Sneak Peek ~ My Children's/Picture Book ~ Don't Call Me Fluffy!

HERE IS A SNEAK PEEK OF MY ATTEMPT 

AT WRITING A CHILDREN'S BOOK!

(Me speaking)
Oh, honey Jasmine had her kittens there are two black ones and two gray ones.

(John the man)
Look one of the black and one of the gray kittens are bobtails like Jasmine.

***A few weeks go by.

(John/Man)
Well dear it looks like their eyes are open.

(Me/Lady)
How cute they are so very fluffy.

(John/Man)
Yes, I see and they seem to be moving around pretty good. The little gray bobtail seems be dragging it's back legs.

(Me/Lady)
I think something might be wrong with little Fluffy.

(John/Man)
Don't worry, just wait and see how he does in the next few weeks.

***A few more weeks go by.

(John/Man)
Fluffy bobtail sure is holding his own with his brothers.

(Lady)
Are you sure they aren't going to hurt Fluffy.

(John/Man laughing)
 He seems to be getting the best of them.

***Out and about with the kittens.  They are free to explore the great outdoors.  (the kittens call me and John the Keepers)

(Kittens)
Hey don't the Keepers call you Fluffy (laughing). Fluffy, Fluffy (more laughing) You even walk funny! Bet you can't catch me Fluffy!

(Fluffy/gray bobtail)
Mom! Tell them to stop calling me Fluffy. How can they call me Fluffy? I am a boy not a little girl. There isn't anything wrong with the way I walk. Is there?

(Mom Jasmine)
Now boys don't pick on your brother. It is just taking him a bit longer to get use to his legs than the rest of you and don't call him Fluffy. Mr.Owl will soon give you names but first he must watch you for  a few weeks to see what name best suits each of you and I am pretty sure none of you will be called Fluffy.

(Jasmine)
Mr. Owl! Mr. Owwwl!

(Mr Owl)
Whooww whooww is there!

(Jasmine)
It's me, Jasmine.

(Mr Owl)
Hello Mrs. Jasmine I have been keeping watch over you kittens. They seem to be picking on gray bobtail.

(Jasmine)
Yes, that is why I came to see you. He is beginning to notice he is different from his brothers. He has a hard time keeping up with them. But other than his legs not working right he seems to be as rambunctious as his brothers. On top of that the Keepers have started calling him Fluffy and pamper him as if he were special.  If you have time would you please talk to him. You are so very wise I am sure it would help him.

***The next day.

(Fluffy/gray bobtail)
Mr Owl! Hello. Are you home?

(Mr Owl)
Well well if it isn't Mrs. Jasmine's gray bobtail.

(Fluffy/gray bobtail)
Hello sir, Mom said you wanted to speak with me about something.

(Mr Owl)
Yes, Yes I hear your brothers are teasing you calling you Fluffy. I wouldn't worry about that too much I am sure you have called them silly names before. Right?

(Fluffy/gray bobtail)
Rrriight.

(Mr Owl)
I have noticed you seem to be having a little difficulty with your back legs.

(Fluffy/gray bobtail)
Yes sir, they just don't seem to want to cooperate. I can't run as fast as my brothers or even walk very well without them tripping me up. Then there is that big dog Cocoa that keeps picking me up and giving me a bath. My brothers are able to run fast enough to get away from him but I just can't run fast enough and he catches me every time.

(Mr Owl)
I tell you what son why don't you watch some of the other animals like Squirrel, Rabbit, Raccoon and Possum and see how they get around maybe they have some suggestions.

(Flurry/gray bobtail)
Thanks Mr. Owl that is a great idea!

(Mr Owl)
Let me know how it goes!

(Fluffy?gray bobtail)
I will sir! Goodbye!

*****

I DID NOT GET ANY FURTHER.

   THE STORY IS ABOUT ONE OF OUR  KITTENS THAT APPEARED TO NOT HAVE USE OF HIS BACK LEGS POSSIBLY PARALYZED.  BUT HE WAS DETERMINED TO KEEP UP WITH HIS LITTER MATES.  AS HE STARTED MOVING AROUND THE BACK HALF OF HIM RESEMBLED A FROG, INCLUDING A LARGE STOMACH & FLAT BACK.  HE LEARNED TO HOP ON HIS BACK LEGS & IN TIME HE GOT AROUND MORE LIKE A RABBIT, STANDING HIGH IN THE FRONT & LOW IN THE BACK.  WE NAMED HIM WASCALLY WABBIT.  PEOPLE HAD THE AUDACITY TO ASK IF HE WAS HIS SIRE WAS A RABBIT ESPECIALLY SINCE HE HAD A LITTLE COTTON BOBTAIL.  DUH!  PEOPLE, HE IS A CAT!

