Delia Latham's Blog, page 7

New Release: SUMMER DREAMS (Paradise Pines, Book 2)

Wasn't it only yesterday that I announced the release of SPRING RAINE? Apparently I lost some time, because it certainly feels that way. In reality, it's been four months...and the second book in the Paradise Pines series releases today! Woohoooo!

Here's what it's about:


The getaway of a lifetime...kinda.  Summer Callihan isn’t in Cambria for the beach or the ocean or the pine-scented air around Paradise Pines Lodge. She’s there as a companion to her flighty cousin, Deah—with the understanding that they will have separate agendas the entire time. Summer just wants to be left alone to dream up the romance novels she writes under a pseudonym. A real-life hero who rivals a romance novel...really! But never in Summer's wildest writer's imagination does she dream of being caught in an undertow and almost drowning, only to be rescued by a wealthy artist. And when Logan Bullard proves hard to shake, Summer fears for her heart—especially when Deah sets her sights on Logan. A Cupid to pull it all together...? But at Paradise Pines Lodge, what's meant to be has a way of happening...at the best time and in the best way. Miss Angelina Love—who may or may not own the place—has an "in" with Heaven's own "department of romance." And she's determined to see Summer and Logan together.
Just in case you missed the introduction to Paradise Pines when Spring Raine released...you really need to know all about this series, which is set in beautiful Cambria, California:Another great magical story written by Delia Latham.     ~ Diana MontgomeryWhat an amazing book. A look at God working in the lives of Summer and Logan. Is there an angel present? Very good conversations with God at the center. This book made me feel so very good. I loved it.~ Robin BuntingSummer Dreams is a fanciful delight, a romance with more than a touch of whimsy. ...the message of Summer Dreams touched my heart. Author Delia Latham portrayed the faith message clearly and in a way that brought tears to my eyes. Well done. ~ Kathleen Friesen"Summer Dreams" dances through your heart and soul like butterflies dancing about a field of flowers. ...I give summer dreams five angelic dancing stars.~ Renette Steele

Guest Author: Ane Mulligan

A great big, very warm welcome to Ane Mulligan! I always enjoy Ane's visits to Chirp 'N Chatter. This time, she brings a fun post about her part in a soon-to-be-released collection of novellas centering around tiny houses. I am so jealous! Had I known this collection was in the works, I would have been clamoring at Ane's door, begging for my name to be on one of the novellas. Tiny houses...oh, my! What a charming concept! Love it, love it, love it! You'll be excited to know that Ane will be giving away an electronic copy of Love is Sweeter in Sugar Hill. Just leave a comment to be entered in the drawing.
While a large, floppy straw hat is her favorite, award-winning author Ane Mulligan has worn many: hairdresser, legislative affairs director (that's a fancy name for a lobbyist), CEO of a Community Theatre group, playwright, humor columnist, and novelist. She firmly believes coffee and chocolate are two of the four major food groups. Ane resides in Sugar Hill, GA, with her artist husband. You can find her on her website, Amazon Author page, Novel Rocket, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and Google+.



