Shelley Shepard Gray's Blog, page 22

Thankful

Yesterday I woke up early, made stuffing and an apple pie by nine am, and had our turkey in the oven by 10:00 am. While that turkey roasted, we finished decorating the house…and played with the puppy! My mother-in-law drove down from Cleveland.  It was so nice to have a very low-key holiday.

Last night, after too much turkey was consumed, my husband, mother-in-law, and son watched football. I watched a Hallmark movie and took a nap!

So, all in all, nothing too special on our Thanksgiving Day.

It was perfect! I was home, so was my husband…and both kids! We had Suzy, and of course, a puppy to cuddle.  I was so thankful for all of it.

Today I might write a little bit, or I might not. It's beautiful here, sunny and 60 degrees….too pretty to sit in front of a computer, I think.

I hope today you have time for leftovers, time to relax, and time to be with the people you love.

Shelley

'Mom' Time

Rudy's new favorite spot

After all those days of being on the road, I'm more than happy to be wearing jeans again, stick my hair up in a pony tail, and just be 'Mom'. I sure am getting a good dose of it right now! When we picked up our daughter from college on Monday night, she wasn't feeling too well. A trip to the doctor yesterday confirmed what we feared: strep throat.  

Our son came home with his puppy-who is not all that sleepy anymore! Rudy loves to chase our dachshund around the house. (No, it is definitely not her favorite game!) Luckily, Rudy also loves to be in the kitchen with me. While I made dinner last night, he found his favorite spot-right under the convection oven! It blows out warm air, and he feel right asleep on the floor. Too cute!

Today, I'm going to write a little bit and then start Thanksgiving preparations. And take care of my daughter. And do my kids' laundry. And clean up after a puppy.

Sounds like being a 'Mom' to me!

Happy Thanksgiving! I wish you all many opportunities to give thanks for your blessings~

Shelley

Tour Memories

I woke up in my own bed today, and made a pot of coffee in our coffee maker. I've got a load of laundry going, and watched some of the morning news from my usual spot in our living room. My little dachshund Suzy is sitting beside me, happily taking the stuffing out of one of her many toys.

I'm home again!

It feels great to be home. It really does. But I have to admit that there is a part of me that wishes we were still back on the Amish Country Tour. The whole time, there had been a sense that all of us were a part of something pretty special. Hmm…-maybe because we were?

Publishers don't send authors out on book tours much any more. I'm no financial wizard, but I have to imagine it would be hard to justify the expense. Even avid readers have busy lives-maybe even too busy to make the time to see a favorite author?

But, boy did we get to see so many readers! We met future readers of Amish fiction, too. And visited with a lot of Amish, spending hours talking with them about books and their culture. Amy and Vannetta and Alica must have taken a 1000 photographs of buggies and the countryside. I know we'll talk about this tour for the rest of our lives. It was a such a gift to all of us.

On Saturday after Lancaster's book signing, we had one last meal together. And with this blog in mind, I passed around an old sheet of paper I had stuck in my purse. On it, I asked everyone to write down a couple of 'Amish Tour Memories'.

Of course, one of the biggest highlights were meeting readers! But besides that, I asked everyone to think of the 'Funniest' experience, the 'Most Embarrassing', and 'The Best'. Our answers are below.

The rest of the week, I'll be answering the 500 emails I never got to answering last week, writing Found, and getting ready for Thanksgiving. I hope y'all will have a wonderful week, too!

So..Drum Roll, please! Here is our 'Amish Tour Wrap-Up' :

Funniest Experience:

Shelley Shepard Gray: Getting lost and then lost again on the way to Shipshewana. Never again did I attempt to 'help' navigate!

Vannetta Chapman: Meeting some of Shipshewana's Finest.

Amy Clipston: Listening to some of the funny comments at the Parade in Shipshe.

Alicia May (senior marketing director, Zondervan): Vannetta's Wikipedia/Jay Leno Commentary about, oh, everything. (Vannetta really is a walking encyclopedia!)

Sue Brower (Editor for Zondervan): Amy mailing her clothes back home so she could bring home presents in her suitcases!

The Most Embarrassing Moment:

Shelley: Would have to be either when I forgot my purse in a restaurant or when my suitcase handle injured the woman sitting across from me at the airport. (oh, she was so mad!)

Vannetta: When my bittersweet story made Shelley cry. (from shelley: I think that would be more my embarrassment, yes?)

