Good Friends, Good Food...Great Weekend ~ Donna

I had such an amazing weekend that I'm still on cloud nine! What's that? Oh, of course. I'm happy to tell you all about it...

Friday, I met for plotting & coffee with three of my closest friends, who also happen to be amazing authors. Fellow NovelFriends Jamie Kersten , and New York Times Bestselling author Stacey Joy Netzel (Yep, I said NYT Bestselling, people!). And we were lucky enough to be joined by author & publishing consultant Virginia McCullough. We chatted, plotted, chatted some more. Until real life reared its ugly head and I had to head home. (Disclaimer: Donna loves her family very much!)

Saturday morning, we all drove down to Milwaukee to join our sister WisRWA (Wisconsin Romance Writers of America) members for their monthly chapter meeting. Stacey and I spoke on a panel about indie-publishing, along with Edie Ramer, Leigh Morgan, and Mary Hughes, all incredible authors who found success with indie publishing. We were honored to be asked, and enjoyed the meeting very much. I even learned a few things myself!

After the meeting, the four of us drove further south to Racine, Wisconsin to have lunch with another dear friend, Mary Jo (award-winning author Casey Clifford). Mary Jo and her dashingly handsome husband, Jim. As soon as we walked into their stunningly beautiful condo (I'm on a roll with the adjectives...LOL), Jim showed us all out onto the balcony, which overlooks beautiful Lake Michigan, to take tons of pictures. I felt like a rock star! Though it was their energetic little dog, Oreo, who stole the show. Isn't she gorgeous?

I love all these gals dearly...

 Stacey & Mary Jo

 

Jamie & Mary Jo

 

Virginia & Mary Jo

 

After (a gazillion) photos were taken by all, we were treated to a tour of their three-story condo, which as I already mentioned, has a beautiful view of Lake Michigan. I now have office envy, bathroom envy, and husband envy! We were also thrilled to meet her charming son.

 

We chatted for a while, then Mary Jo served a delicious yet light lunch of chicken salad (chock full of dried cranberries, celery, and cashews), fresh fruit, and yummy rolls. But the grand finale? Mary Jo served us the most delctable Better Than Sex Pumpkin Spice cake, and heavenly Lemon Bars! I'm stealing Stacey's picture since I didn't think to take one myself (I was too busy stuffing my face...LOL).

 

 

Thanks for reading about my awesome weekend! I hope everyone had just as nice a time as I did. :-)

 

~ Donna

Daddy's Stealing My Childhood... ~ Donna

These are the words my older daughter flung at me Sunday while her father was busy cutting down her swingset. Here, let me start from the beginning...

Last fall, a stray cat wandered onto our property (I'm sure you know where this story is headed). We fed the emaciated thing, then I made a bed for it on our back porch with an old sleeping bag. I explained that eventually the furball would move on, so every morning, the girls would race to the back door to check and see if it was still there--and yep, of course it was. My daughter checked and told me it was girl, and such a pretty little thing she was. This cat wasn't your average stray, by the way. Solid gray, super fluffy (hard to tell in this picture, I know), big green eyes...this friendly feline was quite the looker.



After a week, my older daughter asked if we could keep it. I said no, but she begged, and begged, and BEGGED. What can I say? She's just like her mother. LOL And just like my mother had done many, many times, I caved. So we took her to the vet to get checked out and...ooh, funny aside. They asked the sex of the cat, I told them it was a girl, and the nurse lifted her tail. Her brow creased, and she said, "Um, she has testicles." LOL Anyway, I knew that if we were going to keep him, we needed to have him neutered, declawed, and vaccinated. Plus, the poor thing had a bad sinus infection, which took several trips back to the vet, and numerous prescriptions to shake.

