Kathy Harris's Blog, page 5

Debbra Kay Laneville ~ You Can’t Make This Stuff Up: Life Lessons from Special Kids

Debbra Kay Laneville was born and raised in North Central Iowa. She earned her B.A. teaching degree at the University of Northern Iowa and a Master’s in Education at Marygrove College in Michigan. Her forty-two years of teaching experience has included all grade levels from preschool to high school.

She has taught in seven states and says that each teaching position gave her valuable life lessons that she knew she had to share with the world. You Can’t Make This Stuff Up: Life Lessons from Special Kids debuted at Number One in its category on Amazon. 

Debbra resides in Medina, Ohio, with her husband, Don.

 

Congratulations on your success with the book! When did you realize that you wanted to write about your experiences ?

A seed was planted in my mind after my first two years of teaching when someone said, “You should write a book.” Different people told me this throughout my career, so I finally decided to do it. The book was years in the making as I had many stories to tell, and I felt that I could bring awareness and understanding for the special kids I taught. When I retired, it became a mission for me, so I worked harder to complete the book.

The Author and Creator of our lives often writes in a twist that ultimately blesses us more than our original plan. Have you ever experienced such a “Divine Detour”?

I have had many unexpected twists in my life. When I graduated from college, I said the one area I would never teach is middle school. My plan was to be an elementary teacher. Yet, when my first full-time job offer was in middle school as a new teacher creating a new program, I took the job and found I loved teaching middle school. I never expected to teach preschool or kindergarten, yet when those opportunities presented themselves, I found I loved that too. We moved around quite a bit with my husband’s job, so I was blessed to always find a job that I enjoyed teaching children from preschool to high school.

Let’s talk about You Can’t Make This Stuff Up: Life Lessons from Special Kids (August 2023). Please tell us about it.

This is a group of stories that are told throughout my career. The chapters are in a chronological order from the first years of my teaching career to the last years. The reader gets a glimpse of each student’s struggles, triumphs and educational journey while in my classroom. These stories are humorous, profound, and sometimes heart-wrenching with every emotion in between. It can serve as a valuable resource to all those people who wonder how to best interact with this population. Throughout my career I discovered new ways to reach students that are certainly not in the lessons I learned from textbooks and experiences of college courses. The book is available on Amazon in both paperback and ebook versions.

You include ten special insights in the back of the book. How did these come about?

This book started off as a teacher’s memoir of the culmination of forty-two years of teaching. Then I paused, talked to God, and realized I needed to include all the things these special kids taught me and the lessons we can all learn from them. That evolved into ten life lessons that we can all learn from these children.

A few fun questions…

When the words aren’t flowing—or when you want to celebrate if they are—what is your favorite comfort food and why?

I like to sit on my back deck and have a cup of tea and a chocolate chip cookie. When I was a little girl my grandma let me have tea with milk and it made me feel special, so I think of her when I drink my tea. I like chocolate chip cookies better than pies or cakes, or any other desert. My tastes are simple.

What Bible passage or story best describes your journey of faith?

Psalms 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God.” There were so many times that I felt stuck when writing this book. How should I tell this child’s story? How can I best show his or her struggles, triumphs or joys with an authentic voice?

I would walk my dog. God reminded me that I needed to stop stressing and start trusting Him. I needed to realize who He was and what He can do. So, with each difficult part, I would pray for wisdom and guidance, and then, be still. Wisdom has been my word of the year, and each time I prayed to God to give me wisdom, I got an answer.

In the story that is your life, are you the strong, female lead; the girl next door; the mysterious woman behind dark glasses; the super heroine; or the little girl trying to walk in high heels?

I can be different people at different times. I like to think I am the strong female lead, especially in my role as a teacher, but there are times I love to be the girl next door and be a cheerleader for my family and friends. I try to be a good listener when they need me.

I’m a dog lover. Please tell us about your pets or your favorite pet as a child.

I am a dog lover as well. I have asthma, so one of the few dogs I can live with is a schnauzer. We just love the breed and have had four schnauzers. In my classroom, I loved having pets and talked about the value of classroom pets at school. These included fish, bearded dragons, turtles, frogs, guinea pigs and hermit crabs at various times.

Thanks, Debbra! It’s great to have you as a guest at Divine Detour.

~ ~ ~

For more information about You Can’t Make This Stuff Up: Life Lessons from Special Kids, visit Debbra’s website and follow her on Facebook. 

