AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT - Ruth Logan Herne

 Good morning, everyone!

I am so much better today and able to function. Sometimes, that's all that's important.

Today, I'm shining the spotlight on Ruthe Logan Herne:

Here's a bit about, Ruth:

Multi-published, bestselling and award-winning author Ruth Logan Herne has sold over two million books. With nearly seventy published novels and novellas, Ruthy is living her dream of being a published author, a dream which was a long time in the making. From her Love Inspired books to trade-length women's fiction and inspirational romance and then the invite to join the teams at Guideposts Mysteries, Ruthy's goal is to write the kind of books you want to read, books with characters like the folks next door and the ones sitting across the aisle in church. Or maybe the slightly gruff old fellow down at the hardware store.

 As Ruthy takes you from the Kittitas Valley of Central Washington to the hills of the Tennessee Smokies and then back to Wishing Bridge, New York to hang out in one of America's favorite new small towns, you'll get a dose of Ruthy wisdom and whimsy, some darned good food ideas and simple words of faith, hope and love... and the greatest of these is love.

AMAZON

I picked up A Foster Mother's Promise at Walmart last week. 

REVIEW:

This is Book 3 in the Kendrick Creek series. I plan to go back and read the first two.

A Foster Mother's Promise is a feel good story with great opposing characters. Mike has come from a nice family background with deep-seated pain at the loss of his wife and baby.  Trying to just move his life forward becomes difficult in a new town, new people to protect - and three children living next door, including a chubby-cheeked infant, while Carly spent her life bounced around from one foster family to another. As in all case, some were good and others were not. With a defunct marriage behind her leaving its own scars, Carly becomes the foster mom she believes every child should have. The task does not come without it's share of challenges - but amazing rewards!

The only thing I found off in this story is that a tree house is mentioned but never revisited... just left hanging so to speak. I get the purpose behind the initial scene but I'd like to have seen an extention, maybe with one of the boys?

The first two books in the series:

Rebuilding Her Life

The Path Not Taken

Overall, I loved the book and am dipping the quill...

 .5

You'll find Ruth Logan Herne through the links below:

WEBSITE   FACEBOOK    YOUTUBE   PINTEREST

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

All my best

~Angela

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT - Moved

 Good morning, everyone!

I'm dealing with a massive headache this morning. Author Spotlight moves to tomorrow (Wednesday) when we'll be shingng the spotlight on Love Inspired author - Ruth Logan Herne and I'll be reviewing her new book - A Foster Mother's Promise

Thank you for your patience.

All my best

~Angela

MONDAY MOTIVATION - Making Progress!

 Good morning, everyone!

I have a full week ahead, bringing lots of things. 

I finally started tackling the household chores that have been let go during my illnesses. Felt good to give the bathroom and laundry room a deep clean yesterday but boy am I feeling it this morning.

One of the things I need to do this week is to contact the Media dept. at Fort Polk. I finally figured out what the internal struggle is of my hero (as well as a bit of enlightenment on the heroine's issues) In able to approach my hero's growth, I need to know if the scenario I have in mind for him, what has caused his struggle, is valid. When it comes to the military stuff, I'm trying not to leave anything to chance.

Last week, I sent off about eighteen requests for info from the authors in the Something Blue anthology releasing May 17th. I've heard back from three so far. I'd hoped to start shining the spotlight on those authors this week, running the spotlight on Tuesdays and Wednesdays until I had spotlighted all of the authors. One author I did hear back from was Shirley Jump. I've known Shirley for years. We each ran workshops back in our AOL days almost twenty years ago! She is happy to join us however, she is in the midst of wedding stuff and asked if I could put her last. I am happy to accomodate!

In the mean time, I did pick up a new Love Inspired on Saturday and will be using that tomorrow. 

As to my day job as a Stampin' Up! demonstrator (only for a few more months), the company will release a new catalog and line of products to the public on May 3rd. That means lots of prep work for promotion and project making between now and then. 

The kanban board didn't get completed last week so you'll see that on the list. I also didn't get to sprint every day but I did spend time making notes on the issue I mentioned above. 

* Kanban board

* Video tracking board

* Stampin' Up! necessities

I'll see you tomorrow with a Spotlight and book review

All my best

~ Angela

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT - Parris Afton Bonds

 Good morning, everyone!

I feel so honored to shine the spotlight on Parris Afton Bonds today. Though we've not met in person, (thanks to Covid when we were supposed to speak at the Ozarks Creative Writer's Conference), we have spoken through email and messages and I consider her a dear friend in this crazy world of publishing.  I'll also be reviewing her new book - Reluctant Rebel. 

Let me tell you a bit about this sweet lady.

BIO:

PARRIS AFTON BONDS is the mother of five sons and the author of more than fifty published novels.  She is co-founder and first vice president of Romance Writers of America, as well as, cofounder of Southwest Writers Workshop.

Declared by ABC’s NIGHTLINE as one of three best-selling authors of romantic fiction, the New York Times best seller Parris Afton Bonds has been featured in major newspapers and magazines, as well as, published in more than a dozen languages.

The Parris Award was established in her name by the Southwest Writers Workshop to honor a published writer who has given outstandingly of time and talent to other writers.  Prestigious recipients of the Parris Award include Tony Hillerman and the Pulitzer nominee Norman Zollinger.

She donates spare time teaching creative writing to both grade school children and female inmates, whom she considers her captive audiences.