Unfortunately, the stray, now known as Moonshine, hated our other cat, a female named Sunshine. He viciously attacked her, hurting her pretty badly, so I told my daughter she would have to keep him downstairs in her room for the time being. We figured the cats would eventually learn to co-exist, we just needed to be patient. Only it didn't seem to be happening. Everytime we brought him upstairs, he raced straight for Sunshine, and it became clear that he had no intention of sharing space with another cat. Oddly enough, he seemed to get along just fine with our 90 lb. mutt.

Last Monday was the final straw. He got loose upstairs and attacked Sunshine again. Only this time, when my husband tried to break them up, Moonshine bit him up pretty badly. His whole arm went numb; he said it felt as if his arm was broken (admittedly, he's a bit of a baby, but it really did look painful). That was it, we both decided. As much as we hated to do it, Moonshine had to go. All I could think about was what if it had been one of my girls he'd attacked, or one of their friends, or anyone, for that matter. I gently explained to my daughter that we simply couldn't take a chance that he'd hurt someone else. And though heartbroken, she understood.

So Friday morning, after the girls had left for school, daddy drove Moonshine to the Humane Society. As if he knew his fate, he walked right into the carrier and lied down. My husband said they oohed and aahed over him (the little stinker could be a real charmer when he wanted to be), and swore they'd find him a good home, no worries. My daughter cried her heart out that night, and suddenly I understood exactly how my own mother had felt...many, many times over the course of my childhood.

So then Sunday, my husband decided it was time to cut down the swingset and trampoline. We gotten the swingset when my older daughter was four, and the trampoline when she was three, so on top of losing her cat, this seemed to push her over the edge. While he was outside sawzalling like a madman, my daughter storms in, grabs her iPod and says, "Daddy's stealing my childhood...and I'm getting it on tape!" She's a true redhead with the temper to match. LOL Thankfully, the job was a lot harder than he'd anticipated, and by the time he was done, he couldn't lift his arms. So the trampoline stays. For now.



If you've made it to the end of my rambling, thanks for reading & see you next month! :-)

~ Donna

Laid vs. Lied - Yes, that tired old question

A couple of weeks ago I received an email from a reader who had an issue with one of my word choices. The line in question?

‘Frustrated and angry with himself, he lied back down and clasped his hands behind his head.’

This reader explained, with surprising vehemence, that I should have used ‘laid’, not ‘lied’. Don’t worry, I wasn’t offended…well, maybe a little after they informed me this only seemed to be a problem with romance authors…LOL

Anyway, the truth is, I had originally used ‘laid’ in that sentence, which sounds better to my ear than ‘lied’. But my editor promptly corrected me. And since ‘lay versus lie’ had always confused me, I did a little research and found plenty to support my editor’s position.

But this reader was quite adamant that they were correct, which left me wondering. Is there a correct answer? Could both words technically work in the above sentence, or should this reader have done their own homework before schooling me (and maybe others)?

I found this chart on Writer’s Digest, which seems to support my editor’s opinion:

Lay vs. Lie Chart

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Infinitive   Definition            Present    Past    Past Participle    Present Participle

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
to lay       to put or place       lay(s)     laid    laid               laying
              something down
to lie       to rest or recline    lie(s)     lay     lain               lying

And a few more references:
http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/lay-versus-lie.aspx
http://www.planetoid.org/grammar_for_geeks/lie_vs_lay_vs_laid.html
http://web.ku.edu/~edit/lie.html

So, what do you think? I would love to hear your opinions on this topic. As for the reader, turns out they’re just a very nice person who happens to be quite passionate about grammatical errors. ;-)

Thanks for stopping by!

~ Donna

Romancing the West Blog Hop

Romancing the West Blog Hop

Why do we enjoy writing and reading about the West? What is it about cowboys that is just plain irresistible? Over thirty authors and bloggers tackle these and other questions by explaining why we love Romancing the West.

But that’s not all, as you enjoy some awesome blogs and find fantastic books, for every post you comment on with your email address, you will be entered for some amazing prizes.

