On Writing and Moving

In the wee hours of the morning, when sleep was curiously absent, I listened to Diana Gabaldon, author of the popular “Outlander) series talk about writing. One particular part of her speech jumped out at me. She said, “I write all the time.” Apparently, when she gets stuck on one thing, she switches to something else. Then, she switches to another something else and keeps doing this until the first thing she was writing on starts speaking to her again. “This way,” she told her audience, “I’m always writing and don’t lose my momentum as easily as if I stopped writing altogether.”

Sound advice, and one I am starting to put in to practice. The story I’m currently working on comes to me in spurts. Actually, everything I work on comes to me that way. For a few weeks I’ll be focused totally on a story, and then, poof, it’ll stop talking to me. If I stop writing altogether, it takes a while to get my momentum up and running. So, when the characters aren’t talking, I work on my blog posts. I work on 2 blogs, so sometimes, this can be a lot of writing. I also write in my personal diary, which I started in January of 2016. Since then, I rarely go a day without writing something. I hope it shows up in my books. :)

Speaking of Diana Gabaldon, I enjoy her writing. I don’t always agree with the content of her books, but she is an excellent writer. Her writing advice is worth listening to. She knows how to use words to great effect. From my personal experience, this is a skill to be learned. Then again, growing up listening to audio books, sometimes I just know without being able to explain, why a particular word fits a particular sentence. This can drive my poor children crazy during language arts class, BTW. But, I digress.

The other day while editing a paragraph, I couldn’t think of the “right” word that would convey the meaning or emotions of the scene. So, I looked it up on an online thesaurus. The “right” word, turns out was already there. Looking it up only confirmed it to me, but I had known it all the time. Of course, this doesn’t happen every time I sit down to write. Sometimes, words just aren’t there. But, the more I study words, the more I learn how to use them.

Which brings me to the point of this post that I have been avoiding—what to talk about today. Ha! I’m only writing down what has been going through my mind about writing lately. I have no point, except to talk about writing. I have very little to say that would be of interest to the world, so I’m talking about one of the things I not only enjoy but want to learn how to do better.

Someone asked me how to blog the other day. It probably was a scammer, but I answered, just the same and said something along the lines of, “Find a topic you or your followers are interested in, write what you want, and be consistent.” Then, I had to ask myself, am I doing those things? Does what I want to talk about interest anyone? After blogging for a year, is anyone listening, anyway? LOL

Ok, announcement time. I am moving. Nope, not out of my teensy house that doesn’t have enough bathrooms or kitchen counters but here on the web. That’s right, I have a new website. This blog will stay here, but from now on, you can find me at sjwellsauthor.com.

sjwellsauthor.com has a Books page that lists all my current published books and where you can purchase them online. It also has a sample of one of them for you to read. Another page is the Old Blogs page, which gives you the link to this blog plus one I kept several years ago, oldtimechristian.blogspot.com. You can follow my blog on my new site, and connect with me on Facebook. Keep in mind, though, it is a work in progress and isn’t all that it will be. :) I’m excited about the new site, and I hope you will come visit me there.

Well, I know I usually end my posts with, “Come back next week”, but I won’t be blogging here any longer. You’ll have to hop over to sjwellsauthor.com and see what’s cookin’ over there. God bless you, faithful readers for sticking with me, and I pray I’ll see you at my new home on the web.

Presenting Christian Author, Heather Day Gilbert

Hello and welcome! So excited that you could be with me this week. Today, I am interviewing HEATHER DAY GILBERT, a Grace Award winner and bestselling author who writes novels that capture life in all its messy, bittersweet, hope-filled glory. Born and raised in the West Virginia mountains, generational story-telling runs in her blood. Heather writes Viking historicals and contemporary mystery/suspense. Publisher's Weekly gave Heather's Viking historical Forest Child a starred review, saying it is "an engaging story depicting timeless human struggles with faith, love, loyalty, and leadership.”

I first heard of Heather through a friend who suggested I look up her books on Audible. I read “Miranda Warning”, and I loved her characters so much, I knew I had to introduce y’all.

Q: So, Heather, I was telling everyone how much I enjoyed your characters from "Miranda Warning".  What inspired you to set that book in the mountains of WV?

A: I was actually born in West Virginia and, except for three years in South Carolina (where my accent was solidified), I grew up in West Virginia. I'd heard plenty of ghost stories and real-life unsolved mysteries set in these mountains, so I knew there would be no better place to set a mystery series! Also, I really wanted to bring a taste of modern-day West Virginia to readers. West Virginia is a mixed bag—it's full of wild beauty, yet it's also full of families that have been ripped apart by drug addictions. I enjoy working real-life details into my West Virginia-set books, since I do live here once again.

Q: How old were you when you first knew you wanted to be a writer?

A: From the time I could read (around age four), I've loved words. I won an essay contest in the fifth grade, which was encouraging, since I'd whipped up that paper the morning it was due. ;) But I guess I was about twelve when I wrote my first poem (about our first visit to the ocean), and I ran over to tell my mom and grandma my epiphany: I was a writer. My family has always believed in my writing abilities, even when I doubt them! But I wasn't able to start writing novels in earnest until my children were out of their toddler years.

Q: From where do you get your inspiration for your characters?

