An Adventure with the Heroines

Unlikely Merger is on sale for 99 cents! Grab your copy today!

Today, Elizabeth Noyes shares her response to "If you could take three people on a summer vacation, you'd take ... [and Tracy would change the rules and beg to go on this adventure with them!]

A Vacation Adventure with TJ, Lucy, and Shea

by Elizabeth Noyes

I’ve vacationed with family and friends many times. That’s always fun. And I love traveling with my honey. In fact, we have a couple of more lovely trips planned in the near future. So, being a writer and lover of fiction, who else would I want to have an adventure with than three of my heroines from the Imperfect Series!


Trouble magnets, that’s what I call them—TJ (the heroine from Book 1), Lucy (making her debut in Book 2), and Shea (who’s been mentioned in the first two books, but will take center stage in Book 4). Those three embody all the spirit, courage, brokenness, and sass hidden in every woman. Imagine what fun we would have visiting Idaho and teaming up with the Cameron women—Cate, Mallory, and Cassidy. We’d go rafting on the Salmon River, horseback riding along the Lost River Valley, hiking in the mountains, fishing, kayaking, and we’d be sure to find our own kind of trouble, knowing the hunky men of the Triple C Ranch are just waiting for an opportunity to come to rescue—not that we’d need them. Yeah, that’s definitely on my bucket list.

Imperfect Wings
Available Now - Print and Kindle

Imperfect Trust
Releases Next Week!

          

Elizabeth Noyes is a native of the Deep South and claims to still "speak the language," even after traveling around the world for most of her adult life. She and her husband now live in the eastern suburbs of Atlanta where she works full time as a professional writer and editor for a privately owned company. "It can be a challenge finding enough time to squeeze in church, family, work, grandkids, friends, AND find time to write," she says. "Somehow, though, the balance always comes."

Her favorite things include reading across many genres, playing bridge with dear friends, crocheting, baking, country music, and her three precocious and gorgeous grandkids.

Using ideas from the thousands of books she's devoured provides great opportunity to mix and match plots, flawed characters, and locales she's visited to create her own unique stories, settings, and characters. "There's a whole host of heroes and heroines prancing around in my head, each one clamoring for their story to be told."

Her first published work, A Dozen Apologies, released on Valentine's Day 2014, is a collaborative effort involving 12 authors, each contributing one character and one chapter. Elizabeth's hero, Elliott Weston, was chosen by online readers as the guy who got the girl in the end. This anonymous vote allowed Elizabeth the honor of penning the final chapter.

Her first novel in the Imperfect Series, Imperfect Wings, was a CAT 5 winner in the 2013 Writers on the Storm contest. This action-packed, full-length romantic thriller takes you from the jungles of Honduras to the mountainous beauty of Idaho and finally to the polished red oak confines of a U.S. District court in Virginia.

More from the Authors of Unlikely Merger:

FREE on Kindle
July 1-5

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

Sunday, June 28:

Fay Lamb: Who Wrote Whom: Meet the Authors of Unlikely Merger: Patricia M. Dyer

Saturday, June 27

Fay Lamb: Who Wrote Whom: Meet the Authors of Unlikely Merger: Carole Towriss

Friday, June 26

Fay Lamb: Who Wrote Whom: Meet the Authors of Unlikely Merger: Julie Arduini

Thursday, June 25

Jennifer Hallmark: Traveling with Others by Phee Paradise

Fay Lamb: Who Wrote Whom: Meet the Authors of Unlikely Merger: Marji Laine

Three People on a Journey

Unlikely Merger is now available and it's on sale for 99 cents!

We recently provided a writing prompt to our authors: If you could take three people on summer vacation, you'd take [who] and [why]. We told them they could take real or fictional people, from the past, present, or future.

Today, Marji Laine shares her thoughts:

Three People on the Journey

by Marji Laine

If I could take 3 people on a trip with me, I’d bring my sweet hubby, my brother, and my sis-in-law. And it’s not just because they’re family. Bubba and my Hubby are very close. Bubba’s wife and I were roommates in college and are still best friends.

And, in truth, we’ve vacationed several times together, laughing for miles over the silliest things like business signs, trivia questions, and any abnormal fellow traveler we might see along the way. Not unlike the road trips with my girls.

Again, in this case, it’s the journey and the companions that make the trip fun. With such wonderful people with me, the destination doesn’t even matter.

