Saturday, October 24, 2020

What We're Writing Week: Julia Adjusts to Advent

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: Like Rhys, I'm also writing a book set in the Christmas season, or, to be more precise, during Advent, the four weeks preceding Christmas. Advent is a rather solemn counterpoint to the orgy of food, lights and decoration that takes place between Thanksgiving and December 25. The nice thing is, if you observe Advent, Christmas lasts from that day until January 6th - and this year, most of us are likely to be home for the whole time to enjoy it.

AT MIDNIGHT COMES THE CRY will not, sadly, have plum pudding, but I am enjoying weaving in the rituals of the season as practiced in a contemporary small American town and in a contemporary small Episcopal church. In today's scene, Russ Van Alstyne (in charge of baby Ethan) bumps into Officer Hadley Knox, whose two kids sing in the St. Alban's children's choir. They sit in a pew with a couple mugs of coffee to watch the rehearsal.


How was Thanksgiving?” 

Knox blew on her coffee. “Quiet. Grandad's sick. I'm hoping it's not the flu.” She looked toward the ceiling, as if asking for strength. “He refused to get his flu shot or the pneumonia shot this fall. Said it's all a con by the pharmaceutical companies.” She shook her head. “He doesn't even have to pay for them, for crying out loud.” 

Considering her grandfather was in his late seventies, diabetic, and had survived a massive heart attack a few years back, Russ could see why she was so frustrated. She took a sip. “How about you? How are you doing? With...” her vague sweeping gesture encompassed him, the baby, and the church. 

Not bad."

Are you,” she sounded hesitant, “job hunting yet?” 

Nope. Thought it would be good to cool off for a bit. Take my bearings and figure out what I really want to do between now and retirement. I started working as an MP when I was what, twenty? Twenty-one? I've been a cop ever since.” 

Do you miss it?” He smiled, showing his eyeteeth. “No more than I'd miss my foot if it were lopped off.” 

 

She took another drink of coffee. “Ah.” The children in the choir pews began singing. Ethan shifted forward, mouth open, and started crawling up the aisle. Russ figured he didn't need to grab him just yet – the first step up to the altar rail would stop him. “How about you? How are things at work?” What the hell, she brought it up first. 

She see-sawed her hand. “MacAuley's doing fine as interim chief. You know how he is – very organized and methodical. He was always good at scheduling and stuff like that.” That Russ's deputy chief had been less good at personnel and conflict resolution went unsaid. “Eric's back working full time, but we're still shorthanded, and the board of aldermen isn't showing any sign of opening up their pockets for another officer.” 

 

Russ hummed agreement. “We were understaffed even before Kevin left. I should have replaced him immediately, instead of letting the board get used to a skinnier budget for us. For the department.” Kevin Flynn, the youngest member of the MKPD, had taken a job at the Syracuse Police Department not quite a year ago. Russ could see now, as he hadn't then, that he'd been unconsciously hoping the kid would return to Millers Kill. “You heard anything from him?”

She shook her head. “Nothing. I've left a couple messages on his cell and on Facebook, but...” 

Have you tried calling Syracuse again?” Three weeks ago, he had done just that, to be told Kevin had taken a leave of absence for family business. Except Knox had called the Flynns, and they had no idea where their son was. 

No, I don't want to be stalker-y.” She made a sound of frustration. 

Look, working undercover was hard on him. He's probably taking his bearings and figuring out what he wants to do next.” 

You think so?” Knox sounded dubious. 

Kevin was thrown into the deep end for several months and then got yanked from the investigation before anything was finished. So yeah, I think it's entirely likely he's trying to decide if he wants to continue being a cop, if he wants to go someplace else, if he just wants to stay at home and raise his kid.” Ethan had reached the first wide step up to the altar area and, as predicted, was stumped. 

Knox looked at him sideways. “I don't need to point out Flynn doesn't have any kids, right?” 

You know what I mean.” He took another drink of coffee to avoid sighing like a sad sack. “It's a tough field. People leave for something else all the time.”

Kevin once told me all he ever wanted to do was be a cop. He said he got hired as soon as he turned twenty-one.” 

