M. Jean Pike's Blog, page 13

In the books

Another April is in the books. Speaking of books, I am on track with my Goodreads goal of reading 60 books this year. I read five in April.

My April reading did not start off very well. My first read was so poorly written that I won’t name it. I picked it up at a library book sale last year. Sometimes even my tried and true method for selecting books fails. It had a pretty cover and a great premise but it was poorly executed. I couldn’t connect with the characters (I tried!) I finished it, but just barely.

My second read was  Sweet Girl by Travis Mulhauser. Great characters and an interesting plot. Parts of it were a little gritty for my taste but I enjoyed the story.

Third was Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout. It took some doing to get this book read, lol. A Kindle malfunction about a third of the way through had me scrambling to my local library to borrow a copy. After a two day wait I finally got my hands on it and was able to finish it. I loved almost everything about this book!

Next up was a very nice Christian Romantic Suspense title, Dangerous Detour by Gail Pallotta. Lots of action and a sweet romance with a strong faith element.

I was treated to an ARC by one of my favorite Christian Romance authors. I love getting these early previews! Dr. Mallory and the Undercover Dog Dad is a fun romance with a splash of suspense. A solid five star read. I would not have expected any less from Erin Stevenson.

Between the rain and a lot of back pain (which are probably related) my plan to rack up some walking miles at the city park did not pan out. Miss Emma and I walked just ten laps for the whole month – about two miles total. I am hoping for better weather and many more laps in May!

On the writing front things are looking much better! I completed my final galley edits for Superheroes and am waiting for my ARCs. Release date is set for August 22nd!

I also received a contract for this year’s Christmas novella. If you like sweet romances, unexpected snow storms and wise and wonderful service dogs, you’re gonna love Chester’s Miracle! It releases in November

(The real Chester!)

I had to put Blackberry Summer on hold again, but my first draft is about half finished. I’m still super excited about it

Despite some hungry, naughty deer, I have some good things going on in the garden. They don’t seem to like my columbine which makes me very happy. I like them enough for everyone!

I started with three or four slips of Lily of the Valley five years ago and now they are taking over the flower bed! They are so lovely and sweet, I have forgiven them for being a bit pushy. I gifted some to a friend but I do have a bit more thinning to do.

I noticed that some poison ivy has started to get a toe hold in one of my flower beds I have had some bad experiences with that hateful vine in the past. I don’t plan to try and pull it out, though that is the best way to get rid of it. I have learned that no matter how careful I am, the smallest encounter with it can lead to days and days of misery. With all the birds, bunnies and other critters, not to mention the flowers, I don’t use chemical weed killers. I found out about a natural week killer that combines salt, dish soap and white vinegar. Supposedly it will do the trick. I will let you know.

So that’s how my April shaped up. I’d love to hear about yours

Pleasant Words

Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.

Proverbs 16:24

I get so discouraged sometimes. It’s hard to get noticed in the book world. With hundreds and hundreds of books flooding the market every day, it seems my stories get buried in the avalanche. If it was about money and fame I would have quit long ago. I write for an audience of One, and if that One is pleased, that’s what matters. I lose sight of that sometimes. Still, I want my stories to uplift, to encourage, to bless those who read them.

I get discouraged sometimes. And then, like honey dripping from a comb, like a warm summer rain, pleasant words arrive unexpectedly. I don’t know this reviewer. But her words have blessed me beyond measure. They have brought encouragement to my soul.

Reviewed by Bernadette Longu for Readers’ Favorite

King of Hearts by M. Jean Pike is a beautiful Christian contemporary romance that brings to light the guiding hand of God our Father in the main characters’ lives. The romance starts with a lost man, Dalton Kingston, who has suffered great tragedy in his life. He is working as the carousel operator at a carnival in the town of Redford Crossing, where he meets Harper Blessing, a food truck owner, and her delightfully eccentric family. Aunt Clara is a force to be reckoned with, but although she has her own problems, she is always ready to help anyone who needs a helping hand.

King of Hearts by M. Jean Pike takes the reader on a wonderful journey through the lives of the community that makes up the town of Redford Crossing. Each character is brought into the story and finds their place in the tapestry that the author is weaving. This is done with such a beautiful flair, and with a touch of drama thrown in for good measure. The story unfolds with misunderstandings, reconciliations, acceptance of what has happened, forgiveness of those who have wronged them, and acceptance of God’s guiding hand in all that happens in their lives. The end of the story is expected, but it concludes most unusually and delightfully. Throughout this book, the author takes readers on a path of discovery, both of themselves and the fact that God is ever present in our lives with His unconditional love. Thank you for this inspiring read. I really enjoyed it.

Passionate Kisses

My love of old photos goes back to childhood. I love to study them. soak up all the details, fill in the blanks as best I can when I don’t know the whole story, or even part of it. Yesterday I wrote a post about photos and people in the background. Back in 2018 I wrote a series of posts exploring old family photos; things that stood out to me in each one, things I wondered about and can only guess at. Here is a recycled post of a photo from my parents’ wedding day in 1960. If you love old photos as much as I do, I think you will enjoy it

https://mjeanpike.wordpress.com/2018/05/06/passionate-kisses/

Watching. Wondering. Waiting…

We live in the age of digital photography. But sometimes when I look through our old family albums, especially from vacations, I wonder about the people in the background who unwittingly appear in our photos. I can’t help wondering in how many photo albums, in how many homes, my image has been captured in a picture, somewhere in the background. I wonder the same thing about stories.

