 Two of my favorite things. Lucy Belle (on the rug) and my mama's hummingbird cake. It's the Most...Wonderful...Time...Of The Year!! It is for me, especially once I hear Frank Sinatra bellowing, "I love those J I N G L E Bells, oh! Those holiday J I N G L E Bells, oh! Those happy J I N G L E, B E double L S, I love those J I N G L E Bells!" THAT'S the song that kicks Christmas off for me. It's the first song on the A Jolly Christmas from Frank Sinatra soundtrack, and as soon as I hear those bells I'm overcome with a lifetime of memories. I can almost see my Mama curled on the couch, a cigarette dangling from her lips, and her long, slender foot tapping along to Frank Sinatra's tunes. Listen to it here!  In my opinion, Frank Sinatra is definitely The Boss when it comes to Christmas songs. Just like Christmas Vacation is the Must-See movie in my family every year. No matter what, every Christmas I have to hear Cousin Eddie say those magical words.... Come on, I know you know them. If you've read Paint Me Fearless, and you remember when Cousin Eddie is mentioned in the book, Email Me with the answer. I'll give you 10% off the paperback, and I'll sign it for you. Wouldn't Paint Me Fearless be a great gift for someone you love?  "The ____________was full!" After Christmas Vacation, I love to watch Santa Claus is Coming To Town. You know the one with Fred Astaire as the Mailman? As a kid, I was fascinated by Kris Kringle's red hair. What is YOUR favorite Christmas movie? Please let me know here!  This movie stands the test of time. It's a work of art with all the special touches, like the way the scenes were grayed when the dastardly Burgermeister Meisterburger bans all the toys!  See the red hair!! Christmas stockings, eggnog, and twinkling lights are all part of the pageantry of Christmas, but of course, the meaning of Christmas goes well beyond the festivities and traditions. I have the pleasure of introducing you to someone very special. She's a brilliant writer, and much more qualified than me to launch you into a joyous Advent Season. Her name is Angi Aymond, and we grew up together in a small Louisiana town much like Shady Gully. We were cheerleaders together in junior high, and as often happens, our paths diverged after graduating high school.  That's me standing at the top, and the elegant and always poised Angi standing with her hand perched jauntily on her hip :)  Angi and Mike, her high school sweetheart, who is now her husband! We recently reconnected on Facebook, and it turns out, besides our childhood history together, we had something else in common. We were both called to write. While I express myself through quirky, imaginary characters who exhale angst, heartache, and faith through the veil of their crazy, made-up lives, Angi writes from a place of absolute truth. Total honesty. She unselfishly tears the veil away (from herself) to expose her own fears. Her own regrets. Even her own sinfulness. And in doing that, she provides a path for her readers to do the same. Her writing is sometimes painful. It often calls for self-reflection. And above all, it's always, always honest. I'm happy to introduce you to my friend, Angi Aymond. She is a treasure. Her gift is her truth, her humor, and the joy that falls off her in beautiful, approachable, and hilarious waves. Fasten the seatbelts on your Christmas sleds, folks, and enjoy the ride!  Angi Aymond Angi: IN HER OWN WORDS: My given name is Angela. It falls a bit fancier on the ears. But the only people who call me Angela are strangers. Acquaintances. People from the bank. The people who love and care about me? They call me Angi. I invite you to call me Angi as well. I married my high school sweetheart thirty-six years ago. We have three beautiful daughters. One of those beauties has given us a delightful little boy who calls us Gigi and Pappy. He is smart and funny, and well. You get the picture. It’s just the two of us here in our little empty nest. We’ve acclimated well. I will be honest. It was worth the wait! With my nest mostly empty, I've begun writing about the God revealed in the pages of the Bible, and His deep love for us. I mostly focus on the work He is doing in me, because if I focused on you, well — that would be meddlesome. Here’s your first warning: I have been laid bare by God’s truth. Exposed. Wrecked. But, I have been tenderly clothed in His grace. And it’s from that sweet place I speak to you. Oh, I’ve got scars. But they no longer define me. They gently remind me how deeply I am loved. I won’t claim to be a Bible teacher. I am just a Bible learner sharing what I have learned along the way. Often, the very long and hard way. “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” PHILIPPIANS 1:6, ESV I encourage you to check out her website, her hilarious video below, and her first post of the 2021 Advent Season! Merry Christmas to you all! I pray that you and your loved ones are blessed with a wonderful and joyous season!!
