Month: June 2012

What Had Happened Was…June 29th

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

 

 
Why yes, yes it is
another blog on what was happening in History on June 29th. Ya’ll ready for
this? bomp, bomp, bomp…
 
Pope Benedict XVI
announces the launch of a new Vatican website, news.va; he also performs the
first tweet ever made by a pope
 
I wonder if he
uses the #Jesustweeters tag? You think he does follow-backs?
 
 
“I know, right?”
PB’s response to the ?
“Is it true you’re on twitter?”
 
 
The General
Assembly of Rhode Island passes legislation allowing same-sex couples to
enter civil unions 
 
I was in Rhode
Island in 2011. My husband married his cousin Ben. No one seemed to mind. (that never gets old) It was a lovely wedding, Ben and Julia!
 Also, did Pope B tweet about this? Not Ben and Julia’s wedding…civil unions.
 
 
Emmy 16th Daytime
Award presentation – Susan Lucci loses for 10th time
 
I have a photo of
Lucci posted on my wall. She’s the epitome of perseverance. Also if you
believe I have a photo of Lucci, I have some swamp land in Texas I want to
sell you. Gosh, I’ll be embarrassed if there actually is swamp land in Texas.
 
There’s not…is
there?
 
“I borrowed this from Deidra Hall, sssh
give me my moment.”
 
 
“Moonraker”
premieres in U.S.
 
Please for the
love tell me you know what this is? I’ll give you a hint. He likes his
martinis shaken…not stirred. Love me some James Bond. Connery. Moore. My two
favs.
 
“Wow it’s a jungle out here.”
Oh, Bond, you are so observant.
Cue dreamy sigh.
 
 
“Tip-Toe
Thru’ The Tulips With Me” by Tiny Tim peaks at #17
 
Sounds like
something a serial killer, dubbed Tiny Tim for the way he can squeeze through
cracked windows and leave tulips at the crime scene, would say. Oh that’s
good! Dibs! You must click on this at least for a second, it only solidifies my serial killer idea. Not that the photo itself doesn’t.

 
 
 
 
 
And
there you have it, everyone! My husband’s birthday is tomorrow but we’ll be
celebrating today so I might be thin on comments! Have a great weekend! Any
big plans? Little plans? No plans? Share!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Amos: Just a boy from the hood…er pasture

