#SaturdaySpotlight is on ME @psthib & Tempered Joy and Truth

Good Morning,

Well, it's been a while since I shared something personal. I am so excited to share with you that Tempered Joy is available in audio and Tempered Truth is up for preorder! 

Here is a little information on both.....

All around rodeo cowboy and heir to the Rockin’ H Ranch, Ace Harris is determined not to fall in love.  He’s only loved one woman in his life, his mother, and no one can even come close to filling her boots. Lexie Morgan thinks rodeo cowboys have rocks for brains and a death wish for a soul.  A broken childhood and the death of her father and best friend leave her doubting and questioning God (despite her years of religious upbringing) and afraid of love. Can two young people who clash from the onset learn to trust in the healing power of God and find love and happiness amidst tragedy and grief? 

Excerpt: Her eyes narrowed when he took a step closer. “Ace,” she warned and wielded the brush like a lethal weapon.

Raising his hands where she could see them, he watched her try to brush some semblance of order to the thick mass of unruly auburn hair. The simple chore made him want to sink both fists in the silken locks and gave him a whole new insight to the word erotic.

Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes sparkled vivid green and spewed wrath. She glared at him as though the tangled tresses were his fault alone. Her chest quivered with each breath she took. He took another step closer and could feel her tremble. Locking his gaze with hers in the mirror, he reached around her and picked up a bandanna off the dresser. He ran it through his fingers in what could have been a caress then slid the cloth beneath her hair and left it trailing over her shoulders.

With hands that shook, Lexie pulled the ends together and tied her hair back into a ponytail. Those bright gray eyes had gone soft and warm, like liquid metal. Mouth dry as dust, she swallowed hard.

 

Purchase Links:

Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/Tempered-Joy-Audiobook/B08PZK1BNF

Kindle http://amzn.to/1uto0eH

Amazon Print: http://amzn.to/1xwIx12

Nook http://bit.ly/1mF4Lhp

B&N Print: http://bit.ly/1R62HtU

Smashwords http://bit.ly/14KH0bX

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/tempered-joy

 I have 10 codes for a free audiobook to anyone who wishes to review the book. Leave me a comment and I'll send you one.

Fate declared them neighbors. Scandal insisted they were brothers. The fact that they looked enough alike to be twins only added fuel to the rumors flying about their parentage. 

For fifty-plus years Craig Harris and Scott Hensley have enjoyed a bond nothing can sever. 

Not the insinuations that they share the same father. 

Not the years of strife and grief and heartache.

Not even death.

Will the truth set them free or will it destroy the friendship that has lasted a lifetime?

Excerpt: February 28th, 2005

Craig settled in for the seven-plus hour drive to Scott’s home in Lafayette, Louisiana. His daughter-in-law sat in the back seat so she could take care of his granddaughter should she awaken. Her continued weeping unnerved him. “Lex, please, you’ve got to get a hold of yourself.”

“I don’t know what I’m going to do if he dies, Craig. I don’t think I can handle it. He’s my father. I’ve already lost one father; I’m not ready to lose Scott too. Oh, God, I can’t believe this is happening!”

“We don’t yet know how he’s doing. Trina said he’s stable. Whatever the situation, what he and Trina, need from you now is your strength and your faith. Besides, being this upset is not good for you, especially in your condition. Nor is it good for Tamera Joy.”

She sniffled. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”

He glanced in the rearview mirror and smiled as she rubbed her gently rounded abdomen, then returned his gaze to the road. “No need to apologize. Let’s focus on the positive here.” Easier said than done but I hope she can get it together. Neither my heart, nor my nerves, can take much more of her crying.

Craig swallowed the bitter bile of fear in his throat. Hard to believe barely two months ago Scott sat at his kitchen table toasting the holidays, the upcoming New Year, and their joy over their second grandchild. Now he clung to life in a hospital room.

Pre-Order your copy at Amazon today for only 99 cents!

Hope you enjoy today's spotlight and that you'll check back weekly for Wednesday Words with Friends and Saturday Spotlight.

Until next time take care and God bless.

PamT

#WednesdayWordswithFriends .... On Recovery....

Good Morning Friends,

Well, today's scheduled guest couldn't make it, so I'm going to share a few words with you on RECOVERY.

When we're faced with a physical injury or illness, our physicians focus on our recovery and continued health with treatment, diet, exercise, etc. But what about a mental, emotional or spiritual issue?

