Our Infinite Ability to Change

Thought for Today

"Man has two creators, his God and himself. The first creator furnishes him the raw materials of his life - the laws and conformity with which he can make that life what he will. The second creator - himself, has powers he rarely realizes. And it is what a man makes of himself that counts."

William George Jordan

Every now and then, my thoughts get pretty deep. During those times, I try to come up with poetic ways of sharing those thoughts. Below is an inspired piece from one of my books, and it kind of goes with the thought above. I hope it touches you the way it did me when the words came to me.

“The day we can look within ourselves and see our mortality,

yet feel the worth of our souls,

the day we can look on others and see the goodness in them

despite their weaknesses,

the day we can say no to evil,

despite the evil-doings of those around us,

when we can cry with those who suffer,

mourn with those who bear loss,

and comfort those who cast your comfort aside,

when we can see the good in each new day

and recognize the gifts that come with that day,

when we can love with a pure heart,

expecting nothing in return,

and magnify our valiance to the fullest,

the day we set aside the cares of the world

and embrace every good thing with a singleness

of mind, heart, body, and soul,

ever faithful, ever vigilant, doing all within

our power to remain unchanged in all respects,

on that day, we become more than mere men–

we become gods

and we live forever."

Suggested Reading

Book: House of Mystery

Author: M. L. Walling

About the book

Adrilla dreams has dreamed of a house for 14 years and then one day driving through the country stumbles upon the house in her dreams. She has to have the house and get the house she does. The house of that has been abandoned for years. The house of a possible murder or was it a suicide? Adrilla finds out as she begins her search into the history of the house.

I really enjoyed this story, as well as House of Misery, the second story in the series. Not only is Mary an awesome lady, she is a talented writer and I know you will enjoy this romantic mystery series as much as I have.

Order your copy of House of Mystery from Amazon.com 

Only three more days until the release of New!

The Most Important Catch

Thought for Today

“Instead of thinking about what you're missing, try thinking about what you have that everyone else is missing.”

 

Suggested Reading

Book: The Most Important Catch

Author: Jacklyn M. Hawkes

About the Book

Run or die!
She knew too much, and she’d seen too much.
And the police refused to help.
Knowing that she was to be the next scheduled death, Kelly Campbell hid under head to toe black leather and a tinted motorcycle helmet and ran for her life.
When the weather turned cold, she turned south.
She ended up in North Carolina, home to one of the most famed and eligible NFL football stars in the whole league; only she didn’t know that. She thought he was a businessman. Not being a huge fan, all she knew was that he was incredibly attractive, kind, generous, and that she was safe with him.
Or was she?
His brand of fame proved to be all but deadly, but his fame wasn’t nearly as lethal as his attraction. He kept her safe and protected. All except for her heart.

 

If you are LDS, you will love this LDS romantic suspense. Being from North Carolina myself, I thought it was cool to read a story that was set there. It was a clean romance that I enjoyed reading.

Order your copy of The Most Important Catch from Amazon.com

A New Novelette!

In the next couple of weeks New, a new romance novelette will be available in Kindle and Nook formats, and soon after, in paperback.

Blurb

Cosset is a lost soul with nothing left to live for.

Chance Hunter is a man on a mission. Desperately in love, he is willing to do anything, be anything, and give everything that he is to show Cosset that life is still worth living. He is bound and determined to heal her battle-weary heart and claim it as his own.

Open the pages of New and watch love happen.

Excerpt

Orlando, Florida

Today is going to be a great day to die.

I am a complete mess, and I know it. I also know what you see when you look at me. As sure as I'm standing here, I know.

You see a broken down human being, who, at the moment, is more being than human. Worn, torn, and bedraggled. Lame, not of body, but of heat and spirit. Frozen in time and place, longing to pick up the pieces of my life but not knowing how.