Stay Fearless, Hallie
0 Comments
 After a number of readers have requested AUTOGRAPHED copies of my books, I've decided to do my best to make that happen! Whether you want to buy a book for your own bookshelf or buy a gift for someone else, let's put a smile on your face and some books into your hands! If you do Apple Pay or Venmo, and you see something you like in my STORE, just email me at BOOKS@HALLIELEE.COM and tell me what you'd like and how you want it signed. TO CELEBRATE the LAUNCH of the HALLIE LEE BOOKS STORE, combo sets of Books 1 and 2 (either hardbacks or paperbacks) are 10% off! *REMEMBER, you must email me at: Books@HallieLee.com to place your order. The store is located on my website, in the drop down menu under BOOKS. Just slide down to SHOP, and enjoy! Here's the direct link: SHOP HALLIE LEE BOOKS I look forward to hearing from you! Stay Fearless, Hallie  Guess what? I updated my website! If you click SHADY GULLY on the menu-bar above, you'll find some fun pics of small town life. Things like "old dogs, children, and watermelon wine." Actually, I couldn't find any pics of children or watermelon wine, but if you run across any cool pics that bring Shady Gully to mind, send them to me here. My plan is to fill the Page with images and anecdotes that highlight small town life. Eventually, I'd like to include a map of the town, four-way-stop and all! I'll just need to enroll in art school first. You'll also see a RECIPE section on the drop down menu. You'll probably recognize some of the recipes Desi and Robin chat about in the books. The good, the bad, and the ugly. If you've already read Wolfheart, you know I'm talking about one character in particular. I'll keep my lips zipped at this stage, but I do hope you enjoy the page, and the little "hints" and "notes" under the recipes. The featured Southern Recipe for this month is Shrimp & Crawfish Pie from Glenda Jolly Hathorn. If you have a great southern recipe, send it my way. Who knows, you might just find Desi and Robin chatting about it in the next book!  Speaking of Desi, Robin, and the four- way-stop, have you read Wolfheart? Reviews on Amazon & Goodreads are very important to new authors. Check out these early bird reviews: "Hallie Lee scores again with Wolfheart, the sequel to 2021’s Paint Me Fearless." --Jeffrey Pentz, author of Sins of Our Fathers. "I can't give enough stars or recommend this book highly enough. I was glad to be back, didn't want to leave, and cannot wait to return to Shady Gully." --Mark Cermak "Wolfheart was a joy to read!" --John Brothers "I liked Wolfheart better than her first book and that's saying a lot." --Amazon Reader "Loved the first book in the Shady Gully Series, but loved this second one even more!!!" --Mona Wright I can't wait to hear your thoughts on Wolfheart, both via Amazon and Goodreads, but also in Shady Gully's Cozy Corner Chat on Facebook. If you haven't joined the group, please do so! It's a relaxing place to chat about all things Shady Gully.  While promoting Wolfheart, I've participated in a lot of Q & A's. All the interviewers have been very clever and their questions have ranged from serious and thought-provoking to amusing and hilarious. I've plucked a few of my favorites for you. The first one is very, very silly...but required a lot of thought! QUESTION: Would you rather fight 100 duck-sized horses or one horse-sized duck? ANSWER: I hate to admit how much time I spent on this one. Quite a quandary. I'm going to go with the 100 duck sized horses. A horse-sized duck sounds especially fierce, and I'd have to make eye contact with him when he killed me. LOL! FRIENDS of HALLIE, how would YOU answer that one? Come on, what's it gonna be for you? 100 duck sized horses? Or one horse sized duck? The second question is more serious. QUESTION: Now that you have written and published two books, with a third on the way, how has being an author changed your life? What does it mean to you to connect with your readers in this way, through story? ANSWER: It means everything. As a child I remember having trouble expressing myself. Even with my parents and people I felt safe with. It was frustrating because I knew what I was trying to convey, but I couldn’t pluck the words from my head in a way that made sense. Honestly, when it comes to verbal communication, I still struggle with that today. I suppose at some point in my life I began to use characters and stories to communicate, using imaginary people in imaginary settings to express frustration, grief, disappointment, and joy. So honestly, being able to connect with readers in such a profound way is the most rewarding gift I could imagine. I’m deeply grateful. Thank you, readers. I'm thankful for you all. I wish you and yours a beautiful, joyous, and very blessed Thanksgiving month! Is there something you're especially grateful for this year? Please let us know in the comments below....after you answer the duck/horse question, of course! LOL Stay Fearless, Hallie    Color Coded Contents: Intro Wolfheart Blurb What Inspired me Publisher's Comments Author Hallie Lee Celebrates Release of Wolfheart, the Highly Anticipated Follow-up to her Amazon.com Bestselling Debut Novel, Paint Me Fearless NASHVILLE, TN (October 12, 2021) - Amazon.com bestselling author Hallie Lee is celebrating the unveiling of her new novel, Wolfheart, which released to retail Wednesday, October 6, 2021, in hardback, trade paperback, and all major ebook formats from WordCrafts Press. The highly anticipated second volume in The Shady Gully Series, the paperback version of Wolfheart climbed to the Number 2 spot on Amazon.com's Hot New Releases chart in the Contemporary Christian Fiction category, while the hardback settled into the Number 5 position alongside novels by perennial bestselling authors Karen Kingsbury, Randy Alcorn, and Robert Whitlow. The morning after a torrential storm upends Shady Gully, its citizens wake to the news that Wolfheart's beloved sister, Peony, has been brutally murdered. Revered as the Creek's best