#TuesdayTreasure: #EggCerptExchange with @TinaGayle

Good Morning Friends,

This week's Tuesday Treasure is another EggCerpt Exchange book....

CFO's Affair by Tina Gayle. 

3rd book in the Executive Wives' Club series

(strong women fiction elements)

Four women...

One fatal car wreck...

Everyone's lives changed...

Blurb: Sylvia Donovan is emotionally wounded from the unexpected death of her husband and still haunted by their last conversation: his request for a divorce and his confession of love for another woman. Her husband gone, her only daughter off to college, Sylvia faces the challenges of learning to live alone and move on with her life.

Vince Wilshire, enchanted with Sylvia, is more than willing to do what it takes to capture the heart of the hurting and untrusting Sylvia.

Can he help her forget the past and make her believe in love again?

Excerpt from book:

The door clicked open.

Wrapping his hand around the handle to keep from reaching for her, Vince Wilshire shoved the door wide. "Are you ready for this?"

Her face mere inches from his, he noticed a brief flash of panic in her eyes before Sylvia Donovan lifted her chin and stepped through the entrance. "Nothing I haven't seen before. Or probably won't see again."

He understood she meant the task of doing a job, but for some reason his brain registered the sexual implications of the comment. "Oh, man, you're brutal. Some things you know get better with age.”

Matching his steps to hers, he wrapped an arm around her shoulder and leaned in close. He whispered beside her ear, "It's all a matter of knowing how to use what you've got."

She shrugged and shifted away from him, eyeing him with a raised brow. "Yes and some people are amateurs, Mr. Wilshire. You, I take it, are an old pro who knows how to wield your sword with the best of them."

Laughter bubbled up into his throat. He marveled at her sassy tone and didn't relinquish his grip. "I must admit I’m very good at a few chosen tasks."

Now more about Tina, CFO's Affair and her books,,,,

Tina Gayle grew up a dreamer and loved to escape into the world of books.

After years of working in the business world doing a variety of jobs, she decided to try her hand at writing and hope to incorporate the joy of being a mother into her books.

Currently working on a series about four executive wives, she is excited about combining elements of women fiction with the passion of romance. The  first  three books, “Marketing Exec’s Widow”, “IT Exec’s Baby” and now “CFO’s Affair” have all been released. The last one will be out next year.

Married twenty-five years, she and her husband love to travel and play golf.  She can’t wait for Mike to retire so they can do more of both.

Read the first chapter of any of her books by visiting her website.

Tell us about your book:

Sylvia is a woman who has allowed life to beat her down. After her husband died, she reclaims herself by losing weight and trying new things. She’s brassy and harsh at time, but she deeply cares about her friends and family. I believe readers can related to all the heartache in her life and empathize with how she has to come to terms with the past and make a future for herself.

How long did it take to write the book?

Six months

What inspired you to write the book?

I’ve gone through the pain of sending my last child off to college and understand what it takes to let go.

Talk about the writing process. Did you have a writing routine? Did you do any research, and if so, what did that involve?

I work eight to ten hours a day. My writing schedule is to write three to four hours at the beginning of the day. Then I log onto the internet and write up blogs, twits, handle marketing demands and check email. In the afternoon, I return to my writing and edit my manuscript.

The main research I did for the book involved blood types.

What do you hope your readers come away with after reading your book?

The joy of letting go of the past and moving on to the future.

Where can we go to buy your book?

http://bit.ly/CFOaffair

Any other links or info you'd like to share?

Home - www.tinagayle.net

Blog - www.tinagayle.blogspot.com

Twitter - https://twitter.com/#!/AuthorTinaGayle

Goodread - http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1641826.Tina_Gayle

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/tina.gayle

Google + - https://plus.google.com

Linkin - http://www.linkedin.com/pub/tina-gayle/11/689/759

Well Friends, I hope you enjoy this Egg-cerpt Exchange! Stay tuned each week cause you never know what's coming next!

Until later... Take care & God Bless!

PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight: Maris Soule & As the Crow Flies

Good Morning!

Been a lovely couple of days here in SW Louisiana. I hope you're getting your share of nice weather too.

Today we welcome back to our blog, author Maris Soule with her title, As the Crow Flies.

P.J. Benson receives a briefcase from an elderly woman, and within twenty-four hours the briefcase is stolen, a man is dead, and P.J. is receiving death-threats. Once again, P.J. and her Rhodesian Ridgeback, Baraka, must deal with her unpredictable rural Michigan neighbors, her quirky mother, and Homicide Detective Deputy Wade Kingsley, who won't answer her calls.


