Amy R. Anguish's Blog, page 30

Writing Home: First Chapter

Writing Home releases TOMORROW! Now that you've had a few sneak peeks behind the characters and story, I though you'd like a peek at the first chapter. I've added it below.
In the next few weeks, I'm going to be visiting quite a few other blogs, too, talking more about this book and the different things that inspired it. I hope you love this story as much as I do. Because, so far, it might be one of my favorites.

​And if you want to make sure and get your copy, it's here!
“UGH. WHY DO I EVEN BOTHER?” And yet Christiana Jones continued scrolling down her social media feed too fast to see much. What was the point of looking? No one posted anything of importance. Nothing personal.

A recipe for coconut pecan pie. A meme asking if it was Friday yet, the poor cat in the picture looking half drowned. A political rant speculating about what the government
was going to do to make people’s lives more miserable. Four new selfies from her coworker.

A childhood snapshot her best friend had dug up of Tina and cousin “Boomer”— adorable, but did he appreciate such an old photo being shared with hundreds of friends? A few pictures of former classmates’ cute kids. Okay. Those last few were personal. But the rest?

She closed the app and tossed her phone across the bed where she leaned against the headboard, too exhausted to even finish changing out of her scrub pants. The farthest she’d made it was removing her  sneakers. She’d only picked up her phone to clear messages before getting sucked in. But what a waste of time.

Vanity, vanity, all is vanity. King Solomon definitely had it right. That and, There is nothing new under the sun.

She released a sigh and glanced through the window. A beautiful Friday evening in early October with nothing to do. No date. No plans. No energy. No motivation after her busy week. The cold and flu season was in full swing, and the pediatrician’s office where she worked had been swamped.

More than just the social media malarkey had her down. Her whole life seemed humdrum. Her closest friend was three hours away. She’d lived in this Huntsville apartment, in her supposed dream town, for over two years now, and it still didn’t feel like home. The congregation where she worshipped was nice enough, but she hadn’t formed any connections. The girls she worked with were okay but didn’t hold enough in common with her for her to want to hang out with them outside of the office. And her neighbors . . . well, she evidently wasn’t very neighborly because she couldn’t remember meeting any of them.

Perhaps her grumpiness stemmed from hunger. As she rolled off the bed to head for the kitchen, her foot kicked a box. Maybe after so long, she shouldn’t have anything left to unpack, especially with her lack of a life outside work and home, but several cardboard cubes remained stacked here and there around her apartment.

Instead of bumping into this box each time she moved through her room, she should unpack it. Not like she had anything else to do tonight, and maybe accomplishing a procrastinated task would help alleviate the restlessness inhabiting her. What was in this one anyway? She rubbed her sore toes as she lowered herself to the floor to dig through and remember why it remained at the end of her bed.

Lifting the flap back, she let out a breath. One of her old high school journals stared back at her, mocking her with all the angsty scribbles contained within. She quickly set it aside and dug through other memorabilia and papers saved for who knew what reason. Some could be thrown away. She was about to get up and find a garbage bag when she spotted the pretty flowered case in the bottom of the box. Her gran’s memories, which Mom had given her, the only granddaughter. Because of the timing, she’d packed it with her other things and never explored the contents.

Easing it out, Chris pushed back the hinged lid. Black and white photos. An old army medal. A few pressed flowers. A Bible, worn down so much that she was almost afraid to lift it out. And Gran’s old letters. She unfolded one with extra care, not wishing to tear the fragile pages.

My dearest Maggie, I can’t believe our sweet girl came while I was stuck over here without you. I know you told her to wait, but it sounds like she’s as headstrong as her mama.

Grandpa’s square handwriting filled the page, talking about how much he’d missed Gran, what it was like in Korea, how he wished he were there to meet the baby . . . Christiana’s aunt. Chris ran her fingers over the ink. These pieces of paper had covered distances she couldn’t even imagine, keeping her grandparents close while they were so far from each other.

