My review of Green by Ted Dekker

Green by Ted Dekker


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Today I'm reviewing Green by Ted Dekker.

Green is Ted Dekker’s fourth book in the Circle Trilogy. Green is book 0 which is supposed to complete a circle creating a series where there really isn't an end or beginning. The jacket claims you can jump into the series by starting with any of the four books, but I found I was lost having not read the first three books.

Even though it took me a while to get into the book, I did enjoy Green. It was fast paced and a great story of good against evil. The characters were easy to believe in and I enjoyed following the journey they were on. I can only imagine how much better Green would have been if I had already read the first three books of the series. Green gave me glimpses of a great love story and tons of action that were in the previous books. Green made me feel feel like I walked in on the end of a party where all the great action started long before I got there and I was being told about it. That is not nearly as much fun as being there for the action.

I would recommend reading the first three books then reading Green.

I read Green as a member of the Thomas Nelson Book Review Bloggers.

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Book Review: Find Your Strongest Life by Marcus Buckingham

Find Your Strongest Life: What the Happiest and Most Successful Women Do Differently by Marcus Buckingham


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I read Find Your Strongest Life by Marcus Buckingham as a member of the Thomas Nelson Book Review Bloggers program.

This book was insightful and had many helpful suggestions on how to find my strengths and ignore my weaknesses. Mr. Buckingham has created an online test to help find your strengths and when I took it I was pleased to see how right on it was.

While I found this book helpful, it is lacking in a few important areas:
This book was an inspiration but it was not “Inspirational” or Christ focused. It mentioned God less than 5 times, and never suggested how to plug into God for that extra measure of strength. Instead it encouraged you to find the strengths inside yourself. This is not what I expected from a Christian Publisher like Thomas Nelson.

The suggestion to ignore weakness is great if that weakness is not caused by hurt or pain. Not once did Mr. Buckingham give suggestions on how to find healing in order to move on to a successful life. I associate hurt to walking around on a broken leg, if that leg isn’t healed properly you will never be able to use it to hold you up and be your strength. Hurts like legs need to heal in order to become strengths.

There are no suggestions on what to do in extreme situations. If someone is hurting you either physically, mentally, or emotionally, thinking positively about that person will rarely fix the issues.

If your life is pretty good, but you feel the need for more happiness, Find Your Strongest Life by Marcus Buckingham is perfect for you.

If you are looking for suggestions on plugging into God’s strength, or if you are hurting or being hurt and need help, Thomas Nelson has published many other books that will speak to you and help you find healing.

View all my reviews >>

Book Review of Lonestar Secrets by Colleen Coble

Lonestar Secrets by Colleen Coble


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I read Lonestar Secrets by Colleen Coble as a member of the Thomas Nelson Book Review Blogger group.
Shannon Astor returns to her childhood home where secrets long buried start coming to light. Shannon finds herself caught in the middle of these secrets which place her life in danger.

This book was great. It had suspense, intrigue, romance, and held my attention throughout. There were a few parts of the book that were a bit far fetched, but the twists and turns were entertaining. Even though it is the second book in a series, I did not feel there was something missing by not reading the first. It is a stand alone book, but I look forward to reading Lonestar Sanctuary.

Before Lonestar Secrets I had not read any of Colleen Coble’s books. I have now found a new favorite author.

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Book Review of Fearless by Max Lucado

Fearless: Imagine Your Life Without Fear by Max Lucado


My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I chose to read Fearless by Max Lucado strictly as a Thomas Nelson Blogger Book Reviewer. Little did I know it was God who had chosen this book for me.

I don’t consider myself someone who is fearful. I’m the wife of a soldier and I learned long ago where to place my fears and trust. That is until I found out my 15 yr old daughter might have a syndrome that would not allow her to have children. There is no surgery to reverse this syndrome and the operations necessary to live a normal life are beyond my imaginations. My heart sank and I instantly turned to Christ, but still the fears for her future and the unknown hit me hard.

That night I went to bed exhausted, but unable to sleep. I had to finish Fearless and get my review in by the deadline, so I picked it up hoping it would distract me and help put me to sleep. (Sorry Max!) I opened to chapter 5 and was shocked as I read the promise from Christ: Don’t be afraid. Just believe, and your daughter will be well - Luke 8:50! When I told my daughter about the promise she said, “Christ knows what I’m going through. He cares.” WOW!

Since then, we have found out she is well. I am unsure if it is a miracle or Dr.’s mistake, but I do know that God used this experience to show us He is here, He cares, and He loves us.

Needless to say, I loved this book –the whole thing; not only chapter 5. The encouragement and promise each page holds are worth much more than the price paid for this book.

I pray God will use it to show you who He is and that He will take your fear and give you His peace in every circumstance.

View all my reviews >>

Book Review: Rick and Bubba's Guide to... Marriage

Rick and Bubba's Guide to the Almost Nearly Perfect Marriage by Rick Burgess


My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Before reading this book, I had not heard of Rick and Bubba so I had no idea what to expect beyond what I read on TN info page.

The blurb I read promised, "This book will revolutionize your way of looking at married life. And it might just remind you all over again why you fell in love in the first place."

Sadly it did neither. It did make me giggle- a bit, but over all I was bored, waiting for it to get funny. -Sorry, but I must be honest.-

I don't think joking about weight and the attitudes around it are funny. I believe we must work hard to keep our bodies healthy and one of the best gifts I have given my family is my attempt to LIVE a healthy life and be a good example of that type of lifestyle so they can LIVE to see their grandchildren.

It was hard for me to get past the authors' joking and see the point.

I guess I should have realized that size is part of the joking this book surrounds, and I'm not the right person to read this book and get anything out of it.


Rick and Bubba's Guide to the Almost Nearly Perfect Marriage

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New Update on my Aunt Becki:

I have just been sent a new update on my Aunt Becki who is in the middle of Chemo for lung and kidney cancer.
Please keep her in your prayers.


Buffalo You-Tube Links: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rS7misT3Mag&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LU8DDYz68kM

Dear Buffaloes,

I write you this prayer update with great praise on my lips and in my heart for what God is doing in this process. I see Becki almost daily and it is evident she is gaining strength. We also praise God that the often-devastating side effects of treatment have been minimal.

Melinda Scott has organized this weekend as a “Global Weekend of Prayer for Becki!” The insights that are already pouring forth from this are amazing. Our sincere thanks to all of you involved in these three days of prayer and fasting.

Becki and I have a mutual friend, which many of you who receive this may also know. Maggie and Rich Taylor currently serve as senior pastors in Flagstaff, AZ and have served our Foursquare family as missionaries. John and Becki Rusk were senior pastors of this Flagstaff church just prior to Maggie and Rich Taylor. This week Maggie underwent a double mastectomy and many of us who have prayed for Becki have now joined ranks in praying for Maggie.

Only this morning I received a message from Maggie’s daughter with this quote from Maggie, “This is what it feels like to be lowered down on the mat through the roof tiles to Jesus by your friends.” What an amazing example in the Word. These words brought tears to my eyes as I could just see the picture in my mind and heart. I love that God asks us to carry each other. For both Maggie and Becki, many people are committed to pray and “carry a rope to help them through the roof to Jesus!”

I want to take a moment and thank each of you for your prayer support. John and Becki truly appreciate you.

There is an importance of our continued and steadfast commitment in this matter. I ask you at this hour to remain like a soldier who stands watch in the night. The “Word” we hide in our hearts regarding Becki is total and complete healing. Yet, we know in Mark 4 that the enemy comes “immediately” (vs. 15) to steal that Word. If that does not work, then we see he comes “afterward” (vs. 17) to cause us to stumble in the Word, and if these tactics do not work, he attempts to “choke” (vs. 19) the Word out of us. Knowing that the enemy wants to steal the Word from us we must remain strong in our faith.

Our position of faith is seen in the story of the four friends when the Word indicates (Mark 2) that “Jesus saw their (friends) faith” and this is when the miraculous was released! As I conclude the remarks for this communication I am struck by the last words of the text surrounding the story of the four friends, “…all were amazed and glorified God, saying, We never saw anything like this!”

