Wednesday, December 17, 2014

A No-Time-To-Cook Recipe to Say Thanks


I can’t tell you how grateful I am for all of you who’ve reached out to let me know you’ve been buying my books for your friends & family for the holidays.
Here is a picture I took yesterday of my rock star realtor (from seven years ago). She swung by to have me sign copies of The Disappearing Key she bought as gifts for her dear friends. So meaningful to visit with her!

As a way of saying thanks, I’m giving you one of my favorite in-a-hurry, life’s-too-crazy, hardly-have-a-minute-to-breathe-nonetheless-cook recipes. I forget where it originally came from, but I hope your family enjoys it as much as mine does!

Yum Pasta
12 oz. linguine pasta

1 15 oz. can of diced tomatoes

1 med. sweet onion (cut in ¼ strips)

4 cloves of garlic (or I use tablespoons of the wet in a jar)

¼ tsp. dried oregano leaves

4 ½ c. vegetable broth

2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Fresh basil leaves (10-12)

Parmesan cheese (as much as desired)

 
Place pasta, tomato, and sliced onion in large pot (with herbs + garlic). Pour in veggie broth. Sprinkle on red pepper flakes & oil. Cover & bring to a boil. Keep covered for 10 min. or until pasta is cooked. Stir in basil and parmesan. Yum!
 
 

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Raising Imaginations


 

I’m passionate about encouraging my children to imagine possibilities. Even Albert Einstein knew the value of using your imagination. “Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.”

That’s probably why I loved this picture I found on Pinterest. {from the art mommie blog}

As parents we can find specific and creative ways to ignite the imaginative sparks in our children. I love the idea of cutting out a portion of an image from a magazine and letting my girls fill in the rest.

I just so happened to read the following quote from Flannery O’Connor yesterday as well.

“A good story is literal in the same sense that a child’s drawing is literal. When a child draws, he doesn’t intend to distort but to set down exactly what he sees, and as his gaze is direct, he sees the lines that create motion.”  

Let’s get out there and create motion, people!

 

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

6 Things Writing Has Taught Me about Life

I always find it a little crazy when life imitates my art. An event will play out and I’ll think, Hey, I wrote about that years ago.

Know what else is crazy in the coolest of ways? How I’ve learned things in my career as a writer that have spilled valuable insights over into the rest of my life.
Here are just a few…

Edit as I go
I used to be a yeller. Yep, catch me in the midst of a fight fifteen years ago and I had no qualms about slinging shouts. Not anymore. I’ve grown to see how ineffective yelling is. And as with writing and understanding the importance of editing, I like how I’m able to change as I grow.

Help with letting go
I have three girls. They started out as babies. Sort of how it works, doesn’t it? But they’re rapidly aging. And there’s nothing I can do to slow down the process.

When I publish a book I feel like I hand the story baton to my readers. Or as though I send the novel off like pushing a toy boat on a windy day across rippling waters. I let go.
I’ve tapped into this same mindset at certain moments as a parent. Thanks writing. I owe you for your help with this one.

Remaining open to learning & change
In case you’ve been asleep for the past ten years, a lot has changed in the publishing industry. Independent publishing no longer has the reek of Limburger cheese. In fact, it’s widely respected when done with great consideration, knowledge, and planning.

Newsflash: I’m not always going to be right as a parent. Truth be told, I get it wrong about 78% of the time. You’re thinking why on earth would I share this, aren’t you? Well, I’ll tell you why. Because I’m passionate about learning, about paying attention, and about riding the waves as a mom and member of society. I want to make a great impact with the little time I have here. In order to do that, I must be receptive to what works. And what doesn’t.

Managing expectations
I used to think every holiday had to materialize like a Normal Rockwell painting. In other words I wanted the perfect life. Somewhere along the way I realized that’s a farce. (My kids would laugh if I read that word out loud. Oh, language.) Things get messy. Feelings get hurt. Clothes live on my bedroom floor. Instead of promising myself every morning I’ll clean the entire house, tackle 50 pages of my novel, and write Congress letters about everything that’s troubling me, I get real.

As a writer I know how much time it takes to build an audience—to find my peeps. I’ve learned how to apply this throughout the rest of my life, mindful not to set myself up for disappointment unnecessarily.

