Pamela S. Thibodeaux's Blog, page 70
March 18, 2017
#SaturdaySpotlight is on Toni V Sweeney and Sinbad’s Triumph
Good Morning from Nibblet's Bluff Park in Vinton/Starks Louisiana!
Today's guest has shared treasures with us before but she's still relatively new to our blog so please give Toni V Sweeney a great big welcome with her brand new book, Sinbad's Triumph.
Sinbad’s Triumph is Book 5 in the Adventures of Sinbad sci-fi series published by Class Act Books.
Blurb for Sinbad’s Triumph:
The most wanted smuggler in the Galaxy is now a Felidan businessman. Breaking his promise to his wife, Sinbad sh’en Sigh intended to again become a smuggler, but the Federation spoils his fun by declaring his efforts a legitimate enterprise.
Things are going smoothly until an old rival threatens to steal Sin's newly-acquired territories and the resulting war brings a terrible price. The House sh’en Singh is forced to witness the most difficult challenge to Andi’s love for their pride chief when Sin crashes his ship and doesn't walk away from the wreckage.
Now a disabled invalid, Sin must learn to depend on others with his own stubbornness and Andi’s love to keep him going.
Excerpt:
In perhaps the fastest ceremony ever performed, Adam and Shalimar found themselves husband and wife. When the priest asked for the ring, Sin had to loan his son his own marriage band because Adam had always refused to follow the Felidan custom of wearing a mate’s ring in his left earlobe. Once the ring was slipped onto Shali’s finger, they were ushered into the dining room where the cook had concocted a hasty wedding meal.
As Adam escorted his bride to her seat, Shali was deluged with hugs from Andi, N’Sagar and Andrea, while Kas, his uncle Allan, cousin Tran, and half-brother Andrew Tas again ave Adam good-natured slaps on the back. Extricating his wife from her new in-laws’ embraces, he pulled out Shali’s chair, made certain she was comfortable and sat beside her.
After the uproar and the haste of the ceremony itself, the meal was subdued. To the men’s amusement, Adam ate his food as fast as he could, devouring whatever was offered to him as if he couldn’t clear his plate fast enough, while Shalimar picked delicately at her portions the way she generally did.
“God, Uncle Adam.” The exclamation burst from Andrea. “Don’t eat so fast. You’re going to get indigestion.”
“Yeah,” her twin agreed. “You can’t enjoy your wedding night if you’ve a bellyache.” Then, he blushed, studied his plate and mumbled, “Sorry.”
Wiping his mouth with his napkin, Adam dropped it to the table and got to his feet. He looked around the table. “I want to thank all of you for being here, especially on such short notice, and I don’t want to appear rude, but my bride and I have a number of items to discuss.”
Reaching for Shali’s hand, he pulled her to her feet, kissed her quickly, then swept her into his arms and ran through the door. The sound of his boots on the stairs floated back into the room, accompanied by a low feminine trill.
Andi looked surprised. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard Shalimar giggle before.”
“Perhaps she’s never had anything to giggle about,” Sin said mildly, standing also. He caught Andi’s hand. “Thank you all for coming. Stay and enjoy the dessert Cook’s prepared. Now, if you’ll excuse us, your grandmother and I have a few things of our own to talk about.”
Before anyone could speak, he caught Andi around the waist and swung her into his arms, copying Adam’s dash for the door.
Behind them, came Andrew Tas’ sarcastic comment, “Who are they kidding? Nobody’s going to be discussing anything tonight.”
This year, Toni V. Sweeney celebrated her 74th birthday and penned her 74th novel.
Toni has lived 30 years in the South, a score in the Middle West, and a decade on the Pacific Coast and now she’s trying for her second 30 on the Great Plains.
Since the publication of her first novel in 1989, Toni divides her time between writing SF/Fantasy under her own name and romances under her pseudonym Icy Snow Blackstone. Her novels have garnered awards from The National Writers Association, Preditors & Editors, The Maryland Writers Association, and The Paranormal Romance Guild. In March, 2013, she became publicity manager for Class Act Books. She is also on the review staff of the New York Journal of Books. Recently she was named a professional reader by netgalley.com.
More about Toni at:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tvsweeneyAmazon Author’s Page: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B002BLQBB8MySpace: https://myspace.com/tvsweeneyGoodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/dashboardTwitter: @ToniVSweeney
Sinbad’s Triumph was released March 15, 2017 by Class Act Books. It will be available later this week at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, and Draft2Digital.
Thank you so much Toni, for sharing your new release with us. Good luck and God's blessings wit it! AND, Thank You, Friends, for visiting and supporting Toni today, I pray you enjoyed the excerpt and that you'll stop by each week for Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight.
Until next time, take care and God Bless. PamT
Today's guest has shared treasures with us before but she's still relatively new to our blog so please give Toni V Sweeney a great big welcome with her brand new book, Sinbad's Triumph.
Sinbad’s Triumph is Book 5 in the Adventures of Sinbad sci-fi series published by Class Act Books.Blurb for Sinbad’s Triumph:
The most wanted smuggler in the Galaxy is now a Felidan businessman. Breaking his promise to his wife, Sinbad sh’en Sigh intended to again become a smuggler, but the Federation spoils his fun by declaring his efforts a legitimate enterprise.
Things are going smoothly until an old rival threatens to steal Sin's newly-acquired territories and the resulting war brings a terrible price. The House sh’en Singh is forced to witness the most difficult challenge to Andi’s love for their pride chief when Sin crashes his ship and doesn't walk away from the wreckage.
Now a disabled invalid, Sin must learn to depend on others with his own stubbornness and Andi’s love to keep him going.
Excerpt:
In perhaps the fastest ceremony ever performed, Adam and Shalimar found themselves husband and wife. When the priest asked for the ring, Sin had to loan his son his own marriage band because Adam had always refused to follow the Felidan custom of wearing a mate’s ring in his left earlobe. Once the ring was slipped onto Shali’s finger, they were ushered into the dining room where the cook had concocted a hasty wedding meal.
As Adam escorted his bride to her seat, Shali was deluged with hugs from Andi, N’Sagar and Andrea, while Kas, his uncle Allan, cousin Tran, and half-brother Andrew Tas again ave Adam good-natured slaps on the back. Extricating his wife from her new in-laws’ embraces, he pulled out Shali’s chair, made certain she was comfortable and sat beside her.
After the uproar and the haste of the ceremony itself, the meal was subdued. To the men’s amusement, Adam ate his food as fast as he could, devouring whatever was offered to him as if he couldn’t clear his plate fast enough, while Shalimar picked delicately at her portions the way she generally did.
“God, Uncle Adam.” The exclamation burst from Andrea. “Don’t eat so fast. You’re going to get indigestion.”
“Yeah,” her twin agreed. “You can’t enjoy your wedding night if you’ve a bellyache.” Then, he blushed, studied his plate and mumbled, “Sorry.”
Wiping his mouth with his napkin, Adam dropped it to the table and got to his feet. He looked around the table. “I want to thank all of you for being here, especially on such short notice, and I don’t want to appear rude, but my bride and I have a number of items to discuss.”
Reaching for Shali’s hand, he pulled her to her feet, kissed her quickly, then swept her into his arms and ran through the door. The sound of his boots on the stairs floated back into the room, accompanied by a low feminine trill.
Andi looked surprised. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard Shalimar giggle before.”
“Perhaps she’s never had anything to giggle about,” Sin said mildly, standing also. He caught Andi’s hand. “Thank you all for coming. Stay and enjoy the dessert Cook’s prepared. Now, if you’ll excuse us, your grandmother and I have a few things of our own to talk about.”
Before anyone could speak, he caught Andi around the waist and swung her into his arms, copying Adam’s dash for the door.
Behind them, came Andrew Tas’ sarcastic comment, “Who are they kidding? Nobody’s going to be discussing anything tonight.”
This year, Toni V. Sweeney celebrated her 74th birthday and penned her 74th novel.Toni has lived 30 years in the South, a score in the Middle West, and a decade on the Pacific Coast and now she’s trying for her second 30 on the Great Plains.
Since the publication of her first novel in 1989, Toni divides her time between writing SF/Fantasy under her own name and romances under her pseudonym Icy Snow Blackstone. Her novels have garnered awards from The National Writers Association, Preditors & Editors, The Maryland Writers Association, and The Paranormal Romance Guild. In March, 2013, she became publicity manager for Class Act Books. She is also on the review staff of the New York Journal of Books. Recently she was named a professional reader by netgalley.com.
More about Toni at:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tvsweeneyAmazon Author’s Page: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B002BLQBB8MySpace: https://myspace.com/tvsweeneyGoodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/dashboardTwitter: @ToniVSweeney
Sinbad’s Triumph was released March 15, 2017 by Class Act Books. It will be available later this week at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, and Draft2Digital.
Thank you so much Toni, for sharing your new release with us. Good luck and God's blessings wit it! AND, Thank You, Friends, for visiting and supporting Toni today, I pray you enjoyed the excerpt and that you'll stop by each week for Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight.
Until next time, take care and God Bless. PamT
March 16, 2017
#ThursdayThoughts Guest Post & #EggCerptExchange with Tina Gayle!
