Linda Nightingale's Blog, page 9

How It Feels to be a Publisher’s Clearing House Winner

By Toni V. Sweeney, Posted by Linda Nightingale

Yes, I won the Publisher’s Clearing House lottery…twice! But before you start hitting me up for a loan, read my story. Afterward, you’ll probably want to pretend you don’t know me as far as money is concerned.

The year was 1968. Back then, Publisher’s Clearing House sent out catalogues listing books at discount prices, a kind of paper amazon.com. They carried bestsellers, as well as esoteric and out-of-the-ordinary reading material, and occasionally some little gems. I’d gotten on the mailing list while in college and had ordered quite a few books from them, usually in the mystery or horror vein. Then, I started getting the lottery entry forms with their usual literature. Of course, I sent the tickets in. I was young, I had a job, but I also wanted all the…

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Published on February 26, 2021 05:58

The Summoning on Sale for 99 Cents!

My fantasy romance, The Summoning, is on sale on Amazon for only $.99. The Summoning was a Night Owl Reviews Top Pick,

Beware if you are a witch, especially if you don’t know it, and summon an ancient god. The side effects are age-old secrets, deceit and danger up to and including death.

Excerpt:

A warm hand brushed the top of her cold foot. “You are silent. Is something wrong?”

Again, that electric trill at a mere touch! “No, no. I—thank you. I’d be dead now if you hadn’t rescued me.”

“Yes, you would. If you are ready now, you can repay me.”

“Repay you?” Why should she be surprised? No one did anything anymore for free, but what need had a spirit of money? “If you want cash, we’ll have to find an ATM.”

He leaned back against the coffee table, regarding her with amusement. “I do not need your money, beautiful witch. I seek only Pleasure, and I am certain you can exceed even my high expectations.”

Heather’s jaw dropped. “Pleasure? Do you mean you want me to…”

The God of Wind and Sea grinned, mischief dancing in his eyes. “Yes, Heather.” He sobered, shaking his head. “Not sex only. I want to make love to you.”

How could this creature simply assume she’d have sex with him? Shocked, yet flattered in an odd way, she arched her brows. “No.”

He straightened, staring at her as if she’d sprouted wings. “But I saved your life.”

Oh, dear God, she’d heard in certain cultures if you saved a life, that life belonged to you.

“Eyrael, I’m very, very grateful.” She folded trembling hands and met his gaze squarely. “I don’t intend to f-word you, however.”

~~**~~

On February 17th, The Summoning will be featured in https://fkbt.com/2021/02/17/free-discounted-kindle-books-for-wednesday-144/ –

Enjoy your week! Linda

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Published on February 16, 2021 13:41

The Lady and Her Champion by Sara R. Turnquist

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Sara R. Turnquist will be awarding $40 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

She needs someone to fight for her. He needs to be rescued.

Karin and Pavel have become separated by war and the destruction of his family’s home. When Pavel hears of Karin’s predicament, he rushes to his beloved. But what will he find? Will the pull to remain by her side be stronger than the tug to return to the front lines?

Zdenek and Eva are blissfully happy after finding one another. Then his father summons him home. It is a reunion Zdenek dreads. How will his father react to Zdenek’s involvement with a merchant’s daughter? More…what will Zdenek do if the man does not accept her?

Radek, who has recently defected, finds himself caught between two worlds. He stumbles upon a Hussite captive in the Royalist camp in dire need of a champion. Can he defy yet another army? Ostracize himself and limp back to the Hussites for the sake of a woman he owes nothing to?

While the Hussites maintain a tenuous hold on their lands, will internal conflict prove their undoing?

Read an Excerpt

“And just who would be pursuing us?” Hana’s eyes narrowed. “You disarmed and bound the only men who knew of our leaving.”

“Don’t be foolish,” he said, his tone on edge. “I only deterred that soldier for perhaps a half hour. He will have come around and made his situation known forthwith. And do not be mistaken…our pursuers will come by horse. As you see, my lady, we are on foot.”

Her features dropped, as did her arms. Had she not considered these things? And why should she have? Outside of this war, a lady of her beauty and grace should never know such hardship. Should never have faced such abuse…or been threatened with more violence.

It wasn’t right.

Even now, disarmed as she seemed, she appeared lost.

He longed to take the couple of steps between them and offer her the comfort she was due.

But he could not. She was not his betrothed, and he would not take such liberties. No matter how fitting the action seemed.

