Lynelle Clark's Blog, page 136

Heart of the Ocean Blog Tour and Giveaway

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Heart of the Ocean
by Heather B. Moore

A dark secret . . . a grieving ghost  . . . a handsome stranger  . . .
What more could Eliza Robinson want?
Except for maybe her life.

In Heather B. Moore’s enthralling 1840’s historical romance, Heart of the Ocean, Eliza Robinson has turned down the very pretentious Mr. Thomas Beesley’s marriage proposal. As a business partner of Eliza’s father, Thomas quickly discredits the family and brings disgrace to the Robinson name.

While her father scrambles to restore his good name in New York City, Eliza flees to the remote Puritan town of Maybrook to stay with her Aunt Maeve. Although relieved to be away from all- things-male and unforgiving gossip columns, odd things start to happen to Eliza, and she is plagued by a ghostly voice. Her aunt’s explanation? That Eliza is being haunted by a woman who died of a broken heart twenty years ago.

After Aunt Maeve is tragically killed, Eliza's life is put in danger as she tries to uncover the mystery of her aunt's death. She encounters Jonathan Porter in Maybrook, whose presence in the town seems suspicious, yet she finds herself drawn to him. When she discovers that Jonathan’s dark secrets may be the link between the dead woman who haunts her and her aunt’s murderer, Eliza realizes that Jonathan is the one man she should never trust.


PurchaseAmazon * Smashwords * Barnes & Noble


Author Heather B. Moore
Heather B. Moore is the award-winning author of ten novels, two inspirational non-fiction books, and two anthologies, including The Newport Ladies Book Club Series, A Timeless Romance Anthology, and Christ's Gifts to Women (co-authored by Angela Eschler).

Her historical fiction is published under the pen name H.B. Moore. She is the two-time recipient of Best of State in Literary Fiction, two-time Whitney Award Winner, and two-time Golden Quill Winner for Best Novel. Her most recent historical novel under H.B. Moore is Daughters of Jared (2012 LUW Gold Award of Excellence & 2012 LUW Best Book Trailer).



Website * Blog * Facebook * Twitter
Blog Tour Giveaway$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal CashEnds 1/3/12Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Streaming Stars (Transcender Trilogy Book 2) Review and Interview

It is my privilege to host Vicky Savage once again on my blog, reading the Second Book in the Series Transcender Trilogy. A Honor to work with her and a great author. 

Streaming Stars (Transcender Trilogy Book 2)Author: Vicky SavageSeries: Transcender TrilogyPages: 425Self Published
Available at Amazon Kindle/ Paperbag
BlurbEighteen-year-old Jaden Beckett has thirty days to make the ultimate decision about her destiny. Which path will she choose? Her current life with her loving family in Connecticut? An alternate life in an intriguing parallel world with the man she loves? Or the astonishing life of a multi-universe Transcender?

In Streaming Stars, Book 2 of the Transcender Trilogy, Jaden and her mentor, Agent Ralston, return to Domerica, where she reunites with her mother and her fiancé, Ryder Blackthorn, embarks upon fantastic Transcender adventures in exotic parallel worlds, and narrowly escapes a hit squad of Black Knights.
In the end, Jaden’s decision is anything but simple.
Interview with Vicky Savage1.       Where did the idea come from for the book?My favourite books growing up were about women in medieval times. I love the noble horses, brave knights, and all-consuming romance of that era, but I my heroine needed to be strong, not a damsel in distress. Also, I really didn’t want to deal with all the sticky issues of life without plumbing or electricity. Faced with the dilemma of placing an independent modern teen in a medieval-type setting with indoor plumbing and great clothes, I realized that fantasy was the way to go. Instead of time-travel, which I think is a little boring and overdone, I came up with the idea of someone who actually possesses the ability to travel among parallel worlds at will. 2.       What genre does your book fall under?It’s got a little something for everyone. Mainly, it can be described as fantasy/paranormal/romance, with a little sci-fi thrown in, but there’s also plenty of adventure and humour. It was written as a YA crossover book. I’ve been surprised at the number of male readers, and the number of adult readers. They actually outnumber the teens. Go figure.  3.       Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?For the main actors, I’ll do my best, but I know them so well it’s hard to pick individuals who are not the people who live in my imagination.Jaden Beckett: She’s tall, athletic, and individually strong. Jennifer Lawrence, star of the Hunger Games would be great, and she has shown her comedic side in, Silver Linings Playbook, but she’s a little mature for this role. So possibly an exciting new face on the scene would be the best Jaden.Ryder Blackthorn: Liam Hemsworth would be perfect. Enough said.Agent Ralston: He’s really a Michael Caine-type character, but younger, so I’m thinking Jude Law as a stuffy old British-type would be more than wonderful.Asher Steele: Alex Pettyfer would be amazing as Ryder Blackthorn’s rival. Sexy, sensitive, and yummy, he’s what Jaden wants and needs, but he’s not her perpetual love ...4.       What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?With only thirty days to decide, Jaden Beckett must make an irrevocable choice regarding her destiny: does she continue in her current life as a Connecticut teenager soon to enter Yale University; opt for an alternate life in an intriguing parallel world as a royal engaged to the man she loves; or embrace the astonishing life she was born to live as a multi-universe Transcender?5.       Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?The first book in the Trilogy, Transcender: First-Timer was published by me under my imprint, Vicky Savage. Book 2, Streaming Stars will likewise be published by me.6.       How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?The first draft of the manuscript for Book 2 took about six months. Editing and rewrites took an additional few months. Then timing considerations were taken into account before deciding when to release it to the public.7.       What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?This is the toughest question to respond to. Lots of romance, but no vampires or werewolves, so not Twilight. The Transcender Trilogy is more fun and less dystopian than Hunger Games. I loved Daughter of Smoke and Bone for its wit and prose, but Streaming Stars is more grounded in real life. Anna Dressed in Blood is similarly humorously written, but the books are decidedly not horror. As the author, I guess I like to think the trilogy is in a class of its own.8.       Who or What inspired you to write this book?A few years back when my son was in middle school, the school librarian cajoled me into hosting regular books clubs for the students. That’s when I fell hopelessly in love with the YA genre, especially fantasy/paranormal novels. The stories were so fresh and exciting. After I hosted a particularly fun Twilightbook club for students and their mothers’, I resolved to finally write the book I’d been toying with in the back of my mind for years. 9.       What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?What I’ve been told that the storyline, characters, and events suck in the reader to the point where he or she becomes emotionally invested in what happens next. Something different about my books is that they conclude in teasingly unresolved endings, which makes them ineligible for most book awards contests because they’re not stand-alones. But, as Kirkus Reviews said about Transcender, “it all ends in a cliffhanger that should keep involved readers salivating for the next installment.” Makes for a good trilogy, right? Contact details: Website /  Facebook / Twitter   My 5 Star ReviewI totally agree Vicky. The Transcender Trilogy stand all alone in a class of its own. I really enjoyed both Book 1 and 2 in the Trilogy Series. I can picture the two actors as Jaden and Ryder, with Micheal Caine as Ralston, a perfect choice.
Frustrated was the first thing that popped in my mind when I got too the last page. Not because the book was bad but because we are left with another cliffhanger at the end of the day. I totally got lost in between the pages hoping that our two main characters Jaden and Ryder would come together.But twists and turns through out the book just kept them apart. I must admit although frustrated at the end the author kept you glued to the book, succeeding in her ability to let you continue reading.  Wanting to get to the next Book as quick as possible. Her way of easy telling just keep you wondering what the two would face next. It keeps you on your toes making sure the coffee mug or water glass is filled not moving from your favorite spot to get to the end.The plot was well thought, well written with interesting characters added to keep you entertained, and guessing.
Again we meet up with Jaden, Princess of Dormerica the parallel world of earth. Chief Ryder Blackthorne, Ralston her brother Andrew, mother the Queen and her father. All the old characters are back and have evolved in their own right. This book start off a year later after her disappearance to be back in the castle. Prepared to take over the reign from her mother who is terminally ill. And again she had to say goodbye. It was extremely painful but yet also comforting because now she could say goodbye.
We meet up with a group of Transcenders which help her to adapt with her gift, faced with the question if she can commit to her life as Princess/Queen Jaden staying where she is or travel the world with a click of a button. 
Questions in the first Book is answered now so that you have a greater understanding about the plot. But again you are left with questions at the end. I really hope we do not have to wait to long for the 3rd Book.
As I have stated a few times before I am not a huge fan of YA books but this Series I enjoyed immensely.  So I can recommend this too not only young adults but mature readers with a love for YA fantasy books. It is filled with action, adventure, intrigue and romance. With all the growing pains surrounding such an relationship. Adding the responsibilities of taking over the reign, making decisions not only for herself but a country and you have a very good read.
The one thing that bothered me about Jaden was her ability to threw a spanner in the water works so to speak every time in her friendships. I mean here she is making plans to over throw her uncle's evil plans, taking charge but yet when it comes to Ryder and Ralston she slips up, pushing them away when they do not conform to her frame of mind. Forgetting that she too have things hidden from them. Living a lie even more than they do.
But then she goes and set things straight with Erica and you are left with a ahhhh moment. Jaden is forgiven for her missteps. 
After all she is only eighteen years old. Which is understandable. Many grown ups do not get this. But her ability to adapt and listen. To make quick decisions, strong willed in her actions but yet staying humble with the huge task at hand is what make her a great and believable character. 

