Eric Suddoth's Blog, page 8

London – Five Years Later

Windsor Castle

It seems that some things never change and then others seem to change overnight.

I first came to London about 5 years ago (2017) and it’s interesting that my hotel tonight is near the same location as the one I stayed at back then. I always find affordable hotels so once again I found a hotel near the Paddington Train Station. Hotels near train stations are great because it’s a cheap mode of transportation and if there is a train station around, there are bound to be restaurants.

Well, I guess I’m a man of routine because Windsor Castle was the first thing we did today, just as it was the first thing we did 5 years ago.

Windsor Castle in the town of Windsor is a beautiful castle and grounds with the high walls and guards. It is the largest inhabited castle in the world and the oldest in continuous occupation.

Their chapel is also where many royal weddings and funerals occur. The chapel has many graves of former Kings and Queens (King Henry VIII and Jane Seymore), including the most recent, Queen Elizabeth II.

We walked by and paid our respects and it was strange seeing her statue knowing a couple of months ago this wasn’t needed.

Time really does change fast.

Another thing that has changed from our last venture to London, the typical British guards in red have changed to Gurkha Logistic Regiment. At least, those were who I saw today. I was confused, but after researching they started partially using this regiment this year.

Windsor Guard in 2022Windsor Guard and Me in 3017

We left Windsor and headed to our next stop, which was a scheduled tour of Benjamin Franklin’s House. We were late since I wasn’t aware there were two stations in Windsor, so we had a little detour.

The guide was apologetic about starting the tour without us. Which I corrected and said it was our fault. They let us attend the next tour which happened to be just us. The guide spoke of the interesting life Franklin led in London for 16 years. Until he was forced to leave when he was repeatedly going to the British government asking for them to stop all the taxes they were imposing on the colonist.

He was originally just supposed to stay in London for 5 months, but those 5 months turned into 16 years.

I guess for him time didn’t change fast enough.

I often wonder what other countries think about Americans, and apparently Franklin may have been the first crazy American in the eyes of others. He swam in the Thames River which was not common, created various inventions, and stood nude in his open windows to allow the fresh air to dry him. (He believed fresh air was better than inside air so it wasn’t uncommon to find him standing in his window after his bath.)

Crazy American.

But even though some things have changed, the staple of fish and chips has remained. Cadbury chocolate is stocked on the shelves (which I got tonight). And the people are as friendly as they were 5 years ago.

So here’s to the first day…many more to come.

And then on Tuesday we will venture away from London and start heading into the countryside and exploring the Cotswolds, join through Wales, walk through old ruins, breathe the air of the Lake District and and maybe see Nessie in Scotland.

So come travel with me this week.

If there’s any place you have wanted to see in the United Kingdom, let me know…I may make a stop for you.

Peace

Have We Failed?

It is stated about 64% of Americans are in the Christian faith. 20% of Americans say the Bible is the actual word of God to be taken literally.

So 2/3 of believers do not believe the Bible to be the actual word of God.

Does that shock anyone?

It seems that people are leaving the True faith for their own man made faith and calling it Christianity.

This is where things have gone seriously wrong. Seriously.

I lead a group of high schoolers and we have been having some interesting discussions on various topics. Capital punishment, abortion, separation of church and state, Jeffrey Dahmer.

And after listening to their thoughts, I’m finding that their beliefs are more centrally founded on what they believe and not what the Bible teaches.

Someone once told me that there should be things in the Bible that causes you to wrestle because we shouldn’t understand it all. But even though we may not agree with it, we are called to follow it.

Call me a stick in the mud. Or old school. Or a Bible thumper, but if your faith is based on your beliefs and what you consider correct, then you are basically worshiping your image as a god.

I asked them, “If someone only sins one time in their entire life, where would they go when they die?

“Heaven,” was the quick response.

Which is said no.

Then I asked, “What if someone sins a million times in a lifetime?”

That question didn’t have a quick answer.

I said, “It doesn’t matter if you sinned only once or a million times, you are still a sinner in need of grace. In God’s eyes speeding and breaking a little law is just as bad as murdering because a sin is a sin and when you do one sin you do them all in His eyes.”

“For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.”
‭‭James‬ ‭2:10-11‬ ‭ESV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/59/jas.2.10-11.ESV

This shocked them.

Yes, murder is horrible. We shouldn’t murder. In our eyes murder is so much worse than telling a lie. But that is the thing. We can’t understand God’s perspective, but in His eyes, we are a sinner in need of Christ. Both are sins and both sins grieve Him. Both causes a separation. Both breaks that closeness. Both damage that relationship.

