#WednesdayWordswithFriends Welcomes Nazareth @Nazzman!

Good Morning Friends,

After last week's sorrow I believe we can use some joy so with great pleasure I, along with Adams PR, bring to you, Christian Comedian Nazareth....

With touring on hold for most live performers this past year, the comedian known as Nazareth found other ways to bring laughter to people. In just the past few months, he reached over one million views from his Dry Bar Comedy video, received over eight million views on TikTok, and started a live Facebook show that has featured guests such as best-selling author and pastor Lee Strobel, best-selling author Josh McDowell, comedians Chonda Pierce, Mark Lowry, and Tim Hawkins, among many others. Nazareth says making people smile during a pandemic has become a priority. 

“If there is one thing we have all needed this past year it is laughter,” says Nazareth. “I started the Live with Naz show the day the quarantine started in March of last year, and it has reached people in over six different countries. I have had people dealing with depression and anxiety say the show has lifted their spirits. While I have missed interacting with people in person, this has been a great opportunity to minister to people.”

Nazareth has always seen his comedy as a means to an end. For nearly three decades, he has used his platform to help raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for Crisis Pregnancy Centers and other non-profit organizations around the United States. He serves as a director for a ministry that supports Christians in the Holy Land and is a co-founder of a ministry that reaches out to thousands of refugees fleeing Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, and Iran to find refuge in Southern California. About seven years ago, he created a series of comedy shows called Laughter For All that came to a halt last year, but he hopes they will start up again soon.

“The Laughter For All events are always free events,” says Nazareth. “We produced four stadium events at the 66ers Stadium in San Bernardino, California, two large events at the Henderson pavilion in Las Vegas, an event at the Del Mar Race tracks, several events at large churches, as well as prisons and homeless shelters in Texas, California, and the D.C. area. Before the pandemic, we planned on numerous events in California because we feel like if we can change California with the Gospel, we can change the nation. At the end of each of these events, I tell the audience about Jesus, what He has done for my life and what He can do for their lives. There is nothing I have done or will ever do that is more important than sharing the love of God.”

About Nazarath:

Born in Israel, Nazareth began his comedy career after moving to the United States to attend college in Ohio. He has worked with legendary performers such as B.B. King, Tim Conway, The Temptations, and the Righteous Brothers, and shared comedy stages with Chris Rock, Adam Sandler, and Kevin James. He has appeared on various TV shows and networks including Comedy Central, NBC News, and CBS, and has performed in world famous venues such as The Improv and The Grand Ole Opry, as well as on U.S. military bases across the globe. For more information visit http://www.nazarethusa.com. 

Hope you'll check out Nazareth, follow him on social media, enjoy a few laughs and that you'll check back each week for Wednesday Words with Friends and Saturday Spotlight!

Until next time take care, God Bless and remember...sorrow may last for a moment but joy will be found in the morning (Psalm 30:5 paraphrased)

PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight is on Jennifer Wilck & Better Together in Boston!

Good Morning Friends,

It's been a crazy week here at home. We lost 2 family members on Wednesday, so I guess my post on nourishing hope was relevant for more reasons than I initially thought. Your prayers for my Sonnier family are greatly appreciated. Pelican Book Group also suffered the loss of one of our author friends, so please pray for Marion Ueckermann's family. 

Enough sadness for now!

Please welcome a brand-new-to-our-blog guest, Jennifer Wilck with her newest release, Better Together in Boston a spicy/steamy contemporary romance. Take it away, Jennifer....

Do you believe in the legend of True Springs?

Mr. Right doesn’t exist…

Anna Levinson was raised by a single mother, who sacrificed her dreams to give her daughter a warm, loving home. Now a respected professor on the tenure track, Anna is driven to live the life she thinks her mother should have had. She's long since come to terms with the understanding that “having it all” is impossible if she wants a successful career. 

He’s been told he’s Mr. Wrong more times than he can count…

Despite being left at the altar twice, Ben Diamond still believes his soul mate is out there. He’s ready to marry and start a family of his own. He just clearly won't recognize her when he does find her. And then he meets the maid of honor at his cousin’s wedding, and his world is thrown off kilter. 

Settling down might be more than they bargained for.

