#TuesdayTreasures Guest Post by Mary Alford

Happy Mardi-Gras!

Yep today is the day of partying and eating before the fasting of Lent. Hope you have a great --and SAFE--one!

Today's guest is brand new to our blog and a fellow Pelican Book Group author so please welcome Mary Alford......

The Mountains Are Calling…

As a child, I grew up loving to go to the beach. Every vacation my family went on had to be to the beach…until one year when my husband and I visited the mountains. That was it. So long beach. I was hooked on the mountains.

I think we all have places like that. It’s where we go to recharge. Grow close to nature and to God. For me, it’s staring up at a mountain and feeling so small amongst the majesty before me.

Every time my husband and I visit our cabin in Colorado, I’m reminded of John Denver’s Rocky Mountain High.

 He climbed cathedral mountains, he saw silver clouds below, he saw everything as far as you can see.

Now he walks in quiet solitude, the forest and the streams, seeking grace in every step he takes.

 His sight is turned inside himself, to try and understand the serenity of a clear blue mountain lake.

 And the Colorado Rocky Mountain high, I've seen it raining fire in the sky.

 You can talk to God and listen to the casual reply.

 Rocky Mountain high, Colorado. Rocky Mountain high. 

I never really understood that song until I visited the Rocky Mountains. The mountains get in your blood and they won’t let you go.

I think that’s why when I start a new book, I always gravitate towards the mountains as the setting. Such is the case in my new release from Pelican Group entitled, Grace And The Rancher.

The book is set in the fictional town of Delaney Mountain, Colorado. A small mountain town where everyone knows each other. The perfect place to start your life over again.

Which is exactly what happens for Grace Bradford, the heroine in my story. Grace is running away from a tragic past that took away her career as a singer and almost ended her life. She hit Delaney Mountain with nothing but her dog Lizzy and her car. What she eventually finds there is a second chance.

Kyle Delaney has a past he’d just as soon forget. But returning to his hometown of Delaney Mountain brings back the mistakes he’d ran away from all those years earlier. Kyle’s looking for redemption, what he finds is love.   

         

Grace Bradford is living a lie. To the world she has the perfect life: A promising country music career and a husband who adores her. But her husband isn't the man everyone believes him to be. When a car accident widows her and ends her career, Grace escapes to Delaney Mountain. But moving to the remote town doesn't wipe away the ugly secret of her marriage. 

Kyle Delaney never intended to return to Delaney Mountain, but he promises his dying father that he'll turn their land into a working cattle ranch. He uproots his life in Austin, sells his flourishing business as a music agent, and returns to the Colorado town of his childhood. Can a runaway singer and a makeshift rancher, thrust together by circumstance and held together by the common thread of loss and a love of music, find hope and a happily-ever-after under the stars of Delaney Mountain?

Buy the book at Amazon, Barnes And Noble.

Mary Alford grew up in a small Texas town famous for, well not much of anything really. Being the baby of the family and quite a bit younger than her two brothers and her sister, Mary had plenty of time to entertain herself. Making up stories seemed to come natural to her.

As a teen, Mary discovered Phyllis Whitney and Victoria Holt and knew instinctively that was what she wanted to do with her over-active imagination.

She wrote her first novel as a teen, (it’s tucked away somewhere never to see the light of day), but never really pursued her writing career seriously until a few years later, when she wrote her first inspirational romantic suspense and was hooked.

Today, Mary still lives in Texas, and still creates people facing dangerous situations. In fact, she can’t think of anything else she’d rather do.

Learn more about Mary at www.MaryAlford.net, or send her an email at maryjalfordauthor@gmail.com.

Wow Mary....such beautiful photographs. I love the mountains (and John Denver) too and visits to them are definitely something to treasure. Good luck and God's blessings with your new book!

Hope you enjoyed today's post, Friends and that you'll join me each week for Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight.

Until next time, take care and God bless.

PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight is on Tena Stetler

Good Morning and Welcome!

Today's guest is another new-to-me (and therefore new to our blog) author! Please give a great round of applause to Best selling author, Tena Stetler with her release, A Demon's Witch - a PG13 Paranormal Romance book.

Before we find out more about the book, let's find out how Tena came up with its premise....

A Demon’s Witch was my debut novel and has remained close to my heart. A Demon’s Witch hit the market and garnered best seller status. It earned The Romantic Reviews Readers Choice 2016 Nominee in the paranormal romance category.   I love talking about this story.

The ideas begin to percolate as I sat in a beauty salon listening to the chatter from other customers. One woman swore she’d been approached by a vampire want-to-be.

This got me to thinking, which is scary in and of itself. What if the hairdresser was an alpha male, Demon Overlord of the Western Hemisphere that owned a multi-species salon in Washington DC? Enter a powerful witch, whose beauty caught the eye of the demon on a rainy day when she rushed into his salon. Now, unbeknownst to him, she is not any ordinary witch, but the little sister of the demon’s enforcer. Now you have a romance with unbelievable complications.

The story became a series, but the other planned books in the series took a strange turn when the majority of readers and reviewers clamored for the enforcer, Tristian’s story to be next in line. I’d never considered writing a book on the witch’s brother, the demon’s enforcer. But after mulling it over for several months and publishing three unrelated books,

I am excited to announce A Warlock’s Secrets (Tristian’s story) is awaiting cover art and will be published spring 2017. So please watch for it!