Tiny Houses, Big Ideas
Have you ever had something completely off-the-wall capture your imagination? That's what happened to me when I saw the first TV show about tiny houses. I love the idea of being able to take your home with you when you travel. And I love to travel. I know it's the romantic in me, and I could probably adapt quite well to one. After all, I spend hours a day, working in a small space, while my imagination takes me worldwide.When the mayor of Sugar Hill asked me when I was going to place a book in our town, I decided I'd put my fascination with tiny houses into the book … sometime. I still had the last two books in my Chapel Springs series to finish. Then, some of my writing pals brought up the idea of us doing a novella collection together. So I tossed out the idea of making a tiny house the unifying element.They asked questions; I sent them links from a newsletter I get. We shared photos back and forth of the ones we liked. Within a short time, all were onboard. We wrote blurbs for our projected stories and came up with a title: Coming Home ~ a Tiny House Collection. I took my story idea from an episode of Tiny House – Big Living about a traveling nurse, who was tired of closing up her place and renting on the road. She was buying a tiny house so she could take it with her. I should have done more research on the job of a traveling nurse rather than on tiny houses. I'd already started working on my outline, when a plot point took me to my critique partner's daughter, who's a nurse. My idea of what a traveling nurse did and what they actually do wouldn't work for my story. Terrific. Here it was, my idea, and all my writer pals had their stories finished or nearly so. Me? I was at the starting gate without anything. So I did what I always do in this spot. I call my critique partner Micelle Griep. A short time of brainstorming and we were on to something. Michelle's mind works so much like mine—or maybe it's because we've been critique partners for 13 years. Whatever, it works.The city motto for Sugar Hill is "the sweet life," so naturally, I titled my novella Love is Sweeter in Sugar Hill. And while it gave me fits in the beginning, it worked out in the end to be a sweet romance.
Love is Sweeter in Sugar Hill , by Ane MulliganShe has a tiny house. He lives in a mansion. She vows to charge a doctor with malpractice. His job depends on that doctor's finances. Will love find a way? Kayla's Challenge, by Linda W. YezakShe was one "I do" short of marrying the man her pushy parents chose for her. Now, half a country away, she needs a tiny house to finally be free. If These Walls Could Talk , by Pamela S. MeyersBoth claim to have inherited the same Queen Anne until an unexpected blessing changes everything. First Love, by Yvonne AndersonBetrayed by her husband and desperate for healing, she can only move forward by going back home. Dash of Pepper , by Kimberli S. McKayHis responsibilities tie him to the small town he loves, but her career plans will lead her to the big city. Will he cut his roots for her or will she clip her wings for him? Big Love , by Michael EhretHomelessness expanded her world and constricted his. Now she needs his help, but he only remembers the pain. Can they find big love in a tiny house? The Light Holding Her, by Chandra Lynn SmithFriends since childhood. She's being stalked. He's in danger. Is their faith big enough to carry them through the trials into a deeper relationship?
Delia here. Don't these tiny house books sound amazing? I can't wait to dive right in. Short of owning one of these little jewels, I can certainly dream of having one...by visiting the fictional worlds created by all these authors. Let's chat! Would you like to own a tiny house? If so, how do you see yourself living in one?

Mini-interview with Author Heidi Schussman

A special welcome to Author Heidi Schussman!

What spiritual theme does El Tiburon include? How did it come to be a part of this story line?
As you may know, my books aren’t light reading. El Tiburon is a crime novel about drug and human trafficking in Central America. That being said, I attempt to show that we can cry out to the Lord in our anguish, sometimes with bitter words full of hurt and confusion. Repeatedly throughout El Tiburon and its predecessor, Counterpart, the Christian characters demonstrate a confidence in God’s presence.
In this series of books about Sean and Sport McGee I also show God’s plan for marriage and family. In Counterpart (where they meet) they fall in love but choose to not act upon the growing desire for each other, though at times it’s comically difficult.
What smell do you love most, and why?
This is a fun question. I found myself thinking of all the smells I love and realized how important smell must be to me. Smell is one of the most primal senses we have and the scent of something can evoke vivid memories. I can break it down into three categories:
Flowers… I adore the smell of flowers! Especially roses, gardenias, plumeria, and lilac. I have all but the plumeria in my yard and that’s where I usually write.
Ocean… I was born on the coast of Northern California, and I can’t wait to roll down my window when I return for a visit. The smell of the kelp churning with the heavy salt water fills my soul.
Food… I like to cook and I like to eat. When I’m preparing one of my concoctions the whole house smells delicious (probably more delicious than the taste). I love going to a friend’s house and being greeted by the savory scents of a carefully prepared meal.
Please share a verse of scripture that is especially meaningful to you, and why it is special.
Jeremiah 6:16 -- “This is what the Lord says: Stop at the crossroads and look around. Ask for the old godly way, and walk in it. Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls. But you reply, ‘No, that’s not the road we want!’”
Isn’t that a crack up? I don’t know for sure why this verse resonates with me so much. Maybe I can relate to God’s advice to me and my willful desire to not go down that road. Then I wonder why my soul’s not at rest. Oh well… I’m older and wiser now and I prefer the old godly road. It’s His way or the highway, as the old saying goes.
About El Tiburon:

