Tag Archive | unexpected pregnancy

Spatzle Speaks: A Second Chance for Grace (book review)

Apr23
Reading Time: 2 minutes

Romance novel, A Second Chance for Grace, by Karen Malley is a great follow up to her debut book Following the Sparrows. Both take place in the town of Pine Springs so you get a peek at previous characters. I especially liked the first book because there was a dog. This book doesn’t have a dog as a main part of the story. I’m a dog. I’ll survive.

Susan Montgomery is a handy woman, managing her apartment building. When her niece finds herself unexpectedly pregnant, Susan steps in to be a mom to the teenage girl. A mysterious briefcase is discovered in an empty apartment with a unique challenge for Susan to secretly carry out. To top it off, she meets two men who are interested in her. Mac seems just her type and understands her completely, and the other? Well, it’s a mystery as to how well he gets her, but there’s no chemistry

Christopher “Mac” MacAllister was kind of the bad guy in the first book but a near-death experience brought him to God. Now he’s in new territory trying to understand how to be a Christian. Meeting the enchanting Susan makes him doubly glad he chose his new path in life. Except she’s giving him mixed messages. His son is also facing challenges and somehow those interact with Susan as well. And what’s with this new guy?

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

This book is multi-layered and filled with new twists and turns that kept my mom reading. I highly recommend it because I prefer her reading nearby rather than going somewhere or working in her office. I give this book five bones, because I’m a dog, and that’s how I roll.

Writer Wednesday: Emily Conrad

Mar7

Reading Time: 4 minutesI want to introduce you to Emily Conrad. I had the pleasure of meeting her at a book signing and discovered that she not only lived not too far away from me – but was also a Pelican Book Group Author. I am an editor for that publishing company but Emily is not one of my authors. Hopefully, you’ll enjoy her words of wisdom!

When did you decide that you would be an author? Was it something you fell into, felt called to… ?

I started writing short stories in eighth grade English class, and by the end of high school, those stories had lengthened into novels. Sometime in there, I decided I wanted to be a writer. In that way, it was something I fell into, but the decision to pursue it as a full-time endeavor in 2014 was more of a calling. I felt God had orchestrated just the right events to make it clear that it was time to give this writing thing my full effort at least for a time.

What’s your pet peeve?

Chewing and crinkling noises. I’ve been known to leave the room if my husband sits next to me with a bag of chips. My whole body buzzes with tension if I hang around. However, my husband’s not the only one who eats (go figure, right?), leaving isn’t always an option, and I recognize that it’s totally unfair to be annoyed with people for eating. I eat, too, and sometimes I’m the one who put crunchy food out! So I’ve developed one semi-successful coping mechanism: I think about puppies. I’d never fault a puppy for chewing loudly. On the contrary, I find it cute. Believe it or not, imagining a cute little puppy eating next to me helps!

What was your most embarrassing moment as a writer?

I’m sure the worst is yet to come, but I did once go up to talk to a couple of authors I respected and got the title of one’s book wrong and probably showed I didn’t really understand the plot of the other writer’s novel—I made a comment based on her title—but to my credit, I did say that I hadn’t read the book yet… They were both very gracious, though.

What has been your most difficult challenge as an author?

Trusting God when things don’t look the way I thought they would. From waiting much longer than I’d hoped to find a publisher to other surprises along the way, I’ve learned that reality usually doesn’t match the dream. That’s when frustration and discouragement pile on, but because I’ve seen God work in hard situations before, I know He’s in control and can be trusted, even when my plans fail.

How do you process rejections and/or negative reviews?

In community. I haven’t yet had negative reviews (that I know of!) because Justice is my debut, but I know my work doesn’t resonate with everyone. Once, a very low contest score combined with some harsh feedback sent me into a tailspin. My writing friends came around me with encouragement that helped to get me through. Not everyone is our target audience. Not everyone will like every story. That’s okay. There are so many different writers and readers in the world, and there’s room for all of us.

What do you feel is the best success so far in your writing career?

My debut novel is coming out in two days!

What would be your top three pieces of advice to newer, up and coming authors?

  1. Trust God, even when everything looks bleak. He loves you with an everlasting love, and He will never leave you or forsake you. He’s not just stringing you along. He has a purpose for you and your dreams.
  2. Find writing friends. Friends will give you pep talks, help you improve your work, and, when you get to releasing your first novel, they’ll be invaluable cheerleaders. Plus, you’ll be able to help them along their paths, too.
  3. Have fun writing. Maybe you have your more serious novels and that blog you have to keep up with, but carve out some time for writing fun, too. Dabble in lighter short stories. Write that rock star novel and see where it goes. Read for the fun of it. The variety will help keep the spark for writing alive.

As a Christian author, what would you like your legacy to be?

