Sail away to the Independence Islands. First stop: Merriweather!

The Independence Islands are a group of seven fictional islands off the coast of South Carolina and Georgia. Their history began pre-colonial period and continues until this day.

Mimosa is large, touristy, and everything the lower five islands don’t want theirs to become. However, locals do miss having some of the amenities that come with higher populations and those dratted tourists. They’ve always voted to keep strangers from destroying their tranquil lives, but with a changing world, will they have to adapt to modern revenue makers?

When Mallory Barrows comes to the island to care for her ailing uncle, (Christmas at Breakers Point by Chautona Havig) a plan begins to develop to help the islanders and a few savvy businesswomen at the same time with a one-of-an-island kind of business model.

Secret Beach Boyfriend release day GIVEAWAY!

Secret Beach Boyfriend by Kari Trumbo features Penelope, a fun-loving party planner.

To celebrate Kari’s release, we each made a table setting in our own style, and you get to vote on your favorite. Follow the links to check out all our tables, then enter the giveaway on the Celebrate Lit page.

The challenge was this: Choose at least 6 items from the list and create your own table setting. Here’s what we had to choose from.

We had to use SIX of the following items:·

Table Theme (For example: sea, Christmas, 1920’s, Stars wars)
Something silver or gold (just the color, doesn’t have to be real)
Something Crystal (doesn’t have to be real)
Something unique to you
Something that represents your writing
Something floral
A gift
Something that offers light
Something borrowed
Something food related

You can vote HERE to enter the giveaway to win a $20 Amazon gift card, the Christmas on Breakers audiobook, and an ebook of the first three books in the series. How fantastic is that?

For my table setting, I decided to let my country side show up and be a little rustic. I wouldn’t go so far as to call it farmhouse chic because, well…it’s not quite the same thing.

My theme here is “Sandwiched in the Word”.

Yes, that’s my cat, Quinn. Yes, she’s a living, breathing cat sitting on my table where she knows she’s not supposed to be. But she sat so pretty and behaved so well I had to include her.

Going round the table from left to right, we have a Bible which lights my path and creates stories that are always meant to bring honor to His Word.

Here’s how the listed items played out in my setting.

Something silver. The watering can. Since it doesn’t have to be real and it helps my floral arrangement, I was sold.

Something floral. Well, that’s easy since you can see the bouquet of flowers in the center. I’d hoped to do real flowers, but, of course, they were all sold out at the nearby stores. That’s okay. I have these small arrangements stashed in my bookcases!

Something unique to me. Quinn kitty, who often gets called Queenie because she is the prima donna and ruler of our three cats.

Something that represents my writing. The journal, third plate from the left. I do a lot of journaling and writing by hand. And I love pretty journals. This one has a compass rose on the cover, which blends with the “Sandwiched in the Word” theme as I am guided by God’s word every time I write a book.

A gift. In each mason jar, you’ll notice the same pens. Those were a gift from Chautona! And they’re fabulous! (in case you were wondering, they’re BIC intensity)

Something that offers light. This one is two-fold. The candle obviously sheds light, once it’s turned on. But the Bibles do too, albeit in a different manner. The Bible on the far left belonged to my husband’s grandfather. Oh, and you get to hear a story about this. Ready? Here goes. Twenty years ago, my then fiance and now husband joined me at the church where my dad pastors. Just after we were married, he discovered that his grandfather used to pastor that same church. Fun, huh! But that’s not all. A few years ago, one of the elders approached Jonathon, my husband, with this Bible in hand. “I knew we had it somewhere. Your grandpa left that Bible here a long time ago. We put it away for him, and after he passed, well, we forgot we had it. I think he’d like for you to have that Bible now.” He held out the worn Book and patted Jonathon’s shoulder.

Throughout that Bible, his grandpa left little messages in the margins. A man Jonathon only barely remembers but they are connected through time.

See Carolyn’s table HERE

See Rachel’s table HERE

See Melissa’s table HERE

See Chautona’s table HERE

See Kari’s table HERE

See Sandy’s table HERE

*All they wanted was a happily-never-after.*

Dual Power of Convenience by Chautona Havig

In a twist on billionaire romance and marriage of convenience, this “Merriweather book” kicks off a new series featuring five islands, six authors, and a boatload of happily-ever-afters.

*He just wanted a place to rest and recuperate*.

Her Merriweather Hero by Rachel Skatvold

Falling in love wasn’t in Tyler’s orders, but a new deployment to Iraq is. How can he convince Kendall not to go AWOL when she hears? What can he do to convince her that they’ll make it… together?

Scrumptious Independence by Melissa Wardwell

With her heart betraying her resolve and challenges to her faith, Beth finds it takes bravery she didn’t know she had to discover just how scrumptious independence can be.

*All Mel wants is to run the business of her dreams*.

Mishaps off the Mainland by Tabitha Bouldin

Everything’s falling apart, and Mel’s dream transforms into a nightmare. She thought this was what God wanted for her life, but can you blame her for second-guessing everything?

*Annie Roman believes love is a fairytale*.

Secret Beach Boyfriend by Kari Trumbo

Will an offer to be her secret boyfriend give her heart a second chance? How can it turn into something more and prove there’s power in prayer and that love can triumph over a painful past?

*Love hurts, or so the songs say, so who wants it?*

Restoring Fairhaven by Carolyn Miller

Gentle pruning and a whole lot of banter forges a friendship between this not-so-Southern belle landscaper and the half-British author. But is their budding attraction enough to grow into a flourishing happily-ever-after?