Disclaimer

DISCLAIMER:

I do not read every book/author I spotlight or book tour I host!
Readers, Please research and use wisdom before buying

Saturday, October 29, 2022

#SaturdaySpotlight is on Cindy & Erin Woodsmall & Yesterday's Gone!

Good Morning and Welcome to the Final Edition of Saturday Spotlight for October 2022!

Today's gues, Cindy Woodsmall has shared treasures with us before but this time shares the spotlight with her daughter-in-law, Erin! Together they give us a peek into their novel, Yesterday's Gone. Take it away ladies....

Eliza Bontrager and Jesse Ebersol have fallen in love and are determined to marry, despite the belief of their Amish community and respective families that there’s a hidden curse—one that only shows up when an Ebersol and Bontrager marry.

Before the ceremony on the day of the wedding, Eliza’s great-aunt Rose gives her a family heirloom quilt and tells her that she may use it to change one event in the past. Eliza appreciates the woman’s heart, but she dismisses the strange conversation while keeping the beautiful quilt.

Several years later, mourning the loss of their third child, Eliza discovers her inability to deliver a healthy baby is genetic. Remembering her great-aunt’s strange words, she decides that if she can go back in time and reject Jesse’s proposal, she can save him the heartache of a childless marriage. Her sacrifice will allow him to marry someone else and raise a family. But once she puts her plan into action, she discovers the true impact of her decision—on Jesse and so many others within their community.

Excerpt: Jesse’s nerves danced across his shoulders, tightening the muscles. Hard conversations weren’t for the faint of heart, but for better or worse, it was time he came clean with Eliza. He fidgeted with the rock in his pocket as he watched her wade into the creek.

She’d reached into the shallow, clear water and picked up a palm-size stone. She bounced it in her hand. Jesse peeled out of his shoes and socks. He eased into the water.

They’d been neighbors all of their lives and friends for more than a decade. She was the ideal friend, the best one anyone could have. But he wanted more, far more. His gut said she did too, but even so, it wouldn’t solve all that was stacked against them. As much as her parents liked and appreciated who he was, and his parents felt the same about her, they would be dead set against them dating. To them, a union between the Ebersol and Bontrager families was offensive and unthinkable. . . .

He studied Eliza, his heart pounding. She was the only one for him. He knew that, but he also knew the history that was stacked against them.


CINDY WOODSMALL is a New York Times and CBA bestselling author of twenty-five works of fiction and one nonfiction book. Coverage of Cindy’s writing has been featured on ABC’s Nightline and the front page of the Wall Street Journal. She lives in the foothills of the north Georgia mountains with her husband, just a short distance from two of her three sons and her six grandchildren.

Find out more about Cindy and her work by visiting her Website.
 

ERIN WOODSMALL is a writer, musician, wife, and mom of four. She has edited, brainstormed, and researched books with Cindy for almost a decade. More recently she and Cindy have coauthored five books, one of which was a winner of the prestigious Christy Award.


 Get your copy of Yesterday's Gone directly from Tyndale Publishing or at your favorite Christian bookstore!


Thank you, Ladies for sharing your novel with us today! We certainly wish you both the best of luck and God's blessings with it.

That's it for this week and month, friends. I hope you have a blessed, happy & safe Halloween!

Until next time take care and God bless.

PamT

Wednesday, October 26, 2022

#WednesdayWordswithFriends Welcomes @FayLamb Fay Lamb!

Good Morning and Welcome!

Well after a cold front last week then more days of 80 degree temps, we're once more down in the 40's - 70's and I'm loving it! I've been a firm believer and practicer of gratitude for a while now but Monday I started another round based on The Magic by Rhonda Byrne. In this book Ms. Byrne tells us to say Why we're grateful so here goes.... I am so happy and grateful for Fall because I love opening the windows after a night of rain on the metal roof!

I am also grateful for my guest today so I hope you'll sit back and enjoy Fay Lamb's visit. Take it away, Fay...

The Autumn Season of Life

For everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven…”  Ecclesiastes 3:1

Autumn in my favorite time of the year. Actually, what I love is the heart of autumn. I look forward to October with the anticipation of a child awaiting the arrival of Christmas.