Hello Friends,
You may have noticed a change in the sidebar here on the blog. As you may recall, Jessica Ferguson interviewed me in 2014 for Southern Writers Magazine. Today I'm featured on their blog with my article, How to Write When You're Frozen Inside , and it's such an exciting thing for me!
It's also great to bring you today's guest! Tina is no stranger to our blog, she's shared treasures and thoughts with us before. I'm sure she's been in the spotlight, but can't find that post LOL! Anyway, today she shares some thoughts with us along with an EggCerpt Exchange from her novel, My Future Step Brothe r!
So let's see what thoughts Tina wants to share with us today. Take it away, Tina!
Women Helping WomenThe Story Behind the Executives Wives’ Club Series
When writing a new romance series, I like to think about what will make the stories different. What’s kernel of an ideal sets it apart from other stories? I realized I wanted a series about how important women are to women. No matter, how much we might enjoy the men in our lives. Women connect to other women in a unique way. Maybe, because we think alike or can share emotions men can’t understand, but women need women.
So then I asked, what type of situation would force four women together on an emotional level?
Okay, four women all lose their husband at one time in a car accident. These women are connected only by their husband’s jobs. They know each other, but are not what you call close until their husbands are killed. This forever alters their world. Each has their unique problem.
Jen Larson is a realtor, who has for years lived as a married single. Her husband, Craig was her college sweetheart. She believes they have a good life but less than a year after losing him, she’s ready to start dating again. This throws her relationship with the other executives’ wives into a tailspin. They don’t understand how she can do this, which makes for the first book in the series, The Marketing Exec’s Widow.
The truly fun part about a series like this is no one book is about only one woman. Each plays a part in the other book. They’re stories continue and you learn more about what each woman is facing in her life. The happy-ever-after continues, and the reader learns how these women have grown to depend on each other.
Wow, Tina, I know my girlfriends are definitely emotional as well as spiritual connections and this sounds like a great series! Now tell us a little about My Future Step Brother .....
My Future Step Brother is about the son of one of the Executive Wives.
Lyndsey Turner only wants to have fun. She doesn’t care if her dad marries Travis Clark’s mother. Travis is super-hot and sets her body on fire every time he steps near her.
Travis has other ideas. He understands Lyndsey’s wild streak and wants her attention on him. All seems to be working according to his plan until his mother discovers she may have breast cancer. Now, Travis wants to solidify his relationship with Lyndsey and start planning for their future.Will Lyndsey commit to be his alone or does he have to play the dating game a while longer?
If you love romance, don’t miss this short story from the popular Executive Wives Club series
Excerpt:“So what do you plan to say to my dad tomorrow night?” Lyndsey interrupted the on-screen monolog, hoping to find out why he’d insisted on having dinner with her father. Their families had been acquainted for years. Travis’ dad had been an executive at her father’s company, Mama Turner’s Logistics until Jack Clark and several other executives had died in a car wreck. With the death of Lyndsey’s mother, her father had turned to Marianne Clark for support. The two of them had grieved together. Now, they were dating and the entire executives wives’ club had a stake in their affair, seeing as all of them had remarried except Marianne.Travis toyed with her hair, his fingers lightly tugging on the strands. “Not sure, I’m hoping if he sees us together he’ll begin to accept us as a couple.”Unhappy with how the evening was progressing, Lyndsey drew her sweatshirt further down over her jeans. Tonight, they had agreed to have an in-house date with items picked up from the supermarket’s deli and a rented DVD. She’d hoped with no interruptions that they might move their relationship into a more intimate arena. “He’s seen us together at Brie’s and Jason’s, and Sylvia’s party to celebrate her marriage to Vince. Why will this time be any different?”
Pick up Free at https://www.instafreebie.com/free/EwL6x
Other books in the series Marketing Exec’s WidowIT Exec’s BabyCFO’s AffairCEO’s Widow
Read 1st Chapter at www.tinagayle.com
Tina Gayle’s BioHer first romantic novel published in 2008, Tina Gayle has written over thirty romantic books under two different pseudonyms. Her novels span several different genres from contemporary to fantasy and sweet to erotic. She enjoys the challenge of drawing a reader into a story and having them travel down the same road as her hero and heroine. Married thirty years, she enjoys spending time with her husband on the golf course. Find out more about Tina on her website www.tinagayle.com
Twitter - https://twitter.com/#!/AuthorTinaGayle
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Tina-Gayle/214633841921560?ref=hl
Amazon Author Page http://www.amazon.com/Tina-Gayle/e/B002BM9GR8
Well, friends, hope you enjoyed today's EggCerpt Exchange and that you'll join me each week for Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight!
Until next time, take care and God Bless.
PamT
You may have noticed a change in the sidebar here on the blog. As you may recall, Jessica Ferguson interviewed me in 2014 for Southern Writers Magazine. Today I'm featured on their blog with my article, How to Write When You're Frozen Inside , and it's such an exciting thing for me!
It's also great to bring you today's guest! Tina is no stranger to our blog, she's shared treasures and thoughts with us before. I'm sure she's been in the spotlight, but can't find that post LOL! Anyway, today she shares some thoughts with us along with an EggCerpt Exchange from her novel, My Future Step Brothe r!
So let's see what thoughts Tina wants to share with us today. Take it away, Tina!
Women Helping WomenThe Story Behind the Executives Wives’ Club Series When writing a new romance series, I like to think about what will make the stories different. What’s kernel of an ideal sets it apart from other stories? I realized I wanted a series about how important women are to women. No matter, how much we might enjoy the men in our lives. Women connect to other women in a unique way. Maybe, because we think alike or can share emotions men can’t understand, but women need women.
So then I asked, what type of situation would force four women together on an emotional level?
Okay, four women all lose their husband at one time in a car accident. These women are connected only by their husband’s jobs. They know each other, but are not what you call close until their husbands are killed. This forever alters their world. Each has their unique problem.
Jen Larson is a realtor, who has for years lived as a married single. Her husband, Craig was her college sweetheart. She believes they have a good life but less than a year after losing him, she’s ready to start dating again. This throws her relationship with the other executives’ wives into a tailspin. They don’t understand how she can do this, which makes for the first book in the series, The Marketing Exec’s Widow.
The truly fun part about a series like this is no one book is about only one woman. Each plays a part in the other book. They’re stories continue and you learn more about what each woman is facing in her life. The happy-ever-after continues, and the reader learns how these women have grown to depend on each other.
Wow, Tina, I know my girlfriends are definitely emotional as well as spiritual connections and this sounds like a great series! Now tell us a little about My Future Step Brother .....
My Future Step Brother is about the son of one of the Executive Wives.
Lyndsey Turner only wants to have fun. She doesn’t care if her dad marries Travis Clark’s mother. Travis is super-hot and sets her body on fire every time he steps near her.
Travis has other ideas. He understands Lyndsey’s wild streak and wants her attention on him. All seems to be working according to his plan until his mother discovers she may have breast cancer. Now, Travis wants to solidify his relationship with Lyndsey and start planning for their future.Will Lyndsey commit to be his alone or does he have to play the dating game a while longer?
If you love romance, don’t miss this short story from the popular Executive Wives Club series
Excerpt:“So what do you plan to say to my dad tomorrow night?” Lyndsey interrupted the on-screen monolog, hoping to find out why he’d insisted on having dinner with her father. Their families had been acquainted for years. Travis’ dad had been an executive at her father’s company, Mama Turner’s Logistics until Jack Clark and several other executives had died in a car wreck. With the death of Lyndsey’s mother, her father had turned to Marianne Clark for support. The two of them had grieved together. Now, they were dating and the entire executives wives’ club had a stake in their affair, seeing as all of them had remarried except Marianne.Travis toyed with her hair, his fingers lightly tugging on the strands. “Not sure, I’m hoping if he sees us together he’ll begin to accept us as a couple.”Unhappy with how the evening was progressing, Lyndsey drew her sweatshirt further down over her jeans. Tonight, they had agreed to have an in-house date with items picked up from the supermarket’s deli and a rented DVD. She’d hoped with no interruptions that they might move their relationship into a more intimate arena. “He’s seen us together at Brie’s and Jason’s, and Sylvia’s party to celebrate her marriage to Vince. Why will this time be any different?”
Pick up Free at https://www.instafreebie.com/free/EwL6x
Other books in the series Marketing Exec’s WidowIT Exec’s BabyCFO’s AffairCEO’s Widow
Read 1st Chapter at www.tinagayle.com
Tina Gayle’s BioHer first romantic novel published in 2008, Tina Gayle has written over thirty romantic books under two different pseudonyms. Her novels span several different genres from contemporary to fantasy and sweet to erotic. She enjoys the challenge of drawing a reader into a story and having them travel down the same road as her hero and heroine. Married thirty years, she enjoys spending time with her husband on the golf course. Find out more about Tina on her website www.tinagayle.com
Twitter - https://twitter.com/#!/AuthorTinaGayle
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Tina-Gayle/214633841921560?ref=hl
Amazon Author Page http://www.amazon.com/Tina-Gayle/e/B002BM9GR8
Well, friends, hope you enjoyed today's EggCerpt Exchange and that you'll join me each week for Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight!
