Guest Post & Giveaway: Delia Hayward, Author of From Turmoil to Peace

 

Delia Hayward, one of eight children, grew up during the Hippie Era in a dysfunctional family, for whom emotional and physical abuse was a normal occurrence of her childhood.

Her marriage further deteriorated what little self-esteem she retained from her childhood. Perhaps these torments are what made her desperately seek God and a personal relationship with Him.

When her marriage fell apart, she rose to the challenge of raising three sons alone. With the help of God and sheer determination, Delia managed to instill positive self-esteem and a love for God into the hearts of the next generation.

As you read this book, may you also find hope in the midst of your storm, and may God bring you from turmoil to peace.

GUEST POST:

Title: When Pain Meets Purpose — Sharing My Story and God's Grace

 

Writing my story felt like standing at the edge of a cliff and trusting God to carry me across the canyon. It was terrifying, exhilarating, and deeply healing. Putting your life on paper—especially the parts marked by trauma, heartbreak, and spiritual transformation—is no easy task. You're laying your soul bare for strangers to read. But for me, the thought that my story could help someone feel less alone, or guide them toward hope, made it all worth it. I’ve received messages from readers saying they couldn’t put the book down—and that alone has been one of the greatest confirmations that the risk of vulnerability was not in vain.

The journey from journaling my experiences to publishing a book was never a straight path. God planted the seed in my heart long before I could see the fruit. I always had the sense that my story wasn’t just mine to keep—it was meant to be shared. But it wasn’t until I was laid off from work in 2014 that the vision truly came into focus. I had started writing while working full-time, but progress was slow and sporadic. When the job fell away and doors didn’t open elsewhere, I felt a clear nudge from God: “This is the time. Finish it.” What felt like a loss of career turned out to be a divine invitation to create something lasting.  Throughout the process, my faith anchored me. I trusted that if God called me to write this book, He would also equip me to finish it. And He did—but not without patience. It took eleven years of starts and stops, before it finally came to life in printed form. I had to learn to wait, to be okay with God's timing, which rarely matched my own.

 

The most helpful companion in this journey, without question, was my relationship with God. In moments when self-doubt crept in or the words wouldn’t flow, I leaned on Him. I also had friends and family who encouraged me along the way, reminding me that the pain I endured had purpose, and that sharing it could bring healing—not just to me, but to others.  This book isn’t just a testimony—it’s a love letter to anyone walking through the fire, wondering if there's a way out. 

 Read sample here.

From Turmoil to Peace is available at Amazon and Barnes&Noble.

Delia Hayward is a proud mother of three wonderful sons, a beautiful granddaughter and a precious grandson. God put it on her heart to write this book "From Turmoil to Peace" so that people could benefit from her life experiences. She has been blessed and hopes her book blesses others.

You can visit her website at https://deliahayward.name/ and follow her at Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/delia.hayward.14. 

Giveaway Details:

Delia E. Hayward is giving away TWO $25 Amazon Gift Cards!

Terms & Conditions:

• By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.

• Two winners will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive a $25 Amazon Gift Card.

• This giveaway starts August 18 and ends on September 18.

• Winner will be contacted via email on September 18.

• Winner has 48 hours to reply.

Good luck,

everyone!

ENTER TO WIN!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Faith and the Supernatural by Joshua Graham, Author of Beyond Justice

Today's guest blogger is Joshua Graham, author of Beyond Justice.

THE DESCENT INTO HELL IS NOT ALWAYS VERTICAL…

Sam Hudson, a reputable San Diego attorney, learns this when the authorities wrongfully convict him of the brutal rape and murder of his wife and daughter, and sends him to death row. There he awaits execution by lethal injection.

If he survives that long.

In prison, Sam fights for his life while his attorney works frantically on his appeal. It is then that he embraces the faith of his departed wife and begins to manifest supernatural abilities. Abilities which help him save lives– his own, those of his unlikely allies–and uncover the true killer’s identity, unlocking the door to his exoneration.

Now a free man, Sam’s newfound faith confronts him with the most insurmountable challenge yet. A challenge beyond vengeance, beyond rage, beyond anything Sam believes himself capable of: to forgive the very man who murdered his family, according to his faith. But this endeavor reveals darker secrets than either Sam or the killer could ever have imagined. Secrets that hurtle them into a fateful collision course.

Beyond Justice, a tale of loss, redemption, and the power of faith.

Faith and the Supernatural by Joshua Graham

I’ve been asked to speak about how I combined faith and the supernatural into my novel Beyond Justice. It’s an interesting topic for me because I don’t view the two as mutually exclusive topics. Quite the contrary.

Now, I might get into hot water with some members to the religious community who believe that religion is based solely on rituals, human intellectual understanding, or social action/justice. While I see the value on all those elements, for me, faith is much more than that.

Someone once told me, “Faith is a verb.” That’s a catchy phrase, but it is true. Faith is not what you profess. It’s not what you say you believe. It’s not even what you feel or think you believe. Faith is the hope for things of which you don’t have physical evidence AND are willing to take action towards.

Prayer and faith go hand in hand. Here’s an example my father, a great evangelist and preacher, once taught me: If you pray to God for rain, and don’t walk outside with an umbrella, then you don’t really have faith. Faith goes hand in hand with action. The Bible says, “…faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”

The supernatural and faith go hand in hand. I have witnessed many miracles in my life and the lives of others. What most consider “supernatural” really isn’t that esoteric, if seen through the eyes of faith. Some of the supernatural elements in Beyond Justice include visions, words of knowledge, spiritual warfare, and prophecy.

It stands to reason that if one believes in God, and as a Christian believes in Jesus, then they must also believe in God’s omnipotence—He can do anything, and cause anything to happen to and through people. The scriptures clearly talk about spiritual gifts which are given to believers. The only purpose for these gifts is to build people up and help them.

Jenn Hudson, a character in Beyond Justice said, “Miracles are happening every day, if you know how to spot them.” It’s really true. Some of them are great, some are small. There are healings, prophetic messages that warn, that encourage and bring emotional healing in miraculous ways. But the biggest miracle is the changing of the human heart.

