#SaturdaySpotlight is on Tracy Krauss & Three Strand Cord!

Good Morning Friends,

Over the last couple of month's today's guest has shared treasures and thoughts with us. Today we get a peek into Tracy's latest book, Three Strand Cord so please welcome her back.....

Tempest. Stella. Cherise. Fate brought them together, but can their friendship survive the tangled web of danger and deception that threatens their very lives? When Cherise convinces Tempest to pretend to be her so that she can sneak out of the country to be with her dashing Italian boyfriend, she is inadvertently implicated in an international drug ring. An unexpected complication forces Tempest to prolong the charade and she finds herself attracted to the very man who might be out to cause her harm. Meanwhile, Stella’s high ideals are met with suspicion and disdain at her father’s Texas ranch, until she uncovers a dangerous secret that could put all their lives in jeopardy. At the same time, her own errant emotions take over as she falls in love with two brothers at the same time. Things heat up when Cherise is kidnapped and the three friends must turn to one another – and God - to get out of harm’s way. Three Strand Cord is a story of intrigue and romance told from three different points of view, all coming together to prove that when it comes to true friendship, ‘a three strand cord is not easily broken’.

Excerpt:
A three strand cord is not easily broken (Ecclesiastes 4: 12)

Stately red brick, manicured lawns, and well kept flower beds – the perfect backdrop for Parkview Private Girls' Academy. Nature itself crowned all with a cobalt sky and warmth from the golden sun. All was exactly as it should be for an institution that prided itself on turning out well bred young ladies of means.

"Quick! This way!" A dark haired girl of about twelve gestured to her companions, her voice barely above a whisper. All three girls ducked around the sculpted hedge and squatted, peeping through the foliage.

The blonde one giggled. "This is sooo exciting!"

"What if we get in trouble?" The third girl pushed her glasses up on her nose with her forefinger. Her chestnut hair bobbed as she shook her head. "I'm not sure this is such a good idea."

"Sh!" The dark haired ringleader held a finger to her lips. "Here comes Casey Brinks."

The three waited, holding a collective breath as their arch nemesis, another twelve-year-old girl, neared the appointed spot under a tree. Suddenly, an explosion of water soaked her as a water balloon hit her dead on. "Ah!" The girl stood frozen while she tried to catch her breath.

"Come on," hissed the leader - and the one with the accurate aim. The threesome crept from the shadows as stealthily as twelve-year-old girls wearing uniforms were able, and made a break for it, letting their excited giggles burst from their lungs unfettered.

"I see you, Stella Crayton!" The enraged mini-diva called after them, hands on hips. "You and your little cronies! The headmistress is going to hear about this!"

Tracy Krauss is a multi-published novelist, playwright, and artist with several award winning and best selling novels, stage plays, devotionals and children’s books in print. Her work strikes a chord with those looking for thought provoking faith based fiction laced with romance, suspense and humor – no sugar added. She holds a B.Ed from the U of S and has lived in many remote and interesting places in Canada’s far north. She and her husband currently reside in beautiful BC where she continues to pursue all of her creative interests.  http://tracykrauss.com “Fiction on the edge – without crossing the line”

Three Strand Cord is available at Amazon.

Thanks for sharing our spotlight, Tracy! Good luck and God's blessings with your new book.

Hope you enjoyed the post, Friends and that you'll check back regularly for Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight.

Until next time take care and God Bless.
PamT

#TuesdayTreasures with Tracy Krauss!

Good Morning from Randolph, NY!

We've begun the homeward bound journey of our East Coast trip. I'll be sharing more memories with you on Thursday but for now, please welcome Tracy Krauss back as she shares something she treasures with us.....

Treasure by Fire

When I was a teen, our house burnt down and we lost many prized possessions including my mother’s wedding dress, family photos, and the like. Since then, I’ve learned to keep a loose grip on most of my ‘stuff’. I take pleasure in our antiques and other cool collectibles, (at least I think they’re cool!) and I enjoy sifting through old letters from family and friends, or looking at drawings and cards lovingly handcrafted by my children. If something is especially precious, I take a picture and then store it somewhere online, but I try not to hang on too tightly to ‘things’.