***PLEASE LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS TO QUALIFY***

Grand Prize: A swag pack which includes books (both ebooks and paper), Amazon gift card, custom made butterfly jewelry, book cards, magnets and much more all tucked away in a keepsake box. (Available to US residents only. Winner will be announced on February 26 at 10 PM EST)

We at NovelFriends are giving away a
*$20 Texas Roadhouse Gift Card!

Why do we love Romancing the West?

Donna: I fell in love with the west thanks to NYT bestselling author Linda Howard. While filling my basket at the local used book store, I came across a copy of A Lady of the West by Linda Howard. I did and BAM! I was in love. Not only with this amazing author (who is still one of my favorites!), but with the beautiful western states: Texas, Wyoming, Montana…Colorado. My love of Colorado deepened thanks to my NovelFriend, Stacey, And I was compelled to set my own story against the backdrop of those majestic Rocky Mountains.





Jamie: It’s hard to resist loving a cowboy. A man who is strong, hard working and has a love of the land. A guy who stays in shape by doing his job everyday, not because he spent hours in a gym. I’ve spent many hours admiring the cowboy heroes of Diana Palmer and Linda Lael Miller. How can you not love a man who is rough, tough, protective and true all in one very fine package?

Amazon

Delia:What isn’t to love about cowboys? I grew up wanting to be the Cartwright brother’s little sister, it didn’t take long for that fantasy to evolve along less familial fantasies. These are men who spend their lives both working with and fighting against the elements, using their strength and wits to not only stay alive, but to make a living while doing it. The fact that it’s done with a gun strapped to their hip and their butt looking all snug in a saddle just ramps the sexiness up a few levels (yeah, I’m talking about you, Little Joe).

AMAZON US CA UK DE, BN, SW, ARe, KOBO 

Stacey: I love horses, and I love good-looking, hard-working men in jeans and flannel or a button-up cotton work shirts. Putting the two together is a win-win no-brainer for me. Rolled up sleeves that reveal tanned, muscled forearms is sexier than a guy standing buck-naked—though I’d probably look either way. *grin* In my contemporary western Chasin’ Mason, Tripp is modeled after my all-time favorite cowboy picture: Matthew McConaughey in his Stetson Cologne ad.

* * * * *

So there you have it from the NovelFriends! To enter for our prize of the $20 Texas Roadhouse Gift Card, just use the Rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

ALSO, to enter for the Grand Prize SWAG PACK of the Romancing the West Blog Hop

, you must include your EMAIL address leave acomment along with your EMAIL address.

** To be entered in our raffle, simply tell us who's your favorite cowboy, or what's your favorite western romance novel...or both!

Best of luck from the NovelFriends!

(* If there is no Texas Roadhouse restaurant near you, we will substitute a $20 Gift Card of winner's choice)

Romancing the West Blog Hop



Elvis Week

Each of us take a Tuesday of the month to post here, but since we've got 5 Tuesdays this month and there are only 4 of us, we needed to come up with something to do for today.  So, for your (and our) entertainment, we came up with a writing prompt and each of us ran off to play with it.   Our prompt?  An Elvis Song    And here are our results:

Jamie

Are You Lonesome Tonight?

Kate Monroe sat at a small table in the noisy bar. What had possessed her to move to a small town where the height of Saturday night entertainment was an Elvis themed bar? Ale House Rock, seriously? 

Not that the town she moved from had been much bigger, but it was closer to a city that offered at least a few options for having fun. Her coworker, Aubrey, had gone to the restroom a while ago, but had been stopped several times on her way back to their table. Kate tried to keep her focus on her drink instead of on the curious glances she felt directed her way.

The lights dimmed and a bright spotlight lit up the small stage next to her table. The sequined red curtains parted and a hottie dressed like Elvis in his younger years stepped forward.

“Welcome to Ale House Rock! Who’s ready for some singin’ and some dancin’?” As the rest of the bar broke into cheers, his deep, rough drawl slid through the speakers and wrapped around and let loose goose bumps on her arms.

