Pamela S. Thibodeaux's Blog, page 9

#WednesdayWordswithFriends Welcomes Carol James @CarolJamesAuth!

Good Morning and Welcome!

Before I turn the blog over to today's guest let me take a moment to Thank each and every one of You who have patiently followed my virtual book tour for Kyleigh's Cowboy. Your love and support mean the world to me! This week I'm sharing excerpts on Patricia Kiyono & Alina K Field's blogs. If you've pre-ordered the book through Amazon - THANKS AGAIN! If you haven't, you can not only order but read it 1 week early through Smashwords! Click HERE for details but hurry! This is a limited offer.

Now without much further ado, please give Carol James a huge hug as she returns to share with us some thoughts on The Sacred Call of the Christian Writer. Take it away, Carol!

Why am I writing? What were my goals and motivations when I began? Did I want to achieve fame and fortune? Have a book (or two) listed on the New York Times best-seller list? Be able to support my family or make a nice little nest egg for my retirement? I can imagine some of you snickering right now…
None of these is a bad reason to pursue writing. All of them have value. But for a Christian writers there can be only one reason to write. Because you’re called.
I love writing redemptive romance. One reason is because it’s formulaic and has a built-in timeline that helps me craft the story. Hitting four major plot points (Inciting Event, Point of Commitment, Black Moment, Satisfying Ending) help me with pacing and keep me on track. But what happens between those four points?
Before I put the first words on paper, while the ideas are spinning around in my imagination. I choose a Bible verse or two (Oftentimes, I’ll have one verse for the hero and another for the heroine.) and a hymn or Christian song as the foundation for the story. As I write from point to point, I constantly circle back to the truths expressed in the verses and the lyrics of the song. It’s the best way I’ve found to help me stay “on message.”
As a Christian writer, I’m called to step into the deserts of my readers’ lives and bring them hope and truth. But how do I measure that? In the story of the ninety and nine, the Good Shepherd leaves the many to find the one. I hope this is as much encouragement to you as it is to me. Touching the life of one, or two, or three with my writing is as valuable as touching the lives of a multitude. 
So, be faithful to your calling, whatever it is, and trust God with the rest.


Raised as an Air Force brat, the longest Carol James ever lived in one place was a year and a half. Maybe that’s why when she and her husband bought their first home over forty years ago, they stayed put.
Wife, mother, grandmother, and dog-mama, Carol loves writing stories of redemptive romance. When asked the difference between redemptive romance and standard romance, she replied, “A standard romance has two main characters––a hero and a heroine. A redemptive romance adds a third. God.”
Sign up for her quarterly newsletter and receive a free short story: https://www.carol-james.com/staying-in-touch.html 
Connect with Carol: CarolJamesWebsiteFacebookCarolJamesInstagramCarolJamesAuth TwitterCarolJamesAuthGoodreadsCarolJamesBookbubCarolJamesAmazonCarolJames 

Oh MY, Carol....what a lovely message and SO timely as I release a new book! THANK YOU.
Hope you enjoyed Carol's post, Friends and that you take her words to heart as you share your gifts and talents with the world. Speaking of gifts, check out Carol's latest release, A Time for Singing at Amazon, B&N, Kobo, GoodReads, Booktopia, BookBub and Pelican Book Group.
Check out Carol's previous visits to our blog HERE.
THANKS for dropping by, Friends. Until next week, take care and God bless.PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight is on DiAnn Mills @diannmills & Concrete Evidence!

Good Morning,

Well, Kyleigh's Cowboy is uploaded to and available for pre-order at almost all of my Ebook retail sites. Ten days from now you'll be able to read it in its entirety. The paperback version will be available then too. I've been sharing excerpts on several friends's blogs and newsletters. If you want to get these peeks into the story check'em out! Jacqueline Seewald, Clare Revell, Kara O'Neal, Stacey Weeks and Alicia Dean. 

Enough about me.

Today's guest is not new to our blog so please welcome, DiAnn Mills back with her new release, Concrete Evidence!

On the family’s Brazos River Ranch in Texas, Avery Elliott helps run her grandfather’s commercial construction business. Raised by Senator Elliott, Avery has never doubted her grandfather is the man of integrity and faith she’s always believed him to be …. until the day she finds him standing with a gun over the body of a dead man. To make matters worse, Avery’ just discovered a billing discrepancy for materials supposedly purchased for construction of the Lago de Cobre Dam. Desperate for answers, Avery contacts FBI Special Agent Marc Wilkins for help. As Marc works to identify the dead man Avery saw, threats toward Avery create a fresh sense of urgency to pinpoint why someone wants to silence her. With a hurricane approaching the Texas coast and the structural integrity of the Lago de Cobre Dam called into question, time is running out to get to the bottom of a sinister plot that could be endangering the lives of not only Avery and her loved ones but the entire community.
Read an Excerpt HERE.
Get your copy of Concrete Evidence HERE or where all great Christian fiction is sold!
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
Check out DiAnn's previous visits and books HERE.
Oh, Wow, DiAnn! CONGRATS on your new release! We certainly wish you the best of luck and God's blessings with it.
Hope you enjoyed our spotlight today, Friends and you'll check back next week for another edition of Wednesday Words with Friends and Saturday Spotlight.
Until next time, take care and God bless. PamT

#WednesdayWordswithFriends Welcomes LoRee Peery!

