#TuesdayTreasures #EggcerptExchange with Tina Gayle!

Hello and Welcome to another edition of Tuesday Treasures!

Today's guest is the lady who came up with the Eggcerpt Exchange promo idea, Tina Gayle.

Tina has been a guest on our blog numerous times but it is always a great pleasure to welcome her back.


What I treasure most....

My family means the world to me. They are my inspiration and the reason behind almost everything I do. 

Being from a family of all girls, I learned how much women depend on women. It was my inspiration for writing the Executive Wives Club Series. Each woman is struggling with what is happening in her life. With the help of her friends, she weathers the storms and comes out better in the end.

BIO: 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 woman into her books.

Married thirty years, she and her husband love to travel and play golf.  She can’t wait to do more of both.

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

Find Tina Gayle everywhere

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

Brie Sullivan has a new baby girl and there are a million things to do, but Brie doesn’t have the energy to keep up. Why? She’s still grieving for her husband and suffering from baby blues, but she won’t let that stop her. She’s come up with the answer--find a new husband to be the father of her kids.

Jason Clark has been doing everything he can to help Brie. He loves her but can he accept her proposal of marriage knowing she’s not thinking clearly about the future?

Comments from Reviews for IT Exec’s Baby (2nd book of the Executive Wives Club series)

“IT Exec’s Baby is almost a love story in reverse. The marriage comes first, then the sex, and finally the love - at least from Brie's point of view. It is tender and poignant at times, and full of strong descriptive passages.”

“What I love about series books. Every book gives you more about the characters that you've fallen in love with during the first book.”

“IT Exec’s Baby is a riveting story of a woman with numerous problems.”

Excerpt:

With the warmth of the sun beating down on her head and the sound of her children’s laughter ringing in her ears, Brie spread her arms and spun in a circle.

She raised her voice and called to her kids as she walked to the railing of the upper deck. “You better find a good hiding place because ready or not here I come.”

With Isabella down for a nap, Brie drew in a deep breath, enjoying the fresh air and the freedom from being stuck inside the house. The kids had convinced her to play with them outside. She loved the easy game of hide-and-go-seek. Glancing over the rail, she scanned the backyard, searching for Ethan’s and Allison’s young forms.

A giggle sounded from below the deck.

Brie stepped down a few stairs to search the patio below. Still unable to catch a glimpse of her children, she continued down the staircase, listening for sounds that might give her a clue to their whereabouts.

Not seeing either one of them, she hugged the back wall and silently slipped to the corner of the house that had concrete steps, which led to the front yard.

Determined to catch one of her kids heading for home-base, Brie refrained from peeking around the corner. The squeak of a tennis shoe alerted her to someone’s arrival.

Ready to grab them the minute they rounded the corner, Brie stayed out of sight. A shadow fell across the patio, and Allison’s young form raced past.

Jumping out to grab her, Brie touched her daughter’s shoulder.

Allison’s wail of surprise vibrated off the bottom of the deck and pierced through Brie’s brain. Undeterred by the noise, she caught her daughter’s arm and spun her around.

“I got you.”

“No,” Allison screamed again.

Read the 1st chapter at http://www.tinagayle.net/BirthChpt.html

Purchase at Amazon

Pick up Tina’s Free Read at  http://www.tinagayle.net/

Hope you enjoyed today's Eggcerpt Exchange and that you'll drop by each week and check out Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight.

Until next time, take care and God Bless.

PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight is on Mary Alford and her book, Christmas in Delaney Mountain

Good Morning Friends and WELCOME to the last Saturday Spotlight in Feb 2018!

It goes without saying I can't believe how fast this year is moving along. I'm sure many of you feel the same way. I'm so glad you joined us today to welcome fellow Pelican Book Group author, Mary Alford back to our blog.

Welcome Mary....please tell us a little about yourself....

I 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 my two brothers and sister, I had plenty of time to entertain myself. Making up stories seemed to come natural to me.

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

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

Today, I still live in Texas, and still create people facing dangerous situations. In fact, I can’t think of anything else I’d rather do.

