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.”

The hard-honest truth is that I was literally created to be white. I didn’t choose, I didn’t ask, I didn’t get to vote on my favorite shade. I just…. am. The same is true for three precious families close to me with such beautiful brown-skinned children. Each of these children has the most amazing shades of brown skin! They look stunning in so many clothing colors that I could never wear with my skin tone. They can lay out in the sun for hours and become an even more glorious shade of brown. They were created with their unique skin tones, and I look at them with amazement and appreciation.

I have another friend who has an exquisite color of olive skin. No matter what time of day or night I see her, she looks like she is glowing with health and vitality. She looks so good in colors that just don’t pop the same on me or even on some of my friends with brown skin. Unlike mine, I’ve also noticed that this skin tone does not require any makeup (or very minimal) to look crisp and alive.

Seriously, when I don’t wear makeup, I am asked all day long if I am sick. Ugh.

White, brown, olive, black, and pink are all beautiful colors in God’s crayon box of life. To say that God doesn’t see in colors is just depressing. God loves color! He created so many shades of skin because He loves His beautiful creation. The rainbows, the birds, the flowers, the fall leaves, the ocean creatures, the mountains and valleys, and indeed the people all display the vast color palette of the Holy and Living God.

I can’t change my skin tone. Furthermore, I don’t really want to anymore. Yes, I finally gave up on that tan idea. �� What if we focused on changing something that could actually be changed? What if we looked at each other as beautiful, unique, perfectly formed in God’s design…in the secret place? What if we each looked at one another and believed with our entire soul that what David said was true? God’s workmanship is marvelous! I believe we could make a significant change in the culture around us which in turn could change the culture of our state and then of our nation. That’s not too lofty of a goal! In the words of an OG camp song, “It only takes a spark to get a fire going…”

About Tammy:

Tammy Adams is a virtual Executive Assistant living in Owasso, Oklahoma, an aspiring author, and a member of ACFW. She has a passion for writing historical Christian fiction that flows naturally from her hobby of genealogy research as well as her deep Christian faith. When Tammy isn’t writing or spending time with her friends and family, you can find her snuggling with her beloved Rottweiler, Archer. His Voice is Tammy’s first novel.

Connecting Online:

WEBSITE: https://tammysadams.com

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/tammyadams.one/

PINTEREST: https://www.pinterest.com/Ilovetopin2014/

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100095277262105

Theresa's Talent -- new release -- the hero

Sat, 14 Oct 2023 07:30:00 GMT

Today I feature the hero in my latest release, Theresa's Talent , book 25 in The Suffrage Spinsters series. In case you missed it, yesterday I talked about the heroine.

Today, I’ll share again about my latest release that came out on October 2 ^nd . Yesterday I teased you with information about Theresa, the heroine. Today, I’ll bring you up to date about Toby, the hero.

In the first book I wrote in this series, Rollie’s Riddle, Lucas Bryant asked his old friend Toby to help him investigate criminal activity in the area. In the process, Toby finds he loves Whispering Pines, and decides to stay. Or maybe it isn’t the town—perhaps a certain Southern beauty of color?

As a Pinkerton’s operative, Toby sees his fair share of danger and excitement, but it becomes personal when one of his employees is kidnapped.

And when he learns that Theresa is in danger, he wants to fix things.

You can purchase Theresa’s Talent here: https://www.amazon.com/Theresas-Talent-Suffrage-Spinsters-Book-ebook/dp/B0C7DPQF89

A Peek Inside the book:

Chapter 1

Tuesday, September 8, 1896

Whispering Pines, Colorado

Theresa Crane hefted her market basket to the other hand and strode along the boardwalk in the small town she called home. At an hour’s ride west of Colorado Springs, the community stuck together—well, most of the time.

When she first arrived several years ago, she’d hired on with the bank manager as housekeeper. But he’d found himself on the wrong side of the law, which was just as well. Now she worked for one at the Dew Drop Inn diner. Long hours, always on her feet, yet her boss, Mister Armstrong, paid her extra when she brought in her baking.

She slowed and switched hands again. Today she had six loaves of bread, ten dozen shortbread cookies, and three pies. While she didn’t earn anywhere near as much from him as she did from her private customers—well, that was her egg money.

Theresa lived—barely—on what her boss paid, while she saved the other to start her own business. Within a month, she hoped. She’d already found a vacant storefront, and with encouragement from her friend Missus Rollie Wheaton Bryant, she’d soon open the shop.

Theresa stifled a giggle. She could hardly wait. For a black woman over thirty years old, still unmarried, this was a dream life she enjoyed. Nobody to answer to. Nobody to order her around. In fact, the only cross she had to bear was Mister Armstrong. And he only for another month.

At the corner newspaper stand, she slowed to catch the day’s headlines. Then she froze, her breath caught in her throat.

WOMAN ADDS NAME TO PRESIDENTIAL BALLOT.

What? How exciting. All the work she and Rollie had invested in the suffrage movement over the past couple of years had finally paid off. At the previous meeting of their local chapter of the Suffrage Women’s of America, rumors abounded about an unnamed woman willing to stand before crowds and not for something even more audacious than the right to vote, and that was for men to vote for her as president.

Imagine! The first woman president. Theresa picked up the newspaper. Belva Ann Lockwood, an attorney in her own right, had stepped into the crosshairs of American politics. Competing for the coveted prize against Grover Cleveland, the Democratic candidate, and James Blaine for the Republicans, Missus Lockwood proclaimed herself as ready for the contest.

Oh, there was a quote from her: I may not be able to vote, but I can ask men to vote for me.

Well, if that didn’t make some of the male population in the country squirm and pull in their toes, nothing would.

Theresa dropped the two pennies into the newspaper seller’s outstretched hand and continued her way. She glanced at the town clock atop the church steeple. Fifteen minutes before eight. Although Mister Armstrong insisted she arrive at ten before the hour, and work until ten past quitting time—for no additional pay—she’d stop and see how Rollie fared this morning.

And share this morsel of good news with her.

Inside the Whispering Pines Echo newspaper office, Theresa set her basket of baked goods on a chair near the door, then leaned over the railing separating the public from the business part of the office.

She beamed down at the darling child smiling up at her from his perambulator. “Mathew, my sweetie. How are you?” She waggled her fingers, and he cooed, reaching for her with slobbery fingers. Theresa straightened. “He’s growing so quickly. I declare he’s two inches taller and at least five pounds heavier since last week.”

Rollie came through the gate and hugged her. “And you’re not the one who has to lug him around like a sack of potatoes.” She rubbed the small of her back. “I thought being pregnant was difficult enough.”

Theresa chuckled. “I don’t envy you.” She held her friend at arm’s length. “How are you otherwise? Married life still agreeing with you?”

Rollie gestured to the child. “Too late to question that now, isn’t it?” She peered at her. “How about you? Did Toby propose yet?”

“No.” Theresa stomped a foot. “Don’t know that I want him to. We’re enjoying courting. Spending time of an evening. Or on Sundays after church. If we get hitched, then I’ll have to do his bidding.” Her eyes widened at a realization. “He might want me to give up my dream of the bakery.”

“Not many married women work, unless it’s with their husbands.”

Theresa waggled a forefinger at her friend. “We all work, married or not. And I think you and your type labor all the harder.” She hugged her friend again. “Then again, your husband hasn’t made you give up your job.”

“It’s different for me. I own this place. He knows how upset I’d be if he so much as suggested I give it up.” Mathew cooed then fussed in his carriage. “Then again, if any more like that one come along, I may have no choice.”

Theresa shook her head. “Don’t think like that. Look for solutions. Hire a nanny. A housekeeper, if need be.”

Rollie smiled at her. “You looking for work?”

“Not me, no thanks. I got enough with the Dew Drop. And getting my own place ready. I have three private events this month, and then I’ll have enough to open next.”

Her friend clapped her hands and danced in place. “Oh, I’m so excited for you. But what else brings you here today?”

Theresa smacked her forehead with her hand. “Almost forgot.” She held out the newspaper. “See this?”

Rollie nodded. “I was just working up a piece for the Echo’s next edition. I wish we could publish more often, but between keeping house, preparing meals, looking after this little tyrant, finding advertisers—well, I can’t be everywhere at once.”

Theresa laid a hand on her friend’s arm. “Hire somebody. Maybe you need help here in the office. Pay them on commission to get you that advertising revenue.”

“Maybe you’re right. That way, I could take one thing off my list each week. Give somebody a job who needs one. And service my advertisers better.”

“That’s forward thinking, girl. Go for it. Maybe a young wife who needs a little pocket money of her own. Or an older woman with too many skills and too much time on her hands.”

Theresa bid her friend good day, picked up her basket, and headed for the Dew Drop Inn. When she stepped inside, Mister Armstrong pointed at the clock.

Oh, dear, had she overstayed her time?

No. Five minutes til. She pasted on a smile. “Good morning, Mister Armstrong.”

He tossed a glare at her then at the clock.

“Yes, sir, my shift starts at eight. And it is five to. And here is the baking you asked for. I stayed up past midnight to make sure it was ready for this morning.”

As she rounded the end of the counter to hang up her shawl, her hat, and her reticule, he neared, towering over her. “You’re five minutes late.”

“Not according to the clock, sir.”

Maybe it was finally time to stand up for herself. He didn’t require the white women to arrive early and stay late. She was fairly certain that what he said she had to do wasn’t right.

“Don’t matter what the clock says. All that matters is what I say. Understand?”

The veins at his temples bulged, and his hot breath in her face made her queasy. She swallowed hard.

Then again, she needed this job. At least for a month. If she had to dip into her savings to replace lost income, that would set her plans back. She’d pay another month’s rent, on top of what she’d already invested in her business.

She nodded, stepping back out of range, then dropped her gaze to the floor. Heat crept up her neck and face. “It won’t happen again, sir.”

Three, four, five heartbeats passed before the man grunted and nodded. “See it doesn’t. And you’ll lose an hour’s pay for your insolence. Lucky I don’t just fire you now.” He spat on the floor, near the tips of her boots. “Clean that up, then get to work.”

He pivoted and strode toward his office. Theresa exhaled. Then she did as she was told.

But not for much longer.

Soon, she’d be her own boss. Run her own business.

And treat herself—and her employees—a far sight better than that man ever did.

Yes, siree.

She might have been born a slave, but she was free now because of the Emancipation Proclamation, President Lincoln, and all those brave soldiers who fought for her.

She refused to step back voluntarily into slavery.

~*~

Toby Young nodded to several townsfolk he knew or recognized as he strode along the wooden boardwalk from his boardinghouse toward the Dew Drop Inn.

In the distance, fluffy white clouds nestled near the top of Pike’s Peak like a wreath, stark against the blue sky. No doubt about it, Whispering Pines was a beautiful part of the country.

Too bad he was moving soon. He’d miss Lucas and his delightful if spunky wife, Rollie, and their new son. He’d miss the food at the Dew Drop, the barn dances at the livery, and, most of all, Miss Theresa Crane.

As he pushed into the diner, grinning so wide it pained his cheeks, the town clock struck eleven. Where had the morning gone? Well, mostly in a hurried exchange of telegrams with the area office in Denver, the regional office in Colorado Springs, and then a chat with his landlady. The delightful woman cried when he told her he was leaving town. Said he was one of her best boarders.

No doubt about it. He had a bellyful of news to share with the same Miss Crane.

And there she was. Serving a farmer at the counter. Smiling at him, giggling at something he said.

Then she looked up. Locked eyes with him.

Smiled across the room at him.

Her ebony skin shone like she’d burnished it with furniture polish, but her eyes—brown as hazelnuts, ringed with gold—and those lips—full, soft, and, he was certain, because they’d never actually kissed—as sweet as honey from out of the comb.

She nodded, gesturing to the stool at the end of the counter. As he slid onto the seat, she poured him a cup of coffee. “Good morning, Toby.” She glanced toward the older man a few seats away. ‘Or should I call you Mister Young?”

He chuckled. “Oh, I think we’re past that, aren’t we?”

“I hope so.”

A man stuck his head around the corner. “Bring me a coffee. Now.”

Toby noted how Theresa’s shoulders tensed and her smile slipped away at the man’s order, but he said nothing. One thing he knew about this woman: she didn’t need—or want—anybody else fighting her battles.

Theresa leaned close, the lavender water on her skin sweet and tantalizing. “Be right back.”

She bustled around the corner, out of his sight, returning a few minutes later. “Did you want something to eat?”

“No, I can’t stay long. I have paperwork to finish up. And—uh—well, I got good news.”

No time like the present to tell her what brough him here this morning.

She leaned her elbows on the counter. “So what’s got you so all fired up this morning?”

“Pinkerton’s asked me to manage the regional office. And I said yes.”

Beneath the usually healthy color in her skin, Theresa took on a pale tone, and the skin around her eyes tightened. He thought back over his words. What could have upset her? It was good news.

Wasn’t it?

Then she recovered and adopted a forced smile. He’d interrogated enough suspects to know when the expression didn’t truly match the emotion. “Well, that’s good news for you, isn’t it?”

Had she stressed the word you, or was it his imagination?

If he was excited, she should be too, right?

He pressed on. “I’ll be one of the first managers in the company. And they want me to take on an undercover assignment that could last as much as six months.”

“Six months?”

Now, why had her voice slipped into a little mousey-like squeak? As though she couldn’t get the words out. Maybe she was overcome with emotion, like he was. It’s why he didn’t come here until now. He’d danced around his room for the better part of an hour once he got word.

“Yes. Isn’t that great?” When she didn’t answer, he laid a hand on hers. “What’s wrong?”

“Well, it’s nice that you can pick up and move when and where you like. In a month’s time, when I have my—” She paused and looked left and right. “My you know what, I won’t have that freedom.”

Was that all? Well, once he asked her to marry him, and she said yes, and they jumped the broom, she’d give up any notion of running her own business.

“I still think women—particularly married women—” Had she caught his emphasis on that word? He hoped so. They’d shared their dreams about family, a home of their own, and more. He felt like not only were they on the same page, but they were in the same book on the same shelf in a huge library. “Should stay home and mind the children.”

Her left eyebrow raised. High. Almost disappearing at her hairline. “Is that so?”

Well, maybe he shouldn’t have been so bold to speak his mind until they were hitched. But, dagnabbit, a man had to take a stand, didn’t he? “Yes. Wouldn’t have said it if I didn’t.”

She reached under the counter and set a folded newspaper in front of him, tapping the headline. “Read that.”

He did, then he looked up at her. “Is this real? A woman is running for president. Why, she can’t even—”

“Vote for herself? True. But she’s not letting a little thing like that stop her.”

“Well, she won’t win.”

“Maybe. Maybe not. That’s not the point.”

“And what is?”

“That she’s stepping out. Taking a chance. Showing the world that women are more than cooks and cleaners and live-in nannies.”

“Well, what kind of a woman is she?”

“The kind that minds the house. The White House.”

About Donna:

A hybrid author, Donna writes squeaky clean historical and contemporary suspense. She has been published more than 60 times in books; is a member of several writers groups; facilitates a critique group; teaches writing classes; ghostwrites; edits; and judges in writing contests. She loves history and research, traveling extensively for both, and is an avid oil painter. She is taking all the information she’s learned along the way about the writing and publishing process, and is coaching writers at any stage of their manuscript. Learn more at https://www.donnaschlachter.com/the-purpose-full-writer-coaching-programs Check out her coaching group on FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/604220861766651

Connecting Online:

www.DonnaSchlachter.com/blog

Facebook: www.Facebook.com/DonnaschlachterAuthor

Twitter: www.Twitter.com/DonnaSchlachter

Books: Amazon: http://amzn.to/2ci5Xqq

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/donna-schlachter

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&query=donna+schlachter

Need a writing coach? https://www.donnaschlachter.com/the-purpose-full-writer-coaching-programs

The Purpose-Full Writer: https://www.facebook.com/groups/604220861766651

Theresa's Talent -- new release -- the heroine

Fri, 13 Oct 2023 07:30:00 GMT

Today I'm sharing one of my recent releases, Theresa's Talent , book 25 of The Suffrage Spinsters series. Today we focus on the heroine, and tomorrow on the hero.

Theresa’s Talent released on October 2 ^nd , and I’m excited to introduce you to her today. Theresa Crane is a woman of color in 1895 Colorado. As a sequel to Rollie’s Riddle that released earlier, we follow the suffrage movement, now in its infancy. Just because women have been granted the right to vote doesn’t mean they weren’t still facing danger for their support of the movement in other states.

Theresa appeared in the Rollie’s Riddle as the bank manager’s housekeeper who had a catering side-hustle going, as we’d call it today. She made money by cooking and baking for folks in town who needed her services. She saved her money to open a bakery of her own.

Because of what happened in Rollie’s Riddle, Theresa finds another job, but lands in hot water because of her political beliefs regarding equality and the vote. She was born during the Civil War, and won her freedom when President Lincoln granted that right in the Emancipation Proclamation.

In Whispering Pines, Colorado, Theresa finds a good friend in Rollie and in Lucas.

You can purchase Theresa’s Talen t here: https://www.amazon.com/Theresas-Talent-Suffrage-Spinsters-Book-ebook/dp/B0C7DPQF89

About Theresa’s Talent:

Theresa, a former slave, wants two things: to own a business, and to vote. She excels at cooking and baking, so the first should be easy. The second? Already suffragettes had been working for twenty years—would she see it the law of the land in her lifetime?

Toby, a freeman now working for the Pinkerton Detective Agency, loves the sense of adventure and justice that being a private investigator brings. But when he sees justice failing for a white man, he can’t stand idly by and do nothing. Even if it means putting himself in danger.

But, is he willing to put another in the same position?

About Donna:

A hybrid author, Donna writes squeaky clean historical and contemporary suspense. She has been published more than 60 times in books; is a member of several writers groups; facilitates a critique group; teaches writing classes; ghostwrites; edits; and judges in writing contests. She loves history and research, traveling extensively for both, and is an avid oil painter. She is taking all the information she’s learned along the way about the writing and publishing process, and is coaching writers at any stage of their manuscript. Learn more at https://www.donnaschlachter.com/the-purpose-full-writer-coaching-programs Check out her coaching group on FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/604220861766651

Connecting Online:

www.DonnaSchlachter.com/blog

Facebook: www.Facebook.com/DonnaschlachterAuthor

Twitter: www.Twitter.com/DonnaSchlachter

Books: Amazon: http://amzn.to/2ci5Xqq

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/donna-schlachter

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&query=donna+schlachter

Need a writing coach? https://www.donnaschlachter.com/the-purpose-full-writer-coaching-programs

The Purpose-Full Writer: https://www.facebook.com/groups/604220861766651

October New Releases

Wed, 11 Oct 2023 07:30:00 GMT

October Apples -- Book and Author Spotlight

Mon, 09 Oct 2023 07:30:00 GMT

Today I welcome author and artist Betty Slade as she shares about both her book and her art.

October Apples

Every season has its harvest. There is a beginning, middle, and end to each season. We plant, water, cultivate, and gather in the harvest. Four seasons in a year. We are in harvest season according to the yearly calendar.

The harvest for this season is Taming Wild Hearts . It is the first book in my Disappointment Valley Series. I wrote about a sweet country family living on the Crawford River Ranch in the heart of Archuleta County. Tucked away from the noise of the world, fighting for a way of life for their family, faith, and community, this family lives in their unpretentious ways. They are hard-working folk who have raised good kids, claimed their pew on Sunday morning, and helped their neighbors. They could be any of us.

When I look back on my life, I can see clearly how so many seasons have come and gone. I’ve lived in metaphors of Disappointment Valleys and mountaintop experiences. These beautiful Rocky Mountains have taught me much.

Our lives also move in seasons. We have trusted the waiting process. We’ve experienced birth and new life in the spring of our lives, growing in grace in the summer, harvesting our labor in the fall, and digging deep in the dormant deadly winters. To my generation. It’s time to gather the harvest of what we’ve planted. We have planted seeds in friends, family, and business. We have watched these relationships mature over the years.

Each apple carries three or four seeds. Depending on the size of the tree, we can expect to harvest 200 to 300 apples per tree. In older apple trees, the apples could yield up to 700 to 800 apples. Can you imagine what older people have stored in them—knowledge, wisdom, and faith. They stand where they are planted. They are still yielding fruit.

When we first came to the Lord, we were like hard, sour, green marbles rolling around and telling the world what Jesus did for us. Our faith was small, but our hearts were bursting in a love relationship. We were experiencing the honeymoon of heaven. That love has never diminished but has grown like the love in a marriage relationship. Even in the changing, we grow together and love more.

My generation is welcoming a new season. It’s time to gather the harvest. Our branches are ladened with ripe, red apples. If we don’t share the fruit, the birds will peck at the apples, and they will fall to the ground and rot.

God uses gold to describe our faith. Our faith has been tried and found to be true. We carry the fruits of the Spirit: Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, against which there is no law. Today, our faith is full of juicy apples. The seeds have been planted into other lives across the country. We have no idea who we’ve fed and where the wind has blown the seeds.

Find me online at www.bettyjslade.com

Why I Wrote "Detour to Agape" Book Spotlight

Thu, 05 Oct 2023 07:30:00 GMT

Today I welcome author Ruth WuWong as she shares about why she wrote Detour to Agape.

What do you look for in a fiction book? Besides an interesting plot, I like to be inspired and educated. Also, beauty, imagery, mood, and emotions are important to me. If the book can edify me with a serious theme, it’s a bonus.

A few years ago, we spent three months traveling around Egypt, Israel, and Turkey. The idea of this book took shape back then.

I can never write for the sake of writing and entertaining. So, I wrote this with a grievous topic in mind: the evil of human trafficking.

Here is some information about this book:

Self-sacrifice... Love grows into agape.

A self-made executive with everything except a trophy wife. A woman with her life falling apart. A shared past they can’t forget and a future they fear.

Yao Chen and Ann-Ann Lee dated years earlier and broke up over their troubled history. Now Yao is courting a lovely girl with the right connections to expand his conglomerate, but he doesn’t love her. Ann-Ann is jobless after her company’s bankruptcy, and her fiancé called off their wedding when she revealed her wild past. As a trip through Egypt, the Holy Land, and Turkey throws them together, they can no longer avoid each other. When the mystery they unravel of his missing friends turns on them in Istanbul, they must decide how much they’re willing to give up for love.

While imminent danger lies before them, can they uncover their friends’ whereabouts and maybe even find their way back to each other’s hearts in a true Detour to Agape?

Note: After I published Blazing China (Christian family saga), and its sequel, Detour to Agape (Christian romance) recently, I’ve received ~45 favorable reviews for them. This book deals with a serious issue (human trafficking.

About Ruth:

While in high school, I used to go to the library, read every book on one shelf, and then move on to the next. Reading and writing are very important to me. It seems I have a longing that can’t be satisfied by reality. I love to escape into books and become someone graceful, witty, and popular.

Currently, I work for a small biotech company and have published 120+ scientific books and papers (under a different name). I’m a latecomer to creative writing. So far, I’ve published five books. Here are the links for my books:

Blazing China (Christian family saga): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CD9P49HW . This book reached Amazon’s #1 new release in Asian Literature in 8/2023.

Detour to Agape (contemporary Christian romance): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CD9P29GJ

The Way We Forgive (Christian women’s fiction): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BQ5LNLNB

Are Your Health and Finances Linked? A Christian Entrepreneur's Quest (Nonfiction): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BQ5JXFYY

Love at the Garden Tomb (contemporary Christian romance): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B8MK77WK

If you’re interested in receiving a free eBook, please drop Ruth a note at ruth@ruthforchrist.com

I’m married to my wonderful husband, a retired pastor who encourages me to pursue my dreams. We served together at three different churches from 1987 to 2020.

I would love to connect with you. You can drop me a note anytime at ruth@ruthforchrist.com .

Book Spotlight and Author Interview

Wed, 04 Oct 2023 07:30:00 GMT

Help me welcome author Alyssa Schwarz as she shares about her latest release.

Alyssa is a Colorado native who attended the Colorado School of Mines, got her masters in Geological Engineering, and promptly became a watercolor artist and author (as one does). She loves writing heartfelt romances with happy endings, a bit of mystery, faith, humor, and second chances. Receive a free short story when you sign up for her newsletter at: https://www.authoralyssaschwarz.com/

· Links:

o Website: https://www.authoralyssaschwarz.com/

o Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authoralyssaschwarz

o Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alyssaschwarzauthor/

o BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/alyssa-schwarz?fbclid=IwAR0Vkoc46au6Qrb52SedU99TnC4J9nzXN2ubsgPaGNiEy1_8vcvxLf1fC88

o Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21846420.Alyssa_Schwarz

o Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/alyssaschwarzauthor/

o Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Alyssa-Schwarz/author/B09HR9RVWV?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

Interview with Francis (Grace) Riley

Welcome Grace! Why don’t you tell us a little about yourself?

I’ve work for a Denver-based company, Prospect & Gould, for years, and am ready for a promotion and people to start taking me seriously. I was hoping this trip into the mountains would win over Mr. Prescott to my company’s proposal to buy some of his land, but he’s just as prickly as Clint Eastwood’s characters in almost any of his westerns.

Tell us more about how you and Micah first met. I hear it was a little unorthodox.

If you call rescuing a person stranded on the side of a mountain road in a rainstorm as unorthodox, by all means… I shouldn’t have reacted as I did, nearly took his head off with my umbrella when he came to my door, but how was I to know he wasn’t an axe-weildng murderer? Of course, I panicked again when he introduced himself as the Mr. Prescott I was looking for, and then the road washed out behind us, so now I’m in a whole other mess. At least his neighbor was nice enough to let me crash at her place for a while.

And your new roommate, Callie? What’s she like?

Like a humming bird. Or maybe more accurately like one of her honeybees. She’s always moving, always talking, but I can’t help but feel at home in her garden cottage. I’ve never been much good at making female friends, but she’s decided that we’re destined to be besties. Not that I’m complaining. And as her friend, I’ve decided It’s my duty to help set her up with Micah’s younger, and much more charming, cousin Caden.

Plus, she makes a mean tomato flatbread pizza.

Tell me something about you that readers may find surprising?

I’m not a romantic. I know girls are supposed to swoon at the mention of prince charming, but when he sneaks up on you in a rainstorm in a dirt-splattered white pickup instead of a horse, that’s not destiny. Right?

If you had to choose between Callie’s bees and Micah’s sheep, which would you pick?

It’s like that question, would you rather be stuck with a horse-sized duck or a hundred duck-sized horses? You really don’t want to be responsible for either. While I do love honey, it doesn’t keep you warm like a nice wool sweater. And seeing as sheep can’t sting you, I’d have to go with those.

About Fields of Glass

Micah Prescott will do anything to save his family's sheep ranch, even if it kills him. With a city-based firm pressuring him to sell and the bank threatening to call in his loan, he has less than a month to figure out a solution to keep the property his father strove so hard to protect. But when a storm rolls in, washing out the only bridge to town and bringing with it an unwanted visitor, he finds his options quickly dwindling.

Sales associate Francis Grace Riley will do anything to prove that she belongs. Convinced she can secure a deal where others had only failed, she takes to the mountains in search of one stubborn rancher, only to realize there is much more riding on the outcome of this trip than her job.

From the moment Micah rescues Grace on the side of the road, sparks fly—that is until he learns who she really is. Stuck together until the bridge is repaired, the two of them must learn to work as a team if they have any hopes of achieving their goals. But when things start to go wrong on the ranch, and sheep begin to disappear, they're left questioning who they can trust ...

... and what they're willing to sacrifice for those they care for.

Getting to know Alyssa

1. What is your favorite vacation spot?

Growing up, I loved going to Buena Vista, Colorado. It’s such a beautiful place, and while it’s gotten busier over the years, there is still something so peaceful and relaxing about being there.

2. What do you enjoy most about writing?

Coming up with story ideas! I love the initial brainstorming stage of a story and being inspired by the most random of scenarios.

3. What can readers who enjoy your book do to help make it successful?

Leave a review online! I appreciate every one of them. :)

Reader Question: What is your favorite enemies-to-more romance?

First page of Fields of Glass :

Chapter 1

GIVING UP WASN’T an option.

Despite what the parched earth might be telling him.

Kneeling, Micah Prescott scooped his hand into the dirt on the edge of the parking lot. The pale brown dust slipped through his fingers. Not a hint of moisture.

And, according to the wide blue, cloudless sky, nothing on the horizon either. Just perfect. Another drought was the last thing Micah needed on top of his growing mountain of problems.

He released the remaining handful to the wind and stood up. The bank papers in his jacket pocket crinkled with the movement.

It didn’t matter what they all said. The ranch wasn’t dead yet.

Micah shoved back his baseball cap and rubbed his forehead. The tension headache he’d been fighting all afternoon now pulsed at his temples.

“I’ve never been late on a payment, not once in fifteen years—”

He wanted to shake away the memory of his voice this morning at the bank. He hadn’t been begging.

Just…reminding.

“I’m sorry it’s come to this…” Stupid Jackson, sitting behind his mahogany desk at Bank of the Rockies.

“Yeah, me too. How am I supposed to raise seventy-five thousand dollars in thirty days?”

Jackson had left the question unanswered even as Micah stormed out of the office, not caring who might be watching.

Probably all of Lake City had figured it out, anyway.

He was about to lose the ranch that had been in his family for generations. Yeah, he was that son. Not the successful veterinarian like his younger brother Tye. He thought he’d finally been able to resurrect his father’s legacy, if not his name. No wonder he felt their stares on his back, the cold shoulders from a town he’d grown up in.

Again, what did they expect from Micah Prescott?

Where to Find the Fruit of the Spirit in Romance

Tue, 03 Oct 2023 07:30:00 GMT

Today I welcome author Carmen Peone as she shares about finding the Fruit of the Spirit in romance.

This book is rated PG due to scenes depicting mild domestic violence.

Romance isn’t just about love and happy endings.

If you look close enough while reading a clean or Christian romance book, you’ll find love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. You probably recognize these as the Fruit of the Spirit from Galatians 5: 22-23.

So where can you find them in a romance book?

You can find love (showing affection for others) in the hero and heroine’s family and friends by the way they treat one another, and by the end, in each other. You can also find love with the characters and their animals. Who doesn’t love cats and dogs, chickens and rabbits? And horses and newborn calves?

This can be in the form of a hug or a pat on the back.

Okay, that was easy. What about joy? Isn’t there tension and obstacles in romance stories?

Yes, in every book there needs to be some kind of tension, even if it’s micro. Joy (exuberance about life) can be found in a career, on a ranch, in a small-town coffee shop, at Christmas, or any other holiday the story is centered around. It can also be found in the character’s relationship with God.

Watch for characters who smile, hum, sing, wave, hold hands, and encourage others.

Peace (serenity) turns multiple corners when the hero or heroine gives control over to God. That journey ambles throughout the pages and makes a grand finale at the end when happily ever after reigns.

Characters with peace normally are level-headed, consistent, positive, and are following God.

Are you still with me? I hope so.

Patience (a willingness to stick with things/people) can be found in any relationship where love abounds. I believe God is pretty patient with us, our writing, our books, and our characters. The author’s patience can also spread to their characters in many creative ways.

Have you seen the characters who are quiet and encouraging? They may even talk softly. Their movements might be controlled and calm. That’s endurance.

Kindness (a sense of compassion in the heart) comes and goes, depending on where emotions fall and the characters’ willingness to change. Trust me, when God gets ahold of characters that runs amuck, He moves mountains to bring them back. That’s kindness (and grace) all wrapped up in a pretty bow.

Have you seen a hero who helps an old woman cross the street? Or maybe he gives the heroine a leg up to the saddle. Or the heroine who saves food for the poor. Kindness comes in many forms and is easy to spot.

For a reader to keep turning pages, characters have to exude goodness (a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people), unless they are the villain, of course. Even villains have to have a “pet the dog” moment to show they are 3-dimensional characters.

What about the character who looks for the good in others? Or the secondary character who is the truth-teller for the main character? There’s always at least one character who goes around and uplifts others. It might even be the main characters.

Then there’s faithfulnes s (loyal commitments). While our characters make mistakes, some very big mistakes, (and there is room for forgiveness) their love must be faithful. If it isn’t in the beginning, by the end, it’s a promise.

Commitments can be with the love interest, family, and friends.

Gentleness (not forcing oneself on others) is tricky. Yes, there are times of tension. It’s what keeps the reader glued to the pages. But characters who are gentle show freedom and respect, and tend to release their problems and worries to God.

The heart of clean and Christian romance is self-control (marshal and direct energy wisely). You won’t see bedroom scenes or sex before marriage because we honor Biblical principles as Christian writers. We write to love, not lust, which stems from self-control.

When did you last see characters who paused to think and did not react or respond to sexual tension or violence? I’m not addressing the actions of villains. Have you seen characters who trust God and release their intimate desires to God because they want to honor Him?

The best part is this: Against such things (the fruit of the spirit) there is no law!

Think about the last Christian or clean romance book you read. Do you see the fruit of the spirit woven among its pages? I’d love to hear about what you see between the pages.

About A Road Trip to Redemption -- the Kindle eBook is on sale for .99 cents from October 2-9!

Rita Runninghorse is about to marry the wrong guy. She has to get away from him. Now. She flees to a guest ranch in Eastern Washington State that offers a safe haven for women in need only to find the owner on a month-long speaking tour.

Robert Elliot has one thing on his mind: bronc riding. The Indian National Finals Rodeo is within reach, and he’s not about to let anything ruin his chances of going pro. Not even the woman he finds asleep in the stall of their rankest horse.

When Rita’s fiancé discovers where she’s hiding out, she takes Robert’s offer to go with him on the road and prays her fiancé gives up the hunt. Saddled together, Rita and Robert must rely on each other as they go on the road to keep her alive.

Broken Bondage Book #2, Seven Tine Ranch Romance

Sign up for her newsletter and receive the novella, Gentling the Cowboy for Free. https://bit.ly/3WyltBG

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The Writer's Road Trip

Mon, 02 Oct 2023 07:30:00 GMT

Join me today in welcoming author Stephanie King as she shares about her adventure.

Most writers would agree that our writing journeys are packed with ups and downs. There is no low quite as crushing as the all-powerful rejection letter, is there? But then the mountaintop high, the absolute rush of joy we feel when we see our work in print (or online) buoys us for another round of valleys. It’s an arduous expedition that makes us tougher, better students of our craft. We have come to accept that the highs and lows are a package deal with this chosen path.

My youngest child is fifteen now, the last one I have to get to teach how to drive. If you’ve never been in the passenger seat next to a novice driver, avoid it at all costs, and trust me when I say it’s harrowing! I’m wearing a bald spot in my passenger floorboard where I continually jam my foot into an imaginary brake pedal. I have also come to know that handle that helps a short girl hoist herself into the high SUV as my “Dear Jesus Handle” because I grip it and pray for my very life every time my son pulls into traffic.

These driving lessons have become a metaphor for my own writing journey. While it’s of course full of highs and lows, it’s been packed with jerking motion, hard stops, veering left for no reason, and stalling out in intersections on occasion. Here’s why: I have let other people’s opinions of my writing steer me more than God’s opinion.

When a writer I admired told me my style of writing was not something that people would relate to or enjoy, I internalized that criticism and let it completely stop me in my tracks. When I took a fiction writing course and learned that my first attempt was horribly cliché and a perfect example of what not to do (opening novel with main character waking up from a nightmare, for instance), I believed I wasn’t cut out to be a writer. I veered away from fiction for an entire decade.

I could write pages about how I let external voices take the wheel instead of God himself, and maybe you can relate. However, the very good news is that my Creator tells me I am wonderfully made for such a time as this, and that by burying the talents He has given me to use for His glory, I am acting in disobedience (Ps 139:14, Est 4:14, Mt 25). He gave me a voice and desire to write, and He has equipped me for the journey. If your own writing adventure feels more like there’s a fifteen-year-old in the driver’s seat, take heart and keep moving forward. Let the voice of truth take the wheel and write the story God placed within you.

About Stephanie

Stephanie is a biologist who began writing humor at an early age. It proved to be a useful coping mechanism growing up in an odd family that had a pet ostrich. She has written articles for faith-based publications and been a finalist in several short story competitions. Her first contemporary manuscript was a semifinalist in ACFW’s Genesis Contest this year.

She and her husband of twenty-one years live in Texas and have three mostly grown children and a rule-following German Shepherd who thinks being off-leash at the dog park is total anarchy. You can read more spiritual lessons learned through her daily adventures at www.StephaniePaigeKing.com

Spotlight on Book and Author

Sun, 01 Oct 2023 07:30:00 GMT

My guest author today is Denise Weimer, as she shares about her latest release. She has also generously offered a giveaway, so read all the way through to the end for details.

About A Counterfeit Betrothal – Book One of the Scouts of the Georgia Frontier

1813

At the farthest Georgia outpost this side of hostile Creek Territory, Jared Lockridge serves his country as a scout to redeem his father’s botched heritage. If he can help secure the peace against Indians allied to the British, he can bring his betrothed to the home he’s building and open his cabinetry shop. Then he comes across a burning cabin and a traumatized woman just widowed by a fatal shot.

Freed from a cruel marriage, Esther Andrews agrees to winter at the Lockridge homestead to help Jared’s pregnant sister-in-law. Lame in one foot, Esther has always known she is secondhand goods, but the gentle carpenter-turned-scout draws her heart with as much skill as he creates furniture from wood. His family’s love offers hope even as violence erupts along the frontier—and Jared’s investigation into local incidents brings danger to their doorstep. Yet how could Esther ever hope a loyal man like Jared would choose her over a fine lady?

About Denise ·

Denise Weimer writes historical and contemporary romance from her home in North Georgia and also serves as a freelance editor and the Acquisitions & Editorial Liaison for Wild Heart Books. A wife and mother of two daughters, she always pauses for coffee, chocolate, and old houses.

Connect with Denise here :

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A peek inside A Counterfiet Betrothal:

Chapter One

Late November 1813

Jackson County, Georgia

The unmistakable tang of smoke in the air stiffened Jared Lockridge’s spine as he urged his big red roan down the ridge that cradled the Apalachee River. Not just a little, either, as one would expect from a chimney or even a campfire. Drawing back on the reins, he scanned the treetops. There, to the north—a sooty fingerprint against the purpling twilight sky gave evidence of trouble.

He’d already steeled himself against overnighting at his brother’s nearby cabin, stuffing his growling stomach on his brother Noble’s new wife’s cornbread. The report he bore should be carried straightaway to his commander at Fort Daniel. In counties to the south, there’d been two attacks in early November by Creek Indians allied to the British. Those incidents verified Major Terrell’s intelligence from Indian Agent Benjamin Hawkins—the Red Stick Creeks had indeed been recruiting in the Upper Creek towns and could soon be pressing all the way up the Jackson line. The line Jared was paid to scout.

Could the fire be more evidence of Creek war parties? This far north? He couldn’t ignore the possibility—or that of a settler in need of assistance.

Jared kneed his stallion toward the smoke. Within minutes, he caught sight of flames dancing between the trees. In the center of a clearing, a cabin was burning. Instinct begged him to charge up to the homestead in case anyone needed rescuing, but wisdom whispered caution.

Getting to know Denise:

What (2 or 3) fun or unique things can you tell us about yourself?

I’m regularly amazed at how God doesn’t waste a thing. An example of this is how tightly my background in both history and writing are bound. My parents took me to historic sites around the Southeast from when I was an early age. I’d imagine what type of people lived in the old houses or historic towns, and I started writing stories about them in spiral-bound notebooks. As a teen, I convinced my parents to take me to reenactments to inspire my writing. As a young woman, I led a vintage dance group. I worked for a local county as a historical interpreter for a while and still do contract work and volunteer at a nearby history center.

All of that sharpens not only my writing now, but my editing as well, as I serve as the Acquisitions & Editorial Liaison for Wild Heart Books (historical romance). It’s so funny when some obscure fact I’ve learned from my research comes in handy when editing. The coolest thing is, I take my own novels to historical festivals and events and get to talk with the public while I’m dressed in period costume. What a life!

What do you enjoy doing for relaxation?

Hiking the North Georgia mountains, watching historical movies and TV shows, and spending time with my family and friends

What can your readers expect from you next?

Travel back in time to the next book of the Scouts of the Georgia Frontier, coming in November. A Courageous Betrothal is a bonus novella set in 1779 and originally released as Across Three Autumns in Backcountry Brides.

Red-haired, freckle-faced, and almost six feet tall, Jenny White has resigned herself to fame over love. Possessing the courage and wits to guard her younger siblings against nature, natives, and loyalists in Georgia’s “Hornet’s Nest” gives life meaning until she meets Caylan McIntosh, scout to Colonel Elijah Clark.

From the time Jenny nurses the young lieutenant back to health after the Battle of Kettle Creek, she can’t deny her attraction to her father’s comrade. It doesn’t help that the vexing Highlander seems determined to dismantle her emotional armor. But when Georgia falls to the British and Caylan returns to guide Jenny’s family on a harrowing exodus into the North Carolina mountains, will his secrets and the ravages of smallpox prove stronger than his devotion? Or will a love as tough as their backwoods home lead them to A Courageous Betrothal?

