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Who are Your Favorite Bookish Characters?

A fun pastime of book worms and book nerds is to discuss characters, but what about favorite bookish characters? Which are your favorite? You know, the characters in a book that LOVE to read. Those who answer the call to adventure right away because at last a real-life story is happening to them! . . . Or maybe the ones who have to be persuaded, because life between the pages of a book is a bit safer. Let’s chat about some favorites!

Favorite Bookish Character: Hermione

What list would be complete without including Harry Potter’s best friend and book nerd? Hermione Granger reveals her love of books when she hauls out the doorstop of a book she’s been studying and states, “I checked this out weeks ago for a bit of light reading.” (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone). And when Harry and Ron need to find her, where do they go? The library, of course! Bookish? Book nerd? Book worm? I would say so.

Unlike some shy bookish folk, Hermione does get out a bit. Though she does spend gobs of time studying in the library, she also runs around enough with Harry and Ron having misadventures. While she is quick with her wand and magic, she’s never afraid to rely on her book smarts to solve the mysteries that follow Harry around.

Favorite Bookish Character: Lia Mara

Like many people who love the young adult fantasy genre, and especially fairy tale retellings, I had to check out Brigid Kemmerer’s A Curse so Dark and Lonely. An interesting portal version of Beauty and the Beast, I was taken with several of the characters. While I liked the first book, my favorite bookish character didn’t show-up until the sequel, A Heart so Fierce and Broken.

Lia Mara is your quentiessential book worm. She has retreated into the world of words because she believes her heartless mother and queen is right, she isn’t worthy to rule. We learn early on of her loyal devotion to her younger sister, the chosen heir. But Lia Mara’s attempts at diplomacy fail, catapulting her into the greatest adventure of her life. It will require all she has studied and learned to survive, but there are some lessons she needs to unlearn to recognize her true worth. My favorite quote in this book is, “Ah, yes, the most dangerous person at the party is always the girl sitting alone with a book.” And yes, it’s because she has secreted away a book among the folds of her skirt so she could go hide and read. Haven’t many of us wanted to do that?

Favorite Bookish Character: Rapunzel

It was inevitable, I suppose, that I would write a character of my own who lives between the pages of a book. Having suffered from chronic migraines during high school, I spent a great deal of time reading and imagining life outside of my house, but not being able to do much.

My retelling of Rapunzel begins with her surrounded by a rounded bookcase that stretches across her tower’s walls. But although she adores reading, she is ready for something to happen. She needs something to change so that she can venture beyond the tower the witch has imprisoned her in. What was great fun in writing this story was exploring how such a bookish, quiet person would react to the world beyond after living her life isolated. How would this book nerd react to fairy tale mysteries and make friends? How on earth would she feed herself? Of course she made the list of our favorite bookish characters, and you can follow the links to get Beyond the Tower for free right now!

Favorite Bookish Character: Owen

This list of favorite bookish characters would not be complete without including one serious fanboy who seems to love reading more than life. He is Owen from James Riley’s Story Thieves series. At the very beginning of the series, we discover Owen bored with school. He is wishing his life were more exciting, and finding the adventure he longs for by reading books.

With a librarian mother, Owen spends most of his time reading. In fact, his bedroom is called a book graveyard, since he gets to take home all the mishandled books that the library rejects. Even better? His new friend, Bethany, accidentally starts teaching him how to jump into books. And thus, his bookish dreams come true. Owen gets to meet all the characters he has been longing to know and become the hero he’s always wanted to be.

Who is Your Favorite Bookish Character?

Alright, I’ve told you about our favorites, so it’s only fair if you were to tell us of yours. Maybe you’d enjoy joining such silly and fun discussions here by commenting, or follow me over on Instagram or FaceBook so we can be goofy and bookish together. For especially book nerdy friends, join my monthly newsletter for fun recommendations and writing updates and get a free novella that unravels the mysteries of Rapunzel’s origins.

About JacQueline

Author of  The Journey series, a young adult fantasy retelling Rapunzel’s misadventures, and  Memoirs of a Headcase: Held by the God of Hope, which chronicles her battle with chronic pain and depression, JacQueline uses her writing to share stories of hope and joy. Any affiliate links used on this website will provide additional income to JacQueline to keep her writing healthy at no additional cost to you.

JacQueline currently lives in North Alabama with her karate husband and three book-crazy kids. All of her writing is from her own experience and based on her opinion. Do not substitute it for a professional therapist.

JacQueline has been writing all her life and loves meeting others who think writing is living. As an author consultant, helping other writers on their journey gives her joy. Schedule your free author assessment to learn what steps you should take next now.

Photo Credits: Ruben Garcia, Yuri Efremov, and Sincerely Media.

Social Media Graphics: JacQueline Vaughn Roe.

The post Who are Your Favorite Bookish Characters? appeared first on Author J Roe.

Gratitude and Gardening During Lockdown

Do you believe that gratitude and gardening during lockdown might lead us to enjoy life? Perhaps not a few months ago. But things have changed drastically since COVID 19 took over our lives. There are two ways to approach things, and I think gratitude, with a bit of gardening, can open our eyes.

Gratitude and Gardening

The irises and honey suckle are blooming behind my house, filling the air with a sweet fragrance. Wind rustles through the leaves, sounding like the waves coming up to shore. Everyday I see people enjoying the changing of the season–taking walks, smiling, and waving. Gardens are planted and weeded. DIY projects are at an all-time high with triple the normal sales at hardware and home improvement stores.

But I know that people are panicking, I’ve struggled with it despite the beauty of the season. There are many people out of work due to COVID 19, small business owners everywhere struggling to pivot in order to make sales online instead of in-person. Exhausted family members continue the tasks of being the only one out of the house. High-risk individuals self-quarantining feel cut-off.

It’s hard to see beauty and recognize what we have to be grateful for when we focus on what’s going wrong.