She glanced to the side. “I see.”

He wished she would look at him. Would this lead to one of the female hysterics he had heard tales of? What would he do then?

But she breathed in deeply and then turned her face toward him.

“Then we must go. And make haste.”

He nodded. And something warm and pleasant blossomed in the center of his chest. What was it? Admiration? Relief? Something else?

About the Author:

Sara is a coffee lovin’, word slinging, clean Historical Romance author whose super power is converting caffeine into novels. She loves those odd little tidbits of history that are stranger than fiction. That’s what inspires her. Well, that and a good love story.

But of all the love stories she knows, hers is her favorite. She lives happily with her own Prince Charming and their gaggle of minions. Three to be exact. They sure know how to distract a writer! But, alas, the stories must be written, even if it must happen in the wee hours of the morning.

Sara is an avid reader and also enjoys reading clean Historical Romance when she’s not traveling. Her books range from the Czech lands to the American Wild West and from ancient Egypt to the early 1900s. Some of her titles include The Lady Bornekova, Hope in Cripple Creek, The General’s Wife, Trail of Fears, and the Convenient Risk Series.

Happy Reading!

Website: http://saraturnquist.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarat1701
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/authorsararturnquist/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarat0103/
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/saravturnquist

YouTube: https://bit.ly/sara-youtube

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Published on February 03, 2021 23:14

Forever With Me, a must read by Susan Hutchinson

I read Forever With Me in the space of a day (interruptions included). I never read memoirs but I read this one. It is witty, to the heart. You laugh, and you cry. I won’t say more for fear of saying too much. Now, we’ll hear from Susan:

Tell me three words that describe yourself starting with A, B, and CNot following the ABC thing, I’m competitive, goal oriented and creative. I just don’t want to think too hard to come up with the ABC thing! Which genre or genres do you write or prefer to write? And why?So far, I’ve done a memoir, and I’m currently working on an amusing look at my husband ala Erma Bombeck, and a romantic comedy. I have a strong sense of humor, which came out in the memoir, even if the subject matter wasn’t particularly funny. Humor is my go to coping mechanism. Always has been.I’m not sure that I will settle for just one genre because I read more than one genre. Before I’m through, I’ll probably end up doing at least one historical romance, one mystery and one great American novel because we all secretly want to be Hemmingway.What gets your creative juices flowing?Since I often see things through the lens of my sense of humor, I usually start writing because something someone said or did strikes me as funny. Usually, it’s my husband. Other times it’s because I read something that I think would have been better if presented another way. Before you freak out, I don’t mean stealing plot lines. I read – a lot. 412 books in 2020, but that was a unique year as everyone knows. But with all the books I read, I often run across things that make me wonder why the author pushed the plot or a character one way when it would have been so much better if it had been pushed another way. An author friend of mine once told me that there were basically only 5 or 6 stories out there with a million different variations. My mind shoots to those variation at the speed of light sometimes. Who would you love most to meet ‘in person’ and why?I think I would have liked to have met my great great grandmother. She was brave enough to get on a boat in the 1840’s and emigrate from Ireland to the United States. Tales have been told from generation to generation about what she and my great great grandfather faced when they arrived here, separately I might add. They didn’t meet until they were both on the boat sailing up the Hudson River, even though they were from the same county in Ireland. Do you have a favorite snack that you like to munch on while writing?I can’t eat and write at the same time. Kind of like walking and chewing gum. But I drink gallons of water!Do you have a hobby? I paint, mostly portraits, dancers, athletes, etc., but I do a lot of flowers and a few landscapes as well. Painting is my zen move. It centers me, calms me, distracts me. My medium is acrylics on canvas.Do you read your reviews on your books? Do they influence your story at all? Since this is my first published book, you betcha! Considering that my first book is a memoir, the reviews don’t necessarily influence the story because it is what it is. I suppose if the criticism involved delivery, I might change my approach to a future story because what’s the use of sharing the story if you are the only one who appreciates it. But I’d only let that happen if the majority of reviews pointed out the same weak spot. What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?I’m not sure it’s necessarily a quirk, but I tend to write things the way I hear them in my “head voice”. Since I have a rather irreverent sense of humor with a healthy dose of snark, my writing tends to flow that way, too.Do you have another profession besides writing?I am quite happily retired. Up until three years ago, I was an executive director for a large non-profit overseeing the division that provided housing for low income older adults. It was a rewarding career but could be very emotionally draining. After 35 years of working in that field in one capacity or another, it was time to hand it over to someone with more energy than I had left.If you could go back in time, where would you go? That’s a tough one. I’d love to go back to Regency England, but I wouldn’t last very long there, I’m afraid. I’m way to independent and would never learn my place. Besides, I like my lounge pants too well and I hate wearing hats and gloves. And don’t get me started on deferring to the male in the room. I’m much better off stayingi n modern times. At least, my husband just sighs and says “yes dear”.What’s the one thing you would do if you could be your character for a day?Well, since the “character” in the book is me, I think I would have paid more attention to the signs that my older daughter was in emotional trouble and insisted on staying with her when she refused to let me.What was the inspiration for “Forever with Me”?The real-life experiences of losing two of my adult children. It’s been 15 years since my younger daughter died; ten since the older one. I had fooled myself into thinking that I had fully come to terms with what had happened to them until I sat down to write something else. This is what came out instead. The experience was cathartic and all those loose ends that have been dangling for years are neatly trimmed and put away now. The feeling are still there, but I have a much better perspective on them now. Will there be more books in your series, or can you tell us about any previous books? This isn’t a series kind of a book, but my next book, Life with David came out of itWhat is your favorite part of this book and why?I don’t necessarily have a favorite part of the book itself, but the comments I’ve received from people who have read it have become very important to me. It’s not so much the praise, though that is very nice. It’s the comments from people who have gone through something similar or are going through it now. For some people, the book is helping them cope. It’s helping them understand that what they are feeling or thinking is very normal. That grief isn’t a linear process, it’s a roller coaster and that’s ok. That’s what makes this book special for me.What are you currently working on?I’ve actually got Life with David about two thirds finished. David is my husband, not the father of my daughters, and I’m not sure I would have gotten through those horrible moments without him. Friends told me he deserves a medal. Others told me he deserved a book. I’m fresh out of medals, so book it is. David is a funny guy. My interpretation of him is funnier. I’m his fifth wife. He’s given me plenty of material to work with, trust me. I hope to have it published by March.My other book, as yet unnamed, is a romantic comedy featuring a missing laptop/flash drive, a smutty book not quite finished, a hot lawyer, a cute activities director and a few senior citizens gone wild. I’m shooting for April on this one.