In what other season can a shift in life be more felt than in the fall? And I’m saying that as a Floridian where we have two seasons: hot and hotter, and there is certainly no fanfare that brings autumn into our lives in the Sunshine State. The leaves on the trees remain two colors. Either they are green or they are brown, and they don’t fall until the dead of winter. There is seldom a cold snap in Florida in October. We are more likely to get a late-for-the-season hurricane than a cold front. Still, without the grand announcement of a shift of season, Floridians still know it is coming. There is a shortening of the days and a sense of the need to prepare. 

If I examined my heart to determine why I look forward to this heart of autumn, I might confess that it is the sense of preparation that I love, the gathering and storing. The beloved squirrels in my yard have been given by God a sense that they must prepare. In the fall, I watch them not eat the gifts of peanuts I bestow upon them but bury them all over my yard.

October is a time when we sense, like the squirrels, that hardship may be upon us—a dormancy of growth and supply. So we gather and we prepare not only for the winter, but for the renewal that occurs on the other side of the winter. On that other side is where we begin to plant what we will again gather and store.

God as made us similar to the animals in this regard. Just as the plants and the animals have a time of new birth, of strong fortitude, a time when we might feel hardship encroaching, and we prepare for the endurance of hard frost in our lives, we also have spiritual seasons: times of new birth, times of strong fortitude, times when we feel hardship encroaching upon us, and then times of hard frosts. These seasons whether physical or spiritual can come at us at different stages in our lives.

Yet I smile to think that God has prepared a “feeder” for me in His Word. A place where in times of plenty, I can glean more; in times of preparation, I can dig more; and in times of hardship, I can hide more and wait out the winters of life with an expectation of renewal.

Fay Lamb is the only daughter of a rebel genius father and a hard-working, tow-the-line mom. She is not only a fifth-generation Floridian, she has lived her life in Titusville, where her grandmother was born in 1899.

Since an early age, storytelling has been Fay’s greatest desire. She seeks to create memorable characters that touch her readers’ hearts. She says of her writing, “If I can’t laugh or cry at the words written on the pages of my manuscript, the story is not ready for the reader.” Fay writes in various genres, including romance, romantic suspense, and contemporary fiction.

If you’d like to catch up with Fay, visit her at her website, on Amazon, Goodreads, and Twitter. Also, Fay has become a “novel” gardener, and she shares her adventure in her newsletter, Tales from the Azalea Garden. You can sign up for her newsletter, Tales from the Azalea Garden, here.

Links to Social Media:


Check out her upcoming Christmas book, All I Want for Christmas!

A wedding headed for disaster, a crime syndicate bent on destruction, and a bunch of hungry alligators …

Knee deep in preparation for her best friend’s Christmas wedding, Abigail Brewster reels when her estranged younger sister returns to Mullet Harbor. She brings secrets, intrigue, and trouble along with her—a crime syndicate set on goals which would destroy the harbor. And Abigail is in the middle of their scheme.

Remy Arneaux doesn’t understand the reason for Susan Brewster’s return, and maybe that’s due to the brain fog from his concussion. But he does know enough not to trust her and not to let her near Abigail. The self-centered woman would only hurt her … again. Abigail has had enough pain, even from him. Still, he made a promise to escort someone else to the wedding. And with the promise is a secret that begins to rip apart his relationship with Abigail.

According to Mayor Herb’s edict, nothing is allowed to mar this occasion for his only granddaughter: not heartbreak, not tirades from a spoiled young woman, and especially not the threats from organized crime.

But what about their attempts to make good on their threats …

What lovely sentiments about Autum, Fay. Thank you for sharing!

I hope you enjoyed Fay's post, friends and that you'll check back each week for another Wednesday Words with Friends and Saturday Spotlight. Meanwhile, check out Fay's previous visit HERE.

Until next time, take care and God bless.
PamT

Saturday, October 22, 2022

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

Good Morning!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Excerpt: “Hello!”

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

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

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

“Did you enjoy the wedding?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Get your copy of Reinventing Riley at Amazon.

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

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

Until then, take care and God bless.
PamT

Wednesday, October 19, 2022

#WednesdayWordswithFriends Welcomes DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills !!

Good Morning!

It's a C-O-L-D 37 degrees here in SW Louisiana this morning. Seems we went from summer to winter in one fell swoop but I think it's supposed to warm back up next week. Let's hope anyway! 

Meanwhile, please welcome DiAnn Mills back as she shares some thoughts with us on authenticity. Take it away, DiAnn....

