Pamela S. Thibodeaux's Blog, page 8

#WednesdayWordswithFriends All Christmas thru Christmas!

Good Morning!

If you LOVE Christmas themed stories, beginning today through Dec. 30th right here on our blog will be All Christmas thru Christmas - where every Wed. and Sat. you'll get a peek into a Christmas romance.

Click on graphic to purchase your copy today!
I was going to do another spot on Keri's Christmas Wish but since I featured it here for NN Light's 'Christmas in July Fete' I thought I'd share a few Christmas Confessions...

1.      I always buy Eggnog at Christmas because it’s the best time of the year to sit, reflect and enjoy the smooth, creamy drink.

2.      In my opinion, Christmas fruitcake should be outlawed – it’s just plain nasty LOL!

3.      I better get up Christmas morning and find Heartland Season 14 under the tree or else I’m going to literally break down and cry because it’s one of my FAVORITE TV series. The Chosen ranks number 1 LOL!

4.   The best thing about Christmas is the almost tangible love, peace, joy and goodwill toward men that seems to be more prevalent during this season.

5.      My Christmas dinner is usually a feast, or a free-for-all or take-out and my favorite dish is cornbread dressingand I’ll be drinking Wine.

Hope you enjoyed this short, sweet post and that you'll check back each week for Wednesday Words with Friends and Saturday Spotlight.
Until next time take care and God Bless. PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight is in Karen McCullough @kgmccullough & Playing at Murder!

Good Morning Friends,

It's been quite a while since Karen visited our blog but today we get a peek into her latest release, Playing at Murder, one of her Market Center Mysteries series! Welcome, Karen....

Dolls, constructions sets, stuffed animals, craft kits, and more are the featured displays in the annual Games and Playthings Trade Show at the Washington D.C. Commerce and Market Center, where vendors seek to convince retail buyers to stock their products. Murder and destruction aren’t supposed to be on the program.
The hit-and-run death of an exhibitor overshadows what should be a fun few days of giveaways, games, and demos. A gun hidden in a bin of stuffed animals, a damaged show car, and a drone knocking over the PlayBlox displays are the opening salvos of chaos created by a clever but unhinged vandal.
Settling disputes and fielding complaints are all in a day’s work for Heather McNeil, assistant to the director of the Market Center. Sussing out murder suspects to help the police is way beyond her job description, especially while trying to corner a vandal before the damage gets worse. Keeping the show running despite the mayhem will pit her and her allies, particularly Scott Brandon, the Center’s handsome but enigmatic security officer, against someone playing a deadly game.

Playing at Murder, the newest in my Market Center Mysteries series, released on October 19th. Like the other books in the series, it’s set at a trade show, this time the Games & Playthings Exhibition.

What does that mean?  Toys! Lots of toys!  Of course, some of the toys are subject to not-so-nice treatment, since the book includes not just a murder, but vandalism as well. A gun gets dropped into a bin of stuffed animals, play-block towers are knocked over by a drone, and the dolls – well, let’s just say, it’s unfortunate.

But the giant dragon that needs repair is just too adorable and the large cowboy critter is…different, anyway.

Here’s how the book starts:

Armies of super-heroes stood guard to the left of me, while lions, tigers, and bears gathered on the right. They all watched with silent concern as I zigged around an arsenal of armaments fueled by hydrogen dioxide and various mixtures of oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide. I faced my goal, Dougal the Dragon, head-on and stalked toward him. In my arms I cradled the all-important emergency medical supplies for his injured representative at this gathering. Heaven help us all if he couldn’t be saved.

Ding dong. That was a bit of wild fantasy, but I enjoyed letting my imagination loose on this mission. The touch of whimsy provided some diversion from the noise and chaos of setting up the Games and Playthings Exhibition at the Washington D.C. Commerce and Market Center. G&P, which was due to start the next day, was one of the largest trade shows for toys and games in the industry, and it brought the usual supply of problems and conflicts inherent in large events.

I tried to avoid being on the show floor as much as possible on set-up days. The constant banging of hammers, clanging of metal on metal, buzzing of electric screwdrivers, squeaking of dolly and cartwheels, warning chirps of the forklifts, and people shouting always induced a headache if I had to spend much time there. Not to mention having to pick my way around the pallets, crates, and boxes stacked everywhere and dodging those squeaking dollies and chirping forklifts.

I still ended up spending more time on the floor than I would’ve liked. Territorial disputes and arguments over arrangements broke out with sadly human regularity, and a large part of my job involved keeping the peace. Trying to, anyway.

This assignment was different. I let go of the fantasy illusion as I got to the Donneywell Enterprises booth, identified myself, and explained my mission.

“Heather McNeil,” I said to the person behind the only table set up in the booth space. “Assistant to the director of the Market Center. I was told you needed a sewing kit to repair one of your displays.” I set the box down on the table where a young woman with long brown hair scraped back from her face and tied in a messy braid at the back looked up from collating and stapling pages.

She stared at me with a blank expression, glanced down at my badge, but said nothing. Her expression went from vacant to wary. 

“Can I speak to the person in charge of the booth?” I asked when the silence stretched out too long.

A voice spoke from the back. “That would be me.”

