#SaturdaySpotlight is on Veronica Lynch & For Keeps!

Good Morning and Happy Valentine's Day!

Today I am at The Charmed Page bookstore in Lake Charles with a couple of other local authors signing books and celebrating the 1 yr. anniversary of the store's opening! They acutally opened in January but the day we were supposed to celebrate was canceled due to weather. Cold, Nasty. Ugh!

I am SO looking forward to spring!

But enough about me. Today's guest visited once before but it's been a while so please give Veronica a huge SW LA W-E-L-C-O-M-E back and I'm turning the spotlight on and over to her. Take it away Veronica and tell us why you wrote For Keeps...

When the opportunity to contribute to a Valentines anthology for the Wild Rose Press, I knew immediately I wanted to pay tribute to a few of the exceptional police officers I’d worked with while serving as director of a 5-county regional rape advocacy program in Western New York State. The phone call between the heroine Meg and her lover Kee occurred during one of those really hideous days which all advocates experience as they work for and with abused and battered women and children. 

As I recall, I’d just come off an ugly encounter with a disbelieving, lazy, don’t-break-a-sweat cop and was feeling quite low. Out of the blue, Sergeant Joe Murphy—from an entirely different department—called to check on a case we’d worked on. He really did say something about my barracuda style of advocacy, then gave me the line of ‘if I was any better, I’d scare myself.”

I started laughing—kept on laughing because I couldn’t seem to stop—then began blubbering like a fool. He immediately realized something was wrong and proceeded to talk me through my feelings and helped bring a certain degree of resolution. That was my friend Joe: kind, professional, always ready to protect and serve.

He is who and why I wrote For Keeps.

OH what a lovely story! Thanks for sharing that memory with us. Now how about a blurb and excerpt...

Sure, here ya go...

Blurb:  

Meghan Muldoon is at a crossroads in her life: struggling to balance the demands of a high stress vocation as an advocate for victims of violence with her feelings for Keenan Rossi, a man who wants to make their relationship permanent. On Valentine's Day, a series of routine crises force Meg to question staying in a profession which fulfills her both professionally and spiritually—or devoting the rest of her life to the one person who completes her. 

           Which one is For Keeps?

Excerpt: 

“Crime Victim Services. How may I help you?”

The caller's voice was low, husky, and exquisitely male. “Do you know the difference between a barracuda and a victim advocate?”

Her heart skipped a beat. “Lip gloss.”

“Well damn,” Kee muttered. “You already heard it.”

“An oldie but a goodie, pal.”

“Aren't we all. How you doin' on this gorgeous February day, gorgeous?”

Bringing his handsome face to mind took no great effort. They had worked together for more years than either cared to count. When the relationship progressed beyond professional Meg felt they should keep things under the radar. At first Keenan agreed, claiming he wasn't in the mood tor any crap from his peers about exploring his feminine side. But after a while he began to push for something more permanent. And she wasn't so sure she was ready for that, especially marriage. Meg liked being able to come and go as she pleased, responsible only to herself, and for herself. 

Even though she heard the tease in his voice now, she was still smarting from last night so proceeded with caution. “Not too bad. How's by you?”

“Lemme tell you, cara. If I was any better, I'd scare myself.”

Beautiful! Now give us the lowdown on how readers can reach you and where they can find For Keeps...

Thanks Pam, here is my bio and links and links to purchase For Keeps...

Legal nurse consultant, victim advocate, sexual assault nurse examiner Veronica Lynch has been there and done that--many times over. She often travels from her home close to the shore of Lake Ontario to the Saint Lawrence River/Thousand Islands Region of Northern New York State as well as the historic Adirondack and Catskill Mountains, looking for settings for her books which feature strong characters who stand for the less thans in this world. 

Over the years, she has been called many things, not all of them flattering. The name she treasures most is Nana to the four brightest lights in her life: Meredith and Ashlin, Owen and Kieran.

Find, Follow and Connect with Veronica via the links below...

Blogs: www.WildWomenAuthorsx2.blogspot.com

   www.WildWomenReviews.blogspot.com

Bluesky: @VeronicaLynch.bsky.social

Amazon: Veronica_Lynch/B01MCQTZJ?ref=ap_rdr&is_

Facebook: www.Facebook.com/WildWomenAuthors

  www.Facebook.com/VeronicaLynch 

Goodreads: www.Goodreads.com/author.Veronica_Lynch

Instagram: @VeronicaLynchAuthor

Get your copy of For Keeps at Amazon for only $0.99 cents!

Also at: B&N, GoodReads, BookBub, The Wild Rose Press

THANK YOU so much, Veronica for sharing with us today! Wishing you lot's of success with your books.

That's all for today Friends. Check back weekly for another edition of Saturday Spotlight where you'll find great authors and their books.

Oh, and check out my YouTube channel: A Novel Lunch™ where you'll find writing tips and advice and interviews with the authors we love!

Until next week, Happy Reading.

PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight is on Meryl Brown Tobin & Broome Enigma

So glad you could join us this wintry morning. 😊

Today's guest is brand new to our blog so please join me in giving Meryl Tobin a huge SW LA ...

W-E-L-C-O-M-E!

Hope you're staying warm over there in Australia today, Meryl. It's chilly here pretty much all over the US and definitely too cold for my blood here in Louisiana. Please tell us about your book and what makes it special to you.

Thank you, Pam. It's nice to visit your blog. Thank you for inviting me. My husband Hartley and I have travelled extensively throughout the Australian Outback and love Broome, the setting of my novel. On one of our trips a handsome, suntanned, but unsmiling young man dressed only in jeans and sandals, was the maintenance man in one of the caravan parks at which we stayed.  

Because he didn’t ‘fit’ and I wanted to make him fit, I played the  ‘What If?’ game until I came up with a plausible reason. Once I came up him as my hero, Joe, and my setting Broome, a heroine, a title and the outline of a plot soon followed.

