Grandmother memories

Hey Everyone,

It's Danica Favorite, and I am late posting today. So sorry! I'm visiting my parents for my grandmother's memorial service. She passed away last month, and the family decided that rather than have a funeral then, we would do a memorial service on her birthday, which was today. In all of our travel and events, I completely lost track of time.

One of the things that struck me at the memorial service was one of the things the pastor said about how no matter what happens to our bodies, our spirits remain. Even though Grandma is gone, she is with us in our memories. When we remember the things we love about her, special things we did with her, and the stories about her, we have her spirit with us. I'm probably not saying that as well as he did, but it reminded me that even in the midst of our loss, we still have so much.

Grandma and I had our own special traditions. I know most people think Martin Luther King day is in honor of him, but from now on, that's my day to remember Grandma. That was our day, and we always got together on that day to go shopping. The past couple of years, she'd been unable to keep our date because of health issues, but we always hoped we'd get to do it again.

Today I got to visit with family and friends- many people I haven't seen in a long time. My next book, The Lawman's Redemption, is a July release, and as I talked with everyone, I got to tell them about my book. It felt weird to tell people about my book at my grandma's memorial service, but when one of her friends pulled out all of her pictures and things out of her purse, it reminded me of how Grandma did the same thing. I have no doubt that if she'd been there, she would have been pulling out my book postcards, and sharing them along with family pictures.

So, I'm sharing my book, and my grandma, with all of you. Unfortunately, because I'm traveling, I don't have any pictures of her to share.

Did you know your grandmother? What is your favorite memory of her?

Alaskan Homecoming, my grandpa and Peter & the Wolf!

Hi everyone! It's Teri Wilson, and this month I'm celebrating the release of the newest book in my Alaska series for Love Inspired. Here's a little bit about Alaskan Homecoming.

Ballet dancer Posy Sutton is only back in her hometown of Aurora, Alaska, until her injury heals. It's a decision that'd be easier to stick to if she didn't keep bumping into her charming ex-boyfriend, Liam Blake. After six years, she should be over him—but instead all she can see is the mistake she made when she left him. She's not sure she can handle choosing between Liam and ballet a second time…if Liam is even willing to risk his heart again. When her time in Alaska is up, will she and Liam be part of the sweetest dance of all?

Will they? I'll never tell! *wink*

This was a book that I've been wanting to write for a very long time. I love ballet. I take dance lessons, and I've always wanted to write a ballerina heroine. I think most writers will tell you that we always leave pieces of ourselves behind in every book we write. My passion for ballet and romance are just a few of the pieces of myself in Alaskan Homecoming. I've also included a very special musical arrangement.

My heroine, Posy, uses a classical recording of Peter & the Wolf to teach ballet lessons at the church youth group. I chose this piece of music because it's something that my grandfather played for me all the time when I was a little girl. My grandpa was a classical music buff. He loved to listen to John Phillips Sousa marches and Pavarotti librettos. He would turn the music up so loud that the walls in his little apartment would shake. I spent a lot of time with my grandpa, and I'm so proud to say that a love for classical music is one of his passions that he passed along to me. And it all started with Prokofiev's Peter & the Wolf, narrated by Boris Karloff. It was a story set to music. The most magnificent thing I'd ever heard. 

My grandpa played it every time he babysat for me. I remember sitting at his kitchen table, eating raisin toast with butter and listening to the lilting tune of Peter early on Saturday mornings. It's how I learned what different instruments sounded like. It's how I learned to love music. It's how I learned who my grandpa was. I loved him very much, and that's why my heroine dances to Peter & the Wolf in Alaskan Homecoming.  

Click here to listen to Peter & the Wolf in its entirety. It's about 26 minutes long, but I hope you give it a listen, even if just for a minute or two. Enjoy! 

And if you happen to pick up a copy of Alaskan Homecoming, happy reading! 

Love and blessings, 

Teri xo

Visit me at www.teriwilson.net!
Click here to purchase ALASKAN HOMECOMING

Memories of Christmas 2008

Merrillee here, remembering last Christmas and the best Christmas gift of all a new granddaughter, our first grandchild. Here's a photo of my husband and me and Katelyn last Christmas. It was really cold and snowy in Chicago last Christmas, but our hearts were warm with love as we welcomed little Katelyn into our family.

As Christmas approaches this year, I'm in Tucson, Arizona. I'm helping Katelyn and her mom and dad move into their new home. We've been putting up Christmas decorations, making sure to put only nonbreakable ornaments within reach of Katelyn's little hands. She will be a year old on Sunday. So I'll get to wish her happy birthday in person before I fly back home. She gets to spend Christmas with her other grandma in Boston this year. But at least, I got to be here for her birthday.

Here's my Christmas fray. Why do Christmas lights that work when you put them away after Christmas not work the following Christmas when you get them out?