The Place, The Peace... ~Tanya Hanson

I thank God for all of you as I say good-bye today, to the wonderful authors of this blog and our faithful commenters. After lots of prayers and family needs...this is my last post as a regular contributor. Sob. But you can bet your boots I'll be back as a guest some day soon!  It's been good, Lord, to be here.

Do you have one place on earth where you go to find the peace that passes all understanding? Where you don’t just see, you feel the Creator’s hand touch your face? Where the pain of life ebbs a bit, where the joy escalates to the clouds?

For me, it’s Lake Tahoe, situated between California and Nevada in a mile-high mountain basin. The second deepest lake in the U.S. (1,645 feet), Tahoe holds enough water to cover the entire state of California with 14 inches of water. And the water is so pristine you can see a white dinner plate 75 feet below the surface. Measurement started in 1968. Then, the 10-inch plate, called a Secchi disk, could be seen down 102 feet. Throughout the 22 measurements taken each year, visibility ranges from 57 feet to a record 107.

Why am I mentioning this? Because a graph showing those  

spikes and lows reminds me of the hills and valleys of my life. The times, those hilltops, when my faith blazes like a shining white disk so close in front of me I touch no pain or doubt. Then come the downslides of uncertainty and frustration. The cloudiness. Tests of patience. Times of questions and of tears. Fears.

Like the milfoil, a water weed invading Tahoe, worry sometimes worms its way inside my head. The weed chokes off oxygen to the lake’s fish, like doubt tries to suffocate my trust. Boats arriving at the lake need to be inspected for horrible invaders like the Quagga mussel. Just like I need to trust God to scrape away my burdens and keep me from harm.

The grace and goodness of God slide into my life easily when I visit valleys in Tahoe with such names as Hope. Heavenly. Christmas. I so understand why Mark Twain claimed the air in Tahoe is the same air that angels breathe.

Some of you know that my husband battled for his life in 2008. (He is now cured, praise God.) In Tahoe, after remission, in the dark nights, he and I could finally talk about things we just couldn't, during the cancer. Like the white blanket of snow outside, the gratitude to the Great Physician seeped into us.

But I confess, so did guilt. Others I love didn't make it. Or won’t.

Into the corners of my heart, Tahoe has sent me the truths of loss and healing, of love and death. Of doubt and trust. I see the surge of God’s care in the waves of Emerald Bay. I might not get it, but no matter. God gets it just fine, and He’ll let me know.  So I’ll keep a picture in my mind of Mt. Tallac, rising above Lake Tahoe until I get back there again.

A native Californian, Tanya Hanson lives with her firefighter husband on the central coast where they enjoy traveling, good health, and two little grandsons. An award-winning author of both inspirational and secular western romance, she is reinventing herself with Middle Grade stories w/a Anya Novikov. She’ll be featuring the history and lore of the local Chumash tribe. Watch for “Anya’s” Black Dog, White Dog, in  2015.

Also honoring California’s exciting history is Claiming His Heart, her first historical inspirational western set in the gold mining country of Holcomb Valley, now available.

www.tanyahanson.com

www.petticoatsandpistols.com

http://prairierosepublications.blogspot.com

http://sweetheartsofthewest.blogspot.com

Caught between a noose and a cave-in, Tulsa Sanderson must prove his brother’s innocence...even if it means marrying a gold miner’s daughter he just met. He needs every nugget and flake he can pull from her worn-out claim, but he sure doesn’t need a wife. Save his brother and he’ll be back on the Texas cattle trails. God, and trusting Him, are things of the past. 

Charlotte Amalie lost her heart, her virtue, and her money to the last mysterious outsider in the valley. Faith? That’s wavered, too, after too many family tragedies. But she has no choice but to wed the handsome Tull. He bears terrible family secrets that need to be kept behind closed doors. Although she’s eager to leave the valley to find a new life for herself and medical treatments for her wounded brother, her unwanted marriage douses her plans, yet stirs up hope and love for Tull...and begins to fortify her weakened faith.