Until next time, take care and God Bless.
PamT
March 14, 2017
#TuesdayTreasures Guest Post by Art Greenhaw
Good Morning!
Please welcome Art Greenhaw, author of God's Silver Soldiers , back to our blog today to share with us something he treasures....
I treasure police officers/men and women in blue/blue lives protect so I'd like to share the lyrics to this song I wrote...
Men In Blue
They’ll know us by the flag of the brave and true, we’re proud to be Men in Blue.
This is the story of men and women in blue,this is the peace officers’ way,upholding the law is what we’ve all sworn,and for us, it’s all in a day,facing life with courage, honor and skill,that call after call we renew,when it’s our time to go, it’s all about what’s right,cause we’ve pledged to be men in blue.
So, sometime crime wins, well, life’s not always fair,we move on with steel-eyed face,it’s nothing for us to get knocked around,but stay down, to us, that’s disgrace,the harder we’re thrown, the higher we bounce,we’re proud that we’re brave and we’re true,at the end of the day, it’s all about what’s right,for we’re called to be men in blue.
We’re men and women of the law, peace officers all,and we’ve served the best that we could,we’ve all done our part for the safety of our town,and justice will surely call that “good”,now, death may come crawling, or it may come with a pounce,but whether he’s old or he’s new,when we look in the mirror, it’s all about what’s right,for we’re called to be men in blue.
They’ll know us by the flag of the brave and the true,we’re proud to be men in blue.
What a lovely song, Art! My deceased husband was a police officer so you know I-as do many-treasure Men in Blue. Thank you for sharing with us.
Creator/editor/co-writer Art Greenhaw's comicbook roots run deep, Art having enjoyed a 20-year friendship with Stan Lee and a lifetime apprenticeship studying the works of his biggest comicbook influences including Stan, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, Al Hartley, and Ben Dunn. Art was a National Council of Teachers of English literary competition award winner and was the Optimist Club's oratory contest winner. He has studied art at the Dallas Museum of Art and co-created and co-wrote stories and songs with pop culture icon Ed "Big Daddy" Roth, who proclaimed Art "The Voice of Rat Fink".
Art is a Grammy Award-Winning artist, producer, arranger, and mixing engineer and holds a Grammy record for most Grammy Nominations (eight) by a group in his particular category of Gospel-Christian music. Among the legendary artists who have recorded the songs and stories of Art include Ann-Margret, Engelbert Humperdinck, Trini Lopez, The Jordanaires, James Blackwood, The Light Crust Doughboys, The Ventures, the Southern Methodist University Mustang Band, and many more.
It is Art's lifetime mission to bring much-needed messages of morality and spirituality to today's youth through his favorite literary medium: comicbooks. Art owns and manages the iconic #1 Texas legacy country band, The Light Crust Doughboys. www.artgreenhaw.com. Art is represented by PrimeStar Publicity. Purchase God's Silver Soldiers from the Website, Publisher or Amazon!
Hope you enjoyed today's post and that you'll join me weekly for Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight.
Until next time, take care and God Bless.
PamT
Please welcome Art Greenhaw, author of God's Silver Soldiers , back to our blog today to share with us something he treasures....
I treasure police officers/men and women in blue/blue lives protect so I'd like to share the lyrics to this song I wrote...
Men In Blue
They’ll know us by the flag of the brave and true, we’re proud to be Men in Blue.
This is the story of men and women in blue,this is the peace officers’ way,upholding the law is what we’ve all sworn,and for us, it’s all in a day,facing life with courage, honor and skill,that call after call we renew,when it’s our time to go, it’s all about what’s right,cause we’ve pledged to be men in blue.
So, sometime crime wins, well, life’s not always fair,we move on with steel-eyed face,it’s nothing for us to get knocked around,but stay down, to us, that’s disgrace,the harder we’re thrown, the higher we bounce,we’re proud that we’re brave and we’re true,at the end of the day, it’s all about what’s right,for we’re called to be men in blue.
We’re men and women of the law, peace officers all,and we’ve served the best that we could,we’ve all done our part for the safety of our town,and justice will surely call that “good”,now, death may come crawling, or it may come with a pounce,but whether he’s old or he’s new,when we look in the mirror, it’s all about what’s right,for we’re called to be men in blue.
They’ll know us by the flag of the brave and the true,we’re proud to be men in blue.
What a lovely song, Art! My deceased husband was a police officer so you know I-as do many-treasure Men in Blue. Thank you for sharing with us.
Creator/editor/co-writer Art Greenhaw's comicbook roots run deep, Art having enjoyed a 20-year friendship with Stan Lee and a lifetime apprenticeship studying the works of his biggest comicbook influences including Stan, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, Al Hartley, and Ben Dunn. Art was a National Council of Teachers of English literary competition award winner and was the Optimist Club's oratory contest winner. He has studied art at the Dallas Museum of Art and co-created and co-wrote stories and songs with pop culture icon Ed "Big Daddy" Roth, who proclaimed Art "The Voice of Rat Fink".Art is a Grammy Award-Winning artist, producer, arranger, and mixing engineer and holds a Grammy record for most Grammy Nominations (eight) by a group in his particular category of Gospel-Christian music. Among the legendary artists who have recorded the songs and stories of Art include Ann-Margret, Engelbert Humperdinck, Trini Lopez, The Jordanaires, James Blackwood, The Light Crust Doughboys, The Ventures, the Southern Methodist University Mustang Band, and many more.
It is Art's lifetime mission to bring much-needed messages of morality and spirituality to today's youth through his favorite literary medium: comicbooks. Art owns and manages the iconic #1 Texas legacy country band, The Light Crust Doughboys. www.artgreenhaw.com. Art is represented by PrimeStar Publicity. Purchase God's Silver Soldiers from the Website, Publisher or Amazon!
Hope you enjoyed today's post and that you'll join me weekly for Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight.
Until next time, take care and God Bless.
PamT
March 11, 2017
#SaturdaySpotlight is on.... Me
Good Morning Friends,
My scheduled guest was unable to be here today so, instead of tossing someone into the spotlight unaware and unprepared, I decided to take today to visit with you myself.
When I started writing years and years ago, my intention was simply to write the kind of romance I love to read....strong, alpha male heroes and strong, yet gentle, sensitive and, maybe just a little delicate, heroines. Well, even if she thought herself strong, the man in her life appreciated and understood she still needed his strength and protection.
So very different from the stories of today where the female is just as tough and .... I don't know, capable is the word that comes to mind.....as the man.
That was my plan.
But God had another agenda, one I discovered the day I recommitted my life to Him and asked to write something that gave Him glory.
Many people are not thrilled with my "Inspirational with an Edge" writing, saying that you can't have that much sensuality and "gritty realism" or characters that get angry and curse or attempt suicide in a 'Christian' novel. Which is why I don't claim to write Christian, but Inspirational fiction.
Even though I love to read a clean, chaste, Christian romance, it's just not what I write.
So for those authors and readers who prefer traditional Christian books, I ask your forgiveness and grace if you've been dissatisfied with my books.
And for those of you who would like to read something different than trad CF, yet do not want today's versions of traditional romance, I invite you to give my books a try.
In fact, one lucky person who leaves a comment will get the Ebook of their choice of my titles (self-pubbed OR PBG)!
Hope you enjoyed today's post and that you'll join me each week for Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight!
Until next time, take care and God bless.
PamT
PS: sign up to receive my newsletter and get a FREE story!
My scheduled guest was unable to be here today so, instead of tossing someone into the spotlight unaware and unprepared, I decided to take today to visit with you myself.
When I started writing years and years ago, my intention was simply to write the kind of romance I love to read....strong, alpha male heroes and strong, yet gentle, sensitive and, maybe just a little delicate, heroines. Well, even if she thought herself strong, the man in her life appreciated and understood she still needed his strength and protection.
So very different from the stories of today where the female is just as tough and .... I don't know, capable is the word that comes to mind.....as the man.
That was my plan.
But God had another agenda, one I discovered the day I recommitted my life to Him and asked to write something that gave Him glory.
Many people are not thrilled with my "Inspirational with an Edge" writing, saying that you can't have that much sensuality and "gritty realism" or characters that get angry and curse or attempt suicide in a 'Christian' novel. Which is why I don't claim to write Christian, but Inspirational fiction.
Even though I love to read a clean, chaste, Christian romance, it's just not what I write.
So for those authors and readers who prefer traditional Christian books, I ask your forgiveness and grace if you've been dissatisfied with my books.
And for those of you who would like to read something different than trad CF, yet do not want today's versions of traditional romance, I invite you to give my books a try.
In fact, one lucky person who leaves a comment will get the Ebook of their choice of my titles (self-pubbed OR PBG)!
Hope you enjoyed today's post and that you'll join me each week for Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight!
Until next time, take care and God bless.
PamT
PS: sign up to receive my newsletter and get a FREE story!
March 9, 2017
#ThursdayThoughts Guest post / #EggcerptExchange with Linda McLaughlin
Good Morning Friends!