Learn more about me at www.MaryAlford.net, or send me an email at maryjalfordauthor@gmail.com. You can also find/follow me on Facebook, Twitter (@maryalford13, Google+, Pinterest, YouTube and GoodReads.

Wonderful! Now please tell us about Christmas in Delaney Mountain.....

Kara Edwards has been looking over her shoulder for years. After being kidnapped and held hostage by a man who claimed to be her late husband’s friend, she’s no longer in the “trusting” business. She moves to Delaney Mountain with one expectation: to outrun her stalker. Never does she expect to meet a man like David Delaney—one who not only makes her want to trust again, but to love again, too. David Delaney is drawn to Kara from the first moment he meets her. There’s an attractive strength behind her no-nonsense caution and independence. He knows Kara is running from something, but nothing prepares him for what she has to say.

Excerpt:

Two months. She’d spent the last two months looking over her shoulder and yet the expected nightmare hadn’t returned. There’d been no word from him. No sightings. Only silence.

 So why couldn’t she relax? Begin to enjoy life once more?

 Because this routine was a familiar one. The last time had been four months. The time before six. The only variable in the equation was that there was no variable. The routine‒his routine‒never faltered.

 He always found her.

 So, no matter how tired, or frustrated, or fed up she became, she couldn’t let her guard down because it had only been two months; and she was convinced, even after moving to a remote village in Colorado, he would find her again. At times, Kara felt like a ghost without a past. Transparent. She barely remembered the woman she’d once been…before him.

 Kara glanced out the window at the gathering darkness. It came quickly at this time of the year in the shadow of the mountains. The news had been broadcasting a huge winter storm on the way. It was almost six. Amy would start to worry if Kara didn’t pick up her four-year-old daughter, Maya, soon.

 But Kara couldn’t afford to upset her boss. She needed this job. She was barely hanging on financially. Kara picked up the phone to call Amy. Before Amy had a chance to answer, Kara’s boss stepped out of his office and into her personal space. Immediately, she dropped the receiver back into its cradle to the sound of Amy’s “hello.”

A familiar nervousness slithered down into the pit of her stomach. It reared its unwelcomed head every single time David Delaney came within twenty feet of her.

 It didn’t help that he was handsome and had bad- boy-troubled-past written all over him.

Sounds like a great story, Mary! Thank you so much for sharing in our spotlight. Where can we get a copy of Christmas in Delaney Mountain?

Christmas in Delaney Mountain can be purchased at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Pelican Book Group.

Well folks, I hope you enjoyed today's spotlight as much as I did and that you'll stop by weekly for Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight.

Until next time, take care and God Bless.

PamT

#ThursdayThoughts #EggcerptExchange with Diana Rubino!

Good Morning Friends,

Today's guest is no stranger to our blog but always a pleasure to bring back so please give Diana Rubino along with her co-author Piper Huguley, a great big welcome and settle in to find out about her novel, Oney My Escape from Slavery part of this year's Eggcerpt Exchange!

Serendipity at Work

In May 2014, popular romance author Brenda Novak had her annual auction for diabetes—authors donate books, critiques, etc., and people bid on them, similar to Ebay. I donated one of my other books, and I also donated a free manuscript critique. An author named Piper Huguley won the critique auction, but the auction ended and I never heard from her. I thought oh, well, she doesn't want it after all. About 3 months later, she wrote me and sent me her story, A CHAMPION’S HEART, to critique. It's a romance about an African American girl, set in rural Georgia in the 1910s. Very moving and powerful story. I loved it. It was published in 2016 by Liliaceae Publishers.
getBook.at/AChampionsHeart

I'd been wanting to find an African American author to go over my Oney novel, but never looked for anyone. I thought of asking one of my grade school classmates, but just didn't get to it...well, one day I decided to ask Piper.

Right after I asked her, she wrote back and said she'd be happy to help. Then I went on Facebook and saw that Piper just posted that her mother passed away that morning. So I sent her a message of condolence. Then she wrote this back to me:

And I appreciate your kind comments about my mother. You see, I see your request as "heaven sent" for I think I told you about how my mother told me about Oney. I know that she would want me to work on anything, do anything to forward that story. So, even in the midst of a difficult time, I look forward to helping you--something I really didn't expect after you had helped me so much. Thank you for that.

