#SaturdaySpotlight is on Veronica Lynch & For Keeps!

Good Morning and Happy Valentine's Day!

Today I am at The Charmed Page bookstore in Lake Charles with a couple of other local authors signing books and celebrating the 1 yr. anniversary of the store's opening! They acutally opened in January but the day we were supposed to celebrate was canceled due to weather. Cold, Nasty. Ugh!

I am SO looking forward to spring!

But enough about me. Today's guest visited once before but it's been a while so please give Veronica a huge SW LA W-E-L-C-O-M-E back and I'm turning the spotlight on and over to her. Take it away Veronica and tell us why you wrote For Keeps...

When the opportunity to contribute to a Valentines anthology for the Wild Rose Press, I knew immediately I wanted to pay tribute to a few of the exceptional police officers I’d worked with while serving as director of a 5-county regional rape advocacy program in Western New York State. The phone call between the heroine Meg and her lover Kee occurred during one of those really hideous days which all advocates experience as they work for and with abused and battered women and children. 

As I recall, I’d just come off an ugly encounter with a disbelieving, lazy, don’t-break-a-sweat cop and was feeling quite low. Out of the blue, Sergeant Joe Murphy—from an entirely different department—called to check on a case we’d worked on. He really did say something about my barracuda style of advocacy, then gave me the line of ‘if I was any better, I’d scare myself.”

I started laughing—kept on laughing because I couldn’t seem to stop—then began blubbering like a fool. He immediately realized something was wrong and proceeded to talk me through my feelings and helped bring a certain degree of resolution. That was my friend Joe: kind, professional, always ready to protect and serve.

He is who and why I wrote For Keeps.

OH what a lovely story! Thanks for sharing that memory with us. Now how about a blurb and excerpt...

Sure, here ya go...

Blurb:  

Meghan Muldoon is at a crossroads in her life: struggling to balance the demands of a high stress vocation as an advocate for victims of violence with her feelings for Keenan Rossi, a man who wants to make their relationship permanent. On Valentine's Day, a series of routine crises force Meg to question staying in a profession which fulfills her both professionally and spiritually—or devoting the rest of her life to the one person who completes her. 

           Which one is For Keeps?

Excerpt: 

“Crime Victim Services. How may I help you?”

The caller's voice was low, husky, and exquisitely male. “Do you know the difference between a barracuda and a victim advocate?”

Her heart skipped a beat. “Lip gloss.”

“Well damn,” Kee muttered. “You already heard it.”

“An oldie but a goodie, pal.”

“Aren't we all. How you doin' on this gorgeous February day, gorgeous?”

Bringing his handsome face to mind took no great effort. They had worked together for more years than either cared to count. When the relationship progressed beyond professional Meg felt they should keep things under the radar. At first Keenan agreed, claiming he wasn't in the mood tor any crap from his peers about exploring his feminine side. But after a while he began to push for something more permanent. And she wasn't so sure she was ready for that, especially marriage. Meg liked being able to come and go as she pleased, responsible only to herself, and for herself. 

Even though she heard the tease in his voice now, she was still smarting from last night so proceeded with caution. “Not too bad. How's by you?”

“Lemme tell you, cara. If I was any better, I'd scare myself.”

Beautiful! Now give us the lowdown on how readers can reach you and where they can find For Keeps...

Thanks Pam, here is my bio and links and links to purchase For Keeps...

Legal nurse consultant, victim advocate, sexual assault nurse examiner Veronica Lynch has been there and done that--many times over. She often travels from her home close to the shore of Lake Ontario to the Saint Lawrence River/Thousand Islands Region of Northern New York State as well as the historic Adirondack and Catskill Mountains, looking for settings for her books which feature strong characters who stand for the less thans in this world. 

Over the years, she has been called many things, not all of them flattering. The name she treasures most is Nana to the four brightest lights in her life: Meredith and Ashlin, Owen and Kieran.

Find, Follow and Connect with Veronica via the links below...

Blogs: www.WildWomenAuthorsx2.blogspot.com

   www.WildWomenReviews.blogspot.com

Bluesky: @VeronicaLynch.bsky.social

Amazon: Veronica_Lynch/B01MCQTZJ?ref=ap_rdr&is_

Facebook: www.Facebook.com/WildWomenAuthors

  www.Facebook.com/VeronicaLynch 

Goodreads: www.Goodreads.com/author.Veronica_Lynch

Instagram: @VeronicaLynchAuthor

Get your copy of For Keeps at Amazon for only $0.99 cents!

Also at: B&N, GoodReads, BookBub, The Wild Rose Press

THANK YOU so much, Veronica for sharing with us today! Wishing you lot's of success with your books.

That's all for today Friends. Check back weekly for another edition of Saturday Spotlight where you'll find great authors and their books.

Oh, and check out my YouTube channel: A Novel Lunch™ where you'll find writing tips and advice and interviews with the authors we love!

Until next week, Happy Reading.

PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight is on Randy Overbeck & Red Shadows at Saugatuck

Good Morning and Welcome!

You may remember seiing this fellow's Featured Author page last month and this book in the sidebar, well today we're getting a peek into why Randy wrote Red Shadows at Saugatuck...

Take it away Randy!

As an author, I enjoy all the aspects of writing—the research to get the

details right, the inventing of the tale, the crafting of the narrative, the editing and the thrill of completing another piece readers might find interesting. My series, the Haunted Shores Mysteries, have received such a tremendous response from critics and readers alike that I’ve been amazed and thrilled. The novels have earned ten national awards including Best Book Award (Chanticleer Books and Reviews), Gold Award (LiteraryTitan) and Mystery of the Year (ReaderViews) and

achieved a #1 and #2 bestseller status on Amazon and B & N.