To purchase a copy of You Can’t Make This Stuff Up: Life Lessons from Special Kids, go to —

Delores Topliff ~ A Traveling Grandma’s Guide to Israel

Delores Topliff grew up in the beautiful Pacific Northwest along the Columbia River at the end of the Oregon Trail. The beautiful setting of her childhood filled her head early on with the adventures of fictional frontier and WWII heroes (and heroines) that have so far inspired three of her four historic novels—and helped shape her personal adventures.

Since marrying a Canadian, travel has always been an important part of her life. Her graduate studies required teaching, and having foreign students living in her home led to her visiting their countries and becoming part of their extended families. Mission trips added more to her international experience, enriching her life and expanding her personal story.

When she’s not writing, teaching, or speaking, Delores spends time with her sons’ families and five grandchildren. She resides six months of the year on a Minnesota farm and six months in Northeastern Mississippi.

 

It’s so nice to finally have you as a guest at Divine Detour! What set you on a writing journey?

Moving into a house across the street from a small community library when I was six-years-old with the nicest grandmotherly librarian in the world. We lived there until I was thirteen, and besides schoolwork, I typically read two books a day. She guided me to great reads and encouraged my writing ideas and floating library dreams. I really did want to fill a houseboat with books for people up and down the Columbia River who didn’t have libraries, and Cara Newell was nice enough not to laugh when I told her my desire.

Has God ever sent an unexpected “detour” in your life that turned out to be the better path?

Marrying a Canadian and becoming a citizen of that country as well as the U.S.

Requiring dual-chamber pacemaker surgery at age 41. I’ve now on my 7th. It makes me aware of God’s great grace and purpose for my life which has made me much bolder in looking for His purpose, direction, and daily enabling.

How does your faith play into your writing?

I love to develop characters, sometimes based on real people, who are on an assignment or quest. They must grow to overcome the dangers and challenges faced—or fail.

Let’s talk about your new book, A Traveling Grandma’s Guide to Israel (TrueNorth Publishing, August 2023). It has such a fun cover! Please tell us about it.

I was teaching in a small Christian college in Canada when a retired Biblical Archaeologist came to visit. I had just agreed to develop and teach a course in Biblical Archaeology but so far only had one paperback book plus the back of a Thompson Chain Reference Bible. Bob Allen provided books, articles, replicas, and a few genuine artifacts.

When I taught the course for a week of evenings that fall so surrounding communities could attend, Bob flew up to cheer me on. He was pleased and gave our college $3,000 if I would travel to Israel to learn more Archaeology hands-on and come back even better equipped to teach his favorite subject. I had a year to plan by writing letters and making thorough inquiries. That thirty-six day trip was so amazing, I worked hard to save and send myself eight more times during the thirty-nine years since, staying 135 days total so far.

I’m privileged to maintain friendships with a wonderful network of people there so I enjoy Israel as someone with close connections inside the land—not as a tourist. Many ask me to help plan their trips and introduce them to some of my contacts. That ultimately led to writing this book. It went to the pub board of a major publisher just as Covid greatly limited international travel. I spent time in Israel again in January 2023 to update and add information and am pleased to provide this blended memoir and travel guide. There’s nothing else like it on the market.

A few fun questions…

When the words aren’t flowing—or when you want to celebrate if they are—what is your favorite comfort food and why?

My father’s father’s Christian forefathers immigrated to the U.S. from Prussia and spent time in Wisconsin before going to Minnesota by train to homestead land. Ultimately most moved to Washington state for its favorable agricultural climate, but somehow I’m a cheesehead fond of most cheeses. Favorites are cranberry cheddar or English Wilton with mango. I’ve loved lengthy mission trips to the Philippines, Colombia, Indonesia, but miss cheeses when they’re not available. (I find excellent cheese varieties in Israel.)

This website features musicians as well as writers. Do you have musical, as well as literary, talent?

I have minimal talent but love music. I whistled recognizable tunes before age two and played songs on the harmonica by age four. My mother played violin and hoped I would, but it was her desire—not mine. After several sessions at age seven with violin teacher, Mr. Herzl, he asked her not to bring me again. I later studied piano and liked it, but my sister and cousin are truly accomplished. I’m happy to write songs occasionally, mostly for my own enjoyment.

In the story that is your life, are you the strong, female lead; the girl next door; the mysterious woman behind dark glasses; the super heroine; or the little girl trying to walk in high heels?

I was the oldest child and regularly cared for my sister and brother so I grew into the fairly standard strong female lead.

I’m a dog lover. Please tell us about your pets, if any, or your favorite pet as a child.