Partnering Together in the Miraculous,

MEDICAL REPORT UPDATE FOR BECKI RUSK

• TREATMENTS: Becki has concluded three chemo treatments and is doing well with the process.
• DR. COMP: Becki will see Dr. Comp, the pulmonary specialist, on Monday, August 17. This doctor is a wonderful Christian man whom we know personally and we are all looking forward to his involvement in the case. We continue to thank God for the amazing medical team that has come together for Becki.
• REPORTS: It will be another 5-7 weeks before additional scans are taken. Therefore, we will not have medical reports showing shrinkage and/or removal of the spots from her lungs until that time. We always have the “report of the Lord!”

SPECIFIC PRAYER REQUESTS

• MAGGIE TAYLOR: Becki asks that you pray for her friend and co-laborer in ministry, Maggie Taylor, as she recovers from the double mastectomy.
• CANCER FREE: These are the days that we “hold our ground” that Becki’s body be completely cancer free.
• SIDE EFFECTS: The drugs that the doctors are using in Becki’s body can cause side effects that could damage other organs in her body. Please pray that her other vital organs remain healthy.
• MINISTRY: John will return to Africa on Wednesday for a short ministry trip (8/19-9/3). He will travel with Rev. Richard Casteel. Pray for both of them as they minister with local leaders in churches and at the Namibian national conference. Becki is asking God how best to utilize the time she has at home to be most effective in the furtherance of the gospel. Pray for both of them as they make ministry adjustments in this season. The enemy wants this couple down but we stand with them in the Spirit to release even greater measures of ministry in this hour.
• SOUTH AFRICA: The national leader of the Foursquare work in South Africa, Pastor Xavier Andriansse and his wife Heather, will travel in the fall to the US. During their stay with us we will discuss the specifics of how to pray for the extended work in South Africa and Southern Africa in general. Please pray for Pastor Xavier as he seeks God. We are asking God to download spiritual strategies to reach farther than ever before with the work of the ministry. There is currently a strong focus on the 2010 Soccer World Cup Outreach. Please pray on these matters and also for the many teams from Foursquare churches all over the world that will travel to South Africa for this opportunity of extended ministry.

Marion

Connections...

I have learned a HUGE lesson over the past few months.

Getting published has allot to do with who you know.

I know a TON of wonderful people, but none that are editors, agents or have those connections. -Or so I thought!

One of my girlfriends brought her kids for a visit this weekend and much to my surprise she is good friends with the CEO of a very large Christian publishing company! AND better yet, she asked me for my manuscript so she can pass it on to him! GULP! YEAH!

I am excited by the possibilities, but at the same time realize that if this is not the path for my manuscript -or me- God will intercede.

I have a full week planned. I must write a 750 word story based on the prompt "Mystery by the Sea" for the local SINC meeting next Monday, send out the queries that I didn't send last week, and prepare for a trek to NY for good friends wedding.

I have posted a few of my thoughts on my family blog here. Come on over and share your thoughts.

I hope you have a wonderful week.

Work

Can I really call what I do work?
When you love what you do is that considered work, even if you put hours and hours into it?

Anyway, I am home now and back to the grindstone I love so much.

My goals for the week are pretty simple:

1. Wait patiently for responses to the materials I have already sent out. (Much harder than I ever imagined)

2. Send out three more queries. I am down to the ones that must be mailed or have more than the one page query. No biggie just more work- which I love, so not bad right? :)

3. Enjoy my children while they are out of school. The summer is rushing by and I am SO very glad for the little moments I get with them.

4. Keep ALL online social networking to a minimum. It sucks huge amounts of time away from the important things in life.

5. Take one online writing course. I love learning and am looking forward to strengthening my talents.

6. Work out daily! Yipee! To make this fun I only allow myself to play my Iphone games while working out. It makes that time on the bike go by so fast. (BTW. I did fit into my dress last week. Yipee!)

Hope you all are doing well and having a great week!

Please remember my Aunt Becki and Kate McRae in your prayers.

Goals Accomplished

I accomplished all of my work goals last week, including sending out 5 queries.

I have received one pass and on Saturday I had a request for a partial! Yeah! I should find out within the next 3 to 6 weeks if this agent would like to represent me.

My WIP got a few hours out of me. I'm still doing research and playing around with the plot. It's coming together, slower than my other works but this one is such a work of heart, and those take time. Yeah!

My SINC group loved the Web site I put together for them. I am putting on all of our member info and will share it when I am finished.

I worked out all but Wednesday when I had a deep tissue massage that had me sore and in pain. But I did work out every other day last week. I am starting to feel more like my old self who was in GREAT shape. -before my back injuries and laziness hit! I'm not quite there yet but it is happening.

This week is full of FUN and friends. No work allowed! -besides this post-
My best friend's husband is retiring from a prestigious Military career. Which includes a few deployments, command time and he has been working at the White House for the last five years. When you retire from The White House they throw you a HUGE retirement party and we have been invited! I can't tell you how proud we are of him and his service to our country. We plan to PARTY with him and his family.
I hope to snap some photos to show you next week.

Please keep my aunt Becki and friend Kate McRae in your prayers. They are battling cancer and the fight is far from over. Both start treatment this week and we are praying for healing and strength.

Thanks for visiting me and I look forward to hearing about your week and the goals you accomplished.

Promise # 3

I promise to do as much research I can on a book BEFORE I write it. AND if I choose not to write the truth about what I have learned, I will place that information where all can see it!

I am reading a book that is touted as being based on Biblical truths. So I believed the book's cover and encouraged others to read this book for our book club meeting this month.

Oh how misled I was. This author has taken names and a few facts and has written a great story but nothing except the names are true.

It is sad because this book is so very popular and I fear that if the readers don't do their own research, they will be misled.

Many of the men in the book are terrible men and not the Godly patriarchs the Bible and other midrashim state is the truth.

It is so sad because this book could have helped shed light on a very sad story from the Bible. Even if it had been written loosely on the Biblical characters, it would have made a great enlightening story.

Anyway, I will attempt, in every way I am able, to keep the three promises I have made so far.

The first is: Never leave my readers in a lurch. It is explained and can be found here.

The second is: ALWAYS offer my readers HOPE. here.

I strongly believe that authors have a responsibility to our readers. My promises are made in an effort to respect you, my readers.

What do you think are an author's responsibilities? Can an author write a good book if they don't follow them?

Have a great weekend!

Busy Week

This week holds so much promise.

I have set a few goals for myself and these are the ones that pertain to my writing:

~I am sending out 5 more queries this week. It has been over a month since my last ones were sent out, but there has been no response as of yet. The word is that agents are being bombarded by those of us wishing we were represented and that even the "No's" are taking forever. No big deal. I will press on.

The agent who is meant to represent me will find me eventually- no matter what problems economic issues cause.

~I will be working on my work in progress. I plan to wake early and get a few uninterrupted hours of work in.

~I have sent my manuscript to someone interested... It is not for a book deal but could open so many doors. More info to come...

~I am now the Webmaven for my local Sisters in Crime chapter. I unveil the new site tonight. I have learned so much from this group and helping in this small way is the least I can do. I can't wait to show it off to you all! But the chapter gets to see it first...

~I WILL work out daily. I WILL fit into my favorite dress by the end of the month! How does this fit in with my writing goals? I fully believe my mind and body work better when I am getting exercise.

So there are my goals for the week ahead.

Hope you have a fabulous week.

Please remember Kate and her family in your prayers. www.prayforkate.com

Fifteen Years Ago Today...

My beautiful Marie was born.

I will never forget the difficulties surrounding us while I was pregnant with her. We went into labor over 2 1/2 months early and fought daily to keep her inside my womb. The Dr's tried med after med and they would work for a little while then stop.

When my body could hold her no longer the fears of delivering a preemie 5 1/2 weeks early hit full force. I was not able to be moved to a hospital with preemie care and if Marie had problems they would have to rush her to a local German hospital which did not have a NICU either, but had better care than the little ARMY hospital I was in.

The delivery went well, but when she came out I was able to see her for only a few minutes before they whisked her away from me and put her under oxygen. I remember watching the nurses and Doctors working on her, shaking her and me begging God to make her strong. The cheers when she she started breathing well and her color improved are memories I will always cherish! Her screaming cries were a blessing to my ears. God is so good.

Fifteen years later it is hard to believe how fast time has gone. She is such a beautiful person inside and out. She loves Jesus and is seeking His will in her life. At the moment she is preparing for a career as a Pediatric Surgeon. She is taking courses for High school students that the local Medical College gives. She amazes us as she walks up to a cadaver, picks up a heart and calmly points out the different parts! Yup, that's Marie! Strong and determined.
She loves kids and is fun to be around. She is fought over by neighbors she babysits for because she is that good with kids. I'm told by many that she is a good friend.

