Hey there, Reader Last Sunday, you met a few of Ethel Sue's new neighbors. They are a hoot, aren't they?! 😁 But I also left you in Meadow Ridge with three missing decorations. By 8:30am that morning nearly half the neighborhood had joined the search. Naturally, everyone had a theory. You see, just yesterday Reg had been caught “inspecting” one of Helen’s other wreaths. Fred owned a truck and knew how to restore old wood. And Dot, well she has the means to move things... she has a golf cart...
1 day ago • 1 min read
Hey Friends! For five mysteries now, Ethel Sue has taken us all over Willow Creek — down to Corpus Christi and even over to Magnolia Bend for Lora's cookie contest. But this time? The mystery comes right to her own front porch. Welcome to Meadow Ridge. It's the new 55+ community (some of y'all would call it a subdivision) tucked inside Willow Creek, next to The Grove and the new golf course. Close enough to Main Street that you can still run in for coffee and be home before it cools. Before...
8 days ago • 2 min read
Hey there, Reader, We made it home from Arkansas this week, and my heart is full. This Thanksgiving, we - Edmund, Sammy and Jake - made the trip to visit my son, Jeff, and his family. (Sammy is his oldest.) This year, Edmund, Sammy and Jake came along too. Jake offered to drive, and Edmund happily settled into the front seat to "help navigate." That left Sammy and me in the backseat and we started catching up before we even left town. What project Sammy is excited about. What God has been...
15 days ago • 1 min read
Hey sweet friend, Around Willow Creek, most mysteries start small. A note slips from a book. A misplaced lanyard. A lost horse. Somebody's dog deciding the neighbor's flower bed looks more interesting than home. 😁 This time? Farmer Frank is missing three Thanksgiving turkeys. Now, that's a problem all by itself. But here's the bigger problem... These are the three turkeys designated for the Senior Center's annual Thanksgiving feast! So naturally, after water aerobics, Ethel Sue and Lora head...
29 days ago • 1 min read
Hey sweet friend, On June 15,2025 I shared with the world I was an author and A Place to Belong was released into the world with one goal: to make God's grace famous. I asked the Lord if that was ok and He said, “Go for it!” I had no idea what God had in store. I hoped these stories would remind women that God’s grace is real and for them, that they are deeply loved, and that He made them just as they are—on purpose. Today, one year later, my heart is overflowing with gratitude because of...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Hey sweet friend, After hearing all about the cookie contest and everything that happened in Magnolia Bend, I've found myself thinking about something. There comes a point in life when it's easy to believe we've already done the important things. We've raised the kids. Built the career. Served at church. Learned the lessons. And somewhere along the way, we quietly decide that the exciting chapters are probably behind us. But I've noticed something. God doesn't seem nearly as interested in our...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Hey sweet friend, When we first met Lora Bennett, she wasn't looking for an adventure. She was perfectly happy baking cookies, spending time with friends, and cheering everyone else on from the sidelines. But sometimes God has other plans. And sometimes those plans show up in the form of a cookie contest. 😁 👉 Grab your copy of Whisked Away here This month, Lora is heading to Magnolia Bend as one of twenty contestants in the Crazy Cookie Regional Contest. The prize? A commercial KitchenAid...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
Hey sweet Reader, This week, I thought I’d show you how the stories actually get made — from idea to book in your hands. Because it’s a whole thing. 😅 How These Stories Come Together: When the Lord shares what’s coming next in Willow Creek, I map it out to the best of my ability. Right now it looks like a not-too-fancy Excel sheet, but it works. 😁 When it’s time to work on the next book, I pull the quick outline I made when I mapped out the season and fill it in. Once that’s done, I write the...
2 months ago • 2 min read
The Willow Creek Gazette Published on the rare fifth Sunday from somewhere near Willow Creek. It’s a rare thing around here — a fifth Sunday. Which means it’s time for a little Gazette… a gathering of notes, curiosities, and favorite reads from Willow Creek since the last one. Pour a cup of coffee and have a look around. 📰 From Around Willow Creek Readers are loving them! Get Lora's peanut butter drop cookie recipe here. Yummy and quick when in a hurry, but tip- to make them smaller, roll...
2 months ago • 1 min read
Hey there, Reader, I’m packing my bag for Magnolia Bend today. 🧳 Lora’s regional baking competition is coming up, and I can hardly tell you how proud I am of her. There’s something beautiful about watching someone you love finally let themselves dream bigger and take that brave next step… even with their hands shaking a bit. I’ve watched Lora pour love into every cookie for years. And now here she is, walking through a door God is opening right into the regional Crazy Cookie Contest! 🎉 It...
3 months ago • 1 min read