Friday, March 29, 2013

Welcome, Pam Hillman, author of Claiming Mariah!


Pam Hillman was born and raised on a dairy farm in Mississippi and spent her teenage years perched on the seat of a tractor raking hay. In those days, her daddy couldn’t afford two cab tractors with air conditioning and a radio, so Pam drove the Allis Chalmers 110. Even when her daddy asked her if she wanted to bale hay, she told him she didn’t mind raking. Raking hay doesn’t take much thought so Pam spent her time working on her tan and making up stories in her head. Now, that’s the kind of life every girl should dream of! Claiming Mariah is her second novel. www.pamhillman.com


 
In light of her father’s death, Mariah Malone sends a letter that will forever alter the lives of her family. When Slade Donovan, strong willed and eager for vengeance, shows up on her front porch, Mariah is not ready to hear his truths: her father’s farm, the only home she’s ever known, was bought with stolen gold. With Slade ready to collect his father’s rightful claim and force Mariah and her family out on the streets, Mariah must turn to God for guidance. Though Mr. Fredrick Cooper, a local landowner, promises to answer her financial woes if she agrees to be his bride, Mariah finds herself drawn instead to the angry young man demanding her home.

With the ranch now under Slade’s careful eye, he will unearth more than he ever imagined as a devious plot of thievery, betrayal and murder threatens more than the well-being of the ranch, endangering the lives of those who hold it dear. With days dwindling until the rest of the Donovan clan arrive to the Lazy M ranch, Mariah and Slade must rise above the resentment of their fathers and see their true feelings before greed alters their futures forever.

What inspired you to write your novel, Pam?
Several years ago, I read a novel where a bank robber tosses a sack of stolen money in the back seat of a hand-to-mouth college student’s car. She kept the money and eventually started a very successful business. She justified her actions because she anonymously created a charity to help destitute young women get back on their fee. But, as the old saying goes, two wrongs don’t make a right, and that wasn’t quite right from a Christian’s perspective, was it? I based Claiming Mariah on the following question: “What would a Christian do if they found out their whole livelihood had been based on a lie?” Mariah does the right thing by writing to Slade’s father asking for forgiveness, but the consequences of her actions end up being way more than she bargained for.
Wow, sounds like an interesting story line and a practical question to answer that many readers can identify with.  
What is one fun thing my readers might not know about you but would like to?
Hmmm, this wasn't fun, but it is definitely interesting! I got caught in a stampede of 100 Holsteins once. In the dark, in a cutover cornfield. I didn’t know which direction they were coming from, but I could hear their pounding hooves, and I could feel the ground shaking. When I realized I couldn’t outrun them on the uneven ground, I turned to face them and started jumping up and down, waving my arms, and screaming my head off. They parted like the red sea, and I sank to the ground, shaking like a leaf, and scared out my wits.

Not funny at the time, I'm sure, but after the fact, brings a chuckle. :)

Thanks for joining me and my readers today, Pam!

For more information about Pam and her books, visit the following locations:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/PamHillman or @PamHillman



Claiming Mariah Amazon link: http://tinyurl.com/apnzl5n
            Claiming Mariah B&N link: http://tinyurl.com/ays6fq7
            Claiming Mariah CBD link: http://tinyurl.com/bvjx3m7
Claiming Mariah Goodreads link: http://tinyurl.com/d9u2k6j
Claiming Mariah 1st Chapter: http://tinyurl.com/ageh54r






   



Thursday, March 28, 2013

Laughing with Lily, hot off the press!


Pre-pub sale! Only $12 includes S & H

Here's the scoop!

A long-buried secret.
An unexpected encounter.
A quest for answers.

Celeste Tatem, a special-education teacher at The Brighton Center in Schreiber, Indiana, couldn’t be more in love with her husband, Joe. But the memory of one day in the past haunts her, threatening their relationship. When Joe dies in a factory explosion, she sinks into depression.

It will take the arrival of a new student, Lily, and her delightful honesty, laughter, and joy at life’s little things to awaken Celeste to hope. When Don, an old flame from college, reenters Celeste’s world, the flickers of love stir once again, and startling questions arise. Questions that threaten to rip the veneer off of her carefully guarded secret. Then the most unexpected thing of all happens….

A story of love and forgiveness
in the most unexpected places.

“Reaches into the deepest recesses of women’ hearts, encouraging them to hold tight to those they hold dear.”
Jennifer Slattery, Novel Reviews

“Sweet, suspenseful, and heartwarming. I couldn’t put it down.”
Diane Dean White, Seeds of Encouragement blog

“A top-notch, no-holds-barred, excellent story full of twists and turns, dilemmas, inspiration, and romance.”
Kathleen Freeman, Beauty in Simplicity, Hope in Hard Times

Pre-order a signed print copy for only $12!

A Grandchild's Lavish Love

  I sat in the church pew with a shredded heart. The week had been tough on multiple fronts, emotion running high, mostly over the injustic...