Posts By: Christy Hoss

Writers Need Writers

Posted July 31, 2023 | Christy Hoss

There are Facebook groups for every cause, or, if you are old-school like me, there are in-person groups, also known as support groups.

When I was first diagnosed with diabetes, I quickly learned I need other diabetics and started a support and education group that met twice a month.

When I first expressed my desire to write, a friend invited me to a writing critique group, where I met my good friend, Michelle Ule.

The group inspired me to attend writing conferences where I learned the craft and met hundreds of writers and others in the business.

The same friend who invited me to the writer group, a few years later started another writing group.

When we moved to Tennessee, I wished I could have taken my writing friends with me.

They helped me make decisions concerning my middle-grade novel series, The Rubber Band, and were very encouraging, inspiring me to keep writing on a regular basis. I missed them terribly and felt I would never find another group.

But God has answered the desire of my heart. I am pleased to have hosted a writing critique group with my friends Sharon Schuller Kiser and Laurie Herlich. We spent nearly four hours talking shop and going over our red-lined submissions.

Sharon Schuller Kiser, Christy Hoss and Laurie Herlich

Every writing group is unique and I count all of my writing experiences as useful and educational, but mostly, I value the relationships that have come from them.

I need my writing friends to keep me going and am thankful for each and every one of them.

The Author Reads – Book Review of ‘THAT End of Lilac Lane,’ by Sharon Schuller Kiser

Posted July 24, 2023 | Christy Hoss

About the Book

That End of Lilac Lane

Five-year-old Sarah Emily is abandoned under the sharp-pointed black iron letters ORPHAN ASYLUM OF LANDER. Timothy, a scruffy orphan boy, finds her on the doorstep, coaxes her inside—and a friendship begins.

Growing up under the cruel hand of the headmistress has left Sarah Emily desperate to find out if an orphan is worth anything to anyone. And why was she abandoned? She and Timothy will be pushed out into the world and wonder what life will hold for them.

The only clue to her past is one picture of her parents in an old mahogany box. But when a new crime opens the door to an old one, Sarah Emily discovers a terrible truth. She’ll do anything to keep it to herself—even from Timothy. However, secrets have a way of causing trouble…and danger.

My Thoughts

For those who love to read historical fiction, this is a must-read.

This is Sharon Schuller Kiser’s debut novel, and it is the first in a series. Kiser has crafted an excellent story, fully researched, that brings the reader to the era with a mere one-line description. It is like walking in the characters’ shoes or right beside them.

In a time long before bullying was recognized as a problem, Kiser’s story brings in the ultimate bully, who uses her position to oppress the children of the orphanage in her charge.

Sarah Emily possesses a bright and contagious positive attitude that, despite the difficulties thrown at her, helps her conquer and move on.

This is not just a story of a poor little orphan girl. It is a page-turner full of surprise challenges and impossible odds. I laughed and cried all in one chapter. It is a wonderful summer read I highly recommend.

Buy the book on Amazon.

About the Author

Sharon Schuller Kiser and her husband happily live in a tiny speck of a town in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. After having hundreds of non-fiction magazine articles published, she finally listened to the characters whispering in her ear wrote her first novel.

Sharon is also a speaker, a storyteller, and for six years she hosted a motivational syndicated radio show.

She wants her words to inspire people to believe in the power of prayer and for them to know their lives and value are complete in Jesus.

If she’s not with friends and family, you may find her on the porch sipping sweet tea and letting the majestic mountains refresh her soul.

The Author Reads – Book Review of ‘Runaround Sue,’ by Jennifer Lyn Cary

Posted June 12, 2023 | Christy Hoss

About the Book

Runaround Sue

She gave away something precious. He lost a part of himself.

Can they find a way to help each other heal?

Sue is hiding out until she is sure her former reputation won’t destroy what she’s trying to rebuild. Unfortunately, that means this brilliant wordsmith turned semi-hermit is working beneath her potential and dealing with stress every time her office door opens.

The last thing she needs to do is greet some biker guy who sets her nerves to jumping just by being in the same room. And if his hairy face isn’t enough to put her off, the mere fact that he’s male is.

So why does she keep ending up in his presence?

Mac is home from Viet Nam and if he never thinks about that place again, it will be too soon. Instead he’s returned to his music that got him through his teen years, his exotic senior trip overseas (thanks to his Uncle Sam), and the deep wound that he brought home with him.

Using his GI bill to further his music understanding has pushed him outside his comfort zone, but the leggy secretary at his professor’s office is tempting him with other ideas he thought he’d shelved for good.

