Review for Summer Truth

You'll enjoy reading this editorial review from Cizette for my new book, Summer Truth:

"I congratulate you for weaving together another compelling and exciting adventure that is filled with so much mystery, action, and drama with just the right mix of pain, loss, tragedy and triumph.  I was on edge from the beginning until the end.  The richness of your imagery lends greatly to the plot and the development of each of the characters has placed an almost picture in my mind, as if these people were real and breathing.  Kudos on another well executed book after your Winter Secret and Spring Promise.  I haven’t been this entertained in a long time. 

• Imagery is rich.  I could smell, taste, and feel every part of every scene in your story. 
  
  
• The characters you developed really brought more personality to the story in general.  They were very real people and I could even relate to some of the traits that you gave each one of them.
  
  
• The flow of the story is just amazing.  I haven’t read anything in recent history that is as compelling and as exciting as what you have put together here.  Hands down one of the best stories I have read in recent memory.

You’ve done a great job putting this together and it is truly an entertaining story from the start to the very finish.  I can’t wait to read the fourth book of your series."               
© 2014 Linda Gatewood

If you want to write, you should...

Ever since you were a child, have you always liked to write things down, for instance, events in your life, struggles with everyday things, your feelings about the world around you? Were you a person who kept a diary when young, and later, a journal? Was writing always a part of your life? If so, you might be ready to take the next step and share your inner thoughts with those around you, thoughts that may influence them in unexpected ways. You might be ready to write an article or a short story or even a book.

Writing a single book or a saga that comprises a collection of several books might seem foolhardy for a beginner, and yet, what better opportunity to increase the formidable provocation of triumph that can dance in front of ambition and propel you forward. If you set your standards high, you might achieve the most.

When you write fiction, you control the flow of the narrative and dictate the outcome. You learn to love the challenge of script and the constant test to form a correct sentence or paragraph. To voice an opinion inside a story by choosing the right words, and hide a moral even deeper in the verses grouped across the page, with hope it will blossom within a readers’ subconscious. Weaving a story that captures an audience is extremely satisfying, and will constantly task your mind to try harder, dig deeper, go further and search out for the answers that belong. Your imagination can take you anywhere: somewhere peaceful or exciting, exotic or mundane; wherever you want to go, and taking others with you is the ultimate adventure.

When you write non-fiction, especially a personal biography, you control the flow of your own life and dictate the outcome of your very own real story, a story that began when you were born and waits to be written. Your personal opinions and depths of feelings are shared to inspire others and touch their lives. The offer burns deep inside your heart and tentatively reaches out attempting to express and say what no other could, like a voice within waiting to be articulated.

Begin to share your ideas and thoughts whenever an opportunity arises. Improve your skills by practice and repetition, delve deep to express what’s in your heart. Writing might be your passion and could bring much happiness to you and others.

My advice to you: If you want to write – you should!
 © 2014 Linda Gatewood

The bullies in life...

I usually have a small herd of hummingbirds fighting over the bright red feeders hanging in the trees, but this year, I’ve only seen one and he was chased away by a new guardian of the feeders. It’s not a hummingbird, but a small gray bird with black and gray stripes and a fuzz of red on his head and he drinks out of the feeders and guards them like they belong to him. I guess they do because he is something of a bully. I’m wondering if he is planning to stay nearby for the whole summer and if the hummingbirds will have to find their fill of sweet nectar somewhere else, or if Mr. Bully will, in time, migrate further down the road.

It puts me in mind of the occasional stray tom cat that shows up and bullies my outside cats as they hide and cower in dark corners until he swaggers on down the road and is gone.  I guess that all species must have their bullies and must deal with them, including humans.  
As a child, I certainly remember the bully in the fourth grade who made recess miserable for everyone. She was bigger than all of us and older then the majority of classmates, and she was mean.  At recess time, our only defense was to run to the best hiding place and hope we got there before it filled up with other small children. It was a tree lined, dense, overgrown and weed-choked fence near the playground that had a tunnel bored inside where only small children could fit. So we were safe from the bigger girl who could hit so hard if she got hold of you.
At some time or other, I think we are all plagued with a bully in our lives and we wonder why this had to happen to us. Who created him and why wasn’t he ever stopped? I don’t know the answer to that question, since I was always only the little coward hiding in the unkempt weeds and abundant trees. Since then, I’ve faced a few bullies and actually stood my ground for a short time, but I would rather had crawled into the green sheltered canopy of safety and avoided the confrontation. I imagine that’s exactly what my hummingbirds have done.
 © 2014 Linda Gatewood

Summer Truth is about…

“Against all odds, the strength of their love kept them united in the first two exciting books, Winter Secret and Spring Promise, but can it survive the reality of the shocking truth revealed in Summer Truth? As a new season brings a new kind of obstacle to Derek and Cynthia, will their love continue to thrive?

