Ovaleta Mayhew can’t enjoy the coming Christmas holidays because of her worry for eight-year-old Ava Roberts. The remission of Ava’s leukemia was welcome news to all the residents of Sassy Creek, yet Ava is still in the hospital. Her parents had a huge hospital bill and were behind in their house payments. How could a retired couple help?
Pastor Seth Walters visits Ava often at the hospital, and is dating one of her nurses. He dreads introducing Lila to his congregation, fearing the pressure they’ll put on the relationship.
Ovaleta can’t help the Roberts family on her own. It’ll take the whole town to rally around them. Then she has a brilliant idea.
I loved meeting the lovable characters of Sassy Creek in this Christmas novella! The author has created a town full of sassy, believable characters and I kept turning pages to see what adventures they’d get into next.
If you like reading books in a series that are set in a small town, I believe you will love the folks at Sassy Creek.
Randall McCullough, retired from the postal service, can’t get excited about his birthday or the coming Christmas season since Shirley’s passing five years ago. Maybe he can find a way to be a blessing to a few folks this Christmas. That might help take his mind off his loneliness.
Alma Lee, who works at the drugstore, likes to argue with him. He’s known her since childhood and she’s always been the same way.
Randall is surprised when Alma Lee not only gets wind of his Christmas secret mission but also wants to help. He doesn’t want to admit that arguing with her brings some spark to his days. He agrees and the pair set off to help families in Weldon’s trailer park that has been allowed to deteriorate.
This story touched my heart! I love Randall, who remembers his wife’s generosity and learns from it. My attention was easily snagged early on by this gentle story.
I loved meeting the lovable characters of Weldon in this Christmas novella! The author has created a town full of believable characters that I learned to love.
If you like reading books in a series that are set in a small town, I believe you will love the folks at Weldon, Kentucky.
The author was giving this novella away as part of a promotion and I was happy to read her new book. I have grown to love the characters in this series and this short novella was no exception.
Dr. Sparky Compton has returned to her Kentucky hometown of Weldon, but she’s basically passing through. She’s been asked to work in the local doctor’s practice. That won’t happen as she intends to accept a research position.
Newcomer Carson Williams is the most eligible bachelor in town. Suffering from PTSD, the handsome stranger just wants to be left alone.
Fate has other plans.
This was a quick, easy read that took me to a place I’m learning to love—Weldon.
Fellow author and friend Shelia Stovall shares about a family cemetery with us today. Welcome back to Historical Nibbles, Shelia!
by Shelia Stovall
Thank you for inviting me to share a story that might interest genealogists. Judy, my mother-in-law, loved genealogy. One of my deepest regrets is that I didn’t record her family stories. She said her ancestor received a land grant for our property for serving in the Revolutionary War. Unfortunately, we have no documentation to prove this because the Simpson County, Kentucky Courthouse burned in May of 1882.
A couple of years ago, my husband visited our neighbor’s farm and discovered a cemetery, hidden in a grove of trees, about five hundred yards from our property line.
We’d never crossed the fence line and had no idea the cemetery existed. Later, my husband took me to his find. Judy grew up on our farm, and I am sure she knew the cemetery existed but failed to mention it. Perhaps it is something she took for granted that we knew.
Simple stones mark many gravesites, and others are very ornate. Sadly, the cemetery needs attention. One tombstone identifies the grave of the Revolutionary War soldier, William Lowe. I couldn’t help but wonder if this might mark the resting place of my husband’s relative who received the land grant. We’d never heard anyone mention the last name of “Lowe” in the family history. The surname of Johns, Peden, and Snider are the familiar family names.
We scanned Judy’s many scrapbooks in search of her genealogy work. Ready to give up, I put away the albums,but my father-in-law said, “Let’s look inside her desk.” The first folder I pulled out was labeled, “For Evan Leslie’s D.A.R.” (Evan Leslie is my daughter.) It seemed Judy knew that someday, someone would be interested. It took mere seconds to locate the name I hoped to see, William Lowe.
I am thankful Judy took such care to document her family ancestry. We’ll never be able to prove the farm has been in my husband’s family since the land grants, but I feel confident the trails I walk with my grandchildren are the same as their ancestors from ten generations back.
To me, the most special place is by a tiny stream that branches into Drake’s Creek. I need this quiet place where no one speaks to me but God.
We are blessed by our inheritance, but a better inheritance awaits us because we are to be co-heirs with Jesus Christ. “And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ, we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.” Romans 8:17.
My prayer is that you too will share in this glorious inheritance.
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Readers can download three free novellas from my website under the media tab and be introduced to my make-believe communities of Weldon and Sassy Creek. My novel, Every Window Filled with Light, can be purchased from Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
About Shelia
Shelia Stovall is the director of a small-town library in southern Kentucky, where only strangers mention her last name, and the children call her Miss Shelia.
