Hello, Inspy Romance readers. Ginger Solomon here. It’s been a minute—as my kids would say—since I’ve posted here at IR. My writing had faltered, and I didn’t feel like I had anything left to say. And I needed a break. I’m sure you know what I mean.
I have, thankfully, started on a fresh path. I started reading a nonfiction book, Get Out of Your Head, that has helped me realize that my self-talk convinced me that I couldn’t write any more. Yet, I still felt the call of God to do so. I couldn’t reconcile my inability to write—remember I kept telling myself that I couldn’t—with the desire deep down to do so. I’m not fully healed, but I am well on my way.
Have you ever done something that you regretted almost instantly? You know the mistakes that haunt us for hours, days, months, or even years to come. The type that not only affects us, but so many others around us.
I’m sure you’ve heard of the ripple effect. One action leads to a series of consequences. It’s not always bad, but most often when we speak of it, it is. And sometimes, the ripples are not small and harmless, but huge storm-like waves that pound us and those around us.
In my most recent release, Love Under Construction (April 2021), my heroine experiences this type of ripple effect. Her choices ultimately end in one mistake she can’t walk away from. It changes everything. It creates a storm of consequences that not only affects her but those in her life. It also affects her future.
Cassie then has to make other, more difficult choices. Her life takes a turn she never expected.
Here’s the first scene:
September 2012
“I’m sorry, Cassie, but I have to let you go,” Mr. Harrison said.
Cassie Nichols stared at her boss and blinked back the tears. “I understand.”
And she did. For the last two weeks, the dread of getting out of bed only to get sick made her late every day, and while at the restaurant, the sight and smell of food forced her to spend most of the day in the bathroom. The man had a business to run, and she wasn’t doing her job.
Cassie removed her apron and grabbed her purse and jacket from her locker.
“Here’s your final check.” He handed her the slip of paper. “I hope everything works out.”
With a trembling hand, she took the check and stuffed it in her pocket. No matter how much it was, the pittance wouldn’t pay the rent. Or her car payment. Her budget required every penny, and without the next two weeks of pay, she would be short. By a lot. She’d struggled to find this job, because it paid above minimum wage and was flexible enough for school. Securing another position seemed impossible.
Cassie sighed and plodded to her car. Unable to resist the tug of curiosity, she pulled the check from her pocket.
Not even enough for a full tank of gas.
She fell into the driver’s seat, turned the key in the ignition, and drove home.
When she pulled into a parking space at her apartment complex, she struggled to remember the trip. Fear for the future fought discouragement for space in her heart.
No job and no money reverberated in her head with every stair she climbed to her second-floor apartment. What would she do now?
She couldn’t survive without her job. Rent was due in two weeks, her car payment a week after that. And school. So many classes still to take and no time or energy to do the work and no money to pay for it.
She’d need to drop out. Another failure. A heavy sigh escaped. Why should school be any different from the rest of her life?
She entered her apartment, closed the door, leaned against it, and slid to the floor, allowing the tears to flow for the first time since that night.
One night. One mistake. And now she was dealing with the consequences.
As you can see, Cassie is in trouble. She’s thrown the stone into the pond and the ripples are moving outward.
The one problem Cassie has, that she doesn’t realize that she has—yet, is her desire to be independent.
We are not designed to take on life alone. We have blood family, church family, and various friends that God has put in our lives to do life with. When mistakes are made, these people help us deal with them. They help us defeat them, go through them, climb over them, or work around them. We need each other.
I’d love to gift one commenter with an e-book copy of Love Under Construction. The winner will be drawn at random and announced in the Sunday Edition following this post.
Here’s more about this book:
One night of saying yes too many times results in Cassie Nichols being jobless, homeless, and sick. All. The. Time. With limited options, she searches for the father of her baby, who disappeared after their one night together.
Kade Grimaldi leads a boring life—get up, go to work at his construction company, come home, sleep, and then do it all over again. Until a young woman he’s never seen before knocks on his door and makes some outlandish accusations that astonish him.
Cassie doesn’t find what she’s searching for; instead, she found something better. Kade isn’t looking for a relationship, but it lands on his doorstep just the same.
Together, theirs is a Love Under Construction.
Ginger’s Links:
Website – www.gingersolomon.com
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/ginger.m.solomon/
Twitter – https://twitter.com/GingerS219
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/gingers219/
Pinterest – https://www.pinterest.com/gingers219/
Valerie Comer is a USA Today bestselling author and a two-time Word Award winner who writes where food meets faith and fiction. She injects experience laced with humor into her green clean romances. Her life on a small farm in western Canada provides the seed for stories of contemporary inspirational romance. Like many of her characters, Valerie and her family grow much of their own food and are active in the local foods movement as well as their church. She only hopes her creations enjoy their happily-ever-afters as much as she does hers, shared with her husband, adult kids, and adorable granddaughters.
Hi, Ginger!
So good to hear that the writing journey is on an upward path! It can be so hard to speak the truth to ourselves. For me, it’s usually because I don’t want to hear it. :( Sometimes I wonder if it’s because I’m holding on to something that God wants to replace with a better gift but I’m too immature to see it that way. Yeah, that’s me all right.
It’s exciting to read about your latest book. Best wishes and prayers for new heights ahead!
I need to grab a copy of the book you said was helpful. As Christians, I believe we have writers block for many reasons secular writers avoid. Your new book sounds wonderful. It sounds like a “God can repair the seemingly impossible, in spite of our mistakes” kind of book. Would love to read it. Best wishes.
