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‘Countin’ On Jesse’ is finally here!

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The Victoria Advocate, A Different Perspective

At long last, Scrivenings Press will publish my first book on September 12th. Countin’ On Jesse has been a work in progress for more years than I like to remember, but who’s counting?

People have asked what motivated me to write a book. Well, it had been on the bucket list for my whole life. When I turned 60, I realized I’d better get busy. After research, I decided that fiction would be the best route to go, since my dream came with a caveat. I wanted to be published through an established publishing house. And non-fiction writers need to be experts with credentials in their given fields. I’m not an expert anything.

When people hear I write books, they often ask what the book is about. What they really want to know is what genre I write. Is it fiction or non-fiction? If it’s fiction, what kind of fiction? Most people have opinions about the different types of fiction and very strong opinions about romance. However, romance is consistently the best-selling genre. Just sayin’.

What matters to an author is the target audience. The genre I write in won’t appeal to everyone. In fact, it’s very specific. Women who like good love stories with strong heroes and happy endings will probably like my books. No offense to men, but guys are not my go-to with book talk, my husband being the exception.   

When people ask about my book, I give them a card as quickly as possible and say, “All you need to know is right here.”   

Here’s a blurb of the story, same as on the cards I give out:

Countin’ On Jesse is an (inspirational) contemporary romance.  

Accountant BRENNA MCKINLEY only wants what’s best for Peeps, the wildly popular gym in Valiant, Texas. But when money goes missing, and she’s the obvious suspect, will she be able to clear her name or face criminal charges? Keeping her dream job matters, but falling in love with her boss isn’t part of the plan. Neither is the creepy guy stalking her.  

 Young veteran JESSE JACOBS manages and co-owns Peeps, an exercise facility in Valiant, Texas. He needs help to gain accreditation for the gym, and his new accountant is all in. But is she who she seems? Too bad he’s falling for her like a man with no parachute. When the pressure builds, PTSD renders him moody and volatile, risking everything he loves.

In the meantime, feedback from my book launch group has been heartening. Here are some of their quotes about the story…

“Exceptionally strong debut author who sends readers on a thrill ride filled with romance and adrenaline-pumping action.”

“Three main things stand out to me so far…1) The dedication sets a precedence for all the quips in this book. 2) I love the chapter lengths. They are not too long, but really get your attention to continue reading. 3) The metaphor sayings! ‘his temper needs a permanent vacation’ and ‘like a peacock in a yard full of chickens’.”

“(This book) it was everything I wanted it to be. It was mysterious, fun, suspenseful. I love all the characters even Emilio LOL!… I love it when books create big emotions in me. I loved that scenes caught me off guard… I was shaking my head… It made me laugh. I can’t wait to get a hard copy in my hands.”

One reader warmed my heart with her short succinct comments—“I’ve reached the end—boo-hoo…Hope there will be more books in your future.”

The official release for Countin’ On Jesse is September 12th. On that day, the paperback version will be available to order through Amazon. Starting on the 9th, the first three chapters will be available for free, one chapter per day. Use this link to access the free chapters, https://scrivenings.link/countinonjessepreview  

Bonum est Deus. God is good.  

Where is your want-to button?

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Victoria Advocate, A Different Perspective

Caption: Ria in costume.

Since my daughter’s house flooded, I’ve longed to see everything back to normal. My husband has gone several times to help with the different aspects of repairs, but I wanted a turn. When she called on my birthday and told me about the girls’ reading projects, I knew it was time for a face-to-face visit. I taught speech and writing to high schoolers back in the days when dinosaurs roamed the earth. Surely, I could help my elementary-age granddaughters with reading.  

When I arrived, it was fun to get sweet hugs from little girls. Then I asked for a tour of the house. It was so satisfying to see the new floors and carpet. My daughter had her dad enlarge the kitchen island to include an overhang for more seating and a built-in beverage fridge. Also, at her request, he built a wainscoting around the living area. We all loved the way it lit up the room.

