Victoria Simcox's Blog, page 26

Love's Beating Heart

 After Cat Majors’ boyfriend, Ty, leaves her beaten and bloody on a Texas Hill Country road, Cat hides in the back seat of a pickup truck and is rescued by a Christian family. Although the Creekmores’ beliefs and behavior are as foreign to Cat as if she’d been dropped on another planet, she feels safe with them.
But Ty finds and kidnaps Cat, beating her viciously and leaving her for dead. Sky and family friend, Jesse, save her. Believing herself in love with Sky, Cat is determined to win him away from his wife. Meanwhile, Cat’s younger sister, Dena, whom she has always protected, runs away with her best friend, Natasha, who is pregnant and being abused. Natasha’s stepfather insists on an abortion and threatens to cut the baby out himself if she refuses. Without Cat’s guidance, Dena has to rely on herself as Natasha and she struggle to survive a flash flood and danger from Texas Hill Country wildlife and heartless human predators.
Will Cat’s and Dena’s desperation lead them to God—or abandon them in a pit of hurt and bitterness? About Stephanie Parker McKean Stephanie Parker McKean Biography

I've survived mauling by an African lion.
I've survived being bitten by a water moccasin snake.
I've emerged victorious from having been sexually abused as a child. Fleeing that abuse, I lived under a bridge. Now instead of living under a bridge, I use them as titles for my Texas Miz Mike "Bridge" series, humorous mystery-romance-suspense novels.
I've learned that what doesn't make you bitter makes you better. You really can't make lemonade without lemons.
And thank God, I've made the transition from atheist to Christian. My two favorite Bible verses are: in everything give thanks; and all things work together to good for those who love the LORD.
I used to think that the worst day in my life was the day I lost my job; my mother died and I couldn't attend her funeral because my husband was sent home from the hospital to die; our sheepdog died, and my truck caught on fire in downtown San Antonio. Several years later, I learned what a really bad day is. My son, USMC Major Luke Parker died in a plane crash on November 17, 2013. It doesn't get worse than that. "Bridge Beyond Betrayal" is dedicated to Luke.
I'm now married to wonderful Alan McKean, author of historic time travel books. He retired as a Church of Scotland minister after 35 years in the pulpit and we moved to Dunoon, Scotland. But I bet you want to hear more about the lion.
First, I was born in Texas, which was at that time the biggest state in the U.S. I learned at an early age that everything in Texas is bigger and better. When Alaska became a state, I cried. But what about the lion?
Along with an innate pride for Texas, I was born with a love for animals. When I was five, my first pet was a grasshopper that I carried around on a silver spoon. When I accidentally dropped spoon and grasshopper down the radiator in an upstairs apartment building, I sobbed. My mother sobbed too. The spoon had been a wedding gift.
History repeated itself when my five-year-old son's pet grasshopper was consumed by a small spider. Luke sobbed inconsolably. That experience inspired me to write what is my newest book at the moment, "I'm the Grasshopper." But back to the lion.
My love for animals led to the snake bite. Because I was an unpopular child, I made pets out of snakes. Other girls were afraid of them. Riding a bicycle with a snake around my neck made boys notice me. (They thought I was crazy.) The day after I appeared on a local television show explaining how to tell a poisonous snake from a harmless snake, I was bitten by a cotton mouth. Now, finally--the lion!
Ebenezer arrived in the back of a station wagon to join our family's roadside zoo, a collection of animals that included opossums, raccoons, assorted harmless snakes, a fox, a large boa constrictor, monkeys, a skunk, and a jaguarundi. The 200-pound pet fit right in with our family, until he reached 400 pounds and became a lion.
Sadly, when I became mature enough to quit riding bicycles with snakes in my quixotic attempt to impress boys, I remained immature enough to use a gimmick like an African lion. I invited a fellow college student home to see Eb. Not realizing that Eb had transformed from pet to lion, I walked up to him. Eb grabbed me by the stomach, threw me to the ground, and mauled me. My terrified college friend jerked me out of the cage--which made Eb bite even harder because he was about to lose his toy. "I hope I did that right," Ed panted. "I've never had to rescue anyone from a lion before!" I never saw Ed again.
And now you know about the lion. And when you read the Texas Miz Mike Christian mystery-romance-suspense novels set in Three Prongs, Texas, where the misfits fit, you'll know more about Texas.
And hopefully, you'll learn how to make lemonade out of lemons. Because what doesn't make you bitter makes you better. With God's help, all you need to add is a little prayer, a little praise...a little sugar.Amazon Link: https://tinyurl.com/y3hhlolz 
Twitter: @StephaniePMcKea

The Mannequin: A Victorian Romance

 When she was a poor country girl in a hand-me-down dress, Rosamund saved the Duke of Swanhaven from the brink of despair…only to fall in love with him. Now a celebrated mannequin for an exclusive London dressmaker, her glamorous life is empty without the man to whom she gave her heart. Can a beastly duke and a beautiful mannequin ever find a fairy-tale ending? Bestselling author Suzanne G. Rogers is a California native, but she changed coastlines and now lives in romantic Savannah, Georgia, on an island populated by deer, exotic birds, turtles, otters, and gators. She's owned by two Sphynx cats, Houdini and Nikita. Writing blush-free young adult fiction is her passion.

