Shannon here: I’m celebrating the release of my latest Contemporary Romance, The Cowboy’s Missing Memory. Comment or answer the question at the end of any post dated July 3rd – 7th to enter the drawing. Deadline: July 14th, 11:59 pm central time.
People often ask me how I do everything I do. On top of being a pastor’s wife, a mom, and daughter, I’m also a writer and I recently took on a partnership in a small publishing company where I’ll serve as acquisitions/content editor. The simple answer to how I juggle it all is-my husband, Grant. He always has my back, does whatever needs doing so I can work, and he spoils me. Rotten. Even though he has a health issue that thankfully is treatable.
Our typical day goes like this: I write, fix lunch, then edit. He mows the yard with a push mower, goes to the post office for me, and puts up three walls in the screen porch we decided to close in and convert to a sunroom.
The next day, I write, fix lunch, then edit. He goes to Lowes 40 minutes away, buys two pieces of siding and loads them into the truck by himself, comes home, climbs on the roof to make a cardboard pattern to fit the weird angle along our roof line, comes down, saws the pieces to a perfect fit, climbs back up and puts them up, so rain won’t drip through onto the former screened in porch turned sunroom.
The next day, I write, fix lunch, then edit, do a group zoom meeting with Scrivenings Press. He puts up the final wall in the sunroom, applies primer to the subfloor, and installs the vinyl plank flooring, then climbs up on the roof again, to paint the siding he put up the day before.
The next day, I write, fix lunch, then edit. He goes to the store and post office for me, buys me makeup remover wipes and canned catfood for my 14 year old hyperthyroidism female cat, fixes a plumbing leak under the house, installs a new ceiling fan in the bedroom since the old one quit, and fixes the toilet tank in our son’s bathroom so it doesn’t run all the time. You get the picture.
In the evening, we have leftovers for supper and spend time together. That used to mean going places, running
church errands, visiting church members, or flea marketing. These days, we’re pretty much at home, except for grocery shopping or running to Lowes. It’s just the two of us during the week since our son travels for his job. On the weekends, when Logan is home, we try to spend some time with him. But he’s eighteen. We’ve come to the conclusion that we’re old news until he hits about twenty-five or thirty. Hopefully then, he’ll want to hang with us again.
On top of all the home improvement and repair stuff, Grant puts together two sermons and a Bible study every week. Before the world got crazy, he visited random people to invite them to church, plus hospitals and nursing homes.
We call him everything from the Energizer Bunny to Superman. Often he’ll disappear from a project and when he reappears, I ask where he went. His standard response: Out saving the world or I had to go fly around the sun to recharge.
On top of doing everything that needs done, he’s my biggest fan, and always supports me in whatever I do. When I decided I wanted to write, he tirelessly took me to conferences and offered his shoulder during a steady flow of rejection letters for nine and a half years. Since I got published, he’s taken me to conferences to speak, let me bounce book ideas and plot problems off him, and taken me on research trips and to book signing events.
When Linda Fulkerson, my other conference/travel buddy, called and asked if I wanted to partner with her in Scrivenings Press, he fully supported me. Even when Linda and I went to Kentucky in the middle of the pandemic to sign papers and learn the ropes. As manuscript submissions have landed in my inbox, he’s been my sounding board as I make decisions that make or break aspiring writers’ dreams.
So today, I just wanted to brag on him. Because I couldn’t do it without him.
About me: Award winning author, Shannon Taylor Vannatter writes contemporary Christian cowboy romance and has over a dozen published titles. A romance reader since her teens, she hopes to entertain Christian women and plant seeds in the non-believer’s heart as she demonstrates that love doesn’t conquer all—Jesus does.
She gleans fodder for her fiction in rural Arkansas where she spent her teenage summers working the concession stand with her rodeo announcing dad and married a Texan who morphed into a pastor. In her spare time, she loves hanging out with her husband and son, flea marketing, and doing craft projects.