Good Morning Friends,

I returned home Sunday from Nacogdoches and back into my normal routine. Been steadily proofing, pruning and tweaking Kyleigh's Cowboy and I'm excited to get the final files uploaded this week. More on that later. Our guest today is no stranger to our blog, so please welcome LoRee Peery back as she shares with us some thoughts on heaven....

Heaven is My Home
Peas isn’t here—only the pod. Peas shelled out and went to God. –written on a tombstone in England.
Have you ever been in situations where, “I don’t belong here” came to mind? After all, one of Christ’s promises is found in John 14:2 where He tells us He left earth to prepare a mansion for us in heaven.
Rejoice! The victory over life and death on earth was won. I look forward to my heavenly dwelling place, where I’ll sing and shout in my Lord’s presence. Just imagine a city with streets of gold (see Revelation 21), and rather than sun high in the sky, light spreads from the Son of God. 
I can only imagine. There will be no more pain or sorrow in heaven. I’ll meet Old and New Testaments saints. There will be a reunion with loved ones. Possible surprises over some people I know who will be there. Heaven is where any earthly crowns we accumulate are for His glory. The image in my mind of heaven sets my focus on Jesus, rather than things of earth.
The opening lines of a hymn from childhood have run through my thoughts as I write. “I’m but a stranger here, heaven is my home.” In my Christmas novella, Christmas House, Pepper’s childhood home was a storage unit. Her family ignored holidays. As an adult, Pepper decided to decorate her first cottage home for Christmas year-round.
Imagine that. Christmas decorations in every room for twelve months. In the story, Pepper doesn’t know the real Christmas story until she’s introduced to Christians. The owner of miniature donkeys is a believer, as well as Foxx, the hero. Foxx invites Pepper to a church service where she hears the full gospel message.
Her spirit is awakened as understanding blooms. I’ve never been so bold as a novelist with the message of salvation. Before long, the real meaning of Christmas unfolds in Pepper’s heart. Her life blossoms while at the same time, Foxx is dealt a life-changing blow. But those chapters flow to the reader’s heart and reveal how Pepper and Foxx overcome. They, like us, look forward to lives in God’s hands.
My individual chapter on earth is backstory in God’s story of my life. He’s prepared for me an eternal home in heaven. God’s Word assures me that life here is but a breath. A vapor. A whisper on the wind. Heaven is my inheritance. Ephesians 1:4 assures me that God chose me before the creation of the world. Just imagine!
Change Your Mind This land is notMy eternal home
A heart set on heavenIs a heart set apart
My God is with me,A spiritual connection
His Word transformsMy way of thinking
God is the only Truth―Acceptable, good, perfect
I place my thoughtsOn heavenly themes
My eternal homeSets earth as backstory.
Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you (Psalm 73:25). I can’t conclude without the comfort found at the end of Psalm 23…and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. I know my eternal home is in heaven. Do you know beyond a doubt where yours will be?
Thank you, Pam, for allowing me to visit Words with Friends. May all of you enjoy fall and the coming holidays as you, too, look forward to heavenly homes.
Nebraska country girl LoRee Peery writes fiction that hopefully appeals to adult readers who enjoy stories written from a Christian perspective, focusing on the romance. These include novels and novellas for women and men in the Contemporary, Romance, Historical, Time Travel, and Mystery/Suspense categories. She writes of redeeming grace with a sense of place. Her Frivolities Series launched her releases, and the book based on her father’s unsolved homicide, Touches of Time, was a personal relief. She is who she is by the grace of God: Christian, country girl, wife, mother, grandmother and great-, sister, friend, and author.
Connect with LoRee: www.loreepeery.com
https://www.facebook.com/LoReePeery
Find her publications at Pelican http://tinyurl.com/kwz9enk
And Amazon https://www.amazon.com/LoRee-Peery/e/B004UAGL2W/ref
Catch up on LoRee's previous visits HERE and check out LoRee's 2022 Christmas Extravaganza novella, Christmas House to be released on Oct. 14th!
Pepper Rainwater has just bought the first real home she' s ever had, and she' s decorating and celebrating Christmas with everything she has. The neighbor' s miniature donkeys and meeting Foxx interrupt her life. Can she turn from all she' d been taught and trust strangers?
A startling discovery after his father' s death forces Foxx Haven to face an unknown past. His life has been a lie. He' s distracted from work for the first time— by his heritage and his new neighbor. Can he fight his attraction to an unbeliever and discover his new life chapter at the same time?
Miniature donkeys and learning about Christ have a profound impact on Pepper. But God has a mighty work to bring her hurting soul and Foxx' s new perspective into alignment. Can hope override hurting souls and enable a happily-ever-after?

