WHAT DO YOU DO?

This is a first for me. My book is at the editors. She'll have it back to me in a few days. The book cover is in the process of being made. I feel like a load has been lifted from my shoulders. It's a good feeling.

I'm working on Book #2, Susannah's Hope. You meet Susannah in the first book. She's a spoiled, selfish, opinionated woman. She loves to gossip and cares only for herself. Her family owns Cole's General Store, the only store in the settlement. By the way, the settlement gets a name in this book. It's Maple Ridge.

In the first chapter Susannah's father is killed in a flash flood and she almost drowns. She's taken to Aaron and Mary Gibson's house. Mary is a nurse, or healer. It's more convenient for her to be there so Mary can care for her as she recovers. Susannah and her family have no love for the Melungeons, so she is put in a very awkward position. She does become friends with Mary and her family.

Susannah knows nothing about being a store owner. She does find out her father and grandfather have been cheating the Indians and the Melungeons. After her grandmother's death, she decides to charge everyone the same price. Her life changes for the good then.

Dr. Val Minor has taken a liking to Susannah, but he remembers how she treated him before. He is a Melungeon and darker skinned. (Melungeons are not black, but look like they have a year-round tan.) Susannah hires Rachel Gibson, Mary's daughter, to help in the store. They become very good friends.

There are three love stories in this book. I'll not give them away. There is also more prejudice shown. I hope you will find this book interesting when it comes out in the winter of 2013.

PUBLISHING DATE

The publishing date of Callie's Mountain is getting closer. The date of October 15, 2012 is doable. If everything else goes well, the book should come out on Amazon on that date.

This is exciting, and  a lot of doubts nag me right now. From what others have told me, that's understandable. My author friends keep telling me I am a good writer. I don't know. Sometimes I experience a lot of doubts. Sometimes I wish I had quit before I got started. Life would be a lot simpler if I were not at the computer all day long. But it would not be this exciting, and I would not have made so many friends.

Several times during the past years, I've wondered why I decided to take this route so late in life. It's certainly not for money. Unless you're on the New York Times Best Seller's List, or getting a six figure advance, you're not going to be rich.

It's certainly not for glory. Unless you have a large following, very few know about you and your books. There must be other reasons why we write.

It started as therapy. I needed something to help me after my father's death and later after my mother's. It also helped me to relax while I cared for my mother. I could escape for a few minutes into my book.

It must be the love of storytelling. My maternal grandmother was a great storyteller. We would sit on the front porch in the afternoons, and she would tell me about live as a sheriff's daughter in a coal mining town. They were wonderful stories.

As October 15 draws nearer, I'm busier than ever. This is what I have wanted to do all my life, but never had the courage to do it. I guess I'm getting more courageous in my old days.

LIBERTY BELLE

Patricia PacJac Carroll is the author of Liberty Belle. A refreshing book combining a belle from Georgia with the Wild West. A different book from the others set in the West.

This is PacJac's first book, and like more authors today, she took the road to self-publishing. The number of Independent Publishers is growing daily. To become your own publisher is becoming more popular.

The opening scene is wonderful. I wanted to read more. Jilted by her groom, Liberty Auraria Longstreet decides to become independent. She runs away from her controlling mother, but her aunt Flora, a spinster, decides to go with her. They flee for the West where Libby hopes to get a job teaching school. She brings her horse, Star, along in hopes of one day having a ranch.

She and Aunt Flora are hilariously innocent. Whatever can happen to them does.

The writing is good. PacJac controls her subject matter and the book is interesting. I was hooked from the first chapter. I even got up at 3:30 a.m. and read for an hour. You may see a few errors, the author will admit. I would still give the book 5 stars. Way to go PacJac. There will be another book out this fall, Golden Dreams, and I'm looking forward to it.

