Gifts of the Heart

Merry Christmas, a day late! Or, as our friends across the pond may say today, Happy Boxing Day!

I hope you've had a most blessed Christmas... and managed not to kill any of your family. ;) Or is it just me that struggles with those feelings sometimes? (tee hee hee, just kidding!)

Today is my regularly scheduled post for the ChristianWriters.com blog chain, and to be honest, the topic (Gifts of the Heart) kind of has me stumped. But, I shall charge on!

When I read the topic (admittedly, about 5 minutes before I started writing this post), I thought, huh.

So, rather than do a traditional post, I think I'll leave you with a few pictures of some of the things that warm my heart. I hope you'll find them as endearing as I do.

 

Obviously, these are my kids... and my dog. :) I'd put TMOTH's picture up, but I'm not sure if he'd be okay with it. 

So, my family is my gift of the heart... I hope you can say the same for yours!

In a little sidenote, I want to give a brief update on our son's health. Last week, we thought everything was going well, and then we went in to see his dermatologist, who, on a whim, ordered some blood work. Our guy has been sick most of the time since Thanksgiving, and when they ran his hemoglobin, it was 6.3. Normal is between 12 and 18, so he's exceptionally anemic right now. We have his blood retested tomorrow, and his hematologist (blood doctor) is watching this closely. We've managed to get through Thanksgiving and Christmas without being admitted--and seeing as those were both spent at the hospital in 2010, this is a great thing. Hopefully, we'll make it through the remainder of 2011 without being admitted again! (Now, if we can make it through cold and flu season...) 

If everything is okay, I guess you'll hear from me next in 2012... wow, can it really nearly be 2012? It barely seems like I was getting a handle on 2011! If for some reason things aren't as good as we hoped, I'll try to post a short update on Tuesday or Wednesday. 

(But I'm hoping it'll be 2012 before you hear from me again!)

Happy New Year!

Until next time,

Liberty

Things I Didn't Know

Nine Things.

This month's topic for the ChristianWriters.com blog chain is another that sort of has me stumped.

Being that it's Thanksgiving season, I'd hazard a guess that many are writing of what they're thankful for.

But, the only thing I can think of is to write about Nine Things I Didn't Know at this time last year.

This last year has been trying, to say the least. And, I've learned a lot.

1. A year ago, I thought something was wrong with me when my son wouldn't gain weight.

2. A year ago, I'd never have thought my second home for most of the next year would become a hospital.

3. A year ago, I'd never have thought I'd ever live in an apartment again (and thankfully, we don't again!)

4. A year ago, I didn't know what lengths we could go to in order to find out what was wrong with our son.

5. A year ago, I looked at holidays as something that happened normally. After spending three holidays in the hospital, I'm grateful for the family and friends who assisted us through the holidays last year.

6. A year ago, I'd never heard of Shwachman-Diamond Syndrome. While I'm still learning about it, I know a heck of a lot more than a couple doctors on our son's team!

7. A year ago, I didn't realize just how much time would have to be invested in keeping our son healthy. It's more than you think, but less than I think is possible.

8. A year ago, I knew I'd have a book deal by now. Yeah, that hasn't happened. I've had to put off submissions again and again. :(

9. A year ago, I really didn't know how many people would rush to our side during a crisis. Today, I know. And I'm grateful for all of our friends.

I kind of wonder what I'll be learning next year.

What have you learned this year? How has it helped you?

Until next time,

Liberty

Harvest

by Foto3116

I grew up in the heart of wheat country--south central Kansas. Harvest is not an uncommon thing for me to witness. I remember growing up, there would be days we'd have to close up the house on nice days because there was a field just south of us, and the farmer was harvesting (or tilling sometimes) and it would stir up dust. My mom is an asthmatic with allergies, so the dust being blown in always caused problems--even with the house closed up.

Still, I love watching the big machines doing their jobs, row upon row being eaten up by that whirling harvester, soon to be turned into flour... or whatever else wheat is used for. Corn, milo, soybeans, and countless other grains grew in my area of the world. I even occasionally saw a cotton field!

Now, when I think of harvest time, I think of not just the big fields with family or commercial farmers in big rigs, but I also think of the small harvest--the one in a backyard. I'm hardly a green-thumb--TMOTH swears I have the ability to kill nearly every plant. He's almost right.

My mom grew tomatoes almost every year for several years. In the height of summer, there would be several weeks go by where she'd can a few days a week. Spaghetti sauce was a big one. While my family isn't Italian, we ate a lot of spaghetti. There's nothing better than homemade spaghetti sauce--with homegrown tomatoes!

I hope one day I can outgrow my black-thumb tendencies. I'd love to learn how to can for myself, and to teach my daughter when she's older. I've gotten a lot of encouragement from several friends, I just need to bite the bullet, get the equipment... and actually grow something worth canning! Then maybe next time, I can have a happy harvest, too.


Today's post has been a part of the ChristianWriters.com blog chain. For links to the other blogger's posts, please go here.

Until next time,

Homecoming

I must apologize first off for my lapse in the last two weeks of posts. I got caught up in preparations for my trip, then forgot to finish and post the one post I had started! Argh! Hopefully, I won't have such a lapse again. Anyway, I'm back, and that's the important part. Now, if I can just get my PCs to cooperate with me...

