Pamela S. Thibodeaux's Blog, page 30
May 16, 2020
#SaturdaySpotlight is on Andrea Boeshaar & Too Deep for Words!
Good Morning!
It is a soggy one here in SW Louisiana as we brace for a couple more days of rain. Our state is easing into re-opening and everyone has to stay inside due to weather. UGH.Alas that's how it normally goes this time of year as hurricane season barrels down upon us. Anyway, enough about that.
Today's guest has visited before, Andrea Boeshaar has shared Words with us and been in our Spotlight so please welcome her back with book 2 in her Shenandoah Valley Saga.
Carrie Ann Collier has been a newlywed for nineteen blissful days—as blissful as life can be in the midst of the War Between the States. But all too soon her happiness is shattered when her beloved husband goes missing in battle.
Lost in sorrow, Carrie doesn’t know where to turn. People close to her insist she’s a widow. No one believes her claims that Peyton is alive—no one except her sister Margaret. Together, she and Margaret embark on a dangerous journey to Richmond, posing as two single women on their way to visit to their cousin’s home. They procure the necessary passes and obtain an escort. While in Richmond, Carrie hopes for some answers. She feels certain that Peyton was taken prisoner and resides in rat-infested Libby Prison.
After arriving in Richmond, Carrie is reacquainted with Lieutenant Colonel Elijah Kent, her husband’s best friend, despite their political differences. Eli is also the executor of Peyton’s estate. He promises to aid in Carrie’s search. However, when he turns up nothing. Eli manages to convince her that Peyton was killed in the battle in Middletown. He was there, and even wounded by the same cannon fire that took Peyton’s life.
At long last, Carrie accepts the fact that Peyton is in the hands of the Lord Jesus Christ.
As the weeks pass, Carrie and Margaret settle into life in Richmond with their cousin and his wife. Due to her cousin’s prodding, Carrie and Eli are thrown together time and again. She finds herself falling for Eli and she’s torn in two, being a recent widow and now developing strong feelings for Eli. Truth be told, she’d spent more time with Eli than with Peyton.
Then just when she thought her shattered heart might be on the mend, her cover as a single woman is revealed by the jealous daughter of a friend. Carrie and Margaret could be hanged as spies. With Eli’s help, they flee the Confederate Capitol.
Once safely on Union soil, Carrie learns three pieces of news that will change her life forever!
Excerpt :
Carrie crossed the foyer and entered the study where Aunt Ruth was engaged in polite conversation with the general over the lovely October weather. However, as soon as Carrie closed the door, the commander’s placid expression vanished. “Please sit, ladies. We have much to discuss.” The general reclaimed his seat and Aunt Ruth took the matching leather armchair. Carrie selected the small side chair, moving it into the circle of three. Collecting her skirts in shaking fingers, she seated herself in proper fashion. “First, I will address Mrs. Collier’s message.” General Sheridan’s eyes were midnight black and he spoke from behind a thick, curling beard. “You have my word, Major Tucker will be punished for neglecting his duties.” “Sir”—Carrie clasped her hands tightly—“it goes far beyond neglect.” She’s right, General.” Aunt Ruth relayed the sordid account of the young Confederate who lost both legs to amputation—when one of them was perfectly good. “That is a disgrace!” Sheridan slammed his right fished into his left palm. “The Union army has no use for officers of such ill caliber. Why, General Ramseur was wounded yesterday and he was brought behind our lines and cared for at Belle Grove. The surgeons did everything in their power to save his life.” “Is General Ramseur dead?” At Sheridan’s slight nod, Carrie’s heart sank. Stephen Dodson Ramseur, “Dod” to his friends, was a hero in the Shenandoah Valley. Living in Confederate Woodstock, she had heard all the tales of his daring. “What a shame.” She caught Aunt Ruth’s troubled regard. “But it’s good to know that the Union doctors threated a Confederate general to the best of their abilities. We cannot say the same about Major Tucker.” “He will suffer the consequences of his actions. Believe me.” The general’s additional promise was enough for Carrie. An ounce of tension left her shoulders. “And now some hard news, I’m afraid.” Sheridan’s dark eyes rested on Carrie and she held her breath. “Mrs. Collier, your husband and his men were heroes during yesterday’s battle. They bought the Union army time to regroup from what began as a devastating rout. Once we re-formed our lines, we had little trouble overpowering the enemy.” “And Peyton?” Carrie whispered, fearing the worst. Her eyes clouded with unshed tears.“He’s missing, Mrs. Collier, and presumed dead.”
Andrea Kuhn Boeshaar is a Wisconsin author of over 40 books with ONE MILLION COPIES SOLD! The three components in all of her stories are faith, family, and forever relationships. She also blogs and writes devotionals and magazine articles with the hope of encouraging readers wherever they are in their spiritual journeys.
Find out more by connecting with Andrea on her Website and Facebook. Be sure to check out Discover the Story where Andrea interviews authors about the story behind their books. Find Andrea's books on Amazon.
Now for a special note from Andrea.....
Dear Readers,
Thank you for stopping in for this week’s Saturday Spotlight. I’m pleased to announce that the long-awaited third book in my Shenandoah Valley Series will be released on July 6th – my husband’s birthday. You can preorder it now! Simply log on to Amazon.com and search for “There Is A Season.” You may have to put in my last name as well. While the book is in pre-order status, the price is $0.99!!!! After July 6th, the price goes up to $4.99 for the e-book and $9.99 for the paperback.
Thank you for your support. I love my readers!
Hope you enjoyed today's post and that you'll check back each week for Wednesday Words with Friends and Saturday Spotlight.
Don't forget ... Leave a comment to be entered into our monthly gift card giveaway!
Until next time, take care and God bless.
PamT
It is a soggy one here in SW Louisiana as we brace for a couple more days of rain. Our state is easing into re-opening and everyone has to stay inside due to weather. UGH.Alas that's how it normally goes this time of year as hurricane season barrels down upon us. Anyway, enough about that.
Today's guest has visited before, Andrea Boeshaar has shared Words with us and been in our Spotlight so please welcome her back with book 2 in her Shenandoah Valley Saga.
Carrie Ann Collier has been a newlywed for nineteen blissful days—as blissful as life can be in the midst of the War Between the States. But all too soon her happiness is shattered when her beloved husband goes missing in battle.
Lost in sorrow, Carrie doesn’t know where to turn. People close to her insist she’s a widow. No one believes her claims that Peyton is alive—no one except her sister Margaret. Together, she and Margaret embark on a dangerous journey to Richmond, posing as two single women on their way to visit to their cousin’s home. They procure the necessary passes and obtain an escort. While in Richmond, Carrie hopes for some answers. She feels certain that Peyton was taken prisoner and resides in rat-infested Libby Prison.
After arriving in Richmond, Carrie is reacquainted with Lieutenant Colonel Elijah Kent, her husband’s best friend, despite their political differences. Eli is also the executor of Peyton’s estate. He promises to aid in Carrie’s search. However, when he turns up nothing. Eli manages to convince her that Peyton was killed in the battle in Middletown. He was there, and even wounded by the same cannon fire that took Peyton’s life.
At long last, Carrie accepts the fact that Peyton is in the hands of the Lord Jesus Christ.
As the weeks pass, Carrie and Margaret settle into life in Richmond with their cousin and his wife. Due to her cousin’s prodding, Carrie and Eli are thrown together time and again. She finds herself falling for Eli and she’s torn in two, being a recent widow and now developing strong feelings for Eli. Truth be told, she’d spent more time with Eli than with Peyton.
Then just when she thought her shattered heart might be on the mend, her cover as a single woman is revealed by the jealous daughter of a friend. Carrie and Margaret could be hanged as spies. With Eli’s help, they flee the Confederate Capitol.
Once safely on Union soil, Carrie learns three pieces of news that will change her life forever!
Excerpt :
Carrie crossed the foyer and entered the study where Aunt Ruth was engaged in polite conversation with the general over the lovely October weather. However, as soon as Carrie closed the door, the commander’s placid expression vanished. “Please sit, ladies. We have much to discuss.” The general reclaimed his seat and Aunt Ruth took the matching leather armchair. Carrie selected the small side chair, moving it into the circle of three. Collecting her skirts in shaking fingers, she seated herself in proper fashion. “First, I will address Mrs. Collier’s message.” General Sheridan’s eyes were midnight black and he spoke from behind a thick, curling beard. “You have my word, Major Tucker will be punished for neglecting his duties.” “Sir”—Carrie clasped her hands tightly—“it goes far beyond neglect.” She’s right, General.” Aunt Ruth relayed the sordid account of the young Confederate who lost both legs to amputation—when one of them was perfectly good. “That is a disgrace!” Sheridan slammed his right fished into his left palm. “The Union army has no use for officers of such ill caliber. Why, General Ramseur was wounded yesterday and he was brought behind our lines and cared for at Belle Grove. The surgeons did everything in their power to save his life.” “Is General Ramseur dead?” At Sheridan’s slight nod, Carrie’s heart sank. Stephen Dodson Ramseur, “Dod” to his friends, was a hero in the Shenandoah Valley. Living in Confederate Woodstock, she had heard all the tales of his daring. “What a shame.” She caught Aunt Ruth’s troubled regard. “But it’s good to know that the Union doctors threated a Confederate general to the best of their abilities. We cannot say the same about Major Tucker.” “He will suffer the consequences of his actions. Believe me.” The general’s additional promise was enough for Carrie. An ounce of tension left her shoulders. “And now some hard news, I’m afraid.” Sheridan’s dark eyes rested on Carrie and she held her breath. “Mrs. Collier, your husband and his men were heroes during yesterday’s battle. They bought the Union army time to regroup from what began as a devastating rout. Once we re-formed our lines, we had little trouble overpowering the enemy.” “And Peyton?” Carrie whispered, fearing the worst. Her eyes clouded with unshed tears.“He’s missing, Mrs. Collier, and presumed dead.”
Andrea Kuhn Boeshaar is a Wisconsin author of over 40 books with ONE MILLION COPIES SOLD! The three components in all of her stories are faith, family, and forever relationships. She also blogs and writes devotionals and magazine articles with the hope of encouraging readers wherever they are in their spiritual journeys.Find out more by connecting with Andrea on her Website and Facebook. Be sure to check out Discover the Story where Andrea interviews authors about the story behind their books. Find Andrea's books on Amazon.
Now for a special note from Andrea.....
Dear Readers,Thank you for stopping in for this week’s Saturday Spotlight. I’m pleased to announce that the long-awaited third book in my Shenandoah Valley Series will be released on July 6th – my husband’s birthday. You can preorder it now! Simply log on to Amazon.com and search for “There Is A Season.” You may have to put in my last name as well. While the book is in pre-order status, the price is $0.99!!!! After July 6th, the price goes up to $4.99 for the e-book and $9.99 for the paperback.