Be brave & Take risks
Sneaking two in one, eh? Why yes, yes I am. Takes a certain kind of bravery to do that. Anyway, rejection is the Mr. Miyagi of publishing. It keeps you humble, and challenges your degree of determination. After I endure a humbling event related to my writing, I have a tendency to wax on, then wax off. I jump back up with hands raised, ready to fight.

I can’t take credit for why I’m so stubbornly committed. Part of my wiring perhaps.
Love when that wiring is connected to other areas of passion in my life like my marriage, and parenting.

Spread the love
I used to think writing had to be a solitary act. Well, in a way it is. But in so many beautiful ways it’s fanned out for me. I’m in touch with hundreds of other writers who are devoted to encouraging one another. I meet these writers at conferences and online and I can’t tell you how deep my gratitude goes for them.
Contrasting what I thought my path would be as a writer hunkered in, startled by sounds, and on the edge of agoraphobia to instead readily enjoying the many blessings of connecting with fellow writers, reminds me to express gratitude in every area of my life. I’m thankful for my friends who are vastly different than me. I’m challenged to exude love even when it’s difficult because so very much love has been given to me.

There you have it. Six ways being a writer has seeped into my non-writing life.
Do you feel the overflow of your career spilling into who you are outside of work?

 

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Unveiling My New Cover


Guess you could call me a fertile novelist. I’m so excited to reveal the cover of a new book I have coming out in February called, THE DELICATE NATURE OF LOVE.
Another nod to Sarah Thompson who did a magnificent job creating this cover.
Continue to visit here and my Facebook page for more details (especially some major promotions I’m having fun planning)…

 

So, what do you think of my new cover?
 
*Will be back in December

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Winners of the Key Book Clubs from Coast to Coast...


Congratulations to the Keller book club!
 


Out of twenty-three (that I knew about) groups who met to discuss The Disappearing Key, over the course of this past year, this is the winning group. Each member will receive an individual key-related gift from me.

Here’s a glimpse at the basket of goodies…
 

 As I’ve stated before, visiting book clubs in person and via Skype has been a true highlight of my publishing career. There’s just nothing like engaging in dialogue about characters that I brought to life. I appreciate every single group who has chosen one or both of my books to discuss.
 
And again, Congratulations to the winning crew!

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

The Dresser Project

I had a blast taking on this beauty recently. I bought it for five bucks at a yard sale.
 
 
I sanded it down and slapped on two coats of Annie Sloan Old White paint, after staining the top Ebony and coating it with a clear glossy wax.
(Streaks of pink kept bleeding through in small areas, which I learned often happens with furniture from the 30s & 40s. I coated those areas with clear wax & then painted over it as soon as it dried.)
 
 
Then I got down to business distressing. I sanded the edges and worked it over good. In certain areas I used a pencil eraser to add in a darker stain (the same Ebony stain as I used for the top).
 
And here's the end result...
 


And one with a very curious dog...

 
 
  
 
Many of you know me as a writer and a mom. But this is a whole other side of me.
I love working with furniture.
 
Do you have a hobby not many people know about?

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Delighting in the Imaginary


 
I’m reading Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend by Matthew Dicks. It’s books like this that make me insanely appreciative that I’m able to read. And it’s books like this that bring me back to Laura and Gin Gin—my pretend friends from childhood. A witch and a ghost respectively. (I was born on Halloween.) Even though I had three older sisters, I still delighted in and sought out the company of Laura and Gin Gin.

Imagination was encouraged in our house growing up. I hope to pass this love of the possible on to my girls. There’s something electric, beautiful, and freeing when the mind is uncaged. Potential has a heartbeat of its own. I want to hear the pulse of that beat in my house always.

The imaginary keeps finding a way to reinvent itself in my life. To the point it often hopes to be mistaken for what’s real. I’m now referring to my characters. They can be feisty and stubbornly present. They interrupt during conversations, set up camp in my yard, and infiltrate my dreams. But I admit this with a smile on my face. Because stirred up from the dust are electric and beautiful beings my mind has figured out how to free.

So whether I’m daydreaming about shapes in the clouds with my children, characters on a mission in my WIP, or skipping amidst questions that begin with the infamous “what if,” I say long live it all. Long live the imaginary.


“It's true that writing is a solitary occupation, but you would be surprised at how much companionship a group of imaginary characters can offer once you get to know them.” Anne Tyler

Did you have pretend friends growing up? Do your children?

