Ada Brownell's Blog, page 57

Depressed? Author Sharon Srock brings some sunshine for you

Your attitude determines your altitudeBy Sharon Srock

Meet this unique author!
Author Sharon Srock went from science fiction to Christian fiction at slightly less than warp speed. Twenty five years ago, she cut her writer's teeth on Star Trek fiction. Today, she writes inspirational stories that focus on ordinary women using their faith to accomplish extraordinary things. Sharon lives in the middle of nowhere Oklahoma with her husband and three very large dogs. Her books include: The Women of Valley View: Callie and The Women of Valley View: Terri, both of which are currently available. The Women of Valley View: Pam will release 11 April 2014
This is the day which the Lordhath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. (Psalm 118:24)
This is one of the prettiest spots I ever visited. Mild temperatures, inviting water, sweet ocean breezes, and hammocks hung in strategic locations, temping a body to slow down and take it all in. In this idyllic spot, who could fail to have a good day? Unfortunately most of us don’t have the luxury of spending many days in such lazy beauty. Real life will intrude.

Take a close look at the verse above. Do you see anywhere where it says:This is the day which the Lord hath made;“And God is going to make good things happen to me today so I can be happy.”“And God is going to give me the promotion, raise, vacation, relationship,  I want so I can have a good day.”“God is going to make sure that (insert sports team or individual here) does well today, so I will have a smile on my face.”“God is going to move me to a piece of beach front property so I’ll have something to rejoice about.”
I could type these examples all day and none of them would be true. “…we will rejoice…” A choice, regardless of our personal circumstances, the actions of others, failure to get what we think we want, today we will make a conscious choice to rejoice in the special day the Lord made, or not.
Here are some tips on how to do that. 1.       Spend some time with the Father. It’s hard to rejoice in what He has made if we aren’t speaking to him.2.       Sit down and make a list of five things that you have to be grateful for.3.       Treat yourself to something special today. It doesn’t have to be big or expensive. Stop somewhere and indulge in your favorite coffee or ice cream.4.       Call a friend or family member you haven’t seen in a while and tell them you love them.5.       Do something nice for someone else without them knowing about it. 6.       Sit down for a meal with your family and tell each one why they are special to you.
Repeat after me…TODAY IS SPECIAL.
 Your attitude determines your altitude




Women of Valley View Novel:  PAM, by Sharon Srock


Pam’s divorce broke her heart. The cruelty of her ex-husband broke her spirit. A bottle of sleeping pills almost took her life. Four years later the scars of Alan Archer’s emotional abuse are beginning to fade under the love of her new husband. When Alan returns to Garfield, Pam must learn that buried secrets and carefully cultivated indifference do not equal forgiveness.
Alan Archer has returned to Garfield with a new wife and a terminal heart condition. His mission? To leave a Christian legacy for his children and to gain Pam’s forgiveness for the sins of his past.
Two hearts hang in the balance waiting for the delicate touch of God’s healing hands.











Other books in the Women of Valley View series:



. Recieve Sharon's newsletterConnect with her at www.sharonsrock.com..Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SharonSrock#!...
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6448789.Sharon_SrockPinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/sharonlsrock/boards/Please visit her AMAZON page to find current info on her books: http://www.amazon.com/Sharon-Srock/e/B009OB2HSO/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1Free PDF: MEET THE WOME OF VALLEY VIEW:http://pelink.us/wovvbonus
Free Novella: FOR MERCIE’S SAKE
http://www.amazon.com/For-Mercies-Sake-Sharon-Srock-ebook/dp/B00I6MYBSG/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_d_3Author Sharon Srock went from science fiction to Christian fiction at slightly less than warp speed. Twenty five years ago, she cut her writer's teeth on Star Trek fiction. Today, she writes inspirational stories that focus on ordinary women using their faith to accomplish extraordinary things. Sharon lives in the middle of nowhere Oklahoma with her husband and three very large dogs. Her books include: The Women of Valley View: Callie and The Women of Valley View: Terri, both of which are currently available. The Women of Valley View: Pam will release 11 April 2014.Recieve Sharon's newsletterConnect with her at www.sharonsrock.com..Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SharonSrock#!...
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6448789.Sharon_SrockPinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/sharonlsrock/boards/Please visit her AMAZON page to find current info on her books: http://www.amazon.com/Sharon-Srock/e/B009OB2HSO/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1Free PDF: MEET THE WOME OF VALLEY VIEW:http://pelink.us/wovvbonus
Free Novella: FOR MERCIE’S SAKEhttp://www.amazon.com/For-Mercies-Sake-Sharon-Srock-ebook/dp/B00I6MYBSG/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_d_3

DOES JESUS LIVE? RESURRECTION: EVIDENCE, OR PROOF?

