AND THE WINNER IS...

Congratulations to Connie Newhouse who just won a copy of "Wild Heart" my
very first published book on audio CD! The book is narrated by W.B. Ward. To
learn more about W.B. Ward, please visit his website at
www.wbward.com
To learn more about "Wild Heart" and me, visit my website
www.christianhomeplace.com

Thanks to all who participated, and if you still wish to win one of my
books, keep coming back, because there is going to be another contest in
honor of Mother's Day, which is coming up. Take care and be blessed.

An Excerpt and a Contest!

Turning away in disgust, Gage wondered what the purpose was in having a
Chief of Police, when he did not seem inclined to keep the peace. He
wondered why no one seemed concerned that lives were at stake. Did anybody
care what became of either man? Would anyone have a funeral for the one who
would be unlucky enough to be too slow at the draw? He seriously doubted
it. Uppermost in his mind was the kid's identity, or rather, was he the
same man who had murdered Jeb Colton? There were no forth-coming answers to
his many questions, but one thing he knew for certain, was that there was
bound to be trouble, no matter who was left standing when the smoke began to
clear.
When the sun had finally reached its highest peak in the sky, he could see
Harry, revolver resting in its holster on his hip, walking slowly down the
left side of the street. Glancing to his right, he saw the kid on his way
to meet his opponent. The two met about twenty feet apart in the middle of
the street.
In the ominous hush that had seemed to fall over the town, Harry's voice
could be heard loud and clear, as he taunted, "Are ye sure ye don't wanna
back out, breed? Wouldn't want any of your Injun blood contaminatin' this
here street, if'n it can be helped!"
Concentrating on the kid's appearance, Gage almost missed the quiet reply.
"It isn't my blood that will be contaminating the street; it'll be yours,
Mr. Baker. Are you sure you want to die today, because we could just call
it off and."
"Cocky little whippersnapper, ain't ye!" Baker said, a little cockily
himself, but he was unable to hide the note of nervousness that kept him
from meeting his opponent's eyes.
"You're a fool," the kid said in disgust.
"What's that? What did ye call me, there, Boy?" Baker asked, nastily,
resting his right hand on his gun.
"I called you a fool," the kid answered, still not bothering to raise his
voice. "If you're wanting to shoot it out, then let's quit all this talk
and get on with it."
Hearing something in the kid's voice that made the little hairs on his arms
stand at attention, Gage narrowed his gaze and studied the man more closely.
His voice had not been loud, nor was it familiar, yet it sounded more like a
woman's than that of a young man.
He had no more time to wonder about it, however, for at that moment, out of
the corner of his eye, he saw Baker begin to draw his weapon. But, he had
no time to cock it, before the kid's bullet hit him between the eyes, and
the unused gun fell to the ground along with a very dead Baker.
As long as he lived, Gage would never forget the look on the kid's face at
that instant. Shock and horror seemed to mingle with a very feminine
expression-the beginning of tears. Then, like a curtain, an expression of
cold indifference fell over his face, and, as if nothing out of the ordinary
had just taken place, he turned to leave the scene, revolver still in hand.
It was all over in a matter of a few moments.
For a split second, silence ruled the spectators. Then all at once, a mass
of people began to flock toward the middle of the street.
Paying no heed to those around him, Gage stepped in to the street, and
without stopping to analyze his reason, began following the tall, slender
figure out of town; he just could not let this kid walk off without finding
out his identity. Behind him, he could hear shouting as folks were
undoubtedly removing the lifeless body from the street. A few were trying
to get close to the kid, too, but the cold expression on his face and the
fact that he still held his revolver at the ready, kept everyone from
getting too close, except Gage.

Excerpt taken from "Wild Heart" the audio version. If you would like a
chance to win a free copy on audio CD, send an email to
ShannonNicoleWells@suddenlink.net
Put "Wild Heart audio" in the subject line and tell me in the body of the
email why you think I should pick you to receive the free copy. The person
with my favorite answer will win. Contest ends on Friday, April 16. Winners
will be announced on here on the 17th. Good luck and God bless!

