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Catherine Castle

~ Romance for the Ages

Catherine Castle

Tag Archives: Author Catherine Castle’s garden blog

A Writer’s Garden–Catherine Castle’s Garden Anticipations

18 Thursday Oct 2018

Posted by Catherine Castle in A Groom for Mama, A Writer's Garden, garden blog series, Romance

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

A Groom for Mama, A Writer's Garden, Author Catherine Castle's garden blog, Garden Anticipations, Sweet romance

Welcome to A Writer’s Garden where writers who are gardeners or just love gardens will be sharing their garden and flower stories, as well as a bit about their writing gardens—aka their books.

Today’s guest is me, Catherine Castle, and I’m going to share my garden adventures and pictures from this season, with a peek at past years.

 

“If you would be happy, plant a garden.” Chinese Proverb

 Garden Anticipations

 

As I write this post, it’s supposed to be fall in our gardens, but here in Southern Ohio the weather has been more summer-like than fall-like. This past week is the first where it has actually felt like fall. The most fall-ish thing I see outside my kitchen window is my sedum, whose tops have turned maroon. I’ve never seen them quite this dark. I’m wondering if it’s because we had a nice amount of rain this year.

I’m anxiously awaiting the flaming red leaves of my burning bush to appear. If I’m lucky I’ll just be able to see it over the no-longer-dwarf mugo pines. The landscaper didn’t tell me I needed to trim them to keep them dwarf and now they block everything behind them.

Picture of red flaming bush when it was young

 

Since the temps have finally dropped below 40 degrees so I—and when I say I, I mean my dear hubby—can dig up some daylilies and wayward black-eyed Susans in a chigger-infested bed and make the bed more tidy. I can’t do heavy labor any more. I get the sit-on-the-garden-stool-and-sort jobs now. While weeding the bed this spring I was eaten alive by the no-see-em bugs, so all gardening stopped in that spot. If you’ve ever had a bunch of chigger bites you know how miserable that can be. I did discover that ice packs held on the bites until you can’t feel your legs kill the sting and itch.

North deck beds that has the chiggers

 

Another fall job we need to do is in the front day lily bed. This bed is full of weedy runner grass, also known as quack grass or snake grass. For three years we’ve sprayed and dug the three tiers back in this corner in an attempt to kill the grass. The grass is gone from the back and we’re ready tackle the last patch of pesky grass. We started the big job this Tuesday, and I think I’m going to have more day lilies than I have bare areas to replant them in. We may have to drop some back in the same place and just keep fighting the weedy grass by hand.

Weedy Day lilies

 

Because of my back issue, we had landscapers come in and do the heavy work this spring. They tore out most of my Shasta Daisies in the front beds. They had become puny and full of clover, which is extremely hard to eradicate or pull. I will be dividing my Stella D’Oro daylilies to fill the empty spaces in the picture on the left below. This is what the beds looked like in their heyday. They haven’t looked as nice recently as the clumps had begun to thin out and bloom sparsely. More weedy than lovely.

 

 

 

 

Old shasta bed (L) and cleared shasta bed (R)

 

Garden Gymnastics

Oh, and I must share the lovely beds my husband built me this spring along the front stairs and the gard. He leveled the slope out so I can stand in the beds or sit on the walls to weed. Slopes are harder and harder for me to navigate.

 

 

 

 

new beds to replace shasta daisies

 

I wasn’t much help with the building as he started. I was recovering from a severe sciatic attack that put me on crutches for a month. I mostly sat on the edge of the front wall and supervised. Great job if you can get it. J

By the time he’d completed the top layer, I had improved enough to work in the garden for short periods of time. My back still hurt, but I could function on a daily basis. So, one morning I grabbed a hoe and started smoothing out the top layer of dirt and compost. One step backward tumbled me over two bags of compost lying in the yard. I flipped heels-over-head backward and then the downward slope of the front yard turned me sideways. I completed the backward roll and ended up sitting, legs stretched out in front of me, facing the opposite direction.

In a very calm voice, my husband said, “Are you all right?”

Confused that I was now looking south, instead of north, I just stared at him, thankful that the compost had broken my fall and amazed that I hadn’t hit the flowerbed wall just above me and broken my neck. “I think so,” I said. Then I asked, “Why didn’t you help or call out my name?”

“I couldn’t get up in time,” he replied. “It happened so fast, yet you were rolling in slow motion. It was crazy.”

He offered to help me up, but I started laughing hysterically—the stomach crunching kind of laughs that put you in tears. After a couple of minutes, when I could breathe again, I inch-wormed my way to my feet—an acrobatic move that in itself would have been video worthy. Upon standing, I discovered my garden gymnastics had adjusted the last piece of my spine that was out-of-place. I had no back pain! And I felt as if I stood fully erect for the first time in months.

Unfortunately, my husband didn’t have his camera with him. If he had we’d have won America’s Funniest Home Videos and could have been $10,000 richer. The story made for weeks of giggles as I recounted it to friends. When I told the chiropractor he was amazed, but recommended I not use that particular adjustment method on a regular basis. I wholeheartedly agreed, although it was the best my back had felt in months.

Currently the new beds next to the stairs are empty, as I can’t make up my mind what I want to plant in them. It needs to be something easy to clean in the spring. At first I was leaning toward filling the beds with the day lilies I separate this fall. It’s been 14 years since my day lilies have been separated, and I’m sure I’d have enough to fill the new beds. But now I’m considering peonies. They die back in the fall and would be easy to clean up. I also love the heady smell of blooming peonies, but I hate the ants that accompany the plants. I know they’re necessary to help the blooms open, but I really hate ants. If you have any suggestions on other plants, I love to hear them. I need easy to clean and easy to care for.

