#SaturdaySpotlight is on DiAnn Mills & Fatal Strike!

Good Morning and Welcome!

Well I made it through AEP, exhausted but still here LOL. Today I'll be attending Bayou Writers Group meeting/Christmas party. As we enter into the holiday season with parties and gifts, let us take time to reflect on what the season is all about and to treasure and cherish the deepest part of who we are in Christ.

Today's guest is no stranger to our blog, but please welcome DiAnn back as she gives us a peek into her novel, Fatal Strike....

There’s a killer on the loose in Galveston, targeting law enforcement officials and using a fatal injection of snake venom to take them down. Authorities have reasons to believe the Veneno gang is behind the hits, and FBI Agents Leah Riesel and Jon Colbert team up to track down those responsible. Their best lead is an eyewitness who identifies a young man dumping the third body on a church doorstep. But their suspect has gone into hiding, and those closest to him are reluctant to reveal anything that might help investigators find him.

As Leah and Jon check connections among the victims and dig deeper into motives, they discover appearances may be deceiving. Someone is desperate to keep their secrets hidden, and Leah and Jon must face their greatest fears in order to stop the next fatal strike.

Excerpt: SPECIAL AGENT LEAH RIESEL scanned the headlines on her phone. A prosecutor from Galveston had been found murdered behind a construction site, the second apparent victim of gang violence in two days. Both deaths were caused by rattlesnake venom injections to the heart. Before she could pull up additional reports on the woman’s untimely death, Leah’s phone rang.

“Riesel, hostage situation in Galveston,” the SWAT commander said. “Grab your gear. The chopper takes off in five.”

“On it.” She took a last lingering look at the half-eaten blueberry donut and coffee on her cubicle’s desk.

Could this have anything to do with the two murders in Galveston?

Before most of the city began the workday, Leah boarded a 1 Little Bird helicopter beneath whirling blades and the pressure of a critical operation. Dressed in full camo and shouldering her sniper gear, she inhaled the rising temps. Feverish Houston. With the familiar air transport sounds ushering in memories of past missions, her adrenaline kicked in.

A pilot from the tactical helicopter unit lifted the chopper into the air for the twenty-minute ride to Galveston. She recognized him from previous assignments involving aircraft used to deliver SWAT and the elite hostage rescue teams to crisis incidents. This morning her focus eliminated any chitchat.
Leah grabbed sound-canceling headphones and contacted the SWAT commander already on the ground. “Riesel here. Special Agent in Charge Thomas briefed me on a home invasion that’s turned violent.”

The SAC would be watching the operation at the Crisis Management Operations Center.

“Negotiations have gotten us nowhere.” The SWAT commander’s voice rose above the chopper’s blade-snap. “Two unidentified men are holding two women and three children at gunpoint. Galveston PD estimates they’ve been inside the home for at least an hour. Demanding we leave the area after giving them five hundred grand and a gassed-up speedboat. Clock is ticking with forty minutes max. We’ve backed off as far as they know.”

Leah swiped through pics taken with telephoto lenses and sent to her phone. Each ski-masked man held a child as a shield. Leah detested the savagery and the horrific emotions the hostages must be feeling.

DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She weaves memorable characters with unpredictable plots to create action-packed, suspense-filled novels. DiAnn believes every breath of life is someone’s story, so why not capture those moments and create a thrilling adventure?

Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards; and been finalists for the RITA, Daphne Du Maurier, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests.

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

DiAnn has been termed a coffee snob and roasts her own coffee beans. She’s an avid reader, loves to cook, and believes her grandchildren are the smartest kids in the universe. She and her husband live in sunny Houston, Texas.

DiAnn is very active online and would love to connect with readers on: Facebook, Twitter, or any of the social media platforms listed at diannmills.com

Fatal Strike can be purchased at Amazon and other places you find great Christian fiction.

#WednesdayWordswithFriends guest DiAnn Mills

Good Morning and Welcome,

If you haven't noticed the Thankful for Our Readers giveaway in the sidebar, let me take a moment to direct your attention to it. I've joined up with a bunch of other authors to show our gratitude to our readers and to give away a $100 Amazon gift card and over 40 books!

