Happy Endings

June: It included a 10-day odyssey the width of South Dakota, my home state. I went back to Sioux Falls for my 50th high school reunion, but there was so much more:

• Driving 1,200 miles, which is more than a third of what I typically drive in an entire year!
• Going to the Black Hills, the Badlands, and Wall Drug with my beautiful aunt and friend. (The photo is from Spearfish Canyon Lodge, where we stayed.)
• Spending time with college friends I haven't seen in person since covid.
• Getting together with some beloved cousins, not to mention my high school BFF, her husband, and her sister.
• And, oh yeah, attending the reunion.

My class was large, more than 600 people, and the last reunion I attended was in 1994. The event went about as I expected; I stayed for two hours. But there was some magic in those two hours--talking with people about more than where we went to college or how many kids and grandkids we do or don't have. The people I wanted to keep talking with were those who had experienced loss of one sort or another, and rose from the ashes. The stories weren't always dramatic, but they did include acceptance of God's plan and the surrender of what the storyteller had thought was "supposed to happen." It made me realize that's what I treasure most when it comes to life stories: Happy endings. Not necessarily the ending we wanted, but acceptance of things we cannot change, and finding joy and grace in that acceptance.

Who knows, maybe I'll go back for No. 60 in 10 years!

It was great seeing so many friends, longtime and new, at June events supporting Unforgettable Women of the Gospels, this month's Association of Catholic Publishers' CatholicsRead book club selection. I'd love to see you at these remaining free events!

·      July 6: Join me for a one-hour, interactive discussion at 1 p.m. ET at my favorite neighborhood hangout, Pirouette, 4000 N. Fairfax Dr., Arlington, VA. Free wine pairings and cheese and crackers. Limited space remains; please register.

·      July 16: Join me for a discussion and snacks from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. ET at The Paschal Lamb, 11214 Lee Highway, Fairfax, VA. Please register or email Paschal Lamb so we can provide the best experience possible; no limit on event attendance numbers.

·      July 18: Participate in the CatholicsRead virtual book club meeting, 4-5 p.m. ET.

On the Nightstand: Love and the Dream Come True

I started this one on the way home from South Dakota, and am really enjoying it so far. It's a contemporary Christian romance, and the setup is that a down-on-his-luck musician (think someone like an American Idol winner four years later) goes home for his sister's wedding and encounters her flighty but lovely single-mom best friend, who's always had a crush on him. The writing is breezy and the characters really believable!

What's on your nightstand?

Happy Independence Day, and a Bit of Joy to Share

Speaking of contemporary Christian fiction, an unpublished novel of mine is a semifinalist in the American Christian Fiction Writers' Genesis competition. I was somewhat surprised, but grateful. I'll find out in September whether it's the winner. No promise of publication either way, but you know what I said above about liking happy endings.

Here's hoping you have an awesome month and Independence Day! --Melanie