Thursday, December 24, 2020

My Story BEFORE The Story ~ Cheryl Chandler ~ in THE PERILS OF CHERYL ~ by ~ Carol McClain

My name is Cheryl Chandler, and I always knew the truth about fairy tales. With every beat of my heart, I believed today would prove their reality.

Warm lips pressed against my cheek.

Martin.

I reached for him, pulled him close as he …

“Cheryl, if you don’t get up now, you’ll miss your wedding. You’re the only woman ….”

Mom—not Martin—blathered on about me oversleeping then flounced out of the room.

I clutched the pillow I had believed was Martin and swiped off the damp from Mom’s kiss. Yuck. But today? I sighed the dreamy exhale of romance novel heroines. I’d marry my prince.

Out of bed, I threw open the shades. Azure sky peeked out of fluffy white clouds with black-streaked bottoms. What did my earth science teacher call them? Strato-accumulate? No. Martin played a Strat guitar, and he certainly accumulated a lot of them. Ah. Stratocumulus! Perfect.

My stomach rumbled. I sniffed hoping for the scent of French toast with strawberries and whipped cream.

Nope.

In the bathroom, I stuttered to a stop. My hair! Cosmo Kramer looked better. No problem. That’s why God invented hairdressers.

With all toiletries complete, I opened the bathroom door and walked into the solid wall that was my mother. She stood with arms crossed so close to the door, her nose had to have been touching it. “In five minutes, you have a hair appointment. Twenty-minutes away.”

She grabbed my arm, and off we ran through the summer morning that smelled—what? Somewhat ionized? I looked up. Still, lots of blue.

Even with oversleeping and only eating the cold (non-French) toast Mom thrust at me, the rest of the day would bring my happily-ever-after. All fairy tales abounded with problems. But the ending …? I sighed.

Again.

Two hours later, with stomach rumbling, we arrived at the Lodge—our premier wedding venue. The tulle and silk flowers decking the gazebo fluttered in the breeze that seemed more of a gale than a zephyr. No time to think about the wind currents.

In the dressing room, my best friend, Janelle, helped me slip on my dress. “You look gorgeous. Perfect hair. Perfect make-up. Perfect day for an outdoor wedding.” She grabbed the zipper and pulled.

Pulled some more.

And more.

“Breathe in,” Janelle said.

I sucked in air.

“More.”

I tightened every abdominal muscle, stopped breathing until the world whirled around me. The zipper wouldn’t budge.

“It fit perfectly a month ago,” I wailed. “Could it have shrunk in storage?”

“Could you have eaten a gallon of Ben & Jerry’s every night?”

My face heated. Coughing overtook me, and I couldn’t answer.

Janelle moaned her signature lament—the once she’d used since grade school when she dealt with my missteps. She dashed out of the room.

My stomach growled, and I paced. What would I do? If Janelle took any longer, I’d lose enough weight to fit my dress.

“Here we go.” Janelle breezed into the room brandishing needle, thread and safety pins. “Out of the dress. I’ll let out the seams. Hopefully, we’ll have enough play to make it fit.”

Finally, perfectly coifed and fitted, but late for my own wedding, I stood at the exit of the Lodge. I peered through the glass doors. Martin and the groomsmen stood under the gazebo. Guests filled the chairs under the canopy. Above me … I looked up. No. Those beautiful clouds looked dirty, like they four-wheeled through a mud run.

The violinist played the wedding march.

I stepped out.

The wind blew flowers out of my bouquet. I clutched my veil as my father gripped my arm as though to keep me from becoming Dorothy off to Oz. Only twenty steps to the canopy.

We took step two.

Rain pelted us. We ran.

The Olympic sprint in the rain drenched us. Of course, once under the canopy, the torrent subsided.

At the altar, Dad gave me to Martin. We recited our vows.

Happy is the bride it rains upon, is the old cliché.

Married to my prince, in twenty-years, I’d discover the truth about fairy tales.

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Carol is offering a free copy of The Perils Of Cheryl, direct from Amazon
for one who leaves a comment. 
Please leave your email address, so we can contact you after the drawing
THURSDAY MORNING, DEC 24, 2020

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My Story Title:   The Perils of Cheryl

My Story Genre:  Women's Fiction

My Story Releases:   January 4, 2021
                        Up for PRE-ORDER NOW

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The Author of My Story:    Carol McClain



Carol McClain's a passionate Christian whose stories show the redemption of the unredeemable. Although themes range from forgiving the unforgiveable to escaping the trauma of the past, all her stories are told with humor and compassion. They will make you laugh and cry.

She’s an author of four books.
In February, Elk Lake Publishing will release Borrowed Lives

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Get Connected:

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WHERE can the book be purchased?


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Thursday, December 17, 2020

Our Story BEFORE The Story ~ Constable Ben Koper & Joy Gallagher ~ NORTHERN PROTECTOR ~ HEROES OF THE TUNDRA BOOK 2

I’m Constable Ben Koper, and if you read the article in the Winnipeg Free Press, last November, you’ll know a polar bear mauled me up in Churchill, Manitoba. I had television news calling day and night at the hospital wanting updates on my condition. My doctors kept them away. I just wanted to tell my story once, and I wasn’t interested in showing my ugly mug on television.