Readers have responded so well to the first three books in the Haunted

Shores Mysteries series—which chronicle the path of Darrell and Erin from meeting to falling in love, to getting married—I thought the narrative was ready for the next chapter. So in this entry, Darrell and Erin have a precocious little five-year-old, who’s inherited his father’s ability to see ghosts. Darrell returns home to Michigan, which gave me a chance to feature his interesting extended family. In this novel, readers will find another great whodunit set in another stunning resort

town, this time Saugatuck, Michigan. And I’ve wrapped the haunted aura of Native American spiritualty around the mystery of the murder. In the words of anearly reviewer, readers will find a tale that is “socially relevant and strangelybeautiful  in its grief, haunting in every sense of the word.” (litandcoffee reviews)

Wow...OK, now can we get a peek into the book?

Sure, here is the Blurb...

Darrell Henshaw hoped he was past it all. After all, no ghosts had visited him for years. Instead, he learns his five-year-old-son, Leo has inherited his “gift.” 

Now, they both can see ghosts.

This time, Darrell drives his young family 800 miles to celebrate his Aunt Gertrude’s 80th birthday. But, once in the resort  town of Saugatuck, Michigan, their participation gets derailed by the spirit of a Native teen who went missing weeks earlier. When he and Leo inquire about the girl, the locals dismiss their concerns—"Those girls run away all the time.”  Still, as questions pile up and threats grow, Darrell senses they may have stumbled onto something far worse and even more evil than one missing teen. 

Can Darrell continue to pursue justice for the girl if it places his wife and five-year-old son in danger?

And an Excerpt...

Darrell chanced another look in the rearview and saw the SUV accelerating, closing the distance. Darrell stared, fixated on the wide silver grill growing larger in his mirror. Alternating glances from the road ahead to the car behind, he watched it move closer, now less than a car length. He stared at the shield, could make out its colors of silver, gold, black and red. He checked out the road ahead then shot another look at the Cadillac emblem. In the center of the shield, he saw a small nick, like a stone from the road had chipped it. His gaze returned to the asphalt ahead of him.

He punched the accelerator and felt his Taurus respond. When the distance between the cars opened up a bit, he checked the speedometer. The needle moved past eighty. The scenery flew by. He didn’t think he could keep this up for long. At least, the road was straight…for now.

He sensed more than saw movement behind him and yanked his gaze back to the rearview mirror. The SUV accelerated even more and drew still closer, the black frame and tinted windshield filling his mirror. Darrell’s knuckles tightened on the steering wheel. The car came so close, the grill with the shield disappeared from his view. The darkened windshield was all Darrell could see through his mirror. 

God, he must be within a foot. He’s going to ram me.

He floored the gas pedal and the engine whined in protest. The needle passed eighty-five. He wanted to turn his head and look back through the rear window but couldn’t chance it. Not at this speed. He had to stay focused on the road ahead. His Taurus raced along the blacktop. 

Then it started. First, a few thunks on the roof and, within seconds, the sky opened up, the rain cascading in sheets. He flipped the wipers on high and stared through the windshield at the rain-slicked asphalt. Damn, what else can go wrong? Driving like this in the rain was major-league stupid.

He needed to slow down in the downpour but couldn’t. He feared if he slowed, even a little, the larger SUV would slam into him and probably run him off the road. He chanced another glance in the rearview and saw…nothing. All he could see looking back was the torrential rain slicing down onto the blacktop. 

Where had the Cadillac gone? Could he have turned off when the rain hit and Darrell hadn’t noticed? He didn’t think so but where was the car? He stared ahead and then shot another glance in the mirror. Nothing.

Then, he caught some movement in his peripheral vision. The Cadillac SUV had slid over into the oncoming lane. He was passing the Taurus on the left. He must’ve disappeared into Darrell’s blind spot before pulling even with the Taurus. Darrell stared from the SUV beside him to the road ahead. As far as he could tell, both lanes seemed empty of traffic, but the rain reduced how far he could see.

He shot a glance to his side. The Cadillac had pulled up, almost even with his car. He peered across but could make out nothing but the damn dark tinted glass. He jerked his gaze back to the road. What was this idiot going to do? Pass him and make him skid on the wet road? He risked a glance in the rearview to see if there was a second car, to block him in. Nothing.

The SUV inched forward, both cars hurtling at almost ninety! This was crazy. No, this was suicide. He should brake and slow down, let the Cadillac whiz by him. But he feared what might happen in the rain. He could hydroplane, lose traction and skid. 

He had no time to consider any options. 

Right then, the SUV surged forward and steered hard to the right, angling in front of him, cutting off the Taurus. Darrell had no choice. He stepped on his brake so as not to hit the Cadillac. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the SUV whiz into his lane right in front of him. He yanked the wheel to the right, swerving to avoid hitting the other car. His tires slipped on the rain-slicked asphalt. He tried to control the steering wheel but felt the car skid onto the narrow shoulder. He slammed on the brakes as hard as he could and watched the car go over the edge of the shoulder. His heart raced. He practically stood on the brake. The car bumped over the shoulder. It bounced down into a ditch and partway up. The Taurus jerked to a stop, slamming his head into the steering wheel. 

Everything went dark.

Oh My Goodness! Excellent, edge-of-your-seat excerpt. Tell us where we can find Red Shadows at Saugatuck and give us the lowdown on you...

Thanks, Pam. Red Shadows at Saugatuck can be found at Amazon and other Online Retailers. Below is my "official" bio.