Thank you for your support. I love my readers!
Hope you enjoyed today's post and that you'll check back each week for Wednesday Words with Friends and Saturday Spotlight.
Don't forget ... Leave a comment to be entered into our monthly gift card giveaway!
Until next time, take care and God bless.
PamT
May 12, 2020
#WednesdayWordswithFriends welcomes LoRee Peery!
Good Morning!
Even though I may be hosting a guest each week, I try to say a few words about what's going on in my life at the time also. On Saturday, I mentioned I was at my son's house since TX had opened the LA borders. Well, our state is entering phase 1 of reopening but to tell you the truth, I'm not overly anxious to be around crowds just yet. I am looking forward to camping though (the State and National parks/campgrounds have been closed - which never made sense to me - they could have easily monitored them - but that's a whole other post LOL!)
ANYWAY, as our country begins to ease up on Covid19 restrictions, I pray you'll continue to be safe and take care of yourself and your loved ones!
Enough about that... Our guest today has visited often over the years but it has been a while so please give LoRee Peery a huge shout-out: WELCOME LoRee!
Often the question, “What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?” comes up during a Q and A interview.
My quirk changes with each story. Every single time, I overuse a phrase or specific word during the course of a writing project. What’s interesting is that it’s usually a different word or phrase than I’ve redundantly used before.
Writers have a list of what we call weasel words, often a form of the passive “to be.” Mine have been going to, just, instead, sure, such. In the case of Repurposed , the word was looked, which happens to be a verb.
I just sigh once I see what I’ve used over and over. In my recently finished Christmas novella, I discovered that I used “it” way too much, so I went through the story and plugged in the nouns the pronoun represented.
Uh oh. “It was” popped up in Repurposed . (Thank you, extra pair of eyes!) What was? Sigh. How passive is that?
I try to remember to pray, but often I jump right in where I left off the day before and realize later what those nuisance words are. Other eyes on my work are vital because different things jump out to different people. Still, I’ll find words in the galleys or a finished project that were overused. It’s easy to sit in my study chair and feel embarrassed. But writers need humility. We keep learning as we persevere.
BIO: Nebraska country girl LoRee Peery writes fiction that hopefully appeals to adult readers who enjoy stories written from a Christian perspective, focusing on the romance. These include novels and novellas for women and men in the Contemporary, Romance, Historical, Time Travel, and Mystery/Suspense categories. She writes of redeeming grace with a sense of place. Her Frivolities Series and the book based on her father’s unsolved homicide, Touches of Time, are available on Amazon. She is who she is by the grace of God: Christian, country girl, wife, mother, grandmother and great-, sister, friend, and author. Connect with LoRee through these links: www.loreepeery.com
https://twitter.com/LoreePeery
https://www.facebook.com/LoReePeery
Find her publications at Pelican http://tinyurl.com/kwz9enk
And Amazon https://www.amazon.com/LoRee-Peery/e/B004UAGL2W/ref
Repurposed can be found at Amazon. Check out this great blurb!
Talia Ashby is a perfectionistic data analyst who, on occasion, sees her “fat” self when she looks in the mirror. As a svelte former obese girl, she reunites with her secret teen crush, now a pastor in the church she attends.
Cooper Valiant is dazzled upon meeting a high school friend he doesn’t immediately recognize due to her drastic weight loss. Since his sister had an eating disorder, he’d often felt empathy toward Talia as classmates teased and bullied her. In his pastorate position, he asks her to help girls in the youth group come to grips with body-image.
While working with the girls, Talia's recollections of youthful hurts stir up past insecurities. She must reassess her spiritual journey, and what bothers her in the present.
Added to the mix are her reawakened emotions toward the man who once came to her rescue. Will their joint journey include a personal relationship?
THANKS LoRee for sharing with us today. We certainly wish you the best of luck and God's blessings with your new book!
Hope you enjoyed today's post, 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
Even though I may be hosting a guest each week, I try to say a few words about what's going on in my life at the time also. On Saturday, I mentioned I was at my son's house since TX had opened the LA borders. Well, our state is entering phase 1 of reopening but to tell you the truth, I'm not overly anxious to be around crowds just yet. I am looking forward to camping though (the State and National parks/campgrounds have been closed - which never made sense to me - they could have easily monitored them - but that's a whole other post LOL!)
ANYWAY, as our country begins to ease up on Covid19 restrictions, I pray you'll continue to be safe and take care of yourself and your loved ones!
Enough about that... Our guest today has visited often over the years but it has been a while so please give LoRee Peery a huge shout-out: WELCOME LoRee!
Often the question, “What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?” comes up during a Q and A interview.My quirk changes with each story. Every single time, I overuse a phrase or specific word during the course of a writing project. What’s interesting is that it’s usually a different word or phrase than I’ve redundantly used before.
Writers have a list of what we call weasel words, often a form of the passive “to be.” Mine have been going to, just, instead, sure, such. In the case of Repurposed , the word was looked, which happens to be a verb.
I just sigh once I see what I’ve used over and over. In my recently finished Christmas novella, I discovered that I used “it” way too much, so I went through the story and plugged in the nouns the pronoun represented.
Uh oh. “It was” popped up in Repurposed . (Thank you, extra pair of eyes!) What was? Sigh. How passive is that?
I try to remember to pray, but often I jump right in where I left off the day before and realize later what those nuisance words are. Other eyes on my work are vital because different things jump out to different people. Still, I’ll find words in the galleys or a finished project that were overused. It’s easy to sit in my study chair and feel embarrassed. But writers need humility. We keep learning as we persevere.
BIO: Nebraska country girl LoRee Peery writes fiction that hopefully appeals to adult readers who enjoy stories written from a Christian perspective, focusing on the romance. These include novels and novellas for women and men in the Contemporary, Romance, Historical, Time Travel, and Mystery/Suspense categories. She writes of redeeming grace with a sense of place. Her Frivolities Series and the book based on her father’s unsolved homicide, Touches of Time, are available on Amazon. She is who she is by the grace of God: Christian, country girl, wife, mother, grandmother and great-, sister, friend, and author. Connect with LoRee through these links: www.loreepeery.com
https://twitter.com/LoreePeery
https://www.facebook.com/LoReePeery
Find her publications at Pelican http://tinyurl.com/kwz9enk
And Amazon https://www.amazon.com/LoRee-Peery/e/B004UAGL2W/ref
Repurposed can be found at Amazon. Check out this great blurb!
Talia Ashby is a perfectionistic data analyst who, on occasion, sees her “fat” self when she looks in the mirror. As a svelte former obese girl, she reunites with her secret teen crush, now a pastor in the church she attends.
Cooper Valiant is dazzled upon meeting a high school friend he doesn’t immediately recognize due to her drastic weight loss. Since his sister had an eating disorder, he’d often felt empathy toward Talia as classmates teased and bullied her. In his pastorate position, he asks her to help girls in the youth group come to grips with body-image.
While working with the girls, Talia's recollections of youthful hurts stir up past insecurities. She must reassess her spiritual journey, and what bothers her in the present.
Added to the mix are her reawakened emotions toward the man who once came to her rescue. Will their joint journey include a personal relationship?
THANKS LoRee for sharing with us today. We certainly wish you the best of luck and God's blessings with your new book!
Hope you enjoyed today's post, 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
May 9, 2020
#SaturdaySpotlight is on Andy Zach & Secret Supers AudioBook!
Good Morning from Nacogdoches, TX!
Yep, I drove up on Thursday to visit my son after TX opened the borders on or about May 1st. Since I hadn't seen him since Christmas and Thursday (7th) was his birthday and tomorrow is Mother's Day, we figured this was a good weekend to visit.
On Wednesday I hosted my first audiobook tour and I've scheduled them further apart through the next few months, but this time you're getting two in the same week LOL!
Please welcome, Andy Zach and Secret Supers on tour through.....
Plugging you into the audio community since 2016.Sign up as a tour host here.
Author: Andy ZachNarrator: Luke CastleLength: 3 hours 3 minutesPublisher: Jule Inc.Released: Jan. 6, 2020Genre: Middle Grade; Science Fiction
Andy Zach was born Anastasius Zacharias, in Greece. His parents were both zombies. Growing up, he loved animals of all kinds. After moving to the United States as a child, in high school, he won a science fair by bringing toads back from suspended animation. Before turning to fiction, Andy published his Ph.D. thesis "Methods of Revivification for Various Species of the Kingdom Animalia" in the prestigious JAPM, Journal of Paranormal Medicine. Andy, in addition to being the foremost expert on paranormal animals, enjoys breeding phoenixes. He lives in Illinois with his five phoenixes. With his first book, "Zombie Turkeys" Andy blazed new ground in paranormal humor. The second book in his Life After Life Chronicles, "My Undead Mother-in-law" expands the zombie plague from turkeys to humans, with hilarious results. You can find both volumes on Amazon Kindle, Createspace print, and Audible audiobook editions. Not content to keep in zombies earthbound, Andy puts them afloat in his third book, "Paranormal Privateers". Just when you thought every funny zombie trope had been explored, new humorous horizons open up. You can get "Paranormal Privateers" in Kindle and print formats. The audiobook is available now on Audible. Having conquered paranormal animal humor in his first series, Andy Zach launches into middle school superhero genre with Secret Supers. Four disabled seventh graders all get superpowers. Who knew a disability could be so useful for hiding a superpower? But the four friends, Jeremy, Dan, Kayla, and Aubrey confront problems that can't be solved by superpowers.
Website ⎮ Twitter ⎮ Facebook ⎮ Goodreads ⎮ Amazon
Luke Castle
I’m just your average nerd living out in the heart of Texas. (Actually, more to the side but heart sounds way cooler) As the only 17-year-old narrator I know of, I hope to be part of putting God’s messages in people's everyday lives, and also to show other youth that we are capable of taking on something that might be deemed as ”only for adults.” If I finish my homework on time you can normally find me reading, writing a new debate case, cooking up a new recipe that I just have to try, or taking a nice long walk.
Website
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL TOUR SCHEDULE!
Wow! I hope you enjoyed today's spotlight as much as I did. Wishing Andy & Luke the best of luck and God's blessings!Until next time, take care and God bless.PamT
Yep, I drove up on Thursday to visit my son after TX opened the borders on or about May 1st. Since I hadn't seen him since Christmas and Thursday (7th) was his birthday and tomorrow is Mother's Day, we figured this was a good weekend to visit.
On Wednesday I hosted my first audiobook tour and I've scheduled them further apart through the next few months, but this time you're getting two in the same week LOL!