Today is the first of our EggCerpt Exchange features!
Our guest, Linda McLaughlin (aka: @Lyndi Lamont) has shared thoughts and treasures and been in our spotlight before, so please give her a warm welcome back!
Grief is Like an Ocean…
"Grief is like the ocean; it comes on waves ebbing and flowing. Sometimes the water is calm & sometimes it is overwhelming. All we can do is learn to swim." - Vicki Harrison
I love this quote. I can't think of a more apt analogy for grief than an ocean.
Grief begins with a shock akin to an earthquake of epic proportions, followed by a tsunami of emotions: disbelief, denial, anger, guilt, and above all an overwhelming sadness that engulfs your whole being. It takes a while for the tsunami to recede, leaving you feeling adrift in a turbulent ocean.
After a while, the turbulence decreases and there are periods of smooth sailing, but like the ocean, grief is seemingly endless and unpredictable. There will be squalls during which we experience what the professionals call a STUG: a short, temporary upsurge of grief. And sometimes there are storms of emotion. These usually occur at some pivotal moment: a holiday, a birthday, an anniversary, when thoughts of the lost loved one are impossible to deny or keep at bay.
And then the ocean smooths out again and we go back to living moment to moment, waiting for... we know not what. Does grief ever end? Not really, though the storms and squalls diminish over time until the loved one becomes a cherished memory rather than an open wound of the heart.
My heroine in Lily and the Gambler is still mourning the death of her lover when she arrives in California to start a new life.
Wow, Linda, never heard of STUG but I know exactly what you mean! Please tell us a little more about Lily & the Gambler your Sensual Western Historical Romance
Respectability is in the eye of the beholder. Or so Lily Penhallow hopes when she assumes the guise of the widow Albright. She has learned the price of flaunting convention and is determined to obey society's rules from now on. After her lover, Nigel Albright, was killed in a duel over a card game, Lily dons widow’s weeds and travels to Grass Valley, California where she plans to marry the man her uncle works for, a respectable mine owner named Hugh Ogilvie. Then, on the riverboat from San Francisco, she meets Creighton 'King' Callaway, a professional gambler, just the kind of man she should avoid.
King believes that since life is a gamble, there's no point in planning for the future. You have to trust Lady Luck. After meeting Lily, King knows he has found his Queen of Hearts. But can he convince her to pass up a sober businessman for a foot-loose card sharp?
Only Lady Luck knows for sure...
Buy links:Amazon Kindle US: https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B01MYMEKMD/BN/Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lily-and-the-gambler-linda-mclaughlin/1125157205Coming Soon to Other Retailers
Excerpt:
Callaway looked at her curiously. “Were you married long?”“We were together for five years,” Lily said. Her words were true as far as they went. She hoped Mr. Callaway wouldn’t ask too many questions about her husband. It still astonished her that she had told more lies since she became respectable than in her entire unconventional life.“You must miss him.”“Yes,” she said, swallowing the lump that suddenly lodged in her throat. Unwelcome tears sprang to her eyes and spilled onto her cheeks. She blinked rapidly to stop the tears.Mr. Callaway pulled out his handkerchief and dabbed at her face. “Better now?”“Yes. Please forgive me for breaking down. I’m usually not weepy.”He gave her a reassuring smile. “No apology necessary. You suffered a terrible loss. I admire your strength and determination.”“Do you?”“Yes, ma’am. And your pretty blue eyes.”She felt a blush heat her cheeks, but had to smile. “Are you flirting with me, sir?”“I’m giving it my best shot,” he said with a grin that quickly faded. “Mrs. Albright, I know this is none of my business, but I don’t think it wise for you to travel alone. I doubt your husband would have approved.”Lily turned back to stare at the sea of stars above, seeming almost within reach. Would Nigel approve of what she was doing? Yes, she decided. He’d been the consummate adventurer. He wouldn’t have expected her to live the rest of her life wrapped in cotton wool. And his death had given her greater freedom than she’d ever known. It was both frightening and exhilarating.Creighton Callaway seemed to take her silence for agreement. “Please, at least allow me to see you safely on the train.”Lily spun around to stare at him. “And in return?”He spread his hands. “I expect nothing in return but the pleasure of your company. I have a widowed mother and sister. If either one was forced to travel alone, I would worry.”Ah, so he thought women were too weak to take care of themselves. A typical male notion. “I’ve gotten this far on my own, Mr. Callaway, and my journey is almost over.”“Mrs. Albright, you are not in England anymore. I grant you California is more civilized than it was twenty years ago, but it’s not what you are used to.”Lily thought about the men she’d seen wearing gun belts and suppressed a shudder. Perhaps she should accept his offer. Once she reached Grass Valley and Uncle Arthur, she need never see the man again.
“I suppose you have a point, and I’d appreciate help with my trunks and sewing machine. Very well, Mr. Callaway. I place myself in your capable hands.” The image of his hands on her skin sent a shiver through her, but she suppressed the notion. The last person she needed in her life now was another gambler.
GREAT blurb, excerpt and cover, Linda! Tell us more about yourself and how readers can reach you.....
Linda McLaughlin grew up with a love of books and history, so it's only natural she prefers writing historical romance. She loves transporting her readers into the past where her characters learn that, in the journey of life, love is the sweetest reward. Linda also writes steamy to erotic romance under the name Lyndi Lamont, and is one half of the writing team of Lyn O'Farrell. A native of Pittsburgh, PA. she now lives in Southern California.
You can find her online at http://lindalyndi.comBlog: http://lindalyndi.com/reading-room-blog/Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LindaMcLaughlinAuthorGoodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/lindamclaughlinTwitter: @Lyndi Lamont https://twitter.com/LyndiLamont
Thanks for joining us for our Eggcerpt Exchange folks! I'm on Linda's blog today too so check it out and be sure to join us each week for Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight.
Until next time, take care and God Bless. PamT
Today is the first of our EggCerpt Exchange features!
Our guest, Linda McLaughlin (aka: @Lyndi Lamont) has shared thoughts and treasures and been in our spotlight before, so please give her a warm welcome back!
Grief is Like an Ocean…
"Grief is like the ocean; it comes on waves ebbing and flowing. Sometimes the water is calm & sometimes it is overwhelming. All we can do is learn to swim." - Vicki HarrisonI love this quote. I can't think of a more apt analogy for grief than an ocean.
Grief begins with a shock akin to an earthquake of epic proportions, followed by a tsunami of emotions: disbelief, denial, anger, guilt, and above all an overwhelming sadness that engulfs your whole being. It takes a while for the tsunami to recede, leaving you feeling adrift in a turbulent ocean.
After a while, the turbulence decreases and there are periods of smooth sailing, but like the ocean, grief is seemingly endless and unpredictable. There will be squalls during which we experience what the professionals call a STUG: a short, temporary upsurge of grief. And sometimes there are storms of emotion. These usually occur at some pivotal moment: a holiday, a birthday, an anniversary, when thoughts of the lost loved one are impossible to deny or keep at bay.
And then the ocean smooths out again and we go back to living moment to moment, waiting for... we know not what. Does grief ever end? Not really, though the storms and squalls diminish over time until the loved one becomes a cherished memory rather than an open wound of the heart.
My heroine in Lily and the Gambler is still mourning the death of her lover when she arrives in California to start a new life.
Wow, Linda, never heard of STUG but I know exactly what you mean! Please tell us a little more about Lily & the Gambler your Sensual Western Historical Romance
Respectability is in the eye of the beholder. Or so Lily Penhallow hopes when she assumes the guise of the widow Albright. She has learned the price of flaunting convention and is determined to obey society's rules from now on. After her lover, Nigel Albright, was killed in a duel over a card game, Lily dons widow’s weeds and travels to Grass Valley, California where she plans to marry the man her uncle works for, a respectable mine owner named Hugh Ogilvie. Then, on the riverboat from San Francisco, she meets Creighton 'King' Callaway, a professional gambler, just the kind of man she should avoid.King believes that since life is a gamble, there's no point in planning for the future. You have to trust Lady Luck. After meeting Lily, King knows he has found his Queen of Hearts. But can he convince her to pass up a sober businessman for a foot-loose card sharp?
Only Lady Luck knows for sure...