Amy:  Having the airport attendant tell me that my suitcase was 7lbs overweight. Before I even began the trip!

Alicia: Being 'walked in on' at a Subway

Sue:  Getting lost in rural Pennsylvania while following GPS instructions.

Katie Broaddus (our extraordinary publicist!):  My Traffic 'stops'

The Best Moment:

Shelley: Taking Amy and Vannetta to breakfast with Clara, her daughter, and her granddaughter.

Vannetta: Buying quilts from Mary

Amy: Having ice cream with Sally, and listening to her daughters' beautiful song

Alicia: The Cheese Factory Tour in Berlin

Sue:  Having ice cream with Sally, and that beautiful song!

Katie: Sitting in each other's rooms, talking all night.

Happy Monday, everyone!

with blessings,

Shelley

Home Stretch

Last night, Vannetta, Amy, and I had dinner with readers at Plain and Fancy Farm.  We each hosted a table of about 8 readers, and I have to say it was probably my favorite evening of the trip. At my table, Alecia May joined me. She's the executive marketing director of Zondervan, and pretty much an amazing person. She's spent the last year organizing the tour, designing bookbags and ornaments for the giveaways, coordinating events, and probably a 1000 other things I'll never know. I do know that she's made this 9 day tour a wonderful event for me.

At the dinner, everyone talked about books and the Amish and reading. I never get tired of talking about those things! Each of the attendees really brought something to the table, and I'm so thankful for their time. After the dinner, we went to the Amish Experience Theater and we three authors gave our last speeches of the trip. The highlight for me, however, was listening to Brad Igou talk about the Amish in Lancaster County.

After all that, we all moved to the Amish Farm House on the property. There we had pie (yay for pie!), and Amy, Vannetta, and I each sat in a different room of the house and signed books and posed for pictures.  I chatted with Kimberley and her husband who just moved to the area from New Hampshire, and Judy, who just happened to hear about the event while taking a looming class. I signed 7 books for P.J. (he brought all of my books with him to sign!)  I talked with ladies about cooking Thanksgiving turkeys and wayward beagle dogs. It was so nice just to relax and chat.

Today I woke up far too early and have been looking at my suitcases, wishing somebody else would pack them!

But since that someone is going to have to be me, I guess I better get going. We're off to Berean Christian Bookstore in Lancaster this morning. We'll be signing there from 10-noon. And after that? The airport!

I'll arrive in Cincinnati at 9:30 tonight. My husband is going to pick me up, and I honestly can't wait to see him. 

Then it's home to Suzy and sleep. And laundry. And grocery shopping~because my kids are coming home on Tuesday night!

ha! Life really does just keep moving along, doesn't it?

I don't plan to do anything much tomorrow, so I'll see y'all on Monday!

God bless,

Shelley

Loving Lancaster County

Last fall, my husband and I visited Lancaster County for the first time. I signed at Berean Christian Store in Lancaster, (where we'll be tomorrow at 10:00 am) went to a smorgasbord (where we ate way too much food), then drove aimlessly around Lancaster County.

I saw a few Amish farms and stopped at  store, but really I didn't see all that much. Our schedule was tight and we didn't know where we were going.

What a difference a good trip planner makes! For this leg of the trip, Amy Clipston has been in charge of things! And she, with the rest of the Zondervan crew, have outdone themselves. I'm in the middle of a busy day, but here are a few of the highlights:

* Last night we went to Amy's Amish friend's home and brought them ice cream. This lady actually serves dinner to tourists, so a whole group was leaving as we were arriving. It was super chilly out last night, and the the walk from the end of the driveway, down the walkway, and to their front door reminded me of walking in a Halloween house. With no street or outside lights, it was pitch black out! But then their door opened, and we went into their living room, where  coals were heating in their fireplace/heater, warm candlelight was glowing, and Amy's friends greeted us with sweet smiles. We had such a nice time-and her lovely daughters even sang us a song. Beautiful!

*Today I wrote this morning, then met everyone down in the lobby at 10:20. After getting today's schedules, we piled into our van, and went off to the Bird-in-Hand Restaurant and Stage. Everything was set up so beautifully, and a very nice crowd was there to have lunch with us. Our agent even drove all the way from New York to join us for the lunch! Amy, Vannetta, and I each said a short speech, we ate a quick meal, then we signed books. I met some of the nicest people, including Casey, who gave me such a sweet letter that I got all teary-eyed. 