Set in 1859 Denver, Liberty Belle is a story of finding freedom and forgiveness. A jilted bride, a wayward sheriff, a small boy, outlaws, and a gallows provide plenty of action, romance, and hope. Liberty Longstreet was left at the altar, but that wasn’t the worst of her day. She awakens to the fact that she needs to declare independence from her controlling mother. Wanting her freedom and to find a man of her choosing, Libby leaves home for faraway Denver. She just doesn't count on being robbed, falling for a wayward sheriff, or being accused of murder. Sheriff Wade Calder throws down his badge in a quest for revenge. Instead, he takes responsibility for his enemy’s young son. Wanting only to be free, Wade runs into Libby, and she wins what is left of his heart. Unfortunately, he has nothing to offer her until he picks up his badge. His honor is restored, but it may cost Libby her life. Together they learn the cost of freedom and the wealth of forgiveness.

HOBBY LOBBY

Saturday's are not one of my writing days, but I missed yesterday and decided to write today about the lawsuit Hobby Lobby filed against the Obama Healthcare Plan or ObamaCare.

Before I get started ranting, let me tell you up front that I do not believe the government has a right to tell us, as individuals or businesses, what we have to do or not do. What has happened to our freedoms this country was founded on? I feel it's time we, as Christians and individuals, stand up and be counted.

Hobby Lobby is built on Christian principles. It is family owned, by David Green, a devout Baptist. They close on Sunday, and make sure all the merchandise they sell is according to their beliefs. When ObamaCare mandated that the "morning after" pills be included in the insurance. Mr Green sued the government because it violated his religious beliefs.

I agree the "morning after" pills is a nice way to say abortion. I believe that life begins at conception. Apparently our government has no problem with killing babies before they have a chance to live. I don't usually get political, but this is our freedoms we are talking about. What is next?

What happens if Mr. Green does not get ObamaCare for his employees? He will have to pay, now get this, $1.3 million PER DAY fines! That will clear the national debt in a few days. Oh, I forgot. It's not a fine, it's a tax. Can you believe that?

What if you like Mr. Green refuse to get ObamaCare? You will be hit with this tax. Not as much as a business, but you will have to pay. I call this bullying, and I don't like it! I do not want to be bullied by any individual. It's not right, even if it is the government.

We can look at this as writers. Will the government eventually tell you not to have a Christian element in your books? Will they force Christian publishers to stop publishing clean books? Think about what could happen to your writing career.

I'm asking you this morning to support Hobby Lobby. I'm shopping there next week. I'm also asking you to look at where our government is headed. Is that what you really want? Think about it and then act. Go to http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/09/20/growing-boycott-against-retail-chain-hobby-lobby-after-lawsuit-against-health/ and ready about this. It's time to take America back.

SHORT INTERVIEWS WITH CHARACTERS OF CALLIE'S MOUNTAIN

Our guests today are William and Sarah Trent, Callie Trent, Jacob McGinnis, Susannah Cole, and Dr. Valentine Minor. 

KA: Thank you all for coming today. I think my readers will enjoy hearing a little about you since you will be in print soon.

William: Thank you. It's a pleasure to be here, but I have a lot of work to do. Can we hurry this along?

KA: We sure can, Mr. Trent. I'll only ask each of you one question. Tell me about Callie.

William: Callie is our oldest child, and a pretty little thing. Blonde hair, blue eyes, and stubborn as the day is long. She's honest and dependable and.....

KA: Let's give the others a chance to tell something. Mrs. Trent, can you tell me something about Callie?

Sarah: Callie is the best daughter a mother can have. She's eager to work and never complains. She's a hard worker and will make a wonderful school teacher.

KA: Thank you Mrs. Trent. Now, Callie, can you tell me a little about yourself.

Callie: (Staring suspiciously at Jacob) First I want to teach school. I love the Melungeon children, and I want to teach them and the adults to read and write. I don't want an arranged marriage. I want to find my own true love. 

KA: Thanks Callie. Now, Jacob, you have your turn. Can you tell us about Callie?

Jacob: Yes, ma'am. (He reaches over to take her arm and she jerks his hand away.) I love her. She's what I always wanted in a wife. When I saw her after I had made the marriage contract, I knew she was the one for me. She's what I always wanted in a wife. (Callie is shaking her head and glaring at him.) See, she loves me, she just doesn't know yet.

KA: Thank you, Jacob. Let's move along before you and Callie get in a fight. Susannah, tell me about Callie.

