THE MOTHER-IN-LAW

Happy Independence Day, America!

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The Mother-in-Law

by
Judy Moore

Genre: Suspense, Thriller

After a whirlwind romance, a young woman from California makes a rash
decision and marries a handsome Floridian after knowing him for only
one month. 

She gives up everything she knows to move cross countrv to live with her
new husband, a widower, and his five-year-old son. 

Everything seems idyllic until they arrive at her husband's oceanfront home, and
she meets her mother-in-law. There's something strange about the
woman and the mother/son relationship.

It's not long before her suspicions begin to overwhelm her as she becomes
ensnared in the secrets and lies of her new family. 

THE MOTHER-IN-LAW Excerpt:

Victoria stepped out onto the patio, ambled around the pool, and stood at the gate, gazing out at the moonlit beach and listening to the waves crash against the shore. She inhaled the moist sea air and basked in the soft touch of the salty air against her skin.

The cool ocean air felt refreshing until she realized goose bumps had begun to appear on her arms and then across her entire body. Something was off, and it was giving her chills. She had a feeling that she wasn’t alone. A sixth sense told her that someone was watching her. Her body tensed, and she squinted out into the darkness.

Scanning the patio, she slowly turned around toward the house. Then she saw her, saw her silhouette, standing in the window staring down at her. Her mother-in-law didn’t move away from the window, didn’t wave, but just stood and stared down at Victoria. Victoria held her gaze for what seemed like at least a minute. Then, finally, the drape slid across the window, and her mother-in-law was gone.

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AUTHOR INTERVIEW

Q: How do your stories & characters develop?

I start with the victim and the killer and the why. Then I start masking the killer and the why, and spread other storylines around the crime to confuse the reader and throw them off the trail. The key for me is keeping the reader interested. To bore them is the ultimate sin. I like setting a scene so the reader can feel and see each scene, but I’m going to do that fairly quickly. I can’t stand reading books where the author spends a page describing a tree. I think that’s self-indulgent of the writer and torture for the reader. I would never dream of doing that to someone who bought my book to have a pleasurable reading experience.

Q: What is your favorite genre to read & write?
I love to read and write mysteries, especially whodunits. I expect good dialogue and a lot of humor as well. That’s my goal when I write too. Down-to-earth characters who sometimes find themselves interacting with some pretty zany, unpredictable people. My books are always PG-rated. I'm no prude, but I don't like to read sex scenes and I certainly don't like to write them. I think that often they're just a distraction from the story line.

Q: Do you have a favorite author whose books you love to read?
I have a couple of favorite authors. Carl Hiaasen is probably the first. He’s so funny and so out there. What an imagination. And he actually lives in my new hometown, Vero Beach, Florida. The other is Michael Connelly who writes fabulous crime dramas, including the Harry Bosch detective novels and The Lincoln Lawyer series. They’re both Floridians and attended University of Florida’s journalism school where I went.

How did you come up with the title of your latest book, The Mother-in-Law?
I think there is high interest in the relationship between new spouses and their mothers-in-law. Will they get along? Will there be problems? Mothers-in-law often get a bad rap, usually unwarranted, but in this case, rightfully so. So I wanted to keep the title simple. I think the name The Mother-in-Law, along with the image I chose, portrays the mysterious nature of the book.

What is your approach to writing?
I write in a simple journalistic style. Grab the reader’s attention and hold on to it. Use quotes effectively and succinctly. Above all, don’t let the reader get bored. Keep the story interesting and keep it moving! The biggest challenges in writing mysteries is to give the readers enough clues without giving away the killer.

Why do you write what you write?
I grew up reading Agatha Christie and have always loved reading and watching mysteries. When I took an early retirement from my full-time editing job, I decided it was time to start writing mysteries myself. In the past few years, I’ve written three mystery novels and six novellas. The Mother-in-Law, a thriller, is my latest. Readers seem to really like it and it was fun to write. Murder in Vail is probably my favorite, a whodunit about a family home for the holidays who find themselves snowbound with a killer in their midst.