A woman in her late forties or early fifties stepped out from behind a pyramid of boxes at least a foot taller than she was. My first, none-too-kind impression of her was “overcooked.” Her blonde hair had the straw-like texture resulting from too much chemical treatment for too long a time, and the spray-tanned skin of her face had been lifted once too often already. Tight jeans and a fashionably shoulder-slit top showed off a slim figure that seemed to vibrate with contained energy. Good bones under the tight skin and lively green eyes made her attractive.

“Lorene Donneywell,” she said, holding out a hand. “I heard you say you were with the Market Center staff.” She had a strong New York accent.

“I’m the assistant to the director,” I repeated. “I handle a lot of trouble-shooting issues for her. I’ve brought the sewing supplies you requested.”

“Great. How long do you think it will take you?”

“Take me? To do what?”

“Fix the tear in Dougal.” She pointed to the eight-foot-tall display dragon I’d used to identify their booth. The creature, which must’ve been as long as it was tall, occupied nearly a third of their allotted double space. Along the side of his back, a seam had opened and leaked stuffing. Bits of cotton fluff clung to the green, plush fabric.

I hesitated, taken aback. “You requested a sewing kit, not a seamstress. I’m afraid I don’t know the first thing about sewing. Not even sure how the thread gets through the needle.”

Lorene rolled her eyes. “Why did they send you, then?”

“Because you asked for sewing equipment in a hurry. We got it as quickly as we could. We assumed you had someone on your staff who knew how to use it.”

The woman’s penciled-in eyebrows rose. “We all know what happens when you assume things.”

I kept my smile in place, despite the irritation roiling inside. I had so much experience keeping my emotions under control, I could maintain a pleasant façade with barely a thought. “Misunderstandings happen when people aren’t specific about what they need. Give me a minute and I’ll see if I can find someone to come and make the repairs.” I pulled out my phone but before I could press the button to turn it on, the girl I’d first met piped up.

“I can do it.”

We both turned toward her, but Lorene spoke first. “Why didn’t you say something sooner?”

The girl frowned at both of us. “No one asked.”

Karen McCullough is the author of almost two dozen published novels and novellas in the mystery, romance, suspense, and fantasy genres, including the Market Center Mysteries Series and three books in the No Brides Club series of romance novels. A member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and the Piedmont Authors Network, she is also a past president of the Southeast chapter of Mystery Writers of America and member of the MWA national board. Karen has won numerous awards, including an Eppie Award for fantasy, and has also been a finalist in the Daphne, Prism, Dream Realm, Rising Star, Lories, and Vixen Award contests. Her short fiction has appeared in a wide variety of anthologies. She lives in Greensboro, NC, with her husband of many years.
Find out more about Karen and her work by visiting her Website, Blog, FB Page or on Twitter  @kgmccullough!  See Karen's previous visits to our blog HERE.
Get your copy of Playing at Murder  at Amazon on Kindle and in Print and other online retailers HERE.
Wow, Karen we certainly wish you the best of luck and God's blessings with your new release!
Hope you enjoyed Karen's visit friends and that you'll check back each week for another edition Wednesday Words with Friends and Saturday Spotlight!
Until next time, take care and God Bless. PamT

#WednesdayWordswithFriends Welcomes Izzy James!

Good Morning Friends,

I'm going meet a friend at United Way to pack Literacy Kits for Pre-K thru 5th grade students in our community, so I'm not going to take up much of your time but turn the blog over to today's guest, Izzy James. Take it away Izzy....

Have you ever been completely misunderstood? I mean really misjudged with no opportunity to make your case? 
When I was in the fifth grade, I was chosen to be in a gifted math class. I loved math then and I love it now. The class was small, maybe eight students at most. I do not remember the teacher or all of my classmates, but I remember the day I got kicked out. 
My teacher had put a puzzle on the board for us to work on, whoever solved it first won the prize. I know now that the puzzle was a Sudoku. I had never seen one before. We worked on it during class, and two of my classmates solved it together. My teacher was so impressed she had them fill out their answer on the board for all of us to see. The project was over, my classmates had won the prize. 
I thought it was so clever and interesting a puzzle I wondered if it could be solved another way. So, I copied down their solution and put it in my papers to be thought about later. My teacher saw the imprint of my copied solution when she came by to check some other of my work. She told me, loud enough for the whole class to hear, that she would not tolerate cheating in her class and that I was to leave and never come back again.
Even as I write this, feelings of embarrassment and humiliation pink my cheeks. I went to a small parish school and there was no speaking up or explaining ever. My teacher misunderstood my intention, judged, and convicted me without any input from anyone including me. At that age it never occurred to me to argue or even tell my parents. The verdict had been handed down and I went back to regular math class.
Reed Archer is in a slightly different situation in that he was not a good little girl who would never cheat anyone. In fact, he’d been a bit of a hellion before he left the Virginia Colony to complete his education in England. While there, he found friends in some devout young men who caused him to give his life to Christ. In The Woodcarver’s Snow-Kissed Christmas, Reed has come home to the community who is predisposed to think badly of him. He has hopes that childhood friend Ann Wright will look favorably on him and consent to be his wife.
His hopes were misplaced.
Ann Wright is not interested in a man who can always be found at the heart of trouble. She wants a man who will be a partner, not a lord. Nothing about Reed Archer indicates that he could be that man.
Can a risky proposition at Christmastide make them see each other in new light and bring a happily-ever-after for both of them?
***Izzy James is the pen name of Elizabeth Chevalier Hull. Elizabeth grew up in coastal Virginia surrounded by the history of the founding of our nation. She lives there still with her fabulous husband in a house brimming with books. Connect with Izzy by visiting her Website and signing up for her Newsletter, or on Facebook, Instagram and Bookbub! Chec out Izzy's previous visits to our blog HERE.