Can the two of them find a future--and faith--together even with their haunted pasts? 

Amazon Buy link:

http://tinyurl.com/n4mxbgo

My Tool Box: Throw in one of your own! ~Tanya Hanson

You probably already know most of this, but here’s my tool box for writers. Don’t forget to leave your takes, hints, and helps in the comment box!  Let’s get a really big tool box going!

1. Have a confidential support system of fellow authors for those shaky times of bad reviews, snarky editors or (horrors!) rejection. Try as they do, my family doesn’t quite get it. Other writers do.

2. Move around! Writing is so sedentary.

3. Write what you love, not what’s trendy at the moment. If you don’t, writing’s a chore and what’s the point?

4. Spread the love by “sharing” other authors’ covers and good news on your FaceBook pages or blog, and tweet ’em, too. Even genres that you don’t write or read.

5. Accept your wants and limits. I tried a personal blog and Pinterest and hated the time-suck. For me, a group blog like Seriously Write works best. I finally accepted it was okay for me to blog in herds. (I participate monthly in three others that feature western themes, promo, and giveaways.)

6. Read!  Make the time. A recumbent bike is great both for exercise and books. Good literature showcases first-class style, illustrates life-themes on the human condition, reinforces correct grammar, and increases our vocabulary. (Can you tell I taught high school English forever?)

7. Read outside your genre. For all the above reasons.

8. Be kind, be kind, be kind some more when you're judging an awful contest entry or critiquing a needy manuscript or writing a review of a weak story...you gotta find something good to say, too.

9. . Do something creative every day. I know I should say, write something every day, but...sometimes I admit I just can’t get it done.

So what’s creative?

     **Think outside the box--try a new recipe or go meatless for a day. Wear red shoes or a turquoise scarf or something totally unexpected.

     **Notice a beautifully written sentence in the newspaper or a blog. Listen for a cool, real-life name to use for your next hero or heroine. Or a real-life tidbit you can fictionalize. Just this morning, I read an obit about a hundred-year old Midwest woman who rode a horse to her one-room school house everyday. Her dad had trained the Palomino to come right home after taking her in the morning, and the horse knew how to get back to school at 3 p.m. to pick her up. Hmmmmm.. I write Westerns... 

     **Take a walk, pick up a pine cone or a seashell and examine it as though you've never seen one before. On a recent walk, I came across a passion flower vine and posted a pic on Facebook. So lovely!

     **Appreciate the view outside your window...after all, it’s a landscape already framed!

10.  Breathe deeply, for your body. And pray ceaselessly, for your spirit. It's so easy to get discouraged.

A native Californian, Tanya Hanson lives on the central coast with her firefighter hubby and looks forward to a Deep South tour soon to celebrate their fortieth wedding anniversary! Two kids and two grandkids later!  She is an award-winning author with releases in many genres including western historical, inspirational contemporary western, inspirational suspense, and Young Adult.  Angel Child is dedicated to her own precious godson, her own “angel child.” 

www.tanyahanson.com

www.petticoatsandpistols.com

http://sweetheartsofthewest.blogspot.com

http://prairierosepublicatins.blogspot.com 

Determined to get her life back on track,  Mary Grace Gibson takes on a substitute-teaching  job, grateful for the room and board offered at Hearts Crossing Ranch. The bustling family life helps her heal after abandonment by her ex. But her little boy’s serious disabilities make her cautious about revealing her secrets to anybody. Even Scott Martin, the handsome cowboy who’s fast stealing her heart.

Her former student now grown up, cowboy and graphic artist Scott Martin is instantly drawn to the beautiful single mom. She’s had some hard luck but never let go of her faith. Their age gap doesn’t fret him, and their kisses ignite his love. But as they fall for each other, Mary Grace’s lack of trust in him shatters his feelings, for he’s been down that broken trail before.