Judy Moore writes mystery novels and thrillers, as well as lighter family
fiction. She is a longtime news writer, editor, and magazine feature
writer, and has a master's degree in journalism. Her fiction and
nonfiction work has been published in numerous national publications,
and her novels are published by BTGN publishers. Her most recent
thriller, The Mother-in-Law, is a favorite with Amazon readers. A
lifelong Florida resident, she is a former tennis pro and sports
writer, so her stories sometimes have a sports backdrop.

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JACQUELINE VON ZWEHL'S TRUE LOVE STORY!

The Prayer, a Love Story

by Jacqueline von Zwehl

BLURB:

Do you Believe in Miracles?

Do you Believe in Eternal Love?

Do you Believe in Answered Prayers?

YOU WILL

THE PRAYER, A LOVE STORY is the inspirational true story of one woman who discovers the secret to living a life filled with miracles, unconditional love and answered prayers.

The journey begins with a divine promise, continues with unforeseen life challenges, and eventually leads to Jerusalem. Inside the Old City, a prayer will unlock the key to a life of miracles. This journey is proof heaven is real and its gifts are available to you now. Whether you have stopped believing in God or not, God believes in you.

The journey holds a promise for everyone. No matter how much darkness exists in your life, it cannot diminish the flicker of even the tiniest light. That light will lead you to your destiny and it will change your life forever.

One randomly chosen commenter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card.

Excerpt of THE PRAYER, A LOVE STORY:

Destiny

As soon as I got in the car, I almost changed my mind. I was exhausted. It had been a long week and, quite frankly, I was not in the mood for a party. Still, I had to go. I’d just say hello to Todd and leave early, I decided. I fumbled around in the dim light, looking for the directions. I had gone to Fort Lauderdale only a handful of times, and I still wasn’t sure how to get downtown.

Todd and I had known each other for years. He was the friend from Long Island who had organized the dismal raft-up that made me decide to leave New York. He was one of the most sociable and fun people you’d ever meet. Once you get on his email list, you’re a friend for life. That’s how he is. Todd was one of the last people I said goodbye to when I moved to Boca.

The previous Tuesday night, he had called. In his classic, larger-than-life style, he said he knew a guy who had a house in Fort Lauderdale, and he and a big group of friends from Long Island were flying down to stay there for the upcoming boat show. They were throwing a huge party on Saturday night, and I just had to be there.

I was not in the mood even early in the week. I was working long hours at the time, and I was men-tally drained. I also didn’t look forward to partying with a bunch of single guys from Long Island. If it had been anyone else but Todd, I would have politely declined, but we hadn’t seen each other in over a year and a half.

Reluctantly, I accepted, but I added one little white lie. I told Todd I had a boyfriend. The last thing I wanted was for any guy at this party to think I was single. I did not want to get hit on by any out-of-state guys on vacation. I’d just make a quick appearance and get home early, I told myself.

I pulled up to the house a little after dark. It was a spectacular, newly constructed mansion on the inter-coastal in the Las Olas Isles of Fort Lauderdale. The home was impressive and stately, surrounded by stunning landscaping tall palm trees and a gated entrance. Although the house was huge, it looked quite warm and inviting, as well.

Suddenly, something odd hit me. There didn’t seem to be a party. In fact, hardly any cars were parked on the street. I double checked the address and checked the number on the gate. Yes, it was the right house. Was I too early?

Flashbacks of the cancelled raft-up went through my mind. The last time I got an invitation from Todd for a supposedly huge event, it turned out to be a small disaster. I swore that if Todd had invited me to this house and there was no party, he was going to owe me big time.

As I started toward the gate, my doubts took over. What was I doing there? I couldn’t hear any music. I considered turning around and getting back in my car, but just then, someone on a Harley parked next to my car. He spotted me right away and made his way towards me. I thought I would look foolish if I turned around and got back in my car.

The tall man from the Harley approached.“Hi, I’m Joe.”

“Hi, Joe, I’m Jackie.”

“Hey, Jackie. So, how do you know Chris?”

“I don’t know Chris. My friend Todd invited me.”

“Oh. I have no idea who Todd is.”

I was starting to feel a bit awkward, but there was no turning back by then, so Joe and I walked in together. From a grand center hall foyer, we stepped down into a sunken living room accented by a vaulted ceiling and twenty-foot floor-to-ceiling glass windows.

