Winner of Dead Reckoning by Ronie Kendig is... (And a CD giveaway)

Lourdes!!!     Thank you all for entering. It's a fabulous fast-paced book with lots of romance that I know you'll enjoy.

A few weeks ago in church, we had a guest speaker who looked like he had just walked off of the stage at a rock concert.  His testimony brought me to tears. Let me introduce you to a new group called the Whosoevers. They are a group of musicians who were deep into the pit of drugs, sex, and rock and roll when the Lord Jesus reached down and yanked them out. Now thay have formed a new band and go around the country preforming and preaching the good news of the Gospel. These guys are not your mother's church going guys!  They are anti-religion and filled with the Holy Spirit. 

Here is their website if you want to check them out http://www.thewhosoevers.com/

I got my hands on several copies of a CD that has 5 testimonies on it from these people that will blow your socks off.  You may recognize some of the bands they were from :POD and Flyleaf.  If you know someone, a friend or family member who may be into drugs or who is thinking about it, or someone who is just caught up in what the world says will make you happy: Sex, Money, Fame..  and you think they'd listen to this CD, leave a comment with your email and I'll pick someone next Friday.
These guys talk from their hearts in a language young people understand.  I truly believe their testimonies will help rescue many others from Satan's traps.

Have a great weekend!

Queen of Hearts by K. Dawn Byrd

Daphne Dean is proud to be serving her country stateside during WWII as a reporter and an Office of Strategic Services operative. When the photograph she takes of the crowd at a murder scene places her on the mob's hit list, she's forced into hiding in a vacant mental asylum in the middle of nowhere with terrifying secrets of its own.

Daphne believed herself to still be in love with her ex-fiancée, Kenneth, until she spends several days locked away in the asylum with Vito, the mob boss' son. Can she put the terrifying events that occurred there behind her and allow herself to pursue a relationship with Vito? Or, will she return to Kenneth who has turned his back on his country by becoming a draft dodger and a black market racketeer? One thing's for sure, it won't matter if she can't escape the mental institution alive.




Here's the trailer!


Author Bio: K. Dawn Byrd is an author of inspirational romance. She holds a masters degree in professional counseling from Liberty University that she believes gives her better insight into the minds, feelings and emotions of individuals, which helps her to better understand her characters and develop them more fully. Queen of Hearts, a WWII romantic suspense will release April 1 and Killing Time, a contemporary romantic suspense will release August 1, both with Desert Breeze Publishing.
K. Dawn Byrd is an avid blogger and gives away several books per week on her blog at www.kdawnbyrd.blogspot.com, most of which are signed by the authors. Her blog spotlights not only the books, but the authors also because we all want to know more about our favorite authors.

When not reading or writing, K. Dawn Byrd enjoys spending time with her husband of 14 years, walking their dogs beside a gorgeous lake near her home, and plotting the next story waiting to be told.

To learn more about Dawn and her books, go to her author website: http://www.kdawnbyrd.blogspot.com/
 
MaryLu Here:  I haven't read this book yet, but I've heard great things about it! It's an E-book and available for download at the following sites. 

To purchase this e-book, click on the following links
Desert Breeze Publishing:
http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-70/Queen-of-Hearts/Detail.bok

Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Queen-of-Hearts-ebook/dp/B003EV5T3K/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1270176182&sr=1-2

Ten reasons to not sleep with your boyfriend before marriage

 I know this is a delicate subject, but I know that many of the people who follow me are young adults. Whenever I turn on the TV, I see everyone sleeping with everyone else. When I grew up in the 60s and 70s, only bad girls did this sort of thing, and you never saw it on TV.  But the free love movement of the Hippies began to take hold and now those same people are running the media and entertainment industry. They are cramming their non morals down our throats and I'm sick of it. Do not let the media or your TV or movies or your friends determine your value system. Why? Because their values are based on nothing but their own world view which is "if it feels good, do it".  Worldly values change. Why place your belief system on something that is always fluctuating and glorifies self?  So, what can we place our beliefs on? How about the unchangeable, immoveable Word of the Holy God who created you? I'm thinking that since He made me, He probably has a good idea what things would be healthy for me to do, and what things would do me harm. Just makes sense, right?   And He says in His word not to have sex with anyone without a marriage committment. It's called fornication. Look it up in your Bible and see what your Creator has to say about it.
Here's 10 reasons I came up with for doing what God says. Can you think of more?

