Anneliese Dalaba's Blog, page 26

First Line Friday #9

First Line Friday is something every reader can participate in. Pick up a book near you. Type the first line in the comments, along with the title of the book and the author. Then check out the books other readers have featured in the comments on this blog. You might find a book you would like to read simply by reading the first line.

The book I’m featuring this week is The Regency Brides Collection. In particular, I will feature the first story First Comes Marriage by Amanda Barratt.

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“A lady never sallied forth unchaperoned. Least of all to a place with the reputation of Vauxhall Gardens.”

Now it’s your turn. Place your first line in the comments and then check out some more bloggers who participate in First Line Friday. Just click on the link below.

 

 

Read if You Want to Write

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From the time I was a young girl until now that I’m a grandmother, I have loved to read. Anything from inspirational reading to self-help books to clean romance novels, I devoured these books. I’ve also read through the Bible several times and have read many of the books it contains countless times. If you stacked up all the books I’ve read, I imagine the stack just might compete in height with a high-rise building (I’m probably not exaggerating.)

Now that I’m writing and publishing books, I realize I owe the easiest part of my writing to the years I spent reading. I’m not saying that writing isn’t hard work for me, but when a part of the writing process becomes easy, it’s almost always due to the fact that I’ve read a lot of books. Words that are not necessarily a regular part of my vocabulary come to the forefront as I search my brain for words to help me more clearly express a thought or action. How could that unfamiliar word suddenly be there except that I had read it somewhere.

Most of my writing is in the historical fiction genre — a genre I especially enjoy reading. The years I spent reading in that genre have given me a grasp of the language as it was spoken back then. I don’t write exactly as the people spoke in that time period because I doubt most of my readers would understand and grasp the story, but I include enough of the past to place them in the setting of that day. The important thing, after all, is the enjoyment of the reader and their ability to be swept away to another time and another place. And how did I learn to write like that? From reading many great historical fictions.

I love this quote by author, Stephen King:

“It’s hard for me to believe that people who read very little (or not at all in some cases) should presume to write and exp ect people to like what they have written.”   

If you want to be a good writer, you have to be a good reader. Read a lot and read broadly. And I would encourage you, for your own mental and spiritual health, read wholesome material. There is no end to the books you could be reading. I’m currently reading six books and I have 27 books I’ve downloaded and am looking forward to reading.

Please don’t tell me you don’t have time to read. Everyone makes choices as to how they want to spend their free time. My choice is to read. I carry a book with me wherever I go. On my last flight last month, I finished one book and started another. I read while waiting in a doctor’s office or while on-hold on the telephone. Instead of watching television in the evening, I pick up a book.

You certainly don’t have to be a reader. For some people, reading is just not their thing. But if you want to be a writer, you must be a reader first.

 

Kindle Countdown!!!

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Kindle Countdown begins TODAY!!! For the next two days, Reluctant to Wed will only cost 99 cents on Kindle. Click here to purchased your Kindle copy at this amazing price.

Comment from a recent customer:  “Okay, here’s the story on this book. I decided to download the book onto my iPad before going to bed last night so I could read it today. It was late but I decided to read the first chapter before snuggling into bed just to get “a feel” for the book. Well, I cozied into bed, plugged the iPad in for charging, and couldn’t resist reaching over to read just a little bit more. Finally, at 1 am, when I could no longer keep my eyes focused on the page, I put the iPad down. I was at Chapter 11. Needless to say, I love the book and am so impressed with Anneliese’s writing skills.” 

First Line Friday #8

What First Line Friday is all about: This is something every reader can participate in. Pick up a book near you. Type the first line in the comments, along with the title of the book and the author. Then check out the books other readers have featured in the comments on this blog. You might find a book you would like to read simply by reading the first line.

The book I’m featuring today is The Maid of Fairbourne Hall by Julie Klassen.

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“He is reading my letters now … Margaret Elinor Macy sat at her dressing table, heart pounding.”

Margaret Macy flees London in disguise to escape being forced to marry a dishonorable man. She becomes a housemaid at the home of Nathaniel Upchurch. He had been her suitor at one time and she had rejected him hoping to win his brother’s affection instead. Now, she hopes no one will recognize her until she can inherit from her spinster aunt and gain her independence. As a housemaid, she has the opportunity to observe both brothers. Over time, she begins to question whether she had been seeking the attention of the wrong brother. Margaret learns a valuable lessen that appearances can be deceiving and that things are not always as they seem.

Now it’s your turn. Place your first line in the comments and then check out some more bloggers who participate in First Line Friday. Just click on the link below.

 

No Tears In Writing

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“No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader. No surprise in the writer, no surprise in the reader.”  ― Robert Frost

 

Defeating Your Enemy

Jesus warned us that there is an enemy who wants to destroy us. That enemy existed long before humans were even created. This enemy hates God and, therefore, he hates all those who love God and choose to follow Him. He also hates those who don’t love God. You see, your enemy knows that God longs for everyone to be saved, so he will do all he can to deceive you and keep you from the truth. Your enemy’s name is Satan or Lucifer or the devil, and whether you believe he exists or not doesn’t change the fact that he, indeed, does exist.

