K.C. Sprayberry's Blog, page 20
January 11, 2021
California Dreamin' Teens Interrupted 2
Good morning and welcome to Tuesday Treat. Today, we’re talking about California Dreamin’ about a couple caught up in the fall out of the Vietnam War
“We are fighting a war with no front lines, since the enemy hides among the people, in the jungles and mountains, and uses covertly border areas of neutral countries. One cannot measure our progress by lines on a map.”
—General William C. Westmoreland.
Vietnam – the name of a country that still evokes strong emotions even forty-seven years after our troops left that region. For far too many people, the memories of their time there are as fresh today as they were when they were fighting in those jungles. Back home, families not only had to contend with the horrific images on nightly news reports, but also the hatred generated by the anti-war protestors.
***
Tish says goodbye to her long-time boyfriend, Steve, hoping and praying she will see him when his thirteen months in country are over. When she’s told he’s MIA, status unknown, her world shatters. But she never gives up on him, and always believes they will one day reunite…
Blurb
Dear Steve, I miss you so much and promise that I will never give up on you. Love you always and forever, Tish.
Tish Brady embarks on a journey she hopes will give her perspective for her future. During a time of unrest, she connects with young men bound for Vietnam, war protestors, and others with no idea what their future holds during the turbulence of 1967.
The Summer of Love is just the beginning of Tish’s journey…
Amazon eBook
Excerpt
Dear Steve, I can’t say this out loud. If I do, I might start crying, and I don’t want your last sight of me for the next thirteen months to be of tears. I also don’t want you to go, but I understand that you must. Keep your head down, darling. Love you always and forever, Tish.
***
We don’t speak for most of the ride. I can’t help myself. My birthday is coming up soon but I don’t feel happy to be turning eighteen. Instead, I’m ready to cry for the rest of my life, or the thirteen months my guy, Steve Mason, is in Vietnam.
About K.C. Sprayberry
“I have a secret… a very special secret. Perhaps you’ve heard this one before… from the time I was a child, I wanted to write stories for people to read.” K.C. Sprayberry
Former California native, K.C. Sprayberry, traveled the U.S. and Europe before finally settling in the mountains of Northwest Georgia. She’s been married to her soulmate for more than a quarter of a century and they enjoy spoiling their grandchildren along with many other activities.
Inspiration strikes at the weirdest times and drives her to grab notebook and pen to jot down her ideas. Those close to her swear nothing or no one is safe if she’s smiling gently in a corner and watching those in the same room interact. Her observations have often given her ideas for her next story, set not only in the South but wherever the characters demand they settle.
Facebook Twitter Spotify Goodreads
Amazon Author Page Pinterest AUTHORSdb
MeWe Website YouTube Authorgraph Email
January 10, 2021
A Rainy Night in Georgia Teens Interrupted 1
Good morning and welcome to Monday Musing. Today, we're talking about A Rainy Night in Georgia, a coming of age story about the importance of not texting and driving.
Teens face a multitude of issues as they navigate these turbulent years. Some claim the 21st century has had more issues than at any other time. This may or may not be true. There are certainly teenage problems being shared on social media or on news stations on a daily basis. Some even saying many teens traverse a minefield to make it through every day. With social media, twenty-four hours a day being connected with friends around the world, and expectations to succeed in everything having to do with life, it certainly appears teenagers are having a difficult time.
One of the things teenagers face is getting their driver’s license and (hopefully) a car of their very own. These important milestones come with a lot of responsibility in addition to a release of the tight leash their parents have had them on. There is also the temptation to share with their myriad of friends on social media to document where they are, how they got there, and what they’re doing with their smart phones. Many teenagers claim they can multi-task (drive and text/upload a video to Facebook or Twitter at the same time). These teens are in for a very rude awakening, for the roads are not to be taken lightly and a moment’s inattention can lead to disaster.
AT&T has sponsored this website for several years. The purpose is for individuals to visit and pledge to put their phones down while driving. Nearly 40 million people have already signed the pledge, including this author. Please talk with your teenage driver and as a family, pledge to drive phone free at this link.