What beautiful sentiments, LoRee! Thank YOU for sharing and good luck and God's blessings with your new book!
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 Patti Archer & Bloodline!

Good Morning!

It is always my pleasure to bring to you a brand new author and today's guest is just that! Patti C Archer is a member of Bayou Writers Group in Lake Charles and she's here with her brand new release, Bloodline, book 1 in her Louisiana Secrets series. Please give her a huge W-E-L-C-O-M-E!

Secrets on the river...
FBI Special Agent Dakota Nash was sexy. Gorgeous. Native American. And a brilliant profiler who was undercover in Lake Charles, Louisiana – watching Gabrielle Sawyer. Gabrielle was beautiful. Stunning amber eyes. Long dark hair. Long and lean. But she was alone. Afraid. With scars. Secluded on the Calcasieu River on purpose. But she was skilled – with knives. And she was better than good.
Dakota was ready for the danger coming for her. Deadly secrets on the river. Killers. All because of who she was. But Gabrielle was adopted at three, her ancestors a mystery, so she didn’t know who she was - or that she held the only key to a 200-year-old secret.
In hours, Dakota and Gabrielle would meet face-to-face. For the second time. He had saved her once before. This time, on the run from killers – steamy attraction, intimacy, passion, love, and romance would LIGHT THEM UP despite the danger that hunted her.
Gabrielle learned that some things were worth fighting for. Love for one. Legacy the other. And Dakota stood guard. Warrior on deck. He would save her. She was his.

Excerpt:

Gabrielle noticed the men and women seemed to pair off instead of staying in a group. Sean and Samantha headed toward the dock. Zoe and Trace headed to the front porch. And Adam and Jade stayed on the patio.

Dakota touched her arm and said, “Walk with me?”

She smiled, and said, “Sure,” and they walked toward the barn.

Once inside, they leaned against the fence that faced the corral where the horses grazed.

He gently bumped shoulders with her, and said, “I like you being here.”

She glanced at him with a teasing smile, and said, “Yes. Dinner was wonderful.”

He said bluntly, “I’m not talking about dinner.” He turned her to face him, and said, “I’m talking about us. And don’t tell me you don’t feel this. I won’t believe you.”

She felt it. Silent, she let the look in her eyes answer.

He leaned closer and kissed her neck. He let her feel his warm, soft lips. Then he breathed her in, and whispered, “I’m going to kiss you.”

Feeling herself get swept up in the whirlwind of wanting this, she warned him, “I…I never do this. I haven’t kissed anyone in a long, long time.”

Sliding his hands up her back, he said, “But I’m not just anyone.”

“But...”

“Kiss me, Gabrielle.”

She looked at his mouth, and her lips parted. He kissed her. And she couldn’t believe the feel and taste of him as their mouths met.

Patti was born and raised in Lake Charles, Louisiana, surrounded by lakes, rivers, and bayous. She loves the Cajun culture and cuisine and is always ready for a road trip to the Gulf of Mexico or other scenic areas. Family, faith, reading, writing, and research fill most of her days. She loves the holidays, movies, and dreams of living in the mountains.She published her first novel in June 2022. Her next novel is pending publication in January 2023 – Book Two of the Louisiana Secrets Series.
You can follow her blog at PattiArcher.com or at Amazon.com/author/patticorbelloarcher.cajunlady.

Thank you SO much, Patti for sharing your new release with us! We wish you the best of luck and God's blessings in all things.

If you love hot, steamy romantic suspense, friends be sure and check out Patti's books.

Until next time take care and God bless.

PamT

#WednesdayWordswithFriends Welcomes Stacey Weeks @WriterSWeeks!

Good Morning,

It's not often that we have the same author for Saturday Spotlight and Wendesday Words with Friends back-to-back so you're getting a real treat! Take it away, Stacey....

Shame is not the word Gloria Sycamore would have chosen to describe the emotion that lingers deep inside her. She lives most of her life in the shadow of others, never quite fitting in, never quite belonging. But all that should change on her return to Sycamore Hill. She isn’t looking for a hero’s welcome, but she does expect a friendly one. After all, she is a Sycamore, and she’s dating the local minister. But the community questions her commitment to her faith, the town, and their pastor—who they are not keen on sharing. So, Gloria sets out to prove them wrong, navigating the messy and sometimes hilarious muddy water of dating in the public eye, where nothing is private, and everything is up for debate.