There are programs out there for just about anything. Mental Health is a problem most don't want to deal with - depression, anxiety, stress can affect even the youngest of those among us and it's up to us as parents, teachers, grandparents, even aunts and uncles to pay attention and do our best to help the children in our lives to learn to cope with whatever life throws at us.

Remember, children learn by example so if you/we are not dealing with the situations in our/your lives in a healthy manner, they won't either.

What's most important is there is NO shame in talking with a trained professional to get to a place of peace where healing can begin and/or continue.

Recovery is also banded about when a natural disaster affects your area. We here in SW Louisiana are under double-recovery efforts from two major hurricanes back to back. And those efforts will take months to complete. We'll be lucky to be finished with clean up by the time next hurricane season rolls around!

Another form of recovery, is that of dealing with the loss of a loved one. This too, can take weeks, months or even years to heal from.

My Advice: one moment, one day, one prayer at a time in any situation.

I hope you'll take this advice to heart and keep it in mind when situations try to overwhelm you.

A bit of news for you.... The AUDIO files for Tempered Joy have been uploaded. Next week after my brother leaves to return home to AK (he came in for our father's burial ceremony and to help clean up/out dad's home) I'll be proofing the files and the audio version will be available for the Christmas season!

My hope is Tempered Truth book will be also.

We'll see.

That's about all for today. I hope you'll drop by each week for Wednesday Words with Friends and Saturday Spotlight.

Until next time, take care and God bless.

PamT

#WednesdayWordswithFriends A Note from Me.....

Good Morning and Welcome to the last Wednesday Words with Friends post for September, 2020!

It's been a while since I posted something personal for you, Friends. Too Long. A lot has happened since July 1st. My Heart Weeps released on August 18th as planned but the blog tour began on August 11th with the last stop today on Linda Nightingale's blog. The audiobook released on August 29th.

Remember there are a total of 6 prizes (1 per person) to be given away in October to friends who have followed and commented on the blog tour spots. Each one can be found HERE and it's not too late to participate! Each link is updated to the actual post and I will continue to check for late visitors and you will be counted in the giveaways.

On August 26th we had to evacuate due to Hurricane Laura who attacked our coast with a vengeance, leaving devastation in her wake. Few people avoided damage of some sort - if only the loss of necessities like power and water to conveniences like internet and cable. My daughter's house had to be completely gutted. And then.....

My Dad Passed Away.

To say things are in a turmoil is an understatement, but alas, God is still on the throne and we continue to survive one day at a time.

My goal for this blog has always been to share good news, uplifting information and happy times with you but life isn't always good, uplifting or happy. 

That said, despite our losses, our family HAS experienced good news. We have two new babies on the way! My brother will receive a new grandchild and a new great grandchild in 2021. My uncle who has battled lung cancer seems to have won - he received a diagnosis of NED (no evidence of disease!!!) from his doctors this week. We, as a community, are returning to work and school and picking up the pieces of our lives and are determined to come back stronger than ever.

In a time when our entire country is in upheaval, the folks of SW Louisiana are pulling together and all those who've shown up to help us are GREATLY Appreciated!

More good news.....

Tempered Joy is in audio production and Tempered Truth is in the final editing stages! I look for both to be released by Thanksgiving, definitely in time for Christmas. I just realized I haven't shared the cover for Tempered Truth here on my blog! Here ya go.... please forgive this oversight.

Well friends, this about wraps up my life in a nutshell for the past two months. I hope and pray you are all blessed and prosperous!

Until next time, take care and God bless.

PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight is on Tempered Joy

Hi There!

I'm a bit late posting today, but my scheduled guest could not make it so I'm improvising.

Author friends, have you ever read your own book? If so, what were your thoughts?

Last night I pulled out a copy of Tempered Joy (book 4 in my Tempered series) and said, what the heck, laid down and started reading.

As an editor I saw a few things that could be fixed...mostly punctuation or removing an extraneous word or two from a sentence, but nothing that threw me out of the story.

You'd think I wouldn't be moved by my own words, but, surprisingly enough, I was!

If I had to review it, I'd give Tempered Joy 4 stars .... and this is what I'd say...

This story lived up to its name as I found myself in tears nearly as much as I laughed out loud at the antics of the characters.

For those of you who are new to visiting my blog here is the blurb and an excerpt for you....

Blurb: All around rodeo cowboy and heir to the Rockin’ H Ranch, Ace Harris is determined not to fall in love.  He’s only loved one woman in his life, his mother, and no one can even come close to filling her boots. Lexie Morgan thinks rodeo cowboys have rocks for brains and a death wish for a soul.  A broken childhood and the death of her father and best friend leave her doubting and questioning God (despite her years of religious upbringing) and afraid of love. Can two young people who clash from the onset learn to trust in the healing power of God and find love and happiness amidst tragedy and grief?  