Please welcome, Andy Zach and Secret Supers on tour through.....
Plugging you into the audio community since 2016.Sign up as a tour host here.Author: Andy ZachNarrator: Luke CastleLength: 3 hours 3 minutesPublisher: Jule Inc.Released: Jan. 6, 2020Genre: Middle Grade; Science Fiction
Jeremy Gentle fell flat on his face at therapy. That was normal since he had cerebral palsy. But his new superpower wasn't normal. Then, things got weirder when his best friend Dan Elanga got a different superpower. But Dan was still blind. Kayla Verdera and Aubrey Wilcosky, two girls in their middle-school special ed class, discovered they too had new superpowers. Kayla was mute and needed a walker. Aubrey lost two legs and used crutches. But they were as powerful as the boys. What should the four friends do? Jeremy knew if the word got out, it'd be a media circus. Then, they started fighting crime as the Secret Supers. Who knew a disability could be a perfect disguise? No one would ever think of disabled kids as superheroes. But they ran into problems they never expected.
Andy Zach was born Anastasius Zacharias, in Greece. His parents were both zombies. Growing up, he loved animals of all kinds. After moving to the United States as a child, in high school, he won a science fair by bringing toads back from suspended animation. Before turning to fiction, Andy published his Ph.D. thesis "Methods of Revivification for Various Species of the Kingdom Animalia" in the prestigious JAPM, Journal of Paranormal Medicine. Andy, in addition to being the foremost expert on paranormal animals, enjoys breeding phoenixes. He lives in Illinois with his five phoenixes. With his first book, "Zombie Turkeys" Andy blazed new ground in paranormal humor. The second book in his Life After Life Chronicles, "My Undead Mother-in-law" expands the zombie plague from turkeys to humans, with hilarious results. You can find both volumes on Amazon Kindle, Createspace print, and Audible audiobook editions. Not content to keep in zombies earthbound, Andy puts them afloat in his third book, "Paranormal Privateers". Just when you thought every funny zombie trope had been explored, new humorous horizons open up. You can get "Paranormal Privateers" in Kindle and print formats. The audiobook is available now on Audible. Having conquered paranormal animal humor in his first series, Andy Zach launches into middle school superhero genre with Secret Supers. Four disabled seventh graders all get superpowers. Who knew a disability could be so useful for hiding a superpower? But the four friends, Jeremy, Dan, Kayla, and Aubrey confront problems that can't be solved by superpowers.Website ⎮ Twitter ⎮ Facebook ⎮ Goodreads ⎮ Amazon
Luke CastleI’m just your average nerd living out in the heart of Texas. (Actually, more to the side but heart sounds way cooler) As the only 17-year-old narrator I know of, I hope to be part of putting God’s messages in people's everyday lives, and also to show other youth that we are capable of taking on something that might be deemed as ”only for adults.” If I finish my homework on time you can normally find me reading, writing a new debate case, cooking up a new recipe that I just have to try, or taking a nice long walk.
Website
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL TOUR SCHEDULE!Wow! I hope you enjoyed today's spotlight as much as I did. Wishing Andy & Luke the best of luck and God's blessings!Until next time, take care and God bless.PamT
May 6, 2020
#WednesdayWordswithFriends welcomes Pete Harrison
Good Morning and Welcome,
Well, I just don't know what to say today except ... WOW we're in May already! This crazy Covid-19 crap is still wreaking havoc on many lives but I've decided (actually decided a long time ago) that I'm going to do my best to stay safe and obey restrictions but I refuse to live in fear. I understand the fears of many and I'm not passing judgement on anyone, this is my choice. My thoughts and prayers are with our front-line and other essential workers, our communities, states, nation and leaders.
Today is the first of (hopefully) many Audio Book Tours to come brought to us by Audio Book Worm Promotions. Ever since ABW set up my amazing tour with Tempered Hearts and Dreams, I realized I had yet to host audio books on my blog! That's changed now as I've signed up to be a host for ABW so please welcome Pete Harrison to our blog with his audio-book, The Girl from Whitfield Hall......
Author: Pete HarrisonNarrator: Christine RendelLength: 5 hours 14 minutesPublisher: Pete HarrisonReleased: Nov. 14, 2019Genre: Mystery
One time Telecoms engineer with a second career as a Racecourse Bookmaker, now retired and pursuing his love of the Theatre by becoming involved as a theatre technician he now heads up the sound department at the Loft Theatre, a highly regarded semi professional theatre in Leamington Spa. Varied interests include horse racing and all sports, WW1, music and theatre. The girl from Whitfield Hall, his first novel has ignited a passion for storytelling. Follow him on
Facebook
Christine Rendel is a British-born freelance audiobook narrator/producer and voice talent. She has narrated and produced over 40 fiction and non-fiction audiobooks. Genres include mystery, romance, children, young adult, science fiction, humor, history, biography, training and educational manuals and medical narration. Extensive medical background. Represented as a voice actor by CESD Talent Agency NYC Over 13 years experience in radio and broadcast production. As an actor, performed in her native Britain, internationally and in New York Off and Off-Off-Broadway, on film and TV, and has numerous TV, radio, multi-media and industrial credits. Founding member of the Anglo-American theater company Mind The Gap Theatre, and a member of SAG-AFTRA, APA and AEA. Find out more by visiting her Website
Q&A with Author Pete HarrisonHow did you select your narrator?Because of the ‘Englishness’ of the book I had a very specific voice in mind. That being said the narrator had to be capable of doing a number of accents, particularly French. After listening to a number of audition tapes I knew within the first ten seconds that Christine was what I was looking for.How closely did you work with your narrator before and during the recording process? Did you give them any pronunciation tips or special insight into the characters? Christine’s first five minute sample made it very clear that she had thoroughly read and re read the book. She asked if I wanted her to check with me continuously but I was happy to leave her to it.Were there any real life inspirations behind your writing?Many of the locations visited in the book are places that I visited when I was much younger. In particular I stayed in the Pera Palace Hotel many years ago when English travellers were still something of a rarity.How did you celebrate after finishing this novel?I didn’t, I don’t think the novel is finished; the writing is done but actually getting people to read it takes a lot of effort.What bits of advice would you give to aspiring authors?Keep writing, even if you don’t think it’s any good, write till you run out of ideas at then start something new.Was a possible audiobook recording something you were conscious of while writing?No. It never occurred to me until I came across ATX while doing some research for marketing.Are you an audiobook listener? What about the audiobook format appeals to you?I love audio books. I find that the format can be more theatrical as it tends to be the narrators interpretation of the book. If you had the power to time travel, would you use it? If yes, when and where would you go? I would like to be able to time travel back in time within my own lifetime, I have such wonderful memories that I would like to be able to re live. What do you say to those who view listening to audiobooks as “cheating” or as inferior to “real reading”?Listening to audio books is a completely different experience from reading; it changes the feel of the whole thing as when you read you conjure up your own images. Audio books tend to conjure up those images for you.What’s next for you?I’m writing a one act play for a competition. First prize is a public reading.
View the full schedule here
Hope you enjoyed today's post and that you'll check back weekly for Wednesday Words with Friends and Saturday Spotlight.
Until next time take care, be safe and God bless. PamT
Plugging you into the audio community since 2016.Sign up as a tour host here.
Well, I just don't know what to say today except ... WOW we're in May already! This crazy Covid-19 crap is still wreaking havoc on many lives but I've decided (actually decided a long time ago) that I'm going to do my best to stay safe and obey restrictions but I refuse to live in fear. I understand the fears of many and I'm not passing judgement on anyone, this is my choice. My thoughts and prayers are with our front-line and other essential workers, our communities, states, nation and leaders.
Today is the first of (hopefully) many Audio Book Tours to come brought to us by Audio Book Worm Promotions. Ever since ABW set up my amazing tour with Tempered Hearts and Dreams, I realized I had yet to host audio books on my blog! That's changed now as I've signed up to be a host for ABW so please welcome Pete Harrison to our blog with his audio-book, The Girl from Whitfield Hall......
Author: Pete HarrisonNarrator: Christine RendelLength: 5 hours 14 minutesPublisher: Pete HarrisonReleased: Nov. 14, 2019Genre: Mystery
Emily stood in front of a full length mirror in her well-appointed Camberwell apartment. She turned sideways on and looked over her shoulder before doing the same the other side. “Anna, do you think I could pass for a man?" Emily was nearly six feet tall; she wasn't fat but was definitely solidly built. Her small breasts and wide hips showed her to definitely be a woman.
“Whatever do you mean miss?”
“Well if I bound my chest, padded my stomach a little and wore a man’s suit, with all my hair cut off, do you think I would look like a man?”
“Why ever would you want to do that miss?” Anna was never surprised by anything her mistress said, she was always unpredictable and had some very funny notions.
“I’m going to dress as a man and pass myself off as a detective in the London police force. I’m never going to get anywhere as a woman.”
One time Telecoms engineer with a second career as a Racecourse Bookmaker, now retired and pursuing his love of the Theatre by becoming involved as a theatre technician he now heads up the sound department at the Loft Theatre, a highly regarded semi professional theatre in Leamington Spa. Varied interests include horse racing and all sports, WW1, music and theatre. The girl from Whitfield Hall, his first novel has ignited a passion for storytelling. Follow him on
Facebook
Christine Rendel is a British-born freelance audiobook narrator/producer and voice talent. She has narrated and produced over 40 fiction and non-fiction audiobooks. Genres include mystery, romance, children, young adult, science fiction, humor, history, biography, training and educational manuals and medical narration. Extensive medical background. Represented as a voice actor by CESD Talent Agency NYC Over 13 years experience in radio and broadcast production. As an actor, performed in her native Britain, internationally and in New York Off and Off-Off-Broadway, on film and TV, and has numerous TV, radio, multi-media and industrial credits. Founding member of the Anglo-American theater company Mind The Gap Theatre, and a member of SAG-AFTRA, APA and AEA. Find out more by visiting her Website
Q&A with Author Pete HarrisonHow did you select your narrator?Because of the ‘Englishness’ of the book I had a very specific voice in mind. That being said the narrator had to be capable of doing a number of accents, particularly French. After listening to a number of audition tapes I knew within the first ten seconds that Christine was what I was looking for.How closely did you work with your narrator before and during the recording process? Did you give them any pronunciation tips or special insight into the characters? Christine’s first five minute sample made it very clear that she had thoroughly read and re read the book. She asked if I wanted her to check with me continuously but I was happy to leave her to it.Were there any real life inspirations behind your writing?Many of the locations visited in the book are places that I visited when I was much younger. In particular I stayed in the Pera Palace Hotel many years ago when English travellers were still something of a rarity.How did you celebrate after finishing this novel?I didn’t, I don’t think the novel is finished; the writing is done but actually getting people to read it takes a lot of effort.What bits of advice would you give to aspiring authors?Keep writing, even if you don’t think it’s any good, write till you run out of ideas at then start something new.Was a possible audiobook recording something you were conscious of while writing?No. It never occurred to me until I came across ATX while doing some research for marketing.Are you an audiobook listener? What about the audiobook format appeals to you?I love audio books. I find that the format can be more theatrical as it tends to be the narrators interpretation of the book. If you had the power to time travel, would you use it? If yes, when and where would you go? I would like to be able to time travel back in time within my own lifetime, I have such wonderful memories that I would like to be able to re live. What do you say to those who view listening to audiobooks as “cheating” or as inferior to “real reading”?Listening to audio books is a completely different experience from reading; it changes the feel of the whole thing as when you read you conjure up your own images. Audio books tend to conjure up those images for you.What’s next for you?I’m writing a one act play for a competition. First prize is a public reading.View the full schedule hereHope you enjoyed today's post and that you'll check back weekly for Wednesday Words with Friends and Saturday Spotlight.
