Pepper Basham's Blog, page 24

In the Kitchen with Marcy Farris

So excited to have fellow Lighthouse author, Kelli Hughett, with me today…along with the main character of her debut, Red Zone. We had the opportunity to meet last year at ACFW and it was such a delight. (Check out her pic right here. She’s GORGEOUS with amazing hair) You can learn more about her at her website – http://www.kellihughett.com/.

You can check out her book here, http://tinyurl.com/on8wzyn. And because she’s SO sweet, she’s added a yummy recipe at the bottom of the post. Now….let’s get cookin’ ;-)

“Hey, Girl!” Marcy licks batter from a finger and wipes her hands on a striped dish towel as she welcomes me into her kitchen. “Come on in.”

As a sport’s reporter, being in a kitchen for an interview feels way foreign. I like the change.

I can’t help grinning at mess on the counters. There’s a yellow bowl with remnants of spaghetti sauce, a cutting board with an array of chopped vegetables in the corner, a bag of chocolate chips, green food coloring, and flour smoothed out across a two foot surface where a rolling pin awaits. A framed picture of Marcy’s kids, Brant and Haley, hangs over the kitchen table in the corner.

I inhale. “Mmm. Smells heavenly.” I get out my camera and snap a candid picture as she closes a drawer with her right hip. “What’s on the menu today?”

Her eyes light up and she tucks a strand of dark hair behind her ear. “Rigatoni and Cheese, Caesar Salad, French bread, and Triple Layer Mint Brownies.” She tosses her dishrag toward the sink. “Sorry about the mess. I should clean up as I go, but I get so into the food that I forget.” She shrugs and pulls a chair out for me.

I pull my notebook from my messenger bag, eager to learn her secrets. And maybe if she’s comfortable, she’ll dish about her relationship with former NFL great, Jack Briggs the NFL’s Gentleman Linebacker. (and one of People’s sexiest men alive) I’d done stories on him in his glory days, but the man evaded interviews with the press like a ghost.

A stream of bright Colorado sunlight warms the wooden table where I rest my hands. “I want to get to know you a little better, so let’s start with you. Tell me about yourself.”

“Now there’s a grand subject.” She smirks in self-depreciation. “I’m a homemaker for now.” She sweeps her hand around the room. “As you can see, I spend a lot of time in the kitchen.”

Do I detect a dream or two in for now? The smells coming from the oven make my mouth water. I smile. “I can tell. So, let’s get down to the food. What are you teaching me today?”

She pops up. “Let’s get started.”

She tosses me a pale green apron made of well-worn cotton. It smells of flour and Downy.

“I’ve done all the prep work and you’ll be putting it together.” Marcy hands me a crisp piece of paper. “I copied the recipe.” Her eyes twinkle. “Print it with the interview or make it for someone special.”

I see my opening. “So, have you made this meal for anyone special lately?” The look in her eyes and the blush on her cheek says she doesn’t miss my meaning.

“There are a few special people in my life who love this dish.”

Rats, she’s Fort Knox when it comes to Jack, just as I suspected. I don the apron and sit back in the chair at the table while she pulls bowls out of the fridge. All the while, I get the distinct feeling she’s reading my thoughts as plain as if I’d spoken aloud.

She cocks her head and chews her bottom lip as if deciding whether to trust me. “You’re sitting in Jack’s chair, you know.”

I can’t hide my grin as I kick off my shoes, tuck my feet up under me and ready my pen. “I’m assuming you’re talking about Jack Briggs…”

(Want to read more? Red Zone, a romantic suspense featuring Marcy Farris and Jack Briggs is available in paperback or Kindle on Amazon.com)

Marcy’s Rigatoni and Cheese recipe.

8 oz Ground Beef

½ C Chopped white or yellow onion

1 Clove chopped garlic

1 Jar favorite spaghetti sauce

1/8 tsp Pepper

16 oz Cottage Cheese (not non-fat)

½ C Milk

½ tsp Salt

8-10 oz Rigatoni Noodles (Cooked 8 minutes and drained)

1 C Shredded Mozzarella Cheese (More if desired)

2 TBS Shredded Parmesan Cheese

Brown meat, onion and garlic until cooked through. Add spaghetti sauce and pepper. Simmer on low 10 minutes.