I often borrow inspiration from Biblical accounts. For example, some elements of the plot in Justice are inspired by portions of Mary and Joseph’s story (though Justice involves a sexual assault, which of course, Mary and Joseph’s story does not). I would love my fiction to inspire deeper faith in the God of the Bible. Today, we serve the same God Mary and Joseph served 2000 years ago, and that’s exciting to me. He is alive and well and active. He’s powerful and loving. His grace is more than sufficient.

What is your current work in process?

Did you notice the rock star mention in point three above? Well, I wrote a rock star romance, and I’m currently writing a second one, about another member of the same band. The stories have been so fun to write while also tackling meaningful questions. I hope someday, readers get to enjoy these novels as much as I’m enjoying writing them.

Links to social media:

https://www.facebook.com/emilyconradauthor

https://www.twitter.com/emilyrconrad

https://www.instagram.com/emilyrconrad

www.emilyconradauthor.com

https://www.amazon.com/Justice-Emily-Conrad-ebook/dp/B0792HGXQN

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/justice-emily-conrad/1127841580

Biography: 

Emily Conrad lives in Wisconsin with her husband and two rescue dogs. She loves Jesus and enjoys road trips to the mountains, crafting stories, and drinking coffee. (It’s no coincidence her debut novel is set mostly in a coffee shop!) She offers free short stories on her website and loves to connect with readers on social media.

Justice

Jake thought he was meant to marry Brooklyn, but now she’s pregnant, and he had nothing to do with it. Brooklyn can’t bring herself to name the father as she wrestles with questions about what her pregnancy means and how it will affect her relationship with Jake. If Harold Keen, the man who owns the bookstore across from Jake’s coffee shop, has anything to do with it, the baby will ruin them both.

Spatzle Speaks: Salsa and Speed Bumps (Book Review)

Jan22

Reading Time: 3 minutesSalsaandSpeedbumps copy (2)Mom said I shouldn’t be reviewing her book. But I insisted (as did some of my fans). Mom wrote a cool book called Salsa & Speed Bumps and it’s pretty good even if there is no dog in it.

But Stephanie would like a dog. There’s a scene in there where they talk about it. I guess that’s close enough since her apartment won’t allow them to have one. *sigh* What’s up with human’s and those kinds of restrictions anyway? We’re man’s best friend, aren’t we? I’m Mom’s best friend and her biggest fan.

Here’s the “puppy” scene. It’s my favorite: 

 “Christmas is just around the corner.”
   “Really? I hadn’t noticed.”
    “Come on, Mom and Dad didn’t do too bad getting a tree up and decorated.”
    “They did a fine job. Much better than I could have managed with my bulging belly getting in the way.”
   “I happen to be fond of your bulging belly. Reminds me of Santa Claus.”
   “Very funny.” She snuggled up to Robbie’s side. “If you had a wish for Christmas, what would it be?”
   “That forty years from now, I would be as in love with you as I am today.”
   Stephanie smiled. “I like that.”
   “Did you have Christmas wish?”
   “Mine isn’t big enough.”
   “What was it?”
   “You’ll laugh at me.”
   “Come on, I want to know.”
   “I want a puppy.”
   “A puppy.”
   “Yes, a puppy.”
   “We may need to wait a while for that one. Dogs aren’t allowed on our lease.”
   “I know, but you asked. Wishes don’t have to be realistic.”
   “No, they don’t. But how about I lick your face and pant in your ear. Will that do in the meantime?”
   Stephanie grinned and gave her husband a kiss, “Oh, that’ll do.”

If you read Pesto & Potholes, you’ll recognize Stephanie as Renata’s roommate. But Renata has moved on and now Stephanie is facing a big challenge. New life. New love. New battles.

Roberto is a cute lawyer. He has blue eyes. I have one brown and one blue eye. Why couldn’t Mom write a character like that? Maybe someday? Anyway, he’s a stand-up guy trying to do the right thing and not letting Stephanie’s challenge keep him from seeking a relationship with her. He’s got his own issues anyway although looking at him one would never know that. But Mom struggles to with some things that most would never know about (Except me. I am after all her best friend).

As the two of them date they both face challenges along the way. I gotta say that there’s a little more “heat” and adventure in this book than in Pesto & Potholes. Spicy salsa really isn’t my thing but I do like the chips. Nacho cheese is fine too. But I digress. Are there ninjas? Yeah, but not like in Pesto & Potholes. Mom assures me this is the last book they show up in. There are several more in this series and Feta & Freeways is up next (I like cheese).

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

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

I appreciate how Mom wove faith into this and it’s fun seeing the down side as well as the blessings of being part of a church and how that hindered and helped Stephanie and Roberto. Mom said it’s so easy, even as a Christian to judge on outward appearances and that sometimes she’s ashamed to admit she does that too. Ooops. That’s probably supposed to be confidential. 

Mom writes historical fiction and she said that there is a phrase in the book that dates back to the early 1800’s and she wants to know if readers can find it. She said it’s in there three times! Guess she got confused what century she was writing for.

I give my mom five bones and lots of kisses for this book. She’s worked very hard on it. No stars, because I’m a dog.

5 bones for blog