healer, and adored by the folks in Shady Gully proper, Peony's death rattles the community. Desi and Lenny's oldest son, Luke, dashes to the scene to help, and comes face to face with Bella, Wolfheart's stunningly beautiful great-niece, and the product of Shady Gully's most notorious scandal. When Wolfheart stumbles onto the crime scene covered in blood, unapologetic and evasive, the newly appointed Sheriff Rick proceeds cautiously, as he's mindful of the intense feelings Wolfheart evokes within the town. Extremes on both sides erupt when another body is uncovered, and soon Shady Gully explodes in chaos and violence. As the fates of these three uncompromising and principled men collide, Desi and Robin, the beloved protagonists from Paint Me Fearless, find themselves smack dab in the middle of the hullabaloo. When Wolfheart is finally led away in handcuffs, he has only one thought. How can he protect his niece and her daughter from the same fate as his sister? "In the early chapters of Paint Me Fearless, Brad Wolfheart was nothing more than a peripheral character, a dastardly villain created merely to challenge my protagonists, Desi and Robin," author Hallie Lee muses. "But I grew fond of him. I started seeing him as this intriguing multi-dimensional rogue. By the middle of the book, he'd evolved. By the end of the book, he became almost noble. And eventually, he insisted on his own book." "To his credit, Wolfheart was the reason Shady Gully became a series," Hallie continues. "Here was this guy, tall and handsome, mysterious, sullen with a huge chip on his shoulder. Born on the wrong side of the creek, he was caught in a hopeless pattern of self-destruction. Late in Paint Me Fearless, during an especially poignant conversation with Desi, she asks him: "How’d you get into this? You’ve been doing…what you do, as long as I’ve known you.” "He lets out a soft roll of laughter and says: “I guess I never had anybody tell me I could do anything different.”" "Right then I decided I'd write his story. I'd show Brad Wolfheart that he could do something different. Everyone, even the likes of this scoundrel from across the creek in Shady Gully, is redeemable. And that's what Wolfheart is—a story of redemption. "Wolfheart is an amazing follow-up novel to a stunning debut," says WordCrafts Press publisher Mike Parker. "Hallie created the Mayberry-esque community of Shady Gully in Paint Me Fearless, then pulled back the curtain to show that even Mayberry has a dark underbelly. In Wolfheart, she turns the story on its head, and looks at the idyllic small town from the perspective of the denizens of the wrong side of the tracks, or in this case the wrong side of the creek. Friendship, betrayal, faith, redemption all show up in the most unlikely of places... and extend to the most unlikely of characters. Wolfheart is one more reason readers will want to visit Shady Gully again." Wolfheart is published in the US by WordCrafts Press and distributed globally by Ingram Content Group, the world's largest distributor of physical content. Product Details Hardback: 258 pages Publisher: WordCrafts Press (January 6, 2021) Language: English ISBN-13: 978-1952474873 MSRP: $29.99 Paperback: 274 pages Publisher: WordCrafts Press (January 6, 2021) Language: English ISBN-13: 978-1952474880 MSRP: $15.99 Ebook: Publisher: WordCrafts Press (January 6, 2021) Language: English ASIN: B09GS8FGYD ISBN-13: 979-8201208417 MSRP: $5.99 Coming soon to audiobook.  Exciting News! Book 2 in The Shady Gully Series is NOW available to Preorder!!! eBooks are ready to order now, hardbacks will follow shortly, and in a few days, paperbacks will be ready to preorder for October 6th, 2021! If you shop on Amazon, please add WOLFHEART to your Amazon WISH LIST! If it reaches a certain number, Amazon's Magical Algorithm spreads Pixie Dust all over Wolfheart! (And I'm pretty sure he'd enjoy that!) Here's How: Under the Amazon Shopping Cart, you'll see a bar that says Add to List. Click the arrow and select Wish List! Be sure and also add WOLFHEART to your Goodreads "Want to Read" List! In fact, any place you order--Kobo, BAM, Apple, Barnes & Noble--they all have WISH LISTS! So please add it there as well! The more pixie dust the better!! Have you seen the Book Trailer for WOLFHEART? I'll be posting it on social media in the days to come, but as always, my FRIENDS OF HALLIE newsletter subscribers get the FIRST LOOK! Happy Reading Everyone!! I can't wait to hear what you think of WOLFHEART!
Pssst... I've created a special SPOILERS group for those of you who CAN'T WAIT to dish about the story! Check out the Shady Gully Spoilers Group below! SHADY GULLY SPOILERS Stay Fearless, Hallie  See Trailer for Book 2 Cover Tease Below... Greetings FRIENDS OF HALLIE newsletter subscribers, Thanks for joining me today for this very special cover reveal! As I reflect back on the past eight months, I can tell you that the transition from writer to "published author" has been overwhelming, exhilarating, challenging, and humbling. What stands out the most though, are your wonderful messages, comments, and reviews of Paint Me Fearless. Thank you. Especially to those of you who took the time to rate and review my book on social media, Amazon, B & N, etc. I have the Best Readers Ever!! Guess what the most used phrase in ALL of the reviews was? Seriously. Guess.  