#SaturdaySpotlight is on @JudithWorks & The Measure of Life!

Good Morning,

Today's guest is brand new to our spotlight so please give Judith Works a huge W-E-L-C-O-M-E!

Tell us about your book, The Measure of Life, Judith... (Love that title btw)

The Measure of Life is a story of love and loss, lies and truth, and begins in Rome as Nicole shares a cappuccino and cornetto with her Italian tutor. The meeting sets off a chain of events that upends the course of her life. While Rome also brings deep friendships and immersion into a sumptuous food scene there is no escape from acknowledging the consequences of her actions. In search of forgiveness and healing, she moves to an island near her childhood home in Seattle only to find the way to reunite the remnants of her family and discover her true path is to return to Rome and face the past.

How intriguing! Please give us more....

Here's an Excerpt: Alessandro and I met twice a week. To control my raging emotions, I stayed away from subjects which could be misconstrued as provocative. I asked questions about Rome and told him about life in the United States. I honored his request to tell him how patients like to be spoken to in America by imagining how I would want to be told.

I struggled, wanting to be with him—not to talk about the newspaper headlines or hamburgers but to learn the details of his life and his hopes for his future. Not cardiology but other matters of the heart. It wasn’t hard to sense he too was finding our meetings ever more difficult as he began a sentence on some innocuous subject then stuttered to a halt. As the space between our discussion topics lengthened, the tension increased.

One day he said, “Nicole, you never talk about you, what you want in life. Let’s not talk about American food anymore.” He placed his warm hand over mine. I could feel his pulse beating at the same rapid pace, throbbing throughout my body.

I wanted to tell him I needed love, comfort, and encouragement but couldn’t articulate the words. I wanted to say it was important to be a good mother, and I wanted to say some time I’d make up for dropping out of school—become a professional like most of my friends who’d gone on to graduate and start careers.

To break the dangerous spell, I reached for my coffee with the other hand, but accidentally knocked over the cup, spilling it on the table. He withdrew his hand to wipe the mess away.

“Will you come again next week?”

I mumbled, “Yes.” He gathered his books and hurried away. I was rooted to the chair, my mind racing with anticipation I could not tamp down.

****

When I got back to our apartment Martin was home. “Where were you?”

“Working on my Italian. I need the language if you want me to manage here.”

“There’s laundry in my suitcase.”

I could feel my face contort in anger. He looked alarmed and added, “Nice to be home. What’s for dinner?” It didn’t quell my rage. It was easier to manage without his presence and I hoped he’d be off again soon.

*** 

Oh my, Judith....sounds like Nicole is in a conundrum for sure! What made you write the book?

Let me share my bio first and you'll understand my 'why' LOL!

After I earned a law degree in midlife, I had the chance to leave the Forest Service in Oregon and run away to the Circus (Maximus). In reality my husband and I moved to Rome where I worked for the United Nations Food & Agriculture Organization for four years as a legal advisor to the director of human resources. I could see the Circus that had hosted chariot races during the Roman Empire from my office window.

My husband and I reluctantly returned to the US after four years. But we pined for the land of pasta, vino, art, and sunny piazzas. Then the gods smiled and offered a chance to return to Rome with the UN World Food Program. Six more years of food and frolic in the Eternal City passed much too quickly. The indelible experiences living in Italy and working for the UN were the genesis of my memoir Coins in the Fountain.

Life in Rome with all its food and challenges, along with many visits to an island near Seattle, contributed to the settings and events in my new novel The Measure of Life, the story of an expat woman who struggles with all the difficulties that can come with living abroad including a fraying family and the effort to build a life of her own. Expat life can bring unexpected challenges, especially for women who have left their domestic life in the home country, and for children who are plopped down in a totally new environment and new school. Often Americans do not speak a second language and it can be difficult to manage without Italian. Tensions in marriages are common and in an international city like Rome life is filled with temptations of all kinds within the vibrant social scene.