Thank you Vicky for sharing your story.

#sageblogtours Present The Dreamer: Review and Giveaway

The DreamerBy May Nicole Abbey                                Genre: Inspirational Romance (Subgenre: Time Travel & Light Historical)
Book Description:A dream in the night. A leap of faith. A quest for truth and treasure.
From term papers and instant coffee to blood-thirsty pirates and buried treasure, Rachel Madera, a gifted university professor, finds herself travelling through time on a journey of discovery and danger, all because of a simple dream. Despite the threat, Rachel is undaunted, certain she holds the keys to unlock the mystery of a Pharaoh’s treasure … and alter the course of history.
The only thing that stands between her and peril is Captain Mallory Tucker, a man with a tragic past and intractable moral code. Born of the sea, he is among the leading mariners of 18th century Europe. But the derelicts who make up his crew and the capriciousness of the ocean have taken their toll, and Captain Tucker is tired and jaded. The last thing he needs is a precocious young woman dropping onto his ship and creating havoc. But he’ll fight to the death for her honor, her beliefs…and her love.

Author Bios
Caroline Gregory and Shawnette Nielson were born in Southern California to a tight-knit family. Caroline earned her Bachelor of Arts in English from Brigham Young University in 1999, supervising and managing a bookstore during and after college. She currently has three children’s picture books that are in the process of getting published.The first one, Puppy Stew, can be found on Amazon. Now a stay at home mom, she resides in Oklahoma with her husband and four young sons.
From gymnastics and acting to wrestling and construction work, Shawnette quickly realized that she had a flair for the unusual. At the age of 13 she started gymnastics only to switch it out for wrestling on the boy’s team her sophomore year in high school. After graduating she held a variety of jobs and worked as a nanny in the summer months. Although in essence a tomboy, Shawnette always longed for a feminine role model in modern media. At the age of 21, she went to St. Louis, Missouri to serve a mission for her church. She now lives in Arizona with her husband and three children.
Frustrated with the morals and messages found in much contemporary fiction, unable to find heroines with which they could relate, and discovering many of their family and friends felt similarly, Caroline and Shawnette teamed up to write a wholesome story that contained page-turning adventure and passion, but with a strong, moral message of God and honor.
The sentence, “I had a dream once that I flew” came to Shawnette’s mind one summer afternoon in 1997. Rushing around for a pen and paper, and unable to find either, she finally settled for a computer with a printer that was out of ink. The words tumbled forth without control and Shawnette’s fingers flew to keep up. Thus was born the beginning of “Once I Flew”. In later years, she read those first few pages to her sister Caroline, and together they developed the character of Rachael (POV) as well as the adventurous story and path of growth that she goes on. They both feel Rachael will be an inspiration to many.
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My 5 Star Review
Inspirational adventurous and filled with action and romance is what make a good book. Well that is what I look for in a book and "The Dreamer" is all that and more. Always finding the meaning behind the story without being in your face or preached.
This is what I found in this book so eloquently written and descriptive in between its pages.  It allows your imagination to sore with possibilities of a live lived in the past. I know I have often wondered what would we do if we could go back in time with all the knowledge we have. But as we can see all the knowledge in the world helps you nothing if you do not apply it with wisdom.
Rachel a modern day young woman found her in this position. Challenged by the 18th Century lifestyle with a modern day mind set, after a dream. Searching for answers until she was shun from the very walls of learning she embraced with vicar  Her knowledge taking her to places and experiencing life as we will never do. We get to know her as the observer  meticulously penning down every situation, every facet of live for future studies. Thinking that she will return one day and people will acknowledge her accomplishments. We learn about her stubborn and head strong character not flinching in the eye of danger. Intellectual that drove every one around her crazy, but yet draw the most interesting characters to her.
She meet Pirates, Captain Fredrick flamboyant in every detail and Dukes, Charles Dubois, Duke of Norcross. A deceiver extraordinaire.  Ladies of the Ton, Lady Alistair,  finding her feet in an unfamiliar world with no one to understand her.
And of course Captain Mallory Tucker, larger then life. A man with integrity and a past that has made him the man that he is.
But her biggest down fall was her Illusion of Grandeur reminding every one she met she is there for a purpose. Almost loosing the one person, her true purpose in the end. Her goal fixed on one thing only but cost her her objective, to become a woman in the true sense of the word.
However circumstances had a way of working within her, humbling her and she found that she have fallen in love with a rigid, disciplined Captain that controls his ship with superiority and skill. Unwavering in his decisions that saved her countless times.
The romance between these two were interesting to watch as it unfolds and come to a wonderful end. Tying all the questions together in a wonderful ending.
But the biggest message that stood out was from a cowardly man John Finley that would give her up twice to safe his own skin but sacrificed himself to safe her at the very end. A cross always around his neck, fingering it too remind him of the message.
The message of the cross very clear.
It is foolish for those who do not understand its meaning but a peace for those who does accept its grace.
Beautifully written and a book I greatly enjoyed.

