#WednesdayWordsWithFriends Welcomes Amanda Wen!

Good Morning,

Fall is definitely in the air over here in SW Louisiana. Our area was hit with 3 tornados last week. Seems like Mother Nature will not give us a break! Prayers please for those people who'd JUST gotten back in their homes after last year's hurricanes and are facing repairs or rebuilds again.

Enough gloom and doom though. Hope you made it safely through the ghosts, goblins and other creatures haunting your home in search of candy. I miss those days but don't get trick-or-treaters where I live. Which is OK LOL!

Today's guest was in our spotlight in May to share a peek into her book, Roots of Wood and Stone so please welcome her back with some wisdom about fear standing in our way. Take it away, Amanda!

What Would You Do if Fear Weren’t Standing in Your Way?

 

What would you do if fear weren’t standing in your way?

To be honest, this question has always bugged me. As a naturally anxious person descended from a long line of naturally anxious people, fear has been a constant companion. Thanks to the aforementioned natural anxiety and my active writer’s imagination, I’m able to leap from zero to Worst Case Scenario in record time. 

But sometimes God forces you out of your comfort zone, like he did for me in 2014. That year, my brother-in-law married the girl of his dreams…in New York City. 

Now, NYC may be a dream destination for many of you, but for this lifelong denizen of smallish Midwestern cities, New York was someplace I would have been perfectly happy to never visit. Constant noise. Insane traffic. People everywhere. It’s like a different planet. And did I mention we’d be flying? With three children, ages 5, 3, and 15 months? If it weren’t for family, that trip would’ve been a hard pass.

But it was for family, so we went.

And yes, it was noisy, and stressful. None of us slept. We got claustrophobic in our tiny hotel room. Our baby was fussy most of the time, which meant I watched my sister-in-law join our family from the very back of the reception hall, frantically pushing our daughter in the stroller, hoping against hope a scream from her wouldn’t ruin the whole thing.

It was uncomfortable and hard, but we did it.

And when we got back home to Kansas, back to clean air and quiet streets and personal space, God and I spent a lot of time sorting out my fears of that trip and how, despite the hassles, He’d been with us every step of the way. It was then that I made a deal with Him: If fear was the only thing stopping me from doing something, I’d go ahead and do it anyway.

That decision led to several new-to-me experiences: running my first 5K and even a 10K (after being an avowed non-runner for my entire life), sending my kids to public school, and one decision a year and a half later that’d be the most life-changing of them all. 

I’d been writing for a while at this point, but not really letting anyone read my work except my best friend, herself a multi-published general-market historical romance author. After I got the guts to show her my work, she gently corrected my newbie writing errors, mentored me through the next couple manuscripts, and finally started suggesting/encouraging/nagging me to enter it in a contest.

I had heard horror stories about contests, though. Entries that got ripped to shreds by judges who might or might not have even read the guidelines. People who grew so discouraged by the negative feedback that they quit then and there. But another critique partner told me about the ACFW First Impressions contest, one that only required a five-page entry. I can do five pages, I told myself. If they rip apart five pages, that’s okay, because I’ve got another 300-ish they won’t see.

But to my surprise, that entry didn’t get ripped apart. I was shocked to final in the contest, even more shocked to win, and stunned literally speechless when one of the final round judges—a well-known agent in the Christian writing world—requested my full manuscript.

That agent ended up becoming my agent. 

And the book to which those first five pages belonged? It went nowhere. 

But that was okay, because the initial fear—letting someone in the industry read my work—was gone. I had an agent in my corner who believed in my talent and God’s plan for it even when I didn’t. And the next book I wrote? The one where I experimented with a totally different genre—split-time—that I’d never written before, but always loved? 

That one became my debut novel.

My seven-years-ago self would never have dreamed that the decision she made, the surrender to God’s plan regardless of her own discomfort, would have such far-reaching implications, nor that a trip to New York with three little kids would lead to becoming a published author.

So, I’ll ask again: what would you do if fear weren’t standing in your way?

***************

Amanda Wen is an award-winning writer of inspirational romance and split-time women’s fiction. She has placed first in multiple writing contests, including the 2017 Indiana Golden Opportunity, the 2017 Phoenix Rattler, and the 2016 ACFW First Impressions contests. She was also a 2018 ACFW Genesis Contest finalist.