Gratitude During Hardships

If we don’t count our blessings–the flowers blooming, families walking outside together, etc.–our vision will narrow to the hardships. We foresee a dark world getting darker still. Instead of accessing the thankful heart we could grow and develop in our homes, we become the worst version of ouselves. I personally struggle with this. My tone becomes defensive, bitter, and I bite off the heads of people I profess to love. Family members have jerked away from me recently and I finally realized: I’ve allowed my fears to emerge, to take over.

It’s time for many of us to make space so we can take a step back. Refocus our eyes and ears, listen to God stir the wind through the trees. Breathe in deeply the fragrance of the flowers He’s awoken.

Mommie’s Legacy: My Upbringing to the Rescue

My mommie taught me this. When I first became ill with chronic migraines in high school, my vision narrowed then as well. My pain became everything to me. It determined when and what I ate. It determined where I went and what I wore. It even determined who I saw and what I was able to accomplish. Sound familiar? I had been a gregarious and silly teenager who loved to think deep thoughts and laugh loudly with friends. But I quickly morphed into a moody, light-sensitive, sound-sensitive agoraphobic, who clung to my home as though its dark rooms could shelter me from the pain.

My mommie handed me a book that helped me begin listing everything I was grateful for, everything that lifted my eyes beyond my pain to what was good, and right, and true. (see Philippians 4:8) My fingers stumbled at first, scratching out words slowly. Then, the words came in a rush, flowing through me. I covered at least three pages and could have kept going. The girl that loved the life she’d been given was still alive inside me. Just because I was in pain didn’t mean I couldn’t enjoy my life.

Gratitude and Gardening During Lockdown

This pandemic lockdown has shut so many of us in, and I’ve found myself panicking as the feeling is all too familiar. But after talking to my counselor, I’m back to counting my blessings, focusing my mind on what is right and true. I have a home, a family, even flowers. My body can take walks. Last spring, I couldn’t do that. Pain and grief had overwhelmed me. I’m going to celebrate what I can do, not be upset that I can’t go to my favorite coffee shop. Maybe you and I can both choose joy and gratitude together despite the pain and fear.

Gratitude and gardening during lockdown may sound too simplistic, I know. There is real pain, real fear. I also know the key isn’t actually working in the dirt. You may hate gardening, and that’s fine. The key here is where is your focus? Have you concentrated on what you are blessed with? Or are you stressing about what you don’t have and all the horrible things that may happen?

Yes, little is certain, but we have been given this moment. We each have something, and it can be something small, to be grateful for. And with whatever is beautiful, we can share with others. Don’t make it complicated. It can be through a phone call, a gift placed on a doorstep, a six-foot-distanced visit outdoors. Our lives are a precious gift and even in the midst of hardship, we need to refocus, give thanks. I know this is changing me. What can you be grateful for?

About JacQueline

Author of  The Journey series, a young adult fantasy retelling Rapunzel’s misadventures, and  Memoirs of a Headcase: Held by the God of Hope, which chronicles her battle with chronic pain and depression, JacQueline uses her writing to share stories of hope and joy. Any affiliate links used on this website will provide additional income to JacQueline to keep her writing healthy at no additional cost to you. 

JacQueline currently lives in North Alabama with her karate husband and three book-crazy kids. All of her writing is from her own experience and based on her opinion. Please don’t substitute it for a professional therapist.

photography: Alex Basov, Annie Spratt, Meg Landrito, and Jessica “Kess” Vaughn.

Graphic Design for Social Media: JacQueline Vaughn Roe. Contact her for help with graphic design or other author services.

The post Gratitude and Gardening During Lockdown appeared first on Author J Roe.

Have You Become a Member of an Unofficial Book Club?

There is a strange phenomenon that takes place among a group of bookworms given enough time–the beginning of an unofficial book club. Right now, you might be in denial that you’re even a part of one, but I believe the mere fact that you chose to read a blog with a category titled “For Bookworms” means you are attracted to all kinds of bookishness–including other bibliophiles.

Trouble Finding a Book Club? You may already be in one!

There are many signs you can start looking for in your daily life that may have previously slipped under the radar. I have recorded them to better highlight my point. Bookworms are everywhere! When they gather, they discuss books and influence each other to read the books they love. That is the beginning, just discussing what you love, why you love it, what you’ve learned. Before you know it, your texting each other questions, polling each other on ships . . . But I’m getting ahead of myself.

You say to me, “NO! I can’t be a member of such a club! We don’t awkwardly meet in someone’s living room with a book forced upon us by a slanted vote. I read what I want to read and enjoy it with my friends.” Well, good for you! That doesn’t make it any less an unofficial book club. I’ll give you just a moment to process that.

Unofficial Book Club

The first sign you should look for may be more reflective than you would like. Yes, my friend, you must take a hard look in the mirror and ask yourself a difficult question. “Do I even say ‘hi’ or ‘hello’ to my friends anymore?” If you answer in the negative, and that in fact you have replaced a common greeting with something like “Did you finish it yet?” so that you can immediatly begin talking books with your friends, you are indeed a member of a book club. It very well may still be an unofficial book club, but it is still a book club.

In fact, at that time of writing this post, we are currently under lockdown due to COVID 19. For my family that means a great deal of extra reading and taking walks. It means a lot of people getting excited about other people hurrying up on their TBR’s so they can discuss it. Funny thing happened today while on a social-distancing walk. I overheard some kids getting exercise yelling back and forth. “You guys have to read this book!” one boy shouted. Bet the next time he sees them out he will be bugging them with whether or not they’ve finished it yet.

Shipping in an unofficial book club

To get into the next part of this, I must make a confession of sorts. I have kids, I’m in my forties, so I’m not the most up-to-date of all bookworms. When I was introduced to shipping, I realized I’d been doing it for-e-ver. I’m serious. I get bored with most stories that don’t have a vital love story going on. I just do. (FYI, for those who don’t have teens and tweens and #bookstagram educating you, “shipping” is a verb meaning “wanting two characters to fall in love and have a relationSHIP.” This definition is my own, but I am fact-checking with my kids, so it must be true.)

