Cover Reveal!

So.... Here's the cover of my new series that you guys have been waiting for!!! Thank you for being patient.
But, now you have to be even more patient (I'm sorry) because the book won't be started until this summer.
Sucks. I know.
However, until then, here's the cover as a little "tide me over" teaser. 

New Books (PLURAL)!

Read for Free!

So... yeah. It's been quite awhile. For that, I apologize. Life has been crazy! I've collaborate with a few other authors and we've published a poetry book called PenRose Poems: Volume I. (Click here to check it out!) It's available at Barnes & Noble, Lulu.com, and Amazon.com. I would definitely recommend checking it out! Even if you don't like poetry, there are some fun pieces in there that I think you readers will enjoy. Or, you could give it as a gift to someone who does like poetry.

Also, I've been working on a new book, A Moment for Eternity. ...

Xavier Thomas has everything. Money. Power. Control. All of that is shattered when he meets an unusual girl with an unusual name and an even more unusual request...

...Tennessee Evans wants to see the world. She's never been on a vacation in all her twenty-one years and she wants to road-trip while she can. When she sees a rich pretty-boy getting his passport, her problems seem solved. She asks him to take her on vacation and, to her utter surprise, 

agrees. However, it's soon apparent that Tennessee and her crazy personality alone with straight-laced Xavier Thomas for two straight weeks wasn't the best idea. 

Or maybe it was....

“Mommy, I’m hungry.”

Xavier shoved his earbuds further into his ears. Waiting in line was one thing, but waiting in line with a child crying in his ear was another. He shifted his stance and attempted to block out the sound best he could. 

“Mommy!”

The woman did her best to hush the belligerent child while remaining oblivious to the dirty looks people were sending her way. 

Suddenly, the child expelled an ear-piercing wail that turned the dirty looks to dark ones. The lady, cheeks stained pink with embarrassment, apologized and swiftly carried her child out. 

“Shoulda done that quite a bit ago.”

At the middle-aged man’s comment, a woman snorted. “Children these days have no sense of respect. So spoiled.”

Though the young boy’s cries were more than annoying, Xavier highly doubted a child barely at the age of two would know the existence of the word respect, let alone have the capability of behaving as such. 

He slid his phone from his pocket and changed the song. People annoyed him. Not all people, but most. He liked order and reasoning and control. It hadn’t taken him long to discover that many times, people didn’t make sense, and more than that, life was very difficult to control.

That didn't stop him from trying, however.

A woman started an argument with her husband. The man’s face became even more drawn as his wife roused herself into an embarrassing frenzy. 

Yes, he most certainly did not care for people.

“153.”

Xavier stood as he heard his number and made his way to the counter.

“How are we doing this afternoon?”

He peered at the woman in front of him. He had always thought it strange that people used the word we rather than you. “I’m not sure,” he quipped. “I’m doing pretty fine. Though, how you’re doing is entirely up to you.”

The woman’s face was blank as she stared at him in confusion. After a beat, she gave a polite laugh. “I’m doing okay as well.” She pulled some papers out and handed him a pen. “Just sign here and… here and then you can go ahead and take a seat.”

Xavier did as she requested and then returned to his seat. Just as he was about to return his earbuds to his ears, a shadow descended over him. He looked up. 

“Mind if I sit here?”

Curly hair and bright eyes stared back at him. The girl was practically bouncing. She wore a shirt too big for her small frame with leggings and sandals. But, what caught his attention, was her smile. Wide and genuine.

Xavier cleared his throat, realizing he’d been staring. “No. Not at all.”

“Thanks.” She unceremoniously plopped down next to him.

Awkward silence ensued and Xavier suddenly wished the crying child was still around.

“How old are you?”

Xavier startled and stared at the girl with wide eyes. “‘Scuse me?”

She laughed and the sound wasn’t polite and reserved like most girls, but it was loud and full, brimming with joy. However, it wasn’t boisterous, simply… unfiltered. He smiled. He had a suspicion that her laugh was much like her personality.

“How old are you?”

“Twenty-three. How ‘bout you?”

She grinned, mischievousness gleaming in her eyes. “Don’t you know better than to ask a woman her age?”

His face warmed and he coughed. “I beg your pardon. But, I figured you’d rather me ask then guess.”

“And what would you have guessed?”

He stared at her then. She had the figure of a teen, and her behavior bespoke of youth. However, her eyes held more maturity than he would have expected. “Twenty.”

Her leg began to bounce. “Ooh, you’re good. Twenty-one.” Her hand came out and gestured towards the DMV. “License renewal and all that.” Her head tilted to the side, sending a curl to brush against her cheek. “I’m surprised you didn’t say sixteen or seventeen.”

He shrugged. He would have, but… “Your eyes.”

Her brow furrowed. “What?”

“Your eyes. They seem older than the rest of you.”