Until next time take care, be safe and God bless. PamT
Plugging you into the audio community since 2016.Sign up as a tour host here.May 2, 2020
#SaturdaySpotlight is on Robert Herold & The Eidola Project!
Good Morning and Welcome!
Lot's of states are lifting their stay-home orders but still strongly encouraging continued precautions (wearing masks, social distancing, washing hands often, etc). Although I'm ready for things to get back to normal, I believe we'll have a whole new idea of what that means to us individually, as residents in our towns, cities, states and as a nation as a whole. Whether you're fed up or scared silly, please be smart and be safe!
Today's guest was brand new to me and our blog last month when he shared some words with us, but before I spotlight Robert Herold and his book I'd like to announce the monthly gift card giveaway winner for April.....(drum roll please).......
Kara O'Neale!
Now without much further ado, please welcome Robert Herold back with a peek into his novel, The Eidola Project.. ..
The Eidola Project is recruiting. Dare to join them?
It's 1885 and a drunk and rage-filled Nigel Pickford breaks up a phony medium's séance. A strange twist of fate soon finds him part of a team investigating the afterlife.
The Eidola Project is an intrepid group of explorers dedicated to bringing the light of science to that which has been feared, misunderstood, and often manipulated by charlatans. They are a psychology professor, his assistant, an African-American physicist, a sideshow medium, and now a derelict, each possessing unique strengths and weaknesses.
Called to the brooding Hutchinson Estate to investigate rumored hauntings, they encounter deadly supernatural forces and a young woman driven to the brink of madness.
Will any of them survive?
Excerpt:
Sarah retrieved the lamp and twisted the peg. The outhouse door swung open on its own, and she gasped.
“Momma?” Sarah asked as she held out her lantern. No. A ruined version of Molly stood in the doorway.
Before her disappearance, people often commented on the sixteen-year-old’s beauty, but in the last twenty-eight days birds pecked out her pretty blue eyes, and maggots now swam in the sockets. Molly’s head hung to the left at an odd angle. Her skin looked mottled with patches of gray, blue, and black. A beetle crawled out of Molly’s half-opened mouth and darted back in.
Sarah’s heart leaped to her throat, and she jumped back. She lost her footing, fell onto the outhouse seat, and dropped the lantern to the floor. She bent to retrieve it; thankful the glass globe did not break. Sarah looked up and saw an empty doorway.
Impossible, she told herself. Must’ve dozed off, had a nightmare, and woke up when I dropped the lamp. Her heart still pounded in her chest, and Sarah took a deep breath to calm herself.
Holding the lamp before her once more, she crept out…
Oh my goodness, Robert...I knew your book was horror but .... SHUDDER.... LOL!
If you love horror novels, friends, The Eidola Project is published by The Wild Rose Press and can be purchased at Amazon and B&N. Watch the book trailer HERE (if you dare LOL!)
The supernatural always had the allure of forbidden fruit, ever since Robert Herold’s mother refused to allow him, as a boy, to watch creature features on late night TV. She caved in. (Well, not literally.)
As a child, fresh snow provided him the opportunity to walk out onto neighbors’ lawns halfway and then make paw prints with his fingers as far as he could stretch. He would retrace the paw and boot prints, then fetch the neighbor kids and point out that someone turned into a werewolf on their front lawn. (They were skeptical.)
He has pursued many interests over the years (among them being a history teacher and a musician), but the supernatural always called to him. You could say he was haunted. Finally, following the siren’s call, he wrote The Eidola Project , based on a germ of an idea he had as a teenager.
Ultimately, he hopes the book gives you the creeps, and he means that in the best way possible.
Robert is Paranormal Romance Guild's 2019 Reader's Choice 2nd place Winner and a contributor to the charity anthology Australia Burns volume 3. All three volumes are the product of authors, editors and our publisher donating their efforts for the victims of the wildfires in Australia. All profits will go the Australian Red Cross. Volume three contains SF, paranormal, and horror stories!
Find out more and connect with Robert through his Website, on Facebook and/or Twitter.
Hope you enjoyed the sneak peek into Robert's book folks. Be sure to leave a comment and enter into my monthly gift card giveaway!
Until next time, take care, be safe and God bless.
PamT
Lot's of states are lifting their stay-home orders but still strongly encouraging continued precautions (wearing masks, social distancing, washing hands often, etc). Although I'm ready for things to get back to normal, I believe we'll have a whole new idea of what that means to us individually, as residents in our towns, cities, states and as a nation as a whole. Whether you're fed up or scared silly, please be smart and be safe!
Today's guest was brand new to me and our blog last month when he shared some words with us, but before I spotlight Robert Herold and his book I'd like to announce the monthly gift card giveaway winner for April.....(drum roll please).......
Kara O'Neale!
Now without much further ado, please welcome Robert Herold back with a peek into his novel, The Eidola Project.. ..
The Eidola Project is recruiting. Dare to join them?It's 1885 and a drunk and rage-filled Nigel Pickford breaks up a phony medium's séance. A strange twist of fate soon finds him part of a team investigating the afterlife.
The Eidola Project is an intrepid group of explorers dedicated to bringing the light of science to that which has been feared, misunderstood, and often manipulated by charlatans. They are a psychology professor, his assistant, an African-American physicist, a sideshow medium, and now a derelict, each possessing unique strengths and weaknesses.
Called to the brooding Hutchinson Estate to investigate rumored hauntings, they encounter deadly supernatural forces and a young woman driven to the brink of madness.
Will any of them survive?
Excerpt:
Sarah retrieved the lamp and twisted the peg. The outhouse door swung open on its own, and she gasped.
“Momma?” Sarah asked as she held out her lantern. No. A ruined version of Molly stood in the doorway.
Before her disappearance, people often commented on the sixteen-year-old’s beauty, but in the last twenty-eight days birds pecked out her pretty blue eyes, and maggots now swam in the sockets. Molly’s head hung to the left at an odd angle. Her skin looked mottled with patches of gray, blue, and black. A beetle crawled out of Molly’s half-opened mouth and darted back in.
Sarah’s heart leaped to her throat, and she jumped back. She lost her footing, fell onto the outhouse seat, and dropped the lantern to the floor. She bent to retrieve it; thankful the glass globe did not break. Sarah looked up and saw an empty doorway.
Impossible, she told herself. Must’ve dozed off, had a nightmare, and woke up when I dropped the lamp. Her heart still pounded in her chest, and Sarah took a deep breath to calm herself.
Holding the lamp before her once more, she crept out…
Oh my goodness, Robert...I knew your book was horror but .... SHUDDER.... LOL!
If you love horror novels, friends, The Eidola Project is published by The Wild Rose Press and can be purchased at Amazon and B&N. Watch the book trailer HERE (if you dare LOL!)
The supernatural always had the allure of forbidden fruit, ever since Robert Herold’s mother refused to allow him, as a boy, to watch creature features on late night TV. She caved in. (Well, not literally.)As a child, fresh snow provided him the opportunity to walk out onto neighbors’ lawns halfway and then make paw prints with his fingers as far as he could stretch. He would retrace the paw and boot prints, then fetch the neighbor kids and point out that someone turned into a werewolf on their front lawn. (They were skeptical.)
He has pursued many interests over the years (among them being a history teacher and a musician), but the supernatural always called to him. You could say he was haunted. Finally, following the siren’s call, he wrote The Eidola Project , based on a germ of an idea he had as a teenager.
Ultimately, he hopes the book gives you the creeps, and he means that in the best way possible.
Robert is Paranormal Romance Guild's 2019 Reader's Choice 2nd place Winner and a contributor to the charity anthology Australia Burns volume 3. All three volumes are the product of authors, editors and our publisher donating their efforts for the victims of the wildfires in Australia. All profits will go the Australian Red Cross. Volume three contains SF, paranormal, and horror stories!
Find out more and connect with Robert through his Website, on Facebook and/or Twitter.
Hope you enjoyed the sneak peek into Robert's book folks. Be sure to leave a comment and enter into my monthly gift card giveaway!
Until next time, take care, be safe and God bless.
PamT
April 29, 2020
#WednesdayWordswithFriends welcomes T.I. Lowe!
Good Morning and Welcome to the final edition of Wednesday Words with Friends for April 2020!
Today is your last chance to enter into my monthly gift card giveaway so be sure and leave a comment. I will pick a winner and email him or her and announce on Saturday Spotlight this weekend (May 2nd).
Our guest, T.I. Lowe has visited before so please welcome her back with the first of her new "Carolina Coast" trilogy releasing from Tyndale House throughout this spring/summer.
Take it away T.I.......
1.What inspired you to write Beach Haven?
The Bible verse shared at the beginning of the book sums it up. “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope’” (Jeremiah 29:11). Storms in life can come in and make such a mess that this promise can get overlooked. Haven means “refuge,” so I was inspired to write a story centered around finding our haven in God during these storms, seeking his refuge and redemption in the aftermath. Readers will see this physically manifested through a hurricane and spiritually demonstrated through Lincoln’s redemption of faith.
2.What are you most excited for your readers to experience through reading this story?
I’m most excited for readers to experience the victory of redemption. Lincoln will make mistakes, he will fight against necessary change, and he will try running from his faith and the feelings developing for Opal. I loved, loved, loved when I finally got to the part of the story where this giant of a man humbles himself to accept it all. He is a decorated soldier and wore bravery like a fine suit before he was wounded in battle, but I found him at his strongest when he stood up for Opal and when he reconciled with his father.
3.What role does faith play in this story?