But before we embarked on reading projects, I called the girls over and searched through their pockets. Then I checked their feet and hair, pretending to look for something. They giggled and loved it, especially when I squeezed in a tickle or two. When they wanted to know what I was looking for, I told them we needed to find their WANT-TO buttons. Their giggles helped pave the way for more enjoyable learning.    

Nine-year-old Annabelle started her project with a shoebox and Legos. Actually, she was far more interested in the project than in reading. Glancing through her book, I understood why. Reading the words was easy, but the old-school writing style was not. Mom appreciated the second opinion.  

Then Mamaw helped Ria as she inched through her story. I explained that words have a rhythm. All she really needed was practice—she had the basics down—but it took a while and she’d lose interest. I could relate, but reading is a skill people use all their lives. When Ria finished the book—with a little prodding from Mamaw—she was quite proud of herself. And gained the confidence she needed for future success. So important.

We especially appreciated it when Ria approached her reading project with enthusiasm the next morning. I suggested she cut up an old towel like the character in the book, and she was all for it. During breakfast, she sat on the floor by the table with a sharp pair of scissors and trimmed the towel. Everyone had to step around her several times, and her mom and older sister reminded her NOT to cut the towel in half. She persisted and cut until her little fingers hurt, but she loved the end result—a tattered towel with lots of jagged holes.    

As much as I wanted to accompany them to the Farmer’s Market, I headed back to Victoria about mid-morning. Work awaited me, and if I waited too long, I wouldn’t do it. So I turned on my want-to button and got busy. I can’t say I sped through anything, but I accomplished my writing-related goal for the day.  

Where is your want-to button? The apostle Paul said he wanted to do what was right, but he couldn’t. He said he wanted to do what was good, but he didn’t. (Romans 7: 15-16, NLT) When he said those things, he was referring to the sin nature that lives inside us all. But when we’re in Christ, He frees us from the power of sin so we can follow our spirit nature.

That useful knowledge can apply to anything—reading, repairing a home, or being freed from the things that want to destroy our lives. It’s a matter of turning on our want-to button to live God’s way.

Where is your want-to button?           

Book Launch & Beach Days

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A Different Perspective/ The Victoria Advocate

I’m preparing a book launch for my debut novel, Countin’ On Jesse. What’s a book launch? In marketing lingo, it’s a joint effort with others to create anticipation for the day of publication on September 12th. If a book were a store or a restaurant, release day would be the grand opening. A strong start is a helpful tool because there are so many new books on the market. And strangely enough, word of mouth is still the best way to spread the word about books.  

I contracted with my favorite marketing company for a DIY Book Launch program. The last couple of weeks, I’ve created an application for launch team members, made a private Facebook group page, written and scheduled emails to send, and now I’m working on social media posts. Lots going on before anyone signs up to help.

How does someone help with a book launch? One task includes reading the book before the publication date and posting a review on Amazon and other bookish sites. Many people shun writing reviews because it harkens us back to old-school book reports. Nope. Authors care about stars and 2-3 sentences telling what the reader loves about the book. No summaries, please. The other major task is posting graphics on social media to help pass the word.     

During this busy time, we kept our grandsons over the weekend. I made sure their Ipads stayed charged to incentivize downtime. We watched Christmas movies and built a lot of Jenga towers. But what helped keep attitudes in check best on a ferociously hot Saturday was looking forward to a trip to the beach. We drove to Port Aransas around mid-afternoon. The boys loved the ferry. However, people and vehicles crowded the jetties, so we decided to try a different access road. But when we drove away from the sand and water, our grandsons despaired—loudly, until I assured them we would find a less congested area and the perfect place to park. I emphasized they would get to swim in the ocean, play in the sand, and try out the boogie board. They perked up, happy that nothing was going to derail our plans.