I don’t compartmentalize my faith. It’s not like I go to church on Sunday and act one way, and then act completely different on other days. People who know me, know that I strive to honor God and follow the teachings of Jesus. I don’t push my beliefs on others, but I’m not shy about sharing my faith either, if they are interested. So writing a book with a supernatural journey for my protagonist came very naturally to me.

That said, I’m glad that various reviews have said that Beyond Justice, while having strong spiritual themes, does not come across as preaching. That’s my goal in writing as it is in life. I would like to honestly present a sincere perspective of spirituality for my reader to consider, but let them draw their own conclusions. Everyone was created with free will to choose what they believe. I just want to give them a chance to look at something they might not otherwise have cared to examine, without any pressure or sense of obligation.

Here are two spiritual insights that I received over the past seven years that have found their way into Beyond Justice.

When my mother passed away, the pain of losing her was deep. She had been my number one fan in life, always spoke life to me, always loved me unconditionally, and was always kind and loving. Losing her was so difficult. I knew I would see her in Heaven one day, but it felt like it would be such a long time to wait. Then, a quiet voice whispered not in my ear, but in my spirit:

It’ll be like waking up from a dream.

I knew this wasn’t my own inner thoughts. They were definitely from above. As I contemplated it, I understood. When we dream, the actual REM state is very short, measured in minutes. But during the dream, we can be there for what seems like hours, days, even a lifetime. As soon as we wake up, the dream is over. We are awake, and the dream which felt so real instantly becomes a fleeting memory that dissipates like a vapor in the wind.

Now, if we are asleep for about 6-8 hours, and all that you dreamed suddenly vanishes into a distant memory, how much more so will it be when we enter ETERNITY? Compare the difference of 8 hours asleep vs. 16 hours awake with 75 some years vs. Infinity. When we enter heaven and eternity, our entire mortal life will be even more vaporous than our dreams which happen over the course of a few minutes of REM sleep. You think life feels so real now? Imagine how it will be like in Eternity.

This is why the scriptures say, “O Death, where is thy sting?”

I was given this insight and it has given me hope in Christ that I will be reunited with my loved ones who passed away. This mortal life will suddenly become a distant memory, a dream. On that day, I know we’ll smile when we sing “Life was but a dream.”

The second insight came during a time when a couple of friends of mine’s two month old baby daughter Charlotte was dying of a brain tumor. We prayed and prayed for her to be miraculously healed, but in the end, she passed away. I remember that night, when I got the phone call that she had passed, I went up to my room and wept. I prayed asking God why he hadn’t healed Charlotte as He had healed others.

The answer came in the form of a vision. I saw a beautiful verdant meadow, a sparkling stream, and on the other side, Jesus Christ in a glowing white robe. He was holding the hand of a lovely young girl about six years old. I knew right away I was looking at Charlotte, her body completely healed and restored, beautiful and whole. I knew in my spirit that where she was, things were so much more real and better, and I was existing in a place that is temporary by comparison. My tears turned to joy. I thought, “that really is the better place.” And baby Charlotte’s little excursion to Earth was just long enough to encourage us, and point us to where we all can be one day, if we believe.

These two glimpses into eternity have changed my life. They have given me hope beyond all circumstances in life. It was so wonderful I had to incorporate them into my book and share. I realize in sharing this, some readers might think twice about reading Beyond Justice, but I promise you, it’s not a bunch of Bible-thumping preaching. It’s a sincere sharing of my life and faith in the form of a story, or a parable, if you will.

Miracles, healings, prophetic words, visions and dreams do happen all the time. We were created as spiritual beings. Some of us just don’t realize it yet.

Joshua Graham’s debut novel Beyond Justice is taking the world by storm, one reader at a time. Many of his readers blame him for sleepless nights, arriving to work late, and not allowing them to put the book down.

Publishers Weekly described Beyond Justice as:
“…A riveting legal thriller…. breaking new ground with a vengeance… demonically entertaining and surprisingly inspiring.”

Suspense Magazine:
“This book was so much more than a mystery novel; it was an exercise in faith, understanding, joy and mercy in their purest forms.”
“…twists, turns and surprises to be found here.”
“…filled with so much in the way of emotion.”
“…Take the time to read this book. You will not be disappointed.”

Under other pen names, Joshua has been published in three Pocket Book anthologies. Joshua’s short fiction works have been also been published by Dawn Treader Press.

He's a graduate of the Oregon Professional Writers Masterclass run by Dean Wesley Smith and Kristine Kathryn Rusch.

Joshua grew up in Brooklyn, NY where he lived for the better part of 30 years. He holds a Bachelor and Master’s Degree from Juilliard and a doctorate from Johns Hopkins University.

You can visit his website at http://www.joshua-graham.com/ connect with him on facebook at www.facebook.com/j0shuagraham or twitter at www.twitter.com/j0shuagraham.

Interview about VBTs at Writers In Residence on Wednesday!

Want to know more about virtual book tours?

Stop by the Writers in Residence blog on Wednesday, August 25th for my interview. We'll be talking about what you can expect from your tour, when you should begin thinking about signing up for a virtual book tour, the advantages of using VBTs to promote your book, and more.

I'll be checking in during the day to answer questions, so feel free to ask away.

You'll find me at the Writers in Residence blog on Wednesday by clicking here!

Where is God in Your Life? by Sue Provost

As Christians, our spiritual journey constantly brings us back to Jerusalem, to the death and resurrection of Jesus, which gives meaning to all that we do. Strengthened by God’s Spirit we join on the walk to wherever, we share meals, and we tell our stories. We remember. God, as we go along our life’s way, will help us to be aware of His presence with us. He will open our eyes, makes us expectant, eager to be met by Him. We will never complete our spiritual journey.

Quite often people do not know how to develop a relationship with God, in order to be able to feel God’s love for them and to be able to share that love with others. They need to be given the tools necessary to develop a relationship with God and to understand how that relationship is celebrated in community.

