Christmas Gift-Giving!

Books make a perfect gift at any time and especially at Christmas--when people have time to enjoy some down time. Browse through these and determine if you know anyone who would enjoy: fantasy, romance, suspense, Christian Living, and so much more. Most are under $2.00 Enjoy!

viewAuthor.at/maryglobal

The Purpose of My Books!

“If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.” Toni Morrison

Though I will be the first to admit that I am not a particular fan of Toni Morrison's works, I agree wholeheartedly with her stance about writing. Before I even read this quote, I knew what type of books I wanted to read and wrote them--with the hope that I was not the only one who wanted to read--wholesome literature--devoid of voyeuristic scenes and profanity.

You see, as much as I love mysteries and romance novels, I started avoiding most of those on the market. Most of the suspense and thriller novels are so laced with profanity that I can't get past the first chapter. When that happens, I simply stop reading. The same is true of some of the books that people are trying to pass off as romance, when they're actually only about sex.

I'm not trying to tell other people what to write or how to write it, but I won't read literature that opposes my faith and my stance with moral issues.

Therefore, I've written a number of books--that are romantic in nature without making the reader feel like they're taking part in a perverse act--and have an actual story line, with lovable characters and those the reader can hate as well.

The suspense and thriller novels--are filled with all the stuff we love--intrigue, murder, human trafficking, kidnapping, but no profanity and the characters have developed "alternate" expressions that work well when they are emotionally charged.

I want to see a return of moral values and structures that all can read in the literature produced. So I have accomplished--at least I think I have--this goal with my books. Why am I saying this now? An author on Twitter posted that Indie Publishers should be blogging about their books, not their blogs. I agree and here I am.

I'd love to know what you think--regarding my purpose.  Did I accomplish my purpose or am I just whistling in the clouds of hope?

There are two fantasies for kids and I'm working on the third in the series. In these books, kids are empowered to overcome good with evil by relying upon innate powers within them-- myBook.to/SuperTweens and myBook.to/OtherSide.  Both were written to empower kids between the ages of 10 and 12 and beyond with the latest effort--not yet available. Kids need all the encouragement they can get to do the right thing and to know others see them as worthy and not just a nuisance to be tolerated.

The suspense/thriller works are: myBook.to/Sword about a serial killer in a small town in South Carolina. I introduce Tyson and Tiffany as they team up to find the serial killer. In the second book myBook.to/TNT Tyson is working for the FBI and Tiffany is battling demons from her past, but it is with the struggle they discover who's kidnapping mentally challenged girls and are able to defuse all the bombs the crazy Russian plants, except one. In  myBook.to/ElevatedHijinks Tyson and Tiffany and their team must find Swatere's kids who have been kidnapped as revenge against Tiffany. They find the kids, but will a blazing mountain fire defeat their attempt to rescue them?

Two of the romance novels are based upon two ministers who meet over the phone and begin the journey that is overwhelmed with obstacles. myBook.to/Gifts begins the story, but even after they overcome the barriers set before them, others attempt to cloud the issues in myBook.to/Storms.  The last romance is more secular in nature, but still provides insight into matters of the heart and love without being erotically perverse. There is a wonderful story line in myBook.to/MoneyTalks about love, trust and betrayal.

There are many more found on Amazon--mostly Christian Living and can be accessed through this link  viewAuthor.at/maryglobal.  My goal with this post is to entice you to read my books and let me know if I have accomplished my purpose. 

Thanks for taking the time to read this.

The Push for "Best Seller" Hour!

I am so excited about the release of my latest book! I've already had a 5-star review and it was just released Saturday! My God is awesome!

At any rate, I'm pushing to make the best seller list for sales in one hour--from 6:00 p.m. -7:00 p.m. EST tonight. The book is selling for .99 and if you would join me in this quest, I'd appreciate it. This is the preliminary announcement of tonight's event. I'll send out a reminder around 5:30 EST.

While you're waiting, go ahead and a look at the preview (Inside on Amazon) myBook.to/TNT

Not too long ago, my husband and I asked God for one million plus readers reading my books. Whatever I write, I have Him in mind--the romances, the mysteries, the fantasies, my blogs, everything. Now, I can see His response to our request coming to pass. If you're reading them--thank you. If you're not, God blessings upon you anyway :).
Gotta run to get on with my day. Don't forget!

Mightier Than The Sword (Excerpt)

“You better come up with something, soon. Word got out yesterday that we’re investigating police officers and if we don’t do something soon, all Hip Hop is going to break loose around here. You got that!” he yelled.

Tyson was holding the phone away from his ear while the chief yelled and when he finished, he moved it closer to his ear.