By Ada BrownellI imagine you’ve read or heard the true stories about someone taken to the morgue, and then a hand moves, an eye opens, or a leg lifts, and the person is alive.
Perhaps you were one of the thousands who purchased Heaven is For Real, the story of a young boy who emerges from life-saving surgery with remarkable stories about  heaven. The book about little Colton by Todd Burpo, a Nebraska pastor, has 7,781 reviews and now is a movie.
I attended a writers’ conference where the keynote speaker was Cecil Muriphey, who wrote 90 Minutes in Heaven with Don Piper, who lived again after declared dead at the scene of an accident where his car was crushed under the wheels of a truck .A pastor waiting at the scene 90 minutes later said God told him to pray for the dead man. He did, and Piper immediately breathed and came to life. The book is another best seller.
I tell in my book, Swallowed by Life: Mysteries of Death, Resurrection and the Eternal, about Lynn Orr, a man I knew in Denver, who had a heart attack. He said one minute he lay in a hospital bed, and the next his bare feet stood on a smooth street paved with gold. In the distance, he saw a beautiful gate and a city. He smelled gorgeous flowers, and heard singing and rejoicing. He talked with Jesus. Then he was back in the bed, worrying his body wasn’t covered as medical personnel zapped his heart and brought him back.



I don’t remember how long Lynn was said  to be clinically dead, but he testified to the glories of heaven and a few weeks after I heard him speak, he went to be with Jesus. He said after seeing heaven, he no longer desired to live on earth.
To many people, these testimonies are proof of life after death. They are wonderful to hear. Yet, are they proof?
In Swallowed by Life, I present evidence from medical science that we are more a body.  I go into the miracles of cell death and rejuvenation, where our bodies die and are replaced one cell at a time until after seven years our whole body has died and been renewed except for the central nervous system, and some evidence shows even dead brain cells sometimes rejuvenate.
But the greatest evidence is before our eyes all the time. We begin life as a fertilized egg and we’re the person we became from the day God’s life burst into that egg. We grew in the womb and were born at seven pounds or so, and we’re still the same person.
I or you could lose weight, a part of our flesh, and we’re still me or you—whoever we were before.
We could lose a leg, an arm, an eye, have diseased  organs removed. A surgeon could even cut out our heart, kidneys, lungs and transplant someone else’s and we would still be who we are.
All the things I mention are evidence we are more than a body. A neurologist told me he believes the brain is the residence of the soul, so perhaps that’s why the neurological system doesn’t die and regenerate constantly as other parts do.
Yet, is that proof we aren’t as connected to our bodies as we thought? I think it’s great evidence, but still it’s not proof.
Why? Because resurrection and salvation are matters of faith. John tells us, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
 Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever believes in me will never die” (John 10:25-26).
 St. Paul wrote to the Romans, “If you confess with your mouth ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9).
Jesus said, “Because I live, you also will live” (John 14:19).
 The Romans and the Jews never found his body, at least 500 people saw him after the Resurrection, the soldiers testified he was dead, the disciples preached and wrote that they were eyewitnesses, some of them convinced when at first they didn't believe.
On the day of Pentecost, 40 days after the Resurrection, Peter preached in the public square that He'd risen from the dead and 3,000 people believed.
 No one would die for something they knew was a lie, and according the scripture and tradition, all the disciples gave their lives for the faith except Judas, who committed suicide after his betrayal of the Son of God, and John, who died imprisoned on Patmos.
Do you believe? That’s what you need to do, because no one will prove it, and you have to believe in Jesus to live forever. It won't make any difference what your relatives print in your obituary about you being in heaven.
It’s your decision.

Don't wait for proof about the eternal. Jesus told about a rich man, recorded in Luke 16, who had no compassion for other people who died and went to hell.

The man was in such torment he requested that Abraham send a righteous beggar, Lazarus, who died at the rich man's gate, to his five brothers to tell them to how to avoid hell.

"They have Moses and the prphets, let them hear them," Abraham said.

"But if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent," the man in hell said.

Abraham answered, "If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead."

The truth of those words has been confirmed by millions in every generation who refuse to repent, although the Son of God rose from the dead and is alive forevermore.

©Ada Brownell April 14, 2014
BOOK SUMMARY AND AUTHOR BIO



SWALLOWED BY LIFE: Mysteries of Death, Resurrection and the Eternal
                                          By Ada Brownell
Do you know evidence shows we’re more than a physical body? The author, a prolific religion writer and retired medical journalist, talks about the evidence; the wonder of life with all its electrical systems; the awesome truth about cell death and regeneration; mysteries surrounding the change from mortal to immortal; where we go when our body dies; resurrection; and a glimpse at what we will do in heaven. Questions and answers make this non-fiction inspirational book a great text for group study. It’s written for support groups, religion classes, people with chronic or terminal illness, individuals who fear death or are curious about it, the grieving, and those who give them counsel.An excerpt from Swallowed by Life was featured in the June 2, 2013, “Reading for Spiritual Health” edition of The Pentecostal Evangel.
Where you can find Swallowed by Life:Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001KJ2C06Barnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/JnbKVLBooksamillion.com http://ow.ly/cJmx8 And you can see reviews on GoodReads http://ow.ly/cJmMeChristian Publishers Outlet also has the paperback

