Good morning, friends! I hope you all are having a wonderful holiday season and you're looking forward to a blessed Christmas. One of my favorite Christmas treats is Candy Canes. The problem is, I have a sensitivity to Red 40, the red coloring used in almost every Christmasy candy, that makes my skin break out in a rash. I searched the world over, but I had a very hard time finding good candy canes without the Red 40. So I decided to be brave and try to make some homemade. I'm sharing the recipe today on Stitches Thru Time! Click below to check it out. http://stitchesthrutime.blogspot.com/2016/12/homemade-albino-candy-canes.html

Today I'm blogging at HHHistory.com about one of the Christmas icons in my local area.  *****  Most of my growing up years were spent in the vicinity of Castle Rock, Colorado. This is a quaint town along the I-25 corridor between Denver and Colorado Springs. The town is named after a large rock structure that is visible for some time before and after you drive through the town. To me, it never quite looked like a castle, but apparently to the early settlers, it did. Around this time of year, one of the things that my siblings and I looked forward to the most was seeing the Christmas star shining from the t op of Castle Rock. As we were driving, we'd always watch for it to come into sight. The star is quite an icon for the community, but until recently, I didn't know the interesting history behind it. Click Here to read the full article.

Today I'm blogging over at Stitches Thru Time sharing one of my favorite holiday crafts. Check it out for a chance to win this Winter Wonderland Scene. http://stitchesthrutime.blogspot.com/2016/11/capture-scene-in-jar-with-giveaway.html I hope you all have a very happy and safe Thanksgiving!  God bless ya'll.

Today I'm blogging at the HHHistory blog with a giveaway!    With the 2016 Presidential Election just around the corner, and with us Americans holding our breath to hear the outcome, I thought this would be a good time to walk the aisles of electoral history. Today we're exploring three of the most intense elections in American history. 1800 - The Mudslinging Election Aaron Burr At this early point in American history, political parties were just shaping up. The Electoral vote was a bit different then too. The candidate who claimed second place would end up as Vice President. Can you imagine if that were yet the case today? Well, 1800 was the election that changed that. This one was a race between three men. Thomas Jefferson, his chosen V.P. Aaron Burr, and incumbent President John Adams. The contest waged between Jefferson and Adams, both of them slinging angry, nasty accusations at each other - and even their wives. Click Here to read the full post at HHHistory...

How is historical fiction like eggplant lasagna? Today I'm visiting with Debbie Lynne Costillo about the similarities and conspiracy theory. Stop by for a chance to win Dawn of Liberty!  http://theswordandspirit.blogspot.com/2016/09/dawn-of-liberty-by-amber-schamel-ends.html

What do balloons, wax and ping-pong balls have in common? They were all considered as ways to raise the Titanic. September 2 in history - Titanic wreck is discovered! Today I'm blogging at the HHHistory blog about the efforts to discover and raise the Titanic. I hope you'll stop by! http://www.hhhistory.com/2016/09/discovering-sunken-titanic.html

Today I'm blogging over at Stitches Thru Time with a Monday morning devotional and giveaway! Stop by to enter to win a custom chalkboard art! How do you keep the fire in your prayer life? We're chatting it up at Stitches Thru Time! http://stitchesthrutime.blogspot.com/2016/08/no-one-likes-it-lukewarm-devotional-and.html

Today I'm blogging over at the Heroes, Heroines and History blog about this day in history. Did you know the Declaration of Independence wasn't signed by all of the delegates until August 2nd, 1776? Sure, they adopted the resolution a month before, but the signing didn't happen until a month later. Actually, the timeline of the Declaration is fairly complex. Here are few tidbits I enjoyed discovering. :)  Read the full post here: http://www.hhhistory.com/2016/08/240-years-agothey-signed.html

I'm blogging over at Heroes, Heroines and History about the 4th of July and other notable events that happened on that day. Here's a peek at the article. July 4th, 2016 marks 240 years since the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. Those 240 years have been filled with a lot of milestones. Tremendous history, inventions, battles, victories, losses, fun...so much to be attributed to our wonderful country and the American Spirit of innovation and patriotism. The very date of July 4 holds many notable events, so in honor of Independence day, I thought I would share a few of those tidbits with you.   Read the full blog here.

I'm chatting it up at Celebrate Lit! Confessions of my nerdy infuriations and how I began writing DAWN OF LIBERTY. Here's a preview of the article. On July 4th, 2016, Americans across the nation will celebrate the 240th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Besides the basic overview you got in history class, how much do you really know about the document and the men that signed it? As an American and a history nerd, I was upset when I realized how much I didn’t know the struggle these men went through, who they really were, what they felt, and what they were putting on the line when they signed their name to that document. READ the rest and enter the giveaway here: http://www.celebratelit.com/dawn-of-liberty-celebration-tour/ DAWN OF LIBERTY is on tour with Celebrate Lit! This means you get to see what readers are saying about the book, PLUS enter to win some great prizes. Check out the blog links below to see what readers are saying about D...

