Pamela S. Thibodeaux's Blog, page 22

#SaturdaySpotlight is on Kara O'Neal @KaraONealAuthor & The Inventor's Heart!

Good Morning from Sterlington, LA!

We drove up yesterday for the Dixie Youth World Series. My guy's grandson is playing on SC team for the 3rd year in a row. It'll be his last though, so we hope they win (naturally!)

Today's guest has visited many times so please welcome Kara O'Neal with her book, The Inventor's Heart....

Pike’s Run, Texas, 1885 Alex Davis has just returned to Pike's Run, Texas, from Yale with a fabulous invention that could revolutionize the use of electricity. He can't wait to show his work to his family and his dearest friend in the world, Julia Forrester. But from the first day he arrives home, Julia avoids him. He doesn't understand and tries everything he can think of to spend time with her, but he fails.
Julia Forrester has loved Alex Davis since their school days. He was her confidante and her champion whenever she struggled with her studies. She helped him with his inventions, spending as many of her free hours as possible with him. She'd thought he'd loved her, but when he went off to college without her, her heart broke. And the infrequency of his letters proved his feelings didn't match hers. Now that he has returned, she is determined to move on with her life. She has written a symphony, and she won't let past hopes and dreams overtake her again.
But Alex won't give up, and when Julia confesses the reason for her distant attitude, the "Genius of Pike's Run" realizes his stupidity. He is in love with Julia and will now move Heaven and Earth to have her. But he is battling more than her distrust. Julia has another reason to keep away from Alex, and he sets out to fix it. Will the "genius" be able to prove his theory?
Excerpt
“You don’t want to stay here with me? Why?” Alex tried to calm his rising anger, but hurt at her obvious want to escape him overruled his will. “You prefer to be caught under the mistletoe and kissed by every fellow in town?”
Julia reared back. “I want no such thing!” she declared, trying to tug her hand free of his.
He would not let go. “Could’ve fooled me. Fitzsimmons practically had you off your feet. And Hollister is married and lingered entirely too long when he grabbed you.”
With force, she tried to yank free, but he was having none of it.
“It’s just a game,” she argued with a scowl. “I didn’t plan it, and I can’t control how any of the men kiss me.” She lifted her chin. “Besides, it’s all in good fun.”
Fun? Every embrace had torn him inside out. “None of them should have touched you. You’re my friend.”
“What does that mean?” she asked, her voice rising. “I belong to you?”
He almost shouted the affirmative, but he controlled the overwhelming feeling of possession. Instead, he kept quiet, not knowing how to explain his statement.
“You’ve been gone for five years, and I have other friends. Am I supposed to sit on a shelf waiting for you to come home?” She glared up at him.
Was she considering stepping out with someone? Jealousy roared inside him. “You think another man is better for you than me?”
“Emmet might have swept me off my feet, but at least he paid attention to me, at least he seemed to be interested in me, at least—”
Unable to take her compliments of another man a second longer, he yanked her forward and slammed his lips on hers. As desire engulfed him, he plundered her mouth, snaking an arm around her waist and pulling her up against him.
She moaned, and the sound spurred him on. He shoved his tongue inside, demanding she open for him, needing to prove that he was the man she wanted. He turned her and shoved her up against the wall, and she let out a whimper as she ran her fingers through his hair.
A shudder went through him, and he drank from her, never wanting to let her go. How had he not understood that her arms were his safe place? Why hadn’t he ever realized his best friend could set him on fire? His heart pounded hard, echoing in his ears and making him sing with life.
Born and raised in Texas, I had to make the state the setting for my first series. From the food to the fun, like floating the rivers, it is the fire in my blood that inspires me. My family and friends take center stage in my books. My sisters and best friends are my heroines, and my husband created my favorite hero. Love and family are the point of my stories, and I seek to entertain, relieve stress, and inspire people. Books can take one on a journey that one can relive over and over. I am extremely grateful to those authors who did that very thing for me. I learned and I fell in love with their words and characters. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. Connect with Kara at the following locations....
Website –  www.karaoneal.com
Bookbub –  https://www.bookbub.com/profile/kara-o-neal
Amazon –  http://www.amazon.com/Kara-ONeal/e/B00FL19TH8/
Barnes and Noble –  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/kara+o'neal?_requestid=845025
Facebook –  https://www.facebook.com/KaraONeal84/
Twitter –  https://twitter.com/KaraONealAuthor
Pinterest –  https://www.pinterest.com/karaoneal7/
Goodreads –  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7278350.Kara_O_Neal
Blog -- http://www.karaoneal.com/blog
Blog – The Story Continues -- http://www.karaoneal.com/the-story-continues

Get your copy of The Inventor's Hear t HERE: https://books2read.com/u/3n7oqo

Sounds like another exciting addition to your Pike's Run series, Kara. We certainly wish you the best of luck and God's blessings with it!

Hope you enjoyed the post friends and that you'll check back weekly for Saturday Spotlight and Wednesday Words with Friends.

Until next time take care and God bless.

PamT

#WednesdayWordswithFriends ~ A note from Yours Truly....

Good Morning Friends!

