Yes, I used the word “write” instead of “right” on purpose. Today during home school, I reviewed the differences between the two words with my youngest son and we worked on writing sentences for each word. While we worked through the correct use of each word, I pondered with another writing issue. A few days ago, I started reading a new book and discovered early on that the author had made a mistake. This isn’t something new and, to tag onto Maureen’s post, it’s part of the writer in me that I can’t turn off.
Except this error wasn’t a typo or anything simple, it was pretty big—an oversight, I’m sure, but still I thought maybe I was the one who was wrong because I couldn’t imagine this author or publisher would have missed this.
I’ve chosen to go with the grace card on this. I mean, we’re only human, right? We can’t be perfect all the time. We can’t get things right, every time, even when writing novels. I’ve made mistakes in my own stories, so I can’t throw any stones.
There is the element of artistic license, as well—when we choose to change the facts up to fit with our stories.
Here’s a question for you—do you feel that writers have any responsibility or obligation to get the story right—it’s fiction, isn’t it? Often writers include a letter to the reader to explain fact versus fiction, but sometimes not.
As readers, what is our responsibility to understand the difference between fact and fiction? How often do we believe the author, trusting that something we read in a novel is truth (beyond the obvious fictional storyline)?
What are you doing on just the biggest romantic day of the year? I searched the statistics for Valentine’s Day and found some interesting stuff. The kind of things you’d imagine and expect, of course. Roses, cards and chocolates spending somewhere in the millions—the total Valentine’s Day spending in the billions.
One item that caught my attention on the spending list was the percentage of women who send themselves flowers.
Fifteen percent.
That percentage of women sending themselves flowers is not a small number. I have to wonder why send yourself flowers when you can spend that money on romantic reads. I mean, if you’re going to pretend, why not become engrossed in the whole story?
That brings me to my next questions. Romance with a happily ever after? Or a love story—Nicolas Sparks style—often with a tragic ending? Actually the last several of his stories/movies have had an HEA. There’s enough tragedy, enough of “real life” to go around, so I vote reading stories with a satisfying, happily ever after.
Make that a CHRISTIAN romance novel, and you truly can have a satisfying ending, because not only does the romance work out, the spiritual issues of the heart end well, too.
Why not dive into one of these romance novels, written by Christian authors who know what they’re doing? These a just a few on my large to-be-read list. Enjoy the day!
My son recently finished reading Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke. He loved the story but he said it made him feel sad that the book had ended. Funny that we continue to read when we’re immersed in a story—to pull from Maureen’s earlier post—only to rush to the end. It comes all too soon, especially if we love the story.
Many times I feel a little down like my son because I finished a great novel, and I wanted to spend more time in that world.
Too often when I finish a novel, I’m not sad but rather frustrated because the ending was rushed. As one friend put it, she wants a long, savory ending. Reviewers and readers alike complain when there isn’t an adequate and lengthy ending, but often the ending can’t fade out like music because of the word count limits or requirements of the publisher. There are ways around this, of course, and that is to cut words elsewhere in the story to give more breathing room at the end. But most of the time cutting back on another element isn’t a good solution either.
Have you read books where you felt the ending was a little rushed? Or are you the type of reader that’s ready to put the novel down as soon as the mystery is solved?
Lazy summer days or warm cozy evenings beside the fire. Which would you choose for enjoying a good read?
It’s been raining here for days, and our backyard is a lake. Though snow is a rare event in central Louisiana, I love gray skies, whether they bring rain or snow. I’m sure I’m in the minority, but my preference probably stems from the fact that I work from home and don’t have to drive in inclement weather.
How I love a rainy day, cold or not. To play up the ambiance brought on by this week’s weather, I tried a new vegetable stew recipe and baked a fresh loaf of bread—all good smells filling my home.
What better to go with a rainy day and good food than a good book?
