Courting Emma is the third book in Ms. MacLaren’s Little Hickman Creek Series. I didn’t read the other two, but if they are anything like this one, I certainly want to.

The back cover blurb says:

Twenty-eight-year-old Emma Browning has experienced a good deal of life at her young age. Proprietor of Emma’s Boardinghouse, she is “mother” to an array of beefy, unkempt, often rowdy characters. Though many men would like to get to know the steely, hard-edged, yet surprisingly lovely proprietor, none has truly succeeded. That is, not until the town’s new pastor, Jonathan Atkins, takes up residence in the boardinghouse, affecting not only her with his devout faith and strong convictions, but her clientèle as well. Emma clings desperately to her stubborn ways, refusing to acknowledge God’s love until all of Little Hickman witnesses a miracle — the conversion of her abusive and alcoholic father, Ezra! Only then will Emma begin to experience God’s transforming power at work.

This blurb doesn’t do justice to the depth of emotion in this book. I don’t normally cry while reading a novel. Movies, yeah, but it takes a lot in a book to make me cry.

Well, I did toward the end of this one!

Also, this blurb doesn’t tell you about the romance in the book and how wonderful the characters are portrayed. Emma and Jon are real people with real problems and pasts that are not so clean and shiny. They share a common, abusive past, but where Jon let God open his heart and learned how to forgive even if it was after his father’s death, Emma stayed bitter and angry at her father, who, in her mind (and the mind of some townspeople) is unworthy of any kind of gentle feeling or compassion. She only deals with him when she has to and refuses to let anyone help her, believing that her father is her problem.

Jonathan, who she knew as a child, took a different path and ends up helping Emma with her father, regardless of her bitterness and out right anger at the idea of a loving God. Jon’s example and refusal to back off from his beliefs eventually soften her heart and allows her to see God’s love and her own worthiness.

An excellent book and one I would recommend to anyone interested in reading a wholesome inspirational that doesn’t paint life as always rosy and sweet. Real people dealing with real problems and finding God through it all. Wonderful!

Now I’m a huge LOST fan, as is the whole family.

I’m also a writer and in November 2005 and 2006 I did National Novel Writing Month. The goal of this insane exercise is to write 50,000 words in a month. The first year I did this, I discovered that in the process of trying to get my word count in, I often resorted to just writing whatever, without worrying about the consequences to the story. (Can you see where I’m going with this?)

Every week stuff happens on LOST that doesn’t seem to fit what has gone before.

This week it was Danielle and Kurt getting hit and killed (?) by…something. And then the ending – LOST across the screen. What is going on?

It’s getting to be kind of a joke at our house. We laugh every time some new plot element shows up – Michael on the boat, Aaron gets off the island but Claire doesn’t, Hurley saw Jacob’s cabin, practically everything that happens on this crazy show!

The Girl even says, every week, “What smoke monster? What are you talking about?” We’re kinda sure that everyone has forgotten the smoke monster, and this is exactly the kind of thing that happens during NaNoWriMo.

You’re busy writing away, trying to get your 2,000 words in for the day, and you throw in a smoke monster to terrorize your plane crash survivors. You don’t necessarily know why it’s there or what it really is, but hey, it’s good for several thousand words and you can figure it out later.

Then you add more characters – the Others, the Tailies, these guys from “Not Penny’s Boat” – and you’ve forgotten the smoke monster because it never shows up again and you’ve never explained it, but sure shootin’ the story’s exciting because every week someone either dies, sees some odd thing (polar bear anyone), has a very interesting flashback (Hurley is in a mental institution, Claire was “sent” to the island), has a very interesting flash-forward (Kate’s raising Aaron, Jack wants to kill himself, Sayid’s working for Ben as a hired gun) or reveals some secret about him/herself (Michael’s on the boat to die??).

Now maybe J.J. Abrams and his crew will tie all these loose ends up (SMOKE MONSTER!!!) or maybe Sidney Bristow will find out her fiance’s name isn’t Michael Vaughn after all!!!

Last Easter, I couldn’t get to all the services for the Triduum because the Boy had his tonsils out on Maundy Thursday, so I missed that service. The Girl says Beloved stayed home that night, too, but I don’t remember that. She and I went to Good Friday and then she and Beloved went to the Vigil and I went to Easter morning service alone.