If you read my introduction to the Saturday Spotlight post on July 10th OR received my newsletter, you know that my beloved Silver Spur Guest Ranch is closed until a new owner is found. I went to Bandera and the Spur on July 9th for a "Farewell Silver Spur" party on the 10th. Bittersweet visit but good in that I was able to visit with friends I hadn't seen in years. Here is a pic of most of the people I worked with on the Spur. A few couldn't make it but we felt their spirits all around us.

I'm not sure what's going to happen to the Spur once a new owner is in charge. I can only hope and pray it once more becomes a place of healing and hope as it was for me when I worked there between 2010 and 2014. 
Friday I leave for Sterlington, LA for the Dixie Majors World Series baseball tournament and next month I'm going to Alaska but never fear, Wednesday Words with Friends and Saturday Spotlight will go on!
I have some good news to share with you....
I've contracted a narrator and Tempered Truth & Lori's Redemption will both be available in audio later this year. I'll keep you informed on that as production begins and moves along.
I know you're seeing a lot of "Christmas in July" specials, movies, sales, etc. I understand the marketing concept behind these things but sometimes I feel like the heroine in Keri's Christmas Wish .... Bah Humbug! Heck, as it is, Christmas decorations are up alongside Halloween costumes! Just can't get away from the hype and personally, I feel the more hype, the less we focus on the real reason for the season.
Speaking of Jesus, have you seen The Chosen ?

Oh my goodness, what a wonderful portrayal of Jesus! I'm loving this series so much I've watched seasons 1 & 2 twice AND bought the novel based on season one! Click on the pic to find out more about this wonderful series portraying the life of Jesus and His disciples.
Well friends, not much else to share with you today. I THANK YOU for dropping by and wish you the best of luck and God's blessings in your life.
Until next time, take care and God bless. PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight is on Audrey Wick @WickWrites & Island Charm!

Good Morning from Nacogodoches, TX!

Yes, I'm still travelling and will continue to do so until mid-August then hopefully can stay home for a while! My grandson and I drove up to Nac on Thursday to take care of my son's animals until he returned from some of his travels last night.

Enough about me though, I am so excited to bring to you another brand-new-to-me author, this one a fellow Pelican, Audrey Wick with her new book, Island Charm.

Take it away Audrey....

Hello, Pam! It’s a pleasure to be on your blog!
Are you getting ready for a summer vacation? I love being able to escape during summertime, and that is part of the reason I wrote my latest book, ISLAND CHARM. I’m excited to share this standalone novel with readers that’s a perfect beach book—so even for people who can’t physically travel, they can enjoy a getaway through this book!
ISLAND CHARM is a contemporary romance set mostly in Key West, Florida. In it, Anna Worthington takes the tropical honeymoon intended for her twin sister and her fiancé . . . because her twin has been jilted at the altar. An airport mix-up leaves Anna alone in this island paradise, and that’s where she meets handsome Gunnar Lockhart, an island local with a heart of gold. Romance is the last thing on her mind, but when she starts falling for Gunnar, she has to untangle her feelings to learn whether this romance with an expiration date is real or if, like her twin sister, she is setting herself up for heartache. 
Here’s an excerpt to give everyone a sneak peek. This scene focuses on something Key West is known for, which is Key Lime Pie! 
She was dressed Key West casual, with the chic look of a tourist but the carefree attitude of a local. Yet she was alone. No gaggle of girlfriends, no boyfriend with whom to walk hand in hand, not even a dog at the end of a leash. She had a crossbody purse slung across her torso, making her hands free to accept the offer from Gunnar, who froze in silence at this impromptu crash with a woman who took his breath away. 
“It’s got a thin crust. Homemade. And just the right amount of tart in the base.” Jack rattled off the merits of Kermit’s key lime pie like a food critic. 
Or like a man who just polished off a slice himself. At Gunnar’s expense. 
Gunnar shook his head to shake away the negative memory of why he has been called to the shop in the first place. 
“This is really kind of you.” She nodded in the direction of Jack before turning her head back to face Gunnar. “Are you sure this is okay?”
“Fine, fine.” Gunnar, who never searched for words and had been afforded his job for the Chamber of Commerce on account of his talkativeness alone, was struggling to choke out more than two words at a time. He cleared his throat to try again. “I mean, yes, the pie. Enjoy it. I don’t need this many slices.”
“Then maybe you shouldn’t buy so many,” Jack ridiculed. 
At that, the woman’s laughter lifted the mood, easing Gunnar’s stress as he realized the humor of the situation. To any onlooker, he must have appeared to have an intense sweet tooth. And it looked like he was hungry to dig in, based on his speed of movement. Realizing the irony, he couldn’t help but let out a huff of his own, followed by a lighthearted chuckle in tune with the woman. Shared laughter was a beautiful gift, something simple yet striking that served in place of further conversation. Their spontaneous melody carried on the perpetual breezes that wafted to and fro in every spot on the island. 
This woman had created a song. Spellbound, Gunnar had been captured by it. But before he knew it, Jack was racing ahead, and Gunnar’s sense of responsibility willed him to follow the man who needed him. The woman waved before disappearing into the heart of the shop, leaving the melody they shared as little more than a memory.


