Tuesday, December 10, 2019

He gets me :)



Sweetheart surprised me with a new Christmas stocking this year.  He knows I'm a Mermaid girl.

After a back injury this past summer I've been away from the computer.  I only have two weeks left of physical therapy and then back at it.

I think I've got the best job in the world.  When I write I get to travel with the Mer and their extended family.

In the fourth Legend of the Mer things are hard for Will.  He's always been different in the way of sensing things deeper and hearing all of the pod, not just his family's thoughts.

Wills not sure he can keep his family's secret or even keep his sanity.  Somethings got to change....

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and the best of New Years!  🎄  ;)

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

HUSH by Leanna Sain



Hush – by Leanna Sain

She dreams a murder before it happens.
A young woman is strangled while her killer sings the words from the lullaby “Hush, Little Baby.”
Lacey Campbell’s life is full, but not idyllic. As head chef for a chic restaurant and primary caregiver to a mother with Alzheimer’s, she doesn’t have time for the nightmare and at first she tries to deny it. But the next day, she discovers it's a disturbing reality. When she dreams the second heinous murder she knows it’s time to tell the police.
Detective Ford Jamison is called back to the little coastal town to help with the case and soon notices an alarming trend: the killer is using the lullaby as a “blueprint” to target women who resemble Lacey. This doesn’t slow the killings and now Lacey is afraid to fall asleep at night because the next face she sees in her dream might be her own.
As a hurricane churns ever closer to the little coastal town, danger and suspicion spin out of control. Time is running out. Can they stop the killer before the last verse of the lullaby?


~~~


I got reconnected with this local author recently.  She weaves quite a suspenseful tale and can't wait for this new one.  She graciously answered these questions for my blog:

1.      When did you decide to become a writer? In other words, what made you actually sit down and write something?
A Halloween party was the catalyst. We were at a friend’s house—a recently purchased, 100 yr. old farm—and after supper we hiked out to a spooky cemetery. It was the perfect Halloween scenario, complete with the big full moon. On the way back my flashlight glanced over to the right and spotlighted an old wooden gate. While one sort of expects gates at a farm, this one was hardly ordinary. There was no fence—just a gate—sitting all by itself at the edge of a pasture.
 “Um, Lisa? Why is there a gate with no fence?” I asked my friend.
 “Dunno. It was like that when we bought the place.”
 “Dum, dum, duuuum,” I sang in my scariest voice in an effort to maintain the Halloween spirit.   “The gate to nowhere.”
We both laughed, then she said, “That sounds like the name of a book.”
  “Yeah, it kind of does, doesn’t it.”
  “Why don’t you write it?”
  “Hmm,” I replied, my mind suddenly taking the idea and running. “Maybe I will.”
And that was the story seed for my trilogy: Gate to Nowhere; Return to Nowhere; and Magnolia Blossoms.

2.      Every writer is eventually asked this question, but where do your ideas come from?
I call them “story seeds,” and they can come from anywhere. I keep a little notebook in my purse to jot down whenever something strikes me. Those get added to a Word document on my laptop. Right now the list of story ideas is so long, I’ll have to live forever to get them all written.

3.      Why do you write what you do?
It’s what I like to read. I love a good edge-of-your-seat story with a dash of history and sometimes a touch of magic realism stirred in. And a love story…there must be a love story.

4.      What is the hardest thing about the creative process of writing?
Having enough time to get it all done. I don’t have a problem with the actual writing. It’s the “marketing part” that gives me fits.

5.      If you’re a Christian, what are the challenges you believe Christian writers face now and in the future?
I’ve heard a Christian man—a Sunday school teacher, no less—say you have to include the sex, and bad language if you want to sell books. That comment floored me! I disagree. For a Christian, your writing is part of your testimony. And I think people are desperately looking for books and TV shows that don’t include all that. The problem is they’re hard to find. I’m doing what I can to remedy that.

6.      If you would, please tell us what was the hardest thing about writing your last book?
My latest book, entitled Hush, is different that the rest of my book. I wrote it while watching my mother struggle through the final stages of Alzheimer’s disease. I used the writing as a sort of therapy, a way to get rid of some of the hard emotions I was dealing with. As a result, this book is a little edgier than my others. I created a minor character suffering with the disease, which allowed me to weave some of the things my mother said and did right into the story. I dedicated the book to Mama to honor her, but that didn’t seem to be enough, so I decided to donate half of what I make on sales to Alzheimer’s research. There’s not a cure for this horrible disease and there’s a 100% mortality rate. We need to find a cure. 

7.   What are you reading now, and who are a few of your favorite authors and why?
Sue Grafton: I love how her mind worked. Amazing mysteries. I hate that she never got to finish her “Z” book.
Sarah Addison Allen: I love the magic realism she weaves through her stories.
Frank Peretti: What a great story teller.
Ted Dekker: consistently able to produce those “edge-of-your-seat” books I mentioned earlier.

I hope everyone will check it out and how awesome you're donating half to Alzheimer's research.