This year, we all went to everything. The choir Beloved and the Girl are in sang for Maundy Thursday, so the Boy and I sat alone in our regular pew (right up front, as close to the choir as we can get without actually being IN the choir). Well, I guess not alone as an older lady sat with us due to the number of attendees. Just so you know, this is a very small pew. It can comfortably hold four people, but I don’t know that you could squeeze in five, so the Boy and I aren’t taking up six or seven places all by ourselves!

When they took the Eucharist out of the church, I cried a little and tried to explain to the Boy what was happening. I told him Jesus was going to die and wouldn’t be with us until Easter Sunday. As the priests carried the consecrated hosts all around the church and then over to where they would rest for adoration until late that night, I saw a few tears running down the Boy’s cheeks as well. This may be my child who wrestles with God, but at that moment, he got the emotions of the moment, anyway.

There was a gumbo supper after that service, and even though our line was directed through past the desserts first, I didn’t have any. The gumbo was delicious and not too spicy.

We sat with a couple we’d never met before and through the conversation I mentioned I’m a writer and gave them my website address and the names of my books. I really need to print up new business cards!

On Good Friday, we all went – again sitting in the same pew (they should put our names on it like they used to do in those old churches). Someone on the decor committee had hung a red banner over the crucifix and the altar was cleared except for three chairs and the lectern. It was kind of emotional to see that, which is good for Good Friday. We should feel the emotion!

After that service, the decor committee, which I’m on, decorated for Easter. Beloved, the Girl AND the Boy helped. The Girl tried to figure out how to get disadvantaged service hours out of it, but decided to be honest and not count this work.

Anyway, we worked from about 4:30 or a little later until about 7:30 or so when one of the men brought in catfish and hush puppies. Well, I don’t eat fish or any seafood (a bit of a handicap living in Louisiana) so I’d made a kind of lasagna thing, without meat, of course, as it was Good Friday – which is a day of fast and abstinence. I had some of my lasagna, some yummy salad, some bread and one cookie. Then, I left the room where the food was because those cookies were calling to me and having any more food would violate, in my opinion, the whole spirit of the fast and abstinence rule. In reality, I probably shouldn’t have had that cookie, but whatever.We left right after we ate because it was after the Boy’s bedtime and most of the work was finished anyway.

I had a HeartLA meeting on Saturday morning and the Girl volunteered at a nursing home for some disadvantaged service hours.

Our RWA chapter had some surprising news on Thursday; our president resigned, citing family reasons. I don’t know what those are and won’t speculate here, but our vice-president said she didn’t feel ready to step in as president, yet.Our chapter has this kind of “succession” system. It’s kind of understood that if you agree to run for and are elected vice-president, you will be president the next year. We’re such a small chapter we don’t have a lot of people running for offices, so basically, if you agree to run, you will hold the office.

As I was president last year, I told our VP that if she needed my help on Saturday, I’d be there. I missed the last two months due to pneumonia (Jan) and the Boy’s Pinewood Derby (Feb – he won first place in car design!). She said she thought she could run the meeting but was glad I’d be there to help if she needed it.

Then, Elaine Grant, who was president two years ago, contacted me and asked if I would be willing to be co-president with her this year to help our VP get through her year of learning the ropes. I agreed. I’ll be running meetings and Elaine will work on the luncheon.

We didn’t go to the vigil on Saturday night. While I love that service and it really feels like Easter when I go, the Boy wouldn’t have been able to handle a 2+ hour service, no matter how beautiful.

Sunday morning, we went to church and then spent a lovely, NO TV, day. Beloved had brined the turkey (yes we had turkey for Easter – we’d gotten two for the winter holidays and had one still in the freezer), and roasted it upside down and it was the most delicious turkey I think I’ve ever had.

It was lovely, relaxing day.

The kids have this week off from school, and the Girl has a ton of stuff to do so it may end up being me and the Boy around here. I hope to get a lot done on Sword & Illusion. I can always get the Boy interested in coloring or building with his blocks and he can be good for an hour or so!

How was your holiday? Blessed, I hope!

I was a little stressed this morning. The Girl will be starting college next year and LSU has a thing called the Spring Invitational that outstanding high school seniors are invited to. She got the postcard inviting her a few weeks ago but said she wasn’t sure she wanted to go. However, the teachers started asking who was going and she realized it was something she really wanted to go to. It is essentially orientation and advance placement testing, so yes, she wants to go. So, last night I looked up the information but couldn’t find how to register. I called the orientation office but had to leave a message.