Wen is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and regularly contributes author interviews for their Fiction Finder feature. She also frequently interviews authors for her blog and is a contributor to the God Is Love blog. Her debut novel is Roots of Wood and Stone.

In addition to her writing, Wen is an accomplished professional cellist and pianist who frequently performs with orchestras, chamber groups, and her church’s worship team. Wen lives in Kansas with her patient, loving, and hilarious husband, their three adorable Wenlets, and a snuggly Siamese cat.

To find Amanda Wen’s blog and short stories, visit www.amandawen.com. Readers can also follower her on Facebook (@AuthorAmandaWen), Twitter (@AuthorAmandaWen), and Instagram

(@authoramandawen).

Roots of Wood and Stone can be found at Amazon and where other great Christian fiction is sold.

It's amazing how God gets us out of our comfort zone, isn't it? Thank you, Amanda for sharing your story and what you learned from your trip to NY! Wishing you the best of luck and God's blessings in all things.

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

Until next time, take care and God bless.

PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight is on Amanda Wen @AuthorAmandaWen & Roots of Wood and Stone!

Good Morning Friends!

Well, May just keeps marching on and the afternoon temps around here reflect that, although, we've been blessed with cooler nights which is a huge relief. Those Gulf waters need to stay as cool as possible for as long as they can to keep those storms off of us.

Today's guest is brand new to our blog and brought to us by Audra Jennings Publicity and Kregel Publications with her debut novel, Roots of Wood and Stone, so please give her a HUGE, SWLA       W-E-L-C-O-M-E!

Sloane Kelley was abandoned at birth, and while she wants more than anything to learn where she came from, her family roots remain a mystery. As curator of the Sedgwick County Museum of History, Sloane has dedicated her life to making sure others can connect with their history. When a donor drops off a dusty old satchel, she doesn’t expect much from the common artifact; after all, the museum has a few on display and more in storage. However, she finds real treasure inside: a nineteenth-century diary. Now, she’s on the hunt to see if there’s more where it came from. 

Garrett Anderson just wanted to clean out his grandmother’s historic but tumbledown farmhouse before selling it to fund her medical care. He’s always been the responsible one, and with her advancing Alzheimer’s, he can’t afford to be sentimental about the family home. But his carefully ordered plan runs up against two formidable obstacles after he takes a few things to the local museum: Sloane, who’s fallen in love with both the diaries and the old house, and his own heart, which is drawn to Sloane. Selling the house that holds so much history will disappoint both Sloane and his sister, Lauren, who is doing her best to care for their grandmother, but Garrett finds himself in an impossible situation.

A century and a half earlier, motherless Annabelle Collins embarks with her aunt and uncle on the adventure of a lifetime: settling the prairies of Sedgwick County, Kansas. The diaries she left behind paint a portrait of life, loss, and love—and a God who faithfully carried her through it all. Paging through the diaries together takes Sloane and Garrett on a journey they never could have planned, which will change them in ways they never imagined.

And Sloane may just find her roots in a place she never would have expected.

Roots of Wood and Stone is set in the area of Kansas Wen has lived in most of her life. In fact, the story is inspired by aspects of her own family history. “One of my favorite things about split time is watching the contemporary characters dig into the past,” Wen explains. “My mother is a genealogist who’s been tracing our family history since before I was born, and her passion for uncovering our family’s stories has been an important backdrop my entire life. Her research has given me an appreciation for those who came before and a desire to pass along this appreciation to my own kids.” As an homage to her mother and all the rest of her ancestors, Wen named many of the people and places in the book after family. Parts of their stories are even woven into the historical portion of the book.

Wen not only offers readers two plotlines filled with plenty of history and romance wrapped into one story, she mixes in a healthy dose of humor and strong faith elements as well. “All my characters have deep needs that they try to fill through other means (achievement, research, hard work, planning, etc.), but throughout the story they learn that only God can fill those needs,” Wen shares. “He has a beautiful plan, one that goes far beyond anything we could ever ask or imagine, and he takes all our broken pieces and loose ends and weaves those trials into a tapestry more beautiful than we could possibly imagine. He is always there, faithfully guiding our steps, even—or perhaps especially—when we’re not aware of it. I hope my readers will trust him, his individual love and care for each of us, and his perfect plan just a little bit more after they close this book.”