Daisy: Between a Rock and a Hard Place Book Blast and Give away

Today I introduce Janis F. Kearney to my blog and her new Christian Historical novel
Daisy: Between a Rock and a Hard Place
By Janis F. Kearney


Going Home to Say Goodbye
Daisy passed on November 4, 1999, five days after my son’s birthday, seven days before her own. She died without me speaking with her, hugging her, mirroring that enigmatic smile of hers or my telling her about my time in D.C. How she loved to hear about the world of D.C. Two years had passed since we last talked. So much had happened since then.
My last sighting of Daisy had been more than two years earlier during the 40th Anniversary of the `57 Crisis. We had only hugged and chatted briefly. The year before, in 1996, we’d met at the Anniversary Celebration of “our” newspaper, the Arkansas State Press – the newspaper she sold to me when she decided she was too tired and too old to continue. I recall how, during that 1996 meeting, Daisy was in such wonderful spirits, still the reigning queen, her smile as bright and her embrace as warm as ever. She stared into my eyes as I fumbled through an awkward explanation of why I left the newspaper to my sister’s care. She laughed, even with her strokes, she held onto that inimitable Daisy laughter.
Then she clasped her small hands around mine, and said exactly what my father had said when I told him I would go, ‘You had to go...why wouldn't you go?’
I often joked with her that she was a trusting soul to sell me her newspaper “on time,” after a $10,000 down payment. I was appreciative and honored that she sensed what she called, `the fire in the belly.’ I honored her trust by never missing the $500 monthly payment, no matter how dire the newspaper coffers might be. The newspaper became mine in 1991.

I would have never guessed that conversation would be our last. It was a wonderful time together. I was happy to see her spirits still as high as ever. We talked extensively about my life in Washington, DC, and for the first time she shared some about her time there, and her work under the two presidents. Daisy was honest to a fault, and told me she would give anything to have my youth and the exciting life I was leading now. She counted her time working for Lyndon Johnson’s administration as one of the most exciting of her life.
Before we parted that day, she made me promise to stop by and see her whenever I was in town. I promised her I would. The handful of times I got back to Arkansas, however, were always hurried, filled with business or family gatherings. I never kept my promise to drop by to see Daisy after that. No excuses.


Going Home to Say Goodbye
It was during her roles in the national political arena, not Arkansas’, and during the larger Civil Rights struggle era, not the LR Central High Crisis; that marked the demise of Daisy’s health. Still famous, still beautiful and charming; she was, however, a middle-aged Daisy who had put her body and psyche through 30 years of unrelenting hell, and was now forced to be cognizant of her mortality.
Daisy had fought a long, bitter war with racism, prejudice and segregation, and though she had seen some victories; the battles had left scars - mostly invisible scars. After suffering a stroke in 1965, Daisy returned to her beloved state of Arkansas, and to the husband who wrote a desperate, gut-wrenching love letter to his wife, voicing his doubts for their marriage’s duration through her stay in New York; but declaring his love... in spite of himself.
There would always be a hint of bitterness inside Daisy Bates, as she remembered that `home’ was what forced her move…and, to a great extent, contributed to the debilitating health problems that would persist until the end. Yet, she said more than once, Arkansas would always be her home.

It is believed that Daisy found a strange thing when she returned home this time – some semblance of contentment. Neither Arkansas, nor America was near perfect when it came to race relations or civil rights and equality…yet, Daisy sought smaller, less demanding ways to contribute, to try and make life better.
Daisy and L.C.’s taut marital relations had stretched as far as it could, and they quietly divorced in 1962. Just as quietly, they remarried a year later. Few others would understand these two warriors as they understood and accepted each other. In their elder years, they both suffered chronic illnesses, and after all the fame, they were in dire need of financial stability. Unfortunately no one in Arkansas was hiring people by the names of L.C. or Daisy Bates.


Huttig…A Vestige of Lumber and Leaders
What manner of town was this Huttig, to have produced a child such as Daisy Lee Gatson, born some 11 years after the launch of southwest Arkansas’ timber industry? Daisy Gatson was born in into the state’s most thriving timber belt. It spread to an area wide open for growth, and with little obstacles - no environmentalists lamenting the incoming lumber mills that came from neighboring Louisiana, and other northern states; no loud declarations of the industry raping and ravaging the South’s rich woodlands. Instead, it was a progress that most Arkansans invited with open arms, viewing it as a boost to the state’s economic standing in the region. The people of the area and the state’s economic leaders fully endorsed the manufacturing of southwest Arkansas’ woodlands. What would a small, poor area such as Huttig do with all the giant trees, anyway?
This small southwest Arkansas town was the imagination and creation of businessmen who wanted to ensure the success of their lumber mills by ensuring that their workers had a place to live, shop and to send their children to school – all within the town of Huttig. They created a functional, though segregated, small town for their white and black workers and their families.
In short order, Huttig morphed into a vital, thriving town, critical to the growth of the state, and one that drew every kind of man from other parts of the state, and as far away as Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee and Louisiana. Some came with the honest desire to find good jobs that allowed them to feed and clothe their families. Others – both black and white - came for far less forthright reasons...work, as well as freedom to indulge in `open’ activities. Like fast and loose girls said to frequent the area, the new town’s moral reputation traveled fast. The architects of the town’s physical structures were single-focused men, set on constructing a profitable company, and an inhabitable township. Unfortunately, they left the soul of their new town to its inhabitants.


Huttig…A Vestige of Lumber and Leaders
Arkansas slaveholders usually lived in plain frame houses or log cabins. Slave cabins were grouped in areas called “quarters,” near enough to the owners’ houses that they could keep an eye on the goings-on of their property.
No need to paint a romantic picture of Arkansas’ slave history. These men, women and children bore were forced into excruciating labor, and harsh, utterly inhumane existences. Theirs was a hand to mouth survival, scrounging for unwanted leftovers from livestock slaughters. These `throwaway’ meat pieces evolved into regular slave meals, and included such fare as: pork cracklings; hog head cheese, pork chitterlings, pig feet, pork brains and tongue. Along with this, the farmers would share their corn between the livestock and their human chattel. From the corn, slaves developed meals such as corn pone or hoecakes on their open ovens. They canned molasses, after gathering leavings from the sorghum crops. On their evenings after work, they hunted wild game, and harvested small communal vegetables `truck patches.’
There would have been no happy slaves, none thankful for the role they found themselves. Slaves’ clothing was sparse and usually inadequate for adverse weather. Most was pulled together from throwaway clothing from their owners, or hand-sewn pants, dresses and coats from scraps of cloth they were given to do what they could. Their bed clothing would have been hand-sewn quilting from clothing pieces no longer used.

Seldom were they lucky enough to have at their disposal the full, rich, beautiful quilts now exhibited around the country as authentic slave quilts.
Overall, slaves lived wretched lives, no matter the lineage of their masters. Many sought their freedom by any means possible. Posters were regularly placed throughout Arkansas towns announcing runaway slaves. Though public rhetoric and law denounced brutal mistreatment of slaves, it was little more than rhetoric. Though the larger landowners generally treated their slaves as valuable property, drawing a definitive line between themselves and their slaves; smaller farmers were forced, by necessity, to interact more with their few slaves, including working alongside them in the fields, and inside the homes.


Daisy Gatson Bates a Haunting Memory for Today’s Residents of Huttig
Unabelle Cain Thompson, a spry, friendly 96-year old widow who lives alone, but still cooks her supper of cornbread and Crowder peas never met Daisy, but does remember some ugly rumors surrounding her mother’s death.
“Mill Pond divided the blacks and whites,” she says, though Floyd had some good friends from the black community. She says that many a night she and her friends would listen to the music coming from the black side of town, and the black teenagers would sometimes walk down the street, “all dressed up.”
She repeats that all she knows about the Bates woman is rumors. The pond is where they say the young girl was murdered and thrown. She recalls the rumors even when she came, including the one about the girl being a `lady of the evening,’ who gave one of the white men she went with, a disease. I never knew what was real, but I remember people had come here from time to time questioning what had happened to the woman, but nobody ever came up with anything. “They came in and talked to the mill people.”