While that’s simmering, mix cottage cheese, milk, salt and noodles in a large bowl.

Layer in a glass baking dish: Noodle mix:Meat Mix: Cheese

(should have enough for 2 layers)

Sprinkle with Parm and bake for 20 minutes at 350.

When God Interrupts By D.L. Koontz

So excited to have fellow Lighthouse of the Carolinas’ author, D.L. Koontz. Just the cover of her novel, Crossing Into the Mystic, makes you want to bring the book a little closer and find out what it is about. Come help me welcome her to the blog today!

Do you remember daydreaming when you were a child about what you wanted to be when you grew up? Most of us do. Sadly, many of us lost sight of those dreams as we grew.

I sure did. I always wanted to be a novelist. I wanted to open unknown worlds for readers the way other authors had done for me.

Like Pepper (who came from a long line of oral storytellers in the mountains), I too learned the art of spinning yarns from family storytellers, all while sitting on our front porch in the foothills of the Appalachian mountains in rural Pennsylvania.

But, that dream got lost somewhere along the way as I pursued other paths through college and work.

Perhaps self-doubt kept me from finishing any of the dozens of stories I began through the years. Or, maybe it was fear of starvation that kept me motivated through a master’s degree in a more “practical” field than creative writing. Or, maybe it was pride that kept me collecting business credentials in a collection of states and countries.

In short, I got derailed from my dreams.

But, whatever the reason, I learned those dreams won’t always go away, and we won’t get back on track, until we prayerfully ask God to guide our paths.

Then, as German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer says, we “must be ready to allow ourselves to be interrupted by God.”

Wait! That’s not what conventional thinking advises, right? According to pop culture, we’re supposed to set plans and goals, create bucket lists of things to accomplish, and accept that life moves on at a predictable and steady pace.

But it’s often in prayer that we discover that God has other plans, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

And so it was through prayer that I began to write. Earnestly. Finally, finishing one novel after another.

And when God led me to inspirational fiction, I was thrilled, but confused as to why, in the manner of Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker, I was led to approach my stories from the dark side.

I wanted to write safe, not risky; warm and fuzzy, not nail-biting and dramatic. I hoped to make readers relax and enjoy, not sit anxiously on the edges of their seats.

But, again, God interrupted and directed the path.

When you wonder if you’re on the right path or if you’re following what God has planned for you, pray. Here are a few scriptures to give you strength as you move forward:

And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when yet turn to the left. ~Isaiah 30:21

The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord; and he delighteth in his way. ~Psalms 37:23

In all ways acknowledge Him, and he shall direct thy paths. ~ Proverbs 3:6

I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye. ~Psalms 32:8

D.L.Koontz is the author of Crossing into the Mystic and Edging through the Darkness, the first two novels in The Crossings Trilogy. She hails from Pennsylvania, but now lives on a cattle ranch in southeast Georgia where she juggles writing with endlessly going to town for supplies. Find her at www.dlkoontz.com.

He Never Forgets

I have a devotional up at Sarah Ruut’s blog today. Please come by and check it out!

http://sarahruut.com/2015/07/01/he-never-forgets/

Knowing Changes Things

I was at a writer’s conference once and started chatting with the person in line behind me. No surprise there. My dad says I could carry on a conversation with a block wall. It’s a family trait :-)

Anyway, this lady and I had a pleasant conversation about life, family, her writing, my writing. Nothing spectacular. I didn’t think anything more of it than a friendly moment in time.

I finished getting my food and sat at a table when one of the other guests touched my arm.
“You looked like you were having a pretty good conversation with Angie Hunt.”
Angie Hunt? Angela Hunt! Award winning author of over one-hundred books!!

(To read more about Angie Hunt, go here!)

So the pleasant little conversation suddenly changed to one of those shocked moments that you write down in your journal to share with all of your posterity and even devote a blog-post to it :-)

Knowing WHO she was, changed the way I saw the situation.

