#ThursdayThoughts with Jacqueline Seewald!

Good Morning Friends!

It is ALWAYS a pleasure to welcome a dear friend to our blog and today's guest is no exception. Jacqueline Seewald has shared treasures with us and been in our spotlight but today she's here to share some thoughts so please give her a huge WELCOME!

As I grow older, I can’t help noticing the rapid changes in our society. Technology has changed our lives in both good and bad ways. I still refuse to use a smart phone although most of the people I know can’t understand this. As of now, I keep a flip phone just in case of emergencies and still use a landline. You can’t find a telephone booth anymore and so you really must have your own phone when you travel about.

Last Thanksgiving, one son and daughter-in-law invited the family and some friends over for dinner. I couldn’t help noticing that one of our daughter-in-law’s friends sat down after the meal on a couch with her husband and two sons. They did not speak or look at each other or anyone else. They simply took out their phones and proceeded to text or surf the net. I found this troubling.

I set my latest young adult novel, WITCH WISH from Black Opal Books, in 1985, a time when teens were communicating verbally with others not using electronic devices. The story is set in motion with a bit of magic but it actually examines the human psyche. Although the protagonist is a teenager, the novel is a good read for adults, like my two previous young adult novels published by Clean Reads/Astrea Press, THE DEVIL AND DANNA WEBSTER and STACY’S SONG.   

Here is an excerpt from the beginning of WITCH WISH: 

Central New Jersey, 1985

My sister Ailene pulled the car to the side of the road, reached over and opened the door on the passenger side.

“Get out right now!” Ailene spoke through gritted teeth.

“No way!”

“Yes, way. You’re an obnoxious brat. I don’t have to put up with you, and I won’t for another minute.”

Maybe I had gone a tad overboard in the rude department today, but she’d deserved it. I had to stand and wait while she giggled and gossiped with her airhead friends by the lockers for what seemed like forever. I stood there being ignored and feeling like a leper. Then finally when she finally turned to me all she said was: “Come on. Hurry up.” Like she’d done me this great honor giving me a ride home.

Now she was all indignation. Well, I wasn’t going to stand for it. “I’m not getting out of the car,” I said.

Unfortunately Ailene’s taller and weighs more than I do. She shoved me out, hurled my backpack after me and drove off, burning rubber. She didn’t even look back. So there I stood at the side of a rural road with no idea exactly where I was.

Ailene had veered off the main highway when traffic stopped. There’d been an accident on the highway. No way of getting through any time soon. That pissed her off too. She’s not the most adaptable individual.

It was a warm afternoon. I didn’t mind walking, but the road was totally unfamiliar. I’d have to travel back in the direction of the highway. From there, I could find my way. Maybe my sister had done me a favor. Anything was better than being around her. She found me annoying but I felt the same way about her.

 As I walked, I fantasized.

Cheerleader shot dead at football game--mystery as to who pulled trigger. As a student of journalism I considered this possible headline. Were I to murder my sister, I wouldn't want to be caught.

Don’t judge me in haste. If you had a sister like Ailene, you'd probably hate her too. I’d like to say Ailene was nasty, selfish and spoiled, but it wouldn't be true. I have my share of faults. Lying isn't one of them. The truth? Ailene was polite, intelligent, beautiful, and even charming—when it suited her.

So why did I hate her? Maybe because she was everything I wished I could be but didn’t think I ever would be. Someone like Ailene, who was so much better than most people, you envied, idolized or hated her. It wasn’t easy living in the same home with perfection day after day.

A house came into my line of vision. It was an old Colonial with white clapboard shingles and black shutters that had paint peeling. There was an old woman sitting in a chair with all kinds of items set out on folding tables in cardboard boxes. I guess she was having a garage sale. I figured I’d stop and ask for directions back to the highway. She was kind of creepy looking dressed all in black. But she was the only person around. So I walked over to her. She stood up, smiling through crooked yellowed teeth.

“I’m kind of lost,” I said.

She nodded. “I can see that.” She had dark, penetrating eyes. She studied me in an eerie way that made my blood freeze.

“Can you direct me back to Route 516?”

“Certainly. But first why don’t you look at these things I have for sale. They are unique.”

