Win a copy of Ronie Kendig's TRINITY!

Okay, confession here. I really never read contemporary books. I'm so in love with historicals that I rarely pick up a book that isn't set in the past. I make an exception for Ronie Kendig's books.  First of all, I love the military. I have two daughters in the military and a brother who works in law enforcement. I support our troops whenever I can. Ronie's love and respect for our military shines through her stories. But before you click away, saying 'Ah, I don't like military stories'  let me tell you that Ronie's books are so much more than that. They are suspense, adventure, romance, and spiritual. Yes, all those things packed tight in a story that will blow your socks off!  You'll learn a lot, you'll be moved deeply, you'll gain greater respect for our troops, you'll grip the edge of your seat, and you'll fall in love. I guarantee it. One thing you'll not do is close the book disappointed.

 I adored Ronie's Discarded Heroes Series!  And this first book in her new A Breed Apart series is fantabulous. If you love dogs, you're going to go crazy over this new series. 

The first book is called Trinity.  Here's what it's about:
A year ago in Afghanistan, Green Beret Heath Daniel's career was destroyed. Along with his faith. Now he and his military war dog, Trinity, train other dogs and their handlers. Though his passion is to be back in action, the medical discharge has forced Heath-and Trinity-to the sidelines. Military intelligence officer Darci Kintz is captured while secretly tracking the Taliban. Only one dog can handle the extreme conditions to save her. Trinity. Only one man can handle Trinity. Time is running out on the greatest-and most dangerous-mission of their lives.

Here's my review:

Want high-impact action, military suspense, romance, adventure, great characters, and a theme that gets you thinking. . .than look no further than Ronie Kendig. This author has a knack for grabbing you and shoving you right in the middle of some pretty intense, heart-thumping action. Every night when I curled up to read, I felt like I was roaming around the blistery caves in Afghanistan with a loyal German Shepherd by my side, being targeted by rogue Chinese madmen. Now, how often do you get to feel like that? (Especially from the safety of your own couch.. which is where I prefer to be!) Ms. Kendig's characters are always wounded in some way. . .and I don't mean just on the outside, but that's what makes them real. Aren't we all wounded from life? Don't we all need second chances and new hope? That's exactly what the hero and heroine in this story need, from each other and from God. The fun part is watching them grow and change and reach out for that lifeline. Add to that tons of hunky military guys, the rescue of the hero's lady love, and my favorite character, Trinity, the dog who stole my heart, and this was one fun read!! I guarantee once you start this book, you won't be able to stop turning the pages.

An Army brat, Ronie Kendig grew up in the classic military family, with her father often TDY and her mother holding down the proverbial fort. Their family moved often, which left Ronie attending six schools by the time she’d entered fourth grade. Her only respite and “friends” during this time were the characters she created.
It was no surprise when she married a military veteran—her real-life hero—in June 1990.  Married more than twenty years, Ronie and her husband, Brian, homeschool their four children, the first of whom graduated in 2011. Despite the craziness of life, Ronie finds balance and peace with her faith, family and their three dogs in Dallas, TX.
Ronie has a deep love and passion for people, especially hurting people, which is why she pursued and obtained a B.S. in Psychology from Liberty University. Ronie is an active member of the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and has volunteered extensively, serving in a variety of capacities from coordinator of a national contest to appointment assistant at the national annual conference.
To learn more about Ronie, Visit her website! It's really cool!!   Ronie's website

 Leave a comment with your email address to win a free copy of Trinity!!!  Drawing will be held on October 11! Winner announced on the 12th! 

If you can't wait to learn if you won, click HERE to order from Amazon.com Click  HERE to order from CBD.com.  

Have a great weekend, everyone!

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Winner of Talk Like a Pirate Day Contest !!!

On September 19th ye helped me celebrate Talk like a Pirate Day by doin' yer best at a small pirate speak test I gave ye. Well here be the answers:

1. Yer sands be run
Avast, be still me heart. Fer a moment, I thought me sands be run out

a)  Your luck has run out
b)  There is a huge hole in the hull of the ship
c)  Your life is over
d)  You are out of time

2. Scupper
Blast it! Bring me me rum and scupper the rest o' this!

a) Hide
b) Get rid of
c) Wash
d) Put back in the treasure chest

3. Stow that
"What's all this? I told 'em t' clear the deck. Ah. Stow that. I needs to think."

a) Nevermind
b) Put below in Hold
c) Lock up in irons
d) Write that down

4. Cut of his Jib 
"Arg, who be that goat-legged fellow? Me likes the cut of his jib."

a) his attire
b) his attitude
c) the way he walks
d) his profile or appearance

5. Lay 'em aboard!
"Now's ye time, Boy! Lay 'em aboard!"

a) Stretch them on a rack
b) Finish them off
c) Bring them on board
d) Lay them over the deck

6. Labberneck
"Get to work, ye labbernecks!" 

a) sailors
b) slaves
c) drunks
d) traitors

7) niminy-piminy
 "What be this, says I? All niminy-piminy affectations 'stead o' comin' at me full guns!"

a) traitorous
b) lying
c) forceful
d) dainty


I was surprised at how WELL most of ye did!! Next I'll be hirin' ye fer me crew!  None of ye got all o' them right, but to be fair, they were hard this year!!   SIX of Ye got all but one right! An' ye deserve an honorable mention here:


Angi
Rebecca
Patty
KyrsyPye
Amy M
Diane S.


