Worst Road Trip Ever by Heather Gray

Today, we welcome Heather Gray. 

Heather Gray is the author of the Ladies of Larkspur inspirational western romance series, including Mail Order Man, Just Dessert, and soon-to-be-released Redemption.  Other titles include Ten Million Reasons, His Saving Grace, and Nowhere for Christmas.  Aside from a long-standing love affair with coffee, Heather’s greatest joys are her relationship with her Savior and family.  She decided years ago that laughter is better than yelling.  This theme is prevalent in her writing where, through the highs and lows, her characters find a way to love God, embrace each day, and laugh out loud.

Worst Road Trip Ever

My newest release, Nowhere for Christmas, is about a road trip.  You know the one.  It's the worst road trip ever – the one where everything goes wrong.

Sadly, I can say, road trip disasters follow me.  If they don't happen to me personally, I  hear about them from my friends.

Here's a small sample:

•       At least two of my friends have had a headlight fall OUT of their rental car while traveling.
•       We got pulled over once for traveling the wrong way down a one-way street.  In front of the police station. (Although I wasn't driving that time!)
•       I've had a friend discover that the rear bumper had been mysteriously removed from and then poorly reattached to their car. (They finally decided it had gotten knocked off in a parking garage and that the person responsible reattached the bumper so the damage wouldn't be noticed until later.)
•       I've gotten food poisoning while on a road trip.
•       Our defroster has gone out, forcing us to invest in one of those dashboard heaters that plug into the cigarette lighter. (Let me tell you, they don't work as well as you need them to!)
•       Something had come loose in the engine and knocked out one of our cylinders.  Cars do NOT run well without all their cylinders!
•       I've hit ice, ice, and more ice…on a road trip that wasn't even supposed to be cold!
•       My windshield wiper has fallen off the car while in use. The snow was coming down so heavily that I was instantly blind without it. Luckily I'd just started taking an exit off the freeway and was able to get my window down and see enough to pull to the side without getting hit. That one got my heart pumping!
•      A friend of mine was on a police chase years ago (he was the one doing the chasing, thankfully), and his car ran right over a skunk. The smell was so atrocious they wouldn’t let him into the police station when he got back.
•       I've been in a motorhome whose drive shaft fell off while going down the road. Literally fell off.

Trust me, I could tell more stories. It almost sounds like the makings of a horror movie…or a fantastic comedy. Since I prefer laughter over terror, we'll go with comedy!

I'm the first to admit I don't always manage to laugh at situations while I'm right in the middle of them, but as I've gotten older, I've learned to trust that God has a plan. Nothing – not even a flat tire with a flat doughnut and broken jack – is too big for Him to handle. Somehow, putting my trust in Him to handle the challenges that come along has freed me up to enjoy the road trip of life a whole lot more.

So tell me, what are some of the most bizarre things that have happened to you and your vehicle? Make them good though – I want to laugh!  :)

Back Cover:

Anything can happen on the road to Nowhere…

A journalist and single mother, Avery is used to being in control, though she tries to remind herself to let God take lead in her life. Eli, her teenage son, is happy as long as he has his music, plenty of food, and the occasional adult on which to practice his rapier wit.  Gavin, a virtual stranger, is a photojournalist who mysteriously disappeared from the scene a few years ago.

The trio ends up together for a Christmas road trip to the small town of Nowhere.  An eight hour drive in a rental car turns into two days of misadventure and calamity as bad luck stalks them.  They get a flat tire, the bumper falls off, the car overheats – and that's only the beginning! Along the way they meet some interesting people – from a bait shop owner who moonlights as a mechanic to a chatty preacher's wife and a highway patrolman whose wife and mother can't agree on the best way to remove a skunk's stink.

Hungry, cold, and tired, the three finally arrive in Nowhere only to discover the town is nothing like they expected. Reaching their destination, it turns out, doesn't necessarily mean the journey has ended.