Through the development of three two-day workshops, I have presented a program that will show readers and participants how to recognize God in their lives and to feel His love. I have designed these workshops to help people to continue their spiritual journey to greater connection with God. Finally, I have created these workshops to help others to see the importance of the Christian faith as a spiritual roadmap to be used on the path to God.

Read the Reviews of Where is God in Your Life?:

"Where is God in my Life? Is full of rich resources of material that will help others discover God. I recommend it for retreats and small groups."
--Healthy Spirituality

“Where is God in Your Life? Do you feel stuck in your quest to know God? Have you been around a person whose pores breathe perfect and radiant peace? Fear does not define any part of their life; they are not driven toward recognition yet they clearly and brightly reflect God so that you can’t help but notice them. You may pray, go to a church, and have a great family, but you know you don’t feel satisfied on the same level as your glowing friend. Where is God in your Life: Three Retreats in Christian Spirituality by Susan M Provost, a new book available on Amazon, offers readers a pathway to reach a new depth in their relationship with God.”

--K. Tomsic, Amazon Reviewer


Three Easy Ways You Can Begin Recognizing God in Your Daily Life by Sue Provost

1. First, you can find God through prayer. Ask God quietly and frequently, "God, what do you want me to do with my life?" God knows you best. He created you, uniquely. It is not likely that Jesus is going to walk up to you like the apostles and say directly, "Come, follow me." Instead, God will guide you through prayer and experiences. Pray quietly, pray often, "God, what do you want me to do with my life?" Communication is not so much what we have to give God, but is more a living with God, a meeting with one who loves us unconditionally, a personal relationship in which it is truly God who does the giving, the giving of himself for us. The experience of being fully present in this personal relationship with God could be described as an altered state of awareness. Communication with God is essential, just as it is in any relationship. Communication is how we make the connection and build our human relationships; we learn to connect the same way with God through the communication called prayer.

2. Second, we know of God through faith. We trust in God’s goodness because we can see the beauty of God’s creation. We can also see the beauty of God in each other. We are all creations of God and God wants us to know how much God loves us. To feel the warmth of God’s love, we must open ourselves (just a little) so that God can take hold of our hearts and help us understand the depth of God’s love. God will help us if only we ask. We do not need to find God; we only need to recognize that God is already in our lives. God is continually working in our lives, but many of us do not feel or see this work. What is offered is the humble quest of a God who, in the person of Jesus, comes to reveal His love and beg our love in return.

3. Third, it can be difficult to encounter God while the focus of our lives is on the importance of earthly power and possessions. We cannot notice God working in our lives when we do not take the time to stop and notice anything. We do not know how to step out of the world of progress. We are moving so fast through our lives that we take no time to notice what is happening around us when the noticing is not necessary to fulfill our goal. In essence, we are programmed not to accept who we are, but we are driven to judge others and ourselves by earthly success, productivity, and accumulation of things. Consequently, we have no real appreciation for others or ourselves. We are trapped in a jail of our own creation. Ask God to reveal himself to you. So, slow down, sit quietly, and listen and you will hear God speaking to you. You will feel God’s presence with you. The more you do that, the easier it becomes. God is always with you whether you recognize him or not.




Sue Provost is an active spiritual director, religious education teacher for both children and adults, and author of Where is God in Your Life? Three Retreats in Christian Spirituality. Her vocation in the practice of spiritual direction supports lay men and women, as well as clergy and those in ministry formation, in discernment of God’s gifting and God’s calling.

Sue has a master’s degree in Spiritual Formation from Regis University, in Denver Colorado. She is on the board of directors for the national headquarters of Small Christian Communities Connect (SCCC), as well as being the chairperson for SCC in her local parish. She is a teacher of religious education to both children and adults. She writes a daily blog about the message of Jesus on her site “Let Your Life Sing” . Sue goal in writing this daily blog is to bring awareness of God walking with us on this earthly journey.

Her desire is to share her understanding of God’s love with others, so they can experience what she found in her own relationship with God. She feels that communication with God through prayer is the essential element needed to be able to see God’s movement in their lives.

You can visit Sue’s website at http://www.sueprovost.com/.

Blending History and Fiction, an Article by Leonora Pruner, Author of Close to His Heart

Today's guest blogger is historial novelist, Leonora Pruner, author of Close to His Heart.

In this eighteenth-century romance, a young and naive Grace Carstares plans a midnight elopement with a handsome stableman with suspicious motives. Their plans are thwarted, however, when Grace discovers a mysterious stranger lying guard at her bedroom threshold. All is explained the next morning when, to her dismay, Grace learns her nighttime guardian is young Lord Buryhill, a suitor approved by her father who caught rumor of her misguided romance and decided to protect her from ruining her life.

Determined to marry this particular young woman, Lord Henry Buryhill comes to deeply love Grace and hopes to win her love in return. Yet buried beneath this determination is his own abandoned hope that he would meet a woman who might share his commitment to God.

Henry wins Grace’s heart as well as her hand in marriage. But Henry cannot overcome his nagging fears that Grace clings to her affection for the stableman. His distrust darkly clouds their wedding night and shatters their hopes for a joy-filled union. Unaware of the reasons driving her husband’s suspicions and jealousy, a devastated Grace withdraws from Henry, busying herself in gardening and taking solace in God’s love.

An ensuing pony-cart accident, through which Grace loses all memory of former things, presents both Grace and Henry the opportunity to either abandon their shattered marriage or begin anew. A guilt-ridden Henry is determined to win Grace’s heart once again, but Grace must decide whether to accept the courtship of a complete stranger or continue her life in the small community among the people who found her and nursed her back from a head injury. Will Henry’s determination, forgiveness, and tender care be sufficient to rebuild a foundation for their marriage?

"Blending History and Fiction" by Leonora Pruner


People seem to read fiction more for a vicarious experience than learning facts as in non-fiction.

In writing fiction that takes place in a previous century, I think we owe it to the future readers to be pretty accurate in presenting life like it was then. That is, to avoid describing modern things that were not yet there, like a bridge not yet built, or using current American expressions, like “step on it” in a time in Europe when there were only horses for transportation, or current expressions like “no problem”.