“Yeah, Chief, I got that!”

“Well do something, quick. Samson and Melandro are off the beat until they’re cleared. Not much they can get into sitting in the squad room, but this doesn’t look good and the other officers are beginning to smell a rat. I don’t like rats stinking up my police station, so call me back with something concrete,” he barked and hung up.

Wearily, Tyson put his phone back in his pocket. “Well, I guess you know the chief is not happy. We’ve got to do something soon.”

“Okay, okay, we cannot do any more until we get those reports. Let’s use our time wisely here. We must be able to put together a case—with a motive—which we have not determined as yet, before we can turn this over to the district attorney,” Battle said.

Mightier Than The Sword--available on http://www.amazon.com/Mary-M-Hall-Rayford/e/B00BAW31CQ/

The Last Free Chapters!

The last free chapters are uploaded. Would love to hear from!
http://www.jukepop.com/home/read/6067?chapter=1

My Nano Novel

The first three chapters of my novel written during the 2014 NaNoWriMo, are posted http://www.jukepop.com/home/read/6067?chapter=1  Please read, comment, and vote for me!

Mightier Than The Sword! (Excerpt 2))

The moment she thought about their ability to solve crimes, she got a check in her spirit that was so strong that she opened her eyes and looked around her. It was almost as if someone had spoken aloud, but she knew she was alone in the bungalow.

“That’s odd. I wonder where that thought came from,” she wondered aloud.

She pulled out her bible and put on her glasses to read for a while. While she was reading, again she got a check in her spirit. The thought came to her, “this rest will not be for long.”

“What the heck does mean?” She pulled her glasses off and sat nibbling on the end of the stem of eyeglasses, lost in thought.

Laying her head back against the chair in which she was sitting, she closed her eyes and before she knew it, she was asleep and dreaming. Her dreams encompassed the energy draining case they had just closed in which a white male had systematically chosen his victims—females between the ages of 21 and 25, light-complexioned, with short, close-cropped hair styles. He had abducted and raped them and then chained them in abandoned buildings, with their mouths duct-taped, left to die. 

Fourteen women had been found dead in three different states before they finally caught him—in the act of abducting female number fifteen. A witness to the abduction had the presence of mind to videotape the attempt while screaming for someone to call 911. The woman escaped and the man had fled, but not before video of his car was made. When police arrived with the FBI, the woman and the witnesses were able to give a good description and helicopter units were on the scene within minutes. They had found him cowering in what appeared to be the next abandoned building he had planned to use for his victim. In his car, they found a knife, duct-tape, and a chain-ripper with a roll of chain links.

When questioned about the deaths of the women, he was vile and spewed profanity venomously at anyone with short hair. He wore his hair long and it was matted and tangled, making him look like a mad-man in a horror movie.

The psychologist who had profiled the killer had already intimated that the killer was someone who hated short-haired females because they reminded them of men who might have harmed them when they were younger. Eventually, they were able to ascertain that the killer had witnessed his father, raping young, light complexioned black girls just for the fun of it and had attempted to get him involved. During an attempt to rape another victim, his father was killed when the victim fought back and stabbed him to death. Watching from a hole in a wall where his father dragged his victims, he could not get help for him before he died. Apparently, in his mind, he was avenging his father’s death by raping the women and leaving them to die.

Tiffany groaned in her sleep and then turned over into another position. She saw drops of blood circling her and someone with a hood over their face holding a sword. Just as they got close enough to raise the sword to strike, she woke up, drenched in sweat.

Shaking like a leaf, she got out of the chair to get a cold drink. She stood at the sink, holding onto it for fear she’d fall, if she let go of it. Getting a glass out of the cabinet, she opened the refrigerator and took out a bottle of water. Her hand was still shaking as she poured the water into the glass. Lifting the glass with both hands, she was able to steady the glass in order to drink the water, but she was so shaken by the dream that before she could finish the water, the glass slipped from her hand and broke.

Stepping back from the broken glass, she leaned against the wall and forced herself to stop shaking before she attempted to get up the broken glass.

“Breathe,” she told herself out loud, “Breathe!”

Spotting the broom and dustpan in the corner, she retrieved them and swept up the broken glass, but not before a splinter of glass pricked her finger and drops of blood formed a circle on the floor.

She stood frozen—thinking about the dream—and knew that something horrible was about to happen, but she didn’t know what.

Using self-talk to propel herself into motion, she made her way to the bathroom, cleansed the area around the cut and applied antiseptic before wrapping her finger in a bandage.

Going back to her chair, she picked up her glasses, spontaneously chewing on the end, as she became lost in thought.

“Now is not the time for panic,” she told herself. “Now is the time to reflect upon the possibilities and prepare for the unknown.”