Nicole, my protagonist, is not like me. She is young, married to an older widower who frequently travels for his job. Instead of an improvement in her marriage, it begins to founder, and she is faced with the dilemma of what to do with her life as her children grow. Rome is a food mecca, and Italian food cooking, blogs, and toursl becomes a meaningful outlet in her quest for independence after a doomed love affair. Food plays such an important place in Italian life I wanted to write about it along with some of the places that I found interesting, and which she undoubtedly would have visited. Expat life has many joys and difficulties, and I wanted readers to have a chance to experience them through Nicole's eyes and then contemplate the pleasures of rural island life where she finds peace and the courage to begin again.

*** 

How interesting! How can we find you and the book?

Website: judithworks.net

Facebook, Judith Works, Author

Instagram: WorksJudith

Threads: WorksJudith

Blue Sky: worksjudith.bskky.social

The Measure of Life can be found at Amazon for Kindle and in Paperback.

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

Hope you enjoyed today's spotlight, Friends and that you'll check back weekly for another great author and book.

Until next time, keep reading.

PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight is on Kara O'Neal @KaraONealAuthor & Prickly Poppy!

 

Hello and Welcome!

Kara O'Neal is no stranger to our blog and it is my pleasure to welcome her back with her latest book, Prickly Poppy.

Take it away, Kara...

When I was little, one of the “big ideas” my mother had, and she had A LOT, was to venture out into the Texas Hill Country to see all the wildflowers. We would travel the backroads and find fields and fields of flowers. It was a riot of colors and varieties.

I fell in love with the land on those trips, and it was my proof that God was real, because only He could make something so beautiful.

So…when I decided to start my new series, I wanted to match each heroine up with a wildflower.

I suppose people might believe that wildflowers are rebellious. And perhaps they are, because they grow where they want and when they want, but, to me, wildflowers are who they are and you’re either gonna like them, or you’re not. They’re not trying to be rebellious, they’re just themselves. And that’s ok. They’re gonna be who they are, whether they’re a dandelion, a bluebonnet, or a yellow rose, they’re not gonna change.

That idea helped me when I was little and made up part of who I am and how I make my decisions.

It’s helped me create some pretty amazing female characters, and Hazel Rutherford is one such lady. She’s the PRICKLY POPPY, and because of that, snags the heart of the devil-may-care saloon owner.

She was a lot of fun to write, and I know you’ll love her as much as I do!

Blurb: Brownwood, Texas, 1883

Two years ago, Hazel Rutherford fled from her lying, greedy fiancé. Now, her young cousin is within his sights, and Hazel must return and rescue her. Which means facing a manipulative villain.

But her uncle won’t let her go alone…

Kit Kirby is the man tasked with escorting her and protecting her while she’s in Brownwood.

Kit Kirby. Saloon owner. Hell raiser. The man that all the ladies—from five to eighty—swoon over. All except Hazel, that is. Since the day she met him, they’ve done nothing but fight.

He calls her prudish. She calls him irresponsible. He calls her prickly. She calls him a conceited hell-trap. There’s no way she’ll make it to Brownwood with her sanity intact.

But when Kit changes the game and kisses her, she’ll be lucky if she gets through the ordeal still the owner of her heart.

Excerpt:With his drink in hand, Kit turned to face her.

Hazel twitched her lips, irritated, embarrassed, and apprehensive with depending on him.

He assessed her with his gaze while the silence stretched.

She refrained from fidgeting and didn’t dare fall into the trap of asking him what he thought of her now. Certainly, he didn’t judge her.

But she really had no idea what he was thinking. He was a ridiculous mystery she didn’t care to solve.

He quirked his lips at her. “I find it hard to believe that any man could pull one over on you, so I don’t think you ever really loved this bastard.”

She pressed her lips into a thin line, remembering things she didn’t want to. He was wrong. She had loved him.