Blurb
It all begins as a normal day… a very ordinary day.
Quarterback of the championship football team, Maverick Anderson has mixed feelings about college next fall. He’ll soon be starting at the bottom again and has to prove himself. First, though, he and his friends plan to spend the night enjoying a movie they’ve all wanted to see.
Jo Tomas believes she’s the only person for Maverick. She blames him and his loser current girlfriend for everything that’s wrong in her life. Nobody but nobody disrespects her like he has. She agrees to see a movie she thinks is dumb but has heard Maverick will be there.
Their lives intersect on a rainy Georgia night. Caught up in texting and driving, drinking and getting high, Jo’s angry about the problems in her life and takes her rage out on Maverick.
The fallout from that night will change their futures in a way neither anticipated.
Amazon eBook
Excerpt
Maverick Anderson rolled over in his bed and peered at his alarm clock.
“Nine-fifteen,” he mumbled. “Boy was I tired.”
He sat up and scrubbed his hands through his shoulder length leonine hair. A slight smile rose as he remembered how a mere four years ago, the football coach at Chattooga County High School had sworn that Maverick would cut that hair or not be the Indians’ new quarterback.
“I won that battle, but it wasn’t fun.”
About K.C. Sprayberry
“I have a secret… a very special secret. Perhaps you’ve heard this one before… from the time I was a child, I wanted to write stories for people to read. “ K.C. Sprayberry
Former California native, K.C. Sprayberry traveled the U.S. and Europe before finally settling in the mountains of Northwest Georgia. She’s been married to her soulmate for more than a quarter of a century and they enjoy spoiling their grandchildren along with many other activities.Inspiration strikes at the weirdest times and drives her to grab notebook and pen to jot down her ideas. Those close to her swear nothing or no one is safe if she’s smiling gently in a corner and watching those in the same room interact. Her observations have often given her ideas for her next story, set not only in the South but wherever the characters demand they settle.
Facebook Twitter Spotify Goodreads
Amazon Author Page Pinterest Website AUTHORSdb
MeWe YouTube Authorgraph Email
January 9, 2021
The Case of Where is Marnie Wildwood? Wildcat Crew 4
Good morning and welcome to Lazy Sunday. Today, we’re talking about The Case of Where is Marnie Wildwood Wildcat Crew 4. Marnie is kidnapped; the crew helps to locate her.
Marnie's been kidnapped… the others race to find her…
Blurb
Marnie Wildwood solves mysteries. Her friends are at her side while she seeks answers, assisting her every step of the way.
Until… vengeance comes for her “nosy” behavior. In terror packed moments, Marnie is kidnapped. Garth, Tish, Les, Suzie, and Brad desperately want to be part of the many police officers searching for the daughter of one of their own. They are told to stand down and let the professionals do the job. They have to look on and remain together under supervision while Marnie is taken far from them.
Minutes turn into hours, hours into one day followed by a second day without Marnie Wildwood being seen. She has vanished without a trace, along with her distinctive 1967 Ford Mustang.
Who can Wildcat Crew trust? Who can they depend on to help locate their leader? Where is Marnie?
Wildcat Crew takes on their toughest case. Time is running out to find Marnie. Can they accomplish the impossible?
Amazon eBook
Excerpt
Marnie Wildwood threw off her blankets and jumped out of bed. Their latest case, one she had yet to tell the rest of her crew about, had her eager to get started.
I can’t believe Dante is part of a gang. I’m going to figure out why and set him straight.
She wondered why the other men paid attention to Dante’s commands during the confrontation at Library Park. All of them had been great students and even better at sports.
He’s in charge of those people. They did whatever he wanted done.
About K.C. Sprayberry
Living a dream she’s had since she first discovered the magic of books, former California native, K.C. Sprayberry traveled the U.S. and Europe before finally settling in the mountains of Northwest Georgia. She’s been married to her soulmate for nearly a quarter of a century and they enjoy spoiling their grandchildren along with many other activities.
