Pepper Basham's Blog, page 18

Book Journeys – London

In anticipation of my upcoming release, Just the Way You Are, I’m going to take you on my characters’ journeys through different settings in the book.

Our first stop is London….[image error]

My heroine, Eisley Barrett, arrives in Heathrow International Airport and is swept off her homicidal heels by the suspicious, reformed rogue, Wes Harrison. Her quaint Appalachian world has her daydreaming about England and her wounded heart keeps her from seeing God’s possibilities for her life.

Before traveling to the beautiful midlands of Derbyshire, Eisley is taken on a whirlwind tour of London by Wes’ parents, Daniel and Eleanor Harrison. So…what does she see?

Walk with me 

[image error]In this picture you can see Big Ben behind my son Ben. So it’s kind of like Ben-squared.

Wes drives her across Westminster Bridge where Eisley gets her first glimpse at the iconic Big Ben.

(Historical Note: Big Ben is actually the name of the bell in the tower. The actual structure is named the Elizabeth Tower and caps off the north end of the Palace of Westminster where the houses of Parliament meet. For Queen Elizabeth II. The tower – and palace- are not really that old as far as age is measured in Europe. It was completed in the early-mid 1800s after the original structure was destroyed by fire.)

Eisley takes a tour of the West End of London and caps off her experience (before a Christmas gala) by taking a trip on the London Eye. (she’s not so great with heights). Here’s a little snippet of video from our half-hour ‘flight’ on the London Eye, where you get an amazing view of the city.

(Right before taking our flight on the London Eye)

(Historical Note: This giant Ferris wheel is banked on the river Thames and was erected in 1999. It’s “predecessor” was the The Great Wheel and was built in 1895. It’s the largest ferris wheel in Europe and gives you an ‘expensive’ view. As a visitor’s note – you can get the same view for much cheaper on the newly built Shard’s observation deck.)

(Aboard the London Eye – view)

Eisley’s final night in London, she attends a charity Christmas gala in a 400 year old building, sprinkled with white Christmas lights. Oh yes, romance is in the air like Christmas magic, but you’ll have to read the story for more details.

However, because I don’t want to torture you too much (or because I DO) here’s another sneak peek into that very magical night in Just the Way You Are.

Excerpt:

Eisley wasn’t in Pleasant Gap anymore. If the accents and expensive food didn’t convince her, then the white Christmas lights sprinkled about a magical fourteenth century manor house clued her in. She stopped in the doorway and closed her eyes to steady her nerves. Lord, don’t let me embarrass Mr. and Mrs. Harrison, or fall flat on my face, or have another stupid migraine…

She sighed and stepped across the threshold.

[image error]Voices murmured in a quiet hum with the music from a string quartet, crystal and silver tinkled like Christmas bells, and the soft breeze from the dance floor whispered against her warm cheeks, carrying the scents of cinnamon and berries. Magical. A smooth parade of couples glided across the dance floor, moving to the music like a misty dream. A rivulet of envy spliced her middle. She’d practically lamed poor Mr. H during his brief dance instructions before the gala, proving one thing: Two lessons doth not a dancer make.

The couple in the middle of the room caught her attention. Wes danced with a goddess to match his Adonis persona. Long, smooth legs. Thin freckle-free arms. A Scarlet O’Hara look-alike wearing a red…towel? From the flow of it, it couldn’t really be a towel. Maybe an oversized red scarf.

Vivian Barry in the flesh – enough visible, wrinkle-free flesh to model for Victoria’s Secret. If possible, Vivian was more stunning in person than the magazine photos. Oh, to have curves and a waistline like that! Eisley sucked in her stomach and stood up a little straighter. No use. She groaned. Chocolate ice cream was such a traitor.

Daniel Harrison nudged Eisley out of her stupor and whispered, “Would you care to dance, Luv?”

She pressed into his shoulder with her own, curbing a touch of homesickness with his camaraderie. “No thanks, you sweet man. I’ll just stand here and do my dad’s kind of dancing.” Eisley pointed to her black heels. “Tap my toe, nod my head to the beat, and smile as if I know something no one else knows. Believe me, it’s less catastrophic this way.”