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

What Is It about Book Clubs . . .

that I love so much?

I won’t be bashful. I’ll come right out and give you ten things that get me jazzed about book clubs.

1.       They’re breeding grounds for laughter.

2.       Book clubs provide mental stimulation. It’s like Lumosity for literature lovers (say that 10 times fast).

3.       I’m able to reflect upon a book once I’ve read it, exploring concepts and characters at a more felt level.

4.       I discuss topics and characters in ways I’d never have the opportunity to do in other circumstances.

5.       When I’m visiting a group that’s read one of my books, I’m always amazed what readers teach me about my characters and stories. It’s insanely rewarding to hear the takeaways.

6.       Book clubs conjure an appreciation for literature and books that have rocked my world in the past. There’s this magical invisible weave that strings from one mind-blowing book to the next.

7.       Book groups are wonderful settings to receive and sift through diverse opinions.

8.       They make me feel less alone, as women come together and open up in refreshingly honest conversations.

9.       They introduce me to new authors.

10.   Okay I’ll admit it, I’m a sucker for the food & wine, too.

 

If your book club is interested in reading THE DISAPPEARING KEY or THE FLOWER GIRLS, I’d love know. Please send me an email with the details. If you’re local, I’ll make the effort to visit in person. I’ve also Skyped and spoken on the phone with clubs before, too.

 

 

& Happy Book Birthday to THE DISAPPEARING KEY!

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Facing the Inevitable Hard Decision


There are times in life when we all have to make difficult decisions. They can feel like someone cracking open our chest with a crowbar or these moments can feel more subtle, like scratching off a scab.

No matter how it feels, I happen to believe it matters how we take on times of decision.

Here are a few things that I’ve gleaned from going through challenging times of resolution. . .

Confront the Situation Honestly

No use pretending conflict away. It’s not going anywhere. In fact, hear that? It’s your conscience knocking, telling you it’s time. I know it’s tempting to blow something off when you don’t want to deal with it. Or to sugarcoat and twist it to be something more innocuous than it really is. Take off the rose-colored glasses and face it for the ugly green monster it is.

Recognize Patterns

Pattern behavior can serve as a wonderful guide when you’re wondering whether or not you think someone will change. Can people change? I absolutely believe they can, but I also believe if they’re demonstrating similar behavior repeatedly, it’s time to pay attention. Which leads me to. . .

Be Realistic about Expectations

It’s helpful to take a good hard look at your role in the situation. Are you the one who needs to make some adjustments? Have you done anything to make the decision more challenging than it has to be? Let your emotions take over? Lacked empathy? Demonstrated apathy? It’s important to have realistic expectations of how things will play out after your decision is imparted.

Consult Trusted Mentors & Friends

It’s wise to receive valuable insight from people who’ve made smart choices in the past. Reach out. You might be surprised by what you learn. It also provides comfort and accountability, so you can be reminded that you’re not alone.

Take Care of Yourself in the Process

Stress can wreak havoc on the body. Think Space Invaders on your healthy cells. Be mindful of this. Get plenty of rest. Take walks. Breathe. I still appreciate the scene in My Best Friend’s Wedding when Julia Roberts is on the floor of the hotel, crushed, and the concierge bends down and tells her, “This too shall pass.” It’s a great thing to say to yourself during times like these.

Maintain Integrity

Because emotions are generally inflamed when you endure trials, it would be easy to whip up some pies like those found in the pages of The Help. Yep, you know what I’m referring to. But don’t. Don’t go pooping in your pies. Keep focused. Remember who you want to be in times like this. Cling to character and class no matter how hurt you feel. It’ll speak volumes.

Hope in the Future

Life’s pretty cool in that it keeps on going. You don’t enter a comatose state once you’ve followed through with your decision. You go on. Life goes on. So Obladi. Oblada . . . make it count.

Ever have to make a hard decision? What helped you in the process?

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Five Surprising Ways You Could Be Unintentionally Hurting Yourself


 
Spending Too Much Time Online

I admit, I write this with five sites open, from my glass house. But I feel it. When I’ve spent too much time online and not playing fetch with my dog or getting outside I miss fresh air. My chest gets that cobwebby feeling and my legs cramp up after I’ve spent too much cross-legged time at my desk.