Well, I'm happy to say your wait is (almost) over. I'm so excited for you to read the next book in the Shady Gully Series! Not only will you revisit some familiar characters, but you'll get to meet some brand new ones as well! Of course, Desi and Robin will be there, as Shady Gully will ALWAYS be rooted in their special history together. Desi and Robin are, and always be, the matriarchs of Shady Gully. And of the series itself. And now, how about a FIRST LOOK at the official BLURB of Book 2? The much-anticipated second book in The Shady Gully Series picks up five years after Paint Me Fearless, Hallie Lee’s Best Selling Contemporary Christian Fiction novel. Book Two opens with a secret burial in the night. Amid a blinding, hellacious storm, a man digs a grave. He’s covered in blood, and he appears culpable. Guilty even. He also looks heartbroken… *** WOLFHEART…earned his reputation as the town low life in Book One, inciting unrest and corrupting the youth with his home-grown product and signature scowl. But now, it’s five years later, and the scoundrel from across the creek is an upstanding citizen, a church-streamer, and a doting brother and uncle. Or is he? LUKE…Desi and Lenny’s eldest son, feels responsible for Shady Gully. Always the serious one, Luke carries the weight of the town’s progress—or lack thereof—on his tense shoulders. Even as the community rolls their eyes as he expounds incorporation, Luke is a man on a mission. He’s determined to present Shady Gully with the amenities it deserves. SHERIFF RICK…inherited the job when the last ornery official went and had a heart attack. Reluctant to trade his easy life of coasting to one of accountability, Ricky is surprised to find that the office gives him purpose. It fills a void he’s been trying to fill his whole life—with women, football, and other countless iniquities. *** The morning after a torrential storm upends Shady Gully, its citizens wake to the news that Wolfheart’s beloved sister, Peony, has been brutally murdered. Revered as the Creek’s best healer, and adored by the folks in Shady Gully proper, Peony’s death rattles the community. Luke dashes to the scene to help, and comes face to face with Bella, Wolfheart’s stunningly beautiful great-niece, and the product of Shady Gully’s most notorious scandal. When Wolfheart stumbles onto the crime scene covered in blood, unapologetic and evasive, Sheriff Rick proceeds cautiously, as he’s mindful of the intense feelings Wolfheart evokes within the town. Extremes on both sides erupt when another body is uncovered, and soon Shady Gully explodes in chaos and violence. As the fates of these three uncompromising and principled men collide, Desi and Robin, the beloved protagonists in Book One, find themselves smack dab in the middle of the hullabaloo. When Wolfheart is finally led away in handcuffs, he has only one thought. How can he protect his niece and her daughter from the same fate as his sister? ***** If you're excited about reading book 2, please let everyone know! All you have to do is head over to Amazon and ADD it to your WISH LIST! Soon you'll be able to preorder it for..... October 6, 2021! And now, the best part....THE COVER REVEAL!! Drum Roll Please.... Wait for it. Almost there. Ta-duh!
I hope you love it! And now, one final order of business. Welcome to all the new FRIENDS OF HALLIE subscribers!! I'm so glad to have you here. YOU, as a newsletter subscriber, will ALWAYS get sneak peeks and other Shady Gully News FIRST. The winner of the New Subscriber drawing is: Stella Troy of Kansas. Congrats Stella! You've won a free Audible book of Paint Me Fearless. Even better, you'll have just enough time to listen to Kathy Fox Vancil's brilliant narration before the saga continues October 6th. Stay Fearless everyone, Hallie Stay in touch, and Follow Me Everywhere P.S. If you haven't seen the NEW Paint Me Fearless trailer, check it out HERE. It's a little over a minute long, and pretty cool! The full trailer for Wolfheart will be COMING SOON. P.S. I'm on TikTok now!!!! Check me out using the button below!  Happy July to all my FRIENDS OF HALLIE newsletter subscribers! How's your weather? I know that's a rather inane introductory, but now that my subscriber list is expanding, I'm realizing not everybody is soaked in humidity like yours truly. Of course, my friends in Louisiana would scoff at my 77 degrees & 60% humidity. My thoughts are with y'all. Really. I bet y'all would like to be in Australia chilling with my friend Emma Lombard about now, huh? It's a nice fifty degrees in Brisbane today. Or how about Alaska? Even though it's the peak of summer there, the temps are rolling in at a nice 59 degrees. Speaking of Alaska and Australia, I'd like to introduce you to a really neat person who lives in Alaska. Turns out she met a really neat person from Australia, and as fate would have it, their paths crossed with little ole' me in the state of Kentucky. How, you ask? Why, PAINT ME FEARLESS, of course. Meet..... Necee Lomelino, an in-house reviewer for relzreviewz.com.  Necee Lomelino Necee, who has a Master's in Counseling Psychology, has lived in Alaska for over thirty years! She and her husband have two beautiful daughters, and when she's not reading and writing reviews, she enjoys sitting by her favorite river in the mountains and watching the amazing wildlife. WHAT NECEE LOVES: *Adventure, whether through reading or living it. *The mystery behind why people do what they do. *Her pets!  One of God's divine brushstrokes In Her Own Words: Rel and I met online through our love for books and supporting amazing authors. Her blog has been around for years, but due to how busy her work is with authors she asked if I’d be interested in joining as a reviewer with her blog a few years ago. We both love supporting authors with faith elements to their writing. We enjoy messages of hope in the midst of trials and love surpassing all. What probably stands out the most in our friendship is our Aussie-Alaskan connection. While Rel has kangaroos in her front yard, I have moose in my backyard!  Moose in Alaska  Kangaroo in Australia We’ve always thought how amazing it is that God connected us being so many miles away. We were able to make a trip to Australia and spent an amazing week with Rel and her family in 2019. It was a truly amazing trip. Our love of books, travel, family, food, and faith has made a lasting friendship.   