Excerpt: Sloane Kelley stood in the lobby of the Sedgwick County Museum of History, the thick buffalo robe hanging warm and heavy on her arms. A line of first graders filed past to stroke the robe’s coarse brown fur. But no matter how many little hands poked and prodded that robe, it held up. It was resilient.

Just like the pioneers who’d worn it.

The last child, a girl with wide brown eyes and a riot of red curls, trailed her hand over the robe. “It’s softer than I thought it’d be.”

“That’s a great observation.” Sloane loved those light-bulb moments when history came to life.

“That is a great observation, Josie.” Mrs. McPherson, the dark-haired teacher charged with controlling the chaos, rewarded her student with a warm smile.

But Josie looked instead to a beaming, T-shirt-clad woman at the back of the room. Same brown eyes, same coppery curls.

Mother and daughter, no doubt.

Jaw tight, Sloane turned to hang the robe on its wooden rack. She scanned the placard beside it, covered with facts she’d researched. Facts to fill gaps in people’s knowledge.

A semi-successful cover for the utter lack of facts about her own past.

Amanda Wen is an award-winning writer of inspirational romance and split-time women’s fiction. She has placed first in multiple writing contests, including the 2017 Indiana Golden Opportunity, the 2017 Phoenix Rattler, and the 2016 ACFW First Impressions contests. She was also a 2018 ACFW Genesis Contest finalist.

Wen is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and regularly contributes author interviews for their Fiction Finder feature. She also frequently interviews authors for her blog and is a contributor to the God Is Love blog. Her debut novel, Roots of Wood and Stone, releases from Kregel Publications on February 2, 2021.

In addition to her writing, Wen is an accomplished professional cellist and pianist who frequently performs with orchestras, chamber groups, and her church’s worship team. She serves as a choral accompanist as well. A lifelong denizen of the flatlands, Wen lives in Kansas with her patient, loving, and hilarious husband, their three adorable Wenlets, and a snuggly Siamese cat.

To find Amanda Wen’s blog and short stories, visit www.amandawen.com. Readers can also follower her on Facebook (@AuthorAmandaWen), Twitter (@AuthorAmandaWen), and Instagram (@authoramandawen). 

Roots of Wood and Stone can be found at Amazon and where other great Christian fiction is sold.

Thank YOU, So Much, Amanda for sharing your debut novel with us! We wish you the best of luck and God's blessings with it.

PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight is on LoRee Peery @LoReePeery & Future of My Heart

Good Morning and Welcome!

Today's guest is not new to our blog. LoRee has shared many treasures, thoughts, words and books with us over the years. Back in August, she shared book 1 in her "Hearts Across Time" series. Today we get a peek into book two!

Nolan Riley can’t believe his eyes when woman in historical dress lands on top of his lighting van while they’re filming a Western. She claims she’s from 1891. He knows he shouldn't believe her. He’s stayed away from women after a disastrous relationship, but something about the lost look in Phoebe’s eyes makes him feel protective, despite his distrust of women and Phoebe's unbelievable claim. Against his better judgment, he takes Phoebe home and gets her a job on the movie set.

As they explore their relationship, they discover that old wrongs need to be righted before they can move on. Phoebe’s fledgling faith demands she go back to 1891 Nebraska to ask forgiveness from her family and obligations she left behind. Nolan has to deal with his inability to trust a woman. Separated by time, both are uncertain of their lives, but they throw themselves upon God’s mercy.

But love transcends time. Is their love is strong enough to secure a future together?

Excerpt: Washington County, Nebraska, 1891

Phoebe’s hand brushed into something gooey, which caused her to gag. She recoiled at the same time a chicken swooped off the roosting rod to the floor. The hen disappeared through the small door so fast Mandy stumbled to the side, enabling her to reach farther.

The touch of a smooth, foreign surface at last met her fingertips. She smiled in relief, and straightened, the prize held high.

“Don’t.” Mandy stepped near, holding out her hand. “Give me the cell phone, Phoebe.”

She tucked the phone at her side. “You got what you wanted. Now leave me alone.”

“Let’s not tell your mother what you’ve been doing in the coop. She’ll never understand. All she wants is for us to help pare apples and prepare a pie crust for our supper. What will I tell her if you disappear forever?”

