#would i be in the creamery with her dad or in the barn

[southislandwren]

that should be ME putting stickers on bags that was my fucking job for 3 months i bet hes not even happy to be doing that

[talktoclyde]

Who Was Your First Role Model?

Clyde Geoffrey Swenson: 8 March 2018

This topic is not something I had thought about before, but I can easily consider my parents as my first role model.  Since I grew up on a farm a mile and a half from the nearest town, Scandia, meant I had very little exposure to much beyond the world of the house and farm where we lived and worked.  So I’m defining the time for reflection as my life between birth and six years – when I first attended grade school.

Looking back my parents could have been my grandparents.  My mother was 45 when I was born; my father was 42.  Although much of this time frame I do not recall very much. But I remember thing like being able to see above the kitchen table – quite an accomplishment.  And I remember looking at clocks and how slowly the minute hand would move.  But these are symbols of growth.  As I reflect on the impact of my parents, referred to as “Mother” and “Dad”, they had a lot of impact on forming my personality and behavior. Mother was a grade school teacher before she married Dad. In addition to knowing how to handle children, she as, as she would say of other, “well read”.  By this term she meant that a person with that characteristic – was knowledgeable about current events as well as knowledge about much of the world.  She was an insatiable reader.  I don’t think I ever remember her being asleep when I went to bed; she would have a book in her hand.  Her capacity to stay awake was strengthened by the fact that Dad was well known for his loud snoring.  Mother could not sleep through that sound – so she read books to sooth her mind.  My Dad was about the same size as Sahala, about 6 ft 1 in.  He was a well respected farmer in the area and everyone trusted him.  For these simple reasons, he was the chairman of the local Goose Lake School board for a long period of time as well as chairman of the board for the Scandia Creamery.  A politician he was not, but he was a respected leader in the community.

These two beautiful souls joined in marriage some 10 years earlier, and I was their last child. Knowing my mother was 45 when I was born makes me think that, perhaps, I was not a Planned Parenthood” child.  Because my mother was hemorrhaging when she was brought to the hospital, the objective was to save her life – believing the child (baby Clyde) did not have a chance to survive the bleeding situation.  The fact that the hospital was an hour away could not have increased any likelihood of my being born that day.  But the miracle of life was still there, and through a caesarian section operation, not only did they save the mother, but baby Clyde also survived.

So how were Mother and Dad role models to me.  I can honestly say they taught me everything I knew or was up until I went to grade school.  Growing up on a mixed farming dairy farm meant there was much work to do every day of the week. Some farmers had their wives also work on the farming operations.  But out of respect for Mother, Dad never let her go to the fields or work in the barn.  The only thing I saw her do sometimes was picking the eggs from the hen house.  (Usually kept about 250 laying hens – with most of the eggs sold to the town Mercantile.).  This division of labor was clear, and it also helped me understand the kind of respect Dad had for Mother. So the things we value – like respect, love, understanding each other, patience, caring.  All of the characteristics of being a good citizen I felt in the family environment called home. But above all, at this early age, I knew what love meant.  It was a hug before going to bed, a wake-up call in the morning, and encouragement in being active to help both Mother and Dad – even at this early age.  One of my first routine tasks was to set the table for meals.  At this early age, my tasks were more to help Mother than Dad.  Dad had the big jobs and needed strength to do most of what he did.  But in the house, I could help do everything from dusting knick-knacks to wiping dishes, putting them away, etc.  Little jobs, and I remember being so pleased to be able to help Mother.  That was the kind of love we grew up with. Helping someone was a way of showing love.

[cathygeha]

In Jen Gilroy’s Back Home at Firefly Lake, Cat McGuire and Luc Simard find love and second chances in a heartwarming small-town romance that fans of Women’s Fiction and Susan Wiggs’ The Lakeshore Chronicles will love!

  Rafflecopter for Back Home at Firefly Lake Blog Tour Giveaway:

 Jen is offering one (1) lucky Grand Prize winner a $25 Amazon Gift Card and a paperback copy of Back Home at Firefly Lake. Five (5) runner-up winners will receive a paperback copy of their choice from the Firefly Lake series! This giveaway is open internationally. To enter, simply fill out the Rafflecopter below:

Direct Link:

 http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b050ef29455/?

About Back Home at Firefly Lake (Firefly Lake #3):

Title: Back Home at Firefly Lake

Author: Jen Gilroy

Genre: Contemporary Romance / Women’s Fiction

Release Date: December 5, 2017

Publisher: Forever – Grand Central Publishing

Series: Firefly Lake

Print ISBN: 9781455569618

Digital ISBN: 9781455566938

 She has a million reasons to leave. Can he give her the one she needs to stay?

  Cat McGuire’s return to Firefly Lake is turning into much more than she bargained for. Sure, she missed the crisp pine-scented air and the comfort of having her family around her. But being home makes her feel less like the successful single mom she is–and more like the awkward teen who never fit in. It doesn’t help that hockey-pro Luc Simard is back in town, too. Luc was her childhood crush, the hometown hero who never noticed her, and yet somehow he still makes her heart skip a beat. Luc’s homecoming has been bittersweet. He’s lost his wife and his career, but there’s no better place to start over than Firefly Lake. Coaching the local kids’ hockey team makes him feel alive again, and he thinks his life is complete–until Cat arrives. The shy girl he always wanted to protect is now the gorgeous woman who’s stealing his heart and making him believe in second chances. But how can he convince Cat that Firefly Lake is where she truly belongs? 

Now an Amazon Best Book of the Month! 

