Posts Tagged ‘romance’

Posted on April 10, 2012 - by Shannon Vannatter

Great Lines

I’m celebrating Drop Everything and Read day by sharing some favorite lines from recent reads:

From Buffalo Gal by Mary Connealy:

Posted on January 3, 2012 - by Shannon Vannatter

Profound Advice Times Two

When I started writing, I just did it. I wrote 6 books without ever attending a writer’s meeting or conference. I’d hear about such things, but think why spend time learning to write when I can just do it? 

But it doesn’t work that way. Writers have to learn to write. They have to learn to put what they see or hear in their heads on the paper where the reader can see and hear it too. After I’d been writing for a year or so, I met a fellow writer in the office where I worked, Peggy Stirling. The first thing she asked was if I’d joined a writer’s group. 

Peggy wasn’t published, but had won some writing awards, and was related to Catherine Palmer. How cool is that? Peggy even sent my first chapter of my first badly written book to Catherine to see what she thought of it. That makes me shiver now. I really hope Catherine didn’t read it. She sent me a nice letter saying that she’d long ago had to set up a policy of not critiquing other writers simply because she didn’t have time. Last month, I signed with Spencerhill Associates, the same literary agency that represents Catherine Palmer. How cool is that?

Anyway, it took another year or so for me to actually follow Peggy’s advice. By then, I’d had a very badly written book Print on Demand published. My sales were dismal since the book was overpriced and not in stores. I finally took Peggy’s advice. In fact, she went with me to my first writer’s meeting and conference. 

I’ve lost touch with Peggy and I have no idea if she knows I got published or not. I did name my hero in my first contracted book (White Roses) after her, Grayson Sterling–a perfect name for a pastor. If not for Peggy, I might still be cranking out badly written, very telling stories—instead of taking my reader along for the ride and showing how the story plays out. 

My second profound piece of advice took place years later. I’ve talked about Kaye Dacus and writing my second contracted book (White Doves) before. Once my editor asked if White Roses could be a series, I threw together two one page synopses using Randy Ingermanson’s Snowflake Method. With a few changes and tweaks, I had a verbal promise of a three book series. But then I had to expand the synopses into chapter by chapters before the other two contracts could be signed. 

I’m a pantser. When I begin a new book, I know the main characters, the beginning, a couple of big issues or problems, the black moment (but not necessarily how to resolve it) and the end. That’s all. I have no idea what will happen in chapter two, eight, or thirteen. 

Writing that first chapter by chapter for White Doves was TORTURE. I used the Snowflake Method and eked out every possible thing that could happen with these characters. I expanded a word at a time, a paragraph at a time until finally I had three pages of exactly what would happen in the book I hadn’t written yet. 

It was enough and I signed the contract for book two of my series. I then had eight months to write the book. But I already knew what was going to happen in every chapter, what had to happen in every chapter. With no room for creativity or pantsing. And I had a deadline to get it finished.

I couldn’t do it. For the first time, I realized writer’s block was real—not a myth. I tried going for walks, taking bubblebaths, mowing the yard—all things that free my mind and usually get my creativity and ideas flowing. But I couldn’t be creative with the book. I’d already told my editor exactly what would happen. 

I attended my monthly writer’s meeting excited when I heard we’d managed to land Kaye Dacus in Little Rock. I think Kaye taught on editing. We’re talking 2009 and I’ve slept a few times since then. What I do remember—I knew Kaye wrote for Barbour which meant she had to write chapter by chapters pre-book. 

After her workshop, I asked if she was a pantser or plotter. She said she used to be a pantser, but since she’d learned to write chapter by chapters, she’s part pantser and part plotter. I told her my dilemma. She said she writes her chapter by chapter, then puts it away and writes something else, or reads a book, anything but think about the book she has to write. Once it’s totally off her mind, she writes the book. Then if she gets stuck, she looks at the chapter by chapter to jog her memory. 

I followed Kaye’s advice and it worked. Before long, the words were flowing from my fingertips. Since then, I’ve made a point to write my chapter by chapters several months in advance of when I need to turn them in. By the time, the contract is signed, the chapter by chapter is out of my head and I just start writing.

Six chapter by chapters later, my words are still flowing for the most part. Some books have been harder to write than others, but I’ve met all of my deadlines so far. So, if not for Kaye, I might still be stuck with the motherlode of writer’s block and only have one book published.

BTW: The picture is actually the cover of a book. Years ago, when all I had to prove I was a writer was over two-hundred rejection letters, my husband believed in me enough to buy me this nifty little book. The book is in the shape of a cube and is chock full of pictures and prompts to inspire writers.

We’ve discussed this before, but we probably have new readers since then, so here goes: Writers–are  you a pantser or plotter?

Posted on November 8, 2011 - by Shannon Vannatter

A Letter to My Teenage Self from Shannon

Dear Teenage Shannon,

Be yourself. Stop trying to mimic others. They’re not any cooler than you are, so stop feeling bad about yourself. God made you the individual you are. 

Don’t worry so much about what others think of you. Your audience is an audience of one. It only matters what God thinks of you.

You don’t have to dress immodestly to get the boys’ attention. They’ll notice, no matter what you wear. And if it takes immodest clothing to attract him, he’s not the kind of boy you need. (Your parents won’t allow it anyway, thank goodness.)

Stop being embarrassed by your parents. Some day, you’ll be in their shoes and realize how wise they are. And how much they love you. 

Start an exercise program now. That way, it’s second nature and when you’re older, it will already be part of your routine.

Don’t go to cosmetology school. You’ll only waste your parents’ money and get stuck doing your mother’s hair for life. Hairdressing isn’t glamorous. It’s hard, nasty, and exhausting. Stick with your first instinct: computers.

Even better—they’re books. Those stories in your head that you never know what to do with. Don’t wait until you’re thirty-three to figure that out. 

The move to rural Arkansas. Stop fighting it. Embrace your new home. You’ll grow to love it, never, ever want to live anywhere near a city again, and meet the love of your life there.

In fact, you’ve already met him. That new boy that lights your fire–the rumors are true–but be patient, God is working on him.

Pay more attention to young boys. Someday you’ll have one. The things he does and dirt he can find will astound you. 

Always remember. No matter what happens or what life throws at you, you’ve got Jesus to get you through.

