Several members of my family suffer from seasonal allergies. And it seems like my husband and two older boys suffer the most. Sneezing, stuffy nose and head. If you have allergies you know how miserable and draining it can be on your system.

I try and stay away from the over the counter poison medicine by using the Nettie pot to clear out sinuses, sometimes it works right away, but other times our family just wants a quick fix.

We thought about air filters and with how often I dust (or lack of dusting) I think this is something we really need to check into seriously.

When Mom Central  emailed me about AccuClean, I thought it a perfect place to start my search. Unfortunately, they couldn’t give out units, but at least I’m more educated now and can make an informed decision if we choose to go this route.

Here are some interesting facts:

“Indoor air is four to five times more polluted than outdoor air, of particular concern because most of us spend as much as 90% of our time indoors, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.”

“AccuClean can be attached to your existing furnace or air handler, so you don’t need to renovate your home to install it. Once installed, AccuClean removes allergens from the air in every room of the house, as opposed to plug-in air cleaners that operate in only one room.”“AccuClean removes virtually all allergens in your home: well, up to 99.98%. Additionally, the system removes more than 99% of the common flu virus. It’s 100 times more effective than the standard one-inch filters and it’s easy to clean by simply vacuuming or washing the reusable filter.” My husband would love this!

Hannah Keeley, one of our Mom Central consulting principals and founder of www.TotalMom.com, has been working closely with American Standard Heating & Air Conditioning over the past two years and has met with moms who have experienced, firsthand, the difference AccuClean can make in families’ homes and lives. Hannah shared this with us:

“Keeping the dirt and dust out of your house is easier said than done, and cleaning every day is simply not an option for today’s busy families. AccuClean prevents unwanted dust and dander from continually circulating in your home, ensuring the indoor air your family breathes is cleaner and healthier.
To find out more about AccuClean and see Hannah’s tips about keeping your home’s indoor air clean and healthy and more info. on the AccuClean system by clicking here. 

I’d love to hear your stories about allergies and how you battle them!

Don’t let your cash get away from you this summer. Join me Saturdays here at Portrait of a Writer…Interrupted and get a grip on your cash flow and start sharing your savings ideas.

I don’t know about you, but I’m appalled at how quickly gas is rising, so I’m on a mission to think of ways for my family (and yours) to save money. If you have some fabulous ideas to save money this summer, then join me in posting one idea every Saturday.

Here are the official rules:

Write a summer money saving post and copy the logo and link back here to the Mr. Linky post

Invite others back here to view more tips on how to save money this summer

Sign Mr. Linky with the url of your Money Saving Post

Do NOT add a Mr. Linky to your blog, but encourage those who want to participate to visit here!

More on what to post:

You can share your ideas or some things you did the previous week to save (or make money.) I can’t wait to hear all the wonderful money saving tips you have. Don’t forget to share your money saving ideas and sign Mr. Linky! Here’s mine!

Hang my clothes on a clothesline: I’m sure many of you are already doing this, but with my mom here hanging her clothes outside, I thought I’d bite the bullet and commit to using the dryer less and air dry my clothes more. Yes, that will mean more time doing something I hate, but with not having to drive to a pool, guess I’ll have more time!

I’m not proficient in this yet, but having mom here, showing me the ropes sure helps!

Now it’s your turn . Just click on Mr. Linky and a window will pop up. Add your contribution, browse other posts and start saving!

Even though I’m still re-evaluating if writing is something I should be doing at this time in my life, I am still very aware that I need to finish what I started. I’m going to make a concentrated effort to finish polishing my WIP in case the agent wants to see it. In fact I started edits (for spelling and such) yesterday and it’s amazing what a pair of fresh eyes can do. I’m still toying with the idea of making Mari single. Possible a widow in the middle of the book. I can handle that scenario the best if it comes to that.

So if the agent who’s hopefully reading it now or soon doesn’t want it, then that will just help me in the direction I need to go. Maybe. Or I may have to shop it around and wait a while longer…or start rewriting. Everything is up in the air, but I do now more balance needs to come to my life and family. And it already has!

If you’re of the praying persuasion, I could use all you got!

I can’t remember how Tina and I first met online, but she soon became a kindred spirit. Then I heard her share her testimony at ACFW and I became an instant fan. This is Tina’s second interview here at Portrait. Be sure you don’t miss her first!

How does writing while unpublished differ from writing under a contract?

Ruby Among Us is the first novel I wrote, so I was writing it without too much thought of publication or anyone outside of loved ones reading it. Hardly anyone knew I was writing it for a long time, so there was a sense of purity to the process of writing the story. I had no censor inside or out to tell me I was doing it wrong. Maybe first novels all have the earmarks or mistakes of a first novelist, but there is nothing as innocent and pure as writing the first book.

Many people write a first book like this, but never get it published! What a testimony to the gift God has given you.

Writing with a deadline changes everything in that it can be hard to focus and get back to that place where the story is pure and true. It’s not impossible, obviously since novelists do it all the time, but the second time around takes more diligence. You no longer have just the writing to worry about. Suddenly there’s business to

concentrate on whether it’s publicity, marketing, or a long list of other things to do that are related to the contract.

One really has to step back from all the business stuff to focus on the writing or it can go by the wayside.

Do you miss those days of writing in obscurity without a looming deadline?

Yes! I miss writing without pressure to achieve and the risk of failure. I am so worried I am going to be a big

flop now that my book is going public. I have stopped reading reviews until my husband or sister reads them first because the negative ones make me feel so much pressure. I’m happy to say that I’ve had way more good reviews than not-good, but even just one less than stellar review really gets me down.

I am sure that it won’t always be like that once I get used to people reviewing my work. I really do appreciate an honest review, but for awhile, I just don’t need to read them. They’re for readers anyway, right? Not for the authors! If I were still writing in obscurity, there would be no reviews.

But having said that, I certainly wouldn’t trade in my contract. My publisher is phenomenal and it’s exciting to

get Ruby Among Us in front of readers. I always told myself that I would be okay if nobody outside of my family ever reads it, but now that the possibility is here for it to reach further, I’m glad for it.

I’m afraid of writing under a deadline. Afraid I’ll loose the joy of writing. Afraid my work won’t be as good because it will be rushed, and afraid my priorities will be skewed. Do you ever feel this way and how do you handle this?

Yes, all the time. It’s hard not to feel rushed and to organize priorities in an efficient manner. Sometimes I take a little break, but on the most part I just write through it. I know it sounds easier said than done, but it’s

really the only thing you can do. I have a junk file that I write in when my brain just won’t focus. It keeps me

writing while giving me permission to write really, really bad. I got the idea from an article I read once about Sue Grafton who does something similar.