After the novella, look for the next book of the series in January, A Cherished Betrothal, set on the border of Georgia and South Carolina during the American Revolution. Book Four, A Conflicted Betrothal, will take us to the Stamp Act protests in Savannah in 1765.

Question to enter random drawing: Some of my stories are light and heartwarming. Others deal with deeper struggles of life and characters who need healing and redemption. I’d love to know which you tend to gravitate toward. Leave an answer to be entered to win a copy of A Counterfeit Betrothal, which happens to be both heartwarming AND serious. Cleverly disguise your email address so the 'bots don't get you. For example, donna AT livebytheword DOT com

Hearts of Julesburg Pony Express -- the history

Sat, 30 Sep 2023 07:30:00 GMT

Today concludes my series about my latest release, Hearts of Julesburg , book 3 in the Hearts of the Pony Express series, as I share the history of the Pony Express.

In case you’ve not read any of the other books in the series, the Pony Express began in April 1860 and ceased operations in October 1861. That’s right. Such an iconic part of American history lasted about eighteen months.

During that time, following a trail that covered some 2,500 miles from Independence, Missouri to San Francisco, California, the company employed hundreds of men and young boys, riding thousands of horses, who lived in one of the 250 homestations or waystations along the route.

Each rider was assigned a particular route that covered a hard day’s ride east or west, and they traded out mounts every fifteen to twenty miles, depending on the terrain.

Unlike the romantic movies, television shows, and novels written about the Express, the job was difficult, tiring and tiresome, and sometimes dangerous. Nothing stopped the mail from getting through. Not floods, snowstorms, bandits, wild animals, or native uprisings. Surprisingly, not a single rider was killed or died, although many horses perished from the hard work, or were stolen or simply went missing.

Perhaps the sense of adventure engendered by the Pony Express is what keeps it in the minds of folks. Maybe the fact that the Express united a country at a time when mail otherwise took months to travel the southern route, or go down around South America and come up the other way.

Ultimately, the company closed, being in debt some $600,000, when the telegraph connected the east and west coasts, but before that, the Express helped families stay in touch, carried President Lincoln’s acceptance speech, and allowed businesses to expand from sea to shining sea.

Hearts of Julesburg is available at https://www.amazon.com/Hearts-Julesburg-Pony-Express-Book-ebook/dp/B0C7FDMC4

Here is the book description:

In 1861, life in the Wild West is difficult. And often short. Being a Pony Express rider could take years off your life. Being a female Express rider? Let’s just say, it’s deadly.

Annelise Harper is more afraid of a life of drudgery and boredom than she is of dying young. Besides, only the good die young, right? She is determined to break the bonds of her gender and of society. Instead of submitting meekly to the expectation that she will either teach school or wed, she heads out of town on her horse, and ends up in Julesburg, Colorado, the roughest and toughest place she's ever heard of. Then she sets out to make her own destiny.

Clint Baker wants more than he has. Although some would think he already has the world. As a ride for the Pony Express, he might not own much, but he roams the Wild West, crossing more land than a man could want. But circumstances conspire against him, threatening to derail his plans. Until a new friend enters his life: Alex Adams.

Can Annelise continue hiding behind her disguise, or will she be found out and expelled? If so, she has nothing and nowhere to go. Can Clint figure out what he really wants? Or will God have to intervene, to bridle them, rein them in, and get them headed in the right direction?

About Donna:

A hybrid author, Donna writes squeaky clean historical and contemporary suspense. She has been published more than 60 times in books; is a member of several writers groups; facilitates a critique group; teaches writing classes; ghostwrites; edits; and judges in writing contests. She loves history and research, traveling extensively for both, and is an avid oil painter. She is taking all the information she’s learned along the way about the writing and publishing process, and is coaching writers at any stage of their manuscript. Learn more at https://www.donnaschlachter.com/the-purpose-full-writer-coaching-programs Check out her coaching group on FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/604220861766651

Connecting Online:

www.DonnaSchlachter.com/blog

Facebook: www.Facebook.com/DonnaschlachterAuthor

Twitter: www.Twitter.com/DonnaSchlachter

Books: Amazon: http://amzn.to/2ci5Xqq

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/donna-schlachter

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&query=donna+schlachter

Need a writing coach? https://www.donnaschlachter.com/the-purpose-full-writer-coaching-programs

The Purpose-Full Writer: https://www.facebook.com/groups/604220861766651

Hearts of Julesburg Pony Express series -- the hero

Fri, 29 Sep 2023 07:30:00 GMT

Today I will share about the hero on Release Day for Hearts of Julesburg in Hearts of the Pony Express series, book 3.

The town of Julesburg, Colorado, was named after a scoundrel who lived there, owned most of the town, and ruled with an iron fist. Jules was not a nice person, and eventually he committed enough crimes that he skedaddled, just ahead of a new law that decided to take back the town.

It’s no wonder then that Clint Baker, an ex-convict, heads there. He has nobody and nothing, except that he served his time for his part in a bank heist in another state. And now here he is, trying to prove the old Clint is dead and this new man is somebody worth knowing.

But his past keeps haunting him, in the form of his cellmate, who wants to drag him back into the life.

Can he resist the lure of easy money? Or is he really on the straight and narrow?

The book is available in ebook and print here: https://www.amazon.com/Hearts-Julesburg-Pony-Express-Book-ebook/dp/B0C7FDMC4

About Hearts of Julesburg

Can a young woman who wants more adventure, and a young man running from his past, slow down long enough to allow God to intersect their lives?

A Peek Inside the book:

Clint Baker swiped at the sweat running down his forehead. He’d thought himself a shoe-in for this job. But that Andy Harper was a good shot. In fact, when Old Jim retrieved the two targets, they were almost a perfect match.

Like they were fired from the same gun by the same person.

But they weren’t. And that matchstick of a boy walking behind her was competing for the job he needed. And wanted. One he’d dreamed about since learning that a job was available.

Old Jim led them around the side of the building to the stable. “Andy, this one here is yours.” Inside the stall, a dun gelding shied from the gate. Good. A nervous horse rarely did well in competition. The old man paused at the next stall. “Clint, your mount.”

He peered over the door. A pinto mare stood, head in the corner, hindquarters facing him, one hoof lifted as if in rest. But he noted the quivering skin along her neck, the sidelong glances it cast toward him, and the lifted tail.

Horses always raised their tails before kicking.

She was waiting to nail him as soon as he stepped into her space.

Well, he’d show her.

He pulled a stub of carrot saved from the three he’d stolen from a kitchen garden in the next town over. His dinner last night. He’d thought to finish it off this morning, but he’d awoken to a stomachache and the back door trots, so he’d not eaten.

He leaned on the door and held out the treat to her. She eyed it and him, finally approaching, nose low to the ground. Holding the carrot flat in his hand, he kept his fingers safe while gaining her trust.

And sure enough, she delicately picked up the stub, all the while keeping her eyes on him. He patted her neck, rubbed her forelock, ran a hand down her chest.

Her skin twitched at his touch as though she expected him to hurt her, then she settled to leaning against the door. Clint played with the buckles on her halter, checking out the corners of her mouth.

He groaned. The skin was bruised. Crusted over in places, and, when he touched another spot, the mare tossed her head and shied away.

Yep. Hard mouth. Difficult to control. Had to keep her from getting the bit between her teeth.

Good to know.

He eased open the gate and she stepped toward him. He clipped on a lead rein, then turned her around, running his hands over her shoulders, back, and hindquarters. She let him.

Old Jim pointed to a bench. “Saddles and such over there. Meet you in the corral.”

While the old man hadn’t mentioned that this task was also part of the competition for the one job, Clint assumed it was. Within two minutes, he’d saddled and cinched the mare. As he led his mount out into the yard, Andy finished up and followed close behind.

The kid was quick, too.

An excellent shot.

But could he ride?

At the corral, he surveyed the scene before him. An obstacle course, complete with a water element and several seemingly impossible hurdles. Plus simple stuff. A trio of barrels to navigate. Hay bales to weave between.

He sighed. He’d spent his entire life proving himself to his father, but never quite succeeding. And now, once again, he had to show himself the better man—at thirty years of age, far older than any of the other candidates, he found himself still having to demonstrate he was head and shoulders above the competition.

Old Jim eyed the pair. “Who wants to go first?”

Harper stepped forward. “I will, sir.”

“Okay. You got two minutes to make it once around this course. If your horse balks, you got to make it do what you want. If you miss an element, you’re out. Got it?”

The boy—for surely he was. Not even shaving yet, he reckoned.—nodded. “Yes, sir.”

The gelding was tall—too much for the kid to handle. Old Jim gave him a hand up, and he settled tall in the saddle like he was born to it.

Into the ring, they waited for Old Jim to line up his pocket watch. At his nod, Adam spurred his horse forward. Powerful hindquarters launched the dun into motion.

Too fast. Around the barrels in a blur. One wobbled—but the three stayed upright. Down the long side of the corral, over the hay.

Over the next chest-high hurdle. Around the corner. Down the middle. Another set of bars, and another. Three in succession. No time to gain speed. Yank back on the reins, settle over the neck, leaning forward, reins allowing the beast to stretch—stretch—he made it.

Another sharp turn back for the final stretch. More hay bales, this time stacked two high. A water element—and they were over!

As they cleared the final hurdle, Old Jim snapped the second hand to a halt. “One minute, fifty-eight seconds.”

Harper rode up, smiled down at him. “Good luck, Clint.”

What was that? Wishing him well? He’d not even thought to do the same for the kid.

He cleared his throat. “Good work.”

“Thanks.”

Old Jim opened the corral gate, and Harper rode out, dismounted, then tied the gelding to the railing. One foot on the bottom rail, he settled in to watch Clint’s performance.

Clint licked his lips, mounted, and rode tall and straight into the corral. Old Jim fastened the loop of rope serving as a latch behind him. The mare, jumpy, nervous, maybe catching it from him?

He drew a couple of deep breaths. “It’s all good, girl. Do me proud, and you’ll have all the carrots you can eat.”

Even if it meant he had to steal from every kitchen garden between here and the home stations east and west to keep his word.

He didn’t have much in this world, but he kept promises.

Hadn’t he told himself he’d never go back to Pa and the farm in Burlington?

Well, he wouldn’t.

No matter what.

Keeping his focus on the old man, he nodded his readiness. Two, three, four heartbeats passed. Sweat trickled down his spine, but he refused to release a hand from the reins or the saddle horn to address it.

Old Jim nodded, and he slashed the mare’s hindquarters with the ends of the reins while spurring her. Keeping the reins more slack than he was accustomed to, he urged her forward. Her ears twitched as he whispered encouragement.

Down the first leg—no problem at all. She gathered herself at each jump as if born to it. Hooves flashed ahead. Around the corner, down the center. At the second jump, she rattled her rear shins against the poles. Ears back, she shook her head, but he pulled her attention—gently—back to the final jump.

She sailed over it, inches to spare.

This was a smart horse. Learned from her mistakes, and, like him, didn’t want to repeat them.

Another sharp turn, and down the final stretch. The double hay stack. No problem. Ahead, the water.

She slowed. Not much, but her strides shortened. At six feet wide, she needed more length, not less.

“Come on, girl. You can do it. Nothing to be afraid of.”

Not like it was the Colorado River or something. A few inches deep—but he knew of horses that didn’t want to even walk across water.

He tapped her sides with his stirrups. Ears back, she relaxed and stretched forward. Up and—

Over!

With enough steam left for the final hurdle, which they cleared.

He gave her her head and let her do a hop, skip, and a jump, then headed back to the gate.

Old Jim grinned up at him. “Can’t believe it. One minute, fifty-eight seconds.”

Now what? With only one job available, the old man had to make a choice.

Clint hopped down and stood beside the Harper boy.

Old Jim eyed them up and down as though comparing, then he shook his head and sighed.

Clint’s breath caught in his throat.

Harper shuffled his feet.

“You’re hired.”

Old Jim pointed to Clint.

He’d won!

Then he jabbed a finger in the kid’s direction. “And you, too.”

Clint stared, first at the Pony Express home station master, then at Harper.

What just happened here?

“Not sure but that I’m asking for double trouble, but that’s my decision. I can use two good hands.” He gestured to their horses. “Make friends with these beasts. You’ll use them often. But you don’t own them. Recollect that. You ride them. Feed them. Doctor them sometimes. But always leave ‘em better than you found ‘em. Can’t abide anybody mistreating horses. Or any animals. Understand?”

Clint nodded. The old man had just moved up several notches in his estimation. His father figured animals were there to be used however he liked. Clint never agreed with him. One of the reasons he’d left home.

He glanced at the Harper boy. On closer inspection, he saw he was right.

The kid wasn’t old enough to shave.

About Donna:

A hybrid author, Donna writes squeaky clean historical and contemporary suspense. She has been published more than 60 times in books; is a member of several writers groups; facilitates a critique group; teaches writing classes; ghostwrites; edits; and judges in writing contests. She loves history and research, traveling extensively for both, and is an avid oil painter. She is taking all the information she’s learned along the way about the writing and publishing process, and is coaching writers at any stage of their manuscript. Learn more at https://www.donnaschlachter.com/the-purpose-full-writer-coaching-programs Check out her coaching group on FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/604220861766651

Connecting Online:

www.DonnaSchlachter.com/blog

Facebook: www.Facebook.com/DonnaschlachterAuthor

Twitter: www.Twitter.com/DonnaSchlachter

Books: Amazon: http://amzn.to/2ci5Xqq

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/donna-schlachter

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&query=donna+schlachter

Need a writing coach? https://www.donnaschlachter.com/the-purpose-full-writer-coaching-programs

The Purpose-Full Writer: https://www.facebook.com/groups/604220861766651

Hearts of Julesburg Pony Express series -- our heroine

Thu, 28 Sep 2023 07:30:00 GMT

I'm thrilled to introduce my upcoming release, Hearts of Julesburg , book 3 in the Hearts of the Pony Express series. Today, we will learn about our heroine, tomorrow the hero, and in part three, about the history of the Pony Express.

My latest Pony Express book releases tomorrow, September 29 ^th , and it’s titled Hearts of Julesburg. As the name suggests, the story is set in the rough and tumble town of Julesburg, Colorado, in 1861.

My main character, Annelise Harper, an orphan, decides the Pony Express is her answer to her longing for adventure. But, of course, they don’t hire girls. So she cuts her hair, dresses like a boy, and is hired.

Today, in America, there are plenty of opportunities for women to perform work once considered for men only, but not so much in 1861. Particularly in the Wild West. But that doesn’t deter Annelise. Her new persona, Andy Adams, is physically able to keep up with her male counterparts in most areas. Since folks didn’t bathe often in those days, she manages to keep her secret until…

Well, that would be a spoiler, wouldn’t it?

You can pre-order the ebook here: https://www.amazon.com/Hearts-Julesburg-Pony-Express-Book-ebook/dp/B0C7FDMC4

About Hearts of Julesburg

Can a young woman who wants more adventure, and a young man running from his past, slow down long enough to allow God to intersect their lives?

A Peek Inside the book:

Chapter 1

May 6, 1861

Julesburg, Colorado Territory

Annelise Harper brushed tendrils back from her cheeks as she studied the notices pinned to a board outside Farrell’s Mercantile. She sighed as she studied slips of paper riffling in the baking afternoon breeze. Hogs for sale. Chicken available. A lame horse needed a good home. She sniffed. Money was scarce enough without taking on another to feed that might never carry its weight—no pun intended.

No new job notices. That’s really what she needed. Working as dogsbody to Banker Adams, his wife, and their five brats was no walk in the park. Sure, she’d headed west to find adventure, and instead she’d basically signed on for room and board and three hours off on Thursdays.

She hefted her market basked from one arm to the other. With the little they paid her, she would be saving up until she was ninety until she had enough to leave this town.

This not very nice town.

To accent her thoughts, a wagon filled with beer barrels careened into town, sending dogs, cats, chickens, and those slow enough to be caught in the dirt bath the locals called Main Street, scattering in all directions. The horses snorted, eyes wide, as the driver slashed their backs to encourage the beasts to go faster.

A dray filled to the brim with building materials and pulled by Clydesdales backed out of the alley next to the lumber yard. The driver of the beer wagon hauled on the reins and jammed on the brake. His horses planted their haunches in the dirt to slow, but not in time.

One barrel rolled from its perch at the top of the load, straight down the front of the remaining barrels like it was going down a snow-covered hill. The driver looked over his shoulder, dropped the reins, and put up his hands.

But he wasn’t quick enough.

The full barrel, likely weighing in at twice the driver’s weight—or more—crushed him as though he were a blueberry.

Annelise’s stomach flip-flopped at both the sound and the sight before her. The horses, unnerved at the smell of blood, reared and bucked until the foursome broke free of the wagon. Nipping and biting at each other, they raced down the street, once again sending those in their immediate locale running for safety.

Bile rose in her throat as others walking the streets, hitching their horses, staggering from the saloon, or sauntering the boardwalks continued past. No doubt about it, the driver was dead. Nobody could have survived that weight rolling from a height.

But still—somebody should do something.

Shouldn’t they?

The door to the sheriff’s office opened, and the lanky man donned his hat and hitched at his gunbelt as he neared the accident.

Recently re-elected to his fourth consecutive term, Sheriff Parker was well-loved and well-respected. If Annelise could have voted, she’d have supported him.

He touched the limp hand of the driver that protruded from under the barrel, then shook his head. “He’s a goner.”

Parker called to three men standing nearby. “Come over here and give me a hand, will you?”

Two shook their heads and walked away, but the third nodded. “Sure, for two bucks, I’ll bury him for you, too.”

The sheriff smiled. “You got yourself a deal.”

The pair wrested the barrel to the ground, where it broke open, spilling its contents into the dirt. A drunk staggered through the doors of the nearest saloon, tripped down the two steps leading from the boardwalk to the main street, then fell face down, lapping at the puddle like a dog.

A couple of boys ran past, swatting at the drunk’s feet with sticks, until the sheriff drove them away with a growl and a shake of a clenched fist. Next he hauled the man up by his collar and booted him on his way.

Annelise turned away, unable to watch the morbid actions. The wind lifted the hair on the back of her neck, relieving her of the cloying stickiness. She inhaled deeply, wishing she were anywhere but here.

Here, of course, being the rough and tumble town of Julesburg, Colorado Territory. Home to gangs and robbers and murderers. And that was just a list of the community’s leaders.

A larger sheet of paper dangled from one corner by a pin, and she flipped the page around so she could read it. Probably another farm auction. Or a death notice.

Orphans wanted. Wirey. able to shoot.

Her breath caught in her throat. That described her perfectly.

BOYS ONLY!

Boys? Now what? She’d come west to find adventure. And freedom. Something more than dying a worn-out shell like her mother.

After all, this was 1861, not 1761.

And she was strong. Could do all those things. Well, she’d show them.

Fifteen minutes later, she emerged once again from the mercantile, this time with a package wrapped in brown paper and tied with string. When Mister Adams discovered she’d charged the items to his account, he’d have a conniption. Hopefully, she’d fool the man doing the hiring long enough to earn back the two dollars to repay the loan.

A young boy loitered past, and she stopped him. “Do you know where Banker Adams lives?”

“Yes, Miss.”

She handed over the shopping. “Take this to him, and tell him his slave just quit.”

“Slave, Miss? You ain’t black. You can’t be no slave.”

“Just tell him. He’ll know what it’s about.”

The boy held out a hand. “You payin’ me?”

“No, he’ll do that. And if he doesn’t, keep the basket and contents. It’s worth more’n a dollar.”

The lad nodded and ran off, the hamper banging against his legs. She cringed, glad eggs were not on the list today.

Now, where to don her disguise?

The train depot drew her attention. That would work. They had a washroom there. Within minutes, she’d exchanged her dress and petticoats for the flannel shirt and dungarees. She slipped off her street shoes and put on the men’s boots. Then she checked her reflection in the mirror.

Never curvaceous, the overly large shirt covered her feminine curves. The pants, cinched at the waist with a length of rope she’d also bought, felt strange as the stiff fabric chafed her skin. Now, her hair.

She’d thought to purchase a pair of scissors, and now went to work, cutting her waist-length tendrils to her shoulders. Her mother—God rest her soul—would be horrified. If she cut more off—no, she couldn’t bear to see all of her reddish brown hair, so painstakingly cared for all her life, go into the trash. Instead, she tucked the rest under her hat, then headed to the pony express station at the far end of Main Street.

As she walked, she considered another dilemma—she needed a new name. Andy. Andy Harper. That should work.

Ahead, a line of about ten boys waited. She stepped into place at the rear of the group, assessing each in turn. They all looked healthy enough. That was one requirement listed on the poster. Orphans? Perhaps. Several were dressed as though they were accustomed to at least one parent looking after them.

She knelt, pretending to adjust her cuff, then when nobody was looking, she rubbed her hands in the dirt and then in the knees, backside, and waistband of her dungarees, trying to make them look older than they were. A swipe of her still-dirty hands around her neck and cheeks. No point in looking like she was fresh out of school.

A gruff older man came out of the stage depot. “You all here for the Pony Express jobs?”

Annelise added her voice to the affirmations of the boys ahead of her, then followed the man’s instructions as he led them behind the depot. Hay bales formed a backdrop for six bed sheets hanging down, each with a bull’s eye painted on it.

The man introduced himself. “I’m Old Jim. That’s it. No last name. None you need to know, anyway.” He held out a pistol. “First, we got to make sure you boys can look out for yourselves.”

He beckoned to the first in line. “You got six shots. At least four has to land inside the big circle. One has to land on the eye.”

The first boy, who couldn’t have been more than twelve—well below the threshold fifteen—could barely hold the pistol level. He missed by a mile, was dismissed, and slunk from the yard, shoulders almost enveloping his ears.

By the time Annelise’s turn came, there was one older boy remaining.

Old Jim handed her the gun. Her mouth went dry. But she stepped to the line he’d drawn in the dirt with his toed boot. Leveled the barrel. Drew a deep breath. Sighted the middle of the target. And squeezed the trigger.

She hit half an inch from the center of the bull’s eye.

Old Jim clapped her on the shoulder. “Good job. What did you say your name was?”

“Andy. Harper.”

There. She’d spit it out. And he wasn’t looking at her like she had two heads or three eyes.

In fact, the ease with which that lie had rolled off her tongue startled her.

Scared her, in fact.

She’d told all of about four outright lies in her life to that point, including this one.

Not that she truly wanted to become accustomed to speaking untruths. But needs must.

“Well, Andy, if’n you hit all six shots in that there center, I’ll give you a five-dollar bonus.”

The only remaining candidate for the job straightened, jamming his hands into his pockets. “What about me?”

“Same for you. But I only got one job. So’s you know.”

Annelise nodded. She took aim again and fired rapidly, landing all shots inside the center.

Old Jim grinned. “Not sure I could’a done any better.” He reloaded the pistol, handed it to the last candidate, and stepped back. “Your turn.”

The blond-haired boy, freckles dotting the bridge of his nose—though not as many as her own—spread his feet shoulder-width, held the gun in both hands, and sighted.

Bam! Bam! Bam!

The acrid smell of gunpowder tickled her nose, and smoke burned her eyes.

Old Jim nodded. “Good shootin’, boy. Your name?”

“Clint Baker. Sir.”

“Well, Clint Baker. You got three left. Then we move on to horsemanship, if you pass this round.” He jerked his head toward Annelise.

“He already has.”

Clint nods, resumes his stance, and fires the three remaining bullets.

All within the bull’s eye.

Annelise exhaled.

He’s good.

Before today, she’d have asserted she was better than any boy her age. And she had been, so far.

Was she good enough?

About Donna:

A hybrid author, Donna writes squeaky clean historical and contemporary suspense. She has been published more than 60 times in books; is a member of several writers groups; facilitates a critique group; teaches writing classes; ghostwrites; edits; and judges in writing contests. She loves history and research, traveling extensively for both, and is an avid oil painter. She is taking all the information she’s learned along the way about the writing and publishing process, and is coaching writers at any stage of their manuscript. Learn more at https://www.donnaschlachter.com/the-purpose-full-writer-coaching-programs Check out her coaching group on FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/604220861766651

Connecting Online:

www.DonnaSchlachter.com/blog

Facebook: www.Facebook.com/DonnaschlachterAuthor

Twitter: www.Twitter.com/DonnaSchlachter

Books: Amazon: http://amzn.to/2ci5Xqq

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/donna-schlachter

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&query=donna+schlachter

Need a writing coach? https://www.donnaschlachter.com/the-purpose-full-writer-coaching-programs

The Purpose-Full Writer: https://www.facebook.com/groups/604220861766651

Writing a Series

Wed, 27 Sep 2023 07:30:00 GMT

Today I welcome author Lisa Pelissier as she shares about writing a series and her recent release.

I always wanted to write analogy fiction like the Chronicles of Narnia, but every time I tried, it sounded cheesy, lame, obvious, and obnoxious. So I decided I would just write. Whatever flowed out of me was what my books were going to be. If they were Christian—good. If they weren’t… well, that would be something worth knowing about my heart. (Matthew 12:34b says, “For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.”) I’m glad to report that although what came out of me wasn’t anything as brilliant as C.S. Lewis’ analogies, it is rife with themes of atonement, repentance, sacrifice, and love. I like to think that the concepts of Christianity might resonate more clearly for someone hearing the gospel for the first time if they’ve read my books. And that’s what’s important.

Flushed , releasing October 2, is the fourth in the Pack of Lies: Stories of the Dragon Keepers series. The Kindle/e-book version is available for pre-order now.

The first book, Iced , saw four boys, Weed, his little brother, Souk, and their twin cousins, Emmitt and Bojack, on a cruise to Antarctica with their wacky Aunt Tildy. They discover that she is a member of a secret organization called the Dragon Keepers. The cruise is not just a vacation—she is on a mission to look into dragon sightings in the Antarctic waters. Danger ensues when a rival organization, the IPS, eager to contact the dragons first, kidnaps Aunt Tildy and the boys and dumps them in the middle of the icy continent.

Aunt Tildy left Antarctica with the boys, but she brought someone else along with her, breaking the ordinances of the Dragon Keepers. In book 2, Axed , it’s up to the boys to testify on Aunt Tildy’s behalf to show the ancient organization that their aunt is not deserving of death.

Book 3, Hitched , sees the four boys visiting China again for Aunt Tildy’s wedding. Everything would have gone as planned—without a hitch—except for the interference of the evil workers of the IPS. Can Weed and the boys figure out a way to save the day?

Flushed begins when Souk and Joey, Zhu’s niece, dive into a vortex deep beneath the sea in order to find the secret dwelling place of dragons. Will they arrive at the Submeridian Sea? Will they be able to get back? And in the meantime, Weed, the cousins, and the Dragon Keepers are hard at work combatting the evil dwarf Lucy and the beast of the deep who has surfaced with an intent to destroy the world. Only together will they be able to find the right formula to vanquish the evil ones.

This series is written for middle grade (ages 8-14) but I hope it has broader appeal. I’m planning a six-book series, followed by a “next generation” series later.

Note: The e-book version of book 1, Iced , will be available for free from October 2 to October 6 in conjunction with the release of Flushed .

About Flushed:

This thrilling fantasy adventure will have readers on the edge of their seats from the very first page! Souk and Joey dive into the watery underworld in hopes of finding the Submeridian Sea. Will they get to the Sea at the center of the earth? Or will they find something else along the way? And how will they get home? Meanwhile, on the surface of the earth, Weed, Emmitt, Bojack, and baby dragon Kep, together with the Dragon Keepers, must fight against the evil dwarf Lucy and the beast of the deep in order to save not only the dragon Edelflynn but the world itself.

Cover Image for Flushed

About Lisa:

Lisa Pelissier lives in Oregon where she is a homeschool mother of four and self-published author of four middle-grade fiction novels, as well as an early-readers' chapter book and a YA fantasy novel. Lisa owns SneakerBlossom Books, offering Christian, classical homeschool study guides and curriculum. She also works as a freelance copy editor and virtual assistant. She blogs at EleventhWillow.com, a site she and two friends started for Christians parenting the mentally ill. In her spare time Lisa enjoys making art, playing the piano, and fretting about things over which she has no control.

Connect online:

Buy Links

Iced: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08WK3KS4Y
Axed: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09K5TR2JS
Hitched: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BG7H5H1T
Flushed: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CF8N7KYJ

An Interview with Pirate Eddie

Mon, 25 Sep 2023 07:30:00 GMT

Today I welcome author Eddie Jones as he answers tough questions and shares about his Pirate Series.

What funny event or problem happened while you were writing this book?

Not so much funny or a problem, but I played around with Midjourney for the illustrations in the book. The prompts took more time than I expected.

What advice would you give to a beginning author?

Writing is like another creative process to which parents can relate. The initial experience may be out-of-this-world fun. But then comes the child, and that’s when the real work starts. Inspiration brings the story to life. Perspiration and perseverance grow the story.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

I name characters after kids I went to school with at Millbrook. By the way, Millbrook celebrated its 100-year anniversary on September 22, 2023.

Character Backstory: Ricky Bradshaw is named after a kid in my class who used to punch me in the arm. We’re friends now. Ricky is me if I was cool, and the pretty girl noticed me.

A talent or skill your main character has that readers would find interesting

In order to get my main character back into the age of pirates, I needed a believable "portal" or "worm-hole" concept for readers.

Absence seizures, a type of epilepsy, did this for me. The thing is, for kids with Petit mal seizures, though, this is nothing to make fun of. I’ve read cases where a child will raise their hand in class, experience a seizure, and when they come out of the episode, find their classmates laughing at them. Meanwhile, the teacher is asking why their hand was still up. These episodes last only a few seconds, and when they come out of the event, they have no recollection of those missing moments. For me, this is a story device, but I hope the fact that Ricky suffers from absence seizures will raise awareness of the issue and spare kids from suffering jokes at their expense.

Where did you get the idea for the book, character, or series

For Down to Davy Jones , I wanted to offer a humorous look at the afterlife in a way that might challenge teens to consider the consequences of social bullying and suicide. Both are heavy topics, so I tried to keep the story light while pointing out just how precious life is. If there is one message I want kids to hear, it is this: Your life matters more than you can possibly imagine. Get help. Help someone else. When we help others, we help ourselves. There is always someone who needs what you can give.

What is your process of writing?

These days I write for one hour in the morning and one hour between 7 and 8. The rest of the time, I’m ghostwriting for clients or coaching writers.

What is something writing-related you learned while writing this book?

How bad ChatGPT is at writing. It’s pretty good at proofing text, and finding duplicate words or missing words, but as an author, ChatGPT writes at a Primary Grade level.

What kind of research did you have to do?

Google. If there is a question about pirates or the Flying Dutchman, it’s probably online somewhere.

How much of your life is in the book?

Only the parts where the girl thinks I’m a dork.

Why did you choose this setting and time period?

Jimmy Buffett is right: a good many of us wish to be pirates. Yes, I am a pirate, two hundred years too late. I'm an over-forty victim of fate, arriving too late.

What fun or unique things can you tell us about yourself?

I’m a pirate. I plunder things from others. Sometimes I return those things I plunder in better condition than when I relieved the individual of the booty. In pirate land, we call this borrowing.

Where is your favorite vacation spot?

The coast of North Carolina. Specifically surf spots. Boilers (the first parking lot after crossing Oregon Inlet — park and walk over the dunes). Fort Fisher: off the north rock point on a Northeast swell that’s peeling left: second point south if the first spot is closing out. East end of Holden Beach when the wind is out of the Northeast and the swell out of the south.

Please describe yourself with three words.

Pirate, preacher, teacher.

What do you enjoy doing for relaxation?

Walking and praying in the woods with my dog.

What do you enjoy most about writing?

Getting lost in the story. Finishing the story is also fun, but the newness of the story always excites me.

Do you have a dedicated place to write, or a nook or corner of a room, or the kitchen table?

Green room downstairs, top porch, and front porch. I can work at my office desk, but those places remind me I’m a writer.

What can your readers expect from you next?

A rework of Rumor of a Werewolf. I have the edits back from my editor. Simply need to complete working through her edits. After that, The Tales of John Mark, People We Meet on the Way to the Cross, and the Pirate Gospel.

What can readers who enjoy your book do to help make it successful?

Post a review on Amazon. It’s hard to get positive reviews. Human nature is such that we would rather complain than compliment.

How did you get started writing?

Honestly, I don’t know. I’ve always been a writer. I wrote for my school newspaper in high school. I told stories (lies) in grade school. Making up stuff and trying to convince people it’s true is always something I’ve done. I suppose that's one reason I enjoy humor so much. A joke is pulling the rug from under someone’s feet.

https://eddiejones.org/
http://pirate-preacher.com/
https://readersareleaders.co/
https://writerscoach.us/
https://mooresquarechurch.org/

Eddie Jones is an award-winning author of middle-grade and Young Adult fiction. He's also a pirate at heart who loves to surf.

Creating the Small Mountain Town of Pinecone Junction

Sat, 23 Sep 2023 07:30:00 GMT

Today I welcome friend and author Kathleen Donnelly as she shares about how she created a fictional town in her latest release. Kathleen has generously offered a giveaway to one lucky reader, so be sure to follow the instructions to enter the random drawing.

Disclaimer: Book is rated PG-13 for violence and language

Colorado has numerous charming, small mountain towns to explore. They are set in beautiful locations and many have become tourist destinations. When I started writing the National Forest K-9 series, I had a couple of decisions to make. Set the books in a real National Forest and include one of the towns I love visiting? Or create my own fictional National Forest and small town to go with it?

I realized that setting the book in a real National Forest meant studying maps and making sure I had all the details correct from river and lake locations to trails and Forest Service roads. The same for the small towns that I love such as Red Feather Lakes. I decided that I would create my own imaginary town of Pinecone Junction surrounded by the fictional Pino Grande National Forest.

Even though this town and forest don’t exist, I drew from my various life experiences in different mountain towns. When I was in college, I spent a summer working on a ranch between the towns of Gunnison and Crested Butte. Both towns are small, or were back then. I loved how everyone knew each other. There were times when people disagreed, but I also saw how these two communities rallied to support one another when in need. While not far apart, they were each a little different. Gunnison was and still is more of a ranching community while Crested Butte is known for its ski areas.

The wilderness surrounds both towns including the Gunnison, Grand Mesa and Uncompahgre National Forests. To say the mountains in this area are spectacular is an understatement. After returning home from that summer, I missed the small town feel and the people I had come to know.

Another mountain community that I used to create Pinecone Junction was Red Feather Lakes. Every winter, my husband and I would get a permit from the Forest Service and go cut down our Christmas tree in the Roosevelt National Forest. The tree cutting area was near Red Feather and we stopped once at a small local restaurant called The Potbelly, which served breakfast, lunch, dinner and was also the local bar. I had that feeling again of being part of a mountain community even if it was only for lunch.

When I started writing the National Forest K-9 series, I wanted a similar restaurant in Pinecone Junction so I created The Black Bear Café. I pictured The Potbelly and several of the restaurants in Gunnison. Combining them all together, I envisioned a wonderful place to get a home cooked meal and a place my characters could meet to discuss their cases. Although I can’t let them discuss too much, because like many small towns, people listen in.

I hope by combining my real-life experiences with my imagination, I’ve created a place where readers can escape and join my characters in all their adventures. It allows me to escape as well—even if only in my imagination. I look forward to continuing to explore different areas in Colorado and using them to create and inspire new towns in my fiction.

Book Giveaway

Do you have any favorite mountain towns? If so, where are they located and what do you love about them? Leave a comment and your cleverly disguised email address (so the 'bots don't get you but we can reach you), and we will randomly draw for a signed copy of Hunting The Truth with some book swag to one reader who comments on the post. (Please note that Hunting The Truth does have some violence and cussing.)

About Kathleen:

Award-winning author Kathleen Donnelly has been a handler for Sherlock Hounds Detection Canines—a Colorado-based narcotics K-9 company—since 2005. Enjoying the work and partnership with the dogs, in 2010, Kathleen became part owner of the company. She loves crafting realism into her fictional stories from her dog-handling experience. Along with working dogs, Kathleen trained horses and enjoys spending time with her own mare. Her love of the mountains came from growing up in Colorado. Her debut novel, Chasing Justice, won a Best Book Award from the American Book Fest and was a 2023 Silver Falchion finalist in the Suspense category and Readers’ Choice Award. She lives near the Colorado foothills with her husband and four-legged coworkers.

Website:

www.kathleendonnelly.com

Newsletter Sign-up:

https://kathleendonnelly.com/#newsletter

Connecting online

Facebook --@AuthorKathleenDonnelly

Twitter --@KatK9writer

Instagram --@authorkathleendonnelly

Goodreads --https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22280955.Kathleen_Donnelly

Photo Permission: Photos courtesy of PiperAnne Worcester Photography

Where to Purchase Hunting The Truth

About Hunting The Truth :

“Hide, Maya. Don’t let the bad people find you.”

Those are the last words Forest Service law enforcement officer and K-9 handler Maya Thompson ever heard her mother say.

Returning to the Colorado mountains, ex-soldier Maya is no longer a scared little girl. She’s here to investigate her mother’s cold case, but fear creeps in when it comes to her personal life—things are getting serious with sheriff deputy Josh Colten.

After new DNA evidence surfaces, both her beloved grandfather and Josh warn her away from the case, suspecting that she could be the next victim. But Maya doesn’t listen.

Instead, Maya and her K-9 partner, Juniper, track a suspect deep into the forest and directly into grave danger…

A Scarlet Past Versus a Faithful Heart

Fri, 22 Sep 2023 07:30:00 GMT

Today I welcome author Sherry Shindelar as she shares her thoughts regarding how our past can define us--or not.

God is a God of Transformation. He delivered Rahab from a scarlet past to the Faith Hall of Fame. What can He do with us?

“The Lord looks upon the heart…” 1 Samuel 16:7 That’s what God told Samuel as he searched through the line-up of Jesse’s sons looking for the one God was calling to be the next king of Israel. The Lord had made this loud and clear years before in the life of David’s great-great grandmother: Rahab, a harlot.

The inhabitants of Jericho were in an uproar. The Children of Israel, with Joshua as their leader, were camped on the other side of the Jordan. It was only a matter of time before they crossed. The land was ripe with rumors of the armies and kings they’d already defeated.

The king of Jericho needed a plan, and when he heard that two Israelite spies had sneaked into his city and were staying at the house of Rahab the prostitute, he wanted to get his hands on them.

But Rahab had other plans. God had revealed to her heart that He was the all-powerful “God of Heaven above and earth below” (Joshua 2:11). She couldn’t let the king or anyone else in the city get their hands on God’s followers. So she took the two spies upon the roof and hid them beneath piles of soggy, wet flax.

Then, she lied to the king’s officials who showed up at her door. She told them the men had already left, and if the officials wanted to catch them, they’d better hurry out the city gate after them. In other words, she sent them on a wild goose chase that lasted for days.

She risked her life. If her lies or the men had been discovered, the king very likely would have executed her for harboring and assisting enemies of the state. But her faith told her that the kingdom was in its last days. In her heart, she knew that “The Lord had given this land to” the Israelites (Joshua 2:9).

Rahab decided to put her faith in the Lord, not in stone walls or earthly armies. She helped the men escape the city by using a rope to lower them down from her window on the outside of the wall, but not before extracting a promise from them. She asked them to spare her life and the lives of her family members when the Lord handed the city over to the Israelites. They agreed and told her to gather all of her family in her house and to hang a scarlet cord out of her window as a sign.

Hanging the scarlet cord was a sign of faith. She was putting her trust in the Lord, that He would watch over her and her family.

Weeks passed. She had to wonder if she’d been wrong or mistaken. The army of the Children of Israel came. Forty thousand or more marched around the city day after day for six days, in silence except for the priests blowing their trumpets. Then, on the seventh, they blew their trumpets, and the whole force gave a mighty shout.

The walls started to shake and break apart. Rahab’s house was in those walls. She’d gathered her whole family there. The floor jarring beneath her, cracks ripping through her stone surroundings, she probably huddled and hugged her family close, wondering if this was the end. Would God remember her and honor her faithfulness?

Rahab had to keep her “focus on the window with the scarlet cord as her world shook around her; otherwise fear would have overcome her.”*

What kind of walls are we surrounded by and dependent upon? When our world, or daily lives, or dreams are shaken, we need to keep our eyes on our Lord and His promises.

In the keynote address at the Royal Writers Conference, Author Karen Witemeyer stated, “God can use anybody at any time if they have the courage to stand up and do what God is calling them to do. A humble prostitute from a non-Jewish background came to be in the lineage of Christ because of her faith, courage, and ability to stand firm.”*

We have no idea of the amazing ways God can use us or the plans He has for us, if only we will stand firm and keep our eyes and hearts focused on Him!

*Quotes from Karen Witemeyer’s keynote on “Unshakeable Faith” at ACFW Virginia’s Royal Writers Conference 2022.

Other Sources:

Higgs, Liz Curtis. “Bad Girls of the Bible: Rahab.” https://www.lizcurtishiggs.com/bad-girls-of-the-bible-rahab/

NIV Study Bible.

