Tag Archive | love

Oliver’s Opinion: Master Plan for Love (Book Review)

Oct4
Reading Time: 2 minutes

Hi, Oliver here, Mom had to put me to work as she hopes that will tire me out some. She was told a tired puppy is a good puppy. Not so sure about that, but I love exploring everything! So she had me explore this new novel, Master Plan for Love by Emily Grey.

Nikki has got some scars from her past. Not physical as much as emotional. Her ex-boyfriend was a bad dude, who I’d likely bite if I could even though I’m generally a friendly dog. This guy even threatened her physically as well as devestated her finanically.

She returned to her hometown to start over with a bridal salon.

Cody Manning has been away from town for ten years. He was injured trying to save a woman’s life and he’s hoping to heal from the gunshot wound (a real scar for this man!). Nikki is back so he’s wondering if that love he had for her years ago, can be brought back to life again.

With some sparring and struggle, both Nikki and Cody realize there are sparks, but can these wounded people foster a fresh love in spite of distrust, fears from the past and money challenges?

You’ll have to read it to find out! I’m a dog and I’m going to give bones like Spatzle used to, because apparently I look a little like him and I do love my bully rings which are kind of like a bone. This book gets five bones! Even though none of this helped me relax and stay out of mischief, but someone has to keep mom on her toes!

Author Confessions: Too Much Heart

Sep23
Reading Time: 2 minutes

Author Confessions: Too Much Heart

I’ve been talking about a lot of words but the past few posts were about verbs. Let me spend some time talking about the most overused word I’ve found (and have used in my own writing) in romantic fiction.

Heart.

Her heart raced.

She treasured it in her heart.

Her heart sped up.

Her heart ached.

Because emotion is often centered in our heart, authors tend to focus on that alone when they describe scenes. However, there is an entire body that can react to emotion and the book The Emotion Thesaurus can be helpful regardless of whether the emotion is love, jealousy, anger, loneliness… I highly recommend any author purchase that book and the companion pieces on positive and negative traits.   They are valuable resources. Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi have some more in the series that I just ordered and look forward to having on my bookshelf as resources.

Let’s try some different ways to say the examples above:

“Her heart raced.” Let’s try this instead: She couldn’t catch her breath.

“She treasured it in her heart.” How about: She closed her eyes to capture the moment.

“Her heart sped up.” Maybe instead: She placed a hand on her chest in a futile attempt to calm herself.

“Her heart ached.” Perhaps this: Tears welled in her eyes and she blinked back the tears.

Caveat:

You don’t have to eliminate every instance of the word heart in your prose. Especially when a character is speaking or perhaps texting or writing something. We often tend to use the word heart, but there is an entire physical and emotional body of description to draw on to add depth and color to your story and keep the reader engaged. Avoid writing with too much heart, at least in terms of words. I hope your efforts to put words on the page are filled with an overflowing passion for your work-in-progress.

Quirks

Jan15
Reading Time: 3 minutes

The other night, my husband and I were reading through a devotional Bible and it asked a question about putting up with the idiosyncracies of your spouse. We chuckled. When he saw one photo of me in my bio in an online dating sight before we’d met in person, he thought I was wacky.

I joke it was truth in advertising. 

I’m weird. I embrace that. Normal, typical are not words that define me or my life. 

During our wedding the pastor who had known me for many years mentioned that I was quirky and Ben would have to deal with that.

My man, for all his past business successes, is a goofball. He loves to joke around and make people smile. He makes me laugh every day. Sometimes the jokes are corny. “If you want better jokes, you have to pay better,” is his response. The silliness that emerges from him often amazes us both and continues to give us each joy in our days even when circumstances are difficult.

Both of us has past trauma from previous relationships. It’s not uncommon for my husband to ask, “Why do you treat me so well?” He’s not used to being affirmed, welcomed home warmly, and encouraged in his many endeavors, and to be listened to as he explains his plans. Much of that I don’t fully comprehend but I do try. Sometimes, rarely, I even come up with suggestions that help propel him forward. Score one for the wife! 

My response to him is this: “If I ever get annoyed with you I step back and remember, this is who God made you to be. If I have a problem with that, the issue is me, not you.” Quirks and all I need to embrace who he is completely. Now, when he crosses a line I tell him. When he does something he thinks is playful and it hurts me, or offends me, I let him know. He may not have actually even done anything wrong, but due to my own past wounds sometimes I can get triggered. Ah the side-effects of abuse. 