Someone nudges me and I move forward, taking the offered bowl from a smiling volunteer in the soup kitchen line. Finding an empty chair at a corner table, I sit down, avoiding eye contact with the three others at the table. I am acquainted with them, but I find no need to speak, and neither do they. We've shared the same address–the city park lawn–for the past year. Our stories have been shared countless times, and the lines etched into our weary faces tell those stories.

Richard, the guy to the right of me, owned an accounting firm that plunged along with the economy. He went bankrupt and lost everything, including his girlfriend and his so-called friends. Amy, to the left, is a seventeen year old runaway who had been kicked out by her drug addict parents. And sitting directly in front of me is Mark. His gambling addiction stole his once comfortable lifestyle.

Demons. We all face them every day that we are on the streets, and we strive to make sure our stories are not forgotten. Like we are.

My story, however, is the most painful.

A year ago I was a writer for a national magazine. I was a wife, a mother, a friend. My lifestyle was a comfortable one and I had everything I needed and more.

One afternoon changed everything.

* * *

Coming home to an empty house is surprising, but that feeling immediately turns to shock as I enter my two-month-old baby girl's room to find her crib gone and the dresser drawers empty. Running to my room, a painful wail escapes me as I pull out empty drawers that had just this morning held my husband's clothes. Shaking my head in momentary denial, I try to make sense of it all. Then my frozen feet move. Just as I pick up the phone to call the police, the doorbell rings, making the call unnecessary.

I am told by the solemn officer that my husband has been in an accident. Jack, my little Heather, and the woman with them, all died. I have suspected Jack of cheating for a while now, but to take my baby . . .

Five long and emotional days later I am informed by the bank that because of missed payments (a complete shock and a mystery to me) my home is no longer mine and I need to vacate. Moving through a haze, I fill a backpack. Taking the five thousand dollars I have been secretly saving from its hiding place at the bottom of the cedar chest at the foot of our bed, I stuff it into my pocket and walk away.

After a three-month binge of drugs and alcohol, the money dwindles to nothing and the streets become my home.

* * *

Though no longer a drug and alcohol user, my life choices up to this point are clearly written all over my countenance and I am no longer able to see the real me. I have forgotten who I am. I am sick of heart, tired in spirit, and I have no desire to remain among the living, if you can call barely existing living.

I am insignificant, making no difference in the world, having no purpose, and no sense of worth.

“I'm done,” I whisper as I step from the curb into the path of an oncoming black SUV. I am so done.

Check back for release dates.

Million Dollar Diva

My wonderful friend Tristi Pinkston teamed up with authors Brett Kitchen and Ethan Kap and wrote this neat little financial book for women.

About the book

Finally - the woman's answer to growing rich safely! Women today face more money challenges than ever before, from managing careers and families to finances - the demands on their time and resources are increasing. Bad financial advice abounds, and it can be hard to know what to do. Award-winning author Tristi Pinkston teams up with bestselling authors Brett Kitchen and Ethan Kap to bring you Million Dollar Diva. Experience Tristi's real-life transformation from stuggling in debt to million-dollar retirement!

In this book, you'll discover:

The 5-step, simple, safe, and predictable process to change living paycheck-to-paycheck to enjoying wealth and security.

How to give yourself a $400 per month raise without asking the boss or working a minute of overtime.

"Spend Like a Diva." How to have anything you want - nice vacations, eating out, trips to the mall. It's all part of the plan!

The secret formula of how to completely eliminate your debt in 1/3 the time and save tens of thousands on interest costs in the process. You'll see why all the TV gurus are wrong!

5 Million-Dollar-Diva investing strategies that will grow your money safely and predictably every year, without the guesswork.

Plus! Discover the key to stop fighting and quarreling with your spouse about money forever!

Imagine yourself living debt-free and building a million-dollar retirement safely and securely, so you can have total confidence in yourself and your future.

I think this book is perfect for women and is a fun way to learn about getting out of debt:-)
 Get your copy of Million Dollar Diva from Amazon.com 
To get a free copy (minus postage) log onto http://www.milliondollardiva.com/

A Royal Elf of Abalon

Thought for Today

"Love is that condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own."