About Sherry:

Originally from Tennessee and the Shenandoah Valley, Sherry Shindelar loves to take her readers into the past. She is an avid student of the Civil War and the Old West. Her debut novel, Texas Forsaken , will be published by Wild Heart Books in May 2024. When she is not busy writing, Sherry is an English professor working to pass on her love of writing. Sherry is an award winning writer: 2023 Genesis Finalist, 2022 Crown Finalist, and a 2021 Maggie finalist. She currently resides in Minnesota with her husband. You can connect with Sherry through her website at https://sherryshindelar.com/

Countin’ On Jesse Is Finally Here!

Thu, 21 Sep 2023 07:30:00 GMT

Today I welcome author Mary Pat Johns as she shares about her latest release.

Scrivenings Press published my debut novel, Countin’ On Jesse , on September 12, 2023. It was a work in progress for more years than I like to remember, but who’s counting?

When people hear I write books, they often ask what the book is about. What they really want to know is what genre I write. Is it fiction or non-fiction? If it’s fiction, what kind of fiction? Most people have opinions about the different types of fiction and very strong opinions about romance. However, romance is consistently the best-selling genre. Just sayin’.

What matters to an author is the target audience. The genre I write in won’t appeal to everyone. In fact, it’s very specific. Women who like good love stories with strong heroes and happy endings will probably like my books. Men are not my go-to with book talk, my husband being the lone exception.

When people ask about my book, I hand them a postcard of sorts as quickly as possible and say, “All you need to know is right here.”

Here’s a blurb of the story, same as on the cards I give out:

Countin’ On Jesse is an (inspirational) contemporary romance.

Accountant BRENNA MCKINLEY only wants what’s best for Peeps, the wildly popular gym in Valiant, Texas. But when money goes missing, and she’s the obvious suspect, will she be able to clear her name or face criminal charges? Keeping her dream job matters, but falling in love with her boss isn’t part of the plan. Neither is the creepy guy stalking her.

Young veteran JESSE JACOBS manages and co-owns Peeps, an exercise facility in Valiant, Texas. He needs help to gain accreditation for the gym, and his new accountant is all in. But is she who she seems? Too bad he’s falling for her like a man with no parachute.

When the pressure builds, PTSD renders him moody and volatile, risking everything he loves.

Feedback about the book from my launch team was heartening. Here are some of their quotes about the story…

“Exceptionally strong debut author who sends readers on a thrill ride filled with romance and adrenaline-pumping action.”

“Three main things stand out to me so far…1) The dedication sets a precedence for all the quips in this book. 2) I love the chapter lengths. They are not too long, but really get your attention to continue reading. 3) The metaphor sayings! ‘his temper needs a permanent vacation’ and ‘like a peacock in a yard full of chickens’.”

“(This book) was everything I wanted it to be. It was mysterious, fun, suspenseful. I love all the characters, even Emilio LOL!... I love it when books create big emotions in me. I loved that scenes caught me off guard… I was shaking my head… It made me laugh. I can’t wait to get a hard copy in my hands.”

One reader warmed my heart with her short succinct comments. “I’ve reached the end—boo-hoo…Hope there will be more books in your future.”

Bonum est Deus. God is good.

About Mary Pat:

Countin’ On Jesse is Mary Pat Johns’ debut novel, book one of the Valiant series. God put it in her heart to tell stories of brave veterans and their reintegration into civilian life after suffering the traumas of war. As she kept writing, her focus generalized to include ordinary people who learn how to move forward after devastating events. Her writing includes a strong spiritual thread.

She lives in South Texas with her husband and their two dapple dachshunds. Her grown children and five grandchildren are useful sorts who keep her grounded with her reading/writing obsession. You can find her at the gym, at her computer, or reading a good book.

Connecting online:

Website: https://www.marypatjohns.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marypatjohnsauthor

Instagram: @marypatjohnsauthor

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3YZfOGp

Infusing Scriptural and Biblical Principles into Fictional Stories

Sun, 17 Sep 2023 07:30:00 GMT

T oday I welcome author Tammy Adams as she shares how infusing our fiction with our Christian worldview can benefit readers and our story, too.

Stories have captivated humanity since ancient times, serving as a powerful medium for communication and connection. As believers, we have the unique opportunity to utilize the art of storytelling to not only entertain but also inspire and edify others. By weaving Scripture and biblical principles into our fictional narratives, we can create an immersive experience that resonates with readers, fostering personal growth and deepening their walk with God.

1. Purposeful Integration of Scripture:

One of the most impactful ways to infuse biblical elements into a fictional story is through the intentional integration of scripture. Consider selecting key verses that align with the overarching theme or message of your story. I incorporated the verse in Isaiah 30:21 "Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, 'This is the way; walk in it.’’ into my book, titled His Voice. These verses can be woven into the dialogue, thoughts, or actions of the characters, allowing readers to encounter God's Word through the narrative itself.

2. Character Development and Transformation:

Incorporating biblical principles into the personal journey of your characters can be a powerful tool for personal growth and spiritual reflection in readers. As the story progresses, allow your characters to encounter challenges, make choices, and experience transformations that mirror the lessons found in Scripture. By illustrating the consequences of both positive and negative choices, readers can glean valuable insights and explore the complexities of applying biblical principles in their own lives. In my book, I made sure that conversations and scenes were written in such a way as to teach these principles by having the character grasp it at the same time as the reader.

3. Themes of Redemption and Grace:

At the heart of the Gospel, we find themes of redemption, grace, and forgiveness. Infusing these elements into your fictional story can create a profound impact on readers, reminding them of the transformative power of God's love. Consider incorporating characters who experience redemption from their past mistakes, find forgiveness, or extend grace to others. These themes resonate with readers on a deep level, offering hope and encouragement in their own journeys of faith. The main protagonist of my book has quite the journey of transformation that was not very pretty, but neither is ours… usually!

To sum it all up, incorporating scripture and biblical principles into a fictional story holds immense potential to impact readers' lives, nurturing their faith, and guiding their walk with God. Through purposeful integration of scripture, character development, themes of redemption and grace, and the use of parables and allegories, we can create narratives that resonate, inspire, and transform. As writers and storytellers, let us embrace the opportunity to craft stories that not only entertain but also lead readers closer to the heart of God.

Remember, every word has the power to shape lives, so let us use our gift to glorify God and encourage the growth of faith in others.

Getting to know Tammy:
What do you enjoy most about writing? I enjoy the process of putting on paper the scenes that I see in my mind and writing the conversations that the characters have with one another!

What can your readers expect from you next? I will begin on the next book in a three-book collection. The story will continue with the same family but center on a different person. I’m excited to tell their stories!!

How did you get started writing? I began writing poetry in my emotional teenage years which quickly morphed into story telling. I consumed books voraciously growing up and I often thought, I can tell a good story, too!

About Tammy:

LINKS:

WEBSITE: https://tammysadams.com
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/tammyadams.one/

PINTEREST: https://www.pinterest.com/Ilovetopin2014/

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100095277262105

Mending Helen’s Heart

Sat, 16 Sep 2023 07:30:00 GMT

Today I welcome author Clare Bills back again. This time around, she's featuring the second book in her series.

Words matter. We all know that. But what we sometimes forget is that hate-filled or unkind words spoken over and over to a child will likely shape the child’s personality and future choices. And not in a positive way. This was the case with the protagonist for my second novel, Mending Helen’s Heart , the sequel to Mountains of Trouble . After her grandmother repeatedly told her that she resented her and was angry she had to help raise Helen*, it’s no wonder that Helen went looking for love as a teen. But instead, she found another angry, dysfunctional person who inflicted great harm on her.

I wrote Helen’s story for two main reasons. First, she could have chosen bitterness and instead chose faith and, ultimately, forgiveness to piece her life back together. Second, Helen’s complex story is an example for young women today who are looking for a life partner. It’s a sort of ‘how to’ of what not to do. However, in spite of the trauma, it’s also a second-chance romance.

Helen was the daughter of Cora*, the protagonist in Mountains of Trouble. As difficult as Cora’s life was, Helen suffered what some may call generational trauma. Suffering passed from one generation to another because of trauma in their personal relationships and misery from the world around them, like the Great Depression and World War II.

Helen had incredible gifts, and in the end, she leaned on her gifts to help rebuild her life. Eventually, she found a faith that not only sustained her but healed her. Even in her 90’s, she attended Bible studies and had a rich prayer life. Yes, she was a personal hero for me.

*I changed the names of Helen and Cora, but their stories are based on the lives of these brave women who were my husband’s relatives.

Getting to Know Clare

1. If I was an animal, I’d be a goat. Stubborn, but tidy, and I like to eat.

2. The worst thing an editor said to me was also the best thing. After I sent her the first draft of my first novel, she suggested I “take a season off and study writing for novels.” I did and continue to study this difficult, but amusing, art form.

3. Now that I’m writing more, I’ve given up sewing, which used to be a favorite hobby. I still love to watch birds and wild animals in the woods of Minnesota, where we live. All while baking cookies!

About Clare:

She and her husband of many years live in the woods of Minnesota with their rescue, Bennie-the-dog. (Note: he also answers to Benny.)

They have three wonderful grown children, seven amazing grandchildren, and one adorable great-grandson.

Please subscribe to her monthly newsletter by sending her a quick email to clarebills@live.com . Mention that you saw this blog post, and you’ll be entered into a drawing for a signed print copy of Mending Helen’s Heart. (US readers only, sorry.) Deadline: September 30, 2023.

Follow Clare’s Facebook page: Clare Bills, Nearly Normal Writer.

Instagram: clarebills2711.

A Peek Inside Mending Helen’s Heart

Chapter 1

Helen was a determined sixteen-year-old, flexing her personality and forging ahead with plans to emerge like a butterfly for the return to high school and a particular classmate with a cleft in his chin. Her metal bed squeaked and screeched as she shoved it across the scratched wood floor to the middle of the room. She climbed up two steps onto a small ladder to reach the drab curtain on the only window, tossed the curtain and rod onto her bed, and covered the bed with old sheets. The tall, four-drawer pine dresser was more resistant to movement, but she finally wrestled it away from the wall and then pulled her hair into a ponytail. Ready. She placed a soft cover on a paint roller and anticipated the fun she would have.

“Helen!”

Oh boy, here we go! Helen stood up and climbed over her bed to reach the door.

“Helen Jane!”

She swung the door open and shouted down the stairs. “What is it, Grandma?”

“Helen Jane! What in tarnation is all that racket?”

“I’m getting ready to paint my bedroom.”

“What? Whered ya get money for paint?”

“From my wages. I told you.”

“Ya never did! Ya aint got permission to go and paint.”

“Grandma! I told you about it. I hate these dingy walls, and I’m painting them this morning.”

Grandma backed away from the stairwell, muttering. “Wasting all that money!”

“Sorry, Grandma. But this will raise the value of the house by improving it.”

Helen shut the door, took a deep breath, and looked around. Life was going to improve, starting today, as she made physical changes to her room that echoed the internal changes pushing her to get past her broken childhood and emerge more decisive, more confident, and, if not popular, at least likable.

Helen threw her energy into the task, watching the room spring to life with every pass of the roller. The dirty grey walls were being erased, like Helen’s troubled childhood.

Mama was gone now, married, leaving Helen to stand up to her grandmother’s daily battles, but Helen was no longer the shy, smelly child with ragged clothes and dirty hair.

Spotlight on Wooing Gertrude

Fri, 15 Sep 2023 07:30:00 GMT

Today I welcome guest blogger and author, Jodie Wolfe, as she shares about her latest release.

Getting to know Jodie:

Please describe yourself with three words.

Quiet, laughter, hope

What can readers who enjoy your book do to help make it successful?

Leave a review online. Talk about it.

What can readers expect from you next?

I just turned in the final book in the series to my publisher. It’s tentatively called Convincing Lou.

About Jodie:

Jodie Wolfe creates novels where hope and quirky meet. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), and Faith, Hope, & Love Christian Writers (FHLCW). When not writing she enjoys spending time with her husband in Pennsylvania, reading, walking, and being a Grammie.

About Wooing Gertrude :

Enoch Valentine has given up finding peace for his past mistakes. He throws everything he has into being the new part-time deputy in Burrton Springs, Kansas while maintaining the foreman position at a local horse ranch. But when trouble stirs on the ranch, he questions whether he's the right man for either job.

Peace has been elusive for most of Gertrude Miller's life, especially under the oppressiveness of an overbearing mother. She takes matters into her own hands and sends for a potential husband, while also opening her own dress shop. Gertrude hopes to build a future where she'll find peace and happiness.

Will either of them ever be able to find peace?

Connecting Online

Website: https://www.jodiewolfe.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Jodie-Wolfe-553400191384913

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/jodie-wolfe

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/JodieAWolfe

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15220520.Jodie_Wolfe

Purchase Links

https://www.amazon.com/Wooing-Gertrude-Burrton-Springs-Brides-ebook/dp/B0CCXGB3GB?ref_=ast_author_dp

Ebook: https://pelicanbookgroup.com/ec/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1635

Print:

https://pelicanbookgroup.com/ec/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1636

A Peek Inside Wooing Gertrude

Burrton Springs, Kansas

August 4, 1877

Gertrude Miller’s life couldn’t get any better. She grinned, patting her pocket. Her fingers traced the two skeleton keys. After months of planning and preparing she finally had moved into her own place a week ago, away from the overbearing reach of her mother. In two days, she’d be opening the clothing shop beneath her apartment.

She studied the trail leading into town hoping for a wisp of dust indicating the stagecoach was on its way, but saw none. Smoothing the light blue flowered fabric of her skirt, Gertrude’s hand settled against her churning stomach. What would George Witt think of her when he arrived? Would he see past her faults and still find her loveable? Would he like the place she picked for them to live?

The many letters he’d written to her crinkled in her reticule, as she clutched it close to her heart. His last missive declared he planned to marry her shortly after arriving. Mama would have a conniption, which was why Gertrude hadn’t breathed a word to her mother that she’d marry tomorrow after the church service. Mama would try to do everything in her power to prevent it. Gertrude didn’t plan to say anything to her until they were sitting side by side in the church. No use creating a stir ahead of time.

Her dress hung from a hook in her new place waiting for the blessed event. She’d spent hours sewing it and adding yards of intricate lace she’d crocheted.

Francine’s Foibles: Story Behind the Story

Thu, 14 Sep 2023 07:30:00 GMT

Today I welcome guest author and blogger Linda Shenton Matchett as she shares about her upcoming release.

Here in northern New England, the nights have begun to cool and bits of foliage can be seen among the trees. As a result, my thoughts have already turned to Thanksgiving which is my favorite holiday.

Growing up, my family moved a lot because of my father’s job, but no matter where we lived, we could always count on getting in the car and traveling to Maryland to visit my maternal grandparents and extended family for Thanksgiving. The adults ate at the dining room table which seated twelve people, and my cousins and I were relegated to card tables in the living room. (I later discovered that was the more fun place to be.)

My grandmother and great-aunt must have taken days to prepare. The menu included roast beef, turkey, ham, white potatoes cooked at least three different ways, sweet potatoes, and a plethora of vegetables from my grandfather’s “garden,” a two-acre plot of every imaginable type of produce. Multiple desserts were available but always included my great-aunt’s coconut cake. My grandparents didn’t own a dishwasher so we kids had the responsibility of washing the dishes.

It was a full day of eating, talking, playing, watching football, and more eating. And there were plenty of leftovers for families to take home. (My parents typically brought an empty cooler!) Nowadays, my Thanksgiving celebrations are smaller, but just as joyful as I take the opportunity to count my blessings.

Because of my love of the holiday, when approached to participate in the multi-author project, Thanksgiving Books & Blessings, I jumped at the opportunity. As a way to honor my mother who passed away last year, I based the main character Francine’s job on the stories Mom told about her time at Fort Meade typing discharge paperwork for the men returning from the Korean War. Despite our English surname, most of my father’s family has German heritage, so I brought that aspect into the story as well. One ancestor anglicized his last name prior to World War I, and my grandmother’s sister changed the spelling on their surname prior to WWII, hoping to make it seem less German. I hope my story honors them all in some way.

For a chance to win an EBOOK edition of Francine’s Foibles share a tradition for one of your favorite holidays. Include your cleverly disguised email address. For example, donna AT livebytheword DOT com

About I:

She's given up hope. He never had any. Will they find it together?

World War II is finally over, and America is extra grateful as the country approaches this year’s Thanksgiving. But for Francine life hasn’t changed. Despite working at Fort Meade processing the paperwork for the thousands of men who have returned home, she’s still lonely and very single. Is she destined for spinsterhood?

Grateful that his parents anglicized the family surname after emigrating to the United States after the Great War, first-generation German-American Ray Fisher has done all he can to hide his heritage. He managed to make it through this second “war to end all wars,” but what American woman would want to marry into a German family. Must he leave the country to find wedded bliss?

Purchase link: https://amzn.to/3Z4cz0y

About Linda:

Linda Shenton Matchett writes about ordinary people who did extraordinary things in days gone by. A native of Baltimore, Maryland, she was born a stone’s throw from Fort McHenry (of Star-Spangled Banner fame) and has lived in historical places all her life. She now lives in central New Hampshire where she is a volunteer docent and archivist at the Wright Museum of WWII.

Connecting Online:

Website/Blog/Newsletter Signup: http://www.LindaShentonMatchett.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/lindashentonmatchettsreadersgroup

Moments in History: http://www.youtube.com/@lindamatchett

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/linda-shenton-matchett

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author_linda_matchett

A Peek inside Francine’s Foibles:

October 1945

Hands slick on the Studebaker’s steering wheel as she approached the guardhouse, Francine O’Malley sat up straighter. The sun glinted off the hood of the Oldsmobile, and she squinted against the glare. She’d been working at Fort Meade for two weeks, but she still wasn’t used to the scrutiny and ambience of secrecy on the base.

The line of vehicles in front of her moved forward. She inched closer to the pickup and the uniformed man standing outside the tiny hut at the entrance. She slipped her hand into her pocketbook and rummaged through the contents for her badge. Proof she had every right to enter the sprawling campus.

Nearly a month had passed since the war ended for good with the surrender of Japan, and the government had hired countless women to help process the discharges for returning soldiers, sailors, and airmen. The opportunity couldn’t have come at a better time.

She’d been getting bored working at the library, then her coworker Estelle DeLuca had announced her pregnancy, a reminder that at thirty-two Francine was still unmarried without a prospect in sight. It wasn’t as if she begrudged Estelle and her husband, Aubrey, their happiness, but the constant reminder of her singleness wasn’t something Francine relished.

After years of Francine taking care of her, Mother had succumbed to her illness just before the war began, then every eligible man in Laurel seemed to disappear overnight, either into the armed forces overseas or working long hours in one of the secret facilities that dotted the Washington, DC and Baltimore surrounding areas. She’d volunteered a couple of times at the USO club, but she was ten years older than most of the recruits, many of whom were leaving high school or college sweethearts behind, and their shining faces were yet another reminder she was alone.

“Stop! You’ve got a job to do, and you do it well.” Francine glared at her reflection in the rearview mirror. One more vehicle, and she’d be inside the base. A sigh escaped. “You don’t need a man to be valued.”

A warm breeze wafted into the car and stroked her face. Summer’s humidity was gone, but the temperatures remained high. The leaves wouldn’t start changing for another few weeks. Returning troops had to be thrilled they wouldn’t be spending another Christmas thousands of miles from home. There’d already been four weddings at church. How many more would occur before 1945 was a distant memory?

What Do You Know About These Biblical Heroes

Wed, 13 Sep 2023 07:30:00 GMT

Today I welcome guest author Debbie Wilson as she shares about her latest release.

What Do You Know About These Biblical Heroes?

What three heroines played a role in saving baby Moses? What purpose did Gideon’s fleeces serve? Did a biblical law or personal conviction put Daniel in the lions’ den? Let’s see how you did.

Three Brave Heroines
The three heroines in Moses’s story are his mother, his sister, and—his enemy’s daughter. Faith moved Moses’s mother, Jochebed, to defy Pharaoh’s decree and save the life of her infant son (Heb. 11:23). When she could no longer hide him at home, she used reeds and tar to make a small ark and placed him among the Nile reeds where big sister Miriam stood guard.

Miriam’s heart surely pounded when one of the last people she wanted to see showed up—Pharaoh’s daughter. Miriam balled her small fists when the princess spotted the basket. But what she saw gave her hope. Instead of disgust, was that sympathy on the princess’s face?

Miriam stepped forward and offered to find a nurse for the baby. Her quick thinking and the princess’s compassion saved Moses’s life.

Gideon’s Fleeces

We think of putting out a fleece to discern God’s will. Did you know that Gideon wasn’t seeking direction with his famous fleeces? The angel of the Lord had already promised him victory in battle. Gideon set out the fleece to assure himself that he could trust God. Would and could God keep His promise?

God graciously answered Gideon’s request—twice. This boosted Gideon to take the next step. Like Gideon, sometimes we know what we’re supposed to do. We just need assurance the Lord is with us. Our High Priest stands ready to supply the grace we need. We need only to ask.

Biblical Law or Personal Conviction

No biblical law commanded the Hebrews to pray three times a day before an open window facing Jerusalem. But this practice anchored Daniel while living in enemy territory. When evil men plotted to get rid of Daniel, they convinced the king to sign a law that banned prayer for thirty days to anyone other than the king.

Daniel could have prayed silently under his bed covers, and no one would have known. Instead, he kept his habit. His enemies came together and found him kneeling before his God.

God didn’t keep Daniel from the lions’ den. Instead, He sent an angel to close the mouths of the lions. What happened to his enemies? Daniel chapter six holds the answer.

How did you do? Little Strength, Big God looks at the men and women listed above as well as many more. Go to BigGod.us to learn more, enjoy an online matching game, and for a free download of 40 Days of Strength scriptures.

^“ And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies” (Hebrews 11:32-34 NIV)

Getting to know Debbie

What do you enjoy doing for relaxation?
As an audible book fan, I enjoy mysteries and suspense. Working on a watercolor while I listen to a mystery is the best. I also enjoy the beach in the fall and spring with less crowds and milder temperatures.
Do you have a dedicated place to write, or a nook or corner of a room, or the kitchen table?
My kitchen table overlooks a wooded area and our bird feeder. I like being surrounded by nature while protected from humidity and bugs! My two standard poodles usually keep me company.

What can readers who enjoy your book do to help make it successful?
What a great question. Book reviews help authors and readers. Posting a review on Goodreads, Amazon, or your favorite book seller site helps readers discover new authors and choose books right for them. Of course, telling a friend and recommending it to your church leaders are always appreciated.

Please leave your answer to the following question: Who is your favorite Bible character?

Go to BigGod.us for a free download of 40 Days to Strength scriptures.

About Debbie :

Debbie W. Wilson is an award-winning author, Bible teacher, and former Christian counselor who speaks and writes to connect fellow sojourners to the heart of Christ. She and her husband lead Lighthouse Ministries , a non-profit Christian counseling and Bible teaching ministry. Despite time in Boston, the Midwest, and Southern California, Debbie still says y’all and calls North Carolina home.

Connect with Debbie, find free resources , and learn about her books , including Little Strength, Big God , at debbieWwilson.com .

Connecting online:

https://twitter.com/DebbieWWilson

https://www.facebook.com/DebbieWwilsonauthor/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14350633.Debbie_W_Wilson

September New Releases

Mon, 11 Sep 2023 07:30:00 GMT

Cooking Up Trouble – A Baking Contest Mystery – with giveaway

Sun, 10 Sep 2023 07:30:00 GMT

When the first book in The Recipe Box series released (you can read those posts here and here ) I wrote about the hero and heroine, and introduced the setting of 1784, post Revolutionary War.

This second book, set in 1834, follows Hope’s granddaughter, now grown and with her own problem that must be solved by something in the recipe box.

One interesting fact about recipes of this time is there were no cookbooks with standardized formats or even standardized measurements for cooking and baking. Instead, most recipes were handed down orally. The ones that were written down or published tended to read something like this:

Blend a handful of sugar and half a pound of butter until creamy. Then add four coffee cups of flour, a pinch of salt…

You can imagine that every time the recipe was made, it was a little different. The size of the hand, the accuracy of the kitchen scale, and even the size of the coffee cups in general usage varied.

I’ve subtitled this book “A baking contest mystery”, and, in fact, there are at least two mysteries, including missing ingredients in the recipe that Holly plans to bake in the contest. But there are more secrets to uncover, including whether Holly and Adam can set their competitive natures aside—as well as their valid reasons to want to win the contest—to see justice done.

The book releases September 12, but you can preorder the ebook here: https://www.amazon.com/Cooking-Up-Trouble-Contest-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0CGKFS338

Leave a comment and enter a random drawing of all commenters in this and the next post on September 12, release day, for an old-timey “Famous Dishes From Every State” (1936) recipe book (US Only please). Please include your cleverly-disguised email address so we can contact you if you win. For example: donna AT livebytheword DOT com

About “Cooking Up Trouble”:

An unsuitable match to satisfy a debt. Can Holly find another solution?
An unsuitable calling--a man in the kitchen. Practically unheard of. Can Adam find the strength to step into his purpose in life?
Or will they both resist God and make their own way?

About Donna:

A hybrid author, Donna writes squeaky clean historical and contemporary suspense. She has been published more than 60 times in books; is a member of several writers groups; facilitates a critique group; teaches writing classes; ghostwrites; edits; and judges in writing contests. She loves history and research, traveling extensively for both, and is an avid oil painter. She is taking all the information she’s learned along the way about the writing and publishing process, and is coaching writers at any stage of their manuscript. Learn more at https://www.donnaschlachter.com/the-purpose-full-writer-coaching-programs Check out her coaching group on FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/604220861766651

Connect online:

www.DonnaSchlachter.com/blog

Facebook: www.Facebook.com/DonnaschlachterAuthor

Twitter: www.Twitter.com/DonnaSchlachter

Books: Amazon: http://amzn.to/2ci5Xqq

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/donna-schlachter

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&query=donna+schlachter

Need a writing coach? https://www.donnaschlachter.com/the-purpose-full-writer-coaching-programs

The Purpose-Full Writer: https://www.facebook.com/groups/604220861766651

Put a face on your story

Sat, 09 Sep 2023 08:00:00 GMT

Today I welcome author Betty Slade as she shares about her most recent release.

I painted a portrait in oil in 2009 of Mary Magdalene, titled Mary, do not cling to me. Her eyes haunted me and I felt she had something to say. I saw her pain and her yearning to tell me about her redemption.

With only eight verses in the Bible about Mary Magdalene, I wrote her story, a fiction based on actual events. I titled the book, Spirit of the Red Candle, Journal of Mary Magdalene. From a life snatched away in childhood to an unbearable demon-possessed existence, she buried her inner self. She flaunted her pride and lost her dignity. When she came to herself, she turned from the seduction of lies, blew out the red candle, and wrapped her soul in the promises of God. I put a face on the story of Israel, her unfaithfulness and her redemption.

God of the universe, put a face on His plan and His story’s destiny. God put Himself into His story. Jesus is the face of God’s love.

“…Before we were even born, he gave us our destiny, that we would fulfill the plan of God who always accomplishes every purpose and plan in his heart.” (Ephesians 1:11, TPT)

God is the Master Story Teller. He paints portraits of stories, events, journeys, prophecies, poetry and passion. Not with brush and paint, words and sentences, but with our lives. We become the face of God’s story.

We see examples of this in the books of the Bible. He didn’t name his books after towns and events. He named them after people. When he wrote about humanity, he used the life of Job to lay out the story of man’s condition.

Ruth, a gentile was a friend to Israel. She gave the world a son, the forefather of the king who will sit on the throne of God forever.

God wrote a love letter to Israel penned by Solomon. This beautiful song spoke of the love between a Shulamite maiden and the king. It portrayed the love between Jesus and his church, God and Israel, and a man and woman.

He prophesied His crucifixion through Jonah’s experience in the belly of the fish for three days.

He wrote his story from before time to after time through the life and face of Isaiah.

He told the story of a husband’s love for his wife through the life of Hosea and Gomer. Hosea was instructed to take a wife of prostitution, marry her, and bear children. When she was unfaithful, Hosea was instructed to take her back from the slave block and love her. God showed redemption and second chances for Israel, his unfaithful wife.

We are completed by Jesus and we also complete Him. We are the face of His plans and His story’s destiny. We carry the face of Jesus to a dying world.

A Review from a Reader

5 stars What a Winner! A Fun Compelling Story & Romance for all Ages

Book and Author Spotlight -- Mountains of Trouble

Wed, 06 Sep 2023 07:30:00 GMT

Today I welcome guest author Clare Bills as she shares a heart touching story that initiated her recent release.

I stood at the graveside of my husband’s deceased relative, Cora*, along with her daughter, Helen*, who was advanced in years. My husband and I had visited Cora’s grave many times, but this was the first alongside Helen, who lived in another state. She quietly shared a shocking secret about her mother. And then another. And another. I met Cora when she was nearly 90, a vibrant, joy-filled woman who lived alone, gardened and kept her cookie jar filled with a rolled date delight. I never would have guessed at the amount of trauma she suffered. She exhibited no sign of bitterness. Helen and I formed an instant bond, and I asked if I could write her mother’s story. Over a period of months, I interviewed her by phone and learned details of her own life and her mother’s.

I thought my master’s degree in journalism would be sufficient, but I soon learned that crafting a life story into a novel would take more skill. I studied, attended seminars, and purchased several online courses to assist me. After many years and rounds of edits,

Mountains of Trouble was published in 2020. The novel, based on true events, begins in 1912 and encompasses the time Cora spent as a teacher at a Christian Missionary school in Kentucky as well as time in Southern Iowa. I read two books about the Kentucky mission schools that assisted with research and numerous blogs and websites with original pictures and documents from the early 20 ^th century from Iowa and Kentucky. Mountains of Trouble includes her family’s struggles during the Great Depression and rationing during World War II.

Helen impressed upon me her mother’s deep faith and her own, even though she was deeply scarred by the events of her mother’s life. I’ll write about her life in a future blog post.

*I changed both women's names in case there were relatives who didn’t want their lives discussed in a novel. However, many relatives have read both books and applauded the effort to have their stories shared with a wider audience.

Getting to know Clare:

1. I love to bake far more than to cook.

2. Cookies are my jam. Also, my favorite food. I try to make them so nutritious they can un-dimple our thighs, whiten our teeth, and lighten our mood.

3. The greatest roadblock I had was the realization that journalism is not the same skill set as writing a novel. I still struggle to add world-building details, but I thoroughly enjoy it when I slow down and work on fleshing out a scene.

About Clare Bills

Clare Bills considers herself a nearly normal writer and admits to a degree of eccentricity. She enjoys the challenges of writing both serious and humorous fiction and nonfiction. Her publication credits include numerous magazines, newspapers, newsletters, and three published novels. She and her husband of many years live in the woods of Minnesota with their rescue, Bennie-the-dog. (Note: he also answers to Benny.) They have three wonderful grown children, seven amazing grandchildren, and one adorable great-grandson. Please subscribe to her monthly newsletter by sending her a quick email to clarebills@live.com .

Mention that you saw this blog post, and you’ll be entered into a drawing for a signed print copy of Mountains of Trouble. (US readers only, sorry.) Deadline: September 14, 2023.

Connect online:

Please follow Clare’s Facebook page: Clare Bills, Nearly Normal Writer.

Instagram: clarebills2711

A Peek inside Mountains of Trouble

1912

She was running from the farmer, his children, and, ultimately, from Ma. Marry a man sixteen years her senior? Rear his five urchins? Slop pigs and chase chickens ‘til her teeth fell out?

Never.

Cora wanted more. She had no idea what lay ahead, but she longed for a life where she was a major player, not a mere marionette.

She stowed her suitcase and then settled onto the worn leather seat. But her mind wouldn’t settle. Was she too hasty in committing to the teaching position? No! No. Too late for second guessing. She was Kentucky-bound and determined to make the most of it.

“Well, well, Missy! Don’t come runnin’ back to the farm if things don’t turn out.” The words pierced Cora’s heart as she rocked back and forth with the sway of the southbound train. Did Ma mean Cora could never come home? Well then, so be it! She would miss Pa and her sister Alice, but not her overbearing, critical mother.

She strained at the scratchy collar of her muslin blouse, loosening it a bit. Glancing around her to be assured no one was watching, she hitched her calico skirt up to her calves and fanned her legs with it. Two days on this stuffy locomotive, and then her life was her own.

She hoped.

“This’ll likely be your only chance at marriage,” Ma said when Cora refused to marry the widower.

“I don’t love him.”

Ma snorted. “Love! When you has enuf to eat, that’s love.”

Love? Really? Then Cora wanted no part of it. The notion of sleeping next to, being intimate with, a man she barely knew repulsed her. No better than a prostitute!

She felt sorry for his children. They needed a mother. But didn’t she deserve a life?

“You’ll marry some hillbilly, mark my words.” Ma never saw beyond the fencepost. Never hoped for a better life for herself or her daughters.

Cora wasn’t looking for a man. She had battled her mother to stay in school every year until she graduated high school. She longed for freedom and hoped teaching was her pass.

Cooking Up Trouble – Kitchen Utensils of the 1830s – with Giveaway

Mon, 04 Sep 2023 21:37:17 GMT

Welcome to release day for my latest book, “Cooking Up Trouble”. It’s an exciting time, and I thought I’d share history about kitchen utensils of the time.

In the process of writing my book, I researched about kitchen utensils through history, and specifically items used for baking and cooking around 1834.

Honestly, when I thought of kitchen utensils, I envisioned iron frying pans, wooden spoons, spatulas to flip eggs and flapjacks, and ladles for spooning soups, stews, and gravies.

Did you know that waffle irons were the in thing by 1834? Not me. I thought that was relatively recent.

And, the potato peeler—which I rarely use anymore—was considered a time-saver worth its weight in—well, in potatoes.

As for the story itself, the first documented baking contest in the United States was held less than sixty years ago, although there were plenty of county fair competitions prior to that. However, in my story, I invented the on-site baking contest at the local county fair.

About “Cooking Up Trouble”:

About Donna:

A hybrid author, Donna writes squeaky clean historical and contemporary suspense. She has been published more than 60 times in books; is a member of several writers groups; facilitates a critique group; teaches writing classes; ghostwrites; edits; and judges in writing contests. She loves history and research, traveling extensively for both, and is an avid oil painter. She is taking all the information she’s learned along the way about the writing and publishing process, and is coaching writers at any stage of their manuscript. Learn more at https://www.donnaschlachter.com/the-purpose-full-writer-coaching-programs Check out her coaching group on FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/604220861766651

Connecting online:

www.DonnaSchlachter.com/blog

Facebook: www.Facebook.com/DonnaschlachterAuthor

Twitter: www.Twitter.com/DonnaSchlachter

Books: Amazon: http://amzn.to/2ci5Xqq

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/donna-schlachter

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&query=donna+schlachter

Need a writing coach? https://www.donnaschlachter.com/the-purpose-full-writer-coaching-programs

The Purpose-Full Writer: https://www.facebook.com/groups/604220861766651

An Evening Stroll, A Summer at Thousand Island House excerpt by Susan G Mathis

Fri, 01 Sep 2023 08:00:00 GMT

Welcome back to the third and final post from friend and author Susan G. Mathis as she shares an excerpt from her latest release.

Hours later, the rain had stopped, and the sun shone brightly. It’d be a crackin’ evening to stroll with the mysterious and interesting Miss Bell. Something about her drew him to want to know what made her tick. Why did children fill her soul with joy? And why was she so inquisitive, charming—and beautiful?

He caught her on the way out of her classroom, hoping the picnic he’d procured would entice her to enjoy an alfresco dinner with him. “It’s nothing fancy. Fried chicken. Potato salad. And carrot cake.”

“Sounds wonderful. But is it proper? You being my superior, I mean.” Miss Bell giggled, the sound tickling his insides.

“We’re both off work. Just two colleagues having dinner. Right?”

“I suppose. I just don’t want to get in trouble with Mrs. Erving.” She chewed her lip.

He waved off her concern. “Oh, she’s more bark than bite. ‘Sides, how’s she to know? We can eat here on the island and then take a leisurely stroll around the hotel.”

She agreed, and they enjoyed their picnic on the shore of the St. Lawrence. While they ate, a huge freighter sailed past them, and Miss Bell put her hand to her chest. “It never ceases to amaze me how big those ships are. Whether lakers or salties, they’re larger than many of these islands and they make me feel very small.”

Liam chuckled. “Small, but mighty, I reckon. Like you. I see how deftly you deal with naughty children and command the respect of all of them. I made a stellar hire when I took old Mr. Sanderson’s recommendation.”

“Thank you, kind sir.” Miss Bell grinned, pleasure blossoming on her pretty face. “I learned so much about children in my five years as school mistress at the Watertown Center School. Since it was a one-room schoolhouse, I taught children from ages five to sixteen, which makes this position a breeze. And what about you? How long have you been here?”

He gazed at the billowy clouds dancing on the breeze. “Just three years now. Before that, I worked at the Woodruff Hotel in Watertown. Know of it?”

She giggled. “Do I! Papa took me there once, for a concert. He told me that Susan B. Anthony and President Ulysses S. Grant stayed there.”

“Many famous people stayed there. With the train station just behind the hotel, folks from New York City and other places downstate would stop there on the way to their Thousand Islands summer homes. Many said it rivaled the Waldorf Astoria.”

“It was an epic experience for me, to be sure. And, I have to admit, this Thousand Island House is equally wonderful.”

About A Summer at Thousand Island House

By Susan G Mathis

She came to work with the children, not fall in love.

Part-nanny, part entertainer, Addison Bell has always had an enduring love for children. So what better way to spend her creative energy than to spend the summer nannying at the renowned Thousand Island House on Staple’s Island? As Addi thrives in her work, she attracts the attention of the recreation pavilion’s manager, Liam Donovan, as well as the handsome Navy Officer Lt. Worthington, a lighthouse inspector, hotel patron, and single father of mischievous little Jimmy.

But when Jimmy goes missing, Addi finds both her job and her reputation in danger. How can she calm the churning waters of Liam, Lt. Worthington, and the President, clear her name, and avoid becoming the scorn of the Thousand Islands community?

ABOUT SUSAN:

Susan G Mathis is an international award-winning, multi-published author of stories set in the beautiful Thousand Islands, her childhood stomping ground in upstate NY. Susan has been published more than twenty-five times in full-length novels, novellas, and non-fiction books. She has ten in her fiction line including, The Fabric of Hope, Christmas Charity, Katelyn’s Choice, Devyn’s Dilemma, Peyton’s Promise, Sara’s Surprise, Reagan’s Reward, Colleen’s Confession, Rachel’s Reunion, Mary’s Moment and A Summer at Thousand Island House. Her book awards include two Illumination Book Awards, three American Fiction Awards, two Indie Excellence Book Awards, and four Literary Titan Book Awards. Reagan’s Reward is a Selah Awards finalist. Susan is also a published author of two premarital books, two children’s picture books, stories in a dozen compilations, and hundreds of published articles. Susan makes her home in Colorado Springs and enjoys traveling around the world but returns each summer to enjoy the Thousand Islands. Visit www.SusanGMathis.com/fiction for more.

Where can people find you online?

Buy links: Amazon | Barnes&Nobles | Wild Heart Books

Book trailer: A Summer at Thousand Island House book trailer

Historical Research for a Debut Novel

Thu, 31 Aug 2023 08:15:00 GMT

Join me today as I welcome author Alyssa Schwarz as she shares about her debut novel.

Every book requires some research. My debut novel, The Glass Cottage, has a historic element that takes place in an old Colorado ghost town, so I got to do a little digging. The fun part about researching a split-time story is how your contemporary characters get to discover the historical alongside you as the author and reader.

Here are a few interesting snapshots of my research for this book and a fun fact about the real life town it’s set in:

1. While writing, my parents and I took a trip to see the famed ghost town, St. Elmo. Tucked away in a narrow mountain valley, away from highway noise and cell reception, it felt as if we were stepping back in time a hundred years. I'll admit, I couldn't put down my camera, and that was when I saw it... Iris's house. Well, not really her house, but I was so inspired by the humble log cabin with the lace drapes decorating the aged windows, I couldn't help but wonder what her life would have been like living in a mining boom town at the height of the Colorado Gold Rush.

2. In 1886, the aquamarines from Mt. Antero were first introduced to the mineralogical community by “Nels” Nelson Daniel Wanemaker via a letter from Roselle T. Cross to George F. Kunz. It is debated as to whether or not Wanemaker was the first to discover the blue gemstone on Mt. Antero, but to this day, Antero remains the highest known gem locality in the United States. The largest ever recorded discovery in Colorado was back in 2004, when an amateur rockhound unearthed a specimen measuring 37 by 25 inches with over 100 aquamarine crystals and other gems!

3. How do you pronounce Buena Vista, Colorado? The town’s name has been pronounced “BEWna Vista” instead of the Spanish “BWAY-na Vista” ever since it was founded. It all came about at a meeting in 1879, when residents and property owners in the area at the convergence of Cottonwood Creek and the Arkansas River held a meeting to create a formal community. They had been told that would help attract a railroad line (eventually it attracted three). Two names were proposed by attendees: Collegiate Peaks, after the mountains in the area, and Buena Vista, which means “beautiful view” in Spanish, certainly an appropriate description. Alsina Dearheimer, the resident and property owner who suggested the name Buena Vista, certainly knew how the Spanish words were pronounced, her first husband having been a language and music professor. But she insisted that the pronunciation for the town name be Americanized into “BEW-na,” borrowing the first syllable of the English word beautiful. Her suggestion won out. An interesting anomaly was born, and Dearheimer became known as the Mother of BEW-na Vista. To this day, the tradition remains, but it can also be shortened to “BEWNIE” or simply BV.

Meet Alyssa:

1. What do you enjoy doing for relaxation?

I love to hike, bake, paint or do any kind of art project, and write fun flash fiction stories to tame all the story ideas floating around in my head.

2. What can your readers expect from you next?

The last book in the Prescott Family Romance series is set to release just over a month from now on October 3rd! Help me spread the word and pre-order the book for your chance to win some fun artwork and bookish swag! If you do preorder the book, just send me a message on IG with your order number and you’ll be added to the drawing. :)

3. What can readers who enjoy your book do to help make it successful?

Reviews! Reviews! Reviews! It takes less than a minute to write a simple review, but each one helps train the algorithm to better promote the book and ensure more future readers find it.

Reader Question : What book are you looking forward to reading this Fall? Leave your comment below.

A peek inside The Glass Cottage :

Prologue

Colorado Mountains

October 1883

The icy wind tore at the edges of Iris’s scarf, and she cinched the ends closer to her chest. She didn’t know how many hours she’d spent on the mountain, but it hadn’t taken long for the storm to charge in with a fury. Fingers aching from the cold, she moved one numb foot in front of the other, hoping to find shelter… and soon.

Loose scree cracked and groaned its protest as she scrambled along the slope face. On such an exposed part of the mountain, nothing was secure. Not even the ice-glazed rocks that paved the path beneath her could be trusted to support her movements.

Iris tested the ground with her foot and took another tentative step forward. She pressed blindly ahead, one inch at a time.

Every shallow breath burned within her chest, a sure sign she was above tree-line, but she could be anywhere on the bald peak. The near white-out conditions made it impossible to distinguish any recognizable landmarks, let alone a trail. For all she knew, she could have already hiked two or ten miles through the snow, but she had to face reality.

She was lost.

Another gust of wind wailed against her, sending chills raking through her body. She rocked back on her heels to brace herself, but the shift in body weight dislodged the loose rocks at her feet.

A scream escaped her lips as she plunged down the slope.

Check out the book here at a great deal: The Glass Cottage will be on sale for $0.99 (a 90% discount) from August 30 - September 3

o Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Alyssa-Schwarz/author/B09HR9RVWV

About Alyssa:

Connecting Online:

o Website: https://www.authoralyssaschwarz.com/

o Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authoralyssaschwarz

o Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alyssaschwarzauthor/

o BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/alyssa-schwarz?fbclid=IwAR0Vkoc46au6Qrb52SedU99TnC4J9nzXN2ubsgPaGNiEy1_8vcvxLf1fC88

o Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21846420.Alyssa_Schwarz

o Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/alyssaschwarzauthor/

o Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Alyssa-Schwarz/author/B09HR9RVWV

When God Holds Your Hand -- with Giveaway

Sun, 27 Aug 2023 08:00:00 GMT

Join me today as I welcome author Jennifer Cary as she shares about her latest release. Read all the way through to find out how to enter a random drawing to win two free ebooks: The Travelin g Prayer Shawl and When God Holds Your Hand .

Ever have one of those life changing events where you can pick out the exact moment things took a distinct turn?

Funny, I’ve learned that though I can, with further scrutiny, I see the groundwork laid to arrive at that moment. Let me give you an example.

I had retired from teaching in 2017 with the desire to start writing again. I prayed for six months for an idea before God dropped something amazing in my lap that became Relentless Heart (a retelling of the book of Ruth set in 1968 Vietnam and Indiana).

From there, I ended up back in touch with a dear friend who had been an editor with a well-known traditional publisher but had now started her own business. Together she guided me and by June 2019, we had a game plan that included reworking an older book, readying its sequel that set on my computer’s “shelf,” and writing a third book to make it a trilogy. The Crockett Chronicles.

We set up a schedule for release, having that first book come out in September 2019, the second in November, and the third in January 2020. That gave time to polish Relentless Heart.

However, the writing bug feasted on me.

During that year, 2020, I released something at least every other month, and wrote over half a million more words. By the end of that year, I’d released three full historical novels, one box set, and three novellas. I’d also completed writing four more novels (The

Traveling Prayer Shawl and the Weather Girls trilogy). I was energized and excited to dive into the next year of writing, beginning with a devotional titled When God Holds Your Hand.

The seed of this devotional came about years earlier as I sat in my son’s hospital room while he slept off the rest of the surgical anesthesia from his latest procedure. I read my Bible in the dim light and stumbled onto a verse that rocked my world.

Only a few days later, when I wanted to show a friend, I couldn’t remember the address. She said it sounded like Isaiah 41:10.

Do not fear, for I am with you;
Do not be afraid, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you, I will also help you,
I will also uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

We looked. It wasn’t, but a few verses on I found it. Isaiah 41:13.

For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand,
Who says to you, ‘Do not fear, I will help you.’

Those verses got me through some very difficult times. So much so, that when I made a discovery about the pronoun use, it rocked my world for a second time.

God says He holds my right hand with His right hand.

I asked Abba to show me what all this meant and over a period of years, he revealed seven different positions for seven reasons. I held these in my heart until the excitement of sharing it in a book demanded I get it on paper.

That’s why I planned to start 2021 off writing that devotional.

Then a couple days before the new year, I had a dream. Father Time and Baby New Year were crossing a stage where they met in the middle and high fived. Father Time said, “Give’m h&#%.” Baby New Year relied, “You’re a tough act to follow.”

I woke in a sweat and did my best to convince myself it was only a bad dream. If only.

New Year’s Eve I received a call from a dear friend. My mentor (and her best friend) had been fighting the return of her breast cancer and could no longer live alone. Of course, with the holiday being a weekend, it made it difficult for my friend to find a care facility before Monday. I agreed to spend the nights with my mentor until our friend found one on Monday. They’d move my mentor on Tuesday.

After wonderful talks and laughs, everything fell into place. The last thing to handle was a COVID test.

My mentor tested positive.

So everyone assisting her tested. We were negative.

But I still had one more night.

Once home, I did all the proper procedures and moved into the guest room. Ten days later, I tested positive but had mild symptoms—ear aches and exhaustion. Three days later, my mentor passed away.

Sitting in the guest room was boring. So I started the devotional. It flowed and I was excited. Except it was short, despite being set up as a thirty-day piece. My editor suggested I add bonus material at the end. Good idea, but I didn’t know what to say.

I got better and tested negative, but the exhaustion didn’t go away.

I eventually went to the doctor. Due to a series of crazy mishaps, my bloodwork didn’t come back until early May. But when the doctor calls you himself, you know something’s up. He sent me straight to the ER. They diagnosed me with CML—chronic myeloid leukemia.

It was a gut punch. But my Bible study girls prayed over me, anointing me, and I claimed my healing. As one of them was leaving, she felt led to pray over my car.

I drove home that night just fine, but the next time I drove—blocks from my house—I was breaking at a light, third in line, when there was a sudden BAM.

I distinctly heard a voice in my ear, “This is an accident.”

Turns out I was rear-ended by a guy going ninety miles per hour who left two hundred feet of skid marks along with his stolen, over-turned Jeep.

After the jaws of life got me free, they took me to the hospital, where I learned I had a broken sternum, three cracked ribs, and a crushed vertebra between my shoulder blades. I spent five days in the hospital while the extent of the miracles involved continued being revealed.

I now had my bonus material.

However, I had to dictate it, as I wasn’t up to writing.

More miracles occurred involving the CML and medication.

I was overwhelmed. I am still as I think about it.

But God was so faithful. Besides helping me get the devotional completed and released, I launched the four completed books. The Traveling Prayer Shawl was first. I wasn’t able to do any promo work for it, I had to leave it all in God’s hands. He went above and beyond. That book, to this day, is my best seller. By word of mouth. Any time I try to do something, sales drop. But if I keep my hands off, it stays between the 100–500 ranking for Contemporary Christian Fiction. It has even done the double digits several times and reviews are very kind.

I’ve learned that if I say I’m writing for His glory, then I need to make sure I’m doing it His way. I haven’t had a productive writing year like 2020 since, even though my health is doing great—Praise God! Instead, I listen for His direction and write what He puts on my heart. It still needs editing and rewriting—sometimes I’m not listening as well as I should—but He can use my offerings for my readers good, for my good, and His glory.

Bodie Thoene once gave me a quote and I pray my writing is worthy. The ink of the scribe is as precious to the Lord as the blood of the martyr.

In Jesus’s Name.

Enter a random drawing for a copy of each of Jennifer's ebooks, The Traveling Prayer Shawl and When God Holds Your Hand. Leave a comment below, along with your cleverly-disguised email address. Example: donna AT livebytheword DOT com

About Jennifer:

Historical Christian Romance author, Jennifer Lynn Cary, likes to say you can take the girl out of Indiana, but you can’t take the Hoosier out of the girl. Now transplanted to the Arizona desert, this direct descendant of Davy Crockett and her husband of forty plus years enjoy time with family where she shares tales of her small-town heritage and family legacies with their grandchildren. She is the author of The Crockett Chronicles series, The Relentless series, and The Weather Girls trilogy as well as the stand-alone novel, Cheryl’s Going Home, her novella Tales of the Hob Nob Annex Café , and her split-time novels The Traveling Prayer Shawl and The Forgotten Gratitude Journal. Her current spin-off series, The Weather Girls Wedding Shoppe and Venue, contains standalones with a common thread.

Connecting Online:

website: https://www.jenniferlynncary.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1030580.Jennifer_Lynn_Cary

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jennifer-lynn-cary

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorjenniferlynncary

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenny.cary_author

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/jenniferlynncary

Meet Addison Bell, a character interview from the novella, A Summer at Thousand Island House

Sat, 26 Aug 2023 07:30:00 GMT

Today I welcome Susan Mathis as we interview her heroine, Addison Bell.

Welcome Addi. Why don’t you tell us a little about yourself?

I taught at the Watertown Center one-room schoolhouse for five years, and I’m ready for a change. I love the little ones, but the older children are too much of a challenge. Now, after my papa passed and forced me to board with grouchy old Mrs. Baumgardner, I need an escape. Hearing about the position at Thousand Island House is just the ticket out.

Tell us more about the Thousand Island House where you work.

Thousand Island House is one of the grand Thousand Islands hotels accommodating up to 600 patrons who flock to the Thousand Islands from East Coast cities and beyond during the summer. The hotel has one of the finest views of the St. Lawrence River, the most refreshing breezes around, and the most modern amenities too. The hotel’s recreation pavilion on tiny Staples Island is a great place to work.

Who is this Liam Donovan I keep hearing about?

He’s the Staple’s Island recreation pavilion manager, and he’s a great boss. He’s a little overconcerned with the natural noise children make, and he has some kind of hurt in his life that I’d like to get to the bottom of, but he’s helpful, kind, and a charming Irish gentleman.

And the Lighthouse Inspector, USN Lt. Maxwell Worthington? What about him?

Yes, he’s a lighthouse inspector from Buffalo, and I think he’s tired of leaving his little boy, Jimmy, with a nanny while he travels the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario inspecting lighthouses. So, I get to take care of Jimmy this summer. He’s a delightful little boy.

Tell me something about you that readers may find surprising?

I love the Thousand Islands, just seventeen miles from my hometown. The 1,864 islands are shared almost equally between New York state and Ontario, Canada. It’s where Lake Ontario narrows and becomes the St. Lawrence River. Here the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River intersect to become the world’s largest inland navigation system. Huge freighters pass by tiny islands along the main channel and share the waterway with all kinds of boats including kayaks and canoes.

If you could leave readers with one message, what would it be?

Trust in God and His plans for you. Hope for a better future. Hope for love. Hope for healing. I want to give readers hope that God can heal a broken heart and help you forgive those who hurt you. He did that for me.

About A Summer at Thousand Island House

By Susan G Mathis

She came to work with the children, not fall in love.

ABOUT SUSAN:

Susan G Mathis is an international award-winning, multi-published author of stories set in the beautiful Thousand Islands, her childhood stomping ground in upstate NY. Susan has been published more than twenty-five times in full-length novels, novellas, and non-fiction books. She has ten in her fiction line including, The Fabric of Hope, Christmas Charity, Katelyn’s Choice, Devyn’s Dilemma, Peyton’s Promise, Sara’s Surprise, Reagan’s Reward, Colleen’s Confession, Rachel’s Reunion, Mary’s Moment and A Summer at Thousand Island House. Her book awards include two Illumination Book Awards, three American Fiction Awards, two Indie Excellence Book Awards, and four Literary Titan Book Awards. Reagan’s Reward is a Selah Awards finalist. Susan is also a published author of two premarital books, two children’s picture books, stories in a dozen compilations, and hundreds of published articles. Susan makes her home in Colorado Springs and enjoys traveling around the world but returns each summer to enjoy the Thousand Islands. Visit www.SusanGMathis.com/fiction for more.

Where can people find you online?

Buy links: Amazon | Barnes&Nobles | Wild Heart Books

Book trailer: A Summer at Thousand Island House book trailer

Interview with Susan G. Mathis, author of a Thousand Stories

Wed, 23 Aug 2023 16:32:05 GMT

Today I interview dear friend and brilliant author Susan G. Mathis, as she shares about her next release.

Today I welcome dear friend and brilliant author Susan G. Mathis, as she shares about her upcoming release.

Hi Susan! Your eleventh Thousand Island story recently came out. What inspired you to write A Summer at Thousand Island House?

I had picnicked on Staples Island many times but never knew there was an entertainment pavilion on it during the Gilded Age. When I read about the place, I had to tell its story. And because I had been a teacher, Addi’s profession was an easy story to tell.

What kind of research did you do for A Summer at Thousand Island House?

I began researching online, in books, and with interviews. With all the details I collected, I wove a story that is visceral, interesting, and I think, memorable.

Tell us about Thousand Island House.

As I researched the Thousand Islands Gilded Age hot spots, I kept coming across the fancy, renowned hotel called Thousand Island House, and I knew I’d write about it one day. It was one of the grand hotels accommodating up to 600 patron who flocked to the Thousand Islands from East Coast cities and beyond during the summer. Built in 1873 in Alexandria Bay, it stayed opened for 63 years until the Great Depression caused its demise.

What message do you hope readers take away from A Summer at Thousand Island House?

All eleven of my Thousand Islands’ stories have hope as the central theme. Hope for a better future. Hope for love. Hope for healing. A Summer at Thousand Island House also focuses on healing broken hearts and embracing God’s redemption.

Why do you write about the Thousand Islands?

I grew up just twenty minutes from the Thousand Islands—the setting for all my stories—in upstate New York. Actually, half of the 1,864 islands are in NY and the other half in Ontario, Canada. So, I spent every summer and more exploring the beautiful region. I’ve stayed on several of the islands and camped and rented cottages there. So, after I wrote my debut novel about the largest island, Wolfe Island, I was hooked. There are so many fascinating stories to tell.

Now, I take an annual Thousand Islands Book Tour to the islands where I meet with fans, friends, and family. I’ve stayed in Singer Castle, Casa Blanca, and other places that are the settings of my book. I’ve talked with the owners of the islands, local historians, and researched in the Thousand Islands archives.

All my novels are based on a specific place in the Thousand Islands and are the true stories of the owners of that island. So, my plot is generally true. Then I overlay the storyline of the fictional servants to create the story. This makes my stories a bit more challenging, but I love a good challenge.

About A Summer at Thousand Island House

By Susan G Mathis

She came to work with the children, not fall in love.

ABOUT SUSAN:

Susan G Mathis is an international award-winning, multi-published author of stories set in the beautiful Thousand Islands, her childhood stomping ground in upstate NY. Susan has been published more than twenty-five times in full-length novels, novellas, and non-fiction books. She has ten in her fiction line including, The Fabric of Hope, Christmas Charity, Katelyn’s Choice, Devyn’s Dilemma, Peyton’s Promise, Sara’s Surprise, Reagan’s Reward, Colleen’s Confession, Rachel’s Reunion, Mary’s Moment and A Summer at Thousand Island House. Her book awards include two Illumination Book Awards, three American Fiction Awards, two Indie Excellence Book Awards, and four Literary Titan Book Awards. Reagan’s Reward is a Selah Awards finalist. Susan is also a published author of two premarital books, two children’s picture books, stories in a dozen compilations, and hundreds of published articles. Susan makes her home in Colorado Springs and enjoys traveling around the world but returns each summer to enjoy the Thousand Islands. Visit www.SusanGMathis.com/fiction for more.

Where can people find you online?

Buy links: Amazon | Barnes&Nobles | Wild Heart Books

Book trailer: A Summer at Thousand Island House book trailer

August New Releases

Fri, 11 Aug 2023 07:30:00 GMT

What Lies Do We Believe?

Wed, 09 Aug 2023 07:30:00 GMT

Today I welcome back author Betty Slade as she shares more insight into our internal thoughts and shares about her latest release.

Note of excitement in my world: I received word from Elk Lake Publishing, Inc. that my book cover, Taming Wild Horses, Book One of the Disappointment Valley Series, was one of the finalists for the Will Rogers Medallion Award.

Way to go, Betty. Here's crossing our fingers for a good outcome!

I listened to a webinar by a successful author who has written and published just under a hundred books. She says the first thing she asks before she decides on a plot for her story is what kind of lie does her character believe about herself. And why?

She says each of her characters believe in some kind of a lie. How they perceive themselves or others. This drives her story and writes the plot.

I am writing the second book in the Disappointment Valley Series. Do I know my character well enough to know what choices she’ll make when she is faced with more conflict and problems? The storyline will be based on her choices according to her backstory and what has happened to her.

I went back to the drawing board. What lie does Bree believe about herself? For a few, she believes she isn’t worthy of anyone’s love. She doesn’t trust in anyone and especially their promises. She doesn’t need anyone and is able to take care of herself. The way she reacts and copes with her life is to rescue herself from pain and run from the conflict. She is a ‘runner’.

To know her backstory from the first book in the series, the lie started when Bree was six years old. Her mother, Allie Steele, on meth, left her on the streets of San Francisco and forgot where she left her. Her mother promised Bree she’d come back for her. She didn’t. In trouble with the police, her mother fled the area with her boyfriend and disappeared. Bree was told her mother had died from an overdose and Bree entered the foster care services.

I turned the question to my writers’ group. What lie have we believed in ourselves that keeps us from writing? Has a lie kept us from following the path marked for us? Did a third-grade teacher laugh at our story? Did someone tell us we couldn’t write? Do we believe we have to be perfect, therefore we can’t write? Why will we believe a lie and oppose ourselves. When we do, we become our worse enemy.

To paraphrase Hebrews 12:1,2,3, in The Passion Translation Bible, we need to let go of every wound that has pierced us and the sin we so easily fall into. Then we will able to run life’s marathon race with passion and determination, for the path has been already marked out before us. People are in intense opposition from the answer they need and opposes their own souls.”

As writers, we need to know our characters and how they are wired. If not, the reader will close the book and put it down. How much stronger our written stories will be if we know our characters. How much stronger our lives will be if we know ourselves. Are we opposing ourselves by the lies we believe?

About Betty:

Betty J. Slade is an author, columnist, and artist. She has written over six hundred articles for the Pagosa Springs SUN Newspaper in her weekly column, The Artist’s Lane. She also created the Matter of Faith Column. Betty’s early novels include Spirit of the Red Candle— Journal of Mary Magdalene, and the Heart Bender Trilogy. Her Bible Study books are The King’s Choice—Song of Solomon and Hearing the Whispering Dove Workbook, and Cameo—A Study of Ruth. Betty is published in three current anthologies: Twenty-Three Journeys to Christ, Looking at Life, and A Book of Remembrance. Her recent book to be released is Taming Wild Hearts, Book One of the Disappointment Valley Series.

Connecting Online:

https://www.facebook.com/betty.slade.92/ - Personal Facebook site –3.4 K reach

https://www.facebook.com/bettyjslade - Writing Facebook site – 1.4 K reach.

Website: https://bettyjslade.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bettyjslade/

Nova Bree Steele is on the run after witnessing a murder in San Francisco. She hitchhikes to a ranch in the heart of the Rocky Mountains in search of Joe Crawford, a good man she heard could help her.

About Taming Wild Hearts

Modern-day cowboy, Luke Barrett rescues a rare Curly Sulphur Mustang from poachers in Disappointment Valley, Colorado. He and Bree join the efforts of a doctor working to save the Curly Sulphur Mustang breed from extinction. Relationships are forged with strength and courage to find their purpose.

Their lives, and the life of a rare mustang collide in the crosshairs of greedy men and the San Francisco Syndicate. They must find common ground and learn to work together, or they won’t survive the pursuits of evil men.

(Fictional based on actual events.)

A Life Set Free -- book spotlight

Fri, 21 Jul 2023 07:30:00 GMT

Welcome author and blogger Rena Groot today as she shares about her latest release, A Life Set Free.

This is me in Shiloh, Israel a few heartbeats ago.

Ever since I walked into my first-grade classroom as a little awe-struck girl, I dreamed of being a school teacher. Dreams do come true. I earned a Bachelor of Education from the University of Alberta and a Masters of Religious Education from the Southern Baptist Seminary in Cochrane, Alberta.

I have been a teacher in Canada and China. I wrote A Life Set Free –a story about the faithfulness and love of God—while sitting under a mosquito net in China. That's when my addiction to writing was born.

God has given me the honor of being an ambassador with “The Department of Eternal Affairs” to so many cool places ~ I never dreamed I would one day be praying with a voodoo queen in Haiti, staying at an orphanage in Uganda, sharing the love of God in Mexico City as an earthquake shook the ground under my feet, leading a dying woman to Jesus in a hut in Belize ~ so many exciting stories.

Connecting online:

· renagroot.com (blog)

· renagroot@yahoo.ca

· https://amzn.to/376xOrv (Amazon)

· https://www.facebook.com/rena.groot

· https://rena-groot.mykajabi.com

Broken to Beautiful—Transformed by

God’s Power online course)

Struggling to Write the Book

Thu, 20 Jul 2023 07:30:00 GMT

Today I welcome author Carole Brown as she shares about how to overcome the struggle to write your book. For our readers, perhaps this will give you insight into a writer's life. Carole is generously offering to give away an ebook copy of Ne'er The Twain Shall Meet. Read through to learn how to enter to win.

What do writers do when they struggle to write their next book?

I don't know what all other writers do, but I can give you what I do, what I've learned about those struggles and what seems to work for me.

To me, there are three pertinent stages to writing my book. Steps that will help me develop my book and get me to that finish line. Let me explain them:

Stage one:

I usually have a very vague idea what's next in my lineup of books (even before finishing the current one). For example, is this the first, second, third, etc. book in a series or triology? Will it be a stand-alone book?
Next, I like to have a title ready. That title means something. It hints at what should be in your book.
I begin taking notes. What will this book be about? Who are your primary characters? What could happen? What do you know for sure will happen? What kind of personalities will you hero and heroine have? How do you see, at the present time, happening in the story? What's your major plot? Your setting will be where? Etc. Anything and everything you can think of, jot it down or else you just might forget that detail you wanted to include.
And last, do all research that you know you will need. Having that knowledge ahead of time will save you time later as you write.

Stage Two:

Begin writing. Let me give you tip that is an enormous help to me. I keep a daily Chore & Word chart. Every morning (except Sundays), I write down a list of things I want to accomplish that day which includes, as the title says, chores, writing goals (and I break this up. Say three hundred words, then a couple lines down, maybe 500 words, or a thousand. Whatever works for you), relaxing periods, and finally the goals I've reached that day. What a feeling to realize I've typed done on all of it!!
Secondly, I go into this stage realizing that not every day will be a success. Illness, outside duties, vacations, etc. will interrupt, and sad as it makes me, I've (kind of) learned to live with that.
And finally, day after day, if you really love writing a book, you will overcome that feeling of hopelessness in not knowing where to go next. Keep taking notes, keep writing if only a few words a day. It's one step closer to the end.

Stage Three:

This stage deals with other problems in getting your writing done. Here are just a few tips that help me often:

Talk to another author friend. And it doesn't even have to be an author. Many times I talk to hubby, who has a mind to think of situations or people or whatever I need to give me an idea of how to proceed—which helps me to decide, change or use whatever he suggested to spur my ability to keep writing.
Secondly, take a break. Yep, it helps. Sometimes, mine is weeks. Sometimes a day or a few hours. If your brain is overworked, tired and just simply not working (:) ), then allow yourself time to rest.
And last, don't stop. Don't give up. Don't allow yourself to think I can't do this. If you're really supposed to write, then you can write. Do it. Be determined. Stiffen that backbone. Be positive. You'll reap the reward when you can type, The End!

To me, writing is the best career in the world. I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Enter to win a free ebook: Leave a comment, including your cleverly disguised email address so we can get in touch and let you know if you won. For example: donna AT Livebytheword DOT come

About Ne’er The Twain Shall Meet :

The only good thing happening in Special Agent Lincoln Tillis' life is the entrance of a very successful, very beautiful lawyer named Emilia Pavlo. Of course, she seems to have lost interest in pursuing a relationship with him. But like a moth to a candlelight, he can't stay away from her. His heart is hopelessly in love.

But when little Reba Simpson and his own daughter, Ashley are kidnapped, Emilia seems to be the only one with communication with the kidnapper. How much can she be trusted? Does she really want to help as she claims or is she weaving a web of lies to mislead him?

Is she as innocent as everyone else believes, or is his sixth sense that's never failed him before, right, and he needs to nab her before she hurts Reba and Ashley? Is she the King—Queen Kidnapper after all?

Getting to know Carole:

Besides being a member and active participant of many writing groups, Carole Brown enjoys mentoring beginning writers. An author of fifteen, best selling, award-winning full-sized books, one children's book, one anthology and one companion book, she loves to weave suspense, mystery and tough topics into her books, along with a touch of romance and whimsy, and is always on the lookout for outstanding titles and catchy ideas. anthologies. She and her husband reside in SE Ohio but have ministered and counseled nationally and internationally. She has found that the traveling and ministering has served her well in writing her novels. Together, they enjoy their grandsons, traveling, gardening, good food, the simple life, and did she mention their grandsons?

Connecting Online:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CaroleBrown.author

FB Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/183457429657732/

Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/1nFS0og

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/carole-brown

A Gift from God -- Book spotlight for Christmas in July

Wed, 19 Jul 2023 07:30:00 GMT

Today I welcome author Kathy McKinsey as she shares about her kitten-sweet Christmas book. She has generously offered a print copy of her book to one lucky winner (US only, please). Read through to learn how to enter.

Millie’s Christmas was a gift to me from God.

I write mostly women’s fiction, but a few years back, I wanted an exercise to make me write every day. It was December, and I thought about a story I’d written for my children when they were young, told from the point of view of a kitten.

When I started, I had little idea of how the piece would flesh out. The more I wrote, the more I loved the story that was coming to life. God gave it all to me—the characters, the plot—more than has ever happened to me with anything else I’ve written.

And He gave me such joy with the finished product. I hope to write more stories aimed at children.

Millie’s Christmas is similar to my women’s fiction novellas, a family sharing hard times and love. It can be enjoyed by children from six to 106.

A Peak Inside Millie's Christmas:

Hello. My name is Millie, and I'm a cat. Well, my mama says I'm still a kitten. But I'm four months old. I think that makes me a pretty grown-up cat.

We live in a house where there are two cats, Mama and me. There’s one dog, Bruce. He’s my friend. And we have four people. The most important person is Ruthie. She's six years old, and she's my best friend. She says I'm her cat, but really she's my person.

Ruthie has a big brother named Jake who's nineteen. He's funny. Then there are their parents, Mommy and Daddy, and they're nice but very busy.

Ruthie says I'm beautiful. I'm orange all over, except a white spot on my tummy and one white ear. Bruce laughed at me once and said I looked goofy with that one white ear. What does he know? He's mostly brown all over, with a black patch above his nose, and he has white feet. Now that's goofy.

Something exciting happened today. Ruthie picked me up, squeezed me, and ran all over the house yelling, “It's Christmas time. It's Christmas time. Millie, you're going to love Christmas.”

“Meow, meow,” I yelled back. I didn't know what Christmas was, but Ruthie was excited, so I was too. “Meow.”

About Kathy:

Kathy’s been married to Murray for nearly 36 years, and they have five adult children.

Kathy had two careers before writing—stay-at-home-Mom and rehabilitation teacher for the blind.

She lives in Cleveland, Ohio, with her husband and two of their children. Besides writing, she enjoys activities with her church, editing for other writers, braille drawing, grading braille manuscripts, crocheting, knitting, and playing with their rambunctious cat.

Connecting Online:

https://www.kathymckinsey.com

https://www.facebook.com/kathy.brinkmann.mckinsey

https://twitter.com/kathymckinsey

https://www.amazon.com/Gifts-Grace-Kathy-McKinsey/dp/1649171196

https://www.amazon.com/All-My-Tears-Kathy-McKinsey/dp/164917117X

https://www.amazon.com/Millies-Christmas-Kathy-McKinsey/dp/B09HQBTL7J

Getting to know Kathy:

Please describe yourself with three words. Christian, wife, mother.

What do you enjoy most about writing? I don’t write romance, although there is sometimes romance in my stories. I love writing about relationships—siblings, parents and children, friends, friendships between a young and an older person. I want to show the support and fun that can come from the strength in these relationships.

How did you get started writing? I told myself stories for as long as I can remember. I started writing them down to share with others when I was about nine or ten. By this time, I could not see well enough to read them myself, so I begged friends and family to read them to me.

Leave a comment to enter to win a print copy of "Millie's Christmas" (US only) : Cleverly disguise your email address so the 'bots don't get you. Fot example: Donna AT Livebytheword DOT com

New Releases for July

Tue, 11 Jul 2023 07:30:00 GMT

Betty Slade -- Book Spotlight

Sun, 09 Jul 2023 07:45:00 GMT

Today I'm happy to welcome back guest author and blogger, Betty Slade, as she shares about her love for painting, and one painting in particular, and how that ties back to her book series.

Taming Wild Hearts, Book One from the Disappointment Valley Series has recently been released and received with great reviews.

If you haven’t posted a review on Amazon, please do so. It helps the ratings for this book. It also makes me happy to read great swelling from those who read it. Thank you.

In marketing this book, one of the ways I’ve been able to make my book successful was to build an audience through a monthly newsletter. Because of my years teaching watercolors at a vacation resort, painting and teaching oils, and owning an art gallery, I geared my newsletters to the creative hearts, artists and writers.

It doesn’t matter if we express in paints or words, creating is about drawing from the gifts the Lord has placed in our hearts. I’ve been blessed to have been an artist for 45 years. In 1992 I became a serious writer and have pursued writing since then. I showcased this painting in one of my newsletters.

When I painted the oil above, Worthy , because of the power of God in us, I referenced it to a vessel described in 2 Corinthians 4:7 KJV, “We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.”

This painting was inspired by a discarded cracked pitcher from my Grandmother Jessie’s dusty attic. The crack started at the top and worked itself down. In 1960, just married, I took my Sweet Al to my homeplace in Manassa, Colorado. I asked my grandmother if I could have one of her keepsakes.

I saw this large white pot and asked, “Could I have this?”

“Why do you want that old thing? It’s cracked. It doesn’t hold water.”

“Because it belongs to you,” I said at the time.

The pitcher meant more to me than it did to her. She saw no value in the damaged pot, but I saw my history and family. Everyone who used it, handled it, and carried water in this antique wash pot, was part of who I was and am today.

In 2000 I painted this still life in oil (20X30). When I look at this painting, my spirit is full of joy. It records where I was at the time. I call this painting Worthy. Worthy of what it holds—beautiful memories, beautiful floral arrangements, and part of my family’s history.

I see myself in this pot. I definitely have cracks. I’m worthy, not for what I have or don’t have, but because of the heavenly treasure that God placed in me fifty-five years ago.

So many pieces of my art have been sold, given away, lost, or but this one hangs in my living room. One of my grandchildren, (4 ^th generation) asked for this painting, not out of any sense of family history, but because she liked the painting. Could I say “no” to her?

She sees something different. Maybe it matches her bedspread or curtains. It’s for her to hold it dear for how it speaks to her. Not as I know it to be.

I’ve lived with great expectations for myself and others. I am learning, if we live a full life, we will have cracks, brokenness, and bruises. Yes, even be discarded into the heap pile of humanity. The cracks remind us we are human.

Now broken in many pieces, can’t be glued any more, this actual pitcher has been thrown away, but the painting remains and it will live in the heart of the one possessing it. I told my story. She will tell her own story and what it means to her.

Hometown Fourth of July -- Book spotlight

Tue, 04 Jul 2023 07:30:00 GMT

Today I welcome author and blogger June Foster as she shares the heartwarming story behind her latest release.

Hometown Fourth of July was inspired by my husband's oldest brother. I hope you enjoy it.

Joe's parents were childless despite their strong Catholic faith. So, eight years of marriage and no children, they decided on adoption—a darling, four-year-old boy named Marshall.

For reasons known only to God, after two more years, Mrs. Foster found she was pregnant and delivered her first biological son, Mike. After that came my husband Joe, then Pat, then Helen, and finally Steve. Marshall was thrilled with so many brothers and a sister.

Mrs. Foster decided that the two older boys, Mike and Joe, needed to learn that their oldest brother was adopted. She called a family meeting and told them how Marshall came to their family. Joe spoke up, "Marshall still gets to be our big brother, doesn't he?"

In later years, he and Marshall remained in touch. When Marshall told Joe he'd be interested in finding his birth family but had no idea how to go about it, Joe offered to help.

Marshall discovered his birth mother had passed away ten years before but learned he had a sister. Joe couldn't find a contact number for Marshall's sister, but located one for Marshall's niece, his sister's daughter. Marshall was too nervous to make the call so Joe called her.

When a woman said hello, Joe explained he was calling for his brother, Marshall Foster, and that Marshall was looking for his sister. My husband thought the woman had hung up as he heard nothing but silence, then a sob. Finally, the woman spoke. She was Marshall's niece and said her mother, Marshall's sister, had been looking for him for years. She said her mother had died two months before.

Marshall was devastated, but his niece's promise to come to Washington to visit him with her other sister the following July cheered him. But in June, two days after Marshall's birthday, he died of cancer, never getting to meet his nieces.

But the story is not all bad. During the process, my husband and I had occasion to tell Marshall about our awesome and powerful God who sent his son Jesus to the earth to die for our sins. We shared how to have faith in the Savior and about our final home - Heaven. Marshall began going to church with us and gave his life to the Lord at Thanksgiving that year before the following summer. He started coming to Bible study in our home. We were warmed when he told us how he'd always felt empty. He pointed to his heart. He said he was no longer empty inside, and he finally knew who his real Father was.

Joe and I were present on that day in the middle of June when Marshall went to be with the Lord. I've never witnessed anyone die before, but I can say without hesitation, the experience was beautiful. Someday we'll see this wonderful man again when we join him in Heaven.

About A Hometown Fourth of July -

When Max Tate meets Lynn at the Fourth of July celebration in their hometown of Ft. Freedom, Washington, he's attracted to the curvaceous blond. Lynn helps Max locate his birth mother, but when they take a ferry to Cascade Island in search of her, they're too late. She died two weeks before. Now Max is mad at God and turns his back on the best friend he ever had—Lynn Marshall.

Lynn got lost in the crowd of her large family, their attention never stretching far enough to her lonely position as a middle child. Max declares his love for her, and she gives him her heart, but he hurls it back at her.

When he finally uncovers the truth about his birth mother, he's stunned. After an orphaned boy makes an impact on their lives, will Max and Lynn discover their love for each other once again to celebrate another Fourth?

About June

An award-winning author, June Foster is a retired teacher with a BA in Education and a MA in counseling. June began writing Christian romance in 2010 as she and her husband traveled the US in their RV. Her adventures provide a rich source of information for her novels. She brags about visiting a location before it becomes the setting in her next book.

To date, June has written over thirty contemporary romance and romantic suspense novels and novellas. June uses her training in counseling and her Christian beliefs in creating characters who encounter real-life difficulties yet live victorious lives. She's published with Winged Publications. Visit June at www.junefoster.com to see a complete list of her books.

Her novel, The Inn at Cranberry Cove , won the 2021 Selah award for Romantic Suspense. It is available on Amazon in paperback, hardback, and eBook format.

Chasing the Dream -- book spotlight and giveaway

Wed, 28 Jun 2023 16:22:59 GMT

Today I welcome author Patti Shene Gonzales as she shares about her Christmas in July celebration that begins July 1st. She has graciously offered a giveaway of a print (US only) or ebook version of her featured book, Cathy's Christmas Confession.

Last November, my Christmas novella, Cathy’s Christmas Confession went live on Amazon as a KDP published work. A print copy of the book followed in March.

Excitement and nervousness took control as friends and family bought copies and entered reviews on Amazon.

As I watched sales numbers throughout those first couple of weeks, I thought of all the writer and author contacts I have made over the years, not to mention non-writing friends with whom I’ve shared my writing dream. Of course, they would all rush to buy my book!

Then, reality hit.

Most of those contacts don’t have any idea I’ve published a book. Of my eight hundred plus “friends” on Facebook, less than ten percent probably see my posts, and ninety percent of those who do may not care one iota about reading.

Truth be told, I’ve given away more books than I’ve sold. The total of my royalties since my first sale doesn’t equal enough to fill my vehicle with a full tank of gas. The sum might provide a couple of good meals at my favorite restaurant, if I refuse dessert. I’ve spent more money mailing out books than I have selling them.

So, is the dream of publication I’ve held for so long, once achieved, merely a fantasy that fades to disappointment under the blatant truth of numbers and dollar signs?

No, it is not.

The dream never conjured images of money. It grew around something more valuable, a desire to share a message.

Cathy’s Christmas Confession is meant to comfort the hurting and bring the joy of Christ’s birth to readers. My characters act out on the page the ways sorrow can veil our souls from the spirit of “the most wonderful time of the year” when we face loss and loneliness. It digs below the surface of decorated trees and Santa’s sleigh and toys and cold winds to reveal the goodness of God’s perfect love for us in the gift of His son.

It is a message a hurting world needs to hear.

Giveaway: Leave a comment below to enter a random drawing for a print (US only) or ebook copy of Cathy’s Christmas Confession. Cleverly disguise your email address so we can find you but the ‘bots can’t. For example: donna AT livebytheword DOT com

Join us in our Christmas in July promotion every Wednesday and Saturday at pattishene.com/Christmas-in-July starting July 1 ^st as nine other authors share their Christmas message.

About Cathy’s Christmas Confession

During a snowstorm, widow Cathy Fischer creams a stop sign on her way to work at the Christmas Ridge Community Church. Acquaintance David Martin stops to help. Cathy sees signs of deep grief in David, a recent widower. She reaches out with support in an attempt to help David through this most difficult first Christmas without his beloved wife.

David Martin struggles with grief over the death of his wife. He blames God for her rapid demise after her cancer diagnosis. Cathy reaches out to him with compassion and support and soon enlists him in her mission to bring joy to others at Christmas. Will their joint quest restore David’s faith?

David needs to turn loose of the past and embrace his future. Cathy has a confession to make to the entire community that may give David a different perspective of who she really is. Will her confession set her free?

Does God have plans in mind for the two of them they did not anticipate?

Cathy's Christmas Confession : Book 3 in The Christmas Ridge multi-author series now available IN PRINT, on Kindle and Kindle Unlimited https://tinyurl.com/mr26ekaj

About Patti

Patti Shene Gonzales hosts Step Into the Light, a weekly interview style podcast, where guests share their journey out of darkness or ways they lead others out of darkness. She hosts writers on her two blogs, Patti’s Porch and The Over 50 Writer. Patti enjoyed a thirty-year career as a psychiatric nurse and has always harbored a desire to write. Cathy’s Christmas Confession released in November 2022 and is her first full-length published work. Patti enjoys writing, reading, critiquing, and spending time with family and friends. She lives in Colorado with her devoted feline companion, Duncan.

E.V. Sparrow -- Author Spotlight & Giveaway

Tue, 27 Jun 2023 07:30:00 GMT

Today I welcome author E.V. Sparrow with her latest release, Muldoon's Minnesota Darling. EV has graciously offered to gift one lucky winner with a bookmark direct from Dublin, Ireland. Read through for details on entering.

Author E.V. Sparrow and Muldoon’s Minnesota Darling : A Novella (eBook) Click here to read the first chapter on Amazon.

About the author: E.V. Sparrow wrote anthologized stories, including Guideposts and Bethany House publishers, before becoming a novelist with Celebrate Lit. Her readers encounter God’s unexpected presence through her character’s adventures. Her own involved traveling or working in over twenty countries. She ministered on prayer, worship, mission teams, and in Divorce Care and Singles. Transplanting from California to North Carolina, she and her husband enjoy being near more family and grandchildren.

Getting to know E.V.:

What (2 or 3) fun or unique things can you tell us about yourself?

I once hopped a freight train with some friends for a weekend. The friend that led us had been hopping trains for about 5 years. When I washed my hair, it rinsed greenish water from all the diesel smoke going through the tunnels.

Have you ever heard of a kibbutz? I worked on one in Israel for the summer. It was a few miles below the last town in the country, five miles from Lebanon, and ten miles from Syria. We had a bomb shelter onsite and watched incoming rockets from Hamas hit the hills beyond the cotton fields. That was a surreal experience!

What can your readers expect from you next?

I’m delighted to be under contract with my debut series of three historical fiction books, Those Resilient Muldoons, on the way to the market. Book 1, Muldoon’s Misfortunes, is set to debut on 12/5/23. It expands on the portion of Mick Muldoon’s story I introduce readers to in Muldoon’s Minnesota Darling: A Novella.

What can readers who enjoy your book do to help make it successful?

My goodness, read it, share it, and give an honest review. Every author covets reviews to create visibility for our works in a vast sea of books. Writing a book only for it not to be found and read is a small tragedy.

To enter Giveaway: To enter, leave a response to the following question, along with your cleverly disguised email address (so the 'bots don't get you.) For example: donna AT livebytheword DOT com

Question: What are the characteristics of a book that compels you to buy it, read it, and take time to write a brief review?

Giveaway : a gorgeous bookmark I purchased in Dublin, Ireland on a research trip a few weeks ago.

Connecting online:

Facebook/Meta https://www.facebook.com/sparrowwriter/

Twitter https://twitter.com/evSparrow

Website https://sparrow.world

Newsletter Sign Up https://mailchi.mp/475597e34cd3/sparrowworld

Amazon URL: https://www.amazon.com/Muldoons-Minnesota-Darling-V-Sparrow-ebook/dp/B0C51CWT62/

Draft2Digital UBL: https://books2read.com/u/bwN7EO where eBooks are distributed in the USA and worldwide for numerous eBook readers other than Kindle and Apple Books.

A Peek Inside the Book:

Chapter 1

Brothers and Hoodlums

He’s something like Brendan but worse

Mick

New York City, McGinty’s Pub

Friday, May 3 ^rd , 1867

Mick Muldoon plucked an auburn hair from inside his tattered tam and rolled the tweed fabric on his thigh. His cheek, ribs, and leg throbbed from his beating at the docks on the Lower East Side. He stroked his sore jaw with his fingertips. Beating a man for his limp. He stared into the amber liquid at the bottom of his glass. Thank God in Heaven for Ed’s unexpected rescue. He never should have left Ireland, no matter he’d lost all his wives and children to disease again. His farm was a sheltered place. Mick swigged his last gulp and glanced around McGinty’s pub.

At midday, it was dim inside, with one window for light. Only a few glasses clinked, and three patrons chatted together at the nearby bar.

Mick had missed much of what his brother and Ed’s old chum had discussed during his distraction but had no difficulty in understanding Gilhooley’s character. Thinking he’s a hoodlum.

Gilhooley’s hugest man leaned down and murmured near his ear.

“Listen, Ed. You freed me from those ruffians at the docks, but you landed us here before another, I’m thinking. He’s a giant with dark, dead eyes.” Mick shuddered. “What were you discussing?”

Charlie blew smoke at Mick’s face, then turned to Ed. “Did you have difficulty following me, old chum, or did you take me meaning of what I’m offering to you?”

“Aye, and ’tis a generous offer to join your gang, Gilhooley.” Ed wagged his head.

Gang? Chill bumps slithered up his arms.

“I only came to New York City from Canada to search for Mick. Got me gambling earnings and heading out west to purchase farmland. Think I’ll stick to me plan.”

Mick gasped. “Glory be. Getting out of this stifling city? Open sky. Luscious earth.”

Gilhooley chuckled. “The world needs you, Mick. Your innocent hopes remind those of us jaded men of our boyhood dreams.” He stubbed out his cigar inside his empty glass. “Get away, whilst your heart yet desires wholesome things. Get out before city life sucks out your soul.” He curled his hands into fists on the tabletop. “Beware, if you ever rat on me, I’ll hear ’bout it. I’ll find you. I will.”

Mick flinched at the man’s harshness.

Ed stood and offered his hand to shake. “Charlie, ’twas fine to see you. I’ll be telling me mother to tell your aunt I delivered her letter. May take time whilst the letter gets to Ireland, but there’ll be a celebration, ’tis sure, for I’ve found you. Do you have a word for her?”

Mick tucked in his split lip and licked the metallic taste.

“Nah, just tell them I’m well.” Gilhooley sliced the air with his hand. “Aye, ’twas grand honoring our friendship for old time’s sake. Now, get.” He stiffened his shoulders like a bull. “And don’t share a word of me offer. If you do, you might find a devil with a blade at your neck.”

“Aye, no doubt to your meaning.” Ed lifted his knapsack from the floor by his chair.

Mick scrambled to his feet, using the brick wall behind him for support. He gawked at Gilhooley as he slid the chair beneath the table.

Charlie’s two guards stepped in unison toward Mick and Ed, with their right hands inside their vests.

Ed said, “Farewell, Charlie.” He slid a glance to Mick and jerked his head toward the door.

“Aye.” Mick scooted along the wall to the door and hobbled forward as the space opened. His bruised torso and leg now throbbed in earnest. But his fear of wicked Gilhooley helped him squelch any groans. Mick tugged his tam over his hair and reached for the doorhandle. The door narrowly missed his nose when it opened inward. He stepped back.

Ed bumped into him from behind, shoving Mick into the path of two policemen. “Oof.”

“Steady there, fella. Imbibed a bit much?” The tallest policeman studied Mick.

“No, sir,” said Ed. “He was born with a limp. ’Tis a problem that’s always with him.”

The shorter officer scowled. “And what’s happened to him, then? You don’t get to be looking that way from birth, aye?”

Mick chuckled. “God loves the Irish wit.”

“That He does.” The tallest policeman grinned. “You alright there, fella? Anything you wish to tell us?”

Mick shuffled his feet and gazed back at Gilhooley. “Not a thing. Tripped and fell earlier all by meself is all.”

“Happens. Poor soul.” Ed clapped Mick on the shoulder. “We appreciate you asking ’bout him, officers. I’ll be getting him on home and into a good soak.”

The policemen scrutinized Mick from his scruffy boots to his battered cap, wished him good luck and the Saints to preserve him, then headed for Charlie’s table.

Ed grabbed Mick’s arm. “Make haste. Let’s get to your lodgings whilst the police occupy Charlie’s men, for I don’t trust me chum Charlie one whit.”

“We’re in agreement.”

The brothers rounded the corner of McGinty’s, and Ed drew Mick to a stop. Ed shifted his bag and glanced back the way they’d come.

Mick copied him. “What’s wrong?”

“Realized I don’t know which way to turn. Where do you live, me boy-o? Be quick. Charlie gave me the willies.”

Mick tugged Ed left. “This way. Living on Rose Street and on our sister’s goodwill. She’s paying me rent and for me food. ’Tis why I’m so desperate for work as to go to the docks. Eight months here in the land of plenty and none will hire me because of this limp.”

“’Tis a bad lot you’ve been dealt, brother.”

Sunset dulled the city’s filth and insisted on adding golden hues for sparkle and shine on anything metal, stone, or wood. The people in a rush to get home almost had halos. “’Tis the only time of day I think the city is nigh pretty. Mayhap a glimpse of heaven, aye? If Fiona and the children appeared, I’d believe it.” Mick blinked back tears, then stepped onto the street between carts and pedestrians. “This way.”

“No one’s been trailing us. Thinking we’ll be fine.” Ed kept up with Mick’s uneven pace. “Sure and hoping we don’t catch sight of your Mister Death.”

“No one sees Mister Death, but me. Ed, what did Gilhooley mean by offering you a spot in his gang?”

“He’s an American version of the Irish Republican Guard in Ireland.”

Mick froze and stared at Ed. Then he huffed. “Your old chum is a hoodlum.”

Ed glowered. “Depends on your viewpoint. The IRG are patriots to many.”

“But we have our freedoms here. No need for gangs. Turn in here.” Mick headed down an alleyway. “’Tis a shortcut from the pub I’ve discovered for getting home.”

“Aye, not the time to argue our politics. Best be on our guard in this dark and narrow place.” Ed surveyed the several storied buildings, doorways, and any openings they passed. “Ah, but the farmer has naught for street smarts. Keep to the middle, me brother. Gives us time to react to an unpleasant creature waiting to waylay us.”

A gigantic man approached from the end of the alley toward them. His face was downturned.

Ed yanked Mick back and stopped. “Don’t you see him?”

Mick wrenched his arm out of Ed’s grasp. “’Tis Brendan. He’s me chum of a sort. See him most nights.” He cupped his hands around his mouth. “Ho, Brendan, returning from Maeve’s?”

Brendan started, then gave Mick a lopsided grin. “Yeah, saw Orla. Be careful, Mick. I put Digger on a rampage. Thinks I was sniffing after Maeve. Don’t fancy her. Only fancy Orla—”

“Our Orla? Our sister, Orla?” Ed balled his fists.

Mick stepped between the two men. “Orla invites him. Ed, get a grip on yourself, man. We must have a chat.”

“Is something wrong?” Brendan leaned down into Ed’s face. His crooked nostrils twitched. “Who’s this fella? Is he cross at me? I don’t like it.”

“Me brother, Ed.” Mick grinned. “He came to get me. ’Twas a grand surprise, aye? Ed, here’s Brendan, a chum to me and Orla. He’s a winner at boxing. You two have that in common, boxing. Good evening, Brendan, for we must be away to home for supper.”

“Brothers.” Brendan blinked, then smiled, revealing two missing front teeth. “’Tis alright, then.” He leaned his bulk forward, shuffled his feet past the brothers, and continued down the alley to the street.

Ed huffed. “Me heart was in me mouth. Thought we’d had it. Can’t box with a man that size.”

“Fine thing he’s a friend, then, aye?” Mick hobbled toward the light at the alley’s end. “Now, ’bout Digger. He’s something like Brendan, but worse. He’s a lout, whereas Brendan,” he tapped his temple, “has an injury, it seems. Digger rules with cruelty, and we don’t want that for the girls, now do we?”

“The girls?”

They reached the end of the buildings and entered the common area between the tenements. Cats combatted in the distance, voices raised in a quarrel, and dishes clinked through open windows.

A fish aroma made Mick gag. He gestured upward and spoke over his shoulder. “”Twas washing day.” Hung above them, clothing lines with wash clipped to ropes crisscrossed in a pattern that could break a man’s fall from the third floor. He breathed in the better aroma of soap.

“Your place is beyond this maze somewhere?”

“Duck through without knocking something down, and we’ll be fine.” Mick wove between blankets, diapers, and aprons to arrive at his back porch room. “Me room is there. Up the stairs.” His booted feet scuffed up the three steps. He swung open the rickety door and held it for Ed. “Thinking none followed. The laundry’s a grand screen to hide us.”

Ed entered and stood to the side of Mick’s cot, pushed into the corner of the six by ten-foot covered porch. He scowled. “Why’d you live here? Nigh to a shanty, Mick. I’d wish better for you.” In the twilight, he fingered a tear in the screen, and scraped his toe over the splintered wood framing a hole in the floor. “No light back here? Don’t you worry ’bout Mister Death in the shadows?”

Mick scoffed. “Only the moon to see by. And you’re giving me a better life, aren’t you? The chance to farm again. I’ll be free of me living conditions then, I will. You’re an answer to me prayers. Never thought I’d say that to you, to be sure.”

Ed nodded. “Thought you’d feel that way, but this? This stuns me—”

“How else can I abide in America without money? I’ve women’s charity to survive on. ’Tis why you found me at the docks, remember? Searching for work.” Mick slapped the door. His palm stung from the force.

“I’m not saying you—”

“You beast!” A high-pitched voice screeched beyond the door connecting Mick’s porch to Maeve’s dwelling.

“Ah, the girls are awake.” Mick faced the doorway. “Time to introduce you, and to tell Orla you’re here.”

“Who? You never answered me question.”

“Orla’s school chum, Maeve. Remember her?”

Ed folded his arms and shifted his weight. “Maeve O’Donnell?”

“Aye. They’re Maeve’s girls. ’Tis her boarding house. More like a brothel.”

Ed’s jaw slackened, then clenched. “You’re living where? What sort of establishment did you say?” He jiggled his finger into one ear.

Mick sighed. “Yeah, you heard right. Only learned of where’d we be living when Orla and I arrived at the tenements. She said Maeve’s occupation was running a boarding house. Guessed the truth when one of her girls answered the door.”

“I only ever teased Orla ’bout those rumors ’bout her I’d heard in the village.” Ed’s nostrils flared. “’Twas possible they were untrue. Why’re you so calm ’bout it? You’re a good Catholic.”

“Ed, she’s our sister, our Orla. We’re to love our family. God says it. And she’s been caring for me so I won’t starve. Even Maeve herself lets me live here—”

“You expecting me to be glad to go inside?” Ed glowered a few inches away from Mick’s face.

Mick yelled, “You got somewhere else to go?”

The door opened, washing lamplight over the brothers, and Orla leaned through the frame. “What’s the trouble?” Her scowl transformed to shock at Ed’s presence.

“Well, we’ve got our bully Ed back with us.” Mick side-hugged his sister. “He’s come to find me and take me with him to Minnesota. Isn’t it grand, Orla?”

With Ed like a red-faced statue, and Orla tongue-tied, Mick laughed. “We’re living a scene from our childhood in the Old Country. All’s right in me world, now.”

Orla glared. “All is not right with the world. What’d you bring him here for?”

“Course ’tis. The wildcat and the bully facing each other.” Mick propped himself against the wall. “What will happen now, I wonder?”

“We’re not settling in for an entertaining chat, Mick. Come on in, you two. Better get this over with.” Orla swung the door in and stepped aside. “Maeve’s up. We must tell her ’bout Ed before Digger returns. He left to gamble, after I scolded him for stealing me earnings. We’ll need a plan.”

Once inside Maeve’s warm kitchenette, she turned around and studied Mick’s face. “God in heaven, me brother.” She fingered his bruised jaw, turned his chin sideways, and wiped his split lip.

“Ouch, none of that.” Mick stepped back.

“Glory, why can’t you keep away from scuffles?”

“Was at the docks. Happened whilst looking for work.”

“Docks all alone?” Orla tsked. “Surely you’ve a better head on you than that.”

Mick rubbed his sore nose and stared at the ceiling.

“Found him in time to run those ruffians off.” Ed shoved his hands into his pockets and surveyed the small, untidy room. “Told some officers I’d get him home and into a tub to soak. You got a tub, aye?”

Orla huffed and clutched her hip. “What officers? Policemen? Never say you got mixed up with them, Mick.”

“Not to worry.” Mick pulled up a wobbly chair to rest his throbbing leg. “’Twas afterwards. They were fine Irishmen like me.”

She smirked. “Ah well, ’tis no trouble, then. Let me heat you some water. Ed, fetch the tub from that closet there. Then I’ll take you to the parlor. We’ve an hour until Digger returns.”

“One thing, Orla.” Mick slid a glance at Ed. “Will you go with us away from here? Your life could improve, aye?”

“No. Tenement life suits me.” She pursed her lip. “But Mick needs an escape.”

Ed nodded. “Aye, he does. But you should listen to your brothers and come with us.”

“And why should I be listening to you?” Orla scowled, puckering her jagged scar on her cheek and eyebrow. “I’m a grown woman and will do as I please. We’re in America and free of the Old Country’s ways. I’ve got me own plans. Let it be.”

“But Orla, ’tis safer in the country.” Mick jabbed at the door. “No thievery by—”

She burst out laughing. “Ah, Mick. You’ve a mind of a farmer, God bless you.” She flicked her focus onto Ed. “Me and Ed? We’ve not lived isolated in a village, married, and raising littles. We’ve got smarts ’bout living in back alleys, hovels, and establishments of ill repute in Dublin. Haven’t we, Ed?”

“Don’t be giving our brother poor opinions of us, Sister.” Ed narrowed his eyes.

She snorted. “If he’s not got them by now, he never will.”

“What plans?” Mick grimaced. “Will you stay with Maeve forever, then?”

“No. Can’t convince me I’d be better off. I wouldn’t. Let’s get you soaking.” Orla tugged Mick inside.

Lessons Along The Way -- Book Spotlight

Mon, 26 Jun 2023 17:33:07 GMT

Today I welcome author and blogger Linda Rondeau as she shares about her latest devotional book.

About Lessons Along the Way

Life is a school where God is our teacher.

These brief devotionals take us on a journey of discovery. God is indeed with every step of our journey, pruning, teaching, disciplining, and comforting us to transform us into his image.

From the cradle to the grave, he watches over us like a tender father.

Adapted from the author’s many years as a contributing columnist to the religious page of an upstate New York newspaper, each devotional contains a Scripture passage, a key verse, an anecdote and prayer.

Grab your morning coffee and learn of him who has loved you with an everlasting love.

About Linda:

God can change our worst past into our best future, a common theme in the author’s works inspired by her many years as a social worker. The author’s writing career has spanned beyond the printed page as a mentor, editor, teacher, and encourager. She and her husband currently reside in Hagerstown, Maryland. For more information go to the author’s website: www.lindarondeau.com .

Lessons Along the Way is available in print and ebook. Audio is in planning stages.

https://www.amazon.com/Lessons-Along-Linda-Wood-Rondeau-ebook/dp/B0BYWNXX6P/

EXCERPT from LESSONS ALONG THE WAY VOLUME 1 BY LINDA WOOD RONDEAU

Success is to be measured

not so much by the position that one has reached in life

as by the obstacles which he has overcome.

Booker T. Washington

Bring Your Slingshot

Reading: 1 Samuel 1:20-50

And David said, “The Lord who saved me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear, He will save me from the hand of this Philistine.” So Saul said to David, “Go, and may the Lord be with you.” 1 Samuel 17:37 NASB

In the original movie, The Karate Kid, Daniel, a teenage boy, finds himself pitted against a bully. After his move from New Jersey to Southern California, Daniel had joined a karate group to gain confidence in dealing with his opposition. As he prepares for a contest, he realizes his instructor favors Daniel’s nemesis. Daniel becomes acquainted with Miyagi, a karate master, who promises to teach him specialized skills to even the playing field against Daniel’s tormentor.

When Miyagi seems more interested in having Daniel paint fences and wax cars, he is confused. And the elderly man is particular about how these tasks are done. “Wax on, wax off.” Up, across, then down … up, across, then down.”

When tournament time nears, Daniel feels unprepared to compete from what he believes is a lack of proper training. Miyagi tells Daniel he has been training all along. The very moves he needed to complete his tasks were those needed to defeat his enemy.

While visiting his brothers on the battlefield, David discovered the Philistines and Israelites were at a stalemate. The Philistines sent out the biggest weapon, a giant named Goliath, to taunt the Israelites and offer a solution to the stalemate. Victory belonged to the army of the man left standing. This technique was not new to the ancient world. However, the kings would assign their strongest and most heroic proxy.

No one in the Israelite camp wanted to fight the giant. David, perhaps a teenager at the time, stepped up. The soldiers mocked him, as did the king, who offered David the use of his armor. As an armor-bearer, David knew the king’s arsenal would be cumbersome.

David had expertise none of the Israelites or Goliath could understand—a strength by which no one could compete. The power of a slingshot protected his father’s sheep from wild animals. He had gained agility, ingenuity, and physical stamina as a shepherd. In those long and solitary nights on the hillside, he’d sung praises to God and strengthened his faith. David believed the God who had delivered him from the lion and the bear would also deliver him from the Philistine (1 Samuel 17).

We know the rest of the story—the giant came tumbling down. David remembered what many of us forget when we face overwhelming odds. God had prepared him for this moment through the process of his everyday life. Skills he learned from boyhood would now be used to protect his nation.

Do you have giants in your life?

Like David, we have gained insight and confidence through everyday minutia. When a crisis hits, we draw upon resources we often fail to realize we have. God, who knows our future, prepares us for battle through what we learn on life’s hillsides and in our daily walk with him. These are our slingshots. God is saying, “You and I together can do this. I have readied you for this day.”

Child of God, you have been learning everything you need to conquer the obstacles in your life. God knows ahead of time what skills you’ll need, and he is already at work to prepare you for battle.

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Lord, I am facing what seems like insurmountable odds. Help me to draw upon those skills you have already taught me … most of all, help me remember your faithfulness in times past and your promise you’ll always be with me.

QUESTION FOR READERS:

How has God prepared you for your battles? Share in comments below.

Love's True Calling -- Book Spotlight & Giveaway

Thu, 22 Jun 2023 23:10:41 GMT

Welcome with me author and blogger Lori DeJong as she introduces her upcoming release. Lori has also graciously offered one person the choice of a print (US only) or ebook copy of the book.

I’m honored to have this opportunity to introduce you to my debut novel, Love’s True Calling , to be released on June 27.

I say debut, although this isn’t my first novel, by far. There have been many before it that helped me hone my skills as a writer, and a vast majority of them will never see the light of day.

In fact, Love’s True Calling itself wasn’t meant to be written. At first, anyhow. It was homework for an online writing workshop I was taking on plotting a novel based on your characters’ motivations. But once I’d spent four weeks in the workshop and had the novel plotted, I found I’d fallen in love with Wyatt and Harper, my protagonists, who meet up in the most unlikely of places eleven years after she shattered his teenage heart.

Here are the first few paragraphs of Chapter One that I hope will intrigue you enough to want to know more. Enjoy!

Harper had never felt so … old.

She fidgeted in her seat at the end of the second row as her classmates gathered in groups around the room on this first day of the fall semester, the proverbial square peg. The last time she sat in a college classroom, most of these kids were in middle school. Of course, starting her sophomore year of college nine years after her freshman hadn’t been the original plan, but then, well … life. There was no way to see what lay around that next curve.

And hers had seen plenty of curves in her scant twenty-eight years.

A quick glance at her watch told her class should have begun five minutes ago. Odd for a professor to be late the first day, especially one with as stellar a reputation as Dr. Marjorie Vance.

A man strode into the room and closed the door behind him. “Okay, everybody, please take your seats, and we’ll get things rolling.”

Harper froze. She hardly recognized the man, but that voice she knew. The voice she’d witnessed transition from boy to adolescent crackle on the way to its present smooth, deep timbre. The voice she last heard the night she broke his heart. The night he took hers with him when he walked away.

Wyatt and Harper’s story is one of second chances. Of finding hope in the most tragic of circumstances, learning how to forgive when it seems impossible, and finding purpose through God’s redemptive love. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10

Love’s True Calling is Book One of my True Calling series. Book Two, Love’s True Home , will be published in June 2024, and Book Three, Love’s True Measure , will be released in June 2025. Come follow me on my journey by clicking on my website or Join My Community link.

Enter giveaway: Leave a comment and your cleverly disguised email address (so the ‘bots don’t get you) as you answer this question: What appeals to you about second chance love? We will draw randomly from all comments for a print (US only) or ebook copy of the book. Example of how to disguise your email address: donna AT livebytheword DOT com

About Lori:

Lori enjoys penning stories of grace and the redemptive power of God’s love that inspire others to hope regardless of circumstance, find joy in the moment, and grow in their faith. She resides in Georgetown, Texas, with her husband and has one grown daughter. Love’s True Calling was the 2022 winner of the ACFW Genesis Award for Romance.

About Love's True Calling:

After years of jumping through other people’s hoops to be all they thought she should be, and enduring a tragedy no mother should, self-described “newbie” Christian, Harper Townsend, has finally found her true calling … and her true love. Until it appears that to follow one may mean leaving the other behind.

Adolescent Psychologist, Wyatt McCowan, is beyond delighted to have the-girl-that-got-away back in his life, and his heart. But even as they fall more in love, he realizes that being obedient to God’s calling on each of their lives may pull them apart. She rejected him once in favor of another, which left him hurt and angry. But this time, he can’t fault her for following hard after the God she loves with all her heart, even if it means leaving him once again.

Connecting online:

My website: https://loridejongwrites.com/

Join My Community: https://bit.ly/LoriDeJongCommunity

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loridejongwrites/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/loridejongwrites

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/loridejongwrites

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/lori-dejong

To purchase Love’s True Calling: https://scrivenings.link/lovestruecalling

Heirlooms – How to Share Their Story

Sat, 17 Jun 2023 07:30:00 GMT

Today I welcome author Janet Morris Grimes as she shares about heirlooms and writing.

No one could have predicted the timing of all that has taken place in our lives over the past few months. After losing both my mother-in-law in March and my mother in April, our home has now absorbed many items from each of their homes.

I’m sure it will take years before we’ve emotionally processed all that transpired with their respective illnesses, but for now we still need to determine what to do with their treasured belongings. We’ve got everything from clothes to photos, dishes to decorations, furnishings to furniture.

At first, we could hardly walk through our living room. The situation has improved since then, but we quickly learned a very important lesson.

All that matters are the memories.

In that aspect, we’re working our way through this exhausting battle, one bin at a time.

Finding the right balance of what to keep and where to put it is important. Our home still needs to breathe, and ultimately, share our story as well.

In the living room is an old cherry sewing cabinet. It’s empty now, but serves as a great entry table. My father bought that for my mother when she won a sewing machine a year or two after they got married. That stays.

In our guest bedroom is a room divider from my mother-in-law’s apartment, now draped with a photo blanket someone gave us after her funeral. Priceless.

In our bedroom is an orchid, an Old Rugged Cross plaque and a Bible; all gifts from the second funeral. Just a few items on a shelf with a framed photo from Mom’s birthday underneath and a memorial lantern. What a story they share. Not too much back story, but just enough.

A hand-sewn Christmas quilt will come out when the season calls for it. A mini US Post office drop box reminds us of my mother-in-law’s career spent as a rural mail carrier.

I think this can be handled in respectful ways. If something doesn’t serve a purpose, we probably don’t need to keep it.

But in no way does this mean we’ve moved on. The truth is that they are so much a part of us, we can’t share our own story without sharing theirs.

As a writer, one of the best ways to honor the memory of our loved ones is to include little nods to them in the stories we craft for others.

My award-winning debut novel, Solomon’s Porch, is loosely based on my father-in-law. When we lost him ten years ago, we were floored by all the stories of behind-the-scenes kindness he showed to others. He had a knack for showing up at the right time to do the exact right thing. To offer a prayer, to provide a ride, to drop off some groceries. Simple, yet life-changing tasks.

The fact that he demonstrated kindness was no surprise; but the lasting impressions of it made for quite a story.

Soon after, Solomon Thomas was born, and I couldn’t wait to share his story.

As writers of fiction, our truths are everywhere. So don’t be surprised if you don’t find a favorite mug with a cardinal on it or a hand-painted picture of the old homestead on a wall in one of my future stories.

Like all of us, these items are waiting to share their stories as well.

When the time is right.

About the Author:

Janet Morris Grimes may not have realized she was a writer at the time, but her earliest childhood memories were spent creating fairy-tale stories of the father she never knew. That desire to connect with the mysterious man in a treasured photograph gave her a deep love for the endless possibilities of a healing and everlasting story.

A 2022 Carol Award Finalist for her debut novel, Solomon's Porch, Janet is also a writer/music reviewer for Nashville Arts & Entertainment and Crossroad Magazines. She is also a devotional contributor to Christian Woman, Power for Today, Inspire a Fire, and The Christian Pulse. Janet has featured stories in several anthologies, including The Spirit of Christmas and Sweet Tea for the Soul: Real-Life Stories for Grieving Hearts.

A wife of one, mother of three, and Tootsie to four, Janet currently writes from her quiet two-acre corner of the world near Elizabethtown, KY. As her debut novel and first children's story have been introduced to the world, she can't wait to follow the next breadcrumb of a story to see where it leads.

Stories that stretch your heartstrings.

An unforgettable combination.

Connect online:

Solomon's Porch A 2022 Carol Awards Finalist for Debut Novel!

http://janetmorrisgrimes.com

Do Your Best, Tess! - the first of a children's series - released July '22!

The Prodigal Sons -- Book and Author Spotlight

Thu, 15 Jun 2023 07:30:00 GMT

Join me today as I welcome author Aubrey Taylor as she shares about her latest release. Plus, she has generously offered to gift an ebook copy of The Prodigal Sons to one lucky reader. Be sure to read down, leave a comment, and don't forget to include your email address, cleverly disguised so the 'bots don't get you!

“For we will not inherit with them on the other side of the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance

has come to us on this side of the Jordan to the east.”

Numbers 32:19 ESV

Before entering the Promised Land, some of Israel’s tribes saw a place that was well-suited to their needs. It lay outside of the land God had ordained for Israel to dwell in, yet these tribes were content to settle there instead of receiving their share in His people’s inheritance.

I can’t help but wonder if they were missing out on something. What parcels of land had God intended to give these tribes? What did some of the other tribes end up enjoying that was originally meant to bless the people of Reuben, Gad, and the half of the tribe of Manasseh? Did they accept what seemed good at the expense of something better?

Am I settling for something that looks good, or do I long to discover God’s best?

At a testimony event recently, an older man read from Hebrews 3:19: “So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.” (ESV)

He was talking about the generation of Israel that had died in the wilderness, but it struck me: were the people of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh guilty of unbelief as well? They knew that the land they desired was not part of the land God had allotted to Israel. Did they not believe that God intended to give them something even better?

Hebrews 3:12 says, “Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.” (ESV)

I’ve heard many Bible teachers say that we are never truly staying in one place: we are either moving closer to God, or farther away from Him. A sobering thought, especially because the enemy can be so subtle. If I’m not actively pursuing him, what am I doing? What am I preventing Him from doing in my life?

My encouragement for you today is: don’t settle. Yes, be content with what the Lord has provided, but if He seems to be stirring something within you, what is preventing you from moving toward it?

Honestly, I’m still moving forward into that better thing God has for me, but the watershed opened for me the day I received His call to begin writing. I was content to stay where I was, homeschooling and playing music at church, but I wasn’t unwilling to move when He said “Move.” I feel like I’ve been on the move since, and each door I walk through reveals more of His faithfulness!

“Enlarge the place of your tent, and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out; do not hold back, lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes.” (Isaiah 54:2 ESV). It was an exhortation to Israel. It is an exhortation to us. There is more He wants to do. Will you be a part of it?

Getting to Know Aubrey:

Where is your favorite vacation spot?

My favorite vacation spot is Germany. Although there are a hundred places in the world I would love to see someday, my desire to be in Germany trumps all of them. Maybe it won’t always be this way, but that is where the Lord has directed my heart now, and I’m willing to put everything else on the back burner to be there.

What do you enjoy most about writing?

Character creation has always been my favorite part of writing. I love “getting to know” them and watching their stories unfold. Especially when one starts out as a bad boy, and over the course of time, I discover that he has a heart of gold. Being able to craft his transformation and see the person he becomes helps me appreciate that God knows our stories from beginning to end.

What can readers who enjoy your books do to help make it successful?

It’s hard for me to ask people to post reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, and BookBub, but I’m taking this opportunity to do so! Star reviews are great, but if you add a few comments about what you loved most on the book, I’d love to be able to use a few excerpts to help promote the books on social media. Also, consider gifting the books to your friends!

Question: We all have limitations and practical concerns. If those weren’t an issue, what is one way you would LOVE to serve God or minister to other people? Leave your comment, along with your cleverly-disguised email address, so the ‘bots don’t get you. For example, Donna AT Livebytheword DOT com

A Peek Inside The Prodigal Sons:

Prologue

June, 1915

Munich, Germany

Ernst

He leaned his back against an ancient oak as Lia collapsed beside him, grasping his arm with her hand and snuggling into his side. The woods were quiet, except for the calls of a few birds and the gentle breeze rustling through the treetops. “I love you,” she whispered.

Resting his cheek on the top of her head, he relished the softness of her dark hair against his skin. “I love you too, darling.” He did. Desperately. What other thing did he have to live for? His father and older brother were all off fighting for the German Empire. His brother Kurt had already been killed in action, as well as an uncle. He should’ve been in uniform too. Silently cursing his age, he had often wondered why he didn’t just lie about it. For months he had been listless and depressed, trying his best to swallow his discontentment and comfort his mother as news of fallen friends and loved ones continued to arrive.

Then one day, Lia appeared. Suddenly, he wasn’t so angry about being denied the opportunity to fight alongside his brothers. The ache was still there, but he’d found a reason to stay.

His father was an officer, with a sufficient income to see that he and his mother had all they needed. He worked a little, but had plenty of time for long walks with Lia. She talked about her father, his voluntary enlistment in the Imperial Army, and her mother, who had always teetered on the line between lucidity and insanity. Losing her husband had pushed her definitively onto the wrong side, leaving Lia to find her own road to survival.

That road had ended a few months ago at Ernst’s doorstep.

About Aubrey:

After creating stories prolifically as a child, Aubrey experienced a renewed interest in writing as she entered her 40s. She lives in Upstate New York with her husband and three children, and enjoys reading, playing music, crafting, sketching, exploring the outdoors, and traveling whenever possible. She is a lover of Jesus, the Bible, history, German culture, tea, and cats, and has a special heart for those who struggle with severe anxiety and depression.

See all of Aubrey’s books here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Aubrey-Taylor/author/B0973KWXV8

Connecting Online:

Website: www.aubreytaylorbooks.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aubreytaylorbooks

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aubreytaylorbooks/

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/aubtaybooks

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/aubrey-taylor
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21846520.Aubrey_Taylor

American Christian Fiction Writers June New Releases

Sun, 11 Jun 2023 07:30:00 GMT

Wild Curly Mustangs and Book Spotlight

Fri, 09 Jun 2023 07:30:00 GMT

Join me today as I welcome back author Betty J. Slade as she shares about wild horses and wild hearts.

About the Book: Taming Wild Hearts , The Curly Mustang from Disappointment Valley

Fictional based on actual events.

She writes about courageous women in perilous times.

Buy link: ebook -- https://amzn.to/43L2mYy Paper Back https://amzn.to/3N5Pfvr

About Betty:

Betty J. Slade is an author, columnist, and artist. She has written over six hundred articles in her weekly column, The Artist’s Lane, for the Pagosa Springs SUN Newspaper. She writes about courageous women of faith and country families.

Dr. Mitch Wilkinson:
Sulphur Mustangs are the last strains of relatively pure horses the Spanish brought to North America and are in danger of extinction. I hope this book raises public awareness of this American treasure.

My Attempt at Method Writing & Book Spotlight

Tue, 06 Jun 2023 07:30:00 GMT

Today I welcome author Debby Lee as she shares about her latest release. I first met Debby when we co-authored with several other writers about the Pony Express several years ago.

It was a warm, sunny September morning on my uncle’s farm, where I used an entrenching tool to dig my foxhole. A gentle breeze blew as I dug, and cooled my sweat-streaked forehead. The little shovel, with a handle roughly three feet long, did a fair job of breaking the dirt beneath my feet. Scoopful by scoopful, I managed to dig a hole about two feet deep, six feet long, and three feet wide.

I stood over this gaping pit that looked more like a grave. This was where I intended to sleep when darkness fell. I wondered, asked myself, “Will I make it through the night?”

My husband and I walked the perimeter of my uncle’s property. We noticed evidence of coyotes not more than one-hundred yards from my foxhole. Though my husband agreed to sleep in his truck not far from me, with a loaded pistol at the ready, we were still nervous about my sleeping arrangements. A few relatives laughed at my idea. I’m sure they thought I wouldn’t last more than a few hours out there that night.

I found a bucket, old tin cans, and a roll of string. I used my entrenching tool as a hammer and pounded holes in the cans and then strung a trip wire. Surely, this would scare away any curious predators. I hoped.

My husband did tell me, “If you hear wolves or coyotes howling, get in the truck!”

By this time, it was late in the evening, and I was starving. In an attempt to stay in character, I reached for an MRE. That’s Meals Ready to Eat, today’s equivalent to K rations and C rations. I never thought I’d be hungry enough to suck cold mashed potatoes from a plastic pouch.

I went to bed that night clutching my entrenching tool, ready to fight off any critters who ventured too close. Sleep didn’t come easy that night. The ground was hard, uneven, and cold, bone-chilling cold. I shivered and shivered in a futile effort to keep warm.

The things that ran through my mind. I gazed at the inky, black sky and located the North Star. I thought of runaway slaves. How cold and terribly frightened they had to have been. And how brave and courageous, too.

Later, I realized my trip wire was enough to alert me to coyotes, but not snakes or rats. Was I strong enough, mentally, physically, to beat off a hoard of rats? A pack of hungry coyotes, if they broke through my tripwire?

Honestly, I was terrified. Not necessarily of falling to sleep, but falling to sleep and being jolted awake having to fight for my safety. I meditated on scriptures and continuously whispered, “If I can just make it until daylight.”

I don’t think I slept more than three hours that night, an hour here, another there. The sun lightened the gray sky. I climbed from my foxhole, my back and muscles were stiff and sore, but I was thankful to see the sun.

I was thankful for so much more. My night in a foxhole was ludicrously luxurious compared to those brave soldiers who fought during WWII and the wars since then. At least I didn’t have to contend with bombs or grenades raining down on me.

I can’t imagine going to bed night after night, wondering if bombs, grenades, or gunfire would pierce the air, wondering if my buddies and I would be shot or blown to bits, wondering if I’d live to see sunrise. My respect for soldiers grew a thousand-fold that night.

I’ve visited my uncle’s farm several times since then. I always gaze across the partially wooded forty acres and I remember that night. And remember the sacrifices our soldiers made for me, for democracy, and for freedom.

About Debby

Debby Lee, a member of the Yakama tribe, started writing as a child but never forgets home, the cozy town of Toledo, Washington, and her Native American roots.

A former president of the Olympia chapter of Romance Writers of America, Debby enjoys participating in both RWA and the American Christian Fiction Writers. Her full length title, Beneath a Peaceful Moon, released June 1, 2023, with Barbour Publishing. She also has six novella collections with Barbour. The Courageous Brides and Mountain Christmas Brides both made the ECPA Bestsellers list. She is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steven Laube Literary Agency.

A self-professed nature lover, Debby feels like a hippie child who wasn’t born early enough to attend Woodstock. She wishes she could run barefoot all year long and often does when weather permits. During football season, she cheers on the Seattle Seahawks with other devoted fans. She’s also filled with wanderlust and dreams of traveling the world.

About Beneath a Peaceful Moon

Mary Wishram, an orphaned Yakama tribal member, aches for her brother who suffers in a POW camp in the Philippine Islands and her Japanese friends who languish in a relocation center. Determined to end the war by any means necessary, she employs her language skills to become a spy. Leaving Camp Pendleton for the South Pacific, she faces escalating threats of peril to help bring her loved ones home.

John Painted Horse, a proud Navajo, struggles with the loss of his father who died in WWI for a country that didn't consider him a United States citizen. Though his home state doesn't offer him the right to vote, he joins the Code Talkers program at Camp Pendleton. Thrust into mounting danger in the South Pacific, he hopes to bring long overdue recognition and honor to his people, no matter the cost.

Will these two wounded souls find healing from their past traumas and a deeper relationship with God, before it's too late? Or will they lose their chance at love, and everything they hold dear?

New Release and Book Spotlight

Thu, 01 Jun 2023 07:30:00 GMT

Today I welcome author Krystal Anderson as she shares about her upcoming release.

Hello, I'm Krystal M. Anderson and I write sweet historical westerns, mostly because I pretend to live one. I milk cows, ride horses, and raise chickens, along with the "raising a family" thing with the man I love. I appreciate chocolate, books, holidays, and nature. If I'm an author who is new to you, I invite you to subscribe to my reader newsletter and receive a free western novelette as an introduction to my writing.

My newest release is A Match for Billy , and you know what made this story so fun? Billy is one goofy cowboy, but he has a big heart. There's a mysterious disappearance, a bully, a leggy colt with a mind of its own, and - of course - the most important ingredient in my stories: a sweet, swoony love story.

Billy was first introduced a few stories back. You see, I imagined up this fictional town in the middle-of-nowhere Nevada called Cottonwood Creek, and when the mayor needed a bride, he sent for one through a matchmaker. Their story is, well, another story, but suffice to say Billy got this harebrained idea that he should order a bride for his buddy and fellow cowhand, Skip, through the same matchmaker. Surprise! Skip wasn’t exactly thrilled with the idea the day his bride arrived. Billy was in all sorts of trouble. Then, with Skip happily married, Billy realized how lonesome cow punching really is and finally orders a bride for himself.

Things are not as they seem in this book, and, as usual, Billy is the last one to figure it all out. It’s pretty hilarious. Don’t worry, all my stories end with a happily-ever-after so no matter how bad it gets, there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel.