Russ laughed. “Oh, God, yes. I remember that. He was all arms and legs and red hair, hadn't even finished growing into himself. It was like having an Irish setter puppy running around in the shop. The radar gun was exciting. Traffic duty was exciting. We had a homicide that year and he helped at the scene. I had to tell him to stop grinning and commenting how cool it all was.” 

 

The kids had paused the song, and Betsy Young was going over their two parts, soprano and treble. 

I can believe it. He'd calmed down a little by the time I came onto the force, but still. Do you see that guy wallowing in some sort of existential crisis about his future?” 

Russ breathed in. “No.” 

 

JULIA:  Poor Russ, he wants to be moving on, but he certainly seems to be stuck in the job he left (about a month ago in book-time.) Have any of you ever had a job that was hard to leave behind?

 


79 comments:

  1. Oh, goodness, poor Russ . . . my heart hurts for him . . .
    It’s so hard to walk away from something that means so much to you . . . [and even harder when you're staying right there in town. At least there's some small bit of relief from all of it if you can pick up and move away] . . . .

    ::sigh::

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    1. And of course another thing about a small town is that everybody knows.

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  2. I still have dreams about working at our local newspaper, and I was laid off in 2008. If it’s your vocation, you never completely leave it behind, even if you’re off the payroll.

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    1. So true. And that shows the difference between a vocation and a job...

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  3. I taught karate (to kids and adults) for about 15 years when I was sidelined by a back I jury about 7 years ago. I had to give up my martial arts practice entirely, including teaching, and I still miss it ferociously. It was a huge part of my identity and it still feels like there's a hole inside me where it used to live.

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    1. This is heartbreaking... the one thing about being a writer is we get to at least write about (and experience vicariously again) the things we outgrow or can no longer do.

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    2. Oh, I'm so sorry, Kerry. Not being able to live into a physical identity is incredibly hard, and if there's one thing I've seen over the years, it's that the call to athletics is a powerful one.

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  4. Thank you for sharing this lovely excerpt, Julia. I've been worrying about Kevin ever since he left!

    When I was laid off my tech writing job in 2008, at a company where I had been for 14 years, I was pretty devastated. But that's what kickstarted me into writing mystery novels, so the silver lining is miles wide. I got another job, and worked in the field about five more years, but the next time it was me who made the decision to leave. For a while I missed the great pay and the great coworkers, but being able to write mystery fiction full time has been completely worth it.

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    1. Glad to oblige, Edith!

      I subscribe to a "door closes, window opens" school of thought. When I lost my legal job shortly after my first book was published, it was scary as all get out. But as it turned out, it gave be the opportunity to focus on my writing career and do more than I would have if I were still working full time (and parenting three kids.)

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  5. Lots of backstory there, without it feeling like an info dump, Julia! It's helpful to have a reminder of what everyone was doing the last time we visited Miller's Kill. Now I'm worried about Kevin.

    I loved traveling and lecturing at consumer shows and teaching at other venues, but it got very stressful trying to do it on my own. The tiny tremor that I'd developed ratcheted up into something debilitating under fatigue and stress, literally strangling my voice, so I had to stop. I still miss it, though, and miss seeing so many friends I made in almost two decades in that industry.

    Which is astonishing, because I left it 14 years ago already. How is it possible that much time has whooshed by?

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    1. Oh boy do I remember trade shows... whenever they needed more "booth babes." It's exhausting just thinking about them.

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    2. Especially since I had to schlep all my stuff to the shows (usually driving, as long as it wasn't more than 500 miles away), set up my own booth, and then man it except for the times I was out teaching workshops and giving talks.

      Exhausting is the right word.

      Where did you work trade shows, Hallie, and for the publishing industry?

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    3. Thank you, Karen I always worry about how much I'm infodumping!

      Hallie, I echo Karen: when did you work at trade shows?

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    4. Good point, Karen. JSF really does a good job of filling in backstory without talking the reader to death!

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    5. Karen, were you diagnosed with spasmodic dysphonia? That's what it sounds like, and I ended up with it, which also ended my parish ministry work.