What makes it special

1.  To me: Apart from it being my debut novel and so a big thrill to have it published, it’s the response of readers as I didn’t know what to expect. Readers who have been to Broome tell me they can picture all the places I describe and those who haven’t been there feel as though they are visiting it with my characters. Some have now put a visit to Broome on their bucket lists.

2.  To my readers: I’ll let them speak for themselves. Here are some of their comments....

Kathryn McKean: I liked the innocence of the main characters, the setting and the suspense and I always love a happy ending. I felt sad to finish the novel. I felt like I had lost some new friends that I had made and whose company I enjoyed. 

 

Felicia Di Stefano: Finished your book. Very much a page turner kept me up till 1.30 am one morning. 

Wow what a thriller. Would never have worked out the end!

Anonymous: Just as well...[for the ending] as the sexual tension had built up unbearably!!

Rose Chapple: I can imagine it as a movie or series, but I guess that's another thing altogether. I hope it's doing well, and that the American market is taking off. You might be personally responsible for an increase in tourism!

Valwyn Beggs: I was transported into another world, the Broome Underworld, in your novel. What a thriller! So many twists and turns! I was soon lost every time I tried to follow a car chase.

Janne Morrison: Just had to let you know I have just finished reading 'Broome Enigma' and absolutely loved it!!!  I could not stop reading it and was disappointed when it finished - I hope there is a sequel in the pipeline!! Such a great assortment of very relatable characters and plausible and fascinating storyline.  Totally unpredictable and so many twists and turns made it such very enjoyable reading - thank you!!!!

Andrea Francesconi: I thought it was interesting that you set the story back in the 80s - the pre mobile/internet world! I can't begin to imagine how daunting it would be to take off for parts unknown without the luxury of immediate communication options. I think that this provides an opportunity for tension to build and develop to a climax... Thanks once again for the book, it has now migrated to my bookshelf along with other treasured books.

Great feedback! Can you share your cover, blurb, an excerpt and where we can find Broome Enigma & your bio with us please...

I'd be happy to!

Blurb: On a working holiday in Australia's cosmopolitan Outback town of Broome in 1986, Jodie, a young book designer and artist is open to romance and adventure.

 At the holiday village where she is staying, she meets Joe, a young man who works there. Despite the strong attraction between them, the many unknowns about his earlier life keep them apart. To try to uncover his mysterious past, they travel to Perth and back to Broome and are drawn into not only bizarre but also dangerous situations.

Is Joe the person she thinks he is, or is he some alter ego? Can Jodie and Joe stop their relationship from developing until they have answers and know if he is free to love her?

Excerpt:  A big gust of wind rocked the van and flung Jodie hard against Joe. He pushed her off.

“Joe, it’s me, Jodie! Wake up, wake up!”

“Jodie, is that you?” He threw his arms around her and buried his head in her chest.

She brushed his hair back from his sweating face.“Take it easy, Joe. Take deep breaths. It’s okay. It’s going to be okay.”

He stopped shaking and pulled back from her. “What’s happening?”

“It’s the cyclone. Don’t you remember?” Another huge gust shook the van and sent Jodie sprawling on Joe’s bunk and into the wall. “Ow, that hurt!” 

She picked herself up and rubbed her head.

The van rocked violently again. Joe and Jodie grabbed for handholds.

“Quick, come into my bed with me, Joe. It will be safer there.” Tripping and feeling their way along the wall, the two made their way to the double bed and clambered in.

Her breathing coming in short spasms, she lay on her back and took deep breaths. The storm whined and screeched about her, and the roof creaked and scraped. “Oh, my god, the roof’s going to take off any minute!”

Joe’s arms enveloped her. “Hush, everything will be all right. But will you be okay if we have to make a run for it?”

“Yes.” She let out a sob. “But I like our chances better in here than out there.”

Joe kissed her forehead. He pulled her closer and they lay locked against each other while the storm raged around them.

Broome Enigma is on sale on at least 40 websites in at least 16 countries including Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Spain, The Netherlands, Switzerland, UK and USA AND at GoodReads.

MY BIO: A former secondary teacher, Australian writer, Meryl Brown Tobin has published 22 books, including a novel, travel book, educational puzzle books and poetry books, and hundreds of poems, puzzles, short stories, articles, cartoons and comic strips. A guest on Ch7’s children’s TV program The Book Place, she and a presenter read her children’s picture storybook LEFTY.

Apart from family and home, her interests include travel, bushwalking, conservation, current affairs and social justice issues. The Tasmanian Tiger fascinates her, and she’d love to prove it is not extinct. 

Connect with me at the following links...

https://sites.google.com/view/merylbrowntobin-author

https://www.facebook.com/meryl.tobin.18

https://amazon.com/author/meryl-brown-tobin23

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6422807.Meryl_Brown_Tobin

https://bsky.app/profile/merylbrowntobin.bsky.social

https://broomeenigma.allauthor.com/

Wonderful! Thanks SO much for sharing your book with us today, Meryl. We wish you the best of luck and God's blessings in all things.

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

Oh, and be sure to check out our Featured Author and Featured Book (in the sidebar)!

Until next time, Happy Reading.

PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight is on Just What the Doctor Hired by Amanda Nelson & Lisa-Marie Potter!

Good Morning, Friends,

It is SO nice to connect with you again and to host another great author - well authors - and their book. These lovely ladies, Amanda Nelson & Lisa-Marie Potter have never been to our blog, so please give them a huge SWLA W-E-L-C-O-M-E...

Thank you for joing us, ladies. Tell us about your book, Just What the Doctor Hired...

Thank you for having us Pam!

Just What the Doctor Hired is a clean, wholesome, fake relationship romance published by The Wild Rose Press. Here is the blurb...

