Allie Pleiter's new writing partner!

I have a new writing partner!

No, she’s not a collaborating author on some new series. She’s not a wise editor, either.

She’s a dog.

For fourteen years, my “writing partner” was a sweet Havanese named Bella. For an extrovert like me, the long hours alone in my house can feel lonesome. And any writer will tell you someone that reminds you “it’s time to get up out of that chair” is a great resource. So while Bella was a sweet and loving pet, I really did think of her as my writing partner. Her talent for cleaning crumbs off the kitchen floor was just a happy bonus.

When we lost Bella last November, I was heartbroken. The house felt so empty. While I adore working from home and being self-employed, I was lonely. Still, we knew better than to get another dog right away. I tried to wait patiently until the timing was right.

Three weeks ago, Bailey came into our lives. We’re still getting to know each other. She is seven—we prefer to adopt retired breeding dogs rather than go the puppy route—so there is a great deal of adjusting on everyone’s part. 

Already she has taught me about patience and starting where someone is “at” rather than where you “want them to be.” She is slowly learning what it means to be part of our family, and we are slowly learning what it means to be her friend and caretaker. 

Most of all, I am delighted to have a new writing partner while I sit in my office and craft new stories for you to love.

Chaz Walker adopts a dog—completely on impulse—in Wander Canyon Courtship. As Bailey has already done for us, Chaz learns new lessons about himself and love from his new dog Cecil.  

Tell me—what lessons has the pet in your life taught you?

Allie Pleiter on Getting What You Want...or Not

If you follow the Love Inspired Authors and Readers Facebook Group, you know that our family is “between pets.” Since losing our dear Havanese Bella after 14 years last November, we’ve taken our time before getting ready to add a dog back into our household. Now, we think August will be the month we are open to adopting. 

I believe adoption dogs “find us” as much as we find them. So I came up with the idea to let a few of our dog-connected friends and associates know that we’re in the market and what we’re looking for.

Here’s what our perfect dog would look like:

• No larger than 30 pounds
• Doesn’t shed
• No “yapping” - regular bark
• Housebroken
• Low to medium energy
• 2 - 5 years old (no puppies or seniors)
• Good with kids 
• Okay as a solo pet
• Crate trained or crate trainable

Now, I know enough to hold this list loosely. Life has taught me that God often sends us what we need rather than what we’re looking for. That’s certainly true of my hero Chaz in Wander Canyon Courtship. Chaz isn’t even looking for a dog when Cecil comes into his life. Chaz knows what he wants in life, and what God sends him doesn’t look anything like it. Watching this surly guy slowly discover what he really wants is part of what makes the story so special to me. Let’s just say it takes a while before Chaz and Yvonne figure out that what they truly need…is each other.

Not everyone has or can have a pet. But if you do or could, what two characteristics are on your “ideal pet” list? What do you love most about your current furry (or feathered or scaled or whatever) friend?

PS: if you want updates on how our search is going, feel free to follow my Facebook page or on Instagram

Allie Pleiter - Sharing my Hawaiian Adventure

Aloha, readers!

Last night my husband and I returned from a trip to Hawaii to celebrate our 30th anniversary. It was our first visit to that beautiful place, and I wanted to share some pictures with you. God's creative genius is certainly on display in those islands!

It was an amazing, restorative, grand adventure my husband and I will remember for many years to come. My July release finishes up the Matrimony Valley series, and the Colorado-based Wander Canyon series follows in February 2020, but who knows? Maybe there is a Hawaii-based series somewhere in my future.

It wasn't a perfect trip--we came home last night to a basement that had flooded while we were gone (!!).  So today is all about some nasty clean-up, but I'm determined not to let bleach and wet-vacs take away my tropical glow!

--Allie

Allie Pleiter on Thirty Years of Marriage

Us back then...