Dr. Randy Overbeck is an award-winning educator, author, speaker and podcaster. As an educator, he served children for more than three decades and has mined that experience to create captivating fiction, authoring two series, the bestselling series, “The Haunted Shores Mysteries,” and the award-winning series, “Lessons in Peril.” His novels have won critical acclaim and garnered national awards including Mystery of the Year (ReaderViews) Best Book Award (Chanticleer Books and Reviews) and the Gold Award (Literary Titan) and amassed hundreds of 5-star reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. 

Dr. Overbeck also hosts the popular podcast, “Great Stories about Great Storytellers,” which reveals the unusual and sometimes strange backstories of famous authors, directors and poets and can be heard wherever listeners get their podcasts. He is a speaker in considerable demand, sharing his popular presentations about ghosts and the world of book publishing with hundreds of audiences all over the U.S. 

As a member of the Mystery Writers of America, Dr. Overbeck is an active member of the literary community, contributing to a writers’ critique group, serving as a mentor to emerging writers and participating in writing conferences such as Killer Nashville and the Midwest Writers Workshop.

When he’s not researching, writing, speaking or podcasting, Randy enjoys traveling with his wife Cathy and visiting both his far-flung family and the scenic locations around this country, often in search of inspiration for his next great story.

More info about his novels, programs and podcast can be found at his website. Contact him at: randyoverbeck@authorrandyoverbeck.com and connect with him on Facebook, X, Amazon, Instagram, BookBub and GoodReads.

Thank You, so much, Randy for sharing your book with us today. We certainly wish you the best of luck and God's blessings with your work.

Hope you enjoyed today's spotlight, friends and that you'll check back weekly for another Saturday Spotlight.

Until next time, take care, God bless and remember to show a little kindness today.

PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight is on Liz Crowe & Win. Place. Show!

Good Morning Friends,

If you know me at all, you know how much I LOVE horses and the Triple Crown races. You also know I visited Churchill Downs back in 2018 while on my East Coast Vacation, so when I heard about Liz Crowe's steamy romance novel, Win. Place. Show. which takes place around the Derby I just had to get her here! Since this is Liz's first visit, I'm just going to let her take the reins and tell us all about her book. Take it away, Liz....

Win Place Show: All bets are on!

Start with a perfect spring weekend full of pretty dresses, high heels, fancy hats, horse races, and bourbon. 

Combine with a friends-from-childhood couple whose ongoing misunderstandings have led Lucy Granger to swear she’ll never move back home. 

Mix in a splash of combined family pressure for Lucy and Nate Hawthorne to be The Golden Couple.

Pour over crushed ice and garnish with plenty of hot, secret hookups.

Win. Place. Show.

A funny sort of romance chock full of dressing up, mint juleps, an axe-throwing bar, and a huge winning bet at the big race.

Excerpt: 

Lucy dropped the phone to her side, wishing she could sleep another three hours to skip the whole still-a-tad-drunk part of the hangover. She had, indeed, made some poor choices the night before. Beginning with thinking she could slide back into easy, sexy time with Nate. She’d already more or less decided against it before he’d gotten there. But, of course, he’d shown up looking so flipping edible in a pair of dark jeans and a form-fitting purple polo with the Trifecta logo stitched where the little polo guy usually sat. Damn the man. He had no right to go around being so...hot. 

He’d always been vain about his hair, something he’d discovered was a featured benefit about the same time he decided she no longer deserved his friendship. It was a wavy strawberry blond, cut just short enough so he didn’t have to use any products while it was full and tempting to female fingers. His eyes were so green, people accused him of wearing contacts to make them that way. Someone had obviously told him the trick about green eyes, that wearing purple made them even more striking. 

“Some woman, I’m sure,” she said, lying flat on her back a few more seconds before hauling herself up and limping toward the shower. 

Maintaining her anger at Nate was easy. She’d been ready to outright reject him. But when he’d shown up looking like some kind of a male model, turning every damn female head in the place, she’d stumbled. He was such a good dancer, not to mention a top notch kisser. So she’d gone with it, fueled by too much booze, ready to leap back into bed with him as if no time had passed since they last hooked up. 

Thankfully, he’d given her an out by going all talkative. That was the last thing she wanted from him. So she’d walked away. And subsequently had a lot more to drink, hence her current condition, ergo she planned to lay blame for her pounding head and queasy stomach at his feet, too. 

So there, Mr. Perfect. 

The shower transformed her from being a woman with a hangover into a clean woman with a hangover and many regrets. She glared at her bloodshot eyes in the foggy mirror, hating herself for being here, in her stupid bathroom where she’d spent so many hours as a little girl and later a teenager, second guessing herself and her relationship with Nate. 

She slapped on some rudimentary makeup, dried and styled her hair enough to pass her mother’s scrutiny, then stood in front of the dresses hanging in her closet. A line of matching shoes were on the floor beneath them. Several hatboxes stacked on the shelves to one side. The floral-patterned one made her headache worse, so she chose a light blue option, with a halter neckline, tight-fitting bodice and skirt. It was a beautiful choice, as they all were. One thing she could never accuse her mother of was shopping poorly. 

She slid her feet into a pair of cream-colored high heels, then pondered the hats with a sigh. When they were little, she and Mimi loved this weekend more than any other. The opportunity to put on a pretty new dress, hat, and shoes had been the highlight of their year. The hours spent at the track over the course of Derby weekends were some of her best memories.

Liz Crowe is a Kentucky native and graduate of the University of Louisville living in South Carolina. She's spent her time as a three-continent expat trailing spouse, mom of three, real estate agent, brewery owner and bar manager, and is currently a digital marketing and fundraising consultant, in addition to being an award-winning author. With stories set in breweries, on the soccer pitch, inside fictional television stations and successful real estate offices, and even in exotic locales like Istanbul, Turkey, her books are compelling and told with a fresh voice. The Liz Crowe backlist has something for any reader seeking complex storylines with humor and complete casts of characters that will delight and linger in the imagination long after the book is finished.