About Heidi...by Heidi:
Traveling with my husband of twenty-eight years is my favorite past-time. We love visiting other cultures, especially if it gives us the opportunity to brush up on our Spanish. When in the tropics we scuba dive every chance we get. The rest is divided between gardening, exercise and of course writing.In addition to fiction I write three blogs: A Dashing Bold Adventure is about our travels throughout Central America, the Caribbean, and Europe. The Wine Tribe covers a monthly food and wine pairing competition. And lastly is my author blog, Author H. Schussman, where you can find author interviews and what’s happening in my career.I worked with US Veterans for 15 years as a physical therapist. I specialized in cognitive and psychiatric disorders. I was a clinical instructor for CSUS throughout my career as a PT and have the privilege of being a guest lecturer on two subjects: Cognitive and Psychiatric Disorders in the Geriatric Population, and Documentation for Skilled Intervention.I’ve since retired from that profession and devote myself to writing fulltime. I’ve written two books (Counterpart and El Tiburon) and one screenplay (Piratessa). I am currently writing about an American youth group in Colombia with the adventurous McGees as chaperones… what could go wrong with eight teenagers in the jungle?

Guest Author: Tamera Lynn Kraft

Tamera Lynn Kraft
The Scary Road
My husband and I went to New Mexico on vacation a few years ago. One of the sites my husband and I wanted to see was Sandia Crest. There’s a tram that goes to the top of the mountain, but we decided to drive, so we typed Sandia Crest into our GPS. What we didn’t know is that there are two roads to the top of Sandia Mountain. One road is paved with wide lanes and guard rails. The other road is an unmaintained state highway that you travel at your own risk. Our GPS took us up the second path.We should have guessed how scary the road would be when the sign said “Unmaintained Roads Ahead. Travel at your own risk.” But we decided it wouldn’t be that bad. After all, we had a four-wheel drive SUV, and it wasn’t winter, so when it became a gravel road we weren’t that worried. We did get a little nervous when the road started having ruts and stones the size of the Grand Canyon. Then the road narrowed until most of the time, it was one lane. The fallen trees blocking part of the road were interesting. Then there were the steep drop-offs with no guardrails. Of course, the “Beware of Bears” signs didn’t make us feel any better. We had to go slow, very slow, so the journey to the top took much longer than we expected, but the view made it all worth it. It was spectacular.Finally, we made it to the paved road. Soon after that, we reached Sandia Crest, elevation 10,689 feet. The view was like nothing I’d ever seen. We went back down over the safe way. It was a nice drive, but not nearly as fun or as beautiful as the scary road.Being on the journey of becoming a published writer over the age of 50 is a lot like driving on that scary road. Few travel there, and there’s the constant feeling of “what am I doing here?” When that first publishing contract comes through, you know the view is worth the drive.In  my new novel, Alice’s Notions, Alice Brighton is afraid of driving and has to confront her fears and drive up a winding West Virginia mountain road. She’s wanted to play it safe since her husband died in the war, but life doesn’t work that way sometimes.Sometimes God takes us on scary paths. We travel those roads alone, because nobody else wants to take a chance. These paths take us out of our comfort zone. Sometimes they’re dangerous, but God never promised us safety. He did promise to travel these roads with us. And the view is spectacular. When we reach the crest where the air is thin, so thin few travel there, and we experience the magnificence of God’s glory, we realize it was worth it all.
About Alice’s Notions:
In this quaint mountain town, things aren't always what they seem.World War 2 widow Alice Brighton returns to the safety of her home town to open a fabric shop. She decides to start a barn quilt tour to bring business to the shop and the town, but what she doesn't know is sinister forces are using the tour for their own nefarious reasonsBetween her mysterious landlord, her German immigrant employee, her neighbors who are acting strange, and a dreamboat security expert who is trying to romance her, Alice doesn't know who she can trust.
Purchase Links:Amazon KoboDesert Breeze PublishingBarnes and Noble
About the Author:
Tamera Lynn Kraft has always loved adventures. She loves to write historical fiction set in the United States because there are so many stories in American history. There are strong elements of faith, romance, suspense and adventure in her stories. She has received 2nd place in the NOCW contest, 3rd place TARA writer’s contest, and is a finalist in the Frasier Writing Contest and has other novellas in print. She’sbeen married for 38 years to the love of her life, Rick, and has two married adult children and two grandchildren. Tamera has two novellas in print: A Christmas Promise and Resurrection of Hope. Her first full length novel, Alice’s Notions, released in April.Contact Tamera on her website or at these online locations:WebsiteWord Sharpeners BlogFacebookTwitter Newsletter