Student Autumn Haze’s motto is: no men until she completes her Bachelor of Nursing degree. Years before, Autumn learned the hard way men are just a distraction she can’t afford until she’s established her career and what she wants. While moonlighting as a Plus One companion pays the bills, she struggles to follow her rules after meeting her newest contract. Pediatric Hospitalist Jensen Edwards is still recovering from a bad breakup that left him the talk of the hospital. Now he’s receiving a Best Doctor’s award, but after he hires Autumn as his plus one, Jensen is on edge. If word gets out that he hired a companion, rumors are bound to circulate, making work unbearable—again. Their chemistry as a fake couple is undeniable, but can a chance at a real relationship override their fear of commitment?

And, an Excerpt:

Jensen leaned forward, his lips rasping against my ear. “Make me look good--she’s watching.”  

I shook, an involuntary shiver running down my neck and into my spine. This will be fun. “You got it.” I licked my lips, slow and seductive, before wrapping my arms around his neck, my hips pressed against him, and swayed to the beat.  

Jensen’s hands slid down my waist.  

I felt his fingers dig into my skin, and I couldn’t stop my heart from racing. Jensen’s performance had me coiled like a spring, ready to jump at any moment. If Kayla was watching, she couldn’t deny my chemistry with Jensen. I chanced a glance. The woman’s

 deep scowl and curled lip was all the answer I needed. A+ for Jensen’s performance. “She looks furious.”  

“Good.”  

OH, how cute! Tell us, what makes this, and/or your other books special or stand out from similar titles?

Both of us agree that the best part of any romance book (or even a movie) is the chase. Reading or watching the "will they/won't they" moments are the parts that make us the most invested in the characters and the plot. However, many romances out there skimp on the tension that stems from the beginning of a relationship. Therefore, we decided to write a series of books that would give us, as well as our readers, all the feels of a good romance without the spice. Our books are light reads, full of wit and tension that you can share with anyone.

Ahhh, wonderful! Now give us the low-down on you two and where we can find Just What the Doctor Hired...

Amanda and Lisa-Marie are an award-winning, co-writing team of best friends who share imaginary worlds, including Men In Books Aren't Better (September 29, 2024), Just What the Doctor Hired (July 9, 2025), and a short story, Shivers, published in Moments Between (February 28, 2022). Lisa-Marie Potter (BIPOC) is a mom of four who grew up in Nottingham, England, and now resides in Alaska with her husband and golden retriever. Amanda Nelson grew up in Maryland and moved to Arizona, where she attended ASU and currently lives with her husband and four kids. Both women are hopeless romantics, but Lisa-Marie also enjoys suspense novels, while Amanda's second go-to genre is romantacy. The duo review books on their socials, hike the Olympic National Park, and fight over the same fictional crushes. Find out more by visiting our website where you can sign up to receive our newsletter. You can follow us on the social media links here: X, Instagram, Threads, and Facebook and LinkedIn and TikTok.

Just What the Doctor Hired can be found at Amazon, B&N and many other places listed HERE.

Perfect! 

We appreciate you two sharing your book with us today and wish you the best of luck and God's blessings in your endeavors.

Hope you enjoyed today's spotlight, friends and that you'll come back every week for another great author and his or her book(s)!

Meanwhile, don't forget to check out our Featured Author/Artist, Keuka Roots' Autumn Reads and the featured books in our sidebar.

Until next week, take care and God Bless.

PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight is on Randy Overbeck & Red Shadows at Saugatuck

Good Morning and Welcome!

You may remember seiing this fellow's Featured Author page last month and this book in the sidebar, well today we're getting a peek into why Randy wrote Red Shadows at Saugatuck...

Take it away Randy!

As an author, I enjoy all the aspects of writing—the research to get the

details right, the inventing of the tale, the crafting of the narrative, the editing and the thrill of completing another piece readers might find interesting. My series, the Haunted Shores Mysteries, have received such a tremendous response from critics and readers alike that I’ve been amazed and thrilled. The novels have earned ten national awards including Best Book Award (Chanticleer Books and Reviews), Gold Award (LiteraryTitan) and Mystery of the Year (ReaderViews) and

achieved a #1 and #2 bestseller status on Amazon and B & N.

Readers have responded so well to the first three books in the Haunted

Shores Mysteries series—which chronicle the path of Darrell and Erin from meeting to falling in love, to getting married—I thought the narrative was ready for the next chapter. So in this entry, Darrell and Erin have a precocious little five-year-old, who’s inherited his father’s ability to see ghosts. Darrell returns home to Michigan, which gave me a chance to feature his interesting extended family. In this novel, readers will find another great whodunit set in another stunning resort

town, this time Saugatuck, Michigan. And I’ve wrapped the haunted aura of Native American spiritualty around the mystery of the murder. In the words of anearly reviewer, readers will find a tale that is “socially relevant and strangelybeautiful  in its grief, haunting in every sense of the word.” (litandcoffee reviews)

Wow...OK, now can we get a peek into the book?

Sure, here is the Blurb...

Darrell Henshaw hoped he was past it all. After all, no ghosts had visited him for years. Instead, he learns his five-year-old-son, Leo has inherited his “gift.” 

Now, they both can see ghosts.

This time, Darrell drives his young family 800 miles to celebrate his Aunt Gertrude’s 80th birthday. But, once in the resort  town of Saugatuck, Michigan, their participation gets derailed by the spirit of a Native teen who went missing weeks earlier. When he and Leo inquire about the girl, the locals dismiss their concerns—"Those girls run away all the time.”  Still, as questions pile up and threats grow, Darrell senses they may have stumbled onto something far worse and even more evil than one missing teen. 

Can Darrell continue to pursue justice for the girl if it places his wife and five-year-old son in danger?

And an Excerpt...