But the name I pulled to win me Pirate trilogy be Ladette Kerr!!  Congratulations, Ladette!!!! 
And thank ye all fer playing! I hope ye have as much fun as I did!!

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Wordless Wednesday!

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What to expect in the Millennium - Great White Throne Judgement

Okay, we've seen what we will be doing during the millennium. We've seen what our bodies will be like and we've seen a little bit about what the earth will be like. So what happens when the thousand years are over?

We know that when Jesus first came back to earth to reign, Satan was cast into the abyss

Then I saw an angel descending from heaven; he was holding the key of the Abyss and a great chain was in his hand.  And he overpowered the dragon, that old serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. Then he hurled him into the Abyss and closed it and sealed it above him, so that he should no longer lead astray and deceive and seduce the nations until the thousand years were at an end. After that he must be liberated for a short time.  Revelation 20:1-2 Amp

 I'm not sure why Satan has to be released. I mean if it were up to me, I'd leave that old meany locked up forever, but I'm guessing it's because God is a God of justice and He must give those mortals born on earth during the millennium a chance to choose between God or Satan, good or evil, just like He gave every other human the choice. God doesn't want puppets. He wants us to choose Him.

Trouble is, we don't know how long Satan will be allowed to freely wander the earth. Could be days, could be months or even years. We do know that he won't have learned his lesson and he'll be back to his old tricks, deceiving people and convincing them to follow him not God.

And when the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his place of confinement,

And he will go forth to deceive and seduce and lead astray the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth—Gog and Magog—to muster them for war; their number is like the sand of the sea  Rev 20:7-8 Amp

What baffles me is how, after living under the justice and righteousness and love of Jesus's reign on earth, anybody could willingly reject God and side with Satan!!  But apparently, many do.  Enough, anyway, to form a massive army and come against God and His people.

And they swarmed up over the broad plain of the earth and encircled the fortress of God’s people and the beloved city;  verse 9

But unfortunately for them, they lose the battle

but fire descended from heaven and consumed them. Then the devil who had led them astray [deceiving and seducing them] was hurled into the fiery lake of burning brimstone, where the beast and false prophet were; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever (through the ages of the ages).

Okay, great! Finally!  Next we are told there will be a Great White Throne judgement. This is NOT a judgement for those who follow God. This is a judgement for EVERY single person who has ever lived on earth from the beginning of time to the present time, including those alive during this huge battle, who have rejected God. Only those who didn't receive God's free gift of salvation through the sacrifice of Jesus will be judged now. 

Then I saw a great white throne and the One Who was seated upon it, from Whose presence and from the sight of Whose face earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them.  I saw the dead, great and small; they stood before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is [the Book] of Life. And the dead were judged (sentenced) by what they had done [their whole way of feeling and acting, their aims and endeavors] in accordance with what was recorded in the books.

 And the sea delivered up the dead who were in it, death and Hades (the state of death or disembodied existence) surrendered the dead in them, and all were tried and their cases determined by what they had done [according to their motives, aims, and works].

Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.

And if anyone’s name was not found recorded in the Book of Life, he was hurled into the lake of fire.

I find it really interesting that the unsaved dead are judged according to their works. I mean, why bother, if they are all going to the same place? (the lake of fire). The only logical conclusion is that there must be levels of punishment in Hell. Someone like Hitler may find themselves in a heap of torment, someone else who lived a reasonably good life but didn't believe in God, may be in a more tolerable environment. I really have no idea and the Scriptures do not say. But we do know God is just.   

I want to make an important point here. God doesn't send anyone to Hell. In fact, He didn't create it for people at all. It was created for Satan and his angels.  People get sent to Hell by their own choice. They choose to not receive God's free gift of salvation. God offers it to everyone. He wants everyone to receive it. But some people don't. Because God is just, He gives them what they want. A world without God. A world of darkness and evil and torment. Even people who have never heard the name Jesus have an opportunity to know the Creator of the world. They may not know his name, but they know Him and follow Him. 

I would imagine this Great White Throne judgement will be a very serious, sorrowful occasion to witness. I believe it will break God's heart. 

Okay. And after that?

Then I saw a new sky (heaven) and a new earth, for the former sky and the former earth had passed away, and there no longer existed any sea. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, all arrayed like a bride beautified and adorned for her husband;

Then I heard a mighty voice from the throne and I perceived its distinct words, saying, See! The abode of God is with men, and He will live (encamp, tent) among them; and they shall be His people, and God shall personally be with them and be their God.

God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and death shall be no more, neither shall there be anguish (sorrow and mourning) nor grief nor pain any more, for the old conditions and the former order of things have passed away. Rev 21: 1-4 Amp

The Scriptures go on to describe this New Jerusalem as being made of pure gold, having 12 gates carved from a single solid pearl, jewels for foundation stones and a sparkling river of life flowing through the city like crystal!  