Why did the bear attack me? No idea. I’d just left Ruby’s Café & Emporium and was heading across the street, back to my police truck, when it felt like a vehicle slammed into me from behind. In a flash, I was face down in the snowy street, and the next second there was a crushing pain on both sides of my head and neck. I knew a bear’d gotten a hold of me as soon as I flew sideways and up in the air. It flipped me back and forth twice. The stink of its breath choked me.

I flew through the air again and it slammed me down on the frozen pavement. Its left front paw clawed down my parka and I screamed when my shoulder dislocated. Blood was in my eyes. I couldn’t see anything. People were yelling and screeching. I heard truck horns blaring. The bear bit down hard on me again and I passed out. That’s all I remember, sorry.

Yeah, I’ve had two plastic surgeries on my face, scalp, and my right ear. They saved my ear at the Health Centre in Churchill, and my shoulder too. The orthopedic surgeon in Winnipeg said if the doctor hadn’t given me blood transfusions right away, I would’ve died before the helicopter ever left Churchill. Am I scared to go back? Yeah, in a way. There’ll always be polar bears in Churchill. You need to stay clear of them, even in town. I didn’t check the corner of the building that day, and that was my fault. If I had, I would’ve seen the bear coming between the buildings. He was just being a bear.

I'm Joy Gallegher, and I was on duty in the ER the day that polar bear attacked Ben. It was at twilight in the late afternoon and it’s so hard to see a polar bear against the snow when it’s dusk and the light is murky. We don’t have street lights in Churchill. I guess that’s why Ben didn’t see the bear coming.

Anyway, I assisted Dr. Will Stedman with the surgery because I had been a surgical resident before I had to quit med school and have my daughter. Up here in the north, we medical people have to be prepared to use whatever skills we have when trauma patients come in. And Ben was in terrible shape. I didn’t think we’d be able to save his ear or his right shoulder; the bear had done so much damage to him. Torn ligaments and tendons to his shoulder–my, I didn’t think he’d ever be able to use it again. But we stabilized him with several blood transfusions, and reattached his ear enough that the plastic surgeon in Winnipeg would be able to “make it pretty”, as Dr. Stedman said.

As for his head, it took about sixty-seven staples to close his scalp and his forehead. He’ll have a scar running down through his right eyebrow and across that part of his face forever. I guess it’s a good thing he’s a man, and that didn’t happen to a woman, because I don’t know how a woman would cope with it. I know plastic surgery can do a lot, but it’s so expensive!

Anyway, after Ben’d been away for about a month, I was curious how he was doing and I texted him. I shouldn’t have done it. I could’ve lost my job over it if he’d ever complained to anyone, but he seemed to be thankful for the contact. We started up a nice friendship while he was recuperating down in Winnipeg. He’d send me photos of his shoulder scars and his physiotherapy workouts, and we’d text about our day, and what we were having for supper. Silly things like taking photos on Snapchat of our fish and chips or casserole suppers. My daughter thought it was cute to see what Ben was eating each night.

Now he’s coming back to Churchill to finish his posting and I’m so nervous to see him again! He’s been gone nine months and we’ve never actually talked on the phone, just texted back and forth. How adolescent is that? I don’t know what I’m going to say to him when I see him again. If only we’d talked in person all this time, I’d know if he wanted to continue a friendship with me, or if he just thought texting was something dorky to do with the nurse who helped save his ear. Who knows?
Laurie is doing a Rafflecopter giveaway (US and Canada only) for an E-book set of all three of her Heroes of the Tundra series, including Northern Protector. Make sure you enter here to win:

The winner will be chosen within 48 hrs and announced on Laurie’s social media. The winner must respond in order to receive the prize or another winner will be chosen.

Thanks for stopping by today!

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Our Story Title:   NORTHERN PROTECTOR
                    HEROES OF THE TUNDRA BOOK 2
Our Story Genre:  Inspirational Romantic Suspense

Our Story Released:   December 8, 2020

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The Author of Our Story:    Laurie Wood







Laurie lives in Central Canada and writes inspirational romantic suspense with an edge of danger. She’s also a military wife who’s raised two wonderful special needs children to adulthood. They’ve lived all over Canada and are still on that journey. When she’s not writing she can be found at her spinning wheel, knitting, or hanging out with her dogs in the garden. She loves to hear from readers and always replies so feel free to get in touch with her.

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Get Connected:

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WHERE can the book be purchased?

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Thursday, December 10, 2020

My Story BEFORE The Story ~ Adina Hirschberg ~ A Light In The Window by Patrick E. Craig (From A Christmas Collection by The Men of Amish Fiction)

Whenever I see snow, I remember the miracle.

I remember the white flakes falling like tiny angels outside the window. I remember the flickering lamps, the wonder on my mama’s face and my grandmother’s whispered prayers of thanks. Yes, I remember the miracle.

I know that we all have small miracles every day, because the hand of Gott guides each of us, and he is always doing wonderful things if only our eyes are open to see them. But this was a big miracle and, though I am old now and my failing memory hides many things from me, this miracle has never left me, shining through all the days of my life, like the Hanukkah Menorah that burned in our window in the winter of 1945, tended by a little girl who was hoping and praying that her papa would come home for Christmas.