Buy links:Amazon Kindle US: https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B01MYMEKMD/BN/Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lily-and-the-gambler-linda-mclaughlin/1125157205Coming Soon to Other Retailers
Excerpt:
Callaway looked at her curiously. “Were you married long?”“We were together for five years,” Lily said. Her words were true as far as they went. She hoped Mr. Callaway wouldn’t ask too many questions about her husband. It still astonished her that she had told more lies since she became respectable than in her entire unconventional life.“You must miss him.”“Yes,” she said, swallowing the lump that suddenly lodged in her throat. Unwelcome tears sprang to her eyes and spilled onto her cheeks. She blinked rapidly to stop the tears.Mr. Callaway pulled out his handkerchief and dabbed at her face. “Better now?”“Yes. Please forgive me for breaking down. I’m usually not weepy.”He gave her a reassuring smile. “No apology necessary. You suffered a terrible loss. I admire your strength and determination.”“Do you?”“Yes, ma’am. And your pretty blue eyes.”She felt a blush heat her cheeks, but had to smile. “Are you flirting with me, sir?”“I’m giving it my best shot,” he said with a grin that quickly faded. “Mrs. Albright, I know this is none of my business, but I don’t think it wise for you to travel alone. I doubt your husband would have approved.”Lily turned back to stare at the sea of stars above, seeming almost within reach. Would Nigel approve of what she was doing? Yes, she decided. He’d been the consummate adventurer. He wouldn’t have expected her to live the rest of her life wrapped in cotton wool. And his death had given her greater freedom than she’d ever known. It was both frightening and exhilarating.Creighton Callaway seemed to take her silence for agreement. “Please, at least allow me to see you safely on the train.”Lily spun around to stare at him. “And in return?”He spread his hands. “I expect nothing in return but the pleasure of your company. I have a widowed mother and sister. If either one was forced to travel alone, I would worry.”Ah, so he thought women were too weak to take care of themselves. A typical male notion. “I’ve gotten this far on my own, Mr. Callaway, and my journey is almost over.”“Mrs. Albright, you are not in England anymore. I grant you California is more civilized than it was twenty years ago, but it’s not what you are used to.”Lily thought about the men she’d seen wearing gun belts and suppressed a shudder. Perhaps she should accept his offer. Once she reached Grass Valley and Uncle Arthur, she need never see the man again.
“I suppose you have a point, and I’d appreciate help with my trunks and sewing machine. Very well, Mr. Callaway. I place myself in your capable hands.” The image of his hands on her skin sent a shiver through her, but she suppressed the notion. The last person she needed in her life now was another gambler.
GREAT blurb, excerpt and cover, Linda! Tell us more about yourself and how readers can reach you.....
Linda McLaughlin grew up with a love of books and history, so it's only natural she prefers writing historical romance. She loves transporting her readers into the past where her characters learn that, in the journey of life, love is the sweetest reward. Linda also writes steamy to erotic romance under the name Lyndi Lamont, and is one half of the writing team of Lyn O'Farrell. A native of Pittsburgh, PA. she now lives in Southern California.
You can find her online at http://lindalyndi.comBlog: http://lindalyndi.com/reading-room-blog/Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LindaMcLaughlinAuthorGoodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/lindamclaughlinTwitter: @Lyndi Lamont https://twitter.com/LyndiLamont
Thanks for joining us for our Eggcerpt Exchange folks! I'm on Linda's blog today too so check it out and be sure to join us each week for Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight.
Until next time, take care and God Bless. PamT
March 7, 2017
#TuesdayTreasures Guest post by Janet Lyn
Good Morning Friends!
Well we're into our first full week of Lent. My Lenten practice is de-cluttering and so far I've donated 2 boxes & 1 bag of clothes and 2 boxes of books. I still have a ways to go before my goal is accomplished, but hopefully by the time this 40 day period is up, I'll have a lot less stuff, making room for new growth.
Anyway, today's guest is not new to our blog. Janet Lyn has shared treasures, thoughts and the spotlight before, but let's give her a warm welcome back!
When we researched 1955 for our hard boiled, Skylar Drake Murder Mysteries, we make sure we are including the correct things on the page that P.I. Drake would encounter during his adventures.
While doing so, wonderful things come back to us. Treasures that have lasting memories are the movies. We all saw them growing up and some movies bring back feelings and lessons we will never forget.
In 1955 Lady and the Tramp was released and is still enjoyed today. The spaghetti scene with Bella Notte warms my heart. The time honored Love is a Many Splendored Thing will always bring back memories of unrequited love. The song, Three Coins in the Fountain, never fails to evoke memories.
Our character Slylar Drake often goes to movies alone since he is a widower. He remembers when he had his wife and daughter to share them with. Many time he'll drive by the theatres and even stop to look at the schedules.
Whether we went to drive ins or indoor movies, we are lucky to have movies and archives that keep these treasures for us to see again and for the next generation to enjoy.
For a walk down memory lane here are the YouTube addresses. Enjoy!
Three Coins in the Fountain & Bella Notte
Published authors Janet Elizabeth Lynn and Will Zeilinger had been writing individually until they got together and wrote the SKYLAR DRAKE MURDER MYSTERY Series. These hard-boiled tales are based in old Hollywood of 1955. Janet has published seven mystery novels and Will has three plus two short stories. Their world travels have sparked several ideas for murder and crime stories. This creative couple is married and live in Southern California.
Janet Elizabeth Lynn http://www.janetlynnauthor.com/Will Zeilinger http://www.willzeilingerauthor.com/
Read an excerpt of their latest release, Desert Ice HERE and purchase at Amazon in PRINT or for KINDLE.
Hope you enjoyed today's post and that you'll join us each week for Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight!
Until next time, take care and God Bless!
PamT
Well we're into our first full week of Lent. My Lenten practice is de-cluttering and so far I've donated 2 boxes & 1 bag of clothes and 2 boxes of books. I still have a ways to go before my goal is accomplished, but hopefully by the time this 40 day period is up, I'll have a lot less stuff, making room for new growth.
Anyway, today's guest is not new to our blog. Janet Lyn has shared treasures, thoughts and the spotlight before, but let's give her a warm welcome back!
When we researched 1955 for our hard boiled, Skylar Drake Murder Mysteries, we make sure we are including the correct things on the page that P.I. Drake would encounter during his adventures.
While doing so, wonderful things come back to us. Treasures that have lasting memories are the movies. We all saw them growing up and some movies bring back feelings and lessons we will never forget.
In 1955 Lady and the Tramp was released and is still enjoyed today. The spaghetti scene with Bella Notte warms my heart. The time honored Love is a Many Splendored Thing will always bring back memories of unrequited love. The song, Three Coins in the Fountain, never fails to evoke memories.
Our character Slylar Drake often goes to movies alone since he is a widower. He remembers when he had his wife and daughter to share them with. Many time he'll drive by the theatres and even stop to look at the schedules.Whether we went to drive ins or indoor movies, we are lucky to have movies and archives that keep these treasures for us to see again and for the next generation to enjoy.
For a walk down memory lane here are the YouTube addresses. Enjoy!
Three Coins in the Fountain & Bella Notte
Published authors Janet Elizabeth Lynn and Will Zeilinger had been writing individually until they got together and wrote the SKYLAR DRAKE MURDER MYSTERY Series. These hard-boiled tales are based in old Hollywood of 1955. Janet has published seven mystery novels and Will has three plus two short stories. Their world travels have sparked several ideas for murder and crime stories. This creative couple is married and live in Southern California.Janet Elizabeth Lynn http://www.janetlynnauthor.com/Will Zeilinger http://www.willzeilingerauthor.com/
Read an excerpt of their latest release, Desert Ice HERE and purchase at Amazon in PRINT or for KINDLE.
Hope you enjoyed today's post and that you'll join us each week for Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight!
Until next time, take care and God Bless!
PamT
March 4, 2017
#SaturdaySpotlight is on Constance Bretes & Blue As Sapphires
Good Morning Friends!
Today's guest is a new-to-me author brought to us by AHA promo group so let's give Constance Bretes a warm SW Louisiana welcome!
Connie began her career as a secretary in 1977 for the State of Michigan as a civil servant. She retired from the Michigan Department of Transportation after 38 years as the department’s forms analyst. She has an MBA in Business Administration – Leadership Studies, and a BA in Business Management.
She has six books published, with five more on the way.
Connie spends most of her time behind her computer, writing, editing and researching for her next story. When she’s not there, she can be found checking out ghost towns, sapphire mining, and gold panning with her best friend and husband, Jim. Her other hobbies consists of basket weaving, and jewelry making.
She is a member of RWA’s From The Heart Romance Writers, and Kiss of Death Romance Writers, and lives in Basin, Montana.
You Can Find Connie Bretes on:
Website: www.constancebretes.com
Blog: http://www.constancebretes.com/connies-blog
Twitter: ConnieBretes https://twitter.com/ConnieBretes
Facebook: Connie Bretes
https://www.facebook.com/Connie-Bretes-385409614906182/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7737457.Constance_Bretes
Now let's see how Connie came up with the premise for Blue as Sapphires her contemporary romance (R rated) ....
National Statistics. On average, nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States. ... 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men have been victims of [some form of] physical violence by an intimate partner within their lifetime.
Statistics - National Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Blue As Sapphires was born from my love of sapphire digging, and gold panning in the beautiful Gem Mountains and Rock Creek River that runs through Philipsburg, Montana. Another issue that I’m passionate about is doing away with domestic abuse. I took the two subjects and combined them into a story that made Marissa determined to survive and overcome her ex-husband’s physical and emotional abuse, and the sheriff, Riley McCade, who is determined to love and protect her.
Wow Connie, I hear you on that particular subject! My book, Tempered Dreams deals with domestic violence too, but we're not going to get into that....I want to know more about Blue as Sapphires (great title btw!!) your R-rated, contemporary romance....
Escaping from her abusive ex-husband, Marissa Simpson came back to her hometown to start over. She had no intention of getting involved with another man, or with the community she left behind all those years ago. That is, until Riley McCade showed up.