The past that Cynthia shared with her ex-husband, the dishonest attorney Bradley Hunt, reaches out and ensnares her back into its fold. She becomes a scapegoat for his previous disreputable deeds in a dangerous race for her life that could ultimately separate her from Derek forever. As Derek’s real identity begins to engulf him, he faces a destructive ancestral history full of intrigue, lies and deadly deception. Can he meld with the past or should he leave it behind?  From the northern Rocky Mountains in Montana to the windswept hot sands of Nevada, the saga embraces others who are part of the mystery and will reveal more hidden secrets threatening the future that Derek and Cynthia so desperately want to preserve. When this season brings a new kind of menace, will their hopes for a lifetime together continue to be sustained or will the appalling revelations of a Summer Truth destroy it all?”

Summer Truth is the third book in the four-book Winter Secret Series, each encompassing a season in the suspenseful lives of Derek Flynn and Cynthia Morrison. It will be released in the summer of 2014.
 © 2014 Linda Gatewood

She was a special mom...

My cousin posted a picture of my mom on FB that I had never seen before. She was such a talented and beautiful person and I was thrilled to be able to see another view of her that was lost to me long ago. The picture reminds me again of the beautiful person she was and how lucky I was to have her as my mom. She passed away in 2007 at the age of 86.  

As a talented, professional piano and organ player, she also had a beautiful voice.  She was a bit of a savant, as she played music by ear from the time she was three years old and could play anything she heard – and not with just one hand.  Because she loved music, she continually increased her knowledge over the years and became very professional.  In 1965, after having surgery that affected her voice, she stopped singing.  I am lucky to have a recording of a song she sang long before that happened. Her music was such a large part of my life as I grew up and our home was full of the sounds that inspired her. She practiced every day and always included us in her activities; dedicating songs to us children that we were convinced were written with us in mind.

Because she was able to do the thing she loved most, she was a happy person, sharing and spreading her sunshine with everyone. Her life wasn’t easy or always pleasant, but she rarely complained and mostly found her passion in music, which she shared generously.

I have recordings of nearly every song she ever played and someday I plan to put the music online for all to enjoy. It’s from another time, but when played so well and with such bounteousness, the spirit shines through to all generations.

I was blessed to have someone so giving and caring for my mom and I miss her every day of my life.
© 2014 Linda Gatewood

The Hedley Kow: from Jacob’s More English Folk and Fairy Tales.

There once was an old woman who earned a poor living by doing errands and such like, for the farmers’ wives, round about the village where she lived. It wasn’t much she earned by it, but with a plate of meat at one house and a cup of tea at another, she made shift to get on somehow, and always looked cheerful as if she hadn’t a want in the world

One summer evening as she was trotting away homewards, she came upon a big black pot lying at the side of the road. “Now that,” said she, stopping to look at it, “would be just the very thing for me if I had anything to put into it! But who can have left it here?” She looked round about, as if the person it belonged to must not be far off, but she could see no one.

“Maybe it’ll have a hole in it,” she said thoughtfully. “Ay, that’ll be how they’ve left it lying, hinny. But then it’ll do fine to put a flower in for the window. I’m thinking I’ll just take it home.” She bent her stiff old back and lifted the lid to look inside.

“Mercy me!” she cried, and jumped back to the other side of the road, “if it isn’t brim full o’ gold pieces!” For a while, she could do nothing but walk round and round her treasure, admiring the yellow gold and wondering at her good luck, and saying to herself every two minutes, “Well, I do be feeling rich and grand!” But presently, she began to think how she could best take it home with her, and she couldn’t see any other way than by fastening one end of her shawl to it and dragging it after her along the road.

“It’ll certainly be soon dark,” she said to herself, “and folk’ll not see what I’m bringing home with me and so I’ll have all night to myself to think what I’ll do with it. I could buy a grand house and all and live like the Queen priest to keep for me, and get a piece as I’m wanting; or maybe I’ll just bury it in a hole at the garden-foot, and put a bit on the chimney, between the chiney teapot and the spoons – for ornament like. Ah! I feel so grand. I don’t know myself rightly!”

