Author Spotlight - Excerpt from "A Legacy of Lies"

Thank you so much for supporting Stephenia's week in the spotlight. Leave a comment today, Saturday, and Sunday on the excerpt post along with your email and we'll pick a winner on Monday to receive a 10 GC for Amazon from Stephenia! Enjoy the excerpt!

Moderator Steph
*****

It was cold.
Too cold.

The eerie silence of a moonless, starless night engulfed him.

Jim shivered. It had been high noon only a few minutes ago. Had he fallen asleep? He didn't remember being tired. He shook his head and tried to focus his groggy mind. He peered around cautiously. Where was his horse?

A rustling sound in the bushes startled him. His eyes darted to investigate.
Nothing.

No, wait. There it was again. Off to the left. His eyes strained, searching for the slightest movement or shape. Something. Anything.

Silence.
He felt like a kid afraid of the dark.

Get a hold of yourself, man.

Fingers of fear teased along the back of his neck. The hairs stood on end. He shivered. Where was that horse?

"Ciervo!" His voice sounded weak even to his own ears. He tried again. Now he was completely hoarse.

Swallowing the panic rising from the pit of his stomach, he took a cautious step forward. He heard stirring in the woods behind him. Squirrels? He listened intently.
The noise came again. No. Definitely not a squirrel. Something was pacing in the woods. Deliberate. Stalking. Jim's mouth went dry.

Mountain lion.

His heart raced and he looked desperately around, scanning the darkness. Blackness blanketed the meadow. Jim hoped Ciervo hadn't wandered too far. He started to walk. Slowly. Calculating. He couldn't tell in what direction he moved.

His cell! He could use it as a light source. Jim's hand brushed at his hip. It wasn't there. He frowned. It always stayed on his belt. He never left the ranch without it.
Jim's eyes strained, but he could barely make out his surroundings. The farther he walked, the darker it got. His breathing came in quick, rapid intakes.

A shrill sound broke the silence. His heart leaped.
"Ciervo?"

Where was he? Was the mountain lion after him?

Hoof beats. Thank goodness.

They were pounding quicker than his rapidly drumming heart. A shadow appeared about thirty feet in front of him.

It wasn't his beloved horse. It looked like something galloping up from Hell.
The horrid creature ran wildly toward him. The cold air caused the hot breath to billow from its nostrils like a smoking dragon.

The monster's eyes looked like no earthly thing he had ever seen. The bulging orbs had a luminescent shine that came from deep behind the pupils. In the pitch black they glowed like a ghostly beacon.

The horse-shaped beast lowered his head. The creature was preparing to slam into him. Jim threw himself out of its path and landed sharply on his hip. His right thigh slammed into a large, extruded boulder. Fire shot down his leg. Ignoring the pain, he jumped to his feet, eyes probing the darkness for the crazed brute. The ghostly version of Ciervo had vanished.

Despite the cold, he began to sweat. Jim felt eyes boring into him. Someone or something watched him. He was exposed. Unprepared. His heart hammered in his chest. His body refused to move.

Another sound. Different. It wasn't rustling limbs or bushes, and it certainly wasn't the horse's wild hoof beats. It was quiet, like a soft whisper. Crying? No, calling out for something.

He strained to catch the garbled words. The voice grew louder. More urgent. Still he couldn't make out the woeful tone. Then, as if his brain finished translating some cryptic code, the word became clear.

"James!"

Again. Louder this time. "James... James..." The voice rose and fell in the darkness. Its eerie sound slithered into his ears.

"Hello?" His voice echoed hoarsely. He held onto a feeble hope the voice came from someone nearby lost in the dark along with him. No one here knew him by that name. He stood holding his breath, listening.

Suddenly, a freight train of frigid air knocked him backward. Terrified, he dared not to move. The voice came again.

"You must help. Soon it will be too late--"

An insidious roar erupted around him. Hot, musty breath bathed Jim's face. He struggled backward. He couldn't quite make out the figure standing over him. The silhouette was enormous. Its shoulders spanned at least four feet. An odd-shaped head swayed from side-to-side.

It growled.

Paralyzed with fear, Jim lay helpless. The creature rose to stand upright. Seven. Eight feet tall. Jim gasped for air. His feet tore into the soft ground, trying to gain footing. Desperately trying to get away. The creature came crashing toward hi

Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007K1LS58?ie=UTF8&force-full-site=1&ref_=aw_bottom_links

Christianbook.com
http://www.christianbook.com/a-legacy-of-lies-ebook/stephenia-mcgee/9781612521497/pd/28979EB?item_code=WW&netp_id=1012247&event=ESRCG&view=details

Desert Breeze
http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-273/A-Legacy-of-Lies/Detail.bok

"I knew it was a Christian romance when I started reading. I didn't know it would have such unexpected twists and turns. Desperately needing to know what would happen next, I couldn't put it down until I reached the last page."
Judy T

"McGee keeps her story moving and the reader guessing, expertly juggling the elements of gothic suspense, cowboy romance, divine intervetion, and inspirational fiction. I enjoyed Legacy of Lies for its characters and unique mix of story styling."
Barbara Scott, author

"This book has it all: a nice quick plot, a massive castle, cowboys, a dark mystery, a cold seductress and a story that leaves you thinking about it long after you’ve finished the book. If you’re looking for one good read, I definitely recommend this book."
Patty Froese, author

"A Legacy of Lies is a heart-warming tale of a man's search for forgiveness. A blend of Western Romance and Big City Intrigue, Stephenia H. McGee takes the parable of the prodigal son and creates a modern twist readers won't see coming until the final page."
Jennifer Lindsay
Facebook
www.facebook.com/StepheniaMcGee

Twitter
www.Twitter.com/StepheniaHMcGee

My website
www.StepheniaMcGee.com

My book review blog
www.fictionwithflair.blogspot.com

Author Spotlight - That First Kiss!

Do you remember your first kiss with someone special? I still think it was that first, quick stolen kiss on my grandmother’s front porch that won my husband’s heart. I was (and still am) a very shy girl. He couldn’t believe I planted a quick peck on his lips and then dashed in the door. I must have intrigued him, because three months later we were engaged and married just three months after that. Six months from my quick peck to our “you may kiss the bride” kiss. =) We have now been married nine years, and I still love to kiss him!

Here is an excerpt of my characters’ first kiss. Leave me a comment on theirs, mine or tell me about yours!

They were alone.

Her pulse quickened. He was close enough for her to smell his slightly salty, woodsy scent. She squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep breath.

His husky voice broke into her silent revere. "You worried me back there. I don't know what I would've done if you'd been hurt."

Her gaze met and held his for a moment, but she quickly looked away. Sarah plucked a tall blade of grass and rolled it between her fingers. The emotion in his voice stirred the butterflies in her stomach. She straightened her posture. "I made it out okay."

A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, but he remained silent.

Sarah lowered her head. "What I meant to say was thank you for saving me," she whispered.

"You're welcome."

Sarah smiled. "That bull sure did give me a scare. I'm kinda surprised my heart didn't explode from sheer terror."

He cleared his throat. "Well, now you know how I felt. When I heard you screaming, my heart nearly stopped." His eyes locked on the dancing flames.

Sarah swallowed hard, the tension thick enough to be palatable. She eased a little closer to him. Suddenly, he turned to her. His face was only inches away.

For a moment, she openly gazed into his eyes. They were deep brown with tiny flecks of gold. Pools of mystery she longed to solve.

"I'm sorry, Jim. I just saw that baby get stuck and I didn't want to see it trampled." Her hands trembled now. She needed to look away. She needed to break this hold he had on her. She couldn't.

"I know. You're a sweet girl." He spoke so softly she nearly missed the words. His fingers traced her jaw and then lifted her chin.

To her surprise, her lips eagerly met his.

Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007K1LS58?ie=UTF8&force-full-site=1&ref_=aw_bottom_links

Christianbook.com
http://www.christianbook.com/a-legacy-of-lies-ebook/stephenia-mcgee/9781612521497/pd/28979EB?item_code=WW&netp_id=1012247&event=ESRCG&view=details

Desert Breeze
http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-273/A-Legacy-of-Lies/Detail.bok

"I knew it was a Christian romance when I started reading. I didn't know it would have such unexpected twists and turns. Desperately needing to know what would happen next, I couldn't put it down until I reached the last page."
Judy T

"McGee keeps her story moving and the reader guessing, expertly juggling the elements of gothic suspense, cowboy romance, divine intervetion, and inspirational fiction. I enjoyed Legacy of Lies for its characters and unique mix of story styling."
Barbara Scott, author

"This book has it all: a nice quick plot, a massive castle, cowboys, a dark mystery, a cold seductress and a story that leaves you thinking about it long after you’ve finished the book. If you’re looking for one good read, I definitely recommend this book."
Patty Froese, author

"A Legacy of Lies is a heart-warming tale of a man's search for forgiveness. A blend of Western Romance and Big City Intrigue, Stephenia H. McGee takes the parable of the prodigal son and creates a modern twist readers won't see coming until the final page."
Jennifer Lindsay
Facebook
www.facebook.com/StepheniaMcGee

Twitter
www.Twitter.com/StepheniaHMcGee

My website
www.StepheniaMcGee.com

My book review blog
www.fictionwithflair.blogspot.com

Author Spotlight - Stephenia McGee shares her Chocolate Chip Cookie receipe

Here’s a great recipe for chewy chocolate chip cookies that one of my characters makes in A Legacy of Lies.
Montana Chocolate Chip Cookies

Description:
Soft and chewy, these sweet, triple chocolate chip cookies are the ultimate treat! Great for curling up on the couch with a glass of milk and a good book!
Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
¾ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 12 oz pack semisweet chocolate chips
1 12 oz pack milk chocolate chips
1 12 oz pack white chocolate chips
Preparation
Step One:
Preheat oven to 350*F. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl; set aside. Combine the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in a large bowl and beat with electric mixer set on high speed until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time; stir in vanilla.
Step Two:
Gradually add the flour mixture, beating well after each addition. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Step Three:
Drop the dough by rounded tablespoonfuls about two inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Flatten the dough slightly with the back of a fork. Bake the cookies until golden brown, about fifteen minutes. Transfer to wire cookie racks to cool completely. Makes five dozen.