****

Marji Laine is a wife and homeschooling mom with teenage twins left in the nest. Having just released her debut novella Grime Beat, she spends her non-writing time transporting to and from volleyball, directing high school classes at a local coop, and leading the children’s music program at her church. From suburban Dallas, she loves to create scintillating suspense with a side of Texas sassy. She invites readers to unravel their inspiration, seeking a deeper knowledge of the Lord’s Great Mystery that invites us all.

More from the Authors of Unlikely Merger:

FREE on Kindle
July 1-5

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

Sunday, June 28:

Fay Lamb: Who Wrote Whom: Meet the Authors of Unlikely Merger: Patricia M. Dyer

Saturday, June 27

Fay Lamb: Who Wrote Whom: Meet the Authors of Unlikely Merger: Carole Towriss

Friday, June 26

Fay Lamb: Who Wrote Whom: Meet the Authors of Unlikely Merger: Julie Arduini

Thursday, June 25

Jennifer Hallmark: Traveling with Others by Phee Paradise

Fay Lamb: Who Wrote Whom: Meet the Authors of Unlikely Merger: Marji Laine

Summer Recipes Sweet Pepper Relish

Unlikely Merger is now available and it's FREE on Kindle! 
Today's the last day, so grab your copy before it's too late.

Summer is my favorite time of year - sunshine, water, fishing, swimming, boating, and blessed warm temperatures. But one more aspect makes summer best of all - FRESH VEGETABLES straight from the garden.

Long ago, in a galaxy far, far away, I used to truck farm - we owned 30 acres and we planted (mostly on hands and knees) half of it with vegetables that we sold at local farmers markets or we preserved for our own use. Today, I'm sharing one of the recipes that became a favorite during that time. The jars were so pretty, I usually kept some of them out for display, at least as long as I could keep the stuff around.

Sweet Pepper Relish

by Tracy Ruckman

2 dozen bell peppers - use red, green, and yellow for a bright relish

3 large onions

4 cups vinegar (5%)

2 cups sugar

3 tablespoons canning salt

Wash and drain the vegetables. Chop in small chunks or fine, depending on your preference for texture, using food processor if possible. Cover the vegetables with boiling water and let sit for 10 minutes. Drain, then cover again with boiling water. Bring mixture to a boil, then remove from heat and let sit for another 10 minutes.

Drain well. Use a kitchen towel to press all water out of vegetables through colander. Just don’t crush them.

Place the veggies back in the pot and add the vinegar, sugar, and salt. Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes.

Pack into sterilized jars, seal and process in boiling water back for five minutes.

This recipe makes approximately 6-8 pint jars.

****

Tracy Ruckman owns two traditional publishing companies (Write Integrity Press and Pix-N-Pens), one subsidy press (TMP Books), and a digital magazine (Imaginate). She is also a full-time student seeking her MFA in Screenwriting. In her spare time, she loves to eat, sleep, and bathe. She's proud mom to two grown sons and makes her home with the real-life Prince Charming in metro Atlanta.

More from the Authors of Unlikely Merger:

FREE on Kindle
July 1-5

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

Sunday, June 28:

Fay Lamb: Who Wrote Whom: Meet the Authors of Unlikely Merger: Patricia M. Dyer

Saturday, June 27

Fay Lamb: Who Wrote Whom: Meet the Authors of Unlikely Merger: Carole Towriss

Friday, June 26

Fay Lamb: Who Wrote Whom: Meet the Authors of Unlikely Merger: Julie Arduini

Thursday, June 25

Jennifer Hallmark: Traveling with Others by Phee Paradise

Fay Lamb: Who Wrote Whom: Meet the Authors of Unlikely Merger: Marji Laine

Summer Recipes Keeping it Simple

Unlikely Merger is now available and for a limited time, 

it's FREE on Kindle!

Today's recipe comes from Suzy Moore, one of the authors of Unlikely Merger. Suzy has been a blessing to all of us at the WIP/PNP family since we were first introduced in 2013. She's helped us with administrative tasks on several big projects, and we're grateful for her time and efficiency! We were thrilled to have her join us on our latest book.

Marinated Summer Veggies

by Suzy Moore

My grandparents loved summer produce. Grandpa was an avid gardener and Grandma always knew

exactly what to do with the bounty. All summer long there would be a row of tomatoes ripening on the kitchen window sill, and the aroma of green peppers, green onions, and cucumbers hung in the kitchen like a welcome from the garden.

Many of my aunts, uncles, and cousins lived nearby. For the ones that didn't, summer was usually the time they came to visit, so there were lots of get-togethers and potlucks and barbecues at Grandma and Grandpa's house during those months of long days in the sunshine.

