A Reason for the Season

coffee, cup, laptop, memeGood morning and happy Thursday! It’s a bit nippy outside my door, and right on time. Christmas is coming.

The movies have started, the malls are brimming with shoppers, Christmas music is in the air, along with a definite aroma of cinnamon. The sights and sounds of the season.

All the rushing around causes me to wonder, am I ready for this? Can I conjure up a Christmassy-feeling? Bake some gingery-spicey things for the aroma, decorate with pretty lights and holiday bows?

Anticipation of the shiny eyes and excited faces of the children on Christmas Eve, watching and waiting, spurs me onward. Put up the tree, hang the lights, bake the cookies.

But, am I really ready? Something’s most definitely missing.

So, I turn my shiny eyes and excited face inward, to remember the One who started it all. As He made a natural entry into the world to begin an unprecedented journey that would span the next thirty-three years.

Yesterday, I wondered what it was like for Him, looking out through brand-new infant eyes. The Creator now a creature, helpless and dependent. Experiencing one of the greatest of all natural miracles–a mother’s love.

My heart brims over with love as I prepare to make a difference.

So, in the midst of all the gift-giving and rushing about, remember what it really means. Let His love shine out of your eyes and into your little corner of the world. Give from the abundance of your heart–kind words, a smile, a hug–spread His love. Help others remember the true meaning of the season.

Jesus.

Click to Tweet: Give from the abundance of your heart–kind words, a smile, a hug–spread His #love. Help others remember the true meaning of the #season. #MerryChristmas

Notes From My Journal

coffee, cup, laptop, memePen poised over November 1 in my journal, I’m sitting here wondering what happened to summer. It seemed entirely too short. One day it was hot, and the next–I’m wearing woolly socks and sweatshirts.

And I didn’t even get to say goodbye.

Speaking of quick turnarounds, my latest work-in-progress (conveniently set in the summertime), has surprised me twice. The first time, when my antagonist turned out to be not so antagonistic. Honestly, that one set off a chain of events I didn’t know how to tie up. Then today, an unexpected situation changed the entire ending I had planned. And quietly–just like that–everything in my story world fell into place. Don’t you love when that happens?

While we’re on the topic of love, my protagonist (the main character) is battling a huge crush. And no wonder. The guy I set in her way is not only great-looking, but smart, too. And he has a really great smile. 🙂

November is National Novel Writing month (NaNoWriMo)! Many of my writer buddies are using this time to work on their next novel. I’ve got ten more chapters to complete in mine, so maybe I better get clacking. That’s only about 25,000 words. I can do that. Sure.

November is also a month of thankfulness. I have a lot to be thankful for this year. How about you? What stands out for you? I hope you’ll drop me a note and let me know, so I can rejoice with you.

So, happy fall y’all. I’ll be back next week with another book review. I’m excited about this one, because it’s written by a very good friend of mine. A masterful suspense writer. She kept me on tenterhooks, nose to the page, far too long into the night hours. Ah! Another reason for an extra cup of java!

CLICK TO TWEET: Hello #Thursday Morning! What are you #thankful for? #amwriting

Next week – I will be reviewing Frozen Notes, by Fay Lamb, and there will be a giveaway! So stop back by, and join the conversation.

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Questions, Anyone?

coffee, cup, laptop, memeWhen I renovated my blog, I wanted to have fun with it. Thus the theme, “Hello! Thursday Mornings!”

Opinions–mostly mine–are welcome, and every few weeks, I’ll open the “floor” (so to speak) for questions.

If you have a question you’d like me to discuss (I may or may not have an answer), please send it to me via the comments section below. If you send a really good one, it may become the subject of a blog post! How’s that?

In the meantime, I’ll answer the question, WHO am I, really? You can find most of that information in the tabs above, or I can tell you: I’m a Christian believer, married almost forty-three years to my wonderful husband, Bob. Besides my part-time pursuit of bookkeeping, he supports me in my writing venture. We have three grown sons, all of them married, and they’ve given us eight grandchildren.

