Hippie Wagon Homicide (Twister Sisters Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – Small farming/tourist town in the Missouri Ozarks
Wings of Ink Publications, LLC (February 1, 2022)

 

Synopsis

 

Cordelia Davis lives with no regrets, despite her life changing drastically a half century ago when a tornado altered the destiny of the little Ozark town of Willow Lane. The town grew back stronger and more beautiful, and Cordelia, her sister, Pamela, and her best friend, Wanda, built a life to treasure.

As Willow Lane honors the memory of those lost and celebrates all that has been achieved, tragedy refuses to remain in the past. News of murder rocks the pastoral countryside when Cordelia discovers a body on her farm, beneath her beloved willow tree. And while the police make an immediate arrest, Cordelia finds herself untangling a web of lies and long-ago secrets.

With suspects in every nook of her cozy town—and an old flame knocking on her door—it will take all Cordelia’s tenacity to face the past and to weather the mysteries of Willow Lane.

 

 

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Guest Post

 

Whether a beachside resort, Colorado mountain town, or English village, the setting of a cozy mystery can be as important and dynamic as the human characters themselves. In my brand-new Twister Sister series, you’ll get to explore the town of Willow Lane. A charming historical farming community in the Ozarks.

While two of the main characters in the first book, Hippy Wagon Homicide, live on farms, don’t worry, you’re not inundated by details of growing wheat, worries of drought, or tractors breaking down. (However, I can’t promise a tractor won’t ever be involved in one of the murders in the Twisted Sister series. Hmmm….) You will get all the cute and charming animals who live on a farm, and I’m sure your two favorites will be Cordelia’s canine best friend, a chow named Ursa, and a rather ridiculous goat named Breakfast. But thanks to Cordelia, Pamela, and Wanda’s casserole delivery business, Twister Sisters, you’ll spend plenty of time in Willow Lane itself, with its Americana town square of sloping lawns, gigantic trees, freshwater spring, and old-time bandstand. Then visit the charming shops, bakeries, diners, and tourist attractions where locals spend their lives and make their living.  From farmhouses, to glamorous mansions on the ritzy side of town, there’s something wonderful, beautiful, and mysterious, no matter which part of the map of Willow Lane you choose to explore first.

Your guide on this murderous adventure will be Cordelia Davis, and there’s no one better help you through it as she’s has spent every one of her sixty-six years as a resident. In fact, she is descended from the town founders and the discoverers of the spring, which at the turn of the 20th century was believed to bring health, wealth, and twins. She can show you the willow tree where she received the first kiss from her true love when she was sixteen as its branches dangled into the water, hiding them from view. She’ll guide you to the underground tunnels that run under the park that serve both as a shelter and possible intrigue. She’ll be able to point out exactly where the tornado that tore through Willow Lane fifty years ago cut through farmland, ripped out houses, and flattened the downtown–leaving only the bandstand and one row of historical buildings intact. More importantly, she’ll be able to point out every beautiful, complicated, and sometimes delicious detail that shows how the very tragedy that nearly ended her beloved town all those years ago only served to make it grow back stronger, with a focus on equity and fairness, beauty and charm, comfort and family.

The one thing she can’t show you, what she would never even dream of being a possibility, is how that tornado five decades ago and the events that happened during its twisting tour through Willow Lane, will come back and prove the adage “revenge is best served cold” is accurate. Luckily for you, Cordelia is as smart, brave, and strong as she is exceptional at casseroles, knitting, and friendship. You’ll get to accompany her as she unravels mysteries, gets justice for the wronged, and makes Willow Lane an even more spectacular place than anyone ever dreamed it could be.

She can’t wait to take your hand and lead you on this first adventure in the Hippie Wagon Homicide.

 

 

About the Author

 

 

Reading the Cozy Corgi series is pretty much all you need to know about Mildred. In real life, she’s obsessed with everything she writes about: Corgis, Books, Cozy Mountain Towns, and Baked Goods.  She’s not obsessed with murder, however. At least not at her own hands (nor paid for… no contract killing here). But since childhood, starting with Nancy Drew, trying to figure out who-dun-it has played a formative role in her personality.  Having Fred and Watson stroll into her mind was a touch of kismet.

 

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Giveaway

 

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Synopsis

 

Introducing a sharp-witted heroine for the 21st century: a new amateur sleuth exploring the landscape—both physical and virtual—of New York in a debut novel about love, technology, and murder.

Claudia Lin is used to disregarding her fractious family’s model-minority expectations: she has no interest in finding either a conventional career or a nice Chinese boy. She’s also used to keeping secrets from them, such as that she prefers girls—and that she’s just been stealth-recruited by Veracity, a referrals-only online-dating detective agency.

A lifelong mystery reader who wrote her senior thesis on Jane Austen, Claudia believes she’s landed her ideal job. But when a client goes missing, Claudia breaks protocol to investigate—and uncovers a maelstrom of personal and corporate deceit. Part literary mystery, part family story, The Verifiers is a clever and incisive examination of how technology shapes our choices, and the nature of romantic love in the digital age.

 

 

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Review

 

I do love a good mystery and this one intrigued me with the premise of a dating verification business and a young woman that loves solving mysteries and tends to think of two Chinese detectives and what they might do to solve the case. But this book was more than a mystery of who killed one of their clients, it is also about family and Claudia working to find her true self and what she wants from life despite any pressures from her brother or mother.

The mystery is one that is not easily solved as Claudia discovers. She may think she can follow the clues, but it might put her in harm’s way when everything is said and done. However, I admired her persistence realizing that something wasn’t quite right when it came to the death of their client.

Beyond the crime, there is also family drama when it comes to Claudia’s family. Her sister is very self-absorbed and thinks that her boyfriend is cheating on her, her brother is a workaholic, and she may be her mother’s favorite, but that is not without a price when it comes to her siblings. I found the family dynamics interesting because everyone is flawed but it seems to work for them. I am glad that Claudia was finally able to tell her mother that she was not going to marry a nice Chinese boy and that she preferred women. Her mom’s response was priceless, “two out of three.” It was her way of accepting her preferences but still being a mom wanting only the best for her.

This was an interesting story but I felt that at times the pace slowed and it seemed to get off track. There wasn’t any way to solve the mystery since there are no real clues to point us in the right direction. I did think that the dating verification business was intriguing and in today’s world is something that is needed considering the number of strange people out there and you never know who you are going to meet.

