Shannon here: Delores Topliff shares insight into her real life. Her debut novel, Books Afloat releases today. I’m excited to see my editing baby go into print. Comment or answer the question at the end of any post, dated Jan 12 – 15 to enter the drawing. US only, please, winner’s choice of a print or Kindle copy. Deadline: Jan 26th, 11:59 pm central time. Here’s Delores:
- Are you open to your own romance?
Definitely. I’m an optimist and romantic, so even as a widowed grandmother, I am open to and believe in long-lasting romantic love.
- What’s the number one quality you’d require in a mate?
Strong Christian faith including a generous heart toward missions via hands-on involvement and giving. I support twin girls in the Philippines, have been privileged to go on six mission trips there, and outreaches like that matter to me.
- What’s the number two quality you’d require in a mate?
A great sense of humor because I have a gift for getting in hilarious scrapes at unpredictable times and my mate would have to enjoy those times and outcomes without being irritated.
- Where is the best place you can think of to find a mate?
Church or on mission trips, although when church didn’t work for my younger son, one year he became a state captain in Minnesota for the Republican national party and found his like-minded mate there.
- Where is the worst place you can think of to find a mate?
A bar, although two great Christian friends of mine went to bars, one for the first time ever, and both found wonderful lifelong Christian mates there, so God can direct and redeem any situation.
- What type of character traits are you attracted to?
Adventurous, active, travel-loving, young for their age, but also bright and well-read, handles money which includes being generous toward missions, etc.
- What type of features are you attracted to?
Taller than I (5’ 10”). Solidly built without being massive but no string bean either.
- What’s the one habit or lifestyle that would make you run the other way?
Too controlling of the women in his life including being stingy and/or not handling money well for the good of the family.
- What would be a reason to end a potential romance for you?
Not being open to ongoing Christian growth and faith adventures.
- Where do you dream of getting married?
Probably outdoors on a nice day or in a park or a forest setting. I worked for the US Forest Service several summers during college, including work at active forest fires in remote areas, mostly in payroll/personnel in emergency conditions including driving through burning fire lines, flying over wilderness areas in small spotter planes, etc. After marrying a Canadian that expanded into doing the same tasks in British Columbia and Alberta, Canada, and also doing vegetation identification surveys for large stretches of land on the Alaska Highway big enough to equal a respectable principality. I’ve had lots of adventures and many true (and fictional) stories to tell.
About Delores: Growing up in Washington State, Delores married a Canadian so enjoys U.S. and Canadian citizenship. She teaches online classes for the University of Northwestern-St. Paul, Minnesota near her two doctor sons and families. She brags on five amazing grandchildren and is something she didn’t think she’d be—a snowbird now spending fall and winter in Northeastern Mississippi.
She began writing rhyming stories in the third grade. Her classmates’ approval established her love of writing. Two of her four award-winning children’s books are rhymed adventures.
About the book – Books Afloat:
Anne Mettles never imagined that bringing books to Columbia River residents in wartime would make her a spy for her country.
Anne Mettles has loved books from a young age. Raised during the Oklahoma Dust Bowl, she adored her hard-working grandfather. When a tragedy claimed his life, Anne refused to forgive herself. She relocates to the Columbia River to start a new life, but soon, war changes everything, including Anne’s dream of gifting books to river families without libraries. A challenge from Washington’s governor offers hope. If Anne uses Books Afloat to monitor the river for enemy submarine activity, the government will fund her floating library. Forced to leave her mentor behind, Anne’s crew includes a substitute pilot and a top-notch mechanic. They’re soon joined by a story-hungry reporter, an eccentric island-dweller, and a young man determined to impress Anne. Should Anne be more concerned about the Japanese or the threat of a possible saboteur on Books Afloat? Can Anne release the guilt from her past and embrace God’s peace? Will she realize she truly loves the man who adores her before another tragedy strikes? Discover the answers in Books Afloat, a historical romance novel by Delores Topliff, published by Scrivenings Press. Available January 12, 2021 at Amazon.com and other booksellers, Books Afloat is Book One in the Columbia River Undercurrents series.