Are there any more books in the future for this series?

My next book comes out in 2009. While it focuses on a sister-sister relationship, readers will get to see what happens to some of the characters in Ruby Among Us, including my favorite character, Kitty.

Do you have any other books coming out or in front of an editor?

I do have a handful of proposals that are in front of my agent now.

How did you land your agent?

I was blessed that a family member who knew a literary agent went behind my back and put my manuscript

on his desk. Thank goodness he liked it and offered to take me on; otherwise I would have been humiliated for my family member – and myself!

Did you get your agent before or after you sold your first book?

I found my agent before I sold my first book.

What would you tell writing moms and dads looking for that agent who will sell their first

book?

I would highly recommend having an agent to help sell your book. They know people. They know the ins, outs, and where your book will work best.

Look for agents at writer’s conferences where you can meet them face to face at appointments. Take the opportunity to sit by them at meal time to see if your personalities connect. Pay close attention and ask around the conference to see what other writers think of agents you are targeting for your projects. Ask the published authors you know to see what they think.

Be sure to ask for several references and also check them out on Preditors & Editors at http://anotherealm.com/prededitors/ or other watch groups before you sign on. If a potential agent reacts negatively to your request for references or to questions you have, then they probably are not legitimate.

Another bit of advice I would give is that agents and editors rarely pursue unknown novelists, so if you are approached out of the blue by an agent wanting to represent you, consider steering clear of them. Good agents especially usually have their hands full and don’t need to aggressively pursue potential writers.

What will you do if the next contract never comes?

Keep writing, just like I did before I had a contract. I love the act of writing so much that even though I love the idea of reaching real readers and sharing my stories, I would never stop writing just because I’m not contracted. I have to write!

People say write what you know? Was this true for you and A Ruby Among Us?

As writers, we mine our own experiences in order to know how a character would feel or what they might say or do. That doesn’t mean what we write is true. In fact, sometimes writing about a true situation can really end up quite boring because we are too close to it.

Ruby Among Us was influenced by experiences in my life or by situations I have seen. Once I put them on paper those situations changed to something new and became larger than life. It’s true that I was a single mom for awhile, so I know what it’s like. During that time in my life I also met other single moms in situations worse than mine, so I didn’t have to reach far to write about that experience for my characters even though the story is fiction.

So my answer is yes and no. It’s okay to write what you know, but you need to have some distance from it when you write fiction. It helps if you are willing to turn reality upside down and write the hypothetical side of it.

I’ve read several chapters of Ruby Among Us and I’m enjoying it very much, but it’s very different from the genre fiction I’m used to reading. How would you classify it? The first thing that comes to mind is it’s more literary than anything else in CBA.

Shhhh…I heard that’s a term for fiction that doesn’t sell! LOL. My publisher classifies it as Women’s Fiction. I don’t want to write something obscure that most readers can’t relate to. I want to write about emotions that are universal, but I want to approach it in ways that I can’t do in genre fiction.

There are other writers like Lisa Samson, Francine Rivers, Elizabeth Berg and Mary E. DeMuth (DeMuth endorsed Ruby Among Us) who I think do a better job than I do, but are very successful at mixing literary and commercial writing. After I wrote Ruby Among Us and started attending conferences, I was thrilled to discover Samson and DeMuth.

But I don’t think people write literary on purpose (do we?). It’s just something that happens when you sit down to write and it probably is also reflective of the kind of fiction we love to read the most.

Did you study the craft of writing before you wrote Ruby Among Us? While reading it, I have a hard time analyzing it (which is good) because I’m drawn into Lucy’s world, but I notice the first couple of chapters are heavy with narrative and back story, but it works. Why do you think that is?

Thank you. And yes. I am an English Major and in college I focused mostly on literature and writing, although getting a B.A. in English is really just breaking the ice in the field of literature. I wouldn’t say it qualifies me for anything spectacular, but I really think I began to find my voice when I was attending Sac State. I read and wrote lots of poetry, fiction, and essay during that time of my life.

When I wrote Ruby Among Us, I just wrote my heart thinking I could fix things later. I didn’t plan up front to write a lot of back story. I would never recommend a writer do that, but it just seemed to fit for this particular story.

Later, when I became contracted, my editor helped me to tighten the manuscript, but she let me keep the integrity of the story. I don’t know why it worked, except that the story came from my heart and my editor respected that. Everyone needs good editing and an editor who believes in the story without trying to shape it into something it’s not.

If you would compare your style to another author, who would it be?

I don’t dare. J But what I will say is that I love certain authors like Sue Monk Kidd, Mary E. DeMuth, and Elizabeth Berg.

What authors influenced your writing?

I’m sure every author I’ve ever read before writing Ruby Among Us has influenced me and anything I’ve read since will influence me in the future. I’m a book person rather than favorite author person and some of my favorite books I read before Ruby are The Hundred Secret Senses, Jane Eyre, Gone With the Wind, The Shell Seekers, Madame Bovary, and The Mark of the Lion Series, to name only a few that I loved. I guess the traits all of those books have in common are probably a strong sense of, or desire for, family connections and the search for redemption.

I’ve also read a lot of historical fiction and suspense, but I’m not sure how that plays into that. I think everything we read influences our writing, so it probably has affected me in some way that I don’t know!

Thanks for having me on again, Gina! I love your site!!

www.tinaannforkner.com

Grace is a character. As anyone can tell from reading this blog, but what happened on her kindergarten graduation is just a testimony to my wonderful, nonconformist, fiesty little girl.

When it was time to tell everyone what they wanted to be when they grew up, the kids walked up to the mic. The typical answers could be heard. “I want to be a doctor…a teacher…a police officer…etc, etc.”

But not Grace! No siree, not my nonconformist. No white collar, prestigious job for her! When she got to the mic she said, “I want to work at Sonic!”

I should have seen it coming. We eat at Sonic often. They have these really yummy, and I think healthy, grilled chicken snack wraps, like the ones at McDonalds. We’d often go there for lunch after gymnastic class. For a while she’s been enthralled with wanting to go inside Sonic. But it’s a drive-in fast food place. There’s no inside to go into, unless you work there. The other day she informed me she was going to work at Sonic when her kids were in school. Guess homeschooling for her is out of the question.

So when I heard the teacher say the kids were going to share what they wanted to be when they grew up, I already knew what Grace would say. I waited and smiled and laughed along with everyone else.

