Wednesday Writers–A Home for Fritz by June Foster

Tags

A Home for Fritz, Catherine Castle's Wednesday Writers blog series, contemporary inspirational romance, June Foster, romance, Wednesday Writers

 

Welcome to Wednesday Writers. My guest today is June Foster, and after reading her post, I have to admit I’m a bit envious. A summer spent in an RV park in Wyoming sounds lovely. I’ve always wanted to see the west and live in a RV. June got a bonus—a story idea with built in research. What better gift could a writer have? Welcome, June!

 

Research on a Dude Ranch

By June Foster

Last summer, my husband and I worked at a wonderful RV park in Shell, Wyoming, at the base of the Big Horn Mountains.

lawn at the RV park

 

The owners of the park had a precious golden doodle named Fritz.

About that time, my editor gave a “callout” for stories in which the hero and heroine met because of a dog. Not more than a few miles from the RV park, an elegant dude ranch, the Hideout, offered a horse-riding experience for guests who could afford the high cost. Thus the perfect ingredients for a story.

 

I interviewed wranglers, toured the entire property, and talked to local ranchers, as well as snapping photos the surrounding area.

 

Thus A Home for Fritz was born.

 

 

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

A Home for Fritz

by June Foster

All Brooke Cantrell wants is two weeks to live a Cinderella life at Sunlight Peaks Guest Ranch. When she falls in love with a handsome wrangler, will he discover the truth?

Garrett Bowman has finally found peace under Wyoming skies. Never again will he return to corporate life in Seattle. But will the guests recognize him from the incriminating newspaper and magazine articles eighteen months ago?

When Garrett’s dog, Fritz, is in grave danger, an intriguing guest helps him rescue his pup. As Fritz heals, he whines until he can lay his head in Brooke’s comfortable lap. Fritz has fallen in love, but so has Garrett.

If Garrett discovers Brook’s secret, will he walk away from her?

If Brooke learns Garrett’s true identify, will she turn from him like all the others?

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

I hope you enjoy the real life pictures of what I saw as I did research for the project.

 

I loved June’s pictures, especially the one with the mountain in the background. If you’d like to read more about A Home for Fritz you can find the book here.

 

About the Author:

An award-winning author, June Foster is a retired teacher with a BA in education and MA in counseling. Her characters find themselves in tough situations but overcome through God’s power and the Word. She writes edgy topics wrapped in a good story. To date, she’s seen seventeen contemporary romances and several short stories published. Find June online at junefoster.com

 

Advertisements

Wednesday Writers–Ancient Treasures with Gail Kittleson

Tags

Ancient Treasures, Catherine Castle's Wednesday Writers blog series, first Engliswoman to write a book, Gail Kittleson, Julian of Norwich, Women of the Heartland series

Welcome to Wednesday Writers!

Today I’m hosting Gail Kittleson on Wednesday Writers. Gail is a historical romance author, who writes about WWII. Her Women of the Heartland, World War II series, highlights women of The Greatest Generation. Today she’s taking us on a side trip to talk about the first English woman to write a book. You’ll want keep reading, because it’s not who you think it is. Welcome, Gail!

 

 

Ancient Treasures

By Gail Kittleson

Preparing for a recent fortieth anniversary trip to England, I re-discovered Julian of Norwich, who died in 1417. Before that, if you’d asked me to name the first English woman who wrote a book, I might have said Jane Austen. But long before Jane left her mark, Julian of Norwich left hers.

Julian became well known in England, and people flocked to her cell for spiritual advice. She was called “Renewer of the Church.” Her meditations, The Revelations of Divine Love, set forth eternal, all-embracing divine love.

Well known in England during this era of widespread epidemics, people looked to Julian for reassurance. Many monks taught that disease signified God’s angry punishment, while Julian wrote of a loving, even motherly God intent on creation’s good.

She viewed the Creator of all with a tiny object in his hand, like a small brown nut, so fragile and insignificant that she wondered why it even held together. The nut stood for the entire created universe, yet Julian heard this message with her vision: “God made it, God loves it, and God keeps it.”

She wrestled with the difficult moral decisions humans face. Sometimes we feel that no matter what, we act from impure motives, and can defend no decision. Finally, Julian concluded: “It is enough to be sure of the deed. Our courteous Lord will deign to redeem the motive.”

 I’d guess the monks of Julian’s day weren’t exactly delighted with her theology—human nature conjures images of the Divine patterned after our own shortcomings. Negativity surely fits that label, as does a tendency to feel hopelessly incapable of acting with wisdom in this world.

 As writers, we can certainly identify. But common people resonated to Julian’s perspective from the cell where she confined herself after undergoing a burial rite to signify her death to this world.

How wonderful to come to a point where with her, we say, “It is enough to do something (i.e., to write), led by my best instincts and thinking process. If I err, I fall upon the courtesy of our Lord.”

About the Author:

Gail taught college writing before becoming a late-blooming novelist, and now has four published novels celebrating WWII women, and a memoir.

When Gail’s not steeped in research, drafting scenes, or editing, she facilitates writing workshops and retreats in Iowa and Arizona, where winters find her enjoying the gorgeous Mogollon Rim. Favorites: grandchildren, exploring WWII sites with her husband, walking, reading, meeting new people, and hearing from readers who fall in love with her characters.

You can find Gail’s books on Amazon

You can connect with Gail at

http://www.gailkittleson.com/

www.facebook.com/GailKittlesonAuthor

www.twitter.com/GailGkittleson @GailGkittleson

 

 

 

 

 

Wednesday Writers—Love’s Harvest: Adventures in Research by Linda Shenton Matchett

Tags

adventures in research, book excerpt from Love’s Harvest, Catherine Castle's Wednesday Writers blog series, historical romance, Linda Shenton Matchett, Love's Harvest, retelling of biblical story of Ruth

Today’s guest on Wednesday Writers is Linda Shenton Matchett, author of the historical romance Love’s Harvest. Linda will be talking about the research required to write this book. I think you’ll find it interesting—I know I did. Welcome, Linda!

 

 

 

 

 

Love’s Harvest: Adventures in Research

 

I’m of an age that when I was in school research was conducted with encyclopedias and trips to the library to question the reference librarian and search among the shelves for sources. Now I use the internet where I can check my library’s “card catalog” online, send an email to anyone in the world with my questions, look at maps and photos, watch YouTube interviews (thanks to oral history projects, these a great resource for primary source material), access museum and university information, read archived newspapers, and chase any number of rabbits.