Oh WOW Tena ... isn't it wonderful where story ideas come from?!

Now let's find out more about A Demon's Witch.....

Keeping a lid on all the paranormal beings inhabiting Washington D.C., is a daunting job. Bruce, a six hundred year old demon and the Territory Overlord of the Western Hemisphere, keeps his finger on the pulse of DC’s power players through the activities at his highly successful Wycked Hair Salon. His movie star good looks and body builder physique keeps his dance card full and the rumor mills running.  Within these walls, his anonymity is safe, mostly.
        Bruce’s world spins out of control when Angelique, a pint size, gorgeous witch, with an attitude breezes through the doors of his salon. She is the younger sister of Tristian, Bruce’s long time trusted enforcer, whose professional skills are second to none. Tristian is furious at the relationship between Bruce and Angelique, a dangerous situation, but something darker threatens them all. Will undeniable attraction between demon and witch tear their worlds apart?

Excerpt:
At two in the morning he awoke feeling her restlessness, listening he heard her soft sobs. He pulled on his black silk lounge pants and grabbed the robe from the foot of his bed. Padding silently in his bare feet down the hall, he paused at her bedroom door just as her anguished scream filled the room. He was at the side of her bed a second later. Gathering her onto his lap, he held her unyielding body to his until her flailing limbs quieted and her troubled violet eyes opened. Cognizant of where she was now and with whom, she flung her arms around his neck and clung tight as shivers racked her slight frame.

Megan came running from the other wing of the house where the staff lived during the week. “Is everything all right?” She peeked inside Angie’s bedroom door.

“Just a nightmare, nothing to worry about. She’s awake now.

“Oh no my Lord,” Megan said in a low frantic whisper.

“Don’t call me that,” he growled, his amber eyes tinged with orange glowed in the dark room.

“Sorry. There’s something dark and dangerous chasing that one.” She nodded in Angie’s direction. “It’s not of this world.”

He lowered his voice and spoke kindly. “Go back to bed, I’ve got this handled.” He paused for a beat exhaling slowly. “For now.”

Intriguing.... Purchase A Demon's Witch at Amazon

Author Bio: Best selling author, Tena Stetler, uses her over-active imagination to spin tales of paranormal romance/suspense and cozy mysteries. Her spicy romances spin the adventures of magical kick-ass women and mystical alpha males that dare to love them. From demons to faeries and witches to vampires her intriguing characters take roads less traveled to draw you into exciting tales that  engage the imagination and warm the heart. You can find out more about Tena by visiting the following locations....

Website: http://www.tenastetler.com
Blog: http://www.tenastetler.com/my-blog
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/tenastetler.author
Twitter Page: www.twitter.com/TenaStetler  
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14187532.Tena_Stetler
The Wild Rose Press: http://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/1264_tena-stetler
Amazon:  www.amazon.com/author/tenastetler
Newsletter: Sign up on web page www.tenastetler.com
Pinterest:  https://www.pinterest.com/tenastetler

For a chance to win an amazon $5.00 GC or a e-book of A Witch’s Journey please sign up for Tena's newsletter at  http://www.tenastetler.com and Like her facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/tenastetler.author.

Hope you enjoyed today's spotlight and that you'll join me weekly for Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and of course, Saturday Spotlight.

Until next time, take care and God Bless.
PamT

#ThursdayThoughts Guest Post by Art Greenhaw

Good Morning!

Please welcome brand new (to me) Grammy Winning Producer and Artist, Art Greenhaw to share some thoughts with us with the lyrics to his song, Always Hear the Haromony....

Always Hear the Harmony

the Life Version

If life’s fires only refine you,

when you’re up against the heat,

If you always feel some pity

for the outcast on the street,

If you play the song within you,

(Note: The song within you is a reference to the Holy Spirit)

make a broken chord complete,

You’ll always hear the harmony

and you’ll always feel the beat.

(Note:  The beat is a reference to the heartbeat of the baby in the womb)

If you share Life’s gift of grace

with every girl and boy you meet,

If every mother gets to see

her baby’s hands and feet,

(Note:  This stanza is a reference to the sonogram)

And she listens for the breathing

of her tiny child asleep,

Then she always hears the harmony

and she always feels the beat.

If you hear the music, it’s your soul and it’s talking,

If you feel the rhythm, it’s your heart and it’s walking.

Cause there’s one small soul inside her

that thrills to hear her voice,

(Note:  The little baby in the womb recognizes its mother’s voice)

This one and only gift from God,

who’s never just a choice,

For every child is wanted

in The Maker’s plan complete,

(Note: The Maker is a reference to God the Father)

And Life always hears the harmony,

(Note:  Life is a reference to Jesus Christ.)

and Life always feels the beat.

If you hear the music, it’s your soul and it’s talking,

If you feel the rhythm, it’s your heart and it’s walking.

If you light one little candle

whose beam the distance throws,

If you say, “Here I stand”

for a million unborn Roes,

(Note: Estimated 54,000,000 aborted in the U.S. since 1973*)

If you always fight the Good Fight

‘til the Son of Man you meet,

You’ll always hear the harmony,

(Note: Harmony is a reference to the Holy Trinity)

and you’ll always feel the beat.

