Sandy Snavely's Blog, page 5
August 4, 2014
What’s Brewing – The Perfect Place for Story
When the story for Ellie’s Window first knocked on the door of my imagination I had no idea where it would take me. But I knew it was going to be a great journey. And I knew it needed a home where all the characters and their stories could live, and breathe and discover new things about themselves and how to live in a broken world. So I Googled a map of the east coast, scanned all the towns and cities along the ocean’s edge, waiting for something to jump out at me and say, this is it. Then Dover. This was it. The history. The charm. The simplicity. Dover had everything my story needed to come to life.
From the beginning, I knew I would need to connect with someone who could help Dover become more than a dot on a map. I found Kay Sass, Public Affairs and Emergency Management Coordinator at City of Dover. The name alone told me she had spunk, and pluck, and all those things I love in a woman. We became friends on Facebook. That gave me a feel for how this city thinks and feels and celebrates their people and their history.
But it was when my husband and I landed in Dover that Dover became a real place and Kay became a real friend. Through her eyes we saw The Green with all its historic charm. We ate at 33 West, shopped at Delaware Made, and toured the library where we heard the stories of the Chocolate Murder, and how Patty Canon’s head in a hatbox came to stay for a while. We were awed by the sounds of hybrid cars mixing with the clumping of horses hooves as they pulled the Amish through the city’s streets. And we felt the pride of America oozing from the Golden Fleece Tavern, the home of William Penn, and the other Liberty Bell on the Capitol grounds. Dover is no longer a dot on a map; it’s the home of Ellie’s Window.
So, come and join me in Dover. Eat at the Country Eaterie and Meding & Son’s. Have coffee at the Governor’s Café. Hunt for shells on Bower’s Beach. All these stories and places are waiting for you in Ellie’s Window. Come join me in story.
Love and joy, Sandy Snavely
What’s Brewing – The Perfect Place for Story was first posted on August 4, 2014 at 3:43 pm.
©2013 "Life Over Latte". Use of this feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this article in your feed reader, then the site is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact me at sandy.snavely@frontier.com
July 28, 2014
What’s Brewing – Ellie’s Window Ready to Launch!
Announcing the launch of
Ellie’s Window!
Real, relevant, hopeful and completely engaging from start to finish!
Ellie’s Window – Surrender is a message of hope for those who have seen the world of Alzheimer’s up close and personal, but it is also a story that speaks to every heart that has struggled to see themselves as they really are.
Watch the Book Trailer – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8aMcQrmUok
Ellie’s Window - Join the journey.
Buy it today, review it tomorrow, and together we can put Ellie’s Window on Amazon’s top seller list.
Available NOW on Amazon.com in both paperback and Kindle.
Join the journey!
Love and joy, Sandy
What’s Brewing – Ellie’s Window Ready to Launch! was first posted on July 28, 2014 at 10:52 am.
©2013 "Life Over Latte". Use of this feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this article in your feed reader, then the site is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact me at sandy.snavely@frontier.com
July 17, 2014
What’s Brewing – Join the Launch
Dear Friends,
Ellie’s Window, is soon to launch in a nationwide campaign. Because you have been following this process from beginning to end it just seems fitting to invite you to join the team to put Ellie’s Window on Amazon.com’s best sellers list. Believe me, this is a very attainable goal and the benefits are enormous. Here’s how you can help Ellie’s Window receive the attention it needs to bring hope to those whose lives have been so drastically affected by Alzheimer’s Disease.
1. Join the team.
Simply respond to this post by leaving a comment and saying, “I’m all in.” I will add your name to Ellie’s Window email Launch Team, and/or I will be happy to send the announcement to your Facebook page so you can share it with your list of friends. Do one or do both, just let me know and I will be most happy to accommodate your preferences.
2. Respond.
On the day of the launch, (tentatively set for Monday, July 28th.) you will receive my E-newsletter and/or Facebook link, announcing the debut of Ellie’s Window. All you’ll need to do is forward the email, or share the link, with your friends and family. Feel free to add whatever thoughts or words of endorsement you feel would encourage your friends to visit the Amazon page where Ellie’s Window will be ready to be ordered.
3. Review.
After you’ve read Ellie’s Window simply click the Amazon.com link to Ellie’s Window, rate the book (from one to five stars) and write a review. I never purchase a book without reading at least ten reviews for any given title. What can I say…reviews really matter! I’d love to see a mass of honest reviews from you and your friends.
That’s it! It’s simple. And it’s hugely effective! Thank you so much for considering being a part of Ellie’s Window Launch Team. I’m looking forward to hearing from you soon.