Darrell chanced another look in the rearview and saw the SUV accelerating, closing the distance. Darrell stared, fixated on the wide silver grill growing larger in his mirror. Alternating glances from the road ahead to the car behind, he watched it move closer, now less than a car length. He stared at the shield, could make out its colors of silver, gold, black and red. He checked out the road ahead then shot another look at the Cadillac emblem. In the center of the shield, he saw a small nick, like a stone from the road had chipped it. His gaze returned to the asphalt ahead of him.

He punched the accelerator and felt his Taurus respond. When the distance between the cars opened up a bit, he checked the speedometer. The needle moved past eighty. The scenery flew by. He didn’t think he could keep this up for long. At least, the road was straight…for now.

He sensed more than saw movement behind him and yanked his gaze back to the rearview mirror. The SUV accelerated even more and drew still closer, the black frame and tinted windshield filling his mirror. Darrell’s knuckles tightened on the steering wheel. The car came so close, the grill with the shield disappeared from his view. The darkened windshield was all Darrell could see through his mirror. 

God, he must be within a foot. He’s going to ram me.

He floored the gas pedal and the engine whined in protest. The needle passed eighty-five. He wanted to turn his head and look back through the rear window but couldn’t chance it. Not at this speed. He had to stay focused on the road ahead. His Taurus raced along the blacktop. 

Then it started. First, a few thunks on the roof and, within seconds, the sky opened up, the rain cascading in sheets. He flipped the wipers on high and stared through the windshield at the rain-slicked asphalt. Damn, what else can go wrong? Driving like this in the rain was major-league stupid.

He needed to slow down in the downpour but couldn’t. He feared if he slowed, even a little, the larger SUV would slam into him and probably run him off the road. He chanced another glance in the rearview and saw…nothing. All he could see looking back was the torrential rain slicing down onto the blacktop. 

Where had the Cadillac gone? Could he have turned off when the rain hit and Darrell hadn’t noticed? He didn’t think so but where was the car? He stared ahead and then shot another glance in the mirror. Nothing.

Then, he caught some movement in his peripheral vision. The Cadillac SUV had slid over into the oncoming lane. He was passing the Taurus on the left. He must’ve disappeared into Darrell’s blind spot before pulling even with the Taurus. Darrell stared from the SUV beside him to the road ahead. As far as he could tell, both lanes seemed empty of traffic, but the rain reduced how far he could see.

He shot a glance to his side. The Cadillac had pulled up, almost even with his car. He peered across but could make out nothing but the damn dark tinted glass. He jerked his gaze back to the road. What was this idiot going to do? Pass him and make him skid on the wet road? He risked a glance in the rearview to see if there was a second car, to block him in. Nothing.

The SUV inched forward, both cars hurtling at almost ninety! This was crazy. No, this was suicide. He should brake and slow down, let the Cadillac whiz by him. But he feared what might happen in the rain. He could hydroplane, lose traction and skid. 

He had no time to consider any options. 

Right then, the SUV surged forward and steered hard to the right, angling in front of him, cutting off the Taurus. Darrell had no choice. He stepped on his brake so as not to hit the Cadillac. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the SUV whiz into his lane right in front of him. He yanked the wheel to the right, swerving to avoid hitting the other car. His tires slipped on the rain-slicked asphalt. He tried to control the steering wheel but felt the car skid onto the narrow shoulder. He slammed on the brakes as hard as he could and watched the car go over the edge of the shoulder. His heart raced. He practically stood on the brake. The car bumped over the shoulder. It bounced down into a ditch and partway up. The Taurus jerked to a stop, slamming his head into the steering wheel. 

Everything went dark.

Oh My Goodness! Excellent, edge-of-your-seat excerpt. Tell us where we can find Red Shadows at Saugatuck and give us the lowdown on you...

Thanks, Pam. Red Shadows at Saugatuck can be found at Amazon and other Online Retailers. Below is my "official" bio.

Dr. Randy Overbeck is an award-winning educator, author, speaker and podcaster. As an educator, he served children for more than three decades and has mined that experience to create captivating fiction, authoring two series, the bestselling series, “The Haunted Shores Mysteries,” and the award-winning series, “Lessons in Peril.” His novels have won critical acclaim and garnered national awards including Mystery of the Year (ReaderViews) Best Book Award (Chanticleer Books and Reviews) and the Gold Award (Literary Titan) and amassed hundreds of 5-star reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. 

Dr. Overbeck also hosts the popular podcast, “Great Stories about Great Storytellers,” which reveals the unusual and sometimes strange backstories of famous authors, directors and poets and can be heard wherever listeners get their podcasts. He is a speaker in considerable demand, sharing his popular presentations about ghosts and the world of book publishing with hundreds of audiences all over the U.S. 

As a member of the Mystery Writers of America, Dr. Overbeck is an active member of the literary community, contributing to a writers’ critique group, serving as a mentor to emerging writers and participating in writing conferences such as Killer Nashville and the Midwest Writers Workshop.

When he’s not researching, writing, speaking or podcasting, Randy enjoys traveling with his wife Cathy and visiting both his far-flung family and the scenic locations around this country, often in search of inspiration for his next great story.

More info about his novels, programs and podcast can be found at his website. Contact him at: randyoverbeck@authorrandyoverbeck.com and connect with him on Facebook, X, Amazon, Instagram, BookBub and GoodReads.

Thank You, so much, Randy for sharing your book with us today. We certainly wish you the best of luck and God's blessings with your work.

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

Until next time, take care, God bless and remember to show a little kindness today.

PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight is on Lucy Naylor Kubash and Chance's Return

Good Moring Friends!

Today's guest is brand new to our blog, so please give Lucy Naylor Kubash a warm W-E-L-C-O-M-E.

So glad you could join us, Lucy, please tell us something about your book, Chance's Return...

