#ThursdayThoughts with Tanya Stowe @TanyaStowe1

Good Morning and Welcome to the last Thursday Thoughts of April 2015!

Today I'm pleased to bring you a guest post by friend and fellow Pelican Book Group author, Tanya Stowe that relates to her new book, Sedona Sunset so without much further ado....here's Tanya....

God connects with us in so many ways but I see him most frequently in nature. Every day when I take my walks, I marvel at the intricacies of His creation…and His sense of humor.

I live in California in the Mojave Desert. The largest plant in my area is called the Joshua Tree. It belongs to the yucca family and can grow up to 49 feet tall. Joshua Trees have spiny leaves and a deep root system that allows them to survive the high desert winds without toppling. They grow in only two places in the world, the Holy Land and the Mojave.

The Colorado River serves as the border between California and Arizona but the Mojave Desert continues, spreading across northern Arizona. That state’s most familiar plant is the tall Saguaro, a cactus with spikes and spindly arms, most usually depicted in a cowboy hat with six guns strapped on. Like the Joshua Tree, the Saguaro can grow up to 49 feet high but it’s root system is shallow and spread out to catch the monsoon rains that flow up from southern Arizona.

Both plants are the reigning monarchs of their area. Both live in the Mojave Desert but you will not see them together. Once you cross the California border into Arizona, the Joshua Tree disappears…replaced by the Saguaro.

That thought always makes me smile. Our Creator recognizes our borders…and our limitations. He tries very hard not to confuse us and commands Nature to do the same.

After an auto accident leaves her crippled and takes her mother’s life, Lara Fallon completes her mother’s dream of opening a school and offering scholarships to promising young artists. Although Lara is struggling with survivor’s guilt, she is thrilled that Alexander Summers, world-renown Flamenco player and professor of art, will perform at the grand opening of The Fallon School of Art. But Alex has a secret. He investigates art theft for UNESCO, and when pieces of Chaco pottery suddenly appear on the black market, Alex is certain The Fallon School of Art is a cover for this illegal operation. He’s determined to uncover the link...even if it means romantically pursuing the lovely Lara Fallon. Alex’s investigation leads him on collision course with Lara’s inner struggle to cope with her mother’s death and her own wavering faith in God. Now, Lara’s school and her heart are in danger. But is her life as well?

Get your copy of Sedona Sunset today at Pelican Book Group, Amazon or B & N

Well friends, hope you enjoyed the post! You can connect with Tanya through her Newsletter, Website and/or Facebook

Until next time, take care & God Bless!

PamT

#TuesdayTreasure: Faith

Good Morning Friends,

Today's post will be very short and sweet but about something I treasure above all else...my faith.

Life is a journey, a winding road of twists and turns, hills and stepping stones but these things can quickly turn into dangerous curves and stumbling blocks if one isn't aware of his or her thoughts and feelings.Even more so if you have nothing to cling to.

Which is where faith comes in.

If you've followed me long you know I believe in God, Jesus, and Angels, but it's not only my faith in HIM/them that helps me get through the tough situations in life.

It's my faith in ME.

No matter what is going on in your life today, hang in there and have faith...trust in God and in Yourself that all things work out for good....

Until later take care & God Bless!
PamT

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#SaturdaySpotlight: Christine Lindsay & Twilight of the British Raj series!

Good Morning Friends,

I sure hope your Spring has started off with a splash (no pun intended due to all the rain we've been having LOL!). It's been an active one for me with family fun, travelling, dance competitions, SpringFling Romance blog hop and well everything else I do but I'm lovin it!

Anyway...today we shine the spotlight on fellow Pelican Book Group author, Christine Lindsay and her Twilight of the British Raj series!

Christine Lindsay was born in Ireland, and is proud of the fact that she was once patted on the head by Prince Philip when she was a baby. Her great grandfather, and her grandfather—yes father and son—were both riveters on the building of the Titanic. Tongue in cheek, Christine states that as a family they accept no responsibility for the sinking of that infamous ship.

It was stories of her ancestors who served in the British Cavalry in Colonial India that inspired her Multi-award-winning, historical series Twilight of the British Raj. Book 1 Shadowed in Silk, Book 2 Captured by Moonlight, and the finale Veiled at Midnight.

Christine also has titles published by Pelican Book Group. Londonderry Dreaming and soon to be released Sofi’s Bridge.