Back Cover Blurb

For the majority of us, life runs a normal course of ups and downs. For some, it’s a career that makes us happy. For others, it’s family. For the lucky ones, it’s both. Everyone goes through times when something will throw you off course. But what happens when life doesn’t merely throw you a curveball, but a bomb?

This is the story of an average woman who was thrown not one bomb, but two and how her extraordinary well of good humor and positivity got her through the loss of two daughters over a five-year time span. The author takes you on a journey laced with humor and wit through a life that normally wouldn’t have distinguished itself from anyone else’s but gave her the strength to get through any parent’s worst nightmare — twice.

Prologue

I wasn’t going to write this book; at least, this wasn’t the one I was planning on writing. This just ended up being the one I wrote. I’ve always been an avid reader in my adult life when I could be the one who chose what to read instead of having a teacher making that choice for me. I thought I might write a nice, fun romance novel because I like nice, fun romance novels. Or maybe I’d write something ala Erma Bombeck since we seemed to share the same quirky and irreverent view of the mundane. I miss Erma. Instead, I wrote this book because I needed to get this story out of the way first.

This isn’t a book that’s only full of doom and gloom. It actually has some nice parts in it, too. Well, I think they are. On the whole, I’ve had a good life and hope to continue having one for quite a while longer. It may have had some horrible moments in it, but aside from those, I’ve been lucky to have wonderful people populate my personal landscape. Some are still here, others aren’t. This is a book about a couple of them who aren’t, what they meant to me, and what losing them felt like. I hope it’s also a testament to my tenacity and my deep well of positive thinking, even when there wasn’t much positive energy to place in the bucket that I was trying to fill at the time.

Over the years, people have called me strong. Even amazing. I’m neither. I’m just someone who went through some horrific events in her life and chose to push my way through them in order to get to the other side in reasonably decent shape. It was a good choice, one I’d recommend to others going through horrible events in their lives. Be warned, it wasn’t easy. It’s my story, not a DIY on surviving loss. This isn’t a book which tells you how to get to the other side.

This is a book which tells you that you can.