When I was seven or eight, I had Frosty, an attractive, fluffy cat but neighbors put out pest poison that she got into and died. Our family wasn’t ready for a replacement after that. When I visited family in Oregon recently, my nephew’s family has a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel-French Bulldog mix that was absolutely adorable. I travel too much to manage house pets but sing songs to the Scottish Highland Cows on our Minnesota farm and spoil them a bit.

Thanks, Delores! It’s great to have you as a guest at Divine Detour.

Thank you! I appreciate sharing this time with you and your readers.

~ ~ ~

For more information about Delores, visit her website, and follow her on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Pinterest.

To purchase A Traveling Grandma’s Guide to Israel in print, ebook, and audiobook (coming soon), go to —

 

Jennifer L. Wright ~ The Girl from the Papers

Jennifer L. Wright has been writing since middle school. She eventually earned a master’s degree in journalism at Indiana University, but it took only months at the job for her to realize that writing fiction was much better for the soul and a lot more fun.

A born and bred Hoosier, she was plucked from the Heartland after being swept off her feet by an Air Force pilot. They’ve spent the past decade traveling the world and, every few years, attempting to make old curtains fit in the windows of a new home. She currently resides in New Mexico with her husband, two children, a grumpy old dachshund, and a guinea pig named Peanut Butter Cup.

 

What started you on your writing journey ?

I started writing pretty much as soon as I started reading. My parents live in a different state, and I recently visited them at my childhood home. In their basement, I found short stories I’d written dating back to elementary school, some of them filling entire notebooks. I always knew I wanted to be a writer, but for the longest time, I thought that would entail a career as a news reporter. I received my master’s degree in journalism and worked in both print and radio journalism before I became a novelist.

Just as all good novels include a plot twist, the Author and Creator of our lives often writes in a twist that ultimately blesses us more than our original plan. Have you ever experienced such a “Divine Detour”?

I mentioned how I worked as a journalist for a short time; by “short time,” I mean only six months—that’s how long it took for me to realize God was telling me this particular field wasn’t right for me. I felt a bit lost after losing my childhood dream, and I kept asking God to show me where I was supposed to go next. When my first child was born, I became a stay-at-home parent, and I soon began to get that itch to write again but felt God directing me toward fiction this time. I wrote on and off for about ten years while raising my two kids before I was finally picked up by a publisher. Becoming a novelist was not something I had planned on doing, but I am so grateful to God for leading me to a place where I can still pursue my passion for writing in a much healthier and family-friendly work environment.

Let’s talk about your new book, The Girl from the Papers (Tyndale, August 2023). Please tell us about it.

The Girl from the Papers is an homage to the “public enemy” days of the Great Depression, based loosely on the lives of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow. It focuses on Beatrice Carraway, who is struggling to hold on to her dreams amidst the poverty of West Dallas, and her relationship with Jack Turner, whose own failed dreams have led him to a life of crime. Sucked into a whirlwind of stolen cars and daring heists, the pair see their names and statuses grow as their crimes are soon front-page news in papers across the country. Their thirst for fame, however, is not easily quenched, and when Jack begins seeking bigger and more risky payouts, Beatrice starts to worry her dreams―and her future―will end up going down in a hail of bullets.

How was it inspired by the legend of Bonnie and Clyde?

I stumbled across the story of Bonnie and Clyde while doing some research on the Great Depression for my first novel, If It Rains. What struck me the most was the tragedy of the tale—not just for their victims but also for Bonnie and Clyde themselves. Both were raised in Christian homes and, by some accounts, even prayed nightly together. The foundation of faith was there, but the lies and appeal of the world became too big for them to overcome. They ended up making terrible choices that doomed themselves and several innocent victims. My mind couldn’t help wondering, What if . . . What if they had made different decisions? What if they had repented from a life of crime rather than clinging to it to the bitter end? What if they had sought humility rather than the world’s esteem? And, on a deeper level: Is there ever a point at which a person is too far gone to be saved?

And from those questions, The Girl from the Papers was born.

A few fun questions…

When the words aren’t flowing—or when you want to celebrate if they are—what is your favorite comfort food and why?

I love Mexican food! Give me some chips and salsa as well as a big plate of cheese enchiladas—Christmas-style, of course, because I live in New Mexico—and I am happy as a clam. I don’t know that there has ever been a time I have turned down Mexican food. Ever.

What Bible verse or passage best describes your journey of faith?

