We Almost Slept in a Snake Pit

ANNOUNCING: The Winner of Mona Hodgson's book, Two Brides Too Many, is Wendy Newcomb of St. Cloud, Florida. Congratulations, Wendy!

Look for an interview Monday April 15 with Denise Hildreth-Jones. Comment along with your email address and you will be entered in a contest to win her newest book: Secrets Over Sweet Tea.

Today I'm posting a story about an exciting adventure we had long ago, when our children were very small. It was when we had only three kids, and the oldest was not quite five. LivingfortheWhole Family.com published this story in their Summer 2011 issue.
*********************

We had been camping "on a shoestring" for a few years when we decided to take a trip across the country. It was summertime, so we thought we would just camp out in the open. We had our little camp kitchen to cook our food, the tarp would provide protection if it rained (since we did not yet own a tent), we had our sleeping bags and air mattresses, and we were ready for a new adventure. My husband was a cowboy before we married and he had spent many nights outside, sleeping on the rolling hills of a ranch in Texas, so he saw no problem with our family having a great experience sleeping under the stars. Our short supply of money would pay for food, gasoline, and the fee to get into Carlsbad Caverns, a place we had dreamed about seeing one day.

I look back now and cannot believe we set off on that trip with three children under the age of five and no place to stay at night. However, we were young and foolish at the time. We were excited about seeing a natural wonder we had never seen before. It was one of our first big vacations and we felt fortunate to be able to go.

Mary, a young teenager in our church who sometimes baby-sat for us, went along to help us with the children. My husband was her pastor, and her parents thought he had enough sense to keep us all safe. None of us had any idea of the danger we would face on that trip!

We drove from Bogard, Missouri, to Dallas where my parents lived, and spent a free night at their house. The next day we headed down I-35 south, then turned west toward our destination.

As we drove down a lonely two-lane road in West Texas that would someday become Highway 10, we began looking around for a place to stop for the night. There was nothing but sagebrush, sand, rocks, and an occasional yucca plant on that road that seemed to go on forever. My husband saw a gravel pit that looked spacious, so he decided we would just camp there. We had stopped earlier and picked up some sticks and firewood so we could cook our supper. The white sand and gravel glistened in the Texas sunlight as we pulled our car down into that gully during the late afternoon. I was a little apprehensive about sleeping under the stars, but my husband and the kids were excited.

            A pile of rocks was the first thing we saw. Thinking that would be a good place to cook our meal, my husband built a fire there. He filled the coffeepot with water we had brought along in our plastic container, and placed it on the pile of rocks, then we began blowing up the air mattresses while the coffee perked and filled the air with its wonderful aroma. As we organized and prepared for the night, we piled our belongings on the ground around the car. There was quite a pile of gear there.

The children were walking around, exploring the area. Nobody was there, no cars were on the highway, and we thought everything was safe. The children, aged about 2, 3, and almost 5, walked near the rocks and occasionally dropped down on the sand to play. My husband poured a cup of coffee and reveled in the beauty of the countryside. We were happy, not suspecting the danger lurking as we went about the business of getting ready to camp for the night. The sun began going down and dusk was nearing.

            After I got our food out I had the frying pan in my hand, about to put it on the fire to prepare Hamburger Helper for our dinner, when I heard our oldest son, Steve, said, “Daddy, there’s a snake over there.” He was playing with a little flashlight in the growing darkness.

My husband took the flashlight to check out what our son thought he saw. He did see a snake as he flashed the light around the edge of the place where we stood. Then he saw another one, then another and another. Nests of snakes coiled on every rock, under the bushes, and in every spot we could see, their beady eyes reflecting the beam of the flashlight as they watched every move we made. We were stunned as we quieted, turned and looked, and heard the rattle of many snakes surrounding us. In horror, we quickly realized the gravity of our situation. We were in a gravel pit in the sandy Texas country where diamondback rattlesnakes made their home. And many of them had made their home in that spot. I think we must have been in Rattlesnake City. Their nests in rocks and bushes circled the area where we stood, stunned. Darkness was nearer and the snakes' eyes gleamed when Charlie shined the flashlight around again.