Great Gifts!

Books make a great gift for any occasion or season and its the gift that lasts and can be shared!

My NaNo Novel 2014!

I had actually decided not to write for the NaNoWriMo challenge this year, but after a "friend" bugged me to do it, I did. I already had a story in mind, but had not determined what I wanted to do with it. So, a couple of weeks before the first of November, I developed my characters, my story map, and my fictional city--complete with a grid of the streets and location of all major buildings. I completed my research and typed up my notes, and on November 1, 2014, at 4:30 a.m. I started writing. By November 9, 2014 at approximately, 2:00 p.m. I had finished the first 50K! Now, near the near, I am revising (2nd round) and my word count is over 72K. Since i plan to publish the "finished" work (after 3 more rounds of revising and editing), it will be available on Amazon as an eBook, hopefully before the end of January.

At any rate, here's what the cover looks like--right now.
There's an excerpt on the NaNoWriMo site and I'll probably post it again, soon! Some ideas are worth pursuing! This one certainly was!

What The Lord Does!

"He made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. He keeps every promise forever.He gives justice to the oppressed and food to the hungry.The LORD frees the prisoners.The LORD opens the eyes of the blind.The LORD lifts up those who are weighed down.The LORD loves the godly. The LORD protects the foreigners among us. He cares for the orphans and widows, but he frustrates the plans of the wicked.The LORD will reign forever. He will be your God, O Jerusalem, throughout the generations. Praise the LORD!" (Psalm 146:6-10 NLT)

To fully understand where I've started in quoting this passage of this Psalm, one would have to start from the first verse. Personally, I don't think it requires much by way of explication, but for those who may not know or have forgotten, here's the reminder:

He has created all that was created and without Him, nothing was created.

He is not absent-minded and He keeps every promise He ever makes to all who believe Him.

He opens blinded eyes, both physically and spiritually and when we seek Him, He gives us the motivation and inspiration to rise above our circumstances.

He loves all who live according to His Word because He has a plan for all to achieve.

His protection extends to the those who live among us because of our faith in Him, when they don't believe. He rains on the just and unjust alike. His covenant with us, is the umbrella, that shelters those in our presence.

He speaks to us and through us, in our obedience to Him, those who are without, will have all they need.

Whenever the enemy rises and dares to show his ugliness, The Lord has an army, bold, brave, and courageous, rising up to extol the virtues of The Lord and to remind the enemy he is already defeated.

The Lord our God will reign forever for He is the same yesterday, today and forever--He never changes His mind or His Word towards those who love Him and obey His Word--to love like He loves and live like we're living for Him.

Hallelujah! This is what The Lord does!

Be encouraged today to praise Him no matter what life looks like; it's always better with Him by our side!

Christian Literature that praises Him for all His goodness and leads into His Word. Something for everyone!

http://www.amazon.com/Mary-M-Hall-Rayford/e/B00BAW31CQ/  

All for under five dollars.  Read, enjoy, and review!

Reading, Reading!

Don't forget to check out the books on http://www.amazon.com/Mary-M-Hall-Rayford/e/B00BAW31CQ/  Something for everyone!

Yep! It's Poetry Month!

In The Rabbit Hole

Mary M. Hall-Rayford © 2014

Raking the leaves, turning the soil,

I noticed the burrows dug deep,

But decided to stay on course with my plan,

To clean up the yard before the rain seeped,

Into the atmosphere, spreading across the land

Keeping me from my goal to beautify

All that anyone could see with the naked eye,

And enjoy the fruits of my labor and then,

Suddenly, I lost control of balance and

Started to sink in the hole, I had noticed,

But refused to think about then,

And now as I screamed for help from anyone

I discovered none heard, for no one was near

To my hear my heart-rend screeches or to see the tears

That flowed as I thought all was lost, but

Then I had to reflect about all I knew

About rabbit, whole and how they tasted in stew.

So I remembered Alice, and her plight in the same

And thought about what she might do

Against all odds, earthworms and grubs,

Dirt and stuff I could not even name

No wonder her journey, garnered such fame.

But I must not lose sight of my tale as it is,

May not bring glory and fame, but tis

The stuff whole novels abound with characters

Made in the quickness of thought,

And hopefully, many books will be bought

To see the end of this tale

That I now attempt to regale,

On a spring evening when all through the city

Everyone was busy, raking lawns and seeding

Not worrying about feeding the rabbits who

Waiting for someone to help them reach their goal
By falling in their hole,
Losing their minds and soon their souls,
To the depths of adventure that lie within,
Watch and see if I emerge with a grin,
Victorious in all things, until the very end.