Disclaimer

DISCLAIMER:

I do not read every book/author I spotlight or book tour I host!
Readers, Please research and use wisdom before buying

Tuesday, November 27, 2018

#TuesdayTreasures with Marilyn Baxter

Good Morning!

I pray your Thanksgiving was blessed and happy!

If you've followed me for long you know one of the things that gives me the most pleasure is to introduce you to a new-to-me author and today's guest is no exception. Please give Marilyn a huge, warm WELCOME!


Thank you, Pamela, for having me today!  When I think about the treasures in my life, I reflect on my writing days.  I came late to writing.  I sold my first story when I was almost 55 years old, and it appeared in True Confessions magazine.  In the years since, I have sold fifty or so stories and short features to the various confessions and romance magazines.  I learned a lot from the handful of editors I had at the magazines, and by way of a Yahoo group for “Trues Writers,” I met some wonderful people, some of whom I’ve met in person too. 

About ten years into my writing journey, an editor for a new small publisher came to speak to my RWA chapter.  I knew him by reputation because he had been with a large New York publisher that had closed.  During his talk to the group, he mentioned a contest they were having.  You wrote a novella based on a song title and got folks to vote for you.  The field would be narrowed down over a course of elimination rounds.  The editors would select the overall winner from the final 3.  I decided to go for it and submitted my novella, then staged a campaign to garner votes.  And I made it to the top 3! 

When the contest ended, and the winners were announced at the publisher’s open house at the 2013 RWA conference in Atlanta, the editors didn’t pick my novella as the overall winner.  But I had gotten the most popular votes, so they published my novella AND issued an invitation to submit a full-length novel too.  And the rest is history, as they say.  BETTER AS A MEMORY, my contest novella, was published in May of 2014, and DIRECT DEPOSIT, the full-length novel I submitted, was released in January of 2015.  Since then I’ve had 1 short story (called a Lunchbox Romance), 1 more full-length novel and 5 more novellas published. 

All these sales, all the other authors I’ve come to know, all the editors and other support staff I’ve worked with – they have filled my treasure chest with so much knowledge and joy.  And I hope I can keep adding to that treasure chest in the years to come. 

I love to connect with readers and other writers on Facebook or you can contact me via my website.  

Thanks again, Pamela, for the opportunity to share with your readers!

RESCUED features eight stories of love and rescuing while saving each other and a dog in need.  Publisher proceeds are being donated to Project Freedom Ride, a group that moves dogs from high-kill shelters to no-kill shelters and Marilyn Baxter is donating a portion of her royalties to the Greater Huntsville Humane Society. Contributing authors/stories are: Bleu - L.P. Maxa, Burnover - Diane Benefiel, Abandoned Love - Cindy Holby, Chaos - Gabi Stevens, Sparks - Sheri Humphreys, Oscar - Joan Bird,  Cocoa - Emily Mims and of course.....

Always a Hero - Marilyn Baxter 

When a hurricane threatens St. Magnus Island, deputy sheriff, Noah Tindall finds Lucy Jansen home alone. She hasn't evacuated along with all the other residents, and the reason - her foster dog is giving birth. Six pups later, Noah convinces Lucy to go to his home on higher ground. No power, a tornado warning, and cramped quarters make for intimacy neither want, but both end up craving. Forever.

Rescued can be purchased at Amazon, B&N, Smashwords and Kobo.


Wow, how wonderful Marilyn and what a great project! Thank YOU for sharing! 

Hope you enjoyed today's post friends and that you'll check back regularly for more Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight.

Until next time take care and God bless.
PamT

Saturday, November 24, 2018

#SaturdaySpotlight is on Toni Sweeney & Regeneration

Good Morning!

I hope your Thanksgiving day and weekend was and continues to be BLESSED.

Today's spotlight guest is not new. Toni has shared treasures and the spotlight before but today she returns with her latest book, Regeneration!


Regeneration

Book 8,  the final entry of The kan Ingan Archives
Part 2 of The Arcanian Chronicles



BLURB:

After the loss of his wife, home, and family, a position as Chief Researcher on the TerraFormation colony on Élysée seems a good way for Miles Sheffield to regain a normal life.

Aric kan Ingan sees becoming Head of Security on Élysée as an attempt at closure after the deaths of his wife and two eldest sons.

Neither counted on being the only men in a colony of fifty-three women.

Two men seeking redemption…a jungle sending eerie messages…a whispered word, the scent of a dead woman’s perfume…intrude into their psyches, offering metaphysical rebirth and a final chance for happiness.

…if a threat from Earth doesn’t destroy everything they’re regaining.