Excerpt: Her eyes narrowed when he took a step closer. “Ace,” she warned and wielded the brush like a lethal weapon.

Raising his hands where she could see them, he watched her try to brush some semblance of order to the thick mass of unruly auburn hair. The simple chore made him want to sink both fists in the silken locks and gave him a whole new insight to the word erotic.

Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes sparkled vivid green and spewed wrath. She glared at him as though the tangled tresses were his fault alone. Her chest quivered with each breath she took. He took another step closer and could feel her tremble. Locking his gaze with hers in the mirror, he reached around her and picked up a bandanna off the dresser. He ran it through his fingers in what could have been a caress then slid the cloth beneath her hair and left it trailing over her shoulders.

With hands that shook, Lexie pulled the ends together and tied her hair back into a ponytail. Those bright gray eyes had gone soft and warm, like liquid metal. Mouth dry as dust, she swallowed hard.

Purchase Links:

Kindle http://amzn.to/1uto0eH

Amazon Print: http://amzn.to/1xwIx12

Nook http://bit.ly/1mF4Lhp

B&N Print: http://bit.ly/1R62HtU

Smashwords http://bit.ly/14KH0bX

Hope you enjoyed today's spotlight 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

Thursday Thoughts: Joy

Good Morning Friends,

It's amazing how the mind works. Earlier I had no idea what to write about. Seriously, I've been in a "funk" the last couple of days. Can't pinpoint the reason. Could be a combination of fatigue, weather and the activity of the last month or so finally just catching up but Sunday and yesterday I was just plain dragged out exhausted.

Those 'feeling's followed me into the morning despite my usual prayer time. Then I scrolled through Face Book and in an instant everything within me shifted.

Joy welled up so strong, so powerful I knew what I had to write about!

Was it the funny things I saw, the cute video of a dad making his quadruplets laugh, the fact that the sun is actually shining today and it's a bit warmer, or something deeper?

The Bible teaches us that "Joy in the Lord is our strength."

The law of attraction states what you focus on you'll attract.

Abraham Hicks and other spiritual messengers exhort us to follow our bliss and to allow joy to lead the way.

I believe ALL of these are true and that joy is a powerful emotion that can not only lift you mentally but spiritually and physically.

So whatever it takes to shift your thoughts and feel joy to it's fullest, do it!

Something to think about....

Speaking of joy, Tempered Joy (along with the entire series) is on sale for $0.99 cents on Kindle, Nook & @ Smashwords thru Jan 15th!

Have a Blessed & Joyous day!

Thursday Thoughts: Kisses

Well I'm sure that title got your attention LOL!

The lyrics "saving all my kisses for you" keep running through my head. Don't ask me why. Couldn't answer if you did. 

Funny how that works.

Anyway, this got me thinking about kisses in general and the way folks express their emotion through them.

There are kisses between friends, family, parents & children, and of course lovers. We even have candy kisses (and hugs!).

Just goes to show how the human touch is vital to our health. In fact medical studies have proven that the human touch goes a long way toward mental, emotional and even physical healing.

In my book, Tempered Joy, Ace (the hero) is sorely tempted to kiss his heroine, Lexie, on more than one occasion. But what impressed me is that this young man felt kisses were "given too lightly and often taken as such" and that he'd like to "share that intimacy with her some time and place where he could be more private about it."

Recently I met a sweet friend for a night of dancing and laughter and during one point in our conversation I made the comment that ladies don't kiss on the first date. 

Left him speechless LOL!

To be honest, I have kissed on the first date before,  but I never realized until recently how much I appreciate those (and Ace's) sentiments.

Now, I don't mind a kiss on the forehead or a brush of lips over my cheek or even mouth, but as a single woman in a world where kisses are given too lightly and taken as such, in fact, almost expected from the get-go, I'm thinking I'll save those really, intimate kisses for someone special.

What are your thoughts on kisses? 

Leave a comment and one lucky winner will receive a pdf of Tempered Joy.

All around rodeo cowboy and heir to the Rockin’ H Ranch, Ace Harris is determined not to fall in love.  He’s only loved one woman in his life, his mother, and no one can even come close to filling her boots. Lexie Morgan thinks rodeo cowboys have rocks for brains and a death wish for a soul.  A broken childhood and the death of her father and best friend leave her doubting and questioning God (despite her years of religious upbringing) and afraid of love. Can two young people who clash from the onset learn to trust in the healing power of God and find love and happiness amidst tragedy and grief?  