We give it 3 1/2 paws.

 

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

I was born and grew up in Singapore, and now live in New York. I have a BA in History from Yale University, a JD from the New York University School of Law, and an MFA from Brooklyn College.

My short fiction has been anthologised in The Best American Short Stories. My debut novel The Verifiers is forthcoming from Vintage/Knopf in February 2022.

During the day, and sometimes night, I work as a lawyer at a global investment company.

Some of the things I’m into: picking up different martial arts, reading coming-of-age novels, watching contemporary theatre, and cycling around the city in search of superlative almond croissants.

 

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Synopsis

 

An eternal bachelor convinced he’s finally found ‘the one’ vs. a woman scarred by her past. It’s gonna get messy…

I came back to Wisconsin seeking peace. The PI firm You Cheat, We Eat was not the place to find it. Not when the owner’s uncle takes one look at me and knows I’m hiding a big, fat secret.

Wally can keep looking. I’m not divulging my past to anyone. But when it turns out I have a stalker, Wally will do everything in his power to help me and keep me safe, but first he needs me to reveal my entire ugly past.

It’s not so simple. I can’t divulge my secrets. Seriously. I will be in big trouble – the kind where you end up in jail – if I open my mouth. But it turns out Wally has a surprise of his own. A surprise that can help him learn all about my past.

Wally claims he’ll take care of my stalker and then I’ll see how Love will OUT. Oh boy.

This seasoned romantic comedy features a woman who’s been burned by her past – literally – there were flames and everything, an eternal bachelor ready to give up his bachelor ways who will pull out all the stops to make sure his Angel stays safe, a group of friends who will do just about anything to find out what in the world is going on since someone’s not telling, and a makeshift family of former Army buddies who can not only tell dirty jokes but still have skills.

A Christmas for Chrissie is a standalone book in the Love will OUT romantic comedy series.

 

 

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A Hero for Hailey – Hailey and Aiden’s story

A Protector for Phoebe – Phoebe and Ryker’s story

A Soldier for Suzie – Suzie and Grayson’s story

A Fox for Faith – Faith and Max’s story

A Christmas for Chrissie – Chrissie and Wally’s story

A Valentine for Valerie – Valerie and Barney’s story

A Love for Lexi – Lexi and Lenny’s story

 

 

Review

 

If you need a book that will make you chuckle yet keep you on the edge of your seat with adventure, then this is the book to check out. This series is fantastic because it features a group of “older” men (50’s) that served in the military together and have the skills to keep their women safe, perhaps to their detriment as well since women aren’t fragile creatures, but what woman doesn’t like having a man look out for her? I know I don’t mind my spouse taking care of me even though I am perfectly capable.

Chrissie has a background that would rival any of the men, but when a piece of her past rears its ugly head it brings Wally even closer to protect her from those issues. I love how Wally falls for her right away and Chrissie puts up a fight to keep him at arm’s length. Granted, she hasn’t had the best past, but at some point, you have to move forward and leave the past in the past. I love that she doesn’t let him leave her out of the plans and while it might have gone against his desires to keep her safe, she can definitely keep up with the best of them.

This story is sweet, steamy, and amusing. The pranks, the jokes, the interactions between the characters, all of these make for a fantastic read. There is even a sweet ending.

We give this book 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

D.E. Haggerty is actually just plain old Dena, but she thinks using initials makes her sound like one of the cool kids. She was born and raised in the U.S. but has spent the majority of her adult life abroad living in cool-sounding places like Istanbul, Heidelberg, and The Hague. She has job hopped from military policewoman to lawyer to B&B owner. She finally jumped off the job-hopping bandwagon a few years ago when she decided to turn her addiction to romance novels into a career. If anyone has ideas on how to turn a love of wine into a job, she’s all ears.

 

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THE SPARK OF LOVE

 

Mesquite Springs, Book 3

 

by

 

AMANDA CABOT

 

 

Categories: Fiction / Christian / Historical Romance

Publisher: Revell

Date of Publication: March 1, 2022

Number of Pages: 352 pages

 

Scroll down for Giveaway!

 

 

 

 

She’s determined to start a new life in the West . . . if only the old one would leave her alone

When a spurned suitor threatens her, heiress Alexandra Tarkington flees New York for Mesquite Springs in the Texas Hill Country, where her father is building a hotel. But the happy reunion she envisions is not to be, as her father insists she return to New York. Instead, Alexandra carves out a niche for herself in town, teaching schoolchildren to paint and enjoying the company of Gabe Seymour, a delightful man she met on the stagecoach.

But all is not as it seems. Two men, each with his own agenda, have followed her to Mesquite Springs. And Gabe, an investigator, is searching for proof that her father is a swindler.

With so much to lose–and hide from one another–Alexandra and Gabe will have to come together if they are ever to discover whether the sparks they’ve felt from the beginning can kindle the fire of true love.

 

 

Purchase at Baker Publishing (Revell)

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Challenges of Titling

 

Guest Post by Amanda Cabot

 

No doubt about it: titles are important. Along with the author’s name and the cover art, they’re what readers consider when deciding whether to buy a book. That’s why so much time and thought goes into choosing the title. It has to be just right.

I could have called the book Runaway New York Heiress or The PI’s Search for a Con Man. Both of those are aspects of the story, but the titles are wrong – terribly wrong – for this book. Not only do they sound too modern, but they’re too limiting. The Spark of Love is about much more than Alexandra’s leaving New York and Gabe’s search for the con man.

There’s another reason why those titles are wrong: they don’t tie into the rest of the series. The first two books, Out of the Embers and Dreams Rekindled, have fire-related words in them. I wanted there to be no question that this book was part of the Mesquite Springs trilogy, and that meant that its title needed a word that at least hinted at fire. That’s why I was thrilled when the titling committee suggested The Spark of Love. Perfect!

The next challenge was announcing the title to my readers. I usually simply include it in a newsletter, but this time I wanted to do something different. Since my husband and I play Scrabble almost every evening, I decided to use Scrabble tiles for my announcement.

What do you think? Did having “Mesquite Springs,” which I needed to make the other letters fit, make it too complex?

 

 

The third challenge is one that other authors have done, namely finding a story-related word for each of the letters in the title. I’ve enjoyed reading other authors’ answers to this challenge and thought it would be fun to try my hand at it. So, here it is:

 

T – Texas. Like many of my books, this one is set in Texas. The Hill Country, to be specific.