I don't remember her telling me that her mother told her about Oney. I've heard so many stories about people who pass away, and send 'signs' etc. to their loved ones, this was just too strange to be coincidence. Piper helped me a great deal with Oney’s story and became my co-author. We dedicated the book to her mother.

Oney’s Story…

Teenaged Oney Judge was Martha Washington’s ‘favorite servant.’ Oney and Martha both longed for freedom, but in very different ways. Martha hated being confined to the president’s house, forced to entertain politicians and foreign diplomats. Oney hated being someone else’s property, forced to do labor and wait on her owners day and night.

After President Washington served one term as president, he wrote his farewell speech. He and Martha started packing for their retirement at Mount Vernon, but it was not meant to be. He was elected again—unanimously. He did not want to serve another term, but gave in under pressure.

Martha had no say in it whatsoever. But as she hosted her tea parties and levees, she became close friends with several forward-thinking women, such as Abigail Adams and Judith Murray, feminists of the time. Their radical ideas rubbed off on Martha—education and job training for women to be self-supporting instead of depending on husbands. By the end of George’s term, she experienced a steep character arc. She even changed her attitude toward slavery. When Oney escaped at age 20, at the end of George’s final term, Martha was very resentful: “She was more like a child to me than a servant.” The Washingtons knew that she’d escaped to Portsmouth, New Hampshire and made several attempts to recapture her. But in a sudden act of lenience, Martha gave up on Oney and let her remain free. During her husband’s presidency, Martha complained, “I am more like a state prisoner”, so perhaps she put herself in Oney’s place and realized she deserved liberty, too.

As our first First Lady, Martha Washington evolved from a  grandmotherly wife and homebody to an outspoken champion of women’s rights. She provided freedom for her slaves at her death.

While living in Portsmouth, Oney married a sailor, Jack Staines, and had three children. She outlived her husband and children, and lived her remaining free life in Greenland, New Hampshire. Somewhat of a local celebrity, she lived in poverty, but the locals supported her and she took in sewing to supplement her meager income. She declared in an 1847 interview, “I am free now and choose to remain so.”

An Excerpt from ONEY, MY ESCAPE FROM SLAVERY

The hour finally came—while they ate dinner.

Nothing heavied my heart—not remorse, not guilt, not sadness upon fleeing my master and mistress. Raw thirst for freedom overcame all that. I walked straight past the Washingtons and out that door. When I shut it, I left them—and my forced bondage— behind me.

I tore through the muddy streets in pouring rain. Gasping for breath, soaked to the skin, my heart slamming in terror, I glanced behind me, again and again. No one pursued me—yet. I dreaded and expected pounding footsteps, a clap on my shoulder. But, I asked myself, who would chase me through the driving rain? No, it is not possible, I affirmed—they didn’t even know I’d left the kitchen.

At the Jones house I slowed and caught my breath. When Absalom opened the door, I staggered inside, laughing, sobbing, gulping for dear life.

I spent the night pacing the attic room, hands clasped. “I beg of you, dear God, walk beside me on this journey. See me through this safe. Don’t let them capture me. I only want to be your servant, no one else’s.”

As daybreak nudged away the darkness, I fell to my knees, weary with fatigue. “Thank you, dear God, for ending my final night of bondage.”

About Diana and Piper:

Diana writes about folks who shook things up. Her passion for history and travel has taken her to every locale of her stories, set in Medieval and Renaissance England, Egypt, the Mediterranean, colonial Virginia, New England, and New York. Her urban fantasy romance FAKIN’ IT won a Top Pick award from Romantic Times. She is a member of Romance Writers of America, the Richard III Society and the Aaron Burr Association. When not writing, she runs CostPro, Inc., an engineering business, with her husband Chris. In her spare time, Diana bicycles, golfs, plays her piano and devours books of any genre. She spends as much time as possible just livin' the dream on her beloved Cape Cod.

Piper Huguley is a two-time Golden Heart ®finalist and is the author of the “Home to Milford College” series. The series follows the building of a college from its founding in 1866. Book #1 in the series, The Preacher’s Promise was named a top ten Historical Romance in Publisher’s Weekly by the esteemed historical romance author, Beverly Jenkins and received Honorable Mention in the Writer’s Digest Contest of Self-Published e-books in 2015.