What I have discovered in my unofficial book club is that over time you begin to recognize that your BFF has a certain look on her face as she daydreams of the two characters finally getting together. And heaven help us if they don’t or if the author takes too long. There will be a different look and much drama. This part of the book club my husband despises, but I actually find it hilarious. Most of the time.

Are you covering your ears? You might be part of an unofficial book club

Now, by the very nature of our family enjoying books upon books upon books, we add to each other’s TBR piles. And as we get through the books, our members want to discuss. We chat about what we have loved, hated, what we may not have understood. My dear book friends, here is where we all must tread lightly.

You may find yourself cast into the outer darkness where there is wailing and gnashing of teeth if you ruin an important twist or *gasp* the actual ending. Please, please, learn to develop some patience with your unofficial book club members! When one of us takes longer than you’d like, be kind!

The Verdict is: You’re a member

Now, by the very tone of this post, you may think that I don’t advocate book clubs, but that is not the case at all! No, no, let it never be said I feel this way. My purpose in writing all of this is to bring such unofficial book clubs into the light of day. There is no need to hide your participation in these wonderful book clubs. In fact, join more by following me on #bookstagram or FB where we have so much fun talking books. Let’s keep sharing those opinions. Keep cheering on our favorite ships! Watch out lest you spoil the twists and turns cleverly hidden in the plot. Yes my friends, embrace who you are and enjoy your bookish friends in your unofficial book club.

About JacQueline

Author of  The Journey series, a young adult fantasy retelling Rapunzel’s misadventures, and  Memoirs of a Headcase: Held by the God of Hope, which chronicles her battle with chronic pain and depression, JacQueline uses her writing to share stories of hope and joy. Any affiliate links used on this website will provide additional income to JacQueline to keep her writing healthy at no additional cost to you.

JacQueline currently lives in North Alabama with her karate husband and three book-crazy kids. All of her writing is from her own experience and based on her opinion. Do not substitute it for a professional therapist.

JacQueline has been writing all her life and loves meeting others who think writing is living. As an author consultant, helping other writers on their journey gives her joy. Schedule your free author assessment to learn what steps you should take next now.

Photo credit: Priscilla Du Preez, Hope House Press, and Priscilla Du Preez

Social Media Graphic Design: JacQueline Vaughn Roe

The post Have You Become a Member of an Unofficial Book Club? appeared first on Author J Roe.

Chronic Illness Tips to Help Us When We’re Shut-In

Many of us feel desperate, searching for a shut-in’s guide to staying home. Maybe it would help us find the right path through the maze of COVID 19. Ironically, I feel as though the majority of my life has prepared me for this. I’ve lived home-bound off-and-on since high school due to complications involving debilitating chronic migraines and resulting depression and anxiety. I have found ways that help me continue to live a worthwhile life even when I can’t function as I would normally like to. Who knew there would be chronic illness tips to help us when we’re shut in?

Celebrating and Grieving

I live in the USA in Alabama, one of the last states to receive the coronavirus test. We were therefore one of the last states to begin locking down. My children would not be going to school as planned while I was away with my sisters. We were at the beach, spreading the ashes of the sister we lost in a horrific accident. We were also celebrating the life of our youngest sister, who this past year survived breast cancer. Even with the signs of how quickly things were beginning to shut-down, we tried to keep our focus on healing and each other. We knew we might never get such an opportunity to be together like this again.

I’ve never in my life had such a view before. The wind and the waves played together on the shore making me smile. Though I thought I was familiar with sea-loving birds, I saw more than the pelicans and seagulls I remembered from my Galveston Island childhood. My writer’s mind is always eating up bits of information like this. I breathed in the scent of the salt air, the warmth of the sun, the thundering crash of the waves. The sight of my sisters playing in the surf will not be forgotten! I walked on the sand, letting my feet memorize the feel of the wet sand and lapping waves. Each of these details are making their way into different scenes in my fairy tale novels.

Taking things one-at-a-time

Each morning I prayed on the open balcony facing the gulf. I prayed for God to provide, even as I adjusted to the news that my husband was temporarily laid-off due to the crisis. I asked God to care for my sisters and I as we grieved. Though there are times I don’t understand what God is doing, He has always proved to be faithful. I choose to hold onto that knowledge, at peace that he has promised to never leave or forsake me. Those prayers by the beach were solace for me.

Chronic Illness Tips to Help Us

Returning home I began to realize what we needed to do in my family. Ocean breezes gone, I returned to the life I’m all too familiar with. I was thankful the migraines let up for me to enjoy my time on the shore. But even there chronic illness had covered my body in hives, a lingering allergic reaction to a migraine medication. Side note: Social distancing isn’t difficult when you look like you have chickenpox. So now I’m home trying to recover and help my family navigate staying home.

Something that may seem like common sense is all too easily forgotten in the pursuit of getting through each day while living on top of each other. Grace. We need it in abundance. When you live with a body that doesn’t work the way it’s supposed to, you need help from others. But you also need to be gracious in how you ask and receive that help. Having a chronic illness can make you an impatient, bitter person, robbed of all you wanted out of life. Becoming home-bound can have a similar affect. Or, you can choose to be grateful for each moment you have. You can thank God for things you used to take for granted–like toilet paper.

Practice grace and be flexible

I need to practice this grace with my family. They are not used to staying home all the time. I’ve set up a routine that allows me to run my author business with the family at work or school. But now we are together–All. The. Time. My children are missing their friends, my husband is missing his occupation. They miss their sense of productivity and accomplishment at the end of each day. I need to help encourage them to find a new way to accomplish things. We have to use what we have available in our home.

Confessions? I need to fight my impatience to want to get back to writing my novel in silence. You know, without the sounds of chattering kids, the constant interruptions, and need for my input. Next week we’ll be adding distance learning on the computers for the kids till the end of the school year. That will take more adjusting for all of us. I don’t think I’m understating this if we are gracious and flexible, we can help love and cherish each other even now. And that’s the most important job we have.

