Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Make That a FUN Author Interview! My Guest? Nancy Herriman!


It's a new feature on Writing for Christ!

Sometimes we just gotta let loose. Have a little fun.  Thus I had this crazy idea…and I’m pretty excited about it. Hope you love it and if you have suggestions for questions, leave them in the comments! :- )

The Basics:

Name: Nancy Herriman
Order here
Home State (completely with address so we can stalk you): Ohio
Occupation: writer!
Height: 5’ 3”
Hair Color: um….blonde

Goin’ Deeper:

Celebrity crush: Jake Gyllenhaal
#1 favorite pastime: singing!
Best book of your childhood: Loved The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Go to comfort food: too many to choose from! Probably mashed potatoes.
Worst job you ever had: A brief stint doing an engineering project at the water treatment facility of a chemical manufacturing plant. Yuck.

Preorder here
In Ten Words or Less:

Happiest moment of your life: Getting married.
One thing on your bucket list: Visit the Dalmatian coast. It looks so gorgeous in photos.
Quirkiest aspect that annoys your spouse/friends: How loud I am? ;-)
Greatest dream: Seeing my children grown and happy.
Biggest fear: I think I’ve already overcome it by facing cancer 2 years ago. I’m good to go. (oops, that wasn’t less than 10 words!)

And there ya have it! Another FUN interview with a great author. Watch for my interview with Ronie Kendig next month!


Monday, February 25, 2013

Giveaway! Shattered by Dani Pettrey!


Welcome to Writing for Christ Dani Pettrey, it is great to have you here! Do you have an interesting fact about yourself the average reader probably doesn’t know? 

I write all my first drafts longhand. I usually buy a cute notebook, a colorful pen, and then get started :)


Do you have a favorite genre to read/write? 

Inspirational romantic suspense because it incorporates so many things I love–the thrill of adventure, nail-biting suspense, the deepening of one’s faith and plenty of romance.

Do you have a nugget of writing advice that has completely changed how you view writing?

Here’s a quote that left a great impression upon me regarding writing: “Whether or not you write well, write bravely” –Bill Stout

5 things you love?

God, my family, my friends, writing and books. 

5 less serious things I love: coffee, chocolate, traveling, moose and the beach.


What novel have you recently read that has stood out to you that both teens and adults will find enjoyment in? 

Actually, my daughter and I recently read The Lord of the Rings. I think it is one of the best novels ever written, and it’s fabulous for both teens and adults.

Places for readers to learn more about you?


Thank you for being with us today!

Thanks so much for having me! 

Readers, here is your chance to enter to win Dani's book!

Please leave an email address! If I draw your name and there is no email, you will not win.
For extra entries:
~Be a follower
~Be a subscriber

Contest is only open in the U.S. and void where prohibited. Chances of winning are based on the number of entries and winner is draw from a non-biased third party- Random.org. I am not responsible for any lost or damaged items for said prize.

Thanks for coming by to enter! Contest ends on March 8th
Attn Readers! If you're struggling to leave a comment on my blog, please email your comment entries (in ONE email) and I will submit it for you. But PLEASE only do this after you've failed to leave a comment. My email is: caseym.writer(@)gmail.com 


Additional Contest Info!!



Dani Pettrey is celebrating the release of Shattered with a Nook HD giveaway and a Facebook Author Chat Party {3/14}. 


Shattered Pettrey

One winner will receive:
  • A brand new Nook HD
  • Submerged and Shattered by Dani Pettrey {Be caught up in this riveting series.}
Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on March 13th. Winner will be announced at the "Shattered" Author Chat Party on 3/14. Connect with Dani for an evening of book chat, trivia, and a chance to win gift certificates, books, and other fun prizes!

So grab your copy of Shattered and join Dani on the evening of the March 14th for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book - don't let that stop you from coming!)

Don't miss a moment of the fun; RSVP todayTell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 14th!

