It's the final day of our short story for this birthday week. I hope you've enjoyed the little drama between Kevin and Stacy, along with the literary references. If you missed any of the previous days, they can be found here: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, or Day 4. And now, the conclusion of our story ...

​Kevin still couldn’t believe Stacy was in the passenger seat of his car as he drove them to his favorite café. Had he really finally asked her for a date? She knew this was a date, right?

“So, did you like Little Women?” Stacy broke their silence. “I have to ask because if you didn’t, I’m not sure we can date longer than tonight.”

Kevin blinked.

“I’m joking!” Stacy giggled.

“Well, joking or not, I did enjoy the book. I don’t think it was what I expected. But it was really fascinating.”

​Stacy leaned closer, her floral scent wafting his way. “Did you cry?”

It's the next-to-last day of our short story. I hope you have been enjoying it. If you've missed any of the previous days, you can find them here: Day 1, Day 2, or Day 3.

Rainy days made Stacy want to just curl up and read somewhere. Preferably with a warm cup of coffee. But, instead, the day had been full of chaotic story times, lost books, and a few preschool breakdowns. She was about to the point where she wanted to join them.

It was finally closing time, but no sign of the weather letting up. She’d just have to pull the hood up on her jacket and make a run for it. If only she hadn’t had to park so far away! But the employees tried to leave closer spots for the library patrons, so she was stuck in the back corner tonight.
​
She paused on the back doorstep, breathing in the damp air, listening to the pounding on the pavement. A wonderful night to snuggle under a blanket with a book. First, she had to get home.

It's my actual birthday today and I hope you're enjoying celebrating with me this week by reading my free short story. We're on to Day 3, which means only two left after this one. If you missed the previous days, they're here: Day 1, Day 2.

Now Kevin had gone and done it. Could this be any more humiliating?

​“Are you wanting to write a novel?” Stacy glanced from the book to him.

“No, I—” Argh. Maybe it could get more humiliating. And why did he always forget how to talk when she was around?

“Kevin.” Stacy laid a hand on his bicep. “Maybe if you tell me what you’re looking for, I could help. I know I am head of the children’s department, but I read rather widely, especially in this genre. I mean, I won’t know everything, of course—”
​
He cut her off before she could go any farther. “I was trying to figure out how it’s done.”

Ready for Day 2 of my annual short story? If you missed Day 1, you can catch up here. If you're ready to find out what happens next between Kevin and Stacy, read on.

“Is Kevin still here?” Stacy stopped by the front desk after checking the history section—his favorite spot. But there was no sign of the quiet man who had stopped by earlier and never finished telling her what he needed.
​
She’d been so distracted with the emergency spill Felicia had alerted her to and then to finishing up her book repair project. Kevin hadn’t crossed her mind again until she was helping a little girl find a biography in the children’s section. Which made her think about the man who could help find one in the adults’. And guilt niggled at her belly.

It's my birthday week! That means a free short story. It's my gift to my readers to celebrate another year around the sun. This year, we're hanging out in a library (bet you didn't figure that out from the title). I'll post a piece of the story every day this week through Friday, so make sure you come back all week for the next scene.

All the other stories from the last five years are still on my blog under the link "Short Stories." Feel free to go back and read them. And in the meantime, here's the new one. Enjoy!

​​Today was the day.

Kevin had been hemming and hawing about doing this for weeks now. Possibly even months. But no more.

He straightened his shoulders, tugged his sweater smooth, and drew a deep breath. The worst thing she could say was no, and this waiting around not knowing was worse than that in some ways. It was time.

Today, he would ask Stacy for a coffee date.
​
He put a hand on the door marked “Children’s Library Staff,” and pushed it open.

Do you ever read about a food found in books and think, "What is that?" Or, are you like me, and you go on Pinterest and do a search for a recipe? I can't help it. I love to learn about new foods. Let me rephrase that: I love food!
And it's always fascinating to me to read about new foods in books. A few weeks ago, I was reading The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek for our book club (If you want to know what I thought of it, that's another conversation, but feel free to ask!). In the book, the main character makes a Scripture cake. Do you know what a Scripture cake is?

