January 2005

A while back I listed about 50 of my favorite books (check the archives, if you’re interested). Today I decided it’s time to add some to that list, especially since I’ve been reading so many good ones these days. I don’t have a place to post reviews on this site, but I have posted some reviews on Amazon.com, CBD.com, and BarnesNoble.com on occasion.

For my purposes here, I’m only going to list titles and authors, but keep in mind that I only recommend books that I truly enjoy. I hope you’ll check out these books for yourself and come along on the adventure of reading.

Here they are: (If some are duplicates from the first list, forgive me.)

A Nest of Sparrows by Deborah Raney
Beyond the Shadows by Robin Lee Hatcher
Santa Fe Sunrise by Kathleen Fuller
Footsteps by DiAnn Mills
Retribution by Randall Ingermanson
Stain of Guilt by Brandilyn Collins
Hideaway by Hannah Alexander
That Christmas Feeling by Catherine Palmer and Gail Gaymer Martin
Beyond a Doubt by Colleen Coble

I think that’s it for now. I’m currently reading a number of books and enjoying them so far. They are:

Heaven by Randy Alcorn
Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell
45 Master Characters by Victoria Lynn Schmidt
Pioneer Women by Joanna L. Stratton
Faithful Traitor by Jill Stengl

And for Christmas my husband bought me the So That’s Why Bible. I’m in Genesis (reading it through but not trying to finish in one year) and I just finished the drama of Jacob’s daughter Dinah. It’s interesting to note that the man who raped Dinah (and then loved her) was considered the most honorable man in his father’s house. Makes me wonder what the other guys were like!

I find that Scripture is one of the best sources to fuel my imagination for writing. And reading some of these wonderful authors I’ve mentioned helps too. :)

Happy reading!

Sewing is something I learned to do in high school and have tackled my share of projects. I’ve even managed to follow a pattern and create costumes that turn out halfway decent. The one thing I’ve never tried, however, is to put in a zipper. Snaps, velcro, hooks and eyes – no problem. (Don’t even ask about button holes.) :)

Today, I tried my hand at inserting a zipper into a pair of my son’s athletic slacks. (They have zippers from the thigh to the ankle on either side and one of them broke.) So, adventurous person that I am, I decided I would replace it myself.

It took three tries to get the whole thing straight, but I finally had it pinned in place. It looked nearly perfect. The only thing left to do was put the zipper foot on the machine and do the actual sewing.

Before I did that, I thought it might be a good idea to unzip the zipper. (Not to mention the directions said to do that!) So I gave the zipper a tug. It wouldn’t budge. I pulled harder, gripping the metal tab between my fingers until they hurt.

Nothing.

After a number of failed attempts, I took out all of my neatly placed pins and tried unzipping the thing away from all constraints. It would not move. Not even a slight hint at movement. I even tried pulling at one side and then the other.

Nothing.

So I packed it back up and tonight my husband tried to exchange it for me at a sister store to the place I bought it. Come to find out they are going out of business and wouldn’t take the return. Sigh.

So now I have to go back to the original store, which is further from home. You can bet I’ll be checking the new zipper before I leave the store!

On the bright side, I discovered the problem before I sewed it in place! Saved me oodles of time using the seam ripper.

There is always something to be grateful for! :) But I have discovered that sewing is just not my forte. :)

When I finish the rewrites for a short story I’m working on…and when my webmaster son gets a free moment…we will be posting the story, Journey to Treasureland on this site in its entirety.

I wrote the story many years ago as a supplement to our church’s Awana clubs, which was printed in a take home paper that went home with the kids on a monthly basis. It is the story of four children, Sarah, Chelsea, Mark, and Manuel along with Pastor Winston who is leading them on a journey to Treasureland. They learn the difference between truth nuggests and lie pebbles and the true meaning of salvation along the way. I hope you will check back often and when it’s up, if you enjoy the story, please tell your friends about it.

I’m praying that the Lord will use this story as a tool to make the gospel clear to adults and children alike, as it did for my youngest son when he was ten.

In the meantime, we are snowed in here in Michigan with nearly a foot of blowing and drifting clouds of winter white. The cat gave up trying to peer through the glass doors to the backyard and is curled up by the fire instead.