Ada Brownell bioAda Brownell has been writing for Christian publications since age 15 and spent much of her life as a daily newspaper reporter. She has a B.S. degree in Mass Communications and worked most of her career at The Pueblo Chieftain in Colo., where she spent the last seven years as a medical writer. After moving to Springfield, MO in her retirement, she continues to free lance for Christian publications and write non-fiction and fiction books. She is critique group leader of Ozarks Chapter of American Christian Writers.She is author of Imagine the Future You, Dec. 6, 2013; Joe the Dreamer: The Castle and the Catapult, released Jan. 15, 2013; Swallowed by Life: Mysteries of Death, Resurrection and the Eternal, released Dec. 6, 2011; and Confessions of a Pentecostal, published by the Assemblies of God’s Gospel Publishing House in 1978, out- of-print but released in 2012 for Kindle. All the books are available in paper or for Kindle.      Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/AdaBrownellWritingMinistries     Twitter: @adellerellaBlog: http://inkfromanearthenvessel.blogspot.comStick to Your Soul EncouragementAmazon Ada Brownell author page: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001KJ2C06



· 

FREEDOM OF RELIGION OR FREEDOM FROM RELIGION? JOE THE DREAMER FREE TODAY AND SUNDAY

EXCERPT FROM JOE THE DREAMER: THE CASTLE AND THE CATAPULTBy Ada Brownell
FREE APRIL 11-13
http://buff.ly/XeqTvH       

Halting footsteps on the concrete roused Darin Baker from a deep sleep the next morning, as someone limped to the dungeon. The round-top door creaked open.“The sun’s shining. Have I been asleep that long?” Darin asked, struggling to stand when he saw Gorilla. For the first time in weeks, he felt rested.Gorilla’s huge body towered over him. “Get up. Dr. Zogg said to take you out.”“Why?”“Cuz he’s the owner of this here castle now, and he’s the boss,” Gorilla said, motioning to the stairway leading to the door.Confusion whirled in Darin’s mind like a prairie dust devil as Gorilla limped up the steps on his broken toe, his meaty hand holding Darin’s arm. Could execution be next?“What happened to the other owner?” Darin asked.“None of your business,” Gorilla snapped.  A few minutes later, another guard shoved a sack into Darin’s hand. Inside the sack were two lukewarm breakfast sandwiches. Darin’s mouth watered. He unwrapped one, took two huge bites, and then stuffed the whole thing in his mouth. After he swallowed, he realized what he had done. Horrified, he twisted the sack, leaving the other sandwich inside.Kermesis strode up to him, a grin on his tanned face. “Is this another bribe?”“Get your tummy full, and we’ll talk. You apparently weren’t hungry enough last night.”“You know, you folks are repeating the Holocaust!” Darin said. “Trying to eliminate a certain group in the United States—the country founded for freedom! You’ll soon be pitching our starved bodies over the wall.”Kermesis cleared his throat, folded his arms, and cradled his chin on one fist. “Dr. Zogg was quite upset about your interruptions during last night’s meeting.”“We’re still supposed to have freedom of speech in America.” Darin shoved the sack toward him.“Your freedom ends where ours begins. We have thousands of people who want freedom from religion.”“Not really. What you really want is to force your own set of beliefs onto everyone else.”“What I want is your software design. You must have it here, because we’ve searched your house. Give it to me, and we won’t need to train your kids in the art of suicide bombing.”“What?”Kermesis grinned and stretched out his hand containing the food. “We also need you to lay stone, and you’ll work faster if you eat.”“No!”“Take it, Darin. You have something I want, and I have something you need—nutritious food.”“Then why don’t you feed all of us?”“We tried last night.”“It’s bad enough that you make us work here, let alone starve us to death.”“We’re teaching you a lesson you refuse to learn.”Kermesis shoved the sack into Darin’s hands. “Keep it. Think about food and freedom.”“How will you finish the wall and gatehouse if we all die?” Darin asked. “Capture more Christians?”“Dr. Zogg plans to start collecting money.”“Not quite like building a church, is it?”Kermesis crinkled his forehead. “How so?”“People  work, sacrifice, and give because they love the Lord, and the Lord sometimes stretches finances.”“Well, people do love our cause. You’ll see.”“Did you grow up learning about God? Did your mother serve the Lord?”“Leave my mom out of this!” Kermesis angrily spat on the ground next to Darin.   “I’ll pray for you and for her,” Darin was about to hand the sandwich back, then decided to share it with someone.“Use your energy to get that wall built,” Kermesis growled. “We’re supposed to have this wall finished now.”Darin put the sack into his holey pocket and walked toward the pile of stones.
“We have a man keeping an eye on your children. Your kids live with that powerful newspaper man, but we’ll do whatever is necessary to get the computer chip.”
Book Summary:
Joe the Dreamer: The Castle and the CatapultBy A.B. BrownellFree April 11-13
Enter an area where people are missing and radicals want to obliterate Christianity from the earth. After Joe Baker’s parents and 30 other people mysteriously disappear, he finds himself with a vicious man after him. Joe and an unusual gang team up to find his mom and dad. The gang is committed to preventing and solving crimes with ordinary harmless things such as noise, water, and a pet skunk instead of blades and bullets. Joe reads the Bible hoping to discover whether God will answer prayer and bring his parents home. In his dreams, Joe slips into the skin of Bible characters and what happened to them, happens to him—the peril and the victories. Yet, crying out in his sleep causes him to end up in a mental hospital’s juvenile unit. Will he escape or will he be harmed? Will he find his parents? Does God answer prayer?
 No fantasy. No wizard, but suspense that sometimes makes you smile. Christian payload. Joe the Dreamer: The Castle and the Catapult http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001KJ2C06 or https://www.createspace.com/3962829The book is also available at Barnesandnoble.com, and is listed at Goodreads.com
©Copyright Ada Brownell January 2012