Copyright 2010 – Greenhaw Records

*In 1973, Roe v. Wade was filed at the Earl Cabell Federal Building in Dallas, Texas.  Henry Wade was the District Attorney who prosecuted the case.  For over 40 years, thousands have protested the final verdict on the anniversary of the filing of the case. In recent years, large rallies have been held in the parking lot of the Earl Cabell Federal Building where people pray out loud to God that this case will be reversed.

Thank you so much, Art, for sharing your thoughts with us in such a beautiful way!

 Creator/editor/co-writer Art Greenhaw's comicbook roots run deep, Art having enjoyed a 20-year friendship with Stan Lee and a lifetime apprenticeship studying the works of his biggest comicbook influences including Stan, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, Al Hartley, and Ben Dunn. Art was a National Council of Teachers of English literary competition award winner and was the Optimist Club's oratory contest winner. He has studied art at the Dallas Museum of Art and co-created and co-wrote stories and songs with pop culture icon Ed "Big Daddy" Roth, who proclaimed Art "The Voice of Rat Fink".

Art is a Grammy Award-Winning artist, producer, arranger, and mixing engineer and holds a Grammy record for most Grammy Nominations (eight) by a group in his particular category of Gospel-Christian music. Among the legendary artists who have recorded the songs and stories of Art include Ann-Margret, Engelbert Humperdinck, Trini Lopez, The Jordanaires, James Blackwood, The Light Crust Doughboys, The Ventures, the Southern Methodist University Mustang Band, and many more.

It is Art's lifetime mission to bring much-needed messages of morality and spirituality to today's youth through his favorite literary medium: comicbooks. Art owns and manages the iconic #1 Texas legacy country band, The Light Crust Doughboys. www.artgreenhaw.com. Art is represented by PrimeStar Publicity. Purchase God's Silver Soldiers from the Website, Publisher or Amazon!

Hope you enjoyed today's post and that you'll join me weekly for Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight.

Until next time, take care and God Bless.
PamT

#TuesdayTreasures People, Places & Things

Good Morning,

When I first started this feature I thought, wow...between me and my guests, we'll never run out of things we treasure to share. But as I sit here this morning, so many thoughts run through my head....

Am I treasuring the right things?

Am I wasting my treasures (gifts and talents)....my life perhaps, doing what I have to do instead of what I love and want to do?

Are these items I treasure really worth anything to anyone else?

You may wonder where these thoughts come from. Or, maybe, you have them yourself from time to time.

We all have things in our lives we treasure....mementos from our children, parents, grandparents and friends. Things like.....

This vase my son made a flower arrangement in when he was just a boy that I now use as a pencil holder....


And this mug my daughter gave me for mothers day that talks about how I'm like a good bra...Supportive, Makes me (her) look good, never leaves me (her) hanging and is always close to my (her) heart LOL!

And then there's this flower arrangement from my mom's funeral and her heart necklace I wear when I need to feel her presence more acutely....

                            

And we all know how I treasure Bandera, TX and the Silver Spur Guest Ranch LOL! 

I have dozens of other things, memories really that I treasure, as I'm sure you have. 

Last week we buried my brother-in-law. This week we'll bury my cousin. Therefore, my thoughts today are whether or not I'm actually showing and telling the people I treasure how much they mean to me.

I hope you'll take a moment today and tell  the people you treasure how much they mean to you. Can't tell them? Send them thoughts of love, peace, joy and happiness. You'll be surprised at the effect you thoughts about them will have on your, and their, day.

Meanwhile, I'd love to hear about some things you treasure so leave a comment!

Something to think about!

"Inspirational with an Edge!" ™

Hope you enjoyed today's post and that you'll join me each week for Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight.

Until next time, take care and God Bless.

PamT

PS: This year's Eggcerpt Exchange is starting Feb 28th - April 16 so watch for some great blurbs and excerpts!

#SaturdaySpotlight is on Casi McLean & Beneath the Lake!

Good Morning Friends!

I'm off to the first Mardi Gras parade of the season....well my first anyway. It's that time here in SWLA so if you're visiting or just passing through take time to catch a few beads.

Today's guest is new to our blog and she visits today with her latest release, Beneath the Lake a PG13 rated, time slip, romantic suspense, book.

Award winning author, Casi McLean, pens novels to stir the soul with romance, suspense, and a sprinkle of magic. Her writing crosses genres from ethereal, captivating shorts with eerie twist endings to believable time slips, mystical plots, and sensual romantic suspense. Beneath The Lake won the 2016 Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence for BEST Romantic Suspense.

Her stories entwine strong, believable heroines with delicious hot heroes to tempt the deepest desires then fans the flames, sweeping readers into their innermost romantic fantasies. Ms. McLean weaves exceptional romantic mystery with suspenseful settings and lovable characters you'll devour. You'll see, hear, and feel the magical eeriness of one fateful night. You'll swear her time travel could happen, be mystified by her other worldly images, and feel heat of romantic suspense, but most of all you'll want more.

Find out more by visiting Casi's Website Facebook Page  GoodReads Author Page  Amazon Author Page  and Blog and following her on Twitter!

Now let's find out about Casi's book, Beneath the Lake....

A ghost town submerged beneath Atlanta's famous man-made Lake Lanier reportedly lures victims to a watery grave. But when Lacey Montgomery's car spins out of control and hurtles into the depths of the icy water, she awakens in the arms of a stranger, in a town she's never heard of--34 years before she was born.