My guest author today has become a dear friend over the last few years even though we haven't met in person (YET!). I'm blessed to be her content editor, but also in a novella collection with her in a few months too. If you haven't tried one of Lori DeJong's stories, I highly recommend them. So, sit back and check out her thoughts on how her fiction is a mission.

In my newest release, Love’s True Home, Ally, my female protagonist, was raised as the daughter of foreign missionaries in several Central American countries. Now residing in Arlington, Texas, she longs to grow her roots deep into American soil, although her widowed father still works among the indigenous people at a medical mission in Guatemala.
While Ally loves the people of Guatemala and the work the missionaries like her father do there, she believes strongly that it’s not her calling and prefers to work in student ministry back in the US. That’s where she meets Zane, an adventurous young man who loves working with young people as much as she does.
​So, it comes as a shock to her when a visit to the Guatemalan village where her father serves becomes the very thing that threatens to tear them apart, when Zane’s long-held dream of serving on foreign soil is suddenly on the verge of coming true, but Ally knows she can’t share it.

Over the last few years, I've fallen in love with Fairytale Retellings. There's something fun about revisiting the familiar even if it's told in a new way. So, when my muse decided I should write a new Cinderella last year, I gave in. Why not have some fun with it, right?
Thus, during Nanowrimo last fall, Rendersella was born. And, as of now, I have a contract for it to be released next July!!!
I'm thrilled to share this fun story with you. It's definitely not your typical fairy tale. Mine are set in the real world and have no magic. But they have the familiar pieces like pumpkins and shoes and a Prince Charming character who is so sweet. Even an evil stepmom and stepsister.
Even better, I'm working on a couple more fairytale retellings. Fairest Inn All is started, my Snow White retelling. And someday I'll write Beauty Shop and the Beast. Characters from the first book are in the other two as well, so it's going to be a fun series if I can find enough time to get it written.
Want to know more about Rendersella?

At the beginning of the summer, my daughter's most-anticipated activity of the summer was reading. She didn't have to put a book down and go to class or do homework. She could simply enjoy as many stories as she could squeeze in. And she squeezed in a lot. I'm not sure how many hours she got this summer because she lost track around day three. But my son kept track of his reading log for a contest we'd entered and he logged 7,307 minutes (over 121 hours).
​Don't worry. We did more than read this summer. But we did burn through quite a few stories and make multiple trips (per week) to the library.

Today, I'm happy to introduce you to a fellow Tennessee author. I just discovered Diane Tatum, but her books sound like a lot of fun. So, read all the way to the end so you can find out more!

Diane, you have quite the collection of books! I know you write across several different genres. Which is your favorite to write and why?
 
Three books have been published so far this year, making twenty available on Amazon. I’ve come to really enjoy writing romantic suspense. The romance is still strong in these stories, but the characters are also working together (willingly or not!) to resolve the mystery. I feel like it heightens the connection between the characters. I have two mystery series: Main Street Mysteries set in fictional Daelin, GA, and Mysteries at Kate’s B&B set in Adams, TN.
 
With a history of teaching for so many years, do you find the things you learned teaching being incorporated into your stories?
 
After teaching middle school for eleven years, I’m not writing YA! What I learned most is how different people are and how different they perceive things. I guess I got a course in human behavior and not always in the best way. My villains take on some of the characteristics of people I interacted with in and outside of the classroom. I also did most of my teaching in a small town, and my stories often take place there as well.
 
In addition, I taught seventh grade for seven of those years. At my middle school, seventh grade involved teaching geography and Tennessee history. That’s where I learned about the Bell Witch in Adams. I also taught Jules Verne’s Around the World in Eighty Days during the last month of the school year, kind of like a wrap-up of geography. One of my former students wrote me on direct messenger recently that she’d thought of me when doing a Jules Verne Lego set. Setting my stories in places I’ve been fortunate to experience is a great lesson I’ve taken from the classroom and Jules Verne.