As you settle yourself in your favorite deck chair with your plate loaded with your favorite dishes, I hope you would take some time to consider the men and women who gave their lives so that we can enjoy the freedoms we have today. And while you are at it, send up a prayer for those who are currently serving at home and abroad in order to maintain our freedom.
And you know what else I would like you to do? Read my latest novel Love, Lies, and Grace, which was released one week ago. It’s a thought-provoking read even if I say so myself. But I’m not the only one, because after reading my introduction, one lady asked the following questions:
I have read the first three chapters of Love, Lies and Grace and I’m curious as to read the complete story and learn what will happen, why Pat has such a say in Grace’s life and what Grace decides to do as after all it is Grace and Brian’s house. Why is Brian now spending all his time in New York and not coming home to spend time with Grace. Is he leading a double life? Why does Pat play devils advocate whenever Grace makes a decision that changes their life together? What part does Millicent play in their lives?
I was really happy to receive this feedback because it showed that 1) the story garnered enough interest to prompt this person to ask these questions, and 2) her questions alerted me to check if there were any plot holes or anything that did not make sense.
After careful consideration, here’s how I responded: Thank you so much for responding and for your very thoughtful questions. At least somebody did read the intro. So, to answer your first question, why Pat has such a say in Grace’s life and what Grace decides to do as after all it is Grace and Brian’s house. This is the whole point of the story: how much influence our friends have on the things we do. I can tell you that friends influence us a lot. I know they have influenced me, but like Grace, I usually stick to my decision. When you read the book you will see what Grace did. I deliberately made Pat to be a domineering character but she has a heart as soft as butter. She’s like one of those ice-cream cones with a hard crust on the outside and creamy chocolate on the inside, as you will see later on. Grace knows that so she doesn’t let Pat bother her. Why is Brian now spending all his time in New York and not coming home to spend time with Grace. Is he leading a double life? I’ll let you in on a little secret. Don’t tell anyone, but my husband and I lived that way for some years. We had what is called a long-distance relationship (LDR). I can tell you it was quite a challenge, but thank God, we’re together again. I learned valuable lessons from that experience and that’s what I want to pass on to my female readers.
By the way, after I finished writing the book, I researched articles on LDR and discovered that it’s not an uncommon arrangement. I don’t want to be a spoiler, so you’ll have to read the book to see why Brian lives in New York.
So, there you have it. I haven’t heard back from that reader since, but I hope I will soon. As for you, when you read Love, Lies, and Grace as I hope you will, please drop me a line with any questions/comments you may have. I would love to hear from you. Also, if you leave a review on Amazon or Goodreads, that will help not just me but other readers when choosing their books.
Ever since I placed Love, Lies, and Grace on preorder with Amazon, I’ve been counting down the days to its release, and now it’s almost here. I feel butterflies in my tummy, not much different from when a mother-to-be gets that first contraction.
So, yes, I’m nervous, but also excited and proud at being able to produce another book after releasing the last one —In the Promised Land— three years ago.
Love, Lies, and Graceis unlike any of my previous books. For one, it is set in the United States — Georgia, mainly — while my other novels, the Egypt series, were set in Trinidad where I was born. Therefore, a lot of things had to be different. Dialog, behavior patterns, culture etc. were all different, but not difficult to manage, since I’ve lived here for decades.
However, I enjoyed the process —writing has always been and I hope will continue to be a joy to me — and this was made easier with the help of Sharpies my critique group, who was able to assist with things like semantics, behaviors and setting, to name a few.
Love, Lies, and Grace asks the question, “Can this long-distance marriage survive?” As I mentioned in my newsletter today, I only recently researched the topic of long-distance marriage. I should have done it before, but since I was in a long-distance marriage at one time, I assumed I knew all there was to know.
I was pleasantly surprised at the number of articles written on the subject. I was also encouraged to see them mention some of the same challenges Grace and Brian experienced and some of the same tips they used for a healthy marriage.
So, if you are married, contemplating marriage or know someone who is, you must read this book. Even if you are just a friend, I mean a good friend, you need to read this book.
Please share this post with your friends and invite them to visit the link on Monday. And if you do purchase a copy of the book, please be so kind as to leave a review on Amazon or Goodreads so other readers can be guided in making their choice.
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In Mysteries of the Messiah, Rabbi Jason Sobel, raised in a Jewish home in New Jersey but now a follower of Yeshua, pulls back the curtain to show how the Old and New Testament connect from Genesis to Revelation, with many connections in Scripture hidden in plain sight.
