Dreaming with Julie Carobini

Dreaming Through
the Dark Times
by
Julie Carobini

I’ve been through divorce, brain surgery, and serious financial hardship. Probably not the way a post about dreams should begin. The reality is, though, that many of us go through times so tough that dreams seem both vaporous and unattainable.

Unless we know the ‘lifter of our heads’.

During many of those dark days, I found myself standing at the water’s edge, pleading with God. Sometimes I lived close enough to walk. Other times I had to get into my car and drive an hour just to stand in front of the vast sea and cast my cares upon the One who created them.

Since then, I’ve experienced many bright days too. New love, a family, healings, fresh joys…and still through the years, I have often taken to the sea to talk to God. At one particular point, I remember worrying that the beach had become my idol, and promising God that I would give it up, if that’s what he wanted. (I even made myself stay away, an endeavor that lasted all of two weeks.)

Instead, he gave me a writing career. He took all the lows and highs in my life and created something new with them. Believe me when I tell you that I had no plans of my own to write beach-themed novels one day. I just kept praying and writing and seeking until an idea popped into my head. I followed that idea, and now find myself writing my fifth novel filled with ‘waves of grace’, as I’ve come to think of these stories.

So what does this all have to do with dreams? Plenty. Has God given you a dream? Does it seem outlandish—maybe even to you? Don’t be quick to discount it. Instead, be patient. Pray over your idea until you know that it is absolutely not from him—or perhaps that it absolutely is!


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Julie Carobini writes beach-themed novels for the ‘young at heart.’ Sweet Waters, the story of a woman whose fairytale turns out to be a soap opera, is available now (B&H Publishing Group). Visit her at http://www.juliecarobini.com/ ~ Julie would love to hear from you!


ABOUT THE BOOK - Sweet Waters

What happens when the fairytale turns out to be a soap opera?

Tara Sweet is nothing if not sensible. Usually. But her engagement is off, and her mother—yes, mother—is newly married and gallivanting around Europe.

It’s time for a change. So she convinces her sisters to honor their father’s final wish and rediscover the fairy-tale life they knew in Otter Bay, California. But Tara discovers fairy tales are fragile—and truth is often one ugly layer after another of secrets, accusation, rumor, and a past an entire church wants to forget.

Firefighter Josh Adams knows all about battling personal demons. He’s been doing so ever since a woman nearly died in his arms. Actually, long before . . .

As the turbulence in their lives grows, Tara and Josh find themselves at odds with their families, their faith, the townspeople of Otter Bay—and each other.

Only in facing the lies from the past can they find the truth.


WIN THE BOOK

If you’d like to be entered to win a copy of Sweet Waters, just leave a reply to this blog. I’ll pick a winner at random on September 15th. Please leave an email address so I can contact you if you're the winner. (To prevent spammers from trolling for your email, please use this format with the brackets--you [at] yourmail [dot] com--or something similar.) Good luck!

Maureen Lang on Dreams - WIN HER BOOK!

The Longevity
of Dreams
by
Maureen Lang

How do you separate a dream from a whim? For me, the answer is found in longevity.

When I was a little girl, I dreamed about being all sorts of things. A veterinarian, a rancher, a teacher, a librarian. I’d think about it all the time, at least for the period of time I was interested in each vocation. I’d read books about the topic, talk to people about it, think about.

But eventually the desire to learn more would fade; I would end up, instead, thinking of story ideas that included veterinarians, ranchers, teachers or librarians. I found myself living out interesting vocations in a vicarious sense, through the “lives” of my characters.

I was quite young when I noticed the trend, but like many sensible people I reined in my loftiest visions of literary success. I wrote my stories, shared them with close friends, but never really thought I would depend on such a dream for a living. It was something I sensed I’d always be interested in, but I’d done enough investigating to have learned most writers didn’t earn enough solely from writing to support themselves.

But even if I didn’t dream of making millions from writing, I did still dream about sharing my stories with the widest possible audience—which meant seriously pursuing publication, no matter what kind of money it earned (or didn’t!).

So I nurtured my dream of publication by action, because clearly this dream was not going away. I just learned to keep my expectations reasonable. I joined a critique group, entered national contests for feedback, received encouragement from a network around me and continued learning by reading. But while I did all that I went about my life the way most of the other girls in my neighborhood did. I got married right out of high school, which was common back then. I would’ve loved going to college, but that wasn’t the path either my family or my environment encouraged. I was too much a pleaser to forge my own pathway separate from what was expected.

When I was in my early twenties I received a contract in the mail—a New York publisher wanted to publish one of my historical romances. That was my first taste of having my dream come true.

But could it still be called a whim, after all that? When my personal life went through some challenges, a divorce, single-parenthood, returning to the business world, I was forced to give up writing. As I’d suspected, despite three books published in the secular romance genre, writing didn’t pay enough to live on. And between working, being with my daughter and starting a new personal life, I just didn’t have the energy to write any more.

I didn’t write for fifteen years. My dreams of a steady career in the publishing world withered for lack of nourishment and attention.

However, deep inside, at the core, the dream never really died, even though from the look of things it certainly seemed that way. But I still read, I still had story ideas pop up every now and then. And eventually when my life settled down again, my writing dreams perked up as alive as ever.

I wrote whenever I could, as if a dam had burst and all those pent up words and images and characters had to flow. I’d remarried and had the security of being home, and from that place of safety found the time to pick up my dream again. It took about three years, but with persistence coupled with the re-entry into critique groups, networking at conferences, and stubborn refusal to let rejection get the best of me, I went on to my first contract in the Inspirational market.

My lesson? God hard-wired me to write, it’s been proven time and again by the simple fact that I’ve always returned to writing. As many writers say, I can’t not write. Being able to write for others is a dream come true, not a whim that passed away unnoticed from my life. I can safely say I’d be writing whether I keep publishing or not. My writing dream is too much a part of my real life to let that happen now!


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Maureen Lang is the author of several novels, including Christy finalist Pieces of Silver and the popular novel, The Oak Leaves. She lives in the Midwest with her husband and two sons. Learn more about Maureen at her website, http://www.maureenlang.com/.


ABOUT THE BOOK - Look to the East (Tyndale House Publishers)

At the dawn of the First World War, the small French village of Briecourt is isolated from all the battles but their own—among families that have been feuding for centuries. But when the German army sweeps in to occupy the town, families on both sides must work together to hide stragglers caught behind enemy lines. Even as Julitte Toussaint falls in love with one of the men in hiding, she knows if he’s found it could bring danger to her entire village.


WIN THE BOOK

If you’d like to be entered to win a copy of Look to the East, just leave a reply to this blog. I’ll pick a winner at random on September 3rd. Please leave an email address so I can contact you if you're the winner. (To prevent spammers from trolling for your email, please use this format with the brackets--you [at] yourmail [dot] com--or something similar.) Good luck!

Dreaming with Betsy St. Amant - WIN HER BOOK!

It's my pleasure to welcome today's guest blogger, author Betsy St. Amant!

Does Dream-Come-True
Equal
Perfection?

This is such a timely topic for me, as I've had several people over the last few weeks tell me "wow, it looks like all your dreams are coming true!"

It certainly seems that way, as two of my deepest dreams have indeed come to pass in the last year or so. I've received multiple contracts with Steeple Hill Love Inspired, a long-time dream of mine, but even more exciting than that, as of July 2nd, I officially became a stay at home mother!

My daughter is one year old now, and I was able to quit my day job as a receptionist just weeks before her first birthday. My husband, a fireman, graciously took on a second job so this could happen. It took lots of planning and prayer, but here I am! Blessed beyond belief and eternally grateful to my hero-hubby! =) Now I get to mother full time and write more often.

My dreams have indeed come true. But many people fall into the trap of believing that with dreams come perfection. And that is NOT true! Being a multi-published author still has its problems and stresses. Yes, it's what I've always wanted, and wouldn't trade it - but now I have deadlines to meet, the pressure is higher, there are new worries about bad reviews, etc. My problems didn't go away with publication, they just changed.

