The Bookshelf 

This month, we’re launching a new column called The Bookshelf, where we’ll feature one or two writers and their published books each month. For starters, we spotlight two Southwest Louisiana authors, Pamela Thibodeaux and Hannah Pettefer 

Pamela S Thibodeaux has been writing romance novels since 1982 and has published 15 books to date. Her tagline, “Inspirational with an Edge!” ™ defines her life, writing, and coaching style.  She is active in the SWLA writing community and is the founder of Bayou Writers Group. Pam has a “Tempered” series, and the sixth and final installment, Tempered Journey, hit shelves last year. The story is a later-in-life romance that shows the power of love to heal the loneliest of hearts. 

Synopsis: As a registered nurse and energy medicine practitioner, Pat Greene has spent her entire life in service to others. But when her BFF finds true love for the second time, Pat finds herself surprisingly envious. Has her call to service—which she will never regret—somehow caused her to miss out on something special? The loneliness she’s kept at bay gnaws at her heart. While in Bandera, Texas she has a chance encounter with the one man she’s ever truly loved and is shocked to discover he’s not the man she thought he was. There’s no mistaking the allure the handsome cowboy holds for Pat, but the idea of giving up a lifetime of missionary work sets off a firestorm of doubt and indecision. 

The ache of loss still haunts Craig Harris a decade after his wife’s death. Has his loyalty to her memory closed off his heart? Is he bound to an existence without the soul-deep joy he knows a woman’s love can bring? When he meets Pat Greene, he is bowled over by an instant, powerful spark of attraction—the kind he hasn’t allowed himself to feel for years. 

She’s second-guessing her life choices. He’s been widowed for over a decade. Will a case of mistaken identity bring two lonely souls together? 

Find this and all of Pamela’s books on Amazon. For more information, go to pamelathibodeaux.com. 

If you had told Hannah Pettefer she would publish a book at age 26, she would have laughed. But one breakup, a career roller-coaster, and some audacious trust later, she “accidentally” wrote an entire non-fiction book on what it means to truly trust God. Since then, she’s been actively sharing her story of faith throughout the community, as well as readers around the world. In Open Hands, released earlier this year, Hannah unpacks the deep, messy stuff in a beautiful way.  

The book starts by detailing what trust is and what it means to trust God. Using scripture and personal stories, Hannah takes a familiar subject and fills it out with truth and depth. She compares the concept of trust to the picture of holding things loosely. This is possible because of the trustworthy hands of God and the humble hands of Christ. The last section of the book practically applies the concept to broad areas of struggle, such as waiting and daily habits. 

“We plan and prepare our lives to meet our goals and fulfill our desires,” Hannah says in the book’s introduction. “But little do we know that we are hurrying around when our Savior invites us instead to sit down. Open up those hands. And trust. We are called to keep our plans in open hands.” 

In addition to being a published author, Hannah also runs her own business, Magical Moments, works with her dad at Paul’s Rib Shack Barbecue, and teaches ballet at Sarah Quinn Jones School of Ballet. 

Open Hands, published by Hope*Books, is available on Amazon, OpenHandsBook.com, Paul’s Rib Shack Barbecue in Lake Charles, and at Imperial Calcasieu Museum’s Gift Shoppe. Find Hannah at OpenHandsBook.com or on Instagram/TikTok at @princesshannahwrites.