Are you interested in purchasing a printed copy? Go to
www.publishamerica.net
Search for my book by title, "Wild Heart" and get yours today! It's only
$5.99, but will go back to $19.95 after April 4. If $19.95 is too much to
pay, email me and ask about getting an autographed copy for $12.

Take care and happy Easter. May Sunday morning find you in church!

Featuring Author Donna Daniels Wade!

Today I am featuring another Publish America author, Donna Daniels Wade.
Her book is "Wisteria Trees and Honeybees" ISBN # 978-1-4489-8986-7, and you
can learn how to obtain a signed copy by visiting her website
www.HoneyBeeDreams.com
From her website you can also listen to some of her children's stories and
songs.

Her children's book, "A Simple Christmas Wish", has been accepted by Publish
America for publication. She expects it to be released closer to Christmas.

"My hobbies," Wade says, "include sailing, songwriting, singing and of
course, writing. I enjoy reading a variety of things including works by
Danielle Steele, Dean Koontz and John Grisham, just to name a few. I
actually didn't start out wanting to be a writer. I started writing my
story more as therapy but then my imagination took off and Wisteria Trees
and Honeybees was created. My story is the result of ideas springing from
experiences, some mine and some others', mixed with a bit of humor and a lot
of imagination. Most ideas for stories come from life experiences or from
songs.

Wade believes her book is special, because "most people, young or old, can
relate to parts of it; for example, the feeling of being alone even in a
crowd or the feeling of helplessness. It covers the full range of emotions,
from hate and bitterness to courage and happiness. Readers will be
encouraged to look beyond what the world has taken from them and discover
what they can give to the world. Wisteria Trees and Honeybees is a story of
faith."

"The best advice I can give aspiring authors," she encourages, "is to write
for you, not for someone else. The story has to be yours, from your heart.
For me, writing is therapy. I just happened to choose to share it so that
others may be inspired and benefit from it."

To purchase a copy of "Wisteria Trees and Honeybees" from the publisher, go
to
http://www.publishamerica.net/product90068.html

Thank you Donna, and thank you readers. God bless.

Another Author Interview

Hello all. Today I'm featuring another first-time author. His name is Doug
Jackson and his book is "The State of America, a Journal by Doug Jackson".
It's published through Publish America.
www.publishamerica.com

Jackson's hobbies include Tennis and painting, and when asked, says when he
isn't writing, he is reading and vise versa. Hunter Thompson, Charles
Bukowski and Ralph Emerson are his favorite authors.

Jackson began as a lyricist and believes that what he calls the "downfall of
humanity" and the problems in today's society are what give him inspiration.
In his own words, he states, "I am the voice of one crying in the
wilderness. Hopefully the reader will get a feeling of hope in mankind from
reading my book."

When I asked Jackson if he had any advice for someone who wishes to become a
published author, he said, "Keep writing, the material and our growth is
what's important."

I asked Doug if there was anything else he would like to share with us, and
he answered, and I quote, "The human consciousness has been drowned out by
distraction.
We, as a people are consumed daily by irrelevance and computers.
Watch someone when they are alone, they cannot be without the cell phone for
a second.
Insecurity has taken over because we do not think for ourselves anymore, I'm
not
sure if we ever did.
Compassion for the fellow human being has taken a back seat in today's
society.
How many days will pass until the actual apocalypse is upon us?
I for one believe it is wavering above our heads today.
Without a complete restructuring of mentality we are doomed.
Faith can only go so far, as the man on a row boat in the middle of the
ocean, praying
to make it to shore without paddling."

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of Doug's book, please visit the
following link.
http://www.publishamerica.net/product88737.html

Thank you for joining me for another author interview. God bless!

Things About Me You Probly Didn't Wanna Know :)

Ok, y'all, you know those silly emails that go around wanting you to forward and put your own answers in? Well, this is what this post is all about. I thought I'd post it here, just so y'all will know all those silly little things about me. In truth, I only do these questionaires for a couple of friends who would have hurt feelings if I didn't. Enjoy.

