 When we decided to put our home on the market, I said a silent prayer to God to make it all work out…if it was in his will. Little did I know, he had a plan. An offer came in, then the back and forth until we came to an agreement. Worry consumed me. Was it the right decision? Would the timing work out? We were losing our place but our new home wouldn’t be finished for another month after that. Luckily for us, Mark’s parents had a separate room in the basement, equipped with bed, bathroom, and sitting area. We wouldn’t be homeless nor forced to live in a hotel like we did when we’d bought our previous home. It wasn’t ideal but certainly a blessing. After all, we’d get to visit with our kids and the new granddaughter.  Shortly after arriving in Michigan, Mark’s mom entered hospice. She was dying. How long she’d have, only God knew but it seemed as if we were coming home for a purpose. A hospital bed was ordered and placed in the dining area so she could watch the trees and squirrels. She also was central in all the family gatherings, allowing her to be present. A wheelchair arrived and hospice aide came to bathe her twice a week. Mom was alert and enjoyed visiting with her family, from the great granddaughter, to her sister and other extended family. Tiring more quickly and needing pain meds, each day was a new adventure. Sometimes all we could do was laugh at the moments and comments. She’d forget her home or forget that she’d just talked to loved ones. Through it all, she found strength in her husband of seventy years, their love and bond. Forced to rely on others, she never forgot to thank me for the care she received. She fought to get better, even though that wasn’t possible due to her ailing ninety year-old body.  The coming home plans had changed. Suddenly, we were running to the grocery store, helping Mom get out of bed, making sure she got her medicine, and juggling the needs of both her and Dad. Those days were challenging but we took our cues from Mom and her needs. In addition, we tried to give her and her loved ones a sense of peace, the knowledge that we’d shoulder the tough moments. God showed us his plan by putting us right where we were needed. In two weeks of our arrival, she was gone. During her decline, we worried that we’d need to return to South Carolina for our new home closing before she was gone, that we’d be needed but wouldn’t be able to be here due to the new home timing. We questioned if we would need to put someone else in charge of Mom’s care, of her end of life. But God had thought of everything. We’d be with mom on her last days and we’d be alongside Dad as he adjusted to his new life.  In those early days after her passing, we updated Dad’s computer, assisted him with financial issues, and shouldered the day-to-day household items- laundry, groceries, and cleaning. All the while, we were able to enjoy visits with our children and granddaughter. We followed Mom’s last wishes, having her cremated so her ashes could be spread in her favorite place. Looking back at this past month, I see things clearer and am blessed that we were able to help Mark’s parents through this change of life. We are still carrying worry in our hearts as we return to South Carolina but we know that God has a plan, even if it’s one we can’t see. I will continue to question my decisions, if I’m doing the right thing, if I’m where I need to be but I have a deeper understanding and more faith that I’m not alone.   I recently joined Julie Navickas on her podcast, Just Write Julie—a show where writing meets strategy, and creativity meets clarity.
In this episode, we talked about the many paths to publishing and why small press publishing is an important option for today's authors, including:
If you’re interested in the writing life and the business behind it, you can listen to our conversation here: (available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube). Listen at: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4OLEJPdfhfzDt7c0qzLjPq?si=VM7Zth9rRvmfbD1e_4nbkA Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/just-write-julie/id1868112326?i=1000777377513YouTube: https://youtu.be/BgzAdLk-BP0  Does love and romance have an expiration date? Can you find love after loss? Those are questions many people grapple with each day but Author Jennifer Raines shares in her latest romance... you can and it will also heal your broken heart. THE WRONG TIME FOR LOVE is an enchanting romance between two characters who have seen a lot of life. They have battled back after loss and weren't feeling very worthy of love but readers... they were. This story really touched my heart. The raw emotion and the reality slid into my soul. Author Jennifer Raines' stories are always emotional ones that grapple with real stories and real connections. Available now, THE WRONG TIME FOR LOVE is available in ebook and print. While it is the third book in the Anderson Sisters series, it can be read as a standalone. BUY LINKS: AMAZON- https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H3QBVNHH KOBO- https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-wrong-time-for-love? BN- https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-wrong-time-for-love-jennifer-raines/1150306612 APPLE- https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-wrong-time-for-love/id6775984100 Blurb- Love takes a loner and a grieving mother by surprise Farm labourer, Bluey (Lachlan Murdoch), has been travelling for twenty years, constantly on the move to forget the death of his baby girl. Dairy farmer, Helen Wilson, is barely keeping her head above water. Her fifteen-year-old son suicided and her older son flees the area looking for paid work to help