Jessie and James

Posted on August 31, 2019 by Gail

Jennifer Beckstrand, an author of Amish fiction, joins us with her first Western release. One look at her cover entices me to discover more, AND she’s giving away a paperback copy to one commenter!

Jessie and James is my first published Western historical novel, and I couldn’t be more excited. The first book I ever wrote was a historical Western, and I’ve been wanting to write another one for ten years. (That first Western is still hanging around my house somewhere. I might decide to publish it next. J) For my research, I traveled to an old mining town about two hours from my house. Yes, it really is named Eureka, and it was a boomtown in the 1880s, the period in which my book is set. I met an old-timer in Eureka who told me some fascinating stories about mining then and now.

Did you know that you may own the ground your house sits on, but you only own it to sixty feet deep? A mining company can come in and dig a mine right under your house, and it’s perfectly legal as long as they have the permits. Many mines were dug straight down or in any direction that would get them to ore faster. In the 1880s in Eureka, often they’d dig straight down using only picks, shovels, and dynamite. A plumb bob was utilized to make sure their tunnels were straight up and down. They usually dug down 600 feet then drifted horizontally a couple hundred feet, then dug down again. Some mines went deeper than 1800 feet. Nowadays, there aren’t many mines that deep. They’re more dangerous, so they’re too expensive to insure.

In Jessie and James, James is an ex-cowboy turned geologist looking for gold. Jessie is a feisty, independent woman who runs a boarding house with her parents and thinks Eureka needs a little more fire-and-brimstone preaching to keep the incorrigible miners in line. Jessie doesn’t want anything to do with a gold digger, and she’s willing to use her shotgun to run James off. But James doesn’t scare that easy, especially when the woman on the other end of that shotgun might turn out to be the love of his life.

You can order Jessie and James now on Kindle and paperback.

Jennifer Beckstrand is the two-time RITA-nominated, #1 Amazon bestselling Amish romance author of The Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hill series, The Honeybee Sistersseries, and The Petersheim Brothers series for Kensington Books. Huckleberry Summer andHome on Huckleberry Hill were bothnominated for the coveted RITA® Award from Romance Writers of America. Jennifer has always been drawn to the strong faith and the enduring family ties of the Plain people and loves writing about the antics of Anna and Felty Helmuth, the Honeybee sisters’ aendi Bitsy, and Alfie and Benji Petersheim. Jennifer has written twenty-one Amish romances, a historical Western, and the nonfiction book, Big Ideas. She and her husband have been married for thirty-five years, and she has six children and seven adorable grandchildren, whom she spoils rotten.

Website: http://www.jenniferbeckstrand.com/

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

Twitter: @JenniferBeckst1

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

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Jennifer-Beckstrand/e/B0073GHCOG/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1488910908&sr=8-2-ent

Instagram: j.beckstrand

Bookbub: @JenniferBeckstrand https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jennifer-beckstrand

Whom Shall I Fear?

Posted on August 16, 2019 by Gail

Feeling Grateful For a Full Fridge: On Rationing and the Black Market in WWII Britain

What was it like for British citizens during World War II, when it came to feeding their hungry families? Read and see…and please leave author Anne Clare a comment, as she’s giving away a copy of her debut novel, Whom Shall I Fear to one commenter. I’ve read this book, and it reminded me that there’s ALWAYS more to learn about this tough time in history. Thanks for visiting!

As I’m writing this, it’s Saturday morning, which is “hot breakfast” morning in my family. This morning, I was in the mood for French Toast. I pulled open my fridge and grabbed eggs- there were plenty left from the 18 I’d bought last shopping run. The milk was a little low, but I could just pick up more later. With the cheap loaf of bread I’d picked up on sale yesterday, I was all set!

The steps between “I want this to eat” and “Hey kids, it’s breakfast time!” were so simple that it’s easy to forget that it wasn’t always so.

Before the onset of the Second World War, the island nation of Great Britain had imported around 70% of its food—not to mention other goods—requiringmillionsof tons of shipping.

Then, war broke out.

German U-boat “wolf packs” prowled the Atlantic, blocking shipments, destroying ships, and threatening to starve Britain into submission. How were the British people to be sustained?