It wasn’t just a sweet little moment in my day. It was momentous. Knowing WHO she was made a BIG difference on my perspective.

There’s a familiar story in the Bible about Jesus calming the sea. (And though Angela Hunt loves Jesus, knowing her and knowing HIM are two very different things ;-)

To paraphrase the Gospels, here we go:

The disciples follow Jesus onto a boat and they head out onto the sea. A big storm whips up out of nowhere, so dangerous that the disciples start to freak out. They start crying out for help, and where is Jesus? In the middle of the howling wind, crashing waves, and pelting rain…sleeping!!


The disciples wake him up and say something like, “Don’t you care that we’re all going to die?”So…Jesus tells the storm to hush up. And it does. Then he looks at his disciples and says, “Oh you of little faith. Why are you so afraid?”
Now some Gospels put Jesus’ rebuke before the calming of the storm and some after. Just imagine Jesus waking from his nap to the hurricane-like conditions and screaming through the wind at the disciples. “Why are you afraid?”
I can only imagine the disciples giving him a look like Jesus, have you seen the size of those waves? This is NOT a dream. We’re going to DIE!


When Jesus calms the storm with his words, the disciples start to freak out in a very different way, because they suddenly were struck with the truth about WHO Jesus really was. The external storm on the water suddenly flew inside their hearts. Whoa! Jesus’ words brought calm to the chaos, as God- The Creator’s- words brought order to the chaos of the universe. Proving that he truly was, who he’d said he was. Spectacular.
So, in one respect, Jesus is saying: If you guys really knew who I was, you’d be able to sleep through a storm too.


There are a few poignant truths in this story.
1. The storm wasn’t a shock to Jesus. He knew it was going to happen and went to sleep anyway.
2. Knowing who Jesus really is, helps us see the storms of life from a new perspective.
Jesus leads us into storms sometimes to refine our faith. So the question is, how do we respond in the middle of the storm? It’s easy to view in hindsight, or predict your response in foresight, but what about in the very middle when the hurt, fear, worry, and grief are the greatest?


This was convicting to me, because if I really know Him, worry becomes obsolete and fear melts into a minor obstacle. His peace settles a heart during the most frightening storm or by streams of living water and green pastures. My heart should find rest in either/or.

The great thing is – he wants us to get to know him better, because he wants us to rest in him.


Psalm 62:1 reads: “My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him.”
Psalm 119:1: Blessed are they that keep his statutes and seek him with all their hearts.”
Hebrews 11:6 “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”


When we know WHO holds us, who loves us, who guides us through the storm – then our perspective on the power of the storm changes and our security in the Maker of the storm overcomes our fear.


May we take this verse to heart and find rest in His promises:
Deuteronomy 33:27 “The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.”

Math Facts, Perfection, & The Almighty

It’s one of those ‘pull your hair out’ kinds of moments. Your nine-year-old, who struggles with math facts, sits beside of you at the table and goes into a complete meltdown over 3 digit numbers. There’s no calling him back from the depths of despair, he’s jumped in with both feet and waded up to his neckline. He’s drowning in fractions and word problems with no hope for a sure foundation.


No matter what you say, offer to pay, plead or borrow, he’s not coming back from his mental block for a few minutes…maybe millennia. He spends twenty-minutes trying to blame every other person in his life, and the dog, for the fact that he cannot do this homework. He seeks every distraction known to man and animals to dismiss his inability, but finally has to accept something. For the first time in his life, he’s realized the terrible, horrible, no-good truth:

He’s not perfect.



Oops, maybe I should have whispered that last sentence. It’s easier to bear when said in a whisper. Then maybe no one else will hear.

Okay – so I’m going to whisper the rest of this because it might be a little too hard to hear in a big voice.

We’re not perfect.

Ouch.

Yeah, yeah, I know you would admit to it, but do you believe it? Sometimes I don’t. I either kick myself so hard when I fall that I can’t stand for a week, OR (and more likely) I pretend I wasn’t wrong. I never admit to it. I ignore the little gnawing at the base of my heart and push it off as not taking my B-12s, when the truth is…I was wrong.

