Tidying Up Letters--Or Not

Daughter #2 bought Marie Kondo's book a few years ago. Using Ms. Kondo's guidelines, she cleaned her apartment by getting rid of the clutter.

Daughter #2 is on her spring break and is now using Ms. Kondo's principles to clean out her room in our house. When she moved out, she only took a few boxes of stuff with her. The rest of it stayed here. So now, she is cleaning out her high school memories, books, and papers.

Meanwhile, I read parts of Ms. Kondo's book and--inspired by my daughter--decided to tackle some of my own clutter. I had several accordion files filled with emails from way back. There were full-sized letters from our daughters, my sisters, and my parents. Back in the day, we used to print out the emails because there wasn't enough memory to keep them. At least, I think that was the reason.

Yesterday, I went through one accordion file of emails. I read many of them--or skimmed some of them. I tossed out about half of them. But it was hard. It was delightful to remember those days. Everything in those letters was history--family history--detailing a specific time when two of our daughters were in college, when my sisters were bringing up their younger children, and when my parents were still with us.

The old email letters were printed out in the time of Netscape, when we had dialup service for the Internet. Nowadays, My sisters call or text me. My daughters call or text me. My sister-in-law is the only letter writer left--though at Christmastime we receive letters from some other friends.

There are others like me who find letters too precious to pitch in the recycling bin. There are suggestions about putting them in a scrapbook, or actually making a book out of the letters. Both of those ideas are great possibilities.

It is good to get rid of clutter and I agree with Ms. Kondo about many things--but not my letters.

What would you do?

Guest Post: Erin Lorence with DOVE STRONG

Erin Lorence

Today my special guest is Erin Lorence, another Pelican Book Group author. She lives in Bonney Lake, Washington with her husband, Brian, and their two daughters, Brooke and Savannah. Her lifelong love of reading, her gratitude to God, and her enjoyment of hiking in Central Oregon all inspired her to write the Dove Strong Trilogy. 

Here's the book blurb:

Dove Strong loves God. She loves standing chin up, fists clenched when facing Satan’s attacks. But there’s one thing she doesn’t love—other people. So when this spiritually-gifted, antisocial teenager is chosen to join other believers in a trek across Satan’s territory, rattlesnakes and evil-intentioned Heathen aren’t her biggest challenges. But failure isn’t an option. In a month, the Christian Councils will decide the Reclaim, a vote on whether there’ll be a war between Christ’s and Satan’s followers to take back America. It is up to Dove, God’s messenger for peace, to reach her Council in time. Because if she doesn’t, things could get bloody.

And now for an excerpt!

With a gasp, I leaped over to the spot next to my shoes—the place I’d left my clothes. On all fours, I patted around on the hard—now puddled—white squares. As if my missing tunic shirt and pants had somehow become camouflaged. 

I whirled around, searching. I pried open a small door next to my legs and stuck my head into its dark, cluttered depths. 

Slowly, I shut it, rolled back onto my heels, and hid my face. 

My clothes—they were gone. Completely. Utterly. Gone. 

I crouched there for about five seconds. 

Then I got mad. 

It took me another few frustrated moments to figure out how to wear the one towel in the room that wasn’t maple leaf sized. No matter how I tried, it wouldn’t cover all the skin it needed to. I wrapped the towel under my armpits and around my wet underclothes, which left my shoulders, arms, and the lower half of my legs still showing. 

I yanked open the door, expecting to trip over Melody. 

I didn’t. 

She’d vanished. 

Not my biggest problem right then. 

“Where are my clothes?” My hands death-gripped the towel while I stormed at Wolfe. He sprawled on a cushioned bench, holding up a skinny, rectangle electronic. Then he dropped it. The whistling died. 

“Where are my clothes?” I was ultra-conscious of my gangly, fish-belly white legs and arms. A startling contrast to the deep tan of my face and hands. 

He stared. 

Rage boiled up, staining the room red. A snarl started deep inside. I began to shake. “Where are my clothes?”

He eased upwards and backed away. “Whoa, bird girl. Relax.” His hands went up. “It was just a...a...I’m washing them—they’re in the machine. Hang on.”

In two strides, he left the room. His head reappeared. “By the way, seriously nice tattoos. Uh, right.” 