   SO BACK TO THE STORY.  I HAD INTENDED TO HAVE FLUFFY/GRAY BOBTAIL GET ADVICE FROM THE OTHER ANIMALS MR. OWL SUGGESTED HE SPEAK WITH.  HE ENDED UP TAKING MR. RABBITS ADVICE AND ENDED UP BEING THE FASTEST CAT IN THE COUNTY AND WAS PROUD TO BE NAMED WASCALLY WABBIT BECAUSE HE WAS AS FAST AS A RABBIT.

TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK!

Hugs,
PATRICIA aka MAMAW

Review: Witch Song by Amber Argyle (Good vs. Evil)

About author:
Amber Argyle grew up with three brothers on a cattle ranch in the Rocky Mountains. She spent hours riding horses, roaming the mountains, and playing in her family’s creepy barn. This environment fueled her imagination for writing her debut novel.


She has worked as a short order cook, janitor, and staff member in a mental institution. All of which has given her great insight into the human condition and has made for some unique characters.


She received her bachelor’s degree in English and Physical Education from Utah State University.


She currently resides in Utah with her husband and three small children.

You can follow her on:

Twitter

Facebook

Blog

Website

Paperback, 305 pages
Published September 1st 2011 by Rhemalda Publishing
ISBN 1936850168 (ISBN13: 9781936850167)

About:
The world is changing.


Once, Witch Song controlled everything from the winds to the shifting of the seasons, but not anymore. All the Witches are gone, taken captive by a traitor.


All but Brusenna.


Now the traitor is coming for Brusenna, and ever her guardian can't protect her. Somehow, Brusenna has to succeed where every other Witch has failed. Find the traitor. Fight her. Defeat her.


If Brusenna fails, there won't be anything left to save.





My Thoughts:
I got very wrapped up in this book. It was an action packed adventure about a good witch. Brusenna thought she was ostracized because her mother was a witch. She soon finds out that she is the last witch and has to face and defeat the Dark Witch Espen. She soon finds there are witch friends that are eager to help and protect her on her quest to defeat the Dark Witch. She is assigned a guardian to protect her. This is a fast moving story and I did not want to put it down. It had my adrenaline flowing. I need to stop writing about the book before I spoil the story for you.


The author has an amazing imagination to come up with this brilliant story. At one point in the book she could have stopped writing and I would still have cheered her work. But she kept going beyond brilliance.


It is a young adult, fantasy and is a must read. I am definitely not a young adult and I loved it. I am hoping the author will write a sequel.


Even though this book is a out of my Christian genre I highly recommend you read this book you won't regret it.


I rate this book a 5 out of 5


Check out Goodreads/Firstread Giveaway to win a copy  view details here.

Mamaw's Sunday Devotional by Learning to Be Content: His Heavenly Sunlight

 Joan from Learning to be Content Blog kindly let me post one of her beautiful blog post, His Heavenly Sunlight.

 His Heavenly Sunlight

The LORD is compassionate and gracious,

Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness.

Psalm 103:8 (NASB)

We all have days when we feel unappreciated and unloved. The sun isn’t shining and something is amiss in our souls. The devil beckons us to play the re-runs of failures and tempts us to relive our most painful memories. He wants us to hang our heads, feel defeated and wallow in our misery and insecurity.

But, we can make a choice as soon as the old tape begins to play those troubling tunes. We can turn to God; seek His face, read His Word, take His hand, claim His promises, dwell in His presence and rest in His love. In our darkest hours, God wants us to find His Heavenly sunlight.

God doesn’t judge us like the world does. He is the Father of compassion. David expresses it so well in

A Psalm of David

Bless the LORD, O my soul,

And all that is within me, bless His holy name.

Bless the LORD, O my soul,

And forget none of His benefits;

Who pardons all your iniquities,

Who heals all your diseases;

Who redeems your life from the pit,

Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;

Who satisfies your years with good things,

So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.

The LORD performs righteous deeds

And judgments for all who are oppressed.

He made known His ways to Moses,

His acts to the sons of Israel.

The LORD is compassionate and gracious,

Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness.

He will not always strive with us,

Nor will He keep His anger forever.

He has not dealt with us according to our sins,

Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him.

As far as the east is from the west,

So far has He removed our transgressions from us.

Just as a father has compassion on his children,

So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.

For He Himself knows our frame;

He is mindful that we are but dust.

