It's Here!!! Book One of the Highland Trilogy

If Not For Love, the first book in my new Highland Trilogy is out! Help me celebrate by logging on to Amazon.com or Barnesandnoble.com and grabbing a copy.

I'm also celebrating by holding a fun giveaway!

The grand prize is a bag filled with some great swag and a paperback copy of If Not for Love!

Also up for grabs are 10 e-copies of If Not for Love.

4 ways to win:

*Become a follower of my blog.

*Leave a comment along with your email address.

*Leave a review on Amazon.com

*Share the blog link on Facebook.

Doing all four of these gets your name entered four times, improving your chances of winning!

Giveaway goes from January 1-7. Winners will be selected by random drawing.

About the book
Escaping the immoral advances of her publisher, Adia Stone takes her career into her own hands and starts over. Scotland seems like the perfect place to get her creative juices flowing again, and being there also fuels her fascination with her family's Scottish history. The last thing she expects to find is love.
After watching Tavish MacLachlan walk by her apartment every day for two months, Adia officially meets him and the budding friendship quickly turns to love.
But there are forces at work around them that they are unaware of, and people willing to do whatever it takes to keep them apart. Will their love be able to survive the secrets that come to light?

Be sure to grab your copy at Amazon.com

Great Holiday Reads

Thought for Today
“Joy is what happens to us when we allow ourselves to recognize how good things really are.”  - Marianne Williamson

Suggested Gift Ideas and Holiday Reads

Book: The Gift
Author: Richard Paul Evans

Nathan Hurst hated Christmas. For the rest of the world it was a day of joy and celebration; for Nathan it was simply a reminder of the event that destroyed his childhood until a snowstorm, a cancelled flight, and an unexpected meeting with a young mother and her very special son would show him that Christmas is indeed the season of miracles.

Book: Santa Maybe
Author: Aubrey Mace

Dear Santa,
I've been a good girl this year. (Well . . . pretty good.) I have a nice life and there's only one thing that I really want one thing that's missing. If you happen to have an extra one lying around your workshop, I would really like a husband. I promise to take good care of him.
Love, Abbie

With a successful bakery to run, super cute nieces and nephews to spoil, and plenty of good friends to keep her company, Abbie s not about to start crying over the fact that she s doesn't have a boyfriend to spend Christmas with. But when her sister convinces her to write a note to Santa, Abbie has no idea that a little Christmas magic is about to land her the man of her dreams. Or rather, that man is about to land smack dab on the floor in front of her Christmas tree with no memory of how he got there.

Now Abbie and Ben have to figure out where he came from, who he really is, and if he's actually available.

Book: Grace
Author: Richard Paul Evans

She was my first kiss. My first love. She was a little match girl who could see the future in the flame of a candle. She was a runaway who taught me more about life than anyone has before or since. And when she was gone my innocence left with her.

As I begin to write, a part of me feels as if I am awakening something best left dead and buried, or at least buried. We can bury the past, but it never really dies. The experience of that winter has grown on my soul like ivy climbing the outside of a home, growing until it begins to tear and tug at the brick and mortar.

I pray I can still get the story right. My memory, like my eyesight, has waned with age. Still, there are things that become clearer to me as I grow older. This much I know: too many things were kept secret in those days. Things that never should have been hidden. And things that should have.

Movie: The Christmas Shoes

In this heartwarming holiday drama, a workaholic attorney (Rob Lowe) crosses paths with a young boy on Christmas Eve and rediscovers the true meaning of love, life, and the holiday season. Kimberly Williams costars.

A New Non-Fiction Anthology

Suggested Reading

Book: Castles, Customs, and Kings: True Tales by English Historical Fiction Authors
Author: Debra Brown

About the Book
A compilation of essays from the English Historical Fiction Authors blog, this book provides a wealth of historical information from Roman Britain to early twentieth century England. Over fifty different authors share hundreds of real life stories and tantalizing tidbits discovered while doing research for their own historical novels.

From Queen Boadicea’s revolt to Tudor ladies-in-waiting, from Regency dining and dress to Victorian crime and technology, immerse yourself in the lore of Great Britain. Read the history behind the fiction and discover the true tales surrounding England’s castles, customs, and kings.