The first thing I noticed was the angel above the fireplace. It was a stunning, hand-carved, six-foot-tall wooden angel with a four-foot wingspan. I stood there staring at it, mesmerized. He was  beautiful. For a moment, I completely forgot where I was or how I got there.

I began to notice my surroundings. This was not the house of a bachelor, as I had assumed. It was definitely a family home. Family photos were everywhere, adults and children covering every wall and counter. In the foyer, an ornate antique Bible and a pile of rosaries graced a coffee table. Crosses and religious pictures adorned every wall. I could see that this home had been decorated by a mother, a woman of faith. It was a gracious and welcoming home.

The moment we walked in, Joe had left my side and slipped through the sliding glass doors leading to the back deck. Obviously, he’d been there before and knew the house well. I’m not sure how long I stood there, taking in my surroundings.

I quickly realized there was, in fact, no party. I was standing in a stranger’s home, completely  alone. No crowds, no music, and definitely no party. Once again, I contemplated discreetly leaving. Then I heard a voice that seemed to be addressing me.

“Hey, there. I’m Carlos. How do you know Chris?” I followed the voice and walked through a breakfast room to get within view of whoever was talking to me. The voice had come from the kitchen. A casually dressed guy was seated at the island, enjoying his dinner, and I guess he had noticed me standing by myself in the living room. I probably looked ridiculous just standing there, staring at the angel.

“Hi, Carlos. I’m Jackie. I don’t know Chris. I was invited by my friend Todd.”

“Who the hell is Todd?” Carlos blurted out.

At that point, I definitely felt like I had just crashed someone’s home. What was I doing there? Nothing about this made any sense. Why had Todd invited me to that house? Why had he told me there would be a party there that night? Why  didn’t  anyone  there know who he was?

I needed to leave, and by then I didn’t care whether anyone saw me walk out the front door with no explanation. However, as I made my way back through the breakfast room and across the living room, I was intercepted.

A dark-haired man in blue swim trunks barreled through the sliding glass doors into the living room. He didn’t have a shirt on, just a towel wrapped around his shoulders. He was soaking wet, obviously just out of the pool. Oh my goodness, but he was cute! He was also half-naked and smiling at me—and that smile was melting me.

Full of excitement and exuberance, he put his hand out to shake mine and announced,“Hi, I’m Chris.”

Amazon Paperback

http://www.amazon.com/Prayer-Love-Story-Jacqueline-Zwehl/dp/1939819008/ref=la_B00DY9W62Y_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1383163807&sr=1-1

Amazon Kindle

http://www.amazon.com/Prayer-Love-Story-Unconditional-ebook/dp/B00G8QTDKI/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1383164024&sr=1-3&keywords=the+prayer+a+love+story

Jacqueline von Zwehl

Jacqueline von Zwehl, is a faith-based relationship expert. She holds a BFA from New York University and a MBA from Pennsylvania State University. Jacqueline travels the country as a motivational speaker encouraging singles on the path to finding their soul mates. She has appeared on Nite Line, The Harvest Show, EWTN, TCT TV, Victory TV, CatholicTV, Telecare, Changing Lives, CatholicLife, That's the Spirit, The Church, The Cardinal and You, NPR, and more. Jacqueline lives in Fort Lauderdale, FL with her husband Christopher, their two daughters and dog. The Prayer, A Love Story is her debut book.

Read Jacqueline's Blog at www.jackievonzwehl.com

Become a Fan: www.facebook.com/JackieVonZwehl

Follow: www.twitter.com/JackieVonZwehl

Author Profile:www.goodreads.com/jackievonzwehl




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MACKENZIE LUCAS SHARES ESSENCE

Essence

by Mackenzie Lucas

Prize for the tour:
• One randomly chosen commenter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card.

Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here: 

http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2013/12/virtual-book-tour-essence-by-mackenzie.html

ESSENCE Blurb:

All Haven Jameson ever wanted was to own a little piece of paradise. Now, she does, having established a successful luxury spa in St. Augustine, Florida. But when the property next door is sold to a mega developer and his pro-golf celebrity brother who design trendy, bustling playgrounds for the rich and famous, she fears her dream could slip away. Confronted by her late husband’s infidelity, Haven learns everything she believed about her marriage was a lie; so she finally sets aside her grief and opens her heart to loving the widowed pro-golfer who is her biggest professional competition. In the end, Haven discovers that living a safe, loveless life is far worse than embracing passion and taking a chance on a man who’s vowed never to love again. And that, sometimes, no matter how high the risk, the best paradise of all can be found inside our own hearts.

