#WednesdayWordswithFriends welcomes April Jones @akejones

Good Morning!

Well it's going to be a busy, busy couple of months. My Heart Weeps blog tour started yesterday and will continue through Sept. 30th. I'm giving away prizes to 6 lucky people (1 per person) who follow the tour and comment on the blog posts. Yesterday I was on Gail Pallotta's blog. Tomorrow I'll be on Liz Flaherty's. Each day, I will update the URL on THIS PAGE to point to the actual post instead of the general blogs I visit, so even if you jump in and start following late, you can still catch up and enter the giveaway! 

I hope you'll follow and have fun learning more about Melena's journey, but enough about us!

Last month I introduced you to a brand new-to-me author. April Jones returns today to share some words of wisdom with us. Take it away, April.....

2020 has been a year that none of us could imagine in some many ways. Before I’ve had a chance to process the latest event, it seems three more have popped up. I work from home usually, but now that everyone is home with me, it seems that there is one thing that we all need (other than a break for our devices) and that is kindness. I’m not talking about the, “No, you go first,” in the grocery store line (though that is also an awesome way to show kindness). I mean self kindness. 

The kind that pipes in when you’ve reached the end of a crazy day. That little voice that says, “it’s okay, I’ll try again tomorrow.” 

Because the truth is that none of us have ever had a year like this one, and the punches seem to keep coming. So for today, even if it’s only for an hour, I hope that you will pat yourself on the back for trying no matter how flawed you feel. Take an extra breath before you respond to something that’s annoyed you. Spend a few minutes on your front porch looking at the trees. Write yourself a post-it with a quote that makes you smile and stick it to your bathroom mirror. 

Being human can be a beautifully exhausting thing, so be extra kind with yourself today dear friends. 

 

A Tennessee native, April currently lives in Michigan with her husband and three children. You can find her poems and short stories published in various literary magazines across the internet and in print. You can also check out her debut novel, The Curse Breaker. For more information visit her website thepathtostory.com

Find out more about April and connect with her on the following social media sites...

Facebook: Facebook.com/editorapril

Twitter: @akejones

Instagram: aprilkelleyjones

Website: thepathtostory.com

Get a copy of The Curse Breaker at Amazon in Print and for Kindle.

What wonderful advice, April and you are SO right. Kindness to others and ourselves is imperative, especially in these unprecedented times. Thanks for sharing!

Remember friends, you can enter into my monthly gift card giveaway simply by leaving a comment for April, Include your email address, please. Not everyone of you are in my contacts list and I need to be able to reach you!

Thanks for dropping by. Hope you'll do so each week for Saturday Spotlight and Wednesday Words with Friends.

Until next time, take care, God bless and be kind.

PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight is on David Arp & ORB

Good Morning!

Well hard to believe this is the last Saturday Spotlight in April 2019 - where has the time gone?

Alas, my prayer is that your year has been and continues to be filled with blessings.

David is no stranger to our blog. He's shared thoughts with us twice, been in our spotlight and given us a glimpse of what he treasures. Today he's giving us a peek into his latest release, ORB so please welcome him back.... Take it away David!

Billionaire oilman Cole Blackwell hired former Marine and Iraqi war veteran, Wes Hansen, to hunt down the man who assaulted his daughter. Wes has a name, Meshach, and one witness, a dog Wes believes the man used as a prop to walk the streets of Lubbock, Texas, at night, unquestioned. Wes’s business card reads PI, not ghost buster. To put a face to Meshach, find him and put him away, Wes will have to be both. Before the week is done, Wes and his team will be lucky to survive meeting the Man from Fire.

Excerpt

Bubba took a deep breath. “OK, first, I don’t believe I’ve ever heard a longer list of coincidences strung together on one case in all my life. Either you or Cole or both of you must be living right. Second, you need to bring the authorities in on this. I’m going to finish these shrimp, which won’t take another five minutes. The water is boiling. Then, I’m going to make a phone call. I’ve got an FBI agent in mind.”

“What are we looking at, Monday?”

“Oh, no, tomorrow, a meeting bright and early in the morning in New Orleans. The sooner the better because if Risa or I didn’t warn Meshach, and we didn’t, I can promise you that whoever did has access to some high level databases.” Bubba turned his attention back to the steaming pot on the stove.

Wes had made the right decision being open with Bubba. His friend was in the clear, but he felt a sense of foreboding instead of relief.

Who could monitor private web exchanges, phone calls and e-mails, find out who looked for whom, and pinpoint their location right down to the hotel they stayed in? He answered the question as quickly as it formed. Only four agencies he could think of had the ability: the Department of Homeland Security, the NSA, the CIA, and the people Bubba wanted Wes to meet with in the morning.