Kit cleared his throat, seeming to accept what was ahead for them. “You don’t want me to take you, and I understand that. But I’m what you’re gonna get. I might be a…” he furrowed his brow as if trying to recall something. “What did you call me that first time we spoke? A conceited hell-trap?”

She flushed but still kept silent. It was true anyway. She had not been wrong.

“Yeah, that was it.” He chuckled then took a sip of his drink, watching her over the rim. He let out a satisfied breath, then glanced at the amber liquid. “Good stuff.”

Annoyance began to simmer inside her, and her cheeks heated with the control it took to bite back the reprimand burning her tongue.

“I can see you’re gettin’ het up again, so let me finish.” He leaned forward slightly. “I’m taking you. I’ll protect you once we’re there, and I’ll sure as hell relish the chance to make this ass pay for hurtin’ you like that. No one’s gonna put a hand on you or your cousin. If I have to kill this Anson Welch, I won’t bat an eye. He deserves to be horsewhipped for lying to you and treating you like that. Nothin’s gonna happen to you.”

If he’d told her he was going to be a priest, she would’ve been less stunned. For the first time since knowing him, he actually seemed responsible. He’d spoken with such conviction and determination that she couldn’t doubt a single one of his promises. His words had mollified her somewhat, and she relaxed slightly.

“No one’s gonna hear about your secret from me, either.”

Well…

He had effectively assuaged most of her concerns. They still weren’t going to get along, but they were both adults. Surely, they wouldn’t argue for the entire duration of the trip. Her uncle trusted him. For some reason.

So…she was going to let it go. It remained to be seen if he was the best person to take her, but her uncle was wise and usually a good judge of character.

She twitched her lips, realizing she needed to say something, especially since she’d protested quite vehemently. After taking a deep breath and letting it out, she said with acquiescence in her tone, “Thank you. I appreciate your help and your discretion.”

“You’re welcome.” He rolled his tongue against the inside of his cheek. “You’re probably not gonna like this, but I hope I at least get to knock your former fiancé around some. I can’t imagine anyone runnin’ around on you. You’re a pretty little thing.”

His words stunned her. She didn’t know what to say to his compliment, especially since it was coming from him.

“I still think you’re prickly, though.”

And her surprise shot into irritation. She gritted her teeth.

He took a final swallow of his drink, winked at her, then left.

Prickly Poppy can be found at Amazon for Kindle and in Paperback and other online stores where great books are sold!

Kara O’Neal is an award-winning author of over thirty historical romances. Humor, family, love, and romance take center stage in her novels, and her characters have been touted as “real, complex, and down-to-earth”. Her books are available in print and ebook.

When not writing, she’s a teacher, but she’s always a mother to three talented children, and the wife of a man quite worthy of being called “hero”.

Telling stories is her passion, and she does so with memorable characters and unique plots certain to keep you reading late into the night!

Find & Connect with Kara @ the Following SM Sites...

Website –  www.karaoneal.com

Books - https://books2read.com/ap/xdPlZ4/Kara-ONeal

Bookbub –  https://www.bookbub.com/profile/kara-o-neal

Facebook –  https://www.facebook.com/KaraONeal84/

Twitter –  https://twitter.com/KaraONealAuthor

Pinterest –  https://www.pinterest.com/karaoneal7/

Goodreads –  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7278350.Kara_O_Neal

Newsletter - http://www.karaoneal.com/newsletter.html

Check out Kara's previous visits HERE.

THANK YOU So Much, Kara for sharing your new book with us! We look forward to more from you and certainly wish you the best of luck and God's blessings on your continued success.

Hope you enjoyed today's post, friends and that you'll check back weekly for another edition of Saturday Spotlight.

Until next time, keep reading.

PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight is on Catherine Dilts & Rapid Fear!

 

Hello Again Saturday Spotlight Friends & Fans!

Boy February is moving right along. Today's guest visited once in 2013 and it is SO wonderful to welcome Catherine Dilts back into the spotlight.