My connection to GloriaHis Sycamore Sweetheart is a work of fiction. That’s an important clarification. Yet, I had so much fun writing this story because I feel a deep connection to Gloria. I’m not only a pastor’s wife, but I’m also familiar with feeling tolerated instead of welcomed and not measuring up. I think, in many ways, there is likely a little bit of Gloria in us all. I feel it when I fail to speak up or stand up or absorb hits, secretly believing I must deserve them. Shame shows up when I overreact to expressions of displeasure with me. I long to please people, and if I can’t, I feel rejected. This is exasperated in church ministry, and I can easily feel worthless, nothing, zero. This is shame. This is Gloria’s reality.
Gloria struggles with the tension of wanting to break free from expectations while feeling pressed to conform to who people expect the pastor’s girlfriend to be. She tries to read between the lines to discern what people want from her. She struggles to understand what it means to serve others and consider them better than herself.
Easy in Theory. Hard in Life.Gloria will feel a magnetic pull toward her familiar feelings of inferiority and unworthiness. She knows Christ has made her clean. She knows sins against her say far more about the accuser than her. She knows that one touch from Jesus has replaced her shame with his honour. Yet, the feelings return, resisting the truth. To battle this, she remembers the gospel. Jesus lowered himself to elevate her. Jesus doesn’t just remove her shame; He gives her His honour. He replaces shame with honour, so she can walk in freedom.

Stacey Weeks writes faith-filled contemporary romance and romantic suspense with strong female leads and imperfect heroes. She is a multi-award-winning author, conference speaker, and Bible study teacher. She loves to read and will try almost any creative pursuit at least once. Stacey lives in Ontario with her husband of 25 years and three children. When she is not writing, she is probably jogging the trails, homeschooling her kids, or trying out a new recipe. 

Find out more about Stacey by visiting her Website and signing up for her newsletter or connecting with her on the following SM sites.

F: www.facebook.com/writerSWeeks

T: @writerSWeeks 

I: @writerSWeeks 

Get your copy of His Sycamore Sweetheart at Amazon. Check out Stacey's previous visits to our blog (and her other books) HERE.

Thanks SO much for sharing your wisdom and experience with us, Stacey. Wishing you the best of God's blessings with His Sycamore Sweetheart!

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

Until next time take care and God bless.

PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight is on Stacey Weeks @WriterSWeeks & His Sycamore Sweetheart!

Good Morning from Nacogdoches, TX!

It's "Family Weekend" at Stephen F Austin State University and since my granddaughter attends college and my son works here, my daughter and I drove up Thursday evening. SIL, grandson & gd's boyfriend came up last night so my son's house is full and my heart is full having everyone (well nearly everyone) all together. We have a day filled with activities ahead of us so I'm not going to take up any more of your time, but WELCOME our guest Stacey Weeks back with another of her Sycamore Hill series books, His Sycamore Sweetheart! Take it away, Stacey....