And that's life. Many unpubbed authors think their lives will be perfect when they get published, but it’s just not the case. Fears of rejections will just change to fears of low sales or never getting a second contract. Fears of never getting an agent will change, once agented, to fears of the agent not liking your next project.

The same goes with motherhood. We have our good days and bad days, like any other mother/daughter. But I wouldn't trade this time or opportunity for anything in the world. My dreams have come true, and that doesn't mean life is perfect, but it sure is sweet!

The only true perfection we can have is through Jesus Christ. Without God in our lives, we have no hope of true joy or happiness. Only with Jesus at our side can we be good mothers, good authors, good employees, etc. Without Him, its a futile search.

Jesus puts dreams in our hearts. I'm so blessed that He brought two of mine to pass recently. If you are pursuing a dream, don't give up. It took a year to reach mine of staying at home to write and mother full time. And it took MANY years of waiting before reaching publication. Keep trying, keep praying, and never release that dream in your heart. God has a way of providing at the most unusual - and perfect - timing. =)

Dream on, friends!


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Betsy St. Amant lives in Louisiana and is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers group. Betsy is multi-published through Steeple Hill and has been published in Christian Communicator magazine and Praise Reports: Inspiring Real Life Stories of How God Answers Prayer. One of her short stories, Kickboxing or Chocolate, appears in a Tyndale compilation book, and she is also multi-published through The Wild Rose Press. Betsy has a BA in Christian Communications and regularly contributes articles to Crosswalk.com. She is a wife, author, new mother and an avid reader who enjoys sharing the wonders of God’s grace through her stories.

To find out more about Betsy and her books, visit her website: http://www.betsystamant.com/



ABOUT THE BOOK - Return to Love

“I’m Not The Man I Used To Be!” If only Gracie Broussard could believe that! Years ago, Carter Alexander broke her heart and betrayed her. Now, just when she needs him most, he’s back—asking her to believe he’s changed. But this time, it’s not just Gracie who’ll be hurt if he disappears. A penguin keeper, Gracie urgently needs to find a new home for her beloved birds. Carter is the only one who can help. He promises that she can trust him, that he’s not the rebel he once was. And that he needs Gracie as much as her birds do.


WIN THE BOOK
If you’d like to be entered to win a copy of Return to Love , just leave a reply to this blog. I’ll pick a winner at random on July 30th. Please leave an email address so I can contact you if you're the winner. (To prevent spammers from trolling for your email, please use this format with the brackets--you [at] yourmail [dot] com--or something similar.) Good luck!

Resurrected Dream by Jill Elizabeth Nelson - WIN HER BOOK!

It's my great pleasure to welcome back suspense author Jill Elizabeth Nelson!

Resurrected Dream

“If God can bring an awesome dream to pass for this nobody-in-particular from nowhere special, He can and will do the same for you.” This is what I tell people at my speaking engagements. In fact, I autograph my debut novel, Reluctant Burglar, with the following words: Let your dreams soar! Mark 10:27.

That scripture promises that nothing is impossible with God. Many times my dream to become a published novelist looked unattainable, and I gave up on it. But the dream kept resurrecting, and then one fine day I got that first contract!

Obviously, the journey wasn’t without struggle, nor did it happen overnight. Far from it. My dream was born when I was eleven years old, but my first book wasn’t published until I was 46. That’s quite a time lag. But the Lord used those years to hone me as a person and build my skills as a writer. As I also tell my audience at speaking engagements, I completed my first mystery novel in the 6th grade, but not a shred of the manuscript yet exists . . . and the world is grateful.

In high school, I had my own column in the school newspaper, and I even placed in a poetry contest. However, those few pieces I sent out to publications in the wider world came back rejected.

My parents encouraged and believed in me, especially my dad, so off I went to college, seeking a degree in literature and creative writing. Then my dad passed away suddenly in my freshman year, and with him, a hefty chunk of my support base.

Even so, I wrote for the college newspaper and managed to get a few pieces published in local periodicals. You’d think I’d be flying high, but instead I continually compared myself with other writers who I felt were more gifted and skilled than I. Perhaps they were, or maybe they were just farther along on the writing road.

I received my degree then decided to take some time to look for what I could do with my training that would bring in a regular paycheck. Freelancing or novel-writing just didn’t seem possible. During that period, I met and married my husband. We soon had four children, and there was no time to write.

I’m so thankful for my husband and children. Those years were often hard, but something great was happening inside as I drew closer to the Lord through my constant need for wisdom to raise and care for my family. My confidence in what He could do through me was growing. I was no longer my own source. How foolish we can be that way when we’re young!

At last, around the turn of the century, the children were becoming more independent of me, and the embers of my dream to write books whooshed to life as if the Holy Spirit Himself had blown upon them. (I think He did.) I churned out one manuscript then another and another. Then in 2005, the contract came. Dream fulfilled! An ending, but also a beginning of a new phase of my life.

When Reluctant Burglar released, this is the dedication I wrote for the flyleaf: To my dad, who always thought I could make it as a writer. He is no longer on earth to see this day, but I trust he knows in heaven.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jill Elizabeth Nelson is an award-winning author of mystery and suspense. She writes what she likes to read—tales of adventure seasoned with romance, humor, and faith, earning her the tagline: Endless Adventure, Timeless Truth. Jill speaks at conferences, writer’s groups, library associations, and civic and church groups. She and her husband live in rural Minnesota where they raised four children and are currently enjoying their first grandchild.

Visit Jill Elizabeth Nelson’s website at http://www.jillelizabethnelson.com/ for excerpts, book giveaways, and contests.


ABOUT THE BOOK - Witness to Murder

Poised for an interview, TV reporter Hallie Berglund walks into a murder scene instead. The victim’s boyfriend stands over the body, murder weapon in hand. Hallie couldn’t stop the crime, but as the star witness, she’ll see the man brought to justice . . . right? Not according to her colleague Brody Jordan, who is convinced the police—and Hallie—are targeting the wrong man. To prove it, he’ll need Hallie’s help. The victim was wearing a bracelet handcrafted by Hallie’s long-dead mother. Now Hallie is the only one who can unearth the secrets of the past—and bring the sinister truth to light.

You can order this book directly from your local bookstore, retail stores such as Walmart, or online at Amazon.com.


WIN THE BOOK

If you’d like to be entered to win a copy of Witness to Murder, just leave a reply to this blog. I’ll pick a winner at random on June 22nd. Please leave an email address so I can contact you if you're the winner. (To prevent spammers from trolling for your email, please use this format with the brackets--you [at] yourmail [dot] com--or something similar.) Good luck!

Dreaming With Leanna Ellis

It's my joy to welcome back an outstanding author and all around great gal, Leanna Ellis!

A Year of
Dreams

What a perfect title for Jennifer’s blog this year, but also for my book, Ruby’s Slippers, and for me too! I’m always saying, “Go for your dreams.” I’m a big believer in pursuing dreams. When I was a kid my dream was to be a Highlandette, which was my high school’s dance/drill team. I would march around my house, kick my skinny legs and smile just like a high-stepping Highlandette. I remember going to the football games, watching the Highlandettes march out onto the field during half time. I dreamed I’d one day march onto the field wearing that red starched skirt and white boots.

For many years I took dance and started teaching at my local dance studio when I entered high school. So I was well prepared when the time came to try out for Highlandettes at the end of my sophomore year. For two weeks we practiced after school, learning the routines. The tryout was in two phases. Cuts would be made, then another tryout for the selection of 55 girls who would be the next Highlandettes.

I made it through the first cut. But some of my friends didn’t. They were crying, and I was rattled. Before I’d dried my own tears and finished hugging those cut, I was called to start the next phase of the tryout. My heart was back in the locker room with my friends. Suddenly I couldn’t remember the routine. With tears streaming down my cheeks, I marched out of the gym, knowing I hadn’t made the team. I was heartbroken.