In those days, I lived in Colorado with my mama, Emily, my grandmother, Magda, and my papa, Gerd.  We all came to America from Germany in 1940, to the beautiful San Luis Valley. My papa bought a ranch and raised Mustang horses. After we were there for a year Papa, Mama, and my grandmother became citizens. Then the war came to America. Because my Papa was German, he knew he could help the American cause, so he enlisted. Mama said it was hard for him because he was raised in the Amish faith, and he always believed that it was wrong for men to hurt each other. But he also believed that he needed to help defend America from the evil that was Hitler—an evil he had seen firsthand. He became an officer and left us to go with the army. The day he went away, oh, he was so handsome in his uniform, and my mama cried.

Now the war in Europe was over, but my Papa was not home and we had not heard from him for several months. My mama was so anxious and I remember hearing her cry at night when she thought I could not hear her.

Back in 1936, there were bad times in Germany. My Papa was an Amish man who owned a farm in the tiny village of Ixheim, right on the border with France. He lived there with my grandmother. That was before I was born.  My mother was a Jewish girl that was being hunted by the Nazis. She was trying to escape to France, but she only made it as far as my Papa’s barn. When my Papa found her hiding there, he fell in love with her. He married her but the Nazis found them and sent them to the Dachau concentration camp. On the way there they met a Jewish man who helped them escape. He also helped them to discover their Messiah, Yeshua Hamaschiach, Jesus Christ, but though that’s another story, that is why we always had Christmas and Hanukkah at the same time in our house in Colorado. And that is where the miracle began.

When my papa and mama left Germany in 1936, my papa also left the Amish Church. The Nazis had convinced the Amish to turn in Jews and Communists to the Gestapo, and there were other things the church did my papa could not agree with. Papa sold his farm to his friend, and my parents and my grandmother escaped over the border to France. I was born there, in the village of Épernay, outside of Paris in 1937. Papa found work in the vineyards and mama taught in a school for Jewish refugee children. My Mütti, that’s what I called my grandmother, stayed at home and took care of me. Though I don’t remember it, Mütti said we lived in a little cottage in the middle of a large vineyard where they grew grapes to make French Champagne. It was very long ago, but sometimes I see a picture in my mind of a rock wall with purple and yellow flowers spilling over it and my Mütti sitting in the sun in an old chair.

Then things got bad in France and the French Army moved to the border to keep the Germans from getting in. My papa was very smart, and he knew that all the Jewish people in France were in danger if the Germans came, so with the money he got from selling his farm, he bought tickets to America. And so, when I was three years old, we came to Colorado and bought our ranch. Then my papa went away to the war. And that’s where this story of the miracle begins.

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Patrick E. Craig will be honored to gift a winner (US only) a signed copy of

A Light In The Window

Be sure to leave a comment with an email address where you can be reached should you win.

DRAWING TO BE HELD WEDNESDAY EVENING ~ December 16. 2020.

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My Story Title:  A Light In The Window

My Story Genre:  Amish Romance

My Story Releases:  November 2020

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The Author of My Story: Patrick E. Craig



Amazon Best-Selling author Patrick E. Craig, is a lifelong writer and musician who left a successful music career to become a pastor in 1986. In 2007 he retired to concentrate on writing and publishing fiction books. In 2011, Patrick signed a three-book deal with Harvest House Publishers to publish his Apple Creek Dreams series. His self-published books, The Amish Heiress, The Amish Princess, and The Mennonite Queen, as well as the reprinted Apple Creek Dreams are now published by Patrick’s imprint, P&J Publishing. In 2017, Harlequin Publishing purchased The Amish Heiress for their Walmart Amish series and released it in April 2019.

Patrick and co-author Murray Pura released Far On The Ringing Plains, Book 1 in a nine book series that will take in the whole sweep of men and women at war from WW II to the current Desert Campaigns. The have also collaborated on an anthology of realistic Amish stories written with the four other men who write Amish fiction: Willard Carpenter, Jerry Eicher, Thomas Nye and Amos Wyse. The Amish Menorah and Other Stories was published by Elk Lake Publishing in May of 2020. The six authors are currently collaborating on A Christmas Collection which was released in November. Patrick has also recently released two books in his YA mystery series, The Adventures of Punkin and Boo, with Elk Lake Publishing. They are The Mystery of Ghost Dancer Ranch and The Lost Coast. He has a new book, a creative non-fiction memoir that is a coming of age in the high mountains set of stories titled Say Goodbye To The River. Patrick and his wife Judy live in Idaho. They have two daughters and five grandchildren.

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Get Connected:

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WHERE can my book be purchased?

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Thursday, December 03, 2020

Our Story BEFORE The Story ~ Keegan Stryker & Taya McGill ~ Grave Christmas Secrets by Sharee Stover

My name is Keegan Stryker and I’m an ATF agent (Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives). I’ve worked undercover to takedown a weapons trafficker.

Been undercover so long, I can’t remember what life was like before that, but suffice it to say I’m a loner. No relationships because those are dangerous in my line of work. Okay, truth is they’re dangerous for me period. Too much at stake. And what woman wants to be involved with someone who might not come home after a day in the “office”?

