WINNERS

IMPORTANT: Instructions for winners  - When you send me the email, make sure your subject line says this: Winner - (book title) - (author's name) If you don't do this, your email could get lost in my hundreds of emails per day. I WILL SEARCH FOR POST TITLES STARTING THAT WAY.

Some people don't read the instructions of how to enter. Unfortunately, they don't have a chance to win. so next time you come and leave a comment, be sure to read all the instructions if you want a chance to win.

Pearl  (KY) is the winner of His Most Tender Touch - Tanya Stowe.

Connie  (NM) is the winner of The Place Where You Belong - Nancy Lavo.

If you won a book and you like it, please consider giving the author the courtesy of writing a review on Goodreads, Amazon.com, Christianbooks.com, Barnes and Noble, or other Internet sites. Reviews are such a blessing to an author.

Also, tell your friends about the book you won ... and this blog. Thank you.

Congratulations, everyone. If you won a print book, send me your mailing address:
Click the Contact Me link at the top of the blog, and send me an Email.

If you won an ebook or audio book, just let me know what email address it should be sent to. Remember, you have 2 weeks to claim your book.   

LILAC COTTAGE - Carrie Fancett Pagels - One Free Book

Welcome back to my blog, Carrie. What are some of the spiritual themes you like to write about? I like to write about grace, forgiveness, and overcoming with God’s help.

What other books of yours are coming out soon? I have another James River Romances series book, a novella, releasing in the fall. Shenandoah Hearts was originally published by Barbour in a collection but the rights reverted back to the authors. I am expanding my story a bit.

If you could spend an evening with one contemporary person (not a family member of yours), who would it be and why? Oh Lena, with my RA and other health issues I don’t care to spend an evening with anyone but my immediate family most of the time! And I believe God brings people into my life for a reason, for His purposes, so I don’t think about people I’d like to be with I let the Lord bring them in His own timing—and preferably not at night!

I so understand. What historical person would you like to meet (besides Jesus) and why? I think it would be amazing to meet Mary, Jesus’s mother, because of what she did in obedience to God.

How can you encourage authors who have been receiving only rejections from publishers? Prayerfully consider Indy publishing. Enter contests. If God has asked you to write, be obedient to His call. Trust in His perfect timing.

That is so true. Tell us about the featured book. Lilac Cottage is about coping with losses and dealing with toxic people. It’s also about the joy of friendships and how someone who seemed like an adversary in childhood might become someone you could love. My heroine, Rachel, has a narcissist for a mother and her grandmother ended up stepping into the gap to help. The story takes place in Chicago and in Michigan—on beautiful Mackinac Island. My hero, Jack, is a merchant mariner who is taking a break after Covid literally shut ships down in harbors. He’s renovating the “cottage” next door to where Rachel is camping out in her grandmother’s place, after Gram’s death. If you love playful verbal sparring, overcoming with God’s help, and a delicious suspense woven into a story—then this one is for you!

Please give us the first page of the book.

Chicago, January 2022

She’s stopped speaking.” Not the words Rachel wanted to hear from the nightshift nurse, who always gave Rachel the straight scoop on her grandmother. The RN’s words slit Rachel’s heart like a surgical scalpel.

Talking with Gram had kept Rachel going. Oh God, now that I’ve found You, Abba Father, don’t take her away from me.

“Are you alright?” Nurse Nancee gently touched Rachel’s shoulder.

Rachel compressed her lips. If Gram never spoke again then how could her world be all right? This failing woman had been her best friend and a better mother than her own mom. Gram had been her rock. Rachel drew in a slow, shuddering breath.

“Why don’t you come sit down by her and hold her hand?” Nancee pointed to the upholstered chair adjacent to the bed, at a spot Rachel knew well.

She dipped her chin. The confusion and loneliness swirling in her head were worse than when the Admiral had left her and Mom. Her third stepfather, the Admiral, as she called him, had been her favorite. Then he’d left them, promising Rachel he’d keep in touch—but he hadn’t. She sniffed.

How can I do this? How could she manage without Gram’s practical advice? Without the kindly woman’s laughter that grounded her to the moment, keeping her from trailing off into her frequent reviews of choices and outcomes that left her feeling helpless and confused?

“Gram? It’s Rachel. I’m here.”

No response. Gram lay curled on her side, away from her. Her grandmother normally woke when Rachel visited, almost daily, depending on her work and online college schedules.

No. This can’t be happening. Not now. “I need you, Gram.” Rachel scooched the chair closer to the bed.