For days I cried. My mother said, “Get over it.” And maybe I should have. But during the next year, I learned a valuable lesson. One week I would think, “I’m not going to try out again. No way.” But then I’d see my friends who were now Highlandettes performing, I’d remember my dream, and I’d change my mind. I did want to be a Highlandette. Slowly over the year, a solid determination formed inside me.

The end of my junior year in high school was my last chance to be a Highlandette. I started the two weeks of learning the routines. It was during one of those practices that I pulled my hamstring. It’s very hard to do a high kick routine with a pulled hamstring. But I pampered my leg, wrapped it well, and kept focused on my goal.

Nothing was going to distract me. Nothing. So the day of the tryouts, I prayed, “Please, God, no matter what happens, let me be satisfied with my performance.” You see, during the last year, that’s what had eaten a hole in my heart, knowing I hadn’t done my best in the final tryout. I didn’t want to have any regrets. I wanted to give it my all.

All these many years later, the lessons I learned during my last two years of high school have become almost a mantra for me in another dream -- writing. You see, I learned to focus on my goal. I’m talking laser focus. And I learned to never give up that dream. Hang onto it, nurture it, go for it with everything you have.

Well, I suppose you’re wondering how that tryout turned out. I will say that I marched out of the gym with a smile on my face. I was proud of my performance. I could live with that. No matter what. The next day, when I drove to the high school to await the names being posted in the school’s windows, I held my breath. Four posters were taped to the windows at exactly 2:00pm. I scanned each one, but my name wasn’t there. Lifting my chin, determined to be proud of my performance anyway, I turned to leave, stopping to congratulate my friends who had made the team. Then, a girl named Cindy called my name. She hugged me. She was crying and smiling. I could feel my heart breaking because I knew she had made the team as she’d been a Highlandette for a year. But she kept hugging me, looking at me strangely. My brain slowly clicked into what she was saying, “You made it!”

“No,” I told her. “My name’s not up there.”

So together we looked at the posters. “No,” she said, “down here.”

I hadn’t seen the fifth one posted on the last window. And there it was – my name – I was a Highlandette. The first of many of my dreams had come true.

I bet you have a dream too. Reaching a dream isn’t easy. It demands focus and giving you’re all. But it also requires you not to give up. So hang on, try again, keep trying until you see that dream become a reality.

To find out more about Leanna and her other books, visit her website at http://www.leannaellis.com/


ABOUT THE BOOK - Ruby's Slippers

When Dottie Meyers loses her ‘no place like home’ during a Kansas tornado, she wakes up to find a pair of ruby slippers left by her father who abandoned his family thirty years ago. With her sister hot on her trail to find the treasured ruby slippers, Dottie travels a yellow brick road with three friends to find her father. No wizard can solve her problems. Only the love of a heavenly father can heal her wounds and give her the desires of her heart.

There’s no place like … the heart for God’s healing touch.


WIN THE BOOK

If you’d like to be entered to win a copy of Ruby's Slippers, just leave a reply to this blog. I’ll pick a winner at random on May 18th. PLEASE NOTE: For this contest I can only accept entries from the USA. Please leave an email address so I can contact you if you're the winner. (To prevent spammers from trolling for your email, please use this format with the brackets--you [at] yourmail [dot] com--or something similar.) Good luck!

Dreaming with Jill Williamson - WIN HER BOOK!

It's my pleasure to introduce today's guest, author Jill Williamson.

Changing Your Station in Life

In my novel, By Darkness Hid, Achan Cham is a stray. This social rank is lower than a slave, because a slave at least had one parent claim him. Strays are the lowest of all and branded as such by their owners. But Achan dreams of a different life. One where he is worthy to marry the girl he loves, one where he is respected by others.

When a Kingsguard knight approaches him with an offer to train as his squire, Achan jumps at the chance, even though such a position is against the laws of the land. As Achan trains, his eyes are opened to a new world and new possibilities. But can his dream become a reality? Or is he only setting himself up for more heartbreak?

I went to school to be a fashion designer. It was my childhood dream, and I sought it with everything I had. Five years of college and three years on the job as an assistant designer and my eyes were opened. It was The Devil Wears Prada experience for me. I wanted out.

My husband and I started a family and I started writing a book. I didn’t feel like there were enough clean teen fiction options out there to recommend to the kids in our youth group. I was hooked, and a new dream filled my mind.

That dream came true on April 1, 2009 despite it being April Fool’s Day. My book, By Darkness Hid, released from Marcher Lord Press. Dreaming is a part of life. It’s what gives people hope and purpose. Sometimes we discover that our dreams are not what we built them up to be or that God has a different plan for our lives. And that’s okay. We can always dream up a new dream.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jill Williamson is a novelist, dreamer, and believer. She writes stories that combine danger, suspense, and adventure for people of all ages. An avid reader, she started Novel Teen Book Reviews (http://www.novelteen.com/) to help teens find great books to read. She lives in Oregon with her husband and two book-loving children. By Darkness Hid is her first novel. Check out her Web site - http://www.jillwilliamson.com/ - for more information.


ABOUT THE BOOK - By Darkness Hid

Half of Er’Rets is locked beneath an impenetrable shroud. On the side that still sees the sun, two young people struggle to understand the mind-communication abilities thrust upon them. It's called bloodvoicing. Some say it's a gift. One of the newly “gifted” wish it had never come.

Achan has been a slave all his life. When an enigmatic knight offers to train Achan for the Kingsguard, he readily accepts. But his new skills with the sword do not prepare him for the battle raging between the voices in his head.

Vrell Sparrow is not who she seems. She masquerades as a boy to avoid capture by the powerful forces that seek to exploit her. But Vrell feels called to help a young squire who recently discovered his bloodvoicing gift, even if doing so requires her to work with those who could destroy her.

While Achan learns to use his new ability, Vrell struggles to shut hers down. All the voices strive to learn Achan and Vrell's true identities—and a different kind of voice is calling them both.

WIN THE BOOK

If you’d like to be entered to win a copy of By Darkness Hid, just leave a reply to this blog. I’ll pick a winner at random on April 16th. Please leave an email address so I can contact you if you're the winner. (To prevent spammers from trolling for your email, please use this format with the brackets--you [at] yourmail [dot] com--or something similar.) Good luck!

Career Coach Tiffany Colter on Creating a Plan to Succeed

I'm pleased to welcome today's guest blogger, author and career coach Tiffany Colter!
http://www.writingcareercoach.com/

Building Your Dreams Through Creating a Plan to Succeed

A PLAN

Depending on your personality those two words either fill you with confidence or fear. I am among the former. I plan every little part in my life to the point where my family has rebelled. I like to know where I’m going, how to get there and what to do if I can’t.

One place where a plan is necessary for EVERY person is the plan to success. Starting in high school we each began to plan for our future. Would we take advanced or college prep courses, or were we more interested in working a trade and shadowing. After high school we had to create money plans, called budgets, to make sure we learned to live within our means. And when a person starts a new business they must have a plan for their business in order to secure funding from banks and investors.

What about writers? What kind of plan should they have?

To answer this question I need to change your thinking a little bit. We need to step beyond the belief that writers are simply artists and realize that they are owners of a writing business. So you need to create a plan to succeed beyond “Write one book, then another”.

I’ve listed 5 things that MUST be a part of your plan as you begin your writer’s journey. By starting with all of these [and building on them as you move closer to publication] you will enjoy more success than you would if you were passive in your writing career.

1. Platform before Publication
Many people wonder why I stress so much the need to build a platform prior to publication. The reason is simple, the current market requires a strong sphere of influence for EVERY writer, whether non-fiction or fiction. This will not happen without deliberate effort on your part. Writers must begin thinking about ways to become recognized among people in their target market. This can take many shapes from blogs, to articles in magazines, e-zines and newspapers. You can even focus on public speaking. The key is to have solid numbers to present to publishing houses.

2. Study craft
This is absolutely crucial. It is great if you’re a voracious reader but at some point you must take the time to read some books-and take classes-to improve your craft. I also encourage new writers to get the first 15-20 pages of their manuscript edited by someone who specializes in NEW authors. I don’t say that simply because I offer that service to new writers. I say that because it works. Six years ago when I was pushing hard to publication a writing mentor [who’d written over 30 novels] read the first 20 pages of my book. He gave great advice on MY writing that I never fully understood in a book.

