Friday, May 30, 2014

Party Time!


You are invited to our party!  Tonight. 6 to 9pm EDT.  I'm in central time, but I hope whatever time zone you are in, you'll stop by and say hello.  I'm giving away three signed print books.  Others are giving gift cards, eBooks, etc. Ask us questions, we'd love to answer them.

Oh!  Sarah, my little dyslexic angel is coming too.  Do you have questions for her?  Maybe you'd like to suggest an adventure for her.  She loves to visit the humans.

We'll have games, jokes and all kinds of fun.


Prizes & book lover fun! Join the authors of Prism Book Group for a PARTY! Host authors include Gay N Lewis, Carlene Havel, Ruth Roberts, Brooke Williams, and Kevin Mark Smith. Many more will be in attendance. Prizes include a $25 gift certificate to Amazon, ebooks, & more! Come meet your favorite Prism author, mingle, and win!

 
 
Sarah is looking forward to the party.  It's the first one she's ever been invited to.  Oh sure, she's been to other events....but no one knew she was there.  She wants to know what to wear.  I suggested she come in her simple attire, and barefoot is okay by me.  She can't walk in shoes very well anyway.
 
 
 
 
See you tonight on Facebook! Just click on the Prism Book Bash to attend 6:00 EDT.
 

Monday, May 26, 2014

Memorial Day 2014

This article was originally posted in 2013
 
 
 
 
REMEMBERING MY DAD
Irving, Texas Memorial Park
 
 
MEMORIAL DAY
 
During my mother-in-law’s lifetime, she carried flowers to the cemetery at this time of the year.  Back in that era she called it “Decoration Day.” With no car and no knowledge to drive one if one had been available, she arranged for someone to take her to the cemetery—a twenty mile round trip. A short distance by today’s standards, but back then, it wasn’t.
Of course she took blossoms on other occasions, but she expressly wanted to remember on this patriotic event the fallen men and women who made the supreme sacrifice for her country.
Most historians believe the practice of remembering the soldiers with flowers sprang up around 1865 when liberated slaves decorated graves at a former Confederate prison camp. This site contained a mass grave for Union soldiers who died in captivity.
 
Before this date became known as Memorial Day, the 30th of May, 1868 was set aside as Decoration Day. The purpose was to decorate the graves of those who died in defense of our country.  These men and women lie buried in every city, village and churchyard in the land.  
 
The alternative name of "Memorial Day" was first used in 1882. The new name became more common after World War II, and Federal law declared it the official name on June 28, 1968.
 
Many will gather today in backyards for barbeque, drink alcohol, play games, and swim in pools—for many, it will be a fun and relaxing time away from work. Grills will smoke with meat and the aroma of hamburgers and brisket will tantalize the taste buds.
 
Smoke on the battlefields will also be part of a soldier’s life this very day. The smoke will not arise from a backyard grill and fun times.  Men and women fight on foreign shores for our freedom. Improvised Explosive Devices will go off. Rifles will blaze. Fires will develop. It will not look pretty nor have a fragrant aroma. No fun in this scenario.
 
May God keep them safe and bring them home.
 
Let us pause at this solemn interval to give thanks for those who shaped our freedom in the supreme way.
 
Fly the flag. Decorate the graves. Pause to give thanks.

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Meet Texas Author, Gay N. Lewis


After interviewing several, talented Texas authors, I decided to answer the same questions I asked them.  I didn't save the best for last,  all the writers before me are wonders, but I chose to be the final one in this series.  Isn't that the polite thing to do?
 Three of my books are currently in print as well as available on eBook.  A fourth will be released on Wednesday, May 7th. Sarah and the Internet Dating Service.  I love the cover.  Sarah floats above the Houston skyline as she attempts to bring Karen and Jeremy together. Sarah and a computer?  Opps.  That's a disaster in the making.  Two more books will follow this one. Who knows?  Sarah loves the earthlings and may continue to cause chaos for years to come.


 This is me.  I'm pleased to meet you.  I hope you'll leave a comment.  I"d like to know you too.


Texas is a large state.  Does your book (or books) take place in east, west, north, or south Texas?

My books are placed in and around Houston, Austin and Dallas.  Since I live in the Houston area, Sarah, the dyslexic angel who is always lost, bumbles her way most of the time around the west side of the largest city in Texas.