Christine makes her home in British Columbia, on the west coast of Canada with her husband and their grown up family. Her cat Scottie is chief editor on all Christine’s books.

CONNECT WITH CHRISTINE:

Please drop by Christine Lindsay’s website  or follow her on Twitter and be her friend on Pinterest     Facebook  and   Goodreads

SHADOWED IN SILK (Book 1 of series Twilight of the British Raj

She was invisible to those who should have loved her.

After the Great War, Abby Fraser returns to India with her small son, where her husband is stationed with the British army. She has longed to go home to the land of glittering palaces and veiled women . . . but Nick has become a cruel stranger. It will take more than her American pluck to survive.

Major Geoff Richards, broken over the loss of so many of his men in the trenches of France, returns to his cavalry post in Amritsar. But his faith does little to help him understand the ruthlessness of his British peers toward the Indian people he loves. Nor does it explain how he is to protect Abby Fraser and her child from the husband who mistreats them.

Amid political unrest, inhospitable deserts, and Russian spies, tensions rise in India as the people cry for the freedom espoused by Gandhi. Caught between their own ideals and duty, Geoff and Abby stumble into sinister secrets . . . secrets that will thrust them out of the shadows and straight into the fire of revolution.

SHADOWED IN SILK Amazon

SHADOWED IN SILK Christian Books.Com

SHADOWED IN SILK Barnes & Noble

SHADOWD IN SILK Kobo

CAPTURED BY MOONLIGHT (Book 2 of series) 

Prisoners to their own broken dreams…

After a daring rescue of a child goes awry, Laine Harkness and her friend Eshana flee to the tropical south of India…and headlong into their respective pasts.

Laine takes a nursing position at a plantation in the jungle, only to discover that her former fiancé is the owner…but fun-loving Laine refuses to let Adam crush her heart like he had years ago.

Eshana, captured by her traditional uncle and forced once more into the harsh Hindu customs of mourning, doubts freedom will ever be hers again, much less the forbidden love for Dr. Jai Kaur that had begun to flower.

Amid cyclones, epidemics, and clashing faiths, will the love of the True Master give hope to these searching hearts?

CAPTURED BY MOONLIGHT Amazon

CAPTURED BY MOONLIGHT Christian Books.com

CAPTURED BY MOONLIGHT Barnes & Noble

CAPTURED BY MOONLIGHT Kobo

Veiled at Midnight (Book 3 of series Twilight of the British Raj

Explosive and Passionate Finale to the British Empire

The British Empire is coming to an end. As millions flee to the roads, caught up in the turbulent wake is Captain Cam Fraser, his sister Miriam, and the beautiful Indian Dassah.

Cam has never been able to put Dassah from his mind, ever since the days when he played with the orphans at the mission as a boy. But a British officer and the aide to the last viceroy cannot marry a poor Indian woman, can he?

As this becomes clear to Dassah, she has no option but to run. Cam may hold her heart—but she cannot let him break it again.

Miriam rails against the separation of the land of her birth, but is Lieutenant Colonel Jack Sunderland her soulmate or a distraction from what God has called her to do?

The 1947 Partition of India has separated the country these three love…but can they find their true homes before it separates them forever? 

VEILED AT MIDNIGHT Amazon

VEILED AT MIDNIGHT Barnes & Noble

VEILED AT MIDNIGHT Christian Books.com

Sounds like an amazing trilogy! Hope you get a chance to check it out.

Come back next week for more Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts, and Saturday Spotlight!

Until then.....take care & God Bless!

PamT

#ThursdayThoughts: #SpringFlingRomance with Diana Rubino!

Good Morning Friends!

Today we welcome back to our blog, Diana Rubino with Thursday Thoughts & Why She Loves Spring so you're getting double entertainment in one post! Therefore, without further ado, please welcome Diana....

Why I Like Spring by Diana Rubino

I live in New England—need I say more? 

It takes longer for spring to arrive here than to most places. Right now, April 1, already over a week into spring, the ground is still half covered with snow and it’s barely in the 40s. But I heard a mourning dove the other day, which is a sure sign that spring is on the way.