My favorite summer recipe is heavy on the "summer" and probably a little too simple to be considered a "recipe", but it's my go-to favorite any time we are attending a summer potluck, or just celebrating the season at home. The smell of the vinegar and cucumbers takes me right back, every time, to my grandparents' kitchen and all of those wonderful childhood summer memories.

There are plenty of variations on this basic rendition, and the amount of each ingredient can be tweaked to suit your individual taste.

You'll need:

2-3 cucumbers, peeled and very thinly sliced

1 large white onion, sliced into thin rings

Equal parts vinegar (I like to use apple cider vinegar) and sugar-approx. 2/3 cup

Dill and black pepper to taste

Layer the vegetables in a bowl and pour the vinegar, sugar and spices on top. Stir well to mix. Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for as long as you can wait before digging in!

You can also add a teaspoon or so of your favorite oil, fresh tomatoes, chopped green peppers, and any other spices you may like.

Summer fare that is full of flavor and aroma, and simple enough to throw together quickly without missing out on any of the fun in the sun.  Happy summer eating!

****

Suzy Moore loves to get lost in a good story. She has a passion for the written word and for the many ways it can touch and uplift through the sharing of lives, stories, and most importantly the Gospel. She lives in rural Missouri with her husband and five children where she is a homeschooling mom, free-lance editor, and wanna-be farmer of all things natural and delicious. Connect with her on Facebook at her website. 

More from the Authors of Unlikely Merger:

FREE on Kindle
July 1-5

Friday, July 3:

Fay Lamb: Who Wrote Whom: Meet the Authors of Unlikely Merger: Raelee May Carpenter

Thursday, July 2

Fay Lamb: Who Wrote Whom: Meet the Authors of Unlikely Merger: Phee Paradise

Wednesday, July 1

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

Sunday, June 28:

Fay Lamb: Who Wrote Whom: Meet the Authors of Unlikely Merger: Patricia M. Dyer

Saturday, June 27

Fay Lamb: Who Wrote Whom: Meet the Authors of Unlikely Merger: Carole Towriss

Friday, June 26

Fay Lamb: Who Wrote Whom: Meet the Authors of Unlikely Merger: Julie Arduini

Thursday, June 25

Jennifer Hallmark: Traveling with Others by Phee Paradise

Fay Lamb: Who Wrote Whom: Meet the Authors of Unlikely Merger: Marji Laine

Summer Recipes Potato Salad and Cucumbers

Unlikely Merger is now available and for a limited time, 

it's FREE on Kindle!

We invited our authors to share some of their favorite summer recipes. Today's recipe comes from Jennifer Hallmark, one of the authors of Unlikely Merger.

My Favorite Summer Recipes

Jennifer Hallmark

When I think of recipes in the summer, I picture fresh vegetables straight from my garden. We usually plant broccoli, tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, cabbage, potatoes, beets, corn, green beans, and pink-eyed purple hull peas. Yes, the peas are a southern must-have.

I love to share recipes, so today I’ll post two summer staples: potato salad and cucumber salad. It seems no family reunion or church social is complete without potato salad and some fixin’s of cucumbers.

The cucumber recipe is simple. You simple take 6-8 cucumbers, then peel and slice into a large bowl. Mix one cup of mayonnaise with either 2 tablespoons of vinegar or milk, depending on whether you like the vinegar taste. We prefer milk. Then add about a teaspoon of Morton Nature’s Seasons seasoning blend and whisk until smooth. Pour over cucumbers and chill. Enjoy!

My potato salad recipe is not too hard either. I place around four pounds of potatoes in a large Dutch oven, unpeeled, and boil until tender. I find they have a better consistency if I leave the peel on when boiling. Then I peel, and cut into cubes. I add four boiled eggs, chopped, and ¼ cup chopped onion (if you like onion). From here, I estimate. I’ll start by adding 1 ½ cups of mayonnaise, two tablespoons of prepared mustard, and ¼ cup of relish, either dill or sweet. I go back and forth, depending on whether I want the tang or the sweet. A couple of teaspoons of Nature’s Seasons seasoning blend and maybe a touch of pepper complete the salad. I stir it all up and then taste and add mayo or relish until it’s just right.

Yum! Delicious summer recipes, sure to please.

****

Jennifer Hallmark: writer by nature, artist at heart, and daughter of God by His grace. With over 200 articles and interviews on the internet, her attention has moved to southern fiction and YA fantasy.

Her first book published in early 2014, a multi-authored romantic comedy novella, called A Dozen Apologies. She is currently shopping her YA series, Journey of Grace: Realm of Ecclesia, and a contemporary southern fiction novel, When Wedding and Weather Collide.