“I sit here now and watch the trucks going through carrying the wood and I just want to cry. The trees are about the size of my leg...the mill used to be full to the brim with giant trees.” Huttig, today a mirror of so many once-thriving towns, wrestles with a rash of economic and social ills. The lumber mill, hardly the thriving company it was during Daisy’s childhood, is yet the biggest thing going, a lifesaver for young black and white men needing to feed their families.
There is a sense, that the racial conciliation that Daisy Bates worked so hard for, is still an ephemeral dream in her hometown. The town claimed its first black mayor in 2011, and his tenure was taut with dissension, conflict and recriminations – from both sides of the community. Daisy, however, remains a mystery for most in her hometown. The fact that she rarely visited after leaving so long ago is likely the reason. But, who would blame her, given the ugly history that remains there? One resident recalls her coming to speak at the school, at least once. They hardly know her, though they know she is famous, and they all have seen her on television. A small, green street sign is the only memorial to her existence there.


The Bates of Liberty, Mississippi
“Luck” is what the census taker at the Bolivar County, Mississippi, courthouse named him back in April 1910 during the 13th Census of the U.S., the nationally mandated “head counting” exercise that took place each 10 years. Maybe the unplanned renaming would one day mean something to the eight-year-old child. Maybe the fact that “Luck” was actually born in a town named Liberty would, as well.
What is almost certain, based on the noble name the census worker failed to get right, is that Morris and Laura Bates, noted as Mulatto, as their son “Luck” was, had high hopes for their son. Lucius Christopher Bates was the only child of 30 –year-old Morris Bates, an itinerant farmer or sharecropper, and his 27-year-old wife Laura. The child would know in time that he was the living, breathing representation of his parents’ hopes and dreams for the future.
Liberty, “Luck’s” birthplace, was the county seat for Amite County, Mississippi. Located in the Natchez District of the state, the county was established on February 4, 1809, and named for Amite River - a tributary of Lake Maurepas that ran through the area, and was shared by Louisiana. Ironically, the French term for Amités, is friendliness.

The town of Liberty was established in 1891, 10 years before Lucius Christopher Bates was born. Before the town’s rechristening, the area had been known as Three-Chopped Way, so named for the Indian trail that ran straight through it. Obviously, by 1891, when Indians were no longer a substantial population within Louisiana’s demographics, town leaders sought a more dignified name. Liberty was certainly dignified enough.
While there is no documented evidence as to what prompted the name change, it is one more irony of a southern state known as widely for its position within the Bible Belt, as its history of slavery. And, in spite of the name change, over the next century the town, as well as the state would be shadowed by that slave history.


Lucius Christopher Bates Living a Dream
The tall, thin Lucius Christopher Bates looked the part of a serious journalist. His dark, but aquiline features bespoke the “mulatto” status accorded him as a child. No one would describe the young man as an extrovert; but his was a face full of wisdom beyond his years; an eloquence in his demeanor and speech that made him unique from other young men of the southern delta region.
Lucius had decided early on what he wanted in life, and what he didn’t want. He wouldn’t follow in his father’s path as a farmer, certainly not an itinerant farmer. The young man had set his eyes on a profession that would allow him to utilize his keen sense of right and wrong, and his observation skills that allowed him to plainly see the world for what it was. In his writing, he would expose the hypocrisies, and demand something more – particularly when it came to the conflict of the races.
Journalism was the career, Lucius Bates decided, that would allow his strong beliefs and his calls to action. Newspaper writing was what he gravitated toward while attending Wilberforce University in Ohio. This lofty goal not only set him apart from most black young men he knew – heirs of sharecroppers or small farmers—but, from most young whites as well.
Lucius’ first newspaper job was, ironically, in Helena, Arkansas, not Mississippi, where he grew up. He would have recognized that the area mirrored much of the same culture, and struggled with many of the same problems – poverty, racism and illiteracy. There were acres and acres of fields of cotton, and shotgun houses where unimaginably large numbers of family members resided. There were the company stores, and the sharecropping system – a dreadful vortex for black farmers who seemed to never be able to hoist themselves out of the debt-laden relationship with white farmers. Lucius would have learned about the Elaine Riot either firsthand, or no more than secondhand.
It was somewhere around 1920 when the handsome – but, not terribly good looking—Lucius Bates went to work as a reporter for The Interstate Register. And, while it is not evident how long he worked there, he left the Register for bigger and better things. He worked for newspapers in Colorado, and California, before being hired by the Kansas City Call, founded and managed by Chester A. Franklin, publisher of one of the six largest African American weeklies in the country; and the largest black business in the Midwest.


L.C. Bates’ Prophetic Stop in Huttig, Arkansas
L.C. Bates, his wife Cassandra, their two girls, and his mother were all settled in Memphis when he made his first business trip to southwest Arkansas in 1928. It is unclear whether the insurance salesman had scheduled meetings in the small town; or simply planned to make cold calls at the homes of black families. What is certain, however, is that one specific meeting – at the home of Ora Lee and Susie Smith, of Huttig—would change his life forever. While the salesman’s intent was to locate new clients to sell insurance policies, this trip would net him something much more, a surprising discovery of the stunning 15-year old “roomer” by the name of Daisy Lee Gatson.
L.C., in subsequent recollections of that meeting, remembers Daisy as a child that he paid scant attention. Be that as it may, his subsequent visits to the Huttig household became more frequent and often included gifts for Mr. and Mrs. Smith, as well as for the child he had barely noticed. It is quite likely that the friendship that ensued between Ora Lee Smith and the younger L.C. Bates was sincere and based on their common interests in discussions of race matters. Both were ardent and loyal members of the Civil Rights organization, the NAACP. And, though Ora Lee Smith’s level of intellect can only be guessed, L.C.’s was considerable and he was known to delight in intense discussions with like-minded men.

Quite likely, L.C. sincerely enjoyed these conversations on America’s racial complexities with a like-minded Ora Lee Smith. It is also quite likely that the young salesman found himself smitten by a much-younger, beautiful girl who brazenly showered him with a child’s adulation. The young woman had likely not met a man so educated, so courageous or so comfortable with himself. There remains, however, a myriad of unanswered questions around this scenario: was Ora Lee Smith aware of L.C. Bates’ interest in the teenager? Were there any discussions between the two men about the child? Were Ora Lee, Susie, and Daisy aware that L.C. was a married man? How would Susie Smith have reacted to such an ungodly alliance, given her strict religious beliefs? Would L.C. have shared with his wife Cassandra, any of the details of his visits at the Smith home?
What is almost for certain is that L.C. spent far more time at the Smith home in Huttig, Arkansas, than his job required, and that those visits would continue until Ora Lee Smith’s death, in 1932. Daisy said their first “date” was at a theatre in Huttig. Was that before or after Ora Lee’s death? Certainly, a young woman attending a movie and holding hands with a very much married man would have been unseemly, an abomination in the eyes of her foster mother, Susie Smith.


