The Watchers

Wednesday Writers: Sarah Witenhafer: Twilight, Genesis and Reaching the World

2012-01-25T13:50:00.000-08:00

Recently, a fan called to thank me for writing my Christian/Fantasy/Romance novel, Tamed. She bought it to give to a non-Christian friend, who loved Twilight. Her friend loved the book so much that they went through it chapter by chapter, discussing love, fallen angels, and most importantly – Christ. Within weeks the young woman began attending church.

It was exactly the kind of thing I envisioned when I wrote the book. But the question I still get from some Christians is, “Would God use such fiction to share truth with those out-side the faith?”

Umm… yes. He would.

In fact, God’s a master at taking popular fiction and reworking it to share truth.

Take Genesis for example….

When you and I read Genesis, we get all caught up in Creationism vs. Evolution, and questions of how, and when, God created. Forgotten is the original audience, who had been exposed for hundreds of years to Egyptian mythology.

When you consider the stories the Israelites had heard, Genesis takes on a whole new perspective.

In ancient Near Eastern mythology the gods created only by achieving power through a counsel of gods, and often by splitting one of them in two. Man was created in different ways, sometimes by hoeing the ground, or forming clay, other times through spilled blood. (An interesting note is that there are no stories of the first man and woman – mankind sorta springs up in unison.) But there was always a garden.

It wasn’t a perfect place, where the gods communed with man. It wasn’t even a place where man found food for himself. The gardens were a place man grew food for the gods.

The ancient stories also taught things were inherently good or evil. The sea represented evil, as did darkness, and the wilderness was filled with evils. Cities (where the gods were worshiped) were blessed. It was up to man to maintain and expand civilization, slowly claiming areas for the gods. And since the gods were constantly warring, or distracted, there was never a time when creation was perfect.

Paradise wasn’t lost; it was never achieved.

Why else would the gods create man? They needed grunts to help them take care of the earth so they could concentrate on watching their backs and upholding the cosmos.

And you better not expect help from the gods either. In fact, they often came against you if you happened to get caught up in one of their turf wars.

Or if you just made too much noise.

And then Moses introduces Genesis.

All the stories that the Israelites had heard were reversed. God alone created everything, repeating seven times, “it was good” to make sure they got the point. The wandering nation didn’t need to fear demons in the wilderness, or gods attacking them from the darkness.

God was in control.

And God didn’t need man to find food for Him. In fact, God was going to provide the food for man! God clothed man (not the reverse) even when man had sinned, promising one day to stand between man and his enemy, the serpent.

God therefore was familiar, but radically different at the same time. He knew what the Israelites had heard, the popular stories of their day. He addressed them head on, not taking detours around their beliefs as if He were too lofty to be bothered.

And He’s still the same God.

He still longs to meet us where we are, relating to us through what we know. After all, if He didn’t we would have no hope of ever seeing Him.

Which is why I believe it delights God when we take something that’s popular and relate it back to Him. He wants to claim every corner, nook and cranny of this lost world, making the most of every opportunity to tell people the truth about Him in a righteous and godly way.

If you still have doubts, let me tell you what I know about Solomon’s book, The Song of Songs.

Sarah Witenhafer is the author of two 5 star books, Tamed (her debut book), and Anointed, the sequel. Both are available in paperback, or ebook format, through Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Smashwords. Sarah would love to connect with you. You can contact her at her blog, http://sarahwitenhafer.com/ , on Face Book, or Twitter – SarahWitenhafer.

Please include this link where the word Tamed is in the article : http://www.amazon.com/Tamed-ebook/dp/B004MYFNKC

Thursday Thoughts: SOPA, PIPA, Copyright Infringement And A Free Internet

2012-01-19T00:49:00.000-08:00

These are very deep Thursday Thoughts. And much has been said about SOPA and PIPA by much more informed bloggers. Nonetheless, it's been on my mind ... check out my Twitter profile pic.

So my thoughts?

1. SOPA and PIPA are bad, really bad. Neither bill will stop internet piracy. Here's the information from Wikipedia.

2. More government. Really? The US gov control the internet? Eeeck.

3. How did Justin Bieber get famous again? YouTube video of self + singing copyrighted song=5 years in jail. Oops.

4. Senators admitting they really don't understand the language of the bill, but hey Hollywood is backing it so ....

5. A whole bunch of senators and reps are now doing the backstroke. Nice!

6. Don't we already have laws against piracy?

7.

8. Read some responses to my discussion about SOPA on MyLot.

9. FREE Ebook by Morris Rosenthal: An Author's Guide to Fighting Internet Copyright Infringements: How Publishers and Website Owners Can Protect Intellectual Property Online. I haven't read this yet, but thought I'd post it since it came recommended by the ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers).

10. I really don't like politics on this blog but I might not have a blog if SOPA passes.

11. It's my birthday ... Visit me on Facebook. My goal is 1000 happy birthday wishes. It could happen!!!

Thursday Thoughts:

2012-01-12T00:29:00.000-08:00

It's been quite a full week of thoughts. My New Year's Resolutions are still on schedule; 1. Reading through the Bible and 2. Posting at least one in-depth discussion on MyLot per day. Did I mention the latter pays you for starting discussions?

So, my Thursday Thoughts are ...

1. I know that the actual Kindle is better than slubbing your laptop around but did you know Kindle for PC is a FREE download? As far as I know there's also a free app for your phone. Nice.

2. And speaking of Kindle...if you use the word Kindle on your Facebook status you get more popular. Is that good grammar? Oh well, too lazy to hit the back space.

3. I wonder if I can reach 2000 followers on Twitter before February? It's a good challenge.

4. Oh yeah, I've been reading the Bible and hope to read through it in this our year of the Lord, 2012. Genesis has awesome stories and I like reading Matthew at the same time. I need balance in my life.

5. I think the Grace & Faith4U marketing plan is really working. Only God will show us how far we can go, or reach. Looks pretty good so far. Well, how can you go wrong when people care enough to help you succeed. They even rejoice over others successes. Go figure. You better join.

6. Check this out ...

7. I used to make a pretty penny with Associated Content till Yahoo took over and renamed the company Yahoo Voices. Now we just make pennies. And there's a possibility they are axing all our subscribers. Protests to follow.

8. And speaking of Yahoo Voices they finally published my movie review for Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. I really loved that movie. Family friendly ... well, perhaps you would be so kind to read my review.

9. Tim Tebow Rocks!!!!

10. Praying for our kids and this generation is a privilege. I wonder if they pray for us? It's just a thought.

11. I also wonder if I could write a devotional from a Zombie's point of view? What? I'm just sayin' ... the husband is the head of the wife. So divorce has caused my decapitation. I'm walking around without a head. And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out, right? How 'bout the church being the body? And if even one member is cut off, bruised or broken, the whole body slowly bleeds to a horrid death. Wait, I might be onto something. It's a good thing no one reads this blog.

12. Seriously, is Summer really gone?

13. My TBR list just got longer. Let's see...

a) The Silver Chair
b) Ranger's Apprentice
c) Messages
d) Cafe Stories
e) Island of Secrets
f) Angel in the Shadows
g) My Emily
h) Tamed
i) Edge of Grace
j) An Examination of the Testimony of the Four Evangelists

That last book is to make me look intelligent. Good luck me. I can do it.

14. How many people will "Like" our G8Press Fan Page on Facebook? I really worked hard on that page. Trying to figure out Facebook algorithms is a pain. And I'm guessing once you figure it out, they'll change . . . if that was possible. And Zuckerman (or whatever his name is) apparently has different rules for big companies. Oh, us little people. Woe is me.

15. Anyhow, preparations for writers conference: find money; lose weight; put together a few chapters for the AV Writers Conference's writing contest. Came in third last time. Not too shabby.

These are a few of my favorite Thursday Thoughts. Of course, He has way better thoughts than mine. "How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them!" (Psalm 139:17).

Hope you are all still having a wonderful New Year. 2012 is pretty good so far.

Tuesday Tales: by Sandra Schoger Foster

2012-01-10T15:38:00.000-08:00

When I slipped under the covers last night and got comfy on my side of the bed, making just the right "nest" with blankets and pillows, I could tell I wasn't going to fall asleep very easily. Just a wide awake feeling. After about an hour and a half, I got up and motored around the house to get the kinks out. Went back to bed for another hour, then got up again. This time, I went to the kitchen and spied some left over spice with white icing (all from scratch my daughter had made) birthday cake from the day before. Then I made green tea and decided to turn on the TV while I downed this health snack. By this time, it was 1:30 am and the Sandman hadn't come around at all.

There didn't seem to be anything much on TV at that hour, which didn't surprise me, so I flipped to the Christian TV networks. Jentezen Franklin had just started to speak on Inspiration Campmeeting channel. I always like to hear him. He is genuine and easy to listen to, so I settled back with leftover birthday cake and hot green tea, and hoped he could put me to sleep. But all he did was wake me up.

He hit a nerve straightaway. Joseph is one of my favorite Bible characters, and Jentezen was talking about him, so I figured I should keep it there. He said some very interesting things which were pertinent in my life. I tried to take notes, but he talks fast and in the middle of the night, I don't write so fast, especially with a fork in my hand. Following is what I got from it (paraphrased):

Joseph's father had placed a fine coat of many colors on Joseph, probably made by his mother. They were proud of him and saw his leadership abilities. But his brothers didn't see it like that. When Joseph told his brothers his dream, they showed their dismay. One day when they were out and about, his brothers took him, stripped him of his coat of many colors, and put him down in a pit. Jentezen brought out ... if his brothers thought Joseph was just blowing smoke, they wouldn't have paid any attention to him or his dreams and gone on about their business. But they either felt in their heart of hearts, or thought maybe ... just maybe ... this all might come true. Bowing down to him? Never! When they took the coat off him, they didn't take the anointing off. They thought they would thwart those efforts of his when he was sold to the Ishmaelites who were not Jewish. Sometimes God uses nonbelievers and strange people to move us toward our dream.

So, we know that they took Joseph to Egypt. What must he have been thinking during this trip? The scriptures don't tell us that he ever complained or questioned God as to why this was happening to him. While he was in Egypt, we know the story of Potiphar and his wife and now bad goes to worse, and Joseph is in jail for something he didn't do. No complaints were heard from Joseph. No whining and claiming innocence.

Here's the point I'm coming to: While Joseph has gone through all this distress at the hands of others, he hears of a dream Pharaoh needs interpreted. He doesn't think, hey I'm here unjustly so you're on your own, buster; figure out your own dream. But after he prays, he offers to interpret Pharaoh's dream, knowing that if he didn't get it right, he'd be killed. No one else could figure it out. Joseph not only told him the interpretation, he told him the dream, and he hadn't even heard it before. Pharaoh is astonished and of course you know how it goes from there.

I'm still coming to the point, and here it is: While Joseph waited for his dream to be realized, he was helping someone else to realize their dream. That is so amazing to hear that unpacked. Jentezen said, "If you're waiting for a dream to be realized you need three people in your life; A butler, to open doors;A baker, to pull things together; and a Pharaoh, to finance your dream," which was to set him free from jail, in this case and put him in a place of power.

Jentezen said, "Tie your dream to the harvest." Believe what God has promised and look at that, not your lack. Don't just say, 'oh Lord, help me. This isn't going right. What did I do wrong?' and all of that.

He also talked about Amos, and how he came upon a lion tearing apart a lamb. When he scared off the lion, all that was left of the lamb was an ear and a leg. That represented "no hope," but Amos picked up the leg and ear and took it back to the people. Jentezen said, "if you have an ear to hear and a leg to stand on, there's hope!! It's not too late."

I was so encouraged. We look at what God told us to do, and we see we're not getting very far, very fast, and we have set-backs, but we know the Lord of the Harvest, and we keep our eyes on Him and not on our circumstances.

Jentezen said, "Just because things go awry, right away we think we didn't hear God, or we were mistaken on what He wanted us to do; and we think we've lost the anointing. But that just isn't true. It's God's message He wants you to carry that's anointed and that doesn't change. There are daunting things that come across our path, but we don't ever give up. Joseph ended up in the most sought-after position in Egypt and had control over his brothers destiny, and they DID end up bowing down to him, be it ever so many years from when Joseph first had the dream. Stay in a close, personal relationship with Jesus Christ and HE WILL see you through. He is on your side. The battle is not yours, but God's.

Turned off the TV about 3:15 am, absolutely joyous in heart and spirit from all I had heard, and hoped the Sandman would be waiting for me. Slipped back into bed and rejoiced in Christ my Saviour; amazed in His Presence at how He can take the worst of circumstances and turn them around for good, and for His honor and glory, and for His purposes, even though it takes years and years. No wonder He told us not to grow weary in well-doing. We get to see the results that only He can bring forth. Praise the Name of the Lord!

Author of Daddy, Will You Play Catch with Me?

Sandee being interviewed at KTIE radio.

Thursday Thoughts: 2012, New Beginnings, Old Resolutions

2012-01-05T21:38:00.000-08:00

My Thursday Thoughts, the first of 2012. I know, they come a little late.

1. Reading through the Bible and doing very well so far. Following a schedule was very wise indeed. I have my moments. A few discussions from my reading has been written On MyLot, which is a sort of social network. MyLot actually pays us for starting discussions and then again when people respond. Would you like to join me?

Here's a few of my discussions:
a. Why Did God Refuse Cain's Sacrifice/Offering
b. Do You Know the Reason For Rainbows?
c. Leviathan in the Bible: Sea Monster or Dragon?

The last question is still without answer. That never happens. I guess no one knows. Have you ever read Job 41? Love those scary, fierce creatures we seemed to have forgotten. Then scientists who find dinosaur bones, ignore the Bible, and give the creature a new name. Oh my!

2. Associated Content, where I write book reviews, movie reviews, short stories, videos and other things, was sold to Yahoo. Another good company bites the dust. Now Yahoo has renamed it "Voices Yahoo" and changed the guidelines for what we write. I get the writing well, obviously, but now they won't pay you much for anything unless you have connections in some industry or you yourself are an expert. I guess I'll find my new niche. But it might not be worth my time.

3. 2012 is when I will finish my trilogy. Yes, yes, yes. I need chocolate! Book two needs an overhaul, book one is almost finished, book three is in my head. I just got to keep it simple. Tolkien, I'm not. And that's okay.

4. Looking into recipes from 1800's. Yum. We could publish another cook book. This one from ages past. But what is a gill of milk?

5. My baby girl needs surgery. Sigh. It's just her tonsils. I wonder why the doctors didn't opt to take them out when they found sacks of poison growing on them some years back? She's been a sickly child ever since. Let's see if they can get it right this time. They'll do it in February. Not soon enough for me since she insists on surfing with that infected throat of hers.

6. My baby boy is finally getting his butte into college. Proud momma. He'll be a music mogul soon enough. Hopefully there's money in that Cal Grant fund. Arnold broke the piggy bank.

7. One last thought to mention. How does anyone ever feel worthy enough to even deserve God's grace? I am really tired of picking the thorn out of my flesh.

8. Don't forget to check out our book of the month, Messages by John Michael Hileman. The Kindle version is FREE. You can download the Kindle app for PC (it's also free) if you don't have the device. Hurry though, I'm pretty sure the FREE download will not last.

I have others but these are just a few of my Thursday Thoughts.

The Saturday Post: Goodbye 2011

2011-12-31T14:30:00.000-08:00

Welcome 2012, bye bye 2011. You were a very lonely year, yet a peaceful one. I don't remember if I had made any New Year's resolutions with you but if I did, I never made good on it. I Tweeted a lot throughout your 2011 months. It's funny what I was willing to share with over 1000 strangers . . . my last tweet for 2011 (or at least I think it will be) was: Believe . . . We can change the world.

And the last status for 2011 on my FaceBook page was: No excuses, folks. Don't drink and drive-and don't ride with anybody who does.Tipsy Tow offered by AAA: You don't have to be a AAA member, from 6pm-6am on New Year's Eve/Day they will take your drunk self and your car home for FREE. Save this number... 1-800-222-4357. Please re-post this if you don't mind.

I made a valiant attempt to complete my novel and made huge strides, but came a few chapters short. No matter, you showed me how to persevere. It's what we did with G8Press. Definitely a year of learning how to deal with the life of a publisher. We're looking forward to much more success in 2012.

Furthermore, I started a little side business for myself which has really helped me out financially. Need to start a blog? $50 for a start-up and I'll maintain it for you for $15 a month. Just sayin'.

In any case, the most important decision you made was to find a new church. Which, by the way, is still an ongoing journey. If Rock Harbor wasn't 100 miles away, that would be my church. But alas, too many miles between us.

I've added a lot of good reads to my Kindle. Last book uploaded? My Emily by Matt Patterson.For today and, the last day of 2011, and tomorrow, My Emily is FREE for your Kindle.

I must say, it was quite a good year. A lot of reading, writing and a bucket load of new online friends as well as reconnecting with offline friends, for a lack of a better word. No romance to be had but I really have no complaints. The book of Philippians seemed to be my theme for 2011, so I leave you with this . . .

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:4-7).

"... for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength" (Philippians 4:11-13).

And . . .

"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you" (Philippians 4:8-9).

●●●▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬●●●

(¯`’★♫♪•♥ WISHING YOU A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! ♥ •♫♪★’´¯)

●●●▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬●●●

Monday Musings: My Fave YouTube Videos Posted On My FaceBook & Counting Down to a New Year

2011-12-26T12:43:00.000-08:00

Are we counting down to another new year? Are you making any New Year's resolutions? Have you ever made good on them? It's very aMusing, isn't it? I refuse to make one more promise for the year to come. Okay, wait . . . I will make a commitment to read through the Bible in 2012. Actually, I'm pretty excited about that one. Wanna join me?

In any case, we had a wonderful Christmas . . . a little low on the presents but we really enjoyed being with each other. My two kids and I have started a new Christmas tradition. It's kind of a common one in the US, but we made it official for the three of us. We went to church in the morning (Rock Harbor), then went to lunch (Johnny Rockets where their dad joined us) and then we saw a movie (Sherlock Holmes). Afterward we took what little money we had left and filled our tummies with chocolate. It was wonderful.

Once we were at their cozy home in Huntington Beach, we watched a football game and then we had some good laughs with MTV's "Ridiculousness." I don't ever watch MTV anymore, guess I've outgrown it, but this show gathers all the Youtube videos and puts them in hilarious categories; some of it funny, some painful, some just too cute for words. The commentary of the host just makes it more hilarious.

This brings my Monday Musings to my favorite Youtube videos, most of which I posted on Facebook. I'm still wondering if Youtube is one step away from illegal but that's a post for another time.

Video number 1: O, Holy Night. A Christmas carol done the way it should be. I just love the way it starts so mellow but the lead vocalist gives it away.

And, of course, babies and animals. Who's cuter???

And everyone's favorite doggie, Biskit the sleep-walking dog.

So 2011 is coming to an end. It went by so fast. But we can say Christmas continues, right? After all, "... Mary and Joseph ... returned to Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him" (Luke 2:40). May the grace of God be upon you as we look toward a ●●●▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬●●●
(¯`’★♫♪•♥ HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! ♥ •♫♪★’´¯)
●●●▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬●●●
Just our Monday Musings. ღ

Happy New Year Youtube

Friday Freebies: Books, Blessings & Snow Pudding

2011-12-23T16:47:00.000-08:00

Friday Freebies are here. Let's get started with a few of my favorite Christmas books ... for FREE. You can read them online or download to your Kindle (or is that upload?).

T'was the Night Before Christmas
For your Kindle

Gift of the Magi
Kindle

Cricket On the Hearth
Kindle

And Thus, He Came
Kindle

Click here for a more intensive list.

And about those Christmas blessings. Well, how 'bout my friend just offered us her washer and dryer for $150. I was looking to buy the set for my kids who don't have either for a Christmas present. Alas, I could not afford it until my friend showed up. Very exciting, indeed. Of course, it doesn't compare to what was given to us so long ago in that little town of Bethlehem.