Reed Archer is a man with a past. His new-found faith in God will not be believed by those who know his history. 

Ann Wright is a woman who wants to control her future. Her skill as an artist drives her need to be independent in a time when women usually must rely on the men in their lives to make decisions for them.

Can a risky proposition at Christmastide make them see each other in new light and bring a happily-ever-after for both of them?

Get your copy of The Woodcarver's Snowkissed Christmas at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, Kobo, or Google Play 

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 and God bless.

PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight is on Barbara Britton @BarbaraMBritton & Christmas at Whispering Creek!

Good Morning,

It's a rainy day here in SW Louisiana. A line of storms moved in during the night and we've had lot's of wind and rain. What better to do on a gloomy day than relax with a good book and this time of year, a Christmas romance! Please welcome Barbara Britton back as she shares her new relase with us....

Thank you for having me back on the blog, Pam. I am thrilled to share about my first contemporary romance novel. It’s a Christmas novel, too. I’m known for writing Biblical Fiction, but I couldn’t pass up the chance to write about something I lived through—breast cancer. It would be difficult to write cancer into a storyline in Bible Times.
My young heroine, Samantha, is a breast cancer survivor. I’ve had breast cancer in my rear-view mirror for 6 years. Praise the Lord! I added a brief account of my journey at the end of “Christmas at Whispering Creek.” I hope you enjoy my story which is two stories—one fiction and one real.
All Samantha Williams wants to do is to use her teaching degree to instruct a classroom of second graders. But, after a breast cancer diagnosis at the age of twenty-three, and failed reconstruction surgery, Sam finds herself without a job and temporarily living with her parents. This isn't the life Sam expected. When a family friend dies and leaves Sam a house and land in Whispering Creek, Tennessee, Sam must decide if leaving Wisconsin for Southern living is in her lesson plans.
Nashville native, Cole Donoven, left his family' s electrical business to write country music. When Cole' s song-writing partner and girlfriend dumps him for a country music star, Cole abandons Nashville to hole up in Whispering Creek and compose one more song. The last thing Cole expects to find in the sleepy small town is a deceased friend, estate squabbles, and a Northern beauty. Will the chaos in Whispering Creek help create a bestselling song for Cole and possibly help him find a life-long collaborator?
Excerpt: Samantha eased away from Cole’s warmth not wanting to seem too needy. She was the queen of log throwing after all. But had she shared too much? Cole’s arm remained at her back, firm and comforting. 
     He picked up the string cheese. “How about some spoiled mozzarella.” 
     Sniffling, she laughed at his ploy to lighten the mood. “They’re expired. But totally edible.”        “How long have you been boyfriend‐free?” Cole’s comforting arm slid away as he stripped plastic from their second course of dinner. She missed the kindness in his touch. 
     Not long. “Since Thursday at lunchtime.” Would Cole think she was on the rebound? 
     “Three days?” He handed her the first roll of cheese. “I think you need this more than me. After three days, I was laying around in bed.” His leg jiggled as if he readied to run from this topic. “I didn’t get a good‐bye. I got a note on my kitchen table. Had to figure out what I had done to get left for another man. I’m not sure I ever will know the answer.” His gaze glanced over her head and out into the tree‐lined moonlight. 
     This wasn’t Christian of her, but in Sam’s book, Jillie Lynn became lower than a nightcrawler. How did you ghost someone as sweet as Cole? 
     “If I’m honest.” She swallowed a hunk of cheese, nearly choking. “Our relationship had been strained for months. Karlton traveled to cement a law firm offer—” 
     “Your ex was an attorney named Karlton?” Cole stroked his chin while a grin played with his mouth. “I don’t know whether to laugh or to punch the guy.” Cole’s protective streak had her sitting tall on the wooden bench. 
     “A week ago, I would have said laugh, but today, I’m OK with a punch. Nothing too bloody.”
     “Man, your boyfriend leaves, and then you find out about Ted?” 
     “A half‐hour later.” She jabbed an unwrapped cheese stick his direction. “And while I was on the phone with Chester, I saw Karlton and his neighbor holding hands as they walked across his apartment complex.” Rehashing Karlton’s betrayal to a handsome friend didn’t seem so bad. Cole had more emotional awareness in his thumb than her ex did in his entire designer‐suited body. “How’s that for a neat, tidy bow?”
Barbara M. Britton lives in Southeast, Wisconsin and loves the snow—when it accumulates under three inches. She writes Christian Fiction from Bible Times to present day USA. Her Tribes of Israel series brings little-known Bible characters to light. Her novel “Christmas at Whispering Creek,” is a compelling, yet fun story, shining a light on breast cancer. Barbara has a nutrition degree from Baylor University but loves to dip healthy strawberries in chocolate. You can find out more about Barbara and her books on her website www.barbarambritton.com.
You can buy Christmas at Whispering Creek at Amazon, B&N or wherever books are sold. And you can check out Barbara's previous visits HERE.
Oh, Wow, Barbara, I am SO excited for you with your debut contemporary romance and a Christmas one at that! Good luck and God's blessings with it!
Hope you enjoyed Barbara'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

#WednesdayWordswithFriends Welcomes Jeff Rhodes!

