For a twist to the usual birthday bash, my friend LaShaunda Hoffman
invited 50 guests to help her celebrate her 50th birthday. More than 30 showed up.
LaShaunda and I met more than ten years ago before I was a
published author. Since she is a promotions guru, she has helped hundreds,
maybe thousands, of authors over the years get the word out about their
releases. She has certainly blessed me!
Part of the fun last weekend was guests standing to introduce
ourselves, and telling how we knew the birthday girl. It was wonderful to hear
how LaShaunda had impacted lives through church, work, family, the military, authors
and more. It was a festive atmosphere at the Kitchen Sink in downtown St. Louis with great food and engaging conversation.
But the party got me thinking about how to celebrate my sweet
60. No gifts would be necessary, but for guests who would insist, the value couldn’t
be more than six bucks. I mean, what
host would want guests to bring them $60 each?
The most creative theme I’ve come up with, so far, was my daughter’s
21st birthday. I wanted to make it memorable, but my finances wouldn’t
allow me to throw a big party.
When I devised my plan, Simi was in college at the time and
“supposedly” living on campus. Just my luck, she had decided to spend the night
at home. So the next morning, I had to pretend as if I was clueless to why 21 family
members and friends, young and old, from New York to California to Miami were
calling to wish her happy birthday. The phone rang from 6:30 in the morning to
midnight. It was fun to watch the clock and know what number and person was
calling.
Of course, her boyfriend had to be the first caller, then he
would alert the next on the list that it was their turn. Simi’s brother was
number two and so on. I don’t think she was aware of my coordinated effort
until Eric, number seven, said, “Isn’t this exciting? I bet you can’t wait to
see who is going to call next.”
Besides Eric tipping Simi off, there was a mix up in New
York. My boss, Carol, said, “Walter in St. Louis called and said I was number
sixteen, but he’s number seventeen.”
The glitches were part of the fun. It was a birthday
celebration I will never forget and I doubt my daughter would either.
One family member created a memory board of LaShaunda’s life.
Is there a birthday memory you would like to share? I would enjoy
reading them.
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Pat Simmons is celebrating
ten years as a published author with more than thirty titles. She is a
self-proclaimed genealogy sleuth who is passionate about researching her
ancestors and then casting them in starring roles in her novels, in the hope of
tracking down any distant relatives who might happen to pick up her books.
Pat describes the evidence of the gift of the Holy Ghost as an amazing,
unforgettable, life-altering experience. She believes God is the Author who
advances the stories she writes.
Pat holds a B.S. in mass communications from Emerson College in Boston,
Massachusetts. She has worked in various positions in radio, television, and
print media for more than twenty years. Currently, she oversees the media
publicity for the annual RT Booklovers Conventions.
In addition to researching her roots and sewing, she has been a featured
speaker and workshop presenter at various venues across the country.
Pat has converted her sofa-strapped sports fanatic husband into an
amateur travel agent, untrained bodyguard, GPS-guided chauffeur, and
administrative assistant who is constantly on probation. They have a son and a
daughter.
Readers may learn more about Pat and her books by connecting with her on
Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, or LinkedIn; or by contacting her at
authorpatsimmons@gmail.
Congratulations to Pat Simmons for two Best Inspirational Romance nominations for 2017. The winner will be announced this weekend.
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Her latest release is LOVE BY DELIVERY.
Senior Accounts Manager Dominique Hayes has it all—money, a car and a condo. Well, almost. She’s starting to believe love has passed her by. One thing for sure, she can’t hurry God, so she continues to wait while losing hope that a special Godly man will ever make his appearance.
Package Courier Ashton Taylor knows a man who finds a wife finds a good thing. The only thing standing in his way of finding the right woman is his long work hours. Or maybe not.
A chance meeting changes everything. When love finally comes knocking, will Dominique open the door and accept Ashton’s special delivery?