Marie, I am so thankful you are in my life. Being your mother has taught me so much. You and your brother will always be the best gifts your father and I have been blessed with.

I can't wait to see how the next 15 years will shape you.

Love you sweetie!

Hi

In the world of writing and agent searching, not much has happened lately.

Some weeks just seem beyond my control! I have posted on this over at my Family site.

It is so hard to believe this is Wednesday already!

I have an itch to get back to my 2 WIPs but not sure if life will allow me the quiet time needed. I desperately want to hide inside the world of writing where you are able to block everything else out for a while. But that is not what is needed of me at the moment. Oh the joys of being a mother, wife, sister, and friend. I know the time will come and it will be the right time.

The joy of life!

Please continue to pray for Kate McRae. www.prayforkate.com

Please Continue to Pray!

Please Continue to Pray!

Kate is out of surgery but things aren't looking good. She has not moved her right side and needs our prayer!
They are talking about taking her into another MRI ASAP.

Updates can be found here.

Her parents are asking for your prayers. See them here.

I just found out that even Dr. Phil has requested prayer for her and the McRae family. Amazing how the prayer net is growing in leaps and bounds!

Update: Kate is now moving her right side slightly. God is GOOD! Please keep her in your prayers. The road ahead is long.

Working Again

After a long vacation, I picked up my WIP and added about 500 words. It felt good even though my fingers are still on vacaion and my thoughts are with family and friends who are facing difficult times.

I have always known I work well under stress, but this time it caught me by surprise.

It's so exciting watching something flow from your mind onto a page. Writing words down into an understandable scene gives them life.

Let's see how much I get done today. Two Dr appointments might cut drastically into my writing time. We'll see.

Update on my Aunt Becki

I just recieved this from my Aunt:

Thank you all for patiently waiting for this update. Becki met with the doctor yesterday late afternoon. The meeting went VERY well and we left extremely encouraged. I have created my update in four segments. First, you will find the Scan Results as it is at this time. Second, specific areas of need. Third, areas of thanksgiving. Fourth, specific directive for continued prayer. Please feel free to forward this to anyone you think may be interested as this communication was approved by Becki to send out.


SCAN RESULTS

Scans were done on her entire body and the findings of these scans are as follows:

o The tumor in the kidney is still present and appears cancerous.

o The scans show spots on each lung.

o The brain is completely clear and normal.

o The bones are completely clear and normal.

SPECIFIC AREAS OF NEED

• Surgery to remove the kidney is scheduled for Wednesday, July 1 @ 8am.

• The Insurance company has not yet authorized the surgery and this is a problem that needs immediate resolution.

PRAISE REPORTS

• GOD APPOINTS PRIMARY PHSYCIAN: Dr. Harmon was extremely encouraging. His leadership today gave absolute confidence that he is on assignment by God. He was very firm that we would not allow the insurance company to delay the surgery. Dr. Harmon also made it very clear that the insurance problems are only a distraction from the real job at hand, which is Becki’s health! He strongly praised the prayer teams and support network that is in place for Becki. Dr. Harmon gave great hope in the process before us. It was clear that this doctor was handpicked by God!

• GOD GUIDES TO SELECTION OF ONCOLOGIST: We prayed and asked God to show us the right oncologist as this is a decision that must be made prior to ever knowing for fact if cancer is present. We had hoped for a particular oncologist who had been recommended to us. That oncologist is not on the insurance list. God is so good, however, because on the approved list of oncologists who were also recommended by both Dr. Harmon and our good friends Drs. Bob and Diane Comp is the name of an oncologist who is part of the same practice as the original oncologist we had hoped to see! God is smiling at us in every way.

• NEW REPORT IS BETTER THAN INITIAL REPORTS: The report from South Africa indicated that cancer was likely in the bones. This is not the case and is a huge area of praise.

• BECKI & JOHN READY FOR BATTLE: Becki is in GREAT health. Becki and John are both standing with amazing faith and confidence in the Lord.

PRAYER STRATEGY

• CALL TO WARRIORS: Though we all hoped and prayed that the tumor would actually be gone, it is not and we must remain strong and remain faithful in prayer. This is huge in our prayer strategy because the enemy would love to take some of the prayer warriors out!

• FIGHT AGAINST CANCER: Though Dr. Harmon indicates the tumor has all signs of being cancerous, he is very clear that cancer cannot be truly diagnosed until the actual tissue has been examined. Pathology reports will not be completed until at least Saturday. Pray that we get a clean and clear report, free of cancer.

• GOD GUDING SURGEONS: A prophetic word came early in the process indicating that God was taking His hand and going right in and removing the tumor. God is using a surgeon to do this. We must pray earnestly for Dr. Harmon and his associate who will join him in the surgery (Dr. Ponas).

• INSURANCE: Pray that the insurance company will release authorization immediately. Becki is scheduled for some blood work today and the surgery on Wednesday.

• SURGICAL RECOVERY: Becki will be in the hospital from 5-7 days. Pray that her recovery goes well.

• MIRACULOUS: We remain in the posture of praying for the miraculous to overshadow this situation.



I will keep you all up to date. Please keep them in your prayers.

Blessings

Prayer Request

Please keep the McRae family in your prayers. Their 5 year old Kate, has been diagnosed with a brain mass. The neurologist is doing an MRI and other tests today.

The McRae's are the precious family we spent last Tuesday with. Yup, remember the photo I posted yesterday of Josh and Kate? That is the same little sweetie.

Here is a close up of her with Josh.




Here is another photo of her with Marie.



Please keep the entire McRae family in your prayers. They are all in need of His peace and strength.

Thank you

My Vacation

This morning my alarm went off at 7 am -4 am AZ time!

My body doesn't realize what my mind has had to figure out-

My vacation has officially ended.

It was so perfect while it lasted. I visited with my aunt (who is still awaiting the results of tests from last Wed.), was present as my mother wrote another song (SO cool watching God give her something new!), spent some quality time with my brothers, step dad, and my amazing sister, met my newest nephew and hung out with his sibs, and met up with a few friends I hadn't seen in nearly 20 years. If you think that is a run on sentence, living it felt like it was all mashed together also. Seriously not enough time in 8 days for all of that love!

Over all it was a great vacation and many memories were made. Did I photograph them? Nope! (let me pause for a moment as I kick myself- again!) I got a few, but not nearly enough to even scrapbook. Darn!

I thought I would share a few of the photos I did get.

This is my son Josh and my girlfriend's daughter. He let her climb all over him. He gave her and her brother rides for hours.


This is my daughter Marie and my niece Alexia.
Aren't they beautiful!



I was so tickled to be given a few great scenes for my WIP! Amazing how they come when I'm not freaking about it!

Thank you all for your prayers and please keep my aunt at the top of them.

Blessings

Update:

We are hanging out at my Mother's home in Arizona and having such a wonderful time. My husband was able to come out for a few days also and just relax; a rare feat for a soldier like him.

It seems that God knew we would melt in the normal AZ heat and have been blessed with temps below 90 since we arrived! A wonderful surprise to me; a nearly transparent woman who is totally unable to tan, only burn and peel. It is so bad my sister and brother in-law had bets on how long it would take me to burn. LOL! Neither one has won yet! Thankfully.

My Aunt and Uncle have arrived from So. Africa and have been spending time with their church family and friends. She saw a Urologist on Thursday who confirmed the issue with the cyst on her kidney. This next week will be full of tests and an operation to remove the kidney (the most pressing issue at the moment) has been scheduled for July 1. Once the cyst has been biopsied, they plan to see a Oncologist if needed. We hope to be able to spend time with my Aunt and Uncle and cousins before we leave.

Please keep them in your prayers along with the rest of our family. My grandparents plan to fly in from So. Africa later this week so we will probably miss seeing them. :(

On the writing front: I am going through the manuscript my mother and sister had and am happy that there very few changes. All of them are either spelling errors or a missing word. Yeah! They loved it.
I am working on many great ideas for my WIP, being around wonderful women does that to me! What inspiration.

Have a fabulous weekend. Make sure and give the fathers in your life a hug.

Please pray

Hi All,

I am preparing for our vacation and am so happy that we found someone to care for our home and our pets.

Our vacation plans have changed drastically over the past 3 days.

