Earliest Author Memories with Special Guest, Linda Yezak

Joining us as a special guest for our Birthday Bash is Linda Yezak! Today she is sharing some of her earliest author memories, and how she discovered her calling to write. Linda's new book, Ride to the Altar is a part of our Grand Prize giveaway, so be sure to leave a comment to get your name in the drawing. 

Here's Linda:

As did so many other authors, I began writing at an early age—pudgy fingers fumbling with red crayons, probably something like “roses are red, violets are blue, I love Mom.” And, as was the same with many others, I improved with age and graduated to better poetry, song lyrics, short stories, flash fiction, all the good stuff (which I’d left in a paper bag when Billy and I moved. The cats shredded it and everything in it. We weren’t friends for a while).

When I was at Texas A&M, my English class followed my Algebra class. Switching from numerical logic to verbal logic, from practical to artistic, always took a few minutes beyond the stroll from one building on campus to the other. My creative writing professor at the time gave us a challenging warm-up exercise. Each session, she’d hand out index cards on which we had to write entire stories—beginning, middle, end—complete with viable characterization. At the top of the card, we were to write our “inspiration” for the story.

Mine usually went something like this:

(X + Y) x Z = AB/C

The stories would involve X and Y, who were military commanders of allied nations. They joined forces with Z to infiltrate the country of AB while it was being divided by C—also an ally of X and Y.

After a semester of reading my antics for ABC and XYZ, my prof confessed to me she looked forward to my notecards and encouraged me toward a career in writing. I wish I had heeded her advice. I would’ve had roughly thirty years of writing credits under my belt. Yes, I would’ve been plodding away on my IBM Selectric III, and my transition to a computer would’ve rivaled Jessica Fletcher’s in rebellion and refusal, but I would’ve been well along in my career by now.

But I think if my old professor could see me now, she’d be pleased with how far I’ve come. I still have a long way to go to meet my goals, but God has blessed me so much. All glory goes to Him.

About Linda:

Linda W. Yezak lives with her husband and their funky feline, PB, in a forest in deep East Texas, where tall tales abound and exaggeration is an art form. She has a deep and abiding love for her Lord, her family, and salted caramel. And coffee—with a caramel creamer. Author of award-winning books and short stories, she didn't begin writing professionally until she turned fifty. Taking on a new career every half century is a good thing.

Website: http://lindawyezak.com

Newsletter: http://dld.bz/CoffeewithLinda 

Facebook: Author Page

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/lyezak/

Twitter: @LindaYezak

Amazon Page: http://dld.bz/LWYAmazonPage

Goodreads: Linda W Yezak

Resting in the Good of the Now with Guest Jennifer Slattery

I hadn't planned it this way, but God knew. Then again, doesn't He always?

My mentor, a sweet woman from my old church in Kansas City, and I had planned our phone conversation nearly a month prior. Three weeks before my startling, confusing, and flat out discouraging hiccup had hit. My inclination was to mope, to retreat, a default tendency God is working out of me.

But then, in our conversation I learned my precious friend was dealing with much more than a hiccup. She was, in fact, awaiting news that had the capacity to level her family. Knowing this, her words to me held such power and challenge.

She said, "Recognize this moment, where you're at, is good."

Chew on that. Chew on it in light of whatever you are or might soon be facing, and chew on it in light of God's character.

If you’re honestly trying to follow and honor God, where you're at, wherever God has you in this moment, is good.

You did nothing wrong. You're not being punished. God's not done with you, or displeased with you. To the contrary, He's passionately in love with you and only has your absolute best in mind. Even in the hard, disappointing, or painful.* 

So I say to you, live in the good of now. Soak up every blessing that comes your way. Don't let the hard or disappointing keep you from the beautiful. And use every moment, every event, as an opportunity to lean harder on Christ as you recognize your utter dependence on Him.

Meditate on this promise, spoken by God Himself:

"Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you: He will neither fail you nor abandon you" (Deuteronomy 31:8 NLT).

At this moment, regardless of where you are or are not, God is going before you, working everything out for your good and according to His perfect plan. So relax, trust, and keep moving forward, remaining fully present in the present. 

If you're in a time of waiting, rest. Relax. Enjoy each moment, knowing God will reveal your next step, in His perfect timing.

If you're trudging through the mundane, rest. Relax. Ask God to open your eyes to the hidden blessings He provides each day.

If you're in the hard, rest. Draw near, and let this time, as painful as it is, be a sweet, intimate moment between you and your Savior, a chance to come to know Him on a deeper level. 