Hey Valerie,
We have +20K plans in the app…. I haven’t read the devo – https://my.bible.com/reading-plans/18084-get-out-of-your-head –
Have you? How was it?
Have a great day and happy writing in my favorite month of the year with all the pretty colors.
Everyone makes mistakes and everyone needs a helping hand sometimes. I never ceased to be amazed at how hard we can be on ourselves, where we would not accept that for our loved ones. So happy the writing is flowing again.
Hi Ginger. I know the struggle. I have been there in a different way. Your honesty here is so refreshing because so many just try to bury or gloss over stuff to keep from dealing. In your book Cassie works hard to deal. This book was a great read. Thank you
Even when it’s not from a mistake, it’s hard to accept help. Life sometimes throws a lot our way
I’m glad you’re able to start writing again. I don’t know how authors keep coming up with story after story. Good bless!
God bless! Sorry about the typo.
Sounds very interesting. As so true our mistakes can lead to a ripple effect, but Jesus Grace is all we need.
The book sounds interesting, and good! I also have to watch how I talk to myself! I think all of us do, if we were being honest! God knows us very well, too, and He’s definitely not done with you yet!! Everything comes in His time!!! So glad you did the blog today, a step in the “write” direction!!!!!
Thanks, Lincoln.
“Holding on to something that God wants to replace with a better gift.” Ugh, YES! That is just like me.
It is definitely a “God’s got this” kind of book, but it wouldn’t be interesting if there weren’t doubts and conflict. Can’t wait to hear how you like it.
That is so true, Dianne. We are so much harder on ourselves than on others.
Thanks, Teresa. I’m so glad you enjoyed reading it.
Life throws us our stories. :D And God. I don’t know how unbelievers write. I couldn’t do any of it without Him.
:) Smiling at your typo. I’ll take good blessings and God bless both.
Amen. His grace is definitely sufficient.
Thanks for the smile, Trudy. The “write” direction. :D
Yes, the negative self-talk is universal.
I’m so glad God is not done with me yet. Of course, as Paul says, “to live is Christ; to die is gain.” I’m ready to go anytime He calls me home, but I’ll do my best to live for Him while I’m here.
Thanks so much for visiting Inspy Romance today and catching us all up on what’s happening for you, Ginger!
Thanks for inviting me. :)
Thanks for the heads-up, Anke. I’ll have to check it out.
Yay! A new to me author to explore.
That sounds like a great book, Ginger. And I believe you can write. I’m glad you’re back at it.
Good to see you back. Thanks for the reminder that God never meant for us to be alone.
Hi!
I’m so glad things are going better for you, and that you’re back to writing and following God’s calling in your life. :) I’m really thankful for Christian authors and all the work they put into their books. Your new one sounds wonderful (I’ll be adding it to my TBR list)!
Sometimes mistakes can haunt us for years, sometimes they set us free.
So happy to hear your writing is back on track.
This book sounds wonderful, thank you for the chance to win! I too let my thoughts get the better of me and keep me from doing things. I’m learning to remember that my thoughts don’t have to control me though.
I know of a few writers who took time off from writing partly to recharge and to renew.
I get readers block. I have times and the past few years long stretches where I just cant read. It’s not that I don’t want to it’s often I am just to tired or I get out of the habit.
The book sounds interesting and see what she does next will be interesting.
I’m happy to be “explored,” Jcp. Enjoy.
Thanks, Shannon, me, too.
You’re welcome, Judy. Today is just as a guest. Hopefully soon, I’ll be ready to come back full time.
Thanks, Priscila. We’re thankful for readers who add us to their TBR piles. :D
So true about mistakes, Denise. God can use anything for our good, and I’m so glad He does.
It’s hard to control those thoughts. But I always remember that I have a choice. I can think negatively or I can fight back with the Word, like Jesus did.
I have had readers’ block. I pick up a book, read a page or two, put it down. Try a different book, repeat. Then I finally give up and say that reading is not something I can do that day. It usually doesn’t last long though. Thankfully.
Hi Ginger! So glad to see you <3
The story sounds wonderful!!!
I can certainly understand the times when the words won’t come. If we can, think of it as filling the well so the water can tipple over…
I am my own worst enemy at times, lol! My problem is I sometimes say what’s on my mind and then I think back later and wished I would have taken more time to think about it. Not that I say anything mean, but that I could have said it in a better way or just not at all. It’s a work in progress for sure!
I’m asking God to help me in this area because I never want to hurt someone with my words. That upsets me more than anything!
It’s good to see you too, Natalya, and all the long-time regulars here.
Good word picture, Christina.
Sometimes words said in love can be hurtful. We just have to remember the LOVE.
I can definitely relate to what you shared, but I have to say I’m glad you’re back to writing. That scene just reeled me in! I’m adding Love Under Construction to my TBR.
I’d glad your writing again. Can’t wait to read this book
This book looks so interesting so I’m putting it on my TRB list
The memories that haunt me are not the large things like whether or not I made the right life decisions but the small stuff. People I hurt intentionally or unintentionally. Times when I was not cruel but just unkind or perhaps, indifferent. Incidents which could have gone very differently if I had reacted another way. These are the scars on my heart.
I’m glad you enjoyed the scene, Kathleen. Reeling y’all in is a highlight of sharing Cassie and Kade’s story. I loved writing this book. Thanks for the add. ;)
Thanks, Amy.
Thanks, Sylvain. I hope you enjoy it.
In these cases, and in so many more, we have to forgive ourselves and strive to do better. We’re not perfect and never will be in this life. We all have regrets, but we can’t move forward if we’re always looking back. Said a prayer for you, Jeanna. God can heal those scars.
This book looks really interesting