Shannon here: Women’s Fiction author, Tina Pinson shares a funny story from her real life romance, a recipe for Pumpkin Cookies, plus a chance to win her latest release, Christmas in Shades of Gray. Comment on this post to enter the drawing. Deadline: Dec 14th, 11:59 pm central time. Here’s Tina:
Shannon, thank you so much for letting me visit today. For those that don’t realize it, Shannon is lovely host and her blog likes to take a look at the romance side of life. Christmas in Shades of Gray — the title withstanding since it doesn’t have a thing to do with the explicit best selling titles and was written long before the Shade’s of Gray series released — isn’t a romantic read. Fact is, it has very little romance at all, but Shannon has graciously allowed me to share a bit of my own romantic life with you.
Christmas in Shades of is my offbeat Dickens Christmas Carol about a man, David, who is lying in a hospital bed over the Christmas holidays, dying from cancer. He asks God to please reach his children. A simple prayer, but perhaps not. David is visited by a being, who asks him, “Why should God even listen to your prayer? What in your life suggests that you deserve an answer?”
David doesn’t know, for certain, he just thinks God should answer his prayer. The being takes David on a whirlwind tour of his life, looking for any high point that might lend itself to something good and a reason why God should answer. Then the being has David take a look at his children’s lives as well, hoping maybe there is something in their lives that would compel God to answer David’s prayer to reach them.
David is lost in despair, lost in the gray matter of his life until he receives a Christmas Gift.
David is fashioned from my husband’s father. Many of the tales are taken from true aspects of his life. Of course there are points where I took writer’s license, changed a bit and expounded. But my husband’s father did die from cancer and he did ask for God to reach his children. Interestingly enough, my father in law ran from God and asked for His Grace shortly before his death.
Now you’re probably wondering how I can pull out a romance story of my own that lends itself to a story such as this. Well, it’s Christmas and David served in the military during the Korean War.
As a military wife, I remember Christmases with hubby overseas, and wanting to send him a gift basket. For the gift to reach him on time I had to send the box sometime in November. One box in particular I had hoped to send him something pumpkin in nature because I knew he loved pumpkin pie and would miss it.
So I got the idea in my head to send him some Pumpkin Cookies. Yum. I found a recipe. (see below) and proceeded to make him a batch. I also made some chocolate chip cookies and bought some candy and pop tarts and a special little gift to finish out the box. I packed, covered it with brown paper and tape, sealed it with all my love and send it along. Waiting for the day he would get back to me about how wonderful the cookies were and how much they made him think of home and the holidays.
I received a letter a few weeks later, saying, “Honey, I loved the package so much. The cookies and candy and gift were awesome, the guys were jealous. So I shared with them. I do have one question though, what was the roll of green mold supposed to be?”
Shortly after he was able to call and I told him those were pumpkin cookies. Which don’t ship well. Live and Learn. He appreciated the thought, but asked that I refrain from sending them in the future. LOL
Here is the recipe. They’re good. Just remember not to send them in a package.
Pumpkin Cookies
1c sugar
1c canned pumpkin
½ c shortening
1tbsp grated orange
2 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon. (I like to put in pumpkin spice)
¼ tsp salt
½ c raisins
½ c chopped nuts
Heat oven to 375. Mix sugar, pumpkin, shortening and orange peel. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Mix with pumpkin mixture and add raisins and nuts.
Drop dough by teaspoonful onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake until light brown. 8 to 10 mins. Immediately remove from sheet. Cool. Spread with Light Brown Glaze
Light brown glaze
¼ c Margarine or Butter
2 c powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 to 2 tbsp milk
Heat Margarine in 1 ½ qt saucepan over medium heat until delicate brown. Stir in powdered sugar and vanilla. Stir in milk until smooth. If you like you can mix in cream cheese.
***Do not wrap in foil and ship, as they do mold.
About Tina: Tina Pinson resides in Mesa, Arizona with her husband of thirty plus years, Danny. They have three sons, and seven grandchildren. She has written poetry, songs, and stories for 30 plus years. She loves to doodle, sing and enjoys gardening. She prays her stories will transport you to worlds beyond, touching your spirit and giving you a closer insight to yourself and God. Look for her books; In the Manor of the Ghost, Touched By Mercy, To Carry her Cross,When Shadows Fall, Shadowed Dreams, To Catch a Shadow and Then There Was Grace at major bookstores. Learn more and connect: Tina’s Blog, Twitter:@Tina_Pinson, Facebook– https://www.facebook.com/TinaEPinsonAuthor, Pinterest http://pinterest.com/tinapinson/.
About the book – Christmas in Shades of Gray: It’s Christmastime. David Pareman lies in his hospital bed, dying. The staff visits him, as does a drug induced cowboy and yellow-eyed monster — so he believes. But not his children. He fears he’ll die alone without a chance to share his heart.
When Arion, a stranger with vast knowledge of David’s life and a shroud of mystery over his own, comes to visit, David thinks he’s from the newspaper. He learns otherwise. Soon David is tripping through his past in search of the answer to a soul-searing question. “What in your life merits God answering your prayer?”
Through his past and those of his children he hopes to reach, David finds little to balance the scales against him. He believes he’s no good, with nothing of merit that would make God want to help him. Then he remembers the truth of Christmas and the love the Father sent to earth. Then he begins to see Christmas beyond the Shades of Gray.
Purchase link: http://www.desertbreezepublishing.com/christmas-in-shades-of-gray/
Come back Dec 7th for Rebecca Carey Lyles!
This sounds like such a moving story and one I look forward to reading. I so enjoyed the story of your care package and can just imagine your husband’s face when he opened the box! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!
texaggs2000 at gmail dot com
Hello Britney,
Thank you so much. Hubby and I still laugh about it. Back then though, I remember being a bit frustrated at first, cause I wanted to send him something wonderful, with love from my heart. Oh well the memory goes on. I can guarantee the cookies taste much better if you don’t ship them. 🙂
would love to win.
great interview Tina! love to win your book!
Angela,
consider yourself entered. thank you for stopping by.
Sheila,
Glad you liked the interview. I wished I had a picture of the awesome green cookies to share too. Of course then no one would want to try the recipe for sure. 🙂
Hi Shannon. Thanks for having Tina visit today. I love the picture of you and your Marine, Tina. Very pretty bride. Quite a story about the cookies. The story sounds good. I imagine that we all wonder at times why GOD should grant our wish when we pray. I know but He has been so good to me and my First family of Christian parents who introduced all of their 8 children to Jesus shortly after being born. I am just glad He loved us so much and still does. And, is a forgiving GOD. I would love to win your book Tina. I don’t do much cooking any more.
MAXIE mac262(at)me(dot)com
Thank you for the recipe. I sure look forward to reading this moving story. Love is a beautiful thing.
melback at cebridge dot net
Hello, Maxie,
How wonderful to have the blessing of being raised in a Christian home. Thank heaven God is very forgiving and he sent his son to earth to make a way. It’s okay if you don’t cook much any more, but if you do get the wild idea to bake up a batch of pumpkin cookies and mail them to another continent you now have the recipe. LOL
Melanie, You are most welcome for the recipe. I really can’t lay claim that it’s mine, but it is the one I sent to my husband at sea so he could have mold for Christmas. LOL. And you’re so right, love can be beautiful. My hubby has put up with me for 33 plus years so I’m guessing he really loves my cooking. 🙂
I have a winner! Maxie won the drawing for Tina’s book. I appreciate Tina for being my guest and everyone else for stopping by.