Presentation Suggestions:
Serve warm with a glass of milk or top with vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of chocolate sauce!




Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007K1LS58?ie=UTF8&force-full-site=1&ref_=aw_bottom_links

Christianbook.com
http://www.christianbook.com/a-legacy-of-lies-ebook/stephenia-mcgee/9781612521497/pd/28979EB?item_code=WW&netp_id=1012247&event=ESRCG&view=details

Desert Breeze
http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-273/A-Legacy-of-Lies/Detail.bok

"I knew it was a Christian romance when I started reading. I didn't know it would have such unexpected twists and turns. Desperately needing to know what would happen next, I couldn't put it down until I reached the last page."
Judy T

"McGee keeps her story moving and the reader guessing, expertly juggling the elements of gothic suspense, cowboy romance, divine intervetion, and inspirational fiction. I enjoyed Legacy of Lies for its characters and unique mix of story styling."
Barbara Scott, author

"This book has it all: a nice quick plot, a massive castle, cowboys, a dark mystery, a cold seductress and a story that leaves you thinking about it long after you’ve finished the book. If you’re looking for one good read, I definitely recommend this book."
Patty Froese, author

"A Legacy of Lies is a heart-warming tale of a man's search for forgiveness. A blend of Western Romance and Big City Intrigue, Stephenia H. McGee takes the parable of the prodigal son and creates a modern twist readers won't see coming until the final page."
Jennifer Lindsay
Facebook
www.facebook.com/StepheniaMcGee

Twitter
www.Twitter.com/StepheniaHMcGee

My website
www.StepheniaMcGee.com

My book review blog
www.fictionwithflair.blogspot.com

Author Spotlight - Famous Quotes

Can you name the famous book from which I got each of these lines? Answer as many as you can without Googling. Don't forget we are holding a drawing at the end of the week from all the comments. You could win a $10.00 Amazon gift card. Good Luck!

1) “With enough courage, you can do without a reputation.”

2) “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.”

3) "People simply disappeared, always during the night. Your name was removed from the registers, every record of everything you had ever done was wiped out, your one-time existence was denied and then forgotten. You were abolished, annihilated: vaporized was the usual word."

4) "But you see, Meg, just because we don't understand doesn't mean that the explanation doesn't exist."

5) "How doth the little crocodile
Improve his shining tail,
And pour the waters of the Nile
On every golden scale! ..."

6) "No, there wasn't much he drew the line at. He fancied he was going to enjoy himself at Indian Island"

7) "I knew that nobody but a luckless man could ever need a doctor in the face of a cyclone."

8) "If I can fool a bug... I can surely fool a man. People are not as smart as bugs."

9) "Man, unlike any other thing organic or inorganic in the universe, grows beyond his work, walks up the stairs of his concepts, emerges ahead of his accomplishments."

10) "It is in vain to say human beings ought to be satisfied with tranquility: they must have action; and they will make it if they cannot find it."


Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007K1LS58?ie=UTF8&force-full-site=1&ref_=aw_bottom_links

Christianbook.com
http://www.christianbook.com/a-legacy-of-lies-ebook/stephenia-mcgee/9781612521497/pd/28979EB?item_code=WW&netp_id=1012247&event=ESRCG&view=details

Desert Breeze
http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-273/A-Legacy-of-Lies/Detail.bok

"I knew it was a Christian romance when I started reading. I didn't know it would have such unexpected twists and turns. Desperately needing to know what would happen next, I couldn't put it down until I reached the last page."
Judy T

"McGee keeps her story moving and the reader guessing, expertly juggling the elements of gothic suspense, cowboy romance, divine intervetion, and inspirational fiction. I enjoyed Legacy of Lies for its characters and unique mix of story styling."
Barbara Scott, author

"This book has it all: a nice quick plot, a massive castle, cowboys, a dark mystery, a cold seductress and a story that leaves you thinking about it long after you’ve finished the book. If you’re looking for one good read, I definitely recommend this book."
Patty Froese, author

"A Legacy of Lies is a heart-warming tale of a man's search for forgiveness. A blend of Western Romance and Big City Intrigue, Stephenia H. McGee takes the parable of the prodigal son and creates a modern twist readers won't see coming until the final page."

Jennifer Lindsay
Facebook
www.facebook.com/StepheniaMcGee

Twitter
www.Twitter.com/StepheniaHMcGee

My website
www.StepheniaMcGee.com

My book review blog
www.fictionwithflair.blogspot.com

Author Spotlight - Q&A with Stephenia McGee

STEPH: I don’t know much about A Legacy of Lies. What's it about?

STEPHENIA: It's about a life built on a legacy - a legacy built on lies. Haunting supernatural visions, grand adventure, mystery, intrigue, cowboys, suspense, the hand of God and an unexpected love.

Sarah Sanders was always the reasonable sort, until she kissed a cowboy against her better judgment. Feeling strangely drawn to this mysterious ranch hand with a dark past, she finds herself swept up in an adventure that will force her to question everything she believes.

Jim Anderson's cowboy gig is going pretty well. Except for one thing - he thinks he's going insane. Night terrors, hallucinations, and now a girl he has no business falling for. It's better to keep his distance. But when Sarah is nearly killed, he will risk it all to save her.

When tragedy brings him back to the home he tried to escape, Jim will have to face the truth behind his strange circumstances and hope that Sarah will believe him. Digging up the answers to questions long buried, does he have the strength to face the dark family secrets that threaten to destroy them both?

STEPH: How long did it take you to write?

STEPHENIA: That’s a tough one. I worked on this book on and off for about six years. This was my very first manuscript, although the published version is a good bit different from the original. As I started writing, taking classes and going to conferences, I learned a lot. What I learned I applied to my story. It grew along with me.

STEPH: How much research did you have to do?

STEPHENIA: Most of the research I needed for this book I had already done in real life. My hero uses natural horsemanship, and it is something I have studied, practiced and taught for some time now. The other things, such as information for the ranch, average temperatures, and the names of local landmarks, I found on the internet. Miles City and the Tongue River are real places in Montana.

STEPH: How does the cover reflect the story within?

STEPHENIA: You can see the two characters on the ranch at sunset. He is looking into the distance at his horse (symbolizing his lifelong dream). The most striking element is the evil eyes formed in the clouds. Hanging over him, watching his every move.

STEPH: Sarah is the heroine. What are her strengths? Weaknesses?

STEPHENIA: In a way, Sarah’s strength is also her weakness. She has become so self-sufficient that she has walled herself in, afraid of opening up to anyone or letting someone help her. But Sarah also has a very strong faith in God, and it this faith that pushes her to take risks.

STEPH: What does Jim find appealing about her?

STEPHENIA: Aside from her striking emerald eyes, Jim is drawn to Sarah first through their common interest and then to her quite strength, honesty, and spunk.

STEPH: What is the theme of the novel?

STEPHENIA: Redemption. The characters find that no matter how messy life can get, grace can heal all wounds.

STEPH: As a writer, where do you draw inspiration from?

STEPHENIA: Other than my overactive imagination? From the world around me. Anything I see, characteristics, funny comments, mannerisms is all food for the story always circulating in my mind.

STEPH: Do you have an ebook reader? If so, which one?

STEPHENIA: I have a Kindle. I love being able to carry such a slim library and bookstore in my purse!

STEPH: Fun question: Do you believe in New Year's resolutions? Why or why not?

STEPHANIA: Believe in them, yes. Able to stick to them...well, not so much. But I am really trying to follow mine this year. Eat a little healthier, exercise a little more.


Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007K1LS58?ie=UTF8&force-full-site=1&ref_=aw_bottom_links

Christianbook.com
http://www.christianbook.com/a-legacy-of-lies-ebook/stephenia-mcgee/9781612521497/pd/28979EB?item_code=WW&netp_id=1012247&event=ESRCG&view=details

Desert Breeze
http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-273/A-Legacy-of-Lies/Detail.bok

"I knew it was a Christian romance when I started reading. I didn't know it would have such unexpected twists and turns. Desperately needing to know what would happen next, I couldn't put it down until I reached the last page."
Judy T

"McGee keeps her story moving and the reader guessing, expertly juggling the elements of gothic suspense, cowboy romance, divine intervetion, and inspirational fiction. I enjoyed Legacy of Lies for its characters and unique mix of story styling."
Barbara Scott, author

"This book has it all: a nice quick plot, a massive castle, cowboys, a dark mystery, a cold seductress and a story that leaves you thinking about it long after you’ve finished the book. If you’re looking for one good read, I definitely recommend this book."
Patty Froese, author

"A Legacy of Lies is a heart-warming tale of a man's search for forgiveness. A blend of Western Romance and Big City Intrigue, Stephenia H. McGee takes the parable of the prodigal son and creates a modern twist readers won't see coming until the final page."
Jennifer Lindsay
Facebook
www.facebook.com/StepheniaMcGee

Twitter
www.Twitter.com/StepheniaHMcGee

My website
www.StepheniaMcGee.com

My book review blog
www.fictionwithflair.blogspot.com

Author Spotlight - Excerpt from Substitute Lover

Thank you so much for supporting Delores' week in the spotlight. Enjoy this excerpt from Substitute Lover.

Smiles
Moderator Steph

*****

When she looked up at him, he clamped his mouth shut. "I heard Jasper had left town with you, and then it took me a while because you weren't in any of the places I expected to find a lady."

"I'm so glad you found me." She smiled and stroked his arm.

"We've got to talk, Tennyson. Have you eaten any breakfast?"

Her stomach rumbled at the mention of food.

"I guess not. Let's see to you, first." Caleb looked her up and down, and then turned her around. His big hands brushed down her long skirt. Bits of hay and dust fell onto the ground. Next, he fumbled with her hair.

"Let me." She lifted her hands to tuck the stray locks away, refreshing her dignity back into place before he escorted her to the stage stop for breakfast. "Is this better?" She turned her questioning gaze on him.

He narrowed his eyes and then he smiled. "A bit dusty, but any traveling lady would be. Let's go eat at the stage depot. Oh." He paused, and looked into the distance, chewing on his lip. He rubbed the toe of one flat-heeled boot in the dust. He sighed, then looked down and met her gaze. "Is there a ring on your finger?"

The intensity of his gaze bored into hers.

Her cheeks turned scarlet.

"Why, no." She paused, her voice whispery as she stretched her hands out for him to see.

"We never found the preacher, so we didn't get married." She swallowed. "And then Jasper left."

He quirked his mouth in a cynical grin.

"I'm not Jasper, but will I do for now?"


Find Substitue Lover at:
http://goo.gl/X3f5l (www.desertbreezepublishing.com)
http://goo.gl/1oqYI (Amazon.com)
Also available at Barnes & Nobel, major e-book publishers

Also available by Delores Goodrick Beggs:
Place in the Heart Book One: Breaking Point, May 2012
http://goo.gl/lH5NE (www.desertbreezepublishing.com)
http://goo.gl/1BIuN (Amazon.com)

Charming Champion, August, 2012, Contemporary single title
http://goo.gl/mfYCR (www.desertbreezepublishing.com)
http://goo.gl/r8J1U (Amazon.com)

Coming June, 2013 - Place in the Heart Book Three: Perfect Tenderfoot

Author Spotlight - Going The Distance by Delores Goodrick Beggs

As my 50th birthday approached, visions of over-the-hill accoutrement and skidding down into life's shadows vanished when I made an impromptu decision to participate in a newspaper-sponsored10K mile footrace.

Why I made such a decision I didn't know, and still don't, any more than I ever knew why I'd taken up sewing as a 4-H teenager, or started my Place in the Heart western book series, typing evenings after a stressful work day before there were closed captions to interest me in television programs. It wasn't like I'd had an affinity for track as a teenager - in gym class we girls were required to run once around the track at the close of the hour, and I usually trailed in last.

I spoke of my new goal with my adult son, who'd ran some track races when he attended high school. There was a moment of silence.

"The 10k? I haven't even run in the 10k, Mom," said my three-sport letterman.
"All I have to do is finish," I replied. "And I get a participant's ribbon."

"You have to finish that same day," he reminded me.

"You can coach me through this." I decided I needed some expert advice.
I began to train hard at the local high school track, and felt a great sense of achievement when I could jog a bit further each day. "I'm soon going to be able to run all the way around the track once," I chortled to my coach son.

"For 10K you need to go 25 times around the track," he replied.

I frowned, somewhat shocked, before I gathered my determination again. I'd had no real sense of distance when I'd decided to do this. I just had an inner need to complete something new.

I refused to be daunted, however, and kept on keeping on toward my goal. On race day, I started near the end of the pack, and stayed there; admittedly, I'd figured out some options to reach the finish line. I had to walk a lot of the way after the half way mark, running a bit, and then walking a bit, but I did finish the race that day, and while I was close to the end of the racers that trailed in, I had the satisfaction of knowing I wasn't last.

Sometimes when I worked on writing my Place in the Heart western series, and I needed to decide what issue a character would run into next, and how he/she would handle it, my mind went blank. Then the 10K race would come to mind, and my determination to finish the book would firm up again, leading me to brainstorm fresh problems the characters might logically be involved in.

For me, completing a book manuscript could be likened to running the marathon. Once started, I needed to go the distance and cross the finish line, or I didn't have anything to speak for the time and work I'd put into the creative process.


Find Substitue Lover at:
http://goo.gl/X3f5l (www.desertbreezepublishing.com)
http://goo.gl/1oqYI (Amazon.com)
Also available at Barnes & Nobel, major e-book publishers

Also available by Delores Goodrick Beggs:
Place in the Heart Book One: Breaking Point, May 2012
http://goo.gl/lH5NE (www.desertbreezepublishing.com)
http://goo.gl/1BIuN (Amazon.com)

Charming Champion, August, 2012, Contemporary single title
http://goo.gl/mfYCR (www.desertbreezepublishing.com)
http://goo.gl/r8J1U (Amazon.com)

Coming June, 2013 - Place in the Heart Book Three: Perfect Tenderfoot

Author Spotlight - Humpty Dumpty by Delores Goodrick Beggs

I have a problem I suspect is common to most writers. My days are unbalanced. I spend too much time writing at my laptop and not enough time exercising. In addition, I usually also have a small dish with a snack to nibble on while I pause to think what a character would say or do next. Although I try to concentrate on healthy, from time to time sweets slip in, compounding the original problem.

I have tried various ways of exercising while I sit at my desk, but the appetite increases.

I have tried breaks every hour, but my characters usually manage to be in the middle of an important scene I just can't drop without losing the original idea/flavor of it.

For a while it worked to jump right into an exercise routine when I first got up in the morning, but soon my mind put a stop to that by popping up fresh ideas that I just had to capture on my computer before I lost them.

There was no help for it. I had to find another way to add in more exercise to my daily routine. I needed something that got me outdoors in the fresh air and sunshine and busy moving. I needed a project, a big one.

I wasn't good about dumping the daily and weekly newspapers often so the stacks grew pretty good-sized before I gathered them up and headed for the trash bin. One day I opened my extra closet and noticed I had enough brown cardboard rolls collected, the kind sheet gift wrap comes rolled around, to make stick arms and legs for numerous make-believe creatures, or a paper fence to enclose my garden. When the ideas flowed I always headed for my computer, not for the trash can.

But on that particular day, looking at the high pile of old newspapers, and cardboard rolls, I was reminded of the various crafts projects I dabbled in before I started writing my novels. I searched my mind for something easy to make, and then gathered an armload of newspapers, some cardboard rolls, a mop bucket, and my canister of flour to make flour and water paste and headed for the back yard.

A couple of hours and much bending and twisting exercise later I left my creation sitting in the sun of the back patio to dry. I needed to pick up some blue paint for Humpty Dumpty's suit anyway, and black to add his face and buttons.

At that time we lived in a neighborhood where folks often put decorations in their front yards for the neighbors to admire. I worried though, that neighborhood dogs would make up-close visits to Humpty and make his suit run with streaks. Our house had a flat roof, so in the end, we sat Humpty up on the roof, his legs hanging over the edge.

For a week, he drew admiring glances from the neighbors taking their daily walks. Then one morning a neighbor knocked on the front door and asked me where Humpty Dumpty was. I stepped outdoors to check the roof. He was gone.

The neighbors assisted me in my neighborhood search for him. We didn't find him.

I went down to the local authorities' office to make a report. The officer glanced at my report. "Humpty Dumpty?" he asked with a concerned face.

"Yes. He's wearing a blue suit and he has black eyes and black shoes on his feet. He was sitting on my roof, and he's gone. I want him back." The officer studied me a moment, and then hollered loud enough for the crew in the break room to hear, "Humpty Dumpty's missing boys! Anybody sees him, bring him in to the station!"

Sadly, Humpty Dumpty was never found. I still wonder what became of him. But I moved on to my next paper mache' project. I had to keep the exercise going.


Find Substitue Lover at:
http://goo.gl/X3f5l (www.desertbreezepublishing.com)
http://goo.gl/1oqYI (Amazon.com)
Also available at Barnes & Nobel, major e-book publishers

Also available by Delores Goodrick Beggs:
Place in the Heart Book One: Breaking Point, May 2012
http://goo.gl/lH5NE (www.desertbreezepublishing.com)
http://goo.gl/1BIuN (Amazon.com)

Charming Champion, August, 2012, Contemporary single title
http://goo.gl/mfYCR (www.desertbreezepublishing.com)
http://goo.gl/r8J1U (Amazon.com)

Coming June, 2013 - Place in the Heart Book Three: Perfect Tenderfoot

Author Spotlight - Friendship learned with my horse by Delores Goodrick Beggs

It would be easiest to start this with saying "Friendship I learned FROM my horse,"
but that is not the way it works. Learning, between a human and a horse, is a shared experience.

In Place in the Heart Book Two: Substitute Lover, Tennyson at last learns what her older sister Mauranie has known all along, how to make friends with a horse. Or rather, the horse befriends her, and she is enthralled and eager to expand her friendship with horses.

My father, known as "The Old Cowman" in our rural Wyandotte County, Kansas farm area, first taught me to make friends with a horse. When I met Snowball, his 14-hands-tall white mare, she ended up becoming my faithful riding companion. I moved close to her head, lifted her nose a bit, took a deep breath, and breathed into Snowball's nostrils several times. Dad told me that our horses remembered the smell of our breath and thus labeled us "friends." I have observed that horses in a herd share breaths this way in the process of selecting friends they graze with, groom each other's necks, and generally stand around with.

I could be grooming Snowball in preparation for a ride when she would sometimes raise her head, ears pricked forward, and I'd feel her skin rumble with vibrating sound.

Horses do communicate. A quick nicker alerts me something caught her interest. A neigh when she sees me coming for her in the pasture is a greeting to me, or a call to her wandering foal to come back to Mama. A snort may be caused by a tickle in her nose. The first time I saw one of our horses curl her upper lip in a "horse laugh" when I haltered her, I was shocked. It happened again the next day, the open mouth and curled upper lip. The Old Cowman asked if I was using a new hand lotion; I was. He suggested not using it until after I rode, so I followed his suggestion, and the horse laughs stopped. Something in the scent of my particular hand lotion caused the "horse laugh."

Horses learn fast and in my experience remember very well what they learn. The most important word to teach a horse is "Whoa." I usually combine this with "Easy now," rather than repeat "Whoa" over and over when a horse is panicky. Horses sense my emotion in the stiffness or relaxation of my hands, in the sharpness or calmness of my voice, in the smoothness or jerkiness of my motions. An important lesson I learned, growing up, was if I remained calm, they will calm, but if I get panicky, they gather themselves ready to bolt and have to be held back.

It is the "Whoa's" and the calm emotions that can make all the difference when I'm horseback and the unexpected happens.

For example, in my teen years I rode my equine friend Snowball on the road going uphill and down, between our house and my best friend's house several hills away rather than walk it. It would have been a long, tiring walk under the hot Kansas sun; Snowball cantered it smoothly and quickly and the exercise of regular visits with my friend helped to keep her in good shape. Besides, I loved to ride horseback, given the slightest reason.

But one day Snowball jumped straight up in mid-canter, all four hooves off the ground. I was riding bareback with a saddle pad as I often did, and when she jumped I tumbled forward over her shoulder, onto the road, still clutching the reins. She managed to land just on the other side of me, missing me with her hoofs, as I called "Whoa," and then she stood perfectly still, lowering her head to nuzzle me. I was confused by her action, but the mare seemed calm enough so I grabbed a handful of mane, and jumped back on, and we continued to my friend's house without further incident.

A few days later the same thing happened again. This time my younger sister was riding a bicycle beside us while I rode Snowball, and when I stood up from my tumble over Snowball's head and dusted my jeans off, she asked me if I'd heard that.
"Heard what?" I asked. I have a hearing impairment.

"There was a loud bang," she said. "Then Snowball jumped."

That evening, after I told Dad about it, the Old Cowman introduced Snowball to simulated sounds by banging on a metal pan and calming her so the sound no longer startled her.

Also, when we'd returned home after the visit to my friend earlier that afternoon, I'd praised Snowball again for having avoided stepping on me when I fell and gave her an extra handful of oats. She never startled on me again.

Friends watch out for friends, after all.

Find Substitue Lover at:
http://goo.gl/X3f5l (www.desertbreezepublishing.com)
http://goo.gl/1oqYI (Amazon.com)
Also available at Barnes & Nobel, major e-book publishers

Also available by Delores Goodrick Beggs:
Place in the Heart Book One: Breaking Point, May 2012
http://goo.gl/lH5NE (www.desertbreezepublishing.com)
http://goo.gl/1BIuN (Amazon.com)

Charming Champion, August, 2012, Contemporary single title
http://goo.gl/mfYCR (www.desertbreezepublishing.com)
http://goo.gl/r8J1U (Amazon.com)

Coming June, 2013 - Place in the Heart Book Three: Perfect Tenderfoot

Author Spotlight - Q&A with Delores Goodrick Beggs

STEPH: I don't know much about Substitute Lover. What's it about?

DELORES: Substitute Lover is the story of Tennyson Wells, sister of hearing-impaired Mauranie Wells in Book One of the Place in the Heart series, and Caleb Cameron, who follows bad boy Jasper Greon to Mescal Flats New, Mexico, and appoints himself Tennyson's protector when Jasper's
proposed larks go beyond fun.

STEPH: How long did it take you to write?

DELORES: I wrote the story during a period of time when I worked overtime and before captions were readily available on television (I have a severe hearing loss.) I usually got upstairs to my writing desk at home in time to watch the owl that nested in the palm tree in front of my bedroom window fly past on its nightly hunt. Then I'd sit at my desk and write for several hours. Completing Tennyson's story a few hours at a time took me the better part of a year.

STEPH: How much research did you have to do?

DELORES: Regarding research, I knew markers had been responsible for bringing a couple together, but I didn't know anything about how they were used or the tradition they represented, even though they were in universal use back in the 1800's. The family relation who had marker experience in her family line explained to me how they worked back then.

STEPH: How does the cover reflect the story within?

DELORES: I think the cover is perfect, thanks to Gwen Phifer, who seems to effortlessly envision illustrations that capture the essence of my stories in her creations. Tennyson Wells loves to be in town and wear pretty dance gowns.

STEPH: Tennyson Wells is the heroine. What are her strengths? Her weaknesses?

DELORES: Tennyson is much more than a pretty woman who loves to wear new gowns and dance. She has a warm heart and she loves to help people, sometimes too much, because she sees the good in everyone and doesn't distinguish when bad has unexpectedly been thrown into the mix.

STEPH: What does Caleb Cameron find appealing about her?

DELORES: Caleb notices Tennyson because bad boy Jasper Greon, whom he has been trailing for some time, takes up with her, and Caleb feels a need to protect her when Jasper's larks take a wrong turn. Caleb is himself drawn to Tennyson's kind heart and her desire to help people.

STEPH: What is the theme of the novel?

DELORES: The theme of the novel is finding ways to help persons who need help. It has seemed to me everybody needs someone sometimes.

STEPH: As a writer, where do you draw inspiration from?

DELORES: I draw inspiration from everywhere as a writer. An act, an incident will stay upon my mind and formulate itself into the basis of a story. Or just jump into my mind unexpectedly when I am concentrating upon another task, and then I have to jot myself some quick notes before it will let me be to finish the task I was on when it struck me. I have scorched the breakfast bacon more than once because of this.

STEPH: Do you have an ebook reader? If so, which one?

DELORES:I have a kindle e-reader and I love it. I always have a book on it ready to read when I have spare moments, usually to relax before bedtime.

STEPH: Fun question: do you have any New Year's traditions you'd like to share? How did you celebrate New Year's?

DELORES: Usually I make a small list of new things I'd like to try in the coming year. But this year I got waylaid by the idea for a new story and it wouldn't leave me alone until I captured the essence in words on paper. So I guess writing the new story is my plan for this year.

Find Substitue Lover at:
http://goo.gl/X3f5l (www.desertbreezepublishing.com)
http://goo.gl/1oqYI (Amazon.com)
Also available at Barnes & Nobel, major e-book publishers

Also available by Delores Goodrick Beggs:
Place in the Heart Book One: Breaking Point, May 2012
http://goo.gl/lH5NE (www.desertbreezepublishing.com)
http://goo.gl/1BIuN (Amazon.com)

Charming Champion, August, 2012, Contemporary single title
http://goo.gl/mfYCR (www.desertbreezepublishing.com)
http://goo.gl/r8J1U (Amazon.com)

Coming June, 2013 - Place in the Heart Book Three: Perfect Tenderfoot

Author Spotlight - Excerpt from "Invitiation to a Wedding"

Thank you so much for supporting Michelle's week in the spotlight. Michelle has written a short Christmas story, that she will post on her website as a PDF that readers can download.

