Starting Over ...

Editor's Note: My grandmother once told me about living through the stock market crash and the subsequent depression. Most political and social issues trickle down into Texas, having an effect long after the actual event. But not the crash. Already reeling from an intense drought, Dallas reacted almost immediately with banks closing, homes going into foreclosure, and businesses shutting down all over the area. My grandmother recalled the breadlines and how, a few years later, her husband left her and her newborn to work on the roads of a national park because that was the only job he could get. Even into her old age, Grandmother hid money in coffee cans and the pockets of old clothes she never wore. We even found a wad of cash in the hem of one of her coats after she passed away. CARLOTTA'S LEGACY makes this time period all-to-real, all over again. MLC

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CARLOTTA'S LEGACY  is available beginning Sunday, August 5, for only 99¢. And watch for the release of the final book of the series, REBECCA'S LEGACY, on Tuesday, August 7. It will be only 99¢ too, that day only!

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What if life changed in a day’s time, you had to pack up and leave your home to start over in a foreign country? Well maybe, if that foreign country was Umbria, right next door to Tuscany in Italy, it wouldn’t be so bad.

In October of 1929, the stock market crashed, and Rebecca Lewis lost her job at a local bank. Within days, another tragedy struck, and she had to rush to New York City. Her entire world turned upside-down. She had no recourse, but to finalize a proposal and marry that guy in Italy.

Did she love him? She wasn’t sure. But, he had a villa. Actually, he had two. One in Umbria, and another on the coast of Italy. And he was a conte—a count. She’d be a contessa. A contessa, living in the middle of nowhere with a man she admired and respected. And a smile that warmed her heart. He was quite handsome and had that oh-so-sophisticated accent.

He lived far away, and she had no money, so Rebecca called her dearest friend, Nancy Emerson. Robert and Nancy lived in New England, where Robert ran a large, and quite prosperous corporation. He’d offered her a job numerous times, but her pride kept her from taking his charity. Now she had no pride left, so she took a temporary position with Sanderson Industries to make enough money for the trip to Europe.

In the spring of 1930, Rebecca and her mother boarded a ship to sail to Italy.

About the Book

Her life is in a downhill plunge.

Rebecca Lewis is a reluctant bride-to-be. Marrying Riccardo Alverá, a young Italian count, may seem like a dream come true on the surface, but churning underneath is nothing but trouble, questions, and doubt. Especially since the marriage means leaving the only home she's ever known, possibly for the rest of her life.

The death of her globe-trotting father cements her fate, however. She and her mother have no choice but to set sail for Italy and the virtual stranger who awaits her.

The beauty and tranquility of the Alverá estate fails to ease Rebecca's heart as political unrest shakes the core of Italian society and despair entwines itself around her heart.

Will marrying an Italian count bring Rebecca the love she’s dreamed of, or doom her to relive her past mistakes?

About the Author

Betty Thomason Owens loves being outdoors. Her favorite season is spring, when she can work in the yard or take long walks, while thinking through a troublesome scene in one of her stories.

She is a multi-published, award-winning author of historical fiction, and fantasy-adventure. An active member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), she leads a critique group, and serves as vice-president/secretary of the Louisville Area group. She’s a mentor, assisting other writers, and a co-founder of Inspired Prompt, a blog dedicated to inspiring writers. She also serves on the planning committee of the Kentucky Christian Writers Conference.

Learn more about the author and her books on her author page at Write Integrity Press.

Teacher Appreciation

by Cynthia T. Toney

6 DATES TO DISASTER is only 99¢ this week!

Teacher Appreciation Week in May got me thinking about the vast differences in ways that teachers are portrayed in some of today’s teen and YA novels, compared to others.

And the ways that students treat teachers in fiction and in real life.

Just as teenagers don’t always show appreciation or respect for their parents, they likewise don’t always show the same for their teachers.

To anyone who has parented or taught teens, their seeming neglect in expressing gratitude or fondness for their teachers might be chalked up to teens’ inability or discomfort in expressing their emotions. In some families, children are taught— directly or indirectly—not to express their feelings. Fear of ridicule or rejection keeps their emotions bottled up, tender or not. And I’ve known families where no one says “Thank you,” not even to non-family members who perform a favor for them.

But what do teens reveal about their feelings in a survey? Well, that’s another matter.