By this time, being already rather tired with dragging such a heavy weight after her, she stopped to rest for a minute, turning to make sure her treasure was safe. But when she looked at it, it wasn’t a pot of gold at all, but rather a great lump of shining silver! She stared at it and rubbed her eyes and stared at it again. She couldn’t make it look like anything but a great lump of silver. “I’d have sworn it was a pot of gold,” she said at last, “but I reckon I must have been dreaming. Ay, now, that’s a change for the better! It’ll be far less trouble to look after and none so easy stolen. Yon gold pieces would have been a sight of bother to keep ‘em safe. Ay, I’m well quit of them and with my bonny lump, I’m as rich as rich!”

She set off homewards again, cheerfully planning all the grand things she was going to do with her money. It wasn’t long, however, before she got tired again and stopped once more to rest for a minute or two. Again, she turned to look at her treasure and as soon as she set eyes on it, she cried out in astonishment, “Oh, my!” said she. “Now it’s a lump of iron! Well, that beats all, and it’s just real convenient! I can sell it easy as easy and get a lot o’ penny pieces for it. Ay, hinny, an’ it’s much handier than a lot o’yer gold and silver, as’d have kept me from sleeping o’ nights thinking the neighbors were robbing me – an’ it’s a real good thing to have by you in a house, ye never can tell what ye mightn’t use it for; an’ it’ll sell – ay, for a real lot. Rich? I’ll be just rolling!”

And on she trotted, chuckling to herself on her good luck, till presently she glanced over her shoulder, “just to make sure it was there still,” as she said to herself. “Eh, my!” she cried as soon as she saw it. “If it hasn’t gone and turned itself into a great stone this time! Now, how could it have known that I was just terrible wanting something to hold my door open with? Ay, if that isn’t a good change! Hinny, it’s a fine thing to have such good luck.”

All in a hurry to see how the stone would look in its corner by her door, she trotted off down the hill and stopped at the foot, beside her own little gate. When she had unlatched it, she turned to unfasten her shawl from the stone, which this time seemed to lie unchanged and peaceably on the path beside her. There was still plenty of light, and she could see the stone quite plainly as she bent her stiff back over it to untie the shawl end, when, all of a sudden, it seemed to give a jump and a squeal, and grew in a moment as big as a great horse! Then it threw down four lanky legs and shook out two long ears, flourished a tail and went off kicking its feet into the air and laughing like a naughty, mocking boy.

The  old woman stared after it till it was fairly out of sight. “Well!” she said at last. “I do be the luckiest body hereabouts! Fancy me seeing the Hedley Kow all to myself, and making so free of it, too! I can tell you, I do feel that GRAND---“

And she went into the cottage and sat down by the fire to think over her good luck.

The gold in your gray cloud

There were only gray skies above. Clouds burgeoned with rain sailed boldly across my sky. As I watched them threaten, growing larger by the second, I saw a tiny shaft of gold peek around the edge before it darted away to hide, like a nugget shifting in the sand, among the puffs of gray above.
As my eyes searched for the tiny glint of gold, I was sure it would show itself again. I just had to wait and be patient. So, while I waited, I let my imagination fly up into the sky and sail around the peaks and puffs, my eyes sharp to catch all the ridges and valleys, the swells and dips, until suddenly the gray deepened and pushed me back to earth.
With my feet firmly planted on the ground and the vista of sky before me, I watched as the golden hue tinged the outer layers of clouds and grew until the whole sky lit up, bright with a shiny glare.

A gift just for me to prove that gray skies must sometimes be endured, but if we are patient, they will not only go away, but will be replaced with such a splendid vision of beauty and wealth that it will steal our breath away. So generous and beautiful is the world around us.
Always look for the gold in your dark clouds. Never miss an opportunity to revel in the glory of precious moments that wait patiently for you to notice. They beckon us often, and yet, how easily we ignore the small reminders of all the beauty that awaits us.
© 2014 Linda Gatewood

An excerpt from Spring Promise...

An excerpt from Spring Promise  portrays the peaceful moments that occur between the constant and dangerous life threatening events.

“Cynthia watched him finish shaping the pole and then slowly wade out into the creek.  She shivered, knowing how cold he must be, but began to warm when she saw the muscles across his back ripple through his shirt, his perfect body moving gracefully, anticipating the direction of the fish he hoped to catch. 

The golden sun was beginning to set as a myriad of colors washed across the sky, reflecting back in the dark water where Derek fished like a moon god, silently stirring the mirror of gold and purple that covered his legs. Cynthia became his goddess, shining golden against the consuming flames of the bonfire, as she laid her head against the soft carpet of earth and closed her eyes in sleep.”