H – Hotel. The building of a hotel plays a key role in the story.

E – Excitement. There’s a lot of excitement surrounding the hotel and the two newcomers to Mesquite Springs.

 

S – Stagecoach. The hero and heroine meet while waiting for a stagecoach.

P – Painting. Alexandra is an amateur artist, and painting is one of the ways she dealt with a lonely childhood.

A – Alexandra. She and Gabe are the protagonists of the book.

R – Riches. More than one person is seeking riches … some in less than legal ways.

K – Kisses. It wouldn’t be a romance without at least a few of those, would it?

 

O – Oak. A key scene takes place under one of the venerable live oaks in the park.

F – Fear. Fear is the reason Alexandra leaves New York and heads to Mesquite Springs.

 

L –Legacy. Alexandra’s father plans to leave her a legacy, but is it the one she wants?

O – Occupancy. Every hotel needs a high occupancy rate to survive, and Alexandra’s determined to do everything she can to ensure that the one in Mesquite Springs has it.

V – View. The first view of Alexandra’s father’s land is a surprising one.

E – Ever after. “And they all lived happily ever after.” Or did they?

 

Have you learned anything about the story from the last challenge? I hope so. I learned one thing: have a title with fewer letters in it next time.

 

 

 

 

 

Amanda Cabot is the bestselling author of Out of the Embers and Dreams Rekindled, as well as the Cimarron Creek Trilogy and the Texas Crossroads, Texas Dreams, and Westward Winds series. Her books have been finalists for the ACFW Carol Awards, the HOLT Medallion, and the Booksellers’ Best. She lives in Wyoming.

 

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————————————-

 

GIVEAWAY!  GIVEAWAY!  GIVEAWAY!

 

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All Three Books in the Mesquite Springs Series +
keychain & reader stickers.

 

(US only, ends midnight CST, 3/18/2022)

 

 

 

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Visit the Lone Star Literary Life Tour Page

For direct links to each post on this tour, updated daily

or visit the blogs directly:

 

 

 

3/8/22	Excerpt	Chapter Break Book Blog
3/8/22	BONUS Promo	Hall Ways Blog
3/9/22	Review	It’s Not All Gravy
3/9/22	BONUS Promo	LSBBT Blog
3/10/22	Guest Post	StoreyBook Reviews
3/11/22	Review	Jennie Reads
3/12/22	Author Interview	Book Fidelity
3/13/22	Excerpt	All the Ups and Downs
3/14/22	Review	Carpe Diem Chronicles
3/15/22	Bonus Scene	Rox Burkey Blog
3/15/22	BONUS Review	The Book’s Delight
3/16/22	Review	The Plain-Spoken Pen
3/17/22	Review	Reading by Moonlight

 

 

 

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Synopsis

 

Get their attention before it’s too late… The Quiet War has begun…

Acclaimed journalist and media celebrity Diana Willis can snag the inside scoop and truth on any story. But when her helicopter mysteriously malfunctions and plummets to the ground, everything changes, sending Diana down a maze of murderous intrigue and confusion. Waking up from a coma eight weeks after the crash, she struggles with the recurring dreams that reveal an extraordinary past life. Now, Diana’s hellbent on uncovering the secrets about those past memories.

Delving into a world of mind control and past lives, the truth is more terrifying than she ever imagined as she travels back in time to face the perpetrators of America’s most confidential and sinister projects. Teaming up with an unlikely ally, an elusive interdimensional mentor from her other life, Diana is able to restore her psychic and telepathic powers. Suddenly, they’re in more danger than ever before as their enemies seek world domination through mind control and media manipulation.

Can Diana use her powers to expose the truth, bring a message from another world, hundreds of earth years in the future, and save the world before it’s too late?

“I returned from your future and there is no fear. I am courageous and free…”

 

 

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Excerpt

 

Chapter One

 

You might think you know what I am doing, but it goes beyond anything you imagine. You don’t know I am borrowed from another galaxy, from another time. I arrived shortly after you detonated the two atomic bombs in the middle of your last century. My work of infiltration, subversion, and transformation began immediately.

The woman stumbled over the uneven ground, dazed, confused.

Thoughts trickled into her head.

Where am I? What is going on?

She realized there were cold, wet stones beneath her bare feet.

What happened to my shoes?

Through a veil of pain, she tried to discern what appeared around her, but her eyes couldn’t focus in the dawn light because a fog blurred the details.

A chill poured over her skin, and when she hugged herself for warmth, she discovered that her clothes were ragged and torn. When she brought up one hand, she noticed blood smeared across her fingers.

She heard waves lapping against rocks. A humid mineral smell filled her nostrils.

The ocean?

She turned to the sound of the surf and saw, on the water’s edge, a large, unusual formation of rocks, shaped like a pyramid. In the distance, past the rocks, she noticed a light shining through the mist. This light was also unusual in the way its reflection cast a strange trail of sparkles across the water.

What is that?

For a moment, she stared, transfixed, then realized she’d been holding something in her hand. As she brought the object closer to her eyes, she saw her bloody fingers gripping a small red book with a silver pinecone embossed on its cover.

She realized someone was behind her. The abrupt presence startled her, and she dropped the book. Just as she was about to turn around, the stranger said, “Get their attention before it’s too late.”

 

 

About the Author

 

At 19 years old, Steven Paul Terry felt a stirring in his soul that he recognized as the archetypal call to adventure. It was then that he began a great odyssey to discover his life’s purpose and mission. Born in London, England, and educated there and in Australia, Steven believes it took him over 3 decades and many trips around the world to prepare him to manifest his creative force for the benefit of the planet.

Currently dividing his time between Colorado, Mexico, Tasmania, and Southeast Asia, Steven travels the world as a professional speaker and corporate training facilitator.

At the moment, Steven is concentrating his efforts on writing a trilogy of supernatural thrillers, the first of which, Star Revelations, will be published by Hero Acts.

 

HERO ACTS | Facebook * Twitter * Instagram

 

 

 

Synopsis

 

A courageous farm girl’s life is changed forever when she falls in love with a charming street musician, opening her eyes to the cruel mistreatment of Mexico’s mine workers and compelling her to stand with them against their oppressor – the man she is marrying.

