Tis a Writer's Life for me! - writers on diets.

And while I'm on the subject of difficult things about being a writer, let me add that being a writer means parking ones behind in one's chair for long periods of time!  And let's face it, that position of inactivity is not the most conducive to a trim, fit figure! 

Now, I know many jobs these days require long hours sitting, but hey, I don't think that's the way God intended for us to live our lives. Our bodies need to be active and moving in order to be healthy. Back in the time periods I write in, everybody except the very rich worked hard all day long. Men and women got up before dawn to milk cows and start ovens and bake bread and hunt and fish and farm.  I bet their bodies were lean and muscular.  And speaking of muscular, have you ever seen a sailor's arms?  Oh my!! Is it warm in here? 

But I digress.  (How did I get on that topic?)  Anyway, many of us have no choice but to sit down for our modern day jobs, so how do we keep in shape?  I can tell you that this past year I've put on at least 10 pounds, and I'm determined to shed those extra pounds and lean up as much as a middle-aged woman can. Not for vanity's sake (I'm way past that!) but for health's sake.  You see, I've come to believe that many of our modern day health problems are related to what we eat and how much exercise we get. In fact, I just got done reading a book my daughter loaned me called: The Beauty Detox Solution, and although the author goes a bit overboard for me, I leaned so much about eating right.

So this is what I'm planning on doing in 2012

Eating tons more raw veggies and fruits (all organic)
Avoid Gluten as much as possible
Don't mix proteins and carbs
Don't mix fruit with any meal
Start every meal with a salad
Take a probiotic and digestive enzyme with each meal
Grow my own sprouts to put in salad and sandwiches (super easy)
Eat a mostly vegetarian diet (turns out many veggies have protein in them!)
Avoiding sugar
Walking fast at least 40 minutes a day or getting on my exercise bike for 30.

Believe me, it's not easy to get up out of my chair, especially when I'm in the middle of some awesome scene like a sword fight or a sea battle or the hero and heroine's first kiss. In fact, I've been known to sit in my chair for hours on end. But, I'm determined to get healthy.. I believe God wants us to live healthy lives so we are better equipped to serve Him. Being healthy will also help my mind to function better and that means better writing and better books!

How about you? Want to join me?

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Wordless Wednesday!

Canada has tall ships too!

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God made flesh!

Merry Christmas!!  I hope everyone had a wonderful day yesterday celebrating our Savior's birth!!  I pray you and your family took a moment to contemplate the awesome sacrifice and miracle of Jesus's birth and to thank Him for all He's done. 

Before the Virgin birth, Jesus had been quite familiar with planet earth. We know Christ made many appearances in the Old Testament. He would appear and then disappear, not limited by time and distance. He was the One who appeared to Abraham in Genesis 18 and allowed him to intercede for Sodom and Gomorrah. He appeared to Moses in the burning bush, calling Himself 'I AM'. He appeared to Joshua as Captain of the Lord's army and Joshua worshipped Him before Jericho, and He was the 4th man in the fiery furnace keeping Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednigo safe, and many other times.  Yet when Jesus appeared in the Old Testament, He appeared in temporary human form.

However, there had been planned from before creation, a time when Jesus would appear on earth not in temporary form, but inhuman form, a time when he shrugged off His Godly robes and became mortal so that He could die to save us all.

He emptied Himself and took upon Him the form of a servant (human), and was made in the likeness of men. And finding Himself fashioned as a man, he humbled Himself..." (Philippians 2:7-8)

"For truly He did not take upon Him the nature of angels, but He took on Him the seed of Abraham (became a Jewish man)" (Hebrews 2:16)

What boggles my mind is that Jesus made this choice of his own volition. He wasn't coerced, commanded, or cajoled. He wanted to come and die to save us.

Another thing that boggles my mind is the incredible wisdom of God.  He needed a Savior who was both human but not tainted with sin. Therefore he couldn't have him born through a man because the bloodline flows through the sperm, not the egg, and if Jesus had been born through a man, he would have inherited the fallen sin nature of man. But God had to make Jesus human, so the only way to do that would be to have God's life impregnate a female egg. That way, Jesus's blood would be pure, untainted by sin. 

"For the Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the Power (Christ) of the Highest (the Father) will overshadow you; therefore that Holy thing which will be born of you will be called the Son of God." (Luke 1:35)

And only a man untainted by sin could offer his life as an acceptable sacrifice for the world. Amazing!!

Yet one more thing that truly amazes me is this: Though Jesus did not inherit the sin nature, nor was His blood tainted by sin, He still could have chosen to sin.  He still had free will. He was still tempted as we all are and could have chosen to lie when it was convenient, to steal when he was hungry, to lose his temper, to call people names, to get revenge, to sleep with a woman outside of marriage.  He still could have chosen to give in and do any of those things. But He Didn't!

And thank God for that! Because of His holiness, his purity, his restraint, His selflessness, His sacrifice, and His love, we can all rejoice, knowing we are rescued, saved, and we have an eternal destiny beyond our wildest dreams!

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Merry Christmas!!

"And there were in the same country shepherds staying in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. An lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were very afraid.
And the angel said to them, 'Fear not, for unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord..." (Luke 2:8-11)

"And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying; 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.'"