There’s still time to read Spring Promise, the second book in the Winter Secret series, before the much anticipated third book, Summer Truth, is ready for release. You can read a sneak peek of first chapter on http://www.amazon.com/Spring-Promise-Linda-Gatewood/

 © 2014 Linda Gatewood

photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30591976@N05/3700841685/">spratmackrel</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/">cc</a>

A reader said that this made her cry…(from Spring Promise):

While reading Spring Promise, one of my readers said that she was moved to tears when she read the following part of the story:

When the moon began to rise, it cast its light across the room, moving slowly to the bed and creeping up the sides until it shone full across the two sleeping figures.  Derek’s eyes opened, and he watched its progress.

He quietly got up and walked to the window, staring at the bright round full moon, knowing his time with her was shorter than he ever wanted.  Tomorrow was the first day of the dark of the moon.

Cynthia watched him as he stood in front of the window, the moonbeams covering his chest, his arms bare and relaxed by his sides.  He was everything to her, and her eyes loved him as his body shone in moonlight.  When he lifted his arms, she watched the movement of the muscles while shadows played across his skin.  He reached behind his neck and unlatched the smoke-colored quartz pendant, her gift to him that he’d always worn, and gently laid it on the table.   Then he stood very still.

She stopped breathing as she considered what was happening, what he was doing and why.  That one gesture of his was worth a thousand unspoken words, and she could understand all of them.  She never realized that her sharp intake of breath had been heard by him.

Slowly he walked back to the bed and sat next to her.  He took her hand and kissed the palm, staring at it as if it held secrets.  “There is something I want to tell you.”

She sat up and instinctively clung to his hand, holding it tightly as if he balanced on the edge of a cliff.  Her instincts came alive, and fear began to nibble at her heart.

He continued, “I have a confession to make.”  Derek paused so long; the shadows fought with the moonbeams as they wrapped themselves around the room. His head was down, and he wouldn’t look at her; his face was part of the shadows. 

Cynthia began to dread what he had to tell her, instinctively knowing what his intentions were.  Was this the moment she had always been fearful of?  The moment when he told her he was leaving for her own good?

His voice was low as he said, “My life hasn’t been what it should have been. The scars are deep and will never go away. This is so unfair to you.”  In the moonlight, he lifted his head and his eyes turned the color of cold hard steel.

“No!” she said.  “Don’t say that.”

When he finally looked at her and saw the alarm that lit her face, he softened his words. “I wish it was different.  I wish I was a different man and had lived worthy of you…of our child.  I wish I could promise you a safe life.”  He looked longingly at her, her satin skin bathed in moonlight, her deep-blue eyes now filled with anxiety.  He reached for her and crushed her to him, burying his face in her hair, feeling the silky texture against his skin.

I appreciate those who enjoy my stories and are able to experience the joys and sorrows and fears of my characters in a story that could be true, but more importantly, is always true to the feelings of people everywhere. If you haven’t yet started the Winter Secret series, the third book, Summer Truth is scheduled to be released soon. http://amazon.com/lindagatewood/  

© 2014 Linda Gatewood

Just in case you wondered why my wall calendar says 1997…

For years, I’ve always saved my favorite wall calendars. For instance, if I paid over $15 for one, or if that year was particularly busy and the calendar was profusely hand-written-in with noted activities, a sort of journal of events for that year. Some of the old calendars were cherished gifts from friends or a loved one and I’m so glad I kept them. But best of all, I discovered that I could reuse them during a future matching year.

My collection, although not complete because some years were lost, dates back to 1990 and I can always find one to match the current year (watch out for the month of February because it can’t make up its’ mind whether it has 28 or 29 days!) Then I enjoy the chosen calendar by not only noting current dated activities, but by reading the past ones and remembering. Sometimes I wonder how I ever kept up during that past twin year when things were generally a havoc of activities for months at a time.

Nowadays, wall calendars have been replaced by electronic devices with convenient calendars, notepads, timers, reminders, etc., but I still like to have a wall calendar hanging on my wall in the kitchen and in my office, not only to remind me of the day, but to remind me of the past. Those days in olden times that surely raced by while we scrambled inside our schedules and forgot how well we lived our lives. A record of small daily goals achieved and successes flaunted in dark red pen with balloons added for fun, a celebration of trivial things, those that happen every day and continue into the future and a peaceful reminder of our daily efforts to live our lives as best we could, back in 1997…

 © 2014 Linda Gatewood

Winter at home

A winter day spent at home can be a marvel of inner peace and tranquility. The world outside is asleep and covered with a crystal blanket, secreting beneath, the hope of spring. Nothing out there beckons me to venture forth today, not even a crazy notion to suddenly create snow angels across the smooth white surface or pack up a snow barrier for shelter from snowballs. Even the vision of a future snowman standing sentinel in my yard can’t lure me out. Not today.
I want to listen to the snow fall, hear the squeaky clean air slide down and gently lie at my feet as I stand just barely outside my door. I want to smell the fresh scent of heaven brought down to my level in handfuls, a gift to be enjoyed and used as a memory that I can replay on hot summer nights and savor. When the sun peeks between the clouds, the blinding snow is brilliant with sparkles flashing rainbow colors across the ground that can lure even the most timid out into its frosty glory, but not me, not today. I can see the full round belly of snow clouds crouching across the tops of the mountains, waiting for the perfect moment to carefully slide down the side and spread across the valley.