My husband, ever the optimist, said, “They won’t hurt you if you stay away from them.”  I knew my husband was easy-going, but that was the ultimate of ‘laid back’.

I stared at him, as if to say, “Buddy, you’d better think again.”

Then common sense set in and he said, “Let’s get everything back in the car and we’ll go somewhere else.” That suited me just fine. We blindly reached for whatever gear was closest to us and started trying to get it all back into the trunk of the car. We had to pour out the freshly made coffee.

Mary grabbed the two youngest kids, one under each arm, and jumped into the back seat of the car. My husband picked up Steve, our oldest son, put him in the front seat, and said, “Stay there!” With Mary and the children safe inside the car, we frantically tried to get the air out of the air mattresses, piling them into the trunk half-full along with our suitcases, cooler, and other gear, and struggled to get the trunk lid closed.

 It was completely dark when we pulled out of that gravel pit, back onto Highwas 10, that lonely West Texas road far from any evident civilization. We drove until we came to a roadside park furnished with concrete picnic tables and benches. It was very late by then, and my husband said, "I think we might be able to sleep here."

 I put my sleeping bag on top of one of the tables since I couldn’t bear the thought of sleeping on the ground. Mary and the children slept in the car. Thus the night passed, with my brave cowboy husband sleeping on his air mattress on the ground. I woke up many times. Cars passed occasionally, and every time I heard the noise of a car I jumped with a start, thinking about all those snakes and what could have happened to all of us. I nearly fell off that concrete table a couple of times. Fortunately,the table was larger than my sleeping bag. 

We made it to Carlsbad Caverns and walked the three miles through it. My husband and I each carried a child in our arms, and Mary held Steve’s hand all the way. As we left, our four-and-a-half- year-old son, Steve, looked up at us and said, "That's the longest walk I ever took."

Back home again, we bought a tent as soon as we were able to afford it. We didn’t want to ever again have an experience like the one we had out on that West Texas Highway.

We camped for many years. Later, we bought a pop-up camper, then graduated to a used fifth wheel camper. We had some nice camping rigs before my husband’s health made it impossible for him to drive the RV. Our last rig was a 35-foot Prowler fifth wheel with three slide-outs, pulled by a Ford V-10 dually, a fantastic combination we never dreamed we would be able to afford in those early days.

            We came a long way from our humble beginnings. Air conditioning, TV with surround sound, a plush queen size bed, a beautifully equipped kitchen with a microwave and other appliances in our fifth wheel trailer replaced our little camp stove, the tarp, and the lantern we hung over our oilcloth covered table. 

            In our retirement, we used our RV to go with a group of people to Arizona or Florida each winter where we worked, building churches or volunteering in some capacity to help those less fortunate to get better worship facilities. We spent ten years working in this way, going to a different place each winter to help a church or group.

            We had some wonderful adventures in the different RVs we purchased, but we never forgot that first trip when we almost slept in a gravel pit, the home of all those rattlesnakes. That was an experience we will never forget. By God's mercy, we escaped death by snakebite, which would have surely happened if our son had not been playing with a flashlight.



Our daughter Debbie sleeping on the ground in her sleeping bag on one of our camping trips




Camping without a tent



Readers if you will comment, you will be entered in a contest to win a copy of my book Heritage of Faith which contains this story and many others. Get extra entries in the contest by clicking on "Follow blog" or "Like my blog."

Secrets Over Sweet Tea by Denise Hildreth Jones

This delightful new book by Denise Hildreth-Jones is filled with fun and southern humor. I laughed out loud on the second page. If you have not yet read one of her books, I hope you will check them out.

