#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

https://www.facebook.com/LoReePeery

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

And Amazon https://www.amazon.com/LoRee-Peery/e/B004UAGL2W/ref

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

#WednesdayWordswithFriends Welcomes LoRee Peery @LoreePeery

Good Morning!

My heart is so full this morning I might burst. I am so happy and grateful for my life and excited about the year to come. I know I'm getting ahead of myself because 2022 is a week away, but I can't help it. God is SO GOOD! He constantly amazes me. No, I can't recount a "big" miracle that happened this week or since I last shared with you here or in my newsletter. What I can say is this....

Because my Redeemer lives, I can face tomorrow.

The miracle is simply the joy of His Presence in my life - heart, mind, soul, quickening my mortal body. The miracle of every breath I take. The miracle of sunshine to warm my soul and rain to moisten the parched areas of my life. The miracle of family and friends (like YOU) and loved ones.

God is SO Good and as we celebrate His birth this weekend, let us vow to remember and celebrate Him every day, every moment of our lives.

Today's guest is not new but it has been a long while since she visited so please welcome my friend and fellow Pelican Book Group author, LoRee Peery back to our blog...Take it away LoRee!

Words Matter

Readers and writers live in a world of words. Words matter. The most important words are in the Bible, from God’s heart to our hearts and minds. Words can build up and words can tear down. Words help overcome fear by their truth. Encouraging words are precious.

Multiple words came to me from July 2020 through September 2021. I wrote just under 900 modern-day psalms. Most often, it seemed those words didn’t penetrate my brain, they just poured from pen onto paper. Since then, I have cherished and soaked them in.

Words make me think about my brain, which God made fearfully and wonderfully along with my body. Does our Creator see words written through brain matter? Such imagination is beyond me. As a child I learned about the telegraph and that Alexander Graham Bell gained a patent for the telephone in the early 1800s, enabling people to talk to one another from a distance. How can words travel through wire?

I also never “got” the essence of electricity. Words have told me there is electrical-like power in our bodies. On the job, my introduction to computers included Ram and Rom. They were mere words to me. The first computers were the size of a closet. Modern-day computer chips are small enough to wear in a wristwatch and many minuscule devices. Those scientific discoveries are mind-boggling.

Around 1990, again on the job, I was introduced to the word-wide web. Cyberspace is as far as outer, outer space to me when it comes to comprehension. But I love reading info at the click of a mouse. Recently, I could only access my country internet a handful of times in a six-week period. I relied on reading and writing for my word fix. And I admit how frustrating it was. But God worked it out and I’m up to speed now (pun intended).

Also recently, I had reason to be humbled and embarrassed over the misplacement of words. Those modern-day psalms I mentioned? They fill four journals. I decided to give the last one, Worship through Verse, as gifts to those I love. I had them printed and spiral bound. I used one of my nice winter pictures as a cover, and then wrapped up around 20 before I realized the mistakes. Every writer needs a proofreader before words go out in print. I could beat myself up, but why should I? The two typos, one omission, and another correction can be easily explained with a few words. 

Words matter. With words, I express my hope for the Lord to shine upon each and every one of you, and that you glorify Him with the words you read, speak, and write. Pam, thank you for Words with Friends.

Jeremiah 31:3

The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying:

“I have loved you with an everlasting love;

I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.”

Never Ending Story

The story of Jesus

Is a never-ending story

His love surrounds us

As high as highest heaven

As deep as ocean waters

From the east to the west

His story never ends

He came before me

Love that defies comprehension

Is the wonderful truth

The world is in His hands

Yet, He encompasses me

Jesus is never ending

His love is never ending.

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  and/or

https://www.facebook.com/LoReePeery   Find her publications at Pelican http://tinyurl.com/kwz9enk 

And Amazon https://www.amazon.com/LoRee-Peery/e/B004UAGL2W/ref 

LoRee's newest Christmas book is available now as part of PBG's annual Christmas Extravaganza!

Cautious observer Nicasia is at the Wilber Hotel for a wedding. She is careful when it comes to small spaces due to an attack as a teen, but intrigued by the antique phone booth, she steps inside to investigate.  

A just man with a star, Logan grew up at the end of the nineteenth century in a very religious home. But his reverend father led two lives and left Logan believing there was something wrong with him. 

Boom!  

Nicasia is bowled over and knocked to the floor by a force that comes out of nowhere. Where had the man been hiding? 

Logan is drawn to the 21st century maiden, but will he stay in the future?  

Get your copy of Christmas Phone Booth at Amazon, B&N and PBG!

Check out LoRee's previous visits HERE.

Thank you SO much LoRee for sharing your heart and words with us! 

I hope you enjoyed LoRee's post as much as I did, friends and that you'll check back weekly for Wednesday Words with Friends and Saturday Spotlight!

Until next time take care, God bless and remember.... A grateful heart is a magnet for miracles

PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight is on Carol James & Covert Cowboy Christmas!

