Yep, it’s that time again. A few chuckles to help you make it a wee bit closer to the weekend. If any of these are repeats, I apologize, but it’s a good bet not everyone has seen them all, so I’m going with a mash-up
of what struck me funny today.
Enjoy!
😁
And there you have it, folks!
Hope you found a few new ones that brightened your morning!
Thanks for stopping by!
To celebrate the fact that I’m VASTLY improved from my breakthrough case of COVID, I decided to say thank you to my guardian angel by offering each of my Emissary books for the heavenly price of a mere $.99 apiece. (If you download all three books, you’ll save $3.00.)
I hope those of you who haven’t checked out these books yet will jump on the chance to do so now! Here’s the scoop from on high:
BLURB
An angel’s work is never done—that’s part of the gig. But angels hadn’t been created to deal with such a vastly over-populated planet, rife with misery, suffering, and general chaos. Helping souls in peril has become a nearly impossible job, and even angelic tempers are frayed.
The archangel Azrael has had enough. He believes he’s found a way to ease their burden while saving jeopardized humans, too—hired help.
When Jake Daughtry lost his life rescuing a total stranger from certain death, he was on the fast track to Heaven. But that was before Azrael pulled him right out of line at the Pearly Gates. Now, as an Emissary to the Angels, Jake is taking to the highway in a quest to help souls in trouble. But the innate stubbornness of human beings bent on self-destruction is a challenge unlike any he’s ever faced.
It’s up to Jake and Azrael to bridge the gap between humans and angels. Will they ever convince the Council of Angels this endeavor is worthwhile? Can Jake figure out how to play by Azrael’s complicated rules? Will Azrael ever master the use of contractions in general conversation?
To find out the answers, hop on board Jake’s big red-and-white semi and travel the roads from the Florida Keys to north Georgia on an adventure that will make you laugh hard and cry even harder.
RECENT REVIEW
Sue Coletta: What an Amazing Journey!
It’s not often you find a book that has it all: endearing characters, suspense, humor, gut-wrenching sadness, joy, and most of all, hope, but that is exactly what I found in The Emissary by Marcia Meara. The author sure knows how to spin a tale. This book held me hostage all afternoon. Helpless, all I could do was flip one page after another, engrossed in these characters lives, unable to fight it. I’m head-over-heels in love with Azrael, the angel in charge. The way Azrael and Jake play off each other is mesmerizing and hilarious. And the scenes with Dodger touched my heart. Can’t say more than that without spoilers. I’m so thankful I have the other two books in the series. Can’t wait to dive into Book 2!
Buy The Emissary Book 1 HERE
~~~
BLURB
They’re back!
Jake and Dodger, the first (and so far, only) Emissaries to the Angels, are on the road again.
They’re looking for mortals about to take a wrong turn. You know the ones—the kid thinking about stealing from a corner market or the man planning to lie about a coworker and destroy her career. Yeah, them. People on the brink of making a mistake that could send them down that wrong road and jeopardize their mortal souls.
Of course, there are rules by which the emissaries must play, and the archangel Azrael stands ready to enforce them. First and foremost, a person’s free will must never be compromised. Emissaries are allowed to use only the smallest of mental nudges. Thankfully, a whispered suggestion here or images of a better course of action there is usually all it takes. The potential mugger walks on by. The thief drops the wallet back into the unattended purse. But whether the results are obvious or not, Jake and Dodger are fully committed to making a positive difference, even as they struggle with issues of their own.
Will Dodger get over losing his chance to learn what true love is all about? Will Jake survive the grueling angelic equivalent of Boot Camp? Will Azrael ever finish the Official Emissarial Guidebook—including the chapter titled Do Not Even Think About It?
One thing’s for sure—Jake’s and Dodger’s strengths are growing daily, as they help more and more people make better choices. But is the price for so much power higher than they’re willing to pay?
RECENT REVIEW
Anita Dawes: 5.0 out of 5 stars Second book in this amazing series!
Not all sweetness and light this time, as Azrael gets serious about equipping both Jake and Dodger for their job of helping souls in trouble.
I loved the chapter about the training session, and how Dodger and Jake reacted to the new strong-arm tactics.
I loved everything about this book just as I did the first in the series.
The way Dodger tries to cope with his insecurities, and Jake’s capable and patient attitude. Azrael had me laughing, he tried hard not to lose it as he struggled to get his point across to these very different personalities.
You never really imagine an angel getting cranky, now do you?
BLURB
Azrael’s emissary program was growing daily, but it still met with stubborn opposition from many on the Council of Angels. Dodger’s request to be allowed to experience what falling in love was all about didn’t help matters, but Azrael thought the boy was onto something. He agreed emissaries who’d shared a loving relationship during their mortal lives would have a deeper understanding of human emotions and motivations, thus enhancing the skills needed to do their jobs.
With that in mind, Azrael gave Dodger one chance to search for true love. He then laid down a daunting set of stringent rules and guidelines that could not be broken under any circumstances lest dire happenings occur. But while the angel sincerely hoped Dodger would find a way to make this endeavor work, he feared an avalanche of unintended consequences could be in store for his youngest emissary.
Sometimes even angels hate to be right.
Will Azrael ever tire of popping up behind Jake just to see his first emissary fall out of his chair in shock? Will sharp-eyed motel owners ever notice a big red-and-white semi mysteriously appearing and disappearing from their parking lots overnight? And will Dodger be able to track down the mystery girl who caught his eye two weeks earlier to see if she’s really The One?
To find the answers to these and other angelic or emissarial questions, come along on one last adventure with Jake, Dodger, and that ginormous, glowy-eyed archangel, Azrael. They’re waiting for you!