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

photo credit: freedigitalphotos

Monday, I was
chatting with a couple of friends in the office (I work part time at my church)
and I said, “I was reading in Amos and–“
“Amos!”
Laughter filled the
office (and blessed heat; they freeze me out) “You were reading Amos? You
don’t hear that often…’I was reading in Amos…'”
Maybe it is
A-typical. Like me. Here’s why I love the book of Amos. Here’s why I love
Amos.  So much in this little overlooked
book says so much about our God, His power, His overwhelming love.
Amos shows up in a
time when Israel has much military success and prosperity (thanks to Jeroboam).
Guess what comes with sitting like fat cats?
Pride.
Greed. Immorality.
Amos focused on
putting Israel and Judah (two separate kingdoms at the time) in their place in
the area of worship, mostly.
Meaningless
worship.
Can you hear how
upset God is when He says, “Go to Bethel (center of Baal worship) and sin.
Go to Gilgal (remember this is where they set up the remembrance stones after
they crossed into the Promise Land, to remind them God had delivered and made good
on His promise–not a place of prostitution) and sin yet more.” Amos 4:4
*parenthesis mine
Do you hear the ,
“Go ahead, you’re going to anyway. I’ve done everything I can to dissuade
you” tone?
“Bring your
sacrifices every morning, your tithes every three years. Burn leavened bread as
a thank offering and brag about your freewill offerings–boast about them, you
Israelites, for this is what you love to do.” declares the Sovereign LORD.
Amos 4:4-5
Amos
made sure to let them know WHO was talking to them. THE SOVEREIGN LORD.
Do you hear the,
drips of sarcasm. Is it just me?
God goes on, through
Amos, to tell them every single thing He’s done to grab their attention. He
holds back rain to wither their crop…hey if they’re hungry maybe they’ll call
to Him, turn back…remember. Amos 4: 6-8
But they didn’t.
Then He struck their
gardens and vineyards with plight and mildew. And sent locust to eat away at
their crops. Maybe if a third party enters to gnaw away at their hard work,
they’ll turn back…remember. Amos 4:9
But they didn’t.
Then God allowed
sickness and war to overtake their bodies. The last resort. Surely, if their
bodies were sick, if the enemy came in with the sword they would call out to
God. Maybe then, they’ll turn back…remember. Amos 4:10-11
But they didn’t.
Therefore…God delivers up consequences for their sinful
behaviors.
“…prepare to
meet your God, O, Israel.”
That gives me chill
bumps.
And of course, in
God’s wonderful fashion He also declares restoration. But even so, Amos’s
words fall on deaf and angry ears.
The high priest,
Amaziah (living at Bethel–center of Baal worship) gets all testy. I mean what
corrupt priest wouldn’t, right? And he sends word to the king of Israel,
Jeroboam. “Amos is raising a conspiracy (Amos isn’t doing Jack. God is.)
against you and the very heart of Israel (translation: me. He went after me,
king) The land cannot bear all his words. (again. Me. I can’t bear it) He says,
‘Jeroboam will die by the sword and Israel will surely go into exile, away from
their native land.'”
Then Amaziah gets
testy with Amos. Tells him to get the heck out, go back to Judah and prophesy
there, but keep his mouth shut to Israel because this is where the king finds
sanctuary and he better stop disrupting it. Amos 7: 10-13.
And
here is what I love.
Amos says, “I
was neither a prophet nor a prophet’s son, but I was a shepherd, and I also
took care of sycamore-fig trees. But the LORD took me from tending flock and
said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’…” Amos 7:14-15
Amos wasn’t anyone powerful, nor did he come
from a powerful line of prophets. He was a lowly shepherd. But God called him to something else. And he
took up the mantle and went. His words were harsh at times, no one wants bad
news or to be corrected when they’re happy doing wrong.
God was with Amos.
God loved His people enough to send someone! I
love that he chooses ordinary people to do extraordinary things.
I love that Jesus,
by men’s standards, was nothing but ordinary.
“He
grew up like a small plant before the Lord, like
a root growing in a dry land. He had no special beauty or form to make us
notice him; there was nothing in his appearance to make us desire
him.” Isaiah 53:2 NCV
I love that God sent
Him–not to judge…not yet. But to save.
“The Son of Man came to find lost people
and save them.” Luke 19:10
How
does it make you feel to know that God uses the ordinary to extraordinary
things? Does it give you hope for yourself? 
Do you feel ordinary?
Come by our facebook
community and meet new women,
talk about God, and encourage one
another!  Click the link at the
right side of the toolbar!

Crafting a Plot

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

I’m not a serious plotter. By that, I mean I don’t know every single scene and how many words each chapter will be or how many chapters the story will actually have. 

I do know my major plot points, beginning and end. Everything in the middle is a discovery to me. I can fix any issues in the editing process. 

I’m plotting a new story (major plot points); it’s in the baby stages–not even ready to send to my agent to say, “What do you think? Should I run with this or call it a day?” 

Craft books have come in handy for sure, but truth is I like to apply that knowledge (mostly) when I go into the editing process. My first draft is all about imagination–seeing it play out like a movie in my head and exploring along with my characters. 

I’m looking forward to figuring out the middle main plot points so I can write up a synopsis and send to my agent. I haven’t written from a clean slate in over a year. Maybe two. I had so many mss under my belt, I’ve been taking them from first drafts to polished pieces.  Although I admit, after all the editing/polishing they are like new books. I’m finally about to send off the last ms to my critique partners and get a green light on this new book to write. Hopefully. I’m pretty excited about it!

I’ve been reading Story Structure Architect and it’s wonderful. I’ve been using it to plot out my main stuff and it’s been very helpful. I’m curious how much tighter my first draft writing will be compared to my previous ones. 

Check out my Pinterest page to see more craft books I’ve thanked God for! Also, you can catch a sneak peek at my new plot ideas for the book. I tend to develop ideas as I research, so I’ve been imagining a few things!