EXCERPT:

It got darker as the sun set but he didn’t turn on the lights. The robot maid hadn’t reset the kelvin beams before she left, so the wall was still open, letting in sounds from the jungle…a soft chirping like that of crickets…here and there a faint cheep as if birds were calling to each other, and the occasional harsh croak of a bullfrog. He wondered how much water was nearby. Was there a river or lake where frogs lived among lily pads while cranes waded in its current hunting for fish and other birds flew overhead?
Am I getting fanciful or what?
Aric never considered himself to be one for flights of imagination. Being a margrave usually drove out creativity except in ways to wage war or conduct intrigues, but looking out at that green darkness…
He could see the shapes of trees, vines draped and swaying in a slight breeze. There was the rustle of branches brushing together. The wind brought a faint scent into the suite, lily-like and clean, like…freesia. Wasn’t that the name of the flower Susan had liked so? The fragrance changed, becoming the silvery bittersweet of parsilflowers,
Pallas’ perfume.
Aric breathed in the fragrance, feeling his body react as it always had when he smelled it…with longing. Could flowers native to Terra or Arcanis also be found on this planet?
Abruptly he was very weary, wanted to do nothing more than immerse himself in the clear water in the pool, just float for a little while and sip his wine, then go to bed. He had no idea how late it was but six o’clock would come soon enough and he wanted to be alert and on his toes for his first day in his new life.
It would probably be a bit of a madhouse, getting the children ready for school, fighting off eager females... Would he be expected to go with the children or would Net take care of that? He should’ve asked but he didn’t want to reactivate the droid now.
Let her recharge. She’ll need every bit of energy she can absorb for tomorrow. Another thought struck. I hope to the gods Michael behaves himself.
His eldest son was beginning to worry him. So far RD wasn’t a problem except when he tried to emulate his older brother.
I suppose I should be grateful neither was old enough to tag along with Riven and Auric. Otherwise I might’ve lost a third son, too.
Setting the goblet on the edge of the pool, Aric went to the cabinet Net had indicated.
For once, I’m not going to worry, he decided. I’m not going to have a plan set up and mapped out. I’m going to adopt some of that lackadaisical Milky philosophy…let it come as it comes and if tomorrow’s disorganized, so be it. Work can be as regimented as possible. My private life can be chaos. I welcome it.
He hoped he knew what he was talking about.
The cabinet reminded him of his shirt chest at Lindenscraig, having six shelves behind its double doors. Instead of shirts, however, it held stacks of neatly folded towels fashioned of sheet-sized fluffy-napped white bamboo-based fabric. He took one out, opening it. It was big enough to wrap around his body. He dropped it over the back of a nearby chair and standing on one foot and then the other, pulled off his boots, then began to undress, placing his clothing in the chair.
At the end of the pool there were tile steps leading into it. Picking up his goblet, Aric slid naked into the water. He wondered again why the pool was built inside the house. As he waded to the far edge, the answer came to him in the form of a memory, a fresco he’d seen in the newly-opened Museum of Alien Studies in Aljansur City. There was a depiction of something called a Roman bath and it looked very similar to the way the pool in his own living room was set up.
This isn’t simply a swimming pool. It’s a social medium…a place where one invited guests. The exhibit said several territories on Terra used such places, where people gathered together, enjoying each other’s company, even talking business, while floating in sun-warmed water. That’s why the pool was divided by the wall. Inside was for socializing, outside was only for swimming.
Of course.
He doubted if he’d be doing much socializing of any kind, however. He certainly wasn’t going to be getting into the water if all his guests were female. Aric’s Arcanian heritage forbade men and women swimming at the same time. He wondered if he’d be able to overcome that prejudice if there were more men inhabiting the colony, especially if they were Terran men who thought nothing of swimming with members of the opposite sex.
Of course, if it did happen, he’d have to invest in what the Milkies called swimsuits.
Right now, however, for him inside was going to be for thought and reflection. The water was warm enough to make him drowsy. There was a gentle current as it was pulled by the drains through a filtration system and recycled out again. It gurgled loud enough to make a monotonously soothing sound.
One arm along the pool’s edge, Aric leaned back and allowed himself to be lulled.
Here I am…just Miles and myself, two men in a colony of fifty-three women. Whenever I use the word he from now on, I’ll be referring to Miles and no one else. Our sons don’t count. Can we really make this work?
Remembering how women pursued him when he was an Exile, he had no doubt it’d happen again. Even with all the other men on Pyras, they’d singled him out because he was untouchable. And here? No matter what rules were laid down, he was certain he and Miles were going to be viewed as prizes in a contest between all the females, whether they were encouraged or not. As Delia said, they were all in the race.
He hoped there’d be no problem between him and Miles.
Please gods, don’t let any woman cause dissention between us.
They’d never had any on Pyras. For part of the time there, Aric had been under the vows of celibacy enforced by his Exile, while Miles’ post-adolescent hormones sent him running rampant among the younger women in the colony. Then Miles found Becky and Aric admitted he loved Susan.
Now, we’re both older, though perhaps not wiser. Let’s say more cautious
Anyway, what did it matter? As long as the women managed to keep a professional demeanor during working hours…
who the Hell cares what happens once the office doors close?


BUY LINKS:



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Toni V. Sweeney has lived 30 years in the South, a score in the Middle West, and a decade on the Pacific Coast and now she’s trying for her second 30 on the Great Plains.