My Aunt (the one I blogged about who is a missionary in So. Africa) has been diagnosed with cancer. The severity is not known but spots were found on her kidneys, lungs, and other places. She will be traveling to AZ while we are there and we will be blessed to spend time with her.

The same day we found out about my Aunt, my sister got news that her SIL has severe cervical cancer. She is only 23 and has two small children.

Our family is sitting in shock and asking God to show us His plans. I am amazed at His timing and that for the first time in years, I will be able to be with my family and help out where needed.

I intend to blog while I am gone, but not sure how often.

Please keep these wonderful women and their families in your prayers.

God has a plan in all of this and I can’t wait to see the brilliance of it.

45 Lessons Life Teaches

Written by Regina Brett, of The Plain Dealer in Cleveland,
Ohio

"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught
me. It is the most-requested column I've ever written."

My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once
more:

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your=2
0friends and
parents will. Stay in touch.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their
journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God
never blinks.

16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one
is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no
for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie.
Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ
is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years,
will this matter?'

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time - time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of "who God is", not because of anything you
did or didn't do.

35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's,we'd
grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

42. The best is yet to come.

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.


It amazes me how each and every one of these is a monumental lesson, and essential in life!
I need to re-read this daily!
Andrea

Spiritual ADD

WARNING: This may be a bit deep for a Wednesday- or any other day!

This morning while making breakfast, I found myself calling out to the Lord asking for His mercy. No, there is nothing specific I need mercy from, but I am feeling attacked on so many fronts: spiritually, mentally, financially, and in a few of my relationships. –relationshiply? Is that a word? Haha!-

(On Sunday Pastor Dan, at New Life Providence, spoke about the one prayer God ALWAYS answers: the prayer for Mercy. Let me tell you, I’m clinging to that prayer and the promise it holds.)

So, back to this AM; I’m praying hard for His mercy when He hits me in the forehead (He does this often and by now I should have a huge dent!).

“You have not been waiting on me,” He said.

As usual, He is right. I have not been waiting on Him.
Why? I believe I have Spiritual ADD. -I'm serious!

Some of the signs of Medically diagnosed Adult ADD are:

1. Fidgeting or squirming when I have to sit for a long time. –I can sit easily during Church or meetings, but in front of My Lord, I can’t just be.

2. Difficulty concentrating on what is said to me, even when someone is speaking to me directly? -Hugh Lord, what did you say again? Could you please repeat that?

3. Being distracted by activity or noise around me? -Was that my dog barking?

4. Feeling restless or fidgety? –Seriously Lord, You want me to be still?

5. Difficulty unwinding and relaxing when I have time to myself? –In my daily life relaxing is a joy, but in my spiritual time between myself and my Lord? I rarely feel relaxed and able to unwind in His presence.

6. Talking too much when I am in social situations? –Lord, let me tell you about this and that! -no snickering from the peanut gallery, I know I am talkative!-

7. Difficulty waiting my turn in situations when turn taking is required? -Lord, why did she get her prayer answered first?

8. Interrupting others when they are busy? –Thankfully my Lord is NEVER too busy for me, but I have been known to interrupt His process in my life.

There were MANY other questions on a test I found to help diagnose Adult ADD. It can be found here: http://www.addcoach4u.com/symptomsofadhd.html. The points listed above were the most convicting when applied to my Spiritual ADD.

The question I then posed to Him was, “What do I do about my Spiritual ADD? How do I change it?”

As I sat down with my breakfast, these questions were circling in my mind. I opened the devotional that I reviewed here, and wouldn’t you know that the Lord would again speak loud and clear, directly backing up what He was already saying. He is so wonderful, confirming what He wants to show me!

While there isn’t an Earthly cure to Spiritual ADD, I believe there is a Spiritual cure: Christ!

My Devotion started with, “Rest in Me, My child. Give your mind a break from planning and trying to anticipate what will happen… Ask My Spirit to take charge of this day...” WOW!

The scripture for the day was:
Psalms 62:5 GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
Wait calmly for God alone, my soul, because my hope comes from Him.
or
King James Bible
My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from Him.

As I come to Him, He will discipline my heart, mind, soul, spirit and body. I believe He will give me the peace I so long for in my walk with Him, thus curing my Spiritual ADD.
Thank you, Lord!

Now it’s your turn. Do you feel that you suffer or have suffered from Spiritual ADD?
What is He showing you about dealing with it?

Writing Update

I must apologize for not updating you all on my writing progress.

Since my hand surgery, I have taken some time off and seriously need to get back into the grind of working! -Injuries can be such a great excuse!-

My work in progress: I am still in the research and note phase. I can't wait for it all to come together like my last book did.

I'm attempting to write my WIP a little differently than my last book, The One, where I just sat down and wrote what I saw in my head. Then I would go back and make sure it was seamless and that it all made sense. After all the edits were done, I then wrote a synopsis of the finished work.

Honestly, that isn't always the best way to write. It worked for the last book, (and might work for future ones)but since then I have learned SO much and want to try something different. So this time I am working on a Synopsis that is done BEFORE the book is written. Kind of like the outlines you wrote for reports back in High school and College, but this is more detailed. It will walk me through all of the important aspects of the book and keep me on track while I'm writing.



The One: I have gotten two more e-rejects from my queries. There are still 5 queries out there and for each e-reject I get, I send another out. I have about fifteen more agents on my list to query, but I must admit there are not nearly enough agents who deal with the genre it is written in. It is hard to find agents who deal with Inspirational Romantic Sci/Fi- yup it's a mouth full!- But I am not discouraged. I know that eventually it will sell. I realize that day might not come for a while and that I might need to finish other works first. -my next book is an Inspirational Woman's Fiction. There are many more agents to be found in that category!-

Don't for a moment think I am giving up! I refuse to give up on it! I am just being reasonable; I need to continue writing and improving my craft.

Did you know: Carrie by Stephen King was rejected 30 times (he even threw the manuscript away forcing his wife to fish it out of the trash!) and Gone with the Wind was rejected 38 times before publishers picked them up!

I can't give up because my agent/publisher might be right around the next turn.


I'm excited to see what the next few weeks hold.

What's up with you? Where are you in your writing/job journey?

A different life in almost the same body…

Have you ever felt like your life had changed without your consent? That due to some unforeseen, unplanned, and unwanted change you were suddenly seen as and treated different?

For the first time in over 15 years I have been placed in a world of weird looks and forced kindness; all due to my finger surgery.

You see, I am not able to wear my wedding rings at the moment. –possibly not for the next 6 months! WAAA!-

While out with my teenager the other day, she mentioned how much she hated it when men stared at me. I had NO idea what she was talking about. – I’m oblivious to my surroundings! There is too much else going on in this head of mine. -
I went to scratch my nose with my left hand -the assured message to all that I'm married-. As my hand passed my face, I got a quick shock when I saw my scar instead of my ring. I realized that without my rings the message I send is that I am AVAILABLE!

Until that moment I hadn’t realized the safety and security of those little circles of gold. Not only did they protect me from every lurch over 35, but also from the judging eyes of other women.

When I am out with my children I have started to notice the looks from some other women. The look that says, “I wonder what happened to their father?” or “Stay away, whatever drove her man away might be contagious!”

This all prompted me to look introspectively. What is my first reaction to other women? Do I do the same thing? When I see a woman do I look at their finger first before I look in their eyes? How about a pregnant woman; where do I look first: her eyes, or her left hand? –talk about a wake up call!

I am convicted, how about you?

I have finally found a Daily Devotional........

That I plan to read for the rest of my life!

Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence by Sarah Young

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
Jesus Calling is a daily devotional written to speak directly to your heart and soul.

Sarah Young felt Christ inspire her to write down what He said during her quiet time with Him. In these messages He showed her who He is and who she is in Him. Each day He gave her a down to earth, easy to understand, personal message. She then passed those messages to us in the form of a daily devotional.

I have been searching for a daily devotional for years. I have longed for one that would help me see Christ up close and personal and at the same time make me want to come back for more.

This book has ended that search.

Each message is a personal note from my Savior with scripture and love woven throughout. Through this devotional, Christ speaks to each part of me: Spirit, soul and body. How could I not want to come back for more?

I look forward to reading this devotional each and every day for the rest of my life.

I read this book as a member of Thomas Nelson’s Book Review Blogger program found here: http://brb.thomasnelson.com/




View all my reviews.

