Monday Morning Gratitudes

The prayers of a child
Faith that things will get better
Rainbows after a storm
Sharing a dinner with family and friends
All the birthday wishes from friends
Unexpected surprises
Warm houses
Jamin and her friendship
Making new friends
Hubby and learning something new about him this week

Blessings!

Sunday Morning Peace

Enjoy!

Guests Of The Heart

Soft falls through the gathering twilight

The rain from the dripping eaves,

And stirs with a tremulous rustle

The dead and dying leaves;

While afar, in the midst of the shadows,

I hear the sweet voices of bells,

Come borne on the wind of the Autumn

That fitfully rises and swells.

They call and they answer each other,

They answer and mingle again,

As the deep and the shrill in an anthem

Make harmony still in their strain,

As the voices of the sentinels mingle

In mountainous regions of snow,

Till from hill top to hill top a chorus

Floats down to the valley below.

The shadows, the firelight of even,

The sound of the rain's distant chime,

Come bringing, with rain softly dropping,

Sweet thoughts of a shadowy time;

The slumberous sense of seclusion,

The storm and intruders aloof,

We feel when we hear in the midnight

The patter of rain on the roof.

When the spirit goes forth in its yearnings

To take all its wanderers home;

Or, afar in the regions of fancy,

Delights on swift pinions to roam,

I quietly sit by the firelight

The firelight so bright and so warm

For I know that those only who love me

Will seek me through shadow and storm.

But should they be absent this evening,

Should even the household depart,

Deserted, I should not be lonely,

There still would be guests in my heart.

The faces of friends that I cherish,

The smile, and the glance, and the tone,

Will haunt me wherever I wander,

And thus I am never alone.

With those who have left far behind them

The joys and the sorrows of time

Who sing the sweet songs of the angels

In a purer and holier clime!

Then darkly, O evening of Autumn

Your rain and your shadows may fall

My loved and my lost ones you bring me

My heart holds a feast with them all.

--Author Unknown

Happy Birthday--Me

Thought I'd share a pic of my gorgeous roses hubby gave me for my birthday Tuesday. Pretty snazzy, huh?

And up close . . .

Sigh.

And for a closer personal glimpse, here's what the card said he gave me. I loved it!

In a world that does its best

to make us a little fuzzy

around the edges,

some people still manage

to have bold outlines.

They know who they are,

what they're about,

and what they alone can give,

And just like them,

the gifts they share are bold,

bright, beautiful.

You're someone who doesn't compromise

on being the person only you could be,

someone who doesn't hold back

on sharing the gifts only you can give,

and especially today,

I, for one, just want to say

thank you, thank you, thank you.

I love you.

You can see why I had a lovely birthday.

Smile.

Have a great weekend.

Blessings

All That Messy Love


(Me): Today, I'm thrilled to have Naomi Musch guest blogging. Read on for a great article on romance.

If you've found the love of your life, chances are pretty good it didn't happen easily. Even if you're still waiting to see whether God will bring that right one along, the path to romantic love can be -- and most often is -- messy. Jilted, infatuated, broken, unrequited feelings litter the way.

And that's why stories call to us. Usually a protagonist in any piece of romantic fiction is suffering from one of these forms of messy love. We relate to him or her in some way. We understand the character's hopeless feelings, even as we stress about the decisions their heavy heartache may lead them to make.

In my new book The Red Fury (Empire in Pine, Book 2) Lainey Kade has been jilted and broken. Leaving her shattered heart strewn in pieces with the past, Lainey is convinced she'll never love again. Grieving the sting of tragic loss and 2 searing rejections, her faith falters. She finds solace instead in seeking adventure and breaking the rules. When she crosses paths with brothers Zane and Kelly Beaumont, she pretends to be married. But she soon finds camaraderie with these two drifters whose nightmares since the civil war have never let them return home. Defying propriety, her friendship with Zane and Kelly spirals into dangerous territory and unsettling attraction. Emotions culminate in the days leading to the inferno known as the Great Peshtigo Fire, where nearly 3,000,000 acres are destroyed and thousands of lives lost. And if Lainey will allow the spark of love inside her to flame again, it may tear them each apart.