About the Author:

Susan Hutchinson retired from her job as Executive Director of Affordable Housing after 35 years of helping low income older adults maintain their independence. An avid reader and accomplished artist, she lives in St. Louis, Missouri with her husband. She continues a close relationship with her remaining child and has five grandchildren and one great grandchild despite being too young to have one of those. Life will always give back if you let it.

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Published on February 01, 2021 01:35

Miranda’s Dragon and Its Sequel, Dragon in Chains

Pink Fuzzy Slippers Authors

By Toni V. Sweeney, posted by Linda Nightingale

Once upon a time, I had this idea for a story about a babysitter who discovers her employer is an alien. It wasn’t to be one of those horror stories, however, but sometimes funny, often dramatic, always a love story.

It started off like this:

NANNY WANTED. MUST HAVE ABILITY TO FACE ADVENTURE, EXCITEMENT, DANGER.

In Miranda’s Dragon, when Miranda Wilson answers just such an advertisement, she doesn’t realize what she’s walking into. It could’ve been the plot of a Gothic novel, with a handsome widower, three orphaned children, and herself as the innocent governess.

But from that point on, the story differed.

There are odd undercurrents in the Andrus household, and Miranda notices those even before she meets her boss’ younger brother, a knock-out, many-married hunk by the name of Kitten. Before she can say, “That’s a pretty…

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Published on January 29, 2021 06:16

Dead Silent, a Box Set Collection by Best Selling Authors

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Three randomly drawn winners will receive a $10 Amazon/BN GC. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

The secrets must be kept, or the body count will rise…
Are you ready for the eighteen deadly crime thrillers that will keep you up all night?

Shrouded in mystery, these thrillers by eighteen Wall Street Journal, USA Today and International Best-selling authors, will keep you turning the pages for weeks. It’s a limited time collection that will introduce you to your new favorite writers.

What made the art thieves kill? Why does the old case haunt the detective? Can the assassins be stopped?

From Los Angeles to Scotland to Prague, the twists and turns will leave you in a cold sweat, needing to know what happens next with page after page of the deadliest crimes you can imagine.

This mystery, thriller, and suspense boxset is perfect for fans of David Baldacci, James Patterson, Chris Collett, Angela Marsons, and Lisa Gray.

Read an Excerpt from Mortuary School

“You picked this,” Rochelle waved away a twig that had sailed toward her head, “all by yourself?”

“Yeah.” I said the word slowly, making two syllables of it to give myself more thinking time.

I knew what the next question would be, because everybody asked it: Why? Why did I want to go into Mortuary Science?

“Why?” Rochelle said on cue.

There was a long answer. Last year, I’d been asked to do the hair and makeup for a deceased client, and it had turned into a murder investigation. In the process of stumbling onto the killer, I’d also stumbled onto the answers to some of life’s big questions like: Why was I taking up space on the planet? Was there a purpose to my existence? What did I want to be when I grew up?

I gave Rochelle the short answer. “I used to be a beautician, but business was too up and down.”

She shot me a look. “The dead are more reliable?”

“Exactly. How about you? What did you want to do before you got hijacked into the family business?”

“History. I have an undergraduate degree. My goal was to write long, boring books about the Peloponnesian war and the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD. And, I wanted to teach at the university level.” She sighed heavily. “But it was not to be.”

I was curious. Why would such an intelligent girl allow herself to be coerced into studying for a career she didn’t want? But she sounded so sad, I decided not to pry. When we came to an
open green belt flanked by the two buildings that had been featured on the website, I changed the subject. “This must be part of the original estate.”

“It looks old enough,” Rochelle said.

~~**~~

NEWS FLASH: Dead Silent will be on sale for only $.99 during the duration of this tour.

About the Authors: Books by: Judith Lucci, Fiona Quinn, Sandra Woffington, Michelle Medhat, Dan Petrosini, Greta Boris, David Berens, J.D. Weston, Tom Fowler, Chris Patchell, L.K. Hill, Gavin Reese, K.C. Sivils, Tom Schneider, Elleby Harper, Dwayne Gill, James Harper, Jay Tinsiano, and Jay Newton

Website: https://www.deadsilentboxedset.com
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/DeadSilentBoxSet
Readers Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2849037032042041

Universal link: https://books2read.com/DeadSilent

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Dead-Silent-Box-Set-Collection-ebook/dp/B08LZY7LTQ/
Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/dead-silent-a-box-set-collection/id1527817231
Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dead-silent-judith-lucci/1137491744
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/dead-silent-a-box-set-collection

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Published on January 20, 2021 00:22

Dead Silent, a Box Set Collection of Best Selling Authors

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Three randomly drawn winners will receive a $10 Amazon/BN GC. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

The secrets must be kept, or the body count will rise…
Are you ready for the eighteen deadly crime thrillers that will keep you up all night?

