#ThursdayThoughts: Special Guest Post by JA Marx

Good Morning Friends,

Today I welcome JA Marx with a special Thursday Thoughts guest post Chivalry Reignited.

Imagine sending your son on an island vacation with his friends, and a violent storm maroons them without means of communication or transportation. They discover a young woman washed up on their beach, alone and afraid. In the face of temptation, will your son live up to the values you labored to instill?

Moms hope and pray for both their sons and daughters to grow up with a seamless strength of character. But mothers and sons appear to naturally foster a unique connection. While Dad demonstrates how to be a man, something about a mother’s wisdom, grace, and honor round out that son’s sense of confidence and respect for others.

My son just turned twenty-seven and now raises his own son. What a joy it is to witness his parental victories and failures. But what moves my heart most is his determination to protect his wife, to sacrifice for her well-being, and serve her as if she is a gift from God. Living in a culture that devalues women on screen, in magazines and on billboards, we need more men willing to take a stand for godly morals.

If you’re a young mom, then be encouraged: you matter, even to the neighbor kids; your sacrifice and love never come back void. 

 

You’re not a mom? Then find one and tell her how amazing and strong she is; remind her that seasons pass quickly so don’t grow weary of doing good. Verbal encouragement could be the best gift that mother receives all year.

The “imagine your son” scenario in the first paragraph is a subplot of Destiny Defied. The four young men, supporting cast, in the story are far from perfect, but they do learn a valuable lesson: treating a woman with respect can turn her life around. 

BIO:

J.A. publishes a weekly blog related to spiritual and physical health. She has also published devotionals with CBN, co-authored two novellas, The Christmas Tree Treasure Hunt and A Ruby Christmas, published articles in the Texas Health Mom’s Blog, and edits for HIStalk.com. Her first romantic suspense will release in 2015 with Prism Books.

Above all, J.A.’s desire is to see people set free to live and love. She feels her purpose on earth is to participate in what Jesus Christ came to do: destroy the works of darkness. (1 John 3:8b; Matthew 16:19).

Her desire to promote health and wholeness grew from 17 plus years in marriage coaching and developing small group ministries in four different states across the USA.

She and her husband presently reside in Texas near their children and grandchildren.

Well friends, hope you enjoyed this special post! I sure did. Check back often for more Thursday Thoughts, Saturday Spotlights and Tuesday Treasures.

Until later...take care & God Bless!

PamT

#TuesdayTreasure: Guest Post by Linda Yezak (@LindaYezak)

Good Morning and it's a blustery one!

Cold, ice, & rain does not make for a fun day but this week's Tuesday Treasure will warm your soul....

Every year, St. Mary's Catholic Church in my husband’s hometown of Bremond, Texas, holds a bazaar complete with drawings, booths, barbecue, and a whoppin' big auction. And every year, you'll find us there–not because we’re Catholic, but because the bazaar is full of family and fun. We get a kick out of it.

Everything is up for auction. Homemade and home-canned goods, quilts, toys, furniture, motor oil (yes, you read that right), wine made from Muscadine and wild grapes. We almost always buy the canned goods, paying far more than we would if we just got the same thing in Kroger. But it's fun, and it keeps us in good standing with a community  we'll be moving to when he retires, and besides--we know and love most of the folks who did the canning.

But not everything we buy is edible. One year, we bought a jewelry box handmade by a prisoner in Angola. Loved it then, still love it. This year, my heart went to something I kept calling a bottle, because I could see it only well enough to know I wanted it.

When they brought it out so we could see it better, I really wanted it, even though I still didn't know what it was.

Well, $40 later, we were the proud owners of a "beer growler," and we got it for $4.99 less than the sticker price at Texas Slav & German Warehouse in Bremond (they donated it to the auction). Aside from the heavy brown glass, it has a ceramic top and an ornate silver handle.

I had to look up what a growler was because I didn't have a clue. It's not used to make beer, but to carry it home from the beer barrel at the local pub--the 18th Century six-pack, so to speak. (They date back to the 18th Century, but the term "growler" didn't show up until the 19th Century. It was a slang term, describing the "growling" sound the brew's carbonation made when leaking from the top.) Since beer wasn't sold on Sundays, folks would go get their "fix" on Saturday night.

This one isn't an antique, but I love it anyway. It would carry maybe a liter of Coke, or it could (and no doubt will) just sit on a shelf and look pretty. I doubt it'll ever be used to bring beer home.

Things like this silly growler and the jewelry box commemorate wonderful times and the true treasure: being with family. Can’t put a price on that.