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  6. Although I sometimes hated my job, I always loved my work. I wanted to be a nurse since I was about four years old. And I miss the work most days. However, I call myself the "camp nurse." Most of my friends and neighbors call on me when they need a consult. And I don't mind it at all, gives me a chance to be useful even if only by phone calls and texts. In this plague climate, I don't make house calls any more! Still and all, I love keeping my hand in when I can.

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    1. Ann, no one with medical training every truly retires - their friends and family won't let them!

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  7. Julia, love this so much! Could you possibly finish it by December so we could read it during advent this year:)??

    So interesting to read about the jobs you left behind. I left my private practice in clinical psychology in 2003--it was hard but very rewarding work. I do miss the sense of really getting to know people and helping them navigate their internal lives. But writing is wonderful too and I wouldn't go back...

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    1. For me, the "one that got away" was my acting career, which, to be fair, had hardly started. I realized 1) I wasn't good enough to make the big leagues and 2) I really didn't want the peripatetic lifestyle most stage actors live, moving from regional theater to regional theater.

      But it hurt to turn my back on it, and I couldn't go to a live performance for years after making that decision.

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    2. In you career in the law were you a litigator/trial attorney? Some of my many colleagues in that area are very good actors. They thrive on their performance before a jury. I personally try to stay out of court. It would be great if this book will be available next year, the snippets you have released are very enticing. They harken to the many stories within in the new book, of which I am sure there are many. Your books have great complex plots, but are always very precise and clear. I enjoy them immensely.

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  8. Julia, wonderful! These few paragraphs have me right back in Miller’s Kill, wondering about all the other lives changed by Russ’ retirement, Haley’s still growing confidence, and Ethan growing up so quickly. Also, Advent to Epiphany Christmases faithfully kept by my grandmother and more loosely by my mother. So many of my friends growing up would be DONE with Christmas on December 26. My Christmas was still beginning.

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    1. Thanks, Elisabeth! Yes, I love keeping the Twelve Days at our house (made more doable by the fact my husband taught at an elementary school and everyone was off until after New Year's, anyway.)

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  9. Oh, Julia - I was so rocked by the ending of you last book, it's so nice to see Russ up on his pins moving on. I can't wait to read this one!

    On jobs left behind, no I've never looked back with yearning. I've always been ready to leave... or should I say move on. And at each step it's been different, from elementary school teacher to college professor to high tech trainer to freelance technical and marketing writer to mystery writer. Every time building at what came before but never with an ounce of regret. Luckily never forced to move before I was ready.

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    1. Hallie: Your description of 'moving on' is inspiring. Thanks for painting change that way...very helpful.

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  10. Thank you for posting this excerpt. I've missed Clare and Russ and have been wondering about Kevin. This would be a wonderful Advent read. Do you have a projected release date yet?

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    1. Alas, Kait, probably not until close to next Advent!

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    2. Well then, I'm looking forward to it and I'm asking for it as an early 2021 Christmas present! You reading this, hubs?

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  11. Lovely to return to Miller's Kill and Clare's church during choir practice, which, if I remember, completes the circle of Russ leaving the church at the end of bleak midwinter. Instead of a soprano soloist, it's a children's choir. Great progression for Russ.

    I pull out my Madeleine L'Engle books (a set of three journals and a children's book) every Advent and browse through them. I was in a church choir for years and by Halloween, we'd have our Christmas workshop, learning all the choral music we'd sing, including a lessons and carols service.

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    1. Margaret - thank you! I hadn't even thought about circling back to Russ in St. Alban's, but you're right. This does show how much has changed in his life.

      Yes, I decided it had to be the kid's choir practicing, since I'm pretty sure the adult choir also works at least a month ahead of time, especially for big events like Lessons and Carols (one of my favorite services of the year!)

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  12. For those many of you who know her, Ramona DeFelice Long passed away yesterday. So many of us are mourning her loss.

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    1. Oh no ! Thank you Karen for letting us know.

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    2. Oh, no! thank you, Karen, for letting us know. How awful.

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    3. Karen, sad news indeed. I never took one of her classes myself, but I've heard she was an amazing writing teacher.