Gloria Sycamore isn’t looking for a hero’s welcome, but she does expect a friendly one when she returns to Sycamore Hill. After all, she is a Sycamore, and she’s dating the local minister. But the community questions her commitment to her faith, the town, and their pastor—who they are not keen on sharing. So, Gloria sets out to prove them wrong, navigating the messy and sometimes hilarious muddy water of dating in the public eye, where nothing is private, and everything is up for debate.
If you like clean, small-town, faith-filled romances, you'll love visiting Sycamore Hill.
Excerpt:It could be worse. 
Illuminated only by the light of the moon and several strategically-placed motion sensor lights, Gloria Sycamore fisted her hands on her hips. The toe of her three-inch-heeled boot tapped on the asphalt as she surveyed the jam-packed storage unit. Correction—overflowing storage unit. The contents of her life spilled out of the orange, garage-style door. Gloria righted a toaster tipped on its side, and her stomach lurched, just as it always did at the sight of her independence packed neatly into cardboard boxes with the top flaps folded over. 
Just folded, not taped. 
And neatly was a stretch.
A dot of sweat dribbled down her neck, between her shoulder blades, and over each bump in her spine in its descent. Her long-sleeved T-shirt stuck to her body like shrink wrap, and tendrils of frizzy, blonde hair had loosened from her ponytail, growing fatter and fatter with each passing, clammy second. The post-sunset coolness of the late September evening did little to moderate her inner, raging furnace. Acrylic fingernails one through eight dug into her palms, and nine and ten lay somewhere on the ground underneath her sea of belongings. She stepped around the box erupting with scarves and shoes she’d never wear in a small town as far behind in fashion trends as Sycamore Hill. In three long strides, she reached the open trunk of her car, pivoted, and paced back.
The top half of the storage unit had lots of space, but Gloria didn’t have the upper body strength to stack the boxes any higher. She should have waited for Owen. Correction. She had waited for Owen. She’d waited a whole hour. Sixty minutes. Three thousand, six hundred seconds. Now, ninety minutes later, she’d done the best she could, and it still wasn’t good enough. It was the tagline of her life. All twenty-four years. Eight thousand, seven hundred and sixty-some-odd days of not being good enough. Her armpits dampened. She’d blame the growing stains on the physical labor. Not her perceived failure.
Owen was the one who’d picked a Wednesday night for her to move her belongings home. When Gloria announced that she’d given up her apartment in the city, Owen assured her parents that he’d help her, and there was no need for her dad to risk twinging his back again. Okay. Giving up her apartment was a stretch, too. Lost was a bit more accurate. Unable-to-pay-the-rent-when-she-didn’t-have-a-job hit even closer to the truth. Evicted, if she was being totally honest. But this wasn’t about her failure. It was about Owen’s. He said that church meetings happened on Tuesday nights. Wednesday was clear. Wednesday was free. On Wednesday, he’d be all hers.
And in a nanosecond of terrible clarity, she understood what she’d been trying their entire relationship to not think about. Owen would never be wholly hers. Not as long as he was a pastor. He belonged to the church—the only acceptable mistress.
She puffed out a breath that failed to loosen the tension squeezing her chest. If Owen had come, he would have stacked the boxes. Then, she’d have a bit more room and all ten fingernails. But instead of enjoying Owen’s dry banter and benefitting from his upper body strength, she paced in front of unit twenty-one, the one that spewed waves of stuff into view of anyone who happened to drive by the fenced-off self-storage business on the outskirts of town. She pressed her lips together until they tingled. 
What to do, what to do. 
The little piggy that went to market jammed against the edge of a box with the word books scrawled in black permanent marker on the side. As her toe painfully compressed, Gloria threw her hands out to the sides for balance and knocked over a coat rack. She hopped on one foot and shook out the other, her jerky movements knocking the flap of the closest box open because, of course, she didn’t tape that one shut, either. The rhyme scheme from the familiar storybook sitting on top mocked her. When life pours you lemons, think lemonade. When the sun gets too hot, be thankful for shade.
She could use a cool drink of lemonade right about now. Her inability to secure a job after her co-op placement at Grander Nursery School ended had necessitated her move back home. Gloria didn’t want to feel thankful things weren’t worse, because right now, as she wondered who watched her from the vehicle that crawled down the road at a snail’s pace, life felt pretty bad. Unfair. Rip-roaringly frustrating. Still, she automatically followed the directions she gave her precious kiddos. Find the good.
Worse would be not having a place to store her things while she temporarily moved back into her parents’ home. Worse would be needing to live in her childhood home, when instead, she’d chosen to. Sure, the alternative was going into debt and living on credit, but it was still a choice—big difference. Worse would be losing eight more fingernails and adding a headache. Worse would be— She caught her reflection in a mirror leaning against the corner. Frizzy, blonde curls. Skin flushed to the point of blotchiness. Dark circles under her armpits. Worse would be Owen showing up and seeing her like this and deciding that maybe she wasn’t the girl for him after all. No matter how awful or ugly it gets, you can be thankful for something, I’d bet—
“Need a hand?” Owen Mason’s question interrupted the catchy rhyme.
Worse had found her again. And instead of offering her lemonade, she sucked the juices from plain, old, sour lemons. Her mouth puckered.
Despite just thinking—literally three seconds ago—that it was good Owen wasn’t here, her body responded positively to his familiar timbre. His words wrapped around her like a hug that she needed to shrug out of. She didn’t turn around. She wasn’t in a forgiving mood any more than she was in a thankful one.
“I know what you’re thinking.” She spoke to the wall.
“Do you?” 
She heard his smile, and it sanded a tiny bit of the edge off her annoyance. She drummed her fingers on her hips. “You’re probably thinking, ‘How did such a young and successful woman like Gloria Sycamore end up back in Sycamore Hill, living with her parents?’”
He chuckled. It started low and rumbled like the trolley carts the storage unit provided customers for hauling stuff from the trunk of their cars to the units. Carts she wouldn’t have used had Owen shown up on time. The comfort building in her chest cooled a bit. His footsteps dragged along the pavement with a scuffing sound. She could feel him moving closer. It had always been that way with them. 
“What else am I thinking?” His quiet question caressed the back of her neck, and she shivered from the warmth of his breath. She tried to hang onto her frustration, but she couldn’t stay mad at him. She never could. She leaned into him and further into their game.
“You’re wondering if the only reason she came back is because she couldn’t get a job.”
“Try again.”
“You’re wondering if she came back because her family lives here.”
“Wrong.” He loosely wrapped his arms around her middle and tugged her until her back pressed against his chest. If her sweaty dampness bothered him, he didn’t show it. 
“You’re wondering if she is ready for all the changes coming her way.”
He dropped a kiss on her temple.
“Because she’s thinking those things,” Gloria muttered. 
“Are those the only reasons she came back?” 
This time, steamy warmth tickled her earlobe, deliciously toasting her insides like marshmallows over a campfire. Gloria melted like s’mores. “You’re wondering if any other reason drew her back to Sycamore Hill.”
“I am.” He cinched his arms tighter and rested his chin on the top of her head. They fit perfectly like that. She stood one head shorter, even with heels. She always felt safe tucked into his arms.
“Maybe,” she murmured, not voicing the remaining questions that flitted through her mind. 
He’s wondering if she’s pastor-wife material. 
He’s wondering if his congregation will accept her.
He’s wondering if she’ll find a new job in Sycamore Hill and stay for good.
He’s wondering if they have a future. 
He’s wondering if she’s wondering about those things. 
Because she was.