Good Morning!

We're in the Most Wonderful Time of the Year and we're starting off this Holiday Season by featuring Christmas books! Today's guest has visited many times so please welcome Carol James back with her new release, Covert Cowboy Christmas. Take it away Carol....

A December ice storm destroys Rebekah Kingston’s Christmas plans. With the power out and the West Texas roads closed indefinitely, she’s forced to spend Christmas at her brother Braden’s ranch instead of at home with her parents. 

But Rebekah and Braden are not alone. Also stranded is an annoyingly chatty ranch hand, Dirk Sims. While Rebekah is certain she’s met him before, Dirk insists she’s mistaken.  

However, when Rebekah inadvertently eavesdrops on one of Dirk’s phone conversations, she discovers his lie. Dirk is not who he seems. This Christmas just got interesting.

Excerpt:

Rebekah stepped into her fuzzy slippers and then hung the black-sequined bridesmaid’s gown on a padded hanger. 

Never wear all white or all black to a wedding. 

Granny’s twenty-five-year-old admonition still resounded in her memory. 

In white, you might look like you’re trying to upstage the bride, and in black, people will think you’re mourning her decision. 

"Yeah, well, what if black’s the bride’s choice?” she muttered. “What if she wanted black for her bridesmaids? Solid black.” She grabbed the pink Cinderella’s Formals garment bag and jammed the dress into it. Granny and her generation might have thought red a better choice for a December wedding, but black showed off the red roses in the bridesmaids’ bouquets…exactly as Lizzie had wanted. 

The zipper buzzed, its pitch rising as Rebekah jerked it upward, hiding the evidence. After all, Granny might be looking down and shaking her head. Black, white, red. People didn’t really pay attention to those outdated social conventions nowadays, anyway.

Jackson had sweetly, yet firmly, insisted she spend tonight in his house rather than having to make the long drive home after the wedding. Between Braden and him, he’d always been the more thoughtful brother. But Jen and the kids had certainly sweetened up Braden. 

She stepped into the living room and draped the garment bag over the back of one of the four leather recliners. Stacked boxes of Lizzie’s stuff lined the dining room walls. A smile tugged at Rebekah’s lips. Once the happy couple returned from their honeymoon, Lizzie would spend the first few months of their marriage redecorating this man cave. 

Rebekah walked back to the hall and headed toward the guest room. Marilyn jumped off one of the chairs and padded along behind her. The cream-colored golden retriever whined. Rebekah sat on the guest bed, and the dog jumped up beside her, whined again, and snuggled close. 

“I know.” Rebekah scratched behind the dog’s ears and spoke in the singsong voice she reserved for babies and dogs. “You miss Jackson already. Don’t you, sweet girl?” 

Marilyn placed a paw of confirmation on Rebekah’s thigh. 

“Well, don’t you worry. I’ll take good care of you while your daddy’s on his honeymoon.” 

The Texas December wind howled outside. Rebekah drew back the covers and slipped between the sheets. Marilyn snuggled at her feet. The temperature had already started dropping from the unseasonable warmth they’d been having the last couple of weeks. Maybe having a furry foot-warmer wouldn’t be so bad tonight. 

She rolled over to turn off the lamp on the nightstand, but instead, grabbed her phone. She scrolled through her photos until she found the picture of the six of them standing under the lilac arbor at church camp the summer after their senior year. The memory of the flowers’ smothering, sweet perfume transported her back twenty years, awakening the past within her as if the picture had been taken yesterday. The summer they’d formed the Happily-Never-After Club. 

The six of them had always been known as the brainy girls—the ones who took advanced calculus and had more time for schoolwork and each other than boys. They’d hugged and cried and vowed to the sisterhood that they’d never get married. They had too much to do. Too much to achieve. They’d be best friends for life, traveling the world together seeking fun and adventure. And for about ten years that had been the case. 

But then, time passed and circumstances changed. Special men came into their lives, and one by one, they withdrew their vows to their friends and transferred them to their husbands. Jackson and Lizzie’s wedding tonight left Rebekah alone. The sole surviving member of the sisterhood, the death-knell being sounded by her own brother.

The photo blurred as Rebekah fought unbidden tears. For years, she’d been happy, content. She’d earned every degree, achieved every goal, reached every milestone she’d set out to attain. But those achievements no longer filled the hole in her heart. She wanted something more. Something she never thought she’d want. She placed her phone on the nightstand and turned off the lamp. Snuggling into the pillow, she closed her eyes as the tears escaped. In six months, she would celebrate her thirty-ninth birthday.

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 forty-two years ago, they stayed put. She lives in a town outside of Atlanta, GA with her husband, Jim, and a perky Jack Russell Terrier, Zoe.