The great thing is, when I do this, he changes his behavior. There are certain words we don’t use in our home because they cause hurt. They are not necessarily bad words in and of themselves. There are things he’s done that have unintentionally hurt me and I’ve let him know and he respects that. 

He has also let me know when I unintentionally let him down, that there was a need I didn’t perceive and failed to meet. Sometimes he comes home and is busy in the garage with a project. Instead of coming out to check on him I’ll just wait for him to come inside for dinner. He’d like me to check in on him. I’m somewhat lazy at times and don’t want to put on shoes or a coat (we live in Wisconsin and it is now winter) to be heading out there. Now, I try to pop in more. I always figured I might be bothering him or getting in the way of a project. But that’s a holdover from my own past. He’s never snapped at me for coming into the garage to see what he’s doing. He’s always been happy to see me and usually to explain what he’s working on. He may be an adult and retired, but he still likes an ataboy now and then. 

Don’t we all? 

When I feel like I’ve not lived up to some invisible standard in my mind, he affirms how much he admires the work I do even though it is often with a computer or words on a page. He works with his hands and gets dirty. He’s always creating something with metal that is functional and usually from scraps, which  becomes something usable and valuable. He was surprised one day when I told him I was amazed at how creative he is! He never thought of himself as creative. It may not be decorative but he solves problems and isn’t afraid of the hard work to get to the end result. That perseverance is impressive to me. He threatens to get a go-pro to video him working on projects. I think it would be great, but I already have way too much to do to be adding editing his videos for him! He’s not terribly tech-saavy. 

So what are your quirks? How do you handle the quirks of others? Can you embrace them as part of their uniqueness? It’s not always easy and sometimes the yuck from our own past gets in the way of being able to celebrate that part of someone, but it can help us understand, accept, and even love them better when we do. 

 

Cooper Comments: Jingle all the Way (Book Review)

Nov24
Reading Time: 2 minutes

A Regency era Christmas is always fun to read and my mom is pretty decent about spinning a tale that takes place in another era and culture. This time she added the unusual element of a young woman who wants to breed horses more than find a husband, much to the dismay of her parents. In Jingle all the Way you’ll find out just how fun a tale author Susan M. Baganz can weave from that idea and of course thowing Christmas in as well!

Miss Seraphina Babington is made about horses, and most especially about her prize stallion. If the horse could win some races, she could garner enough attention to earn stud fees. Ah, the stuff that a young debutant in Regency England should not be concerned about. Her parents give her a deadline to find a husband on her own before forcing her to leave her beloved horse in the country to attend a season in London.

The Honorable Earnest Oxley has a horse that is a match to Sera’s but while he wouldn’t mind paying the fees so he can breed his mare, he’d rather own Sera’s stallion. But he has competition in that arena once the horse starts winning races. Can he woo the woman to gain the horse? As he gets to know the young lady he begins to wonder whether he’s really falling more for her than the horse she owns.

Christmas nears and tragedy occcurs forcing Seraphina to make an unconventional and scandelous decision. Will her reputations survive her choice? And whe her brother gets in trouble all her plans are at risk. Could Earnest be the key to resolve the issue? And what about love?

This is a delightful Christmas story that shows that life continues and challenges come but sometimes seeking God and watching Him work it out brings about the best Christmas gift. You’ll have to read this novella to see just what happens. I’ll give it five tennis balls because I’m a dog and that’s how I roll, and well, it is my mom’s book after all.

Untitled design – 1

Cooper Comments: Cactus for Christmas (Book Review)

Nov3
Reading Time: 2 minutes

Mom loved this sweet book and recently even went to Arizona but not a Christmas time. She said she missed the green grass and trees we have in Wisconsin. Much like Lucy who struggles to realize that Christmas can be wonderful–even if it doesn’t go according to the way it used to. Author Karen Malley covers a lot of ground in her new novella, Cactus for Christmas and it’s worth the time to cozy up to your own dog to read it like my mom did.

Lucy is a traditionalist. She likes things the way they always have been. Probably even more so since becoming a widow. Having the tree, the cookies, the decorations, family and the snow all make Christmas, well, Christmas! But when her own sister is in need she packs up her anxious dog and drives across the country to Phoenix Arizona to care for her.

