#SaturdaySpotlight is on Dana Pratola & Wasn't Expecting That!

Hello and Welcome to another editon of Saturday Spotlight.

Today's guest is not new to the blog, per se, but it has been a while since she visited. So, without further ado, take it away Dana and tell us why you wrote Wasn't Expecting That...

Thanks Pam!

I started this book because I thought it would be nice to see a Pastor who doesn’t fill the typical role some Christians expect. Maddox Crew is single, has tattoos, temptations, and a past. I think it’s important to remember that pastors are men and, like anyone else, not immune to temptations. But they can also overcome and stay true to the Lord. Maddox is looking for a wife, and while he might technically be free to marry whomever he chooses, he only wants the one the Lord says is for him.

I also wanted to point out that in addition to the common problems many churches face—finances, squabbles among members, etc.—no church is immune to infiltration from the often subtle but very real and serious evil of witchcraft. It’s more prevalent than people realize and needs to be dealt with swiftly and decisively. 

Wonderful to know, Dana. I certainly enjoyed this book. You can read my review HERE. Please give us more.

Here you go...

Blurb: Luna Alexander is looking for a fun vacation adventure, and since her sister abandoned her, Maddox will have to substitute. He’s gorgeous and kind and doesn’t expect anything from her.

Maddox Crew isn’t looking for romance. The next woman he gets involved with will be his bride, but what’s wrong with hanging out with a beautiful girl for a few days? He's a Pastor ... what could happen? 

Still, something is going on at Cross Roads Church other than a not-quite romance. Unexplained hindrances, shadows, and accidents tell Maddox there’s more happening than what his eyes can see…

Excerpt: I groaned. With no one to hold my cone, I raised it up and carefully dropped to my stomach—flopped, like a fish on a boat deck—extended my legs out, and shoved my hand through again.

“Come on,” I grunted, pressing my shoulder into the metal grate rim, lengthening my fingertips as far as I could, and wiggling them as if to lure the key closer. “Come on….”

It wasn’t enough.

I took a deep breath and again plunged one hand deep into the underworld, the other lifting my cone higher, hips rocking, bare knees scraping on the cement, oblivious to all sounds around me except my labored breathing.

This was Lyric’s fault. She was supposed to be here with me, watching out for me, making sure I didn’t get into these situations. She’s my big sister and should be here on the agreed-upon two-week vacation that we’d saved all year for, instead of skipping off to who-knows-where with what’s-his-face.

Closing my eyes might help. If I could just harness the energy of sight and funnel it into my fingertips, it would make my fingers longer.

I shook my head, vowing to never confess to having that preposterous thought. It was something my mother would say.

Anyway, I was no closer. Not a single millimeter, which was so frustrating since I was almost there.

We all know how much almost counts.

A few sounds filtered in then, running footsteps, and a masculine voice.

“Hamster, no!” he yelled, in the same instant my cone hand was nudged, my fist suddenly emptied.

I snapped my head up, scraped my shoulder, and came face to drooling face with a hairy brown, black, and white beast. It swiped its mouth with its sloppy tongue and stood there smiling expectantly at me, tail wagging.

“What the…?”

“I’m so sorry,” came the male voice again. “Hamster, what is wrong with you today?”

I got to my feet and glared down at the Bernese Mountain Dog. They’d always been one of my favorite breeds. Right now … not so much.

“Hamster?” I asked, taking in the sheer size of the dog.

“Yeah, sorry. I just got him and … he’s a menace, I’m afraid.”

I took my first look at the man at the other end of the leash. He was very handsome—gorgeous, actually—with short, brown hair, light eyes, and a U of sweat, hugging his Alice Cooper tank top to his athletic, tattooed form.

Yes, gorgeous and apologetic.

GREAT excerpt! Thanks. Now please tell us a little more about you...

I'm passionate about Romance. I write about real people with real struggles, temptations, and desires. My characters often have difficult choices to make - and don't always make the right ones. My stories are not what you expect, and everything you want.