ORB is available from Pelican Book Group and Amazon.

David Arp was born in Arizona, raised in Texas, and lives in Colorado with his wife of 32 years. He’s 61, but has only spent half of the past 40 years at home. The other half he traveled and worked the oilfields of the world, from the deserts of the Middle East to the vast oceans offshore. He has three children and six grandchildren.

Find out more about David and his writing by visiting his website and connecting with him on FaceBook. And check out his YA novel, Me and Jake written under the pseudonym Boo Riley available now from Pelican Book Group and Amazon in Ebook and Print!

Hope you enjoyed today's spotlight and that you'll visit often to see what's happening on our blog!

Until next time, take care and God bless.
PamT

#ThursdayThoughts with David Arp

Good Morning!

Dave is not a stranger to our blog. He visited back in 2017 with VB Tenery and their book, Against the Odds, shared thoughts and the spotlight as Boo Riley about his book Me and Jake and shared treasures again last month, so please welcome him back once again! Take it away Dave....

Pamela, again, thanks for having me.

When I was a kid, my dad would walk out of the house and I would ask him where he was going. He’d say, “Crazy. Want to go?” I always did, but to him that was a figure of speech, or a way to be humorous. I never got to go crazy with him.

Before long I had my own family, and one day, when my oldest daughter was four of five, she asked me where I was going, and I said, “Crazy. You want to go?” 

“Yep,” she said.

We lived in Montana, in the mountains, so she tagged along as I went outside and cut firewood or changed the oil in my pickup or mended fence or whatever, I forget. When I finished, I headed inside, and she stopped me and said, “Dad, I thought we were going crazy.”

“Honey, that’s just an expression.”

“Dad, I want to go crazy,” she cried.

Well, you told her you were going somewhere, but you never left the house. To her, crazy is a place. She feels like you did when you were a kid. I loaded her inside my pickup and we drove around. So happened that I had a bag of Smarties. I love them. I gave her some. She stood on the seat next to me—yes, this was back when a kid could do that in the mountains, even ride in back—and ate her candy.

“Is this going crazy?” she asked.

“This is going crazy,” I said.

She nodded and smiled and held out her hand for another little roll of candies. We drove around aimlessly for 20 minutes or so and returned home. She told her mom that she went crazy.

We went crazy a lot in the coming years. Whether driving or walking or horseback riding or camping, and we always had Smarties to hold us over while we were gone. Sooner than I expected, this young lady was in high school in Switzerland. She graduated and joined the Marine Corps, married a Marine and had two little girls of her own. When they got out of the Corps, she and her husband bought a house nearby.

One thing she and I really looked forward to was hunting season. We go horseback. I took her the first year she was old enough, and we couldn’t wait to go again now that they lived closer.

Opening morning dawned cold and windy. Horses were fed and saddled. We checked our gear, placed our rifles into their scabbards and mounted. I had a packhorse in tow and led the way out of camp, into a large meadow. Wind makes the horses flighty. They were fresh, ready to go. My packhorse was being a knucklehead. We finally lined out and my daughter rode up next to me. I looked at her. She looked at me, grinned, and handed me a Smartie.

I love to go crazy.

How funny, David and what a precious memory. Thanks for sharing.

David Arp was born in Arizona, raised in Texas, and lives in Colorado with his wife of 32 years. He’s 61, but has only spent half of the past 40 years at home. The other half he traveled and worked the oilfields of the world, from the deserts of the Middle East to the vast oceans offshore. He has three children and six grandchildren. 

His new release, ORB is available from Pelican Book Group and Amazon.

Find out more by visiting his website and connecting with him on Facebook. 

Hope you enjoyed today's post and that you'll drop by regularly to see who's doing what on our blog!

Until next time, take care and God Bless.

PamT

#TuesdayTreasures with David Arp!

Good Morning!

Still in SC today but we're heading to south FL tomorrow. Never fear though, this (blog) show will go on LOL!

Last year I introduced you to David Arp when he shared some thoughts and our spotlight. Today David returns to share treasures with us and info on his new book, ORB.

Welcome back Dave!

Thanks for having me, Pamela. This is the second time you’ve been so gracious.

My dad used to ask me what I was up to. I would answer with whatever it was at the time. If it

involved money, he asked if I spent wisely. Well, of course, in my mind it was wisely. My teachers used to tell me to spend my time in class wisely. That advice went in one ear and out the other and the truth be told, one glance at my grades would have told that story about my study habits quickly enough. I thought more about how I spent my money than how I spent my time. Time goes whether it’s spent wisely or not. Money can be saved, but like time, once spent it’s gone forever.