Did you know that Heavenly Host means Army? God sent his army to earth to announce the birth of His Son! Why an army? Seems a little intimidating! No wonder the shepherds were frightened!!   I believe God the Father was calling for a peace treaty between Himself and man.  The terms?  "Peace on Earth. Good will toward men"
 
God is saying He will call off the army of heaven, and will have peace and good will toward men, because of His Son who will reconcile all things back to Him has been born! 
 
We are still living under the terms of that peace treaty right now. Accept the terms, Accept the Son and live in peace with God!
 
Merry Christmas to all my blog followers, dear friends, and readers! 

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Win a free copy of one of my newly released pirate books!

Head over to http://enjoyingthewritingcraft.blogspot.com/  and enter a comment!

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Tis a Writer's Life for me, The reason I write!

Every writer has a reason they write.  There's a reason we spend countless hours all alone, head in hands, staring at our computer screens, countless days combing through ancient documents looking for what type of lace women adored their gloves with in the 18th century, a reason why we endure the scorn of bad reviews, sleepless nights when the characters in our heads refuse to shut up!, why we blog and facebook and tweet meaningless drivel in order to find new readers....

Is it for the fame, the glory, the money? (don't make me laugh!)  Let's face it, most of us aren't Steven King or John Grisham, nor will we ever achieve their status.  We write because there is something burning within us that must be set free, something we want to tell the world, something the world must know or it will be worse for its ignorance.

It doesn't have to necessarily spring from faith or religion. It could be a cause, a belief, a value that is so dear to you, it becomes your life's work to share it with others. Things such as the environment, the waste of war, the greed for power in government, the importance of family, loyalty, honor, love. It could be just the desire to provide an escape for your readers, give them hours of entertainment and put a smile on their face. It could be a need to provide hope in a hopeless world.

Whatever your reason for writing, it has been planted within you by God, and the world awaits your message! For me, I write to tell the world that there is hope because over 2000 years ago God became a man, suffered and died, so that we might live forever with Him in paradise! At Christmas, that message becomes all the more real to me as we celebrate the birth of Jesus.

The Reason we have Hope!    (Enjoy!)


Watch More Christian Videos on GodVine.com

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Wordless Wednesday!

Never seen a ship that was all white!!

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If it costs you nothing?

No doubt you'll receive a few gifts this Christmas. Some gifts you'll love, others you'll think are weird, and others you'll end up giving away. Think back to all the gifts you've received and ask yourself which ones meant the most to you?  The funny thing is that most of the things that you "just had to have"  back then and ended up getting, you really don't remember too well anymore. All the special video games and battery-operated cars, the barbie dream house, the skateboard, etc.. are all probably in the trash now and long gone.

The gifts that have always meant the most to me weren't the really expensive gifts or even the things I was expecting. Sometimes they weren't really "things" at all.  The most valuable gifts I've received are those things that showed that the person really sacrificed something in order to give me the gift.  They thought about me, I mean really thought about what I'd like, and they spent time and energy either making or creating this gift, or saving their hard-earned money to buy it.  Even better, the gifts I remember are the ones that come from the heart and express a bond, an affection, an appreciation that is uniquely shared between the giver and the receiver.  It could be something handmade or a special photo album or someone volunteering their help or time when I know they don't have much of either.

Why then, when we appreciate these sorts of gifts so much, do we not give the same type of gifts to our Heavenly Father?  But, you may say, what can we give to God that He doesn't already have?  We can give Him ourselves. And I don't just mean becoming a Christian. (Which is essentially receiving His gift to us, anyway) But I mean giving of our time, our energy, our thoughts--giving him something that costs us something. God wants us. He wants to hang out with us, know us, talk to us.. yet how often do we say a quick prayer in passing or forget to read the Bible because hey, we're all so busy!!! 

King David understood this well.  In 2 Samuel 24, we see that once again Israel has turned from God and become disobedient. To chastise them, God sends a plague for three days in which over 70,000 people died. The destroying angel was about to wipe out everyone in Jerusalem as well when David happened upon him and took the prophet Gad's advice and decided to build an altar right there where the angel was standing and offer sacrifices to God to stop the plague. The man who owned the land told David he could have the land for free and his oxen too. Listen to what David said:


No, but I will buy it of you for a price. I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God of that which costs me nothing. So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver 2 Samuel 24:24

So what can we offer to God that will cost us something? Can we offer our precious time? Our money even though we dont' have much? Our unbridled obedience? Our non-stop worship? How about fasting if God calls us to do that? Can we offer Him all we have? 

Or do we just toss gifts His way that really haven't cost us very much at all. I wonder how that makes Him feel?  Especially when He gave us the greatest gift and sacrifice of all.

I appeal to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in view of all the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies, presenting all your members and faculties as a living sacrifice, holy devoted, consecrated and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable, rational, intelligent service and spiritual worship. Romans 12:1 Amplified

So, why don't you give God a great gift this year!!! Why not give Him You!

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Tis a Writer's Life for me!

People often ask me how to write a series. What even is a series? And why do publishers seem so in love with them?  The really odd thing is that when I got a contract for my very first book, The Redemption, it was a single title, but my publisher asked me for two more books to make it a trilogy.  I had no idea what I was going to write about!!  That's the truth. As a new writer, it was very nerve wracking to have to come up with two additional story lines really quickly. Thankfully, my publisher accepted a couple of paragraphs each since I really had no idea of the detailed plot for either book.

