Amy R. Anguish's Blog, page 11

20 Years Ago

It's hard to believe it's been two decades since the picture above was taken. That was at our wedding rehearsal and we were giggly and excited to finally be where we'd been longing to be for years. Getting married!
The vows we exchanged with each other are the same vows that appear in my book, For Better or For Granted. Those vows were some I heard my dad use in someone else's wedding, and when it was my turn, I asked him if we could use them too. he looked through his files and printed them out for us.
My father-in-law performed our ceremony (nice having two preachers in the family so you have options). You can see him in the background of this photo. Thing is, when we first started the rehearsal, the friend we'd asked to be our wedding coordinator told us we couldn't actually stand up on stage to practice the parts. She said it was bad luck for the bride and groom to stand there until the actual ceremony.
Here's the deal. I don't believe in bad luck. Also, I had waited a long time to get married. I wasn't letting anyone take my place, even if it was a dear friend. So, I refused to let that happen. My wedding rehearsal, my way of doing things. Seems like our luck has held considering we'll celebrate 20 years of being married tomorrow.
The tradition did, however, make it into one of my other books. Window of the Heart has a wedding rehearsal scene and it was perfect to use this to make my main characters get up on stage across from each other, pretending to be the bride and groom. They weren't happy with each other at the time, so it's a tense scene, but also full of romance bubbling just under the surface. So, something good did come out of that crazy idea from my own wedding rehearsal.
20 years has been filled with eight homes, four cities, seven vehicles, four cats, two children, about seventeen or so jobs, fourteen books and counting, and so much love, laughter, memories, a few struggles, and faith. Are we the same young couple who stood on that stage 20 years ago? Yes. And no. We're a lot smarter now, for sure. But I wouldn't trade the last 20 years for anything. Here's to twenty-plus more.
Do you have any interesting rehearsal stories? Do you love finding out an author has hidden some of her real life in her books?

More to Life than Reading

Are you confused about the title of this post? I mean, wouldn't an author want people to read more than not? And yet, even I, who loves to read, has to get up and do other things sometimes. Like go out and work in my garden or sew or ... sigh ... do the dishes.
This summer, my children are reading a lot. My daughter informed me she read over five hours in one day. And while I love that she reads so much, sometimes I need her to do other things. Like clean her room. Ha! 
​But also, they're kids. They need to get up and move around sometimes. Go play and run and be silly. Or, if you're like my son, you could just do both at the same time.
We're signed up for about four different reading plans this summer. One through the Pizza Hug BookIt! summer program. My kids love getting their own free pizza once a month just because they did what they love anyway. We're also keeping track of books to take the list to Barnes and Noble and get a free new one. Our library always has a summer reading program, so we're all logging days read for that to get fun prizes in a few months. And we're signed up for another program offered in Tennessee that allows kids an opportunity to earn a scholarship just by logging their hours read through the summer. We'll see if my children outread the others in their age group this year or not. They're definitely headed in the right direction.
And all that's great, but they also need to do other things. So, we go to the library, ride our bikes, do park trips sometimes, and find other fun things to occupy our time. I definitely don't want us to swing too far the other way and spend all our time in front of the TV.
My other hardship with all this reading, though, is finding more books for the kids to read. Sometimes, you never know what a book has woven into the story, so I've joined some groups to help me find good ones and get ideas for others my children might enjoy that are safe. I can put a lot of them on hold through the library, which helps. 
How are you all spending your summer? Getting lots of good reading hours logged? Are you signed up for a summer reading program or two? Do you have to remind yourself to get up and do other things every now and then?

Author Interview: Sandra Kay Vosburgh

Feeling mysterious today? Well, we have another mystery author joining us today. Sandra Kay Vosburgh is here, chatting about parts of her life that sneak into her books and why she loves mysteries. She's offering her first two books to a lucky reader, so be sure to leave a comment at the end! What first led you to want to write mysteries? Why that genre?
I was introduced to Agatha Christie when I found my mother’s copy of Halloween Party. I love the mental challenge a mystery presents, and Christie’s plotting was so complex, I rarely picked the right suspect. I attribute my suspicious nature to her.
 
Does your life as a pastor's wife incorporate itself into any of your writings?
Working in women’s ministry had a great impact on my current novel, which is a women’s contemporary with a bit of mystery. The theme is the effect of negative fathering on the soul of a little girl—how a father’s failure to affirm and value his daughter impacts her adulthood. I’ve seen women well into their later years weep when they spoke of their father’s absence or indifference. This moved me to write The Girl in Her.
With a history of a farm girl, do any of your stories take place in a setting similar to your roots?
The male character in The Girl in Her lives on the farm he worked with his grandfather. I do incorporate the setting of fields and woodlots, the pond, the gravestones in the south lot, etc. I grew up on a dairy farm, but the only animal on Clark’s farm is a lazy yellow lab.
 