A minute later he returned holding a dripping wad of brown material. He handed it to me with a cough. “They’re a bit damp still. Should I throw them in the dryer?” 

My anger drained away. Leaving me with a hole in my chest. 

I shook out my tunic shirt—a hand-woven, goodbye gift from my mom, aunt, and grandma. The fibers were created from special plants grown on our property. The Breastplate of Righteousness design stitched on the front tilted lopsided. Pathetic. 

My traveling outfit hadn’t only been a surprise but a tribute to the Armor of God from the Bible. The one my family knew I loved. And the only tangible reminder of my family I’d brought with me. 

“They were all stiff and brown. And I—"

“They’re supposed to be that way.” 

“See, they’re still good.” He snatched the crumpled pants and flattened them. “They’re not ripped or nothing.”

Under his hands, the symbolic belt around the waist frayed and twisted like old corn silk on a compost heap. 

I took them back and lurched toward the white room to put them on. 

I will not cry over pants. I will not. 

“That,” he spoke from closer than I’d expected, “is the most wicked sword tattoo I’ve seen in my life.” 

I slapped my left hand over my right arm, hiding part of the ornate Sword of the Spirit that ran from shoulder to elbow. 

He leaned over me. “What’s that on your other arm? Oh, it’s a shield—nice, the way it wraps around. I wouldn’t have taken you for the inked type. Hey, I can see part of one above the towel. Something gray?”

I yanked the damp cloth up to hide the Breastplate of Righteousness no one was supposed to see. 

But the moisture at my eyeballs dried. I still had Trinity’s more permanent reminder of herself and home. 

God gifted my cousin with the ability to create beauty out of anything. Out of nothing. 

She told me once that when she met an object, her mind automatically saw its potential. To her, a body was a blank canvas. She’d been adding artwork to her own body for years—something her mom was OK with. My mom wasn’t so supportive of tattoos. 

Of course, that hadn’t stopped me from accepting Trinity’s offer a few months ago. I couldn’t pass up a permanent reminder of my spiritual protection and weapon. All guaranteed by my Lord’s mighty power. 

“Your ma and pop OK with so many?” 

“Where’s Melody?” 

“Ha! I didn’t think so. My grandma didn’t do the conga either when I got mine. Did you see it? I’ve only got one. On my back. Not as cool as yours but...OK, OK. Don’t go all postal on me again. Bite-sized screamers right outside. See? Through the glass there? Those are her boots behind the woodpile. She’s staring at the clouds or something.”

I nodded, not bothering to check. That girl was obsessed with sun sets. Every night, she’d watched the blue horizon melt into oranges and pinks while I’d set up camp. But tonight’s sky was way too thick with gray clouds for color. 

“It took her roughly, oh, one millisecond to bail on you when she realized it was only her and me.” He flashed a hangdog expression, which I didn’t buy. “I don’t think she likes me.” 

“Try not tackling her so much.”

He was still cracking up when Melody screamed.

Erin's website:  www.erinlorence.com

                            www.dovestrong.com

                                                      

Buy Links:

Amazon (e-book):  https://www.amazon.com/Dove-Strong-Erin-Lorence-ebook/dp/B07P8C98ZP/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=dove+strong+erin+lorence&qid=1554843220&s=gateway&sr=8-1-spell       

Pelican Book Group (paperback): http://pelicanbookgroup.com/ec/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=34&products_id=924

Free Books--One Reader's Opinion

There has been some discussion as of late about whether offering books for free helps authors to snag new readers. As an author, I have offered several of my books for free on Smashwords for a limited time. Many people downloaded the books. Have they bought my other books because they enjoyed the free ones? I don't know and I doubt it because sales of my other books did not go up.

I am not just a writer. I am a reader who just happens to have some special privileges. One of my special privileges is that I can get free books from other authors in the hope I will write reviews and post them on Amazon.

This is like handing crack to a cocaine addict. Am I always delighted to get free books and add them to my formidable to-be-read pile of books.

The little gif above shows some of the books I received at the Liberty States Fiction Writers Conference. Would I buy one of the author's other books because I got one for free? The answer is a qualified maybe. I have so many books to read and I am continually acquiring them, that the possibility of me buying another one of the author's books is remote--although, I have to say that if the book was in a series, there is a better chance I will buy another one in the series.