Excerpt:

“Here.” A silver-haired woman about my height but three times my width shoved a battered, black briefcase into my arms. “You take this.”

“I don’t understand,” I said, shifting the cumbersome piece of luggage to a more comfortable position. “What’s in here?”

She gave a quick, furtive glance around the library meeting room, then stepped closer and lowered her voice to a whisper. “Something they want.”

Something heavy, I decided, and set the briefcase on the carpeting. “Who wants it?”

“Them.” Her pale blue eyes held a feverish glow that reminded me of the look my schizophrenic mother got when she was sure aliens had landed. “The ones he talked to. He told them if they want what he has in this briefcase, they’ll have to pay for it.”

My internal alert alarm went off, and I stepped back and glanced at the nametag on the woman’s cotton blouse. Ida Delaney. “Ida, that sounds like blackmail.”

“I know. And that’s why you have to help him. Help me.” Her chin began to quiver. “I know what happens to blackmailers. I’ve seen it on my afternoon shows. They get arrested or they get killed. I don’t know what I’ll do if they kill him.”

Just the idea of getting involved in another murder sent a shiver down my spine. “I can’t help you, Ida,” I said. “You need to go to the police.”

“No.” She shook her head, the loose-skinned wattle under her chin swinging back and forth. “No, I can’t do that. Donald said if I bothered them again, they’d make me go into a nursing home. I came here because the sign outside said you’d tell us how to protect ourselves.”

“From scams.” I thought I’d explained that during my talk. “Not from . . .”

I was going to say stupidity, but stopped myself and looked around, hoping to see either Emily Anderson, the librarian who had introduced me, or my grandmother, who had convinced me to talk to her senior citizens’ group.

At least two dozen gray-haired seniors had stayed after my talk, most of them now gathered around the refreshment table. I didn’t spot either the librarian or Grandma Carter in the group. My grandmother’s absence didn’t surprise me. My bet was she’d stepped outside for a cigarette. She hates all the No Smoking regulations Michigan’s lawmakers have come up with.

Well, I felt no pity for her today. Although summer wouldn’t officially start for another nine days, today’s weather was perfect—temps in the mid-seventies and not a cloud in the sky.

“The police think I’m crazy,” Ida whispered, bringing my attention back to her.

I knew from experience how that felt, but I had to agree with them in this case.

“Sometimes I get things a little mixed up,” Ida said. “But I really thought it was my house. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have crawled through that window. I mean, my gosh, I almost got stuck.”

“You crawled through a window into someone else’s house?” I tried not to smile, but picturing Ida Delaney squeezing her broad rear-end through an open window was more than I could suppress.

She frowned at me. “It wasn’t funny, and I really don’t see why they had to call the police. Donald told them it did look like the house I used to live in.”

“And who’s Donald?”

“My nephew.” She looked down at the briefcase by our feet. “I think he’s sorry he threatened them. He asked for way too much money.”

AS THE CROW FLIES is available at:

Kindle: http://goo.gl/Gw995o

BarnesandNoble/hardcover: http://goo.gl/ickcWA

BarnesandNoble/nook: http://goo.gl/XkyfEs

Smashwords: http://goo.gl/l9F1tx

Maris Soule has had 2 mysteries, 25 category romances, and 2 short stories published. 2 more mystery/suspense novels will be released in 2015. She is a two time RITA finalist, and has won and placed in many other contests. Born and raised in California, Soule now lives in Michigan in the summer and Florida in the winter.

Web site: http://marissoule.com
Blog. http://marissoule.com/blog/
Facebook: http://Facebook.com/marissouleauthor
Twitter @marisSouthHaven,
Also on: Google+, Goodreads, LinkedIn, and Pinterest

AS THE CROW FLIES (Another P.J. Benson Mystery)

Sounds like a good book to curl up with if you're not having great weather, but if you are you can always save it for a rainy day!

Until later...take care & God Bless!

PamT

#ThursdayThoughts: Grace & Gratitude

Good Morning Friends,

Well here we are, the last Thursday Thoughts in March 2015! End of the 1st Quarter.

Now's the time when most people look back over their resolutions and/or goals and see how they've done. And now's the time when most people give up because they just aren't where they wanted to be.

Don't be one of them!

Look over them, readjust if necessary and then express gratitude for how far you've come!

Then ask God for the grace to continue.

Next to LOVE, Grace and Gratitude are the most powerful aspects of faith you can express.