Authenticity—A Crack or a Patch in Our Character?

Are you authentic? Are you without a doubt genuine, reliable, trustworthy, and dependable? No cracks in your plaster? Known for your honesty? Faithful? Real? We’d all like to check the “yes” box for all those noble traits, but sometimes living up to authenticity isn’t easy. 

Through experience, we acquire the characteristics that earn us respect and admiration. Some of life’s happenings threaten to beat us into the ground; others fill us with confidence. We need both to keep us humble and should always strive to be better people.

Cracks in our plaster find healing in a desire and determination to change and patch the rough spots.

We can consciously work toward authenticity by practicing the following noble actions.

1. Reach out to God daily for direction. His ways are far above our agenda.

2. Add value to other people’s lives by putting their needs above our own. Selfishness solves nothing but alienates us from those who could use our help or expertise. On our own, we digest a worldview that life is only about us. 

3. Practice kindness with no thought of what we might receive in return. 

4. Listen before speaking. How many times have we heard that we have two ears but one mouth? 

5. Open our hearts to friendship with those who aren’t like us.

6. Value truth. Avoid gossip and self-serving declarations.

7. Read in every category: news, nonfiction, fiction, poetry, articles, and blog posts. Be aware of what is going on around us.

8. Love unconditionally without conditions or stipulations. This doesn’t mean we open the door to foolish decisions or abuse, but we choose love over hate.

9. Respect the world God has created for us.

10. Seek wisdom above all things.

Authenticity underscores a person’s contribution to the world. How do you practice being authentic?

DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She is a storyteller and creates action-packed, suspense-filled novels to thrill readers. 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. 

DiAnn is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, a member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. DiAnn continues her passion for helping other writers be successful. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country. 

Connect with DiAnn on her various social media platforms here: www.diannmills.com


Beautiful guidance, DiAnn and definitely something to think about and strive for!

Hope you enjoyed today's post, friends and that you'll visit each week for more Wednesday Words with Friends and Saturday Spotlight.

Meanwhile, check out DiAnn's latest book, Concrete Evidence available everywhere great Christian fiction is sold and DiAnn's previous posts HERE.

Until next week, take care and God bless.
PamT

Saturday, October 15, 2022

#SaturdaySpotlight is on Katie Clark @KatieClarkBooks & A Dim Hope!

Good Morning!

It's been a while since Katie has visited us so please welcome her back with her YA Christian Fantasy A Dim Hope!

Amber is in trouble. Her sister is dying—and so is her homeland. The Lifeforce stones that power their world are waning, and no one knows why. When the rulers of the land prepare a scientific expedition to study the place where the veins of the Lifeforce run deep, Amber is forced to travel as a servant with the expedition. Though Amber has longed for adventure, her dream always included her sister. Now her only wish is to return home with a cure before it's too late.

Crops are wilting, food is scarce, and sandstorms, avalanches, and earthquakes threaten to doom the expedition. Besides this, there are more sinister forces at work. Quiet arguments and missing supplies lead Amber to believe their efforts are being sabotaged. She uncovers clues, but the real source of their trouble—and hope—lies in places she never expected.



KATIE CLARK started reading fantastical stories in grade school and her love for books never died. Today she reads in all genres; her only requirement is an awesome story! She writes young adult speculative fiction, including her romantic fantasy novel, The Rejected Princess, her Beguiled Series, and her dystopian Enslaved Series. You can connect with her at her website, or on social media @KatieClarkBooks.

Get your copy of A Dim Hope at Amazon.

THANKS Katie for sharing your book with us!

We appreciate you and wish you the best of luck and God's blessings.
PamT

Wednesday, October 12, 2022

#WednesdayWordswithFriends Welcomes Carol James @CarolJamesAuth!

Good Morning and Welcome!

Before I turn the blog over to today's guest let me take a moment to Thank each and every one of You who have patiently followed my virtual book tour for Kyleigh's Cowboy. Your love and support mean the world to me! This week I'm sharing excerpts on Patricia Kiyono & Alina K Field's blogs. If you've pre-ordered the book through Amazon - THANKS AGAIN! If you haven't, you can not only order but read it 1 week early through Smashwords! Click HERE for details but hurry! This is a limited offer.

Now without much further ado, please give Carol James a huge hug as she returns to share with us some thoughts on The Sacred Call of the Christian Writer. Take it away, Carol!