The title is "One Small Child," and takes place just before Christmas at the end of Year One in the Tabor Heights Series. There's a nice blank gap between the last story of Year One, which ends in November, and when Year Two starts in early January.

The links for Michelle's website are at the bottom of the page.
Enjoy the Excerpt!
Smiles
Moderator Steph

**********

"Are you two fighting about something?" Drake asked.

"We'd have to be talking to fight." Dinah lifted the cutting board and scraped the celery off it into the bowl. "She hasn't come by, hasn't called, since I got home."

"Maybe she didn't know when you got home, and she's been waiting for you to call?"
"She has a point, dear," Mrs. Ashcroft said.

"Gretchen left messages for her." Dinah shrugged and reached for the tomato and concentrated on coring it before slicing. Drake knew it didn't take that much effort to take out the area where the stem attached. Something bothered his sister.

Still, he couldn't help snapping at her. "You left it up to Gretchen to tell Stacy you were home? Mom, what's wrong with this picture?"

"Gretchen has been very helpful. She's been helping even before the girls came home." Mrs. Ashcroft handed him the divided glass dish to hold the olives and artichokes. "All the things I would have asked Stacy to help with, Gretchen already thought of and took care of them."

"You wouldn't have had to ask Stacy, either. If she knew what was going on." He grunted as he got the second jar open and dug in with two fingers to scoop out a piece of artichoke heart. He grinned when his mother slapped his shoulder -- after he had the piece in his mouth.

"Something is bothering her," Dinah said, plopping the pieces of tomato onto the top of the salad. "She hasn't come by, hasn't called. She hasn't emailed, either."

"Did you email her? Call her? Stop by her house?" Drake sighed when his sister just shook her head and wouldn't look at him. "Di, you're the one with the open schedule. Stacy has to work. You know she'll drop everything for you, but you have to let her know you're here, first."

"She obviously knows I'm home, because she brought that present by."

"We did send her an invitation to the party," Mrs. Ashcroft offered.

"Stacy shouldn't need an invitation. She's just about family." He settled down on a stool pulled up at the counter. What was wrong with his mother and sister that they didn't seem to realize something was very wrong? Or was something wrong with him, that he thought Stacy was being hurt?

"True," his mother said. "Did she say anything was going on, the last time you two talked, Dinah?"

"We haven't really talked..." Dinah slid the salad bowl into the refrigerator. She barely met Drake's eyes before turning to their mother. "I got a Christmas card from her. That's about all the contact we've had for the last year or two."

"How come? What'd you do to make her angry?" Drake asked.

"What makes you think I did anything?" She glared at him and turned to walk out the door.

"Because Stacy is like a duck -- most of the time it rolls right off. Takes a lot to get her angry," he said, catching her arm to stop her.

"I wouldn't know. She just stopped writing."

"Did you ask her what was wrong?"

"If you're so concerned about Stacy, how come you don't write to her? How come you have to find out how she is by asking me?"

"Dinah!" their mother scolded. She stepped over, somewhat blocking her in, so Dinah had to step around her to get out of the kitchen. "Why did Stacy stop writing? What did she say in her last email?"

"I can't remember... exactly." Dinah wouldn't meet her eyes now.



FIND MICHELLE AT:

www.Mlevigne.com
www.Tabor-Heights-Today.blogspot.com
www.MichelleLevigne.blogspot.com

buy:
http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-383/Tabor-Heights-Year-Two-cln-/Detail.bok

Author Spotlight - Michelle Levigne - Teasers vs Spoilers

Don't you hate it when someone does a book review, and they basically give you the whole plot of the story? They tell you the names of all the characters, the history between the hero/heroine and their nemeses, the "black moment," and the names of all their children from the epilogue.

What's the use of reading the book, when you already know how it's going to end, and you know the most important points in the journey to get there?
Some may argue that romance guarantees a happy ending, so you know how it's going to end, so what does it matter if someone tells you all the gory or glory details?
It's the JOURNEY that matters in romance -- and yes, in a lot of other genres, too. And I hate it when the whole journey is revealed.

When my Dad was alive, I hated watching movies with him, because at some point he would turn to me or Mom or someone else in the room and say, "So, what's going to happen next?" He wanted to know -- which is fine, but don't ruin it for the rest of us when you find out, okay? And he would ask when he knew it was a movie we hadn't seen before, or a new episode of a TV show.

That's what we call spoilers, and it doesn't "make things better" when someone posts in all-caps SPOILER ALERT and then spaces down ten or twenty lines to create a blank space before discussing a movie they just saw or a book they just read. Because try as you might to not read it, you'll end up reading it. And then all the fun of "the first time" goes out of the movie or book or whatever.

So, that being said ... why in the world did I go ahead and talk about events in other books in the year-long correspondence between Stacy and Drake in "Invitation to a Wedding"?

To tease you and tempt you and make you wonder how a problem was going to be resolved -- or even more irritating, how the heck that situation got started in the first place.

Because Stacy only mentions the aftermath of something, or an odd event, and because she's on the outside, or she's living in her "now," there's no way for her to give away important details that will ruin it for the reader.

At least, that's the plan!

Because hopefully -- she says, with fingers and toes crossed, which makes it really hard to write and walk -- you'll have no idea whatsoever what event belongs in what upcoming book of Year Two. And yet, when you read the book someday in the future (please, you will read the other books, won't you?), when you get to the event Stacy mentioned in her email, you'll hae one of those "Oh, yeah, now I remember" moments. And you'll feel connected, included in the story, someone with an inside pass and inside knowledge.

At least, that's the plan. Please do contact me through my web site or one of my blogs, and let me know if it works, okay?

FIND MICHELLE AT:

www.Mlevigne.com
www.Tabor-Heights-Today.blogspot.com
www.MichelleLevigne.blogspot.com

buy:
http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-383/Tabor-Heights-Year-Two-cln-/Detail.bok

Author Spotlight - Michelle Levigne casts the characters!

This is a story where I had the germinal idea, and had to fill in all the blanks. Sometimes, I start with a character in a situation, and have the situation "come to a head," and work through it. For instance, for "The Family Way," in other books I had already talked about what a nasty man Mr. Montgomery was, and how people pitied his daughter-in-law, and I had even introduced Lisa and Todd and their on-again/off-again romance in a rough draft for a Quarry Hall novel (Blatant plug for the new Women's Fiction series, here!). So I had characters and situations already established for me, which actually gave me material to work with and a foundation to work on.
So, starting from scratch, how do you cast a story?

The germinal idea -- and I even mention the source of it within the story -- came from half an episode of "Northern Exposure." Anyone remember that show? How, you ask, could I work from half an episode? Well, I saw the first half, and never watched the second half! I think I was at a friend's house and watching TV while I waited for her to finish getting ready to go out. The story: a local celebrity was having his annual blow-out party -- gourmet food, fancy decorations, fancy plates, fancy invitations, etc. The new guy in town, the doctor, hears from everyone else what a great party it is. And of course, the doctor is invited -- but his invitation is lost. And before I turned off the TV, he was already facing the dilemma of not admitting that he didn't get an invitation to the big fancy yearly party.

So, that's where "Invitation to a Wedding" started. What happens if your childhood friend is getting married, and you're invited, but someone doesn't just lose the invitation -- they make sure you don't get the invitation?

The first question is: Why would someone do that? What kind of person is the heroine, that someone would want to keep her from going to a wedding?

Other questions I had to ask, so the story was believable -- especially when Stacy and Dinah don't get a chance to talk and fix things in the first two chapters -- dealt with why they weren't talking, compressing the timeline and circumstances to make it believable that Stacy wouldn't be included. Then I had to work on the hero -- what kind of a guy was he, that he would find out Stacy wasn't coming to the wedding, at a very late date, and be so upset that he had to do something about it?

What I came up with was: 1) Heroine is low on the social scale -- not that it matters to the hero and her childhood best friend. 2) Bride has been living in another state and lost contact with heroine. 3) Hero has been away from home for years, in the military and then seminary. 3) Bride eloped, so it isn't a wedding, but a weekend trip home for a wedding reception months later. 4) Childhood nemesis is living near the bride and pretends to be changed, so she is trusted with party details, and no one suspects when she takes over.

Compressing the time element of the story helped with the "why don't the idiots just sit down and TALK?" factor. I don't know about you, but I hate stories where the conflict could have been resolved in chapter 2 if the two main characters could have just been face-to-face for half an hour.

What I ended up with was a Cinderella story, and a year-long correspondence between the hero and heroine that gives everyone an overview of what else will be happening in Tabor Heights in Year Two.
Enjoy!

FIND MICHELLE AT:

www.Mlevigne.com
www.Tabor-Heights-Today.blogspot.com
www.MichelleLevigne.blogspot.com

buy:
http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-383/Tabor-Heights-Year-Two-cln-/Detail.bok

Author Spotlight - Michelle Levigne talks about bullies

In "Invitation to a Wedding," our heroine faces the ultimate nasty trick, played on her by the "mean girls" who have come back to town for the wedding celebration of her best friend from childhood.

