Seasonal Order

I love the holidays. Thanksgiving is a favorite holiday because I usually get to see my entire family back in Texas. My mother lives on a small farm. My husband and boys look forward every year to doing various chores on the farm and skeet shooting in the back pasture. We take walks to the pond on my brother's farm just down the road. Then we usually all get together at my sister's house and farm for the turkey day dinner. But if she's having her in-laws over, we stop by for dessert and take our own pie. The point is just seeing each other, laughing, and catching up with each other's lives. Usually one of my son's will build a small bonfire in the pit out back. We sit around the fire roasting marshmallows, sometimes singing, and telling jokes. Stargazing is another fantastic thing to do on a cool, fall night. The stars in a Texas country sky practically sit in your lap. I'm not kidding. If you live in the city, you're really missing out on a spectacular display. 

Our week at the farm consist of hanging Christmas lights, decorating the Charlie Brown Christmas tree on the front lawn, and burning leaves. We enjoy every minute of it. And then there's the cooking and the eating and the cleaning up. I'm exhausted when we leave, but totally satisfied and happy to have spent time with my family. This is the order of life at the farm. It is a seasonal order. 

Christmas in Texas rarely brings snow, nor does it in Tennessee. I still love this season, and yes, I keep Christ in Christmas. No happy holidays here. If I'm going to celebrate, I'm celebrating for the right reasons. After all, Jesus is the reason for the season. It is the seasonal order of life. That being said, I'm so happy to finally announce the release of the next book in the "Candy Moon" series. "Candy Moon Choo Choo" continues the Christmas joy by taking the reader on a Christmas train excursion with the Thompson family. Kevin befriends a homeless veteran. His one act of kindness ends up bringing him a special gift on Christmas morning. This story honors veterans and their families everywhere. This book has been a real labor of love for me and the illustrator, Nick Nixon. We have had to overcome many obstacles, which is the reason for the late release. But finally, the work is done and the book is published just in time for Christmas. So goes the seasonal order of life. It is hard work, but I wouldn't have it any other way. It's all worth the time and effort to me. Sometimes writing presents challenges in a never ending process, which continues to teach me new things with every new project. I thank God for the opportunity to learn and grow as I move forward in my sometimes crazy writing world.

Here is the beautiful cover for "Candy Moon Choo Choo." It's available on Amazon just in case you want to order a copy. ​Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas. Enjoy your family and friends. May the peace of the Lord be with you where ever you go.