And when they shared their favorite Bible story Grace’s was the boy who shared his lunch! No, Grace sure wasn’t swayed by the popular career or even popular Bible stories (Noah’s Arc, Moses, Jesus’ Birth) but one thing she was was consistent…and probably a little hungry!

Seriously!

About two weeks ago I found something on me that looked like ringworm (not a real worm, but a fungus and equally yucky to think about.) So I scanned the internet and found that applying Monistat or some other fungal cream should take care of it. After a week of such application there seemed to develop a secondary rash. I went to my doctor and he gave me a stronger cream. I applied and reapplied and the rash seemed to move in random spots. I started putting the cream on these now hivelike bumps in hopes the itch would all go away.

No such luck! Though it a dull itch, it’s an itch none the less and after Memorial Day weekend friends encouraged me to go back to my doctor. Just my luck, he’s out of town and their walk in clinic always takes HOURS. So I opt for a walk in clinic by my house and get right in. The doc looks at my rash, tells me it’s probably an allergic reaction to something and offers me a shot and some medicine. I take the shot and the prescription, but grow weary at all the medicine. Prednesone, Zyrtec, and Pepcid? Isn’t that for heartburn?

I need to interject here that I like to go as natural and healthy as I can and yesterday I cracked open Kevin Thorueau (sp) book on natural health and felt totally guilty and already like I had one foot in the grave when I read about all the things making us sick…flouride and chlorine in tap water (we filter ours, but it’s not good enough according to Kevin,) not to mention the electromagnetic stress from laptops and cell phones and people! Did I mention my mom’s been living with us for almost five months! On top of that, I shouldn’t put anything into or on my body that is made by man! Okay, so after I’m completely depressed and convinced there’s some horrid disease brewing inside of me, I throw the book against the wall (not really, but I shut it and drop it on the floor.) Then I go upstairs and slather on the medicated chalomine lotion that’s the only thing stopping the itch…which is man made and will probably kill me before my rash goes away.

Back to today. After I look at the prescription and remember all this stuff is poison in and of itself, I call my family doctor where I am still waiting for a reply. Hopefully he’ll tell me all that stuff is not necessary. Then my mom reminds me of the natural clinic where I get my whole food supplements. I hadn’t thought of going in for a rash…well, actually I had, but I was a little afraid the supplements and herbs he’d prescribe wouldn’t not zap my rash but make me wallow in natural suffering for the duration of the itch.

But now looking at that lethally loaded prescription my thoughts go back to the natural doc. Last time I told him I took my kids to the pediatrician for a cold he stared through me and said I should have come to him first. So do I go to my natural doc and claim he’s the first guy I’ve seen, or fess up I’ve already covered my body in chemical salve and got a shot to the potent medicine to help clear up a rash I could have gotten because of the initial cream I put on? Or do I fill the prescription with all the medication I think is unnecessary?

Not sure what to do. The only thing I really want to do is scratch. But isn’t that how I got into this mess in the first place?

Itch UPDATE:

Called my natural doc, couldn’t get an appointment until Friday morning. Thought I could make it, but I was itching up a storm and making myself worse last night so hubby went to the pharmacy and we opted for two out of the tree prescriptions. I feel much better this morning and tomorrow I’ll still go to the natural doc and hopefully up my immune system!

Come back on Friday to read my interview with Tina and a chance to win her book!

Tina Ann Forkner writes contemporary fiction that challenges and inspires. Originally from Oklahoma, she graduated with honors in English from CSU Sacramento before ultimately settling in the wide-open spaces of Wyoming where she now resides with her husband and their three children. Tina serves on the Laramie County Library Foundation Board of Directors and enjoys gardening, spending time outdoors with her family, and works as a full-time writer.

Sometimes, the key that unlocks your future lies in someone else’s past…

In Ruby Among Us, Lucy DiCamillo is safely surrounded by her books, music, and art─but none of these reclusive comforts or even the protective efforts of her grandmother, Kitty can shield her from the memory of the mother she can no longer remember. Lucy senses her grandmother holds the key, but Kitty seems as eager to hide from the past as Lucy is eager to find it.

From the streets of San Francisco and Sacramento, to the lush vineyards of the Sonoma Valley, Lucy follows the thread of memory in search for a heritage that seems long-buried with her mother, Ruby.

What she finds is enigmatic and stirring in this redemptive tale about the power of faith and mother-daughter love.

“What an incredible story. As both mothers and daughters, Ruby Among Us struck a special cord in each of the four of us. Tina writes in a way that makes us feel like we’re there; from the first line, we were captivated and drawn into an intricate weaving of the precious and fragile relationships that define us.”
~Point of Grace~

“Reading is a passion of mine, and when I find myself identifying with the characters, anxious to get to the next page to find answers to my questions, I know I’m into a good book! The daughter-mother-grandmother theme in Ruby Among Us pulled me in. Wonderful story-telling.”
~Jordin Sparks~, 2007 winner of American Idol

“Highly recommended. If you’re a mother or daughter, you’re going to love Ruby Among Us. Forkner does an extraordinary job…. I look forward to more from this author.”
~Ane Mulligan~, Novel Journey

“Don’t miss this one! Tina Ann Forkner is a strong new voice in fiction and Ruby Among Us is an amazing story of trials, regrets, and, ultimately, redemption. Lucy and her family history in the historic wine country of Sonoma bring to life the Scriptures about the Vine and His branches.”
~Kristin Billerbeck~, author of The Trophy Wives Club

If you would like to read the first chapter go HERE

My little girl is growing up. The day before she turned six she decided to turn off her night light! And she actually slept through the night and didn’t come into our room. The next day she wanted to call daddy on the phone and tell him she turned her night light off in her room. Now she wants her night light taken out. When I said I’d do it she clapped her hands!

Grace is so big and proud of her new accomplishment and so am I.

They’re all over the video game stores. Those colored boxes that you have to stomp while giant arrows scroll up the screen. Big kids. Little kids. Fat kids. Skinny kids. All pounding and sweating to some upbeat rocking music.

They call it dancing, I call it great exercise and a lot of fun.

This year Joey (11) wanted Dance Dance Revolution. He got to play it over a friends house. It was the first time I tried and I have to say for someone that took dance while I was younger and who’s pretty coordinated, I felt like a klutz. But the music was great! If you didn’t mind singing to “Brick House.” It was definitely nostalgic. But I had to think twice when my son wanted it. Did I actually want him to be listening to all the secular songs I grew up on.

