Tomorrow Is Thanksgiving: Guest Elizabeth Maddrey

I'm excited to be hosting special guests for the next several Wednesdays! Please join me in welcoming Elizabeth Perry Maddrey!

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Tomorrow is Thanksgiving.

I’ll let that sink in for a moment, because if you’re like me, that totally snuck up on you. Every year, I have these great plans about how I’m going to plan my menu at the start of the month and I’m going to shop early so I’m not stuck deciding between a thirty-four pound turkey or two six-pound turkeys to feed the twelve people that generally make up our family Thanksgiving dinner. Every year…I fail. Miserably.

And so, it’s good that Jill asked me to write this ahead of time, because chances are, right now? I’m standing in the grocery store along with nineteen million men (it’s always men. I guess most of the women had their act together and just had to send their hubby out for one or two items.) trying to pick through the emaciated sweet potatoes that no one wanted, hoping to find one or two that are actually worth eating. You’ll know it’s me because I have the two screaming children in the cart, both incredibly unhappy about being at the grocery store when they should be at home eating dinner. And I’d have happily left them there, except my own husband is stuck in the insane traffic that plagues the DC area on any kind of day ending in ‘y’, but especially on holiday weekends.

This has become my Thanksgiving tradition. I’m not sure it’s a good one to have, but I’ll admit that, to me at least, it still kind of beats the one my mom tried so hard to instill when we were kids (everyone got kernels of corn at their dinner seat, then we had to say one thankful thing for each kernel. Nice idea. Crazy cheesy to the two sarcastic teens that she birthed.)

But even with the craziness that has come to define my shopping (and it usually trickles into the cooking and serving portion of the meal, if we’re honest), I have to say I love Thanksgiving. I love that there’s a whole day set aside to encourage us to be thankful – and the older I get, I begin to understand Mom and her corn kernels a bit better. Because in addition to reminding myself to be thankful (something that’s so easy to forget to do when you’re wrapped up in the day-to-day of life), I love hearing other people talk about the things they’re thankful for. Inevitably, that reminds me of even more that I appreciate. And so on, and so forth.

And then, let’s be honest, there’s pie. I’m very thankful that someone invented pie.

So tomorrow, I’ll be sitting down with my husband and our kids, my parents, my sister and her husband, my husband’s parents, and his two sisters. And we’ll have lots of (hopefully) delicious food that I’ve made and, more likely than not, we’ll spend a few minutes talking about the last year and the specific things we’re thankful for. For me, that will include gratitude for my second year as a published author with two more full-length novels and a novella already released and my third novel for the year coming out next week. I still have to stop and pinch myself when I think about the fact that I have seven—almost eight—books out there in the world for other people to read. (And I’m even more grateful that people do read them and, beyond that, enjoy them!)

I hope you have a wonderful day tomorrow, full of turkey and pie and family and, above all, thankfulness. And if, like me, you’re facing down a trip to the store today…I hope you find everything you need so you don’t have to try and substitute parsnips for potatoes.

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About Elizabeth Maddrey ~

Elizabeth Maddrey began writing stories as soon as she could form the letters properly and has never looked back. Though her practical nature and love of math and organization steered her into computer science for college and graduate school, she has always had one or more stories in progress to occupy her free time. When she isn’t writing, Elizabeth is a voracious consumer of books and has mastered the art of reading while undertaking just about any other activity. She loves to write about Christians who struggle through their lives, dealing with sin and receiving God’s grace.

Elizabeth lives in the suburbs of Washington D.C. with her husband and their two incredibly active little boys. She invites you to interact with her at her website www.ElizabethMaddrey.com, or on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google+. 

Releasing December 2, 2014 – Love Defined, Book 3 in the Remnants Series

Dreams Change. Plans Fail.

July and Gareth have reached the end of their infertility treatment options.  With conflicting feelings on adoption, they struggle to discover common ground in their marriage.

Meanwhile, July's twin sister, June, and her husband, Toby, are navigating the uncertainties of adoption and the challenges of new parenthood.

How much stretching can their relationships endure before they snap?

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Elizabeth, I can completely relate to the last minute store runs. I'm lucky to stay on top of the kids' homework. Forget the turkeys and potatoes! And I'm giggling at the corn kernel concept. It's such a "mom" thing to do. I hope you enjoy today and avoid those stores!! Thank you so much for sharing with us.