Well, Pam, the story goes something like this... Once upon a time a little girl loved horses, westerns…and cowboys. The fascination started when she and her dad watched Saturday afternoon movies with heroes like Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, and the Lone Ranger. In those days, a lot of westerns filled the airwaves on TV, and as she grew older, the girl graduated to Gunsmoke, Bonanza, and the Virginian, where cowboy heroes and their horses were larger than life. Eventually, the girl grew up and read romance novels with—you guessed it—cowboy heroes, buying into the whole cowboy myth that has been a big part of American entertainment. Writing her own cowboy hero story just seemed a logical next step. And so, she did. 

I’m pleased to announce Chance’s Return, a contemporary western romance set near the Grand Tetons, was released on April 16 by The Wild Rose Press. It’s the first book in a trilogy, The North Star Legacy, after the McCord family’s ranch, the North Star. The books are full of family drama, people learning to live with and rise above past mistakes and tragedies, and of course, romance. I’m hoping readers will want to learn about my cowboy hero, the McCord family, and the woman who changes their lives.

Here is the blurb for Chance’s Return...

Widowed single mom Casey Girard hopes time in Wyoming will help her recover from a tragic loss. Working as a cook at the North Star ranch for the summer offers an opportunity to start life over near the beautiful Grand Teton Mountains.

 Ex-rodeo champ and prodigal son of the North Star, Chance McCord returns to face a family still divided by their own painful past. To overcome the estrangement, he needs to find a way to face his own haunting memories.

 When Chance and Casey meet, the attraction is undeniable and blooms like the blue lupine in the valley. But can they learn to put their pasts to rest and trust one another so love can grow?

And an Excerpt...

Clutching their packages, they sprinted to the café two doors down and hurried inside. Casey glanced about the bustling Hitching Post. A lot of other folks had the same idea. 

Dishes clattered and voices were raised as the overwhelmed servers filled orders for the mob of tourists that, with the advent of the storm, had descended on them. 

Casey didn’t see a single empty table or booth.

“Room only at the counter, honey.” A harried server jerked her head towards the lunch counter.

Casey saw the two empty seats, one on either side of a tall, broad-shouldered man. His hat and faded denim jacket said cowboy, and he looked intimidating, even with his back turned.

She was reluctant to ask him to move over, but being on her own had forced her to fend for herself and do things she never thought she’d have to do. With only a second’s hesitation, Casey marched up to the counter and smiled. “Could you please move down one? All the other seats are taken.”

For a minute, she didn’t think he’d heard. He remained hunched over the full-to-the-brim mug of coffee that sat steaming on the counter in front of him. He hadn’t made it to the café in time to avoid the downpour. Rain darkened the faded denim jacket, and his battered, equally wet, black cowboy hat tilted low over his forehead, shadowing his face. He seemed totally withdrawn from the bustle of the café around him.

Casey cleared her throat to speak again and found herself looking into eyes the same color as the moody sky above the mountains. With the chary gaze of a lone wolf, the man stared from beneath the hat brim. He needed a shave, and his dark hair curled just above the collar of his jacket. In one glance, he took her all in, from her pink running shoes and skinny jeans to her green-and-white college sweatshirt. His gaze lifted and dwelled on her face. She shifted from one foot to the other. A crazy rush of warmth flooded her from her toes to the roots of her ponytailed hair.

“Hey, can we sit down?” Jamie asked. “I’m really hungry.” 

The fact he’d eaten lunch only a few hours ago didn’t seem to matter. Lately, Jamie was hungry all the time. 

The boy’s remark did the trick. 

A smile crinkled the man’s tanned face. “Sure enough, partner.” He stood just long enough to hoist himself over to the next stool. 

Jamie scrambled up beside him.

The man pulled the brim of the boy’s hat down over his wavy blond hair.

Scrunching his nose, Jamie tipped his head back and gave the stranger the once-over. “You a cowboy, mister?”

Casey poked her son. “Jamie, hush. Don’t ask a bunch of questions now.” In three weeks’ time, Jamie had also lost a lot of his bashfulness. Simply too many people lived at the North Star ranch, and too much happened for him to remain shy for long. But no doubt this guy wouldn’t appreciate a kid’s questions. When it came to cowboys, Jamie was an avid fan, and anybody who dressed like one became instant hero material. In spite of his friendly gesture, this particular cowboy didn’t look interested in being a little boy’s hero.

“It’s okay, ma’am. I don’t mind.” He winked at her. 

That sort of masculine wink could do strange things to one’s equilibrium. Casey snatched  the plastic-covered menu and stared at it, although, unlike Jamie, she wasn’t a bit hungry.

Wonderful, Lucy! Tell us a little more about yourself...

Lucy Naylor Kubash has been writing for most of her life. She began her career writing short romance stories for Woman’s World magazine and now writes contemporary romance for The Wild Rose Press. Lucy has penned a column, The Pet Corner, for nearly 25 years, that advocates for homeless pets and animal rescue. She lives in Michigan with her husband of 53 years where they enjoy spending time with their two grown children, an assortment of pets, and traveling whenever possible. 

Find and follow Lucy at the following social mediat sites...

Website: http://lucynaylorkubash.com

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/LucyNaylorKubash

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/lucykubash_author

Pinterest:  https://www.pinterest.com/lkubash/

Amazon:  https://tinyurl.com/2t4k6x7j

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2966398.Lucy_Naylor_Kubash

BookBub:  https://www.bookbub.com/profile/lucy-naylor-kubash

Blue Sky:  https://bsky.app/profile/lucynaylorkubash.bsky.social

Thank You, SO much, Lucy for sharing with us today. We wish you the best of luck and God's blessings with your debut novel!

Hope you enjoyed Lucy's vist as much as I did, friends, and that you'll check back each week for another edition of Saturday Spotlight.

