#WednesdayWordswithFriends Welcomes Nancy AKA: NN Light's!

Good Morning Friends,

If you've followed me for long, you've heard me mention NN Light's Book Heaven. Well today it is my pleasure to introduce you to Nancy or Mrs. N from NN Lights! 

A lot of people ask me to describe myself. I tend to avoid questions like that because, hey, I’m just me. I’m also shy which is why I’m a writer. Here it goes. My name is Nancy, but I am well-known in the book world as Mrs. N aka N. N. Light. Without further ado, here are twenty-six fun facts about me, alphabetical, for your enjoyment.

A- Art lover and one time, I got lost in the Louvre and had to ask a guard for directions.

B- Baking is a secret obsession of mine. I love to bake and I love trying new recipes. I tend to share my creations on Instagram and Facebook.

C- Chocolate is my favorite food and, in my opinion, it should be a food group.

D- Dreamt of marrying a chef and getting published ever since I was eighteen. 2/2 is pretty good!

E- Exercise saved my life and I walk over 20 miles a week, no matter the weather.

F- Favorite foods include: anything Italian, Greek, Mexican, pizza, steak, burgers, lobster, etc.

G- Great writers I admire: Ernest Hemingway, Jane Austen, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Harlan Coben, Sophie Kinsella, J. K. Rowling, Stephen King and Agatha Christie.

H- Happiness is curled up reading a book or watching a movie with Mr. N.

I- Inspiration is all around me and I get inspired by the smallest thing. 

J- Jovial is a way to describe me. There is nothing more I love to do than laugh, even if it is at myself. 

K- Kindness to everyone is one of my mantras for living.

L- Love Actually is one of my favorite movie and I watch it at least twice times a year.

M- MLB is one of my favorite sports to watch and my favorite team is the Minnesota Twins.

N- Natural beauty is my lifestyle and appearance. I don’t overdo on make-up, perfume or jewelry. Short red hair tousled, light eye shadow complimenting my hazel eyes and a big smile are all the accessories I need to make an outfit complete. 

O- Only child growing up left me free to explore my world using my imagination and books.

P- Perseverance throughout life is what has made me into the woman I am today.

Q- Questions tumbled out of my mouth as a child and some of my teachers found it annoying.  I was curious about everything and wanted to know how stuff worked. 

R- Romance is not something couples do once or twice a year; it’s every day and that’s how my marriage with Mr. N continues to feel like we’re still newlyweds. This summer we’ll be celebrating our eighteenth wedding anniversary.

S- School was troublesome for me due to bullying but I survived and I try to inspire others to stand up to bullies.

T- Twitter is my favorite social media site although I am discovering how addictive Facebook can be.

U- Understanding is one my strongest personality attributes.  I can empathize with anyone and when needed, I give out hugs.

V- Vino in a glass is one of my favorite ways to unwind after a long day.  My tastes vary but my go-to variety is Cabernet Sauvignon.

W- Winnie the Pooh is my favorite cartoon character growing up and I still love it.  I relate to all the friends from Hundred Acre Wood: Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, Eeyore, Kanga, Roo, Rabbit, Owl and Christopher Robin.

X- Xtra shy in front of a camera has been something I have had to deal with since I was ten.  I would much rather meet in person or talk on the phone. I’m still a work in progress.

Y- Yoda is my favorite Star Wars character and I try to emulate him. Wise, he is.

Z- Zen or prayer is something I incorporate in my everyday life.  It’s a constant conversation and I wouldn’t have it any other way. My spiritual life is a living thing and one I cherish.

That’s a little bit about me, Nancy.  I hope you enjoyed learning more about me. Now here's a little bit more about the inspirational thought book I wrote with Mr. N a few years ago.

"Spread the Light and inspire others to do the same." -- N. N. Light

In 2013, we wrote a mission statement and started a blog. We wanted to test a theory. Could one person (or in our case, one couple) use uplifting words to create change?

The answer is a resounding yes! People from all over the world responded to our short inspirational thoughts of the day, and our following grew. What started out as a few people promoting kindness and goodwill turned into a movement. In every city, there are Light-Bearers making a difference and we want you to join us.

Everyone needs inspiration. It doesn’t matter what spiritual belief you hold dear, you have the Light inside you. Kindness, compassion, empathy, encouragement are all attributes of the Light. In this book, you’ll find a ninety second inspirational thought for each day of the year. You’ll be inspiring people to spread the Light daily with our collection of inspirational thoughts. From giving of yourself to simply smiling, these are easy concepts for anyone to apply!