Life is a gift from God, even when we perceive it to be in ruins and past repair. During a confrontation with Lincoln, Opal points this out to him by checking his pulse. She tells him, “Each pulse you have is another chance. Another opportunity. . . . You’re a living breathing miracle. Your life is a gift from God and yet you’ve just wasted eighty-eight chances to appreciate that in the last minute.”
4.What lessons or truths do you hope people take away from Beach Haven?
Just because a chapter of your life inserts an unexpected plot twist and is far from what you had planned doesn’t mean the story is over. Embracing change is never easy, but it’s a part of life.
5.As an author, what did you particularly enjoy about writing this story?
The most enjoyable part of this story was introducing the Knitting Club, a geriatric group of busybodies. Opal has this thought in the book: “It was said that the Knitting Club came over on the Mayflower and somehow found the fountain of youth upon landing.” These feisty broads are the comic relief of the story with interesting dashes of wisdom thrown into the mix. They are big fans of mischief and meddling.
6.What was the most difficult part of writing this story?
When I create a character with such an altruistic background as Lincoln’s military career, my goal is to pay my respects and to honor them. I’m always a little nervous about getting that right and mindful of how it will be perceived.
7.Can you tell us about your inspiration for the main character in this book, Opal Gilbert? What about Lincoln Cole?
Opal is what folks consider weird. Different. Too silly at times. She allows people to form those opinions but doesn’t allow them to keep her from enjoying the eccentric fit of her quirkiness. Opal’s purpose is to inspire readers to own up to their uniqueness. Lincoln is a big ole teddy bear hiding behind a grouchy pout, but boy does he have one fierce stubborn streak. Once his mind up is made up about something, there’s no wavering from it. Lincoln finally reaches a point in the story where there is no other choice but to come to terms with accepting God’s repurposing plan for his life.
8.Can you tell us more about your inspiration for Opal’s shop, Bless This Mess?
I’m a huge fan of the show Fixer Upper, and I love the idea of taking something old and considered unappealing and transforming it into something new and charming. On the show, the designers highlight imperfections instead of trying to hide them. None of us are perfect, but our flaws can be used in an appealing way. This is what I hope for readers to discover while they are exploring Bless This Mess.
9.What can you tell us about the relationship that forms between Opal Gilbert and Lincoln Cole?
Neither one of them wanted a relationship. Opal’s focus was restoring her shop in the aftermath of Hurricane Lacy, and Lincoln’s focus was restoring his life, which was left in ruins due to a career-ending injury and the poor choices he made afterward. Even though they both fight against their developing feelings, of course love wins in the end. Exploring the unexpectedness of their love story was an appealing challenge for me. They butt heads quite a bit, but both have that endearing quality where they have each other’s back. I’ll share one of my favorite scenes below that showcases this when a guy makes fun of Opal in public.
“Aw, come on, Opie. You know you earned your weirdo status.” Ray laughed like it was the funniest thing until the formidable man behind her leered over her shoulder. Lincoln’s rigid stance pressed close to her, and Ray’s taunting eyes froze as the shadow encased them both.“Who are you?” Lincoln asked with enough grit in his voice to scare even Opal.She was about to back away from the confrontation when a strong arm secured itself around her waist, a wall of muscle pressing firmly against her back in a united front.“Ray Owens. I’m a friend of Opal’s from back in high school.” He reached a shaky hand out and Lincoln ignored it. After getting the hint, Ray retracted his hand and swiped it over his forehead, looking right nervous.“Opal’s never mentioned a friend named Ray. Certainly never mentioned an idiot dumb enough to call her a ridiculous name. What are you, two?”Ray stammered out a shaky laugh. “Come on, man. I was just joking around. I mean . . . look who we’re talking about.” His head tilted toward her with his eyes growing round.“No way are you talking about this woman standing in front of you. She’s one of the most creative and kindest people I know. You’d be wise to take note of that and to also take note I won’t be putting up with anyone treating her with anything less than absolute respect.” Without another word, Lincoln used his hold on Opal to spin her around and place her away from the hurtfulness the guy had just pushed on her.Opal was used to having Lincoln’s strong personality aimed against her, but it was remarkably comforting to have it used as a shield of defense for her.
10.In what ways do you hope this story connects with contemporary Christian women?By the time the contemporary Christian woman makes it to the last page of this story, my hope is that she will have a renewed confidence to be the individual God created her to be. We are not intended to be cookie-cutter humans.
Tonya “T. I.” Lowe is a native of coastal South Carolina. She attended Coastal Carolina University and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where she majored in psychology but excelled in creative writing. In 2014, Tonya independently published her first novel, Lulu’s Café, which quickly became a bestseller. Now the author of twelve published novels with hundreds of thousands of copies sold, she knows she’s just getting started and has many more stories to tell. She resides near Myrtle Beach with her family. Connect with her on her Author Page, T.I. Lowe’s Website Instagram Twitter (@TiLowe) and Facebook Get a copy of Beach Haven at Tyndale, Amazon OR wherever books are sold.
Sounds like an incredible story, Ms. Lowe! Thank you for sharing. We certainly wish you the best of luck and God's blessings.
Hope you enjoyed today's post friends and that you'll check back each week for Wednesday Words with Friends and Saturday spotlight. Good luck in the drawing!
Until next time, take care and God bless. PamT
Today is your last chance to enter into my monthly gift card giveaway so be sure and leave a comment. I will pick a winner and email him or her and announce on Saturday Spotlight this weekend (May 2nd).
Our guest, T.I. Lowe has visited before so please welcome her back with the first of her new "Carolina Coast" trilogy releasing from Tyndale House throughout this spring/summer.
Take it away T.I.......
1.What inspired you to write Beach Haven?The Bible verse shared at the beginning of the book sums it up. “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope’” (Jeremiah 29:11). Storms in life can come in and make such a mess that this promise can get overlooked. Haven means “refuge,” so I was inspired to write a story centered around finding our haven in God during these storms, seeking his refuge and redemption in the aftermath. Readers will see this physically manifested through a hurricane and spiritually demonstrated through Lincoln’s redemption of faith.
2.What are you most excited for your readers to experience through reading this story?
I’m most excited for readers to experience the victory of redemption. Lincoln will make mistakes, he will fight against necessary change, and he will try running from his faith and the feelings developing for Opal. I loved, loved, loved when I finally got to the part of the story where this giant of a man humbles himself to accept it all. He is a decorated soldier and wore bravery like a fine suit before he was wounded in battle, but I found him at his strongest when he stood up for Opal and when he reconciled with his father.
3.What role does faith play in this story?
Life is a gift from God, even when we perceive it to be in ruins and past repair. During a confrontation with Lincoln, Opal points this out to him by checking his pulse. She tells him, “Each pulse you have is another chance. Another opportunity. . . . You’re a living breathing miracle. Your life is a gift from God and yet you’ve just wasted eighty-eight chances to appreciate that in the last minute.”
4.What lessons or truths do you hope people take away from Beach Haven?
Just because a chapter of your life inserts an unexpected plot twist and is far from what you had planned doesn’t mean the story is over. Embracing change is never easy, but it’s a part of life.
5.As an author, what did you particularly enjoy about writing this story?
The most enjoyable part of this story was introducing the Knitting Club, a geriatric group of busybodies. Opal has this thought in the book: “It was said that the Knitting Club came over on the Mayflower and somehow found the fountain of youth upon landing.” These feisty broads are the comic relief of the story with interesting dashes of wisdom thrown into the mix. They are big fans of mischief and meddling.
6.What was the most difficult part of writing this story?
When I create a character with such an altruistic background as Lincoln’s military career, my goal is to pay my respects and to honor them. I’m always a little nervous about getting that right and mindful of how it will be perceived.
7.Can you tell us about your inspiration for the main character in this book, Opal Gilbert? What about Lincoln Cole?
Opal is what folks consider weird. Different. Too silly at times. She allows people to form those opinions but doesn’t allow them to keep her from enjoying the eccentric fit of her quirkiness. Opal’s purpose is to inspire readers to own up to their uniqueness. Lincoln is a big ole teddy bear hiding behind a grouchy pout, but boy does he have one fierce stubborn streak. Once his mind up is made up about something, there’s no wavering from it. Lincoln finally reaches a point in the story where there is no other choice but to come to terms with accepting God’s repurposing plan for his life.
8.Can you tell us more about your inspiration for Opal’s shop, Bless This Mess?
I’m a huge fan of the show Fixer Upper, and I love the idea of taking something old and considered unappealing and transforming it into something new and charming. On the show, the designers highlight imperfections instead of trying to hide them. None of us are perfect, but our flaws can be used in an appealing way. This is what I hope for readers to discover while they are exploring Bless This Mess.
9.What can you tell us about the relationship that forms between Opal Gilbert and Lincoln Cole?
Neither one of them wanted a relationship. Opal’s focus was restoring her shop in the aftermath of Hurricane Lacy, and Lincoln’s focus was restoring his life, which was left in ruins due to a career-ending injury and the poor choices he made afterward. Even though they both fight against their developing feelings, of course love wins in the end. Exploring the unexpectedness of their love story was an appealing challenge for me. They butt heads quite a bit, but both have that endearing quality where they have each other’s back. I’ll share one of my favorite scenes below that showcases this when a guy makes fun of Opal in public.
“Aw, come on, Opie. You know you earned your weirdo status.” Ray laughed like it was the funniest thing until the formidable man behind her leered over her shoulder. Lincoln’s rigid stance pressed close to her, and Ray’s taunting eyes froze as the shadow encased them both.“Who are you?” Lincoln asked with enough grit in his voice to scare even Opal.She was about to back away from the confrontation when a strong arm secured itself around her waist, a wall of muscle pressing firmly against her back in a united front.“Ray Owens. I’m a friend of Opal’s from back in high school.” He reached a shaky hand out and Lincoln ignored it. After getting the hint, Ray retracted his hand and swiped it over his forehead, looking right nervous.“Opal’s never mentioned a friend named Ray. Certainly never mentioned an idiot dumb enough to call her a ridiculous name. What are you, two?”Ray stammered out a shaky laugh. “Come on, man. I was just joking around. I mean . . . look who we’re talking about.” His head tilted toward her with his eyes growing round.“No way are you talking about this woman standing in front of you. She’s one of the most creative and kindest people I know. You’d be wise to take note of that and to also take note I won’t be putting up with anyone treating her with anything less than absolute respect.” Without another word, Lincoln used his hold on Opal to spin her around and place her away from the hurtfulness the guy had just pushed on her.Opal was used to having Lincoln’s strong personality aimed against her, but it was remarkably comforting to have it used as a shield of defense for her.
10.In what ways do you hope this story connects with contemporary Christian women?By the time the contemporary Christian woman makes it to the last page of this story, my hope is that she will have a renewed confidence to be the individual God created her to be. We are not intended to be cookie-cutter humans.
