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Wednesday Words: Tempered Truth by Pamela Thibodeaux

3/31/2021

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I am very excited to have Pamela Thibodeaux on Wednesday Words! She's brought along her most recent release, TEMPERED TRUTH, which is book 5 in her TEMPERED SERIES. Let's hear more from Pamela....
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The reason I wrote Tempered Truth, book 5 in my Edgy Inspirational Tempered Series can be summed up in my Reader Letter which I include at the end of every book I write….

It was never my intention for the question of whether Craig Harris and Scott Hensley were blood brothers to be a main thread linking the lives of the characters throughout the four previous Tempered books. After all, Proverbs 18:24 tells us that a true friend sticks closer than a brother and they had been true friends their entire lives.

Although I addressed that question in Tempered Joy, the answer left me wondering… How? Why? Who? What really happened?

Many of you have asked the same questions.

That is very true, Pamela. I think "Why" is one I consistently ask all the time.
Do you have a favorite part of the book?

My favorite parts of this particular book is the sweet interaction with the two little girls both under 4 who happen to be aunt and niece and are less than 1 yr. apart in age.

Oh, goodness! Only a year apart? And I love it when children are in a scene. They always bring such "realness" to a book. Can you share an excerpt?

“Mi’ter Mike, Mi’ter Mike!” Rikki’s exuberant greeting struck him in the heart as she flung herself in his arms.

“Hey, Princess.”

“Wexie gotta new baby.”

“So, I hear. You like him?”

Red-gold curls bounced off her shoulders when she nodded. “I wanna take him home.” Her little lips puckered. “But Mommy says we can’t.”

Mike chuckled. “That wouldn’t be very fair to Tamera Joy, now would it, to take her baby brother?”

A pout creased her pert lips and furrowed her tiny brow. “Not fair.”
What a little cutie! Is your book dedicated to anyone?

To my faithful Tempered fans new and old. Thank you for following this series from beginning to end. I pray you are blessed 100-fold for your continued love and support. I appreciate you more than words can say. 
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TEMPERED TRUTH

Fate declared them neighbors. Scandal insisted they were brothers. The fact that they looked enough alike to be twins only added fuel to the rumors flying about their parentage.

For fifty-plus years Craig Harris and Scott Hensley have enjoyed a bond nothing can sever.

Not the insinuations that they share the same father.

Not the years of strife and grief and heartache.

Not even death.

Will the truth set them free, or will it destroy the friendship that has lasted a lifetime?


And guess what, my wonderful Love & Lone Star readers, Pamela is going to give away a free pdf copy of TEMPERED TRUTH to one lucky commenter!

BUY TEMPERED TRUTH

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BIO: Pamela Thibodeaux

Award-winning author, Pamela S. Thibodeaux is the Co-Founder and a lifetime member of Bayou Writers Group in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Multi-published in romantic fiction as well as creative non-fiction, her writing has been tagged as, “Inspirational with an Edge!” ™ and reviewed as “steamier and grittier than the typical Christian novel without decreasing the message.” Sign up to receive Pam’s newsletter and get a FREE short story! 






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​Website address: http://www.pamelathibodeaux.com
Blog: http://pamswildroseblog.blogspot.com
Newsletter: http://bit.ly/psthibnewsletter
FB Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/pamelasthibodeauxauthor
Twitter: http://twitter.com/psthib @psthib
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/pamelasthibodea/
Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/1jUVcdU
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/pamela-s-thibodeaux
Instagram: https://instagram.com/pamelasthibodeauxauthor
Good Reads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1268453.Pamela_S_Thibodeaux

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Monday Memories: Future Stars

3/29/2021

1 Comment

 
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The band.......Kara, Maria, Roxi, Wendy, Lela


The back-up singers.....Jack, Georgie, and Philip. (Sometimes.)

The song.......Nobody

The stage......the front porch.

The front porch???????


Oh, right. If memory serves me correctly, we thought if other people heard us, we might get discovered. (I think that was the only reason the boys sang with us.)

