Miracles do Happen (by Hannah Alexander)

Much of the country has been watching and praying as Oklahoma City and surrounding towns dig out of the debris and devastation caused by a monster tornado attack last night. Many of us prayed for a friend of mine who was stuck in the path of the twister, had no shelter, and didn’t know if her children or husband were safe. But my friend, though often attacked by disaster in her life, is also blessed by miracles. Last night, as we watched live coverage, we saw the tornado skip over her house as all around her lay devastation. This was the second time. Years ago, she had the same thing happen–a tornado jumped over her house. Her friends all rejoiced when she found her husband and children safe, though she grieves today for her church family and friends as they dig out of the debris.

My husband, Mel, was working in ER yesterday here in Missouri and preparing to come home. A tornado was sighted heading in the direction of the hospital, so he was not allowed to leave. We prayed, the tornado missed the hospital, didn’t touch down, and he just made it home a little late. Living in tornado alley sometimes becomes routine.

I just pulled up another clip in which a lonely older lady had dug her way out of the debris of her home after the twister hit. She’d been huddling in the bathroom with her little dog. She was bleeding and cut, but alive and grieving the lost of her dog when all of a sudden they heard a whimper beneath some of the debris, and saw the frightened eyes of her dog. The lady and reporter dug the pup out as the lady suppressed tears. She’d had two prayers–one was that she would live through the tornado, and the other was that her doggie companion would. Both her prayers were answered.

Amongst all the destruction and loss, miracles seem to be more prevalent than at other times. Perhaps it’s the contrast between pain and relief that makes the miracles more obvious. I’m not sure what it is.

I do know there are many miracles taking place today in Oklahoma. As I experienced here in my hometown when a tornado destroyed our main street, Salvation Army and Samaritan’s Purse were on their way as soon as they heard. Locals prepared meals daily for those working to find people who were lost and clear out the debris. In Oklahoma, huge semi trucks will be parked as close as possible to the devastation where they can reach people who need help, food, water, shelter, basics for survival.

If you want to help, please pray, and then send a check to one of these organizations that do so much good during times of disaster. Salvation Army and Samaritan’s Purse are the two I can personally vouch for. They send kind and caring volunteers to help heal the hearts of those with losses, and they use the money they get to do all they can to help clean up the debris and help people.

You can be a part of the miracles. What you do matters. Your love and compassion can help lives devastated by loss find hope again.

Sad Stories

Have you ever shied away from reading a book because you know it’s going to have a sad ending? Or have you been in the mood to seek out such a book? What if a book has a sad ending, only you weren’t expecting it?

I remember years ago I was determined to read a couple of the books recommended by Oprah. I told myself I really should be reading what is guaranteed to become a best seller, just because so many people follow her advice.

But I honestly couldn’t get through the books she was talking about. I made it about half way through the first, skimming the rest. It was very well written, but the characters were largely unlikeable and went through one horror after another. I don’t recall many details, only that a woman was asked by her neighbor to babysit her kids, and one ended up drowning in their pool or pond. The woman then went to prison for child endangerment and while incarcerated her husband had an affair with the mother of the child who died. Revenge? I couldn’t read it, no matter how masterful the prose. It was just too downright depressing.

Right now I’m reading Still Alice, the best-selling story of a brilliant, confident woman suffering with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. It’s not a book I would have chosen, but it won the majority in my book club so it’s a must-read if I want to participate in this month’s meeting. Again, it’s well written, but it has a guaranteed tragic end. It’s not a book I’ll likely keep on my shelf.

When I was younger, sad endings didn’t bother me so much. The first sad movie I enjoyed was Old Yeller, and as a teen I flocked to the theater along with other girls my age to see Love Story. And then The Way We Were. But as I get older, such sad stories just don’t hold any appeal for me—even if, as the quote goes, the story is well done. Of course, there are stories that have satisfying ends that don’t necessarily end happily. Gone With The Wind seemed to have the right ending, even if it wasn’t happy. And the first Academy Award winning movie, the silent film Wings, is one of my absolute favorites even though it has a bittersweet ending.