So my original question, Have we failed?

Have we failed by not teaching the truth? Have we sugarcoated the Gospel to please the masses? But is this pleasing God?

Is God pleased with our smiling faces that spread grace like butter and sweep away repentance under the rug?

Maybe I’m getting older, but I’m starting to feel like the Old Testament prophets seeing the wrong and stammering to himself, “where did we go wrong? Stop doing that! Your grace shouldn’t give you liberty to sin carefree.”

But I guess I am weird. Statistically I am in the minority. And for once, I feel like being the weird one is the best place to be.

So, what do you believe?

When the wind blows, which way will you fall?

Peace

Unwrap…Volume 2???

Last year I released Unwrap, which is a book of thoughts and reflections on a singular line in various Christmas Carols. I really enjoyed writing this book because it caused me to look at the songs that I love to sing through a different perspective and lens.

Instead of singing the songs, I was reflecting and meditating over them. In doing so, I discovered many beautiful lines that I feel many people overlook. Lines that showcase grace and hope in sometimes a hard and cold world.

Last Saturday I attended a worship event – Because. One of the songs was “How Great Thou Art.”

I can’t count how many times I have sung this song, but this time, a line stuck out. A line that I often overlook.

I scarce can take it in

Yeah, reading the words, it may not mean anything significant, but if you dive deep into those words and really put yourself face to face with God. I cannot rationalize Him sending Jesus, the perfect one, to die for my imperfect self. I scarce can take it in.

I just stopped singing and reflected on that line.

There are many things about God that I scarce can take it in.

So I’ve been thinking about that night and how that one line which I have never really considered has so much wisdom and gravitation to pull us closer to Him.

I have a couple of times considered doing another version of Unwrap. I pondered doing an Easter version, but I quickly scraped it when it didn’t feel right.

But I’m pleased to say this second volume feels right. So, if anyone enjoyed Unwrap last year, who knows…there may be another one in 2023 of lines from Classic hymns.

If you never read Unwrap, give it a shot. I think it is a great book for the upcoming Christmas season to help with your time of reflection. Who knows, you may discover a few lines in the Christmas carols that resonate with you.

Peace

Should I Even If I Don’t Feel Like It?

We are a selfish creation. We start out being selfish as children. Watch any toddler playing alone as another toddler comes up and picks up a building block not being used. Many times the first toddler will scream, telling the new child that was his. We are not taught how to be selfish, it just comes natural. But we should have been taught how to share.

We may have been taught how to share, but through the years, we still have selfish tendencies. We are selfish with our adult toys and resources. We hold back our money in piles when we see someone else in need. We convince ourselves our time is more valuable than others. We may not scream like a toddler, but we silently squirm, sometimes unconsciously into a selfish state.

One aspect of selfishness seen and often discussed revolves around service and volunteering.

There may be a visible hole in the volunteer system, but instead of filling the void, we fill it with an excuse.

I believe we all have been a culprit in this selfishness. Even I have uttered an heartfelt excuse at the time, only to see it being laced with a covering of selfishness.

Where is the line between serving as an act of passion and an act of worship?

And can these two be interchangeable?

Can you serve wholeheartedly somewhere where you are not using your passion just to fill a temporary hole or is that counterintuitive?

I believe there are multiple answers to this question, but if we dig deep, there should be one underlying question that should be asked.

And the question is: What perspective am I looking it through?

When you decide something, are you looking how it will affect you? Or what you will get out of it? Or how you are feeling? Because if your first thought is all about you and your perspective, your perspective is a selfish one.

But if you ask, how will it affect others? Or will it improve someone else? Or will this act please God? Then we change the perspective from looking in a mirror to looking at the world.

You can stare at the mirror and either see beauty or disgust, but if you focus solely on your reflection, you’ll miss the background in the mirror. The background you are standing in that needs some extra work.

When you stare in the mirror, what do you see? A self image or the landscape behind?

I think we all will say we stare at our reflection, but in reality our reflection is just a little speck in the grand reflection. When we realize there is more to this world than us, we will see the world in a new perspective.

I truly believe you can use your passions and gifts when you serve. But do you think God calls you to only serve where you’ll shine? What if serving is also a time of refinement. Serving by doing things that are not pleasurable, but needing to be done.