This is such a hard question! There are so many verses that I cling to but, as far as one that describes my journey of faith, I think I’d have to go with John 6:60-69. In this passage, Jesus is teaching His disciples some hard truths, and the Scripture says that “from this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him” (verse 66). Jesus asks the Twelve if they, too, will desert him, and Simon Peter answers, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God” (verses 68-69).

There have been times in my life when my perceptions or beliefs have “bumped up against” the teachings of Jesus. Likewise, there are times I have struggled with doubts. But, when it comes down to it, my question is very much like Simon Peter’s: If I were to abandon my faith in Jesus, to whom would I go? He alone has the words of eternal life. He alone is the Holy One of God. Those verses have stopped me many times during my faith journey and forced me to examine myself. If I’m having an issue with a hard teaching in Scripture, the problem isn’t Jesus; it’s me. Because He is God, and I am not. Remembering that—and thinking about where I’d be without Him—has kept me walking alongside Him during those times when I’ve wanted to quit.

In the story that is your life, are you the strong, female lead; the girl next door; the mysterious woman behind dark glasses; the super heroine; or the little girl trying to walk in high heels?

I am definitely the little girl trying to walk in high heels, although I think I fake being the strong female lead quite well! I’m a military spouse so I’ve had to grin and bear many, many hardships over my husband’s Air Force career (I had to be a single parent for the first six months of my first child’s life, for example), and I think those experiences have given me the appearance of a strong, independent woman. On the inside, however, I often feel like a child playing at being a grown-up!

I’m a dog lover. Please tell us about your pets, if any, or your favorite pet as a child.

I bought my kids a guinea pig for their birthday two years ago, and it has morphed into a full-on obsession—for ME! We now have three of them, and they are definitely more my pets than my kids.’ I snuggle with them while I write, dress them up in costumes, and wrap them inside my hoodie to take them for walks. If you follow me on social media, I guarantee you’ll see pictures of them at least once a week, if not more.

Thanks, Jennifer! It’s great to have you as a guest at Divine Detour.

~ ~ ~

For more information about Jennifer, visit her website and follow her on Facebook and Instagram.

To order The Girl from the Papers and other books by Jennifer, go to:

 

Shirley Gould ~ Escape from Timbuktu

Shirley Gould is the middle daughter of a middle-class family, who was born in Center, Texas and reared in the middle of America. Her debut Christian novel, The Sahar of Zanzibar, released in 2021, and its sequel, Escape from Timbuktu, released last month.

For thirty years, in the midst of an extensive background in ministry, she wrote persuasive nonfiction. She is an international speaker, an African missionary, and the founder and ongoing fund-raiser for an orphanage in Kenya.

Shirley lives in Tennessee and enjoys its ‘beautiful scenery, southern cooking, watermelon, and sweet tea.’ When she’s not writing or speaking, she can often be found painting, traveling, or spoiling her seven grandchildren.

 

What started you on your writing journey?

My 12th grade English teacher encouraged me to be a writer. She said I had a way with words. But life got busy and writing non-fiction in our ministry assignments was the extent of my writing endeavors. I’ve always enjoyed reading Christian Fiction. In 2011, my husband became very sick. He had encephalitis of the brain. I couldn’t make noise for eleven months or he would have anxiety attacks, ambulance rides, and hospital stays. It was a difficult time for us both. It was during these months I began to write stories in spiral notebooks.

After the Lord healed my husband, he wanted to do something for me for being his caregiver during his debilitating illness. He sent me to a writer’s conference in St. Louis, Missouri. I began to study the craft and now I’m a published author years later.

Just as all good novels include a plot twist, the Author and Creator of our lives often writes in a twist that ultimately blesses us more than our original plan. Have you ever experienced such a “Divine Detour”?

Absolutely. After being in pastoral ministry for twenty years, the Lord sent us to Africa. We had not planned to be missionaries, though we loved missions. At the age of forty, we had to learn to speak Swahili and began ministry among the fifty-two tribes of Kenya ten thousand miles away from home. Everything was harder. Driving on the wrong side of the road with the steering wheel on the opposite side of the vehicle was a fiasco. I had many gorgeous bird of paradise flowers in my flower beds but I also had cobras in my yard. Every day was a plot twist. It was rare to have the electricity, phone, and internet all working on the same day. But the good outweighed the bad. The salvations, miracles, churches planted, and orphans placed in the orphanage I built…made every inconvenience worth it.

Now I’m using our experiences and adventures as fodder for my novels. I use personal stories in the manuscript to enhance the prose—taking my readers to Africa with me as they read my books.