And after that?  God only knows!!  But I guarantee it will blow your mind!

Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him. 1 Corinthians 2:9 NIV

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A Writer's Nightmare: Show don't Tell!

First things first, the winner of Central Park Rendezvous is LifeDance!!  (Picked by Random.org)  Thank you all so much for your comments and for entering to win this great novella!

Now onto today's question. This comes from a writer named Shelby who asks: In your book, how do you not tell what is happening? I know having the character see and feel what is happening is the most important, but how do you write to NOT tell.??

Even if you're not a writer, this is a pretty interesting question. It's one of the first rules you hear about when you enter the writing world. Before that, I'd never heard of it. But if you pick up any book today on writing, I guarantee it will have at least a few paragraphs if not a few chapters on showing vs. telling.  For those who don't write, take up this challenge, read through this post and the next book you pick up, see if you can spot where the author "showed" instead of "told"  or perhaps spots where the author "told" instead of "showed". It's actually pretty interesting.

So which is preferable?  Showing. The reader doesn't want to be told what is happening to the character in the story, they want to be shown. They want to feel, hear, touch, see, smell, and taste what the character is experiencing.  When an author can pull that off, the reader is transported deep within the story and becomes a part of the storyworld, moving through the scenes and experiencing everything the character does. If you've ever closed a book and felt like you were losing your best friends, or longed to dive back into the world the book created, then the author did a good job of showing not telling.

So why did I entitle this post Writer's Nightmare?  Because showing is HARD work. Telling is easy. Showing will put sweat on a writer's brow and make them grab handfulls of their hair while groaning nonsensical curses at no one in particular.

Let me illustrate with an example from the book I'm writing now: Illusive Hope

Telling: She was so beautiful, his desire for her was stirred
Showing:  Her flaxen hair, adorned with sparkling beads, was swept back in a bun from which tumbled ringlets about her neck. Her shimmering blue gown only enhanced the color of her eyes. Ruffles bubbled like foam from her bell-shaped sleeves, while the lace embellishing her low neckline drew his unbridled gaze. He gulped and prayed for a breeze to drift down the hall and cool the heat swirling deep in his belly. 

Which one gave you a better idea of what the hero is actually seeing and how it affects him?  Which one do you think would be harder to write?  


Telling: The air smelled horrible.
Showing: Body odor and animal dung mixed with spices and overripe fruit formed an exotic yet malodorous aroma that pinched his nose 

Telling: Magnolia was angry
Showing:  Steam rose in Magnolia’s throat. Hot, furious steam 

Telling:  She cried while running through town and listening to the sounds of wagons, vendors and birds.
Showing: Tears mottled everything in blurry colorful patches as she twined her way through the swarm of beasts and humanity. The sounds of creaking wagons, shouts of vendors, and squawk of birds blended together in a perverted hum

Telling: He was hot
Showing: Sweat glued his shirt to his chest and formed puddles on his forehead 

Getting the point? Telling is just telling your reader what the character is experiencing. Showing is putting them in his skin so they can experience it. It definitely takes more work but it's worth it in the end. So how does one go about doing this? I don't know about other authors, but I stop, close my eyes and imagine what my character is feeling, seeing, smelling, touching and tasting at that particular moment.  Not all the senses will always be used but normally at least two are engaged in every event. Showing is particularly important during emotional or stressful scenes where the character is distraught, frightened, angry, worried...any of the really impacting emotions. Or when the character is running for their lives or fighting a deadly battle or has just received the shock of their lives.

You don't want to just say  "She was shocked." You want to say something like "Numbness spun her thoughts into a stupor and crept down her spine, smothering each pulse of blood through her veins." 

Can you feel her shock in the second one? See how much more involved you are in what's happening to her than you are if the author had just said. "She was shocked"?

Believe me, some days I'm beating my head against the wall trying to come up with the best way to show something and not tell it. The lazy side of me wants to just tell you what the character is experiencing... and sometimes I might let a few of those slip by. But it's worth doing the hard work. It's what separates the writers from the authors.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

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Pirates on the Ohio River?

I've been doing some research on different topics hoping to get some ideas for another book series and I came across this interesting piece of information. There were actually River Pirates here in America!!  I don't know why but the thought of pirates on rivers made me chuckle.  However, once I found out a bit about them, I realized they were no laughing matter.

As early as 1802, pirates began accumulating on the Ohio River with the express intent of relieving settlers passing in flatboats of all their goods and money. Because the Ohio spilled into the Mississippi River which led as far south as New Orleans, it was a popular way to travel long distances for many families. Before the invention of the steam ship, people would hire flat boats which were nothing more than huge rafts to carry them and their possessions down stream with the current. 

The River pirates would hide out in the forest along the water and lure the unsuspecting settlers in by pretending to have supplies and food for sale or by pretending to be injured and in need of help. They often put their women out on rocks by the shore, begging passersby for a ride on their boat. Once the kind settlers reached the shore, they were killed, their bodies dumped in the river and all their goods taken.

