Total pages in book: 120
Estimated words: 114211 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 571(@200wpm)___ 457(@250wpm)___ 381(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 114211 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 571(@200wpm)___ 457(@250wpm)___ 381(@300wpm)
FRANKIE LOPEZ: A close, charismatic friend of Tamika’s who got cast in all the leading roles in his high school’s plays and whose mother always hosted the cast parties. He was thrilled to recently be the young and dashing emcee of Spruce’s first bachelor pageant.
MS. DELILAH “LILA” JOY: The theatre director at Spruce High who has a very on-and-off relationship with her husband John. No one knows from week to week whether they’re still married, taking a break, separated, or just plain divorced. Is eighth time the charm?
CALE & EDISON: Eccentric brothers who own and operate the barbershop. It’s said that Cale’s son CJ—for Cale Junior—goes to school up in north Texas for engineering.
LEE & GENE MARVIN: The Marvin brothers run the market, but don’t always have the best produce. Lee is the kinder one everyone hopes to interact with to score secret discounts. Gene is the older, grumpier one who probably just needs some love in his life.
LAY OF THE LAND
SPRUCE, TEXAS
The central setting of the Spruce, Texas series, a small but growing town of friendly faces and way too much gossip. Spruce owes much of its inclusive and friendly atmosphere to the Spruce Fellowship church, led by Reverend Trey and his father Mitch Arnold, as well as the mighty town matriarchs of Nadine Strong, Cassie Evans, Cissy McPherson, and Marcy Whitman. The town recently saw its biggest change with the election of Nadine Strong as its new mayor, replacing Raymond Porter after a long but fairly uninspired run. Many annual celebrations go on in town, such as the Spruce Ball at the McPherson residence every summer, and seasonal parties at the Strong residence for the Fourth of July, Halloween, Christmas, and New Year’s.
FAIRVIEW, TEXAS
A small but bustling city that is one of Spruce’s closest neighbors. Though there is often a perceived rivalry between Spruce and Fairview, in truth there are many people who share relationships and friends between them. The Strong family have a fine-dining restaurant in Fairview called Nadine’s. Gary Strong’s ranch employs many people from Fairview. Also, Fairview Community is the closest college to Spruce with a number of familiar faces attending, including Hoyt and Tamika.
DREAMWOOD ISLE
On the coast of Texas overlooking the beautiful Gulf of Mexico is this balmy coastal community full of artists and musicians. It is the setting of the Texas Beach Town series, a spin-off from Spruce Texas that chronologically stems from Toby and Vann moving there to pursue their dreams outside of Spruce.
LOCATIONS AROUND TOWN
SPOTS TO EAT AT
BIGGIE’S BITES: Owned and run by Billy Tucker’s parents who live in a little house just around the corner from it, this is the go-to burger joint and favorite lunch spot of Spruce. Mind your ears, it gets a little loud and crowded in here Sundays after church.
T&S’S SWEET SHOPPE: Serving ice cream, pastries, and sweet treats for years now, Billy Tucker opened this cute establishment with the help of his husband Tanner Strong after coming home from culinary school ready to turn his dreams into reality. The “T&S” stands for Tucker & Strong, in case it wasn’t obvious.
COUNTRY LOVIN’: A local hot spot for satisfying your country-gravy-slathered cravings, though they’re actually known for serving some of the tastiest crepes on earth. Owned and run by the Loves.
TUMBLEWEEDS: A bar/restaurant that’s frequented most nights for its loud country music and dance floor rather than its food. Not that there’s anything wrong with the food. It’s great. Y’know. Steak and potatoes, stuff like that. But don’t go just for the steak and potatoes. Go here on a night when you need to blow off some steam, catch up with friends, drink a few beers, and dance.
PATSY’S PASTRIES & PIES: Patsy’s the owner. And she serves pastries and pies. Any questions?
GRAN’S HOME KITCHEN: Run by the tough, no-nonsense lady everyone calls “Gran”, it’s a versatile restaurant that serves tasty lunches and satisfying dinners at an affordable price. Make sure to get a reservation if you plan to go on the weekend!
PEPPERONI PIRATE: A whacky place for all ages to come and eat their fill of pizza. This place has dartboards, six pool tables, two shuffleboard tables, and then some. Wanna host your next birthday party here? Let me know and I’ll get in touch with what’s-his-name to set somethin’ up.
NADINE’S: Though located in the neighboring city of Fairview, it is a fine-dining restaurant frequented by many in Spruce for special occasions, as it is owned by the Strongs, named after Nadine Strong herself, and its head chef is Mario Tucci.
PLACES & BUSINESSES
SPRUCE FELLOWSHIP: At the end of Apricot Street sits this aged but sturdy church where Reverend Trey and his father lead the town of Spruce in practicing empathy, kindness, and love for all. There is a freshly-renovated annex that hosts weekly book clubs, meetings, community events, and fundraisers. Just ask Trey or one of the guys on the choir if you’re interested in hosting something or joining one of the clubs.