I mentioned on my personal blog not long ago that I was going to start looking forward to my 90^th birthday celebration. I don’t know how long I’m going to be here anymore than the next person does, but at least time will slow down. Looking back does nothing to the perception of time. We tend to do that as we age. Look back I mean. I don’t think I’m alone in that respect.

Time spent with God and family and friends is time well spent. My kids. My grandkids. My brothers. My cousins. My friends.

Treasures are in memories, yours and theirs.

Many a man has passed from this life leaving millions of dollars he would have gladly spent on more time.

PS: the young lady on the horse is my 10-year-old granddaughter who did a free-style reining pattern to the song Footloose. For the encore, she had her horse perform and 20’ slide then a flat spin in the middle of the arena. When she jumped up in the saddle and danced the crowd went nuts and her mother nearly passed out.

Wow, I think I would pass out too but BRAVO for her! Thanks for sharing your treasures with us Dave.

David Arp was born in Arizona, raised in Texas, and lives in Colorado with his wife of 32 years. He’s 61, but has only spent half of the past 40 years at home. The other half he traveled and worked the oilfields of the world, from the deserts of the Middle East to the vast oceans offshore. He has three children and six grandchildren. 

His new release, ORB is available from Pelican Book Group and Amazon.

Find out more by visiting his website and connecting with him on Facebook. 

Hope you enjoyed today's post and that you'll join us again for Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight.

Until next time, take care and God Bless.

PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight is on Jaylon Martin

Good Morning Friends,

As you know I always enjoy featuring authors and their books, even more so when the guest is new to me and our blog. Today it is with great pleasure I bring to you 16 year old Jaylon Martin with the first two in a series of YA Sci-Fi books. What is amazing is that this young man not only has the courage and confidence to write, the covers are his own artwork!

Jaylon is a member of Bayou Writers Group and when I think of talent this young man has I remember why I (co)founded this group!

Black Star Universe Book 1: Black Star
16 year old Petra Fields lives in a post apocalyptic universe where she discovers that she's a supernatural warrior called a Black Star after she's attacked by a vicious army called the Gunners. Then, she is sent to the Incorporation where she meets friends, enemies, falls in love, and learns to use her powers. When the Gunners pose a threat to humanity, Petra and the Black Stars must protect the ones they love from the enemies who set out to destroy them.

Black Star Universe Book 2: Black Reality

In the explosive sequel to Black Star, Petra finds herself hunted by dark forces when she discovers the dark side of being a Starsiah. Petra, Chris, Gray, and the others shelter at the surviving society of Anickan when the Gunners attack again revealing that their mission is far from being accomplished. They meet new allies like Lucas Gabriel, the former Starsiah, and Alchemy Hex, a Black Star who can harness magic. Both who are from a realm called the Black Reality. When reality is unbalanced and the universe is at risk of ending, evil rise on the surface and plot to destroy humanity and end the universe once and for all.

Both books can be purchased through Lulu.com

Now let's find out a little more about Jaylon in his own words....

My name is Jaylon Martin, and I live in Lake Charles, Louisiana with my family. I go to school at Lake Charles College Prep. My favorite thing to do is to write stories so I can encourage and inspire kids and teens with characters they can relate to. I am also a Christian. My faith brings up my confidence to write stories.

Thank you Jaylon for your incredible courage to write and publish your work! Good luck and God's blessings with it.

Well Friends, I hope you enjoyed today's spotlight as much as I did bringing it to you and that you'll drop by weekly for Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and of course, Saturday Spotlight.

Until next time take care and God bless.
PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight: Deliverance by Katie Clark!

Good Morning Friends,

Last month I introduced you to Katie Clark with her book, Vanquished (book 1 in her YA Dystopian "Enslaved" series). Well today Katie returns with book 2, Deliverance!

Hana is Greater. It’s a future she never envisioned for herself, but she’s not about to ignore the opportunity she’s been given--the opportunity to find answers about her Mom, Jamie, and Fischer. This could be an opportunity to tell others the truth about God and uncover the secrets the Great Supreme has been keeping from their small, struggling nation.

When Hana’s search brings her to the mysterious prison she’s only heard of in rumors, the desire to get inside drives her to dig deeper for answers, but what she uncovers may be bigger than them all.

Can she save herself and the others before the Great Supreme realizes what she's doing, or will she give up everyone she loves in her quest for the truth?

Excerpt: I take a shaky breath and step toward the bed and dressing closet. I only have one bag of clothes. It will never fill up the closet.