The website StageofLife.com “has spent years working with tens of thousands of teens to pull exclusive statistics” about them. A 2015 survey of high school and college students was conducted to determine whether or not teachers had affected their lives.

The survey found that 98.6% felt a teacher had positively impacted them. Although 64.5% said a teacher had negatively impacted their lives, apparently most survey takers had at least one of the type of teacher we wish for all students. Surprisingly, 81% reported giving their teachers recognition or showing gratitude for positively impacting them. Such affirmation might range from a simple thank you to a gift to a nomination for Teacher of the Year. It’s hard to know for certain but reassuring that even when teens don’t learn to express gratitude or fondness at home, they still might open their hearts to a teacher.  

For some teenagers, an unfortunate reality is that a teacher may be the only recognizable positive adult influence in a teen’s life. Thank goodness for teachers who can provide guidance when a child’s parent is absent in one form or another.

But for those of us who do our best in parenting our child, we still might try to get to know his or her teachers. (In spite of my busy life, I wish I had made more of an effort when my daughter was in school.) The result would be beneficial in multiple ways. The parent would set an example for the child by demonstrating regard for the teacher as a fellow human being with his or her own physical and emotional well-being and limitations.  The parent would learn first-hand if the teacher reflects the parent’s values and beliefs and could then monitor the student’s work for that teacher if the parent has any concern. Parent and child could have deeper discussions beyond “How was school today?” With the establishment of a real parent-teacher relationship, at first sign of a teen’s academic or behavioral trouble, or complaint about a teacher’s behavior, the parent has a starting place grounded in mutual respect—or at least knowledge of each other.

In the third novel of the Bird Face series, 6 Dates to Disaster, the main character relies on a favorite teacher for guidance in helping a classmate. All of the series books show teachers in a positive light. I wish more teen novels did so. Not that bad teachers don’t exist. But if all the books that teens read portray teachers as selfish, lazy, ignorant, sex-crazed, or mean, how will that affect their respect for good teachers?

Perhaps a teen you know and care about has benefited from the guidance of a caring teacher. It doesn’t have to be a teen in your family but perhaps one in your community who has had no other adult to guide him. That teen young man or young woman might need your suggestions in showing appropriate appreciation for his or her teacher.

I wish I’d shown more appreciation toward my own teachers when I had them.

James 3:1 ESV

“Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.”

CAPTURE THE MOMENT: Riveting YA Novel

Called "the Judy Blume of this generation," Cynthia Toney broaches delicate issues in this her second of the Bird Face series. With 4.7 Stars, this book is a steal at only 99¢ - TODAY ONLY!

Get 10 STEPS TO GIRLFRIEND STATUS!

"Without knowing or caring where I'd wind up, I sneaked out of the house and took off running." 

Wendy Robichaud is on schedule to have everything she wants in high school: two loyal best friends, a complete and happy family, and a hunky boyfriend she's had a crush on since eighth grade--until she and Mrs. Villaturo look at old photo albums together. That's when Mrs. V sees her dead husband and hints at a 1960s scandal down in Cajun country. Faster than you can say "crawdad," Wendy digs into the scandal and into trouble. She risks losing boyfriend David by befriending Mrs. V's cute hearing-impaired grandson, alienates stepsister Alice by having a boyfriend in the first place, and upsets her friend Gayle without knowing why. 

Will Wendy be able to prevent Mrs. V from being taken thousands of miles away? And will she lose all the friends she's fought so hard to gain?

This story addresses first innocent romance, a blended family, friendship with an Alzheimer's victim, and an ancestral interracial relationship.

Here's what readers have said about 10 STEPS TO GIRLFRIEND STATUS:

A Judy Blume for this generation. With refreshing candidness, the author lets us see through Wendy's eyes as she navigates her first crush, her first heartbreak, her first dealings with mortality, and the difficulties in blending a family and learning about dark family secrets.


This is another winner for Cynthia Toney. I loved Bird Face, the first in the series. However, 10 Steps to Girlfriend Status can be read without reading Bird Face as it is a stand alone novel, but I highly recommend you don't miss out on either one. These are great coming of age stories for young people. So insightful. I wish I had been able to read these books when I was growing up. Do yourself a favor and read these two novels, and then give them as a gift to some young people you know, because they have something to offer everyone.