Still nothing.

What would she do if Gram never came back? Never spoke again? She’d been warned when Gram stopped eating, that would be the end.

She clasped her hands together hard. Still, she should be grateful Gram was being well cared for in a beautiful facility. She had to take comfort in that fact.

Rachel bowed her head. Lord, help Gram and her caretakers. Be with the nurses and doctors and guide them. Amen. The scent of roses and gardenias carried from the nearby table. Rachel had splurged with her bonus from work. At least Gram had her favorite flowers nearby.

The door creaked open, allowing soft laughter and voices in conversation to carry through.

“Hi again.” Nurse Nancee moved toward the bed. “I wanted to ask you about something.”

Nancee’s serious tone put her on notice.

“Sure.” Rachel straightened.

“I was wondering about your mother.” She gave a little shrug. “I’ve never met her.”

“Yeah, I don’t think she’s ever visited.” No surprise there.

“That’s what the records show.” Nancee’s soft features bunched together.

How can readers find you on the Internet? Thanks for asking!!!

Website: www.carriefancettpagels.com

Facebook Author Page

Facebook Personal Page

Twitter

Pinterest

goodreads

LinkedIn

Amazon author page

Bookbub

Thank you for sharing Lilac Cottage with my blog readers and me. I love your books.

Readers, here’s a link to the book.

https://www.amazon.com/Cottage-Mackinac-Cottages-Carrie-Fancett/dp/1736687565/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1690496897&sr=1-1

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory or country if outside North America. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 2 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link: Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com 

REVEALING THE TRUTH - Lorri Dudley - One Free Book

Welcome back, Lorri. Why did you become an author? I’ve always loved stories and creative writing. When my children were young, I entertained myself while pushing them on the swings by coming up with various plot lines. I’d jot the scene ideas down in a notebook, and once my boys were no longer of an age when they were a constant danger to themselves, I sat down at my computer and started writing. It’s probably for the best that I didn’t entirely understand how hard the industry is to break into. Once I’d finished typing one book, I figured I’d made it this far. I should keep going because the author bug had bitten me. So I wrote two more books before heading to my first writing conference, which only strengthened my resolve. By then, writing had become such a joy and a creative outlet for me that I would have kept writing, whether published or not.

If you weren’t an author, what would be your dream job? If I didn’t have to live in a city, I would have enjoyed being either a set designer or a museum curator. I love creating or restoring things and was the type of kid who’d stare with wide-eyed excitement after opening a fresh Crayola crayon box, sitting down with a pen and blank spiral notebook, or picking up a hammer and nails. I can only imagine God’s excitement when He created the heavens and the earth.  

If you could have lived at another time in history, what would it be and why? I would love to go back to Regency England, where my books take place, to see the interactions of the le bon ton or Beau Monde. I love the chivalry of the Regency Era, where honor and reputation were worth dueling over, and the romantic aspect of couples engaging in courtship at balls and country dances. Knowing myself, though, it would have to be toward the end of the era after indoor plumbing was invented. I’d struggle to become accustomed to using a chamber pot.  

What place in the United States have you not visited that you would like to? I’d love to see Alaska. Granted, I’m a warm-weather type of girl, but everyone I know who’s been to Alaska raves about the beauty of the glaciers and nature.

How about a foreign country you hope to visit? Ever since a Dutch publisher picked up my first series, I’ve wanted to travel to the Netherlands. My artistic side would love to visit the Van Gogh Museum, paint the windmills of Kinder Dijk or the tulip gardens of Keukenhof, or smell the lavender in the salt marshes of Texel Island. I’d love to cross the wooden bridges of Giethoorn or ice skate on its frozen canals in winter. So fun and inspiring!

What lesson has the Lord taught you recently? Letting go and trusting God is not only a theme that runs in Revealing the Truth but is also an area where God has been building me. There’s nothing like teaching two teenagers how to drive a car and get their license to actively apply trusting God with your heart (in my case, plural for the two boys.) This phase of my life has required a lot of praying, letting go, and letting God. I used to read these precious boys bedtime stories and rock to sleep, and now I have to let them out of the nest to fly on their own, which was harder than I anticipated. My oldest just graduated from high school and is off to college in the fall, so God continues to work on me.