Since the publication of her first novel in 1989, Toni divides her time between writing SF/Fantasy under her own name and romances under her pseudonym Icy Snow Blackstone.   In March, 2013, she became publicity manager for Class Act Books (US) . She is also on the review staff of the New York Journal of Books and the paranormal Romance Guild. In 2016, she was named a Professional Reader by netgalley.com.

Find out more about Toni:

Amazon Author’s Page: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B002BLQBB8

Twitter:  @ToniVSweeney

Hope you enjoyed today's spotlight and that you'll check back often for more Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlights.

Until next time take care and God bless.
PamT

Thursday, November 22, 2018

Happy Thanksgiving!

There is no Thursday Thoughts guest today so I just wanted to take a moment and wish YOU and YOURS a Blessed and Happy Thanksgiving!


I am going against orders from my massage therapist here and spending a little time on the computer. Seems the muscles in my arm (between wrist and elbow) as well as shoulder (not uncommon for me since an accident in 2004) - anyway, the muscles in both locations are severely knotted up. 

I will be taking the entire weekend off to rest those muscles.

God bless Each and Every One of YOU!

I appreciate you ALL more than words can express

If you're not out shopping (or wore out from shopping) PLEASE visit on Saturday and support my spotlight guest, Toni Sweeney.

PamT

Tuesday, November 20, 2018

#TuesdayTreasures with Carol James!

Good Morning!

Today's guest is brand new to our blog so please give Carol James a huge WELCOME! as she shares something she treasures with us....


Mom's Dishes.....
I gently placed the small yellow platter on the counter and smiled at the salesperson. “This was my mother’s dinnerware pattern. I have a blue bowl and a green bowl at home . . . all that’s left from her set. And this is the first time I’ve never seen any pieces in an antique store.”
            Don’t you want the pink one, too?” She winked.
            I hadn’t seen it, but yes, I definitely wanted it. My best friend and I had walked into the little antique store in Clarksville, Georgia on a whim, just to pass the time. I had no idea the treasure awaiting me there.
            I guess you could say my mother was a minimalist. When I was a child, I always wondered why our house lacked the delicate knick-knacks, lovely wall art, and the forests of plants my friends had. But as an adult, I understand.
            My father was a career military officer. The longest we ever lived any one place while I was growing up was two years. An average timeframe was much less. More possessions meant more to pack when you moved and more to grieve over when things became broken or lost in transit. So early in her marriage, my mother made a decision. Her treasured possessions were her family.
            My Mom loved cooking, so the one extravagance she allowed herself was setting a beautiful table. We always ate on her pastel dinnerware with sterling silver flatware and crystal glasses. Never plastic or stainless, and paper plates were for picnics only.
            I can remember her teaching me how to use part of my index finger as a ruler to evenly align the bottom edge of the dinner plates and silverware with the edge of the table. Forks on the left, knives and spoons on the right, dessert cutlery across the top. The knife edges and napkin openings always faced inward toward the plate. When my job was done and the table was set, she’d go outside and take clippings of whatever plants were growing around our quarters and create a centerpiece a florist would be proud to claim. 

            When my father came home, our family would sit around the candlelit table. He’d say a blessing, and we’d eat and share our days. The meal would always end with a similar appropriate comment. Daddy would say, “Lillian, I believe that’s about the best pork chop I ever ate.”
            The four pieces of my mother’s dinnerware are beautiful to me. Not for their monetary value, but for the memories they evoke and for the lesson they symbolize about priorities, about what is lasting. About what we should truly treasure.
What a Wonderful story, Carol and definitely something to treasure!

Carol James is an author of inspirational fiction. She lives in a small town outside of Atlanta, Georgia with her husband, Jim, and a perky Jack Russell "Terrorist," Zoe.


Having always loved intriguing stories with happy endings, she was moved to begin writing to encourage others as she'd been encouraged by the works of other authors.

Her upcoming novel, The Waiting, will be available January, 2019.

Her Christmas novella, Mary’s Christmas Surprise, is currently available for pre-purchase on Amazon and on the Pelican Book Group website.

Connect with Carol at:

Thank you so much Carol for sharing your treasures with us. 

I hope you enjoyed the post friends and that you'll check back for more Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlights.

Until next time good luck and God's blessings!
PamT

Saturday, November 17, 2018

#SaturdaySpotlight is on Laura DeNooyer & All That is Hidden!

Good Morning!

In September I introduced you to Laura DeNooyer when she shared treasures with us. Laura returned in October with some thoughts on the elephant in the room. Today we're getting a peek into her novel, All That is Hidden so please give her a warm WELCOME....

“All of God’s earth to my brother Nick and me were the streams for fishing, the fields for planting and harvesting, a world snugly enclosed by the blue-misted Smokies. . . . Other than the seasons, nothing ever changed. . . .”

Until the summer of 1968.

