Happy New Year!

The Season for Gratitude

"So while it's true that Thanksgiving only comes but once a year, we should actually celebrate thanks each and every day. It's just a matter of learning to live with a spirit of gratitude."

- Unknown 

"Gratitude is a constant attitude of thankfulness and appreciation for life as it unfolds.  Living in the moment, we are open to the abundance around us and within us.  We express appreciation freely.  We contemplate the richness of our life.  In life's trials, we seek to understand, to accept, to learn. 

Gratitude is a continual celebration of life."

- Unknown 

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Comfort Reads

This past week I have been thinking about a friend and fellow author who passed away over a year ago. Arlette Gaffrey was an amazing woman and one of the sweetest and best people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. Born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, she was the very talented writer of two amazing historical romance novels set in New Orleans, and she was also a successful fashion model from the age of 18 up into her 50s.

I have loved Arlette's stories and just finished reading one of them again. Since I've been missing her, it brought me comfort, and the ending again left me with a sigh. If you are looking for a good comfort read, check out A World of His Own - In the Land of the Creoles.

About the Book
LAND OF THE CREOLES: An epic saga of love, marriage and betrayal.
Andre de Javon escaped the French Revolution as a child. Now as an adult, he arrives in New Orleans determined to make a new life for himself. In due time he becomes one of the wealthiest plantation owners in the Territory. He is helped by his mentor Jean-Claude Charlevoix, whose young daughter Julie falls in love with Andre, and hopes he will wait for her to grow up and marry her. But, Andre marries Gabrielle Ste. Claire who turns his life into a nightmare. Gabrielle dies leaving Andre with her illegitimate son. As Julie grows up Andre realizes how much he loves her, and wants to marry her. But will Julie still have him, a man who is eleven years her senior with an illegitimate child? The pirate Jean Lafitte and General Andrew Jackson are but some of the colorful characters woven throughout the story.

Available at Amazon

Arlette's second book, Behind the Columns is also available at Amazon
Both are standalone novels.

New Book by Susan Dayley

Thought for Today
To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment. - Ralph Waldo Emerson


Suggested Reading
 Book:  Hot Pursuit
Author Susan Dayley

About the Book

Kennady thought she’d found the perfect summer escape—working at a resort in Jackson Hole. But then Atticus comes to town, an international conference threatens world finances, and a Mexican cartel shows up to stop the conspirators. When Kennady’s friend Chelo gets entangled with a handsome and possibly dangerous man, her own life is threatened. From eco-terrorism and kidnappings, to gunshots and an earthquake, Jackson was not an escape after all.

BONUS: Hot Pursuit offers two storylines with two different endings for each. Also includes links to pictures, songs, music videos, info about story locations, and other exciting details.

I had never heard of an interactive book before and I was interested in seeing how the author would pull this off. She did it beautifully. It was kind of cool reading both storylines and being able to choose an ending. When I think about how many times I've read a book and absolutely hated the ending and wished I could rewrite it, I have to think that Susan Dayley's concept was pretty genius.

Hot Pursuit has enough action, intrigue, and the perfect amount of romance to keep you going. And who would have thought there was so much going on in Jackson Hole, Wyoming:-)

A great clean read.

Hot Pursuit and its prequel, Cold Pursuit are available on Amazon.

New Book by Deirdra Eden

Thought for Today

Everyone’s situation is different, and the details of each life are unique. Nevertheless, I have learned that there is something that would take away the bitterness that may come into our lives. There is one thing we can do to make life sweeter, more joyful, even glorious.

We can be grateful!

It might sound contrary to the wisdom of the world to suggest that one who is burdened with sorrow should give thanks to God. But those who set aside the bottle of bitterness and lift instead the goblet of gratitude can find a purifying drink of healing, peace, and understanding. - Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Suggested Reading

Book: Knight of Light - The Watchers Book One

Author: Deirdra Eden

About the Book

“The Watchers” are supernatural beings in human form, charged with protecting mankind from the armies of darkness. Unfortunately, some of these Watchers go bad.
In England, 1270 A.D., Auriella (pronounced yurr-ee-ella) flees her village after being accused of witchcraft. Pursued by nightmarish creatures, she struggles to accept the truth about her humanity.
Filled with fairies, dwarves, pixies, dragons, demons, and monsters, Knight of Light is an enthralling tale that will capture the imaginations of readers young and old.