What would it be like to love someone so much that even a letter would be enough? To have a relationship with someone—anyone—where you could write your words to them and know you’d get a reply.

Chris had dabbled at being a pen pal in elementary school. But she hadn’t been very good at it. She always forgot to write back until weeks after the letter had come. By that point, any questions that had been asked slipped her mind, and she ended up responding with mundane things like what the cafeteria served for lunch or the latest field trip. Soon, the other person had quit writing back. Chris couldn’t blame her.

But writing letters would be so much more personal than what she got through social media. Not that it would be hard to find something deeper than the internet. At least in writing down words on paper, a person would have to think a little harder before posting the message. And it wouldn’t simply be sharing things someone else had posted before, like the recipes and memes.

She leaned back against the side of her bed and pursed her lips. Would anyone out there be interested in something like that? Were people still willing to buy stamps and envelopes and send letters back and forth?

One way to find out.

She set her gran’s mementos aside and pulled her laptop over from where she’d left it after streaming a movie the night before, clicking to open her social media account again. The irony did not escape her notice. She placed the cursor over the spot where she could post something and then hesitated.

This was ridiculous, right? To announce she wanted a pen pal? She shrugged. Worst case scenario, no one would respond. She clicked and started typing.

Thinking of going old-school. Found some letters that my Grandpa wrote my Gran. Made me think about the possibility of wanting a pen pal. Would anyone be interested?

She paused again. Did that sound okay? It didn’t make it seem like she wanted a relationship like her grandparents had enjoyed, did it? No. People didn’t ask for a pen pal if they wanted a boyfriend. And she wasn’t interested in finding one of those right now. Just someone to write to. She posted her question and skimmed through a few other things that had appeared since she quit looking earlier.

A message popped up on instant chat in the bottom corner of her screen.

Tina: Hey girl.
Chris: Hey!
Tina: I saw your post. You want a pen pal?

She smiled.

Chris: I thought if I had to write to someone on paper and they wrote back, it would give me a deeper relationship than what’s on social media.
Tina: Deeper relationship, huh?

Chris could almost hear the innuendo in Tina’s voice through the computer.

Chris: Nothing romantic. Friendship. More than just sharing recipes and memes and articles that probably aren’t even true.
Tina: Didn’t you try being pen pals with someone from Ohio when we were in school?

Her best friend since childhood would remember that disaster, of course.

Chris: Yes.

She refused to let herself add an angry emoticon.

Chris: But I was a lot younger then. Just like you.
Tina: I’m pretty sure my pen pal and I exchanged a lot more letters than you and yours.
Chris: Good grief. Did you get on here just to rib me?

She thought about shutting the laptop, but she knew her phone would just buzz with a notification that Tina had replied. She might as well stay and finish the conversation now. It was easier to type this way than on her phone anyway.

Tina: No. I actually thought I might know someone who would be a good pen pal for you.

She frowned. Surely Tina wasn’t going to suggest herself. Or Gregory, her old high school crush. Sometimes it was hard having Tina know everything about her, but what could she do? They’d grown up literally right down the street from each other. It was hard to not know almost everything.

Chris: Who?

She typed slowly and hit enter, bracing herself for the answer.

Tina: My cousin Jordan down in Louisiana.
Chris: Do I remember this cousin?
Tina: Probably not.

The screen showed a bouncing ellipsis to indicate that Tina was typing more.

Tina: That family didn’t get together with the rest of us quite as often because of distance. And it was easier for them to meet up with us at my grandparents’ house in Memphis instead of coming here.

Yes. The Nashville area was three hours further into Tennessee than Memphis. Chris could see the reasoning. She had some cousins of her own who did the same thing.

Chris: So why do you think this cousin would be a good pen pal?
Tina: Jordan and I were pen pals for a while growing up. I always got a response. The letters were really good. And I think this would be something right up Jordan’s alley, too. You know . . . old-school, deep, meaningful. Jordan’s one of the few people I know not actually on social media and it’s basically for all the reasons you listed above.