Excerpt:

"I'm going to have to go get the other one out of the attic," she said with a sigh, hoping her son would volunteer to climb up in there and retrieve it for her. 

Instead, he nodded and asked, "You want me to pull the ladder down for you?" She grinned to herself as she nodded. They had a regular battle about the attic. Neither of them liked going up there. Since he'd gone up to retrieve all the Christmas decorations earlier in the month, she'd let him have the victory this time. 

After Avery scaled the creaky ladder up into the attic, she scanned the web-dusted contents, quickly locating the suitcase she needed. It was older and more faded than the green one, and it had a rust-and-mustard-colored seventies floral pattern on it. At least no one will try to steal it. 

As she dragged the suitcase with its one broken wheel across the attic floor, a cloud of who-knew-what gently puffed up into the air around her. Then she got a mouthful of it and started coughing, which led to more grime and dust billowing into the air. That, of course, led to more coughing. 

Avery lost her balance and started to fall out of the attic opening, but the suitcase blocked her way enough to pause her descent, giving her time to reach out and grab the back of an old chair that had been in the attic longer than they'd lived in the house. The suitcase wasn't so lucky. It fell zipper-over-wheel down the attic ladder and landed with a loud thud on the carpeted floor below.

By the time Avery pulled herself back to her feet and made her way down the ladder, she expected to find Eli standing there wondering where his dinner was. Alas, her teen was blissfully unaware of her near-death-by-attic experience. He was in his room listening to his MP3 player. It's for the best. I wouldn't want him to pull a muscle laughing at me.

Nowhere for Christmas can be purchased at these retailers:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Astraea Press

Smashwords

Kobo 

Heather can be found at the following sites:

http://www.heathergraywriting.com

http://www.facebook.com/heathergraywriting

http://www.twitter.com/LaughDreamWrite

http://www.pinterest.com/LaughDreamWrite

Thanks for coming by and helping us laugh a little, Heather.

Okay, everyone...another chance to enter my giveaway. Answer Heather's question to get your name in the drawing to win free books. For more information, click here.

Blessings,

Take A Moment...

I'm so behind on my reviews, I'm doing several today. Take a moment and check out these recent releases. I hope you enjoyed them as much as I did. :)

_________________________________________________________

Mail Order Man by Heather Gray pleasantly surprised me. Sometimes I'm quite hesitant when I pick up a book by an unknown author, at least unknown to me. This novel exceeded my expectations and I look forward to reading more of Ms. Gray's work.

Mail Order Man made me laugh, cry, and laugh again. So many misunderstandings, so many men, and then comes trouble. Sarah doesn't know what to make of it, or of the man who saves her from being accosted by several other men new in town. I could relate to Sarah's hesitancy to trust any of the new men in town, including Samuel, whom she knows is not telling her everything.

Back cover:

Some people get a mail order bride. She got a mail order man.

A well-meaning friend places an ad to find a mail order husband for Sarah, the proprietress of Larkspur’s stage and mail office. Sarah, who is generally quiet and reserved, doesn't know about the ad and has no idea what to do with all the people that are showing up in her community. Before long, the town is overrun with men and mail alike. Sarah is trying to avoid some men who have accosted her on the street when she stumbles into Samuel. Through long days spent together at the stage office, some very adventurous pots of coffee and a shared faith, the two become friends. Sarah knows that Samuel is hiding something from her, something important, but that doesn't stop her heart from leaping wildly into love. Lacking the confidence to trust her heart, Sarah wars with herself over the feelings she can no longer deny. When some of the men who have come to town show their true intentions, a shootout follows. Sarah finally gets answers to many of the questions circling through her mind. One question remains, though. 

Where will her mail order man go when the dust settles?

Rating: 4 roses

_________________________________________________________

Wow, just wow. Katie Ganshert has done an excellent job with Wishing on Willows. The writing is excellent, and pulls you into the story with little effort on your part.