But I confess I write stories with happy endings—maybe because I hear about enough sad stories on the news. Why make up more sad endings, when it’s just as easy to write a story with a happy one?

 

What about you? Do you prefer happy endings, or sad?

Speaking of happy endings, the e-book version of my newest title, All In Good Time, is being offered by my publisher at the special price of only 2.99 for any electronic version (Kindle, Nook, etc.). So if you prefer happy endings, this one’s for you!

I Need Your Help by James L. Rubart

A friend of mine posed a question to a group of authors last week I think is intriguing. Why do we buy the books we buy? Or put another way, what is the path you take when buying a book?

He posits there are three phases before someone buys a book:

• Stage One- Learning the book exists
• Stage Two- Becoming interested in the book once you know it exists
• Stage Three- The trigger that causes us to purchase the book

If you’d like to play, tell me the name of the last book you bought (not one of those free downloads) and what led you to buy it.

I’ll go first to show you what I mean: 

I was at a marketing seminar in Austin, TX in early April. While at the seminar, a guest speaker came and told about his journey of publishing. He showed his latest book, THE ONE THING, and explained the cover design and why they did the back cover copy the way they did it. It looked intriguing so I put it on my Wish List.

A few weeks later, my wife asked if I’d buy her a book. I went online to order it, and took a quick look at my Wish List. There at the top was THE ONE THING. I read a few reviews, liked what I saw and decided to order it.

Your turn, I’d love to hear from you!

Jesus: The Revolutionary with His Upside-Down Ideas

Have you ever thought about the many ideas that Jesus brought into human history? I was thinking about this, and it is clear that Jesus brought ideas that are upside down from the world’s way of thinking. We could call Jesus a revolutionary!

One of the major ideas Jesus brought into human history is that the one who serves others is the greater versus the greatest is one served by others. And, how about the idea that everyone is equal in the Kingdom of God regardless of race, gender, or social standing. That was a revolutionary idea that many did not like.  In the US today we see this idea played out for the most part, but in some areas of the world you still see women, children, and slaves horrifically abused. There is no equality. We should ask ourselves, how we perceive others. Do we look at people through a lens of inequality in various situations? Do we treat everyone as true equals? Still, another idea Jesus brought to the world is that those who give away, receive more. How many people actually live by that principle? I would guess, few. I looked at my life and asked myself, am I living as though this idea is truth to me? How about you? Do you believe this idea to be true? Are you living it out in your life? Really, all of the Beatitudes are ideas that are contrary to much of the world then, and now.Just take a look at them.

For instance, Jesus said those who are gentle and lowly are blessed and that the whole earth would belong to them. In the world then, and today we see all kinds of striving between people and nations. People fight to gain more power and position. This is seen in the workplace and even in the church.  People strive for control over more people and to gain land. We see governments and men in powerful positions and groups such as the Palestinians who desire to obtain land that belongs to another. Jesus characterized the lowly with humility, self discipline, and submission; whereas, the world’s attitude is one of self-exaltation and lust for control and position. Jesus said those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled (satisfied). In the world all around us we see people thirsting for self gratification and yet they are left unsatisfied. We should ask ourselves, what are we looking to for fulfillment. Is it Jesus’ life being lived through ours or are we trying to find satisfaction in people, position, things, honor, etc.?

Jesus said the one who cares for others (charity) will be cared for. Most of the world is concerned to seek justice only for themselves, with no concern about justice for the weak and broken who cannot help themselves. Again, we can ask ourselves if we are more “me” focused or are we “other” focused. If we are not other focused, is it because we don’t believe in Jesus’ idea?

Jesus said that those who are peacemakers will receive the Father’s blessing and will be called a child of God. We see, even inside of the church, many who pursue peacekeeping instead of peacemaking. They do what they need to do in order to avoid rejection and to keep the peace. They fail to be transparent in relationships and sometimes fail to offer forgiveness although on the outside they wear a smile. This is the same idea promoted in the world – keep the peace at any cost. They pretend that there is no break in the relationship when there really is and they move on without the other person, who may even be unaware of what caused the break. This leaves that person in a hurting condition. But the one moves on unconcerned with how their actions affect them. They are just happy to look like they are keeping peace and happy that they themselves are protected from rejection. The peacemaker Jesus spoke of pursues peace at risk of rejection and is open and transparent, desiring a true unity in the spirit. They are quick to forgive others as they see themselves as ministers of reconciliation.