The wonderful thing about Christian fiction and the reason I write it is not to preach and especially not to resolve issues easily. But it's a vehicle which recognizes that the only love which is always steady and always true is God's love for us. He teaches us -- and our characters -- how true love works. Even if the spiritual aspect is not blatant in the story but presented more through the writers' world view, it undergirds this truth.

Through stories streaked with messy love, we are shown how God often fulfills our hearts' desires in real life, even in bringing to us the kind of deep, romantic love our hearts may crave. Though we've been jilted, someone may long for us. Though we've been infatuated, we can discover that which is true. Though we've been broken, our hearts can be mended. And though we've known unrequited love, there is that which is returned. It's the waiting - or wading perhaps - through the messy love that sometimes makes the real thing, and God's love, that much fuller and more satisfying.

My pastor's recent definition of love resonates with me. He said, "Love is a steady devotion of the will." It's not the gamut of emotions, the highs and lows and resounding passions, however intense those may be. It rises above the messy love we've known. It's the real thing worth waiting for and dwelling in. It's the love the best stories are made of.

PURCHASE LINKS FOR THE RED FURY

Desert Breeze Publishing: http://tinyurl.com/3qkt4c9 (You can also read an excerpt here.)

Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/3h3j78m

Barnes & Noble: http://tinyurl.com/3d7mdm

Fellow writers, I'm going to continue this discussion on writing about messy love in the coming weeks over at my blog. Join me in the conversation, won't you? http://www.naomimusch.com/apps/blog



BIO:

Naomi and her husband Jeff live as epically as God allows on a ramshackle farm in Wisconsin's north woods. With five young adults living nearby or at home, life is filled with courtships, loud music, muddy trucks, and general mayhem.

Amidst it, she writes stories about imperfect people who are finding hope and faith to overcome their struggles. The Red Fury is Book 2 in her Empire in Pine series.

She invites new friends and old to say hello and find out more about her books, passions, and other writing venues at http://www.naomimusch.com/ or look her up on Facebook (Naomi Musch - Author) and Twitter (NMusch)



Thanks, Naomi, for blogging today for me! Readers, check out her book.
Blessings, all!

Monday Morning Gratitudes

A child's hand tucked in mine, trustingly
The clasp of my hubby's hand, lovingly
Tearfilled eyes, touched
A good cry, healing
An unexpected good deed, caring
Cards with gift certificates, surprising
An easy riding vehicle, resting
Empathy from friends, assuring
Sons working with fathers, loving
Families, happy

Blessings

Sunday Morning Peace

We have tons of trees on our property.

What a blessing in summer when they shield us from the hot, hot sun.

Springtime, I have to study hard to find the right spot in my garden pond for the lilies.

Winter, oooooh! Keeps us degrees colder than other spots in the county.

But Autumn? Love crunching them underfoot. Piling them on laughing boys. Even raking them.

Too bad they're not worth a fortune. We'd be rich! Smiles.

Gathering Leaves

by Robert Frost

Spades take up leaves

No better than spoons,

And bags full of leaves

Are light as balloons.

I make a great noise

Of rustling all day

Like rabbit and deer

Running away.

But the mountains I raise

Elude my embrace,

Flowing over my arms

And into my face.

I may load and unload

Again and again

Till I fill the whole shed,

And what have I then?

Next to nothing for weight,

And since they grew duller

From contact with earth,

Next to nothing for color.

Next to nothing for use.

But a crop is a crop,

And who's to say where

The harvest shall stop?

Blessings

Welcome, welcome, Christine! It's so Good to Have you Visit.
Christine's giving away an e-print copy of her book to one winner. Check out her book trailer here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EV3YX94ntSI

Don't forget your comments and addresses.
Now on to the interview . . .
It's good to have you, Christine. Tell us, 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?

