Sunset on the Queen Charlotte Islands. Love the Pacific Ocean!
Valerie here this week. We all love vacation, right?
Where is your favorite vacation destination? For me, it is the Pacific coast, hands down. There is something about the smell of salt air, the pounding surf, and the long view across the water that speaks to me deep in my soul.
My husband and I recently traveled to BC’s North Coast where he was raised. We spent a few days in Prince Rupert before traveling seven hours by ferry to the Queen Charlotte Islands, also known as Haida Gwaii (HYduh gwy). We spent several days at a guesthouse minutes from the ocean.
My husband, Jim, and I at Balance Rock on the Queen Charlotte Islands.
Most folks who love the beach think about tanning, swimming, or surfing. I’m not fond of heat, so I was happy for typical North Coast jeans-and-hoodie weather. For us, the fun of being at the shore is rocks, shells, and the creatures that get stranded in tidal pools.
Now we’re home again and back in the thick of a typical summer in the Interior, many miles from the ocean. We’re in the midst of cutting the hay, mowing the lawn, weeding the garden, picking the raspberries, and snuggling the grand-girls. But as always, part of my soul remains at the side of the ocean, marveling in the wild expanse God created.
Giant cedars and Sitka spruce. This tree had gaps on both sides, big enough to climb right through!
Meanwhile, back at Inspy Romance, our bloggers are chatting up love and books, not necessarily in that order! (Psst, did you know that the arrows embedded in the side of each post will take you to the next one?) (Psst, did you know that every comment enters you in a monthly drawing for an Amazon gift card?)
Yesterday, Staci Stallings asked, “Do you have the courage love will take?” in Love as a Verb.
On Friday, Kristen Ethridge talked about The Stories That Shape Our Lives. What’s the best book you ever read?
On Thursday, JoAnn Durgin said, Bring on the Contemporary Romance! She’s giving away a paperback copy of her newest release, Moonbeams, to a commenter, so pop over.
On Wednesday, Kathleen Y’Barbo declared, Let the Fireworks Begin! If you’re curious how fireworks relates to romance novels (in more than the obvious way!) check it out.
On Tuesday, Heather Gray offered us Romance and Hot Apple Cider: Christmas in July, where she talked about her snowy title, Nowhere for Christmas.
On Monday, Lorraine Beatty confessed to being A Born Collector and tells how what she collects comes out in her stories.
Coming up next week:
Monday: Deb Kastner
Tuesday: Melissa Tagg
Wednesday: Narelle Atkins
Thursday: Stacy Monson
Friday: Carol Moncado
Saturday: Katherine Reay
A handful of pretty rocks on Agate Beach, Queen Charlotte Islands.
NEWS AND NOTES
WINNER!
Congrats to our own Carla Laureano, WINNER of the 2014 RWA Rita Award for Inspirational Romance with Five Days in Skye. So happy for you, Carla!
NEW RELEASES: July 2014
Robyn’s Garden (Brides of Texas Novella) by Kathleen Y’Barbo
Redeeming the Rancher by Deb Kastner
Hope Deferred (Remnants 2) by Elizabeth Maddrey
The Best Man’s Secret by Gail Sattler
Their Unexpected Love (Second Chances) by Kathleen Y’Barbo
SALES & GIVEAWAYS
Raspberries and Vinegar
by Valerie Comer is on sale for Kindle for 99¢.
Newsletter Sign-Up and Giveaway
Carol Moncado is having a newsletter sign-up and chance to enter a drawing for an Amazon card or your choice of three books on a list made from her extensive collection – including several from InspyRomance authors! Enter through July 31.
Starfish in a tidal pool. This isn’t a common color anywhere I’ve seen.
Where do you like to vacation? Where have you been recently, or where are you going soon?
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.
My place that I like to go visit for a vaction or just to get away would be yosemity national park. I’ve not been there in a long long time but when I did visit, I loved smelling the mountain air and also seeing Gods Beatiful handy work with the water falls and the trees.
Here is my email
oh.hello.hiya@gmail.com
The only time I get to travel is when I go to the annual church library conference. So I like traveling Texas. Mostly they’ve been fairly close to me. I’m a Texas so I think in hours traveled not miles so anything around 5 hours is close. I did get to go to Galveston Island last year for a day which I enjoyed immensely. I’m only about 2 hours from there. If I could go anywhere I’d like to go to Scotland but, that will be for some other dream.
I’ve never been to Yosemite, but I totally get you with the mountain air, waterfalls, and trees! I live in the mountains and love it…when I’m not missing the ocean!
I’ve only been to Texas once, not that I saw much of the DFW area other than the conference hotel. Stacy Monson and I did escape one evening but a lot of Grapevine was closed already.
Scotland…yes! The whole British Isles would be cool.
Mostly, we haul our little holiday trailer and park beside mountain streams within an hour or two of home. Running a farm doesn’t let us get away much.
Congratulations, Carla! Super excited for your win.
Valerie, I’ve traveled over most of the continental U.S., and some of my favorites are:
western Montana (big sky, majestic mountains, and fresh air; I think my heart’s still there.)
Maine (my sis and I were the only ones brave enough for the chilly water; it was summer, and we’re Texas girls. If there’s water, we’re probably going in.)
Connecticut (the sand was perfect for volleyball, and the views off the coast were amazing)
Indiana (meeting up with my great-aunts and great-uncles and second- and third-cousins was amazing, as was meeting Inspy’s own JoAnn Durgin.)
Blessings,
Andrea
Western Montana isn’t too far from where I live in Canada. I go there once or twice a year to hang out with my buddy and author Angela Breidenbach. Headed there in a few weeks for a writing retreat, actually. Can’t wait!
I’d love to get to Atlantic Canada/New England someday!
And yes, JoAnn Durgin is amazing. We’ve hung out some at writers’ conferences. She’s wonderful.
Valerie, I love the photos! I’d love to visit Canada one day. Congratulations to Carla on her RITA win! It was a thrill to be in the audience and cheer her on :)