Even if she gets flustered every time he runs into her.

What will it take for her to give him a chance? Or is she more wounded than he is?

Return to 1972 Kokomo, Indiana, for the third installment of The Weather Girls Wedding Shoppe and Venue series—Runaround Sue—and what happens when people discover who God has called them to be.

You will love Runaround Sue, inspired by Dion and the Belmonts’ 1960s hit song, because everyone understands about facing fears with a do-over.

My Thoughts

I loved following the characters Jennifer Lyn Cary created in her Weather Girls series and now she takes the adventures and shenanigans farther with Runaround Sue.

You will be transported back to the seventies and the music will spin around in your mind as you read page after page. The descriptions will create a movie for your mind from page one to the last word. This is another page-turner. Any book – or all of them in this series – makes for a great summer read. Take your pick.

About the Author

Historical Christian romance author Jennifer Lynn Cary likes to say you can take the girl out of Indiana, but you can’t take the Hoosier out of the girl.

She is also a direct descendant of Davy Crockett, which, along with her Indy upbringing, adds fodder to her sweet/clean books.

She and her husband make their home in Arizona where she shares her tales of heritage and small-town life memories with her grandchildren.

Contact Jennifer at jenniferlynncary.com.

More Reviews of Books by Jennifer Lynn Cary

Sunny: The Weather Girls Series, Book 1

Stormy: The Weather Girls Series, Book 2

Sylvia’s Mother, The Weather Girls Wedding Shoppe and Venue series, Book 2

Book Review of ‘Handpicked,’ by Serina Marshall

Posted May 22, 2023 | Christy Hoss

Allie Rose always knew she was unique, but she is about to find out just how special she really is. See, Allie was adopted!

And no matter what anyone says about her new mom and dad, Allie will learn the importance and the magic of being specially HANDPICKED. Sometimes, all it takes is a little love and sunshine to grow – and it helps to know that “home” is the garden where you are lovingly planted and cared for most.

My thoughts

Adoption is an important part of keeping society afloat and there is always a need for adoptive parents. In the second book of The Rubber Band series, (The Rubber Band Stretches: Rock’s Story) Rocky hopes to be adopted one day by his foster parents.

Handpicked is a story based upon the author’s actual experience. Serina Marshall was adopted by her grandparents in her preschool years. In our world today, grandparents sometimes step up and raise second families.

This cheerful and colorfully illustrated book will be a great resource for adoptive parents to introduce the subject of adoption, and will certainly inspire confidence in adopted children. It will be a great resource to any library or children’s counseling groups.

About the author

Serina Marshall has spilled words across the writing spectrum. From newspapers to magazines, to anthologies, to speeches and blogs; she puts ink to her thoughts.

Born and raised in the foothills of East Tennessee, Marshall came back to Tennessee and her roots by way of Orlando, Florida, after working as an entertainment lead and trainer at Universal Studios. Marshall views every day as an adventure and every experience as a story.

Thumbs Up!

Posted May 1, 2023 | Christy Hoss

Closing my eyes, I can see where I was like it was yesterday.

My fourth-grade class lined up on the staircase, waiting for our teacher’s instructions. The girl next to me pulled up my hand and thrust it under my first-crush’s nose, saying, “Chad, look how fat Christy’s fingers are.”

I’d never paid attention to my fingers before, but sure enough, when I examined them, my thumb was stubby and huge with four matching fingers.

I pulled my hand back in humiliation. Ever since that day I tucked my thumb under my fingers, hoping no one would notice my oddly shaped digits.

They are called “hammer” thumbs, a genetic defect that even my high school biology teacher pointed out. I’m the only female in my family to have inherited them. When asked if I could change anything about my body, I knew the answer instantly.

After moving to California in 1987, I discovered a life-changing miracle: acrylic nails. This discovery transformed my life. I no longer hid my thumbs but became confident enough to untuck them.

Getting my nails done on a regular basis is now an important part of my survival. For example: typing this story goes much faster with longer nails.

On the last day of the Blue Lake Christian Writers Retreat, a sweet young lady politely showed me she had thumbs like mine. I immediately embraced her, laughed and cried as we shared stories of dealing with people’s opinions.

Zariah and I are now ‘thumb’ sisters forever.

So, I inherited a genetic defect, passed down from my daddy. He went to Heaven on Christmas Day of 2020. I miss him terribly but think of him often, especially when I look at my thumbs. He gave me a gift that keeps on giving.