To join her historical romance mailing list for news on FREEBIES, SALES, and NEW RELEASES, go to: https://tinyurl.com/y7vofvyq

For her historical romance blog, go to http://suzannegrogers.com/

For her fantasy blog, go to https://childofyden.wordpress.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/suzannegrogers
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SuzanneGRogers/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ8jbzZxZ_xDLVgmeWa10Kg
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/suzannegrogers/

Rush Revere and the Brave Pilgrims: Time-Travel Adventures with Exceptional Americans

 America’s #1 radio talk-show host and multi-million-copy #1 New York Times bestselling author presents a book for young readers with a history teacher who travels back in time to have adventures with exceptional Americans.

MEET RUSH LIMBAUGH’S REALLY GOOD PAL, RUSH REVERE!

Okay, okay, my name’s really Rusty—but my friends call me Rush. Rush Revere. Because I’ve always been the #1 fan of the coolest colonial dude ever, Paul Revere. Talk about a rock star—this guy wanted to protect young America so badly, he rode through those bumpy, cobblestone-y streets shouting “the British are coming!” On a horse. Top of his lungs. Wind blowing, rain streaming...

Well, you get the picture. But what if you could get the real picture—by actually going back in time and seeing with your own eyes how our great country came to be? Meeting the people who made it all happen—people like you and me?

Hold on to your pointy triangle hats, because you can—with me, Rush Revere, seemingly ordinary substitute history teacher, as your tour guide across time! “How?” you ask? Well, there’s this portal. And a horse. My talking horse named Liberty. And—well, just trust me, I’ll get us there.

We’ll begin by joining a shipload of brave families journeying on the Mayflower in 1620. Yawn? I don’t think so. 1620 was a pretty awesome time, and you’ll experience exactly what they did on that rough, dangerous ocean crossing. Together, we’ll ask the pilgrims all our questions, find out how they live, join them at the first Thanksgiving, and much more.

So saddle up and let’s ride! Our exceptional nation is waiting to be discovered all over again by exceptional young patriots—like you!
About Rush Limbaugh Rush Limbaugh is host of The Rush Limbaugh Show--the nation's highest-rated talk radio program, with an audience of more than twenty million--and a #1 New York Times bestselling author. Visit RushLimbaugh.com and RushRevere.com.Amazon link: https://tinyurl.com/y4ryhl8b

Fun fact about C. S. Lewis

The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe was inspired by an image of a faun. From age 16 onward, Lewis often found himself imagining “a Faun carrying an umbrella and parcels in a snowy wood.” According to his short essay, It All Began With A Picture, the image continued to come to him until, at age 40, he said to himself, “Let's try to make a story about it.”


I found this C.S Lewis fact interesting because I had a similar experience. Before I wrote, The Warble, I had an image in my mind, of my protagonist, Kristina, bundled up in her snow garb, carrying her school books, and running down a snowy sidewalk to catch her school bus. That is all I had when I started writing my story.

The Warble
Now an audio book.
Click link  to hear a sample chapter.https://www.audible.com/pd/B07S6CVK2W/…

Amazon Links US http://tinyurl.com/z3nuv5lAU http://tinyurl.com/zjbqbjrCA http://tinyurl.com/hodjh27UK BR: http://tinyurl.com/j5874rdMX http://tinyurl.com/zkowmpu

My new hat: 1969.

My new hat: 1969.

The Prince's Poison Cup by R.C. Sproul

Croft Murders: Fog Busters Detectives.

Someone is attempting to kill newlywed Nora Scott and make her death appear accidental. It’s up to the Fog Busters, the “Old Bones Detectives”, to keep her alive.
Unfortunately, their success seems improbable. From the resurgence of a Scottish folktale about a washerwoman who foretells people’s deaths to food that was apparently poisoned using an everyday ingredient, the Fog Busters’ attempts to protect Nora are thwarted. And the deeper the Fog Busters delve into the mystery, the closer danger spreads to them.
Running the gamut from Nora’s dysfunctional family to a pouting rooster, the Fog Busters’ first mystery that promises actual payment turns into a deadly contest between the over-60 crowd and a cunning killer. Stephanie Parker McKean Biography