Excerpt:

The struggle you're in today is developing the strength you need for tomorrow. Don't give up!

Do you need a little encouragement?

This week has been a series of missteps and falters for me. I'm totally exhausted and in need of a rest. I've been working my tail off and yesterday was feeling a little low. Without me saying a word, I had three friends, two clients and MR N all tell me the same thing:

You're doing amazing work and I'm so proud of you.

Those ten words uplifted and encouraged me. It was the boost I needed.

Each of us is dealing with one struggle or another. We're trying to make it through the day. Some days are harder than others. The truth is, we need to go through these struggles to deal with what comes tomorrow.

N. N. Light is the award-winning husband-wife writing team, commonly known as Mr. N and Mrs. N.

Mrs. N. has been creating stories ever since she was little. Her grandfather remembers when she was two years old, she would stand at the top of the stairs and tell him a story filled with emotion (and in a language foreign to him) with her hands on her hips. Let’s just say she was a born storyteller.

They’re blissfully happy and loves all things chocolate, books, music, movies, art, sports, trains, history, cooking and baking. Their mantra is to spread the Light.

In addition to being authors, they’re also book promoters/reviewers, social media marketers/influencers and the owners of N. N. Light Author Promotions. They both love books, have ever since they were young. Matching up books and readers is something that gives them great pleasure.

Find and Follow NN Light's at....

Website  Goodreads   Facebook  Twitter  Bookbub  Instagram  

LinkedIn  Amazon Author Page

Get your copy of NN Light's Daily Book of Inspiration at the following locations....

Amazon US   Amazon CA   Amazon UK 

Walmart   Goodreads  

Other Ebook Retailers

It has been a real treat getting to know more about you, Nancy. I agree chocolate should be a food group LOL! We certainly wish you and Mr. N the best of luck and God's blessings!

Hope you enjoyed today's guest as much as I have, Friends. Check out NN Light's "Christmas in July Fete" and enter the Rafflecopter giveaway for a chance to win a $75 Amazon gift card!

Until next time, take care and God bless.

PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight is on Jessi Beyer & How to Heal

Good Morning and Happy New Year!

I hope your holidays have been blessed and 2022 is most prosperous for you and yours.

Please welcome my new friend, Jessi Beyer as she shares with us a peek into her book, How to Heal which gives us practical, natural therapies to use to heal from trauma.

The National Council for Behavioral Health estimates that seven out of every ten people you know will experience a trauma during their lifetime – perhaps even you. When that happens, though, what do you do? For speaker and mental health advocate Jessi Beyer, it meant doing nothing and avoiding therapy like the plague. What she did not know, though, is that there were alternatives to talk therapy. You could spend time with horses, go on a walk through the woods, or dance your way through healing. If you are moving through your trauma healing journey and are looking for an alternative to talk therapy, then you have landed in the right place. 

How To Heal details nine natural and integrative therapy methods that can be a powerful addition to your healing journey: Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Craniosacral Therapy, Mindfulness and Meditation, Dance-Movement Therapy, Trauma-Sensitive Yoga, Equine-Assisted Therapy, Canine-Assisted Therapy, Ecotherapy and Nature-Based Therapies, and Flower Essence Therapy. 

Written by a fellow trauma survivor, How To Heal includes information beyond the therapies to help you understand what trauma is, how it affects your life, and how you can help someone who struggles with a past traumatic experience.

Excerpt: My Experience with Trauma can remember the exact place I was standing when I noticed the scars on my friend’s inner forearm. It’s a moment that’s burned into my memory, and it probably always will be. When I asked him if he had a cat, I was desperate nothing more than playful scratches. Unfortunately, my intuition was correct. This is where my story begins. 

It took a few weeks for him to open up to me about his personal struggles. I was a teenager at the time, and from that point onward, I felt the weight of the world on my shoulders. In actuality, it was the weight of his world that I placed on my shoulders. Over the next year and a half, I became his confidante. Every time he struggled, he called me. Every time he hurt himself, he called me. Every time he got stuck in his head, he called me. I believed I was responsible for protecting his 2 privacy and honoring his trust in me, which meant I was lying to my mom, lying to his mom, and lying to my school’s counselor. At the time, I was so thankful. I felt important, and I felt like I was making an impact. I felt like I was responsible for his happiness and mental health, and I felt like a success because I believed I was maintaining it. I believed I was the reason he was staying alive. 