Pulling shark teeth would be easier than trying to get my 17-year old to admit when he’s wrong. Whew. Pride the size of Jonah’s whale, but…his mom has the same problem. In fact, most of us do.

We blame our day, or our health, our finances, or in-laws…our children, or spouse, our education, or background…whatever it takes to keep the little finger from pointing backwards and finding our chests. Not me.

It’s hard…I don’t like it – but who does?

When we hold onto pride, one of the ugliest things happens. We place ourselves above our humanity and make little idols of our own hearts. Then, we compare our goodness to others’ badness and forget the basic element of grace…

Jesus didn’t come for perfect people. In fact, if we looked at the list of people Jesus hung around with most, you wouldn’t find a perfect person among the entire bunch. Most would have scoffed at the notion of being called ‘perfect’ or even close.

A woman caught in adultery, a hotheaded disciple, a traitor-tax collector, a theif…a bunch of cowards and…sinners.

That’s the point!

One thing they all had in common was they were sinners, and they knew it. In fact, when Jesus sat down at ATE with some of those imperfect people, the religious leaders started whispering about him (and not in a nice way either).

The story goes like this in Matthew 9:10-12

10While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and “sinners” came and ate with him and his disciples. 11When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?”

12On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice. For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Jesus came to save those who know they are broken and couldn’t be fixed. Who know they screw up and can’t make things right. Who know no band aid, no amount of sacrifice or good works can change their history and mistakes.
He came for the ones who KNOW they are sinners and are searching for Someone to be the bridge between their imperfection and God’s perfectness.

Jesus became that bridge by offering His own perfection, His life for the ungodly. He didn’t come ‘to call the righteous, but sinners.”
If you know you are imperfect…
If you look back on your past, see your shades of gray, and feel ashamed…
If you’re struggling with the depths of hurt, confusion, anger, or sadness…
There is hope.

Jesus

”let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.” – Hebrews 10:22

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” I John 1:9

Hosting at Seekerville

I am visiting Seekerville today to tell my writing journey. Please come by and join the conversation.

The Seekers helped encourage me so much as I was trying to ‘find my feet’ in this writing gig.

The Ultimate LifeSaver

I had the wonderful opportunity last weekend to have my first booksigning even at Barnes and Noble. There was a great turnout, and despite my discomfort at being the center of attention, I loved getting to share the experience with friends who have followed my writing journey a looooonnnnggg time! Particularly my college buddy, Jessica, (namesake in the book) and some of my coworkers and friends from my FIRST JOB in Charlotte, NC (15 years ago!!!). They drove all the way to Asheville to celebrate with me. Wow!!

So, as you can see I decorated my table with some fun stuff. A box for the $50 gift card raffle, scones and gingerbread (straight from England as a gift from my wonderful cousin-in-law, Judy), books (0f course) and….lifesavers.

Why lifesavers?

Well, if you’ve read The Thorn Bearer, you get the reference. It’s a ‘sweet’ theme between my hero and heroine throughout the book, but on a much deeper level there is reference to a “Lifesaver” working his ‘sweetness’ throughout the lives of all the characters.

Also…my poor characters are getting on a sinking ship! Who wouldn’t want a life saver, right?

Tragedies, tensions, and difficulties strike us all. Maybe they don’t all involve childhood secrets or sinking ships, but some can be just as life-threatening, debilitating, devastating, or life-altering. In essence, there are going to be times in life where we are all in danger of drowning under the flood of living in a fallen world. Whether our tragedy comes at our own hands (as a few of my characters discover) or at the hands of others, we are certain of one thing…. no one gets out of this life without some stings and pains along the way, that’s why we all need a true LifeSaver.

There are doctors, counselors, family, and friends who can help us during our broken times, but their reach can only make it so far, because the ultimate issue at the heart of every person, is sin. It’s the whirlpool beneath our skin tugging us under, further and further, and without some divine intervention, we will (inevitably) drown.

But there is a Rescuer for this particular darkness…and only one.

The Ultimate LifeSaver.