Good Morning!

I am LOVING this weather... Cool nights, mild days, open windows, fresh air.....Hello Fall!

Today's guest is brand new to our blog so let's just turn it over to him. Take it away, Jeff....

Q: Using scripture and String Theory (of all things), you make the case that heaven is closer to us than we think. Can you explain?
A: I carefully lay the foundation for understanding what a higher dimension of space is. We only know three dimensions of space and one dimension of time. Picturing or understanding a fourth dimension of space is nearly impossible. That is why we usually make heaven an extension of our three-dimensional world. Everything in the Bible points to heaven being close—very close. Heaven was close to Jacob with a ladder reaching heaven (Genesis 28:10-12).  Elisha and his servant were able to see into the spiritual realm and the angelic beings were close. They were impacting the physical realm but were not detectable (2 Kings 2:9-11).  Stephen looks into heaven from the physical realm (Acts 7:54-60). God spoke to Paul from heaven (Acts 9:3-7).  Heaven was close enough for those present at Jesus’ baptism to hear God’s voice (Matthew 3:16-17). String theory says that more spatial dimensions do indeed exist. I believe heaven is in the next dimension, right next to where we reside in our three-dimensional world.
Q: You combine a lot of scientific research with biblical references in the book. How should Christians view the relationship between science and Christianity?
A: The Bible assumes the reality of the spiritual dimension while science points to a higher dimension or dimensions.  Scientific laws and truths reflect an intelligent creator. Christians should never fear science, nor should they shy away from it. The more we learn about the universe and what it is made of, the more we learn about the Grand Designer who created everything. Science can be a great way to reinforce one’s faith. We live in a mathematical universe, and we serve a God of order and laws. Whether it is space, the earth, or the human body, everything points to a Creator and not to billions of years of random chance. Though creation has been severely impacted in a negative way by sin, the fingerprints of the Creator can still be found the deeper and further we look.
Q: You say that angels can move across dimensions. How did you come to that conclusion?
A: There are occurrences with angelic beings in Scripture that are best explained if they are multi-dimensional beings. That means they primarily dwell in the spiritual realm or spiritual dimension but can enter our three-dimensional world. Angels are in God’s presence sometimes and sometimes in man’s presence. We usually think that an angel has some type of spiritual supersonic ability to travel from heaven to earth, then back. If heaven were 13 billion light-years above the earth, then that is some serious speed. I believe that the spiritual realm is a higher dimension, and it is close to us. Angels do not have to travel so far; they merely step into our dimension and easily enter our three-dimensional world from the spiritual realm. The Bible supports this belief with the example of Satan, a fallen angel, appearing in the physical realm and in the presence of God in the spiritual realm. Satan appears to Eve in the garden, Satan tempts Jesus in the wilderness, but in the book of Job we see Satan entering the presence of God after returning from walking back and forth on the earth. Satan is moving between dimensions. In Genesis 18, three angels visit Abraham. They eat, talk, and spend time with Abraham. Then two of the angels go to Sodom to speak with Lot. This is one of the clearest examples of angels moving across dimensions. In Genesis 28, Jacob has a dream where he sees angels ascending and descending from heaven to earth. God was revealing to Jacob the truth that angels move back and forth from the spiritual realm to the physical realm. In Luke 2, a host of angels appear to the shepherds in the fields and announce the birth of the Jesus. The Bible says that the angels left and went into heaven. This again is an example of angels moving from our physical dimension into the spiritual realm.
Q: Many Christians have dismissed the idea of a literal hell. What say you?
A: Though hell is a place most would rather not believe exists, the Bible talks about hell and gives warning to mankind to avoid ending up there. The Bible speaks of the reality of heaven and the reality of hell. Hell was created for Satan and his angels (Matthew 25:41). Therefore, hell is a place that spiritual beings will be located. The Bible also states that those who reject the gospel will be separated from the presence of God in hell. Just as we think three-dimensionally about heaven being way up, we tend to think of hell being down in the center of the earth. I attempt to challenge our thinking by suggesting that heaven is “up” in a higher dimension, where hell is “down” in a lower dimension. Hell is a dimension separated from God and His goodness (2 Thessalonians 1:9). The fact that the Bible speaks of the reality of hell is one of the primary reasons for the church to share the gospel and reach the world for Christ. If hell is not real, then it would certainly impact how (or if) we share the gospel at all. Christ came to earth, lived a perfect life, and died on the cross a humiliating and terrible death so people could avoid hell. If hell doesn’t exist, then Christ’s death was unwarranted. 
Q: You say in the book that many Christians are turning to dark spirits more and more. Why is that? Do you have some examples?
A:  In 2018, Father Vincent Lampert told The Atlantic magazine that he had received over 1700 phone or email requests for exorcisms, by far the most he had ever received in one year. More professing Christians than ever are expressing a profound belief in the supernatural, especially the demonic. Televisions shows and movies about zombies, vampires, ghosts, communicating with the dead, and searching for the paranormal are more and more popular even among Christians. The internet is easier to access than ever before. Youth are learning about sex, gender identity, drugs, and have easy access to pornography. According to stats from SimilarWeb, internet users access porn websites more than Twitter, Wikipedia, or Netflix. Satan is in a battle for our minds, and he uses these types of entryways to influence people’s thoughts. These gateways are areas where people willfully turn from truth and are deceived. Further examples of entryways could be practicing or experimenting in the occult, taking drugs, past sins, or various kinds of abuse or trauma. Satan will use these gateways to wage war against believers by getting them to believe lies instead of truth. 
Q: You say that the Apostle Paul tells us that we are in both a physical existence as well as a higher dimension existence at the same time. Can you explain?
A: Paul talks about the spiritual realm at length in his letter to the believers at Ephesus. He uses a Greek word translated “heavenly places” in the ESV five times. In every instance, Paul is speaking of the spiritual realm where heaven is and angels dwell. In Ephesians 2:6 Paul states that the believer is presently seated with Christ in the heavenly places. Some Bible scholars refer to the believer being positionally in the spiritual realm. In other words, they are not there yet but will be when they die and go to heaven. Pastor Tony Evans seems to believe they are there now, as quoted in my book. The believer is physically in the three-dimensional world, but when we were given life spiritually by God, we are at the same time in the spiritual realm with Christ. Our spiritual life gives us a connection into the spiritual realm even before we die.
###
Dr. Jeff Rhoades received a Ph.D. in Biblical Studies from Louisiana Baptist University. He and his wife Paula were missionaries in El Salvador for nearly a decade, returning to the U.S. in 2013. Dr. Rhoades currently serves as a pastor in Topeka, Kansas. For more information visit https://wellingbooks.com
The Bible tells of a spiritual realm where heaven, angels, and God reside. Where is this mysteriously invisible realm? Science has opened the door to the possibility of higher spatial dimensions. Could this be where heaven is? Using God’s Word, this book will present evidence for the reality of the spiritual realm and also lay out the scientific evidence, from Einstein’s theory of relativity to string theory, that points to the possibility of a higher dimension or dimensions. Through this book, the everyday Christian will learn how to view the spiritual dimension or spiritual realm in a deeper way and will see clearly that there is much more to our universe than meets the eye. The seeking skeptic will also be presented with evidence that God is real and the Bible is His communication to man. The foundation is laid from the Bible, from science and from understanding that we are three-dimensional beings created by a Grand Programmer to live in the physical and spiritual universe. Because of sin, mankind lost the ability to see the spiritual realm, but through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, we can once again access the spiritual realm and live fully as God our creator intends.
Get your copy at Amazon.