See, when we are reading books on craft we can fool ourselves and say “Okay, I already do that well.” Having someone look at those beginning pages points out what the weakness looks like in your own writing. It is a $20-$30 investment that teaches far more than a book of equal cost. I still have mine 6 years, and 4 manuscripts later.

3. Meet other writers
I’ve always been a loner so I didn’t fully appreciate the value of this advice until I started meeting other writers. I now see the value of having a group of people who understand this business and who support me. Watch out, not all writer’s groups are created equal. Some can suck the life right out of you while others leave you feeling like you can accomplish anything! Find a group of people who are at various stages in the writer’s journey. This will help you by allowing you to learn from some and provide encouragement and help to others.

4. Meet editors/agents
This was TERRIFYING the first time I did it [again, introvert], but I realize it is completely necessary. I am happy to say I now have editors and agents on my list of friends. I see them as humans who have a great deal of wisdom I can learn from. I also realize that they are business partners in my writing business. The Editor’s job is to find and develop great books. The agent’s job is to find and develop great authors. Once I bring my craft and platform to the level that they can work with, they become partners with me in my success. The first step, however is learning from them and learning to treat them like real people. We don’t need to hide from them, nor should we ever seek to take advantage of them.

5. Determine goals and take meaningful steps to accomplishing them.
This is so incredibly important. Determine how many books you’d like to write this year. Let’s say you’d like to write a single 80,000 word manuscript. You will need to research, write an outline [if you do], write a rough draft, edit, revise, repeat. We are ½ way through Feb so you have about 45 weeks [less once you take out holidays, vacations and other excuses-laugh]. That means you need to decide how long a revision will take…a month? Two? Lets say 6 weeks.

Now you have 39 weeks to write that first draft.

But you need to research before and edit after. We’d better take out 4 more weeks.

That leaves us 35 weeks to write the first draft. That’s just over 2,000 words per week. 500 words per day!

So what are you doing reading this blog? You need to get to work.

I’ll see you later, maybe at my common-sense money management blog or my Writing Career Coach blog.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tiffany Colter is a passionate freelance writer whose credits include Today’s Christian, Charisma Magazine, Toledo Business Journal, and the Afictionado E-zine. She enjoys helping others build a strong business and writes a daily marketing blog for writers called the Writing Career Coach and a common-sense money management site, TheBalancedLife.com. Tiffany lives outside Toledo, OH with her husband, a recent cancer survivor, and their four girls.

"Dreams Revised" by Sharon Dunn - WIN A BOOK!

A big welcome to today’s guest blogger, author Sharon Dunn!

A Dream Revised

Sometimes it is not that we need to give up our dreams, we just need to revise them. From an early age, I gravitated toward the arts. When I was 14, I decided to become an actress. At high school graduation being an actress was my strongest desire and I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. That was my dream.

I performed in plays, won awards and was going to major in theater in college. When my mother expressed concern about a job, I compromised and majored in Film production while still taking theater classes and performing. Enter marriage and my first baby. Working professionally and traveling was out of the question, so I thought I would continue to do community theater. After being a part of a church production, I realized that would not work with having a family. I wasn’t getting paid and I was gone four or five hours a night to rehearse. It wasn’t fair to my family. After some prayer I was fine with giving up the theater, but still I had all this creative energy.

Writing worked with having children. I could slip away to the computer while the kids napped or hubby watched them and it allowed me to express myself creatively. At first, I worked on shorter things like articles and skits and then I decided to tackle a novel. In 2003, my first novel was published.

What I hadn’t realized is that the work I had done in theater and film production was not wasted time. I understood story structure from the study of film and developing character on the page was very similar to work that went into portraying a character on stage. Many writers point out that it can take up to ten years to really learn how to write a novel. With my theater and film training, I was ahead of the learning curve.

Giving up the theater was a hard decision even though I knew it was the right decision. I had never pictured myself as a writer though now after five novels, I can’t imagine any other life.

Life is about compromise and putting relationships first. I could not pursue my dream at the expense of my family. But God knew what would be the perfect fit for my talent, training and my family. Perhaps you have had a dream and because of life circumstances, you thought you had to let it die. Revisit that dream, maybe there are possibilities for revision.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sharon is the author of five mysteries for the Christian reader. Her books have been characterized as humorous who-dun-its. Sharon lives with her hubby of 21 years, three kids, three cats and lots of dust bunnies. You can read more about Sharon and her books at http://www.sharondunnbooks.com/.


ABOUT THE SERIES
The Bargain Hunters mysteries features four women bonded together by the need to clip coupons and be first in line at doorbuster sales. In this award winning first installment in the series, Death of a Garage Sale Newbie, the head bargain hunter Ginger finds herself drawn into a mystery when her best friend and fellow coupon clipper goes missing. Could her friend’s disappearance have anything to do with the items she bought at garage sales? Join Ginger and the gang as they hunt down clues and good deals.

WIN THE BOOK

If you’d like to be entered to win a copy of Death of a Garage Sale Newbie, just leave a reply to this blog. I’ll pick a winner at random on February 16th. Please leave an email address so I can contact you if you're the winner. (To prevent spammers from trolling for your email, please use this format with the brackets--you [at] yourmail [dot] com--or something similar.) Good luck!

"Achieving Your God Given Dream" by Brandt Dodson

A warm welcome to today's guest blogger, author Brandt Dodson!

The Narrow Way –
Achieving Your God Given Dream

Dreams. We all have them. They’re one of the many things in life that we share - that make us human. And yet most of us flail about, seemingly unable to define what it is we’re really looking for or to develop a plan for achieving it. I know. I’ve been there. But there is Godly advice on how to achieve your dreams – your ambitions – and it is found in Psalm 37: 4 & 5:

Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this. (NIV)

See? Isn’t that simple?

Not.

First of all, most of us have, for one reason or another, removed God from our dreams. We’ve kept Him out of that realm of our life because we’re often not sure that we want Him invading that part of our life. We trust Him with our eternal salvation, to heal us when we’re sick; we even ask Him to bless our food. We pray that He will keep us safe when we travel, and we pray that our loved ones will find Him. But trust Him with our dreams? Take the chance that He may say, “No, this is not my will for you”?

Preposterous.

Our dreams, our desires, are personal. Very personal. And very close to our hearts. And the things that are the most personal often tend to stay that way. We keep them close, seldom sharing them with anyone. Even God.

But that’s a mistake.

For years, ever since grade school in fact, I have wanted to write. It was the only thing – and I mean the only thing - that ever came easy or that I enjoyed. Whenever we were asked to write a theme or short story I felt like I had been given a pardon, a genuine chance to show what I could do. So it was only natural, I suppose, that I would develop a desire to write.

But like many people who reveal their dreams I was told that mine was impossible, unachievable, unrealistic, and maybe even a little bit irresponsible. After all, I had a duty to provide for myself and my family, and harboring an unrealistic dream of becoming a writer – a novelist no less – could only lead to a life in the gutter where I would inevitably land with my wife in one arm and a bottle of bathtub hooch in the other. Not a pretty sight and certainly not the things of which dreams are made.

So, unwilling to envision such a future for myself or my family, I went to medical school. And after four years of the most intense studying I had ever done, followed by a residency of 80-100 hour weeks, I opened my own practice.

And waited.

And waited.

And waited again.

I discovered that patients don’t beat a path to the door of new doctors, so I had plenty of time on my hands. And I still had a dream. I began to write again. And I read everything I could get my hands on in an effort to learn the craft - and then I began submitting – and collecting rejection slips. I submitted to every magazine I knew that would publish short stories; I even wrote non-fiction pieces.

But my dream was fiction. Novel length fiction. And yet, publisher after publisher had no interest in the type of fiction I wrote. And then I discovered Psalm 37: 4 & 5.

And I turned my dreams over to God.

Delight yourself in the Lord. I hadn’t been living like that. Sure I went to worship each Sunday, taught Sunday school, and even served as an elder. But I wasn’t delighting myself in God. I wasn’t committing my way to the Lord. Neither was I willing to trust in Him. Not with my dreams. Those were mine.

The path to success, whether it is defined as a happy life, a solid marriage, or achieving an unfulfilled dream, runs through Jesus Christ. The narrow way.

Now I’d like to tell you that I had found the secret. But I didn’t. What I did find was a new way of life. I learned that I had been putting the cart before the horse (sorry for the cliché) and had put the things I desired ahead of the Giver. I had put my desire to write on the throne of the One who gave me that desire.

And I was writing for me. I was writing secular fiction with a Christian world view. And the publishers I talked with weren’t interested in that.

And then God did the kind of thing only He can do. He gave me a different desire. I no longer had ambitions to write the novel that would endear me to Oprah or land me on the New York Times Bestseller list. In fact, as nice as all of that would be, I began to see it as empty, hollow. If that was all there was for me, I no longer had a desire to pursue it. The new dream God had given me had purpose and if I didn’t fulfill that purpose, all of the accolades in the world would leave me with the same empty feeling as an unfulfilled dream.

I now had the desire to write a novel that would reveal the truth of God; to write a novel that would honor Him.

Once the new desire began to form it wasn’t long before God directed me to a CBA writer’s conference. And within a year, I had a three book contract. A contract that has now been extended several times. God gave me a dream and then reshaped it and put it to work for Him.

I learned a valuable lesson.

If we don’t want to spend our lives chasing the wind only to be disappointed when we catch it, we must put God first in our lives. If we do that - and do it because that is His rightful place - He will give us desires that are in line with His. And then He will fulfill those desires in a way that we cannot. And His way is always the best way. After all, He’s God, the narrow way. And He can be trusted with our dreams.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Brandt Dodson is the creator of the Colton Parker Mystery series and the author of the stand alone crime novel, White Soul. He comes from a long line of police officers and was formerly employed by the Indianapolis office of the FBI. Brandt is a board certified Podiatrist, specializing in peripheral nerve surgery for the treatment of painful neuropathies. He is a former United States Naval Reserve officer and currently resides in Southern Indiana with his wife and two sons. Brandt’s latest novel, Daniel’s Den, was released by Harvest House Publishers on February 1st, 2009.


ABOUT THE BOOK - Daniel’s Den

Daniel Borden and Laura Traynor live two different lives.

Daniel is a successful stock analyst in New Orleans. Laura operates a bed and breakfast in the Shenandoah Valley.

He is wealthy, enjoys racquetball, and lives with Elvis, a black Lab. She is a struggling single mother, works two jobs, and lives with her young son, Andy.

But when unseen forces send hit men after each of them, a twist of fate drives them together as they are forced to flee their common enemy.

In a high stakes game of cat-and-mouse, they learn just how big the cat can be.

And that it’s no game.


WIN THE BOOK

If you’d like to be entered to win a copy of Daniel’s Den, just leave a reply to this blog. I’ll pick a winner at random on February 13th. Please leave an email address so I can contact you if you're the winner. (To prevent spammers from trolling for your email, please use this format with the brackets--you [at] yourmail [dot] com--or something similar.) Good luck!

Dreaming with Amber Stockton - WIN HER BOOK!

A big welcome to today's guest blogger, author Amber Stockton!





Dreams.

Such a broad topic, yet it's one with which I am quite familiar. Who isn't? After all, without dreams, we wouldn't have much of a purpose in this life. Dreams keep us going from day to day, even when the going gets tough. Dreams give us something on which to pin our hopes and sights, despite the current mire or quicksand we might be enduring.

Let me tell you, I know all about getting stuck in the mire and feeling like I'd never get out. That was me only a little over 2 years ago. Then, God opened the floodgate, and I was blessed beyond my wildest imaginations!

How about we start at the beginning, though? :)

I'll confess, I'll be 33 later this year. Most women don't like to admit that, but it's important to what I'm about to share with you. Because, you see, I spent an entire decade of my life hoping something would change and praying that at least one of my dreams might be realized. After high school and college, I found myself at a crossroads. So many of my friends had graduated, knowing exactly what they wanted to do and who would be by their side as they did it. Me? I had no clue. Worse yet, I was still alone and single. In fact, at 22, I had yet to have a boyfriend or even experience my first date.

I'd graduated with a degree in elementary education and received a certification to teach. I even did that for 2 years before realizing this just wasn't where I was meant to be. So, instead, I became an administrative assistant and remained working at the local Christian bookstore where I'd been hired 3 years prior. Staying busy helped keep my mind off of my loneliness, but it didn't eliminate the reality by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, when I wasn't working, I spent my time alone at home, still living with my parents, holed up in my room or office.

During this time, I dabbled in the writing world, experimenting with some fan fiction and short stories. I also began a correspondence with a favorite author, Tracie Peterson, via email. Three years later, in 2002, she encouraged me to join a newly formed national writer's organization, at the time known as ACRW (American Christian Romance Writers). Today, that organization is ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) and is the premier Christian fiction organization in the world. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Believing it couldn't hurt, I joined and in October of that year attended my first writer's conference. That's where I met many other writers and authors and discovered that I'd love to join the crazy bunch by becoming a published author. However, I had no clue how to even begin. Enter another author, Linda Windsor, who lived somewhat nearby and offered to take me under her wing, not to mention all of the valuable instruction and guidance ACFW offered through their annual conferences, online courses and email discussion lists.

Now, obviously, there are a lot of details I'm omitting. I'm trying to keep this short and to the point, though. :)

So, back to Linda and the mentoring she offered. Because of her help, in late 2004 I had a proposal ready to send to Barbour Publishing's romance book club, Heartsong Presents. Despite my fear and trepidation, I submitted the proposal. Then, I waited.

Six months later, I hadn't heard anything. It was now the summer of 2005. I followed up with the editor, who happened to be Tracie Peterson's husband. They are no longer involved with the club line, but they were responsible for helping me get my foot in the door. Anyway, a few weeks later, I received an email from Jim saying the file had some issues, and he couldn't open it. So, I sent it again. Six weeks later, while attending the annual ACFW conference that year in Nashville, Jim came up to me and told me to check my email. I did and to my delight, he had replied saying he wanted to see the full manuscript. I nearly cried with joy.

I suppose I should also interject the little tidbit that the previous year at the conference in Denver, I had met a young man who wrote science fiction and had been brave enough to join a romance writer's organization a few weeks before it changed its name to straight fiction writers. Earlier in 2005, we had started an online correspondence via email and instant message and formed a fast friendship. I guess the 2000 miles separating us made it easier. We met up again in Nashville and spent a good deal of time hanging out and having fun. Several married ladies at the conference started plotting to get us together, but we were fine being friends.

Anyway, back to the manuscript. Upon returning home, I went straight to work, finishing the novel and sending it to Linda for proofing. It took about four months, but by January in 2006, I had sent off the full book to Jim.

Again, I waited.

During this time, my friendship with Stuart began to progress, and I found myself looking forward to each evening when he'd come home from work and log online to chat. There were days we'd spend hours talking through instant message. Time held no meaning. At first, he wasn't planning to attend the conference in Dallas that year, but I persuaded him otherwise. Just before the conference, I received word that Jim Peterson loved the book and was giving his full recommendation to Tracie that Barbour move forward with purchasing it!

You can no doubt imagine my delight. It took another four months before I received the actual notice that they were going to buy my book, and just before Christmas that year, I received my very first book contract!

As I still worked retail at the time and it was Christmas, I didn't get home until late. Stuart, living two time zones away) was the only one online for me to share my good news. Everyone else in my house was asleep and I didn't want to wake them. About a week later, still flying high on the euphoric reality that I'd soon be a published author, I again was chatting with Stuart when he suggested he fly out to see me and we celebrate by catching a show in New York City. After spending a lot of time together at the last conference and parting ways with me feeling like things were going nowhere between us, I jumped at the chance.