A certain amount of “license” is permissible in placing a historical person in a place where he might have been, but may not have been at that precise moment. Fiction is not limited to the bare facts in telling a story that brings out Truth in a different dimension. It is not strictly limited to what did actually happen (although the facts may be given a very biased presentation). A great deal of history is based on surmise. Fiction goes beyond that.

In reading historical fiction, I like to have the experience of seeing things as they were, better understanding that time, how people lived then, and the things they might have experienced. Iain Pears recreated the 1600s in a fascinating way, from several perspectives in his “An Instance of the Fingerpost” and opened my eyes to a part of English history that was very vague to me. Kenneth Roberts did the same with “Oliver Wiswell” helping me understand the American Revolution from a non-revolutionary perspective.

When I was writing Love’s Secret Storm, I only read novels and history of that period or about the flowers and geology of the south of England and studied old maps of Oxford. The pleasure of reading anything else was denied. In so doing, I tried to soak up that time and place and those people’s lives in order to recreate it realistically.

Also, with dialog, I try to reflect different dialects without becoming burdensome to the reader. Since I could not remove a certain book on library loan from my library, I copied the entire dictionary of Sussex dialect to insure the correct use of terms and phrases. In addition, I asked a friend of mine who was born and raised in Yorkshire to review the text of a novel soon to be published for local dialog so the spelling would be correct.

Mentally and emotionally, I tried to “live” in that period of mid-18th century England and record what my characters experienced, saw, and thought. It was enjoyable and challenging. Imagine my surprise when I emerged after typing “THE END” of the first novel to see women’s shoes advertised with heels under the arch, like they had worn then and to observe men’s jackets in wide plaids and patterns as in the 18th century instead of plain black, dark blue, or brown. The past had become the present.



Leonora Pruner was born in Dubuque, Iowa, but has lived most of her life in California. Writing has been an important activity since junior high. She graduated from Westmont College in 1953 and earned an MBA from Pepperdine University in 1981.

Fascination with a possible eighteenth-century English character led to five years of extensive research, which resulted in the 1981 and 1987 publication of two period novels. That time remains of great interest to the author, and she continues to use eighteenth-century England as a setting for her work.

Leonora married in 1953, and her family has expanded from two children to thirteen grandchildren and five great-grand-children.

She lived in the Republic of Maldives from 1987 to 1997, where she collected folklore and taught economics and computer science. While there she wrote the first drafts of this book.

Other books by Leonora Pruner include Love’s Secret Storm and Love’s Silent Gift. The title of her next novel is The Aerie of the Wolf.

For more information please visit
http://nordskogpublishing.com/book-close-to-his-heart.shtml

Live to Tell by Lisa Gardner

He knows everything about you—including the first place you’ll hide.

On a warm summer night in one of Boston’s working-class neighborhoods, an unthinkable crime has been committed: Four members of a family have been brutally murdered. The father—and possible suspect—now lies clinging to life in the ICU. Murder-suicide? Or something worse? Veteran police detective D. D. Warren is certain of only one thing: There’s more to this case than meets the eye.

Danielle Burton is a survivor, a dedicated nurse whose passion is to help children at a locked-down pediatric psych ward. But she remains haunted by a family tragedy that shattered her life nearly twenty-five years ago. The dark anniversary is approaching, and when D. D. Warren and her partner show up at the facility, Danielle immediately realizes: It has started again.

A devoted mother, Victoria Oliver has a hard time remembering what normalcy is like. But she will do anything to ensure that her troubled son has some semblance of a childhood. She will love him no matter what. Nurture him. Keep him safe. Protect him. Even when the threat comes from within her own house.

In New York Times bestselling author Lisa Gardner’s most compelling work of suspense to date, the lives of these three women unfold and connect in unexpected ways, as sins from the past emerge—and stunning secrets reveal just how tightly blood ties can bind. Sometimes the most devastating crimes are the ones closest to home.

Read an Excerpt from Live to Tell: A Detective D. D. Warren Novel!

Thursday night, Sergeant Detective D. D. Warren was out on a date. It wasn’t the worst date she’d ever been on. It wasn’t the best date she’d ever been on. It was, however, the only date she’d been on in quite some time, so unless Chip the accountant turned out to be a total loser, she planned on taking him home for a rigorous session of balance-the-ledger.

So far, they’d made it through half a loaf of bread soaked in olive oil, and half a cow seared medium rare. Chip had managed not to talk about the prime rib bleeding all over her plate or her need to sop up juices with yet another slice of bread. Most men were taken aback by her appetite. They needed to joke uncomfortably about her ability to tuck away plate after plate of food. Then they felt the need to joke even more uncomfortably that, of course, none of it showed on her girlish figure.

Yeah, yeah, she had the appetite of a sumo wrestler but the build of a cover girl. She was nearly forty, for God’s sake, and well aware by now of her freakish metabolism. She certainly didn’t need any soft- middled desk jockey pointing it out. Food was her passion. Mostly because her job with Boston PD’s homicide unit didn’t leave much time for sex.

She polished off the prime rib, went to work on the twice- baked potato. Chip was a forensic accountant. They’d been set up by the wife of a friend of a guy in the unit. Yep, it made that much sense to D.D. as well. But here she was, sitting in a coveted booth at the Hilltop Steakhouse, and really, Chip was all right. Little doughy in the mid¬dle, little bald on top, but funny. D.D. liked funny. When he smiled, the corners of his deep brown eyes crinkled and that was good enough for her.

She was having meat and potatoes for dinner and, if all went as planned, Chip for dessert.

So, of course, her pager went off.

She scowled, shoved it to the back of her waistband, as if that would make a difference.

“What’s that?” Chip asked, catching the chime.

“Birth control,” she muttered.

Chip blushed to the roots of his receding brown hair, then in the next minute grinned with such self-deprecating power she nearly went weak in the knees.

Better be good, D.D. thought. Better be a fucking massacre, or I’ll be damned if I’m giving up my night.

But then she read the call and was sorry she’d ever thought such a thing.