I always do my best to support other writers in my community. I have bought many, many books by other authors. Unfortunately, I haven't gotten around to reading all of them. Does this stop me from buying more books? NO!

I buy plenty of used books, too, at library book sales, yard sales, and flea markets. I buy ebooks on  Kindle on a regular basis. Ebooks are inexpensive. Why wouldn't I buy them?

I still buy paper editions from Barnes & Noble, too. Friends and family know I am crazy about books so I often get gift cards to Barnes & Noble. (Yes, let the world know you have a serious reading habit and they will happily help you drown in books.)

As a reader, I love free books but I also spend money to buy the books I want.

As a writer, I really believe all authors should be paid for their work.

What do you think?

What Have You Memorized?

Dieter_G at Pixabay

Many year ago I read Two Years Before the Mast. While I’m still not sure about which sail is which, I found the book to be a fascinating history. One of the passages that has stuck in my mind is the one where Richard Henry Dana, Jr. reveals how he kept himself awake and alert on the night watch by reciting from memory an incredible array of facts as well as pieces of literature.

Here is the quote from the book.

I commenced a deliberate system of time-killing, which united some profit with a cheering up of the heavy hours. As soon as I came on deck, and took my place and regular walk, I began with repeating over to myself a string of matters which I had in my memory, in regular order. First, the multiplication table and the tables of weights and measures; then the states of the union, with their capitals; the counties of England, with their shire towns; the kings of England in their order; and a large part of the peerage, which I committed from an almanac that we had on board; and then the Kanaka numerals. This carried me through my facts, and, being repeated deliberately, with long intervals, often eked out the two first bells. Then came the ten commandments; the thirty-ninth chapter of Job, and a few other passages from Scripture. The next in the order, that I never varied from, came Cowper’s Castaway, which was a great favorite with me; the solemn measure and gloomy character of which, as well as the incident that it was founded upon, made it well suited to a lonely watch at sea. Then his lines to Mary, his address to the jackdaw, and a short extract from Table Talk; (I abounded in Cowper, for I happened to have a volume of his poems in my chest;) “Ille et nefasto” from Horace, and Gœthe’s Erl King. After I had got through these, I allowed myself a more general range among everything that I could remember, both in prose and verse. In this way, with an occasional break by relieving the wheel, heaving the log, and going to the scuttle-butt for a drink of water, the longest watch was passed away; and I was so regular in my silent recitations, that if there was no interruption by ship’s duty, I could tell very nearly the number of bells by my progress.

I know I could not do that. I could rattle off the times tables, the Ten Commandments, and hopefully most of the states and their capitals. I had a knack for memorizing facts when I was young. I did very well in recalling word-for-word the Baltimore Catechism. The nuns figured that out quickly enough and seldom called on me when I raised my hand. While I cannot toss back the answers to all the catechism questions anymore, I have retained most of the basic knowledge of the Church—probably because I still belong to it.

When I got to high school I had no problem in memorizing the periodic table. However, I promptly forgot it once I no longer needed it.

Obviously, back in the old days, people relied on memorization far more than we do today. Socrates believed that people would stop memorizing once they started to write things down.

Today with the internet at our fingertips, we never have to memorize anything. Just type it into Google and you’ve got the information you need instantly.

Nevertheless, it is interesting to think about what I would do if I had to keep myself alert on a night watch, I would probably recite my Rosary—but that wouldn’t take up too much time. I could sing a lot of songs and hymns as well as recite a few short bits of Scripture. There are a few poems I have loved and remember. Having spent much of my career teaching little children, I have committed an inordinate amount of children's books to memory. I suppose I could go through the times tables, the Ten Commandments, and every state with its capital city.

But what else?

What do you have in your memory that would keep you awake and alert on a long night watch?

The Irish in Me

That's little me sitting with my paternal great-grandmother. She came from County Mayo in Ireland as a domestic worker and she married a man here in the USA who hailed from Roscommon. At least, that's what I've been told. Together they had nine children. One child died in infancy and another was later given the same name and afterward was referred to by all as "Brother". My grandfather was their oldest child. My great-grandmother died before I was old enough to really get to know her.

I was told my great-grandmother was offered the opportunity to go back and visit Ireland in her later years, but she said, "What would I want to do that for?" I have to assume that at the time she left Ireland, conditions were rather desperate.