Ten-year-old Tina Hamilton’s life changes forever. Trouble erupts when a proposed theme park threatens her tiny Appalachian town. Some folks blame the trouble on “progress,” some blame the space race and men meddling with the moon’s cycles, and some blame Tina’s father. A past he has hidden catches up to him, his family, and the entire town. Suddenly, the clash of a father’s past and present becomes the microcosm of the clash between progressive ideas and small town values.

Tina struggles with her shaken confidence in a father who, in hiding his past, has made a string of choices that shape her childhood. Gradually, Tina gains insight into her father through seemingly unrelated circumstances: her feud with a fellow ballplayer, her friendship with Old Joe who lives alone on the mountain, a gift left to her father by a neighbor fourteen years dead, and a broken promise.

Meticulously researched, this moving and engaging coming-of-age tale is a delightful, richly-textured tapestry of family stories woven with the timeless wisdom of generations past, all of which guide Tina and create the fabric of a journey to forgiveness that will warm your heart.

Tina is forced to answer a difficult question: are secrets worth the price they cost to keep?

Pour yourself a cup of tea, settle in, and come along. Then you decide.


EXCERPT:

Dad spoke differently with Phil than with anyone else I knew. In addition to his northern speech, longer sentences and complicated explanations took the place of his short, pithy quotes and simple observations. It must have been how they used to talk together up in New York.

Phil said, “I’ve done my homework, too, and the job problem has not yet been solved.”

“Well, I don’t care to have a repeat of the Blue Ridge Parkway project. That, too, supplied jobs and necessary revamping but it also built so many new and good roads that life here changed forever, the biggest change in my mind being the tourist draw. We’re not called the Good Roads State for nothing. And this park, to be successful, would warrant more development—”

“The Parkway project is an unfair comparison,” Phil countered. “Besides, the theme park will complement, not destroy, the nature and heritage of these mountains, while improving the economy at the same time.”

“Of course I understand that, but even if it starts out that way, it’s not always going to live up to its good intentions. We’ll end up overcrowded with cheap souvenir shops and silly amusements. Investors will come to set up shop and exploit us. Fields and trees will be plowed over and we’ll all be run by clocks and schedules.”

“Some things will be sacrificed, yes, but not without great reward. Think of all that land out there going to waste! We’re going to make it more available to everybody—”

“And reap money out of their pockets.” Dad’s voice was agitated. “Is that how we measure the land’s value, by how many people use it? By how much money we can make from it?”

“Drew,” Phil spoke deliberately, “I find it hard to believe that you are one of the finest and longest standing members on this town council yet you are blind to the unemployment situation. You put a bigger price on preserving that land out there than you do on people’s welfare—”

“That comment is out of line and you know it.”

“I’m not so sure. Look, whatever side of Civil Rights you’re on, when that whole rioting business blows over, both colored and whites alike can be served by this park. We could be a model town of progress not only in our county but in our state. Your vehement opposition to this is unfair to all those in town who are so easily influenced by you.”

There was a pause and I could picture my father taking a deep breath to compose himself, the way he did with me on the verge of reproof. He spoke again, his pace slower, his tone reasonable. “Phil, I never tell anyone what to think and I don’t appreciate your inference. I merely believe that the list of cons outweighs the pros and I’m happy to pass that list along to any interested party. Not to mention—this is the south. Let’s face it. A park that serves both colored and whites alike is not necessarily going to be welcome here.” The couch springs squeaked as Dad sat back down and calmly continued. “And even with all your Economics Research Associates feasibilities studies, you’ve no guarantee of the park’s success.”

Papers rustled again as if for emphasis. Phil said, “The same numbers you quoted earlier to prove that the tourist industry is alive and well are the same numbers that guarantee the success of this park.”

“But you can’t operate on idealism here,” Dad countered. “Every attempt by anyone else to try something similar to Disneyland has failed and that would surely be a waste of our resources. And even if it were successful, I’m not so sure I want a Disneyland duplicate around here.”

Phil took on a sarcastic tone. “Yes, and we all know how much artistic integrity Disney sacrificed to create his little paradise. You of all people shouldn’t be threatened by your architectural bias. This is truly ironic to hear you—”

“People change. I’ve seen what happened to the Cherokee tradition around here, adulterating real Indian crafts and customs. Something is lost when things go on display like museum pieces that tourists can walk by, point to, and remark how quaint it all is.”

Another pause lingered, then Phil spoke with quiet pity, as if delivering a diagnosis for a terminal illness. “I’m sorry you’ve grown so opposed to progress.”

“Progress? Progress? Now that’s a misnomer if I ever heard one.” Again, Dad stopped to collect himself. “To have to market ourselves in order to be worth something is a downright falsehood. Is it progress to link our town to highways and big cities, the rat race, and rushing around? And when our kids have to wake up every morning wondering who’s going to beat them to the big job or the big salary? When they start counting money and positions instead of old-fashioned values and—”

“Baseball cards, Drew. Baseball cards and home runs. Kids can’t stay sheltered from the rest of the world forever. They’ve got to learn there’s more to life than just a sandlot game. And it’s not our intention to cash in our small town values, but instead to bring in some big town ideas for the betterment of everyone. Now that’s progress.”