You might also consider incorporating writing and/or saying affirmations into your daily schedule. I can hear you lamenting now...I don't have time...

YES you do!

Say them while in the shower, while getting dressed, while waiting on the coffee to brew, while waiting on the kids to get in the car, while preparing breakfast or lunches. Mutter them under your breath while in traffic or the car line at school or at the bank.

In other words, use the time you would normally spend complaining to show grace and express gratitude.

Meditation is also important....Joyce Meyer has said, "If you can worry, you can meditate." All this means is shifting those worrisome thoughts into positive, faith-filled ones. Meditation is simple and can be done in as little as 5 minutes a day...better yet 5 minutes 3 times a day (morning, at lunch, before bed).

Here's the thing, we tend to make every little effort to change a big deal when really, it's a minor adjustment in our thinking and speaking. And, remember, any small improvement is a step in the right direction.

Have a Blessed and Grace-filled day!
PamT

#TuesdayTreasure: #Egg-CerptExchange with @AnitaPhilmar

Good Morning Friends and Welcome!

Today we're hosting Anita Philmar in our Egg-Cerpt Exchange blog hop with her boxed set Banished- Three Erotic Shape Shifter Stories.

I'd like to clarify a little something here. Some folks my wonder why I join with authors to promote each other even if said authors don't write Christian/Inspirational fiction. Especially when that's what I write.

Well here's the answer: I believe in authors helping authors regardless of what they write. So please know that although I may not write or even read erotic, I hold no judgement against any author who does.

Besides, I know there are Christians out there who enjoy a good story regardless of the genre or level of sensuality. Therefore, I will help promote another author regardless of what they write.

Period.

That said, I WILL respect my readers by letting them know if what's posted is not Christian/Inspirational. Which is why I highlighted, bold and in red that Anita's books are "erotic."

And now here's Anita.....

Banished Hero:

With no memory of her past, Faye Lynn Berton clings to a father who curses her ability to shape-shift, then uses her special skill to scam local villagers. The only freedom she knows comes as she soars through the sky in falcon form. A chance meeting with another changling turns her world upside down. Beyond satisfying the powerful sexual cravings that follow transformation, he reveals a surprising dimension of sex between their kind…one to unlock the secrets of her soul.

Havyn Westmore has questions…Faye Lynn holds the answers. Determined to unravel her secrets, he must strives to gain her freedom and trust. Teaching her the finer techniques of transformation keeps her close while sex strengthens their bond. But on the trail of discovery, Havyn must confront his own past. Accused of a heinous crime, he was banned from his homeland. Now, he must choose between returning to face certain execution—or robbing Faye Lynn of her birthright and a life in Paradise.

Read excerpt and first scene at http://www.anitaphilmar.com/bherobookpg.html

Banished Scoundrel:

Known scoundrel Jack Avery must earn the queen's forgiveness by rescuing her missing daughter from the human world. His sources reveal the Princess Noelani is being held by a powerful man who likes a good game of chance. So with twenty borrowed pieces of gold Jack enters the high-stakes game. Only the lady he encounters is no princess. This pretty Kitty makes him want to hear her purr.

Under a memory spell, Kitty recalls nothing before the governor bought her from her parents and offered her protection from those he claims would kill her kind. So what if, in order to control her, he forces Kitty to morph then deprives her of sexual release after transformation. But the crafty card player she is assigned to “entertain” reveals himself as a kindred spirit—a shape shifter—and unravels the lie she’s been forced to live.

Together Jack and Kitty risk it all, for the stakes are high and the prize is worth it...freedom, forgiveness, love.

Read excerpt and first scene at http://www.anitaphilmar.com/bscoundrelbookpg.html

Banished Witch:

Once a princess of Ardenia, Danella, left her homeland to warn her childhood sweetheart only to be kidnapped and sold into slavery. Learning the dark magic from her keeper, she grew to accept her role as a witch to protect her family and track down the traitor to the crown. But when Omar Mandel, the love from her past, arrives to bring her home, she realizes she can never go home. That doesn't mean she can't use his assistance in her plan for revenge and, in the meantime, live out a few unfulfilled fantasies.

The queen wants her daughter to come home and Omar’s job is to see that it happens. However, Danella isn’t the same sweet girl he remembers. In her place is a sexy woman who excites his lust and claims his heart. He must teach her to trust in his love and face the sins of the past if they are to have a future together.

Read excerpt and first scene at http://www.anitaphilmar.com/bwitchbookpg.html

Find at:
Amazon | B&N | Kobo |
All Romance 

SaturdaySpotlight: Dana Pratola

Good Morning and Welcome to the first Saturday Spotlight in spring 2015!