Shrouded in mystery, these thrillers by eighteen Wall Street Journal, USA Today and International Best-selling authors, will keep you turning the pages for weeks. It’s a limited time collection that will introduce you to your new favorite writers.

What made the art thieves kill? Why does the old case haunt the detective? Can the assassins be stopped?

From Los Angeles to Scotland to Prague, the twists and turns will leave you in a cold sweat, needing to know what happens next with page after page of the deadliest crimes you can imagine.

This mystery, thriller, and suspense boxset is perfect for fans of David Baldacci, James Patterson, Chris Collett, Angela Marsons, and Lisa Gray.

Read an Excerpt from Mortuary School

“You picked this,” Rochelle waved away a twig that had sailed toward her head, “all by yourself?”

“Yeah.” I said the word slowly, making two syllables of it to give myself more thinking time.

I knew what the next question would be, because everybody asked it: Why? Why did I want to go into Mortuary Science?

“Why?” Rochelle said on cue.

There was a long answer. Last year, I’d been asked to do the hair and makeup for a deceased client, and it had turned into a murder investigation. In the process of stumbling onto the killer, I’d also stumbled onto the answers to some of life’s big questions like: Why was I taking up space on the planet? Was there a purpose to my existence? What did I want to be when I grew up?

I gave Rochelle the short answer. “I used to be a beautician, but business was too up and down.”

She shot me a look. “The dead are more reliable?”

“Exactly. How about you? What did you want to do before you got hijacked into the family business?”

“History. I have an undergraduate degree. My goal was to write long, boring books about the Peloponnesian war and the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD. And, I wanted to teach at the university level.” She sighed heavily. “But it was not to be.”

I was curious. Why would such an intelligent girl allow herself to be coerced into studying for a career she didn’t want? But she sounded so sad, I decided not to pry. When we came to an
open green belt flanked by the two buildings that had been featured on the website, I changed the subject. “This must be part of the original estate.”

“It looks old enough,” Rochelle said.

~~**~~

NEWS FLASH: Dead Silent will be on sale for only $.99 during the duration of this tour.

About the Authors: Books by: Judith Lucci, Fiona Quinn, Sandra Woffington, Michelle Medhat, Dan Petrosini, Greta Boris, David Berens, J.D. Weston, Tom Fowler, Chris Patchell, L.K. Hill, Gavin Reese, K.C. Sivils, Tom Schneider, Elleby Harper, Dwayne Gill, James Harper, Jay Tinsiano, and Jay Newton

Website: https://www.deadsilentboxedset.com
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/DeadSilentBoxSet
Readers Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2849037032042041

Universal link: https://books2read.com/DeadSilent

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Dead-Silent-Box-Set-Collection-ebook/dp/B08LZY7LTQ/
Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/dead-silent-a-box-set-collection/id1527817231
Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dead-silent-judith-lucci/1137491744
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/dead-silent-a-box-set-collection

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Published on January 20, 2021 00:22

The Wylder West Series from The Wild Rose Press Continues

In December, my publisher unveiled Wylder, a fictitious town in nineteenth century Wyoming. Wylder is like any Old West town of that period:- gunslingers, sheriffs, and good upstanding citizens. There’s a doctor if you need one, and an undertaker if it’s too late for the doctor.

As of yesterday, Wylder has a new story, Wylder Magic. by Sherrie Lea Morgan. Here’s the back of the book text:

Lillian is devastated. Her goal of owning an apothecary in Wylder, Wyoming is dashed. Her family has promised her in wedlock by proxy, and she hopes her spouse is a reasonable man. Can they forge a compromise about the shop, as well as their marriage?

Hank’s hopes aren’t high when it comes to his sight-unseen bride. Heck, he’d settle for a good cook and a warm body. However, Lillian is a lady and skittish as a wild filly—determined to take things slow. She proves her point by sleeping in the guest room.