Were you born in Texas?

Although I don't remember the event, Fort Worth, Texas is on my birth certificate, and I trust the accuracy of the document. My first memories are of snow when I was about the age of three. I had no mittens, and my mom placed socks on my hands to build a snowman.  I lived there until I was six years old and then moved to the Dallas area.

Have you lived elsewhere?

One year in northeast Oklahoma.  I was blown away by the beauty in that part of the state.  The winter I lived there was the coldest one I'd spent in my entire life.

What would you change about Texas?

The heat.  The heat.  The heat.  Maybe the traffic, but mostly the heat.  

Do you enjoy sports or hobbies?

I enjoy watching football, basketball, and baseball.  While Biggio, Bagwell, and Berkman played for the Astros, we attended Minute Maid Park.  I haven’t regained my Astros interest since those three retired.  I love the Baylor Bears—football and basketball.  The Lady Bears are my favorite.

What is a typical day like for you?

I wake up about five o’clock; watch the news on television, and then I'm off to the computer.  I stop writing about mid-morning to walk.  I hate that dreaded thing, but it’s a healthy thing to do.  I go at least one mile.  When the weather is exceptional—I meander farther but never in the summer.  The gym is necessary during the hottest months, and I don't care for the extra time it takes out of my day just to get to that treadmill. It's thirty minutes each way.

How did your characters come to mind for your book?

Sarah, my goofy angel from The Heavenlies came to mind one Saturday when I attended a chapter meeting of the Romance Writers of America.  Fantasy seemed to work well for several of the authors.  I had no interest in vampires, but I suddenly realized I could write about a novice angel who causes havoc wherever she goes but desires to excel.  Her mistakes keep her from her goal, but she tries. I have a super sense of humor, and Sarah gives me the opportunity to use it.  

How do you plot your books?

I’m not much of a plotter, although I planned the entire book for Sarah: Laney’s Angel.  That book has a killer-stalker and is filled with suspense, along with romance.

What is the hardest part of writing?

Promotion.  Promotion. Promotion.
      Do you enjoy research?

    Any study is a new adventure, however I find myself involved with a research subject and forget  why I'm there.  One road leads me down another.

    Do you dream about your work and can’t sleep?

Too often.

   Out of the books you’ve written, which one is your favorite?

 That’s impossible to say.   A mother loves all her children equally. 

    If you could speak another language what would it be?

             Spanish.

     If you had all the time and money in the world, what would you be doing?

Exactly what I’m doing now.  I love my neighborhood, our church is an awesome place to serve, and I have the time to write.  I've always wanted to create fiction, but until I retired from the design field, I never had the time. I've written non-fiction articles as well as produced inspirational videos. 
 A bit more travel would be nice, but I wouldn't want to make it a daily experience.  My life has purpose, and that is huge for me.

Sarah has her own Facebook Page.  Find her at Sarah Wingspand and see what she's doing these days.
Sarah: A Mission of Love is the first in the Sarah Series. 

A wealthy businessman…a widow and her five-year old daughter… a dyslexic angel with a love for red stilettos and a cupid assignment.  Impending disaster. Loads of humor and inspiration.




Sarah: Laney's Angel, the second in the series.

Architect Laney Taylor….builder Cannon Carlson…a bumbling angel…a stalker killer…a warrior angel. Sarah’s the love angel. Will she get in the way of Tomas the warrior who must save Laney?  Funny and uplifting.



Sarah and the Widow's Mate is book three.

A wealthy widow…two suitors…only one truly loves Beth…a haphazard Sarah must discover the genuine article. Mayhem abounds as Sarah plays detective.


Sarah and the Internet Dating Service
Shy Karen Newton…handsome Jeremy Spencer…Sarah, the unfamiliar computer operator. Why did the Superiors assign her the task of uniting this couple via the Internet? Hilarious fiascoes abound.


Gay N. Lewis
Sarah: A Mission of Love
Sarah: Laney's Angel
Sarah and the Widow's Mate
Sarah & the Internet Dating Service
www.GayNLewis.com
http://www.gaynlewis.blogspot.com
https://www.amazon.com/author/gaynlewis
http:www.prismbookgroup.com


PBG Insider: Gay N. Lewis Introduces her "Sarah" series

Sarah at Christmas