We also wanted to thank Hallie for inviting us to be a part of her newsletter, I enjoyed reading her debut novel “Paint Me Fearless” and look forward to more. If you haven’t read her yet, you definitely need to check out her writing. See NECEE'S TAKE on PAINT ME FEARLESS -----> here! In other news, thanks to everyone who participated in last month's READERS PICK contest. I asked y'all to help me pick the name and breed of a special pooch in Book 3 of The Shady Gully Series. It was a lot of fun, and y'all are very clever and creative! I'll definitely be doing another READERS PICK in the near future.  Y'all made it tough to pick a winner. There were so many great suggestions! Some of my favorites included Tressie's French bulldogs, dubbed Gumbeaux and Beignet. Gotta LOVE the nod to our own, Shady Gully, Louisiana ;) I also received some super pug names (Lily May and Max) from Kayla and Jeanie, as well as a westie called Knightley from Rachel. Now I've seen photos of Knightley and he is quite the handsome gentleman :) Golden retrievers and labs, of course, came in strong. And Buddy, an all around great doggie name from Ann, is classic. And let's not forget Bella, the prissy poodle suggested by the lovely Tana. I was also partial to a beagle named Daisy because beagles are so dang cute, and I used to have a Daisy of my own. Jennifer's black and white-pawed mutt named Domino stole my heart as well. And Banjo was an AWESOME name via Cristie, who pictured a black and white shitzu and bichon mix. I googled that, BTW. ADORABLE! Other great names included Jazz and Radar. Thank you all for your outstanding suggestions. What a creative group!! In the end though, there was one particular breed that really worked for the storyline. I'd never heard of a shiba inu, but once I saw the picture, and heard a few stories, I KNEW this was the little troublemaker set to make her debut in Book 3. Thank you to Barbara on Instagram for your enlightening tales about this breed, and to Matt, who offered the name DUCHESS for this little rascal. Congratulations on your FREE Audio books of PAINT ME FEARLESS. I hope you're enjoying them, or that you gave them to someone with the invitation to join Desi and Robin in SHADY GULLY! CONGRATS Readers Pick WINNERS!  I'd love to tell y'all who this feisty dog will belong to, but after you read Book 2, I bet you'll know. Oh, did I say Book 2? That must have just slipped out. Probably because I have some Book 2 NEWS coming soon! Stay tuned for that, and be sure to follow me on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. And don't forget to join Shady Gully's Cozy Corner Chat group on Facebook! If you want to help me spread the positive message in PAINT ME FEARLESS, please be sure to rate and review it on Amazon, and encourage your friends to read it, and share it with others. Let's put Shady Gully on the map! Right there with Alaska & Australia! ******************************************************************* Here are a few pics of me as I spread the hopeful, positive message in Desi and Robin's journey.  And me trying to be Fearless on LIVE TV!  Unfortunately, Patches, my Creative Director, was not impressed.
But I'll keep on trying...
Stay Fearless, Hallie  For my family, Ecclesiastes 3:1 has never felt so profound as in April/May of 2021. Our daughter was happily married on April 24th, and it was a time of extreme joy. A month later, on May 28th, our Lucy Belle made her journey to the Rainbow Bridge. A time of deep sadness, our little Monkey Doodle is everywhere we look. In EVERYTHING we do. But first, there was The Season of Joy...  Spring, specifically April 24th, was a very HAPPY time for my family. Our only child, our little Bug in a Rug, married the love her life, Phil West. The pictures have been slow to come in, but I managed to secretly swipe a few. Shhhh. Don't tell anyone.
 Hands down, the BEST picture of a group of Bridesmaids ever taken. HANDS DOWN.  It's official. Mr. & Mrs. Phil West  Another stunning photo by T & S Photography (Tyler & Sarah)  Onward! The Future Awaits! And then came, The Season of Sorrow... If you've been a member of my FRIENDS OF HALLIE newsletter for long, you've probably already met my CEO—Chief Encouragement Officer—Lucy Belle. And you probably learned about her heart and lung tumors soon after we did. We had almost six months with her after the diagnosis, but we would have liked longer. As I said, Ecclesiastes 1:3... .  I wrote a little story about Lucy's arrival at the Rainbow Bridge. It's the way I hope it was for her.... RIP my Monkey Doodle. lucy_belle_arrives_at_the_rainbow_bridge.docx Click "LUCY BELLE ARRIVES AT THE RAINBOW BRIDGE" below to read the short story.
 In other news, SHADY GULLY'S COZY CORNER CHAT (Hallie Lee's Facebook Chat Group) has been a blast! We've spent the last few months reviewing the first half of PAINT ME FEARLESS. A special shout out of appreciation to my friend, Mark Cermak, who authored some very provocative discussion questions. Y'all should check him out in action as I'm pretty sure he'll be a best selling author one day. For me personally, hearing your reactions and impressions of the pivotal points in Desi and Robin's journey has been a writer's dream come true. Shady Gully's Cozy Corner Chat will be going FREESTYLE for a few months as we take a little break. I'd like to encourage you to invite your friends to join, where we'll pick up with the second half of Paint Me Fearless this fall. Not only will there be Giveaways and Contests all summer, but FREESTYLE Summer Chat means everything from Summer reads to Summer Vacations! Plus Tv shows! And Movies! And more! And of course, summer cookin' :) So loan your copy of Paint me Fearless to a friend, and invite them to the COZY CORNER this summer! CLICK HERE to Hang Out at The Cozy Corner! And finally, while Book Two is with my publisher, who is no doubt doing magical-publisher things like working with an artist to create a cover, I am officially beginning Book 3!! I can barely contain my joy! I just wrote the prologue! To celebrate, let's have some fun! How about helping me NAME A DOG (a very special dog) who will make his or her first appearance in Book 3?  The winner will get bragging rights, a shout out in the Acknowledgements Section of Book 3, AND a FREE Audio Book of PAINT ME FEARLESS!