This book was so much fun to write, especially with the island setting. I hope it whisks readers away in a similar sense and lets them be armchair travelers for a while. 
Audrey Wick is a full-time English professor at Blinn College and author of women’s fiction/romance. Her writing has also appeared in college textbooks, and she is a guest blog columnist with Writer's Digest. Wick believes the secret to happiness includes lifelong learning and good stories. But travel and coffee help. She has journeyed to over twenty countries—and sipped coffee at every one. See photos on her website audreywick.com and follow her on Twitter and Instagram @WickWrites, BookBub, GoodReads and Amazon.

Get your copy of Island Charm at Amazon, PBG, B&N, Apple, Kobo & Google Play.

Wow, Audrey I LOVE Key Lime Pie! Thank you for sharing Island Charm with us. We certainly wish you the best of luck and God's blessings with it and all of your books.

Hope you enjoyed today's spotlight, friends and that you'll come back weekly for more Wednesday Words with Friends and another Saturday Spotlight.

Until next time, take care and God bless.

PamT

#WednesdayWordswithFriends welcomes Tim Shoemaker @TimShoemaker1

Good Morning!

It's a crazy, busy time for me (what's new right? LOL!). I went to Bandera on Friday and returned on Sunday, the first of many trips away from home that will culminate in AK next month. So without much further ado, please join me in welcoming a brand-new-to-our-blog guest, Tim Shoemaker as he answers a few questions about his book, Escape from the Everglades...

Take it away Tim!

1. This is your second book this year! Can you share about your writing process and what it is like to balance multiple writing projects? As for writing process, I don’t plan a story out in advance. I may start with a title, or an idea, or a situation. As I develop the characters and some kind of inciting incident, the story unfolds from there.  Normally I only work on one fiction project at a time, but this situation was a little different.  Sometimes writing is a bit like those circus performers who work to keep plates spinning on sticks. I may spend focused time on one project to get it to a good stage. Then I get some work done on the other.  If I leave a story for a bit, I’ll come back with fresh eyes and see ways to strengthen the writing. If I leave the story for too long, I’ll lose too much momentum. So it’s a balancing act. Fortunately I had both manuscripts in pretty good shape when I got the contract, so it was a matter of alternating back and forth to polish and strengthening each one. But I still caught myself putting the wrong character name in a story at times—which is definitely not something I want to do!
2. What sparked your idea for this story? I wanted to write an adventure. Something with mystery and suspense set in a really creepy place. Don’t you love reading a book like that? Well, the Everglades is one of the creepiest places on Earth, in my experience. Alligators. Snakes. I hate those beasts. Black water . . . and an area with a dark history . . . yeah, the Everglades was perfect as a setting.  When I was there doing research, I found the place gave off a vibe that felt, well, evil. The longer I was there, the more I wanted to get out—and never come back. But I knew my work wasn’t done there . . . and I took increasing risks to get the material I needed. I think that’s when the seed for “escape” were planted. And sure enough . . . as the story unfolds we’ve got a boy who is desperate to escape the Glades . . . but can’t seem to get away. Worse yet, when a friend goes missing in the Everglades, he feels compelled to join the search—to go deeper into the very place he’s trying to get away from.
3. Why are you passionate about putting clean, compelling fiction in the hands of middle grade and YA readers? There’s tons of fiction on the shelves that contain some really bad content—and that isn’t doing the readers any favors.  I love this age . . . and it is a fun, awkward, and often difficult time for them. There are so many “traps” readers can get caught in during their teenage years. I want help them see the traps . . . help them make better choices.  I want to help them avoid the pain of making bad decisions. And I want to do all this through a story that grabs the readers and won’t let them go.
4. What kind of reader will enjoy this book? Both guy and girl readers, for starts. I love writing about average kids who get in over their head somehow.  They don’t have a super-power or a magic sword to get them out of the trouble or danger they’re in.  They must make choices . . . and how they decide will determine if they become a hero . . . or lose big.  I think that type of story resonates with a ton of readers out there. 
5. In this novel, you explore an adolescent’s response to trauma. What was it like writing this perspective? I think I got an adrenalin rush just writing some of the scenes. It helped for me to reach back to times I’d been hurt. And I got great input by talking to paramedics, doctors, and nurses.  And then there was the really, really close call I had while doing research in the Everglades.  Only by God’s grace did I come out of one situation alive—and with both hands to write the story.  The incident haunted me at night. Believe me, after that happened, writing the scenes with trauma came easier—and felt very real.
6. Tell us about your main characters in Escape from the Everglades. Parker Buckman is a National Parks Ranger’s son. Stationed in the Everglades, he has a life and death encounter with a gator. Consequently, his dad puts in for a transfer, and Parker thinks he’s just going to die if the new assignment doesn’t come soon.  And he’s right. When a friend goes missing in the Glades, Parker joins the search. Parker is a decent kid who is striving to be a person of integrity . . . but sometimes he’s not even sure what that means. 
Angelica “Jelly” Malnatti is Parker’s best friend—and the daughter of a ranger herself. She fears something bad is going to happen to Parker if he goes back in the glades. She does everything in her power—both good and bad ideas—to do exactly that.  
Wilson Stillwaters is half Miccosukee and pretty much all trouble. He’s superstitious and feels maybe his good friend Parker is cursed.  His efforts to get Parker over his fears—and back in the Glades—have a way of backfiring . . . on everyone.
7. Tell us about your main characters in Escape from the Everglades. Parker Buckman is a National Parks Ranger’s son. Stationed in the Everglades, he has a life and death encounter with a gator. Consequently, his dad puts in for a transfer, and Parker thinks he’s just going to die if the new assignment doesn’t come soon.  And he’s right. When a friend goes missing in the Glades, Parker joins the search. Parker is a decent kid who is striving to be a person of integrity . . . but sometimes he’s not even sure what that means. 
Angelica “Jelly” Malnatti is Parker’s best friend—and the daughter of a ranger herself. She fears something bad is going to happen to Parker if he goes back in the glades. She does everything in her power—both good and bad ideas—to do exactly that.  
Wilson Stillwaters is half Miccosukee and pretty much all trouble. He’s superstitious and feels maybe his good friend Parker is cursed.  His efforts to get Parker over his fears—and back in the Glades—have a way of backfiring . . . on everyone.
8. Who was your favorite character to write and why? I think Parker was my favorite character to write. Maybe because I identify with him on some deeper levels. But each character had something that made writing them so much fun.  I think when I’d start a chapter from Wilson’s point of view I was probably sitting there smiling.  And I loved writing Jelly (Angelica)—both the burden of the secret she was keeping—and all the hoops she went through to keep Parker safe.
9. What lessons can be learned from your main characters? I think Parker’s journey is especially helpful.  He so badly wants to get away from the Everglades after being mauled by the gator. He thinks everything will be okay—if he can just get out of there. We often think a change of plans, or geography, or maybe even a different family is going to make all the difference when we’re in a spot we don’t like. But Parker helps us see how the real answer to a bad situation is often changing what is inside us.  Jelly shows us the high price of keeping secrets for others instead of talking to her dad—or somebody who could really help. We see how her double life only multiplied her trouble. Wilson learns a bit about friendship . . . and the extent a true friend like Parker will really go to help.
10. Escape from the Everglades is the first book in the High Water series. What is your hope for these books? I hope those who buy the books will get more than just a great read. I want readers to experience life with some characters they’ll grow to love in this series.  I hope the characters make them think . . . and inspire the readers to grow in character and integrity.  I hope the readers will make better choices, and avoid some traps and pain because they learned from the experiences of the characters in the story.

