#TuesdayTreasure: Guest Post by Jacqueline Seewald

Good Morning and Welcome to Tuesday Treasure!

This is the time of year when we pause and give thanks for all we hold dear and I just want to take a moment to THANK each and every one of YOU who follow my blog. I pray your week is blessed and your Thanksgiving celebration the best it's ever been!

Today's guest is a friend and fellow Five Star author who shares with us something she treasures...

Time for Thanksgiving by Jacqueline Seewald

Pam has asked me to write about something I treasure. As we approach our national Thanksgiving holiday, this seems particularly appropriate.

First and foremost, I treasure my husband, my children and my grandchildren. I treasure good health. I also treasure the fact that I am now able to be a full-time writer.

In novels, I write romantic mysteries and romances with a touch of mystery. I’ll talk a bit about my most recent novels.

DARK MOON RISING, an adult paranormal romance from Luminosity, is available in All e-book formats and print. Check out reviews on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00Z7824A4/

“This novel delves into the world of the paranormal with incredible suspense and romantic intrigue.” Patricia Gligor

“Dark Moon Rising is an intriguing story that combines supernatural mystery, suspense and romance in an exciting brew.” K.G. McCullough

“Seewald’s well-written novel keeps readers guessing to the very end.”

 Susan Coryell

“Dark Moon Rising is a gripping story that will have you turning pages until the surprising outcome.” Nancy J. Cohen

“…a suspenseful, bang-up denouement that will keep readers breathing hard even more than with the steamy sex scenes.” Nancy Means Wright

It is also available through the publisher Luminosity:

http://luminositypublishing.com/product/dark-moon-rising/

itunes:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/dark-moon-rising/id1020852100?mt=11

B&N Online:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dark-moon-rising-jacqueline-seewald/1122376394?ean=2940150766686

and

https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-darkmoonrising-1856071-340.html

*****

Young adult novel STACY’S SONG has been released in a digital edition by Clean Reads Press which published THE DEVIL AND DANNA WEBSTER. Some excellent editorial reviews on Amazon for this novel as well:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0177E67CQ

"Young readers will embrace Stacy...STACY'S SONG is a well written story about those awkward teen years, when the ugly duckling turns into a swan, and the rocky roads that teenagers traverse. This is an enjoyable, fun read, and I recommend it for young adults."
Deborah C Jackson, Romance Reviews Today
***** 

"This is a fun and speedy read, with a lead character you can't help liking...You don't have to be a teen to get a hoot out of this. Recommended." 

Snapdragon, Long and Short Reviews
 *****

"This is a wonderful young adult novel! Full of honest emotion, problems, conflict and a cast of fascinating characters, STACY'S SONG is a heartwarming story of a girl growing up and learning how to make thoughtful decisions that will affect her life today and in the future."
Alice Duncan, multiple award-winning author
*****

"This is an entertaining young adult tale starring a likable high school age girl who goes from being the outside freak to the in-crowd. Stacy is stupendous as she struggles with two boys; one is charming while the other is demanding. Who will she choose particularly since her dad has already selected who he wants kicked to the curb." 
Harriet Klausner, The Merry Genre Go Round Reviews
*****

“Jacqueline Seewald expertly portrays the mindset of teenagers struggling for their place in the world and ultimate independence. Stacy is an endearing character, a young woman who loves her parents but wants the right to choose what to do with her life. Readers are drawn into Stacy's world as she struggles to make the right choices which will affect her future. This well-written coming-of-age novel is heartwarming and engaging and sure to be a popular addition to the young-adult genre.”   

Christy Tillery French, Midwest Book Review

Also available from:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/stacys-song-jacqueline-seewald/1100389252?ean=2940150872493

https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/stacy-s-song

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/588465

I believe it’s the kind of novel that mothers will want to share with their daughters as it is an inspirational book and a perfect gift for the Christmas holidays. Here is a brief excerpt from the beginning of the book:

Chapter One

When I was in junior high school, the boys used to call me “Giraffe.” I hated it, but they were right. I towered over them. On top of that, I had this skinny, long neck. Things got better when I became a sophomore in high school. It seemed as though most of the boys in my class finally caught up with me and I didn’t feel so gawky anymore. But I’m still taller and skinnier than any of my friends.

Multiple award-winning author, Jacqueline Seewald, has taught creative, expository and technical writing at Rutgers University as well as high school English. She also worked as both an academic librarian and an educational media specialist. Fifteen of her books of fiction have been published to critical praise including books for adults, teens and children. Her short stories, poems, essays, reviews and articles have appeared in hundreds of diverse publications and numerous anthologies such as: THE WRITER, L.A. TIMES, READER’S DIGEST, PEDESTAL, SHERLOCK HOLMES MYSTERY MAGAZINE, OVER MY DEAD BODY!, GUMSHOE REVIEW, THE MYSTERY MEGAPACK, LIBRARY JOURNAL, and PUBLISHERS WEEKLY. One of her inspirational poems took first place in the Reader’s Digest 2015 Poetry Contest. She’s also an amateur landscape artist and loves blue grass music.