Follow along with Liz online:

TWITTER:  https://twitter.com/LizCroweAuthor

FACEBOOK:  http://www.facebook.com/lizcroweauthor

FACEBOOK CHAT ROOM: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Lizcrowefans

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/lizcroweauthor/

TIKTOK: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMeQoUHjD/

BOOKBUB: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/liz-crowe

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE: https://www.amazon.com/Liz-Crowe/e/B00573TC7M

GOODREADS PAGE: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4350864.Liz_Crowe

WEBSITE: http://www.lizcrowe.com

SIGN UP FOR THE LIZ NEWSLETTER & GET A FREE BOOK: 

https://www.subscribepage.com/houserulestwo

EMAIL LIZ: lizcroweauthor@gmail.com

Get your copy of Win. Place. Show. at Amazon, GoodReads, BookBub, and other Online Retailers.

Watch the trailer HERE.

Sounds like a thrilling ride, Liz! Thanks for sharing with us. We certainly wish you the best of luck and God's blessings.

Hope you enjoyed the spotlight, Friends and that you'll check back weekly for another edition of Wednesday Words with Friends and Saturday Spotlight.

Until next time, take care and God bless.

PamT

PS: More on my 2018 East Coast Vacation can be found HERE.

#WednesdayWordwithFriends Welcomes @LizFlaherty1 Liz Flaherty!

Good Morning Friends,

You may have heard Liz Flaherty mentioned here on the blog before as a gift card winner Sept 2020, but she has never been a guest so please offer her a huge SW Louisiana W...E...L...C...O...M...E!

I kept looking at today’s date in my datebook when I chose it to be a guest on Pam’s blog. And looking. What was so familiar about it? Why did it matter? On a gloomy and wet April morning, I remembered. And, for a couple of moments there, I was sad.

My senior-in-high-school boyfriend and I had a fraught relationship. I was the one who liked more, tried harder, cried copious tears over every argument, and thought life would probably end if we weren’t together forever. On May 11, two weeks before both of our graduations, we went to his prom. I can’t remember now why we went to his instead of mine, but that was how it worked out. I loved my dress, hated my hair, and was soooo excited.

But, you know, it wasn’t fun. We as a couple weren’t fun, either. Although we laughed that night, I knew in my heart of hearts that we were done. He’d asked me to the prom coming off of a fight, and I think he’d regretted it. Retrospect is so 20/20, isn’t it?

It was the last date we had. I only saw him a few times after that, after we’d both married. I was happy. I don’t know if he was, although I hope so. The reason May 11 stuck out in my mind was that it was a day that changed the rest of my life. It was when I learned (although I would have to relearn it again and again) that the word relationship requires more than one active member. 

In a sweet but not quite inspirational romantic novel, Life’s Too Short for White Walls, Joss leaves her 25-year marriage when her husband falls in love with her sister. Bewildered by a new beginning she didn’t want, she drives to her grandparents’ farm in Banjo Bend, Kentucky, not even sure it was still there but knowing she needed to be in a safe place. She can’t even begin to think of trusting another person with her heart.

But the farm is a campground now, owned by Ezra McIntyre. The former pilot and college professor suffers from “a little” PTSD and although he knows he needs the new beginning the property offers, he’s also terrified of it. In his relationship with life, he doesn’t want to be an active member.

Lives change, so often in the space of a conversation, an event, or even a senior prom, and we learn from those changes. And relearn. Life’s Too Short for White Walls is a story so dear to my heart for those reasons. I hope you try it and that you like it, too. 

I’m a big fan of sending out prizes (I’m a retired postal worker who still loves getting mail; figures, doesn’t it?) so I’ll be offering one up to a commenter. Thank you to Pam for having me here and to you for reading. Hoping all your life changes are happy ones!

Liz Flaherty is rather bewildered by where she’s at in life. She doesn’t feel…er…elderly, but the truth is that she is. The Magnificent Seven grands have grown up on her, her own kids are all now older than she is, and her husband Duane has the same firm hold on her heart he’s always had. 

Connect with Liz thorough her Website, on Facebook, Twitter @LizFlaherty1 and sign up to receive her newsletter!

 Still reeling from her divorce, Joss Murphy flees to Banjo Bend, Kentucky, where she'd been safe and happy as a child. The family farm is now a campground. Weary and discouraged, she talks owner Ezra McIntire into renting her a not-quite-ready cabin.

With PTSD keeping him company, Ez thrives on the seclusion of the campground. The redhead in Cabin Three adds suggestions to his improvement plans, urging color and vibrancy where there was none.

Neither is looking for love, yet the attraction they share is undeniable. Can the comfort of campfires, hayrides, and sweet kisses bring these two lost souls together?

Get your copy at B&N, Amazon & Apple Books!

Hope you enjoyed the post friends, be sure and leave a comment to be eligible for a prize from Liz.

Until next time, take care and God bless.

PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight is on Terry Korth Fischer @terryIsWriting & Gone Astray

Hello Again,

Yes, it is an unusual thing to have 2 spotlights on the same day but after a sincere email and proof that she DID send her information (which I NEVER Received!) I must apologize and ask forgiveness from My GUEST who was scheduled to appear and YOU my reader friends.

Please forgive me for venting my frustration earlier and please know Terry, my comments were not directed to you alone. This happens All. The. Time.

Thank you for understanding and Thank You for following up!!!

Now, please introduce us to your book....