1. It will inhibit a deep friendship from growing. Sex is powerful and you'll find yourself focusing on that aspect of your relationship instead of getting to know each other on the inside.
2. Regardless of what he says, it will lower your boyfriend's respect for you
3. It can stop him from ever marrying you. Why should he commit when he's already got you?
4. If the relationship doesn't work out, you've given away a part of yourself, you can never get back.
5. It does not increase your love for each other. It can actually make you feel more insecure about the relationship.
6. No matter how you may deny it, it will make you feel cheap
7. Possibly pregnancy without a committment could end in disaster
8. Sexual diseases
9. If the relationship fails, it hurts far worse if you've been involved sexually than it does otherwise
10. Statistical studies show that people who live together before marriage have a higher rate of divorce.

I normally don't post about my personal life. When I started this blog I wanted to do three things.
Glorify God in order to bring people closer to Him,
Give information about my new releases
Help promote other authors. 
I hope I've been able to do that. Keeping this blog up to date (posting 3 times a week) has taken quite a bit of my time, and I'm so grateful for those of you who are faithful to read it and leave comments. It makes me feel like my time isn't wasted. As a writer, I'm required to be on as many social networks as I can: Facebook, Goodreads..etc... but I have to tell you these things go against my nature. I prefer to just write my stories and stay to myself! I've never been a very social person. And I find these marketing avenues very taxing. If there's anything of particular interest to you that you'd like me to blog about, I'd love to hear your ideas!

But I wanted to tell you that my eldest daughter is getting married next month (acutally in 3 weeks) and it's such a special time for me. My entire family if flying in from Florida for the event. My mother, sister, niece, my brother, his wife and their 3 children. Over 100 people are attending the ceremony and there will be a full dinner and dance reception afterward. So, not only have I been trying to write my next novel, I've been dealing with tons of wedding preparations.  But it reminds me of how wonderful and special weddings are. (I do write romance novels, after all)  The union of 2 people with a promise to love and stand by each other forever. Now that's a good cause for a party!   Which also reminds me of the Wedding we will be attending in Heaven one day. The union of Christ and His church. Now that's going to be a party!  I hope to see you there. I wonder what flavor the cake will be?
Here's a picture of me, a great friend of mine, and my daughter at her Bridal shower. I'm in the pink shirt.

I pray your weekend is blessed! 

Book trailer for my next release, Surrender the Heart

What do you think?

Persistence requires Faith

Have you been praying for something for a long time? Something specific? I have. For many years, in fact. Every morning I kneel before God and say "Lord here I am again. You know what I'm going to ask!" I picture Him gazing down at me smiling and nodding and motioning for me to continue. Though He's heard my request a million times, He still listens.

Jesus told a parable about a woman who continually went before a judge here on earth--a wicked judge who really didn't care about her or her problems. He ignored her over and over again but finally he decided to grant her justice just to get rid of her!
Then the Lord said, “Learn a lesson from this unjust judge. Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?”  Luke 18:6-8 NLT

This passage brings me such hope! It says two things to me. God doesn't mind that I continually come before Him with the same request. He's just happy that I come before Him! And two, God will answer my request. Maybe it won't be exactly what I'm asking for. But it will be just. It will be for my good.

But another thing that really stood out to me was Jesus's last statement about faith. Where did that come from? He hadn't been talking about faith in the story. And then it dawned on me. Persistence = faith.  For if you didn't believe God was real and that He could answer your request, you wouldn't bother coming before Him day after day, right? But because you do believe, that faith empowers you to continue to ask. So, persistence = faith!

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him  Hebrews 11:6

So keep on knocking, keep on seeking, keep on asking. And believe!

Book giveaway - Dead Reckoning by Ronie Kendig

I just finished this book a couple nights ago and it is a fantastic roller coaster ride! Wozie! This is Ronie Kendig's first published book but it isn't her last. My very own publisher scooped her up last year and gave her a contract for 3 more books!  Ronie writes what I would call Modern suspence espionage romantic thrillers! How's that for a mouthfull?  Anyway, I found her style of writing very unique. Very sharp, quick and to the point. Her characters will impact you and make you laugh and cry at the same time. I have no idea how she fit in a great romance int he middle of so much action and intrigue but she did!  If you're looking for a fast-paced romantic exciting story, then look no further and add your comment and email address to this post.  I'll draw a winner in two weeks. You won't regret it!
Here's what the back of the book says:

Trapped by a terrorist plot in Mumbai!