Let go of what you can’t control

In order to establish a new normal to get through these times, I have to let go of what I can’t control and embrace what is good about now. That means setting soft writing and business goals that are easier to reach with the constant interruptions. It necessitates creating some fun family times. This won’t apply to all of you, but our family is full of avid readers. We are reading through a few series of books individually and now we will have time for lots of fun book discussions. Each family has some area where they shine and can enjoy interests together. Perhaps it’s fitting puzzles together, fitness, or baking treats.

I’d like to be running around getting groceries or handing out meals for those in the high-risk group, but I am in the high-risk group, so that’s out for me. Some things we can’t control, but we can choose to find good things about spending time in our homes, call or text people we are concerned about. There is much to be grateful for if we just look for it and there are ways to get through this difficult time if we work together with those we are living with.

So, how are you doing with all of this? Are there things you can do with your routine that will help you love the people you are living with? Are there people you can check-in on that would appreciate hearing from you?

About JacQueline

Author of  The Journey series, a young adult fantasy retelling Rapunzel’s misadventures, and  Memoirs of a Headcase: Held by the God of Hope, which chronicles her battle with chronic pain and depression, JacQueline uses her writing to share stories of hope and joy. Any affiliate links used on this website will provide additional income to JacQueline to keep her writing healthy at no additional cost to you.

JacQueline currently lives in North Alabama with her karate husband and three book-crazy kids. All of her writing is from her own experience and based on her opinion. Do not substitute it for a professional therapist or health care worker.

JacQueline has been writing all her life and loves meeting others who think writing is living. As an author consultant, helping other writers on their journey gives her joy. Schedule your free author assessment to learn what steps you should take next now.

Photo credit: JacQueline Vaughn Roe and Kari Shea

Social Media Graphic Design: JacQueline Vaughn Roe

The post Chronic Illness Tips to Help Us When We’re Shut-In appeared first on Author J Roe.

Chronic Illness and the Best Book Life

Can chronic illness actually lead to the best book life? I would venture to say that it can and, in my life, has. I won’t tell you exactly what you should be reading here. (Sign up to my newsletter and get a free novella or check out my Goodreads reviews for more of that.) But I do want to share how books have become self-care for me.

In high school and again in college, I ended up as a virtual shut-in, only venturing out for doctor’s appointments, usually driven around by my parents. I found solace in reading, but I needed more and I found that outlet in writing. Books were a blessing from God in the form of consuming and creating.

Recently I have had to abandon another preventative medication due to yet another allergic reaction. One more doctor has said told me, “That’s it. You’ve tried everything I know of to try.” To compound the situation two other medications that help regulate my depression and anxiety ended up running out due to a huge doctor office/pharmacy/insurance company issue. Those with chronic life issues will understand all too well. By now I have those medications, but the depression and panic attacks linger as my body readjusts.

Chronic Illness Means We Keep Trying New Things

I tell you all of this not to garner sympathy, but to share encouragement. This bookish spoonie has decided to forge a new path, one that I have been slowly moving towards for a while. I hope in sharing this news, we can each look at what’s not working in our lives and make adjustments to find a better way. I have come to the conclusion that if I want to get well, my body is not going to do it by conventional means.

Okay, so I’m not just staying here in this dark place anymore, I’m going to be a person doing something. I’ve spoken quite frequently here and on my Instagram account about how vital walking has become in the search for healing. There are many days that I can’t tolerate the light, but my routine is now to walk my son to his bus stop in the morning and let him jabber away. We laugh together until the bus drives away and after he leaves, I take off walking.

Allow Yourself to Be

I don’t go far or fast right now. My body just won’t let me, but I’m choosing to move, like my fitness instructor Beth Learn has encouraged me to do. She argues against the all-or-nothing mentality. In several of her spoonie-friendly workouts, she tells us that even stretching counts. “This is enough, this has to be enough.” I hear in her voice in that particular restorative yoga workout the frustration with a society that distills women down to what we can or can’t do, instead of being who we are. 

So, who am I being? I am a woman who lives a life riddled by pain and darkness, but I fight for the light. That makes me a warrior bookworm. Now I love being outside my house, going for those walks when I can, drinking in the sound of birdsong, and I stay home and stretch with Beth when I can’t. I am actually able to drive most days and spend time with my children getting them to and from places. This is more than just doing, it is fighting the battle of pain to be the woman I want to be.

Which leads me to the next life-giving practice I am experimenting with. Are you ready for this? Green light in a dark room. No really, green light in a dark room. In this article, there have been early studies linking a decrease in migraines from exposure to LED green lights. Like, from 24 migraine days a month decreasing to 7. What’s the treatment look like? 2 hours in a completely dark room except for a green LED light. My husband read the article and ordered a package of them immediately. Weird, right? And, good grief, who has time to sit in a dark room with a green light for 2 hours a day? What’s a bookish spoonie to do? READ!

Do Books Qualify as Self-Care?

So, now after my walk, I spend my time in the morning reading my Bible and journaling with a green LED light. I call it my green light therapy with God. His Word refreshes me and reminds of what is true and right. Writing to Him in my journal, I brainstorm how to apply what I’m learning, I give Him my frustrations, and I praise Him for at least three things each day.

I end my day taking a bath with a good book and green light. All those books that have been piling up in my To Be Read stack? I’m getting through them and my reading goal for the year will soon be reached. I’m discovering new authors, studying different writing techniques, and relaxing. I don’t know yet if the light is making a difference for daily migraines, but I do know I feel better during the therapy itself. It might be all the indulgent reading I feel justified in enjoying. (You can find my reviews here or sign-up for my newsletter for a more in-depth look.)