I don't know about you but I am more than ready for some sunshine. Alas, not this weekend in SW Louisiana. The forecast shows rain, rain and yeah...more rain, at least through the weekend. 

UGH

Well if it's raining in your neck of the woods, then now's a good time to curl up with a great book (or 3) by a wonderful author and friend, Dana Pratola.

JETT: When reclusive businessman takes an interest in Haven’s artwork, she knows it’s an answer to prayer. But Jett Cestone is an enigma with a disconcerting connection to the young women in his employ. He’s by far the most unusual man she’s ever met. 

Haven is the most interesting woman to ever cross Jett’s path. But she’s too naïve and pure to learn what goes on in his home. Too bad he wants her more than he’s wanted anyone or anything in his life.

SEBASTIAN: Men like Sebastian want only one thing, and Natalie has vowed not to give it to him. Yes, he’s gorgeous, intelligent and heroic, but he’s also a constant reminder that she isn’t good enough for him. Can she outrun a club owner who wants her dead when she’s weighed down by the failures of her past? 

His whole life, Sebastian has viewed women one way – as marvelous distractions. But when Natalie enters his life, he’s forced to see the world – and women – in a new light. Teaming with Jett Cestone, they enter a world of sex traffickers to rescue young innocents. But only Natalie can rescue him and give him the one thing his heart needs. 

AARO: Darcy D’Angelo is an average girl. Men like Aaro don’t fall for girls like her. He’s heroic, gorgeous, intelligent, and she’s…not. Yet, after only a brief acquaintance, he reveals his intention to marry her. 

Aaro Highlander, like his “brothers,” is a special breed—not quite angel, not quite human—with spectacular gifts, deep running passions and strength of character that drives him to do the right thing. But something has been missing from his life, until now. 

He’s found his mate, but his commitment to Jett and Sebastian may put wedding plans on hold as they discover prophetic secrets and hunt for a serial killer. 

ULRICK (Descended, Book4) will release at the end of the year.

You can get all three of Dana's books at Amazon!

Find out more about Dana and her writing by visiting her website. 

Happy Reading!
PamT

#ThursdayThoughts: Guest Post by NLB Horton

Good Morning Friends,

Well I don't know about you but I'm about done in with all this rain. Don't get me wrong, I know it is necessary and welcome in most cases but I'm more of a sunshine person. Rain is wonderful but seriously? I doubt we've had a full seven days in the last few months of pure sunshine. If it's not raining, it's overcast and gloomy.....

Alas that's SW Louisiana weather.

Speaking of overcast, our guest today has a story about visiting the Catacomb of Priscilla in Rome!

I'll let her tell you about it....

We are One in Christ

I toured the Catacomb of Priscilla in Rome this fall with a delightful young archaeologist. She was a graduate of the Pontifical Academy of Archaeology, a fine Vatican institution of world-class scholars and practitioners. I was privileged to access areas closed to the public, and to pick the brain of someone involved in excavation there.

All morning, she and I crisscrossed tunnels, chapels, and crypts, shuddering in damp cold created by tuff rock leeching water from the Tiber and nearby Mediterranean. We discussed the symbolism of unexpected menorahs. The open-armed poses indicating salvation in frescoes two thousand years old. And the oldest known depiction of Mary, mother of Christ, something I was eager to see.

We smiled at the generosity of the catacomb benefactor—Priscilla—who donated land under her family villa so that early Christians could bury their dead. Then we had a geeky discussion about puzzling depictions, wondering if they could represent theophanies—appearances of God.

This was easy, educated conversation between a twenty-something Catholic, European, single woman and a fifty-something Protestant, American, long-married woman. The differences in our backgrounds and generations were erased by the love of Christ and we were unified by His crucifixion.

Thanks be to God!

The Brothers’ Keepers combines travel, intrigue and the global impact of a strong woman.

In The Brothers’ Keepers, we meet archaeologist Grace Madison who is in Brussels cataloguing looted antiquities when her son’s bride is attacked in Switzerland. Her day careens from bad to catastrophic when daughter Maggie disappears in France.

Coincidence is a luxury Grace cannot afford as history — saturated in espionage — is repeating itself. The Madison family converges on Paris and begins a frenzied search to locate Maggie. A cuneiform clay tablet is their only lifeline, detailing a legend intertwining Solomon, Martin Luther and the Fourth Crusade. As they navigate a deadly, 4,000-year-old artifact trail that crosses three continents, they will jeopardize hearts and lives to preserve the ones they love. As time runs out, they discover that to save themselves, they must first rescue an old friend who is deceiving them at every turn. But will he let them?