He arrived in March of 2007 and after four days together, we had no doubts about our feelings. One week later, we were engaged, and five months later in July of 2007, we were married! And yes, there are a lot of details again that I'm leaving out. If you want to read the full story, you can check out the main page of my web site. Click on the Wedding Day Story then the Engagement Announcement. :)

After leaving everything I knew to move to Colorado and be with my husband, it took another six months before I received the very first copy of my book, hot off the press. Still, having Stuart there to rejoice with me meant more than I could ever put into words. That book released in February of 2008 and was followed by my next two books in July and November. During this time, I also signed contracts for three more books which release this year.

In the midst of all of this, there is another exciting development. I know, hard to believe it could possibly get better, right? Well, it did. In August of last year, Stuart and I discovered we were expecting our very first child, who is due in March.

So, as you can see, a lot has happened in a short amount of time. Looking back, it still feels like I might have wasted a lot of time in my 20's wondering when life would happen to me and when I'd see my dreams come true. However, seeing where my life is now and what's looming on the horizon, I realize all of that in my past had to happen to make way for what was to come and what will still be coming my way.

If you've found yourself in a similar situation, don't give up hope. That's the worst thing in the world you could allow to happen. I might have allowed slight depression to get me down, but I kept moving forward...even in tiny steps. God's voice kept whispering to me that my time would come. Although I got angry with Him and even yelled a bit, I now can look back and see the big picture along with His overall plan for my life.

Today, I couldn't be happier than where I am right now. Joy fills me as I look forward to all that God has in store, and the dreams in my heart that have yet to be fulfilled or realized. To those of you down in the trenches, I've been there. I'm speaking to you and begging you to keep holding on to your dreams. Keep forging ahead. You just never know when everything you ever imagined for yourself might be over that next hill. But you have to climb the hill to find out. If I can impress upon you one thing from this story, it's this:

Never, ever, ever give up.

(Thanks, Jennifer, for having me here today. I hope some of your readers are inspired by this story of mine. And if anyone wishes to leave a comment, you'll be entered in a drawing to win an autographed copy of my next book releasing in April, Copper and Candles. Feel free to also comment on the story or share your thoughts. I'd love to hear from you.)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Amber Stockton is an author and freelance web site designer who lives with her husband and fellow author in beautiful Colorado Springs. They are expecting their first child in March and have a vivacious puppy named Roxie, who is half Border Collie and half Flat-Haired Retriever. She has sold six books to the Heartsong Presents line of Barbour Publishing. Other writing credits include several writing articles for national and international publications, five short stories with Romancing the Christian Heart, and book contributions to 101 Ways to Romance Your Marriage and Grit for the Oyster. Read more about her at her web site: www.ambermiller.com.


ABOUT THE BOOK - Copper and Candles

Society teas and garden parties, shopping, gossip—Life as a young lady of means may be fun, but Felicity wants to do more. Unfortunately, she finds that her position and wealth can sometimes hinder her efforts to help those around her in need. Thus, when a charity case falls ill and cannot work, Felicity determines to go to work as a commoner in Detroit's dangerous factory district. Relationships become complicated, however, and she soon finds herself falling in love with a worker from the copper refinery next door. She knows her family would never accept him as a suitor, but what's a girl to do? What she doesn't know is that Brandt has his own secrets and hides his identity just as carefully as she. Brandt and Felicity soon discover that deception—no matter how noble its intent—demands a price that even they, with all their resources, may not be able to pay. Can they survive the storm when truth is revealed?

WIN THE BOOKS

If you’d like to be entered to win a copy of Copper and Candles, just leave a reply to this blog. I’ll pick a winner at random on January 29th. Please leave an email address so I can contact you if you're the winner. (To prevent spammers from trolling for your email, please use this format with the brackets--you [at] yourmail [dot] com--or something similar.) Please note that this book releases in April, so the winner's book will be sent out in late March. Good luck!

Dreamin' with Susan Page Davis - WIN 2 OF HER BOOKS!

A big welcome to today's guest blogger, Susan Page Davis!

When I was a child, I dreamed of having a pony. Pure black, with a western saddle and bridle. Now I have other dreams. Special times with my children and grandchildren. Finishing projects I’ve planned for a long time.

But sometimes dreams can take us in the wrong direction. As Claudia Gillette, the heroine of my new book, Inside Story, learns, her long-held dreams of success may be off kilter. She wants to shed her old ties and her background as a small-town girl. As an honored journalist whom others respect, she finds that what she once dreamed of is empty without a love and a family. She draws back toward her parents and sisters and finds that God’s family is even more supportive. Claudia goes from being willing to sacrifice anything to get what she perceives as the ultimate news story to giving up her tarnished dreams for love and peace.

In the meanwhile, she is dropped into the wildest adventure she could imagine, dodging bullets in the jungle and helping to rescue a family in dire need. I hope you’ll join Claudia as she learns to set her heart on things that really matter.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Susan Page Davis is a prolific writer. She’s the mother of six and grandmother of five. She and her husband Jim, a newspaper editor, live in rural Maine. To find out more about Susan and her books, visit www.susanpagedavis.com

ABOUT THE BOOK - Inside Story

Claudia Gillette is a prize-winning journalist at a high-profile magazine.

She prides herself in her cool independence—traveling the globe, beating the deadline. Landing the interview with Heidi Taber, the only female in an elite U.S. Navy special operations unit, is yet another rung on her ladder of career successes.

Lieutenant Bill White is not happy about the journalist standing in front of him in the midst of the Philippine jungle. He has no time for public relations campaigns—certainly not during a covert mission to rescue a well-known aerophysicist from terrorists.

As shells explode and tracer fire streaks the air, Claudia finds herself caught up in a danger she never expected…or wanted. With lives at stake, she fears her presence in the unit is their greatest detriment to survival. Will she find the strength to live through the nightmare…or has her ambition cost her her life?


WIN THE BOOKS

Susan has graciously offered to give away not one, but TWO books! If you’d like to be entered to win a copy of Inside Story and the first book in the American Hero series, Frasier Island, just leave a reply to this blog. I’ll pick a winner at random on January 22nd. Please leave an email address so I can contact you if you're the winner. (To prevent spammers from trolling for your email, please use this format with the brackets--you [at] yourmail [dot] com--or something similar.) Good luck!

Dream, Dream, Dream with Cara Putman & WIN HER BOOK!

A big welcome to today's guest blogger, Cara Putman!

Dream, Dream,
Dream,
Dream

As I started thinking about this post, I began hearing the Everly Brothers song. Dreaeaeaeam, dream ,dream, dream…

It’s the beginning of a new year, and I’ve been asking God what the next dream should be. At one time, my dream was to write books. Now I have. Four are out. Three more are written and releasing in 2009. I’ll write two more in the next six months. Then, I don’t know.

Hence, it’s time to dream.

But it doesn’t matter what you do. Dreams are critical. Solomon made it clear in Proverbs 29:18: without a vision the people perish. Then in Psalm 37:4: delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of you heart.

That last one is my life’s verse. As I chase God, I’ll draw closer to His heart. In the process my delights and dreams line up with His. I love that! And I’ve seen that.

Usually, I don’t have a problem dreaming. I’ve pushed myself with dreams throughout my life. I got the crazy idea I’d start college at 16. Then I did. I got the crazy idea that I’d go to law school and clerk for a federal judge. Then I did. I got the crazy idea I could actually write a book. Then I did. Each time, God birthed and/or blessed the dream. But each result started with that germ of a dream.

So what now? I sense a change coming, but I don’t know what it is. Anyone else there? Scary, but what a great opportunity to lean into God and hear His heart for me. Slow down and focus on His heartbeat.

Match my dream to His.

So sing with me….dreeeeaaaammm, dream, dream, dream…


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cara Putman is a multi-published author. She writes World War Two historical romance for Heartsong Presents and romantic suspense for Love Inspired Suspense. She lives with her family in Indiana, where she is an attorney and lecturer at Purdue University. You can learn more about Cara at her website: http://www.caraputman.com.


ABOUT THE BOOK - Captive Dreams

Anna doesn’t know how to go on.

