Blue Moon Bay (39 page)

Above the book, the Architect watches with a broader eye, a greater plan. He knows what is to be written on every page.

I
n returning to the little town of Moses Lake, I'd like to thank a few people who helped to make this trip possible. Every book is an adventure that begins long before bookshelves and book covers—usually with a writer tapping on the doors of friends and strangers, trolling for research material.

First and foremost, thanks to long-distance friend, BJ Holley, for answering questions and sharing a few funny stories about owning a family funeral home. You helped to bring that big white house at Harmony Shores to life. Thank you to Kathy for letting me pick your brain about real-estate development issues while sharing ice cream in the Free State of Menard. Teresa and I are still laughing over the story about headlights in the pasture. Thanks again to my favorite Wingate fisher-boys for answering fishing questions and lending funny fishing phrases to the wall of wisdom at the Waterbird Bait and Grocery. You're welcome to stop in for a game of dominoes with the Docksiders anytime.

As always, I am grateful for the loving, supportive family God has blessed me with. Thank you to my mother for being a right-hand man . . . errr . . . woman, who can aptly critique a manuscript but will still tell me to eat my vegetables. Thank you to my sweet mother-in-law for helping with address lists and feeding my big boys when I'm away on book trips. Thanks also to relatives and friends far and near for everything you do to make me feel loved and nurtured, and for stopping people in the checkout line and at the doctor's office to talk about books. I'm incredibly grateful to my favorite digital designer Teresa Loman for being such a sweet-spirited soul sister and gal pal, and to Ed Stevens for constant encouragement and help with all things technical. The world needs at least five million more of both of you. Thanks also to my friends and fellow Southern gal bloggers at
www.SouthernBelleView.com
. What a hoot to be sharing a cyber-porch with you and blogging about all things southern. Thanks also to all those who stop by the blog and share your stories. It's amazing these days, how big a front porch can be!

In terms of print and paper, my undying gratitude, cheers, and shout-outs go to the incredible group at Bethany House Publishers. To Dave Long and Sarah Long, thank you for being such talented editors and just plain fun to work with. Julie Klassen, I will miss you as an editor, but I look forward to many more of your wonderful books. To the crew in marketing, publicity, and art, thank you for everything you do. Without your vision and hard work, books would be loose leaf pages in black-and-white, sitting on a desk somewhere. To my agent, Claudia Cross at Sterling Lord Literistic, thanks again for all that you do.

Last, but not least, I'm so very grateful to reader-friends everywhere, who filled the fictional town of Moses Lake with life and laughter last year when
Larkspur Cove
hit the shelves. Without you, the stores would be boarded up and the coffeepot at the Waterbird would go dry, and then who would the Docksiders tell their stories to? Thank you for sharing the books with friends, recommending them to book clubs, and taking time to send little notes of encouragement my way via email and Facebook. I'm incredibly thankful to all of you who read these stories and to the booksellers who sell them with such devotion. You are the fulfillment of a silly little dream my first-grade teacher sparked in me when she wrote on my report card, “Keep that pencil moving with that great imagination. I'll see your name in a magazine one day.” God has blessed that dream and stretched it in ways that only He could have conceived, and I am so very thankful.

I hope you have fun on this visit to Moses Lake. The local folk have been asking about you, by the way. They want you to know they love it when you stop by, and you're welcome to stay as long as you like. Sit back, dip a toe in the water, and watch the eagles ride the warming afternoon air. Your presence is a joy and a blessing that no words could aptly describe. Welcome!

1. In returning to Moses Lake, Heather is coming home to a place that was special to her as a young child, even though the memory was later marred by tragedy. Do you remember a special childhood place? What makes the places of our childhood live large in our memories?
   
2. Heather and Clay have vastly different personalities—Heather being more like their father and Clay being more like their mother. Do you think we're always more like one parent than the other? How do our connections or missed connections with our parents shape us?
   
3. In spending time with her brother again, Heather realizes that there are memories and experiences we only share with our siblings. How are our sibling relationships different from any other relationships? Have you experienced sibling strife in your family at various times? How can we cultivate healthy relationships with our siblings?
   
4. Heather resents the past efforts of her aunt and the bridge-club ladies to coach and reform her so that she could fit the parameters of Moses Lake. Why do you think they were so intent on this? Did they mean well, or not?
   
5. Heather recalls her past crush on Blaine shortly after she returns to Moses Lake, but when she meets him again, she learns that he isn't the person she thought he was. Have you ever gotten to know someone you had only observed from a distance, and been surprised at the person inside?
   
6. When looking into the past, Heather idolizes her father, while her brother finds fault with him and is more understanding of their mother's position. Where do you think reality lies? Is it common for siblings to have different views of family history? Have you ever experienced this in your own family?
   
7. As she spends time in Moses Lake, Heather begins to recognize that the tragedy in her past has limited her openness to relationships in the present. How does loss in childhood change us and shape us in adulthood? Have you seen evidence of this in people you have known? How can we move beyond past experiences that are painful?
   
8. When Ruth tells the story of her sisters, Lydia and Naomi, she ends with the dilemma of which one chose the right path—the sister who compromised herself to feed them, or the sister who clung to her faith. What are your thoughts on the paths chosen by the two sisters? How do you think you would react, if faced with such a dire situation?
   
9. In recounting her family history, Ruth says, “Terrible things had happened to us, after all—death, disease, hunger, our family torn asunder, abuses I cannot even speak of. How could a God who loves us allow such things, you might wonder?” What is your answer to this question?
   
10. In spite of her cancer and the tragedy in her early life, Ruth is peaceful in her spirit. In what ways, surrounded by a troubled world, can we cultivate a spirit of peace and abundance?
    
11. Because Ruth's sister, Lydia, was brave enough, she was the only one who saw the circus. Ruth seems to regret that her fear kept her on the hill with the other girls. Has fear ever kept you from doing something that you later wished you'd done? If you had the chance again, would you do it?
    
12. Heather eventually concludes that she can either love her quirky family the way they are, or not love them at all. Do you think this is true? Should we learn to accept people exactly the way they are, even if we don't agree with some of the things they do? Why or why not?
    

Lisa Wingate
is a popular inspirational speaker, magazine columnist, and national bestselling author of several books, including
Tending Roses, Talk of the Town, Good Hope Road, Dandelion Summer,
and
Never Say Never
, winner of the 2011 Carol Award. Her work was recently honored by the Americans for More Civility for promoting greater kindness and civility in American life. Lisa and her family live in Central Texas.

Visit
www.lisawingate.com
to sign up for Lisa's latest contest, read her blog and excerpts from her novels, get writing tips, contact her, and more
.

Moses Lake

Larkspur Cove

Blue Moon Bay

Daily, Texas

Talk of the Town

Word Gets Around

Never Say Never

Tending Roses

Tending Roses

Good Hope Road

The Language of Sycamores

Drenched in Light

A Thousand Voices

Blue Sky Hill

A Month of Summer

The Summer Kitchen

Beyond Summer

Dandelion Summer

Resources:
bethanyhouse.com/AnOpenBook

Website:
www.bethanyhouse.com

Facebook:
Bethany House