If you're standing at the top of a mountain peak after a long treacherous climb, pause, rest, and rejoice in the God who brought you through. 

When you read God's promise in Deuteronomy 31:8, what thoughts came to mind? How does it feel knowing, at this moment, God is going before you, leveling mountains, breaking down gates of iron and cutting through bars of iron. (Isaiah 45:2) Share your thoughts or insights with us in the comments below, because we can all learn from and encourage one another. 

*Please note, this post does not apply to those living in sin or dealing with the consequences of sin. This is for those who, as they’re walking with God, have experienced a setback, disappointment, or difficult time.

Author, speaker, and ministry leader Jennifer Slattery writes for Crosswalk.com, is the managing and acquiring editor for Guiding Light Women’s Fiction, and the founder of Wholly Loved Ministries, a ministry that exists to help women experience God’s love and discover, embrace, and live out who they are in Christ. She and her team travel to various churches to speak to women and help them experience the love and freedom only Christ can offer. When not writing, editing, or speaking, you’ll likely find her chatting with her friends or husband in a quiet, cozy coffeehouse. Visit her online at JenniferSlatteryLivesOutLoud.com and connect with her and her Wholly Loved team at WhollyLoved.com

Healing Love

Buy on Amazon

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Genre: Women’s fiction with a strong romantic thread
Dual setting—Southern California, and El Salvador

A news anchor intern has it all planned out, and love isn't on the agenda.

Brooke Endress is on the cusp of her lifelong dream when her younger sister persuades her to chaperone a mission trip to El Salvador. Packing enough hand sanitizer and bug spray to single-handedly wipe out malaria, she embarks on what she hopes will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

But Brooke is blindsided by the desperation for hope and love she sees in the orphans’ eyes. And no less by the connection she feels with her handsome translator. As newfound passion blooms, Brooke wrestles with its implications for her career dreams.

Ubaldo Chavez, teacher and translator, knows the struggle that comes with generational poverty. But he found the way out – education – and is determined to help his students rise above.

When he agrees to translate for a mission team from the United States he expects to encounter a bunch of "missional tourists" full of empty promises. Yet an American news anchor defies his expectations, and he finds himself falling in love. But what does he have to offer someone with everything?

Easter Bunny Pompom Wreath by Guest Jeanna Gregg

Howdy y'all! Crystal here and today I've got a special guest for you--my sister!

Jeanna and Crystal - Then

Jeanna & Crystal - Now

Jeanna is like super-crafty. She can sew, quilt, crochet, bake, cook, and make just about anything, even jewelry. Oh and did I mention she loves decorating for almost every major holiday on the calendar. :)

Well, yesterday she sent me a picture of her newest crafty creation--an Easter Bunny Pompom Wreath. I thought it was so cute I asked her to share it with y'all today. Generous gal that she is, she agreed. :)

So here it is...

Easter Bunny Pompom Wreath

Materials Needed:

1 - large Plastic Canvas Sheet
1 - pink sheet of felt
1- 6" Wooden Embroidery Hoop (for the head)
1 - 10" Wooden Embroidery Hoop (for the body)
1 - piece of crafting wire (~20 gauge)
Yarn to make pompoms
40 - Extra Small Pompoms (for ears)
Varying Numbers of Small, Medium, and Large Pompoms (for head and body)

Quick tips on Pompoms:

• Extra Small Pompoms can be made using a fork:
• Wrap yarn around the end of the fork prongs multiple times
• Thru the middle gap, tie the yarn together with a small piece of string
• Slide the yarn off the fork
• Cut through the loops making the lengths as evenly as possible
• Fluff the yarn into a pompom
• Small, Med, and Large Pompoms
• Pompom makers sold in craft stores come in very handy or you can look online for various ideas.
• When you tie off the pompoms, leave an extra length to fasten to the frame.

Directions:

• Ears:
• Cut out 4 (four) rabbit ear shapes from the plastic canvas sheet. 
• Cut out 2 rabbit ear shapes from the felt that will leave a 1/4" of canvas showing all around the sides and top. the felt will need to go to the bottom of the canvas.
• Take 1 felt ear and 2 plastic canvas ears. Center and Sew the felt to the canvas. Repeat for second ear.
• Sew the extra small pompoms on the edge of the ears, leaving the bottom edge open.
• Using crafting wire, attach the two embroidery hoops together and attach the ears to the smaller of the two hoops. 
• Securely tie the small, medium, and large pompoms to the loops using the extra length. 

That's it! Feel free to accessorize with a stuffed carrot, Easter sign, eggs, etc.

