Whatcha Readin'?

Let me share some books I've been reading, just in the event you might want to check them out. Many of the books I'm consuming right now aren't new releases. These are authors that I am familiar with and have been checking out their earlier publications. I haven't been disappointed.

First, I've been reading some of Lynette Eason's books.

I especially got into her Women of Justice series. I quickly devoured the first two, Too Close To Home and Don't Look Back.



Too Close To Home is currently only 99 cents on Kindle on Amazon.



Also I discovered a really great book from Loree Lough called From Ashes to Honor.



This book will take you back to 9/11 and the continuing effects on those who were there.

And then there's The Writing Desk by Rachel Hauck. This has the perfect blend of history and present day. There's romance as well as lots I could relate to as an author. 



Sooo ... whatcha readin'?

A Book to Check Out

My friend and fellow author, Pamela, is my guest. She's sharing about her book, The Inheritance.

Award-winning author, Pamela S. Thibodeaux is the Co-Founder and a lifetime member of Bayou Writers Group in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Multi-published in romantic fiction as well as creative non-fiction, her writing has been tagged as, “Inspirational with an Edge!” ™ and reviewed as “steamier and grittier than the typical Christian novel without decreasing the message.”

One question authors love to hate is where they get ideas for their books. Half the time we don’t really know. At least I don’t LOL! Sometimes a thought or dream will be the impetus to a story. Then there are news headlines, songs, snatches of conversation overheard in a restaurant or grocery line. The Inheritance was inspired by a single thought: They say life begins at forty but for Rebecca Sinclair that’s far from the truth.

Being the nosy writer I am, I had to know why.

Rebecca graciously agreed to tell me her story and I agreed to write it down.

The result of our conversations is The Inheritance which was initially published in 2007 by The Wild Rose Press / White Rose line. When White Rose became a publisher on its own and then an imprint of Pelican Book Group, The Inheritance made the transitions with ease. It was a great surprise when the Sr. Editor @ PBG wanted to edit and update the book and re-issue it in its 10^th year of publication.

And now you know the rest of the story ;-)

**********

After her husband’s death she discovers a future she never expected and a family she never imagined.

Widowed at age thirty-nine and suffering from empty nest syndrome, Rebecca Sinclair is overshadowed by grief and loneliness.  Her husband has been deceased for a year, her oldest child has moved to New York in pursuit of an acting career and her youngest child is attending college in France. Having spent over half of her life as a wife and mother, she has no idea what God has in store for her now.  Will an unexpected inheritance in the wine country of New York bring meaning and purpose to her life and give her the courage to love again? 

US Postal worker Raymond Jacobey has been in love with the little widow since he first set eyes on her.  A wanderer searching for the ever-illusive soul mate, Ray has never stayed in one place too long. Raised by self-centered, high-power executives, he’s longed for the idyllic life of residing in a cozy house in a small town with the love of his life. Will he gain the heart of the lovely widow or will he lose her to the wine country of New York?  

Excerpt

“I want to kiss you, Becca, here in the midst of Paradise.”  His lips covered hers with devastating tenderness.

He let out a primitive grunt of satisfaction as he let go of her hands and pulled her closer. An answering purr escaped her as tiny pinpoints of pleasure bathed her senses with light and color. Never in her life had she felt so alive, so consumed with sensations.

Whether a moment or an eternity, she had no idea how long they stood there, his mouth in sweet possession of hers, but when the kiss was over, she realized she was pressed against his body. Her breathing came in sharp, almost painful rasps, and her fingers were clenched in his thick, sandy-colored hair. Appalled at her wanton response and the needy way in which she clung, Rebecca stumbled away with a startled cry of distress, and began to run.

Rafflecopter Giveaway Link:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/4752b1262/?

Links:

Website address: http://www.pamelathibodeaux.com  

Blog: http://pamswildroseblog.blogspot.com

Newsletter: http://bit.ly/2fzAdN7

Face Book: http://facebook.com/pamelasthibodeaux

Twitter: http://twitter.com/psthib @psthib

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/pamelasthibodea/

Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/1jUVcdU

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/pamela-s-thibodeaux

Book Title: The Inheritance (2^nd edition – newly edited, revised, and updated!)

Purchase Link: http://amzn.to/1nXB8Z0

Thanks for sharing about The Inheritance, Pamela. Everybody add to your to be read list!

New Book to Check Out!

Welcome friend and fellow author, Alexis Goring. 