Actual picture of inside of the Cave

These pirates eventually had a hideout along the river called Cave-in-the-Rock.  This fifty foot high cave was surrounded by dense woodlands and sat high upon a cliff, affording the pirates a good view of the river. It soon became a true den of iniquity filled with alcohol, prostitution, gambling and pirates. Three notorious pirate gangs were known to inhabit Cave in the Rock during its short history: The Jim Wilson Family, The Mason Gang, and the Harpes. The Harpes were the worst of these gangs who killed people simply for the sport 

Actual picture of outside

Pirating continued from Cave-in-the-rock until 1816 when steamships began to traverse the river in full force. With too many passengers to resist and traveling at faster speeds, the steamboats discouraged the pirates from taking the risk and eventually they gave up and deserted their hideout. By 1818 Cave-in-the-rock was deserted. 

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Talk Like a Pirate Day Celebration!!

Happy International Talk Like A Pirate Day!!!


For those of you who aren't familiar with this grand holiday, it falls on September 19th each year and is celebrated all over the world!! In honor of this magnanimous day, I always have a "Talk Like a Pirate" contest on me blog just t' test how much pirate speak ye have in ye.  (Notice how I'm slowly slidin' into pirate speak! That's what happens on this day to everyone!! It cannot be helped!) 

To get those o' ye who are landlubbers accustomed t' speaking pirate, here be a video which might help ye brush up on a few important terms:

Now onto the contest. I will list several "pirate" phrases or words followed by possible meanin's and it be yer job to select which meanin' be the right one. Savvy?

Put yer answers in a comment along with yer email address and I will pick a winner in 2 weeks on the 26th! The winner be getting a signed set o' me pirate trilogy (The Redemption, The Reliance, The Restitution) !!!

Okay, hold onto yer scuppers!

1. Yer sands be run
Avast, be still me heart. Fer a moment, I thought me sands be run out

a)  Your luck has run out
b)  There is a huge hole in the hull of the ship
c)  Your life is over
d)  You are out of time

2. Scupper
Blast it! Bring me me rum and scupper the rest o' this!

a) Hide
b) Get rid of
c) Wash
d) Put back in the treasure chest

3. Stow that
"What's all this? I told 'em t' clear the deck. Ah. Stow that. I needs to think."

a) Nevermind
b) Put below in Hold
c) Lock up in irons
d) Write that down

4. Cut of his Jib 
"Arg, who be that goat-legged fellow? Me likes the cut of his jib."

a) his attire
b) his attitude
c) the way he walks
d) his profile or appearance

5. Lay 'em aboard!
"Now's ye time, Boy! Lay 'em aboard!"

a) Stretch them on a rack
b) Finish them off
c) Bring them on board
d) Lay them over the deck

6. Labberneck
"Get to work, ye labbernecks!" 

a) sailors
b) slaves
c) drunks
d) traitors

7) niminy-piminy
 "What be this, says I? All niminy-piminy affectations 'stead o' comin' at me full guns!"

a) traitorous
b) lying
c) forceful
d) dainty

So enter yer answers if ye dare!  I do not pick the winner based on right answers but I want ye to try yer best!

THE CONTEST closes SEPT 26th and the WINNER is announced Sept 27th.

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Pirate Flash Mob!!

In preparation for Talk Like a Pirate Day tomorrow, enjoy this Pirate Flash Mob!! Don't forget to turn up your sound!!  And also don't forget to come back tomorrow for my annual Talk Like a Pirate Day contest!!

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What to expect in the Millennium - The Curse is Lifted

For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.  Romans 8:20-23

We left off last week talking about what our glorified bodies will be like.  But what about the earth? Romans 8 indicates that the earth is right now groaning and travailing to be set free from its slavery to corruption. This corruption happened during the fall of man when God cursed the earth  (See Genesis 3) But after Jesus's return, that curse is lifted. So what will it be like? 

We know from descriptions of the Garden of Eden that the earth was lush, full of fruit-bearing trees and edible vegetation, waterfalls and lakes and rivers and animals that were friendly.  In other words, paradise.  

• Earthquakes and volcanoes will cease
• Weather pattens and climate will change
• Don't have to work to produce food. There won't be weeds or thorns
• Deserts turn green (under Sahara they found evidence of a once-lush jungle)
• All animals and birds and reptiles become vegetarians. Isaiah 11:6-9

And the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid, and the calf and the young lion and the fatted domestic animal together; and a little child shall lead them.  And the cow and the bear shall feed side by side, their young shall lie down together, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den. They shall not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

• No more premature deaths. Everyone will fulfill their days. A child will stop being a child at 100 years old. People will leave close to 1000 years  Isaiah 65:20
• In other words, people born during the time will be like Adam and Eve.. they can walk and talk with God in the gardens. Earth will be like God originally intended.