RADICALS WANT TO ELIMINATE CHRISTIANITY BY HIGHJACKING INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE

EXCERPTS FROM JOE THE DREAMER: THE CASTLE AND CATAPULT
FREE APRIL 11-13
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001KJ2C06
OR http://buff.ly/XeqTvH       

From Chapter One

Baker looked at the kitchen window again, hoping headlights would turn in to the driveway. Instead, an image moved on the other side of the glass. A tremble ricocheted from Joe’s chest to his fingers and toes. A hotdog chunk he bit off almost lodged in his throat. “What time is it?” Brown hair framed the scowl on Penny’s slightly freckled face as she sat across from him at the glass-topped table. “I’m worried about Mom and Dad.” Joe swallowed. Tangy mustard taste lingered on his dry tongue.“They’re probably fine,” he choked out. He dropped what was left of his bun on his plate and ran over to see if a friend peeped at them. At first, Joe’s tan face, thick mop of black hair, and frightened brown eyes reflected in the window. He leaned closer. A bald head he’d never seen before glistened. Huge eyes glared from the other side of the glass. The man’s drooping jowls jiggled as a hand tried to push the window open.
“Get out of here!” Joe yelled blood and panic pulsing through him as he flipped the blind shut and pulled his cell from his pocket. He dialed 911.
*** The man was now kicking the door. He motioned for Penny to follow him into their parents’ bedroom. Listening for police sirens, he mentally repeated the Shaws’ number. He slammed the door, flipped open his cell phone again, and punched. As he waited for the answer, Penny’s wet eyes, instead of her mouth, screamed for help.“Faulkner here,” a deep voice answered. “Mom and Pop aren’t here, and a man is banging on the door. Do you know where our parents are?” Joe’s jaw twitched.“Pardon?” demanded Uncle Faulkner. “Slow down and run that by me again. Is this Joe? You should identify yourself!”Joe slowly repeated, “Do you or Aunt Anna know where my parents are?”“Haven’t heard a thing,” Faulkner said. “Answer the door. And shut your dog up while you’re trying to talk on the phone!”“But this dude peeked in—” The dial tone buzzed.A loud BAAAAM echoed, and Joe grabbed Penny. “Into Mom and Dad’s closet!” Just as they closed themselves into the closet, the front door crashed open. The burglar alarm screamed. Hefley snarled.***About fifty miles away, two big hairy men shoved Darin and Rose Baker across the drawbridge into Sir Henry’s castle.They stumbled up a wide marble-tiled stairway, hands tied behind their backs.“We got ‘im,” said the beast who pushed Darin into the room. “But his wife was with ‘im. Couldn’t leave a witness.”Darin’s eyes adjusted to the dimly lit room. Rose seemed to be in shock. Then he turned his gaze so he could see what his wife stared at.It couldn’t be true!“Untie these folks,” Kermesis told the goons. “Kermesis! You’re involved in this? I thought when you turned the business over to Caleb—” Darin’s voice echoed in the chamber-like room.“That I forgot you have a computer software design I want?”“It’s mine.” Darin watched as the big thug released the bonds.“Now listen here, Darin. I was paying you good money when you created that design.”“I created the program at home on my own time. It’s not yours.”“Where is it?”Over in a corner, Darin recognized several leaders of local churches and a priest. Apparently they had been abducted, too.“I want that software design, Darin. If you don’t tell us where it is, we’ll get your children.” “No!” Rose screamed. Her high-pitched shrieks continued until the monster who had nabbed her in the parking lot put his pillow-sized hand over her nose and mouth. She pulled at the massive fingers as she struggled for air, her face turning red, then bluish.

WHAT WOULD THE WORLD BE LIKE WITHOUT CHRISTIANS? An excerpt from The Castle and the Catapult

EXCERPT FROMJOE THE DREAMER: THE CASTLE AND THE CATAPULTBy Ada Brownell
FREEApril 11-13Joe sneaked into his uncle's office and used his dad's laptop to see if he could find any clues to his parents' disappearance. He's been reading his dad's blog, and there were threats amid arguments about whether Christians helped or harmed the world. Joe's dad, Darin Baker, related the history of education, beginning with Jewish men who had to learn to read scripture by age 12, and Christians who read both the New and Old Testaments, influencing the creation of the printing press after the Reformation so everyone could read the Bible.
Joe stopped reading. What was that sound? How he wished Hefley were still inside, but an adventure with Patrick’s chocolate had put him in a backyard prison.Something was going on outside. Perhaps the click of a car door? Or was that Hefley adjusting the chain Faulkner had put on him? Were the neighbors outside, talking quietly?Tempted to trot back to bed, Joe almost shut the laptop, but he heard nothing more and read on.“In the United States, free public education wasn’t available until the end of the nineteenth century, and children weren’t required to complete elementary school until 1918.“The world still is being educated by Christians. Wycliffe Translators, who are Christian missionaries, live with primitive tribes and give them a written language and then teach them to read,” Darin wrote. “Wycliffe translated the Bible into hundreds of languages and brought literacy to many nations. In their ‘Last Languages Campaign,’ Wycliffe’s translators hope to have the last twenty-two hundred languages translated by the year 2025. Currently, Wycliffe has fourteen hundred translation literacy and language development programs, touching nearly six hundred million people in 176 countries.
Wycliffe Bible Translators, Last Languages Campaign. http://www.lastlanguagescampaign.org

Book Blast, Lillian Duncan's murder and mayhem, and win $50 Amazon gift card

TITLE: CrossReads Book Blast With Lillian Duncan



BETRAYED

By Lillian Duncan

About the Book
Witness Protection Program claims they can keep anyone safe if only they follow the rules so Maria follows the rules--every rule. She's given up everything--her friends, her family, her past, even her name to ensure her daughter has a future.