Today is my post for the ChristianWriters.com blog chain... and as is apt having just come off my vacation, I'm writing it today... that's how much I'm behind! The topic is "Coming Home".

I haven't had the benefit of even looking at anyone else's posts, so I have no idea where everyone has taken this.

But, I had a literal coming home experience last week, so I'll talk about that.

First, I should tell you that I have a love/hate relationship with traveling. I like being away from home, but I hate the inconveniences of being away--being in an unfamiliar area (so I don't sleep as well), having my kids way off schedule, and not having any time (or inclination) to write or read. The worst of these is usually having to sleep in a hotel (or even in a relative's home.) The mattress never feels right, and the surroundings are such that I sleep very lightly, awaking to every little sound, even if it's one that normally wouldn't bug me at home.

Chasm Falls, Rocky Mountain National Park

The drive home last week was lengthy. We were in NE Wyoming with family, and we left their home at 8:45 AM Mountain Time. TMOTH and I have done this drive in 12ish hours before, so I had hoped we'd be home by midnight (allowing for extra breaks.) By the time we'd been on the road for ten hours, we'd stopped 8 times. Yeesh.

It seemed the miles came slowly, driving across four states in order to get home. Stopping for the night wasn't an option: TMOTH had to be at work the next morning. When we stopped to pick up my dog from Grandma, it was 12:30 AM Central, and we had one more hour to go.

Getting home was great. I was so relieved when we pulled up. Even when we walked in and found the place smelled like the garbage can we'd forgotten to take out when we left. (Poopy diapers left for 8 days don't smell that great--let me tell you!) I was just so relieved to be home, to be able to drop into my own bed.

There were a lot of reasons to be relieved to be home. Our car had actually made it! In Colorado, we were climbing Pike's Peak, and the car was acting very strange. We had to stop because our toddler, who is potty training, needed to use the bathroom. While we were doing this, we left the car running (hubby was afraid to shut it off) and it was sputtering and just not acting right. With our little boy in the car (asleep) and hubby off utilizing the men's room, my daughter and I were standing outside, taking pictures and the car just died! That's a little scary, when you're halfway up a mountain, and you don't know how you're going to get back down.

Fortunately, TMOTH is a mechanic by trade. He recognized what the car was doing, and determined that we had to let the engine cool down. We ended up making it to the summit, but the next day was spent in Denver, locating parts to replace a part of the engine.

What a way to spend a vacation!

So you can see why I was most relieved on our home coming. Things could get back to normal. Our car wasn't in perilous danger due to altitude. And I could sleep in my own bed.

At least I had a break from writing--and I'd recently just finished writing "Cora's Song" before leaving. On the way home, I figured out my laptop's fan had gone dead. Which definitely puts a damper on the whole writing thing. But, I'd at least gotten a preliminary read of K.M. Weiland's new "Outline Your Novel" done. I'll be doing a review here in a few weeks once it's officially released. I'll say this: I'm actively outlining again. This is a good thing.

I know this is a pretty disjointed post, and I apologize. Hopefully you can make sense of my version of Coming Home.

Until next time,

Majesty

It's August... and that means it's time for another post in the ChristianWriters.com blog chain.

Our theme is August.

From Dictionary.com:

au·gust   [aw-guhst]

–adjective

1. inspiring reverence or admiration; of supreme dignity or grandeur; majestic: an august performance of a religious drama.

I must admit this theme was a little harder than ones in past months to wrap my mind around.

For me, August has always been a month, and I rarely think of using the other meaning in a sentence.

But, as I've thought about the alternative definition--majesty--I think of my visits to the Rocky Mountains. How august are they, when you're driving across the plains of eastern Colorado, and they finally come into view as you're traveling across I-70, coming into Denver? I have yet to be more taken with a sight, although the Flint Hills of Kansas around sunrise or sunset in fall or mid-spring can take my breath away as well.

The first time I saw the Rockies, I was 20, traveling to Wyoming from Wichita with my new-fiancé who would eventually become TMOTH a few months later. I was awestruck. Especially when days later, we returned to visit first Rocky Mountain National Park, then Colorado Springs' Pike's Peak.

Ever since then, I've been smitten with the Rockies in general, and Colorado in particular. In the next few weeks, we'll travel there for the first time since having children. I can't wait.

When I'm in the Rockies especially, I experience a relaxation I don't get anywhere else--even when on a vacation elsewhere. Perhaps it's the higher altitudes and less oxygen. But, I honestly think it's the august beauty of the countryside.

While there, I get more reflective. Gazing at the beauty, you can't but help but marvel and acknowledge the wonderful craftsmanship of our Creator. Sure, some people subscribe to the notion our world was formed over millions of years.

I usually have a big eye-roll for that one.

You can't look at Creation if you've got any sense in your brain and not see how things had to be formed by a loving and masterful Creator. Sure, changes to occur. But, He was the one who formed the rivers, chose their paths, and made them for us to drink from and enjoy. He's the one who shoved the rock out of the ground to form majestic mountains, covered in aspens, pines, snow, and curious creatures.

His whole Creation is truly august, and worthy of our awe, from the far, far deserts that stretch thousands of square miles, to the tiny forget-me-not you find on a mountainous hike.

Take a minute to look around with wonder next time you're enjoying nature and think of how awesome it is--and how truly awe-inspiring the Master of the Universe is for taking the time to create our world, right down to the ants crawling around in the blades of grass between our toes.

