Author Spotlight week - Excerpt from Beyond Ever After

Hi All - it was great to have Carie on the blog this week. GIVEAWAY: Read this excerpt and leave a comment. You'll be entered to win a PDF copy of "Beyond Ever After". This giveaway will be going on all weekend. Winner will be picked on Monday morning. Please leave a contact email if you post so we can get ahold of you.

Smiles
Moderator Steph

*****


"I've prayed all week about going to Africa, and I was sure the right answer was to go. I truly believed, and still believe, it's what I am supposed to do. Then, this morning everything changed." Haven picked up her tea, took a quick sip like it was something stronger and set it down. "I was wrong in the way I handled all of it."

She didn't meet Brody’s eyes when she spoke. Those words must have cost her. There was that urge again, to pull her close to him and just hold her until the sadness was gone. But he remained seated, hating the fear that kept him rooted to the couch.
Finally, she blew out a breath and spoke quickly, without emotion, looking at his chest instead of at him. "I would like to go to Africa, but I won't go unless it's okay with you." Then, she met his eyes and finished, "I'm asking for your permission. I'll stay here if it's what you decide. But I really want to go. Eliya... the little girl on the fridge--"

He nodded. Did she really think he didn't know who Eliya was? That Haven sent a check every month to help the girl? That Haven had been there when she arrived at the mission?

"She's hurt and needs my help."

He remembered at that moment how much joy had once been bundled inside Haven, even as a child. She had been quick to smile and tease, soothing away the pain of anyone around her. She had laughed often and openly. Because the memories were so at odds with the woman who sat in front of him, he couldn't deny her. With the realization, the last drop of anger drained out of him.

Of course she could go. How could he deny her helping a child she loved? "I'll go with you." Had he really just said that?
Surprise flashed in her eyes and then acceptance. He desperately hoped happiness would come in its wake. But she closed her eyes again, and when she opened them there was a sad sort of resignation.

It cut deep. She didn't want to spend the summer with him. She wanted to go alone. Letting her go might be easier than spending the summer with her, when she didn't want him. But fear of the infinitely dangerous possibilities overrode his pride.
He couldn't let her go with no one to watch out for her. Despite what she thought, he couldn't imagine a life without Haven.

"Don't look so excited, honey." Anger fired out the words.

"Stop." The single, broken syllable held his tongue better than rage would have. "I can't... I can't do this. Please, Brody. No more." Her dry eyes were empty. "I'll do anything to help Eliya, but I can't spend the summer fighting with you. Not here and not in Africa. I need a break."

Brody sat in silence, staring at the drops of water running down the side of his glass. Maybe they were crying for Haven, because she didn't and wouldn't. Maybe they were crying for him, too, because he couldn't figure out how to make her happy.
There was no way he could let her go alone. He had to either go with her or tell her to stay. Because he couldn't stand the unhappiness he saw on her face, he clutched desperately to the one thing that came to his mind. "A truce."

Her head jerked backward.

He held up a hand of reassurance. "No fighting. We'll go to Africa on your terms. I'll be your bag boy and body guard. I'll do everything I can to help you and not get in your way. I'll have no expectations of you, Haven. If we start arguing, I'll go home and you'll get the break you think you need."

"What do you get in return?"

"I guess I get the satisfaction of knowing if something goes wrong, I'll be there to do what I can." He leaned back, settling in to the idea.

Haven stared for several long minutes in disbelief. It was enough to make him want to withdraw his offer. Instead, he waited. Despite the pain, and it was there, so deep it created a physical ache in his chest. The one person on earth who had ever loved him needed a break from him.

Author Spotlight week - Excerpt from Aloha, My Love

Our story so far: Adam Whitford, smarting from being rejected by the woman he pursued, has been deputized to go over to Delaine Bishop's home and find out why she isn't at church. The singles group is about to take off for a winter holiday in Hawaii, and he can't understand why she didn't show up...

Delaine answered his second ring, wearing jeans and a ski jacket. "Good, you're ready," Adam said. " Come on, the bus won't wait."

She lifted her chin. "I'm not going."

"Sure you are." Easily he lifted the single duffel bag sitting ready-packed by the door. "You're all set. What happened, you lose your bathing suit?"