I want to thank all readers who stopped by and spread the word about the blog and the lovely authors who have helped make this blog series a success this year. It’s been so much fun seeing all your gardens—both green and living and those stitched between the covers of your books. I hope you’ve all enjoyed visiting with me as much as I’ve enjoyed having you. At present, I’m planning to repeat A Writer’s Garden next spring, so keep snapping those garden pictures in anticipation of a new gardening year.

Here’s wishing you all Happy Gardening,

wherever you live.

 

About the writer/gardener

Multi-award-winning author Catherine Castle loves writing, reading, traveling, singing, theatre, and quilting. She’s a passionate gardener whose garden won a “Best Hillside Garden” award from the local gardening club. She writes sweet and inspirational romances and both of her books have won awards. You can find her award-winning books The Nun and the Narc and A Groom for Mama on Amazon. Follow her here on her blog or on Catherine’s Amazon author page.

 

 

A Groom for Mama

By Catherine Castle

Beverly Walters is dying, and before she goes she has one wish—to find a groom for her daughter. To get the deed done, Mama enlists the dating service of Jack Somerset, Allison’s former boyfriend.

The last thing corporate-climbing Allison wants is a husband. Furious with Mama’s meddling, and a bit more interested in Jack than she wants to admit, Allison agrees to the scheme as long as Mama promises to search for a cure for her terminal illness.

A cross-country trip from Nevada to Ohio ensues, with a string of disastrous dates along the way, as the trio hunts for treatment and A Groom For Mama.

A Groom for Mama won in the Contemporary Category this year in the Raven Awards!

Buy Link

 

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A Writer’s Garden-Christa MacDonald’s New England Garden

13 Thursday Sep 2018

Posted by Catherine Castle in A Writer's Garden, garden blog series

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

A Writer's Garden, Author Catherine Castle's garden blog, Christa MacDonald, New England Garden, The Redemption Road

 

Welcome to A Writer’s Garden where writers who are gardeners or just love gardens will be sharing their garden and flower stories, as well as a bit about their writing gardens—aka their books.

This week’s guest is Christa MacDonald, who’ll be sharing a bit about her New England garden. Welcome, Christa!

Lettuce

I love this season of the garden. The days are getting shorter and after dark there’s a bit of a nip in the air. Summer is drawing to a close. It’s time to reflect on which plants were successful this year, what worked and what didn’t. Right off I know that I started too late. I thought I could get the seeds going at eight weeks prior to last frost and be fine, but it was late in August before I had a ripe tomato crop. That’s not what I had in mind when I decided to grow from seed this year. I’m asking for a portable greenhouse as a Christmas present and I plan to make good use of it next Spring.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunflower bed                                                                   Tomato

After watching my clematis underperform for the third year in a row I’ve decided to move it. The oak tree in the front yard was small when I first planted the clematis, but now it towers above, shading it completely. The plant is not happy and neither am I, so it’s got to be moved. I’m not going to tackle that until Spring though. I want to give it the best chance possible and even though it’s possible to move it in late Autumn, it’s not the best time.

  Zapotec Tomato

September and October in New England have a special kind of urgency. It’s harvest time and we all know winter is coming. For now we get to enjoy the fruits of our labor while storing what we can for the cold months ahead. The farmers markets are full and every meal has garden goodness in it. I wish I was better at canning so I could take advantage of all the bounty available. It’s not in my skill set, instead I’ve made batches of sauce, pies, and have frozen the fruits that can take it.

Writing has its seasons just like gardening. In August the final installment of my contemporary Christian romance series was published. The fruit of my labor is now out there for people to read. It’s time for me to sit back and assess what worked and what didn’t and plan the next book. This series was the debut of my first full-length novel which went on to be a finalist in the ACFW’s Carol award for contemporary fiction. I learned a lot about myself as an author and about the publishing world. There were times I struggled with meeting deadlines, with learning how to promote a book, with figuring out the balance between life’s demands and my writing career.

I don’t have it all figured out. Just like gardening, I try new things and hope they work. And also like gardening, I’m taking what I’ve learned and plotting out the road ahead. Spring is coming and I’m excited to see what I can create. There’s fertile ground and I can’t wait to make use of it.

 

About the Writer/Gardener:

Christa MacDonald is a lifelong gardener and writer living in New England despite its terribly short growing season. She’s the author of the Sweet River Redemption contemporary Christian romance series. The final book in the series, The Redemption Road, is now available. Connect with Christa at  www.christamacdonald.com

 

The Redemption Road

by Christa MacDonald

It’s redemption that he needs, and she’ll pay any price to help him find it.

As the new game warden in Sweet River, Alex Moretti is focused on enforcing Maine’s wildlife laws and little else. Moving from tragedy to a fresh start, all he wants is a way to fix his life in the tranquility of the north woods. Until he meets Annie Caldwell at Coffee by the Book. But his own bitter, dark life is a threat to Annie’s sweetness and light. It’s better for him to stay away.