Loved it all my life. From a kid I’d sit at my blackboard on the kitchen floor and draw and tell myself stories. But when I was 40 years old and was reunited with my birth-daughter---the child I had relinquished to adoption when she was 3 days old---I began to relive the original loss of her as a baby. As I was drowning in grief, my husband came to me with a brand new pen and journal, and said, “Write it.”

A while later I felt God nudge me to put the healing I’d received into fictional stories to encourage others.

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

I write Historical Romance. I love stores set in the past because it’s like a different world. At the same time though, the story-lines my characters live through are the same human dramas we experience today. So while the setting is historical, the emotions and drama are up-to-date.

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?

Because I have to work outside the home, generally a novel takes me a year. On my writing days, I plow through my mountain of emails, and then start writing. The amount of work varies on what I have to do that day. Editing is a different thing altogether from brain-storming and getting the first draft down. I try to give myself short goals of what I need to get done by such and such a date.

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?

Shadowed in Silk is about a woman who feels invisible to those who should love her. The spiritual message is about those who may feel like the Biblical Hagar when she ran away from Abraham and Sarah. She felt used and unloved. But as she ran out into the desert she realized that God heard her and saw her in her pain, and cared.

Shadowed in Silk is a gut-wrenching human drama. I find life tough at times, and I see a lot of my friends hurting from various things---illness, loneliness, stress. I think by reading a heart-wrenching story that’s filled with adventure, suspense, danger, they can take their eyes off their own sufferings for a while, and be entertained at the same time as their faith is encouraged.

Here's the back cover blurb:

She was invisible to those who should have loved her.

After the Great War, Abby Fraser returns to India with her small son, where her husband is stationed with the British army. She has longed to go home to the land of glittering palaces and veiled women . . . but Nick has become a cruel stranger. It will take more than her American pluck to survive.

Major Geoff Richards, broken over the loss of so many of his men in the trenches of France, returns to his cavalry post in Amritsar. But his faith does little to help him understand the ruthlessness of his British peers toward the Indian people he loves. Nor does it explain how he is to protect Abby Fraser and her child from the husband who mistreats them.

Amid political unrest, inhospitable deserts, and Russian spies, tensions rise in India as the people cry for the freedom espoused by Gandhi. Caught between their own ideals and duty, Geoff and Abby stumble into sinister secrets . . . secrets that will thrust them out of the shadows and straight into the fire of revolution.

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?

Very often. I started the writing apprenticeship over 10 years ago, and am just now seeing my debut novel come to light. But each time I felt like giving up I asked the Lord to show me clearly what I should do. Each time thought, He would do something momentous to encourage me to persevere. Once when I was ready to pack it in, I won a scholarship to the ACFW conference. On another occasion I won the Genesis.

I won’t lie to you though. Writing is a hard road---a lot of work to learn the craft, be strong enough to learn from others through critiques, start the next novel after your first few books have been rejected. But if you have the desire to write, you must accept this long road. Perseverance does pay off, and you’ve got to rely on the Lord.

Who’s inspired you the most?

My greatest hero is Corrie Ten Boom. What she and her sister went through and others like them is truly amazing. People like them, who suffer greatly, and then go on to forgive and use their stories to encourage others.

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

Can you hear my giggle? I wish it were that easy. When I first started out I thought it was. Before you even get a publisher you often have to get an agent interested in you. And that takes learning how to craft a good query letter and book proposal as well as your novel. In most cases your agent will help you find the right publisher. But it always boils down to what publisher is interested in you.

If they like your book, and find it marketable then you’ll be blessed with publication . . . maybe. Because the competition is really something. The best advice I can give is keep learning the craft. Quite often we think our writing has reached the level of publication when it hasn’t. That’s where good critique partners come in. And then after you’ve written your book with all their advice and suggestions, get a good professional critique. There are no shortcuts in the writing business. And pay attention to the market.

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

Again, I’m giggling. Since I got the email that WhiteFire would publish Shadowed in Silk, my work level increased to about double. Nowadays, I’m doggie paddling like crazy to keep up with marketing Shadowed in Silk, polishing the current book I have ready to shop out to publishers, and I’m brain-storming for the next book. All this of course by holding down a part-time job and caring for my home, and trying to be a good neighbor. Oh yes, I also speak occasionally at church functions.