Tempered Joy is available on Kindle & Nook.

Tuesday Treasure - Cowboy Hearts

Good Morning Friends and Welcome to another edition of Tuesday Treasures!

In last week's post, I mentioned some of the treasures one can find hiking the trails out here on the Silver Spur Guest Ranch.

One of those treasures is a cowboy heart rock.

Well, wouldn't you know, we (staff and guests) were out armadillo hunting when another staff member found one of these rocks. She knew I'd been looking for one so she gave it to me.

If you're a Country Music fan, I'm sure you've heard the song, "Mama Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Cowboys" by Willie Nelson in which he warns...."cause he's always alone even with someone he loves." I often wondered what that meant, but in asking about why these rocks were called "cowboy hearts" I heard it's because cowboys have hearts as hard as stone.

Now I'm sure that saying was perpetrated by angry or perhaps lonely women whose hearts had been broken by the cowboys they love. We always hear songs and stories about women leaving their rodeo cowboys for someone more stable, so I guess there may be some truth in that theory.

But I got to thinking.....

In Ezekiel  (11:19 & 36:26), God talks about removing our "heart of stone" and giving us a new spirit and a "heart of flesh" so I wonder, could these rocks be indicative of people whose stony hearts have been removed and replaced with "a new spirit and a heart of flesh?"

If you've known me very long you know my favorite story about the rock my husband gave to me when we were courting and how he said, "My love is like this rock, it's strong and solid, it'll never change, it'll last forever, and there's not another one like it in the world" and how I've placed that rock and framed quote in a shadow box. I've even said I wouldn't have traded that rock for a million roses!

I'm not sure if my next husband will be a cowboy or, (like my deceased one) a cop, but I do know like King David, he will have a "heart of flesh" and a "heart after God's heart."

IMW, I'm going to keep this cowboy heart rock to remind me to not let anything cause my heart to harden but to keep it tempered before the Lord.

Speaking of Tempered Hearts, check out book one in my 'Tempered' series set here in Bandera, TX available on Kindle & Nook!

Rancher Craig Harris and veterinarian Tamera Collins clash from the moment they meet. Innocence is pitted against arrogance as tempers rise and passions ignite to form a love as pure as the finest gold, fresh from the crucible and as strong as steel. Thrown together amid tragedy and unsated passion, Tamera and Craig share a strong attraction that neither accepts as the first stages of love. Torn between desire and dislike, they must make peace with their pasts and God in order to open up to the love blossoming between them. It is a love that nothing can destroy when they come to understand that only when hearts are tempered, minds are opened and wills are softened can man discern the will of God for his life.


[ Pssstttt.....Book 4 Tempered Joy and my short story, Lori's Redemption are about a rodeo cowboys!]

Saturday Spotlight - Tempered Series!

Good Morning Friends,

The blog was a bit quiet this week, but my life has been anything but! I'm home in LA for a visit and taking care of business part of which is preparing for a month-long blog tour with The Visionary - speaking of which, I received the FINAL proof of the full cover! I'll share it with you once approved & corrected (if necessary) and More details on that tour to come!
Anyway, since there are no new releases from Pelican Book Group (aka: White Rose Publishing & HarborLight Books) so I thought I'd spotlight my 4-part Tempered series for all of my new friends.

Set in the beautiful hill country of Texas in Bandera, the "Cowboy Capital of the World," Tempered Hearts begins the series. This book was initially published in December of 2000 by Writers Exchange Epublishing.

Rancher Craig Harris and veterinarian Tamera Collins clash from the moment they meet.  Innocence is pitted against arrogance as tempers rise and passions ignite to form a love as pure as the finest gold, fresh from the crucible and as strong as steel.  Thrown together amid tragedy and unsated passion, Tamera and Craig share a strong attraction that neither accepts as the first stages of love.  Torn between desire and dislike, they must make peace with their pasts and God in order to open up to the love blossoming between them.  It is a love that nothing can destroy when they come to understand that only when hearts are tempered, minds are opened and wills are softened can man discern the will of God for his life.

June 2001 saw the release of book 2 - Tempered Dreams.

Dr. Scott Hensley (introduced in Tempered Hearts) has built a wall around his heart since the death of his wife and parents.  Katrina Simmons is recovering from scars inflicted on her as a battered wife.  Can dreams be renewed and faith strengthened?  Can they find joy and peace in God’s love and in love for one another?  