Tell us about the featured book. The seeds of Revealing the Truth were first planted when I was in the seventh grade. I used to carry an idea notebook and jot down scenes whenever inspired. My mother found my old notebook a few years ago and mailed it to me. In it were faded pencil scrawls about a girl escaping into the cold night and collapsing. She’s taken in by kind passersby who nurse her back to health, only to be surprised when their handsome young son climbs in through her bedroom window and so enters Stephen into Katherine’s life. Here’s the back cover blurb:

When Katherine Jenkins is rescued from the side of the road, half-frozen and left for dead, her only option is to stay silent about her identity or risk being shipped back to her ruthless guardian, who will kill to get his hands on her inheritance and the famous Jenkins Lipizzaner horses. But even under the pretense of amnesia, she cannot shake the memory of her sister and Katherine’s need to reach her before their guardian, or his marauding bandits, finish her off. Will she be safe in the earl’s manor, or will the assailant climbing through her window be the death of her?

British spy, Stephen Hartington’s assignment to uncover an underground horse-thieving ring brings him home to his family’s manor, and the last thing he expected was to be struck with a candlestick upon climbing through the guest chamber window. The manor’s feisty and intriguing new house guest throws Stephen’s best-laid plans into turmoil and raises questions about the timing of her appearance, the convenience of her memory loss, and her impeccable riding skills. Could he be housing the horse thief he’d been ordered to capture—or worse, falling in love with her?

Please give us the first page of the book.

Katherine Ainsley Jenkins, the Countess of Dysart, inched along the edge of the stall past her favorite mare, who nudged her newly born colt to a stand.

The head groom lifted his cap and wiped his forehead. “’Twas was a long night, but mama and baby are doin’ fine.” He plopped his hat back on his head and dipped the corner. “Much obliged for your aid, Lady Dysart.”

Katherine mustered a weak smile and tightened the sash of her dressing robe. Distressed naying from her mare had roused her in the night, and the responsibilities of Steepleton Manor demanded she look into the disturbance. The delivery of the baby foal had been long and labored, and Katherine’s presence had been needed to calm the wearied mother.

Hay clung to Katherine’s hem as she stepped out of the stall, and she must smell like the stable, but she’d done it. Steepleton Manor welcomed its first new addition to their pedigree family since her parents’ passing. “Please let this be the beginning of Steepleton’s revival,” she whispered to the sunlight streaming in through the loft window. How many hours had she spent pouring over horse breeding books trying to keep her papa’s legacy of the famous Jenkins Lipizzaner horses going?

The hard slap of footfalls running outside the stable broke through the fog of her brain. Denton, the butler, skidded past the open stable doors into view. His highly polished shoes slid on the loose gravel, and he flailed his arms before coming to a halt. The whoosh of air swirled the sweet scent of hay under her nose. He righted himself with haste and tugged at the bottom of his jacket, dislodging any wrinkles.

Several of her father’s Lipizzaner horses leaned their necks out of the stall openings to see who approached.

It was uncharacteristic of her dignified butler to hurry. Her stomach twisted. The only other time she’d witnessed Denton this flustered had been the day he sought her out with the news of the deadly carriage accident that killed her parents. Please let Claire be safe. She placed a hand on a nearby post for her knees threatened to crumple. The second worst day after burying her parents had been packing Claire off to finishing school. As much as Katherine desired to hold her sister and continue to mourn their parents together, Claire deserved a chance to marry and lead a normal socialite’s life.

“Mr. Bainbridge has arrived early, my lady.” Denton stood at attention. The only sign of his recent sprint to the barn was his chest’s quick rise and fall.

Her grip on the post tightened, and although she wanted to lean against it with relief, there was too much to do. “Already? His letter stated he’d arrive at week’s end.” Her mind whirled in a thousand directions. Why had he come? What could he possibly want after shirking his guardianship duties for three years? One question screamed louder than the rest. Would he still act as crazed as he had after Madeline’s funeral?

How can readers find you on the Internet?

Lorridudley.com  BookBub  Goodreads  Amazon  Wildheartbooks.org

Thank you, Lorri, for sharing Revealing the Truth with my blog readers. I love reading your books.

Readers, here’s a link to the book.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=revealing+the+truth+lorri+dudley&i=stripbooks&crid=3U7O6BTLT1KVG&sprefix=Revealing+the+Truth+%2Cstripbooks%2C84&ref=nb_sb_ss_fb_1_20

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory or country if outside North America. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 2 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link: Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

WINNERS

IMPORTANT: Instructions for winners  - When you send me the email, make sure your subject line says this: Winner - (book title) - (author's name) If you don't do this, your email could get lost in my hundreds of emails per day. I WILL SEARCH FOR POST TITLES STARTING THAT WAY.