The world outside takes care of us, wraps us in its arms of snow or sun, sustains our lives and motivates us each day. Be grateful for whatever is given freely and embrace, every moment, the simple pleasures that nature presents.
© 2013 Linda Gatewood

100 Years in the Mirror

Several years ago, I inherited the old pump organ, purchased by my grandparents in 1913, a hundred years ago. My mother, Erma, was born in 1920 and when she was three years old, she climbed up on the old swivel stool (still part of the organ) and played her first song. She played by ear, and from that moment on she could play any song she heard.

There is a beveled mirror on the top of the organ, part of an ornate backing that includes fancy scrolls and rolled pillars, shelves and special places to set old fashioned oil lamps. I imagine my grandmother, Minnie, as a younger woman, looking into that mirror as she dusted, tended her children and, maybe, took a quick glance at her image before company arrived. She had eight children and I’m sure they all gandered at themselves in the beveled glass as they grew up. I can imagine that my mom smiled in the mirror many times when she sat at the organ and entertained friends and family with her remarkable talent. As a child, visiting my grandparents, even I peeked at myself in the mirror a few times.

 

My grandmother watched as age settled on her, seeing her young face wear into wrinkles and tracks of time in the mirror. After she passed away, the old organ with the mirror was left to my cousin, Albert, who took it to Nebraska. About ten years ago, he made a trip to Idaho and brought the organ back to give to my mother, who in turn, gave it to me. When it was set up once more, my cousin looked into the mirror one last time before he left. Then my mom saw her image in the beveled glass again and her young face had become old.

Today I stopped a moment and looked into the timeless beveled mirror and realized that I was also getting old and now, more than ever, resembled my mother, who resembled her mother, who resembled her mother. Our images blended into one.

I wish I could see all the relatives who peeked into the mirror over the last one hundred years. I wish there was a camera inside that could have snapped their photos; all the aunts and uncles, cousins, grandparents and great-grandparents whose faces gazed for a brief moment into the mirror on the organ.

My children and grandchildren have looked into the mirror, that shiny square of glass that has reflected generations of my family and also the images of their everyday lives. It could tell wonderful stories of the last 100 years of family history if it could only speak.
© 2013 Linda Gatewood

Hints about the Winter Secret series...

Only one year in their lives, but…
Winter Secret is like a stage set for a show; a cold winter evening with ice crystals sparkling in the frozen air under a full moon. The characters are introduced and their strengths and weaknesses only hinted at. The beginning of a story unfolds with suspense and intrigue that sweeps the reader into heights and depths of secrecy. The discovery of a stolen microchip that could destroy the world brings danger into Derek and Cynthia’s lives and threatens the fragile beginning of a new love. The ending is a question left dangling in the air: will they be able to stay together? (Book trailer:

The second book opens like the rush of a rogue wave on a calm sea. What seemed a gentle resolution now becomes a whirlpool of uncertainty, when the new couple become tangled in the mystique of a hidden treasure. There are two completely unexpected surprises in Spring Promise; something extraordinarily challenging, in any relationship, happens to Derek and Cynthia, and promises one of two things: unity or division. The second unforeseen event is the revelation of the unbelievable identity of Derek; something completely startling and amazing. How will this affect their love for one another? (Book trailer:

The third book, Summer Truth, is comparable to an earthquake that opens beneath you as you step forward. The past that Cynthia shared with her ex-husband, the dishonest attorney, Bradley, reaches out and ensnares her back into its fold. She becomes the scapegoat for his deeds in a race for her life from the good and the bad. As Derek’s real identity begins to engulf him, he faces a past full of intrigue, lies and deadly deception. Can he meld with the past or should he leave it behind? And how will his choice effect Cynthia? (Published in spring of 2014) www.lindagatewoodbooks.com

In the final book in the series, Autumn Hush, the past engulfs both of them in a mystery that takes place in an ancestral castle that hides a skeleton behind its cold granite walls that could be the answer to all the questions. But the seeds from the ruthless past are still alive and determined to keep all the secrets, no matter who must be sacrificed.