Daniel chuckled. “I’ve a mind to like this family of yours.”

Eisley pushed a mock shudder through her body. “And you think I make a lasting impression? Just wait until you meet my dad and brothers.” She whistled low. “You’ll never be the same.”

Her attention drifted back[image error] to the couple on the dance floor. Wes’s hand rested on the small of Vivian’s back, the awareness of it sending sparks skidding up Eisley’s spine. Stupid hormones. Vivian’s palm touched Wes shoulder, their poise a perfect match. They looked beautiful.

“Like the cover of a storybook.”

“Pardon?” Daniel asked, leaning closer.

Eisley nodded toward Wes and Vivian. “The two of them look perfect together, like a fairy tale.”

Eleanor made some noise resembling a growl and murmured something that sounded suspiciously like “wicked witch.”

Eisley bit the inside of her lips to keep from asking, but curiosity unlocked her jawbone. She reached for a glass of water, feigning indifference. “They’ve been together a long time, haven’t they?”

Eleanor closed her eyes, wearily. “I’ll not deny they’ve had a past, but I certainly hope he’s outgrown her shallow ploys. If he doesn’t have wits enough to steer clear of her, he deserves a sound slap.”

The thought of Wes Harrison receiving a sound slap tickled a grin and teased her attention back to the dance floor as the music drew to a close. Just then, Wes’s gaze caught hers. His smile started from one crooked corner and spread all the way across to a dimple on the other side.

Oh, what a smile. The kind to send embittered women out of their self-imposed spinsterhood. The kind to shatter the singleness of the resolute celibate. The kind that made her knees a little too shaky to ever consider dancing.

God’s Got This

 

[image error]My 15 year old daughter is a pretty amazing kid. She’s confident, smart, pretty, and has a mad-awesome gift for art. She’s also pretty mature, which is why when she asked to start a job, her dad and I figured she was ready.

She is.

But some interesting things happened for this whole job thing. Last week she had her first day of work (1/2 day) at a local, small restaurant near our house. She was nervous but excited. She folded silverware in napkins for 4 hours.

She was not excited!

[image error]Some of Lydia’s artwork

I told her that if she did her work well in small things, they’d give her more responsibility. It’s part of the learning curve.

So when her next shift came up today, she was even MORE nervous and basically told me she didn’t want to go. In fact, she was SO nervous, she almost cried. I was trying to sort it all out and realized she was terrified of two things…failing and not finding joy in what she was doing.

For hours she DREADED going into work. We talked a lot about it. I said, “Lydia, you’ve got this! You have all the skills you need to do a great job AND as they see what a good worker you are, they’ll give you more responsibilities and you’ll like it better”

[image error]She didn’t believe me. She couldn’t SEE past her fear.

How often are we like this? As a child of God, I allow fear to crowd out the truth I know that God is in control. So even when I think I’ll fail – even when I don’t believe I’ll find joy in the choices He places before me, He inevitably knows best and I can TRUST that He knows me better than I know myself (and He LOVES me infinitely more than I can ever comprehend)

Even when He pushes me into a situation that leaves me terrified, nervous, uncertain, or even frustrated, His view of my path is certain, sure…and for my BEST!

Let’s get back to Lydia?

She was given two new responsibilities today and came home grinning – sooooo happy with her own accomplishment and job. In fact, she hummed, had a lighter hop to her step, and all those fears had dissipated. She told me, “Mom, I’m sorry I complained. I can handle this, I just couldn’t see it.”

God sees so much better than we do, and he doesn’t leave us without the resources (in Him) that we need to complete the tasks He gives us to do!

Isn’t that an amazing grace!

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according  to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” Eph 3:20-21 (ESV)

 

Book Journeys – Bath UK Part 2

[image error]my son ,”Jane”, me, and my hubby

On March 6, my first novella is released in a fun compilation entitled Love at First Laugh. Seriously, people, it’s 8 stories, to tickle your funny bones and tie up your heartstrings, for only .99!! WOW!

You certainly want to purchase those now. Right here

Book Journeys – Bath, UK #1

[image error]My upcoming novella, Second Impressions, which is released in a fun compilation called Love at First Laugh, takes place in the beautiful city of Bath, UK during the Jane Austen Festival.