I began my hunt for just the right one. When I couldn’t find anything to fit my mood in my over-sized TBR (to be read) pile or on the shelves, I started searching on my Kindle, and then finally went to the Kindle Store. We have so many choices these days! Seeing a few good candidates, I then downloaded reading samples.
Do you download and read samples before you buy?
I’ve mentioned reading samples before, and that it’s even more important for authors to catch readers’ attention quickly. But we should already know that. Even in a bookstore readers can peruse as far into a book as they want until they make that final decision to buy.
But I don’t want to waste a good rainy day trying on books to see if they fit. So I eventually settled on a romantic suspense by one of our very own Christians Read authors. As I write this article the rain is coming down harder, and I’m looking forward to settling into a comfy chair with my bowl of stew, bread and my good book.
I have enough writing deadlines these days (which is a good thing) that my health might be suffering. Okay, there’s really no question. And that’s a bad thing. You see, I don’t have time to do much more than write, which means I’m sitting.
A lot.
TrekDesk Treadmill/ Amazon.com
I need to exercise. This isn’t about making excuses either. I used to run every day until about two years ago when I started writing on double deadlines. But you don’t have to be a writer to have this problem.
If you’re crazy about reading this could be you too. Maybe you’re not a couch potato, technically speaking. But do you spend hours reading every day? Still, I don’t think we’re going to see the Surgeon General Warning on books, at least anytime soon.
Thinking about this reminded me that years ago before I was a published and had writing deadlines to meet, I spent the time reading, and a good part of that time I spent riding a recumbent bike while I read.
I’m not sure what happened to that bike. Did it end up in a garage sale? Or sent to the Goodwill?
I’d love to have it back.
Fortunately, I’m not the only one with this all-consuming work schedule so there are many exercise machine solutions out there. I might even think about asking for one of these contraptions for Christmas. Think about it—you can read and write while you exercise on a TrekDesk Treadmill or any number of other offerings.
Sounding like a commercial isn’t my intention. I’d love to hear from those of you who’ve tried the various exercise machines that allow you to read or use your laptop while you exercise. What do you like or dislike? I really want to know.
This could be the answer to my exercise problem.
___________________
Elizabeth Goddard
Elizabeth Goddard is the award-winning author of over a dozen romance novels. Treacherous Skies is her newest romantic suspense.
Just released is Elizabeth Goddard’s latest Love Inspired Suspense, Treacherous Skies!
Beth: I’m very excited about my latest romantic suspense release about a test pilot turned Learjet recovery man who retrieves a jet only to find the kidnapped daughter of a Colombian drug lord concealed inside. I had great input from two pilots on all the maneuvers in the story. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Blurb:
After years of peace and quiet, Maya Carpenter thinks she’s safe—that her drug-lord father’s world will never catch up with her. Then she’s abducted and secretly stashed on a plane. And once she and the test pilot who finds her land in the Keys, the real threat begins….
Daredevil pilot Connor Jacobson is no one’s hero. And this time, he’s in way over his head. Yet he can’t leave Maya to face danger alone. Besides, he has a few tricks up his sleeve that might keep them safe…as long as he’s willing to put everything at risk, including his heart.
Kristen Heitzmann’s new novel The Breath of Dawn is now available!
A grieving widower, and a courageous woman oppose a conman who plays a prophet—but he’s no saint.
Corporate turnaround specialist Morgan Spencer, dubbed the “success guru” has a Midas touch in business. But losing his wife sent him to the brink, and his two-year-old daughter, Livie, is all he’s living for—until they encounter a woman whose trouble just might draw him out of his own.
Four years ago Quinn Reilly did the right thing. Now the man her testimony put in jail is getting out. Though she has put up barriers to protect herself and those around her, she has come to care for the Spencer family, especially the winsome Livie and her mercurial father. Unwilling to put them at risk when the threats begin, she requests something she hopes the super-successful Morgan might be able to deliver.
Fixing problems is what Morgan does best, but his counterproposal takes them in a direction neither is equipped to handle. Determined to confront the past, will they survive to build a future?