Chris nibbled on her bottom lip and thought about it for another minute. What would it hurt? It could cost a few stamps and then, if it didn’t work out, it wasn’t like she had to continue to write. She didn’t even have to tell Tina if it ended up being a problem.

Chris: Okay.

She couldn’t believe she was doing this. Definitely not what she had expected when she posted her request earlier.

Chris: Check with your cousin and see what she thinks. If she’s up for it, get me her address and I’ll give it a try.
Tina: I’ll check and let you know. But I really think this is going to be great.

She shook her head.

Chris: You’re trouble.
Tina: You’re the one wanting to keep the post office in business. I’m just an enabler.

She laughed.

Chris: Don’t you have a date or something tonight?
Tina: Oh, shoot! I gotta go finish getting ready. TTYL!

Tina’s face went gray on the screen to indicate she was offline. Chris shut her laptop and started cleaning up the mess of papers she’d scattered earlier when going through the box. If nothing else, at least she had unpacked half of it. Granted, that part was going in the trash—especially the journal—but it was progress.

She set the box of Gran’s letters on her nightstand. With both her grandparents gone for several years now, it was nice to have that little piece of their history to keep them alive in her mind. Maybe she’d read some more of their love notes later.

Would someone find a stack of notes like that in her memory boxes someday? She lived in a different day and age, for sure, but the post office still delivered mail every day, some of it even personal letters and cards instead of bills or ads. It was possible. And she could get in practice by writing Tina’s cousin. If this pen-pal thing worked out, maybe she should invest in a pretty case like Gran’s.

​She strained her brain to try and remember even seeing pictures of the girl, but couldn’t recall anything. Maybe if they decided they would do this for a while, she’d get Tina to send her one. For now, it was just a possibility, anyway. Who was to say that Tina’s cousin would even agree to the idea? It wasn’t exactly something common anymore. But still, Chris decided to start composing the first letter in her head, just in case.

Behind the Story: Tina

Let's talk best friends. Because, to be honest, Christiana and Jordan wouldn't have much of a story in Writing Home, if not for Tina.
Tina and Chris grew up down the street from each other in their Nashville suburb, and were almost inseparable until Chris left to go to Huntsville for college. Now, Tina is still at home, and wishes Chris were, too.
When Chris asks for a pen pal, Tina immediately thinks of her cousin Jordan, who she used to write in middle and high school. And maybe for a few other reasons, too, but she's not disclosing those yet.
Tina loves to have fun, and is changing her hair every few weeks, adding colors or curls. She dresses trendy, and Chris has often wished for her sense of style.
But Tina doesn't have much luck when it comes to love. She flits from boyfriend to boyfriend, but never stays with one for long. It doesn't bother her ... much. She just goes on to the next social event and sees who is there who might be her next date.
Tina and Chris are a great example of opposites attracting, because they don't have a ton in common outside of their history. But they both know the other will be there for her, no matter what, despite the two and a half hour distance.
​Do you have a best friend who is always there for you though sometimes not as helpful as she seems? Just a few more days until you get to meet Tina! And Chris and Jordan, too.

Behind the Story: Jordan

Jordan White, the other main character of my book, Writing Home, lives in Louisiana. Just outside of Shreveport on his family's land, to be exact. He inherited his grandfather's cabin, just down the yard and across the driveway from his parents' house.
Growing up in that part of the world, it's natural for him to love all things outdoors--hiking, fishing, hunting, football. And since they have several acres of wooded area, as well as a pond, he's pretty happy to stay right where he is.
Jordan is four years older than his cousin, Tina, who is Christiana's childhood best friend. When Tina asks him to be Chris's pen pal, he isn't sure what to think, but goes ahead and gives it a try. After all, it won't take much time.
He works as a nurse practitioner for a pediatric clinic in Shreveport and loves his job, most of the time. A few middle-of-the-night calls during his on-call turn aren't appreciated, but for the most part, he's very happy.
He leads singing at church services, and is involved in men's and youth activities, as well.
His younger brother Nick drives him a little crazy, but isn't that what brothers are for?
He loves to cook and is often pulling together a scrumptious meal in his kitchen, when he doesn't head across the yard to eat with his family. He keeps his face shaven except during the winter, when he lets it grow out into a trimmed beard to keep his cheeks warmer.
Jordan was fun to write about, too. And I think you're going to fall in love with him just as much as someone else did in the book. ;-) If he sounds too perfect, just wait. He's got a few flaws mixed in, too.
What do you think? Does Jordan sound like someone you'd like to spend some time with?

