Pepper Basham's Blog, page 22

The Thorn Keeper

I finished my first ‘second’ book in October 2015.

What do I mean by that? Well, when I received ‘the call’ to publication I had 5 novels completed, but all of those were ‘first’ novels in potential series. So when Vinspire bought a 3-book historical series from me, after I turned in all the edits for book one, I had to write my very first book 2…in four months!!

The only time I’d ever written a book that quickly was the last time I had a summer break – and I finished my absolute favorite contemporary romance (Just the Way You Are). But…I was off work and could write during kid naptime and evenings. Very unique.

Now, I am NO Susan May Warren, who can have a draft finished in a month. Nor am I a Carol Moncado who pumps out 10K words in a day. After a full day’s work, then an evening with the fam, writing time takes place about an hour or two right before bed. And I was supposed to write a book two in four months?

90K words?

A historical? With all of that research?

Well, on Feb 28th, The Thorn Keeper arrives and…it’s my FAVORITE historical I’ve ever written (okay, I’ve only written 3…but that’s still an important detail to remember ;-)

I am quick to admit that without God inspiring my creativity, The Thorn Keeper would NOT have arrived. And it certainly wouldn’t be my favorite historical romance I’ve written, but somehow this beautiful story of redemption emerged from the craziness and busy-ness of my every day life.

In the end, the novel turned out to be 127K words and I had to slice it down by 25K-ish words, so not only did God help me finish, he helped me exceed what I ever imagined I could do.

So, if you read my debut, The Thorn Bearer, and want to find out what happened to the ‘fallen’ eldest sister, Catherine….OR if you just want to read a story with beautiful romance, fun banter, strong characters, and  breathtaking redemption, The Thorn Keeper might be a great option!

It’s up for preorder now on Amazon and Smashwords and will be available on Feb 28th.

Wanna hear a little about it?

With her past in shambles, how can she fashion a future of hope?

Catherine Dougall’s past of manipulation has left her future in threads. With a new faith, she longs to take the remnants of her life and make something beautiful, but shame, societies’ judgments, and the natural consequences of an unplanned pregnancy test her newfound hope. Dr. David Ross doesn’t help either. His kindness, sacrifice, and tenderness tempt her to impossible dreams. A fallen woman doesn’t merit a fairytale.

David Ross has made every effort to keep his life above reproach. His passion for the sick pump fresh purpose through his choices, but without financial support to maintain his war hospital, all is lost. When his notorious aunt offers an easy solution, David is tempted to give in to her demands, but his growing affection for the reformed flirt, Catherine Dougall, unwinds the careful wall around his heart and offers an unexpected choice.

When the worst of war tears them apart, can love renew the memory of what was lost or will tragedy steal away their hope forever.

From the beautiful Derbyshire countryside to the trenches of World War One, Catherine and David must learn to trust in a God who designs a masterpiece out of brokenness and fashions hope in the most unlikely places.

Follow this link to find out what others are saying about The Thorn Keeper.

One Word: Joy

Tis the season of ‘newness’ each time one year flips into another, and as many authors know, we have this little tradition of choosing a ‘one word’ for our new year.

I haven’t seen it celebrated as much this year as it has been in the past, but, for me, it was a good reminder of my focus. My perspective. So for the past month I’ve been trying to figure out my One Word for 2016.

Last year (sounds weird to think of yesterday as LAST YEAR!) 2015 my word was Change…and boy, oh boy, was it! Our family was still recuperating from a tough move (still are in some ways), I was trying to find out what God wanted for me professionally (still am), we were adjusting to a new town, finding friends, struggling through mismatched schools, and missing the familiar.

Change happened over and over and over again – each time filled with its own difficulties and rewards.

So when it came to my word for 2016, I prayed about it with a little trepidation. Battle weary from 2015, I desperately wanted a healing word.

Then I realized…. I’d let circumstances and pain, my disappointments and struggles, define my vision. I’d released some of the hope and truth I know from God’s word and allowed wounds to cloud my vision from Christ’s promises.

Not to minimize the grueling transition of my family, or the loneliness that accompanied such a drastic shift – Our grief was a part of our healing. Our wounds clear markers of God’s continued movement in our lives. But those hurts and struggles should not redefine the truth:

God is in control and He loves His kids. I mean He REALLY loves his kids!!

A super, amazing, transforming, dark-vanquishing, wound-healing kind of love.

And he created 2015 :-) with every day inside of it.

