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Tuesday, April 5, 2016

#TuesdayTreasure: Special Guest Post by Hope T Dougherty & a Book #Giveaway!

Good Morning!

Spring has sprung....well still a bit chilly in the mornings but warm, sunny and beautiful in the afternoons.

Mostly.

I'm definitely not a Winter person, so mild weather suits me just fine.

Today I'm pleased to bring back to our blog, Hope T Dougherty who visited with us one Saturday in February, with something she treasures....

Like a lot of people who post on this blog, I treasure my family: two daughters and twin sons who are interesting, fun, and smart, my husband who is excited and so supportive of my writing journey, and my extended family—especially my parents who just celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary.

Instead of writing about them, however, I want to share about an important piece of furniture in our house.

Our wooden kitchen table is round and five feet wide. It seats the six in my family comfortably plus two visitors. The shape easily facilitates dinner conversation also.  I love when everyone is home from various universities and we’re passing bowls and teasing remarks, discussing current events, and sharing plans. It’s also a great place for Euchre, Monopoly, and Clue games. That table has heard a lot of smack talk over the years because we’re a competitive bunch.

The shape is important, but the interesting fact about the table is that the wood it’s made of spent its first 100 years as a tobacco barn, the crop that sustained generations of my family. When we moved to the farm and built our house, the dilapidated barn topped my husband’s hit list. A master furniture maker from a neighboring county had a better idea for the strong, interior beams. He fashioned a piece of art out of a piece of history with the old wood. 


My kitchen table is a treasure, for sure. I love it—what it meant to my family of long ago and what it means to my family now.

Hope Toler Dougherty holds a Master's degree in English and taught at East Carolina University as well as York Technical College. A member of ACFW, RWA and SinC, she writes for Almost an Author. Before writing novels, she published non-fiction articles on topics ranging from gardening with children to writing apprehension. She cheers for the Pittsburgh Steelers, ACC basketball, and Army West Point Football. Hope and her husband, Kevin, live in North Carolina and chat with their two daughters and twin sons through ooVoo. Irish Encounter is her first novel. Her second one, Mars...With Venus Rising, is published with Pelican Book.

Find out more about Hope by visiting her Website or connecting with her on Good Reads,TwitterFacebook and/or Pinterest.

Now on to a sneak peek at Hope's latest release, Mars with Venus Rising!  

A meddling horse, paper bag floors and a flying saucer on the town square. The little town of Mars has it all—including a brand new resident who might spell heartache for one of its own.

Twenty-something Penn Davenport yearns for an exciting life in the big city and wants to shed the label of orphan that she's worn for years. To achieve that dream, she must pass the CPA exam then move away from the two aunts who reared her after her parents died in a plane crash.

When John Townsend—full of life and the joy of living—moves to town, he rattles Penn's view of herself, her life, and her dreams...which isn't such a bad thing until she falls for him…and discovers he's a pilot.

Excerpt: 
Penn considered the Tilt-a-Whirl. The cars spun and rocked and rolled up and down like a carousel. The spins looked fast sometimes. Other times the cars only rocked back and forth. Most of the riders howled with excitement, their heads tipped back and their mouths wide open. 

Laughing, not screaming.

Maybe she could ride it. She'd try at least for the handsome man chuckling at the spinning cars full of people having fun. The ride attendant gave them a car to themselves. Nice.

John took her hand to help her inside the car. Very nice.

He gave her a pep talk as other cars filled and the seat bar clicked into place. "You're going to love this."

The platform cracked and began its slow rotation over the rollers, creating an up and down motion. She stole a glance at John with a this-isn't-so-bad look.

He grinned.

Picking up speed, the ride pushed the car into a few partial spins. Feeling the centrifugal force pull her to the left then the right, Penn gripped the ar and planted herself in the middle of the seat, willing herself not to sling into him. 

A giggle tickled her throat. She bit her lip to stifle it. With the constant barrage of swinging back and forth and up and down, she gave up trying to corral her laughs. A steady stream of her chortles mingled with John's chuckles.