Posted on August 30, 2011 - by Shannon Vannatter

Jennifer Rogers Spinola on Life in Brazil, Adoption, Love, & Writing

Shannon here: I sat across from Jennifer Rogers Spinola at the Barbour Author Reception in Indianapolis last year at the American Christian Fiction Writers Conference. The first thing I noticed was how much she enjoyed the food. With each bite, her eyes closed as she savored the tastes exploding on her palate. After striking up a conversation with her, I noticed she’s just as pretty inside as outside. I learned she’s from South Carolina/Virginia, a former missionary who married a Brazilian she met in Japan, and she currently lives in Brazil, where there aren’t as many food choices. I featured her on my real life romance blog in February and she’ll back again in October to celebrate the release of her debut novel, Southern Fried Sushi. I haven’t gotten to read it yet, but my copy is coming as soon as it releases. Jennifer charmed me again with this interview. Some of her lyrical answers made me teary-eyed. She’s promised to pop in from Brazil today, so feel free to ask her questions. Without further ado, prepare to be charmed by Jennifer Rogers Spinola:

Q: What’s it like living in Brazil? What’s a typical day like?

A: Well, for starters, it’s really HOT! We live in Brasilia, which is a raised plateau with elevation of over a thousand feet, so it gets a bit cool in the evenings and sometimes the days, too, during winter—sort of like a desert. But during the days it regularly gets up into the 90s and higher. I’d say 85-90 is probably a good average. In Brasilia the air is extremely dry, so during the dry season (winter) it can go a hundred days without rain. Which means gorgeous blue skies, but also dry, brown grass, withered plants, and lots of blowing red dust. When rainy season begins, it’ll rain almost every day, scattered showers, or sometimes harder downpours.

Brazil is a hard country to capture in a description, but one that gets in your blood and stays there, for better or for worse. When I visited Brazil in the year 2000 as a writer/reporter for the International Mission Board, I immediately fell in love with its beautiful brown-skinned people, the warmth of the air and of the smiles and kisses, the dusty roads and simple family gatherings, and the passion for God and Brazilian soccer. I was so captured by Brazil that I couldn’t wait to come back. And then when I met a handsome young Brazilian exchange student in Japan… well, I did!

Now my image has changed a little after seeing what it’s like to really live here. I mean, the country is the same as it was on my first visit, but digging in over time has opened my eyes to things I didn’t notice back then: crime (lots of crime), poverty (LOTS of poverty), the huge gap between the elite rich and the millions of shockingly poor, the huge amounts of political corruption, and the immense difficulty for a person of even modest well-to-do means to accomplish things that are simple in the U.S., like buying a car (they cost 3-4 times our amounts here), buying a house, or even renting an apartment. I have been insulted and shunned for being an American, had two cell phones and my wallet stolen out of my backpack, taken my life in my hands by getting on buses driven by speed-breaking maniacs, taxis driven by “pirate” (i.e. fake) taxi drivers, and public vans that swerve up onto the sidewalk and around the stoplight fixture to avoid waiting at the light. It has not been easy! But I have never been mugged or “lightning-kidnapped,” as is common here, so I can count my blessings! And our little miracle baby, Ethan, is so much worth it!

A typical day for me is to get up and help my husband and son get ready for the day, all the while enjoying the beautiful Brazilian blue sky and breeze, early morning sunshine. We eat tropical fruits like papaya and pineapple for breakfast often, sometimes with coffee or tea and cereal, and I love this! :) Then I take care of Ethan for the day in our little rented apartment: wash the dishes, make lunch (usually typical Brazilian rice and beans, salad, and a fried egg or some chicken/beef), make dinner, clean the floor from tracked-in dust, do laundry and hang the clothes to dry (dryers aren’t common here), take Ethan out to play, teach him Bible stories and letters, write, teach an ESL class in the evenings, catch up on my blog, clean the floor after potty-training accidents, give him a bath, and so forth. I have no car during the day (my husband has it) so Ethan and I can’t go anywhere (a big frustration of mine), and I don’t even have a driver’s license because the process is so involved to get mine translated, and for five years out of seven we didn’t even have a car yet.

Apartments/houses run only cold water except in the shower, and we drink bottled water. When it runs out we either pick up fresh bottles at the store or have it delivered. Water pressure in the showers is weaker than in the U.S., and electrical outlets have poorer contact, so we have to jiggle things in plugs multiple times or hold the cords a certain way to get them to work. Power outages are fairly common—about once every two weeks or so, recently. I sometimes get tired of re-setting the microwave clock. :)

On weekends we visit my in-laws’ farm on the outer edge of town, which has horses, a crop plantation, pigs, and lots and lots of red dust. Athos’ parents have a house there with hammocks, and we enjoy letting Ethan ride his tricycle in the yard while we talk and enjoy the breeze. One of my favorite perks of Brazilian life: housekeepers. Athos’ mom pays a sweet Christian lady to come and do basic housecleaning/cooking every day, and she “lends” her to me twice a week if she doesn’t have guests or visits. What a blessing! If it weren’t for her coming, I’d get almost no writing done!

Q: What is the biggest writing challenge you’ve encountered this past year – craft, career, writing life, etc? How did you solve it?

A: I think my biggest challenge this past year was simply trying to write in the midst of life: computer viruses, a nearly destroyed laptop that Best Buy was SO incredibly gracious to fix FOR FREE, financial issues here in Brazil, learning how to juggle potty training and two-year-old needs with my wish for unbroken hours of time to concentrate and write. But it’s been wonderful, and God is good!

Q: What is the one thing you’d like to share with other writers?

A: I wish I could let unpublished writers know that just because their books aren’t published doesn’t mean their writing isn’t as good—or better—than many published authors. It’s all a question of God’s timing and everything coming together at the right moment—sort of like a woman waiting an extra-long while (like I did) to get married. And it isn’t about us—it’s about God and His plans for our life. He knows when the right time is, and when it comes, everything will fit together like pieces of a puzzle.

Q: If you weren’t a writer, what would you want to be?

A: Definitely a landscape designer. I love plants and flowers! It was always the second thing on my list after writing, and something (I hope) one day can be a second career. I’ve collected seed and plant catalogs since my childhood, planning the colors and species and layout of gardens I’d like to plant. If not a landscape designer, then I’d choose something like a forest ranger – like my dad – or a park service worker. I love the outdoors!

Q: Where is the coziest spot in your home?