I think we tend to bring up excuses in that scenario. That there is someone more qualified to serve there. Or I’m just not feeling it. Or I won’t get anything out of it. Or I just don’t want to and God wouldn’t make me do things I don’t want to do.

When we make excuses like this, we tend to run into the false sanctuary of selfishness.

If we look at Christ life, did He always do what He wanted to do? No. But yet, as an act of service He did it. Even as He was praying in the garden for God to take away the cross, He still followed.

If Christ followed to His painful death (and ultimately to His glorious resurrection) how can I not submit myself to a lowly act when a possible God-moment is around the corner of obedience?

What if service is looked at as an act of worship, because truthfully, worship isn’t about making us feel good. It’s about glorifying the One that deserves all praise. And what is more glorifying to the Father than serving those we are called to serve?

If we truly see the world as God sees it with all its brokenness, shouldn’t that cause our hearts to break? And if you see something that breaks your heart shouldn’t that evoke some action on your part? An action to move in that direction even if you have no clue what to do, but move.

When we rely on our feelings and our situation for whether to serve or not, who are you truly serving? God or your own will?

May we learn to ask ourselves the hard question. And may we be humble enough to accept the need to change our perspective.

God doesn’t ask for a skilled man, He just asks for a willing one to use. Because if He can cause the lame to walk and the dead to breath, anything is possible.

Anything.

Peace

Reckless Words

It seems no matter your age, words can still hurt.

I wish I could tell the younger generation that bullying goes away when you get older. But it doesn’t. It is just masked differently.

I wish I could tell them that people will mature, but some never will.

I wish I could tell them that the older you get, you learn the expression to not judge every book by its cover. But some people will never crack open a book before labeling it.

It’s easy to fall into the pit of hearing only their echoing words.

And it’s harder to look up and see all the faces looking down speaking their words of love.

A couple of weeks ago I was speaking with my group of high school guys and one of them mentioned their favorite worship song, “Reckless Love” by Cory Asbury.

He said he could really get into that song.

Today during worship, we sung that song and I listened to it from a different perspective.

I love this verse:

“The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”
‭‭Zephaniah‬ ‭3:17‬ ‭NIV‬‬

There is something encouraging that God, the Mighty Warrior is with me. That the God who can defeat death is with me. That He loves me that much, that He actually finds delight in me, when I sometimes cannot find delight in myself.

But the line that pours over me is the last line, “But [He] will rejoice over you with singing.“

I like that imagery.

How do people look when they are singing?

It depends on the song. If it’s upbeat or slow. The meaning behind the song. The style of the music.

I sometimes envision God singing a powerful anthem. Strengthening me. Encouraging me. Defending me.

But if I’m truly honest, most of the times when I’m longing for God to sing over me, it’s not a battle cry of a Mighty Warrior I want to hear.

Most times I just want to hear a soft melody, easing my heart and soul like a lullaby.

Today while we were singing I pictured that image.

Before I spoke a word, You were singing over me
You have been so, so good to me
Before I took a breath, You breathed Your life in me
You have been so so kind to me

That even before I was in existence, God was singing over me. Before I was even known, God knew me and planning every detail about me. Before I cried my first time, inhaling air into my lungs, God had already breathed His life into mine.

God isn’t an impersonal being. He’s very relationship driven. He’s not a factory owner manufacturing identical robots, but a sculptor of priceless works of art.

We bring Him delight.

And that should in turn bring us delight in return.

So, if you’ve heard some unkind words lately, listen for God’s voice singing over you.

You are not what people say you are. You are who God says you are.

And He never creates junk or accidents.

You were created for a purpose. You have an incredible journey ahead of you. God has an unbelievable plan for you and He is Mighty enough to accomplish it through you.

Just don’t listen to the worlds reckless words.

Listen to His loving ones.

Peace

Check out this blog post on my podcast if you prefer listening on Anchor, Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

https://anchor.fm/eric-suddoth5/episodes/Reckless-Words-e1n3ceh

Release Day – Wunderling

On Friday, August 5th my newest book will be available for anyone willing to read this unusual, spooky, out of this world story.

This idea came to me in college and I quickly wrote a very short story of about 3 pages. Through the years, like many ideas I have, it continued to stay with me. I thought this little story was intriguing, but I didn’t know how to make it into a novel.

So I started thinking during the summer of 2020 (COVID kept me at home with plenty of time to think). And suddenly I saw a story develop.

A ruthless mysterious killer. A secret society. A forbidden secret.