So…

Where was God in the move? In the nights I held my weeping daughter because she ached for her friends? Where was He when my 2nd-born son retreated into his room, his happy-heart trying to cope with his new loneliness? Where was God when my kids had to switch schools all over again and step away from another set of friends to feel the sting of loneliness all over again? Where was He as I scrambled to place jobs together to help make ends-meet? Where was he in the desperate longing for the familiar comfort of deep-set friendships and the companionship of the everyday?

Where was He?

Right in the middle of all of the mess, shaping the moments and my heart to grow ever closer to Him. He was cradling each one of my children in their sadness and urging them to rest in Him. He was bending wills and instilling ‘new’ vision to help me gain a better perspective. He was teaching me, and my family, more about who he was so we could see him with clearer eyes.

He brought some awesome things in the middle of the difficulties. My first book came out in April and through that I made some amazing new friends. I applied to become an independently contracted speech-language pathologist (a choice I wouldn’t have made unless forced by circumstances) and I’m enjoying learning this new dynamic of my career. My children have a greater compassion for others and have learned to grow stronger in their faith.

So…this year, regardless of the crazy that 2016 brings, my word is Joy. Intentional Joy. The only kind that remains, even when all other lights appear to go out.

Joy that holds to truth regardless of circumstances. That whispers hope over bruised souls.

Super-Sized Joy.

And, of course, I won’t always remember this word – I’ll fail just like every other human, but the greater truth remains: He will NOT fail.

Keeping Joy at the forefront of my mind and heart this year will draw me closer to the Ultimate Joy. Christ.

May your 2016 be filled with Joy.

Super-sized Joy.

 

Cover Reveal Party!

So it’s TIME!!!

Finally time!!

Since signing my first publishing contract with Lighthouse of the Carolinas at ACFW 2014, I’ve been waiting and hoping for the day to introduce you all to one of my favorite novels – A Twist of Faith. In this modern-day retelling of the classic Pygmallion (or My Fair Lady) roles are reversed and a speech-language pathologist takes on the Appalachian accent of a cattle farmer.

Here are what some fabulous authors are saying about A Twist of Faith:

Eliza Doolittle digs her heels into the Appalachians in this witty and delightful charmer by Pepper Basham. A beautifully written tale that will sweep you away to a cozy spot in a mountain cabin. Highly recommended! – Janice Hanna Thompson, author of the Weddings by Bella series        

Pepper Basham updates the beloved classic tale of “My Fair Lady” with a fun twist: this time the professor is a woman with something to prove as she tries to prep and polish an Appalachian farmer for a big-city job interview. – Beth K. Vogt, author of Wish You Were Here and Take Another Look

So…. today if you leave a comment, you’ll enter to win a digital, early review copy of A Twist of Faith. Want two opportunities to win?

Head on over to Carrie Schmidt’s blog and join the conversation. A winner will be drawn from her commenters as well as mine!! www.readingismysuperpower.wordpress.com

okay…without further ado – HERE IS A TWIST OF FAITH!!!!

 

Twas the Night Jesus Came – Children’s Story

I wrote this story in 2009 and read it to my kids every Christmas Eve. I hope you’ll enjoy it too! Merry Christmas!

copyright 2009 Pepper D. Basham

Powerpoint of the picsTwas the Night Jesus Came

Super-Sized Joy. God-Sized Love

Life is busy.

Believe me, I know this truth all too well.

Between being a mom to 5 awesome kids (one who is applying COLLEGES right now), wife of a music minister, working as a speech-language path, and writing books (3 coming in 2016), I sometimes feel like I’m in a constant tailspin.

The daily ‘bog’ of business brings a heaviness to it which can sometimes blur our vision and we overlook the smallest beauties.

The crowded stores and streets also crowd out our excitement to share family time with our loved ones. The pressure to find the perfect gift presses out the sweetness of memory-building.

The ‘bigness’ of the expectations minimize the greatest reason for this season.

Great things truly come in small packages. In fact, SUPER-SIZED JOY came in a small package. A baby.

If you need to feel crowded, crowd your mind with the glories of such a love as God’s gift to the world.

If you need to feel pressure, press upon your heart the sweetness of his grace to those who lived in darkness.

If you need great expectations? Well, you can’t get any greater than the joy of knowing the most amazing gift we could ever ask for comes in the shape of grace.

God’s promise fulfilled. The Rescuer is born. Messiah. King. Healer.

Savior.

This is the reason for the season.

The hope of life, real life, through Jesus Christ.

Super-sized Joy.

God-sized Love.

 

Gratitude – An Attitude of the Heart

God uses the smallest people in my life to make the biggest impact on my heart.

My kids.

There are so many ways I see their understanding and growth at a younger level mirroring my spiritual growth  at an older level.

And sometimes, their simple statements wipe the dust of ‘life’ off of gospel truths I’ve allowed to become dimmed over time.