In the midst of traversing the world, Grace is also faced with trying to save her family by rebuilding her marriage. The roles a woman will assume throughout her lifetime can be varied and complex. It’s difficult to fit any woman into a “one-size-fits-all” box, and this is certainly true of Grace. With strong female characters, The Brothers’ Keepers affirms the impact an intelligent woman who wrestles with a vigorous faith can have on the world and her own personal relationships.

One of the inspirations behind The Brothers’ Keepers was a highly dangerous situation Horton’s own family was involved in while on an archaeological survey as part of her master’s degree program at Dallas Theological Seminary. “I stood at the edge of the tel Dan (Israel) archaeological dig pit with my husband and two then-teenage children. Heavy artillery fire began booming from Syria as staccato machine-gun reports peppered near the Lebanese border. An Israeli Defense Force plane broke through cloud cover. I hoped they could see we were unarmed! Grace Madison was born from this

The Brothers’ Keepers is the second book in the Parched series, named as such to bring awareness to the life-threatening truth that sources of potable and economical drinking water are severely limited in many areas of the world, even in the U.S. Horton believes as stewards of God’s creation, Christians have a unique responsibility in this area. She also hopes the book will draw in different kinds of readers. “I hope Grace portrays a demographic of Christianity that is intelligent, fair and fearless because of its belief in God’s empowerment, one attractive to non-believers because these Christians live their faith with realism and love.”

The Brother's Keeper can be purchased at Amazon in Paperback & for Kindle and at Barnes and Noble (Nook).

NLB Horton returned to writing fiction after an award-winning career in journalism and marketing as well as earning her Master of Arts degree in Biblical Studies from Dallas Theological Seminary. She has surveyed Israeli and Jordanian archaeological digs, tossed a tarantula from her skiff into the Amazon after training with an Incan shaman, driven uneventfully through Rome and consumed gallons of afternoon tea while traveling across five continents.

For more information about NLB Horton, visit www.nlbhorton.com, become a fan on Facebook (NLB-Horton) or follow her on Twitter (NLBHorton) or Pinterest (nlbhorton).

Sounds like an interesting experience and an intriguing book!

I hope you enjoyed this week's Thursday Thoughts. Stay tuned for another Saturday Spotlight & Tuesday Treasure!

Until later...take care & God Bless!
PamT

#TuesdayTreasure: Special Guest Post by Sarah Ladd

Good Morning Friends and Welcome!

Today I'm very pleased to bring you a guest post by best selling author, Sarah Ladd.....

Thank you for inviting me to share a “Tuesday Treasure”!

I am a writer, so it probably comes as no surprise that I LOVE BOOKS! I enjoy my e-reader, don’t get me wrong, but there is nothing quite like holding a physical book in your hands.

I have been gathering and collecting books as long as I can remember, so I thought I would take this opportunity to share a little bit about one particular book that I treasure — my copy of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women.

This book belonged to my mother, and she passed it along to me when I was in elementary school. As you can see from the picture, it is worn and the spine is a little torn, but these are signs of a book that has been read many times over, and it makes me treasure this book all the more. This copy of Little Women is the very first “grown up” book I remember reading — I read it for the first time while on a family vacation, and it affected me in a way that no book ever really has. I devoured it, every single page, and have read it several times over. 

Just looking at this book brings a smile to my face, but this book has a secret — it is illustrated! Throughout the book there are both color and black and white illustrations by the artist Louis Jambor. As a child, the graphics captured my imagination and brought the story to life all the more.  

This particular book was published in 1947 by Grosset & Dunlap Publishers, and it is part of their Illustration Junior Library collection.

Thank you for letting me share my “Tuesday Treasure” with you.  What is YOUR book treasure? 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sarah E. Ladd has always loved the Regency period — the clothes, the music, the literature and the art. A college trip to England and Scotland confirmed her interest in the time period and gave her idea of what life would’ve looked like in that era. However, it wasn’t until 2010 that she started writing seriously. Her latest release, A Lady at Willowgrove Hall is the third and final release in the Whispers on the Moors series. To keep up with Sarah E. Ladd, visit www.sarahladd.com, become a fan on Facebook (Sarah Ladd Author) or follow her on Twitter (@SarahLaddAuthor).

#SaturdaySpotlight: #TheVigil a #NewRelease by @MarianPMerritt!