Subsequently, some family members have visited Ireland. My uncle went many years ago and searched for the town where my great-grandmother's family had a farm. My uncle looked at the land and commented, "They must have been farming rocks."

Yet, for all their hardships, the members of that family maintained a certain type of wit that I think of as their Irishness. There are many examples of this, but a good one is here. One of my favorites on that page is by Sean O'Casey, "All the world's a stage and most of us are desperately unrehearsed."

So true. 😉

How Writers Prime the Pump

Photo by MoreLight

According to Collins English Dictionary the definition of priming the pump is:

1. 

the act or process of introducing fluid into a pump to improve the sealing of the pump parts on starting and to expel air from it

2. US

government expenditure designed to stimulate economic activity in stagnant or depressed areas

3. another term for deficit financing

Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers

Word Frequency

     

pump priming in American

US

large expenditures by a government, designed to stimulate expenditures by private industry

How did the definition go from the most efficient way to work a pump to an economic stimulus? 

I don't know. However, I do remember the need for adding water to a pump to get it going. So I can understand how the same principle can be applied to the economy.

I believe the same theory can be applied to writing as well. After all, a writer feeds ideas into the mind to stimulate the flow of words. Writers read other authors' books and do research on various topics. Writers visit new places to gather ideas for plots. Writers will sometimes just sit and watch people or listen to them--or both. Writers are always collecting information that might be useful in a story.

So remember to prime the pump and stimulate your mind to get the words flowing. 😀

Read an eBook Week at Smashwords

Until March 9, 2019, it's Read an eBook at Smashwords. There are many discounted as well as FREE books available for downloads. I am offering three books for free. FALLING IN LOVE is a collection of short, sweet romance stories. PRINCE OF THE MIST and KISS OF BLARNEY are sensual romantic fantasies with Irish legends and myths woven through the plots. 

Don't miss out on this special deal! Make sure you use the coupon when you order, which will be on the right side of the book's page. 

To download FALLING IN LOVE go to https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/621294

To download PRINCE OF THE MIST go to https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/69517

To download KISS OF BLARNEY go to https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/533529

Do You Suffer From Writer's Guilt?

When I decided to become an author, I also made a conscious decision to quit feeling guilty for not having an immaculate house, not keeping up with the latest television shows, not dressing in the height of fashion, limiting my attendance at social events, and not driving the flashiest car.

However, I did not abandon my family, they have always come first. Eventually, my near and dear came to accept my decision. I will admit it took longer for some of them to understand, but others were with me from the very beginning.

Getting rid of guilt is important for creativity because guilt kills imagination.

I found an excellent blog post on the topic of writer's guilt. If you suffer from this malady go to:

http://www.writingandwellness.com/2015/07/21/10-ways-to-kick-writers-guilt-to-the-curb/

Read it, and then get back to writing. :-)

A Little Snow

We haven't had much snow in New Jersey. There was one storm in November that caused massive havoc because the road departments were not prepared for it. Other than that, there have been a few minor dustings of snow. Today we received a small amount--about two inches in our area. It's been a mild winter--so far. However, winter is not over so we could get more snow dumped on us. Or we could have a nor'easter. I was twelve with the  Ash Wednesday Storm of 1962 hit and I remember it well. We watched the water rise in the lake behind our house as the bay flowed into it. That caused chunks of marsh grass to tear away and float along, pushed by the wind and water. In hindsight, that storm was not as bad as Superstorm Sandy, but at the time it was the worst thing I had seen--but, of course, I was only twelve. 

At any rate, with the snow for inspiration I decided to write another Christmas story. I'm more than one third finished, but the deadline is May if I intend to hand it in. So I've got to knuckle down and write. However, life is forever getting in the way. Our refrigerator died yesterday after eleven years of faithful service. I went to grab a popsicle out of the freezer and the popsicle was no longer frozen--neither were the vegetables or the hotdogs. 

Hubby and I ran off to buy a new refrigerator. Nothing fancy, just basically what we have. Hopefully, it will be delivered tomorrow. Meanwhile, our food is outside in a box with a heavy paving stone on top so nobody except maybe Sasquatch can get into it. Despite the snow, it isn't below freezing tonight. In fact, it should warm up tomorrow, which is why I hope the refrigerator arrives on time--before the temperature outside goes above forty. 

