Thursday, November 7, 2013

Guest Blog - Jean Oram - Top Ten Truths About Small Towns

Yay! Everyone welcome Jean Oram to my blog! She's an author who has written some great books for women that I've enjoyed reading myself.



Having grown up in a small town (outskirts of a place with 100 people) and graduating in a class of thirty, I ‘get’ small towns. The good. The bad. The ugly.

Here are my Top Ten Truths About Small Towns:

1.     If your kid/dog/pet rock runs away, everyone knows which direction they went in, and when. (Plus, they may have even stopped them for you.)
2.     You don’t have to mind your own business because everyone else is already doing it for you.
3.     Good luck shopping on a Sunday.
4.     If you don’t look others in the eye and give them a head nod of acknowledgement or say ‘hello’ you may as well post a sign on yourself as an outsider or a snob. ;) And if you’re new to town, chances are everyone knows the who-what-where-when-why-how etc., of you before you’ve even unpacked.
5.     If you need anything, there are a ton of people ready to help. As the saying goes, there are many hands to help you up, but also just as many to help you down if you get too big for your britches.
6.     If you go somewhere and forget what you were going to do, chances are someone else will know and remind you!
7.     It’s difficult being an outsider/new, or being different, or not be related to everyone and share that small town history.
8.     People are helpful, friendly, welcoming, and protect their own.
9.     If you accept a small town, it will probably accept you in return.
10. Be nice to everyone. You never know when you’ll need them.


In Champagne and Lemon Drops, my first book in Blueberry Springs, Nash was the outsider and was reluctant to change his ways and the town knew it! They got right involved with Beth’s decision while the two were an item. (Sometimes small towns feel they know best.)

In Whiskey and Gumdrops (book two—and a new release!) we see the less meddlesome side of Blueberry Springs as the town pulls together to lift up Mandy.

I don’t want to spoil too much about the stories, so I’ll stop there. But I’d love to hear what you think of when you think of small towns? (A hard place to find good shoes? Or a place where you are wrapped in support and love?) Let me know in the comment section.

You can delve into Blueberry Springs for free with book 1, Champagne and Lemon Drops LINK: http://www.amazon.com/Champagne-Lemon-Drops-Contemporary-ebook/dp/B00BR3AT9G/), and continue the story with Whiskey and Gumdrops (book 2) ( http://www.amazon.com/Whiskey-Gumdrops-Blueberry-Springs-Contemporary-ebook/dp/B00GCDODSE/ )

Jean Oram loves to write romance as well as connect with other writers. You can find her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/jeanoramauthor as well as on her website www.jeanoram.com

Friday, November 1, 2013

How The Holidays Change

I noticed that the holidays change as you get older.

Halloween when you are younger is about dressing up and getting candy. I guess I could dress-up as an adult and most people do, but I usually don't have anywhere to go, so I don't. Sometimes my fiance and I use this as an excuse to watch a Halloween themed movie and buy ourselves a bit of candy, but Halloween doesn't have the same charm as it used to for me when I was a kid. It might be more fun when I have children and get to watch them experience it, but otherwise it goes by almost unnoticed for me.

Christmas kind of waned for me over the years. As a child, we got lots of presents, but I got older and my family stopped doing much for each other. My fiance has since changed that, so Christmas is more fun. He's very filled with the Christmas spirit and gift giving and it's infectious. But there's still the stress of money spent that you really don't have. I didn't deal with that as a kid.

On the good side of things is Thanksgiving. As a child, I thought it was boring. I had to visit people I didn't want to see and eat food I don't like. Turkey, gravy, rolls, and mashed potatoes have become my favorite foods since then. I enjoy cooking a lot now, so having a holiday surrounding it is a lot of fun to me. And nowadays, it means I can appreciate and spend time with the people I love the most.

Thanksgiving of last year was also the day I officially self-published my first book! So it's a very exciting holiday for me.

And in November, my fiance and I also celebrate the anniversary of when we first started dating.

So I'm excited that it's November!