Before she had a chance to catch her breath, he gyrated his hips, fake-strummed his guitar and belted out the opening lyrics of “Blue Suede Shoes”.

Ho-ly heaven!

Stacey

There is no such things as ghosts. You’re hallucinating.

That’s what the rational side of my brain told me as I stood there, right outside the revered gates, and he walked toward me. But I hadn’t had anything to drink stronger than a mocha latte. I certainly hadn’t smoked anything.

I raised my hand to my forehead. No fever.

Did people just have random hallucinations?

I was reminded of that song as I lowered my arm. You know, the one Marc Cohn sings. The one Little Big Town remade with Sugarland—Walking In Memphis.

His head turned toward me as he moved past. Our eyes met. He smiled with the signature curl to his lip, and then he winked.

Wow, what a hallucination! My heart skipped before beating triple time, leaving me breathless. I suddenly understood the swooning effect.

I watched him pass through the gates and disappear into the house as my friend bounded up to me with our tickets.

“I still can’t believe we’re here. I’m telling you, Graceland is definitely going to be the highlight of my trip!”

Still speechless from a moment ago, all I could do was nod in agreement.

Donna

Blue Hawaii.

Tamara’s chest tightened as she pulled the old VHS tape from the video cabinet in her parents’ living room. A lifelong Elvis Presley fan, her mom had been collecting Elvis paraphernalia since she was a teenager. She owned a vast collection of records, paintings, figurines, belts, key chains, coffee mugs, magnets, purses, a lunch box, several ornaments, a couple of clocks, dozens of T-shirts…and that was just what Tamara could recall off the top of her head.

Her mother also owned all thirty three of his movies—which included two documentaries—on either VHS or DVD. Some both. And though they’d seen every one of them many times over, Blue Hawaii had always been her mom’s favorite.

Her parents spent their honeymoon on the Big Island many years ago, so Hawaii had always held a special place in both of their hearts. "Two glorious weeks in paradise," her father would tease with a wink at her mother, who never failed to turn three shades of pink.

After her father passed, her mom often talked about heading back to beautiful Anaeho’omalu Bay to spread his ashes over the crystal blue waters of the Pacific Ocean.

Now that day would never come.

Slipping the movie from its cardboard sleeve, Tamara found herself holding her breath. She’d watched Blue Hawaii with her mother so many times she could recite the movie word for word. Because, frankly, it had been a favorite of hers as well, though she’d have cut out her tongue before ever admitting it. Part of the fun had been rolling her eyes and groaning whenever her mother declared it Elvis night. She’d make fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches—which, surprisingly, weren’t too bad—and they’d wash them down with ice-cold Pepsi. The King’s favorite beverage.

Unable to resist, Tamara popped the black tape into the old VCR. A strange feeling washed over her when the title song started to play, and Elvis’s deep, hypnotic voice filled every corner of the room. 

She closed her eyes and sang softly along…

“…Night and you and Blue Ha-waaaaiiii. The night is heav-enly, and you are heav-en to me…”

Tears blurred her vision before spilling down her cheeks. She gave her head a frustrated shake and swiped them away. She hadn’t seen the movie in several years, yet when she closed her eyes—

A sudden, comforting presence settled in beside her. Tamara’s eyes shot open as her heart warmed with inner peace. Whether in life or beyond, it seemed, her mother simply couldn’t resist Blue Hawaii.

Delia

“Are You Lonesome Tonight?”

“You Hound Dog!  I told you to never call me again!”

“I can’t help it, I’m Stuck on You.”

“That’s not my fault, I just want you to leave me alone.”

“Come on, Baby, Don’t Be Cruel.    I Can’t Help Falling In Love With You,   you’re my Good Luck Charm and I Just Can’t Help Believing that you Love Me Tender as much as I do you.”

“I filed a restraining order against you, if you come anywhere near me, you’ll be doing The Jailhouse Rock. “

“A restraining order??  Is that why all my Love Letters came back marked Return to Sender?  You’re a Hard Headed Woman.”