Jesus said that those who are persecuted for His name would receive the Kingdom of Heaven. We see believers in countries such as Iran and Afghanistan persecuted for their faith in Christ. There is a pastor who is imprisoned in Iran right now because he will not deny Christ. The world doesn’t understand why he and others like him would go through such suffering when they could be freed of it by renouncing Christ. These Christians choose to entrust themselves and their life circumstances to God knowing that as they share in Christ’s sufferings, they will also share in His glory. They are committed and faithful to God and empowered by His Spirit to stand. All of us who call ourselves Christian should ask ourselves would we follow the world if we were in this situation or would we stand. The key to standing is developing an attitude of commitment and faithfulness now in the small things concerning the Christian life. This will prepare us to stand committed should this type of persecution be in our future.

Jesus Christ was definitely a revolutionary! Please feel free to comment on the few ideas I have shared that Christ brought to us. Or, share another idea that He brought into human history that is upside down from the world’s way of thinking.

 

Gifts For Mom

This weekend is Mother’s Day. I always enjoy this weekend because I get to honor my mother and be honored as a mother. Because life goes by so quickly, I’m glad we have special days to remember those we love.

So what do you get Mom? Especially if she seems to have everything? Of course my first suggest is books. I know I can never have enough. A gift card to a book store comes to mind. Or how about an e-reader? There are more books than ever for readers to chose from.

There are the old standbys as well. Flowers. Coffee or tea baskets. Tickets to the movies. Going to a restaurant.

But what about something more…personal? My daughter just gave me the cutest gift. She took a piece of framed canvas and found a heart cut out to cover the center. Gathering up crayons, she took her hair blow dyer and melted the crayons, letting them drip over the canvas. She used multiple colors. The result resembled an abstract painting.

Once she removed the heat cutout, she wrote a personal note in the middle, but you could add anything from photographs, to a favorite scripture verse, to gluing small mementos to create a collage of favorite memories. Get creative and see what you come up with.

I wish you a wonderful Mother’s Day. Enjoy your family! And cherish any gift from your loved ones.

Short and Sweet by Julie Arduini

Ask any writer and crafting the manuscript isn’t the hard part. It’s the shorter works in the process–the pitch and synopsis that send chills down an author’s spine. Every word counts. No space for passive verbs. Advice like “write tight” and “When in doubt, cut it out” echo through our tired minds.

Today I’m scheduled to pitch to Love Inspired. I’ve edited, revised, honed, tweaked, and prayed over 100 words. If it garners interest, I move on. If it doesn’t, guess what? I still move on.

Yet as I’ve worked on this, I’ve thought about short notes. Everyone writes them. Whether we’re quick on time or space, we think of the best words to convey our feelings.

Think about it. A text. Post it notes. Reminders. Quick letters to a spouse left on a coffee table. A love note scribbled from steam on a bathroom mirror. An emergency message. A wanted ad. Some of my favorite sitcom episodes are made from the miscommunications those fast writings. The most haunting short story I remember is Hemingway’s six word flash fiction: “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.”

It might be my imagination, but last month I saw a necklace with a small, glass bottle attached. You could detach the bottle and include a message. Of course, that got me thinking. If it were an eco-friendly thing to do, what would I write? What would you say?

Of all the short and sweet notes out there, I realized encouragement is my theme. Most of my texts are encouraging others. It’s what I jot on mirrors. I’d let a random bottle reader know they are so important to God that He wanted them to find the bottle.

Perhaps I think too much, but I really have been paying extra attention to these things. Do you work any harder on short notes to make sure you got it just right?

photobucket image

Like a Good Neighbor (by Hannah Alexander)

This is not a State Farm commercial.