Riley was the Sheriff of Granite County and he commanded a work force of fifteen deputies. He loved his community and went out of his way to protect and serve. When he met up with Marissa, he was bound and determined to get to know her even though she said she wasn’t interested.
The more he got to know her, the more he learned of her past. Could he protect her and earn her love?
Snippett:
Marissa laid back and wrapped her arms around Riley’s neck. She brought her lips to within an inch of his. She stared into his eyes and noticed how tender they looked. She moved in a little more, and her lips met his. He moved his mouth over hers, devouring it. While the fireworks were going off in the sky, Marissa felt her own fireworks. His kiss sent a shock wave through her entire body. Riley guided Marissa so she was on her back and he was partially on her. His Stetson concealed their faces. They continued to kiss and touch, looking lovingly at each other, and then kiss again.
The fireworks lasted for fifteen minutes, and suddenly a flashlight shone on them and voices interrupted them. Three firefighters stood in front of them singing a line from Burning Love.
Riley and Marissa quickly broke apart.
“What the hell?” Riley said. A hint of irritation laced his voice. He abruptly stood up, grabbed Marissa’s hand, and pulled her up.
“We were told that there was sparks on the ground, and we were asked to put it out,” Mitch said, laughing.
“Just who the hell told you that?” Riley asked.
“Heidi,” John, second firefighter, said with an amused smile on his face.
Riley and Marissa shot Heidi a glance.
“We can see that the sparks have been put out so we’ll head back to the truck.” Mitch smiled even wider.
Dave and Cindy stood off to the side chuckling. Someone from the crowd that had gathered around them asked, “Hey, Sheriff, got a new girlfriend?” Ripples of laughter rang through the crowd.
Marissa continued to glare at Heidi. She couldn’t believe her friend would do something like that. As the party broke up, Marissa said to Heidi, “We will talk later.”
Cute snippet, Connie! Where can we find Blue as Sapphires?
Stop by here, http://www.constancebretes.com/news--things.html for a chance to win a free copy of Blue As Sapphires or purchase it at Amazon Beachwalk Press or Barnes and Noble
Great! Wishing you the best of luck and God's blessings Connie!
Hope you enjoyed today's guest folks, and that you'll join me each week for Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight!
Until next time, take care and God Bless.
PamT
Today's guest is a new-to-me author brought to us by AHA promo group so let's give Constance Bretes a warm SW Louisiana welcome!
Connie began her career as a secretary in 1977 for the State of Michigan as a civil servant. She retired from the Michigan Department of Transportation after 38 years as the department’s forms analyst. She has an MBA in Business Administration – Leadership Studies, and a BA in Business Management.She has six books published, with five more on the way.
Connie spends most of her time behind her computer, writing, editing and researching for her next story. When she’s not there, she can be found checking out ghost towns, sapphire mining, and gold panning with her best friend and husband, Jim. Her other hobbies consists of basket weaving, and jewelry making.
She is a member of RWA’s From The Heart Romance Writers, and Kiss of Death Romance Writers, and lives in Basin, Montana.
You Can Find Connie Bretes on:
Website: www.constancebretes.com
Blog: http://www.constancebretes.com/connies-blog
Twitter: ConnieBretes https://twitter.com/ConnieBretes
Facebook: Connie Bretes
https://www.facebook.com/Connie-Bretes-385409614906182/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7737457.Constance_Bretes
Now let's see how Connie came up with the premise for Blue as Sapphires her contemporary romance (R rated) ....
National Statistics. On average, nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States. ... 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men have been victims of [some form of] physical violence by an intimate partner within their lifetime.
Statistics - National Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Blue As Sapphires was born from my love of sapphire digging, and gold panning in the beautiful Gem Mountains and Rock Creek River that runs through Philipsburg, Montana. Another issue that I’m passionate about is doing away with domestic abuse. I took the two subjects and combined them into a story that made Marissa determined to survive and overcome her ex-husband’s physical and emotional abuse, and the sheriff, Riley McCade, who is determined to love and protect her.
Wow Connie, I hear you on that particular subject! My book, Tempered Dreams deals with domestic violence too, but we're not going to get into that....I want to know more about Blue as Sapphires (great title btw!!) your R-rated, contemporary romance....
Escaping from her abusive ex-husband, Marissa Simpson came back to her hometown to start over. She had no intention of getting involved with another man, or with the community she left behind all those years ago. That is, until Riley McCade showed up.Riley was the Sheriff of Granite County and he commanded a work force of fifteen deputies. He loved his community and went out of his way to protect and serve. When he met up with Marissa, he was bound and determined to get to know her even though she said she wasn’t interested.
The more he got to know her, the more he learned of her past. Could he protect her and earn her love?
Snippett:
Marissa laid back and wrapped her arms around Riley’s neck. She brought her lips to within an inch of his. She stared into his eyes and noticed how tender they looked. She moved in a little more, and her lips met his. He moved his mouth over hers, devouring it. While the fireworks were going off in the sky, Marissa felt her own fireworks. His kiss sent a shock wave through her entire body. Riley guided Marissa so she was on her back and he was partially on her. His Stetson concealed their faces. They continued to kiss and touch, looking lovingly at each other, and then kiss again.
The fireworks lasted for fifteen minutes, and suddenly a flashlight shone on them and voices interrupted them. Three firefighters stood in front of them singing a line from Burning Love.
Riley and Marissa quickly broke apart.
“What the hell?” Riley said. A hint of irritation laced his voice. He abruptly stood up, grabbed Marissa’s hand, and pulled her up.
“We were told that there was sparks on the ground, and we were asked to put it out,” Mitch said, laughing.
“Just who the hell told you that?” Riley asked.
“Heidi,” John, second firefighter, said with an amused smile on his face.
Riley and Marissa shot Heidi a glance.
“We can see that the sparks have been put out so we’ll head back to the truck.” Mitch smiled even wider.
Dave and Cindy stood off to the side chuckling. Someone from the crowd that had gathered around them asked, “Hey, Sheriff, got a new girlfriend?” Ripples of laughter rang through the crowd.
Marissa continued to glare at Heidi. She couldn’t believe her friend would do something like that. As the party broke up, Marissa said to Heidi, “We will talk later.”
Cute snippet, Connie! Where can we find Blue as Sapphires?
Stop by here, http://www.constancebretes.com/news--things.html for a chance to win a free copy of Blue As Sapphires or purchase it at Amazon Beachwalk Press or Barnes and Noble
Great! Wishing you the best of luck and God's blessings Connie!
Hope you enjoyed today's guest folks, and that you'll join me each week for Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight!
Until next time, take care and God Bless.
PamT
March 2, 2017
#ThursdayThoughts on Finding Jesus Faith, Fact, Forgery Season 2
Good Morning and Welcome!
Mardi Gras is over and yesterday Lent began. It's a time of fasting, prayer, alms-giving and reflection. No matter your religion, it's always good to set aside time for such things and having a specific period to focus more acutely can create miracles in your life!
And that brings us to our Thursday Thoughts topic: CNN's Finding Jesus, Faith, Fact, Forgery Season 2 which Premieres Sunday, March 5th.
The title makes me laugh a little. My (deceased) husband used to chuckle when someone said they 'found' Jesus. "Jesus isn't the one who was lost," he'd say with a shake of his head.
But I always understood exactly what that person meant. I can't say I 'found' Jesus, but I CAN say I've rediscovered my love for Him. It's so easy to get complacent in our relationship with Christ, therefore, for me, Lent is the perfect time to nurture that bond.
I didn't see the first season of Finding Jesus, Faith, Fact, Forgery but I'm told it captivated audiences as well-known Pastors, theologians, and archaeologists, examined famous religious artifacts, and brought to life the places, pilgrimage sites, and people from the Bible and ancient world.
In season 2, one of the episodes focuses on Jesus’ disciple Thomas – or you may have heard of him as “doubting Thomas.” But there is so much more to his life story. His journey to overcome his doubts and fears, and to redeem himself by spreading the Gospel and message of love to a faraway place is an inspiration! It’s also something we can all relate to - as each one of us at one point in our lives have had to struggle and overcome our own doubt and fears in order to fulfill a great challenge in our lives, or even during our faith journey.
I believe we've all experienced the 'Doubting Thomas' syndrome. I know I have!
I LOVE movies and documentaries about Jesus and this one looks like it'll be another great one.
Watch the Trailer.....
Hope you enjoyed today's post and that you'll join me each week for Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight.
Until next time, take care and God Bless
PamT
PS: Don't forget , Eggcerpt Exchange has begun so watch for great books and excerpts in the coming weeks.
Mardi Gras is over and yesterday Lent began. It's a time of fasting, prayer, alms-giving and reflection. No matter your religion, it's always good to set aside time for such things and having a specific period to focus more acutely can create miracles in your life!
And that brings us to our Thursday Thoughts topic: CNN's Finding Jesus, Faith, Fact, Forgery Season 2 which Premieres Sunday, March 5th.
The title makes me laugh a little. My (deceased) husband used to chuckle when someone said they 'found' Jesus. "Jesus isn't the one who was lost," he'd say with a shake of his head.
