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What's more romantic than a Christmas wedding? How about a book about a Christmas wedding? Only one (or more) problem. Sarah Anne Crouch had a lot of fun including mischief in this sweet new book of hers. See if her stories of weddings gone wrong intrigues you.  Tomorrow—November 25—is release day for A Christmas in Shady Springs!
In A Summer in Shady Springs, Madeleine and A.J. fell in love. Now, in this new installment, wedding bells are finally ringing … and nothing is going quite as planned. I’ve always adored wedding stories. The chaos, the sweetness, the emotional family moments, the pretty dresses, the decorations. Weddings are such a delightful mix of love and unpredictability. And I love Christmas with just as much enthusiasm: twinkling lights, cookies, carols, memories. So really, what could be more fun than combining Christmas and a wedding into one story? I’ll tell you what: adding nearly every real-life wedding disaster I’ve ever witnessed into one story.
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 There is something about spending time with your "people" that makes you feel like yourself again. At least, there is for me.
Last week, I was blessed to be able to attend ScrivCon again--even be a speaker in one of the sessions. My dear friend Jennifer Burrows (pictured above) was my driving buddy and roomie. We soaked up lessons from other authors. We enjoyed playing tourist around Hot Springs, and we absolutely loved being around so many other authors. What other kind of conference could you go to where you're likely to hear someone say, "I'm bettter at killing them than making them fall in love." Patricia Bradley does write great suspense, if you like those books. ;) When is the last time you noticed a firefly? My children and I love to go out in the yard on summer evenings and catch them, but a lot of times we're too busy. Isn't that true for most of us? Author (and my friend) Tonya Ashley is here today to tell us how she wove these magical creatures into her sweet romance. I can vouch for it--it's a good one! See what you think.  Fireflies were one of the first symbols I knew I wanted in this story. Long before Dr. Ben Ewing stepped onto the page or Rebecca Hogue was juggling her family of eight siblings, there was this memory—soft, quiet, glowing. Summer twilights in Arkansas. The hush right before night settles. Fireflies rising like little promises across the grass.
As a child, I found it enchanting. It was a place where wonder lived, where quiet felt expectant. Somewhere along the road to adulthood, I lost that stillness. Life got louder. Responsibilities, expectations, a steady hum of urgency, drowning out the gentle things. I learned to be capable, efficient, “fine.” And I forgot how to sit in the grass and wait for light to appear. Have you ever been victim to a matchmaker? Ever played matchmaker to someone else? Julie Arduini is chatting with us today about her new book, part of a series of matchmaking romances. It sounds like so much fun. See what you think.  JoAnn Durgin and Lori Soard are the masters behind the Dogwood Creek Matchmakers series, and they also include Leah Atwood, Robin Bayne, Dawn Kinzer, Lisa Prysock, and me. We release a novella set in fictional Dogwood Creek, Tennessee, an hour outside of Gatlinburg, and each book contains a matchmaker that JoAnn and Lori created.
Clean Sweep is my first of two releases for the Dogwood Creek Matchmakers. I chose Alicia Caruso as the matchmaker. She hosts the matchmakers at her farmhouse that she shares with her husband Luca, and twin sixteen-year-old daughters, Arianna and Bella. Alicia is also a stained-glass artist. Dark and light are a part of life, but how is that reflected in fiction? Author Rachel D. Lyne is here today to tell us how it works into her stories, how she lets go of perfectionist tendencies, and what she's working on next. Check it out!  Rachel, you have an eclectic repertoire of artistic abilities! Do you tend to prefer one medium over another? Music, design, writing?
It is true that I love all forms of art and connect with them on varying levels. I wouldn’t, however, say I “prefer” one medium over another, but I would suggest that each medium has its own “season.” I used to believe I was a “Jill (instead of Jack – ha!) of all trades, master of none,” but what’s helped encourage me is that I don’t have to master one to feel like I’m using God’s gifts. I can enjoy all forms of creativity in undulating seasons for what God’s already prepared in advance. Thinking of it this way alleviates my perfectionistic tendencies. |
This is a place for me to tell you about what I'm writing, talk about the process or where some of my ideas came from, or even have other authors come in and talk about their books.
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