Where would you like to travel if you could?

I’d go back to India in a flash. I was there for 10 days in 2010, and it was fascinating. So vastly different from North America even in their big cities. But in the country, it’s like a totally different world. The women’s clothing is stunningly beautiful.

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

Shadowed in Silk won the 2009 ACFW Gold Genesis for historical, and it can be purchased on Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, and a few other on-line places.

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

To get a good idea of what Shadowed in Silk is about, view the book trailer here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EV3YX94ntSI

Drop by my website and leave me a message on my email there. I’d love to hear back from you. http://www.christinelindsay.com/

And join in the ACFW Book Club, Shadowed in Silk is their January 2012 pic.

Thank you, Christine, for visiting my blog!
Readers, if you'd like a chance to win Christine's book, leave a comment and email address.
Blessings!

Monday Morning Gratitudes

Smoothies--yum!
thank you cards from those who've received
drinking from mugs I love
heartfelt apologies
Beautiful dinnerware
red leaves
poems that touch my soul
giggles
cozy conversations
brainstorming sessions

Blessings!

Sunday Morning Peace

Don't compromise yourself--

You are all you've got.

(Me: even if you're just a playdoh girl!)

--Betty Ford

(image courtesy of three year old Lily and her mama)

Blessings!

My fireplace with the tree posed beside it.

A little bit of heaven:

sitting in front of the fireplace with hubby reading,

grandkids listening with rapt faces,

and pets snuggled close.

Enjoy the poem below:

AUTUMN SONG

Let's go down the road together, you and I,

Let's go down the road together,

Through the vivid autumn weather;

Let's go down the road together when the red leaves fly.

Let's go searching, searching after

Joy and mirth and love and laughter --

Let's go down the road together, you and I.

Let's go hunting for adventure, you and I,

For the romance we are knowing

Waits for us, alive and glowing,

For the romance that has always passed us by.

Let's have done with tears and sighing,

What if summer-time IS dying?

Let's go hunting for adventure, you and I.

Let's go down the road together, you and I --

And if you are frightened lest you

Weary grow, my arms will rest you,

As we take the road together when the red leaves fly.

Springtime is the time for mating?

Ah, a deeper love is waiting

Down the autumn road that calls us, you and I!

--Margaret E. Sangster

Autumn Blessings!

A Warm Autumn Welcome Return to Susan Page Davis!

So glad you could join us, Susan. Folks, she's giving away a book! Leave your comment and email address please.


Tell us about your latest release. The cover looks fantastic!


I love it too. Here’s a summary of The Lady’s Maid:

Elise Finster accompanies her young British mistress, Lady Anne Stone, on a voyage to America in 1855. Lady Anne’s father has died, and her Uncle David is the new Earl of Stoneford—if he steps forward and claims the title. But David disappeared into the American West when Anne was a baby. Now it’s up to her and Elise to find him. They join a wagon train in Independence, Missouri, not realizing they’re leading a killer straight to David.

Sounds great. What was the hardest part to write?

Probably the scenes in England. I had to do a lot of research on how inheritance works over there.

We all have choices of items that help us write. What’s yours? Can you give the readers a glimpse into your writing space? What’s your favorite writing reference tool?

When I’m on a deadline, my office is a mess. I throw papers on the floor and stack books and ring binders around me. I like a neat desk and office, but I don’t always have it. My favorite writing reference for historicals is English Through the Ages, by William Brohaugh. It tells you when words came into usage in our language.

If you had to choose one person to go with you for encouragement to a secluded cabin, who would that be?

Right now I would take one of my daughters who is going through a rough time.

What are you working on now?

I am writing the third book in this series (A Lady in the Making) and I’m about to start a new contemporary book in the Miracles of Marble Cove series from Guideposts.

What is one of the happiest moments of your life or an accomplishment that you’re especially proud of?

We had all six of our scattered children together for daughter Megan’s wedding in 2008. They have never all lived at home for very long (the oldest left for college a few days before the youngest was born), so that was an accomplishment!