It is a heartwarming story of grief and second chances at love. Sometimes a dry, empty desert becomes our familiar place and no matter how good the alternative is, making a change is scary. Taking a chance on love, for a second time, can be even scarier, but Ms. Ganshert has done an excellent job of showing us that it can work.

Back cover:

A three-year old son, a struggling café, and fading memories are all Robin Price has left of her late husband. As the proud owner of Willow Tree Café in small town Peaks, Iowa,  she pours her heart into every muffin she bakes and espresso she pulls, thankful for the sense of purpose and community the work provides.

So when developer Ian McKay shows up in Peaks with plans to build condos where her café and a vital town ministry are located, she isn’t about to let go without a fight.

As stubborn as he is handsome, Ian won’t give up easily. His family’s business depends on his success in Peaks. But as Ian pushes to seal the deal, he wonders if he has met his match. Robin’s gracious spirit threatens to undo his resolve, especially when he discovers the beautiful widow harbors a grief that resonates with his own.

With polarized opinions forming all over town, business becomes unavoidably personal and Robin and Ian must decide whether to cling to the familiar or surrender their plans to the God of Second Chances.

Rating: 4 stars

___________________________________________________________

Another Wow book. Wholly satisfying. Stealing the Preacher by Karen Witemeyer will make you chuckle, stare at the page in disbelief, and even bring a tear to your eye. Well, that last one might just be me, but it is highly emotional in a few places.

I stand in awe of Karen Witemeyer's ability to pull me into a story and refuse to let me go. She did it with Short-Straw Bride, and she's done it again with Stealing the Preacher. Kudo's to Ms. Witemeyer for an excellent novel.

Back cover:

On his way to interview for a position at a church in the Piney Woods of Texas, Crockett Archer can scarcely believe it when he's forced off the train by a retired outlaw and presented to the man's daughter as the minister she requested for her birthday. Worried this unfortunate detour will ruin his chances of finally serving a congregation of his own, Crockett is determined to escape. But when he finally gets away, he's haunted by the memory of the young woman he left behind--a woman whose dreams now hinge on him.

For months, Joanna Robbins prayed for a preacher. A man to breathe life back into the abandoned church at the heart of her community. A man to assist her in fulfilling a promise to her dying mother. A man to help her discover answers to the questions that have been on her heart for so long. But just when it seems God has answered her prayers, it turns out the person is there against his will and has dreams of his own calling him elsewhere. Is there any way she can convince Crockett to stay in her little backwoods community? And does the attraction between them have any chance of blossoming when Joanna's outlaw father is dead set against his daughter courting a preacher?