[image error]Jesus said in John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

The enemy will tempt you to disobey God and, after you have done so, he will tell you that you are worthless and will never amount to anything. He will label you and condemn you. He will tell you that you’ve gone too far and God will never forgive you or accept you. Basically, he will try to intimidate you and ultimately defeat you.

Don’t listen to his lies. John 8:44 says the devil is a liar. “…He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

Our pastor, Kevin Berry, said this morning in a powerful message he shared with our church that “When you are no longer intimidated, it’s a sign to the enemy that he’s going to be defeated.”

Never forget that Jesus is for you, not against you. He pursues you. Romans 8:31 says, “What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?”

If you are having difficulty living a victorious and find yourself returning again and again to your sinful ways, draw nearer to God. Spend time — lots of time — reading and listening to His Word (the Bible) and pray. Just talk to Jesus all day long. Make Him a part of your entire day. The more time you spend in His presence, the more your heart will long for Him, and the less the things of this world can draw you in. His purity and holiness will fill your heart until the things of this world become abhorrent to you. When you see or hear sinful things, you will feel compelled to turn away from it. Your desires will become like His. You will see people through His eyes and want to reach out to them with kindness — just like He longs to do. As you draw near to Him, He will draw near to you.

James 4:8 says “Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.”

God is for you. He is pursuing you. Every time you think of Him and long to spend time with Him, that is His Spirit drawing you. Every time you are disgusted with your attitude or your actions, that is His Spirit drawing you. Every time you are convicted about something you are doing that you know is wrong, it is the Spirit of God pursuing you. Don’t ignore it. Obey and see the victory God has in store for you. Remember, Jesus has come that you may have life, and have it to the full. The only way to experience that kind of life is by turning to God fully, completely, and in full surrender.

 

First Line Friday

Pick up a book near you. Type the first line in the comments, along with the title of the book and the author.

The book I’m featuring today is A Most Peculiar Circumstance by Jen Turano.

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“Miss Arabella Beckett had always been proud of the fact that she’d never ended up in jail.”

Arabella Beckett’s passion is to help the downtrodden women of America. Mr. Theodore Wilde is a private investigator on a mission for his good friend, Hamilton Beckett. When he finally tracks down Hamilton’s sister, Arabella, he is not in the most pleasant of moods. Her fiercely independent streak rubs him the wrong way. When circumstances keep bringing the two together, new feelings begin to stir.

Now it’s your turn. Place your first line in the comments and then check out some more bloggers who participate in First Line Friday. Just click on the link below.

 

 

Heaven Is For Everyone

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I was on twitter this week and saw a tweet by John Piper that caught my attention. It referred to a blog he wrote called Matrimony No More. It’s a great article, but I will share just a quote from it.

“Surely God’s purpose for his children in the resurrection is not only that eternal life will replace death, and righteousness replace sin, and health replace sickness, and joy replace sorrow, and pleasure replace pain, but also that unimaginable, unending, ever-increasing ecstasies replace the best of our most intense pleasures in this world. In other words, the age to come is not only an improvement over the worst of this world, but over the best.”

“In other words, the age to come is not only an improvement over the worst of this world, but over the best.”

I repeated that last sentence because I want you to really see it. Heaven will be more amazing and wonderful than our best experience here on earth.

This morning during my time with the Lord, I read John 14. When I read verses 1-3, it brought back to my mind John Piper’s blog. Here are the words Jesus spoke:

(1) “Don’t let your hearts be trouble. Trust in God, and trust also in me. (2) There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? (3) When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.” 

Have you ever been amazed at the wondrous beauty you’ve seen on this earth — oceans, mountains, forests, fields, waterfalls, etc? I have. Many times. This earth is a testament to God’s creative power. But if we are impressed with what God created in just a few days, imagine what awaits us in heaven, for all eternity. Jesus said, “I am going to prepare a place for you.”

Heaven is for everyone, but not everyone will be there. I didn’t make that up. Jesus said it in verse 6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” In verse 15 Jesus said, “If you love me, obey my commandments.”  The only way we can know what God’s commandments are is by spending time reading the Bible. And the only way we can love Jesus, is by spending time meditating on His Word and in prayer. It’s by spending time with Jesus that we fall in love with Him.

“Anyone who belongs to God listens gladly to the words of God. But you don’t listen because you don’t belong to God.” John 9:47

If we ignore spending time with God, we show that everything else in our lives means more to us than He does. How can we say we love Him, if we neglect Him?

Robert Murray M’Cheyne said, “Above all, keep much in the presence of God. Never see the face of man till you have seen His face who is our life, our all.” He instructed his students to seek the face of God every morning before seeing any other face. He taught them to live for eternity.

We used to live thirteen hours from my parents’ home. Whenever we told them we would come for a visit, Mom would prepare our bedrooms and think of fun things for the children to do. She would make delicious meals and desserts. My parents worked on their garden and mowed the lawn. They took great care to prepare for our arrival and wanted us to know how happy they were that we decided to come home to be with them. What if we had decided there was something else we would rather do? What if we called them at the last moment and cancelled our plans. We would certainly have disappointed them, but we would also have missed out on all the blessings they prepared for us.