Chronic Illness and the Best Book Self-Care

I mean, I write and read for a living, right? So this should just be part of my life now. And I’m learning so much about how to relax and let go of things. I keep thinking I’ve learned the lesson of targeting my stressors and uprooting them, but it isn’t actually things that stress me. It’s toxic thinking. So I’m becoming ferocious in catching when I am stressing myself out and taking a step back.

Social media causing you stress? Start scheduling posts. Not enough time to schedule, you say? Take a little break. Breathe. Pray. Journal. Read a book. Enjoy a walk. Talk to a friend. All these things are helping me calm down and they might help you, too. And now that I have given myself permission to try different and unusual things to try to get well, I may actually get there. And even if my “well” doesn’t look normal, it will be my normal, a life I enjoy with the very best books.

About JacQueline

Author of  The Journey series, a young adult fantasy retelling Rapunzel’s misadventures, and  Memoirs of a Headcase: Held by the God of Hope, which chronicles her battle with chronic pain and depression, JacQueline uses her writing to share stories of hope and joy. Any affiliate links used on this website will provide additional income to JacQueline to keep her writing healthy at no additional cost to you.

JacQueline currently lives in North Alabama with her karate husband and three book-crazy kids. All of her writing is from her own experience and based on her opinion. Do not substitute it for a professional therapist.

JacQueline has been writing all her life and loves meeting others who think writing is living. As an author consultant, helping other writers on their journey gives her joy. Schedule your free author assessment to learn what steps you should take next now.

Photo credit: Joel Muniz, Nicole Wolf, and David Lezcano

Social Media Graphic Design: JacQueline Vaughn Roe

The post Chronic Illness and the Best Book Life appeared first on Author J Roe.

Love Stories and Fairy Tale Retellings

Love stories and fairy tale retellings crowd the bookstore shelves in the young adult fantasy book section. My teens and I bee-line our way to the aisle and spend, literally, hours in them. We sigh over the beautiful covers and wonder how this or that author will remold our favorite love stories. But why do we want fairy tales retold? What continues to draw us to them time and time again?

Why We Love Stories of Fairy Tale Retellings

Now, of course, not everyone loves a fairy tale retelling. But I doubt those readers are visiting my site here, so we won’t worry about them. Let’s chat instead of the reason we love to retell a fairy tale. Fairy tales that have a habit of being retold have a quality of wonder. There is clear evil and there is clear good. Though in modern fairy tale retellings you will often find those lines blurred {because, let’s face it, none of us are completely good} the original source material has a familiar beauty of love triumphing over what is broken. And right now, in our dark world, that gives us hope and fills us with joy.

Our Favorite Fairy Tale

I find the question, “What is your favorite fairy tale?” enlightening. I was sitting on my counselor’s couch (not lying down, mind you) when she asked me this question. She shared how our favorite fairy tale reveals a great deal about ourselves. Do we have one? We probably believe in happy endings. Is it Cinderella? Perhaps we feel mistreated. Is it Sleeping Beauty? Maybe we are waiting to be rescued.

She shared she had one unnamed client who adored the story of Beauty and the Beast. I perked up, that was one of my favorites too, long before Disney made it into an animated film. The woman who loved it had a penchant for attaching herself to men who were much like the beast at the beginning of the story. This patient had spent her life trying to transform each man she dated into a prince, but only got abused in the process. I was so glad that I hadn’t said that, but I had answered, “Rapunzel.” I don’t remember her reply, because, like most counselors, she didn’t tell me the answer. I had to figure out for myself why it resonated with me.

Do All Fairy Tales End Happily?

Why does your favorite strike a chord with you? Is the idea of the story like a well-worn book you’ve smoothed with your hands so many times that the pages now feel like silk beneath your touch? Do you picture yourself as the heroine or the hero? (I hope you don’t see yourself as the villain, but I have those days, myself.)

In my early twenties, much like now, I was suffering from chronic migraines. But at the time, I had left college because they had become so debilitating. I had had these chronic migraines since high school and learned to live with them. So why had they suddenly become so bad as to cause me to drop out of living my life? My counselor knew that there were some mitigating factors, and looking back, I can see that Rapunzel was an enlightening piece of the puzzle.

Like Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel is waiting, always waiting in her tower. When she finally decides to take a risk and love someone enough to allow him to rescue her, the witch who imprisoned her finds out. Rapunzel watches as her beloved is thrown from the tower into thorns far below and then Rapunzel is cast out into the wilderness to wander for years.

The Greatest Love Story isn’t just a Fairy Tale Retelling

Though I didn’t see it at the time, I felt similar to Rapunzel, isolated by my pain. It wasn’t just the migraines, I had fallen in love with someone who didn’t love me back. I was left feeling alone, betrayed. Unsaid words became the pain in my head and the depression in my spirit.

Here’s the amazing part, God used that hard time to show me that He wanted to rescue me out of the wilderness. He would care for my heart whether or not I ever found my prince. After all, the true Prince had already come to this world and paid the ultimate price to ransom me. (John 3:16) I just needed reminding.

I suppose it only makes sense that I remained attached to Rapunzel. Only a few years after getting better and graduating from college, I began to write my own retelling. It grew and changed from the original story and became one of a different rescue. And this Valentine’s Day, while love stories and fairy tale retellings are pictured all over Bookstagram, I smile, knowing my true Prince rescued me long before my husband ever knew my name.

About JacQueline

Author of  The Journey series, a young adult fantasy retelling Rapunzel’s misadventures, and  Memoirs of a Headcase: Held by the God of Hope, which chronicles her battle with chronic pain and depression, JacQueline uses her writing to share stories of hope and joy. Any affiliate links used on this website will provide additional income to JacQueline to keep her writing healthy at no additional cost to you.

JacQueline currently lives in North Alabama with her karate husband and three book-crazy kids. All of her writing is from her own experience and based on her opinion. Do not substitute it for a professional therapist.

JacQueline has been writing all her life and loves meeting others who think writing is living. As an author consultant, helping other writers on their journey gives her joy. Schedule your free author assessment to learn what steps you should take next now.