The words:

Sittin' in a restaurant
She walked by
I seemed to recall
That certain look in your eye
I said, who's that
You said, with a smile
Aah, it's nobody
Aah, nobody

Maybe that explains the last two week
You called me up, dead on your feet
Working late again
I asked who with
You said, nobody
Aah, nobody

Well your nobody called today
She hung up when I asked her name
Well, I wonder
Does she think she's being clever
(Clever, ooh, ooh)
You say, nobody's after you
The fact is what you say is true
But I can love you like nobody can
Even better



And this was sung over and over and over again. (This is another the reason the boys sang it. They knew all the words because they heard it everyday of their lives during the fall of 1982.)

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Monday Memories: One Good Thing About Second Grade

3/22/2021

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As I walk down the white-tiled hallway with cinder block white walls, I think, "Why does the inside of the school have to look like the inside of a hospital?"

Maybe we're all crazy. Maybe we're in an insane asylum, and we don't know it. They're filling our heads with gibberish and nonsense, forcing us to be the people they think we should be.

That would explain the way they talk, in that sing-songy, cloyingly sweet way. It also explains why they keep us inside for most of the day, and why they stress the importance of math.

My God! Should I do something? Who do I tell? Would anyone believe me? Maybe not. My parents went to school. They were probably brainwashed, too. I bet they'd been taught what to say if one of their children caught on to what school really was.

My heart pumping with worry and questions, I put my backpack and lunch away. As I sit down, I take a look around the room, searching for cameras and other security devices.

"Class," my teacher begins, her happy tone like nails on a chalkboard, "we have a new student. Her name is Jennifer."

I turn, look, and pause. The new girl appears scared. And worried.

How horrid...being new. But even more frightening is being new...and being redheaded.

Jennifer had red hair.

That day, at recess, I found a best friend. A kindred spirit.

Concerning the insane asylum....I'll figure that out later.

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Monday Memories: Start Your Engines!

3/15/2021

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There was nothing quite so wonderful, quite so freeing, or quite so exciting as the Big Wheel.

An intelligent piece of plastic. Its colors and streamers, easy to reach pedals, and of course, its big front wheel made it so addictive.

My grandpa kept us well-stocked. There was a Big Wheel for everyone. And with the cement driveway that wrapped around his entire garage -- which doubled as his small engine repair shop -- we had our own version of the Indy 500 right there in Arcadia, Texas.

While I was careening around corners and screaming, "Yeehaw!", my sister and our cousin putt-putted along in the fire engine.

My grandpa also had a small, two-seater, toy fire engine. It went about five miles per hour. As you have predicted, it wasn't my choice of transportation.

As you have also predicted, Maria and our cousin, Dawn, never won the Arcadia 500. But, they probably didn't care and probably never consciously competed. I didn't need their permission to race against them.

Whenever I came abreast of them, I'd shout, "Gentlemen, start your engines!", and I would take off like a shot. They'd eat my dust as not only did I leave them way behind, but lapped them several times over in my ultra-fast Big Wheel. The pedals would set on fire as I rounded corners and shot down straightaways.

Maria and Dawn didn't stand a chance. Even if they'd tried.

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Release Day: The Cowboy's Embrace

3/10/2021

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THE COWBOY'S EMBRACE came about because, when I introduced Deacon in book three of the series, I fell in love with him. He was strong, steady and smart. Really smart. Because he was the only one in book three who knew that trickery was afoot!
 
I had to give him a book. He deserved a true love. But what would his story be?
 
I have to say I took some time developing his match. She had to be someone righteous, honest and unafraid. She had to be able to stand next to Deacon and be her own person. Enter Lily Spero…the girl he abandoned in a park in Houston.
 
Now, before you get confused, he had his reasons for leaving her. So don’t hate him. Read his story and learn how these two triumph over a great evil. If you read it, know that my favorite part is how Lily steals the walking cane from the villain on the white horse and what happens after it.
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THE COWBOY'S EMBRACE: AN EXCERPT

He would come back soon. He would. He wouldn’t leave her here.

Lily assessed the park with its strong oaks and maples and winding packed dirt paths. She bit her lip and worked hard not to cry. She was a big girl. She was eleven, and he’d asked her to be brave while he was gone.