Finding My Genre and Book Cataloging

When I wrote my book The One I never thought about the genre it would fit in. I knew that I wanted it to appeal to both my daughter (who is 14) and my friends (who are between 25-40ish. But when it came down to the story, I wanted a wholesome romance.

While writing I never thought about the other elements of the story and how it would affect where my book would be placed in a book store.

Imagine my shock when I was told it is a Sci/Fi! It has NO aliens, space ships, ray guns or other stuff like that, but it does have a new world that God created and they talk to their Guardian Angels (which would make it a Sci/Fi, Paranormal!).

I thought it was an Inspirational Romance. Plain and simple. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind the extra lables much, it just makes it harder for me to market. Not every agent is willing to represent a Inspirational Romantic Paranormal Sci/Fi! So on my queries, I usually state that it is an Inspirational Romance with some Sci/Fi touches.

I have started paying attention to genre and how books are cataloged. I have been reading the inner flap on more and more books. There is a ton of info there about how the book is Cataloged in the Library of Congress.

For example, the book I just finished reading, Soul Tracker by Bill Myers has 5 catalog listings: Loss (Psychology)- Children, Death- Single Fathers- Teenage Girls- Future life. Amazing isn't it!

And another book I read was cataloged as: Missing Persons - Texas

The Noticer by Andy Andrews is cataloged as: Conduct of Life- Perspective (Philosophy)-Insight

I find this info so interesting.

So my question for you is: As an author, do you write with the genre or catalog placement in mind?

As a reader do you pay attention to genre, or do you read anything?

Have a wonderful evening!

Review of Soul Tracker by Bill Myers

Soul Tracker by Bill Myers

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
Soul Tracker by Bill Myers is one of the best books I have ever read. Seriously!

It has all the components I enjoy:

It is a suspense/thriller, without much gore. It had me rushing through the pages to find out what was going to happen next.

It is a romance without excessive sex and language. There is a romance between two of the main characters AND a romance between many of the characters and Christ.

It is a Christian book that allows the reader to see Christ and how He woos us and loves us. Better than many of the self help books I have read!

It gives a very clear picture of Heaven and Hell.

It is written so well. At no point did I feel I couldn’t understand what Bill Myers wanted me to hear. One of my pet peeves is reading a sentence, page or chapter and having to stop and meditate in an attempt understand what was written.

Bill Myers is able to put into words how difficult it is for an author to articulate a feeling or idea.

LOVE IT!! I am starting on the sequel right now.


View all my reviews.

Just for fun......

QueryTracker.net is celebrating their second Anniversary. Congratulations! I would be lost without the ability to track my queries and find different agents. If you don't know what Query Tracker is click here.

They started a new contest on Thursday that runs until Sunday. It is so much fun!

The challenge was: Write the worst query letter. Break all the rules -on purpose! Haha!

It was fun! Here is what I submitted:

This would be hand written in pencil on a sheet of yellow legal paper.

Hey Agent Dude
I just started riting the best book since Twilite or Hairy Pottr! You have to read it or you will seriously be missing out big time! Imagine Rambo meeting your sister (dude, hope this does never ever happen) Sounds great right! Hey, I know you said you wanted your querries to only be on finished books but mine is so good I knew u wouldn’t mind. Think I could do a series on this? I mean better than Twilite - I never red em but everyone says they are grate!! I just know everyone will love it! Even tho my mom said it sucks, my girlfriend has red the first few pages and says it rocks, but that was b 4 she spilled her beer all over the paper- she does that all the time and I have to start writing my story over. It sucks because I have lost some of my best stuff because she cant figure out how to read and drink at the same time. I mean I can rite and drink and still do other things but she can’t even do this one simple thing. Ok enuf about her. More about me. I am almost 23, 5’7 and weigh 155. My eyes are blue and my hair is kind of brown- The girls love me! I m ripped!! 6 pak and all- u need to know even tho it took me 5 years to finish highschool –ha get it High School! -I still have a great connection there if u are interested.- I know that I am the best riter out there. I mean, how could I not be great? I have started riting a few other books but this one is the best. I can’t wait until everyone sees me famous! You can come to my autographing if you want. Remember the connection I told you about, he can come too, we probably shouldn’t invite my girlfriend, I mean HELLO she ruined my pages imagine her in a book store with lots of paper - better idea!! How bout we do the signing at a music store!!!!! Imagine how many fans will be there well need to hire security to keep me safe. Ill make sure you r safe too- dont wory.
So anyway because you want to represent the best riter ever give me a yell.
John Jones


That was so much fun to write. I'll keep you up to date on the outcome.

Why I'm Celebrating!

Exactly ONE year ago Jeff (my husband of over 15 years) returned from Iraq, healthy and in one piece.

It brings tears to my eyes and makes my breath catch to remember the moment I saw him return from war. (He was SO buff and tanned a dark brown ~makes me melt a little thinking about it!)

Unless you have experienced it, you will never understand! Having someone you love, more than yourself, return from a place where each moment could be their last is such a blessing!

The next time you see or talk to a Service Member or their family, please make sure you thank them for their sacrifices.

Rejection.....

Well, my manuscript came back with "Pass" written across the top.

~Rejection~

It means that this agent did not feel my novel was something they could represent.

I got this rejection letter about a week ago, the day of my surgery. I have held off blogging about it because I expected to feel more! I was surprised that there wasn't much feeling at all. I had a smidge of disappointment because there was no advice given on why it was rejected. I would have appreciated to know what didn't work. Oh well.

I have tried to figure out why I didn't feel angry, hurt, or depressed, and have come down with a few ideas:

I sent this manuscript out knowing that whatever happened, it would follow God's plan. Plain and simple, this agent is not the one God wants me to be with. I don't know the reason and probably never will. I just know that the agent God sends my way is the one He has planned to be mine.

Also, I was having surgery that day which threw this whole deal into perspective. If God wants me to be published, then HE will make it happen. I didn't have time to wallow in self doubt or pity. I needed all my strength to heal.

I have since sent out one more query. For each rejection, I will send out one more query.

Rejection is never easy to deal with. I have found that if I set my sights on the fact that the person who rejected me is not the right one, I am able to handle it a little better.

We'll see if the next rejection is met with the same response. I sure hope so!

How have you dealt with rejection? Did your reaction surprise you? Why?

Hope you have a blessed day!
Andrea

Thomas Nelson Book Review Club ROCKS!

Hi All, Remember my review for The Noticer by Andy Andrews? A few weeks ago I joined the TN Book Review Bloggers group found here and downloaded The Noticer onto my electronic device. Once I read it I posted my review and was done, move onto the next book to review, right? WRONG!

Today I got the book in the mail for FREE! I'm sitting here happily shocked to have this little treasure in my hands. I had no idea I would get it electronically AND in hard cover.

What a blessing!
Thanks TN!

Thoughts for today

My devotions today focused on Job 2. It is an interesting story where Satan and God were talking about Job and how strong his faith was. God’s pride and trust in Job is inspiring! There is a verse where Job is covered in boils. His wife asks him, “Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die.” Or in other words just take the easy way out. If you don't know the story, Job holds strong and in the end is rewarded by God.

I started thinking about how to apply this verse to my life. I was reminded of my quest to write novels. I didn’t start writing with the goal and purpose to show others Christ and his never ending love. Nope, I started with a dream I had one night and the dream had nothing to do with Christ. I decided to turn my dream into a book and was just getting it (The One) started, when I realized I had to make a choice: Include God in my book or not. I had studied the market enough to know that a non-Christian book is easier to sell and it is so much easier to find an agent without the Christian tag stuck on it. In short, there are more non-Christian agents, readers and publishing houses, making it more difficult for Christian writers. I was torn between writing from my Christ indwelled heart, or my head. I prayed and talked to friends and in the end I realized that I am a Christian and Christ is a part of me. I came to the conclusion that I couldn’t write a book just to write, I couldn’t remove Christ and his love from my books any more than I could type without my hands. There are others who can do it and do it well, without feeling like they had compromised. For me it just didn't feel right.

I want to be a Christian author who will stand before others and say, “I am holding onto my integrity. I am an author of books with the purpose of spreading God’s love and healing.”

Has there been a time in your life where the thought giving up your integrity was alluring? What choice did you make? Would you make that same choice again knowing the outcome?

Blessings

Andrea

Polishing my query, again......

I am polishing up my query in hopes of sending it out later today. There are so many different sites with suggestions on how to write one. I have attempted to follow the honest approach.