Of Sticks and Stones
But, who deserved the blame for this dark era in Little Rock – and, who the spoils? There would be two names bandied about for years to come, two stark images that always appeared in most people’s minds’ eye whenever the `57 Crisis was mentioned. Whether one lived in the state during that time, or gathered their information from heresy, national news articles or magazines; the same two names appeared and reappeared, oftentimes their obstinate faces printed side by side.
If you dimmed your eyes...just so, it was as if an invisible thread connected these two; an excruciatingly taut string stretching from one end of the emotional spectrum, to the other. Another image one might imagine is that of two prizefighters tethered together for close proximity as they beat each other senseless. A crass analogy, but no less crass than the daily events taking place around the `57 Crisis, and likely the fighters tethered together had no less rancor toward each other, than Daisy Bates and Orval Faubus during those days.
And the South, most certainly Little Rock, would take sides. On one side of the Crisis, were thousands of accusing fingers – mostly white – pointing directly at Daisy Gatson Bates. Oh, the names they called her...Daisy, the instigator; Daisy, the integrator; Daisy, the Commie, and even Daisy, the Socialists’ whore. There were few derisive names left to the imagination because they were all brazenly and repeatedly hurled at the newspaper publisher and NAACP official.

There was absolutely no question in the minds of America’s Daisy-haters that the tiny, beautiful woman with the come-hither smile, and sometimes moving voice; was the cause of the mayhem that took Little Rock by the throat and held it there swinging its feet in the air as the world watched. And, no less to blame, was her husband, L.C., who most believed was the real brains behind the things Daisy said and did; while L.C. hid behind his newspaper as he supported and encouraged all her outrageous efforts.
It was Daisy, though, who was the face, and the voice they loved to hate...and, she would receive the brunt of the hateful messages throughout the Integration Crisis era. How dare this Negro woman, aided and abetted by northern intellectuals, and the NAACP, force integration down the throat of Little Rock, Arkansas! How dare they put innocent white children’s lives in danger, and forcefully expose them to black children when segregation and separation of the races were legal and accepted by blacks and whites for so long!


Of Sticks and Stones
The trajectory of Orval’s young adult life was greatly different from Daisy Gatson’s. The difference was more than the facts that she was female and he was male. He was a white male, with some expectations, even though they weren’t great. Their aspirations in life would become more pronounced in their adult lives. In 1931, when Orval, at 21 years old, married Alta Haskins, one of his students; Daisy Gatson was still a teenager, quietly, but brazenly falling in love with a traveling insurance salesman who had begun visiting her parents quite often.
By this time, the once-sickly, shy and introverted Orval was quickly filling out into a well-rounded young man. After leaving home, Orval’s life seemed to take off in a number of ways. In short order he was now a husband, a father, an itinerant schoolteacher in the northwest Arkansas hills, and eventually a short-lived college student. Nothing had ever excited Orval more than books and learning. After teaching high school for 11 years, he enrolled in Commonwealth College, in Mena, Arkansas – the so-called college for socialists. For whatever reason, however, he was only there for a number of weeks. Even this short stint at the College would prove bothersome for his political career, but it was to his advantage that he stayed no longer.

Maybe more than his love for learning, however, was Orval’s inherent love for politics that may have lain dormant for years when he showed no real interest in the things his father espoused, in hopes that his son would also care about them. Orval would admit later that his love for politics was surely passed on from his father, although their political ideals did not always jibe.
The quiet child had spent all of his early years listening and taking in all of his father’s impassioned beliefs, ideals and broad knowledge about the way of things. In the end, the thoughtful Orval would pick and choose what he would hold onto from his father’s repertoire of ideals and beliefs. Some, Orval would keep for his own use, while others he found of no use for his future political career. Above all else – no matter what his personal ideals – Orval Faubus would prove himself to be a consummate politician.


Of Sticks and Stones
It is difficult not to paint a parallel between Daisy’s childhood relationship to whites – that burning, but helpless hatred of whites who, according to all reports from family and friends, had murdered her mother and warped her childhood; and her feelings about Orval Faubus, who she saw as destroying yet more innocent children’s lives.
In many ways, even with its sense of horror and excitement, the 1957 Central High Crisis was the crest, the crescendo of actions and activities that fueled Daisy’s life over the next few years. While there comes a time in the midst of the 57 Crisis that she questions her role, and the sanity of it all, more often, she accepts with fortitude and conviction that this was an opportunity that fate or God, or both presented to her; and she dare not pass it up.
While the `57 Crisis centered on the two-year integration tug of war between the Central High School administrators, the governor and Daisy Bates; for those looking on from the outside, the war had few if any victors. For Daisy Gatson Bates, her role in the Integration Crisis may have been what she was placed on earth to do, in spite of, or because of the conflicted childhood back in Huttig, Arkansas.

Hate was something Daisy Lee Gatson would embrace as a child, and though she believed she had ridded herself of that early hate, to save herself; the `57 Crisis would likely cause its reappearance. Unfortunately, its reappearance would happen as she moved into her middle years – a most inopportune time for a woman’s emotional conflicts, as she dealt with the 24-hour stresses of the life she chose.
It is most likely that Daisy had repressed, rather than resolved the bitterness that planted its seed the day the Huttig butcher sent her home with fat rather than lean meat, and dared Daisy to question him; the day she learned of her mother’s murder and his father’s disappearance, for fear for his life; of Orval Faubus’ inflammatory segregationist actions, to the adults who taunted and cursed and hit the nine children she’d adopted in her heart; and even the horrific vitriol and damnation expressed in the letters mailed to Daisy’s newspaper and home.


New York, New York!
It is 1961 in New York City, a lifetime away from Olin Avenue in Huttig, Arkansas. A battered but still beautiful Civil Rights heroine stares hungrily through the window of her home away from home – the New York’s Brittany Hotel, at 55 East 10th Street. She searches the lamp lit night populated by shadows of huge brownstones and achingly tall office buildings. She searches for just one bright, twinkling star, the kind that once comforted her – back on Olin Street, a lifetime ago.
Too excited to sleep, she ponders this new world in which she finds herself. The thought gives her both a small chill, and a delicious tingle of excitement. Still, she needs just one glimmer of something old to hold onto – like the days of shooting marbles, horseback riding and endless laughter—that filled her days, and gave comfort to her world.
A sleek black pen, a token of love...or adulation, from one of her new, and famous friends; lay silently, interrupting the stark whiteness of the blank sheet of paper. The pen, the paper and her parrot, Harvey share Daisy’s apartment in New York City. Her unsettled mind settles on the letter she wrote before her recent trip. An admirer had mailed her a box of goodies – one of her many gifts from friends and admirers. This one, though, has a special meaning. It is from “Lennie,” husband of her new friend Lena Horne. Daisy describes the package as “too loaded with nice things,” all of which she has given away...All, except just one item. She writes:

“Each night when I’m writing on the book (I still dream of Lena playing the lead role in the Daisy Bates Story), I wear this white shirt. My book will probably be the first best seller (or worst) ever to be written in one of Lennie Hayton’s night shirts…”

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New Years Letter from Aspired Writer - Lynelle Clark

To all my supporters, fellow authors and avid readers a blessed and prosperous 2013 to you all.

What a journey it has become since I started on this road of discovery in the world of Books. Always a avid reader since I discovered books at a tender age, appreciating the art of writing, the ability to pen thoughts and emotions down that could captivate your thoughts, heart and mind to the extend that it enrich your knowledge and broaden your horizon. Even challenge your own believes or giving you the hope needed with in your own life.