Over twenty years ago, after a decade of life as a "single-again," author Linda Yezak rediscovered God's love and forgiveness when He allowed her a second chance at marital happiness. She is now living her greatest romance with her husband in a forest in East Texas. After such an amazing blessing, she chooses to trumpet God's gift of second chances in the books she writes. Linda's novels are heart-warming hallmarks of love, forgiveness, and new beginnings.

Find out more about Linda by visiting her Website 777 Peppermint Place and be sure to check out the blog, Author Culture that Linda shares with 5 other authors.

Also check out Linda's book, The Cat Lady's Secret which is available now through Pelican Book Group and Amazon!

Well Friends, hope you enjoyed this week's Tuesday Treasure and I hope you'll check back for Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight.

IMW, take care, God Bless and Stay warm!!

PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight: Mary Annslee Urban!

Good Morning Friends!

It is with great pleasure I bring you this Saturday Spotlight on fellow Pelican Book Group author, Mary Annslee Urban.

Annslee Urban grew up watching old-time romance movies, which she attributes to her passion for sweet romance, true love and happy endings. A daydreamer at heart, Mary began her writing journey when the youngest of her five children started school. For several years she worked as a freelance writer for newspapers in her community and has written for magazines and online publications.

Raised in the foothills of Arizona, she survived temperature shock when she moved to Western Pennsylvania, before setting in North Carolina with her husband and children. Aside from writing, Annslee works part-time as a Registered Nurse in the Behavioral Health field. She is a member of ACFW, and has served as on the board of Carolina Christian Writers. She currently has 4 published novels. Her current book, Broken Silence, Harlequin Love Inspired Suspense, is due out March 1, 2015.

When she isn’t writing, Annslee enjoys cooking, traveling to faraway places, playing with grandbabies and all things chocolate!

Broken Silence 4 star RT review rating! Amber Talbot runs the Safe Harbor counseling center for women in crisis situations. Recent attacks on her life bring her ex-financé Patrick Wiley, back into her world. The secret she harbors is what caused her to break off their engagement. In order for Patrick to protect her, she must trust him. It appears that someone is trying to prevent her from telling her story. Is a fairy tale ending possible, or will they lose a second chance at love after Patrick is shot in the line of duty? Urban’s latest is face-paced and provides the reader with a number of clues to the attacker’s identity. The reader is educated on a number of facts regarding violent assaults against women. Amber’s character demonstrates that while people face regrets and past scars, God can show us how to use our pain to help others. Reviewed by: Leslie  McKee.

You can reach Annslee at: annsleeurban@gmail.com

http://annsleeurban.blogspot.com 

http://www.annsleeurban.com

http://www.facebook.com/mary.a.urban.9

http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B008HRODHE

 SHE'S HIDING A DEADLY SECRET… 

…and someone wants to make sure Amber Talbot never reveals it. When she becomes the target of a car bomb and a home invasion, she gets the message loud and clear. If she tells anyone her secret, she will die. The person charged with protecting her is police detective Patrick Wiley—the fiancé she walked away from but never forgot. The same man she never wanted to tell about the attack that left her for dead. Back then Patrick couldn't save her. Now he must. Because the attacker has returned to finish what he started. Except this time he's got them both in his sights.

Excerpt: 

The distant toll of the Chatham County, Georgia, clock tower rang twelve noon as Amber Talbot left the Safe Harbor Counseling Center and headed down River Street to her car.

The forecast had called for late-afternoon thunderstorms here in Savannah, but already dark clouds hovered low in the sky. A rising breeze swept the tree-lined streets, rustling spring foliage and delivering a sudden chill to the air. Turning up her collar, Amber eyed the murky waves that boomed against wooden docks. Boats tied to their posts bobbed like corks in the water. Curling white-caps crashed over their bows.

Amber pulled in a breath of humid air and picked up her pace. Perfect weather to snuggle up with a good book. Exactly what she needed. After weeks of being bogged down at work, she was treating herself to a restful weekend.

With those thoughts echoing in her head, Amber jogged up a short flight of steps to the parking lot. Lengthening her strides, she dug out her key fob and unlocked her car with a click.

"Ma'am, did you drop this?"

Amber spun in the direction of the male voice and found an older gentleman waving a manila envelope with her name sprawled across it.

She glanced at her open messenger bag, crammed full with her purse, client files and notes for her fund-raiser. How careless, she chastised herself, for forgetting to zip it closed.