Christmas Countdown, the second book in Vicki Hinze’s Lost, Inc. series just released!
A simple trip home for the holidays is all former FBI profiler Maggie Mason wants. But a serial killer has other plans. Trapped in a deadly game of cat and mouse, Maggie finds an ally in Lost, Inc. with private investigator Dr. Ian Crane. The handsome widower is reluctant to love again, and the last thing Maggie wants is to put Ian in the line of fire, too. Love could cost them everything…unless they can find their way to each other, in time for Christmas.
Maureen Lang’s novel, Bees in the Butterfly Garden, is a finalist in the USA Best Book Award contest! Woohoo! Congrats, Maureen! (And isn’t that a gorgeous cover, too???? Camy is slightly envious in a loving Christian way.
Here’s the back cover blurb:
“A young lady of impeccable decorum never appears outside her home unchaperoned, uncoiffed, ungloved, or unhappy.” —MADAME MARISSE’S HANDBOOK FOR YOUNG LADIES
Raised at an exclusive boarding school, Meg Davenport has everything she needs but none of what she’s wanted most—like the love of a family, or a future not dependent on following etiquette and marrying well. So when she receives shocking news of her father’s death, Meg seizes the chance to break every rule that has governed her life. Especially when she learns John Davenport wasn’t the wealthy businessman she thought, but one of the Gilded Age’s most talented thieves.
Ian Maguire knows that John—his mentor—would never have wanted his beloved daughter to follow in his footsteps. Yet she is determined to carry on his legacy, and her talent for garden design has earned her an invitation to stay with one of Fifth Avenue’s wealthiest families. With friends like those, Meg could help Ian pull off his biggest heist yet.
But living in both worlds is more treacherous than Meg imagined. And as Ian’s concern for Meg turns to love, he finds himself torn between greed and guilt. Can they find the legacy they both long for, or in trying to gain everything, will they end up losing it all?
Camy Tang’s latest romantic suspense release is A Dangerous Stage! Here’s a short blurb from Camy about writing the book:
I really enjoyed writing about Tessa and Charles again for multiple reasons. Tessa’s struggles with forgiveness parallel some of my own struggles with forgiving people who have hurt me, and I hope readers can relate and also find hope that the hurt can be healed with God’s help.
I hadn’t written that much about Charles’s character in Protection for Hire, but I knew I needed to reveal more about his heart and his spiritual walk in A Dangerous Stage, and I was strongly impacted by Psalm 90:7-12:
We are consumed by your anger and terrified by your indignation. You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence. All our days pass away under your wrath; we finish our years with a moan. Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures; yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away. If only we knew the power of your anger! Your wrath is as great as the fear that is your due. Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
I thought it was an important reminder to me that I am flawed but Jesus has saved me, and I need to remember God’s power and respect Him rather than taking Him for granted. It made me look at my life differently and make different choices, trying to follow God’s will rather than my own.
Charles struggles with these types of choices and whether he is truly passionately committed to Christ. My prayer is that his struggles will help readers make their own decisions to follow Christ with intensity and passion.
Backcover blurb:
Tessa Lancaster worked for her uncle in the Japanese mafia until she was sent to prison for a murder she didn’t commit. Now, after finding God behind bars, she takes odd jobs as a bodyguard to keep her distance from the family business.
In A Dangerous Stage, the second book in Camy Tang’s Protection for Hire series, Tessa gets caught up in the web of lies surrounding a shady singing competition. Hired by one of the contestants, she works with Charles Britton—the lawyer who sent her to prison—to discover the dark figures manipulating the contest from behind the scenes.
Tessa’s abilities will be tested like never before as she’s forced to balance the safety of her client’s family and her deepening relationship with Charles. In the midst of the chaos, she holds on to her faith to keep her safe and bring down the shadowy organization.
A. I wrote several pages listing everything that I’m thankful for this Thanksgiving. I started with breathing. That’s right. We should be thankful for each and every breath. If you start there when creating your list, you realize the list can go on and on. The list is infinite.