Tonya “T. I.” Lowe is a native of coastal South Carolina. She attended Coastal Carolina University and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where she majored in psychology but excelled in creative writing. In 2014, Tonya independently published her first novel, Lulu’s Café, which quickly became a bestseller. Now the author of twelve published novels with hundreds of thousands of copies sold, she knows she’s just getting started and has many more stories to tell. She resides near Myrtle Beach with her family. Connect with her on her Author Page, T.I. Lowe’s Website Instagram Twitter (@TiLowe) and Facebook Get a copy of Beach Haven at Tyndale, Amazon OR wherever books are sold.
Sounds like an incredible story, Ms. Lowe! Thank you for sharing. We certainly wish you the best of luck and God's blessings.
Hope you enjoyed today's post friends and that you'll check back each week for Wednesday Words with Friends and Saturday spotlight. Good luck in the drawing!
Until next time, take care and God bless. PamT
April 25, 2020
#SaturdaySpotlight is on Alicia Dean & Precarious!
Good Morning Friends,
I hope this day finds you happy, healthy and prosperous.
Today's guest has visited us numerous times but please give Alicia Dean a huge, warm, WELCOME back with her latest release, Precarious, Martini Club 4 ~ The 1940s .
Boston ~ 1947
Iris Taggart should be ecstatic. She’s engaged to one of the wealthiest men in Boston, and he dotes on her. But, her marrying a rich man is her mother’s dream, not hers. Iris longs to be a nurse and care for others, and she’ll never have the career she wants if she marries a Boston Blue Blood. It just isn’t done.
Dante Morello returned from WWII a war hero, and now he’s a Boston detective working the South End Slayer case where a deranged killer is butchering the poor and homeless. Dante’s investigation leads him to reconnect with Iris—a girl he’s known most of his life—who is volunteering at the soup kitchen where the murderer finds his victims. When Dante learns Iris is in the killer’s sites, he’ll do whatever it takes to protect her, and not just because she’s woken something in his heart he thought he’d never feel.
But neither of them is prepared for how precarious life can be. When secrets are exposed, and a madman’s full intent is revealed, will their love…and their lives…be destroyed?
Excerpt:
Dante stood and rolled down his shirt sleeves, then slipped on his jacket, not bothering to straighten his tie. “Hello, Iris. Is there something I can do for you?”
“Y-yes.” She held something tightly in her fists and shoved it toward him. “I-I found this.”
He peered at the object—a woman’s scarf, which looked as though it had been dragged through a tar pit—then lifted his brows. “And?”
She drew in a deep breath, her breasts rising with the action. He forced his gaze back to her face. “I found it at the clinic.”
He shoved his hands in his pockets, waiting. He’d offer her a seat, but then she might stay all day, rambling on and on about whatever popped into her pretty head. On one hand, that sounded like the perfect way to spend his day. On the other, he had a killer to catch.
“The bastard left it there for me.” She didn’t apologize, or even flinch, at her use of the curse word. She thrust the scarf out again, and this time he took it. “Have you heard any news? Any new victims? It belongs to Alma Vernon. She’s dead, isn’t she?” The sentences fell on top of one another. Her eyes filled with tears and she shook her head. “Mercy me. I don’t understand what’s happening.”
Dante tightened his fist around the scarf, battling the rage rising inside him. “How well did you know Ms. Vernon?”
“I saw her frequently at the kitchen. Then, a few days ago, she had a seizure, and I treated her.”
“Morello!”
Shannon’s shout drew Dante’s attention away from Iris, and for a moment, he was peeved at the interruption. Although she was bearing potentially disturbing news, seeing her lovely face was a balm to his soul.
“What is it?”
“We got a report of another victim.”
“Dammit to hell.” Dante shot a look at Iris but didn’t apologize for his language. He was damned well frustrated and feeling more incompetent each day. He said to Iris, “I’m sorry. I have to go. We’ll talk later.”
She nodded. Her lovely blue eyes swam with unshed tears, and her lips trembled. He wanted to stay, to hold her and comfort her. It was obvious that the killer was either fixated on Iris, or working his way through victims until he got to her. Either option opened a cold pit of fear in his chest.
Oh, Wow! What an excerpt, Alicia! Where can we get a copy?
Precarious , along with the other books in this series - Pampered by Kathy L Wheeler, Perilous by Amanda McCabe and Priceless by Krysta Scott can be purchased at Amazon.
Alicia Dean began writing stories as a child. At age 10, she wrote her first ever romance (featuring a hero who looked just like Elvis Presley, and who shared the name of Elvis’ character in the movie, Tickle Me), and she still has the tattered, pencil-written copy. Alicia is from Moore, Oklahoma and now lives in Edmond. She has three grown children and a huge network of supportive friends and family. She writes mostly contemporary suspense and paranormal, but has also written in other genres, including a few vintage historicals.
Other than reading and writing, her passions are Elvis Presley, MLB, NFL (she usually works in a mention of one or all three into her stories) and watching (and rewatching) her favorite televisions shows like Ozark, The Walking Dead, Dexter, Justified, Sons of Anarchy, Haven, Vampire Diaries, and The Originals. Some of her favorite authors are Michael Connelly, Dennis Lehane, Stephen King, Lee Child, Lisa Gardner, Ridley Pearson, Joseph Finder, and Jonathan Kellerman…to name a few.
Find Alicia Here:
Email: Alicia@AliciaDean.comWebsite: http://aliciadean.com/Blog: http://aliciadean.com/alicias-blog/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAliciaDean/Twitter: @Alicia_Dean_Instagram: AliciaDeanAuthorBookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/alicia-deanPinterest: https://pinterest.com/aliciamdean/Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/468339.Alicia_Dean
Great! We certainly wish you and the other authors the best of luck and God's blessings with this and your other series.
Hope you enjoyed today's spotlight, friends and that you'll check back weekly for Wednesday Words with Friends and Saturday Spotlight. Be sure to leave a comment and enter into my monthly gift card giveaway.
Until next time take care, stay safe and be BLESSED! PamT
I hope this day finds you happy, healthy and prosperous.
Today's guest has visited us numerous times but please give Alicia Dean a huge, warm, WELCOME back with her latest release, Precarious, Martini Club 4 ~ The 1940s .
Boston ~ 1947Iris Taggart should be ecstatic. She’s engaged to one of the wealthiest men in Boston, and he dotes on her. But, her marrying a rich man is her mother’s dream, not hers. Iris longs to be a nurse and care for others, and she’ll never have the career she wants if she marries a Boston Blue Blood. It just isn’t done.
Dante Morello returned from WWII a war hero, and now he’s a Boston detective working the South End Slayer case where a deranged killer is butchering the poor and homeless. Dante’s investigation leads him to reconnect with Iris—a girl he’s known most of his life—who is volunteering at the soup kitchen where the murderer finds his victims. When Dante learns Iris is in the killer’s sites, he’ll do whatever it takes to protect her, and not just because she’s woken something in his heart he thought he’d never feel.
But neither of them is prepared for how precarious life can be. When secrets are exposed, and a madman’s full intent is revealed, will their love…and their lives…be destroyed?
Excerpt:
Dante stood and rolled down his shirt sleeves, then slipped on his jacket, not bothering to straighten his tie. “Hello, Iris. Is there something I can do for you?”
“Y-yes.” She held something tightly in her fists and shoved it toward him. “I-I found this.”
He peered at the object—a woman’s scarf, which looked as though it had been dragged through a tar pit—then lifted his brows. “And?”
She drew in a deep breath, her breasts rising with the action. He forced his gaze back to her face. “I found it at the clinic.”
He shoved his hands in his pockets, waiting. He’d offer her a seat, but then she might stay all day, rambling on and on about whatever popped into her pretty head. On one hand, that sounded like the perfect way to spend his day. On the other, he had a killer to catch.
“The bastard left it there for me.” She didn’t apologize, or even flinch, at her use of the curse word. She thrust the scarf out again, and this time he took it. “Have you heard any news? Any new victims? It belongs to Alma Vernon. She’s dead, isn’t she?” The sentences fell on top of one another. Her eyes filled with tears and she shook her head. “Mercy me. I don’t understand what’s happening.”
Dante tightened his fist around the scarf, battling the rage rising inside him. “How well did you know Ms. Vernon?”
“I saw her frequently at the kitchen. Then, a few days ago, she had a seizure, and I treated her.”
“Morello!”
Shannon’s shout drew Dante’s attention away from Iris, and for a moment, he was peeved at the interruption. Although she was bearing potentially disturbing news, seeing her lovely face was a balm to his soul.
“What is it?”
“We got a report of another victim.”
“Dammit to hell.” Dante shot a look at Iris but didn’t apologize for his language. He was damned well frustrated and feeling more incompetent each day. He said to Iris, “I’m sorry. I have to go. We’ll talk later.”
She nodded. Her lovely blue eyes swam with unshed tears, and her lips trembled. He wanted to stay, to hold her and comfort her. It was obvious that the killer was either fixated on Iris, or working his way through victims until he got to her. Either option opened a cold pit of fear in his chest.
Oh, Wow! What an excerpt, Alicia! Where can we get a copy?
Precarious , along with the other books in this series - Pampered by Kathy L Wheeler, Perilous by Amanda McCabe and Priceless by Krysta Scott can be purchased at Amazon.
Alicia Dean began writing stories as a child. At age 10, she wrote her first ever romance (featuring a hero who looked just like Elvis Presley, and who shared the name of Elvis’ character in the movie, Tickle Me), and she still has the tattered, pencil-written copy. Alicia is from Moore, Oklahoma and now lives in Edmond. She has three grown children and a huge network of supportive friends and family. She writes mostly contemporary suspense and paranormal, but has also written in other genres, including a few vintage historicals.
Other than reading and writing, her passions are Elvis Presley, MLB, NFL (she usually works in a mention of one or all three into her stories) and watching (and rewatching) her favorite televisions shows like Ozark, The Walking Dead, Dexter, Justified, Sons of Anarchy, Haven, Vampire Diaries, and The Originals. Some of her favorite authors are Michael Connelly, Dennis Lehane, Stephen King, Lee Child, Lisa Gardner, Ridley Pearson, Joseph Finder, and Jonathan Kellerman…to name a few.
Find Alicia Here:
Email: Alicia@AliciaDean.comWebsite: http://aliciadean.com/Blog: http://aliciadean.com/alicias-blog/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAliciaDean/Twitter: @Alicia_Dean_Instagram: AliciaDeanAuthorBookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/alicia-deanPinterest: https://pinterest.com/aliciamdean/Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/468339.Alicia_Dean
Great! We certainly wish you and the other authors the best of luck and God's blessings with this and your other series.