How do you choose names for your characters? Do you do a lot of research on them?

Since you bring it up, I wish I had an assistant whose job was to come up with character names for me! This is really hard for me. I have used baby naming books, census records, telephone books, you name it! And more than once I’ve realized the name I chose belonged to a moderately famous real person and had to change it.

Can you tell us some of your favorite books or characters that you cherish?

If I start reading a Dick Francis novel, it’s hard to pull me away. I also love Van Reid’s Moosepath League series.

Any fun things about yourself that the readers might enjoy knowing?

Well, let’s see. I had my appendix removed while I was very pregnant (and had the baby the next day). Oops, that wasn’t fun. Hmm. My three sisters and I try to get together at least once a year for “Sister Weekend.” Speaking of which, it’s about time to do that again!

You're right. That doesn't sound like fun, but getting together with your sisters does. I've never had a physical sister; I guess that's why I value my friends so much. Is there one piece of advice that’s been especially valuable to you?

Be strong in the strength that is in Christ Jesus.

That's an excellent one we all need to believe. Please share information where readers can check out and buy your books:

Come to my website: http://www.susanpagedavis.com/

The Lady’s Maid is available in print and as an ebook:

Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/161626439X/suspagdav-20

Barnes & Noble:
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Ladys-Maid/Susan-Page-Davis/e/9781616264390?itm=1&usri=the%20lady%20s%20maid

CBD:
http://www.christianbook.com/ladys-maid-prairie-dreams/susan-davis/9781616264390/pd/264390?item_code=WW&netp_id=881498&event=ESRCN&view=details



Thank you so much for visiting again, Susan.
Readers, interested in winning one of her books? Comments and email addresses, please . . .
Blessings!

Monday Morning Gratitudes

Green plants in the house
Sturdy plants that insist on living even after the frost
Frost on the fields
hay stacks
pumpkins
children with rosy cheeks
falling leaves
Watching a boy read
Tobogganed heads
hoodies and jackets

Blessings!

Sunday Morning Peace

One of my favorite things for autumn is bonfires and my fireplace.

What's your favorite thing about fall?

Autumn Fires

by Robert Louis Stevenson

In the other gardens

And all up the vale,

From the autumn bonfires

See the smoke trail!

Pleasant summer over

And all the summer flowers,

The red fire blazes,

The grey smoke towers.

Sing a song of seasons!

Something bright in all!

Flowers in the summer,

Fires in the fall!

Blessings!

Have you Hugged Your Pastor Today?

Welcome to Jennette Levellie and thanks for the guest blog that she graciously shared with me from her blog. Please check out her blog at: http://jeanettelevellie.blogspot.com/

I’m not telling you that October is Clergy Appreciation Month because my husband is a pastor. But because your minister needs to know that you appreciate him or her.

If your pastor, preacher, or priest is like my husband, he or she:
• weeps as they stand by the graveside of your loved one;
• spends countless hours praying and preparing messages they hope will help you live freer and happier lives; • rejoices when your team wins a game, your test results come back fine, or you get a new job;
• sits with you while your spouse or parent goes through surgery;
• counsels you during the throes of marital trouble;
• answers the phone and the doorbell at all hours, regardless of what activity it interrupts,
• does all this with a smile and a heart full of love for you, and the Lord who called them to minister to you.

I know you appreciate the services your minister does for you. I’m sure you could think of twenty other items to add to my list without much thought. Sometime in the next thirty days, show them what they mean to you by giving them a card, telling them how they’ve touched your life, or praying for them.

It will make their life and job sweeter, and you’ll be blessed for honoring them.
Have you ever had a thankless job? How does it make you feel when someone notices and appreicates you?

Thanks, Jen, for sharing your post on my blog this week!

Blessings, readers.

A Big Welcome to my Friend, JoAnn Durgin!

With a giveaway of her new book providing the winner's willing to do a book review! Easy and fun. Leave your comment and email address
NEW RELEASE: Second Time Around published by Canadian publisher Torn Veil Books
GENRE: Contemporary Romantic Adventure
Welcome, JoAnn. 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?