But I always understood exactly what that person meant. I can't say I 'found' Jesus, but I CAN say I've rediscovered my love for Him. It's so easy to get complacent in our relationship with Christ, therefore, for me, Lent is the perfect time to nurture that bond.
I didn't see the first season of Finding Jesus, Faith, Fact, Forgery but I'm told it captivated audiences as well-known Pastors, theologians, and archaeologists, examined famous religious artifacts, and brought to life the places, pilgrimage sites, and people from the Bible and ancient world.
In season 2, one of the episodes focuses on Jesus’ disciple Thomas – or you may have heard of him as “doubting Thomas.” But there is so much more to his life story. His journey to overcome his doubts and fears, and to redeem himself by spreading the Gospel and message of love to a faraway place is an inspiration! It’s also something we can all relate to - as each one of us at one point in our lives have had to struggle and overcome our own doubt and fears in order to fulfill a great challenge in our lives, or even during our faith journey.
I believe we've all experienced the 'Doubting Thomas' syndrome. I know I have!
I LOVE movies and documentaries about Jesus and this one looks like it'll be another great one.
Watch the Trailer.....
Hope you enjoyed today's post and that you'll join me each week for Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight.
Until next time, take care and God Bless
PamT
PS: Don't forget , Eggcerpt Exchange has begun so watch for great books and excerpts in the coming weeks.
February 28, 2017
#TuesdayTreasures Guest Post by Mary Alford
Happy Mardi-Gras!
Yep today is the day of partying and eating before the fasting of Lent. Hope you have a great --and SAFE--one!
Today's guest is brand new to our blog and a fellow Pelican Book Group author so please welcome Mary Alford......
The Mountains Are Calling…
As a child, I grew up loving to go to the beach. Every vacation my family went on had to be to the beach…until one year when my husband and I visited the mountains. That was it. So long beach. I was hooked on the mountains.
I think we all have places like that. It’s where we go to recharge. Grow close to nature and to God. For me, it’s staring up at a mountain and feeling so small amongst the majesty before me.Every time my husband and I visit our cabin in Colorado, I’m reminded of John Denver’s Rocky Mountain High.
He climbed cathedral mountains, he saw silver clouds below, he saw everything as far as you can see.
Now he walks in quiet solitude, the forest and the streams, seeking grace in every step he takes.
His sight is turned inside himself, to try and understand the serenity of a clear blue mountain lake.
And the Colorado Rocky Mountain high, I've seen it raining fire in the sky.
You can talk to God and listen to the casual reply.
Rocky Mountain high, Colorado. Rocky Mountain high.
I never really understood that song until I visited the Rocky Mountains. The mountains get in your blood and they won’t let you go.
I think that’s why when I start a new book, I always gravitate towards the mountains as the setting. Such is the case in my new release from Pelican Group entitled, Grace And The Rancher.
The book is set in the fictional town of Delaney Mountain, Colorado. A small mountain town where everyone knows each other. The perfect place to start your life over again.
Which is exactly what happens for Grace Bradford, the heroine in my story. Grace is running away from a tragic past that took away her career as a singer and almost ended her life. She hit Delaney Mountain with nothing but her dog Lizzy and her car. What she eventually finds there is a second chance.
Kyle Delaney has a past he’d just as soon forget. But returning to his hometown of Delaney Mountain brings back the mistakes he’d ran away from all those years earlier. Kyle’s looking for redemption, what he finds is love.
Grace Bradford is living a lie. To the world she has the perfect life: A promising country music career and a husband who adores her. But her husband isn't the man everyone believes him to be. When a car accident widows her and ends her career, Grace escapes to Delaney Mountain. But moving to the remote town doesn't wipe away the ugly secret of her marriage.
Kyle Delaney never intended to return to Delaney Mountain, but he promises his dying father that he'll turn their land into a working cattle ranch. He uproots his life in Austin, sells his flourishing business as a music agent, and returns to the Colorado town of his childhood. Can a runaway singer and a makeshift rancher, thrust together by circumstance and held together by the common thread of loss and a love of music, find hope and a happily-ever-after under the stars of Delaney Mountain?
Buy the book at Amazon, Barnes And Noble.
Mary Alford grew up in a small Texas town famous for, well not much of anything really. Being the baby of the family and quite a bit younger than her two brothers and her sister, Mary had plenty of time to entertain herself. Making up stories seemed to come natural to her.
As a teen, Mary discovered Phyllis Whitney and Victoria Holt and knew instinctively that was what she wanted to do with her over-active imagination.
She wrote her first novel as a teen, (it’s tucked away somewhere never to see the light of day), but never really pursued her writing career seriously until a few years later, when she wrote her first inspirational romantic suspense and was hooked.
Today, Mary still lives in Texas, and still creates people facing dangerous situations. In fact, she can’t think of anything else she’d rather do.
Learn more about Mary at www.MaryAlford.net, or send her an email at maryjalfordauthor@gmail.com.
Wow Mary....such beautiful photographs. I love the mountains (and John Denver) too and visits to them are definitely something to treasure. Good luck and God's blessings with your new book!
Hope you enjoyed today's post, Friends and that you'll join me each week for Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight.
Until next time, take care and God bless. PamT
Yep today is the day of partying and eating before the fasting of Lent. Hope you have a great --and SAFE--one!
Today's guest is brand new to our blog and a fellow Pelican Book Group author so please welcome Mary Alford......
The Mountains Are Calling…
As a child, I grew up loving to go to the beach. Every vacation my family went on had to be to the beach…until one year when my husband and I visited the mountains. That was it. So long beach. I was hooked on the mountains.I think we all have places like that. It’s where we go to recharge. Grow close to nature and to God. For me, it’s staring up at a mountain and feeling so small amongst the majesty before me.Every time my husband and I visit our cabin in Colorado, I’m reminded of John Denver’s Rocky Mountain High.
He climbed cathedral mountains, he saw silver clouds below, he saw everything as far as you can see.
Now he walks in quiet solitude, the forest and the streams, seeking grace in every step he takes.
His sight is turned inside himself, to try and understand the serenity of a clear blue mountain lake.
And the Colorado Rocky Mountain high, I've seen it raining fire in the sky.
You can talk to God and listen to the casual reply.
Rocky Mountain high, Colorado. Rocky Mountain high.
I never really understood that song until I visited the Rocky Mountains. The mountains get in your blood and they won’t let you go.
I think that’s why when I start a new book, I always gravitate towards the mountains as the setting. Such is the case in my new release from Pelican Group entitled, Grace And The Rancher. The book is set in the fictional town of Delaney Mountain, Colorado. A small mountain town where everyone knows each other. The perfect place to start your life over again.
Which is exactly what happens for Grace Bradford, the heroine in my story. Grace is running away from a tragic past that took away her career as a singer and almost ended her life. She hit Delaney Mountain with nothing but her dog Lizzy and her car. What she eventually finds there is a second chance.
Kyle Delaney has a past he’d just as soon forget. But returning to his hometown of Delaney Mountain brings back the mistakes he’d ran away from all those years earlier. Kyle’s looking for redemption, what he finds is love.
Grace Bradford is living a lie. To the world she has the perfect life: A promising country music career and a husband who adores her. But her husband isn't the man everyone believes him to be. When a car accident widows her and ends her career, Grace escapes to Delaney Mountain. But moving to the remote town doesn't wipe away the ugly secret of her marriage. Kyle Delaney never intended to return to Delaney Mountain, but he promises his dying father that he'll turn their land into a working cattle ranch. He uproots his life in Austin, sells his flourishing business as a music agent, and returns to the Colorado town of his childhood. Can a runaway singer and a makeshift rancher, thrust together by circumstance and held together by the common thread of loss and a love of music, find hope and a happily-ever-after under the stars of Delaney Mountain?
Buy the book at Amazon, Barnes And Noble.
Mary Alford grew up in a small Texas town famous for, well not much of anything really. Being the baby of the family and quite a bit younger than her two brothers and her sister, Mary had plenty of time to entertain herself. Making up stories seemed to come natural to her.As a teen, Mary discovered Phyllis Whitney and Victoria Holt and knew instinctively that was what she wanted to do with her over-active imagination.
She wrote her first novel as a teen, (it’s tucked away somewhere never to see the light of day), but never really pursued her writing career seriously until a few years later, when she wrote her first inspirational romantic suspense and was hooked.
Today, Mary still lives in Texas, and still creates people facing dangerous situations. In fact, she can’t think of anything else she’d rather do.
Learn more about Mary at www.MaryAlford.net, or send her an email at maryjalfordauthor@gmail.com.
Wow Mary....such beautiful photographs. I love the mountains (and John Denver) too and visits to them are definitely something to treasure. Good luck and God's blessings with your new book!
Hope you enjoyed today's post, Friends and that you'll join me each week for Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight.
Until next time, take care and God bless. PamT
February 25, 2017
#SaturdaySpotlight is on Tena Stetler
Good Morning and Welcome!
Today's guest is another new-to-me (and therefore new to our blog) author! Please give a great round of applause to Best selling author, Tena Stetler with her release, A Demon's Witch - a PG13 Paranormal Romance book.
