National Book Lovers Day

Ann H GabhartAnn's Posts, One Writer's Journal 12 Comments

Book Lovers Day is celebrated on August 9 every year. This is an unofficial holiday observed to encourage bibliophiles to celebrate reading and literature. People are advised to put away their smartphones and every possible technological distraction and pick up a book to read. Looks as though my granddaughter’s dog is definitely loving some books while my granddaughter was going …

1st Sunday Devotional – The Gift of an Ordinary Day

Ann H GabhartAnn's Posts, One Writer's Journal 7 Comments

Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. And today? Today is a gift. That’s why we call it the present. ~Bill Keane Have you ever felt that each Sunday when you get up and have the privilege of going to church before having time with family or just resting time is a blessed gift? Maybe you feel that way every …

Special EBook Sale for An Appalachian Summer

Ann H GabhartAnn's Posts, One Writer's Journal 10 Comments

I was so happy that I got to go back to the Appalachian Mountains for another story about the Frontier Nursing Service after I wrote These Healing Hills a few years ago. I liked writing about a Frontier Nursing midwife the way I did in that story, but I wanted to share more of the Frontier Nurses Service history. The nurse …

A Song of Joy

Ann H GabhartAnn's Posts, One Writer's Journal 14 Comments

One of my blessings is being able to put together the bulletin for my country church. My husband and I have been attending the same beautiful little church ever since we got married. Actually, he was attending there for several years before we married after his family moved to a farm just down the road from the church. I made …

Inspiration, Research, and Characters

Ann H GabhartAnn's Posts, One Writer's Journal 19 Comments

  You all really know how to make a blog book party fun. Thank you so much for showing up and for all the great questions you’re asking. I picked three to answer on tonight’s post. If  you’ve already read them in the comments, you already know my answers. But maybe some of you waited to see some of the …

Hometown Book Party

Ann H GabhartAnn's Posts, One Writer's Journal 6 Comments

Back in 2005 when Scent of Lilacs, my first inspirational novel was published, I decided to celebrate with a book party for my hometown readers. These friends and family had been so supportive of my writing efforts through the years after my first book was published by Warner Books in 1978. I’d had some ups and downs through the years. …

Gardening Is a Family Affair

Ann H GabhartAnn's Posts, One Writer's Journal 18 Comments

  “A garden is a grand teacher. It teaches patience and careful watchfulness; it teaches industry and thrift; above all it teaches entire trust.” — Gertrude Jekyll Do you have a vegetable garden? Or have you ever had one? When I was a kid, I assumed everyone had a garden. Out where I lived in the country, everybody did, and …

A Showboat Coming – Mirth & Music

Ann H GabhartAnn's Posts, One Writer's Journal 10 Comments

  It’s great when I pick something to write about in my stories that turns out to be extra interesting to research. The river showboat that is the setting for my new book, In the Shadow of the River, turned out to be that way. I knew very little about showboats when I decided to take my story on the river. So …