When the 2012 lawyer tangles with a 1949 hunk, fire and ice swirl into a stream of sweltering desire. Bobby Reynolds is smitten the moment the storm-ravaged woman opens her eyes and, despite adamant protest, Lacey falls in love with a town destined for extinction, and the man who vows to save his legacy.

Threatened by a nefarious stalker, the wrath of bootleggers, and twists of fate, Lacey must find the key to a mysterious portal before time rips the lovers apart, leaving their star-crossed spirits to wander forever through a ghost town buried beneath the lake.

Excerpt:
Lake Lanier, Georgia—June 2011

A final thud hurled him backward, flailing through brush and thickets like a rag doll. Grasping at anything to break momentum, Rob’s hand clung to a branch wedged into the face of the precipice. Spiny splinters sliced his skin. Blood oozed and trickled into his palms, and one by one, his fingers slowly slipped.

A sharp crack echoed through the silence of the ravine as the bough succumbed to his weight. He plummeted into free-fall. Clenching his eyes, he drew in a deep breath, terrified of the pain, the mauling that waited on the jagged rocks below.

When icy water broke his fall, the chill kept him from losing consciousness. He spun, straining to see, but darkness enveloped him. Soggy clothing pulled him deeper—deeper into the murky, fathomless depths. He wrestled to squirm free from the waterlogged jacket dragging him down to a watery grave, watched the coat disappear into black obscurity. Panic gripped his stomach, or was it death that snaked around his chest, squeezing, squeezing, squeezing the air, the life from his body? Lack of oxygen burned his lungs, beckoning surrender, and a shard of rage pierced his gut as reality set in. He lunged upward with one last thrust and burst from the water’s deadly grip, gasping for air. A gurgling howl spewed from the depths of his soul and echoed into silence.

Sunlight shimmered across a smooth, indigo lake, but aside from the slight ripples of his own paddling, nothing but stillness surrounded him. He floated toward the shore, sucking deep breaths into his lungs until the pummeling in his chest subsided. When he reached the water’s edge, he hoisted his body onto the soft red clay and collapsed while the sun’s warmth drained the tension from his body.

No one knew he had survived. The rules had shifted. Now he could reinvent himself, become a stealth predator. His target: Lacey Madison Montgomery.

OH Wow, Casi! Where did you come up with the premise for this book?

I love to talk about Beneath The Lake, and the eerie lake lore that inspired my muse. A town that time forgot––the history and creepy stories attached to a rural area that sleeps beneath Atlanta's famous man-made lake, Sidney Lanier, fascinated me. Homes, churches and businesses still linger beneath the surface. The moonshiners of the 1940's added built-in suspense, and the birth of NASCAR. Looper Speedway, a half-mile dirt track where bootleggers competed with their souped-up cars, exposed its cement stands in a recent draught.

There's a Lady of the Lake who haunts the ghost town too––the spine-chilling lore is the basis for book three in my Beneath The Lake series, Between The Shadows. Some say she lures victims to her watery grave. The truth is, swimmers get trapped among the deadfall of sheered-off trees and town remains. Even expert divers get tangled beneath the murky surface, hence the lake's unnerving label: Lanier never gives up its dead. The inspiration swirled in my mind, begging for a story to be told. What a perfect setting for my romantic time-slip suspense series.

Why time-slip? Ever since my childhood imagination discovered Madeleine L'Engles, A Wrinkle In Time, the idea of time travel intrigued me. And Lake Lanier, a man-made lake with mesmerizing history, presented a plausible theory. What if the excavation explosions triggered a seismic shift? Given enough energy, could the blasts rip a portal into a different dimension or a crack in time? The possibilities were endless.

The birth of Lacey Montgomery evolved through my young adult love for Jude Deveraux's A Knight In Shining Armor. The time-slip novel introduced her endearing Montgomery family. I hope my books honor her inspiration. My high school friend, Hilary Johnson, inspired the persona of my heroine, Lacey Montgomery. A lawyer, discouraged with defending criminals, yearned to help honest people in trouble. Some of Hillary's finer qualities became part of Lacey––the dysfunctional relationships came from my own personal experiences. LOL. Once these elements entwined, Beneath The Lake blossomed with an energy and life of its own.

The sequel, Beyond The Mist, picks up where the first story ends incorporating two minor characters as the new hero and heroine. Beyond The Mist is complete, in editing, and will be published in a few months.

For a Free Gift, and a chance to win my entire short story collection, Destiny: Five Novelettes With a Twist, click here: https://spark.adobe.com/page/pxekfzj8Rx4el/

If you enjoyed the blurb and excerpt, watch the trailer too! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwOqm8DUUfA

Purchase Beneath the Lake at Amazon.

Well friends hope you enjoyed today's spotlight and that you'll join us each week for Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight.

Until next time, take care and God Bless.
PamT

#ThursdayThoughts Random Ramblings & an Experiment on Abundance

Good Morning!

Last night I listened to The Abundance Factor movie while coloring...something I haven't done in a LONG while but have heard so much about the meditative benefits thought I'd try.... Anyway, while listening to The Abundance Factor movie, one idea that stuck with me was 3 things you can do on a daily basis to be/feel more abundant.