Amazon:   http://tinyurl.com/asxnenb

Tag--You're It ~Tanya Hanson

I’m ever grateful for the colleague years ago who pointed me to an RWA chapter. Not that I didn't know

writing already, but teaching high school composition is a tad different from writing romance.

Mostly because fiction needs dialogue.

During one RWA chapter session early on, the speaker handed out an entire 8-11 sheet filled with speech tags, those little words that help the reader along during characters’ conversations. The alphabetical list included a million verbs like asked, answered. Anticipated. Articulated...affirmed, begged, bantered.

Chastised, chorused...demanded, dared. Remarked, recited, rebuked...said, stammered, spoke.

You get the picture.

My "first" best editor alerted me that the best tags to use are the simple ones: said, asked.

Well, I have fought for a “drawled” or two since my heroes are usually cowboys. But I do want to stave off too many he said/she saids while keeping clarity. Of course I know full well we need tags to identify the speaker, to keep the reader from getting confused, and to break up long sections. But...

...Most people don’t stand on a stage reciting Shakespearean monologues. They are doing something while they talk to somebody else. They’re driving around town. Emptying the dishwasher, chopping herbs. Even sitting at a table, they’re drinking tea or picking at a finger nail, maybe shuffling their feet. So why not use these physical actions as clues to teach more about our characters and balance out all the said’s and asked’s?

One thing, when a character’s spoken query is clearly punctuated with a question mark, I may not need to use another “asked”. What if the character scratches her head, or wrinkles her forehead instead?

And maybe we can short-cut sometimes. It might work using “He grimaced.” Instead of ...” he said with a grimace.

I personally want to avoid so-called “speech tags” that clearly are actions in themselves with nothing to do with talking. Like grimaced. Belched, laughed, wept. Nodded, sighed. Let’s hear a burp, wipe away tears.

Nope. “I’m so full I could burst,” he belched.

Better: “I’m so full I could burst.” He belched...

She nodded can stand alone, without being punctuated as a speech tag.

“I understand,” she nodded. Nope.

“I understand.” She nodded.

Yup. Run with those possibilities in your own style.

And I've got a pet peeve with “he lied.” Sorry, but that’s the lazy way of informing or reminding a reader of a character’s dishonesty. Let the reader see his face reddening, how he can’t look anyone in the eye.

Oh, and I grind my teeth at animal sounds like She chirped. He barked; she hissed. He roared, she growled. He snarled, she howled.

(Okay, I admit a good hiss can work but puh-leeze, have the S sound in the dialogue!) “I hate you,” she hissed does not work. “You’re a scandalous snob,” she hissed...Yeah.

Of course I use said and asked. And I know she whispered has as much potential as she said softly. But balancing a speech tag with action can grant us writers some variety and invite our readers right into the moment.

What are some versions you can think of for:

“I didn't mean it. It wasn't my fault.....” he said, looking guilty.

A native Californian, Tanya Hanson lives with her firefighter husband on the central coast where they enjoy traveling, good health, and two little grandsons. An award-winning author of both inspirational and secular western romance, she recently released Seeing Daylight, the seventh book in her Hearts Crossing Ranch series featuring the eight siblings of a Colorado ranching family.

www.tanyahanson.com

http://tinyurl.com/pxwg2w7

 A beautiful attorney widowed by a foolhardy man...a successful builder vanquishing guilt over his wife's death. Can they rebuild faith and find love enough to give each other and their kids a happy home together?

Mistaken Identities...Tanya Hanson

A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold. Proverbs 22:1

When I was born, my great-grandfather wrote me a letter I didn’t read until many years after his death. I’d been christened with such an elaborate Russian name he declared I ought to be a ballerina or composer.