She is sharing about her book, A Second Chance. Read on to see how she came to write this book. 

Journalists, jilted brides and Mr. Nice Guys inspired my story A Second Chance. But what really ups the ante is the inheritance letter that changes the lives of my story’s hero and heroine.

Marc Roberts is the hero of this story. He’s known for being such a nice guy but his niceness makes him unattractive in the long term because in his dating history, his girlfriends broke up with him to date more daring and dashing men leaving him forever in the friend zone.

However, Marc’s niceness is of invaluable help to his newly widowed sister Gina who is trying to raise her children in wake of her firefighter husband’s death. Since he lives nearby and has a kind heart, Marc is readily available to babysit Gina’s children while she takes a break or works on her book deadlines. Gina is a bestselling romance novelist and her matchmaking skills play a part in Marc’s real-life love story with Traci Hightower.

When readers meet Traci Hightower, they see that she is very frustrated with trying to pay her bills as an entry-level journalist when she’s stuck in the industry’s system of “paying your dues”. It doesn’t help that she’s deep in debt from wedding expenses and suffering from a broken heart because her fiancé left her at the altar on their wedding day. Traci doesn’t like being a jilted bride and finds it hard to trust men or God again. But when she meets Marc, something about him makes her want to try to trust again and their relationship makes her turn over a new leaf in her faith journey with God.

However, Traci and Marc’s path to romance is not without rocky roads. Due to his past dating experiences, Marc’s deal-breaker is honesty and Traci has a secret regarding an inheritance letter that has a stipulation that may make Marc feel used if he knew about it. During every moment she shares with Marc that endears her heart to him, she finds herself in an internal battle. She must decide either to tell Marc the truth and risk losing him or keep it a secret and have a better chance of keeping him. What will she decide? You’ll have to read my book to find the answer to that question! ;)

I hope that Traci and Marc’s story will reach the hearts of my readers who may share similar experiences, and encourage them in their life journey.

A Second Chance: Newly single food critic and newspaper reporter Traci Hightower is done with dating. After the man of her dreams left her at the altar on their wedding day and ran off with the woman she thought was her best friend, Traci resolves to focus on work and resigns herself to being a bachelorette for life.

Marc Roberts is a political reporter who is known as Mr. Nice Guy, the one who always finishes last. However, Marc’s compassion and kindness are of invaluable help to his newly widowed sister Gina Braxton who is trying to raise her two kids in the wake of her firefighter husband’s death.

Traci and Marc may be the perfect match, but they don’t know it yet. With God’s guidance and the help of Gina’s matchmaking skills honed by her career as a bestselling romance novelist, there is hope for a happily ever after for these two broken hearts.

Alexis A. Goring is a passionate writer with a degree in Print Journalism and an MFA in Creative Writing. She loves the art of storytelling and hopes that her stories will connect readers with the enduring, forever love of Jesus Christ.

Buy links: Amazon (http://amzn.to/2f7waYL)

Barnes and Noble (http://bit.ly/2uguncU)

Social media links:

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/PennedbyAlex

Website: https://alexisagoring.jimdo.com

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/capturingidea/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7260528.Alexis_A_Goring

“God is Love” blog: http://capturingtheidea.blogspot.com 

Get out your To Be Read list and make this addition! 

Thanks for sharing with us, Alexis!

First Review is In

Just read the first review for Lamp Unto Her Feet on Amazon.

I absolutely loved this book. The author wrote with the perfect pace to keep me engaged and I found myself reading just "one more chapter" until I finished! When I got to the end, I wanted more! I can't wait to see what will happen for Kenzie and Trevor. But then again, things might be heating up for Lila and Joel! If you are looking for a sweet story, then this is one for you. A definite two thumbs up.

Thanks so much to this reader!

I hope you'll check out my newest book. 

Yay! A New Book Coming Sept. 15

Friends, I am so excited about my newest release, Lamp Unto Her Feet. This book will be available Friday, September 15th.

Why is this one so special?

The inspiration for this story came from flipping through my paternal grandmother's Bible. She had marked different passages and verses that truly spoke to me. Mamaw Smith has lived in heaven for many years now, but her Bible is like having her near again.

Mamaw Smith was the epitome of that gentle, quiet spirit characterized in the Bible. And she left a tangible representation of her faith in the underlined verses and highlighted passages in her copy of God's Word.