A: I’d have to say our bedroom. It’s small, but gorgeous – lots of paneled cabinets and a roomy bedside table. My favorite part: the plant-filled, glassed-in veranda that runs along the side wall, closed by a sliding glass door and floor-length curtains. When I open the veranda window, air billows out the curtains. Lots of natural light! I love it.

Q: What is your favorite time of the day?

A: MORNING! I love anything in the morning – the earlier, the better. I used to get up at 5:30 a.m. every morning to write, and I miss seeing the sky turn from black to blue to gray to glorious gold. Everything smells so fresh, so clean. The streets are silent. Beautiful! I like to run while the air is still fresh and cool.

Q: In what ways do you think your writing journey has benefited your family? How does your writing affect your family?

A: Well, it affects my family in the sense that I’m not always as “accessible” every single second as I used to be, because sometimes during the day I’m either writing or editing, building up my website or doing a guest post, or critiquing one of my crit partners’ chapters. However, it’s been a tremendous blessing because I’ve been able to STAY home with my son rather than go out and work—all because of this unexpected gift of a three-book contract (and a fourth since that series). Here in Brasilia (which is currently more expensive than New York City) we feel a lot of financial strain, so it’s a big deal that I’m able to stay at home and write—especially since my husband’s parents both work full-time, which means I don’t have access to family babysitting. I don’t know a single other mom who works exclusively from home in Brasilia.

Q: If you could pick a theme song to play every time you entered a room, what would it be?

A: Well, this might be weird, but I really like Handel’s Messiah—the END part, with all the “Amens.” There’s this gorgeous piece right before the end called, “Worthy Is The Lamb,” almost all of which is taken straight from the book of Revelation, and it has all these fabulous crescendos. Put together with the gorgeous “Amen” chorus that comes next, which builds to this momentous climax, it just makes me feel like angels are falling in worship, the heavens are opening, and I’m stepping through the door to heaven. The conductor’s wand poised in mid-air. Goosebumps on my arms. Dirty laundry forgotten in a breathless hush. I guess that’s not a bad feeling for stepping into a room.

Q: What is your most laughable dating story?

A: Well, it’s kind of funny since Athos and I actually weren’t allowed to “date,” per se, when we met. I was a missionary in a program for young people, and one of the rules is that we refrain from dating while we’re on the field. So when I met Athos, I was so confused at what God was doing because while HE was all right, the timing was ALL wrong! Or so I thought. In fact, it turned out to be the most amazing thing ever because, without “dating” and cordoning ourselves off as a couple before we were ready, we got to know each other as friends—without all the pretension and attempts to impress. He helped our mission team often as a volunteer (he was a foreign exchange student at a nearby university) and attended mission church services, so we got to see each other under those circumstances, and occasionally a walk around town or a coffee in Starbucks. We were never, ever alone in either of our apartments, for example—even for five minutes.

So we did everything in reverse: became friends, felt seriously about each other, decided to marry—and then dated. Ha ha! We had our first “date” in the pouring rain at a dinky Tastee-Freez restaurant in my redneck small town after I’d just said “yes” and accepted his ring, and our first kiss was in front of the church on our wedding day.

Q: What woman in your life has had the greatest impact on you?

A: I’d have to say my mom. She passed away when she was 43 (I was nineteen) but I learned so much from her. I knew her life wasn’t perfect, and neither was she, but the one thing I really admire about her is that she loved God so deeply—and she loved my sister and me as well. I remember clearly one conversation we had when I was a child, where she told me she’d always love me no matter what I did. “What if I killed somebody?” I asked her. And her response was so perfect: “I’d be really sad if you did that,” she said. “But I’d still love you anyway.” That boggled my mind and stuck with me forever.

Q: Which TV family is most like your own?

A: I don’t really know because I’m so out of TV these days, especially American TV…   Maybe “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” is sort of like us, since I’m from a relatively quiet Southern family married to a Brazilian with a big, loud, partying, laughing, fighting, hugging, kissing Brazilian family—all thrown together with a gorgeous adopted child of a noticeably different and beautiful color, a first for both of our families.

 Q: Which amusement park ride is your favorite and why?

 A: I like roller coasters, but I love the Ferris wheel the most. I love sitting in that bucket, suspended over people like ants below, the golden rays of summer evening shining out their last bursts over the dusty ground. Higher and higher, up and over, against breathless blue twilight, and then down again. Slow enough that you can hear your thoughts, smell the cotton candy, but fast enough that your stomach jitters just a touch.

Q: What do you think is the greatest invention of all time?

A: Easy – the disposable diaper. I do cloth diaper as well, but oh, how I’d like to shake the person’s hand who invented disposables.

Q: Would you rather live a week in the past or a week in the future?

A: Definitely the past. I’m always so curious about how people lived in the past—what they ate, what they wore, how they experienced hopes and failures and births and deaths with the inventions and realities they knew at the time. I’m grateful that our modern progress in medicine, technology, and education has come so far, but at the same time I think we miss out on some of the beautiful simplicity, clean and unpolluted air, and less harried lifestyles that our ancestors of the past enjoyed.

Q: How do you balance writing, exercise, home, etc.?

A: My family comes first in everything. That’s the only way I can do it. Because if they don’t come first, then I think I’ve missed my purpose as a wife and mom. But they don’t need me 24-7, and there are lots of creative ways I can incorporate other aspects of my life into my family. I write when my son sleeps and when my husband gets home from work and spends time with him, and before my husband and I go to bed. If I’m on tight deadline I’ll get up early. I also take my laptop to my in-laws’ house so that when my brain’s tired of Portuguese, I can work (with other eyes helping me watch Ethan). Exercise – I run every other morning while my husband watches Ethan, and I take Ethan outside twice a day (at least) to play and swing and run. Which, with him being such an energetic kiddo, gives me pleeeenty of exercise.

Q: What’s your favorite family tradition?

A: My dad started ordering cheeses, sausages, and other goodies from a special holiday catalog at Christmas when I was a teenager. My mom didn’t slave all day cooking Christmas dinner—we just nibbled Swiss cheese and crackers, fancy mustards, and put a salad or fruit on the table and spent Christmas relaxing. But when my mom passed away in 1996, nobody felt like having Christmas anymore. My dad, however, still ordered the cheese and sausage, and we sat around the uncomfortably empty table, eating and remembering how much we’d enjoyed those days together. And year after year, as our hearts warmed again to holidays, we’d always order something from the catalog for Christmas.

