This post was originally on InspyRomance in 2023. Now that InspyRomance has shut down, I thought it would be fun to revisit it here. Hello, and thanks for visiting. Have you been to Sassafras, Arkansas before? Well, it’s not terribly easy to get to. Basically, it’s only found in a few books by Amy R Anguish. But we’re fairly proud of our little town. Where exactly are we located? Well, you know. About an hour north-east-ish of Little Rock. But not too far east, mind you. A bit closer to the foothills of the Ozarks, but not quite. Still in the land of rice and cotton. Anyway, that gives you a pretty good idea. Sassafras isn’t huge. Honestly, sometimes I wonder if they include the livestock when they put the population number on the sign. But we’re big enough to have two grocery stores and a hospital. And just the other day, I heard they’re talking about bringing in a Walmart. Yep. We’re moving up in the world. What can you expect find here? Well, if you visit in An Unexpected Legacy, you’re going to find the church building, of course. And one of our lovely parks. The courthouse down in the center of downtown. And a few little antique shops, as well as a tearoom. Quite nice. Nice enough you want to visit again? Well, No Place Like Home allows you a peek into our hospital (sad situation, that) as well as into the preacher’s house. James Stewart is his name. He’s a great guy, but one of his daughters … well, that book tells her story better than I can. Of course, if quilting is more up your alley, we’ve got a nice little shop down a few blocks from the courthouse. It’s called The Missing Piece. You can visit it along with our annual Watermelon Festival in Love in Any Season. The Nortons run the shop and are sweet ladies, though I think Tommy London is stepping in to take his Mom’s place in the business too. About time he came back home. Those people tend to visit the local deli, run by Dawn Smith. She has some of the yummiest sandwiches around. In case you need groceries while you’re here, we have two options. Foodland is on the North side of town. More of a chain store, but it has pretty much everything you need. I prefer to go to McDonald’s Grocery, though. It’s run by Mack McDonald, the third generation to bless our town with plenty of local produce. He’s a bit stuck in his ways sometimes, but I think Kaitlyn Daniels is loosening him up. She was able to get that new app Grocerease in town, and she scurries all over delivering groceries when she’s not subbing at the elementary school. More about Mack and Kaitlyn in Love Delivered. Of course, there are other amenities around. We’re not too far from some good fishing and hunting spots. And if you need something you can’t find here, Little Rock’s an hour away. All in all, I think Sassafras is about the best place to be. So, y’all come stay awhile, you hear? So, what do you think? Do you want to visit Sassafras? Do you like revisiting a fictional town in different stories? What are some other spots you’d like to see more of in this little town? I’m sure we’ll visit it again in the future. ;)
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2022 has beena bit of a whirlwind--in writing and in other parts of my life too.
Once again I had three books scheduled to release ... and they all did! Destination: Romance came out in June, starting off my three-book Roadtrip Romance series. In September, I added another novella collection called Love in Any Season. And this month, my second Roadtrip Romance, Roadtrip for Two hit the market. Whew! Even though they were all several months apart, it still added up to be a lot. But in a good way. This gives me a total of NINE releases now. I can hardly believe it. But what else have I done? What is it about a quilt that is so special?
And why did I choose to make it the center of my novella, The Missing Piece? I've talked about quilt shops already, but why quilts in particular? Why not any other part of sewing? Well, let me tell you about someone really special to me. My Grandma Reeve. She was one of the most amazing women I ever knew. And she taught me a love for quilts fairly early on. First, with a twin-sized quilt, each block appliqued with various women in different jobs. Then, when I graduated high school, with a queen-sized quilt made in the colors I requested. And she didn't only make quilts for me. No. There were thirteen of us grandchildren and every single one received two Grandma-made quilts. For almost a month now, I've been giving sneak peeks into MY story in the novella collection that released on the 27th. But today, I'm passing the torch and letting Regina Rudd Merrick post about her story and why spring is such an intrinsic part of it. Be sure to read to the end so you won't miss the next clue in our scavenger hunt! Spring has sprung,
The grass is riz, Wonder where the flowers is? They are nowhere to be found, ‘Cause they’re underground. I’ve always had an affinity for springtime in Kentucky, being born in March, so it was no stretch for me to write a story based on the season! I could also say that, like my character Maia Pascal, I have a love/hate relationship with the season. In the LOVE category are the feelings of refreshing, new birth, plus the colorful flowers and budding trees after a somber late winter! It brings hope every year. On the flip side (I can’t use the word HATE, unlike Maia!), there are the following issues:
For almost a month now, I've been giving sneak peeks into MY story in the novella collection releasing TOMORROW! But today, I'm passing the torch and letting Heather Greer post about her story and why winter is such an intrinsic part of it. Be sure to read to the end so you won't miss the next clue in our scavenger hunt! Spring is too wet and the ground is a big muddy mess. Summer is too hot and not even the draw of a great glass of lemonade can make it less so. Autumn is perfect. Always. Winter is often cold and dark.
