The Seven Holidays

There's a new series coming out, actually seven of them. It's a multiple-author series, and we're referring to them as The Seven Holidays, but each of these seven major holidays will have its own series page on Amazon. The holidays will include Valentine's Day, Easter, the 4th of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's. The first one will be "A Small Town Valentine's Day Romance." The nine contemporary books in it will release between January 9 and March 3. Mine will publish on January 23, and I've already written the book. It's just waiting on the editor.

The Prodigal Pastor is the story of the senior pastor in a large church who goes astray, leaving his wife who has just found out she's expecting the baby they'd been praying for before she could tell him. Months later, he realizes his mistake and wants his wife back. He knows God forgives him, but will Brooke ever be able to, and can he forgive himself?

Link to The Prodigal Pastor

The good news for readers is that all these Valentine books will be on preorder for only 99 cents, but that will go up to $2.99 after they publish. I've never done a preorder promotion before, and I'm eager to see how well it works. With the books only yielding a few cents profit, they'll need a volume of sales.

The only other book for this series I could fit into my schedule is the one for the 4th of July. I'm finishing the rough draft for Hurting Hero this week, hopefully, today or tomorrow. It will be set in the small towns of Locust, North Carolina, and Gaffney, South Carolina. Hurting Hero will publish on June 12 but is already available for preorder. You won't pay until it publishes.

Link to Hurting Hero

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Changing Thanksgiving 

O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever (Psalms 107:1).

People talk about how Christmas has become too secular, and we're losing its real meaning. But have you ever stopped to think the same thing may be happening to Thanksgiving?  The day has often become more about the four f's: first to the mall, floats, food, and football. The day after Thanksgiving used to be the time to begin the Christmas season, but that's not true anymore either. Christmas displays now come out in stores before Halloween.

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

Setting aside a special day to thank God for all His many blessings is a good thing. But it's even better to live each day of the year with a thankful heart. It shouldn't be just something we do but part of our character and something we live. Most of us never notice all the blessings that come our way, but if we start to list them, even those we do recognize can be overwhelming.  Let's thank God with our whole hearts today and always.

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Runaway Brides of the West - Candice

I have two books coming out near the end of the Runaway Brides of the West series. Candace releases on December 5 and Aida will publish on December 30. Both are available for preorder now, so be sure to reserve your copies today.

Link to Candace

Link to Aida

Candace Joyner gets to her destination as a mail-order bride to find that her intended owns a saloon with working girls upstairs. He also runs the town where there’s no church or honest sheriff. Learning that he might eventually expect her to work for him, she hides under the tarp of a mountain man's wagon when he leaves town with his winter supplies. She's watched Jude Mason, and he appears to be kind and most likely a Christian. She'd rather take her chances with him than the dictatorial, unscrupulous saloon owner. But life on the mountain in the winter is tougher than she ever imagined.

As with all my books, Candace will be out on Kindle, KU, paperback, and Audible. The Audible edition has already been published. Jared Walters finished the project early and has done an excellent job of bringing the story to life. He has a smooth voice and a drama background that draws me in. I'm sure my listeners will enjoy his narration too. 

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Because of Faith

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him (Hebrews 11:6).

Faith can be mighty and do amazing things. For most Christians, it grows throughout their lives. Think about these Bible verses from Hebrews 11 and how the faith of these people from the Old Testament impacted them and others. And they're still teaching us today.

By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.

By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out not knowing whither he went.

By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son.

By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid for three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not  afraid of the king's commandment.

By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharoh's daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.

By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days. By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with they that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.

These are just a few of the faithful we could list. Great things, miraculous things, happened because of faith. How is your faith? If it needs to grow, turn to God.

Ask, and it shall be given you, seek, and ye shall find'; knock, and it shall be opened unto you (Matthew 7:7-8).

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Why Westerns

I grew up in the country playing cowboys, cowgirls, Indians, and outlaws. It was a time when westerns were very popular, the heyday of the western movies. I didn't have brothers or sisters, but I had plenty of male cousins, and when there was no one available to play with, I could read books set in the West.

Like other specific genres and time periods, they have special characteristics. A western is produced in literature, film, or television shows. They're often set in the Old West between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, telling the stories of cowboys, settlers, outlaws, and Indians. It's usually a story of exploring the western frontier or taming the Wild West. They often possess ruggedness and trials but also perservence and heart.

The first widely-popular Western novel was The Virginian by Owen Wisler, published in 1902. Other well-known early western writers include Zane Grey and Louis L'Amour. Western books and movies peaked in the 1950s and 60s. In the 1950s, Hollywood produced more westerns than all other genres combined. However, in the 1970s, they began losing popularity because of market-flooding. Yet, the interest in westerns has never completely waned, and the books still have a large fanbase today.

