More About Stella…

Stella Madison reminds me of somebody… at least that's how she started off. But then things got complicated, and the next thing I knew she was in a fix. I tried my best to wrap it all up, but now I see one thing can lead to another, and how I am just not satisfied, myself, without telling what happened to her next. 

You see, I have become convinced that most of us do not plan on getting ourselves in trouble. It just happens. And while there are any number of ways to get yourself out of it, each one comes with its own set of consequences. Life (as so many are quick to say) is choices. But the thing I am fascinated with about Stella, is how often we have no idea of the importance to our entire lives a seemingly insignificant decision can be. For better, or worse. So, I'm wondering…

Just how far a person might go to fix something, if they made an incredibly terrible mistake. Especially if other people were involved. Are feelings really fixable?

I think for someone as tender-hearted as Stella, it's imperative. 

But we'll see.

Thank you for sharing this wonderful week of the release of HOME BEFORE DARK with me, dear readers. Added to the marvelous adventure I'm on, it feels like life couldn't get much better right now!

Welcome Home, Stella!

Today is the day you can finally meet Stella Madison, dear readers. You can find her first (of many adventures),

HOME BEFORE DARK 

over at the Pelican Book Group site, where she is available for only a dollar. The Dollar Download program at our wonderful company are ebooks that you can read in one sitting. Perfect for waiting rooms, or something you can finish before bedtime. I'm very excited about this little book, myself... but then that's to be expected. 

So, in honor of Stella's birthday, I'll be giving away five copies. To enter the Captain's Hat drawing, simply leave a comment on this post (don't forget a contact email where I can reach you if you are a winner). I might also point out that since I am about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime, Stella has very graciously agreed to help us fix up the GLORY B. More on that over on my

ARMCHAIR ADVENTURERS PORTAL 

It's "Video Log Friday" over there, too, and I should have the next episode of our great adventure up by this afternoon.

Meanwhile, have a blessed weekend, and I'll be back on Monday!

Two Days Away...

Some people are so well-organized, so self-disciplined, and so sure of themselves,  they never seem to take a misstep. But what does a person like that do when someone else trips them up? Are the above qualities enough to save you if you accidentally fall overboard? 

Rather not think about these kind of things? 

No one is ever thinking about them when they happen.

They just happen.

Living in a city that turned into something of a jungle at night, Stella Madison's number one priority was that she always be HOME BEFORE DARK.

To celebrate Stella's debut, I will be giving five copies of HOME BEFORE DARK away. To get your name put into the Captain's Hat for the drawing, simply "like" my Facebook author page, and then copy and paste the link into the comment section of this post (don't forget to leave an email address I can contact if you're one of the winners). To tell you the truth, I'm asking because I've lost it, again, myself. So...


Is anyone there? One rap for, yes, two raps for, no...

Introducing Stella Madison...

This Friday, I will be revealing one of my favorite people to the world. In a very short  introduction by way of something called a "Dollar Download" over at the Pelican Book Group site. And while you may say, "Hmmm…. this doesn't exactly look like a typical Lilly Maytree adventure," I hope you will look, again. The truth is, it is only an introduction to Stella. And while this little book  probably tells the most important thing you can learn about her, I'll let you in on a secret. Something she doesn't even know about, yet.

Stella IS in for an adventure. 

An all-out, hold-onto-your-seats type of an adventure no one in their right mind would attempt. But I'll tell you something else. There are times when life's circumstances put us into positions where we have to make a choice between things we would never even have considered before. This might not have happened to you, yet (of course-- I hope to heaven it doesn't). But if it does…

Maybe you can remember what happened to Stella, and it will help a bit. Because if you look closely at her, she isn't as mysterious as she first appears to be. In fact, she looks a lot like the rest of us, when it comes to trying to get out of a scrape. But that's all I'm going to say about it, today. On Wednesday, I will tell you more. Along with what you can do to win a copy of Stella's story, so that you can judge for yourself. 

It's called HOME BEFORE DARK, and the release date is Friday. Yes, yes… I know what date that is. Which is just the sort of luck Stella usually gets stuck with. That is, until she runs into the Colonel, who might -- or might not -- be more trouble than she can handle. Ah, me… we'll just have to wait and see.

Fun For Summer...

It's "Video Friday," again, over at my

ARMCHAIR TRAVELERS PORTAL,

 dear readers, and I hope you will paddle on over and see what the Captain and I have been up to this week on the MYSTERY TOUR. 

In the meantime, I've been keeping up with my summer reading, and finished some wonderful books I'll be sharing throughout the month of July, over on LILLY'S BOOK CLUB page. 

I'm also reading a few manuscripts for writer friends, and -- I have to tell you -- I'm into one right now that is so good, I had to take it off my working pile, and put it on my morning devotion table. I keep wanting to underline things just so I won't forget. I don't mind saying it's making an incredible change in my life, right when I really need it. And while I can't share much more about it  at the moment, you can believe I'm going to sing hallelujah from the rooftops when it comes out. So, I'll keep you posted.

Meanwhile, have a great weekend!

On the Waterfront...

How goes the search for the GLORY B., today? Find out over on my ARMCHAIR TRAVELERS PORTAL...

How I Write Adventure Novels...

Writing about an adventure is not nearly as hard as actually going on one. For one thing, the temperatures are more stable. You don't freeze to death should you happen to fall into frigid arctic seas, or die of thirst should you get lost in a jungle. Nor do you feel  an ounce of guilt if you happen to leave one of your characters stranded in such a situation while you make a trip to the refrigerator, or maybe take a whole weekend off before you get back to them, again. You don't even lose much sleep wondering how you will get them out of the fix. 

On the other hand, even waking up with rain pouring into your tent on a family campout can be a major catastrophe. Or having more grounds than coffee in your cup of a morning, because some enthusiastic camp cook wanted to make it "the old fashioned way." I know about these things. Because I have been on a lot of adventures over the years. To tell you the truth, I happen to be on one, right now. A big one. 

I have even had some thoughts that I might not make it home, again, this time.

I wish I could say I was on some quest for the Holy Grail, but I'm not. I'm out here for my health. More specifically, I don't want to die of gold fever without ever having found any gold. However, I have learned something very important, already. The reason gold is so valuable is because it takes an amazing amount of work to extract even a little of it out of the earth. That is, unless you get lucky and find yourself a nugget. I say lucky because I equate the pull of such thoughts akin to gambling. Just a chance at it has the power to send you places you would never even consider while in your right mind. Mostly under horrid conditions, too. The fact that it has a giddy sort of contentment attached to it is a paradox.

I can talk about this objectively, right now, because I am on a temporary break from high mountain elevations, deserted mines, and wilderness streams running swift with snow-melt. I am in one of the most beautiful places in the country: the Pacific Northwest. Rocky islands with forests that reach right down to the sea. So many of them, you could hop from one to the other (if you had a good boat) all the way up to Alaska. Our next stop. There is gold in every river up there, and I have heard of a particular one that is showing lots of "color" this year. Of course, it will take quite the long time to get there that way.

Which is perfect for writing adventure fiction.

Here's a peek at the book cover of my next inspirational adventure novel. It's called THE PANDORA BOX, and has to do with the hazards of treasure hunting. Four friends, who think it will be so easy when they first start off. Except for a few strings they don't even know are attached, yet. But -- hey -- not many people are looking behind them on an adventure like this…

Ask me how I know.