In this area, we get a lot of spring days that are downright dreary, with overcast leaden skies, a fine mist falling, and that raw chill that goes right through you. But a day like that brings promise. It’s no longer the bitter cold with the arctic blasts. The wind carries a promising fragrance, and you can almost smell the grass struggling to peek through the patches of snow. Hearty New Englanders are out wearing shorts and T-shirts, even though it’s still in the high 40s or low 50s. We wear our Red Sox caps. All those signs point to that magical day when we can wear those T-shirts without shivering, sit in the ballpark munching peanuts, and inhale a lungful of lilac-scented breeze on a jog.

It takes a while to get here, but when it does, we appreciate it all the more.

Contact Diana at the following places.... 

Website, Blog, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, LinkedIn, GooglePlus

The End of Camelot by Diana Rubino

November 22, 1963, a day that changed America forever. Who killed President Kennedy?

I've been a HUGE JFK assassination buff since that very day. Everyone who was alive on November 22, 1963 knew exactly where they were and what they were doing when they heard the news. I was in my first grade classroom. The teacher got a call on the classroom phone and told us ‘the president was shot.’ A collective gasp went around the room. I was 6 years old and in first grade. It was ten years before I saw the footage of Ruby shooting Oswald, on an anniversary documentary.
          But it was my grandmother who got me interested in the biggest mystery since 'who killed the princes in the Tower?' (I'm a Ricardian; that's for another post).  She got me embroiled right along with her.
          She listened to all the radio talk shows (those who lived in the New York area might remember Long John Nebel, on WOR, WNBC, and WMCA, all on AM radio (FM was really 'out there' at that time).
          She recorded all the radio talk shows. She bought whatever books came out over the years, along with the Warren Commission Report, which I couldn't lift at the time, it was so heavy. But my interest never waned in the 51 years that followed.
          In 2000, I began the third book of my New York Saga, set in 1963. The heroine is Vikki McGlory Ward, daughter of Billy McGlory, hero of the second book, BOOTLEG BROADWAY, set during Prohibition. This was my opportunity to write a novel showcasing all my current theories, and continue the saga. It took a minimum of research, since I remember all the 60's brands, (Bosco, Yum Berry, Mr. Bubble...), the fashions, the songs, and I even included a scene set on that unforgettable night when the Beatles first appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show, February 9, 1964.

About THE END OF CAMELOT   

The third in the New York Saga, The End of Camelot centers on Billy McGlory’s daughter Vikki, whose husband is murdered trying to prevent the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Vikki uses her detective skills to trace the conspiracy, from New York to New Orleans to Dallas, and at the same time, tricks her husband’s murderer into a confession. A romance with her bodyguard makes her life complete.

November 22, 1963: The assassination of a president devastates America. But a phone call brings even more tragic news to Vikki Ward—her TV reporter husband was found dead in his Dallas hotel room that morning.

Finding his notes, Vikki realizes her husband was embroiled in the plot to kill JFK—but his mission was to prevent it. When the Dallas police rule his death accidental, Vikki vows to find out who was behind the murders of JFK and her husband. With the help of her father and godfather, she sets out to uncover the truth.

Aldobrandi Po , the bodyguard hired to protect Vikki, falls in love with her almost as soon as he sets eyes on her. But he's engaged to be married, and she’s still mourning her husband. Can they ever hope to find happiness in the wake of all this tragedy?

Purchase THE END OF CAMELOT on Amazon

Excerpt

It was New Year’s Eve, they were alone, and he was harmless. So far. So she took the necessary two paces over to him and placed the honey ball between his custom-made choppers.

He closed his eyes, and she watched him savoring the sweetness. She didn’t dare say another word as she ran her index finger over a glob of cream on the cannoli plate, raised it to her lips and licked. “Mmmm,” she voiced, wishing she hadn’t.

Their eyes met and locked. Faster than lightning, they came together like magnets. Their lips met, sweet and sticky and hot. She didn’t want him to stop, but her inner voice screamed how wrong it was—It’s forbidden!—echoing the nuns in Saint Gustina’s. She shooed it away like an annoying fly. Leave me alone, I’m not a kid anymore. Her arms circled his neck, and his hands slid down to the curve of her back. Dare she move in closer, pelvis to pelvis, an unthinkable act three seconds ago? Her body was betraying her, betraying Jack, taking on a will of its own as she crushed herself to him. The kiss intensified. She tasted cannoli, and her fogged mind told her he’d been sampling them all day. She breathed in his cologne, so foreign it repelled her, so new it aroused her even further. Her tiara slipped off her head. She caught it just as he pulled away.