All of today's photo's were taken by either myself or TMOTH during a vacation to Colorado in July 2007, which was the last time we were in my (current) favorite state. Given a detailed map, I can approximate all three locations, and the one with the river I know for a fact was near 11 Mile Reservoir along the S. Platte River. TMOTH is pictured in this WAY down the river if you've got a big enough copy to spot him. :)

Until next time,


P.S. Tomorrow is my wedding anniversary with TMOTH! 9 years together... and we haven't killed each other yet. ;) Seriously, love this guy more each year, and excited to have at least another 59 with him, Lord willing. -- L.S.

A Call For Freedom

Freedom.

It's something many Americans celebrate during the month of July, usually corresponding with our Declaration of Independence Day, July 4. Many honor the real reason behind the day off from work, but many view it as a day to barbeque, go to the lake, get drunk, and maybe watch some fireworks.

As I watch many of our freedoms dissolve for a variety of reasons, I like to think the Founders--the Thomas Jeffersons, James Madisons, George Washingtons, John Hancocks--would be appalled at the state of American "freedom" in 2011. Our "freedom" allows millions of innocent babies to be murdered every year. Our "freedom" is being told we must purchase health insurance. Our "freedom" demands more than 25% of our paychecks every year.

I could go on.

Photo by JackieMBarr

I don't like to use my Word Wanderings blog as a platform to make a political statement. In fact, in the 2+ years I've been writing this blog, I've tried very hard to keep my political leanings OFF the blog. This is extremely hard as I approach my twentieth year of political involvement next year.

I'm not making an exception simply because the ChristianWriters.com blog chain topic is Freedom for July. I am continually bothered by the freedoms that are being encroached on day in and day out. Because I don't want to get legally groped at an airport, I don't fly any more. I've been threatening to get my private pilot's license for years, and if I had the dinero to do so, I'd have it.

Freedom is something to be treasured. It should be something honored, and others shouldn't trample on it, whether they be for so-called "good" reasons or not. As Americans, we should fight all efforts to thwart our freedoms, whether they be from Islamic terrorists or from members of congress. When freedom is gone, we perish. To thrive as a people, as a nation, we need to be free.

As a mother, I want to leave my kids freer than I feel I am now. It would be the greatest gift I can give to them.



I hope you'll check out the rest of this month's bloggers on the blog chain. I'm sure not all of them will be quite as partisan as mine. *grin*

7/1: Lynn Mosher, Heading Home

7/3: Brian Jones, Alambraidria

7/4: Traci Bonney, Tracings

7/5: Debra Ann Elliott, Sticks and Stepping Stones

7/6: Carol Peterson, From Carol's Quill

7/7: Cindee Snider Re, Breathe Deeply

7/10: Keith Wallis, wordsculptures

7/11: Liberty Speidel, Word Wanderings

7/12: Terrie Thorpe, Light for the Journey

7/13: Nona King, Word Obsession

7/14: Chris Vonada, I'm Just Thinkin'

7/16: Scott Fields, Dead Man Writing

7/18: Michael Galloway, Horizons

7/20: Victor Travison, Lightwalker's View

7/21: Edward Lewis, Sowing the Seeds

7/22: Sarah Grace, Write-Minded

7/23: Anita Estes, New Life Dialogue

7/25: Chris Depew, The Beulah Land Blog

7/27: Tracy Krauss, Expression Express

7/28: Marilyn, Life 101 Understanding It All

7/30: Chris Henderson, TheWriteChris

Until next time,

Take Some Time To Breathe

This is a part of the monthly ChristianWriters.com blog chain. This month's topic is "Fresh Air."

"All good writing is like swimming underwater and holding your breath."
— F. Scott Fitzgerald

I feel like I just came up for air... again. 

Last week, I finished some massive edits on Homebody, edits that had me seriously changing one of the storylines. I think (hope, pray) the edits make sense and actually make a stronger story. It's with one of my fellow CWer critters right now. I guess we'll see.

Photo by MaHidoodi

Whenever I finish a project, I feel like I've just come up from air after being underwater too long. With Homebody, it's been something where I've been coming back up for air over the last 5 or so years, only to be forced back under again. Then, I escape my captor, grab a breath, then get caught again. Sometimes, other captors grab me, giving Homebody a necessary break, but it's always something. I have to be working on something.

As much as I love the feeling of being able to say "It's done... for now," I feel restless without a project to work on. When I was younger, I'd just switch hobbies for a while. That's when I usually made something with some yarn and crochet hooks. Now, I feel completely unproductive unless I've got something to write. I sometimes wonder if I'll ever be able to crochet or sew again without feeling guilty about not writing. My craft storage box--where I keep a collection of crochet hooks, patterns, and candle-making supplies--hasn't been touched in well over a year. 

I've already taken my gasp of breath and dived into the rewrite of my futuristic mystery/sci-fi Cora's Song--which is going to get renamed, to what, I'm not sure. Maybe I'll take suggestions.

But, I digress.

As much as I appreciate the ability for some artists to take lengthy breaks between projects, I'm not sure I could ever be one of them. Sure, I'm a sporadic writer right now. It kinda goes with the territory of having a 10-month old and an active preschooler. But, I can see myself being one of those über-productive writers who spend 6 - 8 hours a day writing, and publishing 4 - 6 books a year. I read an article about Nora Roberts a while back. This reflects some of her habits. Totally inspired me.