Anna Goodman’s mother is dead, her father has given up on life, and her brother, Brent, goes missing in action in World War II. Even though she has a full-time war job, she feels she must keep the family farm going so that Brent will have something to come home to. She won't let herself think that he might never return. Any dreams Anna has for her future are held captive by the responsibilities the war and life have thrust upon her.

If only Anna didn't have to rely on help from German prisoners -- or from Specialist Sid Chance, the cocky know-it-all who oversees the prisoners' work. In her heart, she knows she can't do everything demanded of her, but whom can she trust to carry the burden with her?

WIN THE BOOK

If you’d like to be entered to win a copy of Captive Dreams just leave a reply to this blog. I’ll pick a winner at random on January 19th. (NOTE: Sorry, no international entries for this one.) Please leave an email address so I can contact you if you're the winner. (To prevent spammers from trolling for your email, please use this format with the brackets--you [at] yourmail [dot] com--or something similar.) Good luck!

Letting Go by Sherri Sand - And BOOK GIVEAWAY!

Welcome to today's guest blogger, author Sherri Sand!

Letting Go . . .

I wanted a dad who would be my mentor and my friend. Someone I could lean on and go to for advice. Someone who desired to meet me for lunch and listen to the goings on in my life with a proud smile and adoration in his eye.

I didn’t know I wanted this until I reached adulthood. Up to then, I thought my life was normal. Like most people’s.

But then I went to college and realized that normal was relative to . . . well, to whomever you were speaking.

Some dads were involved and some weren’t. I’d never thought much about the fact that my dad worked long hours and didn’t speak more than a few words when he was home. He didn’t inquire about our lives or come to our childhood events, unless it was with a bored look and longsuffering sigh.

I knew I was loved. On the surface, anyway. Those three words seem to echo without a place to land when they are spoken without the investment of time or sacrifice.

But it left me with a longing for more. To find somewhere I could get those deep needs for love and connection met. Because of that desire, I went down painful roads and made choices that left scars rippling across my life.

My father made his own choices that broke up our family. It wasn’t until much later that I heard a woman speaking and what she said moved into my heart in a way that brought immense revelation.

This woman said, “Parental love is like a hot fudge sundae. Everyone is designed to have it, but not everyone gets it. You’ll never be free if you focus on what you should have had. The people who gain freedom are the ones who can accept that even though they’re never going to get that sundae, they can have a bowl of ice cream and maybe some nuts on top or whipped cream.”

I realized that for years I’d been looking for someone or something to fill that void. The void of my father’s lost love. The love I should have had.

When she spoke those words, it felt like a missing puzzle piece settled into place. Freedom came with acceptance. I could let the dream go and begin looking forward to what I did have.

And I have a lot.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sherri Sand is a wife and mother of four young children who keep her scrambling to stay ahead of the spilled milk. When she needs stress relief from wearing all the hats required to clothe, feed and ferry her rambunctious brood, you may find her sitting in a quiet corner of a bistro reading a book (surrounded by chocolate), or running on one of the many trails near her home. Sherri is a member of The Writer’s View and American Christian Fiction Writers. She finds the most joy in writing when the characters take on a life of their own and she becomes the recorder of their stories. She holds a degree in psychology from the University of Oregon where she graduated cum laude. Sherri and her family live in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.

ABOUT THE BOOK - Leave It To Chance

Single mom of three, Sierra Montgomery is desperate to find a new job to keep from having to move back home and be smothered to death by her mother’s good intentions and overbearing love. So when Sierra inherits Chance, a quirky old gelding she doesn’t have a clue what to do with, she thinks her best bet may be to sell the horse to cover another month’s rent—a decision that devastates her children.

Enter Ross Morgan, a handsome landscaper who just happens to have an empty barn and fenced pasture… perfect for an old horse to live out his days as the pet of three wounded kids. Ross develops a soft spot for eldest child Braden…and he just might have one for Braden’s mother. But what he doesn’t have is time for distractions—he’s got a landscaping business to run and nursery plants to tend.

But Sierra has a secret. She’s terrified of horses and—thanks to her past—wary of attractive men. Yet seeing the way her angry son idolizes Ross and adores that old horse forces Sierra to confront her fears. Will she remain distrustful and self-reliant, or will she seek help from God and those who love her?

WIN THE BOOK

If you’d like to be entered to win a copy of Leave it to Chance just leave a reply to this blog. I’ll pick a winner at random on December 28th. Please leave an email address so I can contact you if you're the winner. (To prevent spammers from trolling for your email, please use this format with the brackets--you [at] yourmail [dot] com--or something similar.) Good luck!

Set Your GPS for the Promised Land

from guest blogger
Lil Duncan

1 Peter 1:8
…you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy.

I love those words. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to be filled with inexpressible and glorious joy? The question is how to get it and, more importantly, how to keep it. I’ve found the answer. At least for me, it‘s chasing my dream of being a writer. I’m convinced that people who are pursuing a dream (successful or not) are happier and more fulfilled than those who don’t or won’t acknowledge and pursue their dreams.

Why is that, you ask? In Ephesians 2:10, Paul wrote that God prepared good works for us before we were even born. God’s purpose is our dream. That means as we pursue our dreams, we are fulfilling God‘s purpose. That’s where the inexpressible and glorious joy comes from.

God’s purpose may be our dream but that doesn’t means it’s will be an easy journey. It can be long and have more roadblocks and detours than ever imagined. How do we keep our GPS set for the promised land in spite of life’s problems? This is what God told Joshua as he was about to complete the journey to the promised land that Moses began.

Joshua 1:8-9
Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

If you want more joy in your life, then start chasing your dreams. By studying and obeying God’s Word, you will learn what you need to be prosperous and successful and whatever happens never give up. Now, set your GPS and take that road trip to the promised land!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lil Duncan writes stories where faith, hope, and love mingle with murder and mayhem. She believes that fiction can be entertaining without being tasteless. Besides writing, Lil is a Speech-Language Pathologist. She and her husband live in a (very) small town in the Amish country of Ohio. You can learn more about her and the books she’s written at familyfriendlyfiction.net.

Dreaming With Linore Rose Burkard & WIN HER BOOK!

Hi, Linore Rose Burkard posting here for Jennifer today. I'm honored to blog for her audience, so I'm going to share a very special dream that was supernaturally real, thrilling, and wonderful. It was also bittersweet--because it had to end. You see, the Lord was in it and he spoke to me!

I dreamt I was in this gated area and everyone there was dressed completely in white, as was I. There was no one speaking through their mouths, yet I was aware of communication going on all around me. For some reason, speech wasn't necessary. It was as if I could hear thoughts. And everything that was spoken was LOVE. It was a beautiful, utterly soothing atmosphere.

Suddenly, an electric excitement overtook everyone, and I understood that Jesus was coming our way! I was just as eager and excited as everyone else, and when I saw him, my heart longed for Him like a little child wanting its mother. I was incredibly overcome by my love and NEED for my Saviour. As he approached, his hands looked enormous--I was actually thinking how strange it was that the Lord's hands could be so BIG! And then he looked over at me, and it was my turn to rush at him with great joy. He took my hand in his, and I was aware that, for all the hugeness in those hands, he was able to hold mine as if his were a normal size. I clung to the Lord, reveling in His presence and love. Then, he asked me a very startling question:

"Linore, what are you going to do with your life?"

Yikes! I had no answer. So I didn't try to answer, I just puzzled over it. An unknown amount of time passed, not long. And he asked me again. "Linore, what are you going to do with your life?"

Oh, no! I still didn't know what to tell Him. That was a question I still hadn't answered for myself! Others were also still around us.

Then, Jesus had to leave, though I didn't understand why or where he had to go. I knew he would pass out of those gates, and that none of us could go with Him. I panicked.

"Lord!" I shouted. "Don't go!" He stopped and looked at me. But he turned to go, again.