He held her at arm’s length as in a tango. “Oh, cara mia,” he growled—and if he said another word in Italian, she knew she’d explode. A passion long dormant stirred inside her.

Diana's favorite passage from the book:

Billy came down the stairs for a nightcap and glanced into the living room. He noticed the glow in the fireplace, Vikki’s eyeglasses and the anisette bottle on the table. The couch faced the other way, but nobody was sitting on it. “Where’d they go?” Then he realized they hadn’t gone anywhere—and they were on the couch, but not sitting. Before he got out of their way, he placed a long-playing record on the phonograph. Jackie Gleason’s “For Lovers Only.”

Well Friends, hope you enjoyed this double shot of entertainment on Thursday Thoughts! Until next time...take care & God Bless!

PamT

#TuesdayTreasure: Guest Post by Kristy Cambron!

Good Morning Friends!

It is with great pleasure I bring you today's guest, Kristy Cambron.

By the world’s standards, it’s not worth very much. This locket is tarnished and has a clock on the

inside that no longer ticks nor tocks. The Eiffel Tower engraved on the front is nearly rubbed smooth from being held so much. It’s made of anything but precious metal – but it’s that to me.

It was not long after my birthday that Dad was admitted to the hospital for a recurrence of the leukemia he was supposed to have been in remission from. And while we couldn’t know it at the time, this would be the last gift he would ever be able to give me.

It was wrapped in robin’s egg blue tissue paper – my favorite color. He’d had it for a while, he said, but wanted to give it to me in person and it kept slipping his mind. Until he was in the hospital. He had a lot of time to think then. He handed it over, sheepish almost, and said: “You don’t have to wear it or anything.” But I knew what it meant. My father loved his two daughters and was proud of them as any father could be. But gift giving was sort of my mother’s department growing up. She signed the cards, and managed the holiday gifts. So this locket (for a daughter whom he knew loved Paris) was something that he couldn’t pass up. My guitar-playing father was at a festival with his musical group and something on a shopkeeper’s table caught his eye. I like to think that God sent a little sunshine to glint against it, causing him to pause and think of me.

I’m moved by stories of nostalgia – by the beauty that can be found in nominal things that carry the magic of a story with them. In The Butterfly and the Violin, Adele (a violinist fighting for survival in Auschwitz) received a golden butterfly clip from her love. Its value was little in the world’s eyes. But in hers? That clip aided in her survival. She held it every day in the camp, like a treasure that would remind her of days long since passed. I like to think the metal was tarnished and the engraving rubbed smooth after a time, just like my beloved locket. For Kája (an art teacher to the children of the Terezin ghetto) in A Sparrow in Terezin, it was a cross necklace. Again – it was a gift given on the wings of falling in love and to the world, it wasn’t worth much. But to her? It was a link straight to her heart. An outward symbol – a reminder of sorts – that there was a love greater than the hate that surrounded her.

I carry my Paris locket up on every stage in which I speak, and keep it close at every book signing. It’s a treasure that means more to me than I can say. What about you? Do you have a treasure that holds a story – one in which the worth can’t be measured?  

Kristy Cambron fancies life as a vintage-inspired storyteller. Her debut historical novel, The Butterfly

and the Violin (Thomas Nelson, 2014), was named to Library Journal’s Best Books of 2014, Family Fiction’s Top Ten Novels of 2014, and received nominations for RT Reviewers’ Choice Awards Best Inspirational Novel of 2014 and the 2015 INSPY Awards for Best Debut Novel. Her second novel, A Sparrow in Terezin (Thomas Nelson, April 2015), was named Library Journal’s Reviews’ Pick of the Month (Christian Fiction, February 2015) and a Top Pick from RT Book Reviews.

Kristy is an Art/Design Manager at TheGROVEstory.com and holds a degree in Art History from Indiana University. She lives in Indiana with her husband and three football-loving sons, where she can probably be bribed with a coconut mocha latte and a good Christian fiction read.

You can connect with Kristy at:

Facebook: Kristy Cambron | Twitter: @KCambronAuthor  | Instagram: kristycambron  

Lovely story...Thanks Kristy!

I hope you enjoyed the post. Stay tuned for more great treasures, thoughts and spotlights.

PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight: Flirting With Danger by Wendy Davy

Good Morning Friends!

Well Spring is underway with plenty of those April showers here in SW Louisiana. I hope you're staying dry. We're certainly trying to.

Today our spotlight is on fellow Pelican Book Group Author, Wendy Davy and her newest release, Flirting with Danger which is one of the Pure Amore' titles! So without much further ado.....

As a repossession specialist, Gavin Sykes has the means to legally and morally do what he does best—take things that aren't his. He thrives on repossessing high-end merchandise, hoping to atone for his shadowy past. But, even with all his experience, he never could have anticipated the future that awaits him.

When Sabrina Grady is hired to expedite the repossession process, she finally has the means to fulfill a promise she made long ago. New to the trade, what she lacks in experience she more than makes up for with courage, determination, and sheer willpower. While she expects Gavin to be a fierce competitor, she never could have anticipated his unwavering resolve or his intense desire to protect her.

Caught in a game of cat-and-mouse, Gavin and Sabrina must choose between seeking the thrill of the chase and seeking each other.

Excerpt: 
Gavin leaned forward, propping elbows on his knees. The movement exposed portions of his tattoo and Sabrina’s gaze zeroed in on it. She swung a leg over the bench, straddling the seat as she edged closer. "Let me see your tattoo." 

 "You’ve already seen it." 

He angled his head, meeting her gaze. 


"Yes, but I haven’t touched it." 

He stilled, but his pulse went into overdrive. Blood rushed through his ears and his palms broke into a sweat. No one had dared ask him before. The tattoo represented a distinct time in his life—a time he would never forget. He’d shared so much of himself already. Should he share this, too? 

With compassion swirling in her gaze, Sabrina took hold of his heart, ensnaring him with her desire to understand. He couldn’t deny her. Not now. Not ever. Slowly, he straightened. Keeping his gaze on hers, he tugged his T-shirt from his waistband and drew it over his shoulders and head before setting it aside. Firelight danced over his skin highlighting the tattoo. The vibrant colors ranged from brick red and canary yellow to creamy orange. Thin black lines created a border around each flame. 

Sabrina traced the contours with her fingertips applying gentle, warm pressure as she explored. "It’s as if these lines are reining in a wildfire." 

He’d never thought of it that way, but her interpretation was fitting. "Maybe so, but I’ve yet to be tamed." 

She tugged her lower lip between her teeth, meeting his gaze with unabashed interest. 

Gavin’s mouth dried. If anyone could handle him, Sabrina could. "Are you up for the challenge?"

Flirting with Danger is available by subscription only through the Pure Amore' line. Sign up today and get a discount and FREE books as a bonus!

Wendy Davy is an award-winning inspirational romance writer who enjoys outdoor activities and small town charm. As you read her books, you will visit special places close to her heart. No matter where her characters come from or where they take you, it will always be an exciting journey, page after page. Ms. Davy enjoys traveling and searching for new places to include in her stories.

She loves to hear from readers and can be contacted at wendy@wendydavy.com

Visit her website: http://www.wendydavy.com/

I certainly hope you enjoyed today's spotlight!

Stay tuned next week for another Tuesday Treasure, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight!

Until then...take care & God Bless!

PamT

#ThursdayThoughts: When Enough is Enough

Good Afternoon Friends,

Yeah I'm a bit late in posting today's Thursday Thoughts but it's been a crazy couple of days.

You may wonder where the title of this post came from. Well, I'll tell you....

There is a situation in my life that seems to end up in the same senseless turmoil no matter what I do. 

As a Christian we are called to love and forgive. Jesus said 7 x 70  when asked how many times we should forgive the same offense.

If you know me at all, you know I write to encourage and uplift so I want to say this....

At some point you have to STOP putting yourself in the position to have to forgive the same offense again and again and again!

Forgive, Yes! By all means and move on. 

But Respect and Value YOURSELF enough to know when it's time to put your foot down and say ENOUGH is ENOUGH!

Photo Borrowed from Eternal Elements on FACEBOOK

Something to think about.....

Pamela S Thibodeaux

"Inspirational with an Edge" ™

#TuesdayTreasure: Guest Post by Patricia Preston

Good Morning Friends,

It is once again my pleasure to introduce you to another new author friend, Patricia Preston....