I’ve been writing for about thirty years now. But I’ve only been a published writer for a decade. Next year, I will have seven books in publication. I started out writing fantasy-adventure stories. They were somewhat inspired by Tolkien’s LOTR. Okay, possibly more than somewhat inspired by Peter Jackson’s interpretation of Tolkien’s LOTR. Okay, maybe a lot more than somewhat inspired by Viggo Mortenson’s Aragorn/Strider role. Ahem!

I moved away from fantasy/adventure, to write historical stories. Since you can find most of this information in the tabs above, I won’t go into great detail. I’m working on two different (very different) series at the moment, and though I feel blessed to have them, I’ve vowed never to do that again.

My current work-in-progress will finish up the Legacy series with the story of Amy Juliana Emerson. If you’re a reader, you may think that name sounds familiar. That’s because Amy’s mother and dad are in Book 1, Amelia’s Legacy.

Amy is another rich, young heiress who is struggling against her destiny. World War II has recently ended as the story begins, and this girl is ready to launch herself on the world. But her dad has other plans. He’s trying to keep her high spirits in check, and not just to protect her reputation (or his own). Though Amy doesn’t realize it, she is in actual danger, and her antics have brought her the wrong kind of attention.

At a time when most young ladies of substance are either being given in marriage, or being given a voyage to see the world, Amy is sent to the country where she is expected to work. Rebecca Lewis Alvera, another of my characters from both Book 1 and Book 2 (Carlotta’s Legacy), takes on an important role in helping Amy curb her excessive energy.

A perfect storm is brewing as Amy’s stubborn resolve meets Dad’s resistance, along with an unknown force in the form of a familiar enemy. This is the section I am working on at present. The pressure is on as I not only end this particular story, but the series.

Oh, and I am a slow writer. It takes months for me to complete a story to my satisfaction. It takes my readers a matter of hours or a couple of days to read it. *Sigh*

That’s my story, and a little bit of my present situation. Add to the writing of this latest tome, about ten other roles in the writing/marketing world, and you have a vague idea of the daily life of a writer.

Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you’ll join the conversation, whether it is with a question, or just to encourage me. Or, maybe you don’t want to encourage me. Please don’t feed the  monkeys. Only some of you will get that.

If you click this link you’ll tweet this: Opinions, mostly mine, are welcome in my new weekly blog, Hello! Thursday Mornings!

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Story Telling True or False

Just a Note, Maybe a Silly One~

coffee, cup, laptop, memeStorytelling. A lot of companies have gone there. It’s the latest trend–storytelling–a way to advertise that captures attention in a positive, uplifting manner.

A dog story or a heartwarming family tale grabs our attention, and may cause us to grab a tissue. A neighbor reaches out to help an elderly woman, a soldier returns home, surprising a family member, or even his or her dog. Grabs your attention.

Hallmark Cards was a forerunner in the storytelling ad field. How many remember the holiday card commercials? The special teacher, the wonderful daughter, and the list goes on.

And the coffee commercial, when big brother comes home for the holidays. He puts on a pot of coffee to wake up the parents and surprise them. One of my personal favorites.

Yes, they’re sharing a real-life experience, and that’s wonderful. These stories are designed to trigger memories and emotions. To give you a positive “vibe” about their company and their products.

Humor sells, too.  Like Mikey. Cute baby brother Mikey was a picky eater, so when Mikey liked something, his brothers knew it must be really good. Whoever came up with that one picked a winner.

So what happens when a story doesn’t quite ring true? I’m reminded of an old ad about a certain pair of shoes that were like “walking on a cloud.” I had to ask myself, how did they know? Has anyone ever walked on a cloud? Wouldn’t that be difficult?

What’s your favorite commercial falsehood?

Yes, I’m being funny, today. Short and sweet, for this week’s Hello! Thursday Morning. Storytelling ads are big business, and hopefully many of my freelance writer friends are cashing in on the trend.

I hope you find a Mikey. Then I can say, I knew you back when you were a struggling freelance writer. 🙂

Happy Thursday!

CLICK TO TWEET: Hello! Thursday Morning presents “When storytelling is big business.”