Reborn as Veronica Minor in the sleepy little town of Sunberry, Ohio, she struggles to rebuild their life amid the beauty of her flower shop. A life where her daughter can have a happy normal childhood. A life where her daughter will never know that her father was a monster.

When a child disappears, Veronica prays it has nothing to do with her past, but what if she's wrong? Not knowing who to trust, she trusts no one...and that's her first mistake

LINK to KINDLE | LINK to PAPERBACK

Lillian Duncan

Stories of faith mingled… with murder & mayhem.

Lillian is a multi-published writer who writes the type of books she loves to read—suspense with a touch of romance. Whether as an educator, a writer, or a speech pathologist, she believes in the power of words to transform lives, especially God’s Word.

To learn more about Lillian and her books, visit: www.lillianduncan.net. She also has a devotional blog at: www.PowerUpWithGod.com as well as her personal blog, Tiaras & Tennis Shoes at www.lillian-duncan.com

Follow Lillian Duncan

Website | Facebook | Twitter





Enter to Win a $50 Amazon Gift Card!
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This book blast is hosted by Crossreads.

We would like to send out a special THANK YOU to all of the CrossReads book blast bloggers!

WHO IS THE VOLUNTEER FOR THE BRAIN CHIP? WHO IS TORMENTING THE GUARD?

WHO IS TORMENTING THE GUARD?
WHO IS THE VOLUNTEER FOR THE BRAIN CHIP?An excerpt from Joe the Dreamer: The Castle and the CatapultBy Ada Brownell
Gorilla, the guard, sat on his jacket, leaned against the castle wall, and snoozed. His huge hairy chest and bulging stomach swelled up and down as he breathed in the Indian summer air. The guard had taken off his shirt.His lunch sack overturned. Fries and part of the extra hamburger spilled out. The metal knight’s armor that had been used inside the castle as decoration lay beside him on the rocky ground, among the boxes from which he’d taken robot kits.Gorilla’s foot with the broken toe rested on a large rock.Old Norton crept from the trees behind the man, a smile emerging behind his scraggly white beard. A box jiggled in his hands. His worn shoes halted behind the huge guard. Working nearby, Darin Baker watched Norton open the box. A half-dozen mice scurried toward the overturned sack.Norton stole away so quickly he almost stumbled over a dead tree branch.One mouse, barred from the feast by the others, ran up the large rock and across Gorilla’s bare foot. The snoring halted. His eyelids flicked open.“Help!” He jerked his leg and bumped his toe and groaned.Two mice climbed over his stomach and surveyed the territory like Indian scouts.Gorilla rolled over to get them off and landed on two other mice. He rolled again, and the mice he’d almost squashed with his behind scurried in circles with dizziness. The guard finally got up and limped to a big rock, trying to go around the mice and climb up on it. One mouse, however, zoomed over his bare feet before he made it. A deep scream bellowed from Gorilla’s cavernous organs.“Help! Who did this? Who put these mice here?”“I’ve been working here all the time you’ve been asleep,” Darin said. “I didn’t do it.”“Well, somebody put them here, and you probably saw it.”The mice still scurried about, darting in and out of the lunch sack, sniffing to find more food, occasionally finding crumbs they’d missed.“What’s going on here?” Kermesis asked as he strode toward Gorilla. “What are you yelling about?”“Mice attacked me!” Gorilla scanned the ground, and every time a mouse came near, he bellowed again.“Mice are all over in the forest. They’re probably hungry and smelled your leftovers.”Darin feared Kermesis would ask if he saw anyone bring the mice. Darin would never betray Norton. He’d take the blame first.“Darin ought to be in the dungeon!” Gorilla grumbled.
“Darin is the best stone layer we have. This wall and castle were supposed to be done yesterday!”“But Darin broke my foot! Then he brought all these mice in. We can’t run this place without discipline!”“Kermesis, I didn’t have anything to do with these mice.” Darin walked toward them. “But I will scare them away for you.”He reached down and dumped three mice out of the sack. When they scurried toward the rock where Gorilla stood, the huge man hopped and yelled again. Darin ignored him and grabbed a small branch off a nearby tree and swept the creatures into the forest.“Darin.” Pride shone from Gorilla’s dark eyes, “You might be interested to know my robot won’t be no ordinary robot. I’m combining three kits to make a Super Robot Guard. Remember that old show ‘Home Improvement’ you probably saw in reruns?”Darin remembered.“Well, I’m doing the ‘Tim Taylor thing.’ I studied electronics and built a robot in college. You might have seen it at the State Fair. That robot couldn’t do much, but this guy will. He’ll keep track of all of your electronic bracelets and can zap you from fifty feet.”“Sounds creative.”“It is, and it’s been loads of fun. I think I’ll have it ready in a week. Next time you do something, I’ll send this robot after you.”Kermesis ignored the big guard. “Darin, we have a volunteer to have the epilepsy gadget connected to his brain, and a surgeon volunteered to implant it.”“Who volunteered?” Gorilla asked.“Jimmy Roberts.”“Jimmy Roberts!” Darin felt ill. “He’s mentally challenged. He probably already has seizures if he doesn’t take medication.”Kermesis ignored him. “He would still be a good subject, because we could see if saying religious words will trigger a seizure. The surgeon said we can bring in patients and give them a drug where they won’t remember anything about it. We’ll just drop them off at home, and they’ll be unable to preach Christianity again.” “You know a seizure could kill Jimmy—and even other people you nab off the streets We don’t even know for sure how brains will react to the device.”“We’re going to do this, and you’re going to help us, Darin—sooner or later.”Darin rubbed his beard, hating the bristles as they brushed against his hand. Would it hurt to insert the brain chip in Jimmy? Perhaps he could keep the program set at seizure control instead of tweaking it to cause a seizure.Then pain ran through Darin’s stomach.  The project needed tested, perhaps on animals, and then, if it looked promising, there would be lengthy clinical trials with patients. Besides, when the radicals had the chip design and the wall was finished, he probably would have no value to his captors. Would they kill him then?
©Ada Brownell January 2013