You heard me…chase rabbits. That’s the blessing and the curse of using the internet for doing research. As mentioned, the blessing is the plethora of information available. The curse is the ability to follow link after link after link…! Eventually, a writer needs to stop researching and put pen to paper (or fingers to the keyboard)!

My novella, Love’s Harvest is a retelling of the biblical book of Ruth set between 1923 and 1946. In order to “translate” the story to the new time period, quite a bit of research was necessary. In Ruth, there is a famine that sends the family to Moab, the loss of Naomi’s husband and sons, Ruth’s rights to glean the fields after she and Naomi return to Israel, marriage laws and customs, and several incidents that shed light on Ruth’s and Boaz’s character.

Let the adventure begin!

Because I wanted to set the majority of the book in England during WWII, I had to find a famine that occurred twenty or so years prior to that time. Figuring that I’d be looking for a needle in the proverbial haystack because “famines don’t happen anymore,” I was stunned to find numerous incidents during which large segments of a population faced crop failure, drought, and hunger. The event that fit with my story was the 1921-23 famine that nearly devastated the Volga River area of Russia.

Research about the region told me about Catherine the Great’s efforts to colonize Russia by inviting Europeans to immigrate and become Russian citizens but keep their language and culture. A large number of Germans took her up on the offer. That fact allowed me to make the Ruth character German which would give me the tension I needed when I sent her and the Naomi character home to England.

One link I followed helped me discover that many of these Volga Russian-Germans immigrated to Kansas, the Dakotas, and California during the 19^th and early 20^th century. During the famine years, these people set up the American Volga Relief Society to collect and send relief and supplies to the Volga region. I was able to weave this information in the story.

Further research allowed me to find wedding customs, the British Women’s Land Army, Lord Woolton and his Ministry of Food, and the craft of basket weaving. I was surprised that it took me about two months to conduct all my research. Are you?

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Love’s Harvest

By Linda Shenton Matchett

Noreen Hirsch loses everything including her husband and two sons. Then her adopted country goes to war with her homeland. Has God abandoned her?

Rosa Hirsch barely adjusts to being a bride before she is widowed. She gives up her citizenship to accompany her mother-in-law to her home country. Can Rosa find acceptance among strangers who hate her belligerent nation?

Basil Quincey is rich beyond his wildest dreams, but loneliness stalks him. Can he find a woman who loves him and not his money?

Three people. One God who can raise hope from the ashes of despair.

 

Book Excerpt:

Volga Region, Russia, 1923

Noreen yanked the zipper closed on her over-stuffed canvas satchel. Always resourceful, Edmund had attached straps to the moss-green bag so she could wear it on her back. She would also carry a suitcase in each hand. The journey promised to be arduous.

Sighing, she wiped a weary hand across her dry eyes. Even if she had any tears remaining, crying was useless. It would not make their situation less dire.

Muted voices and the occasional bump filtered through the ceiling from the boys’ bedroom above. Noreen shivered and hunched into her threadbare, ruby-red sweater. An impulse purchase made during her honeymoon, the garment held more memories than warmth. Edmund insisted it brought out the roses in her cheeks.

She tossed the bulging satchel to the floor and turned her attention to the yawning luggage on the bed. Two steel pots and a fry pan nestled in the bottom of one boxy, brown suitcase between faded blue towels that had been a belated wedding present from her mother and father.

Hopefully, Edmund would find somewhere they could live in his home country with enough food to actually cook. Here, along the Volga River in Russia, the crops had failed again, and the famine was entering its second year. The decision whether to eat or plant their seed wheat had caused many families to die of starvation.

Shuffling footsteps sounded behind her. She turned as Edmund enveloped her in his arms. Nestling against his too-thin chest, she breathed in his musky scent. He bent and kissed her forehead, his black beard scraping her skin.

“You work too hard.” He tucked a stray strand of her nutmeg-colored hair behind her ear.

She leaned into his touch. “Isn’t that why you married me?”

“No, Schatzi, it is most certainly not.” He grinned. “You stole my heart. I had to marry you, or I would die a broken man.”

“Don’t joke about that. Our friends are dying every day.” She frowned. “Who knew this famine would last so long? If it weren’t for the bit of help arriving from America’s Volga Relief Society, matters would be much worse.”

“They are sending more assistance than we are receiving. Jakob told me there is proof the government is confiscating some of the packages and keeping the money to construct new buildings and conduct repairs. As always, development of the country is valued above the lives of the people.”

“Shhh!” She pressed the work-worn fingers of her right hand against his lips. “You could get in trouble for saying that. Then where would we be?”

Edmund hugged her. “There is no one to hear us, but I understand your fear. Many unexplained disappearances make for extreme caution.” He released her and gestured toward the pile of clothes on their bed. “Enough depressing talk. What can I do to help?”

“Do you have our passports? With the government ratcheting up the price, we have no more savings to purchase new ones.”

“Now who’s speaking out against the authorities.”

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Want to read more? You can find Love’s Harvest at Amazon

 

About the Author:

Linda Shenton Matchett is an author, journalist, and history geek. A native of Baltimore, Maryland, she was born a stone’s throw from Fort McHenry and has lived in historic places most of her life. A member of ACFW, RWA, and Sisters In Crime, Linda is a volunteer docent at the Wright Museum of World War II, and a trustee for her local public library. Receive a free book Devotions from a Writer when you sign up for her newsletter. 

Social Media links:  Website: Facebook: Pinterest:

Wednesday Writers—Callum’s Compass by Sara Foust

Tags

book excerpt from Callum's Compass, Callum's Compass, Catherine Castle Wednesday Writers series, inspirational romantic suspense, Sara Foust, treasure hunts

Today’s guest on Wednesday Writers is Sara Foust, author of the Inspirational Romantic Suspense Callum’s Compass. She’s be taking about treasure hunts today and how they fit into her book. Welcome, Sara!

Some people have said the clues in Callum’s Compass seem way too challenging for everyday people to figure out. I even had one lady mention in an early critique that surely the first clue Kat gets would be too difficult for someone without code breaking experience to solve. I had to laugh a little, because that clue was one my husband, my brother, my two cousins, and I actually solved thirteen years ago on a treasure hunt facilitated by my uncle Jim. It was something of a tradition with Uncle Jim. And though I only was blessed to participate in a few of his infamous hunts, he had left my cousins ones all throughout their childhood.

