Hidden Springs Celebration Winners

Ann H GabhartAnn's Posts, One Writer's Journal 2 Comments

I enjoyed every story you shared with me when you entered my celebration giveaway for Murder Is No Accident. Some of the first love stories were memories from when you were kids in elementary school. Others were of those first loves after you reached dating age and some were stories about first loves that were also lasting loves.

That’s the kind of first love story I have. I did have that grade school “I like you” boyfriend, but I really can’t think about that being anything resembling love. I don’t think we ever even held hands. But then I got “set out.” That’s what folks used to call it when a girl or boy started looking around for love. I’m not sure I was looking for love the night I went with my girlfriend to a high school football game. I just wanted to have a little fun checking out all the guys. My girlfriend was even readier to have a boyfriend than I was. In fact, she did already have a guy who wanted to drive her home. When he saw me with her, I think he thought three wasn’t a good number. So he went and found a friend who just happened to be my girlfriend’s cousin to make it a foursome. I was much too young to be dating anybody, but I liked what I saw in those deep blue eyes. He must have liked what he saw too because after that we were a couple. We’re still a couple, fifty plus years later. I guess sometimes you just find the right guy on the first try.

Here we are getting ready to go to my junior prom. I made the dress myself and felt very daring making it strapless. But while I was at the prom, I wished for straps. Maybe a sweater. LOL. Not very long after that picture, we got married and soon we were young parents. This picture shows us in our Easter finery a few years after we married. Our kids were so cute and I’m so proud of the wonderful men and woman they have become. So while I did marry much too young, the Lord blessed us with love and happiness. We worked hard on the farm and eventually my husband got a job off the farm so we could make ends meet. I got to stay home with the children and write. While I didn’t make much money writing in those early years, I did sell a few short pieces here and there to magazines. And then in 1978, Warner Books published my first book. Now here almost forty years later, I’m blessed to have my thirty-second book, Murder Is No Accident, ready to be on store shelves for readers.  That’s something to celebrate. And I did with a Celebration Giveaway.

And now for the winners!

Drum roll please. My number one winner was Cathy H. who gets to choose which prize she’d rather have – the Gaither Homecoming Bible or the sterling silver circle necklace with the Irish blessing engraved on it along with her choice of one of my books. Second prize winner is Amy P. of Virginia who gets whichever prize is left after Cathy makes her choice and Amy decided on Murder at the Courthouse because she says she doesn’t read enough mysteries. Fun reason. Lou Ann P was my third place winner and she gets her choice of one of my books. Then I picked a “just because” winner and that’s Peggy R. from Kentucky who has already picked her prize, a copy of Scent of Lilacs, that she says is her favorite of my books. I’ve already sent the winners an e-mail to let them know they won. Thank you all for the great stories you shared with me. I couldn’t share them all forward, but I did read and enjoy each of them. I may share a few more of your stories on Wednesday.

More Chances to Win a Book

Then because it’s fun to give away books, I’ll do a Mystery Picture Giveaway here on my blog. I’ve been checking out potential pictures to see if I can come up with any that might trick you. But I’ve discovered in past Mystery Picture Giveaways, that’s not so easy to do. 🙂 I’ll probably start that next Sunday. So come on back and see what I come up with. You can also check out my events page to see where else I might be visiting out on the internet and where you might win a copy of Murder Is No Accident.

As always, thanks for reading.

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Comments 2

  1. Handsome guy with pretty girl….and he’s tall! Or you’re short! 😊
    We married at 19 and 20 on his birthday. Two years later we had our first little boy. And here we are almost 57 years later in a marriage that we were told would NEVER last! Congratulations to all the winners! 😊

    1. Post
      Author

      Congratulations on many happy years together, Karen. My husband was 20 when we married but I was barely 17. Nobody told us it wouldn’t last, but I’m sure they thought we were way too young. Of course back in the Sixties girls tended to get married at earlier ages than most of them do now. And my husband is tall. About 6’2″ so I’m average height at 5’5″. I think in that picture he must have been standing uphill a bit. 🙂

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