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Bella's Back!! ~ Picture Perfect by Janice Thompson ~ Review


The title pretty much says it all: picture perfect. You might think me sappy or a hopeless romantic (both of which I am), but I think this novel was pretty close to being the fun romantic read I expected it to be.
          
  Have you read the Weddings by Bella series? Well if you haven’t, I’ll try to forgive you, but in all seriousness you don’t need to have read them before picking this one up. That said, you’ll have so much more fun with the cast and crew of this novel if you have. Every single member of our large Italian family (and some new additions) are back for round two and are bringing the fun with them!
           
Hannah and Drew are “feuding” photographers that well…sigh... (and that pretty much says it all). It’s a sweet romance with humor a plenty and good times by abundance. I also appreciate the liberal mention of food. Haha!
            
Plenty of dialogue for a rom-com and a kiss or two that makes you wiggle your toes and sigh (or is that just me??).
         
   It’s a winner. Plenty of sweetness. Plenty of romance. And like reconnecting with old friends that you never forgot for one day how much you loved them.
            
This review is my honest opinion. Thanks to the publishers for my copy to review.
           
**Available February 2013 from Revell, a division of Baker Publishers**


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More about the novel...

Feisty wedding photographer Hannah McDermott has dealt with her share of difficult brides. But none can compare to the ultimate Bridezilla she's dealing with now. Still, she's trying desperately to impress Bella Neeley, Galveston Island's most sought-after wedding planner, so she can take the top spot in Bella's list of recommended photographers--a spot currently occupied by her arch-rival, Drew Kincaid. What she doesn't count on, however, is falling head over heels for the competition. 

With her contagious humor and cast of quirky characters, Janice Thompson gives readers more of the bridal business drama they want in a brand-new series all about those long-suffering people who make beautiful weddings happen. Readers are desperately waiting for more of Bella and this new series brings her back in a big way, while introducing new characters fans will love. Fans will laugh out loud as they experience this breezy and entertaining novel from a great storyteller.
         

Monday, February 18, 2013

Giveaway! Poison by Jordyn Redwood!


Welcome to Writing for Christ Jordyn Redwood, it is great to have you here! Do you have an interesting fact about yourself the average reader probably doesn’t know?

Jordyn: Casey, thanks so much for having me! Hmm… one interesting fact. My husband has forbidden me from ever entering a dog shelter again because there is lots of the “ugly cry” going on (from me) and he only wants one dog.

Do you have a favorite genre to read/write?

Jordyn: I love suspense and it’s what I read and write.

Do you have a nugget of writing advice that has completely changed how you view writing?

Jordyn: There are lots but if I had to pick one to share it would be this: the first draft is just yours. What happened to me for years is I was stuck on the first 30,000 words. I would submit the first part of my book to others for critique but then I felt like I had to incorporate all their suggestions. I was having trouble discerning my own author’s voice. Finally, I just decided I needed to finish my novel and then go to a few trusted people for their opinion. The result was a finished novel and through the writing of the book I learned what was important to keep and what could be deleted/changed without harming the integrity of the story.  

5 things you love?

Jordyn: Serious five things I love: Jesus, my husband, my two daughters, and writing.

Funny five things I love: Tea, Chapstick (peppermint flavored), Chocolate (though not chocolate cake or ice cream), quilt fabric and BOOKS!


What novel have you recently read that has stood out to you that both teens and adults will find enjoyment in?

Jordyn: Wow, this is a tough question. Some fiction I’ve read recently would fit one group but not the other. I’m going to pick a non-fiction book called To Heaven and Back by Mary C. Neal, MD. I read it as research and it deals with a physician’s near death experience. What’s amazing about this book is the other odd happenings that occurred after her accident (she drowned in a Chilean river kayaking) and what she’s learned from them. It’s very life and faith affirming for teens and adults alike.


Places for readers to learn more about you?

Jordyn: I can be found at www.jordynredwood.com (where there are free chapters of my books) and www.redwoodsmedicaledge.com (where I help authors kill off their . . . characters people!)