"Lord!" I shouted . "Don't leave me!" I felt again like a little preschooler who needed her mother desperately. I didn't want Him to go! He stopped and again looked very knowingly at me, but turned to go, and this time drew nearer to the gate, before I shouted, loud, "Lord! Don't go!" Jesus turned and looked at me very patiently.

"Linore, what are you going to do with your life--for Me?"

What? Why was he asking me that? I had no answer! Suddenly, I had a "light-bulb" idea--I thought I had hit upon the "right" answer. It was the same feeling I got when I was in college and suddenly realized what answer a professor wanted. So I said, "I know! I'm going to glorify YOU, Lord!"

He wasn't fooled. (I should have known, huh?)

He looked at me, and this next thing still bothers me. He said, "Linore, Linore," and continued to speak, but I couldn't hear him. It was like a loud sort of static had begun and was hiding his voice. To this day, (and this dream happened about twenty years ago) I still don't know what else Jesus was saying to me. I think someday it will be revealed. But it wasn't praise, I can tell you that!

There are many things I don't understand about that "dream." I do believe that it was a special gift. Jesus spoke to me. He loved me. He cares about what I do with my life. Best of all, He has a plan and WANTS me to do something special for him! These are my conclusions.

Perhaps, not surprisingly, my life verse is: "He that saves his life will lose it but he that loses his life for my sake will save it, even unto eternal life."

I don't know why I received such a special occurrence--one I will never forget. But I love that it happened, and it is a reminder to me that Jesus wanted me to get with HIS plan. At this point, I have concluded that my two special callings are to mother my children for his kingdom, and to write books to His glory.

What am I going to do with my life for You, Lord? Mother the children you've given me so that they will see my faith is a living hope. And write my books as though I am writing for the best reason in the world--to glorify You, Lord. To tell others about You.

For it is the best reason in the world.

Amen.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Linore Rose Burkard is the creator of “Inspirational Romance for the Jane Austen Soul.” Her characters take you back in time to experience life and love during Regency England (circa 1800 – 1830). Fans of classic romances, such as Pride & Prejudice, Emma, and Sense & Sensibility, will enjoy meeting Ariana Forsythe, a feisty heroine who finds her heart and beliefs tested by high-society London. Ms. Burkard now lives in Ohio with her husband and five children. She homeschooled her children for ten years, and still has a heart for homeschooling families. An avid fan of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer, Linore delights in bringing the Regency alive for Christian readers with light-hearted adventure, faith and romance.

ABOUT THE BOOK

England, 1813
Romantic woes at home send Ariana Forsythe to her Aunt Bentley’s town house in the fashionable Mayfair district of London. There she finds worse troubles than those that prompted her flight from home. Under her aunt’s watchful eye, Ariana is soon steeped in high society—and at odds with Mr. Phillip Mornay, London’s current darling rogue

Then, unexpectedly, rumour of a scandal changes Ariana forever. Her faith and her future are at stake in an unexpected adventure that gains even the Prince Regent’s attention.

Will Ariana’s faith survive this test? And what about her heart? For it is Ariana’s heart that most threatens to betray the truths she has always believed in. When she finds herself backed against a wall, betrothed to a man who cannot share her faith, how can it ever turn out right?

WIN THE BOOK

If you’d like to be entered to win a copy of Before the Season Ends just leave a reply to this blog. I’ll pick a winner at random on December 16th. Please leave an email address so I can contact you if you're the winner. (To prevent spammers from trolling for your email, please use this format with the brackets--you [at] yourmail [dot] com--or something similar.) NOTE: To make things really interesting, there need to be at least 10 comments from unique individuals to make the contest a go. Good luck!

Making Your Dream Catch Fire

Today, my guest bloggers are the mother/daughter writing team of Sherrie Ashcraft and Christina Berry. Prepared to be doubly blessed!

Making Your Dream Catch Fire

“Keep using the gift God gave you.
Let it grow, as a small flame grows into a fire.”
II Timothy 1:6

We’re a mother-daughter writing team. Henceforth, to avoid confusion of any kind, we will refer to ourselves in the third person. We’ve been living our dream—or trying to at least—for the last nine years. We’ve noticed a few elements seem to be universally connected to dreaming.

Questioning—
Almost as soon as we identify our dream, we humans tend to start questioning it. Is this something I want just for myself, or is this from God? Doesn’t this conflict with another dream I have? What if nothing ever comes of this? Will I have wasted years doing something that’s unattainable?

We had a dream of being writers. But there’s also blogging, building websites, speaking, attending conferences, writing proposals, marketing plans, and building a platform. Do these things enable our dream, or become barriers to reaching it?

One of the most well known dreamers started dreaming when he was seventeen. A favorite child, he wore a special coat his dad had given him. You can find out more about Joseph by reading Genesis 37 and the next few chapters. He had a dream of being greater than his brothers and father. Though he had about as much tact as a pit bull with rabies, Joseph shared his dream with his family.

His brothers beat him. Because they were such nice guys, they decided to sell him instead of kill him. That’s when the questioning must have started for Joseph. Wait a minute, God. What can I do from this pit? Now as a slave? Now falsely accused of attempted rape? Stuck in prison?

Perseverance—
Several times Sherrie’s wanted to just give up and walk away from it all. There have been too many rejections. It seemed like nothing will ever happen. But then God shows her verses like Romans 15: 4,5. “The Scriptures give us patience and encouragement so that we can have hope. Patience and encouragement come from God.”

Funny thing about perseverance: It takes time to know you have it because you must get discouraged first. We’ve found that persevering over the years has meant a lot of sacrifices. What have we given up? Christina condensed time spent on phone conversations, daily crosswords, reading for pleasure, and sleep. Sherrie misses all the card games!

Timing—
But God plants the desires because He has a certain result planned. Nothing’s wasted in His economy. (And He never enters a recession!)

Even when Joseph sat in prison, the Bible says God was with him. It took thirteen years to climb the ranks from slave of Potiphar to second in command of Eygpt. The famine arrived seven years later. By the time his brothers arrived, bowing and begging for food, twenty-two years had passed. That’s a long time to wait for a dream to come true!

Had his brothers thwarted God’s plans for Joseph? No. Joseph tells them, “It was not you who sent me here, but God.” No matter what we think, people are not the ones who delay our dreams, but God. This means an editor’s rejection is God directing our lives, not another blow to our dream. Sherrie, during a time of discouragement, asked God if she was really supposed to write. He took her to Habakkuk 2:2-3. “Write down the vision; write it clearly on clay tablets so whoever reads it can run to tell others. It is not yet time for the message to come true, but that time is coming soon; the message will come true. It may seem like a long time, but be patient and wait for it, because it will surely come; it will not be delayed.”

Things we think of as setbacks are part of God’s training for the future. Joseph started as a young, inexperienced boy. As a shepherd, he gained experience with flocks and agriculture. As the head slave of a prominent man, he learned about household management and the social networking of Egypt. As an inmate of the king’s guard, he became familiar with the judicial and prison systems. All of those things added up to be excellent training for running a country.

By following his dream, by always being ready to be used by God, whether as a slave, a prisoner, or a powerful leader, he saved not only his family from starvation, but entire nations.

Who knows what God plans to do with your dream? Who knows what His timing will be?

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Sherrie and Christina dream of having 1,000 subscribers to their infrequent, humorous newsletter. Help make this dream come true by signing up at www.ashberrylane.net/update.aspx. To hear a greatly expanded and deeply profound version of this—if you live within a few hours of Portland, OR—ask them to speak at your next event.

The two women share a multigenerational country home with their husbands and Christina’s children. They also share one brain and were separated at birth.

A former nurse specializing in the care of Alzheimer patients, Sherrie now thrives on being a professional grandma of six. She loves to read and garden, is co-commander with her husband of their church’s AWANA program, and serves with him as an elder. They are former missionaries to Nigeria, West Africa and (obviously!) lived to tell about it.

Christina, a SAHM with two children of her own, enjoys doing foster care and leads a Sparks group in AWANA. She signed a contract this past month with Moody Publishers for a book she wrote on her own. The book, now titled A Familiar Stranger, is slated to hit bookstores in September 2009!