Add to your “Want to Read” shelf:  Goodreads Available at:  Amazon |  Barnes and Noble |  Kobo |  iTunes

Praise for Back Home at Firefly Lake:

 “When these two broken souls come together, magic happens.” – Publishers Weekly

 “Back Home at Firefly Lake is a charming small-town, second-chance story. With well-written and relatable characters, readers both new and old to the series will enjoy it.” – Harlequin Junkie

Excerpt:

 Luc’s heart squeezed. [Cat] was embarrassed to ask her family for help, like he’d have been embarrassed asking his. Except, that would never be an issue because he had more money than he could spend in one lifetime. Money to finance the creamery expansion his dad had talked about for years, and to send his folks on that cruise they’d hankered after but could never afford because of the cost of raising four kids and putting most of them through college. Money for everything except what mattered most—taking care of his wife and their child like he’d planned.

“Pay for the hockey registration when your grant comes through.” He tried to smile. “I know you’re good for it.”

“Thanks.” Cat’s voice cracked and she took one hand away from her bag to rub it across her face. “Hockey means everything to Amy. I want her to be able to play, but she’s growing so fast right now.”

“Hockey’s an expensive sport.” He slid an arm around her shoulders and gave her a little squeeze. The same kind of friendly squeeze he’d given her all those times back in high school when she’d saved his butt in chemistry. Before today, however, his fingers had never tingled when he’d touched Cat. His body had never heated, either.

Cat started and pulled away at the same instant he did. “Hockey can be a dangerous sport too, and now Amy will be playing with boys. She hasn’t played with boys since she was seven. She could get hurt.

Like he had, hurt so bad it had ended his career. “Amy’s playing minor hockey. At her age, there is a rule about no body checking.” He tried to make his tone reassuring. “I promise I’ll keep a close eye on her.” It was his job as her coach, and he’d do the same for any kid. It had nothing to do with the strange and unexpected attraction he all of a sudden had for this woman he’d known his whole life, who he’d never really looked at until today.

A woman who wasn’t Maggie. Luc’s stomach clenched in a tangled lump of guilt and grief, tied tight with a slippery ribbon of disloyalty. Maggie was never coming back, but that didn’t mean Luc could forget her. Or that he wanted to.

 Copyright © Back Home at Firefly Lake 2017 by Jen Gilroy

Other Books in the Firefly Lake Series:

 Some mistakes can never be fixed and some secrets never forgiven … but some loves can never be forgotten.

 Charlotte Gibbs wants nothing more than to put the past behind her, once and for all. Yet now that she's back at Firefly Lake to sell her mother's cottage, the overwhelming flood of memories reminds her of what she's been missing. Sun-drenched days. Late-night kisses that still shake her to the core. The gentle breeze off the lake, the scent of pine in the air, and the promise of Sean's touch on her skin…True, she got her dream job traveling the world. But at what cost?

 Sean Carmichael still doesn't know why Charlie disappeared that summer, but after eighteen years, a divorce, and a teenage son he loves more than anything in the world, he's still not over her. All this time and her body still fits against his like a glove. She walked away once when he needed her the most. How can he convince her to stay now?

 Add to your “Want to Read” shelf:  Goodreads

 Available at:  Amazon  |  Barnes and Noble  |  Kobo  |  iTunes

Praise for The Cottage at Firefly Lake:

 “Gilroy’s debut contemporary is packed with potent emotions…[the] protagonists tug at the heartstrings from the beginning of the story and don’t let go. Long on charm, this story invites readers to come in and stay a while.” – Publishers Weekly

 “Memories, regrets and second chances are front and center in Gilroy’s fantastic debut.” – RT Book Reviews

Summer on Firefly Lake

 Sometimes love is better the second time around.

 Mia Gibbs spent her marriage putting her husband’s needs before her own. And now, after a painful divorce, she’s building a new life for herself and her two daughters back home at Firefly Lake. The last thing she needs is a man to complicate things. But former bad boy turned friend Nick McGuire—and the one kiss they’ve shared—has turned everything upside down.

 Attorney Nick McGuire wasn’t meant to be a family man. His career has always been his focus, and after taking time out to help his mother, he’s ready to get back to the city…until Mia and her daughters arrive at Firefly Lake. Mia is beautiful and intriguing, and it doesn’t take long to realize being “just friends” will never be enough. As the summer nights turn colder, Nick will have to choose between the life he’s always wanted…and the woman he can’t live without.

 Add to your “Want to Read” shelf:  Goodreads

 Available at:  Amazon |  Barnes and Noble |  Kobo |  iTunes

  Praise for SUMMER ON FIREFLY LAKE

 “Has charm to spare… The delightful supporting cast and expertly plotted story add depth and richness to this tale, leaving readers eager for another visit to Firefly Lake.”—Publishers Weekly

 “4 stars! Gilroy’s second Firefly Lake novel encapsulates the quaint, busybody small-town feel and the slippery slope of friends becoming lovers quite well… Engaging…[a] fast-paced page turner.”—RT Book Reviews

 About Jen Gilroy:

 Jen Gilroy lives in a small town in eastern Ontario, Canada where her Irish ancestors settled in the nineteenth century. She's worked in higher education and international marketing but, after spending too much time in airports and away from her family, traded the 9-5 to write romantic women’s fiction to bring readers' hearts home.

 Jen likes ice cream, diners, vintage style and all things country. Her husband is her real-life romance hero, and her teen daughter teaches her to cherish the blessings in the everyday.

 The Cottage at Firefly Lake, the first book in her Firefly Lake series, was a finalist for Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart® award in 2015. It was also shortlisted for the Romantic Novelists’ Association Joan Hessayon Award 2017.

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