Some people don't read the instructions of how to enter. Unfortunately, they don't have a chance to win. so next time you come and leave a comment, be sure to read all the instructions if you want a chance to win.

Winnie  (UT) is the winner of This Is Where It Ends - Cindy K Sproles.

If you won a book and you like it, please consider giving the author the courtesy of writing a review on Goodreads, Amazon.com, Christianbooks.com, Barnes and Noble, or other Internet sites. Reviews are such a blessing to an author.

Also, tell your friends about the book you won ... and this blog. Thank you.

Congratulations, everyone. If you won a print book, send me your mailing address:
Click the Contact Me link at the top of the blog, and send me an Email.

If you won an ebook or audio book, just let me know what email address it should be sent to. Remember, you have 2 weeks to claim your book.  

THE PLACE WHERE YOU BELONG - Nancy Lavo - One Free Book

Dear Readers, I’m introducing you to a longtime friend and author.

Bio for Nancy Lavo

A love of happy endings and a fiction writing course at the community college started award-winning author Nancy Lavo on the road to publication. She’s published her lighthearted romances in both the traditional and inspirational market. She and her husband live in the great state of Texas.

Welcome to my blog, Nancy. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.  I don’t intentionally write myself into my characters—each one is truly a work of fiction. However, I’m certain that some part of me—my values, world view, and experiences—seeps into them.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done? My husband and I are big tea aficionados. In order to have access to good hot and iced tea when we travel, we bring our own teapots, pitchers, cups, and teabags with us. It requires an extra bag but it’s totally worth it!

When did you first discover that you were a writer? One afternoon when my children were napping, I had an ah ha moment while reading a book. I stopped in the middle and said, “Hey! I can do this!”

Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading. I prefer light reads in fiction and typically steer clear of the angsty stuff. I love contemporary Christian romance and regency romances. In nonfiction I enjoy books about entertaining, decorating, and books on spiritual growth and discipline. I’ve never met a cookbook I didn’t like. And I can’t resist a Max Lucado book.

How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world? Prayer, exercise, and the outdoors. My husband and I start our day with a two mile walk during which we pray over our family and friends and any prayer needs. In the evenings we try to get in a second walk. I’m also a big fan of praise and worship music.

How do you choose your characters’ names? For first names of primary characters, I use baby name books or baby name websites. For last names, I use old church directories. For secondary or incidental characters, I sometimes borrow my friend’s names.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of? My family. I’m not sure how much credit I can take, but I’m so proud of my children and their spouses, and their children. When we all get together, my cup overflows!

If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why? Probably a dog. I just want everyone to be happy.

What is your favorite food? I’m a carbohydrate junkie. Bread? Check. Pasta? Check. Cake and cookies? Check. Check. Sugar in any form? Check. Check. Check.

What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it? Discouragement can be a huge roadblock for me. If I’m not careful, I can let it derail me. Getting into a writing group has been really helpful. They hold me accountable to keep writing and encourage me in the rough patches.

Tell us about the featured book. The Place Where You Belong is the first in a three book series, Lone Star Loves, set in the fictious small town, Village Green, Texas, where everyone is everyone else’s business and matchmaking is a community-wide sport. In this first book, Public Relations specialist Hallie Nichols comes home to make living arrangements for her aging mother. She’s determined to make a quick stay and avoid the memories and rejection she associates with her home town, specifically her ex-boyfriend, banker Trey Gunther. Annoyed that Hallie is unrepentant for the hurt she caused him ten years ago, Trey dishes some payback by mandating Hallie meet with him weekly about her mother’s finances. His plan backfires when his old attraction to Hallie flares. He’s the one suffering, and worse, Hallie may hold the solution to his beloved town’s woes. He’s got to swallow his pride and ask for her help. Can he convince her to put aside her animosity toward him and the town? Will their efforts be enough to save Village Green?

Please give us the first page of the book.

Hallie Nichols hated to go home.

            Every mile closer raised her level of tension. She tightened her grip on the steering wheel and blew out a breath.

            I can do this.

            Three days—a week, tops—and I’ll be out of here.

            She injected an extra dose of determined optimism into her voice while repeating the declaration to her reflection in the rear-view mirror.

            “I can do this.”

            Open fields lush with new spring growth slid by the window as she reached across to the bag on her passenger seat and pulled out one of her ever-ready rolls of antacids. She thumbed off a couple and chewed them up to extinguish the burn in the pit of her stomach.

