Missing Mom

By Andrea Boeshaar


Two years ago this month my mother died, losing her battle to breast cancer. Tomorrow (the 6th) would have been Mom's 77th birthday. One of her friends called me on Sunday afternoon to say he would be driving up to put flowers on her grave. Mom is definitely missed.

When I was growing up, Mom sewed her own clothes, always wanting to resemble the fashionable Jackie Kennedy. Mom was a homemaker until I was about ten-years-old. At that time, she returned to the University of Madison and earned her Masters Degree. 

In the mid-1970s, Mom purchased the Milwaukee Auction Galleries and Chestnut Court Appraisals. 

After I was married and my kids were born, Mom was a dedicated grandmother...


 

And a dedicated great-grandmother in addition to being a businesswoman.

And even after she learned she had breast cancer, Mom went to work every day. She loved to research the origin of paintings and other valuable pieces of art. She enjoyed talking to interesting people almost as much as she enjoyed helping underprivileged  families. 

Mom's death left a crater in our family and I would strongly urge women to get their yearly mammograms. Many forms of breast cancer are beatable - some without surgery - if discovered early. 

Find out more at the the American Cancer Society's breast cancer page.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO

If Mom were here, she'd probably say, "Work hard, help others, make memories, and enjoy the life God has given you." It's what she taught me, anyway.

Happy Birthday, Mom. I miss you.

HEAR THE WIND CHIMES? IT MUST BE FALL.

I love the sound of wind chimes. As soon as I'm relatively certain that it won't snow again (usually about mid-May here in Wisconsin), I hang up my wind chimes outside. I love hearing them catch the breezes all summer long. But I especially enjoy hearing wind chimes in the fall. 

Perhaps it's because the trees have lost their leaves that the wind chimes sound louder, clearer, and, at nighttime, even haunting, but they do.

In my story Broken Things (Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas), I have one of my four main characters, Jack Callahan, hearing someone's wind chimes off in the distance as he walks to his car. Wind chimes, to me, are so indicative of the season -- perhaps as much as the turning leaves -- and Broken Things begins in the fall of 1999. 

Book Origins

The story was first published in 2003 by Barbour Publishing. Years later, it went out of print and, with the rights mine again, I decided to update, revise, and correct any editorial oversights in the original copy before reprinting it.

However, I realized through trial and error that I couldn't self-publish and still get the professional copy I desired. The problem was solved when publisher Eddie Jones at Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas took care of the reprint side of things. The updated version of Broken Things is now available in ebook and traditional  print formats

I'm pleased with the finished product. Here's a blurb...

An old photograph prompts Allison Drake Littenberg to return to Chicago to mend fences with family members and friends, particularly Jack Callahan, the handsome cop she left back in 1969. Now, 30 years later, Jack is bitter from bad decisions and a nasty divorce. Even so, Allie prays that God will use her own broken past to touch his life – and the life of a dying, abused, and disheartened woman who, Allie realizes, is the key to unlocking answers to decades of questions.

Can she reach them both? Will God use her to successfully open Jack’s deadbolted heart? 

*      *     *

Broken Things can be purchased online via Amazon.com. Click here for details.

This Summer Read Realms!

Later this month the winners of the IRCAs will be announced. IRCA stands for Inspirational Readers Choice Award and it's sponsored by Romance Writers of America's inspirational chapter, Faith, Hope & Love (FHL). I'm so honored that my novel Threads of Faith (book 2 in my series) is a finalist in this year's competition.

What makes this contest different from many others is that entries (aka Christian novels) aren't judged by authors' peers. The books are judged by real readers of inspirational fiction. 

Readers like you!

So what are readers saying about Threads of Faith?

 "I like the way Ms. Boeshaar writes. She is an accomplished author who knows how to deliver true to life dialog and create characters that you fall in love with. The love story between Julianna and Daniel is a lot of fun and this book is filled with plenty of action to keep you turning the pages. This is an excellent read! I recommend it." VicG

"I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and am excited to find a new historical Christian writer." Jodie A Wolfe

"This was a wonderful book that takes readers on a journey from England to America, and invites you to witness the adventure that is made to get there. This was my first book by Andrea Boeshaar, and I was very pleased with everything about it. Her pacing is done well and she has a knack for really making her readers care for the characters they are reading about!" Chelsey Lynn


Book 3 in my series Threads of Love is now available also. Out of all the 30 novels that I've
written, Threads of Love is one of my favorites!