ESSENCE Excerpt

Pace Daniels lay on his belly on a massage table, naked except for a thin sheet covering his backside. He rested his cheek on his hands and closed his eyes, and breathed in the calming scent of the room.

Light music played from the overhead speakers, not too loud, but nice. It sounded like a mix of music from India and the Southwest—Burma to Santa Fe. Pan flutes and bowl singing. Interesting.

He breathed deep again, taking air deep into his lungs, and pushed through the pain in his shoulder, the achiness that seemed to stick with him no matter what he did.

It was time to retire. Leave the circuit.

He'd known for a while now. Hell, he was a fairly young man for his profession. But one mistake. One stupid mistake had cost him everything. And now at the age of almost forty, he was facing a blank future. Filled with a lot of nothing if he didn't make some changes soon.

He had no idea what to expect when he'd come to Essence. A pretty brunette had given him instructions today for the massage, showed him the transition room—a fancy name for a locker room—and where to store his clothes and belongings. Of course, he'd had massages before. Mostly by sports medicine doctors.

Essence surprised him. Pleasantly. The atmosphere was different than he’d imagined. He'd expected fru fru and had been bowled over at every turn. The place wasn't just a female Mecca, as he’d feared. He'd anticipated salon chairs and manicurists around every corner.

Instead, the spa resort was a posh hotel.

A serene place. A spot he could see himself settling into to find some measure of peace in his own life.

He let out a deep sigh.

But, no. He wouldn't. He'd move on like he always did.

A knock sounded at the door and a moment later, the door opened on silent hinges. He opened his eyes to see the massage therapist.

The woman who entered wasn't the petite, curvy brunette who'd checked him in, but a tall, leggy blonde.

He stilled as he watched her.

Yes, she was beautiful. High cheekbones, wide, exotic pale green eyes, lush body. But there was something else. Something indefinable. Something more, he couldn’t explain. Maybe a sadness that clung to her that he recognized because the same sloe-eyed desolation dogged him, day after day for the past ten years.

He couldn’t be one-hundred percent certain to what extent, but on some level, he identified with her.

Then she spoke, and every cell in his body awoke at the husky tone of her voice. Sex liquefied. He'd die and go to Heaven if he could just have her talk to him for the next hour in that sweet, sexy, soft voice.

“I'm sorry. I must be in the wrong room.” She turned to go.

He pushed up from the table. “No. Wait.”

Mackenzie Lucas, Author

 Mackenzie Lucas is a lover of story in any form. She’s an avid reader of genre fiction, she writes contemporary and paranormal romance, and she listens to an eclectic mix of music that spans from pop/rock to country to gospel. She loves a good story whether it’s an erotic short, a full-length romance novel, or the narrative slice-of-life found in country music. In any story, emotional integrity and authenticity are most important to her as well as a big dose of romping hot sexual tension. She enjoys smart-mouthed, sexy heroines, hunky alpha heroes who know how to take care of their women, and plot twists that surprise her, but most of all, she just wants to experience a satisfying emotional arc of a character falling in love and finding what he or she needs most in life.

Mac is a small-town country girl with a world-traveler’s soul. She grew up in the Allegheny Mountains of Pennsylvania and she’s lived in Dublin, Ireland, within spitting distance of New York City in Long Island, and now in the Washington, D.C. area. She obtained her undergraduate degree in English Literature from Dickinson College and received her M.F.A. in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University. She’s currently an author, writing coach, a mother, and a wife.

With Mackenzie Lucas--whether you’re reading her light paranormal romance, her small-town-based contemporary romance, or her steamin’ hawt erotica--you’ll always get a story about connectedness, community, and emotional authenticity, and, at its core, love. No, and it doesn’t hurt that all her heroes are panty-melting gorgeous alphas and all their sexy, sensually aware heroines know how to stand up to them, give no quarter, and love them just as they are.