Before we find out more about the book, let's find out how Tena came up with its premise....
A Demon’s Witch
was my debut novel and has remained close to my heart.
A Demon’s Witch
hit the market and garnered best seller status. It earned The Romantic Reviews Readers Choice 2016 Nominee in the paranormal romance category. I love talking about this story.
The ideas begin to percolate as I sat in a beauty salon listening to the chatter from other customers. One woman swore she’d been approached by a vampire want-to-be.
This got me to thinking, which is scary in and of itself. What if the hairdresser was an alpha male, Demon Overlord of the Western Hemisphere that owned a multi-species salon in Washington DC? Enter a powerful witch, whose beauty caught the eye of the demon on a rainy day when she rushed into his salon. Now, unbeknownst to him, she is not any ordinary witch, but the little sister of the demon’s enforcer. Now you have a romance with unbelievable complications.
The story became a series, but the other planned books in the series took a strange turn when the majority of readers and reviewers clamored for the enforcer, Tristian’s story to be next in line. I’d never considered writing a book on the witch’s brother, the demon’s enforcer. But after mulling it over for several months and publishing three unrelated books,
I am excited to announce A Warlock’s Secrets (Tristian’s story) is awaiting cover art and will be published spring 2017. So please watch for it!
Oh WOW Tena ... isn't it wonderful where story ideas come from?!
Now let's find out more about A Demon's Witch.....
Keeping a lid on all the paranormal beings inhabiting Washington D.C., is a daunting job. Bruce, a six hundred year old demon and the Territory Overlord of the Western Hemisphere, keeps his finger on the pulse of DC’s power players through the activities at his highly successful Wycked Hair Salon. His movie star good looks and body builder physique keeps his dance card full and the rumor mills running. Within these walls, his anonymity is safe, mostly.
Bruce’s world spins out of control when Angelique, a pint size, gorgeous witch, with an attitude breezes through the doors of his salon. She is the younger sister of Tristian, Bruce’s long time trusted enforcer, whose professional skills are second to none. Tristian is furious at the relationship between Bruce and Angelique, a dangerous situation, but something darker threatens them all. Will undeniable attraction between demon and witch tear their worlds apart?
Excerpt:
At two in the morning he awoke feeling her restlessness, listening he heard her soft sobs. He pulled on his black silk lounge pants and grabbed the robe from the foot of his bed. Padding silently in his bare feet down the hall, he paused at her bedroom door just as her anguished scream filled the room. He was at the side of her bed a second later. Gathering her onto his lap, he held her unyielding body to his until her flailing limbs quieted and her troubled violet eyes opened. Cognizant of where she was now and with whom, she flung her arms around his neck and clung tight as shivers racked her slight frame.
Megan came running from the other wing of the house where the staff lived during the week. “Is everything all right?” She peeked inside Angie’s bedroom door.
“Just a nightmare, nothing to worry about. She’s awake now.
“Oh no my Lord,” Megan said in a low frantic whisper.
“Don’t call me that,” he growled, his amber eyes tinged with orange glowed in the dark room.
“Sorry. There’s something dark and dangerous chasing that one.” She nodded in Angie’s direction. “It’s not of this world.”
He lowered his voice and spoke kindly. “Go back to bed, I’ve got this handled.” He paused for a beat exhaling slowly. “For now.”
Intriguing.... Purchase A Demon's Witch at Amazon
Author Bio: Best selling author, Tena Stetler, uses her over-active imagination to spin tales of paranormal romance/suspense and cozy mysteries. Her spicy romances spin the adventures of magical kick-ass women and mystical alpha males that dare to love them. From demons to faeries and witches to vampires her intriguing characters take roads less traveled to draw you into exciting tales that engage the imagination and warm the heart. You can find out more about Tena by visiting the following locations....
Website: http://www.tenastetler.com
Blog: http://www.tenastetler.com/my-blog
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/tenastetler.author
Twitter Page: www.twitter.com/TenaStetler
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14187532.Tena_Stetler
The Wild Rose Press: http://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/1264_tena-stetler
Amazon: www.amazon.com/author/tenastetler
Newsletter: Sign up on web page www.tenastetler.com
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/tenastetler
For a chance to win an amazon $5.00 GC or a e-book of A Witch’s Journey please sign up for Tena's newsletter at http://www.tenastetler.com and Like her facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/tenastetler.author.
Hope you enjoyed today's spotlight and that you'll join me weekly for Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and of course, Saturday Spotlight.
Until next time, take care and God Bless.
PamT
Today's guest is another new-to-me (and therefore new to our blog) author! Please give a great round of applause to Best selling author, Tena Stetler with her release, A Demon's Witch - a PG13 Paranormal Romance book.
Before we find out more about the book, let's find out how Tena came up with its premise....
A Demon’s Witch
was my debut novel and has remained close to my heart.
A Demon’s Witch
hit the market and garnered best seller status. It earned The Romantic Reviews Readers Choice 2016 Nominee in the paranormal romance category. I love talking about this story.The ideas begin to percolate as I sat in a beauty salon listening to the chatter from other customers. One woman swore she’d been approached by a vampire want-to-be.
This got me to thinking, which is scary in and of itself. What if the hairdresser was an alpha male, Demon Overlord of the Western Hemisphere that owned a multi-species salon in Washington DC? Enter a powerful witch, whose beauty caught the eye of the demon on a rainy day when she rushed into his salon. Now, unbeknownst to him, she is not any ordinary witch, but the little sister of the demon’s enforcer. Now you have a romance with unbelievable complications.
The story became a series, but the other planned books in the series took a strange turn when the majority of readers and reviewers clamored for the enforcer, Tristian’s story to be next in line. I’d never considered writing a book on the witch’s brother, the demon’s enforcer. But after mulling it over for several months and publishing three unrelated books,
I am excited to announce A Warlock’s Secrets (Tristian’s story) is awaiting cover art and will be published spring 2017. So please watch for it!
Oh WOW Tena ... isn't it wonderful where story ideas come from?!
Now let's find out more about A Demon's Witch.....
Keeping a lid on all the paranormal beings inhabiting Washington D.C., is a daunting job. Bruce, a six hundred year old demon and the Territory Overlord of the Western Hemisphere, keeps his finger on the pulse of DC’s power players through the activities at his highly successful Wycked Hair Salon. His movie star good looks and body builder physique keeps his dance card full and the rumor mills running. Within these walls, his anonymity is safe, mostly.Bruce’s world spins out of control when Angelique, a pint size, gorgeous witch, with an attitude breezes through the doors of his salon. She is the younger sister of Tristian, Bruce’s long time trusted enforcer, whose professional skills are second to none. Tristian is furious at the relationship between Bruce and Angelique, a dangerous situation, but something darker threatens them all. Will undeniable attraction between demon and witch tear their worlds apart?
Excerpt:
At two in the morning he awoke feeling her restlessness, listening he heard her soft sobs. He pulled on his black silk lounge pants and grabbed the robe from the foot of his bed. Padding silently in his bare feet down the hall, he paused at her bedroom door just as her anguished scream filled the room. He was at the side of her bed a second later. Gathering her onto his lap, he held her unyielding body to his until her flailing limbs quieted and her troubled violet eyes opened. Cognizant of where she was now and with whom, she flung her arms around his neck and clung tight as shivers racked her slight frame.
Megan came running from the other wing of the house where the staff lived during the week. “Is everything all right?” She peeked inside Angie’s bedroom door.
“Just a nightmare, nothing to worry about. She’s awake now.
“Oh no my Lord,” Megan said in a low frantic whisper.
“Don’t call me that,” he growled, his amber eyes tinged with orange glowed in the dark room.
“Sorry. There’s something dark and dangerous chasing that one.” She nodded in Angie’s direction. “It’s not of this world.”
He lowered his voice and spoke kindly. “Go back to bed, I’ve got this handled.” He paused for a beat exhaling slowly. “For now.”
Intriguing.... Purchase A Demon's Witch at Amazon
Author Bio: Best selling author, Tena Stetler, uses her over-active imagination to spin tales of paranormal romance/suspense and cozy mysteries. Her spicy romances spin the adventures of magical kick-ass women and mystical alpha males that dare to love them. From demons to faeries and witches to vampires her intriguing characters take roads less traveled to draw you into exciting tales that engage the imagination and warm the heart. You can find out more about Tena by visiting the following locations....
Website: http://www.tenastetler.com
Blog: http://www.tenastetler.com/my-blog
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/tenastetler.author
Twitter Page: www.twitter.com/TenaStetler
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14187532.Tena_Stetler
The Wild Rose Press: http://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/1264_tena-stetler
Amazon: www.amazon.com/author/tenastetler
Newsletter: Sign up on web page www.tenastetler.com
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/tenastetler
For a chance to win an amazon $5.00 GC or a e-book of A Witch’s Journey please sign up for Tena's newsletter at http://www.tenastetler.com and Like her facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/tenastetler.author.
Hope you enjoyed today's spotlight and that you'll join me weekly for Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and of course, Saturday Spotlight.
Until next time, take care and God Bless.
PamT
