I don’t know when school’s out in your world, but my son finished preschool last week. Which means, my life is not my own until August.

I’m already realizing this means I have to reprioritize my schedule a bit for the summer. So here’s the scoop…I’ll continue to have my Meet and Greet interviews and Amazon giveaways on Mondays.

The rest of the week? Well, it’s up in the air. At this point, I’m not planning any formal posts for Wednesdays and Fridays, but that doesn’t mean I won’t surprise ya once in a while.

I hope you all have a fantastic summer, and I look forward to seeing you around!

I’m thrilled to welcome Beth Vogt to my blog today! Beth has been a sweet friend who always shares just the right amount of wisdom to leave you feeling inspired. And having just finished her debut novel, I can say her writing lives up that bill too, with plenty of humor mixed in for good measure. (She’s giving away a copy today, so keep reading for details!)

Beth K. Vogt is a non-fiction author and editor who said she’d never write fiction. She’s the wife of an Air Force family physician (now in solo practice) who said she’d never marry a doctor—or anyone in the military. She’s a mom of four who said she’d never have kids. She’s discovered that God’s best often waits behind the doors marked “Never.”

You can connect with Beth on her website and blog, http://bethvogt.com, on Twitter, or on Facebook.

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Welcome, Beth! Let’s get to the questions. (And just to warn you, I know you’re a big football fan, so I’ve got a toughie coming for ya. )

Opener Question: What seven words best describe you?

Forgiven
Wife
Mom
Writer
Busy
Loyal
TEE (aka The Evil Editor, a nickname I embrace with pride because I know it’s said with affection)

Either/Or Questions:

1) All-inclusive resort or quaint cabin? I’m picking the quaint cabin because I’m assuming the cabin is secluded and quiet. I’d like to reserve it for the first week in June when all my looming deadlines will be done.

2) Cereal and milk or Eggs and toast? Due to some dietary restrictions, may I please have a warm glass of vanilla soy milk and a hard-boiled egg? (I know, picky, picky, picky. But not by choice, I assure you.)

3) Tim Tebow or Peyton Manning? Yikes! With all due respect to Peyton Manning … let’s just say I am now the proud owner of a Jets jersey with Tebow’s name on it.

4) Dress pants or Sweatpants? Because of my deadlines: sweatpants.

5) Spring or Fall? Fall. Have you ever experienced springtime in the Rockies? It is unpredictable. Cold. Warm. Cold. Snowy. Icy.

6) Take action or Take it as it comes? Depends. OK. You want me to choose. I’m a take action kinda gal.

7) Skittles or M&Ms? Skittles – if I can get them away from my 11-year-old.

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Oh boy, Beth, I know all about fighting (I mean, kindly coaxing) kids for candy. And I had no idea springtime in the Rockies was so unpredictable. I guess there’s no putting the parka away until June, huh? Speaking of June, I hope you get some rest time after your deadlines, whether it’s in a quaint cabin or at home.

Thank you for being here today! It was a pleasure to have you.

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Wish You Were Here

Allison Denman is supposed to get married in five days, but everything is all wrong. The huge wedding. The frothy dress. And the groom.

Still, kissing the groom’s brother in an unguarded moment is decidedly not the right thing to do. How could she have made such a mistake? It seems Allison’s life is nothing but mistakes at this point. And pulling a “Runaway Bride” complete with stealing, er, borrowing her best friend’s car doesn’t seem to solve her problems.

Can Allison find her way out of this mess? Maybe she just needs to stop orchestrating everything. Allison prefers being the one in control, and giving it up is not going to be easy. But to find her way again, she will have to believe that God has a plan for her and find the strength to let Him lead.

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Blog Readers: Let’s talk…What’s your favorite thing about spring? Any big plans for when the calendar flips to the month of June? Or if you’re drawing a blank, let’s talk junk food…What’s usually sitting in the candy jar in your house, and who do you have to fight for it?

*Giveaway Details: Beth has offered to give away a copy of Wish You Were Here! All you have to do is leave a comment. (For extra entries, you can Tweet or share this post on Facebook…I’ll add an extra entry for each. Just make sure to mention it in your comment.) Winner will be announced in next Monday’s post. Good luck!

**The winner of last week’s Katie Ganshert giveaway is Andrea Cox! I’ll contact you this week with details.

Going through the recovery process has brought back a lot of memories for me, since I’ve had my fair share of medical issues and surgeries in the last 5 years. I don’t say that to have a pity party, but to share how I’ve been blessed by the generosity and thoughtfulness of others.