What do you think? Would it prompt you to want to read it?

Dear Dream Agent,

In The One, my completed 87,000 word Inspirational Romantic Sci/Fi, God creates two people, meant to be One, and places them on different worlds. He directs the Guardian Angels to bring the man, Seth, to the woman’s world, but neither angels nor humans know if Seth will choose to listen to God in order to find the one created for him.

Seth Locke opens his eyes to find he is no longer in his room, and he is no longer on earth. He has been moved to Arland, a world where the people can see and hear their Guardian Angels. Seth is told he was brought to this new land to fulfill his calling, but that cannot happen until he finds the One woman God created for him. He feels drawn to Lilli, the first woman he meets, but is uncertain if she is his One. That would be too easy! As Seth falls deeper and deeper in love with Lilli, he questions her feelings. Seth works up the courage to ask her if she is available and finds out Lilli has found her One. He assumes it is someone else and runs away demanding his Guardian Asher send him back to Earth. He wakes up on Earth forgetting everything about Arland, but troubled by dreams of a woman named Lilli, he decides to search for her everywhere.

The One is my first novel which I wrote with a goal to reach single women who are between 14 and 25, aiming to give them encouragement and hope in the search for their one.

My resume includes multiple opportunities as a spokesperson and a peer counselor. I have spoken to groups as large as 3,000 people, and have also worked in many churches as a youth director. I enjoy working with people of all ages and encouraging them to live their lives to the fullest.

I am in the process of submitting this query to multiple agents, but would be thrilled if you chose to represent me. I request permission to submit my full manuscript for your review.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Book Review of BoneMan's Daughters

BoneMan's Daughters by Ted Dekker

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
I LOVED the Bone Man's Daughters. I won't rehash the entire story because others have done a great job summarizing it. I'm sure you get the idea by now. So I'll tell you why I liked it so much.


I'm married to a guy in the Army and could identify with the main characters Brittany, Celine and Ryan. In the military and a few other jobs, others safety must come first, but there is always collateral damage. Sadly, it’s the families that sustain terrible damage. Not having a husband, wife, father or mother around because someone else needs them more is difficult to deal with.


Ted Dekker was able to create a believable story using these characters. Sadly the situation they found themselves in is very true to life. -not with the Bone Man but as a Military family- The service member comes home to a house, not a wife, not children, but to something he/she no longer is a part of. The life is not an easy one and to make it successful, each person has to work hard. Dekker was able to write a very true to life story based on this loss of family, and how Ryan, the main character realizes what he has lost, but is it too late?


Hooah to all the Military Families fighting daily beside our Service men and women.


This book kept me turning the pages and guessing at what would come next. I’m happy to say that I wasn’t disappointed. I enjoyed the writing style and the glimpses into different character's thoughts and ideas. Very well written and suspenseful.


I would recommend this to anyone who is not too squeamish.



View all my reviews.

Book Review of The Noticer

The Noticer

by Andy Andrews

Thomas Nelson Publisher

A small town is frequently visited by Jones, an old man of no discernable age. He comes and goes as he pleases passing valuable lessons to those in need, encouraging each person he meets, and giving them nuggets of perspective that grow into life changing habits.

The Noticer is full of lessons written as parables, making them come to life and have deeper meaning. I have never written down so many quotes from one book. The Noticer was full of them and I even tweeted a few to my friends. This is a book I plan to read and re-read through out my life. I enjoyed each moment of it and will be giving this great book to family and friends for the holidays.

I read this book as a member of Thomas Nelson's Book Review Blogger Program found here: http://brb.thomasnelson.com/

Can't wait to review more of their books.

UPDATE: They sent me the book in hard cover for FREE! Just for reviewing this book. So shocked and happy! Thanks TN!

Out of the loop for a bit...

Hey All, Remember the post (http://tinyurl.com/r9ohkn) where I mentioned having to give up my wedding rings? Well, I went to see a hand specialist last Friday and he diagnosed me with a Ganglion Cyst. Yup, the joy of my life, writing, has caused me to have a cyst.

I think it's funny! But am not too happy that I can't wear my wedding rings. The pain is, well, a pain. Each time I go to grip something or grab something I hit that part of my finger. My son is so proud that he can open jars that mommy can't. I refuse to tell him it is because of my cyst. Hahaha

If you are a new writer, I would recommend removing your wedding ring before you spend 10-12 hours every day typing. My lesson is now learned.

My wonderful Dr. will remove the cyst in the AM and I might not be able to type for about a week. I plan to have my daughter update you all on Twitter.

Today I have been shopping and prepping things so at least we will be fed and hope the house can withstand my lack of attention. My hubby and kids are usually great helpers and I have no doubt they will attempt to keep things clean.

So until next week,

Blessings

Have you seen this Book Trailer?

This is a great book for writers and readers interested in learning about the agent world.

Agent Demystified:



I love how dramatic our lives appear, and how true to life it is.

You can purchase the book here: http://www.authoresspress.com/

The Authoress is on a quest to spread this video like the flu. So here is my germ filled addition.

Playing with my One Line Hook, again......

Hello All,

I am spending the day inside while the rain and sun play chase outside my window, creating the perfect day for brushing up my One Line Hook and finishing the selection for this month's Book Club.

What do you think of this One Line Hook?

When God creates two people, meant to be One, and places them on different worlds, He directs the Guardian Angels to bring the man, Seth, to the woman’s world, but neither angels nor humans know if Seth will choose to listen to God in order to find the one created for him.

Is it better than the ones below? Any and all comments welcome.

Thanks!
Blessings

Something About Me.....

Rachelle Gardner put out a writing exercise today. You can find it here: http://cba-ramblings.blogspot.com/2009/05/something-about-you.html

The mission: Write about yourself in the third person. Tell us something we wouldn't guess simply from the fact that you read this blog. And do it in a maximum of 100 words.

As usual, I read this and started searching for answers. I love a writing challenge, but writing about myself is not an easy thing to do!

I reviewed my current titles, trials and joys. My life played out before me like a movie and through it all He, Jesus Christ, was there. So I started playing around and here is what I came up with.

Andrea is a woman, claimed by me before her mother knew she was there.

I have given her a husband so she could glimpse a small portion of my love for her, and children to show her my promises and joy.

I have been with her through pain, abuse, trials, and healing. I have shown her others who don’t have me, going through the same, which has given her my heart for the hurt.


I have placed words in her mind and a drive to arrange them in a compelling story that will show my love and promise to all.


There it is; Andrea in 100 words. There was so much else about me I could say, but after it is all said and done, He is what my entire life is about.

My Christ!

Agent: Demystified

Go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAL_nTJQyw8 and watch a great book trailer. You can also see it here: http://misssnarksfirstvictim.blogspot.com/

Tons of good info in this e-book.

Enjoy!

Want to vote on my One Line Hook?

The first question you are probably asking is "What is a One Line Hook?"

It is a one line summary of a manuscript.

The second question is most likely, "Why do you need one?"

It is a single sentence an Author uses to get a reader interested.

The third question, "What makes a good Hook?"

I found some great advice here: http://querytracker.blogspot.com/2009/04/dreaded-pitch-what-to-include-in-that.html

In short: The sentence must have the tone of the book, the genre targeted, and the plot. Three little words rolled up in to one sentence that should describe your 75k-90k word book.

There are so many different ways to go about writing your hook but honestly, I found the website mentioned above to be the best help yet.

So without further ado, here are 2 pitches and you have a chance to vote for your favorite!


When Seth, a young college student, is moved to a new world by his Guardian Angel, he is told he must find his One, his soul mate, in order to fulfill his calling, and at the same time learn to trust God’s will, instead of his own, but when he struggles to find her he demands to be sent back to Earth, forcing her to come to him.


When Seth, a young college student, is moved to a new world by his Guardian Angel, he learns that he must trust God’s will, instead of his own, in order to find his One, his soul mate, but when he struggles to find her he demands to be sent back to Earth, forcing her to come to him.

Some Newbie Lessons:

I have not been at this whole writing deal for too long, but already I’ve learned so much!

1. Do not send out your first query! Brush it up, send it to tons of people and/or a critique group, then you can send it out. Inevitably if you don’t follow this advice, you will send your WORST query to your Dream Agent and possibly destroy your chances of winning over that agent.

2. If you enter a contest or a critique session, DO NOT edit your 1000 words down to 250! There is absolutely no way to get your point and plot across properly. There will be something important missing no matter what. So the reviews will not be pertinent.

