Gay N. Lewis: Christmas Already

Gay N. Lewis: Christmas Already:       CHRISTMAS IS HERE!    In this scorching month of July, I'm celebrating Christmas. A Christmas in July sale, that is...

Christmas Already

 

 

 

CHRISTMAS IS HERE!

 

In this scorching month of July, I'm celebrating Christmas. A Christmas in July sale, that is.

 

 

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 This eBook is usually $3.99, but for a few more days, it is 99 cents on Amazon. Oh! And by the way, it is available in print too, but the eBook is at bargain price today.

 

Blurb

 

A wealthy widow…two suitors…only one truly loves Beth…a

haphazard Sarah must discover the genuine article. Mayhem

 abounds as Sarah plays detective.

Here are a few excerpts.

 

In this one, Sarah has just landed on the planet and as always, she's lost.

Maybe some nice person inside that place could give an indication of where she needed to go. Oh, but that required a disguise.

Okay, to find a place to make an appearance. Earthlings didn’t understand how a being could materialize out of nowhere. Unexpected arrivals terrified people—wonder why? In The Heavenlies, unexpected entrances were common place, but down here, it simply didn’t happen.

 Slipping behind a huge trash dumpster, she landed as teenaged boy. With a baseball cap pulled low, white t-shirt, denim jacket hanging open, and jeans worn low on the hips, she sauntered into the store. Good—a man and not a female stood behind the counter. Surely this old gent wouldn’t try to flirt with her—those things happened on past trips.

“Hello young fella. What can I do for you?”

“I need directions.” Using her boyish voice, Sarah pulled her scroll out, unwound it, and pointed to a street. “Can you tell me where this is?”

“Well, I’ll be. Harold come look at this map. Have ya ever seen anything like this before?”

Sarah inwardly churned—great! Just great! She’d forgotten to change the ornate scroll into an ordinary looking chart. The one she’d handed the man, attached to elaborate golden rods, displayed fancy inlaid pearl finials. Now what?

Harold ambled over. “Nah, never seen anything like that ‘fore.” With eyebrows coming together in a deep frown, he roamed his eyes over Sarah.

“My father is an artist. He drew it for me.” That was certainly true—sort of. The Commander wasn’t her heavenly father, but he remained close to the Almighty.

Harold whistled. “Your dad sure goes to a lot of trouble. Lookee Amos, this here thing resembles one of them Biblical parchments.” Taking the document in both hands, he rolled it up and down.

Gulping, Sarah nodded. “My father is remarkable.”

With eyes wide and full of appreciation, Harold nodded. “Sure is.”

Here's another excerpt. Sarah is trying to find information, and she isn't tech savvy.

 

Poopty doopty. A dead end. Her gaze rested on the internet connection. How about trying the computer?

Oh my word—how does Bryan navigate that gizmo? Classes teaching equipment existed in The Heavenlies, but the contraptions down here changed rapidly. New technology required endless study, and Sarah grimaced. Why did she procrastinate so much? Now here she stood—with no clue as to how to manage that scary thingy.

 “Next time those classes are offered, take a refresher course.” Sarah covered her mouth. Not too smart to even whisper in this place. Some person might hear.

The screen provided many of those little icons she presented at the last seminar, but which one to try? Moving the gadget called a mouse, Sarah clicked on an image titled “clients.”

A list of names emerged.

Scrolling down, she found Beth Marsh. Next to the moniker, a column of figures appeared. When Sarah read the statistics estimating the woman’s net worth, she felt her eyes grow wide. Amazing! This lady could finance a third world country.

No wonder so many men pursued her.

And only one could be the gentleman who wouldn’t care about the fortune.  A certain worthy man would love Beth and not her money.

How in the world could she find out which one God intended for Beth?

In this excerpt, Tomas, a warrior angel, brings Sarah a message.

“If Beth marries the wrong man, her life will be in danger. There is a wicked person down here on this planet who schemes to kill her and inherit her fortune. I’m preparing to come down and protect her if the wrong marriage occurs. I just received my orders.”

Sarah covered her mouth with her hand and then dropped it. “What am I supposed to do?”

“Your orders haven’t changed. You are to lead her to a good man who will cherish her. In so doing, the one who wants to harm her will come to light. By helping her find the virtuous man, you will guide her away from nefarious situations.”

“Do you know who the good guy is?”

Tomas shook his head. “No, and I don’t know who the bad one is either. We are playing the waiting game. Much of it depends on Beth’s choices.”

Sarah shivered. “And a lot depends on me. What if I don’t succeed in guiding her to the right man?”

“Then I come down and carry out my orders.”

One More excerpt.