Changes in Israel
And in that day the mountains will drip with sweet wine, and the hills will flow with milk, and all the brooks of Judah will flow with water; And a spring will go out from the house of the Lord To water the valley of Shittim.  Joel 3:18

• Mount of Olives will be split from East to West forming a valley  Zechariah 14:4
• River flowing out of the house of God.. Joel 3.  All empty ravines will fill with water. Old dried up brooks will fill.
• Living waters will flow out from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea and the Mediterranean, making the Dead Sea come to life again  Zechariah 14 :8 
• The Tree of Life will border this great river coming out of the temple, and it's leaves are used to heal sicknesses.

Through the middle of the broadway of the city; also, on either side of the river was the tree of life with its twelve varieties of fruit, yielding each month its fresh crop; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing and the restoration of the nations. Revelation 22:2

• Land around Jerusalem will become a lush plain  Zech 14:10
• Jesus will rule the eart out of Zion.  Zech 14:9
• Millennial temple - described and measured in Ezekiel 40
• Once a year all nations go up to Jerusalem to celebrate Feast of Tabernacles.  Zech 14:16 
• Those nations and people who don't go to the Feast will be punished with no rain.  What this says to me is that there will be people on the earth who will choose to not worship God. There will be people who do not want to follow God and resent His rulership. Which is one of the reasons we will be needed to help him rule throughout the earth

Yet everyone is given a choice. Tune in next week to discover the culmination of the Millennium and what happens when Satan is released.

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Trip to San Francisco and Napa

My friend, Debbie Lynne Costello and her hubby, Joe, came to stay with us for a few days. (remember this woman's name cause she's going to be published some day and you'll want to read her books!)  Anyway, we spent the day yesterday driving through San Francisco and then up into Napa where they grow grapes for the best wine in the world.  San Francisco was the usual crowd of people and cars so we just viewed everything from the car.. even China Town, which was really cool.  We did stop at Coit Tower, finding it completely by accident.. but we got out to stretch our legs and learned it was the tower from which a lookout would spot the ships coming into the bay and then raise the signal flags to alert the city as to what nationality they were or if they were pirates!  Anyway, here's a picture of me and Debbie Lynne with the city behind us.  Sorry. you can't see much of San Francisco!  Our huge bodies are blocking the view!

Then we drove to Napa and stopped at a winery for a tour.   They let us sample the grapes right off the vine and I was surprised they were so sweet. I'd always heard wine grapes were sour.

Anyway, it was a fun day!!  Got home around 6:00 and then went out to dinner. My hubby and Debbie Lynne's hubby hit it off too. It was nice to get a break from writing....  refreshed my brain and gave me an idea about a vineyard story idea.

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The Making of a Novella! - Book giveaway!

Personal news:

I'm getting braces! Yes, the wire kind with rubber bands that last 3 years! Ugggg..  I've been putting this off and off, but finally decided it would be best. So if you see me at a book signing or conference in the next three years, please have pity on me and don't laugh!

I'm in San Francisco today with a great author friend who flew out here from South Carolina with her husband on business but they took the time to drive all the way from San Diego to the Bay Area (where I live.. and a good 8 hour drive!)  just to see me!  So, it's off to do the sightseeing thing in San Fran today.   I'll post pictures next week. My friend, Debbie Lynne Costello is a great writer, by the way, as yet unpublished, but I know she will be soon. Check out her website:  Debbie Lynne's Web Site!

Some of you may know that I recently had a new release, in addition to Veil of Pearls. It is a novella entitled Central Park Rendezvous. A novella is just a fancy word for short story or short novel. So essentially Central Park Rendezvous is a collection of short stories.  In this case, there are four stories written by four different authors (Yours Truly included). Normally in a novella, the stories are all tied together somehow, either with theme, location, or time period.  

If you'd like to win a copy, leave a comment on this post, along with your email. I'll choose a winner on the 21st!

If you haven't read the novella, each story is set during a different war-time period (Present day-Afghanistan, Vietnam, WWII, and the Civil War), each is a love story, each revolves around the same family, each ends with the couple expressing their love on the Bow Bridge in Central Park, New York, and each is tied together by an heirloom that Colonel Wolfe gave his fiance right after the civil war.  The piece is a Civil War Coin on which is inscribed Love Never Fails W.W. Central Park. Oh, and the theme of Love from 1 Corinthians 13 runs through all the stories.

The stories include
Dream a Little Dream, by Ronie Kendig  (Afghanistan Sar)
A Love Meant to Be by Dineen Miller     (Vietnam War)
To Sing Another Day by Kim Vogel Sawyer (World War II)
Beauty from Ashes by MaryLu Tyndall (Civil Awar)

Recently a reader wrote in with some questions about how in the heck did four different authors write four different stories that somehow all fit together in one neat story that spanned four different generations?  

Do you all live relatively in the same geographical area?  
Nope. Two of us live in California, but the others are spread over the U.S.

Who came up with this idea/suggestion? Who decided that it would be you four in particular ... are you all close or great friends (besides being fellow-authors)?
The entire Novella was Ronie Kendig's idea. I never would have considered writing a novella. I'm not very good at "short" stories.. I can do LONG.. but not short. LOL.  Ronie then contacted the rest of us to ask if we wanted to be a part of it. I adore Ronie so I didn't want to turn her down.  I know Ronie and Dineen pretty well.  I've never met Kim, but she's a doll to work with.