Many of us Realms authors have had our fiction final or we've won awards which says that the authors posting on this blog are top notch. This summer read Realms. If you can't find the title you're interested in at the bookstore, ask a clerk to order it for you. Or purchase the book online. 

As a reader, you won't be sorry.

Big Day in May

By Andrea Boeshaar

www.andreaboeshaar.com

Follow me on Twitter: @AndreaBoeshaar

& on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/Andrea.Boeshaar

Next week, (May 7), I’ll give birth to my third and final book in my Fabric of Time series, titled Threads of Love. The very next day, my daughter-in-law will give birth to my fifth grandchild – WHOO-HOO! Unless another is chosen at the last minute, her name will either be Ashleigh Faith or Jenna Faith – my vote is for the later, that is if my vote counts.  *smile*

I had the privilege of sitting in on one of my daughter-in-law’s ultrasounds and the baby turned just at the right time and I saw her little face! I told my son, who sat beside me, that she resembles her sister Alyson (who is 2 1/2). What a thrill to get a peek inside the womb at my granddaughter! 

My granddaughter -- coming soon!

Way back in the stone ages (ha, ha…) when I delivered my three sons, ultrasounds weren't common practice unless doctors felt that there was something wrong with the baby. Epidurals weren't given on a regular basis either. Funny, how I recall my mother and mother-in-law peppering me with stories about when they gave birth to their children in hospital maternity wards – forget about that having your own birthing suite business. Back in the 1950s women had roommates! Hospitals had visiting hours. Female nurses wore white dresses and caps.

My, my, but times do change!

My great-grandmother  and her sons
(including my grandfather,
sitting in front of the dog).

In my novel Threads of Love, readers can see how much has changed since 1902, the year in which the story is set. I had so much fun writing this novel because my great-grandparents were married in the year 1900. My grandfather was born in 1906. The early 1900s are years I just can remember – not because I lived them, obviously, but because of the tales I heard from my grandfather and grandmother and others as well as the pictures I still have today.

I believe handing stories down from one generation to the next is biblical. Take a look at Psalm 78:5-7.

He established a testimony in Jacob
    and appointed a law in Israel,
which he commanded our fathers
    to teach to their children,
 that the next generation might know them,
    the children yet unborn,
and arise and tell them to their children,
    so that they should set their hope in God
and not forget the works of God,
    but keep his commandments;

While it's fact that not everything I heard from older relatives was godly, all of it worked together for God’s good in bringing me to Him. 

We learn from the past – which is why birthing both a new book and a new baby is so much more pleasant today than a century – or even 50 years ago. Wouldn't you agree?

I’d love to hear from you -- and you can win a FREE, signed copy of Threads of Love. Simply leave a comment along with your email address and you’ll be entered into the contest. I’ll select a winner on Sunday afternoon. Happy reading!

*Threads of Love will be available after May 8th in traditional print and e-book formats. Ask for it at your favorite bookstore or order it online!

A Grammy's Influence

By Andrea Boeshaar

In early February I had the most wonderful visit with my son, daughter-in-law, and my fabulous grandkids in upper Michigan. My son is a pastor at a church in a small community on Lake Superior. In the summertime, the tiny town is thriving with vacationers and fishing enthusiasts, but in the winter it's frozen and quiet.

My daughter-in-law home-schools my granddaughter who's 7 -- 7 going on 16. There aren't many other little girls at the church they pastor and my son mentioned that Anna really needs friends with whom she can talk and giggle. She's really struggling at times with feeling isolated. She goes a lot of places with my daughter-in-law and participates in some of the ladies' activities. But for Anna it's not the same and she misses her friends in Milwaukee.