Like most writers, I’ve been a voracious reader all my life. I think my love of reading has reinforced the passion in me to write and has perhaps silently “taught” me the mechanics of good storytelling. I loved Nancy Drew mysteries as a young girl and was one of those kids with the flashlight under the sheets so I could finish Nancy’s latest escapade (I pay homage to Nancy in Awakening). I also loved Louisa May Alcott books and then progressed to reading classic literature. Mark Twain has always been a favorite of mine with his sense of irony and quick wit. His writing never fails to bring a smile to my lips. It wasn’t until I was a stay-at-home mom in Philadelphia that tried penning full-length romances. I had some success, but then we moved to Boston and my life became absorbed with being a wife, mom and pastor’s wife. I put my writing aside (but not the passion) for a decade in order to raise our kids. The story of picking up my writing again and how Awakening came to be published is on my website; suffice it to say it was the last book I wrote before I put my writing aside. About twelve years later, I could only find half the manuscript, but felt it was the “one” the Lord wanted me to try and publish. How He gave my story back to me (in a dramatic way) and then confirmed it was in His will (see the section of my website called “And the man said peaches!”) is quite a story in itself.

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

I’ve more or less termed my own unique genre, and I call it Contemporary Christian Romantic Adventure. I write what I like to read: a book that has it all−humor, adventure with perhaps added mystery, great characters, fun, witty dialogue/banter (often in the style of the old Tracy/Hepburn movies, a plot that moves, and a healthy dose of romance. I believe my books fill a niche, a void if you will, in contemporary Christian romance with non-formulaic romance, my own unique voice and brand of humor, and realistic, mature and honest relationships between characters desiring to honor the Lord yet struggling with choices at times. I know some Christian women who hide secular romance novels beneath their bed−not because they want the sex offered in most of those novels, but because they want the pure romance−and they’re not getting it in the Christian romances they’re reading. Above all, I want to give readers hope and show them the joy that can only come from a personal relationship with the Lord. While not wanting to be preachy, I infuse my books with solid, biblical truths woven throughout the book and the characters’ journeys. I appreciate that my publisher lists “A Christian Romance Novel” following the titles of my books. The reader knows when they pick up one of my books, they’ll be entertained, but they’re also going to get a dose of biblical insight and guidance.

Some good thoughts there. 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 a total SOTP (seat of the pants) writer. If I plot out my books, or set goals in terms of word count for each writing session, I’d feel stifled creatively. Nothing is more exciting to me than the challenge of sitting in front of the keyboard to see where the Lord and my imagination will take me. As often as I can, I sit and write, especially if I have a scene that’s just itching to get out. My debut novel was written in under two weeks. Once the idea gets in me, I’m prolific. Second Time Around was also written in a few weeks. Now, before you want to throw something at me, please keep in mind that I’m referring to writing the actual story and getting it down on paper. The editing and refinement takes a lot more time, but that process is every bit as critical (although not as fun, creatively speaking). Interestingly enough, I rarely cut out long scenes, and I stay true to the original story. I’m also long-winded and my books are longer than the average, which is an advantage of a smaller, independent publisher.

Being true to what you believe and need to do: I like that. You recently had a book published. Would you take this time to describe it to us? How and where can readers buy your books?

SHORT VERSION BACK COVER COPY BLURB:

A fateful misstep steals a newlywed’s memories and becomes her groom’s fall from grace. Determined to help her reclaim her life, Marc Thompson makes great strides until a ghost from the past threatens to destroy it all. Join their journey as Marc and Natalie travel from Massachusetts to Montana and enlist the help of Sam and Lexa Lewis and the lively TeamWork crew. Along the way, they discover that surrendering all isn’t failure, it’s faith, and it might be the only way back to one another . . . the second time around.

Both Awakening and Second Time Around are available from all major online booksellers in both print and electronic versions. Awakening is currently also featured in the Fall Fiction catalog from Christian Book Distributors (page 48). That was a personal goal; I’m so thankful it’s there and would encourage anyone to buy the paperback version from CBD.

