Past the Middle of July …

Posted on July 19, 2015 by Gail

You can tell by the flowers, especially the petunias– and this summer, by one petunia in particular. It’s a pink one, gigantic, beautiful.

But summer’s at its height, leaning toward the waning side. I pick off probably fifteen faded blossoms a day, but because of the intense afternoon heat, the plant shows signs of wear. It’s getting just plain tired.

So I water it more, knowing it can’t last forever. GATHER YE ROSEBUDS WHILE YE MAY, eh?

Last week, I finished the final edits on one of my World War II novels. Yes, it seemed ready, but the stories never stop. Thankfully, I’m now hard at work on its sequel.

How was it for women of that era when they watered their plants at night, with a loved one in Europe or the Pacific? My uncle was a Ranger in Japan. When my Grandma went out to tend her flowers, did she see him in every blossom? Actually, she had another son in the infantry, too. I can’t imagine.

My debut novel will soon have its release date – can’t wait! The heroine lost a son in WWII, making her a Gold Star mother. And she loves gardening.

For us, this year’s spectacular lily medley was all about glory – wouldn’t you say? Now, they’ve gone by summer’s wayside.

But while they were here, they help with our questions … they cheer us through the wallows of life. And they last, in pictures, through winter’s storms.

I’d like to take each of you for a walk through our courtyard, a simple square behind the house, bordered by a garage and a fence. But this will have to do.

May the rest of your summer be filled with beauty and great photos!

July 6 Dora Hiers – Coming Home

Posted on July 5, 2015 by Gail

A little about Dora, one of those amazing women developed in both LEFT and RIGHT brains! Please leave a comment to qualify for her giveaway, a copy of her July release, BECK’S PEACE.

After a successful auditing career, Dora left the corporate world to be a stay-at-home mom to her two sons. When her youngest son no longer wanted her hanging out at school with him anymore, Dora started writing Heart Racing, God-Gracing romance. She is a member of Romance Writers of America (RWA) and her local chapter, Carolina Romance Writers.

Dora and her real life hero make their home in North Carolina. When she takes a break from cranking out stories, she enjoys reading, family gatherings, and mountain cabin getaways. She despises traffic, bad coffee, technological meltdowns, and a sad ending to a book. Her books always end with a happily-ever-after!

Coming Home

While our two sons were young, we lived in Florida, where seasons and cooler temperatures were non-existent. So, every winter break we loaded the car with heavy coats, sleds, and Christmas presents, and traveled to some faraway state, hoping to find snow.

After arriving at our destination, we would tuck all the presents under a miniature artificial tree and turn on the sparkling lights. Then, we’d snuggle in front of the fireplace and cheer for our favorite football teams or watch a movie, sipping hot chocolate loaded with whipped cream and sprinkles. In the morning, we’d all scramble to the window to see if it had snowed during the night. Nothing beat that first sight of freshly fallen snow, clean and pure, and shimmering like diamonds.

Now that hubby and I are empty nesters, we travel quite a bit more than we did when the kids were young. We’ve taken to cruising every year and have enjoyed visiting Italy, France, Croatia, Spain, Norway, Iceland, Denmark, the Netherlands, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. We’ve tried new foods, explored new cultures, experienced unfamiliar situations, deciphered foreign languages, and encountered wonderful people along the way.

As much as I love traveling, the best part for me is…wait for it, wait for it…

Coming home. That sweet feeling that wells up as I walk in the door. Home, where everything is familiar, where our dog roams the yard without a leash, where I don’t need to pull up a map on my cellphone. Home, to a soft mattress and pillows shaped just the way I need them, coffee just the way I like it, and local restaurants with food and words I recognize. Home, to precious family nearby, where we don’t have to rely on Internet connections to chat or Google Hangouts to soak in their sweet faces. Home, to the comfort of a routine because that’s the way I roll.

Beck Harmon left home and wandered for ten years, seeking peace over his father’s death. Our motivation might be different, but he would say the same about his travels. The best part was coming home.

Which states/countries have you visited? What’s your favorite aspect of traveling? Least favorite?