            Her temples continued to pound despite the Tylenol she’d taken earlier. No point in taking any more. Beyond the potential damage to her liver, she knew there wasn’t enough painkiller in the great state of Texas to cure her “homecoming blues.”

            A reluctant grin pulled at the corner of her mouth. If only she had the talent to set her current outlook to music, she’d have the makings of a best-selling country song.

            She slowed her car when the faded green sign marking the city limits came into view.

How can readers find you on the Internet?   Instagram--@authornancylavo    Facebook—NancyLavo    Website—www.nancylavo.com

Thank you, Nancy, for sharing this new book with my blog readers. I know they will love it as much as I do.

Readers, here’s a link to the book.

The Place Where You Belong (Lone Star Loves): Lavo, Nancy: 9781563096358: Amazon.com: Books

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory or country if outside North America. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 2 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link: Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com 

HIS MOST TENDER TOUCH - Tanya Stowe - One Free Book

Welcome back to my blog, Tanya. God has really been moving in your writing life. What do you see on the horizon? Oh goodness, that’s a really good question. My husband is retired and we travel full time. Life has taken some unexpected twists in the last six months and I’m struggling to find writing time. I’ve spent a lot of time in prayer. I think the Lord is leading me to write smarter not more. I don’t know how that’s going to shape up yet. I’m still praying!

When my publisher had our author’s meeting, she had Susan May Warren teach us about how she writes better and quicker. She’s written a book about what she does. I ordered it from Amazon. It’s amazing. The book is The Story Equation. This might help you, too.

Tell us a little about your family. My husband and I have four children, twenty-two grandchildren and four great-grands with one on the way. We have a very large family spread out over the western states. We’ve been very close but it’s getting harder and harder with everyone in different places. I’m thankful for social media outlets to keep in in touch.

I understand that. We have 9 great-grands, scattered across part of Texas and New Hampshire. Has your writing changed your reading habits? If so, how? I write romantic suspense and I must say, I’m finding it harder and harder to find books that hold my interest. I usually figure out the ending before it’s time. Thankfully, I also love history so I’m very drawn to historical suspense and the history element plus the mystery keeps me intrigued enough to keep going.

What are you working on right now? I have two more books in the Tender Series to get out but I’m also working on a new romantic suspense.

What outside interests do you have? Travel, of course, and reading. I also play pickleball. My husband is a musician so I help him do a lot of Karaoke! We also go trail riding in our Jeep. We’ve seen some fantastic sights in remote locations on our trips.

How do you choose your settings for each book? Because we are full time RV travelers, I find some very unique, beautiful locations around the country. Whenever I find a place that inspires me, I start researching to find something unusual about it and the writing begins!

If you could spend an evening with one historical person, who would it be and why? Abraham Lincoln. He was such a visionary and so adept at leadership. He was a master politician but never lost his homespun common sense and humor. Still with all of that, his home life was tragic. I don’t know how he went on day after day.

What is the one thing you wish you had known before you started writing novels? I wish I had a business degree! I had no idea how much I would need it in my writing career. Either that or a degree in marketing.

What new lessons is the Lord teaching you right now? Patience and balance. I need to slow down but I don’t really know how.

What are the three best things you can tell other authors to do to be successful? Write for your reader, not for yourself. In the beginning you write the stories you want to see but as your career progress, remember who you are writing for and what they want to read. You need to be able to write for the market and the demand so you can sustain your writer life long term.

Writing for me was an obsession. I couldn’t not do it. But I had to learn how to manage my love of writing as a career so as not to burn out. A healthy body and family life makes for a good writer. It’s that balance thing again!

Embrace your inner marketer. Don’t fight it. Find the part of marketing you like and focus on that. Connecting with your readers is healthy for you and your readers. You’ll make lifetime friends, and they’ll follow you throughout your writing career.

Tell us about the featured book. Early in my Christian life I had some experiences with hands-on-healing. Those experiences attracted unexpected attention. I was a young Christian. I didn’t know how to handle the focus on me and not the Lord. False pride frightened me and I became emotionally and physically drained. His Most Tender Touch is about those emotions and what the Lord taught me. Of course, I dramatized the hands-on-healing events to make the story more exciting, but the spiritual truths behind them are all real. Also, the title refers to the Lord’s tender touch in the heroine’s life, not the romance. But it does have a great romance too!

Please give us the first page of the book.