They were not close, but at least she’s not too far from one of her daughters who is due to give birth. Life is upended between her sister’s handsome neighbor and a mischievous kitten who becomes the dog’s best friend.

She begins to learn that sometimes new can be great and people are more important than traditions, and maybe she’s not too old for a little romance. Will it be worth her staying around for? You’ll have to read it and see.

Of course, I love the fact that this book has a dog and it is cool that he is happier with a kitten. Not me. I like being the only dog, king of my castle. I will give this book five tennis balls because it was great, and not many stories today are about love later in life. Get this book. You’ll be glad you did!

Untitled design – 1

Cooper Comments: Agape After All (Book Review)

Sep22
Reading Time: 2 minutes

Hey, Cooper here again with another great book by Katherine Robles. To be honest, Agape After All, is probably my favorite one in the Romance in the Park series of novels she’s written.

Vanessa is engaged to Collin and she really believes this is possibly true love, but then she meets Tony while on a girl’s camping weekend at Hickory Run State Park. Tony is cute and sweet but Collin already meets her criteria of being smart, handsome, as well as being a Christian.

But things are not all chocolate and roses in the romance. When Vanessa wants to take an online Biblical Greek class, she finds Tony, also in the class with others, to be a good friend. As she learns more she gains courage to stand up for herself and begins to sense that something is not right in her relationship with Collin.

I loved how the author didn’t just make a love triangle out of this story but dug deep into the emotional dysfunction lying just below the surface of Vanessa and Collin’s relationship. Will she have to the courage to confront the truth and stand up for herself? Even if it means having no one?

I especially loved too the hints into Greek and what words mean. Hence the title, Agape After All. A must read, especially if you’ve enjoyed any of her other books. If not – get this one now! You won’t regret it.

I’ll give this one five squeaky tennis balls because yes, I’m a dog, and they are my favorite!

Untitled design – 1

Lessons Learned While Writing: God Never Forgets Me

Apr25
Reading Time: 2 minutes

A few years back I was writing the book Whitney’s Vow, which released last summer. I was in the middle of a scene where I had my character, Whitney, hanging off the edge of a cliff. I ran out of time and needed to get to church for a ministry obligation I had.

The entire time I was doing my task at church I kept thinking about poor Whitney! I was worried about what was going to happen next (because unlike God I don’t know what I write until after I’ve written it). I had a concept and a plan but due to my obligations, I couldn’t write it until the next day. So, Whitney, albeit a fictional character, was stranded on the side of a cliff for a long time.

God in greater fashion than me, cannot forget. He is always aware of where I am even if He is waiting for His perfect plan to unfold. While I’ve not been stranded on the side of a cliff like my character, I have waited for years for rescue from a painful situation I was in. All the while my writing has reminded me that God was fully aware of my circumstances and pain during that time. And all the time.

He will never forget me. He created me, called me to be His child, and while He remarkably also never forgets anyone else, He remembers me and my challenges, pains, and yes, joys.

What a blessed gift that even in the process of writing a story that hopefully people will enjoy, I’m reminded that God doesn’t forget me. He won’t forget You either.

What other ways are you reminded that God is present and aware of your circumstances?

The Value of a Day

Sep13
Reading Time: 3 minutes

I’m a proactive worrier. A planner. I want to understand all the contingencies and be ready.

Life doesn’t always allow that though and nothing I’ve worried about has ever come to pass. I’m not superstitious enough to believe that my anxieties and preparation had anything to do with that.

Worry robs me of peace and joy. It takes me out of the present into an invisible (to me) future.

Leaving worry aside and focusing on the here and now can bring me greater contentment. That is if I truly value the work I’m doing right now.

As I’ve grown older, (not grown up), I’ve had to re-think what’s important. I’ve always been a doer and getting things accomplished were a measure of my worth at least in my own myopic perspective.

God has brought me to a place where I can savor more of the less remarkable moments. Yes, I sometimes make a list of all I’ve done to reassure myself that I wasn’t lazy at the end of the day when I don’t have anything tangible to show for the time that’s passed.

Getting work done around the house, completing projects and even finishing a book or having one come out are all tasks that recycle. They never end. There’s always more laundry to do. The dogs track in mud on a freshly washed floor, my daughter needs something for school right away and the grass keeps growing and when that stops the snow will keep me busy. When the kids were younger I struggled to find value in keeping them clean, clothed, and fed. And there are more stories and books in my head than I can possible accomplish in the time God has given me today.