I am especially intrigued on how or who came up with this story-line idea of crossing the four generations?
That would be Ronie. We all did some brainstorming but it was Ronie who proposed we do a cross history military-themed set of stories that spanned 4 wars. (If you haven't read her books, she's got some FABULOUS military romantic suspense books!!) 

How did you each decide who was going to write about what era?
That was easy. We knew the 4 time periods we were writing about and we all simply chose the ones we preferred. Since both Kim and I are historical authors, we choose the earlier dates.. then Dineen got the Vietnam story and Ronie had dibs on the modern day one because the whole thing was her idea.
 
And how did you each know what to write about? Did someone sort of take
charge and say:  "you -- write about this", and "you write about that", and "I'll writeabout this"???     

I would say that Ronie was the chief conductor in all of this. I wish I had saved the tons of emails that passed between us all!  We plotted the entire thing over email, if you can believe that!  Once we came up with the heirloom coin idea being passed down, we knew we wanted to have the modern day couple find the heirloom and start looking into the history of it. After much discussion, we all agreed that the best way to do that would be to have the present day story (Ronie's) scattered between the other stories..  which I thought was a GREAT idea. The present day couple finds some old letter..etc.. and then we go back in time to the couple the letter talks about. That story is told, and then it's back to the present where their story progresses a little and then they discover something else about the past and then we switch to the past again.. to another couples story.. and so on and so on..  We were all JAZZED about the idea!!


Did you each individually come up with your own ideas for each of your eras, or, was it all carefully planned out/thought out/prepared as to how it would all tie in together, and everyone told what to write?   
Basically we each came up with our own ideas for our stories, but then we had to all get together, go over the ideas, and pull information that we needed from each others' stories, since some characters overlapped and we needed to get all our stories straight.  I had the easiest job since my story was the oldest and there was a huge gap between the Civil War and World War II where Kim's story picked up. So, I didn't have to worry about my story touching the other authors' stories as much.
 
Clear as mud?? 
Keep the questions coming!!
Have a great weekend, everyone!

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Unsung hero of the Revolutionarry War - Dr. Joseph Warren

When it comes to the history of the US Revolutionary war, we always hear about people like George Washington, John Adams, Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin. But there were so many other people behind the scenes who risked everything. And some who lost everything for the cause. Recently, I discovered one such unsung hero, Dr. Joseph Warren.

Born in 1741, Joseph Warren, the son of a respected farmer, graduated from Harvard and went on to study medicine.  He married 18-year-old heiress Elizabeth Hooten in 1764, but she died 9 years later,  leaving him with four children.  While practicing medicine in Boston, Joseph became friends with Samuel Adams and John Hancock as well as other radical leaders of the Sons of Liberty. He quickly became caught up in the fight for freedom from Tyranny. Here are just a few things he did:

• He was a member of the Boston committee that assembled a report on the following month's Boston Massacre.
• Royal officials tried to place his publishers Edes and Gill on trial for an incendiary newspaper essay Warren wrote under the pseudonym A True Patriot, 
• In 1774, he authored a song, "Free America," which was published in colonial newspapers.
• Warren was appointed to the Boston Committee of Correspondence. He twice delivered orations in commemoration of the Massacre, the second time in March 1775 while the town was occupied by army troops.
• Warren drafted the Suffolk Resolves, which were endorsed by the Continental Congress to advocate resistance to Parliament's Coercive Acts
• He was appointed President of the Massachusetts Provincial Congress, the highest position in the revolutionary government.

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However, he is most known for what he did on the night of April 18th, 1775.   Warren received information from a highly placed British informant that British troops were planing a raid on Concord to destroy munitions stored there by the colonials. Warren also learned that the troops intended to arrest Sam Adams and John Hancock.Warren sent William Dawes and Paul Revere on their famous "midnight rides" to warn Hancock and Adams in Lexington about the approaching troops.  "The British are Coming! The British are coming!"

He took arms and fought in the ensuing battle, nearly dying when a musket shot clipped his wig. When his mother begged him not to risk his life again, he replied

 "Where danger is, dear mother," he answered, "there must your son be. Now is no time for any of American’s children to shrink from any hazard. I will set her free or die.

On 14 June he was chosen second major-general of the Massachusetts forces, and after hearing that the British troops had landed at Charlestown, he rode over to Bunker Hill. As he was endeavoring to rally the militia, Gen. Warren was struck in the head by a musket-ball, orphaning his four children.  In April, 1778, Gen. Benedict Arnold, who had conceived a warm friendship for Dr. Warren while at Cambridge, came to their relief. Arnold contributed $500 for their education, and succeeded in obtaining from congress the amount of a major-general's half-pay, to be applied to their support from the date of the father's death until the youngest child should be of age.

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Wordless Wednesday!

Ship run aground!

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What to expect in the Millennium - 2, Glorified bodies!