Otherwise, I guess we'll have to buy some ice and pack the food into a cooler.

Guest Post: Rocks, Robes, and Pillow Cases

Today I am honored to have as my guest Pamela S. Thibodeaux. She has a touching Valentine Day's romance story for us all. 

Rocks, Robes, and Pillow Cases

As a romance writer, I’m always thinking of ways to make my heroine or hero swoon. Sweet words and sentimental gestures seem to come easily and naturally in novels. But what about in real life? Is there such a thing as genuine romance, a dedicated soul mate, or a true romantic partner?

Yes, there is!

My husband was a very sentimental man with a kind, romantic soul you’d never expect of a law enforcement officer. We always did little things to keep the passion alive in our marriage. Notes in the lunch box or on the coffee pot, glass of wine and hot bath after work, dancing in the kitchen or on the porch – or better yet, alone on the houseboat. Unexpected gifts, tiny stuffed animals saturated with his favorite cologne or my perfume to carry in our vehicle, teasing remarks, and sensual innuendos were the norm around our house. I still have many of the cards and notes he gave and a several pages in a photo album are filled with the Love Is cartoons he cut out of the newspaper on a regular basis. But the one event that stands out in my heart is the day he gave me a rock.

No, not a diamond – a rock!

One warm, balmy evening early in our courtship we parked under an overpass and took a walk along the railroad tracks. Holding hands and sharing dreams. Taking me by the hand, my lover encouraged me to sit beside him on the ground. 

“My love is like this rock,” he said, picking up a stone and placing it in my hand. “It’s strong and solid, it’ll never change, it’ll last forever, and there’s not another one like it in the world.”

That’s a moment I’ll never forget. I mean, seriously – what man or woman thinks like that? I know I’d never thought of love like that before and I’m a romance novelist! 

But think about it…like snowflakes, no two rocks are alike. However, linked together snowflakes and rocks, like hearts, can create something strong and solid and secure.

Only One other has expressed His love in such enduring terms: strong, solid, unchanging, everlasting. He is known by many names, one being the Rock of Ages.

My husband passed away in August, 2009. I had no idea how to go on when all I wanted was to curl up with him in my arms, to see his smiling face and hear his beloved voice. To feel his heart beat against mine.

But I couldn’t.

All I had was an empty bed, a vacant pillow, memories of amazing love, and two rocks sitting on a shelf.

In the process of making funeral arrangements and discussing what to do next, I decided I wanted to have his picture put on the case covering his king-sized pillow. My son-in-law wondered if the desire was normal. My son worried that this would bring me anything but comfort and make things worse not better.

I had no way to assuage their fears or assure them I’d be fine. All I knew was I needed to hold onto his presence in the bed where we lived and laughed and loved for so many years and clinging to those rocks or his robe just wasn’t cutting it. 

A friend bought me a package of iron on transfers and I set to work immediately. Anticipation beat a tattoo in my heart as I placed the sheet in the printer and set up the photo per the specifications. The concerns of my loved ones kept cadence with the iron as I transferred the picture onto the cloth. The first attempt wasn’t all that great. Placed too high on the pillowcase, the edges didn’t seal well and after only a few washes the image deteriorated. The second time around, I paid a little more attention to the details and was rewarded with a beautiful, glossy depiction. 

Everyone has their own way of dealing with grief and things they cling to … a cherished photo, a sprinkle of cologne or perfume on his or her favorite shirt, dancing alone to your special song. I did all those things. I slept wrapped in his robe, robbed his dresser of pajama pants and T-shirts and his closet for long sleeves and coats – after all, the closest thing to being in his arms is having his flannel shirt or hunting jacket warm me when I’m chilled.

At nearly ten years, sometimes I feel as though I’m still muddling through the transition from wife to widow to individual. I’ve done away with his things including the pillow and case which I gifted to our granddaughter. The robe went to our grandson who will never know his Paw Paw except by the stories we tell. I buried our wedding bands at his gravesite, but the rocks we exchanged will never be given away. They have a special place in the shadow-box created to house important mementos of his (and our) life and serve as a constant reminder that true love does exist and real romance beats what you’ll find in novels any day.

* * * * * * *

Look closely at the cover….