Based upon a historical event—a network of undercover volunteers plot to prevent Japanese saboteurs from invading the Columbia River during World War II. Oklahoma Dust Bowl survivor Anne Mettles creates a floating library to provide books and materials for Columbia River residents. But wartime budgets slash funding, and Washington’s governor can only find money if Anne will conduct secret military surveillance along the river to monitor and report any enemy activity. Anne wants to operate Books Afloat alone but must accept help to pilot the boat. Mechanic Ted Vincent insists on being onboard and discovers that unusual boat damages are not accidents, but sabotage. A young man who will do anything to win Anne’s affections and an ambitious reporter writing public interest stories also ride along, complicating matters. Anne and team hazard their lives to save the nation they love and discover newfound courage, giving her and Ted a chance at love—if they can survive.
Watch the trailer: https://youtu.be/-aBLrSSkjF8
Can’t wait for the drawing? Worried you won’t win?
Get your copy now!
Books Afloat – Scrivenings Press Books Afloat – Amazon
Question for Readers: Have you or anyone you know ever been on a mission trip? If so, tell us about it. If not, have you ever supported a missionary personally and through your church? Or have you ever been touched to hearing a missionary presentation?
Come back Jan 15th for part 2 with Delores!
Hey Delores, glad to have you here. I haven’t been on a mission trip. Our church supports missionaries. Every few years, they come to our church and share everything going on in their realm and I’m always touched and glad to be a part of it.
I’m a big fan of mission trips, can’t recommend that involvement highly enough for any age group. They are usually life-changing.
I have been on many mission trips – Costa Rica, Jamaica, and Cuba included. My children went with me when they were teens. My son-in-law, who was a really good friend of my son went on them, too. On one of the trips, he started hanging around my daughter and discovered that she was more than just the sister of his good friend. Now they have two wonderful boys. So you can say, they actually discovered love on a mission trip.
That’s a great story and maybe the best place yet to find a life partner 🙂
Hi Shannon & Delores, I’ve never been on mission trip but put church has supported a missionary family since the early 1980s. They live in Brazil and travel along the Amazon River to spread the gospel. Every few years they return to the U.S. and they offer presentations to their supporting churches. I always love hearing their adventures and their successes.
My first experiences with mission trips began just that way–hearing true inspiring mission reports. I enjoyed even more when I was able to go 🙂 and still do all I can.
Yes, I have went on mission trips down in the Delta. we painted houses, helped at a mentally challenged adult home and held a vbs while we were there. I enjoyed it very much.
I’m glad you had that mission opportunity. There may be occasional hardships in terms of less comfort than we’re used to, but there are so many inspiring benefits and the satisfaction of knowing we’ve shared the Lord’s love and blessed others.
I went on a Home Missions trip to Montana. Our church has taken groups to Belize and plan a trip to Equador. I support missions both through my church and individually.
Mission trips can be wonderfully addictive. I’ve had one granddtr. go and am eager for my other grandchildren to have that opportunity.
In college I spent a summer on a youth ministry team. We went to a different church each week and worked for the churches doing rallies and whatever the church needed.
A whole summer? Great. I’m sure that overall that was a great experience and that you were major blessings!
Hello Delores!
I love your answers and your generous heart for missions.
My mother was a missionary kid, born in China in 1917.
After hubby’s tour was up in the Navy, we stayed a year afterwards on Guam as missionaries. Then the Navy shipped us back.
We do support missionaries through church, having met them as part of our Church family before we moved from St. Louis .
This book looks fascinating.
I’m so glad to hear that, what a great heritage and investment. That bears dividents for generations. Thanks for sharing and I’m glad you find Books Afloat fascinating. I hope you’ll read and enjoy! I would value hearing your comments after.
A friend of our family’s became a missionary to India. We supported her.
India is one nation I have not been to. I’d love to and know there are many challenges there but also much good work.
My hubby went on a missionary trip to Russian – they organized summer camps for orphaned children. This was an experience that he couldn’t forget.
I’m sure he can’t forget and that it has been of lasting value to each child–wonderful!
My granddaughter went on a mission trip to an impoverished place in Arizona. I am the Treasurer of our Missions Committee at our church. We send support quarterly to 10 missionaries. Several people from our church have been on mission trips.
That all sounds good. Every worker and donation had life-changing impact.