This tradition has continued, nearly unbroken, for almost fifteen years now since my mom’s death. When I moved to Brazil with my husband, my dad still shipped—at great expense, sometimes totaling nearly a hundred dollars—a heavy box of the same special cheeses, mustards, sausages, and peppermint-chocolate layer cakes we’d enjoyed with my mom. And instead I ate it with my husband and then my beautiful Brazilian son, remembering and creating new memories. My husband loved the idea so much that he said we’ll continue it always—and I’ll never have to cook a Christmas dinner.

Q: Would you rather meet your great grandchildren or great grandparents?

A: Now in this question I might answer differently from the one about the week in the past versus the week in the future. Why? Because I want so much to know how my son’s life will be used for God’s glory. Every single dirty diaper, missed night of sleep, and day of tears and frustration will be worth to know that Ethan will have spent his life following the Lord, changed the world through Christ, and either been a single man who honored God with his life or raised a godly family that will continue spreading the message of grace and salvation. All of this, and I will die a happy woman.

Q: What role have your friends played in your success as a writer?

A: I am absolutely indebted to several people: Roger and Kathleen Bruner, who first encouraged my “Sushi” manuscript, edited it, and showed it to Barbour; my police-officer cousin, Lessa, who’s been my writing partner and endless idea machine ever since our first crazy childhood days together; and my four amazing crit partners who make my jaw drop with their talent and editoral suggestions. They are ALL incredible. I would never, EVER be where I am today without them.

Q: Who is your biggest cheerleader?

A: My husband first, who gives me time to work because he believes in what I’m doing (and tells me so). Even Ethan, who tries hard to be patient while I’m working, and often prays for “Mama’s books” at breakfast. And then definitely the friends I’ve listed above. I couldn’t do it without any of them.

Q: If you could ask God one question, what would it be?

A: I think my question would be, “Why me?” And I don’t mean, “A tree fell in the parking lot and smashed my car. Why me?” Although I do feel that way quite often. What I mean is, “Why would You choose me, Lord?” Why would He leave His home in glory and die for me, a sinner, who the Bible says “was His enemy”? There are so many people in the world who have never heard of God’s grace and forgiveness—who not only die without Him, but live their lives without the compassion, peace, strength, and joy He gives for daily living. Why was I allowed to grow up in Sunday school, reading His Word? Why did I get to meet Him early in life and change my sinful, self-centered life accordingly? Why eternal life instead of hell? Why me?

Q: If you could make up a holiday, what would it be and how would you celebrate it?

A:  I think I’d create a holiday called “Really Cool Single People’s Day.” I know so many awesome singles who want to be moms and dads, and would make great ones, but they never get to celebrate Mother’s Day or Father’s Day. And while all the other couples are making out over chocolate and fondue for Valentine’s Day, or kissing under the mistletoe at Christmas, these people are patiently and reverently waiting for God’s timing. So I’d give them the works: chocolate (lots of chocolate!), fireworks, a day off, flowers, a parade, an amazing dinner.

Q: What is the best book you’ve read recently, and why did you like it?

A: I really love “Just Do Something.” It’s a quirky little fast-reading book about the will of God. The main message of the book is that we don’t have to agonize over finding (or missing, more specifically) the will of God and His plan for our life. Instead of wringing our hands and paralyzing ourselves over which direction to take or which decision to make, the author says, in essence, “Just do something!” It was a refreshing, liberating book for me after so many years of doing exactly that – agonizing, wrestling, worrying. The very things we’re called NOT to do.

Q: What or who makes you giggle and why?

A: Two things come to mind: Ethan’s funny comments, and my cousin Lessa’s hilarious sense of humor. Cases in point: A few days ago Ethan picked up a shelled walnut half, and gasped in joy. “A pterodactyl!” he said, enraptured. This was right around the time he said, “Bye, poop! I love you!” while flushing, asked for ketchup on his apple, and called a buffalo a “dinosaur.”

As for Lessa, one of her most recent posts on my Facebook page said this (quoting): “Saw some roadkill. Thought of you. It was a skunk.” For somebody to think of me while seeing roadkill, it has to be good.

Q: What is your favorite season and why?

A: I used to always say spring and summer growing up, but since moving to Brazil I say fall. Why? Because I live in eternal summer, and I miss the change in seasons. I miss the hint of longing and sorrow that comes with the falling leaves, the bittersweet glory in bright fall colors, the apples and pumpkins, the chill, the frost, the glow. I miss it all.

Q: If you made a list of ten things you’d like to do yet with your life, what would be on it?

A: Oh, my… plant a garden, write more books, lead more people to Christ, have/adopt more children, buy a house, become a part-time landscape designer, learn to play the violin better…

Q: Besides writing, what are you passionate about?

A: Easy—adoption. Adopting Ethan has changed our lives forever. Actually I’ve wanted to adopt since I was a child, and my husband decided he’d like to adopt when he was a college student and went on a mission trip to Cambodia, where they worked with an orphanage. We talked about adopting when we talked about marriage—as well as having birth children. In our case Ethan came before our birth children, and since I’m past 35 now, I’m starting to wonder if he might be our only child…? Unless we’re able to adopt again in the future?

My reasons for wanting to adopt have nothing whatsoever to do with infertility, though. To me it’s simple: James says that caring for the widow and orphan is “pure religion” – and yet so few ever do it! As Christians we should fiercely guard the sanctity of life and oppose abortion, yet not many people seem to think about what happens next. Sure, those unborn children should be given life… but then what? I say they’re our responsibility—we who have argued (and rightly so) for their lives. We should give of our time, our families, our very lives to see that those precious souls, created in the image of God, might find love, hope, a chance at new life with a God-fearing family.

I wish so many more Christian families would adopt!

Q: The biggest challenge in writing this book?

A: Whew… there were a lot! I had a computer virus that set me back a while, and then I spilled water (seriously) on my brand-new laptop. It’s a sheer miracle of God that Best Buy was able to repair it since it was still under warranty, and my friend Vanessa offered to take it back to the U.S. during her summer vacation. In the meantime I used a borrowed laptop from my sweet brother-in-law, Kyle, but it was an older one that doesn’t run quite as smoothly as mine, so it took extra time to work with (as well as understand the Portuguese operating system). I was so grateful to have anything at all to use while I waited for mine to be fixed… and unspeakably glad to have mine back!

Q: What do the Post-Its around your computer/screen/ bulletin board say?

