TAKE THE TROPHY AND RUN - Gail Sattler - One Free Book

Readers, Gail is one of my long-time writing friends, having shared the same publisher for our early years. We really connected on many levels. Welcome, Gail. I love your new head shot. It displays your personality.

What are some of the spiritual themes you like to write about?

Right now I’m working on themes of trust. I feel trust is the foundation to any relationship with people and with our Savior.

What other books of yours are coming out soon?

In February 2012, the 2^nd book of the Bloomfield series – called When Pigs And Parrots Fly. It’s a fun story meant to make the reader smile. After that, my second book in my Mennonite series, called The Path To Piney Meadows, which is about Chad, who appeared in the last chapter of The Narrow Path.

If you could spend an evening with one contemporary person (not a family member of yours), who would it be and why?

With my friend and fellow writer, Lena Nelson Dooley. Ms. Dooley is a warm and fun person, always uplifting and has a great sense of humor. Never lacking for conversation, and has a quick wit. I know you are blushing as you read this, but you asked and so I answered.

Thank you, Gail. I miss being with you, too. We have a lot of fun together. What historical person would you like to meet (besides Jesus) and why?

Mark Twain. Because he was a writing genius and made his own path.

How can you encourage authors who have been receiving only rejections from publishers?

Rejections happen, they are as much a part of the business of writing as submitting. It means you are trying, and if you keep trying, you keep moving forward, and that’s what we all have to do in this business. 99.9% of writers, even published writers, will get rejections. Welcome to the club.

The publishers shows the feel of the story in this cover. Tell us about the featured book.

As mentioned above, this is 2^nd book in the new Bloomfield series, which revolves around the lives of the quirky members of the Bloomfield Garden Club. It’s a fun book to read, and it’s my first e-book only. It’s available in POD, but it’s being released as an e-book only.

(Readers, that means it won't be in bookstores. However, it is available online in both paperback and ebook editions.)

I had the privilege of reading this book for endorsement. It’s a fun read. But please give us the first page of the book for my blog readers.

When Pigs (and Parrots) Fly

by Gail Sattler

CHAPTER 1

               “I’m not so sure of this.” Josh Tavendish ran his fingers down the conglomeration of colored shapes. “Do you really think it’s going to work?”

               Beside him, Sarah stood reading the now-empty box. He figured that being a veterinarian, she would be the one who would know what would attract, and keep, a parrot’s attention.

               “It has to,” she mumbled. “Quite frankly, I don’t know why they’re insisting on this. Half the children are terrified of Murray.”

               Josh nodded. “Not to mention a lot of adults aren’t too comfortable with him, either. Andy isn’t sure it’s going to work, but he couldn’t say no. You know how he feels about expanding the burn unit for the hospital. For that, he’s willing to give anything a try. If including Murray in the fundraiser raises more funds, then Andy will do it.” Although, Andy wasn’t the only one who had doubts if the whole thing was going to work. Not only did Murray not have the most friendly disposition, neither did Andy.

               A few years ago Andy, ever the responsible fire chief, had dressed up as Santa for another hospital fundraiser. Even though he hadn’t been the cheeriest Santa on record, the event had been a success, and therefore sealed Andy’s fate. For this season’s hospital fundraiser, the theme was swashbucklers. With Andy’s disposition, Josh could well imagine Andy as a swarthy pirate.

               But Josh couldn’t imagine Murray, Andy’s cranky parrot, behaving himself in a crowd. He especially couldn’t imagine the bird posing for photographs.

               He poked at the red plastic square and watched it swing. “Do you really think this is going to make Murray behave? What’s it supposed to do, hypnotize him?”

               Sarah tapped the blue circle. “They didn’t teach us much about parrots in veterinary college, but I do know they’re smarter than people think. The most important thing I learned about parrots is that a bored parrot is an unhappy parrot. Andy needs to keep Murray distracted, so this thing just might work.”

               Josh turned his head to look over his shoulder. For the first time since he opened his pet supply store four years ago, people were waiting in line outside. He wished it had something to do with the ad he’d taken out in the Bloomfield Gazette, or the small poster he’d put up at Sarah’s veterinary clinic, but he knew it wasn’t so. Nor did it matter what new pet toys he had on sale.

               The people outside crowding the sidewalk weren’t coming to check out his new stock.

               Like a twisted Groundhog Day, everyone was here to see how Murray reacted to the new parrot toy.

               This was worse than reality television. And it was happening in his store.

               The buzz of conversation outside increased.

               He didn’t know the last time Bloomfield had seen so much action. There would be no middle ground for what happened today. It would either go really good, or really, really bad, and he didn’t have a good feeling about it.

               In his experience, Andy was only slightly friendlier than Murray, with emphasis on the slightly. The specific reason Andy agreed and would tolerate today’s side-show was because allowing people to watch Murray’s reaction to the new toy created hype, and the hype drew people’s attention to the fundraiser. Over Andy’s years with the fire department, Andy had seen too many injuries, so having the hospital well staffed with up-to-date equipment in good repair was very important to him, which was why he’d agreed to participate.

               Josh checked his watch. “I have to go open the door. Andy will be here in five minutes.”

How can readers find you on the Internet?

My website at www.gailsattler.com

Thank you, Gail, for sharing this book with us today. 

Readers, Gail lives in Canada, and I wish I could visit her there. Here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
Take the Trophy and Run: A Bloomfield Novel - paperback
Take the Trophy and Run: A Bloomfield Novel - Kindle


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