Annie doesn’t know how to label her relationship with Alex, but she is determined to figure it out. After a few false starts and a kiss under the Christmas lights, their romance goes from fiction to fact. Annie has fallen hard. Then trouble shows up. Someone is stalking Alex, seeking to punish him for a mistake which ended in deadly consequences. When Annie becomes a target, he tries to push her away, but she won’t abandon him. Alex is desperate to keep Annie safe while he attempts to reconcile the past, but what he really needs is redemption. And she will risk her life to help him find it.

Look for The Redemption Road at Amazon

A Writer’s Garden–The Power in a Seed by Ada Brownell

06 Thursday Sep 2018

Posted by Catherine Castle in A Writer's Garden, garden blog series

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

A Writer's Garden, Ada Brownell, Author Catherine Castle's garden blog, garden devotional, The Peach Blossom Rancher, The Power of a Seed

Welcome to A Writer’s Garden where writers who are gardeners or just love gardens will be sharing their garden and flower stories, as well as a bit about their writing gardens—aka their books.

This week’s guest is Ada Brownell who will be sharing a garden devotional about the power in a seed. Welcome, Ada!

 

THE POWER IN A SEED

By Ada Brownell

photo from pixnio.com free-images

Seeds are what the world needs.

Research for my book, Swallowed by Life: Mysteries of Death, Resurrection and the Eternal, led me to discover the amazing qualities of life, and they are most obvious in simple things such as eggs and seeds.

Without seeds, humankind could not exist because there would be no food. In the same way, if seeds of the gospel, such a John 3:16, aren’t sown, those around us will not experience eternal life. That’s why I consider my writing a ministry. Used by the Holy Spirit, wise words bear fruit. The Lord has always used words (see Genesis 1). He used words in creation, and gave us the Word of God as a guide for living and obtaining eternal life. Furthermore words as well as our lives witness and help the Holy Spirit bring people to Salvation.

First, let’s talk about the egg. When you eat an egg do you think about what’s in that little orb? The chicken’s seeing eye? The rooster’s crow? Feathers? Feet that can run and scratch the earth? A tiny brain that the bird how to find food, fly short distances, peck, take care of incubating eggs? A system—an amazing gizzard—to help digest food? A liver to keep them healthy? The ability to reproduce? The DNA to be a certain type of chicken breed and create dozens of chickens just like them?

It’s all in there if the egg has been fertilized by a rooster, who completes the seed with his DNA.

Now think about a watermelon seed. How does such a tiny thing grow huge watermelons so big some can hardly be carried from the garden? It starts when that tiny seed changed in the ground and with a little water begins to pull nourishment from dirt and manure. Where does the wonderful sweet taste come from? Three different colors? The answer: the seed, but more accurately, the life God put in the seed.

Take a watermelon seed apart and you can’t see anything so magnificent. Probably a view through a microscope wouldn’t seem spectacular unless you’re a botanist.

The same thing is true with words, although some give a glimpse of wonder: Love. Faith. Peace. Joy. Wisdom. Life. Forever. Compassion. Give. Receive.

But words can make a difference for good or evil, no matter the language in which they are spoken or written; who speaks them; how they are said; and how they are sent.

I used to love planting and growing things, and now more than ever I pray Lord, let my words be your words, planted on good ground, accepted into hearts. May they germinate, be watered – even by someone else, and may they bear fruit.

In my new book, Love’s Delicate Blossom, one of my characters tells how delicate a peach blossom is. He compares the blossom to love, which if adequately protected and nourished, will survive to create beautiful, sweet fruit and have the power in its seed to create more love—and even a whole orchard full of trees, blossoms, fruit, and seeds that go on and on. Love can live a lifetime.

That’s the power of a seed, and the gospel is spread the same way, but Salvation lasts for eternity.

14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? (Romans 10:14)

©Ada Brownell 2018

 NOTE; LOVE’S DELICATE BLOSSOM should be published in a couple of months—before Christmas!

About the Writer/Gardener

And her book

 

PEACH BLOSSOM RANCHER:

By Ada Brownell

To write this historical romance, the author drew from her experiences as a journalist covering the Colorado Mental Health Institute at Pueblo, a former asylum; and from working during her teens on a peach and horse ranch in Palisade, Colorado.

Although the fictional asylum is in Boston, the author says you wouldn’t believe the types of diagnoses that could get you committed in the early 1900s. She took the information from historical lists compiled by the Colorado Board of Lunacy Commissioners on the supposed cause of insanity of those held in 1899 to 1910, when asylums were young. Many of those conditions are revealed in the novel.

The leading man, rancher John Lincoln Parks, yearns for a wife to help rebuild the ranch he inherited. He eyes Valerie MacDougal, a young widow who homesteaded, but she also is an attorney who hopes to help those wrongly held in the asylum. One of those she hopes to help is a doctor who had one seizure.

Will the doctor ever be set free from the asylum? Will John marry Valerie or Edwina Jorgenson, the feisty rancher-neighbor he constantly fusses with? This neighbor has a Peeping Tom whose boot prints are like the person’s who dumped a body in John’s barn. Will John even marry, or be hanged for the murder?

Get e-book or paperback on Amazon now at http://ow.ly/4ETL302QdhW

 

A Writer’s Garden–Terri Wangard visits Powercourt Garden in Dublin, Ireland

30 Thursday Aug 2018

Posted by Catherine Castle in A Writer's Garden, garden blog series

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

A Writer's Garden, Author Catherine Castle's garden blog, Japanese garden, Powersourt Garden in Dublin Ireland, Soar Like Eagles, Terri Wangard, WWII romance

 

Welcome to A Writer’s Garden where writers who are gardeners or just love gardens will be sharing their garden and flower stories, as well as a bit about their writing gardens—aka their books.