The British Ministry of Food enforced a strict rationing program to ensure that there would be sufficient food to go around. Families would register with local sellers to receive their weekly allotments. Lines, or “queues” were long, and families had to plan out how they would use their ration coupons and points from week to week—assuming, of course, that the items they were standing in line for wouldn’t have run out by the time they got to the front.

THE HOME FRONT IN BRITAIN DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR (D 25035) People queuing at a greengrocers in High Road, Wood Green, North London, a familiar wartime sight. Copyright: © IWM. Original Source: http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205195174

People queuing at a greengrocers in High Road, Wood Green, North London, a familiar wartime sight. © IWM (D 25035)

Kitchen staples like milk, sugar and fat fell under rationing. Average weekly rations for an adult would include 8 oz sugar, 4 oz bacon or ham, 3 pints of milk, 2 oz of tea, and one fresh egg.*

“A shopkeeper cancels the coupons in a British housewife’s ration book for the tea, sugar, cooking fats and bacon she is allowed for one week. Most foods in Britain are rationed and some brand names are given the designation “National”” Photo and caption courtesy of Wikimedia commons.

Non-food items, like clothes, shoes, gasoline and soap, also fell under ration.

However, fruit and vegetables did not, and many people participated in the “Dig for Victory” program, planting gardens in every available bit of soil. Others found clever ways to make up for items they couldn’t get—girls might paint their legs to simulate “stockings” or use beetroot juice to color lipstickless lips.

Some people, however, chose less reputablemeans to supplement their rationed goods.

Illegal activities took many forms. In some cases, it might be as simple as someone “forgetting” to mention that an elderly relative had died and continuing to collect rations with their books. Or perhaps someone might raise chickens but not register the eggs that were produced. In the cities, bombed out buildings were a strong temptation for looters. And, as might be expected, a black market thrived.

Don’t Touch Black Market Goods (Art.IWM PST 16537) whole: the image occupies the whole. The title is integrated and positioned across the centre, in red and in white. The text is integrated and placed in the lower quarter, in white and in yellow. image: a half-length depiction of a sinister-looking black market trader, seen in shadow so that only his eyes are clearly visible. He holds a parcel tied with a red ribbon in his hands. text: DON’T TOUCH… Copyright: © IWM. Original Source: http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/33457

Image courtesy of the Imperial War Museum © IWM (Art.IWM PST 16537)

If someone wanted to find something and couldn’t through legal means, “spivs” had wares to offer, off the books, for a price. Even reputable shopkeepers might have a few things under the counter. As the war dragged on, even people who wouldn’t have considered theft in ordinary times might be tempted to supplement their rations if something that had “fallen off the back of a lorry” just happened to be for sale in their area.

While some steered clear of illegal goods, the temptation was strong—according to the Imperial War Museum, “By March of 1941, 2,300 people had been prosecuted and severely penalized for fraud and dishonesty.” ** And there were still four years of war left to go.

As I was researching all of this for my recently released novel, Whom Shall I Fear?—in which one character finds himself deeply entangled in the underworld of the black market, with dangerous consequences—I found myself newly grateful for the often-overlooked blessings of a fully stocked pantry and grocery stores!

Thank you for letting me visit today, Gail!

For more information, see my sources below, or for fascinating anecdotal stories about Britain’s wartime experiences, check out the BBC People’s War Archives. (http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/)

*Stats taken from the BBC news article “Breaking the Law During World War II” by Duncan Leatherdale ( https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-33566789)

**Quote taken from IMW article “What You Need To Know About Rationing In the Second World War” ( https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/what-you-need-to-know-about-rationing-in-the-second-world-war)

Connect with Anne online:

http://thenaptimeauthor.wordpress.com

https://www.facebook.com/anne.clare.1610

Twitter: @anneclarewriter

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Whom+Shall+I+fear+anne+clare&ref=nb_sb_noss_2

The David Years

Posted on August 9, 2019 by Gail

Welcome to Lillian Duncan, an Ohio writer from Amish country. I’ll let Lillian describe how her writing world changed with her brain tumor diagnosis and her uinique giveaway to celebrate the release of The David Years.

Actually TWO different giveaways! The grand prize is a $25 Amazon gift card and your choice of one of my ebooks. To enter, CLICK HERE and follow the directions! I’ll also pick FIVE lucky winners to receive their choice of one my ebooks from comments left on my blog about The David Years. To entered that giveaway, go to www.lillian-duncan.com and leave a comment under one of THE DAVID YEARS posts. EASY-PEASY!I

First, tell us a little about yourself.