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

Second Time Around has grace as its central theme, with Hebrews 4:16 as the key verse: Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (NASB). Other themes are also present−forgiveness being a major one. The pervasive truth I’d like the reader to see is that when we put ourselves aside and give it all to the Savior, He will bless. So many people have trouble surrendering their lives and their troubles to Someone so ultimately more capable of handling it, but when they do, they find the strength, the solace, the comfort, the peace and the joy. As Marc Thompson, my hero in Second Time Around, learns, surrendering all at the throne of grace isn’t failure (his greatest fear), it’s simply faith. It’s a hard lesson to learn for most, but it’s also a very important lesson.

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?

I’ve never felt like giving up, and doubt I ever will. Sure, I’ve felt discouraged. One of the hardest lessons to learn (and I’m still learning) is this: Not everyone is going to like my books. Above all, I want to remember this: I write for an audience of One. If my books are God-honoring, and I’ve done the best I can and told the story He’s given me, then let the arrows fly. Again, easier said than done. The Lord knows the hands my books need to fall into, and from what I can tell, that’s happening. There was a glitch in the ratings system on the Barnes & Noble website that sent my rating for my debut novel from a five-star to a 1-1/2 star rating (on Mother’s Day!). They manually corrected it one place, but it’s still messed up overall. That really hurt. I had a blogger who couldn’t finish my debut novel, and yet I’ve had several messages from readers telling me it’s the best book they’ve ever read! It really is a rollercoaster at times, and I honestly wonder if I’ll ever develop that “armadillo” skin (a reference to my first book with a pesky critter). On the other hand, I believe it’s that same sensitivity that makes us more observant and better writers.

Bottom line: being an author isn’t for wimps. We certainly don’t do it for the money. We do it for the love and the passion we have to write, and I think it shows in our writing. There are days I’d love to crawl in a hole and hide, but I’d still want to write while in that hole. My books aren’t literary, but I like to think they’re intelligently written with a good story and a solid Christian message. As much as anything else, they’re the books of my heart, and what the Lord has given me to share. He’s blessing my efforts, and as long as I stay true to Him, I have no doubt He’ll continue to open the doors of His choosing−in His time, not mine. He hasn’t failed me yet. The story of my journey to publication is posted on my website at http://www.joanndurgin.com/, and I hope readers will visit to learn more about my own adventures in writing.
Amen. You've expressed it very well. Who’s inspired you the most?

My grandmother on my dad’s side is one of my heroines. She’s been gone for almost 30 years, but she was funny, humble yet also proud, and possessed a quiet but strong faith. And talk about creative! She was the inspiration for Lexa’s “Nana” in Awakening, down to stringing pearls, sipping iced tea on the summer porch, and even her reference to Heaven as the “happy hunting grounds.” Like Lexa’s grandmother, my “Granny” didn’t care about a messy house or fussing to make everything perfect. When we spent time together, she fully invested herself, her humor and her beautiful spirit in my brother and me. She was so full of life−an avid doll collector and painter, and she knew how to find the joy in every situation. I never saw her upset, worried or cross, although I’m sure she had her moments. Until she died, she was active and lively; she had a heart attack, and the Lord gave her enough time to draw all three sons around her to tell them how much she loved them and her grandchildren, and then she passed peacefully in her sleep. If only the Lord would bless us all to have such a lovely woman in our lives. I was indeed blessed.
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?
Even though I got the attention of a top Christian agent, I tired of going the rounds, trying to make those first three chapters what someone else wanted them to be. As a result, I lost my own unique “voice” somewhere in the process and had to go back to square one. I’m somewhat impatient as I’ve gotten older, and a couple of years ago, I decided to google “small Christian romance publishers.” I printed out the list and systematically checked the websites. Some were out of business, some wouldn’t work in terms of their needs and current releases, but I was particularly drawn to the name of one: Torn Veil Books. Don’t hate me for this, fellow writers, but I realize I’m in a small minority when I tell you that−based only on an e-mail query with brief synopsis of Awakening, Torn Veil asked me to send the full manuscript. So, I boxed it up and $25 later, in mid-January 2009, shipped it up to Winnipeg, Manitoba (they later told me that process helps weed out the seriously committed–makes sense, but I’d never thought of it that way). My manuscript was the very last one they received before they cut off submissions (they’d started accepting submissions in July 2009). Put it this way: it was the best $25 I ever spent. On May 1, 2010, I opened my e-mail to read the words every writer longs to see−telling me they wanted to publish my book and attaching my contract! I’ll never forget the euphoria of that day!

