Happy September!
The photo in the header is an (admittedly bad) shot I took of some of the wind farms that are ubiquitous to Interstate 80 as you drive through Iowa.
I spent some of my August driving my sister from Virginia to California in a van loaded up with all her worldly possessions. It’s a long way from Virginia to California, in case you’re wondering.
We spent four very, very long days making the drive, so we didn’t have time for many stops or detours, but Iowa actually ended up featuring the bulk of those stops that weren’t directly related to gas, bathrooms, or meals. (And because we grew up with my dad’s roadtrip mantra drilled into our heads, those three things all usually took place at the same time. There was none of this stopping if the car didn’t need gassing up.)
Fun fact: when you spend most of your day driving West into the sun, you can get a sunburn on your face through the windshield. Ask me how I know.
Winners this Week
If you’re a winner, you should have received an email from the author in charge of the giveaway. If not, please email us at: prizes at inspyromance dot com.
Heather Gray’s winner was Angeline!
Teresa Tysinger’s winner was Linda R!
Elizabeth Maddrey’s winner was Pam W!
The monthly gift card winners for August were Lincoln and Sunnymay!
Congratulations!
Don’t forget… every comment you make qualifies you to win one of the monthly Amazon card giveaways!
Specials this Week
Writing Home by Amy Anguish is 99c through today!
Reader Gathering
Did you know Inspy Romance hosts a Christian Romance Reader Gathering group on Facebook? Liwen Ho will be our host this week, so please join us… but don’t forget to answer the questions for admittance!
StoryChats @ InspyRomance
Story Chats launches an all-new episode every Friday! Elizabeth, Valerie, and Narelle talked with Tari Faris about her new release Since You’ve Been Gone in our last episode. You won’t want to miss it!
Listen to our new weekly show on your favorite podcasting app, through the player on our podcast tab, or watch us on YouTube! Wherever you listen or watch, please be sure to hit subscribe so you don’t miss an episode!
Last Week on Inspy Romance
On Monday, Janet Ferguson talked about the St. Simon Island novels 3-in-1
On Tuesday, Elizabeth Maddrey talked about faking it til you make it.
On Wednesday, Toni Shiloh talked about fall in Maple Run
On Thursday, Jaycee Weaver talked about getting to the wedding.
On Friday, Amy Anguish asked “Why contemporary?”
On Saturday, Mandi Blake talked about reading reviews.
Next Week on Inspy Romance
Monday: Valerie Comer
Tuesday: Hannah Jo Abbott
Wednesday: Lindi Peterson
Thursday: Angela Ruth Strong
Friday: Mila Holt
Saturday: Liwen Ho
New Releases
September 2021
Let Me Off Easy, Cowboy (Cavanagh Cowboys Romance 3) by Valerie Comer
Save the Date box set by Jan Thompson, Liwen Y. Ho, Jaycee Weaver, and nine others
Candy Cane Wishes and Saltwater Dreams box set by Amy R Anguish, Shannon Taylor Vannatter, and three others
Ruby Radiance (Pot of Gold Geocaching Romance 2) by Valerie Comer
So You Need a Fake Relationship (So You Want to be a Billionaire 5) by Elizabeth Maddrey
August 2021
Amethyst Attraction (Pot of Gold Geocaching Romance 4) by Valerie Comer
So You Have My Secret Baby (So You Want to be a Billionaire 4) by Elizabeth Maddrey
Husband Auditions by Angela Ruth Strong
Coastal Hearts: The St. Simon’s Novels by Janet W. Ferguson
A complete list of Inspy Romance books by our authors is always available on our BOOKS tab. Find our audiobooks, our permanently free e-books, and our thank-you gifts for newsletter subscribers there as well!
Elizabeth Maddrey is a semi-reformed computer geek and homeschooling mother of two who lives in the suburbs of Washington D.C. When she isn’t writing, Elizabeth is a voracious consumer of books. She loves to write about Christians who struggle through their lives, dealing with sin and receiving God’s grace on their way to their own romantic happily ever after.
That’s a long, tough trip where presumably you were sunburned? Yes, I’m asking, lol! How lucky to have some time to bond with each other. My sister would have wanted to control everything, lol!