Please tell us about your new book, Catherine...

A couple decades ago, I finished reading yet another story where the bad guy was a preacher. It seemed to be a trend for a while. You knew who the killer was practically from the beginning of the book. A Christian religious leader or fanatical layperson would be the culprit committing heinous crimes. I decided to write a novel with a preacher as one of the suspects, but who was innocent. Fast forward to 2024. Due to my cozy writing style, I had the opportunity to write several books in various Annie’s Fiction series. Rapid Fear is the most recent release. Romantic Suspense is a new genre for me. Rapid Fear is a special book because my daughter gave me invaluable assistance in creating the story under a tight deadline.

How Interesting! Give us more please...

Blurb: Amy Brackstone had a recent near-death experience in the wilderness during a geological expedition, but her career choice requires her to explore the canyonlands. She convinces her best friend Valerie to accompany her on a Utah rafting trip, hoping to overcome her fear. Amy can’t figure out why handsome tour guide Jonah Steadman keeps an over-the-top watchful eye on her. When a terrifying series of “accidents” force the tourists to hike through the canyons, Amy and Jonah begin a fight to survive. It’s clear that someone in their group is sabotaging the tour. Amy is certain Jonah is hiding a secret, but if she’s going to make it out of the canyon alive, she has to trust him. She risks her life, and her heart, to save their tour group from a maniac.

Excerpt: Where are the rafts?

This didn’t make any sense. Amy was certain they had not been far from the anchor poles. She should be able to see the bright yellow of the two rafts, or at least their dark, bulky shapes. She strained to see, just able to make out glittering star light reflecting off the rapidly flowing river. The rafts weren’t on the shore. 

Amy shook her head in disbelief. This can’t be real. I must be dreaming. Or having a nightmare.

Amy felt a thick plastic rope under her hiking shoes. She reached down and grabbed the rope, which felt taut in her hands. The pressure must mean the rope was still attached to the rafts. Following it hand-over-hand toward the river’s edge, Amy squinted, convinced the rafts had to be there, but seeing only an empty sandbar. 

As she focused, she felt the nylon rope tug at her hands and stretch, like a fishing line with a fish caught on the hook. The rope had been dangling behind her as she walked, but it now brushed the backs of her legs. Then she felt it again beneath her feet, getting in her way, almost tripping her. She tried to kick it away with her hiking shoes, but the rope seemed to tangle around her ankles. Then it snapped tight, grabbing hold like a wet, sand-gritty snake. Suddenly, her feet jerked out from under her. Amy slammed abruptly onto her bottom, splatting onto the wet sand.  

Amy got to her hands and knees and tried to stand. But her legs felt like they were tied together. How had she tangled herself in the rope? She rolled back to sit on her bottom and tried to undo the rope looped around her ankles, tearing at the coarse fibers with her fingers and kicking her feet. They were tangled so tight, she was completely bound.

As she sat, working at the knots, with a sudden jerk she felt herself being dragged swiftly across the sand. Her heart pounded against her ribs. 

Trapped! Sudden awareness nearly overwhelmed her. The rafts were drifting downstream, and Amy was tied to them. 

OH My Goodness! Suspense for sure. Where can Rapid Fear be found?

Rapid Fear is part of The Hearts in Peril series and is available from Annie’s Fiction by subscription. Although this is my latest release, I also write the mystery series Rose Creek, set in Northeastern Oklahoma, with The Body in the Cattails and The Body in the Cornfield now available.

Wonderful, Catherine. Now how 'bout a bio and some links where we can find you...

Catherine Dilts is the author of the Rose Creek Mystery series, Rock Shop Mystery series, and several installments in various Annie’s Fiction series. Her short stories have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine and anthologies. 