Esperanza lives a charmed life. The daughter of a wealthy landowner, her family is thrilled when she attracts the attention of the handsome and mysterious Don Raúl, opening the door to a glittering life of opulence for them all.

However, a chance encounter with a charming street musician forces Esperanza to open her eyes to the cruel underworld of Mexico’s mistreated working classes, and she begins to doubt everything she ever thought she wanted.

As the people begin to rise up in a bloodthirsty revolution against their oppressors, Esperanza is forced to make choices that she hoped never to face. Esperanza’s decisions threaten to tear apart her family, her heart, and the country she loves.

In this brutal world where a few careless words can cost lives, will the price of freedom prove to be more than what Esperanza is willing to pay?

 

 

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Praise

 

“A rip-roaring, romantic adventure that is impossible to put down.” – Starred Review

“A well-written and well-researched story against the background of early 20th century Mexico.” – D. Wells, author

“Class intrigue, dynastic maneuvering, and dangerous politics against growing civil unrest in pre-revolutionary Mexico. Can an unlikely friendship blossom into more? I couldn’t put it down, and nor will you!” – Jennifer Nugée, editor

“This beautifully written novel will have you gripped right from the start.” – Melissa Hoskins, author

“A riveting peek into a time of Mexico’s history where huge change, excitement and danger are on the horizon. Hugely engaging characters really pulled me in.” – Starred Review

“I fell in love with the characters and laughed and cried with them all the way on their exciting journey. They feel like my best friends. It was wonderful to read about this little-known part of Mexican history that happened before the revolution. I cannot wait to read what will happen next.” – Starred Review

“A book that will make you weep, rage, and fall in love with an array of characters so realistic they might step off the page. An excellent novel.” – Jessica Leather, author

 

 

Excerpt

 

Don Lorenzo stared at her for a moment, the little cake frozen halfway to his mouth. Then he cleared his throat, placed it down in front of him, and regarded her with polite concern.

“I can see that you have been deeply moved by these tragic events, señorita. Your compassion does you justice. I beg your forgiveness for my tactless words. It has been a long time since we had a woman around the house to remind us to engage our hearts as well as our heads in such matters. Of course, our top priority at the moment is ensuring that this sort of thing never happens again. We are putting every effort into establishing the cause of the explosion, although at present we believe that one of the workers must have laid down a little too much dynamite, and the resulting blast was more than the walls of the tunnel could take.”

“A tragic case of simple human error,” agreed Don Raul, watching her over the rim of his wine glass. “Some poor idiota got his calculations wrong. Drunk, I expect. Many of the workers are dreadful for that, you know. We’ve even had to install guards to keep a check on it.”

“Those workers were not drunk!” she objected, outraged. How dare Don Raul try to turn this back on the workers, to make out as though the accident had been their own fault. “They were following your orders, Don Raul, from your last visit to the mines. You told them they had to use more dynamite to get the gold out faster or risk having their pay cut for not meeting their targets. They all told you it was too dangerous, but you forced them to do it anyway. Didn’t you? Didn’t you?”

There was a stunned silence around the table. Esperanza looked to Don Lorenzo, who was staring open-mouthed at his son with an expression of horror. For the first time, the idea crossed her mind that perhaps the old man had no idea about what had really been going on.

“Raul?” he said shakily, breaking the silence. “Is there any truth in these accusations?”

“Of course not, Father. The señorita must be mistaken. She has been listening to vicious, idle gossip and nothing more.” Raul gave a harsh but unconvincing laugh and glared at Esperanza with ice-cold venom. “This is why ladies should stay out of business, señorita. They have a tendency to believe every rumour they hear and allow their emotions to rule their heads.”

“It’s better to be like that than to have no emotions at all and not care that your actions have destroyed hundreds of lives,” she spat. “Have you even spared a moment to think about them? To consider their families?”

“No. Nor will I,” he snapped, standing up to face her. “There’s nothing to be gained from hanging on to the past, señorita. Life moves on, and so must we.”

“The thing is, though, life doesn’t always move on for everyone, does it?” she raged, angry tears springing to her eyes and her voice trembling with fury. She was on her feet now, too incensed to stay still. “Men lost their lives last week. Wives lost their husbands, children lost their fathers—all for the sake of that gold. And you sit here, bragging about your mines as though those people don’t matter? Did you think I would be impressed?”

She leaned across the table, and he did the same, the two of them facing each other down.

“I’ll tell you what you can do to impress me, señor. Don’t bother using your filthy gold to make silly little baubles for me. Give it to some of those families whose lives you’ve destroyed. Pay some of those medical bills they’re now crippled with or feed the hungry children you’ve deprived of their fathers. Explain to them how they’re supposed to move on with their lives and believe me, they will be happy to tell you exactly what they think of the drunken idiota who got his calculations wrong.”

 

 

Trailer

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Rachel Le Mesurier is the author of ARTIE’S COURAGE, A HERO’S HOPE, and SOFIA’S FREEDOM. In the MUSICIAN’S PROMISE SERIES, she wants to challenge harmful stereotypes, proving that women can be powerful heroes and that men should never feel ashamed to express their emotions. She aims to write characters that readers can identify and empathize with, who make the reader think, laugh, and cry as they share their adventures.

 

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Front Page Murder (A Homefront News Mystery) 
Historical Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Crooked Lane Books (March 8, 2022)
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 304 pages

 

Synopsis

 

In this World War II-era historical mystery series debut by Joyce St. Anthony, small-town editor Irene Ingram has a nose for news and an eye for clues.

 

Irene Ingram has written for her father’s newspaper, the Progress Herald, ever since she could grasp a pencil. Now she’s editor in chief, which doesn’t sit well with the men in the newsroom. But proving her journalistic bona fides is the least of Irene’s worries when crime reporter Moe Bauer, on the heels of a hot tip, turns up dead at the foot of his cellar stairs.

An accident? That’s what Police Chief Walt Turner thinks, and Irene is inclined to agree until she finds the note Moe discreetly left on her desk. He was on to a big story, he wrote. The robbery she’d assigned him to cover at Markowicz Hardware turned out to be something far more devious. A Jewish store owner in a small, provincial town, Sam Markowicz received a terrifying message from a stranger. Moe suspected that Sam is being threatened not only for who he is…but for what he knows.