Links:

Website:http://www.mackenzielucas.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MacLucas_writer

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MackenzieLucasAuthor

https://www.facebook.com/MackenzieLucasFanPage

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6915570.Mackenzie_Lucas

Mackenzie is awarding a $50 gift card to one randomly chosen commenter during the tour.


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AN INTERVIEW WITH CAROLINE CLEMMONS

Usually I ask about the same questions to my guest authors. Today I thought I would interview—ME. I know, you think you know quite a bit about me already, maybe all you ever wanted to know. Please don’t give up on me. Here I go:

Tell us about growing up:

Whew, glad no one asked whether I was sweet or horrid. My parents moved to the Bakersfield, CA area when I was a baby and then moved back to Texas the summer before third grade, when I was seven. We eventually settled in Lubbock when I was ten, a few months after the birth of my younger brother. (Then he was ten years younger than me, but now he’s passed me and is my older brother. Funny how age works, isn’t it?) 

Lubbock, Texas bills itself as the Hub of the Plains

We were our dad’s second family, and he was a lot older than our mom. Our half-siblings were near our mom’s age. In fact, our eldest half-brother was two years older than our mom.  Our half-siblings and their children live in California and look as beautiful as people who live there are supposed to. Many of them could pass for movie stars or models. I think I’m the only chubby one in the family.

As an adult, Hero and I lived in Oxnard CA one summer and loved it, in Cupertino CA a year and loved that, and in Windermere near Orlando FL for two-and-a-half years. The rest of the time, we've lived in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Although we currently live on a small acreage, we're selling that (hopefully soon!) and moving into Fort Worth.

When did you decide to write?

I loved reading as long as I can remember. My dad taught me to read when I was very young, four. I think his motive was he wouldn’t have to read me the funny papers every evening. I loved Bugs Bunny.  Yeah, I still do. 

But I didn’t write until I took journalism. Then I didn’t write books until my mother-in-law gave me a grocery bag of romances. That’s when I wanted to become Nora Roberts.  Yeah, I still do.

Nora Roberts

Writing is not quite as easy as reading, but I love both. To date, I’ve written three novellas and thirteen novels that include a time travel romantic suspense, a cozy mystery, a mystery, three contemporary romances, and the rest are western historical romances. All except one novella are set in Texas. Write what you know.

What is your favorite way to relax and recharge?

I love reading, family, getting together with friends, working on genealogy, research (yes, I get lost in it and love it), and travel.   

What’s a quote that sums up how you feel about life?

“Be the change you want to see in the world.” Ghandi

Where do you prefer to write?

Hot tea and a couple of cats for company

I write in what I call my pink cave, which is a lovely room that used to belong to Darling Daughter 2. She decorated it with prints and photos and I’ve added to them with family photos, knick knacks, a couple of plaques from my friend Geri Foster, and assorted clutter. I have all my research books here in my cave. I prefer my PC to a laptop and save the laptop for travel. I like classical music when I’m writing because I believe it adds rhythm to the words. For email, I like Ella Fitzgerald or Carol King or others. We have our house listed for sale, so I hope I'll have a nice cave after we move.

Are you a plotter or a panzer?

Definitely a plotter since I heard Laura Baker and Robin Perini give their “Story Magic” workshop years ago. They saved my life! 

My critique partners are terrific at helping me plot. Darling Daughter 1 recently helped me with a current plot problem. Whew! Nice to have talented friends and family members.

Do you use real events or persons in your stories or as an inspiration for stories?

I do use some real events as secondary mentions, but not as main events. For instance, in the Men of Stone Mountain series, I mention Brit Johnson being murdered by Kiowas near the site of the book. That’s true, sadly. The closest I’ve come to using real people as characters is basing the aunts in that series on my mom and her sister. I love those two characters because of that connection and happy memories.

Do you set daily writing goals?

Sure I set page counts. Do I make them? Seldom, but then I have spurts where I amaze myself. Life often interferes.

What do you hope your writing brings to readers?

An escape from reality or whatever bugs them and a pleasant way to spend a few hours, that they end each book with a sigh of contentment wishing for my next book.

What long-term plans do you have for your career?

To keep writing as long as I can sit in my desk chair and prop my fingers on the keyboard. LOL I have too many characters in my head begging me to write them for me to give up now.