Scarlett Jo Newberry, the main character is a loud, outspoken pastor's wife who tries to fix everyone. She loves to walk, she loves the early morning sunrise, and she loves to wear bright colors. So she takes her walks early as she thinks about and prays for each neighbor, and sometimes she gets into their business.

As each new character is introduced, Ms. Jones has the author thinking they are old friends. The reader becomes inmeshed in the joys and sorrows of each couple, most of whom are members of the church where Scarlett's husband is pastor. (Need I say that she loves Tara and Scarlet O'Hara, and she even named one of her five sons Rhett? This is about as southern as you can get.)

I won't give away the plot, but I will tell you that if you read this book, you will not put it down. You'll love reading about Grace and Tyler, Zach and Caroline, and their friends in Franklin, Tennessee. Each couple has their own unique situation, and each one has secrets, as we all do, ones that we don't want to tell. Scarlett calls each woman Baby, Honey, and Sugar Pie, all the southern names for friends as they discuss their problems over gallons of sweet tea.

But when her own secrets are revealed, Scarlett has a surprise for the reader. Her whole personalily becomes different as the friends she has helped try to help her.

This is a book you don't want to miss.

The author will be interviewed on my blog April 15.



Author Denise Hildreth-Jones

Watch for interview on April 15.

Organized Religion



Our son David, and his wife, Margaret



Today's post is another one by our son, David, who lives in Midland, Texas. This one has a lot to say and I hope you enjoy reading it. Makes me proud to be his mom!

________________________________________________________________________________

ORGANIZED RELIGION

A few days ago I preached at the memorial service for Jeff, a college professor from our community. Have you seen those TV ads featuring ‘the most interesting man in the world’? They are based on this guy’s life. He truly had some amazing experiences. I met Jeff one time, at the home of one of our church members who is also a college professor. It was this church member who asked me to preach his funeral. The service was very well planned and attended and was a fitting tribute.

I talked to several people about Jeff as I prepared. They said he was a Christian, but that he didn’t go to any church because he didn’t believe in ‘organized religion.’ I never learned the reason behind Jeff’s attitude, but I’ve met many people over the years with this same opinion. Sometimes they are people who have been seriously hurt by someone from church—sadly, usually a minister or other church leader. Sometimes they are people who have a well-developed independent streak, and don’t want to be told how to do anything. Sometimes they are people who know they have issues in their lives, but they don’t want to be told their behavior or attitudes don’t square with the Bible.

I was thinking about this as I put in my 40 miles on the bike yesterday. At the halfway-point I stopped at a 7-11 and refilled my water container. When I stopped, my legs felt pretty strong. After the break I got back on the bike and started to pedal—and wow, did that hurt. I was 20 miles from home and I wondered if I could go two more. But, since the options were ride or call and get a ride, an embarrassing prospect to be sure, I decided to ride. I was struggling along into a headwind, going about 12 or 13 mph when a bike zipped by me. “Have a nice day,” I thought—or something like that. The cyclist was young and skinny and his bike looked like it was worth three times what mine was. A few minutes later I was passed again, but this time by a guy older and fatter than me! My pride kicked in and I decided to see if I could ride with him for a while.

I caught up and he was going about 17 or 18 mph, a very good clip under the conditions. I positioned myself so he was blocking the wind for me, something we call “drafting.” When cyclists ride together this is the usual strategy. We take turns as the lead rider, who works the hardest. When we combine like this, we can ride much faster than we could alone. This is one reason the riders stay together in the “peloton” in the Tour de France—everyone stays fresher and stronger. When a rider or a group of riders break away from the group, they are working much harder and this is why they are usually “caught” by the peloton late in the day’s stage.

After drafting a while I started to feel guilty—I knew it was my turn to lead. “I’ve taken advantage of you long enough,” I hollered. “Let me lead a while.” I pulled ahead and he moved to the position I had taken when he was leading. I was surprised that I was able to keep the speed up, but there’s that whole male ego thing which most likely accounts for it.