We did just that. The boys had a super time playing in the water. My husband and I sat in chairs under the shady tarp and monitored them. I didn’t care for the undertow, but we’d recenter the little guys every so often, so it was manageable. Late afternoon was a pleasant time of day, the temps were down, and cool air breezed off the water. After trying out the boogie board, the boys enjoyed burying each other in the wet sand and building quicksand castles.

Once we packed up, we headed to DQ for supper and ice cream. The boys were excited and chatty. Even the drive home was fun, if not a little spooky, with it being pitch dark. It was so late, once we arrived at home, I let them change into pajamas and tumble into bed, sand and all.

The next morning, Dave vacuumed sand off our vinyl floors, and I dried wet swimsuits and towels while the boy got ready for church. The previous day’s fun comforted us, and the boys stayed cheerful.    

Sometimes, the extra fuss is worth it. Whether it’s a book launch or a beach day, our souls need the comfort these efforts bring, even if it takes a lot of planning.

*If you would like to know more about the book launch for Countin’ On Jesse, shoot me an email at marypatjohns@gmail.com.   

Our messes versus God’s glory

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A Different Perspective, Mary Pat Johns

A four-gen picture–Mary Pat on left holding Ria, Mom, Annabelle, and Nancy holding Ellie

My daughter’s house flooded. A bathroom sink faucet got left on upstairs—and water ran all night. My daughter and her husband woke up to their oldest screaming, “It’s raining in the house!” And so it was. What to do? They turned the water off and called their insurance agent. By early afternoon, the professionals had finished tearing out the carpet and all the wet sheetrock on the ceiling and lower walls. It was weird how the water ran in a path that missed most of the kitchen but snaked through the pantry into the garage.

They moved to a hotel for a few days. But since they had a fully functioning kitchen, and one unharmed bedroom and bathroom, the first adjuster said a hotel wasn’t a necessary expense. (My daughter and son-in-law asked for a second opinion.) It’s been a tough one, but my daughter has held onto her faith, choosing to look beyond the water damage.   

Recently, she and the girls visited Victoria for the day. They went to the zoo and enjoyed the exhibits. That afternoon, we visited a patriotic celebration at Morada East where the girls got to see their great-grandmother, Gigi. By the time the adults made our way into the clubhouse, the girls had already found the free food and were eating bags of chips. They also won cakes. My daughter wasn’t crazy about taking two cakes home, so we settled for one.

We all rode in the shuttle to see the “open house.” Even the girls figured out it looked like Gigi’s house with different furniture. Gigi showed them the flowers and new rocks in her small flower bed. She adored spending time with her great grandchildren.

Once Nancy and the girls made it back to my house, we ate cake. The entire cake. In our defense, there were six of us, and it was a small cake. Our flimsy reasoning for eating too much cake revolved around not taking leftovers home. Yeah. Flimsy.      

It was a heartening visit. I was glad to see my daughter and the girls. It thrilled Gigi to see everybody, and the girls loved the visit. Win-wins are my favorite.

A few days later, my daughter called to ask if they left behind a pair of sandals and a green water bottle. I looked and sure enough, four-year-old Ellie had tucked her shoes into a cubbyhole in our mudroom. Tidy but easy to overlook. My husband is taking them to her along with a new set of bathroom cabinets, new flooring, and a custom addition to my daughter’s kitchen island. Her refurbished home will have the improvements she’s always wanted.     

            We never found the green water bottle. I thought I saw their cousin with it, so I asked my son. He said seven-year-old Emmitt had a green water bottle, but his had a Minecraft logo on it. This past weekend, Emmitt found the walkie-talkies and wanted Mamaw to play with him. He kept saying, “Talk to me, Mamaw,” so I did. I asked if by any chance he had picked up his cousin’s green water bottle. No, he didn’t know anything about it either. I wonder if we’ll ever know where it went.

Is there something in your life that’s a big, hairy tangle right now? Let me encourage you that God isn’t intimidated by our mountains or our messes. Scripture says, “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28, NASB) He can take an unfixable mess and cause it to turn out far better than we could ever think or imagine. Nothing is impossible for him. Our job is to believe.