"Adam, I don't want to go."

"'Course you do. Everybody who's fun is going." He gave her one of the goofy expressions that never failed to win a laugh from her. She stared solemnly at the floor. "Even me."

He didn't get the chuckle he hoped for. Instead, her fair complexion turned a shade whiter. Adam peered more closely. Why wouldn't Del meet his eyes?

"A lady has the right to change her mind."

"Aw, come on. It'll be great." He let his voice soften, getting to yes. "Sherril and Brad are already there. Ellen and Aubrey are going. Mike's coming, and that new guy is there, and Terry decided to come. It'll be a riot with that bunch. You can't tell me you'd rather stay here and shovel snow when you could be drinking pineapple punch with us."

He followed her into her kitchen where she fiddled with the stove knobs. It was unlike her to say nothing, so he filled an awkward silence. "Good. Checking to see if the gas is off is a good idea. It's off, so let's rock. I told 'em I'd have you back there in ten minutes."

She whirled. "Nobody says no to you, do they?"

Nobody except the woman I loved. "I try not to let that happen too often." He gave her his best grin. "Tends to inconvenience me when I don't get my own way."

She chewed her lower lip, a characteristic Del-gesture when thinking something over. That lower lip she abused had a soft curve, a pretty pale pink color. For an insane moment, he wondered about its flavor. Oh sure, he'd kissed her, carelessly, usually over some witticism, occasionally for a friendly good night. Why couldn't he remember how her mouth tasted?

That image softened his voice. "Come on, Del."

She stayed frozen for a moment, then lifted one shoulder in a helpless shrug. "Okay, then."

"Attagirl." He flashed her an encouraging grin, wondering what had put her into such a snit. Probably the money. Health care didn't pay beans unless you had M.D. behind your name. "You'll have a good time, we all will. Hey, you finished scuba classes last summer, right?" She nodded, turning off lights in the front room. "You certified yet?"

"No. All I need is my open-water dive."

"Great. I got a magazine. Look here. Sport Diver. Says there's lots of good places off the Big Island. Want to dive with me?"
Finally acquiescent, she turned off the hall light and snatched her small purse off its hook. "Maybe."

He threw her duffel into the back of his SUV. "Aw, come on. What's got you in the dumps?"

She allowed him to open the car door. This acquiescence in being treated as a lady by a gentleman was also new. What on earth was bugging her? His concern grew.

"Maybe it's just the winter." Del shivered. "It's dragged on too long. Too cold. Too much snow."

"Gotten any skiing in?"

"Not as much as I'd like, with all these blizzards. We're doing a computer conversion at work, so I've put in some really brutal hours."


"Then you owe yourself this trip." He slammed her door and bounded around to his own side. "I decided I owe myself, too."

Now why say that? Too revealing. I keep going like this, she might figure out that I'm a little sore over Stephany.
"Working a lot?"

He turned the heater to high, put the SUV in gear and pulled out of her driveway. The rear wheels slid a little then regained traction. "Not the long hours I did in my old job, would you believe it? Working less and making more."

Her laugh sounded more natural. "Sounds like a dream come true."

He nodded, signaling for the turn from Coventry onto Kensington. "Too bad everybody can't do it."

"I sure can't. The more complex things get, the more hours I need to be there. The department's going well, it's not that, but I'm salaried."

"Another promotion? Good for you."

"I'm called manager now." Her smile seemed genuine, this time. "That just means more accountability without an equal amount of authority."

He laughed. Her mood appeared to lighten -- but not enough. He decided that during the trip he'd get to the bottom of that long face. After all, just because she'd spent the last four months avoiding him, didn't mean their friendship was over.

All women had their flighty times, or so Noah claimed. He grinned again as they pulled into New Hope's parking lot. "Ready to fly?"

"Guess so." Her back straightened. He grabbed her duffle and slammed the trunk. As she approached the church hall, her determined expression called up a woman steeling herself for some huge and terrible trial. He wondered why, as they burst through the doors.

Yells of joy greeted them. "Del!"
"Thank goodness you're here."
"Now can we get on the bus?"