Writers: Are you plotters, pantsers or somewhere in between and what craft book/s do you recommend? 
Readers: Are you on Pinterest? Let me know in the comments and I’ll follow your boards!

Friend of a Writer: What’s That Like?

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

Hey everyone! Today is coffee with Jess and “Jane”! Backstory: “Jane” came over and we laid/lied? around gabbing most of the day then decided, “Hey, let’s make a YouTube!” So we did. I apologize for our serious lack of make-up, our ratty hair and over-abundance of giggles. Okay, I don’t apologize for the giggles. 

* “Jane” has never done a video, so her swaying, eye batting,  and uncertainty in her facial expressions are hilarious! 

*You can see pictures of our “research trip” HERE!  scroll all the way down!

Have a great weekend! See you on Monday! 

Blame the Dog!

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

 

This is my dog
Sarah. She’s
a Schnorkie, Schnauzer/Yorkie mix

 

 
 
I admit, I’ve wished my dog dead.

Animal lovers
everywhere will now slander my blog and ridicule me.

 
And yet, I still
admit it.
 
As a child, one of
my favorite Bible stories was Jonah and the Whale. Now, I’ll say right now it
may not have been a whale. It was a big fish, but a child of course relates a
big fish with a whale so…
 
This story of a man
who didn’t obey the Lord, stuck in a fish belly for 3 days until he said sorry,
and then he preached God’s message and everyone said sorry. Strangely, this
story didn’t scare me to get in the water or go out on boats, and it didn’t make
me afraid of God.
 
I also didn’t
understand the story of Jonah in its entirety until I was an adult. Jonah was
never afraid to go to Nineveh but I always thought that as a kid and was
taught, never be afraid of what God asks you to do. Side note: Nineveh was a
hopping and bopping ancient city built by the father of porn–Nimrod. Yeah, he
was a sick son of a gun. Imagine what a city built by an evil man would be
like.
 
Exactly.
 
Jonah wanted Nineveh to go up in flames. He wanted the people punished and that’s why
Jonah ran the other way.
 
And even when he
realized there was no getting out of it, when he did go and share God’s
message, when the people did repent and change their ways, he was still mad.
 
photo credit: free digital photos

“Jonah was furious. He lost his temper. He yelled at
God, “God! I knew it—when I was back home, I knew this was going to
happen! That’s why I ran off to Tarshish! I knew you were sheer grace and
mercy, not easily angered, rich in love, and ready at the drop of a hat to turn
your plans of punishment into a program of forgiveness!” Jonah 4:1-2 MSG

 
Jonah didn’t want
God to give forgiveness. The people of Nineveh didn’t deserve it.
 
Neither did Jonah.
 
Neither do we.
 
God decided to teach
Jonah a lesson (not the kind of lesson He taught with the tuna fish or whale…or
some kind of big fish). Jonah took off and sat under a large tree to see what
would happen to Nineveh and while sitting there, God grew a vine up and it shaded
Jonah. The next day, God sent a worm to eat the vine and caused a raging east
wind to blow. Basically, God took a blow dryer to Jonah’s head.
 
And guess what? That
made Jonah mad. Are we shocked? Not really.
 
“Then God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the
plant?”
 
And he
said, “It is right for me to be
angry, even to death!” Jonah 4:9
 
Jonah
was such a drama queen wasn’t he? I’ve never been so mad I want to die. Have
you? But I get the point–the intensity of anger.
 
And here
is where I weep. Every. Time. Here is where I see the tenderness and compassion
of our great God.
 
” But the Lord said, “You
have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it
grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. 
 
photo credit: free digital photos

 And should I not have concern for
the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and
twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and
also many animals?” Jonah 4:10-11

 
I can
relate to the people of Nineveh. Sometimes I don’t know my right hand from my
left. But God is concerned about me. He’s in a hurry to have compassion and
mercy on me.
 
Last
week, I wrote a small passage from one of my mss. It was about a church’s fall
festival and one of the characters comes dressed as if she were modeling for
Penthouse. Though the scene is somewhat humorous, my point came in the lines
afterwards. The lines you didn’t get to see. And I used something my husband
said to me (though I tweaked it for the ms).
 