Link to In from the Storms

As an author, I began writing books set the Appalachian Mountains and then gravitated to westerns. They fit my interests and writing style. My first western series, In from the Storms, quickly became bestsellers. Then, I wrote a five-book series, Cactus Creek, NM. In 2022, I'll publish five westerns, and in 2023, I'll have ten. Westerns are here to stay.

Link to Cactus Creek, NM series

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Immovable Faith

For we walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).

People with immovable faith fill the Scriptures. Abraham doggedly treading up the mountain to sacrifice his beloved son as God had commanded; Daniel in the lion's den and Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace; Elijah as he faced off the cruel king, Ahab, even chastising him and he challenged the Baal prophets on Mount Carmel; Jeremiah as he delivered God's messages that no one heeded; David as he faced a giant with a slingshot and was determined to follow God's way despite what Saul did; Job as he refused to curse God no matter what Satan did to him; Esther as she faced possible death to save her people; Mary and Joseph as they sacrificed their reputations to be obedient; Steven who took stoning rather than deny his Lord; and the disciples, most of whom were martyred for spreading the gospel. The list could go on and on.

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding (Proverbs 1:5-6).

Usually, we see stubbornness as a negative trait, but that depends on when and how we use it. I'm sure that each person who clung to their faith no matter what befell them had a touch of stubbornness.  But beyond that, they trusted God to know and do what's best. They knew Him well enough to know His character and that He would never fail them. How close do you follow God? Do you have immovable faith?

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 A Christmas Snow for Sadie 

Because last year's Mail-Order Brides' First Christmas became such a  huge success, the administrator of the series decided to extend it into this year's Christmas season too. I'm thrilled to be leading off this new group with A Christmas Snow for Sadie. I enjoyed the setting of Sauerkraut Cake by Sophie so much that I decided to include the California side of Lake Tahoe in this one.

In the novel, when Sadie Alexander's employer dies, she knows she'll need to leave the household at once. Mrs. Ludlow's son had already made improper advances, and it will be hard to avoid him now. Desperate, she sees an ad in a newspaper for a bride, so she mails a hastily written letter and travels to California on a wagon train. Being an orphan, she has no family to turn to. However, when she arrives, Mr. Laird is away with his construction business, leaving his older friend to meet Sadie.

Sawyer Laird couldn't believe that he'd finally gotten a response from his advertisement for a bride after all this time, and it couldn't have come at a more inopportune time. He still has construction contracts he needs to fulfill in Placerville, a gold-mining town that's no place for a lady. Well, she'd just have to wait, so he sure hoped she'd be the understanding sort.

Getting off to a rocky start when they first meet, they both begin to see the other's point of view, agree to call a truce, and decide to start over. However, Sadie is still leery of this man who puts his business above his potential wife. Does she want to live that kind of life?

A Christmas Snow for Sadie will publish on November 18th and is on preorder now. As with all my books, this one will be available on Kindle, KU, paperback, and Audible. With the holiday season just around the corner, order your copy today.

Link to book

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William Bradford

If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up... (Job 22:23). 

As we draw near to the Thanksgiving holiday, I thought it would be good to take a look at some of the American leaders at the beginning of this country and see how their faith played such an important role in their lives and in the birth of this nation. At that time, this land was seen as "under God."

William Bradford was one of the Separatist who came over on the Mayflower. He had been born in Yorkshire, England, in 1590 and grew up there. His father owned a large farm, and they were considered an influential, wealthy family. His grandfather, William Bradfurthe, had likely been part of the nobility, but young William became an orphan at age seven and went to live with his uncles.

When he was twelve, William went to hear the Separatist preacher, Richard Clyfton, and returned again and again, despite the fact that his uncles forbid him to do so. During one of the meetings, he met William Brewster, who gave him books to read and kept him informed of the church reform movement sweeping England. After being imprisoned for his beliefs, William made it to Holland with other Separatists.  He married there and had a son, John. In 1620, he joined the group who planned to come to the American colonies aboard the Mayflower.

After struggling to survive the first winter in the Plymouth Colony, two Indians came in the spring to show the colonists how to plant crops. That led to the harvest celebration in the fall that we think of as the First Thanksgiving. This colony had been founded to honor and worship God, and giving thanks came naturally. William went on to be governor of the colony five times for a total of about thirty years. He is also well-known for the journal he kept that tells of establishing and governing the colony. It's been published as Of Plymouth Plantation. Look at what he wrote:

Being thus arrived in good harbor and brought safe to land, they fell upon their knees and blessed the God of heaven, who had brought them over the vast and furious ocean, and delivered them from all perils and miseries thereof, againe to set their feete on the firme and stable earth.... Having undertaken, for the glory of God and advancement of the Christian Faith and Honor of our King and Country, a Voyage to plant the First Colony.

Notice that "for the glory of God" came first. We would do well to likewise put God first and obey his Word. America would be a much better better place to live if we did. And not only would the country be better off as a whole, but so would we and our families.

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