Until then, take care, God Bless and Happy Reading.

PamT

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

Good Morning,

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

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

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

How intriguing! Please give us more....

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

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

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

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

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

“Will you come again next week?”

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

****

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

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

“There’s laundry in my suitcase.”

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

*** 

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

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

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

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

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

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

*** 

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

Website: judithworks.net

Facebook, Judith Works, Author

Instagram: WorksJudith

Threads: WorksJudith

Blue Sky: worksjudith.bskky.social

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

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

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

Until next time, keep reading.

PamT

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

Good Morning and Welcome to another edition of Saturday Spotlight.

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

The blog is all yours, Wendy!

Thank You, Pam.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Website – WendyWritesBooks.com

Facebook – WendyKendallMysteries

Twitter - @wendywrites1

Instagram - wendyekendall

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

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

Until next time take care and keep reading!

PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight is on Joie Lesin & The Passenger!

 Good Morning and Welcome to the first non-holiday edition of Saturday Spotlight in 2025!

I hope you enjoyed the All Christmas thru Christmas posts and that you are ready for some non-holiday books.

I know I am LOL! I DO love Christmas but with all the year long hype, it's not as fun for me as it used to be.

Anyway, what better way to begin a new year than with an author who is brand new to our blog? 

Please give Joie Lesin a huge SW Louisiana Hoo-Ra!

Tell us a little about your brand new book, Joie...

The Passenger, a 1940s ghost story set in the California wine country, tells a tale of family connections, life-changing choices, and love—lost and found.

Blurb: Burdened with her empathic gift, Elizabeth Reilly wants to be free of it and fit in with normal people. Nevertheless, when the spirit of an old man asks for her help, she travels across the country to help him return home. Gio Clemente is still angry with his father who abandoned him as a child. To help the father pass on, Elizabeth must persuade Gio to let go of his anger. Though he resents her intrusion, they are both stunned to find themselves fighting a profound attraction. Elizabeth can accept his headstrong brand of love, but can Gio accept her gift—and believe in her?

Excerpt: Elizabeth’s stomach churned in nervous knots. She squirmed on the cloth seat, and her foot twitched. If he heard her erratic heartbeat, he’d realize how frantic she was—and hot. Perspiration built up on her forehead. Grabbing the metal handle, she rolled down the squeaking window, and inhaled the pure air. The fragrances of the forest filled her senses—the resinous scent of pine, the earthiness of soil, and damp detritus of fallen branches and decaying leaves. The surrounding land was alive, vibrant, and something more she couldn’t quite identify. Somehow, the vehicle they drove in and the path it traveled seemed out of place.

Gravel on the uneven road crunched and ground under the truck’s tires. Elizabeth sat straight in her seat and stole stiff, awkward glimpses at Giovanni. A frown marked his lips. His lean, well-defined face held soulful eyes bringing to her mind images of the sad little boy he must have been.

A thin red scar stretched down his right cheek and she itched to run a finger along the faded edges. She’d caress his stubble-shadowed chin and tell him how terribly his father missed him. Instead, she stared out the truck window.

**Oh WOW, Joie, if this blurb and excerpt doesn't get readers' attention, I don't know what will! What makes this book special for you?

Perhaps, it’s a bit cliché to say this is the book of my heart, but I can wholeheartedly tell you that it is. To understand why I say this, I need to take you back to the distant (or not-so-distant depending on how one looks at it) past when a girl (that’s me) of sixteen first met the character that would become Paolo Clemente, my ghost from The Passenger. Okay, so I didn’t meet him in the actual physical sense. No, in fact, I was on the bus on the way home from school entertaining myself with my “what if” game where I imagined lives for strangers—complete with backstories. This is where the idea for the character that launched this story first came to life for me. 

Now keep in mind, I’d drafted more than one treatment for this story. Names changed and so did the plot, but what remained constant was Paolo and the woman who would become the main character, Elizabeth. It wasn’t until sixteen years later, that I finally sat down to write what would become book we have today.

So, you see, I had no choice other than to write this story that has lived in my head for so long. What’s more, I now delight in sharing these characters that have become so near and dear to my heart with readers.

**Yep, I think we can all relate to that! Such great inspiration for a story though. Thanks for sharing. Where can readers find The Passenger?

Published by The Wild Rose Press, The Passenger can be found at Amzon in Ebook and Print, B&N, Apple Books, and GoodReads. OR it can be purchased directly from the Publisher.

**Perfect! Do you have a bio, website and links for readers to find and follow you?

Yes! Below are my bio and links...

Award-winning author, Joie Lesin is a life-long fiction writer and poet. She is most recently the author of The Passenger (The Wild Rose Press, 2024). She has long been fascinated by anything otherworldly including mermaids and ghosts. Joie writes character-driven, emotional, atmospheric tales about heartache and hope.

Originally from Massachusetts, at six years old, Joie moved to her mother’s birthplace, Minnesota. By eight, Joie lost her New England accent, however, it's gradually returning as the years go by. She grew up in Minneapolis but now resides in St. Paul with her husband and their blended family—which includes a rambunctious grand-corgi.

Joie misses the ocean, but she often finds herself walking by one of Minnesota’s many lakes and travels to one of the coasts as often as she can. In fact, she considers California her home away from home. When she’s not writing, reading, or walking, you can find her listening to music. She absolutely loves music—especially live—and songs have sparked most of her story ideas.

Find and follow Joie at her Website, Bluesky, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok

THANK YOU SO, Much, Joie for sharing with us today! We certainly wish you the best of luck and God's blessings with your books.

Well Friends, I hope you enjoyed this week's spotlight. Join us every week for a new author and his/her book(s).

Until next time, be blessed and keep reading.

PamT

PS: If you love to travel, check out my travel blog Bathroom Blues as I reminisce over the places I've been. AND if you love spiritual development and growth, follow my journey on Rainbows, Potholes & Nuggets of Gold!