Loving intriguing stories with happy endings, she writes Redemptive Romance. Her debut novel, Rescuing Faith, was a number one Amazon best-seller. Visit her website to sign up for her newsletter and learn about new releases: www.carol-james.com

Recently, Carol allowed Zoe to establish Instagram and Facebook pages with two of her dog friends, Sandy, and Brody. Follow them at 3 Dogs and Their Authors to discover the behind the scenes info about being a writer’s dog. 

When she’s not walking Zoe, Carol enjoys spending time with her husband, children, and grandchildren, as well as traveling. On Sundays, she loves serving in the production department at her church. And most days, in the late hours of the night, you’ll find her bringing her newest novel to life.

Connect with Carol at the following online places...

CarolJamesWebsite  FacebookCarolJame  InstagramCarolJamesAuth TwitterCarolJamesAuth

GoodreadsCarolJames  BookbubCarolJames  AmazonCarolJames

Newsletter Sign-up  Instagram3DogsandtheirAuthors  Facebook3DogsandtheirAuthors

Get your copy of Covert Cowboy Christmas at Pelican: A Covert Cowboy Christmas Pelican  Amazon: A Covert Cowboy Christmas Amazon Barnes & Noble: A Covert Cowboy Christmas B&N  & KOBO: A Covert Cowboy Chcristmas KOBO

Check out Carol's previous visits HERE.

Sounds like another great book, Carol. Wishing you the best of luck and God's blessings with it, and a Blessed & Merry Christmas!

Hope you'll stay tuned all month friends, for more Christmas books and stories on Wednesday Words with Friends and Saturday Spotlight.

Until next time, take care and God bless.

PamT

#WednesdayWordswithFriends welcomes Erin Stevenson & A New Hope for Christmas!

Good Morning,

Today's guest is brand new to our blog so please welcome Erin Stevenson with her Christmas novella, A New Hope for Christmas, part of Pelican Book Group's Christmas Extravaganza!

This Christmas, Two Lost and Broken Families Need Restoration.

Sam Jarrett was just starting to explore spiritual things when his world was shattered. Now, he's completely turned his back on God. Laura Preston is a devoted believer, leaning heavily on her faith to get her through each tortured day.

Two Chance Meetings Spark a Friendship and a Glimmer of Hope.

Sam battles God's prodding through Laura's gentle, caring spirit. When another tragedy strikes on Christmas Eve, Sam is sure that God has completely deserted him. Laura tries to show Sam that God loves him and has been there all the time, but how can Sam trust when he has no faith?

A New Hope for Christmas is a story of restored faith in a God who never leaves us, even when we can't see or feel Him near.

Read an excerpt of A New Hope for Christmas and get your copy from Pelican Book Group or Amazon!

Now, let's find out a little more about Erin!

Hi. My name is Erin and I’m a prayer warrior.

I love to pray. I’ve always loved to pray, since I met Jesus at the age of 15 and asked him into my heart. I guess I love to pray because it’s just talking with my Best Friend, Jesus. So I always look for opportunities to pray for and with people. 

But for a long time, I struggled with prayer, because I didn’t understand it. Let me share two things that hampered my prayer life:

1)      Someone asks me on Monday to pray for their husband’s surgery on Thursday. I send up a ‘pre-prayer’ then, but when the hour of his surgery rolls around on Thursday…I’m busy with something else, or maybe I just forget. And when he doesn’t come through surgery well, I wonder if it was because of my neglect. 

2)      I see a request on social media to pray for a child who is in critical condition. Hundreds are praying, thousands! But the child doesn’t survive. I prayed for him often. Did I not pray enough? But if I pray more and someone still dies, and my prayers couldn’t change the outcome, then WHY SHOULD I PRAY?

Entire books have been written about prayer, and I could write a VERY long blog on this, but I’ll just tell you one lesson that I learned when I asked God to help me figure this out. Regardless of the outcome of a situation I’ve prayed for, my prayers are a comfort to the one who I’m praying for and/or the one who requested the prayer and assure them that they are not alone. I’ve been on the flip side when I’ve needed prayer. No matter the outcome, I am blessed and encouraged just by knowing that someone is on their knees in the valley with me.

Even in a pandemic, I can still connect with people by praying for them. A while back I posted on my social media, “Raise your hand if I can pray for you today.” I made it clear that I didn’t want or need to know any details, I just wanted to pray. Over a hundred people responded! Many said they were so blessed by this. Believe me, I got the blessing!

I invite you to do what I often do, ask God, “who needs my prayers today?” You will be amazed at the names He will bring to your mind, and if you let that person know (sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t), you will be amazed at their response!  

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.  I Thes. 5:16-18

Erin's Bio: Writing is like breathing to Erin. Stories are running through her mind during most of her waking hours, and by the time she sits down at the computer, the words flow and time ceases to exist. 

Erin was raised in Illinois and has lived in many places in the U.S., including on both coasts, but is a Midwest girl at heart. She spent many years as an educator from pre-school through college levels, and currently works in training and internal communications for a global corporation.

When she’s not writing, Erin loves spending time with her children and grandchildren, and playing in the garden (which equates to mostly pulling weeds) at her central Iowa home. Her secret indulgence is plain M&Ms.