And voilà (or wala as I used to spell it until someone informed me the word is French) an instant page turner with countless twist, more deaths than my previous books, and an ending I hope no one sees coming.

Someone asked me a couple of weeks ago what I wanted out of this book? And the simple answer is I want people to want to turn the page while reading and when the last word is read, I hope it causes some reflection.

So are you a wunderling? I guess you’ll have to read this book to answer this elusive question.

It may ultimately be the question for the ages.

Peace

If you are interested, click the link below to purchase a digital or paperback copy.

Wunderling https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B5CJMDDT/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_GPFT41NRNHK8Z87Z1BXG

Respect…Do You Have It?

Respect? What is it really? I think we know it when we see it.

One definition of respect says

a feeling of deep admiration for someone or something elicited by their abilities, qualities, or achievements.

Oxford Languages

So respect isn’t something you are born with. People may confuse respect for prestige, recognition, fame, and intelligence. But respect isn’t something so superficial.

Many people equate respect with leadership, which is an interesting relationship, but still, not all leaders are respectable. People have bosses that are cruel and lead by fear factor antics. Some people have parents who lead with brutal discipline that society calls abuse. We all have politicians we can cite as “leaders” as we scratch our heads and wonder how they got elected.

So leadership doesn’t mean respectable.

Some of the most respected people are those sitting in the shadows of corrupt leaders forming a following to take charge. An army of undesirables. A congregation of outcasts. A society that is tired of being overlooked and undervalued.

But people follow leaders. But they don’t always respect them. The Nazis demanded obedience in their tyranny reign. The people had to follow their prejudicial laws or pay the consequences. But just because they followed their wicked ways it didn’t mean they respected their leaders or their own following ways.

So, how do we earn respect? Is the question really that simple? Who wakes up and decides, “today I’m going to try and earn respect?”

If peoples motives are only in garnering respect, is it respect they really want? Or is this just a superficial mask for the need of recognition? For the longing of being known?

But what if respect isn’t something attainable like a gold medal in the Olympics, a college degree or initials behind your name or a balance in your savings account.

Respect is one of those attributes that you cannot control. You cannot coerce, bribe, pay, beg someone to respect you.

Respect is just like love.

You cannot force someone to truly love you. They can show actions of love. They can pretend to love. They can convince the world they love you, but deep down, it can just be a hoax or fraud.

Just like respect.

So how do you gain respect? I think it comes down to the other thing in life that isn’t easily attainable. Love.

If you show love, if you give honest love, if you love without boundaries and strings attached then people will see your true character. They will see your worth not as dollar signs, but from what they can receive.

It may sound selfish, but we are selfish. Humans are a selfish race. We are born with the selfishness of Adam flowing through our veins from birth in not wanting to share our toys, parents, food and joys. So, when we see someone respectable, we don’t just see a person with good qualities, but we see someone who will also make us better.

We find some politicians respectable as they fight for the weaklings as Jimmy Stewart did when “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington”. We respect some celebrities who use their wealth to open the eyes of the world of the depravity in villages across the ocean and sadly, in our own backyards.

We respect people who we will fight beside as they try and take down modern day slavery of the human trafficking. We respect the soldiers and policemen who walk into unknown situations for the sake of keeping us safe. We respect teachers who sacrifice their nights to teach our children how to read and write so we don’t have to.

Some have compared respect to courage. Because when we see someone take down a giant we are facing, we want them on our side. We want them to help us take down our giants. We want them to befriend us, listen to us, encourage us, strengthen us, and fight with us.

Respect can become a hodgepodge of this and that’s, but two qualities always found will be love and courage.

Look at Christ, a prime example of respect. Even people who do not claim to following His teachings and faith, will say he was respected and is respectable. Because of His love. And because of His courage. Without His love He would have just died another man defiant with religious zealots. Without His courage He would have died a man without a following. But through His dying love and bravery He changed the trajectory of every man’s step thereafter.

So, what is respect?

I hope I have just a little bit…just a little can go a long way in the hands of His.

Peace

What Is My Purpose?

I think this is the question for the ages. People with good intentions can agonize over this question their entire life and never find the answer that fits into what they believe their purpose is.

But is this question really that hard? There are many layers to this question, but the root of the question is basically simple.

“And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.””
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭28:18-20‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Before Jesus ascended into Heaven this was His parting words. He didn’t tell His followers how to make a lot of money. He didn’t give them political advice. He didn’t give them a mission to broaden their geographical area and take out the Romans. He didn’t command them to get married and have kids.