When Shiloh Blake’s first large-scale underwater archeological dig traps her in the middle of an international nuclear arms clash, she is forced to flee for her life into the streets of Mumbai, India. Is the man trailing her an enemy, or a protector sent by her CIA father? Who is he and how is he always one step ahead? Whoever he is, the only way to prevent a nuclear meltdown means joining forces with this mystery man. Will Shiloh violate her vow to never become involved in her father's web of intrigue and mystery? Will she reconcile with her past and with him? Will she allow God to help her through this ordeal of danger and mistrust?

To read the first chapter go here:  http://roniekendig.com/DeadReckoning.htm
To read more about Ronie Kendig, go here:  http://roniekendig.com/

Wordless Wednesday

Hmm, looks like one of the heroes in my books. Which one?
Also, if you're interested in the interview I did on the joyfilledgirls blog, click here

The upside down world.

Do you ever wonder how the world got so crazy? I mean, it seems like wickedness is admired and sought after while goodness and righteousness are labeled evil. Tea-party protestors are called haters and terrorists, while real terrorists like Bill Ayers are labeled friends of our president. Money is taken from those who work hard and given to those who don't work at all. People who believe in God are crazy while those who believe the complexities of life formed out of chaos are brilliant. Sometimes I feel like pulling my hair out.
Hear what Isaiah said some three thousand years ago:
Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. Isaiah 5:20

While it may seem like God doesn't notice or care about these things, believe me, He does. He's watching all of this very carefully, and someday He will judge the world for the things they've done as well as individuals for the lives they led. Yes, He is a God of Love, but He is also a God of Justice. Therefore He can do no less then be just
The nations were filled with wrath,but now the time of your wrath has come. It is time to judge the dead and reward your servants the prophets,as well as your holy people,and all who fear your name,from the least to the greatest. It is time to destroy all who have caused destruction on the earth Rev 11:18

One aspect of this judgement is found in Luke 13 where Jesus discusses the Kingdom of God and the narrow Gate. He tells us to "work hard to enter the narrow door to God's Kingdom for many will try to enger but will fail"   He also says "some who seem least important now will be the greatest then, and some who are the greatest now will be least important then"

So we see that even though the world may seem upside down now, God is coming to set it right side up. We live in an age where everywhere we turn we see people trying to puff themselves up, trying to take center stage and cry "Look at me, Look at me!"  We live in a culture that glamorizes beauty and fame and money and turns its face from people who dedicate their lives to serving God. How many times do you see a story on the news or in a magazine or a show on TV that glorifies someone who is doing good all over the world and living their lives for God? Very rare, if ever.

Maybe you've felt lately that you just don't fit in anywhere. Maybe you're not popular in school or in the office. Maybe it's always someone else who gets the attention among your friends and family. Maybe you never draw the guy's attention you have a crush on.  Have you ever felt like you could just melt into the wall and no one would notice? I have. Well, rest assured. God sees you. And if you live your life for Him, you may be one of the greatest of all those in Heaven! God is just. Just be patient.

Winner of Through the Eyes of Christ by Nikki Arana and Harry Morin is....

A.J. Hawke! 

Thank you all for entering. I really encourage you to get this book or at the very least write down the name. You never know when God might bring a Muslim into your life.

I'm off for the weekend. I really need the rest! I'm a bit over halfway done with Surrender the Night, book 2 in The Surrender to Destiny series. It's due in July but I've got a huge wedding and lots of family coming next month. Yikes. But my creative brain is fried. I'm hoping to do some gardening and walking and maybe go see a movie. So, have a wonderful weekend, everyone. Stay safe and remember God loves you more than you'll ever know!