*Then we got to see the play The Confession! To be honest, I wasn't sure if I would like it, but it was wonderful. I would definitely go see it again. We signed more books at intermission, watched the rest of the play, then got on our way!

* Tonight, we're speaking at the Plain & Fancy Farm, and visiting with readers-and eating more wonderful-gut food, I am sure! I, of course, am anxious for one last piece of coconut cream pie!

Tomorrow, we'll sign at Berean, then take off to the airport. I have to admit that I'm ready to go home. I miss my husband and my little mini-dachshund Suzy. I'm ready to wear jeans and sweaters and take a nap on the couch. And, because I am a writer-I miss that, too. I'm now ready to go back into my office in the basement, turn on my space heater, and think up more stories!

And of course, I've got a turkey to buy. My kids are coming home for Thanksgiving!

I'll try to write tomorrow from the airport. But if I don't get a chance, thanks for taking this trip with me, thanks for reading the blogs, and for everyone who came out to see us-whether it was driving 9 hours like the lady in Canton, or drove  minutes like the lady at the luncheon today-Thank You! You made this trip unforgettable.

Oops~yet again, it's time to hurry downstairs!

with blessings to you all,

Shelley

Car Trip Day

When you were little, what did you like to do on car trips?

I usually read. Every once in a while, we'd play the license plate game, but mostly I had my nose in a book.

It's funny how some things never change! Last night at our book signing, I bought Serena Miller's new historical,  The Measure of Katie Calloway. I'm looking forward to reading something new-and actually holding a book instead of my Kindle for once!

I've also got tons of work to do. So far, I've been pretty good about keeping up with my writing. But sometimes there's nothing like sitting and enjoying a good book.

When we drove to Holmes County, it took us about two hours longer than expected. A lot of the places we're going are a ways off the Interstate, so it's easy to get turned around. And then there's the bathroom breaks. (Five women) And the coffee breaks (five women) and of course….snack time! (I know! my husband would never put up with this!)

Our trip today is supposed to last 7 hours. Our reward for getting there on time? Ice cream with Amy's Amish friends.

Speaking of which~I better go cart my bag down to the lobby!

Shelley

Highlights from Holmes County

Getting ready to sign books at the beautiful Carlisle Inn

Dropping in this evening for a quick hello. We just finished a book signing at The Gospel Book Store in Berlin. We're back at the hotel for a few minutes before we meet several Amish couples for dinner.

~thought I'd share a few highlights from our time in Berlin and Sugarcreek before I run off to eat more broasted chicken and pie:

1) I seem unable to pronounce 'Berlin' correctly. Last night, Rhoda (owner of the The Gospel Shop in Sugarcreek) tried unsuccessfully to help me for at least a half hour. I won't give up! (For those of you interested, emphasis is on the 'Ber' in 'Berlin'

2) I also have finally figured out the side door button on our van. For days I've been locking us in, or out, or well, you name it.

3) I can still eat pie anytime, anywhere. Now I've learned I can't eat so much of it.

4) I also can't seem to stop buying books.

5) I sometimes get as nervous to meet readers as they do to meet me!

6) Being on the book tour makes me anxious to write an Amish historical romance! Who would've ever thought?

oops…got to go, or I'll be late!

Tomorrow, it's off to Lancaster County. Let's all hope our 7 hour drive doesn't turn into 9 hours…

hugs to you, and thanks for stopping by my page on FB! I hope you've been enjoying the photos!

Shelley

Spending the Day in Sugarcreek!!

Our Tour...and Christmas in Sugarcreek...are highlighted in this week's Budget!

I'm feeling a little giddy this morning. Okay, truthfully I'm feeling pretty tired, but I'm so excited, too. Our tour is spending the day in Sugarcreek! This morning, I'm taking Amy and Vanetta to meet my Amish friend. She invited us to breakfast. I'm so looking forward to giving her a couple of small presents, too-my Christmas in Sugarcreek book, a new Christmas puzzle that I bought for her in Shipshewana and an advanced copy of Karen Kingsbury's latest novel! My Amish friend just loves Karen Kingsbury-and Zondervan publishes Karen-so I asked them if there was any way I could give just one copy as a gift. Last night Alicia told me one was in the van, ready to go!