Why am I writing? What were my goals and motivations when I began? Did I want to achieve fame and fortune? Have a book (or two) listed on the New York Times best-seller list? Be able to support my family or make a nice little nest egg for my retirement? I can imagine some of you snickering right now…

None of these is a bad reason to pursue writing. All of them have value. But for a Christian writers there can be only one reason to write. Because you’re called.

I love writing redemptive romance. One reason is because it’s formulaic and has a built-in timeline that helps me craft the story. Hitting four major plot points (Inciting Event, Point of Commitment, Black Moment, Satisfying Ending) help me with pacing and keep me on track. But what happens between those four points?

Before I put the first words on paper, while the ideas are spinning around in my imagination. I choose a Bible verse or two (Oftentimes, I’ll have one verse for the hero and another for the heroine.) and a hymn or Christian song as the foundation for the story. As I write from point to point, I constantly circle back to the truths expressed in the verses and the lyrics of the song. It’s the best way I’ve found to help me stay “on message.”

As a Christian writer, I’m called to step into the deserts of my readers’ lives and bring them hope and truth. But how do I measure that? In the story of the ninety and nine, the Good Shepherd leaves the many to find the one. I hope this is as much encouragement to you as it is to me. Touching the life of one, or two, or three with my writing is as valuable as touching the lives of a multitude. 

So, be faithful to your calling, whatever it is, and trust God with the rest.


Raised as an Air Force brat, the longest Carol James ever lived in one place was a year and a half. Maybe that’s why when she and her husband bought their first home over forty years ago, they stayed put.

Wife, mother, grandmother, and dog-mama, Carol loves writing stories of redemptive romance. When asked the difference between redemptive romance and standard romance, she replied, “A standard romance has two main characters––a hero and a heroine. A redemptive romance adds a third. God.”

Sign up for her quarterly newsletter and receive a free short story: https://www.carol-james.com/staying-in-touch.html 

Connect with Carol: 


Oh MY, Carol....what a lovely message and SO timely as I release a new book! THANK YOU.

Hope you enjoyed Carol's post, Friends and that you take her words to heart as you share your gifts and talents with the world. Speaking of gifts, check out Carol's latest release, A Time for Singing at Amazon, B&N, Kobo, GoodReads, Booktopia, BookBub and Pelican Book Group.

Check out Carol's previous visits to our blog HERE.

THANKS for dropping by, Friends. Until next week, take care and God bless.
PamT


Saturday, October 8, 2022

#SaturdaySpotlight is on DiAnn Mills @diannmills & Concrete Evidence!

Good Morning,

Well, Kyleigh's Cowboy is uploaded to and available for pre-order at almost all of my Ebook retail sites. Ten days from now you'll be able to read it in its entirety. The paperback version will be available then too. I've been sharing excerpts on several friends's blogs and newsletters. If you want to get these peeks into the story check'em out! Jacqueline Seewald, Clare RevellKara O'Neal, Stacey Weeks and Alicia Dean

Enough about me.

Today's guest is not new to our blog so please welcome, DiAnn Mills back with her new release, Concrete Evidence!

On the family’s Brazos River Ranch in Texas, Avery Elliott helps run her grandfather’s commercial construction business. Raised by Senator Elliott, Avery has never doubted her grandfather is the man of integrity and faith she’s always believed him to be …. until the day she finds him standing with a gun over the body of a dead man. To make matters worse, Avery’ just discovered a billing discrepancy for materials supposedly purchased for construction of the Lago de Cobre Dam.
 
Desperate for answers, Avery contacts FBI Special Agent Marc Wilkins for help. As Marc works to identify the dead man Avery saw, threats toward Avery create a fresh sense of urgency to pinpoint why someone wants to silence her. With a hurricane approaching the Texas coast and the structural integrity of the Lago de Cobre Dam called into question, time is running out to get to the bottom of a sinister plot that could be endangering the lives of not only Avery and her loved ones but the entire community.

Read an Excerpt HERE.

Get your copy of Concrete Evidence HERE or where all great Christian fiction is sold!

DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She is a storyteller and creates action-packed, suspense-filled novels to thrill readers. 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. 

DiAnn is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, a member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. DiAnn continues her passion for helping other writers be successful. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country. 

Connect with DiAnn on her various social media platforms here: www.diannmills.com

Check out DiAnn's previous visits and books HERE.