Sometimes I think we’re unsure how to help someone who’s going through medical difficulties or surgeries. Of course we all know to pray, but I’m focusing on hands-on types of things today. I hope this list of ideas will propel you to reach out to someone in your life who may need a hand. And who knows…God may just use you to draw that person closer to Him.

- Deliver a meal or collaborate with friends to set up a meal schedule.
- If you can’t cook (or even if you can!), give a gift card for carryout or pizza delivery.
- If the person has young children, offer to watch them for a day or two. Or if you can’t commit to a full day, even a few hours will help!
- If they have older children, offer to drive them to their practices and events.
- Offer to help with housecleaning or laundry. In between laundry loads, you can share a cup of coffee or tea.
- Hand-deliver flowers.
- Write an encouraging note.
- If you’re going to get your own groceries, call and ask if you can pick up something for your friend.
- Bring them books to read. (After a major surgery, my mother-in-law brought me a bag of 20 Christian novels (yes, 20!). I spent my entire recovery reading them, and at the end, I heard the distinct call to start writing. You just never know how something simple could change the course of someone’s life.)

I know I’ve barely skimmed the surface with my list. What else can you add? How have others blessed you when you were facing medical issues or recovering from a surgery?

*Photo by Piyaphon / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I can’t tell you how excited I am to have Katie Ganshert here today! Katie is one of the first blogging friends I connected with when I started writing, and I’ve loved getting to know her as a fellow writer-mom in the years since then. (Wow, that makes me sound old, doesn’t it?) Katie is the real deal, and I love her authenticity in sharing about her publication journey. I know you’ll love her too after you meet her here today (if you don’t already love her, that is).

Katie Ganshert was born and raised in the Midwest, where she writes stories about finding faith and falling in love. When she’s not busy plotting her next novel, she enjoys watching movies with her husband, playing make-believe with her wild-child of a son, and chatting with her girlfriends over bagels and coffee. She and her husband are in the process of adopting from the Congo. Wildflowers from Winter is her debut novel.

You can connect with Katie at www.katieganshert.com, or find her on Facebook or Twitter.

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Welcome, Katie! Let’s get to the questions, shall we?

Opener Question: What seven words best describe you?

Redeemed (thank you Jesus), slightly-frazzled, inquisitive, outgoing, passionate…

I totally fizzled out after five. So I asked my husband to help me with two more words and the first two that came out of his mouth were: funny and determined (I think this was his nice way of calling me stubborn).

LOL, I agree with him…You are funny. (And I’ll steer clear of the stubborn comment.)

Either/Or Questions:

1) Mediterranean cruise or Weekend in Paris?

Weekend in Paris because I took a cruise once when I was ten and I was sick for an entire day. Not fun. Plus, I would love to visit the city of lights.

2) Fast and furious or Slow and methodical?

Fast and furious, which is probably why I feel slightly-frazzled half the time.

3) Shorts and t-shirt or Sundress?

Shorts and t-shirt. I’m all about the comfort and I’m not much of a dress gal.

4) Soda or coffee?

You mean pop? I’m a Diet Coke addict, so I’m definitely going to have to go with soda. Plus, as glorious as coffee smells, I think it tastes like feet.

5) Trailblazer or Rule follower?

I’d love to say I’m a trailblazer, because I admire trailblazers, but I think deep down in my core, I’m a rule follower.

6) Tomboy or Girly-girl?

Definitely a tomboy. I had a bowl cut until I was ten (I have no idea why) and I liked wearing my brother’s hand-me-downs. So I was basically mistaken as a boy for approximately one third of my existence. While I’m not usually confused for a boy anymore, I still tend to be low maintenance and largely uninterested in shopping and makeup and jewelry and nail polish.

7) Sleepless in Seattle or While You Were Sleeping?

While You Were Sleeping, all the way. I’m not a big fan of Sleepless in Seattle. Probably because the hero and heroine don’t actually meet face-to-face until the very end! What’s that about? But While You Were Sleeping? That is a great movie. Plus, I heart Sandra Bullock.

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Y’know, I never thought about Sleepless in Seattle like that before, Katie. Good point! And I love While You Were Sleeping too…I think I could quote half the lines because I’ve seen it so many times.

