My new book is not my usual genre. It is my true story! "A lost diary - hidden away for fifty years - rediscovered. The forgotten, terrifying, ghostly events, once more revisited. A true story of a haunting revealed for the first time. Amidst the turbulent 1960's the dark secrets hidden for decades inside a fractured family, unleashes a forgotten entity from the confines of a concealed, locked room. Fear became a nightly stalker, a terrifying and ghostly presence. The old buildings of the Fountain Courts had stood for a hundred years in Pocatello, Idaho. Converted from an old beer brewery, it housed a ghost whose footsteps had walked in a previous existence, long before the brewery was built; a ghost who never left."

All of these books are great summer reads! Find them on Amazon.com and enjoy hours of pleasure!

Christmas at its' best! Give someone many hours of enjoyment!

It's time to read these books! www.amazon.com/author/lindagatewood

Get your copy today!

Count it as a blessing

Sometimes I look out my window at just the right moment and I’m privileged to see something amazing. On this day, I was lucky enough to get a photo. The crazy thing is – the sun was across the valley, on the other side. That golden reflection in the clouds resting on top of that beautiful mountain was a momentary swish of a heavenly paintbrush. The artist wanted it to be fleeting, so after a few minutes, He softened it until it once again blended into the white pillowed clouds. The moment was gone.

It made me reflect on all the glorious moments in our lives that are fleeting – here for a second – then gone. Not all are just pretty pictures. Some are heart felt, a lifting of spirits when a meadowlark trills; the pleasure that comes from a smile; the bubbling joy a child’s laughter can share to those listening; the scent of purple lilacs carried on a fresh spring breeze. Some of these tender occasions are just for us, as if we alone were chosen to enjoy.  They uplift and speak in the most beautiful language, no words, just feelings of awe as the goose bumps lift across our arms and warmth floods into our heart. It is a language understood inside our soul, as it travels around us, and we are touched to the core.

Scenery changes all the time, and If I hadn’t grabbed a photo, this scene might be forgotten. There are always magical moments waiting for us if we look for them – not just with our eyes, but also with our heart. When you find one, count it as a blessing.

Video for A Chance to Remember

What a great gift for your book-loving friends and family - or for yourself! Order at: www.amazon.com/author/lindagatewood

An excerpt from A Chance To Remember:

"On the edge of a timely moment, memory engulfed her with thoughts of tranquility and peace. She could see, just outside her vision, the impression of a sunny window covered with white diaphanous curtains that moved with a whisper of breeze. Morning sunshine peeked through the gaps of puffed fabric that generously covered the spacious opening and allowed the draft access. As it entered, it wafted the sure knowledge that – nestled within – was abundant love and sumptuous warmth of companionship, security and happiness.

When she opened her eyes, confusion of sorts muddled inside her head as flashing emergency lights blinded her and sent her heart racing. The rain that fell from the sky splattered her face and wet her hair, and the hard rocky pavement beneath cut into her cheek.

Someone gently lifted her head and placed a soft blanket under her cheek, as his strong voice soothed, “Just hold on, the ambulance is here.”

She tried to turn her head only to be warned, – “Don’t move!” The tone was forceful and familiar and, for an instant, brought a smile to her lips just before she faded into pain-relieving unconsciousness."  

 Upon waking in the hospital, she remembered nothing - not even her name. As danger begins to stalk her, the past comes forward, and a decades old mystery commences to unfold. The missing gold mines of the past, the glorious and priceless ruby formed into the shape of a teardrop, and the delicate, golden, heart shaped necklace with a mysterious inscription, are the clues that could lead to hidden secrets from the past.

www.amazon.com/author/lindagatewood 

Enjoy the moment!

No matter how busy life gets, take a moment to enjoy the sunrise. They are usually beautiful almost anywhere in the world – even in your own yard. The peaceful moment is rare, the colors are striking and best of all, its free and you can enjoy the moment every day!

Such a great deal - but it won't last long!

To celebrate having all 4 of the books in the Winter Secret Series now on Amazon.com with new covers, the price of the eBook version has been temporarily dropped to $5.99 for each book! If you ever wanted to read the series, now is your chance! Limited time offer! www.amazon.com/author/lindagatewood

The last book in the Winter Secret Series is now ready with the new cover. Changing the covers for the entire series has been a long process, but at last it's done! I'm glad I had the courage to take on this challenge because now I feel good about the books. The story is still the same, with some format issues changed, but the exciting and nail-biting adventure will still carry you away! Happy reading!
www.amazon.com/author/lindagatewood

All of my books for you to read! The Winter Secret series is offered on www.amazon.com/author/lindagatewood along with my newest romantic suspense, A Chance to Remember. If you are looking for a great summer read, check these out!