While I still need do all the necessities of daily life, cleaning, grocery shopping, looking after kids, paying bills, helping my husband, and doing contracted writing/editing/teaching work, I’ve found that sometimes the seemingly smaller things are more important:

  • My time with God each day.
  • Hanging out with my dying father even while he sleeps.
  • Giving my mom a break so she can get away from the 24/7 burden of caring for my dad.
  • Playing mini-golf with my husband or sitting and watching television together and date nights.
  • Spending time with my daughter shopping or working on something together.
  • Girls-night out (or in!)
  • Hosting the small group that meets in our home.
  • Having people over for dinner or playing cards.
  • Being aware of people around me wherever I go. Who would God have me bless?

I’m finding that while the daily stuff is important, making time for the eternal stuff, the relationships, is even more so. Even though I hope my stories will impact lives, encourage people to grow in faith, or see the world a little differently, and they may outlast me, I firmly believe relationships are more important than all of it. When I teach writers I emphasize this often. Don’t overlook the people in the rush to accomplish a task. It’s a lesson I had to learn the hard way.

I like to get things done. But sometimes sitting back and valuing the moments in a day with another person, even if it is silence, has the greater value. It won’t happen unless I’m intentional about it.

I doubt I’ll ever have regrets about a dirty house, or a messy lawn when we are in the process of making changes. I won’t regret the dust that sits undisturbed. At the end of my life I won’t think about any of that. All that will matter are the people. If this were my last day on earth would I be happy about how I left the people around me? Would they know without a doubt how loved they were?

I’m not saying to abandon cleaning and caring for those around us and for the material possessions God has given us. I’m suggesting we find greater value in the people than things or tasks. It isn’t easy and I still don’t always do it well, but I’m growing in it.

What are you learning to value in your day?

Spatzle Speaks: Madi’s Secret (Book Review)

Aug21
Reading Time: 2 minutes

My mom wrote Madi’s Secret many years ago and then she forgot it was releasing. I think my brother, Benji, who has dementia has been distracting her. And then there are other life things going on too, much I don’t understand. Still, I really liked this book except there’s no dog in it. Really, mom?

So Madi comes back to Wisconsin with her teenage son, but she left without a trace a long time ago leaving the love of her life behind. He never really understood where she was or why she’d left.

Parker had moved on after a while and married, had a daughter and became a widow. As a paramedic he’d seen many challenging things but nothing challenged him as much as finding his long-lost love trapped in an upside down car on the side of the highway.

She was back. But why had she left? Why wouldn’t she tell him? And her son? Who was the father?

Could love reignite in the shadow of the secrets she hasn’t shared? Madi isn’t even sure what it is that she saw that has her hunted by unknown evil. She returned to Wisconsin because she believed God was leading her back. But would she survive that obedience? And would God ever give her a relationship with Parker once the truth came out?

I recommend this book. Sure, it was written by my mom, but I know she pours herself into these stories. Check it out. It’s in ebook only for now but hopefully it will come out in print soon!

I give this book five bones, because I’m a dog and that’s how I roll.

Spatzle Baganz, book reviewer for the silygoos blog because that’s how we roll.

Spatzle Speaks: An Escape for Ellie (Book Review)

Nov20
Reading Time: 2 minutes

Susan Karsten has released her third and final installment in the Honor’s Point Regency series, An Escape for Ellie. If you’ve enjoyed her series to date, you’ll not want to miss the final installment!

Ellie has been seeking shelter at Honor’s point, avoiding an unwanted engagement, but it seems her location has been discovered so she runs away and right in the carriage of Lord Dare and his sweet aunt.

Without giving away her story, she engages to become a companion to this older woman. She reads stories to her by day and writes them at night because she’s a budding novelist.

Lord Dare, however, is not so sanquine about the new addition to his household. His own love betrayed he struggles to resist the winning and sweet Ellie.

With unspoken secrets on the part of all three, and a devious plot by her parents, adventure lies ahead. Will Ellie and Lord Dare find their way to true love in spite of the obstacles? And when the truth is revealed by everyone, can love prevail?

My mom really enjoyed this series and loved this final installment so you’ll want to get a copy! I give it five bones because I’m a dog, and I don’t have thumbs or do stars.

Spatzle Baganz, book reviewer for the silygoos blog because that’s how we roll.