Amazon Review:
Behind every good historical novel is a ream of in-depth research. The characters and the plot are important, but blatant errors of fact can ruin the enjoyment of a fictional adventure. Most modern Historical Fiction authors take great care to delve into the reality of the period they intend to write about, often down to the minutest detail. This book is a splendid source of interesting information gleaned to serve as a solid foundation to some very good novels. Castles, Customs and Kings is a compilation of easy to read essays written by a variety of enthusiastic authors - some indie, some mainstream - all of whom possess a keenness to unravel the facts from the fiction. From Roman Britain to the Twentieth Century, the articles are superbly laid out in chronological order - you can dip in and out as you please, or read from article to article; either way, when you eventually put the book down you'll have discovered something new while being thoroughly entertained. This is an "I didn't know that" book, guaranteed to inspire and intrigue; you'll find yourself absorbed in the fountain of knowledge penned by wordsmiths who have a passion for the past.

Helen Hollick - author of Historical Fiction, Historical Adventure and UK Indie Review Editor for the Historical Novel Society 
Order at Amazon.com

Thought for Today
“We should not judge people by their peak of excellence; but by the distance they have traveled from the point where they started." - Henry Ward Beecher

Suggested Reading

Book: A Just Man & a Highly Favored Woman - The Story of Joseph & Mary
Author: Julie L. York

About the book
Ever since Jesus made his humble appearance just over 2000 years ago, there has been much written about Him and His life.
But, how was He raised? Being the Son of God, were His earthly parents really a necessity? What did his family really know about him?
Beyond the Biblical account, little is known of Mary, and Joseph has just a few verses.
Come on a journey and follow the story of Joseph and Mary, from their childhood together, through Jesus’ birth, life, ministry and death.
Witness their love and devotion to each other, their family, and the Son they loved and cared for, who saved us all.
Historical Fiction

This is a different take on the greatest story ever told and I love it:-) Available on
Amazon.com

Writer Misc.

Thought for Today

"I've got a folder full of rejection slips that I keep. Know why? Because those same editors are now calling my agent hoping I'll write a book or novella for them. Things change. A rejection slip today might mean a frantic call to your agent in six months."

- MaryJanice Davidson

Handbook of Nothin'

Thought for Today
"Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day."
--Henri Nouwen

Suggested Reading

Book: Handbook of Nothin'
Author: N. K. Wright

About the book

Straight from the middle-late 20th century comes the tale of a teen always on the cusp of trouble!
The year is 1972. Against the stormy backdrop of a nuclear arms race, Watergate break-ins, the Vietnam war, and indescribable acts of terror, a teenage boy lives out his simple, rural life. But despite his seemingly tranquil farm life, “Nothin’ Right”—as he’s known to many of his seventh-grade classmates—faces trouble on numerous fronts and against several adversaries. Can a resourceful farm boy solve his own epic problems when the often-violent world around him is on the verge of self-destruction?

Handbook of Nothin' is a 1972 snapshot of rural western America as told through the experiences of a 13-year-old junior high boy and the scrawled pencil drawings in his school notebook.
Handbook of Nothin' could be considered a higher-end middle grade book, but is a fun read for all ages.

This was such a fun book! No matter if you are 10 or 100, this is a story we can all relate to in some way. "Nothin' Right" is a lovable character and his experiences totally cracked me up. Very entertaining read!
Handbook of Nothin' is available on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Handbook-of-Nothin-ebook/dp/B00DT7YLIS/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1377399958&sr=1-1&keywords=the+handbook+of+nothin

I Say Again, We Are That We Might Have Joy

With all the things going on in the world today, it is so easy to allow negativity to cloud our view and bring us down about life. Yes, there is misery everywhere we turn, but there is also beauty and joy, and so many things to be grateful for. We should never turn a blind eye or close ourselves off to the affairs of the world, but we do need to remember that we are meant to have joy, which means being grateful for what we have been given in this life, living the best we can, and doing what we can to make the world better by being here. Yes, there are moments when we all complain, and that is okay because we are human, but the trick is to allow ourselves that moment, then move on.