Thank you so much for being here today! I loved all your answers…The coffee comment cracked me up, even though I enjoy drinking feet every morning.

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Wildflowers from Winter

A young architect at a prestigious Chicago firm, Bethany Quinn has built a life far removed from her trailer park teen years. Until an interruption from her estranged mother reveals that tragedy has struck in her hometown and a reluctant Bethany is called back to rural Iowa. Determined to pay her respects while avoiding any emotional entanglements, she vows not to stay long. But the unexpected inheritance of farmland and a startling turn of events in Chicago forces Bethany to come up with a new plan.

Handsome farmhand Evan Price has taken care of the Quinn farm for years. So when Bethany is left the land, he must fight her decisions to realize his dreams. But even as he disagrees with Bethany’s vision, Evan feels drawn to her and the pain she keeps so carefully locked away.

For Bethany, making peace with her past and the God of her childhood doesn’t seem like the path to freedom. Is letting go the only way to new life, love and a peace she’s not even sure exists?

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Blog Readers: Let’s talk…What movie have you seen so many times, you have it memorized? What’s your favorite movie quote? Or if you’re drawing a blank, let’s talk coffee…Do you have the same sentiment about it that Katie does? If so, what’s one flavor that makes it semi-tolerable?

*Giveaway Details: Katie has offered to give away a copy of Wildflowers from Winter! All you have to do is leave a comment. (For extra entries, you can Tweet or share this post on Facebook…I’ll add an extra entry for each. Just make sure to mention it in your comment.) Winner will be announced in next Monday’s post. Good luck!

**The winner of last week’s Amazon giveaway is Marissa E! I’ll contact you this week with details.

5. Put up a dartboard and tape your character’s picture on it. Whenever they give you problems, take a shot at ‘em.

4. Give the Starbucks barista some gas money to deliver java to your office hourly.

3. Listen to techno-dance music while you type. The words may not make sense when you’re done, but at least your fingers moved fast.

2. Disconnect your internet and give the dog your phone.

1. Block out the next month on your calendar to catch up on sleep.

Anybody else know what deadline mode is like? Any tips, practical or not, to share for surviving the madness?

(Forgive me if I don’t respond to comments today…I’m returning to my cave now.)

Since Sunday is a day to honor moms…What do you appreciate most about your mother? Or if she has passed on, what do you remember most about her legacy?

(I’m thankful my mom has always honored my trust. No matter what challenges I’ve faced or personal discussions we’ve shared, I’ve never worried about who she might tell. She keeps it between us and God, and I appreciate her intentionality to keep it that way. I love you, Mom! )

Answer this question in the comments, and you’ll be entered in the drawing for a $10 Amazon e-gift card. Drawing ends on Friday at midnight. Winner will be announced in next week’s post. Good luck!

*The winner of last week’s Dani Pettrey giveaway is Bekah! I’ll contact you this week with details.

**Photo by luckypic / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

So let’s have some fun today…Imagine you’re going to the Derby and you have to choose one of these hats (no choosing “none of the above” please!). Which do you choose and why?

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*All hats are from hatsinthebelfry.com

As with any solo expedition, I spent a few days preparing in advance, especially getting things in order for my husband to be Super Dad on his own. And part of my preparation included stocking up on groceries.

For fun, I posted the following update on Facebook last week: “Planning a grocery list for hubby for when I’m out of town next week. Let’s see…hot dogs, mac and cheese…any other essentials I should include?”

And oh my word, did people ever comment! So I figured I’d share the essential groceries your husband must have on hand if you, too, take a trip away and leave him home with the kids. Prepare for enlightenment, my friends…

- Chips Ahoy
- Chicken nuggets
- Grapes
- String cheese
- KFC
- Dinty Moore
- Frozen pizza (mentioned more than once)
- Cheese and bread for grilled cheese
- Spaghetti
- Peanut butter
- Gift cards to fast food
- Ice cream (also mentioned more than once)
- Potato chips
- Steak
- Potatoes to go with the steak
- Chicken noodle soup
- Cottage cheese
- Cereal
- Yogurt
- Recipes for crock pot meals

And my favorite response…

- The phone number to the local delivery pizza joint

What would our husbands do without us, ladies?! (They’d eat healthier, that’s what. )

Can the man in your life hold his own in the kitchen? What do you buy for him when you leave him home alone? Any other essentials to add to my list?

*photo by Robert Cochrane / FreeDigitalPhotos.net