Photo credit: Natasha Brazil, Derek Story, Lenin Estrada, and Rose

Social Media Graphic Design: JacQueline Vaughn Roe

The post Love Stories and Fairy Tale Retellings appeared first on Author J Roe.

Finding Joy While We Struggle to Believe

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Surviving & Awakening

I often wonder how many of you are on similar journeys to mine. I know I write about it often, that we are each struggling with something. Surviving something hard. I can’t help but think about it as we enter the second month in this New Year. I promised that as I recovered from the death of my sister, Joy, and search for joy in the midst of loss and the continuing battle against chronic pain, I would be honest with you.

Honestly? I don’t really want to. I want to hide in my fairytale stories. I know I did this when I was suffering from debilitating chronic migraines in high school and college. I would write and write to distract myself from the pain. To distract myself from the realization that the life I wanted to live, one filled with friends, and laughter, and activities, was beyond my grasp. Cuddling up with books and making up stories was easier than working through the issues that would help me find joy in the life I did have. The life God had given me. I’m afraid I’ve teetered on the edge of succumbing to this vicarious living once more, but God has been awakening me. He has been teaching me to hope and live a life of joy even as I experience loss and pain.

Adjusting and Hoping

First, let me say that some prayers have been answered. Even though I am having a horrible migraine at this moment, there have been breaks as the new medication has started to work. Unfortunately, the medication and my system have not adjusted and it is a back and forth battle. The inconsistency is difficult. Will I need help getting my kids places, or will my concentration be good enough to drive a short distance? (As I type in this dark room, my daughter is currently sitting in a doctor’s office with her aunt as I could not drive her myself.)

Is there joy to be found in the uncertainty of whether or not I am able to fulfill my responsibilities? I am still working through this. I don’t understand. I am grateful to be able to have a few good days and several days where the pain is low enough that I can function — but I wrestle with it, too. Why won’t (because I believe He can) God heal me fully? Why won’t He show me why He is allowing our family to go through this pain alongside the grief of losing my beloved sister?

Several times lately, God has given me a tiny glimpse of some of what He is weaving together. These odds and ends of hurt and grief seem mismatched to me, but in conversations with my children, I am hearing whispers of discovery. Hard splinters of doubt that need to be plucked out of our faith. “We believe, help our unbelief!” We cry out.

[image error]Do you know that Bible story? It is one of my favorites (see Mark 9). There is a father who loves his son, but his son is unwell, possessed by a demon. The demon keeps the child mute, makes him deaf. He even takes over the child and throws him into the fire or into the water. I know most of us don’t want to read past the term “demon,” but what if the story is true? What if there really was a demon assaulting your child or mine? How helpless would we feel? How desperate? This man sought out Jesus’ disciples, but they couldn’t cast out the demon and restore the health of the child. When Jesus walked up, the man explained his situation and asked Jesus if He was able, would He heal his son. Jesus was upset by the if and the man cried out with my favorite prayer, “I believe, help my unbelief!”

This is where I find myself and perhaps you do as well. We may believe in our heads that God can do anything: He can heal us or He can save our marriage or He can fill our bank accounts . . . but still, we struggle to actually believe that He can. I believe; help my unbelief!

Searching for Joy

So in this search for joy, instead of discovering a cozy feeling of satisfaction or elation, there is more heartache. There is doubt and fear. But I’m not running away, though I find my feet pointing the wrong direction at times. As I sit here in pain and wonder why my sister is gone, I cling to the knowledge of what I know to be true even if I can’t feel it right now. Jesus healed that little boy and cast out the demon when others could not.

I don’t know the spiritual warfare side of each of your struggles, but I do know there is an enemy that wants to keep us from crying out for God to strengthen our faith. He doesn’t want God to give us hope, to help us discover what true joy is. I know this with every bit of me. As I realize this, I ask that you would join me in the search for joy so that we can befriend one another. When we do so, we are stronger, we can encourage one another to move forward and heal together. We are not in this alone, we don’t have to give up. Please know I am praying for you and would love to hear more about your journey. You can send me details or be vague and I will just lift up your name as I pray for you. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter with the hashtag #searchingforjoy to see how this next month’s search progresses.

For further reflection on how God can use dark things to shine His light, you can purchase Memoirs of a Headcase: Held by the God of Hope or contact me for a free electronic copy.

If you are a fairytale lover, too, and enjoy a good allegory that will also show you how God can use dark things to shine His light, you can purchase Beyond the Tower, the first book in The Journey series: Fairytales Retold, to read of Rapunzel’s adventures.

[image error]Photo credit: Jason Blackeye, Nitish Meena, and Daiga Ellaby.

Searching for Joy

[image error]There were so many plans I had for how to celebrate the end of 2018. I was publishing the first book in my series about Rapunzel’s journey of hope. I was going to keep reaching out to others suffering from depression and/or chronic illness and make sure anyone who wanted a copy of my messy book of finding hope in God could have one. But instead, every two hours my internal alarm went off and I felt the need to send Joy to the bathroom. I would look up from whatever I was doing, and then I would remember, my sister is dead. The brain-injury that kept her from caring for herself is gone and no one needs to remind her ever again to go to the bathroom . . . or take smaller bites so she won’t choke . . . or help her bathe . . . or help her do a million other little things. She is free from these worldly cares and her disability.

She is free, but I’m still here. For weeks after her death, I kept feeling as though she was just in the other room and I was waiting for her to come out. I felt the urge to go check on her, make sure everything was alright. But nothing was right. I couldn’t cry like everyone else was, I just kept waiting and waiting, and now I keep searching and searching. Plans for promoting books and ministering to others seem to be falling apart. All I can do is search. I feel as I enter this New Year, perhaps that’s exactly what I’m supposed to be doing.