We are so excited to let ya'll know that DAWN OF LIBERTY is now available for Pre-Order! I'm also giddy that we have a wonderful BONUS for those of you who order before June 2nd. Here's the details.  Get a taste of history with these 12 delicious Colonial recipes, straight from Samuel Adams and his compatriots! Order Dawn of Liberty before June 2, and forward your pre-order receipt to vwpreorder@gmail.com to get your FREE copy of these 12 recipes! Recipes Included: *Poor Man's Onion Soup *Widow Jones' Apple Pie *Breakfast Hoe Cakes *Farmhouse Venison Roast *Sauteed Garden Turnips *Betsy's Boston Beans *Colonial Cocoa *Chicken Roly-Poly *Stewed Cucumbers and Onions *Christmas Apple Breakfast *Butter Crust *Drippings Gravy Here's the link to pre-order on Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01F0N34KE Or Pre-Order an autographed Paperback from the General Store! http://www.amberschamel.com/general-store.html

I'm blogging over at the Heroes, Heroines and History Blog!   Research turns up a lot of interesting facts. I guess that's one of the reasons I love it so much. While researching my family genealogy, I was looking at some passenger ship lists of immigrants coming to America. On the logs, they listed the passenger's occupation. On one page, I noticed that several ladies who were listed as "Spinsters." Hmm. I looked to see how old these gals were...early twenties. Double hmm. This information hailed much teasing from my siblings since I will be turning 25 on Sunday (And yes, I still live at home in true Jane Austen style. ;). So, I decided to do some research and turn up some "spinster" ladies who married famous and influential men in history. I figured it would be fun to share with ya'll as I commemorate having lived a quarter of a century on earth. Read the full post here: http://www.hhhistory.com/2016/05/spinsters-with-famous-husbands.html

A friend of mine posted a great quote from an evangelist on Facebook this morning, and it got me thinking. "The trouble of it is today, the people don’t have time to get before God and get still. They got so many things to do. They belong to this; they got to do this; they got to have this; they got to go there. You—you don’t have time. The devil’s just took up all your time. You don’t have time to get still before God, get quiet."        56-0213 - "Hidden Life With Christ"        Rev. William Marrion Branham This reminded me of something I'd read a while back from Martin Luther. He said, "I have so much to do today that I'm going to need to spend three hours in prayer in order to be able to get it all done." Wow. That's quite a contrast to the typical attitude of "I don't have time" or "I'm too busy to pray." Martin Luther was one busy fellow. He wrote many catechisms, thesis, started a reformation, wrote ...

Did You Know… There were 12 dogs recorded as passengers on the Titanic. Among the 713 survivors of the tragedy, three of them were dogs. Two Pomeranians and a Pekinese made it off on the lifeboats.   You're Invited! Come be one of the first to see the new cover for my upcoming Short Story Collection, Dawn of Liberty! We'll be giving away two $5 Amazon gift cards, playing games, and having a ton of fun and fellowship. I hope you will join us. Click HERE to join the Facebook Party.

Did You Know… • In 1957, BBC News reported a record Spaghetti harvest and showed Swiss farmers collecting spaghetti from trees. • In 1996, Taco Bell announced it had purchased the Liberty Bell an d intended to rename it the Taco Liberty Bell. So glad this was a joke.

Superbowl commercials have been a cultural phenomenon for a long time. Some folks are more interested in the commercials than the football game! This year, there was one commercial in particular that garnered a lot of attention. Not for how clever it was, but for how...weird? Strange? Kinda gross? Those of you who saw the Puppy-Monkey-Baby commercial know what I am talking about. There were even memes going around on social media about the strangeness of this advertisement. But you know what is the most interesting thing about the Puppy-Monkey-Baby commercial? Everyone remembers the commercial, but almost NOBODY knows WHAT they were advertising. I was recently listening to a sermon about how our lives as Christians should be a billboard for Jesus Christ. This sermon caused me to pause and question myself. I realized that I needed to ask the question, "Am I a Puppy-Monkey-Baby Christian?" Even though I claim to be a Christian, even though I claim that my life is dedica...

Today I'm blogging over at Stitches Thru Time with a devotional thought on hard times. Here's a preview. *****  Have you ever had a day when you woke up and realized that your life is not where you'd wanted it to be? Or realized you'd made a terrible mistake you couldn't take back? Or somehow found yourself in the middle of a mess you can't get out of? One of those days when you'd give anything for one of those Southwest "Wanna Get Away" buttons? I recently went through a period like this. Things weren't going the way that I wanted them to, and it seemed that no matter how hard I struggled forward, I always ended up back in the same place. A death march of circles that were getting me nowhere. I cried out to my Lord, and though I could sense His presence, I felt as if my prayers weren't having an impact. I had no clear answer or direction. Click Here to read the full post at Stitches Thru Time

Happy National Anthem Day! There is such an amazing story behind these lyrics. Have you ever seen all four verses for this beautiful song?     O say can you see, by the dawn's early light, What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming, Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight, O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming? And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there; O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave? On the shore dimly seen through the mists of the deep, Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes, What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep, As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses? Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam, In full glory reflected now shin...