Sadly, I’m a klutz and only okay on the piano. And despite his excitement, I grew up seriously loathing both my first and last names. I was often teased about being a “Commie.” Each name was constantly mispronounced and misspelled. I won a prestigious art award in college and yup, spelled wrong. My mom often joked that I’d marry a Smith or Jones. Something easy.

Hanson seemed to fit her prediction. Easy to pronounce for sure. But just as easy to misspell. I have relatives who still spell my married name HansEn. Uh, we’ve been married almost forty years.

I mention all of this because I wondered about pseudonyms when I started out as a writer. Do I honor my father? My husband? Or become somebody entirely new. A very successful, very famous author I met through RWA regretted using her actual name; she kept getting fan mail from a guy in prison who vowed to “look her up” when he got released...

Reality won out. Tanya Hanson I was and Tanya Hanson I would remain. And hence comes my initial advice to every newbie author. Google your pen name before you carve it in stone. I did not. Upon publishing my first book, it took my eleven year old neighbor boy's misspelling my last name as he looked up my new website to discover that Tanya HanSEN is a porn star.

Yup. At least I got a lot of traffic to my site. And also Too Much Information about the real me all over the internet.

Then came the additional challenge of writing both secular and inspirational romance. My writing both genres never bothered my editors, nor did my keeping the same name. But wow, I’ve gotten some nasty comments and reviews from judgmental readers.

So I wonder. Is it better to start out fresh and new? Or like my great-grandfather’s wish, aspire for good things as your actual self?

Do you use a pen name? Should authors use different names for different genres? Too late for me, but let me know your advice and thoughts for upcoming authors out there!

Claiming His Heart

Caught between a noose and a cave-in, Tulsa Sanderson must do anything possible to prove his brother’s innocence...even if it means marrying a gold miner’s daughter he just met. He needs every nugget and flake he can pull from her worn-out claim, but he sure doesn’t need a wife. Save his brother and he’ll be back on the Texas cattle trails. God, and trusting Him, are things of the past.

Charlotte Amalie lost her heart, her virtue, and her money to the last mysterious outsider in the valley. Faith? That’s wavered, too, after too many family tragedies. But she has no choice but to wed the handsome Tull. He bears terrible family secrets that need to be kept behind closed doors. Although she’s eager to leave the valley to find a new life for herself and medical treatments for her wounded brother, her unwanted marriage douses her plans, yet stirs up hope and love for Tull...and begins to fortify her weakened faith.

Can the two of them find a future--and faith--together even with their haunted pasts? 

Amazon Buy link:

http://tinyurl.com/n4mxbgo

Tanya Hanson and her firefighter-hubby live on California’s Central Coast where they are the besotted grandparents of two darling little boys. Her love of the West shows up in each of her stories. Claiming His Heart, set in the gold mining country of southern California, is her first inspirational historical romance.

www.tanyahanson.com

Looking Back and Looking Ahead by Anya Novikov

I'm happy to host Anya Novikov, a YA writer and enthusiastic supporter of this blog. Have you ever thought that this world's gone crazy? Young people acting worse than ever and it's all going to you-know-where in a handbasket? Well, Anya has done some research on another period in history and found that folks are not all that different. Here's her take on what history really teaches us. - Angie

After I read Little Women for the first time at age eight, I knew someday I’d be a writer.

Indeed, I got by-lines and awards writing for the high school newspaper. I co-edited the senior yearbook. Got excellent grades on college term papers but . . . I can confess it now:

Only when I took on a position teaching Freshmen English did I really understand how to write. Breaking it down, stripping it to the bone for fourteen-year olds finally brought me comprehension. Honed my own understanding, and resurrected my own skills. I mean, I knew how to get it right. I just hadn’t understood why.

Along with the students, I drew spider diagrams for pre-writing. Helped them with their rough drafts--required to be handwritten. Yapped endlessly about the No-No List. (“Do not use second person; its/it’s are not the same thing, nor are there/their/they’re. Use semi-colons sparing if at all. Don’t use ‘the end’ because your conclusion statement should BE the end. Bleh bleh bleh.)