These hammer thumbs will keep typing stories and inspiring others no matter what. For that reason alone, I’ll give a thumbs up.

It’s an Obsession!

Posted April 10, 2023 | Christy Hoss

Confession time. I am drawn to these things. They seem to find me everywhere I go. The latest is called ‘portable’ because it comes with a lid to enclose and carry it.

I must refrain from purchasing them as I am running out of room to display them.

Sadly, I find them in disarray, broken up for their parts; their old keys recycled into jewelry.

But sometimes I receive them in perfect condition, like this one my sister won at an auction in Minnesota.

Another one added to my collection is housed in a special case. It was a Christmas gift from my sister that had to wait until we were moved before its construction and took three of us over several days to put together.

Perhaps my obsession with these is how the smell of dried-up ink ribbon brings me back to my Daddy’s typewriter that looked much like this one.

It was stored in the entryway closet, and he let me play on it from time to time. Could it be that Daddy’s old college term-paper-typing, no correctional tape machine, inspired a young girl to become a writer?

I’ll save that for a future story.

What about you?

Do you collect typewriters, or have one (or more) from “the olden days” on display or stored in closets? Do you actually use a manual typewriter? Share your favorite typewriter memory in the comments.

Dumpster Diving Diva

Posted March 27, 2023 | Christy Hoss

Growing up in a small Northern Minnesota town, we would often travel 50 miles west to the closest large city to see doctors, an orthodontist and other specialists. My parents loved shopping at K-Mart, having great fun hoping for a good ‘Blue Light Special.’

On the other hand, my young self was more interested in getting an Icee to drink if it was in the budget.

One trip, I picked up a flyer describing what one can acquire with Icee points that are diamond shapes on the sides of the cups. I set my eyes on the giant stuffed Icee Bear. But the cups we could afford only had one point.

My Icee Bear required 1,000 points! Impossible to a young elementary school girl. But I remember literally feeling a large light bulb turn on above my head as I walked past a public ashtray. Sitting in its sand was a discarded large Icee cup with three diamond-shaped points calling my name.

While my parents shopped, I ran through the store raiding every ashtray and trashcan I could find. I could have been labeled an environmentalist as I walked the entire parking lot salvaging every cup I found (yes, even the tire-marked squished ones).

It took a few trips but before I knew it I had enough Icee points to fill ten sheets of one hundred and send off for my bear.

When he arrived in the mail, my sister decided she wanted one. Just when I thought my dumpster diving days were over, I started all over again for the next 1,000 points.

By the way, I never actually dove into a dumpster, but I did dig around in a few public trash cans. Let’s just say that when I really want something, I dive right in!

TSA, Panic and a Diabetic Alert Dog

Posted March 13, 2023 | Christy Hoss

I love adventure, especially traveling. Sad to say, my thirst for adventure has been dampened by the ominous ritual of removing my shoes during TSA screening.

Everyone knows that when flying anywhere, protocol demands adherence to strict rules.

For a diabetic with a service dog, going through security takes forever.

Besides taking off shoes and jackets and placing laptops, purses and carry-ons in separate bins, I must also take off a treat pouch, gather all my insulin bottles to be hand-inspected (since they can’t be x-rayed), and prepare to be patted down since I wear an insulin pump.

I was trained the way my dog goes through security, and TSA also has specific procedures for service animal security screening. But every experience, they tell me to do something different. Usually, what they ask me to do goes against the training my dog and I have received.

For example, they’ve asked me to:

…Have my traveling companion take my dog while I get patted down.

…Leave my dog with a security agent.

And, weirder yet, they’ve told me to have the dog go through the metal detector first and then I follow. What’s up with that?

Note the line on the TSA web page:

“TSA will not separate you from your service animal.”

Two years ago, I had a very bad experience that involved high blood sugar, a health issue that required me to use a walker. I was also traveling with my 89-year-old, wheelchair-ridden mom (handled by my sister).

The large security man accused me of insulting and trying to attack an agent while my brain was fuzzy. I experienced my first panic attack because he threatened to arrest me as they rummaged through my carry-on.

Within inches of my accuser, I tried to breathe while collecting my belongings. I gave in to my weak knees and sat on my walker-chair, a blubbering mess.

Fortunately, I calmed down, but not until after some retail therapy in the gift shops, a large chai latte, and some snuggle time with my service dog.

Whenever I go through security, I face serious anxiety and pray to get myself through those gates.

I recently learned about an organization that can help people like me get through the process. Although I have a diabetic alert dog who also keeps me calm, he can’t do what this organization can – assist me with all my special needs through security.

