F is for ...

Me and Sweet Hubby - I am so blessed!

Family.

I know I've already done an F entry for the week (you can find my original F entry HERE!) but being that it's VALENTINE'S DAY, I just had to give an online hug to my favoritest people in the whole, wide world!

Iron Man - Goofy Nephew and my amazing mom.

I just LOVE spending time with my kids, my brother and his family, and all of the extensions. 

My mom has the greatest sense of humor and it has spread to my brother, his son, and my son. As a result, we can't usually make it through a meal without laughing ourselves silly.

Dear Boy and Goofy Nephew
doing what come naturally.

(Yeah, I think the restaurant was really happy to see us leave!)


Speaking of laughing, I love to make my sweet hubby crack up. He's the quiet type, but he tosses in zingers every once in a while and when he gets tickled, his giggle is delightful.

"Granny" is Awesome Sis-in-law's Mom.  Goofy Nephew didn't
realize he was in this shot. Too funny!

Me with my mom and my brother. Yes, I'm a good little Texas
girl and I call my brother, "Bubba"!

All of our holiday and birthday celebrations include my mom and brother, his family and my sister-in-law's mom. We go together well.

Sis and her family with my dear boy.

One of the reasons we get to enjoy so many Christmas celebrations is because of the wonderful lady who became my dad's third wife. 

My wonderful step-mom and Dear Boy.

Though Daddy is gone, she makes sure we get to have family time at every opportunity. My sister and her kids complete our celebration. Don't kids just MAKE a party?

Delightful Dinky Twinkies.

DTs with Precious Redhead.

And speaking of kids, my house if filled with laughter and singing. Few harsh words and fewer raised voices. I love the sweet smiles of my girls and how they chatter and laugh together.

And I never even got to my excellent in-laws!

I'm blessed and I know it full well. 

Tell me about your family!

F is for ...

Faith-Driven Fiction.

What's that all about?

Fiction with my type of Texas Sassy tends to have a romantic flavor. It also delves into mystery and suspense. But that's not all. My characters go beyond quirky. They're laugh-out-loud, folks that anyone can relate to. Far from perfect, their flaws add both humor and poignancy to my stories.

Part of the poignancy that they draw comes from their journey of faith. My goals for my writing are sort of hard to communicate. I know there are women all over the country who, like me, love a good romance with elements of suspense or mystery intertwined, but they don't like the extra "junk" that often gets passed as romance.

My writing goes beyond clean and I don't mean the squeakiness of it. I'm so encouraged when I read through a crisis of faith. A time when a broken person reaches out to God. I've certainly been there, more than once. I love writing those sections into my stories, allowing my characters to enjoy a personal relationship and reliance on their Savior in various stages. It is my hope that my stories will encourage women like me who don't often read non-fiction, but need the Spirit to show His truth.

So that's Faith-Driven Fiction, and the play on my name - Laine, Lane - makes it more connected to me. I won't always highlight fiction on my blog, but my faith is part of my everyday life, so it's there, and should you ever have a question about it or about me, I hope you'll feel comfortable to ask. I'm not the pushy type.

What does faith mean to you?

E is for ...

... Easy.

I have a friend who is an office manager. She has an Easy Button from Staples on her desk and it just draws the hand. I can't go into her room without pushing it. "That was easy" in a high-pitched computer voice rewards my hand smack. I wish

D is for ...

... Doggies.

I love my puppies. Sometimes I think I’m the only one who does. But they’re so cute and predictable.

Marcie is my beagle mix. She’s almost thirteen and really acted it about a year ago. I wasn’t sure how much longer she would be with us. Sleeping all day and doing little else, I thought it might be her last year.

A is for ...

... Appetite. Can you tell I’m hungry while I write this? I’m visiting relatives and hoping that lunch will begin soon. This is the first installment of Patty Wysong's A2Z Take Two Blog Hop or meme (rhymes with "cream"). Join us and get to know some great folks!

My two latest novels are set in eateries: one in a diner and one in a bed & breakfast. Both have special dishes that are served, things that the places are known for. One of these is a

Z is for ZZZZZzzzz ...

I think I mentioned before that I have a habit of talking for my dogs. You can check out my explanation about that HERE. I talk especially for my older dog, Marcie. What can I say? She's calmer and has more expression than the overgrown puppy. Captain is all-movement all-the-time. A "man" of few words, as it were. But Marcie's expressions are priceless.

She makes for a great indoor dog, especially in a homeschooling environment. She'll pay attention when someone goes into the kitchen, but unless