Today I am blogging over at the Heroes, Heroines & History blog and offering a giveaway of The Master's Calling! Click here to read the post and enter the giveaway. With the new movie Risen coming out, and Easter drawing near, I thought I would take ya'll on a trip with me to visit the Garden Tomb in Israel. The Garden Tomb Out of all the sites that we visited during our trip to the Holy Land, this one tops them all. There are actually two places near Jerusalem that claim to be the place that Jesus was buried. There is the Catholic Church of the Holy Sepulcher, and then there is the Garden Tomb which was claimed by Protestants, which is where our tour took us. I found the facts about the Garden Tomb to be very interesting, and thought you might too. The Garden Tomb is a beautiful place that simply takes your breath away. As you enter, you are met by plants, flowers and stone landscaping that transports you to the Biblical era. The site is very unique, and ...

Did You Know… George Washington had many pursuits, but farming seems to have been his favorite. He was the inventor of several farming advances, such as the drill plow and threshing barn. He was also the man to introduce Mules to the United States when he bred donkeys from the King of Spain with his own horses.

Did You Know… 27 Medals of Honor were awarded to Marines and Sailors for their bravery during the Battle of Iwo Jima. This is actually 28% of all Medals of Honor presented to Marines during WWII. Hershel Williams (pictured) is the only one of these Iwo Jima recipients' still living. #IwoJimaDay

Did You Know… Grover Cleveland, the 22nd and 24th President of the United States of America served as an executioner earlier in life. While serving as Sheriff of Erie County New York, he personally carried out multiple hangings. One was the hanging of murderer John Gaffney on February 14, 1873.

In honor of Abraham Lincoln's Birthday. Did you know... Before going to Ford’s Theater, President Lincoln signed the legislation to establish the Secret Service Agency. He was shot that very night. However, even if the agency had been in place, it still would not have saved him, because the agency was originally founded to battle the widespread problem of currency counterfeiting. It was not until 1901 that they began protecting the Presidents.

Today is national Teddy Day, so here's your Teddy Tidbit. :)  Did you know... President Roosevelt was a bear hunter. When one of his hunts was unsuccessful, his friends created a stuffed bear to cheer him up. It became a hit and is forever known as the "Teddy Bear."

Today I'm so excited to kick off the Celebrate Lit blog tour! We've got nine wonderful blog stops with a chance to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card. How exciting is that? To kick it all off, we're answering one of the most common questions that readers ask "Why do you write what you write?" Why Do I write Christian Historical Fiction? Many people have asked me why I chose to write the genre that I do, and it’s a fair question. Fiction has often been viewed as frivolous, even a waste of time by those of us that are more practical natured, but in reality, that is far from the truth. Isn’t it interesting that the #1 best seller of all time, the Bible, is primarily story? The Bible has 66 books, out of those, at least 23 are filled with stories of patriarchs, kings, and other characters including Jesus Himself. During His ministry on earth, Jesus used parables to teach the people. Hop on over to the Celebrate Lit blog to read the rest and enter to win t...

This past October, my family and I took a trip to North and South Carolina. As a writer, it's always fun to combine book research with vacation. I love Civil War history especially, and a friend of mine recommended that we visit the Sheldon Church ruins while we were there. I'm so glad we did. Nestled among enchanting oak trees and scattered graves, it is a beautiful and somewhat mysterious place. The church is outside of Beaufort, SC. It was originally known as Prince William's Parish Church. Built between 1745 and 1753, this church was in a beautiful Greek style. It's building was paid for by Lieutenant Governor William Bull, who had a plantation in the area. The plantation was called Sheldon, and so the church is often referred to by that name as well. Lieutenant Governor Bull attended this church, and is buried on its grounds. Read the rest of the post at Stitches Thru Time.

 I'm interviewing Christian Historical author Linda Brooks Davis on Stitches Thru Time! Linda shares about the inspiration behind her latest book, what made her become a writer, and the experience of winning Jerry B. Jenkin's Operation First Novel contest. Welcome Linda! We're so glad you could visit us today.   What made you decide to become a writer? I have been a lifelong voracious reader but haven ’ t always enjoyed writing. I think I feared the critiques in my early school days. It wasn ’ t until I entered high school that I learned there was something inside me that longed to put my thoughts and emotions onto paper. During my first year of college, a daily delight was writing letters home to Mother and Daddy and little brother Dale and imagining their vicarious enjoyment of my college experience. I was a bit stunned when a creative writing English professor asked if I ’ d ever considered writing for a career. The thought of putting my thoughts and emotions ...

Today I'm blogging over at the Heroes, Heroines and History blog! Join me to learn 6 Fascinating New Years Resolutions from History! Happy New Year everyone! I can hardly believe it's already 2016. With the new year upon us, many are thinking about the past year and making goals and plans for the next. As I was doing some planning of my own, I began to wonder about the history of New Year Resolutions and decided to look into it. Over 4,000 years ago, the Ancient Babylonians held a New Year celebration. They would often make promises to their gods in hopes of winning their favor. One of the most common was a promise to get out of debt. Interesting, huh? Read the rest of the post here.  http://www.hhhistory.com/2016/01/6-fastinating-new-year-resolutions-from.html