Behind the Story: Christiana

As we gear up to welcome my newest book into the world in a week and a half (not that I'm counting or anything), I wanted to give you a sneak peek at the characters and some other behind-the-scenes tid-bits.
Here's Christiana Jones. She grew up hearing stories of Huntsville from her dad, who went to college there. It became her dream, so she went to school there and stayed. But for some reason, it doesn't feel like home to her. Maybe that's why she hasn't unpacked all of the boxes in her apartment despite having been there almost three years.
She's working at a pediatric clinic as one of the receptionists, and is good at her job, but it no longer brings satisfaction. She loves to bake, and has perfected her grandma's roll recipe, but cooking normal things eludes her. After all, baking is an exact science and she knows things will come out right if she follows the directions. Cooking dinner is more of an experiment, and more often than not, she ends up with raw meat or mushy vegetables.
Her childhood best friend Tina still lives in their hometown suburb of Nashville, and begs her to come "home" with every text and call.
Her two older brothers, Shawn and Mark, have a bet going that she won't stay in Huntsville, but will move back to TN like Tina wants. And she can't let them win, of course.
She loves a hike in the fall, watching the snow in the winter, a good town carnival in the spring--especially if there's a ferris wheel to ride--, and the air conditioning in the summer. She does live in the south, after all.
I loved developing Christiana, who knows she's not perfect, but decides to work towards it in the book. And I hope you love her, too, as you read the story of her and Jordan writing letters to each other. (More about Jordan next week.)
Do you see anything in Christiana that makes you want to know more?

Author Interview: Allison Pearl

Happy New Year all! I'm excited about bringing a whole new set of interviews to you this year, and first up is Allison Pearl. She's a sister author with Anaiah Press, and her books sound so good. I've really enjoyed getting to know her, and I think you will, too.

Hey Allison, I notice that all of your books have my favorite food on the cover. :-) What about donuts made you think murder mystery?
​
The murder part was more of an afterthought. First on the brain was doughnuts. I probably would’ve put them in anything, but I can’t do cookbooks, so murder it is. 

If you had to branch out and write about a different kind of food, what do you think you'd pick?

I love a good pie. And they’re not easy either, which would be good in a book. The crusts and filling are finnicky and complicated. They’re hard work, but worth it. There’s got to be a story in there somewhere.

Pies are hard, yes. I've never perfected making a crust, so I totally get the analogy.
I'm noticing some names like Knightly and Bennet in your book descriptions. Any relation to the beloved characters of Jane Austen or did you just like the names?

The names are absolutely Austen inspired. To me, she was the first of us. She wrote amazing stories that kept you turning the pages long after bedtime. And even though the endings were always happy, she didn’t shy away from weaving the real struggles of women in her time into the narrative. Struggles that in some ways we are still dealing with today. Ultimately, I wanted my first published novels to be a nod to the woman who started it all. That's so neat.
I know you're a tea-drinker as well as I am. What's your go-to favorite tea?

It really depends on the time of day. If it’s early morning, I want a black tea blend and I want it unsweetened. Throughout the day, I like to treat myself with a cinnamon tea latte or a chai. And there’s nothing better at bed time than chamomile. But just because I love tea doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy, or more likely NEED, a cup of coffee too.

If you had to give up one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Waiting in line. I know it’s an unavoidable part of life and that we all have to do it, but… UGHHHHHH. Now, I’m not saying I throw a fit or act like some of those ‘Karen-y’ people that mumble complaints or ask for a manager when the lines get long. That’s not cool. I keep quiet and patiently wait my turn, but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t give it up in a second.

