Janice Cole Hopkins's Blog, page 24

Blogging MysteryThe strangest thing has happened, and I c...

Blogging Mystery

The strangest thing has happened, and I can't explain it. While my husband and I took a long road trip to South Dakota, I didn't blog. I posted that I would stop for a short while and then return to it. During the three weeks I didn't post blogs, my daily page visits soared, getting as many as  947 and always having numbers in the triple digits. However, now that I'm home and blogging again, the numbers have dropped drastically. I don't understand it.

I have always been faithful in posting my blogs, thinking that consistency would draw more readers since they would know when to expect them. I began by blogging seven days a week, but an expert told me that was too often, and I soon discovered she was right, so I moved to three times a week. As I published more books, managing everything became more involved, and I dropped to posting a blog about books or writing on Mondays and a Christian blog on Thursdays, and that's where I've been for the last few years.

Since the blogging mystery, I've been wondering if it matters when I post. I've decided to take more time off from blogging when situations warrant, and not worry about it, although I still plan to post on Mondays and Thursdays most of the time. Tomorrow (7-20-23), I have a book signing for most of the day, and I don't plan to post my regular Christian blog. I will post this instead. If you have any thoughts on any of this, please let me know. I'll see how the more flexible blogging works and then reassess everything.

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Hannibal and Mark TwainAfter staying a night with my son ...

Hannibal and Mark Twain

After staying a night with my son in Knoxville, Tennessee, on our way to South Dakota, Jim wanted to visit his sister near St. Louis, and we spent two days there. Jim was living in Missouri when I met him, and I've always told him I wanted to go to Hannibal to the Mark Twain Museum someday. Well, the day finally came.  It wasn't out of our way to swing by there on our way north, and I found it well worth it.

The museum exhibited items and told of events from Samuel Clemmons life, especially those experiences and characters that found their way into his books. It's been a while since I've read much of Twain, and I was charmed anew by his wit, wisdom, and humor. I was also struck by how his family often struggled financially. I found the museum fascinating and could have spent more time there.
Becky Thatcher House

Huck Finn House





There were several buildings onsite, each housing a different theme. The Huck Finn house and Becky Thatcher's house stood out. We also toured the apartments over Grant's Drugstore where the Clemmons family moved when they couldn't afford rent. Across the street was a fence Tom might have painted in Tom Sawyer. I found all this to be very inspiring for an author, and Hannibal might just find its way into some future book.
House with Fence Grant's Drugstore



        




I took tons of photos. Here are just a few more:



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Losing ControlAnd lead us not into temptation, but deliv...

 Losing Control
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil (Matthew 6:13a)

When we give in to anger, fear, or hopelessness, we are giving Satan control. We have all likely felt it. You find things coming from your mouth that you had no intention of saying, know you shouldn't be saying, and don't even mean. Often, you're lashing out to hurt someone, because they've wounded you in some way.

Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do even so to them (Matthew 7:12a).

This isn't the person God wants you to be, and it's not the person you really want to be. Jesus teaches us to be kind to others, even our enemies. Yet, we sometimes treat our loved ones worse than we do our enemies. We're to treat everyone the way we would like to be treated. We are to love them.

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil. and he will flee from you (James 4:7).

It's Satan who directs us to be cruel and unkind. He encourages us to give in to fear or hopelessness. But we don't have to let him have his way. We have a choice of who controls our lives. If we give our lives to God and surrender to Him, we won't exhibit those negative attitudes and emotions. Having our focus on Him brings peace and joy no matter what is happening around us.

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Trip to DeadwoodLodge at DeadwoodMy husband and I left on...

Trip to Deadwood

Lodge at DeadwoodMy husband and I left on June 6 to go to Deadwood, South Dakota. An opportunity came up, and we took advantage of it. Not only is Deadwood an old western town where I planned to set an upcoming book, but they were holding Wild West Days, which also included an author/ book festival called "Deadwood Reads." I could do research, attend author sessions, and meet some of my favorite fellow authors, whom I knew online but had never connected with in person.

After checking on airline tickets to Rapid City (the closest airport to Deadwood) and a rental car, we decided to drive. Even booking more than three months ahead, the flight and rental would be over $2000, and driving would give us more flexibility. We could stay with my son and his family in Knoxville and Jim's sister near St. Louis, and we wanted to stop and see some sights on the way.