We stayed together from the edge of Odessa to FM 1788. When we came to the light, my legs were jelly. I told him to enjoy his ride and dropped my speed back down.

Coming out of Odessa, I knew—I KNEW—there was no way I could go more than 12-14 mph into the wind. But, when teamed with another rider, I rode at 17 or better, getting as fast as 19, for a long time. On my own, I never would have been able to do it, but when pushed, encouraged, pulled, or motivated, however you want to put it, I did it. With a partner, I rode better and faster than I would have alone.

That’s when it hit me. Organized religion is like organized riding. As a team, we can do much more than we can alone. I think most people need the discipline of regular church attendance and enjoy the camaraderie and strength felt as they serve together rather than individually. It’s the whole concept of synergy, the idea that what we can do together adds up to much more than the sum of what we could do individually. I am constantly telling anyone who will listen that church is a team sport, that all of us have a role to play, and only when we all work together can we begin to accomplish what God has planned for us to do.

What’s your role? Are you striving for excellence? Do you encourage and support your teammates? My encouragement to you is that you don’t have to do life alone. One of the reasons we exist is to “share the journey” of life together. As a group, we want to help each other as we journey through life. When you're struggling, pull in behind someone and draft a while. When you're strong, take your turn in the lead and help someone else keep going.

Thanks, David, for your wisdom today.
David is Lead Counsel for Dawson Petroleum in Midland, Texas. For several years he served as Minister to Singles at First Baptist Church, Midland, Texas, and in two other similar positions. The articles I am featuring are ones he wrote during his time as a Singles Minister. They were published in papers given to the people in his church.

David's wife, Margaret, is a professional quilter who works from her home. If you are interested in checking out her work, go to www.margosquiltingcorner.com

Margaret and her Long-Arm Quilting machine




Here's a T-shirt quilt she made.

 


This is a quilt I made. Margaret will quilt it for me and it will be even more beautiful.

YOU STILL HAVE TIME TO ENTER THE CONTEST TO WIN A BOOK BY MONA HODGSON. GO TO THE SIDEBAR, CLICK ON INTERVIEW WITH MONA HODGSON, AND ENTER YOUR NAME TO BE IN THE DRAWING. WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED APRIL 12.

Writing Your Memories-- Week 6

This happened a few months after our marriage. We were both attending college, living on a shoestring, and trying to make everything work. It was a hard time because of our lack of funds.
_____________________________________________________________

I must admit, when I got married I still had a lot of growing up to do. I had my dreams about what marriage was, and I soon found out they were not reality. I thnk I must have thought marriage was like the old nursery rhyme about the girl whose husband sat her on a cushion and gave her strawberries and cream to eat, and made her the center of his universe. I was to learn that those dreams were pretty childish, and life was not like that.

Here I was, a girl of 19, married to a man of 25. We both were in school, living in a small duplex on the GI bill which netted us $120 per month. I worked afternoons at an insurance office and earned $12.00 per week. Charlie worked for an appliance store in downtown Decatur, Texas, and he and his friend made $5.00 every time they installed a TV antenna (which was not too often). The small amount of money helped a little, but some student preachers at the college thought having a television in your home was sinful, so they had regular prayer meetings for Charlie and Richard, asking the Lord to convict them of their sin--getting that devilish TV into people's homes.

We were pretty poor, and I thought I deserved better. At one time, Charlie came into a little extra money; I don't remember exactly how he got it, but he took the money, drove to Fort Worth and bought a set of Bible Commentaries and some much-needed black preaching shoes. He came home and showed me what he had bought, and I foolishly got mad because he didn't buy anything for me.

"I'll just go home to my mother," I said, thinking he would apologize and beg me to stay. But no! He went to the bus station, bought me a ticket to Dallas and brought it back to me. "Pack your bag," he said, "here's a ticket to go home to your mother."