Friends, meet our yard below. Yes, the grass really was knee high last night. I checked it, and my legs are not short. I could honestly use the excuse that I love the look of the wildflowers that bloom in the spring, and so we wait until long after everyone else has mowed their yard before cutting our blooming purple weeds, but our neighbors, for some reason, don’t like dandelions, which grow very well this time of year if you let them. I, on the other hand, think they’re pretty in all their forms, especially when they look like piles of tiny snowballs nestled in the thick green grass.

After a while, however, the stares from some of the passersby on the street begin to affect me and I suggest Mel needs to get the lawn mower out and make a run over the grass. That’s pretty much how it worked this year, too, because, even though we have four lawn mowers, neither Mel nor I have an engineering degree, and I think that’s what it takes to keep a lawn mower working. Oh, sure, like we’re supposed automatically know how to change the oil and air the tires? So with four flat tires and two mowers that wouldn’t start, it took Mel a few tries. He got there a week or so ago. Make that two weeks. Maybe a little more, but honestly, this picture is a good depiction of how quickly our grass grows in Southern Missouri in springtime.

Then the rains happened. It seemed even the surprising May snow this spring made the grass shoot up, much to my dismay. Life has been frantic in our household, with Mel working two jobs and me working two books. We don’t get out much.

Two days ago, one neighbor who owns the duplex behind us mowed his yard. I watched, while working from the sunroom, while he made several long passes into the far end of our backyard. Dandelion puffs went flying. It was a beautiful sight. What a sweet man. He cut nearly one quarter of our yard. I was humbled and embarrassed.

Then last night, Mel and I had just taken a brief break and walked through the remaining grass when we ran into our next-door neighbor. He and Mel started talking, and I came back inside to get to work. Mel came in a few moments later, and then I heard a mower outside our window.

“Honey,” I asked. “I thought you said you wanted to mow tomorrow night.”

“I did, but Gary asked if I’d be offended if he mowed it tonight.”

“Oh. And of course you said you wouldn’t mind at all.”

“Well, I did tell him I was planning to mow, but I guess he was just in the mood. He likes to use our deep grass as mulch for his garden.”

“Well, then, that’s good. Right?”

“Sweetheart,” he said as he leaned over his computer to study a medical manual online, “we have wonderful neighbors.”

Now, don’t get me wrong. This doesn’t happen all the time. Maybe once a year…or twice. We often get so caught up in our own little worlds that we don’t realize we’re falling behind, so our neighbors help us out. We try to return the favor. Mel will give an occasional free adjustment in the clinic. I’ll help someone write an important letter. It’s just one more thing I love about our tiny community. We really do help each other, just like good neighbors.

Is Bigger Better?

 

Just received my author copies for my upcoming release, Riptide, yesterday. Actually I received only four of them because they are the True Large Print versions. Not LARGE PRINT, but TRUE large print.  This version is like a trade-sized novel and yes, the words are huge.

Of course, on our e-readers we can adjust the size of fonts to make for easier reading if needed.

So choosing your book is no longer just about about whether or not you prefer to hold the hard copy in your hand, it’s what size of font you prefer. I’ve picked up some mass market books with print so small that even with my glasses it was a strain to read them.

So what’s the consensus out there—bigger is better?

Blessings!

Elizabeth Goddard

 

On Suspending Disbelief Posted by Maureen Lang

Image from Bing Free Images and originally seen on suspension of disbelief | Systems Savvy

When I’m reading a good book, I’m usually willing to suspend disbelief—that is, accept something implausible—if the story or film has prepared me properly. Shootouts both contemporary and historical are exciting and I’m willing to believe the bad guys will miss hitting the good guys while the good guys can aim once and hit their target (something a recent news story proved implausible in reality). I’m already cheering for the good guys, and if they’re as heroic as their character has been portrayed, of course they’ll be a great shot!

When I’m writing a story, I try to pay close attention to this element. I don’t want to ask my readers to suspend disbelief, I want them to be so fully immersed in the story they won’t stop to question whether or not the action is plausible or not. I’ve found the best way to avoid the eye-roll from readers is by preparing the field, so to speak. If my reclusive hero is going to involve himself in society, I’d better bring him along slowly enough to have the reader believing it could happen.