Win a free copy of Sworn to Protect by DiAnn Mills

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today's Wild Card author is:

DiAnn Mills

and the book:

Sworn to Protect (Book #2 in Call of Duty series)

Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. (March 4, 2010)

***Special thanks to Mavis Sanders, Corporate Publicist, Tyndale House Publishers for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Award-winning author DiAnn Mills is a fiction writer who combines an adventuresome spirit with unforgettable characters to create action-packed novels. DiAnn's first book was published in 1998, and she currently has more than 40 books in print, with combined sales of over one million copies. In 2009, Tyndale House introduced Breach of Trust, Book #1 in her Call of Duty series about women with dangerous occupations. Six of her anthologies have appeared on the CBA best-seller list. Eight of her books have been nominated for the American Christian Fiction Writers' book-of-the-year contest, and she is the recipient of the Inspirational Reader's Choice award for 2005 and 2007. Lightning and Lace was a 2008 Christy Award finalist.

DiAnn is a founding board member for American Christian Fiction Writers and a member of Inspirational Writers Alive; Romance Writers of America's Faith, Hope, and Love chapter; and the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country. DiAnn is also a mentor for Jerry B. Jenkins's Christian Writers Guild. DiAnn and her husband live in Houston, Texas.

Visit the author's website.



Product Details:

List Price: $12.99
Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. (March 4, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1414320515
ISBN-13: 978-1414320519

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

We are truly a nation of immigrants.
But we are also a nation of laws.

Brent Ashabranner

McAllen, Texas

The Rio Grande was not just murky. It was toxic. Danika Morales respected the river’s temperament—lazy and rushing, crystal and muddy, breathtaking and devastating. To many illegal immigrants, its flowing water signified hope and an opportunity for a better tomorrow, while others viewed the river crossing as a means of smuggling drugs or spreading terrorism. But for Danika, the depths meant death, and it didn’t discriminate among its victims. That was why she chose a Border Patrol badge and carried a gun.

Shortly after the 8 a.m. muster, Danika snatched up the keys to the Tahoe assigned to her for the next ten hours and checked out an M4. A hum of voices, most with Hispanic accents and clipped with occasional laughter, swirled around the station. A labyrinth of sights and sounds had succeeded in disorienting her. A daze.

She took a sip of the steaming coffee in hopes no one saw how the day’s date affected her. Her hands shook. The twelfth of July. The second anniversary of Toby’s murder. She thought she could handle it better than this, but the raw ache still seared her heart.

“Tough day for me too,” Jacob whispered beside her. “We can get through this together.” The familiar tone of voice, as in many times before, nearly paralyzed her. Jacob sounded so much like his brother.

She stood shoulder to shoulder with her brother-in-law and glanced at his muscular frame and the silver streaks in his closely cropped hair, everything about him oddly different from Toby. Gone were the gentleness, the patience, and the outstretched arms of love.

“Thanks. But I’m all right.”

He frowned, a typical expression. “Well, I’m not, and you shouldn’t be either.”

She was in no mood to rile him today. “I miss Toby every minute of the day, but we have to move on. He would have wanted it that way.”

“Not till his murderer is found.” Jacob’s jaw tightened. “I’m disappointed in you.”

Danika took another sip of the hot coffee, burning her tongue. Caustic words threatened to surface and add one more brick to the wall dividing them. “I want the killer found too. I’m committed to it. I think about him every day and mourn for our daughter, who will never know her daddy. But I choose not to spend my time harboring hate and vengeance.”

“You must not have really loved my brother.”

The words cut deep, as Jacob must have known they would. No woman could have loved Toby like she did. “I refuse to be browbeaten by you anymore. Your hate is going to explode in your own backyard one day.” She stopped herself before she lit a match to his temper. Actually, she’d rather have been dropped in the bush for the next ten hours with a shotgun and a can of OFF! than argue with him. But the time had come to distance herself from Jacob.

“Hey, Danika,” an agent called, “do these belong to you?”

She turned to see wiry Felipe Chavez carrying a vase with a huge bouquet of roses. They remembered. She swallowed a chunk of life. “Oh, guys, you didn’t have to do this.”

Felipe made his way toward her. The other agents hushed; then one of them started to clap. She smiled through the tears as he handed her the clear glass vase. The sweet fragrance no longer reminded her of death, but of life and her resolve to live each day in a way that commemorated Toby’s devotion to her and their little daughter. Perhaps this was what the two-year marker meant.

She took the roses and studied the small crowd of agents. Good men, all of them—even Jacob.