Oh, Wow, DiAnn! CONGRATS on your new release! We certainly wish you the best of luck and God's blessings with it.

Hope you enjoyed our spotlight today, Friends and you'll check back next week for another edition of Wednesday Words with Friends and Saturday Spotlight.

Until next time, take care and God bless.
PamT

Wednesday, October 5, 2022

#WednesdayWordswithFriends Welcomes LoRee Peery!

Good Morning Friends,

I returned home Sunday from Nacogdoches and back into my normal routine. Been steadily proofing, pruning and tweaking Kyleigh's Cowboy and I'm excited to get the final files uploaded this week. More on that later. Our guest today is no stranger to our blog, so please welcome LoRee Peery back as she shares with us some thoughts on heaven....

Heaven is My Home

Peas isn’t here—only the pod. Peas shelled out and went to God. 
–written on a tombstone in England.

Have you ever been in situations where, “I don’t belong here” came to mind? After all, one of Christ’s promises is found in John 14:2 where He tells us He left earth to prepare a mansion for us in heaven.

Rejoice! The victory over life and death on earth was won. I look forward to my heavenly dwelling place, where I’ll sing and shout in my Lord’s presence. Just imagine a city with streets of gold (see Revelation 21), and rather than sun high in the sky, light spreads from the Son of God. 

I can only imagine. There will be no more pain or sorrow in heaven. I’ll meet Old and New Testaments saints. There will be a reunion with loved ones. Possible surprises over some people I know who will be there. Heaven is where any earthly crowns we accumulate are for His glory. The image in my mind of heaven sets my focus on Jesus, rather than things of earth.

The opening lines of a hymn from childhood have run through my thoughts as I write. “I’m but a stranger here, heaven is my home.” In my Christmas novella, Christmas House, Pepper’s childhood home was a storage unit. Her family ignored holidays. As an adult, Pepper decided to decorate her first cottage home for Christmas year-round.

Imagine that. Christmas decorations in every room for twelve months. In the story, Pepper doesn’t know the real Christmas story until she’s introduced to Christians. The owner of miniature donkeys is a believer, as well as Foxx, the hero. Foxx invites Pepper to a church service where she hears the full gospel message.

Her spirit is awakened as understanding blooms. I’ve never been so bold as a novelist with the message of salvation. Before long, the real meaning of Christmas unfolds in Pepper’s heart. Her life blossoms while at the same time, Foxx is dealt a life-changing blow. But those chapters flow to the reader’s heart and reveal how Pepper and Foxx overcome. They, like us, look forward to lives in God’s hands.

My individual chapter on earth is backstory in God’s story of my life. He’s prepared for me an eternal home in heaven. God’s Word assures me that life here is but a breath. A vapor. A whisper on the wind. Heaven is my inheritance. Ephesians 1:4 assures me that God chose me before the creation of the world. Just imagine!

Change Your Mind
This land is not
My eternal home

A heart set on heaven
Is a heart set apart

My God is with me,
A spiritual connection

His Word transforms
My way of thinking

God is the only Truth―
Acceptable, good, perfect

I place my thoughts
On heavenly themes

My eternal home
Sets earth as backstory.

Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you (Psalm 73:25). I can’t conclude without the comfort found at the end of Psalm 23…and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. I know my eternal home is in heaven. Do you know beyond a doubt where yours will be?

Thank you, Pam, for allowing me to visit Words with Friends. May all of you enjoy fall and the coming holidays as you, too, look forward to heavenly homes.

Nebraska country girl LoRee Peery writes fiction that hopefully appeals to adult readers who enjoy stories written from a Christian perspective, focusing on the romance. These include novels and novellas for women and men in the Contemporary, Romance, Historical, Time Travel, and Mystery/Suspense categories. She writes of redeeming grace with a sense of place. Her Frivolities Series launched her releases, and the book based on her father’s unsolved homicide, Touches of Time, was a personal relief. She is who she is by the grace of God: Christian, country girl, wife, mother, grandmother and great-, sister, friend, and author.

Connect with LoRee: www.loreepeery.com


Find her publications at Pelican http://tinyurl.com/kwz9enk


Catch up on LoRee's previous visits HERE and check out LoRee's 2022 Christmas Extravaganza novella, Christmas House to be released on Oct. 14th!