I’m 64, happily married, and live in a small town in Ohio. I worked as a school speech pathologist for 34 years, mostly in a large urban school district with deaf and hard-of-hearing students.

I write because I have these stories that rattle around in my brain. I love books and stories. But the real reason is that I believe God created me to write.

I used to not have the nerve to say that! In 2012, I was diagnosed with brain tumors—benign but not benign. They were non-cancerous but they still wreaked havoc on me and my life. One of the results is a “fuzzy” brain or some people call it brain fog. Either way, my brain doesn’t work quite the same as it did before the brain tumors.

But miracle of miracles, when I write, something happens. The fuzziness goes away for a while, I can remember the details I need to for the story to make sense, and I can write! And that’s why I believe God created me to write.

And now, a little about The David Years

THE DAVID YEARS is the sequel to PUZZLE HOUSE. In Puzzle House at the age of fifteen, Nia was anointed to become a healer. Overwhelmed by the thought, Nia’s auntie tells her how King David was anointed at a young age, but didn’t become king for many years. Those were his learning years and now she has her David Years ahead.

Most of this story takes place after Nia graduates from high school as she struggles to find her place in the world. Impatient to begin her life as a healer, Nia tries to make it happen in her own timing. But God will not be rushed and whether Nia likes it or not, she’s still in her David Years. I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, ‘we learn from our mistakes.’ Well, Nia learns a lot that year, meaning she makes a lot of mistakes.

Puzzle House was intended to be a stand-alone novel. But I couldn’t stop wondering about what happened to Nia, so that inspired me The David Years. Even though Nia is a college student, we all struggle to find our place in the world—no matter what age we are. Nia’s lessons may just help someone else struggling to find their way.

Where do you get ideas for your books?

Anywhere and everywhere! In the case of Puzzle House and The David Years, I was diagnosed with bilateral brain tumors and a genetic condition called Neurofibromatosis Type 2 or NF2 for short. Puzzle House features a character with the same condition.

I get to know my characters as the book progresses through several drafts before I even think about submitting to my publisher. Each draft teaches me more about my characters.

What themes do you write about?

One recurring themes is forgiveness, but another has been emerging: how crucial God’s Word is to our life journeys. My tumors have affected my health, but God’s Word gives me the wisdom and strength I need to have peace and joy in spite of my struggles. I want other people to know that God doesn’t leave us alone in our battles, he’s given us His Word so we can be victorious in spite of our circumstances.

How does your faith affect your writing?

I hope it does! I like to think of myself as a parable writer. A parable is an earthly story with a heavenly message. Even my suspense stories have a heavenly message.

Do you put yourself in your books?

Of course! Sometimes it’s a snippet of a real-life event that happened to me or someone I know, but more often it shows up in other sneaky ways without me being aware of it—until I read it back. Then I have to decide whether to leave it in or take it out.

What are you working on right now?

I have another book releasing at the end of September—TRAPPED. It’s completely different from THE DAVID YEARS – romantic suspense with lots of action and a little romance. Along with that I’m also working on the third Puzzle House novel—SUFFER THE LITTLE CHILDREN.

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

First, don’t worry about being perfect—just write. Once the story’s finished, you can go back and fix your mistakes.

Second, write every day—even if it’s for only ten minutes. This will make writing a habit that will help you become a writer and it will help keep you sane when life gets crazy.

How can readers connect with you?

My blog is Tiaras & Tennis Shoes at www.lillian-duncan.com. I also have a devotional blog at www.PowerUpWithGod.com. I’m on Facebook as well and at Lduncan512@aol.com

BLURB:

Nia looked at her aunt and asked, “So what am I ‘spose to do now?”

“Have you ever heard of King David from the Bible?”

“I guess.”

“There were a lot of years between the time David was anointed as the king and he actually became the king. It’s a time for you to grow in your relationship with God.”

“And then later I get to be king?” Nia giggled.

“I meant that figuratively not literally but these are your David Years.”

“My David Years. I like that.”

Nia Johnson has spent the past four years developing a closer relationship to God. She wants to believe she’s still anointed to become a healer at Puzzle House but as each year passes, she has more and more doubts.

