End of an era

Tonight West Jessamine High School held their end of season tennis party. This is the last event my son, Scott, will ever participate in related to high school tennis.

Not only did Scott make a lot of great friends, but I did too.

Here are Scott, Coach Yost, Kevin and Jake. They are the graduating seniors.

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.

Ecclesiates 3:1

Coupons for Prescriptions

On my way to work today, the radio conversation revolved around coupons. I started thinking how hard a person will work to save $1.00. I know I'm always happy to have a coupon, and I enjoy seeing how much I can save. But did you know often times when a new drug comes on the market you can find an on-line coupon from the manufacturer. I've seen coupons for a free 7-day supply. I've also seen coupons that can save $25.00 to $50.00. Often times you can use these after your pharmacist bills your insurance. Prescription coupons can also be found in magazines or the magazine section of your Sunday paper.
Next time you get a new prescription check out the internet, it may be well worth your time.

Eyewall

If you're interested in a thrilling summer read, check out H.W. "Buzz" Bernard's Eyewall.
Once you begin reading it, you won't want to put it down.  Check out the review on
http://sleuthsandsuspects.blogspot.com

29 Hours in Downtown Cincinnati

I've just spent a whirlwind 29 hours in downtown Cincinnati. My son played his first college level tennis tournament. His first two matches were in Triangle Park. He was the first match on at 8 AM Saturday morning and last match on 8 PM. I'm not used to big city life and discovered there's never a quiet moment. Traffic wizzed by on all three sides of the park. Semi-trucks, sports cars, ambulances, you name it, we saw it. I saw more than one doggie day-care.

In our small town, we ask our neighbors to check on our dogs. During the last match Saturday a young couple walked by as we watched Scott play. They appeared down on their luck and a little rough. They sat near us in a spot surrounded by trees. It was growing dark. I saw them rustling through a bag and pull something out. Next they lit up.  I was so happy when I noticed the guy smoking a cigar and the girl smoking a cigarette, that I didn't even worry about my allergies.

Sunday at 8AM, another match. Scott's opponent was late so I walked around another park. High over this city of beauty and mystery, guess what I saw? Look closely.

God bless America!

My hero

When I read a book, I always picture the hero as my husband. Now, when I write a book I base the hero's good qualities on my husband.
This weekend, Tim researched and found a desk for me at a Target at least 45 minutes away from our home. I went to work, and when I came home he had a desk. Late last night he and Scott built it for me. Scott finally said he thought there was a defective piece, but he'd look at it more today. That wasn't good enough for Tim. He worked and worked until he figured it out and built it perfectly.
For a couple of years I've wanted a red bud tree, and I love crepe myrtle. After I got home from work today, I discovered Tim bought and planted a red bud. He also bought a crepe myrtle which we planted after supper. He also bought a bush for our oldest son, and we drove over and planted it for them. (Bill showed up and helped finish the job.) Later this week, I'll take a picture and share the new view from my back porch.

Here's a picture of us in June with Scott.

Janice Hanna Interview

Thanks for joining me today as I interview Janice Hanna. Her new book Love Finds You in Groom Texas will release this week.

Please tell us a bit more about the plot of Love Finds You in Groom, Texas.

Always the groomsman, never the groom… It’s 1914, and Jake O’Farrell has gained an unusual reputation among the locals: He’s played the roles of groomsman and best man in all four of his older brothers’ weddings, but he’s never been able to find the woman to capture his heart. And now with the upcoming wedding of his best friend, Jake will become the last single man in the town of Groom.  

Anne Denning has made the difficult decision to move with her sisters to Texas, but a train derailment forces them to seek shelter in Groom, near Amarillo. Mrs. O’Farrell, hopeful that Anne will catch her youngest son’s eye, invites the girls to stay at her home until the train is repaired and ready to pull out. Anne has no idea of the blissful chaos that lies ahead!

Why did you decide to write this story?

My editor at Summerside approached me with the name of the town because she knows I write a lot of wedding-themed stories. She wanted something lightweight/fun, and she knew me well enough to know I would enjoy a fun story. The only real question we had in the beginning stage was: “Should this be a historical or a contemporary?” We went with historical because I felt sure the story idea was better suited to the turn of the century.

Tell us something interesting about the town of Groom:

Groom boasts a nineteen-story high cross. More than 100 welders worked together to erect it in 1995. Now you can see why I toyed with the idea of writing a contemporary novel! I wanted to include the cross. Because I went with historical, I decided to give the heroine a small cross necklace to wear, one that symbolizes her faith (and alludes to the “bigger” cross to come).

Groom is a wedding-themed book. Why do you write so many stories with a strong wedding theme?

