Ups and Downs ~ Stacey

Since I last posted, there's been a lot going on. The younger kids started school (yay!) and my oldest flew to Fort Benning, Georgia to begin Army Special Forces Basic Combat Training. (BCT) Yes, it was an eventful beginning to our September.

Labor Day 2013--we had a family dinner to send him off
and took a bunch of pictures.

In addition, we're still working on the remodeling in our house. Currently the bathroom is limping along. Yesterday, our 10yr old Arabian, Bullet, was supposed to head about an hour south for 2 months of training. His ship-date got postponed to today. I joked that he and Cody would be going through Basic Training together and had intended to do my monthly post on that. And I still am, but it doesn't quite mesh as well as it was supposed to.

Bullet has no idea what's in store when he starts his BCT

Because for the down part of my day, I got a call from the trainer that one of his girls who does a lot of the riding was injured today and he was going to have to delay. I wish her a quick recovery, and now I'm bummed Bullet won't be off just yet. I was really looking forward to riding him in a couple months.

Oh well, because...for the up part of my day, we got a letter from Cody! 

I grabbed my mail on the way home from the dentist--oh yeah, there was another down. Fillings. 1/2 frozen face. Then on to the eye doctor, who said I'm borderline needing bifocals, and that's normal between ages 40-42. Well, I'll be 41 in October, so I guess, yay me, getting old on schedule.

So anyway, I grabbed the mail, saw there was a letter to "The Netzel Family", and then sat in the van in the garage to read it. Nope, I didn't care if the milk in the back seat got warm--letter came first. He's doing okay so far, he now knows how to make his bed (lol), and he says he looks funny bald. It was great to hear from him and he even made me laugh out loud when he told me how the shot in his butt hurt like hell.

I read the letter to the kids when they got home from school and they laughed at the line: "I'd love to see Morgan try to have an attitude here."

Anyway, he hasn't actually started BCT yet, he's still in the reception stage, where they're waiting for the rest of his class (battalion?) to arrive. I have no idea when he'll start, but when he does, that's when his 16 wks and 3 days begin to count down until we can see him again.

So, that's it from me. Next month I hope to be telling you all about my new book out, but in the meantime, I'd love to hear what's GOOD in your life these days??

~ Stacey

Been Busy... ~ Stacey

So, I missed last month because it was smack dab in the middle of our girls 'weekend'. This month, I'm so busy with preparing for the release of my new book, RUN TO ROME, that I decided I'd share a few pictures that I took on my 2011 Italy trip that I think are just cool pictures and don't really have anything to do with the book.

For pictures that do have to do with the book, visit my blog this week to 'see' the journey my characters took.

For pictures just for fun, scroll on down!

Old tree in the woods--ignore the date,
I forgot to reset after changing my battery

Old stables in the Castello di Torrechiara. Bet they
weren't so clean in the olden days!

A cool stone house along the side of the road.

European version of the General Lee :)

Devil's Bridge: Ponte della Maddalena (Ponte del Diavolo)
across the Serchio, Borgo a Mozzano, Lucca, Italy

View from atop one of the walled city of Lucca's towers.

Inside one of the churches of Lucca.

Me, sitting on a wall. (So exciting, I know.)

Cool archway and pillars inside the walled city of Lucca.

Stone archway in the abandoned gardens of Villa Bottini.

Violinist who provided my lunch music.

Gardens of the Palazzo Pfanner. My mom and sister
stood on the wall in the background just a few weeks ago!

Old fortress wall up in the mountains.

This one's for Mary Jo...is this enough vino for you? *grin*
And yes, we ate that fish. He was yummy!

Clear table where I enjoyed my tea each morning in the quiet
villa while my brother and his co-workers were at work.

So ugly he's cute!

I had to get a picture next to one of these small trucks to show the kids.

Well, that's enough fun for now. Hope you enjoyed the pictures, and if you want to see more, scroll back to the top and check out my blog all this week.

If you want the romantic suspense, action adventure, grab a copy of LOST IN ITALY while it's on sale for $0.99 July 20-23rd, and RUN TO ROME at the new release price of $2.99. Both will return to regular price of $5.99 before you know it! (click book covers for links)

  

Thanks for stopping by today!

~Stacey

Displaced and Busy ~ Stacey

(Apologies in advance for the ramble...)

The other day, a friend commented on Facebook, "Soooooo many things to do, soooooooooooooo little time."

I replied, "Been there, pretty much live there."

Except there's no 'pretty much' about it. I hate being busy, but am never NOT busy, even after I finish something and think now I'll have more time. Donna had mentioned to me about wanting go do something together, but she didn't want to bother me because she knows I'm busy. I said, "I'm always going to be busy, so ask anyway."

The past couple weeks, I've been working on my laptop to finish a book because my desktop kept freezing up on me. It's 7 years old (maybe older?), and I was going to take it in for a check-up, but hubby said to just get a new one. Color me shocked! But for the first time, I'm not so excited to go get myself a new electronic gadget...I've been putting it off because that means I have to make time to go shop for a new computer, then spend time setting it up, and getting all my info transferred to it. Yuck to all 3!

On top of that, my laptop (which is just supposed to be for writing on when we go up north) doesn't have everything that I need for doing all the business things I need to do, so I've been procrastinating on a bunch of things. Which makes me more busy. Busier. Whatever.

Ha--instead of Joy, my middle name should be Busy.

Well, after all that whining, on the plus side, I get to cross one thing off my "list"--I finished my sequel to Lost in Italy this past weekend!! Book 2 of the Italy Intrigue Series, RUN TO ROME, will be sent to my editor later today and I can maybe focus on a few of the other things I've been neglecting.

Few.

Ha Ha Ha. LOL. She's such a comedian. 

And oh, yeah...first item on the list...write the darn LIST so I know what I'm doing!

Have a great day everyone. I'll be busy.

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



My Valentine's Day Present ~ Stacey

Seeing as how it's the month of Love, and both Delia and Jamie posted sappy sweet stories about their husbands, I figured I'd continue the theme. (For the record, I joke about the sappy, but I loved their posts!)

I'll start by saying I got a card from my thoughtful husband. A very beautiful card "To My Wife, With Love". (mostly prompted because I was upset he didn't get me one for our recent 20th wedding anniversary)

And after the card? Well, there were no flowers. No evening out with a romantic dinner, or a movie, and certainly not a love-filled getaway weekend with just the two of us. I might have dropped dead of shock had that happened.

It may seem like I'm complaining, but really, I don't care so much about those things, or big gestures...it's more so the thought and feeling behind them that I'm looking for. You know, that "Show me that you love me," mantra that so many men, mine in particular, cringe when they hear it.

Turns out I got me a big gesture after all. My dear hubby is working on remodeling our front two rooms, and that day, he tore down a wall for me. THAT was better than flowers, candy, a movie, or anything else. Finally, in our old, 100+ yrs farmhouse, we will have a room that's larger than a tiny little square or rectangle. A place where the family can gather comfortably for a holiday without people camped out on the floor or steps because there's no room for extra chairs!

I can't wait for it to be done so I can show you all the finished product, but for now, I'll share a before and an in progress picture of my best Valentine's gift ever!


Finding a picture to show both sides of the long narrow room took awhile, and this ended up being a Christmas decorating picture from 2008. (my kidlets are all growing so fast!) Look above the recliner--the kids started our demo by peeling off sections of the wall paper when they were toddlers. I am going to miss that carpeting though...not!

Wayne's turn to demo. :)

And now the wall between the two rooms is down! Happy Valentine's Day to me! 

Thank you, Honey! Love you!

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