Since then I written three series in all and am now working on my fourth.  Here's my definition of a series: A group of books that either: 

• Have a common theme
• Are located in a common place
• Have the same characters

Simple eh? Not so much.  For me, writing a series, is much harder than writing a single novel.   I think that's because I'm a seat-of-the-pantser or non-plotter. It's hard enough for me to get ideas for one novel, let alone span it over three or more!!!   Sure, I can give my publisher some general ideas, but then when I start having to develop the story lines for all three books. . . well, let's just say you don't want to be within a couple blocks of my house! 

That's what I had to do this week. After finishing the first draft of book one in my next series, Escape to Paradise, I need to come up with themes, ideas, and events that would happen in the next two books  that would

• Incorporate the entire series theme of Running away from God through all three books
• Tie in the individual book themes with each other and with the major theme
• Move each of my six main characters along their predestined path for the changes I want to see in them... slowly until each one is accomplished by the end of the third book
• Incorporate the exotic locale of Brazil into the storyline in such a way that it seems a part of the plot
• End each book with a bang!
• Use all secondary characters to further both the plot and the change in each of my main characters
• Make it all exciting!!

Before you run away in terror at ever writing a series, let me say that this particular series I'm working on now is the hardest way to do it.  In this series, I have ALL my characters present and changing throughout ALL three books.  In my other series

• Legacy of the King's Pirates Series had similar characters but different locales and different storys
• Charles Towne Belles series had different locales, different characters
• Destiny series had different characters in each book except for a few who popped in now and then

For these series, I didn't even really think about the stories in book 2 until I finished book 1 and the same with book 3.  In fact, I usually got the ideas for the next book while I was writing the book before it. Normally a character in the book will just pop out for me and want their own story. Like Alex in Surrender the Heart. I could tell he was unhappy and searching, yet had a kind heart. I just knew something marvelous was going to happen to him. And Luke Heaton, of course, he was all but screaming for his own story to be told. 

I suppose that's an odd way to do it, but it works for me. Until now. Now, I've got to put my super-creative thinking cap on and force this Non-Plotter to come up with two more storylines for two more books.






But I fear my creative muse has gone on vacation for Christmas. LOL

Have a Great Weekend, everyone!

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This is how I see Marianne Denton and Noah Brenin in Surrender the Heart!

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Wordless Wednesday!

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In honor of my Pirate Series re-release, enjoy this new Video Trailer!!

Directed, produced and edited by Joleen Graumann, Life Dance Productions (joleeng@trclife.com). Musical Score by Terryl Greg Productions (terrylpadilla@gmail.com). Photography by Ryan Brien (rbrien@trclife.com).  

Joleen is a friend and reader who produced this trailer for me for free!! I'm in awe of her generosity.

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Set a course for that Eternal Horizon!

What is eternal life?
He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. John 12:25
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23
And this is the promise that He has promised us—eternal life. 1 John 2:25
 
Sure, we've all read this verses a million times! We believe, we've repented...we're going to heaven. It's all good! But what do you think of when you hear the words "eternal life"?  I always pictured myself in a glorious new body (thin and in shape and gorgeous, of course!) strutting down Heaven's golden streets, hanging out with friends, family, talking with God and doing His work for ever and ever and ever. Amen.  Most of us have some picture of our heavenly future in our mind, though I'm sure it will be far better than any of us can imagine.. 
 
But did you realize Jesus Himself defined eternal life to us?
 
And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. John 17:3
 
 The You here is Father God. So, eternal life is having a relationship with God. Pure and simple.
 
In 1 John 1, the apostle John even calls Jesus by the name Eternal Life.
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life—the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us—
And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. 1 John 5:20

I don't know about you, but this really struck me. Eternal life isn't a thing or a place or a span of time. It isn't achieved by saying a prayer or offering a sacrifice. Eternal life is knowing God. Like the natural Sun, God is the source of all life and power and the more time we spend with Him, the more we inhabit eternity.

In times past before modern technology, ships at sea had more difficulty navigating at night than in the daytime. If the skies were cloudy and they couldn't see the stars, they had no way to set their course.  Even during the day, they needed the sun to be able to use their instruments to determine which way to go.  Without the sun, they were dead in the water.

Aren't we very much like those ships? Without a relationship with the Son, we can't find our way to eternal life. He is eternal life. Talking with Him, hanging out with Him, reading His Word, knowing Him like we know a close friend or family member, this is eternal life!  We must plug into the source of life and love and power and follow His brightness to that eternal horizon.

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Tis a Writer's life for me!

Winners of Free tote bags filled with books are:

Drumroll please!!!!  Debbie Mitchell and Rhonda !!!    By the way, I used Random.org to generate the winners. We had 24 people who entered and over 77 reviews!!  Thank you all so much!!

I get a lot of emails from writers who want to know how they can get published. I mean, I get A LOT!!  I try to answer them as honestly as I can, but to be honest, I'm sure I sound discouraging.  Let's face it, nothing worthwhile in this life is easy. There are no tricks or shortcuts to publication, no magic wands or potions that can transform your manuscript into gold.  Yes, there are the success stories of Harry Potter and the Twilight series, but most of us aren't going to write a best-seller the first time around (And then have movies made of them!!!) 