I’ve written about this before, but an overabundance of time online can also complicate things in regards to comparing with others, planting unrealistic impressions, and creating a false sense of security.

The Glorification of Busy

Yep, this is me again. Writing and watching as the words appear behind my glass computer screen. There’s something to be said for unencumbered simplicity. Let’s get back there. Let’s find it again. Even if it means having to get creative with carpools and letting the laundry go another day. (However, one of my favorite Pinterest pins says, ‘Laundry today or Naked tomorrow.’)

Processing Something to Death

I’m a processor. Don’t believe me? I used to call the woman I coached soccer with to discuss how our recreational soccer games went. Believe me now?

But I’m not really referring to kid soccer games here. I’m talking about a deep hurt or a bitterness that you stroke again and again, thinking it’s helping you sort it out and get over it. When really, it’s not. It’s just a way for you to remember the hurt. To massage it as a validation the scar went deep and you are entitled to your pain. You are entitled to your pain. So feel it and get through it. Don’t fall into the trap of mistaking processing for coddling.

Refusing to Admit When You’re Stuck

Eh hem. Me again. Writing from the pit. Got a hand?

The only reason I can speak to any of these points is because I’ve lived them or I’m still living them. And I’ve encountered firsthand evidence of the damage they cause. This one gets tricky because we can be really skilled at calling stuck something other than what it is. I’m “granting grace” or I’m getting older and no one expects as much from me as they used to. How about just plain being unwilling to try something new or getting a little too comfortable with your pit surroundings.

Being stuck is not a crime. Once we acknowledge that we’re having difficulty moving, we’re a lot more likely to seek out the reasons why. And then maybe we’ll even do something about it.

Mistaking Impulsiveness for Calculated Risks

I’m a risk taker so I’m quite familiar with this one. It comes down to discerning whether I’m basing my decision on feelings, experience, or something else. One of the best ways you can tell if you’re simply being impulsive is when you’re unwilling or hesitant to consider the potential consequences that could result from your dive. This is exceedingly important when you look down and discover there’s no water in the pool.

I like to pass on what I’ve learned and what I’m learning. Hope these thoughts help you today as they’ve helped me.

Can you think of any other ways we might be hurting ourselves without knowing it?

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Don’t Let ‘Em Fool You (& some song lyrics)


A lot of exciting things have been happening in my life lately. Book signings. Just read a great write-up in the local paper about me entitled, “The Sweet Taste of Success.” Reviews for both of my books are strong. My husband and I are about to celebrate our fifteenth anniversary. My girls are back in school and I’m working hard on another story I can’t wait to share with you. I post some of this on social media. And some day-to-day happenings I keep to myself. To stroke and play with like a soft little bunny.
When I thought about what I wanted to blog about today my mind kept snagging on the word image. Particularly image on Facebook.
Life has a tendency to appear quite rosy on Facebook. For you. For me. For all of us. It’s only natural we want to put our best out there, but I wanted to share in this post how life isn’t a status update. It isn’t the best picture of twenty. It’s more than just the images we put out there of us when we’re in public or laughing with friends.
Life is a mixed bag. And while I respect that it’s wise not to dump our emotional baggage online at anyone who will click it open, I also think it’s good to remind ourselves that life isn’t a snapshot on Facebook. Social media is only a glimpse, and a glimpse we choose to share at that.
So in light of what I just wrote, I’m going to be candid. There’s a lot more going on in my life than book signings and articles that dub me a success. I often fight feelings of failure. I grieve friendships and find myself singing the following Bob Marley lyrics every so often. “Good friends we have. Good friends we’ve lost along the way.” Even though we have an adorable new pup, I still miss our old dog a lot. I get sad about family members battling sicknesses. I get frustrated with middle school girls who act rude. I have trouble acting normal when I’m nervous (nod to Counting Crows lyrics).
“And I’m gonna be forty.” (In a little over a year, but still Meg Ryan understands.)
So I write all this to remind you…
We’re in this together, people. And it’s never as real as it seems online. Don’t let ‘em fool you. (Hey, I do believe that’s Bob, too.)
 
 

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Where in the World is Wendy?


 
Where in the World is Wendy?
Apparently at all the local coffee shops. As you know, books and coffee go together. I know this, too. That’s why I’ve made the rounds at all our fantastic local coffee shops.
 


