Today my guest is Sarah Anne Crouch, author of the new release, A Summer in Shady Springs. Sarah, it’s great to have you here with me today. Let’s start by telling us a little bit about yourself.

I live in Central Arkansas with my husband and three children (ages 2,4, and 6). My favorite job is being their Mommy, but I’ve also worked as a teacher and have a graduate degree in Library and Information Science. I’ve wanted to be an author ever since I was young and am so happy to be living out that dream!

When I’m not writing or wrangling kids, I love to play piano and watch movies with my husband. We’re big film nerds and have seen every Oscar Best Picture Winner. I also enjoy cooking, but I always try to get someone else to do the dishes.

What is your book about?

The last place Madeleine Mullins wants to be is back in Shady Springs, Arkansas–the town where her whole world fell apart. But when her beloved Aunt Clara begs her for help, Madeleine reluctantly takes a job painting a mural at her aunt’s church. Her plan is to finish quickly and leave her bad memories behind. But the more time she spends with the handsome youth minister and the more she reads her Bible, the more she wonders if she’s been wrong about God and the Church all along.

Do you have a day job? If so, how do you find time in your day to write?

I have three small children, and they are my day and night job. My best time for writing is nap time. I always try to start with my Bible study, then a few minutes of housecleaning, then I settle in to write as long as I’m able. Sometimes I get a couple hours, sometimes I get nothing, but if I keep at it every day, I can eventually finish a manuscript.

Do you reward yourself when a book is finished? If so, what is your favorite treat?

Yes! I love chocolate, so if any particularly large bars of chocolate enter our house, I usually commandeer them as a writing incentive.

How did you come up with the names of your hero and/or heroine?

I named my heroine after my favorite author, Madeleine L’Engle. I’m actually not great at coming up with names for people, places, or books. So, I look around me for inspiration. My characters in this novel come from favorite authors, theologians, and historical figures. Sometimes I’ll mine yearbooks or newspapers for new character names. Having said that, I have no idea where A.J.’s name came from. That one was just floating around in my brain.

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

I’m a big plotter! I actually find outlining a book to be more freeing. I’ll set myself up with the primary goals and conflicts of the story, then each scene is framed around those essential elements. Plotting keeps me from wasting my time or being paralyzed by indecision, but I still let myself change my mind as I go along if breaking away from what I’ve planned feels right at the time.

Are you part of a writing group?

Yes, and they are the best! Amy R. Anguish (a fellow Anaiah author) and Rachel Herod have helped me out immensely on my writing journey. They spur me on and give me ideas and help me hone my craft.

Who was the first person you allowed to read your completed book?

My mom was the perfect first reader because she was so encouraging. A Summer in Shady Springs is my debut novel, so neither of us knew if I was any good yet. Her actual words were “I think this could be a real book.” And now it is!

Do you experience writer’s block? What do you do to get through it?

I think I get editor’s block more often than writer’s block. When I get notes back from a beta reader or my editor, sometimes it takes me a long time to figure out how to answer their question or fix the problem they found. Usually if I get my hands busy with something like vacuuming or cooking, while I let my mind mull over the issue, I can figure it out eventually. If not, I can always reach out to my writing group or talk it over with my husband.

What’s next for you as an author?

I’m very excited to say I will get to be a part of a novella collection coming out September 2022 with Amy Anguish, Heather Greer, and Regina Merrick. The title is Love in Any Season, and my story is called “A Sweet Dream Come True.” It’s a delicious romance about an ice cream man and a chocolatier. Each story focuses on a Main Street business and seasonal festival, and it’s going to be super cute!

Author Media Links:

My website is SarahAnneCrouch.wordpress.com.

You can find me on Facebook.com/SarahAnneCrouch, Twitter.com/SarahAnneCrouch, and Pinterest.com/SarahAnneCrouch.

Buy Link:

Kindle version:

Print copy:

The Facebook Group, Free Christian Books and More, is holding a summer reading challenge. You can read the details at this link.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1184333868259877

My book, The Reluctant Billionaire, is one of the promoted books for the challenge. Today I’m taking over the Facebook page and hosting some games and giveaways. I hope you can stop by, join the group, and follow along.

And follow the instructions to enter the Summer Reading Challenge where you’ll have a chance to become eligible for more prizes.

Two years ago this month, I looked out the sliding glass door into the backyard and saw some little kitten heads peeking out from under the garage. The stray black cat who’d been hanging around our garage for a few months had given birth to a litter of five. My kids made friends with them.

My son decided to keep one of the kittens and brought Stormy into the house. Then a few weeks later we brought the other four in to train them for the litterbox and find homes for them. We named them Ash, Lila, Socks and Jasper.

We found a home for Lila, and unfortunately, Socks died a short time later.

We couldn’t find homes for the other two, so now Ash and Jasper are part of our household as well as Stormy.