As for man, his days are like grass;

As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.

When the wind has passed over it, it is no more,

And its place acknowledges it no longer.

But the lovingkindness of the LORD

is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him,

And His righteousness to children’s children,

To those who keep His covenant

And remember His precepts to do them.

The LORD has established His throne in the heavens,

And His sovereignty rules over all.

Bless the LORD, you His angels,

Mighty in strength, who perform His word,

Obeying the voice of His word!

Bless the LORD, all you His hosts,

You who serve Him, doing His will.

Bless the LORD, all you works of His,

In all places of His dominion;

Bless the LORD, O my soul!

My Women of Faith NIV Study Bible suggests we read Romans 12: 9-21 and list at least 20 ways we can love others as God loves us. It is His heart’s desire to love us and let His love flow through us to others. We can share God’s Heavenly sunlight and His love with someone today. Is there someone you could reach out to today? It might be as simple as giving them a hug.

By His Grace,

Joan

My Thoughts:
I hope this touched your heart and blessed you as much as it did for me.

Have a Blessed Day,
Patricia aka Mamaw

Lonely Hearts by Amanda Stephan Giveaway Win a Nook ~ Kindle ~ iPod Shuffle

One lonely mother. Two matchmaking kids. Three eligible bachelors, and some very yummy apple pie!

When widow Becky Callis moves to a new town, she thought it would be easier to start over in a place where she's not reminded of her dead husband. Her kids on the other hand, take it as a chance to help their mother start over romantically. The only problem is, there seems to be quite a few eligible bachelors they can choose from! They soon realize it's easier to find someone to like their mother than it is to figure out which man is best for her.

Even though this handsome cowboy is younger than Becky, Scott makes his interest plain and starts courting her almost immediately to the delight of both kids.

Jack and Becky have been friends since childhood. When they're reunited years after their lives have taken very different paths, this lonely preacher begins to wonder if God has brought her back into his life for a reason.

Pearce Morgan is a single parent raising his young daughter after his wife deserts them soon after Emily's birth. Divorced and disillusioned, an unlikely friendship arises between him and Becky when his shy daughter decides she loves Becky and her kids.
True love is harder than it looks!

Lonely Hearts, a story of second chances, choices, and yummy apple pie will be released in October through TreasureLine Publishing. Exclusive Apple Pie recipe included!

Published by TreasureLine Publishing.
TreasureLine titles are available in paperback and e-book formats at www.TreasureLineBooks.com www.Smashwords.comwww.Amazon.com and most major online retailers.
                                                       
Author Bio:


Amanda Stephan is just a normal, everyday country girl. She resides near Columbia, TN with her husband and children, three cats, one dog, and multiple roosters that love to roost under their bedroom windows. She loves to laugh and have a good time, and loves to read a good book.
     Out of love for her family and love for God, she finds writing to be an opportunity to share God's love for others in a fun and entertaining way. Her first novel, The Price of Trust, was published in May of 2010, her second novel, Lonely Hearts, is due for release at the end of October, 2011, and her Slade series was just picked up by TreasureLine Publishing.
      If you were to ask her to share one thing about herself that most people don't know, she'd have so many to choose from that she'd probably hesitate for a moment. Not quite a recluse, she's rather camera shy, doesn't like to be in the spotlight, and absolutely LOVES to have her feet tickled. But she would say her most interesting accomplishment is that she laughs like Scooby Doo. 


Author Interview Questions:

Tell us about your upcoming book.
My new release, Lonely Hearts, is a sweet Christian romance about one lonely mother, two matchmaking kids, and three eligible bachelors. Oh yes. And apple pie!


When Becky Callis moves to a new town, she had no intention of becoming romantically involved. Her children, on the other hand, think she’s been lonely far too long, and decide to take matters into their own hands.
Choices range from handsome cowboy, Scott Boone; local preacher, Jack; or rough around the edges rancher, Pearce Morgan. It doesn’t take long before her children find thatTrue love is harder than it looks!


Have you published anything previously?
Thank you for asking! Yes, Lonely Hearts is my second romance novel. My first, The Price of Trust, was released in May 2010. If any of your readers are interested, they can get a sneak peek here.


When did you know you wanted to write?
To be one hundred percent honest, I’ve just always written. I never thought or even considered writing professionally as it was something I just loved to do. When I finished my first, full length book, The Price of Trust, I was excited and told my husband about it. He asked what I was planning on doing with it, and I said printing it out and hiding it away until our kids were older. He asked me to try to have it published, and the rest is history. Since then, I’ve been hooked!