A gleam entered her eyes, then, and she smiled, seeming to like that answer. 

That gleam made Xavier uncomfortable, but he decided to ignore it.

He shouldn’t have.

“Wanna go somewhere?”

He choked. “W-what?” 

“Do you want to go somewhere? Anywhere.”

“Are you propositioning me?” Horror colored his tone.
She laughed again and it made Xavier want to smile. “I want to go on a trip. Away from here. And you seem like just the person to take me.”

Story Saturdays

Just Another Poem

So, I know I've been gone for awhile and I apologize. My computer crashed while my flashdrive was plugged in so everything I had been working on was deleted.
Meaning, all the edits for my book.
So, now, I'm having to redo almost two months of editing around my busy school/work schedule. Not fun. But, I came up with this poem a few minutes ago, and thought I'd share it with you all for your enjoyment.
If you want to keep up with more (much more) frequent updates on what's going on, follow me on Twitter! If something's coming up, it's announced on my Twitter ASAP. You also get links and recommendations for other nerd activities, like if an author has an upcoming signing...

So, without further to do, here's my poem.

Things I Love

I love early morning summer,
when the birds are singing loud
and the sky is painted orange low,
casting gilded light across the ground.

I love when water ripples,
sending those shards of light,
like broken glass across the floor,
flitting for my delight.

I love drinking in the blaze of fire,
in the dark of night,
their crackling and dancing slow
right before my eyes.

I love when sunlight streams
through windows all around,

placing the purest of ribbons

all across the ground.

I love being so alone,

bare feet dipped in rivers flowing

woods and animals all around

and a book to tell me where I’m going.

I love fast driving through the country

so all the colors of the trees,

blur to form one bright color

of flowers and grass and leaves.

I love the smell of the great outdoors

just after heavy rain

when everything is pure and clean,

like God decided to start again.

I love the scent of the sweetest pea

and lavender in my shower,

but the scent I love the most of all

is none but the butterfly flower.

I love high places to stand upon

And look upon God’s glory

the feeling of climbing oh, so high

and seeing our smallness in His Story.

I love the minds of others

when I’m able to see in

and battle with the best of minds

to better mine with strengthening.

I love the smell of adventure

as it rumbles through my veins

and fills me with excitement

I know I’ll never know again.

I love new discoveries

and things that make me think

and finding a pattern in chaos

that can change before you blink.

I love asking questions

as annoying as that may be

but questions get you answers

and answers can set you free.

I love brilliant quote.

There’s just something about those words

that make you realize there’s more to life

yet, you can still be understood.

But, more than anything I love,

Is a Love that sets you free

When God sent His Son to die

All for the sake of His own glory.

Story Saturdays

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Thrilling Thursdays - Poem of the Month

The Moor (Written as Said)

by Camilla Patterson

Loik aught athort th' moor,

Betwix th' Laurel Heights,

Where lil' lasses play,

An' lads remorse tha're plight.

Where t'was th' animals reigned,

An' roamed arund so free.

When a'last they came ta' rest

'Derneath th' sycamore tree.

At nights ye're verra tired,

But, canna get ta' sleep,

Fer yer mind aught filled with playin'

Amung th' willows weep.

Claud sailors sail from afar,

Amung th' sea o' green.

Which is splauttered in pinks an' yellow

An' small broun crunchin' leaves.

Ye canna call 'em brigands,

Fer tha's nay what thee're cauld.

Yet, long ago, just once they were,

In the days o' auld.

An' now th' lads an' lasses,

With swords made o' wood,

call out among th' reeds,

Loiking fer Robin Hood.

A red fox acomes creepin' by, 

Loiking fer his food.

Dinna know what lurks ahin,

Amung in th' foul wood.

A hunta' loies in waitin' 

Sittin' on oppu'tunity's door.

Yet, methinks he just likes

Th' silence o' th' moor.

Th' wind behoind me back, 

Th' breeze upon me face,

An' I stand upon th' moor,

'Membran when me visited th' Thrace.

Th' sky with sun a-setting,

Th' scene painted ableize,

T'was a braw sight to behold,

An' left me quite bumbaze.

O, moor, ne'er forget me,

Ne'er me an' mine,

Fer a day'll come

Whence ye'll hear me fechted cry.

Calling aught amung the reeds,

A dagga' in me 'and.

An' I shall slay tha' dragon,

which 'aunts th' magic moorland.

Story Saturdays - Poem of the Month

Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

There is a place where the sidewalk ends

And before the street begins,

And there the grass grows soft and white,

And there the sun burns crimson bright,

And there the moon-bird rests from his flight

To cool in the peppermint wind.

Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black

And the dark street winds and bends.

Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow

We shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow,

And watch where the chalk-white arrows go

To the place where the sidewalk ends.

Yes we'll walk with a walk that is measured and slow,

And we'll go where the chalk-white arrows go,

For the children, they mark, and the children, they know

The place where the sidewalk ends.