A long-distance relationship isn’t what either of them has in mind, and Anna isn’t about to ruin another person’s dreams. However, giving each other up is harder than it looks. Can Ben convince Anna that she’s got him all wrong, and that he’s finally gotten it right?

Fall in love with Anna & Ben in this steamy contemporary romance.

Ticket to True Love is a steamy contemporary romance series about new beginnings, second chances, and finding true love in unexpected places. Fall in love all over the world with bestselling and award-winning authors JB Schroeder, Savannah Kade, Moni Boyce, Shirley Hailstock, Holland Rae, Julie Strauss, & Jennifer Wilck. Start your next romance with Better Together in Boston now!

Excerpt:

This was it. The moment she’d waited for and dreaded at the same time. 

The seventh inning stretch.

Anna was not like the other women she’d grown up with and knew. She’d never dreamed of a happily ever after for herself. Her mom was strong and independent, and she was, too. Regardless of how much guilt Anna carried, she never felt the need to depend on a man, so marriage had never been one of her goals. And once she started achieving professional success, a relationship would just be one more thing pulling at her time.

But every time she came to a baseball game with her mom, there was always someone nearby who would lean over and kiss his or her partner while everyone else rose during the seventh inning stretch. As a child, she’d been fascinated. As a teen and a young adult, she’d been at first horrified and then a little envious. But as she matured, she decided it was stupid, especially if the couple was unlucky enough to be shown on the Jumbotron. 

Seriously, who wanted their kiss broadcast to the world? It gave an intimate moment too much weight.

When she’d come to the games with boyfriends—because she had dated a lot, just not seriously—she always found a way to avoid the time between the two halves of the seventh inning. 

But today, today, she wanted to kiss Ben. He wasn’t her boyfriend. She had no intention of getting serious with him. But he had tracked her down, he was here, and oh my God, he was hot.

Her body could not stop reacting to him. Her brain was engaged. Her heart sped up every time he spoke. This man was the one she wanted to kiss, Jumbotron be damned.

She leaned forward in the seat and scanned the field below. Almost time. The pitcher threw a fast one. The batter swung and missed. Strike three! As the teams jogged to the dugout, the organ began to play “Sweet Caroline.”

Anna stood up and held her hand out to Ben. With a puzzled expression on his face, he rose. She turned him to face her, took a step forward and pressed her body to his. He was hard and lean, and need spiraled through her. She rested her hands on his hips, tilted her face up and kissed him hard on the mouth. Despite every protest dying to break free, every reason she didn’t want to want him, she was helpless to resist him. Desire exploded deep in her core.

His close-cropped whiskers tickled her lips. It took him no longer than a second or two to recover. He cupped the back of her head and licked the seam of her mouth. She opened and the spectators around them cheered. 

God, his kisses were amazing. He should win an award. Maybe he already had. She’d ask, but, well, that would mean she’d have to separate herself from his lips and stop kissing him. She’d come this far, she certainly wasn’t changing her mind now. 

Heat flooded through her and she swayed. She started to pull back, but it was as if Ben sensed her hesitancy. He adjusted his stance, kneaded the base of her skull and deepened the kiss.

As the song ended—why was there a song playing? Oh yeah, the seventh inning stretch—he nibbled her lips, licked their rim, before pulling away. She whimpered, wanting more.

“What was that for?” His voice was raspy, like he couldn’t control his vocal cords. 

She curled her toes inside her sneakers in satisfaction. “I’ve always wondered what it would be like to kiss during the stretch,” she whispered.

“And what do you think?”

Sighing, she risked a glance at him. His face was flushed, his eyes filled with desire. 

“It was worth the wait.”

Jennifer started telling herself stories as a little girl when she couldn’t fall asleep at night. Pretty soon, her head was filled with these stories and the characters that populated them. Even as an adult, she thinks about the characters and stories at night before she falls asleep or walking the dog. Eventually, she started writing them down. Her favorite stories to write are those with smart, sassy, independent heroines; handsome, strong and slightly vulnerable heroes; and her stories always end with happily ever after.

In the real world, she’s the mother of two amazing daughters and wife of one of the smartest men she knows. She believes humor is the only way to get through the day and does not believe in sharing her chocolate.

She writes contemporary romance, many of which feature Jewish characters in non-religious settings (#ownvoices). She’s published with The Wild Rose Press and all her books are available through Amazon and Barnes & Noble. 