My career with the ATF transformed me from the man I once was, but I don’t regret that. Discipline and integrity combined with chameleon abilities taught me to be a better, wiser agent. But no amount of training equipped me to deal with the intensity and irrational thoughts that emotions bring. I can work any scene, any crime, any takedown without issue until people I love are involved.

My stepsister Patrice became an ATF agent too. Following in her big brother’s footsteps. I encouraged her to climb the ladder of success, and I meant it. But her choices and case took her down a dark road that neither of us dreamed would change our lives forever.
Patrice is the reason I met Taya McGill. Well indirectly anyway. Taya’s a force to be reckoned with and she’s a praying woman with a warrior’s heart. I never imagined I’d fall so hard for anyone. Isn’t it strange how tragedy becomes something beautiful when God’s involved?

My name is Taya McGill and I’m a forensic anthropologist. My career is fascinating but the truth is, I live the most boring life imaginable. I dress boring, I decorate boring. I also prefer being around the dead far more than the living. I know it sounds morbid but they’re far less opinionated. They’ll never hurt you. I love uncovering the mysteries behind the cases I work and bringing due justice for victims and families. I longed to work for the FBI but that dream was stolen by someone who promised to love me forever. He lied. And I lost my dream. But I have solace in my job now and I wouldn’t trade that for anything.  And I like it that way.

At least I did until Keegan Stryker threw me over his shoulder. I can laugh at that now, but I wasn’t thrilled in the moment. I’m used to fighting for myself, I’ve had to my whole life. I’m the one who gets ignored, remains invisible in the group. I’m just forgettable, I guess? But I don’t mind. I like the anonymity.

Okay, truth is, having your heart broken can make anyone a recluse. I didn’t consider myself one, I really felt like I was just devoted to my work. That was easier than admitting I was terrified of ever losing control of my life again. Of having a man destroy my heart. And in my self-imposed prison I thought I was protecting myself. Until Keegan walked into the picture, then I realized I wanted to feel love again more than I wanted to live safe.

Love is empowering, terrifying, and absolutely wonderful.

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MS STOVER is gifting one signed copy of GRAVE CHRISTMAS SECRETS 
to one US resident who leaves a comment.

Drawing to take place WED evening DEC 9, 2020


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My Story Title:   Grave Christmas Secrets

My Story Genre:  Romantic Suspense

My Story Released:   November 2020

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The Author of My Story:    Sharee Stover


 
     Colorado native Sharee Stover  lives in Nebraska with her real-life-hero husband, three too-good-to-be-true children, and a ridiculously spoiled dog. A self-proclaimed word nerd, she loves the power of the written word to ignite, transform, and restore. She writes Christian romantic suspense combining heart-racing, nail-biting suspense and the delight of falling in love all in one. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Sisters in Crime, and Nebraska Writer’s Guild. Sharee is a triple Daphne du Maurier finalist, winner of the 2017 Wisconsin Fabulous Five Silver Quill Award, and her debut, Secret Past, won Best First Book in the 2019 National Excellence in Romance Fiction Awards. When she isn’t writing, Sharee enjoys reading, crocheting and long walks with her obnoxiously lovable German Shepherd. Visit her at 
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Thursday, November 26, 2020

Thanksgiving Is STILL Alive ~ Joy Avery Melville

This year our Thanksgiving ~ though different ~ Is STILL alive!

I write Fiction, but never in my wildest story-building has God given me a story that would depict what 2020 has been to so very many individuals!

When God call me to write Contemporary Christian Women's Fiction, I knew it meant I'd be writing stories of fictional journeys leading to joy... and my prayer is, that all that you've gone through, journeying through this maze of 2020, God has still given you the hope of joy.

November 14, 2019, my Christian Contemporary Women's Fiction, Meant For Her released ~ The first chapter takes place on Thanksgiving Day and the heroine's brother, Cam, expresses, in a prayer, all that he is thankful for after having been searching for his sister for weeks after her kidnapping. At the time, Candi wasn't seeing all she had to be thankful for... in fact, she was contemplating all she'd gone through. Kidnapping, beatings, rapes... no, she saw the world as a trauma victim. 

Candi realized she never would have survived had a man and his daughter not been out deer hunting, yet her PTSD kept her behind unyielding prison bars in her heart and mind. She didn't have to keep her heart walled off... but it took the help of many to get her past it - GOD WAS HER ULTIMATE RESCUER!

How about you? When was the last time you sat and made a list of every single thing you have to be thankful for? What gives you a hope for the joy to come?   

Have you looked into a concordance of the Bible and looked at how many times the word THANKS is listed?

One of my all-time favorite challenges from Scripture is where Paul spoke to Thessalonians and told them, in spite of all they faced, he encouraged them to...
"Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:17 & 18 (NASB)

I realize this is the year of COVID 19 ~  is stretching us with each shut-down, lock-in, and mask-wearing scenario... unlike one could have possibly imagined. I'm one of those 'too-susceptible-to-be-around-people' individuals. It's been a trying year for me and for my husband, but God has sustained us... provided for us in ways we never thought possible, in spite of all the messiness. 

Meant For Her was a fictional story of one woman's journey to joy ~  like our own personal journeys, joy often comes after we've been through some form of sorrow, or hardship, or even a tragedy.