O little town of Bethlehem

How still we see thee lie

Above thy deep and dreamless sleep

The silent stars go by

Yet in thy dark streets shineth

The everlasting Light

The hopes and fears of all the years

Are met in thee tonight

For Christ is born of Mary

And gathered all above

While mortals sleep, the angels keep

Their watch of wondering love

O morning stars together

Proclaim the holy birth

And praises sing to God the King

And Peace to men on earth

How silently, how silently

The wondrous gift is given!

So God imparts to human hearts

The blessings of His heaven.

No ear may hear His coming,

But in this world of sin,

Where meek souls will receive him still,

The dear Christ enters in.

O holy Child of Bethlehem

Descend to us, we pray

Cast out our sin and enter in

Be born to us today

We hear the Christmas angels

The great glad tidings tell

O come to us, abide with us

Our Lord Emmanuel

And here's an old fashion recipe for Christmas Snow Pudding:

Put a pint of milk in the *double-boiler and on the fire. Mix three tablespoonfuls of cornstarch with a **gill of milk and one-third of a teaspoonful of salt. Stir this into the milk when it boils. Beat the whites of four eggs to a stiff froth, and then gradually beat into them half a cupful of powdered sugar and one teaspoonful of vanilla. Add this to the cooking mixture, and beat vigorously for one minute. Rinse a mould in cold water, and pouring the pudding into it, set away to cool. At serving-time turn out on a flat dish, and serve with chocolate sauce.

*Don't have a double boiler? Check out this article for substitute.
**Gill=1/2 cup or 4 ounces (but it's debatable still) most American cooks say it's 5 ounces.

Monday Musings: The Darker Side of Christmas

2011-12-19T13:48:00.000-08:00

According to different polls about 80% of Americans say they are Christians, or at least, believe in God. 96% of all Americans celebrate Christmas. Even around the world, through a mathematical equation (I heard it somewhere), 43% celebrate, in one way or other, Christmas.Church attendance usually doubles around Christmas time, a strange phenomena indeed.

Ah, Christmas--such a warm and fuzzy feeling. A little baby born in Bethlehem. His birth was announced by majestic Angels to lowly shepherds. "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests" (Luke 2:14). Who doesn't like a good baby story. But Christmas doesn't make sense if you leave out the rest of the story. Right? He was born in a manger . . . and then he grew up and performed miracles and said things that eventually warranted the penalty of death.

I mean Dr. Luke went from "Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger" (Luke 2:11-12), to "... crucify him, crucify him" as Pilate was trying to wash his hands free of whatever might befall the One who was born in a manger.

This went from a courageous teenage girl and her beautiful baby-boy story -- who would save the world -- to a fantastic horrid event of a crucifixion. I know this sounds like the darker side of Christmas but if you celebrate and believe in his birth don't you also have to believe in his death and that "he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishments that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5).

My friend Dorelle wrote this:

Revelation 6:15-17 says, "And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, 'Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?'"

Unfortunately this time of year people are getting ready to celebrate the pagan Christ-mass. They put our Lord Jesus back in a manger and talk about "the baby Jesus."

This goes hand-in-hand with the false concept of a tolerant god that most choose to believe in contrary to the plain Scriptures. The world has no problems with the baby Jesus in the manger, but they have a lot of problems with the man Christ Jesus and His public ministry, His teachings, His claims, His death, His burial, His resurrection, and His soon return.

They also have a major problem with the wrath of the Lamb of God. This is no baby in a manger that is cute and cuddly, this is Almighty Lamb of God who has put up with enough rebellion from His creatures and pours out His great wrath upon all the earth. The great day of Jesus' wrath upon the earth and those that dwell therein is coming soon , and we should be warning the rebels to flee from the wrath to come through salvation from sin through Jesus Christ alone.

JESUS is ALWAYS the REASON for ALL SEASONS!!

Dorelle Diamond

You know, these are my Monday Musings. Merry Christmas and don't forget the greatest gift you can give Him is yourself. It's all He's ever wanted.

Thursday Thoughts: Christmas, Food and Charity

2011-12-15T13:12:00.000-08:00

Christmas Luncheon at NewSong Church

"A star is good," said Melchior,

"A high, unworldly thing;

But I would choose a soul alive

To be my Lord and King.

"Not Herod, nay, nor Cyrus, nay,
Not any king at all;
For I would choose a new-born child
Laid in a manger-stall."
(from the poem The Wise Men of the East, by A. Mary F. Robinson: published 1891)

My Christmas Thursday Thoughts:
1. Why are so many people afraid to say that Christmas is the celebration of Jesus' birth?
2. It's about family and friends, peace on earth, love, good food, charity and so forth.
3. True
4. But that should be a year round thing . . . my thoughts anyway,

I made that!

5. We're forced, or manipulated, to spend too much money. People told me (on a social network site) that they don't want to give homemade things because some people get offended that you didn't buy them something. Pffft. I love homemade things, especially jams, jellies, homemade butters or cake ingredients in one jar. Scarves? I adore them.

6. Can the singing of Silent Night stop the war? Wouldn't that be sweet?

Silent night! holy night!
Son of God
love's pure light
radiant beams
from thy holy face
with the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord at thy birth.

7. Then there's food, always food, good food. Love food. I've even started a collection of Christmas recipes for my cooking blog, Cooking with Online Friends. Wanna add to my collection? Maybe this time next year we'll have enough to publish Christmas with Online Friends Cook Book.
8. Somebody's probably already Thursday Thought of that. But we could add our own stories or poetry.

Now that the time is come wherein
Our Saviour Christ was born,
The larders full of beef and pork,
The garners filled with corn;
As God hath plenty to thee sent,
Take comfort of thy labors,
And let it never thee repent
To feast thy needy neighbors.
(from Christmas Alms: Poor Robin's Almanac, 1891)

Ah My Thursday Thoughts on Charity!
1. Help at a mission and serve the Christmas meal for the homeless?
2. Make scarves and give as gifts to the homeless.
3. If I had money I would donate gifts to Toys for Tots e.g.
4. Stop feeling sorry for myself because there are so many others in more need, or hurting, around Christmas and any other day. I should call the Salvation Army.
5. I have so much to be thankful for. Two healthy kids. My little company is growing. Food on the table, roof over my head (a really, really big roof), clothes on my back (albeit donated), a heater in my office and Jesus picked me. Go figure.
6. I really should decide which church to call home and get involved. Those are some of my Thursday Thoughts.

Merry Christmas

FREE Kindle version of In The Yule-Log Glow

Wednesday Writers: Leslie Dultz, Faith and Fitness

2011-12-14T13:44:00.000-08:00

Leslie at NewSong Christmas Boutique

A few years ago I found myself overweight and unhappy with the way I felt in my own skin. In the past, I would try to “diet” but before long would give up and return to my old eating habits.

This made me feel worse as I would always gain the little bit of weight I had lost and then some. I knew I didn’t feel good about myself but I didn’t realize how being overweight effected my life.

It hurt my relationship with my husband and I found it hard to play outside with my kids or engage in any physical fitness capacity with them. It changed the way I interacted at parties, always trying to not stand out because I didn’t want to be noticed.

Than a little over 2 years ago, Matt (my hubby) and I decided to commit to living a more healthy and fit life, not only for ourselves but as an example for our boys. We began eating right, incorporated exercise and physical activity into our daily routines.

This physical activity came in the form of P90X, one of Beachbody’s exercise programs. We started it together on May 5, 2009. I have to admit I didn’t really know what I was in for. I knew I was out of shape and boy did this program prove it! But I gave it my best, each and every time, every day, right there next to Matt in our living room. It was a pretty good feeling to have at the end of each workout to realize that I made it through and did a little bit better than the time before. After a while, even our boys would get in on the work outs with us. Getting on the floor for pushups, doing an exercise called Super Man, Banana, even ab work. Our living room wasn’t just for hanging out watching tv anymore, it was now our home gym as well.

Because of our results and the complete transformation we went through both physically, emotionally as well as in our relationship, we felt a passion to help others experience the same success in their own lives.

We coupled this idea with the fact that we are devoted to serving New Song Church and created Fitness Ministry as a way to combine both faith and fitness. We have seen some amazing transformations with some of our regular attendees, and it all stems from the fact that we tended to their spiritual and emotional needs before we could really dig in and attack the physical body. With faith, and trust, we sweated together in workouts and gathered after in community as we shared our stories of struggle as well as success. It has been a blessing to be a part of their transformations, and continues to inspire us to stay focused not only on our own health and fitness, but on helping others experience similar success in their lives.

Leslie Dultz

If you would like more information on healthier living, nutrition, or fitness, please follow Leslie's blog at TNTFITFAM where you can link to her other sites.

Monday Musings: Christmas,Family, Friends and Tim Tebow

2011-12-12T13:45:00.000-08:00

Christmas Tree in NewSong Church Sanctuary

My Monday Musings takes me back to Saturday and Sunday thoughts. My friend Carrie asked, "Are you okay? You seem somewhere else."

"Really, that's scary."

We sat around a very beautifully decorated table for the NewSong Church Christmas Luncheon. Within such a crowd I really was alone with my thoughts--very peaceful and content. There was the coziness of the sanctuary, the aroma of warm food and smiles all around.

I've been gone from this church for a while now, but I felt very welcome, like I never left. Funny thing about that. I'm kind of churchless right now, strange season indeed. But I'm lovin' it. I know the Lord will lead me somewhere soon.

2. Watched a lot of football on Sunday while trying to get some work done, feeling guilty for doing work on the Sabbath. I did lay it aside to watch Tim Tebow and the Broncos. Typical Tebow kind of game and I really thought of just tuning in at the start of the fourth quarter. But I suffered through the three bad quarters, believing in that miracle ending. And, of course, it happened.

All those commentators just laughed and couldn't explain how Tebow and the Broncos could pull it off again. Many of us went as far as believing in divine intervention. But even Tim said (in so many words), God's not a Bronco fan.

True, but something beautiful is happening in Denver. And I thought about the word "favor." All through man's history God finds favor on a particular person because there's such a big task ahead--Moses, Abraham, Deborah, Mary, Joshua, Paul, John and so on. Just listen to the commentators when they talk about Tim Tebow. They just can't put their finger on it but they know he's special.

It was beautiful to hear the mention of his parents. "Kudos to his parents," was alluded to one time for a quick second. Wow. Yay for parents who raised their children well even though we have no way of knowing how they will turn out.

I thanked my own parents today for giving my brother and I the foundation in Christ. We passed it onto our children and leave them in God's hands.

Christmas is probably my favorite season. I might even have enough money to buy a few presents this time. But I love how my kids don't think that's important at all--receiving gifts. Of course, there's always a smile when they do.

May His favor fall upon you and your family. May His smile touch your hearts. May you hear His words, "You are mine. Am I enough for you?" That's my Monday Musings.

★¸¸.•*¨*•❉❉♏ƐƦƦϔ CHƦİṦƬ♏ĄṦ ❉❉•*¨*•★

Here's one of my favorite Christmas Recipes

Grandma's English Trifle

Friday FrEEbiEs: And Poems in the Public Domain

2011-12-09T15:20:00.001-08:00

Doing a little research about public domain books and what exactly is considered public domain. It's a little confusing at times. Conclusion simplified: anything published before 1923 in the US is considered public domain. For our Friday FrEEbiE here's a poem from Mary Mollineux.

*****

Old Book Illustratrions

To Her Lord

By Mary Mollineux (c. 1648–1695)

ALAS, how hard a Thing

It is to bring

Into a true Subjection Flesh and Blood,

Quietly to entertain

(And not complain) 5

Those Exercises that attend for Good!

My Life, my Joy, my Love,

If thus thou please to prove

And exercise my poor perplexèd Mind,

Teach me to wait in Fear, 10

That I may learn to hear

What Trials may attend, of any Kind:

And, guarded by thy Ray,

Walk in the Way,

That leads directly to the Throne of Grace; 15

Where in Humility,

Poor I may be

Admitted to sit down i’ th’ heav’nly Place.

And there to thee discharge

My griefs at large, 20

As to a Bosom-Friend, that bears with me,

And often passes by

Faults of Infirmity:

Alas, I cannot bear too much for thee!

*********

AUTHOR:Sir John Collings Squire, 1884–1958, ed.

TITLE:A Book of Women’s Verse, edited with a prefatory essay by J. C. Squire.
PUBLISHED:Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1921.
CITATION:A Book of Women’s Verse, ed. by J. C. Squire. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1921; Bartleby.com, 2011. www.bartleby.com/291

**********

Other FrEEbiEs

The Canterbury Tales (Chaucer)

The Ballad of the White Horse (G.K Chesterton)
A Christmas Faggot (Alfred Gurney)

Definition of Faggot from the Online Dictionary:

1. a bundle of sticks or twigs, esp when bound together and used as fuel

2. (Engineering / Metallurgy) a bundle of iron bars, esp a box formed by four pieces of wrought iron and filled with scrap to be forged into wrought iron

3. (Cookery) a ball of chopped meat, usually pork liver, bound with herbs and bread and eaten fried

4. a bundle of anything

*********

Free Samples from HIF

Thursday Thoughts

2011-12-08T23:18:00.000-08:00

It's been really hard to have any thoughts this week. Just kidding. But it does seem that I have entered the writer's fog and it doesn't seem to be lifting. The Wednesday Writer post featured a Writer's Prayer. That really helped. My Thursday Thoughts in no particular order start below.

1. November has come and gone and I wrote about 7,000 words. The total was supposed to be 20,000. Came a little short. But my thought on that? I managed to outline the rest of the book. However, the ending still eludes me.

2. Twitter has intrigued me lately.
A Twitter Thursday Thought: Do authors only accept follow requests from other authors? Or how about Christians only following other Christians? That just doesn't make sense to me. Authors need readers who might be interested in our books. And Christians . . . well, don't we have something to say to nonChristians?

So I started following book clubs on Twitter. They're probably on Facebook as well. Actually maybe I'll join a book club. Reading through a book and discussing one sounds like fun. Let me see where I can squeeze that in. But that's my thought though, we need to find readers, book lovers.

I wonder if my tweeple are tired of seeing those ads I write? These companies keep on paying me to tweet for them. Honestly, I do try to spread those tweets around. A girl has got to make a living. Hopefully my followers will give me grace. Around Christmas time it gets a little more interesting because I get to tweet for the Salvation Army and other causes. Gives me warm fuzzies.

3. I'm thinking of buying a new phone and downgrading. Apparently I don't need the internet on my phone after all. That should knock off about $30 from that crazy bill. My wonderful cousin gave me a GPS for the car and I never knew how to use it on my phone anyhow. Plus the Palm would not cooperate with Itunes. That was a bear. Grrrr. Luckily I found my Ipod works wonderfully in my car. Love those crazy converter gadgets.

4. Moving onto a different thought, I joined yet another social network called GoodReads. At least I think it's a social network. Lots and lots of book titles and authors there too. I'll have to navigate, explore and plunder. Not quite with the in-crowd yet.

5. Speaking of the in crowd, I feel like I've dropped out of a few. There's the romance crowd. I just don't get them (though they are the sweetest) and they probably don't get me. I just don't believe in romance. How sad is that. But this could be that fog I was talking about. Then there's the spec fiction crowd. Man, they are way too intelligent for me. But that's okay. Fog getting thicker.

6. Thursday business thought: Manuscripts are pouring in, well . . . trickling into G8Press. This has forced me to update the G8Press blog where I finally started a list of freelance editors. Two books are one day away from sending to the printer. Nothing too overwhelming.

Three people at work are sick. Makes it really hard to work when there's only three employees. We can do it. My other job is this blog. If you like you can read all about it on my Disclosure page. It's more than just legal blah blah you know.

7. And then there's Christmas. Where do we go for Christmas Eve when everyone has to be in church the next day which is Sunday. That's what happens in a family of pastors and other ministry commitments. Plus we're like 100 miles from one another. And Shopping? What shopping? Oh yeah, haven't even started. Does it feel like Christmas yet? Aaaah . . . it's just a few of my Thursday Thoughts.

★¸¸.•*¨*•☃☃ ❞ᶆƐƦƦϔ ℃ҺƦḭṦƬᶆᵰς❞ ☃☃¸¸.•*¨*•★

Warning: It's Another Geek Alert

2011-12-07T22:13:00.001-08:00

Christmas has arrived or should we say, snuck up upon us again. Indeed! Exactly how much are you spending on gifts this year? Never mind. Do yourself a favor and Think Geek coupons for bacon flavored candy canes, give some love to a ginger-bread-zombie ornament and what kid wouldn't want to find a giant gummy bear under the tree. This gummy bear stands 17 inches tall, weighs 26 lbs. and packs a whopping 32,000 calories. Okay, we might have to scrap the giant gummy bear.

In any case, perhaps you are looking for more of a practical gift. Then consider a Dell coupon and save a bundle on laptops, desk tops, gaming products and anything Dell and techy. Or how about savings at the Disney Store, Walmart, and all you Trekki fans just Think Geek promo code. That should cover the whole family.

So for those last minute stocking stuffers, or under the tree presents, visit those loveable geeks for all the latest info on geeky gadgets, quirky gizmos and generally cool stuff. Nothing will be more appreciated on Christmas morn. The Geek Alert is always an entertaining blog packed with geeky fun and full of wit. Online coupons, promo codes for a plethora of stores just in time for your Christmas shopping. See ya there.

Wednesday Writer: Writer's Daily Prayer

2011-12-07T14:19:00.001-08:00

With all my heart, I thank you for the opportunity to write for You, Lord. Please grant me the talent to do it with clarity and fresh style that my words will stretch deep into my readers’ souls and make a difference for eternity.

Reach into my heart, Lord, and grant me sensitivity to understand my characters—their soul’s deep core, their wants and needs and dreams. May my sensitivity make my characters come to life for my readers and, in turn, touch a chord of emotion that will draw them into the story.

I long to write from my heart, Lord, so that I may communicate Your love and goodness to my readers. Fuel my imagination with vivid ideas and vital insights that my words will flow and I will have no doubt that You are working through me.

Teach me how to trust You in those moments when the creative juices slow and my mind grows weary. It is for You I write, so please awaken and energize my senses with fresh insights so that my readers will go in search of Your truth in the midst of my fiction.

Empower me with Your Holy Spirit, God, that I may persevere in discouragement, trust in times of fear, hope in the midst of despair, believe when the doubts settle in, and rely solely on You for my strength and inspiration. In the name of Your Son Jesus, I pray. Amen.

© Sharlene MacLaren

Sunday Scrolls

2011-12-04T12:43:00.001-08:00

Written upon the scrolls this Sunday are the works of my own Inklings and we shall start a list of public domain titles from mainly female writers, though they are hard to find I will include any treasure in the public domain.

It would be so sweet to find the best of authors as far back as the early 1200's and actually publish a compilation of their works. I've recently discovered Debra Conrad's Public Domain Treasure Hunters. She indeed has inspired me to go hunting as I love the ancient manuscripts, their book-cover artwork, and illustrations. It shall, no doubt, be a fascinating journey on Sunday Scrolls.

Liza Doolittle

I assume that women writers have always cornered the market for romance novels. Once in a while I'm drawn to them especially if they have a paranormal feel to it. Christmas I also tend to read some sappy Christmas romance. There, I said it.

But what I love reading are those old manuscripts, not updated versions, of something like A Christmas Carol, or Alice's Adventures Underground.

But speaking of the here and now our very own Inklings are working on their own unusual/unique manuscripts. Pat Stockett Johnston has put together a collection of articles on Chrysanthemums for beginners. The photographs are stunning. Her latest article will help you get published with Chicken Soup for the Soul. You can do it.

Marilyn Woody is working on unfinished or almost completed manuscripts willed to her by the late Arleta Richardson (a list of her books included at the end of this post). Some of which was still handwritten on yellow pads or typed on an old typewriter and saved on floppy disks. I think Marilyn should blog about it. One day, my friend, you'll see the usefulness of the internet.

The minutes of the Inklings meeting would have been nice to publish here but our Minute Keeper from California Breeze was trapped in her castle--power outage in her neighborhood due to that crazy Southern Cal weather, trees down around her house and all sort of chaos.