A multi-genre author, K.C. Sprayberry is always on the hunt for new stories. Inspiration strikes at the weirdest times and drives her to grab notebook and pen to jot down her ideas. Those close to her swear nothing or no one is safe if she’s smiling gently in a corner and watching those in the same room interact. Her observations have often given her ideas for her next story, set not only in the South but wherever the characters demand they settle.
Facebook Twitter Spotify Goodreads
Amazon Author Page Pinterest Website AUTHORSdb
MeWe YouTube Authorgraph Email
January 8, 2021
The Case of the Missing Brother Wildcat Crew 3
Good morning and welcome to Sharing Saturday. Today, we’re talking about The Case of the Missing Brother Wildcat Crew 3. The team takes on the challenge of finding Susie's brother.
Missing brother piques the team's interest...
Blurb
George Adams, brother to Christine and Suzie, disappeared when his parents took him out of their home in Beverly Hills. Wildcat Crew finally has the clues they need to discover where he is and why he’s there.
The crew works hard but runs into all sorts of brick walls. Until they uncover important clues and are soon on their way to the successful conclusion of another case.
Amazon eBook
Excerpt
A week after the summer solstice, Marnie awoke with an unsettled feeling running through her. Even though they hadn’t solved many cases, she and her crew hadn’t ever left any part of a case unfinished.
“We really have to start looking for George.”
She knelt on the window seat her dad had helped her install in her bedroom last weekend. He’d had a full forty-eight hours without being called back to the station, a rarity in their home and one that usually ended up with major projects going on from dawn until nearly bedtime. Marnie was still basking in the glow of spending the hours not only making this seat, but also making sure their covered patio was ready for this summer’s round of late afternoon barbecues with their friends and neighbors.
About K.C. Sprayberry
Living a dream she’s had since she first discovered the magic of books, former California native, K.C. Sprayberry traveled the U.S. and Europe before finally settling in the mountains of Northwest Georgia. She’s been married to her soulmate for nearly a quarter of a century and they enjoy spoiling their grandchildren along with many other activities.
A multi-genre author, K.C. Sprayberry is always on the hunt for new stories. Inspiration strikes at the weirdest times and drives her to grab notebook and pen to jot down her ideas. Those close to her swear nothing or no one is safe if she’s smiling gently in a corner and watching those in the same room interact. Her observations have often given her ideas for her next story, set not only in the South but wherever the characters demand they settle.
Facebook Twitter Spotify Goodreads
Amazon Author Page Pinterest Website AUTHORSdb
MeWe YouTube Authorgraph Email
January 7, 2021
The Case of the Scared Child Wildcat Crew 2
Good morning and welcome to Friday Feeling. Today, we’re talking about The Case of the Scared Child Wildcat Crew 2. The summer solstice provides Wildcat Crew the chance to help Luke Timmons.
A small child wanders on the beach alone...
Blurb
The summer solstice has arrived. Being the sun worshipers they are, Wildcat Crew heads to the beach for a day of fun and a picnic. But first, Marnie gets a huge surprise. Her parents have replaced her Camaro, destroyed in their first case.
At the beach with thousands of other Southern Californians, the crew stumbles over a small, crying child. Instead of checking out the waves and working on their tans, they go on the hunt for the little boy’s parents.
Amazon eBook
Excerpt
Loud voices startled Luke Timmons. He could hear the ocean outside his open bedroom window and wanted to go to the beach. His mommy and daddy had promised him that he could pick where he spent his fifth birthday and he wanted to run into the ocean, build a sandcastle, and have a lot of fun.
“Where’s the stash?” Daddy yelled. “What have you done with it, Liz?”
Luke’s mommy’s name was Liz. His daddy was Brian. The idea of having his mommy crying and his daddy “sick” today made his tummy hurt. They had promised him a really fun birthday of going to the beach, and to get pizza later. Daddy even promised to buy Luke an ice cream cone for dessert if he was good all day long.
About K.C. Sprayberry
Living a dream she’s had since she first discovered the magic of books, former California native, K.C. Sprayberry traveled the U.S. and Europe before finally settling in the mountains of Northwest Georgia. She’s been married to her soulmate for nearly a quarter of a century and they enjoy spoiling their grandchildren along with many other activities.