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This is one of my favorite topics of the New Millennium. Let's face it, unless you're thirty and under, you are probably starting to feel the effects of age. If you're over 50 like me, then you definitely are! The old saying that youth is wasted on the young is so true! When I was young, I took so much for granted. I slept well, had tons of energy, could eat whatever I wanted without repercussions, played sports and exercised without feeling like I'd been run over by a mack truck, could stay up all night and still function the next day. My mind was clear. My vision strong. My skin firm. My bones didn't ache. Wow!  Of course when you're young, you don't know any different. You think you'll be like that forever.  But there is good news for all of us, young and old. During the Millennial reign of Jesus and onward into eternity, we will get new, glorified bodies, super hero bodies!

But what does that mean? Aren't we all just going to be spirits floating around in heaven playing harps?  Yet, I ask you, is that what happened to Jesus after he rose from the dead?.  No!  Scripture says that Jesus was the first of a new type of resurrected being.

But the fact is that Christ (the Messiah) has been raised from the dead, and He became the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep [in death]. . . .But each in his own rank and turn: Christ the firstfruits, then those who are Christ’s [own will be resurrected] at His coming. 1 Corinthians 15:20-23 Amplified

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While we are on earth, our bodies are made of earthly material. We know this from Genesis when God made us from the dust of the earth. After the fall of man, that earthly body (along with all of creation) became subject to decay and began to die.  for dust you are and to dust you shall return. Genesis 3:19





Our Bodies


Before                                                             After                              
Perishable and decay                               Immune to decay, Immortal
Dishonor and Humiliation                       Honor and Glory
Sick and Weak                                             Strength and Power
Purely a Physical Body                            Now a Spiritual Body

The body that is sown is perishable and decays, but the body that is resurrected is imperishable (immune to decay, immortal). It is sown in dishonor and humiliation; it is raised in honor and glory. It is sown in infirmity and weakness; it is resurrected in strength and endued with power. It is sown a natural (physical) body; it is raised a supernatural (a spiritual) body. 1 Corinthians 15 v 42-44 Amp.

Okay, where do I sign up??  And when will this happen?  When Christ comes back for his Bride at the Rapture.

In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the sound of the last trumpet call. For a trumpet will sound, and the dead in Christ will be raised imperishable (free and immune from decay), and we shall be changed transformed.  v 52 

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An interesting point to make about angels is that they do not have glorified bodies. They have spirit-bodies and can only operate in the spirit realm. (Yes, they appear now and then in the physical realm but they can only live in the spirit realm) We will have super-charged-physical bodies that operate in both physical and spiritual realms like Jesus.  

Along those lines, I've often wondered whether we will be able to sin in these new bodies. I mean, I'm sure God still gives us free will, right? He doesn't want us to be puppets. But it kinda scares me to think that I could do something stupid and lose my position with God. The Bible doesn't speak about this yet it does promise that those of us who believed in Jesus in this age will rule and reign and be with God forever and ever. It doesn't say "as long as you don't do xyz" and it doesn't say that only some of us will be with God forever, so I have to believe that our new bodies made of heavenly material will have no proclivity for sin. In other words, sin will hold no allure for us, no attraction. We won't sin because we simply won't want to sin.

Let's look at some things Jesus could do with His new body.

I have this painting in my house!!

• Walk through walls
• Transport himself from one place to another quickly  (Philip also did this by the power of the Spirit)
• Eat !!!  (My personal favorite)
• He was recognizable, yet different (Many scholars believe this difference was because before His ascension back to Heaven, Jesus was not fully glorified.)  However we know we will recognize people in eternity from several Scriptures. One in Luke 16 where Lazarus recognized Abraham and another in Acts 7 where Stephen recognized Jesus standing beside God in Heaven while he was being stoned. 
• Fly up to heaven  ( I like to think we'll be able to fly through space!!)
• Speak/Converse/Hang out with friends. 

 My opinion. Not found in Scripture:  I tend to think that we will be able to run marathons without tiring. Play sports that we could never play before with expert skill, scale mountains, swim oceans, go scuba diving without equipment! We probably won't need sleep. We won't need to bathe. There won't be any of those annoying bodily functions.  



Think about it, for all eternity, we will not grow old, we will not get tired, we will not get sick. We will have incredible strength and power. We will be indestructible. And most important of all, we will have unending, close fellowship with God the Father! 

I don't know about you, but I'm heading outside to look up into the sky!   "for your redemption is drawing near"!  Luke 21:28  

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Where and how do you start a book?

My progress:  Finished Draft 2 of Elusive Hope, book 2 in my Escape to Paradise trilogy! Yea!  Basically it's in pretty good shape. I will need to go back through it one more time and add some additional details, tweak, polish, and prime.. and it will be ready to be turned in November 1st!  Right now, I've set it aside to give my brain a rest for a few weeks. In the meantime, I've started gathering ideas for book 3, Abandoned Memories. 

I've started a Pinterest Board for the series!  Here it is if you want to check it out!  Escape to Paradise

Now for this week's question:  How do you know where to start a story and how do you go about starting it? 