Connect with Jennifer at the following locations...

Website: http://www.jenniferwilck.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Jennifer-Wilck-201342863240160/

Newsletter: https://www.jenniferwilck.com/contact.html#newsletter

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JWilck

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorjenniferwilck/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/jennifer-wilck

Get your copy of Better Together in Boston at Amazon!

Thanks for sharing with us Jennifer. We certainly wish you the best of luck and God's blessings with your new release.

Hope you enjoyed the spotlight friends and that you'll visit weekly for Wednesday Words with Friends and Saturday Spotlight.

Until next time take care, God Bless and remember to make sure your loved ones know they are important to you because we're not guaranteed tomorrow.

PamT

#WednesdayWordswithFriends Hope or Hurt?

Good Morning Friends,

It's no secret 2020 was a rough year on everyone. Covid-19 presented challenges we never expected. Add to that, 2 hurricanes six weeks apart from which many people still haven't recovered. Then along comes 2021 with an Ice Storm/Freeze in Feb. and historic flooding in May.

To say Lake Charles is "the most weather-battered city" (as The Weather Channel put it) is an understatement.

These events have left many people struggling to keep their heads up and look at life in a positive light in lieu of negative, pessimistic.

Which brings me to the title of this post.

While talking with someone who was hit hard and is still grieving the losses borne of the hurricanes, as well as the death of loved one's over the last 10 months, God spoke through me and said....

"Grieve the loss but at some point, you've got to let go and nourish the hope instead of the hurt."

Deut. 30:19 says, "This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live." AND Prov. 18:21 says, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit."

Both of these Scriptures support the advice I gave to my friend, therefore I knew it was God who spoke through me that day!

So no matter what you may be going through, look up! Put your eyes on Him and His word in your mouth regarding His promise(s) to you and nourish hope instead of hurt.

Thanks for visiting. Hope to see you again for Saturday Spotlight and Wednesday Words with Friends.

Until next time, take care and God bless.

PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight is on Carol Raj & The Curious Prayer Life of Muriel Smith!

Good Morning Friends,

Today's guest is not new to our blog but it's been a while since Carol visited so please welcome her back with her book, The Curious Prayer Life of Muriel Smith....

One unlocked car door, one glance to the left, and suddenly impoverished retiree Muriel Smith is hurtling down the road at an alarming thirty miles per hour!

Will the teenage carjacker really shoot to kill? Muriel can't die yet. Not until she's accomplished something to make her daughter proud. Not until she's seen her great-grandchild, the unborn baby her granddaughter isn't sure she wants to keep.

It seems Muriel is running out of time. Especially if her survival depends on her driving skills!

Muriel and her carjacker find themselves on a wild adventure that has them both falling "victim" to Muriel's curious prayer life.

EXCERPT: “Clarence Hall? Mother, you’re dating Clarence Hall. The Clarence Hall?” Natalie opened another packet of sugar substitute, dumped it into her coffee mug, and stirred vigorously. Too vigorously.

Oh, my. Muriel took a sip of her coffee and leaned back in the booth. She hadn’t seen Natalie so agitated since they’d left the lawyer’s office. “Not exactly dating, Natalie. We just go out for a movie sometimes. Or coffee. Like this. He seems like a nice enough guy.”

Ax murderer. Recently released from jail. That’s what he must be. No wonder his wife died years ago. If Muriel could afford newspaper delivery, she’d know all about him. Sure it must have been on the TV news. But sometimes she went into the kitchen or the bathroom. If you missed a minute or two, you missed a whole story. Did Kevin’s parents know about Clarence’s criminal past? They seemed like such nice people. Maybe they felt he deserved a second chance. Well, it was a good thing Natalie was telling her now, because she was really starting to like him. She felt her hand shaking and put her mug down on the table so Natalie wouldn’t notice.

“Mother, honestly. You don’t know who Clarence Hall is?”

Carol Raj has been writing stories for children for many years, but her first published novel, The Curious Prayer Life of Muriel Smith, a woman’s contemporary, wasn’t published until 2019. Her second novel, a Young Adult entitled Charlotte Masterson Gets a Life, came out in 2020. After forty years in New Hampshire, Carol and her husband moved to Georgia to be near one of their three children and two of their six grandchildren. Connect with Carol through her Website, on Twitter @CarolRaj4 and on Facebook. Get a copy of The Curious Prayer Life of Muriel Smith on Amazon, B&N and Kobo!