Chip the funny accountant got a kiss on the cheek.

Then Sergeant Detective D. D. Warren hit the road.
■■■
D.D. had been a Boston PD detective for nearly twelve years now. She’d started out investigating traffic fatalities and drug-related homi¬cides before graduating to such major media events as the discovery of six mummified corpses in an underground chamber; then, more recently, the disappearance of a beautiful young schoolteacher from South Boston. Her bosses liked to put her in front of the camera. Nothing like a pretty blonde detective to mix things up.

She didn’t mind. D.D. thrived on stress. Enjoyed a good pressure-cooker case even more than an all-you-can-eat buffet. Only drawback was the toll on her personal life. As a sergeant in the homicide unit, was the leader of a three-person squad. It wasn’t uncommon for them to spend all day tracking down leads, interviewing informants, or revisiting crime scenes. Then they spent most of the night writing up the resulting interviews, affidavits, and/or warrant requests. Each squad also had to take turns being “on deck,” meaning they caught the next case called in, keeping them stuck in a permanent vortex of top- priority active cases, still- unsolved old cases, and at least one or two fresh call- outs per week.

Didn’t sleep much. Or date much. Or really do anything much. Which had been fine until last year, when she’d turned thirty-eight and watched her ex- lover get married and start a family. Sud¬denly, the tough, brash sergeant who considered herself wed to her job found herself studying Good Housekeeping magazine and, even worse, Modern Bride. One day, she picked up Parenting. There was noth¬ing more depressing than a nearly forty-year-old single, childless homicide detective reading Parenting magazine alone in her North End condo.

Especially when she realized some of the articles on dealing with toddlers applied to managing her squad as well.

She recycled the magazines, then vowed to go on a date. Which had led to Chip—poor, almost- got-his-brains-screwed-out Chip—and now had her on her way to Dorchester. Wasn’t even her squad’s turn on deck, but the notification had been “red ball,” meaning something big and bad enough had happened to warrant all hands on deck.

D.D. turned off I-93, then made her way through the maze of streets to the largely working-class neighborhood. Among local offi¬cers, Dorchester was known for its drugs, shootings, and raucous neighborhood parties that led to more drugs and shootings. BPD’s local field district, C-11, had set up a noise reduction hotline as well as a designated “Party Car” to patrol on weekends. Five hundred phone tips and numerous preventive arrests later, Dorchester was finally seeing a decline in homicides, rapes, and aggravated assaults. On the other hand, burglaries were way up. Go figure.

Under the guidance of her vehicle’s navigational system, D.D. ended up on a fairly nice street, double lanes dotted with modest stamps of green lawn and flanked with a long row of tightly nestled three-story homes, many sporting large front porches and an occa¬sional turret.

Most of these dwellings had been carved into multiple-living units over the years, with as many as six to eight in a single house. It was still a nice-looking area, the lawns neatly mowed, the front-porch banis¬ters freshly painted. The softer side of Dorchester, she decided, more and more curious.

D.D. spotted a pileup of Crown Vics, and slowed to park. It was eight- thirty on a Thursday night, August sun just starting to fade on the horizon. She could make out the white ME’s vehicle straight ahead, as well as the traveling crime lab. The vans were bookended by the usual cluster of media trucks and neighborhood gawkers.

When D.D. had first read the location of the call, she’d assumed drugs. Probably a gangland shooting. A bad one, given that the deputy superintendent wanted all eighteen detectives in attendance, so most likely involving collateral damage. Maybe a grandmother caught sit¬ting on her front porch, maybe kids playing on the sidewalk. These things happened, and no, they didn’t get any easier to take. But you handled it, because this was Boston, and that’s what a Boston detec¬tive did.

Now, however, as D.D. climbed out of her car, clipped her creden¬tials to the waistband of her skinny black jeans, and retrieved a plain white shirt to button up over her date cleavage, she was thinking, Not drugs. She was thinking this was something worse. She slung a light jacket over her sidearm, and headed up the sidewalk toward the lion’s den.

D.D. pushed her way through the first wave of jostling adults and curious children. She did her best to keep focused, but still caught phrases such as “shots fired...” “heard squealing like a stuck pig . . .” “Why, I just saw her unloading groceries not four hours before . . .”

“Excuse me, excuse me, pardon me. Police sergeant. Buddy, out of the way.” She broke through, ducking under the yellow tape rop¬ing off portions of the sidewalk, and finally arrived at the epicenter of crime- scene chaos.

The house before her was a gray-painted triple-decker boasting a broad- columned front porch and large American flag. Both front doors were wide open, enabling better traffic flow of investigative person¬nel, as well as the ME’s metal gurney.

D.D. noted delicate lace curtains framed in bay windows on either side of the front door. In addition to the American flag, the porch con¬tained four cheerful pots of red geraniums, half a dozen blue folding chairs, and a hanging piece of slate that had been painted with more red geraniums and the bright yellow declaration: Welcome. Yep, definitely something worse than gun-toting, tennis-shoe-tossing drug dealers.

D.D. sighed, put on her game face, and approached the uniformed officer stationed at the base of the front steps. She rattled off her name and badge number. In turn, the officer dutifully recorded the info in the murder book, then jerked his head down to the bin at his feet.

D.D. obediently fished out booties and a hair covering. So it was that kind of crime scene.

She climbed the steps slowly, keeping to one side. They appeared recently stained, a light Cape Cod gray that suited the rest of the house. The porch was homey, well kept. Clean enough that she sus¬pected it had been recently broom swept. Perhaps after unloading groceries, a household member had tidied up?

It would’ve been better if the porch had been dirty, covered in dust. That might have yielded shoe treads. That might have helped catch whoever did the bad thing D.D. was about to find inside.

She took another breath right outside the door, inhaled the scent of sawdust and drying blood. She heard a reporter calling for a state¬ment. She heard the snap of a camera, the roar of a media chopper, and white noise all around. Gawkers behind, detectives ahead, re¬porters above.

Chaos: loud, smelly, overwhelming. Her job now was to make it right. She got to it.

Read the Reviews!