Tenacious Irene senses there’s more to the Markowicz story, which she is all but certain led to Moe’s murder. When she’s not filling up column inches with the usual small-town fare—locals in uniform, victory gardens, and scrap drives—she and her best friend, scrappy secretary Peggy Reardon, search for clues. If they can find the killer, it’ll be a scoop to stop the presses. But if they can’t, Irene and Peggy may face an all-too-literal deadline.

 

 

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Guest Post

 

Many people have asked me why I wrote a book set in the 1940s, and it’s a question I’m always happy to answer.

 

My mother played a lot of Big Band records when I was little. Her favorite was Glenn Miller’s “String of Pearls.” I grew up with a love of that music, whether it was Miller, or Artie Shaw, or even Frank Sinatra. Mom’s best friend liked Harry James, and my great-aunt liked Guy Lombardo. Lombardo was definitely not my favorite—it was torture to have to watch Lombardo’s New Year’s Eve show on television when I wanted to watch Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve. Oh, the tragedy of having only one TV in the house—black and white at that.

 

 

But I digress.

 

The forties always seemed like a romantic era to me, partly because of my parents’ story. My mother was twenty one when the war broke out and she already had her own beauty shop. Her weekends were filled with going to the movies and hanging out with friends. She dated, but there was no one special. Sometime between December 1941 and 1943 (I don’t know the details) she ended up closing her shop, moving to Harrisburg, and getting a secretarial job there. In August of 1943, a friend set her up on a blind date with a handsome soldier who was stationed nearby at Fort Indiantown Gap. Two weeks later, she married this soldier and shortly after that, he was shipped overseas. Talk about a whirlwind romance!

 

 

I didn’t know most of this until I was grown and learned it second hand. My dad died when I was two and my mom when I was nineteen. I wish that I could talk to them about their romance, the war, and life in general (I have a lot of questions!) In any case, their history reinforced my love of the era. Pre-Covid, my husband and I made yearly trips to Gettysburg for the World War II weekend held at the Eisenhower Farm and the Gettysburg Visitor Center. It’s wonderful. There’s even a reenactment in the neighboring town of New Oxford, which becomes Nouveau Oxford for the day. The town is occupied by the Germans and the Americans and Brits come to liberate it. On that Saturday night, there’s a USO dance in Gettysburg. I might be the only person who gets teary eyed when my husband and I are dressed in our forties duds and walk into the dance and hear the band start up with “Moonlight Serenade.” I always feel like I’m coming home, that I’ve stepped back in time to where I really belong.

 

 

Writing a book set during World War II gives me that feeling every time I sit down at my desk. I put on my Big Band Pandora station and for a few hours every day I’m right beside Irene as she investigates the murder of one of her reporters, suspicious goings on at the local factory, dancing at the Starlight, giving her little sister a pep talk, and wondering if the new boarder at her house is what she appears to be. Sometimes it’s hard to come back to the present.

 

 

Reader, do you feel that way when you read a book? Do you find it hard to come back to reality? Did you ever wish you had a time machine and could go back to another era? I hope you’ll take a chance on reading Front Page Murder. Irene would like to take you back to May 1942 in Progress, Pennsylvania. Just maybe you’ll be like me and want to stay there.

 

 

About the Author

 

Joyce was a police secretary for ten years and more than once envisioned the demise of certain co-workers but settled on writing as a way to keep herself out of jail. As Joyce St. Anthony, she is the author of the Homefront News Mysteries. The first in the series, Front Page Murder, will be (or was, depending on the blog date) released on March 8, 2022. Under her own name–Joyce Tremel–she wrote the award-winning Brewing Trouble cozy mystery series. She is a native Pittsburgher and lives in the beautiful Laurel Highlands of Pennsylvania with her husband and two cats–Hops and Lager.

 

Joyce Tremel website * Joyce St. Anthony website

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Giveaway

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

Synopsis

 

A family’s old, beloved dog takes a final road trip to help his humans find forgiveness and healing.

Meg Gorton finds herself alone and lonely in Florida. Three years earlier, she had packed what she could fit into her sister’s car and asked her estranged husband, Gary, to take care of Moses, their beloved black Labrador. Things between Meg and Gary hadn’t been the same after the loss of their only daughter many years ago. Even after raising their grandson, Troy, it was clear that if Meg wanted a new beginning, she would have to do it alone.

Haunted by the tragedy of his daughter’s death, Gary is stuck in his life in Woodstock, Virginia. He still owns and drives the bus for their hometown minor league baseball team, and he still thinks about the day his wife drove away.

Everything changes when Meg contacts Gary with a request to bring Moses to visit her one last time before the old dog passes on. Gary is reluctant, but Troy thinks it’s an excellent idea. They could even travel together in Gary’s bus. Along the way, Gary takes a detour to visit Troy’s ex-girlfriend, Grace. Gary might not know how to fix things with his wife, but he knows he doesn’t want Troy to make the same mistakes he did.

Although Moses is just a dog, he’s very observant. It doesn’t take long for him to figure out they are going on to see Meg. He knows he’s an old dog and that his time is near, but he also knows his family needs his help.

Even the Dog Knows is a novel that will take readers on a thousand-mile journey to find forgiveness, understanding, healing, and the meaning of true and lasting love.

 

 

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Praise

 

“Jason has gone back to his roots. Even the Dog Knows is a compelling relationships story of secrets and second chances, hurt and healing, doubts and detours. But above all this fast-paced road trip journey is about what matters most—family.” —Glenn Beck, Nationally Syndicated Radio Host and Founder TheBlaze.com

“Outstanding and brilliant. This heartfelt story is packed with laughter and tears and takes readers on the road trip of a lifetime, reminding us of the most important things in life. Sure to be an instant classic that cries out for repeated binge reading.” —Rebecca Connolly, author of A Brilliant Night of Stars and Ice

“Jason Wright’s new masterpiece is an example of how family, love and friendship can save us in times of great woe and trouble. EVEN THE DOG KNOWS delivers twists and turns within a heartfelt tale that teaches us how to work through our most harrowing times. Here’s the quick takeaway—read it!” —Herb Scribner, Deseret News

“Join a team of relatable flawed characters who will quickly feel like family along this hopeful journey of regret, reconciliation, and the chance to find beauty through grief and love through loss. As readers have come to expect from Jason F. Wright’s novels, this latest tale, EVEN THE DOG KNOWS, keeps the curveballs coming until the very end.” —Josette Keelor, The Northern Virginia Daily

 

Review

 

This is such a touching story that encompasses multiple family members and the issues that they are dealing with, and even Moses the dog has some thoughts about everything that is going on with his family.

