Jewell Tweedt's Newest Release

Jewell Tweedt's newest release, A Lady for the Lawman, is the next book in the Nebraska Brides series. 

How did this story come about?

I wrote A Lady for the Lawman because I wanted to continue the story of 
crazy Cal Davidson from A Bride for the Sheriff and develop another 
strong female character like Claire Maxwell. When working on my master's 
degree I took a course on the Civil War. One of the texts was titled 
Madness, Malingering and Malfeasance. It was a fascinating work on the 
transformation of psychiatry and law in the Civil War era. I wanted 
readers to know that thousands of men suffered mentally as well as 
physically. Many men did disappear after the war choosing not to return 
home.

Cal came from my imagination and at the end he receives the treatment he 
needs but his mental illness affected his life and those like Claire who 
knew him. The character of Jason Reynolds came from my admiration of the 
men and women in law enforcement. My brother was a military police man 
for many years and his courage always impressed me. Arianna Quincy's 
strong yet feminine character is based on my niece Arianne who is a 
kind, gentle, yet strong woman of God.

Jewell Tweedt was born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska, the setting for the Nebraska Brides series. She lives in western Iowa and divides her time between teaching middle school students and writing. In her spare time she reads, gardens and grades papers. Lots of papers.  Readers can learn more about Jewell and her books at www.tweedtjewell.blogspot.com

Thanks for sharing about your book. Make sure and check it out at the Prism Book Group site or on Amazon. 

My Newest Release - For Our Good

Other blogs have been hosting me about my newest release. Now I need to share it officially here.

I'm thrilled to share this story with you.

Charlie Jarvis is haunted by loss that fuels her desire to rid the world of drug traffickers. When her next assignment takes her back to her hometown, she has to confront her painful past. She has no interest in a relationship since God seems to kill everyone she loves. 

Colton Thomas appreciates material things and the status of being a corporate pilot. When someone approaches him to deliver a package for a large sum of money that could wipe out his debts, temptation knocks loud on his door even as his partner, Marshall, slams it shut. Meeting Charlie challenges his non-committal stance with women. As he considers who he has become and the kind of man he would want to be for Charlie, he confronts his own shallow lifestyle and the fear that he would never be able to help her heal her wounds. 

As Charlie pursues the man causing young boys to die of overdoses, she struggles with the secrets she keeps from Colton. With people around them shining the light of God and encouraging their courtship, both Charlie and Colton have to face hard truths about life, death, love, and faith. And maybe find a fresh start for them both. 

Author Nancy Mehl had this to say:

Author Paula Mowery skillfully combines suspense and romance in her book, For Our Good. A compelling plot, along with authentic, richly drawn characters, will keep readers turning the pages of this taut and exciting story.


Here's an excerpt: 

Though returning to her hometown might take an extra measure of gumption, the assignment whetted her appetite for taking down drug traffickers. “I’m in.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yes, sir. I can handle it.” She forced her tone to be firm and even.

“There’s a private plane scheduled to come in on Friday that the captain wants to arrange for you to catch. He’s arranging for a furnished apartment there. If you could pack up any additional clothes, linens, and such, we will ship that to you. I will see what kind of agreement we need to get from your current landlord to hold your apartment here.”

“Okay. That works for me.” Holding her home here in Florida was like a guarantee she would return and erased some of the reluctance building in the pit of her stomach.

Captain Roland stood and slid around to the front of his desk. Charlie jumped to her feet. 

“You go on home and start packing. I’ll call you with further details as I get them.”

“Yes, sir. Thank you.”

“I just worry we’re throwing you back out there before you’re ready.” Captain Roland massaged the back of his neck. 

She shook her head. “No, I’m ready.” Ready for the job, perhaps, not the location. But she would handle that when the time came. Nabbing drug dealers was her obsession, even more now than ever before.

Readers will also discover a Bible study at the end of this book, focusing on some of the scriptures mentioned as well as some of the spiritual takeaways from the book. 

An Interview

Melissa Finnegan is hosting me on her blog today. Check out the short interview.

https://5020genesis.wordpress.com/2015/09/09/write-to-the-point-with-paula-mowery-2/

Thanks Melissa for hosting me!

International Enthusiasm Week

This was a new one for me. I noticed the other day that the first week of September is International Enthusiasm Week.

Enthusiasm is defined as strong warmth of feeling: keen interest: fervor or something that inspires or is pursued or regarded with ardent zeal or fervor.

In light of this definition, I asked myself what causes me to have enthusiasm. The answer came rather quickly.

When God reveals to me truths and then allows me to express them through telling a story, I get excited. I can understand when the runner in Chariots of Fire said he could feel God's pleasure as he ran. I totally get that same feeling when I'm in the writing zone.

The only way to explain this zone is to give you an example.

My newest book releases tomorrow. In the developing stages of this story God nudged my memory back to a story my dad had told me. Then I began to imagine characters put into this situation and what their backgrounds might be like. As my heroine took shape, she had experienced much loss and would naturally be angry with God. The spirit brought a scripture to mind, Romans 8:28. I wanted to bring my heroine full circle in realizing the truth of that verse.

As I began to write this story, I had that feeling of God's pleasure. In some small way, I like to think it might feel like what the writers of the Bible felt as they penned His words. Now, I am in no way equating my writing with that of Scripture. But, those writers must have felt God's pleasure as they wrote with His guidance. That's what being in the writing zone is for me. That is what brings a definite enthusiasm.

What causes you to have enthusiasm?

