FREE FROM GUILT - Pat Simmons - Two Free Books

I'm thrilled to welcome you back to my blog, Pat. Why do you write the kind of books you do?

I enjoy romance novels without the sex scenes that are Christian-based. With that said, I like to write about real issues that readers can related, but give them inspiration that God hasn't left them.

Besides when you came to know the Lord, what is the happiest day in your life?

It's a toss up between getting married and having children because I am blessed to be able to say "my husband" and "my son and daughter". Some women are still waiting for that status, and I pray God bless their souls.

Yes, being married and a mother are two of the sweetest blessings God gives us. How has being published changed your life?

Writing is time consuming. Even when I'm not in front of a computer, my mind is still creating scenes and characters. My fingers can't keep up with the stories my supporters want to read.

What are you reading right now?

The Warmth of Other Suns by Isbel Wilkerson

What is your current work in progress?

I'm trying to complete the draft of THE ACQUITTAL, which is the next book in my guilty series. It has a spring 2013 release. I'm also working on the outline for my eBook valentine story A WOMAN AFTER DAVID'S HEART.

What would be your dream vacation?

Greece.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

Since I'm from St. Louis, I highlight different neighborhoods. My spring 2013 release takes place in Accra, Ghana. I consult with a Ghanaian who lives in Missouri for authenticity. For Guilty by Association and The Guilt Trip, I used Boston because I attended college there, so I guess you can say it was a tribute to the city. DON'T STOP PRAYING, a 2015 release starts off in Philly. When writing in different cities, I need a contact that can help make the readers feel at home. Because of my media background, I thrive on research, but there has to be a stopping point, so my novels won't read like

textbooks.

We need to get that Spring novel scheduled on my blog. If you could spend an evening with one person who is currently alive, who would it be and why?

My ancestors: my great grandmother Charlotte Jamieson Wilkerson. She was enslaved as a child, but died free. I wonder about her story and the ills she endured to survive.

And my great grandmother's grandma Minerva Palmer Lambert. There's a story there. I just haven't uncovered it.

What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?

Sewing and going on a good genealogy hunt. Also, I enjoy Bible teaching preaching sermons.

What is your most difficult writing obstacle, and how do you overcome it?

Time is the biggest obstacle, but after eight books, I have yet to master it. Writing is not a 9 to 5 profession. I write in my head. Also while waiting in the doctor's office, sewing, and sometimes when I get in bed, my characters are still talking, so I get up and jot

down the notes.

What advice would you give to a beginning author?

That is an all day seminar. 1. Read other authors' works. Observe their writing style. 2. Pay for a content editor, not an English teacher or someone to proofreader. Literary editors know what to look for. 3.Set a deadline and keep it. My publisher moved up the release of my third book. Free from Guilt was originally supposed to be released February 2013. As you can see, it was released in October 2012. I had to hustle, pray and depend on God for strength to do it. 4. Attend writer's conferences. Invaluable. Relationships are formed there and deals made. 5. Last, give your best work. Have no regrets with the manuscript you turn in if you can and pray that God is pleased with what you've submitted. Of course, this is from a Christian genre point of view.

Tell us about the featured book.

In a nutshell, man's wisdom vs. God's wisdom. Book sense can not equate to spiritual knowledge and that's what my character Gabrielle Dupree proves when she comes up against Dr. Cameron Jamieson.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Cameron Daniel Jamieson wasn’t going down like his brothers and cousins in the romance department. No woman in the world would get him to a prayer altar as a prerequisite for the wedding altar.

Absolutely, he wanted to get married, and he somewhat was on the prowl for a wife. His criterion was she had to be the one his heart refused to let get away. Cameron didn’t believe in mixing religion with politics, at the workplace or in relationships, and definitely not outside of the church walls. That was nonnegotiable.

He did a quick sweep of his relatives gathered in the dressing room in the small St. Louis, Missouri, church. Cameron noted the common thread among the men. Their wives had dug their stilettos into the ground, refusing a diamond ring unless their Jamieson man humbled himself to Christ first. How ridiculous, but that’s exactly what happened to

them.

His cousin Aaron “Ace” and Ace’s wife, Talise Jamieson, were moments away from renewing their wedding vows in an elaborate ceremony. A few months earlier, the couple had married three weeks before their precious daughter was born. It was a happy ending to their tumultuous courtship. Cameron paused in his thinking. He guessed there were always exceptions to the rules. Maybe, if it wasn’t for Jesus intervening, he wouldn’t be standing there about to witness their wedding vow renewals today.