Tim Shoemaker is the award-winning author of the Code of Silence series and a popular speaker—especially for school assemblies. When he isn’t on the speaking and teaching circuit, he’s busy working with kids and writing more great stories!
He’s the author of eleven books, including Super Husband, Super Dad; Code of Silence; Back Before Dark; Below the Surface; Smashed Tomatoes, Bottle Rockets . . . and Other Outdoor Devotionals You Can Do With Your Kids; Dangerous Devotions for Guys; and more.
He speaks for schools, churches, and parachurch organizations (such as Focus on the Family, Iron Sharpens Iron Men’s Conferences, International Network of Children’s Ministry, and the Moody Pastors’ Conference). He also speak at men’s retreats, women’s gatherings, couples’ retreats, youth worker conventions, homeschool conventions, and writers’ conventions and conducts Family Devotion Workshops all across the country. Find out more about Tim by visiting his Website and connecting with him on Twitter @TimShoemaker1 and Facebook.
Get your copy of Escape from the Everglades from Amazon and other retailers where great Christian YA fiction is sold!
Thank you, so much, Tim for visiting with us today! We certainly wish you the best of luck and God's blessings with your new release.
Hope you enjoyed meeting Tim as much as I did, friends and that you'll check back weekly for Wednesday Words with Friends and Saturday Spotlight.
Until next time, take care and God bless. PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight is on Jennifer L Wright @JennWright18 and If It Rains!

Good Morning from Bandera, TX,

I would say it's lovely to be here again, (and it is!) but my visit is bittersweet as my beloved Silver Spur Guest Ranch is shut down until sold and I came up for the Farewell Silver Spur Party. 😭 One thing we know for sure about life is it's always changing. 

Isn't it lovely knowing God never does?!

Today's guest is brand new to our blog, so please welcome Jennifer L Wright with her book, If It Rains - A story of resilience and redemption set against one of America’s defining moments—the Dust Bowl...