High California Sierras 1861

Royce Darnell stared at Stumpy McPherson from beneath the brow of his tan felt hat. “Are you sure you secured the chuck wagon last night?”

The older man nodded before he sent a stream of brown spittle across the snow. “I’m sure.”

He wiped at the corner of his mouth where his white beard was stained brown. “There ain’t no way them raccoons could’ve got to the food. Someone had to open it up.”

Royce looked up at the gray, pre-dawn sky. “How much food can you salvage?”

“Enough for breakfast and that’s it.”

Royce brushed past Stumpy, headed up the hill to the chuck wagon. As he got close, the odor of coffee and sorghum carried. Even before he saw the damage, he could smell the havoc created by the raiding raccoons. Sugar, flour, and beans were strewn across the muddied snow.

Stumpy gestured to a tin of lard, resting in a pile of dead pinecones. “That’s about the only thing they didn’t eat. That and my chaw of tobacco.”

Royce stooped to examine the small tracks trampled into the dirty snow. They led in a clear path straight to the trees. “How did you secure the wagon?”

“I tied it with ropes and knots a man couldn’t undo.”

“Where are the ropes now?”

“Disappeared. Ain’t no sign of them. I expect if he’d left them, we’d seen they was cut.”

Royce’s jaw tightened. Three incidents in three weeks. Someone was determined to drive Royce and his men away from this area of the mountain. He glanced up to see the same certainty in Stumpy’s eyes.

“There’s got to be tracks somewhere.”

“I already looked. There ain’t nothin’.”

“Stumpy, this isn’t the work of Indian ghosts.”

Royce and his crew had been building a water flume up the mountain for almost two months. The incidents hadn’t started until they had reached this exact spot, close to the ancient burial ground. The mystery and location had sparked rumors of a haunting.

“Did I say it was ghosts?” Stumpy asked. “I’m just repeatin’ what some of the men say.”

“Well, don’t repeat it. It only gives it credence and that’s what our vandal wants. He’s watched our movements for a while. It isn’t a coincidence that he waited till we got close to the burial ground to stage his little scenes.”

How can readers find you on the Internet? They can find me at my website www.TanyaStowe.com, on my Facebook Reader’s Page and Instagram. They can also follow my writing and travel adventures on my newsletter.

Thank you, Tanya, for sharing this book with my blog readers. I’m eager to rea the book.

Readers, here’s a link to the book.

https://www.amazon.com/His-Most-Tender-Touch-ebook/dp/B0C3N2JQYM/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2TKJ4LTSA442K&keywords=his+most+tender+touch+tanya&qid=1689634756&s=books&sprefix=His+Most+Tender+Touch+%2Cstripbooks%2C93&sr=1-1

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory or country if outside North America. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 2 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link: Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com 

WINNERS

 IMPORTANT: Instructions for winners  - When you send me the email, make sure your subject line says this: Winner - (book title) - (author's name) If you don't do this, your email could get lost in my hundreds of emails per day. I WILL SEARCH FOR POST TITLES STARTING THAT WAY.

Some people don't read the instructions of how to enter. Unfortunately, they don't have a chance to win. so next time you come and leave a comment, be sure to read all the instructions if you want a chance to win.

Sharon  SC) is the winner of Devotions for Writers: Honoring God with Your Writing - Martha Rogers

If you won a book and you like it, please consider giving the author the courtesy of writing a review on Goodreads, Amazon.com, Christianbooks.com, Barnes and Noble, or other Internet sites. Reviews are such a blessing to an author.

Also, tell your friends about the book you won ... and this blog. Thank you.

Congratulations, everyone. If you won a print book, send me your mailing address:
Click the Contact Me link at the top of the blog, and send me an Email.

If you won an ebook or audio book, just let me know what email address it should be sent to. Remember, you have 2 weeks to claim your book. 

THIS IS WHERE IT ENDS - Cindy K Sproles - One Free Copy

Bio: Cindy K. Sproles is the author of What Momma Left Behind and the cofounder of Christian Devotions Ministries. A popular speaker, Cindy teaches at writers’ conferences across the country and directs the Asheville Christian Writers Conference in North Carolina. She is the executive editor of ChristianDevotions.us and freelance editor for Iron Stream Media. Cindy has a BA in business and journalism and lives in the mountains of East Tennessee with her family.

Cindy has received high praise for her captivating and emotionally powerful storylines set in the South. Now she combines her love for the Appalachian Mountains with an unforgettable tale about secrets in her new novel, This Is Where It Ends.