Terry encircled Del's slender shoulders with a big burly arm. Adam didn't often have to look up at anybody, but at Terry he did. At six-five, the new assistant pastor topped him by two inches. Adam watched, grinning in triumph as Del gave Terry a helpless look somehow mixing gratitude and apology. "Sorry. Got cold feet."

Terry squeezed her comfortingly. "In this weather, I can't hardly blame you. But those feet will be warming themselves on a white sand beach before long. Besides, we took a secret vote. It was the whole group or none of us. We decided not to budge an inch toward Hawaii without you." He waved for their attention. "Let's have a word of prayer." The group bowed in silence as Terry offered thanks for the trip. "Okay, Jared. Get that bus open, and let the loading begin."

Adam grabbed a seat on the bus next to Kee-Yung, a fellow businessman he liked to chat with. Kee-Yung ran his own computer consulting firm. Adam often picked his brain when refining his hunter-killer software. Del found a seat far back near Pam and Aubrey. Sherril and Brad occupied the spot in front of the girls. Del had thanked Adam gracefully for coming to pick her up and persuading her to make the trip. He scowled at the distance. It looked as though she wanted to put as much real estate as possible between herself and Adam.

He'd discover the reason for that, too.

On the jumbo jet, the group deployed in much the same way. Except Adam made sure to take the seat right in front of Del's. That way he'd overhear if she mentioned her strange reluctance to go on holiday. It wasn't eavesdropping if it helped his friend out of whatever quenched her sunny nature. Unlikely he'd be able to do any serious snooping anyway with Kee-Yung chatting about wireless access, DSL lines, and ferret programs.

"Hey." His seat mate poked him. "Buckle up. We're about to take off."

"Oh, yeah." He settled his long legs as well as he could in the insufficient leg room, anticipating the thrill of take-off. No matter how often he traveled on business, he never grew tired of gaining the air. He said as much to Kee-Yung. "Someday I'm gonna get my pilot's license and see what the real thing feels like."

"I'd like to do that. You need perfect vision, though." Kee-Yung tapped his glasses. "It doesn't stop me from doing everything else."

"You dive, don't you?"

"Yep. I put my prescription goggles in my bag. So I can see the fishes." He laughed. "People tease me about diving at the ocean and missing it, without my specs."

"Great. We'll get some diving in." Adam pulled Sport Diver out of his carryon bag. Kee-Yung was fast becoming a friend. A second generation American of Taiwanese origin, his parents had tacked Keith onto his Chinese name. He'd chosen the latter, explaining that with his Western upbringing and speech, he felt American enough already. He used his Chinese name to honor his ancestors' hunger for freedom. Adam liked the idea. Maybe he'd honor his Scottish heritage that way, if ever he had a son.

Yeah, as if that's likely to happen. Not too enticing a prospect, for Noah's to be the only Whitford genes carried forward into the future. He thrust that melancholy idea down alongside others that hurt too much to examine. Paging through the magazine, he found the article about wreck diving. "Look here. Up to try it?"

"Sure! Maybe we can get some of the girls to go along." Kee-Yung winked. "Give it a little flavor."

Adam waved a hand in the air. "Most of them won't want to get their hair wet. Might be one or two who are woman enough to try it, though. Del's all but checked out on scuba, maybe Pam is, too."

"We'll find out. Run a test. Mention seaweed in the hair and see whose nose wrinkles up. The ones who don't, why they're the ladies for us."

More laughter. Later on, talk turned to computer systems and Adam's own business. Kee-Yung planned to build his own PC, so they discussed that. As the flight stretched out, Kee-Yung opened a novel. Adam closed his eyes to doze off.

"So what gives?" He had trouble hearing Pam's quiet voice. If he breathed soundlessly, he could catch her words to Delaine sitting alongside. "Why did you change your mind?"

"I didn't change it. Not quite." Del's voice sounded too quiet. "Then a Mack truck crashed in and changed it back for me." He grinned in secret amusement at the simile. It wouldn't be the first time he'd been accused of lacking subtlety. "Oh, I did want to go, still do. I need a vacation, I've been going at the job too hard. It's just -- the wrong timing really."

"Because of--" Pam dropped her voice further so he couldn't make out the rest. He squirmed in frustration.