Okay, last question I ask everyone (which means you must answer it ;-) ). Please tell us one thing about yourself that very few people know.

This is a weird one, but I never got all my teeth. I remember, we were doing a dental coloring sheet in school and we were supposed to count our teeth. I kept getting the wrong number and couldn’t figure out why. I told the teacher and she just insisted I had miscounted. Turns out I was missing the two incisors on either side of my front teeth and I never got them. Or wisdom teeth either for that matter. They did x-rays and they’re just not there. With an extensive amount of dental work, my smile worked out fine, but I did have to spend quite a few Christmases listening to my brother taunt me with the holiday song, All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth.

Thanks so much for joining us today, Allison. I never got my wisdom teeth, either, so there's one more thing we have in common. :-)

If you want to get to know Allison a bit more or find out about one of her yummy mysteries, keep reading.
​Allison Pearl is a small-town girl who’s lived just about everywhere. She loves books, tea, chocolate, and watching old movies with her husband and black lab, Sal. To keep in touch on social media and get updates about upcoming releases visit www.allison-pearl.com. 
​Lizzy Bennet loves life as a lawyer in the city. And not just because of the miles it puts between her and her ex. However, when she’s attacked on the street just hours after learning her identity was stolen, she tries to call home for help and ends up with the last person she expects: the very same high school boyfriend who broke her heart. He says he’s there to help, but she’s not so sure, and now, all the endless questions and regrets are clouding her judgment and preventing her from seeing the dangerous saboteur closing in.
 
Small-town auto mechanic, Koby Knightly, is looking forward to seeing a car show in the city. But when an unexpected call from his old girlfriend disconnects suddenly, he rushes to her aid. Throwing his plans out the window, Koby makes it his mission to protect her and discover the identity of the person trying to frame her. Will he also be able to figure out what went wrong between them back in high school or will a killer get to her first?

12 Days of Christmas

Looking for something fun and bookish to do over the next few weeks? Scrivenings Press is hosting a 12 Days of Christmas bash on their facebook page. Swing by from December 13 through 24th to play fun games, chat with authors about some of their holiday favorites, and possibly win some bookish prizes. Each day one person who participates will win an ebook of their choice. And at the end of the week, someone is going to win the promise of an ecopy of every book Scrivenings is publishing next year (over 25 books!). And don't forget the recipes you can receive, too. ;-)
We hope you'll come by and party with us as the holidays approach. It's a great way to end 2020.

Author Interview: Sara Beth Williams

Hi all! Today, I'm pleased to introduce you to a new-to-me author. The joy of working with several different publishing groups, is I get to meet and know several different authors, too. Today, I'm chatting with a fellow Anaiah Press author, Sara Beth Williams. Read on because she's pretty fun!

Sara Beth, welcome to my blog. I love getting to know other authors on here. To start, can you tell us what inspired you to start writing?
 
I’ve been writing since junior high. I’ve written poetry ,and copy cat stories, kids' stories, and YA stories. Then later, as I matured, and began reading Christian Romance, specifically Hallee Bridgeman’s Jewel series, I fell in love with the genre and thought to myself – I can absolutely write this.
 
Nice! What are some ways that your stories stand out from other romances (yes, I know this is a hard question--especially since I write romance, too)?
 
I love to write characters who are authentic and deep and messy. My characters deal with a lot of family drama. I also stray from writing about rich characters. My third book releasing in March, 2021, also delves into a little bit of mental illness. Those characters sound like the kind I like to read about.
With two kiddos at home, something I always find I'm having to work towards is making sure I have a balance between focusing on work and focusing on family. Have you found any tips that you could share for how to keep the balance? How do you find time to write?
 