Find out more about Erin and her books by visiting her Website.

Connect with Erin on Social Media! Facebook: ESQwrites

Twitter: @ESQwrites and Instagram: ESQwrites

Thank you SO Much Erin for sharing your love of prayer with us. I know I can relate! Wishing you the best of luck and God's blessings.

Thanks for stopping by friends and supporting Erin. Hope to see you for Saturday Spotlight where we feature another Christmas book.

Meanwhile, wishing each and every one of YOU and YOUR a very Merry Christmas!

PamT

#WednesdayWordswithFriends welcomes LoRee Peery @LoreePeery with her Christmas book!

Good Morning!

Boy it's been cold and dreary these last several days here in SW Louisiana. Definitely Winter weather UGH. I am not fond of cold, wet, dreary at all but as the Bible says there is a season for every purpose under heaven so we must learn to, if not enjoy, appreciate every season.

Today's guest is not new to us. LoRee Peery has been a pretty regular guest for years so please welcome her back with her latest Christmas book, A Cup of Christmas Kindness.....

A Cup of Christmas Kindness…

We’ve heard it for months, what a year 2020 has been. I’m no exception in feeling that way, but rather than looking down on the past months, I count them as blessings. There is always good in the bad. I love the song “Turn Your eyes Upon Jesus” because it works! Rather than focus on the problem, if I focus on faith, the unexplainable peace of the Lord floods my soul.

My “rough” year was focused on my shoulder issues. A broken acromion bone and reverse joint replacement involved two surgeries and months of an immobilized right arm. That didn’t keep my left hand from learning how to write (scribble). I was downhearted because pain prevented me from zeroing in on my work of fiction. It kept stalling.

Toward the end of July during the wee hours that pain kept me awake, instead of picking up my Kindle I reached for my Bible. Old Testament promises, especially in the Psalms, comforted my hurts. Something miraculous happened along with the solace I received. I picked up pen and notebook. Nonfiction praise flowed from my heart through my fingertips onto the page.

Jeremiah 30:17 “But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,” declares the Lord.

Jehovah-rophe

You are the God Who Heals

 

Thank You for getting

Me through another day

 

I’ve been on auto pilot

Trying to make it without

 

Falling to pieces tears are close

But I haven’t given in

 

Six months I’ve lived

With a broken bone that won’t heal

 

I get done what You’d have me do

According to Your plan

 

Thank You, Lord, for getting

Me through another day.

 

Jehovah-rophe,

You are the God Who heals.

 

It was normal to think of why I was pouring out such words. I wrote a line or two about the pain or trouble that prevented sleep. Then before I knew it praise and songs filled my soul. I called them lamentations or psalms. As of this writing, I’ve penned around 250 (numbers have never been my thing).

Job 11:7-8 “Can you fathom the mysteries of God? Can you probe the limits of the Almighty? They are higher than the heavens above—what can you do? They are deeper than the depths below—what can you know?

 

God’s Always Got It

No matter what,

God’s always got it

Physical pain?

God’s always got it

 

Mental fatigue?

God’s always got it

 

Stress over sin?

God’s always got it

 

Lost souls of children,

God’s always got it

 

The country’s unrest,

God’s always got it

 

The tasks before me,

God’s always got it

 

Whatever I face,

God’s always got it.

 

All praise and glory belong to Jesus, my King, for whatever He does through me. I wish Pam and all readers here the blessed hope and peace that can only come from why we celebrate Christmas and Easter.

Thank you So Much, LoRee! We certainly wish you the best of luck and God's blessings with your new release and a VERY Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and yours.

Violet Steele returns to her parents' home in small-town Nebraska to pay off school loans. But her first social activity is the celebration of life for a woman she'd dreamt would someday be her mother-in-law.

Heath Banfield is haunted by memories of Violet leaving him in their youth. He ended up with a woman who never wanted motherhood, and he's become bitter and hard when it comes to love and trust. Now he's dealing with his mother's death. In her absence, he needs an after-school caregiver for his daughter. When Violet offers to tend for the eight-year-old, he's not sure he can handle her act of kindness.

Violet is still in love with Heath, and helping him through his grief and caring for his delightful daughter is a welcome opportunity. But Heath is wary, and she'll have to muster every ounce of kindness she has.

Will Violet's deliberate holiday deeds lead to romance, or will Heath's hurt deepen his bitterness?

Author Bio: 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 and the book based on her father’s unsolved homicide, Touches of Time, are available on Amazon. 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

https://twitter.com/LoreePeery

https://www.facebook.com/LoReePeery

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

And Amazon https://www.amazon.com/LoRee-Peery/e/B004UAGL2W/ref

Get your copy of A Cup of Christmas Kindness at Amazon, B&N and Pelican Book Group.

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

Until next time stay warm and God Bless.

PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight is on Stacey Weeks @WriterSWeeks & Mistletoe Movie Star

Good Morning!