I have four grown daughters—Randi, Megan, Courtney Rae and Courtney Elizabeth. Yes, I really have two daughters named Courtney. (Long story!) All four of my girls got married within four years of each other. We’re told to write what we know. I know weddings, trust me! I helped coordinate all four weddings and even worked as a wedding coordinator at my church for a season. I was also tickled to be the “Wedding Planner Examiner” for the city of Houston for a spell. What fun! You’ll see me writing about weddings for years to come, so hang on for the ride!

What is it about your lead character that will make your readers care about her?

Readers will care about Anne because she’s been through so much and still chooses to move forward. They will also love her relationship with her younger sisters. She’s the only remaining parental figure and takes that position very seriously.

 

What are you working on now?

I just turned in Love Finds You in Daisy, Oklahoma, a fun historical about a single woman in her late 30’s who moves from the Gulf Coast to the landlocked state of Oklahoma to become the director at an orphanage. It’s a love story, of course! She falls in love with the town sheriff, who has adopted two of the unruliest boys from the orphanage. I’m currently writing Wedding Belles, the first book in the Belles and Whistles series for Summerside/Guideposts.

I understand you have a new VIP bookclub. Can you tell us about that?

Yes, I’m so excited about this, too! I came up with this idea several months ago: Why not create a “club” where members can get each new Janice Thompson/Janice Hanna book as it releases for a set price of $11, shipping included. Books are autographed and mailed out to club members before they ever hit the stores. I also encourage my VIP club members to leave reviews, as they are able, on amazon, christianbook.com and www.barnesandnoble.com. If people are interested in joining the club, all they have to do is shoot me an email at booksbyjanice@aol.com with the words “VIP bookclub” in the subject line and their address in the body of the email.

Where else can readers find you online?

I love to connect with my readers at the following places:

www.janicehannathompson.com

www.freelancewritingcourses.com

www.facebook.com/jhannathompson

Where can I get the book?

Love Finds You in Groom, Texas can be purchased at any number of online stores, as well as my website: www.janicehannathompson.com (front page). Readers can always join my VIP bookclub and get the locked in price of $11 (no shipping) by contacting me directly at booksbyjanice@aol.com.

Janice, I appreciate you taking time for this interview. 

Thanks for spending time with me! I had a blast!

How can I help?

I discovered this weekend how much Brook likes flowers. We walked through the garden Friday night, and I cut at least one of each flower for her. Saturday she got a new purse and didn't let go of it until we got home. I'm continually amazed at the girliness she exhibits. Having a brother and then sons threw me into the world of men. I love having sons, but there is something very special about a granddaughter. She constantly amazes me, and makes me smile.

This morning I read Romans 15:2 in the Message.

"Each one of us needs to look after the good of the people around us, asking ourselves, "How can I help?" I plan to make that my memory verse this week and hope to find ways to help others.

Please check back later this week as I post an interview with Janice Hanna. We'll discuss her new book Love Finds You in Groom, Texas.

4th of July Reflections

Wilmore, Ky is one of the best places to celebrate the 4th of July. I didn't have to work this year and was able to attend the parade. The grand marshals were two ladies from Wesley Village Retirement Community.
The parade also included the annual lawn mower brigade, horses, fire trucks, police cars, children from the summer parks program handing out popsicles and tractors.

Later in the day we enjoyed a cook-out with Bill and Amanda. It's hard to believe Brooke can bring corn hole to a complete stop.

And what 4th of July would be complete without fireworks? This year I didn't even have to leave my back porch to enjoy the show thanks to a group of teenagers in our back yard.

Jet Skiing

 Jet Skiing

This year ten members of my family decided to vacation together at Holden Beach, NC. I talked six of them into jet skiing with me on the Intracoastal Waterway. I’ve always wanted to do this, so it was like a dream come true.

My son, Scott, graciously agreed to share a jet ski with me. After receiving our life vests and safety instructions, we were off.

I screamed and laughed. We passed my family, and they passed us. We rode in wakes of bigger boats. We’d bump up and splash down. I hung on to Scott and enjoyed the ride. After a while he offered to let me drive. So we switched places. I wasn’t smooth, so I asked to switch back. He took over, and once more we were off. A little later he urged me to try again. The waterway wasn’t crowded, so I tried, and it went better. The water wasn’t as choppy, and it was almost like flying. The wind whipped my hair as water splashed in my face. It was wonderful.

The experience made me consider my relationship with God. I had faith in Scott that we could do this safely. I trust God to get me through many tough situations also.

Near the end of the ride Scott made a turn too quickly, and I went flying off. He immediately came back to rescue me. If I can trust my 18 year old son to take care of me, I can definitely trust God to watch out for my safety.

Here are the sevenof us before, and Scott and me at the end of our ride.