Thank you for being with us today!

Casey, thanks so much for having me and for all you do to get the word out about great books. 

Readers, here is your chance to enter to win Jordyn's book!

Please leave an email address! If I draw your name and there is no email, you will not win.
For extra entries:
~Be a follower
~Be a subscriber

Contest is only open in the U.S. and void where prohibited. Chances of winning are based on the number of entries and winner is draw from a non-biased third party- Random.org. I am not responsible for any lost or damaged items for said prize.

Thanks for coming by to enter! Contest ends on March 1st
Attn Readers! If you're struggling to leave a comment on my blog, please email your comment entries (in ONE email) and I will submit it for you. But PLEASE only do this after you've failed to leave a comment. My email is: caseym.writer(@)gmail.com 

Saturday, February 16, 2013

Oh FUN Day!!

I've been wanting/waiting to do this basically since I started blogging three years ago...

professionally designing/upgrading my site!

And I came across Imagination Designs after she did my friend Katie's blog. She's SUPER affordable and amazing to work with. I kept throwing things out that I wanted and she got them for me. I couldn't be more pleased and if I ever need to change again, she's the one I'm going back to. :D

I hope you click on over, check out the new site and grab the new blog button if you're inclined to grab those types of things. ;-)

THANK YOU LORI!!! This new website home is definitely *me*.

Friday, February 15, 2013

Take the Challenge!

It's simple really.

Those of us who are addicted to Pinterest (you know you are!), rise up and embrace the challenge.

I got the idea from authors Becky Wade and Katie Ganshert (so hopefully they won't care that I'm stealing from them, since I linked back to their sites. ;-)

What if we actually DID some of the things we pinned?? What a novel idea! ;-) 

But seriously, I'd really like to put together the crafts that I see and want to do. And some I haven't done just for the sake of saying "I don't have the time" or "I'll wait and do that when I have the supplies."

Those supplies aren't going to sprout before my very eyes all put together and done. ;-)

So be it an outfit you've wanted to try out, a recipe, a gift or a DIY project, get on it! I'm inviting you to take the challenge with me for the next few months. 

Once a month I'll do a post on a Pinterest project that I finished. Including the shot of what I wanted to make and how it ended up looking like. ;-)

You can post your personal results on your blog, Facebook, pinterest itself! 

Let's have some DIYself fun. Who's with me? ;-)

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Delicous! ~ Let Them Eat Cake by Sandra Byrd ~ Review


I can’t hold it in: the love angle behind this story surprised me! The one I thought would be the hero…turned out to be a non-hero. A great guy, but not our hero. Hmm. If that isn’t incentive to read the other books to find out who our hero is, nothing else is!
            
Give me a heroine who likes to cook/ bake in first person voice and character that takes action on the page and I’m so there!
            
This novel isn’t as much romance as I thought it would be and really I’m okay with that, because sometimes it’s fun to just read a story about a contemporary girl who’s trying to make a go of it. Lexi personifies so many young women today, including myself and her quirky view on life…and often desperation had me smiling and moaning in “oh yes, I hear ya!”
            
French makes everything more delectable and smattering just enough of the language through the book gave it a fun and romantic flair. Book two she actually travels to France…methinks I might have to travel along with her.
            
Beginning to end I was charmed by Lexi and motivated by her triumphs and struggles. A cute and enjoyable contemporary novel. I think I might get the rest of the series. Can’t really beat $2.99 a book. ;-)
        
    This review is my honest opinion. Thanks to the author for my copy to review.

Think you might want to read this book?
(please check price before hitting purchase. :-)

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
More about the novel...

Lexi Stuart is at a critical crossroads. She’s done with college but still living at home, ready to launch a career but unable to find a job, and solidly stalled between boyfriends. 

