Today I am so happy to welcome the wonderful Gail Pallotta to the 2011 Summer Blog-String Fest! She is a fantastic writer and a kind, caring friend – understanding, too, when my computer crisis delayed getting her posting up ! Thanks for being you, Gail and thanks for visiting today!
The July 4th Spectacular at My House
by
Gail Pallotta
This past July 4th, I got up and dressed in blue jeans and a three-quarter-length shirt, attire a bit warm for the day. But perfect for the fireworks display that night, because there was less of me exposed for the bugs to bite.
During the afternoon it rained, but my husband, Rick, said, “It’s supposed to clear up. I don’t think we’ll have a problem going to the show tonight.”
We’d been to the fireworks before when it rained, even got caught in a storm there one year and waited an hour or so for the event to start.
The rain stopped. Rick and our daughter, Laurie, who always comes home to go to the July 4th fireworks, dressed in jeans. At twilight we grabbed a can of bug spray and our stadium seats and started out the door. A loud crack of thunder roared. We slinked back inside like wet puppies to wait until the sky cleared. It grew darker and the thunder louder. Lightning danced around our front yard.
Rick turned the television to a weather station. The radar showed red and yellow patches in a line of dark green headed right for us. “This should be gone soon. We’ll leave then.” More thunder boomed and lightning flashed.
In the background of the thunderous roar I detected faint pops. “Did you hear that? One of our neighbors must be shooting fire crackers.”
“Yes, but the thunder’s so loud I can barely hear them,” Laurie said. “I wonder if we’re going to make the show.”
“We still have time. When it lets up, we’ll leave,” Rick said.
But another line of storms showed up on the weather station. Rick’s lips turned down. “I’m not sure when this storm’s going to end.”
Trees fell in the neighborhood. It wasn’t safe to go out. We watched a clip of the fireworks show on the eleven o’clock news. I couldn’t help but wonder if this was God’s way of saying He wants to be part of our country.
BIO
Gail’s husband, Rick, says she’s the only person he knows who can go in the grocery for a loaf of bread and come out with the cashier’s life story. That’s probably because she enjoys talking to people. In her spare time she swims or bargain shops with her daughter. Sometimes they try on garments so wrong for them, they laugh for fifteen minutes. When they finally find a treasure, they’re so pleased.
After writing articles for years Gail’s friends and family encouraged her to write books. In 2004, the year her first book, Now Is the Time, was released, the American Christian Writers Association named her a regional writer of the year. Last year a scene from Love Turns the Tide won the Clash of the Titles competition in the best setting / weather category.
Now Gail is on the staff of Clash of the Titles. She wants to write books of faith that show God’s love.
About Gail’s Book, Love Turns the Tide
Feature writer Cammie O’Shea suffers through a heartbreaking split-up with her fiancé. She wants no new relationships when she moves to Destin, Florida, to take a job at a newspaper. But she has to interview real estate developer Vic Deleona. He’s quite smitten with her and arranges extra meetings in an attempt to court her. Cammie resists his advances. However, after several mysterious break-ins occur, including one at Cammie’s condo, she and Vic launch their own investigation into the crimes. Then Cammie grows fond of him. She gets an opportunity to return home to her old job. Will Vic solve the crimes and win Cammie’s heart or will she leave Destin?
Read more about Love Turns the Tide on Gail’s Web site at http://www.gailpallotta.com and visit Gail’s blog at http://wwwgailpallotta.blogspot.com
Love Turns the Tide is available at http://www.awe-struck.net in the inspirational category.
Check out the latest review of Love Turns the Tide at http://gabixlerreviews-bookreadersheaven.blogspot.com/2011/07/heartwarming-inspirational-story-leaves.html
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