Rating: 5 roses

~~~~

That's all the reviews for today.

Blessings,
Ginger

Innovative Irritation by Heather Gray, guest post

Today on A Bed of Roses...Thorns Included, we welcome Heather Gray. Heather's recent release, Mail Order Man, made it to my list of review copies and I enjoyed it so much  that I invited Heather to join us today. (Review to come, you know I seem to ALWAYS be behind on those things.)

Aside from her long-standing love affair with coffee, Heather's greatest joys in life are her relationship with her Savior, her family, and writing.  Years ago, she decided it would be better to laugh than yell.  Heather carries that theme over into her writing where she strives to create characters that experience both the highs and lows of life and, through it all, find a way to love God, embrace each day, and laugh out loud right along with her.

About the book:
Some people get a mail order bride. She got a mail order man.

A well-meaning friend places an ad to find a mail order husband for Sarah, the proprietress of Larkspur’s stage and mail office.  Sarah, who is generally quiet and reserved, doesn't know about the ad and has no idea what to do with all the people that are showing up in her community.  Before long, the town is overrun with men and mail alike.  Sarah is trying to avoid some men who have accosted her on the street when she stumbles into Samuel.  Through long days spent together at the stage office, some very adventurous pots of coffee and a shared faith, the two become friends.  Sarah knows that Samuel is hiding something from her, something important, but that doesn't stop her heart from leaping wildly into love. Lacking the confidence to trust her heart, Sarah wars with herself over the feelings she can no longer deny.  When some of the men who have come to town show their true intentions, a shootout follows.  Sarah finally gets answers to many of the questions circling through her mind.  One question remains, though.  Where will her mail order man go when the dust settles?

Digital copies available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Astraea Press, Smashwords, and Kobo. Print copies  available at Amazon.

Also take a moment to visit Heather's website, Heather Gray Writing, to learn more about her and see what she has coming soon.

Now without further ado here's Heather...

Innovative Irritation

by Heather Gray

We all get frustrated once in a while.  If I never got irritated I'd have to begin to wonder whether or not I was really alive.  It's what we each do with our aggravations, though, that really matters.  I try to live my life creatively.  I do my best to avoid run-of-the-mill solutions and boring same-old-same-old answers to the problems of life.  Why?  Well…I'm just a little quirky like that, I guess.

Here are some creative ways to express your emotions when you feel your temper beginning to reach toward that boiling point.

1. Sing.  I remember one day when my children were driving me absolutely batty.  They weren't misbehaving, but their overzealous enthusiasm for all things loud and annoying reached epic proportions on that particular day.  So I made up a song.  About gouging out my eyeballs.  With a rusty pitchfork.  The louder I sang it, the better I felt.  By the time the kids figured out my lyrics enough to look at me in puzzlement, I felt like a brand new person.  Eventually they learned the song, too, and when I would have one of those days where I reached the end of my rope, I'd begin belting out the tune, and they'd join in with me.  And then we'd laugh together over how ridiculous we must sound.
2. Say utterly bizarre things with a straight face.  If I look at you and, without cracking a smile, say, "I am going to pluck every hair out of your nose, dye them orange and then glue them to your belly button," you can assume that I am almost ready to lose my cool and am trying to diffuse the situation before it's too late.  This might not be the best approach in a business meeting or when being introduced to your significant other's parents for the first time.  However, in more casual settings when surrounded by people who love you despite your oddity, I have found this to be both refreshing and effective.
3. Go ooh and ah.  Visit your nearest pet store and play with the puppies and kittens.  Some pet stores will even allow you to pick the little fur balls up and cuddle them.  No one can hold onto their foul mood when in the presence of so much adorably loving cuteness.  If you don't believe me, give it a try.  I dare you.  Be sure to put the creatures back down before they piddle on you, though, or you might end up right back where you started.
4. Show kindness.  The surest way to make sure that you feel blessed is to get out there and be a blessing to someone else.  It works every time.  Rather than dwelling on everything that's going wrong in your own life, find someone who needs a helping hand, and then lend it.  Or call up a person you know is lonely and give them the greatest gift of all – your time and listening ear.  You can't help but feel better when you go out of your way to be kind to those around you.
5. Buy me coffee.  Hm.  Maybe that came out wrong. Treat yourself to something special.  That sounds better!  I am never far from my coffee, but on some days, I go the extra mile and get some deliciously decadent mondo-expensive coffee beverage because, well, I need a little extra cheering up.  It makes me feel better.  I don't splurge on the expensive stuff very often, so when I do, I don't have to feel guilty about it.  Maybe for you it's a mani/pedi, a chair massage or some frozen yogurt.  It doesn't have to be expensive, and it doesn't have to be unhealthy.  Find something you rarely indulge in but always enjoy, and put that aside as your special better-frame-of-mind treat.

When you're reaching that boiling point of irritation, frustration and aggravation, holding it in usually backfires.  Instead, try to find a creative and entertaining way to let it all out.  If you choose how to release your tension, there's much less chance of it spilling over in such a way that those around you get hurt.

Please share your own unusual ideas for handling stress and bad moods!

Ginger here again. Thank you to Heather for these great ideas to diffuse irritating or stressful situations. I sure could use it. :) So, readers, tell us...how do you handle stress and bad moods?

Blessings,
Ginger