Now that she’s graduated from high school and is an adult she is sure it’s time to take the mantle of healing Rachel passed to her so many years before. But the harder she tries, the more it eludes her.

Ewe R Blessed

Posted on July 31, 2019 by Gail

Welcome to Karen Allen, a cancer survivor who uses her experience to encourage others. Karen’s book cover features lavender rather than pink to encompass all types of cancer, and she’s giving away a copy of her book to someone who leaves a comment.

Sixteen years ago I was diagnosed with breast cancer while working in a cancer research laboratory at the Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. God was gracious in that the diagnosis stemmed from an enlarged lymph node deep in my armpit. Surgery was followed by chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Over the next nine months the Lord dealt with me in some incredible ways turning my cancer journey into a faith journey. Indeed, my prayer a month before my diagnosis had been to increase my faith! So wah-lah . . .

Not only did God answer my prayer but He did “exceedingly, abundantly” by expanding my experience to help others turn their cancer journey into something positive. Throughout my ordeal I wrote periodic updates and emailed them to friends and family, many out of state. (Blogs were not the norm at the time.) I learned my emails were being distributed literally all over the world! Turns out, they were a source of inspiration and hope. I considered writing about my journey and approached my pastor. We felt a book would be useful but that a cancer Bible study would be even more useful. I liked the idea.

After several years and lots of setbacks, Confronting Cancer with Faith is now available as a 6-week Bible study (5 lessons per week) written to bring encouragement, comfort, and hope through the trials of cancer or any chronic illness. Confronting Cancer with Faith focuses on God, His promises and attributes. I use my experiences as anecdotes, lessons, and stories to highlight God’s work and personal touch.

The book is perfect for a small study group or cancer support group but also adapts as an independent or friend-to-friend study. Cancer survivors, co-survivors, clergy, caregivers, or anyone wanting to learn more about what a cancer patient goes through will be enlightened, encouraged, and informed by this study. Topics include fear, brokenness, death, hair loss, effect upon family members, acceptance, treatments, side-effects, relationships, perspective, wearing the survivor label, and finding contentment in the aftermath of cancer.

The book is published through Ewe R Blessed Ministries and can be ordered from Amazon. It has received international attention and won the Christian Choice Book Award for Bible studies. A quality CD entitled “The Comfort of His Holiness” produced by me and my husband can be purchased separately if desired. Both the book and CD have garnered positive feedback.

You may reach Karen at:

www.confrontingcancerwithfaith.com

http://ewerblessed.com/blog/

karen@confrontingcancerwithfaith.com http://ewerblessed.com/blog/.

Why Don’t I Like This Book?

Posted on July 25, 2019 by Gail

Jan Cline, historical author, answers this question for us today. Here’s the latest Depression-era novel in her American Dreams series, and she’s offering a free paperback to one commenter on this blog.

It can be frustrating to us as readers to be lost from the beginning of a book, unable to be absorbed in the story because we don’t have an awareness of where the character is. As a writer, I finally discovered why that happens.

If any of you enjoy people watching, you might have observed the way folks interact, feel, and participate. People at a carnival act or even dress differently from what they would at a church service, or business meeting. Weather and time of day and year also come into play in how your character acts.

Our feelings and actions are often affected by our surroundings. A character in a book needs setting, a description of what they see, hear, and touch in order to do and say and feel what the author wants them to. The connection between the character and their setting should draw you into the story.

A setting that has been painted well gives the character something to bounce life off of, and goes a long way to deepen the story and the reading experience. It explains why we either trudge through the first few chapters of a book, or devour it because we feel we are there with the characters.

In the first book of my American Dreams series, Heaven’s Sky, the setting is much like another character in the story. The outer struggle of the relentless dust storms and barren land is a big part of what drives the main characters. The inner struggle is the push and pull of faith versus discouragement about circumstances. As the story of Heaven’s Skyopens, Clarissa Wilding, the main character, has been burdened by vicious dust storms for several years. One of the first lines is:

“The same contemptible dry wind that swallowed up their crops had blown across her soul, stealing her hope and things she held dear.”