I compare most of us writers to the actors and actresses that lurk around Hollywood, waiting on tables and hauling garbage in between auditions in the hope that they will get that one shot and become a star!  They just need that one chance!  My manuscript just needs that one editor or agent to fall in love with in.. then I'm in!

The truth is that writing is hard work. Most of us don't just get some grand idea, spend a couple months writing down a story and then end up on the New York Times Best seller list!  Writing is a skill that you must learn like any other. You must study the craft. Yes, I said the dreaded word STUDY.  You must Practice, Work Hard, Sacrifice.  Yikes, did I say Study, Practice, Work Hard, Sacrifice!!   Man what a complete downer I am!! What a scrooge! And at Christmas time!!  

After you've learned how to write, then there's the research! I don't care if your story is contemporary or historical, unless it's set in the town you grew up in, chances are you're going to need to research. You can't short cut and gloss over details in a book. If you have a scene with a pilot flying an airplane that crashes, you're going to need to know what the cockpit looks like, how to fly, what to do in an emergency, what the tower would say, what the pilot would say.   Just like I have to know what a captain would say aboard a ship during battle. Think all this is easy to find out? It's not! It takes hard work! Uggg.. did I say that 'Work' word again? 

The thing about being a writer is, even after you do all of the above and write a glorious masterpiece, there are no guarantees it will ever see the light of day.  It's like delivering a baby and never being able to take it home from the hospital!  How unfair!!! 

But just like having a baby, if you do get blessed to bring it home, (get published),  your trouble has only begun!!  You've birthed a great career, but now the work and the expectations become even harder.
Like an infant who continually wakes you up at night to be fed, you'll soon discover how unnerving the dreaded Deadline is!  Then, what about when your baby throws up all over your new silk sweater or poops on your wool pants. Those are akin to the bad reviews and bad sales numbers your books receive. 

Why would anyone want to do this, you scream!!!  Because God creates writers and they can't stop writing. It's who they are. It's in them and won't let go.   It's the reason they stay up half the night pounding away at a manuscript. It's the reason they daydream about characters and scenes and get excited when a new plot twist lands in their heads. It's the reason they endure long lonely hours and bad reviews... because they can not do otherwise. We are writers. God appointed. Holy Spirit breathed. Stories and characters float around in our minds driving us crazy until we unleash them on paper. We are willing to suffer anything to bring our stories to life. If this is you, don't give up. God has a place for your story!!!  But do the hard work. Make the sacrifices. In God's Kingdom, there are no shortcuts.

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This is how I picture Rafe Dubois and Grace Westcott from the Raven Saint!

 

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Wordless Wednesday!

Don't get caught in a sea of sand!

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F.A.I.R.I.E.S Baptism by Fire by M.C. Pearson!

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today's Wild Card author & illustrator is:

M. C. Pearson

and the book:

F.A.I.R.I.E.S.: Baptism by Fire

FIRST Wild Card Press (December 5, 2011)

***Special thanks to M. C. Pearson of FIRST Wild Card Press for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

M. C. Pearson graduated from San Jose State University with a B. A. in art, served as a multi-media illustrator in the United States Army, earning the rank of sergeant, and spent four years as a house parent for at-risk youth. Now married over 20 years, she homeschools her two children, volunteers with her church youth group, and runs a book review blog alliance (FIRST Wild Card Tours) while writing and drawing. F.A.I.R.I.E.S.: Baptism by Fire is her first novel.

Visit the author's website.

SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Unwittingly chosen to join an army of fairies, who fight for the Light of the One, a teenaged girl learns about spiritual warfare as she attends a military academy with fantastical beings.

FROM THE BACK COVER:

Here lies a most precious treasure,

Awaiting one Chosen to deliver.

Seek out the red cousins in the East,

For on this your greed mustn't feast.

The wealth of a species now in your hands,

Do with it as the light demands.

Give them your gift to unite,

For it is the darkness we all must fight.

EDITORIAL REVIEWS:

"Imagination runs wild in F.A.I.R.I.E.S. Pearson brings young readers through a looking glass and into a world bursting with adventure, heroism, and fascinating creatures. Readers will be inspired to be true to the One and left with anticipation of more to come."

--Jill Williamson, award-winning author of

By Darkness Hid, and other books

"Sprinkled with delightful illustrations, and brimming with a full bestiary of magical creatures, F.A.I.R.I.E.S. is a fun, clever romp through the alternate landscape of the most magical world of all, our own. Read, and take up the call: 'Defend and Emancipate!'"

-- D. Barkley Briggs, author of

The Book of Names, and other books

"F.A.I.R.I.E.S. will appeal to readers who love the interplay of fantasy and reality. A rich cast of eccentric characters and exotic settings make this a fun addition to the folklore of the battle between good and evil."

--Mike Hamel, author of

YA fantasy series: MATTERHORN THE BRAVE

"F.A.I.R.I.E.S. is one of those rare gems I want to tell everyone about. It's highly imaginative, packed with adventure, and full of hope. A must read for kids and for kids at heart. Even better than Narnia! I was thinking about Pearson's wonderfully memorable characters for days."