Susannah: She's the best friend a girl could have. She's never cared for frills and fashion, but she is a honest, true friend. If she did care for the proper decorum she wouldn't ....

KA: That's all right Susannah, let's leave that for the book. Now, Dr. Minor, you joined the Trent's after they left Rogersville, before they reached the settlement. You are the newcomer, right?

Dr. Val Minor: Yes, ma'am. I did join them in Rogersville. I share a cabin with Jacob McGinnis and hear a lot about Callie. She is a wonderful woman. She is very good with the Melungeon people. She is a caring person and the way she talked to the Collins boys, and calmed them down after the Indians beat them, is amazing. She's a jewel and a one of a kind.

KA: Thank you all for spending some time with my readers. Callie's Mountain will be out this fall. It will be on Amazon Kindle and in paperback. You can buy both on Amazon. I hope you will enjoy the book and learn a little about the Melungeon people and Callie.

B17

If you have read Sanid Rog's blog, SandiRog.blogspot.com, you know she is taking B17 for her cancer. She also takes a bunch of other stuff. She kept telling me that she thought B17 would help my colon, and I didn't believe her. Let me tell you that I believe her now. Let me back track some to tell you the whole story.

Last winter I was having migraines, and my doctor at that time put me on a migraine medicine. At 50mg I felt fine, but he insisted I take 100 mg. Thinking the doctor knew best, I did. My head became so foggy, and I couldn't think straight. I felt like I was in a fog most of the time, and I was sleeping thirteen to fourteen hours a day. Two weeks ago, my new doctor took me off of them. That was the first sign I had that I was feeling better. At least I can think straight now.

During all this time, Sandi kept urging me to take B17. I knew it couldn't hurt me, but I was still a little fearful. My colon was hurting so much that I was ready to take anything, so I ordered a bottle of 100mg. I took my first one Sunday, September 9. We went to Nashville for my son-in-law's surgery. I took my second one that Monday morning, along with a Loritab. I was in a lot of pain.

I felt I would be in the hospital by today having surgery on my colon. That's how much I was hurting until noon Monday. The hurting stopped. I have had minimal pain since.

One other thing has improved. My knees. Since the knee replacements my knees didn't hurt as much as they did before, but they were sore at times and I knew where the replacement and the knee joined. I have absolutely no pain in my knees now. I don't know whether it is the B17, the zinc, the DMG, or the Vitamin E I'm taking. Whatever it is, I am so thankful for it.

The best information on this drug, but it's really not a drug but apricot seeds, go to Sandi's blog and read her B17 page. It gives you much more information and a video to watch. It is working for me, and I have energy, lots of energy.

A DUKE'S PROMISE

I know I'm not supposed to start a sentence with "finally," but... Finally, I got around to reading A Duke's Promise by Jamie Carie, and I loved it. The is the last of A Forgotten Castle Series and the best. 

The Duke and Duchess of St. Easton, Gabriel and Alexandria Ravenwood (they married in the last book) begin their search again for her parents, Ian and Katherine Featherstone, under the guise of a honeymoon in France. Of course they don't stay in France, but take a hot air balloon across the alps. 

This was a wonderful story and I give it 5 stars. I loved it and I am now a fan of Jamie Carie. There is so much excitement and intrigue in this story. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.


Award-winning writer Jamie Caries concludes her most epic storyline with a wonderful twist in A Duke’s Promise, the final Forgotten Castles novel.

From the Land of Fire and Ice back to England’s shores, Alexandria Featherstone finds herself the new Duchess of St. Easton. Her husband has promised a wedding trip to take them to the place where her imperiled parents were last seen -- Italy and the marble caves of Carrara -- but a powerful Italian duke plots against Alex and her treasure-hunting parents.

Hoping to save them, Alex and Gabriel travel to Italy by balloon. Fraught with danger on all sides and pressured by Gabriel’s affliction to the breaking point, they must learn to work and fight together. The mysterious key is within their grasp, but they have yet to recognize it. This journey will require steadfast faith in God and each other -- a risk that will win them everything they want or lose them everything they have.

