Howard Baker died on January 27, 2017 at the age of 90. Howard gave me permission to use his name and charming personality in my Pastor Maggie Series. Howard owned and operated a book store in Ann Arbor, Michigan. If anyone knew books, it was Howard. Howard was also on the Search Committee of The First Congregational Church of Chelsea, Michigan. At that time I was seeking a call to be the pastor of the church. Howard was a huge flirt. He was generous to all. He changed lives for the better. Now, my books are not the kind Howard would have ordered from Amazon, or picked off his own bookstore shelves. But he encouraged me to write. He read the first two books in the series. It was after To Love and To Cherish that he surprised me with his first comment. Here is a small excerpt from the eulogy I delivered at Howard's funeral on February 3:
Thank you for saying “yes” when I asked if I could use your name and personality in my books. After you read the first book I asked you if you liked it. You said, “It was okay.” I could tell you weren’t thrilled. “Oh, didn’t you like it?” I asked (slightly heartbroken). Then you said, “Well, you married me off to that old bitch, Mrs. Abernathy! Why?”
I laughed so
hard when you said that. And I responded, “You were the only man who could truly
love her and make her a better woman.”
And Howard,
that’s just who you were and are in our hearts. Everyone who has ever known you
has become a better person. You were a man with a huge heart, a bit of a
temper, a naughty sense of humor, a world traveler, and voracious reader, a
creative builder, an honorable husband, father and grandfather. A man who
loved and is loved so completely.
Howard Baker changed my life in many ways. Before he died he asked how the writing was going. He told me not to stop because I had stories to tell. I am thankful he will always be alive in Cherish, flirting with the ladies, encouraging the youth, living a life of generosity, and loving God.
My Uncle Craig Hubbell died on March 3, 2017 at the age of 76. Shock turned to heartbreak after receiving the call from my Aunt Vicki. Craig was my father's twin brother, and after my father died almost sixteen years ago, Craig stepped in as a dad to me and a grandpa to my four children. For all these years he kept his promise to love us. He and Vicki came to football games, concerts, plays, and church. Church was a big deal. He sang the hymns with his beautiful tenor voice, and he often wiped away a tear or two by the last verse. Craig had taken a decades-long break from church, but he and Vicki would drive to Chelsea for special services, confirmations, and graduation Sundays.
One of the greatest gifts Craig gave me was reading my first novel, and then the second, To Have and To Hold. Now, my books are not the kind Craig would have ordered from Amazon or walked into a bookstore to purchase. But he enthusiastically read early drafts and the finished copies. He made me feel like a writer. He said, "I need the next book. The people of Cherish are my community, they feel like friends. They are my church." He gave specific critique and also raved about his favorite story lines. He gave me a great suggestion for the ending of To Have and To Hold which I used, and the book was better because of him.
I sent him the first chapters of the third book, For Richer, For Poorer. The last time we spoke on the phone, he hadn't had a chance to read them. I told him to wait, that I would send him the entire book for his thoughtful edits. But I won't have his edits or suggestions this time. I will miss his insights and his willingness to critique. He definitely wanted the two characters of Bryan and Cate to, "make a match of it." That request is done and dusted. True love reigns.
Speaking of which, my husband, Doug, had his knee replaced on February 6, 2017. Because he came through the surgery so well, did all the things the surgeon told him to do, and had me for a nurse, I did not feel guilty asking him to read the third draft of For Richer, For Poorer. Now, my books are not the kind of books Doug would order from Amazon or walk into a bookstore to purchase. But he bravely sat in his chair, leg up, ice machine whirring, and read. As a physician, he makes sure my medical references are correct. His pages of handwritten comments were immediately implemented into the manuscript. He knows some stories in my books are ever-so-slightly autobiographical (understatement). He also claims he is not as nice as Jack Elliot (total lie - he is as nice as Jack). We talked through plot lines and character development. We laughed at the stories we have lived together, and I gave him spoiler alerts of future Cherish happenings.
I don't know...maybe my books are the kind of books these three men would order from Amazon, or walk into a book store and purchase. Howard and Craig wanted to know more about the series progression and were eager readers. Doug encourages me every day as I hit the on-switch of my computer. Especially the days when being a writer isn't fun or productive. The truth is, each of these three men did buy a book (or two). Perhaps it was just sentimentality toward the author. But you won't mind if I choose to believe they enjoyed, and enjoy, the community and craziness of Cherish.
Howard, Uncle Craig, and Doug, Thank you for letting me be one of your authors. I write for you.