 

> 1.   What time did you get up this morning? approx 5:30 AM
> 2. Diamonds or pearls? doesn't matter
> 3. What was the last film you saw at the movie theater? I don't remember the name but it was about a mom and dad who between them had 18 kids
> 4. What is your favorite TV show? worst cooks in America followed by hell's kitchen
> 5. What do you usually have for breakfast? just whatever
> 6. What is your middle name? Nicole
> 7. What food do you dislike? tomatoes
> 8. What is your favorite CD at the moment? prefer downloadable mp3s
> 9.  What kind of car do you drive? in this reality, terry drives a 2005 aveo, but in my alternate reality, I drive a pink cattalack lol
> 10. Favorite sandwich? turkey with provolon, lettuce and Mayo
> 11. What characteristic do you despise? lying, backbighting and two--facedness

> 12. Favorite item of clothing? none

> 13. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go? somewhere I've never been, like Ireland
> 14.  Favorite brand of clothing? ones that last.
> 15. Where would you retire to? I don't like to think about getting that old :)
> 16.  What was your most memorable birthday? My 16th, when my eyes were bothering me real bad, my mom made me a peanut butter cake that fell and when mom fell down our front steps with baby Veronica in her arms and had to go to the ER. 
> 17.  Favorite sport to watch? none
> 18.   Furthest place you are sending this? don't know
> 19.  Person you expect to send it back first? don't know
> 20.  When is your birthday? January 3
> 21.  Are you a morning person or a night person? Morning.
> 22. Favorite Color? purple
> 23.  Pets? none
> 24. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share with us? nope not yet
> 25. What did you want to be when you were little? teacher, writer and a singer
> 26. How are you today? ok
> 27. What is your favorite candy? chocolate
> 28. What is your favorite flower? roses, as long as I don't have to grow them lol
> 29. What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to? March 18, 10th anniversary
> 30. What are you listening to right now? window eyes and a show on nick Jr.
> 31. What was the last thing you ate? Do I have to admit that? 
> 32. Do you wish on stars? No, I trust in the Lord.
> 33. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? purple
> 34. How is the weather right now? chilly but not too bad, considering
> 35.The 1st person you spoke to on the phone today? nobody yet
> 36. Favorite soft drink? coke

> 37. Favorite restaurants? Logans, and steak escape 
> 38.  Real hair color? Brown

> 39. What was your favorite toy as a child? dolls
> 40. Summer or winter? Spring and Fall.
> 41.   Hugs or kisses? kisses

> 42.  Chocolate or Vanilla? chocolate
> 43.  Coffee or tea? both, but mostly I'll pick Tea

> 44.  Do you want your friends to email you back? if they want to
> 45. When was the last time you cried? can't remember

> 46.What is under your bed? scary things!!!
> 47. What did you do last night? went to the dentist and ate a cheeseburger after coming home. Then gave the girls a bath and went to bed.
> 48.  What are you afraid of? latex balloons

> 49.   Salty or sweet? sweet, but occasionally I'll want some salty chips

> 50.  How many keys on your key ring?don't know, and too lazy to check
> 53. How many years at your current job? been a stay at home mom since August 22 2005  6:03AM, duties doubled on December 4 2007 5:18PM

> 52.  Favorite day of the week? Friday, and I think that is because when going to school, Fridays were the last days of the week before an entire weekend of no school. can't drop the habbit

> 53. How many towns have you lived in? 7
> 54. Do you make friends easily? usually
> 55.  How many people will you send this to? I think 3 plus maybe post it to my blog
> 56. How many will respond? only those who have the patience to fool with this silly quiz lol

My Thoughts on a Sunday Morning

I suppose you all are wondering why there is no edition of Author Fridays? Well, there are a couple of reasons. First of all, I have run out of authors to interview. I still have two more, but their books aren't published fully, yet, and I like to interview those who have books ready for purchase. The second reason is that I just do not want to do them on a regular basis anymore. If you are an author and had hoped to see your interview here, then drop me an email at