BOOK SUMMARY
Joe the Dreamer: The Castle and the CatapultBy A.B. BrownellFree April 11-13
Enter an area where people are missing and radicals want to obliterate Christianity from the earth. After Joe Baker’s parents and 30 other people mysteriously disappear, he finds himself with a vicious man after him. Joe and an unusual gang team up to find his mom and dad. The gang is committed to preventing and solving crimes with ordinary harmless things such as noise, water, and a pet skunk instead of blades and bullets. Joe reads the Bible hoping to discover whether God will answer prayer and bring his parents home. In his dreams, Joe slips into the skin of Bible characters and what happened to them, happens to him—the peril and the victories. Yet, crying out in his sleep causes him to end up in a mental hospital’s juvenile unit. Will he escape or will he be harmed? Will he find his parents? Does God answer prayer?
 No fantasy. No wizard, but suspense that sometimes makes you smile. Christian payload. Joe the Dreamer: The Castle and the Catapult http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001KJ2C06 or https://www.createspace.com/3962829 The book is also available at Barnesandnoble.com, and is listed at Goodreads.com
To learn more about this author’s books: http://www.inkfromanearthenvessel.blogspot.comStick-to-Your-Soul-Encouragement

Amazon Ada Brownell author page: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001KJ2C06

MICE FEAST ON MCDONALD’S FOOD: Excerpt from The Castle and the Catapult

MICE FEAST ON MCDONALD’S FOOD
An excerpt from Joe the Dreamer: The Castle and the CatapultBy Ada Brownell
Gorilla, the guard, sat on his jacket, leaned against the castle wall, and snoozed. His huge hairy chest and bulging stomach swelled up and down as he breathed in the Indian summer air. The guard had taken off his shirt.His lunch sack overturned. Fries and part of the extra hamburger spilled out. The metal knight’s armor that had been used inside the castle as decoration lay beside him on the rocky ground, among the boxes from which he’d taken robot kits.Gorilla’s foot with the broken toe rested on a large rock.Old Norton crept from the trees behind the man, a smile emerging behind his scraggly white beard. A box jiggled in his hands. His worn shoes halted behind the huge guard. Working nearby, Darin Baker watched Norton open the box. A half-dozen mice scurried toward the overturned sack.Norton stole away so quickly he almost stumbled over a dead tree branch.One mouse, barred from the feast by the others, ran up the large rock and across Gorilla’s bare foot. The snoring halted. His eyelids flicked open.“Help!” He jerked his leg and bumped his toe and groaned.Two mice climbed over his stomach and surveyed the territory like Indian scouts.Gorilla rolled over to get them off and landed on two other mice. He rolled again, and the mice he’d almost squashed with his behind scurried in circles with dizziness. The guard finally got up and limped to a big rock, trying to go around the mice and climb up on it. One mouse, however, zoomed over his bare feet before he made it. A deep scream bellowed from Gorilla’s cavernous organs.“Help! Who did this? Who put these mice here?”“I’ve been working here all the time you’ve been asleep,” Darin said. “I didn’t do it.”“Well, somebody put them here, and you probably saw it.”The mice still scurried about, darting in and out of the lunch sack, sniffing to find more food, occasionally finding crumbs they’d missed.“What’s going on here?” Kermesis asked as he strode toward Gorilla. “What are you yelling about?”“Mice attacked me!” Gorilla scanned the ground, and every time a mouse came near, he bellowed again.“Mice are all over in the forest. They’re probably hungry and smelled your leftovers.”Darin feared Kermesis would ask if he saw anyone bring the mice. Darin would never betray Norton. He’d take the blame first.“Darin ought to be in the dungeon!” Gorilla grumbled.
“Darin is the best stone layer we have. This wall and castle were supposed to be done yesterday!”“But Darin broke my foot! Then he brought all these mice in. We can’t run this place without discipline!”“Kermesis, I didn’t have anything to do with these mice.” Darin walked toward them. “But I will scare them away for you.”He reached down and dumped three mice out of the sack. When they scurried toward the rock where Gorilla stood, the huge man hopped and yelled again. Darin ignored him and grabbed a small branch off a nearby tree and swept the creatures into the forest.“Darin.” Pride shone from Gorilla’s dark eyes, “You might be interested to know my robot won’t be no ordinary robot. I’m combining three kits to make a Super Robot Guard. Remember that old show ‘Home Improvement’ you probably saw in reruns?”Darin remembered.“Well, I’m doing the ‘Tim Taylor thing.’ I studied electronics and built a robot in college. You might have seen it at the State Fair. That robot couldn’t do much, but this guy will. He’ll keep track of all of your electronic bracelets and can zap you from fifty feet.”“Sounds creative.”“It is, and it’s been loads of fun. I think I’ll have it ready in a week. Next time you do something, I’ll send this robot after you.”Kermesis ignored the big guard. “Darin, we have a volunteer to have the epilepsy gadget connected to his brain, and a surgeon volunteered to implant it.”“Who volunteered?” Gorilla asked.“Jimmy Roberts.”“Jimmy Roberts!” Darin felt ill. “He’s mentally challenged. He probably already has seizures if he doesn’t take medication.”Kermesis ignored him. “He would still be a good subject, because we could see if saying religious words will trigger a seizure. The surgeon said we can bring in patients and give them a drug where they won’t remember anything about it. We’ll just drop them off at home, and they’ll be unable to preach Christianity again.” “You know a seizure could kill Jimmy—and even other people you nab off the streets We don’t even know for sure how brains will react to the device.”“We’re going to do this, and you’re going to help us, Darin—sooner or later.”Darin rubbed his beard, hating the bristles as they brushed against his hand. Would it hurt to insert the brain chip in Jimmy? Perhaps he could keep the program set at seizure control instead of tweaking it to cause a seizure.Then pain ran through Darin’s stomach.  The project needed tested, perhaps on animals, and then, if it looked promising, there would be lengthy clinical trials with patients. Besides, when the radicals had the chip design and the wall was finished, he probably would have no value to his captors. Would they kill him then?
©Ada Brownell January 2013