Pepper Rainwater has just bought the first real home she' s ever had, and she' s decorating and celebrating Christmas with everything she has. The neighbor' s miniature donkeys and meeting Foxx interrupt her life. Can she turn from all she' d been taught and trust strangers?

A startling discovery after his father' s death forces Foxx Haven to face an unknown past. His life has been a lie. He' s distracted from work for the first time— by his heritage and his new neighbor. Can he fight his attraction to an unbeliever and discover his new life chapter at the same time?

Miniature donkeys and learning about Christ have a profound impact on Pepper. But God has a mighty work to bring her hurting soul and Foxx' s new perspective into alignment. Can hope override hurting souls and enable a happily-ever-after?


What beautiful sentiments, LoRee! Thank YOU for sharing and good luck and God's blessings with your new book!

Hope you enjoyed today's post, Friends and that you'll check back each week for Wednesday Words with Friends and Saturday Spotlight. 

Until next time, take care and God bless.
PamT

Saturday, October 1, 2022

#SaturdaySpotlight is on Patti Archer & Bloodline!

Good Morning!

It is always my pleasure to bring to you a brand new author and today's guest is just that! Patti C Archer is a member of Bayou Writers Group in Lake Charles and she's here with her brand new release, Bloodline, book 1 in her Louisiana Secrets series. Please give her a huge W-E-L-C-O-M-E!

Secrets on the river...

FBI Special Agent Dakota Nash was sexy. Gorgeous. Native American. And a brilliant profiler who was undercover in Lake Charles, Louisiana – watching Gabrielle Sawyer.
 
Gabrielle was beautiful. Stunning amber eyes. Long dark hair. Long and lean. But she was alone. Afraid. With scars. Secluded on the Calcasieu River on purpose. But she was skilled – with knives. And she was better than good.

Dakota was ready for the danger coming for her. Deadly secrets on the river. Killers. All because of who she was. But Gabrielle was adopted at three, her ancestors a mystery, so she didn’t know who she was - or that she held the only key to a 200-year-old secret.

In hours, Dakota and Gabrielle would meet face-to-face. For the second time. He had saved her once before. This time, on the run from killers – steamy attraction, intimacy, passion, love, and romance would LIGHT THEM UP despite the danger that hunted her.

Gabrielle learned that some things were worth fighting for. Love for one. Legacy the other. And Dakota stood guard. Warrior on deck. He would save her. She was his.

Excerpt:

Gabrielle noticed the men and women seemed to pair off instead of staying in a group. Sean and Samantha headed toward the dock. Zoe and Trace headed to the front porch. And Adam and Jade stayed on the patio.

Dakota touched her arm and said, “Walk with me?”

She smiled, and said, “Sure,” and they walked toward the barn.

Once inside, they leaned against the fence that faced the corral where the horses grazed.

He gently bumped shoulders with her, and said, “I like you being here.”

She glanced at him with a teasing smile, and said, “Yes. Dinner was wonderful.”

He said bluntly, “I’m not talking about dinner.” He turned her to face him, and said, “I’m talking about us. And don’t tell me you don’t feel this. I won’t believe you.”

She felt it. Silent, she let the look in her eyes answer.

He leaned closer and kissed her neck. He let her feel his warm, soft lips. Then he breathed her in, and whispered, “I’m going to kiss you.”

Feeling herself get swept up in the whirlwind of wanting this, she warned him, “I…I never do this. I haven’t kissed anyone in a long, long time.”

Sliding his hands up her back, he said, “But I’m not just anyone.”

“But...”

“Kiss me, Gabrielle.”

She looked at his mouth, and her lips parted. He kissed her. And she couldn’t believe the feel and taste of him as their mouths met.


Patti was born and raised in Lake Charles, Louisiana, surrounded by lakes, rivers, and bayous. She loves the Cajun culture and cuisine and is always ready for a road trip to the Gulf of Mexico or other scenic areas. Family, faith, reading, writing, and research fill most of her days. She loves the holidays, movies, and dreams of living in the mountains.
She published her first novel in June 2022. Her next novel is pending publication in January 2023 – Book Two of the Louisiana Secrets Series.


Thank you SO much, Patti for sharing your new release with us! We wish you the best of luck and God's blessings in all things.

If you love hot, steamy romantic suspense, friends be sure and check out Patti's books.

Until next time take care and God bless.

PamT