This week’s guest is Terri Wangard who will be giving us a tour of A Dublin, Ireland garden she visited, and the surprise she found.

 

Silver Lining in a Japanese Garden

By Terri Wangard

 

I love flowers, but you’re unlikely to find any at my home. Give me a plant and within two weeks, it’ll be dead. It’s happened more than once. I definitely don’t possess a green thumb.

my marigolds

When I visited Dublin, Ireland, twenty-one years ago, I pored over the list of available excursions. Powerscourt was described as set in the graceful Wicklow Mountains, one of the most beautiful country estates in Ireland. “Visit this magnificent aristocratic garden, beautifully laid out with taste and imagination.”

Visions of gorgeous, colorful flower beds in geometric shapes lined with shrubbery danced in my mind. Maybe I pictured formal English gardens with walkways among the different plantings.

Maybe that should have warned me. I was going to Ireland and thinking of English gardens.

The June day at Powerscourt was gray and overcast. The grounds were lush and green―grass, trees, shrubs. But where were the flowers? The splashes of vibrant color?

Powerscourt Garden

My mood matched the weather. I’d come out in the Irish countryside for this? I could have toured Dublin and viewed the Book of Kells.

Then I entered the Japanese garden.

The Japanese Garden

When I was in second grade, social studies was my favorite subject, and the pictures of Japan in our textbook enthralled me. Today, the only picture I can recall is a room with sliding dividers and the family members not wearing shoes in their house; why that fascinated me, I’m not sure. Japanese architecture, however, has always drawn my eye. Pagodas, shrines, red bridges, curved eaves extending from the roofs.

I’ve never been to Japan, but here in Ireland was a minimalist Japanese garden with bright red bridges bringing needed color. I spent time on those bridges, watching the water in the creek below.

And there were palm trees! In Ireland? Are there any in Japan?

With few people around, I could spend the allotted time wandering about unimpeded. The simple garden went a long way toward alleviating my disappointment. Walking around the quiet, peaceful grounds proved to be a restful day. Beauty in simplicity.

 

About the Writer/Gardener

Terri Wangard’s gardening efforts usually consist of a pot of scraggly flowers. This year’s pot of daises may actually have sprouted weeds instead.

Holder of a bachelor’s degree in history and a master’s degree in library science, Terri lives in Wisconsin where she is writing inspirational historical fiction. Her research included going for a ride in a WWII B-17 Flying Fortress bomber.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorTerriWangard

Soar Like Eagles

by Terri Wangard

She wants to do her part for the war, but struggles to maintain her ideals.

He joins the air force, hoping to find peace.

            Carol volunteers with the Red Cross to serve doughnuts and coffee to GIs and boost their morale. Believing wartime romances are doomed to disappointment, she attempts to avoid entanglements and transfers to France, away from Chet, the airman she’s falling for.

Chet’s father always belittled him. Now a well-regarded B-17 navigator, he longs to prove him wrong. After he’s ditched in the North Sea, parachuted into France, and been called before a review, his focus changes to staying alive, and winning the Red Cross girl he keeps crossing paths with.

Buy link: http://amzn.to/2dMEDNJ

 

 

A Writer’s Garden–Orchids with Elizabeth John

23 Thursday Aug 2018

Posted by Catherine Castle in A Writer's Garden, garden blog series

≈ 13 Comments

Tags

A Writer's Garden, Author Catherine Castle's garden blog, Elizabeth John, Forever Hold Your Piece, mystery, orchids, pictures of orchids, suspense, Sweet romance

Welcome to A Writer’s Garden where writers who are gardeners or just love gardens will be sharing their garden and flower stories, as well as a bit about their writing gardens—aka their books.

Today’s guest is Elizabeth John. She will be sharing orchids with us! Welcome, Elizabeth.

Thanks, Catherine.

For this blog post, I had planned to write about orchids. I know nothing about orchids, and you might wonder why I would choose this topic. The reason is simple. I love flowers and plants, including orchids, and have beautiful gardens on my property. But life changes.

Last year, much to our surprise, my husband and I became empty-nesters with no warning. Our son went on vacation to Texas and never came back. He enjoyed the area and decided to live there permanently. Our daughter began a new job and moved into an apartment closer to work. With this new found freedom, we suddenly found ourselves in a big, empty house.

Teaching full-time and writing keeps me super busy. The large yard requires a lot of maintenance. The vegetable garden needs constant weeding. The potted flowers want daily watering. Exhausting!

I’ve decided to downsize, and the first place I started was with the landscaping. I hired a company to put decorative stone in my front yard gardens and add low maintenance plants. My husband has been traveling so much for work, he didn’t plant his annual vegetable garden this year. Despite cutting back, the backyard has many bushes, trees, and flowers that are overgrown. We will tackle that project in the fall.

The problem is we want to see flowers. One solution we find helpful is to visit gardens. We adore Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania and especially like to go when they have their orchid display. Here are some pictures of orchids I took on my trip. (The orchid at the top of the page is also from Longwood Gardens)

 

 

 

 

 

My husband developed a passion for orchids and decided to try his hand at growing his own plants. Now, he’s a bit of an expert and has several growing in his business office. These are on his desk.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Soon he will be moving out of the building where he works and will bring his orchids home. He’s already buying attractive pots to transplant his orchids and getting ready to display his beauties in our house.

So much for downsizing the flowers.