Just as Lillian begins to fall in love, and yearns to become a true wife, Hank is shot. With potions handed down by her ghostly Gammy she works to keep him alive. Will death come calling or will Hank live to share the last unclaimed piece of property on their homestead…his bed?
Available on Amazon

When you visit Wylder, I know you will want to go again.

Jane Lewis’ Home in Wylder is now up for Pre-Order!

Check out this post for information on the 4 books released in December: https://lindanightingale.wordpress.com//?s=wylder+west&search=Go

~*~

My book The Wylder Years is with my editor. Let’s hope she likes it.

See you tomorrow with Dead Silent. On this tour, Three randomly drawn winners will receive a $10 Amazon/BN GC.

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Published on January 19, 2021 06:46

Rise and Fall of My Beloved by Utanu Maa

GENRE: Poetry

BLURB:

Rise and Fall of My Beloved is a collection of poetry and prose about resilience—about the experience of stigma and rejection, disease and suffering, love and care, loss and grief—and also a testimony of gratitude, forgiveness and togetherness. Each of its three parts is a journey through life’s struggles, pain and loss, all of which require an inner force to overcome, build, rebuild, succeed and heal: resilience. It expresses an undercurrent to an imposed destiny or stigma.

Based on the life experience of my late brother, Rise and Fall of My Beloved is a tribute to mankind’s resilience to overcome adversities. The book takes readers from his vulnerable childhood as a neglected orphan set to die, through a childhood in which he was bullied, to his rise as an accomplished engineer, and sadly to his fall as a dying patient of HIV/AIDS. Each poem depicts the essence of unconditional love and care, the dignity of dying of AIDS, forgiveness, and family bond. This book is a manifesto of my brother’s exceptional resilience, the best memory of him that will live forever. It is an invitation, an inspiration, a reflection that, when mankind encounters struggles, disease, pain, death, loss, grief, we have to grieve and heal, and rebuild.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EXCERPTS:

Judgment and Rejection

I needed to touch and hug him tenderly each day,

Every hour and minute we spent together.

I wanted to fill and surround him with love and care

For the human being that he was, not an untouchable,

Neither a disgusting, evil person nor an outlaw.

Most people did not want to touch him anymore.

He felt the shame and rejection intended toward him.

He witnessed disdain, mockery, and judgment on faces.

He accepted gently and stoically a fake kindness or smile.

Once again, he was labelled and discriminated against without

objecting to

This additional burden to the pain and suffering he already

carried.

Most people did not want to touch or shake his hand anymore,

So, at first, he was reluctant to let me hug, touch, or kiss him.

Fearing to infect me and surprised by such humanity,

Driven by the love and bond between us, we held hands,

Sat side by side when watching days unfolding under the

veranda,

Talked, and recalled old sweet memories of our young age,

And we laughed at our childhood silliness and misfortune.

Most people did not want to touch or shake his hand anymore.

Tell Aya that Zola got infected due to unprotected promiscuity.

Tell Leila that Shi got infected through tainted blood

transfusion.

Tell Mola that Billy got infected through a shared syringe of

narcotics.

Educate Ali that HIV/AIDS is not only for a targeted community,

Nor for the poor at the Horn of Africa or the centre of this

continent.

Warn them that poor or rich, man or woman is at risk or already

infected.

Bring to them an awareness that both educated or uneducated

people,

Homeless or landlord, infants, young or adult, all of us in every

society

Are all at risk if unprotected!

Tell them that discrimination, judgment, labels, isolation, and

rejection

Killed him way before the disease ended his life.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

I am Utanu MAA. I live in Toronto and work as a public servant within the Ontario Court of Justice. Originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo in Africa, where I studied French Literature and Law before migrating to Canada in 1991, and thereafter studied Fashion Marketing, Paralegal and Law (1year) programs. In 2004, I was a recipient of a prize for the Poetry contest organized by Canada Heritage during the celebration of the Francophonie. “Couleur d’une langue” (The Color of a language), my unpublished poem about the diversity and different accents that give rhythm and power to a language to become an umbrella of one identity. “Rise and Fall of My Beloved” is also my own journey into unconditional love and care, and the resilience to deal with pain, loss, grief, to grieve, heal and continue with life after my brother’s death.

Connect with Utanu Maa:

Home

FACEBOOK

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorUtanuMaa

Purchase Links:

AMAZON.COM

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

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Published on January 06, 2021 23:25

First Light in Morning Star by Charlotte Hubbard

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Charlotte Hubbard will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Founded by five enterprising Amish maidels, the new Morning Star Marketplace is a joyous success. What’s even more remarkable is the gift the business bestows upon each of these unmarried women—the unexpected blessing of love . . .