Recently I visited Animal Kingdom @ Walt Disney World in FL with my family and one of the most breathtaking sights is the Tree of Life / garden. Within the trunk of this huge tree are carvings of every kind of animal. You can view it from any angle and take a dozen different pictures and each time, see something more and/or different.

What does this have to do with a book cover? You ask.

Read on…..

I’ve always admired the covers Pelican Book Group creates for their titles and when I first received the cover for Love in Season, I thought – how sweet, but a closer look revealed a whole lot more than a couple on a bench in front of a lovely tree. 

If you took a passing glance, look again….

What do you see?

Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter are all depicted within the leaves and branches of this tree!

It takes an amazing eye for detail to pick something like this for a book cover.  Thanks to Nicola Martinez for creating such a beautiful work of art for for my collection of romantic short stories centered around the four seasons and four love-oriented holidays!

*see photos of the Tree of Life/Garden Here: https://www.wdwinfo.com/Photos/AK-treeoflife/pages/DSC00093.htm

Fun Fact: For quite some time I wanted to put together a collection of short stories that centered around the 4 seasons and 4 holidays that focus on love and family (Valentine's Day, Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas). Since I already had several stories at PBG, I mentioned this idea to my editor, the amazing Nicola Martinez, and she loved it. I submitted two previously unpublished stories to round out the collection, along with those Pelican Book Group had already published, and viola! Love in Season was born.

Blurb: Anytime is the perfect time for love. 

In this anthology, author Pamela S Thibodeaux brings together eight of her most beloved romance stories—one for each season plus four holidays that revolve around love and family. 

Includes two brand new stories!

PBG print: http://pelicanbookgroup.com/ec/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=34&products_id=914

PBG ebook: http://pelicanbookgroup.com/ec/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=37_46&products_id=913

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Love-Season-Pamela-S-Thibodeaux-ebook/dp/B07MTT6WC2

TinyURL (kindle): http://bit.ly/LoveinSeason

TWEET: Anytime is the perfect time for love. Author @psthib brings together 8 #romance stories — 1 for each season + 4 holidays that revolve around love and family. Includes two brand new stories! #christfic #mustread http://bit.ly/LoveinSeason

Story Blurbs:

(Winter) Winter Madness: Sienna has survived what most succomb to - the death of a spouse and child and has maintained her faith despite her troubles. William has never met anyone who actually lived out what they say they believe. Is it true love between the faithful optimist and broody pessimist or simply winter madness?

(Valentine’s Day) Choices: Best-selling novelist and songwriter, Camie Rogers has penned numerous accounts of the secret love she holds in her heart. Country-Music Superstar Kip Allen has changed from the shy, humble boy, to the epitome of “star.” Can the two rediscover each other after one night of his Home is where the Heart is Tour?

(Spring) Cathy’s Angel: Single mom Cathy Johnson is tired of running her life alone…what she needs is a well-trained angel to help out. Jared Savoy gave up the dream of having a family when he discovered he is sterile. Can a confirmed bachelor and the mother of four find love amid normal daily chaos?

(Easter) Lilies for Sandi *NEW!* Sandi and Brett did everything backwards. They got pregnant before the wedding and had a baby instead of a honeymoon. Since, Brett has resented the fact that his dreams of a football career have been cut short and wonders how long it’ll take God to forgive him for his mistakes. Sandi has played second fiddle to Brett’s dreams and desires to the point of not knowing herself any longer and fears her marriage will never be a true one because of their failures. Can two hearts broken by unfulfilled dreams find healing, wholeness and restoration? 

(Summer) The Big Catch *NEW!*Karla and, the love of her life, Jeff, have uncovered some uncommon ground: The Great Outdoors. For the life of her, she does not understand his love of fishing and how he can spend so much time doing so. Will she come to love the sport as much as he or will his passion for a rod and reel tangle up their relationship?

(Fall) A Hero for Jessica: Anthony Paul Seville is known as the ‘most eligible bachelor’ in New Orleans, possibly even the entire state of Louisiana, but finds himself alone—completely and explicitly alone. Jessica Aucoin is a writer on her way to fame and fortune, but is haunted by a man from her past. Will the “champion” lawyer and the author of romantic suspense find love written in their future?  