I'll be accepting entries from all over Social Media, but like the early sneak peek of the wedding photos, I wanted to give my FRIENDS OF HALLIE Newsletter subscribers a head start! Send Pics if you if you want to give me a visual! I look forward to your suggestions in the comments section below! Stay Fearless, and enjoy Your Summer Season! Hallie  Did you hear the big news? PAINT ME FEARLESS is now available on Audio! You can get it on Amazon, Audible, or iTunes. It's the perfect gift for Mother's Day! Or for friends who enjoy listening to books while on the road! Or, if you've already read PAINT ME FEARLESS, and fancy a refresher before Book Two hits the stands, treat yourself! Meet Kathy Fox Vancil, narrator extraordinaire, who beautifully dramatizes the story in her soothing, southern accent. Below is a teaser of said accent. 
Kathy Fox Vancil hides most days inside her converted cargo trailer/sound studio telling other people’s stories. She practices accents in public places sometimes embarrassing her family and friends, but most folks excuse her oddities as, “It’s okay. She’s a performer.” Living in northern Minnesota with her long suffering husband, together they serve as staff for their cat and endeavor to never break Kitty Rule #1. Here's what Kathy said about Paint Me Fearless:  Click Cover of Paint Me Fearless to Learn More / Buy! Want to win a FREE copy of the PAINT ME FEARLESS audio book? CONTEST * CONTEST * CONTEST Email me and tell me who you want to give Paint Me Fearless to—it’s okay if you want to keep it for yourself! 😊 I’ll do a drawing on May 3rd, 2021! Bonus * Bonus * Bonus Encourage your friends to subscribe to my newsletter and enter the contest! Anybody can win as long as they are a FRIEND OF HALLIE newsletter subscriber. If one of your friends WINS the drawing, you'll get a FREE audio book as well! Good Luck, and Happy May! Stay fearless, Hallie  One of the coolest things about being a writer is getting to know other writers. Because we’re all a little…ahem….eccentric, it’s really nice to connect with others who spend the majority of their time obsessing over imaginary people. Despite the competitiveness of authoring and selling books, writers tend to be a very generous group. We celebrate one another's victories, we commiserate when the words won't come, and we share one another's work with our friends. So since the flowers are blooming, and giddiness reigns, let's FLING into SPRING with four of my favorite writers.  Charly Cox and I have more in common than our love of green chili cheeseburgers and our distaste for shopping. We crack each other up. And we ALWAYS have each other's backs. When she hit the bestseller list with her jaw-dropping Detective Alyssa Wyatt Series, she was kind enough to let me tag along for the ride. I've learned a LOT from her---seriously, tenses are complicated---and I've delighted in watching my friend take the literary world by storm.  Charly Cox Born in the South, raised in the Midwest, Charly now resides in the Southwest in the Land of Enchantment, Green Chile capital of the world, which is good because she enjoys eating copious amounts of the spicy food. CHARLY SAYS: "For as long as I can remember, books have been my salvation. I always have a book (or my Kindle) wherever I go. When I was a teenager, I had an old curling iron with a broken heating element, and I would plug it in, hide under the covers with a book, and use the little orange light from that broken curling iron to read. I'm surprised I didn't damage my eyes. But, a girl's got to do what a girl's got to do, right?" When she's not reading, writing, or plotting sinister evils with her antagonists, she enjoys doing jigsaw and crossword puzzles, hanging out with her husband and her spoiled Siberian Husky, visiting her son in Arizona, and traveling, preferably to places surrounded by sun, sand, and warm uncrowded beaches. "As an adult, I no longer have to sneak-read, which is a relief. These days I can be found writing my own novels (where I can legitimately say reading is research) or spending time with my husband. I love to travel to all kinds of places, but water is always a plus, with the ocean a major bonus." Check out the rave reviews for the ALYSSA WYATT SERIES! "Fast paced. Just brilliant!" "One of the best crime thrillers I've ever read." "Breathtaking. I was on the edge of my seat." "Completely gripping could be an understatement."  All His Pretty Girls A woman is found naked, badly beaten and barely alive in the New Mexico mountains. The shocking discovery plunges Albuquerque Detective Alyssa Wyatt into a case that will test her to the limit. It appears that Callie McCormick is the latest plaything of a shadowy psychopath that leaves a long shadow on the streets of New Mexico – an individual linked to a string of deaths but leaving no evidence behind. But when Alyssa makes a breakthrough that just might reveal the killer, she unknowingly puts herself in the crosshairs of a brutal maniac – one with an old score to settle. Because the killer knows Alyssa very well, even if she doesn’t know him. And he’s determined that she’ll know his name – even if he has to extract his deadly revenge on her and everything she loves. The Toybox : You don’t want to play their games… All around Albuquerque, New Mexico, young women are going missing, seemingly vanished into thin air. With no link between the victims, Detective Alyssa Wyatt is quickly plunged into a horrifying case with no obvious clues. And when Jersey Andrews, the best friend of Alyssa’s teenage daughter, Holly, joins the list of vanished girls, the case becomes personal. But this investigation will lead Alyssa and partner Cord into the most sinister depths of humanity; an evil place where life is expendable, and where the depraved can fulfill their darkest desires – if they have the money to pay for it. As the first bodies appear, abandoned on the streets, Alyssa is forced into a frantic hunt to track down the killers – before more innocent women lose their lives. But when the truth comes out, it seems that the key to solving the case was hiding in the last place anyone expected… Alone in the Woods It was a scene from a horror movie; Gabriel Kensington and his wife Lydia were found brutally slain in their luxurious home in New Mexico. A frantic, whispered phone call from their teenage daughter Addis and her best friend Emerson alerts the authorities to the killings – and worse, that the killer is still inside the house. But when detective Alyssa Wyatt and her team arrive at the house, the unthinkable has happened – the girls are nowhere to be found. *** Waking up in a dilapidated cabin, nestled high in the woods north of Albuquerque, the girls find themselves at the mercy of a brutal stranger who could take their life at any moment. While they fight for survival, it’s up to Alyssa and her partner Cord to discover just why the Kensingtons have been targeted – and fast. Because for Addis and Emerson, solving this mystery might just mean the difference between survival – or an unthinkable death...  