You better understand the scripture:
1. O give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His loving kindness is everlasting.1 Chronicles 16:34
Or . . .
2. Psalm 34:1I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
God’s love is infinite. It never ceases, therefore our thanksgiving and praise should never cease.
The list of thanksgiving scriptures goes on.
B. Then I also wrote a list of things needing prayer, and things overshadowing my Thanksgiving. Two things that loom darker than the rest are:
1. Israel
2. Black Friday
The two hardly seem to go together, but there it is. There’s nothing more I can do for Israel except pray and prayer is most powerful. (And yes, our nation needs major prayer too.)
On Black Friday, I have a question for you. I have never been one to brave the chaos on Black Friday, which has now morphed to include Thursdays, too. If you’re one of those brave souls, I assume you’re in it to save hundreds of dollars, otherwise what’s the point?
I’ll share with you that my dear grandmother beat the crowds to the Dollar Store one Black Friday. That’s right—the Dollar Store. Ahem. . .there wasn’t exactly a crowd there either. But picture that in your mind, and I hope it makes you smile.
Back to the topic. Are books ever on your list of items to grab during the chaos? No? Do you ever enter blog contests to win a free copy of an autographed book? They make great Christmas gifts to the book lovers among your friends and family. If you’re not interested in taking the time to comment on blogs for free books, perhaps consider shopping at your local Christian bookstore. If we want to remain thankful for the ability to shop at these stores, we need to support them.
More often than not I run across people who don’t read. It’s not because they don’t have an interest in reading a good novel, it’s because they don’t have time. Someone went so far as to say it was more about getting hooked on a book or series of books, and then getting distracted from work or life or chores or family. I’ve heard this same “excuse” several times lately from various people.
You’ve heard that we make time for things we consider important. But it’s difficult to find time even for the important things, isn’t it? So how does one fit reading into a hectic schedule?
It’s true that you can get hooked on a book and then other things get pushed aside. There’s the other side of the equation where the important things interrupt your book world in the middle of a great scene and you have to put the book down. A painful experience, to be sure. I understand the mindset that if you never pick up a good book to begin with, you won’t have to feel the pain of putting it down when life interrupts. You won’t have to worry about neglecting the more important, the more necessary things of life.
Then why put yourself through it? How important is reading for pleasure anyway?
To an addict, reading is as vital to life, to the soul, as air is to the body. Okay, maybe that’s going a little far, but once you’ve experienced where words can take you, time is no longer your master because you become a time-traveler.
Maureen mentioned her non-fiction reader friends react somewhat negatively when she brings up a book she just read. Jim mentioned that he’s facing an empty-nest, but the good news is his wife is starting to read novels.
So where do lifetime readers come from?
In one of my previous posts, I talked about receiving a big box of books for my home schooling efforts. I remember reading somewhere that home schoolers are driven to produce readers. I know that’s true for me. Unfortunately, I’m in competition with the video gaming world, but the good news is—I think it’s working!
Life has interrupted a few times, and I had to put off reading to them. I wasn’t even sure they enjoyed our reading time, or if they were listening. But apparently all three of them have listened. My middle son has been spouting off silly metaphors he learned from one of the books.
Imagine my pleasure when my oldest asked when we were going to read again—he really missed that particular story. I was ecstatic, too, that the kids groaned when I finished the chapter because they were anxious to hear what happened next.
Don’t get me wrong, they read a lot on their own, which I anticipate will also produce the desired results—lifetime readers.
If you’re an avid reader, never give up on your efforts to enlighten the non-readers around you.
Blessings!
Beth
Elizabeth Goddard is the award-winning author of Treacherous Skies, releasing November 27th.
I can’t believe I’m the first one to post on this! I returned from the American Christian Fiction Writer’s Conference on Sunday with an armload of books to read. Usually, I don’t bring too many books back because it’s tough getting them into the luggage for my flight home. But this time I drove to the conference so I could take as many books as I wanted. One of the fun things about the conference is there are a lot of free books.