Where do you get your ideas for mysteries?
My Sackets Harbor Mysteries sprang from news reports. I’d heard of a fight breaking out at a nursing home Bingo game over a chair. Out of that simple bite, I imagined a senior living village where conflict could lead to death, or where conflict could present a red herring. The Bingo game scene crept into The Death Collector, and yes, the one who claimed the chair soon after died from unnatural causes.
 
What's one of the most interesting facts you've discovered while researching?
A good part of The Girl in Her is set in Pawleys Cove, Nova Scotia. I based this area on Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia. In my research I discovered that on September 2, 1998 Swissair Flight 111 crashed into the Atlantic Ocean southwest of Halifax. All 229 people on board perished. The crash site was five miles from the shore of Peggy's Cove.
 
Is one of your characters more like you than another? In what way?
I’ve had to overcome some of the same issues my main character in The Girl in Her, Olivia, had to overcome. That sense of not belonging, feeling alone, knowing God loves me but believing He loves others more. Yet, like Olivia, I’ve been freed from these weights through my relationship with Jesus Christ.  
 
What's one fact about you that very few people know?
I’ve traveled abroad, both on mission trips and as a tourist. My most profound experience, besides being mugged in Bulgaria, was my sobering tour of Auschwitz.  That would be a very sobering and profound experience, Sandra. Thanks for sharing these fun tidbits with us today!
Readers, be sure to leave a comment at the bottom and we'll draw a winner next week. What do you love about mysteries? Who was the first author to introduce you to the genre?
​A mysterious pull toward Nova Scotia lures a reluctant school teacher to embark on a Canadian cruise and sail into deception, tragedy, and love.
 
As the school term ends, teacher Olivia Carr resigns herself to weeks of lonely boredom, until her estranged father asks her to spend the summer on his estate near Boston. Her hope that their relationship could be healed is soon crushed, and Olivia flees her father’s house to join fellow teachers on a New England and maritime Canada cruise. 
The voyage stirs up latent memories. What mystery draws her to the lighthouse at Pawleys Cove, Nova Scotia?
Fellow teacher Clark Rafferty—because of his Christian faith—struggles against his attraction to Olivia. When she unexpectedly joins the cruise and becomes involved in a shipboard romance, his resolve to avoid her must yield to his need to protect her.
Meanwhile, in the shadow of the Pawleys Cove lighthouse, an old man, still haunted by tragedy, prays for the little girl he remembers. 
Sandra Kay Vosburgh is a Bible teacher, women’s ministry director, and pastor’s wife. She is a devotions contributor for David C Cook. Her Sackets Harbor Mysteries are set in the beautiful Thousand Islands area and have won numerous awards. The Girl in Her won the BRMCWC Foundation Award.
 
The Girl in Her is scheduled for release in October 2024. If you would like to receive an update when the book is available, please visit sandrakayvosburgh.com and click the Newsletter link.