Guest Author: Judythe Morgan

Listening to Plot Ideas
People love to share their plot ideas once they find out you are an author. Truth is, for most writers, there are far more story ideas than time to write. Most plots grow out of an author’s experiences. That is certainly true for me.My debut novel grew from my time at Eighth Army Headquarters, South Korea. The Pendant’s Promise, published in 2012, chronicles the lives of three people who met during the Vietnam era.A second book with the same characters came about because readers wanted to know more about their past. While flattered at the readers’ desire to know more, the requests put me in a quandary.Stories about actions and events that precede something else are called preludes and usually written first. The order of publication would be all wrong.Still, after multiple appeals over the next year, I caved and published a prelude then moved on to other writing projects.I never dreamed there would be any more books about the three characters, but recently, a reader contacted me and wanted to know how two secondary characters in the original story got together.That story idea had not occurred to me. Plus, it had now been years since the out-of-order prelude. Would readers even want to read another book with the same characters?I promised her I’d think about it.Shortly after my discussion with that reader, I stumbled upon an article about the recovery of the remains of First Lieutenant William Ryan, who was killed in action when his plane was shot down in Laos on May 11, 1969. After nearly 48 years, Lieutenant Ryan will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery on May 10, 2017.After further research on POW/MIAs and reading numerous personal accounts of families with loved ones missing in military actions, I realized there were so many wives and mothers without closure. An idea formed, one that would accommodate the time lapse between the previously published novels.Until He Returns, the story my reader wanted, releases this summer. While writing it, another plot sprouted and now a fourth book in the PROMISES series is in the works. As writers, we have all experienced long-winded discussions with those who have a story we should write. Most of the time, we simply smile and nod.I’m so glad I didn’t this time.


About UNTIL HE RETURNS:Shirley Carlson’s husband has been MIA in Vietnam for decades. She’s filled her life with family, friends, her business, and David Sands’ companionship. Now David wants more. Only she wants her husband home and buried before she moves forward with another relationship.David Sands has loved Shirley for years, patiently waiting for her to come to terms with her husband’s death. After one last assignment to the Middle East, he’s retiring from the Army. All he wants is Shirley at his side, as his wife. He proposes before he deploys.Will Shirley make a commitment without closure to her past life, or will she watch her new love walk away?Author Bio:Award-winning author Judythe Morgan juggles many hats. She’s an Air Force brat, an Army wife, one time-Department of Army Civilian, mother/grandmother, antiques dealer, schoolteacher, mayor’s wife, and sometimes-church pianist.Her diverse experiences bring life to her characters. Her belief in true love, second chances, and forgiveness means you’ll always find a happy ending.She’s a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of American.Connect with Judythe:WebsiteBlogFacebookTwitter           
Giveaway:
Sign up for Judythe’s newsletter to receive a free eReader copy of Love in the Morning Calm, Prelude to The Pendant’s Promise (the out-of-order prelude) in the PROMISES series and be first to know the official release dates for her new releases.

Author Interview: Christine Lindsay

A huge welcome to fellow PelicanBook Group author Christine Lindsay! Christine agreed to 'sit still' for my 3-question mini-interview. Enjoy! Christine Lindsay
Your book and youWhat inspired you to write Sofi’s Bridge?Sofi’s Bridge was inspired by watching how loved ones go through the steps of grief. We don’t take the basic steps to grief recovery in the same order. Nor do all of us come out of our grief in healthy ways. Throughout the basic steps listed below, some of us can get stuck. Below are the 7 basic steps in grief recovery, and where each of my characters gets stuck and how the intertwining of the characters’ individual grief creates the plot for Sofi’s Bridge. Often, the stages of grief are blurred, and people can go through several steps at the same time.  Shock & Denial – Sofi’s younger sister, Trina, is stuck here for most of the story. Witnessing her and Sofi’s father drown results in Trina’s Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. Her almost catatonic state puts her at risk of being placed in a sanitorium for the mentally ill.
Sofi is stuck in Denial.  As the eldest sister, and due to the fact, their mother collapses in her grief, Sofi doesn’t allow herself to express her own sadness as she cares for Trina and their mother. Pain & Guilt – As Sofi bottles up her own grief, her emotions snowball into guilt; that she should forego all of her own ambitions to care for her loved ones.   Anger & Bargaining – Neil (who is really Dr. Neil Galloway) is on the run from the English police for the murder of the man in Ireland. This man and his industrial neglect led to the death of Neil’s father. Neil’s anger turns into retaliation. It is while he is hiding under a fake identity at Sofi’s family home in Washington, that he notices the PTSS that Sofi’s sister is undergoing. As a doctor, he can’t turn his back on a person who needs his medical help.Depression, Reflections, Loneliness– While each character in the story goes through this stage of grief, this step is most exemplified by Sofi’s Mother, Rosella. Suffering the loss of her beloved husband in his drowning accident, Rosella buries and blurs her emotions under the influence of Laudanum. While pharmaceutical help is often needed through grief, some of us can get stuck there, and are unable to move on to healing.
The last three steps in grief recovery set up the climax of the book and bring the story to a happy and healthy conclusion. The Upward Turn
Reconstruction & Working Through
Acceptance & Hope