God has blessed me with a wonderful husband and three dynamic children, all of whom are destined to make wide, colorful splashes in this world. We share our New Jersey home with two dogs. I have no hobbies to speak of unless you include writing. I don't.

You can find & follow me on Facebook and Instagram.

*Important: Please keep in mind that Reviews are so important to authors 😊

Thank You, Dana for sharing your book with us. We certainly wish you the best of luck and God's blessings for continued success!

Until next time, friends, check out Dana's previous visits HERE and get your copy of Wasn't Expecting That at Amazon.

Take care and God Bless.

PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight is on Marilyn Leach & All Hallows Dead: A Berdie Elliott Saints Day Mystery

Good Morning Friends,

Today we welcome, Marilyn Leach back to our blog with the fifth book in a series that heralds the intrepid English vicar’s wife and gifted sleuth, Berdie Elliott, as an ascendant crime solver.  All Hallows Dead is a current-time whodunit that’s rooted in England’s ancient past. 

Thanks for being in our spotlight, Marilyn, can you tell us what inspired you to write a Saint's Day mystery?

Thank You, Pam, for having me back on your blog! The easy answer is to explore the North of England and breathe in the rich heritage of abbey ruins, wind-swept villages, venerable churches, brooding skies, and the North Sea, inspires creative thought and the centuries-old history generates story ideas. Short autumn days and long blustery nights are just the right season to read All Hallows Dead with a hot cup of tea close at hand.  Cheers 😊

I hear you, Marilyn. I went to England last year and you're right, the magnificent architecture and the country's history can certainly get the juices flowing. (You can read about my trip HERE). Tell us more about All Hallows Dead...

Sure, here's the Blurb...

How can a sixteenth century saint help solve a twenty-first century crime?

When Berdie Elliott, vicar’s wife and sleuth extraordinaire, attends a church course with her husband in the North of England, she bumps into her former newspaper boss who calls upon her to investigate beguiling circumstances that spell murder.  From the landed Cavendish family to the local pub’s manager, Criswell Abbey and its village are steeped in a centuries-old mystery.  The legend of a departed churchman, a mysterious bell tower, England’s tangled history, a delayed marriage proposal, and a wily parrot all help Berdie to declare the truth in All Hallows Dead.  

And an Excerpt...

Berdie Elliott and her best friend, Lillie Foxworth, often find themselves in hot water, and they’re not brewing tea.

What I found is absolutely priceless. There’s….” Berdie stopped when she became aware of clip-clop steps in the nave. “Shh.” She put her index finger to her lips.  

“Why shush?” Lillie didn’t make her voice particularly quiet. 

Berdie raised her brows and pointed toward the nave. “Someone’s about the place,” she whispered. “We can’t let on that we’re in here…”

The steps outside became louder. They were advancing toward the tower. 

Lord have mercy.  

There was a hesitation.  

Berdie held her breath. She realized instantly that whoever was on the other side of the door, was perhaps one who knew all the secrets of this place which could mean she and Lillie were in very real danger. 

Oh my, intriguing from the get go. How can we find out more about you now, Marilyn?

Here's my "official" bio Pam, including places readers can connect...

At the age of nine, Marilyn wrote her first play with a childhood neighbor, “The Ghost and Mr. Giltwallet”.  It was a mystery.  And she’s been writing in one form or another, hobby or livelihood, since.  As well as teaching art, she’s had the opportunity to co-author several plays that have been performed on both church and secular stages, as well as two screenplays.  Marilyn has had the good fortune of “discovering her roots” while visiting England where she developed lasting relationships with wonderful people there.  It has greatly impacted her writing.  A great fan of Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple and David Cook’s Hetty Wainthropp series, Marilyn was inspired to write her Berdie Elliott Mystery series.  It takes place in a small English village where the vicar’s wife, Berdie Elliott, is the divine sleuth.  Marilyn lives lakeside in a cottage on the outskirts of Denver near the foothills.

Find Marilyn at... www.amazon.com and www.pelicanbookgroup.com

Check out Marilyn's previous visits and the other books in her series: HERE 

Get your copy of All Hallows Dead at Amazon & Pelican Book Group.