--C.J. Darlington, author of

Thicker than Blood

"Ms. Pearson's extravagant and imaginative F.A.I.R.I.E. kingdom will surely delight the young and the young-at-heart in this tale of good and evil, light vs. darkness. The fantasy-loving reader will not be disappointed!"

--Linore Rose Burkard, award winning author of

Before the Season Ends, and other books

MaryLu Here:  I recently had the pleasure of reading this book. I'm not quite finished yet, but I wanted to write a short review:  F.A.I.R.I.E.S. is unlike any book I've ever read. Immediately I was swept away into a fantastical world through the eyes of a young girl.  I'm amazed at Ms. Pearson's extravagant imagination! The creatures and world she describes are beyond anything my mind could conceive. This book has everything anyone could want: battles between good and evil, adventure, humor, romance, an interesting plot and characters you will love. What also impressed me are the wonderful hand-drawn illustrations by the author herself scattered throughout the story!  She can not only write, but draw as well! I highly recommend this books for young and old lovers of fantasy.

Product Details:

List Price: $17.99
Paperback: 482 pages
Publisher: FIRST Wild Card Press (December 5, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0615530222
ISBN-13: 978-0615530222

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

Four thousand seasons shall pass while our swords grow rusty.

Where once one chose to divide, another shall be chosen to unite.

One changed the past, the other shall change the future.

One must emancipate the other to allow the light its dominion.

The realm, now torn, allows the shadow to abide, as humanity lies blind to its peril.

The bond of friendship must endure, for the army of shadows awaits another tear.

Dust off your swords.

Unite the realm.

Destroy the strongholds.

Foretelling of Didasko Gnome Digdeep

†

PART ONE

t was an accident!” Mellie yelled, not caring who heard or stared. Tears streaked her face as she fled down the Santa Cruz coastline, away from her family.

You don’t need them, a voice hissed in her ear, Escape. Run away.

Scorching sand burned at her feet and bitterness ate at her heart. Mellie pumped her legs as fast as they would go. Her feet pounded with the rhythm of her emotions, beating a tempo with the crashing waves. Run-a-way. Run-a-way. Run-a-way. Adrenaline pulsed through her veins, quickening her step.

Why did I have to be the youngest? Only 12 years old. Never smart enough. Never athletic enough. I just wish they loved me.

Once, just once, she wanted to do something that would make her sisters see that she wasn’t the stupid, awkward, ugly, little baby sister.

As she ran, she wiped away some tears with the palm of her hand. Her fingers settled on her large nose, a gift from her dad’s Hungarian ancestry.

Chelsea got the ski-slope shaped nose. I had to get Half-Dome. It just isn’t fair.

Her hand dropped to her side and she pinched at her stomach. It still had some of its baby fat.

Ugh, why are my sisters so perfect? What happened to me?

Pushing her short bangs from her forehead in disgust, she mumbled, “Maybe I’ll find treasure. I’ll be the rich one, and then they’ll have to accept me.” But she knew better. California didn’t hold any more undiscovered treasures.

The sand, hot and coarse, cut at her feet. I wish I had remembered my shoes. She wore only a black, one-piece swimsuit and a San Jose Sharks sweatshirt tied tightly around her waist.

Breathing rapidly, she began to tire. She slowed her pace to a walk and looked back across the beach. The sand was so hot that waves of heat rose from it and blurred her view. A lone seagull screeched overhead.

Her sisters were nowhere in sight.

Man, I thought for sure that Chelsea was going to chase me down and kill me.

She had to admit that it was a little gratifying to see the sand fly from her foot, covering Chelsea’s sub-sandwich and freshly oiled stomach. Grinning slightly, the tears stopped flowing. She rubbed her eyes.

Mellie looked in the direction of her sisters. “You guys can never take a joke.” Flipping her golden hair, she turned her head back toward her chosen path. She no longer smiled as she stomped her feet in the cold surf, remembering the hateful words that had been said.

“Oh, waa waa, you stupid cry baby! Go tell mommy! Maybe she’ll feel sorry for her ugly, fat baby. Why don’t you grow up? We don’t want you near us. Can’t you understand English? You are so dumb. Look at her mouth open. Oh wait, here she goes…come on, baby…cry!”

Mellie knew she couldn’t go back. They would only ridicule and torment her further. Her mom would never believe it was Chelsea’s fault. No, the evidence was on Chelsea’s side. Who was the one with the sand all over her oily, coconut-smelling body? Who was the one who had a sandwich full of sand? Mellie walked on.

After her temper finally cooled, it occurred to her that she had never walked so far alone.

How far have I gone?

A shadow passed over her, and she looked up. Nothing was there. A cool breeze from the ocean created a stark contrast to the scalding sand. She shivered but kept walking, lost in her loneliness.

Not until she stubbed her toe on a large broken clamshell did she look at the beach. A chill snaked up her back. Nothing appeared familiar. The sounds of the surf were still there, yet something was decidedly different. She felt dizzy. Looking around, she could not quite pinpoint the change. Then it struck her.

No people.

Where did everybody go?

Even though she could see no one, Mellie could swear that she felt eyes staring at her.