Until that happens and the kids are a little older, I'll keep at it, taking a quick burst of fresh air between projects, and diving back into it.

Today's Question: Do you take time to "breathe" between writing projects? If so, how long do you take?

Until next time,

Traveling on the Writer's Journey

Photo by: Ed Coyle Photography on Flickr

This month with the ChristianWriters.com blog chain, the topic is "The Journey." It could be any type of journey, but I thought I'd share a bit of my writer's journey.

I remember writing stories as early as around 2nd Grade. My favorite TV show at the time was Disney's Rescue Rangers. I was fascinated by the main characters: two chipmunks and two mice, especially the female mouse, Gadget. I even named a hamster after her. *grin*

My stories weren't sophisticated by any means. Although, looking back, I have found that some of my obsessions were clear even at that early age. (I have a hard time writing a novel-length story without a female side character being pregnant. Go figure that one out.) I was also already obsessed with right and wrong, even though my introduction to the mystery genre wouldn't happen until I was ten.

Enter: Nancy Drew and her cohorts, the Hardy Boys.

Sidenote: I still have a crush on Ned Nickerson and Frank Hardy.  Though, admittedly, I think I've got it worse for Tony Stark these days... Don't tell TMOTH. ;)


After reading almost every book in the multiple series I could get my hands on, I decided to try my hand at writing again--mostly because it was pretty much the only thing I would read and the publisher wasn't putting them out fast enough.

Long story short: started writing fan fiction, which eventually evolved into writing my own stories with new characters (although there were a lot of similarities to Nancy, Frank and Joe, as well as people in my own life.) Finished writing a novel, thought it was terrific. Sent it out to a couple of publishers (including some of the bigger ones.)

Ohhhhh Boy.

I ran across the notebook with some of that original draft in it a few years ago.

I am so glad I got rejected! Talk about embarrassing.

I was so blessed as a writer to start going to a Sister's in Crime chapter near my hometown in my late teens. And, though it was extremely painful, I attended the critique group that met separately almost religiously (until I met TMOTH, that is.) The ladies in the group were tough, yet kind, and really helped me see where I could mature as a writer. I still remember being so angry, mostly with myself, the first time I got an honest critique. It was very painful, but words I needed to hear.

That first group pointed out my flaws, and encouraged me to keep working. Slowly but surely, I improved.

But, then I moved away and got married.

For about a two-year period around the time I was dating, then after I married TMOTH, I did little to no writing, despite the fact I held a journalism degree. Slowly, I started writing again. I wrote one novel which I'm not sure will ever see the light of day to get the blood flowing again. Started a few more, then I caught an idea that wouldn't let go. Off I went, writing.

And writing.

And rewriting.

And having a baby or two.

And editing.

And tweaking.

And getting critiqued.

And editing some more.

And adding new scenes.

And now, that story is Homebody. Which I'm hoping to start getting into agents' hands this summer or early fall.

There's something to be said for those early attempts--and my first critique group. I wouldn't be half the writer I am today without early encouragement and constructive criticism. I've given out some tough critiques to people before, so I know it's not easy to give out hard words that need to be heard, but am I forever grateful to the five women who took time to help mold me into the writer I am today. So, thank you: Anne, Lori, Laurie, Janet and Nancy. I don't know where you are today as I lost touch after I got married, but I hope you have all gotten closer to your publishing dreams.

Photo by: Laurentzziu on Flickr

Before I go, let me remind you to check out everyone's posts this month:

• 5/1: Keith Wallis, wordsculptures
• 5/4: Chris Vonada, I'm Just Thinkin'
• 5/5: Jan Christiansen, Refreshed By the Word
• 5/6: Scott Fields, Dead Man Writing
• 5/7: Cindee Snider Re, Breathe Deeply
• 5/8: Traci Bonney, Tracings
• 5/10: Janna Dyck, Writing for Life
• 5/13: Chris Henderson, TheWriteChris
• 5/14: Nona King, Word Obsession
• 5/16: Liberty Speidel, Word Wanderings
• 5/18: Victor Travison, Lightwalker's View
• 5/19: Tracy Krauss, Expression Express
• 5/20: Carol Peterson, From Carol's Quill
• 5/21: Edward Lewis, Sowing the Seeds
• 5/23: Debra Ann Elliott, Writing with Debra
• 5/24: Lynn Mosher, Heading Home
• 5/25: Chris Perdue: The Bible Stop
• 5/26: Sarah Grace Write-Minded
• 5/30: Sheila Hollinghead, A Spring of Living Water

Until next time,

April is for Easter

Hello, lovely readers!

I know many of my readers are from ChristianWriters.com, but many aren't. As such, I wanted to draw your attention to this month's blog chain. I won't be participating this month--hey, I've got a lot on my plate, more than I can handle--but I don't want my readers to miss out.

The topic this month is Easter, and I know everyone involved in this month's chain won't disappoint. I urge you to check out as many of these posts as you can as they pop up through the month. And, be sure to check my side-bar for last minute changes and updates.