About youWhat smell do you love most, and why?The flowers in my garden. I’m an avid gardener, and often the sensuousness of my garden is displayed in my novels.
God and you
Do you usually insert a spiritual theme into your books? If so, do you have a favorite?Each of my books has a strong spiritual theme particular to that story. My personal favorite though, is the spiritual theme in Captured by Moonlight(Book 2 of my trilogy Twilight of the British Raj). That spiritual theme is dying to one’s own agenda that God may have full sway in our life to create His agenda in our lives, only to discover that His agenda gives us the greatest joy.

About Sofi’s Bridge
Seattle Debutant Sofi Andersson will do everything in her power to protect her sister who is suffering from shock over their father’s death. Charles, the family busybody, threatens to lock Trina in a sanatorium—a whitewashed term for an insane asylum—so Sofi will rescue her little sister, even if it means running away to the Cascade Mountains with only the new gardener Neil Macpherson to protect them. But in a cabin high in the Cascades, Sofi begins to recognize that the handsome immigrant from Ireland harbors secrets of his own. Can she trust this man whose gentle manner brings such peace to her traumatized sister and such tumult to her own emotions? And can Neil, the gardener, continue to hide from Sofi that he is really Dr. Neil Galloway, a man wanted for murder by the British police? Only an act of faith and love will bridge the distance that separates lies from truth and safety.
READ for FREE Chapter ONE of SOFI’S BRIDGE HEREAbout Author Christine LindsayIrish born Christine Lindsay is the author of multi-award-winning Christian fiction and non-fiction. Readers describe her writing as gritty yet tender, realistic yet larger than life, with historical detail that collides into the heart of psychological and relationship drama. Christine's fictional novels have garnered the ACFW Genesis Award, The Grace Award, Canada’s The Word Guild Award, and was a finalist twice for Readers’ Favorite as well as 2ndplace in RWA’s Faith Hope and Love contest.  Purchase sites for SOFI’S BRIDGE:     (Winner 2ndplace for RWA Faith, Hope, & Love 2009) Amazon Pelican Book Group ChristianBooks.com Barnes and Noble

Guest Author: Toni Shiloh

Who are you, really?
It’s a question that we contemplate sooner or later in life. Sometimes we question our identity because we were raised by a single parent. Other times, we discover a foundational piece of information that rocks our world. Examining ourselves is often uncomfortable and something we’d rather put off.But we can find comfort that the Great I Am knows exactly who we are. After all, God knows us. “My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought  in the lowest parts of the earth.” —Psalm 139:15 NKJV
God knows us and it’s terrifying and reassuring all at once. We can’t hide from Him, but our secrets are still safe in His presence. Unlike people, we can trust God with the knowledge of us.But that’s not always the case with other people. In my novelette, A Proxy Wedding, Carly James and Damien Nichols have to decide if they’ll share their innermost secrets with another. Can they trust the other to safeguard their secrets? Or will they be let down?It’s a tough choice to make in life, but with God’s guidance, we can handle the decision and the aftermath, whether good or bad.Do you feel safe with the knowledge that God knows all?
About the book
Carly James values loyalty and friendship above all. So when her best friend calls asking her to be a proxy bride, she says, ‘yes.’ How hard can it be to say ‘I do’ so that her best friend can be with the one she loves? Only, Carly never counted on the feelings that began to swirl around with the proxy groom.Damien Nichols likes life lined up from A to Z, but when his best friend calls in a favor, disorder begins to reign. Instead of taking a quick flight to the proxy wedding, he has to take a road trip with the proxy bride. Carly’s free-spirit attitude bumps heads with his meticulous approach to life. As Damien discovers the woman underneath the carefree façade, his emotions become involved.Will love become real at A Proxy Wedding?
About Toni
Toni Shiloh is a wife, mom, and Christian fiction writer. Once she understood the powerful saving grace, thanks to the love of Christ, she was moved to honor her Savior. She writes to bring Him glory and to learn more about His goodness.She spends her days hanging out with her husband and their two boys. She is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and the president of the ACFW Virginia Chapter.
Website
Purchase Link

New Release: OH BABY (Delia Latham)

I am beyond excited to announce the long-awaited release of OH BABY! This Heart's Haven novella will be available tomorrow -- Friday, April 28.


Oh, Baby is a Heart's Haven novella, available in electronic format only. It's one of four stories in the Heart's Haven Babies collection, along with:
THAT DOGGONE BABY by Tanya Stowe
Can one oversized Malamute
and one very discerning dog whisperer
help guide Jaci back to her true path?




BABYCAKES by Mary Manners

Sometimes letting gois the best way to hang on.





NOBODY'S BABY BUT MINE by Marianne Evans
A struggling adoptive father,
a woman bent on protecting
a troubled boy,
the love that binds them together


Here's the "back cover text" of my electronic book, which has no back cover... Hmmm...

Dawni Manors is happy to see San Antonio in her rearview mirror. In search of peace, she rents a unit at Heart's Haven, a quaint cottage-rental complex in East Texas. The place is said to be a hangout for angels—and for love. Dawni's not looking for love, and she's not convinced angels exist. What she yearns for, after a chaotic childhood as an orphan, is tranquility and hope. Maybe she'll find those things at Heart's Haven.
Instead, she finds Pro Cowboy Gavin Sampson, an abandoned infant, and a whole lot of emotional chaos. If the Heart's Haven angels really are there, what in the world are they thinking?
Now hop on over to Amazon and grab your copy! Better yet, drop in at Pelican Book Group, where you can get it at half off TOMORROW ONLY (on release day).
Also, you're invited to attend the Facebook "Baby Shower" for this collection. It's tonight, on Facebook, from 7:30 to 9 p.m., Eastern time. Here's the link:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1264726023641406/ 

Guest Author: Leeann Betts

Writing on a Deadline
Just when you think things can’t get any busier, they do—you have a deadline to produce a certain number of words by a certain date. Maybe you’re under contract for a book. Maybe it’s a magazine article, a devotional, or even a simple blog post like this one.
And yet that date looms like a guillotine over your head.
You sit at the computer and will the words to come. But they won’t.
Maybe if you watched some television, that might get the creative juices flowing. But it doesn’t.
Perhaps a walk around the block. An hour later you limp home after twisting an ankle stepping off the curb. Ice the swelling. Then heat. Then a nap. Then –
Wait a minute. What about that deadline.
Back to the computer. Sit in the chair. Stare at the screen.
Nothing.
Now what?
Now is the time to do what you should have done the first time you sat down.
Pray.
Yes, you read that correctly.
Pray.
This is my favorite version: Lord, give me ears to hear the words You dictate. Let me transcribe this story/blog article/devotional/poem for You. And thank You for letting me be the first person to hear these words. May Your words change me first, and then change others. Amen.
Not only is this prayer on target, it also reminds me who is the Boss. This prayer humbles me to my rightful position. And being a transcriber is biblical. Even the Apostle Paul says he had scribes who wrote for him.
That’s our job. That’s our goal. Write the only story worth telling, from the One who is the creator of story.
And by the way, once I have my priorities right, it’s not a deadline; it’s a lifeline.

About BROKE, BUSTED AND DISGUSTED


Wherever you find Carly Turnquist, trouble is sure to follow.
At least, that's what her husband Mike says.
Back in Bear Cove, Carly's best friend is being courted by a smarmy stranger, and Mike's latest client is unhappy with him.
When the client turns up dead and Mike is nowhere to be found, the police suspect him, and the video and paperwork they have that shows someone matching Mike's description maxed out their credit cards and cleaned out their bank accounts is compelling.
But Carly knows her husband couldn't kill anybody.
Could he?