She looked inland across the sand, saw movement near some eucalyptus trees, but decided that the wind must have caused it.

Trees? So close to the beach?

Something shook the trees again, causing goosebumps to stand out on Mellie’s arms. Alarmed, she checked the skyline. The sun was close to setting. She hoped that the police weren’t out looking for her.

Suddenly cold, she pulled at the arms of the sweatshirt still tied around her waist. It fell to the sand. Bending to pick it up, she once again saw a blur of movement, except this time it came from a rocky outcrop by the waves. She shook the sand out of the sweatshirt and hurriedly tugged it over her head.

“Okay, I’m seeing things.” Mellie yanked at her hair, pulling it out of the sweatshirt. She stared at the sinister rocks. “Hel-lo?” Her voice cracked as she spoke louder. “Is someone the-ere? Hello?” No answer. The shadowy rocks seemed to quiver with excitement, beckoning her closer.

Hmm…probably just a seagull.

Even if it was a bird, she did not want to see it.

There’s no way I’m going over there.

The wind picked up and blew her hair into her eyes. The sand spun with the wind.

Yes, definitely time to move. I need to find a road.

She turned back toward the sweet smelling, oddly placed trees.

Mellie arrived at the base of the first, colossal eucalyptus tree. Without warning, one of the branches fell in front of her, then seemed to get up from the ground and pose its bottom stems in a military-like stance.

Mellie screamed and jumped back. “Branches don’t stand.”

“They do if they are walking sticks.” The eucalyptus branch chuckled, stretching to its full height, considerably taller than Mellie’s meager five feet.
She gasped, grabbed the branch, and threw it like a javelin, as hard as she could.

As she took off running, she heard a bark and halted. Turning, she saw a golden retriever bounding toward her with the stick in his mouth. The dog dropped it at her feet. She watched the dog run into the grove of trees and disappear before she fearfully turned back to the possessed stick.

 It had already gained its footing again and stood over her. Mellie was too frightened to move this time.

A face emerged from the skinny twig and took on the characteristics of a male human, but none like Mellie had ever seen. He had hair made up in rolls as if it were a powdered, green-silver wig, the same color as the leaves that grew all around his skinny body. His face was long and his forehead high. The twiggy man smiled and said in a distinctly British, albeit breezy, accent, “Do not worry, you are safe.”

Mellie couldn’t answer.

“Ahh…I love new recruits. They are so easily addled.”

Feeling more confused than threatened, Mellie found her voice. “What? What do you mean, new recruits?” She rubbed her eyes, shaking her head. “Okay, I’m talking to a stick now. Yes, I have lost it. I have gone totally mental.”

“Oh, I say, am I to understand that I am the first to be revealed to you?” With round, leathery leaves, the branch resembled a toddler toy with rings stacked on one another.

She dropped open her mouth and nodded.

“Well, let me do this properly, then. Ahem. Mortal, made of clay, you have been Chosen to join the Fantastical, Aerial, International, Reasonably Inconspicuous, Emancipation Squads.”

“What? What are you? You look like a stick…but you can talk.”

“Yes, child,” the stick replied with a sigh. “But, I think we are quite past that by now. Have you not heard me? You have been Chosen.”

Mellie opened her mouth wider, closed it, frowned, and opened it once more. “Chosen? For what?”

“You did wish to be different? To change who you were? ’Twas an especially strong desire, yes?” The branch crossed its arms and tapped its twiggy foot.

“Umm…”

“Dear me, this is highly unusual. You made a choice to run away from a miserable life and asked to be set free? Correct?”

“Well, I, ah…yeah. I guess so. What did you say about recruit for some squad?”

“Humph. I see that I was not understood. Yes? Let me elucidate. The Fantastical, Aerial, International, Reasonably Inconspicuous, Emancipation Squads , or shall I say F.A.I.R.I.E.S.? have accepted you into their organization. You asked. You were answered.” The branch attempted a smile, but looked impatient instead.

“Fairies? I don’t believe in fairies.” Mellie winced, half expecting him to fall down and writhe in pain until she clapped her hands.

“Quite right. You are not supposed to. If humans truly believed we existed, we would never get anything accomplished.”

Mellie laughed and looked around for a hidden camera, thinking this must be a joke. “Right. Ah…heh…okay, bud, brilliant costume,” she said, imitating the branch’s accent. “Where’s the zipper?” She reached toward him and touched a soft leaf.

The branch slapped her hand away and stamped its foot with a loud cracking noise. “I beg your pardon. I have not been a bud for over 800 springs!” He paced, his leaves crumpling, mumbling to himself about humans and why, in the One’s name, did he listen to that confounded gnome who told him that he needed to stand gate duty. With his rank!

“I’m sorry I upset you. Please, I’m very confused. I’m lost, and I just want to go home.” Mellie bit her lip.

The branch stopped mid-pace. “Home? Earlier, did you not wish for a new life? And riches? I know you wished for treasure, hmm?”

“How do you know that?” Mellie furrowed her brow. “Have you been reading my mind?”

The twig man didn’t answer her questions, asking his own instead. “Ahh, so, you admit this, yes?”

She narrowed her eyes. “Yes, but…well, this really isn’t what I had in mind.”