But when I open the door I gasp. Clothes line the inside, clothes similar to the ones Sindy wore. Torn pants, grungy tops, and unraveling scarves. Oddly enough, they don’t seem old. They have tags on them.

At least I won’t stand out at dinner, or anywhere else in the city.

My bag makes a thud when it hits the bottom of the closet. I only want one thing from it—Mom’s perfume. I don’t remember the last time she wore it, but I can remember her by its scent. I unscrew the lid and bring it to my nose. Memories pulse through me. A hospital room. Sunken cheeks. Weary eyes.

The nightstand has a drawer and I shove the perfume inside. Next time I will remember happy things.

The door to the bathroom is on the other side of the closet. It whooshes open when I step close and I peek inside.

It's huge! A tub big enough to lie in sits in one corner, and a mirror with lights around it hangs above the sink. The bathroom at home is barely big enough for two people to squeeze in side by side and the shower doesn’t have enough room to turn around in. This bathroom could fit four people or more.

I gaze at the tub, wondering what the hot water allowance is here. How would it feel to float in a tub of warm water?

Deliverance can be purchased at Pelican Book Group  Amazon   Barnes and Noble 

KATIE CLARK started reading fantastical stories in grade school and her love for books never died. Today she reads in all genres; her only requirement is an awesome story! She writes young adult speculative fiction, including her upcoming YA supernatural, Shadowed Eden. 

You can connect with her at her website, on Facebook, or on Twitter.

Hope you enjoyed this week's spotlight, Friends!

Check back next week for another Tuesday Treasure, Thursday Thoughts and of course, Saturday Spotlight!

Until next time...take care & God Bless!

PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight: Katie Clark & Vanquished!

Good Morning and Welcome!

Today it is with great pleasure I bring to you another Pelican Book Group author, Katie Clark with her book Vanquised, the first in a YA Dystopian "Enslaved" series.

When Hana’s mom is diagnosed with the mutation, she confesses to Hana she doesn’t know what will happen if she dies.  Fischer, a medic at the hospital, implies there is Someone who can help–but religion’s been outlawed. 

Hana embarks on a dangerous journey, seeking the answers Fischer insists are available. But when the truth is uncovered, will Hana stick to what she's been taught?  Or will she join the rebellion and take a stand against an oppressive society?

Vanquished can be purchased at Amazon (Kindle) and at Pelican Book Group in Ebook & Print.

Watch the book trailer HERE!

Excerpt: The door to the stairs is beside the old elevator shafts. I reach out and feel the cool metal doors. They reflect my image back to me, but I don’t pay attention to that. I’ve seen enough of my short blond hair and not-so-tall stature, but I’ve never actually seen elevators before. I wish the doors would open, and I could peek inside. Riding up to the third floor would be even better, but no one has enough electricity allowance to run elevators, not even the hospital I guess.

I make the climb to the third floor without even getting winded, and more manufactured lighting greets me. Long bulbs line the ceiling. These lights are brighter than the lamps downstairs, and they make an odd buzzing noise. I stumbled into a beehive once, and the angry bees buzzed a lot like the lights.

There are so many rooms down the long hallway, I can’t imagine there would ever be enough sick people to fill them all, but then I remember what they tell us about the Early Days. There were a lot more people back then. Now there are so few people I think we could all fit in this hospital together. How would it feel to be around so many people, all the time? Would it feel crowded? I don’t think so. I think it would feel safe.

The hallway is empty, but a faint beeping comes from down the hall. I pass an old desk on my way toward the beeping. A dumpy computer sits on the desk. People still have those?

I pass one door, two doors, and then an irritated voice stops me in my tracks.

“We could give her chemo at the onset to slow things down a bit, and then start the natural healing. The least we can do is to give her a fighting chance. She’s a Middle, after all.” It’s a woman’s voice, coming from the room with the faint beeping. Her tone is hushed and angry.

I look at the piece of paper that’s been tacked to the wall outside the room.

Maya Norfolk.

~ ~ ~ ~ 

Katie began writing novels while still in high school, and she never let her dream die. Today she lives in North Alabama where she works with children, and advocates for childhood cancer charities such as St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Katie has sixteen books for children and teens published or under contract. She is a member of ACFW and has worked with children and teens for over ten years in the preschool, elementary, and high school setting, and she spends her free time writing and presenting at writer’s workshops. Vanquished is her first novel.

Find out more by visiting her Website, or connecting with her on Facebook, Twitter and GoodReads.

Well friends if you love YA Christian fiction be sure and check out Katie's Enslaved series. Stay tuned too, because we're going to feature each one of these books all the way through!

Hope you have a Blessed weekend!

PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight: @StacyJuba with #DarkBeforeDawn!