Let’s talk about Escape from Timbuktu (July 2023, Scrivenings Press LLC). Please tell us about it.

Escape From Timbuktu, my second novel in The African Skies Series was released on July 25. It is about a double agent on assignment who poses as an interpreter for a photojournalist seeking a story but terrorists have them running for their lives…entangling their hearts as they escape from Timbuktu.

The back cover blurb…

Elliana Bendale can’t believe her first assignment as a photojournalist is in…well, Timbuktu.

Yes, it sounds remote, but it’s an enchanting ancient city in West Africa and if she does this right, this project could open the door to a world of exotic assignments. And even better—her translator is a ruggedly handsome Frenchman. What could be more exciting?

Beau de La Croix is not who he says he is. But posing as an interpreter is how he’ll gather intel about the presence of ISIS threatening Timbuktu. No one needs to know that he’s a double agent—especially not Ellie.

Unfortunately, the number one enemy in the world has figured it out, and suddenly Ellie’s photojournalist adventure includes dodging bullets, traveling down a crocodile-infested river, and generally running for their lives.

What has Beau gotten her into? And if they live, can she say goodbye to the man who’s kept her safe? Or is his life as a double agent too much excitement for one small-town girl?

And when Beau’s worst fears come true, what will he do to save the feisty reporter he can’t seem to shake?

A few fun questions…

When the words aren’t flowing—or when you want to celebrate if they are—what is your favorite comfort food and why?

I am an avid fan of small Cokes in glass bottles. They remind me of my childhood. When I put them with a bowl of popcorn…or a milk chocolate candy bar with almonds, then I’m ready to write again.

Parables are an integral part of both the Old and New Testaments. Is there a Bible story, parable, or passage that has been particularly important to you and/or describes your personal journey of faith?

In every chapter of my life Proverbs 3:5-6 has been the verse I’ve stood on.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths.

I’ve always tried to figure things out myself…to fix things…but through messing things up over and over doing it on my own…I constantly remind myself of these words found in Proverbs.

In the story that is your life, are you the strong, female lead; the girl next door; the mysterious woman behind dark glasses; the super heroine; or the little girl trying to walk in high heels?

I am the strong, female lead. I’m a Type A personality. My call to the ministry has required that I be bold, brave, and ready to serve.

  Thank you, Shirley. It’s nice to have you as a guest at Divine Detour.

~ ~ ~

For more information about Shirley, visit her website or follow her on Facebook and Instagram.

To purchase Escape from Timbuktu and other books by Shirley, go to—

 

 

Nancy Mehl ~ Cold Pursuit

Nancy Mehl is a USA TODAY Bestselling Author. She has won the Daphne Du Maurier Award, an ACFW Carol Award, and a Mystery Book of the Year Award from ACFW. Her book, Mind Games, was a finalist in the prestigious Christy Awards.

Nancy’s novels have something for your spirit as well as your soul. “I welcome the opportunity to share my faith through my writing,” she says. “I hope everyone who reads my books will walk away with the most important message I can give them: God is good, and He loves you more than you can imagine. He has a good plan for your life, and there is nothing you can’t overcome with His help.”

Nancy lives in Missouri with her husband, Norman, and her puggle, Watson. She is the author of over fifty books.

 

Your books are fast paced—with a LOT of suspense. How do you manage to take a breath and get back to normal life after a writing session?

I don’t really have a problem with it. I’m able to leave the suspense on the page. I don’t think I’d want my real life to mirror what I write. I’d be in a lot of trouble!

You have written more than fifty novels. What’s the main source of inspiration for your stories?

There isn’t just one thing. It’s important to me to present realistic people with real problems. I want my readers to connect to them. Many times, those characters give me the inspiration I need for a story. Who are they? What are they afraid of? What kind of struggle will test their faith and their inner strength? The details of the plot usually come from these questions.

Let’s talk about your new book, Cold Pursuit (Bethany House, July 2023). Please tell us about it.

Ex-FBI profiler River Ryland still suffers from PTSD after a case went horribly wrong. Needing a fresh start, she moves to St. Louis to be near her ailing mother and opens a private investigation firm with her friend and former FBI partner, Tony St. Clair. They’re soon approached by a grieving mother who wants them to find out what happened to her teenaged son, who disappeared four years ago. River knows there’s almost no hope the boy is still alive, but his mother needs closure, and River and Tony need a case, no matter how cold it might be.