Since that time, mistakes were made and dreams shattered, but we perservered through the fire to find joy and now the entire Tempered Series is available on Kindle & Nook for only $1.99 each!

Amber Harris is a good girl on the brink of womanhood. Stanley Morrison is a young man at the start of his life. For each other, they have always felt the fireworks that two people in love should feel. But the questions about his past, his pride, and Amber's father might be the end of what could be a strong relationship. As the two try to protect their budding romance, some unlikely but powerful forces conspire to keep them apart. Will they survive the wishes of everyone around them with their relationship intact?

All around rodeo cowboy and heir to the Rockin’ H Ranch, Ace Harris is determined not to fall in love.  He’s only loved one woman in his life, his mother, and no one can even come close to filling her boots. Lexie Morgan thinks rodeo cowboys have rocks for brains and a death wish for a soul.  A broken childhood and the death of her father and best friend leave her doubting and questioning God (despite her years of religious upbringing) and afraid of love. Can two young people who clash from the onset learn to trust in the healing power of God and find love and happiness amidst tragedy and grief? 



Well friends, hope you enjoyed this spotlight. I'll spotlight my other titles as time and space allow.
IMW.....Take care, God Bless and Remember.....God brings you full circle~Bandera, TX touched my heart as a child & changed my life as an adult.

Pamela S Thibodeaux
"Inspirational with an Edge!" (TM) 

Mid Week Blahs...

Well Friends, not much going on. My uncle passed away on Sat so this week has not been the best of weeks. Needless to say the emotional rollercoaster is taking its toll. But God is faithful and I know He will pull us through!

I'm over at Emma Lai's blog today featuring my book, Tempered Joy so if you get a chance, pop over there and leave a comment. I may surprise some lucky reader with a copy!

PamT

Saturday Spotlight - Emma Lai

Good Morning Friends,

Can you believe it's Feburary already & the first week is over?!

Today's guest is fellow TWRP author, Emma Lai with her novel, His Ship Her Fantasy.

Emma likes nothing more than a challenge. First,she tackled the male-dominated field of engineering. Next, she expanded her understanding of the world by studying international relations. Finally, her husband dared her to use her experience and knowledge and devote herself to writing. She accepted his challenge and has been writing ever since.

Writing keeps Emma sane. Her characters demand their stories be told and nag her incessantly until she complies. The characters are very insistent about her remaining faithful to their individual adventures. As a result, Emma writes a range of genres and levels of heat. She never knows what the next set of characters will demand! Find out more about Emma and her writing by visiting her website and/or blog.

Ellie Woods is in love…with a ship. When an argument with the ship results in a bump on the head, she finds herself in the strong arms of Alastair. But, who is he, and where did he come from?

Alastair has loved Ellie from afar for years, but duty has kept him from revealing himself to her. When a grave threat reveals his true identity, he hopes that Ellie will choose reality over fantasy.

Excerpt: She fought to stay aware by focusing her gaze on the intriguing cleft in her rescuer’s chin. After a few moments, she tried to tilt her head back to get a look at the rest of his face, but the action made her dizzy once again. She gave up with a sigh and relaxed against his firm, broad chest.

She shrugged. Chances were she would not recognize him anyway. Over two hundred people served on the ship. She knew the dozen or so engineers who worked the first and third rotations and maybe another dozen crewmates by sight, others who worked the same rotation and happened to eat their meals in solitary silence at the same time she did. She would guess from the fact that he had to ask her name that he was not any of those two dozen individuals.

Maybe she should not have told him her real name. At least that way, when he talked about finding a woman helpless in the bowels of the ship, no one would have known who it was. Yeah, right, whom was she trying to fool? She was the sole person assigned duty to this area during fourth rotation. Her breath caught, and she stiffened in his arms. Who was he, and what was he doing in a restricted area?

“Relax,” he said.

“Who are you?” She tried to sit up in his arms, determined to get a look at him and an answer to her question.

He lifted her higher in his arms, which wedged her head between his head and shoulder and prevented her from getting a good look at his face. “Alastair.” His warm breath fluttered against her forehead and cheek.


His Ship, Her Fantasy is available now from The Wild Rose Press.