I've heard people speak of the Bible as a relic, being just an old book with no relevance for today. I beg to differ.

The Bible is God's Word. It is living and active. How can that be? Let me tell you about an experiment I've done and would suggest for you.

The book of Proverbs has 31 chapters, just right for a chapter a day during the month. I first prayed that God would show me something in my reading. I began on the first day of the month and read chapter one. Whatever stood out to me, I marked the verse and put the date next to it. I continued this throughout that month. When I returned to the first chapter to begin a new month, I was perplexed by the verse I had marked. It had no meaning, yet another verse stood out.

Try this little exercise and see if you don't prove to yourself that God's Word is living. It speaks to your situation right now, and it will speak to your situation again with other verses.

Let's face it. There's no other book that would give you such results, guiding you and speaking directly into your life at any given moment.

In Lamp Unto Her Feet, Kenzie is in need of learning that she can trust God to reveal guidance through His Word. I hope you'll check out her story and see how her grandmother's Bible becomes relevant to her and speaks into her life.

Friends, God didn't just breath life into us and then set us off to do the best we can. He left instructions. He also gives us a guide through the Holy Spirit for interpreting His Word specifically for our lives.

My prayer is that readers won't only like the story of Lamp Unto Her Feet, but that the story might drive them to delve into God's Word, His Story.

What kind of experiences have you had with the Bible?

Fiction - Why Read It?

Have you ever had someone ask you that question?

Why do you read fiction?

I have. Many will tell me they don't read fiction because they can't see the relevance. They praise non-fiction for its qualities of reality and helpfulness.

But I guess I beg to differ on the significance that can be gained from reading a fiction novel.

I've read novels that have encouraged my Christian walk just as much as a non-fiction book in the Christian living section.

Currently, I'm reading Bridge to Haven by Francine Rivers. Even before finishing this novel, there's a definite feel that the Christian values and influence poured into a child really does stay with the person. Makes me think of that verse that says: "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it."

Why do I bring that up? I have friends at church who are praying for a wayward child. I see so much in this novel that encourages anyone who might know of a wandering relative or friend.

Sure, I could read about this in a non-fiction book, but for me, seeing this played out just resonates with me. Plus, I just love to get lost in a good story. That's my escape and much preferred to me than watching TV.

Do you read fiction?

Why do you read it?

Awesome Read!

Today I'm sharing about Rachel Hauck's book, The Wedding Shop.

My daughter just finished this book and absolutely loved it! Having gotten connected with Rachel at a writing conference, I decided to contact her for info about this book for my readers.

Two women separated by decades. Both set out to help others find their dreams when their own have crumbled.

It's the early 1930s, but Cora Scott is walking in stride as a career woman after having inherited her great aunt's wedding shop in Heart’s Bend, Tennessee, where brides come from as far away as Birmingham to experience her famed bridal treatment. Meanwhile, Cora is counting down the days until her own true love returns from the river to make her his bride. But days turn into months and months to years. All the while, Birch Good continues to woo Cora and try to show her that while he is solid and dependable, he can sweep her off her feet.

More than eighty years later, former Air Force Captain Haley Morgan has returned home to Heart's Bend after finishing her commitment to military service. After the devastating death of her best friend, Tammy, and discovering the truth about the man she loved, Haley is searching for her place in life. 

When Haley decides to reopen the romantic but abandoned wedding shop where she and Tammy played and dreamed as children, she begins a journey of courage, mystery, and love.

As Cora’s and Haley's stories intertwine through time in the shadow of the beloved wedding shop, they both discover the power of their own dreams and the magic of everyday love. 

Rachel Hauck is an award winning, New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author.

Her book The Wedding Dress was named Inspirational Novel of the Year by Romantic Times. She is a double RITA finalist, a Christy and Carol Award Winner.

Rachel sits on the Executive Board for American Christian Fiction Writers, and is the comical sidekick to Susan May Warren at the amazing My Book Therapy. She is a worship leader and speaker.

A graduate of Ohio State University with a degree in Journalism, Rachel is a devoted Ohio State football fan. She lives in sunny central Florida with her husband and ornery cat.​

Sounds like another "must add to my reading list" type book. 

Another Book on Marriage? YES

Please welcome my friend, Andrea Merrell. She has a new book out about marriage that's not to be ignored!

When God Has a Plan

By Andrea Merrell

Why in the world do we need another book on marriage?