The ladies from Zondervan really are miracle workers!

Last night we went to a signing at Berean Christian Store in Canton, and met a very nice group of Very Enthusiastic Ladies! We held raffles, and the winners who got T-shirts slipped them right on over their clothes. They looked awesome! Then our tour group went out to eat at Bravos.

When we were done, it was raining. Actually, it was POURING! I told my husband it was 'raining like Houston'. Have y'all ever been driving in rain that seems to fall in sheets from the sky? It was a hairy drive-both on the highway, and on the back country roads.

Then Alicia, our driver (and Zondervan's executive marketing director), then had the best idea. She asked us all about our faith journeys. Now, I don't know about y'all, but that isn't something I talk about much, and especially not in the middle of a thunderstorm. But as I heard everyone's stories, I began to the think it was the absolute perfect time to think about faith.

Sometimes it's really all in God's hands, as it has been all along.

If you're in the Sugarcreek area, I hope to see you either at the Carlisle Inn from Noon until 3:00, or at the Tuscarawas Library from 5:00 to 7:00 pm tonight.

wishing God's many blessings for you~

Shelley

Hello from Berlin!

Our beautiful carriage for the light parade

Boy, already I'm not doing a very good job of keeping up with all that's been going on! I promise to try to do much better!

It's been so busy since I last wrote.

First off, Shipshewana is absolutely charming! Now I can completely understand why fellow author Vannetta Chapman has set her Amish mysteries there. I'd live in 'Shipshe' if I could!

I posted lots and lots of pictures on my Facebook page of the signing, parade, and tree lighting this morning. Please visit me there to see all the photos! I'm going to have to wait to get home to post more pictures here.

Here's some of the highlights from Shipshewana:

* Meeting a 'Shelly'! She stood in line with three copies of Christmas in Sugarcreek for me to sign.

* Eating coconut cream pie AND chocolate toffee pie after the parade! Katie, our publicist, and I decided to each order a slice, then neatly divide them in half so we could have both. I think I'll do this all the time now.

* Waving to hundreds of people  during the parade, and watching the whole crowd (5000 people!) light candles as everyone sung Silent Night.

* Hopping in a VERY CROWDED van yesterday loaded with Red 'Amish Country Tour' bags, extra books, five women, seven suitcases…and five laptops, too!

* Watching everyone's smiles when they first saw beautiful Holmes County, Ohio.

And…falling asleep last night.  Bliss!

Now it's off to tour an Amish cheese factory and Amish furniture maker's shop before today's booksigning in Canton.

With blessings to you!

Shelley

Hello from Shipshewana!

Yesterday,after  my daughter drove me to the airport, I had to do a last minute shuffle of things in my suitcase (all those pens and bookmarks made my bag too heavy!), then finally I was on my way!

We all met at the Hertz counter in Chicago. I have to say it was so fun to see Amy Clipston and Vannetta Chapman again! I first met Vannetta last year at ACFW, and the last time I had seen Amy was when she and I signed books together at the International Christian Retail Show in Denver. I think that was four years ago!  We were met by Katie our super-organized publicist/leader and before we knew it, we were on our way. Somehow I ended up front with Katie and promised to help her navigate.

Traffic was heavy out of Chicago-and, okay, we got lost a couple of times-(yep, not the best navigator!)-but we finally made it to Barnes and Noble with a full 40 minutes to spare! Then it was time to quickly change clothes, grab a sandwich at the cafe, and start the signing!

We met a lot of super nice people, some who were waiting for us to arrive! We met Larry and his daughter who Amy and Vannetta knew from Facebook. I got to visit with Kathy, who I'd been writing to over the years, too.

After the signing was over, we hopped back in the van and got on our way to Shipshewana! As soon as we got off the highway, we started seeing buggies-at 10 at night! Then when we drove through town, we saw all the lovely buildings already framed in white lights. It's so lovely here!

Of course, I ended up hosting a whole crew of people in my room last night until after midnight! I guess it doesn't matter how old you are-getting the chance to be on the road with other women means lots of time to talk and chat!

Today is sure to be awesome! We'll be meeting a tour group from Grand Rapids, visiting the Blue Gate Theater, and participating in the Christmas Parade and tree lighting tonight!

It's cold here~so glad I brought gloves!

Thanks for stopping by~

with blessings to you,

Shelley

Vannetta getting ready to sign books!