And that
brings me back to wanting my dog dead.
 
One
morning I headed to the kitchen for my coffee and across the kitchen and living
room floor was chicken and bones. My dog stood there as if, “What? Who
doesn’t love chicken?”
 
I might
have been mad enough to want to die. Mostly, I wanted my dog to. I went into a
rant, hollering and carrying on like a total buffoon as I cleaned up her nasty
mess. I looked up and my husband was casually leaning against the wall with a
cup of coffee in his hand and a smirk on his face. Normally, this stance makes
me swoon. This morning, I might have hoped he spilled the coffee on his bare
chest.
 
“What?”
I hissed.
 
“I
think this might be the most you’ve ever spoken to the dog. A lovely way to
wake up by the way.” Smirk galore.
 
“Do
you not see this disaster! Wipe the grin off your face.”
 
And here
is where he got me.
 
“Jess,
you can’t blame a dog for being a dog.”
He did put his coffee cup down and helped me, but his amusement made me mad
enough to tell him to “just go drink your coffee. I got this.”
 
You
can’t expect someone who doesn’t know Jesus, to act like Jesus. Doesn’t mean we
let them get away with murder (literally sometimes), it just means we don’t
snub (then whisper to our friends) the chic in the micro-mini and wonder where her morals are.
 
 

Or turn
our nose up at the woman reading an explicit novel at the pool. Maybe we should sit down and instead of telling her
why she’s bound for Hell, ask her what she’s reading, what she likes about the
story (you may discover it’s not about the sex scenes at all) and then share
some books we like (not necessarily screaming, “It’s Christian fiction you
should read it and get saved!) It could become a great chance to minister as light not as a gavel.

 
It
means, when the Biker drops an f-bomb at the table next to us, we don’t gasp for everyone to hear and hope he doesn’t show up at our church. And really, what do you expect when you’re eating hot wings at Hooters?
I can
relate to Jonah as well as Nineveh.
 
It takes
God’s strength to help me step back and see things through His eyes–with mercy
and compassion. Two things I fail at often. Probably my biggest two! Yeah, I
admit it. But I’ve been learning and growing. Especially as I’ve been writing
curriculum for a new and growing believers class.
 
No
matter how I feel whether through Jonah’s eyes or Nineveh’s, it still boils
down to one thing:
 
God is
concerned. God wants people to know how much.
 
What about you? Can you relate to Jonah? Nineveh?…
my dog?
 
 
 

Postcards, Smooching Llamas, and Beth K. Vogt!