Hope you enjoyed today's spotlight and that you'll check back weekly for another edition of Saturday Spotlight and Wednesday Words with Friends!

Until next time, take care and God bless.

PamT

#WednesdayWordswithFriends - Me!

 Well, my guest couldn't make it today so I'm going to give you a quick update on what's happening in my life.....

I've retired from my day job as a licensed insurance agent and am wrapping up projects so that I can focus on writing/editing/publishing/marketing/etc.

With that in mind, Love's Overcoming Power, my WF collection released yesterday! This is a collection of currently published titles that you may have. If not, the price of the collection is less than 1/2 of buying these books individually. Here are the details....

Love’s Overcoming Power

Temptation, Abuse, Grief and Doubt are plagues common to women all over the world. In John, 16 Jesus said…. In the world you will have tribulation but be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world.

In this Women's Fiction collection comprised of three full-length novels and one novella, Pamela S Thibodeaux shares stories that exemplify the power of God's love to overcome whatever situations life throws at you. 

Includes: The Visionary, Circles of Fate, My Heart Weeps and Keri's Christmas Wish.

Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/LovesOvercomingPower 

Tempered Truth finished it's stint in KDP Select program, so now it is available at Smashwords, uploaded to Draft2Digital and at Google Play. Find out all the available formats here: https://books2read.com/Tempered-Truth

Last month I shared an excerpt from my WIP, Kyleigh's Cowboy so thought I'd share that with you today...

Lance placed a tray of dishes in the washer and rinsed and stacked another to go in next. Between loads, he chopped, fetched and stirred, taking cues from Kyleigh and Ramona as they whipped up batches of cookies, finger sandwiches, fruit and vegetable trays, and all sorts of hors d'oeuvres. He and Robert managed to keep the drink station filled with tea, water and lemonade and the cookie jar replenished as people came and went and the Open House event stretched from mid-morning well into the afternoon and evening. When the door closed on the final guest, the four of them collapsed around a table, each with their feet propped up on a chair. A bottle of wine and four glasses–which he’d grabbed on his way out of the kitchen–sat unopened in the center of the table.

After a moment of sheer pleasure of being off his feet, Lance opened the wine, poured, and handed each of them a glass then raised his in a toast. “If today’s any indication, your little B&B with horses–as a local news columnist called the Silver Star–will do just fine.” 

They touched glasses, sipped, then Robert raised his in salute to Lance. “To our new wrangler. You went above and beyond the call of duty.”

“And not even officially hired,” Kyleigh put in.

Lance grinned and sent her a friendly wink. “Wait ‘till you get my bill.”

The round of laughter muffled into groans. 

“So tired it even hurts to laugh,” Ramona said as she rose. “And we’ve got a ton of cleaning to do.”

“Leave it,” Kyleigh insisted. “We’ll get to it in the morning. I think we all deserve a good night’s rest. Lance, make yourself at home in whichever room you choose.” 

She reached into her pocket then tossed him a master key. 

“Tomorrow we’ll complete the official,” she finger-quoted the word, “hiring then you’re welcome to move into the bunkhouse. Unless of course, you’ve somewhere else to live.”

“Been staying in town until I got hired on somewhere. Glad it’ll be here.”

Everyone said goodnight and went off to their various living quarters. Lance grabbed a duffle bag out of his truck, decided he was too tired to climb the stairs and chose the nearest exterior room. A hot shower, clean pajama pants and comfortable bed eased him into slumber. 

A whiplash of lightning followed by the boom of thunder jerked him, shaking and sweating, out of a sound sleep. It took a moment to recognize his surroundings. 

"Just the weather,” he muttered, rubbing his chest until his racing heart calmed. “God, help me, it’s just the weather.”

 

****

Guess that's it for today folks, hope to see you Saturday for our spotlight!

OH, Before I forget....I'm over at Suite T blog today so drop by and visit!

Until next time, take care and God bless.

PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight is on Lynn Austin @LynnNAustin & Chasing Shadows!

Good Morning!

Been playing the crazy "catch-up" game since returning from SC. Hopefully by next weekend I'll be finished LOL! You may have noticed a new image in the sidebar here, but just in case you didn't, Pelican Book Group is hosting 2 huge giveaways so check it out!

