Sunday Morning Sunshine: Christmas Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt

Merry Christmas! 

Welcome to the Christmas 

Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt!

Here’s how it works: At each author’s blog post, you will find a question that can be answered by checking out the free Amazon preview of their book. Provide the answer at this form. 

Note: You must answer the questions for EVERY author in the round-robin to be considered to win the $250 first place, $150 second place or $100 third place Amazon gift cards. These prizes are USD values. If you are not a U.S. resident, you will get a gift card from the Amazon store for your country; however, it will be valued at these USD amounts.)

At the end of my post is a link to the next blog, which will provide a link to the next blog, etc., to the very end, creating a circle (a round-robin) visit through all of the authors’ blogs.

I’m thrilled to get the chance to tell you about my book SABOTAGED CHRISTMAS.  

(I will be giving away a KINDLE COPY of the book to one very fortunate commenter on this blog as an extra bonus!!)

Remember, you must comment on this blog to have a chance of winning a Kindle copy of Sabotaged Christmas

It is the 1st book in the Appleton, WV Romantic Cozy Mystery series. it is the story of a woman who inherited her father's business, the mystery of her past, a troubled man who distrusts all women because of his deceased wife's actions, and a young boy who is wiser than his years. 

Toni DeLuca, the Italian owner of DeLuca Construction, finds herself confronted with doubts about her father and his possible deceptions—all because of the mysterious pink notes she’s been receiving.

Relations with Perrin Douglas who has a troubled history—but the first man in years who’s interested her—is building to a peak. Yet Perrin‘s own personal problems and his doubts about women and God, keep getting in the way.

Gossip, a Spanish proposal, an inheritance, and a sabotaged construction business may ruin Christmas for Toni’s employees as well as her own happiness.

Will a mysterious person succeed in pulling off the biggest scam Appleton, West Virginia has ever seen? And will this culprit destroy Toni's last chance at happiness with the man of her dreams?

Let’s begin this scavenger hunt! Go to the book Sabotaged Christmas on Amazon here: Amazon. 

In the Look Inside (above the book cover) you will find the answer to this question:

Who did Toni DeLuca doubt? 

When you have the answer, FILL OUT THIS FORM and head on to the next blog!

Thank you so much for visiting! 

The next author on the tour is VIRGINIA SMITH, who is telling us all about her Christmas book A Goose Creek Christmas. You can find it at this site:  https://virginiasmith.org/2021-christmas-scavenger-round-robin/ 

Remember that the round-robin will end on December 12th at 11:59 PM EST!

Serious Wednesday: Details on Writing a Mystery

Mystery books--I do believe--are my favorite books. I've loved them from childhood to the present time, and even try my hand at it. It's a work in progress for me, and I hope someday to be a great mystery writer. Time will tell about that!!

What are some of the details that need to be used when writing mysteries? Here's a short, but important list:  

• The culprit's character needs to be concealed. No one--not the reader and not the detective--should know who this person is until...revealing time.
• Create revelations of clues in a chain of events, etc. Most of these should be important but not necessarily blatantly obvious.
• A nice touch is to sidetrack your sleuth. Send them down a wrong path which means they may have to backtrack or that wrong path will give them facts to lead them to the true path they are searching for. 
• Show (allow) intriguing actions without any type of explanation. In other words, sometimes an action may not register with the sleuth until much later in the book. Some happening, a word, an action, etc., may bring to mind that earlier bit of action and bind together with the present.
• Write with intention in your sentence construction to build the suspense that leads to the answer of the mystery.
• Watch your dialogue. Use suspenseful, mysterious sentences to build the tension.

Most of all, practice, practice, practice (which I'm doing!) 

Would you like to share a short scene--no more than 100 words--in a current mystery novel you're creating?

And have fun! 

Rambling Friday: Updates on my Life!

Hey!

I thought I'd take this Rambling Friday post
(late, I know!)

and share what's happening now

and in the near future

with my life.

First:

This sale will go on through September 9th! 

Knight in Shining Apron, the second book in 

The Appleton, WV Romantic Mystery series

is in this collection.

If you haven't read this series,

then check it out! 

***

Next:

I'm featuring my two books from

The Spies of WWII series

WITH

a surprise announcement in store! 

My hour starts at 5:30!  Monday, July 13!

I will be giving away several nice prizes

(including the books in the meme above!)

***

I'm visiting several blogs this month

promoting 

CALEB'S DESTINY

July 14th at Jodie Wolfe's blog:

https://www.jodiewolfe.com/blog/

More details will follow.

July 16th I'll be at Sandra M. Hart's 

Historical blog:

https://sandramervillehart.wordpress.com/

talking about CALEB'S Destiny

and history

Michelle Levigne's blog,

https://michellelevigne.blogspot.com/2020/05/introducing-adventure.html?fbclid=IwAR153VwDjKI6Folw_cY8B0gGOdPHEWTRtNMTE7Wd6n15ltMH0fCImft9dpQ

Date to be announced soon! 

PLUS!

Progress on our remodeling!!!

That's it for now.

Have a great week, and

HAPPY READING!

We love our Readers! 

So the following authors are giving away books! 

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given…[KJV]

The authors who support and participate in Grace Filled Fiction Spotlight activities rejoice at the above Scripture. We are coming into a wonderful, exciting and happy time of year. So, in the spirit of the season, we announce the Grace Filled Fiction Christmas Sweeps ~ 2018.

Eight authors are promoting their novels/novellas … and they will give away a copy of their book to 8 winners (picked at random) from readers who leave comments. Please give a first and second choice, so (as much as possible) we can give you a book you’d like to read. This is our authors’ Christmas gift to winners. Click above, under the blog’s title, to leave a comment. Winners will be selected between December 26th and January 1. We will begin notifying winners after the new year.

MIST O’er THE VOYAGEUR by Naomi Musch ~ She escaped one fate—but now whose truth can she trust? On a cold December’s eve, in a wilderness trading post on Lake Superior, Brigitte Marchal, faces her biggest dilemma yet:  The door opened, sweeping the room with a violent breeze. Cinders sparked in the fireplace, falling on the hearth and shooting up the chimney. The wisping smoke of the tobacco dissipated. (He) released Brigitte’s hands as heads turned, and murmurs and motion swept over the gathering…Hunters and porters spilled through the door. Men in layers of fur and tall, blackened moccasins, their bodies smelling of travel. Red cheeks surrounded by thick beards. One man pushed through. René.  You’ll want to grab a cup of hot chocolate and curl up with this 1807 romantic adventure of the Fur Trade.  Website  Purchase on Amazon

REBECCA’S LEGACY by Betty Thomason Owens~ Looking for a beautiful stocking-stuffer for that book lover on your list? One reviewer calls Rebecca’s Legacy “Well-written, engaging and nicely-paced.” Amy Emerson is a diva with an attitude that catches Matt Wordsworth’s attention from the start. He’s a man with a plan. Just returned from the war, he’s determined to finish law school and pass the bar before he even thinks about settling down. When Amy’s Dad hires him to help keep her out of trouble, he quickly realizes he’s in over his head. “Interesting, developed and clever characters come together in a satisfying and steady storyline. Enough tension to keep the reader hanging on and captivated until the very satisfying ending.” Give a gift that will inspire your loved ones—entertainment at its best—a story that reminds the reader of the free gift of God’s grace, available to all. Website  Purchase on Amazon

SABOTAGED CHRISTMAS (An Appleton, WV Romantic Mystery, Book 1) by Carole Brown ~ A contemporary romantic mystery to warm your heart at Christmas. Gossip, a Spanish proposal, an inheritance, and a sabotaged construction business all converge to play a part in ruining Christmas for Toni. Will the mysterious person behind it all succeed in pulling off the biggest scam Appleton, West Virginia has ever seen and destroy Toni’s last chance at happiness with the man of her dreams?  Amazon Author Page  Purchase on Amazon

BLOOD SPEAKS (A Veronica “Ronnie” Ingels/Dawson Hughes Novel) by Nike N. Chillemi ~  “Ronnie”, Brooklyn gal PI, waited a long time for the solitaire on her finger. When her sometimes boss, a shadowy figure and director of a secret government organization, offers a pre-Christmas, one-week bridal shopping vacay, she jumps at it. Joined by her  bridesmaids, Ronnie sets off for Heritage Cove, Maryland, ready to enjoy the town’s winter festival. Their joyous stay at the Heritage Cove Inn is shattered by a murder. It doesn’t take long for Ronnie and her gal-pals to become targets of the killer. Taylor County Deputy Sheriff, Lieutenant Dawson Hughes leaves Texas to protect his bride-to-be.  Blog  Purchase on Amazon

A LITTLE CHRISTMAS MAGIC (The Cowboy and the Librarian) by Suzanne D. Williams ~ Reading a book picked up at discount table was supposed to be entertainment for librarian, Paige Ridgeway, until the discovery of a vintage book and an encounter with one of Santa’s elves brings its pages to life. It’s as if she and fictional cowboy, Sterling Newcombe, are searching for one another. Which is ridiculous. Yet magical things can happen at Christmas, the mending of hearts and the discovery of true love, if she’ll only believe. A fantasy romance where books come to life, perfect reading during this miraculous time of the year.  Website  Purchase on Amazon

CHRISTMAS IN PORT SCUTTLEBUTT by Barbara Ellen Brink ~ Snow is falling, the temperature is dropping, and a young woman and her newborn have gone missing. A suicidal man, found unconscious near Lake Superior, may be the last person to have seem them. Ironically, he can’t help… because he made a wish that he had never been born.Set two nights before Christmas, this novella will put you in the holiday spirit from the opening scene. With a Shakespearian twist of The Winter’s Tale and a nod toward It’s a Wonderful Life, CHRISTMAS IN PORT SCUTTLEBUTT has all the charm, mystery, romance, and humor that’s needed to curl up in your favorite chair with this holiday season. And don’t forget to pick up extra copies for all the book lovers on your list.  Website Pre-Order