When I decided to write this post about something I treasured, I thought of different things. Material things. Then I thought of looking beyond stuff I had to something else.  

I think one thing I really treasure, at this point, is the ability to get my stories out to readers via e-books and writing full-time.    

To me, that is a huge treasure for me from an artistic standpoint. I had to sacrifice a lot to have the privilege of writing full-time and I still have a lot of other responsibilities that take up my time, but I have to say I have treasured the past year so much.  

I equally treasure all the new opportunities for writers now. There were short stories I wanted to write, but there was no print market for them. That was also true for a series of historical romances set in New Orleans that I wanted to write. Being able to sit down and write these stories and knowing that I would have the opportunity to reach readers has been so exciting. Not so much from a financial standpoint, but from the standpoint of a born storyteller. I’ve been writing stories since I was a child.  

I only wish this opportunity could have come along years ago, but it is here now and I just published another one of my quirky Southern short stories, “Decoration Day.” It’s a humorous and poignant story about Decoration Day at Cypress Creek Church cemetery where a feud erupts over a gardenia wreath and a statue of Jesus. And Melanie Sue Haddock learns that being a heathen and a true friend is better than being flawless. Note: This story does have a little bit of an inspirational tone that came natural to the storyline, but I’m not an inspirational writer.   

I have a couple of other short stories in the works, but now I have more to write than I have time to get written! And I do treasure that!  

Patricia Preston is a Southern author who writes historical and contemporary romance as well as humorous Southern fiction. Her publishers include New Love Stories, True Romance, Affaire de Coeur, Cloverdale Press, The Blue and Gray Magazine, Sea Oats Review, and Carina Press. She won William Faulkner Award for Short Fiction, the Lone Star Writing Competition for Historical Romance, and Harlequin’s World’s Best Romances Short Story Competition.


Her current titles include two historical romances: To Save a Lady. Almost an Outlaw.
Contemporary Romance Short Story: “Delivering Love Today.”


Under the name, Patricia Ann Preston, she writes humorous Southern stories with happy endings. “Decoration Day” “The Yard Sale” “Laid to Rest”


For info on new releases and contests, sign up for her newsletter
Visit her Webpage
Follow her Twitter
Like her page Facebook

To Save a Lady can be purchased at Amazon!

#SaturdaySpotlight: Winona Bennett Cross & Diane's Destiny

Good Morning Friends,

It is ALWAYS a pleasure to introduce you to a new writer with his or her debut title, but this one is especially special to me!

I met Winona Bennett Cross (aka: Nona) back in 2002 or 2003 when she came to a Bayou Writers Group meeting and I have watched this lady grow from an aspiring writer to a published author. Although Diane's Destiny is her debut novella, Nona is published in a couple of anthologies and has one contests with her work. So it is with much joy and pleasure I you my dear friend, Nona Cross!

Winona Bennett Cross lives in southeastern Oklahoma with her husband. They have two married sons and are the proud grandparents of two beautiful little girls. Winona is a retired Registered Nurse, her specialty was nursing education and women’s health. She began writing following a fall that left her unable to work as a nurse. Writing began as journaling, to a form of hobby and finally to being serious about pursuing her love of words. She never dreamed of being an author but enjoyed any assignments in school and college that required writing and/or reading.

Winona loves animals and has a particular obsession with horses. She has a head full of dreams, most involving travel. She reads avidly and in almost every genre.

“Dianne’s Destiny” is her debut book and is part of The Scrimshaw Doll Series. Each book in the series is written by an Oklahoma author. Winona is a member of the Romance Writers of America (RWA), Oklahoma Romance Writers of America (OKRWA), Celtic Hearts Romance Writers (CHRW), Hearts through History Romance Writers (HHRW), Pioneer Hearts, and Oklahoma Writers Federation, Inc. (OWFI). 

Nona loves hearing from other authors and readers. Contact her at: nona143writer@yahoo.com, follow her blog, or connect with her on Facebook and Twitter @WinonaCross!

When Dianne Jacobson returns to her home town of Wichita Falls, Texas after a fifteen year absence, she hopes to find peace while recovering from panic and anxiety brought on by a mugging in New York City.  The last person she expects to see is her first love, Kip Mahan–the man she left without explanation more than a decade ago.

Kip Mahan never expected the woman he couldn't forget to walk into his life at the Equestrian Therapy Center. He doesn’t know why she left him, or why she’s back now with a haunted look in her eyes.  
 