Wednesday, Lynn Austin shared with us the story behind Chasing Shadows, today we get a peek into the novel itself. Take it away Lynn....

For fans of bestselling WWII fiction comes a powerful novel from Lynn Austin about three women whose lives are instantly changed when the Nazis invade the neutral Netherlands, forcing each into a complicated dance of choice and consequence.

Lena is a wife and mother who farms alongside her husband in the tranquil countryside. Her faith has always been her compass, but can she remain steadfast when the questions grow increasingly complex and the answers could mean the difference between life and death?

Lena’s daughter Ans has recently moved to the bustling city of Leiden, filled with romantic notions of a new job and a young Dutch police officer. But when she is drawn into Resistance work, her idealism collides with the dangerous reality that comes with fighting the enemy.

Miriam is a young Jewish violinist who immigrated for the safety she thought Holland would offer. She finds love in her new country, but as her family settles in Leiden, the events that follow will test them in ways she could never have imagined.

The Nazi invasion propels these women onto paths that cross in unexpected, sometimes-heartbreaking ways. Yet the story that unfolds illuminates the surprising endurance of the human spirit and the power of faith and love to carry us through.

Excerpt: Erik came to the townhouse the day after Ans returned home, looking as handsome as ever, yet in some ways, older and more hardened. She had almost forgotten how wonderful it was to feel his arms around her and to enjoy his soft kisses when they were alone. She reveled in the knowledge that she belonged to him, that he was watching out for her as they walked hand-in-hand, passing the ever-present Nazi soldiers. They balanced each other—she the impulsive and adventurous one, he steady and cautious. 

“Your letters meant a lot to me,” he said as they walked to the park together. “Especially when I was a prisoner-of-war. I really missed you, Ans.”

“I was so worried about you! Thank God you’re alright and we’re together again.” She could barely take her eyes off him. Erik’s handsome head of wheat-colored hair had been shorn when he first joined the army, but had grown back while he’d been a prisoner and was as thick and tousled-looking as before. They sat side-by-side on a bench, their hands entwined, watching a pair of swans in the canal. “What’s next for you, Erik?” 

“They said my job on the police force is waiting if I want it back.” 

“I could never work for the Nazis. They disgust me.”

“Ans . . . shh . . .” he whispered, looking all around. “You can get into a lot of trouble for talking like that.” There were other people in the park, couples reunited with their sweethearts, strolling the paths, watching the swans and ducks on the Steenchuut. Ans lowered her voice for Erik’s sake. 

“Don’t you feel the same way about them after the way they brutally attacked our country? How can you work for them?”

“I’m not working for them, I’m working for the people of Leiden. Protecting them. And you.” 

Taken from Chasing Shadows by Lynn Austin. Copyright © 2021. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries.  All rights reserved.

Lynn Austin has sold more than one and a half million copies of her books worldwide. A former teacher who now writes and speaks full-time, she has won eight Christy Awards for her historical fiction and was one of the first inductees into the Christy Award Hall of Fame. One of her novels, Hidden Places, was made into a Hallmark Channel Original Movie. Lynn and her husband have three grown children and make their home in western Michigan. Visit her online at lynnaustin.org or on Facebook, Twitter @LynnNAustin, 

Pinterest and GoodReads.

OH my, Lynn a great hook for sure! Thanks for sharing.

Hope you enjoyed Lynn's visit this week, folks and you'll check back often for another edition Wednesday Words with Friends and Saturday Spotlight. Get your copy of Chasing Shadows HERE.

Until next time, take care and God bless.

PamT

#WednesdayWordswithFriends Welcomes Lynn Austin @LynnNAustin!

Good Morning Friends,

We made it home from out SC trip yesterday afternoon and I must say, although we had a lovely time, that is a LONG drive for a weekend visit. Alas, when a grandchild graduates high school or college, you do what you gotta do! Your prayers for safe travels were greatly appreciated. 😍

Today's guest has shared treasures and been in our spotlight before so please welcome Lynn Austin back with information on her brand new release, Chasing Shadows....

