Today we have a visit from romance author Judith Keim
who is sharing a passion she and her heroine both share—decorating. Judith
loves writing about strong women facing challenges and finding love and
happiness along the way. Learn more about her and her books at her website.
For years,
Carol Ann Mobley has cut out decorating ideas from magazines, praying for the
opportunity to move out of her parents’ house with a wonderful, devoted man and
have the home she’s always dreamed of. When she abruptly finds herself pregnant
and realizes she may never find such a man, she moves into her own apartment
with the help of her friends in the Fat Fridays group.
Left on her
own without her mother’s constant nagging and belittling, Carol Ann’s creative
juices begin to flow. She turns the small apartment into something far more
attractive with little decorative touches. When her friends come to her for
help, she forms the idea of having her own business. She starts slowly—decorating
for Christmas both in her apartment and in her boss’s condo. Her ideas aren’t
complicated, but tasteful—clear glass Christmas trees set among fresh green
aromatic boughs of fir, a bowl filled with colorful balls, ribbons interwoven
among the branches on a Christmas tree color-coordinated to match the rug. Later,
on days off from work, she takes on the task of
furnishing her boss’s entire condo, coordinating a theme and colors throughout.
In all of
my books descriptions of settings are important. It’s fun to write about the
room or rooms I see in my mind. It’s as if I’m decorating them myself, and, of
course, I am.
My husband
and I have moved a lot. Seeing each new home decorated in a way suitable to its
location has always s been fulfilling for me. While I don’t have clippings of
magazine articles filed away, I love to look at what others have done in their
homes or online. Sooner or later, it could end up in one of my books!
The picture
I’ve shown demonstrates how dramatic something so simple can be, adding an
appealing touch to a room. I love to fill glass bowls with something
appropriate for the moment – colorful balls at Christmas, seashells for summer
themes, fresh flowers in the spring. Candles add texture, color, and aroma to
rooms. Pictures and photographs are another way to make your “space” unique and
satisfying to you.
The women
in the Fat Fridays group continue to come together for their Friday lunches—no
calories counted—and to help each other deal with life’s complications. With
her unexpected pregnancy and the support of the women in the group, Carol Ann
breaks free from her dismal life with her parents. Left on her own with no support
from the father of her child, she decides to start an interior decorating
business on the side. She begins by secretly helping Ed Pritchard, her boss at
MacTel, decorate his condo for Christmas.
One Secret
Sunday leads to others. Carol Ann and Ed are planning a future together when
Lee, a tall, thin, beautiful young woman sent from MacTel’s California
headquarters to “fix” their office, disrupts their world. Then, when Ed is
diagnosed with a serious illness, he decides it’s only fair to break off his engagement
to Carol Ann. Devastated, Carol Ann wonders how she can continue. But all their
Secret Sundays bring about a new beginning when he joins her for the birth of
the baby he wants to help raise. The women in the Fat Fridays group celebrate
in style as they welcome another little one into their midst.
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2 comments:
I love to decorate, too. I loved reading about Carol Ann.
I am the world's worst decorator, my idea is to throw something in the room and let it ride. As a result, I have a little of everything. Congratulations on the story and much luck with sales.
Patsy
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