We got home on June 23 after having driven for 3,670 miles. We were tired because these older bones get stiff and achy faster than they once did, and we had changed time zones twice (four times round trip), but it had been a good trip. Although I am still trying to play catch-up from being gone, especially with my writing-related tasks, we accomplished what we'd planned. I will be blogging much more about all this in between telling about my about-to-be-published books, so stay tuned.

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Be a Rope HolderBut Saul increased the more in strength,...

 Be a Rope Holder

But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is the very Christ (Acts 9:22).

After Saul's conversion, he stayed in Damascus, regained his sight, and preached about Jesus. It confused the Jews there. They knew of Saul, the man who had persecuted the newly formed sect that followed Jesus, but they didn't understand this new version who had joined the very group he'd once sought to irradicate.

And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him: But their lay in await was known of Saul. And they watched the gates day and night to kill him (Acts 9:23-24).

The Jewish leaders in Damascus got together and decided their best course of action was to kill Saul. No doubt, they rationalized this would keep him from misleading the people. Apparently, they planned to kill him outside the gates as he left the city. The city of Damascus had seven gates at this time, but they watched them day and night.

Then the disciples took him by night and let him down by the wall in a basket (Acts 9:25).

Saul knew of the plot, so some believers let him down outside the wall by lowering him in a basket, and he escaped. We know almost nothing about these men who helped Saul, just that they are called disciples. We don't know their names or even how many they were. They have remained anonymous throughout history, but what a great impact they had. Because Saul, who later became known as Paul, survived, churches were planted among the Gentiles, countless people came to know Christ as their Savior, and Christianity flourished and spread. His influence is still reaching people today through the books of the Bible he wrote.

These men who held the ropes to let Saul down outside the Damascus wall never knew what a great influence they would have for Christ. They just did the simple task God called them to do. But because of them, perhaps the greatest missionary of all survived to spread the Good News. The same is true for us. We may never know in this lifetime how much influence we will have on others, but if we follow God in obedience, we will have it. Everything is important when we're serving in God's kingdom building.

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Patriotism in BooksSince the United States celebrates to...

 Patriotism in Books

Since the United States celebrates tomorrow as Independence Day and the birth of the nation, I thought I'd take a look back at some of my books that deal with patriotism. I decided to do this in chronological order instead of the order in which they were published. Appropriately, the first one is set during the beginning of the Revolutionary War.

A Bird in the Hand tells the story of families as the colonists choose sides. Jonas Wright becomes a spy for the colonies, using carrier pigeons to deliver messages. When he leaves for the College of Philadelphia, he asks his twin sister, Jocelyn to take over. It could be a dangerous endeavor because, not only are their parents loyalists, but they are housing British soldiers. And the man Jocelyn can't keep thinking about, Bennett Hart, also appears loyal to the crown.

Link to A Bird in the Hand

Uprooted by War is set in the Appalachian Mountains during the Civil War. When Luke Moretz thinks he's about to be conscripted into the Confederacy, he travels to Tennessee to join the Union Army and eventually ends up in the Confederate prison at Andersonville. But the soldiers aren't the only ones to face difficulties. His family members back home face their own problems, but through it all is the strong thread of faith and hope that will see them through.

Link to Uprooted by War

Maneuvers is set during the extensive military maneuvers just prior to World War II and the war itself. However, since my books are character-driven instead of plot-driven, the book is not so much about the war as it is about the people, especially the people left at home. It is a time of uncertainty, but Paul Martin and Donna Huneycutt are determined to handle it by being faithful and honoring God.

Link to Maneuvers

Hurting Hero, my latest book, isn't about a war, but it is about a soldier wounded in action and in a wheelchair. His life has changed so drastically in such a short time that he has trouble adjusting. Will the feisty widow he meets through friends help or hurt his self-concept? She certainly gives him plenty to think about and makes him consider that just maybe his future can be brighter than he thought.

Link to Hurting Hero

Since I like writing historical novels, it was inevitable that I write some dealing with America's wars. And since I focus on people, when I agreed to write a book appropriate to the theme of a small town Fourth of July, I chose a wounded warrior as my hero. Although some of these books are part of a series, as with all my books, they can also be read as a standalone. I don't think you would be disappointed in any of these warm-hearted reads.