“No, I just don’t want to spend another night in Heartbreak Hotel.    You got me All Shook Up and then left me.  What was I supposed to do?”

“I’m sorry, I guess we both had Suspicious Minds and ruined what we had.  Do you think you could ever let bygones be bygones and give us a second chance? “

“Well, I suppose It’s Now or Never.  Come on over, and Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear…and make sure you’re wearing your Blue Suede Shoes.”

Welcome To Redemption Character Interview: NY Times Best-selling Author Katelynn Meadows

*Spoiler: If you haven’t read Home Is Where the Heart Is, Book 5, you may want to save this for afterward.

~*~ 

Erin Barnes:  “Hi – This is Erin Barnes from Channel 5 news in Green Bay, reporting from Coffee To Chai For in the neighboring town of Redemption.  You all know from my book club that I’m a huge fan of romance novels, and today I’m thrilled to welcome New York Times bestselling author, Katelynn Meadows.  Fans of Katelynn’s will be surprised to learn Meadows is the pen name for Melinda Spalding, daughter of Spalding Industries CEO Jacob Spalding Sr.  So let me start with, do you prefer Katelynn or Melinda?”

Melinda Spalding:  “Lindy, actually.” [small smile curves her lips] “It’s been my nickname for as long as I can remember.”

Erin:  “Lindy it is.  And you’ve been in Wisconsin for how long now?”

Lindy:  “Just a few months.”

Erin:  “How do you like it here in—”

Lindy:  “Mayberry?”

Erin:  [laughs] “I was going to say Redemption, but maybe that answers my question…?”

Lindy:  “Mayberry is my affectionate name for Redemption.”

Erin:  “Ah—okay.  Now, I know you grew up in L.A., so what brought you here to the Midwest?”

Lindy:  “Spalding Industries opened a new plant here, and I was in charge of the start-up.”  [smiles proudly] “S.I. provided the area with over five hundred new jobs.”

Erin:  “I remember reading about that.  How wonderful.”  [tilts head thoughtfully] “So your move had nothing to do with your brother?”

Lindy sits silently, clearly uncomfortable with the question.

Erin:  [undaunted] “It’s no secret he moved out here to escape the scandal of actress Amanda Ames’ death.”

Lindy:  “My brother was cleared of all charges, and I’d prefer to not discuss my family, please.”

Erin:  [pauses, gives a quick nod] “I can respect that.  Back to Redemption—did you find it difficult to transition to small-town life after having grown up in the big city?”

Lindy:  [shrugs one shoulder] “There was a time when I couldn’t imagine living here.  Winter snow storms and below zero temperatures?”  [playful shudder] “No thank you.  But somehow I fell in love with this beautiful town…and everyone in it.”

Erin:  “Does the ring on your left hand have anything to do with your change of heart?”

Lindy:  [coyly bats her eyelashes] “Let’s just say home is definitely where the heart is.”

Erin:  “I certainly can’t argue with that.”  [leans forward, intrigued] “So is he here today?  Will we get to meet him?”

Lindy:  “No, I’m afraid he had to work.  He owns and operates DP Tire & Auto, just down the road.”

Erin glances out the window and reels back in surprise at the crowd gathered outside.

Erin:  “It seems you have quite the fan base here in Redemption.  Suddenly, it feels like The Today Show.”

Lindy:  [looks over her shoulder; eyes widen in comical dismay] “Oh, my God…”

Erin:  “Sure is an interesting looking crowd.” [leans forward again] “Wait…Is that a pig?

Lindy:  “Who?”

Erin:  [surprised laughter] “The animal in that lady’s arms, wearing the plaid sweater.”

Lindy:  “Oh, that’s just June and Sweet Pea. She’s a little touched, but sweet.”  [with a long suffering sigh, Lindy gets up and pushes opens the coffee shop door, gesturing everyone inside] “Well, let’s go.  You all might as well come in.”

Everyone excitedly files in, filling every seat in the small shop.