It turned out I wasn’t bringing him up, he was dragging me down. I remember the first time I cut myself. It was August 12, the day before soccer season. I remember the second time I drew blood when I cut. I called him because I freaked out, and I remember he told me that it would become easier each time I did it. I remember being calmed down by him saying that. I also remember all of the times I gave him my body to kiss, to feel, and to be on top of because I misguidedly believed that if I kept him happy, he would stay alive. I remember being proud of the fact that I would do literally whatever it took for him to stay alive. 

I made him promise me that he would give me a hug before he took his own life. It was my way of having some control over the situation so I could stop it, but I told him it was so that I could hold him while he left this earth. I remember the exact moment that he texted me and told me to come give him a hug and say goodbye. I was eating some chicken in my kitchen, and I was the only one home. My parents were still at work. I vividly remember dropping the chicken on the counter and falling to the floor when I received that text, but the drive to his house is a complete blur. I know I was speeding. I know I majorly cut someone off getting off the highway....

Jessi Beyer is an award-nominated international speaker and the #1 best-selling author of How To Heal: A Practical Guide To Nine Natural Therapies You Can Use To Release Your Trauma. Named a 2020 “Young Entrepreneur to Watch” by IdeaMensch, she has been featured in over 160 media outlets, including Thrive Global, Refinery29, and Elite Daily, and has spoken to thousands of people around the world through groups like Penn State University, Leadercast NOW, and the Institute on Violence, Abuse, and Trauma’s international summit. Outside of her professional life, Jessi is an MA candidate in critical psychology and human services at Prescott College and a K9 search and rescue handler with her dog, Phoebe.

Find out more about Jessi and this incredible book by visiting her website. Download a free copy of How to Heal HERE.

Oh my Jessi, what an intriguing excerpt! Your book sounds amazing and is sure to help millions of people! We certainly wish you the best of luck and God's blessings in this new year.

Hope you'll grab a copy of Jessi's book and that you'll drop by each week as we bring you new authors and books as well as reconnect with some old friends here on Wednesday Words with Friends and Saturday Spotlight.

Until next time take care and God bless.

PamT

#ThursdayThoughts: Guest Post by The Writing Sisters

Good Morning Friends!

Today is is with great pleasure I bring to you a pair of sisters I met at a women's conference in September. The Writing Sisters is comprised of Betsy Duffy and Laurie Myers and they'd like to talk to us about Prayer, so without much further ado here they are....

Prayer Made the Difference

The Shepherd’s Song was a different writing experience for us.  After twenty years of writing children’s books for the general market we were now writing our first book for God.  The books we wrote before were from a Christian worldview.  What made this book different was our desire to submit every word to God and to reflect in our words what He would say. An overwhelming task on our own. 

But what if we could connect with God and hear from Him as we worked.  C.S. Lewis wrote once about “taking dictation”  from God. The connection with God was key.  But how?

As we shifted from our writing for the general market to the idea that we would write for God, prayer became important and critical.  We prayed individually, together in groups with others and we enlisted a prayer team to pray for the writing of the book.

Three times stand out as we reflect back over how prayer entered our work and kept us grounded and focused as we wrote The Shepherd’s Song.

The first came at the beginning of our efforts. When we began writing together, we were full of enthusiasm and ideas.  We both took off with to do lists and ideas and quickly we became stressed and anxious.  A book by Andy Stanley, Visioneering pulled us back and helped us focus.

The book challenged us to look at whether we prayed first, then acted, or acted first, then prayed.

The question was convicting  - the notebooks full of our plans and ideas were the evidence against us.  In our enthusiasm we had gotten ahead of God.  What to do?  We stopped and made two decisions:

We decided we would stop all action and spend one week just praying for the book and for direction.

And we also agreed we would never move forward on an idea or action unless we were unified through prayer about the decision.

Throughout the week anxiety vanished. Clarity came, peace descended.  As we individually surrendered the work to God He brought us into unity.

The second prayer time came later.  The book was finished and accepted and paralysis set in.  Now what.  The second book, The Father’s Prayer, was drafted and outlined but we were blocked.  At the same time we were working to build a platform and determine what we should be doing for marketing the first book.

Was it right?  How did we know?  We stopped again and brought the work and ourselves into a time of deeper prayer. 