Recently, Shannon joined Scrivenings Press as co-owner/acquisitions/content editor.
Connect with her: Shannon’s Website, Shannon’s Blog, Shannon’s Facebook, Shannon’s Goodreads, Shannon’s Pinterest, Shannon’s Twitter, Newsletter Archives, Shannon’s Amazon Author Page and Shannon’s Bookbub. Sign up for her Newsletter to get a free e-book, recipes, behind the scenes info, & enter exclusive giveaways: Shannon’s Newsletter
About the book – The Cowboy’s Missing Memory:
Can he reclaim his past…and build a future?
He needs to remember.
She’s his best hope…
After a rodeo accident took away Clint Rawlins’s mobility and two years’ worth of memories, occupational therapist Lexie Parker is his only shot at recovering and regaining independence. Lexie is drawn to Clint…but she’s wary of the amnesiac’s all-too-vulnerable feelings. And with the possibility of him returning to his dangerous bull-riding side job, she refuses to risk her heart. But resisting her charming patient may be harder than she expected…
(Available in Walmart mid-June through mid-July)
The Cowboy’s Missing Memory – Amazon
The Cowboy’s Missing Memory – Christian Book
I’m giving away five copies of The Cowboy’s Missing Memory and five copies of my Western Collection two in one with Jill Lynn – Counting on the Cowboy and Her Texas Cowboy will be split among commentors. Winner’s will be revealed on Shannon’s Blog on July 15th.
Follow my blog tour to enter:
June 2: Jennifer Heeren’s Blog: https://jenniferheeren.com/blog/
June 11: Joy Avery Melville’s Blog: https://www.journeystojoy.net/
June 13: Patti Shene’s Blog: https://pattishene.com/pattisporch
June 25: Laurie Wood’s Blog: https://www.lauriewoodauthor.com/author-my-blog
June 25: Reading is My Superpower Blog: https://readingismysuperpower.org
June 30: Catherine Castle’s Blog: https://catherinecastle1.wordpress.com/blog/
July 3: Inkslinger Blog: https://shannontaylorvannatter.com/inkslinger-blog/
July 6: Amy Anguish’s Blog: https://abitofanguish.weebly.com/blog
July 7: Inkslinger Blog: https://shannontaylorvannatter.com/inkslinger-blog/
July 10: Linda Rondeau’s Blog: https://lindarondeau.com/snarksensibility
Question for Readers: Is there someone who always has your back? I hope so. Tell us about your biggest cheerleader.
Come back July 7th for a romantic excerpt!
Looking forward to reading the book.
Thanks Kim. I hope you enjoy it.
I did not know you are a Pastor’s wife….how cool! I love that you shared what your day looks like, it’s fun to know the other side of a writer. You know, that they are “normal” people too, lol!
Thank you for the giveaway chance to win a copy of “The Cowboy’s Missing Memories” . I enjoyed today’s post 🙂
My husband answered the call the preach after 14 years of marriage, Trixi. I was scared, so many expectations, but it worked out and I’ve learned to enjoy my role. I should have put in there, that between projects, I do try to get my husband to quit for the day. But he just keeps going and going and going . . .
Same as for you! My hubby, my love, my supporter, encourager, my hero <3
I’m so glad you have one too, Natalya.
Love the storyline.
Thanks Kim. I had fun writing it.
It sounds like you are blessed with a wonderful husband!
Definitely Joan. He’s amazing and I don’t know what I’d do without him.
I enjoyed reading your post. Nice book cover. It sounds like a really interesting book. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks Diana. I love this cover. The artist did a great job.
Aren’t our sweet hubbys the best?!?!? God answered my desperate prayers to bring this man into my life & even though He answered a bit differently than I expected, but still true to my repeated prayers, we thank Him daily for our life together. ♥
Yes, Robin. I don’t know what I’d do without my husband and hope I never have to find out. I don’t know how people can stand being married to someone they’re incompatible with.