Everyone's circumstances are different and some of us are far worse off than others, but there are people who possess little and still smile each day simply because they are alive. True, I've never walked in anyone's shoes but my own, but I have worn many different pairs of shoes in my life. Some have been pretty comfortable and some have hurt like nobody's business, but I've learned something about myself while wearing every pair, and I wouldn't trade those experiences for anything, because each was a different lesson in learning to be happy while reaching to attain something more.
Thinking outward brings inner joy. And therein lies true happiness.
Here are a few neat little quotes on finding joy.

The greater part of our happiness or misery depends on our dispositions, and not on our circumstances. We carry the seeds of the one or the other about with us in our minds wherever we go. --Martha Washington

We either make ourselves happy or miserable. The amount of work is the same.--Carlos Castaneda

Resolve to keep happy and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties.--Helen Keller

To get up each morning with the resolve to be happy…is to set our own conditions to the events of each day. To do this is to condition circumstances instead of being conditioned by them.--Ralph Waldo Emerson

Suggested Reading
 Book: My Lady Coward

Author: Jaimey Grant

About the Book
"My Lady Coward" debuted as a serial romance, each installment posted somewhere online as it was written. "My Lady Coward: An Episodic Regency Romance" is a compilation of those ten installments. They have not been changed from the original postings, merely formatted into one file for those who desire to have the whole story in one convenient place.
 
A lady knows her place, no matter what...
With Maria's vows came a title and security. At her wedding she gained a position amongst Society's elite. With her marriage Maria acquired everything a young woman could possibly desire. 
Except love. 
Going about her day-to-day activities, all Maria wants is Richard's love, the attentions he lavishes upon his mistress. But can she set aside her ladylike training long enough to tell him? 

The Legacy Excerpt of the Week

Thought for the Week
 "Self pity is our worst enemy and if we yield to it, we can never do anything wise in the world."
Helen Keller
"Self-pity gets you nowhere. One must have the adventurous daring to accept oneself as a bundle of possibilities and undertake the most interesting game in the world making the most of one's best."
Harry Emerson Fosdick

Excerpt for the Week

Book: The Legacy

In my twenty-two years of life, I have seen and suffered things no one should have to. Having been raised by an alcoholic mother and an abusive father, childhood was nothing but miserable for me. From the age of six to twelve years old, when other children were laughing and playing and sharing secrets with their friends, I was a woman-child, barely surviving and telling my secrets to no one. In the afternoons after school when I should have been busy being a child, I was subjected to the screams of my mother as my father beat her. And at night while other children were safely tucked in their beds and sleeping, I was forced to endure the sickening presence of my father in my room as he abused and defiled me.

One day my mother finally found the courage to leave her husband. She packed our things while he was working and moved us from Charlotte back to her hometown of Asheville. Unfortunately, the move was too little, too late, for my life had been permanently scarred. And it didn’t help that every man my mother moved into our home seemed to think I should be part of the deal.

Throughout my life I felt dirty and cheap, but more than anything, I felt alone. There was no one I could turn to and share my painful burdens. Later in life, that loneliness guided me to make decisions that only added to my misery, bringing even more shame upon me.

A single tear slips down my cheek as I remember the days and nights of endless partying, each episode filled with drugs, alcohol, and sometimes immoral conduct. When I was younger, my father made it his solemn duty to tell me repeatedly that I was worthless and only good for one thing in life. It seemed his comments found a permanent place in my mind and heart. My father had foreseen my future and helped as much as he could to make that future happen. But I know in the end the choices had been my own, just as the choice to finally change my life had been.

The all new revised edition of The Legacy will be available this weekend in paperback and Kindle format on Amazon.com

Nobody's Perfect

Thought for Today

We all have days that we compare ourselves to others, thinking we don't measure up or we are not as good a person as someone else. There is nothing wrong with wanting to improve in various

areas or wanting to be a better person. But while we are reaching for these things, we need to remember that no one is perfect. And the sooner we come to understand this, the easier we will be on ourselves. We all have our faults and problems, and no one can truly know what is going on inside another person.
But God does know, and that is what is important.
So stop comparing and do your best. That is all any of us can do:-)

Have an awesome day!