This time God spoke to us through a book by Mark Batterson,  Draw the Circle, The Forty Day Prayer Challenge.  For forty days we read the devotions and “circled” our work in prayer during our personal time with God.  It was amazing how God used these devotions to speak to us separately and together as we submitted to Him through these prayer times.

Reading this devotional series together and praying through Batterson’s forty days helped us to connect with each other and with God and allowed God access to us through our time with Him.

The third was a prayer for protection. During the year leading up to publication we both went through difficult times with friends and family, mostly medical issues.  We were both pulled off track and struggled to keep focus while undergoing struggles to take care of those we loved.  We remembered our great grandfather’s favorite scripture from Ephesians 6, the armor of God.

We began to pray this daily for each other.  Each morning we would turn to this passage and pray each article of armor for the other –belt, shield, helmet, breastplate, sword, shoes. As soon as we started, peace reigned and through our outward circumstances did not change, we had peace and we able to resume our work on the book.

The end result? 

We don’t know how the book will be received or what will happen as it goes out into the world but the end result for us is peace.  We have no regrets about the writing, no doubts about any decision along the way.  We have assurance that the book is in God’s hands to use as He will. 

Prayer is the key.

The Writing Sisters, Betsy Duffey and Laurie Myers were born into a writing family, and began critiquing manuscripts at an early age for their mother, Newbery winner Betsy Byars.  They went on to become authors of more than thirty-five children’s novels. Their first book for adults is  The Shepherd’s Song,  Howard Books, March 2014. Find out more by visiting their website and facebook page and be sure to sign up for their newsletter!

Follow the incredible journey of one piece of paper—a copy of Psalm 23—as it travels around the world, linking lives and hearts with its simple but beautiful message.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures…

Shortly before a tragic car accident, Kate McConnell wrote down the powerful words of Psalm 23 on a piece of paper for her wayward son. Just before she loses consciousness, Kate wonders if she’s done enough with her life and prays, “Please, let my life count.”

Unbeknownst to Kate, her handwritten copy of Psalm 23 soon begins a remarkable journey around the world. From a lonely dry cleaning employee to a soldier wounded in Iraq, to a young Kurdish girl fleeing her country, to a Kenyan runner in the Rome Invitational marathon, this humble message forever changes the lives of twelve very different people. Eventually, Kate’s paper makes it back to its starting place, and she discovers the unexpected ways that God changes lives, even through the smallest gestures.

With beautiful prose evocative of master storyteller Andy Andrews’s The Butterfly Effect, this story will touch your heart and remind you of the ways God works through us to reach beyond what we can imagine.

The Shepherd's Song: A Story of Second Chances can be purchased at Amazon in Hardcover, Paperback & Kindle. Also at Barnes and Noble Hardcover, Paperback, Nook and Large Print!

Now, enjoy an Excerpt:

Kate McConnell opened her eyes. Where was she? There were bright lights above her. Movement. The sound of a siren wailing.

She closed her eyes and opened them again, hoping somehow this all would go away. It didn’t.

An ambulance. She was in an ambulance.

What had happened?

A man’s voice called out behind her. “Female, age about forty-five, multiple injuries. BP: ninety over sixty. Pulse: one-forty. Respirations: twenty-five, short and shallow.”

Each bump and jolt of the ambulance brought pain, crushing pain in her chest and stabs of pain down her right leg. Kate tried to grab her chest, but her arms were strapped down. She shivered uncontrollably. Her blue sweater and pants were covered in something wet—gooey and wet. Blood. He was talking about her.

A brief memory came—her car sliding on the slick road, the sound of breaking glass and crunching metal. A car accident. Panic rose in her chest. She had been in an accident.

The newspaper would later say it was the worst traffic accident ever on that section of I-95 between Washington, D.C., and Baltimore—twenty-five cars, six semis, and one bus. The temperature Thursday had been fifty-five degrees, a beautiful day. Then, Friday, it fell to thirty-one, unusual for October. A sudden snowstorm dropped more than two inches of snow in just ten minutes, creating whiteout conditions that took everyone by surprise, including the drivers on I-95.

The voice behind her continued its calm clinical assessment. “In and out of consciousness. Possible head injuries.”

“Help,” she whispered. Each breath was raw. There wasn’t enough air. Dizziness swept over her. She tried again. “Help.”

“Hold on. Try to stay awake.” A young man leaned over her, making eye contact. His voice was calm, but she saw fear in his eyes.

She tried to nod but couldn’t.

“Be still; we’re on the way to the hospital.”