This past year I became part of that process. Writing, publishing, reviewing, marketing and everything in between. And on this journey met great people. Talented. Able. Knowledgeable people with a passion for the written word in all its beautiful facets. Learning to be creative in more than just writing a book. Meeting different genre's authors and come to realize with in each and every one's sphere we have something unique to offer each reader out there.

We all make mistakes, stumble even but then stand right up and continue. The writers community encouraging each other to become better. This really touched me from the beginning. No jealousy, no arrogance among each other just a genuine love for books that keeps us together. The rest of the world can take note of this society that works as a unit, helping and promoting each other always in a positive light. To get the word out and to know each other better.

Since the words written on paper is directly from our hearts we open our self to the general public to be open for scrutinizing and some times even offensive and hurtful criticism but at the end it build us and do not destroy us. What most people do not know or realize is that we are actually very shy people that do not like the spotlight, so to open our self and be vulnerable is a huge risk we take in opening our self in such a way. To make our deepest thoughts known for others to enjoy takes energy, strength and self discipline. It does not come easy. It takes long hours away from our families, isolating ourselves to bring a story of a few hundred pages. Most of us burn the midnight oil literally to have some time with our children or spouses. Many of us have regular jobs just to put food on the table. Most of us do not receive huge checks from publishers houses that we can live from, we are just normal people with the same struggles but willing to share the stories in our hearts. Taking the time to do so.
So tread careful with the book in your hand, it cost us something. Put it on a shelf for visitors to see, give us positive feed back, spread the word. Support us. Now that is not to hard is it?

With each day we become stronger and better equip for the many books still lingering in the depths of our hearts. Ready to see the day light. Working at a pace that leave us breathless at times. So a kind word in the right time just lift our spirits giving us the go ahead to continue this self appointed road.

I am so glad that I can walk this road with you all and be part of this community. Thank you for accepting and making me part of this journey. For allowing me to be part of your journey and that we can grow together too the ultimate climax of our careers.

I have already many books lined up for reviews by great authors that will be posted on their designated dates. Starting from The 5th with "Between a Rock and a Hard Place" to many more over the next three month period. Watch out for them. Your feed back is always welcome and appreciated. To me and the author.

So far I have two books ready for editing and hopefully they will be released in this year. Both are Contemporary Inspirational books with powerful messages. And I am busy with a follow up for A Pirate's Wife which is still along way to go.

Thank you once again for allowing me to be a small part of this and my prayer is that you will know abundance in every aspect of your life. That you will walk in discernment and make wise decisions that will contribute to your journey. That you will know peace and joy and that your heart will be safe. But mostly that you will continue on your path growing so that you can become the person you know is deep within wishing to be released.

May I be part of your journey for a long time.

#crossroadsreviews Presents Transcender: First-Timer. My Review and Giveaway

Transcender: First-TimerMini URL: http://ow.ly/eQNd4 Tweetvite: http://tweetvite.com/event/Transcender

Join us for a three week tour of Transcender: First-Timer! And then come back and enjoy another three week tour in Jan for book 2!!  And don't forget to enter the wonderful giveaway!

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Book DescriptionPublication Date: August 3, 2012When a freak lightning storm turns terrifying, Jaden Beckett, a typical Connecticut teenager, is suddenly shifted into a parallel existence where she finds herself a member of the ruling family in a counterpart of America on a strange alternate version of earth--one filled with hidden dangers, political intrigue, remarkable creatures, and forbidden romance.

› Visit Amazon's Vicky Savage Page
BiographyBorn and raised at the foot of the Wasatch Mountains, in Salt Lake City, Utah, Vicky Savage became irresistibly enchanted by the lure of the ocean when she attended law school in Florida. She practiced law for several years before taking time off to raise her two children. She lives on the water on the west coast of Florida with her husband, son, and two dogs. Ms. Savage recently completed Book 2 of the Transcender Trilogy, Streaming Stars, which will be released in 2012.

Find Vicky Savage
Website | Twitter | Facebook 

Find Transcender: First-Timer
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Dec. 17thOverflowing Bookshelves http://overflowingbookshelves.comQueen of the Shelves http://queenoftheshelves.blogspot.com

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5 Star ReviewWhat an amazing story, captivating your mind as you learn about Jaden and her travels to a alternate world. Thrilling adventure filled with mystery and danger as she tag along and discover who she really is. A strong willed, determined young woman that is not afraid to face the problems head on as they unfolds in her life.Meeting the most spectacular young man Ryder Blackthorn. I was extremely impressed with this young and fierce chieftain who rocked her world. He is everything a true hero is suppose to be. Strong, decisive, brave, good leader, not afraid to show his feelings towards her, accomplished, and compassionate. If I had another daughter he would be the perfect candidate. smile
From beginning to the end I was fascinated with the plot and how the words simply flow from the pages that it became a easy read, although lengthy. You hardly notice it because it just holds your attention.
Each character were fully developed to play his/her role to perfect the story. From the lowliest servant to the villain.
The blooming romance between Jaden and Ryder centers the story and the plot to be a perfect entirety that I can recommend to all lovers of YA and Sci-Fi stories. I believe all ages can enjoy this book to the fullest.
Taken to another world where life as Jaden knows it are different in all aspects and she learns to become a intricate part of that world while doing her best to safe those she loves. Her determined actions saved a few people but always stayed humble at her skills. No typical youth arrogance was displayed through out the story her willingness to learn and adapt and making the most of what she has, the forefront of the plot.
My heart was touched at the end as the two lovers were separated and life had to continue without Ryder in her life. Feeling the loss of that separation as Jaden struggles to get back to "normality"
But do not fear my good readers the story does not end there. Well I hope not.

A enjoyable adventurous read, looking forward to read Book 2 in the series. 
Well done Vicky Savage.
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#cblspromotions presents Ryelee's cowboy Book Tour, Review and Giveaway

Ryelee's Cowboyby Kathleen BallPublished by Secret Cravings PublishingContemporary Western Romance (Action)Heat Level: SteamyLength: 200 pages
Available at:Amazon - / B&N - 
Blurb:Twenty-year-old Ryelee Snyder is pregnant and alone. Fortunately, she finds a job as a nanny to precocious four-year-old Rheenie Maloney. Life is perfect except for Horse Trainer, Clint Maloney. Ryelee feels his disapproval and is in constant fear of being fired.
Clint Maloney needs help with his daughter but he never bargained on Ryelee Snyder. The tall, gangly, girl is a menace. Clint spends too much of his time rescuing her from her latest mishap. Upon finding out about her pregnancy, Clint's feelings begin to change. He no longer views her as a nuisance but as a passionate woman with a generous heart.
Secrets, misunderstandings, and cattle rustling put an increasing strain on their relationship, until they finally turn from each other. Just as they seem to find their way back, Ryelee's part in the cattle rustling is unveiled. Ryelee fights unyieldingly to win the love of a lifetime.