At only fourteen years old, Minerva Jane Jenkins moves to the mountains with her new husband. Among their few possessions is a small box that he claims holds gold. On his deathbed, he makes her promise to keep his secret, telling no one of the box or its supposed treasure.

About the Story: Thirty years later, Minerva has kept that secret, even as she nears the end of her own life. Rumors still find a way to spread, however, and Minerva finds herself the subject of interest for Del Rankin, a reporter with a desire for the truth. By his side is a friend who wants to know where the gold is hidden. Neither of them can even begin to guess the challenges they will face by trying to get what they want from Minerva.

Despite her dedication to keeping her late husband’s secret, Minerva finds herself thinking about sharing what she knows with Del. Can she truly bring herself to break such a long-held promise? Even if she does, the truth of what’s really in the box may be hidden even from her.

Can you please provide a brief summary of This Is Where It Ends? This is the story of Minerva Jenkins, an elderly woman living alone on a mountain in Kentucky, who made a promise to her dying husband that ruled her life. She is a faithful widow who comes to grips with a wasted life in her final days, until she meets a reporter who ends up being the family she didn’t know she had. The question becomes, How long do you keep a promise, even if it is detrimental? To the grave.

What do you hope readers will gain from reading your book? My hope is the reader will see the value found in our elderly. There is great treasure in our aging seniors—great wisdom, life experience, and strength. I hope that through this book, readers will experience aging, its joys, and its frustrations through the eyes of an elderly woman and that through that experience, they will find great compassion for the aging.

What was the inspiration behind This Is Where It Ends? The inspiration comes from my twenty years in the eldercare business and hundreds of senior clients who impacted my life by their own life experiences. I’ve held the hand of a dying senior who has no family by their side, and the impact that has made on my life is significant.

What type of research was required to write your novel? Of course, there is the historical research—we have Del, who is a reporter, and I needed to know the closest newspaper to Minerva and how reporters worked in that time period. The research on aging came from my experience in the eldercare business and working one-on-one with seniors and their families.

How does your own background influence your writing? My mountain heritage plays a huge part in my writing. I was raised in the mountains of East Tennessee, and my family carried those mountain values and abilities that make the culture so rich. I’ve learned from the experience of deep-rooted family members, and that is something they don’t teach in school anymore. I don’t want it forgotten.

Can you share more information about Minerva Jenkins, one of the main characters? Minerva was inspired by two sweet elderly women in my life, one named Rowena and the other named Aileen. Both were well into their nineties at their going home but were filled with stories, wisdom, humor, and sassiness, and they’d faced many hardships. Minerva is a classic example of a faithful mountain wife—so faithful that she ignored the obviously detrimental things in her husband’s life. Things that would affect her. She is stubborn, but that is how mountain women survive. She is determined and truthful—attributes that made her strong—but those same attributes force her to live a life she could have chosen to be different.

Readers will see repetition throughout this story, as well as some confusion, and rightfully so because I am telling it through the eyes of a 94-year-old woman. I want readers to experience the aging process in a very real way—the way Minerva would have.

Minerva develops an unlikely friendship with Del Rankin. What is their connection? In the beginning, Del is a problem who Minerva thinks she must rid herself of, but as time passes, Del befriends her and she grows to love him as a son. Is he family? You’ll have to read to find out.

This Is Where It Ends follows a plot of holding on to secrets. What inspired you to explore this theme? My own grandmother was married at the age of fourteen. She never loved my grandfather, and he never loved her. Theirs was a marriage of convenience. In her own writings, my grandmother stated she took a vow when she was married, and though she and my grandfather did not live together the last years of his life, they remained married and faithful to one another. She made a promise that when she said “I do,” it bore meaning and respect. Again, how long do you keep a promise? For my grandmother—to the grave.

Are there any other lessons that you hope readers will gain from reading This Is Where It Ends? I hope they walk away seeing the value in our elderly. Our country is one of the few in the world that have little respect for our aging seniors. We toss them into the care of institutions and strangers rather than stepping up and caring for them as we should—as our family. I hope readers will grasp the golden value in our seniors and, if they have seniors in their lives, that they will embrace them, learn from them, and love them to the end.

What do you love about writing historical fiction? I love bringing to light the hidden things of our past—those things that drop into the crevices of the forgotten but are golden nuggets that will enrich our lives. Our history is our guide to the future. We need to know what lies in the crevices of our past.