Shelia and her husband Michael live on a farm, and she enjoys taking daily rambles to the creek with their three dogs. Spending time with family, especially her grandchildren, is her all-time favorite thing. The only hobby Shelia loves more than reading uplifting stories of hope is writing them. Connect with Shelia on her blog.
Every Window Filled with Light
Welcome to Weldon, Kentucky, where the only things the locals love more than fried pies are gossip and match-making.
Librarian Emma Baker, a young and childless widow, believes her dream to build a family is over. It’s been two years since a student accidentally stabbed Emma’s husband to death, and her grief has stifled any interest in romance—until she meets Pastor Luke Davis. But when Emma learns Luke is counseling her husband’s killer fresh out of jail, her temper gets in the way.
Meanwhile, Emma discovers twelve-year-old Harley, abandoned by her drug-addict mother, hiding in the library, and takes the girl in as her foster mom. Then a young mother is made homeless by an apartment fire, and Emma opens her home again. One person and one prayer at a time, Emma begins to discover hope.
Fellow author and friend Shelia Stovall shares a family recipe from her novel with us today. Welcome to Historical Nibbles, Shelia!
by Shelia Stovall
Thank you, Sandra, for the opportunity to share my recipe for Southern Fried Blackberry pies.
According to Wikipedia, fried pies were known as “Crab Lanterns” in the American South. This term dates back to at least 1770. It may originate from crabapple pies that had slits for ventilation, thus resembling a lantern.
In my book, Every Window Filled with Light, Mrs. Dot, the owner of Dot’s Deluxe Diner, features a different flavor of fried fruit pie each week. The idea to do this in my novel came to me while I waited in line at Habegger’s Amish Market. My mouth watered as I stared at their fried pie display. In Every Window Filled with Light, blackberry is Pastor Bob’s favorite fried pie. So, I’m sharing my mom’s recipe for Southern Fried Blackberry Pies. I’m sure she never bought a blackberry in her life. We picked wild blackberries in late June.
Mama made her pie crusts with lard, but I buy pie crusts. It needs to be at room temperature or the crust might crack.
I sprinkle powdered sugar on my cooled pies to hide flaws while mom served them plain.
Ann’s Southern Fried Blackberry Pie
Ingredients:
3 cups blackberries
1 teaspoon lemon juice
¾ cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons salted butter
¼ cup water (to dissolve corn starch)
1 tablespoon corn starch
Vegetable oil
Sifted powdered sugar
1 box rolled pie crust from the refrigerated section of your grocery.
Filling:
Combine blackberries, lemon juice, brown sugar, melted butter. Mash berries, bring the mixture to a boil, and then stir in dissolved corn starch and simmer until thickened. (About 5 minutes.) Set aside until completely cool. (About an hour.) It’s okay to store in the refrigerator overnight.
Unroll the pie crust on waxed paper.
Cut into 3 ½ inch circles with cookie cutter or glass.
Place 1 teaspoon of cooled blackberry mixture in the center of each circle. Moisten edges of pastry; fold in half, making sure edges are even. Press pastry edges together firmly with a fork dipped in flour.
Heat 1 to 2 inches of oil in a skillet to 375° (I prefer an iron skillet). Cook 4 to 5 pies at a time until golden brown on both sides, turning once. (About 2 minutes on each side.)
Drain well on a wire rack on a cookie sheet for at least 15 minutes and then sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Depending on the size of your pies, this recipe will make about 12 – 14 pies. You will have about a cup of filling left. I usually refrigerate this and use it on toast. Yummy!
I believe there’s a fruit for every season of life. I hope you’ll try my recipe and let me know what you think.
“ 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23 ESV.
About Shelia:
Shelia Stovall is the director of a small-town library in southern Kentucky, where only strangers mention her last name, and the children call her Miss Shelia.
Missionary travels are taking her to Africa—again. She’s the self-proclaimed worst missionary ever, but is glad God continues to send her.
Shelia and her husband Michael live on a farm. Spending time with family, especially her grandchildren, is her all-time favorite thing. The only hobby Shelia loves more than reading uplifting stories of hope is writing them.
Welcome to Weldon, Kentucky, where the only things the locals love more than fried pies are gossip and match-making.
Librarian Emma Baker, a young and childless widow, believes her dream to build a family is over. It’s been two years since a student accidentally stabbed Emma’s husband to death, and her grief has stifled any interest in romance—until she meets Pastor Luke Davis. But when Emma learns Luke is counseling her husband’s killer fresh out of jail, her temper gets in the way.
Meanwhile, Emma discovers twelve-year-old Harley, abandoned by her drug-addict mother, hiding in the library, and takes the girl in as her foster mom. Then a young mother is made homeless by an apartment fire, and Emma opens her home again. One person and one prayer at a time, Emma begins to discover hope.
Sandra Merville Hart 