What a fascinating subject, Jeff! I love it when Pastors or Scientists or Physicists prove the Bible and Heaven! Thank you for sharing.
Hope you enjoyed today's post, friends and that you'll check back each week for Wednesday Words with Friends and Saturday Spotlight.
Until next time, take care and God Bless. PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight is on Cindy & Erin Woodsmall & Yesterday's Gone!

Good Morning and Welcome to the Final Edition of Saturday Spotlight for October 2022!

Today's gues, Cindy Woodsmall has shared treasures with us before but this time shares the spotlight with her daughter-in-law, Erin! Together they give us a peek into their novel, Yesterday's Gone. Take it away ladies....

Eliza Bontrager and Jesse Ebersol have fallen in love and are determined to marry, despite the belief of their Amish community and respective families that there’s a hidden curse—one that only shows up when an Ebersol and Bontrager marry.
Before the ceremony on the day of the wedding, Eliza’s great-aunt Rose gives her a family heirloom quilt and tells her that she may use it to change one event in the past. Eliza appreciates the woman’s heart, but she dismisses the strange conversation while keeping the beautiful quilt.
Several years later, mourning the loss of their third child, Eliza discovers her inability to deliver a healthy baby is genetic. Remembering her great-aunt’s strange words, she decides that if she can go back in time and reject Jesse’s proposal, she can save him the heartache of a childless marriage. Her sacrifice will allow him to marry someone else and raise a family. But once she puts her plan into action, she discovers the true impact of her decision—on Jesse and so many others within their community.
Excerpt: Jesse’s nerves danced across his shoulders, tightening the muscles. Hard conversations weren’t for the faint of heart, but for better or worse, it was time he came clean with Eliza. He fidgeted with the rock in his pocket as he watched her wade into the creek.
She’d reached into the shallow, clear water and picked up a palm-size stone. She bounced it in her hand. Jesse peeled out of his shoes and socks. He eased into the water.
They’d been neighbors all of their lives and friends for more than a decade. She was the ideal friend, the best one anyone could have. But he wanted more, far more. His gut said she did too, but even so, it wouldn’t solve all that was stacked against them. As much as her parents liked and appreciated who he was, and his parents felt the same about her, they would be dead set against them dating. To them, a union between the Ebersol and Bontrager families was offensive and unthinkable. . . .
He studied Eliza, his heart pounding. She was the only one for him. He knew that, but he also knew the history that was stacked against them.