For the past several years I have heard of people choosing a word to represent their goals for the year, a word that will inspire them to make the coming year the best so far. Though I was happy for my friends and others I followed through social media, I didn’t participate. One word seemed to difficult for me to choose. I’m a writer and I never seem to be able to reduce things to just one word (much to my husband’s chagrin). But this last year, I was feeling pulled towards a word, a thought, and a specific Bible verse. I began writing a book entitled “Life with Joy” entailing my journey learning how to care for my sister, Joy, and also my own search for a life of joy. Thus far, the search had been difficult as I wrestled with chronic debilitating migraines. Now that Joy has died, I feel more convinced than ever that the verse I was pulled towards was the right one. By the end of 2019, I hope I’ll have more of a grasp on what true joy is and how God satisfies us in the midst of what seems anything but joyous.

[image error]There are times that my life has shown similarities to the life of Moses. As I have read and reread Moses’ Psalm 90, God has been speaking to me. I feel as though He wants me to share this journey with you. Imagine what it was like, so near the Promised Land, but not entering. What did the air smell like each morning as the Israelites woke and gathered food the Lord left like dew on the ground? How did their feet feel in those shoes that never wore out as they walked and walked? How parched must their throats have been to begin murmuring against the God who provided freedom from lifelong-slavery?

I know I have things in my life I have lost faith God will provide for though He has proven what a good Father He is. Two women showed up on my doorstep to buy jeans for my little ones when we had no money. I had a couple of days with little pain after months of migraines so fierce I rarely left my home. When I was lonely, God gave me a new friend who came to hold me after my sister died. What was it like being set free from slavery, but wanting to return to it because of great fear? Perhaps on some level, we have each done that. Don’t we return to the familiar even if it is unhealthy because we are afraid of the unknown?

[image error]As I look at the year ahead, I wonder how many of you are facing similar uncertainties. Something has happened in your life that you didn’t plan and it has left you wrecked. Perhaps you feel that everyone else is full of joy and hope at this New Year, but you are just gasping and pleading with God that it would be better than the last. You’re not sure you can ask for it to be good. You sputter instead, “Just, please, not as bad as 2018.” Setting goals and choosing a word may seem pointless or even scary because you feel alone in your pain.

You’re not alone. This year scares me. But I don’t want to allow the fear to win and immobilize either of us.

Joy is gone, she is home, she is free, but I am not. I am searching for the meaning of her name, looking for the truth God wants to share and asking Him to teach me to be satisfied in Him alone so that I may rejoice at last. I don’t know if this is a journey you want to come along on. If you do, there is room. I will be chronicling the journey here and sharing it on social media using the hashtags #lifewithJOY and #searchingforjoy. It may one day be a book or it may simply be a series of blogs. I don’t know. I only know I need to search and I’d rather do it alongside you than alone. Let’s beg God for healing and hope in this wilderness.

If you are interested in any of my writing, you can purchase them here:

Memoirs of a Headcase: Held by the God of Hope

Beyond the Tower, Book 1 in The Journey Series

If you cannot afford a copy, please contact me here.

Photo credit: Aaron Burden, Aaron Burden, and Kat J.

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To See Through the Eyes of Joy

[image error]This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. I was supposed to get home from Thanksgiving break and publish my novel. The new medication to prevent migraines is helping, I am no longer hitting a pain level of 7 for the majority of each day. The night before we were to leave to come home, we received an urgent phone call. My beloved brain-injured sister, Joy, was killed in a freak accident. My youngest sister, Jessica, had allowed her to spend the night while she and my Dad took turns caring for Joy while I was away visiting my husband’s family for Thanksgiving. Joy went to bed at Jessica’s and then she was literally run over by a truck that crashed into the house and then barreled through it, pinning and killing Joy.

If it takes a moment to digest that, I am right there with you. How? How does something like this happen?

My first thought was, “God, what are You thinking?” I know, you are amazed by my faith, right? But I want to be honest with you and I honestly could not imagine what God could possibly have in mind in allowing something so horrific to wreak havoc in our family once more. I have seen God use inexplicable things to bring glory to His name, but I was stunned, hurt, frightened. I’m still stunned and hurt, but I’m no longer frightened. Joy’s pain is over, it is past. There is no more struggle for her against the confusion of having no short-term memory, of not being able to verbalize her feelings, of not being able to care for her bodily needs. She is done with this broken world. She is whole and complete in the presence of her Savior, never to struggle with the brain-injury she received twenty-three-years-ago.

But we are not. We are sitting in a quiet house without her ridiculous snort-laughing. I am lost after supper because I have no Joy to give a shower to and sing silly songs with while I wash her hair. I have no Joy to tuck into bed. I feel lost and empty and I know it is only a matter of time before the weight of grief breaks through the dam of numbness to submerge me in sorrow.

[image error]And yet.

And yet in the last several months of struggling in my own battle with chronic pain, I have been learning about God’s goodness in the dark, hard places. I have been learning to sing His praises when I can barely function. I am now reaching towards those hard-earned lessons of praise and moving my lips even though the feelings aren’t there. 

Joy and I used to walk around the neighborhood and find things to praise God for as we looked at the azure sky, delicate flowers, flaming autumn leaves. Together we would praise God and I would see things through Joy’s childlike eyes, take in things I might not think about. There were the ants running across the sidewalk that she would either gasp about and try to avoid stepping on or that she would see as a threat to children everywhere. When it was the latter, she would use her walker as a weapon of ant destruction.

Joy was an organ donor, but the only organs that were not destroyed by the accident were her eyes. It’s an amazing thought to think that someone might now be able to see through Joy’s eyes. To see children that need protecting from ants, to see people who need to be tickled, that life is ridiculously funny. Living with someone with a brain-injury is challenging, in particular when there are behavioral issues like Joy had. But life with Joy was rewarding and taught me more than I can understand right now. Learning to rejoice in all circumstances is more difficult than I am ready to admit at this time, but I know that I must find my way to the heart of rejoicing if I want to heal, if I want to be able to forgive the man who killed her, if I want to be the kind of woman God created me to be. I want to see with Joy’s eyes.