CHARLY GETS PERSONAL Would you and your main character get along? Yes, I think we would. Alyssa Wyatt embodies the strength and perseverance I admire in others, and she's able to always keep her family in the forefront of all she does. If you were to write a spin-off about a side character, which would you pick? This is actually something I'm considering. I think any of Alyssa's team would be a fine choice, but I'd probably pick Liz Waterson or Tony White. If your book were made into a movie, which actors would play your characters? This is a great question, and I know many authors actually have an entire list of wish list actors who would be perfect if their books were made into a movie, but I'm not sure who would play my characters. There are simply too many great actors/actresses out there for me to choose. That being said, I'd want someone really tall to play Cord Roberts and someone around 5' - 5'3" to play Alyssa since those are important character traits for them. I do envision someone like Colin Lawrence (my first choice) or Michael Ealy as Captain Guthrie Hammond. (The late Chadwick Boseman would've tied for first place with Colin Lawrence.) Follow Charly at: www.charlycoxauthor.com Emma Lombard is perhaps one of the most generous writers I know. Her website alone runs like a well-oiled search engine. She offers a variety of resources for writers, including interviews with cover designers and illustrators, and even random things like links to query trackers. Her tips and tools for building a social platform ease the process for newbies, and her newsletter is a must-have for aspiring writers. Emma is the real deal. She's a writer's writer. She's an Aussie powerhouse, and she's my mate.  Emma Lombard Emma Lombard was born in Pontefract in the UK. She grew up in Africa—calling Zimbabwe and South Africa home for a few years—before finally settling in Brisbane Australia, and raising four boys. Before she started writing historical fiction, she was a freelance editor in the corporate world, which was definitely not half as exciting as writing rollicking romantic adventures. Her characters are fearless seafarers, even though in real life Emma gets disastrously sea sick. Discerning Grace, is the first book in The White Sails Series.  As the first full-length novel in The White Sails Series, DISCERNING GRACE captures the spirit of an independent woman whose feminine lens blows the ordered patriarchal decks of a 19th century tall ship to smithereens. Wilful Grace Baxter, will not marry old Lord Silverton with his salivary incontinence and dead-mouse stink. Discovering she is a pawn in an arrangement between slobbery Silverton and her calculating father, Grace is devastated when Silverton reveals his true callous nature. Refusing this fate, Grace resolves to stow away. Heading to the docks, disguised as a lad to ease her escape, she encounters smooth-talking naval recruiter, Gilly, who lures her aboard HMS Discerning with promises of freedom and exploration in South America. When Grace's big mouth lands her bare-bottomed over a cannon for insubordination, her identity is exposed. The captain wants her back in London but his orders, to chart the icy archipelago of Tierra del Fuego, forbid it. Lieutenant Seamus Fitzwilliam gallantly offers to take Grace off the fretting captain's hands by placing her under his protection. Grace must now win over the crew she betrayed with her secret, while managing her feelings towards her taciturn protector, whose obstinate chivalry stifles her new-found independence.  EMMA GETS PERSONAL So cool that you live in Australia!! Have you ever run into Eric Bana at the grocery store? LOL! Seriously, tell us about Brisbane, about your country. Haha! No, I've not run into Eric Bana at the grocery store. My only celeb encounter was a few years back at a Stargate Convention in Brisbane. A friend won tickets and asked me to go with him. When we stepped into the elevator there was already another guy in there. He smiled at me and we started chatting about what we'd had for lunch. He laughed about how he'd ended up wearing his lunch down his front and that he needed to change his shirt. I noticed my friend being all weird and silent beside me, but I had no idea why. When Friendly Elevator Guy stepped out on his floor and the doors closed, my friend turned to me and said, "Well that just happened." I had no idea what he was talking about. Then we stepped into the convention room (it was a small one) and the compere started announcing the guest stars who were going to speak. She introduces Ben Browder of Stargate SG1 and in walks Friendly Elevator Guy! He spotted me in the crowd as he walked towards the stage and winked at me. And then I was like, "Ohhhh, I get it now!" Though, I'm glad I didn't realise who he was in the elevator or I'd probably have been just as tongue tied as my friend! For the record, after that little encounter, I ended up binging ALL the Stargate series. Brilliant! Australia is actually my adopted country, though I've lived here longer than I've ever lived in any other country (21 years now). I love it—it's been a great place to raise four boys. The summers in Brisbane get a bit hot and sticky (but that's what air con is for, right?) The Aussie culture is a laid back, friendly one. It's very un-Australian of me, but I don't like the beach. LOL! It's hot and