It’s 1935 in Oklahoma, and lives are determined by the dust. Fourteen-year-old Kathryn Baile, a spitfire born with a severe clubfoot, is coming of age in desperate times. Once her beloved older sister marries, Kathryn’s only comfort comes in the well-worn pages of her favorite book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Then Kathryn’s father decides to relocate to Indianapolis, and only the promise of a surgery to finally make her “normal” convinces Kathryn to leave Oklahoma behind. But disaster strikes along the way, and Kathryn must rely on her grit and the ragged companions she meets on the road if she is to complete her journey.
Back in Boise City, Melissa Baile Mayfield is the newest member of the wealthiest family in all of Cimarron County. In spite of her poor, rural upbringing, Melissa has just married the town’s most eligible bachelor and is determined to be everything her husband—and her new social class—expects her to be. But as the drought tightens its grip, Henry’s true colors are revealed. Melissa covers her bruises with expensive new makeup and struggles to reconcile her affluent life with that of her starving neighbors. Haunted by the injustice and broken by Henry’s refusal to help, Melissa secretly defies her husband, risking her life to follow God’s leading.
Two sisters, struggling against unspeakable hardship, discover that even in their darkest times, they are still united in spirit, and God is still with them, drawing them home.
Excerpt from Chapter One - Kathryn 
Helen lost her third baby on the day of my sister’s wedding.
I’d tried to tell Melissa. Told her Helen was too pregnant, the late-April sky was too ripe, and—most of all—that getting married was a stupid idea anyway. She told me to stop being hateful and help her with her dress. Her dress. All this dirt and dead crops, and what she cared about was looking pretty for Henry.
Sure enough, the sky turned black by midafternoon. But not from rain. It was never from rain anymore. The wedding party scattered before they so much as cut that ridiculous white cake. A few escaped to their cars; the luckiest were able to start them before static cut the ignition. Even then, not many would make it home. Most would pass the storm stuck in a sand drift. At least the wedding would give them something to talk about while they waited. Rubberneckers, all of ’em.
We didn’t even have it that good. We would have to walk. Pa’s truck hadn’t started for weeks. Too much dust or not enough gas. Or both. Sure, we could have stayed at the Mayfields’. Waited it out like the other sheep. But I would rather chance a duster than spend another sec-ond with the new Mr. and Mrs. Mayfield. So I left. Pa and Helen followed.
A cloud of earth swallowed me when I stepped out the front door. Melissa had tried to make her old pink dress look new for me, but the fabric was still thin. Nothing she could do about that. I pulled it up over my mouth and nose, gagging on the cheap perfume Helen had doused me in that morning. “I won’t have you smelling like a pig even if you insist on looking like one,” she’d said. “Not today.” Like it even mattered.
Jennifer L. Wright has been writing since middle school, eventually earning a master’s degree in journalism at Indiana University. However, it took only a few short months of covering the local news for her to realize that writing fiction is much better for the soul and definitely way more fun. A born and bred Hoosier, she was plucked from the Heartland after being swept off her feet by an Air Force pilot and has spent the past decade traveling the world and, every few years, attempting to make old curtains fit in the windows of a new home. She currently resides in New Mexico with her husband, two children, and one rambunctious dachshund.
 Find out more about Jennifer by visiting her Website and following her on Twitter  @JennWright18 and GoodReads.
Thank you so much Jennifer for sharing your book with us today! We certainly wish you the best of luck and God's blessings with it.
Hope you enjoyed Jennifer's visit as much as I did friends and that you'll drop by weekly and check out Wednesday Words with Friends and Saturday Spotlight!
Until next time take care, God Bless and remember.... Change is inevitable, how you deal with it is optional.
PamT

#WednesdayWordswithFriends Welcomes Olivia Rae!

Good Morning,

I pray your week has gotten off to a BLESSED start. I just found out that My Heart Weeps won 2nd in Central Region Oklahoma Writers "NEST" contest! Please join me in doing the Jesus Happy Dance and then, please give Olivia Rae, a brand-new-to-our-blog-guest a huge W-E-L-C-O-M-E!

When We Fail
In my book, A Life Redeemed , my hero, Gavin Armstrong failed more than once in his past. He gambled away his family home and blamed himself for his wife death. Gavin hurt many along the way. He alienated his mother and made a powerful enemy out of his neighbor. His past mistakes tortured him through his present-day decisions and experiences. Not only was he hurting others, he was on a road to self-destruction. Gavin’s actions weren’t intentional and were often done with the best intentions.  
I don’t know about you, but the same is true for me. The longer I live, the more mistakes I make, and the more people I seem to hurt. Sometimes even when trying to make amends I say or do the wrong thing. Or I think it is the wrong thing. It is hard to know if that sad voice in our head comes from guilt or repentance. You can’t change the past and guilt can eat you up. Repentance can set you free. 
So when you are feeling like Gavin or me, my advice is to first seek God in prayer. He may tell you to find that person you hurt and ask for forgiveness. If they don’t accept your apology, well then, they are the ones who need forgiveness. God always seems to have a way of showing us if we are on the right path or if we need to correct our ways. 
God is there waiting for our praise, repentance, and humility. He will always provide the right answer. 
**
So very true, Olivia! Please tell us a little about A Life Redeemed
Everyone has a secret, who can a queen trust?
Upon Queen Elizabeth’s order, Audrey Hayes travels to the borderlands of Scotland to learn where the fierce Laird Armstrong’s loyalties lie. Is he aligned with his mother’s English roots in support of the queen, or does he hold with the beliefs of his father, who wishes to see Mary of Scots on the English throne? The fate of Audrey’s family rests on her success in finding the answer.
After losing his lands in a wager and being betrayed by his kin, Gavin Armstrong entered a loveless marriage to obtain the funds to buy back his family home, Warring Tower. Now a widower, struggling against countless border wars, he is on the verge of losing his home and lands again. With few resources, he reluctantly makes another risky wager, one he cannot hope to win without trusting the secretive Audrey Hayes, a woman he suspects is an English spy.
As the two work together to save Warring Tower, their attraction to one another grows. But when Audrey finally gains the information she seeks for Queen Elizabeth, she realizes that the only way she can save her family is to betray the man she loves. 
About Olivia: Olivia Rae is an award-winning author of historical and contemporary inspirational romance. She spent her school days dreaming of knights, princesses and far away kingdoms; it made those long days in the classroom go by much faster. After becoming a teacher, she decided to breathe a little more life into her childhood stories. 
Olivia is the winner of the Angel Awards, Book Buyer’s Best Award, Southern Magic Award, New England Readers’ Choice Award, the Golden Quill Award, the American Fiction Award, and the Illumination Awards. 
Connect with Olivia via her Website, Twitter @oliviaraebooks, Instagram, FaceBook and BookBub
Get your copy of A Life Redeemed at Amazon.
Thank You, So Much, Olivia for sharing with us today. We certainly wish you the best of luck and God's blessings with your new book!
And, Thank YOU, FRIENDS for dropping by. I pray you've been blessed today as I have by Olivia's post and that you'll check back each week for more Words with Friends and another Saturday Spotlight.
Until next time, take care and God Bless. PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight is on Joanne Guidoccio @JoanneGuidoccio & No More Secrets!