Charlie Russell:  [looks around the coffee shop] “Where the hell is Drew?”

Lindy:  [eyes grow suspiciously bright; blinks rapidly] “He had to work.”

Lindy returns to her seat; Charlie scowls and slips out the door.

Erin:  “So…I take it these are all friends of yours?”

 

Lindy:  [Lindy nods, affectionately scanning the crowd] “Friends, family, and everything in between.”

The crowd erupts into applause and shout-outs.  Lindy grins, but shushes the room.

Erin:  “Lindy, readers just love your Magville series, and Moonlit Encounter has been receiving rave reviews.  When I posted on my blog about this interview, the number one overwhelming question people asked is: When is your next book coming out?”

Lindy:  [smiles into the camera] “My fans are amazingly supportive, I’m so lucky.  And grateful.  And I’m happy to announce that Moonlit Seduction is scheduled for an October 1^st release.”

Erin:  “Excellent news!  I’m going to pre-order my copy tonight.  Okay, the second most asked question: Where do you get the inspiration for your heroes?” [looks around the room] “Maybe that answer is obvious.”

Camera pans the crowd.

Hannah Porter:  “Ask her about Sir Andrew Portland!”

Snickers erupt from the peanut gallery.

Carrie Lowell:  [cocks a teasing brow at Lindy] “Seriously?  Sir Andrew Portland?”

Allie Daniels:  “I don’t get it—what’s so funny?”

Erin:  “Lindy, would you care to explain?”

Lindy:  “No comment.”

The bell above the door rings; Charlie enters dragging a reluctant Drew Porter by the collar of his oil-stained overalls.

Wes Carter:  “All hail Sir Andrew Portland!”

Male guffaws and feminine giggles fill the room.

Drew Porter: [jerks free of Charlie’s grip] “Dammit, Charlie, let go!”

Erin:  “And who is this?”

Lindy:  “That would be my fiancé, Drew Porter.”

Allie:  “Oh!  Now I get it.” [chuckles self-consciously]

Erin:  [looks Drew up and down] “You and me both, sister.”

Rick Wilde:  “Good Lord, his ego barely fits through the door as it is.  Could you women quit feeding it?”

Allie:  “Don’t worry, hon, I only have eyes for you.” [twines her arms through his and smiles up at him]

Carrie:  [as she pulls an empty tray from the display case] “Oh, please, spare us.”

Dana McClain:  “Yeah. Go eat your lunch at home.”

Raucous laughter ensues; Charlie snuggles up behind Dana.

Max Frazier:  “Why?  They can eat lunch here.”

Caleb Hunter:  [gives the kid’s shoulder a playful nudge] “Not what’s on Allie’s menu.”

Lauren Frazier:  “I can’t believe you just said that…he’s only eleven!”

June:  [tries to cover Sweet Pea’s eyes and ears] “Oh, my poor baby.”

Mrs. Langhart (of the local book club): “For heavens sake, June, she’s had babies of her own!”

Erin:  “I hate to interrupt the fun, but can we please get back on track?”

Lindy:  “Yes.  Please.” [gives everyone in the room the stink eye]

Erin:  [consults her notes] “Several of your readers would like to know where you get your ideas from?”

Lindy:  [thinks about it for a moment] “That’s sort of a difficult question.  Just about anything can spark an idea.  For example, last summer I discovered a beautiful old church on Green Bay’s east side, and it completely captivated me.  I took a few pictures, and within a week I’d written a thirty page synopsis for a new series I hope to get started on next year.”

Erin:  [perks up] “A new series?  Do tell.”

Lindy:  “Well, as a little girl I used to watch Little House on the Prairie with my mom, and I always wondered what it would’ve been like to have lived during those times.  That old church sparked an idea, and I finally decided to find out for myself by plotting a frontier series set in Northeast Wisconsin in the late 1800s.”

