Friday, July 31, 2020

Favorite Book Friday

Royal Heir (Royal series 4) by Traci Hunter Abramson contemporary Christian suspense romance. A very satisfying read. My only complaint? When does the next one come out?

Tuesday, July 28, 2020

Tuesday Tidbit

Snob, as in thinking one's self superior, doesn't appear until 1911. It's original meaning, from 1781, was "a shoemaker, a shoemaker's apprentice." Not what I expected.

Monday, July 27, 2020

Monday Quote

Interrupt Anxiety With Gratitude
~ Sweet Serendipity

Sunday, July 26, 2020

Sunday Scripture

Ruth 2:19

And her  mother in law said unto her, Where hast thou gleaned to day? and where wroughtest though? blessed be he that did take knowledge of thee. And she shewed her mother in law with whom she had wrought, and said, The man's name with whom I wrought to day is Boaz.

Saturday, July 25, 2020

Saturday Links

I wanted to read this again, a few months later, from Jill McIlreavy at the Mustard Seed Blog:
https://mustardseedblogs.com/2020/04/08/hidden/

Photos take me wherever the photographer has been, and I enjoy many of Jez Braithwaite's visits:
https://jezbraithwaite.blog/2020/04/12/silent-sunday-10/

God bless.

Friday, July 24, 2020

All or Nothing Day

...is Sunday the 26th. Celebrate with a story.

All or Nothing

The tenth novella in the series.

Welcome back to Holiday, USA, small town America, where nothing happens, except holidays... and a little romance, if the hero and heroine trust God.

Secrets? Angela Goodrich owns a few. Moving to Holiday is her dream come true. As Holiday Sweets' new manager, she wants a fresh start even as she wants to share the truth of who she is. Will she still be welcomed?

Anger issues? Caleb Bronson denies it despite the fact he'd like to throttle his EMT partner's new fiancé for wronging his sister. What does it matter if his anger is dominating his life and spills over on the attractive and newest resident of Holiday?

The truth will set you free, if you're willing to endure the discomfort of letting go of the lies. God knows the pain hidden in the soul anyway...

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N7MZC9M/ref=sr_1_1

If you prefer paperback, this story, along with three others are available in:

Holiday, USA Anthology 2016-17

All four novellas, 9-12, are available in their entirety in paperback, including the covers on the back, for those who enjoy collecting a series.

http://a.co/5ETTtmt


Tuesday, July 21, 2020

Tuesday Tidbit

Mindset doesn't appear until 1916, so I'll have to use mood, which appears as early as c. 1300.

Sunday, July 19, 2020

Sunday Scripture

Ruth 2:17-18

So she gleaned in the field until even, and beat out that she had gleaned: and it was about an ephah of barley. And she took it up, and went into the city: and her mother in low saw that she had gleaned: and she brought forth, and gave to her that she had reserved after she was sufficed.

Saturday, July 18, 2020

Saturday Links

Nancy J. Farrier, over at Christians Read, shared a good message for anytime:
https://christiansread.wordpress.com/2020/04/10/walking-hand-in-hand-by-nancy-j-farrier/

I appreciate the encouragement from Motivating Daily:
https://motivatingdaily.com/2020/04/11/be-patient-2/

God bless.

Friday, July 17, 2020

Favorite Book Friday

Jane by the Book by Pepper Basham Christian romance. I confess I didn't care for the beginning. I had trouble liking either the hero or the heroine. I almost gave up. I'm so glad I didn't. I ended up not being able to put it down until I finished. Well worth the read. 

Thursday, July 16, 2020

Musical Thursday

I love the pictures included in Jim Janis' "Sunday Morning Sunrise."

Tuesday, July 14, 2020

Tuesday Tidbit

The final read through may not be the final. More little changes, tightening, cutting unnecessary words. I endeavor to include real events and activities. It's a bit unsettling when a reader declares something couldn't possibly happen. I wouldn't mind if it was a fictional aspect of the story, but I'm not quite sure what to do when it's something that actually has happened.

Monday, July 13, 2020

Monday Quote

The risk of a wrong decision is preferable to
the terror of indecision.
~ Maimonides

Sunday, July 12, 2020

Sunday Scripture

Ruth 2:15-16

And when she was risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, Let me glean even among the sheaves, and reproach her not: And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not.

Saturday, July 11, 2020

Saturday Links

I learned about Welsh Rabbit from Commememucho (google translate is helpful):
https://commememucho.com/2020/03/03/welsh-rarebit/

Pathways and Patinas took me on a visual travel trip placed I've been and would like to go:
https://pathwaysandpatinas.com/2020/03/25/a-travel-escape-of-photos/

God bless.

Friday, July 10, 2020

Favorite Book Friday

Jade's Match (Jewel series 7) by Hallee Bridgeman contemporary Christian romance. Love it! Laughed and cried. Hallee is a lovely person and continues to remain one of my favorite authors. I own most of her books in paperback.

Thursday, July 9, 2020

Musical Thursday

Tim Janis shares instrumental renditions of traditional hymns:

Tuesday, July 7, 2020

Tuesday Tidbit

The first company to which I submitted my book, "A Promise of Possibilities," rejected it for a few reasons. The first was that I had too many characters. Once I got over the hurt of rejection, I looked at their line, again, more objectively, and realized their books had a hero and heroine and a few supporting characters. I wasn't a good fit for their line.

The other complaint was that the work was too political. Wait...what? The story takes place in 1816. How could it possibly be political, when I never mentioned anything remotely political? Looking how everything is being made political, I again stepped back and took a more objective look at my work. I worked hard to lean more towards attitudes and beliefs found in 1816. I lamented that I allowed too much of the equality of the 20th century into the story. Again, I had to more carefully investigate the line to which I'd submitted. Many of their historical romances had more 20th century themes in a historical setting. I really wasn't a good fit for the line.

Once I was over my hurt feelings, I went over the story again, making minor changes while I looked for a publisher that fit better. I found them and loved working with them, though I'm sorry I wasn't a better moneymaker for them.

Life happens, and I'm on my own again. I could adapt my stories to fit the more accepted formula, but then they wouldn't really be my stories anymore. As I reread them, I saw so many places I could improve, with what I've learned, and so that's what I'm doing. I'm adding more description to fill out the dialogue and clearing out words that weren't in use in 1816. I hope the readers who know my stories aren't disappointed.

Monday, July 6, 2020

Monday Quote

How do you put out a fire?
Starve it.
~Bill Taysom

Sunday, July 5, 2020

Sunday Scripture

Ruth 2:14

And Boaz said unto her, At mealtime come thou hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. And she sat beside the reapers: and he reached her parched corn, and she did eat, and was sufficed, and left.

Friday, July 3, 2020

Favorite Book Friday

Tough As They Come by SSG Travis Mills with Marcus Brotherton, forward by Gary Sinise. A remarkable story of a man who proves himself to truly be "tough as they come." I've followed Travis' story for a number of years. I've seen interviews and watched Mike Rowe's "Returning the Favor," when Mike arranged to donate a disabled-friendly obstacle course to the Travis Mills Foundation.