“Kathleen Ball pulled at my heartstrings once again. In her typical way, this author crafted a story that touched every one of my emotions and pulled me so far into her story that I felt I was part of it.
My heart ached for pregnant Ryelee as she tried to move past her heartbreaking upbringing and make a life for herself. Her relationship with little Rheenie was heartwarming, and her love for Clint was tender. And though at times my stomach hurt for the way Ryelee was treated, I knew Ms. Ball would give us a romantic hero we could be proud of.
This reader has become a lifelong fan of Kathleen Ball and her wonderful stories, and I cannot wait for more.”-- ClassDreamer'84- 5 Star

About the Author: Kathleen Ball has been writing a little over three years. She has four published novels: The Lasso Springs Series--Callie’s Heart and Lone Star Joy are available now.  Stetson’s Storm will be available in Feb 2013 all from Desert Breeze Publishing. She also has the Dawson Ranch Series from Secret Cravings Publishing. Those titles are Texas Haven and Ryelee’s Cowboy.
Kathleen lives in Texasand loves the fact that she can drive out of her subdivision and see cattle. She is a native New Yorker from Rochester, New York.
Kathleen is married and has one son who is a Marine. She started writing when she realized that she was facing an empty nest. Always an avid reader, she writes what she likes, Contemporary Western Romance.
Visit her at her website at www.kathleenballromance.com.

My 4 Star Review

The first two chapters had a feeling of animation to it and was difficult to read. But as I went along and read the interesting plot I looked past that and really enjoyed the story. Book 2 in the Dawson Ranch Series.
The characters Ryelee and Rheenie stood out the most with supporting characters Jimmy, Annie and Burke. I liked the originality of Ryelee's name, fit the character perfectly. Also liked the book cover it draws you in so that you want to read the story.
Truly dissapointed in Clint the cowboy in the story. The man was right in assessing himself; to use his own words "He does not understand women" and made poor choices in his believes and delivery of his love for Ryelee. At first I really liked him but as time went on it diminished and I truly thought he was lacking as man and husband. At times he just did not had the back bone for the hero in the story. He mainly stood out as father protecting his little girl the only true quality I liked, and his dedication to the horse program.
The plot was interesting as we learn about Ryelee and her past. and present problems. A father who had no problems selling her to get out of his own debt. Shoot the man is what I would do. Friends of the father who were only interested in one thing and did not care how they execute it to get their way.
At times sickening of the depth's humans can go to hurt a fellow human being.
But at the end Ryelee's strong spirit and willfulness to have a better life won her more than she could ever hoped for. Her loving care and warm heart touch you so that you really just want to give her a hug.
A good read to all who love a good Western Romance story.

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#cblspromotions presents Unforgiving Ghosts Barrage and Giveaway

Unforgiving Ghostsby Candy-Ann LittlePublished September 14, 2012 by Kingdom Kastle PublishingContemporary Inspirational RomanceHeat Level: SensualWord Count: 100,000
Available at:Amazon -/ Smashwords / iTunes - 
Blurb:As Megan Black tries to outrun the memories of her past, she soon learns that you can't run away from trouble. Can she find peace in God and faith to choose the right path? Or will chasing ghosts cause an unforgiving heart that only leads to destruction?


About the Author: Candy-Ann Little grew up in a small town in Ohio. She now resides in Michiganwith her husband and two adult kids. When she’s not busy writing she enjoys helping with church activities - especially working with children - reading, cooking and baking.
Visit Candy-Ann online at: Blog/Site - http://candylittle.wordpress.com/Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/#!/candy.little.79Twitter - https://twitter.com/candyannlittleGoodreads - http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4672789.Candy_Ann_LittlePinterest - https://pinterest.com/candyannlittle/

Excerpt #1:Megan’s heart burst into tiny fragments. The dark clouds loomed overhead, as if mocking her. The gray, dreary day seemed an indication of her mood. The bright balloons waving solemnly in the wind looked out of place against the field of gray stones. The silver Mylar balloon with ‘Happy Birthday’ inscribed in bold letters further aggravated her misery. It reminded her of the birthdays missed. The parties never thrown, gifts that wouldn’t be unwrapped, cake not eaten - but mostly the absence of a candle marking another year.
“I miss you.” She laid a hand against the cold marble, the chill sinking deep into her soul. A shiver raced through her body, as the wind whipped her long blonde hair around her face.
Tears flowed, coursing a path down her cheeks, making her blue eyes red-rimmed and dim. The grief was so heavy it felt like a rock sitting on top of her heart. The pain and memories floated to the surface. “I’m not strong enough to handle this.” Closing her eyes, Megan tried pushing back the memories. Rubbing her pounding head, as if physically trying to force the doubts back into the dark recess of her mind.  Back where they belonged, back where she could control them.
Her breathing became more erratic, each breath harder to take. Her heart thudded louder than the thunder rolling in the sky. The gray shadows slowly turned into a black abyss. She inhaled a few short breaths, as raindrops pelted her face.
“Not again,” she wheezed. Why did she always have a panic attack when she tried to remember? It had been a year and she still couldn’t face the ghosts of her past. She wanted to scream at God. To ask where He had been in all of this turmoil? But right now it took every ounce of concentration to breathe normally.
The sky threatened to open, pouring wet misery and drenching all hope.  She had to get to the car and make it home before the storm, but her legs wouldn’t move. And then the rain started, a gentle caress that chilled the back of her neck.
The steady tattoo of raindrops beating against the headstone kept perfect time with her heartbeat. The pain slowly crept up, drowning her soul. “I have to leave,” she sobbed. “I can’t live with the memories anymore.”



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The Blood Done Signed my Name Virtual Book Tour and Review

Title The Blood Done Sign my NameAuthor M.Ann RicksGenre Christian Suspense RomancePages 220

BlurbAre the sins of the father and mother visited upon their sons and daughters? Undoubtedly damaged, Honey Lamb, like many, is a descendant of an unfortunate legacy of molestation, addiction, murder and bad decisions. For as long as she could remember, she believed the unhappiness she experienced was somehow bequeathed to her. The blood that surged through her veins seemed to be tainted and she often wondered about the DNA she possessed. Experiencing more than her share of misery at the hands of her mother, an alcoholic; the source of all her woes, Honey believed she’d overcome her seemingly checkered path all by herself when she met and married, Mason; a man she loves beyond her own understanding. Unfortunately, unsettling memories emerge to crack the veneer of her seemingly happy existence. Feeling unable to escape what she believed to be her destiny, Honey makes a decision that may have ruined her life. Not realizing God places people in our lives for His purpose, she reluctantly embarks upon a journey that will open her heart to a divine inheritance. Will she accept what God has already given to her or will she shun the invitation of salvation and allow her familial carnal legacy to continue to the next generation? Will she come to understand that Jesus’ blood redeemed us from a self-defeating existence because He became the sinful inheritance for us while at the same time eradicating it forever, giving us a spiritual blood transfusion that would change us all?