From Back Cover

"All the training in heaven couldn't prepare me for the war on earth. Not for the love, loss, or loneliness that humans feel. There are things worse than death, and every last one of them is hunting people like us. Even though we all feel human at times, we must remember, we are not them, we are their Watchers."

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Deirdra has created a world and a people that are so original, yet they are so like us that I could relate and empathize with the characters. This is a great story for readers of any age. An amazing beginning to an awesome series. I look forward to the next one.

The Watchers Book One is available on Amazon

New Book by Liz Adair

Thought for Today

"Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else."

~ Judy Garland

Suggested Reading

Book: Trouble At the Red Pueblo - A Spider Latham Mystery

About the Book

When Deputy Sheriff turned private investigator Spider Latham is sent to help the Red Pueblo Museum, he doesn’t suspect it will cause a rift between his wife, Laurie, and himself.
Museum Director Martin Taylor is desperate, and his son Matt is angry. Some unknown person is bent on destroying the museum financially and is about to succeed. Things turn violent. It ends with someone’s skull bashed in with an Anasazi ax, and everyone has motive for the murder.
Can Spider untangle the web of secrecy and lies surrounding the museum before the Taylors lose it all? And in the process, can he save his own marriage?

I have always been a fan of Liz Adair's stories, but I never read one of her Spider Latham Mysteries until now. I was still able to get into the story despite not reading the others. Trouble at the Red Pueblo - A Spider Latham Mystery Book 4 is a fun -and at times intense- cozy read set in Southern Utah. Spider is kept busy solving cases and working on his home life. I don't want to give anything away, but there is plenty going on to keep you glued to the story. I will definitely be reading the rest of the series.
Trouble At the Red Pueblo is available on Amazon.com

The Value of a Heart

This past week, I went to the theater to see Belle. The movie is inspired by the true story of Dido

Elizabeth Belle, the illegitimate mixed raced daughter of Royal Navy Admiral, Sir John Lindsey and African slave, Maria Belle. Dido's father placed her in the care of a great uncle and aunt who raised her as a free young woman, along with another great niece. Her uncle, Lord Mansfield, held the position of Lord Chief Justice and had a hand in ending slavery in England.
Because of her aristocratic blood, Dido lived a privileged life in the upperclass society, but the color of her skin kept her from being fully accepted into society, and she was unable to participate in the traditions of her social standing.
Dido eventually married a man who loved her unconditionally and they had three sons.

I've often pondered what life must have been like for Dido Belle, to be a member of a family, yet having to eat dinner separate from them to appease fellow aristocratic diners because of their discomfort over the color of her skin - what it must have been like to be brought up in elevated social standings, yet be unable to look forward to marriage because her African mother's blood flowed through her veins. Dido was a good and gentle woman with a kind heart and possessed all the social graces of her upperclass station, yet no one outside her family could look past the color of her skin.
Then she was blessed with the love of John Davinier, a man who truly saw her beauty because he looked into her heart.

How many times are we judged because of how we look, how much we weigh, how much money we have, how talented we are, or even our background? How often do we judge others in these same ways?
A person's worth is so much more than the shallow value we place on one another. Part of the problem is most of the time our eyes aren't truly opened enough to look past the outer shell and see deep into the heart. We are so blinded by things that hold no importance. Instead of just living in the world, we let the world transform us, we let it mold us, mold our minds and shape our thoughts until we no longer do our own thinking. We let the world think for us. It happens often, and most of the time we don't realize the power we allow the world to have over us.

I challenge all of us to open our minds and hearts and enable our vision to see beyond the outer shell, and glimpse inside the heart. Because that is where the true treasure lies. That is where we will see the real person and realize the true value that is placed on us all.

Suggested Reading
Book: Waterfall: A Novel (River of Time Series)
Author: Lisa T. Bergren

About the Book

Most American teenagers want a vacation in Italy, but the Bentarrini sisters have spent every summer of their lives with their parents, famed Etruscan scholars, among the romantic hills. In Book One of the River of Time series, Gabi and Lia are stuck among the rubble of medieval castles in rural Tuscany on yet another hot, boring, and dusty archeological site … until Gabi places her hand atop a handprint in an ancient tomb and finds herself in fourteenth-century Italy. And worse yet, in the middle of a fierce battle between knights of two opposing forces.