Pets Amore Sneak Peek

 If you've been following me, you know I've been aiming to write my novella due to release next February. Well, I got it written! It definitely needs a polish, but it feels so good to have those 20k words down on "paper." Since you all helped me name my hamster in this story, I thought you might like a sneak peek at how it starts. See what you think. ​Trey Jones would do just about anything for his sister. Standing here, hamster cage in hand, his hyped-up six-year-old nephew beside him, and a room full of heart-shaped balloons ahead, he might have reached his limit. Was it Valentine’s Day?
Of course it was. He knew the date. The significance had just slipped his mind, not having anyone to shower with gifts on the over-commercialized holiday.
“Uncle Trey, look!” Rylan hopped from foot to foot. Trey placed his free hand on Rylan’s shoulder.
“I see.” Though, considering the insane amount of pink and red before him, he might not ever see straight again. Even the petite woman, going from seat to seat tying the balloons in place, wore bright pink overalls over a red shirt. Her hair was done in two braids and crowned with a headband with spring-y hearts bouncing on top.
“Ms. Winters!” Rylan shouted, even though she couldn’t be more than five feet away.
She sprang up, eyes wide, the balloon slipping through her fingers and bumping against the ceiling. “Rylan, you’re back.”
“And guess what.” Rylan reached over and grabbed Houdini’s travel cage from Trey’s hand. “I brought my show-and-tell since I was sick last week.”
Ms. Winter’s eyes widened for a split second before she controlled her expression once more. But Trey had noticed. Apparently, bringing a show-and-tell item on a day when it wasn’t scheduled hadn’t been in the plans. Of course not. She obviously had a whole day of Valentine’s craziness prepared. Maybe Trey should offer to take the pet home again for today.
“Wow, Rylan. Um, what is it?” Ms. Winters took a few steps closer and leaned forward to peer into the plastic box. Then, she jerked back, hand to her heart. “Is that a … mouse?”
“No.” Rylan giggled and lifted the box higher.
Ms. Winters inched back.
“It’s my hamster, Houdini.”
This time there was no denying the expression of slight terror that raced across the teacher’s face, followed by a big gulp. Her voice was barely audible as she said, “Oh.”
“I apologize.” Trey stepped forward, hiding part of the cage with his arm. “In the chaos of Julie having me pick Rylan up, I didn’t realize he wasn’t supposed to bring Houdini today.”
Ms. Winters’s attention turned to him. “I haven’t met you before. You’re Rylan’s dad?”
“Uncle.” Trey held out a hand. “Trey Jones. Rylan’s dad is serving overseas right now. And his mom caught the nasty bug Rylan had last week.”
Her grip loosened in his. “She’s not coming today?”
“Only if you want her to bring the flu with her.”
She pressed her fingers to her forehead. “Okay. It’s going to be okay.”
“Was she supposed to come in today for something?” Trey frowned. Julie hadn’t said anything about needing to be at school today. Just that everything Rylan needed was in his backpack.
“Julie was the room mom who signed up to help with the Valentine’s activities today.” Ms. Winters offered a half smile. “But it’ll be fine. I mean, I don’t have a helper in here most of the time. I can handle it today too.”
Yet, something in her voice said she was on the verge of panicking. Trey stifled a groan. How had he ended up in this predicament? He’d agreed to drop off his nephew at school on his day off. Not spend the day herding kindergarteners. Never had he ever imagined offering to do something like that. Even on the days he was assigned to visit a group of children to talk about fire safety, he let the other firefighters do the talking.
So, why was he standing here, contemplating giving up his day of rest to hang out in this wonderland of pink and hearts? For Rylan? No. He wasn’t worried about his nephew. It was for this cute little woman all bedecked in holiday splendor. Could he be a calming force in this spring tornado of changes he’d wrought on her carefully laid plans? He could help her out. He was a firefighter—walked into fires and emergencies all the time. How much harder could this be?
“I’ll stay.” Trey shrugged. “I told Julie I’d be her today. If that includes being room mom, I guess that means I’m here to help you too.” Even though you'll have to wait a little bit before you can read the rest of this one, I hope you enjoyed a glimpse behind the curtain, so to speak.
And watch soon for a cover release for my novella collection releasing this October, A Match Made at Christmas! Are you excited?

Book Spotlight: Show Me Deceipt

Is your hometown known for anything special? Any spies?
Ever read a book set in someone else's hometown that makes you want to go visit?
Today, fellow author Ellen Withers is sharing about her hometown setting in her mystery series. And it sounds fascinating. No wonder she set her books there! See what you think.
Learning and reading about spies active during the Civil War is fascinating to me. Historians have discovered several of these spies were women. Some conducted their spying activities as a normal woman from the times, while others enlisted in military service and passed as a male soldier. In writing a book that includes the history of the Union Army’s occupation of my hometown during the War Between the States, I wanted to create a fictional spy within their midst and have an ordinary woman help gather evidence of the spy. 
I love my hometown. Even though I had to move away from it years ago, I wanted to incorporate the town into my mystery series. Decades have passed since I was a resident, but my affection for the town has never dimmed. I yearned to share the charm and history of Mexico, Missouri, as a writer. I believed readers would embrace the fun things that make my town special. This is the foundation of the Show Me Mysteries series.
Mexico, Missouri is an enchanting town, with a diverse community. It has farmers, tradespeople, merchants, scientists, teachers, engineers, and every other occupation you can imagine. Beautiful houses with unique architecture line the streets. The history of the town and the county is intriguing. City streets originate from rural highways and crisscross in the town square. Some streets were paved with bricks and a few remain to this day. It’s a fun experience both sounds and vibrations from the car tires when driving over those bricks.