Erin:  “I grew up watching Little House myself, so I am definitely looking forward to that.  Since you write historicals, the answer to this next question might seem obvious: Do you find all the research tedious, or do you enjoy it?”

Wes:  “Hey, shouldn’t that be a question for Sir Andrew Portland?”

Charlie:  “Yeah.  Because if she finds it tedious, he’s doing something wrong.”

Masculine chuckles overflow the room.

Tara Russell: “Come on you guys, ease up.”

Wes:  “Ah, honey, you have to admit it’s pretty funny.”

Drew: [shakes his head] “Morons.  Trust me, the lady is perfectly satisfied.  Aren’t you, Hot Stuff?”

Lindy:  “At the moment, I’m mostly annoyed.” [suddenly looks a little green around the gills and turns to the waitress hovering on the fringe of the crowd.] “Jenny, could you please bring me a Sprite?”

Jenny Adams:  “Of course.”

Drew frowns, straightens and moves in closer, careful to stay out of the way of the cameras.

Lindy:  “To answer your question, Erin, I do enjoy research.  Especially when I can travel to the location I’ve set my books in and get a real feel for the area.”

Erin:  “And will your fiancé travel with you now?”

Lindy:  “Yes.”

Drew: “No.”

Drew and Lindy eyeball each other.

Lindy:  “Obviously, we haven’t talked about it yet.”

Erin clears her throat as she scans her notes.  Jenny sets the soft drink on the table with a nervous glance at the camera before quickly moving out of the way.

Erin:  “Here’s something I’ve always wondered.  Do you set a schedule for writing, or do you—”

Lindy:  “I’m sorry…I’m going to need a minute.” [stands, sways on her feet]

Drew: [rushes forward and catches Lindy in his arms] “Are you all right?  Is it the baby?”

Lindy stares up at him in stunned, wide-eyed silence.

Erin:  “Did you say baby?”

Hannah:  “Oh my God, I’m going to be an auntie!”

Chaos ensues as everyone starts chattering at once.

Lindy:  “What part of ‘ I’m not ready to tell anyone yet.’ don’t you understand?”

Drew: “I’m sorry, damn it.  But you looked like you were about to pass out, and I panicked.”

Lindy:  [lays her head against his chest with a long-suffering sigh] “It’s a good thing for you I feel like utter crap or I’d kick your sorry ass right now.”

Carrie and Matt turn to each other in stunned silence; Allie wraps her arms around Rick as they share a bittersweet smile; Wes kisses Tara on the forehead as he holds her tight; June Dolinski’s squeal drowns out Sweet Pea’s; Motor-mouth Marv high-fives Hutch, who then pulls Hannah into a bear hug; Caleb hoists Emma up on his shoulder as Lauren ruffles Max’s hair…

Carrie:  [rushes out from behind the counter] “Drinks are on the house!”

Everyone cheers; a couple of smartasses yell, “Norm!”  Jenny digs into her apron pocket for pen and pad as orders are called out.

Jacob “Matt” Spalding Jr.: [hollers from behind the counter] “Dammit, woman, I swear you do that just to annoy me.”

Carrie:  “She’s your sister, Ebenezer Scrooge, get over it.  And let me just remind you, this is my coffee shop.  If I want to treat the whole freakin’ town to a coffee or an iced mocha or—”

Carrie’s rant is drowned out by the rest of the crowd.

Erin:  [looking a little shell-shocked into the camera] “Needless to say, I have clearly lost all control of this interview.  Good night from Redemption, and thank you for watching.  Don’t forget to tune in next week when I sit down with the Phipples, who claim to own the world’s largest collection of Smiley Meal toys.”  [she leans over and taps Jenny on the arm] “l’ll take a large Chai, please.”

~*~
 

Stacey & I hope you enjoyed the interview! The first two books in our Welcome To Redemption series are available FREE, so if you interested in reading more about our small town and its quirky inhabitants, we hope you'll give them a try.

 Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, Sony, Kobo, Smashwords

 

Thanks for reading!

 

Donna & Stacey