Perhaps you were fortunate enough to have seen the cautionary tale from VeggieTales about the Rumor Weed. If so, you know how quickly a small comment can grow into a monster, destroying people’s lives while singing a pretty catchy song (You’re singing it now, aren’t you?)
If you haven’t seen it, well, my guess is that you know how dangerous gossip is without cartoon vegetables telling you so. Of all the sin mentioned in the Bible, gossip is the one I’m most-often tempted to do. It’s so much easier than murder and adultery, and yet, it is listed in the same breath as those “big” sins. In short, gossip kills a person’s character, and it kills relationships. God hates gossip so much, he spirit-breathed two identical proverbs about it: The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts. (Proverbs 18:8, 26:22).
Yes, gossip drills so deep into our being that we can’t not be affected by it.
I experienced this my freshman year of college. My roommate and I didn’t have much in common. Mostly, it came down to this single disagreement: I liked me. She didn’t like me. For five months, I tried my best to make things better by being less me. One night, it was blazing hot in our dorm room, and my roommate was tossing and turning in her bed. I felt bad for her so I cracked the window such a small amount that you couldn’t see through the crack. Later, I was informed that she’d told everyone in the dorm building that I’d tried to kill her by giving her pneumonia. It suddenly made sense why I had so few friends. Any decent character I had couldn’t stand up against her rumor: I’m an attempted murderer. Watch yo self!
And this was all before social media! On there, gossip has no shame. In fact, gossip is celebrated.

Aspen Crossroads, In stores August 24th
That’s the atmosphere in my fictional town of Whisper Canyon, Colorado, too. Everyone has an opinion, especially when it comes to the Haviland family. Mother of five, Nina Haviland, didn’t try too hard to hide her affairs from the public eye. Once the entire truth was revealed, she abandoned her family for years, only to return with terminal cancer and a need for caretaking. The first book in the Whisper Canyon series picks up in the aftermath of Nina’s passing, with all five grown children reeling in the reality and the rumors surrounding their lives.
Haven Haviland is hit especially hard with rumors about following in her mother’s homewrecking footsteps. She takes a job at Aspen Crossroads mentoring human trafficking survivors as they begin a new life. She and Jace Daring, the man who hired her, will have to work double-time to keep the survivors out of Whisper Canyon’s rumor mill, and it won’t be easy.
Because this book covers some heavy topics before hope is restored to the hurting, I balance the hard stuff with some lighthearted humor. Ahead of the release of Aspen Crossroads, I invite you to pop into Whisper Canyon with me for a brief visit to discover what rumors might be stirred up about you!
Click here to take the quiz, then comment below with your answer. One random commenter* will win a Society6 tote bag to carry around your copy of Aspen Crossroads or any other InspyRomance novel this fall!
*Winner must be at least 18 years old. Due to shipping costs, winner must be a US resident. Giveaway is open until Friday, 8/20th at 11:59pm.
This is adorable and makes me want to read it!
I took the quiz, was on my way to answer and got interrupted by one kid and hubby needing breakfast help and I can’t remember who i ended up. Sandy maybe? She was no nonsense I remember and as that’s me, I was cool with it. :)
Thank you!
I took the quiz, and I got Jace! The series sounds good!!
That’s a good thing! Jace is a sweetheart and a hard worker!
I got Jace.
Jace is such a hero. That says a lot about you!
Love your book cover. I took the quiz and got Sonny.
Ooh, Sonny is awesome. I admire her!
LOL An Accidental Vixen
Haha. We better watch out for you!
I got an accidental vixen. Thanks for the chance to win!
You’re welcome! Now don’t go breaking too many hearts!
I got Rarity. Something about being a rebel? I am pretty stubborn!
Woohoo! Rarity is the heroine in book 2. She’s so cool!
I got Sonny, a no nonsense businesswoman who could use a man
Sonny is so admirable. I love her!
Hi, Janine!
I’m an accidental vixen, apparently. :-D I suppose taking the quiz as a guy invalidates the whole premise of the thing, so I get what I asked for. Or, as an old gray-beard, I should probably qualify as some of the comic relief! Much more my style.
By the by, did you hear that Edna Whipplestein is giving up gossip in favor of homewrecking? And at her age! Even if she lost about 80 pounds I don’t think she’d find a taker in a hundred miles! Wait…that’s what she said about ME?!?!? Well, I declare! This is war! (That last was pronounced WO-wuh! (of course)) :-P
hahahaha. Oh, Lincoln, that doesn’t surprise me! You, vixen, you. lol. I LOVE your addition to the rumor mill. Ol’ Whipplestein’s at it again!
I got Haven, An Accidental Vixen. This was fun. Have a great weekend and stay safe. Gossip is pretty bad.
I’ll give you a spoiler…the gossipers get put in their place :)
Well, I guess I’m Haven, an accidental vixen! Who knew? LOL I must admit I’ve never been described that way!
Congratulations on your new book, Janine! It’s fantastic! Now I need to write my review and plaster it all over the review sites!
Thanks so much, Winnie! I appreciate you! Now don’t go hurting people… lol
I got Jace: A Mysterious Stranger with Wicked Intent. I’m not quite sure I agree with this since I am very opposite of his personality, lol! But it is a fun quiz :-)
I definitely wouldn’t call you wicked, Trixi! Thanks for playing along.
took the quiz and got Sonny!
Sonny is great. She’s the voice of wisdom in the book and I love her.
So fun! I got Sonny, and I’m pretty sure it’s because I said I’d pack comfortable shoes. LOL
Hahaha. Comfortable shoes are EVERYTHING!!
I took the quiz, and I got Jace even having packed the comfortable shoes
Jace definitely respects comfortable shoes, especially if they are boots! Thanks for playing!
I got Haven, An Accidental Vixen, It was a fun quiz. Congrats on the new book
So sorry you had a bad experience in college.
Thank you, Jenny! I’m glad you played along!
I am Sonny. Thank you for the opportunity. God bless you.
Sonny is a great woman. God bless you right back!
Haven – Accidental Vixen
That really means you are a kind and loving person :)
Haven….🤣
She’s so sweet though! I adore her!
Sounds like a great series, Janine. And really cute tote bag. Wish I could enter :)
Thank you! I wish I could figure out giveaways so everyone could enter :(
Jace
He’s such a hero! Thanks for playing along!
It’s a fun quiz!! I like these type of things. I got Sonny.
Thanks for playing along! Sonny is brave and strong. She’s awesome!
It was very fun to do for sure.
Thanks for participating!
Hi Janine! Quizzes are so much fun. I got Sonny, a no nonsense businesswoman who could use a man. Sounds good to this retiree, who lives in a farm community with lots of Farm Stand and loves to cook. My sons always say I should open a restaurant. Enjoy your weekend. Thanks and Best Wishes.
Ooooh! If you like my book then I’ll know I actually did a good job! If you have any good recipes from the farm, let me know! I’ll put it in my newsletter!
I got Sonny, brave, strong a nd independent, a reasonable match.
The roommate sounds dreadful, so glad we don’t have that system here.
I got Haven. I loved the line about possibly being responsible for breaking up The Wiggles. Now I might have their fruit salad song stuck in my head…
That sounds like an interesting series!
And according to rumors, I’d be Jace, a mysterious stranger with wicked intent. (It was a fun quiz).
Fun quiz! I got the mayor as my answer.
Your book sounds good and the quiz was interesting lol
A No-Nonsense Businesswoman Who Could Use a Man
Well, I am still single…hahaha