 

Beth simply smiled. “A word here and there to the wise is all it takes. Grant was an astute business man, and he taught me how to deal with men like you. You thought I was a weak female who simply inherited everything and knew little. Gentleman, you underestimated me.”

Sarah wanted to give her charge a standing ovation, but she was already standing. Clapping and cheering was definitely out of the question.

Gary stood. “Gentleman, it’s time for you to leave.”

Beth rose to her feet as the men prepared to head to the front door. “Oh, and there’s just one more thing.”

The men turned to face her.

“Charles, you’re fired.”

Here in the middle of summer, enjoy a Christmas

story. The book may give you hints for holiday

decorating. Ideas for trees, garlands, lights, ornaments,

nativity sets are all included in the novel. As quickly as

 time goes by, Christmas will be here before we know it,

but enjoy a bit of it now while you wait.

 

 

.99 on Amazon

 

 

 

 

 



Victoria Pitts-Caine : Sarah and The Double Wedding Woes - Gay N. Lewis

Victoria Pitts-Caine : Sarah and The Double Wedding Woes - Gay N. Lewis: Another great segment to Gay N. Lewis' Sarah Series  A double wedding? Was it possible?  The Superiors want Jessica and Ro...

Gay's Days: Love Is Evidence Not Seen

 

St. Paul took a whole chapter in I Corinthians listing various hallmarks of love. Rather than attempt a pat definition, he revealed some of love’s many facets, turning it over and over as one might a brilliant, perfectly-cut diamond.

Since love is such a broad topic, let’s zero in on one aspect—romantic love. When a special person makes the heart beat faster, regardless of the season of life, we begin to question our emotions. Am I in love?  How will I know when it happens? How can I be sure when it is the real thing? Living a few years teaches us romantic love is accompanied with tender feelings, but that “gushy” feeling alone is not enough to stand the test of time. Love is more.  Real romance involves two people who care enough for each to put the other ahead of themselves.  In a “me first” instant gratification world, that kind of commitment is rare.  Yet it is the kind of giving, sharing love we hunger for at our very core.

Do I love him? Does he love me?  A simple test would be to consider each of the characteristics of love from I Corinthians.  Are we kind to each other?  Are we patient with each other? And so on.   Many heartbreaks could be avoided by thinking through that Biblical checklist, and turning away from a relationship with too many “no” answers.  Another person’s love is not directly measureable.  We can’t take out a yardstick and see how it stacks up. Instead, we observe love by its impact.  Oscar Hammerstein II is credited with this little rhyme that captures a singular way of looking at love:

“A bell is not a bell till you ring it.

A song is not a song till you sing it.

Love in your heart isn’t put there to stay.

Love isn’t love till you give it away.”

 

Prism Book Group’s “Love Is…” series takes its inspiration from I Corinthians chapter 13.  Eventually there will be a short novel that takes its theme from one of the aspects of true love.  My contribution to this series is “Evidence Not Seen”, inspired by “Love keeps no record of wrongs.” Or, if you prefer the lyrical language of the old King James translation, “thinketh no evil.”  I hope those who read my story find it to be true to that sentiment.

In the final analysis, we are left with faith, hope, and love.  What a marvelous trilogy!  And the greatest, of course, is love.  May we all practice it faithfully, daily, unrelentingly.  Love never fails.

 

 

Check out Carlene’s contribution to Prism Book Group’s new Love Is series…

 

 

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Evidence Not Seen

“Love keeps no record of wrongs…” 1 Corinthians: 13:5

 

Although attorney Jeff Galloway’s career is in high gear, his personal life is a mess. Just before his father returns home from a 27-year stretch in prison, his girlfriend dumps him. When a chance encounter begins to blossom into new romance, soft-hearted Melanie Clark encourages Jeff to find a way to forgive his father’s long absence.

 

Gay's Days: See what Sarah says!

Linda Carroll-Bradd interviewed my angel character, Sarah. I hope you'll pop over and see what Sarah has to say.

Sarah relates her lack of understanding about baseball. She also tells how she came into existence.

http://blog.lindacarroll-bradd.com/?p=1008

 

Linda Carroll-Bradd and I would appreciate hearing from you on her blog.

Gay's Days: Birthday!!

 

July 4

 

A day to celebrate my birthday.

 

I bet you didn't know all those fireworks were for me!

 

 

 

 

Yep! I’m a Fourth of July firecracker, my sister was born July 15 four years afterwards, and on July 23, my brother came into the world nineteen years later. My mom and I were pregnant at the same time. I didn’t need to buy maternity clothes. I inherited hers. July is the birthday month in our family. Three family members celebrate their birth the same day, July 15.

Aren't the flowers beautiful? Red, white and blue. A friend brought them.

 

We ate cheeseburgers, potato salad, baked beans and cake.

 

I'd show you a picture of the cake, but it was a major disappointment. The bakery lady failed to show up for work and others had to fill in for her. I'd ordered a white cake with cream cheese frosting and ganache trim. Employees used a yellow cake for the bottom layer and a white one for a top layer. The icing was ganache without cream cheese frosting.  They tried.

 

All in all, it was a wonderful day.

 

 

What is your favorite birthday memory.

 

My favorite is the time I gave myself a surprise birthday party. I invited my family to San Antonio to a hotel on the River Walk. I bought my own gifts and had the store gift wrap them for me.  I ordered a wedding cake and carried it in my lap from Houston to San Antonio. I made everyone leave the room and then I decorated walls and table tops with crepe paper and balloons. When I'd placed the cake and gifts on the table, I called the group back in and yelled, "Surprise!" Then I sang the Happy Birthday song to myself.

 

Everyone in my family remembers that occasion. My daughters found a key chain to give me. It says, "Nearly Normal."

 

My latest book came out in time for my birthday.

I'm pleased it got here in time to celebrate with me.

 



 

3.99

 

I hope you'll get it today from Amazon, read it, and leave a review. My birthday will be complete if you do.

 

Here are a few excerpts from the book.

 

 



    Squinting one eye, Sarah tapped her chin. Perhaps she could waltz into a saloon of sorts and find a single man at a bar. She’d heard men sought out women while guzzling down drinks. She could assume a female disguise, saunter up to a male and say something like, “Hello, if you’re 36 years old and aren’t smashed, would you like to meet a nice woman about your age?”

            Boom! The Commander’s voice came through the door loud and clear. “Sarah!”

            Sarah grimaced as if she’d been tackled by a football linebacker. “Sorry.”

Another Excerpt

            What are y’all doing back there?” The preacher’s tone indicated genuine interest. “Didn’t you feel that gust of wind?” A man spoke from the middle row of the choir.

            “In here?” The pastor furrowed his brow.

            “We felt the Spirit. Maybe we’re about to experience another Pentecost.” The choir member’s voice carried all the way to the rear of the auditorium.

            The pastor shook his head. “Not in my church.”

            The audience roared again.

            The pastor’s face turned from pink to purple. “Uh…ah…um…that’s not what I meant. I hope we do have a revival of the Spirit in here—just wasn’t expecting it today.”

Excerpt

        “Glad to hear it. Worship is the best way to spend a Sunday, but I realize many people must work. If you need a place of worship, I can offer mine. It’s on the corner of Wayford Way and West Street.”

            “Thanks. I’ll attend sometime. Can you meet attractive, single women there?”

            William’s eyebrows shot toward the heavens. “Are you only interested in females? Our  church is made up of mostly families and a few single people, but we do have several ladies’ classes.”

Oh, my stars. What must he think? Why must I constantly say the wrong thing?

Excerpt

     Rumble. Another warning. “Poopty doopty! I like these kids. I don’t want them to make a mistake.” She glanced upward. 

Another reverberation sounded. “Okay, okay, I got the message. I’m not supposed to interfere with human choices between good and evil, I know that. And yes, I know I shouldn’t whack them with flying objects. Sorry.” 

The Heavenlies quieted and Sarah snuggled once more under her blue blanket, but she smiled as sleep came her way.

I hope you enjoy Sarah and the Double Wedding Woes.

 

Gay's Days: Excerpt from Sarah and the Double Wedding Woes

Hi Friends,

The latest Sarah is book is out now. Sarah reminds us of ourselves. Like Sarah, we humans often attempt to accomplish a situation on our own rather than ask for divine help.

Sarah, the angel who helps humans, makes blunders as she tries various disguises in this scene. She needs to find out if William is married. She could ask heaven for answers, but she prefers to go it alone. Don't we all at times? We sometimes play act around people too. We put on facades.

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Maybe with a disguise, she could learn on her own. She constantly pestered The Heavenlies about something. Maybe this time, she should give them a break and discover things for herself. After all, she merely needed to know if this man was married.

Going to the roof, Sarah donned the uniform of a Girl Scout and loaded her arms with boxes of cookies. She then slipped down to the front door and punched the doorbell.

William arrived and smiled. “Well, hello, little lady. What have you got there?”

“Lots of cookies. I’m hoping you’ll buy all these boxes.”

“I’d love to, but I bought twelves boxes from another seller last spring. I placed my order and they delivered them months ago. I gave most away but still have a few in the pantry.” He scratched his neck. “Isn’t the cookie drive over? As I recall, the kids usually come in the spring.”

“They do?” Sarah cleared her throat. “Well, I thought we might have missed your house.”