“You may see the park as a ticket for that, but I see it as a one-way ticket from tranquility to a lot of things I never want my children to see.”

“Like what you did in New York?” Phil’s voice was sharp. Mom’s head perked up as she stood washing dishes.

My father did not reply so Phil added, “It’s a shame we can’t work together like we used to. Until today, I still had hope that there was even a speck of the old you. But now I see you’ve really changed, Drew.”

“I see it as a change for the better.”

BIO:

Award-winning author Laura DeNooyer lives with her husband Tim near Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They have four adult children. On either end of child rearing, she taught middle school and high school English, creative writing, and/or art. She currently teaches writing to home schooled students, participates in writers conferences and critique groups, and hosts a blog that celebrates creativity: Journey to Imagination. Laura has a young adult fantasy series underway, as well as historical fiction for adults. Find out more by visiting Laura's Blog and connecting with her on Facebook

All That is Hidden can be purchased at Amazon.

Thanks for sharing your book with us, Laura! We certainly wish you the best of luck and God's blessings.

Until later, friends....take care and God bless.
PamT

Tuesday, November 13, 2018

#TuesdayTreasures with Erin Unger

Good Morning Friends and Welcome to another edition of Tuesday Treasures!

Today's guest is new to our blog so let's please give Erin Unger a huge....H-E-L-L-O and Welcome!

Hello everyone! Tuesdays are the best days. They are quite literally a treasure to me. And how cool is it to have a chance to chat with you on my favorite day? I’m sure you’re wondering why I’d pick that day of the week as a favorite. It is a bit odd. But the reason I love it is because I’m fortunate enough to have the majority of my family over for family night every Tuesday. If you came for a visit that day, you’d be swamped by the best good-natured people you could meet. We average 14-30—or more—people every time. Aunts, uncles, sisters, brothers, my mom and dad, friends, cousins ... everyone is welcome. Just bring a potluck meal to share. Add a game and fun conversation to the merriment and you can see why we love our get-togethers.

Every meal is themed. We all get to vote on what we want to have the following week. Sometimes it’s pizza night, sometimes tacos, you name it, we’ve probably shared that meal together.

In my romantic suspense novel releasing March 29, 2019, Maddie Clare also loves family time with her cousins. She enjoys a good board game or two—when she’s not running from a stalker. Throw in a chance to one-up her arch enemy ex-boyfriend, Joze Evans, in a game of monopoly, and you can see why she can’t wait for the next get-together of her own.

Do you get to share precious time with your family? Comment below on your most treasured times with family.

Erin Unger was raised in the hills of Virginia, exploring abandoned houses and reading the scariest books she could find. After marrying so young it would make a great romance novel, she has enjoyed an exciting life with her hubby. But her fast-paced life sometimes rivals the suspense in her books thanks to all her mostly grown children and a couple grandkids. Find out more about Erin and follow her at her website, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Erin's novel, Practicing Murder, releases March 29, 2019. Find her other books on her Amazon Author Page.

Book Blurb: Graduate student Maddie Clare is never talking to her ex-boyfriend Joze Evans or God again. Broken from her past and Joze’s betrayal, she must go home for her Aunt Lonna’s funeral. But after a run-in with a stalker, who insists Maddie knows the secret that had Aunt Lonna investigating him, she’s afraid for her life and must accept Joze’s protection.

As the stalker draws closer, how will Maddie and Joze face the past and their love that never died? And will Maddie stay out of the stalker’s grip long enough to figure out what secret he possesses?


Oh wow, Erin, how fun and interesting! Thanks for sharing.

Hope you enjoyed the post friends and that you'll check back regularly for Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight. 

Until next time, good luck and God's blessings
PamT

Saturday, November 10, 2018

#SaturdaySpotlight is on Michael D Smith and Comm Wealth

Good Morning!

Today's guest is new to our blog so please welcome Michael D Smith with a peek into his book, Comm Wealth.

The CommWealth system, has created a society in which there is no legal claim to any kind of private property. Any object from your house to the clothes you’re wearing can be demanded by anyone, to be enjoyed for thirty days before someone else can request it. As actors in the Forensic Squad theatrical troupe attempt to adapt to this chaos, their breaking of the Four Rules sustaining the system, as several members navigate betrayals, double agents, and murder to find themselves leading a suicidal revolution.

Excerpt: 

Rule One - You are free to enjoy the chosen object for thirty days. During this period no other person may request it.

Rule Two - The requestor is untouchable for thirty days by the person asked. Attempts at retaliation, such as demanding unusually large quantities from the original requestor after the thirty-day period, carry stiff penalties.

Rule Three - Once you ask somebody for something, you can never ask him or her for anything else again.

Rule Four - You can never ask for the same thing back from the person who got it from you, not even after his or her thirty days of enjoyment.

“You know... everything’s free...” Allan blurted.