Well Christmas is officially less than two weeks away. I'm not even ready but hey, ready or not, here comes Santa Claus LOL!

Today's guest is not new to our blog so please welcome Stacey Weeks back with her Christmas story, Mistletoe Movie Star. Take it away Stacey....

Mistletoe Meadows is built around the magic of Christmas. As jingling sleighs cart rosy-cheeked lovers around the Mistletoe Mile, Charlene’s holiday dream is more complicated than photoshopped perfection. She proposes a compassion ministry initiative called the Gingerbread House but struggles to convince the town that their need for a homeless shelter is real.

Famous for his made for television holiday movies, Jonas longs for a happily-ever-after that isn’t as neat and tidy as his unrealistic films. Partnering with Char to champion her ministry invigorates him with a new purpose and provides an excuse to spend time with the girl he never forgot. But when they embrace three young sisters fighting to stay together while living on the streets, their project becomes deeply personal.

Together, they prove to a town reluctant to see anything other than holiday perfection that the greatest gift of the season isn’t found under a tree.

Excerpt:

“Kittens sound like fun.” Jonas winked at her. 

Beth yanked off the lid. “Look how little they are.” 

Small gasps and yelps rolled through the press. They collectively leapt back.

A quick bark of laughter escaped Char as she reached in and pulled out a baby skunk. Its folds of skin layered over the petite frame, and one tiny eye slit wiggled as if it wanted to open and see who dared to disturb its rest. 

The cameras started snapping again, but from a distance. 

“They don’t spray until they are older,” Char swallowed a chuckle. She turned the baby animal to face the reporters. 

Quick, high-pitched laughter waved through the crowd. 

“What, no skunks in L.A.?” Char smirked. 

Suzy and Nat trotted up, breathing hard. “They’re not kittens,” Suzy panted, extending a weak arm in warning. 

“And she wants to name them.” Nat collapsed to her knees beside her younger sister. 

“Suzy said I couldn’t.” Beth thrust out her chin. 

“That’s because they’re skunks.” Suzy fisted her hands on her hips. “And if you name them, you’ll want to keep them. We can’t keep skunks.” 

Char swayed forward until she was eyeball to eyeball with Beth. “Names are important. I think every creature should have a name. It lets us know someone knows us and loves us. I’d be honored if you would name the kits.” 

“Kits?”

“That’s what you call a baby skunk.”

Beth turned to Suzy. “They are almost kittens. They’re kits.”

What people are saying about Mistletoe Movie Star:

“The reader becomes cocooned in the friendly welcome from the town of Mistletoe. It is a town with a social conscience and a heart for the homeless … I adored the story.” Julia Wilson Christian Bookaholic

“Mistletoe Movie Star is a wonderful read that will put you in the holiday spirit.” Carol James

“This is a heartwarming tale ... a cute ending, too!” Katy Eeten

Mistletoe Movie Star is part of Pelican Book Group's Christmas Extravaganza and can be found at PBG or Amazon.  Find links to all of Stacey’s books here: https://www.staceyweeks.com/books/

Stacey is a ministry wife, mother of two teens and one tween, and a sipper of hot tea with honey. She loves to open the Word of God and share the hope of Christ with women. She is a multi-award-winning author, the primary home-educator of her children, and a frequent conference speaker. Her messages have been described as rich in the truths of Scripture, gospel-infused, and life-changing. Stacey is currently working on a graduate certificate in women’s ministry with Heritage College and Seminary. Sign up to Stacey’s newsfeed and receive the free short story 12 Days Under the Mistletoe: James has 12 days to win Wendy’s heart. https://www.subscribepage.com/staceys_newsletter

Find and Connect with Stacey on her website or Social Media at the following locations:

F: www.facebook.com/writerSWeeks

T: @writerSWeeks 

I: @writerSWeeks 

Great excerpt, Stacey. Wishing you the best of luck and God's blessings with your new book!

Hope you enjoyed today's spotlight as much as I did, friends and that you'll come back each week for Wednesday Words with Friends and Saturday Spotlight.

Until next time, take care and God bless.

PamT

#WednesdayWordswithFriends with Carol James @CarolJames

Good Morning,

We're certainly feeling the Christmas weather here in SW Louisiana. As promised, we're doing all Christmas till Christmas (actually through New Years but whose counting, right? LOL!). Today's guest is not new to us. She has been in our spotlight, shared words, thoughts and treasures with us so please welcome Carol James back to share something about Christmas.....