The answer was no. So we looked into the newer versions. But with artists like Brittney Spears and Justin Timberlake, I didn’t think that was a better choice. Then I saw Dance Praise in a Christian store. I almost bought it. But I wasn’t crazy about the fact it had to be played on your computer. I didn’t think screen would be big enough. So I went home and read some Amazon reviews. They all got 5 stars and were mostly used by ladies trying to lose weight. I decided to go back and buy it. But when we tried it on my son’s computer it didn’t work. The music was great, but the screen didn’t work.

Joey was disappointed, packed it up and he and dad headed off to Toys R Us. They came home with Disney Dance Revolution. I decent alternative. With songs from Hannah Montana and High School Musical how bad could it be?

I tried my hand…or foot…at the game and realized the kids had it on too hard a setting. I played the easier version and while it was fun I didn’t like the fact a giant BOO would come on the screen when I missed! It really made me feel depressed! Also, I didn’t like the fact that I had to change the song every time it was over. I would have liked it to keep playing. I’ll have to ask my son if there’s a setting that gives you continuous play.

Everyday Joey comes home from school and starts playing. He really sweats up a storm. (pardon the cliche) and I don’t mind him playing as long as he has home work done.

So what happened to the Dance Praise Revolution? I got it back out of the package and tried it out on my computer. It worked beautifully. The arrows were big enough for my aging eye sight and the music was awesome. All the latest in Christian artists! It has several different modes (like Disney Dance Revolution) you can play by recording how many calories you want to burn or the time you want to dance. It has regular dance mode and many other things I haven’t explored yet.

The second time I popped in the cd no music came on and the arrows didn’t scroll. I got frustrated and decided to try it another day. It happened a second time. I searched and switched and did everything I could think of . Then I got online for tech support. My problem was solved in the FAQs. It seemed there’s a glitch sometimes and to start the music/ dance segment you have to choose a song from the list. I did that and had no trouble. The songs and dances played continuously for my scheduled 30 minutes. I graduated to Medium and had fun doing it!

So if you’re looking for an alternative to the Dance Dance Revolution craze, here are two great options! No one is paying me for this review or gave me any products to sample. I just thought something this fun and great should be made more public!

No Pocket Jeans

You are confident and completely comfortable with your body.You don’t mind showing off – in fact, you put it all out there!

What Style of Womens Jeans Are You?

Well, I wouldn’t exactly say I’m comfortable with my body, and want to put it out there. It’s just out there, if you know what I mean!

What about you? What style of women’s jeans are you?

Rene Gutteridge is the author of twelve novels, including the Boo series, the Storm series, and the novelization for The Ultimate Gift, as well as Scoop and Snitch, the first two Occupational Hazard novels. She lives with her husband, Sean, and their two children in Oklahoma City. You can read my original interview with her here.

How does writing while unpublished differ from writing under a contract?

It’s not all that different, if you’re just talking about the writing part itself. I think there is pressure both ways. Either way, you’re asking yourself, Am I good enough?? There are very few writers who have full confidence in their abilities. Writing under contract does give you access to a lot of constructive criticism, though! It’s a delight to work with great editors, though. They work their magic in remarkable ways!

Do you miss those days of writing in obscurity?

Ha! Well, I still feel like I’m writing in obscurity! Writing is so solitary, even when you’re published. It’s so nice to hear from fans through my website. I love it. It makes me feel more connected to my readers.

I’m afraid of writing under a deadline. Afraid I’ll loose the joy of writing. Afraid my work won’t be as good because it will be rushed, and afraid my priorities will be skewed. Do you ever feel this way and how do you handle this?

My first deadline was CRAZY! My son was five weeks old when I got the contract for a book that was just in proposal form. It took me several years to get everything adjusted in my life. This is really the first year that I don’t write on weekends, but that’s because my kids are in school and I don’t have little ones around anymore. It’s helping so much. Deadlines are good, though, in that they really make you finish the project and write with a goal in mind. You’re under contract and you have to deliver. I tend to work well under pressure, but if you sense it’s going to be difficult for you, make sure that you talk to your publisher about the length of time they’re giving you. If they say six months and you need nine, definitely bring that up.

Are there any more books in the future for this series?

Not as of right now. I’m working on a new romantic comedy and a new suspense. But I may return to the Hazards. They are a fun bunch to hang out with.

How did you land your agent?

I had published three books by the time Janet came on board. I was in desperate need of her, though. I was having a difficult time with two young ones writing the books, not to mention the business side of things. I had met her at Mt. Hermon the year before but it wasn’t until the next year that we seriously talked about it. It was nice to meet her face to face, and I think nice for her too. We clicked right off, and that was helpful in making me decision. She also had a stellar reputation among publishers.

What would you tell writing moms and dads looking for that agent who will sell their first book?

You have to look at it like publishing. It’s going to take some time and you’re going to get rejected. Don’t be discouraged, but also try to step back and look at the reason for rejection. If you’re getting several letters stating your writing is not up to par, look at it objectively and see where you can improve. If possible, meet agents at writers conferences so you can get a feel for their personality. And remember, it is still possible to be discovered from the slush pile!

What will do if the next contract never comes?

Well, that’s every writer’s nightmare! First, I’d cry. A lot. It would be a hard thing to swallow. Then I’d probably enjoy being a non-working mom and wife. At least for a little while. But I am an artist, so I would need to find some outlet for that, whether it’s oil painting, which I used to do when I was younger, or screenwriting. Something! At the end of the day, though, I’d simply have to trust God and know that He has not abandoned me. He has a purpose and a plan for my life, plans to prosper me!

Blissfully unaware that Atlantica Flight 1945 from Atlanta to Amsterdam is about to make aviation history, First Officer Danny McSweeney focuses his energies on navigating the turbulent personalities of an eccentric female captain, a co-pilot with a talent for tactless comments and conspiracy theories, and a lead flight attendant with an outsized attitude that definitely exceeds the limits for carry-on baggage.

On the other side of the cockpit door, the unscheduled in-flight entertainment includes a potbellied pig, a jittery diamond courier, and the recently jilted Lucy Meredith, whose personal mantra of “What Would Oprah Do?” will be challenged by the sudden appearance of her ex and his new traveling partner. On her left sits Hank Hazard, whose unusually polite but constant requests–prompted by his covert role as a spy for the airline–test the limits of the crew’s customer service.

But as Lucy and the rest of the crew discover, Hank’s odd behavior is linked to a quiet faith that may play a key role in the fate of everyone on board. Especially when an unexpected traveler sets this already bumpy flight on a course toward the unfriendly skies.