Known for his emphatic declaration “but there’s more!” he guides readers from the story of creation through Revelation to see the passion and purpose of the Messiah, the Torah, and several of the patriarchs and prophets.
What fascinated me most about the book, and I daresay will fascinate many readers, is the way Rabbi Sobel carefully dissects the alphanumeric structure of the Hebrew alphabet (Aleph Bet) to show that the whole Bible points to the Messiah.
If you are a Christian who desires to get a deeper understanding of the word of God and enrich your relationship with Him, you should read Mysteries of the Messiah. If you are not a believer but are curious to know why Christians believe that Jesus Christ is the cornerstone of our faith, you must read this book.
Let Rabbi Sobel show you how he, a Jewish boy, growing up in a Jewish home, felt the call of God on his life at the age of eighteen and went on to receive Yeshua as his Lord and Savior; then let him give you a high definition view of the Bible as you never saw it before. You will never look at it the same way again.
I’m pleased to feature this New York bestseller by Sarah Jakes Roberts in which she discusses the life-lessons she learned and the insights she gained from the story of Eve. As you know from the book of Genesis, Eve is the first woman God created. When He gave her to Adam (the first man) their life was meant to be perfect, but instead Eve sinned and she caused her husband to sin and we have all been suffering as a result.
In her book Woman Evolve, Sarah shows us that we all mess up at times, but with God’s help, you can become the woman He created you to be. With scriptural lessons and Sarah as your guide, you discover and work through
past issues and questions that haunt you,
seeing yourself as God sees you and trusting Him with who you really are,
how to come out of darkness and pursue a real relationship with God,
why it’s important to truly care for yourself,
setting in motion the beautiful seed that God planted in you, and
running to become who you were meant to be!
Your fears and insecurities may have changed how you viewed God, others, and yourself, but in Woman Evolve, you can breakthrough and use past mistakes to revolutionize your life. Like Eve, you don’t have to live your future defined by your past.
You can enter to win this giveaway by clicking this link: https://www.blessedfreebies.com/woman-evolve-giveaway.html
As we celebrate Mother’s Day today, I want to pay special tribute to those mothers who did not birth a child, but raised children and made them into who they are today. These special mothers are aunts, step-mothers, foster mothers, adoptive mothers, and any woman who played a part in your upbringing.
These women chose to take care of you, love you, and make you their own. And so, I believe, they deserve special praise. I have an adoptive cousin who was raised by my aunt, and all she has is love and gratitude for my aunt and her husband who adopted her when she was a baby. I know of other people who have similar stories.
Here’s a short excerpt to give you an idea of the relationship that exists between the characters:
That
afternoon I hear Dad running up the stairs. I can usually tell from a person’s steps
what kind of mood he is in. I think he is excited. He goes into his bedroom
where Mom is, then someone knocks on my door. I get up and open it. They are
both beaming at me.
“Where’s June?” Dad
asks.
“She hasn’t come home
yet. What’s going on?”
For answer, Dad waves
some papers before my face. “June’s adoption came through.”
I step closer and
take the papers from him. It says Order of Adoption and I see David and Cicely
Bowen and June’s name and I don’t bother to read anymore. “Thank you, Jesus.
Thank you, Mom. Thank you, Dad. We don’t have to go to court?”
Dad grins. “Nah. The
judge knows me, most of the people in court know me. It was just a matter of
having it entered in the records and signing the papers.”
We hug and kiss each
other and I think I see Mom dab at her eyes. Mine are watery too. We are a
family. Even though I am not formally adopted, it feels wonderful to have
parents.
June does a little
dance when she hears the news. That night we go out to dinner at Soong’s
restaurant to celebrate. Miss Lucy and Miss Marilyn stay in and babysit the
children. Later, as we prepare for bed, June says, “This adoption doesn’t change
anything. I’ve thought of Mom as my mother for a long time.”
I get in beside her.
“Me too.”
I think she is
sleeping, but then I hear her say, “Sister?”
“Mmm?”
“You know when you
were in the coma, I tried to remember a verse of scripture and couldn’t. Then
Rev. Harris came and he quoted this verse. All
things work together for good to them that love the Lord. Since then it has
become my favorite Bible verse.”
I turn to her. “Why?”
“Because I see
everything is really working out for the best.”
I ponder over what
she said. “It’s true. Even my accident was for the best, I think. I learned to
love and appreciate life, and God, so much more.”
“And you developed a new talent.”
You can read In the Wilderness for free on Kindle Unlimited, or you can also download it through this book funnel promo.
Happy Mother’s Day!
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