My daughter labeled those three: The Kids.

Stormy is the long-haired black cat. My son chose him as the one we were going to keep. He likes to take him out on the deck in the sunshine, where he rolls around contentedly. (He also likes to wake me up some mornings by licking my hands.)

Jasper is the long-haired tiger-striped one. He likes my daughter the best and follows her around. (He likes to nip at her feet.)

We originally called Ash the Tiny Terror. She jumped up on everything. Recently she gained a few pounds. She isn’t as active as she used to be. She doesn’t like to be held, but when we pick her up, she purrs loudly. She just wants to get back down out of our arms quickly.

The three of them still chase each other around and play-fight. They don’t often sleep in the same spot, but here is a recent picture of the trio.

The Kids have become special to all of us. They require time, attention and money, but we value them as our pets.

This month my theme for the blog is:

BACK TO SCHOOL

For much of my life, August has been the month of preparing to go back to school. First, when I was in elementary school, then high school, then college. After that, August was spent preparing my children to go back to school. Since 2019, I haven’t had anyone that I needed to get ready for school, but August always signifies a change in seasons from summer to the school year.

To go along with my theme for this month, I’ll be featuring a middle grade book and also one about high school.

This coming Friday, the featured book is about a journalist. You might wonder what that has to do with the theme BACK TO SCHOOL.

Well, becoming a journalist was the goal I had for myself when I went to college. I’ve shared in a previous blog post how God opened up the doors for me to attend and live on campus at a Christian college.

Before I went, I’d already chosen my major, which was a new program for commercial writing with an emphasis on journalism. I’m not sure, but I think I wanted to become a sports reporter. I was a big Detroit Tiger fan at the time.

At the college I attended, there was a program for freshmen called Core Groups. Students were put into groups of a dozen or so students and given an advisor. I believe we moved onto campus a couple of days early for freshman orientation.

One of the interesting things about our Core group was the initial activity. We did a team building obstacle course that included climbing a high wall. One person went over, who helped the next, etcetera, until each person was over the wall.

Another part of the obstacle course was crossing a creek (or something like that) and the group had to choose one person to carry across. I was a lot smaller when I graduated from high school than I am now, weighing about 110 pounds and being just under 5’2”. Another classmate was the same height and weight. For some reason, the group chose to carry me across.

The other classmate and I became best friends. Besides our height and weight in common, we both loved the Detroit Tigers, animals and strawberry shortcake. We called ourselves the Twins. The main difference between us being she was an African American. We looked beyond the color of our skin and became lifelong friends.

Some of the other members of the Core group also became good friends.

I attended college for two years. I took the journalism classes and worked on the school newspaper. I also studied Spanish and went to Mexico on an interim trip that led to a love of the language and many return trips.

I didn’t graduate from college, but I’ve used both my writing classes and Spanish in my life’s work. After studying in Mexico and becoming fluent in Spanish, I worked for a few years for a bilingual attorney. I quit that job to return to Mexico to teach English. Upon returning to Michigan, I went to work for another attorney. I continued that job until after I’d had my first child, when I quit to become a stay-at-home mom.

As a stay-at-home mom, I had a lot of time on my hands where I was alone with my thoughts. That led to the creative spark that I’d had during high school, and I began writing fiction again.

I’ve shared much of my writing journey in previous blog posts, so I won’t go into it here. However, now I am living my dream of having the writing career I’d mentioned in my senior yearbook.

Instead of goals of going back to school this fall, I am focusing on getting back to my writing. I took a hiatus from my blog and fiction writing in July. Besides working, I spent some time with family. My son, daughter and I went on a vacation to a B&B at a lavender farm in a part of Michigan where we’d never been before. We did some sightseeing and tried new foods. I spent a lot of time relaxing and did some journaling.

Now I am working on edits for my novella coming out in November. I’m also hoping to finish up a Valentine’s novella this month. And I’m starting research to see if I can write a sequel to The Reluctant Billionaire.

This month is also the 11-year anniversary of my husband’s tragic work accident and death. I miss his presence in my life, but I’ve accepted his death. I know he is in a better place, and I’ll see him again one day.

I’m in a good place in my life: physically, mentally and spiritually. I have much to be thankful for. As I’ve struggled nearly all of my adult life with depression in one form or another, I can say that I am on the healing side of that as well. God led me to a Christian counselor at a low point in 2013 and through her work, I’ve found my way out of the pit of depression into a life lived in the light.

On Tuesdays, I’ve been sharing the notes from my first few counseling sessions and how they have impacted my life. Tomorrow will be the third week of “My Journey out of the Pit.” That series will conclude this month.

I will also have a CAT TAIL or two this month. I invite you to send in photos and stories about cats that they have rescued, so I can feature them in future CAT TAILS. Those can be sent to authorcarolunderhill@yahoo.com.