Heaven is real and I want to be there one day. Jesus went to prepare a place for me and for you. It is our choice whether we will see the unimaginable, unending, ever-increasing ecstasies that are awaiting our arrival. We cannot earn our way to heaven. Jesus has already paid the price so we can spend eternity with Him. Now we must choose whether we will accept this gift or reject it.

 

First Line Friday — Perfectly Matched

Pick up a book near you. Type the first line in the comments, along with the title of the book and the author.

The book I’m featuring today is Perfectly Matched by Maggie Brendan.

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Can two people who are opposites and strangers make a marriage work? Anna Olsen knows it’s time to leave her sister’s increasingly crowded house and start a life of her own. Following her sisters’ examples, she becomes a mail-order bride, and after a short correspondence with clock maker and jeweler Edward Parker, she moves to Denver to become his wife.

Now it’s your turn. Place your first line in the comments and then check out some more bloggers who participate in First Line Friday. Just click on the link below.

 

 

Change with Change

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I love fall with it’s vibrant colors and the last warm weeks before winter sets in. It’s a feeling of coming home. We prepare our gardens for winter and we get a long break from having to mow, weed, and water our plants. As fall progresses, the weather grows colder and we come inside and spend time together. We start to prepare for the holidays that will soon be upon us. I love the crisp air, the crackling of dried leaves beneath my shoes, the mums and pumpkins that decorate the front of my house, and hot apple cider becomes my favorite drink. Fall brings change, but it’s a change I welcome.

I can’t say that about every change in my life. Some change I’ve wanted to resist. Like seeing my children leave home and move away or watching my parents grow old and face the challenges that come with their aging. Come to think of it, I’ve been combating some of my own signs of aging, and unfortunately have lost the fight in some aspects of this battle. Breaking a habit is another difficult change. Have you ever tried changing your diet? Then you know what I’m talking about.

Yet change is inevitable and it all comes down to my attitude, doesn’t it? I realize some change is so devastating that you need time to mourn. I get that. I’ve been there. But I can’t stay in that depressed state for long. If I cannot hinder the change from occurring, I must resist the feeling of hopelessness. But how do I do that?

Many refer to 1 Corinthians 13 as the love chapter, but the verse that most profoundly affected me when I first read this chapter was verse 13. “Three things will last forever–faith, hope, and love–and the greatest of these is love.” The reason this verse stood out to me was the word “hope.” I totally get it that I need faith in God and I need love. Indeed, how empty my life would feel if I had no faith and no love in my life. But think for a moment what life would be like without hope. When change brings a negative outcome, I need hope that things will get better again. Hope gives me a reason to move forward and to make new plans.

So how do I keep myself from feeling hopeless? I’m certainly no expert, but I have a few suggestions.

 Talk to God: When you have a personal relationship with God, there is nothing you cannot talk to Him about. It isn’t that He’s unaware of your difficulties or changes, but He wants you to come to Him because He wants to have fellowship with you. That’s how He set it up. Often, as I talk to God about what I’m going through, I find the answer as I pray. “Then Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.'” (Matthew 11:28 NLT) “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10 NIV) I have come to God over and over again, and He has proven Himself faithful to me. He renews my hope.
Refocus:  Look for ways to help others. Meet new people. Find a new hobby or do something you’ve always wanted to do, but never had the time. Take a course and learn something new. (I wrote a novel when I needed to accept a huge change in my life. I always wanted to do this, so I finally did it.)
Work: Repaint and redecorate. The change will do you good. Work on gardening. Make some changes around your house. (When my kids moved out, instead of keeping their rooms as shrines in their memory, I repainted and redecorated them as guest rooms for when they would come home to visit. I loved the new look.)
Exercise: This is a huge help to get rid of stress and get some happy hormones (endorphins) flowing through your body. Ask a friend or neighbor to join you. In the process, you may help them face their difficult changes in a healthy way, too.

In closing, I have one more word of advice. Change with change. Sounds strange, right? But what I mean is, when change comes your way, change with it. For instance, your adult child moved to another state. Don’t sit with a photo album on your lap staring at your loss, or watch all the home videos of your children’s childhood. There is a time for that. Do it when they visit you, and watch the videos together. You can all laugh at how adorable they were. In this way, you will make new happy memories with them of all of you watching the videos together. When your child calls you, don’t go on and on about how much you miss them and how lonely you are. It’s okay to say that you miss them, since it will make them feel loved and appreciated, but show them by example how you have also moved on with your life. In the process, you will be teaching your children how to accept change and move forward. So when change comes your way, change with it.

[image error]You cannot resist the fall season so that winter will never arrive. Whether you like it or not, if you live in Michigan, winter will come, ready or not. It’s best to embrace and enjoy the fall season and then do it again when winter sets in, because in every season there is something to enjoy. In the same way, when change comes into your life, you must embrace it and prepare for the next phase. It may be the opposite of what you long to do, but it is what you must do for yourself and for your family. Make the new phase enjoyable by the attitude in which you embrace it.