Her author’s blog can be found at: http://jacquelineseewald.blogspot.com

Wow...I find it amazing when authors write across so many genres. I certainly wish Jacquie the best of God's blessings with these and her other books.

I hope you enjoyed today's treasure and that you visit often.

Until later...take care and God Bless.

PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight: Maris Soule & A Killer Past

Good Morning Friends and Welcome!

Today we welcome back to our spotlight, Maris Soule with her novel, A Killer Past.

Most people in the town of Rivershore, Michigan view Mary Harrington as a quiet widow whose only oddity is she spends a lot of time at the gym. Her son thinks it’s time for her to move into a retirement home. Two gang members think she’ll be an easy target. No one in Rivershore knows what Mary did in her younger years—really did—but the two gang members discover they’ve underestimated their victim, and Mary fear reverting to old habits may have jeopardized her future.

Excerpt*:

Sergeant Jack Rossini studied her for a moment, trying to figure out why she would hide the truth, finally, he decided it was fear. ‘You're not going to get into trouble, you know. Even if they did press charges, no judge would believe you went out of your way to attack those boys. And, as of this morning, they're not pressing charges. But if we could get them off the street....’

He let the idea hang out there.

‘I'd like to help you,’ she said, oh so sincerely, ‘but I'm afraid I can't.’

He pointed at her right hand. ‘I think that's where you got those bruises, why you're limping this morning.’

‘Oh, come on.’ She leaned back in her chair and folded her arms across her chest in a protective – or maybe defensive – manner. ‘I'm seventy four years old. I have arthritis. Do I look like someone who could beat up two boys in their prime?’

He had to admit, the woman seated in front of him looked more like a grandmother than a fighter, but he knew things weren't always as they appeared. ‘Have you ever studied the martial arts, Mrs Harrington?’

‘I've done a little tai chi at the gym,’ she said. ‘They say it's good for your balance.’

‘I'm not talking about tai chi. The way the boys said it went down, you were delivering kicks and Karate chops like a pro.’

‘Well, I can assure you, I've lived in this town for forty-four years and not once have I taken a class in martial arts.’ She pushed her chair back. ‘Is there anything else, Sergeant? If not, I need to call my son and see if he can come over and get my car running.’

‘I told you the boys aren't pressing charges,’ Jack said and stood, ‘but that doesn't mean they don't plan on retaliating.’ He reached into his inside pocket and pulled out his business card. ‘Keep your doors and windows locked and give me a call if you see anything unusual.’

*By the way, A KILLER PAST is being published by Robert Hale Ltd., a UK publishing house. They use the single quote around dialogue.

A KILLER PAST will be available in the UK in March but won’t be available in the US or Canada until June 2015.

Pre-Order NOW at Amazon OR IPG!

Maris Soule and her husband live in Michigan from May to the end of November and Florida from December to the end of April. She started out writing romances, but she also loves reading mystery and suspense novels, so it’s not surprising that some of her romances also involved a mystery or suspense. Finally she decided to switch the order and for the last twelve years has been writing suspense novels that also have some romance. (After all, we all need a little romance in our lives. Right?) So far she’s had 27 books published. A KILLER PAST will be number 28. This story came about after watching an episode of Nikita (on TV) and wondering what Nikita would be like in her 70s.

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

Check out Maris's other two books, As the Crow Flies and The Crows which were spotlighted earlier this year!

Hope you enjoyed this week's edition of Saturday Spotlight. Stay tuned weekly for Tuesday Treasures and Thursday Thoughts also!

#SaturdaySpotlight: Maris Soule & As the Crow Flies

Good Morning!

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

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

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


Excerpt:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“And who’s Donald?”

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

AS THE CROW FLIES is available at:

Kindle: http://goo.gl/Gw995o

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

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

Smashwords: http://goo.gl/l9F1tx

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

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

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

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

Until later...take care & God Bless!

PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight: Jen J Danna!

Good Morning Friends!

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

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

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

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

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

EXCERPT

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

#SaturdaySpotlight: Kate Flora

Good Morning from Rockport, TX,

Yep, I'm rounding out my visit to  Bandera, Texas & the Silver Spur Guest Ranch by heading to the coast to visit another friend in Rockport. Tomorrow I'll be Louisiana bound but today I'd like to introduce you to Ms. Kate Flora, a fellow Five Star Author....

Award-winning mystery and true crime writer Kate Flora is the author of 14 books, including the true crime story Death Dealer and the novelAnd Grant You Peace, both forthcoming in the fall of 2014.  Her book Finding Amy (true crime), co-written with a Portland, Maine deputy police chief, was a 2007 Edgar Award nominee.  Kate’s other titles include the Thea Kozak mysteries and the starred-review Joe Burgess police series, the third of which, Redemption, won the 2013 Maine Literary Award for Crime Fiction. 

A former assistant attorney general in the areas of battered children and employment discrimination, Kate is a founding member the New England Crime Bake conference, a founder of Level Best Books where she worked as an editor and publisher for seven years and has served as international president of Sisters in Crime. When she’s not riding an ATV through the Canadian woods or hiding in a tick-infested field waiting to be found by search and rescue dogs as research for her books, she can be found teaching writing at Grub Street in Boston.