“Simply tell Mother I’ve gone away to make a life of my own, a place God has planned for me. While I was visiting in Chicago, you settled in here on the ranch. Upon returning, I decided there’s not room for both of us. I don’t feel as though I belong any longer.” Mother would express bewilderment, but Phoebe couldn’t think about that now.

Mandy played with a stray lock of hair then tucked it under the straw hat that once belonged to Phoebe. “It’s far from my station to say this, but you are acting like a child.”

The usurper reached out her hand, but Phoebe scurried by to leave the building. She sucked in fresh air and fought to open the coop pen without letting loose the phone. Mandy had called her a child. Her parents’ circle may consider her the pampered only daughter of a prominent rancher, but would they pity her now that her very position had been replaced by the foreman’s bride from the future?

Phoebe’s fingers shook. The whole scenario frustrated her to the point of screaming. She hated the tears that threatened. She yanked on the gate.

Mandy brushed by Phoebe and opened it in one smooth swoop without fumbling over a simple gate latch.

Steaming now, Phoebe rushed away.

Mandy re-hooked the wire gate behind them, and then clutched Phoebe’s arm. Stop. Phoebe, please. I beg you. Give me the phone. You don’t know how dangerous it is.”

Phoebe paused. How could the cell phone be dangerous? Ready or not, she needed to push forward. Mandy had done that very thing by choosing to live in an earlier century. Phoebe turned. “No. I have to know how this thing works.”

Mandy shuffled her foot through the dirt. As good a person as the family considered her, Phoebe would never view Mandy as a sister-in-law, adopted or not.

“Fine. I’ll press every button on that thing, myself. You’ve taken my place in my own family. You’ve taken away the only man I love. Now it’s my turn to take something from you. I’m going back to your world, to make a new life for myself. And not you, nor Mother, nor Papa, or even Gavin, will ever be able to stop me.”

A pained expression clouded Mandy‘s face. She stepped forward, lifted off the straw hat, and shook her hair. “I’d be glad to help by listening. Can’t you wait?”

“I’m done waiting. Done listening to others telling me what to do.” Phoebe blew a gust of air and groaned inside. Her whole future was in question. She once knew where she was going, no matter if those in Mama and Papa’s social circle considered her encroaching the status of an old maid. She’d been waiting for a dream that went poof at Mandy’s arrival on the ranch.

For some reason beyond her, it no longer mattered that she’d lost Gavin to Mandy. “After I saw what city life was like in Chicago, I decided I want to visit the future of your time. Maybe become an actress.”

Mandy’s mouth opened, but she didn’t speak.

A twinge of remorse stuck Phoebe’s heart at the hurt and uncertainty her actions painted on Mandy’s face.

Had she not hood-winked Gavin into falling in love with her, had they met under different circumstances, Mandy might have been Phoebe’s friend. Curiosity increased as to where Mandy came from. Phoebe longed to discover the described amenities and fast-paced way of life in the future. She lowered her gaze and frowned at the edges of the cell phone. What made it work? So small, yet powerful enough to send Mandy back in time. Could it have the power to sail herself through to a forward time? She’d never considered herself so alone. A tremor scratched down her spine.

Mandy squeezed Phoebe’s arm, tried to grab the phone. “Stop all that fiddling with the buttons.”

Phoebe snapped to attention and tucked the phone close to her chest. “Why? I only want to get away and see the world. Your world.”

“You’re taking a chance. There’s no guarantee you’d land in my world.”

Mandy’s mouth frowned. She let loose of her grasp on Phoebe. “Be careful what you wish for.”

“What’s wrong with wanting a different life, away from here, where I can live for myself? There’s mothing on the ranch for me now that you’re so comfortable here.” That sounded so selfish, so unlike serving others the way Jesus did while on earth.

She only gained that particular knowledge because Gavin gave her a New Testament. A little modern book that Mandy originally brought with her.

Mandy stepped closer, lunged for the phone.

Phoebe swung away, turning her back. “I wish to fly to Mandy’s world in the twenty-first century.” She squeezed the celluloid rectangle to her bosom, and trilled her fingers. Spiraling waves encompassed her. Was she drowning? No. She breathed. Rather than drop, she rose softly, floating. Flying. Weightless and rising.