#SaturdaySpotlight is on Liz Flaherty @LizFlaherty1 & Reinventing Riley!

Good Morning!

We've enjoyed some beautiful weather this past week. A couple of really cold mornings but comfortable days and evenings. I love this time of year when we can keep the windows open all day and it's perfect.

Anyaway, today's guest visited back in May and now we get a sneak peek into Liz's book, Reinventing Riley! Take it away Liz....

Rye Winters grew up in Chicago, and she loves it there. After many years in a small-town subdivision, the forty-something widow is champing at the bit to go back. She’s sold her business and her house and made plans right down to the kind of apartment she wants to lease or buy—no more lawn-mowing or weed-eating for her! She’s not going to need a car—which is great because she hates to drive. She’d reinvented herself once—she could hardly wait to do it again.

But before making her final move, she goes to Fallen Soldier, Pennsylvania, population 2922, to be her best friend’s “widow of honor” in her wedding.

Where she meets the preacher, falls in love with a cottage on the lake, and can’t stop looking at a downtown building that has so many possibilities. Hmm… 

Blurb:

He’s afraid a second time at love wouldn’t live up to his first. She’s afraid a second round would be exactly like her first. 

Pastor Jake McAlister and businesswoman Riley Winters are in their forties and widowed. Neither is interested in a relationship. They both love Fallen Soldier, the small Pennsylvania town where they met, even though Rye plans to move to Chicago, and Jake sees a change in pastorates not too far down the road. Enjoying a few-weeks friendship is something they both look forward to.

However, there is an indisputable attraction between the green-eyed pastor and the woman with a shining sweep of chestnut hair. Then there’s the Culp, an old downtown building that calls unrelentingly to Rye’s entrepreneurial soul. And when a young man named Griff visits Jake, life changes in the blink of a dark green eye.

Excerpt: “Hello!”

Speak of the…well, no, not the devil. Speak of the good reverend, and there he was, walking toward her. His hands were in the pocket of a dark peacoat, and he wore a black-and-white stocking cap that looked familiar. “Syd made your hat, didn’t she?” she said in greeting. 

“She did. She also made me one in Philadelphia Eagles colors, but since this is Steelers country, I’m careful where I wear it. I’m waiting for her to learn to make socks.”

Rye laughed. “That could be a long wait and several hats away.” Although Syd was determined to master knitting socks, she was definitely having trouble accomplishing it.

“Did you enjoy the wedding?”

“I did. It was beautiful and the service was perfect.”

“It’s one of my favorite things in the pastorate.” He grinned. “Even if the groom takes off without paying me.”

He changed directions and joined her, and they started walking again. 

“What was your wedding like?” she asked, then bit her bottom lip. “I’m sorry. Would you rather not talk about it?”

“I like talking about it, and about Ashley, but no one here except Clay knew her, and most people don’t like bringing it up. Thank you for not being one of them.”

“I like talking about Ben, too, sometimes. Especially happy times. Did you have a formal wedding?”

“Not at all. We’d just finished finals and I was getting set to go on the road for a summer tour with the rock band I was with in college. Ash was planning a mission trip with people from her church, but we didn’t really want to be apart. We knew there would be more mission trips, but chances for doing another tour were slim to none, so we gathered up as much family and as many friends as we could and got married in a state park. Very flower-child-like. It was great. Then we got onto the band bus—which had seen better days with better bands, believe me—and took off. You’ve heard of the Summer of Love from the sixties? Well, this was the summer of flat tires, electrical storms, and equipment breakdowns.” He laughed, his eyes alight. “It was a great time. We wanted some semblance of privacy, so whenever we didn’t have hotel rooms provided by the venue, the other guys stayed on the bus and Ash and I slept in a tent.”

Rye had to suppress a shudder. She remembered sleeping in a tent for a few weeks between apartments and paychecks once. Granny had called it an adventure, but Rye had been old enough to recognize it as something else.

“What about you?” he asked. “Big wedding? Courthouse?”

“It was big, but I hardly knew anyone who was there. Ben’s parents were very…social. Even though they liked me and accepted me, I was pretty much just the one on top of the cake who was wearing a dress.”

He smiled at her. “You don’t impress me as the type, if it is indeed a type.”

She shrugged. “I wanted the life Ben offered. It didn’t hurt me to conform.”

Jake raised his eyebrows. “If you’ll pardon my saying so, that sounds like a world-class whopper. It didn’t hurt you? Really?”

Other than Syd, Rye didn’t think anyone had ever asked her that. She’d had such a good life compared to what growing up had prepared her for. Even Ben’s disorder, once she understood it, hadn’t stood in the way of that goodness. She frowned, not sure how to answer. “Everyone gets hurt, don’t they?” she said slowly. “Don’t we all give up part of ourselves for others?”

It was his turn to hesitate. “I think we do.” He grinned. “Believe me, being a rock-and-roll guitar player and singer had to go by the wayside when God started making different decisions for me.” 

“You couldn’t be both a pastor and a rock and roller?” She stopped suddenly enough her foot slid on the light coating of snow on the paved walkway.

He caught her effortlessly and tucked her arm into his. “I couldn’t and be good at either one. And I may as well admit that I really wanted to play rock and roll and teach music for the rest of my life. Being a clergyman had never even been part of the picture.”

USA Today bestselling author Liz Flaherty started writing in the fourth grade when her Aunt Gladys allowed her to use her portable Royal typewriter. The truth was that her aunt would have let her do anything to get her out of her hair, but the typewriter and the stories it could produce caught on, and Liz never again had a day without a what if… in it. 

She and Duane, her husband of at least forever, live in a farmhouse in central Indiana, sharing grown children, spoiled cats, and their grandkids, the Magnificent Seven. (Don’t get her started on them—you’ll be here all day.)