Thomas Nelson gave out copies of The River by Michael Neale, and Zondervan shared copies of Falling to Pieces by Vannetta Chapman, for starters. I came home with many more books that I’m eager to start on but I also purchased a few from the Carol Award Winner’s list, including a book the earned a perfect score in the contest–Dandelion Summer by Lisa Wingate. I also plan to read the finalists, too.
While my TBR (to be read) pile is growing, I’m working hard on getting the books read and loving every minute of it. In case you haven’t seen the list, I’m sharing the 2012 Carol Award Winners here.
Be blessed with some of the best that Christian fiction has to offer.
2012 Carol Award Winners
Debut Novel Fairer Than Morning by Rosslyn Elliott (Thomas Nelson)
Long Contemporary The Search by Suzanne Woods Fisher (Revell)
Long Contemporary Romance My Foolish Heart by Susan May Warren (Tyndale)
Long Historical Fairer Than Morning by Rosslyn Elliott (Thomas Nelson)
Long Historical Romance To Win Her Heart by Karen Witemeyer (Bethany House Publishers)
Mystery Falling to Pieces: A Shipshewana Amish Mystery by Vannetta Chapman (Zondervan)
Novella An Accidental Christmas from A Biltmore Christmas by Diane T. Ashley/Aaron McCarver (Barbour Publishing)
Romantic Suspense Lonestar Angel by Colleen Coble (Thomas Nelson)
Short Contemporary Lakeside Reunion by Lisa Jordan (Love Inspired)
Short Contemporary Suspense Nightwatch by Valerie Hansen (Love Inspired Suspense)
Short Historical The Deepest Waters by Dan Walsh (Revell)
Speculative Fiction Broken Sight by Steve Rzasa (Marcher Lord Press)
Suspense/Thriller Fallen Angel by Major Jeff Struecker/Alton Gansky (B & H Fiction)
Women’s Fiction Dandelion Summer by Lisa Wingate (Penguin Praise/Berkley)
Young Adult The Merchant’s Daughter by Melanie Dickerson (Zondervan)
When you visit your local bookstore and browse the books, what are you looking for? What catches your attention—the author’s name, the cover art, or the back of the book blurb that tells you what the story is about.
Then if everything is right—the cover and the blurb intrigue you—do you open the book and read the first few pages to see if you’re hooked?
What about when you browse the books online at Amazon or Barnes and Nobles? Is the cover still important? Do you read the back cover copy and look at the reviews too?
Something new that I’ve been doing is downloading a free sample of the book. Then if I’m hooked by the time the free reading is over, I’ll most definitely buy.
The pressure is even greater now for authors to hook readers within the first few pages. But there have been many books I’ve greatly enjoyed because I’ve pushed through the slow opening to be rewarded with a spectacular ending.
I’ve asked so many questions in this post because in this changing publishing world I have no answers. I’m curious about the changes in the way we decide what book we will buy.
Today is a good day because I’m expecting books. Lots and Lots of books! I’m probably the only person who looks forward to school starting and that’s because of the books.
Books.
Books.
Books.
There’s almost nothing more exciting than when you’re expecting a big box of them. Or two. Or three.
In our home school, we don’t read boring textbooks. We read what’s termed “living books.” Information shared or stories told by writers passionate about their topics. Lessons learned through the eyes of characters living in different times and places.
I’m going to pull from Jim Rubart’s earlier (and timely) post when he said, “. . .stories stick with us far longer than five points and two wrap up action steps. Stories embed their way into our soul. And they resurface at times when three bullet points wouldn’t come close to the comfort those stories bring.”
Exactly.
The same is true for school textbooks in general. How often do you recall something you read in a textbook during your school days that impassioned you? Or touched your soul and stayed with you? On the other hand, I’m sure you remember the classics you read like Where the Red Fern Grows, or Old Yeller, or historical novels that informed you of history.