“Well, of course everything’s free, Allan,” Jill said. “You really don’t have to give me anything for the refill, you know.”

“Well, if everything’s free, why don’t people go after what they want?”

“Well... they do,” Richard said. “Like, people were a little shy through about October, but after that... hell, you know how everyone’s getting whatever they want. I mean, it’ll be
a miracle if Steve gets back here with both the Volvo and the lumber.”

“Well, he’ll have the lumber,” Lisa said, “because he has thirty days to enjoy that. But he might be dragging it back on foot, that’s for sure.”

“No, he’s resourceful. He’ll get that truck!” Jill laughed, hand going to her magnificent breast.

“No, you know that’s not what I’m talking about,” Allan said. “I’m talking about what people really, deep down, want.”

“Well... I guess...” Jill said. “I mean, of course, at that level it’s not material things... that you want...”

“That’s... right...” Richard said, probing for her eyes.

They finally clicked on his for half a second.

“Right! Obviously!” Allan said. “So why don’t we have the guts to go after what we really do want?”

“Well... sometimes I guess we do... screw up the courage...” Jill whispered.

“Lisa, what do you think?” Allan demanded.

Lisa looked at the floor. “Well... sometimes... there are good reasons... for not... for not...”

“See... deep down,” Allan gulped, “I want Lisa!”

Everyone looked at the floor. Lisa turned to the front windows, chin high, as if she hadn’t heard a word.

“If everything’s free, why not Lisa?”

“What?” Lisa gasped.

“Why don’t I go after what I really want? It’s all so simple! And, look, I have two witnesses, Richard and Jill!”

“What?” Richard and Jill cried together.

“It’s simple! Lisa, I hereby ask—for you!” Allan grinned. “It’s really so simple! She has to be mine!”

Lisa whirled off her stool. “I can’t believe this! Allan, you’re crazy!”

“No, you have to give yourself to me! Isn’t that right, Jill? Richard?”

“Well... well, no, Allan... you’re joking!” Richard said.

“I’m not joking! Lisa, you’re mine, that’s all there is to it!”

Lisa’s eyes were wide with fear and disgust.

“Lisa, he’s—just joking,” Jill said.

“I’m leaving. Goodbye,” Lisa said. Allan stood and caught her wrist.

“Dammit, Allan, this is stupid!” Richard said, coming off his own stool.

“Look, I don’t care what anyone thinks!” Allan said. “I’ve made up my mind! It’s Lisa I want! And she’s mine! She’s mine!”

“Let me go!” Lisa moaned, jerking free.

hhmmm...definitely sounds different and intriguing. Thanks for sharing Michael!

Michael D. Smith was raised in the Northeast and the Chicago area, before moving to Texas to attend Rice University, where he began developing as a writer and visual artist.  In addition to exhibiting and selling paintings and drawings, he’s completed fifteen novels. 

Smith’s writing in both mainstream and science fiction genres uses humor to investigate psychological themes.  On his blog, he explores art and writing processes, and his website contains further examples of his writing and art. He is currently Technology Librarian for McKinney Public Library in McKinney, Texas.

CommWealth is his first novel published by Class Act Books.

Find out more about Michael at:

Website: , www.sortmind.com

CommWealth is available at:





AND 


Hope you enjoyed the spotlight and that you'll check back regularly for Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight.

Until next time good luck and God's blessings!
PamT

Thursday, November 8, 2018

#ThursdayThoughts with DiAnn Mills!

Good Morning Friends,

Please welcome DiAnn back to our blog to share some thoughts with us....

How to Rock Your Character’s World

I’ve always wanted to rock climb, and when I studied the skill, I realized rock climbing and scaling heights with my hero had a lot in common. Both require a struggle against odds, guts, stamina, techniques, and training. So I compared the two arts, and this is what I discovered.

Training: Your hero is constantly in training. How else can he change and grow into a better person? But don’t have him climb any higher than he needs to. He also doesn’t climb to the top the first time out. Every skill is done in steps. Through each scene, he becomes wiser and moves ahead so that by the time he reaches the climax (peak), he’s ready for the task.
Remember your hero is human (unless you’re writing fantasy or sci-fi). In rock climbing, the person is either bouldering, which means he’s experienced and doesn’t use a harness, or he’s belaying, which means he uses a harness. Whatever the skill level of your character, give him the training to complete the task.

Learn from an experienced climber: Your hero learns from experience, wisdom, and other people. Show his motivation from who and what has influenced his life’s decisions. Delve into his backstory and make him focused and determined to reach his goal or solve his problem. Don’t have him be too proud to ask for help, unless that is his weakness. Rock climbers want to pick the minds of those who’ve gone before them.

Invest in the right equipment: Your hero needs tools to equip him up the climb. If he doesn’t find a way to attain them, his struggle up the mountain won’t happen. He’ll fail. A climber makes sure he has climbing shoes (motivation), a rope (to bind courage with skills), a helmet to protect his head (good stuff in and bad stuff out), and chalk to mark his progress (to chart where he is on the climb to achieve his goal).