(Thanksgiving) Review of Love (Newly Edited/Revised/Lengthened!): Jason Stockwell has been commissioned to interview Kylie Erickson and to review her books. Only problem is, she won’t give the time of day much less an interview to someone whose type of writing she deems not worthy of respect. Can they suspend their judgmental attitudes and find true love?

(Christmas) In His Sight: Grade school teacher Carson Alexander has a gift—a gift that has driven a wedge between him and his family. Worse, it’s put him at odds with God. Feeling alone and misunderstood, Carson views God’s gift of prophecy as the worst kind of curse…that is until he meets Lorelei Conner, landscape artist extraordinaire, and perhaps the one person who may need Carson and his gift more than anyone ever has.  

Lorelei Connor is a mother on the run. Her abusive ex-husband has followed her all over the country trying to steal their daughter. Distrusting of men and needing to keep on the move, she’s surprised by her desire to remain close to Carson Alexander. Through her fear and hesitation, she must learn to rely on God to guide her—not an easy task when He’s prompting her to trust a man.

 Can their relationship withstand the tragedy lurking on the horizon?

Author Bio: 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.”

Links:

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

Blog: http://pamswildroseblog.blogspot.com

Face Book: https://www.facebook.com/pamelasthibodeauxauthor

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

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

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

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/pamelasthibodeauxauthor/

GoodReads:https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1268453.Pamela_S_Thibodeaux

Guest Post: Kimberly M. Miller and Her Latest Release FORGIVING TESS

Way back in October 2017, I read Picking Daisy, a debut novel by Kimberly M. Miller. I loved it and wrote a review, which you can read on Goodreads. It was a charming tale, full of heart and compassion. 

As it turns out, Kimberly M. Miller has written another romance and I am honored to have her as a guest on my blog today. She is a writing and film professor by day, author by night. She enjoys watching movies, making jewelry, and creating fun stories for her readers. Currently, Kimberly has two published novels, Picking Daisy and Forgiving Tess, but she looks forward to bringing more romance your way soon!

She's offered us all a treat today--an excerpt from Forgiving Tess. The book already has many wonderful reviews. So sit back, relax, and enjoy.

Excerpt from Forgiving Tess

The doors squeaked open and Tess Carson stepped outside where a wave of heat hit hard, making her want to dive back into the air-conditioned safety of the bus. She wondered whether her skin was melting as sweat trickled down her arm and dripped onto the pavement with a sizzle.

Tess was annoyed at everything and yet trying desperately not to be. The trouble was that her life, the humidity, the stiff-backed bus seats, and especially Uncle Stu—who’d dragged her along on this mission trip—seemed bent on reminding her of all that continued to war against her. It was the first time she’d been away from Maple Ridge in nearly two years. She wasn’t sure she was ready. Not that she was given a choice. Uncle Stu made sure she was coming along, otherwise, he promised he wouldn’t bail her out again.

And she believed him.

“Come on, let’s get settled.” Uncle Stu walked by, his backpack shouldered on one side of his body. He wasn’t a tall man, but his presence made up for it. He was kind, firm, and lately the only person remaining who was willing to give his niece another chance.

Tess drew a deep breath, certain her hair was rapidly turning to thick and unruly frizz in the humidity. As if she cared what anyone thought of her appearance anymore.

“I still don’t get why you hate me,” Tess muttered as she tugged her backpack higher on her shoulder. While she didn’t care that she’d left a majority of her minimal wardrobe at home, it did bother her that this pit stop after graduation from nursing school meant she was forced to wait even longer to begin applying for work that would take her away from trouble and into the rest of her life.

It was a move she needed desperately.

“That’s not how you change, mouthy,” Uncle Stu said, using his nickname for her—one, he insisted, she deserved.

Humph. Tess never cared much for Uncle Stu’s wisdom, no matter how right he always was.

“I can change without frying to death.”

Stu glanced at the group of people from his church who volunteered to go from Pennsylvania to the small town near Cocoa Beach to help build a youth center for their sister church there. Tess slowly followed him toward the bunkhouse.

“You aren’t going to fry to death,” he muttered. “And I’d stop complaining. Nearly everyone else took time from work-some of them vacation time that they could be spending laying on a beach instead of working near one.”

Tess searched her uncle’s deep brown eyes and nodded. Everyone else danced around the subject instead of getting to it, but not Stu. He told Tess the truth and refused to hold back even when it was hard.

