Giveaway Winner!
Congratulations Cassie Caldwell! Winner of the Rooted & Blooming Release Giveaway! I pray you are blessed by all the wonderful goodies.
Book Release and Giveaway
To celebrate the release of my 40 day devotional, Rooted & Blooming, and my husband’s and my silver anniversary AND my birthday, I thought it would be fun to give gifts to one of my readers! There’s a copy of Rooted & Blooming, a gorgeous Papaya Art clutch, a bar of my own handmade goat milk soap, Red Apple scent, some cute cactus earrings, and a set of 3 cactus themed notebooks. whew! Fun prize!
I set up a rafflecopter for the giveaway and it will choose a random winner. I’ll notify the winner by email.
The giveaway starts 3/25- RELEASE day for Rooted & Blooming, which you can buy on Amazon and Barnes & Noble in print or e-book as well as Kobo in e-book. Look for the audio version soon. It’s being recorded now!
The giveaway ends 4/2
You must be a US resident (sorry)
and a newsletter subscriber. The newsletter is free, and every page of my website has a sign up form. Go here to sign up.
Rooted Blooming Ranked #1
Well it lasted for a little while! Rooted & Blooming was ranked the #1 release in the Christian Devotional category today. That was fun. If you’re looking for a devotional book that is encouraging, strengthening, and a call to bear up under pressure, trials, stress, or anything negative in life, you might want to check out my book baby. The print and e-book editions are set to release March 25th. They are available for pre-order now. If you do get one and read it, please leave a review on the site you ordered from. Reviews help authors so very much and they are appreciated more than you know.
They don’t have to be long, or detailed. Just a simple few words and hopefully stars 🙂
e-books: Barnes & Noble Nook, Amazon Kindle, Kobo
Print: Barnes & Noble, Amazon
Far Side Of The Sea Review
Kate Breslin never disappoints, and every book is better than the last. Far Side of The Sea was the kind of book that keeps you up at night! I took in on my silver wedding anniversary trip and hated to put it down. Every chance I got…I snuck in a bit of Colin and Johanna’s story. There was mystery, drama, spies, well-researched history and travel to far away places. Far Side of The Sea was a great escape, and also an inspiring story featuring a character in Mrs. Breslin’s previous novel, Not By Sight. I loved having a re-visit and taste of the happily ever after for the characters in that book PLUS the happily every after in Far Side Of The Sea. What a bonus. Colin and Johanna get tangled up in quite a drama that spans a european continent and involves espionage, danger, terrible wounds, and the plot twists…well, you’re in for a wild ride. I really didn’t want the story to end, it was that good. When you read a book and hate to part with the characters and scenery, you know it was well-written. Kate Breslin is an immaculate researcher and writer. Over the past few years she has risen in rank to my favorite author. This book seals the deal!
___________________
Book Description:
In spring 1918, Lieutenant Colin Mabry, a British soldier working with MI8 after suffering injuries on the front, receives a message by carrier pigeon. It is from Jewel Reyer, the woman he once loved and who saved his life–a woman he believed to be dead. Traveling to France to answer her urgent summons, he desperately hopes this mission will ease his guilt and restore the courage he lost on the battlefield.
Colin is stunned, however, to discover the message came from Jewel’s half sister, Johanna. Johanna, who works at a dovecote for French Army Intelligence, found Jewel’s diary and believes her sister is alive in the custody of a German agent. With spies everywhere, Colin is skeptical of Johanna, but as they travel across France and Spain, a tentative trust begins to grow between them.
When their pursuit leads them straight into the midst of a treacherous plot, danger and deception turn their search for answers into a battle for their lives.
My Son’s Lovey
My beautiful son has a raggedy old froggie. It’s his lovey. One of those corner blanket type things with a stuffed animal head. I bought it for him when he was an infant. He was a brand new foster baby. I knew he was my son immediately. Even though I was told he was with us for a weekend (standard line), and that I shouldn’t get attached. Well, how else do you mother an infant?! Dumb. Of course I got attached.
Anyway, I bought this thing and he loved it. A few months later I decided to be smart and buy a back up. It’s still in good shape. My son doesn’t touch it. The first one though, after nearly 9 years of constant love has gotten bedraggled.
My friends and family know I can’t sew. My son knows this, but he was getting more and more desperate this past year. Froggie is coming apart! My son has begged me to try to fix him before he comes undone altogether. I kept thinking I’d ask a friend but who wants to take on a smelly old rag that’s only dear to my little boy?
So last night I agreed to tackle the mission. Froggie, after all, was in dire straits.
My husband had become desperate enough to buy needles and thread for himself to sew up a pair of pants. Because even he knows I do not sew. All of a sudden I had thread and needles around.
Well my son and I played out that Froggie came in for surgery. He was given the whole treatment. Anesthesia and all.
I did it. He looks like crap. But here’s the thing…
My son doesn’t care that Froggie looks likes Frankenstein’s monster. His memory will be that his mother loved him enough to sit and spend over and hour carefully stitching up his dearest possession. He will look on those pathetic stitches one day and realize with a smile that I loved him and cared enough to perform a surgery scenario on his Froggie.
My husband was appalled at my handiwork, but I smiled, because I know my son approves with his whole heart.