"Weeping may endure for the night, but joy cometh in the morning." Psalm 30:5 (KJV)

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My Story Title:   MEANT FOR HER

My Story Genre:  Christian Contemporary Women's Fiction with Romance

My Story Released:   November 14, 2019

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The Author of This Story:    Joy Avery Melville


As an award winning author, Joy Avery Melville's heart’s desire is to be the author God has called her to be by sharing Him with readers in such a way they long to have a deeply committed personal relationship with Jesus Christ as Lord.

Fully intending to write Historical Romance—had in fact— she had no plans to deviate from that. God had something else in mind for that ‘call’ He’d made on her life back in 1967. A mere eighth grader at the time, she had no clue about the topics she’d be drawn to write about.

Surrendering to the genre God placed on her heart has given Joy new insight into the hearts and lives of those who too often hurt in silence.

The settings of Joy’s books are near where she lives in Schoolcraft, Michigan with her husband of nearly 47years and their 2-year-old Yorkie, Is-A-Bella Bindi, (Is-a-beautiful little girl) who thinks she’s a much larger breed with tomboy tendencies.

Joy loves to hear from readers and will respond!

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Get Connected:

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Thursday, November 19, 2020

MY STORY BEFORE THE STORY ~ Nyssa ~ Fortune’s Fall ~ by Katherine Barger

Nyssa ~

“I’m not going. And you shouldn’t either.” I try to shove my best friend, Greer, out of my doorway, but he doesn’t budge. I glare up at him. A wisp of frizzy hair has fallen loose from my ponytail and tickles my cheek. I shove it behind my ear and try to close the door again.

            “Aw, come on, Nyssa,” Greer says. He presses his fingers against the door to keep it from closing. “You’ve been studying all week. You can take a break and go downtown with everyone. It’s just dinner.” He presses his hands together. “Please?”

            “Nope.” I shake my head. “Now get out. Go study. I’ll see you tomorrow.” I try to close the door again, and this time he takes a step backward with a wounded pout. “Night!” I slam the door, then whirl and lean against it to survey the small common room that connects my room with Ethelind’s. We’ve been roommates since we arrived seven years ago to study in the prestigious Presidential Education Program. Now, here we are: seventeen years old, on the cusp of our final exam and graduation, and about to enter the next level of elite training for America’s smartest students.

            Am I ready for this?

            I smooth a few more flyaways from my face and cross the common room to my bedroom, then take a running leap onto my bed and burrow beneath my paisley quilt. Some would say I was born ready. When you have a gift like mine, it’s hard to argue the point.

            I sigh and flip onto my back to stare up at the ceiling. My room is cold—too cold. It’s still spring, but the Central Capital’s humid summer heat will arrive any day, and this freezing temperature is a preemptive attack.

            The silence is soothing, and I close my eyes. It’s been a year since President Omri had his last prophetic dream. A year since my mentor Pallas and I explained to him what it meant. And while we wait and wonder whether he’ll ever have another, Pallas and I work through his others, studying the symbols and arguing over what they mean.

            I open my eyes. Tomorrow, I’ll take an exam that doesn’t matter. At least not to me. My friends’ futures might ride on their test scores, but mine was determined long ago.

            I’m destined to become the president’s dream interpreter.

            The silence lulls me into a daze, and my eyelids grow heavy. There’s no need to tell Greer I slept instead of studied. Sometimes, omission is better than truth.

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            The next morning, I sink into a metal chair placed at one of the many desks that sits in the auditorium. I spot Greer’s buzzed blond head near the front. He turns and our gazes meet. He grins, then whirls to face the front before I can respond.

            I shake my head, my own lips curled in a smile, as I secure my earpiece and turn on my tablet. There will be plenty of time for celebratory dinners after this is over.

             The mentor who will monitor our exams steps to the front of the room. “Good morning. Please press the green square at the top of your screen. The exam will begin shortly. Good luck."

            I do as commanded, then wait for the exam to start. The screen glows blue and a voice speaks the first question into my earpiece.

            One deep breath later and I’m ready. A bolt of excitement shoots down my spine. I’m about to finish this chapter and move to the next.

            If I’d known in that moment what the future held, would I still have wished for tomorrow? 

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The author will be gifting a winner an autographed copy of Fortune's Fall (U.S. Only)
Be sure to leave a comment with an email address where you can be reached should you win.
DRAWING TO BE HELD WEDNESDAY EVENING ~ November 25, 2020.

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My Story Title:     Fortune's Fall

My Story Genre:   YA Christian Dystopian 

My Story Released:         November 3, 2020

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The Author of My Story:    Katherine Barger



Katherine Barger  writes stories about characters of faith in a world where faith is challenged. When she’s not wrangling kids alongside her forever-forbearing husband, she’s writing, eating Mexican food, or snuggling with her family’s two rescue pets: a dog named Queen Elsa and a cat named Princess Jasmine. 

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Get Connected:

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WHERE can the book be purchased?

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Thursday, November 12, 2020

~ HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MEANT FOR HER~

~FAITH & FELLOWSHIP BOOK FESTIVAL ANNOUNCED ~ 
~THE ANGEL BOOK AWARDS FOR 2020 ~

Just in time for a birthday! 






Now, I know those photos above are far from professional, but I had to take them from a video. I am still in shock, I think. God used this award to affirm my obedience in writing a genre, I never thought I wanted to write... never thought I'd be capable of writing. WITH GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE - especially when He has asked us to do it!