Love and joy, Sandy Snavely
What’s Brewing – Join the Launch was first posted on July 17, 2014 at 10:50 am.
©2013 "Life Over Latte". Use of this feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this article in your feed reader, then the site is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact me at sandy.snavely@frontier.com
July 9, 2014
What’s Brewing – Sneak Peeks
And there was the box sitting on the couch waiting to be opened. Bud slashed his knife through the strapping tape, pulled up the flaps and hiding under a layer of puffy green packing pillows were 20 copies of Ellie’s Window. I have received confirmation they will be ready to ship through Amazon.com by July 22nd, (you can begin pre-ordering them now). But until you have them in your hands, why not grab a latte and let me read a few excerpts to you from . . .
Chapter Two:
The walls of the delivery room dissolved into a shimmering veil of dust as the Heavenly being carried Audrey away into the space beyond. How could this be? Though everything seemed to be moving in slow motion her thoughts were spinning with wonder. Death was neither dull nor silent. The swelling sounds of music joined into the percussion of wings beating against the air and drawing them upward while shapes, and colors, and what appeared to be the clashing of swords, dazzled her senses. This was more than an out-of-body experience – it was out of this world. Clearly something incredible was happening in the life of Audrey Rose St. Clare.
Chapter Three:
Charles motioned for her to sit down. “I’ve given this a lot of thought, Mother, so I need you to listen without lecturing me. I can’t deal with being a father right now and I don’t know if I ever will. I’m sorry if this disappoints you, but you need to understand that Eleanor (Ellie) needs more than I can give her. I’ve tried, Mother, I’ve really tried. But I’m just too dead inside to care for a crying, needy, child. I won’t be taking her back home with me. I need to be alone. No, I am alone.” Having nothing more to say Charles left Esther sitting at the table in stunned silence as he paused with his hand clutching the knob of the back door. “I’ve packed up all her things. I’m going to bring them in and then I’m leaving.”
Chapter Five:
In spite of all the reasons why Charlie dreaded Monday dinners with the woman (Ellie) who had become more of a stranger to her than a friend, the truth of the matter was – she still needed her mother’s approval. So, tonight would be another night of enduring the monotonous droning of what her mother had for breakfast, how far the tide had gone out the night before, the rising costs of groceries and health insurance, and finally ending with the disgusting details her cat’s latest hair ball episodes. Princess Leia had a habit of depositing her wads of yuk wherever she had a mind to leave them.
And Chapter Ten:
A cloud of quiet hovered over them as their toasted cheese sandwiches sat on their plates as unfinished as their thoughts. Then Bernie leaned across the table and with her eyes dancing with a fresh batch of wisdom said, “Oh but Honey Girl, what if your Mama is seein’ more than what anyone can see? More than anyone could know? What if God is opening the windows of heaven to her right now and is showin’ her what’s comin’? Now wouldn’t that be somethin’?”
Sneak peeks are just so much fun, aren’t they?
Love and joy, Sandy
What’s Brewing – Sneak Peeks was first posted on July 9, 2014 at 8:18 am.
©2013 "Life Over Latte". Use of this feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this article in your feed reader, then the site is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact me at sandy.snavely@frontier.com
June 30, 2014
What’s Brewing – Time to Tremble
This weekend Bud and I discovered that Ellie’s Window is now available on Amazon.com. It came without fanfare or phone call. It just showed up like a shadow on the sidewalk. And while I should be jumping on the bed doing a happy dance, instead I just feel like I’m standing on the brink of panic. I’m afraid no one will read it. I’m afraid whoever does read it will hate it. I’m afraid it will receive zero stars on the 5 five star rating. And I’m afraid that among the list of writers I will look like an opera singer wanna-be with smoker’s voice.
And so I’ve decided to have a Gone With the Wind kind of day and think about it tomorrow. Today I will spend my time in prayer and fasting – a great way to slay the dragon of terror to turn it into a tool for trembling. Trembling is good.
Today, O Lord I choose to tremble in Your Presence
For I have become too satisfied with Your kindness
Too complacent with Your patience
Too accustomed to Your Love that covers the many ways I find to sin
I have forgotten to stand in awe of Your Majesty
To be humbled by Your Authority
To be silenced by the Power of Your Word
So today I choose to tremble in Your Presence
Without fear of death, or loss, or rejection
Without my well thought out agendas
Or my pre-conceived expectations
Or my faithless list of demands
Just me
In awe of the Glory that flows from Your Throne
Today I choose to tremble in Your Presence
In search of things unknown
That can only be discovered
On knees that knock by the sheer beauty of who You are.