Dizzy, the world slid to black.

Washington County, the present

Nolan took advantage of the break in shooting to stow his light meter in the van. He stretched through the open back door to tuck it in the case where it belonged, all nice and tidy until he needed the tool again. His belly growled. He chuckled over his tendency to get so involved in the way light affected a shot that he sometimes forgot to eat.

Bam.

The van shook.

What was that?

He raised his eyes to see no indentation from the inside, but something big had struck the roof.

What in the world? It couldn’t be a limb because the van was parked in the open away from trees.

He backed out, took hold of the frame, and stepped onto the van floor above the bumper. A dark-haired woman swathed by undulating green skirts sprawled on the roof.

His jaw dropped. How’d a woman get on the van roof?

His mouth agape, he looked up. Nothing in the sky but gathering gray clouds.

He swallowed, cleared his throat, and jerked out of his momentary shock. “You hurt?”

The woman shrugged a shoulder, but didn’t answer or move her head.

What if she broke an arm or a leg? Or worse, had a head injury? He stretched out his arm. “Can you hear me?”

“Oh. Wh… where am I?”

The young woman’s words made no sense to Nolan whatsoever, as puzzled as he was over how she’d landed on the van roof.

The woman before him rolled over and propped herself on an arm. She blinked, and swayed to a sitting position.

His brain short-circuited. Beautiful.

She wasn’t wearing a speck of makeup, yet her exquisite face was so perfect that everything around them ceased to exist. They were the only two people in the world.

His heart unplugged for a beat. Or two.

He shook off his paralyzed state to extend a hand. “Where’d you come from?”

Nebraska country girl LoRee Peery writes fiction that hopefully appeals to adult readers who enjoy stories written from a Christian perspective, focusing on the romance. These include novels and novellas for women and men in the Contemporary, Romance, Historical, Time Travel, and Mystery/Suspense categories. She writes of redeeming grace with a sense of place. Her Frivolities Series and the book based on her father’s unsolved homicide, Touches of Time, are available on Amazon. She is who she is by the grace of God: Christian, country girl, wife, mother, grandmother and great-, sister, friend, and author. Connect with LoRee through these links: www.loreepeery.com

https://twitter.com/LoreePeery

https://www.facebook.com/LoReePeery

Find her publications at Pelican http://tinyurl.com/kwz9enk

And Amazon https://www.amazon.com/LoRee-Peery/e/B004UAGL2W/ref

Get your copy of Future of My Heart at Amazon, PBG and B&N.

Sounds like another great book, LoRee! We certainly wish you the best of luck and God's blessings with it and your other books. In fact, the best of luck and God's blessings on your life!

Hope you enjoyed the post friends and that you'll drop by weekly for Wednesday Words with Friends and Saturday Spotlight.

Until next time take care and God bless.

PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight is on Clare Revell & Convergence!

Good Morning and Welcome!

I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I was heading to Bandera this weekend for Cowboy Mardi Gras but that the spotlight would still go on and so it is!

My guest today, fellow Pelican Book Group author, Clare Revell is no stranger to our blog. She has shared treasures with us and been in the spotlight several times. But today, Clare is sharing with us her brand new novel, Convergence so please give her a huge Welcome Back Clare!

Even as a teenager Yvetta Graham had vivid dreams. Ones she couldn't tell from reality. Only now she's almost thirty and beyond such things.

Only the new store manager is a dead ringer for the man from those dreams. Who is John Smyth? What is his reason for coming to Headley Cross? Is he really a time traveller?

As dreams and reality converge Yvetta is in a fight for both her sanity and soul.

Extract:

Someone was following her. The steps were light, but audible on the large grey flagstones that lined the floor of the castle. It couldn’t be Blaize. He’d had to go out, fulfil his duty as sheriff and deal with something in the village.

Yvetta didn’t mind being alone. After all, as Blaize kept pointing out, with the amount of servants he had, she’d never be truly alone. What she objected to was being followed. She spun around, determined to have a go at whoever it was, but there was no one there. Shaking her head, she turned back to face the other way and crashed straight into a tall, black figure standing there.

I’m sorry. I didn’t see you,‛ she began.

The figure turned. The faceless, nameless one moved towards her. ‚Etta.‛

She screamed.