What a revolting development that was! I didn't really want to go, I just wanted to get my way. But home to my mother I went.

In Dallas, I called my mother and asked her to come to the bus station to pick me up. On the way home, she asked what had happened, and I told her. By this time, I was ashamed, but I was also mad.

Lo and behold, she bought me a ticket back to Decatur!  She said, "You married that preacher, now you have to learn to live with him." I spent one night at home, but the next day I was on the bus, going back to our little college town, our modest home, and my new husband.

I had called ahead and Charlie was there to pick me up at the bus station. We made up and I never threatened to leave again. I had learned my lesson. I realized a preacher needed a wife who would stand by him, not one who would run away at the least inclination.

Years later, I asked my husband why he bought that ticket and pushed me to go to Dallas, when he knew I didn't really want to do it. He said, "I knew you loved me, I just wanted you to be sure about it." What a wise man I married.
He used those Bible Commentaries for fifty years of preaching.



For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife,
and they will become one flesh.  (Genesis 2:24 NAS)

 This is a story from my book A Heritage of Faith. You can comment to get your name in a drawing to win one of my books, which is filled with stories like this. You may choose between hard and soft cover if you win. Be sure to leave your email address so I can contact you if you are the winner. Winner will be announced at the end of April.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
YOU STILL HAVE TIME TO ENTER THE CONTEST TO WIN A BOOK BY MONA HODGSON. GO TO THE SIDE BAR, CLICK ON INTERVIEW WITH MONA HODGSON AND ENTER YOUR NAME ALONG WITH YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS. WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED HERE ON APRIL 12, AND I WILL CONTACT THE WINNER BY EMAIL.

MONA WILL SEND THE WINNER AN AUTOGRAPHED COPY OF TWO BRIDES TOO MANY.

Meet author Karen Witemeyer

Error. She's coming June 3.

Gone South, by Meg Moseley

Tish McComb never planned to leave Michigan and live in Alabama, but somehow life just worked out that way. Her dad’s great-great-grandmother’s Civil War era home was there, it was for sale, she made an offer, and suddenly she was a misplaced Yankee living in Noble, Alabama. Bringing her antique photo of her namesake, she moved in with all her earthly goods.

But when she set out to find a job, open a bank account, and turn herself into a Southerner, she found she had cut off more than she could chew. The bank manager, the people at the garden club, even the managers of the local bar-be-cue restaurant, snubbed her. Everywhere she went, she met people who turned away when they heard her name, which was the same as her great-great-grandmother’s—Letitia McComb.

Another black mark against her, in the town’s estimation, was that she befriended Melanie, a 20-year-old Noble native whose family had turned her out of their home. So these two outcasts set out to make their way in the town, one that does not want to show mercy, love, and forgiveness to a new resident, Tish, or to one that just wants to come back home, Mel.

Tish’s neighbor, George Zorbas, and his uncle, Cal, ran an antique shop near Tish’s new home. They were the only two who would have anything to do with the two women as they cleaned the house and looked for jobs. There are vintage cars and a haughty dog who behaves like a cat, also. Poor George has to take care of the crazy dog because it belonged to his mother, who had passed away.

Author Moseley spends a lot of time developing these characters in their new setting, and she does a good job of making them people the reader wants to know. Tish is willing to give Mel a home and help her overcome the problems that caused her to leave home in the first place, while she keeps on trying to become acquainted with her new neighbors and sort out the treatment she continues to receive. There is a lot of humor in this book, amid the problems that Tish and Mel try to overcome.

I hope you will read Gone South and enjoy the development of the characters and the mystery of the town's reaction as much as I did. Ms. Moseley’s first book, When Sparrows Fall, was just as delightful, but with a totally different premise. This is Meg Moseley’s second novel. Meg Moseley will be interviewed on my blog on September 2. Save the date.

Meg Moseley grew up in California, and now she lives in Atlanta. More about her on the interview.