Buy Skid today or enter to win a free copy!

I feel like I’ve come full circle from when I started this blog. (If you don’t know the story you can find it under my photo in the sidebar. Click Debut Post.) I started this blog when I felt God urging me to give up writing, specifically my WIP. I did and it was like a part of me died. But I grew closer to God, and I thought I was getting my priorities in order. Maybe I was fooling myself. Maybe I just traded one idol for another. Maybe I missed God.

I feel like I’m a cross road. My family’s needs and demands have slowly been neglected again while I seek comfort and escape to the blogosphere and pursue my own dreams. I’ve been telling myself that when my WIP is finished, when school is out, then I’ll get my house in order. Maybe I’m just fooling myself. While I feel like I’m doing some good to some out here who read my blog, should I be trying to do more good in my family? Maybe this blog should be titled Portrait of a Mom…Interrupted. Maybe my writing is an interruption in my life… I just don’t know anymore.

My husband doesn’t feel like I’ve been pulling my weight around the house. His exact words “I really don’t know what you do around here.” I understand what and why he said that. And there’s a measure of truth to his words. My mother has been living with us for four months and has been carrying the load of doing laundry and some cooking while I concentrated on my writing. I know I’ve taken advantage… My husband has always been wonderful about putting the kids to bed at night among his other self-imposed to do list. He rarely complains, but I can sense his disapproval when I’m writing and he thinks I should be doing something else.

I know I do a lot, but it looks like maybe it’s not enough. (Deep down I know it’s not enough.) I wish I were one of those moms that simply had dreams and goals to be the best mom, wife and homemaker, but I’m not. I hate most things domestic. I don’t clean or do laundry on a schedule, but they get done. I wish I wasn’t like this. I wish God would take away my other desires, at least during this time of my life. I think maybe he is.

My husband thinks I spend about four hours a day on the computer. I don’t think I do…but I often run to the computer when I’m tired or need a break. And I know I take advantage of his servant heart more times than I should. I’ve been feeling the conviction myself to get on a schedule a routine and I started one today with the kids, but maybe it’s not enough.

Maybe I need to do more at home and less here. I don’t know. Or maybe I do know, and I don’t like the answer.

I feel like a complete failure at this balancing thing. I’ve interviewed hundreds of moms who do it and yet I still can’t make it work in my life. Maybe balance isn’t for me. Maybe I’m an all or nothing kind of person. I don’t know. I don’t know much or anything anymore except I feel like I’ve come full circle again and I’m not sure what to do about it.

Maybe I need some time to sort it all out. Maybe I need a blogging sabbatical to focus on my family more. I don’t know. All I know is that what I’m doing is not working for my family again. But honestly, I don’t think not blogging or not writing will fix everything that needs to be fixed, but it might be a start. How I hate the dying to self thing! It seems to do everyone else good except me!

Here I’ve come full circle, Lord. Now what?

I guess a good place to start is to list all the books I’m currently reading! Maybe if I finish them before summer, I’ll add some more to the list!

Fiction:

The Restorer by Sharon Hinck
I really enjoyed this book, the story or an ordinary soccer mom, given the awesome and frightening task of saving a people.

The Penny by Joyce Meyer and Deborah
Better than I thought and a quick read. You can read my review here!

My Name is Russell Fink by Michael Snyder (It’s an advanced readers copy and soon be out if not already!)

Mr. Inside by L. Frank James
Interesting story but not as well crafted as I would have liked. Read more about it here.

Bayou Justice by Robin Caroll
Fun romantic suspense read from first time author. Though more mystery than suspense and I guessed who dun it early on!

The Hunted by Mike Dellosso
Fabulous suspense/horror (but not too awful) read from first time author. I devoured (strange choice of words since the book is about a rogue lion roaming the woods of Pennsylvania) this book in less than a week. Look for my full review on June 2nd!

Embrace Me by Lisa Samson
Poignant and difficult read because of the issues and emotions dealt with, but well worth the read. Not many books make me cry and this one did! I closed the book bleary eyed! And I’m giving a copy away this week!

Non Fiction:
As always, I’m a little behind on my nonfiction reading.

The Vow by Ed Gungur
Every Sunday for the past couple of weeks I’ve been blogging about this book and how vowing is a way we can show our love to God.

Scene of the Crime by Anne Wingate, PHD (Technically I’m skimming this, but I’m still counting it)

Do Hard Things by Alex & Brett Harris

Generation NeXt Parenting by Tricia Goyer

And maybe, just maybe Experiencing the Resurrection by Henry & Melvin Blackaby

Don’t let your cash get away from you this summer. Join me Saturdays here at Portrait of a Writer…Interrupted and get a grip on your cash flow and start sharing your savings ideas.

I don’t know about you, but I’m appalled at how quickly gas is rising, so I’m on a mission to think of ways for my family (and yours) to save money. If you have some fabulous ideas to save money this summer, then join me in posting one idea every Saturday.

Here are the official rules:

Write a summer money saving post and copy the logo and link back here to the Mr. Linky post

Invite others back here to view more tips on how to save money this summer

Sign Mr. Linky with the url of your Money Saving Post

Do NOT add a Mr. Linky to your blog, but encourage those who want to participate to visit here!

More on what to post:

You can share your ideas or some things you did the previous week to save (or make money.) I can’t wait to hear all the wonderful money saving tips you have. Don’t forget to share your money saving ideas and sign Mr. Linky! Here’s mine!

Swim in the backyard! Instead of driving ten miles to our local waterpark three times a week, we bought a softside pool with the money we earned from our garage sale. Not only will this save on gas, but it will keep the kids entertained without me having to pack up all the kids! We’ll still go to the water park during the summer, but not as much as we used to. And I might even get more things done around the house!

So what about you? Do you plan on cutting back on cable (we don’t have it) or curbing your latte spending? I’d like to know. Add your link to your Summer Saving Tip to Mr. Linky below and let’s start saving! Just click on YOU’RE NEXT to see the list of participants and add your link!

Never Say Diet by Chantel Hobbs

What they Say:

Chantel Hobbs, a mother of four, recounts her struggles with obesity, body image and health in Never Say Diet. Realizing that choosing to live well was one of the best gifts she could give her family, Chantel is so excited to encourage YOU this Mother’s Day to take the small but meaningful steps towards a healthier life. Ditch the diet! Buy some new skinny jeans! And don’t forget to read the five tips to get your family fit this spring.