But as they follow the boy’s trail, which gets more complicated at every turn, they find themselves in the path of a murderer determined to punish anyone who gets in his way. As River and Tony race to stop him before he kills again, an even more dangerous threat emerges, stirring up the past that haunts River and plotting an end to her future.

Besides entertainment, what do you hope readers will take away from it?

River’s childhood was torn apart when her minister father, who taught her that God was a harsh, vengeful entity, took off with his church secretary. She has turned her back on God, and even though she cried out for His help when her life was at stake, she still ignores Him. As she begins to learn about a God who loves her – who has forgiven her – her wounded soul begins to heal. I want readers to know that no matter how far we may have drifted from God, He’s as close as our next breath. He’s just waiting to bring His lost lambs home.

If you could go back and give your younger self one piece of advice about writing, what would it be?

Don’t give up!

Thanks, Nancy! It’s nice to have back at Divine Detour.

Thank you, Kathy!

~ ~ ~

For more information about Nancy, visit her website and follow her on Facebook or Twitter .   To order Cold Pursuit and other books by Nancy, go to –

 

 

Beth K. Vogt ~ Dedicated to the One I Love

Beth K. Vogt is a non-fiction author and editor who said she would never write fiction. However, as a contemporary romance novelist, she is a 2016 Christy Award winner, a 2015 RITA® Finalist and a three-time ACFW Carol Award finalist. Her 2014 novel, Somebody Like You, was one of Publisher’s Weekly’s Best Books of 2014.

Beth enjoys writing contemporary romance because she believes there’s more to happily-ever-after than the fairy tales tell us. She lives in Colorado with her husband Rob, who has adjusted to discussing the lives of imaginary people, and their youngest daughter, Christa, who loves to play volleyball and enjoys writing her own stories.

 

Welcome back, Beth! If someone asked you to describe yourself with one word, what word would that be?

Friendly. Yes, I consider myself a person who is approachable, who connects with other people, but I also treasure my friendships.

There’s a meme prominently displayed on your website that says, “ God’s best is often behind the door marked NEVER.” Something tells me there’s a story there. Maybe even several? Has this been a theme in your life?

A theme in my life? Hmmmm … yes. I’ve said a strong no to several things – marked the door with the words NEVER – and then found some of my best blessings behind that closed door. Examples:

I said I would never marry anyone in the military or marry a doctor. I fell in love with a man who was in the Air Force and who is a family physician.I said I didn’t want to have children – and my husband and I are blessed with four wonderful children.I said I’d never write fiction – I originally was a nonfiction writer and editor until God turned a season of burnout into a bend in the writing road and led me to write novels.

Fiction has, obviously, worked well for you! Let’s talk about your new book, Dedicated to the One I Love (June 2023). Please tell us about it.

I had a lot of fun with Joe and Kylie’s story – and I needed that during some challenging months. It’s a why not/why romance, meaning when Joe and Kylie meet, they’re not looking to fall in love with one another – there are all sorts of reasons why they shouldn’t fall in love with one another. I like to say: She doesn’t believe in romance. He doesn’t either. They’re perfect for one another.

What is it about stories about writers that makes for so much fun?

This is my second story featuring writers. When someone signs up for my monthly newsletter, they receive a free novella, Revisions, that also features two writers. I think every author eventually tells a story (or two) about writers because we know this life, we get this life. It’s fun.

What has kept you going on your writing journey all these years?

God made me a creative. I am wired to write. I always say, “What else would I do?”

If you could go back and give your younger self one piece of advice about writing, what would it be?

For me, as a woman of faith, this walk along the writing road has drawn me closer to God. I would tell my younger self to look for Him, to listen for Hm in all the ups and downs of the writing adventure. He’s in all of it, ready to offer you encouragement and to strengthen you as you write your stories. He will bring good out of all of this.

Thanks, Beth! It’s always nice to have you as a guest at Divine Detour.  

~ ~ ~

For more information about Beth, visit her website and follow her on Facebook , Instagram , and Twitter .