It is hard! I am right there with you, with two young girls of my own. I do my best writing at night. I tried to do it early in the mornings, but find I’m either too tired, too distracted, or it simply doesn’t work in my schedule. But I write down my ideas anytime of the day in a notebook. Then I make time to sit and (try to) write and plan for at least an hour or two a night. It’s also extremely important to take time to be with your spouse and family. Every Friday night we do a family movie night. Unless I am on a deadline or have other work responsibilities, I try to spend at least one weekend night completely with my husband, just hanging out together to read, or watch TV or whatever.
 
That sounds like a great plan!
Both of your first books are set around college-aged characters. What led you to choose that age-group to write about? Would you ever consider branching into another?
 
To answer the second question, yes! I have thought about writing stories for the Young Adult genre, and I have thought about writing stories with older characters (30s? 40s?)
 
To answer the first question – the beginnings of When Hearts Collide began as a YA, but the more I wrote and finalized the story, the older the characters felt. I knew there needed to be a longer passage of time s well. (that won’t make sense unless you read When Hearts Collide lol) I also wove in a lot of personal college experiences (vaguely) and so because I’d recently finished college, it was easy to recall such experiences and interweave them into the storyline.
 
What do you have coming up book-wise? What projects are you working on now?
 
My 3rd book, Anchor My Heart, comes out in March 2021. This is the conclusion (for now) to my contemporary romance series and I love this story so much, I cannot wait for you all to share in Matt and Tara’s journey. You can follow me on Bookbub and Goodreads to make sure you don’t miss out on any book release updates.
https://www.bookbub.com/profile/sara-beth-williams
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18403465.Sara_Beth_Williams
 
And one final question which I ask all my authors. Can you tell us something not many people know about you?
 
I love to create and apparently have a knack for visual and kinemetric learning, which comes in extremely handy while balloon twisting! I learned how to balloon twist when I was 18 and fell in love with it. I’m a sucker for anything I can do that brings joy and excitement to kids and adults too! ​

Well, that's just cool! Thanks so much for stopping by and chatting with us today, Sara Beth.

Want to know more about Sara Beth and her books? Keep reading! Sara Beth Williams is a wife, mother of two daughters, and temporary caretaker of a lovable old lady pit and a spunky Pomeranian-Shih Tzu mix. She lives in Northern California. When she's not held hostage by the keyboard, she enjoys music, teaching, reading and spending time with her family. She is all about connecting with readers! Find her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads, Bookbub and AllAuthor.
Second Chance Novels:
#! When Hearts Collide
#2 A Worthy Heart
#3 Anchor My Heart: COMING SPRING 2021
Where to find Sara Beth Williams
Amazon / Goodreads / Bookbub
Facebook / Instagram / Twitter
  Website / Newslette
A Worthy Heart by Sara Beth Williams

A Second Chance Novel #2

A 2020 SELAH AWARD FINALIST  
Joel Bennett has always known Serena Hayes as his sister's gregarious best friend. In the three years since Lacey began college, Serena became a regular houseguest, but lately, she's absent more than not. When Joel discovers she's in an abusive relationship, protectiveness from within roars to life.

With only a part-time job to support her and nowhere to go, Serena fears leaving her current relationship would jeopardize her chances of graduating college. After a brutal attack leaves her no choice, she courageously moves out. On her journey toward regaining confidence, self-worth, and independence, Joel falls in beside her, encouraging her. The way he emulates Godly love and compassion draws her close--not just to him, but to the God who can satisfy her longing for love better than any man,

Attraction sizzles between them, but events from their pasts cast shadows of doubt. When the unthinkable happens, can Serena open her heart to a second chance at love, or is she destined to be alone?