When a lighthearted conversation in French with the manager of her favorite bakery turns into a job offer, Lexi accepts. But the actualglamour is minimal: the pay is less than generous, her co-workers are skeptical, her bank account remains vertically-challenged, and her parents are perpetually disappointed. Her only comfort comes from the flirtatious baker she has her eye–but even may not be who he seems to be!

So when a handsome young executive dashes into the bakery to pick up his high profile company’s special order for an important meeting–an order Lexi has flubbed– she loses her compulsion to please. “What am I going to do?” he shouts. “Let them eat cake!” she fires back with equal passion and a nod to Marie Antoinette. And then, something inside Lexi clicks. Laissez la révolution commencer! Let the revolution begin! Instead of trying to fulfill everyone else’s expectations for her life, Lexi embarks on an adventure in trusting God with her future–très bon!



 photo FinalButton1_zpsac14075d.jpg

Check out the celebratory giveaway going on at Sandra's site right now too!

Monday, February 11, 2013

Giveaway! Firefly Island by Lisa Wingate!

Welcome to Writing for Christ, Lisa Wingate! It's great to have you here.


Firefly Island is a story that begins with a love at first sight.  Do you think love at first sight is still possible in this busy, modern world?

I think it is, although perhaps, living in this media-frenzied culture, we’re more jaded than we were two generations ago when my grandparents met at a dance.  My grandfather went home that night and told his mother he’d met the girl he was going to marry. He just knew it, and he was right. 

I don’t think my grandfather and grandmother questioned it nearly as much as Mallory does in the story, and I think that’s where modern culture comes in.  Mallory has a hard time trusting herself, and as a career girl devoted to a life on the political scene, she has a hard time losing the image of herself that she has created.  She’s worried about what her family, friends, and co-workers will think.  These days, women feel so much pressure to have it all and do it all.  Falling unexpectedly in love, getting married, and giving up a career is sometimes looked upon as a failure.  While Mallory’s heart knows that Daniel is the one, she dreads the idea of trying to explain things to the people around her.

Mallory’s story has been likened to a modern-day mail-order bride tale.”  Do you think this fits?  In what way? 

Mallory in many ways experiences the life of a mail-order bride.  Because she and Daniel have only known each other a short time when the job move forces a huge leap of faith in their relationship, she finds herself married to a man she adores, but barely knows.  Like any newly-married couple, they have much to learn about each other, but Mallory is also facing the sudden step-parenthood of three-year-old Nick, and the trials of leaving behind her family, her career, her friends, her identity, and all that is familiar.  The challenges of life on a ranch are completely foreign to her.

In days of old, mail-order brides faced many of the same challenges.  Our great-great grandmothers attempted to solve the problem by writing letters home, joining in sewing circles and ladies’ societies in their new locations, and sometimes by documenting their experiences in journals.  Mallory finds herself unwillingly drawn into the tradition of journaling, but in a much more modern way, when she stumbles into the blogging life.  As the blog draws fans, she becomes The Frontier Woman, and her world expands in ways she could never have dreamed.

Do you have a nugget of writing advice that has completely changed how you view writing?

Well, I’m glad you asked that! Some of the fun in being a writer is that there are always things to learn, ways to get better. I’m always seeking out conference sessions and online workshops devoted to the topics that I feel are holding me back. I study other authors’ techniques make notes, keep a scrapbook of examples and notes-to-self.

I’ve learned to watch for overbalance of narrative in my writing. Nothing slows down the pace of a story like huge patches of narrative. Narrative produces pages with big, blocky paragraphs that read slowly, and that tend to “tell” rather than “show”. I’ve learned, when possible, to work story elements into dialog, action, reaction, and short thought sequences, rather than using narrative. For example, rather than describing the main street of the town, I might have a character walk down Main, greet a neighbor or two, and reflect on a few random childhood memories of people/places. I work at using these various techniques to avoid sliding down the slippery slope of having characters engage in meaningless chatter designed only to dump information to the reader, but to always seek opportunities to work details in naturally during character interactions. Sometimes body language can speaks volumes, too.