I was definitely glad that I use a moisturizer with sunscreen in it, because I was on the edge of a burn by the end.
It was a good time. But my sister also has control needs so there were moments, lol. I think that’s part of being sisters.
My sister and I love each other, would be there for each other and happily live in different states if the country, we are like chalk and cheese, lol!
Hi Elizabeth! Thanks for sharing your travel adventures. This retiree and road trip traveler agrees with your dad. In 1985 we drove with our two young sons ages 7 & 4 from Chicago to California. With young kids we made the distance in 4 days, but often started at 4 am while the boys where still sleeping. This June we drove with 3 grandkids (ages 15, 13, and 7) from SW Michigan to Williamsburg, Virginia. Now being older those 1200 miles took us 2 days. Yes our stops are always for gas, food, bathroom, and stretch your legs. You and sister did well to make the distance from Virginia to California in 4 days. Road trips makes one appreciate the largeness of our beautiful diverse country, as portrayed in the song “America the Beautiful.” Off for a road trip to see our middle son and our youngest granddaughter (age 4). Our oldest granddaughter (age 7) is coming along, because the cousins miss each other. Mom/ Oma is bringing lunch and lots of fun activities. Glad for cooler Michigan weather. Enjoy your Labor Day weekend.
I definitely spent time humming America the Beautiful! I have seen much of the southern route cross country, but don’t remember ever doing the northern one. It was lovely!
You made great time to get to VA in two days this summer!
I don’t spend a lot of time outdoors in the sun, but I usually wear V-neck T-shirts most days and have a definite V-neck tan line, I assume from driving in the car!
Most likely! I was surprised, but came to find out (because older sisters know all ;) ) that the front windshield is not UV treated.
It’s funny. We used to drive to New England at least 4 times a year to visit family and my dad only stopped twice on the 650+ mile trip and that was for gas. I didn’t know you could get a sunburn through your windshield.
Two stops sounds about right. We grew up going from Northern New Mexico to the San Joaquin Valley of CA usually in one long, straight shot — 22ish hours. I imagine we stopped no more than five times but it’s hazy in the memories.
It’s funny. We used to drive to New England at least four times a year to visit family. My dad only stopped twice on the 650+ mile trip and that was for gas. I did not know you could get a sunburn through the windshield.
Wow! That’s a long distance to travel. Glad y’all got there safely, albeit a little redder!
Thanks! I would love to pack up my kids in an RV and take a month (or more) to wander. I would have loved to stop more than we did and see things.
Growing up we drove several times from California, where we lived, to Ohio to visit my dad’s side of the family. We later also drove from Kentucky, where we moved while I was in high school, back to California to visit my mom’s side of the family a couple times as well. Although our stops were always fast and included bathroom, gas, and food, our trips were never a straight shot. My parents always used those trips as an opportunity for us to see more of our country. We also always drove through Texas to see my great uncle and aunt who lived there. It was such a great opportunity that I didn’t fully appreciate until I was an adult with my own children.
Those sound like great trips! And yes, ha, I feel like so often we don’t appreciate things as kids.
I have lived in both Virginia and California, and now live in Iowa! Those turbines are manufactured here and the blades are enormous. Did you see any of them being transported on I-80?
I am going to retire next year, sell the house, buy a camper, and the dog and me are going to hit the road! I can’t wait to see more of our beautiful country.
We did not see any in transit and we’re sort of surprised by that. But yes, they looked enormous!
Actually, I know that you can get a sunburn through the windshield, and also through the side windows of cars, as they say that the side of the person driving that is by the window will have sun damage from being by the window. Conversely, if you’re always a passenger, then the side by the window. I’ll readily admit I really don’t want to find out! I’ve had some bad burns when I was younger (this FL native never used baby oil to tan, but we also didn’t know about sunscreen, it was just tanning lotion without an SPF back then), and have had melanoma three times.
Oh ugh. I’m sorry to hear that. I’ve had some basal cell carcinoma but not melanoma. None is fun.
Thanks to the IR admins for the gift card! Congratulations to all the other winners!
I had a few long trips back in the days of college but never the full way across the country. I feel your pain with driving into the sun. No fun at all, even without the sunburn. :(
Have a great week, all!