Also, today is the last day for the Rafflecopter giveaway for 3 gift cards.

Enter both contests today by clicking on the graphic.

Now on with Wednesday Words with Friends.....

Today's guest is no stranger to our blog. She has shared Treasures and Thoughts and been in our Spotlight before so with out much further ado, I'll hand the blog over to DiAnn Mills.....

10 Life Lessons I Learned from Novel Writing

I’ve been writing novels for over two decades, and I’m constantly adding to my arsenal of craft, marketing and promotion, social media, branding, and living skills.

This post shares what I’ve learned over the years with a bonus message.

1.  Trusting God is essential to a joy-filled life
Without God, we have nothing to anchor our personal, mental, spiritual, and professional life. We tend to gravitate to other means of satisfying the God-hole instead of allowing Him to take His proper place.

2.  Strive to be the best and do it for God
We have instructions in Scripture - Colossians - to do everything as though working for the Lord. That says it all.

3.  Life is filled with edits and rewrites
We make mistakes and face the consequences. The goal is to learn from them. We can’t rewrite the past, but we can rewrite the choices we make in the future.

4.  Choose to love the unloveable
We’ve all met people who infuriated us by their actions or what they believe as contrary to our ethics and morals. Love unconditionally those who despise or disagree with us. Choosing to love does not mean we accept their behavior, but we will do all we can to help them have quality of life.

5.  Change is essential to character growth
A refusal to look at new technology, ideas, people skills, spiritual thoughts, relationships, etc is a stubborn approach to life. When we explore and change our attitudes for the betterment of a Christian worldview, we experience character growth.

6.  Education is a life-long pursuit 
Our education began the moment we entered the world. We used sensory perception to view and evaluate the world long before we entered school. The learning process is a 24 hour endeavor that occurs when we are asleep or awake. Our minds need stimulation to live and process the world around us. We choose to continue our education until we breathe our last. Read. Listen. Pray.

7.  Choose to be informed and know what is going on in the world
We are not ostriches. Keeping our head in the ground to avoid what is happening in our communities, state, city, and world doesn’t make tragedies or inappropriate events go away. We live in this world, and whether we have a writing career or something else, we have a responsibility to contribute to the affairs of our earth.

8.  Mentor those who desperately need our expertise
Pay it forward is a way for us to take what we’ve learned or a kindness and pass it on to someone else. It’s in the giving, we are blessed. The recipient is fortunate and can progress easier in his/her life. A cool swap!

9.  Understand our purpose in life is not to please everyone
Sometimes it takes us years to understand not everyone likes us or ever will. Whenever we take a stand for right, others will oppose, even despise us. God has purposed us to various tasks, and when we follow Him, we will create opposition.

10.  Be thankful for friendships that ask for nothing in return
We all have sister-friends and brother-friends who aren’t manipulative or demand something in return for their relationship with us. I treasure these people and enjoy giving my best to our times together. These special people are a buffer when others can be challenging.

11.  Bonus - We have a glorious future ahead of us in eternity.
For those who haven’t given their life to Christ. Don’t hesitate to embrace a future with Him.

What lessons have you learned in life that you can share?

Wow...wonderful life lessons, DiAnn! One I've learned is God's timing is perfect and He loves to surprise you from 'behind the scenes.'

THANK You for sharing.

DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She weaves memorable characters with unpredictable plots to create action-packed, suspense-filled novels. DiAnn believes every breath of life is someone’s story, so why not capture those moments and create a thrilling adventure?

Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards; and been finalists for the RITA, Daphne Du Maurier, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests.

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

DiAnn has been termed a coffee snob and roasts her own coffee beans. She’s an avid reader, loves to cook, and believes her grandchildren are the smartest kids in the universe. She and her husband live in sunny Houston, Texas.

DiAnn is very active online and would love to connect with readers on: Facebook, Twitter, or any of the social media platforms listed at diannmills.com

Fatal Strike can be purchased at Amazon and other places you find great Christian fiction.

Hope you enjoyed DiAnn's visit as much as I did and I hope you'll check back weekly for Wednesday Words with Friends AND Saturday Spotlight. I've got a ton of exciting things to talk about but I'll save that for my personal post on Nov. 27th so be sure to check back!