Cynthia Toney's attention to detail makes this book outstanding. And Wendy's unique voice is still spot on. Cynthia has a knack for active use of verbs, no passive writing from this author. Cynthia kept my attention through the whole book, especially when Wendy set out to discover what happened to a relative of the past. I found the relationship between Wendy and her boyfriend sweet, and very clean. Nice going!


If only I had read a book like this when I was in junior high! Wendy is so much like I was, but I didn't figure out the 10th step until way past high school.
Cynthia Toney brings back to my mind all those horrible insecurities of the teen years, and weaves a story of wise advice against the background of our nation's history in race relations.

This book won't be on sale again this year, so don't miss your opportunity to get it at 75% off!

And while you're in the mood to get a good deal on a great book, pre-order THE SECRET HEART by Marie Wells Coutu (the 3rd stand-alone story in her Mended Vessels series) for only $2.99 - a 40% discount! AND get a free book - THE DIVIDED HEART - a prequel to her third story. (Send your Amazon confirmation to freebookforpreorder@gmail.com.)

CAPTURE THE MOMENT: Unexpected Places

With almost a perfect 5.0 ranking on Amazon (with 20 reviews) this book is DEFINITELY worth it's HUGELY DISCOUNTED price (99¢) Today Only! 

Get STALKING WILLOW!

Bitterness, a stalker, and a neighbor to die for. What's a girl to do?

Trailed by a stalker in New York City, Willow Thomas, a young ad executive, scurries back to her small North Carolina hometown and the lake house where ten years earlier a scandal revealed her entire life had been a lie, and a seed of bitterness took root in her soul. The cocoon of safety Willow feels upon her arrival home soon unravels when she meets opposition from her family, faces the man she left behind, and the stalker reveals he is close on her heels.

Can Willow learn to trust God to tear out her roots of resentment, reunite her family, ferret out a deadly stalker, and to rekindle the love she left behind?

Here is what some readers are saying about STALKING WILLOW.

Great book! It keeps you turning the pages with it's suspense and surprises. No doubt one of the best thrillers/love stories I've ever read. I can't wait to order Fay's other books.


What an exciting book. At 3:00 am I was still reading, trying to figure out where this entwined plot was leading, and couldn't stop until I found out. Nice twists.


Be prepared to be so caught up in this book that you forget everything around. Very hard to put down, the storyline was written so well, it was like watching a movie. I loved, loved this book!


This novel is possibly the finest example of contemporary Christian romantic suspense I've read. It kept me guessing throughout as to the familial relationships, motivation, and intent of each character I met. At one point, it made me cry, attesting my strong emotional connection with one of the characters.

Only 99¢ today and for the last time, at least for 2017. Don't miss this opportunity!  

12 Books of Christmas: THE EXPECTANT FUTURE CHRISTMAS by Sheryl Holmes

There are just some questions that are too big to answer.  Every year at least one of my nine children asks me,

“What do you want for Christmas, Mom?”

Inevitably, I sigh, and deflect, and say,

“Well that’s something for me to think about….”

I never really give an answer to that question…except once – a few years ago, I said:

“Peace. I want Peace for Christmas.”

That year, I got a decorative pillow with the words P. E. A. C. E. embroidered on it.

Every year, I contemplate what I should say – how much do I tell? I know the kids want a tangible answer like, a new pair of slippers, or lipstick, or bottle of lotion…something easy to search for and obtain at the local mall.  Yet, what I really want can’t be found at Target.

Even to this day, I have never given voice to the words that express my deepest desire.

I do believe it is what every Jesus-loving mother wants in her heart of hearts. The desire that God places in a mamma’s heart the moment He begins to knit inside her womb.  The desire that grows stronger and more intense as the years go by and the child grows taller.

Dare I whisper it?

Child, it is love.

Child, it is salvation.

This is what I want for Christmas.

I want it for you.

There is nothing I want more than for my child to know he is loved, by me, by his father, and even more so, by the Father.

I don’t desire to get anything for Christmas 

except to know,

you, my child, know you are loved by the Author of life.

I want you, my child, to take that gift of salvation 

that was born to us all on that first Christmas.

Is this not exactly what God wants for each of us?

Is this not why He gave us Jesus in the manger?

Ask me again this year, my child.  Ask me:

“What do you want for Christmas, Mom?” 