In any case, let us begin this list of writers from ages past. And perhaps we can find those priceless images to go along with their masterpieces. I will pick my favorites and publish them in The Watchers' public domain page. Here is a list to get us started from Knowledge Rush dot com.

From the Baldwin Project

The Scrolls of these PD files are in no particular order

John Bunyon's Pilgrim's Progress
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
Charlotte M. Yonge's The Frog and the Page

Charlotte M Yonge lived from 1823-1901. She wrote a ton of books. Here's her list from the Gutenberg Project.

George A. Henty's The Dragon and the Raven
His list of books: Lived between 1832-1902

Though not an extensive list as such, nonetheless, a more impressive list will accumulate on our public domain page.

Wednesday Writer: Mechthild of Magdeburg (authors in public domain)

2011-11-30T18:21:00.001-08:00

Our Wednesday Writer lived from 1210-1282, though her birth year is questionable. Mechthild was a female author who's spiritual writings were criticized, as one might imagine given the era she lived in. You can read more about her here. Her book Flowing Light of the Godhead has been translated but I'm pretty sure it's still public domain. The following excerpt might be titled:

**********

I Cannot Dance, Lord, Unless You Guide Me

[At the end of Book 2, perhaps originally planned as the end of the work:]

I was warned against writing this book.
People said:
If one did not watch out,
It could be burned.
So I did as I used to do as a child.
When I was sad, I always had to pray.
I bowed to my Lover and said: "Alas, Lord,
Now I am saddened all because of your honor.
If I am going to receive no comfort from you now,
Then you led me astray,
Because you are the one who told me to write it."

At once God revealed himself to my joyless soul, held this book in his right hand, and said:

"My dear one, do not be overly troubled,
No one can burn the truth....
The words symbolize my marvelous Godhead.
It flows continuously
Into your soul from my divine mouth.
The sound of the words is a sign of my living spirit
And through it achieves genuine truth.
Now examine all these words---
How admirably do they proclaim my personal secrets!
So have no doubts about yourself."

"Ah, Lord, if I were a learned religious man,
And if you had performed this unique miracle using him,
You would receive everlasting honor for it.
But how is one supposed to believe
That you have built a golden house on filthy ooze...
Lord, earthly wisdom will not be able to find you there."

"....One finds many a professor learned in scripture who actually is a fool in my eyes.
And I'll tell you something else:
It is a great honor for me with regard to them, and it very much strengthens Holy Christianity
That the unlearned tongue, aided by my Holy Spirit, teaches the learned tongue." [pp.96-97]

~~Mechthild of Magdeburg 1210-1282~~

Saturday Post: The Countdown to Christmas

2011-11-26T12:09:00.001-08:00

Does the Christmas Season bring those happy inner feelings to you? I suppose it could be quite a tough time for some of us. Someone is going through a divorce (much like I did), we've lost loved ones, and even jobs are unsecured.

I don't have a lot of money. Truth be told, everything I own was gifted to me even the house I live in and the clothes on my back. What would life be without God, family and friends? But each year I look forward to this season as I focus on what, or rather Who, the season is all about.

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6-7)

Yeah, it's still all about Jesus.

Heaven's Gift

by Sandra A. Popp

Heaven's gift has come to man.

Mortal fate rests

Within tiny hallowed hands.

Shepherds singing, a shining star,

Angels proclaiming,

Kings bearing gifts from afar.

A scene of serene glory,

The weight of a holy hush,

The meaning of heaven\'s story,

'Twas God's first CHRISTmas gift to us.

Who would recall the power of that day,

At the time when He was led away,

Bearing a crown, a robe, and fateful wounds?

Was He not the gift from heaven\'s womb?

Shall we turn from that holy day

And walk away unchanged?

Will we allow it to envelope our souls

Only to let it slowly slip away?

Through plastic, tinsel, parties and gifts,

Shopping, planning, and Christmas lights lit,

Can the simple gift be heard or seen,

Or does it quietly fade behind holiday sheen?

Let us not forget that He loves us so.

He loves us too much to let us go.

He sent a plan with His sacrifice

To forgive and cleanse and give us life.

Embrace the greatest gift of all;

Don\'t let your sense of the manger wane.

The gift of heaven is yours to receive.

It was the true reason He came.

Wednesday Writer: Susan Skommesa

2011-11-23T12:50:00.001-08:00

Susan Skommesa joins the Watchers today as our Wednesday Writer. She works at the Art Institute in San Bernardino and is co-owner of G8Press. The following is Chapter 5 of a fun project we are doing on YCN (Yahoo Contributor Network). Any author can continue the story. Susan, aka Redhorse, is working on her first novel--an Indian historical romance. I've read the first chapter. Awesome! Here's her installment from A Light in the Forest.

*****

Intimus Sanctum

The Secrets of a Desperate King

Chapter 5

Déorah began to stir from the depth of sleep which was filled with darkened shadows and lurking terrors. She pulled herself to the edge of reality to escape the horrid scenes of death and suffering. Suddenly, her eyes opened, her breath almost stolen as she struggled to remember where she was. Memories of the long journey through the ancient forest began to flood her mind. She could again see the pain in her king's eyes as he looked at his son for the last time.

The young queen continued to check the foreign surroundings. Her sleeping chamber, warmed by the fire that still danced with a gentle breeze, was greeted by the morning sun. Golden rays filtered through a small window high in the stone wall.

In the far corner, a shadow caught Déorah's eye. She gasped.

"M' Lady, I'm sorry to startle you," said an elderly woman with wizened eyes. "I have watched over you during the night. I am Lithuen."

Lithuen rose to her feet as one who's only seen twenty years. Déorah could see kindness in Lithuen's wrinkled face as she approached the bed. There was something about this woman that put Déorah at ease. She felt safe.

"Water to wash your face, M' Lady?" Lithuen asked as she helped Déorah out of bed. "And breakfast is ready." The elder woman hustled about laying out clothes good enough for a queen. "One of the young maidens gave of her milk to KBehrszhen early this morning," she continued, "but I am sure the child will eagerly drink from his mother. He has quite a good appetite. Almost nothing left for Swana's daughter. After breakfast, she will bring him to you." Lithuen's eyes twinkled as she patted Déorah's hand with the assurance of a mother.

Just then, the door creaked open and a young girl peered around the wooden edge. A procession of young maidens, carrying jars of warmed water and food, followed her inside. They all bowed respectfully. Déorah smiled as she remembered a time when she served the important visitors who had come to her village to meet with her father, grandfather, and the elders. Lithuen ushered the girls out, gently closing the door as she walked on behind them. As Déorah refreshed her body with food and wash, she thought of the task ahead and the promise she made to a reluctant Trondar.

"To ask help from your people is unfathomable," he told her. "It was I who commanded my soldiers to burn your village and carry away your women, children and cattle."

Though she flinched at the memory, she reminded him that her people were the best horsemen and archers in the kingdom. He paced, shook his head with his chin resting between his forefinger and thumb.

"Many good men died that day," he whispered. "Why would they help now?" He was certain they would not.

Déorah stood in the path of his pacing and took his hands in hers. She held them to her lips and softly kissed them. Looking in his eyes she assured him that she would make her father and the elders listen to her.

Geek Coolness & Discount Coupons

2011-11-23T12:06:00.001-08:00

Remember the goofy, but lovable Inspector Gadget? Awesome! For any of his gadgets you might need a Things Remembered coupon.

Nevertheless, what cool and quirky gadgets will you place in the hands of your characters? How 'bout a cute daisy umbrella that every little mouse or chipmunk can use for a parachute? Nice, don't you think! Or if you need to polish up on your Zombie Survival Guide, the Geeky Alerts blog will show your peeps what to do with zombies. Or if you suddenly find yourself a part of the Zombie nation you'll need some comfort and what-to-do-now advice. Who knew? There's a guide!

In any case, information and news on the latest quirky gizmos and everything geeky cool including Geek Gadgets and Discount Coupons is fed to you on a daily bases on their website. I have to say, the posts are pretty entertaining, fun and always witty. Everybody appreciates a good deal, right? After all, saving money seems to be most important in our economy. The Geeks will help you save your hard earned cash.

Well, creating interesting characters should be easy with these gadgets. But before you make that purchase check out the RedEnvelope promo codes. It's your one-stop spot for clearance sales and promo codes for many online stores. Get your Geek on!

Monday Musings: Faith, Fun & Food Blog Hop

2011-11-20T20:14:00.000-08:00

"He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire. He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress" (Psalms 46:9-11)

It's been a strange season for me. Raising two kids on my own--obviously not God's original plan for any of us. But there we are. Single parents (mostly moms), at least in my town, seem to be the norm. Many kids here are raised by their grandparents. I never for one second believed that my kids and I would become a statistic.

Both my kids struggle with their faith even though both were raised in the church. I've come to the understanding that it's okay for them to struggle. They need to work out their own salvation. But recently I caught my hard-core-heavy-metal-drummer boy, who celebrated his 19th birthday in September, something that I thought he would never do.I have raised HE double hockey sticks with him and probably added to all the chaos.

So I went to the Lord with my complaints. "Tell me what to do Lord. Show me what to do with this kid. How do I set him straight." After all, I have friends in the OC Sheriff's department. How about call a few pastors and scare him straight.

I desperately flipped the pages of God's Word for a quicky answer. Nothing. Then I calmed myself and decided to read the next chapter of my daily devotion and this popped up. "Be still and know that I am God." Yes, but . . .

Have you ever tried to help God out? Did you ever believe your plan of action would work better? How did it work out for you. It didn't work out for me at all.

Okay, I'll be still and know that You are God.

Then my son spent a few days with me and brought his band members along. And yep, their issues walked right through my garage door into my house. Or maybe, just maybe, I've begun to blow things all out of proportion. Maybe I don't remember what that "stuff" smells like. Aha. We managed to keep the peace and I remembered to be still. Psalm 37 came to mind . . . trust in the Lord. As did Proverbs 5:3 . . . lean not unto your own understanding.

In any case, before they all woke up in the morning, I decided to make pannekoek (Dutch pancakes) for them. I think, subconsciously, it was my peace offering. Nonetheless, it's just my Monday Musings.

Pannekoek (it's good for the soul)

Basic Recipe
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup milk
1 cup water
1 egg

1/4 teaspoon salt
Butter to fry pancake

Topping:
Mix 1 tablespoon cinnamon with 4 tablespoons sugar.

Preparation:

(This pancake mix is very thin, very runny)

Mix first five ingredients together until blended. Add butter to skillet over medium heat.
Pour in enough batter just enough to cover bottom of pan.
When bottom seems done, flip and continue cooking until done.

These pancakes will look like crepes but if done right they are even thinner. You can sprinkle the sugar cinnamon mixture on and roll or fold the pancake.

I made about 20 pancakes which the boys devoured. The singer said, "They were amazing. Funny, I had a dream that you were making pancakes."

And then, of course, they had fun blowing my ears to kingdom come. I would post one of their songs but I'm not ready to shock anyone yet. If you so desire though, you can check out his blog and introduce yourself to his darkness. Or should I say, shed some light over there. He calls it Arizona&Kake. And if you're the first person to guess why, I'll send you a copy of our cookbook, If I Can Cook It You Can Cook It Cookbook. Well, well, I had such a time with my Monday Musings.

Happy blog hopping, my friends.

Faith, Fun & Food Blog Party

Today only!

Powered by Linky Tools

Click here to see another blog in the Faith, Fun, & Food Blog Party!

Free Online Newspaper from Friday FrEEbiEs

2011-11-18T12:31:00.001-08:00

Psalm 37:25-26 (NIV) "... I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging for bread. They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be a blessing."

I love Freebies and here's a blog that directs you to every freebie imaginable. Have fun at Goob's Hey, It's Free.

Ever wanted to start your own newspaper? Now you can (Ack, I sound like an ad). Paper.li will get you started with you own online newspaper. It takes feeds from twitter friends (ones you pick), stories from facebook, links from your blog and other places. Here's the link to mine. It's fun and can be very profitable for you. Terri Main blogged about how to get started with your paper at Education Wants to be Free.

FREE BOOK FREE BOOKS FREE BOOKS! LOL. Let me gather myself here. It's just my favorite FrEEbiE. Did you know that you can find tons of free books on Amazon? And there's a fast way to find them. Just go to Amazon and search for Kindle Freebies. I know, you could have figured that out yourselves. Or you can go to my list of free books page on this blog. You can catch a free movie there too. Which reminds me, check out Poetry Worship with the Watchers.

And then there are always generous authors who have giveaways and contests on their sites.
1. Enter to win Bound by Grace by Amber Stockton
2.Win free download of Eyes-Over-Cantaloupe by Anne McAneny
3.Win an autographed copy of Double Crossing by Meg Mims

How about some recipes?
1. Grandmother's Plumi Moos.
2. Pumpkin Corn Chowder
3. Spicy Sweet Pumpkin Pie
4. More on Cooking with Online Friends

And one more: Join author Penny Zeller for her Website Remodel Party & a chance to win a Starbucks giftcard!

So there you have it for Friday FrEEbiEs. Have a great weekend!

Wednesday Writers: Sharon Pearson

2011-11-16T17:06:00.001-08:00

Sharon belongs to my writers group, the San Gabriel Valley Inklings. You can read about us at the Yahoo Contributor Network, if you're interested.

In any case, Sharon's story, The Empty Chair, was published in Chicken Soup for the Soul. Here's part of her story and the rest is on her blog, California Breeze. Check out her awesome pictures of our Southern Cali Autumn. Yeah, we do have seasons.

Thank you Sharon for being our Wednesday Writer.

The Empty Chair

by Sharon Pearson

“Look what my mom bought me for the first day of school!”
I watched my new best friend, Stacy, emerge from her closet like a super model, and twirl around in her black and yellow striped bell-bottom trousers.
“Cute. When can I borrow them?”

Stacy and I liked the same clothes, purses, hairstyles—everything. That’s why we became best friends over the summer break.
Stacy stopped twirling and flopped down on the bedroom floor next to me.
“I have to warn you about the first day of school,” she said. “Paige will be looking for you.”
“I know,” I sighed. Paige was my best friend last year.
“When she finds out that you’re my best friend now, she’s going to freak.”

Sometimes having a best friend is a pain, I thought. I knew I should just give it up and hang out with a larger group of girls, but the others were so silly and immature. Stacy and I called them “The Strange Girls”— “Strangies”. We, of course, were different. We acted our age.

Read more . . .

The Grace & Faith Marketing Solution

2011-11-15T09:35:00.001-08:00

Here's the second guest post from Staci Stallings who is helping authors promote their books.

*********

Marketing: The Goliath of an Author's Life

By Staci Stallings

Let's face it. Most of us authors did not take marketing in college. Many have no background in technology or social media. Almost no one has a full publicity team behind them to do promotions for them while they sit back and write their next blockbuster.

No. Good or bad, most of us have to do at least some of our own promotions--especially online.

So what's our solution? We do what we hear about. We set up a blog, try to post interesting articles hoping like Kevin Costner that if we build it, they will come. When they don't, we're not sure what to do next. Sometimes we tweak our content. Sometimes we branch out into Twitter or Facebook, Google+ or Christian Chirp.

Only to find the learning curve for each one is steep and bending upward. About the time we learn one, there are another five waiting there like temptations saying, "You can have it all if you just learn to do me!"

However, none of us have time to learn everything and do everything and keep up with everything. It just doesn't work. Worse, we're on our own to learn these things with no one to ask and no one to show us how.

Can I get an "Amen"?

If you're like me, you've tried many things to market and promote your work--whether that's books or your blog. Unless you are a natural (or really have taken classes), you're probably frustrated that no matter what you do, they don't seem to be coming.

I feel your pain, so after years of living with this make-shift marketing "strategy," God showed me a new way. It's called "Grace & Faith Author Connection." In this all-Christian group, members agree to help promote others' work on Twitter, Facebook, and across the social media spectrum.

No longer are you tweeting to your 500 followers. Now, 3 other authors can see your post and retweet it to their followers as well! 500 becomes 2,000. But maybe it's not just 3 who see it but 5 or 10 or 20. We have over 60 members, so who knows how far that message will go.

Plus, when you join G&F, you're not alone trying to figure all of this stuff out. We have tutorials to help you learn to do Twitter posts. Mondays on our blog help you make the most of promotions. No longer are you at the mercy of a social media Goliath.

Through the simple stones we show you, you can vanquish this Goliath once and for all--and all in the presence of people who believe and trust in God and His wisdom and strength as much as you do.

So if you're ready to go from haphazard to happily ever after, check us out. We might be just what you've been praying for!

*****
Staci Stallings is the founder of Grace & Faith Author Connection. To join the group, send your Name, Email Address, Twitter handle (if you have one), and/or Facebook page to staci_stallings at hotmail dot com (altogether!) with the subject: G&F New Member, and Staci will let you know what your next step is. I hope you will join us for this new and exciting marketing adventure!

Monday Musings: A Video Poem

2011-11-14T16:16:00.001-08:00

Dear God: A Video Poem published on YCN

Writing poetry is something that comes and goes with me. When it comes, it's probably not a masterpiece just simple, sometimes deep thoughts: happy thoughts amidst the chaos we call life. Hopefully God shines through these thoughts.

I had an inkling to turn my poetry into video--A Video Poem. On the Yahoo Contributor Network -- they were nice enough to publish it for me -- I called it Poetry Worship. Who knows, it might catch on. In any case it's just my Monday Musings.

Wednesday Writers

2011-11-09T14:32:00.000-08:00

Marilyn Woody was here. She's very new to the internet. It actually still scares her. I love it. But soon, the author of such books as Splish Splash Devotions, A Child's Book of Angels, Basil the Bear series and many more illustrated children's books, will have her own blog. For now the Watchers are very happy that she has agreed to be our Wednesday Writer.

**********

Grandma's Wood-burning Stove:

by Marilyn Woody

The wood-burning stove stood in the long kitchen of my great-grandmother's home. A rag-rug covered the floor and a small pump and sink graced one corner. The brick home, a landmark in Heltonville, Indiana for over a century, was situated on a slight knoll with the hill descending to the garden where summer corn grew.

When husked, my Grandma Ramsey cut it off the cob, scraping the milk with her knife to make it creamy. On the back of her little four-burner stove, she placed an iron skillet with bacon grease, then added the cut corn. She might add a little rich cream and then periodically stir as it began to stick. Repeated stirring of the corn was what caused it to end up with bits of crispy corn, combined with the creamy texture.

While the corn cooked she would start frying a chicken and preparing biscuits to go in the small oven. She had killed the chicken earlier in the morning, one from her coop. Frying the chicken to perfection while stirring the corn and keeping an eye on the biscuits was a masterful art. No turning gas burners down, only the knack of moving the coals in the stove to create the right temperature for each item being prepared.

Her table, only steps away from the stove, was always set and ready for serving. When dishes were washed after a meal, they were dried and put back on the table. They were a soft shade of green, covered by a tablecloth until it was time to eat. The cloth was then folded, revealing the table, ready to receive guests.

Along with the piping hot biscuits and crispy chicken, there was the dish of "stir and stick" corn. Dishes of homemade pickles and garden tomatoes added to the fare. Freshly churned butter and honey melted on the hot biscuits.

As a soft, summer breeze blew gently through the window above the table, it seemed nothing could compare with delicious comfort food and a peaceful setting.

Grandma Ramsey's Corn - Southern Fried "Stick 'n' Stir"

1) Fresh corn: Split each row of corn with a sharp knife and cut off top half of kernel. Now scrape the cob to get rest of kernels. It is this sweet, milky kernel that gives the special flavor.

2) Add tsp. sugar, salt and pepper. Fry 2 strips of bacon. (Butter may be substituted.) Pour corn into hot grease: stir almost constantly until thickens and begins to "stick." If too dry keep adding a little water and continue stirring and scraping for approximately 10 minutes. Use low heat.

**********

The Pantser, The Plotter, The Explorer: What Kind of Writer Are You?