Prepare for the fall: A hero plans ahead. He has to look the part. That means he wears the clothes, thinks like a hero, and acts like a hero. He anticipates what could go wrong in the worst scenario and prepares and practices the possibilities. Challenges speed up his adrenaline, and he has a backpack with exactly what he needs to cushion or prevent the fall. A climber aims his fall away from rocks that can injure him.

Take time to rest: Your hero uses his wits and his body. Taking a break to rest, stretch, and evaluate his progress are good habits for heroes and rock climbers to strive for excellence and reach the top.

Rock climbers and heroes. Both have accepted the task of completing what others claim is impossible. What about your hero or heroine? Can you rock your character’s world?

Thanks so much DiAnn for sharing these thoughts about rocking our character's world!

DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She is a storyteller and creates action-packed, suspense-filled novels to thrill readers. Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards; and been finalists for the RITA, Daphne Du Maurier, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests.

DiAnn is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, a member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. She is co-director of The Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference and The Mountainside Marketing Conference with social media specialist Edie Melson where she continues her passion of helping other writers be successful. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country.

Connect with DiAnn here: www.diannmills.com

DiAnn's latest book, Burden of Proof can be purchased HERE.

Hope you enjoyed DiAnn's post as much as I do friends, and that you'll check back regularly for Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight.

Until next time, take care and God bless.
PamT

Tuesday, November 6, 2018

#TuesdayTreasures with Gail Pallotta

Good Morning and Welcome!

Gail is not new to our blog, she shared the spotlight back in May so please welcome her back as she shares something she treasures with us......

I treasure many things, but I chose love. We hear and see so much about hate in the media. However, if I shut it off and open my eyes God’s love is all around me. I see it in smiles and acts of kindness. It fills the fellowship hall and sanctuary of my church. It’s preached in the sermons and shines in the members. It’s shared with family, friends and even strangers.

My family recently turned a stressful situation into a fun time. I chattered with my daughter, who visited from out of town, then glanced at my email. The final PDF copy of Hair Calamities and Hot Cash stared at me. My heart fell. How could I do the things I’d planned for her visit and proof the book? Finally, I mentioned the task, and my husband printed a copy. We divided up the pages of the book, each of us proofing a third as we sat around the kitchen table until the wee hours of the morning, laughing and sharing passages.

In addition to family, God’s given us the care and love of friends. Whether it’s getting together for fun or meeting in a time of crisis or frustration, friends make life better. Even some strangers have a way of showing love. I’ve noticed when I power walk at the mall, most folks smile, and many who are doing the same thing I am, wave and say, “Good morning,” “I like your shirt,” or offer some other greeting that seems to say, “We’re all in this together.”

A friend of mine stood in a fast-food restaurant one day waiting to order. An elderly couple in front of him counted their pennies, but didn’t have enough to buy two meals. They decided to split one, but my friend laid money on the counter and said, “Why don’t both of you get what you want.”

With so much love around me, I hope, like my friend, I’ll pass it on.

Award-winning author Gail Pallotta is a wife, mom, swimmer and bargain shopper who loves God, beach sunsets and getting together with friends and family. A former Grace Awards Finalist and a Reader’s Favorite 2017 Book Award winner, she’s published five books, poems, short stories and two-hundred articles. Some of her articles appear in anthologies while two are in museums. She loves to connect with readers. Sign up for her newsletter at https://www.gailpallotta.com/mainphp.html. Visit her website at https://www.gailpallotta.com; Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/AuthorsandMore.

A comedic romp from small town to big city in search of missing money, hair catastrophes, and love. A truly fun read”—Cynthia Hickey, author of the Shady Acres Mystery series.


What happens when a New York stockbroker crashes his car into Eve Castleberry’s North Carolina beauty shop...on the same day the young widow’s defective hair products are causing wild hairdos? Soon Eve finds herself helping the handsome stranger hunt the thieves who stole his client’s cash...and hot on the trail of two of the F.B.I.’s most-wanted criminals! Romance blossoms amid danger, suspense and Eve’s hair-brained plan to get back the money.

Purchase Hair Calamities and Hot Cash at Amazon (Kindle) and B&N 

Wow Gail, what a sweet thing for your family to do! It's always wonderful when we get unexpected help. Thanks for sharing!

Hope you enjoyed the post friends and that you'll check back for more Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight!

Until next time....Good luck and God's blessings.
PamT

Saturday, November 3, 2018

#SaturdaySpotlight is on Rebecca J Wetzler & Bread Box for the Broken Soul

Good Morning!

My regularly scheduled guest could not be here today so I'm filling in with a very special project. Rebecca Wetzler has shared thoughts and treasures with us, but today we get a peek into her book, Bread Box for the Broken Soul....