A heart attack sends detective Rory Naysmith reeling. Too young to retire, he accepts a position in small-town Winterset, Nebraska. Handed an unsolved truck hijacking case, with the assistance of a rookie, Rory sets out to prove he is still able to go toe-to toe with younger men. When the body of a Vietnam veteran turns up, he dons his fedora and spit-shines his shoes. But before he can solve the murder, an older woman disappears, followed closely by a second hijacking. He doggedly works the cases, following a thread that ties the two crimes together.  But can Rory find the mental and physical strength to up his game and bring the criminals to justice before disaster strikes?

Excerpt: 

Sunny's voice burst through the intercom, rife with excitement. "Holy schmoley, Chief. We got a live dead one!" Her voice filled the chief's office. "You got Naysmith in there? He needs—"

Rory's heart jumped. Dead body?

Chief Mansfield grabbed the phone, cutting Sunny's voice off. "What ya got?"

While Mansfield listened, Rory checked the department cell at his hip. One call, Sunny. Crap. His first chance, and he'd almost missed it. His mind started to whirl.

The chief's hooded eyes turned to Rory. "I'll send him right out. Get Thacker on the horn. We'll need him to run Naysmith to the scene." He slammed the receiver down.

"It's the senior care home. The boys found a body in the vacant lot. They say you better take a look." His face lit with excitement. "This could be just what we need."

Rory felt his pulse ratchet up. "Who's Thacker? He the rookie you were talking about?"

Mansfield rose and began to pace behind the desk. "The boys responded to a call. Thought something looked funny and turned up a body in a pile of leaves. Sunny has the details. I want you out there."

"Thacker?" Rory asked, rising as well.

"Yeah, Thacker. No time to clear you for a city car. He can run you out and then stick around to assist."

"I'm on it, Chief."

Rory stopped at his office for his hat and the newspaper. He secured the door and entered the dispatch office to find Powell handling the duty desk and Sunny seated at her computer. On the bank of security monitors, he noticed a police unit pull into the back lot. "What ya got, Sunny?"

"I got Thacker waiting. I got the boys out at the care home with a dead body. And I got a headache."

"Right. I'll get the details from the lead officer."

He couldn't move fast enough. 

Terry Korth Fischer writes mystery and memoir. Transplanted from the Midwest, Terry lives in Houston with her husband and their two guard cats. She enjoys a good mystery, heat and humidity, and long summer days. Connect with Terry at the following locations....

Website: https://terrykorthfischer.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/terryiswriting

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

Amazon Author Page: www.amazon.com/author/terrykorthfischer

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14349440.Terry_Korth_Fischer

Get your copy of Gone Astray at one of the following locations...

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2LHnlYI

Barnes & Noble: https://bit.ly/3q5h4Wh

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/gone-astray-10

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56642853-gone-astray

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/gone-astray-by-terry-korth-fischer

Once again, Friends and Terry I apologize for venting my frustrations here. It's rude and unprofessional and will not happen again.

Until next time, take care and God Bless.

PamT

#WednesdayWordswithFriends welcomes D. V. Stone!

 Good Morning,

Well, release day for My Heart Weeps has come and gone. I'm excited to see where this book goes and looking forward to fulfilling the book tour and giving out prizes. I'm also trying to set up a few personal appearances in Utopia, TX. I'll keep you posted on that but for now, let's please welcome D. V. Stone back to share some words with us!

It’s all in the delivery.

People love stories. Whether spoken or written for thousands of years, stories have been passed down. Sometimes they’re fun, sometimes educational, but it’s all in the delivery. Below is one of my favorite scenes from Rock House Grill. How much less of an impact would it have if John just walked in and lectured Aden. “Buck up, man. Life is hard. Get it together.” Not so much, right?

John’s words are valid. Right to the point of the matter. But have you ever had everything planned out for your life? You were going to go to school and get a degree in a field you loved, but no one was hiring in that field. Maybe find the partner of your dreams and live happily ever after, until the divorce. You were going to raise your kids to be amazing people, but they didn’t turn out how you expected. The bank account you were building for retirement ended up going toward medical bills. Would those words help or hurt you,

Don’t get depressed yet. I’m an author whose main ARC or Trope, is hope. A bit of personal history. I’ve owned and lost businesses. Heath issues are real. I’ve been divorced. Laid off from long term jobs. Money? Fuhgeddaboudit! (I can use that expression, I’m from NJ.)

So, when I asked about my favorite scene in Rock House Grill, this one immediately comes to mind. Here’s the setup. Circumstances in Aden House, the main character’s life are a contributing factor leading to a terrible car accident. He is in a rehabilitation center with damaged legs. In the midst of an anger/pity party, a very smart man comes into his room who may or not be loosely based on someone I know.

“Do you need anything?” John, the rehab aide, popped his head in the door. “Can you get your legs on the bed?”

“I’ll be fine.”

The man flinched at his sharpness. Aden took a deep breath. “Sorry, thank you.”

“I know it’s frustrating.” John came in, picked up the grabber, and leaned against the wall. “It might help to talk to someone.”

“I’ve already talked.” Aden grabbed one leg, then the other, lifting them onto the bed. “See, it’s all good.”

The other man didn’t back off, though. “So, you’ve talked to someone. What did they say?”

Aden leaned back, put his arms behind the pillow, and stared at the ceiling tiles. “I would experience anger, frustration, insecurity—blah, blah, blah.”

“And what were you experiencing when I heard you throwing things and stuck my head in?”

Aden closed his eyes. “All of it.”

When he opened his eyes, John stood at his bedside. “You’re still the man you were. It’s a rough patch. You’ve hit rough patches before?”

“Not really.”

