The best time to visit Florida? Surely it’s July, right? Or August? Okay, not so much, but when my sister spent weeks in a Florida hospital (near where she lives) this past summer, my other sister (who lives near me), her hubby, and I flew kitty-corner across the continent to visit for three days to see her and her family.
It was good to be there, and I was also super thankful my nephew was able to take a few hours off work to take me to the ocean. We had a really good visit as we wandered along New Smyrna Beach, and I got to clear my head a little with the long view, which was so helpful.
**I prepped this post before Hurricane Ian. September wins for being the worst time to visit Florida! I hope all our Florida peeps and others who’ve been in Ian’s path are safe and counting blessings. Our prayers have been with you.
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.
Merrillee Whren’s winner is Ausjenny!
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Specials this Week
Reader Gathering
Did you know Inspy Romance hosts a Christian Romance Reader Gathering group on Facebook? Merrillee Whren is our host this week, so come on over… but don’t forget to answer the questions for admittance!
StoryChats @ InspyRomance
Story Chats releases an all-new episode every Friday. This week on Episode 91, Elizabeth, Valerie, and Narelle chatted with Melody Carlson about her new release, A Quilt for Christmas. You won’t want to miss it!
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Last Week on Inspy Romance
On Monday, Merrillee Whren wondered how bad can she be?
On Tuesday, Teresa Tysinger pondered books that make us think… and #giveaway
On Wednesday, Meghann Whistler offered a Cape Cod Christmas interview
On Thursday, Jaycee Weaver blessed us with sister stories
On Friday, Liwen Y Ho shared a husband/ wife Q&A
On Saturday, Tabitha Bouldin confirmed it’s a reader thing
Next Week on Inspy Romance
Monday: Laurie Larsen (Me and the Music Man and a #giveaway)
Tuesday: Heather Gray
Wednesday: Milla Holt (Haven’t I Seen Your Face Before?)
Thursday: Narelle Atkins (Royalty Romance Book Recommendation)
Friday: Toni Shiloh (Fall Books I Love)
Saturday: Elizabeth Maddrey
New Releases
October 2022
The Billionaire’s Secret Crush (Billionaire Next Door 3) by Elizabeth Maddrey
To Believe In You (Rhythms of Redemption 4) by Emily Conrad
Second Chance with the Hero (Heroes of Freedom Ridge 14) by Liwen Y. Ho
Family Christmas on the Ranch by Deb Kastner and one other
September 2022
The Baby’s Christmas Blessing by Meghann Whistler
To Win a Prince by Toni Shiloh
Through the Blaze (Seasons of Faith 2) by Milla Holt
Love in Any Season (multi-author collection by Amy Anguish and 3 others)
Muskoka Shores by Carolyn Miller
Urban Farm Fresh Romance 10-12 (Box 4) by Valerie Comer
Annie’s Hope (The Village of Hope 1) by Merrillee Whren
The evening before our crack-of-dawn flight back home, we left the hospital just at sunset. I shot this photo out the rental SUV’s back window across Lake Monroe to remind me that sunrise and sunset come every day, whether we get to see a glorious display or not. And God is always with us, too, whether we see or feel the evidence at the moment or not.
A complete list of Inspy Romance books by our authors is always available on our BOOKS tab. Find our audiobooks and our thank-you gifts for newsletter subscribers there as well!
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.
Hope your sister is recovered now. I’ve also been praying for those affected by hurricane Ian, such a terrible time, but you are right to remind us God is always with us.
My eldest sister and all her family live in Florida , so we too have been praying while Hurricane Ian does its damage.
I trust your sister is recovering well- it’s always so hard being so far from family
Okay, as a Native Floridian, almost anytime during Hurricane season is a bad time to visit Florida!! September is usually the busiest month for them, though! Hopefully, we won’t have anymore this season, which doesn’t end until November 30. My area of Florida is already pretty much back to normal after our encounter, though some areas, like Ft Myers, Naples, and Sanibel, are going to take years to get back to what they were before. I, too, am still praying for those that have had so much damage. Hope your sister is doing well now!!
Thanks, Ruthie. She’s not recovered (yet). She’s in the hospital again, this time awaiting heart surgery. Hurricane Ian set that back by a week.
Thanks Jeannette! My sister is back in hospital awaiting surgery…
I’m sure you guys take hurricanes (sort of) in stride, as we in the NW take forest fires (sort of) in stride! Every part of the planet has their version of recurring natural disasters. I’ve twice spent a week on the Florida Gulf Coast, at Fort Myers Beach in 2016 and Manasota Key in 2019. FMB for sure will look very different in future. :(
My sis is back in hospital awaiting surgery that was delayed due to Ian.
Remembering your sister in prayer.
We honeymooned in Florida in the month of December. It was wonderful.
Thank you for the prayers. I was in Florida in December in… 1979?? I remember it as lovely!
I’ll be praying for her!! Yes, you’re right, every area has some kind of thing. I much prefer my hurricanes to the thought of earthquakes that California gets!
Thanks for praying! One thing about hurricanes, I guess you can see them coming (compared to earthquakes)! You just don’t know exactly where they will land until they do.
nice pics
Thank you!
Right!! And we have DAYS to prepare, unless they’re like Ian! We weren’t to get as much as we got, but still, we did much better than others did! There is going to be more flooding caused by Ian this week, as the St. Johns River is going to flood north of me. It actually runs north, so as the water from here goes up, it’ll cause flooding all along the river. There are some nice places to go kayaking here, which I know you like!
It’s the St John that runs through St Augustine, right? We met up with Paula and her hubby there in 2019. I’m sad that won’t happen again.
I have friends in Florida some were on the outer edge of the hurricane so had no power for several days but other than that weren’t affected. When you look at the map Florida is a large state and often we hear a hurricane is coming but its only a small part of the state it hits. A bit like a cyclone in Queensland. Its so big a state that its often just a tiny part affected but people not knowing the area will think its affecting the whole state (it can with rain fall after).
Been praying for all in its path and also those in South and North Carolina.
I decided I need to visit USA when its not Tornado season or hurricane season (or arrange to not be in those areas) Then I figure with California there is always earth quakes and Washington state and Oregon sometimes have volcanos erupt. (Hawaii has hurricanes, tsunami’s, volcanos but am willing to take the risk there)
Here in the Pacific NW a volcano is pretty rare. Like Mount St Helens rare! But forest fires are nearly yearly, and even for those far from an active blaze, smoke can clog the air for weeks. We’ve had some very bad years with multiple fires within pay-attention range.
Florida is pretty large but Ian made the “most” of its landfall by hitting both coasts and a fair chunk of the inland area too.
But there’s something everywhere!
Thank you so much for sharing. Sending prayers for your sister as well as all those who have been impacted by Hurricane Ian. God bless you.
Thank you, Debra!
True. We get bush fires not normally in my town as such but last year we had one not far from us. Parts of the country have floods, and it seems we are at the end of a fault line but haven’t had a earthquake. My friend got married in Canada and I was one of the bridesmaids. one was from Texas and couldn’t make it due to hurricane Ike. I know anywhere you go you need to be prepared for something. Right now spring is here and so are the ants. I can’t go out the front without being attacked.
I’m sorry to hear that Valerie, I will be praying for her.
Thank you!
I’m sorry the bride’s friend couldn’t make it to her wedding on account of Ike! Weather and natural disasters have a way of derailing the best laid plans. Ugh for attacking ants!