What I Say: 

I’ve been exercising regularly for several years now, but with each birthday came a few extra pounds. I had to face facts. I was getting older and my metabolism was slowing down. No matter how much I exercised the scale fluctuated five pounds. I could never break the invisible barrier.  I guess part of me didn’t think I could unless I really cut back on my food. But my draw to food was still strong and I was still eating more calories than I seemed to be burning.

Then I got Never Say Diet in the mail. I thought, “what the heck, it really couldn’t hurt.” My heart was desperate to shed the last 20 or so of my baby weight, but my mind just gave up on it ever happening. When I started to read Chantel’s story of weighing over 300 lbs. and getting a healthy, lean, I started to get encouraged. Her no nonsense writing style was refreshing especially since it came from someone who was severely obese and not a skinny, size zero personal trainer. The one thing that Chantel said, that I had known, was that I needed to change my brain about food. I don’t know whether it was her book, or summer and not really feeling like cooking big meals, but I started to see a change in my appetite. I didn’t really feel like eating as much as I had been, plus I started increasing my workout intensity and I actually saw a drop in the scales.

I remember, before this book, telling my friend how it seemed to try and diet and that I really needed a gift from God. A gift of weight loss to get me motivated again. Well, it only took two pounds and I felt my hope rise. Maybe I can actually lose the weight!

Though this week has been wrought with one birthday party after the other, and I did indulge in cake and ice cream several times already, my normal meals have been less, and I’m sticking to what Chantel said to do. The first month of her commitment to get fit, she only concentrated on exercise and still ate the way she used to. So I’m still on track. I’ve been working out 20-30 everyday with increasing intensity and it feels good to sweat a little more than usual.

I’m not all the way through the book, but I’m excited to be on this journey in hopes and anticipation that I’ll never say diet again!

At least that’s what the quiz on facebook said. I didn’t really like the questions, for example, it asked me what genre I like to read and then gave me a list of about a dozen. NONE were in suspense, mystery so I opted for Tragedy! I think that’s what pushed me toward Hemingway! Isn’t he the guy that killed himself??? Oy!

Ernest Hemingway

Author of, “The Old Man and the Sea.” “Alas” and “Woe,” you are a person who respects the tear above the laugh. You find great meaning and depth in pain and tragedy, and while others may see you as dark, you have a great understanding for why people are the way they are, why they act the way they do, and why they believe what they believe. You are easy to talk to, easy to listen to, and respect people for their sufferings. Though slow to a joke, you are quick to a laugh.

Not get much house cleaning done! That’s for sure!

I have a confession to make. I hate to clean house, do laundry, do dishes, etc. For a while I was blessed with having someone come to my house every other week and mop the floor, clean the bathrooms and dust. But that came to an end a while ago.

In between cleaning visits, Clorox Wipes were my best friend! Now that I don’t have anyone cleaning for me, they’re are a life saver! I use them for everything. From spot cleaning the kitchen floor, to cleaning around the toilet, and on the sink and faucets. They come out when I see a fresh dirt hand print on the wall or to clean dust bunnies from corners. I don’t know what I’d do without them.

When Clorox came out with their new disinfecting wipes, I was eager to try the sample they sent. I immediately noticed they had a stronger smell. They package says they’re thicker and they claim to cut through, sticky messes easily. I decided to test their claim:

I compared original Clorox wipes with the new disinfecting wipes and I have to admit the newer ones are thicker and I love the griping, suction cup like protrusions that help scrub up dirt. I used them to wipe bird droppings off my car window, to clean up dog hair hiding in the corners of my kitchen, and to clean my mirrors. And it’s true, there were no streaks. Next task is to clean up the dried up egg on my smooth top stove! A true test of the products worth!

More info:

Clorox Disinfecting Wipes are bleach-free and are safe to use on hard surfaces from glass and stainless steel to marble and granite. The new wipes also contain a streak-free formula that makes them ideal for quick cleaning of mirrors, windows, and metal fixtures. And, as always, the Clorox Disinfecting Wipes kill 99.9% of bacteria, including salmonella, E.coli and the flu virus. Well, my family has been flu free for years WITHOUT getting the flu vaccine so maybe there’s something to this claim!

I have a container of Clorox wipes under every sink and need to get one for my car. They truly are a busy moms life and time saver!

The other day I asked the kids to clean up the dress up box. They played dress up instead. Gracie (5.9 yrs) put on a double breasted black child size overcoat and proclaimed she was president.

When asked what she’d do as president she said, “I’d kill people and take their money!”

My reaction: Oh my! Though I’m not a president basher, I couldn’t help thinking that’s probably how many people see some presidents!

Later I told Gracie I was going to write it on the computer and tell my friends. She said, “Mommy, instead of killing people, I’ll put them in jail, and just make sure they know I was joking.”

Good thing she’s too young to run for president!

I’m so excited to be apart of the Teen FIRST Tour. That means great books for my kids to read this summer. A review of this book will come later because right now my son is hooked on the Ted Dekker Lost Book Series. He’s read CHOSEN and begged me to buy the rest of the series!

It’s May 21st, time for the Teen FIRST blog tour!(Join our alliance! Click the button!) Every 21st, we will feature an author and his/her latest Teen fiction book’s FIRST chapter!

Robert Liparulo

and his book:

House of Dark Shadows: Dreamhouse Kings, Book #1

Thomas Nelson (May 6, 2008)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Robert Liparulo is an award-winning author of over a thousand published articles and short stories. He is currently a contributing editor for New Man magazine. His work has appeared in Reader’s Digest, Travel & Leisure, Modern Bride, Consumers Digest, Chief Executive, and The Arizona Daily Star, among other publications. In addition, he previously worked as a celebrity journalist, interviewing Stephen King, Tom Clancy, Charlton Heston, and others for magazines such as Rocky Road, Preview, and L.A. Weekly. He has sold or optioned three screenplays.

Robert is an avid scuba diver, swimmer, reader, traveler, and a law enforcement and military enthusiast. He lives in Colorado with his wife and four children.

Here are some of his titles:

Comes a Horseman

Germ

Deadfall

AND NOW…THE FIRST CHAPTER:

“A house of which one knows every room isn’t worth living in.”

—Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa

Prologue

Thirty years ago

The walls of the house absorbed the woman’s screams, until they felt to her as muffled and pointless as yelling underwater. Still, her lungs kept pushing out cries for help. Her attacker carried her over his shoulder. The stench of his sweat filled her nostrils. He paid no heed to her frantic writhing, or the pounding of her fists on his back, or even her fingernails, which dug furrows into his flesh. He simply lumbered, as steadily as a freight train, through the corridors of the big house.