Good Morning Friends,

Once again please join me in welcoming Stacy Juba to our spotlight.....

Stacy Juba loves to write stories about Characters at a Crossroads: individuals who are finding themselves and getting on the right life path after overcoming obstacles. Her goals are to entertain readers of all ages as well as inspire them. She has made numerous bestseller lists including GalleyCat’s Barnes & Noble Bestsellers and GalleyCat’s Mystery and Thriller Bestsellers. Stacy has written about reality TV contestants targeted by a killer, an obit writer investigating a cold case, teen psychics who control minds, twin high school hockey stars battling on the ice, and teddy bears learning to raise the U.S. flag. Browse her website for more information on her mystery, romance, and contemporary fiction books for adults, teens, and children, guest author features and resources on how to build your own “character,” and for her book/product reviews and advocacy relating to Type 1 Diabetes. Find out more about Stacy by visiting her Website, and connecting with her Facebook, Twitter @StacyJuba, Goodreads and Pinterest!

Dawn has been psychic since she was seven and has always considered herself an outcast. Even her mother discourages her talent, so Dawn has kept her abilities quiet and feared a lifetime of loneliness. When she gets involved with a fortuneteller and two teenage girls who share her mysterious perception, Dawn finally belongs to a group. As her intuition strengthens, so does Dawn’s self-esteem. However, when she learns her friends may be tied to two bizarre murders, she has a choice to make – continue developing the talent that makes her special, or challenge the only people who have ever accepted her.

Excerpt: Dawn Christian curled under the covers, shivering in her nightshirt. Goosebumps popped up on her bare arms. She breathed in and out, trying to calm herself. Even the safety of darkness couldn't hide it.

Something was wrong.

She knew it the same way she had known it would rain despite the weather report. Now gray clouds blistered outside the window.

I can't go, I can't go, I can't go, something bad's going to happen. Dawn rubbed between her eyebrows, the message flying around inside her brain like a loose pinball.

The red numbers of her alarm clock flickered to 6:29. Dawn rolled onto her other side and faced the wall. In an hour, she'd be starting her junior year at a lame new high school. She missed Boston and taking the T, the city’s subway system, wherever she wanted to go. Dawn used to hang out at museums, watch the college kids in Harvard Square and read books at the Common. Sometimes, she and her mother caught Saturday matinees in the theater district.

Not anymore. Ever since the wedding in July, Dawn had been stuck in Covington, Maine, a beach town overflowing with rinky dink carnival rides, cheesy souvenir stores and bad vibrations.

"Dawn?" She turned to find her mother framed in the dimly lit doorway, fully dressed. "Are you coming down for breakfast?"

"I'm not hungry."

"Nervous about school?"

Gulping, Dawn huddled under the blankets. No way could she discuss her feeling with her mom. Her mother wanted a normal daughter who was on the basketball team or school newspaper, had friends and didn’t live in fear. "Kind of."

Her mother lowered herself onto the bed and squeezed Dawn’s hand. Her manicured pink nails shone against Dawn’s pale skin. Since meeting Jeff eight months ago, Dawn's mother had been letting her curly hair hang loose and wearing makeup.

She smoothed back a tangle of Dawn’s chestnut waves. "You don’t look like yourself. Do you feel all right?"

"I’m fine." Dawn shoved her stuffed monkey, Buddy, further under the blankets. Her father gave her Buddy shortly before he died, and holding it was like hugging a piece of her dad. Still, sleeping with a toy monkey was kiddish and Dawn didn’t do it often. Her mother would get suspicious if she noticed.

Darn it. Her mother drew out Buddy by his slender tail and patted his furry brown head. "Calling in the reinforcements, huh? What’s on your mind, honey? Maybe I can help."

Dawn sat up and clasped her knees. Her mother never understood about Dawn’s hunches. "I don’t think you really want to know, Mom."

"Of course I do."

Yeah, right. But Dawn didn’t have the stamina for lying today. "I’m getting one of my premonitions. Something’s wrong. I think it has to do with school."

She waited and sure enough, her mother got the frightened look she’d worn too many times before. Dawn remembered the look that terrible night with Mrs. Frazier ... but she didn’t want to think about that.

Dark Before Dawn, a Young Adult Paranormal Thriller can be found at Amazon, B&N,  iBookstore, Kobo, and Audible!

Hope you enjoyed our spotlight! Check back next week for more Tuesday Treasure, Thursday Thoughts and of course another Saturday Spotlight!!

Until later....take care, God Bless and remember....Live fully~laugh often~love deeply~forgive freely & you will create magic wherever you go...

Something to think about!
"Inspirational with an Edge! ™