 

A few things of note:[image error]

Bath is a beautiful city.
There’s lots more to see than just what is in the city.
The spirit of Jane Austen is still alive and well in Bath – especially durin

g this festival

Kiss or Miss results

[image error]Well, you guys, the turnout for the Kiss or Miss Scavenger Hunt was AMAZING!!

The personal winner for Stacy’s blog post is attennos39 – so make sure you send me an email with your contact information!! WOOHOO!!!

As a recap, here was Stacy Claflin’s scene and at the end I’ll tell you whether it was a kiss or a miss

Cover Reveal…and massive celebrating

[image error]Okay, this week has been CRAZY…and it’s ONLY Tuesday!

At least it’s the good kind of crazy, right?

I have so much to share with you guys!!! (and….of course, I’m saving my favorite for last…so don’t scroll down and steal my thunder 

Kiss or Miss Blog Tour – Stop 2

[image error] Recap:

Remember to start at Crystal Walton’s site for all the links to the blogs involved in this tour!!!

Here Are the Deets:

Scavenger Hunt Schedule: February 13th through the 17th

Once you have all the words (that are hidden in each blog post and marked in red), arrange them in order to complete the mystery quote and enter it on the final stop of the event on Crystal’s site, 2/17.

Grand Prize: A paperback from each participating author, as shown in the image below.

[image error]

Be sure to visit each author’s site for giveaways, sales, and fun! (You’ll find that link HERE)  Once you have the mystery quote, come back to this site on February 17th and enter it in the grand giveaway.

Stop 2:

A huge thank you to Pepper for hosting me and Seaside Kisses on her blog! I’m excited to be here, and a part of the scavenger hunt!

My name is Stacy Claflin, and I’m a multi-genre USA Today bestselling author. My Hunters series is Sweet Romance. It follows the Hunter family, five brothers in California and their cousins in Oregon.

In Seaside Kisses, we meet Rafael Hunter and Amara Fowler, both lifelong residents of the small seaside town Kittle Falls. Rafael would rather not be there, but life has left him no other choice. His clothing business in LA failed, so he’s forced to return home.

Amara has never left, and now she and her twin brother share responsibility running their parents’ candy shop. She also never forgot about her high school crush – Rafael. When he returns home, she can’t believe it. And even more shocking, he seems to have taken notice in her!

Seaside Kisses excerpt

Being next to Rafael Hunter reminded Amara of all the times she’d shared a desk with him in school. But even then, they hadn’t been this close. She could smell his cologne and their sides touched.

He didn’t seem at all bothered by it—not that she was bothered by his touch. After the spot was cleaned, he moved over and dipped the rag into the bucket. “Let’s see if I can do this next one on my own.”

“I have faith in you,” she teased.

Rafael gave her a funny look. It appeared to be a mixture of embarrassment and determination. “Thanks.” He scrubbed, removing the egg faster than even she had.

“See?” Amara asked. “I told you. It just takes some muscle.”

Rafael’s lips curved upward and he flexed his muscles, making them bulge even more through his silk shirt.

Amara enjoyed the sight for a moment and then reached back into the bucket and found another rag. “Is that a challenge?” she teased. She squeezed out the excess water and then rubbed a spot on the window.

“Hey!” Rafael laughed and attacked another spot.

They cleaned furiously, laughing the whole time. Just before they were done, Amara splashed some suds on Rafael’s face, careful to avoid his nice shirt.

“Oh, yeah?” he asked, his eyes gleaming. He scooped up a handful of bubbles and held them up, his eyes narrowing but his mouth grinning handsomely.

Amara’s mouth dropped open. She squealed and ducked just Rafael threw the suds. They splashed onto the door behind her. Amara glanced back and laughed. She turned, and just as she made eye contact with Rafael a big glob of foam splashed onto her whole face.

She froze, surprised.

“Oh, no,” Rafael said. “I’m so sorry.” But he was laughing. It was a beautiful sound.

Amara laughed, too. “It’s okay.” She wiped some of the bubbles off, flinging them onto the ground. Luckily none had gotten into her eyes, or that would have been trouble for her contacts.