Terror filled her. She backed away. Her feet tangled in her floor length skirt, and she reached out, struggling to regain her balance.

Her outstretched palm caught the flame of the torch on the wall.

Pain seared as she fell.

Her arms flailed, legs kicked as she tumbled endlessly down, down, down.

****

Yvetta glanced at the clock as she stood in the kitchen waiting for the kettle to boil. Three AM; or stupid o’clock as she preferred to call it. She couldn’t think, the music running through her mind made thought impossible. Her hands shook as she tossed a teabag into her favourite mug. Her hand hurt. She glanced down and ran her fingers over the vivid red mark across the palm. She winced. If she didn’t know better she’d say she’d burnt it while she slept, but she wouldn’t tell anyone it was happening again.

It was far safer not to.

The nightmare still floated on the corners of Yvetta’s mind. She hadn’t thought about him for years, never mind dreamed about him anymore—until tonight. But nothing had changed—not even the dream injuries transferring to reality. Music, dancing, the castle, and him.

Blaize—her Dancing Boy had grown to be a man. He was tall; easily over six feet now, but he’d towered over her even in her teens. He was a few years older than her, no more than five, but that hadn’t mattered. His piercing gaze had shot straight through her, almost as if he could see her innermost thoughts, which on reflection, maybe he did because he always knew what she was thinking; and that wasn’t necessarily a good thing, either.

Sometimes he wore his long, blond hair spiked up, sometimes it flowed loosely across his shoulders, but tonight it had been tied back with a simple, black velvet ribbon.

He was slimly built, but with an athletic body encased in fawn, old fashioned breeches, dark brown knee length boots, and a navy blue frock coat, with gold buttons. He cut a dashing figure. His white shirt had a bunch of lace at his chin—like the highwaymen had in story books, but Blaize wasn’t a scoundrel or cad—he was one of the nicest people she knew. He was always accompanied by a monkey, a tiny, ugly thing with a penchant for wearing clothes.

How long had it been since he’d crossed her mind? Blaize that was, not the monkey. She’d been seventeen, so almost half a lifetime, since she’d last seen him. Why now?

WOW Clare, you sure know how to hook 'em and reel 'em in! GREAT excerpt!

CLARE REVELL is a British author. She lives in a small town just outside Reading, England with her husband, whom she married in 1992, their three children, and unfriendly mini-panther, aka Tilly the black cat. Clare is half English and half Welsh, which makes watching rugby interesting at times as it doesn’t matter who wins.You can find her at Website, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Pintrest

Instagram, Amazon UK, Amazon.com, Pelican Book Group, Bookbub and Goodreads

Convergence can be purchased at Amazon, Amazon UK, B&N, and Pelican Book Group.

Hope you enjoyed today's spotlight friends and that you'll check back weekly and leave a comment to be entered into my monthly gift card giveaway!

Until next time take care and God bless.
PamT

Saturday Spotlight - Quest for the Nail Prints!

Good Morning Friends and Happy Easter to you all!

In this holiest of weeks it is my pleasure to bring a very special spotlight to you - a newly released book from Sheaf House Publishers - Quest for the Nail Prints by Don Furr.

I've had the priveledge of reading this book and must say - it'll certainly make you think!

Before our spotlight though...here's my life in a nutshell: Not much new to report. I've sent a few more changes in on The Visionary and am still awaiting cover art. I'm editing my uncontracted novel, Circles of Fate. I hope to publish that novel sometime this year also. As usual I'm still travelling quite often between Texas and Louisiana as I'm sure I'll do from now on. Still editing for others, still peddling my online course, Networking 101 and well...just keep on keeping on! Boring huh? LOL!  Not really, just life. :-)

Now....onto our spotlight!

Don Furr can add to his list of accomplishments the title of author. A world traveler, Don is an accomplished actor and playwright who owns and operates a major exhibit services company. He and his wife reside in Memphis, Tennessee, and have three children and three grandchildren. He has piloted his Ranger helicopter for a local television station and is currently customizing a 1981 DeLorean as a replica of the car in the movie Back to the Future. He is an active member of First Baptist Church in Lakeland, Tennessee. Find out more about Don by visiting his website and/or blog!