Stacy was the housekeeper's granddaughter, and even though the Ashcrofts treated her like a member of the family, obviously the other "social elite" families in Tabor Heights didn't agree with them, because their daughters grew up trying to keep Stacy in "her place," and interfere with her friendship with Dinah Ashcroft.

I've never had anyone play such a nasty trick on me -- try to keep me from a friend's party, or cut me out of an activity where I had every right to be there, but I've suffered other "slings and arrows" of abuse, criticism, mockery, and people telling two different stories to keep two sides apart. (Does that make any sense?) The best tactic when dealing with "social bullies," as I call them, is communication. Stacy and Dinah drifted apart and stopped communicating. The bullies never would have gotten between them if they had talked to each other.

Instead of believing someone when they say, "Jenny doesn't want to hang around with you," confront Jenny directly. I wish I had learned that lesson years ago. There are people who believe I hate them, when it turns out that a third party told me they didn't want to be around me, and then told them the same thing about me!
I dream of the day when these people who discouraged me and bruised my feelings and my dreams will want something from me ... and yes, I admit, I want to "get some back" at them.

It's not nice. It's something I'm working on. My favorite scenario, practiced many times in my imagination, is for them to come up to me at a booksigning with some friends they want to impress. They'll exclaim about how great I look, and how well my books are selling, and they're so glad for me -- and when they try to hug me, I'll pull back and say, "Sorry, I don't recognize you. Where do I know you from?"
I hope I grow to the point that I forget about the bruises, the hurt feelings, the lies people have told about me, the mockery -- so that when someone shows up, claiming to be an old friend, it's the truth when I say, "Sorry, I honestly don't recognize you. Where do we know each other from?" And when they tell me, I'll be glad to see them.

That's the biggest triumph over bullies. To lose the hurt they tried to inflict on us. To succeed despite their mockery and lies and trying to put us in what they believe is our "proper place."


FIND MICHELLE AT:

www.Mlevigne.com
www.Tabor-Heights-Today.blogspot.com
www.MichelleLevigne.blogspot.com

buy:
http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-383/Tabor-Heights-Year-Two-cln-/Detail.bok

Author Spotlight - Q&A with Michelle Levigne

STEPH: I don't know much about "Invitation to a Wedding." What's it about?

MICHELLE: Drake Ashcroft, ex-Marine now in seminary, comes home for the wedding reception for his sister, who eloped with his best friend from the Marines. He finds a present on the back step, left there by Stacy Belmont, granddaughter of their former housekeeper. The problem is that Stacy grew up with Drake and his sister, Dinah, and he knows the two girls promised to be each other's maid of honor -- so why isn't Stacy helping with the preparations for the party?

As Drake investigates, he learns that the some people in town haven't outgrown their childhood rivalries and petty nastiness, and the "mean girls" still have it in for Stacy. It turns into a race against time to get Stacy to the party, but he's going to do it, even if he has to kidnap her.

STEPH: How long did it take you to write?

MICHELLE: The first draft took me a month. This year, I rough drafted six of the eight novels for Year Two, giving myself a month for each one. Then, after letting it sit for five months, I went back and revised it. I had to wait until all the books were roughed so I could put together my calendar of when and where things happened in Tabor Heights, because I needed to refer to that calendar when Stacy and Drake correspond for most of the year. I was starting to panic, because the deadline was approaching for turning the book in, and I hadn't started the revisions yet! But I made it. Somehow. And I'm pleased with the story. At least, I think so ...... Still too tired to be sure it turned out right!

STEPH: How much research did you have to do?

MICHELLE: Not much. I already had the setting, a good idea of the characters, their shared history -- and lots of experience with the problems caused by lies and social maneuvering and "mean girls" trying to rule the world. The biggest chore on my list was getting all the other books written so I knew what happened when in the different storylines, so Stacy could mention some of the events -- but definitely not all of them! -- when she emailed Drake through the year.

STEPH: How does the cover reflect the story within?

MICHELLE: I think it arouses some curiosity, from the moment someone realizes it's an invitation that's been tossed into the wastebasket before it even got mailed. It's not an accurate picture, because the evil Gretchen didn't actually throw away Stacy's invitation, she just made sure it never got mailed. But as it reflects the "heart" of the story, the conflict, and the problem to overcome, it's spot-on. Jenifer and her staff always do an incredible job with the artwork.

STEPH: Stacy is the heroine. What are her strengths? Weakness?

MICHELLE: She is smart, and she is generally an upbeat, caring, kind, generous person. Right now she's going through a rough time in her life -- she just had her first Christmas without her grandmother, who raised her, and the family that treated her like she was one of their own has basically left her out in the cold because of some crises of their own that they went through over the holidays. Plus, a year of silence between her and her best childhood friend has culminated in "Retchin' Gretchen" (yes, you'll find out where the nickname came from!) acting as maid of honor, when Stacy and Dinah promised to be each other's maid of honor. Stacy doesn't want to dwell on her hurt, but it's hard. She has some pride issues, although the people who love her would argue with that. She's trying so hard to be strong and not let the "mean girls" know they hurt her, that she's hurting herself even worse.
She needs a Prince Charming.

STEPH: What does Drake find appealing about her?

MICHELLE: There's no one specific characteristic in Stacy that smacks him between the eyes. She's the perfect minister's wife -- but Drake doesn't want to use that label, because Stacy herself is important to him, not just what she can offer. She has always been there, a key part of his life, but he doesn't realize it until she's gone, until there's silence when he expects some input from her. It's a situation of, "You don't know what you've got until it's gone." As he scrambles to make things right, to bring Stacy back into the family circle where she belongs, he realizes that she's no longer an adopted kid sister to him -- she's become someone very important, and he needs to take some time to analyze just how and why she is important, and figure out what he's going to do about it. One thing he knows for certain: He's not letting Stacy slip out of his life again.

STEPH: What is the theme of the novel?

Ugh. I hate these questions! I'm thinking about the people, not what I want to say through them. In theater class and playwriting class, we were always told, "If you want to leave a message, use Western Union."

But the overall concepts being explored deal with communication, with ideas of family that extend past blood bonds, with the subtle ways we hurt the people we love without even realizing it, and maybe how we are so busy we lose things and people who are precious to us, and don't even realize it until it's nearly too late.

STEPH: As a writer, where do you draw inspiration from?

MICHELLE: Is it a cop-out to say "Everywhere and everything"?

STEPH: Yes! (grin)

MICHELLE: Inspiration comes from things that catch my attention. Like a snippet of a story or situation in a TV show or book or movie that sticks in my mind. Case in point, the half-episode of "Northern Exposure" that I mention in another entry on this blog. It presented an unhappy situation for someone, and it stuck with me, so when I was looking for story ideas, that one was waiting to be used.

Inspiration comes from things that make me angry -- issues and situations and injustices that I want resolved. Or I want to totally humiliate bullies, or bring about justice for someone who in real life will never taste justice. Things that make me say, "Wow -- cool." Even things that make me shudder and take a step back and avert my eyes -- but the image is still there, lingering at the back of my imagination, to eventually come out of hiding and say, "Use me!" when I need a painful or terrifying or unbalancing situation.

Story ideas don't come to me in one piece. I put all sorts of pieces together and trim them to fit, or melt them, or add water or whack them really hard a couple thousand times until they change enough to slide into the opening available. Some stories need major surgery before they work. Others just slide together as if they were always meant to be. Sometimes I only do two or three drafts. Other times I write and rewrite and rewrite and put it away for a year or two and bring it out and rewrite again and put it away and bring it out again and ... put it away, in the hopes that someday, I'll figure out what's not working, so I can fix it.
Writing is craft and talent and inspiration and luck and stubbornness, all mixed together.

STEPH: Do you have an ebook reader? If so, which one?

MICHELLE: I have one of the first Nooks, plus I have an iPod Touch and iPad with Nook, iBooks, and Kindle loaded on them. I like the flexibility offered by the three different programs. For instance, I have all the PDFs of my own books in iBooks, so I can show them to other people, let them read a few paragraphs if the situation presents itself, and I can also go through the PDFs to refresh myself on different people's stories. Much easier than getting into my computer and digging up the PDF. I like the instant connection of reading on the iPad -- no need to wait for the system to boot up and the menu to appear, like I do on the Nook. However, there's something simple and easy about my Nook, and I enjoy being able to sit down and read and not be able to do anything but read while I'm using it.

STEPH: Fun question: Do you put a star or an angel on the top of your Christmas tree?

MICHELLE: I don't have a Christmas tree! (waaaaaaah!)

I do have a ceramic Christmas tree my Mom made years ago, with an electric light inside it and clear plastic colored bulbs.

This year is my first year in my new place, and I've pulled out Christmas ornaments I haven't seen or used in years. I bought a spool of wide ribbon -- white with red snowflakes -- with wire reinforcing on the edges, and put a length across the wooden mantle of my fireplace, and another across the wooden frame of my living room window. Then I hung my ornaments on these ribbons. It looks pretty cool.

