#WednesdayWordswithFriends welcomes Valerie Massey Goree

Good Morning!

According to the National Weather app, we're in for some cold, wet weather over the next few days - with the possibility of snow! Yeah, we get snow every now and again. I think the last time was 2017 so I know the kids are looking forward to that. Me? Not so much. Alas, we'll take what we get and pray for the safety of all those Cajun's out there who really don't know how to drive in snow or ice. 

I'll be glad when Winter is over. I know, I know, I'm wishing my life away. I AM trying to take things one-day-at-a-time though and do my best and let God handle everything else. 

I just don't like cold weather - especially when it's raining.

Enough about me though. Please welcome our guest Valerie Massey Goree back as she shares with us her writing journey.. Take it away, Valerie!

My Writing Journey

I know you’ve probably read many posts on this subject, however, my journey did not start off well. 

I grew up in the former British Colony of Rhodesia, now called Zimbabwe in Central Africa. We followed the British educational system, and many of our teachers were from England. Although I believe we received an excellent education, some of the teachers were straitlaced and well, cold. I distinctly remember the teacher we had for 7th grade English. After we wrote our essays, she’d have us stand in front of the class and read them out loud. Then, she would critique our work and allow students to add their pros or cons. 

At the time, I didn’t know that I had OCD tendencies. I followed instructions to the letter. I had no imagination outside of the assignment. My math work was immaculate, not always correct, but all my columns of numbers lined up perfectly. 

The essay topic for this class assignment was to write about things we collected, for instance coins from foreign counties. My older brother had just left home and had given me his stamp collection. As you might imagine, the tiny square or rectangular stamps lined up next to each other on their special pages indulged my ‘OCDness’. Well, whoop-de-doo. I had something to write about. So I planned my essay, and began writing. 

Mrs. Teacher—I remember what she looked like, but not her name—walked around the room and commented on what kids had written. One student received flowery compliments because she chose to write about two of her collections. I could do that. I collected many things that caught my OCD ‘eye’, items that met my desire for symmetry, or variations in color or size.

I completed my essay on my stamp collection, then added a few paragraphs about how I collected buttons and liked to sort them into colors, then line them up on the parquet flooring in my bedroom. I so wanted to receive compliments and couldn’t wait for Mrs. Teacher to hear my composition. 

I have no idea what she said about my stamp collection because all I remember are her harsh words about how silly it was for a thirteen-year-old to be playing with buttons!

As you can imagine, creative writing was not high on my list after that. In fact, I hated writing and dreaded every writing assignment that came my way, even in University. I only began to open up to putting words on paper when I was in my forties. 

My latest novel is a revised version of the first book I wrote, way back when word processors were the rage. Although Forever Under Blue Skies, set in Australia, is my sixth published novel, as you can imagine, it is very close to my heart. My maternal grandmother was born is Australia. I relied on details from my great-great-grandparents’ family tree for my story, even to using the town of Bendigo. Now, my family never lived on a sheep station, but that’s where the fiction part came in. 

What was life like on a sheep station in 1983? Follow Marlow’s journey to find out. 

Travel to Australia to solve a family mystery? Sure, Marlow could do that. But she didn’t take into consideration the vast outback, nor the owner of the sheep station. Widower, Jake Barclay, is everything her late husband was not—honorable, considerate, a pure gentleman. She came prepared with sunscreen, but hadn’t built a high enough screen around her heart. 

Jake was dubious about Marlow’s reason for visiting his station and thwarts her plan at every turn. Until he sees how she interacts with his vulnerable, young daughter. 

If they solve the coded message, can Marlow return to Texas, or will Jake offer her a forever home in the outback?

About Valerie: American Christian Fiction Writers Genesis Award winner Valerie Massey Goree resides with her husband on the beautiful Olympic Peninsula of Washington State.

After serving as missionaries in her home country of Zimbabwe and raising two children, Glenn and Valerie moved to Texas. She worked in the public school system for many years, focusing on students with special needs. Now retired in Washington, Valerie spends her time writing, and spoiling her grandchildren. 

Novels include: Deceive Me Once; Colors of Deceit; The Stolen Lives Trilogy, Weep in the Night; Day of Reckoning; and Justice at Dawn, to be released soon. Valerie’s latest novel Forever Under Blue Skies, is now available from Amazon.

Valerie loves to hear from her readers.

Visit Valerie’s website to learn more about her books: www.valeriegoreeauthor.com and connect with her on FaceBook. Check out her last post HERE. Get your copy of Forever Under Blue Skies at Amazon.

What a journey, Valerie! Thank you for sharing. We wish you the best of luck and God's blessings with your new book.

Hope you enjoyed Valerie's post, friends and that you'll check back weekly for Wednesday Words with Friends and Saturday Spotlight.

Until next time, take care and God Bless.

PamT