Everything in her wanted to fight free of the straps and the stretcher, but she couldn’t even move her head. Pain radiated from her chest and leg.

The voice began again. “Bleeding profusely from a gash in right leg—looks like an open fracture. Possible internal injuries.”

For a few seconds there was silence, the only sound the hum of tires on the road.

“Will do. We’ll be there in five to eight minutes, depending on traffic.”

What had happened? Kate remembered her morning, speeding from one activity to the next, pushing her old station wagon to the point where it shook. An early-morning run to the grocery store, then back home, then a twenty-mile drive to deliver dinner to a friend who was recuperating from surgery, then a stop to drop off the dry cleaning, then five more things on her to-do list. Then the snow had started.

The cleaner’s. She had been trying to get back to the dry cleaner’s, but for what?

She felt a hand on her forehead, and she opened her eyes. The young man’s face came into view again. His nervous eyes studied her.

“What’s your name?”

She tried to focus. Her name?

“Kate . . . McConnell.” She gasped out each word.

“Your birthday?”

She tried to come up with the answer, but it was too confusing. Tears welled up.

“It’s all right. Just stay with me.”

“What hap—?” She wanted to finish the sentence but could not.

“You were in a car accident on the interstate.” He held her arm, feeling for a pulse. “There was a pile-up. It’s a mess out there.”

Her mouth opened and closed with a question unasked. She wanted to say the words, but nothing came out.

“Matt,” she finally gasped out the name of her son. “John.” Her husband.

“No one was with you in the car. Just rest and stay calm. We’ve got you.”

She could feel the sway of the ambulance as it passed other cars. The voice faded in and out. She closed her eyes.

A new thought came. She might die. Would it be like this, the end? So fast? With so much undone?

Kate’s mind drifted back and forth, weaving in and out of the events of the past week.

“I don’t think my life matters,” she had told a friend. “I’ve been a Christian for almost twenty-five years, and I haven’t accomplished anything. I can’t point to one single person that I’ve had an impact on, even in my own family.”

“Of course you have. You serve on the church worship committee, you deliver meals every week to people in need, and you’re always writing down scriptures for people.”

“But are those the important things?” Kate had asked. “Do those things matter?”

John. He mattered. And Matt.

“Oh, Mom,” she could hear Matt say. “You don’t believe all that stuff.”

Matt, who had drifted away from faith when he’d started college, now refused to go to church at all.

She couldn’t get through to him.

Was she really dying?

Someone lifted her eyelid. It was the young man. He looked closely into her eye, as if he was examining her soul.

“Stay with me now.”

She felt the ambulance sway, then the jolt of a sharp turn.

“Help,” Kate gasped again as pain stabbed through her side.

“Stay with me.”

A wave of dizziness. Then nothing.

Hope you enjoyed this Thursday Thoughts... I sure did! 

Hope to see you next week but until then....Take care & Be Blessed!

PamT

Saturday Spotlight Renee Sunday

Good Morning Friends,

If you read my Thursday Thoughts this week, you'll understand why I don't have much to chat about. LOL! So without much further ado, I bring you this week's Saturday Spotlight.

Renee' Sunday, M.D. is the founder and CEO of Sunday Publishing Company, LLC., and RS Commerce, P.C. 

"I have practiced  anesthesia for over thirteen years. My mission is to encourage and empower others to enjoy life and obtain their dreams. Furthermore, I enjoy being an instrument in God's Plan to render anesthesia services to my patients and to show compassion, love, and the standard of care." 

Renee' is a published author, speaker, mentor, and corporate leader.  Renee's passion is  to be a catalyst to stimulate others forward toward their destiny. She resides in Atlanta, Georgia. 

A new book by anesthesiologist Renee Sunday helps families  deal with the grieving process from a biblical perspective. Entitled "Sunday Grief M.D.," the book is about how  her family dealt with the death of her brother, Junior.

"God is the ONLY refuge when trials and tribulations come. God is the antidote to going through the grieving process," Sunday says. "God will comfort and give confidence. Yes, God had already made the way to proceed through the grieving process."

The grieving process can consist of physical, emotional, and spiritual responses, but each person grieves differently. "God has given me this mission to express wisdom and guidance to inspire others to trust God throughout the grieving process," Sunday says.

Her book retails for  $12.95   and can be purchased at www.sundaypublishingcompamy.com

Well friends, looks like a book we all need to read!

Hope you enjoyed this spotlight. Stay tuned next week for more Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and of course, another Saturday Spotlight!

PamT