Shannon here: Charlene Amsden shares her real-life romance, plus a chance to win a digital copy of her Romantic Suspense, Kage: The 6th Commandment plus 3 other titles. Comment or answer the question in any post dated April 18th – 30th. Deadline: May 9th, 11:59 pm central time. Here’s Charlene:
My husband, Charley, and I wrote letters to each other for a year before we met. Although neither of us had said it aloud, each of us knew we loved the other before we ever came face-to-face. Our first date, our first “I love you,” and our first kiss happened on the same day.
That was April 5th, 2007. He attended church with me on the 8th, which was Easter Sunday, and surprised me big time. Charley isn’t a professional musician, but he’s a fairly good trumpet player. Before he arrived in town, he’d called my church, spoken with the choir director, and made plans to play in our worship service. While I was at work on April 6th, he went to a secret rehearsal.
When Sunday arrived, Charley excused himself shortly after service began and slipped out of the sanctuary. I was puzzled and wondering if I should be worried or irritated; then he stepped back into the room with the choir. He had his trumpet in his hand. It was a stunning and wonderful surprise.
We had exactly three dates before he proposed. Since we lived 3000 miles apart, those three dates were widely spaced and in-between we shared a good number of emails, texts, and phone calls. In fact, Charley bought his first ever cellphone just so he could talk with me whenever he liked.
Shortly thereafter, Charley was offered a job in Hawaii. He took it, packed up his home in Maine, and moved across the ocean. I am a schoolteacher. As soon as that school year ended, I packed my belongings and moved to Hawaii to join him. We married quietly. No fanfare. No big production. Not even any family. Since he’d been newly hired, we couldn’t go anywhere for our honeymoon, but who needed to? We were in Hawaii. Our courtship was unconventional, so why should our marriage and honeymoon be any different?
I know it sounds as though our relationship is all romance, but my husband and I are very practical and low-key. Our romance is more about the way we choose to live than big, sweeping gestures. He still opens my car door and, since a car accident left me with physical challenges, he watches out for me on steps and uneven terrain.
I cook him his favorite foods and sew his shirts. He is so proud of those shirts that I had to place the “made with love” label on his button placket. He shows the labels to anyone who comments on his shirt and tells them he has “designer originals.” If I sew the label on his collar, he will practically undress to show it off.
Of course, when he isn’t bragging about his shirts there’s a good chance, he’s telling people about his extravagant birthday dinner that wasn’t. I planned one of his favorite meals: homemade macaroni and cheese. I found a gourmet recipe and bought the 7 different kinds of cheese it called for. I bought heavy cream and real butter.
In a highly unusual move for me, I followed the recipe exactly as written. Almost. I did make one unintentional substitution.
I set the table—tablecloth, fabric napkins, fresh flowers, ALL the silverware, not just what I knew we’d use. Everything was perfect. I presented the cheesy casserole in my best French White bakeware. It smelled … odd.
Charley dished up my plate and set it in front of me. Normally, I would have waited for him to sit and taste his own food before taking a bite, but that smell…
As he piled his plate high with gooey cheese, I slipped a fork full into my mouth—then darted to the garbage can and spit it out. “Don’t eat that!” I jerked open the refrigerator and grabbed the container of heavy cream. It had never been opened. I stood there frowning at it. If it wasn’t open, what had I put in the casserole? That’s when I noticed the other blue and white carton. French vanilla coffee creamer.
I went back to the table and grabbed my plate. I reached for Charley’s plate. He stopped me and
scooped up a bite of the food. I warned him it was vile. He said, “I know it tastes a little unusual, but I can eat it.”
I sat on my chair to watch. He put the bite in his mouth. He chewed. He swallowed. He took another forkful. I tried to stop him. “You don’t have to do this.” Charley told me it wasn’t that bad and put the food in his mouth.
I took my plate to the garbage can and scraped the food off it. I returned to the table to find Charley lifting yet another forkful of casserole to his mouth. He sat there for several moments, unmoving, then put his fork down. “I can’t.”
“Thank you!” I snatched his plate away in case he changed his mind. I told him I’d figure out something else for dinner. He suggested going out to our favorite fish and chips place instead, so we did.
We hadn’t been married long at that point and I really expected him to be upset at the amount of money I’d spent on that ruined meal. He told me it was the thought that counts, then added that he’d like me to think about never buying French Vanilla coffee creamer again.
The one thing I can always count on Charley for is laughter. Whenever we face trauma or drama, he always finds an unexpected way to bring humor into the situation. He is both my rock and my soft place to land. I thank God for him every day.
Romance isn’t just the big showy gestures. It’s the being there every day. It is knowing that a ruined dinner won’t culminate in a fight. It is having someone who can make you laugh and will hold you while you cry. It is having a smile ready for him when he comes home and helping him keep track of his crazy schedule. Big gestures are nice, but the romance that sustains a marriage is noticing that true love reveals itself in little everyday things.
I try to show that in my writing. I love romance. There is nothing quite as wonderful as falling in love, but what comes after love blossoms is even more important. I am so glad that the Holy Spirit led both Charley and I as we built the foundation of our relationship, and that God and the church remain an important part of our lives both separately and together.
Reader Question: What part of Charlene’s story do you think is the most romantic?
May Book Bundle #1
My Journey into Fiction Writing by R.F. Whong, Nonfiction, Newsletter signup download
Loving Lydia by Susan Sloan, Civil War Historical Romance, digital
Kage: The 6th Commandment by Charlene Amsden, Romantic Suspense, digital
Counting on the Cowboy by Shannon Taylor Vannatter, Contemporary Romance, print
About Charlene: Charlene Amsden is a storyteller, coffee enthusiast, and devoted follower of Christ who calls a small island in the Pacific Northwest home—where her neighbors include orca whales, bald eagles, and the occasional black fox. A former elementary school teacher of 18 years and children’s ministry leader for 6, she now serves as an Elder, Sunday School teacher, and newsletter editor for her local church.
Born in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, Charlene’s life has been as varied as the settings in her books—she has taught school in the desert and on the beach, crossed the country in the cab of an 18-wheeler, and gathered stories in all seven states she’s called home. She is a wife, sister, aunt, and friend. Her writing reflects the faith, hope, and deep sense of community that have shaped her journey.
When she’s not writing Christian fiction, you’ll likely find her sipping coffee, watching the tide roll in, or dreaming up new tales that weave together suspense, redemption, and God’s grace. Learn more and connect:
Charlene’s Website Sign up for Charlene’s Newsletter and receive a free short story
About the book – Kage: The 6th Commandment: True North Brotherhood
Thou shalt not kill.
But someone already tried.
Investigative journalist, Trina Vaughn, wakes in a hospital with a bullet wound and no memory of the attack—or why her partner has vanished without a trace. When her home is broken into and a second attempt is made on her life, she’s forced to rely on the last man she ever expected to trust.
Martin “Kage” Kincade, an ex-con turned pastor, knows about violence. He also knows redemption is hard-won and easily questioned. Especially when the woman he’s protecting doesn’t know whether to fear him—or believe in him.
As danger closes in, Trina and Kage must unravel a deadly conspiracy that stretches from a shattered memory to a small-town garden center hiding more than flowers. With a suspicious detective watching their every move, and a killer growing bolder by the day, trust becomes a lifeline neither of them can afford to cut.
In a town built on secrets, surviving means breaking silence—and confronting the truth behind The Sixth Commandment.
Perfect for fans of romantic suspense, found family, and heroes with battle scars and open Bibles.
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Kage: The Sixth Commandment Charlene’s Books
Come back April 30th for Shannon Taylor Vannatter (me)!
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