Aiden’s thoughts about service dog relief stations in airports: Where a Dog Does His Business

The Author Reads ‘Sylvia’s Mother,’ by Jennifer Lynn Cary

Posted March 6, 2023 | Christy Hoss

About the book

Sylvia’s Mother

Forget about Women’s Lib. Return to 1972 Kokomo, Indiana for the second installment of The Weather Girls Wedding Shoppe and Venue series—Sylvia’s Mother—and the fight for personal independence.

Join Sylvia, her mother, Eileen, and the kooky mix-ups that all point to romance in this small-town romp.

Young Sylvia deals with what would be determined today as a helicopter mom. But she’s in need of freedom, though she’s not going to join a commune or become a hippie, she might be in love.

Seth Matthews, a former FBI agent, returns to Kokomo and realizes there was more than coincidence at play dealing with family memories. Will he agree to a farce to help out his nephew’s involvement with a love interest? Will his heart be guarded as well?

My thoughts

I enjoyed reading The Weather Girls series by Cary. Miss Cary draws her readers in from page one and this is no exception. It’s one of those series the reader can relate to, especially if they grew up in the late sixties and seventies. Miss Cary always weaves nostalgia into her stories, pleasing her audience.

If you enjoyed the Weather Girls and Judy in Disguise, then Sylvia’s Mother is a must-read.

The book is inspired by the pop 1960s song by Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show, because everyone dreams of a second chance with a first love.

More reviews of books by Jennifer Lynn Cary

Sunny: The Weather Girls Series, Book 1

Stormy: The Weather Girls Series, Book 2

More about the book, from the publisher

She’s an overprotective single mother…

…He’s a former protector who can’t give up the role.

But who will guard their hearts from scheming high school matchmakers?

Eileen Avery is determined her daughter Sylvia won’t experience the heartaches she did. Even if it means taking parenting lessons from her mother, the dragon lady. But she is not like her mother. Not even remotely.

If only Sylvia could see that.

However, the girl wants independence. How much is a good thing? And how much is too risky?

Besides, Sylvia is in love and needs a little freedom. It’s not like she’s about to run away to a commune and become a hippy. However, she is willing to try about anything to get her mom to loosen up, even play matchmaker. Maybe if her mother had her own love life, she’d quit trying to put Sylvia’s under a microscope.

But will it all blow up in her face?

Seth Matthews thought he’d said goodbye to Kokomo until an on-the-job injury with the FBI changed his plans. This town holds more than his family, and those memories had better stay buried for all concerned. But how was he to put his honed instincts on the back burner and stop safeguarding the ones closest to him?

He was willing to help his family with almost anything. But pretending interest in some woman to help with his nephew’s romantic endeavors? That was one thing he couldn’t see himself doing.

Until he realizes there was more than coincidence at play.

About the author

Historical Christian romance author Jennifer Lynn Cary likes to say you can take the girl out of Indiana, but you can’t take the Hoosier out of the girl.

She is also a direct descendant of Davy Crockett, which, along with her Indy upbringing, adds fodder to her sweet/clean books.

She and her husband make their home in Arizona where she shares her tales of heritage and small-town life memories with her grandchildren.

Contact Jennifer at jenniferlynncary.com.

What’s Your Word?

Posted January 23, 2023 | Christy Hoss

Every year, I hear it is popular to choose a word to live by for the entire year. I’ve only done this once and because I liked the word so much, I kept it as my word for years. The word was ‘inspire’ and I still like it.

But after a year of major changes with our move to Tennessee bringing me to my knees and causing many tears, I have chosen a new one. It has to do with a personal battle I struggle with.

Like many people, I often scroll through Facebook and see others’ successes. I begin to feel insignificant, like nothing I do matters because I am not a New York Times best-selling author, don’t have gold seal awards on my book covers or have impressive reviews on Amazon.

I confess. I long to be validated and have all those accolades for an impressive writer’s resume.

But are those the reasons for me to write?

In my daily Bible reading, I came across this passage:

Many people say, ‘who will show us better times?’ Let your face smile on us, Lord. You have given me greater joy than those who have abundant harvests of grain and wine. In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.” (Psalm 4:6-8, NLT)

I have to remind myself I write because God has called me to do it. No matter what happens with my writing, I have chosen my word based on my confession and I pray I will always adhere to it.

My word: Humbleness.

Do you have a word for 2023?

If so, what is it? Please share your word in the Comments, and tell me why you chose it.