Meet author Mona Hodgson

Hello, Mona, I haven’t met you personally, but I have read several of your books. I appreciate your taking the time to let me interview you for my blog, Christian Living and Christian Books.

Hi, Juanita! Hello, everyone! Thank you for this opportunity to join you here.

First, please tell us about your faith in God, and why you write Christian books for both adults and children.

Seven years old, I attended Vacation Bible School and heard Mrs. Bacon speak of sin, our separation from God, Jesus’ deity and sinless nature, Jesus’ death on the cross, His resurrection, and our forgiveness through belief in Him. My prayer that day led me into a personal relationship with the Living God.

I grew up in a Christian home. At 14, a freshman in high school, I was part of a large youth group. On one of those Wednesday nights I felt the conviction of the Holy Spirit to grow in a faith that was more “my own;” to go deeper in relationship, rather than let religion shape my faith and walk.

Fast forward to age 34. Following my own “Jonah” story, I began to write for publication and attend at least two Christian writers’ conferences each year. That atmosphere and my Christian writing colleagues from various denominations, traditions, and convictions have contributed greatly to my spiritual formation.

Writing books for adults and children, storytelling, is one way I explore and express my faith.

As well as a writer, you are also a speaker for groups and conferences across the U.S. and Canada. What do you do in your spare time, if you have any?

Yes, I am a Christian women’s retreat speaker and also speak at conferences for writers, librarians, and educators. I am a caregiver for my mom and her husband, plus my hubby and I visit East Africa every five or six years to see our daughter, son-in-law, and three grandchildren who live there. Then, of course, there are the added perks of writing historical fiction—research trips and book launch trips to the settings. So far, those trips have led me to Cripple Creek, Colorado and St. Charles, Missouri.

All the titles and series of books you have written for children make quite an impression on me. Besides Amazon, is there another place readers can find them? 

Thank you. Yes, I have seven picture books available (Bedtime in the Southwest and six I Wonder Books), six Zonderkidz I Can Read books (Princess and Desert), an early reader devotional book (Hide & Seek, on the Fruit of the Spirit) and one for middle grade readers (Real Girls of a Bible: A 31-Day Devotional). For autographed copies of my books and to find out-of-print titles, go to www.monahodgson.com for a Book Order Form.

The titles of your “Desert Critters” series for children are really cute. Did these come from your observations there in Arizona, where you live?

Yes, I wrote 12 books in the Desert Critter Friends Series (now out-of-print), I have Bedtime in the Southwest, a rhymed bedtime picture book, and two desert Zonderkids I Can Read books—all stories inspired by my home state of Arizona.

I understand you began writing in 1987. What was your first published book? Did you focus on adults or children first?

I started my writing career writing articles, poems, and short stories for adults in magazines and church take-home papers. A surprise to me, the first 28 books I had published were for children. Friendly Differences in the Desert Critter Friends series was my first book, published in 1998.

Your “Sinclair Sisters of Cripple Creek” series of four books was very enjoyable. We have them in our church library and they are a popular series. What inspired you to do this series of books?

Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed my Sinclair Sisters stories, and it’s exciting for me to know your church library is making them available to readers of historical fiction. Yay!

In Arizona, I live at the base of Mingus Mountain, home to the most vertical town in the United States—Jerome. More than twenty years ago, when I first visited the Jerome State Historic Park, the Douglas Mansion, I became fascinated with the historic copper mining camp’s history and the romantic appeal of the late 1890’s. Soon thereafter, I entertained the idea of writing a historical novel set in Jerome during its boomtown years in the late 1890s.

In 2008, I sent the first twenty pages of that endeavor to ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) as an entry in their Genesis contest for unpublished novelists. Later that year, my writing sample was awarded First Place in the Historical Fiction category at the annual ACFW conference. March 31, 2009 my agent called and asked if I was sitting down. She’d shown the proposal for the Jerome novel to several editors, and had heard back from one who was interested in publishing me.

