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Last Day...

Tonight, at midnight, is the last day to reserve your room at the hotel for the Arizona Dreamin' Event.

http://arizonadreaminevent.com/

It's $95 a night, plus tax. If there's a problem, say so, and we'll straighten it out.

Tickets for the event are still available for $79, which includes all events, lunch, and dinner.

Hope to see you there!

Links to Share...

Fascinating. CS Lewis Web shares three videos, totaling 70 minutes, namely C.S. Lewis and the Case Against Scientism, C.S. Lewis and Evolution, and C.S. Lewis and Intelligent Design:
http://www.cslewisweb.com/2013/11/the-magicians-twin-three-part-documentary/

Writers In The Storm shared information on crafting an elevator pitch. I need to work on this.
http://writersinthestormblog.com/2015/04/craft-an-exceptional-elevator-pitch/

There is nothing easy about this topic. There is valuable information in this article. It does not cover all the possibilities. This is a starting point. Pretending like nothing bad will happen because a person is faithful or doesn't associate with "those kind of people" is dangerous. Yes, it's uncomfortable. It's ugly. It's evil. Evil's greatest tool is the ability to make a good person look away. Don't look away. Look evil in the eye, and call it what it is. Evil doesn't like the truth.
http://www.checkupnewsroom.com/10-tips-to-protect-your-child-from-a-pedophile

God bless.

Writing Sprint...

Writers In The Storm hosted a word sprint day on FB, last Monday, from 4 a.m. to midnight DST.

I've been invited to join other groups but, frankly, I was intimidated. I didn't think I could do it. This time, I figured, "Why not?" What was the worst that could happen? I'd add 20 or 30 new words. That's 20 or 30 more than I had before. Win-Win, no matter what.

I added 13,524 words, finishing Faith's Labor. It was mostly a re-write, moving the story from one document to the other by re-typing. Even so, I added several thousand new words as I edited along the way. Wow!

At the Buildin' the Dream conference, I'll be sharing some of what I learned.

http://www.buildinthedream.com/

I'm endeavoring to learn to not reward myself with food. I chose this instead:

I've mentioned before I love place settings. These were on sale, averaging less than $2 a piece.

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Links to Share...

Writers In The Storm gives advice on how to help your favorite author:
http://writersinthestormblog.com/2015/03/how-you-can-help-your-favorite-authors/
WITS also offered the best and worst writing advice:
http://writersinthestormblog.com/2015/04/the-best-worst-writing-advice/

Jennifer Slattery shared this link on where to find free images, on FB:
http://thewriteconversation.blogspot.com/2015/03/where-to-find-free-images-online-to-use.html

Karen Ball, over at The Steve Laube Agency, blogged about Quotations, including some from a few of my favorite writers:
http://www.stevelaube.com/tools-from-the-front-lines-quotations-on-writing/

God bless.

Plants and writing...

I re-potted my new French lavender. The other lavender and the rosemary are holding their own. Unfortunately, my comfrey seeds have yet to make an appearance.

My FB author page received another Like, so I posted a sneak peek at the current opening of Reluctant Knight.

England 1817
 

How had her life come to this?

Since the night of the masquerade ball, the Season before last, everything turned sideways and went awry, worse than a skittish horse jumping at shadows. Cassandra Treyman didn't know what happened, only that her elopement failed.

The maid she'd enlisted to help her, albeit without her knowledge, disappeared. Cassandra's dreams crumbled to dust, and it mattered not to anyone.

Thoughts of revenge revolved around the maid at the center of the hubble-bubble. Burning her belongings would serve the chit right. An eye for an eye.

Cassandra had managed to collect a few items before she heard the housekeeper approaching. Scuttling out of the room and down the hall, she hid in the opposite stairwell as the housekeeper and one of the other maids collected the girl's possessions at the behest of the Baroness, her mother.

God bless.

 

Seven Things...

Patty Taylor tagged me to list seven things about my writing, then tag seven other writers.

1. Many of my own life questions are worked through with my characters.

2. I've written books from beginning to end, end to beginning, from the middle both ways, and by bits and pieces.

3. Torturing my characters is not something I enjoy. Life is messy. They have messy lives.

4. Secondary characters frequently demand their own stories. How can I refuse? Especially since they natter at me constantly.

5. Word is my program, but I use pen and paper to work through blocks, and frequently at my favorite eatery P.croissant.

6. When I first started writing with the intent to write books, I didn't think I could write dialogue. I was wrong. I'm okay with that.

7. A lot of who I am is in my books.

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Life Changes...

I hate when I develop a sense of knowing what I'm doing and where I'm going. You'd think I'd learn by now it was a sure sign life is about to change.

I'm really not adverse to change. Change is good. Change is healthy. Change is normal. Change is inevitable.

The change I don't like is the kind that leaves me wondering what comes next, particularly when it comes without any clue as to the next step.

Sorry, but naturopathy doesn't help with this. There is no essential oil or food or exercise or anything along those lines to light the way. This is a God thing. This is a faith thing. I don't know what the future holds is true enough; I do know Who holds the future, which is also true.

So, what's the trouble?

What is the future God holds in store for me? There are no promises it will be better than what I have now. It could be worse. I'm struggling. The way appears dark and forbidding. I will slide my trembling hand into the hand of God. I won't pretend it will be easy. I won't pretend I don't continue to be afraid. I know the dark paths I've traveled. I know how ugly life can be, even when one trusts God.

I also know God will see me through. He's okay with me crying and being afraid. All He cares about is me taking the next step, no matter how terrified I am. He knows what I've been through. He understands my fear. He knows it's earned. He entreats me to step into the darkness anyway and patiently waits for me.

Planting...

For Easter, I planted comfrey seeds and rosemary and lavender plants, all in pots. My hope is I'll be able to move them to cool spots during the heat of summer and save them. I've lost count of the number of plants I've lost to our scorching summers.

I'd like to make this a new Easter tradition. I'm allergic to eggs and have no self-control when it comes to jellybeans and chocolate rabbits. I think adding to my potted garden would be a good investment and happy substitute.

Comfrey is a healing herb. It also goes by the name "Knitbone." It's used as a poultice for broken bones, sprains, and the like. I used it on my horse when he was kicked, and it worked wonders.

Some of the seeds are in planting pods, and some are in pots. I'm watching them anxiously, hoping for the best. God willing, I'll have little plants to plant throughout the yard in the hopes of finding a good spot and a few to share.

May you have a blessed Easter

Jesus suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane to the point He sweat blood. He was betrayed by one of his closest friends. He endured a false trial. He was stripped and beaten. Another close friend denied Him. He was nailed to a cross. He finished the torture and died. It's Friday.

On Sunday, He rose from the dead never to die again. He conquered death.

He did it all for us. Only a perfect man could take on the sins of another, and He took on the sins of us all. His flesh and soul endured the brutality. He truly understands what you're going through, to a depth we will never understand.

His sacrifice promises us He will bear everything we give to Him.

Sometimes, I'm afraid to give over my mistakes. They're too awful or too stupid or too petty.

Jesus already suffered. It's finished.

Hanging onto my mistakes does not save Him pain. Instead, it needlessly punishes me and withholds from Him the right He has claimed as His own.

Happy Easter

Happy Easter!