There are exciting stories in each book and yet, one plot that keeps unfolding from book to book, full of surprise and intrigue to lead you to a thrilling conclusion. Inside these books, you’ll find mystery, suspense, murder and a devious character set on destruction. You’ll find romance that is tender and loving, yet forceful and strong, but not tarnished with explicit descriptions that aren’t necessary to describe romance. You also won’t find stories full of vulgar language, which is also unnecessary to portray powerful emotions. I hope you enjoy the adventure!

Linda Gatewood, author of the Winter Secret series: Winter Secret, Spring Promise, Summer Truth and Autumn Hush 
© 2013 Linda Gatewood

On reflection, I’m pretty sure I have more than 19 grandchildren.

On reflection, I’m pretty sure I have more than 19 grandchildren.  There are other members of the family that I’ve overlooked. What about my daughter, Rachel, and her little miniature Chihuahua, Lilly (I call her Lilly Pad because she could almost lie in your one hand if she wasn’t so incredibly fat!) and, of course, her adopted brother, Big Bruce, (Bullmastiff) who has his own Facebook page. (I think Lilly might be jealous.) When I go over to their house, Bruce celebrates the entire time I’m there, gallivanting around, bringing me his favorite chewy to share and slobbering all over the place. When Lilly gets tired of it, she puts him in his place and then rolls over for a belly-rub. I know I’m truly loved by them.  

Then there’s my son, Preston, and his family cat, Fluffy, whom I tended for three months after they moved to Boise and were looking for a home. When they finally picked him up, they accused me of feeding him treats every day and making him fat. Not only that, but they said I allowed him to misbehave (climb on the counter); I say: what – are – grandmas – for?

My daughter, Jenny, tells me that Sassy Cat gets excited when she sees my car drive up and runs in and out, while I’m there, to get attention. Katty-Katty-Wat-Wat usually climbs out from under a blanket, sleepy after sleeping all night and all day. They both make sure they sniff me and get a head scratch before they find a safe place to observe all the activity.

My son, Jared stands back when his small black retriever, Duke, meets me at the door with his favorite toy in his mouth to make sure I feel welcome! He dances around so much in happiness, his tail wagging widely, that Jared usually puts him outside; afraid he’ll break something during his celebration.

What more could any grandma ask for? Such a wonderful display of blissful happiness just to see me! Yes, I’m pretty sure I really have 25 grandchildren!
© 2013 Linda Gatewood

My New Year's Resolution

Ahhhhhh…the bliss of After-Christmas-Tranquility! I loved rejoicing in the blessings of Christmas, and have thoroughly enjoyed all the company, family visits, and presents.   I’ve celebrated the gratitude I have for the birth of our Savior and his many gifts to his children. I thrilled at the beautiful Nativities and remembrances and colorful decorations glittering everywhere. But, alas, I can’t help but sigh, now that it’s over. I feel like I’ve celebrated the culmination of another year, the ending of a busy series of events and the beginning of another bright, unknown and uncharted future ahead.  On reflection, each year has its merits and shortcomings, but I try to expect less perfection and, instead, look for more wonderful moments of simple joy.  I believe that is where happiness can be found.

As a new year is ready to begin, we usually wonder – where did the old one go? How did it pass so quickly? Alas, it’s gone forever. If you never kept your resolutions last year, it’s time to begin again and resolve something for the New Year. Maybe this year, you should make it a little simpler, something you can actually accomplish, something that will motivate and inspire you to follow through and fulfill; something that is actually achievable and truly satisfying. Maybe you could resolve to smile more or laugh more or relax more. Maybe you should decide to make more phone calls and less impersonal texts. You could resolve to be more kind and understanding to those who share your life. Building your character by strengthening your inner attributes is not an easy accomplishment and may be worthy of a resolution. Make it simple, yet worthwhile and satisfying; make it enjoyable so that you will love fulfilling your new year’s resolution and above all, make it a truly life enhancing experience that will carry you through the entire year into a better tomorrow. Next year, you may achieve your resolution and look back on the past year as the best you ever had! I wish you good luck in your efforts.

I, too, will be working on my resolution for the next year ahead!  I have a new book coming out and another one to finish writing, so I think I’ll resolve to work harder and smile more and enjoy every single moment of this wonderful experience!
© 2013 Linda Gatewood

A Gift to give to Yourself!