A: Often, my characters are kind of built around certain types of people—I want them to be people you feel you know because they're so believable. Personality tests have really opened my eyes as to why some people are so very different from me. As a matter of fact, I'm kind of strange myself (I'm an ENTJ on the Myers-Briggs, a "Commander," which is a rare female type).

I do think men are so fun to write, especially when they turn out to have a similar personality as my husband (yes, Thomas Spencer in my mystery series is quite similar to my man). I think I draw from anyone I know or have known, but no one character is exactly the same as someone I know. They have similarities, yes, but they are always different enough that I can maintain my  objective writing distance. (I'm controlling these characters' fates, after all!)

Q: Can you tell us about other books you have written and where we can find them for sale?

A: I’ll link to my books below. All are available in softcover except the Indie Publishing Handbook and “Kill Zone: Ten Deadly Thrillers”. Both of my mysteries, “Miranda Warning” and “Trial by Twelve”, are available in audiobook format as well (on Audible), as well as my Viking historical, “God's Daughter”. All my books and the vendor links where you can purchase them are listed on my blog's book page.

“Trial by Twelve” is my second mystery, and I'm working on the third one, “Guilt by Association”, which will hopefully release this December. I have a romantic suspense novella out, titled “Out of Circulation”, and the second in that series, “Undercut”, will first release with the “Kill Zone: Ten Deadly Thrillers” boxed set that's up for preorder. These romantic suspense novellas are also set in West Virginia.

I also have two bestselling Viking historicals, "God's Daughter" and "Forest Child", which are based on real Viking women who sailed to North America. Also, my Viking romance novella “The Distant Tide” is found exclusively in The Message in a Bottle Romance Collection.

Finally, I've written a short handbook for authors who are considering independent publishing titled “Indie Publishing Handbook: Four Key Elements for the Self-Publisher”, and you can find it here.

Q: What is next on the horizon?

A: As I mentioned above, Undercut will release with the Box Set

 
October (it's a steal at 99c/preorder for 10 all-new thriller novellas by bestselling Christian authors, and the price is going up to $5.99 after release). Undercut will have its individual release (also in softcover format) later in October. Then I hope to release my third mystery, Guilt by Association, in December. I have other things in the works, but those are my top priorities for this year!

Q: One of my favorite scenes in “Miranda warning” was the one at church. Can you tell us about your faith and how much of a role It plays in your writing?

A: I’d be glad to. All my books are written from a Christian worldview (since I'm a Christian author!). In some of my books, that worldview is more overt, but it's never preachy. You'll find I have very flawed characters who wrestle with sins and who have character arcs that might span an entire series (just like we're works-in-progress until we die!). 

I liked writing that church scene in Miranda Warning because Tess didn't grow up in a Christian home, and she has lots of questions. It's important to show churches where those questions are welcomed. 

Thanks so much for letting me visit today! 

Thank you for allowing me to feature you on my blog. I can't wait to read more of your books.

To find out more about Heather, you can check out her website at heatherdaygilbert.com.

And, now, for the moment you have all been waiting for, we’re giving away 2 paperback copies of “Miranda warning”. To enter, just comment below, tell us your name, and leave an email address where we can reach you. Contest ends on Sunday, August 20, 2017 at 11:59 PM. Winners will be contacted via email, and if they wish, their names will be announced here on the blog next Tuesday, August 22, 2017. Note: Leaving comments on Facebook will not enter you into the contest. Good luck. :)

Lil Bit of Wisdom

Tuesday again, and I find myself unable to concentrate on a subject to write about. I thought of telling you about my vacation last week, but we didn’t do anything terribly exciting. I wanted to come up with some biblical wisdom, but all that is running through my mind is God’s goodness and grace. Certainly he is enough, so maybe I’ll talk about that.

While scrubbing my bathtub earlier, I had this profound thought: I have to put some muscle into ridding my tub of grime, but the Lord washes me clean with only one drop of Jesus blood. How awesome is that? Seems like we try and try to better ourselves, knowing all along we can not do anything to fix ourselves. Only His blood makes us clean. It isn’t even hard for Him.

I’ve also been thinking of organization. I have none, BTW, at least, none that would make sense to anyone else. My oldest daughter, however, is organizing the bowls that we keep seashells in. She wants to make them look pretty. Me, I'd just dump them in there and call it a job well done. She is taking her time, making sure each one fits the best. Guess maybe she’s doing something the Lord does all the time: putting us where we will look and work out the best. We fight Him, sometimes. We don’t like this particular job or situation. We’d rather do this or that, but He knows best how and where we will fit to make His plan what He knows it can be. Lord, let me be a little seashell in your hand, so you can put me where you want me.

Spent all week during my vacation thinking of my characters, Mercy and Gabriel. Had a brainstorming session with my friend and couldn’t wait to get home where I was sure inspiration would flood my mind like a…well, a flood. Hahaha! But, last night, I clearly heard conversation in my mind that is intended strictly for another manuscript. Wow, haven’t thought of that one in a month or more. So, before my cleaning spree today, I sat down and worked a bit on it.

Well, think I’m about out of words for now, so even though this was short, praying y’all have a safe week. Remember, I’m doing an interview and a giveaway. Two weeks from now on August 15. I’ll be creating an event on my FB page, so come on over and check it out. The address to the FB page is facebook.com/sjwellsauthor/

Blessings to you all.

A little Music History

Hi, there. So glad you chose to be with me today. A few days ago, while doing some research, I came across an interesting tidbit that I want to share. I don’t know if it will show up in any future books, but I just thought it was cool. Come along, as we talk about singing.

I grew up in country churches, where hymns were sung to a piano. We sang songs like, “Amazing Grace”, “Just As I Am”, “Victory in Jesus”, and “Pass Me Not Oh Gentle Saviour”. Worship music was something fancy churches sang down town or something we sang at church camp.

Fast forward several years. My family and I attend a church down town where worship music is common. Our praise and worship team do songs like, “Chain Breaker”, “Amazing Grace, My Chains are Gone”, “Revelation Song” and “Jesus Messiah”. The instruments accompanying the singing include a piano, guitars, drums, a cello, and once in a while a mandolin. Something more important has changed, though-my heart, because God is too big to fit in just one type of music.

But, lest you don’t believe me, let’s rewind time back to 1650. We’re in Scotland, and there is a new book of psalms put in metrical form. In other words, lots of somebodies rearranged the words in the book of Psalms from the Bible and put them to metre. The tunes are interchangeable, just make sure you keep the timing. Some radical things are happening here, and not everyone is convinced that God will be pleased with this type of worship. I mean, it wasn’t so long ago that the singing was done in latin. And, don’t forget, we’re not supposed to add or take away from the Scriptures. Yes, these metrical psalms are the correct words, but they are all jumbled up so that the songs rhyme. *Gasp*

Now, step ahead in time a few years into 1700’s America. Immigrants are flooding into this English conglomerate of colonies, and since we’re Scots, for now, we’re taking our Psaltery with us. There are some English writers who are coming up with their own worship songs that aren’t necessarily from the Psalms, but we’re going to be careful of them. I mean, do you know anywhere in the Bible where it says, “Alas, and did my Saviour bleed and did my Sov'reign die? Would He devote that sacred head for such a worm as I?”

When I begin writing about new characters and times and places, I like to research what type of music was popular. If possible, I like to listen to it, to try and get a better feel of what my characters felt like, what they said and what they might have thought. When I typed in “1700’s music”, though, I found that while Google and Youtube have music from that time period, my characters probably would not have heard it until much later in life. What they would have been familiar with were songs sang in church. What kind of church singing? Well, metrical psalms, of course.

The first song I found was based from Psalm 130. Check it out on Youtube. The second was Psalm 23 put to the tune of “Amazing Grace”. Beautiful. Take a listen.

What type of music brings you into His presence? What type of singing lifts your soul? We are all different, and there is no right or wrong answer. As long as it is bringing glory to God, He will love it.

Coming up soon I’ll be doing an author interview and a giveaway, so stay tuned to my Facebook page for updates. Ever heard of Heather Day Gilbert? I’ll be creating an event, so y’all won’t miss it.

Until next Tuesday, have a fantastic week, and hop on over to facebook.com/adkinsandwells/ for lots more fun stuff.

Blessings.

Some Thoughts on Research and Some Other Random Stuff

A couple of weeks ago, I told you about some updates. One thing I didn’t mention is the book I started last spring, the one I blogged about. The series on that story is all here, and each post begins with “Pondering A Story”, if you want to check them out.

The reason I haven’t mentioned Miss Mercy and Gabriel is because I’ve been busy finishing up and editing the book soon to be released, “His Yankee Wife”. Also, the end of the school year happened, and I went a little crazy trying to finish. But, now that summer is here, “His Yankee Wife” is almost ready and things have slowed down, my mind is returning to the 1700’s.

Yesterday, I was doing a little research and came across an interesting tidbit. In 1752 Britain and others changed from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian. On Wednesday, Sept. 2, folks said their goodnights and awakened the next morning to Thursday, Sept. 14. Many grew angry and blamed the British government for stealing 12 days of their lives. Another change was New Year’s. Celebrated on March 26, they had to get used to Jan. 1. Ever wondered why Orthodox Churches celebrate Easter on a different day? Blame it on that crazy change in calendars.

For the passed 3 years, I have been immersing myself in 1860’s America. I have watched documentaries on the Civil War, downloaded 2 albums of Civil War era music, studied how they dressed, what they ate, where they went, how they spoke, the lasting effects of the war between the states, and I could go on and on. A lot of useless, or rather useless for now knowledge is hid up in my brain. So, I don’t have to tell you how hard it is to get used to a different century when it comes to this new story. But, this is how it works for me.

Back when I wrote, "A Moment in Time" I had to delve into Scottish history and the Scotland of today. What they wore, what they ate, how they spoke, I even had dreams of visiting Scotland. :) But, I literally had to get as close as I could in order to get inside my characters’ heads, especially the hero, Colin. Then, when I began working on “His Yankee Wife” I had to do the same. Now, I need to know as much about this other time and place in order to become my characters.

Researching the 1700’s in America is actually pretty easy, thanks to Colonial Williamsburg and their website. There are videos and articles galore detailing what they ate, how they talked, and I’m hoping someday to go down to Virginia and visit. Listening to the type of music from back then is easy, as well, thanks to Youtube. Only problem is my heroine is rather poor and would not have had access to operas or concerts. Neither does she have a piano forte, harpsichord or violin. Her indentured servant can sing though, so she’s in for a treat. :) I’m looking forward to immersing myself in Colonial Virginia, though.

In the meantime, plans have been made for a photo shoot for the cover of “His Yankee Wife”. The hair stylist has agreed to do my model’s hair, and 2 costumes have been picked out for my model to try. We also have a location, a little, stone house a few miles away. I spoke with someone yesterday about a few braille business cards to hand out when my friend and I do our presentation at the NFB state convention in September, and my friend, Anita and I are thinking of going live on facebook.com/adkinsandwells to promote our book coming out soon, “Ducking into UEB”, a textbook that teaches unified English braille to 4-12 graders and older learners.

Yikes, it sounds like I’m busy. It’s what I love, though. But, I think I’ve been typing too much for today. So, I’m going to hop off here and play around with a shawl I started knitting this morning. Need to give my brain time to wander into the past. Take care, come back next Tuesday when I’ll tell you all about that photo shoot.

Be blessed.

Updates

Everyone is always asking me, “Are you still writing?” To that, I like to say, “Still writing? I haven’t stopped.” :) Read on, and you’ll see what I mean.

Growing up, I had a habit I want to tell you about. During a boring class, such as math, instead of doing the work assigned to me, I would make up stories in my head and write them on my braille writer. Needless to say, I had lots of homework to do in order to keep up. Today, when my students, AKA my daughters are busy doing math, I open the Mac book and write. Something about math, any school subject, actually, brings out the writer in me, which brings me to my first update.

For the past three years I have been working on a historical fiction novel. It takes place both in the present and the past. A wounded soldier returns to her old hometown to keep a promise she made to her best friend. While there, she finds a book about her ancestors, who fought at the battle of Shiloh in the American Civil War. The book is in the editing stages, and I will be putting together a cover in a few weeks. I’m thinking of having a contest on Facebook, so you all can help me choose which cover you like best, so stay tuned for that. As for a publication date, I don’t have one nailed down yet, but I’m thinking September. The book is called, “His Yankee Wife”, and I’ll be talking more about it as publication day draws nearer. Keep watching my FB page for updates.

Now, what’s this talk about nonfiction? Well, I’m gonna tell ya. :) My good friend, Anita Adkins, author of "A Brother's Love" has written a book to teach Unified English Braille, the current standard for braille in the US called, “Ducking into UEB”. It is for children in grades 4-12 and older readers. She asked me several months ago if I could provide any fictional material for children. I had a story laying around, so I gave it to her. She incorporated it, and suddenly, we are collaborating. In order to establish an online platform, we started a blog back in January 2017. We take turns writing articles for it, and we have a lot of fun over there, so we’d love for you to come over and check us out. The blog is found at adkinsandwells.blogspot.com. We’re also on Facebook.

And, while I’m on the subject of the writing team of Adkins and Wells, I want to announce that we will be presenting at the WV chapter of the National Federation of the Blind conference in Charleston, WV on Saturday, Sept. 9. More details about that to follow, but we will be speaking about our books, about writing, blogging and what life is like as authors and educators who are blind. We will also be selling some books.

As if those projects aren’t enough, I am writing the story of a man who broke his neck while diving several years ago. He is a quadriplegic, and not only does he go to the movies, the mall and to the pool with his family, he paints with a brush held between his teeth. A truly inspiring individual, I can’t wait to share this book with you and desire your prayers while I am writing it.

So, that about wraps it up as far as updates go. Busy? Yes, but I’m loving it. Always enjoy hearing from my readers, so feel free to get in touch. Fill out the contact form on this blog, or send an email to oldtimechristian@gmail.com. You can also come over and “like” my Facebook page facebook.com/sjwellsauthor.

Praying you are spending more time smiling this summer than ever before in your life. Take care and catch ya next Tuesday. Just now, I got some runnin' to do and friends to visit. :)

Blessings.

From The Crazy Writer

You don't think writers are crazy? Well, you'd better take a closer look, 'cause I'm here to tell ya, I'm as crazy as it gets. Keep reading; I have proof.

Proof number 1.
During the day, I can't stop talking to my characters, thinking about my characters and writing about my characters. I'm working on a new project, and so far, my momentum has not slowed down. At night, I think about them, pray for them and even hear them talk to me in my sleep. This would naturally sound crazy, but no more crazier than I've ever been. But, you see, this time the characters aren't of my own making; they are real people. Yep, living, breathing people who probably thought I was a weirdo stalker at first. Hey, they might still think it, but at least they aren't treating me like it to my face. LOL

Proof number 2.
If there is something I don't understand that pertains to my characters, I will research that something to death. Yesterday, my daughter and I were looking up "football for dummies" on Youtube, just so I would understand the significants of a 90 yard touch down. My other daughter hears us and comes running into the living room, hollering, "Why are you two talking about football, when you aren't into sports what so ever?" Thankfully, do to my daughter's eye sight and Youtube, I got it. Now, all I can think of is wow, I sure could have acted more impressed when he told me about his 90 yard touch down. LOL

Proof number 3.
This evening, I sent a portion of today's writings to one of my best friends who is also my editor. She hadn't had time to read and comment, by the time I contacted her. You know what I almost said? Ahem, I almost said, "I don't need to hear whether it is good or not; I already know it is good." Yeah, if that isn't crazy, ain't nothing crazy. LOL

See what I mean? I just gave you 3 good reasons why I might be "off my trolly" as they say in England. There is hope, though, and knowing this, I have confidence that all will work out in the end. The story will get written, because it's the Lord's will, and He will make sure His will gets done. There will be another project for me to obsess over, when this book is finished. I know this because there is one waiting in the wings, already.  And, lastly, the New Testament is full of verses that begin with the phrase, "And it came to pass". Notice, it did not come to stay. It came to pass. This crazy season will not last forever. Just gotta work while it is day and pray all night long. :)

Now, I know last week I promised a post about what is going on around here, and I will write that post. But, since I have been writing so much...like as in seven pages since Saturday morning...I can't put together anymore than what I'm putting together right now. Not real sure, but I'm thinking those seven pages equals about six thousand words. So thankful for you, faithful readers for sticking with me. Hopefully, I will be able to put together a more coherent post next week. Until then, keep praying, keep reading and gear up for an awesome story based on a real life hero.

Be blessed.

Note to Self

“Note to self…” You’ve heard that saying before, I’m sure. Probably even said it, yourself. That’s part of what I’m going to talk about today. So, with that in mind, let’s jump in and start each of the next few paragraphs with the phrase “Note to self”.

If it seems too good to be true, then chances are it is too good to be true. A publishing company who will edit, format, distribute, sell and promote your book all for $999 is quite possibly trying to rip you off. After getting scammed by a publishing company back in 2009 and then self publishing three books with the help of a friend, I think I’d rather go with my gut here.

If you spend a lot of time talking to folks about their lives so you can write their story, chances are you will think about them all night long. This is not a hardship, BTW. It’s a great opportunity to pray. However, when you start talking about them all the time, then it’s probably best to back off so they won’t think you are a stalker. :)

If you drink caffeinated beverages all day, then you’re going to be awake most of the night, unable to shut off your brain.

If you don’t turn on the dryer, the clothes will remain wet. I know this is like duh, but I just thought I’d add it here.

If you want to feel God’s Holy Spirit moving, then open your mouth and praise Him. He is worthy to be praised. Amen?

If you don’t turn on the crockpot, your food will not get cooked. Again, I hear you saying “well, duh”, but stick with me; I do have a point to all this.

Talking about doing something is all fine and good, but it won’t amount to anything if I don’t get my hands in there and do it. We’re having homemade soup for dinner, hopefully. I cut up the potato, opened a couple of cans and mixed it all up with the left over roast we had Sunday. But, if I had sat on my couch and talked about it without doing anything, we would be hungry come dinnertime.

The same goes with doing laundry or writing a book. Talking about writing is easy. Writing the words down, now that takes some effort. Sometimes, I wish the words would go from my brain right to the page, but it never happens. I actually have to put my fingers on the keyboard and type out words. *gasp* LOL

Even after the words are on the page, most of the time they need edited. I misspell them, get them backward and often just plain get them wrong. But, thankfully there is a delete button.

Sometimes in life, there is no delete button. In fact, we only get one life to live. No do-overs. We can go back and apologize for hurtful words, we can ask the Lord to forgive us, and He will, but we can never go back and redo the past. Hindsight might be 20/20, but the future is uncharted territory, and our only guide is the one who is, who was and who is to come.

So, keep making those notes to yourself, don’t forget where you came from, but, more important, don’t be afraid to grab hold of God’s big, warm hand and step out into the future. It might be scary, but He has more out there for you than you have ever dreamed of.

Thanks for being with me today. I would love to hear from you, so drop me a comment. Y’all take care and remember to pray for each other.

Taking Out the Garbage

Last Tuesday I talked about the results of binge reading. Today, I’m going to talk about ways I get rid of the extra garbage in my brain after one of those reading binges.

Seeing as how we serve a mighty God who already has the answers to everything, I thought it best to look into the Word, first. Here’s what I found.

“Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word” Psalms 119:9 KJV

After reading 7 books pretty much back to back, I can tell you there is a need for cleansing. According to the psalmist, taking heed to God’s Word is the answer. Yep, more reading, but this time, it’s the kind of reading that satisfies my soul. :)

Another way I expel the extras in my brain is to write about them. I keep a personal journal, in which I allow myself to say anything. Doesn’t matter if it makes sense or not, doesn’t matter if it matters or not. I let myself say whatever is on my mind. So, I write about the characters or how the story made me feel. I quote a passage from the book that either bothers me or sticks with me for some other reason. I make up my own version of the story, which, BTW, can lead to some very bad stories that I can’t bring myself to delete. LOL The key here is to give myself a chance to talk about what I’ve read to someone. It just happens, that someone is me and my heavenly Father. No use keeping secrets from Him, anyway. He knows all, sees all and still loves me, even when I’m being stupid.

Sometimes, if the books that I have devoured are especially clingy after reading, I stop reading completely. Except for my Bible, I don’t read anyone else’s work but my own. I listen to music or play music or crochet or knit or bake. I have gone months without reading any fiction but my own, which is probably why I go on a reading binge to start with. LOL

Books, especially the good ones with real characters and unpredictable endings are more than just something to read when I’m bored; they become part of me. I know that sounds loony, but characters stick inside my mind like real people. Usually, the only way to quiet them down is to write them out. So, as an author, understanding what makes real characters has become important to me. If an author can make a character pop off the page, then it doesn’t matter whether that character is male or female, werewolf, vampire, smoke jumper, doctor, ghost, shapeshifter, cowboy, gunfighter, beautician, soldier, police officer, preacher, time traveler, slave, pirate, Martian or whatever. Just make them real.

To add some humor and show you how my mind works, here are some story ideas from some reading binges from the past. Keep in mind, many of these  are too bad to share.

Young lady sets out on the Oregon Trail with her family and falls for the mysterious mountain man who is guiding the wagon train. (I did start this one, but can't seem to finish it.)

In 2117, a woman is given the task of teaching a man from Mars how to live on Earth and falls for him.

A blind woman’s werewolf husband changes to become her guide dog whenever she goes anywhere, scaring off anyone who would try to approach her. (This would actually come in handy) LOL

A woman travels back in time and finds not only the man of her dreams but her faith in God. (Oh, wait a minute, that one turned into a book, "A Moment in Time")

A young woman is on the run from the law and is captured by the one man who can teach her about God’s forgiveness. (Oh, wait, that turned into a book, too, "Wild Heart")

Female physician takes in a man wanted by the law and falls for him, all the while praying for his salvation. (Ok, that one is a book, too, "To Tame A Heart")

A wounded soldier comes home to heal and finds a book about her ancestors who fought in the Civil War. (Oh, dear, I think I’m starting a trend, because that one is turning into a book that hopefully will be published this year.)

To sum it all up, my way of taking out the trash in my head is to write it out. Some of these story ideas are just plain silly, but some of them work. The only way to know is to write them and see.

Thanks for spending your Tuesday with me. I hope you’ll come back often. Be blessed and remember God loves you.

Binge Reading

Binge: (according to dictionary.com) a period or bout, usually brief, of excessive indulgence, as in eating, drinking alcoholic beverages, etc.; spree.

The results of an eating spree would include the following:

an overload of food in my body,

a feeling of discomfort and sluggishness, especially if that food was full of carbs and sugar,

my system would take a long time to digest said food,

I would gain weight,

and last but not least,

I would be out of food.

If I over indulged in alcoholic beverages, some of the results might include the following:

a lot of liquid in my system,

impaired brain function do to the alcoholic content in said beverages,

a need to expel that liquid in my system,

and, if I went way too far,

death.

There was a time in my life when I would have said, the above speculation and facts had nothing to do with my excessive reading habits. Now that I have some experience behind me, I know that the above speculation and facts have a lot to do with it. Notice, faithful readers, I did not say I was wiser than before, just experienced. Wiser would imply that I do not make mistakes in this area. Alas, I do make these kinds of mistakes. Ergo, last week’s reading binge.

It started out innocently enough. Early on a Monday, I remembered a book I had started but hadn’t finished. Wanting to finish it, I downloaded it and started listening. I finished it, and found another that sounded good. And, another, and another, and… By the time Friday evening rolled around, I had listened to 5 audio books, which seriously depleted my credits on audible.com. A friend asked if I had got my fill. I told her yes, but then yesterday, I downloaded 2 more and finished them this afternoon.

Results of binge reading may include the following:

too many characters yapping inside my head,

too much information vying for space inside my head,

unfinished house and school work,

Manuscripts of mine still waiting around to be worked on,

Sleepless nights,

a feeling of disconnect with the outside world,

hearing my thoughts in the voice of the narrator of those audio books,

no blog post last Tuesday

less time spent in prayer,

less time reading God’s Word,

and, last but not least,

A sense of emptiness, because the books I read, while funny and full of action and good characters, cannot satisfy my soul.

To use the words of king Solomon in Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.”

My conclusion, therefore, is this: just as binge eating has consequences, so does binge reading, and it’s going to take a while for my brain to expel the garbage of my over indulgence. As for what you can take away from this post, remember that little song from Sunday School? “Oh, be careful little ears what you hear. Oh, be careful little ears what you hear. For the Father up above is looking down in love, so be careful little ears what you hear.”

What goes in the ear most times comes out the mouth, so let’s sing another verse. “Oh, be careful little mouth what you say. Oh, be careful little mouth what you say. For the Father up above is looking down in love, so be careful little mouth what you say.”

Thanks for being with me today. Come back next Tuesday, when, Lord willing, I’ll talk about just how I usually expel garbage from my brain. No need for paper towels, either; this mess is usually harmless.

Be blessed, and pray for me. :)

Happy Mother's Day

_{Happy Mother’s Day to all moms out there! So glad you could join me. Today, I have a gift just for you, faithful readers. Excerpts. Yep, you heard me. Free excerpts of my books, all of them focusing on moms and mothering.}

_{The three ladies you are about to meet are as different as night and day, yet they have one thing in common; all of them take on the care of someone in need of a mother. Maggie Scott is a mom and an aunt. Dr. Faith Valentine takes on the responsibility of ten orphaned children who live next door. Lady Ann MacQueen Davidson is a widow living in her brother’s home with her teenager son. Now that I think of it, these ladies have something else in common; all are believers. Oh, and one more thing, all are fictional. They weren’t created with anyone special in mind, but as I read over these excerpts, I can’t help but remember what my life was like while I wrote about them and see characteristics of folks I either know or once knew.}

_{Living several miles away from her 18-year-old daughter, Maggie Scott from "Wild Heart"} is a seamstress. In the scene you are about to read, her nephew and former neighbor have just arrived unexpectedly in the night. Maggie first came West on the California trail back in 1850. In the 1860’s, she moved with her husband and daughter to Wyoming to ranch. Now, she is living in New Mexico near her ailing brother. She loves to feed people, and she makes no secret about being a matchmaker. She rather puts me in mind of my Papaw’s sister who insisted on feeding you every time you came to her house. Come with me to Maggie’s cozy kitchen.

Maggie reached into her cupboard and retrieved three mugs.  After pouring the coffee, she placed the hot mugs before her guests, and then began to slice the cinnamon cake.  When everyone was served, including herself, she sat down and asked, "So, what brings the two of you to Silver City?”

She watched with curiosity as the young people at her table looked at one another.  Shewana opened her mouth to reply, but Gage beat her to it.

"We were just passing through on our way to Cheyenne," he said.

Maggie gave him a look that said more plainly than words, "Sure you are.”

Gage met her gaze and tried to tell her with his eyes to let it alone, but apparently she either didn't understand, or she didn't care.

"Going to Cheyenne?" she asked.  "Well, that's nice.  Shewana, your brother's up there, isn't he?  Well, so if you're going to Cheyenne, where are you coming from?”

"Coming from?" Gage asked, not sure he understood her question.

"Yes, coming from," Maggie reiterated.  "Where did you two meet up?  In Texas?"  Then, as a thought struck her, she asked, incredulously, "You two aren't married, are you?”

Shewana choked on her bite of cake, and Gage's eyes grew wide.  Maggie enjoyed watching them, even though she knew it wasn't really all that funny.

After a silence that seemed to go on forever, Shewana managed, "Married?  Uh, no, Maggie, we are most definitely not married.  Whatever gave you that idea?”

"Well," Maggie said, "I've never seen the two of you together.  In fact, I didn't even know the two of you knew one another.  I just…”

"It’s ok, Maggie," said Gage, rising to his feet.  "Shewana's right.  We're not married; we're just traveling together.  I'm going to carry our bags upstairs.  I'll be back in a minute.”

Hurriedly standing to her feet, Shewana said, embarrassed, "I think I'll go up with you.  I'm sort of tired.  Thanks for the coffee and cake, Maggie.  I hope you will excuse me turning in so early.”

Knowing that there was more here than what met the eye, Maggie decided to wait until she had Gage alone to press further.  Aloud, she said, "No problem, Honey.  You sleep as long as you like.”

Faith Valentine from "To Tame A Heart" is a physician in a town where no one has ever heard of a woman doctor. The orphans who are her neighbors keep her hopping, but she wouldn’t trade them for a moment. If she could, she’d take them all in as her own. While I am eternally grateful the Lord only blessed me with two children, Faith’s busyness of always cleaning up after sick folks puts me in mind of myself when my girls were small. LOL Seems like I was always wiping up messes on the floor, changing diapers and walking the floors at night. Let’s go see what Faith and the children are into now.

When the door was opened, she stared in puzzlement at the four smallest children from the orphanage: Megan, Blake, Tracey and Kierstin.

"Good morning," she greeted.  "Is there something wrong?"

Why are they looking so serious?

Pulling her thumb out of her mouth with an audible pop, little Kierstin said, "There's a big fight down by the jail and Candace says you need to come."

"At this hour?" she asked, incredulous.  "But, who…  Why me?"

"Cause somebody beat Colbey up," the child answered before replacing her thumb in its customary place.

"Oh for pity sake!" Faith exclaimed, before slamming her door, lifting her skirts and running with the children toward the jail.

What kind of trouble has that boy caused this time?

Reaching the middle of town, all Faith could see was a crowd of people.  They were standing around something or someone, but she could not see over them, not at first.

"Let me through," she commanded, shoving shoulders aside.

The people moved apart, allowing her amidst them.

There was indeed a big fight, or rather, there had been.  Now all she saw were bloody faces and a motley group of boys and girls standing around a single figure who lay silent in the mud.

Kneeling at his side, Faith touched a finger to Colbey's neck and was glad to feel a strong, if rapid, heartbeat.  He looked awful, blood and bruises all over his face and his clothes all torn and muddy. But, he was alive.

Glancing up, she met Ruby's green eyes and commanded, "Go get me some water, Ruby.  Candace," she said to the teenager whose face was tear-streaked, go get my bag for me."

The children were not long in obeying; they knew her well and knew she meant for them to hurry.

"Colbey!" Faith called kindly, wiping away the dirt and blood from his face, "Colbey, wake up.  Come on, Son, open your eyes and talk to me."

Then, as Candace handed her the bag, she grabbed up a bottle of ammonia.  She uncorked it, passed it beneath her patient's nose and called out, "Colbey!  Come on, Colbey!"

Suddenly, his eyes flew open and he tried to sit up.

"Careful, there," she said, steadying him with a hand to his shoulder.

He turned his head and tried to meet her gaze, but his eyes were swelling shut fast.

Colbey," she began, gently, taking his hand, "Colbey, do you think you can stand up?"

He nodded, so she and Candace helping, he managed to get to his feet.  They steadied him and, glancing around at the staring faces, Faith asked, "Is anyone else injured?"

No one answered.  They just stood there like knot heads and stared wide-eyed at her.

"What?" she asked in exasperation.

"Ain't you even going to go in and check on your husband?" a male voice asked from somewhere in the crowd.

Her husband?

Glancing around, she looked for Deric, but did not see him.  Then, her eyes were drawn to the barred window near the corner of the jailhouse.  And there, looking out upon the scene in the street with troubled eyes was Deric Christy.  He was unshaven and still wearing the clothes he had worn the day before.  When their eyes met, she felt her face burn with shame and not a little anger.

"Uh, Miss…  Uh, Doctor, if you'd like, I'll help you get this young man home.  We can talk then.”

Lady Ann from "A Moment in Time" has lost her husband, and now her son is critically injured. The woman she is trusting to care for her only son has strange ways about her, but since her brother trusts this new person in their midst, Lady Ann must trust as well. I tried to think of someone who reminds me of her, but she is original, unlike anyone I know.  Come with me back to 15th century Scotland where Lady Ann’s son is being cared for by a 21st century American.

Even before my fingers touched the young man’s brow, I knew we were in trouble. I bit down on my bottom lip and ordered my face not to show any emotion.

"Mayhap he is in need of more of your wee rocks?”

The trembling voice of Lady Ann from somewhere behind me penetrated through the fear choking me and I turned to her.

She looked like she was about to cry. Twisting a handkerchief between shaking hands, her blue eyes implored me to do something.

"My lady," I said, having no idea how I managed to sound so calm and respectful, "If you could reach my hand bag over here, I’ll have your son resting quietly in no time.”

"Aye, Annie, get Mistress Bronwen her things.”

I flashed Himself a grateful glance, then turned back to the bed.

When Lady Ann handed me my bag, I tried to talk her and her brother in to leaving me to my work, but the expression in the laird’s eyes told me he knew there was reason for concern. Geordy’s mother and uncle were going nowhere.

I knew what I would find when I unwrapped the bandages, and I was right; the wounds were swollen, warm to the touch and reddened. One of the gashes was beginning to ooze yellow pus. Not taking my eyes from the affected area, I reached a hand toward my bag. This young man was going to need that codeine in order to make it through the coming ordeal.

Instead of the well-worn denim of my shoulder strap, however, my hand was grasped and a bottle placed in my palm. I glanced up only to see Colin’s somber face. He wrapped my fingers around the plastic bottle of pills and pushed it toward me.

"Nephew," he said, voice full of tenderness, "ye need to swallow more rocks, and Mistress Bronwen needs to fix up your wounds.”

"Aye, uncle, I know," came the whispered reply from the bed.

"It’s going to hurt, laddy.”

"Aye, well, she better get to it before I lose my courage.”

The difficulty was not the task of washing the wounds with whisky. No, that was the easy part. The difficult part was seeing Geordy’s pain. The codeine hadn’t had time to start working on his system, and, braw lad that he was, he had still needed his uncle to hold him down during the worst parts. Honestly, I don’t know who cried more, Lady Ann or me. By the time I had spread a thick layer of antibiotic cream on the wounds and wrapped clean bandages around them, all four of us were damp with perspiration and dragging with fatigue.

I slumped on to a stool and leaned my back against the stone wall, closing my eyes.

"Will... Will Geordy be all right?”

Clutching the shoulder strap of my bag, I wanted so much to lie to Lady Ann, but I couldn’t.

Opening my eyes, I met her gaze head on.

"Only time will tell," I said, then shut my eyes against her pain.

The sound of pouring liquid came to my ears and then Colin’s voice.

"Take a drink, Annie.”

"I dinna want it," she said.

"I dinna care what ye want. Drink it. Ye are no help to anyone if ye dinna take care of yourself.”

She must have obeyed, because the next time I heard him speak, his tone was more gentle.

I looked, and the MacQueen was lowering his sister to the pallet I had slept in the night before. He touched her cheek, told her to rest, then stepped away and faced me.

Any woman can be a mother, but it takes a real woman to be a real mom. I think it’s rather funny, sometimes when I look back at my own childhood. As a youngster, I thought my mom had it figured out. Then, I became a teenager and Mom didn’t know a thing. Now that I have girls of my own, I realize, we all have one thing in common; we are all just trying to do our best and figure it out as we go. A newborn will teach you that you don’t know anything. A busy toddler will teach you what it means to be alert. A preteen will teach you that only God can convict your child and know what and who they are talking to when you aren’t around. My oldest will be twelve in August, so I’m sure there’s more learning up around the bend, but for now, I gotta go on what I know. Only way I know to do that with any peace is to put my trust in the one who created us. He is ever faithful, and it is His will that my girls trust in Him.

I hope you have enjoyed this post, and i pray you’ll make Jesus the Lord of your life. Be sure and join me each Tuesday. I don’t always know what I’m going to say, but I post something each week. Take care, be blessed and hug your mama, if she is still living. If she isn’t, here’s a big ole hug from me. XX