She knew where they were heading, but not where she would end up. In this house, nothing was normal, nothing as it appeared. So while she knew in advance the turns her attacker would take, which hallways and doors he would traverse, their destination was as unknowable as a faraway galaxy. And that meant her taking would be untraceable. She would be unreachable to searchers. To would-be rescuers. To her family— and that realization terrified her more than being grabbed out of her bed. More than the flashes of imagined cruelty she would suffer away from the protection of the people who loved her. More than death.

But then she saw something more terrifying: her children, scrambling to catch up, to help. Their eyes were wide, streaming. They stumbled up the narrow staircase behind her attacker, seeming far below, rising to meet her. The thought of them following her into the chasm of her fate was more than she could stand.

“Go back,” she said, but by this time her throat was raw, her voice weak.

The man reached the landing and turned into another corridor.

Temporarily out of sight, her son yelled, “Mom!” His seven-year-old voice was almost lost in the shrillness of his panic. He appeared on the landing. His socked feet slipped on the hardwood floor and he went down. Behind him, his little sister stopped. She was frightened and confused, too young to do anything more than follow her brother. He clambered up and started to run again.

A hand gripped his shoulder, jarring him back.

The boy’s father had something in his fist: the lamp from his nightstand! He past the boy in the hallway. His bare feet gave him traction.

Thank God, she thought.

He reached her in seconds. With the lamp raised over his head, he grabbed her wrist. He pulled, tried to anchor himself to the floor, to the carpeted runner now covering the wood planks. But the brute under her walked on, tugging him with them. The man yanked on her arm. Pain flared in her shoulder. He might as well have tried pulling her from a car as it sped passed.

She caught a glimpse of the bizarrely shaped light fixtures on the corridor walls—mostly carved faces with glowing eyes. The bulbs flickered in time with her racing heart. She could not remember any of the lights doing that before. It was as though the electrical current running through the wires was responding to a disruption in the way things were supposed to be, a glitch in reality.

“Henry,” she said, pleading, hopeful.

His grip tightened as he stumbled along behind them. He brought the lamp’s heavy base down on her assailant. If the man carrying her flinched, she did not feel it. If he grunted or yelled out, she did not hear it.

What he did was stop. He spun around so quickly, the woman’s husband lost his grip on her. And now facing the other direction, she lost sight of him. Being suddenly denied her husband’s visage felt like getting the wind knocked out of her. She realized he was face to face with the man who’d taken her, and that felt like watching him step off a cliff.

“Nooo!” she screamed, her voice finding some volume. “Henry!”

His hand gripped her ankle, then broke free. The man under her moved in a violent dance, jostling her wildly. He spun again and her head struck the wall.

The lights went out completely . . . . but no, not the lights . . . her consciousness. It came back to her slowly, like the warmth of fire on a blistery day.

She tasted blood. She’d bitten her tongue. She opened her eyes. Henry was crumpled on the floor, receding as she was carried away. The children stood over him, touching him, calling him. Her son’s eyes found hers again. Determination hardened his jaw, pushed away the fear . . . at least a measure of it. He stepped over his father’s legs, coming to her rescue. Henry raised his head, weary, stunned. He reached for the boy, but missed.

Over the huffing breath of the man, the soft patter of her son’s feet reached her ears. How she’d loved that sound, knowing it was bringing him to her. Now she wanted it to carry him away, away from this danger. Her husband called to him in a croaking, strained voice. The boy kept coming.

She spread her arms. Her left hand clutched at open air, but the right one touched a wall. She clawed at it. Her nails snagged the wallpaper. One nail peeled back from her finger and snapped off.

Her assailant turned again, into a room—one of the small antechambers, like a mud room before the real room. He strode straight toward the next threshold.

Her son reached the first door, catching it as it was closing.

“Mom!” Panic etched old-man lines into his young face. His eyes appeared as wide as his mouth. He banged his shoulder on the jamb, trying to hurry in.

“Stay!” she said. She showed him her palms in a “stop” gesture, hoping he would understand, hoping he would obey. She took in his face, as a diver takes in a deep breath before plunging into the depths. He was fully in the antechamber now, reaching for her with both arms, but her captor had already opened the second door and was stepping through. The door was swinging shut behind him.

The light they were stepping into was bright. It swept around her, through the opening, and made pinpoints of the boy’s irises. His blue eyes dazzled. His cheeks glistened with tears. He wore his favorite pajamas—little R2D2s and C3P0s all over them, becoming threadbare and too small for him.

“I—“ she started, meaning to say she loved him, but the brute bounded downward, driving his shoulder into her stomach. Air rushed from her, unformed by vocal chords, tongue, lips. Just air.

“Moooom!” her son screamed. Full of despair. Reaching. Almost to the door.
“Mo—“

The door closed, separating her from her family forever.

1

Now

Saturday, 4:55 P.M.

“Nothing but trees,” the bear said in Xander’s voice. It repeated itself: “Nothing but trees.”

Xander King turned away from the car window and stared into the smiling furry face, with its shiny half-bead eyes and stitched-on nose. He said, “I mean it, Toria. Get that thing out of my face. And turn it off.”

His sister’s hands moved quickly over the teddy bear’s paws, all the while keeping it suspended three inches in front of Xander. The bear said, “I mean it, Toria. Get that—”

At fifteen years old, Xander was too old to be messing around with little-kid toys. He seized the bear, squeezing the paw that silenced it.

“Mom!” Toria yelled. ”Make him give Wuzzy back!” She grabbed for it.

Xander turned away from her, tucking Wuzzy between his body and the car door. Outside his window, nothing but trees—as he had said and Wuzzy had agreed. It reminded him of a movie, as almost everything did. This time, it was The Edge, about a bear intent on eating Anthony Hopkins. An opening shot of the wilderness where it was filmed showed miles and miles of lush forest. Nothing but trees.

A month ago, his dad had announced that he had accepted a position as principal of a school six hundred miles away, and the whole King family had to move from the only home Xander had ever known. It was a place he had never even heard of: Pinedale, almost straight north from their home in Pasadena. Still in California, but barely. Pinedale. The name itself said “hick,” “small,” and “If you don’t die here, you’ll wish you had.” Of course, he had screamed, begged, sulked, and threatened to run away. But in the end here he was, wedged in the back seat with his nine-year-old sister and twelve-year-old brother.

The longer they drove, the thicker the woods grew and the more miserable he became. It was bad enough, leaving his friends, his school—everything!—but to be leaving them for hicksville, in the middle of nowhere, was a stake through his heart.