Sandy Snavely, 6/30/2014
Ellie’s Window is available now on Amazon.com. Simply click here and you’ll find it.
Love and joy, Sandy
What’s Brewing – Time to Tremble was first posted on June 30, 2014 at 8:00 am.
©2013 "Life Over Latte". Use of this feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this article in your feed reader, then the site is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact me at sandy.snavely@frontier.com
June 23, 2014
What’s Brewing – Windows
The sun is blazing through the window this morning. After days of dark clouds and monotonous rain it feels as if life is returning in all its summery colors. This is why I love windows. They connect us to all the somethings that wait beyond them.
And now that my book is finished and waiting to be launched, I see how this story is not as much about Ellie (though she is as lovely a character as a character can be) as it is about the Window. It’s the window that weaves through the pages, giving us sense of something beyond what we can see. And isn’t that what we all want? Something more? Something deeper? Something stronger. Something that bursts through the windows of our souls to remind us that we are known, and seen, and loved.
Mirrors are one sided. Partial. Opinionated. Single-minded. But windows! Aha! They’re two way streets. Double-visioned. Impartial. Reflecting both sides of every issue. Ellie’s Window is a look beyond from both sides. It’s a book of hope. Hope that shatters our mirrors and leads us to where we can breath the air of Heaven and hear the voice of God rejoicing over us with singing.
Ellie’s Window will be available soon, in paperback or Kindle, at Amazon.com or through your favorite bookstore.
For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a Mighty Savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With His love, He will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs. Zephaniah 3:17
I can’t wait to share Ellie’s Window with you.
Love and joy, Sandy
What’s Brewing – Windows was first posted on June 23, 2014 at 7:28 am.
©2013 "Life Over Latte". Use of this feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this article in your feed reader, then the site is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact me at sandy.snavely@frontier.com
June 15, 2014
What’s Brewing – Special Delivery
And then it happened. After all the waiting, all the anticipating, all the wondering – the doorbell rang and there on the doorstep was a small package with my name on it. No burst of emotion! No shout of joy. Just a quiet knowing that what began as a dream was finally here.
As I held Ellie’s Window in my hands I felt like I had just met an old friend face to face for the very first time. We had a lot to catch up on, a lot of stories to share, and a lot of things to look forward to. But first, I just wanted to sit down and look at it. To run my fingers across the shiny new cover and smell the fresh ink pressed into pages. Can I just say – it’s a beautiful book. Inside and out. And the beauty of it honors the message inside.
Because Ellie’s Window is a story of hope. Hope that we are more than we think we are. Hope that people really can change. Hope that Love will find us in the midst of our complicated lives. And hope that even in the worst of times, when all feels lost, and dark, and hope-less, God is there weaving His will through our dismal circumstances and moving our stories to a stunning conclusion.
For Audrey, hope lifted her from earth to Heaven with barely a breath of time to say goodbye.
For Charles, hope found him on his knees in the dark night of his soul.
For Charlie, hope followed her through all her self-made crisis of faith.
But for Ellie Mae, hope met her in the silence of Alzheimer’s Disease.
Because Hope is the window where God shows us His face and changes everything.
And that my friends, is a Special Delivery of a magnificent kind.
Ellie’s Window is soon to launch.
I will surely keep you posted.
Love and joy, Sandy
What’s Brewing – Special Delivery was first posted on June 15, 2014 at 7:14 am.
©2013 "Life Over Latte". Use of this feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this article in your feed reader, then the site is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact me at sandy.snavely@frontier.com
June 9, 2014
What’s Brewing – The Coming Out of Ellie’s Window
The table’s been set for nearly a week. The menu’s completed and by late this afternoon the recipes will be ready to be plated. The décor is all about windows, and gifts, and pictures of Ellie Mae St. Clare-Mondary. The only thing missing is the book! But it will be here soon. And so the story goes. First the idea. Then the accepting of the challenge to bring the idea to life. Then the daily discipline of one word at a time, one scene at a time, one chapter at a time until the idea is no longer an idea, but a thing. All that’s left is the waiting for the delivery man to hand me the first copy of Ellie’s Window. From there it’s all about the celebration. For an idea has been conceived. A dream has been birthed. And a child is now ready to learn how to speak, and walk, and affect the lives of many.