ShannonNicoleWells@suddenlink.net

or simply leave a comment. Put "author interview" in the subject and I'll see what I can do, but doing them weekly has gotten to be a little more than i want to commit to. I have enjoyed writing about other authors, though, and I have learned a few things along the way. One important thing I have learned is that you can't judge an author or their book by the publisher. Just because someone has had the misfortune to be sucked in by Publish America, does not mean their book isn't any good. If you know anything about me at all, you will know I was one of those unfortunate souls who bought their load of bull. Before I leave this particular subject all together, let me just say that people won't buy your book if it costs $19.95 or higher, no matter how pretty it looks. Publish America tells you on their website and on their author forums that it isn't the price tag on a book, but they are lying. My book, "Wild Heart" looks very nice. The cover is good, the pages and printing look nice, but no matter where I go or what I do, no one except family and close friends will pay $19.95 for it. Recently, I set some books out for our local Shoneys store to sell for me. I had them to put out a sign saying, "Reduced to $12". I sold more books in three weeks than I ever did before. But, I digress, I think. I was telling you what I have learned from doing all those interviews. So, I have learned that there are as many writing styles as sand at the beach. Some work, and some do not. For instance, I had one author to begin every sentence with "I". That, my friend, gets annoying after a bit, and I sure do hope that when preparing the interview for the blog that I fixed that problem. Now, I'm not saying I'm an English or language arts major, 'cause I'm not, but I did well in English in school, and I know what sounds right and what does not. You know, I think listening to audio books has helped me in this, because I will take something that is written, be it an article, a story or whatever, and I will try to picture how it would sound if being read as an audio book. Ok, so how do you picture a sound, right? Well, I try to imagine the passage being read aloud, and usually it changes the perspective, dramatically. As a child and even today, I love to be read to. Some of my best childhood memories are mom reading aloud to me before bed. I love a good story with strong characters that have believable lives. The story doesn't have to be real, but the author must make it seem real, whether it is or it isn't. I'll never forget how surprised I was to learn the entire story of the Star Wars movies. My husband took me with him to see the last movie, #3...oh dear I can't even remember what it's called! "Revenge of the Sith"? Maybe? Anyway, the action was a little difficult to follow, because I couldn't see it, but the story line captured my imagination. I had never watched any of the movies with him, but for once, I did. I sat through all 6 movies, and while they are still not my favorites, I loved the story behind them and was touched at the very end when Vader saw Luke and acknowledged him as his son.

 

Ok, so now that I have proved to you that I need to go back to English class and learn about paragraphs, lol I'll get on with it. I can't write much more, 'cause it's almost time to get ready for Sunday School, but I did want to let you, the faithful few know why there is no author interview. I plan to post excerpts of my books, and maybe I'll even do a few book reviews. Plus, I'll fill you in on all the wild things that go on around here. I tell you, with a blind mama and a bright couple of lil girls, there's never a dull moment.

 

Speaking of reviews, just now, i am in the process of reading a book by an author I interviewed way back in the beginning. Whenever I receive an audio clip of the book, I listen avidly, so i can't give a review, yet, but when I finish reading, i will. It's "Across Time, Across Tears" by Sheridan Elaine Claude, and I wish I had the entire audio file, so that I could listen straight through. Like i said, I won't give a review until I'm finished, but so far I'm hooked. So far, it's absolutely amazing, and my heart is already involved.

 

Well, time to get ready for church, so until next time, keep safe, keep praying, and remember to read a bestseller, "THE HOLY BIBLE"!

valentine flowers Feb 12 2010

I was yackin' on the phone, yesterday, when Terry comes in, real quiet like. Kierstin was saying something, but my mouth was running, and i didn't hear her.

 

"What is it?" I asked. "Why are you home so soon?"

 

"Kierstin is ratting me out, if you'd listen to her,' he said.

 

Then, he sat something on the table and said, "Happy Valentine's Day, baby."

 

The flowers were such a surprise, and the smell so sweet that I can't stop going over to them, just to press my face against them and breathe in. He also gave me a card, and bless his heart, he recorded himself talking to me, and the card plays it, plus a song. Wasn't that sweet? I just had to share.