Well Folks, that wraps up this edition of Saturday Spotlight. Tomorrow is Superbowl Sunday and for the first time in NFL history, the New Orleans Saints have made it in the game! Not sure how I feel about this. Of course I'm happy but that joy is tempered by sadness - You see, Terry and I used to sit and watch the Saints play ball every week during football season - we'd cheer and laugh and well, curse those darn players when they goofed off instead of playing ball! And now, the first year they actually make it to the biggest game of the year, he isn't here to watch with me. Who knows, maybe the've finally made it because he has a seat in the VIP box up in Heaven and his cheering finally reached the ears of One who could make a difference on the field of players. Nice thought anyway :-)

That's about all for now. Until later... take care, God Bless and remember....Sorrow may last for a night but joy comes in the morning. (Psalms 30:5)




Tempered Joy is available now in Ebook & Print. Read an excerpt here!

Whew! What a Week!

Well Friends,

The holidays are over and it's back to the grind LOL!

This past week has truly been exciting. As I mentioned in my New Year Post, Tempered Joy received a 5book review @ LASR.

In addition, I received another glowing review from long-time reader/reviewer, Kari Thomas.

In her email Kari said..... "The emotions you bring out in a story makes it so beautiful. I have to say, I will definitely be recommending this book to all!"

You can read her entire review @ Kari's Corner - it is the last one on the page.

Not much else going on right now, just trying to get back into routine after so many days off.

Be sure and stop back by on Saturday for our spotlight with Liana Laverentz!



Until later....take care, God Bless and remember....sorrow may come in the night, but Joy will be found in the morning.

Tempered Joy is available now!

Pamela S Thibodeaux
"Inpirational with an Edge!" (TM)

Unexpected Blessings

I’m typing a series of sermons for my pastor in which he teaches that the love of God is eternally giving and is a daily, provisional covenant from which we should expect provision, favor and blessings. Psalm 68:19 tells us that God “daily loads us with benefits.”


Therefore, we should expect to receive good things from God – and I do!


But the unexpected blessings mean the most to me…a phone call or card from an old friend, a luncheon where I’m treated, finding money in the parking lot.


This week I received an unexpected blessing and not only did it make my whole week brighter, it made my whole Christmas brighter!


In August I switched jobs, new hours, same pay, new benefits package, but I NEVER expected to receive a Christmas bonus! When I was told to check my account and see if the funds were there – I got another surprise as it was far more than I ever imagined much less expected.
Many may know that I prayed for God to find me a “nice quiet office” somewhere and this job was all I asked for and even though I’d rather be home and not have to work, I KNOW He is providing for me and I’m right where I’m supposed to be.


Have you ever received an unexpected blessing?

I’d love to hear about it!


Remember – Dec. 15th is the deadline for the Sony E-Reader contest;
Cindy K Green’s Christmas Jubilee is this week only
The White Roses in Bloom are Celebrating Christmas ALL MONTH LONG and I'm giving away an ADVANCE copy of Winter Madness to one lucky commenter - so drop on by!


And don’t forget to come back Saturday when we’re Spotlighting Wendy Davy and her book A Matter of Trust.


Until later, take care, God Bless and remember….tis the Season to spread Joy!

Tempered Joy is available Now!

Pamela S Thibodeaux

"Inspirational with an Edge!" (TM)

Confirmation and Validation

Hello Friends,

Whew, what a week! Hope everyone enjoyed a BLESSED and Happy Thanksgiving weekend...not too much food...didn't overspend on Black Friday.

Forgive me, I just can't imagine the chaos that goes on in the stores the day after Thanksgiving, but then, I'm not a shopper. I go in, get what I need, get out as fast as possible...usually on my lunch hour LOL!

Anyway....on to my topic.

Last week I had one of those days when I wonder if this writing business is worth the time, energy, and heartache we put into it. I prayed God would give me some kind of confirmation and validation.

We all need encouragement from time to time, but I needed more...I needed to know that what I'm doing is worth the effort and that my writing IS blessing someone.

Well our God is an awesome God!

Not only did at least 1 person tell me how much she loved my writing (while she bought 2 books), but I received a great review for Tempered Joy!

This reader/reviewer went so far as to email me and say...."I was truly blessed by the book. It is annointed."

She then said she'd emailed Christianbook.com and asked them to carry my books!

Now, if that's not confirmation and validation....what is?

God is SO Good!

Well friends, that's about all for now.

Until later....take care, God Bless and remember....sometimes all it takes is an encouraging word to change someone's perspective and validate their life.

Pamela S Thibodeaux
"Inspirational with an Edge!" (TM)

New Interview Up!

Hi Again Friends!

Just wanted to drop by and let you all know that I'm the "Featured Author" @ Time With Tannia.

If you get a chance, drop by and leave a comment, who knows, I might decide to give away a prize or two.

Until later remember.....Joy is the key to unlocking the hardest of hearts.