The branch threw up its twiggy fingers. “Oh, well, of course you did not have this in mind. After all, we are reasonably inconspicuous, especially to humans. How could you have this in mind? However, is it not superior of the One to think that this is what you would have chosen had you known about us? Anyway, ’tis irrevocable now. So, if you would just follow me, we shall get you signed in and enrolled for training.”

The branch marched off between the trunks of two large eucalyptus trees.

Mellie slid uncontrollably after the walking stick. She planted her feet firmly, refusing to budge, but she slid after him anyway. Grasping at branches of nearby trees, she panted heavily as she struggled to resist following the branch. Some kind of invisible tie connected her to him. He seemed to pull her along with his every step.

Mellie thought about her sisters and how mad they were at her. I’m dead meat if they find me. Mellie quickly gave up her battle and ran after the eucalyptus branch, barely keeping up with his stride.

†

The sand changed to coarse dirt, with pebbles and sticks. More and more trees filled Mellie’s vision. Bushes scraped against her bare legs and slapped her face as she moved deeper inside a forest of eucalyptus and redwood trees. She winced in pain as a razor-sharp rock sliced her foot. Stopping to nurse it, she wished once again for her forgotten shoes.

“Excuse me, sir?” Mellie looked around. She could not see the branch anywhere.

“Do not call me ‘sir’, I work for a living.” The branch peeked out from around one of the gigantic trees. “And please, try to keep up. We need to reach the gateway.”

Mellie limped up to him. “Sorry, sir…I mean…umm, what should I call you then?”

“Oh, well, we did skip that. Did we not? Yes, all right, an introduction then.” The branch man seemed to enjoy formal etiquette for he gave an elaborate wave and bowed. “My name is Regnans, family of Myrtaceae, born member of the F.A.I.R.I.E.S., Britannia Wing, rank of Master Nymph Dryad.”

“Nice to meet you, Reg…Reg?” Mellie chewed on the inside of her mouth. Never good at remembering names, she knew she would offend him with her lack of manners.

Sure enough, the dryad raised an eyebrow and pursed his lips. “Regnans.” He gave a hurt sniff, then drolly sneered. “If you find that a difficult name, you should meet the rest of my family, all seven-hundred thirty-four of them.”

“Sorry, I just…well, it is a lot to remember. It’s a nice name, though. My name is Maryellen Goodwin of Bret Harte Middle School, San Jose, California. But everyone calls me Mellie.” She stuck out her hand, intending to shake. Regnans stared at her.

“That is a strange curtsy. However, I guess ’twill do. We must get moving now. The shadows abound, you know.” Regnans made an about face and marched off faster than before.

Another hour passed, and still they strode along the forest floor. Mellie’s feet were now cut, blistered, and bleeding. She kept up as best she could with Regnans’s long stride. Whenever she tried to stop, he would pull her on with that invisible force of his.

Stupid, pompous, magical Star Wars freak.

She whimpered as she limped. Darkness and mist now covered the woods. As she was about to plead for a break, Regnans stopped. Except for her heavy gulps of air, all seemed quiet.

Regnans stiffened even more than usual. Nothing on him moved, apart from his eyes, which darted around quickly.

“All is safe, we may proceed.” He held up a twiggy finger to his woody mouth. “Please do not speak, and try not to breathe so abominably loud.”

Mellie nodded with a disgusted frown. Sweat dripped from her bangs. She tried to calm her breathing, even though her vision blurred, and her legs wobbled. Her blisters had popped by now and oozed wetness.

Regnans moved again, yet this time he took slow, deliberate steps, all the while scanning his surroundings. He walked up to a massive redwood tree and stroked its bark.

A breeze stirred up, rattling the leaves, sounding almost like spoken words. Mellie thought herself crazy again. However, the longer she stood there, the more she sensed that it really was the tree’s language, as if she had never listened to trees properly before. It said, “If you love, you will say the one true love that leads the way.”

Regnans whispered in a leaf rustling voice, “Ah-gaw-pay.”

A loud grumbling sound, as if someone awakened after a long sleep, shook the grove. The redwood tree opened two eyes, each the size of Mellie’s head, and blinked. A great fissure erupted below the eyes in the shape of a crescent, and redish-brown wooden teeth emerged. A long, knobby branch pushed its way out above the mouth and inhaled deeply.

The tree chuckled. Instead of the whispering leaves, a low, rumbling utterance of human speech came from the redwood tree. “Regnans? What brings you to my neck of the woods?” He blinked again. “And who is this? A new recruit? A human? A Chosen?”

Mellie knew she looked silly, standing there with her mouth in an ‘O’ shape, but she couldn’t move. This was simply impossible. There is no such thing as fairies!

“Yes, yes. Please open the gate, we must not dawdle here…they may be watching.” Regnans looked agitated.

A deep laugh resounded from the redwood. “Oh, Regnans. There are none who watch here.”

Regnans mumbled something about hamadryads and their pride, then proclaimed in a slightly louder voice to the tree, “We must be sober, be vigilant, because the shadow walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom it may devour.”

The hamadryad looked chagrined. “You speak true, dryad. Forgive me for acting like an arrogant seedling.” He glanced at Mellie, and with a lowered voice asked, “And what is your name, little human?”

Mellie managed to squeak out, “Mellie Goodwin.”