~ CELEBRATE MEANT FOR HER'S BIRTHDAY WITH ME ~


LEAVE A COMMENT ~ I WILL GIFT A FREE, SIGNED COPY OF MEANT FOR HER TO SOMEONE IN THE U.S. AFTER THE DRAWING IS HELD WEDNESDAY EVENING NOVEMBER 18, 2020!

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Story Title:      MEANT FOR HER

Story Genre:  Christian Contemporary Women's Fiction 
with a thread of Romance

 Story Released:   November 14, 2019
Happy birthday, Meant For Her

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Back Cover Blurb:

Had it all truly been ~ MEANT FOR HER?

Kidnapped, raped, brutally beaten, and left for dead, Candi Reynolds becomes a prisoner of fear. Faced also with the impact of the unexpected break-up with her fiancé, and an unwanted pregnancy resulting from the attacks, she believes God has forsaken her. Choosing to move back to the Michigan horse farm, owned by her older brother, Dr. Cam Reynolds, Candi essentially goes into seclusion.

Dr. Patrick (Mack) MacKevon, long-time friend of Cam’s, watches from the sidelines at the farm, where his horses are stabled, while Candi struggles to regain a sense of normalcy. His own big-brother tendencies develop into a much deeper emotion over the months he prays for her.

Is it possible for Candi to put all the pain and trauma behind her and renew her former relationship with the Lord? Will she allow her heart to open enough to discover authentic love, while making decisions of victory on her personal journey to joy?

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Author:   Joy Avery Melville


Joy Avery Melville's  heart’s desire is to be the author God has called her to be by sharing Him with readers in such a way they long to have a deeply committed personal relationship with Jesus Christ as Lord. 

Fully intending to write Historical Romance—had in fact— she had no plans to deviate from that. God had something else in mind for that ‘call’ He’d made on her life back in 1967. A mere eighth grader at the time, she had no clue about the topics she’d be drawn to write about.

Surrendering to the genre God placed on her heart has given Joy new insight into the hearts and lives of those who too often hurt in silence.

The settings of Joy’s books are near where she lives in Schoolcraft, Michigan with her husband of nearly 47years and their 2-year-old Yorkie, Is-A-Bella Bindi, (Is-a-beautiful little girl) who thinks she’s a much larger breed with tomboy tendencies.

Joy loves to hear from readers and will respond!

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  Joy would love to connect with  you:

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This book can be purchased at:

E-book, Paperback, Kindle Unlimited formats

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Thursday, November 05, 2020

Our Story BEFORE The Story ~ Jake Miller & Kali McIntyre ~ Northern Hearts ~ An Anaiah Christmas Novella

Jake Miller: I couldn’t sleep, so I’m here an hour early for the morning flight up from Winnipeg. It’s freezing sitting here in the truck, but if I go inside our tiny Churchill airport the reality of meeting this unknown relative of Cora’s—a niece, no less—means that my life is about to change completely.

At least my coffee’s good and hot, to keep my fingers from going numb in the cold. Ever since my business partner Cora McIntyre died last week, The Great Northern Lodge and Restaurant has been in an uproar. We knew her battle with cancer was ending, but none of us were ready to let her go.

Cora was my mentor, my friend, and almost a mother figure to me. Growing up in foster care in Toronto, one of Canada’s largest cities, I spent my childhood moving from home to home with a plastic garbage bag of my belongings. It was a fluke that I got myself into cooking school and came up here to Churchill, the gateway to Canada’s arctic, for a trip after graduation. I saw the sign Cora had posted looking for a sou-chef and applied, never thinking I’d get the job. And here I am, ten years later, waiting to find out if the young woman getting off this next flight is going to take away my livelihood, my dream of owning my own place—The Great Northern Lodge and Restaurant.

Hi, I'm Kali McIntyre. Now that I’m finally on this plane, I’m nervous about heading up to this arctic town on my own! I’ve always hated flying, so thank goodness this flight will be over soon. I’ve read over the lawyer’s letter in my purse a hundred times. He’s in Churchill, one thousand kilometers north of Winnipeg where I live, and he says I have an aunt who’s left me “a great deal of property both in real estate and cash” in her will. I never knew I had an aunt! My father’s never mentioned having a sister before, and my mother grew up a spoiled, only child of an extremely rich family.

I hate arguing with my father, but I have to know what this inheritance means. He wants me to join the family law firm and make use of my law degree, but I want to open my own dessert bar in downtown Winnipeg and forget the law entirely. Baking is my first love, and I want to make my mark on the restaurant scene. I’ve already found the perfect spot and hired an interior designer. Maybe I’ll inherit enough money from this mysterious aunt to make my dream a reality.

Wow, that’s a tiny town outside my window. The plane’s about to land, and I can see about five streets running east to west along the shoreline of Hudson Bay. No wonder my father told me this was a crazy idea. I hate it when the landing gears come down, and it feels like the plane’s about to fall out of the sky! Now we’re rumbling along the airstrip, braking on the ice… is the plane going to stop? Blood’s pounding in my ears. Everyone else seems to be fine. I take another peek out my window at the bright blue building that looks more like a storefront than an airport. Oh, Kali, what have you gotten yourself into?