When I do a book signing, I have the opportunity to meet a variety of people and it’s a pleasure to become acquainted with them and to talk about books. Since I’ve always loved to read, I assume everyone else does, so it’s usually a surprise when someone tells me they have never read a novel in their lives! They tell me they read snatches of news online or in newspapers or magazines and that is enough for them.

It’s hard for me to imagine reading so little. Reading is such an adventure in so many ways, who wouldn’t be tempted? My earliest memory of what I wanted, more than anything, was to learn to read. I even wished upon stars that I could read; my pre-kindergarten most desired and coveted golden accomplishment was to be able to read. I can remember going to sleep crying because I was having trouble learning the skill.  I also remember that spectacular and triumphant moment when I finally achieved the ability to understand a group of letters. It was breathtaking! From that moment on, I had a book in my hand at every opportunity. I loved the stories; I loved the process that created feelings deep inside; the words that brought tears to my eyes; the phrases that inspired me to be a better person and those that helped me to understand others around me. Who wouldn’t want to open the door to such a vast depth of knowledge?

Some of the people I met tell me that they love to read, but have stopped. When I asked why, most said they are too busy to read anymore. Others say they will wait for the movie. I say, if you loved the movie, be sure to read the book, too.

Reading is much different than watching the movie. Books are more personal, a moment shared between just the author and the reader; a quiet time to pause and reflect on a sentence and to return again and again to a paragraph that inspired or touched somewhere within and possibly started a healing process.

I challenge people who love to read to start to read again, to set aside at least thirty minutes a day to read. I promise you’ll be glad you made that choice because a world of fulfillment will open and the enjoyment you remember will return. Why not bring delight into your world for thirty minutes a day? Read whatever you want, explore new things, pick up the old. The classics are still there and just as good as ever. In fact, there is a flood of good literature out there right now. Grab a book and read!
 © 2013 Linda Gatewood

Anything like November?

Is there another month quite like November? We have so much to remember and be thankful for during the thirty days of the 11^th month. Each day is an opportunity for soul-searching and gratitude-listing, possibly with a touch of sadness and a few tears of regret, but, hopefully, much more heartfelt thankfulness. We are looking inwardly for the peace and acceptance of what has gone past, the loved ones lost, the sacrifices made for us, the total recognition and resignation of our hearts in humble gratitude.

Just as the golden autumn leaves fall from the trees, our spirits must bow a bit in remembrance and appreciation of our blessings, and the wonder of our own lives.  November doesn’t ask much of us, only that we pause and understand what has passed before, the deep implications of great actions and tender offerings of the greatest significance.  This month we look into the past and number our favorite people and occasions, with a silent prayer on our lips that it will all continue far into the future.

Take a moment in this month of November, before winter sleep claims its due, and search your soul for the many moments of joy and happiness that have passed on previously in your life, and sing its praises! The tune will stay in your head, repeating itself often until you smile, and your heart warms generously with the recognition of happiness that will last forever.

© 2013 Linda Gatewood

Seeing Josh Groban!

Going to see Josh Groban in concert was quite an experience. My daughter, Jenny and I attended the first concert of his new tour “Concert in the Round” that took place in Boise, ID.

After a long drive to get to Boise and another hour of waiting in a vehicle line at the Taco Bell Arena to get into the parking area, we were about as excited as we could be, although annoyed at the crowd of people and cars.

We parked outside and found our way into a human line that ran down the road about two blocks long, four people thick. It was a bit discouraging because, according to our watches, we only had about 45 minutes until the concert started and it looked like we’d be in line for an hour and a half.

Jenny told me that it was never a good idea to follow a crowd, so, while I held our spot, she walked out into the parking lot beside our place in line (about 50 yards) to ask a parking attendant if there was another way into the building. I watched her, a mass of people continuing to form behind me in the line, until I saw her wag her finger at me to ‘come on.’ So I took off, walking as fast as I could. I could hear a lot of huffing and puffing behind me and when I turned to look, there were two-hundred people behind me, following me!

When Jenny saw me coming with the hoard of people behind me, her eyes got really big and when I reached her, she turned and we walked fast, still leading the crowd, past the four big plush personal busses that Josh Groban used, and I asked her, “Did you find out where to go?” She answered, “NO. That guy didn’t know anything.”  I said, “Then where are we going?” She said, “I don’t know.”
We raced past the ten semi-trucks that carried all the equipment that Josh Groban used for setting up his concert and, with the mass of people following close behind, turned the corner and – amazingly!- there was another entrance to the building! No one was there except a ticket collector. I was so relieved because I sure didn’t want to lead that impatient group of folks around the building in a circle back to where we started!

