7 Amazing Reasons to Celebrate Dads (Late)

Father's Day just happened in the USA. Did you miss it? I happen to love this holiday. It gives me an opportunity to recall all the amazing things my father has done for me:

Dads (or dad figures) will do anything to teach you how to live right:

They protect you:

Source

They make sure you don't starve:

Source

They show you how to live by example:

They teach you what to fear:

And how to use your imagination:

And they're eager to play with you:

So I hope you honored your father (figure) this last Sunday, and if you didn't, it's never too late.

Time for some giveaway love, eh?

This month I'm highlighting fellow authors from:

BUY NOW 

(Unless you already have, in which case, you rock!)

Last week Tamara Narayan ( author of SCRYING THE PLANE) shared HEART STOPPER, along with two truths and one lie. Anyone who guessed the lie was entered to win an eBook of Tamara's latest release, HEART STOPPER.

The game:

1. When I was a penguin keeper at the Riverbanks Zoo in SC, a local news crew came by to shoot a few clips of our Black-foot penguins. This was in 1992 and Batman Returns was big at the box office. This sequel featured Danny Devito as the villain The Penguin along with several real Black-foot penguins as his minions. I wasn’t in any of the shots, but one penguin did poop on the reporter’s foot. I don’t think that made the cut either.

2. On July 1, 2000 I walked in a protest march in Columbia, SC against putting the Confederate Flag on the SC State House grounds next to the Confederate Monument. The flag was being moved there from the dome of the Statehouse where it had flown since 1962 as a protest against desegregation. (The Confederate Flag was finally removed from the State House grounds on July 10, 2015, less than a month after the murder of nine people in a Charleston, SC church, including state senator Clementa C. Pinckney.)

3. I was in my garden weeding the other day. My cat, Mr. Mistoffelees, came by for snuggles and ended up sitting in my lap. Then two fellows came jogging by, one of which I recognized as Jason McElwain, better known as J-Mac, winner of the 2006 ESPY Award for Best Moment in Sports. J-Mac, a high-functioning autistic, scored 20 points in a high school basketball game in four minutes, nineteen seconds.

The lie: #1. Tamara said: I was a penguin keeper at the Riverbanks Zoo and Botanical Gardens in 1992, but no reporters ever came around to feature the birds in relation to Batman Returns or anything else. One of the penguins, named Chewy as a nod to Star War’s Chewbacca, had a crush on me. He’d wait by the door for me every morning and bring me sticks (the penguin version of roses). And yes, I was pooped on several times, but luckily I was wearing big rubber boots and a Dickie jumpsuit. Sounds stylish, doesn’t it?

Way to guess everyone! And the winner is:

...DRUM ROLL...

Krystal Jane!

Congrats, Krystal!

And now meet a story from the author of EVER-TON in the Parallels anthology: 

Love is never easy, but for Detective Steve Quaid and his fiancée, Sarah, their road to happiness is laden with minefields.

After spending countless hours reconverting his grandfather’s cabin into the perfect honeymoon retreat for Sarah, the cabin becomes a bloody crime scene detailing her death. Accused, Steven escapes into the Alaskan mountains, biding his time to find the truth.

Who killed his beloved?

A seasoned woodsman, he outsmarts even the cleverest of trackers. All but one.

Mauled by a grizzly, a half-dead Steven barely escapes.

But will he live to bring the rightful murderer to Justice?

Get your copy HERE.

Ready to meet the author?

At one time adventure called to me and I answered. I learned to sleep under the midnight sun of Alaska, survive in below zero temperatures, and I was privileged to hike both the Brooks and Alaska Mountain Ranges. I've traveled from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez, and the memories are some of my most valued. The wonders, mysteries, and incredible beauty that is Alaska has never left me and thus now influence my writing.

Despite my adventurous spirit, I achieved my educational goals, married, and we have two wonderful sons. Writing is now my focus, my newest adventure!

Yolanda loves Swiss cheese, but due to changes in diet, she has had to eliminate it. She says she misses it more than ice cream.

Find Yolanda at:

Defending the Pen

Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

Amazon

Yolanda gave me two truths and one lie to test your "lie detector" skills. Those who figure out the lie will go into my magic hat for the chance to win either a SIGNED PRINT COPY of MURDER AND OBSESSION or PARALLELS. (Winner's choice: US and Canada only for print books. Open to international winners for an eBook prize.)

You have until Tuesday, June 28 at 2 p.m. EDT to guess. Be sure to come back for the answers on June 29, 8 a.m. EDT.

TRUTH OR LIE

1. My Sunday school teacher was dismissed for taking our class to see the movie the Bible.

2. One of my favorite past times was drag racing. On the way to work one morning I raced a fellow driver on the highway. He asked me out and we are now married.

3. I've been married three times.

OH! And stop by Yolanda's place today where 

I'm chatting about cookies, research, and time. (Ooh!)

So sleuths, which is the lie? Have you met Yolanda? What's the biggest thing you learned from your father (figure)? Which is your favorite funny? Do you have a funny "Dad moment" you'd like to share?

Father Fiasco

I was asked the other day by a friend if this is a hard time of the year for me. (Father's day.) Is it a hard time of the year for you?

I've been giving the subject a great deal of thought, and decided to share some of the things my dad taught me.


1. Honor: My dad was honest to a fault with everyone. He treated my mother with respect (always opening her door, never arguing with her in front of us, always greeting her with a kiss). He prayed for the leaders of our country and would rather take a hit on his taxes than accidentally claim something that might not apply. He taught by example.

2. A strong work ethic: He worked as a doctor. When I was young, he left at 7 a.m., got home at 7 p.m., and often delivered babies through the night. He built his own 6 foot fence around the yard. He fixed his own vehicles--and let me hand him tools while he did it. If there was a project to be done, he jumped in and got it done. Period.

3. Patience: You always knew when Dad was frustrated. His jaw muscles would clench, and the phrase "you turkey" might escape his lips, but he worked at it until he overcame an inherently explosive temper. Gratitude fills my heart that he allowed me to see him working through a weakness until it became a strength.

4. Forgiving: I clearly remember the first time Dad apologized for yelling at me--a time when I had been in the wrong. He entered my room, his head bowed, and said he was sorry, then expressed his love for me. Only the greatest of men can admit they're wrong, even if they're not.

5. Teaching: Dad had a bazillion hobbies. One was scuba diving, and he was kind enough to let me join in that adventure. Another was repelling and spelunking. I can't tell you how many high adventures I went on with my dad.


6. Loving: Dad was happiest when he was holding a baby in his arms. It's one of the reasons he and Mom had 8 of them. Not only did he always show love for my mother, but it was clear by all his interactions how he felt about people. If someone moved into the neighborhood, Dad was down the street helping them bring boxes in. If he knew of a financially struggling family, he would employ one of us to doorbell ditch and leave a package on the doorstep. And how did he spend his days? Healing the sick. I couldn't ask for a more selfless example.

Dad passed away several years ago, and although I miss him, he lives on through the things he taught me. They are a legacy I hope to pass to my children, and isn't that what family is about? One generation raising the next, passing on the good and discarding the bad for a brighter future?

We all fall short of the ideal, but I applaud all those who sincerely try. You are what makes this world awesome.

What's something you've learned from your father?