Excerpt from A Worthy Heart: Chapter 1

“Serena!”
She lifted her gaze at the sound of her name and scanned the lines of halted and slow-moving cars for the source of the voice. Doesn’t sound like Chris. She needed to find her phone. By now’ he might already be at the birthday party, wondering why she hadn’t arrived.
Then she identified the source of the voice. Tall and lean, clad in black slacks and a collared shirt, jogging along the bike lane past the stalled traffic was Joel Bennett. Her best friend’s brother. The same best friend whose birthday party was happening right now. What’s he doing here? Why isn’t he already at the restaurant with Lacey?
Panting, he stopped in front of her. “Serena, are you okay? Are you hurt?”
She sniffled and swallowed the emotion clogging her throat. He was the last person she wanted to see her cry. “I’m fine. My car…not so much.”
Without warning, she found herself wrapped in his arms. For a brief moment, she allowed her eyelids to sink closed and laid her forehead against his chest. Then she thought better of it and quickly stepped out of his embrace. What am I doing? I have a boyfriend. Who would flip out if he saw me hugging another guy!
“You sure you’re all right?” 


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Nanowrimo 2020 Recap

This year was different. I set out with a plan and a hope, and I finished my Nanowrimo story by the 21st--the earliest I've ever "Won" Nanowrimo. My personal goal was 60,000 words (normal Nanowrimo goals are 50,000, but I'm an overachiever), and I ended at 58,118. Not my personal best, but not the worst, either. Especially since I know my story will grow and evolve during edits over the next year or two.
​So, what's next?
Well, this story I just wrote is the second in a series, so I still have to write the third, but I'm working on a proposal to submit for them now so that maybe we can see them published as early as 2022 (?). It's a hope and a prayer. That means early next year, I want to finish the third one, too.
But first, I need to write my Christmas novella that will be releasing in September 2021. It's to be included with four other stories, all set on a beach during the holidays. Mine will be on St. Simon's Island, Georgia, a place I love dearly--it's where we honeymooned. So, be looking for more on that soon.
AND, my March release, Writing Home, has been moved UP to January 19th. So, stayed tuned for more about that story, too. I'm so excited for you to meet Chris and Jordan and fall in love with them just like I did.
Have you accomplished some goals you set lately? Were you pleased with how they turned out or a little disappointed?​