He called them to go and make disciples.

This is the purpose and the mission given by Jesus for each of our lives. This is our made for this. This is our reason for living.

It may sound disheartening and so far away from the American dream, but Jesus wasn’t an American. And we in America have taken our eyes off of the mighty Jesus and put our focus on the unmighty dollar instead.

Some people may not like this answer to this philosophical question, but to me it’s as simple as just that.

Go and make disciples.

So if you look at your life…take a hard look oat your last week…last month…last few years. Do you see seeds you have planted to impact the next generation? Or is your field a dry and weary wasteland? Or better yet is your field your American dream backyard that you mow each week and do little else with?

I said this question fundamentally has layers to it though. At the core the question is easily answered by Jesus’ command. But the way we go and make disciples is uniquely different.

I heard someone ask, if you could do anything with your life if money wasn’t an option, what would you do?

Have you asked yourself that question?

Go ahead and ask and ponder. If you didn’t have to work. If money wasn’t needed. If someone handed you a blank check and said do whatever you want for the rest of your life. What would you do?

If you have an answer here is the remarkable thing. Everyone probably has a different one. Because we are all different. God created us unique to fulfill His mission through us in uniquely different ways.

See where I’m going?

So, you may say if you could do anything you would paint all the time. Or you may be the person who says I would hunt and fish 365 days a year. Or you may say I would cook and bake every day.

Follow me…please do not stop reading.

So if you have an idea of what you would do if money wasn’t an option, are you doing it now at a lesser scale? If you love to paint, do you paint on your free time? If you love soccer do you play on an adult league? If you love music do you play when time allows?

The interesting thing about adults is many of us have dreams we would like to achieve but our excuses always jump ahead. I’ve talked with many people and few people are doing the thing they love to do because one excuse or another excuse.

But at the end of the day everyone has excuses. But it’s your decision to listen to the excuses and let that pessimistic attitude dictate your life or overcome them.

Do you see how you can use your hour here and hour there to go and make disciples doing the thing you love to do. Because you are not so unique that there isn’t anyone else out there who enjoys running, singing, woodworking, scrapbooking, leather working or writing.

We are called to go and make disciples. Not go and get good at playing guitar in your bedroom so no one else can enjoy it.

So what if your passion, your enjoyment, your reason to smile can morph into your purpose for making disciples?

We are not called to walk through life alone. We are called to encourage, build up, teach, baptize, love, spread the Good news, show compassion, give of our time, be hospitable, and share of our talents and dreams.

That is how we go from being a child of God to being a vessel for Him.

If you’re a child of God there is going to come a time when you are going to have to put your money where your mouth is and walk the walk and talk the talk.

And if you can use what God has gifted you with, that will just make the journey that much more enjoyable.

So once again.

What is your purpose? Just as Jesus commanded to go and make disciples.

And how do we do that? However God created you to love doing it.

And when do you start? Today could be the start of a beautiful, exciting adventure.

Peace

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Scary…But It’s Gotta Be Done

I like to write as most of you have already figured out. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t blog. I wouldn’t write my nonfiction. I wouldn’t write my mysteries. But I like it, so I keep doing it.

I talk to many people who always seem amazed when I release another book. It may be because they are seriously thinking, “Dude, give it up. You’re not that good.” Others may look at it as if it’s an unattainable feat. (Hopefully those people outnumber the others.)

Yes. It takes hard work to write a story. Writing a book isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon. Just as people train months to run a marathon in the early dewy mornings, late star covered evenings, practically anytime they have a chance to run a few miles. It’s not a task you wake up one day and decide, “today I’m going to run a marathon.” The same can be said with writing a novel. You don’t just wake up and decide to tackle that lengthy beast.

It takes discipline. I spend many evenings behind my laptop instead of watching television. Many late nights I wonder, “why even write?” Isn’t there something better I could be doing with my time? Isn’t there something I could be doing with my limited life?

It takes dedication. When I have those self-deprecating thoughts it would be easy to hit delete. It would be comforting to crawl into bed and sleep away the wasted hours through the years…decades of writing. Yep…decades. It’s hard to believe I remember writing a short story in college…20 years ago. And that short story still pulls at my heart to pull it out and make it better.

It takes stubbornness. Yep. I’m stubborn. No one is going to tell me I can’t do something. I guess that’s the pride in me. To look at them and say, “Look at me now,” when I achieve what they said I couldn’t accomplish. And it just pushes me more. Not to see that look of envy in their eyes, but to see that look that if I can do it, then they can do it.