That was my initial response when my daughter suggested I write one. The thought had never crossed my mind, plus the available resources are endless. I had just finished a book on prodigals and was ready to dive into my novels.

But my daughter insisted that I had a lot of experience and wisdom to share with others, and she felt it was a great idea. I halfheartedly promised to think—and pray—about it. But God wouldn’t let me off the hook so easily, so it was obvious He had a plan. Suddenly, her idea was all I could think about.

I decided that after forty-plus years of marriage—practicing both the good, the bad, and even the ugly—I’ve discovered attitudes and behaviors that can cause couples to make it or break it and how to avoid the inevitable pitfalls—or at least many of them.

We live in a modern age of throwaway relationships. Instead of a commitment to love, honor, and cherish—standing with each other through the good times and bad—people try each other on for size and back out when the seas get a little turbulent.

In Marriage: Make It or Break It, you’ll find out the importance of open, honest communication and the different ways men and women approach life (waffles vs. spaghetti). This includes examining the different types of love, the five basic love languages, and the four basic temperaments. You’ll also find danger signs, roadblocks to bypass, and Scriptures to personalize and pray on a daily basis. You’ll learn a few truths that will make marriage strong—and a lot of things that will destroy it.

A good marriage is a process, not an event. It also comes with a price: compromise, change, and a lot of hard work on both parts. The most crucial factor in a lasting, healthy relationship is a godly foundation coupled with prayer.

I believe marriage is a God-ordained institution and one of His greatest gifts to men and women. He has given us instructions in His Word and all the tools we need to make our relationships thrive.

***

Andrea Merrell is an associate editor with Christian Devotions Ministries and Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas. She is also a professional freelance editor and was a finalist for the 2016 Editor of the Year Award at BRMCWC. She teaches workshops at writers’ conferences and has been published in numerous anthologies and online venues. Andrea is a graduate of Christian Communicators and a finalist in the 2015 USA Best Book Awards. She is the author of Murder of a Manuscript and Praying for the Prodigal. Her newest book, Marriage: Make It or Break It, is now available on Amazon. For more information visit www.AndreaMerrell.com or www.TheWriteEditing.com.

Andrea's book, Praying for the Prodigal, was an awesome read for anyone. And now she is blessing us with another book that isn't to be missed. Add it to your reading list today! 

A New Release for Your List

Welcome Clare! You're going to christen the revival of the writing blog with your new release.

Gold medalist, Peter Stanmore has returned home a broken man and intends to put the past behind him. But love isn't so easily repressed, and second chances are rare.

Jill Davenport has given up any hope of marriage and a life of her own, after all, years ago, she lost the only man she ever loved. But the truth is impossible to hide.

When secrets are revealed, decisions must be made in spite of the consequences. Can what was once lost be found, or is love destined to remain forever lost?

Here's a little excerpt:

“Jill? Jill Davenport, as I live and breathe, is that you?”

She jerked her hand back from the bread and looked into eyes that dragged her in and swallowed her whole. “Yeah…” Her voice died in her throat and she had to cough to make it work. “Yeah, yeah, it’s me. Hello, Peter.”

Peter Stanmore looked as gorgeous as he always had, as he leaned on a cane next to her. His ankle was in one of those Velcro support boots, surprising her as she’d expected a cast. His dark hair, longer than she remembered stuck up untidily as well as brushing against his collar. His green eyes still as piercing as they were all those years ago, although now their brightness was dimmed with grief.

The rest of him however, was just as striking as when she last saw him. And judging by the way her heart pounded, her stomach flipped and lack of air currently in her lungs, he still had the same effect on her. She struggled to breathe, light headed through lack of oxygen. Simply being this close to him was intoxicating, mind numbing and overwhelming.

“Of all the places to bump into you, I didn’t think it would be here.” His voice concentrated her mind; which could only be a good thing. “What are you doing?”

“Shopping,” she said, stating the obvious as she seemed incapable of doing anything else right now. “The thing same as you are doing. The same thing most people do in a grocery shop. Unless you’re Mrs. Jones, in which case you’re here to gossip.”

“I guess some people never change, but you sure have.” Amusement tinged his voice as his gaze swept up and down her figure, before lingering on her head and face. “What’s with the hair?”

Jill ran her hand over the top of her head. Had she left the comb in her hair? Left a single plait in or splashed bleach in it and now had a white streak in her dark locks? “I d-don’t…” she stuttered.

“It’s long,” he said. “I’ve never seen you with long hair before.”