Waiting for Christmas

“How much longer?”
    In the days leading up to Christmas, my mother heard this question so many times, she was probably sick of it. Through the eyes of a child, those few days between the end of school and Christmas was an eternity. 
    Every morning, I would go downstairs and turn on the Christmas tree lights. I’d double-check all the packages underneath to make certain they were arranged with the larger ones in the back and the smaller ones in front. I’d confirm all the name tags were visible so we’d be ready when Christmas finally arrived.
    As carols played in the background, I’d remove the delicate characters from the nativity set, dust them off, and then replace them one at a time, careful to position the small statues so each one’s gaze fell on the Christ Child. As an illustration of the birth of the Prince of Peace, I’d make certain some of the animals were grazing unafraid close to the manger. 
    Finally, I’d turn on the soft ivory bulb in the back of the little stable and blanket the scene with a warm, welcoming glow. And all was done. All was ready. And then I would wait. Until the next day. When I’d start my preparations all over again.
    
“How much longer?” 
    How many times the Israelites must have asked that question in the hundreds of years between the promise of the Messiah and His coming. Did they prepare their hearts and lives daily for His impending arrival? 
    I’m sure some did. But in the space between a promise and its fulfillment, God may seem silent. And keeping a sense of expectation can be difficult, if not impossible.

 “How much longer?”
    How many times have you asked yourself that question? You have a dream, a desire, a ministry God has placed in your heart. Yet you feel caught in those years between Malachi and Matthew. And God seems silent. 
    Know this, time spent waiting on God is never wasted. He has a reason for the silence. Use the time to prepare. Whatever your dream, study, practice, and learn to be the best “whatever” you can be.
    My mother was wise. She’d call me into the kitchen and put me to work helping decorate the Christmas cookies we gave our friends and neighbors as gifts. She knew the best way to wait was to work.
    So decorate your cookies, dust off your nativity, and arrange your packages, because your Christmas is coming.

Carol James is an author of Redemptive Romance. She lives in a small town outside of Atlanta, Georgia with her husband, Jim, and a perky Jack Russell "Terrorist," Zoe.

Having always loved intriguing stories with happy endings, she was moved to begin writing to encourage others as she'd been encouraged by the works of other authors of inspirational fiction. 
You can connect with Carol at: 

CarolJamesWebsite    FacebookCarolJames

InstagramCarolJamesAuth    TwitterCarolJamesAuth

GoodreadsCarolJames    BookbubCarolJames    AmazonCarolJames

Novelist Olivia St. Madeleine is intrigued by a handsome and mysterious stranger she sees when she’s Christmas shopping. Who exactly is he, and what is his story?

Gabriel Winter definitely has a story. One he's been running from for years. He’s renovating a house next door to a friendly and persuasive grandmother, who is, unbeknownst to him, Olivia's Nana.

Through Nana’s insistence, Liv helps Gabe wallpaper and paint, and in return Gabe fulfills one of Liv’s secret childhood dreams.

But past hurts and secrets threaten to drive them apart rather than draw them together.

Will they find the courage to share their secrets with each other and with God, and allow Him to redeem Christmas?

Redeeming Christmas is part of Pelican Book Group's 2020 Christmas Extravaganza and is available at PBG, Amazon and B&N!

Thanks for sharing your lovely Christmas memories with us, Carol. Good luck and God's blessings with your new book!

Hope you enjoyed the 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

#WednesdayWordswithFriends Welcomes Kathy Bailey

Good Morning!

All Christmas till Christmas continues today with Kathy Bailey with her new novella, The Widow's Christmas Miracle but first let's congratulate our November gift card winner......

Anna Taylor Sweringen! 

Congrats Anna...take it away Kathy.....

My husband Dave and I are “Lightniks,” a term I coined about five minutes ago. We will drive miles out of our way to gaze at an over-the-top Christmas lights display, and we were doing it well before it became a thing. For years we sought out a home in a nearby town where a family named Hamer filled their yard with elegant lighted vignettes. They had a Nativity cluster, a snowman cluster, a Santa cluster, and, my favorite, a lighted deer on the snowy back hill. A few years into this, there was no display one Christmas. That summer I saw most of the decorations in a yard sale, and shortly after, happened upon Mr. Hamer’s obituary.  With his passing, the lights went dark.

Dave and I bought LED lights on sale a few years ago, with the determination of hanging them on our eaves and being done with it. I dragged him outside one warm fall day to Get It Over With, which involved him spotting me on a shaky ladder as I pulled down our old lights and put up the new ones. Which didn’t light. Came down from the ladder, threw the defective lights away, and bought a brand-new strand of LEDs. Repeated the process of Dave spotting me on ladder, and held our breaths as he plugged them in. These lights lit, and continued to light in our own rather modest holiday display. They’re LED, we told each other, so they’ll go on for practically ever. Until we were forced to replace the roof, and the eaves came down along with the lights. But it would have been the same if somebody else bought the house and tore them down, or there was a tornado, or a hurricane, or this world ceased to exist. Which, LED or no LED, it will at some point. Our efforts were worthy, but they were for this life only.

               Contrast this with the Light that comes at Advent.

Luke 1:79, “To give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet in the way of peace.”

John 1:4. “In Him was light, and that light was the light of men.”

John 1:5, “The light shines in the darkness and the darkness knows it not.”