"Yeah." Delaine's voice flattened on an unusual note, almost sorrow. No, that couldn't be. Basically Del was a light-hearted type, now like always. Right? Sorrow didn't suit her voice. "Mostly that, I suppose."

"You said you're over it."
"I am."
"But--"
"But not quite."


He disciplined himself to close his ears and listen no more, but he couldn't help speculating. Some guy, no doubt. He knew she hadn't been seeing anyone when he'd left for Jacksonville. Who had she dated since? Plainly it hadn't worked out, and she'd been hurt. Just getting past it. Grief flattened her voice, stupid grief for some klutz who'd breezed into her life and then just as easily out of it. Heartily Adam wished the unknown man engine failure at five-thirty on the Kennedy expressway.

*********
Leave a comment/post and you'll be entered to win a PDF copy of Aloha, My Love when it goes on sale, 1 DEC from Desert Breeze, curtesy of Moderator Steph here on the blog!

Desert Breeze Author Tina Pinson shares her thoughts on Motherhood

A Mother's Musings
By Tina Pinson


No one ever said Motherhood would be easy. Of course they never said it would touch your deepest emotions, enthrall and even scare you to death.

When the doctor told me I was pregnant, I waited for the punch-line. I'd just stopped birth control and believed it still had to work its way out of my system. Okay so I was rather naïve.

But I was… (gulp) Pregnant. The tests were right on, and my near fainting in the Coronado Bay Surf confirmed it.

Oh Lord.

With hubby in the navy, I got to spend a lot of quality time alone thinking about what being a mother entailed. Would I would be a good mother.

About then, I felt like I wasn't going to make it to the end of the pregnancy let alone motherhood. Morning sickness had me by the throat or should I say stomach and it wasn't letting go.

Let's not forget all the tests, and the weight gain and the tests and the weight gain. And the indigestion, and the tears and the … Did I say tests and weight gain yet?

I remember thinking this motherhood stuff wasn't all it was cracked up to be. So far anyway. Then my baby moved. Just a flutter and something was released in me. The awe, the reality, the love. I don't know how to explain it.

Now I was pregnant, it was more than a failed test. And I wanted everyone to know. So I bought shirts to proclaim my condition. And told anyone who would listen. Hubby and I chose names, and began to build the nest for our child.

The baby came, and strangely I was overwhelmed with this feeling of love, mingled with a sense of fear. Here was this child and I wondered if I was prepared to care for something so small, so fragile, so lovely. I was certain I was doomed for failure.

I'm sure many of you can share the feeling. Maybe some of you can't quite remember. So allow me to take you back. In honor of Mother's Day, let me walk you down paths of memory.

So there I was holding this child, this little boy, in my arms and nothing could mask the wonder of the warmth against my chest, or the heart beat that seemed to dance with my own.

Mother and Child
By Tina Pinson

You're so small, so soft, so full of life
And in need of my loving care.
As I cradle you close against my breast
You feel so warm and tender there.
Your eyes, so blue, don't see too clearly now,
But yet you seem to smile
As if you know these tears I cry, fall joyously,
From being blessed with you my child.
You're my first and I am amazed
At this miracle called birth,
To have you grow, move and live in me
Was the greatest thrill on earth.
From this day forward my little one
On you love and care I bestow.
I promise to be the best mother I can,
For Precious gift from God, I love you so.

Heavens to Murgatroid… I was a mommy. This little boy with a full halo of black hair. This little boy that fit into the niche of my womb, changed my world. And left me with a whole new set of responsibilities.

I had little rest. But who wanted to sleep when they could hold such a miracle. Yeah, that lasted for a day or so, then reality sat in. I was a mommy now.

And I had a child prodigy to care for. My child crawled early, started to talk early, started to walk early and he had even temperament. I had the perfect child, but of course, I was the perfect mother.

I could handle anything. But then, someone forgot to mention the wonders of Potty Training.

I'd stand my son up to the toilet, because he assured me he only had to Pee, and then he'd go Potty as well. UGH. So, the next time I sat him down and knelt before him to offer my encouragement… only to get fired upon from a stream of Pee escaping from under the toilet lid.

Why had no one given me rules?