In fact, the first series of Christian fiction novels I ever read was The Zion Covenant series by Bodie Thoene. I learned more about World War II that way than by anything I had studied in school. Perhaps you could argue that some of the history isn’t accurate. In this case, Mrs. Thoene’s husband is a historian. We won’t start a discussion about textbook accuracy here.
One of my favorites is Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes—what a fabulous story about the revolutionary war through the eyes of a silversmith’s apprentice. I learned far more about the American Revolution through that book than any text.
By the Great Horn Spoon about the California Gold rush. Freedom Train: The Story of Harriet Tubman. The Witch of Blackbird Pond set in colonial Connecticut. The Call of the Wild by Jack London. I could keep going, but historical novels, when done with an eye for accuracy, can teach so much more than mere textbooks.
I’m not saying that we won’t be using any textbooks, but their use will be kept to the absolute minimum and heavily supplemented with living books.
Because when we read “living books” we remember. We are changed forever for having read them.
Now I’d love to hear from you. I’m guessing that your love for reading started with these kind of stories. Share one of your favorites.
Elizabeth Goddard is the award-winning author of Oregon Outback and Freezing Point, available wherever books are sold.
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New Love Inspired Suspense series. Lost, Inc. (www.lost-inc.com) will launch in October. So far, there are three books written in this series. The first is Survive the Night. You can preorder a copy now. There’s a list of booksellers here. In December, Christmas Countdown releases, and in February, Torn Loyalties.
I just finished reading Karen Kingsbury’s Just Beyond the Clouds. A very touching story about families and adults with Downs Syndrome.
What’s on my nightstand? James Rollins’ Map of Bones. I’m about three chapters in, and hooked.
Since school starts in a couple weeks here, I’m spending some time with my angels (the grands). We’ve visited the Pensacola (Florida) Naval Aviation Museum, had Girls Days Out, seeing movies and shopping and doing lunch, and did a day trip to Marianna Caverns. It’s been a good summer—if too short!
News from Maureen Lang
My newest book released just in July and is titled Bees In The Butterfly Garden, set in New York City during the Gilded Age of the 1880s. Ian Maguire is determined to stop Meg Davenport from following in her father’s footsteps. He was, after all, a thief. But considering Ian learned everything he knows from Meg’s father, he may not be able to convince her otherwise, not even when they both end up over their heads in the biggest heist of Ian’s unlawful career. In trying to gain everything, will they end up losing it all?
I’m happy to share that Bees In The Butterfly Garden has received some wonderful reviews. 4 Stars from Romantic Times, saying: The grandeur of the era is evident in the story, the charming characters, the beautifully descriptive prose and even the cover! And Library Journal said: This character-driven historical set in the American Gilded Age represents Lang (Look to the East; Whisper on the Wind) at her best.
Right now I’m in the revision stage of my next Gilded Age novel, All In Good Time, which will release early spring of 2013, also from Tyndale House. Set in booming 1880s Denver, my hero has built his successful bank on an illegal fortune. And despite my heroine’s own secret, she is determined to do all she can to rescue the many women who’ve found only hard times in the Rocky Mountain state—even if she must get ahead of God’s schedule by garnering a bank loan. Will the secrets of their pasts ruin their future?
As far as what I’m reading now, I’m busy! I’ve been in a classic mood this summer, having just finished Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter and am now taking up My Name Is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok. I’m also reading Kaye Dacus’s upcoming book, Follow The Heart, as well as a debut novel that a friend of mine, Jane Steen, meticulously and boldly self-published, The House of Closed Doors. Lots of wonderful titles to satisfy my reading pleasures!
News from Elizabeth Goddard
Oregon Outback, a four-in-one novella collection, just released in July. The harsh, yet peaceful Oregon Outback molds the lives of four rugged brothers who stumble into love. FBI agent Jonas Love has brought trouble back home, endangering his life and that of an old flame. Cattle rancher Carver Love finds himself falling for the sheriff in the midst of chasing down modern-day rustlers. Thrill-seeker Lucas Love fears nothing—until he meets a beautiful bookkeeper. Justin Love is trailing a fugitive who’s heading too close to home—and one particular lodge keeper. How will God protect these men as they risk their lives to defend the ones they love?