“Boston police detective D. D. Warren returns in another gripping thriller… In addition to telling a compelling story, Gardner also explores an issue that is rarely discussed in fiction: children who are psychotic. Gardner never sensationalizes her story, and the book ends with a resolution that is creatively and emotionally appropriate. An excellent novel.” — Booklist, starred review

“Gardner has another hit on her hands.” – Kirkus Reviews

“The lives of three women collide in Gardner’s amazingly chilling new thriller… The devastating, sometimes tragic consequences of childhood mental illness are the backdrop for this electrifying tale of murder and family secrets.”
– Jill M. Smith, RT Book Reviews – 4-1/2 Stars – Top Pick



Lisa Gardner is the New York Times bestselling author of twelve novels. Her Detective D. D. Warren novels include The Neighbor, Hide, and Alone. Her FBI Profiler novels include Say Goodbye, Gone, The Killing Hour, The Next Accident, and The Third Victim. She lives with her family in New England, where she is at work on her next D. D. Warren novel, Save Me, which Bantam will publish in 2011.

You can find Lisa online at http://www.lisagardner.com/.

The Accidental Millionaire by Gary Fong

The Accidental Millionaire: How to Succeed in Life Without Really Trying is the memoir of Gary Fong, would-be slacker who revolutionized wedding photography, inventor of popular photography aids, entrepreneur, contrarian, bon vivant and a man who really, really didn’t want to become a doctor. A first-generation Chinese-American, Gary was raised in one of Los Angeles’ least-desirable neighborhoods and was forced to deal—in his own quirky and often very funny way—with the burdens of poverty, crime and his parents’ relentless aspirations. These issues almost overwhelmed him until he had a dramatic epiphany. Spotting a bumper sticker that read “Since I gave up hope, I feel much better,” Gary promptly did just that.

He stopped trying and started succeeding. At turns hilarious, insightful and instructive, The Accidental Millionaire is Horatio Alger-meets-David Sedaris. Turning the traditional self-help principles upside down, The Accidental Millionaire disdains the goal-oriented approaches of traditional self-help philosophies. Sometimes not knowing where you are going is the best possible way to get there.

Read an Excerpt!

My life has not gone according to “The Plan.”

The Plan was for me to go to medical school and eventually pull down a respectable salary of about $150,000 a year.

Had I gone with The Plan, by this point in my life (I’m in my mid-forties) I probably would have just finished paying off my student loans and would be eyeing that thirty-two-foot Catalina sailboat with the FOR SALE sign that I passed every night on my way home from the clinic. I’d be settled into a comfortable home in the ‘burbs, with my wife of twenty years and my 2.3 kids, driving a Lexus sedan. And living the life of my dreams.

Well, my parents’ dreams.

Which I tried, for a time, to convince myself were my dreams too.

Following The Plan made me cry a lot. Eventually I found myself with a literal gun to my own head. That’s when I ran from The Plan and began an adventure into uncharted territory.

Uncharted territory goes completely against the grain of my upbringin.

My parents were first-generation Asian immigrants. Their lives’ territory was very well charted. And they’d charted mine too. My destiny was determined before I was born, and I had absolutely no say in it. My parents didn’t know (or particularly care) if I was going to be gay or blind or a violent psychopath. All they knew was that I was going to be a doctor. Secondarily to that, of course, I would be married at a young age to a nice Chinese girl whom my mother endorsed, and I would deliver my mother numerous grandchildren for her to spoil. ASAP.

While I was growing up, my family suffered through sobering bouts of poverty. My parents sacrificed everything to ensure that I could get a good education. All they wanted was for me to not have to face the same financial struggles that they had. As a side benefit, they also weren’t going to mind the privilege of saying, “My son, the doctor.”

I didn’t want to live in poverty either, so I gave The Plan a go for many years. I even got a degree in pharmacology in my attempt to become a physician.

I failed.

And what did I do instead? I became a wedding photographer.

You can imagine the songs of joy this caused to leap from my parents’ hearts.

And yet, spring-boarding from that career, which began with moving back into my parents’ apartment and shooting weddings for $150 each, I became a multi-millionaire within a fairly short period of time. And it happened due to one improbable accident after another.



Read the Reviews!

"This is not your typical “how to get rich” book. This is the story of a man’s life; an illustration of the major events that influenced his thinking and behavior. Fong’s story includes not only his successes, but also his failures in business and his personal life that drove him to constantly reassess his approach. This is a book that will shake up your way of being in the world, maybe even crack open a door for a few accidents of your own to tumble through. I highly recommend it."

– Melissa Levine, Independent Book Reviewers

"Fong has succeeded in narrating a gripping success story that offers insight after business insight. It is more than a tale about a shrewd businessman, but rather a story about a visionary that will inspire readers to think creatively and individually, and not be prevented from taking action by limited resources."

– Norm Goldman, Publisher & Editor Bookpleasures

"It certainly is not an accident Gary Fong has succeeded in life, and has earned millions of dollars. A person of his wit, self-confidence, and integrity exemplifies the “American Dream” in our “Land of Opportunity.” Opposed to ego flaunting books of success by guys like Donald Trump, Gary Fong takes the humble route, full of self-mockery and modest remarks, as he casts his fate to the wind to free himself and let life lead his path. He is very unlike the Jack Welch type of millionaire that professes the full control of cognitive evaluation of risk approach, or the scores of books offering money making formulas investing in real estate."

–Pacific Book Review

"This book is one that I would highly recommend...the style of writing is extremely fluid and full of humor, intelligence, and the drive to succeed."

--Review from Here



Gary Fong is a world-renowned photographer, inventor and entrepreneur who has made multiple fortunes in business and real estate. From his inauspicious beginnings in a tiny, hairspray-saturated apartment that doubled as his parents’ wig studio, he went on to become, at a very young age, one of the world’s most successful wedding photographers. After making millions by revolutionizing an industry traditionally reserved for small businessmen, he “stumbled” upon serial successes in photo printing, software, real estate and camera accessories by making unconventional decisions based on his own quirky impulses. Gary has photographed celebrities such as Sylvester Stallone, Paul McCartney and Ronald Reagan, invented and marketed the Lightsphere, and co-founded Pictage, which became the largest dedicated online digital/web solution in the United States and sold for $29 million.