Maybe I should sell the furniture first.

 

About the Writer/Gardener

Gardener/writer Elizabeth John has been gardening ever since owning her first home. Her favorite thing about gardening is seeing pops of bright colors in her flower beds. When she’s not gardening she’s writing sweet contemporary romances and cozy romantic suspense novels. You can learn more about her at http://www.elizabethjohn.com/

 

 

Forever Hold Your Piece

by Elizabeth John

Forever Hold Your Piece (The Becker Sisters Bridal Series Book 1) by [John, Elizabeth]Lily Becker believes the worst day of her life was when her fiancé stood her up at the altar. That is, until she stumbles upon his dead body in her family’s bridal shop. The shop becomes a crime scene, her business expansion plans tank, and brides demand back their deposits. Confused, scared, and certain that she is being watched, Lily struggles to keep her business and her life afloat.

PI Jake Ward, hired to find a priceless stolen painting, tracks the thief’s location to Lily’s small coastal town. As part of his cover, he leases the vacant bait and tackle shop next door to hers, unaware that she and her sisters had planned to rent the place.

The Chief of Police worries that someone close to Lily murdered her ex and he fears for her safety. The chief, a surrogate father to Lily, asks Jake to act as her bodyguard. Jake agrees and pretends to work on his business but never leaves her side. Although annoyed that Jake interfered with her family’s business plan, she admits that Jake makes her feel protected.

Jake and Lily can’t deny their attraction to one another. Lily decides to trust again as their relationship grows serious. The more time they spend together, the more they realize they are perfect for each other. Guilt eats at Jake’s conscience since he must lie about his true identity. Can he solve his case before he’s free to tell Lily the truth and she learns of his deception?

Forever Hold Your Piece, releasing September 12, is currently available for presale on Amazon.

Warning to readers: While this a sweet romance, the book may contain mild language in this book.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Elizabeth John
Tender Romances with a Touch of Intrigue

www.facebook.com/elizabethjohnauthor
@elizabethjohn34

 

A Writer’s Garden–Rachel Sharpe and Gay Head Cliffs

16 Thursday Aug 2018

Posted by Catherine Castle in A Writer's Garden, mystery

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

A Writer's Garden, Author Catherine Castle's garden blog, Gay Head Lighthouse, Jordan James PI series, Mother Nature's Gardens, Rachel Sharpe, Simple Misconception

Welcome to A Writer’s Garden where writers who are gardeners or just love gardens will be sharing their garden and flower stories, as well as a bit about their writing gardens—aka their books.

Today’s guest is Rachel Sharpe who has some thoughts about gardeners and writers and some gorgeous pictures to share. Welcome, Rachel!

 

Thanks, Catherine.

There is something magical about springtime. Watching the world awaken as flowers begin to bloom and grass turns green is as invigorating as the warmth of the sun’s bright rays. Growing up in southeastern Louisiana, springtime has always been a welcome albeit brief period between our mild winters and humid summers. I happily maintain a simple garden of azalea bushes and various shrubs for two reasons: I do not possess a very green thumb and, with our springs being so short, these plants are able to withstand the long summer heat best.

While my thumb is not the greenest and my garden not extravagant, I love and appreciate the beauty in all types of gardens, including those spawned by Mother Nature herself. One of my favorite places to visit is New England, which is where my grandfather was born and raised before moving to Louisiana after World War II. My love for this area is the reason I set the Jordan James, PI series there.

On one particular visit, my husband and I were fortunate enough to take a trip to Martha’s Vineyard to stay with my cousins, who rent a cottage in Edgartown one week every summer. While there, we were able to travel all over the island, including to the town of Aquinnah, where the Gay Head Cliffs and Lighthouse are located. The wildflowers that blanket the rocky, clay cliffs add to the magnificence of an already breathtaking view.

I have often felt there is a parallel between authors and gardeners as both work in silent simplicity to bring beauty and life into the world. Gardening and writing take patience, time and imagination. The end result, while hard sought, is worth the energy it took and if one’s efforts brighten the life of even one other person, as we say in Louisiana, that’s lagniappe.

 

****

About the Writer/Gardener

Rachel Sharpe is the author of Cold Ambition, Lost Distinction, Bitter Retribution, and Simple Misconception, all part of the Jordan James, PI series, a mystery series with sweet romance. Although born and raised in the South, “Yankee” relatives first led Rachel to historic New England, which she has come to consider her second home and is the setting for the series.

Rachel currently resides with her husband and children in the Greater New Orleans area where she and her children work together to maintain a simple garden.

Check Out Rachel’s Sites to Keep Up with Jordan James!!!

Twitter: twitter.com/RachelCSharpe

Simple Misconception

by Rachel Sharpe

“A Trip to the Big Easy Turns into a Big Nightmare…”

When private investigator Jordan James returns home to New Orleans for Christmas, she never imagined her holiday could end with kidnapping and death. As she begins to investigate the mysterious disappearance of a childhood friend, she unwittingly stumbles upon a dangerous, international syndicate. With lives at risk and time running short, Jordan must find a connection between these seemingly unrelated events if she ever hopes to find her friend.

Simple Misconception is available at Amazon

 

 

A Writer’s Garden–Fruit of the Vine by Claire Gem

09 Thursday Aug 2018

Posted by Catherine Castle in A Writer's Garden, garden blog series

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

A Writer's Garden, Author Catherine Castle's garden blog, Civil Hearts, Claire Gem, Fruit of the vine, ghost romance, Grapevines, living fence of grapevines, wine

Welcome to A Writer’s Garden where writers who are gardeners or just love gardens will be sharing their garden and flower stories, as well as a bit about their writing gardens—aka their books.