BOOK SUMMARY
Joe the Dreamer: The Castle and the CatapultBy A.B. BrownellFree April 11-13
Enter an area where people are missing and radicals want to obliterate Christianity from the earth. After Joe Baker’s parents and 30 other people mysteriously disappear, he finds himself with a vicious man after him. Joe and an unusual gang team up to find his mom and dad. The gang is committed to preventing and solving crimes with ordinary harmless things such as noise, water, and a pet skunk instead of blades and bullets. Joe reads the Bible hoping to discover whether God will answer prayer and bring his parents home. In his dreams, Joe slips into the skin of Bible characters and what happened to them, happens to him—the peril and the victories. Yet, crying out in his sleep causes him to end up in a mental hospital’s juvenile unit. Will he escape or will he be harmed? Will he find his parents? Does God answer prayer?
 No fantasy. No wizard, but suspense that sometimes makes you smile. Christian payload. Joe the Dreamer: The Castle and the Catapult http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001KJ2C06 or https://www.createspace.com/3962829 The book is also available at Barnesandnoble.com, and is listed at Goodreads.com
To learn more about this author’s books: http://www.inkfromanearthenvessel.blogspot.comStick-to-Your-Soul-Encouragement

Amazon Ada Brownell author page: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001KJ2C06

Want to write historicals like Little House on the Prairie? Interview with novelist Cynthia Hickey

INTERVIEWWhat event triggered your interest in history and historical fiction? I grew up loving Little House on the Prairie, Gunsmoke, pretty much anything from that time period. I find it fascinating how people seemed to thrive despite the lack of modern conveniences.What do you do with the historical society? Does your research there spill over into your novels? Do other members help with your research?I post a monthly blog post. This year I’m posting on certain holidays. Sometimes the research crosses over into my own writing, but rarely. Yes, I read the other posts and save the ones I think may help in my own writing. What era is your new Heartsong Presents book, An Unconventional Lady? This book takes place at the Grand Canyon in 1910.Is it a romance? Yes. I love romanceHow did you meet your lead character? The secondary character? I met Annie while looking for a spunky heroine who wanted to be modern. Her mother had other ideas and signed her on as a Harvey Girl hoping Annie would learn decorum. The hero is hired by Annie’s mother, actually taking away the job that Annie craved.Is this part of a series? Yes, this is book two of four centering around the famous Harvey Girls who served along the Santa Fe railroad. The third book releases in July, the fourth one in November. I’ve had fun with these ladies and hope my readers love them as much as I do.Tell me about your other series, and especially about the award-winning books. I have two, and have started a third, cozy mystery series. The first series, The Summer Meadows series, centers around a candy-shop owner who finds a bag of diamonds and is intrigued enough to find out where they came from. This lands her in loads of trouble and led to four books of adventures. The second series, The River Valley Series, came about because a mother needed to clear her daughter of a crime. The third series, The Nosey Neighbor series is about a reclusive writer who is told to mingle with society more. This causes her to stumble across a dead body. Solving the murder is research for her next book.How many published books do you have? If you count my indie published ebooks, I have thirty-four. I am very prolific.What makes your books Christian? All of my books deal with real life issues and the characters realizing that following God’s leading is the best path.What is the most important thing you've learned as a writer about creating a story? To know why your characters do what they do. They need a purpose. You can’t have them going after something without a good reason.Was success difficult, or did you sell your first book quickly? My first book was written as a dare. I had no idea what a cozy mystery was, and a friend dared me to write one for a publisher’s new line. I wrote the book, entered it into a contest, won first place, acquired an agent, and got published, all within six months. I haven’t slowed down since.What advice to give to novice writers? To follow that dream. To follow your heart. To follow God’s leading. If you do these things, the rest will fall into place. And never stop learning to improve your craft.What would you like to tell veteran authors? Can I be like you when I grow up?
Book Blurb:ANNIE ROLLINS LONGS FOR ADVENTURE But her strict mother keeps her close to home, working as a Harvey Girl waitress. Until Dallas Baker shows up in town and takes the job Annie really wants—leading tours through the Grand Canyon. Annie's frustrated, but finds it impossible to ignore the handsome outdoorsman. With her split skirts and modern hairdo, Annie challenges Dallas's old-fashioned notions of what makes a lady. To his surprise, he finds her delightful, until he learns she has no interest in settling down. Dallas is ready to win her heart, but is Annie willing to fall in love?
Meet Cynthia Hickey, award-winning author who has 34 published books.