Beck’s Peace – Release Date: 7/24/15

Burn survivor Savvy McCord doesn’t blame her best friend for running away. She can’t even look at her scars without wincing. When Beck’s disappearing act spans years, she relinquishes dreams of love and marriage. Unable to face Savvy’s expectations of happily-ever-after, Beck Harmon deserts her, far away from the rumors that he’s just like his father. When the wanderer returns, dreams of forever blossom in Savvy’s heart, but she worries he’ll leave again. Can Beck convince Savvy that her true beauty comes from her inner strength and faith? Will his idea to help burn victims regain their self-confidence restore Savvy’s trust in him? Will love be what the wanderer needs to find peace for his hurting soul?

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Connect with Dora on Fiction Faith & Foodies, Seriously Write, Twitter, Facebook or Pinterest.

Summer Joys

Posted on July 1, 2015 by Gail

It’s July first, and in the fifties here in Northern Iowa. I’m signing in before the Fourth of July, when we’ll have twenty-plus folks here to celebrate my husband’s birthday. Yup, a lucky firecracker–he always gets a party.

Thought I’d share some photos and thoughts on the joys of summer. Most of the pics speak for themselves.

Hearing that old bat C-R-A-A-A-C-K!!

Sunshine through tall maples …

Daylily glory, dewdrop peonies, and summer moments – the best of summer is here.

For a writer, every color, every nuance, every shade and hue is novel fodder. Voila!

Summer’s List – Anita Higman

Posted on June 14, 2015 by Gail

Author Anita Higman visits us today, and answers some questions about her latest release, Summer’s List.

Life and love keep going awry for Summer Snow, until her grandmother sends her on an unexpected adventure with one Martin Langtree—a kind and quirky young man from Summer’s past. With Laney the Chihuahua along for the ride, a childhood friendship is rekindled, a romance is sparked, and mysteries are solved in one magical Texas summer. Will Summer strike out on love again, or will things finally go her way?

You like fairytales, Anita. Tell us about that.

My mother read me fairytales when I was a kid, and I believe these stories had a profound effect on me. I have been told my stories read like modern-day fairytales, and I am hoping that Summer’s List will have that same fun feel to it.

Tell us a bit about your writing journey.

I have been writing for thirty years, and I have forty books published. To be honest, it’s been a rough journey. I have known a great deal of failure before I ever knew any success. But then that is a common tale among writers. As far as where my journey will go, only God knows the answer to that question.

I have to admit, when I saw your photo, I thought, “NO WAY she’s been writing for thirty years!

Back to our questions: Do you have any pet peeves?

Sure. I suppose one of them is that occasionally we’ve forgotten how to be polite and kind when it comes to social media posts and emails. I think it would be lovely to go back in time to a simpler, gentler era when people had a deeper sense of the preciousness of humanity. Harsh words spoken in haste can really hurt—sometimes for a lifetime. I say this from having experience on both sides of this issue, so I’m not holding myself up as perfect. I’m far from perfect. But wouldn’t it be wonderful to care about each other in the same way Christ loves us?

Do you have a Bible verse that is particularly meaningful to you?

“May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.” Psalm 19:14 (NIV)

What is the hardest part of writing?

All of it. I’m not kidding. Sometimes I still can’t believe I write books. Yes, it’s about fun creative stuff, but it’s also about keeping my bum in the chair and writing even when I’m not inspired. It’s about getting the job done. No. Matter. What. And sometimes that’s not easy to do.

Where do get your ideas?

Everywhere. While I’m running errands. While I’m at church. While I’m talking to friends and family. With each story, colorful bits of life end up in my final piece of art—a little like the way a mosaic comes together, making a lovely picture.

What have you read recently?

Recently I read Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. It’s a masterwork—a true story about slavery in America—and a book that everyone should read.

Anything else you’d like to tell us about your new novel, Summer’s List?

One of my characters is taken from real life—a sweet Chihuahua named Laney. This little dog was considered a love-gift from God since she helped my daughter-in-law get through a painful passage in her life. It was a true joy for me to add this beloved dog, Laney, to my story.

How can your readers get in touch with you?

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Here are two of my media links. I’d love to hear from you!

www.anitahigman.com https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAnitaHigman

Purchase link for Summer’s List:http://www.amazon.com/Summers-List-Anita-Higman/dp/0802412327/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1433986960&sr=8-3&keywords=Anita+Higman

How Old Is Too Old?

Posted on June 8, 2015 by Gail

How Old Is Too Old

Welcome, Pat!!!

I don’t know how many times I’ve heard someone younger than I am say, “I’d love to write a book, but I’m too old to do that.”

And it isn’t limited to writing a book. Mention learning anything new, and I hear the same response.

Is there an age limit to what we can do?

……………Bear with me a minute—I’m thinking. Part of me wants to say NO! But then I think about how I used to climb trees, and while in my mind, I think I could still do it, I’m not sure I want to, especially since there’s no bear chasing me.

Physically, we might not be able to do what we once did, but there are so many other things we can do. One year at Christmas my mother learned to text. She was ninety. She had a Facebook page when she passed away at ninety-three. She always wanted to be challenged.

So do I. And I think that’s the key. Desire to stretch ourselves.

I hear it now. But how would I start?

That’s the easy part. Be it writing a book or learning how to use a computer. Take a class. Did you know after age sixty, about 60% of accredited colleges offer a waiver for senior students? And at most colleges you can audit a class for free. Check it out here and here. Whatever you decide to do, be sure to learn the nuts and bolts of how to do it.

I believed God called me to write, and not just any old story, but suspense stories. Except I wasn’t having any luck with them. I was sixty-five when I went to my first writing retreat. I had been writing for almost thirty years with success in writing short pieces but had not gotten any results from my novels. I was making the same mistakes over and over because I didn’t have anyone to tell me what I was doing wrong…or right. But at the retreat I learned so much and went back four more years. After the third year, I got an agent and a publisher and my first book. Shadows of the Past was published after I turned 69.

So, you can do it! But you need a desire, discipline to do what it takes to learn whatever you desire…and then, you’ll be ready when God opens the door.

By the way, the fourth book in the Logan Point series comes out in July. And I just completed the second book for Harlequin Heartwarming—A Christmas Campaign, bringing my total books written since 2012 to six.

Patricia Bradley

Connect with me:

Twitter: @ptbradley1

FaceBook: www.facebook.com/patriciabradleyauthor

www.patriciabradleyauthor.com

http://mbtponderers.blogspot.com/

Amazon Author page: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00FFR8T1U

Growing Things

Posted on June 1, 2015 by Gail

My tea bag note says “Plant Something” Dena Rubin.

Probably many readers have been planting lately, now that Iowa weather has decided to give us a chance.

I’ve been thinking lately about the seeds of ideas that come to us. A seed is so different from what it becomes with soil, water, and sunshine, and that’s how it goes with our story ideas, too.

Standing in a hallway one day, a character comes to us. It’s kind of mystical, and definitely a gift. What stirs us to feel this person’s reality, and the story they have to tell?

After months/years of fleshing out a heroine, she “feels” almost as real to me as the actual people I meet. That’s pretty amazing, when you think about it.

So I’m posting a photo of Iowa corn…little seedlings that have already transformed into plants spattering rows. We’ll watch them grow all summer, through sunshine, storms, and scares. Just like our characters.

Remodeling a Manuscript

Posted on May 3, 2015 by Gail

Thanks to author Judythe Morgan for visiting with us today!

Besides being a writer, I’m an HGTV junkie. I love the renovation/remodeling shows.

Maybe my fascination comes from all the moves I’ve made as a military wife and daughter or the constant moves on my husband’s fast track ascent in the corporate world. Each move meant I remodeled or renovated to make our new living space our own. I’ve scraped wallpaper, patched walls, and agonized over what things to keep, what to toss, and what to garage sale.

When we finally settled, I found myself remodeling and/or renovating multiple times. I don’t mean sprucing up with paint and redecorating. I’m talking major projects. Then when we retired to Colorado, we added a garage with an elevator and seven hundred square feet of living space, which require lots of time and energy.

Remodeling a home is not unlike editing or reworking a manuscript. Editing requires ripping apart to make a manuscript better than the original. During editing, we add new scenes, remove others, or rearrange the scenes and chapters.

When Love Blooms was such a major remodel-rewrite project. The original story began as an entry for a White Rose Press 2009 Contest. Editors provided a “Mad Lib” synopsis and cover. The prize for the winning novella was publication.

I wrote the first version of Andrew Fitzpatrick and Darcy Clark’s story for that contest. Sad to say, I didn’t win and filed the original story away.

Years later, I pulled the manuscript out for a rewrite. Chapters disappeared with a stroke of the delete key. New scenes came to life. My critique partners helped and editors offered their professional assistance as the new story rose in the shell of the old story.

An interesting thing happened in the process of the rewrite: Andy’s four brothers and three sisters begin chattering in my head demanding their stories. In upcoming Fitzpatrick Family novellas, each of the rural preacher’s kids will find happily-ever-after.

Revising, aka remodeling, Andy and Darcy’s original story wasn’t an easy process and it wasn’t a quick fix. It took time, patience, and concentrated effort.

One thing I’ve learned with any editing is to create an outtake file. While some scenes and ideas won’t work in one story, they might for another.

Whether remodeling or editing we need the ability to separate ourselves emotionally to make something greater from the parts than from the original whole. It isn’t any easier to press delete than it is to see a favorite object walk away from a garage sale.

Remodeling or Rewriting? To be honest, I’m not sure which is more challenging.

Award-winning author Judythe Morgan writes sweet contemporary romance because she believes in true love, second chances, forgiveness, and, most of all, happily-ever-after. As an Air Force daughter, Army wife, one time Department of Army Civilian, mother, antiques dealer, schoolteacher, and educational administrator, her life is full of diverse experiences. Add years of international travel and an insatiable desire to see, do, and learn and her creative fountain overflows with story ideas.

If she’s not at her computer working on the next story, you’ll find her browsing antiques shops, reading on the front porch or walking with her real life hero and two canine babies in the nearby Rio Grande National Forest.

You can connect with Judythe in all these places, and we welcome your comments on remodeling, editing, or anything you’d like to ask Judythe. Thanks for stopping by.

Website http://www.judythemorgan.com/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/judythe2

Twitter https://twitter.com/Judythe2

Amazon Author Page http://www.amazon.com/Judythe-Morgan/e/B00802MJPY/

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6450879.Judythe_Morgan

WHEN LOVE BLOOMS – Check out this story!

After a hit-and-run accident leaves her mother confined to a special care facility, Darcy Clark abandons her dream of an art career. Instead, she focuses on helping her father run the struggling family landscape business. She has no time or interest in romance.

Then at-risk students from her old high school become her labor force on a city park project, and their teacher Andy Fitzpatrick shows up to help keep an eye on his kids. The chemistry between Darcy and Andy is instant.

Darcy dares to daydream about the possibility of a happily-ever-after until a dark secret connecting Andy to her mother’s accident surfaces. Will the link kill their budding attraction before love can blossom?

Buy Links for WHEN LOVE BLOOMS

KINDLE: http://amzn.to/1o26bwl

NOOK: http://bit.ly/1vwTs98

iBOOKS: http://bit.ly/TPafrP

KOBO: http://bit.ly/1Df4Paj

Visit with Edie Melson – April 20, 2015

Posted on April 19, 2015 by Gail

My husband always says, “My wife has experienced more deployments than most people I know.” That’s because he counts his two to Iraq and our son’s, (one to Iraq, one to Afghanistan), as ALL MINE.

So I’m excited to welcome Edie Melson as she describes her devotional for military families–this would make a great gift for them as Memorial Day approaches.

Here is the link for preorder. The price is reduced and you receive a free ebook with an additional 15 prayers.

www.WhileMySoldierServes.com

Thousands of families send loved ones off to fight on a daily basis. These families spend a lot of time living in a world out of control. This kind of stress can take an incredible toll, but there is hope. When we feel helpless, we can take our fears to the One who loves us more than anything and holds the universe in His hands.

In this book you’ll find the words to usher you into His presence. These prayers are a place to visit again and again as you take your own fears to God. They’re just a starting point, written to help you find your own voice as you call out on behalf of the one you love.

As the mother of a frontline infantry Marine, Edie Melson lived this book before she wrote it. Edie understands what it is to face adversity and come out triumphant on the other side. Her years as a wife, mother, and ministry leader have given her a unique perspective to reach out to others facing the same struggles. She’s the Military Family Blogger for Guideposts.org, social media director for several writing websites, and a popular ministry and conference speaker. Connect with her on her blog, The Write Conversation, Twitter, and Facebook.

Blooming in Adversity

I’ve come to realize that the seeds of faith begin their journey to the light, in the dark. As the mother of a frontline infantry Marine, I’ve been through the painful process of blooming in adversity.

Neither I nor my husband come from a military family, so our son’s decision to enlist straight after high school caught us off guard. We weren’t ashamed or disappointed in him, although we were worried about where this decision could take him. But we could see his sincere desire to follow God’s leading and knew that wherever this road led, God would see him through.

But as he got ready to leave for his first deployment in Iraq, all those thoughts of faith and how God would take care of him fled. I found myself engulfed in a terror so deep it colored every corner of my world a murky gray.

Throughout the last couple days, I was overcome with fear and uncertainty. As we sat down to eat, I couldn’t help but wonder if this was the last time I’d share a meal with him. As he posed for a picture with his brothers, in the back of my mind was the fear that this would be the last picture I’d ever have of him. All through that time, the what-ifs continued to crowd out the faith I thought I had.

Then he was gone—half a world away—fighting an enemy whose main focus was on killing him. It was during those deployments that I learned about darkness of the heart. I wanted to protect him, I ached to shield him from what I knew he was experiencing, but I couldn’t. So I did the one thing I could do. It became my course of last resort because I was at the end of my own strength.

I prayed.

And I prayed.

And I prayed some more.

I learned to take my overwhelming fear to the only One who could protect him. And I left my son in God’s hands. The prayers weren’t pretty. Often times they weren’t even words. They truly were the groanings we read about in Romans 8:26-27.

I didn’t realize it at the time, but I was like a seed, planted deep in the ground, surrounded by darkness, by rough, rocky soil, pressing in on all sides crushing the life from me. But through that incredible pressure, the shell of my own strength fell away, and I slowly began to push toward the light that I knew lay just beyond the darkness.

And my last resort became my strength, the first place I turned. Instead of praying in desperation, I began to pray in confidence. When the fears threatened to overwhelm me, I learned to lean into God, instead of turning in on myself.

The final harvest of that time of darkness is coming to fruition May 12, just after Mother’s Day. It’s a book of prayers for those with loved ones in the military, While My Soldier Serves. How I longed for just such a book during that dark time. Now God has taken my time of darkness and is shining it as a light for those who are also facing the incredible stress of having a loved one at war.

I can say with confidence, never doubt that God will bring a harvest of joy, no matter how dark the days you’re facing now.

I’d love to know how you get through the dark times and find a way to bloom. Be sure to leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

Edie promises to send a book to one fortunate commentator when they arrive, so please leave your e-mail address. Thanks for stopping by!

On Consistency – Brenda Poulos – April 13, 2015

Posted on April 12, 2015 by Gail

This week, Christian Writers of the West president Brenda Poulos gives us some NEW YEAR’S ADVICE for April. Welcome, Brenda!

A lot can happen between January and April. A writing plan made at the beginning of the year will simply not take us past spring, into summer and beyond. It’s time to revisit, update and, if necessary, rewrite.

In April, we may ask: Is my plan still working? Is it still realistic? What has changed in my life since the plan was written? What needs to be adjusted?
Here’s what I have found. The culprit is time. In January, I failed to factor in time for research, webinars, and writing-related reading or allow for the hours to complete submissions.

Finally, I scheduled so much writing, I failed to leave enough time available for my personal life—family dinners, movies with my husband, walking the dog.

Baxter was glad to hear that walking the dog was now part of the daily plan…
So, perhaps I need to include devotions, writing, exercise, volunteering, family/friends activities, housework, and leisure. I need to allow for the unplanned, too—that surprise visit from Aunt Martha, an unexpected phone call, a refrigerator on the fritz.
This quarter, I’m tackling this time problem, once and for all. I won’t answering the door or phone during my scheduled writing time. I’ll be answering voicemail, email, and texts once my writing time is completed. Second, I’m building in an hour of flex time—time for the “expected interruptions.”

I don’t know exactly when they will come, but I do know with a fair degree of certainty that they will. And when they do, I’ll be ready.
I’m hoping this new daily plan will keep me from getting frazzled and help me meet my husband at the door with a smile, rather than the wild-eyed look I’ve been famous for these last few months.

And, oh yes, I’m giving myself a little reward at the end of each day I actually keep to my plan.

Pleasure reading, calling a friend and chatting (yes, a real conversation, not a text), enjoying lemonade on the patio, and watching a favorite television show are on my short list.
Your problem may not be time, but self-motivation or organization. No matter what they are, problems will remain problems, unless we meet them head on.
It all starts with a plan, tweaked often so we can better reach our writing goals, and offering rewards in increments to encourage daily writing.
This year, someone will write words to inspire others for generations to come. Will those words be yours?

Learn more about Brenda and Christian Writers of the West Here:

www.brendapoulos.wordpress.com
www.spiritualsnippets.com

Please feel free to share your thoughts and what has worked for you, and thanks for stopping by. Brenda would love to have you visit her websites at: www.spiritualsnippets.com and www.brendapoulos.wordpress.com She lives in Gilbert, Arizona with husband, John, and aging pets, Baxter and Brinkley. She volunteers at Gilbert Christian School, Hospice of the Valley, and serves in various ministries at Grace Church in Mesa.

Things Hidden in our roots

Posted on March 22, 2015 by Gail

Last week I enjoyed a different perspective on the Arizona Pine Trailhead trail.

Although a kazillion views of trees surrounded me, this one warranted a picture, an uprooted specimen with large rocks imbedded in its roots.

Wow, the parallels we could draw! But one simple fact intrigues us–the roots still cling to these rocks. Even though the tree’s been pulled from its moorings, its moorings stuck to it.

Ain’t that the truth about us? We may try to outrun our history, but no matter what, there it is. For example, we’ve known a man for over thirty years, and his choices have baffled, disappointed, and sometimes infuriated us. But just today, I heard about his mistreatment at the hands of a severe father. Life-threatening abuse.

This doesn’t excuse our friend’s decisions, of course, but realizing the rocks imbedded in his roots reminds us there are reasons for his behavior. Those physical, emotional, and verbal beatings he suffered as a kid still resonate in his inner being, though his father died long ago and he’s now a grandfather himself.

Later on the day of my hike, I was wandering in our yard and came upon this sprightly bit of cheer. Nothing as yellow and encouraging as a daffodil.

There it was, blooming its little heart out, right in the treacherous path of elk and deer and javelina.

But somehow, it survived and testifies to the other side of things–one can grow up in nasty danger and yet thrive.

Patricia Evans, a pioneer in the field of verbal abuse, has something to say about this.

“Although people subjected to verbal abuse can recover, the confusion, pain and loss are beyond counting. Childhood anguish can, however, count for something: It can be transformed into the passion and determination needed to take a stand against verbal abuse and for awareness and life. This stance can be put to good use, to bring awareness, to save countless others from the relentless erosion of their self-perception, their personal reality, their minds.” —

Patricia says, “This is an excerpt from my next book, readers will discover how to protect their children from verbal abuse. It will be announced this year, on www.verbalabuse.com.”

Our characters may have a backstory of abuse that figures into their present behavior. A couple of my women’s fiction novels feature heroines facing such after-effects. Whether it’s in 1870 Arizona Territory or at the eve of World War II, healing takes time–sometimes a great deal of time. But these women conquer and I can’t wait until you all can meet them.

And if you have questions for Patricia, please feel free to ask and/or visit her site, which has many helpful resources. Thanks for stopping by.