Today’s guest is Claire Gem. She’ll be talking about her grapevines.

 

Fruit of the Vine

By Claire Gem

At times my Italian heritage tells on me. I’ll admit it—I love wine. To Italians, wine is an integral part of our history, our tradition, and our culture. The country is one of the world’s leading producers of the stuff, so it’s not surprising that a great percentage of Italy’s soil is cultivated with grapevines.

But these climbing plants can do more than produce grapes.

When I decided to enclose our side yard for some seclusion from our somewhat busy street, my choice of fencing material surprised my husband.

“It will take years before the vines grow thick enough!” he said. “Why not just put up some privacy fence?”

“I want a natural fence. It will be worth the wait. This will be beautiful. And the vines will grow fast! Just you wait and see.”

Patiently, he helped me construct the L-shaped, lateral trellis, which consisted of four, 4 x 4 posts set in concrete, with three strands of heavy duty wire strung between. The six-foot height would provide the perfect amount of screen I was looking for.

Then I went online and ordered my vines: three varieties—red, and two kinds of white—simply because I couldn’t make up my mind. In the photos on the nursery website, the vines were thick and lush, the leaves bigger than my outspread hand, the grape clusters glistening with morning dew.

What I got in the mail two weeks later were three brown sticks, each about two feet long.

My son laughed at me as I carefully followed the planting instructions accompanying my dead-looking twigs.

“I think you got ripped off, Mom,” he chided. “Those things will never grow.”

But oh, how they did. By the end of the first summer, the vines had all but obscured the strands of wire between the posts. The following year, they grew furiously, crisscrossing and linking into an intricately woven tapestry.

In 2016, after two short years, the vines had not only cloaked the trellis we built, but were quickly threatening to take over the side of our house. This was the first year they yielded fruit—about a half-dozen clusters of tiny, tart grapes. But my goal had been accomplished: when the fat leaf buds opened into giant green fans, our little side yard was completely invisible from the street.

Last fall, I decided I wanted a real arbor—one that would allow the vines to continue spreading without consuming our home’s siding in the process. Also, I thought it would be nice to have some overhead shade during the heat of the day. Fortunately, with the help of a handyman neighbor and an indulgent husband, I now have my summer paradise.

In warm weather, we enjoy the beauty and seclusion of our secret garden. Birds flock to our space, helping themselves to some of the grapes when they visit. Even in winter, the vines are beautiful. The twisted, silvery bones sparkle with an icy mantle, and provide a wonderful backdrop for my lighted family of wire deer sculptures. They twinkle when draped with colored lights.

Now, it’s high summer. As I sit enjoying a glass of (what else?) crisp Pinot Grigio in the cool of the evening, I consider . . . There are so many grapes this year, why don’t I try my hand at making some homemade wine?

Wouldn’t my Italian daddy be proud?

 

About the Writer/Gardener

Claire Gem is a multi-published, award-winning author of six titles in the genres of contemporary romance, supernatural suspense, and women’s fiction. She also writes Author Resource guide books and presents seminars on writing craft and marketing.

Creating cross-genre fiction she calls “supernatural suspense,” Claire loves exploring the paranormal and the unexplained, and holds a certificate in Parapsychology from the Rhine Research Center of Duke University. Her latest release, Civil Hearts, is set in an abandoned antebellum home in rural Alabama, which is, of course, haunted.

A New York native, Claire has lived in five of the United States and held a variety of jobs, from waitress to bridal designer to research technician—but loves being an author best. She and her happily-ever-after hero, her husband of 39 years, now live in central Massachusetts.

You can connect with Claire at her Website:

Civil Hearts

by Claire Gem

He’s a sexy Southern gentleman–with epilepsy. She’s a widow scarred from her husband’s brain cancer. A Confederate soldier haunts her new home–and she’s a Yankee. Manhattan web designer Liv Larson yearns for big change. She has no family, and after all, she can work from anywhere. Why not throw a dart at the map? She heads out of the big city for the rural South and falls in love as soon as she arrives–with the Belle Bride, an abandoned antebellum mansion. Heath Barrow loves his country life, managing his antiques store in sleepy Camellia, Alabama. But he’s lonely, and his condition–epilepsy–makes life uncertain. It’s already cost him a marriage. A new medication and the new girl in town have his heart hopeful again. Sparks fly between them, but the first seizure Liv witnesses sends her into a tailspin. She watched her husband die that way . . . To make matters worse, Liv discovers she’s not living alone. Her challenge? Dealing with a Confederate soldier who clearly resents his Yankee roommate–even though he’s been dead for almost a hundred and fifty years.

WARNING TO READERS OF SWEET ROMANCE. Civil Hearts contains open door love scenes and strong language.

A Writer’s Garden — Linda Bradley and Neighborhood Gardens

02 Thursday Aug 2018

Posted by Catherine Castle in A Writer's Garden, books, garden blog series

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

A Writer's Garden, Author Catherine Castle's garden blog, Linda Bradley, neighborhood gardens, Pedal a short story by Linda Bradley

Welcome to A Writer’s Garden where writers who are gardeners or just love gardens will be sharing their garden and flower stories, as well as a bit about their writing gardens—aka their books.