Until next time, take care, God Bless and remember.... It's your BEST day ever!
PamT

#TuesdayTreasures with DiAnn Mills!

Good Morning,

Yep, you read the title of this blog right. We're having a busy week with a Tuesday Treasures as well as our normal Wednesday Words with Friends and Saturday Spotlight posts.

DiAnn is no stranger to our blog. She's shared thoughts and treasures before and been in our spotlight numerous times. She scheduled this post last year when she got the release date for her latest book Fatal Strike, so please give her a huge welcome.....

Living With a Writer - From a Husband’s Point of View

Curious about what it’s like to live with a writer? This week I interviewed my husband for his perspective. I admit waiting for his answers caused my heart to head into overdrive. How honest would he be? Would I have to eliminate him in my next novel? But his answers were fun to read.

Okay, Dean, be candid and give the readers your point of view.

Question: How long have you been married?
Answer:  26 years

Question: What attracted you to her?
Answer:  Seeing her demonstrate a faith that anything’s possible with God.

Question: How would you describe your wife?
Answer: Living in a fiction world. Often!

Question: What is her most quirky trait?
Answer: Only one? How about three?
1. Doesn’t like red meat. Says it makes her angry.
2. A tad persnickety in the food arena. Can be a challenge when eating out.
3. Can write about suspense scenes, yet if shown on TV, you’ll find her covering her eyes and asking if it’s over yet.

Question: What is the one thing you’d change about her?
Answer: God’s mold can’t be improved upon. . . I’m a smart man.

Question: How do you two complement each other?
Answer: We balance each other’s emotions.

Question: Where do you two like to vacation?
Answer: Along Fall River between Estes Park & entrance to Rocky National Park.

Question: You help her with her writing — what do you do?
Answer: I’ve declared myself her Executive Director of Whatever She Needs :-)

Question: What is your favorite book that she’s written?
Answer:  All of them, of course :-)

Question: What would you like for her to write?
Answer:  The next story God places in her heart and that she has a passion to share.

Thanks, Dean. Appreciate you and all you do for me.

Do you have a question for DiAnn?

Wow, DiAnn, this is LOL funny! Your husband sounds like a real treasure and I loved it! Didn't you, folks? Please ask DiAnn your questions in the comments and she'll do her best to answer each of you.

DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She weaves memorable characters with unpredictable plots to create action-packed, suspense-filled novels. DiAnn believes every breath of life is someone’s story, so why not capture those moments and create a thrilling adventure?

Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards; and been finalists for the RITA, Daphne Du Maurier, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests.

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

DiAnn has been termed a coffee snob and roasts her own coffee beans. She’s an avid reader, loves to cook, and believes her grandchildren are the smartest kids in the universe. She and her husband live in sunny Houston, Texas.

DiAnn is very active online and would love to connect with readers on: Facebook, Twitter, or any of the social media platforms listed at diannmills.com

Fatal Strike can be purchased at Amazon and other places you find great Christian fiction.

Hope you enjoyed today's post friends and that you'll check back tomorrow and Saturday for Wednesday Words with Friends and Saturday Spotlight.

Until next time, take care and God bless.
PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight is on DiAnn Mills & Fatal Strike!

Good Morning from Kemah, TX!

We left yesterday  morning and drove up for a short trip to visit Kemah and stayed on the Boardwalk. I'll share some pics and adventures with you in a later post. Meanwhile, it is ALWAYS a pleasure to feature today's guest.

DiAnn Mills is no stranger to our blog. She has shared thoughts and treasures and been in our spotlight before - numerous times. Just use the search feature and find all of her amazing posts and books. This week she shares her latest release, Fatal Strike with us.

There’s a killer on the loose in Galveston, targeting law enforcement officials and using a fatal injection of snake venom to take them down. Authorities have reasons to believe the Veneno gang is behind the hits, and FBI Agents Leah Riesel and Jon Colbert team up to track down those responsible. Their best lead is an eyewitness who identifies a young man dumping the third body on a church doorstep. But their suspect has gone into hiding, and those closest to him are reluctant to reveal anything that might help investigators find him.