Oh, and we had a dictionary unit. They learned how to check spelling and definitions in the grubby class set of thirty Merriam-Websters.

Most of all, we worked on uncovering their “voice.”

Then the big kahuna: a typed final copy. Oh, yes, I started out in the days of the dinosaur: the typewriter.

Technology hit us all over the heads quick, though, and I can’t deny embracing The Computer and Word Processing myself. No more messy white-outs. No more re-typing a whole page because another phrase or word would work better.

No more endless drafts because you could firm up the rough draft in Word. Save it. Fix it...

No more...shall I admit it? Yes, I use Merriam-Webster online. I fix it with a fast click when little red squiggles dance underneath a glob of letters . . .

Yet I rather yearned for the Old Days when Raymond, a dear, C-plus/B-minus student turned in a wondrous paper I had to fail. I knew him, his skills. His voice. It just wasn’t his work.
Tearfully, he vowed the work was his own.

To impress me, he’d hit “Synonyms” to find bigger, fancier words whenever he could. (Such explained his use of magnanimous.) And yes, I accepted his re-write.

And technology bit in other ways. Later on, I double-checked a boy’s college-admission personal statement. He gushed about his eagerness to attend Pepperoni University.

(Spell Check doesn’t know Pepperdine.)

One last area I hoped I hammered home to those legions of rapt students: The comma. “Of course there are rules, but when in doubt, leave it out. Put one in if you read your sentence out loud and naturally pause. Always use a comma after an introductory clause or phrase.”

Bleh bleh bleh.

Anyway, in the recent past, working with editors now and reading voraciously, I’m finding the comma is leading a different life. Why is it now so acceptable to smush introductory clauses and phrases into the main sentence without the comma?

Why is the final comma in a series so ignored? Grrr. I guess I’m just too old school.

Just today, I read an article on an animal shelter fund-raiser where “the food will be prepared by professional chefs, and dogs and cats from the shelter.”

Obviously not written by one of my former students. ☺

Anyway, those days I spent back in “high school” also inspired my first-ever Young Adult romance, The Circle Girls: Once Upon a Witch, recently released and part of the launch of a brand-new line, Watershed Books.

You see, in addition to freshman, I also taught American Literature to Juniors, and the Salem Witch Trial unit was always their favorite. Somehow, someday, I knew that grim time in history would gel into a story suitable both for teens and their parents. It isn’t about witchcraft at all — nor were the trials in 1692. It’s about finger-pointing, bullying, refusing to take personal responsibility. And I loved writing every word of it, used SpellCheck and synonyms . . . and made certain I got those commas right!

Since I write Western romance both inspirational and secular under another name, I must admit I wonder what the future holds for Anya (my pen name). Will my love of American history and literature continue to worm its way onto the page?

Will those good and evil prep-school kids have more adventures? Learn more lessons? Do I retain enough of my high school “voice” to write another?

I don’t know. But so far, it’s been a good ride. Or should I say, write?

Click to Tweet
It’s about finger-pointing, bullying, refusing to take personal responsibility. Click to Tweet
"Pepperoni University," because Spell Check doesn't know Pepperdine. Click to Tweet
Most of all, we worked on uncovering their “voice.” Click to Tweet

Anya Novikov lives on California’s Central Coast with her firefighter husband. They thank the Lord every day for their sweet family, good health and many travels. Although Anya writes full time, she finds she misses “high school” because, she always learned much more from her students than she taught! She’s got a Contest Page so check it out . . . and keep in touch.
Connect with Anya:
anyanovikov.blogspot.com
anya.novikov@aol.com

The Circle Girls: Once Upon a Witch 
God will give you blood to drink . . . An ordinary teenager finds out what witch-hunting is all about—in her own everyday world.