A Good Mormon Girl Mystery by Michaelbrent Collins

Suggested Reading

Book: Blood Relations: A Good Mormon Girl Mystery
Author: Michaelbrent Collins

About the Book

Lane Cooley is the best Homicide Detective on the LAPD. But she isn't anything like you'd imagine. She's no fast-talking femme fatale... no, she's a Good Mormon Girl who doesn't smoke, drink, cuss, or even watch R-rated movies.
But that doesn't mean Lane misses out on all the blood and guts. Especially now. A new serial killer is in town, one who knows all the cops' tricks, all their secrets. One who is targeting young girls, killing them, and cutting them to pieces.
Now, Lane has to race against the clock to find the killer. Because the murderer has chosen his next victim. And it's Lane's little sister.

This book was definitely not what I expected, and I mean that in a good way. I read a little mystery every now and then and I can usually take it or leave it, but Blood Relations was one that threw me for a loop and I had a hard time putting it down, though there were moments when I had to stop because my heart was pounding so hard. The story is not only about a police woman trying to catch a psychopathic murderer on the loose, it's also about family, unconditional love, and trying to keep your sanity in an impossible situation. It's a great read and not for the squeamish, but it is one I would highly recommend to fans of murder mysteries.
Blood Relations: A Good Mormon Girl Mystery is available in paperback and Kindle format on Amazon.com. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BVCGOWO/ref=s9_simh_gw_p351_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=1F0P6BS7048TDJ4MHSAW&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1389517282&pf_rd_i=507846

Coming March 29th - A New YA Novel by Amy Harmon

A Different Blue is an amazing new novel by Amy Harmon, a beautiful and very talented author. I'm a total fan and just adore her writing style.

About the book

Blue Echohawk doesn't know who she is. She doesn't know her real name or when she was born. Abandoned at two and raised by a drifter, she didn't attend school until she was ten years old. At nineteen, when most kids her age are attending college or moving on in life, she is just a senior in high school. With no mother, no father, no faith, and no future, Blue Echohawk is a difficult student, to say the least. Tough, hard and overtly sexy, she is the complete opposite of the young British teacher who decides he is up for the challenge, and takes the troublemaker under his wing.

This is the story of a nobody who becomes somebody. It is the story of an unlikely friendship, where hope fosters healing and redemption becomes love. But falling in love can be hard when you don't know who you are. Falling in love with someone who knows exactly who they are and exactly why they can't love you back might be impossible.

 

This story pulled my emotions in so many different directions, my daughter walked in while I was reading it and thought I was losing it. Throughout the story my heart just went out to Blue and I completely fell in love with Wilson, except for the times during the last quarter of the book when he was being an idiot. But I loved him then, too, and I experienced Tom Hanks moments from Castaway where I found myself yelling, "Wilson! Wilson, come back!" Oh, my heck, the story is so emotion-driven, I couldn't think of anything else and I read it in a day! And the mystery of Blue and her past keeps you locked in until the very end.

A Different Blue and Amy's other novel, Running Barefoot are sure to be two of your favorite books.

To learn more about the amazing Amy and her books, visit her Amazon page.

http://www.amazon.com/Amy-Sutorius-Harmon/e/B007V3HXUY

Son of Liberty

Thought for Today
“It took me fifteen years to discover that I had no talent for writing, but I couldn’t give it up because by that time I was too famous.”
—Robert Benchley

Suggested Reading

Book: Son of Liberty
Author: Daron D. Fraley

About the Book
If the love of a parent can make a young man brave, then Alexander Martinez should have been a selfish coward. For almost sixteen years of his life, Alex had never felt that kind of love. So after new foster parents take him in and teach him what it's like to have a real family--a loving family--and Alex finally experiences the joys that life can provide, he discovers a strength of character buried deep within his soul.

But Alex's dream of family doesn't last. Instead, he finds himself in a society suffering from the aftermath of total collapse, and he realizes that he has to make a choice: Will he choose to protect the liberty and freedom of others, even at the peril of his own life? Or will his own fears and lack of confidence cause him to remain on the sidelines, only to witness the complete and utter destruction of America?