As Leah and Jon check connections among the victims and dig deeper into motives, they discover appearances may be deceiving. Someone is desperate to keep their secrets hidden, and Leah and Jon must face their greatest fears in order to stop the next fatal strike.

Excerpt: SPECIAL AGENT LEAH RIESEL scanned the headlines on her phone. A prosecutor from Galveston had been found murdered behind a construction site, the second apparent victim of gang violence in two days. Both deaths were caused by rattlesnake venom injections to the heart. Before she could pull up additional reports on the woman’s untimely death, Leah’s phone rang.

“Riesel, hostage situation in Galveston,” the SWAT commander said. “Grab your gear. The chopper takes off in five.”

“On it.” She took a last lingering look at the half-eaten blueberry donut and coffee on her cubicle’s desk.

Could this have anything to do with the two murders in Galveston?

Before most of the city began the workday, Leah boarded a 1 Little Bird helicopter beneath whirling blades and the pressure of a critical operation. Dressed in full camo and shouldering her sniper gear, she inhaled the rising temps. Feverish Houston. With the familiar air transport sounds ushering in memories of past missions, her adrenaline kicked in.

A pilot from the tactical helicopter unit lifted the chopper into the air for the twenty-minute ride to Galveston. She recognized him from previous assignments involving aircraft used to deliver SWAT and the elite hostage rescue teams to crisis incidents. This morning her focus eliminated any chitchat.

Leah grabbed sound- canceling headphones and contacted the SWAT commander already on the ground. “Riesel here. Special Agent in Charge Thomas briefed me on a home invasion that’s turned violent.”

The SAC would be watching the operation at the Crisis Management Operations Center.

“Negotiations have gotten us nowhere.” The SWAT commander’s voice rose above the chopper’s blade- snap. “Two unidentified men are holding two women and three children at gunpoint. Galveston PD estimates they’ve been inside the home for at least an hour. Demanding we leave the area after giving them five hundred grand and a gassed- up speedboat. Clock is ticking with forty minutes max. We’ve backed off as far as they know.”

Leah swiped through pics taken with telephoto lenses and sent to her phone. Each ski-masked man held a child as a shield. Leah detested the savagery and the horrific emotions the hostages must be feeling.

“We’re located on San Luis Pass Road on the western section of the island. Nearest house is five hundred yards away. Owners are in Europe. We’re in contact with the agency managing it.”

She didn’t need a key to access the home.

The SWAT commander continued. “One of the hostages is the owner of the home, Amanda Barton.”

“Is there a Mr. Barton in the picture?”

“Divorced. Lives in California.”

Unlikely the ex-husband was behind this.

“Agent Jon Colbert will be on scene shortly,” the commander said. “He had a deposition early this morning in Texas City and drove on to Galveston. Over the weekend, his SWAT partner had emergency knee surgery. Out for six weeks.”

And Leah’s partner had left the city yesterday on vacation. The luck of the draw meant she and Jon would be working together. “I’ll contact you as soon as we land.”

Jon Colbert, a sniper who had excellent marksmanship and a stellar reputation, also worked organized crime. But she and Jon had never worked together. The idea of teaming up with an agent she barely knew made her uneasy. If a sniper mission required a partner, she preferred an established relationship where she would know how the person processed information.

Shoving aside her doubts, she narrowed her thoughts on what lay ahead. The precarious situation and local law enforcement’s inability to negotiate added up to why she and Jon had been assigned to the case.

She grasped her backpack, lighter than usual with only a spotting scope, ammo, water, communication equipment, extra batteries, granola bar, and a handheld radio. Her Glock, as comfortable in her right hand as a toothbrush, found its spot in her back waistband. She touched her H-S Precision heavy tactical rifle.

The sooner she got to Galveston, the sooner she could provide intelligence and help neutralize the circumstances. Her priority was seeing the women and children freed from these ruthless men.

DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She weaves memorable characters with unpredictable plots to create action-packed, suspense-filled novels. DiAnn believes every breath of life is someone’s story, so why not capture those moments and create a thrilling adventure?

Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards; and been finalists for the RITA, Daphne Du Maurier, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests.

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

DiAnn has been termed a coffee snob and roasts her own coffee beans. She’s an avid reader, loves to cook, and believes her grandchildren are the smartest kids in the universe. She and her husband live in sunny Houston, Texas.

DiAnn is very active online and would love to connect with readers on: Facebook, Twitter, or any of the social media platforms listed at diannmills.com

Fatal Strike can be purchased at Amazon and other places you find great Christian fiction.

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

Hope you enjoyed today's spotlight friends and that you'll check back weekly for more wonderful info from great authors on Wednesday Words with Friends and of course Saturday Spotlight.

Until next time, take care and God bless.

PamT

#TuesdayTreasures with Kathleen Neely

Good Morning!

Today's guest has shared treasures with us, been in our spotlight and shared thoughts with us twice so please welcome Kathleen Neely back once again with something she treasures....

Joy in the Journey

I was married in 1972, and raised three sons in the age before digital photography. That explains why I have photo albums with clear pages that contain years of photographs, sticky pages that loosen if you peel them back to rearrange the photos. Before digital photography, we took rolls of film to the pharmacy to have pictures sent away to be developed. No one-hour pick up. There was no option to peek and select the best of the roll. The result of that is multiple photos of the same pose, just to ensure that we’d get a good one. I never could bring myself to discard photos, so the extras ended up in a box, often with the negatives in an envelope, just in case.

Then came digital photography. The advent of photo books. No more sticky pages with pictures falling out. The first one that I created was my son and daughter-in-law’s wedding pictures. I knew that I wanted the same beautiful tribute to the years of raising my sons. The problem was, I had no digital photos. I had a disorganized mess of a dozen haphazard books and two boxes of jumbled pictures.

My sister and I set ourselves to the enormous task of creating three photo books, one for each of my sons. The book would highlight their lives from birth to adulthood. Days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months. We spread photos over a long table and began sorting, selecting, scanning, and downloading. Then we set ourselves to the task of creating.

Another wonderful perk a photo book is the opportunity for creativity—adding quotes, embellishments, borders. I scanned and included newspaper birth announcements, scriptures, and some snippets of things they had written.

The joy of creating the books was topped by their pleasure when they opened them at Christmas. This little story contains so many things that I cherish. The years of memories when my boys were young, the time spent with my sister working and reminiscing, the fun creating, and the joy of giving. At the onset, the project felt overwhelming, but the journey became my treasure.

How precious, Kathleen! I've got a ton of photos that need to be in albums and a ton more on computer, phone and CD's that need to be printed and put in albums. I think we can all agree pictures are something to treasure. Thanks for sharing.

 Kathleen Neely is the author of The Street Singer, Beauty for Ashes (4-26-19), and The Least of These (5-30-19).  She is a former elementary teacher. Following her years in the classroom, she moved into administration, serving as an elementary principal. Kathleen is an alumnus of Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania and Regent University in Virginia. She held certifications in Early Childhood, Elementary, and Principal. As a long-time member of the Association of Christian Schools International, she attended numerous leadership conferences. In addition to teaching children, Kathleen taught staff development workshops and led forums for teachers.

Among her writing accomplishments, Kathleen won second place in a short story contest through ACFW-VA for her short story “The Missing Piece” and an honorable mention for her story “The Dance”. Both were published in a Christmas anthology. Her novel, The Least of These, was awarded first place in the 2015 Fresh Voices contest through Almost an Author. She has numerous devotions published through Christian Devotions. She continues to speak to students about writing. Kathleen is a member of Association of Christian Fiction Writers.

 

She resides in Greenville, SC with her husband, two cats, and one dog. She enjoys time with family, visiting her two grandsons, traveling, and reading.

Website – www.KathleenNeely.com

Facebook – www.facebook.com/kathy.neely.98

Twitter - https://twitter.com/NeelyKneely3628

The Street Singer is available at:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

PBG

Beauty for Ashes will be released on April 26^th. Watch for the presale coming soon. 

Hope you enjoyed today's post friends and that you'll drop by often to see who's sharing what!