A tragedy happened 20 years ago which caused Gary and Meg to raise their grandson, Troy. Gary is obsessed with baseball and when Troy shows promise, he thinks that Troy will be the one that makes it in the world of baseball. That is a lot of pressure to put on someone, but Gary didn’t do it intentionally or knowingly. But in the midst of his obsession, he manages to shut out Meg. Everyone grieves differently, and sometimes it is the awareness to realize that losing the love of your life may not be the best way to deal with tragedy.

The journey that Gary, Meg, and Troy are on in this story brings in others that have their own intertwining story. Grace is Troy’s high school sweetheart and they seem to have lost their path with each other but that doesn’t mean it isn’t still there. There are just some discussions they need to have to find out if they can recover what was lost. Macy is Meg’s home health aide, but there is so much more to her story that we discover at the end. You may be able to figure it out, but maybe not. Then there is Mark and Beverage, a hitchhiker and his dog that Gary and Troy pick up. Mark is no ordinary hitchhiker and he definitely isn’t homeless, but his story is touching just the same and it gives Gary and Troy something to think about when it comes to relationships in their own lives.

This journey is about self-discovery, finding love again, and realizing that what was lost can be found. There are so many touching and moving parts to this story and it is just a feel-good story that all can enjoy. I think they should have included a picture of the bus that is a story of its own.

We give this book 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

JASON F. WRIGHT is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today best-selling author. He is also the host of the popular podcast Wright Where You Are. He writes an occasional column, which has appeared in over one hundred newspapers, magazines, and websites across the United States including the Washington Times, the Northern Virginia Daily, the Chicago Tribune, the Deseret News, Forbes, CNN.com, FoxNews.com, and others.

Jason grew up in Charlottesville, Virginia, but has also lived in Germany, Illinois, Brazil, Oregon, and Utah. In 2007, while researching Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley for a novel, Jason fell so in love with the area that he moved his family to Woodstock. He is married to Kodi Erekson Wright. They have two girls and two boys they love, and two grandchildren they love even more.

 

Website * Facebook * Instagram * Twitter

 

To invite Jason to your book club, school, church, conference or other event, connect online: jasonfwright.com, facebook.com/jfwbooks, Instagram.com/jasonfwright.

 

 

Synopsis

 

WWII-era novel celebrates female friendships and the resilience of the human spirit

THE CORSET MAKER a historical novel

The master planner of rebuilding Ground Zero, world-renowned architect Daniel Libeskind, has created a new piece of art for the cover of “The Corset Maker,” the forthcoming historical fiction novel by his sister, author Annette Libeskind Berkovits. The novel–loosely inspired by their mother’s real-life story–is a powerful addition to the genre of 20th-century historical fiction, and is slated for release on International Women’s Day, March 8, 2022.

In Warsaw, Poland, the young Rifka Berg, raised in an ultra-Orthodox home, asks her father why girls don’t have bar mitzvahs. Eventually, his answer provokes Rifka to risk
everything. In a bold move, unheard of at the time, teenage Rifka and her close friend, Bronka, open their own business–a corset shop on the most fashionable street in Warsaw. Rifka yearns to read forbidden literature and explore the world beyond the confines of her small community.

Her wishes come true, albeit harrowingly when the tumultuous events of the 20th century take her on a journey for survival. A Parisian Count, a Moroccan arms smuggler, and an orphaned Spanish boy will test the convictions and tug at Rifka’s heart. Faced with life and death situations, Rifka will have to take immense risks. She will have to decide if there is ever a time to abandon her principles for a higher purpose. What decisions will she make? Will circumstances choose for her?

In this unforgettable journey, Rifka becomes embroiled in some of the most violent events of the century: the Jewish-Arab conflict in Palestine, the Spanish Civil War, and the Nazi occupation of Southern France. As her involvement deepens, she sees firsthand how autocratic rule deprives people of even the simplest freedoms.

Rifka’s personal struggles and dilemmas go to the heart of the major ethical issues and challenges of our time.

 

 

 

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This book releases on March 8, 2022. Preorder today!

 

 

Praise

 

“‘The Corset Maker’ is a compelling story of girlhood, war, survival – and against all odds, a story of finding out who you truly are. It is a beautifully written journey that weaves together the personal and the historical. I was gripped by this unique and courageous protagonist – and found myself alongside her throughout the book. It is without a doubt one of the most fascinating and meaningful books I have read.”  — Rachel Arnow, artist and author of “Kinder Kalender,” “All the World From A-Z,” and “The Wild West;” Berlin, Germany

“With her eloquent and captivating writing Annette Berkovits transports one to the riveting saga of survival, resilience, and ingenuity of a young woman from Warsaw, Poland. Set mainly in the twists and turns of the first half of 20th century Europe, ‘The Corset Maker’ ignites the reader’s imagination of history and brings to life the hard choices and challenges facing young people during that time. The story concludes with an unexpected ending in the last decade of the century. I simply could not put the book down.” — Zvi Jankelowitz, Director of Institutional Advancement, Yiddish Book Center; Massachusetts

“This sweep of twentieth-century European history seen through the eyes of a young Orthodox Jewish woman is a truly gripping read.” — Joanna Orwin, award-winning author of “Shifting Currents;” Christchurch, New Zealand

 

Excerpt

 

 

RIFKA, WARSAW, 1928

 

Twelve-year-old Rifka paced the bedroom pondering her father’s morning blessing: Blessed are you, Lord, our God, Ruler of the Universe, who has not made me a woman. Why did Poppa rejoice not having been born a woman? It upset Rifka every time she heard it. Worse than upset, it made her plain crazy. She could not figure out why a man as intelligent as Poppa couldn’t understand such prayer was hurtful to the women in his family and there were eight of them, including herself, Golda in Palestine, and Momma. Saul was the only boy in the family.

After dinner when Poppa seemed relaxed in his chair with a little glass of schnapps in his hand, Rifka addressed him. She admired his wisdom and wanted him to see her as someone worthy of engaging in a discussion. “Poppa, why are you thankful not to be a woman?”

