Jewell Tweedt

I wish all of you a Merry Christmas and thank you for all the support and encouragement you've given this year. It has been a year of highs and lows but my friends have stuck by me. Thanks you and may God bless you this holiday season.

I am happy to announce that my newest release A Bride for the Sheriff has received 5 star ratings from Goodreads, and Amazon reviewers. Check it out for yourself . Just click on the link to your right. Where else can you get hours of entertainment at such a reasonable price?

Claire Secord is a prim school teacher whose life changes when she moves to the wild town of  Omaha. Her secret- she's a sharpshooter. But will her skills with a pistol be enough to save her when she is kidnapped to become a thug's 'mail-order' bride? Check out A Bride for the Sheriff available now! 

Anna June Johnson is cooking up a storm in my latest book-Cooking up Trouble at the Peabody Palace so today I'm giving you her simple beef stew recipe. But first a big hello and thank you to the ladies of Alpha Delta Kappa who were so gracious and supportive of me yesterday. I gave a short presentation about my writing journey and met some great gals. Thank you, it was fun.  Anna June's Easy Beef Stew 2 pounds lean beef cut in bite size pieces 2 cups beef stock 1/2 pound sliced carrots 1 onion sliced 1 stalk celery sliced 4 large potatoes peeled and cubed flour for dredging 2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil salt and pepper Heat oil in heavy pot. Dredge beef in flour seasoned with salt and pepper. Cook the beef in the oil until all sides are browned. Add the beef broth at medium heat until broth comes to a boil. Then reduce heat, cover and simmer until beef is tender ( about 90 min.). Add vegetables to pot and simmer again until tender ( about 45 minutes). Ad...

Cooking up Trouble at the Peabody Palace is now available in e-reader and paperback versions from Amazon. It is the sequel to Gold in my Pocket and takes place in Black Gulch, California in 1851. It is the diary of AJ Johnson, a quirky chef who finds herself in the midst of a rough mining camp. Please take a look-it's fun and flavorful. Kindle Edition Paperback

The last few weeks have raced by as I juggle  the demands of full time teaching and trying to finish up and promote not one but two new books. My self-published book Cooking up Trouble at the Peabody Palace is the humorous sequel to Gold in My Pocket and deals with zany AJ Johnson who's heart is in the right place but her mouth gets her in trouble. Watch for it mid-October. Prism Book Group is publishing my A Bride for the Sheriff and it releases November 5th.  Thanks to friends and family for their support during this busy time.

A new year has launched and I'll be busy juggling my author and  teacher hats. I am super excited to announce I've been offered a contract for my second book Still Faithful to be reworked and retitled. Also in the works is the new book Cooking up Trouble at the Peabody Palace. I hope to publish that in the next three weeks. Stay tuned and here's hoping for cooler weather. Jewell 

Teachers as Writers-Why They’re a Good Fit   by Jewell Tweedt Exactly 30 years ago I was a disillusioned young teacher looking to make a career change. Searching through help wanted ads I came across a job listing for a Merchandising Assistant. Now I didn’t know what that was but I did have some retail experience and a lot of chutzpah. I applied for the job, was interviewed by the president of the discount chain, and got the position. I spent fifteen years with the organization and received several promotions. Why was I successful? Because as a teacher I had skills that transferred: I was organized, I was creative and most importantly, I could follow through. The skills that are useful as a teacher also help in business and writing is a business. It’s creative and fluid but also a business. Writers produce a product and market it, if they finish the darn book. Organization- Teachers juggle curriculum, meetings, parents, discipline and instruction. Most of them are tryi...

As many of you know I have contracted with Prism Book Group to rewrite and publish Faith of the Heart. Well, I now know the release date is November 4th. It will have a new title, cover and maybe even a new pen name for me. Anyway it's been a long process and I am excited to see it nearing completion. More information will be relayed as it becomes available. Meanwhile I am finishing up the companion diary to Gold in my Pocket. Cooking up Trouble at the Peabody Palace is the fun diary of Anna June who is always sticking her foot in her mouth as she stirs up delicious meals as the Palace's new cook. Watch for this latest creation in September.

I would love my followers to join my blog so today I am offering an autographed copy of one of my books to the fifth person who joins today or tomorrow. Sign up, leave me a comment and I will contact you. If you're already a member, thank you. Leave me a comment as well and I will put your name in a drawing too.

Meet Laura Webb who’s been dragged to Black Gulch, California when her father catches gold fever. But the tough mining camp with no streets, houses, or other women is a dangerous place. When her father abandons her Laura is determined to make her own fortune and go back to civilization. She learns that the quickest way to put gold in her pocket is not with a pick ax but a sewing needle. But some of the miners have their eyes on her.     Joshua Quigley is a young pastor with a daunting mission-minister to the men in the California gold camps. Meeting Laura he’s convinced he’s found his helpmate in building a church and respectable community. Trouble is, Laura’s focus is lining her pockets and heading east. When her father is murdered for his gold and Laura is the next target she must find a way to protect herself and her pony, Sugar Pie, until she can escape. Look out miners- Laura’s coming with gold in her pocket and a pistol in her hand.   

Saturday June 28th Lorna Seilstad and I will be signing our new books at the beautiful Olive Branch gift shop. Lorna writes for Revell. Her new book is "While Love Stirs," and my latest is "Gold in my Pocket- A Gold Rush Diary." Come visit us from 1:00-3:00 at 19278 Conifer Lane in Council Bluffs. A special note of thanks to Ogden Salon for hosting me Saturday morning and for the lovely ladies of D.A.R. that I met Saturday afternoon. Lunch was delicious and I enjoyed meeting you.