#1: Write 3 (or more) things you're grateful for.

#2: Send love to 3 people with whom you're not on the best of terms with (someone you need to forgive or someone who gets on your nerves, etc)

#3: Sit in silence for 5 minutes then ask for direction for your day.

Now as a Christian, we're called to invite Jesus and/or Holy Spirit into our morning meditations and to include bible reading, but the principle is basically the same.

I've gone through various stages of doing this or something similar for years and although my life isn't as "abundant" or "rich" as others' or some may think, it's pretty darn good.

One thing that resonates with me about the spiritual / mental aspects of abundance is to focus on something that represents abundance to you and to really get into the feeling of being abundant.

For some that may be money, others find abundance in nature (a waterfall symbolizes wealth and prosperity in Feng Shui), but the whole concept is really cool.

So here's an experiment..... Pick one (or all 3) of these pictures sit in silence for a few minutes and really let your imagination go while you visualize your life filled with abundance as vast and as plentiful as the picture suggests. Create a mantra around it if you have to....


Money flows into my life plentiful and with ease.

Abundance fills my life in a never-ending flow as lush and beautiful as this waterfall.
                 My life overflows with richness and beauty.


Do you feel more abundant or at least calmer?

I'd love to know so leave a comment.

Hope you enjoyed today's post and that we'll see you each week for Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight!

Until next time, take care and God bless.

#TuesdayTreasures LOVE and Forgiveness

Happy Valentine's Day!

When this time of year rolls around we all think of LOVE.... the people in our lives whom we love, those we've loved and lost and those we wish we could love. It's another day set aside in each year to remind us that love is a powerful thing and something we should treasure.

More than treasure, love is something we should aspire to live and express on a daily, moment-by-moment basis.

Think about all those people you don't understand or dislike and take a few moments to send them love.

Can't do it?

Then start with peace or joy or happiness or forgiveness. Forgive them and forgive yourself for your lack of love toward them.

The Bible teaches us that Forgiveness and Love are a choice. Therefore, even if you don't actually "feel" the warm, fuzzy emotions. Choose love. Be willing to forgive.

There's a lot of power in praying.... "Lord I can't do this but I'm willing to forgive, I'm willing to say the words, I'm willing to have a change of heart. I'm willing to see this person or this situation through YOUR eyes. Help me."

One of the most powerful prayers I've learned in my studies of spirituality is "I forgive you and I release you to God."

Simple words that have the ability to change lives.

Again, even if you don't actually feel this, saying the words opens your mind and eventually your heart to free yourself and, in turn, your offender.

Try it, you'll be amazed and I'll bet you'll feel better physically, mentally and emotionally.

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

If you're looking for a Valentine's day gift to send to someone consider my devotional Love is a Rose which parallels the love of God to the words of the song "The Rose" available in Ebook, Kindle and Nook. Also in Print an at Deeper Shopping!

Hope you enjoyed today's post and you'll drop by each week for Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight!

Until next time take care and God bless.
PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight is on Rick McQuiston & Eat the World

Good Morning!

Well here we are, the second weekend in Feb. This is my granddaughter's first dance competition of 2017 so I'll be out and about and therefore may not be online much. So without further ado, here's our guest, Rick McQuiston who is brand new to our blog and his book, a horror novel, Eat the World........

Rick McQuiston is a 49-year-old father of two who loves anything horror-related. He’s had nearly 400 publications so far, and written five novels, ten anthologies, one book of novellas, and edited an anthology of Michigan authors.

Rick is also a guest author each year at Memphis Junior High School. 

He’s currently working on his sixth novel. 

More about Rick at:

Publisher's website: www.classactbooks.com

Author's website: www.many-midnights.com

In picturesque Mackinac a growing army of rats are beginning to seep into the community of tourists.

They seemingly appear out of nowhere, and it is up to ordinary people to gather their courage and battle the hordes.

But there is something more frightening beneath the surface, something that was born from the accumulated depths of Earth's creatures, something that can threaten the entire world.

Excerpt from Eat the World:

          The rodent scurried through the narrow channel. It barely managed to squeeze its lengthy bulk into the tight aperture, but by inhaling a deep breath of warm, salty air, it was able to reduce its girth enough to allow it somewhat comfortable passage. A cursory glance to either side after it cleared the opening revealed nothing predatory or dangerous.

The rodent then scrambled into the brush.

In its wake was a vicious, gray-green substance that loosely resembled hydraulic motor oil left in the sun too long. It was thick in consistency, yet still transparent enough to allow the dozens of tiny organisms swirling within it to be seen. It bristled with unnatural life.

The small grass snake slithered through the brush. Its brown, speckled hide gave it perfect camouflage in the wild. It melted into its surroundings, becoming for all intents and purposes, invisible to both predator and prey. It was its natural defense mechanism as well as aiding it with tracking down prey.

The snake's belly convulsed with hunger. It hadn't eaten in days and was in danger of starving. It scanned the woods for any sign of movement, anything at all that it could inflict a bite on and swallow whole.

There was no movement whatsoever. Not even a stray beetle or ant scuttled by. The snake was completely alone in the vast wilderness of the island. It laid perfectly still, both to conserve energy and to avoid detection. It sensed that something was watching it from a darkened crevice nearby. Something bigger than it was and undoubtedly just as hungry.