That’s a character reacting to her surroundings, giving the reader a taste of whereshe is. This is the essence of book one in this series. In book 2, The Pruning, which has just released, the story continues in a new setting. The Pruningtakes the same family to a new place, quite different from their old home. As they move to a vineyard in Washington State, the dynamic changes of setting from dry and fruitless, to green and prosperous, is still full of challenges for Clarissa. The contrast of the vineyard setting shows us that even when our life’s setting or circumstances change drastically, the solid foundation of our faith, and our trust in one another, steadies us through the hard times.

I hope you have a better grasp on why some books grab you from the start, and I hope you’ll read both my stories.

Thank you, Gail, for an opportunity to share.

Follow Jan on Facebook: Jan Cline Author

Invite Jan to speak at your women’s event: jancline.net/speaking

See all of Jan’s books here: jancline.net/books

Are Whirlwind Romances Always Fictional?

Posted on July 17, 2019 by Gail

Welcome to Elaine Stock today as she tells us about her latest release, When Love Blossoms. She’s also offering 1 Kindle copy of this novel to a commenter, good only in the United States.

Many years ago, a college student peered up from her philosophy textbook and off toward her right. She spotted him immediately. In a sea of students who might have been clones of each other because of the similarities of dress, hairstyles, and expression, this guy stood out in a most positive way. The first thing she noted that marked him as singular and possibly refreshingly special was his clothing choice of a vest. Hmm. Interesting. And what kind of glasses was he wearing? Rimless? Different. Not nerdy, but a signature that quietly stated he preferred a distinct preference and didn’t have to conceal it just to look and act like everyone else.

Wow—a fellow individual! Did he have a charming personality to accompany the way he carried himself?

Thirty days ticked by, happily filled with talk between this young woman and man. They enjoyed long walks, dinner out…just time spent with each other.

One night, after having a rough day—what a Friday the 13^thshe was having!—she went to his off-campus apartment and surprised him with a dinner-out invitation. For dessert, he took her to buy a diamond engagement ring. Eight months later, they wed on a beautiful, mild cloudless July 4^th.

To a few readers, this may sound like a whirlwind tale of lovers. Maybe you’re thinking that it just doesn’t happen in real life and therefore the concept isn’t plausible. Well, dear reader, love can and does happen pretty fast at times. That young man and woman in the above scenario is my husband and myself. And, as July 4^thapproaches, we’re looking forward to another blessed wedding anniversary and year to come together.

In my newly released novel, When Love Blossoms, Book 2 of the Kindred Lake Romance Series (though a standalone read), Kierra and Ryan don’t plan on meeting and for that matter, aren’t looking for a romantic partner. The not-too-long-ago breakup with her fiancé still has Kierra’s heart aching. Meanwhile, Ryan is just beginning to get onto his feet after witnessing a sad tragedy, yet his teen daughter’s needs and demands rate number one in his concerns.

But.

Ah, love. True love happens when it does and where it occurs. True love is always right, never misplaced. True love arrives at the right time, never late, nor early.

I hope you will visit with Kierra and Ryan and that their story showers you with hope and joy. May true love bless each one of you.

Blurb for When Love Blossoms:

The journeys in life take you to unexpected destinations. The love of a good person brings you home.

Kierra Madden, proprietor of the Kindred Lake Inn, struggles for stability after her engagement ends, family strife continues, and business slows. When her mom, sister and teenage niece move in with her, life becomes a lot more complicated. There’s certainly spare room…until one guest arrives…on his bicycle. Ryan Delaney is fit and trim…quite the eye candy.

Ryan, a TV news anchor on a leave of absence following a horrific incident, enjoys the peace long-distance biking offers. Only in town to mend his strained relationship with his teen daughter, he never expects to fall for Kierra fast and hard. Despite her policy of separating business and pleasure, mutual attraction pulls them closer until unforeseen consequences threaten to wedge between them.

Surrounded by springtime beauty, will the temptation of desire bloom into a more powerful and lasting love?

Available on Amazon in print, Kindle, and Kindle Unlimited: https://amzn.to/2PNZZi3

Bio and links:

Elaine Stock is an award-winning author of Women’s & Inspirational Fiction to uplift with hope of better tomorrows.Her novel, Her Good Girl, received the Outstanding Christian/Religious Fiction in the 2018 IAN Book of the Year Awards, 2018 Readers’ Favorite Silver Medal in Christian Fiction and the 2018 American Fiction Awards in the Christian Inspirational category.