Why, then, did I choose winter for my novella, Sugar and Spice? While the temperatures may leave something to be desired, I cannot deny the beauty of the season. Despite the cold, there’s beauty in winter. When snow blankets the bare branches of trees and rests on the needles of evergreens set against a wintery blue sky, the result is breathtaking. When sunlight hits the snow-covered ground creating an ocean of sparkling diamonds out of the field behind my house, the two sights blend with the unique hush accompanying snow to evoke a sense of serenity. The Love in Any Season Social Media Scavenger Hunt beings September 23rd! To celebrate the release of their new novella collection, Love in Any Season, the authors are hosting a fun social media scavenger hunt.
Here are the details: The Scavenger hunt opens September 23, 2022 and entries must be received by 11:59pm on October 4, 2022. One winner will be drawn from correct entries and announced on our social media pages on October 5, 2022. The winner will receive a $60 Amazon gift card. The contest is open to US only. Many of our clues are found on social media sources that aren't our own. Each author will keep a post like this one where links to new clues will be updated each day. Here are the other places where you can connect with each of the authors: So let's talk shop today. And by shop, I mean quilt shops. Why? Because my story, The Missing Piece, is set in one. One based off a few others I've been to.
I don't know if you've ever been in a quilt shop or not, but if you haven't, let me tell you. They're a lot of fun. You walk in and automatically your eyes are drawn to multiple things. Because fabric is fun. Full of colors and patterns and ideas of projects yet to happen. And as far as I can tell, women who work in quilt shops are fun, too. Because they have a passion for the art of sewing/quilting. And that's definitely something that speaks to my soul. So, my story is set in a quilt shop called The Missing Piece. It's in an old house that was redone into a store, but still has the character of different rooms and areas for fabric to be. There's a classroom in the back corner of the house (the former master bedroom), a room set up for people who need a place to sew, cutting tables here and there, and, of course, shelves of fabric. Did I model this after a real shop? Yes and no. ![]() Tommy England moved away from Sassafras, Arkansas right after high school. When he landed a job straight out of college, he stayed in Memphis, growing in the web design business. But when his mom passed away in the Spring, his world turned over. Now, he's back to help his dad go through things ... and work with Marsha and Beth at The Missing Piece, to see if they can get the books back in order. Because his mom's notes are confusing everyone and bills are falling through the cracks. Of course, other perks to being back in town are seeing his lifetime best friend Beth again, too. But she doesn't seem as happy about it. ![]() You know I always love to introduce you to my characters before my story releases. Today, you get to know Beth a little bit. Beth grew up with her best friend Tommy playing in their mothers' quilt shop, The Missing Piece. Now that she's all grown up, she's part-owner and still spends most of her time at the store. It's perfect except for one thing. Tommy moved away after high school and didn't come back ... until this summer. Now, she's struggling with years' of hurt and isn't sure how to handle him being back in town. Have you ever played in a Weeping Willow? Yes, it's a tree. No, they're not usually for climbing. But when my family lived in Mississippi, a friend had a big willow in her front yard and the branches hung all the way to the ground. We could brush them aside and crawl under there and it was like a great big green canopy all around us. Just perfect for imaginations.
I didn't see many willows when we lived in Texas, but back in middle Tennessee, there are quite a few in the area. And every time I pass one, I'm tempted to crawl under. What does all this have to do with summer? |
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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