Hope you enjoyed today's spotlight, friends and that you'll check back weekly for Wednesday Words with Friends and Saturday Spotlight. Be sure to leave a comment and enter into my monthly gift card giveaway.
Until next time take care, stay safe and be BLESSED! PamT
April 22, 2020
#WednesdayWordswithFriends welcomes D.V. Stone!
Good Morning Friends!
If you've followed my blog long enough, you know I just LOVE introducing you to new (to me) authors and their books. Today is no exception.
Though she may not be new to some of you, for those of us who didn't know her before now, D.V. Stone hosts a weekly blog, "Welcome to the Campfire." She is a multi-genre author of two independently published books. Felice, Shield-Mates of Dar is a fantasy romance. Agent Sam Carter and the Mystery at Branch Lake is a mid-grade paranormal.
Born in Brooklyn, D.V. Stone has moved around a bit and even lived for a time on a dairy farm in Minnesota before moving back east. Throughout her wandering, she always considered herself a Jersey Girl. She met and married the love of her life, Pete—a lifelong Jersey Man, and moved this time to Sussex County. They live with Hali, a mixed breed from the local shelter D.V.’s career path varied from working with the disabled to become a volunteer EMT, which in turn led to working in hospital emergency rooms and then in a women's state prison. After a few years, she took a break from medicine and became the owner of Heavenly Brew, a specialty coffee shop in Sparta NJ, and a small restaurant in Lafayette. Life handed some setbacks, and she ended up back in the medical field, but this time in a veterinary emergency hospital.
During the poor economy, she was laid–off from a long-time position she cared about. Devastated, D.V. wondered what to do with her life. Finding comfort in her love of reading, she realized it was now time to follow her dream of writing. It's been a long road but worth every minute of it. Now a published author, she also works in a people medical office again.
Find out more about D. V. by visiting and connecting with her on her Website Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest Bookbub Goodreads Amazon Author Page Welcome to the Campfire Blog and sign up for her Newsletter
Now let's see what D. V. has to share with us today....
Pam, thank you so much for allowing me to share today about where inspiration and ideas come from. I almost always keep a pen and paper with me. If I’m caught without them then I use the voice recorder on my phone or call myself and leave a message.
Inspiration comes from life experience, pictures, items, and even smells. Even a fractured piece of an overheard conversation can spark a character or scene. The image below, inspired one of my works in progress, Jazz House’s character Madeline.
In my first book (which is still a work in progress), I was watching Lord of the Rings, and this scene came on the screen.
For those not familiar. Haldir, an Elven Prince, was pretty stiff. When Aragorn hugged him, he froze. Then he relaxed into the greeting. This lone image was the inspiration for Kíeran in my epic romantic fantasy Kingdom at a Crossroad (again a work in progress). I asked what if? Straight-laced and very proper, Kíeran becomes enamored with a human woman who, after centuries, evokes feelings of love but also anger, fear, jealousy, heartbreak.
Rock House Grill, my new release, had many inspirations. In real life, I was an EMT and owned a restaurant. Blending these two things was very natural when I began to write the book under the pressure of National Novel Writing Month. Thirty days, fifty thousand words—go. Write what you know.
But I think my best inspiration came from my nephew. One day we were at a Christmas concert. He crawled over a couple of laps and plopped across from me. Here’s our conversation.
“Aunt Donna, you’re a writer, right?” Carter’s hands were propped on the chair with his chin in them.
“Yes,” I answered tentatively.
“Good. I want you to write about me, but I want to have a long mustache and ride a Harley.”
So, truly, inspiration can come from anywhere. Even a seven-year-old boy at a Christmas concert.
Whether you’re an author, painter, jewelry maker, or musician—keep your eyes and ears open. You never know where the ideas will come from.
Wow, you are SO right, D.V! Thanks for sharing. We wish you the best of luck and God's blessings with your writing career.
Hope you enjoyed today's inspiration friends. D.V.'s books can be purchased on Amazon. Be sure to leave a comment and enter into my monthly drawing for a $15 gift card!
Until next time, take care, stay safe & God Bless. PamT
If you've followed my blog long enough, you know I just LOVE introducing you to new (to me) authors and their books. Today is no exception.
Though she may not be new to some of you, for those of us who didn't know her before now, D.V. Stone hosts a weekly blog, "Welcome to the Campfire." She is a multi-genre author of two independently published books. Felice, Shield-Mates of Dar is a fantasy romance. Agent Sam Carter and the Mystery at Branch Lake is a mid-grade paranormal.
Born in Brooklyn, D.V. Stone has moved around a bit and even lived for a time on a dairy farm in Minnesota before moving back east. Throughout her wandering, she always considered herself a Jersey Girl. She met and married the love of her life, Pete—a lifelong Jersey Man, and moved this time to Sussex County. They live with Hali, a mixed breed from the local shelter D.V.’s career path varied from working with the disabled to become a volunteer EMT, which in turn led to working in hospital emergency rooms and then in a women's state prison. After a few years, she took a break from medicine and became the owner of Heavenly Brew, a specialty coffee shop in Sparta NJ, and a small restaurant in Lafayette. Life handed some setbacks, and she ended up back in the medical field, but this time in a veterinary emergency hospital.
During the poor economy, she was laid–off from a long-time position she cared about. Devastated, D.V. wondered what to do with her life. Finding comfort in her love of reading, she realized it was now time to follow her dream of writing. It's been a long road but worth every minute of it. Now a published author, she also works in a people medical office again.
Find out more about D. V. by visiting and connecting with her on her Website Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest Bookbub Goodreads Amazon Author Page Welcome to the Campfire Blog and sign up for her Newsletter
Now let's see what D. V. has to share with us today....
Pam, thank you so much for allowing me to share today about where inspiration and ideas come from. I almost always keep a pen and paper with me. If I’m caught without them then I use the voice recorder on my phone or call myself and leave a message.
Inspiration comes from life experience, pictures, items, and even smells. Even a fractured piece of an overheard conversation can spark a character or scene. The image below, inspired one of my works in progress, Jazz House’s character Madeline. 
In my first book (which is still a work in progress), I was watching Lord of the Rings, and this scene came on the screen. For those not familiar. Haldir, an Elven Prince, was pretty stiff. When Aragorn hugged him, he froze. Then he relaxed into the greeting. This lone image was the inspiration for Kíeran in my epic romantic fantasy Kingdom at a Crossroad (again a work in progress). I asked what if? Straight-laced and very proper, Kíeran becomes enamored with a human woman who, after centuries, evokes feelings of love but also anger, fear, jealousy, heartbreak.
Rock House Grill, my new release, had many inspirations. In real life, I was an EMT and owned a restaurant. Blending these two things was very natural when I began to write the book under the pressure of National Novel Writing Month. Thirty days, fifty thousand words—go. Write what you know. But I think my best inspiration came from my nephew. One day we were at a Christmas concert. He crawled over a couple of laps and plopped across from me. Here’s our conversation.
“Aunt Donna, you’re a writer, right?” Carter’s hands were propped on the chair with his chin in them.
“Yes,” I answered tentatively.“Good. I want you to write about me, but I want to have a long mustache and ride a Harley.”
So, truly, inspiration can come from anywhere. Even a seven-year-old boy at a Christmas concert.
Whether you’re an author, painter, jewelry maker, or musician—keep your eyes and ears open. You never know where the ideas will come from.
Wow, you are SO right, D.V! Thanks for sharing. We wish you the best of luck and God's blessings with your writing career.
Hope you enjoyed today's inspiration friends. D.V.'s books can be purchased on Amazon. Be sure to leave a comment and enter into my monthly drawing for a $15 gift card!
Until next time, take care, stay safe & God Bless. PamT
April 18, 2020
#SaturdaySpotlight is on William Vietinghoff & Long Conversations, Old Regrets
Good Morning!
Well we're a week past Easter and a full month, more for some, into stay home and social distancing. Many are receiving their stimulus checks and/or increased unemployment benefits. Are you rejoicing in every new day the Lord makes or are you grumbling and complaining? Remember, this is your choice. Scripture tells us as a man thinks, he is and the power of life and death is in the tongue....so be aware of what you're thinking and saying because you're framing your future with your thoughts and words!
Today we welcome an old friend with a new book. William Vetinghoff visited us back in 2015 with his book, The Interceptor Program . Today, he returns with a brand new book so please give him a huge, warm, WELCOME!
As is probably true of many older men, Bill Vietinghoff toyed with the idea of writing a novel based on his life. The joyous, ironic, and often troublesome events he experienced might make interesting reading. But what would be the most engaging way to organize and present his memories? He wondered if there was a genre of that category, books written by men based on memories. The reference desk at the library couldn't help him. So he devised a plot. The main character, Steven Ribman, has the same problem. He is inexperienced in writing and can't conceive of a book structure. He dreams a woman approaches him in a coffee shop. The name she gives him is Bernice. She claims she overheard him talking about his need for a plot idea. She suggests that his main character meet her from time to tome and they share memories that he writes about. He is convinced, tries it, and discovers he is able to put a story together. But he comes across evidence that his dream woman may actually exist. A search begins for the identity of Bernice.
Excerpt: "Four weeks ago, his preoccupation with the front page of the morning newspaper waned and he casually turned to the obituaries—something he usually avoided. There, in small font, were the condensed biographies and praises for men and women he did not know. He looked at the stamp-size portraits of the deceased. He imagined his features there. Which of the few decent photographs taken of him recently, showing him timeworn and weathered, will be chosen? But then it might be more flattering to include, as was often done, a photo of him as a good-looking young serviceman in his sailor suit, the dress blues with the snow-white cap square on his head, per regulations. What will the words be under his photograph? He couldn’t imagine his life’s story being condensed into a couple of paragraphs. It was at that moment, with a vision of, maybe, a fifty-word eulogy that he knew he had to explain to someone what had happened to him growing up and growing old. But how to do that? His deliverance came in the resolution that the explanation of Steven Ribman would reside in a book, a place where people could find him after he was gone."
Sounds interesting Bill!
Long Conversations, Old Regrets can be purchased at Amazon.
William Vietinghoff graduated in 1953 from Northwestern University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemical Engineering. At the time, the political and technology movements in the world, generated by the missile race, converged and created an opportunity for Vietinghoff, at the dawn of the space age, to join the ranks of dozens of other young engineers, pioneers in a way, learning on the job how to get a rocket engine to start and run. Over the ensuing years, Vietinghoff participated in many rocket engine, vehicle, and missile programs: Atlas, F-1, Lance, Peacekeeper, KEW, and X-33.