1. Have you always loved books and reading? What about your formative years informed your love for reading and books?

Books have been part of my life for as long as I can remember, beginning with bedtime stories when I was a child. My mother was the town librarian in the village where I grew up, so it’s not an exaggeration to say I was raised in a library. Over the years, I helped with everything from processing books to reading aloud for story hour, and I developed a deep appreciation for all sorts of books. In addition, my grandmother was a natural-born storyteller whose tales kept my sisters and me spellbound for hours on warm summer evenings. 

2. How did you become a writer?

I loved to read, but after a while it seemed like so many well-written books offered very little hope. Too many themes seemed to be “Life is hard and then you die.” I agree that life is hard—but God is good! So I sat down one day thirty-five years ago (I was a stay-at-home mom with a new baby at the time) and decided to write the kind of book I enjoyed reading—one that makes me laugh, makes me cry, and helps me learn something about myself and my life. I knew nothing about getting published (that would come later), but I quickly discovered how much I enjoyed writing. Eventually God brought a wonderful Christian author into my life who asked me to join her writers’ critique group, where I learned the basics of writing and publishing. As the years passed, I struggled to figure out if God was calling me to be a writer. I decided to persevere, and eleven years after I first sat down to write, my first novel was published.

3. What made you want to write historical fiction? What about that genre do you enjoy?

I write historical fiction because I love history, especially the little-known stories of ordinary people. For me, reading about the past and how people like me lived lives of courage in difficult times helps me live a life of faith and grace with God’s help. When we travel back in history through novels, I think it’s easier to see how God used tragic events as part of His redemption story. And that gives us faith to believe that He is still working now and that our lives can play a part in His story today.

4. What motivated you to write a story line about three women in the Netherlands and the challenges they faced due to the Nazi invasion in WWII? 

My inspiration was the book The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom. I read this book years ago and it had a profound effect on my Christian walk. Corrie’s family had a deep faith and love for Christ, which led them to hide Jews in their home, at great personal risk, after the Nazis invaded their country. Corrie’s testimony of faith and of God’s faithfulness in spite of all that she endured in a concentration camp made me long for a relationship with God like hers. In another inspiring autobiography, Things We Couldn’t Say, author Diet Eman tells how she and her fiancé worked for the underground in the Netherlands during this same time period, propelled by their Christian faith. Christians in the Netherlands suffered a great deal during WWII, yet accomplished brave, heroic deeds in Christ’s name. I wanted to honor them by telling their story.

5. Please tell us a bit about the setting of your novel. What prompted you to write about the Netherlands?

Chasing Shadows takes place in the Netherlands during World War II, primarily in and around the city of Leiden. All of my books have been translated and published in Dutch, and my publisher has kindly invited me on book tours in the past to meet my readers in the Netherlands. I fell in love with that beautiful little country and wanted to write about it. I got to know it even better when our son Benjamin lived there for four years while earning his PhD from the University of Leiden. Also, my husband’s maternal grandfather immigrated from the Netherlands, so that added to my interest in learning the country’s history.

6. Please tell us about your main characters in Chasing Shadows and what specific challenges each one of them faces.

Lena de Vries is a wife and mother who loves her life on a farm in the country outside of Leiden. But after the Nazi invasion, her Christian faith compels her and her husband, Pieter, to fight against the Nazis’ evil, putting her and her family at great risk. Lena’s daughter Ans de Vries is unhappy with her life on the farm and with her parents’ Christian faith. She takes a job in Leiden as a companion to Eloise Huizenga, who struggles with depression. When the Netherlands is invaded, Ans will need to find strength and renewed faith in order to keep Eloise and herself from despair, while walking the dangerous path of opposing the Nazis. Miriam Jacobs is a Jewish woman who flees from Germany to the Netherlands with her father to escape persecution. After falling in love with Avi Leopold in a refugee camp, she and her new husband and child will need to go into hiding in order to survive, with help from Lena and Ans.

7. Who was your favorite character to write and why?

I think I related to Lena the most because she is a wife and mother of three children, including an adult daughter. She had to make many difficult choices during the war and needed to consider not only her own safety and survival, but her family’s as well. She was forced to lean on God and to trust Him in impossible circumstances—something many wives and mothers must often do. And she had to learn the hardest lesson of all—not to hate, but to love our enemies as Jesus taught us to do.