As she hid in the shade, she sank down to the grass, huddled against a trunk and hoped no one noticed a frightened, stranded, black girl. Where was he? What was taking so long? He only went to find food for them.

Morning turned into noon. People came. Some to eat their lunches on blankets they spread on the ground. Others to walk the picturesque paths. She pulled her knees into her chest and buried her nose in her dirt-caked pinafore. It had been yellow once. A pretty color as bright as the sun.

As she rocked back and forth, she prayed. She repeated over and over the words her mother had taught her. With her eyes clamped shut and her lips moving without ceasing, she implored to Heaven for Deacon to return.
But hours passed. Faces swam before her, asking her questions, giving her food. She couldn’t answer the nice strangers. Just gazed down the path, hoping, waiting, her heart dying.

Where are you? Please come. Please come back.


She silently begged to see his familiar form, dressed in overalls and a threadbare work shirt, coming around the bend to carry her away. But he didn’t come. And the kind people didn’t leave. They took her home with them, and Lily didn’t argue, even though their pale skin struck uncertainty in her heart. She couldn’t think. Deacon, she grieved.

​And his name was the pained whisper on her lips every night, the perpetual cold ache in her heart…that could never be filled.

BUY THE COWBOY'S EMBRACE

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​Fate brings his greatest regret back into his life…
 
Lily Spero is searching for her stolen heritage, for a place in the world that is all her own. Sixteen years ago, she lost her parents and siblings to a villain on a white horse. Since, she's hungered for family, for that love she'd once known. When she visits the Swinging A Ranch, her past collides with her present, opening wounds long buried and shockingly creating hope where none had been before.

Deacon Tolbert is the foreman and a contributing partner to the Swinging A Ranch. He's carved a niche in the world all his own, finally feeling worthy of the goodness he's found for himself. But when Lily Spero arrives, the girl he abandoned years ago, he's forced to face the most gut-wrenching moment of his life.

Despite the pain, love surprises them and blossoms, bringing hope for the future. But the villain from the past comes to haunt them, to steal what they're trying to build. Deacon and Lily must brave vile evil in order to stay together, and fight with all they have to keep the promises they made to each other.
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Monday Memories: Second Grade...It Keeps Going...And Going

3/8/2021

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Math.....

Just that word makes me cringe with loathing and distaste. A vile concept. One meant to continually lower your self-worth and your intelligence. Math taunted me with its ridiculous reality. Exactly when would I be watching two trains meet at the same point? Would I ever be putting 53 watermelons in my trunk and then eating 15 on the same day?

I don't like watermelon that much. It's sticky and you have to spit out the seeds.

However, even more loathsome than the concept of Math...more vile...more distasteful...more terrifying and utterly excruciating was...
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Tutoring.

Tutoring for Math. Get a hammer and some nails and pound them into my eye sockets. I would prefer it. Maybe my teachers wouldn't want to come near me. Hmmm, this idea holds promise....

Of course, my mother didn't want to help with that AND she LOVED the idea of tutoring. "This will be perfect for you, Kara. This is exactly what you need. You're going to have so much fun!"

Was she insane? Did she understand what it was? Maybe I need to explain....

"It means I have to stay after school. For Math. You know what Math is, right?"

"Of course, I do Dear Heart."

I start wonder if my mom has it goin' on upstairs.

By now I have learned I can't fight my mom's big ideas. I must accept them, grit my teeth, and remember....this too, shall pass.

So, I went to tutoring with Ms. Harris. My Math teacher. She gave me cookies to ease the pain. They were chocolate chip, so it definitely helped. (I like snickerdoodle better, but I'm not gonna tell her that.)

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Wednesday Words: Fatal Evidence by Kari Lemor

3/3/2021

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Today I welcome fellow Romance Gems author, Kari Lemor. Her new release, FATAL EVIDENCE, has just hit the shelves and it sounds like a good one! Take it away, Kari....
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The main characters in Fatal Evidence (Scott and Heather) had substantial parts in book 2, Running Target and I couldn’t wait to tell their story as they had such great chemistry together.