A multi-genre author, K.C. Sprayberry is always on the hunt for new stories. Inspiration strikes at the weirdest times and drives her to grab notebook and pen to jot down her ideas. Those close to her swear nothing or no one is safe if she’s smiling gently in a corner and watching those in the same room interact. Her observations have often given her ideas for her next story, set not only in the South but wherever the characters demand they settle.
Facebook Twitter Spotify Goodreads
Amazon Author Page Pinterest Website AUTHORSdb
MeWe YouTube Authorgraph Email
January 6, 2021
The Case of the Vanishing Girls Wildcat Crew 1
Good morning and welcome to Thursday Thoughts. Today, we’re talking about The Case of the Vanishing Girls Wildcat Crew Book 1. Marnie Wildwood and three friends take on mysteries in Southern California of the 70s.
Teenage girls mysteriously vanish...
Blurb
Finally moving on from the horror of the Manson killings, the Los Angeles area has begun to return to normal. Until, that is, the small bedroom community of Monrovia skyrockets into the news. This sleepy little area, nestled up against the foothills, is probably best known for their football team, but that was yesterday’s news.
Three girls have vanished. Notes left behind have an “H” and a “S” with red dripping off them. People’s minds automatically go to the horror of 1969 and wonder if someone else is about to initiate “Helter Skelter.”
A group of teens, Wildcat Crew, doesn’t think so. Despite the police looking at a trouble teen, they focus on another teen whose past has some dark secrets. As the city moves toward the summer solstice, these intrepid investigators work diligently on solving this case before someone else vanishes into the canyon.
Amazon eBook
Excerpt
The moon hung low on a dark California night. June could be a mix of summer’s warmth with just enough of the coolness left over from spring to force the native Californians to retreat to their homes and huddle beneath blankets.
Fools they were, and The Mastermind would be the one to remind them of their folly. For he was the one who would wake them up from their quiet, peaceful lives and thrust them into the terror of his making. No one would rest easily until he had sated his hunger.
About K.C. Sprayberry
Living a dream she’s had since she first discovered the magic of books, former California native, K.C. Sprayberry traveled the U.S. and Europe before finally settling in the mountains of Northwest Georgia. She’s been married to her soulmate for nearly a quarter of a century and they enjoy spoiling their grandchildren along with many other activities.
A multi-genre author, K.C. Sprayberry is always on the hunt for new stories. Inspiration strikes at the weirdest times and drives her to grab notebook and pen to jot down her ideas. Those close to her swear nothing or no one is safe if she’s smiling gently in a corner and watching those in the same room interact. Her observations have often given her ideas for her next story, set not only in the South but wherever the characters demand they settle.
Facebook Twitter Spotify Goodreads
Amazon Author Page Pinterest Website AUTHORSdb
MeWe YouTube Authorgraph Email
January 5, 2021
The Car
Good morning and welcome to Wednesday Wisdom. Today, we’re talking about The Car. While researching information for her blog, Belinda Susanna stumbles onto a murder mystery.
For nearly a hundred years, no one knew the truth…
Blurb
For nearly a hundred years, no one knew the truth.
Mark Jameson and Belinda Sue Marsters refuse to be separated, despite how much their parents hated each other. In a bold move, they grab the opportunity to leave. What consequences will they face?
Amazon eBook
Excerpt
I walk along a dusty road. The school bus dropped me off a mere five minutes ago. No one else lives near the shell of the once thriving town of Martinsburg. No one knows for certain how anyone came up with the name of this burg. The area is currently an area of horse ranches and lots of desert scrub in the Sonoran Desert close to Tucson. They call this region Marana. It’s pretty nice, except for one thing.
There are secrets hidden above and below the shifting sands. Mysteries about a time called the Roaring Twenties, right before the joyous life ended with the crash of the stock market in 1929.
“What is that?”
About K.C. Sprayberry
Living a dream she’s had since she first discovered the magic of books, former California native, K.C. Sprayberry traveled the U.S. and Europe before finally settling in the mountains of Northwest Georgia. She’s been married to her soulmate for nearly a quarter of a century and they enjoy spoiling their grandchildren along with many other activities.