This was definitely one of the longer trips I’ve embarked on! But I’ve always loved road trips (and hubby hates them) so it was good to have an excuse.
I am glad you had a good trip, I am sure you will miss your sister😔. I too know you can get a sunburn through the windshield, lol!!
I definitely do! But it’s what she felt she needed to do so I’m trying to be supportive.
I had to look up the route on Google Maps. What a journey!
When we lived in the far north of Norway, close to the Russian border, we used to make a 21-hour journey to visit my mother-in-law near Trondheim. Our children were very little, so we’d break it up into three days and two nights, with very frequent stops in between. We’d cut through Finland and Sweden to avoid the mountain roads and lower speed limits in northern Norway.
It’s definitely a trek!
We spent a month traveling Europe when I was in high school and Trondheim is a find memory – my mom did such a good job of making each country come alive, so there were CDs of Grieg and stories of Trolls as well as other (more useful probably) info for each country. That’s another trip I’d love to replicate for my boys sometime.
Wow, sounds like you all had a very nice and fun trip. My 2 younger sisters and I have gone on a couple of road trips and it has been alot of fun, hoping we can do it again . Have a great weekend and stay safe.
It was a lot of fun! I hope you get some more sister trips soon!
Wow, that is a long drive! I bet you still had fun being with your sister though.
Definitely did!
We drove from California to Florida straight…once – never again LOL
Oh man. That’s a long drive to do straight!
Wow, 4 days on the road? That’s a long way for sure. I’ve only been on road trips that were hours long, but it’s still true for sunburns. Now I wonder how pilots do it, lol.
I hadn’t even thought of pilots! They probably learn fast to use sunscreen.
The photo is not that bad. We don’t have any wind farms around here.
Thanks! We were zipping along so it was tricky.
There aren’t any near me either.
Hi Elizabeth! We moved from the Oregon coast to Illinois (where I grew up) in 2006 to be near my family & then moved back two years after that in 2008. It took about 4 days with a few fun stops in between (mostly in South Dakota)…the Corn Palace, Wall Drug, Custer’s Last Stand, etc. It was a long trip but it was cool to see most of the country. And I didn’t know you could get a sunburn through your windshield, ouch! I’ll have to remember that ;-)
Congrats to this weeks winners! Happy Sunday everyone at IR
That sounds like a lot of fun sight seeing!
Glad you had safe travels. Congratulations winners.
Thanks!
That is a long trip. Did you stop overnight on the way or drive right through? I have don’t bus trips. One of the longest is from Adelaide to Perth. It takes 36 hours with stops for meals as the driver has to stop every 4 – 6 hours now its 4 hours. We had to stop at 2 am in the morning. Now days you have to get of the bus at stops too. (haven’t done it for about 30+ years. But after the second time with so little leg room I said never again. A car would be better. Travelling really tires me but I don’t sleep well in a car.
I have heard about people getting sunburnt in cars and the need to wear sunscreen. especially in Australia.
We did stop each night at a hotel. Just West of Chicago the first night, mid-Nebraska the second night, Salt Lake City the third night, and then the fourth night we were there.
I don’t think I’d like a bus trip – I like my own car and being able to move around and stop when I want. Or I want an airplane where at least I know I’m covering the ground faster :)
Thanks!
Your dad sounds like my dad.
That sunburn is real.
Maybe it’s generational? Although I’ve adopted it for myself to pass on lol
I praise the Lord that you and your sister made it to California safely. I am glad you are back home. Thank you all for your wonderful posts each day. Congratulations to all the winners. God bless you all.
Thank you!
Congratulations to the winners!
Yes! So many good prizes.
I’ve never been to USA but love photos. I love being outside & camping.
I enjoy camping under the right circumstances, but as I get older I want a few more creature comforts.
Congrats to the winners
Thanks!
There is a stretch of highway in northern Indiana on the way to Chicago where the are a lot of windmills. I like watching for them and am always amazed by their size when you see one close to the road.
Glad you had a good and safe trip!
I drove from Indiana to California (and back) for family vacation a few years ago. We visited 13 states by taking a different route each way.