Until next time take care and God bless.
PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight is on Kathleen Neely & The Street Singer!

Good Morning from Santee, SC!

We've been travelling since Wednesday and have settled here for a few days. Next week we'll head to south FL and hopefully visit the National Parks there.

Today though, please welcome Kathleen Neely back to our blog to share a peek into her novel, The Street Singer.

Trisha Mills, a student in her final semester of law school, has fond memories of listening to the music of Adaline, a once famous recording artist. She learns that Adaline, now Adda
Marsh, is a street singer in Asheville, NC. Adda’s sole means of support in her senior years comes from the donation box. Along with her meager possessions, Adda has a box labeled, “Things to Remember.” Adda agrees to show Trisha the contents. With it comes her story. Adda Mississippi, to fame in Nashville, and to poverty in her old age.

Trisha is busy cleaning out the home of her deceased grandfather, preparing to sit for the bar exam, and planning her wedding to Grant Ramsey. However, she cannot overlook the
injustices that Adda has experienced. Aided by Rusty Bergstrom, an attorney who will work pro bono, Trisha convinces Adda to seek restitution. Will her growing friendship with Rusty Bergstrom affect her engagement to Grant?

EXCERPT

Adda sat on the mattress to catch her breath before lifting the lid off of the remembering box. It was the fullest. There was a lot more to remember than there was to eat. Some of the remembering was good. But mostly it was hard.

Adda picked up a photograph of her family. She never questioned where they got it, or how they had afforded such a fine picture. It was black and white with a white border around the whole thing. Little curvy cuts made up the white paper frame. There was her mama and daddy, standing straight in the middle, all nine of their children surrounding them, everyone smiling for the picture.

She started with the one on her left because that was the way she was told to read—left to right. Leila, Jamal, and Rosa were first, next to Mama. Then Daddy was standing with Berta, Kande, Kioni, and Luther, beside him. Adda and Minny were in front of Mama and Daddy. They were the littlest. Adda figured she must have been around four years old, and Minny just a tad younger.

Adda looked beyond the people and saw her growing-up home. There was that old house with the two windows that always stayed open, trying to get some air inside those three rooms. The front porch had big rocks pushed under the corner poles to keep it level. Adda remembered the time Luther slithered under that porch, hiding when he was a’feared that Daddy was gonna whoop him. Didn’t take Daddy no time to find him cause that dry old dust started Luther coughing. Daddy whooped him, once for disobeying and twice for hiding.

The big pole furthest from the door had the clothesline attached. Then it stretched out to a big old Elm tree. There were no clothes hanging on it, which was a strange sight. Adda never remembered the clothesline being empty.

She placed the picture face down and pulled out a frayed piece of fabric, no bigger than a hand towel. The floral pattern was faded beyond recognition, but Adda saw it clearly. She had those tiny pink roses burned in her mind, their green swirly stems all sewed with hand stitches. Mama had sewn the blanket when Berta was a little child, but when she tried to hand it on down, Berta threw a fit. Adda kept sneaking to use it, and Berta would snatch it back. That was about the finest thing inside that little old rough wood building. Adda held the scrap to her face and brushed its softness against her cheek. Mama. Why didn’t you help me?

Kathleen Neely resides in Greenville, SC with her husband, two cats, and one dog. She is a retired elementary principal, and enjoys time with family, visiting her two grandsons, traveling, and reading.

She is the author of The Street Singer. Two other novels, Beauty for Ashes and The Least of These, will be released in 2019. Kathleen won second place in a short story contest through ACFW-VA for her short story “The Missing Piece” and an honorable mention for her story “The Dance”. Both were published in a Christmas anthology. Her first novel, The Least of These, was awarded first place in the 2015 Fresh Voices contest through Almost an Author. She has numerous devotions published through Christian Devotions. Kathleen's newest release, The Street Singer is available now from Pelican Book Group, Amazon & Barnes and Noble.    

Kathleen continues to speak to students about writing and publication processes. She is a member of Association of Christian Fiction Writers.

Website – www.KathleenNeely.com

Facebook – www.facebook.com/kathy.neely.98

Twitter - https://twitter.com/NeelyKneely3628

Check out Kathleen's previous Tuesday Treasures and Thursday Thoughts and check back regularly for more.