Slowly, the two find their way to the love lost years ago. But when Dianne’s ex-husband tracks her down, it puts not only their newfound love but their very lives in danger. Will Dianne’s destiny slip from her grasp before she’s even found it?

Diane's Destiny can be purchased from Amazon and The Wild Rose Press

Read an excerpt HERE!

I hope you enjoyed this week's Saturday Spotlight. Stay tuned next week for another Tuesday Treasure, Thursday Thoughts and of course, Saturday Spotlight.

Until later....Take care & God Bless!
PamT

#ThursdayThoughts: Guest post by LoRee Peery

Good Morning Friends!

It is my pleasure to bring you this guest post by my friend and fellow Pelican Book Group author, LoRee Peery and while I'm introducing her, let me take a moment to wish her a very Happy & Blessed Birthday!

Do Names have Meaning?

I’m convinced names carry significance. Various cultures and history record an individual’s name as revealing who that person is, be it family, vocation, or location. There are even accounts of people going unnamed until who they are personality- or character-wise is discovered.

Have you ever looked up the meaning of your name? Mothers-to-be often check out baby name books before making selections. I have to admit I didn’t choose that route in naming my first two children, but before I decided on my youngest daughter’s name, I looked up the meanings of names on my list. God must have spoken to my heart, because I went with my first choice, which means a song.

My paternal grandmother died before I was born, and I was named for her best friend. My mom chose Loree for my name. I enjoy hearing how “pretty” it is, though not everyone knows how to say it. I was excited to discover my Latin name means victorious, based on the crown of laurel leaves placed on a victor’s head during Olympic games.

When I started school I got tired of correcting those who called me “Lori,” so I finally accepted that mispronunciation. I carried that name until around 1980, a couple years after my mother’s death. Mom didn’t name me Lori. I capitalized the R to make people consider how to say my name, and corrected anyone who pronounced it incorrectly.

One of the first writing workshops I attended had to do with naming character. As an author, I strive for my characters to reveal aspects of earthly Christian character, so I put thought into their names.

The hero of my upcoming release, Paisley’s Pattern, has always been troubled by his name. Instead of viewing Robin as “bright shining fame,” a form of excellence, he blames his mother for naming him after a bird. She did have a hippie phase and changed her surname to Paisley. He scoffed at that one too.

I had fun with transposing hero and heroine names in this story. Paisley Robbins is the heroine and their mixed-up names is the reason they became acquainted before this story begins. Paisley and Rob both grow in their spiritual lives as the story evolves. She tries to get Rob to see that his earthly name will change in heaven. At least four verses in the Bible refer to believers receiving new names in heaven.

God knows us by name, and gives us a new name. Names must matter to God. He changed a few that are recorded in the Bible. The familiar ones in Genesis are Abram to Abraham, Sarai to Sarah, Jacob to Israel. In Matthew He changed Simon to Peter.

Many places in the Bible, Christians are addressed as beloved. How about that for a precious name? I believe and look forward to receiving a new name, though my earthly name reflects that I am a victorious overcomer.

LoRee Peery

Redeeming Grace with a Sense of Place

What an interesting post! I must admit, until recently I didn't check to see what my characters' names meant. They just came to me. But in a current WIP I researched names to fit the people in the story.

LoRee Peery is a lifelong Nebraskan who thanks her mother for teaching her to read when she was four. She has devoured books ever since. She and her husband have tackled some interesting projects over the course of their married life. For one, they built the home they live in with their own hands. They used to want more acres further away from city life, but one day LoRee realized they had their “greener on the other side of the fence” already. All it took was removing the hedge made of trees and bushes. LoRee feels grounded in her sense of place and considers it humbling to be redeemed by grace. She is blessed to have five children and eleven grandchildren. One-on-one time playing cards or Scrabble provides cherished moments and memories. Find out more about LoRee by visiting her website or connecting with her on Facebook and Twitter!

Paisley's Pattern releases May 8th from Pelican Book Group but find ALL of LoRee's titles HERE!

Well Friends, I certainly hope you enjoyed today's post and that you'll join me in wishing LoRee a Happy Birthday!

Leave a comment & you just might win your choice of one of LoRee's E-books!!

Until later....take care & God Bless!

PamT