Find out more about Kate and her work by visiting her website: www.kateflora.com 

Something I've realized as I'm in libraries and bookstores this fall promoting two new books, is how the processes of writing fiction and nonfiction are intertwined. For writing the true story of a murder, looking over the investigator's shoulders in Death Dealer, I can use the skills I've developed over twenty years of writing crime fiction: how to make the storytelling dramatic and compelling, how to organize the material so the reader can see the investigation vividly, how to show the real characters in a way that the reader can visualize them and come to care to care about them, and how to incorporate research about police training and experience in a way that doesn't slow down the pacing of the book.

What I've learned from spending so many hours talking to detectives to write the nonfiction deeply informs the way I approach my fictional detective in my Joe Burgess police procedural series. From the way they've let me into their lives, I can give my fictional character a deeper and more complex personal life, including the challenges that police officers face in balancing the bad things they see and the bad people they deal with, and still remaining available to their families. I've also got a stable of experienced cops to go to when I need to write a scene involving guns and bad guys, that hopefully will make it more vivid and authentic to my readers. It has been a fascinating process, realizing how writing in the two different arenas challenges me and helps me to become a better writer in both.

Death Dealer
Death Dealer is the true story of a police investigation in Miramichi, New Brunswick, into a resident’s mysterious disappearance.  It pulls readers directly into a tense and complex, real-life search as cops and cadaver dogs painstakingly make their way through scarce evidence and forbidding terrain to uncover the victim’s body and bring a killer to justice.

Death Dealer can be purchased at Amazon in Print and for Kindle. 

And Grant You Peace
This 4th book in the Joe Burgess mystery series finds Burgess pulled inadvertently into a case rife with religious tensions after finding a woman and a baby locked in a closet inside a burning mosque.  His search for answers leads him to discover an abduction kit including body bags, handcuffs, rope and a shovel for his own family and to face the prospect that the “normal” life he’s begun to reestablish may be coming to an explosive end.

And Grant You Peace can also be purchased at Amazon in Print and for Kindle.


Well friends hope you enjoyed this spotlight! Check back weekly for new Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and of course, Saturday Spotlight.

Until next time....take care & God Bless!
PamT

The Writing Process Blog Tour

Good Morning Friends!

I normally don’t post on Monday’s but I was tagged by Linda Yezak for “The Writing Process” blog tour so here goes…..

What am I working on?

Currently I have 2 fiction and 2 nonfiction projects in the works as well as a novel I’m getting ready for publication. I am also proofing my 4 part Tempered series to go to print.

How does my work differ from others in my genre?

My novels have been reviewed as “steamier and grittier than the typical Christian novel without decreasing the message.”

Why do I write what I do?

In 1989 I recommitted my life and committed my writing to Christ. After that, my focus changed from traditional romance to inspirational romance. God is very real to me, and I feel people today need and want to hear more of His truths wherever they can glean them. People are hungry for practical (and real) Christian values, not some ‘holier-than- thou’ beliefs which are impossible to believe and impossible to live up to, and I do my best to encourage readers to develop a personal relationship with God. The deepest desire of my heart is to glorify God and to get His message of faith, trust, and forgiveness to a hurting world.

How does my writing process work?

I am 100% SOTP (seat of the pants) writer and often begin a story with a thought, dream, piece of conversation I overheard, or a character will just show up and start talking…And of course, Prayer!  As for how it works….when I actually make time to write it works very well. I normally do quite a bit of editing along the way and sometimes that hinders my productivity but when I get a chance to turn off the internal editor, I do and just flow with it.

I’m Tagging….Sheri Cobb South to participate....

At the age of sixteen, Sheri Cobb South discovered Georgette Heyer, and came to the startling realization that she had been born into the wrong century. Although she doubtless would have been a chambermaid had she actually lived in Regency England, that didn’t stop her from fantasizing about waltzing the night away in the arms of a handsome, wealthy, and titled gentleman.

Since Georgette Heyer was dead and could not write any more Regencies, Ms. South came to the conclusion she would simply have to do it herself. After honing her craft on five young adult books for Bantam’s long-running Sweet Dreams series, she tried her hand at the genre she had loved for so long. Her first Regency romance, The Weaver Takes a Wife, was published in 1999, to critical acclaim.  

In addition to her Regency romances, she is also the author of a series of Regency mysteries featuring idealistic young Bow Street Runner John Pickett, described by All About Romance as “a little young, but wholly delectable.”

A native and long-time resident of Alabama, Ms. South recently moved to Loveland, Colorado, where she has a view of Long’s Peak from her office window.

Linda W. Yezak lives with her husband and three cats in a forest in east Texas, where tall tales abound  and exaggeration is an art form. She holds a BA in English and a graduate certificate in Paralegal Studies. Thirty years later, she’s finally putting her degree in English to good use, combining it with her natural inclination toward story-telling to create fun, unique novels. Follow her on Twitter @LindaYezak and connect with her on Facebook: Author Linda W. Yezak  Linda's book, The Cat Lady's Secret will be featured on Tuesday Treasures next week!