SON OF LIBERTY is a story of post apocalyptic possibilities. It's a little bit "Prepper". Certainly gun friendly. And absolutely patriotic. Long live the Sons of Liberty!

This was a fun story to read and is one that gives you a lot to think about. It is a quick read that the entire family will enjoy and should definitely be shared. If you hold conservative views, you will love it -if not, the scenario will be an eye opener:-)
Order your copy of Son of Liberty from amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/Son-of-Liberty-ebook/dp/B00BDFFUDS/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1362711340&sr=1-1&keywords=son+of+liberty

Gaze Into Heaven

Thought for Today
“Be like water making its way through cracks. Do not be assertive, but adjust to the object, and you shall find a way around or through it. If nothing within you stays rigid, outward things will disclose themselves.
Empty your mind, be formless. Shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle and it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now, water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.”
― Bruce Lee

Suggested Reading

Book: Gaze Into Heaven
Author: Marlene Sullivan

Gaze Into Heaven is a carefully compiled collection of more than 50 near-death experiences that occurred during the early years of the Church. These documented accounts give fascinating glimpses into the Spirit World by those who have actually been there. Besides being filled with stories of insight and inspiration, Gaze Into Heaven has pertinent quotes from latter-day Prophets and other leaders, scriptures, and perceptive commentary. After reading this book, you will never think of life—or death—in the same way.

Most of us have wondered exactly what will happen when we die. What does the Spirit World look like? Will we see departed family members and friends? What do people do there? Do spirits there know what is happening on earth? What did people who had near-death experiences learn from their visit? All of these questions and many more are answered in Gaze Into Heaven. There have been many books written about modern day near-death experiences, but Gaze Into Heaven is the first to focus solely on those that took place in early church history.

Studying near-death experiences can bless us with a better understanding of this life and increase our knowledge of the life to come. By reading about those who actually entered the spirit world and saw conditions there, we can benefit from the insights they gained and use that information to reevaluate our lives and use our time on earth productively.

Gaze Into Heaven is available at Deseret and Seagull Bookstores. To order, click on these links.

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Gaze-Into-Heaven-Near-Death-Experiences/dp/1462111270/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1360955844&sr=8-1&keywords=gaze+into+heaven

Deseret Book: http://deseretbook.com/Gaze-Into-Heaven-Marlene-Bateman-Sullivan/i/5105020

Seagull Book: http://www.seagullbook.com/lds-products-770255.html 
And stop by Marlene's website at:
http://www.marlenebateman.info/ 

Yay!!!

My blog was nominated by Sandy L. Rowland, an amazing author and friend for the Reality Award!
This award comes with a list of rules:

Visit the blog of the person who nominated you, thank them, and acknowledge them on your blog.

Answer the questions below and nominate up to 20 bloggers whom you feel are awesome and deserving of notice. Visit their blog and let them know.

Cut and paste the award to your wall.

The questions:
If you could change one thing, what would you change?

I would definitely like to be a more patient person.
 
If you could repeat any age, what would that be?

Absolutely none, because I've already lived those years and have no desire to revisit them. Each year brought lessons and I look forward to the coming ones.

What is the one thing that really scares you?

Taking life too seriously and putting emphasis on things that don't really matter.

If you could be someone else for the day, who would it be?
I would be myself twenty years from now. Hopefully I would be wiser yet still possess all my faculties and good health.

And my nominations are:
Tristi Pinkston
Teri Rodeman
Mary Walling

Heather B. Moore's Newest Book

Thought for Today
Tell the readers a story! Because without a story, you are merely using words to prove you can string them together in logical sentences.
- Anne McCaffrey

Suggested Reading

I've always been a fan of Heather  Moore's writing and her newest book, Heart of the Ocean has added another notch in favorites tally:-)

About the book
A dark secret . . . a grieving ghost . . . a handsome stranger . . . What more could Eliza Robinson want? Except for maybe her life.

In Heather B. Moore’s enthralling 1840’s historical romance, Heart of the Ocean, Eliza Robinson has turned down the very pretentious Mr. Thomas Beesley’s marriage proposal. As a business partner of Eliza’s father, Thomas quickly discredits the family and brings disgrace to the Robinson name.