A: Grocery lists, the water delivery number (drinking water must be bottled), notes on Japanese fans and colors for the third book in my series, and editing notes as I work on finalizing that manuscript in (eek) just two weeks!

Q: What is your favorite research or reference book or tool?

A: The net! I’m an addict! I use it for everything—online dictionaries and good thesauruses, the Bible online, Bible commentaries, Google for Japanese culture questions, cowboy boot brands, types of pasture fencing, and so forth. I look up everything!

Q: When you were a child, what did you dream of growing up to be?

A: A writer! Really! I’ve wanted to write since I was about 4 or 5 years old, making little books out of paper and stapling them together (with illustrations). I’ve written my whole life—just gobs and gobs of stuff. Notebooks stuffed with novels and poems. Stories. So publishing this series with Barbour is a dream come true!

Q: If you were given $10,000 to give away, how would you spend it?

A: If using it to adopt an international child counts, I’d do that. If not, I’d break it up into little parcels here and there and surprise people anonymously: medical treatments for one friend, a trip home for another with her family, a new car for someone else.

Q: What is the most unusual costume you ever wore at a Halloween party?

A: I never did Halloween much. I vaguely remember dressing as a ghost when I was five or six years old, and then neighbor kids started throwing eggs at tricker-treaters, so we decided not to trick or treat after that.

Q: If you could have free unlimited service for one year from a cook, chauffer, personal secretary, housekeeper, or masseuse, which would you choose and why?

A: MASSEUSE!!! Why? Because every single thing on the list besides “masseuse” I can do myself! I can cook and drive myself, and so forth. And while it would be a great benefit to have a housekeeper, for example, I can do it. However, I physically can’t massage my own back, and I get very stiff shoulders. Ahhh… just thinking about a masseuse is making me sleepy…

Q: Which character in your books is the most like you? How?

A: Actually none of them, so much. The main character in the series is Shiloh, a fashionable journalist go-getter stuck in Redneckville. She’s got a biting wit, a touch of snobbiness, and sort of tough outer shell. I’m like her in the journalist sense (I used to be one) but my personality is much less acerbic. And I’m not nearly as fashionable. I liked Adam’s character a lot because, with him being a landscaper, I got to live out my second dream by writing about his work.

 Q: What jobs have you had in your life? Which did you like most? Least?

 A: Oh, soooo many… waitress and bookseller (like Shiloh in the series), shelver of government documents, secretarial/typing work, assistant copyeditor in a major TV and satellite guide, missionary, tutor, ESL teacher, middle school and high school teacher, coffee server, barista, restaurant hostess, hotel front desk clerk, computer lab monitor, journalist/staff writer, and… I’m sure I’ve forgotten some.

My favorites: The staff writer for the International Mission Board, the Southern Baptist mission-sending agency. I absolutely LOVED this job. Writing has always been my thing, but writing about mission work around the world—something supremely positive and exciting and international—was just amazing. I enjoyed being a missionary, too, but it was really difficult because you “are” your work—you’re never off-duty, and you have to start all over from scratch with languages and everything, as if you know nothing. A surprising like: waitressing. I worked for a little place where everyone was friends and absolutely loved it. And the front-desk clerk position at the hotel was really neat, too.

My least favorites: I worked for a year at an American-based school here in Brazil, and I was so exhausted I’d often skip dinner and sleep at 7 p.m.—and still not get all my grading, correcting, test-prep, class-prep, and lesson planning done. I liked the actual teaching, but not the strenuous pace. Teaching at an English school in Brazil was only slightly less stressful because they kept Brazil work laws regarding breaks and other requirements for teachers.

About Jenny: Jennifer Rogers Spinola, Virginia/South Carolina native and graduate of Gardner-Webb University in North Carolina, now lives in the capital city of Brasilia, Brazil, with her husband, Athos, and their son, Ethan. Jennifer and Athos met while she was serving as a missionary in Sapporo, Japan. When she’s not writing, Jennifer teaches English to ESL students in Brasilia. Find out more about Jenny at www.jenniferrogersspinola.com.

About Southern Fried Sushi: Ride the rollercoaster of Shiloh Jacobs’s life as her dreams derail, sending her on a downward spiral from the heights of an AP job in Tokyo to penniless in rural Virginia. Trapped in a world so foreign to her sensibilities and surrounded by a quirky group of friends, will she break through her hardened prejudices before she loses those who want to help her? Can she find the key to what changed her estranged mother’s life so powerfully before her death that she became a different woman—and can it help Shiloh too?

Giveaway: For those of you who stop by to chat, you’ll have an opportunity to win books by a couple of our guests: Deep Cover by Sandra Orchard, Love Remains by Kaye Dacus, and The Colonel’s Lady by Laura Frantz. PLUS, we’re throwing in two additional books from the Love Inspired line: Marrying Miss Marshall by Lacy Williams and Hearts in Flight by Patty Smith Hall.

Now, there are a few small rules you need to follow if you want a chance to win the books, but no worries, they’re not too difficult:

Contest Rules:

Comment on our “Company’s Coming” topic dated August 29, 2011 through September 9, 2011. Every time you comment, your name will go into a drawing for the books. Contest closes Saturday, September 10, 2011 at midnight. The winner will be posted on Sunday, September 11, 2011. Winner must provide a mailing address in an email to Brenda AT brendaandersonbooks DOT com. Do not post your address anywhere on this blog.

Posted on May 10, 2011 - by Shannon Vannatter

Real Life–the Good, the Sad, the Ugly

My inspiration comes from everywhere. Headlines, things I hear, things I see. Several years ago, my husband and I took our son to the Arkansas State Fair. I saw a girl dressed in suede boots, black jeans, and a silk blouse holding hands with a cowboy-to-the-bone wearing Wrangler jeans, cowboy boots, hat, and a pearl buttoned shirt.

Where in the world did they meet? What did they have in common? How did they come from two different worlds and manage to meet in the middle. This sparked an idea for the first book in my upcoming Texas rodeo series, Rodeo Dust. You’ll have to wait until October for more.

A few years ago, my husband was driving us somewhere and we stopped at a red light. There was a woman walking along the sidewalk with a toddler trailing two or three yards behind her. He was maybe three. She never turned to check on the boy, never even glanced back, not even when they crossed a busy street. Yes, the traffic was stopped at the light, but still.