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

Connect with Beth!
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Today, I am ecstatic to hang out with the wise, lovely, talented author, Beth Vogt. I read her debut novel, Wish You Were Here and I gotta say, it was so much fun to read. I laughed out loud, I swooned, and I’m pretty sure I laughed and swooned some more!
Beth K. Vogt is a
non-fiction author and editor who said she’d never write fiction. She’s the
wife of an Air Force family physician (now in solo practice) who said she’d
never marry a doctor—or anyone in the military. She’s a mom of four who said
she’d never have kids. She’s discovered that God’s best often waits behind the
doors marked “Never.” Her inspirational contemporary romance novel, Wish You Were Here, debuted May 2012 (Howard
Books.) Her second novel, Catch a Falling Star,
releases May 2013. Beth is an established magazine writer and former editor of Connections, the leadership magazine for MOPS
International.
JP: You said
you’d never write fiction. The world is a better place because you do! Tell us
why you chose romance?
BV: God turned a
season of burnout into a bend in the writing road and I found myself on the
“Dark Side” writing a novel. I’ve always loved to read romances – contemporary,
historical, even some suspense – so it was a natural choice for me to try
writing one.
JP: In your debut
novel, one of your male characters, Daniel, has spent years sending your
heroine, Allison, postcards. Are you a postcard fan? Do you collect them? How
did this idea come to you? It was one of my favorite things about the book,
among so many others!
BV:The title Wish You Were Here came first – after several
misfires – and then the idea for the postcards came after that. It just seemed
natural that Daniel would send Allison postcards – glimpses of all his travels.
Most of the postcards are based on places that my family has lived or visited
through the years.
JP: Can you share
with us one of your favorite lines from this novel and tell us why?
BV:This is some
dialogue between Seth, Allison’s ex-fiancé, and her stepfather, Will:
“I’m sorry about how
things ended between you and Allison. But that doesn’t give you the right to
get physical with my daughter. Do I make myself clear?
Seth closed his
eyes, searching for a way to make amends. “Look, Mr. Denman, Allison and I had
a bit of a disagreement before Christmas. I assure you that I didn’t hurt—”
“The only thing you
can say at this time is ‘Yes, sir.’”
Seth gritted his
teeth. “Yes, sir.”
When I wrote this
scene I imagined what my husband would say if he were talking to Seth – I think
I even asked him. Will represents safety for Allison – and he comes through for
her again. I believe fathers can (should) play a crucial role in their daughter’s
life – and one facet of that role is to protect them.
JP: I remember grinning at this snippet! Daniel is a
big-time outdoorsman. What about you? Indoor girl or Outdoor? Have you ever
done any of the things he did in the book?
BV: I’m an indoor
girl who married an Eagle Scout-outdoor guy. I love to watch my husband camp.
My husband and I enjoy snowshoeing and we’ve gone snowmobiling. The scene where
Daniel breaks his knee cap? That one is taken from real life. Several summers ago,
my husband broke his knee while we were hiking. After our daughters headed down
the mountain to alert the rescue team, he splinted his leg with two tree
branches, bandanas and a rolled up T-shirt and with the help of two guys,
started hiking down the mountain. We met the rescue team halfway down.
JP: Oh, wow! You
married the real MacGyver! So tell us, did you try on wedding dresses for fun,
you know as inspiration for the novel!? What kind of research, hands-on/off,
did you do?
BV:The only one
trying on wedding dresses was my oldest daughter, who got married in 2011. I
did visit a llama ranch to get up close and personal with llamas. I even shared
a few kisses with some of them.
JP:  Um…I’ve done lots for research, never
smooched a llama! Okay, now a couple of fun questions before you have to go! If
you could be a character in any book you’ve read, who would you choose and why?
BV: Oh. My. Word.
That’s a tough one. I’ll go with Anne of Anne
of Green Gables. I love that girl’s spunk and intelligence and
imagination and sense of adventure!
JP: Fill in the
blank: If I were out for the day, I’d be lost without __________ and
__________, but I could make it without __________________.
BV:  If I were out for the day, I’d be lost
without my sunglasses and my iPhone, but I could make it without breakfast or
lunch..
JP: I could make it,
but I wouldn’t want to! Before you go, what would you like to ask the readers
today? They love to comment!
BV: I’ll offer them
two questions: If you could be a character in any book you’ve read, who would
you choose and why? And here’s an easier one: What 2 things do you need to make
it through the day?
Good questions!
Thanks, Beth, for hanging out today!  
Here’s a sneak peek of Wish You Were Here
Purchase
Wish You Were Here
HERE! 
 Kissing the wrong
guy days before her scheduled
wedding leads Allison to become a runaway bride. But can it also lead to
happily ever after?
Allison
Denman is supposed to get married in five days, but everything is all wrong.
The huge wedding. The frothy dress. And the groom.
Still,
kissing the groom’s brother, Daniel, in an unguarded moment is decidedly not the right thing to do. How could she
have made such a mistake? It seems Allison’s life is nothing but mistakes at
this point. Daniel’s adventures—chronicled through a collection of
postcards—have always appealed to Allison’s well-hidden desire for something
more. But how can betraying her fiancé’s trust lead to a true happily ever
after?
Can
Allison find her way out of this mess? Recognizing she doesn’t have all the
answers won’t be easy because she’s used to being in control. To find her way
again, she will have to believe that God has a plan for her—one outside her
carefully defined comfort zone—and find the strength to let Him lead.

Write That Book! But First….!!!!

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

So today’s question comes from  Beth Vogt who will be here on Monday to chat about her debut novel, Wish You Were Here! 