After a career in environmental compliance for a global corporation, Catherine now gets to write fiction full time. Most of her published short stories, novels, and write-for-hire projects have a cozy mystery flavor. Catherine and her husband live in a home with a view of Pikes Peak, where they attempt gardening at over 6,500 feet of altitude. 

https://www.catherinedilts.com/ 

https://www.facebook.com/CatherineDiltsAuthor

https://encirclepub.com/product/the-body-in-the-cattails/ 

Thank You, So Much, Catherine for sharing your book with us. We certainly wish you the best of luck and God's blessings for much success.

Thank You, Friends for supporting Catherine today. Until next week...

Remember, Reading can take you places you may never visit otherwise so grab a book today.

PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight is on Wendy Kendall & Cherry Shakes In The Park

Good Morning and Welcome to another edition of Saturday Spotlight.

Today's guest is not new to our blog so I'm just going to let Wendy Kendall take it away and tell us all about her book, Cherry Shakes in the Park.

The blog is all yours, Wendy!

Thank You, Pam.

Cherry Shakes in the Park is an enchanting, compelling romantic comedy with wonderful, memorable characters. You'll love the beach town of Bayside, with its ferry boats on the scenic Puget Sound. Bayside lives close to my heart. Mischievous Bryson's charmed by a sexy diva and by an enchanting new love.

I had so much fun creating their story – because it mixes mystery, romance, and lots of humor. You’ll root for a Happily Ever After, a wish held at risk as the story builds to my very favorite scene. A midsummer night’s dalliance at romantic and desolate Loon Point remains one of my very favorite scenes I’ve ever written.

Enjoy this yummy read. Cherry Shakes In The Park comes recommended for a relaxing summer day, or for any time you’re longing for a happy summer day.

Blurb:  Selling ice cream on a bike cart, Bryson Tanner pedals his way into a romantic triangle. Life serves him a swirl of divas, danger, and frothy delights.

Bryson's training for Olympic trials in track and field shows slow times. Hurdles from mysteries of the heart stand in his way. Marta, his ex, is back in town and starring in the acting troupe's weekend show in the park. She stomped on his heart once, but now seems thrilled to see him. Can he trust her with his love again? 

Marta's co-star, Senona charms Bryson over cherry shakes in the park. He's torn between rekindling his past or starting a new flame. Bryson sees a romantic start when Senona invites him to partner with her on the actors' mystery scavenger hunt game, where the winner receives a career-boosting prize. Intrigue escalates during a midsummer night's dalliance at romantic and desolate Loon point.

Excerpt: Jumping back on the bike and pedaling toward his last stop, Bryson calculated the amount of ice cream left in the cart. After rounding the corner and coasting into the lot, he slammed on the brakes. No mistaking it. Those painted flowers and rainbows framing the words, The Not Royal Shakes Company. This was a bus like no other. The memory of her turning her back on him, stepping on his heart and boarding that bus seared his vision. He wiped the sweat off his face with a shaking hand. Is Marta here?

A dozen people and a noisy dog paraded back and forth across the expanse of lawn between the parking lot and the bluff overlooking scenic Puget Sound. The company of actors emptied the bus of costumes, equipment, props, and more. It was a scene of comical Renaissance flair. The set up was promising with the Bay as the stage backdrop. With that work and this heat, they’d want ice cream. Bryson studied each face. No Marta. Was he glad, or disappointed?

What next? Did he want to see her? What would he say? Did she want to see him? She didn’t text him. Maybe he should leave, but Arturo was expecting him to sell here, all weekend.

He walked the bike cart across the lawn to a shady spot near the children’s playground, away from the bus. Birds chirped providing background noise to the grunts, laughs, and chatter that came from the actors.

Delighted shouts erupted when the kids on swings discovered him and his colorful cart. A surge raced his way, surrounded him, and shouted their excitement for ice cream. He armed himself with a scooper and a smile.