Top 5 Things You Don't Want to Hear from Pre-K

We have completed two and a half weeks of school and are starting on the third. This is my fourth year in the Pre-K at our local elementary school. We have twenty four-and-five-year old children, most who have never been away from Mama or home.

Our job is to teach these children the routines of school. One of the most daunting is teaching them to walk in a line. I have repeatedly described this experience as what it would be like to herd cats. I could certainly use eight to ten arms of the stretchable sort so as to coax their little bodies back into a straight line.

As I considered these past couple of weeks, I thought I would share with you my top five things that I don't want to hear from my Pre-K children. Needless to say, I've heard them all.

1. I didn't do it.

2. He made me do it.

3. Did my mama send extra clothes?

4. Why is there a big puddle in the bathroom?

5. Where did *****'s pants go?

I could add many more, but you get the picture. Never a dull moment in Pre-K! I'm sure I'll be adding to this list and to our experiences. The Good Lord sure knows how to develop patience in this teacher. Sometimes, all you can do is shake your head and chuckle.

What is your latest "don't want to hear that?"

Does History Really Repeat Itself?

Those of you who read my blog are familiar with the fact that I read a devotional Bible that is split into sections for each day. By the end of the year, I've read the Bible through once again.

But, isn't it amazing no matter how many times I've read the scriptures through, verses and new truths still pop out?

As I read the section from the Old Testament today, I couldn't help but notice the similarities between that time and ours.

"The Spirit of God came on Azariah son of Obed. He went out to meet Asa and said to him, 'Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The Lord is with you when you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you. For a long time Israel was without the true God, without a priest to teach and without the law. But in their distress they turned to the Lord, the God of Israel, and sought him, and he was found by them. In those days it was not safe to travel about, for all the inhabitants of the lands were in great turmoil. One nation was being crushed by another and one city by another, because God was troubling them with every kind of distress. But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.'" 2 Chronicles 15:1-7.

Asa in this passage is the king of Judah. He was trying to follow God and receives this message from Azariah, encouraging him in his right ways.

Notice the troubles that were upon Israel - unsafe travel, lands in great turmoil, one nation being crushed by another, and one city by another. Why did this happen? The verses before the listing shows the answer plainly - Israel was without the true God, without a priest to teach them, and without the law.

Do these troubles seem familiar? And does the cause seem all too similar to our time?

Let's face it, much of what is happening around us is the result of not following God, ignoring His teaching, and His commands. Just as the verse states above, if we forsake God, He will forsake us. God doesn't force anyone into His kingdom. Jesus might be persistent at knocking on the door of hearts, but you'll never find Him knocking it down. And where there is no God ruling, there is distress and trouble.

Let's turn to the remedy for this distress and trouble. The verses also tell us that the people turned back to God. They sought Him, and He was there.

I believe in some ways that King Asa felt a bit like a lone ranger. Other nations much larger were coming against him, but he was victorious because he called on God. I truly believe that God wanted Asa to know that he was in the right by seeking and serving Him. It didn't matter the size of the opponent, Asa would be victorious because God was on his side.

Here's where I caught some encouragement for myself and other believers. Don't we so often get defeated? We feel we are up against such large obstacles and large majorities of peoples who don't follow God. Wouldn't it just be easier to join the other side? How can we prevail in the face of such troubles?

Take heart and courage from this passage of scripture. As Christians, we have to stand strong on our beliefs, not give up, and know that we are heading toward reward.

Don't let the turmoil of this world keep you from focusing on the true God. Hear anew and afresh the words of Azariah. Reread the passage above from Second Chronicles and remember that the Lord is with you when you are with him!

You've Got Something to Say!

Have you ever been sitting in church, listening to the sermon, when "bam," a statement hits you? This happens regularly for me, but there are those times when something will really stand out.

My hubby was preaching about life with no regrets and arrived at his final point, when he hit me with the statement. Here it is:

God wants to speak to the world through you.

Seems innocent enough, right? And, you might even think that I would know this about myself, since I'm a Christian writer. But, I actually feel that this was a nudge for a specific project God has been putting on my heart.

But, have you considered this about yourself? God wants to use you to communicate to the people around you, your world. What is totally fascinating to me is that He uses us in our uniqueness to speak to others about Him in our own distinctive way.

In the scheme of things, is my little voice really going to make a difference?

"Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourself fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." 1 Cor. 15:58 NIV

The answer to whether our voices make a difference is yes. The verse above informs us that our work for the Lord is not in vain. Your unique way to "speak" to the world is not wasted.

 Are you like me, and feel so inadequate for the task?

"If you only look at us, you might well miss the brightness. We carry this precious Message around in the unadorned clay pots of our ordinary lives. That's to prevent anyone from confusing God's incomparable power with us." 2 Cor. 4 The Message

Alone, we would be inadequate to speak to the world about God, but we have His power inside of us in the form of the Holy Spirit.

"We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us." 2 Cor. 5:20a. NIV

See? We are His ambassadors. He speaks to the world through us.

Sometimes fear can keep us from speaking when we should. We may feel unprepared or just not qualified.

"Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil." Eph. 5:15-16 NIV

"But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." 1 Peter 3:15a

We must live wisely, taking in the wisdom from God's Word. This will better prepare us to speak when needed. Our world is filled with so much evil and people living in contradiction to God's way. Because of this, we must always take advantage of speaking or acting when we are given the opportunity. We should be prepared to share why we're different than the world.

Sisters and Brothers in Christ, we have something to say to the world. Some are dying to hear it. Let's not shrink back from this responsibility but embrace it.

Compared with all the things said in the world, we have something to say that changes eternities. Speak up in your own unique way and in your own calling from the Lord. You've got something to say!