This particular trip, we were staying at a house in Outer Banks, North Carolina, and he surprised us with our first clue early in the week, if I remember correctly. We didn’t know what the “treasure” was but, based on the last time, suspected it might be chocolate-covered doughnuts or another type of treat. All of his clues were difficult, but the one that stumped us the longest was the one using the Bible verse from Revelation that you will see in Callum’s Compass. I’m not going to tell you what the final solve was, I’ll let you read that for yourselves in my book, but I will tell you it took nearly all of a day to figure it out. And I can still remember him laughing each time we brought a new idea to him. “You’re thinking about this wrong, guys,” he would say. We even used a “phone a friend” to call his son in Nashville who was unable to make the trip. My cousin, Chelsea, is the one who finally figured it out. I figure it was all those years of practice he’d given her growing up at solving his riddles that made her so good.

At the end of the hunt, we used a metal detector to locate gold coins buried in the sand. You talk about a real treasure hunt! It was so incredibly fun. I can still picture the moment we found the treasure and looked back at the balcony porch to see the “real grownups” (I was 22 and married, mind you) grinning down at us.

Uncle Jim passed away from an aggressive brain cancer two years ago. There’s not a day that goes by we don’t think of him and miss him so much. I’ll never forget his laugh, his sense of adventure, and his love. None of us will. We are going to the beach as a family again this summer, thanks to Jim’s son’s generosity (our phone a friend). And he is working on the treasure hunt clues now. He’s already promised they will be in “Uncle Jim fashion,” which means our kids may never find the treasure without the “real grownups’ ” help, of which I am part now. But above all else, the memories we make will be the treasure we remember for the rest of our lives.

 

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Callum’s Compass

by Sara Foust

KAT WILLIAMS’S brother died in a gruesome accident in the mountains of East Tennessee. She blames herself.

RYAN JENKINS’S fiancée was murdered. He couldn’t protect her.

With the death of her brother, Kat believes she is unworthy of love from anyone—even God. When a good friend elicits a promise that she will stop living in the past and then leaves her clues to a real-life treasure hunt, Kat embarks on an adventure chock-full of danger. To find the treasure, Kat will have to survive wild animals—and even wilder men. Can she rely on Ryan, the handsome wildlife officer assigned to protect her . . . without falling in love?

Ryan swore off love when his fiancée was murdered, but feelings long-buried rise to the surface around Kat. He volunteers to help with her treasure hunt, vowing to keep her safe. Together they venture deep into caves and tunnels . . . and even deeper into the depths of their unplumbed hearts.

Excerpt:

The box lay on the ground, its contents strewn beneath her truck. She picked up a golden pocket watch, the surface worn smooth on both sides, and another piece of paper with a hand-drawn picture.

What in the world? She read the page in her hand.

“Revelation 6:8—

And I looked,

And behold a pale horse:

And his name that sat on him was Death,

And Hell followed with him.

And power was given unto them

Over the fourth part of the earth,

To kill with sword,

And with hunger,

And with death,

And with the beasts of the earth.”

She turned the note over to discover a series of tiny numbers written on the reverse side.

5:12; 2:10; 4:22; 10:11; 1:5; 6:3; 7:14; 2:18; 4:4; 6:1; 7:5; 9:9

More Bible verses?

Kat tucked the scripture verse and drawing back into the box and slid it safely onto the seat. The pocket watch clanked against the compass as she dropped it into her pocket.

Want to read more? You can find Callum’s Compass on Amazon

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

About the Author:

Sara is a multi-published, award-winning author who writes Inspirational Romantic Suspense from a mini-farm in East Tennessee, where she lives with her husband and their five homeschooled children. She earned her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee and is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. Callum’s Compass won second place in Deep River Books’ 2017 Writer’s Contest.  Sara also has a story, “Leap of Faith,” in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Step Outside Your Comfort Zone, and her second novel in the Love, Hope, and Faith Series, Camp Hope, will be released in July 2018. Gain access to a FREE digital scrapbook detailing some real-life places from Callum’s Compass by signing up for her newsletter at http://www.saralfoust.com/.

Connect with Sara on her Social Media Links:  Facebook:   Twitter:

 

 

 

 

Wednesday Writers — Patrice Locke and Exit Signs

Tags

Catherine Castle Wednesday Writers series, Exit Signs, Exit Signs excerpt, food, main character's snacks, Patrice Locke, romantic comedy

 

 

Today Wednesday Writers Welcomes Patrice Locke to the blog. Patrice will be sharing the unusual eating habits of her heroine from her romantic comedy Exit Signs. She is also sharing an excerpt from the book for your reading pleasure. Welcome, Patrice!

 

Main Character’s Snacks, Readers Eat it Up

As I was writing my newest book “Fresh Start,” due out from Soul Mate Publishing this summer, I thought a lot about what makes a main character stand out.

I knew immediately what readers liked best about the main character in my first book, “Exit Signs.” It was the bizarre snacks narrator Tracy Price concocts—rattlesnake meat and cotton candy, string cheese wrapped around craisins. It’s usually the first thing readers mention to me, and it’s listed in almost all the reader reviews. One even asked, facetiously, I hope, for a recipe book. Tracy is a snack virtuoso only in her own mind.

And the funny thing is, the snack concoctions almost didn’t make it into the story. My editor at Soul Mate suggested adding more background information about Tracy, including her favorite foods. I immediately knew that Tracy would not have a handful of grapes or a saltine with peanut butter on it. She wouldn’t throw a banana in a blender with almond milk, and she would never, ever eat carrot sticks, unless they were slathered in caramel.

Tracy is a unique character, and her snacks would have to be too.

Then, as if a cartoon dialogue box had flown overhead, I heard Tracy explaining her genius snack combinations. A wheat thin and a square of dark chocolate; a salted, dry green bean and a pineapple life saver; meatballs in chocolate sauce. She carried them all, at one time or another, in a plastic snack bag tucked into the pocket of her blue jeans. She let me know it was a tradition she carried on from her Romanian grandmother.

Over the course of writing in Tracy’s voice I got to know her very well. But she had a tendency to be a private person, so it took me a while to crack her shell – in a completely non-egg-like way.

That one little detail about Tracy turned out to be a key element to her story, reinforcing her perspective and heritage in a way I never expected.

The snacks turned out to be a highlight of the final scene in the book, a sign that the happily ever after was real.

By the way, there actually is an online recipe for meatballs in chocolate sauce. I guess it’s quite a delicacy in some places. I hope I never visit those places.

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥  

EXIT SIGNS

by Patrice Locke

Tracy Price is a film researcher. She doesn’t do crushes—at least not until she’s 32 and meets the one man she knows she will never marry. He’s Jesse Elliot, a musician running from fame.

Tracy’s obsession with a decades-old missing person case consumes her. And though Jesse resents her quest, it may lead her to finally understand him. When Jesse and Tracy both feel betrayed, an unexpected blessing may be their only chance for happiness.