2011-11-04T23:53:00.000-07:00

I never really thought about what kind of writer I am. As a matter of fact I always felt guilty for not being a good planner, or plotter. I just put my fingers onto the keyboard and transferred the story that was in my head onto the screen. Come to find out . . . I am the Pantser: the one who writes by the seat of her pants. I like it.

The whole planning thing doesn't come that easy to me. Outline? What's an outline? Everytime I do manage to plot it out I seem to veer from my storyline. I feel very restricted when I plan the story though I'm sure there's a little bit of planning going on.

In any case, take a look once again at Terri Main's blog, Education Wants to be Free, where she gives us an indepth explanation of the three different types of writers; The Pantser, the Plotter, the Explorer. Which one are you?

*****

The Pantser's Strengths

The main strength of the pantser is spontaneity. Sometimes writing down a plot outline can limit your creativity. You get a better idea when you are writing, but that means changing the plot outline and shifting around your carefully outlined scenes, so you stay with the original idea and ignore what might be a better approach. Even for explorers, this can be the case. I know where my plot has to get to in a few pages and this would throw off that plan.

Another strength is character-driven fiction. Frequently, "well plotted" novels focus on the action over the character. By that I mean, that the author is thinking mostly about what the characters need to do to make the story work out. The story can easily be forced down the throats of the characters.

Read more . . .

*****

For Your Eyes Only

2011-11-04T22:40:00.000-07:00

There on your table of solid oak is that pile of books you've been meaning to read. It was a grand plan, to read twenty-four books in one year. You gallantly tackled this tower of paperbacks on the first day of the new year, but Thanksgiving is right around the corner and there it is. You eye each title carefully, you squint to bring them into focus and you wonder why you only managed to finish half the books. Oh sure, you bit quite a chunk into this stack of books though finishing this pile would have been no problem with younger eyes.

You reach for your trusty yet cheap eyeglasses and slowly peruse the list you have still to read. You marvel how clear the world is through your stylish glasses. They're prescription, of course, but nobody has to know that. They settle comfortably on your nose as you pick up a book. The fireplace sings in the living room. A cup of hot chocolate with a dollop of whipped cream waits on the counter. You tap the durable frames of your glasses as you turn the first page. Amazing really, the fine print of the credit pages jump out. You kick up your heals and lose yourself in the written word. No strain on the eyes, no blurry words to squint at. Zenni Optical for deserving eyes. Nice!

Thursday Thoughts:Loneliness

2011-11-03T13:48:00.000-07:00

Loneliness: Not frequented by human beings.

Monday Musings: Frustrated with Do it All Yourself Promotions

2011-10-31T18:05:00.000-07:00

For our Monday Musings we've got a guest blogger, Staci Stallings, from Grace & Faith 4U. If you're frustrated with having to do all your own book promos and whatnot you'll want to hear what Staci and company have put together.

Frustrated with Do it All Yourself Promotions

By: Staci Stallings

Staci Stallings

Imagine you're going to build a house. From scratch. You've only seen blueprints in passing and have never been in a hardware store. You know nothing about plumbing and less about framing. But you've been tasked with building this house and you're on your own.

"That's crazy!" you say.

You're right. It is.

However, I'll bet that as an author you're trying to do exactly that with your promotions. You don't know how to market, but you're supposed to. So, what to do? Do your best, right? You get started on Twitter or Facebook, but you've never been to either. You sign up with Christian Chirp and Shoutlife because those hit your target audience. You start a blog because that's what people say you're supposed to do.

Suddenly you have all this STUFF, but no clue how to use any of it much less integrate all these pieces into a Marketing Strategy. Then people tell you that you should be doing interviews on blogs and guest posting. But how do you do that, and where do you find blogs willing to host you? Worse, you're supposed to put together a Blog Tour. Where do you even start with that?

Then it gets even worse, you realize that although you've been writing your blog, no one is reading the thing. So you try different kinds of posts--like author interviews and reviews, but where do you go to get authors to interview or review?

Ever feel like that Do-It-All-Yourself house builder standing in the home improvement store wanting to cry?

Well, I'm right there with you! Or at least I was.

I did all of these things and more trying to market my books, and then I read an article about authors who had joined forces to cross-promote each other using whatever social media outlets they had. That's when the idea for the Grace & Faith Author Connection was born.

Although it is vast and there are multiple ways to use the group, here are a few basic ways this Christian-based cross promotion group can help you.

#1 You're no longer alone. We've got tutorials to help you learn to write great Twitter tags. We've got articles to help you with marketing strategy. And we've got bloggers who are ready to help you carry that strategy out by hosting you for interviews, doing book reviews, and hosting you for guest blogs.

#2 Post to the group and we will help you get the word out through our social media outlets. If you have 500 followers on Twitter and you post a link to your book. 500 "eyes" might see it. But if that same post is then Retweeted by 3 G&F Authors, now you have 2,000 eyes. If 20 RT it, now you have upwards of 10,000 eyes. We now have 60 members. You do the math.

#3 Do what you like to do and let others post your info on their social media sites. You don't have to be on everything. Twitter about others in the group if you love to Twitter. Post things on FB if that's your social media strong-point. And others will do likewise for you. You no longer have to be good at everything to have a shot at getting people to see what you have to offer.

As I said, there are many other possibilities for building your promotion house with Grace & Faith. All we require is that you are a Christian-based writer--even if all you write is a blog! So stop trying to build it all yourself. Let us help.

*********

Staci Stallings is the founder of Grace & Faith Author Connection. To join the group, send your Name, Email Address, Twitter handle (if you have one), and/or Facebook page to staci_stallings at hotmail dot com (altogether!) with the subject: G&F New Member, and Staci will let you know what your next step is. I hope you will join us for this new and exciting marketing adventure!

So there you have it. Thanks Staci.

Thursday Thoughts: The Good, The Bad and Murder

2011-10-27T11:32:00.000-07:00

Mmmm . . . Thursday Thoughts. I know I have them, but it seems they are all scattered throughout my brain which is a little out of my control today. Perhaps I will just make a list of Thursday Thoughts.

1. Is anyone reading this???
2. It's 10:15am and I haven't had breakfast yet
3. I miss my son
4. I'm worried about my daughter
5. People are finally starting to pay for my services. Oh, I hit on a good thought here. I've been helping people, mostly close friends, start their blogs and teach the basics of networking and why it's so important for authors to do that. Your publisher will probably have you do the bulk of your book promotion. Yes, the good ole days are gone, gone, gone I tell ya.

In any case, my dear friend and colleague Marilyn Woody (author of many books which I will list at the end of this post) suggested that I start charging. A good thought but not one that I felt comfortable with. Nonetheless, the wear and tear on my car and gas prices had me thinking very different. Plus, what exactly is my time and knowledge (limited but always gaining) worth?

So I published my fees and I still got the calls and found out that people wouldn't mind paying me at all. Wow! Who knew? This is to say that I really appreciate those friends who are also my clients now. You literally put food on my table. This is a great Thursday Thought.

My list continues . . .

6. Why is Google so strict? Their rules are so binding but we must obey!
7. Jose Campos (one of my son's friends and once a neighbor of ours) will stand trial, this November, for the murder of 17-year-old Adrian Rios. I can't think about this too much, it brings me to tears, breaks my heart. When I see Jose's picture I can only sigh. Not for a second will I be able to understand what Adrian's family is going through. I know the way Jose was raised. He never had a chance. But murdering a friend? My prayers go out to the Rios family and though it doesn't seem fair I will pray for Jose's salvation.

8. What's up with the weather?
9. Occupy WHAT? They really should think about hygiene. I mean to say, no one brought those portable potties/bathrooms? Oh, right, that would mean paying one of those mean, rich companies. And why pay them when you can just go to the bank across the street and use their bathrooms. Wait . . . ? And don't you need permits to occupy all those places they're occupying. I guess that only applies to the Tea Party.

10. My Ipod is pathetic.
11. When will I ever finish my novel? Should I enter NanoWriMo . . . writing a book in a month? Maybe they'll let me complete what I started with Novel Track on the ACFW site. I wound up with 20,000 words. I think NanWriMo requires you finish a whole book. Not sure, will have to check. It's starts in November. I am still so undecided.

12. Listening to The Light, a Christian radio/CD station on Dish, makes this huge house less haunting. I wouldn't mind moving to a little two-bedroom house with a white picket fence on a white sandy beach somewhere. I can hear the waves, feel the sand between my toes walking my Golden Retriever. Or how 'bout a lighthouse in Chesapeak Bay? Oh to dream.

13. I need to exercise. I need to stick to my diet. I need to write 1000 words. I need health insurance. I need a man . . . oops that just slipped out.

14. Daddy, Will You Play Catch with Me? is a humble success. It is our first success story at G8Press. We don't take it lightly. We thank the Lord, and we thank you, friends, family and beautiful strangers who hit that order button.

15. To Tweet or not to Tweet? Oh what to post on FaceBook today. TUMBLR!!!!! It's all about the hip 20-something crowd. They're starting to like my prose though. And what on earth should I blog today? Oh yeah, a few of my Thursday Thoughts.

Amazon.com Widgets

Wednesday Whispers

2011-10-26T09:08:00.000-07:00

Gustave Courbet: Forest in Autumn 1941. Published
on Wikimedia Commons

The young Watcher walked under the canopy of shadowy leaves. Dark Faeries dashed about. He managed to trap one between his fingers. When it finally stopped its twitching and wiggling Joshua held it up to his ear.

“If he closes his eyes, they will see.” The whisper of this Dark Faerie sent a chill throughout Joshua's body and soul.

“What?” The boy tightened his grip, crushing the delicate wings.

"I cannot help you . . . if you . . . won't . . . let me . . . go."

The Watcher's hand opened and the creature flitted away only to return and whisper once more in Joshua's ear.

“The forest is torn. Follow the green light."A small trickle of purple venom dripped from the Faerie's wings. It joined the swarm of angry Faeries so dark and devilish, shifting between this forest and somewhere beyond.

"Wait!" The Watcher flung himself from branch to bough, climbing higher than his abilities should have allowed. "Tell me first before you go. What does it mean? What do you know? What will they see when he closes his eyes?"

Excerpt from unedited version of Pa'raGhon: The Watchers.

Monday Morning Musings

2011-10-24T14:06:00.000-07:00

Well, it's not quite morning anymore, but I have been musing all day. How many social networks can one girl be on? Facebook, Twitter, Blogger, WordPress, YouTube, YCN (Yahoo Contributor Network) and now I'm going undercover on Tumblr.

Tumblr is the big part of my Monday Musings. I'm cracking myself up right now. Have you heard of it? Probably not huh? Unless you're twenty something and hip to the bone. So mum's the word. I'm incognito over there to see what the buzz is about. I've come to the understanding that it is micro-blogging and my conclusion is that Tumblr is Twitter on steroids.

Lots and lots of pictures and you can reblog, like retweeting, somebody's post. You can "like" (ala Facebook) pictures, quotes, posts etc. And sharing is the biggie. Let's see if I can be hip and somehow network G8Press books, find illustrators, readers and writers.

I am hopeful my son will never read this blog for fear of brain implosion. Both son and daughter already roll their eyes at mom being on Facebook, though they forget that I am the one who brought them FB way. No worries. Speaking of Facebook . . . do kids understand the fact their parents are indeed on Facebook? I mean to say, I know all my daughter's secrets and whereabouts at all/most times. I'm not complaining, mind you, I'm just having my Monday Morning Musings.

Oh Monday, Monday. The weather is changing, clouds are finally rolling in. Goodbye 100+ degree weather. I'm ready for Autumn Colors and Desert Frost. And there I go networking again.

*****

“MONDAY, n. In Christian countries, the day after the baseball game.” Yes indeed, we (me, myself and I) have jumped on the Texas Rangers bandwagon. After all, Josh Hamilton has been one of my heroes for quite some time. Beyond Belief goes far beyond the baseball field. So go Rangers, don't break my heart.

Friday FREEbies

2011-10-21T12:48:00.000-07:00

Friday FREEbie. The rules are up on my Friday FREEbie page. I'll post it here since it's our first. Don't forget to snag our Friday FREEbie Meme button.

Every Friday post three Freebies on your blog. You can find these on the internet. Google or Swagbucks are your friends. Tell us a little bit about the Freebie whether it be a free book (I have a list below), a product sample, writing classes, free music downloads (Amazon has them), and perhaps we should end the meme post with a scripture using either the word FREE or the theme FREEdom. Leave your link on my comment section (and other participants' posts) so I/we can visit your Friday post. You can also leave a message with your link here, telling us you are participating. That's our Friday Meme.

Here's my three FREEbies:

1. The Accidental Hero by Joshua Graham: I found this free book offer on Amazon and I like the product description. Haven't read it yet so I hope it lives up to its reviews. It's the Kindle edition. If you don't have a Kindle you can download the app for your PC for free. Hey you get an extra Friday FREEbie here.

2. FREE products. I get all my product samples from the Hey It's Free Blog. Sometimes you receive full size bottles of shampoo etc. But even the sample sizes are good enough for a few washes. There's loads of free products to choose from. And the author of the blog is hilarious.

3. Education Wants To Be FREE: Terri Main offers FREE writing courses on her blog. Yes, they are priceless. Everything there is FREE and you are FREE to re-post her lessons.

Scripture: "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed" (John 8:35-37).

Don't forget to leave my your link so I can visit your blog!
Happy Friday!

Thursday Thoughts: This is the Way Christians Should Dress

2011-10-20T13:37:00.000-07:00

"... the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" (Ephesians 6:14-17).

It's as if the minute you open your eyes in the morning these nasty wicked forces begin their attack. And if you've left any part of your daily clothes off they are ready to fire those pointy arrows. Hurts when you drop your armor.

And we should probably dress our kids as well. This is the theme of my blog and hopefully soon-to-be- published book, The Watchers: "Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (Ephesians 6:11,12).

Okay, a little scary that there are evil forces in the heavenly realms. Hmmm, a bunch of rebel devil aliens still running around? "...in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—" (Ephesians 2:2). There's a prince of the air? Oh no! That's pretty close to us. I doubt they have anything to do with little green men either. Though I'm sure the disguise is do-able.

In any case (and I speak to myself), don't be such a sissy, easy target and get your dress on. Those are just my Thursday Thoughts.

Basic HTML Code For Blog Links to Open in New Window

2011-10-18T14:06:00.000-07:00

As I blog hop throughout our Christian Authors Blog Directory I've come across a few blogs that don't have their links open up in a new window. This could be dangerous to our blog's health. For instance, if the link is to your book on Amazon, or any other destination, your blog visitor will lose the window that your blog is in. They will have to use the back button to retrieve your blog and may very well lose their order they just placed for your book.

Also, on Blogger, if you have a link collection on your sidebar, those links will not open in another window. It's just a little inconvenient, one would suppose. Use the html option under gadgets, not the links option.

Here's the plan--you need to add the code -- target="_blank"> after the address of the website you are directing your visitor to. Make sense? If you're a member of my writer's group, The Inklings, you probably have no idea what I'm talking about. That's all right as we move into this century we will have a few hills to climb.

In any case, this is what a link looks like in html code (if you write your post in "html" mode, instead of "compose" mode, you'll see the following link to G8Press book, Habit to Heart this way . . .

<a href="https://www.createspace.com/353225620">Habit to Heart</a>

If you want this link opened up in a new window you simply add a space and then type in target="_blank"> right after the quotation marks.

It will look like this . . .

<a href="https://www.createspace.com/353225620" target="_blank">Habit to Heart</a>

Well, that's my two-cents-classroom lesson. Hope it helps.

Happy October Everyone!

Thursday Thoughts: Going Back to School

2011-10-13T12:18:00.000-07:00

"Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain" (1 Cor. 15:58).

It was a really hot evening this past Tuesday as Sandee (Sandra Schoger Foster), author of Daddy Will You Play Catch with Me?, and I were chauffeured into the parking lot of a local elementary school. A very small and quaint school. The principal was rather friendly as well as professional. He greeted us and told Sandee what to expect.

Sandee spoke for about ten minutes and then had a Q & A time with the children. They asked amazing questions like; how long did it take to publish the book? Who did the art work? How do you write a book? Many more intelligent questions were asked. Some kids made comments that they liked the cover or they liked to play baseball. It was a fun time for all. More than I expected.

Toward the end of the evening the school held a raffle. They had ordered Sandee's books (Daddy, Will You Dance with Me? was also available) and offered them as prices. Each child earned raffle tickets by writing a poem, or doing a craft and their parents attending classrooms to hear teachers' presentations and updates of the school year. So most children had in their possession a handful of raffle tickets.

Of course, we did not have enough books for each child (lesson learned) and one boy sat next to me and began to cry. His sister won a book but he went home without one. We shall see what we can do about that.

Furthermore, I wound up handing out three business cards, two of them to teachers who had completed manuscripts and one dad who wrote comic books. I told him that G8Press had never published a comic book but since we are interested in local authors we would at least give it a look. He was very excited and most grateful.

We've been asked back for the school's Spirit Day. Not quite sure what that is but we accepted. Hopefully by then we will have a few more books in our book bags. It was a wonderful experience and we were blessed by the minute. And as we were leaving a teacher informed us that the link to Catch would be on their school website as well as the individual teachers' pages. The whole evening reminded me that our labor in the Lord is never in vain. Those are my Thursday Thoughts.

G8Press Daddy, Will You Play Catch with Me? Sandra Schoger Foster

The Saturday Post and Blog Review

2011-10-08T11:31:00.000-07:00

An Autumn/Fall week in review: It's my favorite time of year. The colors are amazing, so warm and inviting. My fireplace is almost ready to light up. We've been invited for Thanksgiving dinner in Clear Lake. Ah, this season is all about family and friends. What's not to love?

First, however, we have Halloween. But alas, our community doesn't really get into that holiday. I can take it or leave it, especially since both my kids are out of the house now and candy is just hell in my tummy.

There was other news, of course . . .

Death of a Genius: This week saw the passing of Steve Jobs. On my Twitter, because the YCN (Yahoo Contributor Network) asked me to, I tweeted the following: "1955-2011. A stormy but brilliant life. Too many lows for one man and extreme highs. Can Apple survive without U? RIP."

If you've ever read his bio you'll get a glimpse of this man's character. I'll let you have your own opinions.

Steve Jobs wanted to leave a ding in the universe. Apparently we think he did. But he took none of his empire with him. And the ding he left might be forgotten soon. But I know that he did leave his imprint on our changing world. Still sad though. He changed this world with his inventions but where did it leave him in eternity? Enough said.

Death of a Friend: My friend Larry also passed away. People might not know he left a ding in the universe, but he did. Everything in this life, our beginning of eternity, he did for his Lord. On his facebook page it's quite obvious how much he was loved and how much he will be missed. The hundreds of messages keep coming. You see, it wasn't about the things he did for this world, though he accomplished admirable things. It was about who he was and where he stored his treasures. Without a shadow of a doubt his family and friends know they will see him again. He didn't need an app to find his name in the book of life.

On Other Lighter Thoughts:

G8Press has released Sandra Schoger Foster's latest book, Daddy Will You Play Catch with Me? The delightful Mrs. Foster will be speaking at a local school this Tuesday. We hope that her box of books will get there in time.

This is a wonderfully illustrated book about relationships, specifically between fathers and sons. And it's a wonderful companion book to her Daddy Will You Dance with Me? book which was published by Thomas Nelson. We are trying to buy back the rights but it looks like that will be a legal battle. Who knew?

Daddy, Will You Play Catch with Me?: Celebrating Special Moments Between Fathers and Sons is also available on Amazon.

*****

Here's a couple links to my favorite Saturday news:
Author Kat Heckenbach (Finding Angel) was interviewed in a local newspaper. Here's the link.

Randy Ingermanson's book Oxygen is now available for 99cents. This Kindle version of Oxygen has a new cover. Looks like they're trying to draw that younger crowd. I'm all for that. I really did love this book. There's a very sweet romance woven into this space story. Usually I don't get the guy's POV but Randy and John Olson did a great job with the lovey dovey thing.

Finally that Blog Review I promised.