Elaine is a member of Women’s Fiction Writers Association, American Christian Fiction Writers, and the Romance Writers of America. Born in Brooklyn, NY, Elaine has now been living in upstate, rural New York with her husband for more years than her stint as a NYC gal. She enjoys long walks down country roads, visiting New England towns, and of course, a good book.

Visit with Elaine at
https://www.elainestock.com
https://twitter.com/ElaineStock
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorElaine….

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9873485.Elaine_Stock

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/elaine-stock

Get a free book at: https://elainestock.com/free-gift-for-you

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1JYAwNy

Writing the Past: the Dust Bowl

Posted on July 9, 2019 by Gail

Writing the Past: The Dust Bowl

Author Cleo Lampos visits with us today. I marvel at people surviving the Dust Bowl in the thirties, and Cleo’s parents did just that. During that time, people took whatever life gave them and did what they could to make ends meet. And Cleo has made this story from the Dust Bowl into a novel I’m looking forward to reading. She is offering a free book, e- or paperback, to one fortunate commenter. AuthoNow I’ll let her tell the story:

Blame it on the letters.

When my mother passed away, there was not much left of her earthly life. But a box of letters and journals came back to my home on the south side of Chicago. Too grieved to read them, they collected dust in the back of a closet until my age crossed the sixth decade. I decided to delve into my mother’s past.

Born in 1910, the oldest of eight children, Mom grew up on an Iowa farm and married my father in 1930. Just in time for the Great Depression. I can hear her now, saying, “Your father always had a job. We had food.” Times were tough.

My father dug irrigation ditches, spud cellars, or drainage ditches for highways. There are photos of him with his dragline surrounded by curious Lakota Indians. Because his work was location specific, the letters were addressed to 26 different addresses in Wyoming, Colorado and Utah in a five year period. The address to Greeley, Colorado remained for over twenty years because my big brother needed a permanent place to go to school. Many of the letters were those written by my mother to my grandmother as she described her life out West.

It was first hand historical information with a personal appeal. Especially all the entries in the journal in which my mother is making another quilt square. She describes how she obtained the scraps needed to make the square, and the design used. Much fabric was taken from the remnants of the feed bags that she utilized to create aprons, curtains, and pillowcases. My sister guards one of the quilts that she made during this period. Quilting became important to me because it represents the women of this era.

While living in tents, cabin camps and a small wooden trailer hitched behind the dragline, my mom and dad visited Hoovervilles. They bought trinkets created by desperate people etching out bare subsistence. My parents carried their young son to view the mountains, square dance with sheep herders, and hunker in during the Black Blizzards that terrified even the most devout. All of these stories were in the letters and the journals of my mother.

Researching the decade of the 1930s uncovered so much information about the people who would become the Greatest Generation. With this background and my own perspective from living, the historical novel, Dust Between the Stitches,was written. As I penned this work, the emotions of the men and women who faced daily challenges of food, shelter, foreclosure, and destitution forced me to think of how they would respond. Much of what I researched pointed to a generation that held tenaciously to a faith forged from the difficulties of life. It is that solid-rock faith that I hope comes through in my writing.

Bio: Cleo Lampos was born in Greeley, Colorado, but lives on the south side of Chicago. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and from St. Xavier University-Chicago. After 26 years of teaching behavior disorder/emotionally disturbed students, she is retired with her husband, Vernon. Together they volunteer at the community pantry garden, and are urban farmers on their own city plot. Church and 11 grandchildren fill their lives with activities. Lampos has written numerous magazine articles, and seven books.

Contact Cleo at: FB: Author Cleo Lampos

Website: www.cleolampos.com

E-mail: cleolampos@gmail.com

A WACKY WORLD

Posted on June 15, 2019 by Gail

It’s summer, and we all need some laughs, right? You’ll find them here, courtesy of Elizabeth Calwell, and in her memoir, Dear Passenger: Welcome to My Wacky World as a Flight Attendant.

Some readers will want to know this book contains some mild “language,” because that’s part of the life of a flight attendant. Having said that, I think you’ll still enjoy her true stories. And she is offering a giveaway–one free paperback book to a commenter. Now, enjoy!

Hey y’all, I’m a “High Altitude Safety Technician”. That’s a highfalutin way of saying I’m a flight attendant.

It’s just not possible to get trained for all the bizarre things that happen on airplanes these days. You’ve watched the stories on the TV news from the comfort of your recliner, but I’m locked in with this insanity going on.