This morning I tried again and saw how to do it, but they also wanted to know if any of her parents would be going to the Family Orientation (three FULL days of workshops, etc. WEEKDAYS). With the Boy it just isn’t practical for me to try to go to it, so after some IMing back and forth to Beloved (most forth as he wasn’t answering), I decided not to go and got her registered. Of course, it cost over $100 which made my stomach roll, but Beloved said (see? He can answer when he wants to) go ahead and pay it.

The card we used for stuff like this is either hard to read or maybe I’m old and senile but it never goes through the first time, so after I got her all registered and made my breakfast, I found an email saying the card had been refused. I had to run through all the registering stuff again and retyped the number, and this time it went through.

After all that, I needed to get out of the house. The Boy needs 12 plastic Easter Eggs with something inside for an egg hunt – no chocolate, and Beloved wanted gold stars for an incentive thing for the Boy, so I decided to head out to Hobby Lobby – my mothership and, while I hate their checkout lines, a place I can go and browse and no one else in the family wants to go with me!

On the way, I had to pass Target. I had about half my Target gift card left and desperately needed bras. I went in and found two bras and some cool crew socks for me. Cool = white. I like fancy cool socks for exercising, but I just need regular socks and it was cheaper to buy six plane white pairs than four colorful pairs, so I decided to be frugal and get the white ones.

On my way out, I went to the purses to look around.

Some gals are show people. I’m a bag person. BIG TIME.

Have you seen this? A place you can rent those big time designer purses mentioned in Kristin Billerbeck’s books or seen on Lipstick Jungle. Yes, I’m a chick lit junkie, but again money keeps me from buying all the books I want. I’m also too poor to even rent a bag from that site. At least one big enough to carry what I want to carry. Maybe when the Girl gets married I’ll splurge and rent something like this. 

But that’s a tangent (my superpower). I looked at the bags and found this, a Merona Work Tote. 

I WANT it. It’s big enough to carry my AlphaSmart and has little compartments inside for wallet stuff and a place for my keys. It’s also $30 and I just couldn’t afford it.

Any family members listening reading? Our anniversary is next month and Mother’s Day is coming up, too. I love this bag!

From author Linda Windsor. My heartfelt APOLOGIES regarding Wedding Bell Blues. I had two regrettable errors in this  publication that, when called to my attention, I didn’t at first believe it.

    I didn’t remember my hero having a Rhett Butler moment when he said “D_mn, I still love you, Alex.”

    And while I’d written unsaved character Sue Ann exclaiming, “Oh my g_wd!” with the intent of convicting Sue Ann of its blasphemy in her own book #4, I changed her mind after discussing it with my editor and deleted those occurences rather than offend anyone. Well, I missed one. The GOOD NEWS is that these have been removed from future printings and book club issues.

    To anyone who read Wedding Bell Blues and was offended, my humble apologies. I’d written this book after my husband died and during those months of brain fog, I almost stopped writing because it was so hard to put coherent thought together. Then I turned it in months late, which put my publisher in a bind as far as getting the usual multiple editings. This was the result. Granted, I must have written these blunders or they would not have been there. For that, I can only ask for your forgiveness and understanding.

I’m getting back on track with Sword & Illusion. I REALLY want this book to go out this summer. I’m ready to work on Stretched to the Limit and am even thinking about the third in the Known Worlds Saga (as I’m calling the fantasy novels. Beloved gave me a great idea last night, so I need to incorporate that into S&I.

Well, I didn’t really wake up in a better mood. Part of it has to do with not sleeping well, and being awoken about three times in the night. Once because the Boy got scared of the storm we had and came running into our room crying, once because he and Beloved were sniffling and sneezing so they went into the Boy’s room which has the air filter, and once because the Girl (1) saw a roach (not an uncommon thing in the South) so Beloved had to get up and kill it for her and (2) had to ask me if she could take the pasta leftovers to school for lunch. My problem is that it takes me a long time to fall back to sleep after being awoken like that, maybe 45 minutes to an hour.

However, I realized after I wrote the post yesterday that I did have all the stuff from my book. I’d been saving the chapters in both OpenOffice format and .rtf format, so all the stuff was saved. That’s a load off my mind because last night I also realized I’d lost about ten pages or so and I didn’t know how I was going to recreate them.

It’s a wet rainy day here, and I have a chiropractor appointment later, but right now I’m going to make my breakfast and maybe rest a little.

Talk to you all later.

This is a repeat from my weight loss blog – Lowering the Feed Limit.