Tempered Joy (ISBN# 1-93386614-4) coming soon to a bookstore near you!

Pamela S Thibodeaux

"Inspirational with an Edge!"

Author Spotlight - Mirella Patzer!

Hello Friends,

Mirella Patzer is not only a talented author but my editor at Enspiren Press and she's on tour -virtual book tour that is- with her novel Bloodstone Castle.

Prizes, Prizes, Prizes! During the Bloodstone Castle Virtual Book Tour, Mirella will be offering several giveaways for people who participate and comment in the tour. People are encouraged to visit each tour stop shown on the schedule. Each comment on any of the tour stops is an entry in the book giveaway. Several copies of Bloodstone Castle will be given away at the end of the month. One will be given to the “best” comment, one for the “most unique and relevant” question. In addition, the blog host where the winning comments were posted will also win a copy of the book. So, visit Mirella, learn more about Bloodstone Castle and post comments. Mirella looks forward to getting to know her readers.
About the book: Bloodstone Castle stands sentinel on the shores of the Ligurian Sea. Secreted somewhere in its dungeons is an ancient Roman treasure of immense value. Contessa Morena of Bloodstone Castle possesses a mysterious bloodstone pendant, the only proof the treasure exists. Since childhood, she has been promised in marriage to Duke Ernesto of Savona. Ernesto is a desperate man, a gambler who has lost his family's fortune, a man who resorts to murder, not once, not twice, but three times to keep from paying his debts and to hide his dirty secret.

Marriage to the lovely Morena will make the treasure his and restore his power and desperate circumstances. After the brutal murder of his father, Duke Amoro of Genoa swears two oaths. The first is to avenge his father's death. The second is to honour his father's dying wish and wed Morena of Bloodstone Castle and end the violent feud with between their two families. He severs his affair with his mistress, Laria, and departs for Bloodstone Castle to propose to Morena. But Morena refuses to marry him. Her life thrown into chaos, Morena must choose between obligation and honour, truth and lies, good and evil. She must honour the betrothal her father arranged with Ernesto. Amoro continues to try to convince Morena otherwise.

Ernesto arrives at Bloodstone Castle to claim his bride, but finds Amoro there. The two men confront each other with much animosity.Then, when the murdered body of Morena's father is brought home, Amoro helps her with his burial, then her and takes her to his home in Genoa. He is fiercely protective over her. This angers Morena at times because she insists upon her independence. While she is conducting an act of charity, she notices Amoro's men following her. As she tries to escape, she falls from her horse and is taken back to Amoro. When Amoro agrees to allow Morena full independence, they set a wedding date.

Laria and Ernesto meet and together they plan to separate Amoro and Morena.On the day of the wedding, Morena falls into the clutches of Ernesto. Amoro arrives to rescue her and the two men agree to battle each other - winner gets the girl. Ernesto cheats and Amoro is held prisoner. Morena realizes her love for Amoro and to save his life, agrees to marry Ernesto. Laria is free to pursue Amoro again. But Amoro continues to refuse Laria. When Laria learns that Ernesto plans to kill Amoro, she aids Morena in a daring rescue to Amoro and his men.In medieval Italy, two men face each other with ruthlessness and intensity. Enter their world of splendour and depravity, of passion and wickedness.

It is Italy's most dazzling and dangerous age, and as Duke Amoro of Genoa and Duke Ernesto of Savona match wits and cunning, it is a dance the death to decide which one of them will win the hand of the beautiful Countess Morena and the hidden treasure of Bloodstone Castle.
Meet Mirella Patzer - Your Guide on This Adventure. Books are one of Mirella Patzer's obsessions, especially those that pertain to medieval eras and with Italy as a backdrop. To fulfill a life long dream, she began writing several years ago and has never looked back. Since then she has published several short stories and completed two novels with several more novels in various stages of completion. Her fascination for women of history and Italy is often reflected in her work, blogs, and website. When she's not immersed in research or writing or blogging, Mirella works as an editor for Enspiren Press. She writes from her home in Cochrane, Alberta, Canada, surrounded by her husband, two college-bound daughters, and a rambunctious little grandson who frequently interrupts her work with a variety of unanticipated, yet humorous calamities and interruptions. For her, life couldn't get any better.

Interview with Mirella!

Tell us a little about yourself and your life. My name is Mirella Patzer and I'm a published author of historical fiction. I live in Cochrane, Alberta, Canada, between Calgary and the Canadian Rockies. After a 28 year career as a civilian manager for the Calgary Police Service, I was able to retired in July of 2007 and focus on my new career as an author.