Stacey writes faith-filled contemporary romance and romantic suspense with strong female leads and imperfect heroes. She is a multi-award-winning author, conference speaker, and Bible study teacher. She loves to read and will try almost any creative pursuit at least once. Stacey lives in Ontario with her husband of 25 years and three children. When she is not writing, she is probably jogging the trails, homeschooling her kids, or trying out a new recipe. 

Find out more about Stacey by visiting her Website and signing up for her newsletter or connecting with her on the following SM sites.

F: www.facebook.com/writerSWeeks

T: @writerSWeeks 

I: @writerSWeeks 

Get your copy of His Sycamore Sweetheart at Amazon. Check out Stacey's previous visits to our blog (and her other books) HERE.

THANKS so much Stacey for sharing your book with us today. We certainly wish you the best of luck and God's blessings with all your works and look forward to visiting with you again.

Until next week, Friends, take care and God bless.

PamT

#WednesdayWordswithFriends Welcomes Jennifer L Wright @JennWright18!

Good Morning Friends,

Today's guest visited our spotlight last year with her novel, If it Rains. Today Jennifer shares with us her new book, Come Down Somewhere. Welcome back, Jennifer!

Jennifer L. Wright has been writing since middle school, eventually earning a master’s degree in journalism at Indiana University. However, it took only a few short months of covering the local news for her to realize that writing fiction is much better for the soul and definitely way more fun. A born and bred Hoosier, she was plucked from the Heartland after being swept off her feet by an Air Force pilot and has spent the past decade traveling the world and, every few years, attempting to make old curtains fit in the windows of a new home.
She currently resides in New Mexico with her husband, two children, one grumpy old dachshund, and her newest obsession—a guinea pig named Peanut Butter Cup.
Find/Follow Jennifer through her Website, FaceBook, Twitter @JennWright18, GoodReads and Instagram.
1. What is it that you enjoy about coming-of-age stories?The transition from childhood to adulthood is paramount in our own personal stories. I think all of us can point back to specific instances from that time period in our lives that still, to this day, define certain aspects of our personalities. So much is changing within us at that age—not just physically but emotionally, mentally, and spiritually—that any outward changes, be they in personal circumstances or the world at large, have a profound impact on our development. For instance, I was an eighteen-year-old college freshman living away from home for the first time when the September 11 attacks happened. It was an event that absolutely changed our world but for me, because of the age I was, really seemed to mark a distinct end to my childhood. I find it a fascinating topic to explore in the realm of historical fiction—taking real-life history and coupling that with such a vulnerable time in my characters’ lives.
2. Similar to your last book, your protagonist Olive is a spunky young woman. What draws you to this type of character? I have such admiration for women who aren’t afraid to be who they are. There is oftentimes an expectation for women to be a certain way: to close their mouths, hide their flaws, and cater to who others want them to be. This was true back in the time periods in which I write, and it’s still true today to an extent. I even sometimes find myself kowtowing to pressure. Writing characters like Olive (or Kathryn from If It Rains) is a bit freeing; while neither of them is perfect, their audacity is a trait to which I aspire.
3. What about the Trinity nuclear bomb test led you to write a novel about it?My family and I moved to southern New Mexico in 2014, and we actually live less than a hundred miles from the Trinity test site. It’s a fascinating part of history I don’t believe is talked about enough, especially when you factor in the human side effects that are still being felt over seventy-five years later. This isn’t just history; where I live, it’s present in many people’s everyday lives, and a great deal of them feel forgotten. I wanted to bring this story to the forefront and draw attention to the overlooked and underappreciated sacrifice of the people of southern New Mexico during World War II.
4. What sort of research did you do in preparation for this novel?I read everything I could get my hands on about the Trinity test. Ferenc Morton Szasz’s The Day the Sun Rose Twice was an especially compelling read. The plethora of knowledge offered to me by the wonderful people at the Tularosa Basin Museum of History was invaluable. The most incredible part of my research, though, was actually traveling to the Trinity site and standing in the place where the world’s first A-bomb exploded back in July 1945.
5. How did you incorporate faith in God into this story?While everyone has their own opinion about atomic weapons and their role in warfare, what I found most compelling during my research was this fear the scientists had about how they were “playing God.” Most of us will never create a weapon capable of destroying the earth, but we all have instances in which we, too, make ourselves “gods” by choosing our own wants and our own desires over Him. In doing so, we almost always hurt those around us. I tried to explore this theme on both a large scale (Trinity) and small scale (the relationships between various characters) throughout the book.
6. What was the most challenging part of writing this book?I have been to Hiroshima and seen the remnants of the bomb dropped there. Now I live in southern New Mexico, as part of a military family but also part of a community that is still feeling the effects of the test. Because of this, my own personal feelings about Trinity are very complicated. I don’t think it was all bad, but I definitely don’t think it was all good either. Attempting to honor both those who worked on the bomb, believing they were doing something that would win the war and save lives, as well as those living here who were affected in monumental ways through the choices of others, was an extremely difficult balancing act.
7. What do you hope readers walk away with after learning more about this moment in history through your story?I hope readers have more of an awareness about what happened in the New Mexico desert in July 1945—about the unsung sacrifices of the people of this region and the sacrifices that are continuing to be made. But as always, more than anything, I hope readers walk away with a greater appreciation for the renewing and restoring power of Jesus. He is always and forever the answer to any question we have or circumstance in which we find ourselves.
8. How did the writing process for this book compare to your debut novel, If It Rains?I’d always heard that writing a second book is harder than the first. And I am here to say that is 100 percent true! Granted, Come Down Somewhere was written during the first and most intense weeks of the pandemic, though, so I’ll chalk up my difficulties to that, if only to make myself feel better. The general premise for If It Rains stayed pretty much the same through all stages of editing. If you were to read the first draft of Come Down Somewhere, you probably wouldn’t even recognize it as the same story. It changed a lot during various drafts, but I’m ultimately happy with the way it turned out, and I hope readers are too.
9. What do you enjoy reading when you aren’t working on your own novels? Is here anything you read recently that you particularly enjoyed?I’m a voracious reader across all genres, though I tend to gravitate toward historical fiction (naturally). I loved Sarah Sundin’s Until Leaves Fall in Paris and Melanie Dobson’s The Winter Rose. Outside of that genre, I thought Jaime Jo Wright’s The Souls of Lost Lake and Morgan L. Busse’s Secrets in the Mist were both really fantastic.
10. Are there any other historical moments you’d be interested in exploring through fiction?I ventured into World War II with this book, but I find myself constantly drawn back to the 1920s and 1930s, which is where my writer’s heart truly lies. I’m currently working on a book inspired less by a historical moment and more by historical people—a certain pair of Prohibition-era lovers with a penchant for robbing banks and stealing cars. After that, only time (and my wandering imagination) will tell.
For fans of WWII fiction comes a powerful novel by Jennifer L. Wright about two young women coming of age during the Trinity nuclear bomb test in 1945.
Sixteen-year-old Olive Alexander has lived on a ranch in the Jornada del Muerto region of southern New Mexico her entire life. But when World War II begins, the government seizes her family’s land for the construction of a new, top secret Army post.
While her mother remains behind, Olive is forced to live in nearby Alamogordo with her grandmother and find a place in a new school. When Jo Hawthorne crosses her path, Olive sees a chance for friendship—until she learns that Jo’s father is the Army sergeant who now occupies her beloved ranch. Already angry about her new reality, Olive pushes Jo away. But as she struggles to make sense of her grandmother’s lapses into the past and increasingly unsettling hints about what’s happening at the ranch, she slowly warms to Jo’s winsome faith and steady attempts at friendship . . . until one devastating day when the sky explodes around them and their lives are torn apart.
Seven years later, Jo returns to Alamogordo, still angry and wounded by the betrayals of that fateful day. Determined to put the past behind her once and for all, Jo hunts for answers and begins to realize the truth may be far more complicated than she believed, leading her on a desperate search to find her friend before it’s too late.
Get your copy of Come Down Somewhere at Amazon and other retailers where great Christian fiction is sold.
Hope you enoyed today's post, friends and that you'll drop by weekly for another edition of Wednesday Words with Friends and Saturday Spotlight.
Until next time, take care and God Bless. PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight is on Casey Dawes & Return to Promise Cove!