Was the child hers? Did she not want him? Was she distracted and burdened or just uncaring? Did she not know he’d followed her? Was the boy an unwanted sibling? Was she a really bad babysitter? This sad example became the inspiration for the heroine’s childhood in my latest release, White Pearls. It’s not even in the book, but I knew her mother treated her this way.

Family tragedies always resound with me. When I read horrible headlines or hear about tragic news stories, I always wonder how those left behind deal with what’s happened.

I read an article once on family members who’d accidentally backed over their children in SUV’s. One story stuck in my head. A grandfather had never been able to get over the trauma of killing his grandson and had ended up committing suicide. This family had already been so devastated and then grandpa killed himself. How could a family get past such tragedy? In White Doves, my hero paralyzed his nephew in an SUV and is still battling guilt and blame.

An unused example of less tragic, day to day inspiration: My husband, son, and I were in Wal Mart. They were in toys or automotive and I was in home furnishings. There was something I wanted on the top shelf and I couldn’t reach it. I was trying to find someone who worked there, when I saw a tall man with a woman. They were laughing and talking and seemed nice.

I walked over to the woman and said, “Can I borrow your tall husband to get something for me off the top shelf?” All kindness, mirth, and joy evaporated from her face. Suddenly, she was mad as a wet hornet. The man smiled and said sure, which made her even madder. He got the item for me. I thanked him and scurried to a different aisle.

Why did she react that way? Was she jealous? Had he had an affair in the past and she didn’t want him anywhere near another woman? Were they not married? Did she want to get married and he wouldn’t ask? Were they living together and she wanted more? An hour later, we ran into the same couple in Lowe’s. She was still mad and he wasn’t happy either. I’ve got dibs on this and it will go in a book someday I’m sure.

Does real life inspire your writing?

Posted on March 29, 2011 - by Shannon Vannatter

Not Falling into Bed

Sam and Diane. Creates an image, doesn’t it. Sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name. Okay, it was about a bar and I didn’t like that part. I thought they all needed to go to church. But the characters were great. Cliff Clavin, the annoying know-it-all. Norm, who really needed a life. Carla, the ever pregnant, smart-mouthed waitress. My favorite: Coach. So befuddled, so loveable. All the minors revolved around Sam and Diane, just like a romance novel.

Talk about chemistry. Talk about baggage. Sam was a washed up ball player, alcoholic, bar owner. Diane an intellectual, graduate student stuck working as a waitress. For a couple of seasons, they simmered to a boil. I was sixteen when the question of the summer became, ‘Will they, or won’t they?’ It was right up there with ‘Who shot Jr?’ I just wanted a kiss. Maybe a proposal. I remember waiting, and waiting, and waiting.

Finally, the new season started. Sam and Diane kissed. And promptly fell into bed. I was so disappointed. I guess I was naïve and hadn’t watched many adult shows. To me chemistry lights a fire when they don’t fall into bed. When a couple waits until they’re married. And then it’s left to the imagination. I don’t want to see it, read it, or hear about it. Some things are just supposed to be private.

Doesn’t happen very often on television, secular books, or in real life these days. What a pity.

My biggest challenge in writing lately was for my third book in my Romance, Arkansas series, White Pearls. My hero and heroine had led unsaved, promiscuous lives and shared an intimate relationship in the past. I had to get into their heads and um—libido to keep them real and write an authentic story.

But I couldn’t cross the line and didn’t want to. I ended up writing it the way I felt two such characters would feel it and decided that if I’d gone too far, my editors would let me know. I mean—groaning, Bible reading, and her checking out his legs all in the same scene? My editors didn’t comment, so I guess I did okay.

Excerpt:

Ryler’s kiss was soft and tender, as if he treasured her. Not about sex. Dizzy, Shell leaned against him for support. Despite the gentle, undemanding caress of his lips, fire swept through her veins as it always had when she was in his arms.

With a groan, he pulled away enough to gaze into her eyes. “I want to do things right.”

“Right?”

“We can’t have sex.”

“Huh?”

“We’re Christians now. God created sex for marriage only. I want to live right. The way my parents raised me to live.” He grabbed his Bible. Sitting cross-legged, Ryler kicked off his shoes. His knee-length shorts revealed muscled calves.

Concentrate on the Bible.

He flipped through the pages. “Here it is. First Corinthians 6:18–20.”

Shell sat next to him, head huddled close to his and read along with him.

“‘Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?’ ”

The text blurred as hot tears filled her eyes. “How do you know where to find stuff?”

“My youth pastor drilled this into our brains. And before I moved from Little Rock, I visited with my aunt. Our visit got me thinking about where I came from. Since then, I’ve been reading the Bible.”

“Go on, read more.”

“‘For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.’ What it’s saying is that every sin is outside the body, except for

premarital sex, which is a sin against our own bodies. When we became Christians, the Holy Spirit entered into us.”

She cringed at the places her body had been. “So, everything we do with our bodies, we’re taking Jesus with us.”

“And we were bought by the blood He shed on the cross for our sins, so whatever we do, we should glorify Him. Sort of like making Him proud or doing things that lets other people see His love inside us.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever done anything that would make Him proud.” Shell shook her head.

“But we’ve got a clean slate.” He squeezed her hand. “Today, we start over.”

“Thanks for showing me. I’m glad you know all this stuff.” She drew away from him a bit. If she could get far enough away, maybe she could resist him. Yeah, right.

 

Ryler kind of seems like a saint in this scene—except for the groaning. But in the next scene, he reveals his torment to his pastor and asks for advice on how to keep things between he and Shell under control. These aren’t clean-living paragons of virtue, so the scenes had to reflect that. It was delicate balance.

Read any good books lately–inspirational or secular–where the writer simmered the characters to boiling without them falling into bed?

Posted on January 13, 2011 - by Regina

CATCHING UP ON MY READING

This round of blogs has made me realize that though I read a lot of books, there are so many books out there that I haven’t read. Besides waiting anxiously for Lorna’s A Great Catch and Kaye Dacus’ last book in the Ransome Series, Ransome’s Quest (July 2011), I have a few that are definitely on my to-be-read pile! My first selection, however, I’ve read!

Stars Collide, January 2011

Like I said, I am constantly playing catch-up as a reader. Finally, though, I actually got to read a book, as an influencer, before it came out! How cool was THAT?

Stars Collide is Janice Thompson’s book one in the “Backstage Pass” series. If you’re familiar with Janice’s books, you know you can expect humor and hijinks, but also an uplifting message and a great romance. I’m really looking forward to the next in this series!