Today’s guest writer/gardener is Linda Bradley—and her dog Maisey. Welcome!

 

Thanks, Catherine.

I haven’t been much of a gardener this year due to a move, the loss of a family member, and the grit of everyday life, but with the help of my dog Maisey we’ve discovered a world of gardens around every corner in our new neighborhood.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sometimes when I’m tired and I don’t think I can go on, her cold nose is upon me, nudging me to move. Sighing, I lace up my walking shoes and look into her soulful brown eyes. It’s as if she’s saying, “Come on, see the world with me. I’ll show you the way.” Then she barks and wags her tail, her rump dancing to a beat I don’t feel because I’m drained from creative endeavors, family demands, working full time, or gray skies that dampen my mood.

As I write this blog, she sleeps beneath my office window. Her soft snores hum along with the tap, tap, tap of the keyboard beneath my fingertips. Her soft sighs remind me of where we’ve been and her canine wisdom. Her antics prod me to get outdoors and smell the flowers. Whether we’re strolling along a quiet sidewalk or wandering through the park, we’re together. She’s got her sniffs and I’ve got mine.

Summer will come and go, but I know when Spring comes I’ll have roses, peonies, and lilacs to look forward to. Maisey and I will continue to take our walks together, and we’ll smell the blooms along the way. We’ll be a bit more settled and our new routines will have become habit. We’ll be back in the garden, side by side.

Marcel Proust said, “Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” In my case, it’s more than my family and the neighbors who’ve inspired me to get back into the garden. It’s my Maisey, rescue wonder dog. Most days I think she’s rescued me. She’s my charming gardener, who’s helped me to blossom.

 

 

About the writer/gardener:

Linda’s inspiration comes from her favorite authors and life itself. Her women’s fiction highlights characters that peel away outer layers of life to discover the heart of their dreams with some unexpected twists and turns along the way. Her writing integrates humor found in everyday situations, as well as touching moments that make readers connect with her characters.

Linda is a member of RWA, as well as the Greater Detroit Chapter of RWA and Capital City Writers Association in Lansing, Michigan. She’s a past finalist in the Booksellers’ Best Award and the Romance Reviews Readers’ Choice Award.

Linda has two grown sons, lives with her husband, and rescue dog in Royal Oak, Michigan. You can follow her on Twitter @LBradleyAuthor, Facebook, and http://www.lindabradleyauthor.com/.

 

Pedal

by Linda Bradley

Burdened by heartache, can a whisper from beyond give middle-aged Paula Murphy the courage to just pedal?

Coming back to her Bay View summer home in northern Michigan means more than planning picnics at the beach and working in her daughter-in-law’s bicycle shop. Her avoidance to embrace her grown son’s death isn’t the only tribulation weighing on this self-reliant social worker’s mind.

Reluctant to believe the unfathomable, Paula Murphy’s world is turned upside down when she’s reunited with the only man she’s ever loved.

Side note: I self-published this short-story. Tilly is a secondary character – the daughter-in-law mentioned in the blurb. She’s an avid gardener and knows her deceased husband is watching over when her dog brings her roses.

Pedal is available on Amazon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Writer’s Garden-Ellie Gustafson Shares Her Garden Stories

26 Thursday Jul 2018

Posted by Catherine Castle in A Writer's Garden, garden blog series

≈ 11 Comments

Tags

A Writer's Garden, An Unpresentable Glory, Author Catherine Castle's garden blog, Chistian fiction, Ellie Gustafson

Welcome to A Writer’s Garden where writers who are gardeners or just love gardens will be sharing their garden and flower stories, as well as a bit about their writing gardens—aka their books.

Today’s guest is Ellie Gustafson, who will be sharing her gardening story and her newest book garden story, where the heroine, Linda, has an award-winning garden with an unexpected visitor. Welcome, Ellie!

 

Beginner garden

God planted a gardening seed in my soul–perhaps genetically. An aunt routinely won blue ribbons at the local flower show. When I showed interest in flowers, I was granted a small patch, perhaps two by three feet, to plant johnny jump ups and small marigolds. My tiny arrangements got only token ribbons, but I was hooked.

 First rose garden

As a teenager, I fell in love with roses. I dug a bed, maybe 6 x 6, in the middle of the lawn and planted some beauties. It was, however, a bittersweet experience. My parents were not getting on, and the little picket fence my father provided for the bed was frowned on by my mother. I didn’t know how to handle it, so after I left for college, the roses bit the dust.

Wedding flowers

Daughter Rachel planned an unusual wedding. The church was empty of flowers, with only a number of sheet-covered boxes up front. During the Pachelbel Canon processional, assorted friends carried in vased flowers and set them on boxes. Then came the wedding party, with Rachel carrying a large bouquet of just-picked flowers from my best-ever annual garden.

During the ceremony, one of the bridesmaids noted a spider exploring Rachel’s veil—making her spider-wed!

Shrinking gardens

As life went on, strength and energy dictated a slowdown of gardening. Today, after a frigid winter, even my beloved roses took a hit. The perennials are still there, but so are weeds. Thus, my focus has turned to………

Linda’s garden

Linda Jensen of Westchester County, New York, has a magnificent spread. She says, “I was born rich, and my parents loved flowers. My entire life centered on pulling weeds. My mother took me from the cradle and plunked me down with clear orders: ‘Pull this, but not this.’”