If you all think this inflight craziness has only been happening the last few years, let me tell you about my very first international flight over twenty-five years ago.

We were on the way to Jamaica. I was standing in the galley with several of the flight attendants when a woman tapped me on the shoulder and yelled, “You need to do something about that thing.”

“I’m the brand new flight attendant here but is there something I can help you with?”

She said, “I’m not kidding. That thing’s waking my baby.”

Then we heard a strange noise. “Cock-a-doodle-doo.”

“Cock-a-doodle-doo?” We all looked at each other then rushed to investigate.

A Jamaican man had snuck a rooster on board in a brown-paper bag and shoved it under the seat in front of him. Do you know what a cock does when it wakes up? “Cock-a-doodle-doo. Cock-a-doodle-doo!”

Everyone was laughing and all the passengers were pointing at the man, who didn’t understand all the excitement. He said, “Hey Mon, No problem here. It’s my dinner.”

Speaking of dinner, back when we regularly served meals on flights we hustled as fast as we could to get the passengers served as quickly as possible. Each new row, we repeated in rapid succession, “Beef? Or chicken? Beef or chicken? Beeforchicken?”

When I moved the cart forward to the next row, a man sitting next to the window declared in a booming voice, “I think I’ll have some of that thar’ beaver-chicken.”

“Excuse me?”

“Yeah. Beaver-chicken.”

There are things that just don’t bear explaining. I served him the chicken without a word. After all, doesn’t everything taste like chicken?

When we got closer to the back of the plane, we ran out of chicken. I asked a passenger, “Would you care for the beef for dinner?”

He demanded, with a Spanish accent, “I require cheeken.”

I said, “I’m so sorry, but we don’t have any more chicken, all we have is beef.

“I require cheeken. My ticket say I require cheeken.”

“Really! OK, show me your ticket.”

Sure enough, he pulled out his boarding pass and pointed to where it was printed in bold letters, CHECK IN REQUIRED.

Why couldn’t that man have been on my very first international flight? I could have handed him some really fresh poultry in a brown paper bag!

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You’ll find lots of amusing situations like these in my comedy memoir, Dear Passenger: Welcome to My Wacky World as a Flight Attendant. It’s humorous, light-hearted and entertaining with some vital information about air travel slipped in. My small town upbringing has given me a unique Southern perspective on the antics of passengers and unusual happenings while traveling.

Have you ever wondered about the life of a flight attendant? Or maybe you’ve had a hard day at work and need to escape your on the ground job. Well, fasten your seat belt and join me at 35,000 feet. I can tell you all about it.

Welcome aboard!

Elizabeth Calwell

Purchase Dear Passenger at:https://www.amazon.com/s?k=books+Dear+Passenger&ref=nb_sb_noss

You may contact Elizabeth at: Elizabeth@elizabethcalwell.com

Lord of Her Heart

Posted on May 27, 2019 by Gail

Welcome to Sherrinda Ketchersid with her debut novel. Sometimes, the timing for our projects change. This happened with Lord of Her Heart , the novel Sherrinda started about a decade ago, and many authors can relate. Sherrinda is offering an e-copy of this novel to one commenter.

I began my writing journey late in life. I had turned forty and still had teens in the house, but decided I wasn’t going to grow old and regret not writing a book. Since historical romance is my genre of choice, I began researching women from the middle ages and learned wealthy girls were sent to convents for an education. They learned to read, write, spin, weave, etc. to prepare them to run large estates after they were married.

The question ‘what if?’ kept running through my mind. What if a girl were abandoned at a convent? What if she was forced to either take her vows or marry an old man willing to pay money to the convent? These questions gave me Jocelyn’s story in Lord of Her Heart.

It took several years to write the story, and by then I had learned to edit the manuscript, and worked to polish it as best I could. The novel finaled in a few contests and won the TBL Contest back in 2011, but I couldn’t find an agent. It was a frustrating time.

Then in 2014, I felt led by the Lord to set aside my writing. It had become an idol in my life and I knew I had replaced my focus on God with a focus on writing—or at this point, publishing. This was not easy, but it was the right thing to do. I quit writing and blogging, worked an outside job and focused my free time on my family and church.