Maybe at the end of the holiday season, when everything is on sale, I'll go shopping for a tree topper to use next year ...

FIND MICHELLE AT:

www.Mlevigne.com
www.Tabor-Heights-Today.blogspot.com
www.MichelleLevigne.blogspot.com

buy:
http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-383/Tabor-Heights-Year-Two-cln-/Detail.bok

Author Spotlight - Excerpt from "Shadowed Dreams"

We hope you've enjoyed Tina's week in the spotlight. Leave a comment today, Saturday, Sunday along with your email address and we'll pick one winner to receive a PDF copy of one of Tina's books.

Enjoy the Excerpt!
Smiles
Moderator Steph


Caroline finally made it out of the store after wrestling herself free, and all but slammed the door behind her. She tugged her dress into place with a 'humph'. "Doesn't anyone know how to fix anything here?"

Her diatribe of complaints continued outside as she nearly tripped on a loose slat, and maneuvered around a couple of men who forced her to the outer edge of the walk. She continued toward the hotel, hugging the outer posts when she could. "I see manners are lacking here as well."

She was so busy mumbling complaints to herself she didn't notice anyone else on the walk. It was too late by the time she did. She ran into a man. It felt like she hit a brick wall.

Unbalanced, she teetered, grasping for air, and fell off the walk. She found herself deposited face down in the muddy street. She righted herself quickly, and sat there stunned and fuming. Her hat was down on her forehead. She pushed it back, and with clawed fingers dragged the mud from her eyes, then wiped the mud from her face, which only added more mud.

An open hand slipped into her limited field of vision. "Let me help you." There were some gentlemen here, evidently. She started to accept until he added, "Sorry about this. Didn’t mean to knock you off the walk."

She snatched her hand back. This man, the one with whom she collided, was trying to offer her assistance. "How dare you? You weren't watching where you were going!"
Caroline renewed the attack at the mud on her face with the backs of her hands.
"Ma'am, honest, I'm really sorry but..."

It was a good thing he stopped talking, because it sounded like he was going to blame the entire situation on her.

"There are no buts about it. You ought to be sorry! Just look what you've done! Do you realize how much this dress cost?" Muddy tears filled her eyes. Caroline lifted her arms from the mud. The sleeves, weighted and wet, hung heavily, like muddy flags in the air. She flapped them. "Look at this mess you've made!"

"Can't comment much on the dress, ma'am. But it was you who ran into me. I'd be happy to help you." He stepped behind her, reaching down for her, and caught her under the arms and began to lift.

Caroline craned her head back to look at the stranger. He had soft and strangely familiar blue eyes. He was even somewhat handsome.

But he was dirty.

The buckskin britches and the shirt he wore were filthy and sweat-stained. He looked like he hadn't seen water in weeks.

Caroline continued her rant as she flapped her arms. "How dare you touch me? Remove your filthy hands from me this instant!"

"I daresay my hands are a heck of a lot cleaner than you are right now, ma'am." He smiled. She noted he had nice white teeth, and a little dimple playing just to left of his lips. "Besides, I doubt you want me to let you go right now."

"I do." Caroline stiffened her legs, and used her dead weight against him. Tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Ma'am, you're in a precarious position."

"Only because you're touching me." Nice eyes, bright smile, and dimple aside. "I don't want your foul hands on me! Now let me go!"

"Whatever you say." The stranger shook his head. "Tsk, tsk, as you wish." He let go of her. She flopped back into the mud, making a sploshing sound when she landed.

"How dare you! How dare you!" She kicked her legs and screamed, like a two-year-old having a tantrum.


******

Tina Pinson resides in Mesa, Arizona with her husband of thirty plus years, Danny. They are blessed to have three sons, and six grandchildren with another on the way.
Tina started her writing in elementary school. Her love of writing has caused her to seek creative outlets be it writing poetry, songs, or stories. Her WWII story Trail of the Sandpiper won third place in the Genesis in 2003. In the Manor of the Ghost and Touched By Mercy and When Shadows Fall Book 1 in the Shadows Series are available through Desert Breeze Publishers.

To Catch a Shadow the next installment of the Shadow Series about the civil war and the Oregon Trail, will be available, June 2013. To Carry her Cross will be available January 2013 and Then There was Grace a Sept 9/11 type story will be available Sept. 2013 and Christmas in Shades of Gray an offbeat Dickens type tale releases December 2013.

Blurb:
Matthew has braved the war and near death with one thought in mind… Rebekah. He won her hand in marriage, and now he has a few short months to make her see how much he loves her. How much he needs her. Given the wall she's put up between them, he prays he'll have enough time.

After fleeing the war, Rebekah is determined to go west to Oregon, only to be turned down when she tries to join the train. Matthew's proposal of marriage, in name only to help her west, becomes the miracle she needs. Loving him as she does, she dreads the idea of letting him go once they reach Oregon, but how can she ask him to stay with her, to love her? How could he love her once he's found out her secret? She must guard her heart and his.

My website -- http://www.tinapinson.com/
Twitter:@Tina_Pinson
Facebook-- http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=754617103

Purchase my books at:

Desert Breeze Bookstore.
When Shadows Fall
Touched By Mercy
In the Manor of the Ghost
Shadowed Dreams

Amazon:
Touched By Mercy
In the Manor of the Ghost
When Shadows Fall
Shadowed Dreams

Barnes & Noble
Touched By Mercy
In the Manor of the Ghost
When Shadows Fall
Shadowed Dreams

Christian Books Distributors
Touched By Mercy
In the Manor of the Ghost
When Shadows Fall



Tina E. Pinson--
Touched By Mercy, In the Manor of the Ghost, When Shadows Fall
Shadowed Dreams Twitter @Tina_Pinson My Website, My Blog
"For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD... " Jer. 29:11

Author Spotlight - 1863 in History

Here is a list of some of the things that happened during the time Matthew and Rebekah's took their trip to Oregon.

Remember the Civil War was still being fought and there were several battles during this times as well.
I didn’t list them all.

May 1st - Battle of Chancellorsville, VA (29,000 injured or died)

May 1st - Confederate congress passed resolution to kill black soldiers

May 2nd - Stonewall Jackson attacks Chancellorsville, wounded by his own men

May 5th - Joe Coburn KOs Mike McCoole for US boxing title in 63rd round
May 8th - Confederación Granadina becomes Estados Unidos de Colombia

May 16th - Battle of Champion's Hill, MS-bloodiest action of Vicksburg Campaign

May 19th - Siege of Vicksburg, investment of city complete
Jun 2nd - Harriet Tubman leads Union guerrillas into Maryland, freeing slaves
Jun 5th - CSS "Alabama" captures "Tailsman" in Mid Atlantic
Jun 7th - Mexico City captured by French troops
Jun 10th - Battle of Brice's Crossroads, Miss; Nathan Bedford Forrest w/3500 defeats 8000 Feds
Jun 13th - Samuel Butler publishes 1st part of "Erewhon," Christchurch, NZ

Jun 17th - Travelers Insurance Co of Hartford chartered (1st accident insurer)

Jun 20th - 1st bank chartered in US (National Bank of Davenport Iowa)
Jun 20th - West Virginia admitted as 35th US state

Jun 25th - US General George Meade replaces General Hooker to be more aggressive

Jun 29th - George A Custer (23) appointed Union Brig-general

Jun 29th - Lee orders his forces to concentrate near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

Jun 29th - Very 1st First National Bank opens in Davenport, Iowa

Jun 30th - Dutch colony Suriname counts population of 33,000 slaves

Jul 1st - Battle of Gettysburg, Pa; Lee's northward advance halted

Jul 1st - Free city delivery of mail begins in 49 US cities; postage 3 cents per oz

Jul 1st - Slavery abolished in Suriname & Netherlands Antilles

Jul 3rd - Battle of Gettysburg Pa ends, major victory for North

Jul 4th - Boise, Idaho founded (now capital of Idaho)

Jul 4th - General Lee's army withdraws from Gettysburg

Jul 6th - Northern Territory passes from New South Wales to South Australia

Jul 7th - 1st military draft by US (exemptions cost $100)

Jul 7th - Orders barring Jews from serving under US Grant are revoked

Jul 11th - Japanese battle cruiser shoots at Dutch warship Medusa, kills 4

Jul 13th - Anti-draft mobs lynch blacks in NYC; about 1,000 die

Jul 14th - Jews of Holstein Germany granted equality

Jul 15th - Pres Davis orders service duty for confederate army

Jul 16th - Utrecht-Swells railway opens

Jul 17th - Battle of Honey Springs - largest battle in Indian Territory

Jul 30th - Pres Lincoln issues "eye-for-eye" order to shoot a rebel prisoner for every black prisoner shot

Jul 30th - Indian Wars: Chief Pocatello of the Shoshone tribe signs the Treaty of Box Elder, promising to stop harassing the emigrant trails in southern Idaho and northern Utah
Aug 3rd - Governor Seymour asks Lincoln to suspend draft in NY

Aug 3rd - Saratoga Racetrack (NY) opens

Aug 8th - American Civil War: Tennessee's "military" Governor Andrew Johnson frees his personal slaves. During the early 20th century, the day was celebrated by blacks in Tennessee as a holiday.