A multi-genre author, K.C. Sprayberry is always on the hunt for new stories. Inspiration strikes at the weirdest times and drives her to grab notebook and pen to jot down her ideas. Those close to her swear nothing or no one is safe if she’s smiling gently in a corner and watching those in the same room interact. Her observations have often given her ideas for her next story, set not only in the South but wherever the characters demand they settle.
Facebook Twitter Spotify Goodreads
Amazon Author Page Pinterest Website AUTHORSdb
MeWe YouTube Authorgraph Email
January 4, 2021
Puff of Smoke
Good morning and welcome to Tuesday Treat. Today, we’re talking about Puff of Smoke. Mark makes a decision that leaves his ex-wife, Sheila, searching for years to find her daughter.
Her child vanishes in a puff of smoke…
Blurb
Multi-billionaire Mark Jannson has everything money can buy. If it has no financial value, he wants nothing to do with it. International bestselling romance author Sheila Carson lives only for her child, Lanie. Ben Mason fell for the lovely yet reclusive Sheila when she divorced her husband and vows to help her find her child. Eleanor Jannson has questions her dad won’t answer.
An arson to cover up murder and kidnapping in Colorado’s Front Range near Denver begins with a puff of smoke. For almost eleven years, Sheila never gives up hope that she will find her daughter alive, even though officially the child was declared dead in the fire that consumed her ex-husband’s home. Mark lives in constant fear that his former wife will uncover his horrific secret and will do anything, including ordering another murder, to cover his tracks. Ben Mason has connections he’s loathe to disclose but uses them to assist Sheila in this international murder mystery.
Amazon eBook
Excerpt
A smile was on his face. Despite the fact that he was supposed to connect with the egg donor of this lovely child, he had no thoughts of doing that or returning the kid at the appointed time. His timing was perfect. The child—Lanie is such an idiotic name; I’ll have to come up with another one—would be five in a few days. In time, she would forget there had been his loser ex in her life. She—Sheila will regret divorcing me—had battered through his training, all he’d gone through to make her a compliant and complacent wife. She’d run away after he ordered her to get an abortion.
Good thing the bitch ignored me. I wouldn’t have this gorgeous child to raise to be like me.
Granted the child was weak now, but he would fix that, as soon as he made sure they vanished forever. No one would stop him from raising his daughter as he saw fit, and that meant keeping her away from her weakling of a mother.
About K.C. Sprayberry
Living a dream she’s had since she first discovered the magic of books, former California native, K.C. Sprayberry traveled the U.S. and Europe before finally settling in the mountains of Northwest Georgia. She’s been married to her soulmate for nearly a quarter of a century and they enjoy spoiling their grandchildren along with many other activities.
A multi-genre author, K.C. Sprayberry is always on the hunt for new stories. Inspiration strikes at the weirdest times and drives her to grab notebook and pen to jot down her ideas. Those close to her swear nothing or no one is safe if she’s smiling gently in a corner and watching those in the same room interact. Her observations have often given her ideas for her next story, set not only in the South but wherever the characters demand they settle.
Facebook Twitter Spotify Goodreads
Amazon Author Page Pinterest Website AUTHORSdb
MeWe YouTube Authorgraph Email
January 3, 2021
At Home Christmas
Good morning and welcome to Monday Musing. Today, we’re talking about At Home Christmas. Cat falls for a guy. They connect in one night and she dreams of a future with Steve… until fate steps in.
Love found and lost in a day… A heart shattered…
Blurb
Christmas with the family. An ideal, sweet homecoming... Or the torturous reminder that family can be your worst enemy.
Cat Helmstead suffers a grievous loss while on temporary duty in Spain with the Air Force. Her heart shatters and she sinks into a grief so profound that she’s ready to join the man she loved so much. Until she’s sent home, to spend the holidays with her family and makes several important discoveries that will change her future forever.
Can Cat move on from losing the only guy she's ever been attracted to?