Until next time take care and God Bless.

PamT

#ThursdayThoughts with Kathleen Neely

Good Morning!

I'm headed back to Louisiana from Bandera today but PLEASE welcome Kathleen Neely back as she shares some thoughts on writing with us....

When Building Characters, Go Deeper

By Kathleen Neely

When an author begins a novel, they will spend the better part of a year with the characters they create. It’s important to know them well. Let’s create one together. We’ll call him Maxwell.

****

Maxwell has dark brown hair, that likes to curl at the tips. His eyes have a golden sparkle in a sea of copper brown. Broad shoulders tell readers that he spends some time at the gym. His engaging smile lights up a room and all the ladies want to get his attention.

Sorry, that’s superficial. Go deeper.

Maxwell has some quirky traits. He lives life in the fast lane. I’m not talking about wild living, I’m talking about rapid speech, a pacer who can’t sit down for long. Maxwell jumps right in and gets the job done. He has one speed—overdrive.

Okay, that’s a little better. But if you want to engage readers, you better go deeper.

Everyone has a history, and Maxwell’s no exception. He grew up in a high achieving home. His father, a renowned criminal attorney, never hesitated to show his disappointment in his youngest son. Maxwell’s brother was the golden boy who could do no wrong. That is, until he died of an overdose. Maxwell tried to step into his place, but he couldn’t fool his father. He wasn’t as smart, as charismatic, or as ambitious. His father’s grief and disappointment never ceased to show. Maxwell spent his life trying to earn his approval.

Now we’re getting somewhere. We’re learning what makes Maxwell tick.

Maxwell plays out the main role in our story, but now, actions make sense. We know why he lives on overdrive. His behaviors are a result of his backstory. It’s made him who he is today. But wait—what happens when Maxwell has an opportunity to make it big? He’s on the cusp of an accomplishment that will provide recognition certain to impress his father. He just needs to step over a few minor ethical lines. He struggles, telling himself that the lines are slight and the reward is great. Sleepless nights and that tight knot in his stomach help him to make his decision.

We’re now glimpsing the deepest part of our character. We see Maxwell’s desire, his struggle, his rationale in decision making. We see a change.

****

That’s the long explanation for characterization, but it was fun creating Maxwell.

A brief recap for creating characters:

• Know them well before you begin writing.
• Move beyond appearances. Those are nice details, but they’re superficial.
• Let your reader know about their quirks and traits, but until we dig deeper, we won’t know why.
• Provide backstory. For each of us, our history has molded who we are today.
• Provide a deep look into your character by showing struggle. How does he make decisions and handle temptations, based on his history?
• Our character must experience some growth. How has he changed through the course of the story?
• Remember, in real life and in fiction, no one is totally good or totally bad. Show that in your protagonist and your villain.

What tips do you have for creating characters? I’d love to hear.

Kathleen Neely resides in Greenville, SC with her husband, two cats, and one dog. She is a retired elementary principal, and enjoys time with family, visiting her two grandsons, traveling, and reading.

She is the author of The Street Singer. Two other novels, Beauty for Ashes and The Least of These, will be released in 2019. Kathleen won second place in a short story contest through ACFW-VA for her short story “The Missing Piece” and an honorable mention for her story “The Dance”. Both were published in a Christmas anthology. Her first novel, The Least of These, was awarded first place in the 2015 Fresh Voices contest through Almost an Author. She has numerous devotions published through Christian Devotions. Kathleen's newest release, The Street Singer is available now from Pelican Book Group, Amazon & Barnes and Noble.    

Kathleen continues to speak to students about writing and publication processes. She is a member of Association of Christian Fiction Writers.

Website – www.KathleenNeely.com

Facebook – www.facebook.com/kathy.neely.98

Twitter - https://twitter.com/NeelyKneely3628

Check out Kathleen's earlier Tuesday Treasures and Thursday Thoughts visits with us!

Hope you enjoyed today's post and that you'll check back weekly to see who's sharing thoughts, treasures and the spotlight.