Happy Easter, y'all!

Leave a comment for your chance to win Return to the Misty Shore by Bonnie Leon! Winner will be announced in the Weekly Windup on April 17th.

The Human Toll of War by Guest Laurie Alice Eakes

“You will report yourself to Capt. D. Brown who will aid you in procuring quarters. You will then have liberty to walk in the roads in the said town to the extremity of its limits which will be designated to you by said Capt. D. Brown and you will report yourself personally to him at his house the Saturday of each week…And I do require, that all letters wrote or received by you , be sent for inspection to this office, and also notify you that conversations on the subject of a public nature, with citizens are expressly forbidden."

These were instructions to an officer from upper Canada, who was captured by Americans during the battle of Lundy's Lane during the War of 1812. As an officer, he received a sort of parole, though, as you can see, this parole was highly limited. Not to be able to talk to those he might pass on his limited strolls through the town is sad and unnatural. He had a family. At least one letter to his father was preserved. Other prisoners had wives, parents, and sweethearts.

“This is the first and only opportunity that may occur of my writing during the War.” This is from a letter by William Merritt, another officer fighting for the British during the War of 1812, to his fiancée, Catherine Prendergast, who was an American from New York State. “I embrace it most cordially although I do not conceive it to be very safe. The unhappy situation which our Countries are placed in will deprive me [from] time of the greatest pleasure I have ever enjoyed viz. seeing you, as we were actuated by no juvenile affection the world cannot convince me you will ever forfeit that confidence I have ever placed in you, and which my life consists.”

When I read things like this during research, my heart aches for the pain of separation and uncertainty that a happy future will ever be possible for the couple. My heart also warms to see that distance, war, division between their two nations does not dim their affection for one another.

Love can transcend the division of nations.

Why we went to war with Great Britain in 1812 and kept going even after they burned our capital city in 1814, will forever be debated. We fought over trade rights. We fought over impressment of our sailors into British ships. We fought over a determination to prove that we were a sovereign nation that could not be pushed around. Half the country was against the war. Much of the reasoning behind the declaration was perhaps exaggerated.

We were certainly unprepared. Our Army was ill-trained and small. Our Navy was miniscule, but our men could sail and were willing to fight. Privateers took to the sea to make their fortunes and helped us gain an advantageous treaty despite us losing most of our land battles and going up against the greatest Navy ever known.

We got our trade rights clarified. We stopped losing our sailors to British ships. We gained the Northwest Territory, which includes what are now Ohio, Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, a bit of Minnesota, and my native Michigan.

Perhaps because I grew up in Michigan, this little taught, often confusing war has always fascinated me. My newest release, My Enemy, My Heart, flips William and Catherine’s story, with my heroine being a noncombatant prisoner of war in Great Britain, who marries an Englishman for protection, while planning to free the crew from her father’s merchantman from a British prison. Because she is married to an Englishman, the act is treason, and Deirdre is torn between loyalty to the only family she has ever known, and the man with whom she is falling in love.

The human toll of war—divided lives, divided loyalties; broken hearts, and broken promises. Because this is a romance, I get to create a happy ending. I hope William and Catherine had one as well.

My Enemy, My Heart

The sea has always been Deirdre MacKenzie’s home, and the crew of her father’s Baltimore clipper is the only family she loves. She’s happier wearing breeches and climbing the rigging of the Maid of Alexandria than donning a dress and learning to curtsey. But, when the War of 1812 erupts, the ship is captured by a British privateer . With her father, the captain, dead, Deirdre sees her crew herded into the hold as prisoners-of-war. Their fate is the notorious Dartmoor prison in England. Her fate as a noncombatant prisoner is uncertain, but the one thing she knows—she must find a way to free her crew.

Kieran Ashford has caused his family one too many scandals. On his way to exile in America, he is waylaid by the declaration of war and a chance to turn privateer and make his own fortune. But he regrets his actions as soon as the rich prize is secured. Kieran figures his best chance at redeeming himself in the eyes of his family is to offer Deidre the protection of his name in marriage. He has no idea that secrets from his parents’ past and Deirdre’s determination to free her crew are on a disastrous collision course.

Love and loyalty clash, as Kieran begins to win Deirdre’s heart despite her plot to betray him and his family. While Kieran works to mend the relationship with his family, he begins to love his bride in spite of what lies between them.