Each of my books in the Show Me Mysteries series features two mysteries in a dual timeline. One mystery occurs in contemporary times and one in a historical time frame. Each book highlights an existing historical structure in my hometown.
Show Me Deceit features a Classic Revival style Italianate home built in 1857 by John C. Clark. It’s called Graceland today and is a major museum for the local historical society, on 12 acres within the Robert S. Green Park. An army of dedicated and motivated people worked to save the structure. After centuries of use, it had fallen into disrepair. The Audrain County Historical Society brought the structure back to life, and it’s now on the National Register of Historic Places.
With this home built prior to the Civil War and still serving the community today as a historical museum, it was the perfect structure to feature in Show Me Deceit . My goal was to use fictional characters and fictional situations to breathe life into local history associated with the Civil War. Although most characters and situations are fictional, the larger parameters of accurate historical events were my guidelines.
The Union Army occupied my hometown for the entire duration of the Civil War. The town was an important military holding because the railroad lines were critical to secure the entire upper half of the state of Missouri for their cause. Because Missouri was a border state, divided almost equally between Southern sympathizers and Union loyalists, nearly half of the state resented the Union presence.
Ulysses Grant was in town for approximately six weeks in 1861 as a colonel. When he arrived, he put a stop to the Union soldiers stealing from local farmers and making citizens declare their loyalty to the union at gunpoint. The locals, leaning both Union and Southern, adored him because of instituting those two changes.
My historical tale finds United States Army Lieutenant O’Malley seeking proof that a Confederate spy is working within the encampment so he can save the lives of Union soldiers. He has no choice but to work with his sweetheart from town to uncover the truth. Can they identify the spy before more lives are lost?
The contemporary storyline features the discovery of a dead man within a fictional museum. Liesl and Nicole work together with Detective Kurt Hunter to identify the deceased and determine his purpose within the museum. Although personalities clash, they must act to protect Graceland, a museum they believe will be the next target of a thief or thieves. Later, when Nicole and Liesl uncover a set of historic bones, more questions arise. Are these bones related to the Army encampment in town during the Civil War? Was this a battlefield death or murder?
Characters from the contemporary storyline move forward with each new book. The historical characters remain within their historical timeline, but some are the antecedents of contemporary characters. In addition, romantic threads run through both the contemporary and historical storylines.
Thanks to the positive reception of the series, I’m under contract for a third and fourth book. Book three, Show Me Skullduggery , will feature a historic stable preserved in town. It is the oldest building in the United States continuously devoted to boarding and training champion American Saddlebred horses. Book four, Show Me Murder , highlights Hardin College, a woman’s college founded in Mexico in 1873. Presser Hall, a building used by the college, has been repaired, restored, and transformed into the Presser Arts Center. Presser Arts Center now produces events and offers classes and workshops in the study of fine arts.
I’m grateful to God for giving me the love of my hometown and its history, plus the talent to write and create. I hope readers will enjoy the series and fall in love with the town, the people, and the rich history of the area. Ellen is kindly offering a to do a giveaway for her book, Show Me Deceipt! For a chance to win (US only), leave a comment by Friday, May 17th, answering this question: What is an historical fact or event you find fascinating? Show Me Deceit

Take a walk through time with Show Me Deceit, book two of the Show Me Mystery Series. Mexico, Missouri is the setting of the mysteries where death encompasses two eras, Civil War and contemporary. Liesl, Nicole, and Detective Kurt Hunter have previously put a killer behind bars. Now they must combine their skills and work together again to stop the plunder of local charities and solve the mystery of a Union soldier’s death. Can Liesl and Kurt work together again as friends, putting aside their former romance to solve these mysteries? Ellen Withers is an award winning fiction writer, freelance writer and retired insurance fraud investigator. Her professional writing career began in 2003, as a freelance contributor to the Arkansas Democrat Gazette. She was editor of an international magazine, SIU Today, for insurance fraud investigators for ten years. She remains on their editorial committee. Ellen has written the monthly resident feature for Life in Chenal Magazine since 2006. Her non-fiction articles have been included in international, national and regional magazines. She’s a contributing columnist to Writers Monthly Magazine, an online guide for professional writers, on the subject of Writing for Contests.
When not writing or reading, Ellen enjoys spending time with her family, traveling the world with her adventurous friends and performing with Top of the Rock Chorus, a Sweet Adeline chorus located in central Arkansas.

Website: https://ellenewithers.com/
Author Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100071728886831
Amazon profile: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0BWZ1G7JS
Instagram profile: https://instagram.com/lnwithers?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/33215146.Ellen_E_Withers
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/ellen-e-withers?list=about

Author Interview: Mary Pat Johns

Mary Pat Johns is here to chat with us today. She has a newly released romance out and I'm thrilled to be able to interview her and find out more. She's a fellow Scrivenings author and has been fun to get to know over the last few years. I think you'll enjoy getting to know her too.  You say your first story ever started (not finished) was about sea turtles. Do you plan to ever include a sea turtle in one of your future stories?
 
