Peering Through Life's Window

We drew a name... And the winner is... Hat, Horns, Confetti... Congratulations, Pamela Nastase

A Warm Welcome to Danele Rotharmel She'll give away a signed print copy of Time Trap and a “White Rose Prize Package”  It contains the following items. (U.S. residents only) • A white rose teacup and saucer • A white rose journal (Faith Sees the Invisible) • A white rose notepad To enter to win leave a comment and an e-mail address below She also shares a favorite Bible verse and recipe To Nourish the Soul 1 Corinthians 9:24, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.” Fond Memories And A Yummy Pecan Pie Recipe  Pecan pie and 1 Corinthians 9:24 always remind me of my great-grandmother Kathryn. Kathryn was an extremely spunky lady. She worked hard, and if she wanted something done, she went out and did it herself. She taught herself carpentry skills and created elaborate shelves, bedroom closets, and kitchen cupboards. She even took the wood from apple cra

St. Paul took a whole chapter in I Corinthians listing various hallmarks of love. Rather than attempt a pat definition, he revealed some of love’s many facets, turning it over and over as one might a brilliant, perfectly-cut diamond. Since love is such a broad topic, let’s zero in on one aspect—romantic love. When a special person makes the heart beat faster, regardless of the season of life, we begin to question our emotions. Am I in love?  How will I know when it happens? How can I be sure when it is the real thing? Living a few years teaches us romantic love is accompanied with tender feelings, but that “gushy” feeling alone is not enough to stand the test of time. Love is more.  Real romance involves two people who care enough for each to put the other ahead of themselves.  In a “me first” instant gratification world, that kind of commitment is rare.  Yet it is the kind of giving, sharing love we hunger for at our very core. Do I love him? Does he love me?  A simple test

Hats, Horns... Congratulations! Larry!

A Warm Welcome to Linda Weaver Clarke Linda will give away an e-book of The Lighthouse Secret , an Amelia Moore Detective novel. To enter to win leave a comment an an e-mail address below. Hi Linda, tell us about the Amelia Moore Detective Series. The Amelia Moore Detective Series is a G-rated romantic cozy mystery. You learn all about the life of Amelia Moore and her partner, Rick Bonito. You learn what kind of people they truly are through their bucket lists and what they’re like deep down inside. You even see a slow romance develop between them in each story until the day they finally tie the knot and are married. Now this detective agency will solve new cases as a married couple. Review of the Amelia Moore Series “In the Amelia Moore Detective Series , the author delivers a delightful, fairly fast-paced tale in the pursuit of a missing person, for that's what Amelia's agency specializes in. This time it is personal, as Rick's Uncle A

God Bless America  Have a Happy and Safe July 4th Enjoy Kate Smith singing "God Bless America" courtesy of YouTube. Find a giveaway about a book of freedom, Breaking Barriers , and take advantage of my "free" book on Amazon, Messages . I'm also celebrating a new web site that goes live on July 4th at http:///www.gailpallotta.com. Hope you can come by and visit. Celebrate with Free Books A Book About Freedom  In this action-packed thriller gunshots ring out as Ann Jones enters church. She hides in the bathroom until they stop then stumbles into the sanctuary. The congregation lies dead in pools of blood. To rebuild the church she starts True Light Guardians. At the first meeting she’s attacked by a terrorist but rescued by James Crawford. He melts her heart, cold from her father’s abuse, and they fall for each other. She’s afraid to commit to love that might grow angry later like the type she knew as a child. James year

I don't usually blog about my books, but this one is part of a special series, Prism Book Group's Love Is...Series. From Prism Book Group   A blog about Breaking Barriers When I was in college I used to run into an atheist in the small cafe where we gathered for Coca-Colas, hamburgers and French fries after class. I tried to avoid him, because he always hopped over to my table and started an argument about my faith. Perhaps he comes to mind on the release day of Breaking Barriers for several reasons. One, he was angry at me because I am a Christian. Even though today I can’t recall which verses he used, he’d take passages from the Bible and try to make me say they weren’t true. When I wouldn’t, he’d retort with a scientific argument and claim it had to be right. The second reason he comes to mind—it was the mention of God’s love that finally silenced him. One day I grew so frustrated I asked, “If there’s no God, where does love come from? Why don’t you mix

Hats, Horns... Celebrate... A winner's name has been drawn from comments below And... The Winner Is... Congratulations, Joyce!

A Warm Welcome to Beth Wiseman   Beth will give away EITHER an e-book OR a print copy (U.S. only) of Message In A Bottle . Winner's choice. To enter to win leave a comment and an e-mail address below. Hi Beth, first, tell us a little about yourself.   My husband and I are empty nesters living in South Central Texas. We wake up in the country to our rooster crowing, and we listen to the coyotes howling at dusk. As much as we love where we live, we have monthly discussions about selling everything and hitting the road in our RV. I suspect we will do that some day, even if just for a while. I’m blessed to be able to write for a living, and I can’t imagine doing anything else.    Tell us about your latest book. Each ‘Surf’s Up’ novella takes the reader to a beach locale, weaving romance and adventure into a soul-soothing journey of hope. In Message In A Bottle , Kyle loses the love of his life when girlfriend, Morgan, is whisked away by the CIA in the middle of the

Got a little help from hubby drawing a name on this one... He drew... Hats, Horns... Congratulations, Connie!