The schedule--as of April 1-- is as follows:

• April 1: Chris Henderson, TheWriteChris
• April 2: Jan Christiansen, Refreshed by The Word
• April 4: Adam Collings, The Collings Zone
• April 6: Sheila Hollinghead,A Spring of Living Water
• April 7: Cindee Snider Re, Breathe Deeply
• April 9: Scott Fields, Dead Man Writing
• April 11: Nona King, Word Obsession
• April 13: Tracy Krauss, Expression Express
• April 17: Keith Wallis, wordsculptures
• April 20: Victor Travison, Lightwalker's View
• April 22: Lynn Mosher, Heading Home
• April 23: Traci Bonney, Tracings
• April 24: Debra Ann Elliott, Writing with Debra
• April 25: Chris Perdue: The Bible Stop
• April 26: Chris Depew: The Beulah Land Blog
• April 27: Edward Lewis, Sowing the Seeds
• April 29: Carol Peterson, From Carol's Quill

As for me, April seems to be a regrouping month. This week, we're expecting my son's diagnosis, so once we know for sure (hopefully!) what's going on, I should be able to figure out, at least for the short term, what my schedule is likely to be like. Which means I may be able to fit in some writing time. I desperately need to start writing daily again. My brain feels like it's filled with kid's movies, medications, and medical research, when I'd rather it be filled with agent searches, plots, and characters. (Well, how about all 6 items.)

Please go check out the blog chain and chime in at my friends' blogs. I'll try to be back next week with either an update on my son or a blog on writing.

Until next time,

Swirls In My Brain

It's nearly midnight, the night before this post is scheduled to post. One that I should have written weeks ago, since this is part of the ChristianWriters.com blog chain, and I've known the topic for a while.

The topic this month is swirling, and quite honestly, the only swirling I can think about is the swirling of the things going on in my head, most of which do not involve writing, sadly.

• Loose prayers echo through my skull, sometimes forming sentences I voice to God.
  
• Thoughts of the things I need to do tomorrow.
  
• Hopes that one of these days, my life will resume some semblance of "normal."
  
• Concerns over new tests ordered for my son and what the results could mean in the long term.
  
• Wondering when I may be able to resume a regular writing schedule.

The first item there is key. I can take the swirls in my head and voice them to God, and help calm all the confusion and chaos lurking inside my brain. I've been doing that a lot lately, a lot more than I used to, even a month or so ago. Praying can be very calming.

With the level of stress in my house right now, calm is in short supply, but I find if I can pray things out, even if it's just asking God to give my little boy another good day--usually meaning one in which vomit is not on the game plan for the day--I can be more calm, which helps keep my stress factor down.

Though, for some reason, my hair isn't reflecting this. I have about three times as many gray's as I did a year ago, and I haven't even hit the big 3-0 yet!

Hey, at least I still have my sense of humor.

"Cold Prayer" by Keith Riley-Whittingham

As a side note, due to the extreme craziness in my house right now, I may not be posting as regularly for a while. I intend to still strive for posts twice a month, and I'll try to continue on my regular weekly schedule, though some of these may be filled by guests.

By the way, if you are a writer or a reader and would like to be a guest blogger, whether to discuss a topic you've longed to have voiced, or to promote your upcoming book, please send me a note using the Contact Me button to the right of this post. I'd love to hear from you, and am always open to new bloggers, though I do prefer to keep the topic to writing and books.

Until next time,

Love, True Love

Image from azzriel666 on DeviantArt.com

Ah... Valentine's Day. The day we celebrate romance.

Who doesn't love a good romance? The warm-fuzzy feelings, the tender looks, knowing that one special person adores you.

This month for the ChristianWriters.com blog chain, the topic is--you guessed it!--Love.

I've only been in one romantic relationship in my life. I married him. But, I've been "in love" many times. Growing up, I had crushes on male friends, convinced there would never be anyone else I could ever possibly love. Even a month before my now-husband asked me to marry him, someone asked me about my future college plans and my boyfriend (I was preparing to graduate from community college and looking to go to a state university that fall.) I said I'd try to keep up a long-distance relationship. They asked about another guy whom I still had a crush on. I said if that person was interested in pursuing a relationship, I had no qualms about dating both of them.

Then I got engaged, and I didn't pursue my four year degree.

Sometimes, I still wonder how my life would have been different if I'd waited to get my four-year degree. Would I still have married my husband? Would that other guy have approached me? I don't regret the decisions I made... but I wonder.



While I love my husband and our children, there's Someone I love more, and He loves me more than my husband and children ever could. His love is perfect. He doesn't care if I slip up sometimes and do something like forget to tell TMOTH about something I broke during the day that he discovers when he gets home. Jesus cares when I'm having a bad day, a good day, or a somewhere-in-between day.

He's the greatest Lover of all. He knows me and my strengths and weaknesses better than I know them myself. I love that about Him. He knows and understands how much I try, and sometimes feel like a failure no matter what I attempt. I love that, too. He doesn't care when I can't put two sentences together in a logical manner--or two words. When I have no words, I can go to Him and He understands, even if I don't quite yet.

God is awesome like that.

On this Valentine's Day, while you're telling those around you how much you love them, why don't you take a few minutes to tell God how much you love Him and let Him tell you how much He loves you.


Until next time,

New Beginnings

This month, the ChristianWriters.com blog chain's topic is New Beginnings.

This got me thinking about all the "new beginnings" in my own life. I'll be 29 in a few months, and over the last decade or so, I've seen a lot of them:

Photo by *Jaymz-86 at DeviantArt.

