I drink a lot of cold tea. Not iced tea, cold tea. I make a nice hot pot in the morning and have a cup, and then my day starts. By the time I get back to my teapot, the tea is luke-warm and I have another cup…

Then, by time I get to it again, it’s cold. And somehow, I’ve gotten used to drinking cold tea. Never old, cold tea, because that’s disgusting. Just cold. So I guzzle the last couple of cups in the pot, and start a new kettle.

I think it started when my son was little and I’d get so distracted that I’d never find my tea in time to drink it hot. And somehow, my son grew bigger and I still stayed distracted, but with different things. Over time, I started to just prefer it this way–a nice, comforting cup of hour-old tea. It was either that or no tea at all, because I never came back for it in time.

I wonder if that will end up being something my son remembers–Mom’s cold tea. Maybe he’ll even tell his kids that their grandmother always drank her tea luke-warm, and when I come to visit, they’ll say, “Start the tea, it has to cool off for Grandma,” and they’ll think I can’t be trusted with hot beverages.  We’ll go to visit a grandchild, and they’ll offer us tea, but say, “It isn’t ready yet, Grandma.” There will be a pot of hot tea sitting on the counter, and one cup of Orange Pekoe dutifully cooling down to tepid. They’ll give Mr. Johns a nice mug, piping hot, and hand me a pretty little tea cup… almost cold.

It’s not very glamorous, is it? But this is the fuel of novels! Pot after pot after pot of tea. At various temperatures.

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Have you ordered my latest Amish release? This one will be in the stores starting September 24th! You can also order it online. 🙂 However you like to shop…

For the Amish, the day after Christmas is for family, feasting, and exchanging simple gifts. And for three different couples, it will bring another precious chance for love . . .
 
THEIR SECOND CHANCE
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Shelley Shepard Gray
Amish nanny Hannah Eicher never thought she’d ever see Rob Prince again. There was no way a relationship between her and the handsome English fireman could overcome her family’s objections—and their personal differences. But when he saves her from a sudden blaze, Hannah longs to see if they can turn holiday hope into a lifetime of happiness . . .
 
HIS AMISH ANGEL * Patricia Johns
She’s too outspoken to be a proper Amish wife. So as advice columnist “Miss Amish,” Maggie Lapp helps Amish and English with their romantic problems. But when her tradition-minded former fiancé accidentally reveals her secret, Maggie will need more than a miracle to make things right—and find a perfect love for all the Christmases to come . . .
 
AN HEIRLOOM CHRISTMAS * Virginia Wise
Rachel Miller won’t let her disability keep her from selling heirloom plants and proving she can be independent. She certainly doesn’t need reckless Joseph Webber working at her greenhouse to pay off a disastrous Rumspringa stunt. But she and Joseph have more in common than they think—and their surprising holiday partnership might just blossom into forever joy . . .