Actually, in Countin’ On Jesse, the first book in my series, Brenna spies a sea turtle swimming alongside the breakwater. Jesse has convinced Brenna they need a getaway because of all that’s happening at work, but it’s not supposed to be a date because of an ironclad no-dating- between-employees rule. The sea turtle scene might be a tad autobiographical since Port Aransas is a place my husband and I go for a quick getaway. It’s not unusual to see sea turtles swimming around the jetties. Once, my husband even rescued one snared in the rocks.    
 
What draws you to write Christian romance?
 
Love stories are my favorite. Although I do read secular novels at times, I’m mainly drawn to Christian romance because of the character’s spiritual arc as well as the love story. Without the presence of the Holy Spirit breathing through the pages, the words seem empty. There’s just so much more vibrancy when Christ is an integral part of the story.    
 
Your first story was set in a gym. The second one includes a massage therapist and contractor. Where do you get the occupations for your characters?
 
Although the first and second books are firmly grounded in the gym setting, there’s a strong entrepreneurial thread permeating through the stories. I’m surrounded by entrepreneurial-types in my life so that part was easy. My husband is a contractor, and my daughter worked in a gym as a massage therapist before she married. Aside from specific questions, I accumulated a lot of knowledge just listening to them.  

With your newest book including a house renovation, I have to ask. Any personal experiences with your own home renovations woven in?
 
I’ve mentioned my husband is a contractor, so I’ve heard lots of stories over the years about home renovations. Rory’s role as contractor in Lovin’ On Red is probably a composite of my husband and son and their businesses, however, there is a scene where Vi chooses granite for her kitchen that echoes an experience with our current home.   
 
Can you give us a sneak peek into what you're working on next?
 
The third book in the series is a novella between two minor characters from books 1 and 2. That story is in the editing process. I’m excited about it. It’s about two characters who have bright futures at Peeps, the same gym complex as the first two books, except they can’t leave each other alone. When a prank goes awry, and their jobs are in jeopardy, Jesse, their boss, insists they enter a canoe race to prove they can get along. Both avid paddlers, they’re relieved until Jesse makes it clear they will be in the same boat for 261 miles.   
 
If you could walk us through the fictional town your stories are set in, what are your five top spots to visit?

If you need a workout, it would be Peeps, the gym complex. It’s the wildly popular go-to spot in the area. Second would be the infamous King’s Bar & Grill. It’s the place where Jesse totally lost his temper. Aside from that, it’s a cool place to hang out with live music and has great food. If you’re trying to impress a date, the Water Station would be a great place to visit. It’s situated next to the Guadalupe River and there’s outside seating, also with a live band. Late dinners are popular when the temps have cooled down.  
It's a short day drive, but Port Aransas beach is lovely, and if you’re in the mood for seafood, you can have the catch of the day at any seafood restaurant.   
 
Last but not least, what is one little known fact about yourself?

In junior high and high school, I was a band member and played the bassoon. It’s a weird instrument—I had to balance it using a seat strap because it was too heavy to hold otherwise. I wasn’t crazy about playing the bassoon, but it helped me understand I didn’t have to be like everyone else. Band gave me a lifelong love for music, and I can still pick out a bassoon part in musical selections.

This was all so great, Mary Pat. I definitely want to visit your fun town and can't wait to dive into these books.
To all my readers, keep reading for more info on her new book and how to keep up with Mary Pat! And at the very bottom is a link to her newsletter sign-up, which includes a FREE prequel to her series. Lovin' on Red

Rory is a wildly successful contractor with all the right connections. He has everything, except the woman who sees past his missing foot. If only the tiny redhead he’s insanely attracted to would go on a date with him, it could work, but Vi refuses.

Licensed massage therapist Vi Summers needs her childhood home remodeled, and Rory Spence is the perfect man for the job. Only he’s the last person she wants to work with. Despite Rory’s reputation as a flirt, his tender attention to getting her house right helps Vi see into his heart. Too bad her past mistakes prevent a future relationship.

Drawn together like magnets, they navigate trouble with illegal squatters, family expectations, and fire. Will they finally be honest with each other, or will their secrets tear them apart? Mary Pat Johns’ writing career began once she retired from years of teaching speech and writing. She’s written devotions for an online publication and had short stories published by Chicken Soup for the Soul. She currently writes a weekly faith column for the local newspaper. Countin’ On Jesse, her first novel debuted in Sept, and book 2 of the Valiant series, Lovin’ On Red, will release in April. God put it in her heart to tell stories of brave veterans and their reintegration into civilian life after suffering the traumas of war.
She lives in South Texas with her husband and their two dapple dachshunds. Her grown children and five grandchildren are useful sorts who keep her grounded with her reading/writing obsession. You can find her at the gym, at her computer, or reading a good book.