This concludes my blog post for Monday, August 2. I hope you will stop by often this month. Also, please consider sharing my blog posts on your social media. I hope to build up my media presence so that I can continue to write and publish future books.

Laura Scott’s Lifeline Air Rescue series is one of my favorites. The characters and plots are fiction, but they are so life-like that it feels you are right there with them. First responders are true heroes and this series does them justice.

Author’s Inspiration:

I am a trauma ICU nurse by background and was offered the opportunity to do a ride along with our very own Flight For Life. It was amazing and I enjoyed learning about the trials and tribulations of providing care while up in the air. The idea for this series was born and I hope you enjoy reading about the crew at Lifeline as much as I enjoyed writing about them.  

About the book:

Dr. Jared O’Connor has given his parents a promise–to find his dead brother’s fiancee and child. But his mission is derailed when he meets beautiful flight nurse Shelly Bennett. The sadness in her eyes, mirrors his own, and he is drawn to her and to her young son in a way he’s never experienced before. 
Shelly can’t afford to be distracted by Jared’s attention. Her son’s upcoming testing may confirm he has kidney failure–there’s no room for anything else in her life. But when Jared uncovers the truth, she realizes her days of running from the past are over. But can she forgive Jared long enough to accept his love?

Excerpt:

Symptoms range from stunted growth to multisystem organ failure and ultimately death.

The words echoed over and over in her mind like a mantra. Flight nurse Shelly Bennett slipped unnoticed from the debriefing area, seeking the relative peace and quiet of Lifeline’s lounge. She sank onto the sofa and rubbed a hand over her gritty, bloodshot eyes. Nausea still churned in her stomach four days after learning about her five-year-old son’s abnormal lab values. As a result of hearing the news, she’d stayed up late every night, surfing online and devouring every bit of information she could find on pediatric renal failure.

            She closed her eyes against an overwhelming surge of helplessness. Please, God, he’s just a little boy. Please keep Tyler healthy.

            “Good morning.”

            Her eyes snapped open at the deep male greeting. A tall, blond-haired stranger with a square jaw and brilliant blue eyes, wearing a one-piece navy blue flight suit exactly like hers, stood a few feet away. Shelly frowned and quickly stood. Who was this guy? Had she missed something over the past few days in her concerned haze over Ty?

            The stranger didn’t seem to notice her confusion. “Ah, I was hoping to find fresh coffee here.”

            “Good morning, Jared.” Kate, one of her fellow flight nurses, entered the debriefing room. Fluffing her short blond curls, Kate stepped forward with a bright smile. “How was your move from Boston? Are you finally settled?”

            “I still have things in boxes, but for the most part, I’m moved in. The condo is very nice and affordable compared to Boston.” He helped himself to a cup of coffee from a pot on a nearby counter, then turned toward Shelly, extending his free hand. “I don’t believe we’ve met. Jared O’Connor, new Medical Director here at Lifeline Air Rescue.”

            Oh yes, she remembered now. Shelly nodded and forced a smile as she took his hand in greeting. Despite her worry over her son, a tingle of awareness skipped down her spine as she shook hands with her new boss. Dr. Jared O’Connor’s palm radiated a gentle strength as it held hers, and she found herself oddly reluctant to let go.

            His distinct East Coast accent reminded her of Ty’s father’s family, especially since Mark’s last name had been O’Connor, too. She’d encountered one other O’Connor in recent years, no relation to Mark. This was likely the same situation, but the coincidence jolted her just the same.

            Abruptly nervous, she cleared her throat. “Shelly Bennett, Flight Nurse. Pleased to meet you, Dr. O’Connor. Welcome to Lifeline.”

            “I’m happy to be here, but please, call me Jared.” He eyed her over the rim of his cup. “Shelly. You’re one of the pediatric nurses, aren’t you?”

            She flushed at his intent perusal, wondering if she’d somehow betrayed her unexpected flash of awareness. “Yes.”

            “Good to hear, my expertise is pediatrics, too. Explains why we’ve been paired to fly together.”

            “Great.” Shelly tried to hide her inner dismay. This was the worst time for her long-ignored hormones to wake up over some man. There was only room for one male in her life, her son Tyler. Unfortunately, Lifeline was small enough to make avoiding the handsome doctor difficult. Knowing they both worked pediatrics made it practically impossible. Being stuck in the sardine-like confines of the helicopter with Jared O’Connor was a complication she didn’t need.

About the author:

Laura Scott is a Registered Nurse by day and an author by night. She has written over 70 books and has more ideas than time to write! Laura lives in Wauwatosa Wisconsin with her husband of 35 years and babysits for her son’s puppy, a Red Fox Labrador Retriever named Otis.

Author media links:

Website: https://www.laurascottbooks.com

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/LauraScottBooks

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/laurascottbooks

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurascottbooks/

Buy link: