Devotion: I See Trees of Color...

There is a time for every season under the sun!

Autumn is my favorite season, hands down! 

It makes me think of a favorite song of mine:

"What a Wonderful World"

sung by Louie Armstrong.

He sings about:

trees of green

red roses 

Skies of blue

clouds of white

Bright days

dark nights

The colors of the rainbow

the faces of people

friends shaking hands

All leading to a wonderful world!

This autumn,

in spite of the troubles and worries in this world,

I want to see:

God's wonderful world.

* The amazing spider web caught in a ray of sunlight on a misty morning

* the colored leaves that keep on giving

with crunches and piles for children to play in

* the blue skies that give us hope,

the dark, cloudy skies that help our imagination

 with shapes of creatures only we can see.

* the decorative porches and yards that warm my heart.

* the pumpkin feasts and fests, the flavors and scents

* the smells of autumn, musty leaves, 

roasting wieners and globs of melted marshmallow,

the scents of apple and spice and pumpkin delights

And so much more! 

For me, Autumn is a wonderful season

that helps me to remember:

What a Wonderful World!

***

Sabotaged Christmas

Book One

Appleton, WV Romantic Mysteries

Award-winning book

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 troubling 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?

https://amzn.to/2p4tFOP

***

About Carole:

Besides being an active participant in many writing groups, Carole is an award-winning author and enjoys mentoring beginning writers. She loves to weave suspense, tough topics, romance, and whimsy into her books and is always on the lookout for outstanding titles and catchy ideas. She and her husband reside in SE Ohio but have ministered and counseled nationally and internationally. Together, they enjoy their grandsons, traveling, gardening, good food, the simple life, and did she mention their grandsons? 

Personal blog: http://sunnebnkwrtr.blogspot.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CaroleBrown.author

Amazon Author Page:  http://www.amazon.com/Carole-Brown/e/B00EZV4RFY/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1427898838&sr=8-1
BookBub:  https://www.bookbub.com/authors/carole-brown

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/browncarole212

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/sunnywrtr/boards/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5237997-carole-brown

Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/carole-brown-79b6951a?trk=nav_responsive_tab_profile

Stitches in Time:  http://stitchesthrutime.blogspot.com/

Musing: Little Blessings from God

Sometimes...when the sky is gray,

When troubles come,

When all seems lost...

I think it's useless to try.

I cry.

Feel lost.

Pressured.

But then...

I'm reminded that...

God has made everything beautiful in its time. 

Ecclesiastes 3:11

Weeds that are beautiful.

Simple Pleasures

Divine Delights.

Extraordinary Moments

God's gifts and reminders to me:

A woodpecker busily drilling holes in a local Maple tree.

He paid no mind to me as he worked though

I stood almost directly beneath him
while he busily did his thing
with no worries to speak of.

I see children in their innocence playing, creating, happy.

Why should I not be so?

Grandson Jonathan, at his YMCA swimming/lazer tag birthday

party, when he came out of the water and handed me his goggles.

"Gwandma, will you hold these for me?"

My heart melted! 

(This pic wasn't taken at the YMCA,

but it shows his love of water!)

The little red fox who ran off the road 

and peeked at us as we drove by:

He'd just lost his mate.
Sad? Maybe.
but life goes on.
God has a plan.
I just have to trust and remember.

His love of trying new things.
Sometimes he's nervous, but always determined to carry it through.
Why should I not do so also,
especially knowing I have a BIG God?

Grandson Wes at his archery shoot.

Love when he shows his gentle side!

If God cares for the lilies of the field, 
how much more does he care for us?

About Carole:

Besides being an active participant in many writing groups, Carole is an award-winning author and enjoys mentoring beginning writers. She loves to weave suspense, tough topics, romance, and whimsy into her books and is always on the lookout for outstanding titles and catchy ideas. She and her husband reside in SE Ohio but have ministered and counseled nationally and internationally. Together, they enjoy their grandsons, traveling, gardening, good food, the simple life, and did she mention their grandsons? 

Personal blog: http://sunnebnkwrtr.blogspot.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CaroleBrown.author

Amazon Author Page:  http://www.amazon.com/Carole-Brown/e/B00EZV4RFY/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1427898838&sr=8-1

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/browncarole212

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/sunnywrtr/boards/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5237997-carole-brown

Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/carole-brown-79b6951a?trk=nav_responsive_tab_profile

Google+:    https://plus.google.com/u/0/113068871986311965415/posts

Word Sharpeners: https://wordsharpeners.wordpress.com/

Stitches in Time:  http://stitchesthrutime.blogspot.com/

Delight Yourself in the Lord...in October

Psalm 37:4 says, "Delight Yourself in the Lord."

So I said to myself:

Which is one of my very favorite-ish months?

October, of course! 

Here's what I love about October

and how it makes me happy 

and wanting to praise God this month:

Walking thru the crackling leaves.