Enjoy the vlog and have a great weekend! My son’s birthday is today! He’s 8! 

Also, I think I was supposed to ask Do you NOT mind..blah blah blah, not do you Mind…blah blah blah. Whatever, just go with it! 

Take a Chance!

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

No I am not
referring to the Abba song, although, yes…yes I have their Greatest Hits and
that’s before the musical came along.
A few weeks ago, I
took my kids to Target. Now, let me preface by saying I rarely take them
shopping, as I’m always in a hurry and whiners get smacked in the face.
Kidding.
But anyway, as we
were leaving Myles (8) said, “I’ll get the cart.” He proceeded to
take it to the cart holding area and shove it inside another cart, you know,
like they go.
Apparently, he had a
hard time, so Bailey (13) said, “Just give it here. I’ll do it.” And
a small eruption broke out. As I made my way over to see what the fuss was, I
realized Bailey was right and I said, “Myles, just let her do it. You’re
too little to push that cart in and I don’t have time for you to figure it
out.”
Bailey handled it
and off we went into the parking lot. My son was quiet for a few steps and then
he said, “Mom, there’s always time to take
a chance.”
In that moment,
burning hot in the parking lot, my son became the teacher.
Now, I’d like to say
I marched him back inside and let him push the cart inside the other, but I
didn’t. I’m a work in progress.
The point is, I’m
thankful that God isn’t like me. In a hurry and not willing to give me time to
figure out how to “put the cart in the holding area”. He doesn’t tell
me I’m too small or weak to accomplish anything!
Sometimes, I think I
don’t have time to pursue a dream or a task because of time. But really, it’s
fear. I’m afraid to try something new. To take a chance.
To
everything there is a season,
A time
for every purpose under heaven:
 A time to be born,
    And
a time to die;
A time
to plant,
    And
a time to pluck what is planted;
 A time to kill,
    And
a time to heal;
A time
to break down,
    And
a time to build up;
 A time to weep,
    And
a time to laugh;
A time
to mourn,
    And
a time to dance;
 A time to cast away stones,
    And
a time to gather stones;
A time
to embrace,
    And
a time to refrain from embracing;
A time
to gain,
    And
a time to lose;
A time
to keep,
    And
a time to throw away;
A time
to tear,
    And
a time to sew;
A time
to keep silence,
    And
a time to speak;
 A time to love,
    And
a time to hate;
A time
of war,
    And
a time of peace. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
Would
you say “not having time” is sometimes a way of saying, “I’m
afraid.”
I’m over at Living By Grace, because it’s Wednesday! 🙂 Come by! 

Super Star!

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch
 

Ok, it’s possible that I’m not a Super Star but let me and Mary Catherine Gallagher have our moment. Last week I was awarded the Versatile Blogger award by the super sweet, Barbara Hartzler! We both attended Central Bible College, but years apart. Fine. I went first. Sigh. I’m old. So what! Barbara is a YA novelist and her blog covers writing, faith and entertainment. She’s very funny! 

The dealio for receiving the award is you have to thank the one who gave it to you. 

 
Thank you, Barbara! You are awesome!
 
Then you have to write 7 things about yourself. Well…I write stuff about myself all the time. In fact, I keep 10 random things about myself posted on its own page every day. 
 
So I’m going to mix my award with a tag I received from the fabulous, classy, super fit, (and vegetarian…let’s not hold that against her) author, Jennifer Shirk. Jennifer writes sweet romances for Avalon Books and Samhain Publishing. She has all kinds of fun stuff on her blog including guest authors, recipes, and tips on writing. She’s hilarious too! She tagged me in the Lucky 7 Meme  and so did the ever sarcastic and witty (also adorable new mom…again) Jaime Wright! which means I have to:
 
Go to page 77 in my current manuscript
 
Go to line 7
 
Copy the next 7 lines/paragraphs and post them as they’re written (no cheating!) 
 
Pass the meme on to 7 other writers
 
 
Please, for the love of all that’s good and decent don’t hold this against me! These lines come from the piece of trash, wonderful story in the erotica  romantic suspense genre that I’m trying to re-create from a pitiful first draft, with the tentative title Fifty Shades of Red Pigeon’s Blood.
 