Her new series “Born to Win Men” starts with A Champion’s Heart as Book #1. A Champion’s Heart was named by Sarah MacLean of The Washington Post as a best romance novel selection for December 2016.

She blogs about the history behind her novels at http://piperhuguley.com. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her husband and son.

Connect with Diana and Piper:

www.dianarubino.com

https://www.facebook.com/DianaRubinoAuthor/

Twitter: @DianaLRubino

www.piperhuguley.com

https://www.facebook.com/piper.huguley

Twitter: @PiperHuguley

 Purchase ONEY:

http://getBook.at/ONEY 

Hope you enjoyed today's post and that you'll check back often for Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight.

Until next time take care and God Bless.
PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight is on EA West and her new book, Redeeming Honor!

Good Morning Friends!

Today's guest is not new to us. EA West has shared treasures and thoughts with us before but it is always a pleasure to welcome back a previous guest with a sneak peek into a new release

One man’s honor is another man’s shame. 

Meghan Carpenter loves God, her yarn business, and her twin brother Ryan — a former marine who currently lives with her. When she agrees to let his wounded buddy live with them on her small Indiana alpaca farm, she expects an American marine. What she gets is a former Afghan interpreter who’s painfully shy around women.

Scarred from the war, both physically and emotionally, Basir Hamidi is grateful for a place to live. But his attraction to Meghan is a problem. With his honor destroyed by events in his homeland, and nothing to offer her but his broken, scarred self, he vows to avoid her and protect her reputation. Yet he is drawn to her with a strength that can only be God's leading. For a man who has lost everything, letting go of the past is a difficult process. When he must also redeem his honor, his only chance of success is to rely on God.

Excerpt:

The oven timer dinged, and Meghan grabbed a hot pad. Golden-brown cookies filled the air with the delicious scents of vanilla and chocolate. She set the tray on the granite counter, shut off the oven, and then turned to the task of transferring chocolate chip cookies to the cooling rack.

As she set the baking sheet in the sink, the front door opened. Meghan’s heart jumped, and she hurried from the kitchen, eager to see which of Ryan’s friends would be living in her house. She stepped into the hall and spotted her brother and a swarthy-skinned, black-haired man wearing huge dark sunglasses. Each of them carried a black suitcase.

Ryan grinned as his friend closed the door. “Hey, Meghan, this is my buddy Basir Hamidi. Basir, meet my sister, Meghan.”

The black-haired man removed his sunglasses to reveal a pair of wire-rimmed glasses and scar tissue around his tawny-brown eyes. “Thank you for letting me stay in your home.”

Meghan swallowed her surprise at his heavy accent and pushed aside her sorrow that he had endured something terrible to cause the scars. Regardless of what he had been through, the only thing that should matter to her was helping him to feel comfortable in her home. She offered a warm smile and clasped her hands at her waist. “I’m glad I had an empty guestroom for you. I’ll let Ryan give you the grand tour of the place while I put the finishing touches on lunch, but remember that this is your home, too, for however long you need it.”

“Thank you.” He inclined his head, his right hand over his heart. Then, he lowered his hand and glanced at Ryan.

Her brother slung an arm around Basir’s shoulders and guided him to the stairs. “Your room’s up here.”

Meghan returned to the kitchen and struggled to wrap her mind around her new houseguest. She’d expected an American marine, but her brother had brought home an Afghan man. Had Basir somehow become a marine? Had he been part of the Afghan army? Questions flowed in a steady stream as she chopped hardboiled eggs for the chef’s salads she’d planned.

Buy Links:

Amazon: http://smarturl.it/RedeemingHonor

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/redeeming-honor-ea-west/1125635977?ean=9781522300007

iTunes: https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/book/redeeming-honor/id1202312439

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/redeeming-honor

Pelican Book Group: http://pelicanbookgroup.com/ec/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=37_46&products_id=834

Award-winning author E.A. West is a lifelong lover of books and storytelling. In high school, she picked up her pen in a creative writing class and hasn’t laid it down yet. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys reading, knitting, and crocheting. She lives in Indiana with her family and a small zoo of pets. 

