About the Book

Book: Shilo: A Sweet, Quirky, Romantic Muddle (The Weather Girls Wedding Shoppe and Venue: Book 7) Author: Jennifer Lynn Cary Genre: Sweet Romantic Comedy Release Date: May 1, 2025 From Breck Girl to Hippie to Jesus People… …It’s been a long journey back home But can her heart truly find peace where it all began? When free-spirit Shilo Anderson inherits two million dollars with an unexpected condition—marriage—she refuses to be bound by her grandfather’s will. Until her beloved aunt faces cancer with no insurance to cover chemotherapy. She won’t marry for money for herself, but to save her aunt’s life? She’ll make that sacrifice in a heartbeat. Maybe. Jesse Franklin never forgot his first love. When her grandfather’s will brings Shilo back to their hometown, he discovers his love for her has only deepened with time. Offering to marry her to help save her aunt, no problem. Keeping it a marriage of convenience, that might be a problem. More like impossible. As their feelings grow stronger, Shilo faces her greatest fear: revealing the truth about her past decade. Can she make Jesse see she doesn’t belong on anyone’s pedestal? Return to 1973 Kokomo, Indiana, where faith shapes the journey and the legend of the cardinal in the sycamore still proves true love endures all seasons. You will enjoy this sweet, quirky tale of second chances, because sometimes the rough patches prepare us for the wildly wonderful.

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About the Author

Historical Christian Romance author and three-time Selah Award nominee, Jennifer Lynn Cary, likes to say you can take the girl out of Indiana, but you can’t take the Hoosier out of the girl. Now transplanted to the Arizona desert, this direct descendant of Davy Crockett and her husband of forty-plus years enjoy time with family where she shares tales of her small-town heritage and family legacies with their grandchildren. She is the author of The Crockett Chronicles series, The Relentless series, and The Weather Girls trilogy, as well as the stand-alone novel, Cheryl’s Going Home, her novella Tales of the Hob Nob Annex Café, and her split-time novels The Traveling Prayer Shawl and The Forgotten Gratitude Journal. Her current spin-off series, The Weather Girls Wedding Shoppe and Venue, contains standalones with a common thread.

More from Jennifer

The story for Shilo has been fermenting in my brain for a long time. I had always loved Neil Diamond’s song of the same title and could see his characters playing out their parts and thought what would happen if the girl came back after ten years? However, what I didn’t catch was that Shilo in the song was a boy, an imaginary boy who’d been a friend to a lonely boy. In my brain, I missed the importance of him turning to his only friend in his mind. Instead, I had a little girl moving in next door—she was Shilo—and they went from being friends to first loves, but something called her away and though he understood, he called her name like before hoping she’d return. Okay, so not what Neil Diamond had in mind, but it became Jesse’s back story. Then I had to ask, what was so important that she had to leave? That’s when I remembered Breck Girls. Do you remember them? There was a time as a child that I thought one of the Breck Girls on the back of a magazine was so beautiful, I said, “She’s prettier than Mom.” I was quickly (verbally) chastised by my dad who made sure to inform me that no one was prettier than my mom. I never thought of it as an insult. My mom was the high standard for beauty, and for someone to be even prettier, they were definitely a looker. However, I learned to keep those types of opinions to myself if my Dad was around. Mom understood and didn’t take offense—in fact, as I meant it, she thought it was a compliment that I found her so pretty. All that to say that Breck Girls were a part of my growing up years, into the seventies. I wondered how Breck Girls were chosen, and if Shilo could/should be one. I learned there’s even an exhibit at the Smithsonian dedicated to Breck Girls and those lovely pastel portraits. So, when (my) Shilo told Jesse she had to go before he could tell her that he loved her, it was because she’d been chosen to be a Breck Girl. Now I had a framework to start building the story. I hope that when you read Shilo: A Sweet, Quirky, Romantic Muddle, you will be transported back to 1973 with many of your own memories. Abundant blessings, Jenny

Interview with the Author

Do you read books in this genre? If so, who do you like to read?

Yes, this is my favorite genre right now. I have several favorite authors but I think the one who comes to mind first is Emma St. Claire. I love her Love Cliches series and the spin-off series Love Stories in Sheet Cake. Also her Sweet Royal series.) She can draw out the humor in inventive ways.

What helps you to write? Do you eat snacks, listen to music?

Brainstorming. I love brainstorming with friends or even by myself. I get lost in my head thinking, “Okay, she’s in the hospital. What could happen next? Would there be any humor? What about heart tugs? Why would that happen? Do I need to introduce a minor character? What might she be pushed to do that is totally outside of her personality?” You see how the questions can go on and on. But eventually I hit on something that pings, and I start typing and the words start flowing. Sometimes I look back and cannot believe I wrote what I wrote—at times because it’s so awful, but there are moments when it’s darned good and I know I was only the fingers on the keyboard for the inspiration of Holy Spirit.

What is your favorite hymn and why?

Be Thou My Vision. It’s the cry of my heart. And I love that it is so old that centuries of people have cried out the same prayer to our Heavenly Father.

. What inspired you to write this book?

Neil Diamond’s song, “Shilo.” I’ve loved that song since I first got his album Hot August Night back in the early 1970s. I imagined the story, which I used as my backstory to this book. Only after I finished I learned that what I imagined and what Neil Diamond thought were two different things. Oh, well. I still was able to write this story and I think you will enjoy it anyway. 😉

Share with me a few of your favorite things.

I love paper crafting. Actually I enjoy many crafts and have been part of a Prayer Shawl ministry for many years. I’ve lost count of the prayer shawls I’ve made. But a few Christmases ago, my daughter noticed I’d put a Cricut machine on my Amazon wish list. I’d done it while I was still teaching thinking it would help at school. But I’d retired and forgotten about it. Meg found it and I got it for Christmas. Now I’m hooked. I’ve advanced to all sorts of thing. Last year I made my brother a clock that looked like it had stained glass parts. I think my favorite thing I’ve made though is a wedding album for a friend’s son. It is filled with flips and flaps and is a behemoth, but it is oh so pretty.