Moving on...

    I stumbled on a review of WHEN A DOG PLAYS CUPID that I really opened my eyes.
It was a good review, one I quite enjoyed, but readers don't always understand why a book is crafted as it is. For example, I've read comments about this book being a romance without sex...
    Uh....it's true. This book was aimed for a publisher that didn't allow sex scenes in their publications. I enjoy writing sexual tension and not including the act, so it was a good fit.
    What didn't work for the publisher...the funeral home references...I refused to remove from this story. Why? Why not discard these scenes and reshape the story to the publisher's wishes? Because I wrote this story after my mother died. I was in pain and searching for ways to work through my grief. Writing helped, but I needed humor to cheer me up.
    Now, I ask you, what is any funnier, cuter, or more amusing than watching a tiny mutt act like a terror? Can't you just see him barking so hard he bounces off the floor? Did you laugh when he snarled at Kit's best friend and snapped at her hand?
     I did. Maybe it's just my sense of humor, but when I laughed...I felt better.
     Isn't that why we read...to escape. To leave worries behind. To find a safe place? I always keep a book close by, how about you?
    So, many thanks for the 'Paws Up' review. Yes the book is clean...but since I always shared my books with my mother, that's the kind of book I like to read. In the end, what you read is your choice. Just keep reading.
    Life is short. Read all the books you can squeeze in!
    HAPPY READING!

 

Why I admire my father...

  
     Another Father's Day rolls around, without my dad. Ours was a very traditional family, with my mother making sure my father was the center. We loved him, feared him, admired him and stood in awe of him.
     My dad was a WWII veteran, a son, brother, uncle, farmer, inventor, an entrepreneur, a church member, loving husband and so much more, all wrapped into one word, father. A strict disciplinarian, he set high expectations for the four of us and taught us the meaning of working for our goals and dreams. We followed firm rules, worked hard and played together. I will always be grateful for my parents and all they taught us.
     I consider myself very fortunate to have a husband who is a great father, too. A veteran like my dad, which I mention because I think it affects their outlook on discipline, my husband's generation has fewer rough edges than my dad's.
     I can't write a Father's Day post without saying how lucky our sons were to have their father. He's loving, caring, dedicated to his family and a role model I'm proud to call husband.
     There's one more father I want to mention. Our oldest son, father of our precious new grandson. In our son, I see all the loving qualities of his father. Any father of a growing child faces challenges, but from his actions so far, we're certain our son will make the right decisions.
     So...with a tear in my eye and a heart full of love, I remember my dad and wish my husband and son a HAPPY FATHER'S DAY.