Robert A Heinleim

Suggested Reading

Book: A Royal Elf of Abalon

Author: Anna del C. Dye


About the book
The deep relationship between Amaria, the princess of Abalon and Marken, the chancellor’s son, comes to a halting stop after their kingdom is almost annihilated. However, death isn’t the only thing this battle brings. Elfs come to their rescue and, as a souvenir, take the princess home with them. Blinded by fury, the overprotecting queen orders the extermination of the mighty elfs. Her captains know they can never win, so they are pleased when Amaria intervenes so desperately that she loses her mother. The unprepared princess is left to care for a kingdom that will demand her true love. A Royal Elf of Abalon is the stand-alone continuation of Anna’s Elf series. Once again she has crafted an exciting new tale full of jealousy, betrayals, and death. A Royal Elf of Abalon is a masterpiece created in the genre of Tolkien that you’ll love to the end.

New Romance Novel by Marie Higgins

Thought for Today

"The difference between reality and fiction? Fiction has to make sense."

Tom Clancy

Suggested Reading

Book: The Sweetest Touch

Author: Marie Higgins

The Book

Louisa wakes from a deep heavy fog, surrounded by strangers and horrified to discover she's been the sole victim of a terrible buggy accident. Worse... she remembers nothing.

Trevor Worthington, Duke of Kenbridge, can’t trust women. Yet after nearly killing the amnesiac Louisa, he has little choice but to open his home to her. His heart softens to the straggly woman in beggar's garb as he strives to help her regain her memory. As proof of Louisa's scars, both physical and those lurking beneath the surface, come to light, Trevor finds himself more and more drawn to the mysterious woman. However he is hesitant to enter another nightmarish entanglement like his first marriage.

Louisa is all too happy to accept employment in the Duke's household though it quickly becomes apparent she doesn't fit in at all! For starters she speaks French and has no skills to speak of. Bits and pieces of conflicting memories flash through her mind, lending more confusion to the puzzle of her life. Fortunately the duke proves ever patient with her myriad of mistakes and Louisa finds herself falling in love with the kind, brooding man. As their budding relationship progresses from improper to scandalous Louisa's memory begins to return. Dare she tell Trevor the horrible truths of her past? That she belongs to an evil man known only as Macgregor.

As the heartbreaking facts of Louisa's past are exposed and decade old questions come to light, will the truth keep these lovers from happiness? Will Trevor be able to give love another chance? Or will Louisa's sweet touch prove yet another forgotten memory...

If you love Marie's other books, you will love this one as well. She has a way with a love story and every novel is guaranteed good read:-)

Get your copy of The Sweetest Touch from Amazon.com.

For You Austen Fans

Thought for Today

We gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face... we must do that which we think we cannot.

—Eleanor Roosevelt

And in the words of my favorite little green guy, Yoda when he was training Luke, who was convinced his ship was too big to raise from the swamp. Yoda showed him it could be done:

Luke: "I can't believe it."

Yoda: "This is why you fail."

Moral: What we think about we bring about. We can't let our thoughts defeat us.

Suggested Reading

Book: Small Deceptions: A Novel After the Style of Jane Austen

Author: H. Linn Murphy

About the Book

Francesca Kennington merely wants to be left to her studies, despite her mother's best efforts to saddle her with a rich husband. Then she meets a mysterious gentleman, who leads her on a romp through the ballrooms and countryside of Georgian England. How can their romance blossom when they have chosen to keep it a secret from their friends and family? All too soon the small deceptions become too large and Francesca's house of cards tumbles. Can she put things back together and still marry for love instead of money?

If you love Jane Austen, you definitely love this book.. Though I have never been much of an Austen reader (I love Charlotte Bronte) this was a fun story filled with quirky characters you will grow to love. Like other reviewers have said, the author really does stay true to Austen's style, and though you never know what Francesca will do next, you can't help but cheer her on when she makes her choice. This is a book I know I will read again:-)

Order your copy of Small Deceptions from Amazon.com