He was never going to accept the back up Froggie. It always had to be the original, no matter what.
And maybe that symbolizes he and I and his biological mother. She was first, but I am the one who sewed up his lovie and led him to Jesus who can sew up his heart.
My son is adopted. He may have legally been a foster child, but he never was to us. He was our own baby from day 1.
Now, in other news, since I have been MIA for some time on this blog, I have been studying, writing, editing, until my brains want to fall out. I’m weary double time with the constant snow we have had this year. So I have taken a bit of time to just read for enjoyment again. My latest favorite author had a book release on her news and best yet, in my opinion, Far Side Of The Sea. Kate Breslin has done a brilliant work of historical fiction here. Her novels don’t disappoint, and this one has been the best. It’s already on audible. You can find it everywhere though.
Meanwhile, with all of the snow, eye specialist appointments and dental appointments, I have missed Bible Study Fellowship a few times this winter. That just gave me the chance to learn to download my homework on my iPad pro and use the pencil and Notability app to do it a new and fun way.
Lastly, I have an author website, newsletter, and I’m in the final edits for Rooted & Blooming, Flourishing In Desert Seasons. A devotional I’ve been writing along with my novels. I’ll be releasing this book this month! Sign up for my newsletter to get updates!
Final Edits
I’ve been very busy writing all winter, as well as learning about Indie publishing. My head is swimming, but I’m having a good time and meeting great creatives.
I’m in the final edits of my first devotional book, and rewrites of my novel. I also have a second devotional as well as a Bible Study and and two more novels in the works.
If you feel inclined, please pray for me. I’m hoping to retain all the information I’m learning, as well as be a blessing to readers. 🙂
Writing: My Why.
I have loved reading for as long as I can remember. I learned to read, in fact, before kindergarten. It seems I was meant for words. I have wanted to write for as long as I can remember too. I got busy with my family though, and only dabbled in writing.
Two years ago when I decided my life was off the crazy train enough to write seriously, meaning more than blogging and the occasional magazine piece, I sat down to pray about it and figure out why I wanted to write so badly, and what I wanted to write.
I didn’t know it then, but the crazy train was not even close to slowing down. In fact, I was in for some hair raising loops. I persevered though, and wrote two novels while studying writing craft like a crazy person. I have since realized I have more to learn than I ever dreamed, and writing well is infinitely more difficult than I could have imagined two years ago. Still, I sorted out my why because I knew I’d need it. I have. It’s discouraging to feel so inadequate.
When I began homeschooling nineteen years ago, I knew I would need good enough reasons to carry us through to the end. I didn’t know much, but I knew it would be hard. It was. Is. But I know why I’m doing it, and of course wrote my reasons and goals down all those years ago to remind myself when I felt like quitting. I knew I would, and I have. It’s a wearying job.
I believe writing well is a gift, a discipline, and a service. It’s a way to love others. It’s a chance to give. My tagline is “Aspiring to Inspire” because that’s my why. I love to write, so I gain personal pleasure in sorting my soul and baring it on paper or a screen, but I also love to encourage others. I want to learn to write well-crafted stories to not only entertain, but also to inspire. I want to write clean words, because this world is dirty enough, and who among us doesn’t want to escape it? I know I do, and I can, when I’m in my story world with my characters.
My personality is such that I draw comfort and resources from solitude. That doesn’t really include animals, and I have surrounded myself with an array of pets. In short, it suits me to be home writing. Writing is a solitary endeavor, and that’s just fine with me.
But thank goodness for dogs at my feet, horses to ride, and sheep and goats. I wouldn’t mind a camel, but that’s another story, and another goal.
I don’t know if you’ve read my post on my word for the year. It’s flourish, and this is just part of the definition of flourish in one of the verses pertaining to my word found in the Bible. It’s relevant to my writing and that thrilled me. I hadn’t expected there would be such a meaningful connection when the word came to me.
Two years after I picked up my first book on writing, sold 3/4 of my livestock to make time for writing, and countless hours with my butt in a chair, hours spent reading, studying, listening, attending conferences and joining the Novel Academy, I have written 3 books and have a fourth started. To say I have been productive would be an understatement, but as to whether or not my writing has improved has yet to be seen.
I’ll keep working on it, enjoying myself all the while. But when the time comes I think it too hard, or rejections sting my insecure heart, I’ll have my why to remind me to endure.
Bring on 2019!
I’ve prayed and thought and received my word for 2019 and a Bible section to hold on to as well.
I have looked up all the key words and recorded them in the English and Hebrew and looked up word etymologies. Ya, I’m like that.
I have a word board, a Why, and What board. I’m feeling enthused.
Now I feel like I’ve got my focus, I can get busy planning and making goals.
I like to make personal goals, relationship, spiritual, writing, and home goals.
I make goals for things like management of our ranch, learning writing craft, how many writing conferences I attend, writing projects, Bible reading, and so on.
What about you? Care to share?
Christmas Goodies
Do you feel like you have to do the traditions and pass them on the the next generation? I do and I love it. Christmas movies, music, candy, cookies and of course the holiday meal. All the things!
But I’m getting pretty fat and my joints hurt when I eat this stuff. So…
They can have the goodies and this is the path I’m going down…ha ha! 