While her father scrambles to restore his good name in New York City, Eliza flees to the remote Puritan town of Maybrook to stay with her Aunt Maeve. Although relieved to be away from all- things-male and unforgiving gossip columns, odd things start to happen to Eliza, and she is plagued by a ghostly voice. Her aunt’s explanation? That Eliza is being haunted by a woman who died of a broken heart twenty years ago.

After Aunt Maeve is tragically killed, Eliza's life is put in danger as she tries to uncover the mystery of her aunt's death. She encounters Jonathan Porter in Maybrook, whose presence in the town seems suspicious, yet she finds herself drawn to him. When she discovers that Jonathan’s dark secrets may be the link between the dead woman who haunts her and her aunt’s murderer, Eliza realizes that Jonathan is the one man she should never trust.

This book has it all - romance, mystery and paranormal. I was drawn into the story from the beginning and found myself pressing a hand to my heart a few times, feeling a gamut of emotions for Eliza and constantly hoping for her resolutions and happily ever after with Jon. And I really loved that guy:-)
I have read a few historical novels here and there and usually enjoy them, but Heather's stories are always so well-written and the story lines so good, it usually isn't long before I read them again:-)
Order your copy of Heart of the Ocean from http://www.amazon.com/Heart-of-the-Ocean-ebook/dp/B00AVMIK8Q/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1360990440&sr=1-3&keywords=heather+moore

Something New This Way Comes!

Coming Soon!!!

To Love the Beast

Diana and Vincent's Story

To Love the Beast is based on the 1987 television series, Beauty and the Beast. For the complete back story, watch the show that garnered a cult following and became one of television's most popular series.

Series created by Ron Koslow

Half man, half beast, Vincent is the recipient of unconditional love in his underground home–a Utopian society of outcasts living in a network of tunnels that were once part of an old subway system–yet he had never truly known the love of a woman. Walking through Central Park one night, he stumbled across a woman who had been brutally attacked and left for dead.

Breaking an underground rule and risking the exposure of the home of those who depended on him most, Vincent carried the woman there, and with the help of Father–the leader of the society below–nursed her back to health. He learned her name was Catherine. With her face being covered in bandages because of being slashed, she couldn't see the face of her caretaker. After the initial shock of Vincent's appearance, the two formed a bond stronger than love, and Vincent became not only her protector, but the love of her life.

Then, three years later, Catherine was kidnapped and killed after giving birth to Vincent's child, a beautiful and perfect son. Vincent was crushed by her loss and vowed to find her killer.

Diana Bennett, a detective for the police department, took the case, and together, they found the killer and Vincent was reunited with his infant son. A friendship formed between Vincent and Diana, and the people below welcomed her, entrusting her with the knowledge of their secret world, knowing she would never expose them.

Never allowing herself to to be emotionally involved in a case, Diana's head told her what she felt for Vincent was nothing more than compassion for his loss.

But her heart felt something entirely different.

Catherine's death brought to Vincent a pain so great, he vowed to treasure his love for her forever, never allowing another in.

But that was before Diana.

This is their story.

Stay tuned for launch party and Winterfest details!!!

Safe Haven Is Almost Here!!!

Thought for Today

Suggested Reading
Safe Haven, the newest Nicholas Sparks movie adaptation opens next month, and after reading the book a few weeks ago, I'm excited to see it!

About the Book
When a mysterious young woman named Katie appears in the small North Carolina town of Southport, her sudden arrival raises questions about her past. Beautiful yet self-effacing, Katie seems determined to avoid forming personal ties until a series of events draws her into two reluctant relationships: one with Alex, a widowed store owner with a kind heart and two young children; and another with her plainspoken single neighbor, Jo. Despite her reservations, Katie slowly begins to let down her guard, putting down roots in the close-knit community and becoming increasingly attached to Alex and his family.

But even as Katie begins to fall in love, she struggles with the dark secret that still haunts and terrifies her . . . a past that set her on a fearful, shattering journey across the country, to the sheltered oasis of Southport. With Jo's empathic and stubborn support, Katie eventually realizes that she must choose between a life of transient safety and one of riskier rewards . . . and that in the darkest hour, love is the only true safe haven.