Oxford Fairy Tale in boxed set Romancing the Billionaire!

That's right.

Oxford Fairy Tale is part of a special edition boxed set Romancing the Billionaire! It's also available at a special price until Christmas. With five books to read, including Oxford Fairy Tale, it's more romantic fun reads altogether. Like any Winged Publication books, all are clean, sweet, romantic reads.

You can still purchase Oxford Fairy Tale from me or Amazon.

What's hiding in the kudzu?

Kudzu is rampant in the South. It's a lush green vine that covers other vegetation. In doing so, it creates a fantastical landscape, mimicking giraffes, elephants, water falls, etc. But under the kudzu, everything else is dead. It cuts the sun and water from what it overtakes. Killing it is practically impossible.

Kudzu Sculptures is a Main Street Mystery with Winged Publications. Dorie Hudson is a new journalist for the small town local newspaper Daelin Gazette. Her first assignment is to find out about why the kudzu has not been removed from an old stand of loblolly pine. Ross MacAvoy, the owner of a nursery, normally receives a contract to take care of the kudzu. This year the mayor will not allow it. What's hiding in the kudzu and why? Who is he protecting?


The people in Daelin, Georgia, are like the kudzu sculptures. All sweetness and light on the outside but dead bones underneath. Along the way, Ross and Dorie fall in love, but he can't stay in Daelin due to something he finds in his grandfather's truck that he's allowed the kudzu to overtake. Will it's discovery destroy his relationship with Dorie?

I didn't expect this book to be a murder mystery. It just turned into one! It's a crazy feeling when your book surprises you!

I just submitted my latest manuscript to Winged Publications! It's going to be part of a boxed set of billionaire romances. Though Eddie is an heir to an ancient lordship and its fortune, he'd rather work in the basement of the British Museum uncovering the past as an anthropologist/archeologist. Caroline is a Rhodes Scholar and middle school teacher who is in Oxford to complete a masters level project about the lore and legends of England. Along the way she meets the charming Eddie. Look for Oxford Fairy Tale, coming soon!

New Books have arrived!

I have 36 copies of my fourth book, A Time to Love. I also have 10 copies each of my other 3 books with the new covers.

This is an exciting delivery. For the hours expended in writing them. For the joy of seeing then in complete package. For the privilege of sharing with the readers of my other books.


Back Blurb:

Colonial Dream: A Time to Love (Book 2)

Michael Browning, a child of the American Revolution, becomes surrogate father for his four siblings after the early death of his parents. His Uncle Ben has also died, leaving the pulpit empty in the church he started after the war. Bitterness has overcome Michael as each of his siblings finds love with only his youngest sister, Louisa, remaining at home. When the new pastor and his daughter, Susannah, take over the rectory adjacent to the Browning home, he cannot accept Reverend Hawthorne as a substitute for his Uncle Ben. When Louisa falls in love with Susannah’s cousin Theo, Susannah encourages Louisa to elope and offers to serve Michael in her stead. Susannah enjoys matchmaking and sets out to find a match for Michael.

When Michael’s brother Isaiah is taken by the British Navy, Michael must leave his bride before the wedding to find and save his brother as the country begins a new war with Britain.

 Can the beauty tame the beast and his bitterness to create a new relationship based on trust and love?

How will a second war for Independence from Britain affect their love?

New Covers on Amazon!

I am so excited to share with you all the new cover for A Time to Fight, Book 1 of the series Colonial Dream. This cover was so important to me. I bought the rights to this photo from the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation for only $30!! 

If you've read the book, you know that Amanda, her twin brother Ben, and her blacksmith husband are like the Three Musketeers growing up. Should go live on Amazon today or tomorrow!

In addition to this cover, Gold Earrings is also new with a 

new cover created by my publisher, Winged Publications: Forget-Me-Not Romances.

What do you think? 

I'd love to hear from you. If you have read any of my previously published books, consider leaving a review on Amazon . I'm not sure the reviews will transfer to the new covers.

I am so excited. I hope you share that excitement with me!

The Importance of Story

If you'd like to laugh at the writing profession, check out this blog by Mitch Teemly.
https://mitchteemley.com/2016/08/20/7-views-on-writing/

Meanwhile, I've been pondering the importance of story.

Story is what causes grown adults to close themselves up with the TV and binge watch a season of This is Us or iZombie. It's why we spend an exorbitant amount on movie tickets, DVR the series so we don't miss an episode of Dr. Who, and curl up with a book on a rainy afternoon. Story compels us to come away from our ordinary lives to a world of someone else, like jumping into the chalk drawings in Mary Poppins.

We share anecdotes with one another about the time our children did something extraordinary or about time spent in the DMV (groan!). We share the story of our lives with others using those anecdotes.

Diaries from the Civil War tell the stories of those who lived in a different time with different social norms and ideas. What did they wear, how did they speak, who did they love. what did they believe?

Writers struggle with the meaning of story everyday they write. If the story isn't compelling, how can we make it so? What does each character bring to the story? How does the setting contribute to the story?

In February 2018, I published the first book in a historical series, Colonial Dream: A Time to Fight.. The series is the story of a family whose dream is to emigrate to the American colonies and the struggles they experience throughout the American experiment. In Book 1, Colin Browning, a blacksmith, and his  sweetheart Amanda and her twin Ben aspire to be colonists in America. When Colin is forced into the British Army, he gets to come to America on the eve of the American Revolution.

In Book 2, A Time to Heal, Colin and Amanda's son Michael Browning struggles with the hardship of raising his siblings and opening himself up to his own love story. Just as he lets Susannah into his heart, he is faced with the uncertainties of a second war with Britain. Almost done with this one!