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Everything Good Comes from GodEvery good gift and every ...

 

Everything Good Comes from God

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father . . . (James 1:17).

Have you ever stopped to think that everything good in our lives comes from God, and every bad thing comes from Satan and sinfulness? God may allow bad things to happen because he can bring some good from them, but He's not responsible for evil. With our limited minds, we may never understand His purposes in this lifetime, but we can trust that He is good and wants the best for us.

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28).

When we fail to understand this, it steals our joy. The Christian life should be freeing, joyous, and filled with peace. But for this to happen, we must depend upon God. We can't let false doctrine, Satan's lies, or our own worry and negative attitudes steal it from us. Life is always going to involve struggles, but we can trust God to see us through them and work things out, or we can be anxious, depressed, or unhappy. The choice is ours.

These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full (John 15:11).

And there's more good news. If we ask Him, God will help us learn to surrender to Him and find contentment in whatever situation we find ourselves like Paul did. This is what the Christian life can be, and we have the right to it as a child of God. We just need to recognize the truth and train ourselves to accept it as one of God's many blessings.

Not that I speak in respect for what I want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content (Philippians 4:11).

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Publishing ProblemsSince I first started doing my own pub...

Publishing Problems

Since I first started doing my own publishing, I've learned a lot and gotten much better at it, so I rarely have problems anymore. However, formatting and publishing Hurting Hero turned out to be more challenging than any I've ever done.  I tried everything I knew to do, and nothing helped. I even began uploading a chapter at a time to see if I could pinpoint where the trouble began. It started in Chapter Nine, but I kept getting the message from KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing), "Your manuscript cannot be uploaded." And it didn't tell me what was wrong.
My husband told me to call them. The last few times I've called any part of Amazon, it has been hard to get the help I needed, so I had my doubts, but since I had done my best to rectify the problem to no avail, I called KDP. The representative checked and said it was a problem with the drop-down capitals, and he would send me an email on how to fix it. About ten minutes later the email showed up. I followed the instructions exactly, deleting all my drop-down capital letters at the beginning of each chapter and redoing them, making sure my fonts were on the normal tab. Apparently, this was where the problem came from. When I tried uploading the manuscript again, it still didn't go.
I happened to notice that my chapter titles were also on the heading tab instead of normal, so I deleted and retyped all of them. Finally, KDP accepted the manuscript, and Hurting Hero was ready to publish on June 12. If you read my recent blogs, you know about Amazon's punishment for not having a book on preorder ready by the promised date. That's why it's good to upload the book before the last minute, in case problems arise. Thankfully, this one is solved, and I hope there won't be another. Yet, with each problem, I learn something new and know more about how to troubleshoot in the future.
Link to Hurting Hero

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Update -Due to some upcoming events, I won't be able to ...

 Update -

Due to some upcoming events, I won't be able to post a new blog for the next two to three weeks, but after that, they will resume.

Hurting HeroComing not long after Memorial Day and in ti...

 Hurting Hero

Coming not long after Memorial Day and in time for the Fourth of July, Hurting Hero is the story of a wounded warrior who struggles with his new identity as a man in a wheelchair. He almost gives up before a young military widow makes him take a closer look at his attitude. It's a feel-good story that you won't want to miss, and you may just fall in love with Trace Durham. He turned out to be a wonderful main character. Hurting Hero publishes on June 12 and is available for preorder now.

Link to Hurting Hero

The Audible edition is also ready. However, I just got an email from ACX, saying that, because of some temporary changes with Audible, they were delaying its release until June 10. Jared Walters, one of my favorite producers, narrated this one for me, and he always does a great job. With an announcer and theater background, he has both a smooth, easy-to-listen-to voice and the ability to correctly interpret the story. Being from Western Tennessee, his accent and cadence also fit many of my stories set in the South and the West. 

This is my last book in the Small Town Holiday Romances series. I came into this MAP late and took the available two slots that I didn't already have a book scheduled near. The Prodigal Pastor published in late January as a Valentine's Day book, but it's equally appropriate for any time of year. Jared produced that book too. These are the only two contemporary novels I've published lately. Although, as an English and history teacher, I love historicals, it's fun to write one that doesn't require quite as much research now and then.

Link to the Prodigal Pastor

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