Here I am at a Q&A book discussion for my book, The Disappearing Key
at Daybreak Coffee Roasters in November.
 


Me again doing a spontaneous “superstar” move at Down to Earth Coffee House last month.


Where will Wendy go next?
So. G Coffee Roasters. I’ll be selling & signing copies of The Disappearing Key & The Flower Girls there 
THIS SATURDAY, August 30th
from Noon-3pm
 
 
“There's not enough coffee in the world to fuel all the books I want to write.” Chris Stocking
(In other words, my coffee tour very well might just be at its beginning.)
 

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

The School of Life: Seven Powerful Lessons I Hope to Impress Upon My Girls


School is back in session next week. My girls will get their heads jammed full of all kinds of knowledge. However, there are some lessons I hope I’m instilling in each of them on a day-to-day basis. I thought I’d share seven with you today.

The Value in Investing in Something Greater than Yourself

Whether it’s by signing up for a Love 146 walk, collecting winter wear for the homeless, or making regular trips to Goodwill, I want my kids to see me making sacrifices for others.

Resiliency is Character-Building

Life knocks us down. People knock us down. We do well enough knocking ourselves down. The key is getting back up. It’s during the process of shaking off the dust that we begin to understand what we’re made of.

Creativity during Life’s Waits

I’m fairly certain 94.279387594375 % of life is spent waiting for something. Case in point, here is a little play-by-play of my “wait” list. Grow up. Get my period (yeah, what was I excited about on that one?), first kiss, boyfriend (wait, isn’t that backwards?), graduate, college, first place, job that suits me, marry, have babies, discover my calling (my life seems a tad out of order), see the fruit of that discovery grow to its full potential (still waiting). See where I’m coming from? And I didn’t even mention lines at the grocery store or Marshalls.

I do something earthshattering while I’m waiting in line with my girls. I ask them questions…we talk.

Kindness Trumps Argumentativeness, Hubris, or Inaction

Trust me, there are times I feel like Venus Flytrapping some people. When I witness road rage. Entitlement. Flat out ignorance or selfishness. Yep, want to swallow those suckers whole only to spit them out in a sewage plant. However, it’s a good practice, when tempted to practice kindness. Not fakeness. Not flattery. But a moment of slipping out of my own thoughts and attempting to enter theirs. Then doing something (albeit oftentimes small) about it.

Discipline

I’ve written eleven novels in less than seven years. That alone is enough to send the message I’m serious. That I’m invested. My girls see what I give up in order to devote time to writing. Little spies…they see everything.

Tenacity

Where passion lives, get tenacious. That’s the message I hope computes. Also, don’t give up easily. Become resourceful. When the time calls, speak up. Be a voice that’s not only heard, it’s heeded.

The Beauty of Empathy

I’m one of those people who has a horrible time remaining in my chair if I see someone crying across the room. Could be a complete stranger in tears. I have to fight not to leap toward them and smother them in a hug. Backing off from this a tad, I hope I’m teaching my girls to take risks with this one. To ask someone who’s crying if they’re okay. To stick up for a kid being picked on during recess. To go out of their way to the point where it feels a little uncomfortable in order to let someone else know they matter.
 

There are many other messages I’d love to know my kids are receiving, that are becoming a part of how they perceive their role in this world. But these are the biggies I wanted to share with you today.

Have you ever given thought to what your kids are learning outside of school?

 

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Restored Buoyancy


 
 
“Writing and reading decrease our sense of isolation. They deepen and widen and expand our sense of life: they feed the soul. When writers make us shake our heads with the exactness of their prose and their truths, and even make us laugh about ourselves or life, our buoyancy is restored. We are given a shot at dancing with, or at least clapping along with, the absurdity of life, instead of being squashed by it over and over again. It's like singing on a boat during a terrible storm at sea. You can't stop the raging storm, but singing can change the hearts and spirits of the people who are together on that ship.”

~ Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Cheers to My Endorsers and Their Recent Releases

I seriously considered who I wanted to ask to potentially endorse my latest work. I was so grateful the four women I’m highlighting in this post today responded to The Flower Girls with such praise (read their reactions below).

Each of the authors who endorsed The Flower Girls has somewhat recently released a book of their own.
 
Today I wanted to shine the spotlight on them.