Good Morning Friends,

It is with pleasure I welcome  to Saturday Spotlight fellow Pelican Book Group author, Marian P Merritt with her new release, The Vigil.

Marian P. Merritt writes stories that blend her love of the mountains with her deep Southern roots. Her, Where the Bayous Meet the Mountainsstories with Louisiana and Colorado connections include: Southern Fried Christmas, A Cajun Christmas Miracle, and Deep Freeze Christmas.

This Louisiana native writes from the Northwest Colorado home she shares with her husband and a very spoiled Labradoodle. Connect with her through Website, Blog, Facebook, Twitter

Cheryl Broussard made two vows: She'd never fall for an abusive man, and she'd never return to her Louisiana hometown. But she's learned all too well the lesson of never-say-never. Now, back in Bijou Bayou after fleeing from an abusive boyfriend, Cheryl finds work as a Hospice nurse. While reading a dying patient's Korean War love letters, family secrets shatter Cheryl's beliefs about her family and herself and shed light on the reason she fled her hometown. When the Broussard family secrets are revealed, can Cheryl deal with the truth and accept the blessing of a second chance for relationships with her family, old friends, and with the God she never really knew?

Excerpt:

I crossed the drawbridge, which carried me over Bijou Bayou and into the small community which I now called home again. The purple flowers of the full bloom hyacinths floating on the water danced with the cattails at the water’s edge. All the things that made Bijou Bayou unique brought rushing memories of both the good and the bad of my childhood. Guess I couldn’t embrace one and escape the other.

While I zipped into the parking lot of Marvin’s IGA, I made a mental list of the items I needed for dinner.

Leaning on the grocery cart for support, I scanned the aisles. The day’s events had sucked the last vestiges of my energy, more so than I’d realized. Seemed encroaching death had a way of doing that. I craved nothing more than to hurry home to a hot bath.

I picked up a bag of salad and examined the leaves for freshness.

“Cheryl? Is that you?”

That voice. The one that filled my heart during my younger years tickled my ears.

He stood amidst a backdrop of fresh pineapples and mandarins, wearing navy slacks with a light blue oxford shirt, his paisley tie loosened and the first button opened.

A little paunchier than I remembered with his dark hair, shorter and thinner, but the dark electrifying eyes remained. And now, they beamed on me and zapped a hole right through me. Just like before. Just like I remembered. Just like I’d once loved.

“Beau...hello.” I kept my hands firmly planted on the plastic bag and prayed he wouldn’t extend his. I couldn’t touch his skin. Not with my clammy hands. Not ever. Heaven only knew what would happen to me if we touched. “How are you?”

He hesitated as though measuring his words before he spoke. “I-I-I’m good.”

Beau, the man I decided at seventeen was the love of my life stood before me, and now thirteen years later, I couldn’t think of anything to say to him. He’d stayed in Bijou Bayou, married my friend, Annie Melancon, and last I’d heard, had a son.

“How’s your family?” I reverted to the typical Louisiana questions.

He fingered the plastic flap of the cart’s seat. “We’re managing. You know Mama passed away last year. She and Daddy are finally together. Got a son, Steven, he’s ten and growing up into a fine young man. And Annie...is still holding on.”

Holding on? What kind of response was that?
I paused. I’m sure confusion painted my face. “You haven’t heard?” He leaned onto the handle of the shopping cart.

“I don’t think so.”
‚

“Annie was in a car accident two years ago. She’s in a long term care facility in Lafayette.’ He squeezed his lips together and blinked a few times. “In a coma.”

 You can find The Vigil along with Marian's other titles at Pelican Book Group (where the Ebooks are FREE during Lent!). 

It can also be purchased at Amazon in Paperback and for Kindle.

Well friends I hope you enjoyed this week's Saturday Spotlight. Until next time....take care & God Bless!

PamT

#ThursdayThoughts: Simple Ways to Create Balance in Your Life

Hello Friends,

I know, I know Thursday is almost over but it's never too late for Thursday Thoughts!

And since it IS so late, what better to write about than creating balance in your life?!

*free stock image from fotolia

Life is full of challenges...work, people, home, family...seems we have more obligations than time. One way to keep everything in balance is to take time for yourself.

How, you ask, do you take time for yourself when every minute of every hour of each day is filled with activity?

Here are a few simple things you can do in as little as 5 or 10 minutes to rejuvenate and refocus.

Walk: Exercise releases the feel-good hormones in our brain and experts say that frequent 10 minute walks are as beneficial as 2 or 3 thirty-minute walks.