The snake didn't move a muscle. It hoped that whatever was hidden in the crevice wouldn't notice it. The strange substance on the ground bristled beneath its body, but it had more pressing matters to be concerned about. Flicking its tongue, the snake tasted the air. Far below, the cold waters of Lake Huron washed up against I-67. Being the only state highway in the US without motorized vehicles, the pristine ribbon of asphalt circled the entire island.

The movement caught the snake's attention. It swung its conical head in the direction of the sound: the dark crevice. Whatever was watching it had moved. Several quick tongue darts picked up a scent, causing the snake to recoil back into itself. It could defend itself if need be, but if its adversary was larger it would quickly opt for retreat. Self-preservation was perhaps the only instinct that overrode all others, including hunger and the need to mate. When faced with a threat, survival was paramount.

The snake hissed in a feeble effort to ward off its potential adversary. It reared up then to display its size. It did not know if it was larger, or smaller than the other creature, but it was one of the few weapons it possessed.

The rodent poked its pink snout out of the crevice. It sniffed a few times, and satisfied that suitable prey was within striking distance, settled back on its haunches as it prepared to attack.

With a blinding ferocity beyond any member of its species, the huge, bloated rat launched itself out of the crevice and sucked down the too-slow grass snake in one violent swallow.

The reptile never had a chance.

With its hunger temporarily sated, the rat lumbered away into the brush. It left copious amounts of the strange substance behind, leaving a sickly trail leading into the woods.

The substance squirmed with miniscule life.

******

UGH gives me the creeps but if you're a horror fan, this book might be right up your alley. You can purchase it directly from the publisher, Class Act Books, Amazon or Smashwords.

Hope you enjoyed this week's visitors and you'll join me right here each week for Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight.

Until next time, take care and God Bless.

PamT

#ThursdayThoughts with Erika Grey!

Good Morning!

Today's guest is not new to our blog. Erika Grey has shared treasures with us and been in our spotlight, so there's no need for a huge introduction. Let's she what thoughts she has for us to ponder....

 When I am not writing I am in mourning.  I have suffered a series of losses over the past four years and most recently the death of my father.  It seems as if the life that I once knew is completely gone and with each important person in my life who died a part of me went with them. The best way to describe it is that it feels as if I am living in a dark cloud, as if a dark cloud is over me.  That is exactly what mourning the loss of a loved one or loved ones feels like.

In my devotionals I came across a most sentence in 1 Kings 8:12 which states: Then Solomon spoke: The Lord said He would dwell in the dark cloud."

Here is am in my dark cloud, with my dark cloud over me and God tells us that he dwells in the dark cloud.

I could not feel more encouraged than knowing that I was not alone, God is with me in my dark cloud.

Jesus said, "I will never leave thee or forsake thee. (Hebrews 13:5)

 

Whatever dark cloud you are experiencing, God is with you, Jesus is with you. You are not alone.  He knows all of our suffering and pain and when we get to heaven there will be no more suffering.  Revelation 21:4, states: And God will wipe away ever tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away. 

The thought of no more tears, death, crying, pain, is something to look forward to.  What is so wonderful is that God is with us during our dark clouds and one day He will wipe away our tears. 

Wow...what beautiful thoughts, Erika! We've all lost loved ones and this definitely is something to keep in mind. Thanks for sharing!

Erika Grey holds high standards in her reporting. For this reason she sets herself apart from other End Time Bible Prophecy Ministries and labels herself as a Magi, from the Bible meaning wise men or wise women. She models her ministry and work on the Biblical magi who were analysts and learned men and women in the knowledge and disciplines of their day. At the time of Christ, Herod consulted the Magi who understood the prophetic predictions when there were no living prophets.   After reading Decoding 666 The Number of the Beast you will understand what sets Erika Grey’s Magi Reports apart from other leading Bible Prophecy gurus.

Find out more by visiting her Website and connecting with her on Social Media. Erika's book, the first in the series, Magi Report: Decoding 666 The Number of the Beast: An Analysis of Bible Prophecy & Technology A Status Report & Forecast can be purchased HERE.

Hope you enjoyed today's post and that you'll join me each week for Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight.

Until next time, take care and God bless.

PamT

#TuesdayTreasures #AHA Featured Author Darcy Flynn

Good Morning Friends,

It's time for another AHA Featured Author. This week's guest has visited our spotlight before so please help me welcome Darcy Flynn back to our blog.....

I’ve always loved romantic comedies, especially mistaken identity stories. And what better way to confuse my heroine, then identical twin brothers. Some of my dearest friends have been identical twins, from my early childhood, until now. Six sets, to be exact. I’ve always loved being the one who could tell them apart, the best friend who shared their secrets and their pranks. I thought it was time to write a story for them.

Blurb: From the first moment coffee mogul, Will Carrington, gazes into the fiery, green eyes of Clare Sullivan, he’s hit with the feeling she does not like him. Not. One. Little. Bit. Used to being the proverbial prize by some gorgeous gold-digging fortune hunter, he’s learned to be careful. But with his hunter instincts now on high alert, he’s determined to find out the why behind her stormy-eyed glances.

