Snark & Sensibility

PLEASE WELCOME

LINDA SHENTON MATCHETT

HAVING THE PRIME OF MY LIFE 

My husband, Wes, and I enjoyed Nathan Fillion in the TV show Castle, so we were excited to hear about his new show The Rookie. For those of you not familiar with it, he and his wife get a divorce after twenty-some years of marriage, and he decides to pursue his dream of becoming a police officer. However, as the oldest rookie in his precinct (perhaps in all of California!), he is met with skepticism from higher-ups who think he’s a “walking mid-life crisis,” and the other rookies who think he’s too old to cut it.

I can relate.

In 2002, after almost thirty years as a Human Resources professional in the Washington, DC area, I had enough of corporate drama, long commutes, and congested neighborhoods. After prayerful consideration, Wes and I decided to “get out of Dodge,” so we purchased a Bed and Breakfast in central New Hampshire. Our DC friends thought we were crazy. We were peppered with comments like “you’ll be back,” and “this won’t last,” and questions like “do you know what you’re doing,” “is New Hampshire a state,” and my personal favorite: “aren’t you a little old to be starting over?” Even the folks in our new state seemed apprehensive. (“You’re those new people from down south.”)

Our twelve years as B&B owners were a mixed blessing. We met interesting people from all over the world, many of whom we’ve remained in contact with. A few of our guests were unhappy or rude, not at all like those portrayed in the Bob Newhart show, but fortunately they were few and far between.

Surprisingly, God used us to minister to many of our vacationers, and to be honest, I didn’t see that coming. I enjoyed the opportunity to give people a restful, rejuvenating holiday, but assumed that would be the extent of our interaction. Turns out God had a different plan. In our first season, we prayed with a young woman going through a painful divorce, prayed with and arranged for pastoral care for a couple whose wife ended up in the local hospital, and shared the gospel with several guests. We closed the B&B in 2012, and I took a job at a boarding school as a dining services manager (yep, I’m still in hospitality).

I’m blessed to say that He is now using me in a different way.

Prior to closing the Inn, I started writing in my spare time and managed to get quite a few freelance assignments for a variety of travel and lifestyle magazines. But my first love is historic fiction, so I decided to try my hand at writing stories. After lots of trial and error, attending conferences, and reading many “how to” books, I published my first novella in 2016, followed by five more novellas and two full-length novels. The journey to publication is exciting, but sometimes I get to wondering where God plans to use me next.

ABOUT LINDA SHENTON MATCHETT

Linda Shenton Matchett is an author, speaker, and history geek. A native of Baltimore, Maryland, she was born a stone’s throw from Fort McHenry (of Star Spangled Banner fame) and has lived in historic places all her life. Linda is a member of ACFW, RWA, and Sisters in Crime. She volunteers as a docent for the Wright Museum of WWII and is a trustee for her local public library. Want to know more about Linda and WWII (her favorite era)? Visit http://www.LindaShentonMatchett.com. Receive a free short story Love’s Bloom when you sign up for her newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/74bb7b34c9c2/lindashentonmatchettnewsletter. Connect with Linda on http://facebook.com/LindaShentonMatchettAuthor, http://www.twitter.com/lindasmatchett, or http://www.pinterest.com/lindasmatchett.

ABOUT A DOCTOR IN THE HOUSE

(Part of the Hope of Christmas collection):

Emma O’Sullivan is one of the first female doctors to enlist after President Franklin Roosevelt signs the order allowing women in the Army and Navy medical corps. Within weeks, Emma is assigned to England to set up a convalescent hospital, and she leaves behind everything that is familiar. When the handsome widower of the requisitioned property claims she’s incompetent and tries to get her transferred, she must prove to her superiors she’s more than capable. But she’s soon drawn to the good-looking, grieving owner. Will she have to choose between her job and her heart?

Archibald “Archie” Heron is the last survivor of the Heron dynasty, his two older brothers having been lost at Dunkirk and Trondheim and his parents in the Blitz. After his wife is killed in a bombing raid while visiting Brighton, he begins to feel like a modern-day Job. To add insult to injury, the British government requisitions his country estate, Heron Hall, for the U.S. Army to use as a hospital. The last straw is when the hospital administrator turns out to be a fiery, ginger-haired American woman. She’s got to go. Or does she?

Purchase Link: www.amazon.com/dp/B077656725