In Book 3, A Time to Choose, Colin's great grandson Andrew is the body guard in the White House for Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War. As a Virginian, he is asked to choose where his loyalties lie. Abolitionist and journalist Maggie reports on the happenings in the White House as she waits for her chance to present a petition to the President. Andrew and Maggie fall in love while the country struggles for important freedoms.

The final book in this series (so far) is Book 4, A Time to Create. Lincoln Browning, Andrew's son, sees blacksmithing as a dying profession and breaks from the family to pursue a career as an inventor.

Join me as I tell a story about a family who loves and fights for what they believe in.

Beneath the Blackberry Moon: The Red Feather by April W. Gardner

Check out this new book from my author friend April Gardner!

Beneath the Blackberry Moon: the Red Feather by April W Gardner

Book 1 of the Creek Country Saga

 On a moonless night in 1813, Adela McGirth encounters a set of wolves and the steely eyed warrior who slays them, searing himself on her heart. When he returns, it's with a brand of a different sort--the flaming arrow that destroys her life. 

In the copper-haired captive, Totka Lawe finds the other half of his spirit. He vows he would die ten deaths to protect her, and he would kill any who tried to steal her away. With bluecoat soldiers pursuing him, a jealous cousin pursuing her, and the woman herself pursuing home, that vow stands a serious chance of being called into action.

 Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/Beneath-Blackberry-Moon-Part-Feather-ebook/dp/B01AU3C3L0/

Angels at the birth of Christ

           My pastor was expounding the truths of the birth of Christ Sunday; and in the middle of his sermon, he said, “We keep tripping over angels in this story.” He went on with his point. My mind went off with the angels!

Many angels surrounded the events of the birth of Christ. First, the angel Gabriel announced to Zachariah that he would have a son (Luke 1:11-20). Elizabeth became pregnant with John the Baptist at an unnatural age (Luke 1:23) She accepted a visit from her relative Mary (Luke 1:39-45). Mary has an incredible story to tell. The angel Gabriel had also visited her and announced that she would be pregnant by the Holy Spirit. Elizabeth’s child acknowledges Him from within the womb. Have you ever thought about that? These two in utero infants recognize one another! (An interesting view into when life begins if ever there was one!) If Mary wasn’t quite sure about the angel and the visitation, she must have been once Elizabeth confirmed that the child was holy by another supernatural child.

Meanwhile, Joseph was struggling with the fact that his fiancée was pregnant, and he knew he could not be the father. Another angel came to him in a dream to reassure him that Mary’s pregnancy was truly a special event like none other (Matthew 1:11-18). Maybe he remembered the scripture Isaiah 7:14: a virgin would be with child, called Immanuel. A fantastical claim in the Old Testament had come to fruition in the New Testament.

Then the birth takes place in Bethlehem at the height of tax season and no room at the inns. Motel 6 would have had the light on for them, y’know. Mary and Joseph must have wondered why it seemed God had abandoned them when the time for his son to be born arrived. However, more angels appear out in the fields to tired, restless shepherds, the unclean, underclass ones (Luke 2:8-15).  Not just one, a multitude of the heavenly host filling the night sky! Can you even imagine this? They find Mary, Joseph, and Jesus and tell their story. Luke says Mary treasured all these things in her heart. God hadn’t abandoned them; after all, the child was His Son (Luke 2:15-20).

Skip ahead maybe two years. Magi from the East arrive (read strange looking men arrive at the door), telling the story about a new star in the sky that appeared on Jesus’ birth (Matthew 2:1-18). They give them treasures of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, costly, valuable gifts fit for a king. Unfortunately, they had the same explanation for Herod. Warned in a dream (probably another angel), the magi did not to go back to Herod (Matthew 2:12). Another angel warned Joseph to flee to escape Herod’s wrath (Matthew 2:1-13-17). Did the valuable gifts provide for Joseph’s family while they were in Egypt awaiting Herod’s death (Isaiah 60:6-7)? How did Joseph find out about Herod’s death?  Another angel came to help Joseph know when it was time to return home (Matthew 2:19-23). God took care of everything, except for maybe that hotel room in Bethlehem.

Angels. Created beings. Heavenly servants. Warriors for God (I think of the Elven army in The Lord of the Rings!). Messengers for Almighty Yahweh. These events are not the only ones where angels show up to tell, protect, encourage God’s people. Each time they confront people as messengers, they have the same words: do not be afraid! I don’t know because it’s never happened to me, but the sight of a heavenly being in my bedroom would certainly feel like a good time to be afraid.

Not too many people report a glorious, winged creature appearing to them these days. BUT people do report incidents when they were saved from disaster by someone who just disappears when the police, EMT, or firetruck arrives. Or they merge into traffic and barely miss being run over by a semi. People then talk about guardian angels. I’m skeptical that God has assigned an angel to take care of each of us. It’s a Wonderful Life probably perpetuated that notion.

What I do know is that the Holy Spirit resides inside me. He helps me make decisions and sometimes gives me a glimpse of how He connects us all. After all, He’s not the Spirit cut into pieces, doled out in chunks at our salvation! The Holy Spirit is spirit. He recognizes Himself when I meet other Christians. He prompts me to pray when I don’t even know why, but find out that He had awakened me to pray at a critical moment in another Christian’s life. He guides me to change my plans to help someone else.

Christians are charged to be messengers and on-the-spot ministers to the world. We should take the baby Jesus to the world and share with others the gift He gave to us on the cross.

Perhaps that’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.