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    4. I only 'met' Ramona through her comments here--but it was clear what a giving person she was. My condolences to all who knew her well.

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  13. Happy to see that Kevin is not forgotten. Lovely scene and conversation putting us in context. Eager to read what's coming.

    I'm more the kind to move forward .I knew when I retired that I wouldn't miss the job but that I'd miss the contact with some coworkers . As my best friend still works there, I have plenty of news confirming that I made the good choice.

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    1. Your description of your retirement is helpful for me, Danielle, as that will be my next 'leaving a job' experience (unless things go differently than I am planning!).

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    2. As near as I can tell from various friends and family members who've already hit retirement, the key to moving forward seems to be having a plan (or at least an idea) about what you're moving toward.

      I'm also laughing at Danielle's "made the good choice." Nothing like a little absence to make the heart NOT grow fonder!

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  14. Julia, thank you for this peek into your next book. There is so much happening in this one already, seeing as you've given us an early glimpse when you posted the "parade" on the blog a few months ago. I agree with Karen that this conversation between Russ and Hadley seamlessly reminds us of much backstory, just in case we don't have time to reread the series before this one comes out.

    So, Julia, when does this one come out? You know we're all going to pre-order.

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    1. Well, Judy, first I have to finish the thing...

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  15. Lovely scene, Julia, and a lovely time of year to set the book. Like everybody else, I'm wondering what your release date will be.

    Oddly, one of the hardest jobs I ever had to leave was as the PR director of the local hospital. I'd done a really good job there: increased our patient share by 3% and, as one clerk at Wal-Mart told me, "given us something to be proud of in the community." When the new CEO came onboard, and said there would be layoffs, but anyone who had been there more than 2 years (me, for instance) would be safe, I wasn't prepared to be laid off. But, hey, it's a sexist world, so I got canned and my job was given to the guy who had been hired only a year before. He became the new CEO's protege, and went on to a career in hospital administration. For years after I had a hard time even walking in the doors of that hospital where I had once been a valued insider but became a persona non grata overnight.

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    1. Oh wow, Gigi. That's a rough and tough experience. Boo on the administrator(s) who made that decision! Not fair, not fair at all.

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    2. Oh, Gigi, that is ridiculously hurtful. And such an illustration of the systems in place in businesses that favor (usually white) men over qualified women and POC. The new CEO probably wanted to work with someone he "felt comfortable with," who, surprise, turned out to be another guy just like him.

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  16. Thank you, Julia! I love St. Albans. You set this up beautifully.
    Even my Methodist mother kept Christmas into the New Year and would decorate a little differently every year.
    When I retired from teaching in high school and college, I knew I would miss it. So as to assuage my teaching bone, I began volunteering at a local art museum as a docent. We got training twice a month and I did also miss learning for me and then lead tours of the museum once or twice a week. Well that ended in March. The Education Department has been wonderful, however. This summer they started weekly programs on Zoom once a week and now, just like every fall, we have training twice a month, albeit on Zoom. I miss the interaction with the public but we do break-out sessions so we can discuss and learn from each other.
    I saw on Julia's FB that someone said she heard from a priest that 2020 was just one long Advent . Somehow that made me feel better and a little ashamed of my self for not coping better. There's Christmas and Epiphany to come!

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    1. Atlanta, it's been a long, dark Advent of a year, that's for darn sure...

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    2. I'm thinking 2020 is more like one great big Lent!

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  17. Oh my goodness, Julia. I want more! What an evocative excerpt. I'm intrigued about where Russ will end up, but I am uber worried about Kevin. And about Hadley. I am so rooting for them as a couple! I'll pre-order as soon as that is possible.

    As for regretting leaving a job or leaving one behind, no. I've always had another one -- or a study plan (master's degree) -- to head into. Though my next job-leaving will be retirement and that's a whole new ball game.

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    1. Thanks, Amanda! Yes, poor Kevin isn't out of the woods yet, not by a long shot. I'll let everyone know here as soon as I have a publication date.

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    2. I'm not worried for you Amanda. I know that you prepare yourself carefully.