Read: devotions, poems, short stories...anthologies like Chicken Soup and Cup of Comfort and devotional books like Penned from the Heart, offer a chance to fill the emotional void stress can cause. Sharing someone else's joy leaves you feeling better about yourself and your life.

Write: devotions, poems, essays, short stories, journal entries...writing helps to focus and reflect.

Meditate: This can be as simple as closing your eyes and taking deep breaths to repeating a mantra (relax, peace, joy, blessings) or affirmations. The two most powerful words in the universe are I AM - so when you find yourself stressed to the max, take a few moments and affirm what you ARE instead of what you aren't (I am blessed, I am healthy, I am wealthy). Another way of doing this is to affirm what you CAN instead of what you can't (I CAN do all things through Christ who strengthens me.) In place of "all things" put whatever it is you are attempting (I can lose weight through Christ who strengthens me, I can save money through Christ who strengthens me, I can finish such-and-such task....) Become the little engine that COULD!

Count Your Blessings: When things get tough, we tend to focus on the negative - turn this around and focus on something positive. Even in a difficult situation, you can find something positive to focus on. Keeping a gratitude journal is a proven technique to bring about positive changes. When you focus on the good in your life with gratitude, you draw more good to you - in other words, you reap what you sow.

We've all heard the saying that life is 90% attitude. The bible is full of advice on how to live a tranquil life.... Proverbs teaches us that life and death are in the tongue.

Deuteronomy tells us that God has put before us life and death, blessing and cursing - then He tells us which to choose - "therefore, choose life. Everything in life is a choice, love, peace, joy - when we choose to share these things, they return to us as tranquility in the midst of chaos.


Get in the habit of practicing one or more of these tranquil moments and you'll have little pockets of peace woven throughout the fabric of your daily life.

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

#TuesdayTreasure: #Egg-CerptExchange with Kim Iverson Headlee!

Good Morning Friends and a wet one it is here in SW Louisiana!

Today is the first of our Egg-Cerpt Exchange posts....Hope you enjoy it!

TITLE – Morning's Journey 
SERIES –The Dragon's Dove Chronicles, vol. 2

AUTHOR – Kim Iverson Headlee

GENRE – Young Adult Historical Fantasy Spiritual Romance

PUBLICATION DATE – August 2014

LENGTH (Pages/# Words) – 447 pages/140K words

PUBLISHER – Pendragon Cove Press

COVER DESIGNER – Natasha Brown

SYNOPSIS

In a violent age when enemies besiege Brydein and alliances shift as swiftly as the wind, stand two remarkable leaders: the Caledonian warrior-queen Gyanhumara and her consort, Arthur the Pendragon. Their fiery love is tempered only by their conviction to forge unity between their disparate peoples. Arthur and Gyan must create an impenetrable front to protect Brydein and Caledonia from land-lusting Saxons and the marauding Angli raiders who may be massing forces in the east, near Arthur’s sister and those he has sworn to protect.

But their biggest threat is an enemy within: Urien, Arthur’s rival and the man Gyan was treaty-bound to marry until she broke that promise for Arthur’s love. When Urien becomes chieftain of his clan, his increase in wealth and power is matched only by the magnitude of his hatred of Arthur and Gyan—and his threat to their infant son.

Morning’s Journey, sequel to the critically acclaimed Dawnflight, propels the reader from the heights of triumph to the depths of despair, through the struggles of some of the most fascinating characters in all of Arthurian literature. Those struggles are exacerbated by the characters’ own flawed choices. Gyan and Arthur must learn that while extending forgiveness to others may be difficult, forgiveness of self is the most excruciating—yet ultimately the most healing—step of the entire journey.

Watch the Book Trailer Here.

Read an excerpt and check out the blog tour for Morning's Journey HERE!

Stay tuned for more #EggCerpt Exchange posts coming in the next couple of weeks!

Until later...take care & God Bless!
PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight: Jen J Danna!

Good Morning Friends!

Well March just seems to be marching on as here we are at the 7th already!

Today it is my pleasure to welcome author Jen J Danna back to the spotlight with her book, Two Parts Bloody Murder.

A scientist specializing in infectious diseases, Jen J. Danna works as part of a dynamic research group at a cutting-edge Canadian university. However, her true passion lies in indulging her love of the mysterious through her writing. Together with her partner Ann Vanderlaan she crafts suspenseful crime fiction with a realistic scientific edge. Their four Abbott and Lowell Forensic Mysteries include DEAD, WITHOUT A STONE TO TELL IT; NO ONE SEES ME ’TILL I FALL; A FLAME IN THE WIND OF DEATH; and TWO PARTS BLOODY MURDER.