His latest book is The Accidental Millionaire: How to Succeed in Life Without Really Trying.

You can visit his website at www.garyfongaccidentalmillionaire.com.

After by Ann Putnam, Author of Full Moon at Noontide

Today we welcome guest blogger, Ann Putnam, author of Full Moon at Noontide: A Daughter's Last Goodbye.

After by Ann Putnam

On Friday the 13th of September, my father had a stroke and I knew that losing him had begun in earnest. But as these things go, he was eventually sent off to the hospital rehab to learn how to walk through life dragging a leg and an arm. On the fourth weekend, when my father had been in the hospital a month, he got a pass to go out for dinner. He had not been in the world since that morning he slipped from his chair to the floor. This is the memory that rises up: It’s his first time out in the world in a wheelchair. But he’s dressed up in his camel blazer, brown wool pants, oxfords, blue shirt and tie. It’s all new to us, pushing a wheelchair. It’s all new to him, too, the view from the chair. But then we’re seated around a lovely table that looks out over the river shimmering in the late afternoon sun. All that sunlight, that brilliance spread for us. The sun sinks lower until it reaches the windows of the office buildings across the river and shatters into a mosaic of light. The office building is a cathedral now, casting its light across the river in wavery patterns of radiance. I can’t speak. A holy moment, because here we are, all together, crossed over to safety at last. “Dad, look!” I say. What I mean is, the world is still a beautiful place. You still have your life. I’m feeling expansive, blessed in some way. I take this as a sign that everything will be all right. My father looks around astonished. Life as it had been before.

It’s dark now, and little white lights have come on all over the restaurant. Such enchantment for an October night. The restaurant lights flicker across the water. If I were my father, I would never want to leave. I would never want to go back to that hospital. But he does. He’s had enough of everything. His back is getting tired and he looks a little frightened. He wants his hospital bed, the pillows and covers just as he likes them, the TV bolted to the corner of the wall, the TV remote by his steady left hand, the nurses to pat him and take his temperature and blood pressure and listen to his heart, and tell him that all is well.



Ann Putnam holds a Ph.D in English from the University of Washington. She teaches creative writing and gender studies at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington. She has published short fiction, personal essays, literary criticism and book reviews in various anthologies such as Hemingway and Women: Female Critics and the Female Voice, and in journals including the Hemingway Review, Western American Literature and the South Dakota Review. Be sure to check out her website at www.annputnam.com.

Different Than Any Other City in the United States, an Article by Maria Lucia, Author of LIBERATION

Our guest blogger today is Maria Lucia, author of LIBERATION,BOOK ONE OF THE ANDRUSIAN CHRONICLES.

Amora Madre is content in the Smokey Mountains pursuing her teaching of love, things of the spirit, and metaphysics. Her childhood invisible playmates, Casey and Nia, are always by her side. But when soul mate Gabriel Ephraim enters her life, she is drawn into the heart of a horrific encounter with the spirit world in the skies over Washington D.C. Catapulted into service for the Intergalactic Supernatural Intelligence Agency, ISIA, the kindred lovers soon discover the existence of an invisible wickedness over the city, its galactic origins, and its evil designs for national and world events.

As part of an Andrusian galactic strike force, assembled to dismantle the malevolent legion’s brutal matrix, Amora and Gabriel, seasoned and accomplished, embark on a dangerous adventure filled with Onaweyans, Scorpillians, historical figures, and a confrontation with the dark supernatural syndicate over the fate of the United States and the earth.

With journeys into dimensional worlds, interactions with fantastic characters and creatures, and revelation of the current struggle between the spiritual forces of good and evil, LIBERATION draws the reader into a world where the spiritual dimensions and reality converge.

Setting is an important decision for writers. I asked Maria to discuss why she chose the skies above D.C. as the setting for her story. Here's what she had to say:

Different Than Any Other City in the United States by Maria Lucia

D.C. is different than ANY OTHER CITY IN THE United States. It holds within its very core the energy that founded this nation. It’s amazing. When you walk the streets you feel that something is different, that something goes deeper than the avenues and buildings. This is particularly true in the mall where you can see the monument of George Washington and the capitol. Something is kept alive in D.C., something that began 234 years ago and that we are a part of. This book is about today’s world. It holds within it pages powerful challenges that the human race is facing as well as the nation. There was no other setting for the story. I had to have a place that was meaningful to the challenges of today and to the voices calling out nationally and globally.







Born in Havana, Cuba, and having immigrated to the United States in 1960, Maria possesses a true and in-depth understanding of the power and unlimited potential of evolving and beginning again.

A University of Memphis education graduate and a professional musician and vocalist, Maria moved deeply into the study of music and launched a very successful musical career in 1984. It included experiencing music on the performance level and the educational level as well. She began her studies of the deeper aspects of music immersed in the wisdom of Stephen Halpern and the integration of the healing effects of music and sound. She developed her voice simultaneously with her ability to teach others how to create and bring out their own voice and soul through music.

In 1994 she completed a nine year position with the world renowned Howard Hanger Jazz Fantasy and left her music career to focus entirely on developing her teachings. She spent many years in private practice, facilitating her own seminars and counseling on creativity. Her experience includes programs for gifted children in the public school system and creativity seminars for musicians at the university level. She has been a musical director for church programs, composer of music, and a producer of concerts. She has traveled nationally, performing and delivering seminars for more than twenty years.

She presently resides in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area and has taken a sabbatical from teaching. She is working full time on her writings and on launching her new book, LIBERATION, Book One of The Andrusian Chronicles.

You can find out more about Maria Lucia at www.andrusianchronicles.com

Wanted: A Healthy Interaction between Writers and A Fresh Young Audience by Steven Verrier

Today's guest blogger is Steven Verrier, author of the novel, Plan B.