FB link: https://www.facebook.com/marypatjohnsauthor/
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/marypatjohnsauthor/
Website: https://www.marypatjohns.com
Newsletter link: https://mailchi.mp/487725d3738c/free-giveaway  This link includes the free download of Longin’ For Valiant. It’s the prequel for the Valiant series that includes the backstory of how Rory lost his foot. 

A Bookish Wedding

A few weeks ago, my family was blessed to attend my cousin's wedding. Her theme was flowers and books, so you know I was excited to see the decorations. And they did not disappoint.
The pictures I'm sharing are more from the rehearsal dinner because her mother-in-law thoroughly embraced the theme and it was beautiful.
Check out these gorgeous roses made from books. I made a wreath like this a few years ago and my roses never looked that full and pretty. As much as I hate the idea of tearing up a book, if it's for something like this, maybe I'm okay with it. What about you? Could you see yourself destroying a book to make roses or other decorations? Every table had these tiny "books." Inside was Hershey chocolate, so the stories were extra sweet. ;)
The book pictured on the left in this photo is a miniature of the one the groom used to propose to the bride. He had the ring hidden inside the pages. Cute, right?
We loved going around and seeing all the different titles around the room. And eating the chocolates, of course!
More pictures below. They had cute little tags on a lot of the food to make it book-themed. The whole vibe was a fairy wonderland for book-lovers. My 9-year-old was a flower girl, and as a fellow book-lover, she was enthralled too. She got to pose for a picture in front of a huge sign that said "Once upon a time."
The wedding the next day had songs from famous love stories made into movies. And more book-themed decorations for the reception.
What do you think? Would you love a book-themed wedding? What's better to celebrate the beginning of a happily ever after than love story decor?