Jen lives near Toronto, Ontario, with her husband and two daughters. You can find out more about Jen by visiting her website or connecting with her on Facebook, Goodreads, Pinterest or Twitter!

Prohibition was a time of clandestine excess—short skirts, drinking, dancing . . . and death. But a murder committed so many years ago still has the power to reverberate decades later with deadly consequences. It’s a double surprise for Trooper Leigh Abbott as she investigates a cold case and discovers two murder victims in a historic nineteenth-century building. Together with forensic anthropologist Matt Lowell and medical examiner Dr. Edward Rowe, she uncovers the secrets of a long-forgotten, Prohibition-era speakeasy in the same building. But when the two victims are discovered to be relatives—their deaths separated by over eighty years—the case deepens, and suddenly the speakeasy is revealed as ground zero for a cascade of crimes through the decades. When a murder committed nearly forty years ago comes under fresh scrutiny, the team realizes that an innocent man was wrongly imprisoned and the real murderer is still at large. Now they must solve three murders spanning over eighty years if they hope to set a wronged man free.

EXCERPT

“Whoa!” Brad Riley’s eyes nearly bugged out of his head as he stepped into the dimly lit bar. 

“This is amazing!” Riley was the squad rookie, and the one trooper in the unit Leigh was on truly good terms with. He’d heard the stories about Leigh from the other guys, but had decided on his own that she wasn’t a bad cop. He’d even volunteered to help with her casework in the past. He was young and green, but they’d all been that at some point, and Leigh genuinely liked him.

Leigh grinned at his enthusiasm. “Yeah, it’s pretty cool.”

“The body is down here?” Riley swung the sledgehammer off his shoulder, carefully lowering it to the ground.

“Maybe. We’re about to find out for sure. Through here.” She led the way into the back, waiting patiently as Riley dragged his heels a bit, looking at everything as he came through.

“Do you want to do the honors?” she asked Rowe.

He stepped back, one hand raised, the other still weighed down with the crowbar he carried. “No, ma’am. This is the most fun I’ve had on a case in years, but this is your show. You do the honors.”

Leigh accepted the sledgehammer from Riley, swinging it up to rest on her shoulder. “I’m thinking dead center to have the least amount of support from the surrounding structure. Agreed?”

“Yes. Not that you’ll have much luck aiming with that, but try for the mortar joins. The mortar will give way before the brick.”

Leigh got a good grip on the sledgehammer and then swung it with all her strength at the wall. It hit with a resounding crash, the reverberations shooting up both arms and straight into her shoulders. She let the sledgehammer fall heavily to the floor, narrowly missing her toes, before examining the wall. The bricks were all still in place, but mortar crumbled to the floor. Heaving the sledgehammer up to her shoulder again, she prepared for the second strike.

It took three blows to knock the first brick free and two more to make a hole big enough to see through. Leigh set the sledgehammer down against the wall, panting. “That . . . should do it.” 

Stepping up to the shoulder-height hole, she pulled a loose brick free and tossed it onto the plank floor at her feet. She angled the light into the hole, crouched down to peer in, and froze.

The hidden space was approximately two feet deep and ran the length of the eight foot wall. She had to crane her neck to follow the narrow beam of light down to the floor. But after all the time spent with Matt and his students, there was no mistaking the pale flash of bones lying inside.

A tomb was hidden on the other side of this wall. But had the victim been alive or dead when he was bricked in so long ago?

Wordlessly, she stepped back and handed the flashlight to Rowe. He gave her a quick, searching glance, but then moved in to see for himself. He peered through the gap, squinting in the dim light and then spending a long moment taking in the remains. Finally, he pulled back and handed the flashlight to Riley before stepping out of the way.

Leigh met his solemn gaze. “Better call Lowell back ASAP,” he said. “Looks like we’re going to need him again.”

Well if you like murder mysteries, you might want to check this one out!

Two Parts Bloody Murder can be purchased at Amazon in Print and for Kindle; Amazon CA Print, Kindle; Amazon UK Print, Kindle and at B&N.

I sure hope you enjoyed this week's Saturday Spotlight!
Be sure and come back weekly for Tuesday Treasure, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight. Oh and watch for upcoming Egg-cerpt Exchanges!

Until later....take care, God Bless and remember....Our thoughts create our life so choose your thoughts wisely.

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