Find out more by connecting with Ms. West online at the following locations....

Website: http://eawest.mcphitty.com

Newsletter: http://eawest.mcphitty.com/newsletter.html

Facebook Author Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/EAWestAuthor

Twitter: http://twitter.com/eawest

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/authoreawest

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/eawest

Hope you enjoyed today's spotlight and that you'll check back often for Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and of course our weekly Saturday Spotlight!

Until next time take care and God bless.
PamT

#ThursdayThoughts Random Ramblings

Good Morning,

Well it may be afternoon wherever you are but it's still morning here in SW Louisiana!

Busy this year as Mardi Gras, Valentine's Day and Ash Wednesday all rolled into a few short days. Of course Mardi Gras is the day before Ash Wednesday each year, but I don't think I've ever experienced Valentine's Day and Ash Wednesday on the same day.

Makes me wonder....what did all those people who gave up chocolate or sweets do?

Do we accept our gifts? Do we eat them and pray for forgiveness?

Perhaps we looked ahead and told our loved ones No Candy (or whatever) for Valentine's Day this year!

I'm not making light of anything here, for some, Lent is a very serious issue.

Which begs the question....WHY are you giving up anything? Is it out of habit OR do you truly do so as a form of sacrifice, taking that time or money you'd normally spend and giving it to a charitable cause.

Is your Lenten practice a heart-felt thing or just an obligation you feel guilty if you don't adhere to?

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

#TuesdayTreasures #EggCerptExchange with Kris Bock!

Good Morning and Welcome to the first of 2018 Eggcerpt Exchange posts!

It's Mardi Gras time here in SW Louisiana and as usual we have a cold front and rain in the forecast. Don't think I'll be out all day in that mess!

Anyway you know I'm always excited to feature new-to-me authors here and today's guest is no exception.

Kris Bock writes novels of suspense and romance with outdoor adventures and Southwestern landscapes. The Mad Monk’s Treasure follows the hunt for a long-lost treasure in the New Mexico desert. Whispers in the Dark features archaeology and intrigue among ancient Southwest ruins. What We Found is a mystery with strong romantic elements about a young woman who finds a murder victim in the woods. In Counterfeits, stolen Rembrandt paintings bring danger to a small New Mexico town. “Counterfeits is the kind of romantic suspense novel I have enjoyed since I first read Mary Stewart’s Moonspinners.” 5 Stars – Roberta at Sensuous Reviews blog

Read excerpts at www.krisbock.com or visit her Amazon page. Sign up for the Kris Bock newsletter for announcements of new books, sales, and more.

Kris Bock Blog

Kris Bock on GoodReads

Kris Bock on Facebook

Kris Bock on Twitter

Kris Bock on Pinterest

“Smart romance with an 'Indiana Jones' feel.”

A legendary treasure hunt in the dramatic – and deadly – New Mexico desert.... Reviewers give it a 4.7 star average. Get this romantic adventure for only 99 cents or FREE with Kindle Unlimited!

The Mad Monk’s Treasure

The lost Victorio Peak treasure is the stuff of legends—a heretic Spanish priest’s gold mine, made richer by the spoils of bandits and an Apache raider. When Erin, a quiet history professor, uncovers a clue that may pinpoint the lost treasure cave, she prepares for adventure. But when a hit and run driver nearly kills her, she realizes she’s not the only one after the treasure. And is Drew, the handsome helicopter pilot who found her bleeding in a ditch, really a hero, or one of the enemy?

Erin isn’t sure she can trust Drew with her heart, but she’ll need his help to track down the treasure. She heads into the New Mexico wilderness with her brainy best friend Camie and a feisty orange cat. The wilderness holds its own dangers, from wild animals to sudden storms. Plus, the sinister men hunting Erin are determined to follow her all the way to the treasure, no matter where the twisted trail leads. Erin won’t give up an important historical find without a fight, but is she ready to risk her life—and her heart?

“The story has it all - action, romance, danger, intrigue, lost treasure, not to mention a sizzling relationship....”

