Bailey Tucker, "Maid for Murder"

Bailey Tucker is curious and has to find out the source behind everything! If she spotted the North Star shining brighter than anything else, she’d be the first one to want to check out what was going on. Someone in town may have blamed her for being responsible for it being there, that maybe she had incited an alien invasion in her attempts to send an SOS to outer space, hoping to contact God.

Not being the type to go-it-alone, she’d drag in two accomplices. Together they would take a peace offering—just in case it was aliens from outer space.

Being stopped by the Chief of Police—King Herod, Bailey would appear helpful, but know he wasn’t someone she could trust, and would avoid him after being released, keeping any information she may have stumbled upon in her quest to herself.

Upon arrival in Bethlehem, she would insist on going undercover and would craftily find outerwear to disguise them. She would choose a position of authority so that any would-be aliens would think they were talking to Earth’s leaders, thus pretending to be wise men bringing gifts.

Having mistakenly uncovered an affair at the Inn, started a riot in which the town officials were involved, she and her two cohorts would have gone to the stable to hide out. There discovering a Baby in a manger. She and the other two wise men would then leave their gifts for the ‘needy’ family and head home after discovering the bright star was not a beacon from outer space, signaling an alien invasion.

AUTHOR BIO

Susette Williams is a Best Selling Author. She loves writing various genres, both for children and adults. She usually can't resist the urge to let her ornery sense of humor shine through in one of her characters and has always believed that laughter helps you deal with the obstacles life puts in your way.
Susette and her husband have six wonderful children, all with intriguing and different personalities, like the characters she creates in her novels.

Books by Susette Williams:

Maid For Murder: Deadly Business (Volume 1) print: http://ow.ly/fGsoF  eBook: http://ow.ly/fRfVK

Accidental Meeting http://ow.ly/fR7ft

Falling in Love (Seasons of the Heart) http://ow.ly/fR717

Winter Chill (Seasons of the Heart) http://ow.ly/fR75F

The Quakers of New Garden (New Garden’s Conversion) http://ow.ly/fR7bB

Books for Children:

The ‘In’ Crowd (Life With Stef) http://ow.ly/fGsul

On My Own (Life With Stef) http://ow.ly/fR7GG

Author Website: www.susettewilliams.com

FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Susette-Williams/182094681851446?ref=ts&fref=ts

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SusetteWilliams

Inzared, "Inzared, Queen of the Elephant Riders"

If she were to be a character in the manger scene, my protagonist, INZARED, Queen of the Elephant Riders, would be Joseph.  Joseph displayed many unusual qualities, as does Inzared. 

Joseph was kind, considerate and loving to Mary, the mother of Jesus.  He was understanding.  How many men would continue to love and care for a woman who was pregnant, still a virgin, and claimed the child came from God?  He must have loved his wife very much to make the sacrifices he did.  He worked hard to care for Mary and her unborn child.  He made sure she was warm and sheltered on the way to Bethlehem.  After a long day’s journey he built a fire and make her a hot drink.  She sipped it while he rubbed her back and swollen feet.  When the couple reached the city and time for the birth had come Joseph was persistent.  He knocked on doors to ask for a room and was turned away countless times, all the while worried about his wife’s condition and that of the child that was soon to come.  When the owner of an inn told him all he had was the manger, Joseph gratefully accepted the offer and led his wife to the warmth of the barn full of animals.

Joseph must have had issues, but he stayed silent and accepted his fate.  He loved his wife and eagerly awaited the birth of their first child, even though he knew he had not sired Jesus.  He was a carpenter and planned to teach the child his trade.  He must have had high hopes and dreams for the boy, even as he fought confusion and envy.  Family was important to him.

Inzared displays many of these same traits.  She is adaptable to new situations and learns to live in a totally different culture from the one in which she was raised.  She is non-biased and stands up for the Gypsies when they are bad-mouthed.  She learns a trade from an old Gypsy fortune-teller (even though her own parents would not have approved, because of their strict Christian values).

Inzared is kind and gentle.  She turns the other cheek when people wrong her.   She feels guilty for leaving home but keeps a sunny disposition as she learns to ride the elephant.  While she carries her first child she knows he will be half Gajji and half Gypsy.  She must worry about it but never lets on, instead keeping a soft voice and doing her best to be happy.  The overlying thread of Inzared’s life is that she is strong, just as Joseph was.  She cares deeply for her family, both the one she grew up in and her new Gypsy familia.  She is kind and generous and giving.

