Peering Through Life's Window

  A Warm Welcome to Gay N. Lewis Gay will give away a print copy of Kade's Worth to a U.S. citizen. To enter to win leave a recipe below. Thanks, Gail. I’m excited to appear on your blog, “Peering Through Life’s Window.” I love the title. People give us distinct perspectives and viewpoints, and it is a joy to discover something I didn’t know. Thank you, Gay.  I’m peering through the window of the past these days. I’ve been thinking about my mother. You asked me to share some of my favorite memories, so I’m going to tell you about my mom. My mom left Earth for heaven in 1991, but I miss her, especially when I’m in the kitchen. She was the best cook, and unfortunately, I didn’t inherit her talents. I’ll be whipping up a meal and think, “I wish Mother could tell me how to do this.”  I'm sorry for your loss. About Gay's Mom, Jeanette Morton Mother was born in Alabama and came from a long line of terrific, southern cooks. Southerners are known for hospitality, and my mom ...

“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” (Number 6: 24- 26) A new year isn’t only about resolutions. We often wrap our wishes, hopes, dreams and goals around a new year. May 2026, bring good into our lives as we seek God’s will and find encouragement to make the most of our days to find peace and happiness in a world that’s often troubled and unkind. In 2025, for me, one of the year’s happiest moments occurred when I wrapped up my Discipleship Series. All three books are out now. What Readers Are Saying about the Discipleship Series   From a Top Author Review about Hidden Danger, the first book the Discipleship Series: It’s a feel-good book that’ll keep you on the edge of your seat and leave you with a smile. For readers looking for a book that combines the thrill of mystery with the warmth of a faith-filled romance, Hidden Danger is a highly recommended read. From Dea...

  A Warm Welcome to Tracy Wainwright Hi Tracy, thanks for telling us about your technique for getting rest in a busy life. About 10 years ago, I began feeling the call to implement a Sabbath rest into life. Over the last decade, I have done better at this sometimes and worse at others. Lately, following an exceptionally busy year and heading into the Christmas/holiday season, the idea of resting in the Lord and being intentional about observing a Sabbath has resurfaced. And it seems like I’m not the only one, as the topic seems to be coming up in a variety of spaces and platforms. But how do we rest in the midst of busy schedules, obligations, and commitments? 1 – We must be intentional. Once or twice a month, I spend some quality time with my calendar and plan a do-nothing, go-nowhere day. It goes on my calendar just like all the other things and I hold it as non-negotiable (barring emergencies). Because I’ve learned the importance of rest, I’ve decided to make it a priority. Know...

  A Warm Welcome to Carol James Carol will give away a digital copy of  Crocuses for Christmas to a U.S. resident. A Favorite dish for a Texas Christmas My most recent Christmas novella, Crocuses for Christmas , is set in a small fictional Texas town called “Crescent Bluff,” as are all my novels.  I’m sure you and your readers are familiar with Texas pride…as in everything’s bigger in Texas. Well, I’m here to tell you that somethings are, and somethings aren’t.  But, we do like our beef! While most people enjoy ham or turkey for Christmas. My family’s favorite is beef brisket. My step-mom gave me this recipe about forty years ago. At the request of my family, I’ve been making it every Christmas (and other holidays) for years. It’s easy to make and yummy to eat. I have yet to find a person that didn’t like it. (Of course, I haven’t tried it on vegetarians.) Bessie’s Oven Brisket 4 lb. beef brisket (If you have a big crowd you can get a larger brisket and sim...

Nick and Emily must connect a theft, gamblers, a college athlete, murderer and stalker to solve Nick's new case. Impossible or not? Snag a Kindle copy on pre-order and find out on November 3, when the book releases. The characters in Dangerous Shadows meet up with those in Hidden Danger and   Dangerous   Detour. Each book stands alone, but reading them all brings three times the fun. About Dangerous Shadows Shaken from an assault in the library parking lot at Hilltop College in Western North Carolina, crime reporter Emily Hanover contacts her ex-fiancé, private investigator Nick Lancaster. When the college hires Nick to recover quartz and ancient maps stolen from the library, Nick insists there’s a connection between the theft and Emily’s attack. As Nick and Emily face danger from an elusive stalker, their romance rekindles. Nick’s sidekick, Hucklesford, spots two suspects, so he and Nick go undercover. While Nick’s surveillance points to illegal gambling and murder, Huc...