Like a camera, a storyteller’s eyes are everywhere, ever vigilant. Watching. Wondering. Waiting for someone or something that will spark an idea. We can’t help it. Our minds are like video cameras, recording it all.

Major characters are the main focus of the story, their character traits often a cherry picked blend of people we are familiar with. The minor characters, though, those who appear briefly in the background for a scene or two, are a different matter. They often spring from snapshots of life; those unexpected glimpses of human nature that sometimes make their way into our days completely unawares.

Like Monster Mom and Sad Boy.

One day, years ago, I was sitting in the parking lot at the high school, waiting for my son, when a woman came barreling out of the primary school next door, dragging a small boy behind her. His little legs struggled to keep up as she hurried toward her minivan.

“Come on. Will you hurry up already?”

Halfway across the lot, the boy dropped his artwork. I saw the bright pink construction paper and the glitter and knew it must be a Valentine. Probably made for her. The woman snapped it up and shoved it beneath her arm.

“Come on. Come on. We’re going to be late!”

Maybe the poor woman was just having a bad day. Maybe she normally had the patience of a saint. Any number of things could have happened that day to push her to the end of her rope. I have written her a few different ways.  

She stays with me. So does her child. They appear, every now and then, in the background of my stories.

Kind of makes you want to be careful, doesn’t it? It certainly does, me.

Because you never know when you might cross paths with a storyteller.

Their eyes are everywhere. Watching. Wondering. Waiting…

So, my storytelling friends, tell me your people-watching stories. I’d love to hear them!

Showing off

If you can forgive a proud grandma’s bragging, allow me to show off the latest pics of my two youngest granddaughters!

Mya — Cute as a button and sweet as can be

Riley — Pretty, pretty princess!

They love the pageant life

I met a guy…

Disclaimer. Though sometimes my characters are loosely based on people I have met, I have never, in all my years of storytelling, blatantly and obviously based a character on someone I know. And I’ve certainly never used their real name. But I met a guy named Chester…

He started coming into my workplace about two years ago. He’s gentle and kind and when he walks in, frowns automatically turn upside down. He is the kind of guy every girl dreams of. When planning my Christmas novella for this year, I needed a guy like him for my story. A guy just exactly like him.

I needed a service dog; sweet and wonderful and wise. I needed the goodest boy. And in Chester, I found my inspiration.

CHESTER’S MIRACLE — Coming Christmas, 2025

100 wishes and a zoom call

The park was filled with fuzzy, white dandelions today and Miss Emma wanted to make a wish on every one of them. I didn’t take my phone along, so this pic is from a couple of years ago.

I’m trying something new today. After looking into some new ways to get the word out about my books, I learned of a podcast called We’ve Got Books. They had some openings for this year and were inviting authors to request spots to talk with them about their books. I chose a spot for October. I’m not great outside of my comfort zone and being recorded while speaking definitely qualifies, so I thought Cool, this will give me several months to get used to the idea! Except that the podcast has to be recorded six months in advance. Which will be today.

I’ve got my code to get into the zoom meeting. I’ve got my script all printed out. If I stick to my story, I might be OK, lol. I’ve even got someone coming over to sit with Miss Emma in case she starts a bark fest in the middle of my meeting. What I don’t have is confidence that I can pull it off. Time will tell, but I’m kind of proud of myself for giving it a try

Oh what a beautiful day

I remember many years growing up in western New York when we celebrated Easter with snow on the ground or in the air. Today could not have been more beautiful. Sunny skies and 77 degrees. (I actually had to get my AC unit out of storage and into the window this afternoon. My house was 82!) The day began with a lovely Easter service at my little country church.

Of course, the sermon was about Jesus’ burial and resurrection, but the pastor also touched on the roles of Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea. Gave me a lot to think about this week.

After service I enjoyed a delicious early dinner with family. My sister’s table was lovely, and filled with yummy food!

I contributed dessert

We got these Rice Krispy Treat Peeps in at the store this year. I thought they might be fun for the top of my Easter cake. They mostly just tasted like Peeps!

I hope everyone enjoyed the day.

I’d love to hear about your day and your Easter traditions

Happy Easter!

He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Mathew 28:6

Wishing you all a happy and blessed Easter!

I have no shelf control!

I was going to be good, I really was.

A couple of weeks ago I was in the middle of my nighttime reading session – a book I had wanted to read for quite some time finally went on sale and I downloaded it to my Kindle. I was about three chapters in and since I didn’t have to be to work until 1 pm the next day I had planned to make a night of it. Suddenly my Kindle froze. My pages wouldn’t turn. I couldn’t restart, cancel or screen off. I couldn’t get to my settings. All I could do was stare in dismay at the book covers in my personal library. Frozen shut. So close and yet so far away.

 I googled fixes for frozen Kindles and found several. None of them worked Determined to finish my book, I went to my local library the next day to borrow it. They didn’t have it, so they requested it from another library. It came in two days later and I finished it in three. I went to return it today. I was going to be good, I really was.

I did not look to the left or right at the tantalizing rows of books, even though there are several current best sellers I want to read. But I didn’t need to check out any books from the library. Not when I still have so many waiting at home. I handed the librarian the book and thanked him for ordering it for me. I was on my way out the door when he said the magic words… Our book sale has been extended for another week if you want to take a look. You might find some good ones…

Remember back in January when I said I’d managed to clear some space on my bookshelf? Nevermind!