Life was good to fifteen-year-old Danny Roberts. He was a model student, playing violin in his high school orchestra and earning straight A’s on the fast track to university. But then things went very wrong very fast. The problems started when a teacher wouldn’t let Danny out of class to go to the bathroom – even though he said “I’ve really got to go!”

Danny responded by defying authority for the first time in his life. That shocking act of defiance earned him a suspension, and Danny’s troubles snowballed from there. But Danny isn’t your typical student, and he doesn’t take his lumps lying down. He fights back on his terms as he plots a course through uncharted waters.

Wanted: A Healthy Interaction between Writers and A Fresh Young Audience
by Steven Verrier

During the past few years I taught English at a high school on the east side of San Antonio, Texas. While I had some good students who liked to be challenged and who’d read anything they could get their hands on, I had far more students who weren’t much interested in reading anything that couldn’t be broken down to simple text messages. Even if they wanted to read books or other materials considered suitable for readers their age or older, they just didn’t have the background for it. The vast majority of my students, according to standardized tests and what I saw daily in the classroom, weren’t able to read anywhere near ‘grade level.’

As a teacher, I had to adjust certain expectations as I went along. Some students, for example, had to be provided simpler translations of Shakespearean plays in order to get anything out of Shakespeare. They could be introduced to the Elizabethan language, but in order for them to get any sense of ‘story,’ well, the language had to be simplified and the ‘story’ often had to be shortened or summarized.

Nobody would suggest, though, that summaries or simplified versions should supplant Macbeth or any other piece of literature young people nowadays may find difficult. It’s a real tragedy that so many young people are unequipped for serious reading, but writers aren’t the ones most at fault. Schools and parents should set their sights on producing a new generation of strong readers, and writers should set their sights on producing a new generation of strong literature. Only when both parties succeed in doing their part will we have a healthy interaction between writers and a fresh young audience.




Steven Verrier, born in the United States and raised in Canada, has spent much of his adult life living and traveling abroad. Publications include Plan B (Saga Books, 2010), Tough Love, Tender Heart (Saga Books, 2008), Raising a Child to be Bilingual and Bicultural (Hira-Tai Books of Japan), and several short dramatic works (Brooklyn Publishers, USA). Currently he is living with his wife, Motoko, and their five children in San Antonio, Texas.

You can visit his website at www.stevenverrier.com.

Look for our review of this book coming to TC&TBC on July 30th!

Getting to Know Mike Brody from The Last Track by Sam Hilliard

Today's guest blogger is Sam Hilliard. We're going to be getting to know a little bit about Mike Brody,the main character from Sam's mystery/thriller novel, The Last Track.

Imagine if being late meant a child disappeared forever. That is the fear that drives Mike Brody—the man you want when the one you love is missing.

In The Last Track, a police detective recruits Mike to help find an asthmatic boy lost in the dense woods surrounding a dude ranch in Montana. An unwitting murder witness, the boy burrows ever deeper into the rugged terrain, fearful of being found. As Mike and a local officer search for the boy, the killer follows them.

While the investigation expands, Mike’s ex-wife, a well-connected journalist, uses her contacts to unravel the truth behind the murder.

Her discoveries threaten to snare them all in a treacherous conspiracy . . .


Getting to Know Mike Brody by Sam Hilliard

While Mike Brody has a broad set of skills—one bordering on supernatural—it is the depth of his childhood wounds that truly forged him. The circumstances of his abduction and the murder of his brother haunt him to this day.

Able to think and adapt in the most chaotic of situations, he sees what others overlook. By tapping into the emotional charge left behind in their tracks, Mike can visualize the circumstances that led to a person’s disappearance, as if through their eyes.

A former Special Forces operative and member of the 75th Ranger Regiment, Mike’s spent most of his twenties in the military. Toward the end of his tour of duty, Mike suffered a serious knee injury during a mission that resulted in several months on the sidelines. Though eighty percent of the mobility in the affected knee returned, specialists agreed that even with a full replacement and months of rehabilitation, he would never return to full capacity. Since the injury could potentially prevent him from giving one hundred percent in a combat situation, both parties agreed not to extend his service upon expiration of his contract.

While his wife, Jessica, celebrated the end of his military career—a recurring point of stress between them—her joy was short-lived. Mike soon began leading extreme excursions all over the world and smoke jumping forest fires in the Pacific Northwest. Occasionally the knee injury flares up and requires treatment, temporarily sidelining him once again.

In the midst of all of this, are the calls from law enforcement agencies and desperate families asking for his help in the search for the missing. He answers, always, no matter what the cost to him personally, emotionally or professionally.

Jessica finally tired of his adrenaline seeking ways and his refusal to seek help for some issues she felt impacted their marriage, filed for divorce. Currently, they work hard to maintain an extremely civil friendship for the benefit of their young son, Andy. But they continue to struggle with an on-again, off-again relationship, that doesn’t work well when they are together, but doesn’t work at all when they are apart.

Besides the knee injuries, Mike suffers from night terrors, as well as post traumatic stress and abandonment issues—the product of losing his parents just before high school and reinforced by his own divorce.

At the end of the day, Mike Brody is an unlikely hero. He is a man who wants to do the right thing, for all the right reasons. But it is the way he approaches those situations that the people who care for him the most have trouble accepting.


Read the reviews!

"The Last Track by Sam Hilliard is an emotionally charged mystery thriller."

- Rundpinne

"I hope the Mike Brody series continues because I really enjoyed this first installment and hope to learn even more about Mike during further books."

- My Reading Reading

“From the very start The Last Track captivates with a frenetic pace, keeping the reader engaged in a series of suspenseful events."

- Cindy Otty, Amazon.com Reviewer



Sam Hilliard was born in the Midwest in 1973. Right before he graduated from college, his family moved to Red Bank, New Jersey. He worked at a convenience store, but he knew he wanted to be a writer--even if he wouldn't admit it. After his marriage and subsequent divorce, Sam spent the next two years writing The Last Track. He's now the Director of IT at an all girls boarding school, and lives in New York City with his girlfriend and an army of cats.

You can visit Sam online at samhilliard.com.