Nanowrimo 2020 Update

When I started thinking about doing Nanowrimo this year, I hesitated. My calendar was already so full and busy, adding one more thing seemed like a bad idea. That being said, I pushed on and decided to go ahead and at least attempt it. After all, even if I didn't "win" this year like I had so many times before, at least I'd have more words typed up than I started with.
Little did I know that my fingers would fly over the keyboard, pounding out several thousand words a day and putting me almost a week ahead. Yet, that's what happened. I am squeezing in writing time in the afternoons I'm home and the evenings when the afternoons are full. Some days I'm doing both. And I'm averaging over 2000 words an hours, guys. I'm shocking myself.
​At the time of my writing this post, I'm sitting at 39,090 words, 14,085 ahead of where a typical Nanowrimo author should be right now. That's basically over a week ahead of schedule. Want to know more about what I'm working on?
This book is the second in a three-book series and I'm going to have to categorize it as Chick-Lit or something instead of my typical romance because the couple is already married. That's right. This is their honeymoon. But nothing is going right. Want a sneak peek? Keep reading. Here's the opening scene.
     “Is this real?”
     Bree Hart looked up from where she’d been admiring her shiny new wedding ring and over at her husband—her husband!—and grinned. “It must be real. I’m too tired to be sleeping.”
     “Sorry our flights were so early. They were the cheapest.” Nathan wove his fingers through hers. Even after neither of them getting much sleep the night before, he looked as handsome to her as he had the day before in his tux. “I bet we have time to nap awhile this afternoon.”
     “Nap! Who can nap when there’s so many exciting things to do?” She craned her neck around to check how long before their departure. “It still confuses me that we’d have to travel through DFW to get to New York. I’ll never understand airlines.”
     Nathan shifted in his seat, running a hand through his brown curls. “So, here’s the thing ...”
     Uh oh.
     “I know you really had your heart set on spending our honeymoon in New York City.”
     Bree straightened, beginning to worry about what he’d say next. “Nathan, where are we going?”
     “Now, hear me out.” He patted the air as if to lay out the facts. “I did look at New York City as an option.”
     “Why am I hearing a ‘but’ in that statement?”
     “As I was doing the math, adding up all the things you’d mentioned wanting to do ...”
     The downside to being married to an accountant was beginning to show.
     “And it was getting pretty expensive.” Nathan shot her a guilt glance. “And then, because I’d been doing all that travel research, of course I started getting all sorts of ads for various vacations. Really good deals.”
     Bree squeezed her eyes shut, as if it would help block the dreadful image forming in her mind.
     “And I thought, we could do New York anytime, but how often would I find such a good price on a Caribbean cruise?”
     “Wait, wait, wait.” Bree cocked her head to the side. “You’re telling me you found a cruise cheaper than five days in New York?”
     “Yes.” His grin took over his whole face, like a little boy waiting for praise for a job well done.
     She desperately wanted to give him the adulation he was expecting, but she was still swallowing her disappointment over not getting to kiss him on top of the Empire State Building. Besides, a cruise required a completely different packing list. She’d packed for June in the northeast, not the Caribbean. She’d still included a swimsuit, but ...
     “I didn’t pack a fancy dress.”
     He blinked twice. “Do you need one?”
     “Every cruise has a night where you’re supposed to dress up for dinner.”
     “Really?”
     She had a momentary pinch of guilt at his crestfallen expression, but shouldn’t he know these things? Hadn’t his cruise sent him an itinerary or a list of suggested items to bring?
     “I guess we’ll have to figure something else out that night.” She offered a tiny nugget of hope. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to go on a cruise—it just wasn’t what she’d dreamed of for almost a year.
     “Maybe there’ll be a store on the ship.” Nathan perked back up.
     “So much for this being cheaper than a trip to NYC.” She shook her head.
     Nathan looked confused but didn’t have the chance to ask what she meant.
     “Flight 453 to Houston has been cancelled due to weather.”
     “Cancelled!” Nathan jumped up, knocking over his carry-on. “I’ve got to see if we can find another flight. We’re supposed to meet the ship this afternoon.”
     Bree’s eyes wandered to a nearby television, something she’d paid no attention to earlier. She tugged on her husband’s sleeve. If that said what she thought it did, there wasn’t going to be another flight. And probably not a cruise, either.
     “Bree, I have to go talk to the lady at the counter.”
     “Look.” She pointed to the screen.
     A huge red blob swirled off the coast of Texas, orange and green spinning off it and covering most of the state. How had she missed hearing about a hurricane? Not to mention not noticing the rain lashing at the windows around them.
     Maybe because for the last week her sole focus had been on the wedding yesterday. She hadn’t checked the weather except to make sure it wasn’t raining in Nashville this weekend or New York City next. Nathan slumped into the seat beside her.
     “Oh no.” His voice was flat, deflated.
     ​“Something tells me our cruise probably isn’t leaving Houston this afternoon.”

What an Honor

If you look in the back of Saving Grace, you'll see something that isn't in my other two books. Know why? Because this year, I joined a book club. And several of the girls in the group always look for discussion questions for the book of the month. And since they honored me by choosing my book as the October read, I wanted to make sure these questions were there.
So, being read by a book club is a huge deal to me. This is my third book and this is the third club to choose one of my books as their read. I know how hard it is to pick books, especially if no one in the group has read them yet. And even though these ladies had read my other stories, they didn't know anything about this one.
Being chosen by a book club is also a bit intimidating. Why? Because, at least this time, I was going to be there for the discussion of what they thought. Would they love it? Would they find nitpicky things to pull apart? Would they censor what they said because I was sitting right there with them?
I'm happy to say that Monday night, when we discussed the book, they all liked it. And had plenty of good things to say. And the ones that weren't all praising were mostly just pet peeves or personal preferences, and nothing awful.
So, when you see the discussion questions in the back of the book, you can thank my local book club for that. And, if you're in a book club and need a new read, I'd love for you to check me out. I'll even join via zoom or messenger, if you want.
​Do you like having questions in the back of a book? Do you belong to a book club? What do you look for in book club reads?