In recent years, we have been close to more than one threat from forest fires. I’ve asked myself, “What would I take if we had to evacuate?” I came up with only one item: a painting done by my mother that hangs in our home. It was painted one winter from the view out the living room window. I was not yet born at the time, but my eldest brother was a baby, or so I’m told. My mother did a lot of paintings over the years and each one of her children have several, but for some reason this one has special significance in our family. We used a photo of it on the funeral brochure when she passed away.

Perhaps it is so special because it reminds us of what a free spirited and creative person she was. She had an unorthodox way of responding to the world that our family has lovingly coined the ‘Doreen Method’. This means, if you don’t know how to do something, try anyway. If you don’t have a recipe or a pattern, make one up. (Or just make it up even if you do have a recipe or a pattern!) If something breaks or wears out, turn it into a piece of art. I was raised in an atmosphere where every day was an opportunity to practice creativity. Mom suffered many hardships, but her response was always one of joyful submission to God’s will. That’s why I love the painting. It reminds me to live every day using the ‘Doreen Method’.

The Bible says we shouldn’t store up treasures on earth where moth and rust (and fire) can destroy. I try to take this to heart, but ‘the painting’ is the one thing I wish I could hang in my house in heaven. Maybe my mom is up there now, painting another one for just that purpose.


Your mother sounds like a wonderful woman, Tracy and her paintings are definitely something to treasure! Thanks for sharing!

Tracy Krauss is a multi-published and award winning author of contemporary Christian romance with a twist of suspense and a touch of humor. Also an artist and playwright, she currently lives in beautiful BC, Canada where she continues to pursue all of her creative interests.  http://tracykrauss.com “Fiction on the edge – without crossing the line”

Tracy's newest book, Three Strand Cord, is available at Amazon.

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

Until next time take care and God bless.

PamT

#ThursdayThoughts Guest post by Tracy Krauss

Good Morning!

It's been years and years since today's guest has visited us so she's almost like a brand new author so please give Tracy Krauss a huge welcome!

All Good Things Come In Threes

Good things come in threes. Three act plays, primary colours, most fairy tale structures (three pigs, three bears, three mice), the three musketeers, and of course God Himself – Father, Son and Holy Spirit!

In my own childhood, this was certainly the case. I had two ‘best’ friends growing up and we literally spent every day with each other. We talked, we played, we told secrets – it didn’t matter as long as we were together. One friend moved away, but I soon gravitated to another set of ‘best’ friends during my teen years. The three of us were initiated into adulthood as we navigated those tempestuous waters, tasting the ‘forbidden fruit’ and all that other jazz that teens are ‘supposed’ to do. (My shortened version so as not to shock you, dear readers!) Even after we went on to college, we kept in touch. One introduced me to my husband, and these two were bridesmaids at my wedding.

Lasting friendship is one of the themes of my new novel, Three Strand Cord. The three friends, Tempest, Stella, and Cherise, have been through a lot together, but in this story their loyalty is tested to the limits as a simple ‘fib’ leads to a web of deceit that lands one of them in serious trouble.

There are two more books in the series – Blood Ties and Tempest Tossed. In the end, the real theme of the series is that God is the best friend of all. He is the friend that sticks closer than a brother. I hope those that read it find encouragement to let Jesus be that kind of friend.

Tracy Krauss is a multi-published and award winning author of contemporary Christian romance with a twist of suspense and a touch of humor. Also an artist and playwright, she currently lives in beautiful BC, Canada where she continues to pursue all of her creative interests.  http://tracykrauss.com “Fiction on the edge – without crossing the line”

Tracy's newest book, Three Strand Cord, is available at Amazon.

Thank you so much Tracy for sharing your thoughts with us. It's always said that many things come in threes!  Good luck and God's blessings with your new release.

Hope you enjoyed the post also, friends and that you'll drop by each week for Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight.

Until next time take care and God Bless.

PamT