IT'S GOOD TO BE HOME

Yes, it is good to be home especially when the surgery went well. Our son-in-law was feeling well yesterday, and we headed home a little after noon. His doctor is talking to him now, I assume, because neither he or my daughter will answer their phones.

Before we left, I finished The Victory Club, by Robin Lee Hatcher. It was a good story about four ladies working at a military base during World War II. There were stories about each woman and her connection with the war. One had a son, one had a sweetheart, one had a husband, and one had no one. Pen, the one with no one was a little selfish. Her husband had fallen and hurt his back. He could not enter the military nor work. It taught us how our lives can change even during distress.

My only problem with the Kindle version was the spelling errors. I can overlook one or two, but several and trying to decide what the correct word was threw me off several times. I can't say too much because I have a book coming out soon and you may find several errors in it.

As far as the book goes, I'd give it a 5 star, but with the spelling, I'd have to give it a 4 star overall. Here's the cover and the blurb.

In times of war, sometimes victory seems like an impossible dream …

In 1943, the women of America banded together to make a life for themselves while their husbands and sons fought overseas. Evan as the men engaged in war, these women faced battles of their own on the homefront.

Margo King: A woman whose past threatens to control her future.
Dottie King: one passionate mistake could destroy her dreams.
Lucy Andersen: Lonely and afraid, she turns to another while her husband is away.
Penny Maxfield: Desperate for a new life, nothing – not even her family – can hold her back.

Margo, Dottie, Lucy, and Penny never expected to face the hardships they must now find a way to conquer. But through the power of Christ, and the power of friendship, perhaps this Victory Club will achieve more than any of them could ever have imagined.

NOTHING NEW HAPPENING

Nothing new is happening on our home front. It has rained this week, which was greatly needed. Wednesday night we had a good slow rain. We have green beans and okra coming in and it feels like summer all over again, except for the heat. Thankfully it is cooler today.

I'm reading The Victory Club by Robin Lee Hatcher. I'm not a big World War II fan, but this is very true to the era. It's probably more interesting when you haven't lived through it. I remember the shortage of sugar and rubber. I also remember my aunt and my mother painting a line on the back of their legs so it would look like they had on hose. Back then the hose had a seam down the back.

There are so many memories flooding back when I read the book. I guess I didn't realize the shortage of gas. We lived a mile from town, so we always walked. We walked to church, which was close by, and we walked to visit neighbors.

I was about five when the war ended. My memory is not all that good, but I do remember some things. My sister will probably tell me what I forgot. I do remember the blackout blinds. My mother was always afraid we would be bombed. Bless her heart, she lived in fear of everything.

We'll be at the hospital with our daughter and son-in-law Monday while he undergoes lung surgery. We're not sure when we will be home. It depends how  the surgery goes, and how he responds. I will try to let you know sometime Monday, but it may be Monday night.

HOMESPUN BRIDE

I've had Homespun Bride by Jillian Hart for a long time and finally got around to reading it. It's a very good love story about Noelle and Thad. They had fallen in love as teens, but her parents thought he was not right for her. Her father threatened him, and he left without telling her good-bye.

The story takes place five years later when he comes back to Angel Falls, Montana. He thinks she is married and does not realize her parents were killed in an accident, and because of the accident, she was blind. The man she was supposed to marry, labeled her as "damaged goods." That struck me as so insensitive.

I did enjoy the story. I would give it a 4 star. There was a little head-hopping, but it was written before we became so conscious with POV. Here's the  book cover and the blurb from the back. Some of Jillian's books are free on Kindle. That's how I got mine.

Montana Territory in 1883 was a dangerous place--especially for a blind woman struggling to make her way through an early winter snowstorm. Undaunted, Noelle Kramer fought to remain independent. But then a runaway horse nearly plunged her into a rushing, ice-choked river, before a stranger's strong, sure hand saved her from certain death.

And yet this was no stranger. Though she could not know it, her rescuer was rancher Thad McKaslin, the man who had once loved her more than life itself. Losing her had shaken all his most deeply held beliefs. Now he wondered if the return of this strong woman was a sign that somehow he could find his way home.