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Okay, what's your most embarrassing moment when it comes to cooking?

When I was a newlywed, I knew nothing about cooking. I once made a stew with Kielbasa sausage and A1 sauce. Yeah, we ordered pizza that night!

Have a wonderful and very blessed Thanksgiving!! 

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Karen Barnett's Summer Tradition and a Giveaway!

I'm so excited to have Karen Barnett on the blog today! Karen and I met last year at ACFW's annual conference. I looked forward to meeting her because we'd connected online AND we share the same fabulous agent! She's just as warm, friendly, and fun in person as she is online. A Genesis finalist last year, Karen also sold her first book!

Her debut novel, Mistaken, is also set along the Washington shoreline. In 1926 Port Angeles, Laurie Burke needs help to put an end to her brother’s rumrunning schemes. Is his best friend, pharmacist Daniel Shepherd, also involved? When Laurie becomes interested in the visiting federal agent, Samuel Brown, she must decide which man--if any--is worthy of her trust.

Karen graciously agreed to share her favorite summer tradition with us today. Welcome, Karen!!

 

When I was growing up, my family didn’t take expensive vacations. But we did look forward to occasional visits to a friend’s beach house on Hartstene Island. About 1 ½ hours from our home in Tacoma, this island in the Puget Sound was the perfect retreat for beachcombing, barbecuing, bicycling, and nature walks. We swam in the little community pool and fished from the dock. We always arrived home exhausted, covered with sunburns and bug-bites, and lugging treasured collections of shells, pretty rocks, and priceless memories.

For my kids, vacations have been a little different. We pinched pennies and managed a couple big trips—cruises to Mexico and the Caribbean, and a few days at Disneyworld. They were fantastic, but I worried my children would grow up believing vacations should include gourmet meals, snorkeling, formal nights, and cruise staff waiting to serve their every need.

I longed to share my childhood retreat with them, but had they been spoiled for this sort of trip? No white-sand tropical beaches? No broadway-style shows? No costumed character breakfasts?

A couple of years ago we decided to try it. We packed the car and drove north to Washington. The island seemed frozen in time—nothing had changed. We collected sand dollars, broken shells, and smelly dead crab claws. We played on the rope swing and skipped rocks over the waves. We roasted marshmallows and feasted on hot dogs. The kids each caught their first fish. We walked the trails under the giant trees and marveled over spotted fawns nestled in the ferns.

 

A few years have passed now and we’re long overdue for another family outing. The other night, I chatted with my 11-year-old daughter about it. “So what do you think? Where would you like to travel?” She grinned big. “What about that Hartstene place Mom? Could we go there?”

And my heart smiled.

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Mistaken ~
 

Since booze and prohibition have made criminals out of every man in her world, Laurie Burke resolves to find at least one honorable man to fill her life. Convinced that handsome newcomer Daniel Shepherd is connected with her brother’s rum-running gang, Laurie quickly scratches his name off her list. 
 Daniel has mixed feelings about returning to the dirty mill town of his youth, but grudgingly agrees to manage his grandfather’s drug store until a replacement can be found. The moment he meets Laurie on the windswept bluff overlooking the beach, he knows that if he can earn her love, he might have a reason to stay. But when Laurie pushes him away--for none other than Federal Agent Samuel Brown--Daniel wonders if Laurie really is the upstanding woman he thought her to be. 

 The Strait of Juan de Fuca, just off the beaches of Port Angeles, Washington, was treacherous water for reckless rumrunners—and the agents who tried to catch them. So when she realizes her brother is in danger, romance is the last thing on Laurie's mind. Yet the people she believes she can trust, may not be so honorable after all.

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Karen Barnett lives in Albany, Oregon, with her husband, two kids, three cats, and an attention-starved dachshund (who believes lap-top computers were invented by someone who hated lapdogs).

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Thank you SO much, Karen, for being my guest today!

Karen has graciously offered to give away a copy of Mistaken to one lucky blog commenter! Just leave your e-mail addy (ex: jill(at)jillkemerer(dot)com) in a comment below to be entered. **Must be 18 years or older and only open to residents of USA.** I'll toss all the entries in a hat and pull the winner out. Winner will be notified by e-mail. Contest open until midnight, Wednesday, July 10.

 

What family vacations or summer traditions do you remember most fondly? What childhood experiences do you wish you could share with your kids?

 

Have a terrific Monday!

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