About Leeann

Leeann Betts writes contemporary suspense, while her real-life persona, Donna Schlachter, pens historical suspense. She has released five titles in her cozy mystery series, By the Numbers. In addition, Leeann has written a devotional for accountants, bookkeepers, and financial folk, Counting the Days, and with her real-life persona, Donna Schlachter, has published a book on writing, Nuggets of Writing Gold, a compilation of essays, articles, and exercises on the craft. She publishes a free quarterly newsletter that includes a book review and articles on writing and books of interest to readers and writers. You can subscribe at www.LeeannBetts.com or follow Leeann at www.AllBettsAreOff.wordpress.com All books are available on Amazon.com in digital and print.

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An Historical Tidbit from Sofi's Bridge

Guest post By Christine Lindsay
I love to be swept away in a novel. I want romance, settings where I can feel the wind on my face, taste the air, breathe in the scent of flora and fauna, feel the touch of human skin, the softness of animal fur, and on and on. I want danger, adventure, a touch of mystery. But I also love history.
One of the fascinating historical tidbits in Sofi’s Bridge was not a new one to me, growing up. My great-grandfather and his 14-year-old son (my grandfather) were both riveters on the building of the Titanic. In fact, the Titanic was my grandfather’s very first ship in the Belfast shipyard where many of Great Britain’s ships were built. Naturally this unique trade that my paternal ancestry was so involved in was a subject I absolutely had to include in a novel one day.
But, still I had to do a fair amount of research on how the riveters worked. Below is a short excerpt from Sofi’s Bridge describing that trade, not in Ireland, but where the brother of my Irish hero in Sofi’s Bridge brought the riveter’s skill to building a bridge in Washington State.

Neil picked out his brother from among the men, and expelled a long sigh. On the bridge deck, or on one of those meager platforms hanging over the side, one slip, one fumble...from that height...and a man could die.
On the deck, Jimmy rapped his elongated tongs against the cone-shaped catcher can, waiting for the man known as the heater. The heater sent Jimmy a nod and thrust the peg of steel into the portable cast iron forge. When the peg of metal glowed to a molten white, he pitched it forward. Jimmy caught it in the catcher can and inserted the glowing rivet into a hole in the girder. With the same concentration Neil would use with a scalpel, Jimmy waited for the bucker to place his buckling tool against the head of the rivet, and for the riveter to hammer it home.

Sofi’s Bridge has loads of other historical tidbits to recreate for my reader, what life was like in Washington State in 1913.

About Christine: Irish born Christine Lindsay is the author of multi-award-winning Christian fiction and non-fiction. Readers describe her writing as gritty yet tender, realistic yet larger than life, with historical detail that collides into the heart of psychological and relationship drama.
Christine's fictional novels have garnered the ACFW Genesis Award, The Grace Award, Canada’s The Word Guild Award, and was a finalist twice for Readers’ Favorite as well as 2nd place in RWA’s Faith Hope and Love contest.
This author’s non-fiction memoir Finding Sarah Finding Me is the true-life story that started this award-winning career in Christian fiction and non-fiction. This book is a must for anyone whose life has been touched by adoption. Christine is currently writing a new fictional series set on the majestic coast of Ireland and loaded with her use of setting as a character that will sweep the reader away. Subscribe to her newsletter on her website www.christinelindsay.org


About the Book: Seattle Debutante Sofi Andersson will do everything in her power to protect her sister who is suffering from shock over their father's death. Charles, the family busy-body, threatens to lock Trina in a sanatorium—a whitewashed term for an insane asylum—so Sofi will rescue her little sister, even if it means running away to the Cascade Mountains with only the new gardener Neil Macpherson to protect them. But in a cabin high in the Cascades, Sofi begins to recognize that the
handsome immigrant from Ireland harbors secrets of his own. Can she trust this man whose gentle manner brings such peace to her traumatized sister and such tumult to her own emotions? And can Neil, the gardener continue to hide from Sofi that he is really Dr. Neil Galloway, a man wanted for murder by the British police? Only an act of faith and love will bridge the distance that separates lies from truth and safety.
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