Good Morning!

Looks like it'll be another rainy day here in SWLA but we can always hope, right? Been a crazy week with two funerals and a quick trip to Toledo Bend to pick up the camper. Got in a little fishing, only caught enough for supper but hey, "our daily bread" right?

Today's guest is brand new to our blog so please welcome Joanne Guidoccio with her book, No More Secrets!

Angelica Delfino takes a special interest in the lives of her three nieces, whom she affectionately calls the daughters of her heart. Sensing that each woman is harboring a troubling, possibly even toxic secret, Angelica decides to share her secrets—secrets she had planned to take to the grave. Spellbound, the nieces listen as Angelica travels back six decades to reveal an incredulous tale of forbidden love, tragic loss, and reinvention. It is the classic immigrant story upended: an Italian widow’s transformative journey amid the most unlikely of circumstances.

Inspired by Angelica’s example, the younger women share their “First World” problems and, in the process, set themselves free.

But one heartbreaking secret remains untold...

Excerpt

“Go,” Kelly said. “Your aunt is dying, and this could be your last opportunity to spend some quality time together.”

“Her oncologist shared good news last week,” Nora said. “Her blood counts have improved, and the cancer hadn’t spread since her last visit. He mumbled something about a miracle.”

“A miracle?” Kelly’s eyes widened. “Has your aunt been seeing a healer?”

“You could say that,” Nora said as her eyes twinkled. “Right after Christmas, she hired a companion who’s been able to transform her life. I don’t know her real name. My mother calls her Bellastrega—beautiful witch.” All recent conversations with Ma had focused on Bellastrega. Relieved not to have to share her own problems, Nora had encouraged her mother to talk about the beautiful witch who had turned all their lives upside down. Nora enjoyed the weekly updates that sounded like soap operas.

“Is she a beautiful witch?”

Nora shrugged. “My mother mentioned her dyed-blonde hair, too-skinny body, and watery eyes. She’s put Zia on a vegan diet and an exercise regimen. At Christmas, Zia needed a walker to get around, but now she’s walking freely. My mother and aunt are convinced that Bellastrega is a witch who’ll end up robbing Angelica and leaving.” Nora had tried to point out that if Bellastrega’s intention was to steal, it would make more sense to let Angelica get weaker.    

“She sounds intriguing,” Kelly said. “I’d go just to meet this woman.”

“Hmm. I guess.” Nora was curious and wouldn’t mind sitting and chatting with the woman about wellness. But from Zia Angelica’s email, it sounded like Bellastrega would leave soon after everyone arrived.

“Think of it as an adventure. How many beautiful witches have you met in this lifetime?”

In 2008, Joanne Guidoccio took advantage of early retirement and launched a second act as a writer. Her articles and book reviews have been published in newspapers, magazines, and online. When she tried her hand at fiction, she made reinvention a recurring theme in her novels and short stories.

A member of Crime Writers of Canada, Sisters in Crime, and Women’s Fiction Writers Association, Joanne writes paranormal romances, cozy mysteries, and inspirational literature from her home base of Guelph, Ontario. 

Connect with Joanne at the following locations....

Website – https://joanneguidoccio.com

Twitter – https://twitter.com/joanneguidoccio

Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7277706.Joanne_Guidoccio

Pinterest – https://www.pinterest.ca/jguidoccio/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/authorjoanneguidoccio

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanneguidoccio/

Get your copy of No More Secrets at Amazon: US, CA, UK, and AU. Watch the book trailer here.

Wow, Joanne I love reinvention stories and No More Secrets sounds like my kind of book! We certainly wish you the best of luck and God's blessings with it and all of your writings.

Hope you enjoyed the spotlight friends and that you'll check back weekly for Wednesday Words with Friends and Saturday Spotlight.

Until next time, take care and God bless.

PamT

#WednesdayWordswithFriends Welcomes Nazareth @Nazzman!