Potty Training
By Tina Pinson

Rolls and Rolls of toilet paper
Have been strewn across the floor,

As mommy tries to potty train
Her child before he's four.

She's learned the game to play,
The one, hide, smell and seek.

She's thought of giving up
At least five days every week.

She the manual that tells,
"How to Potty Train in just One Day."

She drew the X at the bottom of the bowl,
But her child didn't want to play.

Patiently she tried the "Little" can
And the "Sink the Cheerios" too.

Yes, she tried every simple trick,
But nothing seems to do

So she sits each day, coaxing him.
"Please go potty for mommy," she implores.

Her child replies, "But I don't have to go."
Then smiles sheepishly, as he goes on the floor.

Well we finally got through that and moved on to other things. Like: Talking in full sentences, tying shoes, riding a tricycle.

Going to school.

I still remember how I walked my son to school and didn't want to let go of his hand. When he walked away, I stood there in stunned silence, tears streaming my cheeks, wondering how my son managed to get so big.

That was to be the first time of many such moments. And everyone of them left me awed.

He learned to write, learn math, and learned how to read. He started riding a two wheeled bike and wanting to go play with other friends.
The days passed and he was in first grade, second grade then third. He was every changing, ever growing.

My Son, My Son
By Tina Pinson

Gone are the days of squeaky toys
and the worn stuffed teddy bear.

My Son has grown, he older now,
my tiny baby is no longer there.

He longs to play foot ball and soccer,
he wants a baseball glove.

I just want to hold him, tightly in my arms,
and shower him with love

He'll come up and grab my waist.
Hugs are okay when no one sees.

I want time to finger his soft hair,
so I squeeze him close to me.

Tears fill my eyes as I miss the child,
who now stands four feet tall.

I know he'll continue growing
and will never again be small

But I'm reminded of how amazing it's been
just to watch him grow.

I know he's not my tiny baby now,
but I love him more than he'll ever know.


And suddenly he was off to high school and learning how to drive. He wanted to go on dates, and get a job. And mommy was looking for ways to keep time from moving so fast. There's no formula for that.

Time kept moving.

Pages of life kept turning. Being written upon and filled to turn again.
And just like someone had snapped their fingers, moments became hours and hours became days and days became years and soon my son was graduating.

My baby… that little boy I'd carried all those years ago was…
Graduating…


A Parent's Graduation Prayer
By Tina Pinson

Precious Son… Beloved to me,
I watch you walk away and I am filled with a sense of pride.
for the man you've become, the man you will be.
You've grown now, and you're heading off into a world to blaze that trail
To live your life.
Much has been accomplished in what seems too short of time.
I'm prouder than any parent could be.
But deep in my heart, in that sheltered place,
I feel as though someone has taken a knife and hollowed my soul.
I long to run after you, to continue this walk together,
But the path is only wide enough for you and one other.
and I know I am not the one who can walk it with you.
Nor the one who should
Oh, but all my senses cry out, begging me to run to your side,
take your hand in mine and never relinquish that hold.
But my feet are planted, and I stand silently in the shadows, weeping,
watching as you walk away.
My hands are limp and empty by my side.
Then in moments of sorrow, I look up and see who walks with you.
I look up and see, like me, you are sheltered under His arm.
Close to His heart. And He'll never let you walk alone.
And my hand, finding the strength to let you go,
Lifts with prayer for your tomorrows,
lifts with praise as I lay you in the hands of the only one who can carry you.
The one who always has.
God.


I made it through graduation. Of course I was certain my son would live in the same town and I would continue to see him daily. Ha. He joined the Navy and was sent around the world. To places of unrest. I spent a lot of time on my knees in prayer.
I wanted that part of the journey over. I wanted my son home.
He wanted to get married.

I realize I've taken you on a pretty fast ride through the years of motherhood. But time would not permit the full run. And this is only a small part of the steps in my child's life. There are many more that have passed and are yet to come.
I want to encourage every mother out there to cherish the moments you have with your children. Take the time to make the memories cause time passes much too quickly.


Baby Steps
By Tina Pinson

I used to carry you, used to complain
at how heavy you were becoming.
So I sat you down and taught you to walk.

Baby Steps…
Look at you. When did you learn to walk so well?