I think as a reader I’m more willing to accept the extraordinary if everything supporting this potentially unbelievable aspect is working. The full saying goes “suspending disbelief for the sake of entertainment.” So if I’m being entertained, I can overlook things that might be stretching reality just a bit.

There are certain personalities this doesn’t work for, though. My husband is one of those! When we watch a movie together, even one we both acknowledge was great, he’ll bring up later where the plot points or credibility factor was lacking. To which I just shrug and remind him about suspending disbelief . . .

So how about you? Are you okay with suspending disbelief if you’re being entertained? Is there a limit on how much you can accept? For me, if I’m loving the storyline or the characters, I’m more willing to let little details go unnoticed or not bother me. What, if anything, lets you do that?

Something to think about the next time you’re enjoying a good book or movie!

Finding Joy

With the events of Boston still fresh in my mind this past week, I found myself thinking about joy in the midst of hardship or tragedy. Finding joy during hopeless situations of life can be difficult. Impossible even. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to find it. The Word says,  “the joy of the Lord is our strength.”(Neh 8:10)  Yeah, well when times are hard, we sure aren’t thinking about strength. Our first inclination might be,  how do I get out of this in one piece!

Tragedy has a way of making you look at life differently. Of living your life differently. What was once normal is now strange. The strange becomes normal. The new normal, as it is called. Life begins to move on a different track. We don’t see life; our relationships, family, jobs, the same. How do we deal with it?

Having lived through the worst possible tragedy a parent can face, the death of my twenty-three year old daughter, I believe I had two choices. Give in to the grief or seek out the comfort of the Lord. I chose joy. This is how we beat the enemy in tough times. With joy.

“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Deut 31:8

God has promised he will never leave us. During times of extreme grieving and pain, I wondered how that could be true. Honestly, I didn’t feel the presence of the Lord because I didn’t want to. That would require more energy than I was able to muster at the time. Spending time with God was raw, it hurt, because I hurt. But I learned that God has big shoulders. He knows what you and I are going through. And He is there, never leaving us.

Through this whole process I’ve come to trust the Lord more. It isn’t easy, but I have purposely looked for joy in every area of life, even on days when I don’t feel up to it. I hope you can do the same by calling on His name.

“Be still and know that I am God.” Ps. 46:10

Three Take-Aways Regarding Surrender by Julie Arduini

Last week I had the pleasure of sharing my surrender journey with Dawn Mac and her Life Beats radio audience. Despite the technology glitches threatening our chat, there were a few themes that I think apply to anyone, whether they write or not.

1. It’s a process. I knew I wanted to write since the 6th grade. Unfortunately, I didn’t receive a great education when it came to grammar. Teachers told me to make writing a hobby, not a life. It took a personal relationship with Christ that started after college, growing in that relationship, and time to surrender the fears and write. When I finally yielded to the call on my life and promised to write for Him, I was thirty-six years old.

I mentor women in both group and one-on-one settings and it’s a regular reminder that surrender is a process. I think we put way more pressure on ourselves than Christ does.

2. You feel alone, but you aren’t. I believe my spiritual life comes in seasons much like natural ones. When it’s a personal winter, that’s when I surrender the most, and feel desolate. Sometimes the things God asks me to let go of aren’t bad things, it’s just time. Releasing things or people is painful and raw, but I’ve come to learn God’s purposes are to grow me. Winter is a preparation time. I trust Him. When I feel the most alone, I remember Hosea 2:14, NIV.

Therefore I am now going to allure her;
    I will lead her into the wilderness
    and speak tenderly to her.

He indeed speaks to me in the harsh winds and difficult times. I’m better because of them. Because of Him.

3. Freedom is worth the pain. Surrender is hard. I’ve surrendered fears, the past, bad habits, and even people. It’s never easy. One of the questions Dawn asked was what does freedom through surrender look like? It’s hard to put into words, but I assure you, it’s worth the journey.