So, having said that, I stumbled on a new technique just recently. I made friends with Siri, my personal iPhone assistant. I began to trust her when I dictated some of these notes-to-self and email replies. I began to feel a certain freedom of expression and power, superpower even. One day I put Siri in my pocket and plugged in my earbuds with the attached mike and spoke a scene -– Yes, I did!. After emailing it to myself, I copied it to the word processor, fixed up some of Siri’s errors and was surprised that it all felt good. Then I started dictating as I was walking around, really getting into my old childhood game of Let’s Pretend. So, I think I’m hooked. There was a time I only wanted to write in notebooks and on legal pads. Then there was the phase when I felt the power of composing on the computer. Now, I feel like I’m in a whole new dimension, but in a way, I’m back to playing Let’s Pretend just like when I was little.  

What fun it is to be a writer! 

Where can readers find you on the Internet?

Lisa Wingate
Fiction That's Good for the Soul
www.lisawingate.com
Blogging at www.SouthernBelleViewDaily.com  Join us on the porch!
Join me on Facebook and Youtube and Pinterest


Thank you for being with us today!

Readers, here is your chance to enter to win Lisa's book!

Please leave an email address! If I draw your name and there is no email, you will not win.
For extra entries:
~Be a follower
~Be a subscriber

Contest is only open in the U.S. and void where prohibited. Chances of winning are based on the number of entries and winner is draw from a non-biased third party- Random.org. I am not responsible for any lost or damaged items for said prize.

Thanks for coming by to enter! Contest ends on February 22nd
Attn Readers! If you're struggling to leave a comment on my blog, please email your comment entries (in ONE email) and I will submit it for you. But PLEASE only do this after you've failed to leave a comment. My email is: caseym.writer(@)gmail.com 






Friday, February 8, 2013

An Ode to Growing Up

When we're two we want to touch everything. And our parents can't wait to get us out of this stage and be able to put the papers back on the edge of the counter and the spanking spatula back in the drawer.


Photo credit: freedigitalphotos.net 
When we're five we point and grin and demand that we drive the tractor with Dad. Why not? My feet reach all the way to the ground, so why shouldn't I have the privilege of driving that great big hunk of green?

When we're eleven, we can't wait to become a teenager, sure that our parents will give us a great deal more respect because of that word, neglecting to realize that most parents dread the teenage years more than a case of the shingles.

When you're fifteen we can't wait for that driver's license. It's not just enough to have the permit, we want to be free to rule that front seat and go anywhere we want at anytime we want. We want to be able to text and drive without our mother snatching the phone out of our hand and yelling at us to hit the break while simultaneously pumping her passenger floorboard as if that could actually stop the vehicle barreling toward the intersection. 

When you're eighteen, we can't wait to get out of high school, out of the teenage years that are so very overrated and out of the house. Out on our own. 

Every single one of those years we as young people look and wish them away. Want to be out in the big adult world. But more than anything we want control. We want power and freedom. It's part of our sin-filled nature to want more, want something better than what we already have.

And then we get there. And realize...wow...this was nothing like what we planned it would be. We actually have responsibilities and struggles...and things to figure out. And suddenly we realize, maybe our parents weren't such control freaks to keep those things away from us when they did. 

Makes me very thankful for a Heavenly Parent that is always watching out for me. Has got this crazy thing called life already figured out for me, I just have to yield to His plan for my life. And we realize, all during our growing up years, we wanted control. But when we actually get there and can touch it, it's not anything like we planned...or bargained for. 

And that's when God smiles, "Got any more plans to share?"

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Bella's Back!!

Everyone's favorite heroine is BACK!!!

I think I did a cartwheel (on the inside, since I'd break my neck if I did one on the outside) when I heard that Janice Thompson had sold a FOUR BOOK series to Revell all about Club Web, Bella, DJ and a whole cast and crew of new characters.