Until next time take care and God Bless.

PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight is on DiAnn Mills & Burden of Proof!

Good Morning Friends!

DiAnn is no stranger to our blog and she's recently shared thoughts and treasures with us but today we get a sneak peek into her latest release, Burden of Proof. Welcome DiAnn!

Reeling from a negotiation gone wrong, FBI Special Agent April Ramos is caught off guard when a frazzled young woman shoves a crying baby into her arms, then disappears. Worry for the child’s safety quickly turns to fear when a man claiming to be the girl’s father abducts them at gunpoint. April puts her hostage negotiation skills to use to learn more about who she’s dealing with: Jason Snyder, a fugitive accused of murder.

As Jason spins a tall tale about being framed for the killing of his business partner, April must sort through his claims to find the truth. A truth that becomes all the more evident after April overhears a conversation between Jason and the local sheriff and realizes something more sinister may be happening in their small town of Sweet Briar, Texas. But aligning herself with a known fugitive to uncover the burden of proof could cost April her job . . . or worse, her life and the lives of other innocent people.

Read an entire chapter Excerpt HERE!
Watch the Trailer HERE  Purchase HERE

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

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

Connect with DiAnn here: www.diannmills.com

Thanks for joining us today DiAnn and Friends. Wishing you ALL the best of luck and God's blessings!

PamT

#ThursdayThoughts with DiAnn Mills!

Good Morning Friends,

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

How to Rock Your Character’s World

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Connect with DiAnn here: www.diannmills.com

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

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

Until next time, take care and God bless.
PamT

#TuesdayTreasures with DiAnn Mills!

Good Morning Friends,

Today's guest is no stranger to our blog but a dear friend and fellow writer who has shared treasures, thoughts and the spotlight on more than one occasion so please welcome DiAnn Mills back to our blog.....

The High Concept Novel

Are you a novelist striving for a high concept story? Have you heard the term and not fully understood what it means? Worse yet, has an agent or editor challenged you to create a high concept novel, and now you have brain freeze? Let me help you unpack what agents, editors, and readers are desperately seeking.

A high concept story is one that has potential to spread like wildfire, either within a genre or across a large audience. Think of Lord of the Rings, Narnia, Hunger Games, Divergent, Forrest Gump, Gone with the Wind, To Kill a Mockingbird, Les Misérables, and the list continues.

Rachelle Gardner writes, “High concept means the PREMISE of your book will get attention, before anyone sees even one word of your writing.”

Are you still scratching your head? What is this thing called a premise?

• Do you know why you must write this story?
• What is the burning passion to spend hours perfecting your craft?
• What is the moral truth to be explored, revisited, and turned upside down?
• What sears your heart with a what-if?
• What keeps you up at night and preoccupied during the day?

Sometimes the premise can blow away an agent or editor in one sentence; sometimes it takes three. But it must be unique to the writer and to the story’s concept, something the writer has never written before.

Another element is how the premise affects you, and why you are the only one to write the story.

When you are brainstorming your novel’s potential high concept, ask yourself the following questions.

1. What is your distinctively different premise?
2. How is your story original?
3. Why are you the only writer who can pen this story?
4. How are your characters intriguing?
5. Is your story idea fresh and exciting?
6. Are the plot twists super-unpredictable and yet believable?
7. Will your story touch the hearts of cross-genre readers or a wide-niche market?
8. Does your story entertain?
9. Are strong emotions a part of the high stakes?
10. Can your readers step into the closet of your character and emerge satisfied that they have lived a true adventure?

Now write your high-concept idea in one sentence. Make every word count. Don’t settle for the first draft. Refine what you’ve written. Let your passion swell. Give yourself time to ponder over ideas, and consider if this type of novel writing is for you. Come back to it. How has it changed?
Perhaps your story idea falls within the high-concept criteria. I hope so! If you believe in your premise, then get started with the groundwork of making your novel idea the next bestseller.

What is the premise burning in your mind?

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

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

Connect with DiAnn here: www.diannmills.com

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

Oh wow, DiAnn, these tips are definitely something every writer can treasure. Thanks for sharing!

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

Until next time take care and God bless.
PamT