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A South Texas autumn

by

Victoria Advocate, A Different Perspective

Emmitt cutting veggies for soup.

Autumn is a highly anticipated season in South Texas. We know all about hot scorching summers, but autumn? It’s always too short for me, even though our winters are on the lazy side.

Some early mornings are downright pleasant these days. The slightest hint of what’s coming, only to be snuffed out by high (and higher) temps. I linger on my balcony, hoping to hang on to the sweet promise of fall. Some days still revert to muggy steam baths. When that happens, the humidity chases me and my coffee back inside.

Contrary to other parts of the country, most of the leaves around here don’t turn pretty colors. Trees turn brown, then bare as the leaves fall to the ground. Some grasses stay green, but dormant fields take on a tawny hue. All of which my husband much prefers to the snowy North. He loves being outdoors, but not in freezing weather.  

I look forward to lower AC bills, even if central heat can be just as expensive. Very thankful for the modern conveniences. Not sure I would have made a good pioneer. I prefer my backlit tablet over candlelight.  

Fall always signals the beginning of another school year. I taught for so long, the school schedule is deeply ingrained in my psyche. Spring cleaning rarely happens at my house. It always waits until summer, and with my first book release, it will have to wait longer.

We hadn’t seen much of our grandsons because of their school schedule, so I especially enjoyed keeping them on a recent Saturday morning. David, the oldest, had a sinus-y cough and mostly wanted to veg in front of the TV, but Emmitt, the seven-year-old, bounced around, wanting something to do. I was making soup, and suddenly “needed” his help. He cut up celery, carrots, and sausage. Mr. Picky Eater ate more sausage than he cut, with no objection from me. He added water to a partial jar of pizza sauce and shook it up. He enjoyed adding the spices and stirring the pot.

Later we built mini-shelters with Jenga blocks and made a team of paper helicopters for rescue and medivac purposes. Two great big ones turned into tornadoes that created the need. Our favorite was the “mosquito chopper”, a feisty little one that regularly saved the day.    

It impressed the boys when I showed them a copy of Countin’ On Jesse. They liked my name and picture on the book cover, but they liked my new trike just as much. I’ve dubbed it the Purple Turtle. It takes me all around the neighborhood in grand style. Actually, it provides more of a workout than my multi-speed two-wheeler, and it’s safer too. I finally conceded my balance isn’t what it used to be—and to my husband, who wasn’t a fan of the close calls I had on my old bike. It isn’t the same, but I look forward to riding in cooler weather.

Just as seasons change, the seasons of our lives change too. If you listen/watch the news at all, it doesn’t require much brain power to know the world is changing—fast. Not for good either. The problems seem overwhelming.

In all the upheaval—earthquakes, floods, fires, wars, and rumors of war—my hope is in the God who is always and forever the same. I could spend an eternity and not plumb the depths of His majesty. He’s a mystery, but that’s perfectly alright. He wouldn’t be much of a God if my finite mind could understand Him. It’s enough to know He loves me and made a way for me to be with Him.

Just a whisper of His presence is like the first breath of fall—I’m all in.         

‘Countin’ On Jesse’ is finally here!

by

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?

by

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

by

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.