Tomorrow night those whose names are in the acknowledgements will gather at my home for Ellie’s Coming Out Party. Some are in other parts of the country and the world but they will be here in heart. These are the ones who read the manuscript as it was being written, who urged me to keep on keeping on with it, and who reminded me again and again that I was simply doing what God had called me to do.
For all of you who have been waiting; Ellie’s Window will be coming soon to an Amazon.com near you! I will keep you posted. And can I say – she’s beautiful! Inside and out. For the next few weeks I will be sharing bits and pieces of her story, just to give you an idea of what to expect when and if you choose to invite her into your summer reading.
Oh I pray that her story will fill you with hope, and wonder, and that deep sense of knowing that there is One Magnificant Someone who sees you the way you really are.
And so the Coming Out of Ellie’s Window begins!
Love and joy,
Sandy
What’s Brewing – The Coming Out of Ellie’s Window was first posted on June 9, 2014 at 7:03 am.
©2013 "Life Over Latte". Use of this feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this article in your feed reader, then the site is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact me at sandy.snavely@frontier.com
May 26, 2014
What’s Brewing – The Heart of a Soldier
Because I married a soldierI’ve learned
How to make a bed with tight corners
How to iron creases in fatigues
How to honor the American Flag
Because I married a soldier
I’ve seen the place where enemy planes flew unnoticed just before all hell broke loose on December 7th, 1941
And I’ve seen the bullet holes left behind following the attack on Pearl Harbor
Because I married a soldier
I’ve watched families say goodbye to their loved ones leaving for Iraq and Afghanistan
I’ve sat next to thoughtful young men and women on their way home from Iraq and Afghanistan
One young man gave me a 50 dollar bill with Sudam Hussein’s picture on it. His name was Daniel. I still pray for him.
Because I married a soldier
I’ve eaten lunch in mess halls
Shopped in commissaries
And flown in cargo planes to amazing places around the world
Because I married a soldier
I’ve learned how to respect authority
How to lead with integrity
And how to stop, stand up, and put my hand over my heart during the National Anthem
Because I married a soldier
I’ve learned why we cherish freedom
Why we live for it
And why we die for it
Yes, everything I’ve ever learned about God and Country, I’ve learned from a soldier
Chief Master Sergeant Burton E. Snavely
The man whose uniform is ready for his final goodbye
Because the soldier I married will always be a Soldier at Heart
Love and joy, Sandy
What’s Brewing – The Heart of a Soldier was first posted on May 26, 2014 at 7:00 am.
©2013 "Life Over Latte". Use of this feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this article in your feed reader, then the site is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact me at sandy.snavely@frontier.com
May 22, 2014
What’s Brewing – More Please!
It’s the face that stays with us long after the movie’s over. The little orphan with his clothes rubbed raw by soot and grime, shoes without laces, and dirt-caked cheeks streaked with the rivers of dried tears, holding his empty cup and pleading, “more please.” Though I already know what will happen I hear myself whispering, ‘Yes, I’ll give you more. I’ll give you as much ‘more’ as you want. Heck, I’ll give you ‘more’ than you need. Who could refuse your trusting eyes and hungry belly?’ But the master of the orphanage does refuse. Because he doesn’t love the boy. He’s just the man with the soup pot.
This morning I found myself looking pitiful before the Throne, worn out by trying and rubbed raw with doubting, holding my cup in life-weary hands hoping the Master will see it, and fill it – as full as I needed it to be and then some.
It’s not that God hasn’t given me plenty. He has. It’s just that there are times when I feel like I need more. More love for people who I don’t feel like loving. More joy in dull routines that never seem run out of boredom. More peace with my conscience. More patience with unresolved issues. More kindness when I feel unfairly treated. More goodness when I want to respond with badness. More strength to be faithful. More power to be gentle. And more desire to exercise self-control. ‘More fruit of the Spirit please.’
He’s not the master of the orphanage. He’s my Father! He gives more! More than I ask for. More than I need. More than my heart can comprehend. More than I deserve. He gives more! Willingly. Judiciously. Considerately. Without scolding or belittling. Without shaming me for what I’ve already squandered. Without handing me a list of what I already owe Him.
He is the God of MORE!
More please!
Thank you!
Love and joy, Sandy
By the way, Ellie’s Window is almost ready to go to print! All my work is done. There’s nothing left to do but wait and pray that you will love it and that it will leave you saying, “More please.” Oh, I hope you will because the sequel is soon to begin!
What’s Brewing – More Please! was first posted on May 22, 2014 at 6:59 am.
©2013 "Life Over Latte". Use of this feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this article in your feed reader, then the site is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact me at sandy.snavely@frontier.com