It was all worth it, though, when we enjoyed a remarkable presentation by Josh Groban and his assemblage. He is a great entertainer and his music is beautiful. It was a ‘feel-good’ concert and well worth the price, hassle and time. My next post on here, I’ll tell you about our experience as ‘Grobanite Groupies!” that took place long after the concert was over, out behind the building, along a fence, in the freezing cold, with dozens of women of all ages. Memorable!

© 2013 Linda Gatewood

Why should you read the Winter Secret series?

Let me give you some reasons to start to read this amazing series:

 

Winter Secret, the first novel of the series, is an enthralling story of love, suspense, peril and secrets. It weaves its beguiling imagery and prose around your mind, never letting go until the end is reached.  And even then, there are more questions than answers revealed.

It is the beginning story of two people, Derek and Cynthia, who have utterly dissimilar lives, with perilous, problematic and secret past experiences that make it impossible for either one to form a bond with anyone else.  When they are thrown together by circumstance, they have nothing in common and yet, discover a growing connection between them. From the wasteland of the Craters of the Moon in Idaho to the Natural Caves in San Antonio, Tx., to the sweet beauty of the Jemez Mountains in New Mexico, the questions continue to build. The obstacles that try to separate them are numerous, life threatening and menacing and are all related to the past. Their struggle is to overcome, transform and alter their destinies, so that they can always be together.

When the first season has passed, their relationship is strengthened but also threatened even more. Spring Promise continues the engrossing story, the twists and turns of suspense constantly pulling in numerous directions, but always promising answers. The lure of gold and treasure ensnares them in its net, through no fault of their own while the mysterious tale of a curse haunts their every move. They are dragged along into a world of lore and legend, of magic and myth.  Even though the past threatens, there is a more potentially lethal menace from the indefinite future.  The vulnerability of their relationship is tested even more, with added wonders and increased risks. Imagine Derek’s anguish when Cynthia is kidnapped by the madman, Salazar, and hidden away in the depths of the Louisiana bayou.

There really is no direction to go except forward and when they do, they collide with the past in both of their lives. Summer Truth follows quickly on the footsteps of promises. But the past finally reaches out and grabs Derek and Cynthia, forcing them to deal with the truth of the past that could destroy them both and the disclosure of secrets that could separate them. Especially Derek’s past, that may promise riches but could only lead to death. From northern Montana to the hot sands of Nevada, the saga embraces others who are part of the past of Derek and Cynthia and must follow them forward, even though it could mean their separation forever. When Derek is blown up in a plane that crashes to earth, the result of a conspiracy against him, will he survive and be able continue his relationship with Cynthia and fulfill the desires of her heart?

 Autumn Hush occurs in the present but is a story where the past, present and future collide, culminating in the surprising answers and resolutions needed to continue forward.  The amazing story behind the story is finally revealed and the many secrets are exposed. The legend behind the construction of the great castle built against the granite mountain is revealed, but can the love between Derek and Cynthia survive such a devastating revelation and will they ever truly be a family? The ghosts of the past, the relatives whose deeds are being paid for by their progenitors, are finally laid to rest but did they take too much with them already? Can love survive and flourish? Will the past overshadow the future or can their love create a new tomorrow?

This series is tastefully written without vivid sex scenes or innumerable foul language. It contains sweet romance and incredible suspense and action! You'll need to start reading the series to find out how it ends! You won't be sorry, I promise! The first two books are published, the third one is in editing and the fourth is in progress. Order from Amazon.com or purchase at Hastings in I.F., Twin Falls or Boise; or order online or direct from me at http://www.lindagatewoodbooks.com

© 2013 Linda Gatewood

What are kids for?

Some surprises have to be shared and last weekend I had a real nice one. My two boys, David and Aaron, who live in sunny California, decided to come spend a day and night with me to do a few chores around my place. How fun is that!? It was a spur of the moment decision and didn’t give me much time to plan anything or buy food for special meals. I just had time to make a list of what needed to be done. The boys invited my other son, Jared, who lives in Pocatello to join them. It was a busy day and the boys worked very hard all day long. One of the nicest things they did was to prune a big tree of mine that had started to look like a giant bush in my yard instead of a tree.  They thinned it into a beautiful shape that is now an inviting place to sit and visit. They did some winterizing and checked all the plugs in my old house, something that should be done occasionally because you’d be surprised what kind of condition they can get in, especially if you had a small leak, once upon a time, in the wall.

 

Kudos to my boys! You know you’re welcome anytime. I’m doing a family Halloween party this year with an awesome costume contest so I hope you and your families can come! It should be pretty scary here. Thanks again for the nice surprise!

© 2013 Linda Gatewood