Hold Me Close 2nd Edition!

I’m so excited about the 2nd edition release of my book Hold Me Close with a new publisher, Celebrate Lit Publishing. This has been a long process to take this novel on a new journey. The cover is so beautiful–a creation by Roseanna White.  I’ve rewritten and edited this edition in order to smooth out any wrinkles from the first edition.

Just in time for Christmas! If you have read Hold Me Close, you might consider giving this novel as a Christmas gift. In December you can find it on Amazon, Celebrate Lit Publishing, or order an autographed copy from me. Please contact me on my website or message me on Facebook for any additional information. I’m waiting for exact dates of the release for the print edition. I’ll send a link later when available. The eBook is available at Amazon on December 4–preorders now. Amazon eBook Hold Me Close . 

Surround Me, Book Two of the Revolutionary Faith Series, will release in January 2019. And finally, for those of you who have patiently been waiting, Book Three, Bring Me Near releases in February 2019.

Please share this information with your friends and family.

Merry Christmas (early)!

 

Advertisement

Thanksgiving Nostalgia

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” Philippians 4:6

Thanksgiving–just the word conjures up many images and memories full of color, smells, and tastes. This one will be no different as my family gathers around my parents’ table. Games, movies, ballgames, food, songs, and talking. Lots of talking and laughing.

As I gather recipes and begin cooking, I think about what my characters would be eating in 1775 South Carolina during the Revolution. There was no official day of celebrating Thanksgiving yet. I don’t even know if they talked about the Mayflower, the native Americans, Jamestown, the past. But they did eat some yummy concoctions like:

• Chicken Pudding
• Veal Balls
• Beefsteak Pie
• Baked Pumpkin Pudding
• Sweet Potatoes and Apples
• Green Beans
• Fried Ham
• Almond Tarts
• Spice Nuts
• Liberty Tea (raspberry leaves)

This is a list I could work with and enjoy. But in truth, family is still the most important element whether in history or today.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Playoffs and Memories

I’m not a huge sports fan, but I have my moments or seasons. A good example is when our children were playing different sports through the years. Then I couldn’t help but LOVE soccer, track, and cross country. As you know it is playoff season for high school football. Since I teach in a high school, playoff is a buzz word. And it just turned cold in northern Louisiana so the time is right.

Soccer became popular when our children were little–ages three and four. I remember my husband volunteering to coach the teams when he knew nothing about the sport. The local YMCA helped him along, until one day, my husband said “I have this. It is just like basketball but with the feet.” Presto! We have been hooked for life. My daughter still plays as an adult in city leagues.

During this time the World Cup for the first time interested me. While in Ecuador in the early 2000s, the Ecuadorian team played for the first time ever(?) in the World Cup. I ducked into a small café and joined the locals in celebration, not of a win, but of the chance to play.  There’s something special about being in the country or close to the country when their teams play.

Another example was in McAllen, Texas in a restaurant when Mexico played. The excitement and noise level so high that the only thing we could do was watch and listen to the game and forget normal conversation. Once again, it was about the opportunity to play versus actually winning the game of the World Cup (Mexico lost).

I think the prime example took place this summer in France. My daughter and I started off watching a game in Charlotte, NC before boarding a plane for Paris. Once in Bordeaux instead of seeking out a quiet, quaint restaurant we sought the one with a huge TV screen (multiple TVs), lots of people, and noise as France played Uruguay. The rise and fall of the French shouts pulled us further into the celebration. I had the privilege of sitting next to a man with his son, teaching him about the game and possibly a tradition. Knowing French, I felt a part of this group of citizens. And France won.

We mapped out when the other games would be. In Carcassonne, in the old walled city, we found a small café with a big TV and the next match France versus Belgium. We settled in for two hours in the middle of French and Belgian fans. We could hear the roar from other pubs and cafes when the tension rose. France won–even the military and policemen joined in the revelry. And all of this in the ancient Medieval walls of a French town drooling with history. Outside the walls close to our lodging, the celebration continued until midnight as cars circled a huge plaza, honking as if welcoming in the new year.

The next night we were back in Carcassonne in a different restaurant, La Terrasse, since our cafe from the night before didn’t have access to the game. England versus Croatia. The British crowd dominated this restaurant. This game determined who played France for the World Cup title. As we walked back to our apartment, we stopped at each cafe watching to see who would win. In the end, Croatia succeeded in moving forward.

Finally, the France-Croatia confrontation began. We were in Monterosso, Italy–a quaint mountain town on the Mediterranean Sea. We couldn’t fit in the packed bars and cafés, so we relied on the brief glances on the screens and asking questions. The mood here was a bit different than in France. Italy held a grudge against France since they had clashed before and lost. Yet, France was a neighbor and a plus for Europe. In the end France won. The young and old paraded through the narrow streets, shouting, cheering, an all-out celebration!

Something about sports brings the community, the country, the world a little closer. I loved every minute of celebrating in France and Italy, just as I do at home.

Do you follow any sports?

My late fall TBR list

I could call this my winter To Be Read List, but knowing me I’ll have it completed before winter begins. I love completing a goal and beginning a new one. I have some beloved authors here and some new ones. A couple of Christmas treats are included that I can’t wait to give my hours.

 

I’ll start with A Tale of Two Hearts (Once Upon a Dickens Christmas Book Two) by Michelle Griep. London 1855, an innkeeper’s daughter and a gentleman’s son.

Then, probably the total opposite: The Haunting of Thores-Cross by Karen Perkins. This one involves a young girl, thought to be a witch, in the Yorkshire Moors. Scary? I hope not too much.

 

An all-time favorite author, Terri Blackstock, has written a Christmas novel, Catching Christmas. I attended a workshop with Terri about twenty years ago, and I taught her daughter French.  Good memories.

To Win Her Favor by Tamera Alexander takes me back to Nashville and Belle Meade Plantation, 1869. An Irishman, thoroughbreds, and racing. I love everything Tamera writes.

Seven authors (Michelle Griep, Nancy Moser, Erica Vetsch, MaryLu Tyndall, Amanda Barratt, Angela Bell, and Susanne Dietze) have combined their talents in The Regency Brides Collection. I look forward to roaming Jane Austen’s England.

 

Back to a time period I enjoy, A Heart Set Free by Janet Grunst places the characters in 1770 Virginia where conflict is brewing. Janet is a new author to me.

Another favorite author has made the list with Dawn Crandall’s latest addition to the Everstone Chronicles, Enchanting Nicholette. I’ve read all of Dawn’s books and will continue to be a fan.

You might want to pick up a few of these for your November reading. Share what you are reading now.