What made you decide to write romance?
I am an incurable romantic. There’s just something about reading how a couple come together that makes me sigh and dream. But, with that said, I’m not one for edgy or graphic books. I’m super picky about what I read, so if it’s inappropriate for my children to read, it’s not in my house.


Do you keep a writing schedule?
I suppose I’m rather eclectic in that matter. I find my best writing comes when everyone is in bed and I can let my imagination run free.


What do you do when you’re not writing?
I’m either homeschooling our children, sewing, or reading a book to review.


Name your three favorite books.
My three favorite books would have to be Jane Eyre, Pride & Prejudice, and 101 Dalmatians. When I was growing up, I absolutely tore my paperback copy of 101 Dalmatians up.


Name your three favorite authors.
Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte, Charles Dickens, and C.S. Lewis. Just to name a few…


What’s coming up in your writing future?
My Christian romance/suspense series was just picked up by TreasureLine Publishing, so we’re super excited about that! At this point, it’s a three book series, but a fourth is possible.


The first book in the series, Choosing to Love, is about a young woman that is tricked into marrying the wrong man. Book Two continues the saga in – Intent to Harm, and Book Three – Death by Obituary wraps up the story.


How can readers connect with you?
You can find me lurking almost everywhere, but here are the places a frequent the most:



You can usually find Amanda lurking in several online places at once like her
Facebook fan page http://www.facebook.com/thepriceoftrust
her Facebook author page http://www.facebook.com/creativehomemomma
Twitter http://www.twitter.com/amandastephan  
her website http://www.booksbyamanda.com or http://www.thepriceoftrust.com
or her personal blog http://authoramanda.blogspot.com

Praise for Lonely Hearts:
Lonely Hearts … tugged at my heart and made me laugh and cry ~ Ursula Gorman, Author of Old Acquaintances
Author Amanda Stephan does it again! She has a wonderful way of weaving faith in the Lord, everyday life, heartache and romance into terrific stories ~ Kelly Hagen, author of Jake & Jesus
Beautifully written story about second chances at love and life. The characters were genuine and seemed real to life. I was captivated at page one of the book, and read it in only one day! I will recommend this book to my friends and family ~ Anastasia @ www.artfire.com/users/mattscraftywife
I LOVED this story. From beginning to end it kept me totally enthralled and wondering how it would all work out. Loaded with zippy dialog and great characters made for a fun and very satisfying tale.  I felt happy, sad, excited, angry, and frustrated. You know a story is good when it has that effect. The theme running though our story is 'things may not always be as they appear'. It's a great reminder that man looks on the outside but God looks on the heart. If you enjoy an easy-to-read, fun and entertaining story with a great message I highly recommend Lonely Hearts.
~ Sherry Kuhn ~ Avid reader and Reviewer

This book will capture your heart and like Becky’s kids, your heart will flip-flop as you embrace one bachelor then the other for Becky. Who will win Becky’s heart and how will the others handle her decision? This book is full of hope, anticipation, optimism, faith, and possibilities. If you have lost a love, this book will restore your faith that the possibility of true love has not withered as a flower in the hot summer sun. Amanda will capture your heart from the first page with this delightful story.
~ Theresa Franklin, author of Journey to Fulfillment

You’ll find yourself nodding with delight at Becky’s courageous reactions, cheering her on and sighing with her during her ups and downs of life. But even in the fresh humor that sprinkles through her experiences, you’ll admire her rare quality to uphold what’s important.  Although romance wasn’t a priority, God’s ways usher Becky to unforeseen encounter with what often is inevitable when you trust in God’s lead, hold on to your convictions and are deliciously surprised in the end. ~ Janet Perez Eckles, author of Amazon #1 bestselling, Simply Salsa: Dancing Without Fear at God’s Fiesta, Judson Press, 2011

 Just when I thought I had the story figured out, Ms. Stephan would throw in an unexpected twist, tossing a monkey wrench into her characters’ lives--and a rather large monkey wrench near the end of the story. If you like romance, a touch of sweet humor, and characters who face life head-on, this is the perfect book to curl up with! ~ Karin Kaufman, author of The Witch Tree





I'm having a book launch on November 1st, and I want to share my excitement with you!
What's the best way to get people excited about something? Have a GIVEAWAY, of course!
So in honor of my upcoming release, I'm giving away a Nook, Kindle, & iPod Shuffle to some pretty lucky people.


THANKS AMANDA FOR SHARING WITH US YOUR LAUNCH OF LONELY HEARTS.
I WISH YOU GREAT SUCCESS!
PATRICIA AKA MAMAW