I’m off to make some homemade chicken soup and apple pie, before sitting down to work on those rewrites of Treasureland again.

May God bless your day!

I’ve been in need of some encouragement this week. I’m back to asking God “why?” and “how long?” yet again. You’d think I’d learn, having been through this most of last year. I don’t want to fall back into the trap of wondering if I’m ever going to sell my books. Only God knows the plans He has for me and I want to focus on the journey and the fun it is to do the creating along the way.

It’s also fun to critique manuscripts for other authors. I’ve had the privilege of reading a novella for a friend before her deadline and was reminded by another friend of how much my critiquing helped her in the past. She called me one of her writing buddies and it really touched my heart. Like a hug from God.

Something I really needed today.

A few more emails from encouraging friends continued that gentle hug throughout the day. No, He didn’t send me a contract in the mail or a promise of one in the future. But He did remind me that He is using the knowledge I’ve gleaned of this writing craft to help others. And in helping them, I am blessed.

I still wonder why God is taking so long in allowing me to see my own work in print. It’s so hard to trust His timing. But I realize He knows best.

January can’t be half over already! We celebrated our son, Chris’s, 20th birthday a few days early because our youngest son, Ryan, is going on a youth retreat with our church this weekend. Add to that all of the chiropractor visits I’ve been making these days and the back pain I’ve been in and there hasn’t been much time to add to this online journal. It hurts to sit too much, but it’s getting better.

I’ve been working hard on characterization for my new novel. I never enjoyed this process before, but I’ve been reading 45 Master Characters and learning more than I did the last time I skimmed it. I’ve used the mythological archetypes in my previous books, but I’ve never tried to use them to such depth. It helps to actually answer the questions they ask – for each character. :)

I had fun searching the web to find pictures of people that lived in the late 1800s and I bought a research book on life during that time. I’m studying a lot about the Indians and life in Kansas. Who would have thought such history could be so fascinating?

I used to think that writers mainly sat down and started crafting scene after scene – once they picked out names and occupations and faces for their characters. Setting and time period mattered too, of course, but to really know the characters likes and dislikes, fears and dreams – I haven’t allowed myself to discover these things right up front like this before. Normally, I figure it out as I write and by the end of the book I know the characters fairly well. Of course, that makes for a lot of rewriting – to go back and add things I didn’t know in the beginning.

This time, I’m taking it slow. I’d like less rewriting at the end, so I’m digging in my heels and making myself learn to enjoy the beginning of the writing journey. The start of a book when everything is fresh and new. And not worry how fast I can finish it.

All for now…

It feels good to begin a new year. Strange to see Christmas go so quickly, but time has a way of speeding up the older we get. Then again, my kids notice the swiftness of time as well, at least as far as it has to do with a break from school. Too soon they have to hit the books again.

For me, I’m happy to “hit the books” if that means getting back to my wip (work in progress). The joy of writing has resumed with the turn of the clock, and I’m excited to see the way this story is unfolding before my eyes. I started with a shell of an outline, mere paragraphs of back-story and a plan for where it would go. But as I’ve prayed for direction, ideas are flowing, and I find myself seeing my characters throughout the day, hearing their conversations, imagining whole scenes when I first awaken. I LOVE this part of writing!

I’m finding the historical research fascinating. Other than Biblical history, I never thought I’d enjoy the study of other eras. But not only is this interesting, but it captures my imagination, adding to the plot twists of the story. This is where SOTP (seat of the pants) writing gets fun.

Some books have required more plotting on my part, with lenghty outlines, running a dozen pages. This one is sketchier, and though I may add to the paragraph summary as I go, it’s more fun to let the scenes brew a bit, then type it out and see where it takes me.

This year, as I bask in the renewed joy of this calling, my goal is to be grateful for the writing journey. To rejoice in the process. I know now that I am a combination plotter and SOTP writer, which is a little like coloring between the lines. I like to pencil in the picture first, then, as I begin to write, I fill in the colors from top to bottom – chapter one to the end. Hopefully, the picture is unusual enough, with shades of color that draw the reader to look ever closer, until they are entranced with the beauty of the story.

It’s a lofty goal, but somebody has to pursue it… :)