Excerpt

The first thing he did was call attention to his blue-black hair by reaching up with his right hand to rake some strands away from his forehead. The hair fell right back onto the shoreline of his face just like a wave on a beach. I thought of the cliché movie scene where the action cuts to an agitated ocean to symbolize sex. I cleared my throat, ordered myself to get a grip.

Instead of listening to myself, I surprised both of us by asking him my name: “Tracy Price?”

“Yes?” he asked, matching my tone and confirming my identity. “It’s nice to meet you.”

I didn’t realize until later that he hadn’t introduced himself to me. He had a strong aura of self-assurance, not arrogance exactly, but calm confidence. We had a very ordinary conversation, memorable to me only because of my rising anxiety and the silent dialogue that began running in my head.

He was all-business. I was all over the place. He said nothing at all intriguing; he didn’t need to at the first meeting. This was how a romance novel would begin, and I would just go ahead and provide all the dialogue for both of us. He could be two-dimensional. I could write the script for us. I thought I knew the genre, but I had it wrong from the start. This was no romance. This was science fiction. He was from another planet. He had to be.

He sat down in a chair adjacent to mine and waited for me to speak, so I threw caution to the wind and asked: “How do you like Albuquerque?” Very original, Tracy! What I really wondered was, How does it feel to look like you do?

“I like it,” he said, answering both my questions. “I really like it so far.”

I nodded, feeling a surge of power. “I bet. And how long are you staying?” I wondered: Would it be too forward of me to sit on your lap?

“Six weeks… I really can’t say yet. This was kind of an unexpected trip.” Bingo! Both questions addressed.

I smiled; this was working! Let me know when you decide about the lap thing. I took a deep breath, covering my mouth for a brief fake cough to clear my head.

 

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Want to read more? You can find Exit Signs at Amazon

About the Author:

Patrice Locke studied journalism at Michigan State University. Then an unexpected job offer drew her westward. She worked for New Mexico and Arizona newspapers, covering everything from government meetings and drug busts to Navajo Code Talkers and haunted houses.

She’s a Jane Austen fanatic.

“Exit Signs” was her first published book. The second, “Fresh Start,” is due to be published in the summer of 2018. It’s about a woman who’s been dumped 1600 miles from her home with nothing except a guilty conscience and a to-do list she’s sure will change her life. Book number three, which may be called “Honey, I’m Home” has the same narrator as “Exit Signs.”

Connect with Patrice at her Webpage:  Facebook: Twitter: @PatriceLocke

 

 

 

Wednesday Writers–Carrie Daws and The Embers Series

Tags

Book excerpt from The Embers Series, Carrie Daws, Catherine Castle's Wednesday Writers blog series, Inspirational Suspense, The Ember Series

 

 

Today’s guest author on Wednesday Writers is Carrie Daws. She’ll be talking about the Inspirational Suspense book she didn’t want to write. Sometimes we just gotta do what we gotta do. Right, Carrie?

 

The Story Behind the Story: The Embers Series

 

What do you do when a friend wants you to write a book about her? Assuming you have a good relationship and enough courage to be completely honest, you say, “No!”

This is what happened to me. We actually weren’t that close at the time, this friend and I. We volunteered together at church and knew each other well enough to give more than the most basic answer when we inquired about each other’s lives. I certainly didn’t know her well enough to create a character around her.

But every few weeks, she’d ask again. Yeah, my answer was still no.

Then, after one particularly rough day, she told me about a horrible inspection with an obstinate owner who didn’t want to do anything the law says that business owners must do. My brain started working, quietly in my subconscious.

A few weeks later, she told me another story about firemen tackling a homeowner who wouldn’t let them into his house to put out the fire. And about an inspection where a manager ordered her out of a restaurant because they didn’t like her. I laughed as I pictured it all.

And that’s when I knew. I had to write this book.

A couple of waivers later, I sat beside her in her government-issued white Chevy Tahoe, a vehicle big enough to carry all her necessary equipment and handle the occasionally rough terrain she needed to transgress. I shadowed her on inspections and begged to be called out to a fire with her. I tramped around a kids’ camp and walked a secure warehouse at her side. Of course, all the business owners and managers only showed her the utmost respect and courtesy in my presence. They didn’t know who I was or what power I had over them. Wouldn’t they be surprised!

I talked to firemen and paramedics, gleaning more stories and the critical fire information I would need. I searched the web, reading more about fire safety. Slowly, a plot formed.

The fun part for me is that much within these books is based on my town, although names of fire departments, neighborhoods, and other identifying places have been changed. Similarly, inspections and fires I talk about are loosely based on true stories from my friend, others in the fire safety field, and news reports from around the world.

I changed key details about my friend, to simplify the story and protect her identity—at least, outside her circle of family and friends to whom she loudly proclaimed that I was writing a book about her.

The result was a fun story where the main character must decide if God is trustworthy. If He truly can protect her and her family when the circumstances turn dangerous.

It’s a story I’m glad she persisted in asking me to write.

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

The Embers Series

By Carrie Daws

Inspector Cassandra McCarthy never thought she’d be raising her two daughters alone, but her husband’s unexpected death forced her to find a career. Now working beside a retired Special Operations soldier and veteran fireman, she serves her small North Carolina town, protecting them from hazards they don’t understand. She loves what she does and trusts God to provide—until a hurricane and a series of unexplained fires hits too close to home. What will it cost Cassandra to protect the citizens of Silver Heights?

Excerpt:

My God will meet all your needs

according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

~ Philippians 4:19

 

Friday, October 9th

White billows replaced the dark, ominous clouds that still drifted over the tops of the loblolly pine trees along the North Carolina roadside. Inspector Cassandra McCarthy released her breath, knowing the color change meant the firefighters had water on the blaze. Those who were returning to nearby homes at the end of the workday should be safe.

Her phone on the console beside her buzzed with an incoming text message. “On the scene yet?”

Showing her identification card from the Silver Heights Fire Marshal’s office, Cassandra pulled her white Chevy Tahoe around the sheriff’s barricade shutting down the country road to all non-emergency traffic. Stopping in the grass near the last tanker truck, she grabbed her phone and responded to the text. “Just arrived. Beaver Creek and Black Branch Fire Departments both on scene. Flames still visible.”

She knew her boss wouldn’t be satisfied with that answer, but before she could give him more details, she had to get her mind on her job. Her heart ached with memories of today, of the anniversary she should be celebrating. Releasing her seat belt, she grabbed the camera from the passenger seat. She could at least start taking pictures for the report she’d have to file later.

