Thursday

Redeeming Lilly ~ Live on Amazon



Redeeming Lilly


Lilly kept her eyes forward, her chin up, and her heart encased in stone as the 'good' sheriff led her to the train station. She'd been run out of more saloons and towns than she had fingers to count. Didn't matter.

She'd find another town. Another saloon. Another chance. She glanced at the shining sun and hoped the next town would be different.


Lilly is a bit of a different book as far as Mail Order Bride romance stories go. BUT she wouldn't have it any other way.


I tried to make her story fit in the mold, but no. Not happening.

So I hope you enjoy her story.Redeeming Lilly

Monday

May is almost here ~ And a surprise!


The first of May, Hearts of the West will be available on Amazon.

FOR ONLY  .99

~ Six Bestselling Christian Authors
~ Six Novels of Romance in the West

Hours of entertaining adventure, love, and excitement.

Get ready for that day at the lake, outside under the trees in the hammock, or a rainy day on the couch.


Wednesday

Abundant Life

These flowers look like they are trumpeting joy!

Jesus tells us He came to bring us abundant life in John 10:10
The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

This flower hid in the earth during winter's grasp, but it knew the mystery. That life would return.

How are we to live?

In the promise. Regardless of what we are going through know this: God is good. He loved us so much He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus, to die and rise again.

We have the promise of life now and eternal.

Live as one who has hope. Rejoice and bloom knowing that He gave us eternal life.

Live boldly as one who knows the promise.

Sunday

He Loves Me

Major confession time.
I am dry.
I have many Bibles.
I have many good intentions.

But I am dry.
My soul hungers and thirsts for Him.

Yet, HE loves me. Even in my bedraggled state of spiritual starvation, He loves me.

Galatians 2:20
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

So, if I am living on my own power, I am one of the walking dead. And it stinks like the rotting flesh of a zombie.

Yet, He loves me. He calls me back into sweet communion with the Lord of Life. He poured out Himself for me. HE loves me.

With excitement, I look forward to sitting at His feet. To engage in sweet communion with the Way, Truth, and the Life. To feed on the Word of God. His body broken for me. His blood shed for me.

HE loves me.

Thursday

Historical Fiction ~ Truth and Lies

I'm watching Bill O'Reily's Legends and Lies: The Real West.

As a writer, I write my historicals with the truth in mind, but at times, I give a nod to the readers of today.

Though we write about days gone by, readers live in the now and future.

I do research significant facts, when railroads came to a territory, what people of the day might wear and eat. Did a certain city exist at that time.

Then there are words that are common now, but not a hundred and fifty years ago. 

Once I tried to write that my character was taking a NOSEDIVE off her horse.  I got to thinking and checked the etymology (not to be confused with entymology - study of insects : ) of the word, and sure enough - nosedive came about after airplanes were, well, crashing. So I scrapped that word.

Another occasion, one of my good writing friends and mentors, Lena Nelson Dooley, was writing a chapter and her character was using a receipt while cooking. Seems back in the day, women didn't use recipes to cook. It was called a receipt.  I chose to use recipe because I thought my readers might think I misspelled recipe and my computer decided to make it recipe. : )

So the next time you pick up a historical novel, notice the care the author used in researching the story and give them a thank you. 

Monday

Spring ~ Newness of Life

 Spring

Ah, what a relief it is to see new life bursting forth from the black and white scenes of winter.

Flowers showering meadows with colors of blue and pink, red, and yellow.

Trees that stretched out bare limbs just weeks ago, now are clothed in fresh green leaves ready to capture the sunlight and allow growth.

Life!   It is wonderful and full of wonder.

Take time today to notice one outstanding flower or scene that pleases your eye and makes your heart sing.

Then Praise the Lord of Life who promises us Life Everlasting.



Thursday

Those Rascally Stories and Their Characters

I love writing stories.

The entire process is a thrill. Yes, the edits can get tedious, but wow! I just can't imagine doing anything else.

I am a seat-of-the-pants writer. Usually, there will be a nugget, a starting place from where the stories begin, but after that, well let's just say I enjoy the ride and see where the characters will take me.

And those characters! Well, they are characters. In Liberty Belle, the spinster Aunt Flora, wrote herself into the story. Initially, I was going to have her in the first couple of chapters and that was all.

Then, Flora throws me this line - Nobody notices me, but I notice everything.

I sat back and stared at the screen. Flora had just written herself into the story, and she needed to be there.

My newest book,( available for preorder now and releases on April 30th), Redeeming Lilly, is proving to be different if not a tad difficult. She is going against the grain of everything I have been taught about the typical romance story.

I'd tell you more but don't want to ruin the surprise.  : )

Did I say that stories have a mind of their own? And they have their own timing, too. After Lilly, I'm writing the Lady and the Scamp. Now that story was not even on my radar, but as I worked on Redeeming Lilly, Lady and the Scamp cut in line in and said they were next.

And you should see the line of stories and characters awaiting their turn. Whew! I better stop here and get back to the story.

Have a blessed day!