The story I shared was how obsessed I was with being accepted and feeling like I was enough. I worried so much what people thought

From A Taste of Home, where I got the idea to dazzle my in-laws with this years ago.

of me I would lose sleep imagining what others must be saying about me. As a newlywed and a very craft-challenged person, I felt I couldn’t show up to Christmas dinner without bringing a centerpiece. A handcrafted one. An eggplant carved into a penguin that I stayed up until 2am to finish. Guess what? No one noticed the thing. Their focus was on family, and I was part of theirs. Once I surrendered that fear, I lived far from them and wasn’t able to bring things to dinner like before. It didn’t matter. I walked through the doors knowing I belonged, and just coming was enough. It was the most freeing feeling in the world.

Although having surrender as a theme is a daunting task because I realize I have to live it before I share it, I had the opportunity to tell the Life Beats audience that I’m blessed to do this. I’m a speaker, mentor, non fiction writer, and now as a fiction writer hoping to publish a fun, quirky romance filled with the Adirondack Mountains and chocolate. Even in a romance genre there is a surrender thread where characters have to literally let go and let God.

Something I think we can all relate to.

If you’d like to listen to the broadcast, click here.

Have You Read This Guy Lately? By Hannah Alexander

I have a habit of reading an author’s book, then if I like it, I’ll find all of that author’s other titles and read them back to back, overdosing on the style and characters and stories created by that one author. I’m sure no one else has ever done this, right? It’s something I wish more readers would do with my books. I have a lot of favorite novelists, and James Scott Bell has always been one of them.

If you haven’t read Jim’s books yet, you’re in for a treat, and the best way to test the waters is to find one of his novelettes online at a very reasonable price and download it to your ereader of choice (Sorry, Jim Rubart, but it’s only on ebook). My latest favorite character of his is a nun named Sister Justicia Marie, and Justicia is a name with meaning. She kicks bad-guy butt with style in Force of Habit.

Something I’ve always looked for in a good novel is humor. I’m not talking over-the-top humor or slapstick comedy, but just the right set of words at the right time so the trials of my favorite characters don’t draw me into depression. Both Force of Habit novelettes have that just-right touch of humor that had me laughing out loud. That’s hard to do, but Jim does it quite well. One of his latest novels, Don’t Leave Me, has dizzying, fast-paced action, and he puts his main character through all kinds of grief, but he layers it well with moments of humor and touching characterization that lighten the dark spots, adding depth and warmth to a fascinating read.

Let me put it like this–for thirty years, my very favorite novelist of all time has been Dean Koontz. If you like Dean Koontz, you’ll probably like James Scott Bell. Enough said.

Chase that Lion & Grow with God!

I recently read a book called, “In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day” by Mark Batterson. In the book, he encourages Christians to trust God and realize that the future God wants for them is hiding in their biggest problem, worst failures and greatest fears! He emphasizes, as does the Bible, that God is glorified as His people step into the seemingly impossible opportunities that stand between them and their dreams because these are the places where God’s involvement can be the only explanation for success.  Even if the outcome is not that which was hoped for according to our definition of success, we are still ahead because we will have the opportunity to grow in our relationship with God, thus, find ourselves changed. Besides, we can trust that God doesn’t waste anything. The efforts made will certainly be used for God’s purposes to bring forth the planned outcome of God.

For instance, a number of years ago, Jon (my husband) and I answered the call to plant a church in Lumberton, NC. With little financial support and little previous  experience; with statistics saying small towns that are no longer growing are not the place to plant a new church especially by an outsider, we left our jobs and we moved to Lumberton. Although there were many struggles, there were many great things that happened through the plant to include salvations, water baptisms, new commitments to the Lord, divine relationships established through the fellowship including two marriages, and our experience of God in at a whole new level that resulted from this walk of faith. All of this was God’s plan and what came out of our obedience to “go” even in the midst of defying odds.