For example, a few months ago I was with my youngest daughter, Phoebe. We needed to pick up two quick items from the grocery section of Wal-Mart – time was short and money was tight. As we did a quick tour of the snacks there was a sale rack filled with little girl bathing suits.

Phoebe gasped. Low and behold there was a Little Mermaid bathing suit ON SALE and just her size. She oohed and ahhed over it for a moment and then asked the inevitable question: “Can I have that one, Mommy?”

It was a cute swimsuit. A GREAT price.

We were in a hurry. I had to get to work. She had to get to school. Things at work were tense. Things at home were busy. And the budget was ultra-tight.

I had to say ‘no’.

Her smile faded, but she didn’t say anything until we’d paid for our two items and walked out the door.

As I placed her in her carseat, she looked up at me and said, “Mommy, even if I don’t have that Little Mermaid swimming suit, God has given me a happy heart. Because God gives us happy hearts, doesn’t he?”

I almost melted in a pile of tears on the pavement.

God spoke to me through my daughter and reminded me of a simple, yet profound truth. Joy is a God-given constant – regardless of the circumstances.

Happiness changes based on the circumstances and disappointments. The trials or heartaches.

But joy is from God – and God’s love doesn’t change.

The point is this: Gratitude is wearing God-colored glasses to view our lives.

It doesn’t mean we’ll always be happy with our circumstances, but it does mean that at the heart of who we are there is solid peace and hope beyond our circumstances.

There is a certainty of being loved far greater than our human minds can ever comprehend.

There is knowledge that even though we can’t understand the situation, it had to sift through the fingers of a loving Father before it reached our lives.

I’ll leave you with two fabulous quotes by author Charlotte Bronte, whose life was certainly not what anyone would call ‘happy’ or ‘easy’.

She lost her mother at a young age, suffered from poor health her entire life, and watched all of her siblings die at young ages before her. The only Bronte

to marry, she at the age of 38, along with her unborn child.

Here are two of her quotes:

“Cheerfulness, it would appear, is a matter which depends fully as much on the state of things within, as the state of things without and around us.”

“I try to avoid looking forward or backward, and try to keep looking upward.”

Words to remember.

Welcome Linda Glaz, LPC author

With my upcoming release in April with Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas, I’ve had the opportunity to get to know some new authors who are sharing the writing journey with me in that house. It’s my pleasure to introduce Linda Glaz and her new release, Fear is Louder than Words.

Check out that cover! Doesn’t the story look so intriguing!! Just wait until you hear about it from Linda.

Thanks for visiting today, Linda. Would you share with us the basic gist of your novel, Fear is Louder than Words?

We have no way of knowing just how difficult life can be for those in celebrity status, be it a talk show host, athlete, or medical pioneer. We only see dollar signs and assume they are happy. But life can be difficult for everyone. Louder explores these themes using creepy characters alongside a romance.


Oooo, creepy characters and romance combined!! Plus a look into the life of a celebrity! It sounds really unique and interesting.  What do you hope readers will come away with after reading your novel?


That there is always hope. That we have to be open to change, and that we have to try let people into our lives.

 
A theme very dear to my heart…hope! So as you developed this story, which character from this book became your particular favorite? Why?


Oh, probably Rochelle. She’s sassy, caustic at times, vulnerable, but tries to always do her best to help other people.


Nice. She sounds like a strong heroine. And speaking of heroines, as the main character of your own life, would you tell us a little about YOU – where are you from? hobbies? Best dessert EVER! Top movies of all time…you know, the basics :-)



Oh, boy. I was raised with brothers, so I love all things boy! LOL. I love sports…go Redwings! I reffed soccer for 25 years, taught karate and self-defense off and on for 30 years. Served in the Air Force when it wasn’t a fashionable thing to do in any sense of the word. I love theatre. To watch it, be part of it-sing, sew costumes, wherever I’m needed. I directed Oklahoma at a community theatre 8 years ago, and I still have such awesome memories. Godspell and Les Mis are probably my faves. I absolutely LOVE to redo recipes so that they are grain-free sugar-free masterpieces. Best movie ever? Hmmmm…it has to be a Christmas movie. I am a Christmas-aholic! Seriously! Majorly! Completely! Maybe…A Christmas Carol. The ’38 version.


What an eclectic life!! And you’re a ‘classics’ lover I can tell :-)
 So, what’s on the horizon for you?


I have 5 other suspense novels that I’m editing, but also starting a new suspense around the topic of bullying. We’ll see how that evolves. Mostly, right now, I’m busy getting my clients’ works out there in a market that’s really tough for new authors, but quit is NOT in my vocabulary.