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My Story Title:   NORTHERN HEARTS
                            Heroes Of The Tundra
                     An Anaiah Christmas Novellea
My Story Genre:  Romantic Suspense 

My Story Releases:   December 06,2019

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The Author of My Story:    Laurie Wood

           




Laurie Wood lives in Central Canada and writes inspirational romantic suspense with an edge of danger. She’s also a military wife who’s raised two wonderful special needs children to adulthood. They’ve lived all over Canada and are still on that journey. When she’s not writing she can be found at her spinning wheel, knitting, or hanging out with her dogs in the garden. She loves to hear from readers and always replies so feel free to get in touch with her.

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Get Connected:

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WHERE can the book be purchased?

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The author will be honored to gift a winner an ebook copy of
NORTHERN HEARTS
Leave a comment (with Email address so we can contact you)

DRAWING TO BE HELD WEDNESDAY EVENING ~ November 11, 2020
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Thursday, October 15, 2020

My Story BEFORE The Story ~ Josephine Nimetz ~ UNTIL JUNE by Barbara M. Britton

September 1, 1918 ~ I’m the youngest daughter of the best seamstress in Juneau, Alaska. At least my mother was the best dress designer until her fingers cramped from arthritis. Now, I intend to keep her business going, but with the invention of mail-order clothing, our customers are dwindling. Drat to the dresses in Mr. Rickteroff’s store.

My name is Josephine Nimetz. I’m a pioneer of sorts living in a land of claim jumpers, miners, and bears. You would think living in a remote location would keep me from hearing about the war and pandemics, but the newspaper still reports on battles and sickness. They say the influenza is coming to Alaska. I’d better eat well and avoid the cold winds.

September 20, 1918 ~ I never thought there could be a place more remote than Juneau, but I’m about to settle on an island, in a lodge, with my best customer’s son. Mrs. Chambers is a sweet, rich lady. Her stepson Geoff Chambers is not sweet. He’s the most sour person I have met, but he is a veteran and I can’t imagine the pain of losing both my legs in battle. My mother is ornery sometimes when her asthma flares at night. Geoff Chambers couldn’t be much worse to comfort. Doctor Miller has given me a list of instructions to follow regarding Geoff’s care. Everyone thinks I can do this job. Everyone that is except me. Well, it’s only until June. The influenza should be gone by then, and my life can get back to normal by summer.

November 20, 1918 ~ Wrong. I was wrong about so many things. Morphine addiction is not arthritis. Ghosts from war arrive at the lodge during the night. I try to scare them away, but Geoff is in a distant land fighting Germans when he sleeps, and he doesn’t boss the memories away.
I did what I could to make the situation better. It was reckless and I didn’t think it through, but God made it work somehow. God has a way of doing that, giving me the help that I need when it’s critical.
I only have to take care of Geoff until June. I can do this job. I have to, for the money, and for my family.

June 1, 1919 ~ It’s June. Geoff and I have a few more weeks together. I never thought I would say this, but I don’t want to leave the lodge. In truth, I don’t want to leave him. How did Geoff get lodged in my heart? 

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My Story Title:  Until June

My Story Genre:  Historical Christian Fiction

My Story Released:  e-book release - June 12, 2020, Paperback release - August 1, 2020

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The Author of My Story:    Barbara M. Britton
Barbara M. Britton lives in Southeast Wisconsin and loves the snow—when it accumulates under three inches. She is published in Biblical fiction and enjoys bringing little-known Bible characters to light in her stories. Look for Barb to venture into Christian Historical fiction in 2020 with “Until June.” She is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, Romance Writers of America, and Wisconsin Romance Writers of America. Barb has a nutrition degree from Baylor University but loves to dip healthy strawberries in chocolate.


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Get Connected:

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WHERE can the book be purchased?

  • Amazon
  • Barnes and Noble
  • And wherever books are sold.
  • Be sure to ask your library to obtain a copy of "Until June" as well.

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The author will be honored to gift a winner either an e-book copy or for U.S. residents only,  a signed copy of
Until June.

 Without an email address, we cannot inform the winner!
You may private message your email to me at   http://facebook.com/joy.averymelville, letting me know you've left a comment, if you're uncomfortable leaving it here in the comments.


DRAWING TO BE HELD WEDNESDAY EVENING ~ October 21, 2020

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Thursday, October 08, 2020

My Story BEFORE The Story ~ Michelle Wilson ~ Saving Grace by Amy Anguish

Michelle Wilson.

That’s the last time I will type my name into the byline at this paper. Nope. I’ve done my time here and my dream is finally happening. Tomorrow, I will move back to lovely little Cedar Springs, Arkansas, where a position at the paper awaits.

Two years. That’s how long I’ve been in Little Rock. And even though it’s maybe only an hour and a half from my hometown, I rarely get to go back. I haven’t even seen my best friend Greg in over a year. He’s one of the people I’m most looking forward to being close to again.

I add another comma in the last paragraph, hit save, and send the final article off to my editor. This paper has been good to me, but I’ve always wanted to work for the Cedar Springs Sun, and now that the chance has opened up, I’m taking it. Probably a step backward to most people, but I don’t care. To have my name in the Sun, reporting news that matters to people who know me—that’s the reason I always wanted to write.