8. What lessons can be learned from your main characters?

All three women found themselves plunged into impossible circumstances that they never could have foreseen. Not only were their lives turned upside down overnight, they lived in daily suspense, never knowing what would happen next, how long the war would last, or if their lives would ever return to normal. One lesson I learned while writing this book was not to take my life for granted in the good years. And not to take my relationship with God for granted when things are going well, either. We never know when or how life could change, so the faith that gets us through the hard times must be cultivated and nourished in the good times. We’ll never know how strong we are, how strong our faith is, or how faithful God is until we endure hardship.

9. How much research did you have to do on the WWII period in the Netherlands?

I was able to find timelines and history books that detailed the history of this era online and in the library. And I traveled to the Netherlands to do research on-site and in museums, taking lots of photographs and notes. Visiting the Westerbork concentration camp was an especially moving experience. But my favorite resources were the true stories of men and women who lived through this time period. Because I live in a community with a large Dutch immigrant population, I was able to interview people and read their memoirs and combine many of their firsthand stories into this novel. I asked my Dutch readers to send me their stories as well. Those true stories brought the story to life more than any history book ever could.

10. What is your hope for Chasing Shadows? How do you hope this story resonates with your readers?  

We’ve all been “at war” with the COVID-19 virus this past year, and the fear and uncertainty and isolation we’ve experienced has many parallels with an enemy invasion like the one my characters endure in this novel. It’s my hope that Chasing Shadows will lead readers to take a closer look at their own faith, just as I did after first reading The Hiding Place years ago. I remember wanting a faith like Corrie ten Boom and her family had, one that would sustain me through unforeseen trials and hardships. I pray that this novel will inspire readers to pursue a closer walk with God and a commitment to serve in His Kingdom with whatever gifts He has given them.

Lynn Austin has sold more than one and a half million copies of her books worldwide. A former teacher who now writes and speaks full-time, she has won eight Christy Awards for her historical fiction and was one of the first inductees into the Christy Award Hall of Fame. One of her novels, Hidden Places, was made into a Hallmark Channel Original Movie. Lynn and her husband have three grown children and make their home in western Michigan. Visit her online at lynnaustin.org or on Facebook, Twitter @LynnNAustin, Pinterest and GoodReads.

Chasing Shadows is available at Amazon and where ever great Christian fiction is sold!

Thank you so much, Lynn for sharing the inspiration behind Chasing Shadows! We look forward to reading an excerpt in out spotlight this weekend. Good luck and God's blessings.

PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight is on Carolyn Miller & Dusk's Darkest Shores!

Good Morning from Santee, South Carolina!

Our trip up started Thursday and we arrived yesterday afternoon in time to attend a baseball game played by the graduating student. Today is Graduation Ceremony and a family get together. Tomorrow is church and more family fun and we'll begin our trek home on Monday. Long trip, short turn-around but always worth it.

Brought to us by Audra Jennings PR, today's guest is brand new to our blog so please give Carolyn Miller a huge, SWLA W-E-L-C-O-M-E!

How can a meek wallflower help a returning war hero whose dreams are plunged into darkness?

Mary Bloomfield has no illusions. Her chances for matrimony have long since passed her by. Still, her circumstances are pleasant enough, especially now that she has found purpose in assisting her father with his medical practice in England's beautiful Lake District. Even without love, it's a peaceful life.

That is until Adam Edgerton returns to the sleepy district. This decorated war hero did not arrive home to acclaim and rest, but to a new battle against the repercussions of an insidious disease. Mary's caring nature cannot stand to see someone suffer--but how can she help this man see any brightness in his future when he's plunged into melancholic darkness, his dreams laid waste by his condition?

Adam wants no charity, but he's also no coward. If this gentle woman can work hard, how can he do less? Together they struggle to find a way forward for him. Frustration and antipathy slowly develop into friendship and esteem. Then a summer storm atop a mountain peak leads to scandal--and both Mary and Adam must search the depths of their closed hearts for answers if they hope to find any future path with happiness at its end.

Excerpt:  

Amberley

Lake District, England

March 1811

Music and laughter swirled through the assembly room, a shiny, animated scene within a life-sized bauble. Smile stiffening, Mary Bloomfield surveyed the event, which bulged with all the notables of the district. Couples twirled under the candles of enormous iron chandeliers, candlelight flickering across the features of the polished and assured. Excitement suffused the faces of the young, the old, the newly married, the long married, the hoping-to-soon-be-married, all those complacent in their bubble of ease. Mary relaxed as Emily Hardy drew near, her pretty face aglow.