Instead of taking her seriously he lifted his eyes toward Rifka and looked at her intently, as if he hadn’t seen her for a long time. “My, my, you sure have grown since last year. If you were a boy, you’d be ready to study for your bar mitzvah.”

The unexpected words hurt. “Why can’t girls have a special ceremony to show they’ve matured?”

“But they do.” Poppa smiled broadly. “They have a wedding. Soon you will be a bride.”

Rifka felt so offended she stood silent momentarily, but not wanting Poppa to digress from her original question, she refrained from an outburst that sat devilishly at the tip of her tongue. “So about the blessing…” she said.

“Some questions shouldn’t be asked,” Poppa had said with an annoyed look, and he picked up his paper though Rifka was nowhere near finished.

“But Poppa…”

“You ask too many questions. Why don’t you go help Momma?” With that Father disappeared in the pages of Today’s News.

Rifka charged out of the room, her cheeks burning with resentment. Why was her father always involved in spirited discussions with his synagogue friends, but when it came to her it was as if she were nothing?

Well… He didn’t converse much with Momma either, except to say what he wanted for dinner.

In the bathroom, Rifka splashed cool water on her face, her outrage still red hot. Like a dispassionate critic, she stared at the mirror, something she did now and then to understand what men who ogled her on the street saw in her. She certainly didn’t consider herself beautiful

and was oblivious of the effect her appearance had on the opposite sex: teenage boys at the synagogue casting sidelong glances or their fathers’ unchaste smiles. She did not appreciate the red glints or the stubbornness of her abundant chestnut curls, or the small beauty mark on the side of her upper lip. Her almond-shaped green eyes and olive skin stood out among the faces of her peers, and even among her fair complexioned sisters. At barely four- foot-eight, Rifka was short and felt her breasts were too large for her small boned, hourglass frame. She

hoped that her full, heart-shaped lips compensated for this anatomical defect. By age twelve and a half, Momma had said, “It’s time I make you a starter brassiere,” confirming Rifka’s self-assessment. But her looks were the least of her interests. She was more engrossed in thinking about her place in the world.

She had to do something to show her father how wrong he was to dismiss her that way.

By morning, Rifka had her solution. So, what if it was outrageous? He needed strong medicine to rouse him from his obtuseness.

When Poppa went out to visit his friend and her mother took the children to shoot the breeze with a neighbor, Rifka found his daily prayer book. She hesitated a moment, then picked up the siddur, stroked the embossed letters on the cover and kissed it. Wetness filled her eyes. She found the page with the offensive blessing, and she stared at it. Tears ran down her cheeks. It blasphemed against half the humans on earth!

In a flash, she ripped out the page, slammed the book shut and replaced it on the little table. A ring at the front door interrupted her act of rebellion. Her heart beat faster.

Filled with apprehension she tiptoed toward the door and listened. After a moment Bronka’s voice brought relief, “Come on, open up. I need to pee.”

She let her friend in. “Quick! I am so happy it’s you.”

Bronka jumped up on one leg, then the other, and eyed Rifka. “What’s the matter? You have a wild look in your eyes. What are you clutching in your hand?”

“I’ll tell you when you come out of the bathroom. Hurry!”

While she waited for Bronka, the enormity of her act began to register. She’d desecrated the holy book. The crumpled page in her hand stung as if sheíd grasped a scorpion. What to do with it?

Bronka appeared in the kitchen where Rifka stood in total consternation. “You have the look of a thief on your face,” her friend said.

“I’ve done something terrible and very stupid. I’d not tell another soul in the world. You are the only person I can trust, but I’m not sure it’s right to draw you into my crime.”

“Crime? Donít be so melodramatic.”

Rifka opened her palm and the crumpled page lay there accusingly. Bronka stepped closer, leaned over to look at the ball. “What is that? I see Hebrew letters on it.”

“I tore a page from my father’s Talmud.”

Bronka inhaled loudly in shock. “Why on earth…?”

Rifka began to explain, but her friend said, “Let’s cover your crime, fast, before anyone else shows up.” She picked up a small bowl and matches from near the stove and threw the paper in.

“Wait! What are you doing?” Rifka screamed.

The lit match erupted into a mini bonfire as the two girls stood watching with a mixture of horror and guilt.

Rifka pleaded with Bronka. “I beg you, never tell anyone.”

“Did you forget our loyalty pledge we swore in the first grade? It was forever and ever.”

“Poppa will kill me if he discovers the page missing.”

“Don’t worry. I have a great idea,” Bronka said, but Rifka stood looking dubious. “Let me run home quickly and bring my father’s siddur.”

“But… I can’t… It wouldn’t be right,” Rifka said.

That prayer book was all Bronka had left of him.

“Just let me get going.” Bronka ran out the door.

It didn’t take more than twenty minutes and they replaced the desecrated book with a nearly identical copy.

“What would I ever do without you, Bronka? You are my savior.”

“Never mind, you’d do the same for me.”

Luckily, it turned out Poppa didn’t notice the switch and continued to recite the blessing. Rifka concluded Poppa would never change. But what cheered her most was that Bronka would never change either. She could always count on her.

 

 

Interview

 

 

Why did you choose a corset maker as a protagonist of a historical novel that deals with some of the bloodiest events of the twentieth century?

 

It seemed to me that precisely because a woman who spends time designing undergarments would probably be an excellent example of a woman furthest away from violence. But that’s not how real life happens. Life takes people into directions they’d have never imagined. The corset maker in my novel was inspired by my mother and her three friends who themselves experienced the brutality of the times from the 1930s to the end of WWII and beyond. These were women who found incredible courage under impossible circumstances. I hope that my protagonist can inspire young women of today who often see violence in the media and have no idea how they would react if faced with a real-life circumstance of theirs, or their loved ones lives in danger.

 

Most historical novels of that period deal with one huge event—say WWII alone is enough of a subject for many books—yet you’ve woven together not one, not two, but three or more violent events: pre-WWII antisemitic attacks on Jews; the Arab—Jewish conflict in Palestine; the Spanish Civil War and WWII in Southern France. Why include all of these?

 

Well..it is as you say ambitious, but for some women, the events of the twentieth century, one of the bloodiest in history, actually threw them into such events in a serial manner. This was the case with the women who inspired the novel. My own mother for example escaped the antisemitism in Poland to find herself in the midst of the Arab revolt in Palestine, then found herself at the outbreak of WWII in Warsaw, Poland on September 1, 1939, and after she escaped that hell, she wound up in a brutal Soviet gulag in Siberia. I was interested in exploring what inner resources keep such women going, what gave them strength to survive. I also wanted to spotlight how young women, in particular, can sometimes make spur of the moment decisions that can alter the course of their entire lives.