I've survived mauling by an African lion.
I've survived being bitten by a water moccasin snake.
I've emerged victorious from having been sexually abused as a child. Fleeing that abuse, I lived under a bridge. Now instead of living under a bridge, I use them as titles for my Texas Miz Mike "Bridge" series, humorous mystery-romance-suspense novels.
I've learned that what doesn't make you bitter makes you better. You really can't make lemonade without lemons.
And thank God, I've made the transition from atheist to Christian. My two favorite Bible verses are: in everything give thanks; and all things work together to good for those who love the LORD.
I used to think that the worst day in my life was the day I lost my job; my mother died and I couldn't attend her funeral because my husband was sent home from the hospital to die; our sheepdog died, and my truck caught on fire in downtown San Antonio. Several years later, I learned what a really bad day is. My son, USMC Major Luke Parker died in a plane crash on November 17, 2013. It doesn't get worse than that. "Bridge Beyond Betrayal" is dedicated to Luke.
I'm now married to wonderful Alan McKean, author of historic time travel books. He retired as a Church of Scotland minister after 35 years in the pulpit and we moved to Dunoon, Scotland. But I bet you want to hear more about the lion.
First, I was born in Texas, which was at that time the biggest state in the U.S. I learned at an early age that everything in Texas is bigger and better. When Alaska became a state, I cried. But what about the lion?
Along with an innate pride for Texas, I was born with a love for animals. When I was five, my first pet was a grasshopper that I carried around on a silver spoon. When I accidentally dropped spoon and grasshopper down the radiator in an upstairs apartment building, I sobbed. My mother sobbed too. The spoon had been a wedding gift.
History repeated itself when my five-year-old son's pet grasshopper was consumed by a small spider. Luke sobbed inconsolably. That experience inspired me to write what is my newest book at the moment, "I'm the Grasshopper." But back to the lion.
My love for animals led to the snake bite. Because I was an unpopular child, I made pets out of snakes. Other girls were afraid of them. Riding a bicycle with a snake around my neck made boys notice me. (They thought I was crazy.) The day after I appeared on a local television show explaining how to tell a poisonous snake from a harmless snake, I was bitten by a cotton mouth. Now, finally--the lion!
Ebenezer arrived in the back of a station wagon to join our family's roadside zoo, a collection of animals that included opossums, raccoons, assorted harmless snakes, a fox, a large boa constrictor, monkeys, a skunk, and a jaguarundi. The 200-pound pet fit right in with our family, until he reached 400 pounds and became a lion.
Sadly, when I became mature enough to quit riding bicycles with snakes in my quixotic attempt to impress boys, I remained immature enough to use a gimmick like an African lion. I invited a fellow college student home to see Eb. Not realizing that Eb had transformed from pet to lion, I walked up to him. Eb grabbed me by the stomach, threw me to the ground, and mauled me. My terrified college friend jerked me out of the cage--which made Eb bite even harder because he was about to lose his toy. "I hope I did that right," Ed panted. "I've never had to rescue anyone from a lion before!" I never saw Ed again.
And now you know about the lion. And when you read the Texas Miz Mike Christian mystery-romance-suspense novels set in Three Prongs, Texas, where the misfits fit, you'll know more about Texas.
And hopefully, you'll learn how to make lemonade out of lemons. Because what doesn't make you bitter makes you better. With God's help, all you need to add is a little prayer, a little praise...a little sugar. Amazon https://tinyurl.com/y3srmdgcTwitter  @StephaniePMcKea

A Fire in the West: Stonegate Book 3

Life was not fair. Then things got worse!
The award-winning Stonegate series continues.

Secrets emerge from the past to change the lives of everyone, and the False Prophet returns, stronger than ever.


Peace in Stonegate is Ending!
From author Harry James Fox, and co-author, Lucia Mudgway, comes an epic Christian fantasy, third in the Stonegate saga. In this gripping finale, Donald of Fisher and Rachel of Westerly as well as Carla and other favorite characters return to face another attempt by the evil False Prophet to overwhelm the free towns of the East. However, this tale centers around Donald and Rachel’s son, Robby, as he confronts all of his demons— his forbidden love for Ari, his cousin, and his conflicts with his father, Donald. Ari, Carla’s daughter, also finds herself in the heat of battle and is tested as she had never imagined. Family secrets emerge amid the threat of war, but courage, duty, and love become more important than ever. Will the False Prophet finally succeed in stamping out freedom, or will good finally triumph over evil? Will Robby find redemption for his decisions, and will the shocking truth about his past set him free to be with Ari?
About Harry James Fox Harry James "Jim" Fox has ridden horseback over much of the landscape that appears in his novels, since he was born and raised on a ranch in western Colorado. His love of horses and ancient/medieval weapons, as well as his military training (US Army Command and General Staff College, Air Force War College) make his discussion of military matters (ancient and modern) gripping and credible.