However, Cameron took the credit for introducing Talise and Ace, but they later split on bad terms. When Cameron learned that a future illegitimate Jamieson child was at stake, he didn’t hesitate about intervening in his cousin’s business. Cameron refused to lose any

connections to his ancestral tree.

When Ace got his act together and proposed, Talise had two stipulations to her holdout of saying yes: She did not want to be pregnant in a wedding dress, and her sister who was serving in the Persian Gulf, had to be present.

Today, Talise had her wish. Women and their demands could really put a strain on a brother. Oddly, the “groom” was nervously pacing the floor.

“Chill, dude. You’re already married. It’s not like Talise is going to leave you standing at the altar,” Cameron taunted his cousin who was more like a third brother to him.

“Today is all about my baby. You have no idea how important this is to her,” Ace said as he paused, staring down at Talise’s wedding rings and his band, which he cupped in his palm. The set had been on his wife’s finger a day earlier.

At that very moment, Ace’s s cell phone rang and ended the discussion. When he answered, the photographer snapped a picture. Listening to the one-sided conversation, Cameron sensed something wasn’t going as planned.

“She did what?” Ace roared. “You’ve got to be kidding me? It’ll be okay,” he consoled, exhaling. “I’ll see you in a few. I love you, babe.”

“Something is not okay. What’s going on?” Cameron, along with the other groomsmen, was ready to spring into action.

“It’s Talise’s stepmother,” Ace said, glancing around for his father-in-law who had excused himself for the men’s room. “She’s in the bridal chamber giving Tay grief. Basically, she’s complaining about wearing pink instead of white on her wedding day. Plus, the woman’s harping on why we couldn’t renew our vows in Talise’s hometown

of Richmond and more. My wife hasn’t lived there in years.”

Cameron knew Ace didn’t hold his tongue if anyone upset his wife. This was supposed to be a joyful occasion.

“The final straw was when her stepmother demanded to be escorted down the aisle as part of the wedding party. Thank God, Grandma BB stepped in and put the woman in her place.”

“Yikes.” Cameron stuffed his hands in his pockets. It was a known fact that Talise did not refer to the woman as her stepmother, but as her father’s new wife after the death of her mother.

“Yikes is right. Grandma BB shoved the stepmother out the door and warned her that unless she wanted to go home with a limp, she’d better not try to even put her big toe in the center aisle.”

Cameron barked out a laugh. He would never get use to the antics of Mrs. Beatrice Tilly Beacon better known as Grandma BB.

Ace shook his head. “We’d better keep an eye on her, or Grandma BB will be fighting in church.”

“Stranger things have happened,” Cameron mumbled, recalling the antics of the woman who had claimed to be seventy-something for years. She claimed to be part of the family and didn’t have a drop of Jamieson blood. The childless widow took her role as grandma seriously.

The photographer took a few more shots and walked out as Talise’s father returned. “Wait until you see her. She’s beautiful and happy.”

He grinned and shook hands with Ace. “Keep her that way and there won’t be any problems.”

Parke, Cameron’s oldest brother, suggested they pray. Linking hands, they bowed their heads.

“Father, in the name of Jesus we come before Your throne of grace. We worship You today for this opportunity to witness the love between husband and wife. I ask that You bless my cousin’s marriage, bless his life in this Christian journey. Most of all, bless their precious daughter.”

Parke paused, then added, “Lord Jesus, and please bless every married man and their households represented here today. Help us to never fail You as the strong Christian men You created us to be in the name of Jesus. Amen.”

Amens echoed around the room. One by one, the men patted Ace on the back. His father-in-law had the first honor.

Ace tilted his head. “Ah, it appears there’s one man standing in this room who isn’t hitched. Cameron, you’re the lone ranger.”

“Not for long. Even the Bible says it’s not good for man to be alone. With thirty-two knocking on my door, who am I to argue with God?”

“You argue about God with us all the time,” Parke reminded him. “Why stop now?”

I love it already. How can readers find you on the Internet?

www.patsimmons.net

www.facebook.com/patsimmonsauthor

twitter@patsimmons

Goodreads

THANK YOU LENA. 

Pat

And thank you, Pat, for sharing this book with us. I loved The Guilt Trip. I'm sure I'll also love Free From Guilt.

Readers, here’s a link to the book. By using it when you order, you help support this blog.

Free From Guilt (The Jamieson Legacy)


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