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About the AuthorM. Ann Ricks, (Melissa Ann), is a Christian Fiction novelist residing in Bear, Delaware with her excellent husband and two awesome sons. She is a graduate of Rider University and formerly a national accounts insurance executive. Using Jesus Christ as her example, as He shared many parables, she creates stories with fictional characters that contend with real life issues and inserts the Word of God to communicate the genuine and unfailing love of God while making it abundantly clear that Jesus is the ONLY answer. M. Ann is determined to tell the world how wonderfully awesome Jesus Christ is and can be in our lives if we just allow Him to be. She is honored to be used by God to spread His message with the stories she creates with the leading of the Holy Spirit, knowing that He will provide her with stories and the words that will lift up the name of Jesus as He promised that if He is lifted up, He will draw all men to Him. M. Ann is also what one may consider a motivational/inspirational speaker but she prefers the term, “Godspirational” as one may only be truly inspired, transformed and receive true revelation when hearing the uncompromised word of God. M. Ann also continues to utilize her group insurance knowledge as a Benefits and Network Consultant. Lastly, M. Ann is a Group Fitness instructor as she is determined to keep her natural “temple” fit and ready for the Master’s use! M. Ann is the author of Awesome Wonder: The Gift of Remembrance ,The Son. the much acclaimed, third novel, THE BLOOD DONE SIGNED MY NAME. [image error]

PROLOGUENorthern Italy, 1918He hadn’t washed in weeks. The countryside was crawling with “Kraut” and all he could do was think about the full lips that said his name with uninhibited desire. She made him feel invincible and he needed to believe he was. He would have done anything to have and to keep her.Those eyes…She moved over him like a cunning feline. Under her spell, he promised he would keep her brother Tanner quiet about everything. He had no idea how he was going to silence the man who had become his friend, but he wasn't going to let anyone ruin their plans. As he walked back to camp after visiting a makeshift latrine, his thoughts took him back to their night together. Intoxicated by cheap wine, he’d agreed to the pact. She was beautiful, strong, and most of all, determined. He wanted to believe that they would have a good life once this useless war was over.After settling into the muddy trench, he saw something almost imperceptibly move. Italy could have been a beautiful place if it wasn't for this God forsaken war, he thought, rubbing his eyes. He was unbelievably fatigued; so much so that foliage seemed to be moving by itself. He closed 

Author  Website:  http://www.mannricks.net/default.htmlEmail: Godsauthor@mannricks.netFacebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/M-Ann-Ricks-Literary-Creations-Author-Melissa-Ann-Ricks/33259926513
Book Trailer:  Amazon: My 5 Star Review
Generational curses healed and redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb. The main topic of this book wonderfully explained for every reader to understand. The effects of disobedience on people when they do not obey the Word of God in a given situation. 
Beautifully and Inspirational written book to learn about faith and God's undying love for every person who calls on His Name.
Taken back to WW1 we learn about Honey and the sins that visited her family because of the desire to have a better life. Secrets that kept them in lies as they try to live. Destroying futures until the message of Salvation and Redemption has been heard, accepted and believed.
We are introduced to Honey Lamb a young woman who believed a lie and paid a price for that lie. Separated from her husband Mason they had to come to terms with the effects on the lie facing their own demons, surrender to the unfailing love of the Cross to get together as a couple once again.
Many secrets had to be revealed in order for Honey to truly understand and make the right decision that would effect her husband, family and marriage.
With a support system of people encouraging her to take the correct steps, helping her to stand when facing with the fears and demons of the past.
I really admired the older woman Ms. Sadie who as a strong believer helped her, encourage her and interceded with her when she faced her trails. Helping her to stand and be strong.
Honey grew from a self conscious woman to a strong woman that faced her life and the decisions she made giving it over to the One who could heal her, bless her and give her a future she never thought possible.
Every character roll was well defined, strong as each played his/her part to help Honey in her darkest hour. Laying down all the guilt and shame to stand up strong learning the truth of the words 
"It is Finished"

Insightful, Inspiring and heart warming making this a delightful book to read.

Sara's Promise Book Release Blog Tour & Giveaway

Giveaway! In celebration of Deanna's new book release she is having a giveaway! Leave a comment on this site to have your name entered in the drawing for one of four prizes: Two $25 Amazon Gift Cards and 2 paperback copies of Sara's Promise. Be sure to include your email address so we can contact you. You can enter at each site of the blog tour for more chances to win! Giveaway starts December 10th and ends December 17th at midnight. Winners will be contacted December 18th after noon.


Sara's PromiseDeanna Lynn Sletten
Book Description:
Do you believe in soul mates?

 William Grafton had the perfect life with his lovely wife, Sara, and two teenaged children. But one day his perfect forever was shattered when Sara died suddenly, leaving him alone to raise his children and wonder how he would ever get through life without his soul mate. Five years later, he finds himself looking into a familiar pair of blue-green eyes that remind him of Sara. The woman is the exact opposite of his late wife, yet he finds he is drawn to her. But after a few strange occurrences, he begins to wonder–are these just coincidences or has his Sara come back to him as she once promised in the form of this new woman?
 Annie Paxton doesn't believe in soul mates or fate. She had watched her father die of a broken heart after her mother passed away and has since cast away any fairy tale ideas of love. Then she meets the man who has been haunting her dreams and she begins to see love in a whole new light. But her dream man is still tied to his deceased wife, and Annie doesn't know if he will ever be able to break away from his past. As strange occurrences unfold, Annie wonders if William could ever truly love her for herself and not for the traits that remind him of Sara.
 Were William and Annie brought together by fate, coincidence or by Sara keeping her promise?

***

Book Excerpt: Annie nodded and watched him walk slowly up the stairs. She walked back over to the patio door and stared out at the beach. Spring in Oregon was beautiful, much warmer than the springs she'd grown up with in Minnesota. Although along the coast, the wind could be quite chilly. It was a Friday afternoon, and a few people were walking along the beach wearing sweaters and jeans to ward off the cool breeze. She thought it strange to be the one looking out for a change instead of looking in. She loved this view, loved how this house sat just high enough above the beach to catch the full view of the ocean. Sunsets must be beautiful here, as well as evenings under the full moon, she thought. How lucky Sara had been to live here with her husband and children.
A sad, hollow feeling swelled inside Annie. Ever since leaving Minnesotaand her past behind, she'd found happiness in her life and her work. She had total freedom to come and go as she chose with no ties or schedules to follow, except her own. But this, this was so much more. Children, husband, home. Love. Yes, love. This house was filled with it. Every detail from its design to each piece of furniture had been handled with love. Sara's love, Annie thought, as she wondered about the woman who had unwillingly left this all behind.
She closed her eyes, trying to conjure up an image of Sara in this room, laughing perhaps, teasing, and holding her arms out to her children with such genuine love and affection. She could see her living here, feel her presence. But not all of it was happy and content. Annie felt some anxiety, some regret. Where those Sara's feelings, or her own?

Buy Sara's Promise on Amazon in Kindle, Paperback and on Barnes & Noble Nookhttp://www.deannalynnsletten.com/p/sa...

About Deanna Lynn Sletten:
Deanna Lynn Sletten writes women's fiction novels that go beyond the basic romance novel. Her stories dig deeply into the lives of the characters, giving the reader an in-depth look into their hearts and souls. Deanna has also written one middle-grade novel that takes you on the adventure of a lifetime.
Deanna started her writing career in the early 1990s writing articles for parenting publications and local newspapers. Over time she transitioned to writing for blogs and websites and was a contributing writer for the women's website, She Knows. In November 2011, she changed course and put all her energy into novel writing and hasn't looked back since.
Deanna is married and has two grown children. When not writing, she enjoys walking the wooded trails around her northern Minnesota home with her beautiful Australian Shepherd or relaxing in the boat on the lake in the summer.
Connect with Deanna:
Blog / Facebook / Twitter /  Goodreads   
Amazon AuthorPage  
Giveaway! In celebration of Deanna's new book release she is having a giveaway! Leave a comment on this site to have your name entered in the drawing for one of four prizes: Two $25 Amazon Gift Cards and 2 paperback copies of Sara's Promise. Be sure to include your email address so we can contact you. You can enter at each site of the blog tour for more chances to win! Giveaway starts December 10th and ends December 17th at midnight. Winners will be contacted December 18th after noon.
Follow the tour schedule here: www.deannalynnsletten.com