 
 
“Who
forgot to send me the memo about no costumes?” Lee folded her arms and Heather
reached over and pushed them back to her sides. It was obvious she was a woman,
but crossing her arms exposed it more than necessary.
 
“I told
you it was a Fall Festival. For his church.”
 
“You never said church!” She glared at Asher.
“You’re religious? I knew you had to
have a flaw somewhere.” She frowned and looked at Heather again. “Fall
Festival, Halloween. Same thing.”
 
“No, Fall
Festival is in place of a Halloween party. Remember? Halloween-like party I said.” Heather glanced at Lee’s
head and giggled. “Nice horns by the way, Temptress.”
 
Maddox
tried to give her his jacket and she shoved it back. “I’m not cold.”
 
He pursed
his lips as if to hold back a fountain of words. Could he? Tonight was not the
night and Lee was already furious with him. “Penthouse called. They want their
costume back.”
 
No such
luck. Asher would kick them all out for their crass behavior. Amelia hadn’t
even had the chance to go on her first ever hayride. 

 

 
So there you have it. FYI, Asher did not kick them out. 
 
And now I am tagging the following writers to post their Lucky 7! 
 
 
If you’re a writer and feeling brave, go ahead and post yours too, just let me know so I can come read it! 
 
What’s your favorite flavor of Popsicle? It’s summer and my youngest is barreling through them. Mine’s banana! 

Would You Rather Wildflowers from Winter Style!

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

 

 
Today is another fun day with author, @KatieGanshert! I’ve asked
her, Bethany, and Evan (her main characters) to play Would You Rather…! So let’s
get started.
 
 
Would You Rather…
 
Eat cookie dough or brownie batter?
 
Bethany:
Brownie batter. It’s the only thing I can bake without ruining. And it brings
back some good memories with my mom, before things flipped inside out. Whenever
she made brownies, she’d give one beater to me and one to my brother to lick.
 
Evan:
How about a nice pork tenderloin instead? Or one of Robin’s pies?
 
Katie:
Brownie batter! Sometimes I make brownies just so I can lick the bowl. Yum,
yum, yum.
 
live in a rockin treehouse or a  sweet underground lair?
 
Bethany:
The tree house. It would probably feel a lot like the loft I live in now. And
I’d love to design it. Evan would probably never believe it, but I was a big
tree climber when I was a little girl.
 
Evan:
Tree house. My brothers and I built a really sweet treehouse when we were kids.
Sometimes I’d go up there at night and listen to the crickets.
 
Katie:
A sweet underground lair with lots of tunnels that I could explore.
 
fly or read minds? 
 
Bethany:
Fly. Life would have been a lot easier when I was a kid if I could have left
all the junk on the ground and taken to the sky.
 
Evan:
Read minds. I’d love to know what Bethany is thinking beneath that front she
works so hard to put up.
 
Katie:
Fly. Edward Cullen can keep his super power. I think I would hate to hear
everybody’s private thoughts.
 
Thanks, Katie, for spending the week with us. We’ve laughed, been challenged and have had a great time all around!
 
What
say you? Answer the questions in the comment section!  
 
 
A young architect at
a prestigious Chicago firm, Bethany Quinn has built a life far removed from her
trailer park teen years. Until an interruption from her estranged mother
reveals that tragedy has struck in her hometown and a reluctant Bethany is
called back to rural Iowa. Determined to pay her respects while avoiding any
emotional entanglements, she vows not to stay long. But the unexpected
inheritance of farmland and a startling turn of events in Chicago forces
Bethany to come up with a new plan.
 
Handsome farmhand
Evan Price has taken care of the Quinn farm for years. So when Bethany is left
the land, he must fight her decisions to realize his dreams. But even as he
disagrees with Bethany’s vision, Evan feels drawn to her and the pain she keeps
so carefully locked away. 
 
For Bethany, making
peace with her past and the God of her childhood doesn’t seem like the path to
freedom. Is letting go the only way to new life, love and a peace she’s not
even sure exists? 
 
Author, Katie Ganshert
Purchase Wildflowers from Winter HERE!