Read an excerpt from the story:

“I got a letter here for you, Billy,” Clem wheezed as he hobbled through the bunkhouse door. He wrinkled his nose and whistled. “Gadzooks, the smells comin’ outta this place are offensive! You boys are gonna’ have a wash day tomorrow, and I don’t wanna hear any whinin’ about it.”

Jim and Chico tumbled out of their bunks and tugged their boots on while Turkey sipped coffee from the small round card table shoved into the corner of the long, narrow room. Billy groaned from beneath his tattered blanket, unmindful of the heavy footfalls that stopped just beside him. “Gitchore sorry hide outta’ this bed, Billy Corey. It’s time to get to work.”

“I ain’t even had breakfast yet,” Billy mumbled.

“Yeah? I’ll give ya five fat sausages right to yer mouth.”

“There ain’t no reason to make threats, Clem, I’m up,” Billy grunted, dodging the meaty fingers of the ranch foreman.

“Just as well,” came Roddy from the dark, galley-style kitchen at the rear of the bunkhouse. His pockmarked face and thinning hair gave him the appearance of a hog. “I got some hot oatmeal and canned peaches for breakfast.”

The cowhands perked at the word ‘peaches’ and moseyed over to the card table to join Turkey. Billy shoved a forkful of the sweet fruit into his mouth and moaned appreciatively while Jim, as he’d been known for doing, took the utmost care to cut his into small, even pieces and mix them with the oatmeal.

“I’ll send em out soon as they’re done, boss,” Roddy promised, and Clem nodded, tossing Billy’s letter on the bunk before seeing himself out.

“Clem’s feelin’ feisty as Thunderbolt this morning,” Chico muttered around a mouthful of oatmeal. The mental picture of Clem being compared to the toughest bull on the Double T had Billy nodding.

“Must be his joints actin’ up. He gets meaner when they do,” offered Roddy. “Could mean rain’s a’comin’.”

The cowhands shared a look. Water was scarce in their neck of the woods. In fact, there weren’t any ‘woods’ to speak of. Dun Shirley’s ranch stretched across six-hundred acres of the dustiest, most arid real estate in the Silver State, and everybody who had anything to say about it was hoping and praying for rain. The creek was about near dried up, which meant the cattle on the Double T would need to be driven to higher altitudes to find water if rain didn’t fall very soon. Some of them wouldn’t make the trip, Billy knew. Not the horses, either.

Pride for his gorgeous buckskin mustang mare filled him. Those wild desert horses were hardy, bloodlines or no. Why, she’d carried him through hairy terrain, faced surly bulls, and out-distanced a thoroughbred, all with a willing, trusting mind. Foraging for food when there was little available had been a strength of hers, too, and though she was on the small side, Billy wouldn’t trade Dakota for the handsomest gelding alive. If there was a shortage of water, he was sure his little mare could survive it.

Pausing to stretch sore muscles, Billy sauntered to the trunk at the foot of his bunk where he kept every belonging he owned in the world. Well, besides his horse and tack, which were out in the corral and barn. Pulling out a fresh shirt and handkerchief, Billy dressed and threw the covers up over his mattress. That’s when the envelope fluttered to the floor.

Billy Corey

The Double T Ranch

Cottonwood Creek, Nevada

Question for readers: Now it’s your turn! Have you ever made some gesture on behalf of someone else? I want to hear whether it turned out poorly.

Thanks for visiting with me today!

Connecting online:

Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B1L5X55L

Social Links: Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorkrystalmanderson

Newsletter subscribe: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/x59aefu38d

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3g3zySb

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/krystal-m-anderson

Claire – Spotlight and Peek Inside the Book

Wed, 31 May 2023 07:30:00 GMT

This is the third and final post about Claire. If you missed either of the previous two posts, simply scroll back.

Chapter 1

New York City

Tuesday May 1, 1894

Claire Columbo, the only child of a mafia boss, hurried down the busy sidewalk, hoping to lose herself in the crowds of afternoon shoppers, the bankers heading to meetings, and the office clerks delivering documents. She wished her errand was as ingenuous as that of those around her, but, alas, that was not the story of her life.

Having grown up in and around The Family, she’d developed her sense of hearing to the point where she could listen through the walls of their Fifth Avenue mansion. Read lips like a deaf person. Understand body language and what was left unspoken like a trained interrogator.

All of which stood her in good stead the previous evening, when her widowed father received a late night visitor.

She’d crept to the head of the stairs as the two men entered the study, leaving the door ajar.

Her father opened the conversation. “Must be serious if you come at this late hour.”

The other man, his back to her, nodded. “Yes. A contract.”

“Me?”

“Your whole family.”

Her father raised his face toward the ceiling. “Praise God my Emma isn’t here to hear those words. But what of Claire?”

“Her, too.”

Her father sank heavily into his chair. “I’m an old man. Not afraid to die. But I’ve tried to protect Claire from the Business. Seems I haven’t kept the Business from her.”

“What will you do?”

Claire’s heart raced as she waited for her father’s reply. The man who’d kept her sane in the years since her mother’s passing. Had taught her how a man should treat a woman—as he’d treated her mother—with respect, gentleness, and tender love. Taught her how to ride a bicycle when girls didn’t do that sort of thing. Despite the seriousness of the situation—after all, somebody wanted to kill her and her papa—she smiled at the memory.

And now, today, the first day of May, marked her last day in New York.

In reality, she’d planned for this day for a while now. Sensing the tensions building in her father, in his discussions with behind-

closed-door guests, in her own spirit as she read newspaper accounts of heads of other families narrowly averting death, or of those who didn’t, she’d already set aside money, a few treasured belongings, and made plans to escape.

Sadly, those plans always included her father.

But when she’d risen this morning, she’d found him still in his bed. A shadow of the man who’d kissed her goodnight the evening before. When she asked if he was well, he nodded.

“Fit as a fiddle, Claire Bear.”

Even now, his childish nickname for her brought tears, blurring her vision. She slowed and checked over her shoulder in the plate-glass window of a milliner’s shop. Nobody familiar. Nobody who’d been there when she checked two blocks back. So far, so good.

No, today was the day. And her father would accompany her, supposing she had to stuff him in a suitcase.

She continued her journey. Next, visit the hair salon. She patted her wheat-brown hair that hung to her shoulders. After her innocence, the next thing to go in her pursuit of staying alive.

Two hours later, Claire Wallace emerged from the salon. Her newly-shorn and colored curls startled her as she passed another window. She barely recognized herself. But would a change of name—appropriating her mother’s maiden name—and hair color be enough to protect her from the ruthless men intent on claiming the bounty?

She spotted a pharmacy on the next corner. Dodging horses and wagons and stray dogs, she zig-zagged her way there. On entering, she sought the counter containing spectacles. After trying on several pairs, she chose the weakest magnification and purchased the round, gold-rimmed pair.

Next on her list: a train ticket. As far as she could go from New York City, and still leave her a few dollars to live on until she found employment.

After chatting with the clerk at the ticket counter, she learned she had enough to go to either Salt Lake City, Utah, or Denver, Colorado. If he wondered why she didn’t know where she wanted to arrive, he didn’t mention it.

But Claire, hoping to keep her stories straight in case The Family figured out she’d left the city, chattered on about deciding which aunt to visit first, or second. Asked the clerk his opinion, to which, as she’d suspected, he had no recommendation.

When she finally settled on Denver—Utah sounded much too dry and barren for her liking—she tucked the ticket and her change into her reticule, thanked him, and bid him a good day.

She would leave first thing in the morning. And she'd convince her father to accompany her. But if not, she would go on her own.

It’s what her mother would have wanted.

And perhaps her determination to escape their family legacy would convince her father that it’s never too late to start again.