CINDY WOODSMALL is a New York Times and CBA bestselling author of twenty-five works of fiction and one nonfiction book. Coverage of Cindy’s writing has been featured on ABC’s Nightline and the front page of the Wall Street Journal. She lives in the foothills of the north Georgia mountains with her husband, just a short distance from two of her three sons and her six grandchildren.
Find out more about Cindy and her work by visiting her Website.  
ERIN WOODSMALL is a writer, musician, wife, and mom of four. She has edited, brainstormed, and researched books with Cindy for almost a decade. More recently she and Cindy have coauthored five books, one of which was a winner of the prestigious Christy Award.

 Get your copy of Yesterday's Gone directly from Tyndale Publishing or at your favorite Christian bookstore!

Thank you, Ladies for sharing your novel with us today! We certainly wish you both the best of luck and God's blessings with it.

That's it for this week and month, friends. I hope you have a blessed, happy & safe Halloween!

Until next time take care and God bless.

PamT

#WednesdayWordswithFriends Welcomes @FayLamb Fay Lamb!

Good Morning and Welcome!

Well after a cold front last week then more days of 80 degree temps, we're once more down in the 40's - 70's and I'm loving it! I've been a firm believer and practicer of gratitude for a while now but Monday I started another round based on The Magic by Rhonda Byrne. In this book Ms. Byrne tells us to say Why we're grateful so here goes.... I am so happy and grateful for Fall because I love opening the windows after a night of rain on the metal roof!

I am also grateful for my guest today so I hope you'll sit back and enjoy Fay Lamb's visit. Take it away, Fay...

The Autumn Season of Life
For everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven…”  Ecclesiastes 3:1
Autumn in my favorite time of the year. Actually, what I love is the heart of autumn. I look forward to October with the anticipation of a child awaiting the arrival of Christmas.
In what other season can a shift in life be more felt than in the fall? And I’m saying that as a Floridian where we have two seasons: hot and hotter, and there is certainly no fanfare that brings autumn into our lives in the Sunshine State. The leaves on the trees remain two colors. Either they are green or they are brown, and they don’t fall until the dead of winter. There is seldom a cold snap in Florida in October. We are more likely to get a late-for-the-season hurricane than a cold front. Still, without the grand announcement of a shift of season, Floridians still know it is coming. There is a shortening of the days and a sense of the need to prepare. 
If I examined my heart to determine why I look forward to this heart of autumn, I might confess that it is the sense of preparation that I love, the gathering and storing. The beloved squirrels in my yard have been given by God a sense that they must prepare. In the fall, I watch them not eat the gifts of peanuts I bestow upon them but bury them all over my yard.
October is a time when we sense, like the squirrels, that hardship may be upon us—a dormancy of growth and supply. So we gather and we prepare not only for the winter, but for the renewal that occurs on the other side of the winter. On that other side is where we begin to plant what we will again gather and store.
God as made us similar to the animals in this regard. Just as the plants and the animals have a time of new birth, of strong fortitude, a time when we might feel hardship encroaching, and we prepare for the endurance of hard frost in our lives, we also have spiritual seasons: times of new birth, times of strong fortitude, times when we feel hardship encroaching upon us, and then times of hard frosts. These seasons whether physical or spiritual can come at us at different stages in our lives.
Yet I smile to think that God has prepared a “feeder” for me in His Word. A place where in times of plenty, I can glean more; in times of preparation, I can dig more; and in times of hardship, I can hide more and wait out the winters of life with an expectation of renewal.
Fay Lamb is the only daughter of a rebel genius father and a hard-working, tow-the-line mom. She is not only a fifth-generation Floridian, she has lived her life in Titusville, where her grandmother was born in 1899.
Since an early age, storytelling has been Fay’s greatest desire. She seeks to create memorable characters that touch her readers’ hearts. She says of her writing, “If I can’t laugh or cry at the words written on the pages of my manuscript, the story is not ready for the reader.” Fay writes in various genres, including romance, romantic suspense, and contemporary fiction.
If you’d like to catch up with Fay, visit her at her website, on Amazon, Goodreads, and Twitter. Also, Fay has become a “novel” gardener, and she shares her adventure in her newsletter, Tales from the Azalea Garden. You can sign up for her newsletter, Tales from the Azalea Garden, here.
Links to Social Media:
Website: https://faylamb.wixsite.com/websiteTwitter: https://twitter.com/FayFaylambNewsletter Sign Up: https://faylamb.wixsite.com/website/contactGoodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/FayLambAmazon Central: amazon.com/author/faylamb
Check out her upcoming Christmas book, All I Want for Christmas !
A wedding headed for disaster, a crime syndicate bent on destruction, and a bunch of hungry alligators …
Knee deep in preparation for her best friend’s Christmas wedding, Abigail Brewster reels when her estranged younger sister returns to Mullet Harbor. She brings secrets, intrigue, and trouble along with her—a crime syndicate set on goals which would destroy the harbor. And Abigail is in the middle of their scheme.
Remy Arneaux doesn’t understand the reason for Susan Brewster’s return, and maybe that’s due to the brain fog from his concussion. But he does know enough not to trust her and not to let her near Abigail. The self-centered woman would only hurt her … again. Abigail has had enough pain, even from him. Still, he made a promise to escort someone else to the wedding. And with the promise is a secret that begins to rip apart his relationship with Abigail.
According to Mayor Herb’s edict, nothing is allowed to mar this occasion for his only granddaughter: not heartbreak, not tirades from a spoiled young woman, and especially not the threats from organized crime.
But what about their attempts to make good on their threats …
What lovely sentiments about Autum, Fay. Thank you for sharing!
I hope you enjoyed Fay's post, friends and that you'll check back each week for another Wednesday Words with Friends and Saturday Spotlight. Meanwhile, check out Fay's previous visit HERE.
Until next time, take care and God bless. PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight is on Liz Flaherty @LizFlaherty1 & Reinventing Riley!