Tucking the bag under her arm, she started toward the man. "Thank you, sir—"

A deafening blast filled the air.

Amber flew backward, landed hard on the pavement. Black smoke plumed in front of her. The ground shook as glass and metal rained down like a hailstorm. Scrambling to her knees, she hurled her arms over her head to protect it from the shower of stinging objects. A whoosh sounded, then she heard crackling as heat blanketed her. She willed herself to move but couldn't.

I'm going to die!

Broken Silence can be found at Amazon in Print and on Kindle!

Hope you enjoyed the spotlight!

Check back next week for Egg-Cerpt Exchange, Tuesday Treasure, Thursday Thoughts and of course Saturday Spotlight.

Until then...take care & God Bless!

PamT

#ThursdayThoughts: #RockingRomance with@Lyndi Lamont

Good Morning!

Today instead of our usual Thursday Thoughts, I am featuring the last of the Rocking Romance blogs then next week we'll move on to the Egg-Cerpt Exchange which continues through Easter.

So without much further ado, here's Linda McLaughlin (AKA: Lyndi Lamont).....

Linda McLaughlin grew up with a love of books and history, so it's only natural she prefers writing historical romance. She loves transporting her readers into the past where her characters learn that, in the journey of life, love is the sweetest reward. Linda also writes steamy to erotic romance under the name Lyndi Lamont, and is one half of the writing team of Lyn O'Farrell.

You can find her online at http://lindalyndi.com

Blog: http://lindalyndi.com/reading-room-blog/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LindaMcLaughlinAuthor

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/lindamclaughlin

Twitter: @Lyndi Lamont https://twitter.com/LyndiLamont

Rocking Romance questions

1. What romantic event would you like to see this year? I’m looking forward to the California Dreamin’ Conference coming up in March. I always enjoy getting together with my romance writer friends.

2. Name your favorite romantic tip – Listen to your partner; so many couples talk past each other

3. What Rocking romance do you find intriguing (Miss Piggy and Kermit is mine)? I’m loving the romance between bad boy Killian Jones, aka Captain Hook, and good girl Emma Swan on Once Upon a Time. It has been fun to see the rascally pirate fall for the town sheriff.

4. What is your Rocking Romance flower? Roses are always classic, but orchids are beautiful and special.

5. Plan one romantic evening; what would you do? Since I live in Orange County… a walk on the beach at sunset. We have beautiful sunsets over the Pacific.

 Rogue's Hostage

By Linda McLaughlin

Historical Romance

4 ½ stars and a Top Pick from Romantic Times!

Romantic Times Nominee—Best Small Press Romance of 2003!

2nd Place - Lorie Awards - Best Historical Romance!

His hostage... 

In 1758 the Pennsylvania frontier is wild, primitive and dangerous, where safety often lies at the end of a gun. Mara Dupré's life crumbles when a French and Indian war party attacks her cabin, kills her husband, and takes her captive. Marching through the wilderness strengthens her resolve to flee, but she doesn't count on her captor teaching her the meaning of courage and the tempting call of desire.

Her destiny...

French lieutenant Jacques Corbeau's desire for his captive threatens what little honor he has left.  But when Mara desperately offers herself to him in exchange for her freedom, he finds the strength to refuse and reclaims his lost self-respect. As the shadows of his past catch up to him, Jacques realizes that Mara, despite the odds, is the one true key to reclaiming his soul and banishing his past misdeeds forever.

Excerpt:

(Note: This excerpt starts with Jacques lacing Mara’s bodice because she injured her wrist after she threatened him with a knife. It’s not the most romantic first kiss you’ll ever read.)

When he’d finished lacing her bodice, Corbeau took her chin in his strong brown hand and tipped her face up to meet his gaze. “Do not be too proud to ask for help when you need it.”

She glared up at him, her eyes narrowed with anger. “I don’t want you touching me. Not after yesterday.”

Gently he stroked her face. “I never meant to hurt you.”

She pulled away from him and held up her bandaged wrist. “What do you call this?”

A spark of anger flashed in his eyes. “I call it self-defense. Have you forgotten that you tried to kill me?”

“You forced me to do it,” she said defiantly. “You should have let me go.”

“Never. Not if I have to sleep with my back to a tree from now on.”

He advanced on her and she retreated, her alarm growing.

“Will you try to stab me in the back next time?”

“No,” she insisted, shaking her head wildly. “I don’t want to hurt you. I just want to be free.”