Today marks my 30th wedding anniversary. it’s made me introspective, pondering what three decades of marriage has taught me about life and love. My husband Jeff and I have seen a lot together: parenting, death of parents, wonderful successes and heart-wrenching trials for our two children, times of ease and fun, and times of struggle where we weren’t quite sure we’d make it.

Of course, we’re far from done. With God’s grace, we’ve got many more years and experiences yet to come. But with the advantage of hindsight, here are three things I believe make a marriage work:

1) Ask for what you need

...And us now

Most of my tough slogs in this married business have come from expecting my spouse to somehow intuit what I need. It never works. Having the courage and the vulnerability to express what I need from my husband is always the clearest path to harmony. 

2) Have friends and interests beyond each other

I’ve become a “car person” because my husband is. He’s taken to travel adventures because I like them. We’ve learned to do new things together, but each of us also feels free to pursue interests and friend groups. We’re not just a couple, we’re two individuals. I believe love is stronger when it isn’t total dependence.

3) Laugh

At each other when you need to, at yourself especially when you least want to, and at Monty Python or The Three Stooges when necessary. Laughter has gotten us out of more fights and pulled us through more dark passages than any amount of grit or gumption. It’s the oil of grace that eases most of marriage friction.

I don’t know if these three constitute the best marriage advice. They’re certainly not the only paths to happy matrimony. But they are the ones I choose to share with you as I celebrate this milestone.

I’m so very thankful for God’s gift of Jeff to me. Knowing love surely helps to write love, and having a happily ever after of my own continues to inspire me to write more for you. My next story of love and laughter is Wander Canyon Courtship, due out July 1. I hope you enjoy it.

So tell me, what milestone anniversary is coming up for you?

Allie Pleiter on 2019 Word--then what?

Many of us mark the dawn of a new year by choosing a word to set the theme for the coming 12 months. I’ve done so for the past several years, and some of our authors have already shared theirs on this blog.

This year, my word is “STEADFAST,” and its sister-word, “STEADY.”

What then? Once a word has found you—for a truly believe the word chooses you as much as you choose the word—what do you do? I’ll share what I do, and hope you’ll share what you do.

First, since I believe God sends me the right word for the year, I ask Him to bless my exploration of it. I pray for eyes to see the lessons it has to teach me, and to see the many places it inevitably shows up in my life once it is chosen.

As a woman of faith, the Bible is my first discovery ground. Steadfast shows up in scores of verses. Here are a few of my favorites:

2 Chronicles 27:6

Jotham grew powerful because he walked steadfastly before the Lord his God (emphasis mine)

Psalm 112:7

They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord.

Isaiah 26:3

You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.

1 Peter 5:10

And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

A dive into the dictionary brought me lots of motivating synonyms: 

• resolutely or dutifully firm and unwavering
• even and continuous in development
• moving without deviation from course

And the insightful fact that “steady” is also a verb and an exclamation.

Then I always wander through Pinterest, building a board from the images I collect there. This often unearths new quotes, pictures, and sometimes even products. For example, did you know what there are artisans who will make you jewelry with your word for the year? Or that there is a beloved fairy tale called The Steadfast Tin Soldier?

I wasn’t surprised to discover that the heroine for my upcoming July book, Wander Canyon Courtship, finds the hero particularly steadfast. I always think our creative selves know things before our conscious minds do.

What will make this a “steadfast” year? I don’t yet know. But I’m excited to find out.

Have you chosen a word for 2019? Do you do any of these explorations or have some new ones to suggest?

Allie Pleiter on teaching young writers

For two years now, I’ve had the pleasure of guest lecturing at Taylor University’s Professional Writing program. Since the first year I met some of the students at the Write to Publish conference, I’ve been impressed with the talent, skill, and professionalism of these young writers of faith.  These students are getting ready to launch careers that utilize their gifts on behalf of God’s kingdom—even if they don’t end up in professional posts at faith-based publications. I have no doubt all of the publishing world is gaining some great assets in these up-and-coming scribes.

What did I tell them? 