Would you like to tell us what you’re working on now?

I’m finishing up a novella that is a spin off from the Men of Stone Mountain series. In the third book, there’s a character briefly mentioned named Bear Baldwin.  For some reason, he appeared in my head as a terrific guy who’d written away for a mail-order bride. This is an extension of a short story I wrote, but I’m having lots of fun with my heroine. She’s a substitute for her friend and the hero is a bit miffed he’s been passed off like a pair of old boots. There’s a bad guy—isn’t there always in my books?—after the heroine, so she’s eager to get wed before the cad shows up.  The title is TABITHA’S JOURNEY and it will be out the first week of June, 2013.

 

Tabitha Masterson

After that, I’ll be working on Storm Kincaid’s book, THE MOST UNSUITABLE COURTSHIP. I hope to have it released in mid September and resume the Kincaid series concurrently with the Stone Mountain series.I love both those series. I hope it's all right to say I like my books and characters. I do. I can't expect readers to love them unless I do, too.

Storm Kincaid

Next will be another spin off from Men of Stone Mountain about the first of November, CHRISTMAS ON STONE MOUNTAIN. I haven't narrowed down the cover for it yet. The hero is Buster Parish, the new sheriff of Radford Springs, Texas. 

What advice would you give to unpublished authors?

Don’t let anyone steal your dream! Hone your craft and persevere.

A fun fact readers wouldn’t know about you.

Darling Daughter 2 and I used to have three antique booths. We brought home the best stuff. It's not that we're such bad businesswomen, really, but we love antiques and hate to part with them. We have a new rule that we can't bring anything else home unless we get rid of something. If we won the lottery, though, we’d  each buy a bigger house and get back in the antique business. ☺

Something about you that would surprise or shock readers.

I am afraid of the water and am a lousy swimmer. Even though I'm chubby, I sink like a stone. In spite of that, I love watching water and also boating. Yes, I ALWAYS wear a life preserver.

Is there anything else you’d like readers to know?

Please sign up for my newsletter on the sidebar

Thanks for stopping by! 

WHAT IS UNCONDITIONAL LOVE?

Mary Ricksen, author

Mary Ricksen was born in Vermont, but it's cold sooo long, she wants to settle for scenic North Carolina. Mary enjoys the change of seasons. Spring, summer, winter, and fall all have such a unique flavor in North Carolina. However, she moved to Florida in 1980, and in West Palm Beach seasons are just too subtle. Mary moved a lot when she was young, from Canada to New York, and from Texas, to Florida. She met all kinds of people, and truly believes that the more rural the setting is, the more friendly people are. She says she’s been married so long it's like her husband's her left hip, but she'll keep him--he can fix anything!

Her dog Junior is a
 character in her current book

She has a beautiful secret garden, with everything from Plumeria to Penta. Wow, as I sit here freezing in North Central Texas, I wonder what could be better than sitting in a Florida garden with a good book and seeing the palms and ferns wave in the breezes. Winter must be the ideal time to be in Florida. (Wait! I lived in Florida for three years and remember the myriad of snakes in those gardens. On second thought, home is where the heart is, and mine's in Texas.) 

Mary's first book in her Time Can Heal Your Heart series  takes place on Lake Champlain in Vermont--her always home. She says the only thing like the Green Mountains are the Great Smokey's, and a little town called Bryson City, North Carolina that she calls, “My next home, hopefully!”

Available from
The Wild Rose Press

Mary is secretary of the Florida Romance Writers chapter of RWA. Her brand, "Know that love is truly timeless," strikes a chord with me. Her dog Junior appears in her first novel, TRIPPING THROUGH TIME, and there will be more pets in the next book. You Gotta Read Reviews gave her a great review: "Absolutely wonderful! An excellent first novel. Rated:You Gotta Read!" Woohoo, way to go, Mary!


In addition to writing, Mary is famous among romance writers as one of the co-hostesses of the well known Friday blog, Author Roast and Toast, along with Sharon Donovan and Hywela Lyn (and Sharon's butler, Oliver) at http://authorroastandtoast.blogspot.com/. That blog has given many authors a virtual party and an opportunity to publicize the release of their books. Mary's personal blog is http://maryricksen.blogspot.com/ and her website is http://www.maryricksen.com/ And now, Mary, take it away with your post for today:


        What Is Unconditional Love?