Good Morning Friends,

It's been a long and busy week. I've ordered the print proof of Kyleigh's Cowboy so (hopefully) both print and Ebook will be available simultaneously. Today I'll be attending Bayou Writer's Group meeting and next Thursday I'm heading to Nacogdoches, TX to my son's house for about 10 days. But, enough about me!

It's always a pleasure to introduce you to a brand-new-to-me-our-blog author and today is no exception so please give Casey Dawes a huge W-E-L-C-O-M-E as she shares her book, Return to Promise Cove with us!

She’s a middle-aged rule follower. But there aren’t any rules for a dead husband with secrets or a second chance at love.

Kelly Richards is forced to return to the tiny town of Promise Cove, Montana to handle an unexpected inheritance. She’s determined to sell the place quickly and go back to the life she knows. But a chance encounter with a first love makes her question everything she believes is true.

After a grueling career in the New York City police force, Ryan Svoboda came home to Promise Cove. Kelly’s unexpected return upsets his carefully constructed life. Can he tell her how he feel—how he’s always felt—before it’s too late?
Excerpt: As she walked up the steps, Kelly automatically deadheaded the flowers that lined the path. The gardening service they’d hired when they first bought the property had been skilled at choosing what to plant and diligent about maintaining it.
When she reached the top step, she noticed a large white envelope from one of the expedited mail services. How long had it been there? She always went in through the garage, so she wouldn’t have seen it. And she hadn’t received any messages telling her that something was on its way.
The return address was from Henderson Law Offices in Whitefish, Montana. Something about her grandmother?
She opened the bright red door and went to the kitchen to open the envelope and quickly scan the letter. She struggled to comprehend it.
Slowing down, she read it a second time.
It seemed her grandmother who had passed during the winter had left her an entire retreat center in Promise Cove, Montana.
But there were conditions.