Find her at https://linktr.ee/LizFlaherty

Get your copy of Reinventing Riley at Amazon.

Sounds like a wonderful story, Liz! We certainly wish you the best of luck and God's blessings with it.

Hope you enjoyed today's post, friends and that we'll see you next week for another edition of Wednesday Words with Friends and Saturday Spotlight.

Until then, take care and God bless.

PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight is on Liz Crowe & Win. Place. Show!

Good Morning Friends,

If you know me at all, you know how much I LOVE horses and the Triple Crown races. You also know I visited Churchill Downs back in 2018 while on my East Coast Vacation, so when I heard about Liz Crowe's steamy romance novel, Win. Place. Show. which takes place around the Derby I just had to get her here! Since this is Liz's first visit, I'm just going to let her take the reins and tell us all about her book. Take it away, Liz....

Win Place Show: All bets are on!

Start with a perfect spring weekend full of pretty dresses, high heels, fancy hats, horse races, and bourbon. 

Combine with a friends-from-childhood couple whose ongoing misunderstandings have led Lucy Granger to swear she’ll never move back home. 

Mix in a splash of combined family pressure for Lucy and Nate Hawthorne to be The Golden Couple.

Pour over crushed ice and garnish with plenty of hot, secret hookups.

Win. Place. Show.

A funny sort of romance chock full of dressing up, mint juleps, an axe-throwing bar, and a huge winning bet at the big race.

Excerpt: 

Lucy dropped the phone to her side, wishing she could sleep another three hours to skip the whole still-a-tad-drunk part of the hangover. She had, indeed, made some poor choices the night before. Beginning with thinking she could slide back into easy, sexy time with Nate. She’d already more or less decided against it before he’d gotten there. But, of course, he’d shown up looking so flipping edible in a pair of dark jeans and a form-fitting purple polo with the Trifecta logo stitched where the little polo guy usually sat. Damn the man. He had no right to go around being so...hot. 

He’d always been vain about his hair, something he’d discovered was a featured benefit about the same time he decided she no longer deserved his friendship. It was a wavy strawberry blond, cut just short enough so he didn’t have to use any products while it was full and tempting to female fingers. His eyes were so green, people accused him of wearing contacts to make them that way. Someone had obviously told him the trick about green eyes, that wearing purple made them even more striking. 

“Some woman, I’m sure,” she said, lying flat on her back a few more seconds before hauling herself up and limping toward the shower. 

Maintaining her anger at Nate was easy. She’d been ready to outright reject him. But when he’d shown up looking like some kind of a male model, turning every damn female head in the place, she’d stumbled. He was such a good dancer, not to mention a top notch kisser. So she’d gone with it, fueled by too much booze, ready to leap back into bed with him as if no time had passed since they last hooked up. 

Thankfully, he’d given her an out by going all talkative. That was the last thing she wanted from him. So she’d walked away. And subsequently had a lot more to drink, hence her current condition, ergo she planned to lay blame for her pounding head and queasy stomach at his feet, too. 

So there, Mr. Perfect. 

The shower transformed her from being a woman with a hangover into a clean woman with a hangover and many regrets. She glared at her bloodshot eyes in the foggy mirror, hating herself for being here, in her stupid bathroom where she’d spent so many hours as a little girl and later a teenager, second guessing herself and her relationship with Nate. 

She slapped on some rudimentary makeup, dried and styled her hair enough to pass her mother’s scrutiny, then stood in front of the dresses hanging in her closet. A line of matching shoes were on the floor beneath them. Several hatboxes stacked on the shelves to one side. The floral-patterned one made her headache worse, so she chose a light blue option, with a halter neckline, tight-fitting bodice and skirt. It was a beautiful choice, as they all were. One thing she could never accuse her mother of was shopping poorly. 

She slid her feet into a pair of cream-colored high heels, then pondered the hats with a sigh. When they were little, she and Mimi loved this weekend more than any other. The opportunity to put on a pretty new dress, hat, and shoes had been the highlight of their year. The hours spent at the track over the course of Derby weekends were some of her best memories.

Liz Crowe is a Kentucky native and graduate of the University of Louisville living in South Carolina. She's spent her time as a three-continent expat trailing spouse, mom of three, real estate agent, brewery owner and bar manager, and is currently a digital marketing and fundraising consultant, in addition to being an award-winning author. With stories set in breweries, on the soccer pitch, inside fictional television stations and successful real estate offices, and even in exotic locales like Istanbul, Turkey, her books are compelling and told with a fresh voice. The Liz Crowe backlist has something for any reader seeking complex storylines with humor and complete casts of characters that will delight and linger in the imagination long after the book is finished.

Follow along with Liz online:

TWITTER:  https://twitter.com/LizCroweAuthor

FACEBOOK:  http://www.facebook.com/lizcroweauthor

FACEBOOK CHAT ROOM: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Lizcrowefans

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/lizcroweauthor/

TIKTOK: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMeQoUHjD/

BOOKBUB: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/liz-crowe

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE: https://www.amazon.com/Liz-Crowe/e/B00573TC7M

GOODREADS PAGE: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4350864.Liz_Crowe

WEBSITE: http://www.lizcrowe.com

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EMAIL LIZ: lizcroweauthor@gmail.com

Get your copy of Win. Place. Show. at Amazon, GoodReads, BookBub, and other Online Retailers.

Watch the trailer HERE.

Sounds like a thrilling ride, Liz! Thanks for sharing with us. We certainly wish you the best of luck and God's blessings.

Hope you enjoyed the spotlight, Friends and that you'll check back weekly for another edition of Wednesday Words with Friends and Saturday Spotlight.

Until next time, take care and God bless.

PamT

PS: More on my 2018 East Coast Vacation can be found HERE.