To order Dedicated to the One I Love, go to –

AMAZON

Fourth of July Zucchini Pickles

 

PrintFourth of July Zucchini PicklesDelicious with your burgers and barbecue. Course CondimentCuisine AmericanKeyword pickles, zucchiniPrep Time 1 hourCook Time 20 minutesResting Time 5 hoursTotal Time 6 hoursServings 8 pint jarsEquipmentLarge bowlLarge, nonreactive stockpotMedium, nonreactive stockpotHot water bath canner and utensilsIngredients8 to 10 cups fresh zucchini, partially peeled, cut into bite-sized chunks6 medium sweet onions, peeled and sliced thin 3 mixed sweet peppers, sliced thin For example, red, green and/or orange bell, banana peppers5 medium cloves of fresh garlic, diced1/3 cup table saltBrine4 to 5 cups sugar, to taste3 cups white vinegar1.5 tsp turmeric1.5 tsp celery seed2 tsp mustard seedInstructionsWash and prepare vegetables. Place in a large glass bowl. Add salt and gently mix. Cover contents of bowl with ice and set bowl aside for three hours at room temperature.Drain liquid from vegetables and remove any unmelted ice. Transfer to a large nonreactive stockpot. Set aside, while preparing brine.For brine. Combine sugar, vinegar, turmeric, celery seed, and mustard seed in a medium, nonreactive saucepan. Bring to boil. Pour hot brine over reserved vegetables. Cover stockpot and let set for two hours.Prepare sterilized glass jars, lids, and rings and set aside. Fill a large hot bath canner with enough water to adequately cover the pint jars. Bring water to boil. Place stockpot filled with vegetables and brine on stovetop and bring mixture to boil. Carefully transfer vegetables and brine to warm pint jars. Stir to remove air bubbles. Carefully wipe off rims and add lids and rims. Finger-tighenten rims. Using canning tongs carefully add jars to canner allowing room between jars. Cover with canner lid and process in boiling water for ten minutes. Water should exceed height of jars by at least an inch.After ten minutes, turn off the burner. Very carefully use canning tongs to remove hot jars to towel-covered, protected countertop or another flat surface. Jars will be hot and fragile. Keep away from edges, children, and pets. Jars will need to cool for 24 hours before removing rings. After 24 hours, remove rings and check that each jar has sealed properly. Place any unsealed jars in refrigerator. Open jars should be refrigerated.Serve chilled. Enjoy! NotesPrep time: 1 hourResting time: 5 hoursCooling time: 24 hours

Christmas In July Military-Themed Book Giveaway

You could win one of these five inspirational fiction or non-fiction military-themed books. Details here. 

Giveaway Titles The Decision by Christina Rost (Signed paperback) – Fiction Deadly Conclusion Kathy Harris (Signed paperback or ebook–winner’s choice) – Fiction The Escape Game by Marilyn Turk (Paperback) – Fiction G.I. Joe & Lillie by Joseph S. Bonsall (Hardback) – Memoir 101 Prayers for Military Wives by Kristi Woods (Faux Leather) – Nonfiction Gift Book

Peter Rosenberger ~ A Minute for Caregivers: When Everyday Feels Like Monday

Peter Rosenberger is the host of a national radio show, HOPE FOR THE CAREGIVER, a widely-published writer, a songwriter, and a good friend. He is also the author of the new book, A Minute for Caregivers: When Everyday Feels Like Monday (Fidelis Publishing, May 2023).

I became acquainted with Peter through his radio show, which at that time was based in Nashville. I later had the opportunity to meet him and his wife, Gracie, who sustained life-threatening injuries in a car accident more than thirty years ago that would eventually make her a double amputee.

Together, Peter and Gracie have raised two sons, established and facilitated a non-profit that distributes prosthetic limbs to the needy in West Africa, and performed for elite audiences, including a president. Peter and Gracie are both talented musicians. She is a gifted vocalist, and he is an accomplished pianist.

Beyond—and far above—everything else, Peter and Gracie continue to share their testimony through all of life’s trials and triumphs, to Jesus Christ, Who sustains them. I’m delighted to host Peter at Divine Detour this week.

 

If someone asked you to describe yourself with one word, what word would that be? 

Focused.

Caregiving is a 24/7 job. How do you make time to write books as well as host a radio show? Do you carve out a certain time of day to write? 

I write in my head while doing my chores, errands, and tasks. Then, I carve out an hour or so to download what I thought about. My commentaries and op-eds are usually 650-700 words. That’s about all the time I have to write at a pop and put out quality. Even my books have short chapters. I use voice to text to make notes on my phone about a topic I’d like to write about. Early mornings are usually the time when I can write – and rarely, if at all, do I write in the late afternoon.

Let’s talk about your new book, A Minute for Caregivers: When Everyday Feels Like Monday . Please tell us about it.

Most caregivers don’t have the energy or time to read a “manual” or “how-to” book. It’s hard to read for pleasure as well. I love to read, but the crisis du jour often hampers my reading.