“Sure,” I said, figuring to humor the old gal.

I began looking around. She had a lot of weird stuff, old crap that I had no interest in. But I figured if I offered to buy something I maybe could get the directions quicker. So I glanced at the stuff on one of the tables. A polished wooden box caught my eye.

“I see you like my music box. Actually, I have a bit of a collection.” She picked up the box and wound it up. “It plays Fur Elise by Beethoven.”

I listened and liked what I heard. “How much does it cost?”

“Whatever you can afford.”

I was surprised. I checked the pocket of my jeans. I had some allowance money with me but there wasn’t much. “I’ve only got four dollars.”

“Just the right amount,” she assured me. “There is just one thing about the box itself.” She hesitated. “You see, how should I put this, the box has a certain unusual quality. If I bestow ownership upon you, the music box will grant you a wish.”

I blinked and stared at her open-mouthed. Clearly the old lady was a few slices short of a loaf.

“Sure,” I said, trying to appear agreeable and humor her. “Great.”

“You don’t believe me, do you?” She gave me a knowing smile. Then she laughed, except I swear it sounded more like a cackle. The wind lifted her long, steel gray hair giving her an otherworldly look. “It’s all right. I don’t mind. But I think I should warn you. Once you open the box and make a wish out loud, you won’t be able to take it back. You get only one wish, you understand. So think carefully about it. Make certain you wish for something you truly want.”

You can read more about the novel here:

https://black-opal-books.myshopify.com/products/witch-wish

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DRB3VVH

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/witch-wish/id1401568260?mt=11

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/witch-wish-jacqueline-seewald/1128937209?ean=2940162153894

Comments welcome!

Multiple award-winning author, Jacqueline Seewald, has taught creative, expository and technical writing at Rutgers University as well as high school English. She also worked as both an academic librarian and an educational media specialist. Nineteen of her books of fiction have been published to critical praise including books for adults, teens and children. Her short stories, poems, essays, reviews and articles have appeared in hundreds of diverse publications and numerous anthologies such as: THE WRITER, L.A. TIMES, READER’S DIGEST, PEDESTAL, SHERLOCK HOLMES MYSTERY MAGAZINE, OVER MY DEAD BODY!, GUMSHOE REVIEW, LIBRARY JOURNAL, PUBLISHERS WEEKLY and THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR. Her writer’s blog can be found at: http://jacquelineseewald.blogspot.com

Thanks so much Jacqueline for visiting with us today!

I pray you've enjoyed Jacquie's post as much as I have friends and that you'll check back weekly for Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight.

Until next time take care and God Bless.
PamT

#ThursdayThoughts: Guest post by Katherine Fleet

Good Morning from soggy Panama City Beach, Florida!

Florida is known as the 'sunshine' state...well today it's a bit soggy out there. It rained, actually stormed last night and now the Gulf waters are a deep, roiling green and the wind is saturated with moisture. Should burn off later and we'll be scorching later but this morning it's really nice out.

Today we welcome Katherine Fleet back to our blog to share some thoughts with us....

Hi! I’m Katherine Fleet, debut author of the YA Contemporary, The Secret to Letting Go. Thanks so much to Pam for sharing my Thursday Thoughts today!

My novel is set in a fictional town on the Gulf Coast of Florida during that magical summer after high school graduation when the whole world is out there waiting for you. It’s the story of two teens – Clover, a mysterious girl who shows up in town lost in her secrets and fears, and Daniel, a boy who’s drawn into her troubled world despite his better judgment. Life keeps throwing them together, but their secrets keep them apart. Ultimately, it’s a story about living through tragedy and learning to forgive your self.

The tagline for my book is “One summer can change anything.” Since my story is set over one summer and the lives of Clover and Daniel are transformed during this period, the tag line made sense. But it called to me for another reason. As a teenager and young adult, I remember feeling that there was nothing more exciting than the idea of an entire summer ahead. As I finished those last days of school in June, summer felt like a promise of something great on the horizon.