Her phone buzzed again. “Contained? Any woods burning?”

Swallowing her nostalgia, she walked around Black Branch’s engine while throwing the camera strap over her head and looking for someone she knew that would have a moment to talk to her. Being careful to avoid the area the firemen were working, she finally saw Beaver Creek’s chief, Scottie, in recovery behind the ambulance parked across the street.

“Hey, Scottie. You good?”

Most of his fireman turnout gear in a pile beside him, Scottie drained the last of the water in his bottle. His reddish brown hair looked dark in the fading sunlight. “I dinna know, lassie. But I’m getting a bad feeling about this.”

“What do you mean?”

The emergency medical technician handed Scottie another bottle of water.

“Thanks, Kelan.” Scottie twisted the lid to break the seal but didn’t remove it. “In August and September, we reported to sixty-three fires. All of those were easily explained except for two that happened in the early evening on abandoned buildings during weather that nae should be a contributing factor. This one here—it makes three.”

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Want to read more? You can find Carrie’s book in print and eBook at Amazon

 

About the Author:

God rewrote Carrie’s dreams to include being an author. With a background in weekly devotions, a mentor encouraged her to try fiction. The writing monster that she now barely keeps contained was born. To learn more, click here. (LINK: http://carriedaws.com/my-books/)

Connect with Carrie at:

Website: http://carriedaws.com/  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CarrieDaws/  

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/carriedaws/boards/

 

 

 

 

Carrie Daws, inspirational suspense, The Ember Series, Book excerpt from The Embers Series, Catherine Castle’s Wednesday Writers blog series

Wednesday Writers—Red Sky Over America by Tamara Kraft

Tags

#UndergroundRailroad, Catherine Castle’s Wednesday Writers blog, Christian historical fiction, Excerpt from Red Sky Over America, Oberlin College History, Red Sky Over America, Tamara Kraft

Today’s Wednesday Writers’ guest is Tamara Kraft. Tamara will be talking about the setting of Red Sky Over America, the first book in her historical series Ladies of Oberlin. I must admit using the setting of a college founded in the 1800s is an interesting place to set a novel. Welcome, Tamara!

 

 

Oberlin College: A College Ahead of Its Time

by Tamara Kraft

 

My current novel series, Ladies of Oberlin, is about 3 women roommates who graduated from one of the most amazing colleges in American history, Oberlin College. Book 1, Red Sky Over America focuses on America, a woman attending Oberlin who is an abolitionist studying to become a missionary. The problem is her father is a slave owner. Here’s a little bit about this amazing college.

(Oberlin College Picture used with permission)

Oberlin College, founded in 1833 in Northern Ohio, was a college ahead of its time in many ways. In 1835, it became the first college in the United States to regularly admit African Americans. It’s also the oldest co-educational college in the US. In 1837, it admitted four women, three of whom graduated and earned a college degree. Mary Jane Patterson, another Oberlin graduate, became the first African American woman in 1862 to earn a Bachelor of Arts college degree.

One of Oberlin’s founders once bragged that “Oberlin is peculiar in that which is good”. Oberlin was peculiar in many ways in advancing the causes of the time. Charles Finney, the second president of the college, helped it earn its controversial reputation. He was the fiery evangelist of the Second Great Awakening, a Christian revivalist movement in the early and mid 1800s.

Oberlin College was the hotbed of abolitionist activity and a stop for the Underground Railroad before the Civil War. It was once called “the town that started the Civil War” because of its participation in the Oberlin Wellington Rescue in 1858. Slave catchers came to Oberlin to capture an escaped slave and return him to Kentucky. Most of the town came to the slave’s aid and rescued him. For their trouble, over twenty were arrested and put on trial for violating the Fugitive Slave Act. During the raid on Harper’s Ferry by John Brown, three men from Oberlin participated.

Oberlin College was also well known for the women who graduated from the college and participated in the suffrage and prohibition movements. Lucy Stone, considered a pioneer for the women’s movement, graduated from Oberlin College in 1847.

(Picture of Arch taken by me)

Oberlin was also very well known in the missionary movement of the late 1800s. Between 1860 and 1900, 90% of missionaries sent overseas by the American Missionary Society were graduates of Oberlin College. Between 1899 and 1901, thirteen missionaries from Oberlin were martyred during the Boxer Rebellion of China. An arch in Tappan Square at the center of Oberlin pays honor to their sacrifices.

⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈

 Red Sky Over America

Ladies of Oberlin, Book 1

by Tamara Kraft

William and America confront evil, but will it costs them everything?

In 1857, America, the daughter of a slave owner, is an abolitionist and a student at Oberlin College, a school known for its radical ideas. America goes home to Kentucky during school break to confront her father about freeing his slaves.

America’s classmate, William, goes to Kentucky to preach abolition to churches that condone slavery. America and William find themselves in the center of the approaching storm sweeping the nation and may not make it home to Ohio or live through the struggle.

Red Sky Over America tackles the most turbulent time in history with thorough research and fascinating characters. Tamera Lynn Kraft has woven a tale about the evils of slavery that should never be forgotten. — Mary Ellis, author of The Quaker and the Rebel, The Lady and the Officer, and The Last Heiress

Excerpt:

America Leighton’s hands trembled as she read the letter. It was worse than she thought. She stood frozen in place, staring at the words, hoping somehow they would change.

They didn’t.

The grandfather clock chimed, and she glanced up. Five o’clock. She didn’t want to be late. Placing the envelope in her book, she tucked it in the pocket of her hooded cloak, pushed open the post office door, and rushed outside. As she passed the historic elm on the edge of College Park, the wind burned her cheeks, just what she needed to get her thoughts off the mail she’d received.

Two riders on horseback galloped toward her, rustling the yellow autumn leaves and stirring up a cloud of dust and brown grass. Dirt clung to their long wool coats buttoned tight against their chins. They wore their wide brim planters hats low on their brows. If their attire wasn’t enough, the revolvers holstered around their waists and the shotguns perched in their gear showed what they were.

Slave catchers.

America drew in a short breath. She diverted her attention and walked on to Ladies Hall a bit faster than usual, but the hope they would leave her alone trampled under horses’ hooves as the men rode across the grassy lawn and stopped in front of her.

The older man tipped his hat. “Ma’am, we’re deputies from Maysville.”

Cold air turned her breath to steam. Remember to act natural. She forced her voice to keep an even tone. “You’re a long way from home.”

The younger man wrinkled his forehead. “Aren’t you Miss Leighton?”