About Laurie Alice Eakes

“Eakes has a charming way of making her novels come to life without being over the top,” writes Romantic times of bestselling, award-winning author Laurie Alice Eakes. Since she lay in bed as a child telling herself stories, she has fulfilled her dream of becoming a published author, with more than two dozen books in print and several award wins and nominations to her credit, including winning the National Readers Choice Award for Best Regency and being chosen as a 2016 RITA®

She has recently relocated to a cold climate because she is weird enough to like snow and icy lake water. When she isn’t basking in the glory of being cold, she likes to read, visit museums, and take long walks, preferably with her husband, though the cats make her feel guilty every time she leaves the house.

You can read more about Eakes and her books, as well as contact her, through her Web Site: http://www.lauriealiceeakes.com
You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter
http:///www.facebook.com/authorLaurieAliceEakes/
@LaurieAEakes

Loss or Tragedy? with Guest Jessica Snell

Sometimes loss is just loss: a missed opportunity, a broken glass, a favorite earring you can’t find. It’s sad, but not life-changing. You’ll move on, and forget it in the next few days or weeks. But sometimes loss is a tragedy.

Last year I spent a long time working through stories of tragic loss as I edited the contributions to “Not Alone”. Here were stories of losses that mattered, that mattered deeply, and that never will stop mattering: babies who never made it to their births, babies wanted but never held, longed- for children whose parents won’t get to meet them this side of heaven.

I can’t even hold the idea of these losses in my heart without wincing and wanting to put the thought of them down. But, oh! did I learn something from the contributors who shared these stories!

Here is their testimony: they turned towards the Lord. Over and over again. In sadness and confusion, yes, but also in their rage and their anger. Like the psalmist, they turned to the Lord in the midst of their grief and confusion.

Not after they’d gotten over it. Not when after they’d figured out how to package their losses into a neat little bundle. (In fact, I’m not sure these sorts of things are entirely gotten over this side of heaven. I’m not sure they should be.)

Their pattern of turning towards the Lord is a testimony to all of us—even those who haven’t suffered a tragic loss quite like theirs.

This “turning towards” is the very pattern God shows us in the Psalms: in the Psalms, we find God’s people crying out to Him while their souls are overwhelmed, while their tears are their food day and night, while they are downcast and mourning.

God sees in the dark. More than that, He sees us in the dark. The darkness is not dark to Him. The night is as bright as the day.

Our nights—our deepest, darkest, hardest nights—are places where the Lord still sees us and still knows us. The evil of the world and its losses do not surprise Him, and they do not overwhelm Him.

Turn towards God. Always. When you don’t know what to do, when the darkness overwhelms you. This is what I’ve learned from the contributors of “Not Alone”, who have been through things that would break me (and who would be the first to tell you were things that broke them): I have learned to turn towards the Lord. Never away. Not even when I doubt. Especially not when I am afraid.

Always turn towards the Lord. He is there, and He can see in your darkness.


Jessica Snell is the General Editor of Kalos Press and she regularly writes about faith, family, and fiction on her blog.  She and her husband live in sunny Southern California with their four children.

Social media/website links: 

• Jessica Snell's blog 
• Jessica Snell on Twitter 
• Jessica Snell on Pinterest

Blurb:
Our society understands how terrible the loss of a child is when that child is out of the womb, but what about when a child dies before birth? Or what about the emptiness that comes when a very-much-wanted child is never even conceived? These quiet, private losses are hard for those who have not experienced them to understand. And these losses leave those who have suffered them feeling alone in their grief. 

Not Alone: A Literary and Spiritual Companion for Those Confronted with Infertility and Miscarriage is a resource both for those who have suffered through these experiences and for their friends and relatives, who want to understand what their loved ones are going through.

Buy links:
- "Not Alone" paperback on Amazon
- "Not Alone" Kindle on Amazon 
- "Not Alone" paperback on Barnes & Noble
- "Not Alone" on the publisher's website

No Prince Charming for Me

No Prince Charming for me

As young girls we are told often to look for our "Prince Charming". And believe, like Cinderella, he will come and save us from the dull, ordinary lives we lead.

But upon careful examination I've decided a "Prince Charming" is the exact opposite of what a girl needs.

Let's think about this . . .

• He has one night with this girl. Dances with no one else. She is captivating and beautiful and yet when he begins the search for her he doesn't even know her name?
• He can't tell them "Hey, she was a blonde with blue eyes and called Cinderella" to help narrow the search?
• Instead he tries the slipper on every foot in the kingdom and she is the very last. I'm sure we can all agree that wouldn't be very flattering.

If you have truly captured the heart of a man and he has captured yours shouldn't you know something of one another?