Excerpt:

Among all the legends, all the fact and fiction, one story stood out. The Victorio Peak legend had it all. A Franciscan priest and a swindler. Torture, murder, a government cover-up. Where was the truth, among all the stories? Erin wanted to find out. Over time, and with Camie’s encouragement, she’d started to take the treasure hunt more seriously. It wasn’t so much for the treasure itself—that would most likely belong to the government or the landowners. But it would make her reputation, open up new job opportunities—change her life in ways she hardly dared dream.

She touched the book gently. The pages were falling out; she didn’t want to risk carrying it around. Instead, Erin snapped a picture of the petroglyphs with her phone. That would be enough to show Camie for now.

The timing was perfect; she just had to turn in grades and field a few tearful last-minute requests for extensions, and she’d be done for the semester. What better way to spend the summer, than hunting for buried treasure?

Erin shook her head. Who would’ve thought that she, the quiet, studious girl who’d spent her entire adult life in academia in one way or another, would be planning such an adventure?

 Erin wheeled the bike around the front of her house and mounted. At the corner, she paused and looked both ways. The long frontage road was dangerously narrow, with a cement wall on one side and a ditch on the other. Fortunately, traffic was normally light, and at this time of day the road lay empty. Erin pushed off, still grinning from her find. She rode on the right side, by the ditch, instead of facing traffic, because it was just too frightening to ride alongside the wall when a car passed.

She’d gone a block when she heard the hum of a car engine as it pulled out from a side street behind her. She rode along the very edge of the pavement, even though the car would have plenty of room to pass her without oncoming traffic.

Erin glanced over her shoulder. The black SUV 20 feet behind her hadn’t bothered to pull out into the road at all. Jerk. When would drivers learn to share the road with bicyclists? Erin pulled onto the two-foot wide gravel strip between the pavement and the ditch. She couldn’t stop without risking a skid, but she slowed so the SUV could pass.

The engine roared. Erin glanced back again.

Black metal bore down on her. Her heart lurched and the bike wobbled. This guy was crazy! She whipped her gaze forward, rose up in the seat, and pumped the pedals with all her power, skimming along inches from the ditch. He was just trying to scare her. She’d get his license plate and—

She felt the bumper hit her back tire. The bike seemed to leap into the air, and she went flying. The dried mud and weeds of the ditch seemed to rise up to meet her.

  

She didn’t even have time to scream.

Get The Mad Monk’s Treasure on Amazon.

Well, if the title of this book doesn't fit our Tuesday Treasure theme I don't know what will LOL!

Sounds like a great book, Kris! Thanks for sharing with us.

Hope you enjoyed today's post friends and that you'll check back often for Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight.

Until next time take care and God Bless.

PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight is on #EggcerptExchange

Good Afternoon!

I'm a bit late posting today. My scheduled guest was unable to get here and I didn't have time to improvise this morning but never fear.....We're spotlighting this year's Eggcerpt Exchange feature.

You've seen these before, where authors from one of my Authors Helping Authors groups share excerpts and other info from their books.

I'm hoping to have a guest for you next week so be sure and watch for the hashtag #EggcerptExchange and this graphic!

 Also, Eggcerpt Exchange kicks of the Easter/Lenten season. If you're like many, Lent is a time of additional prayer, fasting and alms-giving. 

With that in mind, if you're wanting to spend time with a special devotional or two, check out RED and I Thirst from Pelican Book Group and don't forget my very own devotional, Love is a Rose based on the lyrics to The Rose written by Amanda McBroom and performed by Bette Midler and Conway Twitty - which can be found at the following locations:

Print @ Amazon http://amzn.to/1naYIRr

Kindle http://amzn.to/1vI1v43

Print @ B&N http://bit.ly/1POssML

Nook http://bit.ly/1Kn81cS

Smashwords http://bit.ly/16vCHl4   

Deeper Shopping http://bit.ly/1cxivVf

Hope you enjoyed today's post and that you'll check back often for Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight!

Until next time take care and God Bless.

PamT

#ThursdayThoughts Guest post from Tyndale Author, Carla Laureano

Good Morning Friends,

As you well know, I'm always excited when I introduce a brand new-to-me and my blog author and today's guest is no exception.