The wonderful folks at Ogden Salon are hosting me for the official book launch of Gold in my Pocket! Join me from 9-11 at Ogden Salon, 275 W Broadway. There will be books for sale, beautiful photography by Mike Mase and giveaways of my trilogy Frontier Faith to some lucky winners. Please join in the fun! 

Readers have asked me to share Laura's famous apple pie from Gold in my Pocket so here it is. Enjoy. 3/4 cup sugar 3 T flour 1/2 t cinnamon 1/8 t allspice 6 c sliced peeled apples pastry for a double crust pie Combine first six ingredients. Transfer onto a the bottom crust in a pie plate. Place top crust over filling, seal, and flute. Cut four slits in top for steam to escape.Bake in a medium hot oven (about 350 degrees) for 55-60 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. 

Thanks for the inquiries but we weathered yesterday's storm with only minor problems. There are a few downed branches and lots of damaged plants but that's nothing compared to people's property in the towns north of us. Again thanks for asking and thank goodness for blue skies today.

Only a few days of school left and then it's on to my balcony with ice tea and a stack of books. To me that's heaven. If you like action and a bit of history in a fresh setting check out Gold in My Pocket. Jewell

Please take a look at my latest book, Gold in my Pocket. It's set in Black Gulch, California in 1850 and is full of adventure, danger, and romance. Meet Laura Webb who's about to find out she is tougher and smarter than anyone has ever given her credit for and ends up using every ounce of  her savvy to survive. With gold in her pocket and a pistol in her hand, watch out miners- Laura's coming for her share! Click here to purchase on Amazon Click here for the Kindle edition

I am happy to announce that my newest book, Gold in My Pocket will be available by the first week in June in print and electronic formats.This is in a diary format and I had so much fun writing it. I've never kept a diary so it was interesting to invent my fictional town of Black Gulch, California and write about Laura's struggles as she travels the Oregon/ California Trail only to arrive in a horrific mining camp and be deserted by her gold fever striken father.  Read her thoughts as Laura survives by using her wits and domestic skills carving out a life for herself and her pony Sugar Pie in a man's world. I hope you'll come along for the adventure. To celebrate and introduce my writing I am giving away e-copies of Still Faithful today through May 21st. Get yours and follow the adventures of spunky young women whose exploits aren't predictable. Thanks, Jewell

March 31 and April 1,2014, I am giving away Kindle copies of  Faith and Hope-Grace's Story. Of all the books I've written this one is closest to my heart. Read and enjoy and no April Fools joke here.

I've been struggling lately with a horrific spring cold and an abundance of papers to grade. I apologize for not posting lately. The WIP is going well- Gold in my Pocket is about half completed- please watch for it.   Jewell

Hi, I am happy to report I have a new work in progress called Gold In My Pocket. Meet Laura Webb who's headed to Oregon with her father to make his fortune. It's 1849 and Laura is the one getting rich. Tentative publishing date is early summer. I'll be updating you  as Laura walks the California Trail, tries to make a home in Dry Gulch and learns there is more to happiness than just having gold in her pocket.    

Day Twenty- Add some variety to that daily walk. As you get stronger, go a bit further. I’ve been slowly increasing my time on the treadmill. I started at twenty minutes and now I’m up to thirty minutes and I’ve increased the incline a bit. If you are walking outdoors, take another route, go up and down hills, anything to keep it fresh. Walk with another person if you can. Take your children. The time goes so much faster and it’s a good way to hear what’s going on in the lives of others.! And the sense of well-being is great! Day Twenty-One- Try a new grocery item. Check out the organics section of your grocery store and buy one new item to try. Today I found an organic brand of tea that looks delicious. It was only a few cents more than my regular brand. Next time I’ll try a different type of yogurt. Couldn’t hurt and it was fun to wander through the aisles. WEEK FOUR –FIND A WAY TO LAUGH AND HAVE FUN EVERYDAY Day twenty-two Turn off the cell phone. Go outside to ...

Day Eighteen-Commit to healthier eating with a partner . Statistics say we are more likely to stick to a plan if we have to be accountable to someone else. I plan to call a friend today and ask her if she’s willing to go along with me. Maybe that will work for others too. Day Nineteen-Add some light weights to your walking routine . I’m not a personal trainer and I don’t claim to know what’s best for you but there is a lot of info available on weights, repetitions, specific exercises out there. I’ll be asking my school’s physical education teacher. I’ll bet you know someone too. It’s just not necessary to join an expensive gym.

One of my goals this year is to save money. I figure others might want to do this too so I have lowered the price of my e-books to $2.99. Now you can own all three for under $10.00. So if you've been waiting to buy now is the time. Thanks and tell your friends. I'd also appreciate you  posting reviews if you've enjoyed them.

Yup- I got behind again. here we go... Day Twelve- Discover a new recipe and teach yourself to prepare it.   If you’re like me you have several cookbooks but make the same thing over and over again. Recipes are everywhere- cookbooks, magazines, internet, food packages. Last week I was staring at a pound of ground beef,   my eyes glazed over. I stepped into my pantry and somehow my hands grabbed onto a box of onion soup mix I don’t even remember buying. On the back was a recipe for meatloaf. I made it and my husband raved. Cha-ching! Another recipe for busy nights. I can throw it together and do something I want while it bakes. Throw in potatoes to bake while you’re at it. Happy, happy! Day Thirteen-Unclutter one small area of your house (and your mind while you’re at it.) I know, I know, all these women’s magazine tell you how to simplify your life by uncluttering your entire house and then provide links to buy expensive storage boxes and baskets. Whew. I’m more s...