But most of us can sit down for a few minutes. The chapters can literally be read in one minute (I timed them). They are not sequential, so readers can go to any page and find something on that page to help in THAT moment. Readers can start with the conclusion, flip to the beginning – whatever works at that point in time.

I speak fluent caregiver. Every chapter – every sentence – will make sense to my fellow caregivers. Each page offers hard-won insights gleaned over a lifetime and those insights pierce through the clutter and noise to fellow caregivers’ hearts. Some will make you laugh; some will make you cry – but all will point caregivers to safety.

Pick a number between 1 & 240 and turn to the page corresponding to that number. Something on that page will help immediately. I just tested it on myself while answering your questions and picked “32.” It worked.

Col. Oliver North wrote the Foreword. How did that come about?

The agent I hired tried unsuccessfully for a year to get a book deal with this project. I chose to end the contract with my agent and go off on my own.

I found the publisher (Fidelis) through LinkedIn and sent an inquiry to the COO, Gary Terashita. With a long list of rejections, my expectations were low.

Surprisingly, Gary wrote back and said he was interested. After receiving the manuscript he expressed a desire to go the next step – but the CEO had to sign off.

The CEO is Oliver North. Currently in the throes of caregiving, Col. North immediately connected with this book and not only wanted to publish it, but asked if he could write the Foreword.

Fidelis had never published anything like this but had the topic of caregiving on their radar. It has been an extraordinary partnership that God put together.  I can confidently state that my encounter with them was a Divine Detour.

Your radio show, podcast, and books are an inspiration to others. What inspires you?

Years ago, I talked to a woman caring for her husband with quadriplegia. The family (on both sides) failed to help and left her to fend for herself. Struggling to make ends meet while affording 24-7 care, she made a brutal choice; she divorced her husband so that she could get paid by the state as his caregiver.

With defiant dignity, she said to me, “I bathe him, feed him, dress him, and sleep beside him every night.”

Her non-helping family criticized her decision to divorce him – yet didn’t lift a finger.

With her heart in her throat, she asked me, “Did I do wrong?”

Taking a deep breath, I responded with conviction encased in compassion: “You broke the contract … but kept the covenant of marriage. You’re doing the extraordinary in an impossible situation – be at peace.”

I also added that she might want to tell her family to step off.

She inspires me.

My aunt, Diane, took care of my mother’s brother for years while I was a teenager. I see her face everywhere. Her daughter (my cousin) takes care of her special needs child. My brother and his wife care for their daughter (34) who is non-verbal, non-ambulatory, and cognitively impaired.

My friends, Frank and Joyce took care of their son with hemophilia many years ago. He, along with every hemophiliac in my home state of South Carolina, contracted HIV in the 1980’s. Gracie sang, and I played the piano. at their son’s funeral.

I see all of their faces in every podcast, broadcast, interview, column, and book.  The inspiration I draw from them and more serves to harden my resolve to speak with clarity and conviction to my fellow caregivers – and to respect their brutal challenges. 

It has been ten years since you wrote your first book on caregiving. Has any of your basic philosophy changed since that time?

My clarity has increased, but the guiding principle remains “Healthy Caregivers Make Better Caregivers.” Years ago, I started off offering more “Tips” but quickly grew bored with that. A five-minute Google search can provide caregiving tips for most of the caregiving tasks we do. My focus continues to remain on the trainwreck in a caregiver’s heart. If our hearts, minds, bodies, and wallets are dumpster fires – can you imagine what our caregiving looks like?

It’s important to know how to do caregiving tasks – but that knowledge becomes meaningless if the caregiver is incapacitated with fear, grief, guilt, resentment, or despair. My philosophy and approach? I suppose all of this represents my efforts to speak to the 22-year-old version of myself – who fell in love with a woman with a broken body. I daily strive to say and write things that would make sense to that young man.

Directing to safetyHelping ‘get back on the horse’ when mistakes are made.Pointing to the inexhaustible love of God that transcends our easily depleted efforts.

Thanks, Peter! It’s great to have you back at Divine Detour.

~ ~ ~

For more information about Peter, visit his website and follow him on Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram .

To order A Minute for Caregivers When Everyday Feels Like Monday, go to –

 

BookSweeps Inspirational Readers Giveaway

DEADLY COMMITMENT, the first book in The Deadly Secrets series, is one of 42 books you could win in the new BookSweeps INSPIRATIONAL FICTION & NONFICTION GIVEAWAY. Entering is easy! Click the graphic below or follow this link for details. https://www.booksweeps.com/giveaway/j... But hurry! Contest ends soon!