Tyndale Author, Carla Laureano, is the RITA® Award-winning author of contemporary inspirational romance and Celtic fantasy (as C.E. Laureano). A graduate of Pepperdine University, she worked as a sales and marketing executive for nearly a decade before leaving corporate life behind to write fiction full-time. She currently lives in Denver with her husband and two sons, where she writes during the day and cooks things at night.

Find out more and connect with Carla on Social Media by visiting her website.

Now let's see what thoughts Carla has to share with us....

When Less of Less is More 

Like everyone else in the Western world, it seems, I was enchanted by the new wave of minimalism sweeping the blogosphere. I’m one of those people who juggles a dozen projects, both personal and professional, and I want to do them all well. So whether you call it “making space” or “finding joy” or “choosing less,” the idea of a simplified life massively appealed to me. I quickly jumped on the bandwagon. I pared down my clothing to a capsule wardrobe. I minimized the toiletries in the bathroom. I rehomed books I wasn’t going to read again, scanned and recycled paperwork, and gave away supplies for abandoned crafts.

Yet somehow my life didn’t feel simplified. Don’t get me wrong—it feels great to live in a less cluttered space. It’s wonderful to know that my unloved items will be appreciated by someone else. But that promise of more time, more mental space, more emotional freedom remained elusive.

And then I realized that downsizing and minimizing had just become another task that I wanted to excel at. I wanted to be the best minimalist, in whatever way I defined it at the moment; in doing that, I’d made the pursuit of less “more.” One more stressor, one more thing to achieve. Funny thing—turns out that it wasn’t my stuff that defined me as a maximalist; it was my mind set.


A year later, I’ve stuck with much of what my minimalist experiment taught me. It’s made me more mindful of what I buy. It’s made me appreciative of what I do have. It’s even had a positive effect on my sons’ attitudes toward their stuff. But I’ve stopped looking for it to make psychic or emotional space in my life. Turns out the best minimalist is Jesus, and the best solution to my overstressed life is contained within Matthew 11:28: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

Oh wow, Carla definitely thoughts we should all consider! Thank you for sharing....

Carla's newest release, The Saturday Night Supper Club can be purchased at Amazon in all formats!

Hope you enjoyed meeting our guest today and the thoughts she shared and that you'll drop by each week for Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight.

Until next time, take care and God bless.
PamT

#TuesdayTreasures with DiAnn Mills

Good Morning Friends,

Last summer Multi-Published, Award-Winning author DiAnn Mills shared some thoughts with us. Today she returns to our blog to share something she treasures and a brand new book!

February is National Library Month

I’ve always loved libraries. From the time I was a little girl, the excitement of stepping into a room with shelves and shelves of books ranked at the top of my source of entertainment. I was a shy and overweight child, and books were my closest companions. When I finished selecting what I wanted to read, the stack was usually taller than me. Those books took me to real places all around the world and infused the love of story. Every new page was an adventure. Perhaps that’s where the seed took root for my tagline, “Expect an Adventure.”

Here I discovered Little Women, The Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, and so many other books. And yes, love of story inspired me to write. But it all began with the awe of exploring the world of reading. My first trip to a library was in my hometown, Bucyrus, Ohio. http://www.youseemore.com/bucyrus/default.asp The library is how I remembered it with so much more!

Over the years, our libraries have added music, movies, books on tape, and educational media for all ages. Many have entered the digital age. Computers are free to the public, and students of all ages can use the library’s resources. Our treasured books, old and new, are available in most libraries for e-readers.

Libraries are the core of a community. The doors are open to families from all cultures and backgrounds. These are meeting places for organizations and educational opportunities and events.

Oh, yes, we still must be quiet so others can concentrate. At one time, my husband and I were church librarians. My role was to process new books. Many were written by dear friends, and I couldn’t wait to recommend them.

Are you a patron of a local library? If not, now is the time for you to enjoy, explore, educate, and entertain the value of the written word.

Take the time to thank a librarian. They love books just like we do.

How do you show your librarian appreciation?

Libraries are definitely something to treasure, DiAnn. Thanks for sharing!

DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She

combines unforgettable characters with unpredictable plots to create action-packed, suspense-filled novels.

Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards; and been finalists for the RITA, Daphne Du Maurier, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests. Firewall, the first book in her Houston: FBI series, was listed by Library Journal as one of the best Christian Fiction books of 2014.

DiAnn is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, a member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. She is co-director of The Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference and The Mountainside Marketing Conference with social media specialist Edie Melson where she continues her passion of helping other writers be successful. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country.

DiAnn has been termed a coffee snob and roasts her own coffee beans. She’s an avid reader, loves to cook, and believes her grandchildren are the smartest kids in the universe. She and her husband live in sunny Houston, Texas.

DiAnn is very active online and would love to connect with readers on Facebook: www.facebook.com/diannmills, Twitter: https://twitter.com/diannmills or any of the social media platforms listed at www.diannmills.com.

Readers can read about DiAnn's latest release, High Treason, view a trailer, find resources for their book club, and even take a test to see if they are a true heroine. https://diannmills.com/books/high-treason/

Wow...Thank you so much DiAnn for joining us today. We certainly wish you the best of luck and God's blessings with your new book!

Well Friends, I hope you enjoyed today's post and that you'll drop by weekly for Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight.

Until next time take care and God bless.
PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight is on Stacey Weeks & In Too Deep!

Good Morning!

Well it's official....6 more weeks of winter. Someone ought to shoot that darn rodent LOL! Seriously, I don't remember a colder, wetter winter in a long time. Oh well, great time to stay inside with a cup of your favorite hot beverage and a good book. With this in mind I'm greatly pleased to bring to you today's guest, fellow Pelican Book Group author, Stacey Weeks with her novel, In Too Deep.

Stacey is a member of The Word Guild in Canada and has authored two fiction books, is waiting to hear back from her publisher on a romantic suspense submission, and is working on a fourth novel.

Stacey’s newest book released in November 2017.

Grace risked everything and found herself drowning in danger. 

Like a sunken treasure wedged in the lake floor, Grace Stone’s heart is submerged in the past. Her only hope in easing her guilt over her role in a tragic drowning is launching a Water-Survival program at Camp Moshe, but success depends on Grace risking everything on the man hired to rebrand the Christian camp. Kye Campton’s extreme sports campaign lands him in hot water with the cautious instructor. His usual confidence wavers when it becomes increasingly evident that the camp’s fight for survival is against more than a declining economy. Will Kye be able to save the camp—and Grace—from a saboteur determined to see the place close for good?

Watch the book trailer!

https://vimeo.com/236598271

In Too Deep is available for purchase at Pelican Book Group, Amazon.ca, Amazon.com, Chapters-Indigo, Barnes & Noble

Download and read the first two chapters FREE here!

I asked Stacey to describe herself in her own words: 

I am from the play-until-the-streetlights-turn-on and come-when-your-father-whistles generation. I’m a cool-off-in-the-sprinkler, drink-straight-from-the-hose, and fish-off-the-pier kind of girl. I’m loyal even when others are not. I’ve wrestled with brothers, played Barbie with neighbors, and stayed up too late reading just one more chapter. I’m from BIG Sunday dinners, steaming hot tea, and Saturday morning coin-sized pancakes. I grew up with Tupperware, paper bag lunches, Yorkshire pudding, and mashed potatoes. Lots of mashed potatoes. My family is a finish-what-you-start, bargain shopping, home cooking, and respect-your-elders kind of family. I am one of four children framed in memories on a wall. I jumped off docks, endured eight-hour trips that took twelve, and sat in the middle bench seat of the family sedan. I am a wait until you enter the house before driving away kind of mom. I boil the kettle in a crisis, and I know that a job worth doing is worth doing right. I am a fixer of old things, painter of everything, cleansed and forgiven child of God. I believe that nothing matters more than the Lord Jesus Christ and who I believe He is. 

Find Stacey on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/writerSWeeks/

Twitter: @WriterSWeeks

Website: www.staceyweeks.com

Wow THANKS Stacey for visiting with us today and sharing your book. We certainly wish you the best of luck and God's blessings with the book and in all things!

Hope you enjoyed today's post friends and that you'll check back often to see what's happening on Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight.

Until next time take care and God bless.

PamT