Nail print touches every page of new time travel novel  by Memphis author, Don Furr


Haven’t we all dreamed of walking with Jesus? Wondered what it would be like to talk with Him as He peers into our eyes and tells us the secrets of why? Do you long to touch His face and callused hands, knowing full well that your only response could be nothing more than a trembling smile as He brushes away your tears and gazes into your soul? What if you could touch the scars . . . trace the outline of the nail prints, like Thomas?


Quest for the Nail Prints is the story of three ordinary people chosen by God for an extraordinary journey. A journey so amazing even they have a hard time believing that it is real. Through unrelated circumstances, Dr. Elizabeth Stewart, Reverend Paul Ryann, and Professor Leonardo Van Eaton find themselves sharing a journey to the Holy Land . . . when suddenly they are thrust back in time nearly two thousand years and find themselves face to face with the rugged, radical rabbi known throughout the region as Jesus of Nazareth.


This is the story of how a personal encounter with the living Christ in His time creates the journey of a lifetime! Not only for the characters traveling within the pages of the book, but for all who take the journey with them.


With thousands of books on the market, what makes this one different? There is literally a nail print individually hand driven through the entire book, from front to back. Why the nail print?


“The idea of the nail print surfaced during the first draft,” says Don Furr. “From the very start, I knew the part the nail prints would play. The idea quickly flourished into the nail prints marking every page, much in the same way I picture the nail prints touching every page of our lives.”


EXCERPT:

Time is not at all what it seems. It does not flow in only one direction, and the future exists simultaneously with the past.   —Albert Einstein

Chapter One

Ellen Barnes yanked the page from the fax machine and raced down the narrow corridor that led to the doctors’ quarters. For courtesy’s sake, she rapped once on the door, then burst into the dark room.

“Elizabeth,” she barked. “Pile-up on I-40 at the 25-mile marker. RCC says they have a thirteen-year-old male, critical --”

Stretched across the bed, the young resident stirred.

“Doctor Stewart!” Ellen snapped, flipping on the light to illuminate the dark room.

Dr. Elizabeth Stewart sat up. “A thirteen-year-old?”

The flight nurse focused on the report. “Well, so far we’ve got a DOA, two non-critical, and the boy’s being extricated right now. They say they’ll have him out by the time we get there.”

The clock said 1:55 a.m. Elizabeth had been asleep a mere forty minutes. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and struggled to focus.

The only sound was the rain assaulting the single window of the cramped, unadorned room. This was her second twenty-four-hour shift this week at Memphis Hospital Wing, an air medivac unit serving the Elvis Presley Memorial Trauma Unit, the only level-one trauma unit for two hundred miles in any direction.

Obviously Medivac services had gotten a call and patched through to the “red phone” that set the medical team’s life in motion. Hospital Wing’s policy was that no flights could depart with ceilings below or forecasted below five hundred feet. If administration made the decision to make a flight, and then couldn’t make it to the scene because of weather or, even worse, they picked up the patient and couldn’t make it back to the trauma unit, a critical patient would have little chance of survival. The conditions on this night were marginal at best.

From its berth in the nearby hangar, the piercing whine of the jet engine rattled the walls as the chopper blades spooled up to full rpm. Elizabeth stood up, pulled her shirt on over her head, and dropped her crucifix inside. She double knotted her scrubs and reached for the door. Her heart skipped a beat. She tripped the light, and she and Ellen sprinted down the cinder-block hallway and into the hangar.

The smell of jet fuel was intoxicating, sending adrenaline coursing through Elizabeth’s veins. She and Ellen grabbed their headsets and mounted the maroon and gray A-Star.

Elizabeth was a good fit for the disaster business, with a stint in Desert Storm and two years at the MED under her belt. Ellen was also a seasoned medical pro, serving three plus years in the ER and with LeBonheur’s Pedi-flight. They made a tough team who never cracked, no matter how intense the pressure.

Continue reading chpt 1: http://questforthenailprints.blogspot.com/p/quest-excerpt.html


Wow! What a book to read this time of year!

Quest for the Nail Prints is available now at Amazon.com; Barnes & Noble; Books-a-Million; and Christianbook.com

 
Well Friends that about wraps up another edition of Saturday Spotlight & My Life in a Nutshell. Hope to see you again soon.

IMW, may the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ fill your life to overflowing!
PamT