“We cared about what happened to Toby too,” Felipe said with a grim smile.

Danika brushed her finger around one of the delicate petals and formed her words. Memories had stalked her like a demon since last night. “Don’t know what to say except thank you. Toby was a soldier for his own cause, and he spent his life doing what he believed in. Just like all of us.”

One agent shook his head, frowned, and left the room. Far too many explanations for his disapproval raced through her mind. But Danika needed to put the ugliness behind her.

She set the flowers on the long table in front of her. “Today is the second anniversary of Toby’s death. All of you have looked after me and my daughter, especially during holidays and special occasions. His death is why I’m more dedicated than ever to help protect the border.” She paused, sensing her emotions rushing into chaos. “I appreciate your remembering him and the sacrifice he made, especially since his beliefs were controversial.” Enough said.

She took a deep, cleansing breath. “I brought doughnuts.”

And they were buttermilk, Toby’s favorite.

She glanced at Jacob, hoping to end the tension between them. How Barbara could stay married to him was beyond her comprehension. He treated her and their four kids like yesterday’s trash.

Danika wound through the crowd of agents, greeting those who offered condolences and others who offered a good-morning.

The field operations supervisor, Agent Oden Herrera, stood in front of the flags—the U.S., Homeland Security, and the Border Patrol. Pushing the emotions of regret and grief about Toby aside, Danika captured the supervisor’s attention. “During the muster you said intel had picked up a cocaine drop last night?”

Herrera walked to a wall map and pointed. “Like I said earlier: arrested seven men and two women right along here, your area. A kid had a small bag of cocaine on him. Most likely a deterrent. The drug smuggler either hid it before being apprehended, or he’s still waiting for someone to pick him up. Dogs have been out there most of the night, but Barnett and Fire-Eater are headed that way in a few minutes.”

Danika finished her coffee and made her way into the stifling heat and stopped by Jon Barnett’s truck. As Fire-Eater’s handler, he had everyone’s admiration, and the Belgian sheepdog had a reputation for being the best of the K-9s. Barnett snapped on the dog’s leash and waved.

“I hear we’re working the same area today.” Danika refrained from patting Fire-Eater. Some days he wasn’t people friendly. After seeing the dog in action a few times when he’d found drug runners, she sometimes felt sorry for those he brought down.

Barnett grinned and wiped the sweat already beading on his face. “He’s a good dog, Morales. Just needs a little help with his people skills.” He laughed, his freckles deepening in the intense sun. “And he’s great with the wife and kids. Like another member of the family.” He pulled out his keys. “Do you want to talk? We have a few minutes.”

All she really wanted was for the day to be over. Talking increased the chances of liquid emotion—which was more lethal than the river flowing between the U.S. and Mexico. “No thanks. I’m fine.”

“Do you need to talk?”

“It’s been two years.” Therapeutic or not, she would not open up, even to a sweet guy like Barnett. She’d spent hours building a reputation as a tough agent, and she wasn’t about to take a nosedive now.

“Right, and the sooner you admit that today has crept up on you worse than a case of food poisoning, the better you’ll feel.”

She had to agree. “Have you turned psychologist?”

“Fire-Eater and five kids taught me all I know.”

“I had a dog when I was a kid,” she said, looking for any subject except Toby. “Gentle, sensed my moods, smart. My best friend. Sure missed him when he was gone.” Danika blinked back a tear, despising her reaction. She stared at Fire-Eater rather than look into Barnett’s face.

“I bet he slept at the foot of your bed.”

Fire-Eater climbed into the backseat of the double-cab truck.

“Sometimes in it. We even shared meals. I didn’t like meat, and he’d eat it for me.”

“Who’s your best friend now?”

She swallowed the ever-increasing lump in her throat. “Toby’s gone, and I have a tough time in church.”

“Confession is a beginning. Any family?”

“Toby’s family has been good to me.” Never mind Jacob. “My folks never approved of my marriage.” She sucked in a breath. It hissed like the poisonous snakes she feared. “Well-meaning friends do this to me.”

“Do you feel any better?”

Sneak. “Yeah, thanks, doc. You—”

Fire-Eater barked. No doubt anxious to get moving. The animal and Jacob had similar personalities, but today she’d rather be with the dog.