“Ah, ’tis always nice to have a Good Wind.” The hamadryad laughed heartily.

“Sorry to interrupt this lovely tete-a-tete,” Regnans said, “but would you please open the gate? I left Westside completely unguarded.”

An annoyed creak came from the base of the redwood, followed by a sigh. “Yes, Regnans. Agape you said, and agape it is. Go with the light, my friends.” The large, joyous eyes closed, and the hamadryad whispered in his leaf rustling voice, “Until we meet again, Good Wind.” His face disappeared, and his roots lifted and pulled apart, exposing a tunnel within his trunk.

Regnans grabbed Mellie’s hand with his rough, wooden one, and pulled her inside the opening. The tree closed itself abruptly and left them in total darkness.

Regnans cleared his throat and said, “Let there be light.”

A burst of dazzling brightness sparkled from the tunnel’s wall. Mellie glanced around and noticed a long, winding stairwell leading down into the ground.

“Shall we, then?” Not waiting for a reply, Regnans started down the steps.

MANY ARE CALLED

BUT

FEW ARE CHOSEN

†

CHAPTER ONE

Off and Running

Available at Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.com.

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We can trust our ship's forerunner!

This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.  Hebrews 6:19-20

I love the analogy of hope as an anchor, don't you? When a ship's anchor was firmly embedded in the seabed, it was going nowhere. No matter how many storms came and went. No matter how badly the ship was tossed to and fro, if its anchor was secure, it did not move.

It's hard to imagine that hope can be such a sturdy anchor, but hope is a very important thing to have. Have you ever met a person without hope? How about a person with tons of hope? People who are full of hope are happy, excited about life, almost annoying in their exuberance!  But take that hope away and their happiness begins to fade. Take more hope away and they become just satisfied. With even less hope, they become sad. People who are depressed have very little hope, and finally people who have zero hope usually end up taking their own lives.

But what is the hope this passage is talking about? Earlier in Hebrews 6, Paul warns people about falling away from God and the faith. His words are quite strong and even harsh and he may have even been concerned that he'd made people unduly frightened, so he continues in Hebrews 6 talking about God's faithfulness and promises

In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us. Hebrews 6:17-18

So what is the hope? It is God's promise to make us His heirs. His promise to save us and bring us into eternity.

In ancient times, when a ship was sailing into the harbor of a port city, one of the sailors would get into a smaller vessel, take the anchor with him and go ahead of the ship, navigating through all the shoals, reefs and other ships to find a good, safe, strong place to drop the anchor. He was called the forerunner. Only through his skill and expertise could the ship make it's way through all the dangers in the harbor and find good strong anchorage.

Jesus is our forerunner, guiding our ship through the trials and dangers of this life into the safe harbor of Heaven. He has already dropped our anchor into the immovable rock, which is Himself, the Rock of ages. This anchor can never be moved, jarred, broken, or split. It is eternal. Now, all we have to do is follow the rope tied to the anchor as it guides us through the path our forerunner has already laid out for us.

Just think about it, your anchor is already set firmly in the Rock of Heaven! So no matter what storms, what shoals or reefs lie ahead, just keep following the path of the forerunner and you will find anchorage in eternity.

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Last week to enter to win a free Tote Bag filled with books!

All you have to do is write a new review for any of my books on Amazon.com, Christianbook.com, Goodreads, or Barnes and Noble, and I'll enter your name!  It must be a new review and you must have read the book.  I'll be drawing names on Friday December 9th, for two free Tote bags and books!  (The books are a sampling of other authors as well as one of mine!)

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Tis a Writer's Life for me!

I finished the first draft of Forsaken Dreams, book 1 in the Escape to Paradise series. Yea!  I always feel better when the first draft is done. That means I at least have a story to work with. I suppose writers who outline and plot everything before they start writing don't have this problem. They've already got the entire story, including every twist and turn, laid out before them. Me? I can't write like that. 

I did try to outline an entire book once and I felt like pulling my hair out! Good thing I didn't cause I need all that hair.

They call us seat-of-the-pants writers and we are a rare breed. Most authors I know are plotters. Those darn plotters.. always plotting things!  

The only thing I have firm in my mind about a new story is the beginning, the ending, and a couple of major events that will happen.  I also have outlined each character in great detail as I showed you in prior posts, and I also have each main character's spiritual and character arcs pretty well defined.  Then I put on the headphones, crank up the music (I listen to anything from classical to movie scores to Christian Rock to Alternative, depending on my mood)  stretch my fingers, open up a new Word Doc and start pounding away. 

Did I mention I pray too?

Does it always flow naturally? NO. Sometimes I'm staring at that insidious blinking cursor for quite awhile. He's actually quite a taunting rascal, that one.  But if I close my eyes and picture the scene, the characters in my head and get swept away in the music, the words will eventually come pouring out of me. This is my favorite part of the process. Complete abandon. No rules. No requirements, no editing, no research. I'm living in a movie inside my head.

That's when the creativity really kicks in and all these great ideas flood my mind.  So, that's how I do it. 

But now, my real work begins.

By the way, it's my daughter's birthday today. She is 30 years old! Happy Birthday, Sweetie!! 

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Here's how I see Hope and Nathaniel from The Blue Enchantress!

   

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