“Mom!” Toria yelled again, reaching for the bear.

Xander squeezed closer to the door, away from her. He must have put pressure on the bear in the wrong place: It began chanting in Toria’s whiny voice: “Mom! Mom! Mom!”

He frantically squeezed Wuzzy’s paws, but could not make it stop.

“Mom! Mom! Mom!”

The controls in the bear’s arms weren’t working. Frustrated by its continuous one-word poking at his brain—and a little concerned he had broken it and would have to buy her a new one—he looked to his sister for help.

She wasn’t grabbing for it anymore. Just grinning. One of those see-what-happens-when-you-mess-with-me smiles.

“Mom! Mom! Mom!”

Xander was about to show her what happened when you messed with him—the possibilities ranged from a display of his superior vocal volume to ripping Mr. Wuzzy’s arms right off—when the absurdity of it struck him. He cracked up.

“I mean it,” he laughed. “This thing is driving me crazy.” He shook the bear at her. It continued yelling for their mother.

His brother David, who was sitting on the other side of Toria and who had been doing a good job of staying out of the fight, started laughing too. He mimicked the bear, who was mimicking their sister: “Mom! Mom! Mom!”

Mrs. King shifted around in the front passenger seat. She was smiling, but her eyes were curious.

“Xander broke Wuzzy!” Toria whined. “He won’t turn off.” She pulled the bear out of Xander’s hands.

The furry beast stopped talking: “Mo—” Then, blessed silence.

Toria looked from brother to brother and they laugh again.

Xander shrugged. “I guess he just doesn’t like me.”

“He only likes me,” Toria said, hugging it.

“Oh, brother,” David said. He went back to the PSP game that had kept him occupied most of the drive.

Mom raised her eyebrows at Xander and said, “Be nice.”

Xander rolled his eyes. He adjusted his shoulders and wiggled his behind, nudging Toria. “It’s too cramped back here. It may be an SUV, but it isn’t big enough for us anymore.”

“Don’t start that,” his father warned from behind the wheel. He angled the rearview mirror to see his son.

“What?” Xander said, acting innocent.

“I did the same thing with my father,” Dad said. “The car’s too small . . . it uses too much gas . . . it’s too run down . . . ”

Xander smiled. “Well, it is.”

“And if we get a new car, what should we do with this one?”

“Well . . . .” Xander said. “You know. It’d be a safe car for me.” A ten-year-old Toyota 4Runner wasn’t his idea of cool wheels, but it was transportation.

Dad nodded. “Getting you a car is something we can talk about, okay? Let’s see how you do.”

“I have my driver’s permit. You know I’m a good driver.”

“He is,” Toria chimed in.

David added, “And then he can drive us to school.”

“I didn’t mean just the driving,” Dad said. He paused, catching Xander’s eyes in the mirror. “I mean with all of this, the move and everything.”

Xander stared out the window again. He mumbled, “Guess I’ll never get a car, then.”

“Xander?” Dad said. “I didn’t hear that.”

“Nothing.”

“He said he’ll never get a car,” Toria said.

Silence. David’s thumbs clicked furiously over the PSP buttons. Xander was aware of his mom watching him. If he looked, her eyes would be all sad-like, and she would be frowning in sympathy for him. He thought maybe his dad was looking too, but only for an opportunity to explain himself again. Xander didn’t want to hear it. Nothing his old man said would make this okay, would make ripping him out of his world less awful than it was.

“Dad, is the school’s soccer team good? Did they place?” David asked. Xander knew his brother wasn’t happy about the move either, but jumping right into the sport he was so obsessed about went a long way toward making the change something he could handle. Maybe Xander was like that three years ago, just rolling with the punches. He couldn’t remember. But now he had things in his life David didn’t: friends who truly mattered, ones he thought he’d spend the rest of his life with. Kids didn’t think that way. Friends could come and go and they adjusted. True, Xander had known his current friends for years, but they hadn’t become like blood until the last year or so.

That got him thinking about Danielle. He pulled his mobile phone from his shirt pocket and checked it. No text messages from her. No calls. She hadn’t replied to the last text he’d sent. He keyed in another: “Forget me already? JK.” But he wasn’t Just Kidding. He knew the score: Out of sight, out of mind. She had said all the right things, like We’ll talk on the phone all the time; You come down and see me and I’ll come up to see you, okay? and I’ll wait for you.

Yeah, sure you will, he thought. Even during the past week, he’d sensed a coldness in her, an emotional distancing. When he’d told his best friend, Dean had shrugged. Trying to sound world-wise, he’d said, “Forget her, dude. She’s a hot young babe. She’s gotta move on. You too. Not like you’re married, right?” Dean had never liked Danielle.

Xander tried to convince himself she was just another friend he was forced to leave behind. But there was a different kind of ache in his chest when he thought about her. A heavy weight in his stomach.

Stop it! he told himself. He flipped his phone closed.

On his mental list of the reasons to hate the move to Pinedale, he moved on to the one titled “career.” He had just started making short films with his buddies, and was pretty sure it was something he would eventually do for a living. They weren’t much, just short skits he and his friends acted out. He and Dean wrote the scripts, did the filming, used computer software to edit an hour of video into five-minute films, and laid music over them. They had six already on YouTube—with an average rating of four-and-a-half stars and a boatload of praise. Xander had dreams of getting a short film into the festival circuit, which of course would lead to offers to do music videos and commercials, probably an Oscar and onto feature movies starring Russell Crowe and Jim Carrey. Pasadena was right next to Hollywood, a twenty-minute drive. You couldn’t ask for a better place to live if you were the next Steven Spielberg. What in God’s creation would he find to film in Pinedale? Trees, he thought glumly, watching them fly past his window.

Dad, addressing David’s soccer concern, said, “We’ll talk about it later.”

Mom reached through the seatbacks to shake Xander’s knee. “It’ll work out,” she whispered.

“Wait a minute,” David said, understanding Dad-talk as well as Xander did. “Are you saying they suck—or that they don’t have a soccer team? You told me they did!”

“I said later, Dae.” His nickname came from Toria’s inability as a toddler to say David. She had also called Xander Xan, but it hadn’t stuck.

David slumped down in his seat.

Xander let the full extent of his misery show on his face for his mother.

She gave his knee a shake, sharing his misery. She was good that way. “Give it some time,” she whispered. “You’ll make new friends and find new things to do. Wait and see.”

When Grace was little, strangers used to come up to me in the store and remark at how much she looked like an Olsen Twin. What do you think?