~~~




Leanna Sain, earned her BA from the University of South Carolina, before moving back to mountains of western NC. Her Southern suspense or “GRIT-lit,” showcases her plot-driven method that successfully rolls elements of best-selling authors Mary Kay Andrews, Nicholas Sparks, and Jan Karon all together, making it her own. She loves leading discussion groups and book clubs. For more information or to contact her, visit: www.LeannaSain.com

Buy Link:

Social media links
Twitter: Leanna Sain@Leannasbooks
Website and blog:  http://leannasain.com






Sunday, October 27, 2019

The Autumn Dance


The Autumn Dance

The trees know when the time is near
The breezes change from warm to cold
There is a rustling in the wind
An ancient ritual long been told
The leaves clap with overwhelming glee
For their purpose has become clear
Their array of colors are gold, orange and reds
It is now the Autumn of the year
From mountain tops to nestled valleys
The wind sweeps across and down
In late amber sun, freezing rain or snow
The multi colored leaves can be found
The leaves know the time has come
They let go and take a chance
That they may fulfill their purpose
And join in the Autumn Dance

- Sheri L. Swift 

Friday, June 14, 2019

The Old Chair In The Corner


When my husband and I bought our home I looked at the house plans for hours.  I imagined where each piece of furniture would go.

In the corner of the dining room I knew one day I would purchase a grandfather clock and place it there.

As time passed my husband came across this old solid redwood chair at a bargain.  I planned on placing it out on the front porch.

The richness of the redwood and my love for the Calaveras Big Trees from my former state of California kept me from putting it outdoors.

It soon became invaluable for another seat at the dining room table.

Our daughters and their friends played games or put together large puzzles.

As our family grew and our daughters married it was even more necessary for an extra seat so we could all sit down and eat together.

Now adding grandchildren to the mix it is still used for all the above.

No I never got a grandfather clock but what I have is so much more valuable  :)

Tuesday, February 26, 2019

A Summer Longing




The Sun decided to peek out today in the Blue Ridge Mountains and how I longed for the warmth of the Summer rays to shine down.

These photos were taken at Ocracoke Island, North Carolina.  One of my favorite places and inspiration for my Safe Harbor Island.

The Winter days always make me long for Summer.  That's why it's easy to write my Mer stories then.

I love to listen to Toby Mac's Hold On and my Mer Songs Playlist to help inspire me as I write.

I'm always out and about when Summer arrives so there's little time for writing with Grandchildren to play with and places to experience.

For now my mind drifts away with the sound of the North Atlantic Ocean crashing on the shore.

Things are getting pretty interesting with Will Prentis as he settles into his new home.

The Mer of Torbist may be going to war again with the Mer of Tiselius.  This gives King Titus and Queen Lana a lot to think about for their Kingdom and those they love.

Well I guess I better get back at it....  ;)

Monday, January 7, 2019

An Amazing Shot


This scene was captured by my youngest daughter I lovingly call Baby Girl though she has a baby girl of her own. This photo was taken atop Stone Mountain State Park in North Carolina.


She loves going for runs and hiking; when she does she can't help but take a pic of these amazing views. 

In the distance you can see the famed 'Mount Pilot' from the Andy Griffith series although it's name is actually Pilot Mountain.

I couldn't help but relate to this photo; how majestic it is.  It made me think of times when I've felt like I was in the deepest darkest place.

I've been there through cancer, sepsis, congestive heart failure and even kidney failure.

Somehow although I was at first frightened by these events, I felt a sense of peace come over me and the presence of a loving God holding my hand.

That's what this photo speaks to me.  :)