Every good writing book will tell you that it's important to start your book with a bang!  Start it with something exciting happening, something adventurous, or something tragic.  This event doesn't have to occur on the very first page but it should happen in the first chapter.  For example in my books

The Redemption:  Storm at sea and shipwreck
The Reliance:  Wife is blown up
The Restitution: Baby kidnapped
Falcon and the Sparrow: Heroine lands in England to be a spy for France
The Red Siren:  Heroine, who is a pirate, captures Hero's ship
The Blue Enchantress:  Heroine is about to be sold as a slave on the island of St. Kitts
The Raven Saint: Heroine is kidnapped by French pirate
Surrender the Heart:  Heroine is knocked unconscious on hero's ship and it sets sail
Surrender the Night: Heroine is attacked by British Lieutenant and saved by hero
Surrender the Dawn: Heroine is attacked by ruffians, saved by town rogue
Veil of Pearls: Heroine escapes slavery on island of Barbados

So basically whatever your storyline or plot is, start it with something that will grab your readers attention. Of course you can't just have straight action without giving the reader enough information about the character(s) so they actually care whether they are kidnapped or attacked. This is where the hard work begins. There's a fine balance between great action and either internal dialogue or giving background information about your character. I can't say I always achieve it, but I sure try.

For example, in Veil of Pearls, why should we care whether Adalia escapes slavery? Who is she?  By the end of chapter 1, this is what we know about her:

• Sir Walter Miles is a cruel owner who often drinks and who keeps her locked up in his house like a pet 
• She is wearing shackles
• She is one-quarter black but doesn't look it. She hides from the townsfolk, worried the color of her skin will send her back to slavery
• She loved her mother. She has brought along her mother's pearls.
• She's also brought a Bible which alludes to her character
• She has no money and no idea how she will survive but she doesn't care. Freedom is worth it

All this was woven into the action of her escape from the plantation in Barbados and her barely avoiding getting caught while boarding a ship to Charleston.  Could I have given more information and made the reader even more connected to Adalia. Yes. But here is another fine balance to achieve. You never want to give too much information up front about a character or situation because you want the reader to learn about the character by observing the character not by being told what he or she is like. 

Just remember, the more connected your reader feels with your character, the more sympathetic they feel, the more they will care what happens to her, and the more pages they will turn to find out!   And what do readers sympathize with the most?  I'd say it's a character who is down and out. Someone who has had a bad shake in life. Someone who has been mistreated, had dealt with injustice, someone who has been hurt, abused, used. And in particular, someone who is trying to rise above her problems, her struggles, to make a better life for herself! Who doesn't relate to that?

Can you think of a book that had such a great beginning, you couldn't put it down?

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Black Slave Author who sailed on Jane Austen's Brother's Ship!

I knew that would get your attention!!   Recently timbers from the HMS Namur were found under the floorboards of Chatham Historical Dockyard in England where the 90-gun second rate ship of the line was built and launched in 1756. She served the Royal Navy in various capacities until she was broken up in 1833.  The HMS Namur took part in nine fleet actions – often as the flagship – in three campaigns. Jane Austen‘s younger brother Charles,  or more formally Sir Charles John Austen, would rise to the rank of rear admiral in the Royal Navy.  He had many commands but served as captain of HMS Namurfrom November 1811 to November 1814 

All very interesting, of course. but there was another man who served on that ship, Olaudah Equiano, an African writer who would become active in the British abolitionist movement. According to his autobiography, he was born in Nigeria and was kidnapped and sold into slavery at age 11, transported with 244 other slaves across the Atlantic to Barbados where he was transferred to the British colony of Virginia.  He was purchased by Michael Pascal, a lieutenant in the Royal Navy who renamed Olaudah to Gustavus Vassa, after a 16^thcentury Swedish King.  Equiano would spend the next 8 years sailing with Pascal, during which time he was baptized and learned to read and write. Despite the special treatment, Equiano did not receive a share of the prize money awarded the other sailors from victories at sea. Nor did Pascal free him as he had promised.

Pascal sold Equiano to a ship captain in London who then sold him to a Quaker merchant named Robert King who allowed him to earn money on the side and purchase his own freedom for forty pounds. He also educated him and guided him along the path of religion. Equiano earned his freedom in 3 years, and spent the next years of his life traveling the world as a free man.

In 1786 he became involved in the abolitionist movement in London and joined a group of 12 black men called “Sons of Africa”. Several of his abolitionist friends encouraged him to write and publish his life story, so in 1789 The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano or Gustavus Vassa, the African was published. It was an immediate success and went into several printings, becoming the most widely read writings by an African in England.  Equiano’s personal account of slavery fueled a growing anti-slavery movement in Great Britain.

Equiano travelled widely, speaking and promoting his book, and became a wealthy man. He was a leader in the Poor Black community in London and a prominent figure in the political realm. He married an English Woman and had two daughters, and died at age 52.     

What a fascinating story!!  From Slave to Author to a Political leader who changed the world. And long before Slavery became outlawed!  In fact, it wasn't until 1807 that England passed an Anti-Slave Trade law which forbade slave trade but not slavery itself. However in 1833, the Slavery Abolition Act was finally passed which outlawed slavery.  That's one thing the Brits were far ahead of the U.S. on.  

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