 

What about the male characters in your novel? How did you happen to invent them?

 

I started with a very young, curious protagonist and I knew that her insular religious community wouldn’t be enough for her, especially not after she enrolled in a secular school at the behest of her grandmother who was a woman ahead of her times. I just knew that her hormones would begin to make an impact, so meeting a man—well, it had to happen. But how would she react to him? And what if he was a man of a very different social status, a Parisian Count, no less? That’s the stuff of moving the plot forward. Of course in her long life there would be other men, for other reasons.

 

It is interesting that you placed this young woman of orthodox Jewish upbringing in a monastery in Spain. Why there?

 

So this is a good example of how life can take someone to unplanned places. Readers will find out why and how Rifka got there and why she chose to devote a portion of her life to care for orphans. In some ways, this experience was a foundation for her future growth as a woman. And in the monastery, she tried to give the children the kind of education she wanted to have, but of course, some of it had to be subversive. There was, in fact, a lot of tension during the Spanish Civil war between nuns who supported the democratically elected government on the Republican side and those who supported Franco’s forces. He of course eventually won and became a dictator who ruled for thirty-five years.

 

 

About the Author

 

Annette Libeskind Berkovits is the author of two acclaimed memoirs: “In the Unlikeliest of Places: How Nachman Libeskind Survived the Nazis, Gulags and Soviet Communism” a story of her father’s survival, and “Confessions of an Accidental Zoo Curator.” She has also penned a poetry book, “Erythra Thalassa: Brain Disrupted.” “The Corset Maker” is her first novel.

 

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About the Designer

 

Daniel Libeskind is an internationally renowned architect, known for the Jewish Museum in Berlin, the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, and the Dublin Performing Arts Center in Ireland, among many others. His Master Plan for rebuilding the World Trade Center site in New York City was selected in 2003 and has served as the blueprint for the entire site, including the Freedom Tower, the Memorial, the Museum, and the PATH Terminal.

 

 

 

Synopsis

 

Many people live lives riddled with outright anxiety and fear. Instead of happiness and ease being the normal state of existence, most experience happiness as only brief moments of joy, when some desire has been temporarily fulfilled. But it does not have to be this way; happiness can be recognized as our natural state of being.

According to author Kevin Krenitsky, a medical doctor and modern-day philosopher, we are in the midst of the biggest wave of awakening or self-realization this planet has ever seen. Our unconscious living has not only created stress, anxiety, wars, and famine; our choices have brought us to the edge of mass destruction. The earth has suffered greatly from our collective human unconsciousness.

In The Still Point, Krenitsky shows us a better way. He shows us how to discover and live our lives in alignment with our true self. More than just a mental concept, the Still Point is a felt experience of recognizing our own self-aware being. When the Still Point becomes obscured by giving exclusive focus to the noise of the outside world, we lose our feelings of peace and happiness.

Engaging and thought provoking, The Still Point takes readers on a journey of self-discovery, ultimately leading to the recognition that our self-aware nature is happiness and peace itself.

 

 

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Excerpt

 

THE PATHOLOGIC MOVEMENT OF MIND

 

An excerpt from The Still Point: The Simplicity of Spiritual Enlightenment by Kevin Krenitsky

 

 

It’s clear to most people that they have a limited span of attention. When concentrating our attention on a particular subject, it’s not usually long before the mind wanders off into the past or the future for something more “interesting” to ponder. Every student who has ever prepared for a school exam is likely familiar with this waning lack of ability to focus attention. What is not as obvious to humans is that our span of “inattention” is even less. Novice meditators often find this out very quickly as they first sit to meditate. Their minds simply refuse to cooperate as thoughts assail them almost continually. These thoughts arise in such rapid succession, and are often accompanied by correlating images, that it seems nearly impossible to recognize the pure field of stillness from which they arise. The reason for this is not the thoughts themselves, but the fact that we have been relentlessly conditioned to give attention to these thoughts. We believe, in essence, that we are our thinking minds and thus thoughts must be “followed” regardless of how rational or irrational they are. In fact, most people believe that their thoughts are a major part of their identity. They believe, and more importantly feel, that their thoughts are not only produced by them, but that they are essential to them. They believe if their brain became still and thought ceased, they would not be fully themselves. This could not be further from the truth. In fact, true peace can never be experienced until we recognize the vast, silent Still Point from which all thoughts arise. The Still Point is that which knows the thoughts that arise. When you say, “I know my thoughts,” you are correct because you are this vast self-aware Still Point. No thought has any ability to know itself, yet most people believe thoughts to be aware of themselves. Because of this, thoughts are closely followed while the awareness that is your true self, from which they arise and are known, is completely ignored. When thought arises from the timeless Still Point, a sense of passing time accompanies them. There can be no felt sense of time without thinking. In deep sleep, where thought is absent, time is not experienced. This is why it is completely essential to recognize the vast, peaceful field from which thought arises as being ever present and aware. This is meant to say that only the Still Point is aware. Any sensation, thought, or image you have ever experienced was known exclusively by this vast, silent presence. When you come to see this and recognize it is what you have called “I” your entire life, you recognize you are not your thoughts, and they are certainly not essential to you. You “are” before, during, and after thoughts have come and gone. This is the very seed of freedom from the false chains of the thinking mind. Thoughts do not need to be controlled or censored in any way, but simply allowed to rise and fall inside your vast aware-being.

 

Reprinted with permission from Waterside Productions Inc. 2022

 

 

About the Author

 

Kevin Krenitsky is a medical doctor and author of The Still Point. Despite leading a life deemed outwardly “successful”, he lived with a deep background of anxiety, fear, and stress that waxed and waned since early childhood. At the age of forty, in the midst of decades of suppressing tremendous inner and outer conflict, he reasoned there must be another way. This ‘willingness’ led to a decade of studying non-duality by way of A Course in Miracles. In 2015, at the height of a successful business career as Chief Commercial Officer at Foundation Medicine (FMI), Kevin turned away into relative isolation, and found the direct path to recognizing ones true nature. He wrote The Still Point to help others find their eternal nature, which is happiness itself.

 

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