Now I'm in the middle of reading the book and just loving it. I hadn't realize just how much I had missed this as-true-to-life characters as you can get until I started reading the story. Ah...I'm in perfect reading bliss!!

If you're new to the Weddings by Bella series or The Weddings by Design series, but you love chick lit/romantic comedy, these books are definitely for you!

Get started with the series HERE with a free download of Fools Rush In! It's one of my favorite books of all time and with 313 other five star reviews on Amazon, I think a whole lot of other people agree with me. ;-)


So, enjoy this fun interview with author Janice Thompson, where she shares the story-behind-the-story regarding Bella’s return.

Janice, welcome! I really enjoyed the Weddings by Bella series and am excited to read the spin-off series. 

1. Can you tell us more about why you decided to write it?

Sure! (Thanks for hosting me, by the way!) When I wrote Fools Rush In (book one in the Weddings by Bella series) I knew I had something special on my hands. The characters really resonated with me, but there was more. I felt as if I’d created a world of real, wonderful, wacky people. Sure, I’d breathed life into them on the page, but they seemed to take it from there, springing to life and moving the story forward as they willed. I wrapped up the series with Swinging on a Star and It Had to be You, but my readers weren’t satisfied! At least once a week I got a letter from a fan saying, “Are there more? Please keep this story going!” I sent several of those letters to my editor, and before long she agreed that we should, indeed, keep the story going! That’s how the Weddings by Design story began. I’m so relieved to have more to offer. Since Fools Rush In went free on kindle, it has been downloaded nearly 300,000 times. Crazy! So, I have many, many new readers, aching for more!

2. How are these stories similar to the novels in the Weddings by Bella series?

This is a wedding-themed series, just like the first, and loaded with fun, quirky mishaps on the way to the altar! Readers will experience the same “feel” of Galveston Island and my ever-present humor, which drives the stories forward.  I truly hope that readers pick up the first book in this new series and sigh with relief as they catch up with their favorite characters from the last series: Bella, D.J., Aunt Rosa, Uncle Laz, the three ladies from Splendora, Brock Benson, and so on. Here’s what the publisher had to say about the new series: With her contagious humor and cast of quirky characters, Janice Thompson gives readers more of the bridal business drama they want in a brand-new series all about those long-suffering people who make beautiful weddings happen. Readers are desperately waiting for more of Bella and this new series brings her back in a big way, while introducing new characters fans will love. Fans will laugh out loud as they experience this breezy and entertaining novel from a great storyteller.”


3. What sets this new series apart from the last one?

The Weddings by Design novels are told from the point of view of new characters. Book one, Picture Perfect, is about a wedding photographer named Hannah. Book two, The Icing on the Cake, is about a wedding cake designer named Scarlet. Book three, The Dream Dress, is about a dress designer named Gabi. Book four (yet unpublished) is about a wedding florist named Gina. Each of these ladies longs to work with the most fabulous wedding coordinator on the island—Bella (Rossi) Neeley, so everything loops back to Club Wed, just like the first series.

4. When does the new series release?

Book one, Picture Perfect, is already available on amazon. The kindle version will be ready for download on February 15th. (Happy Valentine’s Day, y’all!) I received my author copies last week, so autographed copies are available for purchase ($12) if readers are interested in that. They can email me at booksbyjanice@aol.com for more information.

5. Can you tell us about Picture Perfect, the first book in the series?

Ooo, I’d love to! The synopsis should answer any questions:
She’s trying to focus on her future. How can one man make everything feel so . . . fuzzy?
Hannah McDermott has a successful photography studio. She’ll soon be featured in Texas Bride magazine. And she has a celebrity client whose Galveston ceremony will be her ticket to the top spot on wedding coordinator Bella Neeley’s list of recommended photographers. But it could all come crashing down around her because of one man: archrival and photographer extraordinaire Drew Kincaid.
As the competition between Hannah and Drew heats up, Hannah is surprised to find that it’s not the only thing getting more intense. She can’t get the handsome man out of her thoughts-or even out of her line of sight-and the job of her dreams is turning into a nightmare. Will everything she’s worked for slip out of her hands? And can she see past her pride to find a picture-perfect love?
6. How is the new series doing with readers so far?