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Fear: You’re Not the Boss of Me

[image error]I can feel that I’m not alone as I sit here in this darkened room. I’ve heard your voices, seen your tear-soaked posts and tweets, read your emails. So many of us are wrestling some days to merely get out of bed, to serve those we love, and at the end of the day we look in the mirror and wonder what happened. What happened to the passionate drive that once had us bounding out of bed, eager to get a degree or a career or a relationship. With focus we pursued, we made sacrifices, we assessed our abilities, counted the cost, and yet here we are, staring into tired eyes. Did we lose our hopes, our dreams, maybe even ourselves along the way?

Evaluate and Budget Accordingly

I’m sitting in a dimly lit room because my life has not turned out the way I imagined. (Can any among us claim that?) Most mornings I fight the undertow of depression as I climb out of bed enduring a pain level of 7. At times the pain diminishes, but the breaks are few and far between. To my surprise, I have discerned that what I once loathed is actually teaching me discipline and providing stability for my family. Slowly, slowly I am discovering that if I look at each day with hope and a healthy splash of realism, I can budget my energy appropriately. Moment by moment things change, but as I evaluate and assess, I find I have room for what God has planned for my day. He gives wings to my dreams as I trust Him to help me accomplish some things that need doing and also something each day that I need to do to keep hope alive.

[image error]I know a great many of us to struggle here. We have crammed in so many commitments (most of them good things) that we don’t feel as though we have time to even sit and read our Bibles or eat supper with our families. Time to pursue dreams! Ha! It seems superfluous and honestly, self-indulgent.

Oh, friend, I know it does.

But what if we were created for worshipping God in the mundane daily tasks that make up our lives and also for the extraordinary dreams He has given us? What if it’s not either or, what if it is both and? What if we are allowing fear to boss us and talk us out of being who we are called to be?

Speed Up or Slow Down

I recently took a risk and it feels like one of the most foolish things I have ever done. I wrote a book about my messy, mental-collapse in Memoirs of a Headcase: Held by the God of Hope. Everything about it terrified me. The day I found out it went live on Amazon, I pulled up the sample chapters on my Kindle and thought, “Oh, my word, what have I done???” As an achiever, I had spent years studying from experts how to minister, how to write, how to blog, how to build my platform, how to network. Each little step made my chest tighter, but I thought it was the only way to pursue this dream and it was the only way God could use me to reach people. I so desperately wanted to do His work and I so desperately wanted my life to count for something, for it all to matter. When my husband received his Master’s degree, I set a timer in my head. I knew I had three years to do something with my life that mattered before he would begin pursuing his doctorate. What on earth could I do to compete with a doctorate?

[image error]You can imagine the hamster wheel I placed myself on, writing books, trying to connect with influencers to build my audience so I could get everything right — so I could prove that I was a worthwhile investment to God. I didn’t know it, but I was trying to earn something I never could, something bought by the blood of Christ and freely given to me: salvation. In God’s eyes I was already worthwhile because when He looked at me, He saw the righteousness of His holy Son. I know now that many of us miss the fact that what Christ did on the cross was enough, and God is pleased with us.

It’s taken several years to recognize what I was doing wrong, how I was missing the beauty of the life that God had for me. He used a mental breakdown complete with debilitating migraines to get my attention. Can I be thankful for the darkroom I’m in? I can, because I now see I had to slow down to recognize His grace already covers me.

Escaping

It feels more natural to give up on dreams when those dreams are scorned by so many around us. Having a child later in life? Switching careers? Quitting your job to start homeschooling your kids? Becoming bi-vocational? I’m not sure what He’s calling you to. God has called me to not lose sight of my family, which means I can’t put the little energy I have that my illness hasn’t stolen into marketing my line of self-published books. I do some, but I can’t do it all. I have to trust Him with the rest and I’m not planning any best-seller events.

I’ve been tempted in the last few months to resume past behaviors, to try to implement as many expert strategies to succeed as an indie author. I bet you have past behaviors that tempt you, too, things you know would be wrong for this season of your life, but the behaviors seem familiar and familiar can seem less frightening, but I warn you. Escape what tempts you to leave behind the full faith it takes to follow God. Strategize what will be best for you and for your family (if you have one) at this time. Listen to the advice of godly counselors who know you and your situation, flee experts who say “you have to do it this way.” They can speak of what worked for them in their particular set of circumstances (which are not going to be identical to yours) and you can learn from some of their insights. But understand that what God is trying to teach you and teach them is probably very different. Lean into Him and trust Him as He leads you to not fear, but move forward.

Oh, how I’m praying for us, friend, that our hardships and pain will lead us to walk more closely with Him and that we won’t let it deter us from pursuing the dreams He has placed on our hearts.

Planning and Trusting Those Plans to God

[image error]I am so blessed by the support and love of so many of you as I have shared my story. I have sold several copies of my nonfiction book, Memoirs of a Headcase: Held by the God of Hope, and given away many free Bible studies. As always, contact me if someone you know needs this book, but can’t afford it.

I am excited as I prepare my first young adult novel, Beyond the Tower, to be released in time to be given as a gift for Christmas. I am praying that as people journey with Rapunzel, they will read it with friends and find opportunities to discuss the difficulties of those things that imprison us, fear that holds us hostage, depression that tries to strangle our lives. I have already had some fascinating conversations with people about striving to trust God in difficult times (more about that in an upcoming blog).

If you would like to be part of my launch team to read and help promote this book, I would be happy to send you a free electronic copy a month before it comes out and lots of fun ways you can participate. Just contact me here and thank you in advance for your excitement.

Special thank you to Sheryl Chann for letting me Link-Up to this month’s Chronic Voice blog. It has been such a gift to participate in this precious community with its unique people who face so many challenges.

Photo credits: Oscar Keys, Alexandra Gorn, Kristina Flour, and Rawpixel.

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