I love the sound

pumpkins, and gourds and acorns galore
White and orange, brown and green
I love the beauty

cool crisp air and misty mornings
I love the feel

The outdoors and warmth
Roasting hot dogs and marshmallows
I love the taste.


May we all take time to appreciate this day. This month.
Autumn blessings!

About Carole:

Besides being an active participant of many writing groups, Carole is an award winning author and enjoys mentoring beginning writers. She loves to weave suspense, tough topics, romance and whimsy into her books, and is always on the lookout for outstanding titles and catchy ideas. She and her husband reside in SE Ohio but have ministered and counseled nationally and internationally. Together, they enjoy their grandsons, traveling, gardening, good food, the simple life, and did she mention their grandsons? 

Personal blog: http://sunnebnkwrtr.blogspot.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CaroleBrown.author

Amazon Author Page:  http://www.amazon.com/Carole-Brown/e/B00EZV4RFY/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1427898838&sr=8-1

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/browncarole212

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/sunnywrtr/boards/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5237997-carole-brown

Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/carole-brown-79b6951a?trk=nav_responsive_tab_profile

Google+:    https://plus.google.com/u/0/113068871986311965415/posts

Word Sharpeners: https://wordsharpeners.wordpress.com/

Stitches in Time:  http://stitchesthrutime.blogspot.com/

Don't forget to leave a comment to get your name in the drawing for Grafted into Deceit by Sherri Wilson Johnson! Winner will be announced in the October 30th issue of the Weekly Windup. 

A Broken Kind of Beautiful

A Broken Kind a Beautiful

By Katie Ganshert

Ivy Clark is a professional model, turning heads everywhere she goes since at least the age of fourteen. The people in her life have used her for their own gain, pleasure, or in some cases, to witness their demise. She’s never known love, real love, and wouldn’t recognize it if it invited her into its home, served her sweet tea, and placed her favorite flowers in a vase.

The fashion industry is fickle, and when her career starts to slip, Ivy receives an unusual opportunity to salvage it. But she’ll need the expertise of a photographer who doesn’t take pictures anymore. And it will involve returning to the small town where she was forced to spend summers with a father who never gave her the time of day.

Davis Knight sees Ivy like no one else does. He sees the cracks, the pain, the hollowed hurting eyes behind her perfect visage. He punishes himself for the past and refuses to look hopefully into his own future, allthewhile keeping Ivy at arm’s length.

This story touches on some beautiful themes: unconditional love, true beauty, and learning how to see people through different eyes. The characters are well-drawn, and they linger in the best possible way. Though published three years ago, the book feels very fresh. I think every reader will see shadows of themselves as they read it.

You can learn more about Katie Ganshert here. You can check out her book for sale here.

When you see models on magazine covers, do you ever wonder what their life is like outside the spotlight? Do you wonder if anyone loves them for who they are instead of what they look like? Leave us a comment to be entered into this week's drawing!

A Thing of Beauty is a Beautiful Thing

It's my pleasure to review A Thing of Beauty by Lisa Samson today. It’s a simple story. But the writing is exquisite. Every single word, phrase, and image folds perfectly into the theme and story. The words themselves are a thing of beauty, not to mention the subject matter.

 The characters are lovable, beginning with the protagonist who was a famous actress who left the business. We all love a great celebrity story, and it reads almost like a news magazine show about a beloved actress who has stayed out of the public eye for years after a terrible demise. But instead of that predictable story, this actress reaches a critical moment where she must choose whether to let a few extraordinary people into her life or to remain isolated forever.

Mix in some family problems, money problems, and a disastrous house, and the story really takes off. The house itself becomes a character in the story. At the beginning of the story, we see a beautiful old mansion overrun with collected junk and in need of some serious TLC. Borderline Hoarders material.

There is another element that clings to the story throughout, and it almost feels like magical realism to me. Not quite magic, but not quite exempt from the supernatural either. It’s about small providential moments in life that make a person think, “Well, that was God.” Ms. Samson describes several of those wonderful moments we don’t always know what to do with. Those moments some people respond to with, “Your guardian angel must be working overtime.” And others refer to it as luck. Or Karma.

Fair warning: while this is the work of a Christian author, and it’s published by a Christian publisher, the seasoned Christian reader may be surprised by some mild expletives found throughout. I don’t feel they have been added to rile up the devout, nor do they take away from the story for me. And overall, the language is far milder than that found in typical fiction coming out of the general market.

I believe Ms. Samson has stayed true to her characters, while telling a stunning story of redemption. Not knowing this very talented author, I believe she must have stayed true to her own self as well, because stories that convey truth like this can only come from deep in the heart. I’m so grateful she chose to share it with us.

A Thing of Beauty is truly that.

Remember to leave a comment to get your name in the drawing for Land of My Dreams, by Norma Gail, and be sure to check the "Weekly Windup" on Feb 23rd to see if you've won!