Shannon here: Sarah Anne Crouch shares her love for ice cream and how it inspired her novella. Head’s up, this collection is one of my book babies. It’s up for preorder and releases Sept 27th. Comment or answer the question in any post dated Sept 23rd – Oct 4th to enter the drawing for a copy of Love in Any Season which includes her novella, A Sweet Dream Come True. Also, follow the fun scavenger hunt for another chance to win (Ends Oct 4th). Deadline for my blog giveaway: Oct 15th, 11:59 pm central time.
Ice cream is possibly my favorite food in the universe. It’s definitely in the top three. And my favorite ice cream shop of all time is Janarty’s in Smyrna, Tennessee. Right when you walk in the door, the scents of sugar and vanilla rush to greet you. The owners, Janelle and Marty, are the sweetest couple, and their shop is super cute. But the ice cream. Oh my goodness. It is just out of this world.
So when my good friend Amy Anguish invited me to participate in a novella collection where each story is about a different season and Main Street business, I immediately thought of autumn and Janarty’s. Wouldn’t it be difficult to be an ice cream store owner facing your first winter? What if you decided you needed to partner with someone who makes chocolates to bring in business during the slow winter months?
I asked Janelle and Marty if I could pick their brains and interview them about the business of owning an ice cream shop and making ice cream. Remember when I said they’re the sweetest? They happily answered all my questions. Then I set to work making my own ice cream and chocolate. Researching this book was the most fun of all the stories I’ve written!
Of course, my character struggles a lot more than Janelle and Marty. And he experiments with flavors that go all wrong, which would never happen to Marty. But the story wouldn’t be interesting without some conflict, am I right?
We moved to Arkansas since I started writing “A Sweet Dream Come True,” but I got the chance to visit
Janarty’s recently. It was just as delicious as I remembered. And even more fun, I got to bring Amy along with me!
I don’t know if I’ll ever have this much fun writing and researching a story again. Maybe all my future stories will feature sweet treats, just so I can do lots of “research!”
Question for Readers: In “A Sweet Dream Come True,” Isaac Campbell experiments with some different flavors, one of which goes terribly wrong. What is the most unusual flavor of ice cream you’ve ever tasted? Did you like it?
About Sarah: Sarah Anne Crouch lives in Arkansas with her husband, three children, and thousands of books. She always wanted to be an author, but spent some time as a teacher, earned a degree in library science, and makes feeble attempts to corral her small children as a stay-at-home mom. Sarah loves reading books, recipes, piano music, and emails from readers. Learn more & connect:
About the novella Collection: Love in Any Season: Spring has sprung, the grass is riz…
Laurel Pascal, Assistant City Manager of Spring, Kentucky, is tasked with organizing the town’s beloved Daffodil Festival, and she’s not happy. An allergy sufferer all her life, she dreads the season from the first Daffodil bloom in the yard to the last coat of pollen on her car. Newcomer Dr. Owen Roswell volunteers to help, and soon finds that not only does Laurel need his expertise as an allergist, but help in appreciating the season she’s obligated to celebrate.
What does he want more—for Laurel to fall in love with his favorite season? Or him?
The Missing Piece – by Amy R. Anguish
Beth Norton and Tommy England grew up together with best-friend moms who had a love of quilting and a business celebrating the craft. When high school ended, though, so did Beth and Tommy’s friendship.
When Tommy moves back after seven years and his mother’s death, he can’t understand why Beth is so angry with him. Helping Beth and her mother stabilize the finances of the business, they’re forced to work together. As Tommy sorts through his mother’s things, he finds an unfinished quilt, and it turns into a joint project.
With each stitch taken, they work toward more than just a completed blanket.
A Sweet Dream Come True – by Sarah Anne Crouch
Isaac Campbell is living his dream of running an ice cream shop but fears he won’t last past the first difficult year. Mel Wilson is a busy single mother who longs to be a chocolatier but is too afraid to turn her dreams into reality.
When Mel and Isaac meet at Bestwood, Tennessee’s fall festival, it seems like divine providence. But once Mel agrees to help Isaac bring in customers by selling her chocolates at his shop, she realizes how challenging running a business can be.
Can Mel and Isaac trust in God’s provision and make a leap of faith? Will their partnership end in
disaster, or will it be a sweet dream come true?
Sugar and Spice – by Heather Greer
Emeline Becker, owner of Sugar and Spice Bakery, loves New Kuchenbrünn, except for the gingerbread. As the only bakery, she supplies the annual Gingerbread Festival with the one treat she can’t stand. It’s gingerbread everywhere.
Things get worse when Ryker Lehmann is hired as the festival photographer. He was her secret teen crush, her sister’s boyfriend, and witness to her worst humiliation. Plus, he broke her sister’s heart and bruised hers when he left town after graduation. Now, he’s back in town, determined to fix their friendship before the festival ends.
With gingerbread and Ryker together, can Emmie make it through the festival with her mind and heart intact?
Can’t wait for the drawing? Worried you won’t win? Interested in Sarah’s other titles?
Get your copy/copies now!
Join the Love in Any Season Social Media Scavenger Hunt! Collect all 15 clues to complete the phrase. Submit the phrase to enter the drawing. Clue #14 is “and.” If you’ve missed a clue, check out my website at https://sarahannecrouch.wordpress.com/2022/09/22/love-in-any-season-social-media-scavenger-hunt/ where an updated list of clues links and the submissions page can be found. Contest ends October 4, 2022 11:59 CST. US entrants only.
Come back Oct 7th for Gail Kittleson!
I tried dill pickle ice cream on a dare but hated it!
Hey Sarah, glad to have you here. My cousins used to take me to Baskin Robbins when we were kids. I don’t remember how many flavors they advertised, but like 98 or something. I always got chocolate chip. It’s my favorite. They thought that was boring and talked me into trying Pistachio once. I couldn’t imagine it being good, expecting it to taste like a nut. But I really liked it and it doesn’t taste like a nut. Chocolate chip is still my favorite though.
Grape ice cream and I disliked it.
Lavender ice cream my brother got many different pints of ice cream from make a wish and some of the flavors were not good.
I have a winner! Cindi Knowles won the drawing. I appreciate Regina, Amy, Heather, & Sarah for being my guests, along with everyone who stopped by.