In My World
On March 25th, my husband and I celebrated our two-year anniversary. It’s a joke among our friends and family that this is our first two-year anniversary. (Our formal wedding anniversary is in July.) Two years ago, Robert and I tied the knot in our counselor’s backyard. We had ten adults, including four from our wedding party. This is impressive considering we threw this wedding together in 24 hours. We tied the knot around four in the afternoon, just before shelter-in-place was established in Tulsa at midnight. Our COVID wedding was a day to remember!
Time has flown. We were reviewing highlights from these past two years, and we were amazed by all that’s transpired. Robert got ordained and assistant pastor at All Nations Vineyard. We went to Costa Rica on our ten-day honeymoon. We sold his condo on the first day of our honeymoon. And now, we are actively looking for a house in this zany housing market. But our love has deepened, and I love Robert more now than when we got married.
The picture is from our anniversary date where we ate at Bodeans, a seafood restaurant in town. They also have a seafood market where they fly in seafood twice daily from around the world.
Love At the Mayo Update
I finished my five-month book coaching course and excited to implement all the tips my book coach provided. I was thrilled he thought the plot compelling, characters memorable, and tensions high. But after an hour conversation with him, I’m trimming the book considerably.
I felt it was too long, but wasn’t sure how much or what to cut. Although he didn’t tell me what I should cut, he gave me guidelines to follow. I’m going to spend Saturday pruning the story, especially unnecessary characters, so the beauty of the main plot is visible.
Pray for me because I’ve fallen in love with many minor characters. So, I’ll have to tap into my inner Agatha Christy and knock some off. YIKES! (Ever read, And Then There were None?)
I need your Opinion
While I’m editing Love At the Mayo (LATM), I’m working on a prequel occurring two years before the story in Love At the Mayo. Garrett Bettencourt is the protagonist for the novella, and he’s also the person of interest in LATM. The Christmas novella starts with Garrett newly engaged but he has a vision of a beautiful woman in red. He doesn’t see her face, but notices she’s a blonde. Problem is, his fiancé is a brunette. He’s not deterred though, assuming the blonde hair represents something divine.
Life takes a sharp turn as she breaks off the engagement. Now he’s clinging to hope he can win her back, retrieve a priceless family heirloom, and address haunting memories from his past.
The story starts in Tulsa, Oklahoma in the beginning of December. But since I wanted a white Christmas, Garrett and his family spend Christmas in Gaylord, Michigan, an hour from the Upper Peninsula. It’s an ideal setting with snow covered rolling hills, an enchanting small town, and plenty of winter activities.
To get an idea of where Gaylord is, hold out your hand with your palm facing you and point to the top crease on your middle finger. (We call the lower peninsula of Michigan the mitten because of its shape.)
I need your help:
I’m brainstorming a title for the Christmas novella. I have three candidates, so I’m asking which one you prefer:
- Christmas in Northern Michigan
- Christmas in the Mitten
- Christmas at Sonshine Barn (the name of the venue.) *
* On a personal note, Sonshine Barn is actually my parents’ wedding venue in northern Michigan. The venue is closed during the winter but they rent out the farmhouse from December to April. It’s also the farm where I grew up, and where Robert and I got married for wedding #2. Feel free to check the wedding venue’s website for pictures. The image above is the farmhouse on the venue.
March Giveaway
Congrats to Linda Sammaritan and Nancy Ness for winning the March giveaway! For April, I’m not conducting a giveaway, but will offer something enticing in May.