• Work hard. 
• Conduct yourself with integrity and professionalism, because even exceptional talent will only get you so far. 
• Find your style and speed (of course, I taught them the Chunky Method) and stick to it.
• Mentors and writing heroes are great, but steer clear of paralyzing comparisons. 
• Ignore “overnight successes” because they never are what they seem. 
• Be the writer who makes the long, steady climb in the right direction, because those are the careers that last. 
• Celebrate every little success.
• Allow yourself to yell “ouch” when the failures and hurts come, but don’t stay down long. Pick yourself up and start over, or start new, or just start anywhere you can find a foothold.

I enjoy giving back to my profession. What do you do to bring up young people in your field of work, church, or community?

PS: Happy Veteran's Day and my heartfelt thanks to all who serve.

Top 3 Ways to Stay Productive This Fall

by @jillkemerer and @alliepleiter

Hello everyone! Allie Pleiter and I (JillKemerer) are chatting about how to stay productive this fall. I’ve always loved September. I load up on back-to-school sale pens and notebooks for myself, check out the cool-weather fashions cropping up at the mall, and anticipate russet leaves, cool nights, pumpkin spice everything, and cozy blankets.

Inevitably, visions of Thanksgiving and Christmas and all that hustle-bustle get me excited—Hallmark Christmas movies!!—but just as quickly, fill me with doubts.

Will I meet the professional goals I’ve set for the year?

What about the personal goals—you know, the books I want to read, the places I want to go, the things I want to do?

At this point my mind goes blank as I try to remember what those goals were. Before I know it, I’m munching on Tootsie Rolls and fighting discouragement.

How will I get everything done?

My memory is a flighty little thing, so I skim my day planner to see what I’ve already accomplished. Then I review my current projects and jot down a few personal and professional goals I want to meet by the end of the year. My plan is ambitious. Sure, I can trim it down, but what if I press forward with it? Can I find a way to meet these goals?

Since Allie has written two books on staying productive during challenging times, I’m leaning on her for advice.

Allie, you’re a master at staying on track and getting things done even when life is super busy. What are your top three tips for staying productive this fall?

Fall is an energizing time—summer’s lazy quality drifts away and our brains gear up for productivity. It’s an excellent time to take stock, tweak plans, and even do a bit of dreaming. I definitely believe us grown-ups can get in on the “back to school” atmosphere and take steps to finish the year strong. 

Here are my top three productivity tips:

1.  Make a list.

Lists help us focus and see the whole of our task load. Even if your list ends up being very long, I promise you your stress level will go down just knowing you’ve collected everything on paper (rather than hoping your brain will hold it all).

2.  Break it down into daily portions.

A huge list feels just that: huge. It’s important to have the full scope of your demands and goals laid out, but it can easily overwhelm. Look at your list and think about what needs to be done or can reasonably be done—-just for today. I do this every Sunday night for each of the days in my work week ahead. That way I’m not held hostage by waking up in a funk on Tuesday or the temptation of a Netflix binge on Friday. I’ve got a practical dose of one-day-sized tasks batched up and ready to go, before my brain or mood can take off in other directions.

3. Number your list.

Seriously, this is the single most transformative tactic I teach. Why? Because the most powerful knowledge of all is knowing what to do next. Ordering your tasks for any given day gives your ambition “marching orders.”  Your brain knows that #1 comes first, then #2, you’ll be done at #6, etc. It sounds simplistic, but try it and you’ll discover how much it helps you stay on track!

These three tips, even in the most trying of times when you feel drowning in demands, can get you up and running toward your goals. Which leads me to a fourth powerful tactic: go back daily and take a grateful look at everything you’ve been able to accomplish! Nothing builds momentum like knowing you’re gaining ground, no matter how slowly.

*

Thanks, Allie! This is just what I needed. I can be hit or miss on your first two tips, so this was the nudge I needed to be more consistent. And tip 3 made me slap my forehead with a “duh.” Of course—number the list! Brilliant!