• Learning to deal with life after my parents' divorce.
• Getting married and moving away from my dad and sister.
• Starting new jobs.
• Failing at projects.
• Becoming a mother.
• Writing new stories.

That's just to name a few. I've left out several that are more private that I don't care to share today.

New beginnings, like a new year, give us a chance to change things about ourselves or our situations that need to be altered, or you want to stop or start doing in your life. Sometimes it's in the form of a rude awakening: a job loss, financial difficulty, the loss of a close loved one. Sometimes, it's just a situational change, a new baby, for instance.

How you face your new beginnings tells others a great deal about you. Are you bitter about what's happened, or do you accept it with grace?

Many people don't get the chance to start over; many choose not to do so even when given the opportunity. There's many things in my life right now that I feel like I'm back to square one on. They're out of my control (as so many things in life are--that's a really important lesson to learn) so I have to accept them, deal with them as best I know how to, and move forward.

I'm blessed that my new beginnings are easier by having Jesus with me every step of the way, as well as TMOTH (The Man Of The House--my husband).

"For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." -- Jesus in Matthew 11:30

No matter what new beginnings I have month to month, year to year, I find great comfort in this passage, knowing my Lord and Savior is right there with me.


How about you? How have you handled the new beginnings in your life? Are you faced with any new things right now?


Until next time,

Christmas Isn't What It Used To Be

Photo by DreAminginDigITal via DeviantArt.

I'm finding it harder as an adult to get into the Christmas spirit than it was when I was a kid. As a child, I couldn't wait to decorate the tree, start playing Christmas tunes, and of course there was Christmas morning. I have vivid memories of mornings where my parents had artfully arranged the gifts around the tree the night before. Every Christmas morning was magical.

Now, with divorced parents plus in-laws who want to see us, Christmas is, quite honestly, an energy drainer for me. I actually have begun to loathe the holiday season because it means that I don't get recharged and get through it feeling more exhausted than before.

I've tried to explain this to TMOTH (The Man of The House), but I'm not sure he really gets it. And while I understand his wanting to see family, I'm getting to be of the opinion that that's what family reunions are for. It's a drain to watch people open gifts, gorge themselves on too much food, and spend too little time honoring what the season is really supposed to be about: the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Maybe that's why the season is such a problem for me: we're focused on the wrong things. Instead of attending a church service together, we gorge ourselves on turkey with the trimmings. Of course none of us visit each others churches since none of us can agree on a church. (My church tends to close down for Christmas anyway, so there are Christmas Eve services--on three nights no less!--but nothing Christmas day.)

This year, let's try not to be so focused on having the "perfect" dinner, or finding the "perfect" gift for someone. In these rough economic times, it's best not to feel the added pressure that the season creates anyway. I know my own Christmas giving will be leaner this year. Focus instead on your immediate family. Be thankful--and express it!--to God for sending us His Son. Make a tradition you want to continue in your life. The pastor of my church, after the gift exchange, has a tradition of putting a discarded bow on his head, sitting under the tree, and reflecting on what God has given him as well as what he can give to God. Maybe that's something you could do as well.

I wish you the happiest of Christmases. I pray you find how truly blessed you are, regardless of how abundant or lean this year may be for you.

Please enjoy this Christmas tune. It's one of my favorites.



Until next time,

What I'm Thankful For

This month in the ChristianWriters.com blog chain, the theme is Thankfulness and Thanksgiving.

I had this post all ready to go a few weeks ago, and thought it was great, but now, I need to add this. I've left the rest of my original post below, but I need to get this first part off my chest.

This has been a very tough year for myself and my family. It seems we've had battle after battle, hurdle after hurdle since December last year. The most recent battles are coming on top of each other: selling our home/needing to move, and finding out our son has a condition called failure to thrive.

When days go like they've gone in the last week or so for me, it's tough to find much to be thankful for. Last Wednesday, my son was positively diagnosed with FTT (Failure to thrive). Tomorrow, we see a dermatologist about his problem eczema, the day after, back to his doctor to see if he's gaining weight. I've been so worried about my little guy that my daughter has started throwing more tantrums. *sigh* Makes writing a difficult impossible prospect.

For right now, I want to state I'm incredibly thankful for my doctor. She's calm, collected, and takes my concerns as a mom seriously. She's also proactive. I know where we're going with the treatment of my son, and as a mom, that's something I appreciate--I know what I can expect.

On days where things aren't going well, try to find the one bright spot in your life, no matter how dim it may be comparatively.

And now, my original post:

By ~NefaroStock at DeviantArt.com

First off, I'd like to remind folks that across America, there are falsehoods taught about the origins of Thanksgiving in public schools. Kids these days are often taught that the Pilgrims gave thanks to the Native Americans.

Nope. Nada. Uh-uh.

The Pilgrims gave thanks to Almighty God. My CW friend Tamera Lynn Kraft has a thumbnail sketch of the history at her blog. And, Rush Limbaugh has a chapter on it in his book, See, I Told You So. Both are accurate in their presentations.


This year, I have a lot to be thankful for. A year ago, I had one child. Today, I have two very beautiful children. At this time last year, I wasn't even aware I was pregnant. (This year, I'd better not be!) Both my children, though they can frustrate me to no end, bring a lot of joy to my life.

My husband and I celebrated eight years of wedded bliss this year. We've had our ups and downs, and this year has definitely been difficult for us, but I'm so thankful for my wonderful, sexy husband.

I'm very thankful that my elderly grandparents finally moved back to the city where they have family close by that can be over at their place in a matter of minutes rather than hours. My grandpa turned 90 this year, my grandma 87, and it's a blessing to have them closer--and that they can spend more time with their only great-grandchildren in this hemisphere. (They have a third in Asia, but that's another story.)

There's a lot more that I'm thankful for, but for now, I'll leave it at that. I hope over the next few weeks, you stop and ponder the meaning of thankfulness, and remember to thank God for the blessings in your life--even for the difficulties.

And be sure to tell those in your life how thankful you are for them. You never know--they may need to hear it.

Many Thanksgiving blessings.

Pitch It! (follow up)

I redid my pitch based on some of the comments I received. I tried to add the changes in the body of my original post, but for some reason, Blogger doesn't like me today. So, here it is. Original first, then the redo.

Old:

Finding dead bodies is not what journalist-cum-real estate investor Amanda O'Flannigan had in mind when she changed careers. All she wanted was a distraction from the recent death of her fiancé. A man dying in her arms doesn't do much to help her grief.

As she investigates the man's death, she stumbles into a web of lies and half-truths. If anyone knows the full story behind the victim's life and death, they aren't sharing.

Rick Pierce has been in love with Amanda for a decade. A year and a half after the tragedy, Rick has worked up the nerve to tell Amanda how he feels. But with Amanda still lost in the past, how can he convince her he's the one she needs to be with?

The possibility of romance isn’t enough to erase the fact two convicts Amanda helped put away have escaped prison and are on a mission to find the woman who made their life hell. Intent on torturing and killing her, they're on a warpath to her doorstep. Are they responsible for the growing number of murders among Amanda's tenants?

As Amanda races to find the murderers and stop the men who want her dead, she must learn to look to her future. Rick will stop at nothing to make sure she sees that future realized.

New:

Finding dead bodies is not what journalist-turned-real estate investor Amanda O'Flannigan had in mind when she changed careers. All she wanted was a distraction from the recent death of her fiancé. A former tenant dying in her arms doesn't do much to help her grief. As she investigates the man's death, Amanda stumbles into a web of lies and half-truths.

Two convicts Amanda helped put away have escaped. Intent on torturing and killing her, they're on a warpath to her doorstep. Are they responsible for the growing number of murders among Amanda's tenants?

Enter Rick Pierce. He has been in love with Amanda for a decade. A year and a half after the tragedy, Rick has worked up the nerve to tell Amanda how he feels. With Amanda caught up in the past as she races to stop the men who want her dead, how will Rick make her see their future together?

So, what say you? Better? Worse?

Until next time,

Pitch It!

For the October Christian Writers blog chain, we're pitching our novels! (Or doing a little tutorial on pitches.)

What is a pitch? 

A pitch is basically a way to sell your novel. Think of it like the trailer to that movie you're going to go see because of the commercials you've seen on TV. It's a tease; it gives the reader an idea on what your book is about. Some authors now are making their own book videos (K.M. Weiland has an AWESOME one for her novel Behold the Dawn.) But, most readers aren't going to go track down your video; they're going to read the blurb on the jacket cover of your book at the bookstore.

Photo from DeviantArt's SixSecondsLess

That's essentially what a pitch is, something that a reader sees that whets their appetite to read your book. Or, as in my case, something to whet the appetite of an agent or editor.

This month, I'm sharing the pitch for my novel, Homebody. And, it's up to you, my lovely reader, to help me improve the pitch. Tell me if what I've written would make you want to read more. If it's sitting on the shelf next to Nora Roberts, would you choose mine or hers? (Or, name another of your favorite authors.)

I'm pulling this directly from the latest query I've drafted--so I need it to be good!

Homebody:

Finding dead bodies is not what journalist-cum-real estate investor Amanda O'Flannigan had in mind when she changed careers. All she wanted was a distraction from the recent death of her fiancé. A man dying in her arms doesn't do much to help her grief.

As she investigates the man's death, she stumbles into a web of lies and half-truths. If anyone knows the full story behind the victim's life and death, they aren't sharing.

Rick Pierce has been in love with Amanda for a decade. A year and a half after the tragedy, Rick has worked up the nerve to tell Amanda how he feels. But with Amanda still lost in the past, how can he convince her he's the one she needs to be with?

The possibility of romance isn’t enough to erase the fact two convicts Amanda helped put away have escaped prison and are on a mission to find the woman who made their life hell. Intent on torturing and killing her, they're on a warpath to her doorstep. Are they responsible for the growing number of murders among Amanda's tenants?

As Amanda races to find the murderers and stop the men who want her dead, she must learn to look to her future. Rick will stop at nothing to make sure she sees that future realized.
 

So, what do you think? Would you want to take this book home?

Until next time,

School and the Impact on a Writer

Okay, I did it again! I'm participating in the ChristianWriters.com blog chain (see links on the right for the full roll). This may turn into a regular thing, so stay tuned.

Photo from: LeoNn via DeviantArt

September's topic is "It's All About School".

I had what you'd call a "unique" school experience. From kindergarten through 5th grade, I went to public schools. After that, I was home-schooled until my parents split up, which happened to be in my senior year. Technically, I never finished high-school (there, I've said it publicly!) because my parents never ordered my final year's curriculum, and I don't have a diploma or GED. However, I did go to college and completed my degree in Journalism.

Having that "unique" experience has definitely shaped me. If I'm not careful, I revert to a hermit state, which is good for the writer, but not so hot for relationships. I hated being home-schooled, and spent much of that time as a hermit, leaving my house for the rare doctor's appointment, 4-H meetings, to go to the library, and when I was forced to leave by either of my parents. (That's probably an exaggeration, but not much.)

That alone time coupled with the fact that, since I was home-schooled, I had more time on my hands meant my imagination had a lot of room to roam. Most of my reading material consisted of Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys, thus feeding my mind with adventurous capers and mysteries, plus a little bit of romance thanks to Nancy and Ned, and occasionally Nancy and Frank Hardy in the so-called "Supermysteries" that were produced in the 1990s.

When the publisher began slowing down their output of the books, I had to do something! I turned to fan fiction. Shortly thereafter, when I realized what was happening and there wouldn't be any new books, I decided I'd create my own stories and characters. It was in my mid-teens that the character Amanda O'Flannigan was born, who stars in some of the stories I write now. While Amanda was most decidedly a clone of Nancy at the time, she's changed over the 12 - 15 years I've been working with her, becoming more sophisticated and complex. Other than physical looks, she's nothing like the original I wrote about all those years ago.

Photo from: IvanJS via DeviantArt

It's all because of school. Had I not been home-schooled, I may not have discovered my love of writing, at least not so early in my life. So while I still lambaste my own experiences, and I still wish some things had been different, I do have to acknowledge that I may not have become who I am now--a writer--had I not had those experiences.

And you know what? I don't think I'd change that one bit. Not even if it meant I'd been able to go to a prom, graduate with my peers, be able to go to a high school reunion (which my 10th reunion would have been this year, come to think of it.) I like who I've become.

Until next time,

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1.02.28

The Discomfort Zone

I just had to accept this challenge. Even being far pregnant, I can't turn down something like this. So, here I am, eight months pregnant, racking my brain to come up with what to say about writing outside of your comfort zone.

First, I do want to acknowledge my friend and critter Nina Rose who organized this blog chain. She's a wonderful writer, as are all of the writers who joined the chain. If you haven't had a chance to check out what they have to say about the Discomfort Zone, I've got links at the bottom of this post.

Getting outside ones comfort zone is something I feel is important if you want to be even remotely successful--whether that's in business, life, or, in our cases, writing. It takes guts to send your hard work out into the world, to be critiqued, criticized, pulled apart, and hopefully published. If you can come through all this and still stand with your head tall and planting one foot in front of the other, moving towards your goals, more power to you. Well done!

With writing, though, it can get pretty easy to get into a funk, especially if you write genre novels like I do. You follow a set pattern that's generally acceptable to the genre (dead body, red herrings, near-death scene when your hero discovers the bad guy) and push repeat, changing scenarios as needed, but basically write the same story five, ten, fifteen or more times.

How do you get out of that funk though, even if you're a multiple-published author?

Switch things up.

Change genres. Do something completely out of the ordinary.

For the better part of 15 years, I've been writing. For most of those years, I've written what most people would consider solid, traditional mysteries.

That is, until about two and a half years ago.

Having grown up on Star Wars movies and Star Trek television shows, my heart has always been in outer-space. I started wanting to write a book with a space setting. But, I had to have characters and plot to do that.

I've also been involved in politics for longer than I've been writing. I follow issues, politicians, and talk radio. For many years, one of my senators has given updates on human trafficking and ways he's been working to stop it. All it took was one of those writerly moments and, Bam! I had a plot, characters, setting.

This is where the discomfort zone kicks in. I write what could be called a cozy mystery--maybe some violence, but not a ton. Not a lot of overt sexuality. Other than my occasional use of swear words, I tend to write a fairly clean book.

I found, at least in my first draft, that in order to tell this story, I had to get out of my comfort zone and write scenes that were very uncomfortable for me. I wanted to show what was happening through my victim's eyes. It was almost impossible to accomplish without being graphic. Very different from what I usually write. There was more than one time that I wrote a scene that nearly turned my stomach.

But I pressed on. It was necessary for the story. While all of these scenes that turned my stomach in the first draft may not last the next round of edits and rewrites (when I can get them done with a toddler and an infant in the house!) I know that by writing these scenes, I've pushed my own bounds and, hopefully, made myself that much of a stronger writer.

So, what do you need to do to push your own boundaries? Do you need to take a certain risk in the story you're writing? I challenge you to take that risk--you never know how it may impact your writing later on.

Until next time,

The following writers either have been or will be participating in the blog chain. Please check out their websites to see their thoughts, join their followers, and generally chime in. Some of the writers you should recognize as part of my ongoing summer substitute teachers. Enjoy!

Ruth Rockafield -- July 1
Nina Rose -- July 4
Edward Lewis -- July 6
Tracy Kraus -- July 7
Kat Connolly -- July 8
Linda Yezak -- July 9
Lynn Mosher -- July 10
Nona King -- July 11
Victor Travison -- July 14
Janalyn Voigt -- July 15
Adam Collings -- July 17
Chris Solaas -- July 27
Suzanne Hartmann -- July 30