Aug 11th - Cambodia becomes French protectorate

Aug 12th - 1st cargo of lumber leaves Burrard Inlet (Vancouver, BC area)

Aug 15th - Submarine "HL Hunley" arrives in Charleston on railroad cars

Aug 15th - The Anglo-Satsuma War begins between the Satsuma Domain of Japan and the United Kingdom (Traditional Japanese date: July 2, 1863).

Aug 16th - Emancipation Proclamation signed
Sep 1st - RR & ferry connection between SF & Oakland inaugurated
Sep 5th - Bread revolt in Mobile Alabama
Sep 10th - George Bizets opera "Les Pêcheurs de Perles," premieres in Paris
Oct 3rd - Lincoln designates last Thursday in November as Thanksgiving Day

Oct 5th - Confederate sub David damages Union ship Ironsides.
Oct 6th - Dr Charles H Sheppard opens 1st public bath, in Brooklyn

Oct 15th - Cliff House opens in SF (1st of many on site)

Oct 16th - Grant is given command of Union forces in West
 VA

Oct 26th - Soccer rules standardized; rugby starts as a separate game

Oct 26th - Worldwide Red Cross organized in Geneva

Oct 26th - Football Association forms in England, standardizing soccer

Oct 27th - Dutch railway to Harlingen opens
Oct 29th - Intl Comm of Red Cross forms (Nobel 1917, 1944, 1963)

Oct 31st - The Maori Wars resumed as British forces in New Zealand led by General Duncan Cameron began their Invasion of the
Nov 17th - Lincoln begins 1st draft of his Gettysburg Address

Nov 19th - Lincoln delivers his address in Gettysburg; "4 score & 7 years..."

Nov 23rd - Patent granted for a process of making color photographs

Dec 4th - Storm flood ravages Nethe coastal provinces

Dec 8th - 2,500 reported killed as result of fire at Jesuit Church of La Compana Santiago Chile

Dec 8th - Abraham Lincoln's Amnesty Proclamation and plan for Reconstruction of South


Dec 15th - Romania is using for the first time a mountain railway (from Anina to Oravita)


******

Tina Pinson resides in Mesa, Arizona with her husband of thirty plus years, Danny. They are blessed to have three sons, and six grandchildren with another on the way.
Tina started her writing in elementary school. Her love of writing has caused her to seek creative outlets be it writing poetry, songs, or stories. Her WWII story Trail of the Sandpiper won third place in the Genesis in 2003. In the Manor of the Ghost and Touched By Mercy and When Shadows Fall Book 1 in the Shadows Series are available through Desert Breeze Publishers.

To Catch a Shadow the next installment of the Shadow Series about the civil war and the Oregon Trail, will be available, June 2013. To Carry her Cross will be available January 2013 and Then There was Grace a Sept 9/11 type story will be available Sept. 2013 and Christmas in Shades of Gray an offbeat Dickens type tale releases December 2013.

Blurb:
Matthew has braved the war and near death with one thought in mind… Rebekah. He won her hand in marriage, and now he has a few short months to make her see how much he loves her. How much he needs her. Given the wall she's put up between them, he prays he'll have enough time.

After fleeing the war, Rebekah is determined to go west to Oregon, only to be turned down when she tries to join the train. Matthew's proposal of marriage, in name only to help her west, becomes the miracle she needs. Loving him as she does, she dreads the idea of letting him go once they reach Oregon, but how can she ask him to stay with her, to love her? How could he love her once he's found out her secret? She must guard her heart and his.

My website -- http://www.tinapinson.com/
Twitter:@Tina_Pinson
Facebook-- http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=754617103

Purchase my books at:

Desert Breeze Bookstore.
When Shadows Fall
Touched By Mercy
In the Manor of the Ghost
Shadowed Dreams

Amazon:
Touched By Mercy
In the Manor of the Ghost
When Shadows Fall
Shadowed Dreams

Barnes & Noble
Touched By Mercy
In the Manor of the Ghost
When Shadows Fall
Shadowed Dreams

Christian Books Distributors
Touched By Mercy
In the Manor of the Ghost
When Shadows Fall



Tina E. Pinson--
Touched By Mercy, In the Manor of the Ghost, When Shadows Fall
Shadowed Dreams Twitter @Tina_Pinson My Website, My Blog
"For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD... " Jer. 29:11

Author Spotlight - Food on the Oregon Trail

Now that we've dined on Thanksgiving dinner and started the hunt for Christmas gifts by hitting all the after Thanksgiving sales, I thought we might take a look at where those on the Oregon Trail might do their shopping.

Of course many of them hoped to over the mountains and into Oregon before the snows came, so they wouldn't be out looking for Christmas gifts, but they did have to stop at some of the towns and Forts along the way to replenish supplies.

As you know, those traveling on the trail loaded their wagons with many of their supplies for the trip. Early guidebooks advocated teach emigrant carry 200 pounds of flour, 150 pounds of bacon, 10 pounds of coffee, 20 pounds of sugar, and 10 pounds of salt. Basic kitchenware was a cooking kettle, fry pan, coffee pot, tin plates, cups, knives, and forks.

A daily menu might consist of the following: for breakfast, coffee, bacon, dry or pilot bread; for dinner, coffee, cold beans, bacon or buffalo meat; for supper, tea, boiled rice, and dried beef or codfish'. Because of the inability to carry fresh fruits and vegetables, scurvy became a big problem on the trail.

Dairy was usually gathered from the family cow or goat that traveled with the wagon.

Early on those who traveled the trail didn't have as many places to stop. They relied on the good graces of the Indians, and mountain men who passed. They caught fresh meat to add to their stores of grains and dried vegetables.

By the time Matthew and Rebekah joined the wagon train in 1863, they still had to make sure they loaded their wagons with many of the staples they might need and they might trade with Indians, trappers and mountain men along the way. But a few towns and Forts had sprung up along the trail where they could stop and replenish their stores if necessary.

Sometimes, due to high pricing, it was better not to stop at some of the stores and continue on to the next town or Fort. At the forts, like Kearney and Laramie, they not only found a place to rest with some protection, they were able to trade with several traders and tribes that came to the fort to sell their wares as well.

If the travelers had the chance to restock, they certainly tried because it could be weeks for before they reached another place with the necessities they might need.

It was most important how they stored their food and how they used it. They lived by the adage 'waste not, want not'.

We on the other hand, load up our refrigerators and freezers, we stock our pantries with dried good and canned goods, and when we run out of something, we get in our car, and drive a couple mile in any direction and run into a grocery store.

Thinking of your all the foodstuffs in your house. If you had to take a trip across country without a cooler, without the stores to stop at, and could only take 2500 pounds on your wagon, what would carry?
******

Tina Pinson resides in Mesa, Arizona with her husband of thirty plus years, Danny. They are blessed to have three sons, and six grandchildren with another on the way.
Tina started her writing in elementary school. Her love of writing has caused her to seek creative outlets be it writing poetry, songs, or stories. Her WWII story Trail of the Sandpiper won third place in the Genesis in 2003. In the Manor of the Ghost and Touched By Mercy and When Shadows Fall Book 1 in the Shadows Series are available through Desert Breeze Publishers.

To Catch a Shadow the next installment of the Shadow Series about the civil war and the Oregon Trail, will be available, June 2013. To Carry her Cross will be available January 2013 and Then There was Grace a Sept 9/11 type story will be available Sept. 2013 and Christmas in Shades of Gray an offbeat Dickens type tale releases December 2013.

Blurb:
Matthew has braved the war and near death with one thought in mind… Rebekah. He won her hand in marriage, and now he has a few short months to make her see how much he loves her. How much he needs her. Given the wall she's put up between them, he prays he'll have enough time.

After fleeing the war, Rebekah is determined to go west to Oregon, only to be turned down when she tries to join the train. Matthew's proposal of marriage, in name only to help her west, becomes the miracle she needs. Loving him as she does, she dreads the idea of letting him go once they reach Oregon, but how can she ask him to stay with her, to love her? How could he love her once he's found out her secret? She must guard her heart and his.

My website -- http://www.tinapinson.com/
Twitter:@Tina_Pinson
Facebook-- http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=754617103

Purchase my books at:

Desert Breeze Bookstore.
When Shadows Fall
Touched By Mercy
In the Manor of the Ghost
Shadowed Dreams

Amazon:
Touched By Mercy
In the Manor of the Ghost
When Shadows Fall
Shadowed Dreams

Barnes & Noble
Touched By Mercy
In the Manor of the Ghost
When Shadows Fall
Shadowed Dreams

Christian Books Distributors
Touched By Mercy
In the Manor of the Ghost
When Shadows Fall



Tina E. Pinson--
Touched By Mercy, In the Manor of the Ghost, When Shadows Fall
Shadowed Dreams Twitter @Tina_Pinson My Website, My Blog
"For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD... " Jer. 29:11