Great! Folks who’ve read the book have already contacted me to say they love it! I’m also thrilled that Picture Perfect got a great Romantic Times review. . .four stars! Here’s what the reviewer had to say: "Fans of romantic comedies are in for a treat just in time for Valentine’s Day. Book one in the Weddings by Design series does not disappoint! Funny one-liners and absolutely lovable characters combine with just enough romantic tension to keep the pages turning at a brisk pace — but readers will want to slow down to savor this one."

7. How are you kicking off the new series?

I’m hosting an online party! I’m calling this my “Bing & Bob” party and it will be held on the night of February 18th at 7:00 p.m. central time. These two funny fellas hold a special place in the heart of my characters and they will provide the entertainment at our gathering! This fun, interactive party will take place inside the “Bella’s Back” group on facebook. Join me for an interactive chat, video teasers, Bing Crosby music and giveaways! Some lucky reader/participant will win a free kindle fire! To be entered, you must join the Bella’s Back facebook group and attend the party. (i.e. “Must be present when your named is called.”)

For more information about the party, check out this video invitation.

Book #2, coming August 2013
8. Can you share a little bit from the novel?

Prologue
Going My Way

May your troubles be as few and as far apart as my grandmother’s teeth. Irish proverb

My life has been a series of almosts.

Take, for instance, the time I almost made the cheerleading squad in high school but lost out to my archnemesis, Jacquie Practically-Perfect-in-Every-Way Goldfarb. Then there was the time Matt Hudson, the hunkiest football player at my high school, almost asked me to the prom but ended up going with Jacquie instead. Oh, and we can’t forget the time I almost got a photographer’s dream job, shooting superstar Brock Benson’s wedding. Yep. Another almost. That time, the opportunity of a lifetime slipped through my fingers and into the open palms of my chief competitor, Drew Kincaid of Kincaid Photography.

Some people are haunted by memories of things they’ve done. Me? I’m haunted by all of the things I nearly accomplished but missed by a quarter of an inch. That’s why, when faced with yet another unbelievable opportunity—a profile piece in Texas Bride magazine to promote my new Galveston-based photography business—I couldn’t blow it. No more almosts for me. This time I would hit the finish line a winner. My meeting with the Texas Bride reporter would transform my career and propel me into the limelight, winning me the favor of the island’s top wedding planner, Bella Neeley. If I could just keep from messing it up.

Oh, but this time I wouldn’t! In fact, I could almost hear my Grandpa Aengus cheering me on from the great beyond: “Hannah Grace, if you’re lucky enough to be Irish, then you’re lucky enough.”

I didn’t happen to believe in luck, but if being Irish meant I stood a better chance at succeeding in business, I would embrace my heritage as never before. I would bathe with Irish Spring soap, dress in the vibrant colors of the family crest, skip through fields of shamrocks, and listen to my father’s nightly tales of Clan McDermott’s glory days. And I would do it all with a smile on my face and confidence in my stride.

From his mansion up in heaven, Grandpa Aengus smiled down on me, his gold-capped front tooth gleaming like the precious stones in the pearly gate. I could sense his pleasure as I made up my mind to do the McDermotts proud. Like my warring ancestors of yesteryear, I would fight to the finish, wielding my bloody sword—er, my two-thousand-dollar digital camera with stellar resolution and optical zoom—until I took the prize. I would come out a victor in the end, or make a fool of myself trying.

Either way, I wouldn’t go down without a fight. A true McDermott never did.

Thanks for visiting with us, Janice! Looking forward to the new series!

STAY CONNECTED WITH THE AUTHOR:

Join the “Bella’s Back” Facebook group
Watch the Bing & Bob party video invitation