When Deliverance “Delli” Willis, an ordinary, almost-sixteen-year-old, finds herself dreaming wild dreams, she’s amazed when some of the stuff appears during her classroom unit on the Salem Witch Trials: When a dream girl of 1692, who shares Deliverance’s name, finds herself entranced by a mysterious man in the woods, Delli finds a new neighbor walking through her family avocado grove.

Eager to share the handsome newcomer with her circle of friends, she doesn’t realize the danger of someone unique entering the closed loop. Fingers point, jealousies surge, lies are cast, sides taken—and people are out for blood. It’s a modern-day witch-hunt that collides with 1692 in ways Delli never dreamed.

It will take lessons from her dreamscape and a stand against bullies to tighten Delli’s faith in our omnipresent God.

For more information about The Circle Girls, click here. Or check out my review of her book here.

Shaking Things Up

Me

Today's post is a little different from normal. But that's OK. Sometimes we need to shake things up a bit. At least, that's what my hubby tells me when he tries to convince me to venture out of my comfort zone. As I've shared in the past, I tend to be a bit obsessive about things...like eating in the same six or seven favorite restaurants for lunch or at the same time every day. Or even writing in the same spot, day in and day out, without varying my environment. 

So that's what we're doing. We're shaking things up a bit. You see, I'm not posting on a particular writing topic. I don't have any guest bloggers lined up. Today we'll talk about encouragement and I will introduce you to one of the most encouraging people I know.

Our goal, our mission, here at Seriously Write is to encourage and equip Christian writers along their writing journey. I've been encouraged by so many writers willing to share their journey to publication and their testimony, haven't you? Some writers have struggled for decades to attain a contract, others not so long. But the truth is...

We all need encouragement, don't we? Whether it's a spouse who insists we shake things up occasionally, or a friend to offer inspiring words when we're feeling a little down, when this writing road seems too long and lonely and we're considering chunking it all. Or when we just received what feels like the hundredth rejection letter and we aren't sure if we have it in us to keep putting our precious words out there, to keep setting ourselves up for one more "Thanks, but we don't have room for your book in our lineup" emails.

Every writer needs an encourager, cheering them on. Someone they can depend on to lift their spirits whenever they pop over to see them, whether that's just a quick visit to their blog or over conversation or coffee. It may be a smiling face, someone God plants in your path at the particular moment when you don't feel there's much to smile about. Or a kind deed that comes out of nowhere, unexpected and unrequested. 

God has blessed me with so many of these sweet friends in my life. Besides my hubby, there's Angie Arndt, Sandy Ardoin, Myra Johnson, and Tanya Hanson, just to name a few that immediately popped into my head. And then there's ....

Susan Tuttle

Can you see my grin? Just thinking of this dear one brings a smile to my face.

Susan was the first brave soul to volunteer to be an influencer for Journey's End, my debut inspirational romance. And, no, I didn't bribe her! lol. She's encouraged me with her reviews, inspired me with her devotionals, and blessed me with our online friendship. Hopefully, one day I'll be able to give her a hug and tell her how much her friendship has meant to me. 

So, it just thrills me to announce that Susan has agreed to become a regular contributor to Seriously Write. Starting next Thursday, 10/3, Susan will begin sharing posts on the first Thursday of each month. Except November, when she'll visit us on the second Thursday, but after that, we'll be in a normal rhythm. I'm so excited to have her join us, and you’re sure to be encouraged by her inspiring, uplifting words. 

But for now, for those of you who haven't met Susan Tuttle, allow me to introduce you to one of the sweetest ladies you'll ever meet.

Susan Tuttle

Susan Tuttle 

is a homeschooling mom of three who is crazy about coffee, dark chocolate, and words—both reading and writing them. Combine that love of words with her passion for leading women to a life-changing encounter with Christ, and you’ll find her crafting Inspirational Contemporary Romance stories laced with humor, love, and healing transformations. When not cheering on her Ironman hubby, chasing the family dog, or tackling complex math problems to teach her kids (yes, even the third grader), you can catch Susan at her blog, Steps.