William chuckled. “No, they know I’m a soft touch. Are the cookies still fresh?”

Uh oh. What to say now? “I just made them myself this morning.”

Sarah’s potential buyer laughed as if he were talking to his favorite granddaughter. “Is that right? In that case, I’ll buy a box or two.” He pulled cash from his pocket and handed it to her. “I don’t need change. Donate the remainder to your troop.”

“Thanks. Maybe your wife will help you eat them.” Sarah handed him two boxes.

William shook his head. “I’ll take these to my workplace.” A twinkle resembling candles appeared in his eyes. “Since these are just baked, my friends will gobble them down faster than pecan pie. Goodbye, little lady. Good luck with your sales.”

He closed the door.

Well, that turned out to be a fine how-do-you-do. After the charade, she hadn’t learned about a wife, only that the man worked, and cookies were usually sold in the spring.

What to do next? Sarah walked to the side of the house and disappeared. Arriving once more on the roof, she opened a box of the sweet treats. Not a bad snack, but her tummy wanted burgers. Too bad she could only call forth items she needed with her mission to help the humans. The Superiors frowned upon angels taking advantage of their powers for personal needs.

After finishing two boxes of cookies, Sarah sat cross-legged and fumed. How to get the information she needed?

“Okay, let’s try this.” Sarah assumed the disguise of an attractive, middle-aged woman in business suit and heels. Glancing down, she smiled. They weren’t the red stilettos she longed to wear, but they were pretty pumps with high heels. Now to walk in them. After a few steps, her ankles wobbled and she opened her arms to balance. She plopped down on the shingles and grimaced.

“Oh, well. Guess not.” She transformed her shoes to black flats. “Boring, but you’ll have to do.” After bringing forth a case on rollers, she slipped down again to the front door. Once more, Sarah tapped the buzzer.

When William opened the door, she smiled. “Hello, I’m the Avon lady. Is your wife home? I have some lovely items I’d like to show her.”

William shook his head. “Sorry. No women here today. You Avon ladies work on Sunday?”

“Not usually. I forgot it was Sunday.”

“You don’t attend church?” William’s expression showed interest.

“Yes, usually I do.”

“Glad to hear it. Worship is the best way to spend a Sunday, but I realize many people must work. If you need a place of worship, I can offer mine. It’s on the corner of Wayford Way and West Street.”

“Thanks. I’ll attend sometime. Can you meet attractive, single women there?”

William’s eyebrows shot toward the heavens. “Are you only interested in females? Our church is made up of mostly families and a few single people, but we do have several ladies’ classes.”

Oh, my stars. What must he think? Why must I constantly say the wrong thing? “I like Bible studies designed with the woman in mind.”

“Oh, I see. Good. We have those, and you’ll be welcomed. Sorry I can’t use your products. You might try the neighbor on the corner.” He smiled. “Come visit our church. Again, sorry I can’t help you.” He shut the door.

Sigh. Back on the roof, Sarah changed into a robe, plopped down and rested her arms on her knees. “He’s a kind man, and he values Sunday worship. These are good tips to identify, but I still don’t know about a wife.”

 

 

Gay's Days: Double Wedding Woes

Sarah has returned with another adventure!

Three men are in trouble!

 

 

 

 



 

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In the sequel, Sarah and the Double Wedding Woes, the Superiors send their haphazard angel to earth again—this time to match up Mackenzie’s mom to Robert, and Mackenzie’s grandmother to William—all at the same time.  Three relationships are in peril. Each will fall into a hole if one or more relationships fail to succeed. Terror punches Sarah in the stomach when she follows Jessica and Robert to Chicago. Houston is scary enough, but her assignments have always been in or near that city. If she doesn’t get lost in Chicago, all might be well. Hold it! Back in Houston, another scary situation presents itself. She must attend a ballgame with Bonnie and William. The queen of all panic attacks strikes her this time. Three men are in triple trouble with Sarah in pursuit.

You don't have to read the Sarah books in order. They are each stand alone novels.  After you read Sarah and the Double Wedding Woes, you will want to read Sarah and a Date for Mackenzie.

In the first book, Sarah and A Date for Mackenzie, the notorious goof up angel brings a reluctant Mackenzie and an eager Ethan together. High school is a challenge, but Sarah gets the best of a bully. He’s a James Dean type with a nefarious background and wishes to harm Mackenzie. After Sarah rids the rebel from Mackenzie’s life, she then shows Ethan’s fine qualities to Mackenzie. Disguised as a human, Sarah attends the prom. Look out! A mishap angel is among the dancers.

 

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 I hope all of you have a good July planned. Stay safe, cool and healthy. After the food and fireworks, relax with a good laugh. Sarah will give you one.