These traits are special and indicative of the Christmas season, when we think of the manger scene and what it depicts.  Inzared could do a lot worse!

Links for L.Leander and INZARED, Queen of the Elephant Riders

Amazon Link: http://tinyurl.com/7dfave4

Amazon UK Link:  http://tinyurl.com/by8xlwk

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/L.-Leander/e/B008IVRNU8

Video Trailer:  http://youtu.be/lQHtsFQGAP0

Website:  www.lleander.com

FB Author Page:  http://facebook.com/lleanderbooks

L.Leander Blog: http://lleander11.wordpress.com/

L.Leander’s Reviews and Interviews: http://lleandersreviewsandinterviews.wordpress.com/

Twitter:  @lleander11

Raymond Richardson, "Ray's Rules"

The main character of my serial, "Ray's Rules," is Raymond Richardson. I believe he would represent one of the wise men, probably one who offers frankincense or myrrh. This is because Ray isn't flashy or loud, and doesn't need as much attention as, say, the little drummer boy. It is his preference to observe from a distance, while taking in his environment. Ray developed a quiet, strong demeanor by surviving in the unforgiving streets of Houston. He is wise beyond his years, but not endowed with any gold. I could see him wheeling and dealing for some frankincense or myrrh throughout his journeys, but nothing as valuable as gold. As Ray mingled among those offering gifts to the king in the manger, he would be keenly aware of his surroundings. No person would escape his carefully veiled scrutiny. His ability to read people would keep him in position to act, should any character of ill repute decide to sabotage the glorious moment. After deciding that the coast was clear, Ray would politely excuse himself, and wait outside with the camels. Ray would take it upon himself to be prepared with an escape plan and route, should the gathering fall apart for some reason. Not one to be without resources, Ray would make sure to keep some myrrh for himself, in case he needed to buy off a sultan or other magistrate in order to ensure a clean getaway.


Stephen L. Wilson lives in Eugene, Oregon with his wife of 20 years, and 2 of his 3 children. He enjoys writing about a variety of topics, and is interested in promoting indie writing as a viable option to traditional publishing. http://stephenlwilson.blogspot.com

The Ray's Rules series can be found on Smashwords. Click here to be taken to the purchase page.

I Don't Know What's Wrong With My Kids

When I was a kid the anticipation for Christmas grew with every day. Mom would put decorations up all over the house and we’d go get a tree from the property and drag it through the snow to the house. For weeks before Christmas I would look forward to payday. It meant that Dad would take Mom, a housewife with no driving license, to town to pay bills and get groceries. If I was lucky the school bus would drop me off before they’d get home. I’d take my outside stuff off, check the kitchen window to make sure they weren’t there, then dash into their bedroom and check the back right corner of their huge closet. Behind the old hanging coats and dresses still in plastic bags were The Presents. My Mom may have had a limited education, but she was still smart enough to wrap the gifts as soon as possible.

What was that noise? Was that the car in the driveway? Check the kitchen window. Nope. Back to the closet. It seemed odd that they would put Christmas presents in the same part of the closet where Dad hid his dirty magazines and videos. Is that the dog barking? As I check the window this time my Mom is halfway down the walk to the front door. My next tradition was helping with the bags hoping to get a glimpse of something.

On Christmas Eve night I never could sleep. I always laid in bed listening to the radio. They played Christmas songs mixed with stories of the first Christmas tree, different traditions, or inspirational stories, and occasional North Pole updates from NORAD. You’d think a guy in a flying sleigh with reindeer pulling it could get around radar. I willed myself to go to sleep. Then I would hear noises downstairs. The crinkling of paper. Were those boxes touching the floor? Is that my Dad still snoring on the couch? Was it a good idea to leave Santa a beer and plate of cookies?

And then I would wait. Around two or three in the morning I crept downstairs under the excuse that I needed to pee. I didn’t dare turn the light on in case Dad was on the couch. My hands searched. Which step up was stalking? Is this mine? What is this sticking out of the top? In my mind I tried to imagine what was in my Mom made stalking with the smurf on each side. Then I’d go to the washroom. My Mom would sleepily tell me to go back to bed, and I did. I woke up just a few hours later though to the joy of all the wrapped gifts under the tree.