He stalked her until she was backed up against a tree with no room to maneuver. He moved closer, looming over her, heat emanating from his body. “I have no wish to hurt you either, madame,” he said in a husky voice.

“Then what do you want?” The moment the words were out, Mara wished she could snatch them back. She saw his intent in his eyes as his gaze focused on her lips.

She pushed against the hard muscles of his chest but to no avail. Easily he encircled her in his arms, one hand at her waist, the other tangling in the hair at her nape, pulling her head back. She couldn’t miss his musky smell as he pressed closer to her. Her knees were weakened by the quivering of her limbs, and she fisted her hands in the rough linen of his shirt.

“What do I want,” he whispered as he lowered his head, his breath hot against her face. “This. This is what I want.”

* * *

Jacques stared at her through half-closed eyes. The anger, frustration, and desire that fired his blood merged into an overwhelming need to kiss her. He claimed her mouth with his own, smothering her lips, knowing the kiss was rough and aggressive, but unable to stop. He wanted to silence her, subdue her, and make love to her all at once.

Her hands beat against his chest in time with the wild drumming of his heart. Then she went still, enduring his embrace, lips clamped tightly together.

Desire won out over anger. He eased the pressure of the kiss, letting his tongue trace the fullness of her lower lip, coaxing her mouth to open. His hand loosened, let go of her hair, and stroked the back of her neck.

Note: Rogue’s Hostage is part of the Romance Super Bundle, a boxed set of ten full-length novels.

Buy Links: 

Amazon: http://amzn.com/B00BJO26OY 

ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-rogue039shostage-1163372-158.html

http://www.goodreads.com/photo/author/1216627.Linda_McLaughlin

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1005663623

iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/rogues-hostage/id645211361?mt=11&uo=4

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/291719

Hope you enjoyed this Rocking Romance. Drop by again soon!

PamT

#TuesdayTreasure: Guest Post by Lynn Austin!

Good Morning and Happy Mardi Gras!

Yep, it's Fat Tuesday...the day when we eat, drink and be merry too much then settle in for the Lenten season leading up to Easter. I pray whatever you do to celebrate today, you do it safely and consciously so that everyone involved will have a happy and fun time.

Today I am pleased to bring you a guest post by Lynn Austin.

Bestselling author Lynn Austin has sold more than one million copies of her books worldwide. She is an eight-time Christy Award winner for her historical novels, as well as a popular speaker at retreats and conventions. Lynn and her husband have raised three children and live near Chicago.

Find out more about Lynn and her books by visiting her website.

Now on to her treasure.....This little clay bowl doesn’t look like much, but it’s one of my favorite treasures and sits on display in a place of prominence in my office. It’s an ancient oil lamp, more than 2,700 years old! I traveled to Israel to research Keepers of the Covenant (the story of Ezra), and my other biblical novels, and even worked as a volunteer on an archaeological dig there for a month. These are just a few of the finds I unearthed and was allowed to keep.  

The pottery and jar handle are from Ezra’s time. The glass is from Roman times. And the little jug is a reproduction that I brought home for my children—it came in pieces as a “junior archaeology kit” and my kids had the fun of piecing it back together.

When I worked on the dig, I was researching Gods and Kings, the story of King Hezekiah, and I wanted a souvenir from his time period. I bought this oil lamp from 700 BC in an antiquities shop in Jerusalem that was licensed to authenticate and sell artifacts.  What amazes me is that the lamp has survived intact for so many centuries! Jerusalem was completely destroyed at least two times during those centuries—once by the Babylonians in 586 BC and again by the Romans in 70 AD. Yet this simple oil lamp, made from fired clay, managed to survive. It has also survived my three children and at least 3 moves that my family has made!

My treasured oil lamp sits where I see it every day and reminds me of Jesus’ words:  “You are the light of the world . . . let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16).  Like my lamp, I hope I can keep on shining through all the good times and the bad.

Find out more about Gods & Kings and other books in Lynn's "Chronicles of the Kings" series HERE.

Well Friends, hope you enjoyed this Tuesday Treasure!

Tomorrow begins the annual EggCerpt Exchange but before that, I'll have one more Rocking Romance read for you on Thursday in place of our normal Thursday Thoughts. 

IMW, as we prepare for the Lenten season where most people incorporate fasting, praying and almsgiving into their life, I pray you take time to really consider what you're going to give up or do extra and make this Lent/Easter a true celebration!

Until later...take care, God Bless and Remember: What you believe in your heart & confess with your mouth you create in your life! 

Something to think about....

Inspirational with an Edge! ™