Amazon eBook
Excerpt
The NCO club was rocking with great tunes on the jukebox. I sat in a corner, nursing a San Miguel beer, watching others doing their thing. It was bingo night. Just about everyone was playing intently in the cover-all round, hoping to win the five hundred dollar prize. For some, that amount of money equaled more than they had in their pocket at any given time.
“Hi.”
The voice was male and I wasn’t interested. Men were my thing, as the saying went, but at this point in my life, I was still nursing wounds best left alone. I’d joined the Air Force five years ago as a way to escape a home that had become too tense to live in any longer. The oldest of six, I’d never heard “Great job” or “You’ll be a success one day.” No matter what I did, nothing was acknowledged until my seventeen months, twenty-eight days younger sister, Tina, had accomplished the same feat, and that was boasted about long and loud by our mother if she happened to do better than I had done.
About K.C. Sprayberry
Living a dream she’s had since she first discovered the magic of books, former California native, K.C. Sprayberry traveled the U.S. and Europe before finally settling in the mountains of Northwest Georgia. She’s been married to her soulmate for nearly a quarter of a century and they enjoy spoiling their grandchildren along with many other activities.
A multi-genre author, K.C. Sprayberry is always on the hunt for new stories. Inspiration strikes at the weirdest times and drives her to grab notebook and pen to jot down her ideas. Those close to her swear nothing or no one is safe if she’s smiling gently in a corner and watching those in the same room interact. Her observations have often given her ideas for her next story, set not only in the South but wherever the characters demand they settle.
Facebook Twitter Spotify Goodreads
Amazon Author Page Pinterest Website AUTHORSdb
MeWe YouTube Authorgraph Email
January 2, 2021
Moonlight Dancing
Good morning and welcome to Lazy Sunday. Today, we’re talking about Moonlight Dancing. Laura and Mark make a promise to dance on the beach on the Summer Solstice… her in Hawaii and him in Vietnam.
Tested by the winds of war… This couple holds on even when all seems lost…
Blurb
A promise leaves them wondering about the future.
Summer Solstice of 1968 brings major changes for Laura and Mark. Each worries about his returning to Vietnam, even though he’s due to finish his enlistment in the Marine Corps in a little over a year. In a moment of madness, their decision to give in to their heated emotions leaves both determined to do the right thing.
Laura and Mark marry right before he returns to the war, each pledging to stand on a beach on the next Summer Solstice and dance in the moonlight. A year later, mere moments after they connect on separate beaches and keep their promise, their lives change drastically. A firefight ends badly and Mark is captured. Laura now has to raise their daughter alone, without any reassurance she’ll see her husband again.
Will each maintain their faith and be reunited under a Summer Solstice moon?
Amazon eBook
Excerpt
The moon hung low over the Hawaiian beach. We were listening to the surf and dancing to music, relaxing and trying not to worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow was when our guys would return to the war in Vietnam. Right now, in this moment, we were experiencing a beautiful forever.
Waves lapped up against the white sand, a quiet beat underscoring the music. Mark and I were slow dancing in each other’s arms, gripping each other tightly, ignoring what the near future held. I refused to believe that he had to go away for another year. For me, only tonight, the Summer Solstice, existed to remind me of the relationship we’d had for so long and how I wished it would last forever.
About K.C. Sprayberry
Living a dream she’s had since she first discovered the magic of books, former California native, K.C. Sprayberry traveled the U.S. and Europe before finally settling in the mountains of Northwest Georgia. She’s been married to her soulmate for nearly a quarter of a century and they enjoy spoiling their grandchildren along with many other activities.
A multi-genre author, K.C. Sprayberry is always on the hunt for new stories. Inspiration strikes at the weirdest times and drives her to grab notebook and pen to jot down her ideas. Those close to her swear nothing or no one is safe if she’s smiling gently in a corner and watching those in the same room interact. Her observations have often given her ideas for her next story, set not only in the South but wherever the characters demand they settle.
Facebook Twitter Spotify Goodreads
Amazon Author Page Pinterest Website AUTHORSdb
MeWe YouTube Authorgraph Email