Top home designer, Clare Sullivan, wants absolutely nothing to do with arrogant, self-assured Will Carrington, especially after he called her half-sister a gold digger. When she gets the opportunity to design his multi-million dollar Miami penthouse, she arrives at his office ready to decline his offer, and to tell him exactly what she thinks of his cruel and un-warranted comments.
While there, she overhears his one-sided phone conversation, which seems to further insult her sister. Assuming the worse, Clare makes the rash decision to accept the job and charge him a fortune in the process. Someone needs to teach him a lesson and what better way than with a swift kick in his wallet.

Since she and her sister have different surnames, Clare conveniently hides the connection to her sister. But while she works with Will, she discovers another side to this self-assured, woman-hater. A Jekyll to his Hyde. Charming and professional, he’s nothing like the man she’s heard about. What she doesn’t know is Will Carrington has a few secrets of his own.

Snippet:

Will loved it when a plan came together, and this one was flowing along beautifully. So well in fact, if he wasn’t careful, Clare might be inclined to get up and run. And that wouldn’t fit in with his plans at all.
And if she gnaws any more on her bottom lip, there won’t be much left to kiss.
He held out his arms. “Come here.”
Her eyes widened, and her jaw dropped two inches.
“In your dreams.”
“There is some truth to that.” He made a deliberate show of getting out of his chair, and an equally deliberate one of removing his jacket and tie.
After tossing both on the back of his chair, he took a step in her direction.
“What are you doing?” Alarm filled her eyes.
“Getting comfortable and finishing what you started this afternoon.” He undid the top button on his dress shirt, then the next. “Do you mind?”
“Yes, I mind.” She shot to her feet, snatched up the shawl and held it to her chest. “This has gone far enough.”
He shook his head. “Not nearly.” He stopped in front of her, gave her the slightest of smiles, then scooped her up in his arms as if she were a child.
She sucked in a breath and push hard against his chest. “Put me down.”
“That’s the plan, sweetheart. The question is, where?”

Darcy Flynn is known for her heartwarming, sweet contemporary romances. Her refreshing storylines, irritatingly handsome heroes and feisty heroines will delight and entertain you from the first page to the last. Miss Flynn’s heroes and heroines have a tangible chemistry that is entertaining, humorous and competitive.

Darcy lives with her husband, son, two English Setters and a menagerie of other living creatures on her horse farm in Franklin, Tennessee. She raises rare breed chickens, stargazes on warm summer nights and indulges daily in afternoon tea.

Connect with Darcy at the following locations....

Website/Blog: http://www.darcyflynnromances.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/darcyflynn
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/DarcyFlynnAuthor
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B0077AG3ZM
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/dflynnauthor/boards/
Google+: https://plus.google.com/116563609469381811624/posts?tab=XX

I read this book and really enjoyed it!

Hope YOU enjoyed today's post and that you'll join me each week for Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight.

Until next time, take care and God Bless.
PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight is on Janet Lynn & Desert Ice!

Good Morning Friends, or should I say Good Afternoon!

I'm a bit late posting today so I'll apologize and get right to today's guest. Janet Lynn has been in our spotlight before. She's also shared thoughts and treasures with us. Today she returns with her latest book, Desert Ice.

In 1955, a missing Marine and stolen diamonds lead Private Eye Skylar Drake to Sin City, where the women are beautiful and almost everything is legal—except murder.
The FBI and a Las Vegas crime boss force him to choose between the right and wrong side of the law. All the while, government secrets, sordid lies and trickery block his efforts to solve the case.
Common sense tells him to go back to L.A. but is gut tells him to find his fellow Marine.

Excerpt
This was the first Veteran’s Day Parade I’d attended since I got back from Korea. Seems like a lifetime ago. Claire wanted to go every year, even offered to make it a family affair... I never took her up on it.

Standing at attention, I saluted as the color guard passed. Next came the tanks and trucks and I was transported back to my time in the Corps. A pretty young girl dressed in red, white, and blue approached me with a basket full of tin American flag lapel pins. She held one out to me. The paper tag attached to it read Veteran’s Day, November 1955, but my hands wouldn’t come out of my pockets.

“Here sir, take one, they’re free.”

I reluctantly pulled out my hand. She placed one in my palm, and smiled and turned away. The cadence of the drums sounded like artillery as a formation of jet fighters passed overhead. I was back in Korea on Jeju Island, snow, guns, bombs... I shut my eyes and clenched my fists.

A woman wearing a big hat bumped into me. “Oh, excuse me sir.”

Slowly I opened my hand. The sharp edges of the flag pin were stained with my blood but I didn’t feel a thing.

“You should get something for that hand,” she said.

I couldn’t move.

“Come.” She led me to a hot dog stand and handed me a couple of paper napkins.

I leaned against a chain link fence, wrapped the tin flag in a napkin and dropped it in my pocket. I looked down at my blood smeared hand, the one that took shrapnel at Jeju. My head spun. I leaned forward until my head rested on the fence. “Keep breathing,” I told myself.

“So you’re a vet,” the lady with the hat said. “Korea?”

 I nodded.

She lit a cigarette. “Here.”

I shook my head. “No thanks.”

“Suit yourself.” She hung the cigarette in her mouth and took my hand. After she wiped the blood, she wrapped another napkin around my palm.

“Just a minute.” She disappeared into the crowd. I stepped back and rested against the chain-link, staring at the tops of the trees. She returned and handed me a cup of coffee. I don’t know why, but my hand shook when I reached for the cup.