 A Warm Welcome to Tracy Wainwright Hi Tracy, thanks for sharing your thoughts on fall, parenting and letting go as well as introducing us to your new book, Shifting Goals.  Fall Fall is a wonderful time of year. Not because I’m a pumpkin spice junkie, I’m not. While I love summer and the family time it gives us on the water, there’s just something extra special about the smell of autumn – bonfires, cinnamon, and, yes, even pumpkin – the array of leaf colors, football games (although I can’t remember the last full game I watched, and the temperature fluctuating from 40⁰ to 80⁰. Not to mention sweaters, boots, and leggings.  The other season changes seem to occur more gradually, while fall bursts on the scene like a random firework on a random Saturday (this is a thing in our neighborhood. Fall is the season when most of nature begins to die or hibernate. This may feel pessimistic or disheartening, but God made it beautiful. And we have extra bonuses like hayrides, corn ma...

  A Warm Welcome to June Foster The Bible verse and recipe June shares both relate to her new book,  The Hidden Legacy—a Ford Family Ranch book 2 Bible Verse  “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me.” Found in Mark 9:37 and Matthew 18:5, the Scripture refers to the hero in The Hidden Legacy , Austin Ford, when he was a child. Recipe The Ford family held an annual fund raiser to benefit the local homeless boys’ shelter in Oakville. One of the favorite dishes was Texas Bar-b-que.  Texas Bar-b-que Ingredients 1 beef sirloin tip roast (4 pounds) 1 can (5-1/2 ounces) spicy hot V8 juice 1/2 cup water 1/4 cup white vinegar 1/4 cup ketchup 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, or to taste 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground mustard 1 teaspoon paprika 1/4 teaspoon chili powder 1/8 teaspoon pepper, or to tast 16 Hawaiian sweet rolls split Directions: Cut roast in half; place in a 5-qt. slow cooker. Combine the V8 juice, wate...

  Tracy will give away a digital OR PDF (non-U.S. resident) copy of Overflowing Hearts. To enter to win leave a comment and an email address below. Hi Tracy, first, tell us a little about yourself. I’ve been writing for twenty years, which is not quite half my life. I never expected to become an author, as I was naturally a math girl in school. However, God often has different plans than we imagine. And greater than we can dream. When I got the bug to write, I started with a love for stories and a desire to share the lessons God taught me, scribbling words in between nursing babies, homeschooling, and volunteering at my church. Now, it’s quite amazing to say that I have over twenty books published and 6 more scheduled in the next 8 months. Were you an avid reader as a child? If so, what did you read? As a very young child, I wasn’t an avid reader. I say I began reading by default because everyone else in my house would spend quiet winter afternoons (when there wasn’t a football ga...

  A Warm Welcome to Tracy Wainwright Hi, Tracy, thanks for sharing your post about love with us.  Love Is the Greatest Thing.  When thinking about the question why did Jesus tell us to love one another, the answer seems obvious, yet complex. Few of us take the time to pause and consider the fact that God made us in His image. That each one of us is a Lord image-bearer. How astounding. When we survey creation, we observe God’s endless creativity and variety, even in humans. Yet, we recognize we are made different. Unique. Not just from one another, but from all the rest of creation. The greatest aspect of being human is our capacity to love. Since God is love, this makes sense. The triune Lord is love and emanates love. This easily explains our need for and ability to love others. However, ever since the fall, we’ve tended to give into selfishness, envy, and manipulation instead of selfless love. God knows that love is the best thing for us. To give and receive love fills ...

A Warm Welcome to Erin Stevenson Quint To receive a free story email Erin a Erin@ESQwrites.com for the free story. Hi Erin, first tell us a little about yourself. I’m Erin, and I’ve been writing faith-based fiction for about a decade. I indie published my first three-book series in 2018 and am up to 11 books now (I pulled two of them that were never edited properly and am preparing them for re-release). I am dedicated to writing stories of love and faith that support God’s ideal plan for marriage and family.  Tell us about your latest book. I first wrote this as a short story and intended to use it as a reader magnet. Then I expanded it and added a much heavier faith element. It’s about a Arizona police officer who is on leave while healing from a serious on-the-job injury. He accepts an invitation from an old Army buddy, now a sheriff, to come to Tennessee and help out on a case involving multiple unsolved burglaries. While there, he meets his buddy’s cousin, a beautiful, int...

 See below to enter the Giveaway. Years ago, I brought a bit of Western North Carolina to my house as a small bush. I never trimmed it into a city shrub, but let it grow wild and free like in the mountains. My mountain laurel blooming season has ended, but it's still in season in Northern Western North Carolina. Recently I set two books in a Discipleship Series in Western North Carolina. The characters in Hidden Danger and Dangerous Detour tell their stories in the winter when cold air whips around the hills. About Hidden Danger, Christian Romatic Suspense, Discipleship Series Book 1   After Emily Hanover’s left standing at the altar in Blue Mountain, North Carolina, she visits Sky High  Campground to put her life back together. Because it’s February and few people visit this time of year,   she’s alone on the premises. When noises in the middle of the night frighten her, she gathers her  courage and peeks outside. A man carrying a body over his shoulde...