John 3:17 – (Jesus said) For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. (ESV)

Colossians 1:13-14 (from The Message paraphrase)

God rescued us from dead-end alleys and dark dungeons. He’s set us up in the kingdom of the Son he loves so much, the Son who got us out of the pit we were in, got rid of the sins we were doomed to keep repeating.

Psalm 91:14-16 (from The Message paraphrase)

“If you’ll hold on to me for dear life,” says God, “I’ll get you out of any trouble. I’ll give you the best of care if you’ll only get to know and trust me. Call me and I’ll answer, be at your side in bad times; I’ll rescue you, then throw you a party. I’ll give you a long life, give you a long drink of salvation!”

God’s best care is at the soul level. Through Christ, He does what no one else can do – cleans our hearts and rescues our souls. The sort of sweetness He brings through His healing goes beyond the trials, sufferings, pains, and heartaches (that will continue to come) because we are still living in a broken world and waiting for a heavenly one.

But he is efficient :-) He will use our trials here to make us more and more fit for our new homes and to bring about in us the Ultimate Plan of the Ultimate LifeSaver, because he’s not in it just for today…but for eternity.

The Second Battle of Ypres – Memorial Day Edition

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/nov/03/ww1-memories-imperial-war-museum-share

Over one hundred years ago, a surprise attack by German forces began the second battle of Ypres. This battle ended on this day….100 years ago. Besides the loss of life, and celebration of a much-needed British victory, The Second Battle of Ypres introduced a hideous and debilitating new weapon: Poisonous gas. The cloud, carried on a gentle afternoon breeze, first hit the French troops, blinding their eyes and cloaking their lungs until they suffocated. Horrendous-type warfare no one had ever witnessed. By debilitating and killing the first wave of Allied forces, the Germans made a quick advance into Allied territory.

Those soldiers who were not killed, retreated in a fog of confusion brought on by this unexpected new weapon.

Four battles and one month later, the Allies were able to regain their hold of Ypres and push back the Germans, but the losses were great – especially for the French and many civilians who were close enough to be infected by the gas.

Losses during this battle alone were estimated to be about 59,000 British and 10,000 French.(www.firstworldwar.com) (and that was for only one battle)

As we remember men fallen in war during our US Memorial Day, the estimated loss of American life within the two years American was involved in World War 1 is estimated as over 100,000. (www.pbs.org )

The United States involvement in WW1 changed the outcome of the war, and the sacrifices made by these brave men will not be forgotten.

Let us remember the lives lost both in our country and the many lost in other countries who had been struggling years longer in this Great War.

Blue Ridge Christian Writers Conference 2015

I realized this week was my 7th year at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference. I’ve visited either as a day-guest or a full-guest and garnered wonderful knowledge over those years, but I think the thing I’ve enjoyed most from Blue Ridge are the friendships.

I had the opportunity to sit beside Lynn Blackburn at our FIRST BOOKSIGNING at Blue Ridge (after all those years of waiting) and we talked about how coming to Blue Ridge was like visiting old friends. There is a sweetness in the small-town feel of Blue Ridge and a mutual encouragement of all these other writers journeying along with you.

And then there is celebration! Authors winning awards! Book signings! First-time teachers!!

One of the highlights for me was hanging out with my super duper agent, Julie Gwinn and her partner in crime Dan Phillips.

There were so many sweet connections made at this conference over time. I met Dee Dee Baxter years ago and absolutely LOVE visiting with her. Ane Mulligan is always a delight.

And of course! There is genre night!!

What have you enjoyed about conferences? Do you have any long-standing conferences where you’ve met some great people?

Books I’m EXCITED to READ

Even in the midst of furious deadline crunches for writing book #2 in the Penned in Time series, there are just some upcoming releases I am excited to get my hands on! First off, (of course) is the lovely Laura Frantz’s newest! The Mistress of Tall Acre looks and sounds delightful!!

http://amzn.to/1L8V2qQ

And this one by Susan May Warren! I love the cover!!

http://amzn.to/1JnsOJZ

What about you? Are you looking forward to any upcoming releases?