We all want it, we all need it. But, do we all find it? Have you ever felt that anyone loved you unconditionally?

Who doesn't
want love?

Who doesn’t want that handsome, sweet talking, sexy guy, to love you with his whole heart? Poets write about it, crooners sing about it, authors pen it, but it’s elusive. We write, and our stories end in happily ever after, because our characters love one another unconditionally.

Does your partner love you unconditionally? It’s about so much more then sex! It’s what makes your lover your best friend. When you know that person will be there for you no matter what. You know that person will tolerate your bad moods. Believe me those power surges of menopause can make you a tad moody.

Woman with a "headache"
reading a book in bed

The pain of that monthly curse can put you into a frenzy. You don’t always want to jump into bed. You might have, say--a headache. Or you might be pe-oed that he left the seat up. You forget to wash off the makeup and wake up looking like a ghoul. But you know that your partner will be there even when you look or act your worst. Or maybe when you start a fight because you feel like yelling. Of course, I never do anything like that. (Mary smiles. She never starts the fights, but she finishes them).

We crave love

The point is, that we crave it. Love fills us up and touches that special part of us. The place inside that makes us romantic. Those of us who write romance try to tell readers how our hero or heroine finds love. The more the conflict the better our tales are when our characters realize they finally sense it.


Unconditional love makes us happy, no matter where it comes from, or who feels it for us. The best example I can think of is my grandmother. At the time I was no more then six years old.

Statue of Liberty
view from ships

My grandmother was an immigrant that came over, “on the boat.” She remembered when she saw the Statue of Liberty. After a long tortuous trip, all the future Americans looked at it in awe. She told me that at that moment she was thinking how special our country really is. Especially after what her family had suffered. She used to say things to me in Polish that I don’t remember. She’d be mortified to know that the only Polish words I know now besides "I love you (Kocham cie)," are curse words. I worked with a girl from Poland, and it sure made my day to be able to say what I thought of my boss to his face, and he had no clue!

Grandma Mongiello

Well anyways… I visited my grandmother often; I was her namesake. To this day I use my middle initial so that up there somewhere, she knows I am still Mary Catherine Mongiello, just like her. Crippled with rheumatoid arthritis, my Gram could not walk without help. Whenever I stayed there I slept with her. She’d hug me all night long.

Gwumkies

One day after a meal of stuffed cabbage, called gwumkies, we went to bed early. All night long I had terrible gas. Cabbage will do that to a body. I mean every ten seconds I’d pass gas. It was awful, and I remember thinking she was sleeping so she’d never know. Well, the next morning she laughed as she told me she was awake most of the night.

I gulped and apologized for my gas bombs.
And she looked at me, totally serious, with the glow of love in her eyes and said, “But I love your farts!”

Now that, my friends, is unconditional love!

Thank you, Mary, a grandmother's love is unconditional. Thanks for sharing with us--the story, not the bombs. LOL

My Grandmother
Reynolds

My own grandmother also demonstrated unconditional love for her each of her children and grandchildren. Her maiden name was Frances Josephine Gamble, and she outlived two husbands: my grandfather John Witt Phifer and Henry Alonzo Reynolds. She was an especially sweet, shy but strong lady who practiced both her mottos, "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything," and "Better to keep silent and have people think you're stupid than to open your mouth and convince them you are." If she thought I was being bratty, she'd say, "Pretty is as pretty does." Oh, not that it ever happened, mind you. But if I had been a brat, that's what she'd have said. Yeah, sure, that's what I meant.

Who, me?

The only thing I disliked about her was sleeping with her when she stayed with us while my uncle was in the hospital for six weeks. I was a teen, about junior high or early high school age. She was a snuggler, and would scooch me off the bed. About halfway through the night, I'd have to go around to the other side of the bed. She'd start snuggling again, but just before I rolled off the bed, it would be time to get up and get ready for school. As I said, she was a special lady, and I loved her tremendously even if, as an insular teenager, I didn't want to share my bed with her. Grandmothers put up with a lot, don't they?

What's your idea of unconditional love?