How do YOU stay productive? Please share your tips in the comments!

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Interested in Allie’s books?

I have The Chunky Method and LOVE it! Full of great advice for writers!

Can’t seem to finish that novel you’ve been writing? Want to write faster and get published but fear squelching your muse? Pleiter’s innovative Chunky Method offers practical, real-world productivity advice in an easy to read and inspiring workbook. Follow a step-by-step plan to identify your unique writing “Chunk” and wield it to create a solid plan that works “even when life gets in the way.” No matter what your writing style, The Chunky Method Handbook will help you chart an individualized path to your creative writing goals.

Buy The Chunky Method Handbook NOW!

  

Is your muse yelling “SOS”? How do you keep the words pouring onto the page when your real life feels like it’s under attack? Every writer knows how stress and personal crises can strangle your creativity. Help is on the way in this brilliantly practical guide. Inside, you’ll find advice that: - Gets you through the thick of your crisis - Gives you tactics that will energize you to keep writing - Teaches you to use your stress to inspire your writing - And much more!

Buy How To Write When Everything Goes Wrong NOW!

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A nanny at Christmastime…

Will she find love in this Wyoming Cowboys novel?

Six weeks on a ranch caring for quadruplets—aspiring nurse Ainsley Draper’s prepared for a busy Christmas. When the children’s handsome uncle opens the door, her task gets extra complicated. Marshall Graham is upholding his promise to look after his twin sister, the babies’ mom. But as family loyalty clashes with new love, will the perfect present include a future with Ainsley?

Enter the Wyoming Christmas Quadruplets Giveaway at Jill’s Blog HERE! (US residents, 18+)

Allie Pleiter and the giant zucchini...

It's garden season, which means that certain bumper crops are showing up among friends and neighbors.  My husband and I were at a farm stand over the weekend buying sweet corn, and saw this:

A sign said: FREE

This was the smallest of the "Jumbo Zucchini" pile, and who can resist free garden produce?

So, today is the day I figure out what to do with this vegetable windfall. I've been given recipes for cheezy bites, lemon cake, lasagna, zucchini boats (or in this case, yachts), and of course making them into spaghetti noodles (also called "zoodles"). Even pickles--and keeping it by the door to defend myself against intruders--have been suggested.

This is certainly more than one meal's worth of zucchini. So chime in with your favorite uses/recipes!

By the way, I've got a new book out later this month that I hope you'll enjoy. It involves a whopping amount of snow--not zucchini--but the results are just as enjoyable!

SNOWBOUND WITH THE BEST MAN
Snowed in with the best man at a wedding weekend, florist Kelly Nelson can’t help but notice that the handsome widower seems overwhelmed raising his young daughter. So Kelly is delighted when her own daughter befriends the girl. But when the little matchmakers target Kelly and Bruce with an adorable Valentine’s Day plot, will the reluctant single parents give love a second chance?

Allie Pleiter - Waterfalls...and a giveaway!

Was is it about waterfalls?

They’re soothing. They’re powerful. They can be mighty and dramatic or small enough to trickle pleasantly on our patios. Little fountains or breathtaking cascades.

One of my favorite movie scenes, the heroic promise “Stay alive…no matter what occurs…and I will find you!” from Last of the Mohicans, takes place inside a waterfall. Good stuff! 

Of course, there was dastardly villain hidden behind the lava waterfall in The Incredibles, too. So, not always good stuff.

The waterfall in my new book, however, is the perfect backdrop for a wedding. Mayor Jean Matrim knows that is the key to her town’s future, so she forfeits her family moniker on the falls to turn “Matrim’s Falls” into “Matrimony Falls.” It’s the first step in her grand plan to give her dying hometown new life as “Matrimony Valley,” a unique and rustic destination wedding venue.

This is a waterfall near the western North Carolina set of towns that I drew from to create Matrimony Valley.