So since I mentioned Kat's interview I thought I would introduce you to her blog, Finding Kat Heckenbach. Kat's blog is her personal thoughts on writing. She tells it how it is and she's an amazing artist. Fantasy is her genre of choice, or at least, so far it is. I think Feckless: Tales of Supernatural, Paranormal, and Downright Presumptuous Ilk is a collection of horror stories and she is one of the authors. Her latest book is Finding Angeland you can read her post as she discusses her little obsessions about it.

I know Kat from a few email loops and other communities. Her blog is really fun and interesting and, of course, unique. So head on over there and leave a comment.

*****

Well, I'm off to Huntington Beach. I'm writing a restaurant review on Pablo's Cantino for the Yahoo Contributor Network and I need a few pictures.

By the way, need some writing tips?
My Way to Plot a Novel from Education Wants to be Free
All About Character Traits from The Book Shelf Muse

Thursday Thoughts

2011-10-06T15:16:00.000-07:00

"Be strong and COURAGEOUS...Be strong and VERY COURAGEOUS...Have I not commanded you? Be strong and COURAGEOUS. Do not be terrified; do not be disCOURAGED, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go” (from Joshua 1:6-9).

I was planning (had thoughts) on publishing interviews from a few Lost Genre Guild (LGG) authors but my computer won't co-operate with yahoo groups. So all the info is lost there somewhere. If I find it, I will still conduct an interview on this blog. What's a Gatekeeper to do? Luckily, I managed to make an Amazon widget, in my sidebar, of their books. It would be really sweet if you could click on those.

On the personal front, there's been a lot of changes in my life and none of them came from any decision I made. I've read this book before . . . living the consequences of someone else' choices. Oh poor me. Nonetheless, even though it has caused anxiety, candida, sleepless nights and writer's block, I shall prevail. Someone on Facebook suggested I write through the block and start making lists; of places, characters and scenes. I can do that. However, I now have notes, for future references, all over my manuscripts. LOL.

In any case, I've decided to write author blog reviews on Fridays. I will call it Friday Blog Reviews. Yeah, I know, the creativity is killing you. So my Thursday thoughts on Friday Reviews are to go through our Blog Directory, pick a blog, visit the blog and write my thoughts/opinions.By the way here's a link to Shawn Lamb's post on All-on Writing about free e-books and E-Book piracy. Good advice for authors about guarding their written work.

And, if you would like your blog reviewed just send me a message, or leave me a comment.

FREE Writing Courses

2011-09-30T14:56:00.001-07:00

Yep, you heard or read that right. There's not a whole lot of things we get for free these days so this is quite extraordinary. Terri Main from Education Wants to be FREE is offering FREE writing courses. The blog is a wonderful bundle of information, resources and now free courses. And she lets you steal her posts! That's good for me when I get stuck for content. I like partnerships like that. So spread the word already.

Terri writes: You will be able to learn without restriction in those courses we offer. No Entrance Exams. No long registration forms. No governmental restriction. Crazy idea, but we believe that educators are the best at creating educational opportunities. You will learn online through a state-of-the-art distance learning website powered by MOODLE, an open source course management software, used by many universities in their own distance education programs.

We will be offering courses in writing, history, Bible study/Theology, communication, literature and education. We will likely add other categories as we expand. Right now we are taking registrations for two courses: Preparing for Nanowrimo (National Novel Writing Month) and Basics of Novel Writing.

Now, onto finishing up the last of my own chapters. Let me see there's a post about writer's block here somewhere. Scrolling, scrolling . . . .

Terri Main Education Wants to be Free

Geeky Gadget News

2011-09-30T14:29:00.001-07:00

Yes, my friends, it is that time again. Scouring the web to bring you some deals starting with the infamous Discount Deal Codes and Geeky Gadgets. We aim to please. And, as usual, we use the name Geek with much love.

Surely you would want to keep up with all the Geeky news and blog updates? How else would you know about Drumstick Pencils? Yes, you heard. I recommend them for every class room. And what kid's room is complete without the Dr. Who: The Eleventh Hour Doctor and Amy Pond Alarm Clock? I know. This is what I am talking about. Sweet and quirky geeky gadgets. Personally, I would like to see the "Come to the Dark Side" apron under my Christmas tree. Really, I would.

In any case, gadgets are updated every day on the Geek Alerts blog. And if you need any ideas for fun gifts this season, you'll need to check it all out. And while you're on the site catch up with some interesting articles like 10 Big Differences Between the Harry Potter Book . . . and the Movie. Fun!

And lest we forget to mention Geek Alerts has pages of deals and codes from online stores and even boast Walmart Coupons: Weight Watchers, Vitamin Shop, Nutrisystem, and Apple are on their radar (one of them is not like the other, lol). Target coupons are also available. Cannot have one without the other, I guess. Well, that' s the news for now. I think they're trying to save you money so you can buy more of those gadgets. Ah, it's a good deal.

Press Release: Daddy, Will You Play Catch with Me?

2011-09-28T14:01:00.000-07:00

Should I do a professional press release? Nah, this is my blog.

Well, we at G8Press finally released Sandra Schoger Foster's children's book, Daddy, Will You Play Catch with Me? It has been an amazing learning experience with lots of laughs, inside jokes and whatnot, tears, the shedding of blood (jk), and a lot of revisions. All of which was appreciated.

So many people were involved with this little project so I wanted to acknowledge them right here:

The San Gabriel Valley Inklings Writers Critique Group

Photographer, Greg Scheider

Wedding Photographer, Bill Blakey

Christy Weiss

Kathy Ide

And Judy Gordon Morrow

And of course to our own people, Susan Skommesa, me, and obviously Sandra Schoger Foster. We worked so hard in claustrophobic conditions!

I have to tell you we let a few men read the book before releasing it and tears were shed. After all, it is a book about creating wonderful memories between fathers and sons. I have a copy right here in my hands getting ready to show it to my son whose dad, though he loved my son, wasn't around much. But I think they have great little league memories. We shall see. My son loathes to read but maybe I can at least get him to give me an opinion of the cover, lol.

In any case all our hard work paid off. Don't ever give up on your writing, my friends. Here's a link to Daddy, Will You Play Catch with Me? which is also available on Amazon.

And we wouldn't mind if you shared a moment with us and viewed the Book Trailer.

Sandra Schoger Foster Daddy, Will You Play Catch with Me? Daddy, Will You Dance with Me?" Amazon

Cheap Auto Insurance Info For Tulsa Residents

2011-09-28T13:24:00.000-07:00

I applied for online car insurance so I don't mind spreading the word. This post would be to get information for cheap car insurance in Tulsa but if you type in your zip code you can research all the necessary info for your state. These guys have been in business since 2001 and seemingly have helped drivers from coast to coast. That should cover it.

For me, when I applied for online car insurance, it was convenient, fast and oh so simple. And, of course, you don't have to sign anything until you read all the fine print which is provided. From the above website you can conduct your own research so you can learn about all the influencing factors of where you live. If it makes you feel better state and even local information is provided.

There is a reference list of car insurance companies in the USA so you can make your comparisons and get your cheapest quotes. Remember to make sure you know the minimum requirements of your state. That always confused me. I know how it is a pain to shop for Auto Insurance but if it is a must I would do all the research necessary so you can make an educated decision on which insurance to buy--preferably cheap but good, of course.

Check out their website for resources that will help with that all-important decision. You know, auto insurance that meets your needs and standards, and obviously the lowest rate possible. Like I said before, it's fast and convenient, and the promise of resources, research material is a plus. We all need to save bunches of money, I assume, therefore cheap full coverage auto insurance is very desirable.

So tell your friends, family and the whole neighborhood. A zip code is all you need to get started, everything else is self-explanatory. Get your instant quote, do the research and get the lowest rate possible for cheap auto insurance.

Beyond Writer's Block: Is Jesus My Muse?

2011-09-27T08:59:00.000-07:00

This is going way beyond writer's block. The last week or so a chapter has been, literary, stuck inside my head but I could not get it down on paper, or into a Word doc rather. At first I thought, You don't know how to write that Deb. It's a fight scene between two brothers, legs kicking fists flying blood-drawing fight. You're a girl!!!! Okay, so everyone knows girls fight meaner! So that wasn't it.

Perhaps it was all the things in my life that got in the way. All I will say is, "Be careful little eyes what you see . . ." Maybe it was all the conversations I had with romance writers. Just kidding. They are an extremely talented bunch and they know tons more about writing than I do. That leads me onto a little rabbit trail. Bear with me?

I am horrible at giving advice or giving nuggets of wisdom, and teaching anything on writing?, yikes! Just now, see how I used a question mark and then a comma. Looks good to me. In any case. Every blogger seems to have something to say and we are lucky enough to partake of their knowledge. What on earth could I possibly give to anyone on this blog?

But I digress.

Today, when I woke at 5:45am to get ready for work I lay there for about 15 minutes and prayed. Oh yeah, I thought. Pray! Acknowledging who He was, the Maker of my sunset, Master of the universe, Singer of creation, Lover of my soul. Suddenly something was loosened inside of me. Something? Cannot really explain that. But I know He was pushing His way through some kind of wall I had unknowingly erected. Oh those walls.

A lot of words were prayed and then I asked, "Is there too much darkness in my manuscript? Is there too much darkness in me that I should give my character this much pain?" How wicked can our characters be, before there is no chance for redemption? I'm asking that as a Christian writer, of course. I mean, honestly, did you see the movie Hellboy? Satan had a son who decided to save the world. Well I have to admit I never saw the movie but that's what I got from the trailer.

But how deep can the pit of darkness be for our characters? How much can he do before he's just too far gone? And what if some of this darkness was not his doing? What if it had everything to do with his parents and the contract one of them signed with the Devil? Just asking.

So here's the answer I received while praying. "Yes, that is a pretty dark place you wrote that young man into. And certainly, in the eyes of men, he looks non(un)redeemable. But I see him and I know his darkness. I will redeem him even though he thinks he doesn't deserve it. Or believes he was doomed from the beginning. By the way, darkness is only the absence of light. And I, my friend, am the Light."

All of a sudden my chapter came to live. The words were spilling out of my brain, and me without pen and paper. I quickly asked that He would keep the words in my mind until I get home from work. And if I forget I'll remember to close my eyes and pray.

Is Jesus my muse? Let me see, He's not one of the nine sister goddesses in Greek mythology presiding over song, poetry and the arts and sciences. But, the second definition suits Him just fine: a source of inspiration; especially: a guiding genius.

Well, I've got 10 minutes before I leave for work. Maybe I'll hit publish and maybe I won't.

Writer's block writing muse Jesus

From Eddie Snipes: Enjoy The Writer’s Journey

2011-09-17T00:09:00.000-07:00

I like to visit the blogs in our Christian Authors Blog Directory and came across Eddie Snipes' post today that had a lot of wisdom for writers as well as encouragements and a realistic view of why we write. Take a look at and Enjoy The Writer’s Journey.

Eddie is the author of I Called Him Dancer.

Youth of a Nation: Using Unconventional Methods to Save Our Youth

2011-09-14T12:01:00.000-07:00

I'm thinking that every generation comes up with something new; a new genre perhaps, louder music, technology, of course. Most of the kids I know listen to hard core metal, read books about vampires, zombies and whatnot, and think slasher movies are funny. They play "special ops" games on XBox 360 live (lots of bloodshed) with online friends all over the world (so I'm told).

None of the kids that I know (including my own) want to hang out in church. Even the best programs won't hold their interest, though churches like Rock Harbor does pretty well. Yet I can't get my kids over there on a consistent basis. Call it laziness, tiredness, no gas money, whatever, they and all their friends just won't go to church. I know . . . I am not the Holy Spirit! Duly noted.

So how do we present God to these lip-ringed-tattooed kids? Good question. I don't think they are the forgotten generation at all. Honestly, they're very visible. Maybe they're the most misunderstood or judged, but I'm not sure that's a fair statement either. When I look at publishers like Splashdown Books and even Marcher Lord Press, we see that they are publishing books this generation loves to read. Note to self: send links to kids.

Having said all that, once in a while, my kids will utterly surprise me and update their Facebook status with something like this: "It is through (or though) God, by his command has withdrawn any other throne." Woaah! Where did that come from? Ever heard of The Devil Wears Prada? No, not the movie . . . the band.

Posing with Angels' Catcher Jeff Mathis

Though I thank the inventors of Kindle, Kindle for PC and Nook immensely, it's the music that seems to reach out to this generation of wild kids, the same goes for the film industry. So happens that this writer spawned one musician and one film maker, the latter has to read books (mostly) to find inspiration for screenplays. She reads a lot of Tolkien, Lewis, Rowling and to my fear and loathing Dan Brown. But I digress.

So why do Christians write fiction? Why do Christians create music? Why do Christians produce movies? Silly questions, right? Here's The Devil Wears Prada, music written by young people for young people to bring all the glory back to God. It's loud!

The Devil Wears Prada Christianity in the modern world Hard Core Metal

Jumper Cables for the Mind: Dealing with Writer's Block

2011-09-08T23:00:00.000-07:00

The following is from author Terri Main's blog, Education Wants to be Free. Her book, Dark Side of the Moon is available now on Barnes & Noble.

Okay, most of us face writers block at one time or another. We sit staring at the computer screen, our fingers hovering over the keys, but seemingly suspended in space wondering what to write. Here are a few ways to beat the block:

Writing Prompts

Keep a collection of writing prompts handy. Sometimes all you have to do is get writing about anything to break the creative logjam. Keep a bunch of silly ones around as well. Sometimes writing about what kind of monster you would be if you could be a monster or what you would do with the gift of invisibility will be enough to get those creative juices flowing. For a bunch of writing prompts go to CreativeCalisthenics.com.

Word Association

Sometimes, if I'm slow to start, I'll play the word association game. The way it works is that I will type a key word relevant to the topic of the article or scene in a story. Then I write down the first word that comes to mind after seeing that word. Then I write down a word suggested by the second word and so on until I shake those creative thoughts loose.

The Dramatic Quote

Simply write down the most dramatic quote you found in your research. Use this quote as your lead and ask, "What comes next?" Even if you don't use the quote as your lead in the final draft, it can get you writing.

Understand the Block

Resistance always has meaning. One way to approach a writer's block is to find the meaning behind it. Open a new file in your word processor or take out a notebook and begin to "interview" yourself. Ask, "What am I afraid will happen if I write something?"

Very often, our fears keep us from being truly creative. We have those voices of others who laughed at our dreams of writing, belittled it, or patronized us when we brought it up. Maybe we believe that what we write down will be "wrong." Maybe we are afraid of the responsibility of people reading our words and taking action because of them. Once you understand what those fears are, then ask yourself, "Are these fears real and, if real, are they significant?"

Write about the Block

Just begin to write about being blocked. You can simply stay "in the now" and write, "Okay, I'm sitting at the keyboard. I don't have anything to say. I've got writers block. I wonder why they call it a block. Is it wooden and square with a letter on the side of it? I liked playing with blocks as a kid..."

Diversion

The more you think about the block the more blocked you will become. Therefore, one good way to beat the block is to do something entirely different from writing. Physical exercise or doing mundane chores are good diversions. Work out, take a walk, mow the lawn, do the dishes, or vacuum the floor. Don't think about the paper or writing at all. That way you can come back to the writing with a fresh perspective.

Relaxation

Sometimes the best way to overcome writer's block is to simply lie down on a couch and clear your mind. One good way to do this is to imagine in your mind a peaceful scene. It could be an ocean shore, a meadow, a woods or mountaintop. It doesn't matter as long as it is peaceful to you. Soft music can help as well as relaxation tapes.

Switch Writing Instruments

Each of us composes our manuscripts in different ways. Some writers like to write out the paper long hand and then transcribe them on the computer. Others, like myself, compose at the keyboard. If you compose with pencil and paper, try using the computer. If you compose at a keyboard, try writing long hand. Sometimes switching writing instruments will be enough to shake loose those creative cobwebs. Sometimes, I'll switch between typing on the keyboard to using voice recognition software. Hearing the sound of my voice can be enough to give me a fresh perspective on what I'm writing.

Terri Main Writer's Block

Education Wants to be Free Blog (Terri Main) / CC BY-ND 3.0

Of Coupons and Codes, Discount Promotions and Zappos

2011-09-08T22:33:00.000-07:00

Today we are discussing the convenience of online shopping. It is a privilege after all. Take a walk through the castle and locate that nifty invention called a computer. It's in one of those chambers next to the wine cellars. First we'll need to find a site with online coupons. Actually Zappos coupon codes will work just fine. Tons of codes are listed for the Lady of the Manor--discount shoes online? What more does a woman want, especially when walking upon those cold stone floors of the castle.

Special deals are very attractive. For example a Zappos coupon for designer chocolate. O yeah! It's what every Lady of the Manor hunts for. A site with links to a plethora of online stores and services, all with discount offers and clearance sales, will make a regular customer of her. A fine deal for those gold coins you've collected from the villagers' taxes. Oh, I jest.

And do not forget to look for those special deals that allows for free shipping. One knows that's where they really get sneaky and take you for all your hard-earned cash, silver or gold.

Now, it's advantageous for all when new coupons come in regularly and the list of discount promotions are updated. So if you like the convenience of online shopping don't surf without the Zappos coupon codes.

Our Christian Authors Blog Directory

2011-09-05T16:32:00.000-07:00

We're compiling quite an impressive list of blogs in our directory so I did want to make mention of it. You may click on the directory link on top of this blog, or just hit the widget below with that wireless mouse of yours (make sure you click the title not the posts), and by all means please browse around.

This directory includes award winning authors from the ACFW and the Lost Genre Guild so we hope you get acquainted with them. Genres range from Speculative fiction to Romance and Suspense Thrillers. If you have a book blog, are an author, reviewer, interviewer or reader you are welcome to add your blog to the directory. Just email the Gatekeeper.

Christian Authors Blog Directory Add Your Blog

Taking Photographs From My Bedroom Window

2011-09-05T00:58:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time . . . just outside my window . . .

Writing Critique Groups and Their Importance

2011-09-01T14:34:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow our writing critique group, the SGV Inklings, will gather at the home of the Inkling's musical talent, Mary Rice Hopkins. Working by the pool . . . sometimes it's too tough for words. I've been a part of this group for over twenty years now and the lessons I've learned, the input, the editing and encouragement has been invaluable. Your writers' group will never let you give up and they are even there to you lift you up when life throws those sour lemons, not to mention Satan's fiery arrows, right at your heart. I know for sure that my heart is not the only one scarred up.

How important is a writers group, you ask? Most writers, not all, probably won't get published without one. There's wisdom amongst a group of seasoned and published authors. Knowledge, connections, ideas, honest critique of your work, and fellowship with chocolate . . . I mean good food, and sometimes a song or two.

Tomorrow when we meet, we'll try to introduce our "elders" to the art of social networking. We've had a little bit of a snafu where the modern world has been held at arm's length (just a tad bit). I think this comes from not wanting to let go of a good thing (the physical book) and adding, or accommodating, the ebook generation.

Well, sad to say (depending on your view, of course), the digital world is here to stay and businesses like Borders found out the hard way. They simply went out of business because they did not look far enough ahead. My kids are even buying their text books online and downloading them onto their Kindles or PCs.

All that to say, we'll take our laptops to Mary's house and I will have the chance to show them how and why to blog. Why, because most publishers want you to do your own advertising and promoting. A blog will show them, for example, if you have a following. Same with Facebook, Twitter and the now-almost-defunct MySpace. Much has been said about this social networking thing. Every writers conference has addressed it.

In any case, less than half our writers group has a blog, or even the non-interactive-never-updated website, and those of us who do, tend to not be very active. This, of course, is crucial. Content! Content! Content! Daily updates, or weekly is good. One must have good content. And I will tell the Inklings they have so much to write about. Honestly, we each get about 10 minutes to speak and we rarely only speak for ten minutes.