Running Target is a star-crossed lovers story about Jack and Callie.  In Fatal Evidence we see Scott, Jack’s cousin, and Heather, Callie’s best friend. These two had pretended for a few years to be together to help Jack and Callie with their conflict. Now that the problem has been resolved, Heather and Scott have an awkward connection when together, especially after having a one-night stand.

One of the best things about this book is that Heather and Scott just worked so well together. Their chemistry was explosive level, and I had to keep coming up with ways to stop them from having sex too early in the book. Since they’d already had a one-night stand, they knew exactly how amazing being with the other could be.  Now that they have to work together for this project, they think they need to be professional. But when they’re near each other, things just combust.

Oh! This story sounds quite steamy and filled with tension! Do you have a favorite part?

One of my favorite parts is when Heather goes to vent to her best friend, Callie, after Scott gets a little handsy with her and she hadn’t done anything about it. I love this part because it shows the very put-together Heather losing some of her well-honed control. 

Awesome! Some of my favorite characters are the always organized, always on time, always perfectly dressed people who have their world turned upside down. Can you share an excerpt?

“I cannot believe he did that.” Heather stormed through the back door into her best friend’s kitchen. Callie sat wiping what looked like peanut butter from the hands of her son, Jonathan.

“Did what? Who?”

Heather took a deep breath and kissed the little boy’s head. “And I simply stood there and let him. What the hell is wrong with me?”

After lifting the two-year-old down from his chair, Callie scooted him into the living room. “Play with your blocks. Tea?” She glanced at Heather.

Nodding, Heather sat and clenched her hands on the table. “I have no control when he’s around. I can’t be that stupid, can I?”

As her friend got cups and tea bags, Heather let her mind wander to this morning. How had she not punched Scott in his gorgeous face? You liked it. Admit it. No, she hadn’t. He was groping her. And you wanted him to continue. Oh, God, she had. It had taken all her control to tell him to stop.

Callie set two cups on the table, then sat next to her. “You want to tell me who has you all worked up?”

Okay, she might need to vent right now. If only so they’d tell her she needed psychiatric help.

“Give.”

It would be much easier if Callie wasn’t now married to the cousin of her problem. “Scott.”

“What about Scott? What did he do that you can’t believe, and what did you do that made you stupid?”

“This morning we were trying to get the building permit issued. We’ve had some problems. I may have…flirted a little to get it done quicker.”

A smile appeared on Callie’s face.

“He made some crude comment about it.”

“And that surprises you? Why? You’ve known Scott for a while now. Sarcasm is a second language to him.”

“It’s not the crude comment, but the crude action that followed it.”

“Crude? As in sexual?”

“Yes, up against the wall. Practically felt me up while I simply stood there.”

“You didn’t say anything?” Callie’s voice held confusion. “Or clock him one?”

Staring into space, Heather shook her head. “I couldn’t.”

An unladylike snort burst from her friend’s mouth. “Heather Silva, speechless. Oh, I wish I had seen that.”

“Laugh all you want. I’m still so damn frustrated.”

A grin split Callie’s face. “Sexually frustrated?”

Heat rushed to her face and she looked down.

“Oh, my God. Seriously? You’ve got a thing for Scott?”

Rolling her eyes, she tried to deny it. “No, not a thing.”

“You spent the last few years pretending to be together. Was any of that real? Have you done…you know…it?”

Her cheeks burned, and she kept her eyes averted.

“You did. When? Where? I want details.”

Damn, she couldn’t lie to Callie. They’d been best friends since their early teens.

“Right after Christmas in Vermont.”

“How did I not know this? I was there.”

“You were a bit busy with Jack.”

Sitting back, Callie patted the tiny bump on her belly. “Yeah, I guess I was a little preoccupied. You know stuff like that can lead to stuff like this. I’m guessing you remembered protection.”

“We remembered. It wasn’t my first barbecue, thanks.”

​Callie sipped her tea, hiding her grin behind her cup. “Have you and Scott had many of these barbecues?”


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​Some secrets weren’t meant to be revealed...
 