His first book, "CrossCurrents" was a finalist in the International Book Awards competition.
His novel, "The Stonegate Sword" was an Award-Winning Finalist in the 2015 International Book Awards Competition. It also is a 5-Star rated book by Reader's Choice.

He has a B.S. and M. S. from Colorado State University, College of Forestry and Natural Resources, a Ph.D. in Theology, and has served as an army officer, natural resource manager, counterintelligence agent, pastor, missionary and seminary teacher. He currently serves as an elder of Calvary Baptist Church in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

Jim was raised in a Christian home. He accepted Jesus Christ as his personal savior in 1949 (age 7) at an old-fashioned tent revival. A few years after his marriage to Carroll, his wife of nearly 47 years, both became active in a small church in Arizona, and have actively served Christ together ever since.

His novel, The Stonegate Sword, wan the bronze medal in the "Fiction: Fantasy/Alternate History" category of the 2016 Global eBook Awards.Amazon https://tinyurl.com/y35ttngwTwitter:@hjimfoxy

Ruth's Garden.

 Ruth Baker has lost her husband, her job and her home. Unsure of what to do with her life next, she responds to her grandmother’s call for help as the ninety-year-old woman waits for a room in a assisted living facility. Though she’s still healing from huge changes in her own life, and torn about leaving her home, she travels to the shores of Long Island to help her grandmother prepare for a big change in her life. Though she has no idea what the future will bring, she hangs on to her faith that God will answer her prayers.
Eli Hamill has been feeling the pull to put down roots. After buying and selling houses in the blink of an eye, his latest project, elderly Eleanora Duncan’s beachside home, has him doing something he’s never done before – live in the house until he has made the sale. From the moment he laid eyes on it, he knew the house was a gem. Although living in one of his sale properties doesn’t follow his usual protocol, it seems like nothing about this deal has. And the last thing he had planned on was getting involved with the seller’s granddaughter, Ruth Baker. Or her adorable six-year-old daughter, Mara.
Can an old house filled with loving memories and a sweet little girl show two lonely people what the future can hold? About Christina LorenzenChristina is an Amazon bestselling author of ten books. She started writing as a young teen, jotting stories in wire ring composition notebooks. Her first typewriter made it faster to get all those stories out of her head and down on paper. Her love of writing has sustained her through a myriad of jobs that included hairdresser, legal secretary, waitress and door-­to-‑door saleswoman.

DIVINE CONNECTIONS

by

Christina Lorenzen

Wherever you go I will go; wherever you live, I will live – Ruth 1:16

After my last novella released in April, I had decided to take some time off. I had been feeling overwhelmed from the demands of building a writing career (for today it’s not just about writing) and care taking of a family member. I spent a month or so thinking about what my goals for my writing were and where I should go next. Not sure where I felt led next, I decided to take time to read, watch movies and pay attention to life around me.

In early June I received a message from a friend and fellow author, with a proposal to join her group in writing and publishing a novella collection based on women of the Bible. In that instant, I not only knew my answer was yes, but I knew exactly which woman I wanted to write my story about – Ruth.

I can’t even count the number of times I have read the Book of Ruth. It’s one of several stories in the Bible that inspire me and give me hope. Strong women inspire all women during times of trial. Ruth, and her mother-in-law Naomi, were that inspiration for me. The project called for a modernized version of the Biblical story using the same name for our heroine. I was eager to get writing.

Like Ruth in the Bible, Ruth Baker’s life has changed after having lost her husband, her job and ultimately the home she shared with her husband Joseph and daughter Mara. When a call for assistance comes from her grandmother, Eleanora Duncan, Ruth is led to believe this is what she should do. She and six-year-old Mara make the long car ride (a journey not quite as long as Ruth and Naomi’s in the Bible) to the seaside town of Pebble Shores to help Ruth’s grandmother as she prepares to transition from her home to a room in an assisted living facility. Already having packed up the house, Eleanora Duncan is now living in the small guest cottage on the property. Ruth is prepared to stay as long as she is needed. What she isn’t prepared for is the new owner of her grandmother’s home, Eli Hamill, becoming so involved in all their lives – especially her six-year-old daughter’s.

I believe in divine connections. I believe in God’s timing. What a blessing writing Ruth’s Garden for this collection, Faithful Women: Legacies of Grace , was. At a time when I was, like Ruth, unsure of how to proceed, God answered through this invitation from my fellow author in this collection, Belle Calhoune. It’s a blessing to be connected through these three women who have authored stories that readers are already saying have inspired and touched them. I hope you’ll read Faithful Women: Legacies of Grace too, and that it blesses you in whatever journey you are traveling right now.

Visit Christina online:WebsiteFacebook author pageTwitterAmazon author page

The Warble ~ Now an audiobook ~

~Best Sellers~THE WARBLE is now an audiobook. 
Click on link below to hear a sample chapter.




https://www.audible.com/pd/B07S6CVK2W/…