On Saturday, I attended a Bible study that my daughter-in-law leads once a month at a quaint coffee house. My daughter-in-law did a great job -- and what a great place that coffee house is! With its rustic motif, books, and photos from local artists along with the perpetual smell of freshly brewed java, it's one of the most inspiring places I've entered in a long while. 

My granddaughter, Anna, came along, but got antsy halfway through the study, so she and I walked around. I told her about the books I write and how I get my stories. She asked numerous questions and I answered them. We looked at some chapter books for her age group and suddenly...suddenly a spark entered her blue eyes.

"I'm going to write a book, Grammy. Like you!"


"Go for it." I smiled. My granddaughter is full of big ideas -- like getting her own cell phone. 

"And I'll be on the cover, okay?"

"Sure. It's your book." My smile grew.

We got home that day and Anna set to work. She wrote an entire notebook page -- the first page of her book. I typed it up on the computer and, you know what? Her story is pretty good. It's about a little girl who's getting bullied at school by a mean girl named Melissa.

During my visit, Anna wrote two more pages. I hope she'll continue writing her book because this grammy can't wait to see it in print!

What's Happening in 2013?

By Andrea Boeshaar

 All politics and apocalyptic theories aside, what’s happening in 2013 is the release of the last book in my Fabric of Time series. Each novel in the series moves up a generation, beginning in 1848 and ending in 1902.

The idea for this series came when I coordinated our Eikaas-Fluge family reunion in the late 1990s – that’s right. Almost 20 years ago! When the team at Charisma House and its fiction division, Realms, was interested in my idea, I rejoiced!!! Family is so important to me – dysfunction, quirks, and all. So I began to research and write. The novels in my series are brand new stories, published by Charisma Media within the last year.

My great-grandparents were married in 1900. Both had emigrated from Norway with hopes of living a better life. Sounds relevant for even today, doesn’t it?

We all have a history. However, I understand why some people choose to abandon their pasts because of things that have happened – bad things, embarrassing things, difficult things. But I also believe that if we ask God to heal our wounds and help us forgive and forget the ugly, we can accept and embrace our histories – even write about them. After all, God uses everything in our lives to mold and shape us into the people that He wants us to be.

And we know that for those who love God 

all things work together for good, 

for those who are called according to his purpose. 

                                             (Romans 8:29 ESV)

Threads of Hope (January 2012)

The year is 1848, and Kristin Eikaas has traveled from Norway to Wisconsin with dreams of a new life. But when she arrives, she finds one disappointment after another. Worse, her superstitious uncle now believes that his neighbor’s Oneida Indian wife has put a curse on Kristin. Everyone knows the Sundbergs put spells on people…

Everyone except Kristin. Her run-ins with Sam Sundberg only prove that he is a good man from a Christian family. But when her uncle discovers she’s been associating with Sam, his temper flares. To escape his wrath, Kristin gratefully accepts a job as the Sundbergs’ house girl, finding solace at the family’s spinning wheel.

In the time Sam and Kristin spend together, their friendship develops into much more, and Sam prays about a match between them. But opposition threatens to derail their newfound love. Will they have the courage to stand up for what is right—even against their own families? 

Threads of Faith (October 2012)

Julianna Wayland is running for her life! She hides in a crate on London’s dock, only to be loaded onto a ship bound for America. During the voyage, she becomes acquainted with Captain Daniel Sundberg who assuages her fears of sea-faring men. He’s not at all what she expected. By the time they reach New York’s harbor, Julianna’s certain she’s in love with him. The only problem is Daniel has plans for himself – plans that don’t include her.

Daniel Sundberg intends to say a last goodbye to his dying father in Manitowoc, Wisconsin and make sure his mother and sisters are well-taken care of, then get on with his life – a life he’s lived apart from his biological family. 

Threads of Love (Coming in May 2013)

It’s 1902 and Emily Sundberg considers herself a proper school teacher of the Twentieth Century. But a decade ago, she behaved more like a tomboy than a young lady. So when the neighbor’s grandson came to visit one summer, they became fast friends and Emily even got her first kiss. Unfortunately, Jake Edgerton told all the local boys. Rumors circulated, the taunts and teasing began. Emily caved from embarrassment and guilt. She wasn't ever able to confront Jake about the incident either. He’d returned to Fallon, Montana and she never saw or heard from him again. Over the years she’d worked hard to prove to her former classmates and the people of Manitowoc, Wisconsin that, despite past mistakes, she really was a decent, upstanding young woman, one befitting of a school teacher. But even with the passing of time, Emily’s never forgotten Jake and how he nearly ruined her life…

And now he’s a U. S. deputy marshal and he’s back in town!

The Next Big Thing Blog Hop -- Interview with Andrea Boeshaar

Thanks so much to Wisconsin author Lily Silver who tagged me in 

The Next Big Thing Blog Hop. 

I thought this might be fun so I agreed to participate. For this multi-author promotion, I've decided to give readers a sneak peek at my upcoming novel -- as well as my books already on store shelves and available as ebook downloads.

Here's the interview:

 What is the title of your next book?

         Threads of Love, which will be released in May 2013
                  (Isn't this cover GORGEOUS!?)

 Where did the idea come from for the book?

          This series is based on my Norwegian heritage and
          my family history (fictionalized!). Threads of Love
          is book 3 and the last novel in my Fabric of Time series.



       

 Books 1 and 2 are now available in both traditional print AND ebook formats. 

Threads of Hope (book 1) 

Threads of Faith (book 2)

What genre does your book fall under?

          Christian/Inspirational historical romance

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your latest series?

          Follow the journeys of first Kristin in 1848 (Threads of Hope), 

          then Julianna in 1877 (Threads of Faith), and finally Emily in 1902 (Threads of Love) 

          as these women weave a tapestry of love, honor, and family unity into life's Fabric of Time.

          Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency? How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

         It's published by Realms -- a division of Charisma Media and I can usually write a 75.000 
           word novel in 6 to 9 months time. That is, if life doesn't get in the way.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

My last series, Seasons of Redemption, was published by Realms/Charisma Media.

Who or What inspired you to write this book?

For my Fabric of Time series, my Norwegian heritage inspired me. For my Seasons of Redemption series I was inspired to write stories set during and just after America's Civil War. I thank God Almighty for giving me the gift of writing. 

What else about your book might pique the reader interest?

My latest series, Fabric of Time, is primarily set in Wisconsin. My grandmother, an art and reading teacher in Tigerton, Wisconsin, painted a picture of Manitowoc's harbor. Many family members said the scene was "dark," and after my grandfather died, no one wanted it. But secretly I had always coveted the painting. It's no Monet, but my "Nana" painted it. It's hanging on the large wall in my stairwell and I treasure it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now it's time to pass the baton to 2 additional author-friends so they can tell you about their amazing books. Their posts, which will have the same title as this one -- The Next Big Thing Blog Hop -- and will be live on their blogs soon, so please check them out! 

Loree Lough
Liz Tolsma

Also, check out the other authors I blog with on The Barn Door blog. And don't forget to peruse my personal blog on which I interview other authors of Christian and inspirational fiction. Everything Writerly.

IT'S HERE! Threads of Faith, book 2

It's always a thrill for me to receive my free books from my publisher, an indication that my novel will soon be released to bookstores. Yesterday was the official release date of my book, THREADS OF FAITH, book 2 in my series Fabric of Time.

Here's a blurb: 

Julianna Wayland is running for her life! She hides in a crate on London’s dock, only to be loaded onto a ship bound for America. During the voyage she meets Captain Daniel Sundberg, and by the time they reach New York’s harbor, she is certain she’s in love with him. The only problem is, Daniel has plans for himself—plans that don’t include her.

As Julianna struggles to find her place in a new world, will trouble from her past derail the life she is looking for?

What's fun about this historical romance set in 1878 is primarily twofold. First, Daniel, the hero, is the estranged son of Kristin and Sam, the characters in book 1, THREADS OF HOPE. Estranged? you ask. But why? Well, you'll have to read the book and find out.  

Secondly, I did gobs of research for this book on sea-faring ships that sailed from one country to another. I learned about the Black Ball Line, a fleet of ships that set records sailing from London to New York -- the fastest, I believe, being 15 or 16 days. I also researched Great Lake clippers and learned that clippers sailed both the oceans and on the Great Lakes. The Cutty Sark, for instance, was a clipper built for tea trade and sailing from China to London. On the Great Lakes, clippers were built much the same way as sea-going ships, but with smaller rudders so they could maneuver the shallower waters.

Wisconsin Maritime Museum in Manitowoc, WI

Manitowoc, Wisconsin, the city in which much of my story takes place, was known as "Clipper City" in the 1800s because of its highly-regarded ship manufacturers. I thank the volunteers at the Wisconsin Maritime Museum for helping me in my research. 

As for the story itself, there are a lot of twists and turns and more fun by the way of surprises -- and, of course, romance!

Here's what a few other best-selling authors said about it.

“Andrea Boeshaar gets to the heart of God’s healing grace in a way readers can carry into their own lives.” —Louise M. Gouge, award-winning author of The Gentleman Takes a Bride

“Andrea Boeshaar plucks the home strings with her newest historical romance. As a Wisconsin historian, I am well pleased with her efforts to make life at the dawn of our state authentic.”—Lisa Lickel, award-winning author of A Summer in Oakville

“Andrea Boeshaar’s story pulled me back into the middle 1800s. I didn’t want to put it down until the last page.” —Lena Nelson Dooley, author of Maggie’s Journey and the Will Rogers Medallion Award–winning Love Finds You in Golden, New Mexico

“Andrea’s talent for weaving genuine characters, vivid descriptions, and a compelling story line together drew me into the story from the first page, and I felt Kristin and Sam’s heartaches and joy.”—Sally Laity, author of Remnant of Forgiveness, and co-author of Rose’s Pledge

“Andrea Boeshaar weaves timeless themes of honor, equality, and mercy in this tender love story.” —Kacy Barnett-Gramckow, author of The Genesis Trilogy

*     *     *

Additionally, I want to thank those authors who took the time to endorse my book. And a big "thank you" goes to the fiction team at Charisma Media/Realms as well as my editors Lori, Deb, and Debbie.

THREADS OF FAITH is an important and memorable book to me for many reasons and it's one of the best stories I've written to date. My hope is that readers will agree!

AND NOW FOR A BOOK GIVE-AWAY!

To be entered into a drawing in which you could win a free copy of THREADS OF FAITH, please leave a comment on this blog post. I'll pick one winner tomorrow!

Her Lilac Blouse Complimented Her Eyes --- MY FOOT!

Ah, the male mind. What woman can truly comprehend its complexity? As an author of romantic fiction, I certainly try – quite a feat, although having a husband and 3 sons helps.

Still, I don’t think like a guy. Case in point, I would have once described, in great length, a woman’s attire as she strode into a room at the very point when the handsome hero gets his first glimpse of her. In his viewpoint, I’d elaborate on details of each article of her clothing.

Well, I’ve since learned that if I’m writing the scene from a male’s point-of-view, he wouldn’t likely notice how her lilac-colored blouse complimented the hue of her violet-blue eyes.

Some men might, yes. But most men – particularly alpha heroes – probably would not.

To illustrate this point, I conducted my own personal survey. That’s right. I emailed my grown sons. I consider them “alpha” males, so I asked them if they’d noticed the clothing their significant others wore the first time they’d met (shirt, jeans, skirt, dress, etc). My sons’ replies were as follows:

“Mom, are you kidding me?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Mom, is this for one of your books?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~

“You don’t want to know what we noticed, Mom. We’re dudes, ok?”

~~~~~~~~~~

So much for the lilac-colored blouse complimenting her eyes.

Of course, I can recall the clothing my sons’ girlfriends wore when I first met them. One gal was in Army fatigues with her hair pulled back into a tight bun, as she and my son had just come from their weekend duty. Another was casual, wearing jeans and a tee shirt. Another had on a cute jumper and wore her hair all curled and femininely cute.

But, realize this: I was “the mom” checking these new girlfriends out – and I’m a writer who is trained to notice details.

The average guy is not.

But I went ahead with my survey anyway and asked the top alpha male in my household. My husband. He said that when we met he first noticed my blue eyes. Then he noticed that I had a pretty smile. (Aw…okay, he gets to eat supper tonight.)

My point is this: be true to your characters. If you’re in your male character’s POV, then think like a guy. And men, don’t snicker. You’ve got the same problems – women’s points of view. Sometimes I’ll pick up a book written by a male writer and find I just cannot get into the story because I can’t relate to the female character. She doesn’t think like I do – or any woman I know, for that matter. And I love it (NOT) when male writers assume that just because she’s a woman their female characters can have mood swings to fit the scenes and/or plotlines. No, male writers still need to do character charts and all their characters should have believable motivations. Not all women kill somebody simply because it’s that time of the month.

 

But never fear, all you bewildered bards, Gender Genie is here! That’s right. There is a website dedicated to help writers check their characters’ points of view. Simply copy and paste a scene into the Genie Gender and it’ll come back telling you whether its orientation is male or female.

Of course, Gender Genie is a computer-generated program so it doesn’t have the corner on character viewpoints. However, it is a tool. Authors are the ones who need to know and understand their characters’ thoughts and the motives behind their actions.

So now I’m curious what readers say. Has the viewpoint of the opposite sex in any book(s) you’ve read really bugged you because he or she just didn’t think like a guy or girl would – or should?  I’d love to hear from you.

Losing Heart: Overcoming Discouragement

There is a word that writers hate. It’s discouragement.

Actually, writers don’t hate the word they hate the feeling – the doubt, self-doubt, the disappointment, the depression. These 3-D words are as hated as discouragement itself, but seem to accurately sum up the emotion. After all, discouragement is multifaceted.

Doubt & Self-doubt

Sometimes when I’m in the middle of writing a story the enemy of my soul’s voice drowns out those of my characters. He says, “this story stinks,” “no publisher will ever buy this novel,” and “you think you’re a writer? Ha!” It’s hard to stop listening to the lies and stay positive. Why is it so much easier to believe lies than the truth?

I think in answering that question, one has to ask, “What is the truth?”

If you’re a Christian and believe the Bible, the truth is that if a story is burning in your heart, God put it there. Seek His will for what you’re to do with it. Should it be in book form? Should it be self-published? Should it be posted on the Internet? A blog? Should it be hand-written on a legal pad and read to your child at bedtime? There are lots of possibilities. But we need to be confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in us will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:6)

This goes for all our talents and gifts – spiritual ones included. Since every good and perfect gift comes from above (James 1:17), we need to be confident – and not doubt or self-doubt.

Sure, you might think. Easy for me to say. NOT SO! I doubt more than the biblical Thomas! But that only makes me have to trust God more.

Disappointment

Sometimes expectations run higher than reality which causes a letdown. Book-signings, for instance, are a primo source of disappointment for me. Whenever I have a scheduled signing at a store I plot and plan, make brochures, announce it on FaceBook and in emails…and then six people show up. Six very important people, mind you! But when I expected twenty-five, six is a bit disappointing.

In writing, as in life, disappointments occur. We all experience them; however, some of us just feel them deeper than others. That’s where the discouragement comes in, the temptation to say, “Oh, just forget it. It’s not worth it.” It’s sort of the Eeyore syndrome (remember Pooh’s friend?). Always looking on the disappointment side of life.

As Christians, we ought to believe that even life’s disappointments are God’s will. He has a sovereign plan that includes the ups and downs. They all make us who we are and cause us to depend on Him.

Depression

When trust and dependence on God get tossed depression can set in. Depression can also be caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. If you’ve been depressed for a lengthy time, consult with your physician. We live in a sin-cursed earth and just like people can develop pneumonia from a bad cold virus, people can develop clinical depression. It’s a horrible feeling and an uphill battle for chronic sufferers. 

However, if your depression has developed due to a situation, it might be time to take the bull by the horns and analyze the root of your feelings surrounding it.

Just like the waves are sure to crash against Lake Michigan’s shoreline, trials will certainly come our way. They’re inevitable. The question is how will we handle them?

I can tell you honestly that there are times I’ve wished I handled situations better, with more finesse and grace. Like the time my tenant called and yelled at me because we’d put our duplex up for sale and she didn’t want to move. Instead of being patient and diplomatic, I threw the telephone handset across the room. After having to purchase a new set of cordless phones, I proceeded to mentally beat myself up because I’d reacted badly. Depression set in. Not because of anything my tenant did, but because I’d lost sight of an Almighty God who, even when circumstances seem out of control, rules the world and all things in it (including us human beings). Discouragement followed and I found it difficult to stand my ground – which Christians are allowed to do albeit politely. The Bible says “Be angry and sin not.” Anger is human emotion. But when we start breaking telephones, we’ve crossed the line (pardon the pun)

I’d be lying if I said I’ve conquered the aforementioned 3-Ds. I haven’t, but please…who has? I can tell you that as a published author and certified Christian life coach, I am very well aware of them in my life and in the lives of others.

Recently had a friend announced that she’s giving up writing. After almost thirty books in print, she feels her work is pointless, meaningless because she’s not making much money. She took down her Facebook page and web site and she rarely looks at her emails. Why should she bother?

The opposite, however, is true for this dear friend. She has touched many, many lives with her fiction and nonfiction. It broke my heart to hear the discouragement in her voice when we talked that day. But she couldn’t hear my voice of encouragement over the lies pertaining to her check-less royalty statement.

So who did she trust? Where was her dependence? I respectfully submit to you that it’s not in an Almighty God but in the almighty dollar. Sure, money talks. But we’re not required to always listen.

As for my friend, I hope she’ll reconsider. I’ve been down the same sad road she travels and I know from experience that our God is also the healer of discouraged hearts. For myself, I plan to trust God with my writing ministry and persevere.

Book Give-way Contest!

From now until Sunday I'm running a book give-away contest on my personal blog Everything Writerly. Below are the specifics.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Announcing my first book give-away in conjunction with my brand new historical romance release, Threads of Hope. It's easy to enter, just leave me a comment below, completing the following sentences:

My favorite time of day to read a good book is ______________. The reason is__________________.

Fill in the blanks. You can enter as many times as you want to.

On Sunday afternoon, January 29th, I will randomly select TWO winners from the list of comments below. In addition to receiving a free copy of my book, Threads of Hope, winners will receive a special surprise gift, designed to enhance their reading experience.

So let me know about your reading habits and you could be the winner of a signed copy of Threads of Hope along with a surprise gift.       

Good luck, everyone!

BE SURE TO LEAVE ON COMMENT ON EVERYTHING WRITERLY. Comments left on this blog won't be entered into the drawing. 

On your mark. Get set. GOAL!

With the New Year right around the corner, I know many of us, including moi, are setting goals for ourselves. Some are realistic and some are just plain fantasy. Just for fun, I decided to share 12 of my goals (along with the reality of them).

     1  Lose 50lbs.

         (Seriously, if I lose 10, I’ll be happy)

           2        Exercise.

           (Yeah, whatever…)

    3        Eat healthier

                (A must-do)

4        Write 4 books this year

      (I’m not as fast as I used to be, that’s for sure!)

5        Learn to use my Dragon voice-recognition software

      (I’m not as fast as I used to be…yada, yada…)

6        Buy a road-worthy vehicle

      (I’m sad that my son is moving to upper Michigan and yet I’m happy for him, getting his new job position as a pastor. Weather permitting, a lot of driving is in my husband and my future.)

7        Move South to avoid another Wisconsin winter

      (I say this every year!)

8        Convince my husband to drive me to the ACFW Conference in Dallas so I don’t have to fly the un-friendly skies.

      (Refer to #6)

9        Clean my office, organize, and simplify

      (I say this every other month!)

10    Sell some of my stuff on Craig’s List or Ebay.

      (Refer back to #9)

11    Hire a cleaning lady

      (Refer back to #9 and #10)

12    Earn a million dollars on my books so I can accomplish goals #1 thru #11

      (Stop laughing!) 

OK, so now that I've shared my resolutions with you, tell me about your New Year’s goals.