What are you working on next? In the works—mineral springs. I’m developing a story around the sulfur springs in the mountains and the healing benefits used by the mountain granny women. (A granny woman was that one woman on the mountain who knew all the medical benefits of roots, herbs, and mineral waters. She was the midwife, the doctor.) The working title is The Eyes of River.   

How can readers connect with you? Readers can find me at www.cindysproles.com or by emailing me at cindyksproles@gmail.com.

Thank you, Cindy, for sharing this book with my blog readers. I'm eager to read my copy

Readers, here’s a link to the book. 

https://www.amazon.com/This-Where-Ends-Cindy-Sproles/dp/0800740793/ref=sr_1_4?crid=UJHUINKN8060&keywords=This+Is+Where+It+Ends&qid=1689186287&s=books&sprefix=this+is+where+it+ends+%2Cstripbooks%2C96&sr=1-4

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory or country if outside North America. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

 Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

 The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 2 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link: Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

WINNERS

IMPORTANT: Instructions for winners  - When you send me the email, make sure your subject line says this: Winner - (book title) - (author's name) If you don't do this, your email could get lost in my hundreds of emails per day. I WILL SEARCH FOR POST TITLES STARTING THAT WAY.

Some people don't read the instructions of how to enter. Unfortunately, they don't have a chance to win. so next time you come and leave a comment, be sure to read all the instructions if you want a chance to win.

Susan  (NC) is the winner of Her Only Wish by Shelley Shepard Gray.

If you won a book and you like it, please consider giving the author the courtesy of writing a review on Goodreads, Amazon.com, Christianbooks.com, Barnes and Noble, or other Internet sites. Reviews are such a blessing to an author.

Also, tell your friends about the book you won ... and this blog. Thank you.

Congratulations, everyone. If you won a print book, send me your mailing address:
Click the Contact Me link at the top of the blog, and send me an Email.

If you won an ebook or audio book, just let me know what email address it should be sent to. Remember, you have 2 weeks to claim your book. 

Devotions for Writers: Honoring God with Your Writing - Martha Rogers - One Free Book

Dear Readers, I'm introducing you to a dear writer friend of mine. Here is her bio: 

Martha Rogers was born in Texas and lived in Dallas the first 18 years of her life. After graduating from Baylor University she moved to Houston and has been there ever since. Martha is a retired teacher at both secondary and college levels. She and her husband Rex enjoy spending time with their grandchildren and attending football, baseball, and basketball games when one of the grandchildren is playing or performing. Her four, soon to be five great-grandchildren are most important right now. Martha loves to cook and experimenting with recipes and enjoys scrapbooking when she has time and isn't on a deadline.

Martha and I became acquainted over 20 years ago. She in the Houston area and me in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. During those years, we were together at various meetings and conferences. And during those years, Martha wrote devotionals for the American Christian Fiction Writers organization. They were a highlight of the day for many of us. She wrote about writing sometimes and more often just about life in general.

Earlier this year, Martha left earth and entered her forever home. Her family gathered a collection of her devotionals, and it has recently been published.

Since she isn't here now, I couldn't interview her. But we do have a free book for one winner who leaves a comment. If you have rea any of Martha's books, please tell us.

Readers, here’s a link to the book.

https://www.amazon.com/Devotions-Writers-Honoring-Your-Writing-ebook/dp/B0C9KNS5PK

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory or country if outside North America. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 2 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link: Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com 

WINNERS

IMPORTANT: Instructions for winners  - When you send me the email, make sure your subject line says this: Winner - (book title) - (author's name) If you don't do this, your email could get lost in my hundreds of emails per day. I WILL SEARCH FOR POST TITLES STARTING THAT WAY.

Some people don't read the instructions of how to enter. Unfortunately, they don't have a chance to win. so next time you come and leave a comment, be sure to read all the instructions if you want a chance to win.

Elizabeth  (MD) is the winner of With Every Memory by Janine Rosche.

Deanne (PA) is  the winner of Rocky Mountain Rendezvous by Misty M Beller.

If you won a book and you like it, please consider giving the author the courtesy of writing a review on Goodreads, Amazon.com, Christianbooks.com, Barnes and Noble, or other Internet sites. Reviews are such a blessing to an author.

Also, tell your friends about the book you won ... and this blog. Thank you.

Congratulations, everyone. If you won a print book, send me your mailing address:
Click the Contact Me link at the top of the blog, and send me an Email.

If you won an ebook or audio book, just let me know what email address it should be sent to. Remember, you have 2 weeks to claim your book.