“Welcome to the other ninety percent of humanity.” The aide stooped down, so he and Aden were on eye level. Laugh lines and slight graying at the temples were the only indications he was older than Aden. “Circumstances change us. We can curse them and let them control us. Or, we allow whatever happens to make us better.”

“I get it.”

“No, I don’t think you do.” John paused a moment, grabbed a chair, and straddled it. “I have this friend. He’s a runner.”

Aden pulled himself up, leaned against the headboard, and snorted. “I’m getting a bedtime story?”

“Yeah.” John laughed. “The guy wants to be in the Olympics. Every day he runs and practices. Every day he gets home, and he hurts all over, especially his feet. Blisters like I’ve never seen. They bleed. But after a while, blisters go away, bleeding stops, and calluses develop.”

“You’re saying I should develop calluses?”

“Wait, calluses are not the point of the story. The guy makes the team. Heads to Atlanta.”

 “Did he win?” Aden couldn’t help being caught up in the story. “Have I heard of him?”

 “He got sick.” John leaned his arms on the back of the chair. “Pneumonia, the day the meets started.”

“Then all his work was for nothing.” Well, that wasn’t helpful. Shouldn’t this be a story about a winner? “Just like me.”

The other man shook his head. “I didn’t say The End.”

“What happened?”

“He went to the hospital and nearly died. But there was this nurse.” John’s eyes went distant. “She was beautiful and determined her patient would make it.”

“Did he?”

“Yup. They fell in love, got married, and had a couple of kids.” John pushed the chair back and stood up. “Not the life he’d planned. He regretted not achieving what he’d worked so hard for, but once he adjusted, his life turned out great.”

Aden developed a sneaking suspicion in his gut as the aide headed for the door. “What does this guy do now?”

“He gets great satisfaction in helping injured people get on with their lives.” John closed the door behind him.

Often we are in a hurry. We have our own problems. But when someone is in pain, could we not take a moment and tell them a story to encourage and give them hope?