America pressed her tongue across the back of her teeth and nodded. She didn’t recognize any of them.

He turned to the other man. “George, this is Colonel Leighton’s daughter.”

The older man smiled, and his front gold tooth glimmered. “Ma’am, the name’s George Mills. This is my partner, Pete Fowler. Pleased to make your acquaintance. I’ve had the occasion to buy horses from the colonel in the past. He has a good eye for horse flesh.”

“So why are you gentlemen clear up here in Northern Ohio?” She didn’t need to ask.

“We’ve been hired to retrieve some property.” Mr. Mills adjusted in his saddle. “What about you? You’re a long way from Kentucky.”

“I attend Oberlin College.”

Mr. Mills raised his eyebrow. “I didn’t know Oberlin was a ladies’ school.”

“It’s not. I attend classes with men.”

He leaned back in his saddle. “Didn’t think the colonel would allow his girl to attend one of those schools.”

Mr. Fowler cleared his throat. “Maybe you could help us, Miss Leighton, you being a Kentuckian and all. Have you seen any fugitive slaves around these parts? We’re looking for an ebony skinned girl about sixteen with a scar across her right cheek, and a copper colored young buck, tall and thin.”

Taking a couple of steady breaths to keep her tone even, she gazed straight at them without flinching. “No, can’t say as I have.” They couldn’t have given a better description of Chance and Milly. If only they would ride off.

“Don’t fret about it,” Mr. Mills said. “We’ll find them. Ma’am, if you do see any Negro runaways, you’ll let us know? We’re staying at the hotel.”

Her heart skipped a beat. “I’ll do that.”

Mr. Fowler tipped his hat, and they rode off.

America leaned against the elm and watched them. Everything inside urged her to dash off to the boarding house where Milly and Chance stayed, but she waited until the men were out of sight. As soon as they disappeared from view, she hoisted her skirts up and ran to warn the couple to hide.

Want to read more? You can purchase Red Sky Over America at these online sites:

Amazon  Barnes and Noble:

⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈

About the Author:

Tamera Lynn Kraft has always loved adventures. She loves to write historical fiction set in the United States because there are so many stories in American history. There are strong elements of faith, romance, suspense and adventure in her stories. She has received 2^nd place in the NOCW contest, 3^rd place TARA writer’s contest, and is a finalist in the Frasier Writing Contest and has other novels and novellas in print. She’s been married for 39 years to the love of her life, Rick, and has two married adult children and three grandchildren.

Tamera has been a children’s pastor for over 20 years. She is the leader of a ministry called Revival Fire for Kids where she mentors other children’s leaders, teaches workshops, and is a children’s ministry consultant and children’s evangelist and has written children’s church curriculum. She is a recipient of the 2007 National Children’s Leaders Association Shepherd’s Cup for lifetime achievement in children’s ministry.

You can contact Tamera online at these sites.

Website  Newsletter  Goodreads

Wednesday Writers–Unquiet Dead by Chris Pavesic

Tags

Catherine Castle Wednesday Writers series, Chris Pavesic, excerpt from Unquiet Dead, steampunk intrigue, steampunk magic, Steampunk mystery, steampunk romance, Unquiet Dead steampunk novel

Today’s Wednesday Writers’ guest is Chris Pavesic. She’ll be talking about her Steampunk mystery novel Unquiet Dead, which is a mix of of steam-powered technology and magic-wielding fae, mystery, intrigue, romance, and adventure. When I think steampunk, my mind goes to the old television series “Wild Wild West”. But if, I’m not mistaken, that series is a long way from the mix of fantasy, steampunk, romance, and intrigue favored by Chris. To start things off, she’ll be explaining the Steampunk aesthetic. Then we’ll get a peek at her book Unquiet Dead. Welcome, Chris!

 

Steampunk: Form and Elegance

by Chris Pavesic

For me, the steampunk aesthetic is perhaps best defined by the object-based work of its fans. The literary tradition can be traced back to the Victorian Era works of H.G. Wells and Jules Vern, or in the more recent era to authors William Gibson and Bruce Sterling and their ground-breaking novel, The Difference Engine, but the steampunk movement truly gained momentum with the fan interaction available through the internet. Web sites, blogs, Facebook, Pinterest, and other social media sites created an easily accessible platform for fans of the steampunk genre not only to share pictures of their finished creations, but in many cases to share detailed plans and/or blueprints.

Some may see this as ironic—that an art form seemingly dedicated to a simpler time and technology is actively promoted through modern technology—but that would be missing the point. Technology and design are essential to many steampunk enthusiasts and form the center of many of its most insightful statements on the nature of human interaction with craft and production.

Brass, copper, wood, leather, glass—these materials are used, are tooled, to form steampunk items that are both beautiful and functional. Indeed, part of the aesthetic of this art form is not just in how an object looks, but also in its intended function. Decoration is not separate from form and function. The expression “you can’t just glue gears on something and call it steampunk” emphasizes this fact. The gears need to do something—need to fulfill some function in the design—to be part of the steampunk aesthetic.

The designers of these works of art not only share the finished products online, but also describe in detail how to create them. Understanding something from the ground-up—knowing what purpose each part serves and how it integrates with the whole—is part of the steampunk aesthetic. How different is this process than the creation of most modern technology? Look at how difficult would it be for an average user to assemble a modern invention like a smart-phone or computer from its component parts.

People who enjoy making and sharing steampunk items, then, can be viewed as artists and inventors who are enamored of technology. The technology they seek to create, however, has function and form as well as beauty and elegance.

 

⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈

Unquiet Dead

By Chris Pavesic

Chris Pavesic, author of The Revelation Chronicles, invites you to experience the first novel in the intriguing realm of Chiaroscuro. In a world of steam-powered technology and magic-wielding fae, mystery, intrigue, romance, and adventure fill a series sure to delight fantasy fans everywhere.

When the Temples north of Chiaroscuro are burned and followers of the Sun Goddess are murdered, Catherine, a bard of the Ealdoth Temple, sets out to find those responsible and to bring them to justice. With only the help of a traveling group of minstrels and a retired fae investigator, Catherine must solve the mystery before more people are killed.

So saddle up your clockwork mount, buckle on your electro-dagger, and join Catherine as she finds herself pitted against members of her own Temple, rogues members of the Seelie Court, and a seemingly unstoppable army of undead.

Excerpt

“I don’t know who we can trust here. It’s safest to operate under the assumption that someone here, on this farm, one of the survivors from the town, may be a part of this.”

“These people are my family. My friends. I can’t believe one of them conspired to murder their neighbors.” Stress filled his voice along with defensive anger.

“You can’t, or you won’t?” Catherine turned to look at Benedict again. She watched his eyes, the fear and the grief there. But she needed to know where he stood, and if he said it out loud, it would be easier for him to face in the future.

“I suppose I can’t be sure,” he finally admitted.

“And our actions may very well protect the rest of them.” She took a deep breath and then continued speaking in a low, hurried rush. “I have to go out there tonight—to investigate the town, and if necessary, the mine.”

“You can’t wait until daylight?”

“It has to be tonight. Tomorrow we will be continuing on to the fae gathering.”

“You still want to do that?” Benedict looked down at her as she leaned on his shoulder. She was asking more out of him than he expected to give when he took this contract with the Temple.

“If you are willing. We will see after what I find out tonight.” Catherine reviewed the steps she needed to take for the reconnaissance. It would be risky.

Her feelings of trepidation must have showed on her face because Benedict spoke immediately. “I’ll go with you. To the town and the mine if need be.” His arm tightened around her in a protective gesture.

“No. I have been trained for this by the Temple, trained in ways you could not even possibly imagine. I need you to cover for me here so no one other than you and Adal know that I’ve left. Don’t tell Susima. She will worry.

“She’s stronger than you think.”

“Good. She will need that strength.” Catherine sat up, brushing the tendrils of hair that had escaped her braid away from her face. “If a fae sorcerer, or sorcerers, are using necromancy to raise the dead…it doesn’t matter if they are members of the Seelie or the Unseelie Court. They need to be stopped. It’s an affront to the Goddess to have the dead walking the earth. They deserve to go to their rest. And if it’s something else…”

“Yes?” he asked. “If it’s something else?”

“Those people were still murdered. And I agree with you about holding the killers responsible. No matter what happens, we need to bring a reckoning.”

Learn More

⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈⥈

About the Author

 

Chris Pavesic lives in the Midwestern United States and loves Kona coffee, fairy tales, and all types of speculative fiction. Between writing projects, Chris can most often be found reading, gaming, gardening, working on an endless list of DIY household projects, or hanging out with friends. Learn more at chrispavesic.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wednesday Writers–Lady Jane’s Tryst by Emma Lane

Tags

Catherine Castle's Wednesday Writers blog series, Emma Lane, excerpt from Lady Jane's Tryst, Lady Jane's Tryst, Regency Romance

Today’s Wednesday Writers’ guest is Emma Lane. Emma has been a guest before and I’m delighted to welcome her back as she talks about her Regency Romance Lady Jane’s Tryst. Welcome, Emma!

 

Thanks, Catherine.

I have long suspected writers love research. Our curiosity level seems improbably high as we happily delve deeper and deeper into a chosen subject. The most serious problem is pulling out of the descent to get on with the business of finishing the book. I confess I wanted to learn more about Brighton, UK, a city on the coast made famous by King George IV when he was only a royal nicknamed ‘Prinny.’

Even today Brighton is a vacation site where the amazing castle created by the soon-to-be-king is a museum. I dropped a boarding school for young ladies just to the right in the city, where Poor Lady Jane resided without a single day’s absence for five long years. Her peculiar father occasionally visited, but never invited her home, not once. It’s not to be wondered that she made a habit of wandering around in the evening hours when everyone in the school house was asleep. She kept boredom at bay creating her own amusement, but never expected the meet with a mysterious English pirate; no he was a spy, since he wore his coal-black hair long with a kerchief tied around. She could be forgiven for mistaking him as a dangerous man. Only after he kissed her was she perturbed by his presence, such was her longing for adventure. Lady Jane and her pirate/spy began an association with long and enduring consequences. Author Emma Lane enjoyed every minute as she followed her heroine throughout the city of Brighton. Join her as Lady Jane makes her way daily gaining independence, facing life on her own in the English Regency World during the early 1800’s.

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Lady Jane’s Tryst

By Emma Lane

Ripe for adventure, Lady Jane welcomes the charming pirate who offers her the excitement she craves.

Five years at Miss Agatha’s Finishing School for Young Ladies in Brighton, without a single day away, leaves Lady Jane longing for any respite to liven her deadened senses. An accidental meeting with a handsome stranger initiates a journey of danger, excitement, affection and eventually love, even as Lady Jane wonders if a person could be considered an orphan while still possessing a parent.

 Excerpt:

“Shhhh, Marianne. We are in danger of being discovered if you keep jumping about like that and talking. Do contain yourself!” She whirled around to grip her friend by the arm.

“I am frightened, Jane. Let’s go back. What will they do to us if we are discovered?” Marianne’s voice was strained and high pitched. She clenched Jane’s shawl and almost pulled it off her shoulders.

“Behead us, most likely.” She turned and stared at her friend directly. “I can see you are not best suited for this adventure. Do you wish to go back?” she added gently.

“Noo, yes! I apologize for my weakness. May we return to school now?” Tears ran down the chubby cheeks of the sixteen year old as she stood, hands clasped, in the semi-darkness of the doorway.

“Do you know the way back? I’d like to stay a bit longer. Turn toward that shop and you’ll find the Old Ship hotel. Take the walkway to the mews and you’ll come out right at the fence we climbed over. Can you go by yourself?” Marianne nodded and turned away almost skipping in her haste to leave.

Jane suppressed a pang of guilt at deserting her cowardly friend, but her desire to observe one of the famous suppers at the Prince Regent’s pavilion in Brighton was stronger. She moved cautiously forward, clutching her borrowed shawl tightly around her coarse muslin gown. The maid at Miss Agatha Nighting’s Finishing School for Young Ladies was first aghast and then amused when Jane talked her into the loan.

Her idea was a good one. She’d simply present at the back door as a newly hired kitchen maid. Once granted entry, she could find her way into the dining room and observe to her heart’s content. Those dinners were famous and lasted into the wee hours of the morning. To a bored school girl almost never allowed outside the walls enclosing the school building, the adventure was irresistible.

With her head on the descriptions she’d heard about the Regent’s famous Brighton pavilion, she failed to notice a movement to her left, until a hand was placed firmly over her mouth and a strong arm encircled her waist. A rough bearded face scraped her own smooth cheek and a deep voice whispered directly into her startled ear.

“Quiet now,” he commanded and shook her a bit for emphasis. “I won’t hurt you, but you must keep quiet. No, don’t try to get away. I need you to be still!” He walked backward holding and almost dragging her until they were hidden behind a pillar. The torch burning nearby flickered elongated shadows exposing three men moving clandestinely across their line of vision. Her capturer pulled her even closer, tightening his grip on her middle section until she thought her ribs would break.

As if she had dreamed up the threat, the three men melted away from her sight into the surrounding gloom. She wriggled and tried to pull his hand away from her mouth.

“Do you promise not to scream?” he asked still whispering. “I think I mistook you for a house maid in that outfit. I am fairly certain the fragrance I detect is from a particular brand of French soap. Did your mistress share with you? No, I think not. You are in disguise, are you not?” Jane nodded her head up and down vigorously and heard him chuckle into her hair. His hand slid slowly away from her mouth, but caressed her cheek as it pulled away. He rested it on the back of her neck with his arm still firmly around her waist.

“A delectable armful, young Miss Mysterious. What are you doing out here in the dark all alone? Looking for trouble, no doubt.”

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Want to read more? Check out the book at Amazon.  Warning for readers of sweet romance: this book may contain sensuous scenes.

About the Author

Emma Lane shares her love for writing with her love for beautiful flowers. Ms. Lane lives in Western NY near beautiful Niagara Falls. You can connect with her at:

https://www.emmajlane.com/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php

 

 

 

Wednesday Writers–Mission to Protect by Terri Reed

Tags

book excerpt from Mission to Protect, Catherine Castle Wednesday Writers series, continuity series Military K-9 Unit, romantic suspense, Terri Reed

Today’s Wednesday Writers’ guest is a newcomer to the blog—romantic suspense author Terri Reed. Terri will be talking about her military K-9 Unit continuity series from Love Inspired Suspense. Frankly, I’m interested in finding out what a continuity series is, so here’s Terri to explain it. Welcome, Terri!

 

Thanks, Catherine.

 

My latest release, Mission to Protect, is part of the Military K-9 Unit continuity series from Love Inspired Suspense. Each month from March to December a new book in the series is released. I’ve heard from many readers who like to buy all the books in the series then read them back to back. Kind of like having a Netflix binge experience with books. If you’ve never read a continuity series, you’re in for a treat.

Let me tell you a bit about how a continuity series works. There is an overarching mystery that spans the books and isn’t resolved until the last book, but each book has its own suspense story and its own romance. The authors receive a workbook generated by the editors with the continuity elements for each individual book and the overarching suspense. This is the fun part where the authors get to create their own story from all of the elements, incorporating the central plot points.

I go through the workbook with a highlighter, marking all the information pertaining to my story and my characters as well as information needed for the primary suspense thread. Armed with this info, I piece it together like a jigsaw puzzle. I love puzzles so this is really enjoyable. I love the way the story unfolds with each bit of information.

In Mission to Protect the story takes place on a fictional air force base in Texas. This was my first time writing military characters and the research was fascinating. Learning about the Military Working Dog Program, the nuances of military life and showing the special bond between our service men and women and the dogs has given me a greater respect and admiration for those who serve, both the two-legged and the four-legged

Yet, the best part of being involved in writing a continuity book is the camaraderie with the other authors. We brainstorm plot points and characters, we support and encourage each other, and share the joys and the challenges together. Mostly this is done via email, though we have gathered in person at conferences as well. It’s always fun to relate face to face with my fellow authors.

I am so thankful for my author friends and am excited to share the Military K-9 Unit series with you all. I hope you’ll enjoy the stories as much as we loved writing them.

 

Mission to Protect

By Terri Reed

Enter the world of the Military K-9 Unit

A riveting new series begins!

When the Red Rose Killer leaves his calling card for Staff Sergeant Felicity Monroe, she knows exactly what that means—she’s on his revenge list. Her boss, Master Sergeant Westley James, and K-9 German shepherd Dakota become her guardians, but they’ll have to act fast to escape the man who wants her dead.

 

Excerpt:

The back door of Canyon Air Force base’s military working dog training facility stood open. It should be closed and locked tight.

Alarm slithered through lead trainer Master Sergeant Westley James like the venomous red, yellow and black coral snake inhabiting this part of Texas.

Something was wrong.

As he entered the building an eerie chill breathed down his neck that had nothing to do with the early morning April air. The stillness echoed through the center as loud as a jet taking off. His pulse spiked. He rushed to the kennel room and drew up short.

The kennels were empty. All of them.

Lying on the floor in a pool of blood were the two night shift dog trainers, Airman Tamara Peterson and Airman Landon Martelli. Each had been shot in the chest.

Grief clutched at Westley’s heart. Careful not to disturb the scene, he checked for pulses. None.

They had both been murdered.

Under the left arm of Tamara and Landon was a red rose and a folded white note, the calling card of a notorious serial killer.

Horror slammed into him. The news report he’d heard this morning on his way to work had become reality.

Boyd Sullivan, a.k.a the Red Rose Killer, had escaped prison and was back on base.

*

Staff Sergeant Felicity Monroe jerked awake to the fading sound of her own scream echoing in her head. Sweat drenched her nightshirt. The pounding of her heart hurt in her chest, making bile rise to burn her throat. Darkness surrounded her.

Where was she? Fear locked on to her like a guided missile and wouldn’t let go. Panic fluttered at the edge of her mind.

Memories flooded her system.

Her father!

A sob tore from her throat.

The familiar scent of jasmine from the bouquet of flowers on her bedside table grounded her. She was in her bedroom of the house on Canyon Air Force Base in southwest Texas. The home she’d shared with her father before his accidental death a month ago.

Her breathing slowed. She wiped at the wet tears on her cheeks and shook away the fear and panic.

Just a nightmare. One in a long string of them.

According to Dr. Flintman, the base therapist, she suffered mild post-traumatic stress disorder from finding her father after his fall from a ladder while cleaning the gutters on the house. Knowing why her brain was doing this didn’t make the images seared in her mind any less upsetting.

She filled her lungs with several deep breaths and sought the clock across the room on the dresser.

The clock’s red glow was blocked by the silhouette of a person looming at the end of her bed.

Was her mind playing a trick on her again? Or was she still stuck in her nightmare? She blinked rapidly to clear the sleep from her eyes.

Her breath caught and held.

No trick.

Someone was in her room.

 

Want to read more? Check out the book at Amazon.

 

About the Author:

Terri Reed’s romance and romantic suspense novels have appeared on Publisher’s Weekly top 25, Nielsen’s Bookscan top 100, Amazon Bestseller and featured in USA Today, Christian Fiction Magazine and Romantic Times Magazine, finaled in RWA’s RITA contest, National Reader’s Choice Award contest and ACFW’s The Carol Award contest. Contact Terri @ http://www.terrireed.com/ or P.O. Box 19555 Portland, OR 97224

Terry on Facebook