Good Morning!

We've enjoyed some beautiful weather this past week. A couple of really cold mornings but comfortable days and evenings. I love this time of year when we can keep the windows open all day and it's perfect.

Anyaway, today's guest visited back in May and now we get a sneak peek into Liz's book, Reinventing Riley! Take it away Liz....

Rye Winters grew up in Chicago, and she loves it there. After many years in a small-town subdivision, the forty-something widow is champing at the bit to go back. She’s sold her business and her house and made plans right down to the kind of apartment she wants to lease or buy—no more lawn-mowing or weed-eating for her! She’s not going to need a car—which is great because she hates to drive. She’d reinvented herself once—she could hardly wait to do it again.
But before making her final move, she goes to Fallen Soldier, Pennsylvania, population 2922, to be her best friend’s “widow of honor” in her wedding.
Where she meets the preacher, falls in love with a cottage on the lake, and can’t stop looking at a downtown building that has so many possibilities. Hmm… 
Blurb:He’s afraid a second time at love wouldn’t live up to his first. She’s afraid a second round would be exactly like her first. 
Pastor Jake McAlister and businesswoman Riley Winters are in their forties and widowed. Neither is interested in a relationship. They both love Fallen Soldier, the small Pennsylvania town where they met, even though Rye plans to move to Chicago, and Jake sees a change in pastorates not too far down the road. Enjoying a few-weeks friendship is something they both look forward to.
However, there is an indisputable attraction between the green-eyed pastor and the woman with a shining sweep of chestnut hair. Then there’s the Culp, an old downtown building that calls unrelentingly to Rye’s entrepreneurial soul. And when a young man named Griff visits Jake, life changes in the blink of a dark green eye.
Excerpt: “Hello!”
Speak of the…well, no, not the devil. Speak of the good reverend, and there he was, walking toward her. His hands were in the pocket of a dark peacoat, and he wore a black-and-white stocking cap that looked familiar. “Syd made your hat, didn’t she?” she said in greeting. 
“She did. She also made me one in Philadelphia Eagles colors, but since this is Steelers country, I’m careful where I wear it. I’m waiting for her to learn to make socks.”
Rye laughed. “That could be a long wait and several hats away.” Although Syd was determined to master knitting socks, she was definitely having trouble accomplishing it.
“Did you enjoy the wedding?”
“I did. It was beautiful and the service was perfect.”
“It’s one of my favorite things in the pastorate.” He grinned. “Even if the groom takes off without paying me.”
He changed directions and joined her, and they started walking again. 
“What was your wedding like?” she asked, then bit her bottom lip. “I’m sorry. Would you rather not talk about it?”
“I like talking about it, and about Ashley, but no one here except Clay knew her, and most people don’t like bringing it up. Thank you for not being one of them.”
“I like talking about Ben, too, sometimes. Especially happy times. Did you have a formal wedding?”
“Not at all. We’d just finished finals and I was getting set to go on the road for a summer tour with the rock band I was with in college. Ash was planning a mission trip with people from her church, but we didn’t really want to be apart. We knew there would be more mission trips, but chances for doing another tour were slim to none, so we gathered up as much family and as many friends as we could and got married in a state park. Very flower-child-like. It was great. Then we got onto the band bus—which had seen better days with better bands, believe me—and took off. You’ve heard of the Summer of Love from the sixties? Well, this was the summer of flat tires, electrical storms, and equipment breakdowns.” He laughed, his eyes alight. “It was a great time. We wanted some semblance of privacy, so whenever we didn’t have hotel rooms provided by the venue, the other guys stayed on the bus and Ash and I slept in a tent.”
Rye had to suppress a shudder. She remembered sleeping in a tent for a few weeks between apartments and paychecks once. Granny had called it an adventure, but Rye had been old enough to recognize it as something else.
“What about you?” he asked. “Big wedding? Courthouse?”
“It was big, but I hardly knew anyone who was there. Ben’s parents were very…social. Even though they liked me and accepted me, I was pretty much just the one on top of the cake who was wearing a dress.”
He smiled at her. “You don’t impress me as the type, if it is indeed a type.”
She shrugged. “I wanted the life Ben offered. It didn’t hurt me to conform.”
Jake raised his eyebrows. “If you’ll pardon my saying so, that sounds like a world-class whopper. It didn’t hurt you? Really?”
Other than Syd, Rye didn’t think anyone had ever asked her that. She’d had such a good life compared to what growing up had prepared her for. Even Ben’s disorder, once she understood it, hadn’t stood in the way of that goodness. She frowned, not sure how to answer. “Everyone gets hurt, don’t they?” she said slowly. “Don’t we all give up part of ourselves for others?”
It was his turn to hesitate. “I think we do.” He grinned. “Believe me, being a rock-and-roll guitar player and singer had to go by the wayside when God started making different decisions for me.” 
“You couldn’t be both a pastor and a rock and roller?” She stopped suddenly enough her foot slid on the light coating of snow on the paved walkway.
He caught her effortlessly and tucked her arm into his. “I couldn’t and be good at either one. And I may as well admit that I really wanted to play rock and roll and teach music for the rest of my life. Being a clergyman had never even been part of the picture.”
USA Today bestselling author Liz Flaherty started writing in the fourth grade when her Aunt Gladys allowed her to use her portable Royal typewriter. The truth was that her aunt would have let her do anything to get her out of her hair, but the typewriter and the stories it could produce caught on, and Liz never again had a day without a what if… in it. 
She and Duane, her husband of at least forever, live in a farmhouse in central Indiana, sharing grown children, spoiled cats, and their grandkids, the Magnificent Seven. (Don’t get her started on them—you’ll be here all day.)
Find her at https://linktr.ee/LizFlaherty
Get your copy of Reinventing Riley at Amazon.
Sounds like a wonderful story, Liz! We certainly wish you the best of luck and God's blessings with it.
Hope you enjoyed today's post, friends and that we'll see you next week for another edition of Wednesday Words with Friends and Saturday Spotlight.
Until then, take care and God bless. PamT