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  18. Wiggly kids with cottas falling off their shoulders, happy memories. My previous job ended due to bankruptcy and closure. It wasn't just me leaving, it was 200+ persons leaving. Some found employment easily but for others, like me, it took months. Would I go back? No, too much time has passed. And to be completely honest, I no longer miss it or the people I worked with. I'm waiting, like so many others, rather impatiently for your next book. I want to know how Clare is doing.

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    1. Thanks, Deana! I'm not sure if getting the axe because everyone is is worse or better than getting laid off for other reasons. The Maine Millennial lost her job a couple months into the pandemic - a general 20% reduction in force. There were a lot of people in the same boat, but it felt pretty personal to her.

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  19. Julia, this is beyond wonderful! Love those brief glimpses into my friends' lives. But oh dear, now I'll be worrying about Hadley's grandpa. Also loved the pictures you posted. Who are the people?

    I did have to leave a job I loved and it still hurts, almost 20 years later. I was the only Reading teacher in a small school but the powers that be decided my position could be eliminated. (Although they didn't come out and say this we know that I had been there for many years and they could hire 2 brand new teachers for the money they saved with me gone. Of course they couldn't be called Reading teacher but I think they planned to use Special Ed teacher in that position.) Fortunately I was able to retire but that is really not something that should be done so abruptly; I would have liked time to prepare myself mentally, emotionally and financially. And extra fortunately, was able to get health insurance, that they paid for since I retired after a certain number of years. Thank goodness for the teachers union!

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    1. Judi, amen to that! We were the beneficiaries of a great health insurance policy bargained for by the union, and after Ross died, I got a lifetime survivors benefit and Youngest gets a surviving minor benefit as long as she's a full-time college student. Now, they aren't LARGE amounts by any means, as Ross only taught 16 years. But they help, and it's more than many people get.

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    2. Oh, and the shots are from various churches. I just Googled "childrens choir" and "church in advent" and looked for publicly licensed images.

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  20. Julia, I love this little glimpse of what's going on in Miller's Kill. You've got so many great hooks planted in this one scene. Brilliant! And I miss everyone! (Also can't wait to see if I'm write about what's happened to Kevin...)

    Before I sold my first book, I worked for years in a family business. I can honestly say that I did not miss it a bit.

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    1. That would be a whole other question, Debs - what job were you grateful to see the last of? (I know for Lucy, that would be cleaning axolotl tanks...)

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  21. Julia, you made my day--loved sitting in with Russ and Hadley. Can't wait for this book--always a 'clear the decks day' when the next book comes out.

    You might say I saw it coming when I made a personal decision 20-some years ago. I couldn't compete with the big dogs and still honor my commitment to be a 'mom' substitute. I don't regret it for a moment, either. I still love archaeology and read all about interesting developments in the science, new discoveries, etc.

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  22. Wow, Julia! This excerpt from your new book has really hit home with me!

    After 24 years of being an Episcopal priest with only part-time church jobs and full-time nursing jobs, in 2007 I got a full-time job as the assistant rector in a fabulous church in the city where I live. I had an office. I unpacked books that had been packed up for years. I hung things on the walls of the office. I was finally getting to do what I had wanted to do since I could remember! I retired my nursing license. I was ready to live my dream.

    The rector and I had a good working relationship and the congregation was (still is) awesome. Over a number of years, though, some parishioners moved away, some died and others just stopped coming. Budget money became an issue. After awhile, the rector and the Vestry decided that the church couldn't afford to pay both priests. So I was told that the end of June 2016 would be the end of my job. I was devastated. And, to make matters worse, I was only 62; so I had to find some kind of job to have health insurance. It took a long time to get over being angry - and I'm still sad about it.

    As for your new book - and especially this excerpt - I love that you include church life in your books. Advent is my favorite season, so this is an extra bonus for me! I'll really 'anticipate' its arrival!

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    1. Oh, Mary Robert, that sounds so hard. It's one thing to be RIFfed by a corporation; another to be ushered out the door by your church home. I see that money battle being played out in my own church, arguably one of the largest and richest in the state. When I started attending in 1990, we had a dean, a full time curate, and several part-time canon priests on the rolls. Now we're down to our dean, a part-time curate (who also serves as the education director) and several volunteer retired priests and deacons pinch-hitting. It's tough out there.