Plans are going great…until the brother of Matrimony Valley’s first bride turns up, and it’s Jean’s great love from college, Josh Tyler. What Josh doesn’t know is that Jean’s charming son is also Josh’s son. Even though he is profoundly deaf, young Jonah teaches Josh a great deal about listening to your heart.

I loved writing this story of forgiveness, restoration, and life’s unexpected twists. I hope you enjoy it as well.

To celebrate, comment with the answer to this question:

If you could stage your wedding anywhere in the world, what spot would you pick?

I’ll draw names from everyone who leaves a comment and give away a copy of His Surprise Son on Friday.

Make it work...by Allie Pleiter

One of the themes that keeps showing up in my books is resilience. The ability to find a “Plan B” when our first plan gets scuttled. It’s my personal believe that God shows His providence and imagination on our Plan B’s. I can recall many times where His plan (because it’s really only Plan B from my perspective, isn’t it?) turned out far better than what I had in mind.

The same is true for Tess Buckton. She’s come home to the Blue Thorn Ranch thinking everything has fallen apart, only to learn things are falling into place. Cooper Pine is struggling to put things right in his world for his daughter. Like all great love stories, they have to go through a lot to realize how much they need each other. But it all works out in the end, and The Texas Rancher's New Family wraps up the series with heartwarming perfection.

Us authors have to show a bit of resilience, too.  If you remember from the post on August 29, Belle Calhoune and I went through a mix up of our own. Belle received the large print copies of my book while I received the large print copies of hers. When we discovered the issue, we were happy to realize that a “swap” could solve the problem. But why leave it there? Let’s have fun with it, and each give away the other’s book.

So that’s what we’re doing. In August Belle gave away a copy of my book. So now, I’m giving away a copy of hers. Leave a comment along with your email and I’ll put your name in a drawing for a copy of Belle’s His Secret Alaskan Heiress.

Turn our predicament into your prize!

Allie Pleiter on "What I Know to be True"

I tried to think of something “bookish” to say today, but if you are an American like me, your mind is a bit preoccupied at the moment.  So instead, I opted for talking about what happened yesterday.  The funny thing about social media is that I am writing this on November 8, before the outcome has even come close to being announced.

Oddly enough, I think it’s the perfect time to address my subject.   But I have to rewind a bit first.  

Back when my parenting books were first released, I did a lot of public speaking (I still love it, theater major that I am).  One of those events came on the heels of a massive parenting crisis in my personal life.  I called a colleague for advice, unsure that I could work through the cloud of my own personal chaos to offer anything useful to the mothers in my audience.  “What do you still know to be true?” my wise friend asked me.  “What’s true on a day like today is perhaps what’s most true of all, don’t you think?”

She was right.  And so, today, I offer what I still know to be true:

1. How we treat each other matters.

While politics may smack of war, democracy can still know how to be kind.  Respect is the threshold to how we move forward.  Go out of your way to be kind to someone today.   And tomorrow, and the day after.

2.  God knows no surprises.

Today’s outcome came as no surprise to our Sovereign Lord.  His plans are never thwarted, He is never blindsided nor overcome.  Our fears and doubts and disappointments are only a function of our limited vision.  God is still ever-faithful and trustworthy.  None of that changed one bit as a result of the world we were presented with this morning.  Not. One. Bit.

3.   The first twenty-four hours never count.

If you took a hit today, or if you claim a victory today, how you feel right now is rarely a clear indicator of how you’ll feel two days, a week, or a month from now.  The real truth has yet to emerge.  Today, everyone is reacting.  Sooner or later—hopefully sooner—we’ll find a way to respond.  And there are always good choices in how to respond.

You may be elated with this election’s outcomes.  You may be deeply concerned.  I expect lots of us are a little of both.  I’ll be praying that America shows what’s best about ourselves and moves past the dark underbelly most of us have spent too much time staring at lately. 

And while that dark underbelly shows up a lot on all those screens that clamor for our attention, what’s best about us shows up in the faces of people around you.  