I remember what my room felt like with the windows open and that warm, summer breeze lifting the lace curtains. I remember the sound of lawnmowers and the smell of fresh cut grass. Growing up in St. John’s, Newfoundland, summer was the only time of year where you could count on some warm, sunny days, but even then, hot days were rare. I used to sunbathe on my back porch lying on a blanket. This was before we knew about ozone layers and skin cancer. When the sun ducked behind a cloud, I’d wrap the ends of the blanket around me, so I wouldn’t freeze! I spent a lot of time walking the trails in the city, daydreaming about stories that I’d only get the nerve to try writing years later. But mostly, I remember the feeling of freedom, and I remember it like it was yesterday.

I now have three kids, two of which are teenagers. They are reaching the end of the school year and my oldest son is graduating! Sometimes I wonder how they will remember their summers. We live in the Caribbean, and for us, summer is travel time. We normally return to Canada and visit family and friends. We’ve also travelled throughout Europe and the US. I wonder which feelings and sensations will stand out to them decades from now.

I’d love to hear from you. What are your favorite memories of summers past?

Thanks again to Pam for hosting me and thanks for reading.  J

Thank you, Katherine for sharing your story with us!

Katherine writes Young/New Adult fiction. She is represented by super-agent Carrie Pestritto of Prospect Agency. The Secret to Letting Go is her debut novel. You can connect with her at her Website (be sure and sign up for her newsletter!). Also be sure to like/follow/etc Katherine on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Good Reads. She was our Saturday Spotlight guest last month so be sure and check that out.

The Secret to Letting go can be found at Amazon, B&N, ITunes, Kobo, Amazon UK, Amazon CA and directly from the publisher.

Hope you enjoyed today's thoughts. Stay tuned weekly for Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight!

Until next time....take care and God Bless.

PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight: Tara Elizabeth & Zoo (The Enclosure Chronicles: Book 1)

Good Morning Friends!

Well it's been a week full of books, The Eggcerpt Exchange is over but I am so very pleased to bring to you fellow Bayou Writers Group author, Tara Elizabeth! 

Tara is a graphic artist, wife, mother, and Red Vine lover who writes Young Adult Fiction, mostly Dystopian/Sci-Fi novels with a splash of Romance and a hint of sarcasm. Tara grew up in the Deep South surrounded by bayous, magnolia trees, crawfish and great people and, as she says.... "My culture is a huge part of my life, and you can see some of those details in my writing."

You can find out more about Tara by visiting her Website, Facebook Page,  GoodReads Page and/or connecting with her on Twitter.

 A chronicle of my time living in a zoo . . . I'm not really sure where to start, and you may have trouble believing me even as I tell you my story. My family did. They laughed the first time I told them, so now I just say it was all a crazy dream. You see, I died in a totally preventable car accident . . . or so I thought. When I opened my eyes, I was shocked to discover that I had been resurrected into the year 2282 and, just as unbelievably, was locked up in a zoo! A HUMAN ZOO! Oh wait, I mean the People's Past Anthropological Center. 

The Global Government created the Centers because all of the different cultures of the world had, over centuries of time, slowly absorbed into one uniform culture. Everything and everybody felt the same, and the world didn’t like it. So, to help the people of 2282 find cultures they thought worthy to live their lives by, they used time travel to zap the people of the past into the future. They created enclosures to house their live human exhibits. And that's what happened to me. I became a research project, a source of entertainment. I was a prisoner who was over two hundred years away from my family and friends. 

Most of my time in the enclosure was spent trying to escape. I also made friends, lost friends, fell in love, was betrayed, was held captive within captivity, and lots of other fun stuff. There were some shocking moments and some devastating moments . . . It’s a lot to recount, but I’ll try my best to tell you all about my time travel . . . PAST, PRESENT, and FUTURE.

I'm Emma, by the way. 

Zoo (The Enclosure Chronicles Book 1)remained on an Amazon top 100 List for over a consecutive year and can be purchased at Amazon in Print and for Kindle!

Wow, that's quite a feat.

Hope you enjoyed today's Spotlight. As co-founder of Bayou Writers Group, it is always a pleasure to bring you one of our authors!

Well, Easter is winding down and I hope you've enjoyed the EggCerpt Exchange posts and I pray your holiday was Blessed, Happy & Holy!

Until later...take care, God Bless and Remember.... Jesus is the reason for EVERY season!

Pamela S Thibodeaux

"Inspirational with an Edge" ™