HHH

Danika turned off Old Military Road and bounced along a narrow dirt and gravel path, bordered by tall, thick grass and brush and laden with prickly pears on the Rio Grande side and more thick brush on the other. Jon had radioed ahead and reported signs from last night, but nothing new. Every agent was on alert. Trouble brewed along the entire two-thousand-mile border between Mexico and the United States. Drug cartels were slaughtering innocent people in the streets, and those on the U.S. side feared it was only a matter of time before the fighting spilled over the line. Not on her watch.

She drove slowly past the few houses perched on the right side of the road, most of which had been stash houses at one time or another, havens for illegal aliens and drug smugglers. She stopped the truck beside a well-worn trail to look for recent signs in the dirt. After a generous spray of mosquito repellent on her uniform and hands, she stepped into the stifling ninety-degree heat and bent to study the hours-old footprints indicating where the illegals had gained access into Texas before being apprehended. Most of them only wanted an opportunity to better themselves, but others had a darker agenda. At least she hoped the footprints had been accounted for.

A breeze from the north fanned her face and offered a brief reprieve from the unrelenting sun. The tall grass with its thick growth waved as though mocking her commitment to the Border Patrol.

Fifteen minutes later, Barnett radioed a call for assistance.

“Spotted a man wearing a backpack near the 112 sensor. He headed into the carrizo.”

Danika ran back to the truck and raced her vehicle toward Barnett’s location. She wanted to tell him to wait for backup and not search through the thick grass alone, but she knew Barnett and Fire-Eater were a team and stayed on the traffic. The smuggler probably hid on a rattler’s nest.

She was the first to respond to Barnett’s request. Pulling in behind his truck, she unclipped her HK from her belt while radioing her arrival. She grabbed her cell phone and dialed his number.

“Barnett, I’m here,” she said. “Tell me you’re not in the middle of the carrizo.”

He chuckled. “Fire-Eater’s after him. I’m skirting it. Neither one of us is coming out until we have our man.”

She pocketed her cell phone and followed the agent’s footprints on the dusty road until they disappeared into the thicket. Hot as it was, the Kevlar vest felt good, even if it was worthless against a stab wound or a shotgun blast.

Fire-Eater barked, snapping Danika’s attention toward the riverbank. The dog growled from somewhere in the depths of the overgrowth.

Gunfire cracked in the still morning air. Alert to the danger, she pulled her weapon.

“This is the United States Border Patrol! Come out with your hands up!” Barnett’s voice roared.

Another shot fired. Fire-Eater yelped.

Blood pumping, Danika yanked out her radio. “Shots fired. Shots fired. Agent or K-9 may be down.”

Two more shots pierced the air.

When Barnett didn’t respond, she clicked the radio in place on her belt. “Barnett,” she yelled, “tell me you’re all right.”

Nothing.

A dark-haired man emerged from the right side of the road several yards away, wearing a backpack that no doubt contained drugs. His attention scattered in different directions.

“Alto, o disparo,” she said.

The man turned and fired at her before racing across the road. The bullet angled to her left. Danika returned the fire and sank a bullet into his thigh. He fell, and she raced toward him.

“Drop the gun, or I’ll be forced to shoot again.”

He kept his fingers wrapped around it. She wrestled with the rage that always seemed to lie below the surface of her control. If she killed him, she could claim self-defense. But her job title meant self-control.

“I said drop the gun.” She fired above him and kept running in his direction.

He lifted his hand and aimed. Instinctively she pumped a bullet into his hand. His wound caused a burst of blood to splatter the ground and the quiet air to echo with obscenities. Still he refused to release the hold on his gun.

“Do you want your whole hand blown off?” She stood over him and clamped her booted foot over his injured hand.

He screamed, and she pointed her firearm at his face. Danika trembled. She wasn’t a murderer, but anger did struggle to rule her emotions.

“You’ll pay for this,” the man said. “I know who you are, and there’s a contract out for you.”

“You aren’t the first or the last to threaten me.” She picked up the man’s gun, an older model Beretta. With his leg and hand bleeding, he wasn’t going anywhere. She slipped the handcuffs from her belt and clamped them on his wrists. Rolling him over, she brushed his bleeding leg against the hard ground, and he moaned. Where was backup? Please, let Barnett be okay. Five kids. A respected agent.

