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Sunday, May 17, 2015

#CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA--GUEST AUTHOR BARBARA PHINNEY

Today’s craft blog is a bit of a stretch, but it’s a fun post and author Barbara Phinney did find her inspiration while attending a craft fair, so we’re going with it. Learn more about Barbara and her books at her website. 

Years ago, I ran into a friend of mine at a craft fair. Like me, she was serving in the military, but she belonged to a Society of Creative Anachronism. At their display, she wore a beautiful green velvet dress in a 16th century style, complete with stunning jewels. She'd saved her money to sew her gown and buy those wonderful pieces of bling she wore. She was also an attractive Native Canadian woman and when she knelt to speak to my toddler daughter, with her black hair flowing down her shoulders, my daughter thought she was a magical princess.

I knew then I had to write a story filled with fabulous gowns and medieval societies. Later that summer, our family visited my husband’s family. So, the story forming in my mind suddenly became a comedy of wacky family frolics. With those beautiful gowns of course.

 So All For A Good Cause was born.

It came together as beautifully as the gowns my friend had created. There would even be a fairy tale wedding featured, for what is a romance about lovely clothing without a stunning wedding?

Fast forward twenty years to my daughter’s lovely summer nuptials. And her dress resembled the one my heroine wore in my story! I loved it the second we laid eyes on it. And perhaps by unconscious design, the fun we had before the wedding reflected All For A Good Cause.

Thankfully, my daughter didn’t faint. Oops! I’m telling you too much about All For A Good Cause! No more, except that it’s a fun romp through medieval societies, fabulous gowns and meddling families.

I hope you’ll check it out.

All for a Good Cause
With the 'fun' back in fundraiser and relatives firmly entrenched where they think they should be (in her personal life), Janet Jemseg struggles to stay sane at a local charity function run by her old Society for Creative Anachronism.

She's been roped in to help, by blackmail and everything that family think they can get away with.

Enter hunky philanthropist, Devin Kidder, uncle to the disabled child for whom they're raising money, and Janet is ready to jump ship. She's had her fill of charming men.

Suddenly, he's suggesting the unthinkable -- a 'wedding' to stir up interest. A wedding to him.

Her quiet summer just went south. But it's all for a good cause, they say.


7 comments:

Mystery and Mayhem said...

Thank you so much for this wonderful opportunity to chat here.

Linda Hall said...

Thanks for sharing the story of this book, Barbara!

Alberta Karen said...

Sounds like a fun read!

Angela Adams said...

Enjoyed the post!

Mystery and Mayhem said...

Linda, Karen, Angela, so nice of you all to drop by. I hope that you'll all some day get down here to see where the story started.

Lina Gardiner said...

All For A Good Cause was my first Barbara Phinney book and I've always loved it. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend it.

Norah Wilson said...

It was one of my first Barbara Phinney books, too! Loved it.