From the back cover:

Kat Jennings and Scott Murphy don’t just play two people who are secretly in love on a television sitcom–they are actually head over heels for each other in real life. When the lines between reality and TV land blur, they hope they can keep their relationship under wraps. But when Kat’s grandmother, an eccentric star from Hollywood’s golden age, mistakes their on-screen wedding proposal for the real deal, things begin to spiral out of control. Will their secret be front-page news in the tabloids? And can their budding romance survive the onslaught of paparazzi, wedding preparations, and misinformed family members?

From the soundstage to a Beverly Hills mansion to the gleaming Pacific Ocean, Stars Collide takes you on a roller-coaster tour of Hollywood, packing both comedic punch and tender emotion.

The Art of Romance, May 2011

A book I’m waiting anxiously for is Kaye Dacus’ book 2 in the “Matchmakers” Series, The Art of Romance, due to come out in May of this year. What happens when a bunch of grandmothers start meddling in the love lives of their grandchildren? We’ll find out in May, but in the meantime, here’s a blurb from Amazon . . .

Dylan Bradley, who once illustrated steamy romances under the name Patrick Callaghan, has moved into his grandparent’s guest house in Nashville. Caylor Evans, having once written titillating novels under the penname Melanie Mason, lives with her grandmother. When their lives collide, due to the machinations of meddling matriarchs, the pasts of Dylan and Caylor threaten to derail their futures. Will they accept each other for who they now are—and once were? Or will they never discover the true art of romance?

I loved the first in this series, Love Remains, and I know this one will be excellent. If you’d like more info, check out Kaye’s blog at http://www.kayedacus.com .

White Pearls, January 2011, stores July 2011

My good friend and fellow Inkster, Shannon Taylor Vannatter has book three in her “White Roses” trilogy, White Pearls coming out THIS MONTH for Heartsongs subscribers, and in July for the unfortunate folks who must wait that long. I loved her first two books, and they just keep getting better. Here’s a bit from Shannon’s website:

Can an apartment manager with a secret baby manage her landscaper with a chip on his shoulder against the birth mother who gave him up?

Oh my!

The Crimson Cipher, July 2010, large print January 2011

I’ve recently come to know author Susan Page Davis, and discover her wonderful writing! I was fortunate enough to sit in on a workshop she gave at the American Christian Fiction Writer’s Conference last September, and recently devoured two of her books, The Sheriff’s Surrender (2009), which is book one in the “Ladies’ Shooting Club” series, and a 2009 Love Inspired Suspense novel, Hearts in the Crosshairs. Two more different novels I couldn’t have found! One a historical romance set in the old west, and the other a suspense novel set in the governor’s mansion in modern-day Maine! I have a lot of catching up to do, Susan!

The book on my to-be-read pile is her historical suspense novel, The Crimson Cipher, set in the days before World War I.

A female Navy cryptographer seeks to save lives…and uncover her father’s killers.

In 1915, German sympathizers escalated acts of sabotage in the United States to keep the nation from joining in the war. Following the mysterious murder of Emma Shuster’s father, Lt. John Patterson invites Emma to become a Navy cryptographer because of the expertise she gained in helping her father develop a cipher system. Emma finds new strength in her faith as she strives to outwit her adversary, known only as Kobold – German for goblin. Can Emma and John find love in the midst of turmoil as America plunges toward war?

So, you know what’s on MY list, and this merely scratches the surface.

So what’s next for you? Are you planning to try something different this year? I want to try some more fantasy-type fiction. I’ve gone back and forth from historical to contemporary to suspense, and since my sixteen-year-old daughter has said James Rubart’s Rooms is a must read, I have it on my list, too!

By the way, Happy 16^th birthday, Ellen!

Posted on October 12, 2010 - by Shannon Vannatter

Romancing Research

The White Rose trilogy for Heartsong Presents is set in the Arkansas towns of Romance (population 1700) and Rose Bud (population 2000). The two towns are seven miles apart. Romance is known for the re-mailing program and weddings. Romantics send stamped/addressed Valentine’s cards and wedding invitations in manila envelopes to get them mailed with the hand-stamped Romance, AR postmark. Couples come to get married in Romance at the post office, local churches or the Romance Waterfalls. Last spring, my mother, my eight-year-old son, and I took a research trip.

 

The second book, White Doves is set at the post office in Romance, with a Postmaster heroine and mail carrier hero. Postal relief, June Sullivan at the Romance Post Office gave me insight and info into the daily workings. I learned how the mail is sorted by route and some postal lingo. Postmaster Angie Davis gave me the scoop on the weddings. They have three or four weddings a year on Valentine’s Day at the post office. Couples exchange vows in the lobby or outside the office, where someone carved a heart in the parking lot declaring it the Heart of Romance.

Next stop: The Romance Waterfalls. Owner James (Buck) Weatherly took us on an impromptu tour of his privately owned property, he and his wife open to the public for weddings and events. We walked underneath a wisteria-draped archway into a landscaped garden with a heart-shaped flower bed, numerous blossoms and flowering bushes. A wooden walkway leads down to the waterfalls, surrounded by jutting rock/steps with railing all the way down. We could hear the waterfall long before we got there.

Mr. Weatherly built two gazebos and balconies overlooking the waterfalls. Couples get married on the largest balcony and the Weatherly’s open their home for receptions and family reunions. I couldn’t help but include the waterfalls in all three books of my series and the owners let me have my book launch party there. It was hot, so the party ended up in their reception room, but we’re going to try again in April when the 2nd book releases to stores. Hopefully, the weather will be tamer then. Teaser: a realization of true love, a proposal, and a wedding take place at the waterfall in my series.

Last stop: The Rambler Cafe’ in Rose Bud, famous for their steaks. Owner Cheri Limon gave me permission to use her restaurant in a pivotal scene. The rustic restaurant’s plank walls, shelves above each window lined with plants, antique books, and plates was the perfect setting for my hero/pastor to interview a potential associate pastor. Besides hometown friendliness, they have great food and the pie—oh, the pie. Turtle, coconut, pecan, the list goes on.

I’ve made half a dozen visits to the Romance/Rose Bud area and learned something new each time. The series has been fun to write and I’ve enjoyed meeting the local people while researching the rich detail and flavor of the area.