Susan Schoenberger ~ The Virtues of Oxygen

Susan’s first published novel, "A Watershed Year," won the 2006 gold medal for novel in the William Faulkner William Wisdom Creative Writing Competition. She’s agented by Jessica Regel with Foundry Literary + Media.

Her second novel, "The Virtues of Oxygen," released by Lake Union in July. Susan works as a communications director and teaches writing.


Michelle DeRusha ~ Spiritual Misfit

A Massachusetts native, Michelle DeRusha moved to Nebraska in 2001, where she discovered the Great Plains, grasshoppers the size of Cornish hens ... and God. She writes about finding and keeping faith in the everyday at http://michellederusha.com, as well as for the Lincoln Journal Star, Prodigal Magazine and The High Calling.

She's mom to two bug-loving boys, Noah and Rowan, and is married to Brad, an English professor who reads Moby Dick for fun.


 
Katie Ganshert ~ A Broken Kind of Beautiful

Christy Award finalist and Carol Award winner, Katie Ganshert, graduated from the University of Wisconsin in Madison with a degree in education, and worked as a fifth grade teacher for several years before staying home to write full-time. She was born and raised in the Midwest, where she lives with her husband, their young son, and their goofy black lab, Bubba. When she’s not busy writing or playing or reading or snuggling, she is obsessing over the paperwork and the waiting that comes with adoption.

 
Lisa Verge Higgins ~ Random Acts of Kindness

Lisa Verge Higgins is the RITA-nominated author of sixteen novels that have been published worldwide and translated into as many languages--quite a switch for this former PhD candidate in chemistry. Now this opera loving mother of three is creating heartwarming new stories revolving around women's lives and women's friendship. THE PROPER CARE AND MAINTENANCE OF FRIENDSHIP, her first foray into mainstream women's fiction, won the 2011 Golden Leaf Award for Best Single Title, and was chosen as one of the top twenty novels of the year by the Barnes & Noble General Fiction Book Club. Her second book, ONE GOOD FRIEND DESERVES ANOTHER, cracked the same list in 2012. Find out more about Lisa--and peruse the first few chapters of her books-- at www.lisavergehiggins.com. If you'd like to hear about her "life with three teenage daughters," she'd love for you to join her at www.facebook.com/lisavergehiggins.

Lisa currently lives in New Jersey with her husband and their three teenage daughters, who never fail to make life interesting.

Cheers Susan, Michelle, Katie,  & Lisa!
May you continue to find joy in writing, may your readership grow, and may characters and ideas meet you in your dreams until you make a home for them on the page.

 
Here’s what these talented authors had to say about my recent release, The Flower Girls:

“Alternating between identical twin narrators with tragic secrets between them, Wendy Paine Miller’s THE FLOWER GIRLS examines what it means to recognize -- or not recognize -- ourselves in others. It’s a moving contemporary tale of blame, jealousy, longing, and how old scars can finally mend.”
 
Susan Schoenberger, award-winning author of A WATERSHED YEAR and THE VIRTUES OF OXYGEN 

“An expertly woven tale of drama, mystery, suspense and romance, THE FLOWER GIRLS is, at its core, a deeply moving story about the intricacies of sisterhood, the unshakable bonds of family loyalty and the power of forgiveness, healing and above all, love.  Thanks to Wendy Paine Miller’s unique gift for creating approachable, compelling, intriguing characters, you’ll find yourself pondering her two narrators – identical twins Daisy and Poppy – as well as your own familial relationships – long after you turn the last page of this riveting read.”

–Michelle DeRusha, author of SPIRITUAL MISFIT: A MEMOIR OF UNEASY FAITH

“Deftly told and beautifully written, THE FLOWER GIRLS is a story about the bonds of sisterhood, the power of forgiveness, and the pain and the freedom that comes with letting go. Add in some long-buried secrets, intriguing family lore, a splash of romance and readers are in for a real treat!”
 
–Katie Ganshert, award-winning author of A BROKEN KIND OF BEAUTIFUL

“Wendy Paine Miller writes with gentle wisdom about the complexities of family relationships burdened with blame, secrets and loss. A poignant, emotional story about guilt, love, family, and the indestructible ties of sisterhood. Fans of Kristin Hannah will love THE FLOWER GIRLS!

 –Lisa Verge Higgins, author of RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS

 

 

 

Taking Time

college applications                 homecoming                            flag football                basketball             SATs   ...