She could only pray.

~~~

Toby Gilbert left the New York City Pinkerton Agency office, planting his bowler hat firmly in deference to the breeze rattling down the street. Shrugging down into his suit jacket, he shoved his hands in his pockets and headed for the New York Times office, three blocks away.

His goal: to find himself a wife.

Well, not exactly what he wanted to do. More of an order from his superiors. Part of his cover story.

Tomorrow he would board the westbound train to Buffalo, Chicago, Omaha, then Denver.

His assignment: bust the mobsters and their stranglehold they held over the Queen City of the Rockies.

Inside the office building, he paused a moment to get his bearings. A sign indicating classifieds caught his attention, and he stood behind the three people who’d arrived ahead of him.

A woman with a little boy waited in front of him. The child peeked around his mother’s skirts, and when Toby smiled at him, the lad ducked back. Within seconds, however, one eye inched out again. This time, Toby waggled his fingers at the boy, who giggled.

Maybe he should seriously seek a wife. Having a son like this one would make coming home more enjoyable.

Then again, with his work taking him into dangerous situations, and not being able to share the details of his assignments, was that really a good situation for a wife? For children? He knew of only a few senior agents who’d graduated to desk work who subsequently married. Would he have to wait that long? Or should he simply resign himself to remaining single?

The line moved forward, and the folks in front of him split into three separate wickets. Seemed the newspaper was doing a roaring business.

Within another five minutes, he stood before a man wearing a green eyeshade, who peered up at him. “What can I help you with, sonny?”

“I’d like to place an advertisement, please.”

The man, who looked about seventy, grunted. “Of course you do. This is the Classified department, isn’t it? Didn’t think you wanted to report a mugging.” He shook his head. “No, siree. That’s the police station. Two blocks down. On your left.” He poised his pen over a pad of forms. “Buying? Selling?”

“No, sir.” Heat crept up Toby’s neck. He leaned closer. “I want to place an advertisement for a wife.”

“Huh? What? A rifle? Just go to a gun store, sonny.”

“No, not a rifle. A wife.”

The clerk cupped a hand behind his ear. “Speak up.”

Toby drew a deep breath, then straightened. “A. Wife.”

His voice carried in a brief lull in conversations, filling every nook and cranny of the room. Faces swiveled toward him. A man snickered. The woman with the child smiled at him.

And his temperature went up at least twenty degrees.

The clerk wrote something on the paper. “A wife. Got it. Any particular kind of woman?”

Toby handed over the sheet of paper he’d labored over following his meeting with his lieutenant earlier this morning. Setting out his cover story, the kind of woman he sought, contact information in Denver. Arrangements were already made with the office in that city for an agent to retrieve any responses and send a telegram to Cheyenne so he can reply, setting up appointments.

Pinkerton’s never wasted time once a plan was put into place.

The clerk created the advertisement. “That will be fifteen cents. It will be in tomorrow’s paper.”

After thanking the man and taking his change, Toby left for his next destination: the Bilhorn Folding Organ local office. That was the other part of his cover that gave him concern. He’d never heard of the product before. And now he would attend a training then carry the contraption with him, portraying himself as a salesman.

Which he absolutely wasn’t.

He sighed. He’d joined the Pinkerton’s because he wanted justice for victims. Plus, he loved to solve a good mystery. Yet most of his work had been pretending to be somebody else.

Perhaps he should have gone into acting.

Or maybe he should quit law enforcement and take to the stage. He’d had plenty of practice.

And, at least on the stage, nobody wanted to kill him.

You can check out the book here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BLS1Z5WT and the other books in this multi-author Series: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BKLNTH1N

About Donna:

Connecting Online:

www.DonnaSchlachter.com/blog

Facebook: www.Facebook.com/DonnaschlachterAuthor

Twitter: www.Twitter.com/DonnaSchlachter

Books: Amazon: http://amzn.to/2ci5Xqq

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/donna-schlachter

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&query=donna+schlachter

Need a writing coach? www.donnaschlachter.com/Tapestry

Claire -- The Story Behind the Story

Tue, 30 May 2023 07:30:00 GMT

With Claire releasing yesterday, you can see I'm pretty excited about this book and the story. This is the second post about the book, so if you missed the first one, scroll back to yesterday.

When I was invited to write a book for the Rescue Me: Mail-Order Bride series, I was thrilled. I’d already written several mail-order stories, loved the dynamics of romance, and particularly appreciated the opportunity—and indeed the encouragement—to include suspense or mystery in the plot.

My character, Claire, was actually supposed to be somebody else. Sort of. I had envisioned her as looking a lot like my sister-in-law Tina. In fact, I started writing a book named after said SIL, then realized I had the wrong storyline. However, being two chapters in, I didn’t want to trash the words I’d written, so I went back and revised this storyline a smidge to incorporate the difference. In Tina, my heroine is running from her mob-connected murdered husband, and in this one, from a contract on her own life that just resulted in her father’s death.

My hero, Toby Gilbert, is a Pinkerton operative. I named him after my father, whose middle name was Gilbert, and who was also a Pinkerton agent, although in a more administrative and modern-day role. Still, Toby is very much his own man, determined to be the best agent he can be, and he won’t let anybody get in his way. Not even whichever woman he chooses to reinforce his story. He’s placed an ad for a mail-order bride, even though he has no intention of marrying.

A particular trait I thought Toby should have that would serve him well as the story gets underway is that he never forgets a face. So when he sees Claire on the same train heading to Denver, he knows he knows her from somewhere. And he also knows he’ll eventually recall where.

You can check out the book here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BLS1Z5WT and the other books in this multi-author Series: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BKLNTH1N

About Donna:

Connecting Online:

www.DonnaSchlachter.com/blog

Facebook: www.Facebook.com/DonnaschlachterAuthor

Twitter: www.Twitter.com/DonnaSchlachter

Books: Amazon: http://amzn.to/2ci5Xqq

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/donna-schlachter

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&query=donna+schlachter

Need a writing coach? www.donnaschlachter.com/Tapestry

Claire -- The History behind the Story

183:892475517 (Donna Schlachter) — Mon, 29 May 2023 07:30:00 GMT

I am excited to announce the release of my latest book, a historical romantic suspense titled Claire. This is the first of three posts sharing this exciting news with you.

While researching my recent release, Claire, I uncovered several interesting facts about the mafia in America.

· For readers who have watched The Godfather, it comes as no surprise that the mafias we recognize it originated in Italy. However, similar organizations exist in many other countries, including Greece, Corsica, and Romania. Wherever there is a criminal element looking to take advantage of others, the mafia will be there, front and center.

· The American Mafia, or the Italian-American Mafia, arrived in America with the influx of immigrants. For example, in New York City alone, the number of Italians jumped from 20,000 in 1880 to 250,000 in 1890, to 500,000 by 1910. This comprised ten percent of the city’s population.

· While most Italian immigrants were law-abiding, simply having an Italian name often meant persecution from other ethnicities because of their perceived connection to the mafia.

· The first published account of the mafia in the US dates back to 1869, when the New Orleans Times reported that their Second District had become overrun with Sicilian murders, counterfeiters, and burglars.

· The Black Hand was not a group, but an extortion method used in Italian neighborhoods in the late 1890s. Businesses paid protection money to allow them to keep their shops open.

· The first known mafia member to emigrate to the US was Giuseppe Esposito. He fled here after he and six other Sicilians killed eleven landowners. Law enforcement arrested him in 1881 and extradited back to Italy.

· Some of the more famous gangsters of the 1890s to 1920s started out working for Paul Kelly in the Five Points Gang in Little Italy in NYC. Al Capone and Lucky Luciano were two of the then household names who both fascinated and horrified law-abiding folks.

· Every borough in New York City had their influential mafia family, and everybody in those neighborhoods either joined The Business, or lived in fear of their lives. For example, Brooklyn boasted The Neapolitan Camorra.

· New Orleans was the site of the first possible Mafia incident in the US. In October 1890, the city’s Police Superintendent David Hennessey was murdered execution style. Nobody was ever convicted.

In my book, Claire boards a train to flee New York after her mafia father is murdered and a contract is placed on her head. Toby, an undercover Pinkerton operative, heads for Denver, finding himself on a train with a woman who is vaguely familiar to him. Toby, to add to his cover story, has placed an ad for a mail-order bride. Claire replies to the ad, neither realizing their connection. Can they solve the mystery of who is trying to kill her? And will Toby open his heart to love?

You can check out the book here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BLS1Z5WT and the other books in this multi-author Series: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BKLNTH1N

About Donna:

Connecting Online:

www.DonnaSchlachter.com/blog

Facebook: www.Facebook.com/DonnaschlachterAuthor

Twitter: www.Twitter.com/DonnaSchlachter

Books: Amazon: http://amzn.to/2ci5Xqq

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/donna-schlachter

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&query=donna+schlachter

Need a writing coach? www.donnaschlachter.com/Tapestry

Resources:

https://www.history.com/topics/crime/mafia-in-the-united-states

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Mafia

Abraham and Patience -- a devotional

Wed, 24 May 2023 07:30:00 GMT

Today I welcome guest blogger and author Sherry Shindelar, as she shares a devotional about Abraham, patience, and waiting.

Do you ever feel as if you’re on the tortoise track? That your progress toward your goals and dreams can be measured in turtle years instead of light years?

Patience is a virtue. One that I struggle with. It can be difficult to wait when we have our heart set on something. We get so set in our own plans, and they look right in our own eyes…

But then I think about Abraham. He was seventy-five years old in Genesis 12, when God said, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you … All people on earth will be blessed through you” (vs. 1-3).

Abraham believed God and left everything to follow God’s call. No surprise, right? Abraham is one of the superheroes of the faith. Of course, he listened, believed, and obeyed. Leave everything familiar behind, except for his wife, his nephew’s family, and his possession and go to a foreign land? No biggie. Only I bet it was terribly difficult because Abraham was a real man with real fears and concerns. (He really showed that side of himself down in Egypt when he told his wife to pretend to be his sister.)

Short-comings and all, Abraham was a human. Who believed God. It didn’t matter if he was seventy-five years old, if God said he was going to have a child and be the father to a nation, then it would be so. He left the familiar and followed the Lord’s leading.

But where was the baby boy God had promised? Several years later, Abraham questioned the Lord, and God replied “…. A son who is of your own flesh and blood will be your heir… Look up at the sky and count the stars— if indeed you can count them… So shall your offspring be” (Genesis 15:4).

Abraham believed God.

Yet still no baby boy in the works. So Sarah came up with plan (as we often do) to hurry things along and make our dreams happen our away. She gave her servant, Hagar, to Abraham, and he fathered a son, Ishmael, through her. But that wasn’t God’s plan, and it caused a lot of conflict.

Thirteen years after Ishmael was born, God again spoke to Abraham and renewed his promise to make Abraham a father of many nations, but not through Ismael. At this point, Abraham was ninety-nine years old. A little weary on waiting for the fulfillment of God’s promise, Abraham laughed at thought.

Yet a year later, Isaac was born.

Abraham waited twenty-five years for God’s promise to be fulfilled. But when it happened, there was no doubt that it was God at work. God fulfilled His promises and His plans in His own perfect timing, all the way from Abraham to Jesus and even into today.

He is the same God today as He was thousands of years ago. Let us trust Him with our lives, our paths, and our goals: “And we know that in all things God works for the good for those who love Him who have been called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).

And remember: It was the tortoise who won the race.

About Sherry :

Originally from Tennessee and the Shenandoah Valley, Sherry Shindelar loves to take her readers into the past. She is an avid student of the Civil War and the Old West. Her novel, Shenandoah’s Daughter, is set in the Shenandoah Valley. When she isn’t busy writing, Sherry is an English professor working to pass on her love of writing. Sherry is an award winning author: who currently resides in Minnesota with her husband. She has recently completed a western novel set in 1860 Texas.

https://sherryshindelar.com/

https://www.facebook.com/historylitgirl/

I Finished My Manuscript--Now What? Book Spotlight

Tue, 23 May 2023 07:30:00 GMT

Today I welcome author Jane Daly as she shares about her latest release, Broken. She has also generously offered a print book giveaway.

There’s nothing more satisfying than typing the words The End. If you’ve labored through the novel writing process – the inciting incident, the sagging middle, the point of no return, and the satisfying ending, you know what a relief it is to get that huge weight off your shoulders.

Having recently finished writing my seventh book (five published), I describe it as like giving birth to a nineteen-pound baby. Many times along the way, I’ve said ‘I hate this story. I hate these characters and the plot is full of holes.’

Am I the only one who feels like this?

I’ve felt the same writing the two nonfiction books. Once I’m done, I don’t ever want to see the manuscript again. Can you relate?

In the past thirteen years of writing, here are three things I’ve learned to do after the words The End:

1. Take a breath and give yourself a pat on the back. You did something ninety percent of your writing peers will not do – finish. Buy that extra-large $8 Pumpkin Spice Latte. Get the double scoop ice cream cone. If you really want to get crazy, buy a new pair of shoes.

2. Don’t touch the manuscript for at least two weeks! Not that your book will magically become a bestseller in those two weeks; but your manuscript needs time to rest. Your characters need to spend some quality time away from you. You must let the words percolate and marinate. I promise it won’t deteriorate while you’re away from each other.

3. Learn how to edit. Once you’re ready to dive back into the story, this is when the real work begins. If you’ve read Bird by Bird by Ann Lamott, you know what she says about the first draft – which is something I can’t repeat in a Christian newsletter. Your first draft will be awful. Trust me on this. There are several great books on self-editing, a few of which I’ve listed below. *

After I’ve been immersed in the story for weeks and months, and I come up for air, it’s time to do the dreaded editing. Some of you may love to edit, but I am not one of those anomalies.

When you go back to your manuscript, you’ll see it with fresh eyes. Plot holes will be plugged. Scenes will become more descriptive. Everything will become clearer. Think about it as taking a 30,000-foot view of your book.

To help you edit, read through your entire manuscript and make notes of holes, mistakes, etc. For instance, did your main character have blue eyes in chapter 1 and brown eyes in chapter 10? Did you call the antagonist Tyler early in the story and Dylan later on? As you read, utilize the ‘add comment’ button in the ‘review’ section of the document. Or if you’re old school, have a pad of paper at the ready to jot down what errors you find. I find it helpful to read the manuscript out loud. I usually work through my manuscript four times. You may not need as many pass-throughs as I do, but I find errors each time.

Now that you’ve finished writing and editing, you are on your way to publication!

Giveaway : Leave a comment and your cleverly-disguised email address, and we will randomly choose one winner (US only) to receive a print copy of Broken. For example, donna AT livebytheword DOT com

Some helpful books on editing:

*Self Editing for Fiction Writers, Renni Brown and Dave King

*Editing Secrets of Bestselling Authors, Kathy Ide

*Revision and Self Editing for Publication, James Scott Bell

About Jane:

Jane loves coffee, purple pens, and her hubby of 46 years, not necessarily in that order. After a career in banking, Jane is living her dream of traveling the lower 48 states in her motor home, affectionately known as Rigsby. When she isn't hunched over her computer, she can be found wandering around in whatever campground she's in, talking to folks and listening for ideas for future books.

She's the author of two nonfiction books and three novels with a fourth coming in November of this year. You can follow her journey by going to her website:

https://www.janesdaly.com

https://www.facebook.com/janedalyspeakerandauthor

https://twitter.com/JaneDal26031324

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13593382.Jane_Daly

https://www.amazon.com/Broken-Story-Redemption-Jane-Daly-ebook/dp/B0B3V4WQR6

A Peek inside Broken:

Worst. Night. Ever. She stank like the inside of a Porta-Potty; human misery baked to perfection in ninety-degree heat. Spending a night in jail will do that.

Jinxi Lansing shoved open the door to the Sacramento City Courthouse and squinted in the August morning. She gingerly crossed the concrete porch, careful of the stiletto-grabbing cracks in the pavement. No wonder they were called ankle-breakers.

She heaved a deep sigh as a group of women in heavy makeup crowded through the door. Everyone wanted outta there. Including her.

A couple of the women bumped her off balance.

“Geez, am I invisible?” Jinxi muttered with a curse. She tugged the hot-pink mini skirt to cover what needed to be covered—at least in broad daylight.

Plan A—she’d collect her backpack from the bus station locker, change out of these ridiculous clothes, and grab a shower at the YWCA.

Plan B—if the Y was full, she’d—

Bam!

A cop with his head down, texting, nearly bowled her over. Stupid jerk.

“My bad. Didn’t see you.” He held out a hand as she lost her balance and regained it.

He looked her up and down, but not in a creepy way. Weird, considering how she was dressed.

“What’re you looking at?” Jinxi demanded, hand on her hip.

“Sorry.”

She flicked her fingers at him. “Move along. Nothing to see here.” Maybe he wouldn’t bust her for telling a cop to get lost.

She gave him a full dose of the stink eye when he didn't move. What the—why was he still staring? He didn’t look creepy. More like some guy on a TV cop show. Dark buzzed hair, the shadow of a beard—all clean-cut and American. Still, his cop stare creeped her out.

He spoke at last. “You hungry?”

“Why do you care?” He was trying to trap her like the cop last night.

“I’m heading up the street to grab some breakfast. You look like you could use something to eat after … you know.” He waved an arm in the general direction of the jail.

Bible Reading Literally Literarily

Wed, 17 May 2023 07:30:00 GMT

Today I welcome author Tonya Pember as she shares her latest release.

Last summer, I drove over two thousand miles in seventeen days. A trip I’ve taken several times before. As I planned my return, I mapped a different route, but circumstances sent me back to boring, flat land I35 to I70 across Kansas. It was the same scenery; the same gas station stops and the drive through Steak n Shake in Goodland. The obligatory stop at the last Braums before Colorado in Salina, Kansas, and decisions regarding backroads or Interstates. It was the usual road trip. I barely noticed my surroundings.

How many times do we take the same route to work every day, the same road to our summer cabin, the same itinerary to Grandma’s house, same street, same turns, same stoplights? Most of us travel the same route day after day. It’s familiar, it’s easy and the car practically drives itself. We don’t even notice if something is different on the side of the road, we don’t see the new billboard. We are driving in almost a catatonic state.

Those of us who are long-time Christians with years of Bible stories under our belt, thousands of sermon notes in our journals, hundreds of Bible studies on our bookshelf and checkmarks in our calendar next to ‘read the Bible through in a year’ may have become passive in reading the Word of God. Those words that we’ve read so many times, have become too familiar. We’ve lost the wonder.

The Bible is literature, not just a book but a library of sixty-six unique books with a consistent theme. There is history, poetry, prophecy within the larger work. We don’t read poetry the same way we read history. We don’t read a love story like an apocalyptic essay. Would reading the Bible by genre enhance our understanding and love of its stories?

A genre approach to reading the Bible is helpful to the new reader and adds insight to the experienced reader. The human authors of this inspired text become real as we read their words with understanding of their voice. Genre reading makes sense of confusing sections. Reading and studying the Bible by genre enhances our ability to explain the Word. We need a different trek through the same ancient words.

Consider your writing, authors are always asked what genre they write in. Isn’t it time we acknowledged Moses as a history writer and Solomon as a romance writer?

Wherever you are in your Bible reading journey, try a genre reading plan. You won’t get stuck in the wilderness right away, and you’ll find Jesus in every book. Take a look at Inside Story 52 Weeks in the Word, a genre reading plan with historical, cultural notes and discussion questions. Inside Story is undated so it can be started with your school year, your birthday, your fall Bible study group or TODAY! Ask for it at your favorite Indie bookstore or online.

About Tonya

TonyaAnn is a city girl who always dreamed of living in a condo above the Branson (Missouri) landing in the heart of shopping, entertainment and tourist traps. It’s still her favorite vacation spot. Alas, she lives in Elizabeth, Colorado with 400 acres of land outside her window. The nearest Walmart is eighteen miles away.

She has been a writer since she held her first no.2 pencil in her “ wrapped thumb, poor pencil grip” something she still does today. As a child, she and two cousins handwrote a family newsletter every Thanksgiving while the turkey was cooking. She has written curriculum guides and curriculum. After thirty-two years in the public school classroom and raising two children as a single mom, she finally took time to become a ‘real’ writer.

Her first book Inside Story was published in August 2021. Chicken Soup for the Soul’s The Magic of Christmas published her story, Joy for Loss in 2022. In between she has written for Focus on the Family, CBN, The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, Power for Living, Lutheran Digest, Christian Standard Mediations and LIVE.

The mother of two and grandmother of six enjoys paper crafting when she’s not reading or writing. She ‘guest teaches’ in a local Christian school regularly. For the past twenty summers, she has been the activities director at a camp for children in foster care. Connect with TonyaAnn @ tonyaann.com or TonyaAnnWriter @ Facebook/Instagram

Christian Authors Network Awards

Sat, 13 May 2023 07:30:00 GMT

New Paragraph

Roads in our Hearts

Fri, 12 May 2023 07:30:00 GMT

Today I welcome author Betty Slade with her newest release. She was supposed to be here on May 9th, but I lost her in my Inbox and didn't get this set up. My apologies to her and to her readers. Strap yourself in for an exciting and informative post.

On Monday mornings I bring a five-minute spiritual challenge to the writers in our Wolf Creek Christian Writers’ Network. This prompt is designed to motivate and inspire. I challenge them to value their voice and their sacred story. The story the Lord HAS given them and only they can write.

Their voices are important and need to be heard. But some are stuck. Only they know what holds them back, fear of exposure, or fear of not being good enough. I am familiar with some of their excuses. No time to write, poor education, no one cares what I think, or I don’t have anything of value to write. I’ve dealt with those destructive voices in my past, even believed them. But I have found a road that took me out of my own way so I can write.

That road is Jesus. He says He’s the way…. He’s not only saying I am the road, but I am the direction, I have gone the distance and I will go the distance for you.

There’s a hurting world that needs our words. Writers are gifted with words to change and influence the world around them. Their paths take them through dark valleys of tears where others only find pain, but they dig deep to find a pleasant pool.

Writers experience their own pain deep in their core. Only they know what it takes to bring them out of darkness. Usually, it takes years of prayer and seeking answers, in order to extract pleasant pools from their soul’s deep dark valleys.

It takes courage to be vulnerable, and let strangers know your hurt, your angst, and your inability to cope. And it takes more courage to write it down, to put pen to paper, let the ink flow, and let others read about you.

I read this Psalm to the group knowing someone needed to hear this. “…Within their hearts are the highways of holiness. Even when their paths wind through the dark valley of tears, they dig deep to find a pleasant pool where others find only pain. He gives to them a brook of blessing filled from the rain of an outpouring.” Psalm 84:5-7.TPT

The scripture literally reads in Hebrew, there are “roads in our hearts to bring us into the presence of God.” Those roads could be forgiveness, love, or understanding for those who have committed injury to us or that we have caused injury to. That road in our hearts is designed to lead us out of the slump, or trauma, and back to a loving God.

As writers, we have been given much, we’ve been in the presence of God. We’ve traveled the “road of holiness,” and yes, the path of darkness, and have experienced victory. How can we refuse not to let the ink flow from our pens and give someone else a word of healing, encouragement, or comfort?

My newly released book is Taming Wild Hearts, Book One of Disappointment Valley Series, published by Elk Lake Publishing. On Amazon in e-book https://amzn.to/43L2mYy

Paper Back https://amzn.to/3N5Pfvr

About Taming Wild Hearts: The Curly Mustang from Disappointment Valley

Fictional based on actual events.

About Betty J. Slade

Sulphur Mustangs are the last strains of relatively pure horses the Spanish brought to North America and are in danger of extinction. I hope this book raises public awareness of this American treasure.

Covered Wagons and History and Book Spotlight

Thu, 11 May 2023 15:07:03 GMT

Today I welcome guest author Kaitlene Dee as she shares about her latest release.

I have a new book out, called Grace , in the Prairie Rose Collection. Several fabulous authors have released books this past week in the collection’s fifth year of publication. All of the stories in the collection are romances that happened on covered wagon journeys. So, naturally, in writing these stories, we all did a lot of research regarding covered wagons. Not all of the stories take place on the Oregon Trail, but they all do take place in covered wagons traveling to various destinations—though there are several that take place on the Oregon Trail.

Last month, I visited as a guest blogger here and shared about foods that were packed on wagons headed westward. Today, I am sharing about wainwrights and on wagon basics.

We know that most folks chose either mules or oxen to pull their wagons. Oxen were favored for their strength and the fact that they were able to eat poorer grasses and faired the journey much better than horses and mules.

Wagons were made by wainwrights (they made wagons, coaches, sleighs, and gypsy caravans, sometimes carts, though there were tradesmen known as cartwrights). Wainwrights were skilled tradesmen in the making and repairing of wagons. The wheels, I found in research, were made by wheelwrights, although some wainwrights made wheels too.

Wainwrights had special tools for their trade such as planes (for smoothing the wood), compasses which helped them make sure the wheel was completely round, spokeshaves, and saws.

Wagons were made mostly of hardwood (maple, hickory, and oak), with as little metal as possible to keep the weight down, so that the team pulling the wagon wouldn’t tire out. Wagons were pulled by teams of four to six animals. The maximum weight these wagons carried were 2,000-2,500 pounds.

The wheels, understandably, were the hardest part of the wagon to make. They were made of hickory or oak and had rims of iron to make the rough and rugged journey. There were no brakes or springs, so often chains were used around rear wheels. This helped to lock them or provide drag when going down steep hills.

There are three main parts to the wagon: the bed, the cover, and the undercarriage. The bed wasn’t very big: 4 feet wide by 10 feet long. The cover was made of oiled cloth or canvas, supported by a bowed framed and could be closed by a drawstring. The undercarriage had the wheels and the axels. Iron reinforced the tires, axles, and hounds (hounds were points of pivoting that fastened the rear axle to the reach and the front axle to the wagon tongue), in the undercarriage because they took the worst stress (besides the animal team that pulled the wagon, of course). In the rear hung the grease bucket, which held a mixture of tar and tallow to lubricate the wheels, which needed to be done often as needed (about every 30-40 miles was what I found in my research).

These were remarkable vehicles and it’s a wonder that any of them that made such a rigorous journey could even still exist today.

For more information, in case you want a deeper dive into the world of covered wagons and western trails, feel free to visit: http://www.oregontrailcenter.org and http://www.frontieramericanillustratednews.com for incredible adventures on the trail and preparing for it. They are wonderful sites! As well, there is a modern-day wainwright with the best pictures of the vehicles they make or reconstruct (even some for Hollywood), but not just great pics of their crafted vehicles; they have replicas of barrels, coffee grinders, and many other things worth checking out. You can find them here: http://www.hansenwheel.com

Get your copy of Grace today! Available on Amazon and in Kindle Unlimited at: https://www.amazon.com/Grace-Prairie-Roses-Collection-Book-ebook/dp/B0BXPTR15X/

About Kaitlene Dee:

When she’s avoiding laundry or weeding the garden, Kaitlene Dee is writing historical western romances, and contemporary cowboy romances, as Tina Dee.

No matter what she’s doing, she’s actually, and most likely, daydreaming about western romances and the spunky heroines who insist on having their own stories written, as well as the swoony cowboys who love them.

She often rescues stray dogs and can’t wait to give a forever home to her next dog or two…or five. She lives on the west coast and enjoys traveling, research, writing, watercolor painting, and hanging out with reader friends in her Facebook readers group or with her newsletter readers. She’s an avid coffee drinker, strong and with vanilla creamer and cinnamon, please! Don’t even think about getting between her and a bearclaw pastry.

For updates on fun stuff like sneak peeks, new releases, sales, giveaways, & a free story(!), please sign up for my newsletter at:

Tina & Kaitlene Dee Books Newsletter

Louise -- Rescue Me series -- Spotlight

Mon, 08 May 2023 07:30:00 GMT

Today I welcome guest author Sarah Lamb as she shares about her latest release in a series I'm also publishing in later this year.

Excerpt from Louise

“But the boat is unsinkable,” Mathilda said, her voice filled with surprise. “Why would they load the women and children?”

Louise shrugged. “I don’t know. But that’s how I shall dress. As a woman. I won’t let the proof of what’s happened to us risk not getting to the authorities. Hurry.”

Pulling on a dress and snatching up her coat and handbag, Louise waited for Mathilda to do the same. Her sister was only a few breaths slower than she was. Opening the door, several inches of water now stood sloshing about their ankles and filling their room as they left.

“I’m sure we’ll be back soon,” Louise said uneasily as they made their way to the upper deck. Her shoes were drenched, and she wondered how she’d get them dry. There was a large creaking sound and the water’s speed as it rose increased. Louise glanced over her shoulder, swallowed hard, and moved faster.

Mathilda said something, but it was lost as they rounded a corner and it grew nosier.

Around them, on the upper deck, passengers stood. Some were holding glasses of something steaming or bubbly, clustered together talking. A few young men had found a chunk of ice, and were kicking it back and forth, laughing. A large number stood at the railing, pointing in the distance.

“Why do they not go?” Mathilda whispered to her sister. Her eyes were wide.

Louise wondered the same as a feeling of panic filled her, but she shrugged. It was important to stay calm. “Because it’s just a precaution. This boat cannot sink. But,” she added firmly, “it is a precaution we will take. We have not made it this far to not take every opportunity afforded.”

As the crowd began to swell, she felt for her sister’s hand. She must get Mattie to a lifeboat. Whether something happened or not, it was her responsibility to keep her sister safe. “Stay close,” she warned.

A crewman was loading a boat a short distance away and Louise hurried toward him. The crewman was waving his arm and the lifeboat started to lower. There were not many women within it. It was perhaps a third full.

“Wait!” Louise called as loudly as she could. “Please wait!” She waved her free hand. The crewman saw her.

“Hold!” the crewman shouted to the lifeboat, then turned to Mathilda and Louise. “Would you ladies like in?”

“Please,” Louise said. She felt nervous, thinking about being in the dark waters on such a small craft, but pushed the feeling aside. With a smile, she continued, “We shall enjoy the view of the ship from a different perspective until we are allowed to board again.”

With a nod, the crewman helped Mathilda in first, then her. The sisters sat next to each other. A few more people climbed in after them and the crewman called out for more passengers. None answered his call, and the boat lowered, about half full. Two crewmen were at the oars, and the boat set out a short distance from the Titanic.

Much as it had been only a short time before when she and Mathilda were on the promenade, the moonless night was clear and crisp. To see the Titanic from his angle was impressive. The massive ship was lit, alive with people and music, and laughter. It was a sharp contrast from their small craft. In the calm water, with only gentle waves lapping at their lifeboat as music, her passengers silent, and a dim light from a small lantern casting a soft glow, it felt strange. And small. Yes, Louise thought, so very small and insignificant in comparison to the enormous ship before them.

If something were to happen, how long could we stay on this lifeboat? And how would anyone know to rescue us?

Mathilda’s frightened voice broke through her thoughts, and Louise looked at her sharply, then toward her sister’s pointing finger.

“The…the ship. It’s listing. The Titanic is sinking.”

Check out the book here:

https://www.amazon.com/Louise-Rescue-Mail-Order-Brides-ebook/dp/B0BJ9NXZWF

About Sarah:

Sarah Lamb is the mother of two boys and wife to a teacher. She spends her days writing and editing books in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley.

Find out more! https://about.me/sarah.lamb

Website: sarahlambbooks.com

Hero Spotlight -- Tina

Thu, 27 Apr 2023 07:30:00 GMT

Yesterday began a three-part series about my latest release, Tina, where I introduced you to the heroine. Today, the hero, Paul.

A lieutenant in the US Army Corps of Engineers, Paul has dreams of traveling the country, building dams, and learning from the greatest engineer he knew of: John Wesley Powell. After Major Powell retired from the army, he continued leading exploration parties west of the Mississippi and into California, selecting dam sites to provide water for the fast-growing population in the new state.

He wants to marry—someday. He plans to settle down—someday. But not yet.

When he first meets Tina, he finds her working and singing. She has a lovely voice, almost as becoming as she. He finds her fun, enjoys her sense of humor, but when he learns of her family situation—an orphan responsible for two younger sisters—he knows he can’t get involved.

Still, he does what he can. He buys the land around the wagon so Tina won’t have to pay rent, and he brings her food every day, providing firewood as needed. And when his company is ordered to continue west, he arranges for another soldier to provide for the girls.

Maybe when he returns, he might be ready to court. Time would tell. But at the ripe old age of twenty-three, he’s still got a lot of country to explore. He writes to her, uncertain where he stands in her affections—if at all—so instead of telling her how he feels about her, he fills his letter with stories of the trail.

Paul is like a lot of men—keeping themselves to themselves. I fashioned him after my brother Paul, who is also an engineer. Shy. Studious. Brilliant. As a boy of about five, he was reading—and memorizing—the Guinness Book of World Records. As a college student, he came out of four years of engineering school with no debt—he participated in a co-op program where he studied one semester, worked the next. As I said, brilliant.

Lieutenant Paul is different from my brother in that he lives in a time when men were expected to keep their feelings to themselves. My brother is good at sharing what’s on his mind, and he’s a terrific father of two.

Tomorrow, you’ll get a sneak peek inside the book.

About Tina :

In 1882, Tina’s family is so poor they live in a covered wagon outside the brand new town of Loveland, Colorado. When her parents die within two weeks of each other in an outbreak of the influenza, Tina is left to raise her two younger sisters.

Paul Burton, with the US Army Corps of Engineers, is on his way west with John Wesley Powell to survey sites for potential dam sites. He meets Tina at the café in the hotel and admires her perseverance. When he hears her story, he wants to take care of her, except he’s on a grand adventure and has no time right now for family.

Brokenhearted that Paul is not willing to give up his career for her, and convinced he doesn’t love her, Tina allows another to court her. Except this man has no intention of supporting her sisters—or her. As saloon keeper, he plans to put her to work for him in the upstairs rooms as soon as possible.

Will Tina go from broken home to broken heart to broken reputation—or will God intervene and save her from herself? Will Paul realize too late that his choices affect not only himself—or will his Lord reach into his heart in time?

You can pre-order the ebook now!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Tina-Prairie-Roses-Collection-2023-ebook/dp/B0BWGKGYTL

Series: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07R8DSMB4?binding=kindle_edition&qid=1680033081

About Donna:

Connect Online:

www.DonnaSchlachter.com/blog

Facebook: www.Facebook.com/DonnaschlachterAuthor

Twitter: www.Twitter.com/DonnaSchlachter

Books: Amazon: http://amzn.to/2ci5Xqq

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/donna-schlachter

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&query=donna+schlachter

Need a writing coach? www.donnaschlachter.com/Tapestry

Heroine Spotlight -- Tina

Wed, 26 Apr 2023 23:46:22 GMT

Tina releases in a few days. With the original release scheduled for April 28 ^th , I had to tip it back a couple of days due to scheduling conflicts. Mostly in the area of things that needed doing simply not fitting into my schedule.

That said, this is one of my favorite stories I’ve ever written. The series premise for “Courting Chaos” is that a woman arrives in a town and must marry one of three men within a short time.

I wanted to write a book featuring my gorgeous and still-in-love sister-in-law Tina and my darling brother Paul. My heroine looks a little like her real-life model, but I think my in-the-flesh Tina is even more good-looking than the gal on the cover.

Tina lives in a covered wagon on a patch of rented ground just outside Loveland, Colorado, in 1882. Her father died years ago, and her mother passes early in the story, leaving her to raise her two younger sisters.

Tina is seventeen and not prepared to be an instant mother, but she promised Mama she’d keep the family together. She loves to sing, and especially loves to honor God with her singing. She gets the idea maybe she can get work in Loveland, such as sewing or needlework, that she can complete at the wagon. She is nervous about leaving her sisters alone for long. When that doesn’t work out, she sees a theater sign and goes in. Misunderstanding the manager’s intentions, she hires on to sing that night.

As you can imagine, it’s a fiasco. Between the skimpy costume and her stage fright, she runs off the stage, and the manager refuses to pay her. She owes money for rent, and for a damaged sewing item, and is desperate.

Christopher Jones steps in to her rescue. Except Tina doesn’t realize he’s grooming her for the brothels he runs in Denver.

She had met a nice lieutenant, but he has big dreams which we’ll learn about tomorrow, and now he’s off with his company exploring the west to build dams with the Army Corps of Engineers.

Tina gets herself into a pickle, but doesn’t know how to get out—and get her sisters out, too.

Can she learn to listen to God’s voice, or will she fall victim to an evil man?

And if the lieutenant cared for her, why did he leave?

Tomorrow, we’ll learn about the hero, and the following day, a sneak peek into the book.

About Tina :

You can pre-order the ebook now!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Tina-Prairie-Roses-Collection-2023-ebook/dp/B0BWGKGYTL

Series: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07R8DSMB4?binding=kindle_edition&qid=1680033081

About Donna:

Connect online:

www.DonnaSchlachter.com/blog

Facebook: www.Facebook.com/DonnaschlachterAuthor

Twitter: www.Twitter.com/DonnaSchlachter

Books: Amazon: http://amzn.to/2ci5Xqq

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/donna-schlachter

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&query=donna+schlachter

Need a writing coach? www.donnaschlachter.com/Tapestry

Child's Play and Author Spotlight

Sun, 23 Apr 2023 07:30:00 GMT

Photo by Lukas at Pexels.com

Today I welcome pre-published author Dee Perez as she shares her thoughts and you get the chance to know her a little better.

The other night I heard children laughing. Whenever He gives me children’s laughter, I know He wants to take me somewhere special to play and be a kid.

This is not the first time I have heard this. The first time, after I heard the laughter, he ran past me as an adult and said, "Come on!"

"Where are we going?" I said. "Come and see," he said. I took off running after him. In an instant, I was transformed into a child with a light blue dress, white socks, and black patent leather shoes. He was a boy with a blue-checkered shirt, blue jeans and sneakers. We both looked like we had stepped back in time to the 1960s, when things were innocent. Then I recognized the children that were laughing, and it was us. We began running onto a long brown pier, and then I saw him jump into a lake, and I followed suit. We began swimming, floating and splashing one another. Having fun in the water the way we did when we were kids. Except I never swam as a child. I didn't learn to swim until I became an adult.

The second time I heard laughter, I also heard carnival music. When I finally joined Him, because I was on the phone with a friend, I asked, "Abba, where are you?" A child’s voice said, "Here!" I change into a little girl, with a red dress and black patent leather shoes again. I found him waiting in line at a carnival ride. We were seated on the swing ride, and it started up. We went round and round and laughed and laughed. We went to the Tilt-a-Whirl, and then played throwing chips into dishes and he won me a stuffed lion. We had fun playing and being kids. Later, we ate cotton candy, which is my favorite. Sometimes, he just wants you to have some fun with him; this is part of the intimacy we share. A good father spends time with his children and plays with them.

2 Samuel 7:14, “I will be a father to him, and he'll be a son to me."

If you want to lead a spirit-led life, just get to know Jesus. He'll show you what a real father is like.

You can find Dee online at https://www.facebook.com/groups/womeonfireforjesus

Meeting Mary Flynn

Sat, 22 Apr 2023 07:30:00 GMT

This is a subtitle for your new post

Today I welcome author and dear friend Susan G. Mathis back for the last in her series of posts about her latest release, Mary's Moment.

Today we’re going to meet the main character in Susan G Mathis’s newest novel, Mary’s Moment.

Welcome Mary. Why don’t you tell us a little about yourself.

Since my papa died, I came to live with my two aunts and am spending my summer of 1912 as a telephone switchboard operator and telegrapher for the Thousand Island Park on Wellesley Island. I love my work, especially translating all the dots and dashes for a telegram.

Tell us more about the Columbian Hotel where you work.

Columbian Hotel has five stories and accommodations for over 250 guests. A wide veranda surroundes the entire structure and has one of the finest views and the most refreshing breezes around and the most modern amenities abound. The hotel overlooks a beautiful lawn with abundant shade trees and the St. Lawrence River in the distance. It was named thus in honor of the 1893 400 ^th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s first voyage to America.

Who is this Mr. Wiseman I keep hearing about?

Gramps? Oh, he’s an eighty-year-old retired minister who is the local friend to anyone that crosses his path. He sits on the veranda of the Columbian Hotel ready to share wisdom, play chess, and love others. He’s a gift from God, that’s for sure.

I heard you became friends with a widowed fireman. What was that like?

Goodness! Fireman George Flannigan is a charming man, but his son, Robbie, is the one who stole my heart. What a sweet boy! His father is a widow, and I’m not sure if he’s ready to move on with his life. I’m also a little worried about the danger of his job. Still, he’s the nicest man I’ve ever met.

The summer of 1912 had three terrible fires. What was that like?

Goodness! It was the scariest thing I’ve ever gone through. I was grateful to be able to call for help all three times. I nearly died in the third and worst fire, but thanks to Fireman Flannigan, I survived. But it almost destroyed the Park.

I’m glad you’re okay, Mary. If you could leave readers with one message, what would it be?

ABOUT MARY’S MOMENT :

Summer 1912

Thousand Island Park’s switchboard operator Mary Flynn is christened the community heroine for her quick action that saves dozens of homes from a terrible fire. Less than a month later, when another disastrous fire rages through the Park, Mary loses her memory as she risks her life in a neighbor's burning cottage. Will she remember the truth of who she is or be deceived by a treacherous scoundrel?

Widowed fireman George Flannigan is enamored by the brave raven-haired lass and takes every opportunity to connect with Mary. But he has hidden griefs of his own that cause him great heartache. When George can’t stop the destructive Columbian Hotel fire from eradicating more than a hundred businesses and homes, he is distraught. Yet George’s greater concern is Mary. Will she remember their budding relationship or be forever lost to him?

Readers of Christian historical romance will enjoy this exciting tale set in 1912 Thousand Island Park, NY.

ABOUT SUSAN:

Susan G Mathis is an international award-winning, multi-published author of stories set in the beautiful Thousand Islands, her childhood stomping ground in upstate NY. Susan has been published more than twenty-five times in full-length novels, novellas, and non-fiction books. She has ten in her fiction line including, The Fabric of Hope, Christmas Charity, Katelyn’s Choice, Devyn’s Dilemma, Peyton’s Promise, Sara’s Surprise, Reagan’s Reward, Colleen’s Confession, Rachel’s Reunion, and Mary’s Moment. Her book awards include two Illumination Book Awards, three American Fiction Awards, two Indie Excellence Book Awards, and four Literary Titan Book Awards. Reagan’s Reward is a Selah Awards finalist. Susan is also a published author of two premarital books, two children’s picture books, stories in a dozen compilations, and hundreds of published articles. Susan makes her home in Colorado Springs and enjoys traveling around the world but returns each summer to enjoy the Thousand Islands. Visit www.SusanGMathis.com/fiction for more.

Visiting a Foreign Land through Fiction

Fri, 21 Apr 2023 07:30:00 GMT

Today I welcome author Tracy Fagan as she shares her latest release.

Let me introduce you to Lisa. She is a bright, talented, and adventurous young lady who has a deep desire to be married. The novel, When Love Isn’t Love , tells of her difficult journey in searching for love and finding nothing but heartache until God steps in. As part of her story, I received the blessing being able to experience a different country and culture while I wrote this book.

One of the destinations in Lisa’s journey is Brazil. I loved writing about this part of her story. It brought back memories of my own journey to Brazil while I was in college. As I reminisced the ship docking in the vibrant city of Salvador, I began to hear the sound of the drums of Olodum. As I wrote, I decided to do some research to check my memory. After all, that was, um….SEVERAL years ago!

As I began to learn more about this interesting country, the experiences were coming back. I remember being very curious about Candomblé. It combines the African religions of the Yoruba, Bantu, and Fon with elements of Catholicism. As African slaves were being brought over to Brazil, they were forced to accept the Catholic faith. So, they took the statues of the saints and used them to represent the gods of their religion. Lisa’s experience at this ceremony resembled mine. Growing up Catholic, it was strange to see these statutes being used in ceremonies to these African gods. This encounter was a great addition to the spiritual battle Lisa unknowingly finds herself in throughout this book.

It was also fun to research capoeira, the Brazilian martial art Lisa studies in the book. This martial art actually looks more like a dance. It includes a unique set of instruments and music. I enjoyed watching several YouTube videos and hearing the sounds of the traditional rhythms that drive the movements of the participants. I will admit, I thought about looking for a capoeira school here in Denver to give it try!

Now you can’t talk about a foreign culture without mentioning the food. I do remember Brazilian food to have a unique smell and taste. That all came back as Lisa and Andres, her husband, enjoyed Feijoada. In my research I also learned about the acerola cherry. I don’t remember tasting it when I was there, but Lisa and Andres did get to enjoy some acerola cherry ice cream on their adventures.

While the storyline of When Love Isn’t Love takes Lisa through some painful encounters, it also whisks her and the reader off to some thrilling destinations and shows the ultimate power of God’s love. Grab your blanket and curl up in your favorite chair as you allow the gift of storytelling transport you to beautiful foreign lands.

Question for the readers :
Which destination would you like to explore through the eyes of the characters in a book?

Getting to know Tracy:

What do you enjoy doing for relaxation?

Hiking, swing dancing, and crocheting

What do you enjoy most about writing?

The process of playing with words to capture a feeling, a smell, or a taste in a way that will impact or encourage the reader to challenge themselves to experience life the way God intended for them to live.

What can readers who enjoy your book do to help make it successful?

Please leave a review on Amazon or GoodReads, and share this book with people you know and/or book clubs!

About Tracy:

Tracy Fagan is a fireball. She has experienced the transformational power of Jesus Christ, and loves to spread the good news of Christ’s love through books, speaking, and teaching.

Through Kingdom Publishing, she offers coaching and publishing services helping people fulfill their God-given assignments and bring books, ideas, and businesses to life.

Click here to get connected and download the Book Club Kit for When Love Isn’t Love, which includes the first chapter of the book! - https://tracyfagan.com/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/kingdom.Publish

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/kingdom.publish

www.TracyFagan.com

www.Kingdom-Publishing.com

Buy When Live Isn’t Love: https://amzn.to/43D2QA4

Courting Chaos – Kaihtlyn’s Choice – Book Spotlight

Thu, 20 Apr 2023 07:45:00 GMT

Here we are-- Release Day! And here is part 3 of my series on Kaihtlyn's Choice.

Kaihtlyn’s Choice releases TODAY! The wait is over. Hop on over and order your print book today.

Peek Inside the Story:

Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing,

and obtaineth favour of the Lord.

Proverbs 18:22 KJV

Chapter 1

Nugget, Colorado

June 2nd, 1884

Kaihtlyn Watson swayed in time with the motion of the stagecoach carrying her from her old life to her new. Surely, driftwood and debris experienced more peaceful passage over a waterfall than she had in the past ten days. Leaving Kansas City behind wasn’t a struggle. Well, leaving her best friend, Nancy, hurt. Left a hole the size of Texas in her heart. Selling almost everything associated with her former life wasn’t so upsetting. Sharing this crowded conveyance with strangers for a fortnight wasn’t frightening.

No, what kept her awake far into the night as they hurtled along dark roads, barreled through thick forests, forded swollen rivers, and even outpaced a Cheyenne band on the prowl, was the question she’d dealt with for most of the last four years: where was Robert?

She knew where he had last resided. A town called Nugget. Colorado. Not exactly on a direct stage route, as the ticket clerk in KC explained. But she could get to Cañon City on the stage. Robert said in his letter he’d send somebody to meet her. She’d sent a letter a few days before leaving Kansas City, hoping it made its way to her husband so he knew when to get her. No, the clerk knew nothing about the town, but suspected it was little more than a mining camp. Tents, claims. More saloons than churches, for sure.

The coach slowed, and the driver knocked on the roof. “Colorado Springs coming up. Twenty-minute stop. Don’t be late.”

She exhaled, then patted her hair. Although why she bothered, she wasn’t certain. Until she saw her reflection, she did not know what needed tucking or re-pinning. Her dress, the same one she’d worn since Kansas City, hung limply. The uncomfortable travel kept her stomach doing flip-flops, so she’d eaten sparingly. The drivers along the way made it clear they weren’t stopping for anything apart from their schedule. Safety of the passengers, they said.

She snorted. Maybe. But what about their comfort?

The coach slowed, then stopped. The driver set the brake before jumping down, and she jostled to her right at the movement. The door swung outward, a step shoved into place, then he left them to their own devices to stay or exit.

Well, she needed a breath of air. And perhaps a trip to the privy. Absolutely something to drink. And eat, if she had time. If not, she’d wait. Not like she hadn’t gone hungry plenty of times in the past.

Kaihtlyn stepped, unaided, onto the sidewalk. She didn’t need a man to hold her hand. Wasn’t accustomed to such genteel treatment. Sure didn’t expect it from Robert. And given that he was hardly around, a good thing she didn’t get accustomed to being treated like a lady. No, siree.

She surveyed her surroundings as she considered what she’d done to survive these past years while waiting for Robert to grow up. Ironing, laundry, cleaning. Taking care of children. Dustbin work. Cooking.

Folks pushed past, going about their business. Wagons and coaches rolled along the street. Several riders on horses sauntered past.

She turned toward the combination stage and train station, noting the fine stone construction. Inside, the dim light and cool interior cheered her. Seemed like there were only two temperatures in the stage—hot as an oven, or cold as ice. Nothing in between.

Spotting the sign that led to the women’s privy—this was a treat—she followed the directions outside, around the building, and came to an abrupt halt. Apparently, she wasn’t the only one in need of the facilities. At least five women, some with children in hand, waited ahead of her.

Oh, dear. She only had about seventeen minutes before the stage left again. She’d already witnessed in Hays, Kansas, that the drivers meant what they said. They’d left a man behind, even though he ran alongside them until he couldn’t keep up.

She couldn’t afford to lose her single piece of luggage, or have to buy another ticket.

A hand pump beside a bench beckoned her. Perhaps she could use this time to clean up some. She turned to the woman behind her.

“Would you save my spot for me?”

“Sure.”

Kaihtlyn stepped out of line and perched on the end of the bench. The woman slipped forward into her place.

Unlikely the stranger would keep her word. She sighed. Why were some people just downright mean?

She pumped the handle several times, and a splash of rust-colored water emerged. Another couple of pumps, then the liquid ran clear. She held her handkerchief beneath the flow, wrung it out, then swiped her face and neck down to the decolletage of her dress.

Rinse, wring, wipe her arms, the back of her neck. Oh, if only she had a mirror. She stood and stepped back into line—behind the woman who’d agreed to let her keep her spot in line—and glanced around.

Windows lined this section of the building. By standing on her tiptoes, she could just see—her ankle twisted, and she fell against the spot-stealer.

Heat raced up her neck, and she regained her balance. “I’m so sorry. Did I hurt you?”

The woman glared at her, then turned away.

Kaihtlyn smiled. “Glad I didn’t.”

She’d put up with that type before. Mostly society matrons in KCMO. Looking down their noses at her. Paying her a pittance, barely enough to keep body and soul together.

A voice from over her shoulder startled her. “I wouldn’t be, if I were you. Glad she isn’t hurt, that is.”

She turned. Another woman had materialized. They both took a couple of steps forward as the line moved. “It wasn’t her fault. I practically fell on her.”

The newcomer held out a hand. “Mattie Girton. Pleased to meet somebody with manners.”

“Kaihtlyn Watson. Yes, but God loves them, too.”

Mattie rolled her eyes. “You’re not one of those missionaries coming here to save us, are you?”

She laughed. “No. I’m a wife coming to live with her husband.”

“Ah, one of those.” A chuckle from her new friend cheered her. “Well, good luck. Where ya headed?”

“Nugget. Have you heard of it?”

“Sure. East of the Springs, right?”

“Yes, if you mean Colorado Springs.”

“It is.”

“What kind of town is it?”

Another step forward. “Bigger’n you might expect. Got a church building. Mercantile.”

“So, not a tent city?”

“Well, there’s some left, but most folks have a house of some kind, even if it isn’t much more than a tar-paper shack.”

Images of a home of her own, not a rented couple of rooms in somebody else’s house, filled Kaihtlyn’s mind. Perhaps she’d been too hard on Robert. Harbored too many misgivings.

But his letter hadn’t exactly answered all her questions. Or even filled in a few blanks. He had included almost enough for her fare, though. Bid her come immediately. Said he’d have somebody meet her in Cañon City. Promised things would be better for them now.

Well, they could hardly be worse, could they? She’d spent more of her married life apart than with him. Some days, she felt like a widow.

Or worse, like they’d never been married.

Had she wasted the past four years on his dreams?

Or could they now finally start the family she longed for?

Mattie nudged her. “Move along, little doggie.”

Kaihtlyn smiled at the reference to baby cattle. Yes, she was an infant in many ways.

But all of that was about to change. She’d have the chance to show Robert that she could be a good wife and mother. And he’d want to settle down. With her.

After doing her business, Kaihtlyn waved goodbye to Mattie and trotted around the building to the stage.

Which rolled away from her.

Gathering her skirts in one hand, clamping the other on her hat, her reticule bouncing from its string, she charged toward the coach, shouting at the top of her voice. “Wait for me. Stop, I say.”

She simply couldn’t lose not only her belongings but her transportation.

Robert was waiting for her.

The driver raced past her and caught the bridle of the horse on the left lead. He swatted at the beast with his hat. “Dagnabbit,

Trouble. Did you chew through that rein again? I’m gonna make your lead out of horsehide. Do you hear me?” Another slap with the dusty hat. “Yours.”

He engaged the brake, then held open the door for her, even offering her his hand. “Sorry, ma’am. Stupid beast likes the taste of leather.”

Kaihtlyn nodded, breathing too heavily to talk. Resisting the urge to hug the man. She slipped into her seat, arranged her skirts, and smiled at her fellow passengers. All men. “The line at the privy was long.”

When they stared, her cheeks burned. Perhaps the rough edges of the Wild West were wearing on her, too. People in polite society refrained from talking about bodily needs and functions. Hopefully, she wouldn’t be required to abandon all the social niceties simply because she lived in a small town in the west.

Mattie waved to her. “Maybe we’ll meet up again. Good luck with your fella!”

Kaihtlyn waggled her fingers in response, then sat back and closed her eyes. She might not have been able to fix her hair, but after almost a year apart, that might be the last thing Robert would notice about her.

When next she opened her eyes, the driver called out. “Cañon City.”

Her heart raced. Robert said he’d arrange her travel. Would he surprise her and show up himself? She peered through the window in the door. A small town, at least compared to KC. But bustling, even at this late hour. The sun dipped over the mountains to the west, a beautiful portrait of God’s promise to His children that as long as the sun rose in the east and set in the west, so would be His promise of seedtime and harvest.

Would He include successful gold mining in that promise, too?

Robert’s letter said the mine was paying off well, which is why he was sending for her now.

God’s blessings in material form. And in other ways.

Stability. Her husband. More money than they could spend.

Robert’s words.

Robert’s promises.

Were a house and children included in his dreams, too?

She exited first, then looked around. A chill wind whipped around the depot building, and tendrils of hair slapped her cheeks and

blurred her eyes.

A lone wagon and a mule waited, with a man hunched in the driver’s seat—Robert?

She waited for the stagecoach driver to set her single carpetbag on the platform, then she called out. “Robert? Robert Watson? Is that you?”

The man turned. “No, ma’am.” He lifted his hat. “Name is Charlie. Undertaker from Nugget.”

Undertaker? How would Robert know such a man? And why would he send him?

“Are you here to fetch me?”

“If’n you’re Missus Watson, yes, ma’am.”

She picked up her bag and stuck out her chin. She could get through this. When she stood beside the wagon, he stepped down. Set her bag in the back. Beside a rough-hewn wooden coffin. Then he helped her up to sit beside him. Climbed back in. Picked up the reins. Clicked them. The mule headed down the road.

Kaihtlyn glanced over her shoulder a couple of times. The casket behind them unnerved her. Finally, she could bear the silence—and the uncertainty—no longer. “Why didn’t my husband come for me?”

Charlie exhaled, straightened, and pushed his hat back on his head. “Well, ma’am, it’s like this.”

She didn’t like the tone of his voice. Sad. Like he didn’t want to bring bad news.

Yet she’d forced him to. Almost.

“He’s dead, isn’t he?”

Charlie nodded, keeping his eyes straight ahead. “About a month ago. Influenza.”

“A month?” She pulled his letter from her reticule and checked the date. April 4 ^th . She’d received it around April 16 ^th . “What date exactly?”

“Oh, I’d guess around the middle of May. He was sick for about two weeks, I’d say.”

Her breath caught in her throat. She could have kicked herself. While she sold off her few pieces of furniture, her husband waited for her to come. And while she planned which two dresses to bring, he fell ill.

While nattering at her landlord to let her leave without paying another month’s rent, he’d died.

Made all her preparations, her worrying, her tiny victories in saving a few pennies here or there seem hollow.

Like her heart.

An hour later, Kaihtlyn took Charlie’s hand as he helped her from the wagon. He returned her bag, but her chilled fingers wouldn’t grasp the handle, and it dropped to the ground with a thud.

As did her heart.

Three men stood before her. Strangers. Could this day become any more bizarre?

The first man, the shortest of the three, stepped forward. He held out a calloused hand. “William Ray. Friend of your husband’s. I do

odd chores around town and in neighboring towns.”

The second man, about Robert’s height, six inches taller than her own five foot six, nodded. “Peter Morningside. Not a friend, exactly, but I knew him. I own the tailor shop and men’s store.” He tipped his hat. “Pleased to meet you, ma’am. Condolences.”

The third man, taller than Mister Morningside by a good two inches, bowed low, as if on a stage. “Montgomery Norris. But you can call me Monty.” He straightened, then stared off into the distance. “To be, or not to be. That is the question.” He smiled at her. “I am in the company of the tinker and the tailor, which means I must be the candlestick maker. In keeping with the children’s rhyme. And, of course, I am. Artist, stage actor, craftsman.”