“Oh, Mary,” she gasped, clutching Mary’s arm as she laughed, the soft sheen of cream satin gloves a marked contrast to Mary’s brown kerseymere sleeve. “Isn’t this all so delightful? I am sure I have not sat down for a single dance!”

“You have been much sought after.”

 Emily’s blue eyes softened, as if in pity.

 Before Emily could speak her sympathy, Mary hurried on. “These musicians are rather good, aren’t they? I do not think I have ever heard Mr. Pendle play the flute so well.”

 “I am certain I have never heard anything quite so pretty. We must have this trio play at our wedding soon. Do you think Adam will agree?”

 “I’m sure Adam will agree to anything you suggest, and his parents will likely also. They are quite as besotted as their son, it appears.” Mary glanced at Mr. and Mrs. Edgerton. Their plump features shone with delight, as much with pride in their prospective daughter-in-law as with the pride naturally expected of parents of a war hero.

 The Edgertons’ beaming faces turned. Their smiles widened yet further in elated approval as they regarded Emily. But really, what was there not to approve? Emily was the very picture of perfection. From the top of her carefully coiffed golden curls to the tips of her beribboned slippers, she was everything charming and pleasing to the eye.

 Mary curtsied as they drew near. “Good evening.”

 “Oh, good evening, Miss Bloomfield.” Mr. Edgerton nodded. “Such a lovely dance, is it not?” Before she could answer, he continued. “But I have not yet seen you dancing.”

A corner of her mouth tipped up. Nor was he likely to. There were few unattached gentlemen here in Amberley, the legacy of the town’s enthusiastic response of sending its sons to the war against France. Such a patriotic demonstration, disproportionate to Amberley’s population, meant the higher number of women would forever advantage gentlemen seeking partners with whom to dance. Or with whom to partner in life. A fact, at the ripe old age of nine-and-twenty, she had long grown reconciled to.

Carolyn Miller is an inspirational romance author who lives in the beautiful Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia with her husband and four children.

A longtime lover of romance, especially that of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer’s Regency era, Carolyn holds a BA in English Literature, and loves drawing readers into fictional worlds that show the truth of God’s grace in our lives. She enjoys music, films, gardens, art, travel and food.

A longtime lover of Regency romance, Carolyn's novels have won a number of RWA and ACFW contests. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Australasian Christian Writers. 

Learn more about Carolyn at www.carolynmillerauthor.com or find her on Facebook (Carolyn Miller Author), Instagram (@CarolynMillerAuthor), and Twitter (@CarolynMAuthor).

Wow, sounds like a lovely book, Carolyn! We certainly wish you the best of luck and God's blessings and Thank You for sharing.

Hope you enjoyed today's spotlight and that you'll check back weekly for Wednesday Words with Friends and Saturday Spotlight.

Until next time, take care and God bless.

PamT

#WednesdayWordswithFriends ~ A Special Post from ME!

Good Morning Friends,

My scheduled guest could not make it today so I'm filling in with an update. Heading out tomorrow to South Carolina for a high school graduation. Prayers for safe travels appreciated.

If you follow me, you'll notice a couple of new promotions through NN Light's Book Heaven. June is Audio Book Month so I'm participating in this giveaway which has 5 Amazon Gift cards up for grabs! 

I'm also participating in their Beach Blanket Book Giveaway which has lots of great prizes so check it out.

AND Today is the LAST day of their SALUTE MILITARY Bookish Event with a $28 Amazon gift card up for grabs. Check out all the great books featured HERE and Enter the giveaway HERE.

My Women's Fiction collection, Love's Overcoming Power is available for Pre-Order and will be live on June 15th. This is a compilation of 4 currently published titles but if you haven't read them or know someone who would enjoy My Heart Weeps, The Visionary, Circles of Fate and Keri's Christmas Wish, the collection is less than 1/2 price of buying these books individually! Please pass the word.

May 31st was my last "official" day at the insurance office where I've worked the last 5 years. I'm excited to see what God has in store for me next!

Other than that, that's about all that's new in my life. 

I THANK YOU for dropping by and pray you have a BLESSED week and that you'll drop by for Saturday Spotlight.

Until next time take care and God Bless.

PamT