John 1:9. “The true light that enlightens every man was come into the world.”

John 8:12. “I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Acts 13:47. “For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, ‘I have set you to be a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the uttermost parts of the earth.”

2 Cor. 4:6, “For it is the God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.”

1 Pet. 2:9, “That you may declare the wonderful deeds of Him Who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”

I John 1:7, “If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.”

This is the light that never goes out

So true Kathy, thanks for sharing!

Kathleen Bailey is a journalist and novelist with 40 years’ experience in the nonfiction, newspaper and inspirational fields. Born in 1951, she was a child in the 50s, a teen in the 60s, a young adult in the 70s and a young mom in the 80s. It’s been a turbulent, colorful time to grow up, and she’s enjoyed every minute of it and written about most of it.

Bailey’s work includes both historical and contemporary fiction, with an underlying thread of men and women finding their way home, to Christ and each other. Her first Pelican book, ‘‘Westward Hope,” was published in September 2019. This was followed by a novella, “The Logger’s Christmas Bride,” in December 2019. Her second full-length novel, “Settler’s Hope,” was released July 17, 2020. She has a Christmas novella, “The Widow’s Christmas Miracle,” scheduled for this December as part of Pelican’s “Christmas Extravaganza,” and is completing “Redemption’s Hope,” the third and final book in the Western Dreams series.

She lives in New Hampshire with her husband David. They have two grown daughters.

For more information, contact her at ampie86@comcast.net; @piechick1 on Twitter; Kathleen D. Bailey on Facebook and LinkedIn; or at www.kathleendbailey.weebly.com.

Red Dawn's world was shattered in a single vengeful act, an act that brought her to into the home of the enemy. She couldn't love a white man, not after what they did to her people. Could she?

After losing a limb serving his country, Laban Jones has built a life from nothing. He's got more than he dare ask for, but what woman would accept a one-legged husband? Can he offer Red Dawn three-quarters of a man, and will she be content with that? 

The answer they receive on a Christmas Eve is a miracle neither will ever forget.

The Widow's Christmas Miracle is part of Pelican Book Group's 2020 Christmas Extravaganza and can be purchased at PBG and Amazon! Check out Kathy's previous posts HERE.

Hope you enjoyed today's guest 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

#SaturdaySpotlight is on Katy Eeten & First Class Christmas!

Good Morning!

I pray your Thanksgiving was Blessed and Happy and if you did any Black Friday shopping your deals were awesome! I am not a shopper on the best of days much less the busiest therefore, I normally don't venture out on the day after Thanksgiving. However, my granddaughter is with me this weekend and just "had" to get her boyfriend's gifts while they were on sale. Then, my daughter texted that a special gift for my grandson was on sale also at the same place and off we went...To. One. Store. LOL! 

Anyway, as promised on Wednesday, today we are featuring a new to me author with her Christmas title so please give Katy a huge, SWLA  W-E-L-C-O-M-E!

Take it away Katy.....

When Mandy Brockman flies home from her friend's destination wedding, her heart is on empty at the thought of spending Christmas alone. It doesn't help that her ex is on the plane, seemingly unaffected by their breakup. But the kind-hearted man seated next to her seems to have it all together—and he's handsome to boot. She knows her emotional healing won't come in the form of another guy, but will the source of this man's peace and joy help Mandy find the Christmas she's looking for?

CJ Hawkins is captivated by the beautiful, feisty woman he meets on his flight. The only thing is, she's fresh out of a relationship, and he has no interest in being anyone's rebound. But the more he learns about Mandy, the more he's drawn to her unique mixture of compassion and spunk.

Can he figure out how to make their relationship take off before this First Class Christmas is grounded forever?

Excerpt:

With luggage in tow, they made their way toward the exit. “Do you have a ride home?” CJ asked.

Mandy nodded as they exited the building. “My friend’s picking me up. I texted her when we landed, so she should be here any second.” She scanned the area for her friend’s car. “What about you? Someone picking you up? A limo driver perhaps, Sir Olympian?”

CJ chuckled and shoved his hands in his jacket pockets. “No, ma’am. I always take the bus to and from the airport. It stops a few blocks from my house, so it just makes sense.”

The bus. Good. At least he wasn’t a snob, even if he did fly first class. Mandy mentally scolded herself for being so judgmental.

A black sedan pulled up to the curb, and she waved at her friend in recognition. “That’s Amber.” She turned to CJ. Now what? Was this good-bye? Despite her recent epiphany that she should get some distance from the male species, she couldn’t help but be sad at the thought of never seeing CJ again.

He was staring at her and rubbing his chin with his thumb and forefinger. “What’s up?” Mandy narrowed her eyes. “Everything OK?”

He nodded, crinkles forming around his eyes as he smiled. “I’m fine. You?”

She gave him a slow nod. “Fine, but it seems as if you have something on your mind. Care to share before I’m whisked away for good in my friend’s car?” Speaking of her friend, she glanced Amber’s way and held up a finger to let her know she’d be ready in a minute.