The Interceptor Program
grew from a collection of on-the-job incidents, with some imaginary ones thrown n. Vietinghoff, his wife, Gladys, and his two sons and daughter live in California.
Bill wonders if his plot might be the only one of its kind in the world. He leaves a request for any future readers of his novel who are aware of similar plots to contact him or make a comment, with book title, on this Saturday Spotlight, He would like to compare the approaches.
Leave a comment folks, and let Bill know if you've written or read a book similar to Long Conversations, Old Regrets!
Hope you enjoyed today's spotlight and will check back weekly for Wednesday Words with Friends and Saturday Spotlight.
Until next time take care and God bless.
PamT
Well we're a week past Easter and a full month, more for some, into stay home and social distancing. Many are receiving their stimulus checks and/or increased unemployment benefits. Are you rejoicing in every new day the Lord makes or are you grumbling and complaining? Remember, this is your choice. Scripture tells us as a man thinks, he is and the power of life and death is in the tongue....so be aware of what you're thinking and saying because you're framing your future with your thoughts and words!
Today we welcome an old friend with a new book. William Vetinghoff visited us back in 2015 with his book, The Interceptor Program . Today, he returns with a brand new book so please give him a huge, warm, WELCOME!
As is probably true of many older men, Bill Vietinghoff toyed with the idea of writing a novel based on his life. The joyous, ironic, and often troublesome events he experienced might make interesting reading. But what would be the most engaging way to organize and present his memories? He wondered if there was a genre of that category, books written by men based on memories. The reference desk at the library couldn't help him. So he devised a plot. The main character, Steven Ribman, has the same problem. He is inexperienced in writing and can't conceive of a book structure. He dreams a woman approaches him in a coffee shop. The name she gives him is Bernice. She claims she overheard him talking about his need for a plot idea. She suggests that his main character meet her from time to tome and they share memories that he writes about. He is convinced, tries it, and discovers he is able to put a story together. But he comes across evidence that his dream woman may actually exist. A search begins for the identity of Bernice.Excerpt: "Four weeks ago, his preoccupation with the front page of the morning newspaper waned and he casually turned to the obituaries—something he usually avoided. There, in small font, were the condensed biographies and praises for men and women he did not know. He looked at the stamp-size portraits of the deceased. He imagined his features there. Which of the few decent photographs taken of him recently, showing him timeworn and weathered, will be chosen? But then it might be more flattering to include, as was often done, a photo of him as a good-looking young serviceman in his sailor suit, the dress blues with the snow-white cap square on his head, per regulations. What will the words be under his photograph? He couldn’t imagine his life’s story being condensed into a couple of paragraphs. It was at that moment, with a vision of, maybe, a fifty-word eulogy that he knew he had to explain to someone what had happened to him growing up and growing old. But how to do that? His deliverance came in the resolution that the explanation of Steven Ribman would reside in a book, a place where people could find him after he was gone."
Sounds interesting Bill!
Long Conversations, Old Regrets can be purchased at Amazon.
William Vietinghoff graduated in 1953 from Northwestern University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemical Engineering. At the time, the political and technology movements in the world, generated by the missile race, converged and created an opportunity for Vietinghoff, at the dawn of the space age, to join the ranks of dozens of other young engineers, pioneers in a way, learning on the job how to get a rocket engine to start and run. Over the ensuing years, Vietinghoff participated in many rocket engine, vehicle, and missile programs: Atlas, F-1, Lance, Peacekeeper, KEW, and X-33.
The Interceptor Program
grew from a collection of on-the-job incidents, with some imaginary ones thrown n. Vietinghoff, his wife, Gladys, and his two sons and daughter live in California.Bill wonders if his plot might be the only one of its kind in the world. He leaves a request for any future readers of his novel who are aware of similar plots to contact him or make a comment, with book title, on this Saturday Spotlight, He would like to compare the approaches.
Leave a comment folks, and let Bill know if you've written or read a book similar to Long Conversations, Old Regrets!
Hope you enjoyed today's spotlight and will check back weekly for Wednesday Words with Friends and Saturday Spotlight.
Until next time take care and God bless.
PamT
April 15, 2020
#WednesdayWordswithFriends welcomes Robert Herold!
Good Morning!
Well, the weather has gone crazy as usual...from 80's to 40's this week, but it doesn't surprise me. I've always said we have a cold snap around Easter. Speaking of, I pray your Easter weekend was blessed despite the current affairs.
This week we welcome a brand new-to-me author to our blog....
The supernatural always had the allure of forbidden fruit, ever since Robert Herold’s mother refused to allow him, as a boy, to watch creature features on late night TV. She caved in. (Well, not literally.)
As a child, fresh snow provided him the opportunity to walk out onto neighbors’ lawns halfway and then make paw prints with his fingers as far as he could stretch. He would retrace the paw and boot prints, then fetch the neighbor kids and point out that someone turned into a werewolf on their front lawn. (They were skeptical.)
He has pursued many interests over the years (among them being a history teacher and a musician), but the supernatural always called to him. You could say he was haunted. Finally, following the siren’s call, he wrote The Eidola Project , based on a germ of an idea he had as a teenager.
Ultimately, he hopes the book gives you the creeps, and he means that in the best way possible. Connect with Robert on Twitter @RobertHerold666, Facebook, Instagram or through his website.
Now let's see what Robert has to share with us today.....
Tips for Aspiring WritersBy Robert HeroldAuthor of The Eidola Project
As a newly published author, I am close to the circumstance in which you find yourself and have a good idea of what you may be going through. A short while ago, I was you. Here are some thoughts that may help you on your journey.
• Most significant: KEEP WRITING! Writing is a learning process and it will probably take years before you are published &/or gain notoriety. Prepare the psyche for the long haul.
• Put the inner critic into a strong box and lock it tight until you’re done. (Let it out only when you’re in the editing process and only if it’s on good behavior!)
• Come up with an ending first. (If you are in the middle of something and don’t know where you’re going, stop and come up with an ending.) This gives your writing a direction and a purpose and you will avoid dead ends.
• Don’t stop to do major revisions/edits until you’ve completed your first draft.
• Once your first draft is completed, let the critic out, but keep it on a tight chain. Do not let it drive you to despair and cause you to delete your work. In fact, save each draft. You may later find you want to use something from an earlier draft. Also, don’t let your inner critic cause you to get caught up in endless revisions.
• Join a writers’ group! Try to find one with published writers &/or members who are better writers than you. You’ll learn from them and their praises and encouragement will carry weight.
• Develop a thick skin. Handle criticism wisely. Do not engage in defensive remarks or in explaining what you meant. Note what they had to say, and after a day or two decide if you will give it credence.
• Take note if you hear the same criticism from more than one source.
• Traditional AND self-published writers will need to engage in marketing. Cultivate those skills. (A great resource is Your Book, Your Brand by Dana Kaye)
• Read as well as write! Read broadly, as it will enrich your writing and help you learn by example.
• Start your next book, story, or article.
• Apply the lessons you’ve learned along the way. We learn by doing.
• BEST WISHES!
THANKS Robert! We certainly appreciate you sharing your writing tips with us and wish you the best of luck and God's blessings with your career.
Robert's book, The Eidola Project can be found at Amazon and GoodReads. Watch the trailer HERE.
Hope you enjoyed today's post, friends and that you'll drop by weekly for Wednesday Words with Friends and Saturday Spotlight!
Be sure to leave a comment to enter into my monthly gift card giveaway.
Until next time take care and God bless. PamT
Well, the weather has gone crazy as usual...from 80's to 40's this week, but it doesn't surprise me. I've always said we have a cold snap around Easter. Speaking of, I pray your Easter weekend was blessed despite the current affairs.
This week we welcome a brand new-to-me author to our blog....
The supernatural always had the allure of forbidden fruit, ever since Robert Herold’s mother refused to allow him, as a boy, to watch creature features on late night TV. She caved in. (Well, not literally.)As a child, fresh snow provided him the opportunity to walk out onto neighbors’ lawns halfway and then make paw prints with his fingers as far as he could stretch. He would retrace the paw and boot prints, then fetch the neighbor kids and point out that someone turned into a werewolf on their front lawn. (They were skeptical.)
He has pursued many interests over the years (among them being a history teacher and a musician), but the supernatural always called to him. You could say he was haunted. Finally, following the siren’s call, he wrote The Eidola Project , based on a germ of an idea he had as a teenager.
Ultimately, he hopes the book gives you the creeps, and he means that in the best way possible. Connect with Robert on Twitter @RobertHerold666, Facebook, Instagram or through his website.
Now let's see what Robert has to share with us today.....
Tips for Aspiring WritersBy Robert HeroldAuthor of The Eidola Project
As a newly published author, I am close to the circumstance in which you find yourself and have a good idea of what you may be going through. A short while ago, I was you. Here are some thoughts that may help you on your journey.
• Most significant: KEEP WRITING! Writing is a learning process and it will probably take years before you are published &/or gain notoriety. Prepare the psyche for the long haul.
• Put the inner critic into a strong box and lock it tight until you’re done. (Let it out only when you’re in the editing process and only if it’s on good behavior!)
• Come up with an ending first. (If you are in the middle of something and don’t know where you’re going, stop and come up with an ending.) This gives your writing a direction and a purpose and you will avoid dead ends.
• Don’t stop to do major revisions/edits until you’ve completed your first draft.
• Once your first draft is completed, let the critic out, but keep it on a tight chain. Do not let it drive you to despair and cause you to delete your work. In fact, save each draft. You may later find you want to use something from an earlier draft. Also, don’t let your inner critic cause you to get caught up in endless revisions.
• Join a writers’ group! Try to find one with published writers &/or members who are better writers than you. You’ll learn from them and their praises and encouragement will carry weight.
• Develop a thick skin. Handle criticism wisely. Do not engage in defensive remarks or in explaining what you meant. Note what they had to say, and after a day or two decide if you will give it credence.
• Take note if you hear the same criticism from more than one source.
• Traditional AND self-published writers will need to engage in marketing. Cultivate those skills. (A great resource is Your Book, Your Brand by Dana Kaye)
• Read as well as write! Read broadly, as it will enrich your writing and help you learn by example.
• Start your next book, story, or article.
• Apply the lessons you’ve learned along the way. We learn by doing.
• BEST WISHES!
THANKS Robert! We certainly appreciate you sharing your writing tips with us and wish you the best of luck and God's blessings with your career.
Robert's book, The Eidola Project can be found at Amazon and GoodReads. Watch the trailer HERE.
Hope you enjoyed today's post, friends and that you'll drop by weekly for Wednesday Words with Friends and Saturday Spotlight!
Be sure to leave a comment to enter into my monthly gift card giveaway.
Until next time take care and God bless. PamT