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  23. The excerpt was a lovely sample of what's to come. A baby crawling down the aisle is spot on, at least with the Episcopal churches I attended. It sounds like Ethan is the cure to what ails Russ, at least some of the time. A wonderful distraction. I've left behind a number of jobs, due to Frank's career moves. I never missed the jobs, just my co-workers. But I sure resented having to start all over again every time we moved.

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    1. Pat, my mom was a military wife, and it was a great pleasure to her when we finally settled down and she could get a regular job!

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  24. Julia, you are so wonderful. Have I ever had a job that was hard to leave behind. Ha. Don't forget to tell everyone you are in The Back Room on October 29! Only 6 spaces left, so use your Jungle Red sent me VIP pass, everyone--but hurry! bskp.org

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  25. Julia, sorry I am late to the party. Love this excerpt. Love books with a Christmas theme. Look forward to reading your book.

    Diana

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  26. Love the excerpt and can't wait to read the next book.

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  27. Great stuff..I have to finish book 9 to figure out why Russ is no working..Guess a hint about "stay at home and raise his kid"

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    1. Lol! That's always a problem with giving glimpses of the next book in the series...

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  28. So surprised to see a photo of my church and my friends! Top photo (the lighting of the Advent Wreath)
    is from All Saints' Episcopal Church, Beverly Hills CA. Probably 2017, based on the height of the kids ;-)

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    1. Wow! I saw it was from All Saints, and it was marked as shareable, so I used it. There's something special about seeing kids lighting the Advent candles.

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  29. It wasn't technically a job because I didn't get paid but...

    I've written about my coaching youth basketball for 25 years here on JRW before. When the end came abruptly and not by my initial choice, it was definitely hard. The first three weeks that the season was going on I was like a junkie with the DTs because come 9am on a Saturday my body was used to being at the gym for 12 hours. It was hard not being there to be sure.

    The funny thing is it only lasted three weeks for me. The fourth week, one of my former players was playing a high school basketball game at 12pm on a Saturday. I went to go see her play and as I was driving there, I realized if I'd still been coaching, I'd never be able to go see her play.

    It was then that I knew I was forever done with coaching. Never looked back and never had any kind of real desire to go back into coaching either.

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    1. Sounds like the kind of moment many folks have in retirement, Jay. missing what you used to do is converted into the happy realization of what you are now able to do. Glad it turned around for you!

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  30. Oh, Julia, I love this excerpt. Russ is, of course, one of my favorite characters in reading, along with Clare. But, I so love it when the supporting characters become ones I am looking forward to visiting with again. Hadley and Kevin are two of those. I can't wait to find out where Kevin has been. I have an idea or two, but I'm betting you're going to surprise me. It does bother me that Russ is no longer Chief of Police in Millers Kill. I feel like he was under-appreciated and got a raw deal. Of course, I am trusting you, Julia, to make Russ' life progress as is best. And, Ethan is crawling and Russ seems to feel so comfortable with him. Such good stuff there. I guess you can tell that I am looking forward to this book and can't wait to read it.

    I can't think of a job I've had that was hard to leave behind. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad one.

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    1. Kathy, I'm delighted you are so invested in the lives of the people of Millers Kill! I agree, Russ was definitely done dirty. But don't worry, I suspect he has a lot more cases to solve.

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  31. Very excited for this book, Julia!!! I just adore your characters and am so curious about Kevin - you left us hanging! I had a really hard time leaving my librarian job behind to be a writer. I loved it so much. Still miss it (sob).

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    1. That sounds like a perfect volunteer position, Jenn, just as soon as you clear more than 15 minutes out of your daily schedule...

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  32. Resigned my parish ministry position as of August 15th, and I don't miss it, and I miss it. Looking forward to reading more about how Russ handles it . . . I've been a pastor since 1981, so it does feel a bit odd.

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  33. I so love your characters and miss them between books! I’m pulling for both Hadley & Russ. And Kevin, too. I look forward to reading how their lives unfold. This was a great little sneak peak!

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