           

And thus she comes to be rescued by the knight-prince Marcello Falassi, who takes her back to his father’s castle—a castle Gabi has seen in ruins in another life. Suddenly Gabi’s summer in Italy is much, much more interesting. But what do you do when your knight in shining armor lives, literally, in a different world?

 

I love, love this series. It has the perfect blend of action, romance, and plenty of Italian history:-)

Available on Amazon

Bargain Novelettes By Yours Truly!

Thought for Today

“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket- safe, dark, motionless, airless--it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable.”

- C.S. Lewis

Speaking of Love . . .

Check out these romance titles at bargain prices:-)

Say What You Need to Say

Free-spirited Capri Harris has always embraced life to the fullest, but a major health trial brings unexpected changes and her outlook shifts, leaving her with doubts of her worth to any man. 

Like the force of a hurricane, Jagger Colby enters Capri's life, weakening her resolve and shaking the walls of self-preservation she has tried so hard to build around her heart.

But Capri knows that once Jagger discovers the truth about her, he will walk away and never look back.

When words mean everything, say what you need to say.

Amazon

 

                          Tears of Heaven

Escaping from an abusive relationship, Heaven Gundersen flees to the safety of her grandparent's home and begins a new life in Sweden, praying the past is behind her. When she accepts the housekeeping job arranged by her grandparents, she has no idea how much it will change his life. Her boss, Sergei Petrenko, is a retired hockey player, and definitely not what she had expected. 

No matter how hard she tries to guard her heart, Sergei's kindness makes it impossible to do and she once again opens up to love.

But leaving the past behind isn't as easy as she hoped it would be, and the peace she has found in her new life is about to be shattered by the nightmare she thought she'd escaped.
Tears of Heaven is an emotionally charged novella by Jewel Adams that will touch your heart and make you cheer the endurance of the human spirit. 

Amazon

For Love of Angel
Angel Hughes was only a year old when her parents were killed in an airplane crash while traveling

from England to the United States for a vacation. Her mother's aunt moved into their flat and raised Angel, showering her with all the love she could. But despite the love Angel felt for her aunt, she still missed her parents.
In time, the little girl grew into a beautiful and accomplished young woman with a musical talent that everyone declared was a gift. One day Angel meets a young man from the United States who completely captures her heart.
Wanting Angel to be a part of his life, Mitchell Greenland convinces her to attend college in his hometown of Asheville, North Carolina. Little does Angel know how her decision to move to the states will affect her life, nor could she ever guess the joys and pains that await her.

Amazon

 

 Letters In the Moonlight of Taj Mahal
Lyla Kelly and Marc Hosseini have never met. The forty-seven-year-old widow and mother of grown twin boys doesn't know what to think when she begins receiving letters from the son of an old friend. She never fathomed that Marc, twelve years her junior, could ever be interested in someone likeher, especially since they have never even seen one another. Nor does she count on the passion that his mere words invoke in her.
Go with Lyla and Marc on their journey of discovery, and watch a surprisingly-powerful love bloom between them–a love strong enough to rival the undying adoration that inspired the building of
one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The beautiful shrine, Taj Mahal.

Amazon

 

Sweet 21 Birthday Ball

When Italian pastry chef, Marcello Giannini took the train to visit his parents, he could never have guess how much this one trip would change the course of his life.
Dominique Jensen has only loved one man her entire life, and she has been unable to open her heart to another. Discouraged, she wonders if the dreams and wishes she has fostered for so long will ever come true.
But how long is too long to wait for love?

Amazon

 

Stop by Amazon and grab a story or two. Or three:-)

Thought for Today
"Being happy doesn't mean that everything is perfect. It means that you've decided to look beyond the imperfections."
--Anonymous

Suggested Reading

Book: Visions of Glory - One Man's Astounding Account of the Last Days
Author: John Pontius

About the Book
In this true account of near-death experiences, we learn about the miracles of the millennium, the return of the Ten Tribes, the building of the New Jerusalem and temple, and many other astonishing events long prophesied in scripture but never before described in such vivid detail. Visions of Glory is a mesmerizing and fascinating read that you will not be able to put down.
Visions of Glory is available on Amazon.com

Thought for Today

"Don't measure your neighbor's honesty by your own."— American Proverb

Indie Author Hub Writing & Publishing Conference

June 7, 2014
Courtyard Marriott Hotel in Provo, Utah

That's right, it's conference time! Not just any conference, but a conference targeted toward all aspects of indie publishing. This year, our self-published keynote speaker is NYT bestselling author of A Different Blue, Amy Harmon. We will also have 21 breakout classes in three tracks: writing, book creation, and marketing/business. We are so excited to have many experienced and successful self-published authors and other professionals who have agreed to share their time with us.