Subjects can include; parenting, family, children/teens,growing pains, relationships, public schools versus private schools, drugs (which leads to the subject of prayer), writing opportunities, devotionals, why we write in the genre we write in, pitching book proposals, how to pitch book proposals, where to pitch book proposals, writers conferences and why we go . . . all the time, our own Indie publishing house, healing in marriages, pain of divorce, ministries we're involved in, missions, retired missionaries, countries we've visited, life! And that's just to name a few. That's a lot of stuff to write about.

But I digress. The importance of Writing critique groups? It's where you find comfort, encouragement, knowledge, wisdom, information about the writing world and fellowship with people who think like you do. Hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to add knowledge about the digital world to my writing buds. We actually have set up a group blog for the San Gabriel Valley Inklings. It's a good start, I think. Tell us about your writing group. I'll put up a link if you like, in my blog directory. Happy writing.

Mary Rice Hopkins Writers Critique Group The importance of editing your writing by your colleagues

You Write Like Who?

2011-08-28T14:41:00.000-07:00

This is a fun exorcise, um ... I mean exercise, to find out which famous author has the same writing style as you--or vice versa. You'll find all the info at Writers' Rest Blog. A nice badge for your blog is provided. Look at mine below. Yeah, me and Anne Rice, we go way back. JK. And Margaret Mitchell . . . Wow! It's a great day.

I write like Anne Rice

I Write Like by Mémoires, journal software. Analyze your writing!

And . . .

I write like Margaret Mitchell

I Write Like by Mémoires, journal software. Analyze your writing!

Writing twins Anne Rice Margaret Mitchell

Why Do Christians Write Fiction

2011-08-19T17:24:00.000-07:00

A couple of months ago at my writers' critique group, we lovingly call ourselves the San Gabriel Valley Inklings, the subject of Christian fiction came about. Some of the writers in our group posed the question, "why do Christians even write fiction?" Why use fiction to "save" the unbelievers? (oh the Christian lingo is killing me here). Why indeed?

My response, a little childish perhaps, was that it's the gift the Lord gave me. You know, crazy, weird, off world, fantasy, werewolves, vampires, beastly creatures, fallen angels and whatnot. It's what comes out when I sit down behind my computer. If I can't write this to further the kingdom of heaven, I don't have much else. Well, that's not true but you know what I mean.

If you do not write speculative fiction would it be hard to edit my work? I don't read romance novels (I actually thought I abhorred them, I was wrong), but I can still edit them. As a matter of fact after reading a couple of historical romance novels I began weaving a romance into my Christian Horror/Fantasy manuscript. Made it way more interesting.

In any case, at the end of the debate our resident editor made a rather simple but eye-opening remark that made everyone go "Oooh, Mmmm, I see." It's a tool, it's a bridge, it's just another path to pointing readers to Jesus. And sometimes it's just great literature. I don't need to preach to them. Readers aren't stupid. They know what CS Lewis and his Chronicles are all about.

Anyhow, what are your thoughts? I'm writing chapter 23 of my manuscript today. I've decided to not hold back. The romance/love is pretty edgy for most Christian readers, I guess, the horror is a little dark and might get a little gory. I just can't see making monsters friendly and fallen angels stay pretty. It got messy there, just go read your Bible. Talk about horror. Okay, maybe the Nephilim didn't eat the flesh of their human mothers, but I happen to think so. And there's magic/k, blood, temptations and hell . . . oh my! And yes, I will pray before I get into the mind of a demon.

Well I didn't mean to get this gruesome so I'll end this post with my theme scripture found in Ephesian 6 verses 11 and 12: Put on the full armor of God . . . For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

As Tolkien wrote: "It's a nasty business walking out your front door."

Interesting Medieval Recipes Found While Doing Research for My Book

2011-08-08T13:14:00.000-07:00

Wow! Long title. Maybe it will catch google's attention. One can only hope.

In any case, for my Book 1 which is set in a sort of Medieval Off-World planet I came across a few interesting recipes. Some of which seemed to be written in another language. FUN! They also sound very fattening, not good for one's health and ya couldn't even drink the water to wash it down with. Lots of mead, ale and wine. Tasty. Here's a few recipes I used in my book. After all, we cannot have Warrior Kings go hungry in the ole forests.

~~~~~

Tartes of Flessh

PERIOD: England, 14th century | SOURCE: Forme of Cury |
CLASS: AuthenticDESCRIPTION: Pork, chicken, and rabbit pie
ORIGINAL RECEIPT:176.
Tartes of flessh.
Take pork ysode and grynde it smale. Take harde eyren isode and ygrounde, and do þerto with chese ygrounde. Take gode powdours and hool spices, sugur, and safroun and salt, and do þerto. Make a coffyn as tofore sayde and do þis þerinne, and plaunt it with smale briddes istyued and connynges, and hewe hem to smale gobettes, and bake it as tofore, and serue it forth.

- Hieatt, Constance B. and Sharon Butler. Curye on Inglish: English Culinary Manuscripts of the Fourteenth-Century (Including the Forme of Cury). New York: for The Early English Text Society by the Oxford University Press, 1985.GODE COOKERY

TRANSLATION:
Tarts of Flesh.
Take pork boiled and grind it small. Take ground hard boiled eggs, and do there-to with ground cheese. Take powders and whole spices, sugar, and saffron and salt, and do there-to. Make a pie shell as said before and do this there-in, and and on top place small stewed birds and rabbit, and cut them to small pieces, and bake it as before, and serve it forth.

INGREDIENTS: Pork, boiled until fully cooked, and then ground. (Be sure to save the broth.) Hard-boiled Eggs, diced Cheese, ground or grated Powders and whole spices - salt, pepper, ginger, clove, parsley, etc. - be creative and use any period spice that you prefer. Sugar Saffron or a few drops yellow food coloring Salt Reserved broth One nine-inch pie shell Small whole chicken pieces, parboiled Rabbit, in pieces, parboiled

DIRECTIONS:Combine first 7 ingredients in a large bowl. Add enough of the saved broth to thoroughly saturate the mixture and hold it together - it should be thick and slightly runny. Place this filling in the pie shell. Arrange cooked pieces of chicken and rabbit on top. Bake until the pastry is golden brown and the filling has set. Serve forth!

~~~~~

A Hare Hashed
PERIOD: England, 17th century | SOURCE: The Whole Duty of a Woman: Or a Guide to the Female Sex, 1696 | CLASS: Authentic

DESCRIPTION: Rabbit stewed in wine and flavoured with nutmeg and lemon.A Hare Hashed.Cut it out in quarters, chine it, and lay it in Clarret, mixed with three parts of water, and parboyl it, then slice the flesh in thin pieces, and lay it on your stew pan, let this be off the Body, but the legs wings, and head whole, almost cover it with some of the liquor it was boyled in, add some Butter, sliced Nutmeg, the juce of Lemon, and a little beaten Ginger, serve it upon sippets, Garnish it with Lemon, and sliced Onion.

~~~~~

Weak Honey Drink(More commonly called Small Mead)

Digby p. 107/147

Take nine pints of warm fountain water, and dissolve in it one pint of pure White-honey, by laving it therein, till it be dissolved. Then boil it gently, skimming it all the while, till all the scum be perfectly scummed off; and after that boil it a little longer, peradventure a quarter of an hour. In all it will require two or three hours boiling, so that at last one third part may be consumed. About a quarter of an hour before you cease boiling, and take it from the fire, put to it a little spoonful of cleansed and sliced Ginger; and almost half as much of the thin yellow rind of Orange, when you are even ready to take it from the fire, so as the Orange boil only one walm in it.

Then pour it into a well-glased strong deep great Gally-pot, and let it stand so, till it be almost cold, that it be scarce Luke-warm. Then put to it a little silver-spoonful of pure Ale-yest, and work it together with a Ladle to make it ferment: as soon as it beginneth to do so, cover it close with a fit cover, and put a thick dubbled woollen cloth about it. Cast all things so that this may be done when you are going to bed. Next morning when you rise, you will find the barm gathered all together in the middle; scum it clean off with a silver-spoon and a feather, and bottle up the Liquor, stopping it very close. It will be ready to drink in two or three days; but it will keep well a month or two. It will be from the first very quick and pleasant.

11 pints water
1 T peeled, sliced fresh ginger (~1/4 oz)
1/2 t yeast
1 pint honey = 1 1/2 lb
1/2 T orange peel

Dissolve the honey in the water in a large pot and bring to a boil. Let it boil down to 2/3 the original volume (8 pints), skimming periodically. This will take about 2 1/2 to 3 hours; by the end it should be clear. About 15 minutes before it is done, add the ginger. At the end, add the orange peel, let it boil a minute or so, and remove from the heat. The orange peel should be the yellow part only, not the white; a potato peeler works well to get off the peel. Let the mead cool to lukewarm, then add the yeast. The original recipe appears to use a top fermenting ale yeast, but dried bread yeast works. Cover and let sit 24-36 hours. Bottle it, using sturdy bottles; the fermentation builds up considerable pressure. Refrigerate after three or four days. Beware of exploding bottles. The mead will be drinkable in a week, but better if you leave it longer.

~~~~~
Sources:
http://www.godecookery.com/mtrans/mtrans42.htm
http://www.godecookery.com/engrec/engrec18.html
http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/cariadoc/drinks.html#1

Road Trip: Writing On Interstate 5 From CA to WA

2011-07-26T18:13:00.000-07:00

My laptop won't be packed. It will be where it needs to be . . . on my lap. We're driving from Southern Cal to Seattle Washington (actually one hour passed SEATAC) in less than a day. It took us 19 hours last time with a few rest stops along the way. Friday my niece is getting married so we better make it. Fortunately, she's having a 7:00pm wedding. Phew!

So while my kids will do the bulk of the driving, I will be in the back seat writing my next chapter. July was my month to write 20,000 words but I'm only halfway there. It's not looking good but I'll try as this will complete book I. Book II is done. I'm a little backward.

In any case, I did want to post pictures on Facebook along the interstate 5. We're considering Pacific Coast Highway for the first part of the journey but it would probably take oodles of time, so I5 it is.

Here are the pictures of the last visit to the woods of WA.

Geeky Press Release: Get In Touch With Your Geeky Self

2011-07-26T17:48:00.001-07:00

Geek Alerts shoots out daily doses of really strange but cool gadget news on their blog. Discover the best Geek Toys that you simply might not find anywhere else. I am of the opinion that every writer should be in possession of a Press Conference Mirror. This is a must see. How about a toaster that toasts "boys are smelly" right onto that crusty piece of bread? I know, whatever! Entertain yourself and bring some life to your loveable geeky characters. Quirky gizmos like these might define your hero.

In any case, besides all the geeky news, you can also do a little bit of shopping in their online outlet mall, at your pleasure (admit it, you're still in your pj's locked up in your writing cave). There's Sierra Trading Post Coupons for you, so don't miss out.

And what every geek and geek-in-training needs: a Carbonite offer code. Honestly, the death of your hard drive is a monstrous tragedy. Carbonite will provide you with unlimited online backup of all your precious book files for one excellent low price. Remember, coupon codes provided on site. If I see these gizmos, gadgets and geek toys in your novel, I will take credit for it. Well, Geek Alerts can.

Surfing the Web For Weekend GiveAways and Free Books For You

2011-07-23T14:10:00.000-07:00

I will post more as I find them.

Angels in the Shadows by Lisa Grace
Any One of Janice Hanna Book's
Mistaken Identity by K. Dawn Byrd
Offers From Splashdown Books
Productive Writer by Sage Cohen
Stealing Jake by Pam Hillman
The Bronze and the Brimstone
The Official YAAYNH GiveAway Page

Becoming Your Bad, Wicked Evil Characters

2011-07-18T15:02:00.000-07:00

Today I'm having a hard time writing a horrible scene in my WIP. My beautiful angel is morphing into a demon. The transformation has to be brutal and final, no turning back for him even though it has taken centuries for him to get to the decision.

Should I make him into a completely ugly being or should I keep some of his characteristics? For example should he still have hands, legs, feet or should it all be beastly? I am having second thoughts about his "falling" because I got into his head. His shortcomings, his sin, his temptations I totally identify with. And what would I do if I had the power of angels?

Like Lucifer, my angel was created most beautiful, wise and strongest of all classes of angels. But jealousy and pride took over. Jealously is something I struggle with daily. Hate it!!! He struggled with both jealousy and pride for centuries, he even tried to hold back the first rebellion but now he's starting his own. Yep, a second falling. Oh the pain.

Before I continue with this scene, I will need to pray. That mistake was made last time (no prayer) and pretty strange things happened in my house.

Another interesting note I'll include here . . . a few of my wonderful mentors in my writers critique group, we lovingly call the San Gabriel Valley Inklings, have voiced concern that I don't "turn to the dark side," so to speak. They know I won't but, strange to say, in order for me to write this part of the story I do tend to walk on the darker side. Even just surfing the www for demon pictures is pretty hellish.

In any case, I might have to turn back a few pages and make my beautiful angel someone I never loved. He never had redeeming qualities. Just wicked from the beginning. Sigh!

So What is the Difference Between Farther and Further?

2011-07-14T22:49:00.000-07:00

Once again I call on the wisdom of the San Gabriel Valley Inklings (my writers critique group) to shed light on my question: What's the difference between the words farther and further.

From Sharon Norris Elliot: I use the words in different situations. "Farther" deals with distance traveled; i.e. I can drive farther than you can drive. Further deals with continuing something like a talk; i.e. I will speak further on the matter later.

OR

Farther is a continuation of "far"; further is a full length fur.

From Jane Rumph: Here is the traditional rule in formal English: If you can measure the distance physically, no matter how big or small, something is "farther." Otherwise--and this includes abstract relations of degree or extent--the word you want is "further."

Examples:

"With my bad foot, I could not walk farther than the corner."
"Jupiter is farther from the Earth than Mars."
"Farther north, the snow begins in September."
"I read farther down the page and found what I was looking for." (measuring space on a page)
"I read farther into the book for more details." (measuring pages in a book)

BUT: "I read further about that event." (your reading continued; no physical context specified)

"I wouldn't go any further on that topic."
"Nothing could be further from the truth."
"The project developed further once John came on board."
"Romeo couldn't get any further than second base with her." (The metaphor of second base does imply physical distance, but since this sentence is not talking about a baseball diamond, I would still use "further.")

Some style manuals say this distinction is not consistently maintained, and that either word can be used to indicate "distance to go," while only "further" should be used to mean "more." But physical distance is a good rule of thumb.

~~~~~~~~~~

The TBR (to be read) List

2011-07-13T12:06:00.000-07:00

This is my TBR list for 2011. It's been my plan to finish each one and write a review on the Yahoo Contributor Network. More lofty goals, I know. Before I start reading the books, in no particular order, I need to finish The Hobbit, and complete my WIP which means reading more than just a few chapters and writing, at least, 1000 words a day. So here goes.

TBR List

1. The Silver Chair, CS Lewis
2. Ranger's Apprentice, John Flanagan
3. Fusion Fire, Kathy Tyres
4. A Star Curiously Singing, Kerry Nietz
5. Eafin Lokdore and the Altar of the Sun, RG Edwards
6. Blink, Ted Dekker
7. Waste Lands, Stephen King
8. It's a Dance, Patrick Oden
9. This Present Darkness, Frank Peretti,
10. Vampire Labyrinth, GP Taylor

If any of these authors would like me to set up a link to where to buy their books just leave your link in the comment section. Hehehe, I crack myself up sometimes.

How To Have A Successful Writers' Group

2011-07-11T13:17:00.000-07:00

Imagine a group of literary giants such as C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien gathering every Thursday. Who read the unfinished manuscript, Lord of the Rings? What was discussed? Who would dare critique and edit Mr.
Lewis' Out of the Silent Planet? What was it like to edit these works? Could anyone of them have predicted the success of these writers?

This cluster of friends, known as the Inklings, also included Charles Williams (All Hallows' Eve) and Owen Barfield who was considered the first of the Inklings. Faithfully the twenty or so friends attended their meetings at a pub called The Eagle and Child. I wonder if all members were present at all gatherings.

The one thing I'm sure of is the fact they thought it important to meet. The classroom, no doubt, was necessary but gathering with others who thought and worked like you was invaluable. Did their story telling improve? One would think so.

Like the Inklings, writers around the world know the value of gathering together. For over 15 years now one such group, the one I belong to, has met faithfully on the first Friday of each month. Its success can best be summed up by one of its members, the poet of the group who said: "We have mutual respect and care for each person and their work. All get full-on encouragement and helpful suggestions."

Read More . . .

Creating Character Costumes

2011-07-11T12:34:00.000-07:00

We're hoping for a summer book release. Lofty expectations since I'm only half-way through. However, it would be so much fun to have a costume party for the book? Our own ComicCon, so to speak. I think I might need a Plus size costume though. Well, at least, a plus size hood and cloak. I love those! Susan and Sandee, my co-conspirators would start planning this party now. Perhaps Susan's dungeon would do . . . I mean studio. The plot thickens. We will need to create Children's Costumes, since quite a few characters are fifteen and younger. And don't sweat it, we'll bring the supplies and accessories. Hopefully, you'll feel like you've stepped into a dark Goth castle. Beware of the flesh-eating bacteria in the moat. And please, do bring your pet dragons.

Speculative Fiction, Flash Fiction on Avenir Eclectia

2011-07-06T00:56:00.000-07:00

Okay, my bad, I meant to let all my readers (both of you) and a few lurkers, know about Avenir Eclectia. It's flash fiction at its best. I don't think I can write that but I should love to try. The latest post is Wizard's War by Holly Heisy.

It's a Splashdown Books project which publishes anything worth reading in the speculative fiction genre. Read a little bit of background right here about the little, or perhaps it's not so little, colony of Avenir Eclectia in the constellation Cetus and its Star 94 Ceti.

Please check it out, leave Earth far behind, and meet a few authors while you're up there. Btw, the blog design is very tasty and the not-of-this-world music is very cool.

Gadgets, Gizmos and Geeks

2011-07-06T00:39:00.000-07:00

So geeky is the new cool, right? Trust me on this one. As a writer one must create interesting characters. Therefore, keep up with the latest gadgets for your characters to play with, or work with. Having Geek Alerts Gadget Magazine close by would be advisable and it will entertain you, I'm sure. Updated information on quirky gizmos, for your not-of-this-world hero, is available on a daily basis. . . or, at least, a new post per day is promised. I mean who could resist a Zombie Shooting Gallery or a Rubber Band Shooting Blaster Supreme. I think the bully in my next short story will own one of those. It's a fun and most entertaining site actually.

Codes are available like getting Newegg free shipping. I think one of their loveable geeks has managed to leak out a few promo codes for discounts on sports equipment, outdoor clothing and such. Hm, not so geeky after all.

In any case, what will your Inspector Gadget need? Gadgets Magazine probably has it and pictures too. And just in case you needed Office Depot coupons, yes they have those as well. So give your characters character and place a cool gadget, the latest gizmo or anything geeky in their hands.

Semi-Colons, Colons and Whatnot

2011-06-11T16:55:00.000-07:00

As I'm writing the first draft of my WIP, I kept tripping up on when to use the colon, semi-colon, dash etc. So I asked the trusty members of my writers group (every writer should be a part of one), we lovingly call The San Gabriel Valley Inklings. Here's their response . . .
~~~~~
The semicolon should be used quite sparingly. (Strunk and White, or some famous style manual, says something like "When you see a semicolon, kill it.") It is used when the text on both sides are complete sentences and closely related. E.g. "I'm not going to work today; my hair is a complete mess." Many editors would advise using a complete stop (period ) between the two complete sentences whenever possible, rather than a semicolon. (In addition, the semicolon is useful for what we used to call in high school English "the mess-of-commas rule." This is when you have a list of items that would grammatically be separated by commas but the items themselves contain commas. A good example is a list of cities with their states. In such a case, use semicolons between the items to distinguish each item in the list. E.g. "Our travels took us to Denver, Colorado; Lincoln, Nebraska; Chicago, Illinois; and Toledo, Ohio.")