After the minors’ assault, Bryson grabbed a cherry shake and sat. He grinned at Arturo calling it magical. He indulged in the creaminess glittering in the sun. Impressed, he drank again and stretched out his legs. He stole a furtive glance toward the bus, hoping and not hoping to see Marta. The scent of the pine trees combined with the slight ocean breeze. He thought of sitting here with her, a sweet gift from paradise. A hawk soared, circling, maybe scanning for unwary prey. 

A light female voice with a rhythmic, musical tone floated over him. “Hola. Do you know a place to get ice cream?” Her giggle sounded like a serenade of castanets.

She had one fist on her hip that jutted attractively outward, accenting her tiny waist and shapely curves. Her jet-black hair flowed straight down her back. She used a tissue to wipe her forehead.

Conscious he was sweating after his ride, he stood with his arms close to his sides. She was sweating as well, but it looked good on her. She was a glowing, summer sight in white sneakers with pink socks peeking out and tight pink shorts. Her sleeveless, white midriff top had very thin straps and fit her cleavage well. She pulled her locks behind one ear and smiled. “I’m Senona. Nice to meet you. What’s your name?”

Before he could speak, Bryson heard that familiar sweet voice. “His name is Bryson.”

Frozen in place and savoring the sound, he stared at his Marta. He searched her eyes, hoping to see a longing for him there.

Senona said, “This is the Bryson you talked about?”

A warmth rushed into his face. Marta had talked about him. Now she twisted her sandaled foot in the grass in that coy way he liked. She wore a bright yellow sun dress and her hair swung back and forth in a ponytail. “It’s good to see you.”

He relished how she said those words. He stammered, “I didn’t know you were coming back to town this weekend. We can catch up…”

Senona took a step toward his brightly painted cart. “The sight of your ice cream’s been driving us all crazy. We finished unloading in a hurry. Did the kids leave us actors any?”

Bryson couldn’t understand why Marta didn’t answer him, why she didn’t walk closer. She had come to him though. He couldn’t wait to be alone with her. He grinned at Senona. “No worries. I still have a scoop or two.”

A tall, buff guy in khaki shorts and a Washington State tank top jogged over and stood behind Marta. He peered over her and had the nerve to put his hands on her shoulders in a familiar way.

She let his hands stay there. “Oh, Dean, you’re here.” Marta laughed that darling burst Bryson normally thrilled at. Instead, chills went through him to see her with another guy. He frowned. A woman walked past them with a greeting as if Marta and he were a couple. As if. The pack of actors zeroed in on his cart. 

Published by The Wild Rose Press, Cherry Shakes in the Park can be Found/Purchased @ Amazon, B&N, Kobo, GoodReads and BookBub

The result of Wendy Kendall's passion for purses, mystery and romance is the intriguing In Purse-Suit Mysteries published by The Wild Rose Press. Kat Out of the Bag also published by Harlequin, introduces Katherine Watson purse designer/sleuth. As Katherine moves from designer bags to body bags, she's uncovering clues to murder. 

The prequel, Purse-Stachio Makes A Splash delves into a chilling cold case. Finalist for Best Suspense at Killer Nashville, Snow Kiss Cookies To Die For creates a tangle of mystery and love, raising suspicions about a teacher's romantic new sweetheart. 

A summer rom-com, Cherry Shakes In The Park blends danger, divas, and frothy delights. Ribbons of love run through the holiday book, Heart of Christmas Cookies and Dreams.

Wendy enjoys investigating the Pacific Northwest life, and she leaves a trail of her own clues as a blogger, YouTube podcaster, speaker, and syndicated columnist.

Wendy is delighted to connect with you at her Social Media Links:

Website – WendyWritesBooks.com

Facebook – WendyKendallMysteries

Twitter - @wendywrites1

Instagram - wendyekendall

THANK YOU SO Much, Wendy for sharing your new book with us. 

Hope you enjoyed Wendy's post friends and that you'll check back each week for another edition of Saturday Spotlight.

Until next time take care and keep reading!

PamT