Writing isn’t a journey meant to be walked alone. During this process I have met other writers and dreamers. I’ve had the privilege of encouraging them to keep at it. I’ve had the honor of reading their manuscripts. I’ve had the joy of sitting across the table from them with coffee and just listening as they tell their story.

So, I’ve entered the scary point in the process of allowing a few people to read the latest book. Waiting for them to say eh or wow. Waiting for a thumbs up or two thumbs down. Waiting for it to be ripped apart or praised.

It’s scary, but important. Very important. I don’t want anything terrible to be released. I want my story to be a page turner. I want the characters to come to life as they have for me. I want the twists to be unforeseen. I want the next twist to be even more unexpected.

So now I wait.

So, I may have a book to release in a few weeks or I may have a book to never see the light of day.

But either way…it all goes back to why do I write?

Not for the fame. Not for the money. Not for the prestige. Not for the recognition. Not for the accolades. Not for the 5 star reviews.

I write because I like it. And I think I was born to do it. There have been stories I have written that will never be released. But I wrote them because I wanted to write them.

And at the end of the day, that is good enough for me.

So for those of you needing a little encouragement…fix your eyes.

You can fix them on anything, but ultimately you get to choose what you fix them on.

If you want to follow a dream, walk with me…I’ll show you where to look.

Peace

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Wunderling – New Book Coming Soon

It seems that every time I release a book I have hopes of it being a success. That this next book will be read and inspire others.

Well, my next book is one I have little hope in. It’s an odd story. It has supernatural characters. It is not realistic in any way.

So, why did I write it? Because I liked the story.

I liked diving into this world of flawed characters with big secrets. Secrets that no one would believe. And going into that world where anything can happen was thrilling. There is a scene near the end of the book that seems so out there, but in the confines of the book and in my mind it makes perfect sense.

I first thought of this story about 20 years ago while I was in college. I wrote a little 3 page short story and kept it on my computer and in my mind all these years.

Well, something happened a few years ago and this little three page story started to fill my mind with possibilities of it turning into a novel. I thought. And I thought. And I thought some more. I bounced an idea off a few friends and saw their reaction. Then COVID happened and I sat at home most nights and the story came to life. I took a week off from work and since I couldn’t travel, I wrote.

In less than 2 months the story was written.

After I wrote it, I felt, this story will not be liked. But once again, I liked it. I liked it in some strange way.

I worked on a couple of other books and released them with hope of them doing something. Causing reflection, inspiration, determination for the readers.

Well, in the last few months I reread this weird story and I still like it. Few people may like it, but it’s a story that I wanted to tell.

I was texting a writer friend a few weeks ago and we were talking about our books. I told her about my book that few people will probably read, and fewer will like, but I liked writing it, so I’m going to release it.

She said some of the most encouraging words.

I love what you said about your book, you don’t think people will like it but you enjoyed writing it. I always have to remind myself that one of the most fun things I did was writing that book when I’m scared to release it! I need to take a page from your book (no pun intended) and be more fearless when it comes to that!

Future Well-Known Author

Thank you for those words, friend. I hope to never write a book with the intention of making a sale. I hope to never concoct a plot line to swoon readers. I hope to never befriend a new character in hopes of someone else liking or disliking them.

I write because I find the story intriguing. The characters eavesdrop worthy. The twist unthinkable. And I write to uncover all the little details I didn’t know about before.

People tend to think that since I was writing the story I know everything about the story. But I don’t.

There are things I still don’t know about books that I have written and will never write another chapter or part 2.

In Intertwined, I don’t know what Josiah is doing right now. Or even the Sutton clan. I don’t know all the secrets shared, relationships formed, or lies told. I just know what I wrote, but each character has an untold story I never tapped into.

This may sound strange, but it’s the truth. And if you ask any writer they will say the same thing. That there are things their most favorite character hasn’t shared with them.

Call me strange, but I sometimes think of my characters from past books and wonder what they are up to. Not to write another book, but those characters became friends to me. It’s like calling up a friend and asking how they are. So I picture them ten years later. And they show me what they are doing like a reunion.

So, if you are interested in a different type of book that I hope will keep you turning the page, Wunderling will be out in the next month.

But either way…I enjoyed writing and rereading this strange little tale.

Peace

Wunderling – a person attributed to supernatural powers or a miraculous ability

A made up word for a made up story.

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