Saturday June 7th

Courtyard Marriott in Provo
1600 N Freedom Blvd (200 W.), Provo, Utah

 For schedule and registration: indieauthorhub

The strength of a nation derives from the integrity of the home.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/integrity.html#5U8UtEICQhAJA3i6.99

New Book By Marlene Bateman

Thought for Today
”I am determined to be cheerful and happy in whatever situation I may find myself. For I have learned that the greater part of our misery or unhappiness is determined not by our circumstance but by our disposition.”- Martha Washington

Suggested Reading
Book: A Death In the Family: An Erica Coleman Mystery
Author:  Marlene Bateman

About the Book

Meet Erica Coleman—a gifted and quirky private investigator with an OCD-like passion for neatness and symmetry, a penchant for cooking, (ten terrific recipes are included), and a weakness for chocolate.

In A Death in the Family, the second in the Erica Coleman series, private eye Erica Coleman and her family happily anticipate Grandma Blanche’s eighty-first birthday celebration in the picturesque town of Florence, Oregon. But when the feisty matriarch, a savvy businesswoman, suspects wrongdoing and asks Erica to investigate her company, things get sticky.

Before the investigation can even begin, Blanche’s unexpected death leaves Erica with more questions than answers—and it is soon clear Grandma’s passing was anything but natural: she was murdered. When another relative becomes the next victim of someone with a taste for homicide, Erica uses her flair for cooking to butter up local law enforcement and gather clues.

Erica’s OCD either helps or hinders her—depending on who you talk to—but it’s those same obsessive and compulsive traits than enable Erica to see clues that others miss. When she narrowly escapes becoming the third victim, Erica is more determined than ever to solve the case.

Order your copy of A Death In the Family from:
Amazon.com

Deseretbook.com

Seagullbook.com

Also available at Deseret Book, Seagull Book, and everywhere LDS books are sold.

About Marlene
Marlene Bateman Sullivan was born in Salt Lake City, Utah and graduated from the University of Utah with a BA in English. She is married to Kelly R. Sullivan and they are the parents of seven

children. Her hobbies are gardening, camping, and reading. Marlene has been published extensively in magazines and newspapers and has written a number of non-fiction books,including: Latter-day Saint Heroes and Heroines, And There Were Angels Among Them,Visit’s From Beyond the Veil, By the Ministering of Angels, Brigham’s Boys, and Heroesof Faith. Her latest book is Gaze Into Heaven, a fascinating collection of over 50 documented near-death experiences in early church history.

Marlene’s first novel was the best-selling Light on Fire Island. Her next novel was Motive for Murder, which is the first in a mystery series that features the quirky private eye with OCD, Erica Coleman.
To learn more about Marlene and her books, visit her website. www.marlenebateman.info

Thought for Today
"The most wasted of all days is one without laughter." - E.E. Cummings

Suggested Reading

Book: The Phoenix Legion & The Dark Occults
Author: Zohaib A. Ahmed

About the Book

A group of six friends have been chosen to be part of world greatest University of all time. A University which was the birth place of re-known scholars and rulers of the world. There was one thing that was different about the university, and that was it being hidden by the world, only a chosen few can explore the place.
The group was excited to visit the place and were amazed by the beauty and royalty of the place. It was like a glimpse of heavens. The technology there was far advanced than they have seen. It was a place above and beyond imagination.
Everything that glitters is not gold. As they started to enjoy the luxurious life of the castle, the world greatest secret was revealed to them. What was that? It made their life dangerous; they had taken a mortal decision which made them the part of a holy prophecy.
You will witness the amazing life of the great Mystery Castle, the luxurious town of Marshburg. You will be revealed to the world darkest secret, a secret that will change your life, your decisions, your ideology.

Available at Amazon.com

Thought for Today