Scott Holland’s mill renovation project can’t succeed without Heather Silva’s backing. But the memory of his one-night stand with the business heiress won’t leave him alone, no matter how much trouble it causes. And, just as predicted, that trouble starts the minute they ink the deal.
 
Heather’s determination to succeed without the help of her wealthy parents pushes her to work with Scott. This project is about her financial independence, not the smoldering way he makes her feel. With their history, it’s no surprise they clash on every detail, but a grisly discovery changes everything. The mill has secrets, and someone wants Heather and Scott silenced. They must work together to find answers because what you don’t know can get you killed...

BUY FATAL EVIDENCE

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Bio: Kari Lemor

Kari Lemor is the award-winning author of the Love on the Line romantic suspense series as well as the small-town contemporary series, Storms of New England. She loves writing about characters who fight against the odds so they can be with the one they love.  She and her husband split their time between St. Augustine and beautiful New England. 

For updates on new releases or sales (and to get a few freebie stories) join my mailing list at:
https://www.karilemor.com/
Join my FB Reading group, The Lit Lounge to connect with me on a more personal level.
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BookBub:    https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kari-lemor
Goodreads:   https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9756283.Kari_Lemor
Romance Gems:   https://romancegems.blogspot.com/search/label/Kari%20Lemor


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Monday Memories: Protector

3/1/2021

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I must remind you of a statement from my last post.

I watched affection being given to others and measured what these people did to get it. I tried to emulate them, but I was usually unsuccessful. It was difficult to compromise my belief system, even as a second grader.

Most of the time, if I felt someone was getting more attention and affection than me, I blamed my hair. Red hair does nothing for second graders. Even though Grace was in my life, always showing me how beautiful and popular a red head could be, I wasn't wise enough to see it yet.

So, Christmas of 1982 was a little upsetting. We were at my grandpa's, and my uncle hadn't listened to directions, and brought every present he'd bought for his kids to our Christmas Eve celebration. Therefore, most of the presents under the tree were for my cousins. I, in my young mind, thought I'd done something wrong.

I did my very best not to cry. How selfish and lowering; to cry because you weren't getting as many presents as your cousins. The action of holding in my sadness caused that pain in my side to come back.

I laid on the brown shag carpet, doing my best not to alarm anyone, but curling into a fetal position only served to draw everyone's attention. I did cry then.

My eldest cousin hurried over to me. He picked me up and carried me into a bedroom. I told him about the pain. And that all I needed to do was sleep. My parents came in, wondering if they should take me to the doctor, but I told them no. I just needed to go to sleep.

They left the room.

My cousin did not.

He took off his black leather jacket and covered me up. And he stayed with me until I fell asleep. I shall always and forever remember that Christmas Eve.

My protector. The defender of my heart.

And so, his name shall be Alexander...the defender of mankind.
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    Kara O'Neal

    An author who has too much to say is dangerous.

    The subjects on this blog:


    Monday Memories -- My Childhood

    Wednesday Words -- Books!

    To be a guest on my blog:

    Contact: [email protected]

    Monday Memories: Cast

    Kara -- Me
    Maria -- sister
    Wendy -- sister
    Bill -- brother

    M'Lynn -- mother
    Drummond -- father

    Grace -- mother's redheaded friend
    Liam -- Grace's husband
    Gorgeous (Georgie) -- oldest son and friend
    Phillip -- middle son and friend
    Andrew -- last child and friend

    Jo -- mother's "big idea" friend
    Noah -- Jo's husband who builds things
    Jack -- oldest son and friend
    Roxi -- middle daughter and friend
    Lela -- last child and friend

    Alex -- friend who travels the country and lives in Dallas
    Blossom -- friend who lives in Dallas and sells houses

    Miss Holly -- next door neighbor
    Kirk -- middle son
    Scotty -- youngest son

    Lou -- uncle on my dad's side who likes baseball
    Evaline -- my dad's sister who's crazy funny
    Luke -- oldest son and my cousin
    Han -- younger son and my cousin

    Clark -- my mother's brother who bleeds maroon

    Alexander -- my eldest cousin on my dad's side

    Dawn -- cousin on my dad's side that is the same age as Maria

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