Return to Promise Cove is a clean, later-in-life romance and is on sale at Amazon for only 99cents now through the 23rd so grab your copy today!

Casey Dawes writes non-steamy contemporary romance and inspirational women’s fiction with romantic elements.
She and her husband are traveling the US in a small trailer with the cat who owns them. When not writing or editing, she is exploring national parks, haunting independent bookstores, and lurking in spinning and yarn stores trying not to get caught fondling the fiber!
Find out more about Casey and her books by visiting her Website and Amazon Author Page and connecting with her on FaceBook, Instagram, BookBub and Pinterest! Sign up to receive her newsletter and get a free collection of short stories!
Thank you SO much, Casey for sharing with us today. We certainly wish you the best of luck and God's blessings in ALL things!
I thank YOU, also FRIENDS for your continued support of me and my guests. I hope you'll continue to drop by weekly for Wednesday Words with Friends and Saturday Spotlight.
Until next time, take care and God bless. PamT

#WednesdayWordswithFriends With ME!

Good Morning Friends,

Great news! Kyleigh's Cowboy is up for PreOrder at Amazon. I'll be working to get the book up at other retailers after I receive and approve the print proof. I'd like for both to be available on publication date of 10/18/2022. Meanwhile, reserve your copy today.

Recently I came upon a book promo site called Shepherd.com where authors spotlight their books by sharing a list of books they love. Of course I had to take advantage of this free publicity and it's always a pleasure to talk about the work of my favorite authors. Below is a jpg of their main page: The Best Books on Christianity which features mostly nonfiction along with the books I deem the best Christian fiction novels that show the awesome power of God to heal the most wounded of souls.

I hope you enjoyed this quick post and that you'll check back weekly for more Wednesday Words with Friends and Saturday Spotlight.
Oh...before I forget! Sept. 20 - 25th NN Lights will be hosting a "Super Sale Bookish Event" which I'll be participating in and where an Amazon gift card will be up for grabs. Watch for the graphic and more info in the days to come!
Until next itme, take care and God bless. PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight is on Mary Marelli & Moon Over Montana!

Good Morning from Natchitoches, LA!

Yep, we brought the camper up Thursday and are having a lot of fun exploring our northern neighbors. Today's guest is new to me and our blog so PLEASE give Mary Marelli a Huge W-E-L-C-O-M-E as she shares with us her book, Moon Over Montana....

Megan Donovan's broken engagement has left her aimless with only one place to go: Montana. Her estranged grandfather has left the broken-down ranch of her mother's youth. Trouble is, Mom's memories of that time are so tainted that Megan doesn't want anything to do with the place.
The wild horses that David “Cam” Campbell protects from rustlers need a sanctuary to roam free. What better location than Old Man Jenkins' acreage adjacent to his own successful ranch? But Cam's gotten off on the wrong foot with Megan, and that gal's not selling—not unless Cam can convince her that it's best for everyone involved.
But is giving Megan a reason to leave, really the best he can do?
Excerpt: A soft whinny echoed across the valley. Megan gasped. Tears sprang to her eyes, and she turned her camera toward the sound. The thunder of hooves built slowly and then intensified as a herd of wild mustangs galloped through. A chestnut stallion stood watch over his domain, a sorrel mare by his side. The mighty leader whinnied and tossed his head. Majestic, devoted, and brave, he guarded his herd of mares and foals.
Cam pointed. “This is what it’s all about. This is my passion. My crusade, if you wish. This is what I’m fighting to preserve.”
Megan’s bottom lip trembled, and she lowered her camera. “They’re beautiful.” She shook her head. “No. That doesn’t do them justice. They’re magnificent. So regal and loyal.” She turned toward Cam. “They are, you know. Loyal. They’re a family.”
Cam nodded. “That they are, and I wish more people saw it that way. Look at them. They’re not causing any harm. Cattle don’t graze down in that hollow. It’s too dangerous to drive them down. As long as the horses stay here, they’re safe. It’s when they stray onto the range we rode though, that they’re in danger.”
“Rustlers?” Megan asked.
“That’s what I think.” 
****

Mary K. Marelli lives with her husband on a private lake nestled in the foothills of the Pocono Mountains in eastern Pennsylvania.  Her writing is inspired by a variety of true life experiences, and a cause dear to her heart, the preservation of America’s wild horses. Find out more about Mary by visiting her Website and connecting with her on Twitter and Facebook!

Get your copy of Moon Over Montana at Amazon or Pelican Book Group.

THANK You so much, Mary for sharing with us today! We wish you the best of luck and God's blessings with your book(s).

Moon Over Montana sounds like a great reads friends so check it out and come back next week for Wednesday Words with Friends and another Saturday Spotlight!

Until next time, take care and God bless.

PamT