Leaving Flaud’s Furniture to teach at the community’s new school is a joy for Lydianne Christner. Old Order Amish, but new to Morning Star, she’s grateful that the congregation trusts her with the position—but she panics when handsome Bishop Jeremiah Shetler asks about the life she left behind. If anyone discovers the secret she’s hiding, she would, quite rightly, be shunned.

A widower, Bishop Jeremiah admires young Lydianne’s youthful energy and skill with the children. He’s also curious about her past, and the burden he senses on her heart. When his request to court her is refused, he’s stung, and lonelier than ever. It isn’t until a crisis prompts a tearful Lydianne to confess to him that Jeremiah is faced with a choice that requires all of his faith—and teaches them both that love and forgiveness go hand in hand.

Read an Excerpt

Hope fluttered like a butterfly in Lydianne Christner’s heart as she parked her rig in the pole barn just north of the new white schoolhouse. It was barely dawn and she was more than an hour early for her interview with the members of Morning Star’s school board, but she needed time to collect her thoughts and plan her answers to the questions she anticipated from the five men who would decide her future. It had been a spur-of-the-moment decision when she’d blurted out her wish to apply for the teaching position at the members’ meeting after church a week ago—but in the days since, Lydianne’s soul had reconfirmed her impulsive outburst.

She really wanted this position. The trick would be replying to the school board’s questions without hinting at the very personal reason she wished to become Teacher Lydianne. Did she stand a chance?

Sighing nervously, Lydianne stepped onto the front stoop of the schoolhouse and opened the front door.

Her heart fluttered at the sight of fresh white walls, low-maintenance tan flooring, and rows of new metal desks and chairs—the front row filled with shorter desks for the youngest scholars. The white board that covered most of the wall behind her awaited whatever instructions she would write with a variety of colored markers, and the built-in bookcases at the back of the classroom would soon hold a small library as well as a collection of textbooks. Sturdy tables along the side walls would provide space for class projects. A stairway led to the lower level, where the scholars would hang their coats and store their lunch buckets when they came in each morning.

The prospect of beginning a new job—a new life—in this fresh setting filled Lydianne with an even greater excitement than she recalled from when she was a scholar, buying paper and supplies as she anticipated each new school year. Even at twenty-three, she loved learning new things and she eagerly looked forward to passing on her enthusiasm for reading, writing, and arithmetic to—

“Ah—gut morning, Lydianne,” a familiar male voice pulled her from her musings. “Somehow I’m not surprised that you arrived early.”

About the Author:

In 1983, Charlotte Hubbard sold her first story to True Story. She wrote around 70 of those confession stories, and she’s sold more than 50 books to traditional or online publishers. A longtime resident of Missouri, she’s currently writing Amish romances set in imaginary Missouri towns for Kensington. She now lives in Omaha, NE with her husband of 40+ years and their Border collie, Vera.

Website: http://www.charlottehubbard.com

Facebook: http://www.Facebook.com/Charlotte.Hubbard1

Order Ebook

Amazon Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/First-Light-Morning-Star-Maidels-ebook/dp/B086R84P2N/ref=sr_1_2

Amazon Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/First-Light-Morning-Star-Maidels/dp/1420151827/ref=tmm_mmp_swatch_0

Amazon UK Kindle eBook:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/First-Light-Morning-Star-Maidels-ebook/dp/B086R84P2N

Amazon UK Mass Market Paperback:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/First-Light-Morning-Star-Maidels/dp/1420151827

Amazon CA Mass Market Paperback:

https://www.amazon.ca/First-Light-Morning-Star-Maidels-ebook/dp/B086R84P2N

Amazon AU Kindle eBook:

https://www.amazon.com.au/First-Light-Morning-Star-Maidels-ebook/dp/B086R84P2N

Amazon AU Mass Market Paperback:

https://www.amazon.com.au/First-Light-Morning-Charlotte-Hubbard/dp/1420151827

Amazon FR Kindle eBook:

https://www.amazon.fr/First-Light-Morning-Maidels-English-ebook/dp/B086R84P2N

Amazon FR Mass Market Paperback:

https://www.amazon.fr/First-Light-Morning-Charlotte-Hubbard/dp/1420151827