Good Morning Friends,

After last week's sorrow I believe we can use some joy so with great pleasure I, along with Adams PR, bring to you, Christian Comedian Nazareth....

With touring on hold for most live performers this past year, the comedian known as Nazareth found other ways to bring laughter to people. In just the past few months, he reached over one million views from his Dry Bar Comedy video, received over eight million views on TikTok, and started a live Facebook show that has featured guests such as best-selling author and pastor Lee Strobel, best-selling author Josh McDowell, comedians Chonda Pierce, Mark Lowry, and Tim Hawkins, among many others. Nazareth says making people smile during a pandemic has become a priority. 
“If there is one thing we have all needed this past year it is laughter,” says Nazareth. “I started the Live with Naz show the day the quarantine started in March of last year, and it has reached people in over six different countries. I have had people dealing with depression and anxiety say the show has lifted their spirits. While I have missed interacting with people in person, this has been a great opportunity to minister to people.”
Nazareth has always seen his comedy as a means to an end. For nearly three decades, he has used his platform to help raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for Crisis Pregnancy Centers and other non-profit organizations around the United States. He serves as a director for a ministry that supports Christians in the Holy Land and is a co-founder of a ministry that reaches out to thousands of refugees fleeing Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, and Iran to find refuge in Southern California. About seven years ago, he created a series of comedy shows called Laughter For All that came to a halt last year, but he hopes they will start up again soon.
“The Laughter For All events are always free events,” says Nazareth. “We produced four stadium events at the 66ers Stadium in San Bernardino, California, two large events at the Henderson pavilion in Las Vegas, an event at the Del Mar Race tracks, several events at large churches, as well as prisons and homeless shelters in Texas, California, and the D.C. area. Before the pandemic, we planned on numerous events in California because we feel like if we can change California with the Gospel, we can change the nation. At the end of each of these events, I tell the audience about Jesus, what He has done for my life and what He can do for their lives. There is nothing I have done or will ever do that is more important than sharing the love of God.”
About Nazarath:
Born in Israel, Nazareth began his comedy career after moving to the United States to attend college in Ohio. He has worked with legendary performers such as B.B. King, Tim Conway, The Temptations, and the Righteous Brothers, and shared comedy stages with Chris Rock, Adam Sandler, and Kevin James. He has appeared on various TV shows and networks including Comedy Central, NBC News, and CBS, and has performed in world famous venues such as The Improv and The Grand Ole Opry, as well as on U.S. military bases across the globe. For more information visit http://www.nazarethusa.com. 
Hope you'll check out Nazareth, follow him on social media, enjoy a few laughs and that you'll check back each week for Wednesday Words with Friends and Saturday Spotlight!
Until next time take care, God Bless and remember...sorrow may last for a moment but joy will be found in the morning (Psalm 30:5 paraphrased)
PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight is on Jennifer Wilck & Better Together in Boston!

Good Morning Friends,

It's been a crazy week here at home. We lost 2 family members on Wednesday, so I guess my post on nourishing hope was relevant for more reasons than I initially thought. Your prayers for my Sonnier family are greatly appreciated. Pelican Book Group also suffered the loss of one of our author friends, so please pray for Marion Ueckermann's family. 

Enough sadness for now!

Please welcome a brand-new-to-our-blog guest, Jennifer Wilck with her newest release, Better Together in Boston a spicy/steamy contemporary romance. Take it away, Jennifer....

Do you believe in the legend of True Springs?

Mr. Right doesn’t exist…

Anna Levinson was raised by a single mother, who sacrificed her dreams to give her daughter a warm, loving home. Now a respected professor on the tenure track, Anna is driven to live the life she thinks her mother should have had. She's long since come to terms with the understanding that “having it all” is impossible if she wants a successful career. 

He’s been told he’s Mr. Wrong more times than he can count…

Despite being left at the altar twice, Ben Diamond still believes his soul mate is out there. He’s ready to marry and start a family of his own. He just clearly won't recognize her when he does find her. And then he meets the maid of honor at his cousin’s wedding, and his world is thrown off kilter. 

Settling down might be more than they bargained for.

A long-distance relationship isn’t what either of them has in mind, and Anna isn’t about to ruin another person’s dreams. However, giving each other up is harder than it looks. Can Ben convince Anna that she’s got him all wrong, and that he’s finally gotten it right?

Fall in love with Anna & Ben in this steamy contemporary romance.

Ticket to True Loveis a steamy contemporary romance series about new beginnings, second chances, and finding true love in unexpected places. Fall in love all over the world with bestselling and award-winning authors JB Schroeder, Savannah Kade, Moni Boyce, Shirley Hailstock, Holland Rae, Julie Strauss, & Jennifer Wilck. Start your next romance with Better Together in Boston now!

Excerpt:

This was it. The moment she’d waited for and dreaded at the same time. 

The seventh inning stretch.

Anna was not like the other women she’d grown up with and knew. She’d never dreamed of a happily ever after for herself. Her mom was strong and independent, and she was, too. Regardless of how much guilt Anna carried, she never felt the need to depend on a man, so marriage had never been one of her goals. And once she started achieving professional success, a relationship would just be one more thing pulling at her time.