Thrilling Thursdays - Absolute Truth Regarding Ethics (Summarized)

The Theoretical Existence of Absolute Morals: Is the Theory Really a Theory?

by Hadassah Lairmore on September 25, 2014

There have been many debates on the existence of absolute truth - whether truth is relative to each person or if there is an absolute truth that is the foundation of ethics and morals and basic right and wrong. However one would like to argue, there are some undeniable facts regarding the existence of said truth.

Absolute Truth, in its most fundamental definition is an “inflexible reality: fixed, invariable, unalterable facts”, according to Google’s Merriam-Webster definition. For instance, it is an undeniable, unchangeable, fixed fact that there are absolutely no corners in circles and there are absolutely no rounded edges on rectangles. Thus, in stating this, the existence of Absolute Truth must be positive. Yet, what does one base the absolute truth on? This is where falsifiability comes into play. Almost. Falsifiability, the “logical possibility that an assertion could be shown false by a particular observation or physical experiment” (Princeton) must have an absolute truth to be declared falsifiable. If there was no absolute truth, nothing would be false, nothing would have the ability to be determined falsifiable. This statement releases a massive wave of If-Then conclusions, such as if there is no absolute truth, then there can be no morals. If there are no morals, then there can be no such thing as ethics. This is because ethics are moral principles that govern a person’s behavior. If there are no ethics - no morals or truth, then there are no principles. If there are no principles, there can be no laws. If there are no laws, then there are no punishments or rewards. If there are no punishments or rewards, there can be no God or evil or even good.

If there was no absolute truth, everything would be relative and nothing would be measurable.

In an article found in The Master’s Seminary Journal, written by Professor of Theology Larry Pettegrew, Pettegrew says, in his introduction to the topic of absolute truth, “...post - modernists believe that there is no absolute truth. Truth is constructed, not revealed or discovered, and it is peculiar to each society”. In the modern-day world, this is true. People do not live by the same standard of moral ethics as one another. They believe each moral dilemma is subjected to the person affiliated with the dilemma. This statement begs the question: “Is this true?” Is there only one-size-fits-all ethical standard, or is each person under their own discretion regarding right and wrong? The answer to that question is ‘yes’. Yes, there are some cases where each person is subjected to their own discretion, but their discretion must be based upon something foundational, does it not? According to Pettegrew’s research, the belief that truth and ethics is subjective is the belief of the populous. When one confers with the Barna polls, they find that “66% percent of Americans believe that ‘there is no such thing as absolute truth.’ ” Of this 66%, 72% of young adults do not believe absolutes exist. “Even worse, however, is the fact that 53% of those who call themselves evangelical Christians believe that there are no absolutes. This would mean that about half of those say that they believe in salvation through Jesus Christ, and who might be able to sign a doctrinal statement proclaiming the inerrancy of Scripture, do not believe in absolute truth,” states Pettegrew. And herein lies our problem - the utter denial of an absolute right and wrong in ethics. Let us look at an example of an absolute. Stalin, debatably one of the greatest (or worst) and most feared leaders of history commits genocide. He kills millions of people and he does so with no regret, no remorse. He leads with an iron fist and does not take ‘no’ as an adequate answer. Now, one could look at this situation and say, “Indeed, he was a fierce leader.” That statement, however, would be rare, and if ever spoken, completely disregarded, unless a heated debate ensued arguing the falsity of such a ludicrious statement. Why? Simply put, because his actions completely defy that moral code. What moral code? The one set upon us by a higher authority. Logically, one cannot create their own moral code because, in doing so, they would be above such a moral code, thus resulting in the moral code being null and void. There would be no reason for having a moral code if one could not follow it. Therefore, there must be some higher power who is exempt from this moral code because they meet the criteria to be allowed to create a moral code: they are perfect.

What is it that tells us murder or genocide is wrong? “You shall not kill.” (Exodus, 1440 b.c.) , correct? From where does this statement originate? Not our laws. Our laws were based upon something before us. Same with the laws prior to ours. If one were to trace the morals to the beginning of time, one would find a statement where “You shall not kill” became a moral conduct.  The first recorded instance of this statement being put into practice as a moral law can be found in Exodus 20 verse 13, written by Moses. Since then, we have accepted that as a truth: murder is wrong. Why? Because, like all good scholars, we have tested the validity of the source of such a statement and found it firm.

These conclusions lead us to the ultimate theory - the Bible is an accurate, and truthful, measure of ethics. One could even venture as far as to say that the existence of a God is probable, even most likely. Therefore, the conclusion to be drawn is the following: there is an absolute right and wrong, regardless of who you are and what your beliefs are. Everyone, one day, will be judged by the same measure of morals, those morals stemming from an absolute truth and an undeniable, foundational ethics.

There is an absolute right and wrong, and that right and wrong produces ethics.