It hasn’t been a good couple of days here. First off, Saturday night Beloved and the Girl had a major fight when he asked her to do the dishes. It’s kind of an ongoing fight around her to get her to do her chores, and she has some kind of issue with people knocking on her bedroom door. She literally yells “What?” whenever anyone knocks. I should say when her parents knock. She knows when it’s the Boy and doesn’t yell at him. It gets a little annoying when I’m scared to knock to see what she wants to drink for dinner for fear she’ll snap my head off.

Anyway, this fight was a bad one and pretty much lasted until…well, kind of, until now. A cease-fire has been established and relationships are cordial. Beloved still maintains that he will not mention her chores anymore, preferring to do them himself so as to not be a nag, but with that is no allowance for her and no going out with her friends. She, for her part, did work on the dishes after dinner and hasn’t yelled at anyone today.

This morning I woke up depressed. I think being in that menopausal state means that my hormones are messed up (Beloved calls it puberty in reverses) so some days I’m just depressed.

Well, I did all my weights yesterday – something I haven’t done in a while – and my entire body from inner thigh to triceps ache from the effort, so I didn’t go to the gym this morning. Beloved and I have a date to go tomorrow evening.

Weight watchers was a disaster. Up 2.2 pounds. I wanted to quit right then and there. I haven’t been tracking but I didn’t think I did that badly. I made it to the gym three times – twice for cardio – so I guess I got a little cocky and figured I was safe.

This afternoon I was working on my book and my computer froze up three times, meaning, I think, that I might have lost some of my work and I’m not happy about it.

Beloved and the Girl went to choir practice tonight and stopped at the grocery store. He bought me a red silk rose. Isn’t that nice?

If there is anyone out there, I could really use some encouragement and cheering up.

Do I?

As part of my Lenten disciplines, I am praying a rosary every day, but recently I realized that I’m saying the words (I do it while waiting in the carpool line to pick up the Boy from school) but am I really praying? Really talking to my Lord?

The Girl is a wonderful young woman of God and when she says her prayers at night (we all pray our nighttime prayers together in the Boy’s room when it’s time for him to go to bed), it often sounds a little irreverent to me:

“And God, you know that thing-a-ma-bob I want to pray about before but I forget what it was now, well, you know all that stuff and, yeah, that and all the other, you know, school junk and my biology thingie and well, yeah, all that. Amen.”

When I asked her about that, she said she talked to God that way all the time because He’s always around and like her friends.

So when I realized that I’m saying the words of the rosary, while sitting in the car, but not thinking about them, I also realized that my relationship with Jesus is kinda distant. I mean, I have never doubted His presence or any of that, and I still go to Adoration every Saturday morning at midnight until 1 am. And there, He’s RIGHT THERE, you know? RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME, and He’s just sitting there waiting for ME!! Waiting for me to come and be alone with Him.

However, even with that, the rest of the week, I don’t pray much and I worry and often He’s not the first thing I think of when I hurt or something bad happens.

So, I made a new plan for Lent.

I am a geek and kind of a talk radio addict. When I’m in the car I listen to WJBO, the local conservative talk radio station, so when my rosary is finish, I would turn Sean Hannity on and listen to him.

At home, at the computer, I listen to Live365.com  and a station called Can’t Take the Sky, that plays music about and inspired by Firefly and Serenity, one of my obsessions. Yes, it’s a little geeky, but don’t ask what’s on my mp3 player!

Anyway, I decided for the rest of Lent, I will not listen to those things. I’ll listen to KLOVE our local Christian radio station and on the Internet, I’ll listen to the Catholic Jukebox.

I also started trying to talk to Jesus the way the Girl does.

I’ve felt much closer to God since I made these decisions and some personal things happened that seemed like His hand reaching down and touching me.

Now, the next issue is that Atheist Guy is still here and went to Mass with us yesterday. I’m trying to show him how happy a Christian marriage and family can be because he really is a pessimist. He doesn’t where he is working and doesn’t see any way to find a better job and he’s very cynical. Even going to Mass with us, he made a few comments in jest that my husband takes in stride but they drive me crazy. He even took a book with him (H.P. Lovecraft!) and read it during the offertory and I think communion. I mentioned it to Beloved after Mass, but he said, “don’t worry about it.”

But, the homily was all about if we know Jesus in our hearts, not our heads. Talking about when a Protestant asks you if you’re saved or if you know Jesus. Do we know Him?

I felt as though he were talking to me, but I do feel better about my relationship with my Saviour and I plan not to move away again!

If you’re interested in how things are going with my bout of pneumonia, check out my weight loss blog.