I don’t know what’s wrong with my kids. My daughter, age twelve, guarantees me that there is nowhere in the house I could possibly hide presents so she’s not searching. My kids go to bed early on Christmas Eve and sleep in Christmas morning. Where is the anticipation? Where is the joy of watching Charlie Brown’s friends decorate the twig of a tree and seeing Clark Griswold go nuts with his lights or seeing the Grinch’s heart explode with the Christmas spirit? Why doesn’t my son get the same excited feeling I get from watching Alastair Sims as Ebenezer Scrooge?

This year the money is tight, but we have to get some Christmas back in this modern world. We are away from the family this year so it is just the four of us.

Lorne Oliver is the author of  Red Island: A Novel (Sgt. Reid Series).

Ashton Raines, "Cowboy"

My name is Ashton Raines. You may know me as the reigning King of Country music.  

Now to be honest with you, a lot of people around me would tell you that I should be like Baby Jesus or something--you know, the center of attention, the center of the universe.  But I don't feel much like Baby Jesus.  Truth is, I don't even feel like I belong in that manger scene at all.  In fact, I kind of feel like the shepherd that stayed back on the hill while the others went to see what all the commotion was about.

You see, as the story goes, angels visited the shepherds and told them the good news about the baby king that was born to save us all.  And those shepherds went to see the baby.  But I know not all of them went.  Why? Well, because that whole thing might just be too good to be true.  Besides the darkness out here is much safer.  In the darkness, no one can see the pain I'm in.  No one even questions it.

I mean, sure it's dark and it's cold and I'm alone, but at least I'm not falling for something that might not even be real, you know?  Still, it would be nice to have that hope, to believe that this night could change everything, that any night could change everything, that I don't have to stay out here and wish the tears would leave me alone, that even I could be welcomed and loved.

Strangely enough, about the time I was getting ready to give up completely, one final angel appeared. She didn't look like the others--kind of ragged, tired and worn, but I could see the love in her eyes as she promised me Jesus is real and I will not be disappointed. On second thought, maybe I will go just to see... you know, in case what that angel says really is true...

 


Staci Stallings, the author of this article, is a #1 Best Selling Contemporary Christian Romance author and the founder of Grace & Faith Author Connection.

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What DID Mary Know?

Welcome to all my hoppers and those just stopping by.

Well, it's Christmas again, and that means Christmas music. And Christmas music means that you'll probably hear, at least once, the song "Mary Did You Know?"

Full disclosure: I don't necessarily like the song. I don't really have anything against it, it's just not my cup of tea (or hot chocolate). No matter what version it is, I just don't like the song. Of course, the fact that I have to answer the questions each time I hear the song might have something to do with that.

My second novel, "What Difference Does Seven Days Make?" (out on ebook early 2012), required a lot of research into the minds and beliefs of the turn-of-the-era Jews. They had certain expectations of their Messiah that (truth be told) were not fulfilled in the person of Jesus. (Not to say Jesus isn't the Messiah, but they were looking for something else.)

So, without further ado, here are the answers to the questions being sung: 

Mary did you know that your baby boy will one day walk on water?  No. The Messiah was not rumored to have any supernatural powers.
Mary did you know that your baby boy will save our sons and daughters? Yes. The Messiah, she believed, would be a military leader the likes of which hadn't been seen since King David. He was, she presumed, going to overthrow all rulers that had conquered the land of Judah and expand the borders to where they were during King David's time.
Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new? No. Only God could do that. (Unless the "you" we're talking about is the nation of Israel, then Yes.)
This child that you've delivered, will soon deliver you. Deliver from oppression?  Yes. Deliver from sin? Nope.



Mary did you know that your baby boy will give sight to a blind man? Perhaps. The Messiah was supposed to have the same power as the prophets, and many prophets performed miracles.
Mary did you know that your baby boy will calm a storm with his hand? Perhaps, but not likely.
Did you know that your baby boy has walked where angels trod? No. The Messiah, she believed, was not God.
And when you kiss your little baby, you have kissed the face of God. No. That would be blasphemous.

The blind will see, the deaf will hear and the dead will live again.
The lame will leap, the dumb will speak, the praises of the lamb. Perhaps, but not likely, again. Except for the last one: Everyone, she knew, would praise her son.

Mary did you know that your baby boy is Lord of all creation? No. Again, blasphemy!
Mary did you know that your baby boy will one day rule the nations? Yes. The Messiah would definitely rule all the nations one day.
Did you know that your baby boy is heaven's perfect Lamb? No. The Messiah('s family) would rule forever. Lambs are slaughtered when they are still young.
This sleeping child you're holding is the great I am. No. Such thoughts would get her killed.

Hope you enjoyed this little history lesson.

Merry Christmas!