“Oh. I stopped cutting it years ago. I usually tie it back, but haven’t gotten that far this morning.” She pulled a band from her jacket pocket and tied her hair back into a high ponytail. “There.”

Then, out of a desperate need to get back onto solid ground, she held the loaf of whole meal bread out to him. “Here.”

Peter shook his head. “You have it. You got to it first.”

“It’s fine,” she insisted. The solid ground, she so desperately needed, could only be found by ending this conversation and sudden encounter right now.

“I can eat white bread just as easily.”

Jill rolled her eyes. “And I can make my own.”

“Really?” Surprise filled his face. “That’s a talent I don’t possess. Most things I can cook, but my bread always turns out doughy and inedible. Mum always says…said I’m the reason shop bought bread was invented.”

Jill put the bread into his basket. “Then you should definitely take this one. I must get on. Have fun shopping.”

She headed into the next aisle and leaned against the freezer of vegetables, rubbing the back of her neck. She hadn’t expected the reaction to seeing him again that now flooded her. Every nerve ending sang and her pulse raced, conflicting with the pitting in her stomach and the way the scars around her broken heart ached. They were old friends from school, who became skating partners, who then dated off the ice. They’d been teased by their competitors for their chasteness and she’d hoped and prayed that his kisses would one day lead to more and her happy ever after would mean marriage and life with Peter.

But it hadn’t happened. He’d dropped her like hot cakes to pursue a solo career. The last thing she needed was someone like Peter back in her life. No, not someone like him, rather him personified. The last thing she needed was him back in her life, breaking her heart all over again. They were so over.

She shook herself and opened the freezer to pull out a packet of frozen peas. A hand reached down and grabbed the same packet.

Jill sighed. Not again.

“This is getting to be a habit.” Peter pulled back. “You can have this one.”

“Thanks.” Jill picked up the peas.

Bumping into Peter was a habit she wanted to avoid. Moreover it was a habit she needed to avoid if she were to have any hope of getting home before her nerves shattered into a million tiny pieces and went spinning off into the heavens. She moved away and continued to shop.

Only to find she reached the checkout at the same point he did. Somehow Jill managed to resist raising her eyes heavenward as she all but begged God to stop them meeting like this. It wouldn’t do either of them any good in the long run. There was too much water under the broken bridge between them to ever hope it would be mended or gulfed.

Peter held out a hand. “Ladies first. We seem destined to meet today.”

“That we do.” She began unloading her basket onto the conveyor belt. She could feel his gaze almost burning through her jacket and glanced back.

“It seems a shame to waste the opportunity destiny has presented us with. Can I buy you coffee? We could catch up.”

About the author:

Clare is a British author. She lives in a small town just outside Reading, England with her husband, whom she married in 1992, their three children, and unfriendly mini-panther, aka Tilly the black cat. Clare is half English and half Welsh, which makes watching rugby interesting at times as it doesn’t matter who wins.

Writing from an early childhood and encouraged by her teachers, she graduated from rewriting fairy stories through fan fiction to using her own original characters and enjoys writing an eclectic mix of romance, crime fiction and children's stories. When she's not writing, she can be found reading, crocheting or doing the many piles of laundry the occupants of her house manage to make.

Her books are based in the UK, with a couple of exceptions, thus, although the spelling may be American in some of them, the books contain British language and terminology and the more recent ones are written in UK English.

The first draft of every novel is hand written.

She has been a Christian for more than half her life. She goes to Carey Baptist where she is one of four registrars.  You can sign up for her quarterly newsletter here -

She can be found at:

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Let's Have a Revival!

Hey Friends!

I'm going to revive this blog and specify its use.

Wanting to keep my other blog (www.paulamowery.blogspot.com) as more of my personal and spiritual journey oriented blog, I'm reviving this one for the other stuff I did on the other blog.

This blog will be for readers seeking that new book release.

This blog will be for those fellow writers out there who want some insights from this acquiring editor and hopefully other writers who will share their expertise.

The archives of this blog might still be of use to writers. They contain writing instruction and prompts to stimulate your creativity. I'll still try to throw more of that in here too.

Please join me for an Open House and help me revive this blog. I'll be sharing more later about this. But to make sure you get all the info on the Open House and even a chance at some "door prizes," please take a moment and subscribe if you haven't already. You simply put your email into the little subscribe box to the right and you'll get any posts delivered right to your email inbox.