“It was pretty tough over there.” Her large hat covered most of her face.

I nodded, “How would you know?”

“47th M.A.S.H., Ouijonbu.” She joined me against the chain link fence and sipped her coffee. There wasn’t much more to say. After a few moments I looked at her. “Jeju Island, 1948. We got caught up in the rebellion.”

She held out her gloved hand. “I’m Nancy.” Still hidden under her hat she said,, “Pleasure to see you again, Mr. Drake.”

I studied her. “Have we met before?”

“We have a mutual association with an Officer Graves of the LAPD.”

I spit out the coffee and threw the cup in the trash. “Did that ass send you to...?”

Nancy shook her head. “No, he didn’t.” She took out a jeweled compact, held it at an angle and looked behind her with the mirror. “I didn’t say I knew him. I said you and I had a mutual association.”

Still checking behind her, she whispered, “Meet me at Hollenbeck Park in Boyle Heights."

***

Sounds intriguing!

Read a longer excerpt of Desert Ice Here. Purchase your copy at Amazon in print or for Kindle.

About the authors....

Published authors Janet Elizabeth Lynn and Will Zeilinger had been writing individually until they got together and wrote the SKYLAR DRAKE MURDER MYSTERY Series. These hard-boiled tales are based in old Hollywood of 1955.  Janet has published seven mystery novels and Will has three plus two short stories. Their world travels have sparked several ideas for murder and crime stories. This creative couple is married and live in Southern California.

Janet Elizabeth Lynn http://www.janetlynnauthor.com/

Will Zeilinger http://www.willzeilingerauthor.com/

Hope you enjoyed today's spotlight! Check back weekly for Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight.

Until next time take care and God Bless.

PamT

#ThursdayThoughts AHA Featured Author Elizabeth Alsobrooks!

Good Morning Friends,

Although I've had contact with her through the promo group Authors Helping Authors (AHA), today's guest is brand new to our blog.

Elizabeth Alsobrooks is an Urban Fantasy Author. You can find out more about her by visiting her website or connecting with her at the following places....

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6998426.Elizabeth_Alsobrooks
Fb: https://www.facebook.com/authorelizabeth.alsobrooks/
Fb: https://www.facebook.com/elizabethalsobrooks.author
 Twitter: @ElizAlsobrooks
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/elizabethauthor/
Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Elizabeth-Alsobrooks/e/B00BTRP7ZG/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_2?qid=1485895337&sr=8-2

Now let's find out about Elizabeth's book, Stolen Secrets a Fantasy Romance with ® rating

Stolen Secrets is a romance spinoff from my Illuminati (Urban Fantasy) series, so is much more character driven and oriented than what is usual for me. It’s steamier, of course, and the hero is hot, hot, hot, if I do say so myself.  Here is who I pictured when writing this:

I’m sure you can see how princely he looks? What English gal stranded in Cairo could resist such a persuasive hunk? Well, the heroine, Lady Isabella Valentine tries, but being a romance I guess you know how it ends . . . .

Here’s how it begins:
        Everything about the shop was irregular, including the displays which projected at odd angles, supported by ornate wooden brackets and the occasional book case or other Egyptian artifact. Its merchandise had been collected and added to over a lifetime of adventures, and the result was vastly eclectic and often mismatched and even mysterious. The windows of the cluttered antiquities dealership, not yet shuttered, allowed slanted sunlight to illuminate dust motes, thick and insidious, seeking every crevice and ornate feature in which to drift.

Brushing her hand across the table to clear it of its most recent layer, Isabella unrolled the map and traced the route with her fingertip.

She heard the bell above the front door jingle, waited for the expected greeting, and sighed. Five minutes later and Misha would have arrived to clean and bar the entrance, and then she could begin preparing for the dig of a lifetime.

Offered an enormous sum by an anonymous benefactor for the acquisition of an ancient ceremonial relic, a sum that would keep the antiquities shop in Cairo her father left her afloat while she continued her own archaeological pursuits, Lady Isabella Valentine was distracted rather than tempted, then suspicious, when the dashing young Bedouin slipped in just before closing and promised her a deal she couldn’t refuse--for the very same relic. Despite his sensual appeal, she did refuse him, sending him away.

Prince Mukhtar, son of Sheikh Abdul Kummel al-Rahman, leader of the Hassana, is on a sacred Illuminati mission for Queen Isis to retrieve something stolen from one of her temples over a thousand years ago. This mortal disbeliever though an enchanting English rose, however beautiful she might be, is clearly in the power of the Usurper and must be persuaded to help him, one way or another. But neither of them know of the evil power they are up against, or what hidden dangers await them in the tomb of the high priest.

Available for preorder on Amazon, for sale in kindle, nook and trade paperback on Valentine’s Day!

Also, there is a Rafflecopter Giveaway of Moroccan Lamp, Paperback of Stolen Secrets 5 Ebooks fo Stolen Secrets and The Book of Life, and $10 Amazon Gift Card!!

Wow...sounds like a great read if you're into Urban Fantasy/Paranormal romances. Remember this one is ® rated too! 

Again, preorder your copy at Amazon.

Hope you enjoyed today's post. Good luck if you enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway and be sure to join us each week for Saturday Spotlight, Tuesday Treasures and Thursday Thoughts!

Until next time, take care and God bless!
PamT