Thank you for taking the time for me today, and I hope John and Aden’s bedtime story helps you. I’d love to hear about the storyteller in your life.

~~~~

Wow, Donna what a great scene and I love that your "trope" is HOPE...it's what so many of us wish to share! Good luck and God's blessings with your books.

Hope you enjoyed today's post friends. Check out DV's previous Wednesday Words with Friends and Saturday Spotlight. 

Until next time, take care and God bless.

PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight is on D. V. Stone & Rock House Grill!

Good Morning from North Toledo Bend State Park!

Yep, while you're reading this I'm probably out fishing LOL. I'm not going to get all cocky though ;-) I'll just turn the spotlight on today's guest.

I introduced D. V. Stone to you last month as a new to me author and she shared inspiration and ideas with us on Wednesday Words with Friends. Today, we get a peek into her book, Rock House Grill published by The Wild Rose Press.

Take it away, D. V!

One man’s choices—One woman’s impact

Aden House, successful but driven chef and TV personality, refuses to slow down. His life implodes one night, damaging him both physically and emotionally. He's rescued by a woman he thinks of as his angel.

Shay McDowell has rebuilt her life after her divorce. She juggles volunteer EMT duties and her job, while dreaming of becoming a chef. She finds her way to Rock House Grill and back into the life of the man she helped save.

Can love be the ingredient needed to survive the many obstacles they face?

Excerpt: “Easy, you’re going to be okay.” A soft voice eased through the chaos around him. The owner of the voice grabbed his arms and held them in a firm but gentle grip. “I’m right here with you. You are not alone.” 

“Can hardly m-move.” His voice slurred. “C-can’t see anything.” 

“You’ve been in an accident. I’m an EMT with the ambulance squad,” the velvety voice calmly explained. “You can’t see well because we’re under a tarp. Hold still, okay?” 

“‘K.” A small light flickered at the edge of his vision. It shone into a bag next to him. Penlight. 

“You’re restrained to a board. It’s to keep your head from moving and causing more injury.” She continued to talk to him. The voice reached down somewhere inside him, calming and peaceful, so he focused on it. A glow from spotlights on the outside lit whatever covered them. The shadow gave the woman the appearance of a halo—like an angel.

Born in Brooklyn, D.V. Stone has moved around a bit and even lived for a time on a dairy farm in Minnesota before moving back east. Throughout her wandering, she always considered herself a Jersey Girl. She met and married the love of her life, Pete—a lifelong Jersey Man, and moved this time to Sussex County.  They live with Hali, a mixed breed from the local shelter and their cat Baby.

D.V.’s career path varied from working with the disabled to become a volunteer EMT, which in turn led to working in hospital emergency rooms and then in a women's state prison. After a few years, she took a break from medicine and became the owner of Heavenly Brew, a specialty coffee shop in Sparta NJ, and a small restaurant in Lafayette. Life handed some setbacks, and she ended up back in the medical field, but this time in a veterinary emergency hospital. 

During the poor economy, she was laid–off from a long-time position she cared about. Devastated, D.V. wondered what to do with her life. Finding comfort in her love of reading, she realized it was now time to follow her dream of writing. It's been a long road but worth every minute of it. Now a published author, she also works in a people medical office again.

Find out more about D. V. by visiting and connecting with her on  her  Website  Facebook   Twitter     Instagram    Pinterest     Bookbub      Goodreads    Amazon Author Page   Welcome to the Campfire Blog  and sign up for her Newsletter

“Thank you for taking the time to read about me. Each time you open the pages to one of my books, I hope you'll be swept away by the story and find encouragement in your own life, never to give up on hope.” ~ D.V. Stone

THANK YOU, D.V., for sharing your book with us today. We certainly wish you the best of luck and God's blessings with your writing career!

Don't forget to leave a comment friends, and enter into my monthly gift card giveaway!

Until next time, take care and God bless.

PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight is on Robert Herold & The Eidola Project!

Good Morning and Welcome!

Lot's of states are lifting their stay-home orders but still strongly encouraging continued precautions (wearing masks, social distancing, washing hands often, etc). Although I'm ready for things to get back to normal, I believe we'll have a whole new idea of what that means to us individually, as residents in our towns, cities, states and as a nation as a whole. Whether you're fed up or scared silly, please be smart and be safe!

Today's guest was brand new to me and our blog last month when he shared some words with us, but before I spotlight Robert Herold and his book I'd like to announce the monthly gift card giveaway winner for April.....(drum roll please).......

Kara O'Neal! 

Now without much further ado, please welcome Robert Herold back with a peek into his novel, The Eidola Project....

The Eidola Project is recruiting. Dare to join them?

It's 1885 and a drunk and rage-filled Nigel Pickford breaks up a phony medium's séance. A strange twist of fate soon finds him part of a team investigating the afterlife.

The Eidola Project is an intrepid group of explorers dedicated to bringing the light of science to that which has been feared, misunderstood, and often manipulated by charlatans. They are a psychology professor, his assistant, an African-American physicist, a sideshow medium, and now a derelict, each possessing unique strengths and weaknesses.

Called to the brooding Hutchinson Estate to investigate rumored hauntings, they encounter deadly supernatural forces and a young woman driven to the brink of madness.
Will any of them survive?

Excerpt: 
Sarah retrieved the lamp and twisted the peg. The outhouse door swung open on its own, and she gasped.

“Momma?” Sarah asked as she held out her lantern. No. A ruined version of Molly stood in the doorway.

Before her disappearance, people often commented on the sixteen-year-old’s beauty, but in the last twenty-eight days birds pecked out her pretty blue eyes, and maggots now swam in the sockets. Molly’s head hung to the left at an odd angle. Her skin looked mottled with patches of gray, blue, and black. A beetle crawled out of Molly’s half-opened mouth and darted back in.

Sarah’s heart leaped to her throat, and she jumped back. She lost her footing, fell onto the outhouse seat, and dropped the lantern to the floor. She bent to retrieve it; thankful the glass globe did not break. Sarah looked up and saw an empty doorway.

Impossible, she told herself. Must’ve dozed off, had a nightmare, and woke up when I dropped the lamp. Her heart still pounded in her chest, and Sarah took a deep breath to calm herself.

Holding the lamp before her once more, she crept out…


Oh my goodness, Robert...I knew your book was horror but .... SHUDDER.... LOL!

If you love horror novels, friends, The Eidola Project is published by The Wild Rose Press and can be purchased at Amazon and B&N. Watch the book trailer HERE (if you dare LOL!)

The supernatural always had the allure of forbidden fruit, ever since Robert Herold’s mother refused to allow him, as a boy, to watch creature features on late night TV. She caved in. (Well, not literally.)

As a child, fresh snow provided him the opportunity to walk out onto neighbors’ lawns halfway and then make paw prints with his fingers as far as he could stretch. He would retrace the paw and boot prints, then fetch the neighbor kids and point out that someone turned into a werewolf on their front lawn. (They were skeptical.)

He has pursued many interests over the years (among them being a history teacher and a musician), but the supernatural always called to him. You could say he was haunted. Finally, following the siren’s call, he wrote The Eidola Project, based on a germ of an idea he had as a teenager.

Ultimately, he hopes the book gives you the creeps, and he means that in the best way possible.