Suddenly, the car twirled with a quick whipping motion sending her right into the whole length of him. He didn't seem to mind. Instead, he grinned again, threw his arm around her shoulders, and pulled her tighter against him. "This way we can fight the force together."

Oh, yeah. She liked the Tilt-a-Whirl.

Mars with Venus Rising can be purchased at Amazon and/or directly from Pelican book Group.

Hope is giving away a copy to one lucky person so be sure and leave a comment!

I hope you enjoyed today's treasure! Check back each week for Thursday Thoughts, Saturday Spotlight and more Tuesday Treasures!

Until next time...take care and God Bless.
PamT

17 comments:

Lisa Carter said...

Love your table. My favorite times are when family is gathered together, too. Happy writing.

Hope Toler Dougherty said...

Thank you, Lisa. You'll have to come back for another dinner!

marilyn leach said...

I adore vintage furniture. What a legacy that speaks to you and your family everyday. Beautiful and practical is a sweet combination. Hope your book does very well. Cheers

Hope Toler Dougherty said...

Thanks so much, Marilyn!

Jacqueline Seewald said...

Hope,

Your table does sound like a unique treasure. But best of all, it symbolizes your family unity. Congrats on the new novel!

Hope Toler Dougherty said...

Thank you, Jacqueline. You're right about the family unity!

Nita Jones Hill said...

I think it is lovely Hope and I know your kids will make sure that this is noted and respected by future family members.....A beautiful treasure and a heartfelt memory for all of you to pass down through the generations!

Gail Kittleson said...

How fun to read about you here, Hope, and so glad to see you're still perking along and writing away. That table is definitely a treasure - thanks for sharing and good to connect w/you again. (It's been a loooooong time since that Blue Mt. Conference where we met.)

Ann Langston said...

So interesting, Hope, and showing how very special you are. I'm so proud of you and love remembering all thegood times with you during your childhood!

LoRee Peery said...

Hope, we have a kitchen table like yours, but it was handcrafted in the seventies. Reading about your barn took me right back to the one on my childhood farm. I have pieces constructed into a birdhouse my brother made for me.

M.J. Schiller, Romance Author said...

This is my favorite Tuesday Treasure thus far! My triplets went off to school this past fall so I REALLY appreciate when we are all gathered together. And how cool to have past family members present, in a sense, with the origin of the wood. I enjoyed your excerpt! Best wishes for you, your family, and MARS...WITH VENUS RISING!

Alicia Dean said...

Awwww, I LOVE this! Yes, what a treasure that table is. You are so very blessed, as is your family to have you. :) (I love Euchre! Haven't played in a while though. Miss it :)) Your book sounds like a fun read. Best wishes to you.

Kara O'Neal said...

I adore the kitchen table story. How wonderful. I have the same opinion about ours, but it is not nearly as old or historic. Still, it provides the same memories. And I loved your excerpt. A lot of emotion in a few paragraphs. Good luck to you.

Susan Coryell said...

Our 3 kids/spouses and 7 grand kids are also gamers. One evening my hubs and I took a quiet little jaunt on our boat. Enjoying the silence on our twi-lit lake, we suddenly tensed at the sound of raucous laughter. What?? We giggled when we realized the ruckus floating out onto the lake was our progeny playing a loud and crazy game at the dining table. Ha! Your post dredged up that memory. Thanks for posting and good luck with your writing.

Hope Toler Dougherty said...

I forgot to check the comments yesterday because I was away from my desk most of the day. What a treasure all the comments were for me when I found them this morning. Thank you all so much. I'm so glad that the story about our kitchen table connected with you. You've given me such a warm hug to start the day. THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Unknown said...

If only your table could talk! Imagine all the memories stored within that wood. Mars with Venus Rising is a very cute title, and the story sounds like a fine read. Wishing you lots of success with it.

Hope Toler Dougherty said...

Thanks so much, Gemma!