“Let me help you with that.” Rafael stepped closer and wiped more of the suds from her eyes to her jawline. His hands lingered near her cheeks, almost cupping her face.

Amara’s breath caught and they stared into each other’s eyes. Swallowing, she reached up and wiped some soap from his stubble.

Neither spoke, and Amara’s heart pounded so loudly she thought it would explode out of her chest.

Rafael leaned closer—so close she could smell mint on his breath. Her eyes widened, her skin on fire. He paused, still staring into her eyes.

Is it a kiss or miss? Leave a comment below for your chance to win a free ebook from the series!

You can read Seaside Kisses for free here: https://www.instafreebie.com/free/jRQjr

About the Author

[image error]USA Today bestselling author Stacy Claflin entertains readers in a variety of genres, from paranormal to suspense to sweet contemporary romance. She has been telling stories for as long as she can remember, and as a child would often get into trouble trying to convince friends her wild tales were true. Now she puts her creativity to better use by writing page-turning books that leave readers begging for more. Join Stacy’s newsletter to receive three free novels and new release updates.

Join Stacy’s newsletter to get three free novels. Click the link and register on the next page to get your books right away: http://stacyclaflin.com/newsletter

Upcoming Writerly News

[image error]

2016 proved a pretty busy writing year for me.

In February, the second book in the Penned in Time series, The Thorn Kee[image error]per, hit the shelves. In April, my first contemporary romance novel, A Twist of Faith, made its debut to kick-off the Mitchell’s Crossroads series, and my historical romance series came to a end (close to home) with the release of The Thorn Healer in December.

What’s on the horizon for 2017?

Well, it looks like it’s going to be a contemporary romance year for me!

In March, my first novella arrives as a compilation with a lot of wonderful authors. It’s romantic (because….why would I write anything else

The Unimaginable – grace in Hamilton

So….

[image error]My 15-year-old music loving girl has become quite passionate about this not-so-new phenomenon of Hamilton, the musical. To say this will help her in American History class is an understatement because…she not only as the whole thing memorized, she’s started researching information around the history of the revolution just to check on her ‘friends’ in the musical

A Moonbow Night by Laura Frantz

[image error]Of one thing I am certain, Laura Frantz’s writing holds as spellbinding a quality as the stories she weaves with such intricate detail. A Moonbow Night is no different. Steeping in imagery thick with the mountains and hollows of frontier Appalachia, Laura introduces us, not only to riveting characters as alive to history as the famous Daniel Boone, but also to a culture, faith, and setting that breathes off the page.

Tempe Tucker is a true-to-life Appalachian woman with grit, tenacity, and a strength to survive all that the beautiful-yet-dangerous landscape might provide. As one of the few inn’s along the Shawnee River in the wilds of Kentucky, her family live by ingenuity, hard-work, willpower, and faith.

One of the many passages I LOVED LOVED in this book is:

“Scripture.”

“Say any by heart?”

“Some. But I’d rather live it by heart.”

Sion Morgan enters her world as a Virginia surveyor looking for an experienced guide to lead his crew. He gets more than he bargained for in Tempe Tucker….but so does she. Sion’s quiet, somewhat aloof, and yet surprising personality tugs upon the strings around Tempe’s heart.

[image error]

http://victoriafalls24.com/blog/2013/07/03/moonbow-victoria-falls/

They seem to be two people born of a similar strength and a similar pain, yet of a very different spiritual views…until Tempe’s faith and directness wiggle through Sion’s doubt with a quiet perseverance. It’s beautiful to see how Tempe becomes Sion’s guide in more ways than a navigator through the Kentucky wilderness, but also a shepherdess, of sorts, toward a deeper treasure for his soul.

Secondary characters pack the pages with levity, increasing depth, heartache, and challenges, and as usual in a Laura Frantz book, just as no sense is spared, neither is any emotion.

Like the expert guide, Laura leads us on a journey as beautiful as it is dangerous. As gripping as it is revealing – and we are left with a masterpiece of words in our hands and hearts.

Someday I hope to write a story as poetic and profound as A Moonbow Night. Thank you, Laura, for sharing your gift of storytelling with the world.

I received this copy of A Moonbow Night from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group