Robert is Paranormal Romance Guild's 2019 Reader's Choice 2nd place Winner and a contributor to the charity anthology Australia Burns volume 3. All three volumes are the product of authors, editors and our publisher donating their efforts for the victims of the wildfires in Australia. All profits will go the Australian Red Cross. Volume three contains SF, paranormal, and horror stories!

Find out more and connect with Robert through his Website, on Facebook and/or Twitter.

Hope you enjoyed the sneak peek into Robert's book folks. Be sure to leave a comment and enter into my monthly gift card giveaway!

Until next time, take care, be safe and God bless.
PamT

#WednesdayWordswithFriends welcomes D.V. Stone!

Good Morning Friends!

If you've followed my blog long enough, you know I just LOVE introducing you to new (to me) authors and their books. Today is no exception.

Though she may not be new to some of you, for those of us who didn't know her before now, D.V. Stone hosts a weekly blog, "Welcome to the Campfire." She is a multi-genre author of two independently published books. Felice, Shield-Mates of Dar is a fantasy romance. Agent Sam Carter and the Mystery at Branch Lake is a mid-grade paranormal. 

Born in Brooklyn, D.V. Stone has moved around a bit and even lived for a time on a dairy farm in Minnesota before moving back east. Throughout her wandering, she always considered herself a Jersey Girl. She met and married the love of her life, Pete—a lifelong Jersey Man, and moved this time to Sussex County.  They live with Hali, a mixed breed from the local shelter and their cat Baby.

D.V.’s career path varied from working with the disabled to become a volunteer EMT, which in turn led to working in hospital emergency rooms and then in a women's state prison. After a few years, she took a break from medicine and became the owner of Heavenly Brew, a specialty coffee shop in Sparta NJ, and a small restaurant in Lafayette. Life handed some setbacks, and she ended up back in the medical field, but this time in a veterinary emergency hospital. 

During the poor economy, she was laid–off from a long-time position she cared about. Devastated, D.V. wondered what to do with her life. Finding comfort in her love of reading, she realized it was now time to follow her dream of writing. It's been a long road but worth every minute of it. Now a published author, she also works in a people medical office again.

Find out more about D. V. by visiting and connecting with her on  her  Website  Facebook   Twitter     Instagram    Pinterest     Bookbub      Goodreads    Amazon Author Page   Welcome to the Campfire Blog  and sign up for her Newsletter

Now let's see what D. V. has to share with us today....

Pam, thank you so much for allowing me to share today about where inspiration and ideas come from. I almost always keep a pen and paper with me. If I’m caught without them then I use the voice recorder on my phone or call myself and leave a message. 

Inspiration comes from life experience, pictures, items, and even smells. Even a fractured piece of an overheard conversation can spark a character or scene. The image below, inspired one of my works in progress, Jazz House’s character Madeline. 

In my first book (which is still a work in progress), I was watching Lord of the Rings, and this scene came on the screen. 

For those not familiar. Haldir, an Elven Prince, was pretty stiff. When Aragorn hugged him, he froze. Then he relaxed into the greeting. This lone image was the inspiration for Kíeran in my epic romantic fantasy Kingdom at a Crossroad (again a work in progress). I asked what if? Straight-laced and very proper, Kíeran becomes enamored with a human woman who, after centuries, evokes feelings of love but also anger, fear, jealousy, heartbreak. 

Rock House Grill, my new release, had many inspirations. In real life, I was an EMT and owned a restaurant. Blending these two things was very natural when I began to write the book under the pressure of National Novel Writing Month. Thirty days, fifty thousand words—go. Write what you know. 

But I think my best inspiration came from my nephew. One day we were at a Christmas concert. He crawled over a couple of laps and plopped across from me. Here’s our conversation.

“Aunt Donna, you’re a writer, right?” Carter’s hands were propped on the chair with his chin in them.

“Yes,” I answered tentatively.

“Good. I want you to write about me, but I want to have a long mustache and ride a Harley.”

So, truly, inspiration can come from anywhere. Even a seven-year-old boy at a Christmas concert.

Whether you’re an author, painter, jewelry maker, or musician—keep your eyes and ears open. You never know where the ideas will come from.

Wow, you are SO right, D.V! Thanks for sharing. We wish you the best of luck and God's blessings with your writing career.

Hope you enjoyed today's inspiration friends. D.V.'s books can be purchased on Amazon. Be sure to leave a comment and enter into my monthly drawing for a $15 gift card!

Until next time, take care, stay safe & God Bless.

PamT        

#SaturdaySpotlight is on Michal Scott & One Breath Away

Good Morning!

I'm not even sure how to begin this blog post LOL! I was going to voice my opinion on the panic being generated by our media over the Corono virus but why waste my breath? People are going to react to this however they will so I'll just leave it at this.... Be careful. Be sensible. Take care.

Today's guest is brand new to our blog so please give a warm welcome to Michal Scot as we get a peek into her novel One Breath Away..... a "Christian Erotic Romance".... Not sure if there is such a thing but then again, my Inspirational with an Edge is still an oxymoron in many minds LOL!

Anyway...take it away Mical.....

Sentenced to hang for a crime she didn’t commit, former slave Mary Hamilton was exonerated at literally the last gasp. She returns to Safe Haven, broken and resigned to live alone. She’s never been courted, cuddled or spooned, and now no man could want her, not when sexual satisfaction comes only with the thought of asphyxiation. But then the handsome stranger who saved her shows up, stealing her breath from across the room and promising so much more.

Wealthy, freeborn-Black, Eban Thurman followed Mary to Safe Haven, believing the mysteriously exotic woman was foretold by the stars. He must marry her to reclaim his family farm. But first he must help her heal, and to do that means revealing his own predilection for edgier sex. Hope ignites along with lust until the past threatens to keep them one breath away from love…

PG Excerpt:

“Why not you, Mary?”

“Because someone like you only looks at someone like me out of pity.”

Of course. His aunt put him up to this. Anger warmed Mary’s ears.

“Let me go.” She made to pull away. “I want to sit.”

“Please. Not before the music stops.” He timed his plea to the rhythm of the waltz. “I’ve waited all week for this moment.”

Mary gritted her teeth. Heart hurt joined her injured pride. She needed no one’s charity.

“That was cruel of you, sir. No one counts the days until they can ask me for a dance.” Tears pooled behind her closed eyelids. “Anyone in town could tell you that.”

The grip on her hand tightened, forcing her eyes open. The light in his gaze darkened. “Anyone who’d lie to me like that would be taking their life in their hands.” He leaned in so his mouth nuzzled her ear again. “And if you use that I’m-not-worthy tone of voice again, I’ll be forced to prove you wrong with a kiss.”

Alarm shuddered up Mary’s back. “Is—is that a threat?”

“A certainty.”

Michal Scott is the penname of Rev. Anna Taylor Sweringen, a retired United Church of Christ and Presbyterian USA minister. A native New Yorker, Anna is a recent transplant to the Southwest and is enjoying the great weather along with her husband of thirty years and their rescue cat, Scully. Writing fiction professionally since 2003 Rev. Anna had an inspirational novel, Through A Glass Darkly, published in 2008. However, her loves of history and romance came together in her first erotic romance novella, One Breath Away, published by Wild Rose Press in 2016. Anna is a member of the Women's Fiction Association and several Romance Writers of America chapters. In addition to erotic romance, Rev. Anna writes as Anna Taylor (inspirational romance) and as Anna M. Taylor (women's fiction and gothic romance).

Connect with her at the following locations: Twitter: @mscottauthor1
Website; www.michalscott.webs.com  & Amazon: https://amzn.to/2TSHzRn

Get your copy of One Breath Away at Amazon, B&N & Kobo

Love the excerpt, Michal/Anna! Certainly wish you the best of luck and God's blessings.
PamT