Dear Reader,
Many of you know my husband and I have Butch and Suzy, two very spoiled dachshunds. What some of you might not know is that long before we had Butch and Suzy, we had a sweet beagle named Phoebe! We got her soon after my kids started school. Almost immediately, she became the center of our household. Beagles are naturally gentle dogs who like being with children. Our Phoebe was no exception. She became my children’s tag partner and hiking buddy. Their favorite cuddle companion and all-around best friend.
Phoebe was a great dog. However, she wasn’t perfect. She had a terrible fondness for pizza. And ham. And eggs. And anything else she wasn’t supposed to have. In the blink of an eye, she would go from steadfast companion to stealth pizza thief. Whenever there was a particularly tasty-looking snack (and for Phoebe, this was all food), she hopped on chairs, climbed on tables, and nosed her way inside closed cabinets. Once, when she had a torn ACL, she got up on her hind legs and pulled down two large pizza boxes. She then wolfed down the entire contents, all in under ten minutes. It was remarkable.
About four years ago, soon after she turned sixteen, Phoebe passed away. Her death left a huge gap in our family. And, well, it was almost a full year before we ordered another pizza to be delivered. Funny how the things that used to drive us crazy became the things we missed the most!
I was delighted to feature a naughty beagle named Frankie in this book. Though I truly loved writing about two likable people and their six kinner, you might have gotten the impression that my heart belonged to that beagle. I guess enough time had finally passed to remember how perfect that imperfect dog had been for us.
So if you, like me, have ever had a pet who wasn’t perfect but claimed your heart just the same, this book is for you. I hope you enjoyed A Wedding at the Orange Blossom Inn, my ode to The Brady Bunch, and my tribute to one very sweet, very hungry beagle.
Thank you for picking up the book!
With blessings and my best,
Shelley Shepard Gray
PS. I love to hear from readers, either on Facebook, through my website, or through the postal system! If you’d care to write and tell me what you thought of the book, please do!
Shelley Shepard Gray
10663 Loveland Madeira Rd. #167
Loveland, OH 45140
1. The theme of renewal and rebirth is highlighted in each book in this series. In this novel, the focus is on two people who have already found love once before. What obstacles do you think they might have had to overcome that someone who isn’t a widow might not?
2. Why do you think Jay needed to move to Florida in order to be happy? Was that fair to his boys? How do you think they would have coped if they had stayed in Ohio?
3. There were a lot of characters and a lot of relationships to explore when writing this novel—romances between Emma and Jay and Tricia and Ben, as well as new bonds forming between all of the kids and their parents. Which relationship appealed most to you?
4. Beverly Overholt is a central character in the series. How have you seen her grow and change throughout the first three books?
5. I loved the Amish proverb I found to guide me while writing: “It takes both sunshine and rain to make a rainbow.” I thought it worked well for Emma and Jay. How might it be applied to your life?
6. I used a verse from Psalm 119 while writing the novel. “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and light for my path.” How has God’s word guided you? Has there ever been a time when you didn’t listen?
7. I can only imagine what problems Jay and Emma might encounter when they become parents to six children! What do you think will be some of their surprising blessings? What do you think they might find to be an obstacle?
8. Finally, Frankie the beagle had my heart from the moment he first appeared in the novel. Do you have a pet? How has that pet enriched your life?
1 cup fresh cranberries, chopped
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon orange zest
1¾ cups flour
2½ teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
¼ cup orange juice
½ cup milk
⅓ cup vegetable oil
Preheat oven to 400°F. Mix cranberries, sugar, and orange zest. Set aside. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine egg, orange juice, milk, and vegetable oil. Add to dry ingredients, stirring until just moistened. Fold in cranberry mixture. Put in greased bread pan and bake 30 to 35 minutes or until done. Serve warm.
(from Mrs. Perry [Susan] Miller, Sarasota, Florida)
Taken from Simply Delicious Amish Cooking by Sherry Gore. Copyright © 2012 by Sherry Gore. Used with permission of Zondervan. www.zondervan.com