So look there, in the faces you meet today and look up.   That’s what I know to be true.

Allie Pleiter on "Book People"

Ah, the joy of book people.

I’ve been in Nashville Tennessee this week attending the American Christian Fiction Writers conference, which means I’ve spent the last two days around book people.

I love book people.  I am a book person, and nothing makes me happier than to sit around and talk books with other book people.  Sure, I’m a writer, but I go all fan-girl on the author of my latest literary crave just like every other reader.  I suspect I made a fool of myself gushing to Kristy Cambron over The Ringmaster’s Wife, a splendid book that’s been my audiobook companion on the long drive to Nashville. 

My DestiKNITions blog sends me on yarn- and not-so-yarn-related adventures when I travel, and Nashville was no different.  Which is how Lenora Worth, Lynette Eason, and I found ourselves making a quick little excursion yesterday morning to a donut shop and a bookstore.  When we all walked into the bookstore, we all instinctively stopped, inhaled that marvelous scent that all bookstores have, and smiled.  Home.  Books.  Our kind.

It’s fun to watch Lynette win an award.  I love to teach The Chunky Method and help writers discover their productivity.  It’s great to get a chance to promote my latest Love Inspired novel and my new indie series.  All these things are good.

But spending three days in the company of book people and books?   That’s the best of all.

What about you?  Where do you meet your fellow book people?

Allie Pleiter on fun research sources

Sometimes, research requires me to dig into obscure and strange places to get information.  Right now, for example, I’m looking into the Australian foster care system and pediatric prosthetics.  Other times, something just perfect pops into your life to solve a research dilemma.

One of those perfect pop-ups happened to me in doing the research for The Texan’s Second Chance.  Since this is the third book set on the Blue Thorn Bison Ranch, I didn’t need to augment much of what I already knew about raising bison.  I am delighted to note, however, that Bison became the Official U.S. Mammal during this series (hooray!).

No, I needed to learn about food trucks.  After all, Jenna comes onto the Blue Thorn Ranch to be the creative chef behind the family’s bison burger food truck.  I love doing food research.  Bison burgers—if you didn’t know—are delicious and very good for you.

One of the questions I always ask my sources is “which movies or TV shows get it right, and which get it wrong?”  Most bakers will tell you their life doesn’t look anything like “Cake Boss,” while a firefighter told me he felt “Ladder 49” nailed it. In the age of DVDs and Netflix, a writer has a host of great info at her fingertips—if she knows what to watch and what to skip.

My food truck source sent me straight to the movie “Chef” to give me a good grounding in the ins and outs of food truck life.  Not only was it a good night’s entertainment—it’s a very good movie even if you aren’t doing research—but I learns tons of stuff and came away with a pile of questions to ask my source.

My favorite reader comment so far was how hungry the book made her for several of the specific dishes mentioned.  It warms a writer’s heart to know my grilled cheese description sent you straight to the kitchen to make one!

How about you?  What’s the most interesting thing you learned from a movie lately?

Allie Pleiter on Meeting Old Friends in New Ways

Today I celebrate the re-release of some dearly loved books of mine from earlier years. The tiny novella Getting to Yes, the Rita-nominated My So-Called Love Life, and The Perfect Blend were the first “category” romances I’d ever written, and they are still reader favorites.  It was such a pleasure to revisit them, tweak them into a series I’ve dubbed “Sweet City Hearts,” and give them a new life in the book world.

As a writer and a reader, I learned a few things along the way.

Some things never change.  The thrill of that kiss you’ve waited the whole book for, the surge of pleasure you get when reading a line that makes you go “oh, yes!”, the torture of loving something (instead of someone) too much, break-up ice cream binges, and the wisdom of a good friend brave enough to tell the truth.