I think, this year, I will not sigh.  I will not deflect.  I will speak an answer definitively louder than a whisper.

“Child, I want you to know you are deeply loved.”

Until you ask me, I am praying, expectantly.

IN hope, I wait.

About the Author:

Sheryl Holmes, a daughter of the King, enjoys a loving marriage with her husband of twenty-six years. She is a devoted mother of nine, currently home educating five of her children. You can learn more about Sheryl and her book, TOWDAH, at her author page on our Write Integrity Website. And below, you can enjoy her recipe for her mother-in-law's special cookies.

Grandma's Christmas Cookies:

In love, my mother in-law made these every year for Christmas. When she passed away, I continued, in love, to make these for my husband and my children every year since.  It’s the only cookie they care about having; it’s just not Christmas without them!

This cookie bar is made in three layers:

1^st layer - beat ½ cup of better, 1 egg yolk, 2 TBS of water together.  Add in 1 ¼ cup of flour, 1 tsp. of sugar, and 1 tsp. of baking powder.  Press into a 13x9 inch greased pan & bake at 350 degrees for 10 minute.

2^nd layer - sprinkle 1 bag of mini chocolate chips onto the hot crusty bottom layer and return it to the oven for 1 minute. Take it out of the oven and smooth the chocolate out with a frosting spreader knife.

3^rd layer – beat 2 eggs, ¾ of a cup of sugar together and add in 6 TBS of melted butter, 2 tsp. of vanilla, and 2 cups of finely chopped walnuts and mix til smooth and creamy.  Pour onto the chocolate layer (optional: sprinkle with colored sugar) and bake for 30 minutes.

Cool, and cut into squares using a plastic knife.

12 Books of Christmas:

You can win a copy of Sheryl's book, TOWDAH, along with 11 other books (US residents only) by commenting below and leaving your email address for us to add to our monthly newsletter list. (Unsubscribe anytime.) Here's a question you can answer: What is some special or traditional that you or one of your family members share each year?

Oh, and don't forget that tomorrow this book along with 9 others will be available for 99¢. So if you don't win the contest and get them all for free, you can still enjoy some Christmas reading at deep discounts! But the price is only good tomorrow, December 13, for our Turquoise Tuesday sale!

The Road Trip Miracle

Today, we welcome Joan Deneve sharing one of her road trip adventures.

The Road Trip Miracle

by Joan Deneve

I’m afraid to fly. There. I said it. And your well-meaning platitudes or statistics of how much more likely I am to die in a car crash won’t sway me. My husband is actually a pilot, and he gave up a long time ago. So don’t even try.

Besides, my husband loves road trips as much as I do. At least, he says he does. Maybe it’s because he loves me and gets a big kick out of seeing me jump over hedges to claim the front seat the minute he jangles the keys. Okay. Slight exaggeration. But you get the point.

There’s something about gassing up the car and stockpiling junk food the night before. We usually leave before the sun comes up. I stumble bleary eyed to the car and make my nest complete with pillow, blanket, and carry-on bag loaded with things to amuse me.

But I never seem to dig anything out of the bag. Except food, of course. I usually don’t even make it out of the city limits before ripping into the bags of chocolate. Or the gummy worms. Then when we cross the county line, I rummage for the chips to get the sweet taste out of my mouth. Thus, the whole trip is a vicious contest of sweet versus salty.

But the magazines or books never make it out of the bag. The trip is amusement enough. Like the first streaks of the sunrise. Or a bird swooping down on a lake.

Even on a road I’ve traveled a hundred times, I won’t read or let myself go to sleep. I’m afraid I’ll miss something.

And the best thing about a road trip? Time. Glorious time. A precious and rare commodity meant to be treasured and appreciated. Road trips are God’s little time-outs: To ponder the meaning of life or to mull over a problem like your tongue worries a sore spot in your mouth. 

It’s also a great time to pray. And if you’re paying attention, you might even get a road trip miracle.

My husband and I were traveling back from a weekend trip. We were both enjoying the companionable silence, lost in our own thoughts. It was almost dusk in late January. Cold, dreary. I stared to my right, past my own faint reflection to the blurred images of the bare trees whizzing by. 

My mind drifted to the passage I’d read that morning from one of my favorite chapters in the Bible. John 11. It’s the story of how Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. One phrase played like a broken record in my mind. “Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.”