People don’t know me very long before they realize I have a strong faith in the Lord.  It’s not from my witnessing per se, I’m not that bold, instead it’s just a part of my normal conversation.  I will say things like ‘the Lord helped me with…’ or ‘I’m not sure how the Lord is going to work this out…,’ so I make statements about the Lord being at work in my life.  I am also an avid reader, including dreams of someday writing my own books.  Inspired by a Thanksgiving gift from my grandmother decades ago, a recipe box with 3 x 5 cards to record blessings upon, I decided instead to collect my favorite scriptures and write prayers based on each one.  Eventually it dawned on me this could be my book, a daily devotional.  Thus ‘Bread Box for the Broken’ was written over decades of finding scriptures that helped me with my life long struggles with loneliness, self-esteem, depression, and chronic pain from migraines and a permanently injured neck, and, recently added to the mix, unexplained heart failure.  So I know it’s true the Word of God gives strength today to continue the race when we feel broken by life and it humbles us to give thanks for all the daily blessings along the way that often go unnoticed because we are overly distracted by trials and tribulations. 

It’s important to note that the book is organized in sections named Broken Pieces, Bread of Life, Believe in Blessings, and Bow before Him.  I’ve been told by a couple of my readers that Broken Pieces, January through March, are pretty rough to get through.  That I show too well the raw despair of a suffering soul crying out to God.  That was by design, that’s why I called it ‘Broken Pieces’ – a fearful spirit striving for perseverance through the trials (read January 25th in Excerpts).  The next section, ‘Bread of Life,’ stresses more of God’s provision and power to save – the nourishing spiritual bread bringing hope (read April 13th in Excerpts).   ‘Believe in Blessings’ is filled with scriptures and prayers of faith, hope and trust (Read September 18th in Excerpts).    Lastly, ‘Bow before Him’ features themes of thanksgiving and obedience for His sovereignty (Read October 4th in Excerpts).  So it’s a progression from being broken, to being nourished, to feeling the blessings, and being thankful.  I hope when you read it, you let me know if you feel the progression as the first readers did.

EXCERPTS
JANUARY 25
PSALM 69:1–3 Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in the miry depths, where there is no foothold. I have come into the deep waters; the floods engulf me. I am worn out calling for help; my throat is parched. My eyes fail, looking for my God. 
Dear Lord, I am sinking deep into the miry depths of depression—I cannot get a foothold to stop my descent. I am worn out calling for help—desperately looking about me for You to appear. Rescue me I pray, before I am engulfed completely by failure, by sorrow, by isolation. Pull me into Your protective, peaceful presence so I may rest amidst these storms that assail my soul. Restore me so I know my confidence is in You and not what goes on about me, nor my ability to deal with it. You are my strength, You are my portion; You feed and water my soul with Your Word, empowering me to follow the footholds of faith, until I am once again standing on solid ground with my Lord and Savior.

APRIL 13
PSALM 36:7–10 How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light. Continue your love to those who know you, your righteousness to the upright in heart.
Dear Lord, Your love is priceless, and free to both the high and low; those times when I feel high with needs and low in spirit. When the heat of battle is too much, I need Your soothing fountain of life to refresh me, Your continuous light to draw me forward along the path of righteousness. Thank you for guiding my heart in the direction of my eternal refuge as I seek to know You better and better each day. 

SEPTEMBER 18
 HEBREWS 11:1–3, 6 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible … And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
Dear Lord, This truth is so simple, yet so profound. This definition of faith: sure of what we hope for, certain of what we do not see. I am so grateful to You that I have faith in You, in the Holy Trinity, in Your Words contained in the Holy Bible. It is simple—I believe You exist, by faith I understand You formed the Universe by Your command. You spoke and it came into being. I have faith in Your Son, my intercessor before Your throne for my eternal salvation. In today’s modern world, believing in the One True Deity is often considered narrow minded. Worse, men deify themselves, having their own version of spirituality that leads souls to being lost eternally. As for me, I earnestly seek You, growing in knowledge of You daily as You walk by my side. 

OCTOBER 4
 PSALM 34:1–6 I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. My soul will boast in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together. I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles.
Dear Lord, At all times, in all circumstances, I give You the highest praise. In my soul I boast that I know the One True God as my Lord and Savior. As I struggle through trials, tribulations, temptations, remind me others who are afflicted are watching me; I must be an example who encourages them to glorify You, seeking You for deliverance from all their fears, no matter what they may be. And having been cleansed from the affliction of sin, I may lift my chin without shame, knowing I am keeping my covenant with you, my promise to love you with all my heart, soul and mind. 

My hope is by sharing my struggle with challenging the untruths of depression’s darkness that makes it hard if not impossible to see the blessings we all have in our lives, that it will reach others who are searching for strength and comfort.   Read more excerpts from the book at http://rebeccawetzler.net. Connect with Rebecca at her other social media sites, LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter. You may purchase the book at www.AuthorMasterminds.com/rebecca-j-wetzler or, of course, Amazon.   

Sounds like a wonderful book, Rebecca! Thanks for sharing.

Hope you enjoyed the spotlight friends and that you'll drop by often to see what we're up to.
Until next time take care and God Bless.
PamT