keep the farm. When a neighbour gifts her three months of Bluey’s time, it’s a lifeline. Bluey admires Helen’s fierce defence of her boys. Helen appreciates Bluey’s quiet presence and his daily acts of kindness. When desire enters the mix, Bluey worries he’s taking advantage. Helen feels guilty about forgetting her boys, even for a moment. Commitment isn’t in Bluey’s playbook. Helen’s struggling to navigate grief. Baring one’s soul, even sharing one’s body, is easier with a deadline. But with the clock ticking down, what risks are they prepared to take with their hearts? Award winning author Jennifer Raines excels at the emotional slow burn love story. The Wrong Time for Love offers second chance, over forties male and female leads, forbidden love, forced proximity, and definitely no strings attached. EXCERPT The front screen door banged shut and a woman moved from the shadows into the light. Her hands must have been in water by the way she was rubbing them down the sides of her jeans. “Bluey.” She nodded. “Mrs. Wilson.” She was an attractive woman, big brown eyes, a straight nose with a rounded chin and rosy, plump lips that inspired kisses. The mess of dark curls clustering on her forehead reminded him he’d always liked the look of her, though her pixie haircut could do with a trim. Probably not on her priority list right now. He mounted the bottom veranda step, dragging his Akubra from his head. “Brian Anderson said you had work for me. Thought I’d drop by to check if that was right by you?” “Brian called me.” She looked like exhaustion was a distant memory, and she’d entered walking dead territory. He’d stared at his own face in the mirror enough times over the years to recognise the look when tragedy makes space and time collide in ways almost impossible to comprehend. “Brian said next week.” She smiled wanly. “I’ve lost track of time.” “Easy to do. I was at Danny’s funeral. I’m sorry you lost your son.” She leaned away from him, pain creasing her face, before she replied, “Thank you.” Bluey was of the school that saying a dead loved one’s name aloud was a necessary confirmation that they’d lived and were loved. It had taken him years to come to that conclusion. So long, there was no one left for him to tell. “I can start tomorrow. Monday. If that suits?” He held his hat between his hands. “It’s Sunday, already?” She crossed her arms, cinching in the long-sleeved men’s shirt hanging loosely over her jeans. “Do you want me to call you Bluey? I’m sure your mother gave you another name.” He’d been given the nickname on his first farm job. A typical Australian nickname for redheads, although the shaving mirror testified to a few grey hairs now threaded through the bright copper. It had suited him to have a new name. A chance to become someone else, because he didn’t like the man who’d left the big city behind. No one else gave his real name a thought, which was probably why he answered her. “Lachlan, but I’ve been Bluey these last few decades.” The Rest of the Anderson Sisters Series- Available Today!
 About the Author-
Australian Jennifer Raines writes sensuous contemporary romances set mainly, but not exclusively, in Australia – think Malta, Finland, New Zealand or ? A dreamer and an optimist, her stories are a delicious cocktail of passion, mutual respect and loyalty because she still believes in happily-ever-afters. Jennifer fell in love with romance as a teenager. Starting with historical romance. Everything in the school library and then a personal treasured collection of Georgette Heyer, hard copies and paperbacks. Historical (regency) romance remains her comfort food when the world gets too much. Think Grace Burrowes and others. Jennifer is a member of Romance Writers of New Zealand. In 2025 Masquerade—Choosing Family Book 1 placed second in the Romance Writers of New Zealand (RWNZ) Koru Awards for Best Long Romance, and third for the Overall Award for Excellence. In 2023 Taylor’s Law --The Anderson Sisters Book 1 placed second in the RWNZ Koru Awards for Best First Book. Jennifer has won the Pacific Hearts competition twice, including in 2019 with Grace Under Fire—The Anderson Sisters Book 2. Jennifer’s also a member of Romance Writers of Australia. Three times a finalist in the Emerald competition for best unpublished manuscript, including in 2017(Lela’s Choice under its working name Common Cause), 2018 (Taylor’s Law) and 2022 (Quinn, by design). She’s also a member of Romance Writers of America and has been a finalist in multiple chapter competitions. Jennifer values competitions for the constructive, honest, not always comfortable feedback they provide. Jennifer loves those days when words flow and the joy of writing makes the hard slog worthwhile. She’s always made up stories about strangers in the street, in a café or strolling through an airport terminal; finding inspiration in snippets of conversations, news items and the sheer puzzle of human interactions. Jennifer lives in inner-city Sydney, Australia, with the requisite number of partners (1) and animals (2). Her desk overlooks a park which nourishes her soul when she raises her head from her keyboard. She gets some of her best ideas walking—anywhere—or while doing physical activity. Yes, Virginia, housework does have a purpose. While Jennifer adores historical romance, she chose to write contemporary because she thought (wrongly) it needed less research while she was holding down a full-time job. Jennifer writes a monthly blog posted on her website at https://jenniferrainesauthor.com or you’ll find her at https://www.facebook.com/jenniferrainesauthor or https://www.instagram.com/romanceauthorjen/ |
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