Hearts in the Mist (Heartsong Presents) releases in October. I’m currently working on the second book in a Love Inspired Suspense Series. The first book, Treacherous Skies, releases in December.
I just finished reading When the Smoke Clears by Lynette Eason, and I’m starting on Firethorn by Ronie Kendig. I’m also trying to make a dent on my never-ending TBR pile and have started Almost Forever by Deborah Raney, and a historical, The Rose of Winslow Street by Elizabeth Camden.
I’m gearing up for another year of home schooling three boys and that includes shopping for curriculum and organizing my office after a big move from Texas to Louisiana. Never a dull moment.
News from Hannah Alexander
Right now I’m getting ready to read Secretly Smitten by Colleen Coble, Diann Hunt, Kristin Billerbeck and Denise Hunter. I’m also reading two books for review, but none of them are available right now, so shouldn’t give the titles of them.
No exciting news for me except we’re getting ready to start building Mel’s new clinic. It’ll be an exciting change from ER to family practice.
I’m also gearing up for the release of the second book in my Protection for Hire series, A Dangerous Stage, which is out in November. I honestly think A Dangerous Stage is one of the best books I’ve ever written, and I really felt God’s hand on me as I wrote some key scenes in the book. I’m praying He uses the book to touch the readers He wants to reach!
I just finished Angel Eyes, a Christian young adult novel by Shannon Dittemore. It was like a God-centered mix of Twilight and This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti, and I think Christian teens will love it.
A picture is worth a thousand words. The old adage means that a picture will tell us so much more than we can easily put into words. What is the above image worth? A thousand words, more or less?
One of my first thoughts when I saw these pictures was about passion. People busy themselves with what they’re passionate about. They go out of their way.
My niece participated in the Great Texas Balloon Race in Longview, Texas last week as part of the crew, which meant the family got up in the wee hours of the morning to get there. Depending on responsibilities in the event, someone on the balloon crew might have to get up at 2, 3, or 4 in the morning.
Now that’s passion. But the pictures tell us that the balloonists’ efforts are well worth it.
Writers have to be passionate about what they do because the process is painful, requiring time and sacrifice. Without that burning fire that drives an author, readers wouldn’t have books.
Book lovers are passionate about their books. About reading. We’re committed to reading, even if it means we only get a few minutes a day to read. But mostly, we love it when we can read a book through to the end. Maybe we read through the night, finishing a novel in the wee hours of the morning. Sometimes, we even re-read the ending to experience the euphoria again.
Or is that just me?
Elizabeth Goddard is the author of OREGON OUTBACK available wherever books are sold.
They were built-in shelves, so couldn’t be moved. That was a bad decision from the start.
I have a lot of books. You’re probably a book lover, too, or you wouldn’t be reading this right now. So you understand what I’m saying, right? You can picture the utter chaos. Feel the overwhelming anxiety right along with me.
Moving has a way of opening a person’s eyes to the fact that they’re a hoarder. I’m facing the music, er, books right now.
I have boxes and boxes of books with no place to go. I’ve donated some to the church library. Of course, I could buy some more shelves. But I’m taking my time and looking for new ways to shelve my books. Browsing the web, I’ve discovered a lot of creative ideas.
Maybe I could just stack them against the wall or use crates. Or hang them in a specially designed macrame “shelf.” I’m open to suggestions.
My son recently finished reading Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke. He loved the story but he said it made him feel sad that the book had ended. Funny that we continue to read when we’re immersed in a story—to pull from Maureen’s earlier post—only to rush to the end. It comes all too soon, especially if we love the story.
Today is a good day because I’m expecting books. Lots and Lots of books! I’m probably the only person who looks forward to school starting and that’s because of the books.