The colon doesn't necessarily require a complete sentence following it, but what follows should specifically explain or restate or specify what has come before. If what follows is a complete sentence too, I capitalize the first letter after the colon; if not, I don't. (See how I slipped a semicolon in there?) E.g. "Suddenly he knew the truth: All his friends were gone." In your example, the colon is appropriate, with a lower-case "a" following it: "It will be a good scar, young Watcher: a sign of healing." Alternatively, when what follows is not a complete sentence, there might be times when you could use a long (em) dash instead of a colon to heighten the drama. E.g. "There it was--the gold he had been searching for."

~~~~~

Our Unfinished Novels

2011-05-28T17:53:00.000-07:00

I was reading a few entries on our Lost Genre Guild email loop and came across someone who had just downloaded (or is that uploaded?) her unfinished novel onto Kindle. First of all, I didn't know we could do that. Secondly, it reminded me of my unfinished manuscript, Pa'raGhon: The Watchers.

It has taken me over fifteen years to write this off-world-fantasy-sort-of-romance adventure because life threw me a curve ball. My husband left me, though I realize that it's not an unfamiliar story in our society, it knocked me down pretty good. My X did a lot of research for me about the Nephilim. He had great insight and wisdom for me and toward the end of our marriage he became my encourager. Go figure. And, he was, and still is an amazing artists. It would take him a few minutes to come up with an illustration for the book and it would be exactly what I envisioned.

Anyhow, I can't seem to find an end for my story and now, it seems, I have started writing the story before the story. What? Book one seems to make sense of book two. And book one has also given me book three. Maybe that's why I can't find an end to the middle. I know, I'm not making sense.

But here's a very interesting observation. I made a lot of plans with the man I married and all of those plans are gone. Did I forget to make God a part of those plans? Perhaps that is why the book has been so hard to finish. It was ours, not mine and I need to give it to the Lord.

So my goal (Lord willing) is to finish book one, re-write book two, and wait to see if there is a book three. It's never too late to try again.

How To Write A Book In A Month

2011-05-17T14:33:00.000-07:00

I joined ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers), through the OCCWF this year and committed myself (literally) to writing a book in a month. Novel Track is ACFW's version of Book in a Month. In any case, toward the end of the April I kind of, sort of, almost finished a whole book. Well I wound up with half a one, a little over 22,000 words. But, in this month of May, we're going through the editing phase which is already adding extra words, even pages, to my manuscript.

A very helpful piece of advice was set to goals. Genre, how many words, carve out time etc. My goals; off-world fantasy, 20,000 words, and write early in the morning or really late at night. I thought that if I wrote at least 1000 words a day, excluding the weekends, I would meet the twenty-thousand-word goal. I did.

There was also an ACFW Novel Track email loop where goals were shared, daily posts of how many words per day you wrote and receive or give encouragements to stay the course. It really does work.

One thing I've heard a lot, even if you're not planning to write a book in a month, is to just start writing. A thousand words per day is not that much. Of course that's really easy for me to say since I've recently entered the empty nest era. No more PTA, no more basketball games, baseball games, no more dress rehearsals for school plays etc. It's lonely sometimes, especially if you live in a six-bedroom-two-story-triple garage home; no hubby, no dog. Ach, I got to get a life. But it is a great environment do get some writing done. And my office has a nice view of Idyllwild.

Anyway, back to the simple point: Write, don't edit, just get the story down on paper (or into the computer). It does make for a funny first draft but editing will come. Skip the subplots, but do create a Story Tracker so that you can remember to insert the secondary story lines into the correct spots later. I also used my Story Tracker to change names. One of my Ocean's had a pretty lame name. When I finally found the right "fantastical" one I didn't want to go back and change it all in the previous chapters. My Story Tracker has a spot to remind me to change the names after I'm done with the book. You'll find your own special needs for a Story Tracker or how to use it.

I'm thinking that my book might turn out to be a novella, sort of an intro book to Book Two which is already completed. Go figure. I'd like to write another 20,000, maybe 30,000, words to finish this one off and with the subplots weaved into the story, I might have a chance. Committing to a project like writing a book in a month is easier when you do it with a bunch of people. Kind of helps with that accountability thing. ACFW will begin Novel Track again in a couple of months. It will give me some time to edit the first part of the book and then write the second part in July.

Now all I need is an illustrator. Oh, speaking of illustrations . . . ACFW recommended we cast our characters. That was fun. Only thing is everybody in my book is really hot . . . um . . . I mean, good looking. Even the bad, bad, evil, ultra wicked guys. I guess recasting is in order. Keep writing and have some fun.

Here's a great book by Victoria Lynn Schmidt called Book in a Month: The Fool-Proof System for Writing a Novel in 30 Days

ACFW ACFW Novel Track Book in a Month

Book Trailer for Daddy, Will You Play Catch with Me?

2011-04-09T14:46:00.000-07:00

This Be Hell

2011-03-31T11:43:00.000-07:00

The Fray

The light is different here

So far away and dim

I reach . . .

It moves me forward

But never closer

The chill of space

Spews ever before me

I am Scelestus

A son of Cain

Born of vengeance

I am insane

The light is different here

The smell is toxic here

It burns my throat

I fall . . .

It makes me weak

I deserve it you say

Sulfur clogs the nose

And fills my veins

I am Scelestus

A son of Barabbas

Born to betray

I am insane

The smell is toxic here

The pain is different here

It tears my soul

I weep . . .

His scars shred my flesh

His blood screams

My neck strains

I hang here still

I am Scelestus

A son of Lucifer

I am insane

The pain is different here

Death is different here

It lingers on

I moan . . .

It keeps me alive

If only I could touch the light

Quench my thirst

Or die

The rope frays

I am Scelestus

Take the silver

From my bones

Death is different here

Interview With Jeff Gerke: Finding a Home for Speculative Fiction

2011-02-23T20:35:00.000-08:00

The following post was originally published on the OCCWF (Orange County Christian Writers Fellowship) blog. I had the honor of doing the interview as a guest blogger.

By now you’ve probably heard of Jeff Gerke, and Marcher Lord Press, publishing fiction beyond our world-- of flying castles and vampire wars. I thought it would be fun for Jeff to introduce us to the unusual and why he loves it.

Beneath this fantastical umbrella we’ve come to know as speculative fiction lie a few subgenres. I’m certain not everyone is familiar with these.

Jeff: My short definition of speculative fiction is “anything weird.” So it would include science fiction, fantasy, time travel, vampire, superhero, alternate history, supernatural thrillers, apocalyptic/end times, spiritual warfare, paranormal, urban fantasy, cyberpunk, technothriller, and more.

Introduce us to the world of steampunk?

Jeff: Steampunk is a delightful subgenre that postulates a fantasy world in which there is “high-tech” machinery based on steam power. So it’s kind of fantasy or history meets Industrial revolution. You get steam-powered helicopters flying over elven castles or the American Revolutionary War battles. It’s great.

But it’s a loose definition. Some steampunk novels are not in fantasy times but in, say, the U.S. Civil War. The idea is just to be creative with what machines and technologies might be invented that could be powered by steam. It’s retro science fiction.

Are there any Christian authors writing well in this genre? Can you suggest a few steampunk titles?

Jeff: There are a number of Christian authors writing in this genre, though I don’t know of any yet published. I’m looking for the right steampunk novel for Marcher Lord Press, actually.

Some secular steampunk titles: Boneshaker and Dreadnought by Cherie Priest and Leviathan by Scott Westerfield.

How about Christian horror? Are we talking vampires and werewolves, or the underworld from a Christian’s POV? I’ve talked to the Ladies of the LOLB, and they object (lol). I’ve come to the conclusion, however, that they simply are unclear about this genre. Care to shed a little light on the subject?

Jeff: There have been a number of Christian vampire novels done in the last five years. Shade and Powers by John Olson and The Jerusalem Undead trilogy by Eric Wilson. There was even a vampire Amish novel written by a Christian author (Leanna Ellis) but for a secular publisher.

These books are perfect for small niche publishers like MLP. The larger houses crash and burn with them. Because of the LOLB.

Which is your favorite subgenre? Why?

Jeff: My favorite speculative subgenres are military science fiction and epic fantasy. If I could be a space marine or fighter pilot on a space carrier in a war against an alien species—or an unlikely farm-boy hero on a quest to vanquish the Beast, rescue the beautiful damsel, and save the realm—I’d so do it.

But I like to publish whatever Christian speculative fiction takes me away to wild new worlds, even if it’s not in these subcategories.

Let’s talk SF(science fiction) since it’s the most familiar. What makes a good SF novel? If you were teaching a Science Fiction workshop what’s the lesson plan in a few short paragraphs?

Jeff: Yikes. Well, the first one would be to go take every other workshop at the conference to learn the craft of fiction writing. You can have the best idea in the world, but if you can’t write, the whole thing is moot.

Then pick an aspect of our own culture that you can extrapolate into the future so we can examine it from that perspective. For instance, A Star Curiously Singing is Kerry Nietz’s imagination of what a far future Earth ruled by sharia law would look like. The Personifid Invasion by R. E. Bartlett looks at the ramifications of staving off death indefinitely through the use of artificial bodies. These are issues we’re wrestling with—or advancing toward—in our own culture, so it’s great to examine them in the once-removed parable style of SF.

Another place to look for great SF ideas is to just write the things you think ought to be in the ultimate SF adventure ever. I think that’s what makes Steve Rzasa’s The Face of the Deep series (The Word Reclaimed and The Word Unleashed) series so compelling. He’s got massive capital ship battles, infantry combat with powered armor suits, pirate ships, secret police, and banned holy books. There’s so much to love.

For me, it comes down to excellent fiction craftsmanship and a story that makes me go, “Oh, whoa! I want to live there, I want to live there!”

Any plans to bring a Marcher Lord Press book to the big screen? Which one?

Jeff: Why, sure. We’ve got an option out for Jill Williamson’s Blood of Kings trilogy, but so far no joy. Optioned novels that are never made into movies are a dime a dozen. We’re not buying our Hollywood red carpet outfits yet, but it would be fun if something happened on that front.

Plus, I think all Marcher Lord Press novels would be terrific movies. Any interested producers out there looking for solid scripts for values-based stories in the most popular movie genres of our culture?

Jeff has written three books to help improve authors’ fiction skills. The Art and Craft of Writing Christian Fiction (Marcher Lord Press), Plot Versus Character (Writers Digest Books), and the forthcoming The First 50 Pages (Writers Digest Books).

And btw, Jeff is judging the OCCWF’s first fiction contest.

speculative fiction Christian Science Fiction, urban fantasy, steampunk, horrorglobal warming

Orange County Christian Writers Conference And Writing Contests

2011-01-29T13:17:00.000-08:00

I'm reposting this from our G8Press blog because . . . well . . . I'm too lazy to write something new. Love that cut and paste.

Every writer should belong to a writers' critique group and should probably attend one or two more writers conferences a year. What's better than mingling with, and go one on one with, authors, agents, editors and publishing houses? Workshops included, because it's good to keep learning and polishing our skills.

The Orange County Christian Writers Conference is one my G8Press partners and I attend, or have tried to attend, every year. This year G8Press staff will actually volunteer our services; greeting team, food services, author's tables and making sure conference faculty is well taken care of. Should be fun!

So the scoop? Keynote speakers: Simon Tolkien (as in JRR's grandson) and Vinita Hampton Wright. There are a couple of intensive workshops on Friday. One is for fiction writers, the other covers memoir writing. Both classes are small so space is limited. This is to give each writer special attention. Friday night there is a panel discussion and dinner with faculty. I'm so there!

There is also a bunch of writing contests sponsored by OCCWF . . .

* Beverly Bush Smith Aspiring Awards
* WestBow Press Writing Contest
* Memoir Writing Contest
* Devotional Writing Contest
* Fiction Writing Contest

These contests are now open for submissions. There is no entry fee but you will need to attend the conference.

In any case, the conference continues on Saturday. Check in time is 7:30, oh my. This probably means I have to be there an hour or so before. I'm not used to those hours. But check out OCCWF website for more details (and there are plenty more). You can also click on that Like button and join them on Facebook.

Hope to see you there!

OCCWF Writing Contests

February: The Rules Of Chocolate

2011-01-26T13:13:00.000-08:00

As that all-important month of February approaches we must remember to take chocolate seriously. Here are a few things our chocoholic hearts need to know.

1. There are four basic food groups: milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate, and chocolate truffles.

2. When the going gets tough, the tough eat chocolate.

3. Put "eat chocolate" at the top of your list of things to do today. That way, at least you'll get one thing done.

4. It comes from the cocoa bean, beans are veggies, 'nuff said.

5. Exercise is a dirty word... wash mouth out with chocolate.

6. Chocolate is nature’s way of making up for Mondays.

7. There’s more to life than chocolate, but not right now.

8. The 12-step chocoholics program: NEVER BE MORE THAN 12 STEPS AWAY FROM CHOCOLATE! ~~(Terry Moore)

9. There's nothing better than a good friend, except a good friend with CHOCOLATE. ~~(Linday Grayson)

10. I have this theory that chocolate slows down the aging process.... It may not be true, but do I dare take the chance?

chocolate Valentine's Day

Want more? Here's a yummy chocolaty slide show. I wouldn't mind if you shared.

Justice: My Day In Court And Picketing Christians

2011-01-14T12:22:00.000-08:00

Do we yell and tell the hurting people (including minors waiting in line to enter the court) they are going to Hell, or do we extend a loving hand and say, "I know you're hurting, what can I do for you?"

But I digress . . . For me it's been about the we're-sorry-but-we-can't-locate-your-case citation. The day was December 4, 2009 and the road to home was blocked by a massive amount of police officers under floodlights that lit up half the town. I promise you, the PD was emptied out on our street that night. No car was left behind. Everyone seemed to have something worthy of a ticket. I had a headlamp out and I couldn't produce registration. My bad!

No problem, I thought. Visit the nice officers at the local PD and have one sign the ticket once I fix the headlight. Done. Took the citation to court and pay the $25 fine. I came five minutes before closing time so the clerk put the necessary papers in the appropriate box.

Five months later the court returned my check with a letter stating they could not locate my file. Whatsoever!! I decided to check on it and try to pay online. Still no case. Let's try calling. "Can't locate your file number, Ma'm." Okay, how 'bout we wait a few weeks and go to court? They said they were very sorry but the officer hasn't filed the citation yet.

With Halloween and Thanksgiving just around the corner I called one last time. No record of my case was the reply. The sweet lady on the other end of the phone says that I am no longer responsible for this ticket. Mmmm, didn't quite believe that, but I let it go.

Sure enough in January of 2011, I receive another citation in the mail and this time the fine includes the no-registration violation which carries a $400 + fine. Problem is, I don't have the car anymore and going to the DMV to get proof of registration for 2009 . . . well, who knows how that deal will go down.

So off I go to the Riverside Superior Court and try to tell them the following; don't own the car anymore, I've been trying to pay this fine for over a year now, you returned my check. They said, it wasn't their problem. Go see a judge. The court clerk was nasty. Or maybe she was just doing her job and there really wasn't anything she could do.

A week later I return to the same clerk and this time I remembered to be nice, courteous, and ask the Lord to give me favor with this clerk. She said that if I did not have proof of registration she couldn't do anything about this. By the way, I did pay registration. My bank statement even says so. But I kept smiling and I asked, "May I know when the officer filed my citation?" The clerk said sure, and then her face went a little sour.

"Oh, she says. This wasn't filed until 13 months later."

Well now. A chilly Friday morning, 7:30am, I stood outside the court with about 20 other "offenders." We were confronted by a man with a large wooden cross that said, "Are You Ready?"

I thought of taking a picture, but I was feeling rather mousy. He had three friends with him all carrying Bibles. I started to pray, they started to yell. Their message, "You are all going to Hell if you don't know Jesus Christ." The message got louder and condemnation flew all over the place.

Oh oh! I started praying softly. With people waiting in the cold for their day in court (some in family meditations) perhaps a better message, gently spoken, would be "Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28). We all have those burdens and these people were definitely ready to hear the Gospel of peace, love and rest.

I prayed for everyone who entered that court room with me that God would give mercy to those who deserved it (I know, none of us do) and that we could find favor with this judge.Before the judge came, the court officer was an absolute teddy bear. He put our hearts and minds at rest and addressed the minors with a message of hope. "Don't worry," he said, "this won't be painful. Take the community service. It will do you some good." He even gave me a pen so I could scribble out my signature on the court papers that said I was guilty. Not guilty, not guilty. Note to self: Don't sign anything before you get an explanation of what you are signing.

There were three minors who plead guilty (truancy, smoking and whatnot), one who plead not guilty and the judge lowered her bail to almost nothing. They were all given community service and one had to write a two-page essay on the dangers of tobacco. There were others that day and to my pleasant surprise the Judge was fair.

When I finally stood in front of him, I was ready to plead my case when he read out the infraction. But before I could say anything the court clerk stood up, gave him a paper and whispered something to him.

The Judge then asked me, "Do you have any idea why it took over a year to file your citation."

"No, your Honor."

"Case dismissed by speedy trial."

Justice!

It took less than 60 seconds. Thanks for reading my rant.

court image
Riverside Superior Court traffic court

Sweet! I Made That

2011-01-12T13:35:00.000-08:00

Just a few scarves I crocheted. Lots of these will be given to our homeless ministry. Some of them we sell for super cheap (like a buck) so we can buy more yarn or to raise a little bit of capital for G8Press where we publish your book without any money out of your pocket. Therefore, cold weather is good for business, so to speak.

"She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy" (Proverbs 31:20. Oh to be a Proverbs 31 woman.

January 21st, 2011. We continue.
The following scarves might have a little bit of a price tag. I would very much like to not ever go over $5 for a scarf, let's hope I can keep that promise. In any case, for every scarf we sell, my goal is to make at least two to give away.

This scarf is super fluffy. Yarn is Red Heart Baby Clouds. Color is blue sky and is apparently moth-proof, colorfast and shrink-proof.

Check out our G8Press Store for other items.

Poetry For The Soul:
Dear God

crocheting fund raisers
More pics coming . . .

Death And Rebirth Haiku

2011-01-10T18:51:00.000-08:00

Death

Pull the plug

Sparks are dangerous

Old wiring

Disconnect, disconnect . . . Silence.

Rebirth

Silence, like snow falling softly

Sun slowly melts ice

New life

Connect, connect . . . warmth.

haiku rebirth poetry

Getting Healthy is Expensive

2011-01-03T20:29:00.000-08:00

For all you people who shop and breathe Whole Foods . . . are ya crazy??? It cost $90 for a whole day supply of food. Okay, maybe a couple of days. The food is good, very good, and I feel wonderful eating from their buffet. But again, we dropped $22 on lunch for two of us--without drinks. However, if I had the money I would shop there for sure. It is indeed expensive to stay healthy.

In any case, I spent the day in bed today trying to sleep off the "dizzies" and a little nausea. I figure it was exhaustion since I've been traveling between San Jacinto and Huntington Beach these last to weeks. Speaking of getting healthy, there's something about Huntington Beach that makes me feel good. All my physical ailments seem to disappear. Did I blog about that already? I can't keep up with myself (Twitter, Facebook).

I'm pretty sure I've lost about five pounds just waking up in HB and smelling the fresh ocean air. My bones stop aching, no more bloating issues and I crave fruit and veggies all the time. Go figure.

When I was in my twenties a friend of mine tried to teach me how to surf. Huntington Beach was our favorite spot. Perhaps I should borrow my daughter's surfboard and see if any of those lessons stuck. Very unlikely and I'm not sure if HB is ready to see a 51 year old riding a wave (or falling of one) on a pink surfboard.

Oh well, maybe my kids will adopt me or at least let me stay in their cozy beach cottage next Summer. Oh the joy!

HB Sunset/surfer pic

Goodbye 2010 This is Your Last Post

2010-12-31T13:22:00.000-08:00