“The drug cartels will destroy the Border Patrol.”

“Big talk for a man in handcuffs.”

“You wait and see who wins.” He spit on her boot. “You’ll never find out who killed your husband.”

She smothered the gasp that nearly stole her breath. How did the man know her? know about Toby’s death? He clearly had inside information—information that couldn’t have been obtained easily. Unless Toby’s murder was related to something bigger than she had imagined.

Focus. Now was not the time to weigh the shooter’s words. Later she’d look into it.

Her gaze searched the area. An outstretched arm poked through the overgrowth where the downed man had attempted to cross the road. She hurried, gun raised, eyes taking in every inch of the brush. As she grew closer, she saw the rest of Barnett’s body sprawled on the trodden grass. Blood soaked the ground, creating a small puddle of red against the vibrant green. Danika bent to his side.

Barnett moaned. “He shot Fire-Eater,” he whispered. “Get him.”

“I have him cuffed. Hold on. Help’s coming.” She pulled out the radio. “Need EMS. Agent down.”

She hadn’t been there for Toby, but she could be there for Barnett.

M.L. Here!  Unfortunately I haven't been able to read this book yet, so I can't give you a quickie review, BUT I will say that I've read other books by DiAnn Mills and they are fantastic!!! She's an awesome writer and this book looks to be another wild romantic ride!  
Make a comment on the first chapter, and I'll enter your name to win a free copy.  I'll draw a name on Saturday, April 17th!

Wordless Wednesday - my writing office

Did Jesus really rise from the dead?

Very few people deny that Jesus actually existed, that He was born and lived his life and then was crucified by the Romans and died. There is far too much evidence to the contrary to deny these facts. You'd sound like a fool if you tried. Besides all the extra-Biblical accounts of His life and His followers, how can anyone deny the advent of Christianity or the calendar change where everything before His life is called BC (Before Christ) and everything after His life is called AD (After death).  Did some master manipulators make up a fable about Him and invent stories of His life and then pull the wool over thousands of people's eyes so effectively that His religion is still alive and growing today and government officials changed the human calendar?? 

But the real question is: Did Jesus rise from the dead? This is the question you need to ask yourself. Why? Because the answer is the most important thing you'll ever need to know in this life.

If Jesus didn't rise from the dead:
He wasn't the Son of God
He lied because He said He would rise again.
His followers were liars too because they swore they saw Him after he rose.
Christianity would be a farce because our faith rests in the fact that Jesus was the Son of God
There would be no salvation, no forgiveness, no hope of a grand eternity. No point.

But, if Jesus did rise from the dead
He is the Son of God
And because He is the Son of God, our faith is not in vain AND we can believe everything He said:
He is the only way to God and the only means by which people can reconcile with God and go to Heaven
There is forgiveness of sin and hope for a grand eternity!
There is meaning and purpose to this life.

So, you see how important this question is. Depending on what you believe, it could change EVERYTHING
But, you may say.. it's a matter of faith. We just have to believe and I just can't believe something I can't see. But will you believe evidence? If you were a juror in a court room and didn't actually see the crime, wouldn't you be compelled to believe the testimony of those who had witnessed it?

The Bible tells us that over 400 people saw Jesus after he rose from the dead. So what? They could have made that up, right? Sure... but how do you explain the rise of Christianity?
What about all the Christians who were intensely persecuted during the Roman rule? I mean, people who were thrown to the Lions and hung on poles and set on fire? What about the Disciples themselves? Every one of them (Except John) were murdered for their faith, hung on crosses, sawn in half, stoned to death, struck with a sword, boiled in oil..etc..
Would anyone you know endure that willingly for something they knew was a lie? Yes, people have been martyred all through the ages for things they believed in, but I guarantee you they didn't willingly subject themselves to a torturous death for something they knew was a fable or a myth. So, if the Disciples made up the stories about seeing Jesus alive again, then they knew what they believed in was a lie. Why willingly go to your death for a lie?

To me, that is the most compelling evidence for the Resurrection. And it is why I believe Jesus is the Son of God, and why I believe in His Word, and why I believe He's coming again very soon!

Thank you, Jesus! Where would I be without you?

Happy Resurrection Day!!