How do you fit writing into your schedule? What does your workspace look like? My writing schedule doesn't begin until around 2 p.m. every day. Mornings are dedicated to a little housework, an hour walk or a workout, and then putting something together for supper. It isn't until 2:00 p.m. that I sit down at my computer. The first thing I do is respond to my email. After that, I may update my blogs or write a critique or two for another author from my on-line critique groups. I may also do one or two things to promote my novel such as finding a new website to list my novel or updating my Chapters or Amazon page. I review books so I often may have to write a review or two. I will then try to write for an hour or so. When it's time to retire for the night, I edit one of the novels I'm editing for Enspiren Press. After that, I read a chapter or two of a novel before calling it a night. Saturdays and Sundays are purely reserved for writing.

My workspace consists of a beautiful wine colored ornate desk in my Family Room (because my hubby has ownership of the home office). So I sit beside a tv and amidst a mountain of toys, close to the kitchen. It really doesn't make for a very ideal workspace, however, I've adapted enough that I can tune out the tv, people hovering, and kitchen noise if I have to. I also keep a laptop in the bedroom in case I need to escape and write in solitude or take it out onto the deck so I can write and enjoy the sunshine.

What kinds of advice would you give a new writer? Is there anything that you have learned that you can pass on to someone just starting out? First, believe that you can do it. Many people think they can never write a novel. I was one of those people. Just write and believe in yourself. Also, find a good critique group, online or in person. This is critical. Without regular feedback from other authors, you will not master the skills of writing as fast. Friends and family are great for support, but they are not authors. New writers need strong, focused feedback that often pertains to the technical side of writing. A good critique group, even the on-line ones are terrific. I belong to two and I owe much credit to my critique partners who have helped me succeed as a writer.

What kinds of books will we find on your bookshelf? My bookshelf is stuffed with historical novels from Wilbur Smith, Philippa Gregory, Elizabeth Chadwick, Barbara Erskine, Sharon Kay Penman, and many more too numerous to mention. There are a few contemporary novels there, but very few. I tend to stick to historicals of any kind, but especially those that pertain to women of history.

What is your favorite flavor of ice cream? Do you eat it on a cone, out of a bowl or straight from the carton? I've never been a big ice cream fan, but when I do indulge, it is always with chocolate. I'm a chocaholic in the purest sense. I prefer to eat it out of a small bowl at my desk or while watching tv.

If you could go anywhere in the world right now, where would it be and why? I would go to German and Italy. I have to conduct some research for a trilogy I'm writing about the Ottonian Empire so I have to visit Quedlinburg, Erfurt, Magdeburg, Lago di Garda, Pavia, and Ortona - all sites of future novels. What are you working on now? I'm currently working on two novels - The Orphan of the Olive Tree - a medieval romance written by a queen in 14th century France. In its original state, it is the length of a very short story, so I've expanded the plot and am re-writing it with my own characters and setting. I'm also working on A Crimson Mantle, a novel about Queen Matilde of Germany in the 10th century. This is the first book in a series about her family. What does your family think about your writing? My family is very supportive and they understand this is my passion. However, unless they are writers themselves, they do not know the amount of work and time and research involved in writing a novel. They simply know that I'm busy at my computer writing, so to them it looks simpler than it really is.

Where can readers and fans find out more about you and your books? My website is: http://www.mirellapatzer.com. I also have a blog at: http://mirellapatzer.blogspot.com/. I write about a variety of topics, from recipes to book reviews, to writing. A real mish mash of topics.

Bloodstone Castle, my novel, now has its own blog at: http://bloodstonecastle.blogspot.com. All the characters are listed and I blog about related topics pertaining to the setting, castles, bloodstones, recipes, etc.

Best of Italy is one of my favourite blogs and I blog about anything and everything Italian. http://bestofitaly.blogspot.com.

I also have a fun blog called Author Cookies. Here I collect the favourite cookie recipes of some of my favourite authors. Visit: http://authorcookies.blogspot.com and be prepared to drool.

And finally, I review books at: http://historicalnovelreview.blogspot.com./

Thank you so much for hosting me today. I always enjoy working with you, Pam.

The complete tour schedule is posted here -

Watch a Video for Bloodstone Castle

Reviews for Bloodstone Castle by Mirella Patzer

is available now @ Amazon.com!

Well folks, hope you've enjoyed this look into the life of a wonderful author, editor, reviewer and friend!

Until later remember....Share joy and joy will abound in your life!

Tempered Joy coming soon to a bookstore near you and Amazon.com!