Some things do change.  Phones rarely have receivers anymore.  Everyone—or, okay almost everyone—texts.  Some exclamations are dead-bolted to certain decades and sound funny years later.  And while the breakfast cereal bar was a newfangled thing back when I wrote My So-Called Love Life, it had died off long enough for me to just hear this week that it has enjoyed a brand new resurgence in New York City.  Like it’s a new thing.  They’re right—there really is no such thing as a new thing; only old things reimagined in new ways.

Voice is voice is voice is voice is voice.  

Not to take one molecule away from Lin-Manuel Miranda’s tear-inducing Tony awards speech, but the voice I see in these books is just a version of the voice I see in all my books.  Sure, snappy first-person dialogue may be my “mother tongue,” as anyone who knows me will attest.  But if I do it right, what makes me me as a writer comes through no matter if I’m writing chick-lit, western, historical, small town, or contemporary.  Friends say reading many of my books is like “hearing me in their heads”—something I take as a compliment, even if they say it’s a bit unnerving or just downright weird. (I am downright weird, come to think of it…)  Reading these particularly unique books has reminded me that my voice is particularly unique to me and something to be nurtured and treasured, not stuffed into a marketing trend. And my best weapon to fight the wrong around me.

Because, above all, they’re just plain fun.  And about love.  And why love matters.  They've been called uplifting, joyful, happy-ending, and even laugh-out-loud funny—and who among us doesn’t need more of that right now?

FEATURED BOOK AND INTERVIEW:Coming Home to Texas by Allie Pleiter

Ellie and the Lawman Leaving behind her big city life, Ellie Buckton can't wait to return to Blue Thorn Ranch—the place she's always considered home, and the perfect place to mend her wounded heart. But she's unprepared for the instant sparks she feels with the town's new lawman, Nash Larson. Strong and steady Nash doesn't want any attachments in his temporary posting. Not with the troubled teens he and Ellie are drafted to work with. And especially not with Ellie or the undeniable feelings she inspires within him. Nash likes to play by the book. But law and order can't always rule when love is concerned…

Interview:

How exciting to have Ellie Buckton the heroine from Coming Home to Texas written by Allie Pleiter  an April 2016 release from Love Inspired Romance.

1.      Ellie, tell me the most interesting thing about you.

            Right now, it’s that I’m no longer engaged to celebrity chef Derek Harding.  It was a whole lot more than “interesting” when I found him getting cozy with my best friend and would-be maid of honor.  I broke it off and came home to my family ranch to heal.

2.  What do you do for fun?

            I knit.  It always makes me feel better to create something.  Our local pastor has talked me into teaching a group of high school girls alongside our new Deputy Sheriff Nash Larson—he’s teaching car repair to the boys while I teach knitting to the girls. I’m grateful for something to occupy my time and my mind, but will it be fun?  Who knows?

3.  What do you put off doing because you dread it?

            Talking to Derek or my boss back at the restaurant where we worked in Atlanta.  I’m not ready to go back to work, and I’m not ready to hear anything Derek has to say.

4.  What are you afraid of most in life?

            That life is going to end up one long string of hurts.  It sure feels like that right now.

5.  What is the most important thing to you?

            Maybe I wouldn’t have said so before the break-up, but right now it’s family.  I need to be near my big brother Gunner and my Gran so I can heal and figure out what to do next.

6.  Do you read books? If so, what is your favorite type of book?

            Do knitting patterns count?  I’m skipping all the “happily ever after” books right now because I’m not so sure one’s ever coming for me.

7.  If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

            I wish I were stronger.  Or, at least, that people thought of me as stronger.  Right now I just feel defeated.  I’ve been wronged and I’m the one that feels defeated—where’s the fairness in that?

8.  Do you have a pet? If so, what is it and why that pet?

            I don’t, but I care a whole lot about our family ranch’s herd of bison.  Someone’s been threatening them, and I hope Nash can find out who’s behind it.

9. If you could travel back in time, where would you go and why?

            I’d go back to when my mom and dad were alive.  There are so many things I’d want to talk to them about now that I’m an adult.