A Moment That is Priceless by Paty Jager

 I have been blessed to have met so many people through my writing. The writers, the fans, and the bookstore owners.

It has been over eight years ago that I was at a bookstore for a signing with two other authors. One of the authors and I clicked. Other than writing the main thing we had in common was our love of the Native American culture. She happened to be married to a Native American and lived on a reservation. 

We became friends and when I reached out to her for help with a new mystery series I was writing, she took me on a tour of the reservation and gave me insights into the people who lived there. Carmen Peone is a warm giving person and one who has blossomed into a wonderful writer. 

When we met she was writing historical fiction books for youth based on the Arrow Lakes culture. Now she is writing western romance focusing on a subject that is close to her-MMIW, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. She had a niece who was beaten to death by her husband.

Her western romance trilogy is about three women who live and overcome their abusive relationships. She and I not only bonded over writing and the Native American Culture but also over this cause. I also bring up this cause in two of my mystery series. 

I had the good fortune over the weekend to spend part of a day at a book signing with Carmen. She is so full or light and love that you can't help but smile when you are with her. But she also has deep passions and one of them is spreading the word about "No More Stolen Sisters." When she said she was wearing her shirt that was made for her by her daughter-in-law, I wore my MMIW shirt. 

Carmen and I

That first meeting with Carmen gave me the courage to write the books I wanted to write with Native American characters and her championing a cause that I also feel strongly about, just makes are friendship stronger. 

You never know when you meet someone how much they are going in improve your view on life. Thank you for enlightening me and making me a better person, Carmen. 

Captured Secrets

Book 1 of the Seven Tine Ranch Series
Sydney Moomaw is thrust into running their guest ranch in eastern Washington. She soon discovers that her parents were keeping secrets. Why is the ranch in serious debt? Why did her parents allow the insurance to lapse? Why didn’t they tell her about it? And where are their wills? Sydney needs to figure out a way to save the ranch she loves before her sister sells it. 

Photographer Trey Hardy arrives at the ranch the same day Sydney’s parents are killed. His working-vacation plans change when he decides to help Sydney save her ranch. But, his offers to help are met with resistance. Her stubbornness and independence are both maddening and alluring. 

Amid the tangle of finances, tensions with her sister, and her own grief and anger, Sydney begins receiving threatening notes. They must be from her abusive ex-husband, but he’s in jail. Isn’t he? When a teenager appears at the ranch insisting she is Sydney’s daughter, Sydney finally realizes she’s going to have to start trusting people to help her. Will Trey’s plan work? Can they save her beloved ranch? Can she really have the life she’s dreamed of?

Paty Jager is an award-winning author of 50+ novels, 8 novellas, and short stories of murder mystery, western romance, and action-adventure. All her work has Western or Native American elements in them along with hints of humor and engaging characters. This is what Mysteries Etc says about her Shandra Higheagle mystery series: “Mystery, romance, small town, and Native American heritage combine to make a compelling read.”  https://www.patyjager.net

If I Was a Millionaire by Lynn Lovegreen

If I Was a Millionaire: That’s our theme this month. What a fun concept to ponder….

For my first reaction, I came up with the usual ideas—things or experiences I could buy for myself, family and friends. And if this really happened, I’d certainly do some of that. But I’m lucky enough to have what I need already. What I should do, what would be more meaningful, is to give at least some of that money to people and causes that really need it.

Here’s my list; you can compare it to your own list of favorite causes. I included the websites in case you want to learn more about any of them.

Nonprofits that work internationally:

The Carter Center https://www.cartercenter.org

The Nature Conservancy https://www.nature.org

Peace Corps https://www.peacecorps.gov

UNHCR: the UN Refugee Agency http://www.unhcr.org/en-us/

U.S Nonprofits:

ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) https://www.aclu.org

ALA (American Library Association) http://www.ala.org 

American Red Cross http://www.redcross.org

Planned Parenthood https://www.plannedparenthood.org

Alaska Nonprofits:

Anchorage Museum https://www.anchoragemuseum.org

Food Bank of Alaska http://www.foodbankofalaska.org

Great Land Trust http://greatlandtrust.org

I could go on, but you get the idea. And if we do end up with a little extra money this year, let’s donate it to help the world become a better place. The future begins with each of us and the decisions we make every day. So let’s use that for good. That’ll make us feel like a million bucks! ;-)

Lynn Lovegreen has lived in Alaska for almost fifty years. She taught for twenty years before retiring to make more time for writing. She enjoys her friends and family, reading, and volunteering at her local library. Her young adult/new adult historical romances are set in Alaska, a great place for drama, romance, and independent characters. See her website at www.lynnlovegreen.com. You can also find her on Facebook, Goodreads, and Pinterest.