Multi-published and Best-Selling author Cynthia Hickey had three cozy mysteries and two novellas published through Barbour Publishing. Her first mystery, Fudge-Laced Felonies, won first place in the inspirational category of the Great Expectations contest in 2007. Her third cozy, Chocolate-Covered Crime, received a four-star review from Romantic Times. All three cozies have been re-released as ebooks through the MacGregor Literary Agency, along with a new cozy series, all of which stay in the top 50 of Amazon’s ebooks for their genre. She has several historical romances releasing in 2013 and 2014 through Harlequin’s Heartsong Presents. She is active on FB, twitter, and Goodreads. She lives in Arizona with her husband, one of their seven children, two dogs and two cats. She has five grandchildren who keep her busy and tell everyone they know that “Nana is a writer”. Visit her website at www.cynthiahickey.com

God made rules for my protection

Finding Rest In The Daily CrazyBy Ann Lee Miller
I sat in the prayer room during my turn of a week-long 24/7 prayer vigil squeezing globs of brown, yellow, and white paint onto a paper plate. I chose a brush, blended colors, and stared at the blank cardboard wanting to project a feeling inside onto the page. The last time I’d tried this, I was in kindergarten. An hour later I had a painting of a person kneeling with sun streaming in the window any five-year-old would have been proud of.For my Type A personality, this was a colossal waste of time. I should have been interceding for a long list of needs, or mining the Word for things God wanted to tell me. I should have been writing prayers to God in my journal, doing anything other than playing. And I probably would have been doing something more productive if the vigil hadn’t been mandated as a time of rest.In Exodus 31:15 God’s command to take a Sabbath is stern—resulting in death if not observed. He must have lightened up in New Testament times or I would have been dead a thousand times over. I know God—who designed me in the first place—makes rules to protect me. But while raising a houseful of kids, working, doing all the things in life that must be done—resting felt like a luxury I couldn’t afford. But the words from Exodus bore down on me, along with other verses stretching all the way to Hebrews 4:9, “There remains, then, a Sabbath rest for the people of God.”So, I’ve rested one day a week for quite a few years. To my surprise, I find myself bursting out of bed on Monday mornings eager to dive into my work week. Sometimes I need more rest because my work—writing—requires that I not burn out. But isn’t burnout a threat for everyone? We’ve all experienced exhaustion that goes deeper than our need for sleep.The Bible is packed with rest—the land laying fallow the seventh year (Leviticus 25:4), regular festivals, Jesus sleeping in the boat during a storm, attending a wedding, retreating to a quiet place to pray. Sometimes we need a vacation, sabbatical, or ninety minutes of peace. A day of preparation for the Sabbath was customary (Luke 23:54). We need to prepare rest for ourselves, too. Examine what you do during your time off—shop, exercise, engage in a hobby, seek entertainment from TV or books, socialize, do extra work. Which, if any, of these things bring rest and refreshment to your soul? Brainstorm ideas that bring life and rejuvenation to your inner man and your relationship with God.Rest, for me, means disengaging from the internet and anything else that busies my brain. I take long walks and talk to God. Sometimes I sit beside the river and invite God to speak to me. I might listen to instrumental music out of my usual genre, try something new, or laugh with friends.Look for ways to help each other find peace and God. Encourage friends to take longer vacations, choose activities that restore their souls. Applaud them for making hard choices that feed their spirits rather than to-do lists.The day I painted my goofy picture I met a facet of God I’ve never seen. I felt God’s nearness, camaraderie in a new way. And something stuck long after the activity—joy.
Ann Lee Miller earned a BA in creative writing from Ashland University and published four novels. She guest lectures on writing at several Arizona colleges. When she isn’t writing or muddling through some crisis—real or imagined—you’ll find her hiking in the mountains with her husband or meddling in her kids’ lives. Over 96,000 copies of her debut novel, Kicking Eternity have been downloaded from Amazon.