Book Spotlight: Of Faith and Dreams

Tonya Ashley became my friend several years ago when we both attended KenTen Writers' Retreat. Sadly, the retreat is no more, but Tonya and I have kept up with each other on Facebook. And last year, she became one of my authors I do content edits for. This newest book of hers, which is absolutely lovely, y'all, I got a sneak peek at long before I discovered I'd get to do the content edits. And she had me hooked back then. I think she'll do the same for you. Be sure to read all the way through as she tells you more. ​Discovering Unexpected Treasure While Balancing Fact and Fiction
The wind rolls in from the river, mussing my hair as I stand on the short dock at the Lee Creek Park boat launch. A tugboat pushes several barges slowly down the Arkansas River. Closing my eyes, I try to imagine a steamboat in place of the tugboat and green grass over the paved parking lot. The task is easier than erasing streetlights and motor vehicles from Main Street.
There’s something about historic Main Street towns that spark my imagination and Van Buren, Arkansas has long been one of my favorites. Its restored Victorian buildings, Old Frisco Depot, King Opera House, and trolley transport me back in time. The past and present are seamlessly woven together in Van Buren’s historical attractions, antique shops, art galleries, restaurants, and more. My favorite hangout, Chapters on Main, offers new and used books alongside deliciously creative espresso drinks. All this, along with the warmth and friendliness of its residents, make it so easy to fall in love with this delightful Main Street town.
Overflowing with charm, the quaint riverside town also has a rough-and-tumble side to its history. For nearly 100 years, Arkansas sat on the edge of Indian Territory with Van Buren as the gateway to the West. Many frontier states neighboring territorial areas were saddled with wild reputations but outgrew those reputations as the territories around them attained statehood. Arkansas, however, not only retained an unfavorable notoriety, but word of its infamy grew, spreading into the plains and Southwest. In fact, in the November 3, 1849 issue of the Arkansas Intelligencer, the Van Buren newspaper editor wrote:
“People at a distance easily come to the conclusion that…a typical Arkansian is…a person in a semi-barbaric state, half alligator, half horse…armed to the teeth, bristling with knives and pistols, a rollicking daredevil type of personage, made up of coarseness, ignorance, and bombast.”
The rough quality of men attracted to Arkansas were commonly armed with pistols and a Bowie knife, also called an Arkansas Toothpick. Van Buren saw its fair share of gritty characters including the notable Wyatt Earp. But before he was a lawman in Dodge City, Kansas he was arrested for horse theft in Indian Territory and brought to the federal court at Van Buren where he escaped before standing trial. Pearl Starr, daughter of infamous female outlaw Belle Starr, worked as a prostitute in Van Buren and eventually opened a brothel in Fort Smith.
So, how does a writer create a fictional version of a real-world town replete with such a mixed bag of charm and incivility in its history?
It was important to balance the allure of history with its unruliness. My goal was to weave together the endearing sweetness of Janette Oke’s frontier stories with the untamed adventure of Western fiction. About halfway through the first draft of Of Faith and Dreams, the story felt too syrupy. It didn’t have enough texture and I wasn’t sure what to do.
It was then I remembered what my grandfather had said to me before he died. “Don’t let anything get in your way. Not even the devil himself.” It was also at that point I remembered Grandpa’s favorite writers: Larry McMurtry, Louis L’Amour, and Zane Grey. I immersed myself for a couple of weeks in the TV miniseries version of Lonesome Dove and several collections of L’Amour’s and Grey’s short stories on audio.
In trying to strike a balance between fact and fiction, I stumbled upon a real-life personal connection to my grandfather. These are the unexpected treasures that make writing so grand. I think Grandpa would have loved the Western flair incorporated into this story and I hope readers will too!
Research sources:
Bolton, S. C. (2024). Louisiana Purchase through early statehood, 1803 through 1860. Retrieved from https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/en...
Williams, C. F. (1980). The Bear State Image: Arkansas in the Nineteenth Century. The Arkansas Historical Quarterly, 39(2), 99–111. https://doi.org/10.2307/40023900
Of Faith and Dreams
When Van Buren, Arkansas, is inundated with Forty-Niners seeking to outfit themselves with horses before heading west, Justin Hogue sees the perfect opportunity to step out of his father’s shadow to establish a horse ranch. The same influx of prospectors ushers in a competitive horse trader who wants him out of the way. Further complicating things, Justin is challenged with a new tenant at the Hogue family boardinghouse.
Eliza Dawn is an independent, headstrong seamstress who claims to follow the prospectors west to sell her garments. Justin believes she’s hiding something. So, he keeps his distance until a mysterious letter and ring unite them in searching for an unknown prospector.
Can they find one man in a thousand before the gold expeditions leave town? What will put Justin’s dreams at greater risk—conflict with the horse trader or Eliza Dawn’s secrets?
Available at https://scrivenings.link/offaithanddreams Tonya B. Ashley makes her novel debut with Of Faith and Dreams, the Book One in the Lost and Found Series. Tonya enjoys a thread of adventure, whether in story or life. Fascinated with people, places, and nature, she loves to explore through writing, reading, hiking, and artwork.
She and her firefighter/paramedic husband are parents of a middle-school son who is teaching himself electric guitar and an adult son, a newly married firefighter. They're delighted to add a girl to the bunch in the form of a precious daughter-in-law who is a nurse.
Author Links
https://www.facebook.com/tonya.b.ashley.author
https://scriveningspress.com/tonya-b-ashley/
https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0CJRS731F
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Author Interview: Terri Wangard

I enjoy introducing new authors each and every month, but I'm very excited to share this one with you. I was blessed to be the content editor for her new book, and you're definitely going to want to check it out. In the meantime, settle in to learn a bit more about author Terri Wangard. Congratulations on your new release. As the content editor, I have to say, I really enjoyed it. What encouraged you to set a WWII novel in Brazil?
I like the unusual. Many WWII books are set in Europe and involve the Gestapo and German cruelty. That was a big part of the war, but there’s so much more.
 
What makes you choose to write about historical times over other genres?
I enjoy history. I have a BA in history (and a Master of Library Science degree). My first book was inspired by letters written by distant relatives in the immediate post-WWII years. My grandparents sent them care packages in Germany. After that, I started a contemporary story, but an editor told me I’d probably need a series to be offered a contract. I had plenty of unused research, so I kept going. I loved the seashell art addition in your story. When did you start doing that in real life?
We vacationed in Florida when I was in grade school and I picked up pretty shells. Later, shelling became an obsession. I’d be up before dawn, first on the beach, hunting for prizes. At some point, I created shell pictures and later a shadow box, but most of my shells are displayed in decorative glass jars.
 
Where to next? I know this new series is set in places we might not think of when we think WWII. Besides Brazil, where else will your books take us?
Iceland is next. In the North Atlantic, it played an important role in the Battle of the Atlantic. My original setting for the third book was Australia, but that fell apart before I started writing the story. The setting shifted to the Pacific with a bit of Hawaii.
 