The new cover for the second book - Spring Promise - in the Winter Secret series is now on www.amazon.com/author/lindagatewood . The third book will soon be alongside the others. For a captivating read, don't miss this series!

New cover for the Winter Secret first book in the series! Same wonderful and exciting story! The rest of the new covers for each book will follow. www.amazon.com/author/lindagatewood

I love to make Idaho part of the landscape in my books. Even though my stories travel throughout the country, the past has always encouraged legendary stories. In my books, you might find a gold or silver mine - a nod to the past. In A Chance To Remember, I couldn't resist adding a perfect dark red ruby pulled from an Idaho mine. My books, set in current times will always reach into the past for their many legends that were built around enriched true experiences. I couldn't pass up a chance to pen what could be a true untold story! I might add, what would a good tale be without a little romance?  www.amazon.com/author/lindagatewood

A Chance to Remember

Order book or Kindle on http://www.amazon.com/author/lindagatewood "Will a chance to remember save her?  Waking in the hospital, she remembered nothing – not even her name. The mysterious man that she met in the isolated woods seems to know more than he will share. As danger begins to stalk her, the past comes forward, and a decades old mystery commences to unfold.

Will the unnamed girl with no past finally discover her place, and will the man beside her be her true love? The missing gold mines of the past, the glorious and priceless ruby, formed into the shape of a teardrop, and the delicate, golden, heart shaped necklace, with a mysterious inscription, are the clues that could lead to hidden secrets from the past."

At days end...

This is a restful moment for these old swings. They have barely survived the constant, blissful abuse from the many hands of numerous grandchildren. A place where no competition exists for play, the swings are targeted. With expanse of space, clean fresh air and unconfined freedom, children’s imaginations can expand and broaden. 

The swings become a ship sailing with abandon across the great deep ocean, while the captains stand tall, waving flags bravely in the sea breeze. Sometimes, the chains and seats are a mountain climbers’ lifeline, dangling above high bottomless chasms below. Even monkeys can hang from the top and swing happily while chattering with each other. 

Tumbling down the short slide, reaching the bottom with excitement, an adventure is just beginning as further explorations lead back up the ladder, again. The big top of a circus reigns above, while trapeze artists twist and twirl below, the chains and seats balanced cleverly for a show of artistry. As each feat is achieved, a voice rings out, “Look at me!”

When twilight comes, all is quiet again. The circus is gone, the ship has sailed, and the ropes along the cliff are still. Even the monkeys have settled down. 

The fading colors of the sky paint the beauty of what has come and gone, and only our memory can fill in the silent moments. The echoes of laughter, the screams of delight briefly carried past us by the wind, and the visions of peaceful happiness of a day well spent. What will tomorrow bring when a new day blooms, when a different dream begins, and the old swing creates a new adventure? 

We can only wonder what will happen, after the day ends and begins again.

Magic in the clouds

Have you ever been surprised by early morning fog? The clouds that silently lower themselves, white and soft and gentle, their stillness quiet as the mist crouches and sits without a stir of breath. The wind has allowed them to settle, its absence giving them power.

Pinpoints of moisture probe the earth and release a scent of richness beyond description that emanates from the surface and wafts into the whiteness, gliding slowly, climbing gently, and delighting all in its' path.  The cloud holds its breath, while this birth of sensations slowly erupts and sails across the landscape, hidden and blanketed in filmy white.

I hold my breath, too, and listen, my footfalls loud, my own breath hushed, while I heed the gravid silence.  I know the birds are listening, too, their collective songs quiet for the moment. And when I do take a breath, the delicious heavy scents surrounding me permeate my body and my mind, sending pleasure directly into my soul and lifting me into the magic of the cloud.

Then suddenly, a breeze touches my hair and before long, the mist has disappeared, its magic dissipated.  When I look up at the clouds as they sail in their kingdom above, I know the secrets they hold, the enchantment they hide and I remember well the moments I once shared with them.

©2016 Linda Gatewood

An excerpt from Spring Promise, the 2nd book in the Winter Secret Series

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, its time!  http://amazon.com/lindagatewood/  

© 2016 Linda Gatewood