I used to hold your hand. Or you held mine.
But a time soon came when you want to run.
So I let you go and watched you trot away.

Baby Steps…
When did you learn to run so fast?

I used to watch you play. You’d play close by.
But running gave way to bikes and bikes gave way to cars.
With a prayer, I handed you the keys and watched you drive away.

Baby Steps…
Where did that handsome young man come from?

I used to listen for the roar from your car's engine,
signaling your safe return home.
But you've moved away
Now I wait to hear your voice. I wait for you to call home

Baby Steps…
Oh that I could watch you toddling again.

I remember when I led you and you walked in my shadow.
When did your steps surpass mine?
When did your shadow become so long?

To every mother out there, to those who dream of the child they will have, to those who hold one in their arms even now, to those who with children at home and those with an empty nest.

I just want to say Happy Mother's Day. May you know blessing and honor.


If you would like to read more from Tina Pinson, her book In the Manor of the Ghost will be available June 2010. To read an excerpt go to www.desertbreezepublishing

DB Author Regina Andrews guest blogs - "The Seeds of Inspiration"

“The smallest seed of faith is better than the largest fruit of happiness.” Henry David Thoreau

I don’t know about you, but there’s something about this time of year that motivates me to get back to my connection with the Earth. The first sunny day, and my sleeves are rolled up. Time to cultivate my own garden, as Voltaire put it.

Out I run to the Garden Shoppe to find the seeds of new life. Home I run to my window box, ready to plant my wildflower mixture and my forget-me-knots.



I prep the box. I dig and clear and drain and trowel, then sprinkle the seeds into their new environment. As I’m patting them in, I can’t help but imagine what the window box will look like before long. It’s filled with rich, wet dirt now, but it won’t stay this way. Soon it will be loaded in a riot of green sprouts, then buds, and then colored with a sea of fresh flowers.

Just like the seeds newly planted this spring, the ideas of this writer’s imagination will be given a loving start. Each day, I will tend them carefully, respectfully, joyously, coaxing them to develop into the most beautiful story possible.




Not all of them will make it. Just like the window box flowers, some ideas will be eclipsed by other factors: shadows, weak roots, or too much water. Some flowers, some stories are not meant to be. Yet, as Thoreau pointed out, each seed has a purpose and helps me along the way to creating a garden, or a story.

What a blessing as a writer to have that feeling of newness and potential every time I start a new project. And blessing upon blessing, this potential, this new start carries through all year long.

This time of year we in New England go from barren to beautiful, in about two weeks. Life is abuzz all around us. Everything is stirring. Bees are buzzing and lawn mowers are mowing. Ideas are taking root. Stories are sprouting. Inspiration is celebrated everywhere!

I wonder: what are your seeds of inspiration this spring?

Desert Breeze Author Shawna Williams blogs about Autumn

Perhaps it's the quiet that descends after the playful days of summer, and seems accentuated by the crunching leaves beneath our feet. Or the early setting of the sun, cool nights, and the smell of smoke escaping from a nearby chimney -- but something about autumn casts a mood that causes one to reflect. We gaze out onto the horizon, watching as the sun falls behind the colorful trees and take stock of our surroundings, the people in our lives; our blessings. We think about where we've been in life, and where we want to go.

My daughter took this picture just days ago, and it seems to say so much about the season. As I look at it, I'm reminded that just four short years ago we lived near the city, where life sped by at a much faster pace. The climate was sub-tropical, and everything went from green to dead within a month. I couldn't see the horizon for the house next door.

It's not my intention to disparage such a place. To some, it's perfection – or almost. And during our years there we made many wonderful friends. So I cherish those memories, but at the same time, I'm glad they are on the road behind me.
I'm filled with a sense of gratefulness for my family, friends and home. Living in such a beautiful place is a dream. There was a point in time when I thought that's all it would ever be. But right now I can walk out my back door and stand in the very spot where my daughter took this picture. I appreciate more because of where I've been.

As to where I'm going, I have plans. Whether I'll succeed in them, who knows, but I'm anxious to find out. I'll post a picture next autumn when I'm a little further down the road.

Cherish life's blessings and its lessons; and then look ahead.