 

Good for you!! Fortitude and perseverance are definitely dietary staples in the life of a writer :-) Thanks so much for sharing about your book here today! To find out more, you can check out Linda’s book, Fear is Louder Than Words on Amazon or LPC.

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About Linda Glaz:

Linda is a wife, mother, and grandmother who draws most of her stories from life experiences and lifelong fears. Nothing like fear to weasel out a great suspense idea. Many of her story ideas come from her eclectic background. Linda is also a literary agent, so she stays on top of what the industry is looking for. Join her as she runs her characters through dark alleys, hospital morgues, and maybe a funhouse or two when she brings you heart-pounding Suspense Sealed With a Kiss.

 

Audio Book Giveaway for The Thorn Bearer

Oh boy! Oh boy! I have two audible copies to give away of my debut novel, The Thorn Bearer!! And guys, the narrator for the book is ENGLISH! Her accent and voice are so nice as you are swept away aboard the ill-fate Lusitania to the Derbyshire, England countryside.

You can hear Rachael’s lovely voice in this sample:

http://amzn.to/1kpCCef

For your chance to win a copy of this audio version to add to your collection, you can do these things for a chance to be in the drawing.

Leave a comment to this blog post with your email address. This will get your name in once. Easy peasy!
Like my Author Facebook Page (to have your name added again!!)
AND if you’ve already read The Thorn Bearer and just want this amazing audio version to add to your collection – I’ll place your name into the drawing for each review you’ve added for Amazon, B&N, and/or Goodreads. Leave that info in the comments too!! I’ll check out your review and then add your names to the drawing! So…. you could possibly have your name added five times!

Soooo…… leave your comments, reviews, and likes for your chance to win! The contest will be live until Wednesday, November 18th, 10pm.

Thanks so much for being a part of this journey.

Isle of Hope Blog Tour – Julie Lessman

Yesterday was National Author Day, and I’m honored to get to celebrate an author’s release this week who has been such an encouragement to me. For over five years, I’ve been blessed with Julie Lessman’s stories and her friendship, and now I’m excited to celebrate her newest (and first contemporary) novel, Isle of Hope.

Julie never fails to include three key components into her novels.

Romantic Tension
A compelling story
Faith

(Plus lots of kisses, but I figured that goes along with the ‘romantic tension’ thing) J

And don’t forget Julie loves to throw in that secondary romance of her older characters – which, to me, was an even more compelling and authentic romance in Isle of Hope than the younger characters’ romance, and making her themes of ‘forgiveness’ and ‘hope’ even more beautiful.

This story, at its naked core, is about forgiveness. A cast of broken people come together on the pages to find the ultimate healing through forgiveness, in its various forms. Lacey embodies the story’s heart as a woman whose past is littered with mistakes that have injured all the people she loves, especially the man she was supposed to marry eight years before. Her purpose in returning home after all those years of simmering bitterness is to seek forgiveness. Isle of Hope is an appropriate place for her to embark on this journey of reconciliation, healing, and, of course, hope. That’s what almost every character in the story is looking for. From the ‘hope’ of a second romance even as one grows older, to the hope of forgiveness for breaking a fiancé’s heart, to the craving of healing between a father and a daughter, Julie Lessman’s novel provides the answer of ‘hope’ in each character in her novel.

Now, if you are an avid reader of Julie’s books, you’ll discover a few differences about this one. The faith thread is much more overt in Isle of Hope than in any of her other novels, which provides opportunity for her to share a deeper understanding of the reconciliation and healing of the Gospel.

Another slight difference is the pacing of this book. Because of the storyline taking a longer focus on faith, the pacing may not feel as fast as in her previous books, which may suit wounded readers well as Lessman continually reminds them in each fictional relationship of God’s outpouring of grace as a balm to cure to most broken souls.

And though the kisses seemed more tender than spicy, (and there were still some spicy ones) the overall focus of the book was more about piecing together lives with hope and forgiveness than being swept away in a lover’s embrace (unless the ‘lover’ was the Lover of our souls).

This novel was a beautiful story and one that will remind you of how much you are loved by a Mender of broken things. Definitely a worthwhile read from Julie Lessman.

What people are saying:

“Emotionally captivating and spiritually challenging” — Denise Hunter.

“Lush details, dynamic characters, and a storyline that keeps you turning the pages” — Beth Vogt

“A delight!” — Becky Wade
 

COVER REVEAL WINNERS

Hey guys! I’ve listed the four winners of the Cover Reveal Party for The Thorn Bearer on my Facebook Author Page! Check it out at https://www.facebook.com/Pepper-D-Basham-104179697000/

And thanks so much for celebrating with me!!