What's one of the hardest parts to writing historicals? What is one of the most interesting things you've discovered while researching for your books?
Accuracy. Finding all the little details. This series has been especially difficult because there are so few sources. I was blessed to find one primary source for Brazil, two for Iceland. I learned little things like no glass in windows of many homes in Natal, Brazil. Iceland didn’t allow their coins to be sent home as souvenirs. Denmark, the source of their currency, had been overrun and no longer minted coins.
 
Which one of your characters is most like you and why?
It’s more like my characters are how I wish to be. Isabel’s a seashell artist, but she’s also a multi-lingual mathlete. Other characters have been seamstresses, artists, journalists. They’re outgoing, yet blend in. I live through my heroines.
 
Last but not least, can you leave us with one fact about yourself that very few people already know?
During my middle school years, I was bullied because I was tall. The psychological damage went deep. Putting myself forward is excruciating. I don’t readily trust people, especially men.
NCIS is the only TV show I watch. I’ve never figured out why so many people think Tony DiNozzo was so great. The way he bullied McGee was not traumatic, but I didn’t find it funny. I was relieved when he finally left the show. He served as the model for a secondary character in my next book. You’ll have no trouble guessing which character!

Thanks so much for joining us today! I look forward to visiting Iceland in your next book. :)
In the meantime, readers, be sure to check out this gorgeous book, Seashells in my Pocket. You're going to love it!
Seashells in my Pocket​

German-Brazilian Isabel Neumann delights in creating seashell art, but it’s her mathematical ability that lands her a job at the American air base in Natal, northern Brazil during World War II. She doesn’t need a calculator to determine the correct weights and balances for the Air Transport Command’s cargo planes.
Daniel Lambert, an American transport pilot based at Natal, endures the taunts of combat pilots that he is “allergic to combat.” His flying skills win him respect, however, and his friendship with Isabel deepens, even as a new source of trouble looms.
Isabel is caught in the crosshairs of a German saboteur who is obsessed with her. He insists that she belongs with him, and demands that she help him sabotage the Allied base. Her growing relationship with Daniel angers the Nazi, who will do anything to get of rid him. What will happen to Isabel if the madman captures her?   Terri Wangard grew up in Green Bay, Wisconsin, during the Lombardi Glory Years. Her first Girl Scout badge was the Writer. Holder of a bachelor’s degree in history and a master’s degree in library science, she lives in Wisconsin. Her research included going for a ride in a WWII B-17 Flying Fortress bomber. Classic Boating Magazine, a family business since 1984, keeps her busy as an associate editor. She also serves on the Genesis and First Impressions contest teams and as secretary of the Wisconsin Southeast chapter.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorTerriWangard

https://www.pinterest.com/terriwangard/novel-seashells-in-my-pocket/
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Behind the Story: Wedding Vows

Sometimes people ask me if there's any of my life woven into my stories, any reality. Of course there is. It would be rather impossible to write something and not have a little bit of personal experience come through. So much of my life has shaped me and the way I think, and that comes out in everything I do, including my writing.
Naturally, I include other little things on purpose too. For instance, in my latest story, For Better or For Granted, I included our wedding vows. No, we didn't write our own vows. I guess we could've, but neither of us had any desire to do that. Instead, I remembered some vows my Dad had used with another couple a few years before we married. And I remembered loving them. So, I asked him if he could dig them out for us to see if we wanted to use them. And I still loved them. Part of the reason I loved them is because my vow included the lines from Ruth where she asks to never leave or forsake Naomi. And with my middle name being Ruth, I've always had a special love of that story.
And his vows included a line about me bringing creativity into his life. He may be regretting that a bit now. ;) But it fits!
And it all fit my characters and what they needed to be reminded of too. Perfect. Near the end of the book, I have my characters print out their vows and place them in a spot they can see them often and be reminded of the promises they made each other. I have ours printed in an old photo album, but I've considered doing something similar with ours--putting them up where we can be reminded and remember. Because I meant every word of what I said almost twenty years ago. And I want to still mean them today.
Do you love it when an author weaves something personal into a story? Did you have special wedding vows when you married? Or have you heard some you particularly loved?
Divorce was never in the plans for Genevieve Stewart. Only four years into marriage, and everything has gone wrong. Why stay where she’s never going to be happy? If only she could find her way back to the way things were before Scott’s job took all his time and energy, leaving nothing for her.
Scott Stewart achieved his goal of becoming a high school principal younger than most in the state. Everything in life seems to be going exactly as planned until Genevieve threatens to leave. Suddenly, his dreams aren’t as clear as they once were. He desperately wants to stay married, but he can’t let down his school, either.
Their friends and family remind them of their lifetime promises and urge them not to give up. But the way back to love isn’t easy when you’ve grown used to taking each other for granted.