AMAZON

BLURB:

In January of 1917, young Piedad Arellano is riding the streetcar across the Santa Fe Bridge that connects Juarez, Mexico to El Paso where she works as a housemaid. When she learns El Paso is using kerosene and toxic chemicals to “treat” workers for suspected lice, she takes a stand and says, No! Thousands join her in the protest, shutting down bridge traffic and making international news.

Walter Stevenson is an agent with the newly formed Bureau of Investigation, on a mission to identify the “master spy” being handled by the precursor of the Nazi party there in El Paso.

Their two worlds collide when Piedad is arrested for inciting the Bath Riots and Walt reluctantly comes to her aid. No two lovers were ever more mismatched.

Spies are pursued, dark family secrets are revealed, and romance may be possible in this historical novel based on the true events of the Bath Riots.

SIDE NOTE: Be sure to read her Freebies and Frostings post about how Reluctant Rebel came to be

To hear her passion for writing first-hand, check out THIS YouTube link she did at the City of Allen

REVIEW:

Parris has a way of bringing true history alive like no other author I've read. Through details collected through her research (and true knowledge of Texas history), Parris puts you in the story as if you were in a gaming world, playing everything out on your screen. In RELUCTANT REBEL, will you be Piedad Arellano fighting for women's rights and injustice? Will you be Walter Stevenson, a loner by design, drawn to the fiery redhead, willing to risk your mission to protect Piedad?

I'll admit, I usually prefer sweet, quick romance reads but Parris Afton Bonds books are my exception. She takes me to time and place settings I can only imagine having been a part of. Parris Afton Bonds is the Magic Treehouse author for adults! 

I'm sure you sigh whenever you see me post 5 quills on a review... like I don't know how to post less. But here's the thing. When you have an author like Parris Afton Bonds, an author who has a track record like no other in this industry, one who started her quest when we were reading Kathleen Woodiwiss and other 'bodice rippers', the talent is brighter than any spotlight I could shine. You just can't give this book less than....

You will find Parris Afton Bonds and her other books by clicking on any of the following links. 

WEBSITE   FACEBOOK   INSTAGRAM   TWITTER   NEWSLETTER   GOODREADS

B & N   KOBO   APPLE   AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

All my best

~ Angela

MONDAY MOTIVATION - Getting There...

 

Good morning, everyone!

Bob left last Tuesday and I've slowly started to get things caught up. This wet, dreary, cold weather is not helping. There are more days than not I just want to snuggle under the covers in a dark room and binge-watch MASH... which I'm calling research since it is about the 'Police Action' of the Korean War Conflict.

Spring pollen is not helping. I wake every morning with a sinus headache. I take meds then try to accomplish at least a couple of things before my brain no longer wants to process.

Okay... I'm done whining. :-)  

Did I mention our weather is wet, cold, dreary and just flat miserable? I refuse to let it keep me from my appointed rounds today.

So far, I've located the missing price changes sheet for Stampin' Up! so I can share with my team member and encourage sales to my customers before prices go up 'slightly'. (we're talking .25-.50 per item but that ads up!)

I've also printed out what I need for my Stampin' Up! video for tomorrow and given thought to my videos for Wednesday and Friday.  - Progress

I still have the final two steps in HB90 bootcamp to complete. Again, all about the brain wanting to process. Plus, there are some deadline things I can't push to the side to finish. I am down to setting up the Kanban board. I just need to fine-tune the projects/ tasks first. I'm hoping to finish that up on Wednesday.

USA TODAY Bestselling Author, Sasha Summers will be joining us here soon. She is part of an anthology releasing May 17th then a new book of her own June 28th. She's already sent me pictures of her Writer's Nest. I'm contacting all of the authors and hope to shine the spotlight on all of them soon. 

For now, let's focus on this week:

* List the anthology authors and send initial emails

* Finish HB90/ set up Kanban board

* Sprint on An Ozarks Homecoming EVERY DAY

I do have one small task to get out of the way first thing this morning. I will be speaking at the Ozarks Romance Authors in Springfield MO on May 7th. The coordinator needs my summary today. Then it's on to the Top 3.

What are you working on? Please leave a comment. Let's network!

All my best

~Angela

MONDAY MOTIVATION - Weekly Plan & HB90

 

Good afternoon, everyone!

Coming in late simply because I got sidetracked. 

As I told you in THIS POST, I took Sarra Cannon's HB90 course. I still have three days left of the course. I have spent a good portion of the past three days getting my social media calendar put together. I didn't feel I could effectively work the HB90 Q2 kanban board if I didn't have my social media road map.  That planner is finally in order. What does that mean?

Having the SM planner completed means I now know what blog posts and/ or videos and the coordinating projects figured out and know what I need to do.

Bob is home so I won't be working the long hours I normally wood. I'll be doing my posts a week ahead. Bob will leave out a week from tomorrow then look out! 

First off, the only thing I did the past two weeks was to take it really easy so the ribs could heal. I learned a hard lesson as well. The older I get, the slower I am to heal. I thought I would be back to near full-power in a week. Not so much. I fell on the 2oth of March. I'm just now able to do almost everything - as long as I pay attention to how I move/ bend.

Here's my plan for this week:

* Finish the HB90 course and Kanban board for Q2

* Finish research to answer military exercise question

* Spend quality time with Bob

The hard work will begin on April 13th when I dive into An Ozarks Homecoming yet again for Camp Nano.

What's your plan of attack for the week?

All my best!

~Angela