I pondered that for a few miles. How special, to have it documented in black and white that Jesus did in fact love these three people. And like a needy child, my heart cried out to Jesus and I said something like this: “I know you’re real, and I know you love me. I really do know that, but sometimes I really wish I had it written down. Not just to the whole world, but singled out, to me personally.”

It wasn’t a real prayer. More like a wish. I remember I was looking down at the floorboard when I was thinking those thoughts. And the moment I raised my eyes, a billboard to my left, across the median lit up as dusk settled into night. And the only three words on the billboard were JESUS LOVES YOU.

My mouth gaped open. I stared even as my vision blurred with unshed tears. We passed the sign, and I craned my neck around to keep it in my sight as long as I could. And I could feel Jesus smiling.

I gasped to my husband, “You’ll never guess what Jesus did for me just now.”

My husband, now hungry, disregarded the wonder in my voice and replied, “Do you think this is the exit to Shoney’s?”

Not to be deterred, I repeated more emphatically, “I just told Jesus I wish I had it in writing that He loved me, and there was this sign back there. Didn’t you see it?”

He barely shook his head. “I’m taking this exit. I think there’s a Shoney’s up here on the right.”

“Honey,” I angled my body toward him. “It was like I got my own personal sign from Jesus telling me He loved me. Don’t you see how special that was?”

“Ah. There it is.” He turned down the service road to Shoney’s and then replied, “Honey, I don’t need a sign to know Jesus loves me.”

Okay. I’ll give him that. Maybe I don’t need a sign either. But it’s nice to know that sometimes God goes out of His way to orchestrate the mundane details of our lives to let us know He’s listening and that He loves us.

And if you’re ever riding south on I-65 from Huntsville to Montgomery, Alabama, you might just see my sign. It’s okay. I’ll share it with you, 'cause He loves you too.

****

Joan Deneve teaches English in a Christian school and has a passion to help young people fall in love with Jesus and equip them to become all God wants them to be. Joan began her walk as a Christian when she accepted Christ as her savior two weeks before her sixteenth birthday. She graduated from Tennessee Temple Bible College in 1975.

Joan and Rene’, her best friend and husband of forty-plus years, reside in Prattville, Alabama, a charming city in the Heart of Dixie. They count their son and daughter, son-in-law, and seven phenomenal grandchildren to be their greatest blessings on earth.

Joan enjoys time well-spent with family and friends, but finds equal joy in quiet moments of solitude on her back porch. There, surrounded by bluebirds and yellow butterflies, she began writing her debut novel, Saving Eric, which was published earlier this year by Pix-N-Pens.

An active member of her church, Joan enjoys singing in the choir. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and is currently working on the second book in the Redeemed Side of Love Series. She enjoys chatting with fellow writers and readers.

Saving Eric

More from the Authors of Unlikely Merger:

99 Cents on Kindle

Wednesday, July 8

Jennifer Hallmark: Successful Marketing of a Collaborative Work

Jennifer Hallmark: Interviewed by Janet K. Brown

Tuesday, July 7

Write Integrity Press: Three People on a Journey

Monday, July 6

Write Integrity Press: If I Could Take Three People on Vacation

Sunday, July 5

Write Integrity Press: Summer Recipes SweetPepper Relish

Saturday, July 4:

Write Integrity Press: Summer Recipes Keeping it Simple

Fay Lamb: Who Wrote Whom: Meet the Authors of Unlikely Merger: Betty Thomason Owens

Friday, July 3:

Write Integrity Press: Summer Recipes Potato Salad and Cucumbers
Fay Lamb: Who Wrote Whom: Meet the Authors of Unlikely Merger: Raelee May Carpenter

Thursday, July 2

Write Integrity Press: Summer Recipes Kazak Samsa
Fay Lamb: Who Wrote Whom: Meet the Authors of Unlikely Merger: Phee Paradise

Wednesday, July 1

Write Integrity Press: Book Release Day – Free on Kindle!
Jennifer Hallmark: 3 Questions Wednesday with Jennifer Hallmark

Fay Lamb: Who Wrote Whom: Meet the Authors of Unlikely Merger: Suzy Moore

Betty Thomason Owens: Unlikely Merger’s SAM List

Monday, June 29:

            

Fay Lamb: Who Wrote Whom: Meet the Authors of Unlikely Merger: Jennifer Hallmark