3. Study, study, study. Find lessons on writing techniques and anything you can get your hands on to help you grow as a writer. Anything new that you learn will only help you.

4. Don’t hide your manuscript from helpful critique fearing it will be stolen. I have attempted to pass mine out to many different people because I desperately need the feedback, good or bad. Read up on copyright laws and don’t worry too much.

5. We all have our favorite Agents who we dream of representing us, under no circumstances should you follow them relentlessly on Twitter, FB, or their blogs. It’s not a big deal to pop in or check up on them. There are some WONDERFUL Agents out there who give advice you need daily. But be aware that when you follow them you will be sitting on the edge of your seat each time you see them post something new. My dream agent mentions doing things and going places and at first I was a bit ticked. I wanted to yell “Wait! You haven’t responded to my query yet.” How ridiculous it that? Honestly, I don’t want an agent who doesn’t make time for themselves and their family. So save yourself some heartache and back off a bit, lay low and follow #6.

6. While waiting for a response from Agents find something else to do besides wait. Write another book or small story, find a new hobby, clean the house- HAhaha!-, anything to keep your mind occupied.

That’s all for now. Like I said up at the top, I'm a newbie. You don’t have to listen to me; after all I’m not published YET! But I have learned some hard lessons and I wish to keep you from making the same mistakes I did. And trust me, there will be many more to add to this list!

Do you have any advice for a new author? I’d love to hear it.

Blessings

Andrea

Want to see a Query?

Here is my query. I have brushed it up and would enjoy reading your comments.

Andrea Gardner
http://andreasquipsnquotes.blogspot.com/
I usually add the rest of my info but not on my blog. ;)
May 5, 2009


Dear Dream Agent,

I am seeking representation for my completed 87,250 word Inspirational Romance The One.

I chose to submit my query to you after reading your web page. (I usually add something about what I saw on their page or something about their blog to make it individual)

The One tackles the issue of trusting God and his will in our lives, set in a funny, romantic story.
Seth Locke opens his eyes to find he is no longer in his bed, and he is no longer on earth. He has been moved to Arland, a world where the people can see and hear their Guardian Angels. The Arlanders are unique; God’s will is spoken to them through their Guardians. He calls the Guardians to lead, guide and direct these people, and because they listen they are advanced in every way.

Seth is told he was brought to this new land to fulfill his calling, but that cannot happen until he finds the One woman God created for him. Seth is troubled by the urgency to find his One, and is intimidated by this new world. He feels drawn to Lilli, the first woman he meets, but is uncertain if she is his One. That would be too easy! As Seth falls deeper and deeper in love with Lilli, he questions her feelings for him. When Seth finds out Lilli has found her One, he assumes it is someone else and runs away demanding his Guardian send him back to Earth. He awakens on Earth forgetting everything about Arland, but troubled by dreams of a woman named Lilli, whom he searches for everywhere.

The One is my first novel. My resume includes multiple opportunities as a spokesperson and a peer counselor. I have spoken to groups as large as 3,000 people. I have also been the primary speaker for many multimedia presentations. I enjoy working with people of all ages and encouraging them to live their lives to the fullest in Christ.

I am in the process of submitting this query to multiple agents. I would be thrilled if you chose to represent me. I request permission to submit my full manuscript for your review.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely,

Andrea Gardner

Some great advice!

I just finished reading a great blog: http://querytracker.blogspot.com/2009/05/simple-trick-to-help-you-get-published.html

The information here is so perfect and timely! Hope it helps you as much as it did me.

Blessings

Step Two Includes.....

Morning All, I decided to pop in and bring you up to date on my progress.

Step two of a 3 step process in finding an Agent consists of writing a synopsis, and polishing up your manuscript.

There are so many great sites out there that address writing the synopsis. For my next book, this process will be attempted BEFORE the writing starts. Not sure how that will work because I write according to the scenes in my mind. But I think it might help me focus more. We'll see.

A synopsis is a condensed look at your book. You grab your 88 thousand word manuscript and pull out the pertinent info, the highs, the lows AND the ending. Then you take all of that and write a 2 -YES 2- page synopsis using that info.

The manuscript should be all ready for printing. Check it over one last time, and print it out. (or you might get lucky and be able to submit it by e-mail.)

Don't forget to check your Agents submission requirements or requests. The Agent I am sending to only accepts the above in print and snail mail.

IF your agent requests the same, print it out on BOND paper! I searched over 100 sites on synopsis and manuscript writing and all of them say that you must use bond paper. $$$$ Save up those pennies first! It is not cheap but makes everything look so sharp.

Once it is printed don't bind it in any way, staples, clips etc. I am putting mine in a tan envelope and then into a priority mail envelope. Hopefully the double packaging will keep it from shifting around too much.

Then you mail it out and wait. I plan to start my next novel in hopes of staving off the jitters. I've found a large part of waiting to be published is waiting. Such a lesson for me~ the totally impatient one!

That is where I am at the moment. Praying the response is quick and positive!

UPDATE: I have checked with some Agent friends and the bond paper thing is not true! Thank GOD! I was starting to add up the costs and it wasn't looking good! Off to print and send send them out. Yipee!

I have........

A request for my synopsis and the first 50 pages of my manuscript!

Step two of a 3 step process!

I am polishing my synopsis now and have butterflies!

Please pray that if this is to be my agent, things will go smoothly.

Blessings!

Why?......

Why do I tend to forget my past jobs and work experiences?

It has been so long since I wrote a resume that I truly forget what I have done in my life!

I am writing these queries and even though I have never written a novel before, I HAVE been a spokesperson which included speaking to groups of over 3000 people. I have been involved in multimedia presentations both in front of and behind the camera. I even forgot to mention my stint as peer counselor! Oh, wait! I just remembered when Jeff and I were the youth pastors at two different churches! AAAHHH!

I am literally squealing at myself.

Here I sit pounding my head with someone else's book ~one of my favorites!~ raking myself over the coals because I just sent out 4 queries WITHOUT this information. Hahahaha WAAAAAA.

I guess if I am supposed to be represented by someone they will like me for my writing not for my previous accomplishments.

But if I'm lucky they will come here and read this and like both. ;)

More Queries Sent

My queries have been brushed up and polished. I bit the bullet and sent some more out today.
I have realized that the agent I sent to before is wonderful but my query was not!
The past few days have been spent searching for other agents to add to my Dream list and am pleased to say that there are a few more out there.
God knows where my book needs to go and to whom.
Please stand in prayer with me that the right person will read and respond soon! ~that is in His timing!~

What I have had to give up for writing

My wedding rings!!
I just got back from the Dr. and found out that writing has caused a cyst on my ring finger! Can you believe it? It is a small bump under the skin but it hurts something fierce when I wear my rings.

Talk about an excuse not to wear your wedding rings! But I want to wear them. I miss seeing them on my finger and the promise they represent.

The Dr. said that when I was writing my last book I must have had my rings on and aggravated the area. So funny!

Anyone gotten a tat on their finger? Think they can do it in Gold ink?

Update: Surgery on May 21 to have a cyst removed from my finger. Should be an easy in and out. Oh the things we are willing to do for what we love!

Another day

Today held some difficulties and some amazing moments.
I got to have dessert with my hubby after the NAVY decided that I am a non-entity without him. Gotta love the spousal support!
Went in to get a new ID card and the NAVY does things so differently! The ARMY is totally automated so you can just walk in, give them your name, smile pretty for the camera, and *bam* you have a new ID card.

Not so in the NAVY.

They still use paper! -yeah remember paper? She asked me to have my Soldier FAX a document! So much easier for him to e-mail it since the ARMY has given him the proper tools to do this. As if I can pull my Soldier out of his very important job to sign a paper stating that I am still his wife and that he is allowing me to get an ID card! So archaic!

Go ARMY beat NAVY! - hahahaha

So tomorrow I get to go to lunch with my wonderful Soldier and then he will escort me to the local ARMY post for my new ID card. He wants it to be as stress free as possible- and get some NAVY jabs in at the same time. Just wait until he tells his buddies how easy it is in the ARMY!

I am so blessed to have such a wonderful, loving hubby.

After our dessert date we sat and watched DVR'd 24 while searching for more agents to query.

Hope you had a blessed day!