CHRISTMAS WITH THE ENEMY by Mary Vee ~ Mountain folk have long repeated the legend of a great and powerful blizzard that can curtain the Rockies with no notice, trapping unsuspecting guests, ruining plans, and putting lives at risk. CHRISTMAS WITH THE ENEMY takes a sprinkle of Romeo & Juliet, adds a chilly wind of City Slicker then tops with a glacier helping of Scrooge in this Montana meets Chicago Christmas Blizzard Tale in desperate need of Peace on Earth. A reviewer says: “A Hallmark Contender.”  Website  Purchase on Amazon

CHASING CHRISTMAS by Lynn Dean~Dreaming of a White Christmas…and maybe something more? Kick your feet up and get cozy with a new book that’s sure to help you find your Christmas spirit! When Angela Bell’s dream of writing children’s literature outgrows her small Texas town, she makes an impulsive move to New York City hoping to find a new career opportunity before the holidays…but what she finds isn’t at all what she expected. As her funds and her chances dwindle, will she find her “Christmas miracle”? Or is happiness waiting at the end of her own country road? This short, sweet contemporary holiday romance is perfect for an afternoon read or to give as a stocking-stuffer  Facebook Author Page  Purchase on Amazon

What Would You do...? Christmas Thoughts

What Would You Do…?

Posted on December 22, 2017 by Carole Brown

by Carole Brown

…if someone wanted to kill your baby? 

• Mary and Joseph fled.
• In the Redemption of Caralynne Hayman, Cara is mad with grief and anger at the death of her oldest daughter. A tough read? Yes, but well worth seeing what happens to this sorrowing mother.

…if you had to give up your business in a hurry? Or face destruction?

• Joseph did. He and Mary had to flee to Egypt to escape the wrath of the King and begin again in his carpentry business.
• In Sabotaged Christmas, Toni DeLuca must find the person casting doubt on her beloved father before her business is ruined and Christmas won’t be coming to Appleton, WV for her employees.

…if you were told you were having a baby, but you had no idea (at first) how it’d happened?

• Mary did. She heard the angel’s proclamation, but told no one and kept everything hidden in her heart, pondering.
• Starli Cameron was always told she couldn’t have a baby, but was it the truth? Only time would tell…after the struggles from the past vanished.

…if valuable items were given to you by kings?

• Baby Jesus was visited by the three Magi and given precious gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
• Caroline‘s friend, Andy, had valuable paintings, but Caroline disdained them. When one is stolen, she’s pushed into a mystery that proves how valuable paintings (and relationships) can be.  

…if you were suspicious of three foreign kings who visited you?

• King Herod was, afraid that a new baby would take his place someday.
• Tyrell Walker in With Music in Their Hearts had a reason to be suspicious of so many in the boarding house. After all, there was a foreign spy determined to wreck havoc to the U.S.

…if you were about to lose what you loved?

• Mary and Joseph were. Baby Jesus was a precious gift from God. They were assigned a duty to raise him, and they would do anything to keep him safe.
• Jerry and Josie thought they were losing each other, and both were determined to battle the war for their lives and their souls. 

Interest peaked?

Read St. Luke Chapter 2 to find the answers to the above questions.

Go here to find my books that hopefully will keep you reading and warm through the coming winter! 

Amazon Author Page

Merry Christmas!

FREE for a Limited Time! Sabotaged Christmas!

A gift from me to YOU!

FREE! 

(for a limited time)

Amazon

This award winning romantic cozy mystery is set in the fictional town of

Appleton, West Virginia.

Here's the blurb:

Toni DeLuca, the Italian owner of DeLuca Construction, finds herself confronted with doubts about her father and his possible deceptions--all because of the mysterious pink notes she’s receiving. 

Relations with Perrin Douglas who has a troubled history—but the first man in years who’s interested her--is building to a peak. Yet Perrin‘s own personal problems and his doubts about women and God, keep getting in the way. 

Gossip, a Spanish proposal, an inheritance, and a sabotaged construction business all converge to play a part in ruining Christmas for Toni’s employees. Will the mysterious person behind it all succeed in pulling off the biggest scam Appleton, West Virginia has ever seen? 

Will this culprit destroy Toni’s last chance at happiness with the man of her dreams?

Don't miss out on your chance to get this FIRST BOOK in the

Appleton, WV Romantic Mystery series

FREE!

GET it here:

Amazon

Have a wonderful holiday season

and a very 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Blessings.

Sabotaged Christmas: A Finalist!

Posted on October 4, 2016 by Carole Brown

From the Book Excellence Board:
It is with great pleasure to announce that you have been selected as a 

Book Excellence Award Finalist 

for the following book and category:

Book Title: Sabotaged Christmas
Category: Fiction

There were hundreds of entries from around the world and your book was selected

for its high quality writing, design and market appeal. 

I’m excited, yes, and so thankful for this honor on the first book in my Appleton, West Virginia Romantic Mystery series! 

If you’re interested and would like to see what all the hoopla’s about or just want to get ready for some December holiday reading (although it can be read any time!), then go here:

https://www.amazon.com/Sabotaged-Christmas-Appleton-Romantic-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0186GF4GY/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8https://www.amazon.com/Sabotaged-Christmas-Appleton-Romantic-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0186GF4GY/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

HAPPY READING!