But every time she came to a baseball game with her mom, there was always someone nearby who would lean over and kiss his or her partner while everyone else rose during the seventh inning stretch. As a child, she’d been fascinated. As a teen and a young adult, she’d been at first horrified and then a little envious. But as she matured, she decided it was stupid, especially if the couple was unlucky enough to be shown on the Jumbotron. 

Seriously, who wanted their kiss broadcast to the world? It gave an intimate moment too much weight.

When she’d come to the games with boyfriends—because she had dated a lot, just not seriously—she always found a way to avoid the time between the two halves of the seventh inning. 

But today, today, she wanted to kiss Ben. He wasn’t her boyfriend. She had no intention of getting serious with him. But he had tracked her down, he was here, and oh my God, he was hot.

Her body could not stop reacting to him. Her brain was engaged. Her heart sped up every time he spoke. This man was the one she wanted to kiss, Jumbotron be damned.

She leaned forward in the seat and scanned the field below. Almost time. The pitcher threw a fast one. The batter swung and missed. Strike three! As the teams jogged to the dugout, the organ began to play “Sweet Caroline.”

Anna stood up and held her hand out to Ben. With a puzzled expression on his face, he rose. She turned him to face her, took a step forward and pressed her body to his. He was hard and lean, and need spiraled through her. She rested her hands on his hips, tilted her face up and kissed him hard on the mouth. Despite every protest dying to break free, every reason she didn’t want to want him, she was helpless to resist him. Desire exploded deep in her core.

His close-cropped whiskers tickled her lips. It took him no longer than a second or two to recover. He cupped the back of her head and licked the seam of her mouth. She opened and the spectators around them cheered. 

God, his kisses were amazing. He should win an award. Maybe he already had. She’d ask, but, well, that would mean she’d have to separate herself from his lips and stop kissing him. She’d come this far, she certainly wasn’t changing her mind now. 

Heat flooded through her and she swayed. She started to pull back, but it was as if Ben sensed her hesitancy. He adjusted his stance, kneaded the base of her skull and deepened the kiss.

As the song ended—why was there a song playing? Oh yeah, the seventh inning stretch—he nibbled her lips, licked their rim, before pulling away. She whimpered, wanting more.

“What was that for?” His voice was raspy, like he couldn’t control his vocal cords. 

She curled her toes inside her sneakers in satisfaction. “I’ve always wondered what it would be like to kiss during the stretch,” she whispered.

“And what do you think?”

Sighing, she risked a glance at him. His face was flushed, his eyes filled with desire. 

“It was worth the wait.”

Jennifer started telling herself stories as a little girl when she couldn’t fall asleep at night. Pretty soon, her head was filled with these stories and the characters that populated them. Even as an adult, she thinks about the characters and stories at night before she falls asleep or walking the dog. Eventually, she started writing them down. Her favorite stories to write are those with smart, sassy, independent heroines; handsome, strong and slightly vulnerable heroes; and her stories always end with happily ever after.

In the real world, she’s the mother of two amazing daughters and wife of one of the smartest men she knows. She believes humor is the only way to get through the day and does not believe in sharing her chocolate.

She writes contemporary romance, many of which feature Jewish characters in non-religious settings (#ownvoices). She’s published with The Wild Rose Press and all her books are available through Amazon and Barnes & Noble. 

Connect with Jennifer at the following locations...

Website: http://www.jenniferwilck.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Jennifer-Wilck-201342863240160/

Newsletter: https://www.jenniferwilck.com/contact.html#newsletter

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JWilck

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

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/jennifer-wilck

Get your copy of Better Together in Boston at Amazon!

Thanks for sharing with us Jennifer. We certainly wish you the best of luck and God's blessings with your new release.

Hope you enjoyed the spotlight friends and that you'll visit weekly for Wednesday Words with Friends and Saturday Spotlight.

Until next time take care, God Bless and remember to make sure your loved ones know they are important to you because we're not guaranteed tomorrow.

PamT

#WednesdayWordswithFriends Hope or Hurt?

Good Morning Friends,

It's no secret 2020 was a rough year on everyone. Covid-19 presented challenges we never expected. Add to that, 2 hurricanes six weeks apart from which many people still haven't recovered. Then along comes 2021 with an Ice Storm/Freeze in Feb. and historic flooding in May.

To say Lake Charles is "the most weather-battered city" (as The Weather Channel put it) is an understatement.

These events have left many people struggling to keep their heads up and look at life in a positive light in lieu of negative, pessimistic.

Which brings me to the title of this post.

While talking with someone who was hit hard and is still grieving the losses borne of the hurricanes, as well as the death of loved one's over the last 10 months, God spoke through me and said....

"Grieve the loss but at some point, you've got to let go and nourish the hope instead of the hurt."

Deut. 30:19 says, "This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live." AND Prov. 18:21 says, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit."

Both of these Scriptures support the advice I gave to my friend, therefore I knew it was God who spoke through me that day!

So no matter what you may be going through, look up! Put your eyes on Him and His word in your mouth regarding His promise(s) to you and nourish hope instead of hurt.

Thanks for visiting. Hope to see you again for Saturday Spotlight and Wednesday Words with Friends.

Until next time, take care and God bless.

PamT