As for the church plant, it fell apart in its sixth year and we have moved on. But you see, nothing was wasted! God was glorified in our obedience in many ways as He worked out His plan for so many people through our obedience; and Jon and I are that much closer to our own destiny of becoming like Christ. Our relationship grew with Christ through the experience of obedience and in the experience of letting go of God’s people for Him to do as He pleased. We are not even close to being the same today as we were when we set out on that journey. You can only WIN in being obedient to God!  As Batterson says, “I wish I could tell you that every lion chase ends with a lion skin hanging on the wall, but it doesn’t…the dot.com dreamer may become successful beyond his wildest dreams, but the guy with political aspirations loses the election he dreamed of winning. However, both of them are LION CHASERS. What sets lion chasers apart ISN’T THE OUTCOME. It’s the courage to chase God-sized dreams. Lion chasers don’t let their fears or doubts keep them from doing what God has called them to do.

So, we are called to run after these opportunities as God puts the desire on our hearts. Or, as Batterson puts it, “chase lions” and lay hold of God’s best by not allowing our past experiences, present circumstances, fears, doubts, bad decisions, or habits keep us from stepping into what God has called us to do. Instead, chase these opportunities and with God’s help defy the odds, face our fears and re-frame our problems, embrace uncertainty, take risks, and seize opportunities – all at the risk of looking FOOLISH. As our trust grows in God’s sovereign timing and positioning us for His purpose in our life’s circumstances, and as we learn to recognize and lay hold of our God-ordained opportunities, we are transformed from glory to glory. And, that is God’s best no matter what the exterior circumstances look like. Next time around, the outcome may be just what one expects! So continue on chasing lions knowing God is with you. It’s all good! It’s all in God’s hands to be used for HIS eternal purposes!

                                       What dream are you allowing fear or doubt to hold you back from pursuing? Go on…chase that lion!

Cover via Amazon

PICKY STUFF

I saw a cartoon showing a teacher at a blackboard (or was that a whiteboard? Chalkboard? Power point? Maybe an Ipad? Anyway…
A teacher was standing in front of a class of young students and drew this:
She then said, “Yes, a winky face is correct. But in ancient times, the
semicolon was actually used to separate archaic written devices known as “complete sentences.”

Oh, can I identify with that. There are some things that label writers as amateur or professional in the eyes of an agent or editor. We’re told if you’ve been paid a dollar for your writing, you’re a professional.

Therefore, I was a professional until in the past few years when my expertise has become ancient as a result of changes in technology, writing rules, marketing expectations, demands of the business, etc.

A few years ago I had several friends but now I’m expected to have hundreds or even thousands of them and fans and followers. My tweeting consisted of swinging my grandson while making bird sounds. Now I’m supposed to be a social media whiz.

Recently, I even read that this business of writing is not a profession but a condition (thanks to Robert Frost). Wonder if he found that one on the path less traveled.

What I’m getting at is, let’s be patient when seeing mistakes and broken rules in what is written and in the books we read. Technology has changed a lot in just a few years. I’ll be teaching a class on PICKY STUFF at the upcoming Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference. We’ll take a look at rules of writing that haven’t changed and discuss what is and is not acceptable or recommended.

We’ll look at the icky…I mean, picky things that are among the rules of the wrong or right way to present our writing, such as format, grammar, punctuation, apostrophes, ellipses, possessives, attributions, beats, passive or active, and words including it, was, and event he little word “the.”

The editor of my last (oops! make that “recent”) book made me realize my characters all had the whooping scoff (that’s another subject). Sigh…so much to worry about.

So, readers, be patient with us as we try to grasp this writing profession. We try so we don’t get those rejections in our E-mail. e-mail? Email? email? Oh, all that stuff makes me onomatopoetically inclined.

It may seem PICKY, but it can mean the difference between Progress or Passé. Are you all up on technology? Am I just…ancient?

Reading to Escape

This week has been tough all around. I watched the prayer service for the attack on Boston and the news anchor asked how we go back to living our lives.Good question. As I write this post I’m watching the news on the blast in Waco.

Of course we need to face life and deal with issues, but there’s a time and season for everything. Real life is one reason I enjoy reading books that take me away, stories that give me an escape. I don’t want to read a heart-wrenching novel consumed with tragedy. 

Recently one of my readers shared that when she gets down she picks up one of my books and it just takes her away to good places. That warmed my heart to know that I had helped her in this way.

We all read for different reasons. Is reading to escape one of yours?

Blessings!

Beth