Kathy Cretsinger – Real Life Romance – Part 1 of 1

Shannon here: Kathy Cretsinger shares insight into her real life romance, proving it’s in the little and big things. Kathy is the owner of Mantle Rock Publishing, which I and my business partner recently bought (most of their backlist and future contracts). After meeting me twice, she and Jerry welcomed me into their home for two days this past May to sign paperwork. Leave a comment or answer the question in any post dated Aug 11th – 14th to enter the drawing for a copy of her latest Cozy Mystery, Bogged Down by Murder. Deadline: Aug. 22nd, 11:59 pm central time. Here’s Kathy:

Romance comes is many different ways. My husband, Jerry, and I have been married for fifty-seven years, almost fifty-eight. We met when my sister and brother-in-law moved to Shady Valley, Tennessee.

There have been many romantic times, but with all the years, I’m at a loss to remember one that I thought would be romantic enough for this blog.

This is not a soppy romance story, but a story of true love. True love is always the best.

On April 5, 2004, I entered the hospital in Kingsport, Tennessee for a simple hernia repair. Little did we know it would be anything but simple. During the surgery, the surgeon nipped my small intestines. He sent me home thinking everything was okay.

It was not okay. I ended up with peritonitis and near death. I learned later only one in five people recover from peritonitis. I’m thankful to God that I was the one.

The first two weeks, I was unconscious. My body needed to heal. I vaguely remember my husband standing by my bedside and holding my hand. You may think that is not strange, but when I recovered, I learned he was there every day, holding my hand. He also made funeral plans for me. That may seem morbid, but I knew he loved me to do that.

Each day for over six weeks, my husband made the thirty-mile trip to Kingsport. I’m pretty sure he stayed most of the day. He was with me, and he cared for me.

When I came home, I was very weak. I could barely walk. I didn’t want to eat. He encouraged me to walk a little each day. He took me to the park where it was green with flowers and birds. We walked the walking trails that were not too steep. We talked. We made plans for the future, whatever we had left.

There are different ways to show your love for your spouse. Support is probably the most important one. We have supported each other through a lot of hard times. Jerry was always there for me when I needed him.

We tried to make a loving Christian example for our children. Both of our children have been married for over twenty years. We want others to see what a loving marriage is like. Our romance is mellow now. We know each other too well. We are content with each other and our life.

I still love the little things Jerry does for me. He encourages me with my writing. We try each day to tell each other we love them. We have things in common. We both love to travel, and we both love the beach. We have the same love of God. We attend church together. We hold hands at the table when we pray. This may not sound like romance to some, but it is to this old couple.

The future does not look bleak. We have things we look forward to together. In the next few weeks, I may have to have a pacemaker. We will do it together. We will do it with love.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 comes to mind.

⁴ Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

⁵ Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

⁶ Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

⁷ Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

Yes, that is love between a husband and a wife, and love between God and His children.

About Kathy: Kathy Cretsinger and her husband migrated from the hills of East Tennessee to the flatlands of Kentucky several years ago to be close to their children and grandchildren. This brought another change in their lives. Kathy began publishing her books, and a few years later, she decided to help other authors who are having a hard time in the publishing industry by starting Mantle Rock Publishing LLC. Recently, Kathy sold most of her publishing company to Scrivenings Press.

Kathy loves being close to her family and enjoys growing orchids, which continue to multiply. She is now finding more time to write the books that have lived in her head for the last few years. Visit her at kathycretsinger.com where she has a weekly blog.

About the book – Bogged Down by Murder:

City girl, Daisy McQueen, inherits her grandmother’s farm in the mountains of East Tennessee, Shady Valley to be exact. Daisy owns a company, Smart Living, that teaches people how to live healthy, and she is used to city life. Shady Valley only has one small store and one restaurant.

Daisy finds a dead body in her cranberry bog, and she is the number one murder suspect. Harry Greer helps her with her investigation without realizing Daisy is one of the richest women in the world with her company, Smart Living.

Hunters are secretly entering her property from the Appalachian Trail at night. Harry wants to protect her, but Daisy wants to teach the people in Shady Valley how to eat and live healthy.

Someone wants her dead.

Question for Readers: Are you blessed with a family member or friend who has stuck with you in sickness and in health, through thick and thin? Tell us about the human blessings in your life.

Come back August 14th for a character interview with Daisy McQueen!