If you haven't checked out her blog, Steps, you must visit! Susan, welcome to Seriously Write! We're thrilled that you will be visiting on a regular basis!

We all also need to be encouragers. We each have a journey, a testimony, that someone needs to hear so they won't think they're traveling this road alone. We can smile and lift someone's heart. We can act with kindness and out of love, and in doing so, will ultimately point towards God. 

Who has been your biggest encourager?

How can you be an encourager today?

JANUARIES by Tanya Hanson

January

When I was little, January was the cruelest month. Watching the Rose Parade only reminded me I had another year to wait before Christmas came again. Oh, I don’t mean just presents and cookies and new black patent leather Mary Janes. I mean the whole wonder of memorizing Luke 2 for the Christmas program at school. The joy of the carols, the “gloria” of the angel wings I wore in the pageant. Most of all, the splendor of a tiny baby who was really the King of all kings...

The Januaries of high school and college weren’t much different. January only meant the end of Christmas break and back to the grind. And as a teacher myself later on, January slung me headlong into final exams and report cards.

January five years, though, found me barraging God with gratitude. After a long sophomore slump, I had a second romance novel scheduled to release!

And it released the same day my husband was diagnosed with cancer.

Those horrible months taught me it wasn’t about the book. It was prayers and tears and caretaking as he battled to live, then struggled to regain his health.

Because of my husband’s ordeal, and the stretching of faith so taut my breath can still stop, I got the urge to write inspirational romance. By January 2010, I believed God had opened a new window, and I soon contracted a bunch of novellas about a fictional Colorado ranch family. I stood there, glowing, atop my pretend Rocky Mountain town. Into these stories flowed the people and stories of my own life and heart. Despite my best efforts and prayers, though, I can’t say I’m any kind of success. So once again, I realized it isn’t about the books. This time, it’s about the message.

Maybe reading Book three, a woman will get her husband or son to check himself for testicular cancer and help save his life. Maybe somebody will realize there can be falling in love during cancer. Maybe, like in Book Four, some reader’s estranged family will break down barriers that divide them. Maybe some couple on the brink of collapse, due to the stresses of an unimaginably disabled child might, can find the faith and trust to make it, upon coming across Book Six.

Maybe, like in a few of the stories, readers will simply realize that taking a city slicker wagon train trip can be just plain fun!

I don’t know.

This January has opened a new window, and it’s a terrifying one. By year’s end, I’ll be another name, Anya Novikov, and part of a young-adult launch. I left teaching years ago, I’m a gramma now of two tiny boys, and I have no idea how to reach a teenage audience. I guess I’ll have to use the next few months to try to figure it all out.

One thing. Mine won’t be the only set of footprints in the sand as my new journey starts.

 

Determined to get her life back on track, Mary Grace Gibson takes on a substitute-teaching job, grateful for the room and board offered at Hearts Crossing Ranch. The bustling family life helps her heal after abandonment by her ex. But her little boy’s serious disabilities make her cautious about revealing her secrets to anybody. Even Scott Martin, the handsome cowboy who’s fast stealing her heart.

Her former student now grown up, cowboy and graphic artist Scott Martin is instantly drawn to the beautiful single mom. She’s had some hard luck but never let go of her faith. Their age gap doesn’t fret him, and their kisses ignite his love. But as they fall for each other, Mary Grace’s lack of trust in him shatters his feelings, for he’s been down that broken trail before.

Purchase Link

I’m a California beach girl happily married to my personal hero (firefighter and cancer survivor). We’ve got two grown kids, who are the best thing I’ve ever done, and two little grandsons who totally obsess us. I love travel, country music, Hallmark movies, and McDonald’s iced coffee. I don’t like to cook, am terrified of down escalators, am a proud Defender of Wildlife, and I volunteer at our local horse rescue.