She smiled. “I think you mean you must be a sailor, a thief, or something else which I forget.”

He blinked. “Oh, do I have the wrong rhyme?”

“A butcher, a baker, a candlestick maker.” She peered at him. “So which are you?”

“Definitely a candlestick maker.”

She glared at each man. “Who are you? And why are you here?”

Monty, rooted to his spot, close enough to touch, nodded. “Good questions.” He dusted his hands together. “Charlie explained your husband died, right?”

“Yes. But what does—”

Monty held up a hand. “Your husband left a will. In it, he names you as the sole beneficiary. Of all his earthly wealth.”

“So, I own the mine?”

Perhaps Robert made one good choice, at least. If he wasn’t here, then at least he left her provided for.

The first man, Mister Ray, pulled a folded paper from his pocket. “I have a copy of the will right here.” He handed it to her. “As you can see—”

She held up a hand as she read the document. Near the end, a paragraph that rocked her world. “No, he wouldn’t do that to me.”

Monty’s mouth lifted in a half smile. Or was it a sneer? “I’m afraid he did.” He gestured to his two companions. “And we are the result of Robert’s desire to ensure you are well looked after.”

Trembling fingers gripped the paper, sending it into a paroxysm that scrambled the words so she couldn’t decipher another word.

“But to choose amongst three men, and marry one of you within thirty days, or lose what’s rightfully mine by law?” She stomped a foot. “No. This isn’t right.”

Mister Morningside, the tailor, nodded, shoulders slumped. “You are as surprised and shocked as we are. When the lawyer called us into his office the day after Robert died—”

Kaihtlyn stared at him. “And just how did he die?”

Monty answered for the three. “Influenza outbreak in the tent city.”

“He lived in a tent?”

“No. He went to bring food and medicine to some families. Caught it there.”

She staggered, and William the tinker caught her under the arm and eased her back against the wagon. “Where is he buried?”

Charlie came around the wagon, hat in hand. “The cemetery just outside town.”

“And if I refuse to choose either of you?”

“The will says the mine will be owned by the three of us jointly.”

Robert, how could you?

Leave me for months on end.

Deny me the one thing I wanted—a family.

And now steal my future.

No, there must be another way.

{***}

William suppressed the grin that lit up his insides. He’d suspected Robert Watson of trying to palm off an ugly nag on one of them, but this woman was decently good looking. Okay, her chin was a little more pointed than he preferred. But despite what his mother always said about women with sharp chins, this one seemed downright nice. Maybe not as nice as Millie at the saloon. But he wouldn’t have to pay this one for her time. Or her favors.

He could see himself settling down with her. Having a passel of children. He hoped that was in her plans, too, although he’d have been much happier marrying a ready-made family.

A terrible thought struck him. What if she was barren? Did Watson know something he hadn’t shared with them? The few times they’d talked—usually at a saloon over a bottle of rotgut whiskey—Watson always said he was never home enough to start a family.

But William knew the ways of men and women. Didn’t take much practicing for some folks to have their quiver full in short order.

Well, no worries. She’d pick him, he’d have the mine. And if she didn’t produce any little ones, she could have an accident. He’d still have the mine. He could pay for one of those mail-order brides.

But first, he had to get his hands on the mine.

Check out Kaihtlyn's Choice here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BZWTPZY1 and the rest of the series: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09JVS5QBX

Kaihtlyn's Choice releases on April 20 ^th

About Kaihtlyn's Choice :

A widow heads west to meet her wandering husband in Nugget, Colorado. On her arrival, she learns he died. But he left a gold mine and a will. With a stipulation: She must marry within 30 days. To one of three men he pre-selected before he died. But which man will win her heart? The tinker, the tailor, or the candlestick maker?

About Donna:

www.DonnaSchlachter.com/blog

Facebook: www.Facebook.com/DonnaschlachterAuthor

Twitter: www.Twitter.com/DonnaSchlachter

Books: Amazon: http://amzn.to/2ci5Xqq

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/donna-schlachter

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&query=donna+schlachter

Courting Chaos – Kaihtlyn’s Choice -- Hero Spotlight

Wed, 19 Apr 2023 07:30:00 GMT

Today I'm featuring the hero in my upcoming release in the second of three posts about Kaihtlyn's Choice.

There are three male leads in this story, because the series premise is a woman has to choose between three men. But which one?

In my story, a widow travels to Colorado to join her husband, but when she arrives, she learns he has died. To claim the gold mine that’s part of his estate, she must choose one of three men her now-dead husband selected for her.

Montgomery Norris is artistic, temperamental, a little spoiled, and a bit of a bully. But he wants the gold mine. He gave up a life of wealth to pursue his art, but prefers being rich. He isn’t above getting rid of his competition and/or his wife, should she choose him.

William Ray is a gypsy by lifestyle, although he longs to settle down. However, he is fickle with women, never being satisfied with one for very long. Or maybe he just hasn’t found the right one.

Peter Morningside, as the town tailor, seems to be most stable and sensible of the lot. But there is something he is holding back. Will it be a deal-breaker?

Throughout the story, both Kaihtlyn and the three suitors find themselves in situationd where God is trying to teach them something.

Will they finally see His plan for their lives? Or are they determined to make their own way?

Check out Kaihtlyn's Choice here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BZWTPZY1 and the rest of the series: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09JVS5QBX

Kaihtlyn's Choice releases on April 20 ^th , and you can preorder it NOW at the link above.

About Kaihtlyn's Choice :

About Donna:

www.DonnaSchlachter.com/blog

Facebook: www.Facebook.com/DonnaschlachterAuthor

Twitter: www.Twitter.com/DonnaSchlachter

Books: Amazon: http://amzn.to/2ci5Xqq

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/donna-schlachter

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&query=donna+schlachter

Courting Chaos – Kaihtlyn’s Choice – Heroine spotlight

Wed, 19 Apr 2023 00:27:00 GMT

This is the first of three posts introducing my upcoming release, Kaihtlyn's Choice.

I am so excited to introduce the heroine in my upcoming release. She is named after my oldest granddaughter Kaihtlyn.

I remember the first time I met her in July 1999 when her parents brought her to Colorado to take part in my wedding to her grampa.

She stepped into our apartment as if she’d lived there all her life. We had a pull-out sofa, a television, and a dining room set. One bedroom, where she, her parents, our younger daughter, and her younger brother would sleep. She never once complained.

Now graduated from college and living in Chicago, my real-life Kaihtlyn works for an advertising agency, handling social media for key accounts. She is sweet, responsible, and loves Jesus.

Which is why I had no trouble calling the heroine in this book by her name. Every time I went to write a scene, I’d see my Kaihtlyn saying and doing the things I talk about. When she was in danger, my heart thundered. When she was falling in love, my heart pitter-pattered right along with my heroine’s.

Some people will tell writers not to name characters after anybody they know, but in my case, it made writing the book so much easier.

Check out Kaihtlyn's Choice here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BZWTPZY1 and the rest of the series: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09JVS5QBX

Kaihtlyn releases on April 20 ^th , and you can preorder it NOW at the link above.

About Kaihtlyn's Choice :

About Donna:

www.DonnaSchlachter.com/blog

Facebook: www.Facebook.com/DonnaschlachterAuthor

Twitter: www.Twitter.com/DonnaSchlachter

Books: Amazon: http://amzn.to/2ci5Xqq

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/donna-schlachter

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&query=donna+schlachter

The Fiery Trials of "Mary's Moment"

Mon, 17 Apr 2023 07:30:01 GMT

Welcome author and dear friend Susan G. Mathis back as she shares more about her latest release.

Mary’s Moment is about the terrible Thousand Island Park fires in the Summer of 1912. Thousand Island Park’s switchboard operator Mary Flynn is christened the community heroine for her quick action that saves dozens of homes from a terrible fire. Less than a month later, when another disastrous fire rages through the Park, Mary loses her memory as she risks her life in a neighbor's burning cottage. Will she remember the truth of who she is or be deceived by a treacherous scoundrel?

Here's an excerpt of these fiery trials:

Mary gulped in searing breaths of thick smoke as sparks flew all around her like devils on a mission, riding on the wind, settling on beautiful summer homes that smoked and kindled, ready to ignite. Ash peppered the wind and dusted everything in a deathly gray.

The air, dry as dust, choked her. Needles of heat pricked her face and hands. Her feet, immovable, stuck to the ground.

Fear sparked and flamed to life. Not another fire!

Her pulse thrummed at the base of her neck, and sweat tickled her scalp. Shrinking away from the flames, she shook like a dog cowering before a larger opponent.

Firebrands danced on the breeze. Flames licked up the grass, ignited the bushes. A spiraling column of flames trampled house after house like a giant on the move. A building collapsed. Rubble rolled into the street.

Children wailed. Neighbors cried. Screamed. Ran. Shoved. Prayed.

Older folks stared in silence as if turned to stone. Young people worked, fought, tried to save what they could. Grabbed their belonging and threw them into the streets.

Rats fled the barns. Cats meowed. Dogs barked. Horses neighed. Birds fell from the sky.

Glass melted, silver fused together, candles warped. Streets clogged with belongings. Chimneys stood like soldiers guarding the debris of people’s lives.

The flames overpowered the raised wooden sidewalk and caught the next veranda ablaze. Her aunts’ cottage? No! Angry clouds of smoke and ash whipped all around her. Fiendish flames of fire teased.

Terror mounted with every step, but she fought a rising panic. She had to save her precious aunts.

There, in the upstairs window, Aunt Maude and Aunt Stella banged on the glass, trapped inside their burning cottage. They screamed for help, but they couldn’t make themselves heard over the roar of the inferno.

The wind took on a menacing power as her aunties’ home exploded into flames.

Fear fluttered in her stomach and she fought nausea, gathering her courage. She hoisted her skirts, dashing up the burning cottage steps and through the front door. Felt her way up the steep staircase, barraged by the heat. Choking on the smoke. Her nerves stretched and strained.

A headache swelled behind her eyes, her nerves taut as piano strings. Fear poured over her like a torrential summer storm. She reeled back, the flames pushing her to retreat, away from her aunts, like the bully it was.

The fire whipped into a whirling dervish. Flaming wallpaper spiraled down, hitting her on the shoulder, burning a hole in her dress. Flying embers attacked her, scorching her hair. Still, she pressed on.

She had to find her aunts and save them. Where were they? She tried to call out, but her voice croaked, indistinguishable, useless.

Sparks rained down like hail. A cloud of ash covered everything in a layer of white powder, making it hard to see. Her nose filled with it. Her eyes burned with it. Her throat choked with it.

The flames spread before and behind her, surrounding her with heat so hot she wondered if she had entered Hades.

She called for her aunties, but nothing came out of her mouth. Then … there … Aunt Maude’s paper-thin hand, a network of veins covering the back of it. She reached for her, but something pulled her back, kept her from saving her loved ones. She groaned, reached, pressed toward the hand …

ABOUT SUSAN:

Susan G Mathis is an international award-winning, multi-published author of stories set in the beautiful Thousand Islands, her childhood stomping ground in upstate NY. Susan has been published more than twenty-five times in full-length novels, novellas, and non-fiction books. She has ten in her fiction line including, The Fabric of Hope, Christmas Charity, Katelyn’s Choice, Devyn’s Dilemma, Peyton’s Promise, Sara’s Surprise, Reagan’s Reward, Colleen’s Confession, Rachel’s Reunion, and Mary’s Moment. Her book awards include two Illumination Book Awards, three American Fiction Awards, two Indie Excellence Book Awards, and four Literary Titan Book Awards. Reagan’s Reward is a Selah Awards finalist. Susan is also a published author of two premarital books, two children’s picture books, stories in a dozen compilations, and hundreds of published articles. Susan makes her home in Colorado Springs and enjoys traveling around the world but returns each summer to enjoy the Thousand Islands. Visit www.SusanGMathis.com/fiction for more.

Hey! Lighthouse Lovers -- Spotlight

Sat, 15 Apr 2023 09:30:00 GMT

Today I welcome author Laurie Larsen as she shares her latest release that contains stories set in and around lighthouses. She has also generously offered to gift one lucky reader with a FREE print copy -- anywhere in the world!

I am excited to share with you a collection of stories that are guaranteed to fill your heart with inspiration and warmth. It’s called "Charleston Light: Stories Inspired by Sullivan’s Island Lighthouse".

Inside, you will find eight individual novellas written by authors who belong to the same writers group: The South Carolina Lowcountry Chapter of the national organization, American Christian Fiction Writers. We’re a fairly new chapter (just starting our fourth year) and relatively small (a dozen members) but we are all convinced that we’ve got something really special going on.

Last year, someone brought up the idea of publishing an anthology. After some brainstorming, we decided to all write stories inspired by the nearby lighthouse on Sullivan’s Island. It’s … well, how do I say this … you know what you think of about lighthouses? Beautiful, majestic, scenic? Well, this one is not that. It’s awkward. It’s a little ugly. It’s triangular, instead of spherical, and it serves an important purpose; it’s just not exactly beautiful while doing it!

But we were inspired to write stories about it – there was a lot of material there to explore. Not to mention that literary celebrity Edgar Allan Poe was stationed in the Army on Sullivan’s Island in 1827 and wrote his story The Gold Bug there. Several of our stories threw that angle in too!

As we worked on our stories, we decided to select a charity to donate all our proceeds to. We didn’t have to look far before we found the right one. Our chapter member, and anthology contributor Dianne Miley is the Founder of SOUL: Sanctuary of Unborn Life. Sanctuary of Unborn Life is a 501(c)(3) faith-based non-profit in Charleston, South Carolina that provides support, mentoring, and housing assistance for local pregnant and new mothers in need.

We are thrilled to be donating our proceeds to such a loving and worthy cause!

All eight stories feature the lighthouse, and all the stories have faith-based themes. They range from contemporary romance to mystery/suspense to time travel.

My own story is Looks Aren’t Everything , a retelling of the classic fairy tale, The Ugly Duckling: Pediatric nurse Wanda Byrd feels an instant kinship with ten-year-old cancer patient Kendall, and it’s not just because of their matching scars. But a surprise encounter with Kendall’s Uncle Mark immediately ignites her long-held insecurities due to his good looks and confident demeanor. Can an awkward-looking lighthouse, the wisdom of a little girl, and a confession from the man himself teach her that true value comes from within?

The ebook is available for your Kindle and is available free to Kindle Unlimited subscribers. It’s also available in paperback for those who love the feel of a book in their hands!

What’s your favorite lighthouse that you’ve visited? Do you have any lighthouse art hanging in your house? Would you want this “Ugly Duckling” lighthouse to join your collection?

Giveaway: I will select one random commenter to receive a paperback copy of the anthology (US or international!) Good luck! Remember to cleverly disguise your email address so the 'bots don't get ya! for example: donna AT livebytheword DOT com

Links:

Purchase link: https://www.amazon.com/Charleston-Light-Inspired-Sullivans-Lighthouse-ebook/dp/B0BY3F4N7K

Laurie Larsen website: www.authorlaurielarsen.com

Laurie Larsen Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorlaurielarsen

About Laurie:

Heartwarming, life-changing Christian fiction. An award-winning author, Laurie is living her dream life at the beach, writing novels. Laurie writes beachy inspirational romance that takes place in the South Carolina Low Country. She retired from the big day job and now focuses on writing full time. Strolls on the sand, soaking up the sun and riding the waves can be considered the best kind.

Lilacs in July?

Wed, 12 Apr 2023 08:30:00 GMT

Help me welcome our guest blogger today, Joan Donaldson, as she shares insight into getting it right.

Lilacs blooming in July? A character seeing a wren in Minnesota in February? Such mistakes as a horse sleeping in a stall spread with hay, whittle away at the credibility of historical fiction. Just as authors research the fashions worn during a certain time, writers need to consider details about nature and gardens. Here are a few tips for resources that provide information about nature.

While writing my novel, On Viney’s Mountain, I often contacted friends living in Rugby, Tennessee and asked, “What’s blooming now? Which birds are singing?”

I wanted to ensure that the scenes in the novel contained the correct information about blooming wildflowers and which birds had returned in March. When those sorts of details are included in a narrative, they help create a rich sense of place. Plus, if someone from Tennessee or a visitor familiar with the territory read my novel, they could confirm that the descriptions matched their experiences.

If a writer has no contacts within a region, she can research about birds at the Cornell Ornithology website or a state’s Department of Natural Resources site. When she needs information about plants, most states have an extension service that helps gardeners. Some states may have a master gardener program that can provide experts to answer questions. Or consider searching online for famous gardens in a specific location because the manager could offer suggestions.

When a writer needs details about farm animals, ask questions at feed stores, a place that hires folks familiar with common animals. Or again, inquire at a state’s extension services or perhaps talk to the staff at a large animal veterinary clinic. Sometimes a nonprofit organization such as Tillers International that trains oxen and horses can offer in depth details about draft animals. Some universities have academic websites where an author can find links to an expert and can email her with questions.

As always, a writer should make sure that a website is sponsored by a creditable source such as a university, a state government, or a nonprofit. When researched details are woven into a narrative, the writing flows with an authentic sense of a place.

Learn more about her latest release:

https://www.amazon.com/Vineys-Mountain-Cumberland/dp/1500493740

Author Spotlight:

Joan Donaldson’s historical novel, On Viney’s Mountain , won the 2010 Friends of American Writers Award for Outstanding Young Adult novel and it represented the State of Tennessee at the 2010 National Book Festival. Her book, Hearts of Mercy, continues Viney’s story. She and her husband live on an organic blueberry farm in Michigan along with their dairy goats, four cats and a flock of chickens. She loves playing her Irish harp, working in her gardens, and fussing over her scented geraniums.

You can learn more about Joan and sign up for her newsletter at:

https://www.joandonaldson.com/

www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063743282694

https://pleasanthillfarm.eatfromfarms.com/

New Releases -- April

Tue, 11 Apr 2023 07:30:00 GMT

Book Spotlight -- Morgana -- Switchboard Sisterhood series

Mon, 10 Apr 2023 07:30:00 GMT

Today I’m giving you a sneak peek into my upcoming release, Morgana. Over the past two days, I shared about the hero and heroine, so you can check those out if you missed them.

Here’s the first chapter:

Chapter 1

July 23, 1925

Kansas City, Kansas

Morgana Campbelton glanced into the wavy mirror perched atop her dressing table and sighed. The humidity of Kansas City—KCK to the locals—combined with the hundred-plus-degree temperatures did little for her naturally curly hair. Her fringe, plastered to her forehead, reminded her of paintings of The Little Dutch Boy.

She yanked open the final dresser drawer and pulled out the contents. Scarves, stockings with a run or small hole. Not bad enough to toss out, but barely acceptable to wear. An article of shapewear with a broken clasp—in the trash can. Along with the legwear. One silky scarf as an accessory. The rest into a pile in the middle of the bed. Perhaps the next girl in this room could use them. Or the landlady.

Morgana sank onto the mattress to rest her back and legs. A long—and potentially strenuous—journey faced her, and she’d do best not to begin it already worn to a frazzle.

As her eyes roved the room, checking to ensure she had forgotten nothing critical to her success in Anchorage, one hand rested on her abdomen. A new life out in the wilds of Alaska, and a second new life in there. Not one she’d planned. Nor one she’d particularly wanted when she confirmed its existence two months back. Hard to believe she was already five months along.

And certainly not one Chester Dawson, her former lover, wanted. In fact, he’d offered money for her to visit one of those midwives who did more than deliver babies.

Had she made the right choice? She’d heard terrible stories of young women horribly maimed, some who even died, after undergoing the butchery and unsanitary conditions in some of those places. Married women who waited too long, then delivered infants marred and scarred by the midwife’s failed attempts to end the pregnancy.

She hadn’t thought only of herself, though. What of the babe?

And on the flip side of the coin, what would happen to both if she continued the pregnancy? Perhaps she could find a family—a good, loving, stable family—to take the child. And she—well, she could start over anywhere she liked. Although nearing forty, she was educated, skilled, and occasionally called handsome.

Morgana picked up her cousin Juliette’s last letter, mailed from San Francisco while on her honeymoon.

Dear Morgana, you will be thrilled to know…

And yes, she was. Excited for her cousin. Just a few months older than herself, Juliette had lived a love-drenched excitement-filled life with her first husband. After his accidental death—a horrid affair that initially pointed the finger at his wife. Police later proved that an infatuated patient had followed him, causing his fall from the side of a cliff—and a few months living with his mother, Juliette set out for Anchorage in response to an advertisement for switchboard operators.

It seemed that in no time, in a city where men outnumbered women ten to one, she found her second chance at love.

She continued reading the letter, although by now, she knew the words almost by heart.

Perhaps once we return from our month-long honeymoon, you might think to take time from your busy life and visit us here. We have plenty of room. In fact, we’ll practically rattle around in the Bruder Mansion. Can you imagine naming a house after yourself? Patrick said it was his father’s idea. A way to lay down roots in this new country.

She set the letter aside. How foolish her dreams were. Chester’s words were full of confidence and his kisses were sweet. She’d given herself to him willingly. After all, they were getting married, weren’t they? Isn’t that what intimacy like this meant? She’d kept herself pure for her marriage bed, then tossed her gift to the four winds based on empty promises and airy flattery.

She sighed. Well, she’d never have that first time chance again.

And maybe the girls at the switchboard were correct. Who would want a woman saddled with another man’s child? If the real father didn’t want her—or their babe—no man in his right mind would, either.

Which left a passel of gents not in a stable mental state to choose from.

Images of drunks sleeping in doorways and drug addicts singing in a rat-infested alley came to mind. She’d worked downtown and knew the vices a man could get into.

Perhaps that kind of life was all she deserved.

She stood and surveyed her image again, running her hands down her side, through her once-waspish waist, and down her hips. She still had curves—not all exactly in the best places. Could she still attract the eye of a proper gentleman?

Not unless he wanted her for a mistress. That’s what Chester offered. Once she got rid of the brat, as he referred to the baby.

Her hand stroked the still-tender spot on her cheekbone. She’d waited until today to travel, ensuring the bruise had time to dissolve. Chester’s anger was clear and immediate.

Morgana sighed. Maybe she should do what Juliette suggested.

As for us, for the next month, we plan to take it one day at a time. Patrick has much planned for our time in San Francisco, as he knows the best galleries, and, of course, we must visit each, according to him. I overheard him tell my artist friend Helena that he really wants to show me off to those who didn’t think he’d ever marry. I find myself really quite nervous. After all, I am not an artist, and I know nothing about that world. What if they should ask a question that illuminates my total ignorance? Will Patrick wish he could trade me for another?

Which is what Chester Dawson had done. Neglecting to tell her he already had a wife, luring her to his bed, then discarding her like yesterday’s newspaper.

But, her cousin had found true love. Morgana read it in her words.

While the best she could hope for was another chance to make a decent life for herself. And for the little one inside her. Most likely in two different places.

Movement, like the touch of a feather on her abdomen, caught her attention. Did the little one shift position? Kick in protest of its mother’s choices?

She stood and slammed her suitcase shut, engaging the fasteners to hold the lid tight. Then she hefted the bag. Not a lot to show for a lifetime. Perhaps living in a boarding house for the last two years was a blessing. Forced her to cull her belongings into what could fit into one case and a carpetbag.

She donned her hat, pinning it to her curls that Chester said shone like ripe wheat. Hmmph. Sweet words that a person could starve to death feeding on. No substance. Nothing truly good in them.

A final check under the bed—nothing but dust bunnies—and she was off. She’d given her notice last week, and the landlady didn’t seem upset at her leaving. She’d have the room rented again before she’d laundered the sheets.

If she did that much.

Down the stairs. The grandfather clock in the parlor chimed two o’clock. She nodded to the landlady, who cleared the table following the midday meal, then stepped outside.

The air slapped her in the face like a warm, wet towel. She paused on the top step to draw a breath, changed hands on her bags, then stepped down to the sidewalk. Merging with other pedestrians and feeling like a bobber on a river current, she allowed the crowd to sweep her along. At Main Street, she worked her way to the outer fringes of the packed sidewalk, then turned left onto Pershing. A few more blocks, and she stepped inside the relatively cool interior of the Union Station building.

A long and wide corridor hosted seating, plus concessions—although she thought it strange that somebody would need to purchase a hat or a suitcase on their way to board a train—as well as several booths selling hot coffee, iced tea, and sandwiches. She tucked a ham sandwich into her reticule in case of emergency, then sought a porter for directions to her platform.

He did better than that. The portly gentleman, who introduced himself as Fred, offered to take her bags. When she hesitated, he added he didn’t expect a beautiful woman like her to pay him one red cent for the privilege.

Heat rushed to her cheeks as she stood there, frozen, undecided.

Goodness, how silly of her. Since when had she blushed on receiving a compliment?

Since Chester stopped whispering sweet nothings into her ear and instead concocted slanderous lies about her handing out her favors to any Tom, Dick, or Harry who asked. Anything to divert attention from himself and try to save face.

After all, he had a wife to think about. To protect.

Hmmph. He hadn’t spent a second doing either as they dallied away the hours in a posh hotel room. Always under a fake name, of course. Smith. Brown. Black. Jones.

How she longed to be called by his name. Missus Dawson. But no.

Missus Smith. Missus Jones.

Constantly reminding her just how cheap and sleazy their time together really was.

Well, she’d show Chester Dawson. She didn’t need him.

Nor any man.

She could take care of herself.

{***}

Alex Handel tapped a toe in time with the hissing and wheezing of the train he waited to board. Seemed everybody wanted to leave Kansas City, Kansas, on this sweltering summer’s day. Maybe they had the right idea. If so, that meant he did, too. Not that the decision for him to head to San Francisco and then on to Anchorage, Alaska, was his.

He glanced at the letter from his manager, Walter Jenson. A company man, if ever there was one, Jenson had worked his way up through the ranks. Alex grunted. To hear Jenson speak of his career, the man made it quite clear he was born to be the manager of Northwest Exploration Company—as if the Good Lord designed it to be so.

Well, Alex wasn’t certain the Creator had that much interest in who lorded it over whom. In fact, right now, he couldn’t rightly say God even knew his name. If He did, why hadn’t He intervened over the past five years?

A burly man pushed past, bumping Alex’s shoulder, causing him to sidestep to regain his balance. How rude some folks were. A newspaper boy held up the morning edition, 1925 census emblazoned across the front upper fold. An eastbound train, loaded with folks heading to Saint Louis and beyond, pulled out on the next platform, decreasing the hubbub and sounds of steam, loading, and conductors ushering passengers into compartments.

He sighed, enjoying the relative quiet.

But only for a moment.

Footsteps neared, and he swiveled his head. A handsome woman, approaching his own age of middle forties, strode along the wooden walkway, eyes searching this same train he awaited. Probably looking for her compartment. He kept his eyes on her, as she seemed burdened with a suitcase and carpetbag, along with a drawstring purse. Not meeting anybody. Traveling, perhaps, to meet her husband? Had she walked far?

He dropped his focus to her feet. Sensible shoes. Everyday heel height. He scanned her from foot to forelock. Cute hat—a black felt high top, decorated demurely with a matching flower and vine-thing that wrapped from the side around the front and then disappeared to the back. The narrow brim framed an unlined face. Hair the color of sun-swept wheat peeked from under the hat, and when she met his gaze—goodness, eyes the color of the ocean stared back at him. Boldly, as if questioning why she held his attention.

His ears burned, and he turned back to the train. When had he gotten so brazen as to assess a stranger’s clothing and demeanor?

Scrambling steps thundered on the deck. A shout. A thunk!

Alex’s head snapped to his right. A child stared at clothing scattered around the woman. She tottered on one foot, the other heel wedged between two boards. She needed help.

The conductor stepped down from the nearest car. “Boarding for San Francisco and points in between. All aboard. Leaving in two minutes.”

Two minutes? What to do? If he missed this train, what would Jenson say? Alex already suspected the man had sought a reason to fire him. The ogre wouldn’t hesitate to call his failure to board this train, to meet the ship in San Fran and travel to Anchorage to open a branch office, evidence of his ongoing ineptitude.

But she needed help.

At her cry, he decided. Walter Jenson might not aid this woman, but thankfully, he was a much different man.

Morgana releases on April 11 ^th , and the ebook is available for preorder here https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BTCC5Y3W and the rest of the series, including Morgana’s cousin, Juliette’s, story here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BNPJF8SJ

About Morgana:

Morgana Campbelton, 40 and long in the tooth—at least as far as her friends and contemporaries are concerned—has fallen pregnant to a man who neglected to tell her he was already married. Having spent several years supporting herself by working at the Bell Telephone Company in Kansas City, Kansas, so she could fulfill her dream of becoming a landscape painter, she is summarily fired once her condition becomes apparent. Her lover abandons her, even spreading vicious lies about her loose morals. At her wit’s end, she decides to take her cousin Juliette up on her invitation to join her in Anchorage, Alaska for a holiday. One she hopes will extend into a permanent stay.

Alex Handel, a mining engineer, travels to Anchorage in search of diamonds on behalf of his employer, the Northwest Exploration Company. He’s had a string of failures over the past five years. Fearing he’s lost his knack, he resolves to stay focused on the job. At 43, he can’t afford to lose his reputation—or his paycheck—again. Alaska is his last chance, according to his boss.

Can Morgana and Alex find the life they’re seeking? Will God be allowed to interrupt their plan with His own? Or will they discover that the answer doesn’t lie in the where, but with the who?

About Donna:

www.DonnaSchlachter.com/blog

Facebook: www.Facebook.com/DonnaschlachterAuthor

Twitter: www.Twitter.com/DonnaSchlachter

Books: Amazon: http://amzn.to/2ci5Xqq

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/donna-schlachter

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&query=donna+schlachter

Heroine Spotlight -- Switchboard Sisterhood series

Sun, 09 Apr 2023 07:30:00 GMT

Today I share about the heroine in my story, the fabulous and fearless Morgana, in preparation for release on April 11th.

Yesterday we talked about heroes, and today we will discuss heroines. Morgana is, of course, the heroine of her own book. She has previously worked as a switchboard operator in Kansas City, Missouri. Like many women—past and present—she fell victim to the sweet talk of a man, giving herself to him in the belief that he both loved her and wanted to marry her.

When she fell pregnant, he revealed his true character. Not only was he merely using her for his pleasure, but he cannot wed her as he already has a wife. One that holds control of the money, as well as a lifestyle he doesn’t want to give up.

Unable to bear the shame of being unmarried and pregnant, Morgana accepts her cousin’s invitation to join them in Anchorage for a visit. Morgana hopes the situation will prove to be long-term. While she hasn’t decided whether to raise the child herself or adopt it out, she’s doing the best she can with a bad situation. She loves to paint and has some talent, so hopes Alaska will prove to be her muse.

Heroines, as the female version of the male hero, are expected to do more than simply be the love interest of the story. In particular, readers don’t want to see their heroines fall victim to their circumstances and require a man to bail them out. In writing this story, I had to be careful not to let that happen.

However, that doesn’t mean that the hero can’t assist. We first meet Alex Handel at the train station, then we see him again on board the ship, in San Francisco, and again in Anchorage as he lends a hand. Morgana is, however, well able to take care of herself, as we see in a later scene with her former lover.

In the end, she makes the choice of whether to keep her child or not, and she sees Alex not as a solution to her problems, but as an equal partner in whatever relationship they share in the future.

About Morgana:

Can Morgana and Alex find the life they’re seeking? Will God be allowed to interrupt their plan with His own? Or will they discover that the answer doesn’t lie in the where, but with the who?

About Donna:

www.DonnaSchlachter.com/blog

Facebook: www.Facebook.com/DonnaschlachterAuthor

Twitter: www.Twitter.com/DonnaSchlachter

Books: Amazon: http://amzn.to/2ci5Xqq

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/donna-schlachter

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&query=donna+schlachter

Hero Spotlight -- Switchboard Sisterhood series

Sat, 08 Apr 2023 07:30:00 GMT

Thanks for joining me today as I set the tone for my upcoming release, Morgana.

A hero should be—what? I recently heard a definition that I especially like: “A hero is the one running toward danger when everybody else is running away.” Certainly in our culture today, we see many heroes: our military. Our police officers. Firefighters. Paramedics.

We often see ordinary men and women who step out and do the extraordinary, such as a pilot safely landing a commercial airliner on a river. Or a school teacher who stands up to an armed gunman. Or an older woman who resists a car jacker trying to steal her car.

In my upcoming release, Morgana, Alex Handel is an ordinary man trying to do his job. However, circumstances place him in danger several times. And even when he isn’t actively working to protect or rescue others, his heart is to make situations better.

For example, when Morgana finds herself in trouble boarding the train, Alex steps in and helps her. He encourages her as they both settle into life in Anchorage, Alaska.

And Morgana isn’t the only beneficiary of his help. The Tlingit tribe finds him of immense help, primarily because Alex is an honest man who risks losing his job in order to act with integrity.

Here we see that heroism doesn’t require car chases and gun fights. Heroes can be quiet men who choose to step out and make a difference.

And I think if you ask Morgana, she will agree Alex Handel absolutely does that.

About Morgana:

Can Morgana and Alex find the life they’re seeking? Will God be allowed to interrupt their plan with His own? Or will they discover that the answer doesn’t lie in the where, but with the who?

About Donna:

www.DonnaSchlachter.com/blog

Facebook: www.Facebook.com/DonnaschlachterAuthor

Twitter: www.Twitter.com/DonnaSchlachter

Books: Amazon: http://amzn.to/2ci5Xqq

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/donna-schlachter

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&query=donna+schlachter

Writing Legends of Ukraine

Fri, 07 Apr 2023 07:30:00 GMT

Today I welcome author Travis Hightower as he shares about writing legends in Ukraine.

We are blessed enough to live in a nation where we don’t worry about invaders rolling through our town, kidnapping our children to indoctrinate them, and shooting whoever gets in their way. We don’t have air raid drills or loss of power in the winter because a cruise missile blew up our power company. I think even though many of us are thankful for the freedom and security we enjoy, we still feel distant from a nation and a people like Ukraine, who fight for their very survival. If we did not have this distance, you would never see anyone complain about their “tax dollars” being sent to aid a nation fighting desperately to keep what we experience without threat. Although the reality of how much of a person’s taxes get used for a purpose is seldom understood by people who complain about it, as an author I was more interested in telling the stories of Ukraine which inspire me and make me feel connected to their situation every day.

Most non-fiction journalism on Ukraine is surface level, and the true deep dives into the battles, the heroes, and the atrocities are either incomplete, or not digested by an easily distracted western audience. War is an ugly business. There is very little that is sexy about it to sell. With nonfiction you can make a person’s heart break much more often than you can tell an uplifting story of hope. And this is why propaganda and legends can be a force for good—especially the legends. Legends never die out. They stay with us and keep us striving for the better world. I have written an anthology of three legends of the Ukraine conflict. They are as follows:

The Ghost of Kyiv – The story of the real life Mig-29 pilot Stepan Tarabalka exaggerated into a viral legend from the opening days of the war. The original legend started amongst gamers on Discord and then circulated as a meme. The meme credited a single unknown Ukrainian pilot with six kills in the first two days of the war, to include a Russian Mig-29, Su-27, and two SU-25 aircraft. Most difficult to believe were the claims of downing two SU-35 aircraft—an upgraded version of the SU-27 with far more advanced avionics and weaponry than anything in the Ukrainian Air Force. And yet people believed it and the legend spread. I write a scenario where two pilots accomplish six kills in a plausible way, and then show how the legend spreads. But beyond that, I focus on Tarabalka and what I was able to find out about the real man to humanize a legend of the skies. This entry also includes heavy United States involvement, as the first half of the story covers the real-world training event in 2018 involving an F-15 squadron from the California National Guard. My aim is to show how Ukraine as a nation has been tied to ours for decades. One of my beta readers called it Top Gun: Ukraine, and I accepted the compliment.

Snake Island – The phrase “Russian warship, go *bleep yourself!” is now famous worldwide. It was a spicy topic in the opening days of the Russian invasion. Originally, it was believed all the defenders of the tiny Snake Island were killed. This turned out to be incorrect, as Russia revealed almost all of them had been taken prisoner. Skeptics and those looking to be critical of Ukraine pointed to this as a deception in favor of propaganda, but they were also mistaken. This novella tells the plausible story of Roman Hrybov, the man behind the famous defiant insult. It gives the reader a taste of what his time in Russian prison would have been like, and how difficult it would have been to adjust after he was returned home in a prisoner exchange. Then I take the liberty of involving him in the mission to sink the warship Moskva, destroying and sinking the ship that once bombarded Snake Island, and freeing the shipping lanes of the Black Sea. By the end, I compare his resilient words to the flag being raised on Iwo Jima and show how legends becoming propaganda can be viewed as a force for good.

Charcoal - In the opening months of the war, a female sniper only known by her call sign “Charcoal” issued a statement as propaganda meant to inspire the fighting forces of Ukraine. She was being called the new “Lady Death” and as far as any information I could fins she is still fighting. She is said to be responsible for at least one of several successful sniper assassinations on Russian leadership. To humanize Charcoal, I use an amalgamation of several Ukrainian female snipers fighting in this conflict. I name the character Yulia Shevelyov. When her younger brother goes to war in 2015, he becomes one of the legendary “Cyborgs”—a group of around a hundred Ukrainian soldiers who occupied an Airfield and held onto it in separatist territory near Donetsk for more than a year before they were finally overrun and captured. Yulia is a journalist in the city who wants to stay out of the fighting until she sees her brother paraded through the streets by her own people. This is the story of how the ordinary citizen becomes a warrior when freedom is on the line, and how the victories of such people inspire the cries of Glory to Ukraine, Glory to the Heros!”

These novellas will soon be on submission, so look for news on my website www.travishightower.net for their inevitable publication deal. Thank you so much to Donna for allowing me to be a guest on her blog, and I am sure I will do this again sometime.

About Travis:

You can catch up with Travis online at https://www.travishightower.net/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hightowerdreamland

My Made-Up Boyfriend -- with Book Spotlight

Wed, 05 Apr 2023 07:30:00 GMT

Join me today as I welcome author Betty J. Slade. She's sharing about a secret boyfriend...

I love to write about strong country families. Unpretentious, hard workers, they live honest lives, and raise good children with strong work values. They help their neighbors and have deep moral convictions. They respect their family and care for their animals.

When grandson, Luke Barrett, 26, rescues a Curly Sulphur mustang from Disappointment Valley, the story begins. The mustang becomes one of the characters and is used as a metaphor for Bree Steele, the 22 years old girl who arrives at the ranch. She was six years old when her mother left her on the streets of San Francisco. Feral and an outcast from society, she is looking for her family.

Bree witnessed a murder. She runs from the syndicate and ends up on the Crawford River Ranch. Love, suspense, and drama fills the pages of this contemporary story, Taming Wild Hearts , Book One in the Disappointment Valley Series.

A perfect idea for a great story. I put my fingers to the keys and wrote a 71,000-word fiction based on actual facts. I completed the manuscript. The story went through many edits and fact checks in order to produce a clean script. I signed with Elk Lake Publishing, Inc. I started the process of producing and marketing my story.

I told the world for the past four years about the book I wrote and would soon be released into the market. I talked about it to the point that I don’t think anyone believed there was an actual book. It was all in my head.

It’s like going to work every day and talking about a made-up boyfriend. No one has seen him, and doesn’t believe he is real. His name is Luke, a good-looking Colorado cowboy. He lives on the Upper Blanco with his family on the Crawford River Ranch. Soon he will be seen on the pages of this novel. It has been promised to be released before summer.

Excerpts from Luke and Bree’s first meeting

“You don’t need a ride?”

“No.”

“You sure?”

She nodded.

He tipped the brim of his hat. “Ma’am.”

You’re flirting. Bree watched him scoot into the truck. You’re rad and know you are. I bet the girls are all giddy over you.

About Betty:

Connecting online:

https://www.facebook.com/betty.slade.92/ - Personal Facebook site

https://www.facebook.com/bettyjslade

Website: https://bettyjslade.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bettyjslade/

About Taming Wild Hearts:

A Peek Inside Taming Wild Hearts

Ouch! Quilled by a porcupine. Luke’s guard went up. She’s dangerous.

Luke’s truck tires ground against the rocks before he veered the vehicle and trailer onto the highway.

The girl with the green eyes captured Luke’s thoughts and gnawed on him as he drove west toward Durango. What’s she doing in this drive-through town and why do I care?

Prairie Roses Multi-Author Covered Wagon Romance Collection

Tue, 04 Apr 2023 15:52:02 GMT

Today I welcome author Kaitlene Dee as she shares about her upcoming release.

In about a month, the Prairie Roses Collection will be making its annual release of a collection of covered wagon romances. Not all of the stories in the collection are set on the Oregon Trail, but some may be. The titles all bear the name of the heroine of the book; mine being Grace.

Nineteen-year-old Grace loses her best friend and inherits her three-year-old daughter, Emma. It was her friend’s dying wish that Grace raise Emma because the little girl is without any other family.

Adam begrudgingly comes to the rescue of Grace and Emma with a marriage of convenience proposal—and together, they set out to help an elderly couple of sisters move their tea shop business from one town to another in a covered wagon to carry the sisters’ precious bone china and heirloom cabinet. What should only take two to three weeks travel time turns out to be a much longer trip, ripe with danger and disaster. In all this, Grace and Adam find out how much they must trust in God as He guides them into discovering that they more than need one another.

I love outdoor cooking, and this story was and is (I’m still writing it) fun with all the cooking that goes on in it. I enjoyed researching foods pioneers ate and packed for their journeys. Guide books made suggestions on things to pack in their provisions. A few suggestions that were especially interesting were taken for ‘medicinal purposes’. Yes, you guessed it, whiskey and maybe some brandy or rum.

But more interesting to me, were the spices—I’m always interested in what spices and herbs were available in historical times and what they were used in, or for. Some curatives that were packed were cinnamon bark for the relief of diarrhea and nausea and to against digestive issues, cloves have antiseptic and anti-parasitic properties and nutmeg or mace are a tonic (FoodTimeline.org –an awesome and fun resource! They refer to Randolph B. Marcy’s A Handbook for Overland Expeditions, a valuable resource manual for traveling west).

Potable meat and portable soups, dessicated dried, or canned vegetables, and powdered pumpkin and dried fruits were delightful to me as I thought all they had was beans, cornmeal mush, biscuits, and bacon. At least, in the first part of their journey they likely had a few small treats things, but since the limited space and weight of their supplies and items played such an important part, they didn’t get to pack much in the way of variety, for there was not room in the wagon.

I hope you’ll join us in the Prairie Rose Collection in a few weeks for several covered wagon romances. There’s sure to be adventure, romance, and food in each of the stories. You can join the Facebook group for the release party, which will be announced in just a couple of weeks. Join us here for the fun: https://www.facebook.com/groups/PrairieRosesCollection/

One of the treats mentioned in the recipes I found was Strawberry Dumplings. It was found in a old trunk that came across the Oregon Trail in the 1800s. This recipe can be found on a site called, GroupRecipes. For the recipe Old Time Strawberry Dumplings , you can visit the site for the recipe directions, but for now, here are the ingredients:

Strawberry Dumplings (or any edible berry along the trail)

Batter

4 eggs
4 tsp. sugar
4 Tbsp. melted butter
1 tsp. salt
4 tsp. baking powder
12 Tbsp. flour

Topping

4 cups strawberries
2 cups sugar

Thank you for visiting today and enjoying a little time around the campfire and sharing interesting things on a covered wagon journey. I hope you’ll pre-order Grace , and the other wonderful books in the Prairie Rose Collection releasing this month and in May. You can get all the Prairie Rose Collection books, past and upcoming, in the series here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07R8DSMB4

Also, thank you to Donna for having me as a guest today!

About Kaitlene:

Kaitlene Dee spends her time daydreaming about western romances and the spunky heroines who insist on having their own stories written, and the swoony cowboys who love them. She often rescues stray dogs and can’t wait to give a forever home to her next dog or two…or five. She lives on the west coast and enjoys traveling, research, writing, and hanging out with reader friends in her Facebook readers group or with her newsletter readers. She’s an avid coffee drinker—and don’t even think about getting between her and a bear claw pastry. Follow her for updates on upcoming releases on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/stores/Kaitlene-Dee/author/B0BRCNDRK3

An Interview with Susan G Mathis, author of a Thousand Stories

Sun, 02 Apr 2023 07:30:00 GMT

Join me today in welcoming author and dear friend, Susan G. Mathis, as we celebrate her latest release.

Welcome, Susan! Let’s learn about your newest title, MARY’S MOMENT.

It’s the summer of 1912, and Thousand Island Park’s switchboard operator Mary Flynn is christened the community heroine for her quick action that saves dozens of homes from a terrible fire. Less than a month later, when another disastrous fire rages through the Park, Mary loses her memory as she risks her life in a neighbor's burning cottage. Will she remember the truth of who she is or be deceived by a treacherous scoundrel?

What kind of research did you do for Mary’s Moment ?

I began researching online, in books, and with interviews. By greatest resource, was the very thorough book, Thousand Island Park: One Hundred Years, and Then Some: a Centennial Year History by Jr. Helen P. Jacox and Eugene B. Kleinhans. In it, the authors detail first-hand accounts of the Park and fires. With these details, I wove a story that is visceral, interesting, and I think, memorable.

Tell us about Thousand Islands Park on Wellesley Island.

The Thousand Island Park Camp Meeting Association was founded by the Rev. John Ferdinand Dayan in 1875 as a Methodist summer camp with regular meetings, sermons, and public services. They leased spots for tents or cottages and provided most of the conveniences of city living but without its vices. TI Park was called, “The Chautauqua of the North.” By 1894, 500 to 600 cottages plus hotels created a full summer community that included a library, yacht club, golf course, roque courts, annual tennis tournaments, daily concerts, an art school, its own printer, a needlecraft shop, fishing guides and boats, a book shop, a photographer…and Sunday services. In 1912, three major fires nearly destroyed the Park, but the community quickly rebuilt. Today, it's still a lovely summer community full of gingerbread Victorians and friendly people.

What message do you hope readers take away from Mary’s Moment ?

All eleven of my Thousand Islands’ stories have hope as the central theme. Hope for a better future. Hope for love. Hope for healing. Mary’s Moment also focuses on healing broken hearts, forgiving those who hurt you, and embracing God’s redemption.

What were the key challenges you faced when writing this book?

Researching 1912 firefighting, telegraphy, and being a telephone switchboard operator was a challenging, fascinating, and in-depth study, but oh so much fun. I’m thankful I was able to connect with a fireman and a telegraphy/telephone historian who read my story for accuracy. I also had a historian with the Thousand Island Park Landmark Society read Mary’s Moment to make sure my details were correct. Though it’s extra work, it always helps to check with the experts.

What can your readers expect from you next?

A Summer at Thousand Island House is coming out in July with Wild Heart Books. It’s part of their Gilded Age series.

About: A Summer at Thousand Island House

Summer, 1885

Thousand Island House, Alexandria Bay, NY

Addison Bell serves children of the Thousand Island House guests on Staple’s Island. Part nanny, part entertainer, she’s full of creative energy and endearing love for children. While thriving in her work, Addi’s vivacity attracts the attention of the recreation pavilion’s manager, Liam Donovan, as well as the handsome Navy Officer Lt. Worthington, a lighthouse inspector, hotel patron, and single father of mischievous little Jimmy.

When Jimmy goes missing while in Addi’s care and former President Chester Arthur finds the child a stowaway on his fishing boat, her job and reputation are endangered. How can she calm the churning waters of Liam, Lt. Worthington, and the President, clear her name, and avoid becoming the scorn of the Thousand Islands community?

Mathis’s attention to detail and rich history is classic Mathis, and no one does it better.—Margaret Brownley, N.Y. Times bestselling author

ABOUT SUSAN:

Susan G Mathis is an international award-winning, multi-published author of stories set in the beautiful Thousand Islands, her childhood stomping ground in upstate NY. Susan has been published more than twenty-five times in full-length novels, novellas, and non-fiction books. She has ten in her fiction line including, The Fabric of Hope, Christmas Charity, Katelyn’s Choice, Devyn’s Dilemma, Peyton’s Promise, Sara’s Surprise, Reagan’s Reward, Colleen’s Confession, Rachel’s Reunion, and Mary’s Moment. Her book awards include two Illumination Book Awards, three American Fiction Awards, two Indie Excellence Book Awards, and four Literary Titan Book Awards. Reagan’s Reward is a Selah Awards finalist. Susan is also a published author of two premarital books, two children’s picture books, stories in a dozen compilations, and hundreds of published articles. Susan makes her home in Colorado Springs and enjoys traveling around the world but returns each summer to enjoy the Thousand Islands. Visit www.SusanGMathis.com/fiction for more.

Have You Ever Played Bingo? Called Bingo -- Author Spotlight

Tue, 28 Mar 2023 07:30:00 GMT

Help me welcome author Tanya Eavenson as she shares about her latest release.

Have you ever played BINGO? Have you ever called BINGO?

The writing community says that you should write what you know, and this is one of those instances where fact meets fiction.

For the last eleven years, I’ve been working for a non-profit that focuses on adults 50 and older staying active, healthy, and independent. I’m one of the directors of the organization and my department centers around placing adults within the community to volunteer for different organizations, helping with disasters like tornadoes, working community gardens, and the list goes on. However, once a month, I get to call bingo at a senior activity center. I have to tell you, it’s one of the highlights of my month, and we have such a great time together! And because of this, when I started thinking about writing Finding You, I needed a character who was spunky, says mostly what’s on her mind, is independent, gentle, caring, and tends to be a matchmaker at heart. That’s why Auntie Ruth was the second character thought of for Finding You. She plays such an important role within the story and it wouldn’t have been the same without her. She an accumulation of the many people that I serve who have become more than friends, but family.

I hope you enjoy this small excerpt from Finding You .

“It’s a man calling about your aunt.” Frank handed her the phone.

“Hello. This is Dallas. What’s happened with my aunt?” There was a moment of pause, and fear almost tumbled her over.

“Ma’am, your aunt is fine. I’m sorry for the confusion. I never mentioned there was anything wrong with her.”

Dallas bit back tears, and her legs almost gave way. The man rattled on about something as she leaned against the wall and talked herself down from the irrational panic. Aunt Ruth had helped her father raise her after her mother died when she was only five. The fear of losing her was nothing new.

When Dallas’s brain finally shed the panic, she caught the man saying his name was Gabe Langston. “Ms. Ruth is at the senior center now, playing bingo,” he assured her.

She swiped at a tear along her cheek. “Then why are you calling? How did you get my number? How do you know my aunt?”

“I’m the man who purchased your house. She’s my new neighbor.”

She inhaled a long, deep breath and tried to calm the beating of her heart. When she remained silent, he continued, “I found a couple of boxes in the attic, and I thought you should know about them.”

Was that all? He’d scared her to death for some trinkets he found in the attic. “Whatever is there is yours. Have it with my blessing.”

“Are you aware of what’s in the boxes?”

“No, but it’s your house now. I have no claim to what might be left behind.”

“Dallas.” He said her name with such ease, as if he’d said it hundreds of times. “Ma’am, I’ve spoken to your aunt, and I honestly can’t accept. What I’ve found is valuable.”

This was news to her. She’d climbed the attic one final time before she left and didn’t remember seeing any boxes. Was this man scamming her and her aunt? She pressed the phone closer to her ear to make sure she heard him clearly. “What did you find?”

“I’m not certain what all is in the boxes since I’ve not gone through them completely. I felt it was yours to do, but what I did find is very valuable. If you can return to Texas—”

“Texas?” She startled. “I’m afraid not. No amount of money will tempt me.”

“Are you sure about that?”

She felt a touch to her arm and turned to see Penelope holding up five fingers and mouthing minutes.

Dallas nodded. “I need to go, Mr. Langston.”

“Is there nothing that can persuade you?”

She chuckled, picking an outlandish amount of money, the same amount needed to transport her horses to Wyoming. “Seven thousand dollars.”

“What you find in the boxes could be worth more. The only thing I can tell you is I found two gold coins and old books. Make your arrangements. Let your aunt know when you’ll be flying in. I look forward to meeting you.” And with that, he hung up.

Dallas stood there, stunned, with the phone clinched in her hand. She immediately dialed her aunt.

“Hello,” Aunt Ruth answered a moment later. A voice in the background called, “O, sixty-nine.” She was at the senior center as Mr. Langston said.

“Auntie, this is Dallas.”

“Hey, honey. Did Gabe call you?”

“B, twelve.”

“Yes, ma’am. He mentioned he found something of value in the attic.”

“He did.”

“I, twenty-four.”

“Have you seen the coins?”

“I have. The boxes were hidden away. He sent me a picture on my phone. There’s more, but he won’t go through the boxes.”

“B, eight.”

“Bingo!” her aunt shouted. “I gotta go, dear. They brought books as prizes this time, and I’m the second to win. I’ll have almost the first pick.”

“Wait! Can I trust him, Auntie? Mr. Langston.”

“Gabe? Of course, dear, or I wouldn’t have given him your number. Come home and see for yourself. Love you.”

Check out the book here : https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BYWGH2HW ?

About Finding You

Can a Texas man wrangle the cowgirl who made him believe in second chances? Or will the wilds of Wyoming keep them apart?

Dallas Campbell expects her seasonal position as a dinner theater entertainer in Wyoming to end within weeks, but when she's given a full-time offer, she accepts. Still struggling with the loss of her husband and child, she's determined to forge a new future, sell her Texas home, and leave the past behind.

Gabe Langston has been a widower for two years and needs a new start with his daughter. He finds the perfect home with a history as big and wide as Texas and located near a ranch that will board his horses. Boxes hidden in his attic point to the ranch and the home’s mysterious prior owner, so he reaches out to her in Wyoming.

Dallas returns to Texas to investigate the contents in the hidden boxes. She plans to stay with her aunt for a few days and then head back to Wyoming. What she doesn't count on is a handsome cowboy and his sweet daughter interfering with those plans.

Determined to help Dallas work though her past, Gabe buckles in for what is sure to be a tough job. He’s up for the challenge, but can he convince the woman he’s falling for to extend her stay, permanently? Or will her new life in Wyoming keep them apart?

About Tanya:

Tanya Eavenson is an award-winning Christian romance novelist. She enjoys spending time with her husband and their three children. Her favorite pastime is grabbing a cup of coffee, eating chocolate, and reading a good book. You can find her at her website http://www.tanyaeavenson.com/

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A Peek at Mary’s Moment by Susan G Mathis

Fri, 24 Mar 2023 07:30:00 GMT

Join me today as I welcome back my prolific author friend, Susan G. Mathis, as she shares her latest release, Mary's Moment , with us.

Mary’s Moment released last week, and I’d like to give you a little peek at this story that’s set in the fiery Summer of 1912. Thousand Island Park’s switchboard operator Mary Flynn is christened the community heroine for her quick action that saves dozens of homes from a terrible fire. Less than a month later, when another disastrous fire rages through the Park, Mary loses her memory as she risks her life in a neighbor's burning cottage. Will she remember the truth of who she is or be deceived by a treacherous scoundrel?

Here's an excerpt:

At twenty-eight, Mary Flynn had become an old maid, just like her Aunt Maude. Not that Mary didn’t desire marriage. It just never stepped across her threshold or even winked at her. Oh, she’d cast her eye on a boy or two, but they fled as soon as they learned she was a modern woman who enjoyed working outside the home.

No. She’d not permit a sink or a crib or any other domestic doldrum to chain her. She had too much to offer. Too much to accomplish.

Mary startled when the telegraph came to life. Dots and dashes danced in the air as she picked up her pencil and began deciphering the message as quick as a hummingbird’s flight. “Alex Bay here. See smoke. Need help?”

Did they? She tapped out her reply. “Clayton here but please help. Boathouses burning. Wind strong.”

She waited for what seemed a decade before the answer came, the clicks and ticks in the irregular succession of one unsure how to send a proper telegraph message. “Sending help.”

Mary sat back in her chair, folded her hands, and sent up a quick prayer. Whether or not the boys needed it, aid was on the way. She grinned at the satisfaction of making such a lofty decision. If she were a housewife, dinner and diapers would be the only decisions she’d be making.

She stared out the window, wishing once again for a clear sight to the fire. Why couldn’t she settle for the normal course of things? Marriage. Motherhood. Matronly attentions.

She ran her hand along the familiar machines in front of her. The telephone switchboard was a marvel, and she enjoyed connecting with others. But the telegraph suited her fancy best. She’d become quite adept at her work, speedily transcribing wires, even recognizing the senders by idiosyncrasies, much like the tones of a voice. Accuracy was critical in her translations, especially in times of sorrow and danger. Like now. And she’d found a level of satisfaction in her days, tucked away in seclusion with machines as her friends.

Still, if she was honest, she longed to be loved.

But by whom?

ABOUT SUSAN:

Susan G Mathis is an international award-winning, multi-published author of stories set in the beautiful Thousand Islands, her childhood stomping ground in upstate NY. Susan has been published more than twenty-five times in full-length novels, novellas, and non-fiction books. She has ten in her fiction line including, The Fabric of Hope, Christmas Charity, Katelyn’s Choice, Devyn’s Dilemma, Peyton’s Promise, Sara’s Surprise, Reagan’s Reward, Colleen’s Confession, Rachel’s Reunion, and Mary’s Moment. Her book awards include two Illumination Book Awards, three American Fiction Awards, two Indie Excellence Book Awards, and four Literary Titan Book Awards. Reagan’s Reward is a Selah Awards finalist. Susan is also a published author of two premarital books, two children’s picture books, stories in a dozen compilations, and hundreds of published articles. Susan makes her home in Colorado Springs and enjoys traveling around the world but returns each summer to enjoy the Thousand Islands. Visit www.SusanGMathis.com/fiction for more.

Connecting online: