Sunday Mornng Peace

There is a time . . .

for every purpose under heaven . . .

to be born

to die

to plant

to pluck up the planted

to kill

to heal

to break down

to build up

to weep

to laugh

to mourn

to dance

to cast away
to gather

to refrain from hugs

to get

to lose

to keep

to cast away

to love

to hate

a time of war

of peace

He has made everything beautiful in his time.

Blessings!

The Seven UPS!

1.  Wake Up !

Decide to have a good day.

'This is the day the Lord hath made;

let us rejoice and be glad in it.'

Psalms 118:24

2.  Dress Up !

The best way to dress up is to put on a smile.

A smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.

'The Lord does not look at the things man looks at.

Man looks at outward appearance,

but the Lord looks at the heart.'

I Samuel 16:7

3. Shut Up!!

Say nice things and learn to listen.

God gave us two ears and one mouth,

so He must have meant for us to do twice as much listening as talking.

'He who guards his lips guards his soul.'

Proverbs 13:3

4. Stand Up!!

. . . for what you believe in.

Stand for something or you will fall for anything.

Let us not be weary in doing good; for at the proper time,

we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good...'

Galatians 6:9-10

5. Look Up !!

. . to the Lord.

'I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me'.

Philippians 4:13

6. Reach Up !!

. . for something higher.

'Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

and lean not unto your own understanding.

In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path.'

Proverbs 3:5-6

7. Lift Up !!

. . your Prayers.

'Do not worry about anything; instead

PRAY ABOUT EVERYTHING.

Philippians 4:6

A POSITIVE THOUGHT

If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it.

If He had a wallet, your photo would be in it.

He sends you flowers every spring, and a sunrise every morning.

Whenever you want to talk, He'll listen.

He could live anywhere in the universe, and He chose your heart.

What about the Christmas gift He sent you in Bethlehem ;

not to mention that Friday at Calvary .

Face it, He's crazy about you.

God answers Knee-Mail!

Blessings! 

Meet the Woman Who Writes the Dragon Books
Donita K. Paul

Donita's giving away not one, but THREE books.

Please make sure to leave a comment AND your email address for a chance to win one.

How long have you known that you were a writer? Did you receive a clear “call?” Or have you just loved writing all your life?

I always loved reading. I was always good at writing. I toyed with the idea of writing professionally since I was 13, but never saw the opportunity to learn the craft and all the other things that are a part of professional writing. They were there, but my focus was elsewhere. I was a teacher. I became disabled in 1996 and retired early. Then I had plenty of time to do something new and I began to really look for the help I needed to move from being a wannabe to an actual writer! I went to conferences and joined American Christian Fiction Writers.

What is the genre you write in? Would you explain what it is?

After reading Robert Jordan’s, “Wheel of Time” Adult Fantasy series, I had the urge to write something different from the Christian Romance I had been writing. Young Adult Fantasy is different! Afterwards, someone pointed out that it is fantasy to believe that men can really be as sensitive and unselfish as heroes in a romance. I laughed but realized that there is a modicum of truth in that.

I have always enjoyed a good story. A good story lifts the reader, makes him or her more aware of a truth. Hopefully the fiction also leads the reader to desire to follow through in life what was learned from a book.

In our society today good has become relative and evil has lost its repugnance. But our young people want clearly defined concepts of good and evil. In our world, we are losing the confidence that good will triumph over evil. The fantasy books that clarify God’s message to His people restore hope, literally affirm the strength of good and the futility of evil, and inspire a desire to seek righteousness. Not only that, but these books say it is all right to be the knight in shining armor. It is not dorky or old-fashioned. Females are encouraged to develop the characteristics that make a lady in God’s eyes. These virtues include that attributes revealed in Proverbs 31. The heroines personify a Godly woman.

How do you spend your writing days? Do you set goals to reach a certain number of words per day? Can you give us a general idea of how long it takes you to write a novel?

When I am actively pursuing the production of a story, I eat, walk, think, and dream the story. I leave a sink full of dishes and run to the computer to record what the main character just said to the villain. I burn what’s on the stove, because I went back to the office for “just a minute” to add a paragraph. Instead of counting sheep at night, I plot the next scene. Usually when I get some time to sit in front of the computer, the story has been percolating and I write down what I have been musing about.

As far as a writing routine goes, I have too many routines to count. I try one regimen for a while, then abandon it for another. I long to be systematic and I am chronically not. DragonSpell took 9 months to write. The more I write, the longer it takes. I raise my own standard, wanting each book to be better. And I have a very complex world to maintain, lots of details. And as I write, I see things that need to be expounded on in a subtle way. Being subtle is harder than preaching.

You recently had a book published. Would you take this time to describe it to us? How and where can readers buy your books?

This fall, we actually released three books. The Dragon and the Turtle, a picture book, came out in August. The Valley of the Dragons, the second in the Chiril Chronicles, came out in September. And Two Tickets came out in October.

My latest book is Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball. This book is about matchmaking wizards, who make sure that tickets to the annual Christmas Ball fall into the right hands each year. This year’s unlikely couple is a pair of single people who work together but have no awareness of each other. You must read it to find out if Simon and Cora discover a perfect chemistry in their opposite personalities and shared faith!

My books are sold at both Christian and secular bookstores and over the internet through CBD.com, Amazon.com, and Barnes and Nobles.com.

What is the spiritual message in your book? What can readers expect to get from reading it?

The message is that even the hard, disagreeable things in life prepare us to be better servants of God.

Do you ever feel like giving up? Most people don’t understand the stress, the work, and the joy of being a writer. How tenuous becoming a writer is. Do you care to share how it feels, what discouraging/encouraging times you’ve gone through?

Life interrupts writing. I think if a writer plied his trade in an ivory tower, he or she would soon run out of material. Taking life and translating it to paper makes the best fiction. However, it would be nice to have someone else pay the bills, take out the garbage, babysit, write thank you notes, etc.

Who’s inspired you the most?

• Max Lucado, whose everyday application of faith clears out the rubbish of worldly entanglements.
• Linda Windsor, whose strong faith and sense of humor reveal the pleasure of being a Christian.
• Patricia Veryan, for the art of storytelling in novel form. Her characterization and plots are exemplary.

Would you explain how you “chose” (or were chosen by) a publisher? Do you just go “inny, minny, miny, moe?” Now, that you’re published, can you sit back and relax from the success you’ve experienced?

I am an exception to the rule. My first Christian romance was accepted by the first publisher I sent it to, and DragonSpell was accepted by the first publisher my agent took it to. I have had other manuscripts in between that have bounced around the industry and a few have never found a home.

I don’t think you can be successful in the sit back and relax mode. I have deadlines and commitments to address, but more importantly, I want to connect with my readers and I want to keep honing my skills. Both take effort.

Do you mind telling us some of your likes and dislikes? Hobbies, interests? Where would you like to travel if you could?

I dislike mac and cheese and most pasta dishes. I can sew, but really, really dislike sewing. I am disgusted by coarse language and profanity. Why choose a cuss word when there are so many good words available. Mostly it is laziness.

Likes? Oh so many! I like mentoring young writers of all ages. I like beading, stamping, jewelry-making. Knitting is my favorite indoor sport. I would go to England, Scotland, and Ireland, then the Mediterranean, Italy and Greece.

Would you give us your blog or webpage so everyone can check it out? Anything else you’d like to share? Promotional information?

You can find my blogs and websites at my main website: http://www.donitakpaul.com/. I have a separate website for the children’s books which my daughter, Evangeline Denmark and I are writing. It’s called http://www.dragonandturtle.com/. If you click on Mrs. Paul you will see the blogs that I write.

I like to do school visits and booksignings. When I’m in a QandA with readers, I often get asked, “What is your favorite part of being a writer?” I answer, “This.” I am a people person, and readers are the best people in the world.

Thanks so much for taking the time to visit today! I know how busy life can be.

Don't forget to leave your comments and email address, readers!

 

Blessings!

Monday Morning Gratitudes

Young men and women serving in our military--God bless them!
People who overcome a temptation
Happiness on faces
Children who need and love me
Critiquers who do a good job
Surprises
Reading an unfamiliar author's book, and finding out I love it
New authors
Good endings
Woolly socks

Blessings!

A Tip to Reduce Stress:

Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe.

Blessings!

Did You Hear?

Don't you just love gossip?
Or not.

Here's a funny (and sort of sad, too) story that was passed on to me.
Read and learn.

Mildred, the church gossip and self-appointed monitor of the church's morals, kept sticking her nose into other people's business. Several members did not approve of her extra curricular activities, but feared her enough to maintain their silence.

She made a mistake, however, when she accused Frank, a new member, of being an alcoholic after she saw his old pickup parked in front of the town's only bar one afternoon. She emphatically told Frank (and several others) that every one seeing it there WOULD KNOW WHAT HE WAS DOING!

Frank, a man of few words, stared at her for a moment, turned and walked away. He didn't explain, defend, or deny (Me: how many of us could have done that?). He said nothing.

Later that evening, Frank quietly parked his pickup in front of Mildred's house, walked home and left it there all night!

You gotta love Frank!

Blessings!

Meet Prolific Children's Writer, Max Anderson!

Don't forget to leave a comment and email address for a chance to win one of Max's books for yourself or one of your favorite children!


How long have you known that you were a writer? Did you receive a clear “call?” Or have you just loved writing all your life?

It really didn’t start out like that for me. I had grown up hating to read, in spite of the fact that my dad published over 70 books during his lifetime. In our family of seven children, it was kind of understood that he was the “writer” in the family.

But I did get what you refer to as a call. It was very clear, and though I resisted it for some time, it was equally persistent. It came after my video production business was virtually shut down after 9/11. The call was simple. Over and over again, day after day, I heard – in my mind – “Why don’t you write The Scarecrow?”

The Scarecrow had been a screenplay I’d written over thirty years before, but it had never been produced. I used to be pretty heavily involved in the production of dramatic films; many of them were for children. Writing The Scarecrow could only mean that I was to begin writing for kids.

What is the genre you write in? Would you explain what it is?

Primarily, I write action-adventures and mysteries for readers 8 – 13, especially boys. The good thing is that girls, and even adults, seem to enjoy them just as much. I’ve completed thirty-five of those manuscripts and am now working with two publishers, to get them published.

In addition, I have a short story pending at Boys’ Life, have sold some stories to Guideposts, have three devotionals coming out in a Tyndale book late next year, and a Christmas story due out in a compilation book from Chicken Soup for the Soul this year. I also wrote a massive book about humor that may never see the light of day.

How do you spend your writing days? Do you set goals to reach a certain number of words per day? Can you give us a general idea of how long it takes you to write a novel?

I never start a book I won’t finish, and I never begin a chapter that I won’t complete in a writing session. I stopped writing for a time, so that I could work on platform, sign with an agent, and start selling the mountain of finished work. And I really miss the writing. For me, that’s the most fun part.

When I am writing, I like to start around six in the evening. I always burn a candle next to my computer, and play mood appropriate music to the scene I’m writing. A usual pattern is to work until I’ve finished three chapters. I don’t write to an outline, but write as the story unfolds in front of me.

Before I start, I tell myself the story, into a recorder, and transcribe those notes. This usually results in 8 –10 pages. What it does is gives a beginning, a middle, and an end. From there, it’s anybody’s guess what’s going to happen next. On one story, Legend of the White Wolf, I finished the first draft in only three days. That’s because I couldn’t wait to see how the story would turn out. Most of my stories have taken a couple of weeks of working evenings and weekends, to finish the first draft.

Tell us about your new book. What is the spiritual message in it? What can readers expect to get from reading it?

There are actually two that are coming out pretty close together. The first is Lost Island Smugglers, book # 1 in the Sam Cooper Adventure Series. The story reminds us, be sure our sins will find us out. It also contains an anti-drug thread.

The second, Barney and the Runaway, is from a different publisher. This is the beginning of a nontraditional “series” where the characters and settings will be different in every book. Parents will like this one because it reminds kids that when parents discipline, or expect more out of them, it’s because they love their children. And the theme is, no matter what we do, we can never run away from God.

Do you ever feel like giving up? Most people don’t understand the stress, the work, and the joy of being a writer. How tenuous becoming a writer is. Do you care to share how it feels, what discouraging/encouraging times you’ve gone through?

Sure. Not only did I try not to start writing in the first place, I nearly quit three times. I believe that the quality a writer needs, above all others, is persistence. And it is hard to keep going at first. Everything is against you and the market doesn’t know you exist. But I decided to take the long view. I thought that, if it really was God who prompted me with, “Why don’t you write The Scarecrow,” then I didn’t really have a choice other than to keep going. I was fortunate, too, because I had a lot of family support. And, though I was worried about what my dad would think about my writing, he became one of my greatest supporters until his death a couple of years ago.

I like to remind aspiring writers that writing is the easy part. It’s everything that comes next that represents the really hard work and discouragement. But the truth is, if God puts it into your heart and mind to write, even though you can’t see the end in sight, He will be faithful to provide a way for you. No matter what else you do…never ever give up.

Who’s inspired you the most?

Four people.

• My father and mother read nearly every manuscript. And with my dad’s vast publishing experience, his opinions were invaluable.
• My oldest sister taught creative writing, at the college level, and she did a rough edit on each manuscript.
• And my oldest brother has read pretty much everything.
• A little later on, another brother joined in, and they have all been very helpful. I think it also helped, subconsciously, to grow up watching my dad write books, short stories, magazine articles, and film production scripts. That provided a positive image of what I thought I might be able to do if I worked hard, kept at it, and didn’t give up.

Would you explain how you “chose” (or were chosen by) a publisher? Do you just go “inny, minny, miny, moe?” Grin. Now, that you’re published, can you sit back and relax from the success you’ve experienced?

It’s very important to match your work up with publishers who publish books like yours. But I took a different path to publishing. I wrote as fast as I could, over about a three year period, and completed the 35 manuscripts. At the time, I sensed the need for books for boys. That was nearly 9 years ago. Because I didn’t have a platform yet, I needed to match up with publishers who were willing to take a chance with a new author.

But sit back? Ha! You only work harder after you’re published. I’m looking for a publisher for 4 of my picture books, and have two motion picture production companies looking at manuscripts. These things don’t just drop into your lap; you have to be active in the process. The hardest job for the published author is the amount of work you have to do in speaking, marketing, promotion, and publicity. That’s why I said, writing is the easy part.

Do you mind telling us some of your likes and dislikes? Hobbies, interests? Where would you like to travel if you could?

I love NASCAR. Jeff Gordon has been my favorite driver since he entered the sport. I have to admit that writing, and all the things that go with it, have sort of consumed me for the past few years. But I do enjoy spending time with my wife and with our adult children. Each February, my son, who is an attorney in Chicago, and I go to the Daytona 500.

Our daughter lives in Florida, and teaches 2nd grade. So it works out well to see her then, too. I collect coins and stamps, but have had very little time for that for at least the last 5 years. My wife and I like old movies. The ones in black and white are the best. We both enjoy country music too.

You recently had a book published. Would you take this time to describe it to us? How and where can readers buy your books?

Lost Island Smugglers
Sam, Tony, and Tyler took scuba lessons together. Tony’s father owned a marina, so Tony got them in for free. After the boys completed the course, they decided to try their new skills in the ocean. The only problem was, none of them had permission to go, or to take one of the sailboats out for their diving adventure.

Everything went well until the biggest storm the boys had ever seen, blew up from out of nowhere, and they found themselves stranded on Lost Island. But, if they thought the worst had happened, they were wrong. What about those high-powered speedboats that mysteriously disappeared? And what were they going to tell their parents, even if they did get off the island?

• This book is distributed through Ingram, so it can be ordered from any local bookstore.
• It’s also available on places like Amazon and Barnes & Noble online.
• Signed copies can be ordered directly from me. Anyone interested can email me for details mander8813@aol.com 

Would you give us your blog or webpage so everyone can check it out? Anything else you’d like to share? Promotional information?

Thank you for the interview. I enjoyed your questions.

Author Web Site:
http://www.maxbooks.9k.com/

Books For Boys Blog:
http://booksandboys.blogspot.com/

Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/max.e.anderson

Also on Shoutlife, Twitter, and others


Wonderful, Max. It's so thrilling to hear of your children's ministry. I think we all have need to know of more good books for children. Thanks!
Blessings!

Monday Morning Gratitudes

The opportunity to travel
Loops where I can keep up on writing stuff
All of my followers!
The dates hubby and I share
A literary agent who works hard for me
Pumpkins
Caramel apples with nuts
Sweatshirts
writing conferences
writing buddies

Blessings!

Sunday Morning Peace

These are my Rocks 

This is my rock where I run

To steal the secret of the sun.

This is my rock where I come

Before the night has swept the sky.

Thisis my rock, this is the place,

I meet the evening face to face.

--David McCord

Blessings!

Review of Deliver Us From Evil by Robin Caroll




From the book cover:
A Search and Rescue helicopter pilot working for the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, Brannon Callahan is as beautiful and tough as the terrain surrounding her. When a blizzard crashes a small plane carrying U.S. Marshall Roark Holland, she must save him and the donor heart he’s transporting to a dying government witness with crucial links to the largest child trafficking ring in history.

My take:

Feisty, smart and talented, Brannon has a job that both challenges her and is fulfilling. Yet something is missing. When she meets Roark Holland, sparks fly. She is the official rescue park ranger, knows her way around, and should be in charge. But he is the FBI agent who figures that gives him an edge.

He resents having to transport a human heart for a government protected witness, but when his helicopter crashes, he has no choice but to work with Brannon whose rescue copter is also sabotaged, to find a way out of the park and keep the heart safe.

In the meantime, two young girls are found who form a bond with Brannon. She is able to find out that they are part of the biggest child trafficking business in the states. When opportunity to escape opened the door for them, they walked through and ran for their lives. Brannon and Roark are determined to find the compound, the person behind it, and rescue all the other girls, but first, they’ve got to learn to work together.

In the midst of the turmoil, will their strong personalities allow them to solve the serious problems and stop the man behind all the havoc? Will their growing respect and admiration turn to something more serious? Will Roark renew his love for God? Will Brannon learn that God’s plan for her life is better than her own plans?

For a great suspenseful read, get “Deliver Us From Evil” by Robin Caroll. It’ll keep you on the edge of your seat till the end.


Blessings!

Welcome Historical Writer, Margaret Brownley!

Readers, make sure to leave your comment and email address for a chance to win, "A Suitor for Jenny!"


How long have you known that you were a writer? Did you receive a clear “call?” Or have you just loved writing all your life?


I’ve always wanted to be a writer and wrote my first “novel” in 5th grade. In high school I entered my angst-driven stories in the annual Seventeen Magazine contest, and didn’t even merit an honorary mention. No one thought I should pursue writing, probably because I failed 8th grade English. To this day I still can’t diagram a sentence. When my kids reached junior high I volunteered as the church newsletter editor, and got a bit too creative. After making the church picnic read like a Grisham novel, my then pastor took me aside and suggested that maybe God was calling me to write fiction.

What is the genre you write in? Would you explain what it is?

Currently I’m writing inspirational historical romances for Thomas Nelson. My stories take place in the Old West.

How do you spend your writing days? Do you set goals to reach a certain number of words per day? Can you give us a general idea of how long it takes you to write a novel?

An early riser, I’m at my desk practically every day of the week. I take off an hour for lunch and an hour to make nice with the treadmill. I then spend the remainder of the day on left-brained stuff (phone calls, promotion, blogging, answering reader mail and nibbling on chocolate). It generally takes me six months to research and write a historical novel.

Tell us about your new book. What is the spiritual message in it? What can readers expect to get from reading it? How and where can readers buy your book?

A Suitor For Jenny is the 2nd book in my Rocky Creek Romance series.

I got the idea from a meeting notice in an old 1800s newspaper. It was for a group that called themselves “The Society for the Protection and Preservation of Male Independence.” I don’t know what happened to the group or if its members managed to maintain independence, but I knew I had a story.

Of course confirmed bachelors aren’t the only problem that confronts Jenny Higgins when she rolls into Rocky Creek, Texas determined to find suitable husbands for her two younger sisters. The town falls short of her expectations, but she refuses to be discouraged. Once her sisters are safely married, Jenny plans to put the past behind her, move far, far away and start afresh.

Armed with “The Compleat and Authoritative Manual for Attracting and Procuring a Husband,” she follows every rule in the book. Much to her dismay, none of the men meet the stringent requirements, one of which is passing the PHAT (Potential Husband Attitude Test).

Jenny thinks she knows how to pick perfect husbands and it take two rebellious sisters, a handsome marshal, and a whole lot of faith to convince her otherwise.

Do you ever feel like giving up? Most people don’t understand the stress, the work, and the joy of being a writer. How tenuous becoming a writer is. Do you care to share how it feels, what discouraging/encouraging times you’ve gone through?

Writing is hard work, no question, and yes, I’ve wanted to give up. Fortunately for me, the love of writing has always been greater than the disappointments. I had a long dry spell between books following the death of our oldest son. I didn’t think I’d ever write again and when I finally did, the market had changed, so I had to start from scratch—and that was tough.

Who’s inspired you the most?

I love to write about the Old West because I have the utmost admiration for the thousands of pioneer women who left home and family to create a new life in a raw and sometimes hostile land.

Would you explain how you “chose” (or were chosen by) a publisher? Do you just go “inny, minny, miny, moe?”

Finding the right publisher is too important for guesswork. Fortunately, my agent did the hard work of finding the right publisher for me. But even with an agent you have to do your homework and know what publishers are looking for.

Now, that you’re published, can you sit back and relax from the success you’ve experienced?

I don’t think a writer can ever sit back and relax. There’s always the next book to write, the next deadline to meet and another book to promote. I’ve published more than 20 books and I think it gets harder with each book. I’m always trying to dig deeper and write better. You have to keep reading, writing, promoting and feeding the creative muse. This has always been true, of course, but it’s even more important in today’s financial climate. Readers have limited funds to spend and have to choose their books wisely. Writers have an obligation to provide the best entertaining read possible.

Do you mind telling us some of your likes and dislikes? Hobbies, interests? Where would you like to travel if you could?

Between writing and family I don’t have much time for hobbies. Reading is my favorite past time and we like traveling in our RV. The book I’m currently working on is set in Arizona, so that will probably be our next destination.
You recently had a book published. How and where can readers buy your books?

A Suitor for Jenny can be purchased on-line or at your favorite bookstore. And of course A Lady Like Sarah, a Women of Faith selection, 2010 RITA finalist and Heart of Excellence Reader’s Choice winner, is still available.
Would you give us your blog or webpage so everyone can check it out? Anything else you’d like to share? Promotional information?

• Website: http://www.margaretbrownley.com/
• I’m a resident blogger at http://www.petticoatsandpistols.com/
• Stagecoach Etiquette for Readers: Have A Little Faith

Thanks, Margaret, for visiting my blog today!
Blessings, readers!

Monday Morning Gratitudes

horses
Trains
Buses
Automobiles
Trucks
Airplanes
motorcycles
scooters
Boats
And all the people who operate these means of transportaton safely

Blessings!

Sunday Morning Peace



How Should I Pray?

"The proper way for man to pray," said Deacon Lemuel Keyes, "the only proper attitude is down upon his knees."

"Nay, I should say the way to pray," said Reverend Doctor Wise, "is standing straight with outstretched arms, with rapt and upturned eyes."

"Oh, no, no, no," said Elder Snow, "such posture is too proud. A man should pray with eyes fast-closed and head contritely bowed."

"It seems to me his hands should be austerely clasped in front, with both thumbs pointing to the ground," said Reverend Doctor Blunt.

"Last year I fell in Hodgkin's well headfirst," said Cyri Brown, "with both my heels sticking up, my head pointing down, and I done prayed right then and there. Best prayer I ever said, the prayingest prayer I ever prayed--a standing on my head."

Smile. So What do you think? Does it really matter to God? hmmm.

Blessings!

Please Welcome my new Friend, Sid Frost

How long have you known that you were a writer? Did you receive a clear “call?” Or have you just loved writing all your life?

My earliest memory of writing is when my sister decided we would publish a neighborhood magazine. I remember where we were living at the time, so I had to be about twelve years old. The magazine included reviews of movies we’d seen as well as news about our neighbors

I had the writing bug from then on. Aptitude tests showed an interest in creative writing, but my school counselors said I should think of it as a hobby since few people made a living from writing. So, I ended up majoring in computer. I continued to write because I felt compelled to and had a number of articles published over the years.

The “call” came much later when something my pastor said during a sermon caused me to start writing Where Love Once Lived.

What is the genre you write in? Would you explain what it is?

I believe one of my major problems in getting published was due to not thinking about genre first. I tell all beginning authors to study genres first. I wrote the book first and then tried to classify it. Some people thought Where Love Once Lived was a romance so I sent it to romance publishers. One publisher liked it enough to request the entire document and they asked me to make drastic changes. Even after the changes, they said it isn’t really a romance.

Now, I just say I write Christian fiction.

How do you spend your writing days? Do you set goals to reach a certain number of words per day? Can you give us a general idea of how long it takes you to write a novel?

I do best when I have a goal. When I wrote Where Love Once Lived I paid for an online advanced novel class to help keep me on schedule. Students were supposed to already have a completed novel, and then we would submit 10,000 words every two weeks. During the two weeks, we were supposed to read and comment on each other’s work. I did, but I also used the two weeks to write my next 10,000 words. Since I had paid for the class I was motivated to write.

For my second book, Vengeance Is Mine, which is not yet published, I set goal for number of words per day. It wasn’t much, 500 I think, and then I kept record of the actual word count on a spreadsheet. That worked until I got to the edit mode and there was no clear way to count my productivity.

Tell us about your new book. What is the spiritual message in it? What can readers expect to get from reading it? How and where can readers buy your book?

The message I hope readers get is that God will lead the way if we let Him. My male protagonist travels halfway across the country to find happiness when all he needed to do was to let God back into his heart.

Do you ever feel like giving up? Most people don’t understand the stress, the work, and the joy of being a writer. How tenuous becoming a writer is. Do you care to share how it feels, what discouraging/encouraging times you’ve gone through?

Writing and not being able to publish what you write can be discouraging. Although I see changes with the influx of ebook publishers, many publishers don’t accept submissions from unpublished writers. They are told to get an agent, but that can be difficult to do. I talked to many agents after finishing Where Love Once Lived, but none would represent me. I won contests and some included free sessions with agents or publishers. They seemed to like my pitch and asked to see first three chapters, but that was the end of it. Well, White Rose Publishing did ask for the entire manuscript twice, but they are the one who determined my book is not a romance and they only publish romance. That was when I decided to go to CreateSpace and use the print of demand approach.
Who’s inspired you the most?

If it hadn’t been for Jan Karon ad the success of her Mitford series, I probably never would have written a novel. I also have to credit my pastor for reminding me it is never too late to fulfill a dream.

Would you explain how you “chose” (or were chosen by) a publisher? Do you just go “inny, minny, miny, moe?”

If I were starting out, I would get a book like Writer’s Markets and see who’s buying what. Then, I would check the websites of the top contenders and read what they are looking for and how they want the submissions.
Now, that you’re published, can you sit back and relax from the success you’ve experienced?

There’s no relaxing. I’m trying to find a publisher for Vengeance Is Mine while trying to market Where Love Once Lived. I have a book signing in Georgetown this month and one is Austin next month. I send out emails, press releases, post cards, and look for other ways to reach readers (i.e. buyers). I’m building a name on Amazon with reviews, tags, lists, blogs, etc. I have a newspaper ad to proof and get back in today. I made my own Kindle edition and put it on sale on Amazon. Now I’m teaching myself to create epub files so I can create ebooks for Nooks and iPads and anything else that comes along.

Do you mind telling us some of your likes and dislikes? Hobbies, interests? Where would you like to travel if you could?

In addition to writing, I teach and sing. At one time or another, I’ve earned income from all three. Now, singing is for fun. I was in an opera chorus for 15 or so years and now I sing with a community chorus that recently sang five performances in China. After that I spent a week at the Berkshire Choral Festival.

You recently had a book published. How and where can readers buy your books?

The best way to buy my book is by going to my website: http://www.sidneywfrost.com/
 and clicking on Buy. From there you find a number of places where you can order the book. The Kindle edition is only available from http://amazon.com/

Would you give us your blog or webpage so everyone can check it out? Anything else you’d like to share? Promotional information?

http://sidneywfrost.com/

http://christianbookmobile.blogspot.com/

Thanks, Sid, for visiting my blog!

Meet Millie Samuelson, Interesting Lady and Writer!

Millie is giving away one of each of her books! Make sure to leave a comment and your email address!

How long have you known that you were a writer? Did you receive a clear “call?” Or have you just loved writing all your life?

The seeds for my first and surprise Last Supper book were planted decades ago in China, where I was born and raised during devastating WWII times. (Yes, my younger brother and I survived, but our three older brothers are buried in Xian.) Until seventh grade, my sporadic schooling was by my missionary parents as we fled from place to place, seeking refuge from bombs and anti foreign-devil mobs.

During those years, Dad’s pocket New Testament was often my only textbook.

I still vividly remember one day reading a lesson in the Gospels, then asking, “Daddy, why didn’t Jesus have any girl disciples?”

My missionary father (also born and raised in China) looked at me with raised eyebrows and answered, “But of course, Jesus had girl disciples!” And he showed me some of the passages about the women who followed Jesus, and about the girl he brought back to life.

In the decades since then, I have enjoyed researching this topic extensively, including at the Vatican and the Louvre where there are huge ancient paintings showing women, children, and others besides Jesus and the Twelve present at the Last Supper. When my husband Dave and I moved to Chesterton, for the first time we had a pastor willing to portray women at the Last Supper, at my suggestion, along with the twelve men disciples. The first person stories I wrote for the twelve women created quite a local stir of interest, and people wanted the stories in print.

With my son Peter’s guidance and God’s blessing, I soon had a self-published book, Women of the Last Supper: We Were There Too, to sell when I spoke to groups. Now several years later, I’ve sold thousands of copies and just released a revised and expanded edition. It’s a combination of my first two books, and includes the twelve men disciples’ stories, as well as six children’s stories told by Jairus’s daughter and young John Mark (the author of Mark’s Gospel). My church has enacted these stories many times.

What is the genre you write in? Would you explain what it is?

During the thirty-plus years that I was a busy homemaker, professor and college writer, I dreamed of writing short stories and novels (and collected boxes of notes). I just didn’t know what my genre would be. But when I moved to Chesterton, a library writing group and my disciple stories started me on the path of multicultural historical fiction for my Last Supper books and my China novels. I hesitate to call what I write fiction because my stories are researched and as true as possible. But according to publishing standards, that’s what I write because of the first-person story and novel forms I use.

How do you spend your writing days? Do you set goals to reach a certain number of words per day? Can you give us a general idea of how long it takes you to write a novel?

I’m not a model writer by any means. Sometimes I write all day and into the night, and sometimes I don’t write at all for weeks or even months, especially if I’m with grandchildren. Maybe because of that, I never have writer’s block. When I have time to write, the words just pour forth. Plus I’m totally a computer writer these days, even most of my notes are in computer files. Now that may not sound like much to some of you reading this, but I grew up writing everything first in longhand and then typing it. And oh, how I love the ease of writing with a machine that writes at the speed I think, and edits with such ease.

That said, each of my novels has taken me about five years to write, and the same for my newest Last Supper book. But keep in mind, I don’t write full-time.

You recently had a book published. Would you take this time to describe it to us? How and where can readers buy your books?

My books are available from my website http://www.milliesbook.org/ and also from http://www.amazon.com/. In addition to my newly released Women of the Last Supper that I’ve already described, I’m writing a trilogy of China novels. The first one I’ve self-published, titled Hungry River: A Yangtze Novel (inspired by my grandparents and parents’ extraordinary lives in China). It’s currently part of a longer manuscript, Dragon River, represented by Diana Flegal of Hartline Literary Agency. I’m thrilled to be one of their team (along with Carole who’s hosting me today). I’m looking forward to having my books published by a traditional publisher because I’m eager for their message to reach a national and international readership.

What is the spiritual message in your book? What can readers expect to get from reading it?

While I write to inform and entertain,
I write because of the message words contain.
And what is that, you may be wondering,
As upon my words you have been pondering.
The answer? God grants His loving grace
To those who pray and seek God’s face.

Those lines just came to me as I started to write Romans 8:28 for you. This Bible verse is the theme and testimony of all I write, whether the circumstances are filled with light or darkness: “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them” (NLT).

I often pray God will speak to each reader of my books in a personal and encouraging way. Based on the steady, affirming feedback I receive (often email from people I don’t know), God is answering that prayer.

Do you ever feel like giving up? Most people don’t understand the stress, the work, and the joy of being a writer. How tenuous becoming a writer is. Do you care to share how it feels, what discouraging/encouraging times you’ve gone through?

No, I’ve never felt like “giving up”! My writing journey has been nearly one hundred percent joyous (minus a bit for rejections here and there). Sometimes, though, I do ask God, “Okay, if this isn’t going to work out, what should I try next or wait for?” And God always opens some door of opportunity or encouragement. I hear about authors having disappointing self-publishing experiences, but I sure haven’t. Even if it all stopped right now, I could look back and say, “Thanks, God! What a wonderful experience! Thanks for using the stories in my books to bless and strengthen many, including me.”

Who’s inspired you the most?

The greatest Author of all, God, and the God-inspired stories in the Holy Bible!

Many humans, too, like Emily Bronte, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Willa Cather, C.S. Lewis (can you tell I taught English?), L.M. Montgomery, Lloyd C. Douglas, Pearl Buck, Amy Tan, Mary Stewart, Tony Hillerman, Jan Karon, Jeanette Oke, Gus Lee, Harry Petrakas, Rosamunde Pilcher, John Grishman, and oh so many more. For me, the best part about reading other’s stories is how they inspire me to write “my” stories. I often remember as I write what C.S. Lewis said: “We are never closer to God, the Creator, than when we ourselves are creating.” The novel craft book that’s helped me the most is Penelope J. Stokes’ Writing & Selling the Christian Novel.

Now, that you’re published, can you sit back and relax from the success you’ve experienced?

No, not until I sense that’s God’s will for me. Right now, I’m having too great a time to just “sit back and relax.”

Do you mind telling us some of your likes and dislikes? Hobbies, interests? Where would you like to travel if you could?

My greatest dislike in life is war, based on today’s news reports and my own childhood experiences. I had terrible war nightmares for decades. But now that I’ve written my China novels and told about some of those horrific experiences, I’ve been freed from those nightmares. I’ve always known writing was excellent therapy, and now I know it in a major way.

While my worst experiences happened overseas, that’s also true of some of my best experiences. I LOVE to travel, and so does my husband Dave. Together we’ve lived or traveled in more than thirty countries. Some of our recent travels have taken us to the Holy Land, Sweden, and China (including a Yangtze River cruise). We really enjoy cruises, and count ones to Alaska, the Greek Islands, and the Caribbean among our favorite trips.

Would you give us your blog or webpage so everyone can check it out? Anything else you’d like to share? Promotional information?

• Looking for a speaker? I’m always grateful for any door that opens for God’s message through my books and me.
• Check out my website: http://www.milliesbooks.org/.
• I also blog every second Friday of the month on http://www.hoosierink.blogspot.com/, a great site where ACFWriters from all over Indiana take turns blogging every day.
• On Face Book, I’m Millie Nelson Samuelson, and I enjoy new friends.

One last “word” that you’ve heard before. In the book of life, reading is an important activity for everyone! I believe words are supernatural, for “in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” God’s Words created the universes. And those who read (the right words, of course), succeed and live with hope and joy in times of light and in times of darkness.

 

 

Thank you so much for being here today. Your interview was interesting and gave me more of an idea of your writing life and you.

Readers, please don't forget to leave a comment and your email address for a chance to win one of Millie's books!

 

Blessings!