In an out-of-the-ordinary situation, the editor, asked if I’d be willing to adapt my story premise and move it to Cripple Creek, Colorado. Still set in the late 1890’s. Still taking place in a mining camp, but gold instead of copper. Obviously, I said yes. And as they say, the rest is history. In the form of Two Brides Too Many, Too Rich for a Bride, The Bride Wore Blue, and Twice a Bride—my four Sinclair Sisters of Cripple Creek Novels.

When the editor suggested a series that included four sisters coming west, she didn’t know, and neither did my agent, that I was one of four sisters. I leapt at the chance to write that story, incorporating a few of the characters and plot points from the Jerome novel.

Tell about your new books, the Quilted Heart series, published in February, April, and May of 2013.

Once a week Elsa Brantenberg hosts the Saint Charles Quilting Circle at her farmhouse on the outskirts of the riverside town in Missouri. The Quilted Heart is a sequence of three eBook novellas that offer historical fiction readers a charming ensemble cast who lost men to the Civil War. Their lives were forever changed. Their thorny circumstances moved each of them, but in what direction?

Dandelions on the Wind, Book #1 – now available

Bending Toward the Sun, Book #2—Available for pre-order

Ripples Along the Shore, Book #3—Available for pre-order

Each book is only $1.99 each!

And there is at least one character that bridges the Sinclair Sisters of Cripple Creek Series to the Quilted Heart Series.

I heard something else fun about The Quilted Heart Series and its connection to your next series. Can you tell us about that?

Ah, yes, the three Quilted Heart novellas are a Prequel to my Hearts Seeking Home Series, which debuts August 6 with Prairie Song. Some of the women from the Saint Charles Quilting Circle will choose to rebuild their war-torn lives in Missouri while others will choose to do so out west. Join me and the Boone’s Lick Wagon Train Company, will you?

From your bio on Amazon, I can see that you belong to several writers’ organizations. Tell our readers why you put such importance on being in these writers’ groups.

Yes, ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers), CAN (Christian Authors Network), AWSA (American Writers and Speakers Association), Women Writing the West, SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators), RWA (Romance Writers of America), and Pikes Peak Writers.

Like-minded camaraderie. Building relationships within the industry. Continuing education opportunities. Sharing resources and expertise. Industry information and updates. Seminars and conferences. What’s not to love about that?

Anything else you would like to share with our readers?

You can watch the series book trailer for my Sinclair Sisters books and read excerpts at www.monahodgson.com. I’d love it if you all would follow my Hindsight Blog at http://monahodgson.wordpress.com and connect with me on my Facebook Mona Hodgson Author Page at https://www.facebook.com/#!/Author.Mona.

Thank you, Mona, for taking the time to let me introduce you on my blog. I appreciate the time you took out of your busy schedule to do this.

My pleasure! Thanks, Juanita!

**********
Mona is giving away a copy of Book 1 in the Sinclair Sisters series, Two Brides Too Many on my blog today. If you would like to have an autographed copy of this book, please comment and your name will be entered in a drawing.  The winner will be announced on my blog on April 15, and Mona will mail the autographed book to the winner! Don't miss out on this!
Be sure to leave your email address so you can be contacted if you win!

Extra incentive for winning the book!                 If you click to "follow me" you get an extra entry for the book. I'll put your name in twice. Just tell me in the comment that you are following me, so I'll get the extra one in for you.  Also, if you "subscribe" to my blog, you'll get an extra entry. Let me know in your comment.  This will apply to all future books, also. Get your name in the drawing more than once and have a better chance at winning.

The winner of Finding My Place by Margo Dill is

Elizabeth Pagel-Hogan of Pittsburgh, PA.

Congratulations, Elizabeth! The rest of you who entered the contest may order Margo's book for $8.00 TODAY. Go to her blog:

http://margodill.com/blog