Farewell to 2010. It was a pretty good year. There were new milestones and I eased into the empty nest syndrome pretty nicely. The youngest bird seems to fly back home a lot but that's okay. He really does need his own car. You know how car is spelled f r e e d o m. Hopefully that will be accomplished within the first month of the new year.

My New Year's Resolution, um, I mean, my New Year's attitude, is what I wrote on my FaceBook wall--"Prayer, first thing in the morning, is like arming yourselves." 2011 is gonna find me armed for the battle. It can't be all that hard to wake up and greet the Lord before your feet touch the ground. After all, isn't He the one who just gave you a brand new day? So I'm pretty sure He knows what's coming.

Early this morning I braved the chill of the Southern California winter. Don't laugh. We're pretty sissy when it dips below 70 degrees. In any case, I had my cell phone, my trusty Palm Pre, and took a few pics. After the rain is nice.

We actually have grass growing in the back yard. Woo hoo! This came a day after the water receded. I think God was building a swimming pool back there. Be careful what you pray for.

This is the ground before the rain.

This is the ground after the rain. No kidding!

My scripture for the year 2010 was Philippians 4:12, "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want."

The new year will have me on offense with Ephesians 6:10-17, "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."

So goodbye 2010. It was a very good year.

We started G8Press in 2010 and looking forward to its growth in 2011.

How To Keep Life Simple

2010-12-30T15:05:00.000-08:00

My son and I sat down after dinner in his cozy little house on the beach and decided to watch Marley & Me starring Owen Wilson and Jennifer Anniston. It really was a simple kind of movie--no plot actually, just a sweet guy and the love for his wife, kids and Marley of course--a Labradoodle. At least, I think that's what he was.

But let me back up a little just to show how simple my own life is even though I've gone through a divorce, just started a publishing business, and am experiencing the empty nest syndrome. Simple gives much joy, like John Grogan learned (from what I perceived).

Morning in the desert began with heavy showers and snowfall upon the mountain behind us. Honestly, I thought the water would reach inside the house this time and the mist of the mountain engulf us. But the rain stopped and only managed to cover plant life. The clouds drifted off and made the mountains visible again. Son was still sleeping when the clock struck twelve noon. He didn't seem to worry that we had furniture and other items to pack into the car and drive him home to Huntington Beach. I decided to just let him sleep and hoped things would get done in time.

Finally on the road around 5pm, after Daughter had been calling a few times to make sure we would get back to HB before dark. Not much chance of that. Son packed up his drums, a mattress, a wooden table, an end table and some groceries. Nice packing job. My car is way bigger than anyone thought. Mini Vans rule!!

We got to HB home around 7:45 and immediately started cleaning house. Boxes everywhere!! And . . . someone parked their little Mini Coup in our driveway. Not cool. We parked in front of Son's house and consequently received a parking violation ticket from HBPD. I decided not to get mad and hunt down the owner of that coupe . . . IN LOVE!!!!!

In any case, we munched on something that pretended to be dinner, popped a few bags of microwave popcorn, pulled up the ottoman, fluffled up pillows, wrapped ourselves in blankets and turned on the Blue Ray player to watch Marley & Me. I still don't know what Blue Ray is.

So here's the gist of the movie (and I'm ashamed to say that I have not finished the book). John marries Jennie, a beautiful and wonderful girl. Even a blizzard cannot take away the her joy on the day of her wedding. So you can imagine how nice she is. John soon takes her to a farm of doggies (because he doesn't think he's ready for children) and they pick out the cute runt of the litter (Clearance Puppy is what Jennie called him), Marley. Of course, Marley is like the worst dog ever. He destroyed furniture, jumped out of the car while driving on the freeway/main street, swallowed precious jewelry, pooped out precious jewelry, and was even kicked out of obedience school. Marley was always on the go, never had time to sit still.

A touching moment came when Jennie had lost her first baby and Marley sat still in front of her. Marley could feel her pain. Tissue time.

Back to my life. When I woke up this morning I ran into my daughter who was having breakfast. She only had a few minutes before she left for Big Bear (I'm thinking it was Vegas). I thanked her for my Christmas gift, which was the Marley and Me DVD and we had a chance to talk about the movie. Wow, here's my analysis.

John and Jennie were such simple people but they wound up making pretty good money. Yet, they managed to keep it simple. John's friend seemed to be living John's dream life. I think John's friend (sorry the name escapes me) was lonely and his dream job wasn't making him happy. But he pretended it did. He had no wife, no family, not even a dog, no responsibilities. Pretty lonely if you ask me.

Marley was the part of John and Jennie's chaos we like to call unconditional love. He was a bad dog, disobedient but didn't care if you were rich or poor. Love was what he was concerned about. Not only that they would love him but that he (Marley) could love them whatever life's situation was.

John became a columnist, in which Marley became the star. But John still thought he wanted to be a "real" journalist, traveling to exotic countries and covering wars and other catastrophes. In his forties he finally gets his chance in Philly. But there he learns that he loved being a columnist. Go figure. He was happy all along but didn't know it.

And, of course, all through life's decisions there's this dog, this loveable destroyer Labradoodle, who was a part of everything. He even waited for the kids where the school bus dropped them off. Ah, the simple life.

The simpleness? He wrote about what he knew and loved . . . his wife, his kids, his dog. And it brought him success and priceless life lessons. So, from John Grogan to me. Keep it simple, love the people in your life, even the ones who are hard to love and write about what you know and love. It's a beautiful day.

John Grogan Marley and Me
illustrations by Pearson Scott Foresman

Linus' Christmas Monologue From A Charlie Brown Christmas

2010-12-21T14:16:00.000-08:00

A Charlie Brown Christmas Christmas

My Christmas Special: Want My FREE E-Book?

2010-12-03T11:19:00.000-08:00

If I Can Cook It You Can Cook It Cookbook

Christmas 2010 Special

From now till December 25th: E version of this cookbook will be FREE. $1 donations are accepted. In order to get the free version you must join our G8Press Facebook page. Then email debbya@g8press.com and write “Free E-book Please” in the subject line.

Donations (optional) can be made on our G8Press blog through PayPal. Hurry, remember this offer is only good till December 25th. After Christmas the FREE E-book will still be offered if you buy our latest title The Write Cook.

Merry Christmas

http://www.g8press.com

The Stupid Term Paper

2010-11-19T01:04:00.000-08:00

Wow, this one took a long time to produce but the finished product was something we were proud of. The Stupid Term Paper by Sharon Norris Elliott is now, I mean, finally available on Amazon. We can wipe the sweat of our eyebrows.I love my job! You are all (both of you) witnesses to the small success of G8Press. Nothing to party about yet but we are getting there.

Here's a direct link to The Stupid Term Paper: How to Plan It, Write It, and Get an "A" on It (Volume 1)

Sharon Norris Elliott Amazon textbooks

The Life of an Indie Publisher

2010-10-23T12:48:00.000-07:00

When my partners and I first took on this Indie Publisher venture with G8Press, it was smooth sailing . . . well not quite, but the winds were cooperating with us. Our first projects included simple cookbooks. We had to keep them mini-like books (not in book size, but page wise), because those printing costs for full color books can seriously eat away at the profits. Our first cookbook is doing pretty well from our eStore. On Amazon, we managed to get a few other "bookstores" interested enough to buy it. Though we 're not quite sure what that all entails. We're waiting to see.

In any case, our next big project has just been a challenge. But this Indie Publisher will move forward. The proof copy just came in the mail and it looks like we'll need to spend another full day at work to get it print ready. Since it's a text/manual school book (for high school and the college freshman), we opted for a larger sized book as students will be writing in it. The challenge; margins don't look right, some pages were only half filled with text, and lines were bold. Easily fixed? Do-able, but lot's of work since images are all text boxes which will appear very funky if you move margins. But move them we shall.

Also, our beautiful cover is not centered correctly. There's a very annoying white line across the top of the front and back cover (about 1/8 of an inch). Of course, we'll have to call the printer and ask them what's up with that. Pretty much out of our control. Monday should be fun!

I'm not complaining, mind you. After all, this is my dream job and I am thankful for the authors that have come our way and entrusted us with their "Babies." More than ten babies, including a few novels, a poetry collection, a couple of non-fiction and more cookbooks (Living Raw), are out of the cradle, so to speak. We're taking care of your projects like we birthed them ourselves. Let's see where the Lord takes us!

"Commit to the Lord whatever you do and your plans will succeed." (Proverbs 16:3 NIV)

G8Press Independent Publisher

Recently we've looked into publishing our books for Kindle and came across this little bit of news (news to us anyhow). Kindle now has FREE reading apps for your PC, iPhone and other devices. Spreading their wings a little, I suppose. It's good for the consumer, right?

If you're looking to learn more on how to market your books we recommend the Author Marketing Experts. They'll even email you a free book on marketing.

Swagbucks TV: Good Source For Extra Cash

2010-10-15T12:01:00.000-07:00

Making a living online has been a nice source of income for me; writing articles, fiction, poetry for Associated Content; social networks (of all sorts), and the search engine, Swagbucks. The latter gives out gift certificates for Amazon, Barns and Noble, Restaurants, Airlines, Clothing Stores, etc., and even $5 cash for every 700 Swagbucks straight into your PayPal account. Let me give you the code to get 30 Free Swagbucks: SBTVisOnTheAir For a girl living out in the desert where there are no jobs, these things sweetened the pot, so to say.

I know you're thinking this should go on my business blog, but Swagbucks has become one of those "Pieces of Me." Therefore, here's the latest and I invite you all to join me because today Swagbucks.com is introducing Swagbucks TV, the new home for rewarding video content on the web.

You can find fun, fresh, and original video entertainment (I'm hoping this is family safe, as I'm sure it will be) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on topics ranging from Health and Beauty, to Technology, Sports, Nature, and more!

In addition to all the great content, you and I shall be eligible to earn Swag Bucks periodically as we watch videos, with multiple earning opportunities and values every single day! And, for the first two weeks, Swagbucks will be extending our referral matching program to Swagbucks TV. That means that we will earn matching Swag Bucks every time your referrals earn on Swagbucks TV! (Note: we will receive a bonus at the end of the two week period which contains the full total of all our matching TV bucks) There will even be special Swag Codes every day which reward people for answering trivia questions about the videos featured on the site.

Well, there you go. Like I said, what's to lose when you're already using search engines. Swagbucks gives us a little bit back. I do a lot of research for my articles and novels, therefore searching the web is a natural task for me. Most of my friends, including online friends are writers, therefore joining Swagbucks just make sense.

Swagbucks Swagbucks TV

Here's the Swagbucks banner. I looked for one that had a little bit to do with writing. It kind of fits with my pink theme.

Autumn's Art

2010-10-11T17:06:00.000-07:00

Recently at our women's worship night we had a chance to create a piece of art together. Nobody really got the idea of what we were asking, but they tried. Some of the women felt uncomfortable getting up, walking in front of everybody (though we did have a few canvasses toward the back) to draw, paint or write on an empty canvas.

But here was the point--God is our master painter. We are his empty canvas. We wanted women, even if they thought they could only draw stick people, to go ahead and start filling in the canvas. It's like when we take our lives into our own hands and try to make something out of it that the Lord did not necessarily intend for us. We try to paint our own path. God's okay with that (up to a point), he'll still pick up his brushes and make a masterpiece of what we've created. Does that make sense?

Take a look around. Just a quick glimpse of His creation and you'll see The Master's paintings.

I made this short video about Autumn's Art

Cranberry Turtle Bars

2010-09-18T17:47:00.000-07:00

This recipe was submitted by my friend Lori Owens and was included in our cookbook, If I Can Cook It You Can Cook It Cookbook, published by G8Press.

For base
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup packed light brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1½ sticks (¾ cup) cold, unsalted butter and cut into ½ -inch cubes

For topping
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
¼ cup light corn syrup
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups fresh or frozen cranberries
(not thawed; 6 3/4 oz), coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups pecans (12 oz), toasted and cooled, then coarsely chopped

For decoration
2 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), very finely chopped

Make base:

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Line a 15- by 10-inch shallow baking pan (1 inch deep) with foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang on the 2 short sides. Butter all 4 sides (but not bottom).
Blend flour, brown sugar, and salt in a food processor, then add butter and pulse until mixture begins to form small (roughly pea-size) lumps. Sprinkle into baking pan, then press down firmly all over with a metal spatula to form an even layer. Bake in middle of oven until golden and firm to the touch, 15 to 17 minutes, then cool in pan on a rack.

Make topping:
Melt butter in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat and stir in sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Boil over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until caramel registers 245°F on thermometer, about 8 minutes. Carefully stir in cranberries, then boil until caramel returns to 245°F. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, then stir in pecans until well coated. Working quickly, spread caramel topping over base, using a fork to distribute nuts and berries evenly. Cool completely.

Cut and decorate bars:
Lift bars in foil from pan and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into 6 crosswise strips, then 6 lengthwise strips to form 36 bars.
Melt half of chocolate in top of a double boiler or a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring until smooth. Remove bowl from heat and add remaining chocolate, stirring until smooth. Transfer chocolate to a small heavy-duty sealable plastic bag. Seal bag and snip off a tiny piece of one corner to form a small hole, then pipe chocolate decoratively over bars. Let stand at room temperature until chocolate sets, about one hour.

Image of Cranberries
Copyright: Wikimedia Commons
Credit: Mariluna

Ongoing Fiction Published On Associated Content

2010-09-14T19:53:00.000-07:00

(This is reposted from my writing blog at Fiction, Poetry and Art.)

I'm not sure what one would call a novel being written by different authors. So far there are three, really four (I haven't published her poem yet), who have contributed. There's a little bit of editing going on as well, so in the end I should give them credit also. We don't know where the story is taking us, though we have some sort of outline . . . blurry as it might seem. This, of course, means we are breaking a few rules of writing. For now, it's being published on Associated Content. Not a lot of money is exchanging hands which might change if we can establish a loyal group of readers.

Nevertheless, we are up to chapter 6. By that I mean Chapter 6 still needs to be written. Chapter 5, Intimus Sanctum, written by Susan Skomessa, was the last installment.

There's a handsome knight who might possibly have romantic feelings for his Queen who he must protect. The King is in battle (we haven't gotten into the King's side of the story yet) but he trusts his Knight to bring the Queen and her son (apparently, a son destined to unite all kingdoms of the ancient world), to safety. The forest is dangerous,especially for lonely warriors, the guardians (good or bad?) are waiting for their arrival.

Does the Queen have feelings for her protector, J'than? Who is this child of destiny? What does the birthmark behind his ear mean? Is the Land of Berothai magical or cursed? Why is it hidden to the common man?

Here are the chapters thus far . . .
Knight of Honor
Knights and Queens and Coffee
A Bell In The Rocks
The Guardians of Berothia
Intimus Sanctum

Excerpt from A Bell In The Rocks: Their journey continued. The fire of the torch grew stronger and brighter the closer they walked to Berothai. If they strayed to the left, or to the right of the narrow path, the flames diminished.

Suddenly, a fierce snarl came from above them. Jthan looked up to see a daughter of Nyx perched on a branch. She was dark and beautiful and for the moment the knight was mesmerized.

Tips On How to Promote Your Book

2010-09-11T15:50:00.000-07:00

Starting our own publishing firm was, and still is, hard work. Obviously, it's work we love and definitely thrive on. Book promotion has been a priority because we want to work with our authors on marketing their books. Hopefully, authors will do what they can to promote their own books. But we are on the journey with them.

Even Jerry B. Jenkins was helpful with good tips for the self-publisher when he guest wrote a post on Tony Eldridge's "Marketing Tips For Authors" Blog. There's a lot to learn but I guess all anyone can do is take it one lesson at a time.

Amazon ListMania is one of Amazon's own tools to help anyone with the promoting process. Here's our list which we simply called Authors We Love. Creating a list allows an author or customer to add their favorite books which will include your own, and your friends books. There's a link to Twitter and an html code to share on your personal blog much like I've done here. Other people on Amazon can advertise your list, especially if you've added their books, or perhaps they'll add you to their list. Ah, networking and making friends.

I personally, like Bob Baker's Blog for the self-publisher. Plus he has a free newsletter to keep you up to date. Hmm, maybe I should do a free newsletter. In any case, we'll have more links to share with you soon.

self-publishing Amazon Listmania promoting your book

The Watchers

Wednesday Writers: Sarah Witenhafer: Twilight, Genesis and Reaching the World

Thursday Thoughts: SOPA, PIPA, Copyright Infringement And A Free Internet

Thursday Thoughts:

Tuesday Tales: by Sandra Schoger Foster

Thursday Thoughts: 2012, New Beginnings, Old Resolutions

The Saturday Post: Goodbye 2011

Monday Musings: My Fave YouTube Videos Posted On My FaceBook & Counting Down to a New Year

Friday Freebies: Books, Blessings & Snow Pudding

Monday Musings: The Darker Side of Christmas

Thursday Thoughts: Christmas, Food and Charity

Wednesday Writers: Leslie Dultz, Faith and Fitness

Monday Musings: Christmas,Family, Friends and Tim Tebow

Friday FrEEbiEs: And Poems in the Public Domain

Thursday Thoughts

Warning: It's Another Geek Alert

Wednesday Writer: Writer's Daily Prayer

Sunday Scrolls

Wednesday Writer: Mechthild of Magdeburg (authors in public domain)

Saturday Post: The Countdown to Christmas

Wednesday Writer: Susan Skommesa

Geek Coolness & Discount Coupons

Monday Musings: Faith, Fun & Food Blog Hop

Faith, Fun & Food Blog PartyToday only!

Click here to see another blog in the Faith, Fun, & Food Blog Party!

Free Online Newspaper from Friday FrEEbiEs

Wednesday Writers: Sharon Pearson

The Grace & Faith Marketing Solution

Monday Musings: A Video Poem

Wednesday Writers

The Pantser, The Plotter, The Explorer: What Kind of Writer Are You?

For Your Eyes Only

Thursday Thoughts:Loneliness

Monday Musings: Frustrated with Do it All Yourself Promotions

Thursday Thoughts: The Good, The Bad and Murder

Wednesday Whispers

Monday Morning Musings

Friday FREEbies

Thursday Thoughts: This is the Way Christians Should Dress

Basic HTML Code For Blog Links to Open in New Window

Thursday Thoughts: Going Back to School

The Saturday Post and Blog Review

Thursday Thoughts

"Be strong and COURAGEOUS...Be strong and VERY COURAGEOUS...Have I not commanded you? Be strong and COURAGEOUS. Do not be terrified; do not be disCOURAGED, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go” (from Joshua 1:6-9).

And, if you would like your blog reviewed just send me a message, or leave me a comment.

FREE Writing Courses

Geeky Gadget News

Press Release: Daddy, Will You Play Catch with Me?

Cheap Auto Insurance Info For Tulsa Residents

Beyond Writer's Block: Is Jesus My Muse?

From Eddie Snipes: Enjoy The Writer’s Journey

Youth of a Nation: Using Unconventional Methods to Save Our Youth

Jumper Cables for the Mind: Dealing with Writer's Block

Of Coupons and Codes, Discount Promotions and Zappos

Our Christian Authors Blog Directory

Taking Photographs From My Bedroom Window

Writing Critique Groups and Their Importance

You Write Like Who?

Why Do Christians Write Fiction

Interesting Medieval Recipes Found While Doing Research for My Book

Road Trip: Writing On Interstate 5 From CA to WA

Geeky Press Release: Get In Touch With Your Geeky Self

Surfing the Web For Weekend GiveAways and Free Books For You

Becoming Your Bad, Wicked Evil Characters

So What is the Difference Between Farther and Further?

The TBR (to be read) List

How To Have A Successful Writers' Group

Creating Character Costumes

Speculative Fiction, Flash Fiction on Avenir Eclectia

Gadgets, Gizmos and Geeks

Semi-Colons, Colons and Whatnot

Our Unfinished Novels

How To Write A Book In A Month

Book Trailer for Daddy, Will You Play Catch with Me?

This Be Hell

Interview With Jeff Gerke: Finding a Home for Speculative Fiction

Orange County Christian Writers Conference And Writing Contests

February: The Rules Of Chocolate

Justice: My Day In Court And Picketing Christians

Sweet! I Made That

Faith, Fun & Food Blog Party

Today only!