She is also part of two compilation projects to be released later this year. Unlikely Merger is a romantic novella, a sequel to A Dozen Apologies. She’s also contributed to the anthology: Not Alone: A Literary and Spiritual Companion for those Confronted with Infertility and Miscarriage.

Jennifer shares a writer’s reference blog, Writing Prompts & Thoughts & Ideas…Oh My! with friends, Betty, Tammy, Allison, Karen, Cari, Holly, Anne, Robin, and Betty B.

Jennifer and her husband, Danny, have spent their married life in Alabama and have a basset hound, Max. Their daughter Mandy is married to Tim, and has given them two beautiful granddaughters, Ava and Sadie. Their son, Jonathan, is currently working in the food industry and trying to complete his degree in business.

She loves to read detective fiction from the Golden Age, watch movies like LOTR, and play with her two precious granddaughters. At times, she writes.

You can find Jennifer on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

More from the Authors of Unlikely Merger:

FREE on Kindle
July 1-5

Friday, July 3:

Fay Lamb: Who Wrote Whom: Meet the Authors of Unlikely Merger: Raelee May Carpenter

Thursday, July 2

Fay Lamb: Who Wrote Whom: Meet the Authors of Unlikely Merger: Phee Paradise

Wednesday, July 1

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

Sunday, June 28:

Fay Lamb: Who Wrote Whom: Meet the Authors of Unlikely Merger: Patricia M. Dyer

Saturday, June 27

Fay Lamb: Who Wrote Whom: Meet the Authors of Unlikely Merger: Carole Towriss

Friday, June 26

Fay Lamb: Who Wrote Whom: Meet the Authors of Unlikely Merger: Julie Arduini

Thursday, June 25

Jennifer Hallmark: Traveling with Others by Phee Paradise

Fay Lamb: Who Wrote Whom: Meet the Authors of Unlikely Merger: Marji Laine

Summer Recipe Kazak Samsa

Unlikely Merger is now available and for a limited time, 

it's FREE on Kindle!

We invited our authors to share some of their favorite summer recipes. Today's recipe comes from Carole Towriss, one of the chapter contest winners for Unlikely Merger.

Kazak Samsa

by Carole Towriss

Our three youngest children are adopted from Kazakhstan. The two girls are ethnic Kazakh, and our son is Russian, his family apparently moved south—courtesy of Stalin—sometime in the past.

While we were there to complete the adoptions we tried some of the native food, but they eat a lot of mutton and horsemeat, and they don’t eat dessert as we know it. We wanted to find at least one recipe from their native land for them enjoy, and we eventually settled on this one. It’s not hard but it does take a lot of time to make a decent-sized batch, so it’s a great one to make during the summer. It can be made with meat, but the sweet version is our favorite.

FILLING:

6 oz walnuts, shelled, crushed

1 ½ tablespoon sugar

1 ½ tablespoon butter, unsalted, softened

Mix all ingredients together and set aside.

DOUGH:

You can use any dough recipe you like, or cheat like I do and buy the premade kind.

Roll the dough out to about 18” square.  Cut into 2” squares.  Place a teaspoon of filling in each square and draw the four corners to the middle, or fold over to a triangle. Pinch to seal. 

Traditionally these are fried, but that’s quite messy and adds loads of unnecessary calories and hours of time. I find them to be just as delicious when baked and far more healthy. So just place them on a sprayed baking sheet, and bake until golden brown. 

****

Carole Towriss grew up in beautiful San Diego, California. Now she and her husband live just north of Washington, DC. In between making tacos and telling her four children to pick up their shoes for the third time, she reads, writes, watches chick flicks and waits for summertime to return to the beach. You can find her at www.CaroleTowriss.com.

    

More from the Authors of Unlikely Merger:

FREE on Kindle
July 1-5

Thursday, July 2

Fay Lamb: Who Wrote Whom: Meet the Authors of Unlikely Merger: Phee Paradise

Wednesday, July 1

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

Sunday, June 28:

Fay Lamb: Who Wrote Whom: Meet the Authors of Unlikely Merger: Patricia M. Dyer

Saturday, June 27

Fay Lamb: Who Wrote Whom: Meet the Authors of Unlikely Merger: Carole Towriss

Friday, June 26

Fay Lamb: Who Wrote Whom: Meet the Authors of Unlikely Merger: Julie Arduini

Thursday, June 25

Jennifer Hallmark: Traveling with Others by Phee Paradise

Fay Lamb: Who Wrote Whom: Meet the Authors of Unlikely Merger: Marji Laine