In one of her blogs, Linda focuses on weeds:

Go for a walk along a country road and search for plants we commonly call weeds. Note which ones like to hang out in your garden. Study them closely. They self-select their location, putting down roots in the most hospitable conditions. Your garden suits them well, and there they grow into sturdy little fellows that are neither fussy nor fragile—just happy to settle into your space. Dandelions, clover, assorted grasses—these guys are quick to flourish and tough to dislodge from our manicured beds.

What can we learn from these lowborn beauties? Maybe nothing. Maybe we just breathe in their simple charm and then go home and dutifully hold the hands of the elegant darlings we have chosen to showcase in our gardens. We pay a high price for our sort of beauty; weeds simply are.

Weeds simply are. We all must deal with weeds—in our gardens, in our lives. But a day is coming when weeds will be forever gone. Might we call Jesus the Good Gardener, as well as the Good Shepherd?

About the Writer/Gardener

  • Ellie Gustafson
  • *Born in a NJ county that had more cows than people.
  • *Went to Wheaton College IL.
  • *Married a multi-tasker, 3 kids, 8 grands.
  • *Tried on the cloak of writing; found it fit well.
  • *God first touched me through story, and he still speaks through story. I love Him passionately.

I write contemporary, literary fiction, and aside from the unpresentable theme of the novel, the heat level is pretty low. Heat, yes, but carefully contained.

Connect with Elli at her website: www.eleanorgustafson.com/

An Unpresentable Glory

By Ellie Gustafson

“I trusted you, and some day, you may know just how much you hold in your hands.”

Linda Jensen leads a relatively quiet life in Westchester County, New York, as the owner of a highly-acclaimed garden. Inherited from her parents, the garden is her pride and joy. What is not so joyful is finding a strange man sprawled near her delphiniums! The mysterious man is sick, unable to do anything more than drink water—and beg for secrecy. Ignoring all alarm bells, Linda sees to his needs, but her caring act takes on unexpected significance, an unpresentable glory.

Seeds of trust, and perhaps love, are planted in Linda’s garden haven. But as secrets are revealed and scandal hits the headlines, the act of caring for this man threatens to tarnish both of their reputations. Like weeds in Linda’s garden, circumstances threaten to choke out their fledgling relationship, and small moments prove to be the biggest influencers—on a national scale.

An Unpresentable Glory is available at Amazon

 

 

A Writer’s Garden–A Writer’s Garden Designed by Another by Donna Schlachter

19 Thursday Jul 2018

Posted by Catherine Castle in A Writer's Garden, Devotions, garden blog series

≈ 12 Comments

Tags

A Bouquet of Brides Collection, A Prickly Affair, A Writer's Garden, A Writer's Garden Designed by Another, Author Catherine Castle's garden blog, Donna Schlachter, garden devotional, Peru flower pictures

Welcome to A Writer’s Garden where writers who are gardeners or just love gardens will be sharing their garden and flower stories, as well as a bit about their writing gardens—aka their books.

Today’s guest is Donna Schlachter with a garden devotional and some incredible flower pictures from Peru. Welcome, Donna!

 

A Writer’s Garden Designed by Another

By Donna Schlachter

I love gardens.

Or actually, I love flowers. And I could spend hours taking pictures of flowers. Everywhere I go, there are bound to be photos of plants and flowers and sometimes even insects and birds mixed in with my other landscape pictures that I take for setting inspiration, or jumbled in with the three museums I visited that day, or simply set off by themselves because that’s what I felt like doing.

Flowers make me happy. No matter if they are buds, or in full bloom, or torn by hail, or chewed by insects, or nibbled by deer, or droopy with heat, or ready to be dead-headed—I am fascinated by the broad spectrum of designs and colors evident in creation.

I figure only a truly creative God could have come up with all those kinds of flowers and plants.

Recently my husband and I joined nine others from our church on a missions trip to Peru.  While there, I took lots of pictures of flowers and other plants.

Some were breathtaking.

Some were extraordinary.

Some were weeds in the grass …

while others were trophy-winners.

All were created by the same God for a specific purpose. To feed a bird. To house a bug. To nourish the soil. To eat a pest.

Which reminds me of how creative and loving a God we serve. He designed all the beauty we see around us every day for a purpose. And He created you and me for a special purpose, too. He loved us and knew us before we were even conceived (Jeremiah 1:5). And not only did He know us, but He already had His plans for us, and He set us apart as special for His use.

Sometimes I have a difficult time imagining what God sees in me. I struggle with what His plans are for me. What His good plans for me might consist of.

But I trust His word. So I rest in His garden, enjoying His creativity, while I wait on Him.

 

About the Writer/Gardener

Donna lives in Denver with husband Patrick. She writes historical suspense under her own name, and contemporary suspense under her alter ego of Leeann Betts. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Sisters In Crime; facilitates a critique group, and teaches writing classes. Donna ghostwrites and edits, and judges in writing contests. She loves history and research, and travels extensively for both. Donna is represented by Terrie Wolf of AKA Literary Management. Connect with Donna at http://www.historythrutheages.wordpress.com/

Bouquet of Brides Romance Collection

Meet seven American women who were named for various flowers but struggle to bloom where God planted them. Can love help them grow to their full potential?

A rough-and-tumble cowgirl, “Cactus” Lil Duncan longs for true love, but is afraid to let down her prickly exterior when a city slicker from New York City, with less-than-honorable intentions, tries to win her heart and her hand.

You can find Bouquet of Brides Romance Collection, containing Donna’s novella A Prickly Affair, at Amazon

 

 

 

 

 

 

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