UPDATE: We went to Ft. Monroe ~an ARMY Post~ and walked right in. No problems at ALL! Oh how I loved the sea of green uniforms and I even got a bit emotional when I saw the berets. Yeah, those stinkin' things just look right. -took about 3 years to grow on me. *grin*

Learning again to laugh at myself

Sometimes I can take myself way too seriously. I am attempting to rewrite my queries and man, this is difficult.

I must find a way to come across as educated, smart, witty and engaging so that the Agent will then read to the end of the page and get to the good stuff -my book.

HAhahaha!

How does the witty and engaging part get lost so easily? No comments from the peanut gallery!



So, I am taking the day off. I am going to get my new Id card. That picture is sure to humble me a bit and make me laugh!

Confirmation

We had the most wonderful service today at www.newlifeprovidence.com. The worship and fellowship were great. The sermon Pastor Dan gave was so to the point it brings tears.
We learned how God gives us safety but not comfort. At any point we are comfortable we are not learning and growing! POWERFUL!
I am reminded of the growing pains I had as a child. I used to cry so often and not be able to move. I knew that I was growing but there were times where I would have gladly stayed where I was to avoid the pain.
Today I find myself doing the same thing spiritually.
The new book I am working on is going to cause me to be very uncomfortable! It will require me to dig into my past and some difficult situations so that I can show how God carried me out of them.
I have already asked a few of my friends to pray for me during this process. I even mentioned to one of them that I don't want to go so far outside of my comfort zone! HELLO!
I know God wants to use my experiences towards His glory and to bring others hope. I know it will cause me to be uncomfortable, but I also know that it will cause me to grow. It will bring me one step closer to Him and who He is calling me to be.
So I challenge you this week, where are your comfort zones? Have you gotten so comfortable that you have stopped growing?
Blessings!

Finished the book I was reading

I will NEVER read another book by this author! It was terrible. It ended on a very sad note and it showed NO hope for a happy or even livable future.
I just don't get it!
I'm looking forward to talking about it in book club on Monday.

Update: I have been told that I was way too hasty in my decision making. Most people who LOVE this author have said that this book and it's ending are not true to her writing style. So my girlfriend gave me another one to try. Not sure when I'll get to it! I need to stuff some Janet Evanovich and other happy stories in first! -Fortify myself.

Another promise to my readers

I am reading a book at the moment for my book club. It is wonderfully written and has kept me entertained, but it is missing a huge component; a component that I feel makes or breaks a story: HOPE
The problems in this book are so true to life. The characters are broken and hurting, but that's where it ends. They have no hope that the situation will get better. (I am 3/4 of the way through this particular book and don't know how it will end, but we all have read stories that are similar, or watched movies with the same premise.)

If this blog finds you in that same situation please know that there is HOPE!

I have been studying about Hope today and praying that God will show me some insights.
What I have found is that the Bible is so full of scriptures that reference Hope and I am overwhelmed. Our hope is in God!
Is that why these characters have no hope? Is the Author without hope? Is the author without God?
So my promise lies in my Hope in God~ I will in every way attempt to share my Hope with you. It might not show up right away and you'll probably wonder if I have forgotten this promise. Rest easy, I will not forget! How could I? If I forget, each lesson God has taught me would be for nil.

If you know my story, you know that there have been many times that I should and could have given up all hope. The future looked bleak and there was no visible promise of happiness, but through it all I held on to the smallest glimmer of hope. Sometimes that glimmer was not even the size of a atom but it was there none the less.

The greatest hope I had grew out of a promise made to me when I was 7. ~ A promise that I would NEVER be left alone and EVERYTHING that had happened and would happen to me was to the eventual glory of my God.

There was and is no promise that life would be wonderful. There was no promise to free me from earthly pain. But there IS a promise that I would not be given more than I could handle. Goodness, at the time I had no idea I could handle so much! LOL!

As I take on this next writing venture, I foresee some sticky situations where some of the characters struggle- and I will struggle with them as I write their stories- but know that at all times the hand that wrote the story LONG before He gave it to me, is the one who gives all Hope and the one who is the true reward of our hope.

Blessings


I have the best song about Hope and God's promise on my playlist. It is "You Gave Me Your Promise" by Fireflight. Moving!

Hope is some extraordinary spiritual grace that God gives us to control our fears, not to oust them. ~Vincent McNabb

Hope is faith holding out its hand in the dark. ~George Iles

Romans 12:12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

Romans 15:4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

Psalms 33:18 But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love.

A small story I wrote for a contest. The prompt: Begin and End

I opened my eyes not knowing what was going on. The screaming that had woken me wouldn’t stop. It had begun out of nowhere.
Then there was silence. Had I been dreaming?
My husband rolled over rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “Hon, what was that?”
He had heard it also, so it couldn’t have been a dream.
“I’m going to check on the kids,” I said as I quickly got out of bed to make sure our children were unharmed. Both of them were safe and warm in their beds, allowing me a moment to breathe deep and say a quick prayer of thanks.
Then it started again. The screaming was blood curdling.
I ran downstairs thinking that maybe our cat had gotten into something and was hurt.
Poor Beau was lying at the bottom of the stairs, unseen until I stepped on his tail. I quickly learned that there was no way to mistake what I had heard for a cat.
I went to the back window and looked out. Our light sensor hadn’t come on so I assumed that whatever had been hurt wasn’t back there.
The screaming happened again, startling me. It sounded so close, as though I was right on top of it.
I grabbed the broom and stuck it out the door activating the sensor. Light flooded the yard confirming that the hurt or injured thing was not in my back yard.
My husband ran down the stairs, now fully awake, and carrying the bat we hid under the bed. “Did you find out what it is?”
I shook my head. I couldn’t force air past my voice box because my heart was caught in my throat. I saw my fear reflected in my husbands face and became even more afraid.
The screaming started again and I watched him take a deep breath, swallow, and step through the door; bat held high.
He walked to our 6ft high wooden fence, where the sound seemed to be coming from. I watched him pull himself up to get a look over the top. He let out a whop, making me jump and scream. He dropped to the ground and started laughing hysterically.
Had he gone crazy? Did what he saw make him hysterical.
“Jeff. Honey, are you ok? What’s wrong?” I ran to him forgetting that something horrible could be waiting just over the fence. None of that mattered if he wasn’t alright.
He attempted to calm down and breathe normally when the screaming started again and he laughed even harder.
I gripped his arm and attempted to drag him to the safety of our home.
Why, oh why didn’t I grab the cell phone? If I had called 911 when this all started, the police would be here by now.
Jeff had finally stopped laughing and pulled me into his arms. I was totally baffled and seriously thinking that he had snapped mentally.
“Honey, I want you to do something for me. I promise you it will be difficult, but it is something you need to do.” What could he need? He was so solemn.
“Okay,” I said. “Anything.”
He reached into the kitchen and grabbed one of the chairs. I watched him carry it to the fence. What was he thinking? He honestly didn’t expect ME to look at whatever was so gruesome.
I began praying hard that the Lord would help him regain his sanity.
“Honey, come over here please. Remember, you said you would do anything. I want you to stand on this chair and look into the Johnson’s yard.” He said this without any fear in his eyes. He was serious. “I promise you will be okay,”
We had been married for 7 years and I had never known him to do anything that would harm me. I had to trust him.
I put my leg on the chair when the screaming started again. I jumped and once more looked into Jeff’s eyes searching for a release from my promise. He was trying not to laugh.
Oh Lord, please help me.
I stepped up onto the chair, took a deep breath and peeked over the fence.
I searched all around and didn’t see any blood. I didn’t find a body. There was nothing to explain the noise. My eyes searched again and the moment I located the source, the screaming ended.


I was shocked to be staring into the eyes of the largest Rooster I had ever seen.


This story is based on a night 6 years ago. Our stinkin' neighbor had gotten a rooster. I had NEVER heard one for real, only in the movies. I don't know if this rooster was coo coo or if he had a weird voice, but I really was terrified when I heard it. In real life I didn't run downstairs but was able to look from my window and see this stinkin' thing sitting on top of his coop. The moon was full enough for me to see him. Yes the moon was still up. This guy liked to get up at 3:30 and crow until 10:30. No JOKE!
We ended up calling the police and the neighbors had to get rid of this guy due to city codes on animals.
I'll update you on the results. Hope you enjoyed it.
Make it a wonderful day!

Follow up: The reviews on my short story have all been positive. Can't wait until Thursday when I find out where I placed in the competition.