Besides, even though it’s been a few years, Cedar Springs will be the same. Nothing ever seems to change around there. And that sounds lovely after rushing around with a city paper all this time.

My trusty camera is going along with me. I’ll use it to enhance my articles. And I’m starting up a photography business on the side, beginning with a friend’s wedding in a few weeks. I can’t wait to capture the magic of her perfect day.

For now, though, one more party with the friends I have made here. They’re nowhere as close as Greg has always been, but they’ve made life bearable away from those I love. It should be fun. We’ll probably eat too much junk food and stay up way too late. But my bags are packed, so who cares if I sleep in a bit before heading home tomorrow?

Life is finally going my way, and I’m going to enjoy it. What could go wrong?

Famous last words ...

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BRAND NEW!




My Story Title:   Saving Grace

My Story Genre:  Christian Contemporary Romance

My Story Released:   TUES ~ OCT 6, 2020

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The Author of My Story:    Amy Anguish

Amy R. Anguish grew up a preacher's kid, and in spite of having lived in seven different states that are all south of the Mason Dixon line, she is not a football fan. Currently, she resides in Tennessee with her husband, daughter, and son, and usually a bossy cat or two. Amy has an English degree from Freed-Hardeman University that she intends to use to glorify God, and she wants her stories to show that while Christians face real struggles, it can still work out for good.

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Get Connected:

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WHERE can the book be purchased?


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The author will be honored to gift a winner a signed copy of
SAVING GRACE

Leave a comment - Either leave your email address with the comment or PM the email addy to Joy  https://www.facebook.com/joy.averymelville/

DRAWING TO BE HELD WEDNESDAY EVENING ~ October 13, 2020.
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Thursday, September 24, 2020

My Story BEFORE The Story ~ Susanna Russell ~ The Heart of Courage by Lynne Basham Tagawa

I’m not quite sure where to start. Here I am, Susanna Russell, sitting in Uncle Basham’s carriage, on my way to glorious Williamsburg—I cannot wait—but my story is a bit dull.

My father’s name is John Russell [The Shenandoah Road]. He married my stepmother about ten years ago, and that was quite a tale, I’m told. But life goes on, you see, and though I love my parents, I just could not wait to leave the Shenandoah Valley.

For one thing, I’ve never been east of Richmond, which you know is not a town at all, just a landing with tobacco warehouses and a few shops. I’ve also been to the Jeffersons numerous times, which is infinitely more interesting. Tom is such a character! He’s always working on some project or other. When we were young we would hunt for precious jewels in the streambeds. We never found any actual gemstones, of course, unless you count colored quartz. We each have a rock collection.

As you know, young men always get a better education than young women, and while Grandda taught me a bit of Latin and history, it does not compare to the education Tom gets—or even Jamie Paxton’s, our minister’s student. He is studying for the ministry, which sounds positively dry, but I hear Jamie studies not just Latin and Greek, but also history and higher mathematics. I do not know if he has studied French, which is my goal. And painting.

I have always loved to draw. And I love color. I do not know why there are so few words to describe the color green. Forest green, hunter green—we must always put a modifier before the word. Green deserves better treatment, if you ask me. Why, other colors have special words: mauve and azure and gold. Why is that?

Anyway, I hope to study painting, though I have no hope of actually doing portraits for a living. In truth, other kinds of projects would suit me better. I wouldn’t even mind weaving. Spinning gives me a headache, though. I just can’t seem to get the knack! My threads are always lumpy.

There’s another reason I’m going to Williamsburg I haven’t mentioned yet. It’s the war. Oh, I know, there is no official war yet. My father says it’s only a matter of time before a declaration of war is made. You’ve undoubtedly heard about Major Washington and Fort Necessity. Some people laugh as if it were some kind of debacle, but it wasn’t! You must understand that between the French and the Indians our militia had no chance at all. I suppose I am just a little biased. Washington is a Virginian, the head of the Virginia militia.

The horrible French have stirred up the Indians, and folks are worried. On top of that, my father and Jamie Paxton are headed north to join Washington, who’s serving as an aide to General Braddock. So he’s sent the rest of the family to my aunt and uncle’s near Richmond, and I get to go to Williamsburg and stay with Tom’s aunt.

Braddock brought thousands of regular red-coated soldiers over here now in addition to our brave militiamen. They are going to capture Fort Duquesne. Or try, anyway.

And I’m worried about my father. And about Jamie, truth be told.

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My Story Title:   The Heart of Courage

My Story Genre:  Historical

My Story Releases:   Date 2019

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The Author of My Story:    Lynne Basham Tagawa
Lynne Tagawa is an author, editor, educator, and best of all, grandma to four. She loves to write quality fiction with solid gospel content. Her debut novel, A Twisted

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Get Connected:

To sign up for her newsletter and find special deals on her books - be sure to go to her website ~ above.

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WHERE can the book be purchased?

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The author will be honored to gift a winner a signed copy of
The Heart of Courage.

 Without an email address, we cannot inform the winner!
You may private message your email to me at   http://facebook.com/joy.averymelville, letting me know you've left a comment, if you're uncomfortable leaving it here in the comments.


DRAWING TO BE HELD WEDNESDAY EVENING ~ September 30, 2020

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