And no, I don’t think many serious authors can ever sit back and fully relax since there’s always that itch to write. As long as I have breath and can do it, I’ll write and pray the readers will be there to read my words. A valuable lesson, however, is to learn when to sit back and momentarily rest and relax. It’s every bit as important. If I get tired, I put the writing aside. Family is crucial, and my children still live in the home, and they deserve my equal attention. As does my husband, of course. It is definitely be a juggling act, but it can be done.

I love authors tales of getting published. Yours is super. Do you mind telling us some of your likes and dislikes? Hobbies, interests? Where would you like to travel if you could?

I adore traveling, and I’m thankful I was able to do quite a bit before I married and had children. I always say the best semester I spent at college was the one where I wasn’t on campus, but part of the overseas program−we lived in London for ten weeks and then toured the continent. Ah, to be so young and carefree… That trip fostered my independent spirit, and I learned how many freedoms we take for granted in this marvelous country we call home. It was a great lesson to learn at that particular point in my life. Italy was my favorite country, and I’d go back there in a heartbeat. Maybe one of these years. We’re celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary next year, and my husband would like to go on a cruise. I joke that it might be a cruise around the block, and I’d love to return to Hawaii (where we spent our honeymoon). We’ll see… At this point, it’s good to get away for even a night or two, and I’m so thankful for the opportunity every now and again.

As far as hobbies, I used to cross-stitch, but haven’t done so since I was pregnant with our son, Matthew (he’s now 15). Since I work a demanding, full-time job (and a part-time one until this past February when something had to go), all my “hobbies” concern activities with our three children or something writing-related. I’m at that stage in my blossoming writing career where it’s pretty much all about the writing, but I love every minute.

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

My website is http://www.joanndurgin.com/. I’m actually starting my own blog in the very near future, as soon as my wonderful website designer can get it set up for me. It’ll be a combination of musings about daily life and the musings of a writer. I’d like to make it for writers as well as readers/non-writers, and I aim to make it very interactive by sharing what I’m currently working on in terms of my writing and asking for suggestions for character names, settings, and that type of thing.

My third book in The Lewis Legacy Series is called Twin Hearts, and I anticipate it will release in the early spring, perhaps earlier. With its title, we’d love to get it out for Valentine’s Day. I’ll keep readers posted on the release details via my website.

Thanks so much for allowing me to share with you today!
Blessings.
Matthew 5:16

JOANN DURGIN BIO:


Awakening, JoAnn’s popular debut novel featuring the adventures of Sam Lewis and Lexa Clarke, released in November 2010. Second Time Around, the second in The Lewis Legacy Series, released in September 2011. A winner and finalist in several writing contests, JoAnn is a full-time estate administration paralegal and lives in southern Indiana with her husband and three children. She is an active member of the American Christian Fiction Writers and its Indiana chapter, as well as the Romance Writers of America. It’s her desire to touch hearts with the redeeming love of Jesus Christ. She’d love to hear from you at http://www.joanndurgin.com/ or send her a friend request on Facebook.


And thank you for visiting, JoAnn! Comments, folks!
Happy day.

Monday Morning Gratitudes

Safe journeys
fresh greenbeans w/a touch of bacon flavor and lots of pepper
walking machines
speciality salads
comfortable shoes
waking up feeling good
the feel of a nice bed when tired
playing hide and seek with children
words of wisdom from the mouth of babes
words of wisdom from those I trust

Blessings!

Sunday Morning Peace

A bit of sunshine from my the sunshine of my life.

Love ya, honey!

Blessings