CJ finally stopped rubbing his chin and wiped his hands on his pants. “Honestly, I’m just trying to figure out a smooth way to ask for your number.” He sucked in a deep breath and laughed as he let it out. “And there it is, I guess. Not exactly smooth, but at least it’s out there.”

Mandy’s eyes widened. Was he serious? She was definitely interested in seeing the guy again, but she hadn’t realized the feeling was mutual. Hearing his confession caused electricity to surge through her body. Keep cool, Mandy. She flashed him a small smile. “Hmm, I think I could make that happen.”

Katy Eeten is married to a Pastor and is the mom of two boys, ages 12 and 9. She lives with her family in southeast Wisconsin, despite her dislike for cold weather. She works full time in corporate America, but her true passion is writing.

In addition to First Class Christmas, she has three other Christian Romances available on Amazon. When she’s not working or writing, she can be found taking walks or bike rides with her kids, baking goodies, playing the piano, or spending time with her family.

Find and follow Katy on the following Social Media sites....

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KatyEeten/ 

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/KatyEeten @KatyEeten

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/KatyEeten/ 

Website: https://katyeeten.wordpress.com/

Get your copy of First Class Christmas at Amazon and B&N and check out Katy's other titles on her Amazon Author Page.

LOVE the excerpt Katy! We wish you the best of luck and God's blessings with your new release!

Hope you enjoyed the spotlight, Friends and that you'll check back each week for another as well as Wednesday Words with Friends, especially now with all Christmas till Christmas!

Until next time take care, God bless and remember.....It is right to give HIM thanks and praise.

PamT

#WednesdayWordswithFriends More Smoky Mountain Christmas!

Good Morning Friends!

Still in Monroe for the Dixie League World Series. So far our team is undefeated! Today is the last day so Saturday I'll post our standing.

Meanwhile, please welcome two more guests in the Smoky Mountain Christmas collection and blog tour, Jeanie Smith Cash and Rose Allen McCauley!

Sights and Sounds in Gatlinburg, TN, the Christmas city of the South

I hope you have read some of our other posts this month about why Jeanie Smith Cash invited me and Tiff (Amber) Stockton and Delia Latham to join her in setting our Christmas stories there.  I first went to Gatlinburg back in the 60s for our high school senior trip, then my husband and I used to travel there once a year for a board meeting he was on about our college, so I have been there numerous times. When Jeanie asked me to join them, I hadn’t been there for several years, so decided to look up some of the older places to make sure they were still there, and to add some of the newer places, too, so here are some of the place and activities I found.

It is a busy place year-around, but since our stories were set between November and January, that was where I concentrated my search. Below are a few of the things I found, but I hope you will search for yourself and your family and see what interests you all.

Winter Smoky Mountain Tunes and Tales along the parkway on weekends between Thanksgiving and Christmas

Great Smoky Christmas Arts & Crafts Show where our girls in our stories made and sold and shopped for Christmas presents for their families.

Fantasy of Lights Christmas Parade like a miniature Macy’s Parade down the center of town! First Saturday in December.

New Year's Eve Ball Drop and Fireworks Show again, a miniature Times’ Square ball drop and fireworks.

And don’t forget the FOOD! It is scrumptious. I know people who drive there at least once a year just for some good down home family style cooking! And shopping! Hope you can spend a weekend or longer in Gatlinburg soon!

Rose Allen McCauley is a Christian author and speaker. Her experiences as a public school teacher, Sunday school teacher, Girl Scout leader, MOPS mentor and Moppet worker, scrapbooker, wife, Mom and Mimi give Rose a wide field of ministry to women. Her tagline is Small towns~Huge hearts. Find out more by visiting and/or connecting with her at the following locations: Website, Amazon Author Page, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, and Instagram.

Jeanie Smith Cash is blessed to live in the country in Southwest Missouri in the heart of the Ozarks with her husband Andy, her children, grandchildren and family, and she adores them all. She is a member of ACFW and has sixteen books published. Jeanie gives her Lord and Savior the credit for her writing career and her loving family. She loves chocolate, collecting dolls, crocheting, watching the St Louis Cardinals play baseball, spoiling her grandchildren, spending time with her family, traveling and going to Bluegrass Festivals with her husband. Jeanie loves to read and write Christian romance and believes a salvation message inside of a good story, could possibly touch someone who wouldn't be reached in any other way. She loves to hear from her readers at, jeaniesmithcash@yahoo.com, she is also on
Twitter, https://twitter.com/jeaniesmithcash 
Facebook, https://.facebook.com/jeaniesmithcash
and Amazon,  amazon.com/author/jeaniesmithcash

Smoky Mountain Christmas can be purchased at Amazon in Print and for Kindle.

Hope you enjoyed today's post, friends and that you'll check back weekly for Wednesday Words with Friends and Saturday Spotlight!

Until next time, take care and God bless.
PamT