RECENT REVIEW
D. W. Peach: 5.0 out of 5 stars Heartwarming and brave end to the trilogy
Or, in the famous words of Jimmy Buffett,
Make the best of a bad situation,
S’bout all you can do.
I hope you guys are enjoying this series as much as I am, because I don’t foresee it going away any time soon, especially with all the great guests we’ve had so far. And today is another list from a really super blogger and writer, Darlene Foster. I know you’ll enjoy it, so let’s get started. Take it away, Darlene!
(NOTE: Just heard from Darlene, who is traveling and can’t respond right now. She said she’s enjoyed reading all your comments and will be responding herself as soon as she’s home. That gal DOES do some serious traveling, as mentioned in her Ten Things List. 😁)
Darlene at the Tower of London Some 40 years ago. (She claims! 😀 )
~~~
Author Darlene Foster
Darlene Foster grew up on a ranch outside of Alberta. She dreamt of writing, travelling the world and meeting interesting people. She also believes everyone is capable of making their dreams come true. It’s no surprise that she’s now the award-winning author of a children’s adventure series about a travelling twelve-year-old-girl. A world-traveler herself, Darlene spends her time in Vancouver, Canada and Costa Blanca in Spain with her husband and amusing dog, Dot.
Find Darlene’s Wonderful Amanda Books HERE
You can reach Darlene on Social Media Here:
Website | Goodreads | Blog | Twitter | Facebook
As summer winds down, I decided to share a poem of mine about a ten-year-old boy enjoying another day camping in the mountains with his dad. This is from my book Summer Magic: Poems of Life and Love, and is one of my personal favorites. Hope you enjoy it.
The Rope Swing
Sailing up, up into
Blue summer sky,
Hot rope rough against his hands,
He shouts with joy, and lets go.
For a crystal moment,
He hangs suspended,
Frozen in time
Like a fly in amber.
All awkward angles–
Shoulder blades and
Elbows, and
Knobby knees,
Painted against the sky,
Heart filled with fierce joy.
Dropping, down, down
Into clear green water
Cold on his skin,
He sinks to the silty bottom,
And sits suspended
In an alien world,
Watching the silvered flashes
Of tiny fish darting to and fro,
Startled by his sudden appearance.
I am a fish, too, he thinks,
And holds his breath
As long as he can.
Finally, he rockets up,
Through a stream of
Tickling bubbles,
Breaking the
Surface of the water,
With a loud whoop of
Childish exuberance,
All thoughts of becoming a fish
Forgotten as he
Scrambles out,
Shakes the water from his hair,
And, grinning, hitches up his
Baggy shorts.
He’s ready
To do it all again.
Flying through the summer air,
Dropping into the cold water
To commune with fishes
Silvered in refracted light,
Then leaping to the surface,
A boy of ten once more,
Laughing through an endless summer
Made perfect by a cool green pond,
And an old rope swing.
by Marcia Meara
~~~
REVIEW
Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2021
The start of a brand new week is always a good time to share some laughs,
so here are a few of my favorite bits of Word Play.
Happy Moon’s Day!
😁
(Works for 2021, Too.)
And In Summation:
And there you go! Have a Great Week!
Yep, in spite of the fact that I’ve not left my house in over 8 weeks, nor seen the face of a single friend, nor been able to do much writing thanks to COVID-Brain, I am definitely feeling lucky. I’m still HERE! As of today, at least, I still get another chance to do it all better! And that, my friends, is a daily miracle we often forget, and honestly, one I’m surprised to find myself enjoying: the miracle of life in all its guises. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. WOOOO and also HOOOO!!
To bring you up to date, I am no longer having any symptoms of this dreaded, miserably wretched, murderous virus we’re all sick of hearing about. I do have a greatly reduced energy level, but I’ve even seen some improvement in that area, too. I know the fatigue-related stuff can go on for an extended period, but I’ve learned how to go on, myself, right alongside it. In other words, it might slow me down, but it’s not going to stop me.
I do plan to return to blogging (and visiting the blogs of my friends) by October 1. I’m giving myself the rest of this month without any firm commitments as to the blog or my current WIP, just keeping the posting and writing flexible and simple for now. But come October 1, I want to get back to my regularly scheduled programming, as they say.
I will be putting out a call for those who’d like to take part in #GuestDayTuesdays to share promotions, new releases, and various other topics. I’ll be continuing with my new #GrannySays series, and will start back sharing weekly roundup posts from Story Empire and Sally Cronin’s Smorgasbord. I’m not going to continue with #FirstLineFriday for now, though that might return in the future. But I do want to run some special “events” now and then, such as #ExcerptWeek, and a few new things I’m going to fit in here and there.
I’m very much looking forward to resuming these features and adding some new ones, and to finishing my current WIP, Riverbend #4, Working title A Need to Burn, and just may share some excerpts from that, along the way.
And finally, I’d like to thank all of you for your support and encouragement over the last weeks. Our blogging and writing community is the absolute BEST, and I appreciate each and every one of you!
Stay tuned, my friends, and remember, “Life Finds a Way.” (Recognize that? Hmmm. Maybe a new series for this blog: “Who Said It?” That could be fun!)
Now go forth and live YOUR life! And be sure to stay Safe and Well! (It’s much more enjoyable that way.)
Time for a couple of laughs. Hope these put some smiles on your faces!
😁
I hope a couple of these will help you go about the rest of your day
with a smile for everyone you meet!
😀
I know this to be a fact! I’d dreamed of being a writer all my life, and finally (at age 69) decided it was time to make that dream come true. Seven novels, three novellas, and a book of poetry later, I’m still going. If I can, YOU can! So dream your dream, then make it a reality! You can do it!
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