#WednesdayWordswithFriends Welcomes DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills !!

Good Morning!

It's a C-O-L-D 37 degrees here in SW Louisiana this morning. Seems we went from summer to winter in one fell swoop but I think it's supposed to warm back up next week. Let's hope anyway! 

Meanwhile, please welcome DiAnn Mills back as she shares some thoughts with us on authenticity. Take it away, DiAnn....

Authenticity—A Crack or a Patch in Our Character?
Are you authentic? Are you without a doubt genuine, reliable, trustworthy, and dependable? No cracks in your plaster? Known for your honesty? Faithful? Real? We’d all like to check the “yes” box for all those noble traits, but sometimes living up to authenticity isn’t easy. 
Through experience, we acquire the characteristics that earn us respect and admiration. Some of life’s happenings threaten to beat us into the ground; others fill us with confidence. We need both to keep us humble and should always strive to be better people.
Cracks in our plaster find healing in a desire and determination to change and patch the rough spots.
We can consciously work toward authenticity by practicing the following noble actions.
1. Reach out to God daily for direction. His ways are far above our agenda.
2. Add value to other people’s lives by putting their needs above our own. Selfishness solves nothing but alienates us from those who could use our help or expertise. On our own, we digest a worldview that life is only about us. 
3. Practice kindness with no thought of what we might receive in return. 
4. Listen before speaking. How many times have we heard that we have two ears but one mouth? 
5. Open our hearts to friendship with those who aren’t like us.
6. Value truth. Avoid gossip and self-serving declarations.
7. Read in every category: news, nonfiction, fiction, poetry, articles, and blog posts. Be aware of what is going on around us.
8. Love unconditionally without conditions or stipulations. This doesn’t mean we open the door to foolish decisions or abuse, but we choose love over hate.
9. Respect the world God has created for us.
10. Seek wisdom above all things.
Authenticity underscores a person’s contribution to the world. How do you practice being authentic?
DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She is a storyteller and creates action-packed, suspense-filled novels to thrill readers. Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards; and been finalists for the RITA, Daphne Du Maurier, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests. 
DiAnn is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, a member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. DiAnn continues her passion for helping other writers be successful. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country. 
Connect with DiAnn on her various social media platforms here: www.diannmills.com

Beautiful guidance, DiAnn and definitely something to think about and strive for!
Hope you enjoyed today's post, friends and that you'll visit each week for more Wednesday Words with Friends and Saturday Spotlight.
Meanwhile, check out DiAnn's latest book, Concrete Evidence available everywhere great Christian fiction is sold and DiAnn's previous posts HERE.

Until next week, take care and God bless. PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight is on Katie Clark @KatieClarkBooks & A Dim Hope!

Good Morning!

It's been a while since Katie has visited us so please welcome her back with her YA Christian Fantasy A Dim Hope!

Amber is in trouble. Her sister is dying—and so is her homeland. The Lifeforce stones that power their world are waning, and no one knows why. When the rulers of the land prepare a scientific expedition to study the place where the veins of the Lifeforce run deep, Amber is forced to travel as a servant with the expedition. Though Amber has longed for adventure, her dream always included her sister. Now her only wish is to return home with a cure before it's too late.
Crops are wilting, food is scarce, and sandstorms, avalanches, and earthquakes threaten to doom the expedition. Besides this, there are more sinister forces at work. Quiet arguments and missing supplies lead Amber to believe their efforts are being sabotaged. She uncovers clues, but the real source of their trouble—and hope—lies in places she never expected.


KATIE CLARK started reading fantastical stories in grade school and her love for books never died. Today she reads in all genres; her only requirement is an awesome story! She writes young adult speculative fiction, including her romantic fantasy novel, The Rejected Princess, her Beguiled Series, and her dystopian Enslaved Series. You can connect with her at her website, or on social media @KatieClarkBooks.
Get your copy of A Dim Hope at Amazon.
THANKS Katie for sharing your book with us!
We appreciate you and wish you the best of luck and God's blessings. PamT