During this time I learned an important lesson. There is nothing in this life—no pursuit, no love, no career … nothing—more important than our journey with God. Anything that pulls us away from our relationship with the Lord needs to be re-evaluated.

When our focus is on God and His will, everything else in life falls into proper order. Now that I’ve taken up writing again, I’m learning that it is not about the success of my book—it is about my journey with God throughout the whole process.

I had set aside Lord of Her Heart and begun writing a second medieval romance when I heard about #FaithPitch on Twitter. On a whim I pitched Lord of Her Heart in March of 2018 and got a request to submit to Smitten, the historical line for Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas.

Within a few weeks I was offered a contract. It’s been a whirlwind of editing and marketing, and I feel so blessed to have been offered this opportunity. This truly is a dream come true.

Author’s Back Cover Copy

Lady Jocelyn Ashburne suspects something auamiss at her family’s castle
because her father ceases to write to her. When she overhears a plot to
force her into vows—either to the church or a husband—she disguises
herself and flees the convent in desperation to discover the truth.

Malcolm Castillon of Berkham is determined to win the next tournament
and be granted a manor of his own. After years of proving his worth on
the jousting field, he yearns for a life of peace. Rescuing a scrawny
lad who turns out to be a beautiful woman is not what he bargained for.
Still, he cannot deny that she stirs his heart like no other, in spite
of her conniving ways.

Chaos, deception, and treachery threaten their goals, but both are
determined to succeed. Learning to trust each other might be the only
way either of them survives.

Author Bio

Sherrinda Ketchersid is a lover of stories with happily-ever-after endings. Whether set in the past or present, romance is what she writes and where her dreams reside. Sherrinda lives in north-central Texas with her preacher husband. With four grown children, three guys and a gal, she has more time and energy to spin tales of faith, fun, and forever love.

Connect with Sherrinda:

Website:www.sherrinda.com

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

Twitter:https://www.twitter.com/sherrinda

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

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

Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19022507.Sherrinda_Ketchersid

Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/sherrinda-ketchersid

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Sherrinda-Ketchersid/e/B07Q5Y8QHF/

BUY LINK: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Q4R9L8Z/

Freedom River

Posted on May 18, 2019 by Gail

WELCOME to Claire Sanders, award-winning inspirational fiction author. Claire tells us about her latest CIVIL WAR release here, and is offering a paperback copy of FREEDOM RIVER to one commenter.

I know the following statement is an open confession that I am a book reading nerd, but I’m going to admit how excited I get when I find a new author I love. Right away, I look up all of her publications and dive in.

I hope you’ll feel the same way about my newest release, Freedom River. It is a historical romance set during the time of the Underground Railroad. Several of the characters and events are based on actual people and real situations.

Stories of people who fought evil with goodness have always intrigued me. The abolitionists who participated in the Underground Railroad knowingly broke federal law. They risked imprisonment in order to follow the dictates of their conscience. I sometimes wonder if I have the same courage of my convictions that they did.

There are four main characters in Freedom River. Constance has joined the abolitionist movement in Ripley, Ohio, but has done little more than write pamphlets and attend meetings. But her minor role changes drastically when she is the only person available to help a runaway slave.

Micah, once a student of Reverend John Rankin, one of the chief architects of the Underground Railroad, spurned abolitionist teachings and became a slave catcher. He’s sure he’s found sufficient justification for hunting runaways, until an escapee gives him reason to doubt.

Opal was born a slave. She never considered escaping across the nearby Ohio River until her master gave her no choice. Will risking her life and the life of her baby for an unknown future be worth it?

Charlie was born free. Nevertheless, he helps runaways move to the next safe station or employs the men on his farm. But what will he do with a beautiful woman who crossed the river with a baby on her back?

I’m sure you’ll find Freedom River to be an exciting and engrossing story. Be sure to connect with me at any (or all) of the online sites below.

Click here to buy.

Claire Sanders is an award-winning author of inspirational novels. Her attention is always drawn to stories about someone fighting for what’s right in the face of overwhelming resistance. That, and a life-long interest in history led to an appreciation for the abolitionists who dared to break mankind’s law in order to uphold God’s law.

Claire writes about Christians in conflict. Never one to preach, she lets the plot reveal how the characters’ faith sustains them through the struggle. To find out more and see an complete list of her novels, visit her website – www.clairesandersbooks.com.

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