Maybe that was why she trusted him.

“You’re right. I’m working on it. Scouts honor.”

Stu nodded and reached out to give her a big hug. “Love you, kid. Come on.” He started walking toward the large building in front of them. They’d arrived at a church complex that was a neighbor to the church in Cocoa Beach where they were going to be helping rebuild a youth center that was badly damaged by a tropical storm. A neighboring church offered to allow the use of its activities building to feed the workers, who would sleep in bunkhouses around back. Since it was only a short walk to where they’d be working, it was a great set up.

Tess followed her uncle until she realized she’d left a bag in the cargo hold of the bus. “I’ll catch up,” she said. “I forgot the extra Bibles.”

Stu nodded and kept going as Tess turned and ran back to the bus where several members of the team were divvying up their luggage. She hung back, waiting for a chance to grab her bag. She wasn’t likely to make friends with many of the people on the trip, which was better anyway. Tess had burned a lot of bridges in the last few years, and making amends was difficult. Besides, if she didn’t make friends, there would be no problem keeping them.

“Need a hand?” a deep voice asked behind her. Tess turned and found herself facing a broad chest. She raised her eyes and was stunned to find the familiar blue eyes of her childhood friend Joshua Thorne, a man she hadn’t seen in over twelve years.

What was he doing here?

Tess was certain her heart stopped beating and her knees went weak. She drew a breath in an effort to find strength.

Inwardly she groaned. Those sweet dimples were even sweeter now.

Josh lived next door to Tess and her family for seven years of their childhood, and he’d been best friends with Tess’s brother, Brody. The boys played on softball and basketball teams together—and of course a little football too, while Tess, who was five years younger, trailed after them trying to keep up. But the friendship was so much more. They’d hung out together. And if there’s anything to be said about kids, the real learning and bonding takes place in those moments when you’re doing nothing. That’s when you’re doing everything.

In a flash, Tess remembered that his birthday was August tenth, he loved her grandmother’s blueberry muffins, and he hated when Tess taunted him about his terrible pitching record from his sophomore year. All in all, not bad for not having dreamt of him in so long.

And he’d once entered her dreams every single night.

Tess’s mouth opened but she was unable to form any words. Instead she stared up at him stupidly, thinking that he’d gotten even more handsome since he left—when he was eighteen and heading to college and she was mourning the loss of the boy she was certain would one day be her husband. He’d been a cocky boy, followed by a gaggle of giggling girls who were certain he was in love with them all. It made Tess so jealous that she’d gotten into more trouble than she wanted to remember ruining his dates as only smitten teenaged girl could.

Tess worked to say something, cursing herself that the words still refused to emerge. Surely Uncle Stu knewabout this. Why hadn’t he warned her?

“Um, hi…” she said weakly.

“I’m guessing Stu didn’t tell you this is my church?” Josh asked with a smile. Tess shook her head. Why did it appear as if he’d walked straight off a movie set? She swallowed hard, now wishing her hair didn’t looklike she’d taken a bath with her toaster.

“He… didn’t mention it,” she said softly. Josh nodded as Tess turned to grab her bag, glad for the distraction. Her childish love for him was the stuff embarrassment was made of— complete with foolish homemade gifts and ridiculous gestures. Surely he remembered it all as well as she did. Her stomach tied itself in knots as image after image of her pranks played in her mind. It was pointless to hope he’d forgotten.

Reluctantly, Tess turned back to find he was still smiling. “You lookgreat,” he said, eyes twinkling.

So, he was a liar. At least he wasn’t completely perfect. There was some solace in that.

Tess shook her head. Had he grown after he left for college? Staring up at him was giving her a painful neck cramp. 

“Your dimples lookgreat too,” she said, cursing herself when Josh laughed. She blew a stray piece of hair from her eyes and continued, hoping he would quickly be distracted by something. Maybe a flash hurricane would make something fall on her. “What…? I mean, you go to church here?”

“Kind of. I’m the youth pastor.”

Tess’s stomach sank. Another score for him, another strike for her. “Youth pastor? Wow. Congratulations, that’s… impressive,” she said awkwardly. “Um… yeah. So, I better go. I’m sure I’ll catch you later.”

Find it at Prism Book Group, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other book distributors.