I can still remember how long the first phone conversation lasted between my husband and I, what his jacket smelled like when we first hugged and what the air felt like the first time we kissed good-bye.

I guess the point to all my ramblings is this: True love takes notice. If you really love the one you are with you should know how they take their coffee . . . or if they like coffee at all.

If you don't know or wish you had taken the time to notice more, don't be discouraged. There is still time.

Forget Prince Charming and look for a King who will make you his Queen.

About Jamin:

Jamin Baldwin is a new, up-and-coming author whose writing interests span everything from historical romances to poetry and devotions. Along with home schooling her own children, she is also a volunteer in the children’s ministry at her church. The simplicity of country life is an insurmountable influence on all her writing endeavors. 

Connect with her at:https://www.facebook.com/jaycee.m

"God is Close By," Monday Devotion by LoRee Peery

Exodus 16:6-7 ~ So Moses and Aaron said to all the sons of Israel, “At evening you will know that the Lord has brought you out of the land of Egypt; and in the morning you will see the glory of the Lord, for He hears your grumblings against the Lord; and what are we, that you grumble against us?” (NASB)

Can you imagine God’s visible presence as a pillar of fire by night, and a cloud by day? God’s chosen in the Old Testament weren’t blessed to have the Holy Spirit present within, as those in the Church Age.

Earlier in verse four of chapter sixteen, the Lord told Moses He would rain down bread from heaven. Each day, manna appeared. The Israelites were instructed to gather only what they needed for each day. God also provided quail so the people had meat to eat in the evening.

According to verse 35, those dear wanderers ate manna for forty years. Can you imagine? I’m sure I would have been tempted to grumble over eating the same thing day in and day out. But maybe not, with God reminding me He was right there in a cloud?

He’s right here with us today, as well. Much like the wandering Israelites, we often are prone to grumble or focus on our circumstance rather than look for His presence. When we least expect it, He makes His nearness known.

In the spring of 2014 my husband and I stopped at a country cemetery around twenty miles from our home. We walked through the west side and the east side, recognizing a few names. The sense of peace and quiet, the beauty of the setting, struck us both as a perfect location for our final earthly resting place.

We stopped again on a Saturday in March of this year, and picked our spots. We called the board secretary, and she said she’d be right out.

The day was picture perfect. There is a pond to the south across the road. I sat on a bench to absorb the cloudless, deep blue sky. I wanted to soak in and enjoy the ambience of the whole place.

My husband Bill came and sat beside me. It was so serenely peaceful, I started to sing “The Old Rugged Cross.”

A rushing wind came up from the north behind us, that distinct sound of wind in the pines, and it passed to the southeast, where it swirled a whirlwind of leaves through a naked tree along the drive. It dissipated as abruptly as it appeared.

Dead silence.

I was awestruck. Goose bumps rained over me. I smiled and had tears at the same time.
If we open our hearts, minds, and souls, we can be overwhelmed by His presence. Any day, any century.

Have you ever been so filled with awed amazement that it threatened to burst through the walls of your heart and seep out your pores? Has your heart delighted in His love?

Oh, dear gracious Father, thank You for showing yourself when we least expect it. You promise to never leave us nor forsake us. I delight in You. I am so blessed that You reveal yourself to me when I am enjoying your creation. Thank You for giving me life on earth, and new life that draws me closer to seeing You in Person.
~~~~~~

Bio

A Nebraska country girl, LoRee Peery attempts to see God’s presence every day. Often that gift comes from nature, and she is most relaxed in the outdoors. The call of a cardinal draws her to look for the distinctive flash of crimson. A meadowlark’s melody always transports her to the farm where she grew up. A rainbow holds special significance, since one appeared the day of her father’s funeral and means the promise of the Lord’s presence in her life. She clings to I John 5:4 and prays her family sees that faith. You can find her at www.loreepeery.com or the Pelican Book Group site. 

Paisley and Rob love each other, but neither is willing to correct what needs to be fixed in their relationship, so Paisley relocates out of state. When she discovers a secret that may repair Rob’s view of his past, she reaches out. Rob is still bitter over Paisley’s inability to commit and her habit of running, but he believes she sincerely cares for him, so he investigates her claim to have found his unknown heritage. After the emotional turmoil of meeting a family he knew nothing about, Rob’s love for Paisley convinces him to reconcile their differences. His world is incomplete without Paisley. However, she is reluctant to move forward, and has an opportunity to flee again. Will Rob help convince Paisley the answer is not to move again, but lies with the Lord, or will Rob lose Paisley forever?

Find Paisley's Pattern on sale on the Pelican Book Group site!