A Warm Welcome to Jodie Wolfe Jodie will give away a print copy of Hearts Tightly Knit . To enter to win leave a comment and an e-mail address below. Hi Jodie, first, tell us a little about yourself. I've been married for close to 29 years to the love of my life. We have two sons and two granddaughters, and another girl on the way. Congratulations! Lots of writers loved to read as children. How about you? If so, what were your favorite books? I loved to read as a child and most often had a book in my hands. I remember reading the Little House on the Prairie series, Encyclopedia Brown , Trixie Belden, Nancy Drew and a slew of other titles I can't remember.  Let's talk about your writing. What motivates you to do it? I write because it's something God called me to do. Writing is a part of who I am and how God made me. Tell us about your latest book. Orphaned at age ten, Ellie Stafford and her twin sister Mae made a vow—to stick together and n

Hats, Horns... Celebrate! The winner is... Congratulations, Mary!

A Warm Welcome to Brooke Williams Brooke will give away an e-book of EITHER After the Final Dandelion (Book Three) OR Dandelions on the Road (Book Two) in the Dandelion Series. Winner's choice. To enter to win leave a comment and an e-mail address below. Hi Brooke, first, tell us a little about yourself. I was born and raised in Iowa, but somehow landed in Nebraska after college. I spent a decade in radio before I had my first little girl. At that time, I segued into freelance writing and the novel bug bit me. I began writing romantic comedies and haven’t stopped since. You can find some of my work in these titles: Wrong Place, Right Time, Accept this Dandelion, Mamarazzi, Backwards Christmas, Dandelions on the Road, and After the Final Dandelion. Lots of writers loved to read as children. Were you an avid reader as a child? What did you read? Oh yes. I used to memorize books before I could read and then “read” them to people to impress them. I loved Beverly

Hats, Horns... The winner is... Congratulations, Sonja!

A Warm Welcome to Ginger Solomon Ginger will give away a PDF copy of Second Choice. To enter to win leave a comment and an e-mail address below. Hi Ginger, tell us a little about yourself. Without repeating my bio… my name is Ginger. I live in northern Alabama with my husband and six of our seven children—the oldest moved out a few months ago. I homeschool the youngest four, but in a few short weeks that will change as the oldest of them will graduate high school. I love reading, coloring (even before it was “in vogue”), reading, writing, reading, needlework (cross-stitch, crochet, and knitting), and reading (but I think I mentioned that one already). I am also a “gaming” mom, much to my son’s enjoyment. Many of their friends are jealous. LOL I see you love to read. Were you an avid reader as a child? If so, what did you read? Absolutely. There were many of a night that I would stay up until one or two in the morning reading, and then get up at six to go to school. I c

  We’re told in Scripture that God is love. He definitely proved His kind of love is an unconditional and undeserved type through sending His Son to die for our sins. Some love isn’t hard to conjure. God just helps us to enhance it. For example, I am still head-over-heels in love with my husband of twenty-six years. But through God’s Word and leading, I’ve learned to love my husband more like God planned for a wife to love her husband. When my little girl was born, I was in love, even though it took a lot to get her here. But God has shown me how to love my daughter through example and discipline. I struggled with infertility issues before finally conceiving my only daughter. My bitterness heightened each time I would hear about a young woman or girl who conceived out of wedlock and by accident. I cried out to God that this wasn’t fair. I wanted a baby and would care for that child and love that child, giving her a mother and a father. Some years later I was approac

    A Warm Welcome to Jennifer Slattery   Jennifer shares a devotional and a link to an excerpt from her new book, Breaking Free   Living Fully Present in the Present “Can you hear me now?” “Are you even listening?” My mind can be a jumbled mess, with so many must-dos swirling around, I miss out on the blessings unfolding right in front of me. It takes determination to remain fully present in the present. Today I choose now. This “present-focused-living” campaign started a year or so ago with a trip to the UP building to join my hubby for lunch. My daughter came with me, and the weather couldn’t have been better. Overcast, a slight breeze, maybe 75 degrees. Plus, I had annoyed my daughter a total of 0 times on the drive over. (If you didn’t believe in miracles before…) We get there to find my husband waiting, inching toward the exit. We’d fully expected to eat in the company cafe’, which is lovely. But he–and God–had other plans. My husband surprised

Winner's Choice for a book in Gay Lewis's Sarah Series is... Hats, Horns... Congratulations, Mary Preston!

A Warm Welcome to Gay Lewis   Gay will give away an e-book of the winner's choice. To enter to win leave a comment and an e-mail address below. Gay Shares a One-Hundred Year Old Cake Recipe Thanks for the inviting me to guest on your blog.  You asked me to share about myself—maybe tell something I’ve never told. So I decided to give you a recipe—one I’ve never given to anyone. I call it The One-hundred Year Old Cake—it’s at least that old and it comes from Alabama, but before you get to the ancient cake, I’ll tell you a bit about me, the cooks in the family and my latest book. My mother was the best chef I’ve ever known, with my two grandmothers coming in second and third. My mom and her parents came to Texas from Alabama. Talk about good southern cooking—they both knew the secrets. My paternal grandmother moved to Texas from Tennessee—another excellent southern cook. My mom used to make this cake and gave me the handwritten recipe. Her mother brought it from Alabam

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)   photo courtesy of Pexels “‘We are going up to Jerusalem,’ he said, ‘and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law, They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.’” (Mark 10: 33 – 34) photo courtesy of photobucket   “On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for t

  From the time boys became more than “tag” targets I was never without someone of the opposite sex to hang out with, call on the phone, escort me to dances or movies, even when Mom was the chauffeur. I was a drama queen flirt, histrionic friend, and disingenuous church group groupie. I’d love to say it changed in an instant when as a middle teen the Holy Spirit provided the answer to that infinite question of whether Christ was for real. Decades later, I am still working out who I am on many levels. That story won’t get the final edit until it’s over. In between, I went to college and joined not one, but two Christian groups, fell in love with the music, studying anything and everything, and the boy with the wispy blond mustache and highwater pants from one of the faith groups who prayed with me for John Denver’s soul. Seriously. We won’t know for a while if poor John received the benefit of our intervention. When the mustached boy didn’t run screaming after meeting m