Besides researching setting, since my heroine is a florist, she notices flowers and knows them by name. I don’t, so I turned to my mother.  An avid gardener, if she doesn’t know the flower, she has a book where I can find it. I also visited a local florist to learn about arranging flowers and how they’re transported. Lorna, a wedding planner, helped me with describing hand-tied bouquets. I often give my heroines a career that seems interesting to me, so the research is fun to do.

The hero is a pastor. Since I live with one of those, I’ve researched that for the last ten years. And for book 3, the heroine is restoring a historical plantation house. My dad was a carpenter for a good 20 years. That came in handy on getting the order of restoration right. I had no idea if they’d tackle the roof or the siding first, but Daddy knew just how to whip the house into its former glory. Since I’d already done all that flower and plant research, and the hero and heroine needed to work together, the hero for book 3 became a landscaper.

So, even though Lorna’s research and all those historical details exhaust me, as a contemporary writer, there’s just no way of getting around research.  I’ve recently learned the art of including research in family vacations and have several new setting ideas stored up for the future. Got any ideas?

Posted on February 11, 2010 - by Regina

HAPPY ENDINGS

What do you get when you mix a wedding planner determined to live up to her “Happy Endings, Inc.” name by planning the perfect wedding, and a groom who is legally bound to lie to her – all the while becoming more and more attracted to her?

You get Kaye Dacus’ Stand-In Groom. As the subtitle suggests, “Planning This Wedding will be No Honeymoon.”

In her contemporary romantic debut, Kaye brings us the first of three adventures in the “Brides of Bonterre” Series, set in Louisiana and focused on the large Guidry family of brothers, sisters, and cousins. This one is centered on wedding-planner-extraordinaire Anne Hawthorne, cousin to the Guidry clan, who is reluctantly attracted to tall, attractive, and British George Laurence.

Throughout the book there are questions. What will Anne think when she finds out the reason for George’s lies? Why does George not act like the usual enamored bridegroom? Will it mean the end of Anne’s professional reputation if she falls for the groom? Will George risk his career to have, and to keep, the woman he loves? And finally, will Anne overcome her greatest fear to find enduring happiness?

While it was the cover and title that drew me initially, I couldn’t put it down once started.  The romance, the family connections that will remind you of many of your own, and that deliciously off-kilter feeling of being in love, vicariously, through wonderfully-developed characters—they all come together in a story that will keep you within the pages. As compelling as the book was, it kept drawing me in until those last few chapters that had me reading at full speed because I couldn’t WAIT to see how it ended. Then I had to go back and read different parts slowly, to savor every word!

Some of the authors recently reviewed on Inkspirational Messages are tagged on the cover of Stand-In Groom. M.L. Tydall said, “Absolutely delightful! I found myself laughing, crying, and rejoicing right along with the characters.” Mary Connealy wrote, “Stand-In Groom is as sweet, beautiful, and chaotic as a perfectly planned wedding.” 

I couldn’t agree more.

The “Brides of Bonterre” series continues with Menu for Romance, which features the tenuous romance between event planner Meredith Guidry and her head chef, and then concludes with the story of lawyer Forbes Guidry, whom we met in Stand-In Groom, in the recently released A Case for Love.

Kaye is also the author of Ransome’s Honor, book one of “The Ransome Trilogy” set around the Royal Navy in Regency England. Book two, Ransome’s Crossing, will be out summer 2010.  Little Whispers of Comfort for Busy Women, a gift book in the “Life’s Little Books of Wisdom” series is recently available, and the first in her contemporary “Matchmakers” series, Love Remains, is due to come out later in 2010.

 If you like your fiction with humor, tenderness, and those irritating relatives that you can’t help but love, then Stand-In Groom is a must-read. Then, once you’ve read that one, you’ll be like me, chomping at the bit to get your hands on the rest of the series!

 If you’d like to keep up with Kaye Dacus, check out her website!

Posted on February 9, 2010 - by JerriLynn

Gritty, Tough, Sometimes Hurtful Romance

Romeo falls madly in love with Juliette.   Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet fall deeply in love. Even Edward and Bella were infected by the same ghastly illness.  They fall “unequivocally and irreversibly” in love. And, Edward was a vampire that isn’t supposed to be affected by such mundane human illnesses.  Ugh! I’m just not a fan of gushy romance.

That’s not to say that these weren’t good stories.  In fact, I was taken with every one of those stories for one reason or another, but not for the romance of the story.  To me, most romances are what we would like for our romance to be, but rarely are they what romance ends up being.  And reading a romance honestly makes me long for an unrealistic relationship.

I suppose that’s why the novel “Fireproof” struck me the way it did.  As a piece of literature, I won’t even pretend that it was the best written book I’ve ever read.  There were many places as a writer that I would have written differently.

But none of those differences were enough to make me put the book down.  I was drawn into a train wreck of a marriage, and at times as I read the story, I wanted that horrid relationship to end.  Why in the world should two people who wanted nothing more than to tear each other down continue in such a relationship?

It was that real-life conflict that really made “Fireproof” come alive for me.  In my experience, every relationship goes through rough patches.  Maybe not as rough as what Caleb and Catherine were going through, but there’s no relationship on the planet that’s ever all gushy and happily-ever-after.  It takes work and commitment to get through a relationship, even when it’s not marriage.  And sometimes it takes a lot more.

Perhaps that element of more is what really caught my interest in this story, because if I’m to be truthful, the greatest romance of all time (in my humble opinion) is the Bible. Now, there’s a true love story if there ever was one, and “Fireproof” builds on that love story.  Caleb and Catherine must learn what true love is before they can fully love each other, and there’s only one example of true love in all of history.

The book (which is actually an adaptation of a screen play) teaches a lesson—that true love is a covenant built upon the ultimate covenant that God made with his people – Jesus – and until you accept Him, you cannot truly know how to love another person.  Once you believe and accept God’s Son, then you can learn how you should love another person.

As it is so perfectly worded in the Scripture:

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails… (1Cor13:4-8)

The prefect love is difficult to achieve.  Very few relationships in today’s society meet this set of guidelines for love, and fewer romance novels portray the real struggle it is to truly love your spouse.  So, forgive me if I shudder a bit when romance is mentioned.  It’s not that I dislike romance.  I just believe that romance isn’t gushy.  It’s gritty, and tough, and sometimes it hurts.  But for those willing to put forth the work necessary to achieve God’s plan for romance, it’s worth the fight.