the salt-water is sticky (and burns your eyes), and the SAND—don't get me started on crunching on sand sandwiches. What is your favorite time of day to write? And why? Between the hours of: just-after-my-morning-bucket-of-coffee-has-kicked-in and just-before-three-thirtyitis-kicks-in. This is when my brain feels the freshest and most creative. Plus it's when these old eyes of mine are rested and can cope with the screen time. Though, since getting my new specs with the anti-glare coating and upgrading my ancient laptop to a new one with better screen resolution, it's much more pleasant. Do you write your synopsis/blurb before or after you write your book? Definitely after. I'm a bit of a pantser, so I don't always know where my story is going at first. Then I write far too much and have to pare it back with the help of my developmental editor. Only then do I get a clearer idea of my story arc, which then enables me to write a cracking blurb. Every writer's process is different but this one is mine. To join the crew—and snag a free copy of Discerning Grace, subscribe to Emma's newsletter: www.emmalombardauthor.com Janetta Fudge-Messmer is a lot like sunshine. She's bright, warm, and if you get too close, you'll find your eyes leaking with laughter. Her joy is contagious, her faith is strong, and she is a character. She's also approachable. After reaching out to her for advice I came away with more than clarity. I came away with a friend for life. Check out her Devotional and you'll see what I mean. With chapter titles like Do I Talk Too Much? and Pennies...I mean--Quarters From Heaven, how can you go wrong?  Janetta Fudge Messmer Janetta Fudge Messmer’s tagline is Turning Life into Comedy. The reason being, she loves to laugh and that’s why she writes Christian Comedy (with a touch of Romance). She’s also a speaker and an editor. For Janetta, writing and traveling go hand in hand, since she, her hubby (Ray), and their pooch (Maggie) are full-time RVers. Most days you’ll find them sightseeing around the USA in their Winnebago…but first Janetta has to sit down and write a few words.  God's Grace in Our Grumbling –A Thirty-Day Devotional On any given day, most of us are barely hanging on. Countless questions bombard our brains. The answer I’ve found is seeking Him more. When I call on the Lord, I find the pit I dug for myself wasn’t as deep as I’d imagined. He was ready to rescue me from whatever I was going through. And He will do the same for you. God will give you and me grace in our grumbling.  JANETTA GETS PERSONAL How many books have you written and which is your favorite? I've written eight books. My favorite is my first book. I thought I'd always write more serious novels because those are the kinds of books I love to read. Then I started writing Early Birds, and my characters came alive in my head. It turned into a series and I joke, "they wouldn't shut up." What do you need in your writing space to help you stay focused? My steno pad to write down things I want to remember. The other more important thing I need is complete silence. Since we're full-time RVers, sometimes campgrounds can get a little noisy. I have to wait until it's quiet again to write. If you could spend a day with another popular author, whom would you choose? I can't pick one. The first would be Victoria Holt. I read all of her books as a teenager and into my twenties. I'd also love to chat with Sidney Sheldon. Both were outstanding authors. Follow Janetta at janettafudgemessmer.com Ann Elizabeth Fryer and I met a year ago when we participated in Twitter's Faith Pitch, which is basically arranging 280 characters in such a way as to entice a publisher or an agent. I'm not sure either of us succeeded that day, but we did find each other---and haven't lost touch since. Together we've toiled and triumphed through the world of publishing, and NOW find ourselves holding PUBLISHED books in our hands. So it was clearly a Win-Win!  Ann Elizabeth Fryer Ann Elizabeth Fryer loves nothing more than using story and romance to relay the depths and graciousness of a Father who holds us securely in the palms of His hands. Daydreaming her surroundings from a young age, she's lived in historic homes most of her life and regularly participates in backyard archaeology. When she's not writing historical projects, her contemporary novels show a flavor of her forever-passion for all things old. Ann, her husband, and three children make their home in small-town Illinois where they can hear church bells keep time and tradition.  Of Needles and Haystacks A young woman inherits a farm she isn’t meant to have and uncovers a secret her neighbor planned to keep forever… After her parent’s untimely deaths, Dorothy Trafton has nowhere to go but her uncle’s Kentucky farm, a place she’s never visited. Uncertain of her surroundings, grief festers. It doesn’t help that her war-scarred neighbor, James Bleu, knows more about her mother’s secret life—and family—than she does. And why does he lie about his involvement with her father? When news of her inheritance, the contents of an old trunk, and a disaster upend her life, Dorothy must forge ahead by making a home for herself in a dilapidated cottage—alone. Yet, she can’t ignore Mr. Bleu’s change of ways. His kindness runs far deeper than she ever imagined…  ANN GETS PERSONAL How did you come up with the title for your book? I came up with the title "Of Needles and Haystacks" when I realized my character was looking and longing for something simple, yet hard to find in the mix of her circumstances. Being "farm fiction", the expression seemed to fit! How long did it take you to write this book? This story took me nearly four years to write (busy x 3 young kids= slow writing)--and four years to be brave enough to publish. Do you play music while you write — and, if so, what’s your favorite? Movie soundtracks for this romantic at heart! Ever After (Drew Barrymore) and Shadowlands. Follow Ann at www.annfryerwrites.com I hope you've enjoyed Flinging Into Spring with my wonderful writer friends. Treat yourselves and grab one -- or more -- of their books! I'll leave you with a special video from my back yard. I have a new neighbor :) |
|||||||||||
RSS Feed